Summer Open House 2014

The brand new 2014-15 Annual Inspirations Idea Book will be released this week, Friday, August 1st. It is full of gorgeous new papers,  fun stamps, innovative tools and delicious embellishments!

I held my Open House to showcase just some of the fabulous new items. I called it a "Summer" Open House, because I will hold additional Open Houses later this year to truly show all the new items this book has to offer!

The new book will be available to view online this Friday and you may begin making purchases from the book then too!

{Welcome to my Open House}

 

One of the first "favorite" items is this red framed magnetic chalkboard. I love that Close To My Heart has introduced so many new home decor items. Several of these items have filled many walls and shelves throughout my home. This frame sits on a shelf in my dining room which already had red details in it so it was a perfect fit! It welcomed those ladies attending my Open House. I put some little bottle cap magnets on it just to show that it was not only a chalkboard. I'm excited to write messages on it or favorite quotes!

This is the my main table I had set up filled with lots of new goodies!

I wanted to show the new book, the 5 brand new colors {inks & paper}, a beautiful Seaside Workshop on the Go kit {it just happens to feature my own family pictures in it, woo~hoo!}, Picture My Life program and one of my absolute favorite items...the fundamental papers in the Whimsy color palette.

I showed a preview to a scrapbooking workshop using a gorgeous new paper called Brushed. This layout showcases a beautiful new stamp set and the cutest heart Washi tape in Lagoon! I also showed a level 3 layout using papers and embellishments from the Chalk It Up collection.
 

Finally I set up a display of the newest Base & Bling collections as well as a "try it" marker display. Yes, that's right, new markers and they are awesome!

I will have more detailed pictures of all these projects soon!

I also offered some handmade projects for sale. They included a mini album, 12x12 layouts and boxed card sets. I will have these posted in a "for sale" section on my Blog soon.

Be sure to stop back here at the end of the week! See the new book and be inspired by all the new products and the outstanding artwork. Want a new book in your hands? Just contact me and I'll help you with that. You can place your order for new products online here. Be sure to click on the JOIN button under my Inspiration 2014 gathering.

Sparkle & Shine Workshop

You already know that the Workshop on the Go kits are filled with everything you need to complete a beautiful hand crafted project. You also know that the value is well worth it! Did you know how gorgeous the Sparkle & Shine kit is or that the pages created are not 'just' for the Holidays?

Take a look~

I created these layouts just as instructed in the brochure included in the kit. The top layout is definitely a Christmas page, because of the title. However, you will see the second layout is not at all for Christmas. It could be used for anything such as an encouragement story or celebration of a "shining moment"!

A close-up of the details~

The Sparkle & Shine Workshop on the Go is available in the new Holidays from the Heart gift guide. You will receive the Sparkle & Shine paper packet, instructional brochure, D-size stamp set, clear sparkle flourishes and Sparkle & Shine embellishment assortment. All this for $29.95!

Sparkle & Shine WOTG {G1071} can be ordered with me personally or online here.

Frosted Card Kit

I shared the Laughing Lola Workshop on the Go Card Kit with you earlier. We talked about the great value of these kits and how easy it is to create 15 beautiful handmade cards. I don't know about you, but I make the most cards in the littlest amount of time for the Holidays. Trying to beat the deadline of sending all those Christmas cards is always a challenge. With the Frosted Card Kit it will be easy and quick!

I'm not going to show all the cards with variations like I did with the Laughing Lola cards. Instead I want to show you how easily you can use the stamp set included in the kit to create completely different Holiday cards. Think outside of the brochure!!

These are the cards as instructed in the brochure~

Here are a few ideas using that stamp set with different colors and papers.~

You will notice some fun stamping techniques and recognize some papers that are not "holiday" themed. That's part of the fun! My card designs all came from the new Make It From Your Heart Volume 2 book. (this book is awesome and a must have!)

You can order the Laughing Lola and Frosted Card Kits with me or online here. Experience the fun of creating these cards and the value of the kits!

Laughing Lola Card Kit

Let's talk about card kits! The Autumn/Winter Idea Book offers two Workshop on the Go card kits. The first is Laughing Lola that works perfectly for a variety of occasions. The second is the Frosted kit that is great for the Holiday season. These card kits come with just about everything you need to create 15 beautiful cards. You will need the recommended inks and some basic tools to complete them. Everything else is provided including: D-size stamp set, B&T duos papers, cardstock, card base and envelopes, embellishments and a how-to instructional brochure.

With everything provided you simply cut, stamp and assemble! You can create your cards exactly as instructed in the brochure or feel free to add your own touches to the cards to personalize each one. That is what I did here with the Laughing Lola kit.

This is a sample of the cards exactly as directed per the brochure~

There are 3 different designs and you will make 5 of each, giving you a total of 15 cards. In the picture above I have shown the cards as they are in the brochure starting with card 1 on the left, card 2 in the middle and card 3 on the right. As you scroll down you will see how I changed each design just slightly giving it a different appearance. Perhaps I flipped  the B&T paper, substituted another color cardstock, stamped another color ink or varied the embellishment. Each one is unique and I can guarantee that not one recipient will get the same card!

Let's talk about value! Not only are you creating 15 cards with the best papers and embellishments provided in the kit, but you are also getting a D-size stamp set to keep and reuse for many more projects. The retail value of the kit is $36.78, but you pay only $24.95! That's a savings of $11.83!

