What are you working on?

I get asked all the time what projects I am working on and though I would love to answer with the latest layout I can show off, I am a mom to start with and am usually working on something a little less luxurious then fun layouts but rather homeschool papers and tests.  However, last week I was given the opportunity work on something fun - the invitation for my daughter's birthday party.  She loves to cook so we decided on a Cupcake Wars themed party. No, not a war where you throw cupcakes at one another (which my youngest son with earnestly hoping for :)) but a bake off to see which team could create the tastiest and best looking cupcakes.

So anyway, here are the invitations...

Aren't they cute!?!  I love how they turned out!  I used Close to My Heart's Artiste Cricut cartridge to cut out the cards and pieces and fancied them up with  lots of  Gems, Sparkles, a little rick rack, and my favorite but retired - Liquid Applique.  This stuff is awesome. You squeeze it out and it looks like paint but when you heat it up it puffs up.  It gave it a great icing feel.

Once I got those invitations knocked out, I was off to work on my son's high school tutorial's formal invitation.  I had this great idea and in my head it would be so easy.... in my head.  Let's just say these were not the easiest invitations to make but they didn't look that difficult in the end either - trust me - it was all in the process!

The theme this year was Once Upon a Time as many of the seniors love and visit Disney as often as they can.  It's hard to tell it in the picture but the wording was done in silver foil and the castle was heat set in blue foil.  It's this new technique I learned about where the Deco Foil will adhere to anything printed in toner once put it through a laminator.  Though this is technically the truth, it helps if your font is larger then what mine was. After having the invitations specially printed and then foiling at home, the foil didn't adhere perfectly each time so I had to redo these a few times (ok a lot).  Once I finally got the foil to stick, I stamped the fireworks using the retired stamp set "It's a Party"  and heat embossed them in silver embossing powder.    I love that I can use my older stamps and supplies any time.  

What have you been working on?  Anything fun?  I'd love to see!  Anything with our amazing Cricut cartridges?  Don't have the one you want yet - just wait there is a great deal coming in April that might just help you get one.  Keep posted....

Stampaganza is going on now!

Right now and only through the end of the month, Close to My Heart is doing their famous Stampaganza special!  Buy any two stamp sets at regular price and get the third stamp set of equal or lesser value absolutely FREE!!!!  Now is the time to stock up on those stamp sets that you have been eyeing and just waiting for the right time to buy them.  Now is that time!  To make the special even better, the Home Office just released this super cute stamp set

There is even a cute workshop guide for this stamp set, purchase this stamp and I will send you the workshop guide for FREE.  This stamp set is only available during March so get yours before it is gone.

Georgie Workshop coming soon!

It's time to sign up for my newest workshop event - Georgie!  Georgie is such a cute paper pack with an initial theme of baby but when you look closely you see that there is so much more that you can do with it.  

As part of our workshop on Friday, April 1st we will be creating

And here is the Georgie layout as part of the Workshop on the Go kit:

Workshop Options are:

Basic - $28:

• Georgie Paper Pack
• Additional Cardstock
• Silver Foil Trim
• Silver Sequins Assortment
• Bitty Sparkles

Better - $50:

• Workshop on the Go Scrapbooking Kit w/ stamp set, Georgie Assortment & Grey Gems
• Additional Cardstock
• Silver Foil Trim
• Silver Sequins Assortment
• Bitty Sparkles

To register for this workshop on April 1st, you must sign up by March 18th.  If you would like to create this workshop at the all day crop on March 12th, you must register by March 5th and let me know via e-mail at HeatherHicksCTMH@gmail.com so I can have your kit ready for you.

Register using the PayPal link to the right.  See you there!

How to Thin Cut

January 1st kicked off our newest Seasonal Expressions catalog and the introduction of our newest line - Thin Cuts.  These little beauties are metal die cuts that can be used with your own die cutting machine (I use the Cuttlebug) and work perfectly with a coordinating stamp set.

Here are the Spring Wishes Thin Cuts and coordinating Spring Wishes stamp set.  Notice the blue outline around some of the stamps.  Those lines let you know there is a coordinating Thin Cut set for this stamp set.  Pretty awesome, huh!

I've been playing with these Thin Cuts these last few weeks as I created the cards in our Charlotte Workshop Your Way kit.  I wanted to show you some of the things I have learned.

When using Thin Cuts in your die cutting machine you need a special plate or shimmy to create enough pressure as it runs through the machine.  I can only speak to the Cuttlebug as that is the machine I have, so let me tell you what I know.

To cut with the machine, you need a special C plate and unfortunately these plates are hard to find.  After much searching, I was finally able to order a rubber mat that is used as a C plate from Amazon.  See picture below.  Another trick would be to use an old non-CTMH embossing folder ;) instead of a C plate.  This would make the thickness what you need to press/cut the paper with the thin cuts.


In the picture you can see how to assemble the plates:
1. Plate A is the thickest mat and is a self healing mat. This will accept any cuts you make and help protect the other plates.
2. Place your paper on top of  Plate A and then the Thin Cut turned with the raised edge down onto the paper.
2. Next the C plate or rubber C mat
3. 2 B plates or 1 B plate, embossing folder, and another B plate. (If using a C plate or Rubber mat you don't need the embossing folder between the 2 B plates - this is an either/or).

