H2H Challenge: From Our Heart to Yours- Creating Backgrounds for Father's Day

This week's Heart to Heart Challenge is from our heart to yours, just in time for your Father's Day projects: creating backgrounds especially for dads! Please go to the H2H blog to check out all the fabulous creations of the other design team members, and be sure to link up your creation there too!

My faux postage background was fun to make. I started with the Postcard- Travel Series stamp set, which is perfect for my travel-loving Dad. (My parents' blog is the Traveling Bells!) You wouldn't necessarily have to use a postage stamp set to recreate this look. You could use any square or rectangular stamped stamps, or you could pierce your grid first and then stamp inside the squares.

My color combo came from CTMH founder and president, Jeanette Lynton, and her fabulous blog (that you can access HERE). She ran a "Color Me Monday" series for a long, long time, and I went back through her Color Me Monday posts until I found a combo that I liked for my Dad. (You can see her post about this combo HERE.) Aren't Cocoa, Twilight, Garden Green, and Smokey Plum a great combo?


To create the card background, I placed the un-inked stamps on my cardstock piece. Four across fit perfectly! I chose a stamp for each color and then stamped them. Since CTMH's stamps are clear, it was easy to line them up. I chose four different stamps for the next row and mixed the colors around a bit. The third row used the horizontal stamps, and then I finished with the first row repeated in a different order. My main piece was a little long, so I just trimmed it off at the bottom. To continue the look of postage, I used my paper piercer to prick holes between all the stamps. I love how that turned out!





To finish the card, I stamped the circle tag and sentiments from the Tag the Occasion stamp set. I had to pierce the tag "stitches" to coordinate with my background. A piece of jute finished off the bottom. Dad seemed to appreciate his card last night at our early Father's Day dinner. I sure do appreciate my Dad! He's the best!





Remember, you can see more artwork and learn a few new techniques at the H2H blog. If you link up your creation, you might win a prize! We've got two great sponsors this month, Michelle and Romaine, so go say hi (and tell them I sent you)! Happy (early) Father's Day!

Spring 2011 Layout

The girls looked so cute in their new sundresses one day early this year in that I begged them for a photo shoot. They willingly agreed (for once!), and I got some really cute shots (in my humble opinion). I quickly uploaded my photos to Studio J to begin creating a layout, just because. Can you tell which kit I used? If you guessed the exclusive, members-only "Take the Cake" kit, you're right! Yes, this is the same kit that I used in my previous post with the birthday pictures! Instead of choosing the birthday papers and My Stickease, I just used the "neutral" elements (as in non-birthday, non-specific patterns and My Stickease). I love how this layout turned out!

Studio J is truly helping me scrapbook my family photos and memories faster, simpler, easier! This easy online scrapbooking is living up to its tagline, "Real Scrapbooks. Real Time." My order is already on its way, and when my layouts arrive, I can slip them right into my albums. Now that's some happy scrapping! As always, you can try Studio J at no charge and with no obligation at http://haleyd.myctmh.com/. I'd love for you to give it a try and let me know what you think! (Don't forget about this month's Studio J Free-for-All special promo! Get your free JPG before the end of the month.)

{Layout 2011 #36}

Words of Wisdom EOY Gifts

This year's end-of-year teacher gifts consisted of a framed inspirational sentiment, and I think it fits today's 365 Card challenge, Words of Wisdom, pretty well! This design could easily be used as a card front instead of a bit of home decor. (My frames all measure 4"x6".) Most of the teachers received the Magnifique version, shown here first. (Of course they were framed; this photo shows the design, etc., w/o the glare from the glass in the frame. The flowers were adhered on the outside of the glass after assembling the pieces.) For the band and chorus teachers (not pictured), I used the musical paper from the Mistletoe paper collection.

Each teacher also received a version of this simple thank you card. The girls wrote their own messages of appreciation on the inside. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the decorated lunch sacks that we put the presents and cards in.

Because this verse means so much to me (and I know that I need to be reminded sometimes!), I made a framed piece for my bathroom, where I will see it each and every day. The Miracle paper pack matches my bathroom well.

I also made one for a dear family friend's 13th birthday. Her bedroom is decorated in a cowgirl theme, so I used the (retired) Giddy Up papers and a wooden frame. The knotted jute is on the outside of the glass but tucked under the frame's edges. (I did use a few glue dots to hold it place.)

Now I've got to make one for each of our daughters' bedrooms. Orders, anyone?

Supplies from Close To My Heart: Magnifique paper pack; Sky, Pacifica, & Chocolate inks; Chocolate marker; Sensational Seals stamp set; Miracle paper pack; Crystal Blue & Twilight inks; Giddy Up paper pack; Twilight & Chocolate inks; Just Blooms White Daisy paper flowers; Blue Sparkles; 2" scallop circle punch; 1-1/4" circle punch

Other: Philippians 4:13 stamp (Verve); jute (unknown); frames (Dollar General & WalMart)

Birthday Layouts

Have I told you how much I love Studio J? OMG it is amazing! I am able to upload my photos (often on the same day they were taken) and create a layout in no time flat! Since I'm a Studio J member, I get free page protectors and shipping once a month, so I have been stockpiling my finished layouts to place an order.

