Thankful for Family - Shabby Tea Room Challenge

The challenge this week at The Shabby Tea Room was to create a project or a card using no squares or rectangles. This Thanksgiving Holiday I was able to find some time to try my hand at something new. 

I made my first wreath! My Mother-in-Law's birthday was this week and she is down visiting us today so while I was out shopping I found this beauty on sale for half off at Hobby Lobby.  I had seen a picture of a similar wreath done by another consultant at the CTMH Convention this year. I am not sure her name, but she did the poster titled Boutique Chic on the art wall. If anyone knows her, I would love her name to give her proper credit. 

Now I forgot to take pictures of the before supplies, but this wreath was just a plain grape vine wreath at first.

Supplies:

1 plain grape vine wreath (Hobby Lobby)

1 sprig of artificial flowers (Hobby Lobby)

4 sheets of CTMH colored cardstock ( I used crystal blue, colonial white, sweet leaf, and blush)

2 strings of CTMH Natural Hemp

1 Sheet of CTMH plain chipboard

Glue Dots Adhesive

Tacky Tape

Liquid Glass Adhesive

Maybe even a hot glue gun or super glue

Paper cutter/scorer

scissors

I also used my Cricut Expression to make the letters with Opposites Attract Cartridge

and Sure Cuts A Lot to make the pennants

To make your own just follow these directions:

Cut branches off your sprig of flowers and weave them into your wreath using the grape vine twigs to hold them in place. Cut 2 stings of hemp and cut your pennant shapes. Mine are cut at 4.5" long. Score top part of the triangle (thickest end) about an inch down and fold over to the back.  This will allow the pennant to sit on the banner. Use your scissors to cut off the excess that is showing and use the glue dots to adhere the pennant to the hemp and repeat until all your pennants are hung. Attach your banner to the wreath how you wish. Then cut your title, I used chipboard for mine and this is the hardest part, attaching your title. Try the adhesive that works for you, I am probably going to get a hot glue gun to better secure my letters. I used tacky tape and liquid glass, but the liquid glass does not dry fast enough and the tape seems a little loose. So I recommend hot glue or super glue for quick, strong bonds. This took me about an hour to complete, but that was with constant breaks to take care of my two babies and even held one while working at one point.

I would love to hear from you...what do you think? It was my first try after all.

Blog Candy Winner!

According to Random.org the candy winner is Debbi!  Congrats Debbi...e-mail me at cjmilburn06@hotmail.com to tell me your address.  Thanks for playing at Courtney's Creations!

Friday's Feast Blog Candy Giveaway!!!

Blog Candy Giveaway just got Sweeter!!!

I am giving away some blog candy as a way of saying Thanks to those who help get the word out about my Black Friday Sale.

I have scoured my stash and I have come up with the following items to add to this blog candy.

3- Hand made Thank You Cards with a blank inside.

1- CTMH Twilight Exclusive Ink Pad NIP

1- Fall Flouish Clear Mini Stamps Pack

1 - CTMH Spring 2010 Idea Book

1 - CTMH Autumn/Winter 2009 Idea Book

4 - 12"x12" Pre-Printed Layout Pages from the CTMH Unforgettable Level 1 Kit

2 - 12"x12" two sided We R Memory Keepers Comstock Collection Cotton Candy Papers

3 - 12"x12" Karen Foster Design Photo Pedigree Chart Papers

4 - 12"x12" Karen Foster Design Life Story Papers

1 - Vintage Lace Theme 12"x12" Paper

1 -DCWV 12"x12" Ancient Scroll Paper

1- 12"x12" Ireland collage Print Paper

3 - 12"x12" School Themed Papers

1 - Bag full of Chipboard saysing for Children and Family

1 - NIP SEI Sparklers Dimensional Glass Beaded Stickers

1 - Zoophabet Borders Stickers NIP

1 - bag of paper photo frams

1- NIP EK Success vellum stickers baby theme

1- Quick Quotes mini book kit NIP

1 - CTMH My Originals Card Kit Rex and Friends NIP

Below are some close ups of this huge lot of goodies!

All you have to do is the following 3 steps:

1.Become a follower and grab my Black Friday Button on my sidebar and post it on your blog.

2. Write a post advertising my Close to my Heart Independent Consultant Black Friday Sale and the Blog Candy giveaway. Feel free to use this picture of the candy in your post.

3. Link your post up below using my Mr. Linky link-up directing me to your post.

This Blog Candy Giveaway is good until 10pm November 26, 2010 at which time I will pull a random winner.

Don't have a blog, but still want a chance to win?

If you do not have a blog, then leave a comment directing me to your facebook post or include me, cjmilburn06@hotmail.com, in your e-mail to your friends advertising the sale. Ready...Set.....GO!!!!

Black Friday Sale!!!! One day only!!!!

It's the BIG Day After Thanksgiving Special!!!