While making the cards from the kit, I was reminded of the best way to create using watercolors and stamps and now the thin cuts and I thought I would share with you.

Originally I sat down and cut out all the images I would need.  I then stamped the coordinating images and finished with our watercolor paints. I noticed that the images weren't super clear and then remembered how much better the stamped images look when I stamp them after I watercolor. The watercolor makes the stamped ink bolder and brighter.

To make things easier on me, I decided to watercolor a strip of paper and then cut out the images I need:

I love creating streaked style instead of trying to make it super blended. This helps it look more natural and variegated instead of using simple, flat cardstock.


Here is a sampling of of the cut and stamped images.  The set on the left was water-colored first and then stamped.  See how clear the images are!  The set on the right were stamped first and then water-colored.  Big difference, huh!

Here are the completed cards.  Do you see the difference now?!

Where's our Winter Wonderland?

Every Christmas I just wait for the snow knowing that it must come, it's Christmas after all right?! Well if you are here with me in TN you know the weather around here is CRAZY! Christmas day and it was a whopping 70 degrees outside!!!  To help me remember what Christmas is suppose to feel like and look like, I took out some pictures from last February - pictures of snow and all the fun that comes with it!

If you purchased the White Pines paper, you most likely have some of this blue diamond paper stil available. Here I used that paper, the White Pines Complements and the beautiful white Glitter Paper and I was able to put this layout together super quick. I debated posting the layout because my photo just does not do the shimmer justice but trust me, the shimmer makes the photos pop and reminds me of the glimmer snow makes in the sun. The glitter paper definitely makes the layout!

Are you missing the snow?  What are you creating to help you feel like it is winter time?

Christmas with White Pines

It's hard to believe I have all of my Christmas pictures already on a layout and ready to go. Actually I found that I didn't take enough pictures this year (is that even possible?)  I love scrapbooking the even right after it happens as it always makes me feel so accomplished and ahead.  Have you finished your Christmas layouts yet?

Here are the layouts we created in my White Pines Christmas workshop.

This first layout was our main layout inspired by another consultant Dana Kessler but changed to include a hidden layout with the use of some flip flaps.

This picture shows the right side from the first picture with the flip flaps opened to reveal another  

12 x12 layout and the back of the first page.  Here is where you can see I definitely ran out of pictures.  Here's to hoping someone else took some pictures that I can have :)

This was our Workshop on the Go layout. I absolutely love the simplicity but yet still the detail of this layout.  The picture does not do it justice in my opinion.

For this workshop I had two different workshop options. The first layouts shown were down in the morning and then we had a Picture My Life (PML) workshop in the layout. This was a chance for everyone to learn out to use their PML cards in their normal scrapbooks.  We created the above two layouts as our Cover and End pages and then filled the pages in between with the PML cards and pictures from through out the month of December. My tip for PML cards in scrapbooking is make them your own.  You have lots of embellishments and bling - fancy them up.  Add detail, notes, ribbon, washi tape, you name it - add and and make it fun.  This type of scrapbooking could rock your world and get you back on track with Scrapbooking,

I am sad to say that these White Pines papers shown are retired and no longer available from CTMH.  However, try some of the techniques and ideas here with your own previously purchased CTMH Christmas paper - I know you have some :).

Happy Scrappin'!

Charlotte's Workshop Your Way coming to you!

An All NEW way to workshop!
Charlotte Workshops YOUR Way

With the welcoming in of our newest Seasonal Expressions book beginning January 1st, our Workshops on the Go have taken on a new look and a new name. Welcome Workshops YOUR way! 

• Now each paper pack and Workshop Kit will come with 2 of  6 different double sides patterned pages instead of 4.
• The Workshops Your Way will include the cardstock you need to complete the layouts shown.
• No cardstock is included in the new Paper Packs.  
• The Workshops Your Way Kits DO NOT include a stamp set. 
• Each WYW kit will will create 3 scrapbook layouts, A Picture My Life pocket scrapbooking layout and a set of adorable cards using the leftover goodies in your kit.

On Friday, January 22nd at 6:30pm we will create the Charlotte Workshop Your Way kit just as it was designed so you can get a taste for how our new kits work.     

Workshop Options are:

Basic - $32:

Charlotte Workshop Your Way Kit which includes:

• Charlotte Paper Pack - NEW
• Charlotte Complements - NEW
• Additional Cardstock
• Black & Gold Ribbon  - NEW
• Treasured Puffies - NEW
• One sheet of the watercolor paper for cards

Better - $65:

Everything included in the Basic Workshop PLUS:
Spring Time Wishes Thin Cuts - NEW

and coordinating stamp set

CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE WORKSHOP - HOW ABOUT THE ALL DAY CROP THE NEXT DAY?

If you can't make it to the workshop Friday night, consider purchasing the kit and doing it on your own or with other at the crop the next day. I will be there to assist with any questions as you complete the kit.

To sign up for the workshop and to see more pictures of the workshop, check out my blog.

You must sign up for the workshop by January 10th.

View of the Pocket pages that can/will be made with Charlotte WYW kit.  

*Pocket pages protectors are not included in kit and will need to be purchased separately.