WELCOME to my blog! This is the place to see what class offerings I have. I am also a consultant for Close to my Heart, a company that offers stamping and scrapbooking supplies. Take a look at the products and specials they are currently offering.

I hope you find something of interest to you.

Monday, January 25, 2016

Masculine Birthday Card for CAS(E) this Sketch and Seize the Birthday

I am designing number of Clean and Simple cards for February's Birthday Extravaganza class.  When I saw the design at CAS(E) this Sketch this week, I knew the perfect stamp set to go with it.  "Charming Cascades" has three different images that cascade down the page.  I used the dots and stars to create the background for this card, then added the sentiment from "Stamps of Approval."  The design worked so well to create a masculine card that is quick but looks great!  I'm also entering this card over at the Seize the Birthday Clean and Simple Challenge this week.

Here's a list of what I used.  All are from Close to My Heart

Stamps:
Charming Cascades (D1668) - dot and star background
Stamps of Approval (C1637) - sentiment
Papers:
Colonial White, Black and Flaxen cardstock
Inks:
Black and Flaxen  
Other:
Black enamel stars (retired)
Mounting Foam
This card will be a part of February's Stamp Club class.  If interested, watch this blog or email me at scrappingailaz@gmail.com for more information.

Be sure to check out the other great Clean and Simple cards at both CAS(E) this Sketch blog and Seize the Birthday blog.

Thanks for stopping by!

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Clean and Simple Birthday Card for Freshly Made Sketches

"Birthday Extravaganza" is next month for Stamp Club, so I've been looking for Clean and Simple designs that will allow us to make a lot of fun cards in a short amount of time.  The sketch from Freshly Made Sketches is perfect.  This card allowed me to combine flower stamps from several stamp sets on one card.  I used three different colors of ink.  Several of the flowers were so delicate, I decided to double-stamp them to give them more volume.  Finally, I decided that the center flower needed a little dimension, so I stamped it again, cut it out, and mounted it so it met the outside edge of the card. I had already popped up the stamped panel, so I just rolled a few glue dots to give the edge of the flower the dimension I wanted with out adding a lot of bulk.  Because all of the detail of the design is in the top left corner, I added a small piece of topiary cardstock to the bottom right of the card.

Here's a list of what I used:
Stamps:
Wavy Blooms (D1651) - 2 flowers
Springtime Wishes (C1641) - flower and leaves
Joyful Birthday (B1419) - sentiment
Paper:
Colonial White and Topiary cardstock
Inks:
Poppy, Sorbet, Pomegranate, and Topiary

Be sure to check out the other cards made with this sketch over at the Freshly Made Sketches blog.
Thanks for stopping by today.  GO CARDINALS!!!

"So Many Smiles" for Mojo Monday 431


These colorful circles make the cutest little flowers!  I have had this stamp since July and have not used it on any cards - so thought this was a great time!  The dots on  flowers inspired me to use the dot embossing folder for the background piece. The patterned paper is from the new Penelope paper pack from CTMH.  The bright colors in this pack are perfect for florals and spring.

The Mojo Monday 431 sketch provided the design inspiration for this card.  Here's the rest of the materials I used:
Stamps:
So Many Smiles (C1619) - flowers
Sangria Scrapbooking Workshop stamp set (G1097) - leaves
Finding the Words (D1646) - sentiment "Happy"
Hello Life Cardmaking (retired) - sentiment "Birthday"
Papers:
Pear, Crystal Blue and White Daisy cardstock
Penelope patterned paper (X7207B)
Inks:
Thistle, Gypsy, Pomegranate, Pixie, Glacier and Pear
Other:
Dots Embossing Folder (Z1924)
Clear Sparkles (Z1752)
Mounting Foam

This card will be a part of the "Birthday Extravaganza" Stamp Club in February.  Stay tuned for more information about that class!

Pop over to the Mojo Monday Blog to see all of the great cards designed with this sketch.  Thanks for stopping by today - and GO CARDINALS!!!!

Friday, January 22, 2016

"SHARE THE LOVE" for Retro Sketch #198


I love typewriter stamps - and the fact that my son has his grandfather's old typewriter in his closet!  What a great prop for photographing the card.

The main stamp image is from "Share the Love", which will be featured in February for Close to My Heart's Operation Smile campaign.  Everything else on the card has retired - like the old typewriter.  But it's fun to use up that stash that is in my craft room!


The sketch for the card is from this week's Retro Sketch Challenge.  You can head over to their blog to check out the other cute cards made with this design.

Look for more information about this stamp set and the fund raising for Operational Smile in February! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

JANUARY 2015 STAMP CLUB

January's Stamp Club is upon us, and I wanted you to see what projects we will make.  There are two paper packs we will work with, the new embossing diffussers, as well as two of the new coordinating stamp sets and thin cut dies.
The first featured paper is La Vie En Rose (X7201B).  This card is also our technique card for January - with the cascading folds beneath the beautiful rose from this month's Stamp of the Month - Beloved Bouquet (S1601).  You can select any sentiment for the inside of this card.