Laughing Lola Kit G1064
Frosted Kit G1063

These kits can be ordered through me or on my website here.

Come back soon and I will show you some ideas I created with the Frosted Card Kit!

The Lovely Chantilly {Spring Open House}

I have some more artwork for you today from my Spring Open House. One of the prettiest papers in the new book is the lovely Chantilly. I was able to create a couple of layouts showing the papers versatility. It has lots of pinks and reds in it, but is not necessarily a girly paper!

Before I show you the pages, I want to share a card I made for the Paper Players challenge. This card definitely shows off the pretty, feminine side of Chantilly!

This first layout shows the "girly" side of Chantilly. It has pinks, reds, yellows and floral patterns. I created this one for my teen daughter that enjoys fashion.

Check out this fun embellishment created with the stamp included in the Workshop on the Go kit! The arrow can spin to indicate my daughter's fashion choice!

The little dress was cut on the Cricut Artiste cartridge then paper pieced!

Flip to the other side of the double sided paper and you get a whole new look of Chantilly! How adorable would this page be for a little boy or even your Easter celebration!

The recent trend of honeycombs is so graphic and fun! The little sentiment included on the stamp in the kit is just perfect for the shapes!

The fabric buttons are a quick embellishment anywhere on your project.

There you have it! The lovely Chantilly paper is pretty and oh so versatile! I would also recommend the Workshop on the Go kit so that you can play with not only the gorgeous papers, but the stamp, fabric buttons, glitter gems and instructional brochure. {G1053 $29.95}

Simple Sketch with Sunshine!

This week on the Paper Players Blog is a super simple sketch. Playing with some new Chantilly papers I added a bit of sunshine to it!

The sweet little cloud is from the stamp set only available in the Chantilly Workshop on the Go. I added a few rays of creme brulee twine for the sun light!

Pear & Partridge Cards and Box

This weekend I will be hosting the Pear & Partridge card making workshop. As an added bonus the ladies will also be making this cute little box to hold all the cards from the kit. The magazine holder style box is cut on the new Artiste cricut cartridge.

My box was created very basic and simple. The ladies will have the opportunity to decorate their boxes however they choose.

A workshop cutting guide is provided in the kit. These are the cards as they are shown in that guide. I also made several more cards with little variations in the paper placement and the stamped images to give them more creative options!

 

I am excited to get together this Saturday for this fun class! If you would like to order the Pear & Partridge card kit go to my online site here. You'll have fun making these cards while getting a head start on you Christmas "to-do" list!

Pear and Partridge Projects

At my Open House I gave guests a look at a variety of projects from many of the new products in the Autumn/Winter Idea Book. This season's Christmas papers are absolutely gorgeous! I love all the new home decor items and I am also impressed with the card workshop on the go offered in this book.

You can make your Christmas cards quickly and easily with this affordable kit. I created the cards exactly as shown in the instructions booklet included. I simply added a card holder cut on the new Cricut Artiste Cartridge.

I also created the new bracket frame in the Pear & Partridge papers. I was able to cut the bracket shape on the Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge. I embellished around the frame using the coordinating dimensional elements. These are gorgeous by the way, they add so much dimension and are self adhesive. I added a background layout with some cardstock and one of the zip strips. I can simply add a photo from our Holiday celebrations later.

More Super Hero Pages

Here are some more of the Super Hero pages I created, as promised! Even though I received the Workshop on the Go Kit, I opted to use templates from the various How-to Books that are soon retiring.

First up, My Hero~

Next, My Boys~



And this last one is for ONE Awesome SUPER Kid!~

Twitterpated

I was so excited {twitterpated} when I received this Workshop on the Go Kit! What a fabulous kit that Close To My Heart has put together. Here is a picture of what you get:

Included in the kit:

An exclusive B~size My Acrylix stamp set called Hello There
My Reflections Twitterpated Level 2 Paper Packet
Designer Ribbon Rounds Chocolate Collection
Workshop Guide

The price for the kit is $29.95. All of the items included normally retail for $35.85. You may also add a few affordable accessories to give the kit an additional punch of pizazz! (dimensional elements, natural hemp and basic brads) Here is a picture of the kit with the projects I created from the Workshop Guide that is included.

The Workshop guide gives you complete instructions to create a 2 page layout. This layout can accommodate some large and small photo's and compliments a range of themes. The instructions are easy to follow, they teach you fun techniques and can be completed in no time at all. {Faster. Simpler. Easier.} Here are my pages. You'll see that I used outdoor pictures with Family as my title.

Not only are you given instructions to complete a two-page layout, but you are also able to create 6 cards. Using a bit more paper and the exclusive stamp set you will make 6 cards in one pattern. How cute are they!

That's not all.... in addition to the fabulous projects in the guide I will also be teaching a class to create another 2 page layout and 3 more cards. I chose a "First Day of School" theme for my pages, but the versatility of these papers are endless.

Look how darling these cards are. The pattern for these unique cards is from Wishes. The center of the card slides out of the sleeve to reveal your personal message. How cool is that? Just a few more bits of paper, some stamped images and embellishments, and you've got 3 beautiful cards.

Would you believe that after all of these projects there is still paper leftover, spools of ribbon, dimensional elements and brads galore left over! Not to mention a darling stamp set!

I am completely Twitterpated for this Workshop on the Go and think you will be too. Please contact me for more information or if you would like to attend my class in November.