Memories in the Making: Title Page

Close To My Heart has an amazing special offer/project right now: Memories in the Making!  You can make a calendar for the upcoming year or decide to use it as scrapbook layouts as I am.  Since my baby is a high school senior this year, I decided to buy two copies of the layouts to help me document her senior year quickly and easily.

Even though this page isn't intended for the title page, I thought that it worked so well with her senior portrait!  I added White Daisy, Sapphire, and Pewter card stock photo mats, plus Lagoon shimmer trim.  I stamped "class of" with the (retired) Vogue stamp set and also added some blue (retired) and white gems.  I love how this title page turned out!  I will add to her album as the year progresses.  I am really thankful to Close To My Heart for this awesome kit to help me scrapbook her year quickly and easily.

H2H Challenges: Ribbon

The most recent Heart 2 Heart Challenge is "ribbon," and we can't wait to see how you use this fun product on your projects!

For my card, I used a simple sketch from the "Dad is Rad" promotion earlier this year.  I love the bands of ribbon across this simple card!  I began by stamping my sentiment from the Bunches of Love stamp set in Black on the bottom right corner.  Then I added a variety of four different kinds of ribbon on a diagonal across my front panel.

Don't you love the gold shimmer and flecks in each of these ribbons?!?

Please join us at H2H for this ribbon challenge or for any of our September challenges!

Sew What?! (CTMH Technique Blog Hop)

This month's technique blog hop is featuring stitching of any form (real or faux).  Those of you who know me know that I am NOT crafty with fabric, so of course I am focusing on faux stitching for this technique blog hop.  (If you're already hopping then you've probably arrived from Melissa's blog.  From here, you'll visit Debi's blog next.)

After stamping the flower centers and leaves without the outline images from the Bunches of Love stamp set, I stamped the "thinking of you" in Black on the Raspberry band.  I used my journaling pen to add faux stitches to add some more black to this soft card.  (The large flowers are Pix, the small flowers are Raspberry, and the leaves are Clover.)

My second card also uses journaling pen faux stitching with the September stamp of the month and Tis the Season paper pack.

In addition to the "stitches" across the two papers and the white card base, I also added stitches to the top and bottom of my focal sentiment.

Be sure to continue all the way through this technique blog hop to see how you can use stitching creatively on your next projects!  Be sure to visit Debi next!

Featured Paper Blog Hop: Boutique

This month's Close To My Heart featured paper collection is the lovely "Boutique" suite.  You'll get some great ideas showcasing this beauty along this month's blog hop.  (If you're already hopping then you've probably arrived from Ramona's blog.  From here you'll visit Brittany's blog next.)

This card combines the Boutique paper with the September stamp of the month, Just Treats, and the new color of the year, Sugarplum.  It's really hard to tell here (but shows up well on the actual card in real life) that I used the Sugarplum shimmer brush on the little splatters and candy swirls.

The cute puffy sticker is also part of the Boutique collection.

This card pairs Boutique with the Bunches of Love stamp set.  (Both of  my cards use sketches from Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 4.)

Finally, this layout also uses the Boutique collection.  You can read more about these two projects HERE.

If you'd like to see more ideas with the Boutique collection, hop on over to Brittany's blog next.  I'd love a comment before you go.  Thanks so much for visiting!  Happy hopping!

Holiday Expressions NEW PRODUCT Blog Hop

Welcome to the NEW Holiday Expressions blog hop!  You are going to love all of the new products that Close To My Heart unveiled September 1.  (If you're already hopping then you've probably arrived from the amazing Alyson's blog.  From here you'll visit Kimberly's blog next.)

The Boutique collection really called to me and ended up being the perfect compliment to my photos from our recent trip to the High Museum of Art of the E.B. Shepard Winnie-the-Pooh exhibit!  My sketch is based on a layout from Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 3.

On the left page, you can see a blend of Complements (heart cut out and flower sticker) and puffy stickers.

My title is stamped on a piece of Linen card stock (lighter side up) with the Bistro alphabet stamp set in Charcoal ink distressed with Peacock ink.

This card was quick to make with the Bunches of Love stamp set on a Linen card stock card base.  I picked a sketch from Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 4 and then personalized the card base by stamping the splatters (and flowers) with the new color of the year, Sugarplum.  (The outline flower image was stamped with Charcoal ink.)  I used Glacier for the leaves to match the paper pack.  This twine and puffy sticker are also part of the Boutique Workshop Your Way collection.

Thank for letting my share my photos of this great day, heartwarming art exhibit, a quick card, and all new CTMH products with you!  Please leave a comment before you click on over to Kimberly's blog to continue the new product blog hop.  Thank you!

