I Love School

Today is the first day of school in our district and I was up at 5:00 AM because I couldn't sleep and because I had to make one of these for my daughter's lunch box. Everday I write her a note for her lunchbox but on special occasions I like to send in a little treat and I believe the first day of school definitely warrants a piece of chocolate. Besides, I want to get these out of the house so that I don't keep eating them.

The pattern for these Peek-a-Boo treats comes from Splitcoaststampers and can be found HERE. I find that I make these often as favors for birthday parties, Easter/Halloween treats and even weddings. They can be fancy or fairly plain like these and are pretty easy to make.

CTMH Products
Cardstock – White Daisy, Hollyhock
Ink – Hollyhock
Stamp Sets – September Word Puzzle, April Word Puzzle

Other
EK Success scallop edge punch
EK Success scallop circle punch
Circle punch
White gel pen
Adhesive backed gems

Boo! A Halloween Sneak Peak

This image is from Merry Monsters, a stamp set that will be available from Close to my Heart beginning September 1 (only a few more days)! My blog friend Leslie has done some really cute projects with this set and since I do a Stamp Camp with children, I knew I had to order this one for a couple of projects coming up in October. I colored my monster with markers (note to self...order copics), added a google eye (technical term) and of course added some bling!

Tomorrow, I send my very own little monster off for another "first" day of school where she becomes someone else's little monster for awhile and I get to miss her terribly. So today we are picking out an outfit which I sincerely hope will match and I am doing her nails (NOT blue).



CTMH Products
Cardstock – Smoky Plum, Black
Stamp Sets – Merry Monsters, Happy Haunting, October Word Puzzle

Other
Nestabilties dies
Orange cardstock
Markers
Ribbon
Ranger Distress Ink – Black Soot
Crystals
Google eye

Early Christmas Card

I swear I am not rushing things, but this card has been in my head ever since I got the new snowflake impressabilities folder from Spellbinder. Unfortunately the picture isn't showing it well but this sometimes happens with embossed backgrounds and my picture taking skills so you will have to trust me when I say this card looks much better in person. I also used a white gel pen to accent the stamped snowflakes and for those of you interested, I am using Inkssentials Opaque White Gel Pen from Ranger which I think is the best.

The other thing that does not show up well is the embossing I did on the snowflake brad. I embossed it with holographic EP to give it some irridescent sparkle which again looks pretty cool in person.

CTMH Products
Cardstock – Colonial White Crystal Blue
Ink – Crystal Blue
Stamp Sets – Feathery Flakes, Christmas Melodies

Other
White Gel Pen
Impressabilities folder
Snowflake brad
Ribbon
Holographic EP

Be Back Soon

Taking a break from blogging on this last Friday before school starts
to take my daughter to the acquarium. This is the view of the
Philadelphia skyline from New Jersey.
--posted via iphone

Back to School

No card today but this is a picture of what we accosted the UPS driver for the other day. As we were heading out on errands, we saw the "Man in Brown" cruising up the street and I stopped him to inquire if he had a package for us to which he replied indeed he did. He asked me if I wanted it now and my daughter shouted from the back seat "Yes" and he promptly handed it through my driver side window and we were off on our merry way. We have been busy ever since filling it will the various necessities for next week's first day.

I have also been busy prepping for the birthday party I did last night which was a smashing success judging by all the comments. The birthday girl, Nina, had the brightest smile on her face which is exactly what makes me love what I do. They were an awesome group of girls and they each brought their own style to the projects we made.

Next week promises artwork featuring September's Stamp of the Month, Treasures. I will once again be participating in a Blog Hop on Septmeber 1 which also coincides with the release of the Fall/Winter Idea Book. Wait until you see the new stamp sets and paper packs! In the meantime, there are still some spots open for Stamp Camp and I will try to get some artwork posted over the weekend if time permits.

What's in a Name?

