Happy Easter

There will be no artwork today as I will be spending this glorious day with my family.  Remember this is the last day you can order and be in the drawing for the Art Philosophy cartridge.  Only one other person has ordered so your chances are excellent!  Order at www.Barbraotten.ctmh.com.

You Anchor Me Back Down - Cricut

So if you were watching my blog this month you know that I recently discovered an even greater love of the Workshops on the Go for Close to my Heart.  You really ought to take advantage of these products, you certainly get your money's worth.   AND if you really like working with these types of patterns where you are given step by step directions to make the most beautiful layouts, check out the Magic book that I've put up on Ebay.  It's a retired Magic book and it's quite rare these days, this is my last one too!

 

Today I'm doing the Tommy Workshop on the Go.  I also added a touch of my own by using our next shape on the Cricut cartridge.  We're on page 23 in your Art Philosophy cartridge book.  We're going to make the little "buckle" piece.  Cut it at 1 1/4 inches using the "square 1" key with the "tag" key.   Cut the yellow pattern paper from your Tommy set.   As mentioned before, I'm not allowed to do the step by step for the two page layout because it's a copyrighted pattern so I'm just showing you how I added this buckle accent.

 

 

For this two page layout I needed to decorate up a square accent that measured 2 1/4 so I cut a strip of cranberry cardstock 1 inch by 2 1/4 inches.  Distress both pieces with desert sand.

 

Now, on the pre-cut accent square, add the buckle and paper ribbon using 3-d foam tape.  

 

Add the cute little flags from the Tommy Assortment pack that comes with your Workshop on the Go.  I just poked them right through the foam tape that was under the buckle, super easy and no adhesive needed. 

 

Here's the whole layout, make sure you click twice on it to see it in detail.  Don't forget that if you place an order on my website before midnight on Sunday you will be in the running for a brand new Art Philosophy cartridge.  Make sure to hit the JOIN button when you order.  

UR My Favorite - Cricut

Only one person has ordered off my website so your chances at winning the Art Philosophy cartridge are very good!!!!   Order here by March 31st and don't forget to hit the JOIN button when you do.  www.barbraotten.ctmh.com

 

Want to try something different with your Cricut shapes?  How about layering them on each other, and I mean really layering them!   We're on page 23 on the Art Philosophy book using the "square 1" key along with the "layer" key and the "shift" key.  I'm using white daisy and sky cardstocks only.  Cut the star at 2 1/2 inches and cut it out 14 times from the sky paper.  Using some adhesive (I used Tombow), glue seven of the stars on top of each other.  Be careful to line it up the best you can. 

Once you're finished cut your background.

 

White daisy cardstock - 8 1/2 by 5 1/2 folded in half for a card base.

Sky cardstock - 2 strips 1/2 by 4 1/4 inches, one strip 2 1/4 by 4 1/4 inches and one cut 1 inches by 4 1/4 inches.  Distress with sky ink and attach to card base as shown below, leave a one inch space between the two strips on top and your large center strip.  Now glue your stars onto the large center strip, do not distress them.

 

 

Use shimmer trim cut at 4 1/4 inches across the largest white space to add a little pizazz.  It's always good to repeat one or two elements on a page so that there is a group of three so here I've added two buttons that also are a silver glitter look on each star.  Using the Whooo's Your Valentine stamp set (and I still have some of these for sale), stamp UR My Favorite on the bottom sky blue strip in outdoor denim ink. 

 

Here's a side view at how cool these stars look, you could even layer them more (or even less) depending on the look you want.  The photos don't do them justice, these are really neat. 

Thanks so very much card - Cricut

I've had a lot of problems uploading pictures for this card so I only have two.   This card uses the window frame on the "square 1" key.  I'm using Claire paper, one of my absolute favorite paper sets from this catalog.  Cut the outdoor denim pattern paper 4 by 4 inches.  Cut one of the pattern papers 3 3/4 by 3 3/4 inches.   On your Cricut, using the Art Philosophy cartridge, cut the window shape out using the "decorative layer" key along with the "square 1" key.  Cut it at 3 1/2 inches.  Distress all with outdoor denim ink and glue as shown.  Cut a piece of cashmere cardstock 8 by 4 inches long, fold in half and attach the card front to it, opening to the right. 

The stamp set I have is not one available to customers to buy, it's a Petite Perk and it's retired but I love it!  You can use any stamp set that has four small stamps that coordinate.  I stamped each stamp in outdoor denim ink on 1 inch square sunset cardstock.  Pop them up with 3-d foam tape and then use some prisma glitter and bitty sparkles to decorate, that's it, talk about easy and fast!   

