DIY Home Wreath

Part of the National Scrapbooking Month options with Close To My Heart is a beautiful wreath - this one with the centre word "Home". There is even a heart to replace the letter o in the word home. Everything to create this wreath is included in the package except adhesive.

There are 4 possible background patterns - I chose the most basic and lightest one as it goes best with my decor. The flowers and leaves as well as the bow come on punch out sheets, making is so easy to add them - no stamping, die cutting, etc. I outlined my flowers using a turquoise marker and added some Silver Stickles in the centres. I also painted the wreath using the Charcoal Shimmer Brush (it comes in wood form). The heart was traced so I could add some patterned paper on top of it. This wreath was easy to do and I had it all together in a couple of hours. It now hangs on my entrance door. 

Products used are all Close To My Heart:

Paper: Home Wreath Kit, Chelsea Gardens Paper Pack

Stamps: none

Inks: Charcoal

Accessories: Charcoal Shimmer Brush, Sliver Stickles, Tri-Blend Marker

Enjoy,

Alyson

You & Me Layout

A good friend has a birthday coming up and I wanted to do something special for her. She and her daughter spend a lot of time together and I just adore the two of them. The photo that I chose for this layout is one that was posted on Facebook - and she has no idea that this gift is coming her way! I am hoping that she will hang it in a special place in her home. 

I chose to use the Sweet Girl paper pack from Close To My Heart to create the layout. The papers coordinate perfectly and to avoid any conflict with the photo, I changed it to black and white. I also softened it slightly. 

The flowers were cut from the Flower Market Cricut cartridge, as was the title. Those roses... they take a long time to assemble! They were brushed with the Clear Shimmer Brush after being edged with Ballerina ink. It's a little difficult to differentiate between the Peach and Ballerina colours in this layout - since I hand stitched all around the edges, the layout didn't lay perfectly flat for me so it was easier to photograph it when it was mounted in the frame. The roses are Ballerina (very light pink) and the daisy tops are Peach, as is the background. 

There is twine running above the banner although that is almost impossible to see as I added silver glitter gems between each piece. I also went way back to find the sparkle flourishes to place beside the flowers as they add such a great finishing touch. 

Products used are Close To My Heart unless otherwise indicated:

Paper: Sweet Girl Paper Pack, Sapphire Cardstock, Peach Cardstock, Ballerina Cardstock, Fern Cardstock, Heather Cardstock

Stamps: none

Inks: Ballerina, Peach, Sapphire, Heather, Fern

Accessories: Flower Market Cricut Cartridge, Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge, Cricut Basic Shapes (not CTMH), Silver Glitter Gems, Mink Twine, Silver Sparkle Flourishes, Foam Tape, Clear Shimmer Brush, Blue Embroidery Floss and Needle (not CTMH), Stitching Guide, Sponges, Sponge Daubers, Sharpie Marker (not CTMH) 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

EIGHT YEAR OLD's Interpretation of the Wreath Kit

My eight year old neighbour, Addy, is one incredibly talented young lady. She loves to create and work on all sorts of crafts. When she found out that her mom was doing the wreath kit with me and was planning to do both the outer and the inner wreath, she begged to do the inner wreath for herself. I thought that it would be far too difficult for her but I was in for a BIG surprise... 

She arrived after school with her mom (who had been here earlier in the day to do her own wreath) and we sat down together (I had pre-cut the pieces for the inner circle already in the colours Addy had selected based on the design that I had already created). 

I have worked with her several times before so I knew how quickly she learned but it had been a few months since we had worked together. She learns SO FAST and is so attentive to the task at hand. I showed her how to roll one of the flowers and she quickly completed the other two of them on her own. Same with the succulents... and then with a tiny bit of assistance, we curved the edges of the succulents. She also stamped the pattern onto the leaves. 

Then she began the task of attaching the pieces onto the wreath base - deciding where everything should sit. She went about this methodically, making sure the necessary edges poked out just enough. It amazed me to watch her - so much patience and care for being just eight years of age. She was so proud of her final product. I photographed her and the wreath taking care not to damage any of the pieces. That's why the wreath is on an angle - I didn't want to damage any of the pieces, so it was photographed upside down. While editing it, the range kept getting smaller so I had to stop at an angle... 

