Ariana Scrapbooking

I just love this gorgeous paper!  I am in a family with all boys and even though I might not be able to use it with most of my pictures of them digging in the dirt or wrestling on the floor, I do manage to get some floral action in there somewhere.  And I couldn't pass up the paper :)

For one of our March workshops we are going to use this paper, along with the pink glitter paper, to make a 2-page layout and card.  You'll love the look!  The cost is $8 or FREE if you order $25 in product.  It will be held Tuesday March 18th at either 10am or 6:30pm (you pick!).  Please RSVP by March 8th.

St. Patty's Day Workshop

Another Workshop!

We will make a card and 3 shamrock treats for $5.  Or get this workshop for FREE when you order $25 in product in the month of March.  It will be held, Friday March 14th   RSVP by March 8th.

OPEN HOUSE TIME!!

The new catalog is here!!!

There is so much great new product to fall in love with!  We now carry PINK glitter paper, BLUE AND PURPLE glitter trim, EMBOSSING FOLDERS, and a wonderful new product called PICTURE MY LIFE where you slide pictures and pre-printed cards into a protective sleeve for the fastest scrapbooking this side of the Mississippi!  There are also great new paper packs with beautiful florals, masculine colors, and balloons!  The stamp of the months are WAY to cute to pass up so be sure to snag yours before the time is up to purchase them!

A new catalog means an OPEN HOUSE!  Right here at mi casa, Saturday February 8th from 10am- 1pm

 You'll get to make this card FREE using NEW product!

OPEN HOUSE INFO:

Come get the new catalog, sneak a peak at some of the new items, make a fun Easter card (shown above), and browse my clearance items (including Cricut cartridges)!

Bring a friend and receive 20% off your total clearance purchase!

Also, buy 2 packs of cardstock and receive an embossing folder FREE!

If the total for the Open House reaches $150 I will draw for who gets to be hostess to get FREE product!

And, for every $25 you order you get to pick a workshop to do for FREE!

My team is trying to earn enough money to have corporate come do a team meeting HERE- so please help me reach my goal in sales ($600 for February) !  Every bit helps!  If I reach my goal I will do a thank you workshop for all who ordered for FREE (2 page layout AND cards)!

Autumn Leaf Card

One more fall card before Thanksgiving: 

Supplies Used:
Quick Cards- Bountiful Season stamp set
Huntington Paper pack
Bronze Shimmer Trim
Jute Ribbon
Chocolate Striped Ribbon
Artbooking Cricut Cartridge
Cashmere ink
Sunset ink
Barn Red ink
Sponge daubers

Cut strips of paper and glue to your 5x7 card base.  Cut various ribbons and glue to card.  On 3 1/2 " circle stamp leaf image: first stamp in Cashmere ink, then use sponge dauber to add Sunset ink and Barn Red ink onto the leaf design, stamp image onto the circle.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving! 

Christmas Card

Yes I know it is still October.  But I saw a sign in a store that said, "11 more Saturdays until Christmas".  Yikes!  Bring on the stress, am I right? 

Hobby Lobby has had their Christmas stuff up since late June, which is disgusting, but they had this beautiful display of Santa and wreaths with peacock feathers.  If I were a fancy person I would totally decorate with peacock Christmas wreaths and such, but I am not.  Instead I will decorate with all my mish-mosh Christmas stuff I've accumulated over the years which includes my nativity with the beheaded Joseph (you can't have nice things with kids).  Anyways, I wanted to make a peacock card and this is what I came up with.  It turned out a little too country but maybe if I can get some feathers I can make a more peacocky one later.

Supplies Used:
Frosted paper
Sarita paper
Merry and Bright stamp set (my all-time FAVORITE Christmas stamp set)
Hemp bakers twine
Chevron outdoor denim ribbon
liquid glass
Twilight markers
tan marker
New England Ivy markers
Outdoor denim ink pad
Saddle ink pad
Cashmere ink pad
Embossing folder and machine
Crocheted flower from Boheme collection- but you could use THIS

Happy Merry Christmas!

Boo! Card

 

Happy Haunting!  This card is pieced together using the Cricut cartridges Artiste and Artbooking.  There weren't any cutesy ghosts so I made up my own.  Look later to see this card in one of my workshops!  The card is 5x7 and here is what I used:

Artbooking Cartridge

Artiste Cartridge

Sarita paper

Buttercup cardstock

Goldrush cardstock

Black cardstock

White cardstock

Slate cardstock

Blush ink pad

Olive marker

Autumn Terracotta marker

brown marker

K- so you kinda need the instructions for this bad boy.

