One Design, 3 Cards

Well, Valentine's Day has come and gone and I still have partially made cards from last year and the year before. MAYBE, just maybe, I can get them all done this year and out in the mail ON TIME next year! 

But I did get 3 cards from my December workshop finished. These were all made using the December Close To My Heart Stamp Of The Month, D1445I Amore. My actual workshop card was like the one in the center--great for engagement, wedding, anniversary, or just I love you. This set is no longer available (see next paragraph) and I have a friend who LOVES flamingos so I changed the greeting on two of them using Stampin Up set #123057 Valentine Definied. I love both CTMH and Stampin Up, but chose to represent CTMH because I like them better and I find CTMH to be more innovative. Both companies produce a good quality product, I host regular parties for my friend Sue, and you'll find both products in my house. If you want the Stampin Up set--click the stamp set name and get it quickly, it's a Sale-A-Bration set. The link I have provided will take you to my friend and supplier's website, Sue Kempter-Miller. I'm not getting a kick-back on this, I just like recommending good, honest people and Sue is about as good as they get!

One more note, for the flowers on the two side cards, I used our new Spray pens, Create-A-Shade Pearl Paint, Reinker of Choice, and regular tap water to make my own glimmermist/gimmer spray. You get 3 spray pens for $3.95, the paint is $2.95, and the reinkers are $4.25. I'm hooked on the stuff. It is so easy, inexpensive, and turns out great. The specific recipe is listed on the cardstock insert the comes with the spray pens. For the flowers, I mixed up a batch using Sky and a batch using Vineyard Berry. I sprayed the flowers first with Sky and then a light spritz of Vineyard Berry. You can't tell that they're sprayed with two colors but it sure adds a bit of dimension to the flowers. In the meantime, I'm slowly building my supply of pens. Teresa is our group hostess next month; another set of pens will be on my order!

Products Used  (Stamp sets are listed and explained above.)

X7127B Magnifique Level 2 Paper Pack

X5761 Sky 12 x 12 Cardstock

1248 Vineyard Berry 12 x 12 Cardstock

Exclusive Inks

    Z2194 Sky Stamp Pad (Background "love" is stamped on the Sky cardstock with Sky ink.)

    Z2294 Sky Reinker

    Z2157 Vineyard Berry Pad (Used to distress and sponge cardstock and paper edges.)

Z891 VersaMark pad (used for embossing)

Z1102 Colonial White 3/8" wide bulk Grosgrain Ribbon

Z1327 Sparkles, Blue & Green Assortment

Z697 Sponge

Z1039 Create-a-Shade Pearl Paint

Z678 Silver Embossing Powder

Z1380 Spray Pen

Z555 Craft Heater

1764 Craft Tray (For pouring embossing powder back into the jar)

Z1382 Tweezers (These keep you from burning your fingers when heat embossing.)

Z534 Micro-Tip Scissors (The BEST scissors for detail cutting.)

The ribbon slide is a discontinued product that I had on hand.

Avon--What a Great Company

So I went to the Avon Believe World Tour last week and had a wonderful time. I remember taking baths in the original Skin So Soft as a kid and wearing Platinum  colored Avon lipstick (I know, I'm dating myself here). I used to be an Avon rep years ago, but never thought much about it. Now, I'm more serious about it. Going to this event was the best great. I learned stuff about the company I never knew. It was started by a man. It is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, there is one consultant who has been with the company 70 years!

Avon has multiple celebrity spokespersons. Patrick Dempsy is one who was at the event. Others spoke via recorded messages. They represent Avon because it is a company that actively fights against breast cancer and domestic violence, while promoting women. Patrick Dempsey's mother has had 5 bouts of cancer, including ovarian cancer and is still alive. Here is a photo of our Chairman/CEO is Andrea Jung--what a beautiful woman.

She too has been affected by breast cancer as she shared that her mother and grandmother both have had this dreadful disease. So with each purchase y'all make, you help avon build centers and fight this dreadful disease.

AVON



This is the company that puts mascara on lashes and food on tables…

That fights wrinkles with one hand and Breast Cancer with the other…

That knows the value of a perfect lip,

 but still opens its mouth and speaks out against

Domestic Violence and for Women's Financial Independence...

This is the company that not only brings beauty to doors, but also opens them…

The company that supports 6 million Representatives in over 100 countries…

This is AVON.

The company, that for 125 years,

has stood for

beauty, innovation, optimism and above all

for women.

Our First Club Workshop Calendar Page

I've made one little change . . . when I signed up with Avon, they assigned my website address so it didn't have my "MKP." I wrote and begged and they changed it! My new Avon website address is http://mkp.avonrepresentative.com/.

