September Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

You should be coming from Kathy Lickenbrock's blog 

if not keep hopping and you will make a complete circle.

This month is a scary stamp set called THRILLER! 

I usually don't buy things with skulls, but this was too darn cute.

Sorry if my pictures are a little fuzzy - the camera doesn't like the clear cards.

First of all the white spot is from my camera and the lights - can't get rid of that - sorry.   I used a clear square card and stamped the image on the card in black and again on white paper with red ink to give it a 3D Glasses effect and stagered the images so that they didn't line up perfectly - I don't think the picture shows the 3d Glasses effect that very well. I sanded the purple textured paper, tore it and used a black marker along the edge. I cut out the red heart and glued it on top of the card - it's the only piece of paper on the outside.

On the inside I stamped the edges with the skull stamp but I turned it upside down so that only the scrolls showed up on the edges.  I tore the edge of the white paper and then took a black ink pad and ran it along the torn edges.

Did you know you can get this for free?

If you place a qualifying order on my site -

I'm having a special this month - email me or go to my site for details!

Now go to Michelle Loncar Michelle Loncar to see even more great ideas for this stamp set!

Cricut Cartridges For Sale - Brand New in Box - Never Used

$20 cartridges - let me know if anyone wants them:

Independence Day
Summer in Paris
Summer Vacation
H2O
Pumpkin Carving
October 31
Easter - from Spring - rare
Christmas Village - just released
Christmas Cards - just released
Thanksgiving - just release

I found a few Bags, Tags, Boxes & More - this is discontinued - $36 - All of these are brand new - I love this one - lots of 3D items

MORE:
Toy Story - $36 - just released
Mini Monsters - $34
Robotz - $36
Rock Princess - $36
Sports Mania - $31
Once Upon a Princess - $35
Paper Dolls Dress Up - $31
Every Day Paper Dolls - $31
Home Decor $ 23
Happy Hauntings $36

Let me know if there is one not listed that you might be interested in.
Thanks for looking!

Mary Eisen

Pastel Puppies!

My friend Kayla asked me if I could create some puppies to go with her girl's bed sheets. I just happened to have just stocked up on these lovely pastels and chocolate vinyl colors just a week earlier!
Here are the shapes cut out of vinyl. There is 2 dogs in 3 colors with chocolate accents.

When you put the spots on they really look great!
Love the blue one too!
Can't forget the pink one! I also did a dozen paw prints that will be scattered around the room. Kayla promises to email me pictures when they are on the walls!

Everything that's on Sale Tomorrow!

Here's the list of sale items (please remember that these are while supplies last):
Email me if you would like me to add you to my order to save money on shipping.

Abundance My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Abundance Level 1 $4.00

My Reflections Abundance Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

Animal Cookies My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Animal Cookies Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Animal Cookies Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

Aspen My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Aspen Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Aspen Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

Back Country My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Back Country Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Back Country Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

Bella My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Bella Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Bella Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

My Reflections Best Friends Forever Level 1 $4.00

Blue Ribbon My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Blue Ribbon Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Blue Ribbon Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

Boom-Di-Ada My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Boom-Di-Ada Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Boom-Di-Ada Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

Caprice My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Caprice Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Caprice Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

Cutie Pie My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Cutie Pie Level 1 $4.00

Daydream My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Daydream Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Daydream Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

My Reflections Discovery Level 1 $4.00

Emporium My Stickease $2.00
My Reflection sEmporium Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Emporium Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

Enchanted My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Enchanted Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Enchanted Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

Evensong My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Evensong Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Evensong Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

Everlasting My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Everlasting Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Everlasting Paper Packet $6.00

Expedition My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Expedition Level 1 $4.00

Floral Impressions My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Floral Impressions Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Floral Impressions Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

My Reflections Floral Tapestry Level 1 $4.00

Free Spirit My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Free Spirit Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Free Spirit Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

Game On My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Game On Level 1 Kit $4.00
My Reflections Game On Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

Good Times My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Good Times Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Good Times Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

Grace My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Grace Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Grace Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

My Reflections Heirloom Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Heirloom Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

It’s a Guy Thing My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections It’s a Guy Thing Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections It’s a Guy Thing Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

Jingle My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Jingle Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Jingle Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

Just Chillin My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Just Chillin Level 1 $4.00

My Reflections Laid Back Level 1 $4.00

My Reflections Let's Get Together Level 1 $4.00

Life Delights My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Life Delights Level 1 $4.00

Magic Moments My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Magic Moments Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Magic Moments Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

Majestic Blue My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Majestic Blue Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Majestic Blue Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

Moon Doggie My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Moon Doggie Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Moon Doggie Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

