National Papercrafting Month Blog Hop

Welcome to the National Papercrafting Month Blog Hop! Today, CTMH consultants will be showcasing artwork featuring the Picture My Life (PML), Live Your Day Scrapbooking program. If you've arrived from Gina's blog you are on the right track. For a complete list of hoppers please visit Melinda's blog HERE.

The Live Your Day collection is designed to coordinate perfectly with the new Everyday Life 2016 Planner pages and My Crush Everyday Life Pages, so you can seamlessly integrate pocket scrapbooking into your 2016 planner.

I love how empowering the quotes are on the 4x6 cards so I decided to step out of the box a bit and create a two-page scrapbook layout of my daughter meeting and training with Shannon Boxx, a former USA national Soccer player!

The layout was first designed in Cricut Design Space and uses elements of the Artbooking Cartridge. Here's a link to the file* if you'd like to recreate it: https://us.cricut.com/design/#/canvas/35156337

*To cut you will need the CTMH Artbooking Cartridge. 

Thank you for checking out my project! I hope it inspired you to think a little outside the box and try something new with the Live Your Day PML cards! The set is only $8.95 and a terrific value with a ton of possibilities! To order yours please contact your CTMH Consultant or visit my websit { HERE } 

Now it's time to check out Jacquelin's blog to see what she's created.

Project Recipe
CC1058 PML Live Your Day, 1246 Hollyhock Cardstock, X5762 Lagoon Cardstock, Z13128 Paper Fundamentals Basic, Z3127 Paper  Fundamentals Whimsy, X5929 Whisper Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z1990 Diagonal Striped Ribbon Thistle, Z1151 3D Foam Tape, Z1912 Corner Rounder, Z1979 Journaling Pen, Z3169 Cricut Artbooking

December SOTM Blog Hop - Candlelight Garden

Welcome to the Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! Today, 33 CTMH consultants will be showcasing artwork using the new Candlight Garden stamp set.  If you've arrived from Haley Dyer's blog you are on the right track!

For my project I created a scrapbook layout featuring my baby girl and her budding personality! To create this layout I started with a sketch from the Reflections How-To book (Main Frame - Perfect Square p. 63) and modified it to fit my photos.

The mason jars were stamped on White Daisy cardstock and decorated using a variety of techniques like watercoloring, stamping, masking and paper piecing. Like her, each jar is unique and I love the way it turned out!

The title was created in Design Space using the Artistry Cricut Cartridge font and one of the many shape images.

To create the journal jar I masked the string with a post-it-note before inking it. When I was ready to stamp I removed the post-it and stamped on cardstock. No more string! I also used the masking technique to alter the sentiment stamps to make them fit inside the jars.

This layout certainly wasn't one of the quickest I've ever created but I absolutely love the way it turned out. It's sweet and quirky just like my girl!

Thanks for checking out my project. I hope I inspired you try something new with this stamp set. If you'd like to recreate it here is the Design Space file: https://us.cricut.com/design/#/canvas/33702097. You will need the Artistry cartridge to use this file.

Now it's time to continue on the hop by visiting Lauren Moore's blog! If for some reason you get lost along the hop please visit Melinda's blog for a list of participating hoppers.

This stamp set is only available 12/1 - 12/31 and can be purchased for only $5 with a qualifying CTMH order. To purchase yours please contact your CTMH consultant or visit my shop at www.michellebattitori.ctmh.com.

Layout Recipe:
S1512 Candlight Garden stamp Set,  9037 Reflection How To Book, Z3167 Cricut Artistry Collection, X7199B Sangria Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, 1386 Black Cardstock, Z3098 Peacock Fundamentals Assortment, Z3126 Paper Fundamentals Enchantment, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z3188 Paintbrush Set, Z2641 Glacier Stamp Pad, Z2652, Poppy Stamp Pad, Z2652 Pomegranate Stamp Pad, Z2653 Canary Stamp Pad, Z2648 Sapphire Stamp Pad, Z534 Micro-Tip Scissors

Have a crafty Tuesday!

~Michelle Battitori

P.S. Don't forget it's Cyberweek at CTMH! Save 25% on select items now thru Friday, 12/4! To see what's included please go HERE.

CTMH Cricut Artistry Blog Hop

Welcome to the CTMH Cricut Artistry Blog Hop! If you are coming from Gina's blog you are on the right track!

Today, 30 CTMH consultants will be featuring the brand new Cricut Cartridge, Artistry! This cartridge includes shapes spanning a wide variety of themes, holiday's and seasons to add some visual spice to any project. This cartridge comes with three D-sized stamp sets as well as a full package of Enchantment Cardstock (with a sneak peak of our soon-to-be released new colors). The cartridge is available digitally (bundled items will be mailed separately) or with a cartridge for a slightly higher price.