All were cut with real dial size on

Ghost- flower p. 74 (artiste) 4"

Pumpkin- overlay p. 73 (artbooking) 2 3/4", pumpkin 4"

Night background- owl p. 76 (artiste) 5"

Moon, eyes, & nose- circle p. 48 (artiste) 2", 1/2", 1/4"

Boo- boo p.71 (artbooking) 3/4"

Welcome Baby Card

My youngest is 3.  Everyone keeps asking me when I'm going to have another one.  Yup.  Gulp.  I just tell them I'm good right now.  Who needs a baby when all the people around you are having them?  And staying up late with them, changing them, nursing all day- yup I'm good with 3 kids right now.  Now don't get me wrong- I love kids.  Just not any more right now.

The best part about someone else having a baby (besides not having to be that lady) is making a beautiful card for them to enjoy along with their precious new gift.

This card was made with some of my new favorites from CTMH: The hexagons irresistibles and the stamp set "Wild Wonders".  If you've never used an "irresistible" before you have got to try it!  It is way fun.  All you do is ink a sponge and swipe across the chipboard shape and wah-la! you have a pretty patterned hexagon.  Cool eh?

Supplies Used:
Wild Wonders stamp set
B is for Baby stamp set
Hexagon Irresistibles
Slate polka dotted washi tape
Kraft cardstock
white cardstock
Creme brule ink pad
pear ink pad
twilight ink pad
blush ink pad
slate ink pad
white bakers twine

Cornucopia Card

If you've been following my blog, you know I've mentioned how lame I am at blending markers.  But I have absolutely fallen in love with using them!  They may not be nicely blended, but it is a lot of fun "coloring in the lines"!  I've told people before that cutting paper is my release and now I can add using markers to my list of relaxation ;)

This is a unique card because I made my own washi tape using the Huntington paper.  It is so easy you will love it!  There are probably a thousand tutorials online so feel free to start searching.  How I will explain it: you cut strips of paper the same width as some tape (just regular ol' scotch tape).  Put the tape on the paper.  Then using your finger and a bowl of water wet the paper and slightly rub until the back of the paper and the white core comes off (Close To My Heart paper is very good paper and really thick).  Just don't rub the front of the paper attached to the tape off!  Let it dry and you have your very own custom made washi tape!

Supplies Used:
Count Your Blessings stamp set
Kraft cardstock
Huntington paper
gypsy markers
autumn terracota markers
ruby markers
olive markers
honey markers
colonial white cardstock
durables square studs
cashmere ink pad

This stamp set is gorgeous for fall artwork!  And like I said above me likey the coloring with markers. So get your stamp set and inks ready for a cornucopia of fun!  (you know you liked my cheesy quip)

Friend Card

I love last minute cards.  Ones you create in  minutes using just what you have on hand.  They make me feel extra creative!

That's what this card is... something I created with leftovers for my friend's birthday.  I had the squares cut out leftover from a workshop and the wooden flower was the last wooden shape I had from a package.  Same with the pearl swirls and the fabric button.  The hearts were also leftovers from a workshop.

Here's what I used: (the card is 4 1/4 x 5 1/2)

Chantilly paper
Chantilly fabric buttons
Wooden embellishments pack
Pearl flourishes
Card pack
Cricut Art Philosophy
liquid glass

The squares are cut 1x1 and it's the same paper just one side has green the other has pretty flowers.  The hearts are 3/4" I think cut with Art Philosophy.  I love the Art Philosophy cartridge for quick cutting of shapes.  The shapes are listed on the keypad so all you have to do is load, pick, and cut.  No searching through handbooks :)

Baby Carriage Card

September must be a great month!  There are quite a few babies being born and I just had to take the chance to make a baby card with the adorable Babycakes paper.

Supplies used:
Babycakes paper
2" scallop punch (or just cut a 2" circle)
5x7 spin cards
B is for Baby stamp set
Slate accessories
Coca ink pad
Slate marker
autumn terracota marker
honey marker

The dotted paper is cut 5x7, alphabet paper is I think 5" and to cut the square out I just traced the square onto the paper on the other side and cut with an exacto knife.  I went to post this and didn't even realize the scallop circle punch is no longer available!  I use that punch a lot because then I don't have to drag my Cricut out all the time.  Sorry!  The baby strip is the border of the paper.  This was so super easy to make!  

The carriage stamp is only the top half so it would fit in the circle.  I colored it in with markers and then glue dotted the buttons on for wheels.  For the square in the inside I just used the part I cut out of the paper for the card for a template.

Bring on the babies!   I got more supplies :)

Happy Autumn Card

Happy Autumn!  Well, it's not here yet, but I still love everything pumpkin!  This card will be in a workshop coming up so stay tuned!  This card is 5x7.  Here is what I used to make this card:

Cricut Artbooking
Happy Autumn stamp set
Sweet Leaf cardstock
Colonial white cardstock
Desert Sand cardstock
Desert Sand ink pad
Olive markers
Honey makers
Autumn Terracotta markers
Ruby markers
Blending pen
Prisma glitter
Wood embellishments
Jute ribbon
liquid glass

I have not mastered the blending marker technique but I have to say it still turned out pretty good!  It was so much fun using the new Artbooking cartridge!  I don't know if you can see the glitter or not, but it's behind the overlay.  I use the "lazy scrapbooker" technique where you run your tape runner down in a few stripes and then pour the glitter over your tape.  It works really well and you don't have to wait for glue to dry ;)

So I realize I didn't originally give details about how to cut this- I cut the overlay with Artbooking at about 5 inches.  The pumpkin was harder because when you cut it at real dial size the overlay won't fit.  If you know Cricut craft room I suggest you use it ;)  I cut the background at 2 3/4" and the overlay pumpkin at 2".  And I cut 2 backgrounds- one in Sunset cardstock and one in colonial white so I could color it with markers.  It doesn't fit exactly but it doesn't really matter because only a little part shows through. (This is where CCR would be beneficial).  The leaves are also cut in colonial white so I could color it in with markers.