More To Adore My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections More To Adore Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections More To Adore Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

Notebook My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Notebook Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Notebook Paper Packet $6.00

Paper Garden My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Paper Garden Level 1 $4.00

Perfect Day My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Perfect Day Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Perfect Day Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

Rough n Tumble My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Rough n Tumble Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

Route 66 My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Route 66 Level 1 $4.00

Sarsaparilla My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Sarsaparilla Level 1 Kit $4.00
My Reflections Sarsaparilla Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

School Zone My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections School Zone Level 1 $4.00

Silhouette My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Silhouette Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Silhouette Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

Simple Pleasure My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Simple Pleasure Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Simple Pleasure Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

Sonata My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Sonata Level 1 $4.00


Stardust My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Stardust Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Stardust Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

Sweet Pea My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Sweet Pea Level 1 $4.00

Sweet Harmony My Stickease $2.00

Sweet Home My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Sweet Home Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Sweet Home Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

That’s Amore My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections That’s Amore Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections That’s Amore Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

Tinkerin My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Tinkerin Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Tinkerin Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

Twitterpated My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Twitterpated Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Twitterpated Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

Unforgettable My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Unforgettable Level 1 $4.00
My Reflections Unforgettable Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00

VintageTravel My Stickease $2.00
My Reflections Vintage Travel Level 1 $4.00

BIG SALE STARTS TOMORROW!!!

$2 Stickease, $4 Level 1 Kits, $6 Level 2 Kits!!! Get them while they last!!!

Stamp of the Month - August - Something Splendid

We are on another blog hop!

August's Stamp is Something Splendid.

If you hopped from Michelle Loncar's blog you are on the right track, otherwise, keep hopping and you will do a full circle.

I used a square Clear Card for the base and I stamped the "sunflowers" (that's what they look like to me) onto the front with Stazon Brown Ink. Then I stamped the same image onto the Sunny Yellow cardstock using Bamboo Ink so it doesn't show up too much, but does make the brown darker. I stamped the leaves onto white cardstock. The leaves are Sweet leaf ink with a little rocking onto the Garden Green Ink pad to get the edges darker. I stamped the vain in Garden Green and went over the white vine (where it didn't line up - the vain was for a different leaf).
Love the Paper Butterfly!

I stamped "Enjoy Life" using our White Ink and put another butterfly in the bottom corner - sorry it's not focusing well. In person, the card is dramatic with the black behind the yellow.
Thanks for looking.
Now hop to Dawn Ross' Blog to see more great artwork with this stamp set!

Another Hands On Class for the Cricut

How about a layout - go buy the Everyday Paper Dolls Cartridge (or borrow one) and sign up for the class - I'll be posting dates on my calendar by the end of this weekend!

Thanks for looking!

Hey, what cartridges do you have that you would like to see a project made with? Let me know.

Cricut Hands On Classes

They've asked and I'm trying to acheive it!

I'll be doing some hands on classes this fall (starting in August) where you will bring your machine to the classroom at Hobby Lobby and create a project from start to finish.

The photo is just a teaser of what one of the 3D projects will be. Right now I have 3 different projects in mind (one's done, one's started, ones still a very good thought.)

Until I find a better place to put my calendar, head over to myCTMH site for locations and dates. (If you get a little red shield, don't worry, it's because the system doesn't like that I put a "." between my first and last name - click the bottom link to go to the site. Corp. is working on that glitch.)

Thanks for looking and any feedback would greatly be appreicated!

Pendant Baby Banner

The O'Leary Baby Shower needed a banner so I started my Design Studio and found my Pendant Flag on the Celebrations Cartridge. The great thing about this is that there is a Shadow feature key that creates the shadow in green around the hot pink flag. First I laid out the pink flags and then using the Plantin Schoolbook Cartridge, I dropped the letters into each flag. The Umbrella and the baby feet are from the New Arrival Cartridge.

The flags are 5 inches high.

See the feet!

So the pink sit on top of the green and the letters are cut out of the pink letting the green show thru. I have to glue the center of letters inside, like the center of the O and A and the R & B, but that was easy!

I tied them together with white ribbon and made large loops on the end to hang.
I started reaching for my Jukebox, when I thought - GYPSY!
I have all the cartridges loaded - why not!!!

I saved the file as a gypsy file and sync'd with the gypsy and there is was!

Here is what the screens look like when you open it up.

I don't know if you can see the tabs on the top of the screen - that's how

many pages I had use to make the banner (around 6 pages)

Here is a close up of the screen. You can see the other pages in the background.