These two layouts are pictures from our daughter's 10th birthday several weeks ago. The first layout (at left) are from her sleepover birthday party with friends. I used the members-only "Take the Cake" collection. I love the fun colors: Chocolate, Cotton Candy, Lagoon, and Pear. Yummy, right? The My Stickease accents were perfect for the birthday girl!

The second layout is all about the day of her birthday, which fell on Easter this year! I felt that deserved its own layout, and I again chose the "Take the Cake" kit. Don't you love how my journaling circle mimics her cookie cake? Scrumptious!

If you'd like to try Studio J, simply go to http://haleyd.myctmh.com/ and click on the Studio J icon. It doesn't cost anything to play! Give it a try, and you'll be pleasantly surprised! With this month's Studio J Free for All promo, you can create a layout and order a free JPG of your layout to share or even print yourself!


{Layouts 2011 #34 & 35}

H2H Challenge: Weddings

Wedding season is upon us, and this week's Heart 2 Heart challenge is to create a project to celebrate this special event! If you're not familiar with H2H, it is a fabulous challenge blog for Close To My Heart enthusiasts. New challenges are posted each Monday, and you have the entire month to play! Just create your project based on the week's theme, post it online, and link it up to H2H. It's that easy! Each entry using the challenge and some CTMH products will be eligible for a prize and/or Top 10 recognition at the end of the month. Won't you join us?

My project is the opening page to a scrapbook album I am starting for my cousin who is getting married later this month. (The gift will also include a Studio J gift pack so that they can create their own pages.) Because it will be a black and white wedding, I couldn't resist using some of the (retired) Silhouette papers. They will be able to match up their Studio J pages because Silhouette is available in Studio J.

Here is a close-up of the flower embellishment. I've created a little tutorial for the border punch medallion, below. The flourish stamp (stamped in second generation black) is from the You & Me kit, which has been extended into June. (Yay!)

Can you see any of the shimmer on the base page? I spritzed the layout with Create-A-Shade paint mixed with water in a spray mister after I stamped the title along the bottom.

Please link up your wedding project to the H2H challenge blog. I love visiting and seeing your creations!

BORDER PUNCH MEDALLION TUTORIAL:
1. Begin with a strip of cardstock or B&T paper. Mine measures about 2" by 12". (It turned out that I needed two strips to make my medallion.)

2. Punch one long edge of the stripswith the punch.

3. Accordian fold (fan fold) the strips. If your punch has a scalloped edge, use the scallops to guide your folds.

4. If yousing more than one strip, glue together to make one long strip.

5. Glue the short ends of the long strip together, which will make a circle. (I think this step looks like a lamp shade!)

6. Once dry, push the center of the circle down to your work surface, creating the medallion. Glue into place.

7. Because the center will probably not be very pretty, plan to embellish the center.

Supplies from CTMH: Silhouette paper pack (retired but available in Studio J); Chocolate Alphabet Large and You & Me stamp sets; Black ink; Create-A-Shade paint; mister; Just Blooms paper flowers; Black Mini Medley My Accents; Sparkles

Other: Martha Stewart border punch

{Layout 2011 #33}

Studio J Free for All!

During our Studio J® Free-for-All in June, we're giving everyone a FREE Studio J® JPG file—no purchase required! Simply log on to my website, click on the Studio J icon, create a layout, then order one JPG file of your layout during the checkout process. It's as easy as that! We're offering one free JPG file per customer account during June, so if you already have a Studio J or a MyCTMH® account, you're ready to log on and start creating. If you don't have an account, no worries—y ou can log on and create an account and then order your free JPG file with no strings attached. Make June the month you try Studio J with our FREE JPG promotion. You'll love it and return for more! Click HERE for all the details!

You & Me: Stronger Together

Many of you have asked us if there is something we could do to support those affected by recent severe weather in the US, and we’ve also had requests to extend the availability of the You & Me scrapbooking kit offered during the month of May. Close To My Heart has combined those two aims into a single campaign called You & Me: Stronger Together, to raise funds for the survivors of the severe storms that have pummeled the Midwest and Southern states.

During the month of June, order a You & Me kit for only $15 (a retail value of $34.95), and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross 2011 Floods and Tornadoes relief operations. Contact me today to place your order for this sensational kit and help those in need at the same time. The You & Me: Stronger Together campaign will continue until June 30 at 11:59 pm (MDT) or while supplies last.

Offer valid June 2–30, 2011, or while supplies last. No qualifying purchase required. Tax and shipping/handling charges apply. The placement of the donations is prioritized by the American Red Cross, with all money earmarked for disaster relief from the tornadoes and flooding in the midwestern and southeastern United States.

May CTMH Stamp of the Month Blog Hop: Jubilation "Super Mom"

This month's Close To My Heart stamp of the month, Jubilation, will have you smiling with all the possibilities! Join me to see what a (large) group of talented CTMH consultants have created with this versatile, celebratory set of 24 stamps. (If you're already hopping, then you should have arrived from Susan's blog. To continue hopping, visit my friend and fellow H2H design team member Melinda next.)