This is a word book I created for a little girl at the request of her parents. It's part of a birthday party I am doing this afternoon for 10 girls. Each of the girls will fill out a compliment card that will be incorporated into the word book. The birthday girl likes the brown and blue color combo which I have carried throughout and once I have received some pictures, I will complete the layouts and add embellishments but I wanted to have a base to present this afternoon.

I used my Cricut and the Plantain Schoolbook cart to cut the book. The papers are mainly Heidi Grace and various others from AC Moore. Below are a couple of the pages.





If you happen to have need of this specific cut file, email me and I will be happy to send it to you.

Circle Card - Trust Your Heart

Here's a sneak peak at September's CTMH Stamp of the Month, Treasures. This card gives me the perfect opportunity to show you how I make my circle cards using the Cuttlebug. For this card I used the largest scallop circle but you can easily adapt this to any of the nestabilities dies.

I used a 4 1/2" x 8 1/2" piece of cardstock folded in half. Make sure the crease is at the top and is NOT being cut by the die.

You can see the top of the nestabilities die peaking out above the crease of the cardstock. Place the B plate on top and run through your Cuttlebug.


Your card will come out looking like this, with the crease uncut.

Since I do not like to see the crease on my circle cards, I cut an additional scallop circle and adhere it ontop of the base. This is the same method I used for the card in this post.

CTMH Products
Cardstock – Colonial White, Twilight
Ink – Twilight
Stamp Set – Treasures (September 09 SOTM)
White EP

Other
Adhesive gems
Nestabilities dies

Oh Lolli Lollipop (Sarah Inspired)

This card was inspired by the one seen HERE at Sarah's Paper Tray. I really loved her lollipop flower so much I decided to give it a try. Sarah has such beautiful work and you should check out her blog when you get the chance.

If you don't recognize the paper it's because it's not out yet. This is a sneak peak at the new Twitterpated paper from Close to My Heart which will be available September 1. This paper pack uses Sorbet and Chocolate (pictured here) as well as Sweet Leaf and Crystal Blue and is quickly becoming one of my new favorites.

The "button" in the center of the lollipop flower is actually made of cardstock and was made using the Martha Stewart button punch. I then embossed with several coats of UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel) to make it look like a real button.

CTMH Products
Cardstock – Colonial White, Sorbet, Chocolate
B&T – Twitterpated
Ink – Chocolate, Sorbet
Stamp Sets – For Every Occasion, Playful Flourishes
Adhesive Pearls

Other
Fiskars border punch
Martha Stewart Button punch
Ribbon
Nestabilities Dies
Hemp
UTEE

September Flower Arrangements

September Card Class
Thursday 9/24
Fee - $15
1:00 P.M.

This month we will make a set of cards and matching card holder. We will also make a card using accetate and the September Stamp of the Month, Treasure. You will also get a copy of the new Fall/Winter Idea Book and anyone placing an order of $50 will receive the Petite Perks Holiday stamp set FREE! Reservations are required so email me at cibglazer@gmail.com to reserve your spot today.

Stamp Camp Update

The 1:00 p.m. time slot for the September 20 Stamp Camp is completely filled. There are still 4 spots available for the 2:30 p.m. time slot on that date. Email me at cibglazer@gmail.com to reserve your child's spot. As you can see, these go quickly. You can always check availability by clicking the link Stamp Camp link under Flower Arrangements in the sidebar. Children under 6 must be accompanied by an adult.

Featured on Card of the Week

I am so excited! Flower Foot Designs was featured on Susanna Boyd's Card of the Week. The best way to describe it is an awesome resource site sprinkled with Susanna's beautiful artwork and tips. This week she picked several of my posts to be featured for her Best of the Blogosphere. If you get a chance, check out her site. I have a feeling you will end up bookmarking it and going back again and again.

