Highlight the Details {CTMH Technique Blog Hop}

It's time to highlight the details!  You're going to learn a lot of creative techniques along this month's CTMH Technique Blog Hop, Highlight the Details!  Be sure to hop all the way through so that you don't miss a thing.  (If you're already hopping then you've probably arrived from Michelle Loncar's blog and from here you'll visit Amy Ulen's blog next.)

My card uses the So Much Happy Cardmaking stamp set and coordinating collection.  You might be wondering how this card fits the Highlight the Details so look a little closer...

 Still don't see it?  Here's the before...

...and after!  I used our watercolor pencils (without water) to add shading and highlights to my pots and even the succulents!  (I wish you could see it in person.)

For this second card, I highlighted the details with my Sugarplum shimmer brush to add dimension to the pot and to highlight the heart above the sentiment.  (This card uses the Feels Like Home paper collection).

Finally, I used a totally different technique on this layout to highlight key words to help make all of the text more interesting.  (I had a lot to say on this layout!)  I made it using the retired Central Park collection.  If you'd like to know more, you can read and see more HERE.

Otherwise, be sure to continue along the hop!  I'd love a comment before you hop on over to Amy's blog.  Thank you!

H2H Challenges: "Weather" or Not (AKA California Dreamin')

The most recent Heart2Heart Challenge is "Weather" or Not, and I couldn't help but think of our daughters' recent trip to California for Spring Break.  Yes, this trip was the first time that they flew anywhere without us, their devoted, loving, (over?) protective parents (whether I liked it or not!).  Fortunately, they had a great trip!

Here is the layout I created for our older daughter of her favorite photos.  I ended up using a sketch from Reflections for the left page and kind of designed my own for the right page.  I used the I Heart Us collection for this fun layout.

I used my CTMH/Cricut You Are Here to cut out the palm tree and "spring break" sunglasses.  Perfect fit, right?  I think the brown card stock is retired Desert Sand, but I'm not entirely sure.  It worked well with both the palm tree cut and the Pacific Ocean photo mat.  Don't you love how well neutrals can fit with this vibrant collection?

You'll notice that journaling is lacking.  My daughter will have to write her own story for this layout.

Thanks for letting me share my "weather or not" twist with you!  Be sure to visit the H2H blog, all of our talented designers, and most importantly our amazing participants!

Europe 2016: Day 14 (Father's Day)

On our epic adventure, we were leaving Venice to cruise in the Mediterranean sea on Father's Day.  Boy, did we get the surprise of a lifetime!!!  The So Much Happy collection was perfect!

First, I created this two-page layout, but then I added typed journaling and lots of photos of leaving Venice on our cruise using a pocket page.

When I first made my layout, I didn't add in any of the Tangerine pieces, but then I went back and included them to better match my photos.

Here are close ups of each page:

Having my parents along for the rest of our adventure made it even more special!

Europe 2016: Day 13

Yes, Day 13 lived up to its superstitious status, and it's a good thing that I didn't realize it was the 13th day at the time, or it probably would have been worse!  (Hey, a bad day on vacation is still a great day, right?)

Since I had so much to journal about, I ended up typing up our adventure.  After I picked the photos to go with the day (7 of them!), I formatted my journaling doc so that it was 6" wide.  Simple side bars contained my photos.

 To make my journaling more interesting (and to highlight all the transportation of the day), I used my Golden Yellow Shin Han Twin Touch marker to highlight words related to transportation.  I wouldn't use this technique all the time, but I think it made all the text more visually appealing (and will hopefully draw viewers into the actual text).

All of my supplies are retired except for the chipboard bus (from So Much Happy complements) and of course the White Daisy card stock and Shin Han Twin Touch marker.  (Everything else is from the retired Central Park collection.)

Thanks for once again letting me share our adventure!

So Much Happy Cardmaking

Recently I have needed several "get well" cards, so I turned to my So Much Happy Cardmaking stamp set.

My first card pairs the stamp set with its coordinating paper collection, So Much Happy.  I stamped the foliage in Emerald, the pot in Peach, the sentiment in Sapphire, and the arrows in Candy Apple.  I added a little So Much Happy washi tape and a puffy sticker from the collection.

The second card is very similar, but I used the Feels Like Home collection instead.  (Both cards also use a  Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 2 sketch.)  This color palette uses Fern, Sugarplum, and Charcoal.

I had lots of fun spattering my card with my Sugarplum shimmer brush and also highlight the pot with the shimmer brush.

I used a similar spatter technique on this third card.  I added a little shading on the pot rim with the shimmer brush and stamped a heart from the set directly onto the pot and above the sentiment. 

(This final card is being mailed to our daughter in college, just because.)

This month is your last chance to get the featured products from the current Seasonal Expressions 1 Idea Book.  I'll be using this stamp set, among others, at my card class on Sunday, April 14, so if you're local, join  us!  (If you're not local, contact me about a card kit in the mail.) 

April Stamp of the Month Blog Hop: Love So Sweet

The Close To My Heart April stamp of the month, Love So Sweet, is a gorgeous stamp set that you have to have!  Continue along this blog hop to get lots of great ideas highlighting the versatility and beauty of this set, only available this month. {If you're already hopping then you've probably arrived from my sweet friend Becca's blog.  From here, you'll visit Barbara's blog next.}

My card began with embossing the Swiss Dots embossing folder on my Cuttlebug.  I then started stamping the flowers in Sapphire and Sugarplum.  They needed something so I started adding Fern leaves, but they weren't enough so some more Sugarplum and Sapphire small flowers were needed (in first and second generation stamping).  I added the Charcoal sentiment and butterfly to finish the stamping.  (I had planned to add some white ribbon above the embossed band, but it covered up too much of my pretty stamping!)  Instead, I added some gold glitter gems to the sentiment.