Good thing I did decide to use my Gypsy because my
New Arrival Cartridge is at my friend's house!
I connected it to the Cricut and cut everything super easy.
I even did a few changes right on the screen
and didn't have to go back to Design Studio! I'm loving this!
Leave a comment and tell me what you think!

Festival July 17th

Another Banner! My friend Patti's siblings are having a Festival at their new restaurant and asked me to make another banner! The man in the photo is my production manager - Gary my hubby!
We lay out all the letters to make sure our math was correct and we didn't cut them too big.

You have to cut all the large letters individually, but the bottom letters I was able to do in sections. We then go around and with a pencil and ruler mark where each section or large letter will sit. It's hard to guess when you are hold 2ft of vinyl in the air and eyeing up where to placing.

Here's the finished banner! If you are in the Waukesha area and are hungry on the 17th - stop in - I"ll be there!

July SOTM - Blog Hop!

We are jumping again! Check out all the blogs and see the neat things you can do with this month's stamp set - Happy Forever D1423 - A cute Hedge Hog!

You should be coming from Beth's blog - but if you are starting here, just keep clicking thru and you will do a complete circle.

Ok, so you don't see the cute critter? Well, I'm hiding him. I used our new Clear Cards Z1309 (scalloped Circle Card) and made it look like "Blue Skies". The words are from Over the Rainbow stamp set D1426. The sun is a big cheater (discontinued) August Word Puzzle - had to use it, didn't know it was sooo cute and the smiley face could be removed!!!
I stamped the yellow sun first, then I inked the outline
without the smiley face in Orange ink and rocked it in the Holiday Red ink
to give it 2 colors. I turned the stamp a little and off set the lines.
Here's the inside! The sun was hiding the little guy! That's what I love about these clear cards, you can see thru with somethings and hide other objects
There's a hidden "joke". Hope no-one gets mad at me!

"Life is Good" came from the Treetops Stamp Set C1368.

I used foam squares to make the clouds stand out.

I stamped the little guy in Stazon Ink onto the card,

then onto the Splendor B&T Paper (it's brown flecks on it)

The cloud paper is also from the Splendor Level 2 Kit.

I used cardstock for the balloons and cut them out.

Everything is glued to the front except for the cloud paper,

that's glued onto the back of the card.

Ok, head over to Angela Tutton's blog and keep checking this great card set.

Thanks for looking please leave comments!

I'm Bad - Cleaning up the Mess - Tip

OOPS - I've got a few stamps that I have been forgetting to put away.

Currently, I've been in a cleaning mode, organizing and putting everything away! My counters in my craft office are almost completely cleaned off! If you've seen my office in the past you wouldn't believe that last statement, but it's true!
I have a book that I keep all my stamps in. So that I don't have to search for an image this is what I do. I have them in Microsoft Excel, I can sort by name, number, contents. I also cut out the picture of the stamp and have it behind the list. I have them grouped by color on the package.

Here's a page with the stamp photos on it.

So instead of searching thru the stamps, I look thru the book for the images I want.

These 4 stamps I can't find a home for.

Got any ideas as to which stamp set they belong to?

Email if you do!

Close Up of My Princess

My niece loved to take close ups of Jeanie when she was born.
I stamped her name in sculpting foam (discontinued product)
and the ink stayed on the foam. It looks like Scrabble pieces.

Here's a close up of one of the letters. The foam was light weight.

I took paper flowers and added Bigger Brads in the center.

Thanks for looking!

5 Year Anniversary!

Nope, It's not my wedding anniversary -

but my 5th Year with Close To My Heart!

They sent me a Sterling Silver Charm with the company logo!

I've waited all year for this! Here's to another 5 years!

$8 @ a Rummage Sale

Thursday mornings me and the hubby like to take in a few rummage sales if I'm not working. The hubby came across this and asked me what I thought.
It says Portable Lighting Studio - We asked the lady selling it and she used it to photograph things she was selling on eBay. I've been hating how dark my photos turn out for my blog so I told Gary (hubby) to ask her to take less - It was $10 - we got it for $8!

She said you use your own lights - it had lights in the back!

I don't think she knew what she had. She said she got it as a gift!

When you set it up it looks like this! There are two mini lights and a mini camera tripod. The card I made yesterday is in the box. I set it up on the floor, but I could see this out on a table all the time! Love the little blue screen - look at yesterday's card to see NO SHADOWS from my hands in the picture!

These little lites fold up and fit in the back - and they are bright! Below is a picture of the legs going back into the base of the lite.

The tripod - it folds up flat too. I think it's worth $8 - don't you? We Googled it and found them going for $45 used.