For my project I created a double page scrapbook layout featuring my son's 5th Birthday party. I first designed my page in Design Space. Some might think this is an extra, unnecessary step but for me it's the easiest way to ensure my accent pieces are proportionate to my layout without wasting a bunch of precious paper on miss-sized pieces.

The title was cut with the Artistry font and adhered to the page with our Bonding Memories Glue Pen. This stuff works great for small, intricate pieces like letters. The lines on the journal tag were stamped in Slate ink using the ZOE Workshop on the Go Stamp set.

Here's a tip for you: instead of getting your fingers gunked with glue use your piercing tool to hold the shape in place until the entire piece has glue. When it's ready to place on your project use tweezers or scissors to place it where you want.

The tag was cut out of White Daisy Cardstock and then stamped with one of the bundled stamp sets from the cartridge.  The rest of the accents were pre-designed pieces from the Artistry collection, including the border underneath the large photo. I just re-sized, picked my paper and cut away! I love not having to fussy cut my accents!

Please continue on the Catherine's blog to see what project she's created. Please note, if you happen to get lost along the hop please visit Melinda's page for a complete list of participants.

Project Recipe:
Z3167 Cricut Artistry Collection
G1096 Workshops on the Go Zoe Scrapbooking Kit
1385 White Daisy Cardstock
1273 Desert Sand Cardstock
X5751 Sorbet Cardstock
X5770 Glacier Cardstock
X5772 Canary Cardstock
X5759 Pacifica Cardstock
Z2033 Paper Fundamentals Whimsy Assortment
Z2173 Slate Ink
Z2641 Glacier Ink
Z1938 Sponge Dauber
Z1912 Corner Rounder
Z1151 3D Foam Tape
Z3025 Blue Shimmer Trim
Z553 Bonding Memories Glue
Z1979 Marvy® Uchida® LePen™ Journaling Pen

Thanks for stopping by!
~Michelle Battitori

If you'd like to re-create my layout here is the link to the Design Space File: https://us.cricut.com/design/#/canvas/30084866

Please note that you will need the Artistry Cartridge to use the file. If you don't have it please check with your CTMH Consultant or visit my webpage HERE.

Artfully Sent Blog Hop - Gift Bags

Welcome to our Artfully Sent Blog Hop!  We will be featuring the AMAZING benefits of the newest CTMH Cricut Cartridge...Artfully Sent. If you have come here from Paige's Blog, you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way all around.  If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants on Melinda’s Blog.

This month we have over 40 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations. This is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

The Artfully Sent Cartridge is chock full of card options -- pop-ups, swing style, and scenic, with over 700 images to choose from! It's also great for embellishments and the stamps that come with the set are so versatile I see them being my go-to for A LOT of future projects!

I never seem to have enough gift bags...especially around the holiday's so I knew for my project I wanted to turn some of the holiday cards on the Artfully Sent Cartridge into gift bag decor!

If you have a large mat you could cut the full card and trim off the back but I don't. It wasn't a problem thanks to THIS very helpful tutorial and the slice feature in Design Space.

I've done the hard work already so if you'd like to make one for yourself here's the FREE Design Space file: https://us.cricut.com/design/#/canvas/project/21757000

(Note, it takes a little bit to load so please be patient)

Products Used (All CTMH unless otherwise noted):

Paper: Snowhaven (X7188B), Cranberry Cardstock, Black Cardstock, Silver Glitter Paper (Z1829)

Ink: Cranberry (Z2116), Black (Z2105)

Stamps: Artfully Sent Stamps (D1631 Curlique & D1629 Just to Say)

Other: Cricut Artfully Sent Cartridge, Black Ribbon, Gift Bag (Dollar Tree)

To make a different style gift bag here are the steps you'll need to use:

1. Open Design Space and change canvas to basic shapes. Choose rectangle and change size to the size of our gift bag (mine was 10 1/2" x 8 1/4).
2. Insert desired card from Arfully Sent Cartridge (I used Sentiment Layer on p. 49).
3. Insert basic rectangle shape and size to fit the back of the card. 
4. Hide or delete the score line layer (this is very important otherwise the slice feature won't work).
5. Select the items (but DO NOT GROUP).
6. Right click and select Slice! When the rectangle shape turns the same color as the card you'll know the slice function worked and you can remove the back of the card!
7. Size the card front as needed and continue decorating!

It may seem like a lot of steps but I promise it's really not that bad! If I wasn't so camera shy I'd make a video. Lol! 

Now "Hop" on over to Jean's Blog to see her work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas! To purchase your own Artfully Sent Cricut Cartridge contact your CTMH Consultant or visit my website HERE!

~Michelle Battitori