Doctor Ames

Something new has been added to my blog, a PHD badge, found on the left. I've just earned my PHD through Close to My Heart. I am knowledgeable in business, card making, paper crafting, and scrapbooking. It has been an awesome learning experience for me. The title is great but the information is priceless. Many people may discount it because it is not from an accredited college /university but it still means alot to me.

Thank you Close to My Heart. Thank you Cindy for your encouragement.

Sketched Out 2

Another new Micheal's Scrapbooking Class called Sketched Out. This class allows students to create a two page layout and a greeting card following a pattern. It's a great way to complete three projects in two hours. I hope you enjoy the picture below. Students can reuse this sketch to match the season or theme.

Like what you see? The next Sketched Out Class will be held on Sunday, April 29th from 2-5 pm.

I LOVE DOTTY :()

Dotty for You is an exclusive paper packet promotion through Close to My Heart. It cannot be purchase as a stand alone item but only as a special bonus for loyal customers. How to get this exclusive deal?

• When you place an order of $35 or more in products from the Spring/Summer 2012 Idea Book between April 17 and May 31, you may add the Dotty for You paper packet, valued at $19.95, for just $5.  
• Dotty for You includes 24 specially designed, coordinating B&T Duos® sheets (2 each of 12 patterns) and an artwork idea insert to get your creative juices flowing.

But that’s not all! There are two ways your to get this darling paper packet FREE!

• Hostesses will receive a free Dotty for You paper packet when their Gathering sales total $400 or more (excluding tax, shipping/handling, and Operation Smile donations).
• New Consultants who sign up between April 1 and May 31 (two full months!) will receive a free Dotty for You paper packet with their kit.

Spread the word and help us celebrate National Scrapbooking Month in May with this exclusive Dotty for You paper packet promotion.

Dates Specials:

Customers/Hostesses: April 17 (9:00 am MDT) – May 31 (11:59 pm MDT)

Would you like to recreate the projects in this image?  The products used in the image are listed below and qualify for the exclusive paper packet, “Dotty for You”.

Happy Easter My Peeps!

Happy Easter to all my craft buddies!

I have been busy crafting and spending time with family and friens; and obviously feel behind in my posting of my work. I created this cute easel greeting card. It was created using Recollections cardstock, patterned paper, and CTMH stamp. I love this stamp because the sentiment reads "Happy Easter to My Peeps". I water colored the bunny and eggs.

April's Stamp of the Month

April's Stamp of the Month (S1204A) is very verstile and it's the type of stamp set that can be easily become your favorite. Create backgrounds for your scrapbook layouts, greeting cards, and paper projects.

Purchase these or other products (to total $50), and get the Stamp of the month for only $5. Available only April 1-30, 2012.

• Bright Blue Cardstock Shade Pack (X5902) $7.95
• Mini-Medley Accents Black Collection (Z1393) $4.95
• Dimensional Elements Stars (Z1680) $3.25
• My Creations All Sorts Mini Albums (Z1224) $5.95
• Color-Ready Evergreen Cork Shapes (Z1719) $3.95

Recommended Acrylic Blocks: 1"x1" (Y1000), 1"x 3 1/2" (Y1002), 4"x5" (Y1012)

Stamp of the month can be purchased for $17.95 (S1204)

francisames.ctmh.com

We Love Paper Crafts

I've now started a Meet Up group to help enable paper crafters like you! I hope we can meet up some time. Check out my schedule and rsvp.

<a href="http://www.meetup.com/r/inbound/0/0/shareimg/http://www.meetup.com/WeLovePaperCrafts/?a=shareimg">img border="0" alt="WeLovePaperCrafts" src="http://img.meetup.com/img/logo_82.png%22%3E%3C/a>

Milk Carton Template

Hi Paper Crafters!

I've been busy working on mini albums, paper crafts, and greeting cards this past week. It's been great creating once again just for me:) Since I won Crafting by Design's random drawing during their last blog hop. I have been stamping away and will be sharing my creations with you soon enough. Please allow me to just create then I'll take pictures for you to see.

This blog post is for my dear friends that are also scrapbooking instructors. I taught customers how to use their Martha Stewart's Score Boards. We have created rosettes, envelopes, boxes, easter basket, and milk cartons. It's alot of fun! Anyhow, there was some interest in receiving this template and thought everyone would also enjoy them. Milk Cartons make great party gifts. Fill them with your favorite treats, party favors, you name it!

