What album do you need?

May 26, 2016June 1, 2016 10nyaLeave a comment

Hi everyone. If you haven’t heard yet Close to My Heart are having a sale on their albums until the end of May 2016. There are some great designs and these are all while stocks last. Take a quick look at the designs currently available here.

Close to my heart has two different types of albums. there are post bound and D ring albums. Each one has it’s Pro’s and Cons and you will need to determine your own requirements to choose the right album for your needs.

The D ring (3 ring Binder)

pro’s

Place the pages you are working on quickly away for protection
Add pages to your projects/albums quickly
change the order of your album easily.
Has clip at top, bottom and middle to help keep pages supported

Cons

Heavy projects can damage the rings.
Album is set width. May take up more room on shelf

Post Bound Album

heavy projects are best suited for these albums.
Can adjust the size of the album but adding or removing posts

Cons

Need to unscrew posts to add more pages or change order
need to remove pages to add others to create specific order

My favourite is the D ring only because I don’t work on projects in chronological order. These albums allow me add pages as I complete them quickly and easily.

If you do pages that have flip flaps or heaps of heavy elements on them or want an album to be a specific width, Then I would suggest you purchase the post bound albums.

If you already have an album let me know which one you love and why?

SE1 last chance Australasian blog hop

April 19, 2016April 20, 2016 10nya8 Comments

Hello and welcome aboard our Australasian Close to My Heart Blog Hop.

If you have arrived here from Georgia O’Shea’s blog Georgia Creates then you are in the right place.

If you landed here by accident, no problem, please join in by following the link at the end of this post.

Today we are showcasing our favourite products from Seasonal Expression 1 catalogue. The stamp sets and papers will be retiring at the end of this month. So take a look at the blog hop and see if our favourites interest you.

The stamp set I have used for this card is Woodland Romance. This is my favourite stamp set from the catalogue as I love the vines and flowers. Throughout the idea books there are little tips throughout and the one that is next to this stamp set I fully agree with.

“When scrapbooking my favourite photos I like to cluster beautiful details around them so they take centre stage”

This stamp set has so many little pieces that can pieced together to create beautiful details.

I have created a card for blog today but this idea can also be used on a page. As this card is for a wedding I decided to personalise it with their names on the front. However you could add a sentiment or if using the idea on a page add a photo.

The ribbon frame is from the artbooking circuit cartridge, the Flower in the bottom corner
is from Art philosophy cartridge and the hollow flower is from Artfully sent.

To turn the hollow flower gold I pushed it into the versa mark stamp pad and then embossed with gold embossing powder. I have used this technique before. You can take a look at it Share the Love.

I have added the vines from the stamp set behind the flowers for the clustered details. If you want to see the vines used in another project you can look here

The small flowers in the top corner are stamped and then embossed to give them the 3D look. These make great little accents to any project. Here is another project I have created using these little flowers. I have added vines to these flowers also. All flowers have been finished with Bling Gems Gold.

Thank you for taking the time to look at my project. I hope you have seen just how fantastic this stamp set is and that you grab it before it retires at the end of the month. Please leave a comment before continuing to Vandra’s Virtual Craft Room.

If you have not seen the seasonal expression the you can view it here.

Remember this idea book finishes at the end of April. Some items have already sold out so be sure to grab the one’s that you love the most before they are gone.

If you do not already have a consultant than feel free to contact me for information about this fantastic company and their products. You can purchase this item and any other from my OBA.

Tanya Armitage

tanya.armitage@me.com

scrapbook page layout · SOTM

Life in Pictures Australasian blog hop

March 31, 2016March 31, 2016 10nya14 Comments

Hello and welcome aboard our Australasian Close to My Heart Blog Hop.

If you have arrived here from Creating with Kara then you are in the right place.

If you landed here by accident, no problem, please join in by following the link at the end of this post.

Today I would like to share with you a creation which features Close To My Heart’s Life In Pictures April 2016 Stamp of the Month.

This stamp features different kind of camera’s and phrases. I was inspired for this page layout by the phrase life in pictures.

I thought as there are progression of camera’s I would style a layout that can be used for a birthday showcasing different stages in a life.

The basic design for this layout came from Reflections scrapbooking program book, Bottom Border 2a design.

I didn’t want to use any papers with this project so I used second generation stamping with the images to create my own background. I stamped with slate ink hoping to create a softer image.