I hold monthly club workshops. My club members commit to monthly purchases for one year, get projects, are hostess one month of the year, and get 20% off their purchases during their birthday month. For February, They purchased the Wings Workshop on the go (I will post that later) and we made the two pages, I sent them home with homework--to make the cards, and then I provided supplies, using the gorgeous Magnifique papers, to make our first calendar page. For those who don't want a calendar, it will work as a 12 x 12 page. Close To My Heart has a top, spiral-bound 12 x 12 calendar for $7.95. This is a bargain for those who want to make the calendar. For the months, we can stamp them, or us Silhouette, Cricut, or even Sizzix or Quickutz dies.

My page was inspired by CTMH's Book Magic. It is page 70, layout: "Ta-Da!" The book provides tips, layouts, ideas, cutting dimensions AND layout patterns for 35 12 x 12 kinetic layouts. BUT they have made the book so that they can be standard layouts or those that are movable, with pop-ups, slides, etc. It is really a clever book with lots of detailed, colored photos accompanying the directions.

My large bird was stamped on Sky cardstock with Lagoon Ink, then before stamping, the image was rolled in Vineyard Berry ink. Because you can't roll in all areas, I used a Sponge Dauber to ink those edges. Then it was cut out and I used a sponge to brush the edges with Vineyard Berry ink providing more depth to the image. Both Large an small images were affixed to the page with the body flat and the wings and tails popped up with foam tape. 

The little birds were punched out of some old copper colored paper I had from Hero Arts, using a Martha Stewart punch.

There was a shadow of the person taking a photo on the lower right corner of the photo--by the date. I stamped a swirl on photo twice to sort of hide it. It does a much better job of hiding in person. Just remember that you can ink edges or stamp on photos with our Exclusive Inks as long as you let them dry before handling them.

 

There is a hidden journaling tag behind the photo on the left. A few tips--my buttons are clear buttons. I ran my Background and Texture Paper through Xyron so the adhesive would be on the design side. Then we cut little squares out, put the design side next to the button and just trimmed excess off--super fast and easy. You can't even tell that the cut isn't even. Then the bracket--we've used that before. I run Background and Texture Paper through Xyron and attach it to Cardstock. I stamp the bracket on my cardstock and then trim. The stamped image just provides the cutting diagram. The cardstock provides stability so that I can pop it up on foam tape so that it looks like a cardstock image.

PRODUCTS USED

X7127B Magnifique Level 2 Paper Pack $12.95
D1438 Circle of Love My Acrylix Stamp Set $22.95 (big peacock in top left and photo swirl)
D1452 Find Your Style, January Stamp of the Month. (SOM's are available on a sliding scale--email me for more info.)
My bracket stamp is discontinued, but check out C1399 On the Edge $18.95
Z1391 Clear Button Assortment $5.95
Z697 Sponge $1.25
Z726 Sponge Dauber $3.95
Exclusive Inks Stamp Pads $5.95/ea
   Z2157 Vineyard Berry     Z2192 Pacifica     Z2195 Lagoon
The Foundry Tabs (on Journaling Tag) have been discontinued
The polka dot ribbon are old, discontinued CTMH products--see how nice even discontinued products coordinate!
Old Hero Arts Copper paper
Martha Stewart Bird Punch

Mini Accordion Album--January Club Project

Time to post a project! This is what my monthly club members made in January. We each purchased a Level 1 Kit and used it to make Accordion Mini Albums. I used the Magnifique set and made this album for an online friend who was just blessed with her first grandbaby.

I have listed item numbers and prices for Close To My Heart products, below. I did use some brand X that I had on hand and identified them when possible. You may search for and look at CTMH products or purchase them at MKP.MyCTMH.com.

Coming Soon . . . February projects: Wings and January 2012 Calendar Page.

Products Used

X7127A Magnifique Level 1 Kit $9.95: This includes preprinted pages, Stickease, as well as coordinating cardstock and background and texture papers.
D1470 Dreams Come True (Set of 16 My Acrylix Stamp Set) $22.95--big flourish on front
Z1196 My Creations Memory Showcase, accordion-style 6x6 album
Z1276 Colonial White Mini-Medley Accents Collection
Z1327 Blue & Green Sparkles Assortment $2.95 (108 assorted-sized, self-adhesive gemstones)
i-Rock Hot Rox (Crystal heat setting tool and gemstones)
Misc. Ribbons and Stickers
Stampin Up Button on front
Stampin Up Tag punch
Marvy Scalloped Heart Punch
Martha Stewart Butterfly Punch