Artbooking Luminaries

Are you looking for something special to add to your Holiday décor? Perhaps the center of your Thanksgiving table? The project I taught yesterday is the perfect item! A fall luminary created on the Cricut machine with the newest Artbooking cartridge. Using a layover cut from one of the mini book designs I was able to create a four sided luminary box. It was decorated with some fall leaves and just a touch of glitter! It's simple and gorgeous!

Just for fun I experimented with creating a Christmas version. This time I used half of an overlay from a 12x12 scrapbook page and closed it around the back creating a sphere. I also backed it with some vellum giving it a stained glass effect. You could easily color the vellum to create a more colorful stain glass too! Just a simple poinsettia cut from the Artiste cartridge and leaves from Art Philosophy. {sharing the cartridge love!!}

 

{P.S. I only use battery operated candles in my paper luminaries!}

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.

Holiday Gift Guide

Today is the day that you can begin ordering from the Holiday Gift Guide. Now is the perfect time to get started on your handmade Holiday gifts. You will have plenty of time to create your beautiful unique gifts from mini albums to cute bags tied up with strings! Create Christmas scrapbook layouts in no time at all with everything you need included in the Sparkle and Shine Workshop on the Go. Plus, I have an extra sweet project to create when you attend my Sparkle and Shine flip album workshop and Christmas card exchange event in December.

 



You can contact me to place an order or shop online here.

More Halloween Mini's

I have some more Artbooking Halloween mini albums to share with you today. I just couldn't resist creating more of them! They are fun to embellish and the Cricut makes it so easy!

The first album is a spooky dark purple and black theme. The cover has a glittery haunted house and the pages are filled with spiders, skulls and rats! The second album has more of a cute, trick-or-treating theme, with bright colors and sweet candy treats!

Here is the second album~

 

{I had a question on the other mini album I did referring to the gray tombstone. It is actually found on the Artiste Cricut cartridge and I cut it at 1". It just happens to fit perfectly!}

 

Fall 2013 Card Exchange

My Fall themed card exchange took place this past weekend. Participants were asked to create cards with a fall theme such as leaves, feeling of the season, Thanksgiving or Halloween. You will see that I was the only one that did a Halloween card while the ladies were truly inspired by Fall colors. {I think they secretly coordinated with each other and didn't tell me!}

Here is the table with everyone's cards displayed~

Here are the cards from the very talented ladies~

And here is my Halloween themed card?! Well, actually it lays flat like a card and fits in an envelope, however when opened up becomes a cool luminary!

In addition to the card/luminary they received a little decorated box with a tea light battery operated candle inside.

It looks amazing lit up in a dark room! Unknowing to me, the tea light looked like it would be a clear white light, but instead gives a red/orange glow! Spooky cool!!

 

 

I am also entering my card in the Paper Players Challenge this week, it's a trick and a treat!

 



Artbooking Halloween Mini Album

Yesterday my customers all exchanged their gorgeous Fall themed cards and a few of them stayed to create a fun Halloween mini album. I will share their beautiful cards later, but first check out this darling album made from the Artbooking cartridge!

I used cardstock in black, olive, honey, goldrush and white. I also used textured papers from Laughing Lola, Sarita and an older For Always paper pack. The pages are full of cricut cuts, embellishments, textures and some stamped images too!

That grey tombstone comes from the Artiste cartridge, it was a perfect fit on this page!

You may have noticed another fun addition on two of the pages! The small flip flaps are the perfect way to add more pictures to the book and even protects them from little fingers!

Need more inspiration? Check out this Close To My Heart video with another version to complete a Halloween book!

Come back soon to see the Fall cards created by my talented customers!

Artbooking Mini Baby Album

I am in love with the mini albums that you can create on the new Cricut Artbooking cartridge. My latest piece of art is for my niece and nephew expecting their second child, a little boy! My inspiration for the book came directly from the baby shower announcement.

I loved the grey chevron pattern, white chalky writing and the blue bow. That was my inspiration and color base for the mini album.

All of the pages and most of the embellishments all came from the same mini book keys. However, there were a few items that were on the scrapbooking layout key and that darling bow comes from the Artiste cartridge. The book has five pages and an envelope for little keepsakes.

Do you remember this chevron paper with the shiny embossing? It's from the Dream Pop paper kit which I just happened to have a little bit leftover! Perfect match to the invitation!

I love pages with pockets! They are great for tucking in tags, extra photo's or memorabilia!

These tags will be handy for recording all the important information about the little guy!

Not only does the page cut out the edge with the 'baby' sentiment, but there are also keys with adorable photo mats!

This little envelope cuts out on the cricut, then you simply fold it and adhere it together. It will be perfect for keeping the hospital bracelet band or perhaps the strands of his first haircut.

More pockets! These will keep some family photo's. Don't you just love that layover piece!

Finally the last page with some fun stamped sentiments and some more of those cool layover pieces.

I hope this mini album inspires you to try one for yourself. {no new babies on the way? this album would be adorable for a new pet in your family too!}

Come back soon as I will be showing you my Halloween mini album. The ladies are creating this spooky mini book this Saturday. I promise it will be frightfully fun!

Rediscover Happy Banners

There is a new free printable download on the Close To My Heart website. These are part of the Rediscover series and will be available all month long. This one is on trend and really fun to play with. Printable banner pieces in an assortment of colors and patterns. Here is what you print out at home.

 

 

Now that you have your banner pieces printed out, here are a few ideas on how to use them~



Use them to dress up a scrapbooking page. This design was inspired by the Make It from Your Heart Volume 1 how-to book.

Make your boring straws more fancy for a party! You can also wrap the banners around a toothpick to decorate some cupcakes or candies!

Use the banner behind some Perfect Fit Frames and "trick-or-treat" sentiment for some festive Halloween cards!

What will you do with your free printable this month? Download it here then create something that makes you happy!