I cut the film strip from the artiste cartridge at 3″. I used the inner pieces to stamp a camera image on. I then sanded all the card stock to create an antique/aged feel to the page. I also used the edge deserter to roughen up the large photo mat.
The one thing I love about our stamps is the ability to manipulate them. You can see I have used the words both straight and curved. Curving the words allows them to follow the edge of the circle to create a different element to you designs.

Here is a picture of how they can be manipulated and placed on your block.

I embellished the page using silver foil tape, sequins and Twine to create this final look.

It can be yours for just $7.50 with a qualifying order of $75 or for $27.00 if ordered separately from your CTMH consultant.

If you do not have a consultant please contact me or place an order here.

I’d love you to leave a comment before heading off to the next stop, Doris Taylor Creative Inspirations. I am sure she will have some fantastic ideas to share with you.

All occasion card · Cards · paper piercing

Stampaganza Australasian blog hop

March 19, 2016March 20, 2016 10nya7 Comments

Hello and welcome aboard our Australasian Close to My Heart Blog Hop.

If you have arrived here from Jenny’s blog The Creative Heart then you are in the right place. If you are starting the hop from here no problem, please join in by following the link at the end of this post.

Today I would like to share with you a card using 2 stamp sets. During the month of March 2016 CTMH has stampaganza happening. When you purchase two stamp sets you will get a 3rd set Free.

For those who do not know me I will give you a little insight into my 3 fav things to do on projects. If there is a flower I love to emboss them, if there is a butterfly I love to lift the wings for the 3D look and the third is to create my own background/paper. Today I will show you a card that I have made and created my own background/paper.

I got inspired for this card by Pinterest. I saw an image there that used a stitch stamp and wanted to get a similar look.

To start with using tone on tone stamping, I have stamped the Princess wings scroll work and stars on the background card stock. On the two smaller white card stock I have stamped using Versamark ink. I did this so that I could still see the lines but would not be clearly visible on the finished product.

I have then paper pierced the stamped designs and the edge of the long white card stock. I did this free hand following the lines of the images. By piercing close together it allows the eye to follow the line and maintain the image. Yes this is a little bit fiddly but I actually found it quite relaxing to pierce the paper. (A bit of paper therapy for you). Here is a closer look at the piercing.

I have stamped the giraffe from Wild Wonders Stamp set with Pigment ink and then clear embossed it. This gives it the glossy sheen and makes it bright as the centre piece of the card. I have decorated it with ribbon and Gold Sequins. I have double mounted the card stock. I Quite liked the look of the different tones of pink in this card. I hope you liked the finished product.

If you would like to see another card using the same technique take a look at this post here.

Stampaganza expires on March 31 2016 so be sure to place your order with your consultant quick. If you do not have a consultant please contact me or place your order on my OBA.

Please leave a comment before continuing the hop to Vandra’s virtual CTMH craft room.

If you are interested in either a full video or written instructions please contact me

Thank you and Happy Paper crafting everyone.

Tanya

Tanya armitage

tanya.armitage@me.com

0407581163

All occasion card · Cards · Embossing · paper piercing

Paper Pierced Background card

March 9, 2016March 11, 2016 10nya1 Comment

Hello Everyone. I created this card after reading the close to my heart blog. They have a competition running at the moment. This is what I created. If you want to participate you can read all about it here.

I was inspired for this card by a 2008 card by Amy Sheffer on pinterest. The card featured a stamp that had stitching design background stamp. I loved the look but didn’t have a stamp similar in my collection for this project. So I thought outside the box and came up with this solution.

I first used the Tone on Tone stamping technique on the cotton candy card stock. To stamp on the Daisy White card stock I stamped in versa mark. This was so that it was clear and not so visible on the final product. I used the Great Job stamp set for the background.

Once it was stamped I then used the Piercing and Embossing Tool to pierce the design on the card stock. I followed the edges of the design for piercing. I also pierced a border along the edge of the larger Daisy White card.

I then Stamped the flowers from the Woodland Romance stamp set on both cotton candy and Daisy White scraps using Memento Ink. I used Memento ink as it dries fast so when I wanted to emboss straight after I wouldn’t damage the image. I then fussy cut the flowers out. To ensure the flowers would easily emboss I cut the petals down to the inner circle of the image. Turning the flowers upside down I used the embossing end of the Piercing and Embossing Tool. I pressed hard on each edge of the petal as well as the centre of each petal. I then turned them right side up and doing small circle motions got the flower to turn up. I then layered two alternate colours together using Liquid Glass.