I want to sign her up as a consultant but I have to wait until she turns 18! 
She is such a pleasure to teach :) 

Here is her final wreath and below that is a photo of her holding the wreath. 

Enjoy, 
Alyson

January Wreath Kit - 2 Projects for the Price of One!

The awesome Wreath Kit is one that you do not want to miss out on this month! Not only do you get all the fabulous supplies within the kit to create one amazing wreath like the one shown below - like this:

you also have the centre piece of heavy duty chipboard left over! 

That piece can be transformed with a little bit of cutting using a Cricut machine and the Flower Market cartridge plus some flowers from perhaps Art Philosophy, Artiste or even from Flower Market as well with an added background to look something like this! 

I chose colours of cardstock that co-ordinated with my creative space as I am intending to hang mine in that room. You can choose whatever colours complement the place where you wish to hang your finished artwork. It is simply a matter of attaching a hook or ribbon to the back and hanging it up! 

The Cricut file to create these flowers and succulents is here. This is for the Cricut Explore machine only. 

I resized some of the succulents as when I created mine, they were large and I ended up removing some of the bottoms to make them smaller to accommodate the sizes to fit my wreath. 

You will also need to cut a circle image (just bring it in from the side images) and size it to 9.5 x 9.5 inches. It does not fit the circle exactly. You will need to SLIGHTLY trim some of the edges around the chipboard circle with a craft knife to get it to fit correctly. 

There are enough gold letters in the kit to allow you to create most sayings that you would want to use to create two artwork pieces. 

I am more than happy to assist you with the second piece of artwork if you wish! 

For a $60 purchase (before taxes and shipping), you can get this wreath kit absolutely FREE! 

And you get a FREE KIT for every additional $60 ordered as well! 

Orders can be placed on my website or you can contact me directly. 

These kits are available during January only and are while supplies last. 

Be sure to get yours before they sell out! 

Cut & Shave Layout

I don't create layouts very often any more... This one was done for a family that means a lot to me. They own a hair salon and I have known them for several years. Ever since I moved to this area over 15 years ago, I have been going to the same wonderful lady to get my hair done. They recently renovated the salon and included a special men's section. It is truly a family business with their nephew working there as well.. I stopped in a few days ago and took a few pictures with the idea of doing a layout for that section of the salon. This is what I decided to do... 

I wanted something very neutral and not too complex, so I stayed with black and white but added a touch of gold for sophistication. As you can see, the men are dressed in black and white. The CTMH Cricut cartridges were perfect to add just the right icons - the sign, moustache, scissors and profile. 

I love the way this turned out and I hope that they will as well. 

Products used are all Close To My Heart

Paper: La Vie En Rose Paper Pack, White Daisy Cardstock, Black Cardstock, Basic Fundamentals Paper Pack (Black), Gold Glitter Paper
Stamps: None
Inks: Slate
Accessories: Art Philosophy Cartridge, Artiste Cartridge, Artistry Cartridge, Black Sparkle Flourishes (ret.), Black Small Sparkle Flourishes (ret.), Bling Gems Gold Assortment, White Enamel Stars, Black ShinHan Marker, Foam Tape, Thin Foam Tape, Black Designed Decor Shadow Box

Enjoy, 
Alyson

Magnetic Memo Board

I have been wanting to create a magnetic memo board for ages and have never had the time to do one the way I wanted... Finally last week, the weather was warm enough for me to be able to spray paint one of the Close To My Heart frames in the colour I wanted so I could finish my project! 

I created the magnets using the Base and Bling line (circles and ovals) and just placed paper behind the covers. It's hard to see the paper in the first photo but it is a bit clearer in the second photo. I used co-ordinating papers so the magnets would co-ordinate with the frame colour to match my office decor. I stamped my first initial on a few of them. I just bought a roll of magnetic tape from a local hardware store and mounted that on the back of the charms (after placing 3-D Foam Tape on them to help them stand away from the board a little way as well). Very easy to do. 