Only a few days left to earn a chance at an Art Philosophy cartridge by putting in an order on my website.  www.barbraotten.ctmh.com

Class of 2013 Card - Cricut

I'm using the scraps from the Buzz and Bumble kit that I worked with yesterday.  We're back onto page 23 of the Art Philosophy cartridge book.  This is a tri-fold card and I found the directions for it here.  Cut your cocoa cardstock at 10 1/2 by 3 1/2.  Score at 3 1/2 and 7 and then score again diagonally on the outside two squares.  Make sure the diagonals go from upper left to lower right as shown here.

 

 

You'll want to distress all pieces with cocoa ink before attaching to each other.  Fold the outside squares in towards the inner square then fold the triangles outwards.

 

When they all fold up it should look like this, the two triangles meeting on the front of the card.  Cut a piece of pattern paper 3 1/4 inches square then cut in half diagonally.  Distress and attach to the triangles.

 

Cut a piece of honey cardstock 2 inches square.  On your Cricut, cut the border for the square using the "layer" key and "square 1" key out of cocoa cardstock.  Using the Congrats Graduate stamp set, stamp "Class of," the grad cap, and the year of the graduation on the front of the crème brulee cardstock using cocoa ink.  Attach border around the stamped piece.

 

 

For inside of card cut sunset cardstock 2 1/2 inches square and crème brulee cardstock 2 3/8 inches square.  Stamp "Congrats" on the top of the crème brulee square and the little design on the bottom in cocoa ink.  Cut a piece of crème brulee cardstock 3 inches by 1/2 inch and stamp the word "graduate" on it. Distress and add to the top of the inside of the card with the other stamped piece right below as shown here.

 

For the outside of the square, cut a mat out of the honeycomb pattern paper 2 3/4 inches square.  Attach the stamped piece from earlier to the center. 

 

This photo is turned the wrong direction so use your imagination and turn it mentally to the right.  Glue a ribbon to the back and bring the ends around the front to tie RIGHT at the EDGE of the card.  If you tie it on the front you won't be able to get your stamped piece on. 

 

Now attach glue to the lower left "triangle" of your stamped piece.  Your card won't open if you glue it to the upper right triangle of your card.   Add a couple of sparkles!   To open, the recipient simply unties the ribbon!  

Buzz and Bumble Workshop on the Go

I hope you'll indulge me as I deviate from the Cricut theme today.  Over the weekend I decided to reward myself by doing a Close to my Heart Workshop on the Go.   I was looking over the Buzz and Bumble Workshop and I was curious to see if it was really true that I could do THREE PROJECTS from one Workshop on the Go.   Believe it or not, after all these years of buying Workshops on the Go, I have never done all three projects included in the kit.   Shame on me for not trying this WHOLE kit out before showing it to my customers. 

 

Well, it's TRUE.  I made all of these projects, two 2-page layouts and three of our new containers using only the paper, decorations and the stamp set included with the Workshop on the Go and I still have paper and decorations and a great stamp set left!!!!   Talk about getting your money's worth!   Workshops on the Go are only $29.95 and it truly blows my mind that I was able to make everything from one kit.  I will not be giving a tutorial on these pages because the kit is a copyrighted pattern but you can get your own kit RIGHT HERE!  Check it out.

 

Here's the first two page layout.  The embossed background pages were my idea but for everything else I followed the directions in the kit.    The title was stamped with the beautiful alphabet set, Bohemian Alphabet (not included). 

 

 

The stamp set in this workshop is really awesome, the flower is so detailed and pretty and I followed kit directions and colored it with a blending pen and the ink pad which gave it a look that was so subtle and washed out which was just perfect for the look of this layout.  I also turned up the edges of the flowers to make it even more 3-d.

 

The Buzz and Bumble assortment (included) comes with wax seals and wooden flowers and bees that are so cool that I'm definitely getting more!! 

 

The second layout I made without mats (because the instructions didn't have them and I wanted to follow directions exactly) but just to the left of the word "summer" goes an 8 by 10 inch photo.  On the right hand page you add two 3 1/2 by 5 inch photos to the left of the embellishment.  I have plenty of paper left to make mats for these when I'm ready to add photos.

 

 

I love the way the layout groups embellishments together, it's something that I'm not particularly good at by myself.

 

 

The kit comes with step by step cutting instructions so for those of you who claim to be uncreative, no need to worry about that because the creating is done for you, you just follow directions.  You can't see it here but I stamped and cut the word "beautiful" out and popped it up over the "wonderful day" stamp so it's very 3-d!