Friday, November 26, email me or comment here between 3pm and 10pm and take advantage of these specials! Get up early and hit the mall. When you have shopped till you drop, take a break from the crowds, grab your idea book (or go to this link for the online idea book) and shoot me a message, or send me your order via e-mail @ cjmilburn06@hotmail.com *

For every order over $40 get a SECIAL BONUS GIFT FREE!!! I will sweeten the deal even more! For every $40 you spend you get another FREE GIFT!!! Your order can also qualify for the Stamp of the Month Special. If you spend $25, you can get the Nov Stamp of the month for $17.21, spend $50 and get it for just $11.48, spend $75 and get it for just $5.74 and spend $100 and get it for FREE! And don't forget that during November we’re expressing our gratitude to you our customers. When you place a minimum order of $100 US / $117.50 CAN, you will not only receive the November Stamp of the Month set, A Little Thanks, for FREE, you will also receive ONE STAMP SET OF YOUR CHOOSING from the 2010 Autumn/Winter Idea Book for FREE! It’s just our way of imparting A Little MORE Thanks to you this November.                                 

Nov. Stamp of the Month

Place your Chistmas Orders between now and December 1st and I will giftwrap them for free and send them to the address of your choice. This deadline is to ensure delivery by Christmas Day.

OK here is how this BLACK FRIDAY SALE will work. When you place an order with me of $40 or more between 3pm and 10pm Friday November 26, 2010 you will recieve 1 FREE BONUS GIFT OF YOUR CHOOSING from the following list from the Autumn/Winter 2010 Idea Book:

• 1 pkg. Waxy Flax (Bamboo, Black, Chocolate, Colonial White, Cranberry, Crystal Blue, Juniper, or Sorbet)
• 1 pkg. Hemp (Black, Natural, or White)
• 1 pkg. Opaques Adhesive Gems (Licorice, Mocha, or Pearl)
• 1 pkg. Sparkles (Blue and Green Assortment, Red, Pink, and Purple Assortment, Clear Assortment or Bitty Assortment)
• 1 pkg. Twinkle Brads Jolly Assortment
• 1 pkg. Colonial White Designer Brads
• 1 pkg. Pewter Designer Brads
• 1 pkg. Pretty Pins
• 1 pkg. Flexi Labels
• 1 pkg. Badge Buttons
• 1 pkg. Fancy Fuzz Borders
• 1 pkg. Fancy Cuts Die Cuts
• 1 pkg. Foundry Tabs
• 1 pkg Epoxy Clips
• 1 pkg. Filigree Charms
• 1 pkg. Tiny Tabs
• 1 pkg. Soft Set Eyelets
• 1 My Creations Memory Showcase Accordian Style Albumn
• 1 pkg. A-door-ables
• 1 3"x3" Mini Albumn
• 1 pkg. Dimensional Elements ( Fresh Shapes, Perennials, Simple Numbers, Stars, Plain make your own Chipboard, Hearts, or Monograms)
• 1 pkg Dimensional Elements in Color (Organic or Adventure)
• 1 pkg. Miracle Irresistibles
• 1 pkg. Color Ready Alphabets
• 1 pkg 6"x6" White Daisy Cardstock
• 1 jar of Embossing Powder
• 1 Embossing Pen
• 1 Rub and Remove Eraser
• 1 Dry Embossing Stylus
• 1 Sanding Kit
• 1 Edge Distressor and Sponge
• 1 pkg. Distressing Inks
• 2 Sponges
• 1 pkg. Sponge Daubers
• 1 container of Liquid Applique
• 1 Red Eye Pen
• 1 Blending Pen
• 1 Container of Create a Shade Pearl Paint
• 1 Pkg. Craft Jars
• 1 Marker (Color of your Choice)

Please tell me in your e-mail your order, how you are paying (Cash, Check, Credit, or Paypal) and which item from this list you wish to be your FREE GIFT and which color or design you want if applicable! Also let me know if it is a present for someone else you want gift wrapped for FREE and shipped to the address of your choice. HAPPY SHOPPING!

* note* This offer is only good with Courtney - Close to my Heart Independent Consultant at cjmilburn06@hotmail.com.

Shutterfly may be my new favorite company to print with!

I used to print my photos with a competitors site, but I may switch now after hearing such great things about Shutterfly. Just  check out a few of my favorite designs for this years Christmas Cards.

More Than Merry American Lung Association Holiday 5x7 folded card

I like this one to show off a family photo and one of the girls alone

Counting The Days Christmas 5x7 folded card

This one is really cute and childish which will fit nicely with my girls baby pictures I want to exhibit

All Of Us Christmas 5x7 folded card

I like how this card has room for a full length and head shot of each of my girls and I love the colors.

What A Year Christmas Card

This next two are probably my favorite because of how much they can be personalized and their fun color schemes. I love this one for the Christmas letter with photos incorporated idea.

Top Ten Moments Christmas Card

And I love this one for the same idea, but a little more concise with some very bright, fun colors. This has been a year I could sum up with 10 points.

Now to go play on Shutterfly and create some CUTE cards!

A little Thanks H2H Challenge entry.