This card uses the circle diffusser (Z3096) over the Floral embossing folder (Z1994).  The flowers are from the new Springtime Wishes set (C164) and they are cut out with the coordinating thin cut dies (Z3201).  A variety of sentiments will fit in the flat circle area, so you can create the kind of card you want.

These two cards are created with the same design, but you will choose which elements you want to use.  The paper pack is the new Charlotte (X7205B) and the stamp set is "Stuck on You" (C1643).  This set also has the coordinating thin cut dies (Z3200).  Living in Arizona, I can't think of a more appropriate fun greeting to send to someone!

The final card uses the "Positive Chemistry" stamp set (B1485).  You can create this card in one of two ways, depending on your needs.

Stamp Club will meet on three different dates in January 2016:
Thursday, January 21
Saturday, January 23
Monday, January 25

Cost of the class is $20 and includes everything to complete one of each style of card shown.  In addition, there will be a bonus Valentine treat cover.
 
All classes meet at 9:30 a.m. in my home craft studio in Prescott Valley, AZ.  If you are unable to attend but would like a kit sent to you or that you can pick up, please notify me by Monday, January 25 so I can put everything together for you.  Assembly instructions will be provided.

Email me at scrappingailaz@gmail.com to register.  Once you confirm your registration, if you are unable to attend, I will prepare a kit for you to complete. 

POSITIVE CHEMISTRY for Paper Players Challenge #278

It's been a while since I've had time to participate in the challenge blogs, and I'm so glad to be back in the swing of things!  It may just be the start of the new year, but in my world, it's time to start Valentine greetings!  And the people over at the Paper Players thought so as well.

I fell in love with this stamp set as soon as I saw it - not only because it is so darn cute, but because my husband has been a high school chemistry teacher for many years.  I thought this sentiment was perfect for a Valentine card.

The stamp set is "Positive Chemistry," item #B1485 from Close to My Heart.

I was looking for a simple design for the card, because I wanted to see the background image as well as the beakers in the front and the sentiment.  I used the MojoMonday Sketch 430 from last week, even though I never got the card uploaded to the challenge blog.

Using velum as the base for the beakers allowed the background stamping to show through.


This card is just one of the projects we will make in January's Stamp Club.  And just in case you don't need a "lovey-dovey" kind of card for Valentine's Day, you can create this version of the card.

Take a look at the other clean and simple Valentines over at the Paper Players Blog.

And if you are interested in attending one of my classes or getting a kit (even out of the area), check out the Stamp Club post for January.

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope your new year is off to a great start!

Saturday, January 2, 2016

This lovely floral set - Beautiful Bouquet - is the January Stamp of the Month from CTMH.  Here are a couple of sample cards made with this set.  I will be creating a card for our January Stamp Club using this set - so watch this blog for an update with the project!
You can purchase this stamp set ONLY during the month of January.  It is available at the retail price of $17.95, but if you place an order of $50 during January, you will pay only $5 for this great stamp set.  Check out my CTMH website to see what you might be interested in to qualify for this great deal.  You can place an order while you are on the website, or contact me at scrappingailaz@gmail.com if you would like some assistance.

CTMH SEASONAL EXPRESSIONS CATALOG NOW AVAILABLE

We are just getting started with winter, but this new catalog will definitely get you in the mood for spring!  The new Seasonal Expressions catalog is filled with three new paper packs, new stamps with coordinating wafer-thin dies, and silver and gold sticky embellishments.  So much fun.  

You can head over to my CTMH website and see the catalog online, or contact me at scrappingailaz@gmail.com if you are interested in getting a copy for yourself.

I will be hosting a craft sale on Saturday, January 15, 2016, and at that time, will be showcasing the new products from this catalog.  Plus, we will start using the papers, stamps and dies in the January Stamp Club classes.  So why not contact me to find out how you can be a part of all this!!!

NATIONAL PAPERCRAFTING MONTH SPECIAL FROM CTMH

January is National Papercrafting Month, and CTMH has released an exclusive Picture My Life™ Live Your Day scrapbooking program—available for one month only! This collection was designed to coordinate perfectly with the sensational Everyday Life™ 2016 Planner Pages and My Crush® Everyday Life Pages, so you can seamlessly integrate pocket scrapbooking into your 2016 planner.

I will have a special 14-page layout workshop available for those who purchase this PML set. 
Consisting of (7) 2-page layouts, these cards make it easy to preserve your everyday moments all year long. These will be regular layouts utilizing the PML cards, not a pocket scrapbook layout. You can see a sample of it at the craft sale on January 16, or watch for more information here. There will be an actual workshop held in February if you want to work along with others putting this project together, or you can purchase all of the component parts and work at home at your own pace with the instructions I will provide you.

But remember - these PML cards are only available in January - While Supplies Last! - so get yours today for only $8.95 before this offer is gone!  Email me at scrappingailaz@gmail.com if you are ready to order yours, or head over to my CTMH website and place your order.