ABC Blog Hop - T

 Welcome to the Everything ABC's Blog Hop!

For this hop we will be featuring the letter "T". This may be the name of a paper, a stamp set or an embellishment. Whatever the crafter has chosen as their "T" element will be featured in their post.

If you came from Darlys Recker's Crafty Happy blog then you're on the right track!
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I thought of words starting with the letter "T", and came up with Trees, and Trio, so I chose to make a card using the new watercolour paper (Z3146), brushes (Z3188) and paint palette (Z3132) that CTMH now sells. 

I cut a piece of watercolour paper, stamped the tree image from the Always Grateful (C1559) three times with clear Versamark ink (Z819) and sprinkled the image with embossing powder and heated it.

When the piece cooled down, I used the large watercolour brush to use a "wet on wet" technique. The brush glides really well on this paper when it is already wet. First I dipped the brush into water, then using large brush strokes I started painting over the trees with medium blue at the top, followed by paler blue, then in the middle of the paper I used the yellowy green paint and then painted bottom section with a browny-green paint.

When my watercolour piece was dry, I mat it on Kraft cardstock (Z1375)  and adhered to the card base (X254).

TIP:
You can change up the card by choosing different paint colours, for example use orange and pinks for a sunset, or greys, dark blues and purple for a twilight sky.

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Your next stop on our Everything ABC'S blog hop is Linda Norman's blog, Scrappy Therapy. This is also the place to go in case you get lost along the way… or for a complete list of participants!

don't forget

Friends don't let friends craft alone.

à bientôt,
Dominique

ABC Blog Hop - S

 Welcome to the Everything ABC's Blog Hop!

For this hop we will be featuring the letter S. This may be the name of a paper, a stamp set or an embellishment. Whatever the crafter has chosen as their "S" element will be featured in their post.

If you came from Darlys Recker's Crafty Happy blog then you're on the right track!
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I thought of words starting with the letter S, and came up with Sentiments, which made me think of  Sincere Sympathy, so I chose the large flower on the September Stamp of the Month called Paper Garden (S1509) to make a card.

 CTMH now sells watercolour paper (Z3146), brushes (Z3188) and paint palette (Z3132). So I decided to give it a try. Here is what I came up with.

Sincere Sympathy

I cut a piece of watercolour paper and stamped the large flower with clear Versamark ink (Z819) and sprinkled the image with embossing powder and heated it.

When it had cooled down, I used the large watercolour brush to use a "wet on wet" technique, so the background will be hazy and colours will blend. First I dipped the brush into water, then using large brush strokes I wet the top quarter of the paper.

Then I did a "flat wash",  dipping the tip of the brush bristles into purple watercolour and slathered the paint across that wet area using broad strokes. The brush glides really well on this paper when it is already wet.

I repeated the process with the next segment of paper with a lighter purple, then grey in the middle and a deep green at the bottom.

TIP:
If you find the colours get too bright or saturated for your project, just dip the brush in water and pass over the image and it softens the intensity of the shade. That's what I did when my stripes were a bit too obvious, I wanted a softer more muted ombre effect.

When my watercolour piece was dry, I double mat it on Daisy white cardstock (1385) and thistle cardstock (X5759)  and adhered to the card base (X254).  I added 3 little black gems (Z1734) to the bottom to help finish it off.

Simple enough, right?

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Your next stop on our Everything ABC'S blog Hop is Stephanie Feist's blog Quilted Scrapper.
In case you get lost along the way… go to Scrappy Therapy for a complete list of participants!


don't forget
Friends don't let friends craft alone.

à bientôt,
Dominique

All you ever wanted to know about Ink

No I'm not talking about tattoos, of course I mean ink for stamping.

CTMH has 5 different types of ink - ever wonder why?  Each type has a different use and qualities, so you can be sure that you are using the best ink for each project.

So which one should you use - depends on what you are working on... here' are the ABCs of inks...

Exclusive Inks™ stamp pads  

Our Exclusive Inks™ stamp pads, including our Black Exclusive Inks pads, are water-based dye inks. The dye ink absorbs directly into your paper and allows the colors to blend easily with the material. They dry quickly and blend easily. These inks are recommended for most stamping projects, but not for projects where you plan on using watercolors or coloring with alcohol markers after stamping the image.


Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ stamp pad (44751)

Our Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ stamp pad is our archival ink offering. This pad quickly sets an image that you can then color in using watercolor pencils, watercolors, or water-based inks with the blending pen.
 
Exclusive Inks™ Mini Pigment Pad Sets (Whimsy, Adventure, Basics, Enchantment)

Pigment inks behave differently from dye inks, in that they settle on top of your material rather than soaking into it. This allows you to stamp lighter colors on darker materials and to keep the true color of the ink pad when stamping on another color. Though they take longer to dry, when dried, they work well for coloring in with your markers or watercolor inks, as the pigment inks will form a permanent bond and will resist blending when you color over them.

StazOn™ ink pads (Black: Z888 and Brown Z1442)

StazOn™ is specifically formulated for stamping on non-porous materials. Because StazOn is solvent-based, this ink works well when stamping an image that you will later color over with watercolors, but it is not ideal for use with alcohol markers. CTMH sells it in both black and brown.
 
Memento™ Tuxedo Black ink pad

The Memento™ ink pad gives you another archival quality ink pad that works for any stamping project and can be used with alcohol markers, watercolors, or any of our other coloring options.


Hope you find this helpful.

à bientôt,
Dominique

12 hour Halloween Crop

Crop Halloween - Saturday October 24

Mettez le 24 octobre, 2015 à votre agenda pour un crop d'Halloween de 10h à 22h.

La salle de l'Association Récrétaive de Templeton, est situé 13, rue du Curé-Labelle. 

 Mark Saturday October 24, 2015 on your calendar. Come crop for 12 hours from 10am to 10pm !
The A.R.T. hall at 13, rue du Curé-Labelle is just 15 minute drive along highway 50 from the LCBO on Rideau/King Edward.  This bilingual event is open to all crafters!  Show your creativity and wear a costume.

Day Includes / la Journée Inclus
• 8 feet of cropping space / 8 pieds d'espace de travail
• Free Goodie Bag / sac-cadeau gratuit
• 12 hours to focus on your crafting / 12 heures de crop 
• Challenge, Games and Prizes. (must be present to win) / défi, concours, des jeux et des prix 
• Shopping (scrapbooking supplies available). / Magasinage (des fournitures seront disponible) 
• Free parking / Sationnement gratuit
• Fun and laughter / du plaisir autant que vous en voulez!!!

Optional / Supplémentaire
• Meals/ Repas:
            Lunch: On your own / Apportez-le 
            Dinner: 10 $  
• Workshops / Ateliers:  
           Popup box Card:  $5
           Mini album / Mini album $15
           Interactive Double layout with flip flaps / 2 pages de scrapbooking intéractives  $15

PRICING / COÛT
$30 + dinner + workshops / 30 $ + souper + ateliers

PAYMENT OPTIONS / PAIEMENT
• E-transfer payment / transfert bancaire
• Cash / comptant

TABLES
Get a full 8-foot table all to yourself. Lots of Room!! Dedicated tables will be set up near power outlets for Cricut/Silhouettes, etc.
Une table de 8 pieds par croppineuse. Des tables seront installées près des prises de courant pour les appareils Cricut/Silhouettes.

MEALS / REPAS

There is no kitchen. Bring your lunch. Dinner will be salad, roll, chili and its fixings and dessert $10. 

Il n'y a pas de cuisine. Apportez votre lunch. Le souper à 10 $ sera salade, petit pain, chili et dessert.

WORKSHOPS / ATELIERS

Cards: Halloween Pop up box card / Cartes boîte Halloween:  $5
Mini album - Halloween theme / Mini album Halloween $15
Double layout: (Spooky haunted interactive Halloween with flip flaps) / Scrapbooking: double pages intéractives à thématique de Halloween. $15

REGISTER by October 10/ INSCRIPTION d’ici le 10 octobre 2015

Return the registration form with your payment to guarantee your spot. Space is limited. Sorry, no refunds, however your spot can be transferred to a friend - just let us know. /
Veuillez retourner le formulaire d’inscription avec votre paiement le plus tôt possible afin de réservez votre place. Désolé, aucun remboursement ne sera accordé, par contre, votre place peut être transférée à une autre – dites-nous le dès que possible.

