Another Heart 2 Heart Christmas Card

I had so much fun making a Christmas card with "non-Christmas" paper that I made another card for the Heart 2 Heart Christmas Challenge.  This time I had planned to use Flirty, but decided it needed some brightness.  I am not a fan of Flirty Yellow or Flirty Orange,so I pulled in some Stella.  I guess you could call it Flirty Stella.

 

 

I used the Mojo Monday 268 layout from last week.  Yes I am running behind...  

 

Thank you for stopping by.  Until next time, Hansi

 





A Heart 2 Heart Christmas

Christmas was the theme of last week's Heart 2 Heart Challenge.  Great!  I have already made my  Christmas cards which were modeled after a previous challenge, so now what?  Since I will be giving a few gift cards this year, I made a card to tuck one into.  When I first saw the Mojo Monday 261 sketch, my brain said "Christmas ornament," but I had already designed my cards.  This was a chance to follow through on that thought.  To further challenge myself, I opted to use paper that was not "Christmas" paper.

 

This is Avonlea paper from Close to My Heart with shapes cut using the CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge.  The snowflakes are from the Snowflakes and Snow Flurries stamp sets, the sentiment from the Very Merry Christmas, Stamp of the Month from October, and that little flourish along the banner?  Yes, it's from, Wicked, a Halloween stamp set.  Never let the intention of a stamp or paper hold you back from using it!  Of course, I had to throw in some bling.  I love the sparkles from the Avonlea Cardmaking Kit!  I hope they will someday be offered as a stand alone product. 

 

This week's H2H challenge theme is bling, so I am making a second card, also with "non-Christmas" paper.  In the meantime, thank you for stopping by!  Hansi

Christmas Cards!

I told y'all how grateful I was to be able to go on the crafting retreat, but never showed y'all what I made!  Traditionally I make Christmas cards at the fall retreat.  This year I played off the black and white cat card I posted a few weeks ago. 

 

 

 

 

This Inkadinkado stamp screams for sparkles  and the sentiment from Close to My Heart's stamp set compliments it "purrfectly."  The snowflakes were easy to make thanks to the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge and co-ordinating stamp from the CTMH Snowflakes set. 

 

Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time, Hansi

Mojo Monday 267

This week's Mojo Monday sketch did not appeal to me until I turned it vertical.  Then I began to see a birthday card for one of my scrappin' friends.

 

 

 

 

This is the Close to My Heart paper pack, Stella, with heavy use of CTMH's Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge.  For the flower I cut three <flower 7> in sizes ranging from 1.75 to 1.25 inches and a one inch <flower 4>, sponged Cocoa ink along the edges to create a line to separate the layers without distressing, curled the petals, stacked the layers and attached them with foam tape.  The tag is a hybrid of  <tag 3> and <tag 4> layer with a small piece Lagoon paper behind the cutouts to give them some pop.  I love the photo hangers, and when I did not see them in the new catalog, I stocked up.  Cocoa ribbon completes the look.

 

Thank you for stopping by. Until next time, Hansi

 



Gratefulness

The theme for the Heart 2 Heart Challenge for November 12, my mother's birthday, was gratefulness.  My first thought was how grateful I felt that my amazing mother, who has had type 1 diabetes for 76 years and broke her hip the previous Wednesday, was coming home from the hospital on her birthday.  Her birthday card is in the previous post.  I also thought about how thankful I was that Mom was doing so well Friday morning that I could spend the weekend at a crafting retreat surrounded my loving, supportive friends. If ever there was a time I needed to be with them, this was it, and I owe a debt of gratitude to three people who made it possible  I made them thank you cards adapting the "On With the Show" scrapbook layout from the book "Magic."  This also gave me a chance to use my new Pirouette stamp.

 

First up is Ginny, who organized the weekend.  She and I both love the Silhouette paper pack which has been retired but, happily, is available on Studio J.  When it comes to using paper from my dwindling  stash, I am very particular, but Ginny is definitely worth it.  To make the flower I cut three flowers of different sizes using the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge, filed the edges to expose the white core of the cardstock, sponged the edges with Bamboo ink, curled the petals, and stacked them.  The sentiment is from the Thank You stamp set.

