Tag, You're It! {CTMH Technique Blog Hop}

Tag, You're It!  Tags are so fun to use alone or layered onto a project.  You're going to love seeing all the possibilities along this month's CTMH Technique Blog Hop.  (If you're already hopping then you've probably already arrived from Michelle Johns' blog and you'll visit Debi McBain next.)

This layout is the title page for volume 2 of our epic European adventure in 2016.  (Yes, I am way behind on scrapbooking, and I am okay with that.  Don't judge. LOL)  I used the So Much Happy Workshop Your Way collection and my CTMH/Cricut You Are Here cartridge.

The top left tag is from the You Are Here stamps.  After cutting out the tag, I stamped the image on it with Lagoon.  Then I stamped the image again in Sapphire on scrap and cut out the "vacation" band.  The other tag is from the So Much Happy collection.

My photo mat is another tag from You Are Here, as is the yellow label and the "here we go" sentiment (stamped with Candy Apple ink).  Can you see all the adorable So Much Happy puffy stickers?  Aren't those clouds cute too?

Thank you for letting my share a little bit more of our trip and my girls, plus hopefully I've provided some tag inspiration.  After leaving a comment, hop on over to Debi's blog next!

Seasonal Expressions 1 2019 New Product Blog Hop

Have you gotten your hands on the new Close To My Heart Seasonal Expressions 1 Idea Book?  Better yet, have you gotten your new goodies to play with?  We're featuring our favorites from the new collections on this blog hop.  (If you're already hopping, then you've probably arrived from Melinda's blog.  From here, you'll visit Gina's blog next.)

The Something Fierce collection isn't just for little kids!  I used it to showcase some of my daughter's marching band pictures, and I love how they look with this color palette.

My layout design is based on the Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 3 Pattern 18.  (I am planning on having my daughter write her own journaling since this layout is going in her senior year album.)

In addition to the Something Fierce complements, I added some gray gems for a little subtle bling.

Here are two cards I've made with the Something Fierce collection:

You definitely feel the dinosaur jive with this birthday card featuring the January stamp of the month, Card Captions.  (Learn more HERE.)

My second card uses the Year of Sweetness stamp set and was given to my cousin for his first birthday.  (Learn more HERE.)

Thank you very much for letting me share some ideas with the Something Fierce collection.  Believe it or not, it's not even my favorite collection of this Idea Book!  I am really looking forward to playing with the other papers featured this quarter also.  Be sure to visit all of the bloggers on this hop for lots of inspiration.  Please leave a comment before going to visit GINA'S BLOG next.

{Click HERE for all the hop participants and their blogs.}

Years of Sweetness First Birthday Card

My cousin Ben turned ONE last month, so I created this card with the Years of Sweetness stamp set and Something Fierce paper collection.

The card is based on a pattern from Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 4.  After cutting out the cupcake image from the CTMH/Cricut Artbooking cartridge, I stamped it with Lemon, Carolina, and Willow.  The sentiment is Carolina.  Here's a peek at the inside (before personalizing it).

I think he liked his card (and he even toted it around for a bit)!  Isn't he adorable?

Here are some more ideas from the CTMH Corporate Artwork Staff.

Isn't this set cute for boys or girls? 

Short Story Mini Album

Close To My Heart has partnered with Stacy Julian to create Story by Stacy, which now features 3 different kinds (sizes) of mini albums and a worksheet to help you make them.  Story Starter is 4"x4",  Short Story albums are 6"x6", and the newest addition, Stories I Love, is 6"x8".  (You can learn more about each one HERE.)  Below is my Black & White Short Story right out of the packaging. 

I knew exactly what I wanted to make so I did not use the worksheet.  My husband's mom made him this poster of pictures for his 50th birthday, and I have been wanting to convert them into a mini album.

I pulled the pictures off and cut out her journaling to include as much as I could.  Here are the results:

Each pair is a 6"x6" left and right page.  I did make the effort to pull a few more childhood photos to include his dad and his brother in his album.

School photos and young adult shenanigans

Dating and early married life

Here come the girls!

I went ahead and added a family photo from this year since I had extra and needed one more page.  I probably should have found a photo from his 50th birthday, but I didn't go to the trouble when this beauty was already sitting on my craft table.  The final page is a photo of the poster itself and a quick note about how his mom had made the poster and then I had turned it into an album.

I am really looking forward to my next one!  I might actually follow the directions on the next one...

January Stamp of the Month Blog Hop: Card Captions

Happy 2019!  Close To My Heart is kicking off the year with a lovely January stamp of the month, Card Captions (and of course the brand new Seasonal Expressions 1 Idea book!).  You are going to want to use this stamp set all year long!  Hop along this blog hop to get some great ideas and inspiration.  (If you're already hopping then you've probably arrived from Darlys's blog.  From here, you'll visit Gina next.)

Each month I participate in a stamp of the month swap with my CTMH team, and this month we paired Card Captions with the new Something Fierce collection.  I used my CTMH/Cricut Artistry cartridge to cut the present for this cute little birthday card.  I stamped the sentiment in Bluebird and the dots in Carolina (on a Carolina card stock base).

Didn't my team do a lovely job with these cards?  My favorite might be the one with the cup of soup packet (bottom right).  Unfortunately, I'm not sure which consultant made which card, so please let me know if I have shared yours here!

Pretty in pink and with Thin Cuts

Fun birthday cards

Don't you love all these sentiments?

Thank you for hopping by here in the new year. I would love a comment before you head on off to Gina's blog.  Happy hopping!

{Click HERE for all the hop participants and their blogs.}

Senior Year Album Part 1

Our youngest is a high school senior this year, so I am trying to make her an album of highlights of this school year.  On this final day of 2018, I thought I would share what I've gotten made so far.

{You read about this particular layout HERE.}

This is definitely a year of "lasts," as we took our final first day of school picture together (I am a teacher).

This layout was made with the Boutique collection.

 This layout went together really quickly thanks to our cool new Craft with Heart layout subscription.

 It's easy to personalize the kits with stuff from your stash, too.

Learn more HERE.

Another Craft with Heart layout that was so easy to make my own for Thanksgiving memories.

Highlights of December with another Craft with Heart layout (even though I did not follow the directions on this one AT ALL).

Thanks for letting me share!  I wish you all the absolute best in 2019.

Senior Night Layout

Many of you know that my "baby" is a senior in high school this year, so I am really trying to make an album to document this special year.  Some layouts are hers alone, others I'm duplicating for both of us, and others incorporate some of her pictures into my scrapbook.  Her senior band night is one that I decided to duplicate for each of us.

The layout sketch is based on Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 2, sketch 3.  I used a mix of old and new: Boutique papers + retired Enchantment B&T in Eggplant.

Some of my retired stamps are the perfect accents and title.

I am working really hard on making her an album of her senior year, and I got really emotional about it yesterday!  More layouts to come...

Chicken Run Layout

Did you know that we got three chickens this spring?  They were hatched in our school's STEM class.  Turns out one of those cute chicks was a rooster!  The three of them are actually really fun to have.

We got our first egg at the beginning of November.  We are currently getting about an egg a day (actually two eggs every other day).  Unfortunately we lost our rooster to a fox so the girls don't get to free range as much as they would like now.  (They do not understand that it's for their own good!  Sounds like every parents' lament!)

My layout uses the current Seasons Mix In patterned paper plus Almond and Sweet Leaf card stock.  I cut my title with one of my CTMH/Cricut cartridges.

Thanks for letting me share another side of our lives with you!