March CTMH Stamp of the Month Blog Hop: Floral Happiness

Can you believe that it's already time for our monthly Close To My Heart stamp of the month blog hop?  CTMH has us thinking spring with the pretty Floral Happiness stamp set!  If you'd like to see all the fabulous creations, then visit the amazing Adeline's blog next by clicking her name.  (If you're visiting here along the hop, then you should have arrived from my Heart 2 Heart challenges design team member Melinda's blog.)

My first project was inspired by my daughter's new shirt (that she bought with Christmas $$), but it hasn't been warm enough yet to wear it!  (I will repost the layout once I get somebound-to-be-darling pictures of her in it.)  This layout pattern is from the Make It From Your Heart how-to guide.
These colors are a little out of my comfort zone, but they do work well together.  Here's the inspiration shirt:

The colors I used are Buttercup, Sunset, Hollyhock, Lagoon, and Outdoor Denim.  I random stamped the largest rose in all of the colors.  On the two Hollyhock squares, I random stamped the tiniest rose in Hollyhock on Hollyhock.  I stamped the sentiments with Outdoor Denim.  The papers I used from both the Claire and Chantilly collections.  Of course I had to add some of the Claire floral embellishments.  They are so pretty.  The coolest element to me is the Hollyhock zipper ribbon!

 

 

My second project is very toned down compared to the layout! ;)  Heart 2 Heart Challenges is sponsoring a CAS (clean and simple) challenge right now, so I used Outdoor Denim and Hollyhock to create this CAS card. (You have until Saturday 3/2 @ midnight to play along with any of the H2H February challenges, and you are definitely going to want to check out our H2H March Madness!)

 

Thanks for hanging out with me for a bit!  I hope you like my crazy Old Navy-inspired color combo!  Now, hop on over to Adeline's blog!

New Format @ SOS!

Scrap Our Stash is launching a new format in March, and I couldn't be more excited about it! Scrap Our Stash will have two challenges each month, and you can play along with either one (or both) until the 29th of the month. The first challenge will be a supply challenge (posted on the first) encouraging you to use a particular category of your stash. The second challenge (revealed on the 15th) will be a sketch challenge. We want to help challenge and inspire you to scrap your stash! Visit the SOS blog HERE! All products and skill levels are welcome!

For Always Card Share

Here is one of the cards my guests made recently at my 13th Anniversary CTMH Open House.  It has truly been a fun ride!  One of the best parts has been the fantastic people I've gotten to meet.  Some of them have become dear, dear friends, and I am so blessed.

We used the For Always paper pack with Black and Ruby inks.  The sentiment is from the February stamp of the month, Home Sweet Home.  I first inked it up in Ruby, then rolled the top and bottom into Black ink.  I also stamped the "You" in black on a strip of Ruby cardstock.  Isn't the NEW black sparkle button divine?  I also love that black shimmer trim too!

I took the same card pieces and paired it with the 4 My Friend stamp set to turn it into a birthday card.  Again, I stamped the sentiment in Ruby and then inked up the swirls in Black.

For my final card, I didn't have a sentiment panel so I added the gorgeous black & white grosgrain ribbon and then stuck a pewter badge button inside the Slate glitter button.

Did you notice the Red Glitz Glitter Gel that I added to the bottom panel on each card?

SOS Giveaways Start TODAY!

We have some exciting things going on at Scrap Our Stash challenge blog this week!
You do not want to miss it!


To celebrate the launch of the merge with If It's Groovy, a new look and a new challenge format, Scrap Our Stash is hosting a Giveaway A Day!

Please visit SOS each day starting TODAY, February 25th, for details on entering the daily drawings!

Happy Birthday, Dad! Surf's Up!

Please join me in wishing my Dad a very happy birthday today! I won't tell his age (I'm not saying he's old or anything...), but since he had cataract surgery Monday on eye #2, this "eye chart" stamp set was a perfect choice for his card! ;) I certainly hope he can read it okay.

The new Surf's Up paper pack was a fun choice since he and my Mom spend the winter months back in his (and my) hometown in Florida. I wouldn't be surprised if Dad did a little body surfing or water skiing before he heads back home. We love and miss you, Dad! Have a very happy birthday!

(Here's a little tip for CTMH consultants: When a new Idea Book is released, order at least two B&T swatch samples. Keep one intact for samples, and use the other to make several cards. That way, you can easily have a few "stamples" without breaking the bank.)

All supplies from CTMH: Surf's Up paper pack; Card Chatter-Focus on the Little Things stamp set; Chocolate and Crystal Blue inks; burlap ribbon; bronze glitter glitz gel

Photo Keeper "Book"

For quite a while (several years?), I've had this idea to use 6"x9" envelopes to create a "book" to hold all the lovely photographs we get from family & friends.  Generally they arrive at Christmas time, but we do sometimes get pictures in the mail at other times of the year, so I didn't want to go with a Christmas theme.  At a local discount office supply store, I found an inexpensive package of 6.5"x9.5" envelopes that I knew would be perfect for this project.  I also knew that the new For Always paper pack was just what I had been waiting for!  I used several (retired) stamp sets and ribbon for my envelope book.