A Black Cat for Halloween

This card was inspired by one I saw on Jennifer McGuire's blog - exactly where, I am not sure but her artwork is definitely worth checking out, as are her classes on Two Peas in a Bucket. I used a leftover negative scrap from a nestabilities die (I never throw anything away) as a mask to create the center, sponged background and then stamped my images.

CTMH Products
CS – Colonial White, Black
Ink – Sunny Yellow, Honey, Orange, Black
Stamp Sets – October Word Puzzle, Playful Flourishes

Other
Prima Flowers
Crystal gems

Looks Like Leather - Tutorial

In yesterday's post, I showed you a "leather" wallet that I created for a friend's birthday. You can see that post HERE. The look of leather is really simple to achieve. All you need is brown cardstock and a dark brown ink. For this project I used Chocolate cardstock from Close to My Heart and Vintage Photo Distress Ink from Ranger. This technique uses water on cardstock which causes the paper to curl and shrink slightly. It is helpful to have a Cuttlebug, Wizard or Sizzix to flatten the paper.

1. Spritz cardstock lightly with water. Do not saturate.
2. Crumple and carefully unfold cardstock. Repeat until desired distressed effect is achieved.


3. If you wish to emboss, now is the time. Using your Cuttlebug or other machine, emboss cardstock. Once embossed, crumple and unfold cardstock.


4. Allow cardstock to dry.

5. Sponge a dark brown ink over your cardstock. Ranger’s Vintage Photo Distress Ink was used here. Black Soot Distress Ink was sponged on some of the edges for further detail.


6. In order to flatten your cardstock, run cardstock through Cuttlebug again between two plates or place under a flat, heavy object (yellow pages anyone?).

7. To achieve the shiny leather look, paint with a light coat of Modge Podge Gloss-Lustre and allow to dry.

8. Use for your project.

A Wallet for Jim

My girlfriend's husband turns the big 40 this year and we all know how hard it is to shop for guys. Soooo....this is what I came up with. A "leather" wallet which will eventually hold a gift certificate to one of his favorite restaurants and a WAWA gift card. His wife is putting together an awesome scrapbook and I feel honored that this little creation will be included.


The wallet uses Close to My Heart's Chocolate and Bamboo cardstock, It's Your Day stamp set and Chocolate ink. I used Vintage Photo and Antique Linen Distress Inks from Ranger and Modge Podge Gloss-Lustre to achieve the leather look. Look for the tutorial on how to make your cardstock look like leather tomorrow. (HERE)

Flower Soft Congrats

My big "Sis" just landed a new job so I sent her this card inspired by the one seen HERE made by one of my newest blogging friends, Leslie. I must be the last person on Earth to make a circle card but now I can cross it off my "To Do" list. I'm not sure why I waited so long since using the nestabilities dies made it a snap. Maria loves bling so I added a little to brighten her day.

CTMH Products
Cardstock – Colonial White, Olive, Blush
Ink – Garden Green, Olive
Stamp Sets – For Every Occasion, Treasures (September SOTM)

Other
Nestabilities Dies
Flower Soft – Heather mix
Adhesive backed gem

Time for a Change

August 11 marks one year for Flower Foot and I thought a change of scenery was in order. I have added the Followers (Flower Buds) feature for those of you who feel the need, or if you haven't already, you can enter your email address and sign up for my weekly Flower Power Newsletter. As always, check my calendar at the bottom of the page for special events, workshops and classes. Many of them don't even require you to be local because I can easily mail the kits to you. You will also see current classes and workshops listed under Flower Arrangements in the sidebar.

Hope you enjoy your stay in the "garden".

September Stamp Camp

Sunday 9/20
Fee - $10.00 (includes all materials)
1:00 p.m. Sold Out!
2:30 p.m. Sold Out!

With the return of school comes the return of Stamp Camp! I am happy to announce that Sunday, September 20 will be the official start of this year's Stamp Camp. There will be two classes, one at 1:00 p.m. and the other at 2:30 p.m. I have a special project planned for the kids to kick off the school year and keep them on track and organized so they won't want to miss this. Email me today to reserve your spot because as you know, these classes fill up quickly! Children under 6 must be accompanied by an adult. You can check back to see the status of the class.