FOR MORE INFORMATION / POUR PLUS D'INFO
Contact me at dominique.fun2cre8@gmail.com

don't forget
Friends don't let friends craft alone.

à bientôt,
Dominique

September - Stamp of the Month

Each month, CTMH releases a special stamp set available for that month only. You can purchase the (Stamp of the Month) SOTM for only $6 when you place an order of $50 or more in Close To My Heart products.

September's SOTM is called Paper Garden.  It has 9 images and the shapes outlined in red can be cut using the Cricut Artistry cartridge.

It makes lovely cards

and pretty layouts

And don't forget
Friends don't let friends craft alone.

à bientôt,
Dominique

Newest Catalogues

September is here
and Close to My Heart has launched 2... that's right two brand new catalogues. Our big annual catalogue (161 pages) and the holiday mini catalogue!

#1.  Annual Inspirations catalogue.  You can view it online here.

The Annual Inspirations catalogue is packed full to the brim with the scrapbooking, cardmaking, and stamping products you need and love. This is your  go-to publication and it is so much more than a catalogue — it’s an idea book!  You’ll  find creative tips and techniques, full-color artwork with recipes available online as well as project kits. It truly is an "idea" book that will inspire you.

Measuring 8½" × 11", it  contains  large photos, beautiful art, and stamp sets pictured at 100% of their size. You’ll find new products identified with a "new" icon next to them. You’ll also find information on the Consultant opportunity, our Hostess Rewards program, as well as a table of contents and an index listing all the products. 

Check it out now!

• The fabulous new Cricut Artistry Collection
• 6 beautiful new Paper Packets with coordinating Complements and Assortments
• 5 new scrapbooking Workshops on the Go
• 1 new cardmaking Workshop on the Go
• 7 brilliant new Ink and Cardstock colors
• Dozens of great new Stamp Sets
• 7 versatile new Picture My Life card sets
• 8 fun new Hostess Stamp Sets
• 3 sparkling new colors of Shimmer Trim
• 4 stunning new Embossing Folders
• Watercolor Paints, Paper, and Brushes
• Accessories, Twine, Foil Tape, and much, much more!!!  

#2.  Holiday Expressions catalogue. You can view it online here.

The Holiday Expressions is a supplemental idea book  filled with all your Fall and Winter holiday products and ideas. Although there are less pages, it is the same size as the annual idea book, 8½" × 11". 

It contains 

• 2 beautiful new Paper Packs (Nevermore and White Pines) with coordinating Complements and Assortments
• A Christmas/Winter scrapbooking Workshop on the Go
• 2 holiday Card Kits
• Dozens of holiday themed as well as Stamp of the Month stamp sets.
• 3 fun new Hostess Stamp Sets for when your order reaches $150
• and much, much more!!!

You can now purchase the items.  You can view it online here.

à bientôt,
Dominique

National Stamping Month promotion

September is National Stamping Month, and this year CTMH has something to help every kind of papercrafter say a big “hello” to life!

During September, you can purchase three exclusive stamp sets called  "Hello, Life!" 

Each C-size stamp set is designed to fit with a specific type of papercrafting, whether that’s scrapbooking, cardmaking, or pocket scrapbooking. All the stamp sets coordinate with each other and also coordinate with shapes from the new Cricut® Artistry collection.

Available only until September 30th, these stamp sets can be purchased for $16.50 CAD each. Or for an even better deal, you can purchase all three for only $41.50 CAD—a savings of $8 CAD! 

Make certain to follow Close To My Heart’s s blog, Instagram, and Facebook page for artwork inspiration featuring these lively stamp sets all month long. You can post your own artwork to your social media channels using the hashtag #ctmhHelloLife.

Hello Life stamp set

And don't forget
Friends don't let friends craft alone.

à bientôt,
Dominique