 

The third project is THREE kraft containers.  The containers are not included and I only have one currently but I cut the paper and decorations out for the last two as soon as I get them ordered.  These were particularly super easy to put together.  So, if you are one of those people who loves a good kit, try our Workshops on the Go.  Back to Cricut shapes tomorrow!

 

Sending Warm Wishes card - Cricut

The second shape on the "square 1" page is a star.  This started out as a simple vertical card but ended up as a horizontal but angular card, typical!!!   Card making is like a box of chocolates....

 

Here's how the card started, a bit plain so I turned it horizontally and put everything on an angle instead.

 

 

I used the Avonlea paper because, if you remember, I have a ton of scrap Avonlea right now and I'm always looking to use up my scraps.  Cut a card base 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 inches out of colonial white cardstock or the Avonlea white that comes with the packet.  Fold in half.  Out of the pattern paper in the packet, cut one piece 1 1/2 inches by 4 1/4 inches.  Distress with Indian corn blue ink and attach flush with the top of the card.  Out of chocolate cardstock, cut two strips of paper 1/2 inch by 4 1/4 inch.  Distress and attach one right under your attached pattern strip and one at the bottom of the card, flush with the bottom.  Cut a second pattern paper 3 inches by 4 1/4 inches, distress and attach between two brown strips.  Cut a pattern piece 2 by 2 inches and a chocolate cardstock piece 2 1/4 by 2 1/4 inches.  Distress, attach to each other and then to center of card about 3/4 inches down from the top but turn it to make it into a much more interesting diamond shape.

 

Using your Art Philosophy cartridge on the "square 1" page, cut two stars at 1 1/2 inches using the shift key and the "square 1" key out of the Avonlea blue cardstock.  Glue them down to the center piece rotating the top star slightly so as to show both stars.  Add a button which you have tied with waxy flax.  Attach it with a glue dot.

 

Now this is where I felt the card was still too plain so I turned it on it's side.  Using durables, turn them at an angle and line up on the lower left side of your star piece.  Cut a thin 3/8 inch by 2 1/4 inch strip of colonial white or Avonlea white cardstock for your sentiment.  Use sentiment of your choice and stamp in chocolate or cocoa ink.  This is chocolate and I think it might be a bit light so cocoa will do if you need more color.  Glue it across the top left of your star piece as shown. 

 

Remember that if you place an order on my website this month you will earn a chance to win the Art Philosophy cartridge, $99 value!!!

Bucket List Box - Cricut

One of my favorite things to make is this Memory Game Box and turn it into a bucket list.  I've made this as a gift several times and this particular box will be one too.  Luckily, the square shape page in the Art Philosophy Cricut book is a big help with cutting all the squares needed for this box.  We're on page 23 and I'm using the Clementine paper packet from Close to my Heart. 

 

 

Unfortunately you can't get more of these Memory boxes from Close to my Heart but I might have a couple if someone needs one.  The directions will work for any coasters you can find though.  Just measure the square and go about a 1/4 inch in for your photo and bucket list mats.   I'll give you the measurements for this particular box in case you do have one. 

 

 

Using the "square 1" key you need to cut mats using a mixture of pattern paper and cardstock from the Clementine set, mix and match at will.  Cut 24 squares at 2 7/8 inches.  Cut 12 mats at 2 5/8 inches.  Distress with saddle ink and glue mat to larger square and attach to one side of each coaster.  Adhesive for the inside needs to be thin as 24 coasters fit just right in this box, I recommend Tombow.  Do not put any 3d embellishments on unless you plan on taking some of the coasters out.

 

Put 12 of the 2 7/8 inch mats down on backside of coasters after distressing with saddle ink.  Cut 12 two inch squares and 12 - 1 3/4 inch mats. Distress and add as shown below.  So much easier than having to cut those all yourself plus the Cricut machine rounds the corners so it's a perfect fit.

 

Here's the set!

 

For the back of the box, cut saddle kraft paper 3 by 3 1/8 inches.  Cut paper from the pack of your choices as follows:  2 7/8 by 3 inches, 2 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches and a strip 1 1/4 by 2 1/2 inches.  Distress with saddle.  Attach as shown here.  Add three matching buttons that you've threaded with waxy flax.  Adhesive for the outside of the box needs to be sturdy, I found liquid glass works the best.  I tried Tombow and it can't stand up to handling, glue dots will hold corners down but unless you're using it all along each side of the squares, it will start to gap after time.  Liquid glass keeps every side down.  When gluing paper to paper (not to the box) Tombow works fine.  All buttons should be attached with liquid glass.