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

Holiday Expressions 2018 Highlights: September

Close To My Heart has launched our latest and greatest Holiday Expressions 2018 Idea Book!  We are going back to a triannual idea book beginning right now.  We have five gorgeous paper collections available plus More Magical (only until the end of September).  You can view them all HERE.

We have 10 new gorgeous colors added to our exclusive color palette!

Plus our color of the year is the soft and pretty Sugarplum!

We also have several special offers only available this month:

September Stamp of the Month: Just Treats

You've Got Class

Memories in the Making

What's on your wish list?

September Stamp of the Month Blog Hop: Just Treats

The Close To My Heart September stamp of the month, Just Treats, will be your go-to stamp set for the next few months!  Check out lots of great ideas on our monthly stamp of the month blog hop.  (If you're already hopping then you've probably arrived from Gina's blog.  From here you'll visit Kimberly's blog next.)

Here are three fun variations of the same Make It From Your Heart sketch (and I can't wait to make some Christmas cards with some of the other stamps in the set).   Isn't the set cute?

My card features our new Nectarine color along with black shimmer trim and black dots.  To create the cute candy border, I stamped the outline stamp in black and then filled in the centers with the candy spirals.  I cut my sentiment with the CTMH/Cricut Artistry collection.

Thanks for hopping by!  Be sure to leave a comment and then go on to visit the rest of the blog hop participants.  Kimberly is next!

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

Bon Voyage Card

The Central Park collection has a bold, vibrant side and a pretty, soft side too.  It is only available through today, so get yours before it's gone!

My card is based on a Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 4 sketch.  I began by splattering light blue watercolor paint on my card base.  After it dried, I layered on my pieces of the Central Park paper pack plus silver shimmer trim.  My sentiment banner is from the Basics Fundamentals, with the sentiment from the CTMH/Cricut collection stamped in Pewter.  A pair of silver glitter gems finishes off this simple, uplifting card.

From Me To You Sunshine

The From Me to You special is only available until the end of the month!

To begin, I cut out my sentiment frame with the CTMH/Artistry collection.  Then, I added a pale yellow watercolor paint wash to highlight my sentiment.  When it dried, I painted a layer of gold shimmer paint on top of the watercolor.  Finally, I stamped this sweet sentiment in black on top.  The instructions for th pretty sketch can be found in Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 4.

For the Love of Crafting Drapery Card

The Drapery fold makes for such a pretty card!

Once again I'm using the gorgeous Documented collection, this time paired with Bashful card stock and glitter paper and the August stamp of the month, For the Love of Crafting.  (Next time, I will cut my paper at a sharper angle so that you can see more of the typewriter.)

Documented Easel Cards

Even though I try not to have favorites, the Documented collection is my favorite from the current Seasonal Expressions!  Unfortunately, everything is retiring this Friday, so be sure to get your faves before they're gone!

Easel cards are easier than I thought they would be to make!  This one started with a Saffron base.  The sentiment, from the Sending Prayers stamp set, was stamped in Eggplant.  The flowers were cut with the CTMH/Cricut Flower Market cartridge.  The front is based on a sketch from Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 4.

This side view shows how the card looks as an easel.

For a very special birthday, I made this easel card using basically the same materials (with a Bashful card stock base).  You can see that I rotated the sketch so that the sentiment square is at the bottom to balance the CTMH/Cricut Artistry balloon.  (All of the cuts were made with the Artistry collection.)  Can you see how I highlighted the stars and the balloon heart with the gold shimmer brush?

Here is the easel card opened.

 And from the side...

The easel card is easier to make than you might think.  Let me know if you'd like instructions!

Featured Paper Blog Hop: Documented

It's the third Saturday of the month so that means that it's time for our featured paper blog hop!  Yay!  August's beautiful collection is called Documented.  It will not be available after this month, so be sure to get yours before they're gone!  (If you're already hopping then you've probably arrived from Carol's blog.  From here, you'll visit Brittany's blog next.)

All of my projects today have been previously posted, but not altogether.  First is the August stamp of the month, For the Love of Crafting, paired with Documented.  (You can read more HERE.)

This Documented layout worked so well with photos from a family ladies' trip to Gibbs Garden.  (You can read more HERE.)

Finally, you may not see Documented in this card, but I did use a Saffron zip strip from Documented under the gold shimmer trim.  (You can learn more HERE.)

Thanks for letting me share these projects again!  I am swamped with school work right now since it's back-to-school season.  From here, please go visit Brittany next!