My CTMH team participates in a monthly stamp of the month swap, and this month we were required to use the Lucky paper pack, so I challenged myself to make a feminine card using the "Super Mom" seniment along with the heart and flower images. (The dotted circle stamp is from the Tag the Occasion stamp set.)

I random stamped the Sunset cardstock with the flower image in Sunset ink. Using my corner rounder (with the guard removed), I punched the scallops along the card edge and then distressed the edges with a sponge and Desert Sand ink. This card is the "Delightful Dots" sketch from the Wishes how-to guide. Since I only had a few scraps of the Lucky paper pack, I pulled in some Olive patterned paper from the Mayberry pack for the scalloped circle. Don't be afraid to mix up your paper kits!

When the card was all put together, I thought it was missing something, so I added the hemp along the bottom. It was the perfect finishing touch! To attach it, I pierced a hole in the card at the fold, threaded the hemp through, and then tied it around the card front. This simple addition really finished off the card nicely.

Thanks for stopping by! After leaving me a comment, be sure to hop on to visit Melinda next! (If you get lost along the way or find a broken link, come back right here and then click HERE for the complete list of hoppers. Thanks!)

Techniques: Faux sewing; rock 'n roll stamping; generational stamping; random stamping; direct-to-paper inks; sponging; scalloped edge with corner rounder

All supplies from CTMH: Jubilation & Tag the Occasion stamp sets; Lucky & Mayberry paper packs; Sunset card stock; Sunset, Olive, Desert Sand, & Dutch Blue inks; Cocoa marker; Mocha Opaques pearls; hemp; sponge; corner rounder; 3-D foam squares

H2H Challenge: Sketch #9/Week 58

Welcome to this week's Heart 2 Heart Challenge! We've got a sketch for you to try, and we'd love to see your interpretation. Visit H2H to link up your project.

Since today is Memorial Day in the U.S., I chose to create a patriotic 5"x7" gate-fold card, with the "thank you" sentiment to remind us of what this holiday is all about. I used the fun and festive Fanfare paper pack in Cranberry, Sky, Pacifica, and Sunny Yellow with the Shining Stars and Sensational Seals stamp sets. To create the "thank you" medallion, I inked up the sentiment in Sky, used my Cranberry marker to color the words only, and then stamped it on scrap White Daisy card stock. I punched it out with the 1-1/4" circle punch and then punched a scrap of the patterned paper from the top left of my card with the 2" scallop circle punch. I flipped it over, distressed it with Pacifica ink and then adhered the pieces together. Using both sides of Close To My Heart's B&T Duos is a great way to stretch your crafting dollars- it looks like two different patterns but they're from the same sheet of paper!


The thank you sentiment (from the Sensational Seals stamp set) and the Cranberry and Sky band slide off of the card to reveal the center (gate-fold) opening and the inside. To color the large star image, I first inked it up in Sky ink. Then, I rolled the edges on scrap paper to remove the ink on the tips because I was afraid that the Sky and Cranberry might make purple instead of red. Next, I inked the edges of the star in Cranberry ink, then sponged a bit of Pacifica into the center. I huffed on the stamp and then pressed it to the paper. I love how the star turned out!

Be sure to visit H2H to see what our talented design team made with this sketch. I know you'll be impressed! We also have several guests and new prize sponsors joining us, so check them out. You can easily play along too and possibly win a prize or be featured in our Top 10 this month. Happy crafting!

Techniques: Random stamping; rock 'n roll stamping; pick & omit with markers; sponge distressing

All supplies from Close To My Heart: Shining Star and Sensational Seals stamp sets; Cranberry, Sky, Pacifica, and Sunny Yellow ink; Cranberry marker; Fanfare paper pack; Sky cardstock; Red Sparkles; 1-1/4" circle punch; 2" scallop circle punch

You & Me Layout #2

With the CTMH You & Me kit, you can make this layout, which I customized for photos of the fox den and fox kits that lived on our road for the past two years. But hurry, because the You & Me kit is only available until the end of May, while supplies last.

Everything except your basic tool kit (paper trimmer, scissors, adhesive, etc.), inks (Chocolate, Desert Sand, and Olive), and blocks are included in the You & Me kit.

Feel free to visit my website at http://haleyd.myctmh.com/ if you don't already have a CTMH consultant.

{Layout 2011 #32}

Chairs To You Swap Cards

Here are the "stamples" of the May CTMH stamp of the month, Chairs to You, that my team created this month. We all used the Mayberr paper pack in Smoothie, Honey, Olive, and Cocoa. Doesn't that sound yummy?

Can you see how the top right card has a slider piece that pulls out? Another very cool thing about that particular card is the border to the left of the chairs piece: it is the heart stamped repeatedly!

Thanks to all my fab teammates for the beautiful creations and inspiration!

CTMH You Tube Channel

Did you know that Close To My Heart has a You Tube channel where they post video tutorials? I have become a subscriber so that I am notified when new tutorials are posted. You can do that to by going to this video, and then clicking "subscribe."

Here's the latest Studio J® video, "Focus on the Photos."