I then stamped the Happy Birthday sentiment from the Joyful Birthday stamp set on the large white card. The flowers were then arranged and adhered to how I felt look right. I attached ribbon to the two smaller white card pieces and assembled the card.

This month we have Stampganza happening. If you purchase and 2 stamp set you will receive a 3rd for FREE.

If you purchased all three stamps used for this project you would receive the Joyful Birthday stamp set of free.

Thank you for looking at this card. I am looking forward to seeing what you create for #cards4jeanette. I hope you all try these fun techniques

Full instructions are available for any of my projects with a purchase from my OBA.

Tanya Armitage

0407581163

tanya.armitage@me.com

All occasion card · Cards · Embossing · scrapbook page layout · SOTM · Thin Cuts

Sunshine Birdies March CTMH SOTM blog hop.

February 29, 2016March 9, 2016 10nya14 Comments

Hello and welcome aboard our Australasian Close to My Heart Blog Hop.

If you have arrived here from Vandra’s virtual CTMH craft room then you are in the right place.

If you landed here by accident, or from my links, no problem, please join in by following the link at the end of this post.
Today I would like to share with you a creation which features Close To My Heart’s March 2016 Stamp of the Month.

I have three projects to share with you today using this cute stamp set.

The first card I kept simple. I have used a 5″x12″ piece of card scored at 6″. I have then cut from the front of the card 1 1/2″ off from the top. I have then used the 1 Inch circle punch to cut a semi circle in the the card. I then stamped the images I wanted onto the front and top of the card. I stamped on daisy white a butterfly and then hand cut it. I used the Ink Blot stamp set behind where I wished to place the butterfly. I have then using liquid glass glued the body of the butterfly to the card. This is the finished product. I know it is simple and plain but is a great quick and fun card to do with the kids.

The next card I made is a step card. I have coloured the birds in with ShinHan touch markers. To create the clouds I used the Springtime wishes Thincuts. I placed the thin cut under the card stock and then using the sanding tool sanded the shape into the card stock. I then used the same thin cut to cut out a piece of daisy white to look like a cloud. I found doing this made a great outline and made them pop and looked fluffy. The one thing I love about this thin cut set is you can use your imagination to make them into other shapes. I then finished this card off with a trim of Silver Shimmer Trim. Here is the finished product. If you would like a detailed instruction guide then please contact me.

When I first saw this stamp set the butterfly at the top jumped out at me. I then thought of Winnie the Pooh and the the buzzing bees. So I had to create a fun page using it for photos of my friends youngest. As I used Black card stock for the page I used gold embossing powder for the sun stamp and White embossing powder for the butterflies to ensure they stood out. I traced and cut out the Winnie the Pooh and then using a handmade template I sponged white pigment ink to form the dots leading to the butterflies. I have stamped the sentiment on the page and added the butterfly to ‘S. I love how our stamps are clear. It makes lining them up to do this so much easier than the old red rubber stamps.

If you have seen any of my previous posts. I can’t have a butterfly flat on the page. So again I have cut out a butterfly and glued the body down allowing the wings to have a 3d effect.

I have added more dimension to this page by adding an embossed flower, leaves and twine. Here is a close up of the element.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post. I hope you are inspired to do some of the ideas.

This exclusive Sunshine Birdies stamp is only available during March 2016.

It can be yours for just $7.50 with a qualifying order of $75 or for $27 if ordered separately from your CTMH consultant.

If you do not have a consultant please contact me or place an order here Tanya Armitage CTMH page.

I would love for you to leave me feedback before moving on to Shaunna’s Passionate about pages. Don’t forget to share and pin this post.

Enjoy the blog hop and Happy Paper crafting everyone

Tanya

tanya.armitage@me.com

0407581163

tanya.armitage.ctmh.com.au

Embossing · scrapbook page layout

Kaleidoscope Double page spread.

February 28, 2016February 28, 2016 10nyaLeave a comment

Hi everyone, I hope you have all been creating great projects. This one I am sharing with you today is one I worked on for a while. It has many elements which will take you a while to complete. These are ones you can either keep in your albums or display in shadow boxes.

penelope double page — Double page spread using Kaleidoscope idea from cherish how to book.

