July Stamp of the Month Blog Hop: Life Is Wonderful

The July stamp of the month, Life Is Wonderful, says it all!  The stamp of the month blog hop group has some wonderful creations to share with you again this month.  (If you're already hopping then you've probably arrived from Sarah's blog.  From here, you'll go to Alyson's blog next.)

When I saw this set, I knew I wanted to create a chalkboard-inspired project, and this card developed.  The Chalk It Up paper pack coordinates perfectly for a school/chalkboard effect.  To begin, I stamped the frame with White Daisy ink onto black card stock.  I then when back and stamped the two sentiments at once, also in White Daisy.  (The three stamps won't fit together on the block.)  I set that piece aside to dry.

The following day, I added that piece to my card front that I had covered with the Chalk It Up B&T.  I then embellished the card with black and teal shimmer trim, a piece of zip strip, and a black epoxy star.  Easy peasy!

Click HERE for all the hop participants and their blogs.

Now be sure to check out Alyson's awesome creation next to continue to be inspired by the possibilities with this set.

Ice Cream Dream Paper Pieced Card

This card is the final one from my Summer Card Class and was inspired by a fellow consultant in my stamp of the month swap group.  It started with a 4"x6" Kraft top-fold card base.  We used the Seaside paper pack and the June stamp of the month, Ice Cream Dream.

I love pairing the gold polka dot washi tape with the Seaside polka dots!  We also used the Boardwalk washi tape above and below the polka dots to ground them.

The ice cream scoop was paper pieced out of a scrap of Chalk It Up paper with a coral sequin on top.

This stamp set is only available this month, and the washi tape is on the retiring list, so scoop them up before they're gone!  Click HERE to find them (and more)!

My Crush Bluebird Cards

You've heard about this month's My Crush promotion, right?  If you buy a My Crush book and its assortment, you'll get the coordinating stamp set FREE.  At my recent Summer Card Class, I wanted to show how you could use the pieces beyond the book.  I pulled out pieces of the Bluebird Assortments that I thought would look nice on a card front.  Then I made card bases, mats, and strips from Indian Corn Blue, Thistle, and Sweet Leaf card stocks.  I also liked how the Crystal Blue polka dot paper from the Wanderful pack matched.  Each lady had a different selection of pieces to use on a card.  They were all lovely!  (Unfortunately, I didn't get pictures of all their creations.)

For the top card, I used two different My Crush squares layered onto an Indian Corn Blue mat with a piece of the polka dot paper embellished with shimmer trim.  I added the four purple glitter gems.  The arrow is a sticker from the Assortment.

The second card uses the same basic materials (minus the shimmer trim) but with the addition of the Love This stamp set (stamped on the Indian Corn Blue strip and on the sticker).

Don't be afraid to take your products beyond their intended use!  I started out as a scrapbooker and quickly realized that I use my supplies to make cards too.  The sky's the limit on what you can create!

Bride & Groom Card

Today is the last day of summer semester for my EDS program, and as of this afternoon, I will have completed 60% of it!  {{YIPPEE!!!!}}  Now, you might wonder what that has to do with this post, but I actually do have a connection.  One of the guys in our program is getting married, and I made this card to go along with the Home Depot gift card we all contributed to for him and his new bride.

This card was so easy to make, but I love how elegant it is!  Using my CTMH/Cricut Artfully Sent cartridge, I just followed the instructions for size and cut, and it did the rest to my White Daisy card stock base.  Since I didn't know their wedding colors, I chose to back the cutout with silver glitter paper.  I debated adding metal flowers from the Brushed Assortment, sequins, or silver shimmer trim, but decided the card looked great as is.

To hide that square inside, I lined the card with piece of White Daisy card stock that was 1/2" less than the card base itself. I stamped "Best wishes" in Slate (from the Artfully Sent collection) and the banner and Mr. & Mrs. from my Celebrate Love stamp set.  (BTW, this stamp set is retiring and is available while supplies last.)

We had to sneak the card around in class to get everyone to sign it before presenting it.  Best wishes to the new Mr. & Mrs.!

You Are My Happy Card

When I saw a similar card along the June Stamp of the Month blog hop, I knew that I had to recreate it (with my own twist, of course) for my recent Summer Card Class.