Products used are Close To My Heart unless otherwise indicated: 

Paper: Lagoon Cardstock, Lagoon Fundamentals Cardstock, Seaside Paper Pack, Skylark Paper Pack (ret.), Dotty for You Paper Pack (ret.)
Stamps: Bingo Alphabet (ret.), Glamour Uppercase Alphabet
Inks: Black Pigment Ink
Accessories: Base and Bling Line - Faux Antiques Silver Pendants (Circle and Oval), Glass Covers (Circle and Oval), Designed Decor Magnetic Chalkboard, Foam Tape, Liquid Glass, Self-Adhesive Magnetic Roll (not CTMH), Spray Paint (not CTMH)

Enjoy, 
Alyson

It's a Starry, Starry Night...

I have had this 3-D Star sitting in my supply closet for such a long time... and finally decided to do something with it! It now graces one of my doors. Done in my favourite colour scheme, I couldn't let it sit around any longer. 

The photo below shows a close up view of the centre and the shimmer trim plus the twine. 

Products used are Close To My Heart unless otherwise indicated: 

Paper: Skylark Paper Pack, Lagoon Cardstock
Stamps: None
Inks: None
Accessories: Teal Shimmer Trim, Paradise Baker's Twine (ret.), Teal Base and Bling (ret.), White Gathered Ribbon (not CTMH), Sparkles Flourishes - Small

Enjoy, 
Alyson

Display Tray - Featuring Mika!

I have been wanting to create a display tray for a long time and I wanted to use Mika, my puppy, as my feature. She is so adorable and I thought she would be a perfect subject. The Brushed Paper Pack is one of my favourites and I decided to focus on the pink, green and a little bit on the yellow for this project.

I turned the photos into primarily black and while with a few minor exceptions - there are some hints of colour here and there. I wondered why the pink glitter paper seemed so dark and as I was putting my supplies away, I noticed that I had actually been using PURPLE glitter paper... no wonder it seemed so dark! A few stamp sets with beautiful sentiments, some specific Cricut cuts, some appropriate embellishments and this didn't take very long to come together at all!

It now has a special place in my home for all to see.

Products used are all Close To My Heart

Paper: Brushed Paper Pack, White Daisy Cardstock, Pixie Cardstock, Canary Cardstock, Pear Cardstock, Purple Glitter Paper, Green Glitter Paper
Stamps: Polka Dot Alphabet, A Little Note, Big Hug, Your Own Kind of Wonderful, Happy Thoughts (ret.), Cricut Bundle - Sweet and Lovely
Inks: Black Pigment Ink, Canary Pigment Ink, Pixie Pigment Ink, Pear Pigment Ink, Pear, Cotton Candy, Pixie, Canary
Accessories: Artiste Cartridge, Artbooking Cartridge, Pixie Extra Thick Twine, Stuck on You Puffies, Junebug Puffies, Brushed Assortment, Pink Shimmer Trim, Chevron Border Punch, Scallop Border Punch, Foam Tape, Thin Foam Tape, Sparkles Clear Flourishes - Small, Sparkles - Clear Assortment, ShinHan Markers

Enjoy, 
Alyson

Thrive Operation Smile Auction - Item #2 - Christmas Centerpiece and 12 Napkin Rings

FINALLY, my second item for the Operation Smile Auction at our upcoming Thrive and Survive Event is complete! It took me a while to do because I had to search high and low to find the last Base and Bling Cuff to complete a set of 12 napkin rings. You have no idea how hard it is to locate these once they have been retired! I finally found someone in Washington State who had one and I had to pay dearly to get it shipped to me in time... but it finally arrived and now the auction item is complete.

So, below you will see a set of 12 napkin rings and a centerpiece for Christmas. I used the Yuletide Carol Paper Pack to create these. The only other items I used were home decor items that are readily available and easy to get (I will show you that below the artwork). 

This is a view of all the pieces together. I put 4 of the napkin rings around actual napkins to give you a better idea of how they look. Someone who knows how to fold napkins in creative ways could do really neat things with this, I'm sure! 