Here are a few pictures of a milk carton that I created and decorated using Recollections paper. As promised I also included my measurements for the milk carton. For the template, you can download it at http://ruthannzaroof.com/mirkwooddesigns/templates.htm and then type milk carton. This site is a great fountain of templates, for those of you that are paper crafting enthusiasts. Have fun and please feel free to share your creations here.

To create your own at the same size above, feel free to use my measurements in the picture below. You may use the template exactly as pictured on  this website (link) by using an 8 1/2x 11 inch card stock.

First place the cardstock horizontally (Not as pictured) and score the lines at 2 1/2 inches apart. Then turn the card stock vertical, as pictured, on your score board. To create the triangular shape, use the Martha Stewart's envelope trangle, turn you paper in an angle like you would to create an envelope then score. You may also just score without using the score board by using a ruler and stylus or by using your paper trimmer and stylus/bone folder. However, using the Martha Stewart Sscore Board makes this project very easy.

Note: The dotted lines indicate scoring and solid lines indicate cutting (paper trimming).

Feel free to ask questions or feedback:)

What are you doing for Spring Break?

What are you doing for Spring Break? Do you have the kids and not sure what to do with them? Come by the Michael's King of Prussia Store for a Crop. At a crop we work on new or unfinished projects, munch on pizza, and other treats, share and win prizes. A new crafting technique is taught at every crop! Doesn't that sound like FUN!

Our next crop is Tuesday, April 4th from 10am to 4 pm at 200 W. Dekalb Pike, King of Prussia, PA 19401.
Come and drop in for a few hours or stay for the full 6 hours!

Interactive Card #1- Blooms & Wings

Interacative greeting cards are always fun. So to keep the Blooms & Wings blog hop theme going I create a waterfall interactive card. I hope you enjoy!



Interactive Waterfall Greeting Cards 1- Blooms & Wings

 Second interactive tab reveals a cute bee busy at work.

Third tab reveals a colorful butterfly.



Fourth tab features a brave dragon fly. While this wise owl knows who's the real star of this show, she is.







Now back to the original front cover.

If you like interactive cards and would like to see more please leave me a message. I will be happy to oblige:)

Crafting by Design Blog Hop

I've just became a member of Crafting by Design. This group of women are so creative it's awe and inspiring. I've just completed a blog hop this weekend and it's fabolous! The theme of the blog hop was blooms & wings. So inspired by the theme I had a go at it. This is what I created.

 This was created using 95 % of Close to My Heart Products.

The card base, the patterned paper, ribbon, flowers, photo mat and coloring are all Close to My Heart products.

First I stamped in Dessert Sand ink the humming bird, followed by the florals. I then watercolored the images using Close to My Heart water color pencils. I matted this picture onto an Elemental paper and then onto cardstock.

This greeting card measures 5"x 4" folded
The elemental patterned paper measures 4" x 4.75".

Center mat  with image measures at 3.75" x 4.5"

Feel free to duplicate this design with one exception. Please accredit the design to Francis Ames.

Products Used:

    * C1464- Unscripted Clear Stamp

    * C1397 - Smiles (Florals and Sentiments)

    * Elemental paper packet

    * Colonial White Ribbon

    * Dessert Sand Ink

    * Close to My Heart Water Colors

    * Inkadinkado Clear Stamp (99120) Patterned Birds and Bugs. 

Cards in a Flash!

I've been scrapbooking since 2000 but only begun cardmaking for almost 3 years. One day it just dawned on me.."Why am I buying greeting cards when I have all the supplies right here to make one." I figured I might spend half an hour just picking out a card that won't exactly say what I want. Basically, I can make a card in the same amount of time it takes to pick one out and I am recycling my leftover paper. Yippy!

If you are like me a scrapbooker that is also into card making you probably also discovered the same thing I did. Many of the same techniques and principles apply to card making. I really do love giving one of my handmade cards. People cherish them. My family and friends know I don't buy greeting cards but they are my own creations. Now who wouldn't like getting one of these? 

The Thank you card was not created with CTMH products so you can duplicate this at home with supplies you probably already own. Can you guess how I made this? No, not watercolors. No, not pastels or chalk. No, I didn't spray anything on it.

To create the Thank you card, I first heat embossed the image and sentiment with a black embossing powder onto white cardstock. Then I used a sponge to pick up color from a ColorBok ink pad and applied it directly onto the card base. This technique is called resist. Why resist? Because embossed images resist ink. Always layer your lighter colors first then your darker color. I blended two colors to create purple by apply pink then turquoise on top. The strip of paper with the sentiment is also a combination of pink and turquoise blended together.The sentiments were layered onto black cardstock and a small black bow was added for a final touch. I'm sure bling or even stickle dots would also look great. But I wanted something that could mail very easily.