The current Dynamic Duos challenge #40 is one of the gorgeous combos in the For Always paper pack: black and Lagoon.

The envelopes are in alphabetical order by last name, and I can easily add more as time and photos permit since they are held together with book rings.  I decided to write the names myself rather than print them to save time and to keep them uniform yet personal throughout the years.
Each design is pretty flat because I was afraid that too much bulk would cause trouble down the road.  I found sketches for a few of my designs from Mojo Monday #279 (even though it's too late to officially play) and an older Mojo sketch (but I've forgotten which one)...

Retrosketches #50...

and 365 Cards Day 41 Sketch...

Almost everything is from Close To My Heart (with some retired ribbon thrown in from my stash), plus random flowers and ribbon.

This "album" or book is sure to become a family heirloom as we enjoy looking at friends' and family's photos, notes, and special cards through the years.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section.  Thanks so much for looking!

Scrap Our Stash Blog Candy/Giveaway Alert!

We have some exciting things going on at Scrap Our Stash challenge blog next week!
You do not want to miss it!


To celebrate the launch of the merge with If It's Groovy, a new look and a new challenge format, Scrap Our Stash is hosting a Giveaway A Day!

Please visit SOS each day starting February 25th for details on entering the daily drawings!

H2H Challenges: Tag, You're It!

If you're reading my blog, then TAG, you're it!  Now you've got to play along with us at Heart 2 Heart Challenges!  This week's challenge is to use a tag on your project.

My card was totally inspired by one that I saved to my Pinterest Paper Crafting board.  (You can see the original here.)  I love banners and tags, and they look great together.  I began with a Creme Brulee standard card base.  The three banners or flags are scraps from my Buzz & Bumble paper pack.  The tag is from an office supply store.  I used my A Buzz stamp set for the message, inking it up first in Creme Brulee, then Sunset, and finally a little Cocoa.  I used a scrap of burlap ribbon, Sunset baker's twine, and a little wooden bee from the Buzz & Bumble embellishment collection.

Now it's your turn to take the TAG challenge @ H2H!  We'd love to see your interpretation of this fun challenge!

New CTMH Idea Book Blog Hop!

Do you have your copy of the Spring/Summer 2013 CTMH Idea Book? (If not, let me know or come to my Open House this Saturday!) What is your favorite new product? Some of my CTMH consultant friends and I are sharing some fantastic NEW projects with NEW products, so work your way through this blog hop with us. (Already hopping? Welcome from Judy Faye Garner's blog! If you're just getting started, grab some chocolate and enjoy the long weekend with us. You'll visit Heather next.)

My favorite paper pack from the new Idea Book is Chantilly.  For my first card, it is paired with the inexpensive ($6.95) Card Chatter- Focus on the Little Things stamp set.  (We'll be making this card at my Open House on Saturday!)

 My next card shows off the blue & green side of Chantilly with this Valentine card I made for our younger DD (with the 4 My Friends stamp set).

Of course, For Always is a close tie for favorites, and I know that I'll reach for this one again & again!

 How about For Always paired with Chantilly?

Buzz &  Bumble is another trendy yet classy paper pack.  Like the card above, I've used the A Buzz stamp set (another set that's only $6.95!)

 (This card is another one we'll make Saturday at my Open House.)

You may have seen a few of these projects already, but I couldn't resist sharing them here again during the new product blog hop.  What's your favorite new paper pack collection?
Thanks for buzzing by! Now head on to see Heather's fabulous layout next!

New Product Blog Hop Tonight!

Come back here after 9 PM tonight (or this weekend) to check out an amazing NEW PRODUCT BLOG HOP!  We'll be featuring all new products from the Spring/Summer CTMH Idea Book.  Contact me (see sidebar) if you want a copy and can't come to my Open House on Saturday.

Bee Mine, Valentine

Once again, Pinterest strikes!  I'm not sure who pinned the inspiration for this card (a bee and "mine" on a pink background), but when I saw it I immediately thought of my new A Buzz stamp set.  Since our older DD loves pink, I knew this Valentine idea would be a card just for her!

I used both the new For Always and Chantilly paper packs for this square card.  After stamping the bee image in black, I colored in the bee with a sponge dauber & Blush ink.  The "mine" banner is stamped in Cranberry on Cotton Candy cardstock with a strip from Chantilly to make it all match.  (The banner is covering up the sentiment of the original image.)  Since it's for my DD, I had to add a little pink Glitter Glitz Gel to that pretty bee.  I also used our new Pink glitter gems too.

I'm linking this card up to the Heart 2 Heart Love challenge , the Pink Elephant "Love is in the Air" challenge, and the Color My Heart Color Dare #29, Cranberry & Blush.  Happy Valentine's!