I took this picture looking down a little bit, just to give a better idea overall. 

This is a picture of the centerpiece. It is very simple - it is decorated on the backside as well but I didn't photograph that. You can see inside here. I didn't want to use a candle for safety reasons with the moss in there. The flashlight provides a LOT of light!

This is a close-up of one of the napkin rinks. I tried to stand it up using my camera case. 

The products used are listed below. I have shown the Close To My Heart products first and then in a separate listing, I have shown the products I used for the other parts of this project and where I bought them. 

Close To My Heart products: 

Paper: Yuletide Carol Paper Pack, Ruby Cardstock, New England Ivy Cardstock
Stamps: None
Inks: Ruby, New England Ivy
Accessories: Art Philosophy Cartridge, Artiste Cartridge, ShinHan Marker (Sap Green), Clear Sparkles, Base and Bling Cuffs (ret.)

Other Supplies: 
Spanish Moss (Gardening Store)
Clear Vase (Ikea)
Small Mixed Rocks (Dollar Store)
Round Flashlight (Dollar Store)
Cashmere Coloured Napkins (Walmart)

Enjoy, 
Alyson

Home Organization Frame - For Always PML Cards

I have wanted to create a home organizer for myself for some time now and I got this idea from a board that I saw at Convention this summer, done by Ginni Candelaria. Since my main home area is decorated in teal and white, the Picture My Life cards from the For Always Collection were perfect for this project. I picked up the frame at a discount department store and removed the mat so the frame itself is 16x18 inches. Using Lagoon cardstock, I adhered the pieces together to form the mat. I used Microsoft Excel to create the calendar and the days are cut from a PML card. The rest of the pieces are from the For Always PML cards. I did stamp a few additional parts onto some of the cards to personalize them for my use. 

The flowers are placed to cover the seams of the cardstock  more than anything, although they do add some additional interest. 

Since the cover is glass, it can be written on using a dry erase marker. I am going to attach one to the side using a velcro strip so it is handy at all times. 

Products used are all Close To My Heart unless otherwise noted: 

Paper: Lagoon Cardstock, White Daisy Cardstock
Stamps: Polka Dot Alphabet, Keyboard Uppercase Alphabet
Inks: Black Pigment Ink, Versamark Ink, Lagoon, Glacier
Accessories: Art Philosophy Cartridge, Silver Embossing Powder, Craft Heater, Corner Rounder, Microsoft Excel (not CTMH), Picture My Life For Always Scrapbooking Program, Paper Fundamentals Whimsy Assortment (Glacier), White Chalk Sharpie Marker (not CTMH)

Enjoy, 
Alyson

Auction Item for Thrive and Survive Event

As some of you may know, my awesome upline, Brae Montgomery and her team won one of the Thrive and Survive events from Close To My Heart! That means that a member from the corporate staff (Kristine) will be coming to Barrie in September to work with us and teach us business AND creative classes! How AWESOME is that. Plus, Brae has gone one step further and has planned a FULL WEEKEND CROP as well, so the entire event runs from Friday evening through Sunday evening :) There are consultants attending from as far away as St. John's, Newfoundland. What a wonderful opportunity for each of us! We will meet consultants from across the country and get to mix and mingle with people we have only contacted through Facebook and email before! 

An auction is being held for Operation Smile and I have decided to create two items for that auction. Below is the first of the two items. It is a frame with 12   3x3 cards attached. I was at a loss as to what kind of title to use so I decided to go with a generic title of FAMILY, figuring that anyone could use that title because once the cards were removed, they could add their own photos and memorabilia to the frame. The small box contains an additional 12 cards - one extra of each of the cards shown on the frame - plus the 24 envelopes.

This photo shows all the cards open and the box in front of the frame. 

I hope this will fetch a pretty penny for all bids go to support Operation Smile. 

I have not listed the products used because I used several stamp sets and I didn't keep track of all of them... It is the Seaside Paper Pack and co-ordinating cardstock and well as the Paper Fundamentals Cardstock in the same colours. 

Enjoy, 
Alyson