I saw this card design in a free How To flyer at a Micheal's Craft store. I knew I had to make one. It was just too cool to pass up! Don't worry I won't make you guess how. Truthfully, I didn't follow the instructions or measurements and changed it up slightly.

This card is made from a pink card base, and the images and sentiments are stamped onto white cardstock paper. First I stamped the darker images onto strips of, 1 1/4 inches wide, white cardstock paper in a dark purple ink. Then I picked up ink with my sponge and tabed some of the ink off onto scratch paper. and then blended the color onto the strip. When blending the color always start from the outer edge and work your way in. I kept doing this for three more strips of white cardstock. Then I cut the strips in half. I placed the stamped cardstock onto a black cardstock mixing and matching colors. There was a gap in the center that was easily covered up with a sentiment. I used a Martha Stewart punch to create the fancy border-my design idea. I'm sure this greeting card concept could work with a happy birthday sentiment, flowers, butterflies, cake backgrounds, you name it.

My First YouTube Video!

I am so thrilled to announce that I have finally created my first "viewable"  YouTube video. My New Years resolution this year was to become more tech savvy and to get my PHD from CTMH. 

I want to do a variety of videos including how to videos. The next one I'll be in front of the camera. Yikes! Please check it out and tell me what you think.

Picture Frame & Flower

Hi everyone!

I created this frame and I'm pretty proud of it. At first I was stuck on what I can do with a blank frame. Even though there are tons of possibilities but which route should I take? I wanted to create something that was easy to replicate especially as a family project with children. So I painted it with acrylic paint, cut strips of patterned paper, and cut flowers using the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge. I then used Prisma Glitter for extra sparkle on the petals. As you can see I also added CTMH glitter buttons and white Baker's Twine. What I also learned is that you can use CTMH Ink Pads by using a sponge to apply color to the unfinished wood surface. Just pick up a $1 unfinished wood frame and get creative. I hope you are inspired to create one too. By all means feel free to share your creations too.

Supplies used:

1. Baker's Twine Neutral Assortment (#Z1701) $4.95
2. Bling Assortment (#Z1635) $4.95
3. Prism Glitter (#Z134) $4.25
4. Art Philosophy (#Z1686)

To order Close to My Heart Products

Cricut Test Drive

This is your chance to learn how to use the latest Cricut Expression 2 Machine. Come and learn the ins and outs of this machine while creating this great layout. It is not necessary to own the machine in order to take this class.

Next time I will be teaching this class will be...

Friday, April 13th (1-3 PM)

3D Cake and Flower Wow

At Michael's store there's a new class called Flower Wow! We create six types of flowers and add an extra flair to these flowers for an extra texture or look. I've decided to show case six flowers on a 3D cake. I must admit that the CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge allowed me to create this cake. Using another's CTMH Consultant's inspiration, Lisa Stenz, I was able to follow her YouTube directions to make this creation happen.

The Art Philosophy allows you create many different types of flowers and to cut out pillow boxes. Why is this important? The cake was made out of the pillow boxes glued together and the flowers were cut from this cartridge. In the Michael's course, I show students also how to create flowers with and without the Cricut. However, I must admit that it's much easier using this cartridge. The only thing is you'll need an octagon cut out for the bases. I also own Going Places Cricut Cartride and was able to cut out an octagon shape by using the shaddow button of a stop sign.

In the Flower Wow, students get hands on instructions how to create this flowers and more. The next class will be Saturday, April 7th from 3-5pm at the King of Prussia Michael's Store. I hope you cna join me.

If you wish to purchase Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge, just follow the above link or go to my website http://www.francisames.myctmh.com/

Super Hero Mini Album

I was inspired by the latest Close to My Heart Idea Book (IB) and fell in love with several Workshops on the Go (WOTG) . One in particular spoke to me. I can never forget how many moms have trouble finding great scrapbooking materials to preserve their memories of their little boys. What little boy doesn't like Super Heros? What struck me is also the featured project of Super Dad mini album on page 46. I love making mini albums and this one acknowledges dad: and I'm a daddy's little girl. Also in using WOTG allows me to create a project and still have materials left over to make 12x12 layouts or a second mini album.

I created a similar mini album as the one featured in Spring Idea Book 2012. As you may have noticed the inside of the mini book is not show. This is where creativity flourishes. I hope you will enjoy my work and become inspired to create your own.

 





Front Cover similar to book. I watercolored image & used Liquid Glass over the image.

