Here's to You Blog Hop

CTMH has a great campaign going on right now with four beautiful stamps and a coordinating workshop kit!  It's called Here's to You, so be sure to check out all the wonderful ideas you'll get along this special blog hop.  (If you're already hopping then you've probably arrived from Vickie's blog.  From here you'll visit Kathy's blog next.)

I chose to get the Sending Sunshine stamp and knew that I had to add a little sunshine to this sentiment!

I picked a variety of yellow papers (and gold glitter) to make my sunburst.  Can you tell which paper packs I used?  (From top to bottom, Whimsy, Central Park, Canary card stock, Beautiful Friendship, Saffron card stock, gold shimmer trim, Documented, Canary card stock,  Beautiful Friendship, Central Park, and Whimsy!)

Here's a peek at how I added each piece after deciding my pattern.

After cutting the sentiment panel with my CTMH/Cricut Artistry cartridge, I added stripes of yellow water color to highlight the main words of the sentiment.

After drying this piece almost complete with my heat tool, I added painted over the swipes with my gold shimmer brush (and again used my heat tool to help dry/set).

The next step was to stamp in the sentiment in Saffron ink over the painted swipes. Some gold glitter gems finished off this card.

Hopefully my card sends YOU a bit of sunshine, laughter, and hugs!  I'd love a comment before you head off to see how Kathy used the pretty Here's To You collection!

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

Craft with Heart Layout Subscription Service

Close To My Heart has launched an amazing subscription layout program called Craft with Heart!  Each month, you will receive all the materials to create TWO double-page layouts!  All you need is adhesive, a journaling pen, and your photos. 

Read the informative CTMH blog post HERE, view the info flyer HERE, and sign up HERE!  I can't wait to get started with this myself!

August Stamp of the Month Blog Hop: For the Love of Crafting

August's stamp of the month is called For the Love of Crafting, and you are going to, well, LOVE it!
(If you're already hopping then you've probably arrived from Brenda's blog.  From here you'll visit Debi's blog next.)

Don't you love this sentiment?!?  I had to use it on a card (and hopefully a home decor item for my craft room) to share with some of my other crazy, crafty friends!  It was easy to cut using the CTMH/Cricut Artistry cartridge (on Almond card stock, stamped in Peacock).  I used a sketch from Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 4 paired with the Documented collection.  (I did add the green burlap ribbon from the Fresh Air collection.)  You may not be able to tell from the photo, but I used 3D foam tape to pop the camera (which also helps adhere it over the ribbon).

I'd love a comment before you head off to see Debi's crafty project!  As always, thanks for stopping by!

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

50th Anniversary Final Cruise Layouts

My final two cruise layouts really focus on the real reason for our cruise: time with family on the special occasion of our parents' 50th anniversary.  (If you missed the first installments, click HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.)  Again, I used the Postcard Perfect collection for this tropical vacation.  (You can get yours right HERE while supplies last!)

We all agreed that we would have a formal family photo shoot while aboard.  We all really loved how they turned out!  (This layout uses the third and final A Cut Above layout from the kit.  I did add in a stamped title.)

You can probably figure out that the photo at the bottom right is of my parents, and the main photo is of all 13 of us!

For the right side, I placed our photos in birth order: my family on top, then my brother's, then my sister's, and finally all of the cousins.

The final layout features a tradition that we absolutely love!  If you look closely, you'll see that we're wearing matching FFF shirts.  FFF stands for "Forced Family Fun," a coin we termed way back on a huge family trip out west when we were teenagers.  You can probably imagine some of the F words added over the years...  (In college especially FREE was very appealing!)

My sister had the great idea many, many years ago to have these shirts made and surprise our parents with them.  We've had to hand down some sizes and order more as our family has grown, but it is a privilege to wear this "uniform" at least once on our Forced Family Fun adventures.

Happy 50th anniversary, Mom and Dad!  We are especially proud to add that F (fiftieth) to our FFF!  We love you so much!

50th Anniversary Cruise Layouts #8-9

Welcome back to my series of layouts for my parents' 50th anniversary cruise!  (If you missed the first installments, click HERE, HERE, and HERE.)  Again, I used the Postcard Perfect collection for this tropical vacation.  (You can get yours right HERE while supplies last!)

Layout #8 uses the second of three Cut Above layouts from the kit to showcase some highlights of the ship experience itself.  (By the way, we were sailing on the Carnival Magic.)

I left several places for journaling.

 Our final day aboard was our second, fun sea day.

Since I wasn't able to use the long journaling strip from the Cut Above kit on the layout it was "supposed" to go on, I thought it worked really well here.

We enjoyed high tea and then went on to win a coveted "Ship in a Stick" for tying to win Harry Potter trivia! 

We had such a wonderful cruise together!  Tomorrow I'll post our final layouts of the amazing vacation.

