Welcome to Amsterdam Layout

The Yesterday & Today collection is perfect for the pictures of our family's trip to Amsterdam last year on our Europe 2019 trip.

I added in Ruby cardstock and Mint from the Mix-In paper pack to highlight our first evening in Amsterdam.

The lock and clipboard clasp are from the Yesterday & Today foil die cuts, and the smaller clip is a sticker from the corresponding sticker sheet.

I love the versatility of the Story by Stacy Simply Said stamp set.  I love the little heart accent!

Beautiful Friendship Mix-Ins Birthday Card

A dear friend and fellow tea lover recently celebrated her birthday, so I pulled out my Beautiful Friendship stamp set and Thin Cuts (retired) to make her a special card.

I used the Sapphire, Mint, and Saffron papers from the current beautiful Mix-In paper pack to make this gatefold card.

The Mint shimmer brush added some sparkle!

I used my Shin-Han Twin Touch markers to color the teapot and cup.

White enamel dots added a little dimension to finish off her card.  Please join me in wishing this sweet lady a very happy birthday!

Tuxedo Fold Birthday Card

My sweet mother-in-law recently celebrated her birthday, and since we couldn't spend it with her, I decided to make an extra-special card for her.  I fell in love with the tuxedo fold card, and this is what I made for her.

It even folds flat for mailing.

I used the Celebrate Today collection and my CTMH/Cricut Artistry collection for the cuts.  I had fun embellishing the die cuts with various shimmer brushes.  (I don't love the Sappphire shimmer on Bluebird card stock, but what is done is done.)  I added a few white enamel dots for some dimension.

Honestly, this card was a challenge to make!  I watched a great video tutorial HERE, but it turns out I didn't have the correct card stock measurements.  The third try was a charm!  Then, my pop ups didn't work quite as well as I had hoped, but they're still pretty cute.  If you'd like to learn how, I'm adding a photo tutorial below.  I'd love a comment!

Begin with a piece of 8.25"x12" card stock for your card base.  (I chose Lemonade).  Score vertically at 2-3/4", 5.5", 8-1/4", and 11"

Turn your card stock 90 degrees.  On the left side (based on this view), mark at 2-3/4" and then score the first section only at 5.5"  On the opposite side (the right side in this view), score the 1" panel only at 5.5" and then score the 1" and next section at 2-3/4".  Now make the diagonal scores from the top center down to the left mark and from the top center down to the bottom right score mark.

 Cut away the top portion of the 1" section and then trim the tab at an angle (top and bottom).  The cuts are marked with Xs.

Next, cut out both top squares (first sections) and the triangles in the center sections.  These pieces are marked with Xs.

Now fold the "house" in half.  All of the vertical score marks get folded in to make the box.

Fold the triangle flap "lapels" out or down.

I forgot to include the dimensions for the cross pieces to make your pop ups, so be sure to watch the excellent video tutorial too!  Thanks for letting me share!

CTMH Technique Blog Hop: Heat It Up

This month's technique hop is featuring heat embossing!  If you've never tried it (or even if you have), heat embossing is practically magical.  (If you're already hopping then you've probably arrived from Kim's blog.  From here, you'll visit Lauren next.)

I ended up making two similar panels because I didn't like the first (bottom) one, but decided to share both because they are (in my opinion) both pretty after all!

To begin, I stamped the flowers and leaves from the Yesterday & Today Cardmaking set with Versamark ink and then sprinkled white embossing powder all over, then I used my heat tool to melt/set the powder to a slick, shiny white finish.

For the first panel, I painted watercolors and then stamped the sentiment in Candy Apple, but I thought the painting was too dark and set it aside. 

 I repeated the process but then sponged Canary and Candy Apple ink over my heat embossed images.  With either the paint or the ink, but sure to buff the colored areas with a tissue or paper towel to pull the media off of the embossed images.

The inked version is much softer than the watercolor.  Now that they are both dried, I can't decide which I like better, so I will finish the watercolor panel by mounting it on Canary from the Mixed-In paper pack with a band of Candy Apple card stock then embellish with white & gold ribbon and gold gems.

Which do you like better?  The more vibrant watercolor or the lighter sponged ink?  Thanks for visiting!  Please leave a comment before hopping over to Lauren's blog to continue!

Happy Easter!

My family and I wish you a very happy Easter!

The Easter Window stamp set is so pretty in and of itself!  I ended up coloring the window image with my TriBlend Markers: Citrus Blend, Dull Green (for the lily stems and leaves), Light Green, Orange, Ice Blue, and Purple.  I love how the three marker shades can give you even more shades of the color family!

I added clear shimmer to the center cross piece.  After cutting out the window, I glued it onto Thistle cardstock, then added gold shimmer trim to continue the rays of sunlight from the stamp.

Here's a closeup of the variations of colors of these amazing markers.

Again, my family and I wish you a very happy Easter, especially in these unusual times!

CTMH Workshop Kits & Guides

In these strange times of physical distancing and staying at home, CTMH workshop kits make great projects that you can complete on your own!  On my Facebook business page (Click on the link to join me there!), I shared the contents of the adorable Seas the Day Cardmaking Workshop Kit.

