Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there...

... whether you are a mom of kids or pets you're still a mommy!

This year with the added responsibilities at work, it has been a struggle to get my cards done on time. But done they are - and this year I got two completed for both my Mom and my Mother-in-Law. I really hit the jackpot with my inlaws as we get along very well.

Today's inspiration: Case Study #139 : Buttons & Bling - Maureen Plut

I was determined to use a button and add some sparkle. Originally I had tied the ribbon in a bow but it overpowered the flower that I had painstakingly colored with Copic markers. So instead I trimmed the ribbon for something smaller and cuter. You may not be able to see in the photo, but the colored flower and the three red words "Hope, Love, Joy" are embossed.

This is when I realized I didn't have any decent sentiments for Mother's Day so I left it blank, but you can see the same flower from the front peeking around the corners of the card. I love bringing images towards the inside of the card. I had better fix that with my next CTMH order!

Other: 
* Solid cardstock
* Embossing Ink
* Embossing Gun
* Button
* White Ribbon
* Copic Markers R22, R24, R29

CTMH:
* Friendship Bouquet (retired, May 2012 SOTM)
* Artiste Cricut Package Stamp Set
* Black Embossing Powder
* Red Embossing Powder
* Sponges (for distressing)

Hope you all had a Happy Mother's Day with your moms!

Blue and Feminine...

My best friend's birthday was back in April and her favorite color is blue, plus she enjoys travelling and the sea. So I finally cracked out the sea wood shapes that I'd bought some time ago from CTMH but had no idea what to do with them.

My inspiration was Mojo Monday and it popped up from viewing several designers: MOJO290

I went with clean lines and beachy, relaxed feel. I kept to a specific palette and wanted the sea shapes to pop right out as orange against blue.

I didn't go too fancy on the inside but I stamped the entire card with one color which I'd never done before. Usually I like to use a combination of colors and occasionally stamp sets. It worked out well contrasted with the other pieces and cardstock colors.

Other:
* White cardstock

CTMH: 
* Lucky Level 2 Paper Pack (retired)
* Jardin
* Card Chatter - Birthday
* Seaside Wood Shapes
* Blue Adhesive rhinestones
* Blue Designer Ribbon (retired)

Looks like we'll get a hint of summer at 25 tomorrow before it hits 11... if nothing else, the weather around here is never boring.

Happy Crafting!!

Two Year Work Anniversary

My boss made it to his two year anniversary on Thursday last week. My coworkers were talking about buying a card until they remembered the work that I do and I volunteered my card making skills.

Today's inspiration is from Case Study #117 : Maureen Merrit

I always find boy cards a challenge because a lot of the images I have are more female centered than male centered. However, by using boy-colors: blue and brown it helped to give it a more boy-type feel.

My favorite technique is to bring the colors and images to the inside of the card to tie it all together.

Other:
* Solid cardstock

CTMH:
* Dreamin' Level 2 Paper Pack
* Blue & Green Adhesive Rhinestones
* Silver embossing powder
* Hello Blooms
* Jardin
* Scrapbook Statements - Poets
* Card Word Puzzle
* Artiste Cricut Cartridge
* Cocoa Ink
* Outdoor Denim Ink

Happy Scrapbooking Month!

As you know this month is when I start to think about switching my winter performance tires out for summers - just in time for Mother Nature to dump more snow on us. I'm not sure it's a good idea but I guess it has to be done sooner rather than later.

As well it is National Scrapbooking Month! This brings of course a new SOTM as well as a super awesome promotion and I'm really stoked about both of them.

This month, spend $35 to receive this beautiful paper packet for only $10 more. Each sheet has a unique glossy resist pattern that's sure to add that extra "oomph" to all your projects. The papers are designed for this packet only! Promotion valid from April 1 - 30th.

If you have been paging through the catalog you'll notice that this month's SOTM has some funky red lines around several images.

That is because each shape with a red line around it means there is a corresponding image on one of CTMH's exclusive Cricut cartridges. In this case, all the shapes come out of Artiste, but I definetly love Artiste and Art Philosophy. 

Hoping for the snow to permanently go away,

The picture itself is pretty self-explanatory...

... often I have a clear picture in my head of what I want to do and why. However, past the chocolate and Easter I had no idea other than the 3-D object I was creating and the rapidly decreasing amount of hours I had to put it together and still be awake for a major presentation to my stakeholders the following morning.

Thankfully, I have had plenty of practice at delivering presentations while teetering on 3 hours of sleep back in my University days. I really don't recommend it!

I was so pressed for time that when I walked into my office I had the boxes completed and nothing stuffed. Each contains a Hershey's Oh Henry Egg. But thankfully with a bit of quick stuffing, I was good to go. These little guys were all images (minus the rabbit and the ribbon) from CTMH's two awesome Cricut cartridges, Art Philosophy and Artiste.

It's amazing how you can take patterned paper and mix and match to your heart's delight. In the same tradition as the last card I made the tops and bottoms are from Pear And Partridge, Fall/Winter 2012's Xmas pattern. What a nice compliment to Florentine's blue side... and when I flipped them over, they made for gorgeous eggs to back Sensational Season's rabbits.

Other:
* Cream colored cardstock
* Blue ribbon

CTMH:
* Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge
* Artiste Cricut Cartridge
* Florentine Paper Pack Level 2 (retired)
* Pear and Partridge Pack Level 2
* Chocolate Ink

Happy Easter, everyone - hope you all got a bit of chocolate today!

When you don't have time...

... you make the time.

I'm still trying to get my Easter project for my office completed by tomorrow morning. So my pre-cut 3-D shape pieces, paper trimmer, and glue gun have been living under my desk for the last four hours in hopes that I will be gluing it all together during the lunch hour.

Today's card was inspired some time ago by Random Acts of Creativity but I can't remember the exact card.

Happy birthday to my father-in-law! I admit sheepishly that yes, today is his birthday and I haven't yet sent the card, but he snowbirds in South Africa over the winter months so I still have to find out where to send it to. I pulled out some random embellishments from CTMH that I have been saving for a little while and cut out a shape from Art Philosophy's cart in different sizes for the top of the card. I distressed the edges of the sentiment in Olive and created a bowtie by tying a knot in CTMH ribbon and then cutting the ends.

I brought in the stamping under the bowtie to the inside of this card as well. Can you recognize the paper? If you guessed Stella, you're right - I would have never thought to use Stella in a male card.

Other:
* Solid cardstock

CTMH:
* Ribbon
* Stella Level 2 Paper Pack (retired)
* Dreamin Level 2 Paper Pack (retired)
* Opaque Pearl Adhesives, Mocha
* Random CTMH embellishment
* Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge
* You and Me (retired)
* Love Life
* Olive Ink
* Chocolate Ink

Happy Easter everyone! With luck I'll be able to get the Easter project up in the next few days.

Holy moly it's been a while...

Work got a little hectic and I have been working hours night and day, which meant that my little blog here got neglected! Oh noes!

I have a card in the works that I will post very soon, and I will also be working on a March project that I always do for my coworkers since I got my E2. After all Easter is not Easter without chocolate.

In the meantime, better late than never I wanted to showcase the beautiful flowers for March's SOTM. They're available just in time to make cards for Mother's Day (or probably could be used for birthdays and other flowery-based themes).

This month's campaign is titled Jump for Joy!

Hostesses who are able to make the $250 minimum for a Gathering immediately "jump" to the next level for more free product! How cool is that? 

Well I'm off to finish some cards and start Easter projects, hope Spring comes soon!