Happy 4th of July!

Hey everyone!  Here's wishing you and yours a wonderfully fun 4th of July!!  We'll be setting off fireworks and hanging with friends.  And just for you, I made this 4th of July card.....

 I used Taylor's TE Sketch 141 and the Papercrafts Connection Color Inspiration Challenge for this week and the Friday Mashup13-Patriotic (coolest new challenge site).

This TE 4th of July Wreath Stamp Set along with CTMH Fanfare DP worked perfectly for this challenge card. Ain't it cute?  Pretty simple with a ton of white space.....you know, for me that is....lol!  I used lots of Taylor's Tiny Twinkles too. (he he I love me a little Onomatopoeia)

Well, that's it for me.  Everyone be safe and enjoy your family and friends today. :D

Make Your Own Travel Mug!

Hey everyone! I've been the Trendsetter this week on There She Goes' Blog and guess what today is....Dollar Find Friday!  So I'm sharing my awesome find at the dollar store a couple weeks ago.  Make Your Own Travel Mug!!  

 First assemble the following supplies: 

• Designer Paper for the Sky
•  Designer Paper for the Grass (Die Optional)
• TSG Puppy Love Stamp Set
• Coloring Medium
• Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
• Scissors
• Pencil

1. First Trace the Insert onto the Sky and Grass DP's.

2. Assemble the Background

3. Stamp, Color, Fussy Cut and Attach the Puppy and Girl images from Puppy Love.  Then stamp the butterfly image, 2nd generation, in a curved pattern across the insert.

4. Assemble the Cup!

When you turn the cup, the butterfly looks like it is floating through the air. So cute and far better in person, but you get it, right?!

Color Matching SU, CTMH and Memento Inks with Copics

Hey everyone! Today I am going to share a few charts with you that help me choose my Copic colors.  This is a long post with lots of pictures so grab a drink and let's get started!

The perfectionist in me won't allow for a mismatched color so I have acquired all of the current inks sold by Stampin' Up, Close to My Heart and Memento.  After completing the Copic Certification Class, Riley surprised me with all of the Copic Sketch markers except in the greys, which was every other marker. (I will confess that I don't like that minor limitation, so I ordered the rest of the greys and pre-ordered the 12 Soon-to-be-released Copics that Marianne blogged about recently. :D )

These two charts show you how I match each Memento ink to it's corresponding Copic.

 You can see that I stamp each ink on the cardstock that I normally use to create with Copics. (Currently PTI Stampers Select White, but I have recently ordered MFT's Perfect Paper Panelsand the The Blending Card from X-Press It to try). I add a scribble of each Copic that I think might match.  Then I walk away to let the inks dry thoroughly. 

Both the inks and the Copics can "settle" and change color slightly, so I have found that if I put the project aside for a while, I have a more accurate match in the end.  Most of the time, there will be a perfect or near-perfect match.  Every once in a while though, there will be a color that you have to mix.  I notate the mix with a "plus" sign. 

Here are my swatch cards for Stampin' Up's newest color collection...

...and Close to My Heart's colors.  Sometimes, I will 2nd and 3rd generation stamp the ink so I can really see what the underlying colors are in an ink.  You can get a better feel for the color composition this way.

I am updating my spreadsheets and will add them to the "Copics" box at the top of my blog some time in the next week. Hope this helps!  Have a great day everyone!!

A Little Thanks from CTMH and Me!

This month's Stamp of the Month, D1444 A Little Thanks, is versitile and so appropriate for this time of year! I just love it!! And CTMH's monthly special is pretty awesome too!

Just purchase $100 in product and get ANY stamp set of your choice FREE PLUS this month's SOTM FREE too!! 

I'll be submitting orders on the 15th and the 30th for your convenience. You can place an order any time on my website or contact me with your order and I'll place it for you.  And remember, when you place an order with me, you receive a 15 % product credit towards you NEXT order. It's a win, win, win, free, free, free kinda month!!

Details and FAQ's:
In November, you can add a lot of value to your purchase while increasing your stamp collection with our "Little MORE Thanks" campaign. Simply place a qualifying order of $100/$117.50 or more and you will receive the November Stamp of the Month set, A Little Thanks, valued at $22.95/$26.95, for free, PLUS you can select another stamp set of your choice, size A through D, for FREE*! This means you can increase the value of your purchase by up to $45.90/$53.90—that's almost 50 percent more in value! It's our way of imparting A Little MORE Thanks to you, our great customers!

Will tax be charged on this promotion?
No. Customers are not charged tax on free items. 

Will shipping/handling be charged on this promotion?
Yes. Shipping/handling (for US and CAN) is always charged based on the full retail value of the item. For online shopping orders including MyCTMH, shipping/handling is charged based on the weight of the item.

Is there a limit to the number of bonus stamp sets a customer or Consultant can qualify for? Yes. You may receive one bonus stamp set for each qualifying order you place.

You can contact me at corinnamcgregor@gmail.com for more details or to place your order. I look forward to hearing from you soon! :-D

October Stamp of the Month is almost over!

October Stamp of the Month is almost over! Place your order on my website OR contact me before tomorrow evening! And, as always, enjoy a 15% credit* towards your next order! 

Share the Magic (Set of 12)

Recommended Blocks: 1" x 1 1/2" (Y1001), 2" × 2" (Y1003), 3" x 3" (Y1006)

Want to join an exclusive club? Every month Close To My Heart offers you an exclusive My Acrylix^® D-size stamp set FREE or at a large discount. The stamp set is available to qualifying customers for that month only. It’s our way of saying thank you, and your way of getting fantastic deals on our amazing stamps!

