November Stamp of the Month Blog Hop: You Warm My Heart

Welcome to the November stamp of the month blog hop, featuring the cozy You Warm My Heart stamp set!  (If you're already hopping, then you've probably arrived from Pam's blog.  From here, you'll visit Michelle's blog next.)  I decided to create a little holiday gift card that I could tuck a tea bag into because I love a good cup of tea.

My card is a 3.5" square of Espresso cardstock (with dimensions and cutting guide to follow).  I used the Woodgrain paper collection from the core Idea Book along with Scarlet glitter paper and Lagoon cardstock/ink.  Don't you love the Turquoise gloss spray on the background?!?  After stamping the cup in Scarlet and the "tea" in Espresso and fussy-cutting, I cut a small tea bag paper on which I stamped the little dots in Lagoon.  I fussy cut the corresponding floral image after stamping in Scarlet.  I colored the sparkle with my Blue Turquoise Blend Spectrum Noir Triblend Marker.

I used my heart Thin Cuts to cut the heart and then stamped with Scarlet and sprayed with Turquoise gloss spray on the edges.  I fussy cut both the candy cane and the floral stamp.  (Next time I will add a strip of the woodgrain also to better balance the left and right sides of my card.)

Here's the center of my card with the tea bag tucked into the pocket.

Because I wanted a 3.5" square base, I multiplied by 3 to get the width of my card base (10.5").  I scored at 3.5" from both short ends, folded, and then cut the far left panel (on the inside; on the far right here) on the diagonal to create the pocket for my card.

Here's what I used (minus the Lagoon cardstock and ink and Blue Turquoise marker).

From top to bottom: two woodgrain 3"x3" squares; one die cut heart; three 3.25" squares of Scarlet glitter paper; and one 3.5"x10.5" piece of Espresso cardstock (plus extra White Daisy cardstock and Lagoon strips).

Won't you have fun playing with this festive stamp set?  VIPs can earn it for FREE, and regular customers can earn it for $5 (either with a $50 minimum purchase).

Thanks for letting me share my little gift card with you!  You could easily adjust the card base measurements to incorporate an actual gift card instead.  Please leave a comment before clicking on her name to continue on to Michelle's blog for more great ideas with the November stamp of the month, You Warm My Heart!

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

Comfort & Joy Isn't Just for Christmas

When I saw the beautiful Comfort & Joy collection, I hoped that I could use it beyond Christmas.  Here's a layout I just made from my very first University of Georgia football game (last year).  Before you bash my team, just know that our daughter started her undergrad degree there last year and is now a member of the Redcoats marching band (and my dad went to Georgia Tech).  Go, Dawgs!

What do you think?  Not just for Christmas?

I added Scarlet glitter paper and tried out some cool techniques.  Can you see red stripe above my photo?  I played with our new Candy Apple distress oxide inks.  As you can see in the photo below, I applied ink directly to my Black cardstock then flicked black, red, and clear shimmer brushes onto the base page.  Here's what it looked like after it dried:

When I started building my pages, I realized that I needed some of this same technique on the right page.  Look at how bright the distress oxide ink is on the black cardstock before it dries!

Here's the completed right page.  My title and football were cut with my CTMH/Cricut Artbooking and Artistry cartridges.

Here's another tip: use 1/2" strips of cardstock as journaling strips that you adhere directly on your photos.  You can add to your story without detracting from photos!

Bloom with Grace Scrapbooking Workshop

 The Bloom with Grace scrapbooking workshop is absolutely beautiful, and I am so pleased with how my Thanksgiving 2019 pictures look with this collection!  (There is no shame in being a year- or more- behind in your scrapbooking!  Scrapbook what YOU love!)

Close To My Heart corporate offered this workshop as a Facebook Live event, and I am so glad that I got to participate with the replay!  This first layout is the hardest, so definitely follow along with the experts.

For my title, I added a French Vanilla banner that I stamped with Espresso ink (retired alphabet set) and then distressed the edges.

Thankfully the workshop kit included the pretty leaf die cut!

{Blogger isn't liking my photo of my next layout as a two-page spread, so here are the individual pages.}

This layout was really easy to create with strips of paper and the gorgeous flower die cuts included in the workshop kit.  (This time, I wrote my own title.)

The first two layouts from the workshop will be going in my 2019 album, but this last one will go in our Family album.

I love how these pictures of my family and with my beautiful sister and cousins (who are sisters) turned out from Thanksgiving last year and how pretty they look with Bloom and Grace.

The embellishments are from the wooden Bloom with Grace embellishments plus stickers from the Bloom with Grace collection.

If you want to get yours, be sure to order before the end of the month!

Craft with Heart Birthday Cards

 Close To My Heart offers two cool subscription crafting options: Craft with Heart Scrapbooking and Craft with Heart Cardmaking.  (You can learn more HERE.)  The only things you need "extra" is adhesive!  I needed some birthday cards this weekend, and these were the perfect way to make some quick and cute cards.

Of course I veered from the instructions a teeny bit.

Instead of the provided black ink, I grabbed my new Blue Belle ink plus the October stamp of the month stamp set for "Happy Birthday!"  In addition to the included Blue Belle sequins, I added mini silver star glitter and embellished with some new Blue Belle glitter gems.