The page layout was very easy and quick to put together. The idea is page 59 of the Cherish how to guide. It provides the cutting instructions and layout instructions. If you haven’t seen one of these books before they are worth buying. They give you so many ideas you can modify to create fantastic flowing layouts.

The title fun was cut with the artfully sent cartridge.

The Flowers and flower borders are from the Art Philosophy cartridge. The larger flowers have all been coloured with the watercolour pencils and cut from watercolour paper.

watercolour flower — Water colour flower embossed and layered.

The smaller flowers are from white daisy card stock and then coloured using a sponge and ink. To colour these I sponged the lighter ink from the centre swiping out and with the darker ink I start from the edge and quickly swipe to the centre; Just to add colour to the tip of the flower.

sponged flowers2 — Sponged flowers scattered on page

Sponged flowers layered to edge photo

Sponged flowers scattered on page

Once the flowers have been coloured I then put them upside down on my embossing matt. Using the embossing tool I then emboss each petal. Turning the flower upright I use the tool in the centre of the flower to curl the flower up. (Stay posted I will post at a later date a video showing how to do this).

Using Liquid Glass place a small amount on the bottom of one flower and place so it sits off centre with the flower below. Using the embossing tool push the flower together. Once in place you can then manipulate the petals to sit how you wish.

I scattered the sponged flowers on the page and glued them down using liquid glass. I then placed the large watercolour flowers on the page and glued them down.

There isn’t much to this projects but to create so many little flowers and to colour the flowers does take a bit of time. It is an enjoyable project and I hope you give it a go.

Happy Papercrafting everyone

Tanya

Products used:

Kaleidoscope Paper pack

Art Philosophy cartridge

Arfully sent cartridge

Cards

Share the Love

February 19, 2016February 18, 2016 10nya10 Comments

Hello and welcome aboard our Australasian Close to My Heart Blog Hop.

If you have arrived here from Maz’s Inky Fingers then you are in the right place.

If you landed here by accident, no problem, please join in by following the link at the end of this post.

Today I would like to share with you a creation which features Close To My Heart’s Share the love stamp set.

If you haven’t heard before close to my heart is not just about scrapbooking. They also provide support for operation smile. Never heard it before? Well here is a brief explanation.

Every three minutes, a child is born with a cleft lip or cleft palate. Facial deformities like these can result in difficulty speaking, malnourishment, and social ostracism. Operation Smile, an international non-profit, organises volunteers and resources to aid these children, their parents, and their communities by performing life-saving surgeries and advocating for sustainable healthcare systems.

You can make donations anytime you order from your consultant. You can also purchase many selected items that will automatically donate proceeds to the cause. The Share the love stamp set is available for this month only and $7 will be donated to Operation Smile.

When I saw this stamp set I had two ideas immediately pop in my head. I have seen a few gypsy things in shops again lately so seeing the arrows I had to create a gypsy card.

I cut out the feathers and then decided to heat emboss them. The gold feather was created by running it over the versa mark pad and then covering it with gold embossing powder. The purple one was created by running it over the pigment ink pad and then covering it with clear embossing powder.

As these images were already cut I placed them on the All purpose mat So that I didn’t burn myself. (which is likely to happen). Remember safety first.

I stamped all the images I wanted to use and then assembled my card adding a trim of purple shimmer trim. If you want full instructions contact me and I will email them to you.

The second card that I wanted to created was inspired by the camera stamp. I had envisioned a polaroid. I wanted to create a card that was different. I have left the polaroid blank for this picture only. I will be attaching a photo to the matt and writing their name on the white of the polaroid. This will make it unique and personalised. It will read you make me smile _name__.

These cards are very simple and will make a greta quick project for you to try. The great thing about these cards is you can use these ideas both on a card or on a page layout.

Thank you for taking the time to look at my ideas. Please leave comments before continuing to Doris Taylor’s blog creative inspiration. Remember purchasing this stamp set will not only allow you to create some fantastic cards/pages but will mean you will be putting a smile onto someone’s face.

Contact me for more information on any of these cards or operation smile.

Tanya Armitage

tanya.armitage@me.com

0407581163

All occasion card · Cards

To be or not to be ruined?