 

 

 

Next is Julie, with whom I was supposed to make lunch on Saturday.  After Mom fell, I did not know until Friday morning if I would be able to go.  Julie, bless her, told me not to worry and shopped for all the food.  Then on Saturday while I was tied up with calls from family concerning Mom's discharge planning,  Julie put everything together.  This is the new Avonlea paper with a sentiment from the Avonlea Cardmaking Kit.  This is one of those papers which features mostly colors which are not available in ink, Twilight works in place of teal.

 

 

 

Last, but most important, is my husband, Tim, who not only spent the weekend being a single parent to our very special daughter who requires more care than your average kid, he worked from home Friday afternoon, so I could leave Friday morning.  This is my current favorite paper, Le Belle Vie with the new black sparkle flourish and a sentiment from the A Friend Like You stamp set stamped with Vineyard Berry.

 

So there you are, three people to whom I am grateful for making it possible for me to go on the semi-annual Good Shepherd Crafting Retreat.  Thank you for stopping by.  Until next time, Hansi

 

 



Mojo Monday 266

Just under the wire again!  Mojo Monday sketch this week:

 

I used it to make a birthday card for my amazing mother who has had Type 1 diabetes for 76 years, broke her hip last Wednesday and,tough old bird that she is, is supposed to come home from the hospital tomorrow which happens to be her birthday. 

 

 

 

I used La Belle Vie paper and cut the flower and lace using the new Artiste cartridge from Close to My Heart.  I do not know exactly when we will celebrate her birthday, but I have a card ready for her and will make a cream cheese bourbon pound cake, her favorite, when she is settled in at home.  Happy Birthday, Mom! 

 

Thank you for stopping by!  Until next time, Hansi

 

Heart 2 Heart Photo Inspiration Challenge

For this week's Heart 2 Heart Challenge we are asked to use this photograph to inspire us to create something.

 

  

The colors and design in the chairs made me think of the Florentine paper pack from Close to My Heart so, of course, I made cards.  I like to keep a few cards to send to friends to offer encouragement, comfort or just say hello.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bird and "A friend is..." quote are from the Find Your Style stamp set, the distressing in the medallion and "How beautiful a day..." from Beautiful Friendship (Isn't that an appropriate name?), and "You are in my prayers" from Card Chatter - Sympathy.  The butterfly is a Martha Stewart punch.  Sometimes I got for quick over Cricut.  Inset smiley face here...

 

 

Thank you for stopping by.  Until next time, Hansi

 

 



Mojo Monday 265

Nothing like getting a project in just under the wire!  First, here is this week's Mojo Monday sketch:

I decided my finished card had too many "borders,"  so I literally cut one off and attached the front to another card to end up with this:

I started with Smokey Plum because that is a color used in the Avonlea Card Workshop, but when I was trying to figure out what size to make the rose and got out one I had made in Vineyard Berry (You may recognize it from my blog header.) to check the size, I decided I liked Vineyard Berry better.  This card gave me a chance to play with some shapes I had never used from the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge as well as use some old favorites.  Red sparkles and pearl opaques provide the finishing touches.

 

 

Thank you for stopping by!  Until next time, Hansi



Keeping It Neutral

This week the theme for the Heart 2 Heart Challenge is neutrals, and since I have been in a black and white mood, I just had to play.  I adapted the Small Wonder layout from Wishes to make two 4.25 x 5.5 cards.  The cardstock, inks and embellishments are from Close to My Heart as is the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge I used for the cutouts.

I love how the cardstock's white core gives definition to the flower's petals.  The swirl is the leftover trimming after cutting a flower for another project.  It was too interesting to throw away.  I left some space below the butterfly to stamp a sentiment when I know what I am going to use this card for.

I wish CTMH would come out with an elegant cat stamp.  In the meantime, sparkles fit "purr"fectly on this stamp from Inkadinkado.

I enjoy the challenge of creating without relying on color for interest.  Thank you for stopping by.  Until next time, Hansi