To finish my card, I painted my flower centers with my gold shimmer brush and added a gold glitter gem.

I had planned to used that beautiful butterfly on my card, but the flowers ended up taking center stage.  I hope you like what I've created!  Thank you for letting me share my card with you!  I'd love a comment before you hop on over to Barbara's blog to continue the stamp of the month hop.

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

Europe 2016: Day 11

Even though I am trying to work on our photos from our epic adventure in order, sometimes it is just more fun to scrapbook what I'm in the mood for!  On Day 11, we visited Flaam, Norway.

Even though I had been using the So Much Happy collection for our other Norway photos, I decided to use some retired papers that better matched my pictures.  Using the Love of Color guide, I chose the New England Ivy combo with Espresso, Pomegranate, and Goldrush.  I chose layouts from Reflections to pull my photos together easily.

I used some retired Documented kraft cutouts and New England Ivy burlap ribbon to embellish my layout.

I am using a 4"x4" flip flap to add a close up of the beautiful boat houses that fascinated me in port, plus include more in-depth journaling about the day.

 My second layout highlights some photos on board the MSC Opera, our home for the week.  For this page, I used So Much Happy again and a sketch from Make It From Your Heart.

In addition to the So Much Happy complements, I used the coordinating puffy stickers and the March stamp of the month, This Happened.

I really love how easily everything coordinates together.

Thanks for letting me share another day of our amazing trip!

Swiss Dots Embossing Folder Cards

Our new Swiss Dots embossing folder is so beautiful!  I made two completely different cards to show off its versatility.

The first one is a white 4"x5.25" panel that I dry embossed with the folder in my Cuttlebug.  I stamped the sentiment from the current Love Blossoms special offer stamp set (available through the end of March, while supplies last, only) in Pewter ink.  I tied white ribbon around the panel above the "ribbon" embossing, and then used 3D foam tape to adhere the panel to my card base.  Wouldn't this make a pretty bridal thank you?  The bride could even customize the sentiment in her color(s).

My second card uses the same Swiss Dots embossing folder (with Sugarplum card stock), but this time, I embossed it with more blank space than embossed space.  Even though I had thought I would make another side-fold card, I changed my mind and made it a top-fold instead.  All of the patterned paper is from the Feels Like Home collection, paired with the So Much Happy Cardmaking stamp set.  I used Fern, Sugarplum, and Charcoal inks.  If you look closely, you can see how I painted my "pot" with Sugarplum shimmer brush.

Thank you for letting me share two very different takes on the same embossing folder.  If you haven't gotten this folder yet, be sure to put it on your wish list!

So Much Happy Paper Collection Blog Hop

The So Much Happy collection is probably my favorite of this Idea Book (but it's so hard to choose!), so I am thrilled that we're featuring it this month on our blog hop! (If you're already hopping then you've probably arrived from Brittany's blog, and from here you'll visit Julie's blog next.)

I used the I Heart Us workshop to create this layout and modified it to fit my photos.  This layout is Day 8 of our European adventure in 2016.

Do you spot my mistake?  It was Day 8, not 7, so I cut a strip of White Daisy, stamped my title again, and then glued it over the original.  I don't think it's too obvious!  (I didn't go back and take another picture of the corrected double-page layout, however.)

You might be wondering which alphabet set I used.  Any guesses?

It's the cute Letter Board stamp set!  All of the other embellishments are part of the I Heart Us workshop collection.

Here's the completed right page.

I also used the So Much Happy workshop for Day 10 of our trip.

 I used some of the Complements to embellish this layout.

Finally, I used the collection for the title page of the second volume of our European adventure scrapbooks.

Read more HERE if you'd like to know more.

Thank you for letting me share the So Much Happy collection and layouts from our epic adventure.  Please leave a comment before you hop on over to Julie's blog.  Thank you!

Love Blossoms Blog Hop

Have you seen the beautiful current Close To My Heart special workshop, Love Blossoms?  It is a beautiful double stamp set plus a complete 12-card workshop.  My blog hop group decided to feature this special so that you can see how versatile this set really is.  {If you're already hopping, then you've probably arrived from Krista's blog.  From here, you'll visit my friend and fellow Heart 2 Heart designer, Melissa.}

For this hop, I wanted to show a different side of Love Blossoms, so I only used sentiments and not the flowers.  These cards will be mailed to my daughter in college over the next few months.

The first one is going in the mail tomorrow so that she'll have it well before St. Patrick's Day.  I used the So Much Happy collection with the addition of gold shimmer trim.  I inked up the "may your day be" (NOT inking up the "as" at the end) in Lemon and then stamped "lucky" in Clover.  I cut the shamrock from Clover card stock with my CTMH/Cricut Flower Market cartridge.

My second card uses the Something Fierce collection.  After cutting the Thin Cut hearts, I stamped the sentiments in Pewter and Raspberry.  I like the addition of the white enamel dots!

My final card uses the I Heart Us collection.  I stamped the top and bottom sentiments in Pixie and "fabulous" in Raspberry.  To create pink shimmer trim, I used my Shin Han Twin Touch Tender Pink marker to color silver trim.  The cute heart is from the I Heart Us complements.

Thank you for letting me share a variety of fun and easy cards.  Feel free to copy them if you like!  After leaving a comment, go visit Melissa's blog next on the hop!

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