Honorable Mention

This week, I was pleasantly surprised and honored to be mentioned on the blogs of two people whose work I find both beautiful and inspiring. Leslie over at Pandascrapper and Sarah of Sarah's Paper Tray. Please check out their lovely creations. By the way, Leslie is blaming me for getting her started on Flower Soft and since her work is fabulous (example HERE) I will gladly say...."Guilty"!

Thanks for the consistent encouragement ladies!

Butterfly Garden

Sometimes while I am working on a new template design or otherwise occupied in the craftroom, my daughter will come in and design creations using leftover scraps and her own crafting "tools" and supplies. This was such a card and she kindly asked me to post it.

The other day we had used the Cuttlebug to cut out butterflies so she used the leftover negative space as stencils. Using glitter gel pens, she traced and colored the butterflies onto scrap paper, cut them out and used them as embellishments. For the center image, she simply traced and colored the butterflies. She's very creative!

Mother/Daughter Flower Soft Cards

I suppose you could say there has been a Flower Soft (hereafter affectionately referred to as FS) theme happening here this week and I have found out that I am not the only one gaga over this awesome product. Based on the emails I've gotten and bulletin board posts I have seen, this stuff is flying off the shelves.

Yesterday, my daughter and I perfected our FS stem making technique and each made a flower pot card. When I tell you this product is easy to work with, I am not kidding you. We made a "forrest" of stems which is fine because they can be stored and used for later projects. Once they dry, simply put them in a ziploc bag or container. I have already made my Christmas stems and now I am just waiting for my new CTMH stamp sets to arrive so I can play.


The flower pots for the cards are from the Flower Child stamp set and were stamped in Cocoa ink, colored in pencil and cut out.




CTMH Products
Cardstock – White Daisy, Baby Pink, Petal
Ink – Baby Pink, Cocoa
Stamp Set – Flower Child

OtherFlower Soft – heather mix, sweet pea mix
Nestabilities Dies
Impressabilities folder
Stickles
Purple organza ribbon
Chalk inks
Colored pencils

Sponging technique

Happily Ever After

Here is another card using Flower Soft. The pattern for the card is called Three Tiers and comes from the Wishes Card Confidence program which can be found in the CTMH Idea Book. It is a great resource for creative ideas. I sponged Chocolate ink around the edges of the paper and cardstock but basically kept the card simple to showcase the Flower Soft. Can you tell how much I like this product?

CTMH Products
Cardstock – White Daisy, Sorbet
B&T – Perfect Day

Stamp Set - Classmate Alphabet
Ink – Cocoa, Chocolate

Other
Flower Soft – Summer Mix
White organdy ribbon
Nestabilities die

Flower Soft Info and Tutorial

I am getting a lot of inquiries about Flower Soft so I thought I would point you in the right direction to get you started. I recently took a class on how to use the product at the Creating Keepsakes Convention in my area and I recommend that if such a class is offered near you, it is definitely worth the time and small fee for the hands on experience.

The best place to start is on the Flower Soft Website where you can purchase the product and also see samples of how it is used. The Flower Soft glue is Aleen's Tacky Glue which can be purchased at your local craft store so don't waste your money on purchasing from them. By all means, use a coupon and save on shipping. The glue needs to dry clear and fairly quickly. Someone had mentioned using Liquid Glass and while I have not tried it, I am not sure that it will work in this instance because when it dries, it is shiny.

Below is a video tutorial by Suzanne Deane which you may find helpful. Bo kindly pointed this video out to me on the CWC site.



I hope you will all give it a try. It adds so much dimension to cards and layouts and the uses are endless. My daughter and I are really enjoying working with this product. Now if only I could get them to pay me for using it.