Hope you can bring in Autumn in just a fun way as I did!

Flower Thanks Card

Supplies needed:
Laughing Lola paper
black shimmer trim
colonial white card base 
colonial white cardstock
Happy Autumn stamp set
Perfect fit- Thanksgiving stamp set
Geometric Background stamp set
Black bakers twine
Lagoon ink pad
Outdoor Denim ink pad
sponge daubers
Wishes Card Making book
Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge

I love the new autumn stamp sets!  And I love to try and use things a little differently.

This is pretty easy to make but here are some tips:
For the multi-colored flower I stamped the image in the lagoon then used the sponge daubers to "dab" some of the outdoor denim ink around on the stamp.  Then I stamped the image on a 3" circle cut with the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge.  I love the sponge daubers!  Not only do they keep the ink from getting all over your fingers, they can be used to distress, make mutli-colored images on your stampes, and blend colors on your already stamped images.

The "thank you" is from the Thanksgiving stamp set, but you could really just use any saying stamp you want.
 
This card design was taken from "Wishes".

Happy crafting!

Open House!

 

The new catalogs are in!!  There are some great new items in the catalog!  We now have make your own jewlery, more glitter paper and trim, Crush books, frame decor, new paper packs, and a new Cricut cartridge perfect for scrapbooking, plus more! 

To celebrate all this new goodness I'll be having an open house Tuesday, July 30th at 6:30-9pm.  Come make a FREE project, scope the new catalog, see some of the new product first hand and see the fun projects I made at convention using the new product! 

 

FREE project!

Plus, I will have a special thank you gift for everyone who attends!  I'll have my clearance supplies you can buy (with added new items)- anyone who brings someone new will get 20% off their total clearance purchase (for both of you!). 

Every order of $40 will get you in a drawing to earn $25 in select product of your choosing PLUS every order will get you in a drawing to win FREE NEW PRODUCT!!!

 

The special for the month is spend $50 in new catalog product you get the D-sized stamp of month FREE!  That is a $17.95 value!  It is chocolate themed and an oh-so-sweet deal!

 

Even if you can't make it that night you can still participate in the drawings by contacting me for your order, or by ordering online (after Aug 1 online: melissamay.ctmh.com).  If you can't make it and want to browse my clearance items let me know and you can stop by another time. 

There are some great new hostess rewards items- and if you sign up to host a party I will give you 2 special gifts. Let me know if you are interested in taking advantage of this!

Don't miss out! 

Sunshine Card

During this blah winter I needed a little sunshine so I made this card:

And here's what I used:
Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge
Cricut Artiste Cartridge
Blue button
Surf's Up workshop on the go kit stamp set
Creme brulee bakers twine
Surf's Up blue paper
slate washi tape
creme brulee cardstock
hollyhock cardstock
creme brulee stamp pad
pins
pop tape
liquid glass
scallop punch

For the heart pins I cut 3/4" hearts from the cricut and glued them to straight pins.  I think the sunburst was cut at 3"then I stamped one of the images with creme brulee ink all over.  The "fun shine" stamp is part of the Surf's Up kit and was stamped in creme brulee.

Now I just need to look and my card and pretend that I am not in a blizzardy wasteland, but instead on the nice warm beaches of the tropic.... ahhhhh.  If only it actually worked!  But at least I can now send a little sunshine to someone- check your mailbox it could be you ;)

Open House Projects!

Project time!  At my open house here are two options for a craft you can make for FREE!

So pick one of these and if you'd like to do the other you can pay $1.  I'll also have other FREE projects for you to make on a "until supplies last" basis.

Don't forget there will be clearance items: used stamps $2, all paper 25cents, and much more!  If you bring a friend then you both get 20% off your TOTAL clearance purchase.

Also, for every $30 ordered from the new catalog you will get entered into a drawing for a prize worth more than $30- (There must be at least 3 people with orders of $30 or more for the drawing) the retired Magic book from Jeanette Lynton which gives tons of great instructions for scrapbook pages! (This book is selling for over $60 on amazon!!)

If you sign up to host a party there will be a special gift too!

Whew!  Tons of prizes, tons of good deals, and tons of crafting!  Come on over to my house 9am- 12pm for a morning of fun!