WILD Wednesday!

Welcome Wednesday! Today definately feels like Hump Day! I was checking out various things online today to get my post together when I came across a great Campaign going on tat really gets you in the true holiday spirit.

Susan K. Weckesser, has a great blog and Facebook page that really shows a person what it means to share your love for those around you and your papercrafting. Susan's Blog features some great things and more information and a blinky for your blog after you share your love in her 3rd. Annual Christmas Love Campaign. You make a card for a neighbour, family member or anyone you would like to and upload a picture onto her facebook page Christmas Love Campaign Page sharing your story behind the card. I already posted a card that I made out of  the Close To My Heart Wishes Card Confidence Program (9033)

Without going into too much detail I will post the set of eight cards created using one of the great card templates featured in the how to book. I used various CTMH products like Jingle paper (Retired paper pack) and the Holiday Jingle Stamp Set (C1371 - Retired), CTMH Exclusive inks and various Sparkles to coordinate with my stamped images and papers. I also used a little piece od Sassy Strands (Also a retired CTMH product) So here are the cards!

Card 1

Card 2

Card 3

Card 4

Card 5

Card 6

Card 7

(This is my featured uploaded card to the Christmas Love Campaign - above pictured card)

Card 8

I know these cards are not the fanciest card but I wanted to use retired products and keep it simple and true to the products when they were used by CTMH. And I wanted each one to be unique - like a snowflake!

Now I encourage everyone to submit a card and story and try to do it each week. Each week until Christmas I will be submitting a photo of something I have created for others around me and the story behind each item! Look forward to seeing what others come up with.

Now Close To My Heart features videos all the time and I would like to share these with you from time to time. I find it nice to see what others create and share using the products I love.

Art & Soul ~ The Sparkle of the Season

I found this to spark my creativity!

Let's Get Crafty!

Thinking of You

So I know that as we go about our daily life, we sometimes forget how quickly things can change. I have had to go and attend a funeral in my family this past weekend and so I realize that I don't have Sympathy cards on hand. I don't know if others try to stock up on cards for those occasions that creep up on us...I'm really bad for missing birthdays...lol! I would love to know if everyone makes personalized cards or creates some that you keep on hand...Comment below with your preference.

So I had this great card that I so clearly had envisioned in my mind. I wanted to create a classic and elegant "Thinking of You" card. I wanted to try to make a monochromatic card and really test me ability to really challenge myself and all that I have learned.

So Let's check out the materials I used to create my card.

Monochromatic Sympathy Card

Materials Used:
Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge (Z1686)
Kraft Die-Cut Cards & Envelopes (Z1474)
Dark Brown Cardstock
Pearl White Shimmer Cardstock
For Every Occasion Stamp Set (D1187)
Friendship Stamp Set (D1453)
Chocolate Exclusives Ink Pad (Z2111)
Round Sponge (Z967)
Versamark (Z891)
Craft Heater (Z555)
Opaques Adhesive Gems - Mocha (Z1333)
Gelly Powder Embossing Powder - Chocolate Shake
Brown Satin Ribbon

Sizzix Damask Folder
Cuttlebug

So now that you have all the items I used I will start by telling you that this card was one of the best cards I have made so far. I absolutely love how it turned out.

I started with the Kraft Die-cut cards and envelopes from CTMH. I have been looking for a card that I could make with these cards to see if I would like the finished product and I love these cards. The envelopes are embossed with the CTMH logo and are amazing quality too! With Kraft paper being so popular too I thought even better...Bonus!

I cut out the tag portion on my card face with the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge and cut out the rectangle shape on page 55 at 3 1/2" in Brown cardstock and then in 3 1/4" in the Pearl White Cardstock. After adhering the two pieces together I used my Versamark and Gelly Powder Embossing powder to emboss my "Thinking of You" from my For Every Occasion Stamp set.

I then took my piece of round sponge and my Chocolate Exclusives Ink and sponged all my edges on my card. I did this to both the outer and inner portions of the card.

After my edges were inked I started to assemble the other parts of my card and piece together my vision for this card.

 Now having not a clue what to put inside the card I looked for a quote to type out and print out on some white cardstock and put inside the card...I realized then that I didn't own a single stamp that would be sufficient for a inner quote of a sympathy card...(definitely something I will be looking for from this point forward!)

I made sure that the print was in brown and that it was a font that complimented my font on the face of the card. I was really trying to keep it simple and elegant without it feeling too stuffy...

I adhered the inner quote piece to the card, placed a ribbon on the flap and left it with just being attached securely in the outer edges to allow for a personalized note or anything a person might want to include. I thought later that placing a photo and note together for a family would be a nice touch but having not had more time I stuck with just signing the card...

Using the Friendship Stamp set I stamped a Second Generation stamped image on the back of the card in Chocolate ink and placed 3 Mocha pearl opaques on the design. I also stamped the flap on the envelope and placed 3 pearls on it too to tie the image into the whole design of the card.

On the Thinking of you portion of the face of the card I decided to add some Mocha opaque pearls to both sides to add some flow of the embellishment to all aspects of the card.

In the end I achieved my vision for the card and feel that this is something special all in itself and think maybe it is something better left to the time you are in need, to make the cards for these trying times and create what your heart tell you to create.

“Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts. And never hope more than you work.” -Rita Mae Brown

Let's Get Crafty!