Later Sk8r Birthdays

Happy birthday today to my dear friend Traci!  Here's the card that I made for her, showing off a more feminine side to the new L8r Skater paper pack.

The base is a 6"x6" square of Lagoon cardstock.  I used the retired Piece of Cake stamp set and my favorite inking technique: stamp rolling (or Rock 'n Roll) with Honey, Pear, Lagoon, and Outdoor Denim inks.

 This pretty White Daisy ribbon is retired, but the clear green gems are NEW.

Our 14-year-old went to a guy friend's birthday party this weekend, so I made him this cool card using the It's Your Day retired stamp set along with the Extreme Caps retired stamp set for the number "candles."  (I used the same colors as above plus Slate.)

An iTunes gift card is the perfect gift!

Hope these two have a very happy birthday!

For Always Frame

For Always will probably be my long-term favorite from this Idea Book.  I love the classic black & white and the pretty patterns in this collection!  I have always wanted to jazz up this framed portrait of our daughters, and For Always is just the paper pack I needed!  (Sorry that the photos are not that great; it is really hard to photograph glass.)

Since the mat is wider than 12", I decided to faux pleat the black piece across the top.  I cut the the B&T into 1.5" pieces than I then folded one edge to make the "pleats."  I glued them to the mat so that it looks like it's pleated across.  (Hopefully that description makes sense.)

For the bottom, the Cricut Art Philosophy roses cover the gap that the 12" White Daisy cardstock left.

My husband doesn't like the black tulle ribbon bow, so I may see if I can find some white tulle instead (although I really don't want to redo this project).  I'm really happy with how the portrait turned out! 

 

Since you have all month to play with any of the H2H challenges, I am linking this frame up to the home decor challenge.  Thanks for taking a look.

SOS Challenges: Fuzzy Wuzzy

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear.
Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair.
Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't very fuzzy,
Was he?

Who else remembers that poem from elementary school?  This month's Scrap Our Stash challenge is to get fuzzy!  For this challenge, I had to not only dig deeply into my stash, but also into my creativity!  I couldn't think of anything fuzzy that I had on hand to use, but then inspiration struck when I remembered these photos of my daughter and her stuffed animals.  (She's 14 now, so we are going way back!)  I used the new Close To My Heart paper pack, Chantilly, along with some old "Sassy Strands."  (Raise your hand if you remember those!) 

The right page is a complete pagerization (Is that a real word?) of the Spring/Summer 2013 Close To My Heart Idea Book cover (see sidebar at right), and I LOVE how it turned out.  To create the title (which is also her nickname), I cut out the letters on the Cotton Candy cardstock using my Cricut CTMH Art Philosphy cartridge.  Then, I backed that piece with some Buttercup cardstock.  I also glued on the letter centers.  I love how the negative space looks in person!

 



For the left page, I found the lyrics for the Winnie-the-Pooh song and also added a little journaling.  Though these photos are very similar to the focal photo on the other page, I love her expression in each one.  Look closely to check out that tongue! LOL

 

Before you head off, I can't resist showing you a "then" and "now" comparison!

 

 

Now you should get fuzzy with us at Scrap Our Stash this month!  We've got some really exciting changes in store, so be sure to scrap YOUR stash.  We'd love to have you join us!  All skill levels and products are welcome; just get scrappin'!

H2H Challenges: Home Decor

First, I have to give a big shout out to my sister as she celebrates her birthday today!  I love you, Amy!!!!  (You can probably figure out that our mom is in the middle.)

When I chose the theme "home decor" as this first February H2H challenge, I had no idea that Close To My Heart was going to offer a beautiful Home Sweet Home February stamp of the month! Here's a fun little project I made, just in time for Amy's birthday. (She and her husband started keeping bees last year.)

This wall hanging uses two pieces of a retired My Creations mini album and lots of Buzz & Bumble scraps.  I used the February stamp of the month, Home Sweet Home, on the bottom portion, and the H monogram stamp (for their last name) on the top portion. 

 You can see Buzz & Bumble Assortment of embellishments along with some burlap & Chocolate strip ribbon and some scrap Sunset baker's twine.

For the Monogram H, I first stamped it in Sunset and then rolled the edges in Cocoa.  For the scalloped circle, after distessing it in Cocoa, I cut every two scallops to make "petals" and folded them up a bit for a little dimension.  (The hexagons were cut with the Circut Accents cartridge.)

To decorate this piece, I used a scrap that was already cut with the Cricut Art Philosophy (as was the striped flower).  After stamping the sentiment in Cocoa, I colored in Beauty with my Creme Brulee marker and Home with Sunset.  Let me know if you have any questions about the wall hanging!

Since I had lots of scraps left, I decided to make a few cards to go along with her wall hanging.  I began with a 12"x12" piece of Colonial White cardstock that I cut into two 6"x6" squares (for the 3"x6" cards, above) and four 3"x6" pieces for the four 3"x3" cards (below).

If you haven't already visited the H2H blog, be sure to check out this week's home decor inspiration.  You have until 3/2 to play along with any of our February challenges!