Heart 2 Heart Challenges is doing another 4 for 40 challenge.  The goal this week is to create your best thank you cards in honor of Thanksgiving. Here is the card I created:

I hand stamped the dots just by eyeballing where they should go, I used a fiskars embossing template and a stylus to emboss the Twlight cardstock, and used the generation stamping technique to create a shadow look behind my thank you sentiment. I also used Diamond Stickles on my flourish. I can't remember which stamp sets I used off the top of my head.  I will have to look and edit this later. Thanks for looking!

This card is one of a set that actually match this card box

All created with CTMH products (except the ribbon and embossing plate) using the colors Cocao, Colonial White, and Twilight.

For the purse/cardbox I used Accent Essentials Cartridge.

H2H Challenge - Make it Girly

I am so excited about this challenge since I am the proud Momma of two baby girls. When I thought of something girly this layout came to mind.

I used the following supplies:

All CTMH except the flowers and I used the Cricut for the letter cut outs but on CTMH paper

Topstitch Paper

Chocolate Ink

Blush Ink

Chocolate Ribbon Rounds

The pink flower image was from a CTMH stamp set, but I don't remember which one.

Natural Hemp

Chocolate Brads

This was the layout I made of my first Mother's Day as a Mom myself. I hand stamped my own background on the Colonial White Cardstock, and used my Cricut Opposites Attract cartridge to cut the title.  I used Chocolate Ink to distress the page and edges as well. I was not overly impressed with my photography, but decided it was important to document the event anyway and I ended up loving the final result.

My daughter is dressed in what was my take home outfit and her booties were made by my Grandmother for me when I was a baby. My Grandma passed away from cancer when I was in 4th grade so they are something special I have of hers.

What do you think...is it girly enough?

Scrappy Saturdays

Maryanne at Scrappy Gifts is hosting an online crop! Go take a look and leave a comment telling her I sent you.  Then tell one of your friends and have them do the same! Check out all the great inspiration for all us ladies who are too busy to attend a regular crop.

My favorite CTMH Product Right Now

My Favorite Close to my Heart prodcuts would have to be the paper...both the cardstock and background and texture (B&T) papers.  I just LOVE how all the colors are coordinated for me.  It takes the guessing and matching paper part out of the equation.

Just look how well the papers coordinate with each other and how perfectly they match the inks I used on my background stamping.

Just look at how the white core of the cardstock shows through with some sanding.

Play Date Cafe Color Challenge

This is my submission for this week's Play Date Cafe Color Challenge. For this layout I used the Twitterpated papers from CTMH and the stamp set from the Twitterpated Workshop on the GO and the Felicity Constant Campaign Paper Pack.  The colors are Sorbet, Chocolate, Sweet leaf, and Colonial White. I used the Reflections How-to Book from CTMH for the layout patterns.

You can't see it here very well, but I made my own shimmer mist and sprayed the family title.

I hand-stamped my own background on the colonial white paper.

Added some ribbon

Another look at my hand-stamped background.

Close up of the second page.

I distressed the edges of the sweet leaf paper with chocolate ink using a sponge. I also hole punched the chocolate cardstock and layered sorbet cardstock behind it to create my own background and some texture.

I stamped this tree using the treetops stamp from CTMH and cut it out to make a die-cut shape for my journal. Leave your comments here and tell me what you think.

Mommy and Me artwork

This is the first paper craft project my little girl (age 18 months) and I have done together. I punched out some different size squares from my paper scraps and we worked on saying square and understanding the square shape and learned to glue things with a glue stick...she was the glue stick queen.  She would get very upset if I took it from her and she wanted to do it herself.  Then she learned how to stick something to paper.  That part was tricky as she just wanted to keep gluing and she wanted to pull off the already glued pieces, but eventually we ended up with this lovely piece of artwork that is now hanging on our fridge in true proud Mommy fashion.  I have to teach her young so she will become my scrapping buddy someday.

Without further adieu....here is the beautiful picture.

New signature line attempt

Paper Issues Scalloped Challenge Entry 5

This is my 5th entry into the Paper Issues Peer Pressure Challenge. To make my scallopes on this page I broke out my ancient fiskars scissors.

Paper Issues Scalloped Challenge Entry 4

Sorry for the bad picture.  This is my 4th entry into the Paper Issues Peer Pressure Challenge. For this layout I used Close to my Heart Miracle Constant Campaign kit, Amore Alphabet and Numbers stamps, and Posterboard Alphabet Stamp. This layout was about when my oldest daughter caught the swine flu at 5 months old last year.

Paper Issues Scalloped Challenge Entry 3

This is my Paper Issues 3rd entry for the Peer Pressure Challenge.  I created this purse/gift box/card holder using Close to my Heart Twilight, Cocoa, and Colonial White Cardstock and the Annotations Stamp set. I also used my fiskars embossing plates and my Cricut Expression with the Home Accents Cartridge.

Paper Issues Scalloped Challenge Entry 2

This is my second entry to the Paper Issues Peer Pressure Challenge. I got this layout idea from the Scrapbooks Etc magazine.

Paper Issues Scalloped Challenge Entry 1

This is my 1st entry for the Paper Issues peer pressue challenge. I used Grace Paper from Close to my Heart and the CTMH Posterboard Alpha and Basic buttons.