My second card is for a special young man who turned 14 on Sunday!  I can't believe that my nephew is now taller than me (even though I really should be surprised)!  I actually made this one according to the directions.  For the second card (the kit includes materials for 2 each of 12 different cards), I will stamp some stars in the white star shaker window base.

I have to say that the star shaker windows are so easy to put together!  I love them!

I went ahead and made this 3rd birthday card just to have on hand in case.  I used some 3D foam from the leftovers from the star shaker windows to pop up two of the flowers.  I will probably add some gold glitter gems from my stash (not included in the kit) before I give this card away.

Be sure to check out the subscription service (link above) if you'd like to make some easy yet stunning cards- or scrapbook layouts!

H2H Challenges: Christmas Is Coming Early

It is annoying to see the Christmas decorations for sale along with the Halloween goodies, but in the crafting world at least, you have to work ahead.  That's why this week's Heart2Heart challenge is "Christmas Is Coming Early" in an effort to help you get a jump start on your holiday joy.

These two cards were half of the Facebook Live card class I taught recently.  They both use the Comfort & Joy cardmaking workshop stamps and paper with New England Ivy ink.  I am loving the red Liquid Pearls!   Here are close ups of both cards.

I think that I may add a red bow to the wreath.  I like the substitution of black shimmer trim for black cardstock.

Thanks to my friend Joy for the suggestion to adding them to the tree!  You can't tell as well now that I added them but I used a cool technique on the tree.  After inking it up, I used a crumpled tissue to blog and remove some of the ink.  It is really pretty in real life.

Be sure to visit the H2H blog to see the incredible DT inspiration and to join us yourself!

Core Catalog 20-21 Idea Book Blog Hop

In my 20 years as a CTMH consultant/maker, I think that CTMH has released one of its best core Idea Books in my history with this amazing company!  I am so excited about the new products and all of the things that I am going to learn (and get to teach) this year.  This blog hop is focusing on Makers' favorites from the core Idea Book.  (If you're already hopping, then you've probably arrived from Brenda's blog.  From here, you'll visit Alyson's blog next.)  I focused on the Party Time paper/sticker collection plus the yellow acrylic star embellishments for my projects.  All three of my layouts are made with materials and instructions from the Core Idea Book launch (for Makers only).

Here are my pictures from my birthday in late March of this year.  Because I had already used the "Party Time" stickers on my daughter's birthday layout, I tried the negative space/outline and am pretty pleased with how it turned out.

I totally changed this layout up from the suggested layout (blues and greens) by using Glacier cardstock for my base and turning the patterned paper over to the more feminine side.

For my daughter's birthday in April, we had a "drive by" due to COVID-19 concerns and sheltering in place.

I love the versatility of this collection!  My baby girl has always loved the color blue, so I could personalize her birthday layout with her favorite color.

Because I had so many pictures, I am using a flip flap to add an interactive element (and more photos).

My third layout is of our older daughter's June birthday.  She has always been pretty in pink, and I could again customize my layout to her favorite color.

Here are the Party Time stickers as they are "supposed" to be used.

I will be using the leftovers from my paper pack, cardstock pack, and stickers to commemorate my husband's July birthday.  (I didn't get all of my pictures printed yet, but they will be coming soon.)

Here's a card I made with the Wishing You Everything stamps & thin cuts, plus I still have enough scraps leftover for a few more projects.

Thank you for letting me share the fun Party Time collection from the 2020-21 CTMH Core Idea Book with you!  I would love a comment before you continue the hop by visiting the incredibly talented Alyson & her blog next.

Wishing You Everything Cards

Here are three fun cards that I made at my virtual card class (via Facebook Live) using the Wishing You Everything stamp set and Thin Cuts (available in the Core Catalog through 8/2021).  I wanted to challenge myself to use these beyond the obvious birthday wishes.

The first card uses the Party Time collection from the Core Catalog with Sapphire and Lagoon inks.  Do you see the yellow acrylic star embellishment?

My last two use the Bloom with Grace collection (available through 10/31) and some of our new markers (with Desert Rose ink and gold thread on the top card and Espresso, Canary, and Desert Rose on the last card).

Thanks for letting me share some cheery cards with you today!

October Stamp of the Month Blog Hop: With All My Love

 Welcome to the October stamp of the month blog hop featuring the beautiful With All My Love stamp set.  (If you're already hopping, then you've probably arrived from Krista's blog.  From here, you'll visit Becca's blog next.)  As soon as I saw this set, I knew I wanted to use it to scrapbook our 25th anniversary.  (I know, can you believe we've hit 25 years?!?)

I used the Lovely paper collection because its softness really makes my photos pop.  (This is the right page of a two-page layout.  Hopefully I'll get the left page ready and posted soon.)

I'll be using a flip flap so that I could include these sweet pictures.  (Props to our daughter for the photo shoot!)

Since it was our silver anniversary, I stamped/heat embossed the heart and all of the floral images with silver embossing powder.  I then used a water brush to paint them with Ballerina, Sage, Evergreen, and NEW color of the year Blue Belle inks.  I stamped the happy anniversary banner twice and cut out using one half on each side.  The silver 25 was cut with my CTMH/Cricut Artbooking collection.  I used silver sequins and glitter gems for embellishments.

I think I'm going to add my journaling with a metallic silver pen.

Thanks for letting me share some of my memories of our special anniversary.  I'd love a comment before you hop on over to Becca's blog to continue the With All My Love stamp of the month hop.  You won't want to miss what she has to share!

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