Card Examples:


Happy Birthday


Happily Ever After


Mojo Monday - Sketch 98

Flower Soft - A New Dimension

I had an awesome time at the Creating Keepsake Convention this weekend. One of the new products I was able to work with is Flower Soft and if you read my July 31 post, you know I won a conatiner of the new Polar White. I shared some of it with a truly wonderful person I met in class, Judy (we went on to attend several other classes toegther). Judy and I were successful in hunting down Gracie, our instructor and the Flower Soft vendor, and purchasing several more containers of this wonderful product as evidenced by the card you see before you.

The image stamped underneath the Flower Soft is from CTMH's Intrinsic Backgrounds stamp set and was stamped in Garden Green ink.
You can see how much dimension Flower Soft adds to a card and the impact is really very impressive in person but hard to photograph. I used a Spellbinder's impressabilities folder to emboss the Sunkiss Yellow cardstock but chose to use the debossed side. The butterfly is also a nestabilities die.

I also want to say hi to another lovely person I met at the Convention named Carol. We ended up in two classes together and had a lot of fun learning some new techniques. I feel very lucky to have met two wonderful ladies who made a great time even better!

CTMH Products
Cardstock – White Daisy, Sunkiss Yellow, Olive
Ink – Sunkiss Yellow, Cocoa, Garden Green
Stamp Sets – Intrinsic Backgrounds, For Every Occasion

Other
Flower Soft – Spring Mix
Nestabilities Dies
Impressabilities
Ribbon
Adhesive back pearls
Chalk inks

Sketch 98 - Mojo Monday

Here's my entry for this week's Mojo Monday sketch which also happens to be a contest. Check it out HERE.

I used a Tim Holtz stamp for my main image stamped in CTMH Garden Green and then dotted it with Flower Soft, a new acquisition from my stint at the CK Convention this past weekend (more on that tomorrow). The butterfly is a Martha Stewart punch. Below is a close-up picture so you can see the dimension that Flower Soft adds to the image.



CTMH Products
Cardstock – Crème Brulee, Colonial White, Sorbet
Ink – Garden Green
Key to My Heart paper pack

Other
Martha Stewart butterfly punch
Martha Stewart Ribbon
Tim Holtz Visual Artistry stamp set
Adhesive backed pearls
Flower Soft Spring Mix
Nestabilities dies

It's Your Day - August Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to the It’s Your Day Blog Hop! This month we have 65 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using August’s Stamp of the Month and other great CTMH products on their blogs. Hopping is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! If you have come here from Chris Shouse’s Blog you are on the right path! If this is your first stop, you may want to go back to Jena Devries's Blog and start from the beginning!


I used this month’s stamp set to create my daughter’s birthday card. I wanted to make it fun and interactive so I used fun flock and adhesive pearls to decorate the cake layers and paper pieced them on the cake stand. On the inside, I used fishing wire to hang the balloons and made presents from scraps of cardstock and B&T. I used Perfect Pearls to add shimmer to the candle flames and I also added it to the cake stand and the flowers on the inside of the card. I sponged Hollyhock ink onto the “bow” of one of the gifts which is actually petals cut from store bought paper flowers. My daughter loved the card and I have to say, it was a lot of fun to make.



CTMH Product
Cardstock – Smoky Plum, Crème Brulee, Hollyhock, Colonial White
B&T – Bella
Ink – Smoky Plum, Crème Brulee, Hollyhock
Stamp Sets – It’s Your Day, Good Times
Corner rounder

Other
Fishing Wire
Purple and yellow fun flock
Adhesive backed pearls
Perfect Pearls
EK Success scallop border punch
Purple hemp
Ribbon

****************************************************
Now hop on over to Debra Van Patten’s Blog to see her work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to see some great crafting and other fun ideas! Remember, the It’s Your Day stamp set is only available until August 31st! Contact your CTMH Consultant to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount or even free!