50th Anniversary Cruise Layouts #5-7

Hopefully you're not tired of seeing our family's 50th anniversary cruise layouts! (If you missed the first installments, click HERE and then again HERE.)  Again, I used the Postcard Perfect collection for this tropical vacation.  (You can get yours right HERE while supplies last!)

This particular layout of San Juan, Puerto Rico, uses one of the three layouts in the Postcard Perfect A Cut Above layout kit.  These make great projects that you can easily make on your own!

As usual, I didn't exactly follow all of the directions so that I could make these layouts fit my photos.  (And I accidentally did not print my sister's family's photo, but that will be added before I give my parents their album).

That night was another formal night (and I'm hoping my parents have a picture of themselves that night!  If not, Mom can journal on the photo mat at left.)

Don't you love the addition of the Beautiful Friendship bows on that adorable flamingo?  Also, the title stickers are from the Cut Above layout kit.  I couldn't use them on the intended layout, which was okay because the entire collection mixes and matches so well.

 Our final port of call was beautiful (and HOT) Grand Turk.

For this layout, I used a mix of elements from the paper collection and the stamp set.  More to come tomorrow...

50th Anniversary Cruise Layouts #3-4

As promised yesterday, I'm back with more finished layouts for my parents' 50th anniversary album.  (If you missed the first installment, click HERE.)  Again, I used the Postcard Perfect collection for this tropical vacation.  (You can get yours right HERE while supplies last!)

Our first port of call was Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic.  Since this isn't our first family cruise (and ages span three generations), we all feel very comfortable doing different things during the day.  We have the tradition of gathering in my parents' stateroom before dinner and dining together nightly.

My family wandered around the port with the Grands, while my sister's family took a zip line tour and my brother's family swam with dolphins!  (On this layout, I again used the CTMH/Cricut Flower Market cartridge to cut my title.)

Our cruise ship docked the next day on beautiful St. Thomas.

The beautiful florals you see on the right page were stamped with the Postcard Perfect stamp set (no longer available) and my title was stamped with Inked Alphabet stamp set.)

This right page will have flip flaps added so that I can show off more of our beach pictures.  (They work best when added on top of your page protector.)

Thanks for letting me share my layouts from our trip!

50th Anniversary Celebration(s) and Cruise Layouts #1-2

My wonderful parents celebrated their 50th anniversary earlier this month, and we were blessed to be able to take a family cruise in June to celebrate and then have a backyard BBQ with friends.  I'll be posting my projects over the next week or so.  (MOM!  If you're looking, go away and come back after you get your album!!!!!!)

Here is the title page for their album, using the former "Dad Is Rad" collection.  (If you missed this one and would like to know more, click HERE.)

All of my cruise layouts use the Postcard Perfect collection.  (I have to give a huge shout out to Susan Williams for the amazing workshop that she created!  Contact me if you'd like to know more.)  You can still get the paper collection and A Cut Above Kit- while supplies last- by clicking HERE.

Layout #1 highlights getting to meet our baby cousin for the first time on the way down and embarkation day.

I cut my title with the CTMH/Cricut  Flower Market to cut my titles.

I added some Document Dots for dimension. 

Layout #2 was our first full day on board: my nephew's 10th birthdayand a sea day finishing with formal night.

Come back daily to see more if you'd like to travel vicariously and/or enjoy some tropical scrapbooking!  I'll be making my family's album as my next big project!  (I did make both sets of base pages at the same time.)

H2H Challenges: Fresh Air Fun

This week's Heart 2 Heart challenge is Fresh Air Fun.  You don't have to use the Fresh Air collection, but it's a great fit! This is the card I made my husband for our 23rd anniversary.  (My does time fly!!!) 

It didn't take long to fussy cut the focal image from the Fresh Air Scrapbooking set after stamping it in Fern and rolling it in New England Ivy.  The sentiment is from a retired CTMH set.  I used a sketch from Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 4 to put this together pretty quickly.  He really seemed to like it!

Be sure to visit the H2H blog and see our designers' inspiration.  All of our July challenges are open to the end of the month, so won't you join us for one or more?  You earn a special badge for participating in each of the month's challenges. 

Featured Paper Blog Hop: Central Park

No matter where you call home, you're going to love the Central Park paper collection!  You'll be amazed at how versatile this paper collection is, so be sure to hop all the way through this blog hop.  (If you're already hopping then you've probably arrived from Kathleen's blog.  From here, you'll visit Brittany next.)  This paper pack features primary colors AND pastels, and somehow they work together!

My first card is based on the Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 4 pattern 10.  I used my Thin Cuts/Cuttlebug to create the scalloped border.  The sentiment is from a retired stamp set.

Both of these cards use the Sending Prayers stamp set.  The one below is based on the  Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 4 pattern 24.

Now there's a twist on the Central Park paper pack: a very soft, feminine, pastel version!  (Sorry for the retired stamps, but they are ones in my collection that I absolutely love!)

Thank you for letting my share my Central Park cards with you!  I have a scrapbook layout planned next, so be sure to come back.  After leaving me a comment, feel free to visit Brittany's blog next.