February 14, 2016February 14, 2016 10nya2 Comments

Sometimes we do a project and things just don’t go as to plan. With this card I had a few minor mistakes that I thought would look good, only to have at the end of it something happen and I went NOOOOO!

After stamping the sentiment I was glueing the flowers in place and didn’t realise that me being me had ink on the outside of my pinky. (Those who know me well will realise I am a mess. I often spill something or get myself dirty all the time) So when I placed that flower down my hand rested on the card and bam, black little dot appears under the sentiment, just like that pimple as a teenager that made an appearance before a big event with lots of photos.

What to do what to do?

So I could try to cover it up with some Bling, flowers or other element. The spot where it is I don’t know if another element would really work there.

I could try and dump it. I could say damn this card is ruined and just start again. However I didn’t want to waste all my work.

I could also just leave it. Which is what I decided to go with. I had a few reasons behind choosing this option.

I didn’t like the first two options for fixing it.
I could show you all that these things happen to us all and
I try to find the positive in most things. These little imperfections don’t ruin the card they show someone that I took the time to hand make this card. It shows everyone that it isn’t store brought and that it is personal.

So what would you have done? Cover it, Dump it or leave it?

Shhhhh don’t tell anyone but I did cover one little mistake up, the large flower. When you use an embossing tool the paper needs to have enough give for it to be pliable. I find it needs to have many separate petals or if not you will need to either cut them or use a little water spritz to help make it pliable.

This particular flower I forgot to spritz and when working with it caused a little tear in the base. I knew it was going to be stuck down on this particular place and I could also add a bit of bling to ensure it would’t be seen. (Phew crisis averted) Play around with the embossing tools and many different forms of flowers and you will see what works for you.

If you are a CTMH buyer you have seen our catalogues, if you haven’t feel free to hit annual ideas tab and the seasonal expression tab on my home page to download to browse at your own leisure. There are some fantastic stamps there.

For this card I have used the The best Things Stamp set. This stamp set is not featured in any of the CTMH catalogues but is found on my OBA. There are a few other stamp sets that do not appear in the catalogue so PLEASE take some time to browse all the stamps sets available here.

I hope you like this card and have learned a bit from my mistakes.Feel free to share your experiences with a “ruined project”.

All occasion card · Cards · scrapbook page layout · SOTM · Thin Cuts

La Vie En Rose Australasian blog hop

January 19, 2016January 19, 2016 10nya12 Comments

Hello and welcome aboard our Australasian Close to My Heart Blog Hop.

If you have arrived here from Denise’s scrap stamp share then you are in the right place.

If you landed here by accident, no problem, please join in by following the link at the end of this post.

Today I would like to share with you a creation which features Close To My Heart’s La vie en rose paper pack. I just love this paper pack. Not only is the rose page stunning but there are some black and white pages that can be very versatile and suit all ages and genders.

I have kept this simple for a quick and easy layout. The idea is based on idea 2e from the Reflections how to book. This page would be great as either a title page or a left hand page. If you haven’t seen one of these how to books before I recommend you have a look at your consultants. They give you so many suggestions that can be modified for page layouts and can give suggestions for companion layouts that allow you to create amazing Double page spreads.

The images stamped are from the January 2016 stamp of the month. I have added a bit of sparkle with the silver shimmer trim. As I stamped a border I felt it needed a border at the top too. As I have said this is quick and easy to do and can be modified to suit your needs. I hope you give it a try.

I have also created a card I hope you like. I have used cotton candy card stock to edge the card as well as white daisy for the bottom and the stamped image. The image is from the brand new Springtime Wishes stamp set. I have used the fantastic new Springtime Thincuts to cut out the shape of the flower and then have stamped the image onto the die cut. I just love our stamps being acrylic as it allows you to see where you stamp on the cut each time creating a near perfect fit. Watercolour pencils were used to add a light colour to the image.

I have cut along some of the petal lines on the bottom of the stamped image. This is so that when I use the embossing tool it allows the paper to curl without tearing. Remember when you emboss to use the foam matt. The image below hopefully can show you the effect I was going for.

I have added a gem to the centre of the flower and coloured it to add a bit of bling. To hide the join of the white card and the paper I have used ribbon. Sometimes you do not want that hard edge of a join and ribbon or trim are great ways to hide this. When I stick ribbon to my cards or pages I use liquid glass. This ensures that it will not move.