 

The sides I tend to keep the same, a little bit of symmetry works well for my sense of order!   Cut two squares 3 1/2 by 3 1/4 inches out of kraft paper and then 3 1/4 by 3 inches for the pattern paper.  Cut another pattern paper strip 3 1/2 by 1 inch. This is where you can get creative.  One way to go is to use some pre-made embellishments that go with this kit.  I like the cottage assortment (which you'll see on the top and front).  I made some yo yo's from the Artiste cartridge (page 50 in your Artiste book) cut at 1 1/4 inches.  After putting it together add another button with waxy flax.  If you don't have that cartridge, look through your Art Philosophy cartridge and choose a pretty flower for each side.

 

For the front, cut the lower part of the box 3 by 2 3/4 inches out of kraft cardstock.  Cut another pattern paper 2 3/4 by 2 1/2 inches.  Distress and add to larger piece.  This piece will sit just under the flap.  I cut a fancy border out of my Artiste cartridge but another decoration would be a ribbon, just make sure to cut it longer than the front piece and attach ends BEHIND the front piece BEFORE attaching to the box to eliminate fraying.  Buttons would be cute here too, just make sure they sit down towards the bottom so as not to interfere with the magnet enclosure. 

 

For the lid, trace it on a piece of pattern paper then cut just a bit smaller than your lines.  Cut a strip of pattern paper 1/2 by 3 1/4 inch and attach towards top of piece.  Here's where I added a cottage assortment sticker but you could add a big brad here or a button to "close" it. 

 

It's nice to do something for the inside.  I love the Live Out Loud stamp set (no longer available) because the words are so inspiring and isn't a bucket list supposed to be inspiring?  Cut a piece of pattern paper 3 by 3 1/2 inches and attach inside of the cover.  Cut a piece of lighter colored paper for stamping 2 by 2 inches and stamp your own inspiration on it.  Cut a mat 2 1/4 by 2 1/4 inches and one 2 3/8 by 2 3/8 inches.  Distress all and attach inside box.  Add some pretty durables (they go well with this paper) as decorations.   I also added prisma glitter for a little bling! 

 

For the top, cut kraft cardstock 3 1/8 by 3 5/8.  Cut pattern paper 3 by 3 1/2 inches.  Cut another piece of pattern paper 2 1/2 by 3 inches.  Distress all with saddle ink and attach to each other and then to the top of the box.  I added another piece from the cottage assortment to keep the top simple.  Now the fun part starts.   Add your bucket list dreams to the inside (on the smaller mats) and when you've completed them, add the photo of you doing it on the larger mat on the back.  Good luck!

3 @ Easter layout - Cricut

It was so much fun to do a traditional layout this week because I normally catch up with my scrapbooking by using Studio J digital scrapbooking.  I'm happy to say I do a combination of both in my books and so here's an Easter layout (although not from this year).   I'm using two pages in the Art Philosophy book because I wanted to make sure to use the @ sign from our "oval 1" page.  

 

 

 I'm also on our next page, the "square 1" page using the number 3.  For this layout I cut the letters and @ sign at 1 1/4 inch.  The paper pack is Later Sk8r , one of my favorites.  Isn't it nice to have some boy paper!   Your title can fit your photos, of course, so utilize the letters on either the Art Philosophy or Artiste cartridges.

 

 

Close to my Heart has made my scrapbooking easier because of their pattern how to books:  Reflections, Originals (a card making book) and Make It From Your Heart are still available.  I literally do all of my layouts using these pattern books now.  I also have the retired Imagine books too if anyone needs them.  I'm using the Monologue. pattern from Imagine today.  On your left layout use outdoor denim cardstock for your base.  Distress all pieces with outdoor denim ink.  Cut the green pattern paper 1 by 12 inches and attach 1/2 inch from the top of the page.  Cut the same pattern paper 2 by 12 inches and attach flush with the bottom.   Cut the plaid paper 3 by 12 inches and attach just above the green paper.  For the mat, cut the light blue pattern paper 7 by 5 inches and the inner mat out of pear cardstock cut 6 by 4 inches.  Attach together and then 1/2 inch from left hand side of page.

 

 

For right hand page use outdoor denim cardstock as base again.  The long one goes along the right hand side of your page vertically, the short one goes at the bottom left flush with the page.  Cut the plaid paper 12 by 3 inches and attach to the left of the green pattern paper.  Cut the light blue pattern paper 5 x 7 and attach 1/2 inch down from the top horizontally.  Cut a mat out of lagoon cardstock 4 1/2 by 6 1/2 inches.  Attach 1/2 inch from bottom and right hand side. 