Stamped the rocket image and water colored. Can't forget my Comic Badges embellishments.

Use stamp images, chipboard, and papers for embellishments. Here I colored chipboard stars, used the stamps even on the stars, and layered strips of patterned paper.

Don't forget to use the flaps for journaling opportunities. Here I used Mini Medley and Baker's Twine Embellishements.

Page 5 and inner flap page. I used the paper boarder, stamped images, and let the patterned paper shine.

I really like how the back of the flap turned out. I scored and distressed the paper to show case the white paper core, a great feature of CTMH products.




 I enjoyed challening myself on using scraps of paper in a great effective way. Here I stacked them to add dimension.

Below is the back cover. I hand stamped a word pattern using the Super Hero stamp. 



 The products that I used were

• Hero Workshop on the Go (G1037)
• Mini-Medley Accents Pacifica (Z1698)
• Baker's Twine Neutrals (Z1701)
• Super Powers Stamp (C1485)
• Liquid Glass (Z679)
• Ink Pads: Pacifica (Z2192), Juniper (Z2165), Black (Z2105), Cranberry (Z2116), Creme Brulee (Z2167)
• Watercolor pencils (3505): Star Spangled,Sunny Yellow, Cranberry-Super hero
• Paper bags-lunch bag size
• Lots of adhesive

Feel free to share your creations, comments and questions. Thanks for visiting!

OPEN HOUSE @ MIcheal's Store

Come to the Open House and Save!

I will be at the Michael's Store,

200 W. Dekalb Pike, King of Prussia, PA 19406,

from 1-3pm promoting classes.

SAVE 25% on  Classes!

A $25 class will now be just $18.75.

A $10 class will now be just $7.50.

This Special is for one day only!

I will also be teaching a  

from 4-6pm a Cricut Test Drive 4-6 PM. Take advantage of the discount and take this class for only $7.50! WOW!!

CTMH Get Away Weekend!!

There's a CTMH Weekend Get Away and the registration deadline of March 10th is soon approaching! Space is limited, don't miss out on this much needed vacation!

When: Friday, April 13, 2012 (6 PM) to Sunday, April 15, 2012 (2 PM)

Cost: * Full Weekend: $130 registration by March 1st, there after $150 (Includes: Friday Snack, 3 Meals on Saturday, and Breakfast on Sunday)

* One Night Stay: $105 by March, $115 by March 10th (includes 3 meals on Saturday and your choice of Friday Snack or Sunday Breakast

* Locals Option for just daily commuting

$75 by March 10th    

 

Where: Harmony Heart Camp, 1557 Heart Lake Road, Scott Township, PA 18433

Weekend Getway Details:

• Round the Clock Access to the Crop Room
• WiFI available for digital layouts and photo organization
• HALF OF A TABLE for CROPPING!!
• Special Gift
• Door Prizes
• Page Layout Contes
• Great Home Cooked Meals
• Snacks & Beverages throughout weekend
• CTMH product demonstrations
• CTMH cash and carry items for sale
• Room & Board
• Classes for nominal fees.

Event is hosted by Jodi Armstrong, Independent Consultant for CTMH. For more information or for registration you may contact her through the CTMH website at http://www.jodiarmstrong.myctmh.com/ or send me a message and I can forward you the information as well.

I will be there and I hope you can join us too!

This week at Micheal's

I must share that you don't want to miss this weeks classes at Micheal's Store in KIng of Prussia. The address 200 W. DeKalb Pike, King of Prussia, PA.

• On Friday, February 3 from 6-8 pm, I having a Princess Party Paper Ed class for adults. We will be creating stunning princess theme decor, party favors, and inviations in class.
• Saturday, February 4th from 3-5pm is Valentine Vow Card Making - FREE Make and Take It Class! I've designed two greeting cards. Please stop by for 15 minutes to create a great greeting card. The best part its FREE! There will be free give aways as well.

• Spotted Canary is a four week scrapbooking class. Come and join me on Tuesdays from 6-8 pm and learn everything you always wanted to learn about scrapbooking. That's 4 weeks for only $25. Great deal and classes begins Tuesday, February 7th from 6-8 PM.

NEW IDEA BOOK

I am so excited about the NEW Close to My Heart Idea Book. It was challenging to figure out which items I want to start crafting first. Even the cover's layout looks great! Contact me if you want a copy of the new Idea Book, customers receive a free book with any $25 order. I particularly like the Pemberly, Lucy, and the Super Hero Workshops to Go. If you need to check it out right away feel free to check my site at http://francisames.myctmh.com/.