Here’s how to get a fabulous deal on your very own Stamp of the Month!

You spend	You save	You pay only
$25	25% off	$17.21
$50	50% off	$11.48
$75	75% off	$5.74
$100	100% off	FREE

Need a catalog? Just contact me and I'll throw one in the mail for you. :-D Don't delay! It's time to make those holiday cards, tags and gifts!  Have a crafty day! :-D

Mercy Me! Did I make it in time?

Just a quick post trying to squeeze in Mercy's sketch this week - MTSC94...did I make it Mercy?

I embossed some images from this CTMH gorgeous stamp set called Childhood Portrait and papers from October Afternoon's Thrift Shop.  The little pearls are from CTMH as well, the new Licorice Opaques.  LOVE THEM!!

 I just finished hosting a two day crop here in the studio and I sure am exhausted! In trying to put together our calendar, we've realized that we've not got many weekends together before Riley deploys.  Lots to do I tell ya! Enjoy the rest of your weekend! :-D

Happy 92nd Birthday Nanny!

Just a quick post 'cuz I'm off to a crop at our LSS.  Here's a birthday card that I made for my grandma's 92nd birthday.

I used the Make A Wish set from There She Goes Clear Stamps Store.  

 I random stamped the itty bitty candles and colored them with Atyou Spica pens. Then I masked all the images to make the focal point image. 

I colored with Copics and Atyou Spicas. It was a bit tedious but turned out cute.  

 I used a PTI dies for the focal image and ricrac, and fussy cut the Happy Bday banner. 

The Sketch is from this weeks Crazy 4 Challenges C4C55.  

I used the The cardstock colors are CTMH's new Pacifica and Lagoon...all of Nanny's favorite colors.

Here is the inside. Nanny is a HOOT! I hope and pray that I am half as witty and wonderful as she is when I am her age. :-D Have a great weekend and I'll see ya Monday!

Sentimentally Yours

Well Hey Y’all. I’m sippin’ a German Chocolate Cake skinny latte with whipped cream and caramel! DE-LISH!! I know, I know, y’all just wanna see the eye candy! OK, here’s a peak. Today begins with a challenge that I’m sponsoring over on the Heart 2 Heart Challenge Blog this week!!

I used a beautiful new stamp set from Close to My Heart D1440 “Everlasting Life” as my focal point sentiment. The papers are from the new paper kit “Magnifique”. The sketch is from Sketch Saturday.

And here’s my finished card….

I’m offering a HUGE prize pack over at the Heart 2 Heart Challenges Blog including a stamp set with coordinating die-cuts, ink, paper,ribbon and instructions to complete 3 adorable photo books.

Hope y’all had a wonderful weekend. I DID! Riley and I haven’t had much time together these past couple of months so we spent the entire weekend together. Saturday we spent driving and sightseeing the Schnook Pass from Gig Harbor to Yakima and back. Sunday was an entire day of sleeping, eating, watching DVR’d shows, wrestling and goofing around. We both really needed the down time to recharge from so much travel.

Well, off to get some more things made for posts later this week. Have a great day!! :-D

Everlasting Life Card:

Papers: CTMH Magnifique, PTI Chocolate, Vanilla Cream; Stamps: CTMH D1440 Everlasting Life; Ink: CTMH Lagoon, Pacifica; Embellies: PTI ribbon, Prima Flowers; Tools: Spellbinder Nesties, Sizzix Big Shot, Janome Sew Mini using Coats and Clark Extra Heavy-Duty thread

Stamps:

Coming Home

Hey everyone! I just returned home from NY where I had a wonderful time visiting family and friends. The camp is now sold and all of my belongings are on a truck headed for the PNW!

I don't have any new creations of my own to share, but wanted to let you all know that the new catalog for CTMH is out and the papers and new stamps are incredibly beautiful. I will be posting some gorgeous creations in the coming weeks. Here are my favorite papers and stamps from the new catalog....it's called Magnifique!

Isn't it beautiful! That peacock is to die for!! If you need a catalog or would like to place an order, please contact me at corinnamcgregor@gmail.com and I'll be happy to help. I have also place a link on the MyCTMH page above. I'll be back tomorrow with brand new art. I am so blissfully happy to be home with Riley and my studio! Ahhhhh, life is good! :-D

Another CTMH sneak peak!

Hey everyone!! I didn't realize how long it's been since I blogged.  Last week was a blur getting ready for my first event in WA state. I hosted an all day crop in the new Studio and what a blast it was!! Here is a sneak peek at the Memory Box that I created with new CTMH papers and stamps.

 I colored Santa in with a blender brush and ink pads.  It wasn't like coloring with Copics, but I still got depth by coming back in on Day 2 for some extra shading.  I used the NEW Mocha Opaques to add some texture to the berries. I LOVE these! The "On with the Show" (left) layout is from the NEW How-To Book, Magic, debuting Sept. 1 with all of the other products.

I used Mod-Podge on the Memory Keeper Box (Z1116)

I really LOVE this new stamp set (D1449 Father Christmas) and paper (X7130B Mistletoe).

 The Noel is a single stamp that I masked and then cut into seperate letters. I pop-dotted the letters and added the opaques to bling it up a bit.

This is the side of the box, complete with velvet ribbon.  It looks so vintage and shabby.  Not really my crafting style, but it sure did flow easy. That's what happens when you're working with great product!

We will be creating the box and 20 cards as an all day workshop Dec 4.  Contact me if you're interested!! Back to the crafting desk!! I'll show you the cards over the next few days too!