Did you know that you can download the workshop guides without making a purchase?  Perhaps you like the style of the cards but aren't into the nautical theme?  Recreate them with your own paper and stamps!  I made a short video that you can watch HERE to show you how.  If I can help you with your crafty needs in any way, please reach out to me!

April Stamp of the Month Blog Hop: O-fish-ally Awesome

The April stamp of the month, O-fish-ally Awesome, is pretty awesome!  Please swim through this blog hop of "fin-tastic" ideas! {If you're already hopping then you've probably arrived from Gina's blog.  From here you'll visit Michelle Loncar's blog next.}

My daughter suggested that I channel "Finding Nemo" so I definitely went that route with these two Marlon and Dory fish and the awesome "just keep swimming" sign.  After stamping the fish on White Daisy cardstock with Black ink, I colored them with my TriBlend markers to resemble the Disney characters then fussy cut them out.  I stamped the sign on Mink cardstock and then shaded it with my BrownGray TriBlend.  (The sentiment is Sapphire to match the Seas the Day collection.)  A little Sapphire crochet thread finished it.

If you look closely, you can see that I stamped "waves" with Mint ink on the Mint cardstock strip and bubbles (in Black) for "Dory."

Thanks for stopping by!  Please leave a comment before "swimming" on over to Michelle Loncar's blog.

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

Anne Frank House Layout

Last year, we were very fortunate to get to visit Amsterdam and to go to the Anne Frank House.  You'll notice a lot of handwritten journaling on this layout about the visit.

Here is the two pages with the Pocket Plus addition covering the right page and then flipped to cover the left page (as if you were flipping through my album).

In keeping with our Amsterdam theme, I am continuing to use the Yesterday & Today collection. I like how well it suits my photos!

Here's a close up of the left page and Pocket Plus Memory Design 2...

...and the right page with the back of the Pocket Plus on the left.

Getting to visit was an extraordinarily moving experience.  I'm so glad we were able to visit it with our girls.

What are you currently scrapbooking?

More March Stamp of the Month Cards

My CTMH consultant team did such a great job on these cards featuring the March stamp of the month, Family Legacy, and the Yesterday & Today collection.

I love the variety of styles and techniques.  Let me know if you have any questions about any of them.

Do you have a favorite?

H2H Challenges: Vintage Vibes

Close To My Heart's Yesterday & Today collection is the perfect suite to enter into the Heart2Heart Challenge's next challenge, Vintage Vibes.  Though my photos aren't vintage, I still think that they fit the bill.

My "Vintage Vibes" layouts both feature the Yesterday & Today offerings from the Craft with Heart scrapbooking subscription.

I used a die cut flower to cover part of the pre-printed title that I didn't want to use.

While it has a slightly different feel, my second layout comes from the same Craft with Heart subscription- the perfect opportunity for new moms to get together!  This layout focuses on some of the yummy eats to be found on our adveneture.

Thank you for letting me share two scrapbook layouts with you.  Please leave a comment, and then check out what all of our DT has to offer as inspiration.

CTMH Technique Blog Hop: Distressed Much?

Distressing your projects- like practically every other fad- is coming back in popularity.  (It's one that I personally love!)  This month's technique blog hop is focusing on distressing techniques that will actually help you keep your sanity.  (If you're already hopping then you've probably arrived from Kim's blog.  From here, you'll visit Ronda next.)

I chose to use the Yesterday & Today paper collection (and foil die cuts) to celebrate eating in the Foodhallen in Amsterdam.  It's a really cool food court in a refurbished tram/trolley headquarters.

I added Ruby to the collection, and then distressed all edges with Espresso ink.  I also scissor-distressed the edge between the dark dots and the dark zip strip.  On each piece of ruby cardstock, after sponging with Espresso I added a few tears.  Do you love the foil die cuts as much as I do?

 Flip Flaps let you add more photos to your traditional page.

Thank you for letting me share my distressing technique on some favorite pictures from our Europe 2019 trip.  Before you hop off to Ronda's blog, please leave a comment!

March/April New Product Blog Hop

Close To My Heart is rolling out a new catalog/idea book every two months, and we are celebrating all the new goodies for March and April along this fantastic blog hop!  (If you're already hopping then you've probably arrived from Michelle Stewart's blog.  From here you'll visit Brenda Lapp's blog next.)

As soon as I saw the new Operation Smile stamp set, You Make Me Happy, I knew it would be one of the first new products that I ordered!  I decided to pair this sweet owl with the Yesterday & Today collection.  After stamping the owl in black, I used my TriBlend Brown Gray, Light Green, and Ice Blue markers to color the image.  I sponged distressed this piece with Espresso ink and then tied some gold and white ribbon around it.  I also scissor-distressed the black mat.  Do you see the "thinking of you" sentiment at the bottom?

My second project again uses the beautiful Yesterday & Today collection in a more modern way.  My photos are from our train ride from Amsterdam through Antwerp to Bruges.

While you might not think that Bluebird would coordinate with this collection, between my husband's shirt and the window of the train, I thought adding it helped make the layout "pop."  (I did use one of our TriBlend markers to write the title.)

Both pages are embellished with some of the Yesterday & Today stickers, vellum die cuts, and gold glitter gems.

Be sure to leave a comment before you continue the New Product Blog Hop at Brenda's blog!

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