 

Have you heard of flip flaps?  They are the best way to add more photos to your layout without having to cut them all down.  I'm using two 6 by 12 inch flip flaps on the left hand page to add an additional six photos to my layout.  You do them just like mini layouts, with pattern paper, mats and decorations.  Here's the left flip flap on the front.  I've used the light blue pattern paper cut 6 by 12 inches.  Each mat is cut out of the green pattern paper and measures 5 1/4 by 4 inches.  Distress all and add photos.  Attach down to the blue pattern paper.  Add some epoxy bubbles down the sides then slip into the flip flap page protector.

 

On the other side of the same flip flap use the light green pattern paper as the base.  Mat with the light blue pattern paper using the same sizes as the front.  This side I didn't decorate.   Slip it behind the first page.

 

So here's a look at the two pages next each other.  Where you see the second mat on the left side was the place for the title but because I wanted my title to be on my flip flap I added a second mat cut at 5 1/4 by 4 inches.  Add a zip strip from the top of your pattern paper cut at 5 1/4 inches across the top of the mat.  Add your photos.  I pulled out my handy dandy paper bow from the Artiste cartridge to decorate below the photo but you could use real ribbon and a bow if your don't have an Artiste cartridge.  Use a strip of shimmer trim cut 12 inches long just below the plaid paper.  Attach some epoxy bubbles just below the photo on the left.  On the right layout add an inner mat to the light blue pattern paper mat on the upper right cut 6 1/4 by 4 1/4 inches.  Also, cut two 3 x 3 mats out of slate cardstock and place them 1/2 inch below the blue pattern mat to add some more photos.  Add shimmer trim 7 inches and 6 inches and place along the top of green pattern paper and vertically along the side of the plaid paper as shown.  Add epoxy bubbles as you like. 

 

Now for the flip flap on the right hand side of the left layout.  Cut plaid pattern paper 6 by 12 inches.  Distress and add light blue pattern paper cut 3 1/2 by 12 inches.  Glue centered on the pattern paper.  Add a zip strip from the top of the pattern papers to the right of the light blue pattern paper.  Cut green pattern paper 2 1/2 by 1 1/2 and cut them into pennants (or use your "banner 2" key at 2 1/2 inches).  Add to the left side of the light blue pattern paper down the left side.  Add your letters as shown.  Slip this page into your flip flap.  I did not add photos or decorate the other side of this flip flap as you'll see in the video.  I didn't have any more photos nor anything else to say.  The flip flaps attach on the outside of your page protector.  They have an adhesive strip that easily folds around the left side onto the back of the page protector and on the right side on the seam of the page protector, so easy to add on, really!! 

 

 

Here's the final look on the video.

 

Hershey Nugget Candy Box - Cricut

One of the most fun things about the Art Philosophy and Artiste cartridges from Close to my Heart is all the things I do with them that aren't scrapbooking or card related.  This candy holder is an example of just one of the fun items you can make if you have these cartridges.  I'm using Avonlea paper again because I really want to use up a bunch of scraps I have for this set.  To make the basic candy holder, you will need to cut a piece of pattern paper from this set hitting the "oval 1" key, the shift key and the font layer key on our Art Philosophy cartridge..  Set your measurement at 6" and it will hold two Hershey Nuggets perfectly.

You have to decorate your nuggets too!  Take some of the pattern paper and cut in strips of 1 inch by 4 inches.  I also cut the zip strips from the top of the paper in the set to decorate the middle.  Distress everything using slate ink and then glue the zip strip (which you cut 4 inches long) to the center of the candy wrappers.

If you want the wrapping around the nugget to end up on the bottom then start it at the top edge of the side of the candy, wrap it securely around using tombow to hold it and a glue dot to seal it tightly.  Do not rely on the Tombow to hold it without a glue dot. 

Now, using the little marks that the Cricut cuts out to let you know where to fold, fold the four sides up neatly. 

Use a little tombow in the center of the box to keep your nuggets from sliding around.  

Two sides are met to go in first, they have a slit in them to make them fit together as shown.



Take the Whooo's Your Valentine stamp set to fit into a tag that you've cut out from page 30 in your Art Philosophy book, it's just "tag 1" cut at 1 3/4 inches.  Cut it out of that soft white paper in your kit.  Stamp the "you're sweet" stamp in slate ink and distress piece.  Put a thin piece of ribbon through the slits on the other two sides of the box and slide the ribbon also through your tag.  Now tie it in a nice bow, I actually tied a double bow.  It's the greatest little gift for a friend.  Make it in Easter paper and stick it in the box from the Easter Bunny. 

If you like the products you see, just click on the links and it will take you right to them.  Don't forget to enter the contest for the Art Philosophy cartridge this month, you can place an order on my website at www.barbraotten.ctmh.com