We used two techniques on this card: "quick coloring" and paper piecing.  To begin, we stamped the sentiment across the bottom of the White Daisy panel with Cranberry ink.  Then, we stamped the ice cream cone three times in Chocolate (plus two more times for the chocolate and vanilla scoops- once onto a piece of Chocolate Basics card stock and again onto a piece of Colonial White card stock).  To color in the cones, I had create a "reverse" mask of the cone itself: I stamped it onto a piece of scrap card stock and then cut out the cone portion only.  We lined up the mask with the cone and sponged Desert Sand ink to color the cones.  We also used this "quick coloring" process on the Cotton Candy ice cream scoop.

After adhering the other two scoop cutouts (paper piecing), we added the red epoxy heart "cherries."  After embellishing the Cotton Candy card base with pink and red shimmer trim plus a piece of Brushed zip strip, we adhered the White Daisy panel to the front.

I think the card looks delicious!  Is it too early for an ice cream cone?

Camper Crazy Father's Day

Here are two cards that I made to celebrate my Dad and my husband this Father's day.  They both use the Jackson paper pack and the Camper Crazy stamp set.  I used a blending pen to color in accents on each and added a few Ocean sequins.

This first one was for my Dad and included the Tag the Occasion stamps set.

The second is for my husband and included a set of binoculars from the Jackson Assortment.

It has been a great day!  I didn't get any pictures because Hubby is under the weather, but we had a nice day anyway.  Happy Father's Day to all the dad out there and all the men who have stepped up to act as dads should!

I'm linking up both of these to the Heart 2 Heart Man, Oh Man challenge.  Thanks for visiting!

17th Birthday!

How did my baby, my firstborn, become a seventeen-year-old beautiful young lady?  I am not sure how this happened!

What they say about time flying is definitely true.

I wanted to make a fun card to honor her special day, so I grabbed my Chalk It Up paper pack and my CTMH/Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge and came up with this.

Birthday Lunch

Thanks for letting me share my girl with you!

Materials used (all from CTMH): Chalk It Up paper pack; CTMH/Cricut Art Philosphy cartridge and coordinating stamp set; Geek Is Chic stamp set; Lagoon and Flaxen ink; black journaling pen; Aqua dots; black epoxy stars; black sparkles

Lego Birthday

My youngest nephew turned 7 earlier this month, so I had to make him a Lego card to celebrate.

 To get started, I selected my card stock colors of Pacifica, Cranberry, and Honey.  I grabbed a simple office hole punch and punched out 6 circles from Pacifica card stock.  Using them as a guide, I decided that a 1"x1.25" piece was the perfect fit to make a Lego.  I made two identical Cranberry pieces for the base and a 1" square Honey piece for the top of the Lego "cake."

Shimmer trim seems like a fun base for the "cake," and I embellished the sentiment (from the CTMH/Cricut Art Philosphy collection) with red epoxy hearts.

Make a pocket card to hold $7 for the seven-year-old is easy.  Start with a piece of 4.25"x12" card stock.  Fold up 1" so that the card base is now 4.25"x11".  Fold that in half to make a standard-size card.  Staple the little pocket and then line the inside with White Daisy card stock.

I think he liked it along with his birthday presents!

CTMH Technique Blog Hop: A Call for Back Up

This month we're bringing you a fun technique, a Call for Back-Up, which you can find on p. 80 of the current Close To My Heart idea book.  (If you're already hopping along this technique hop, then you've arrived here from Michelle's blog.  After you check out my project, go visit Tonya next.)

Although the original technique calls for using a border punch, we knew that you could also achieve a great look with your Cricut.  My card began with the CTMH/Cricut Artfully Sent cartridge and the pretty new (while supplies last) Blossom paper pack.

This pretty card is cut easily using the "R" key of the Artfully Sent cartridge.  I used the Artfully Sent frames and sentiments for my focal sentiment.  To fill in the cut out butterflies, I first began by making a liner for the inside of the card (1/4" smaller on one long and one short side).  Then I was able to back each of the "holes" of the butterfly cutout (onto the White Daisy card stock liner) with scraps from the Blossom paper pack and Lagoon heart washi tape.

I used a little white shimmer trim, Lagoon heart washi tape, and Coral sequins along with the CTMH Artfully Sent card sentiments and frames stamp sets.

Here's a peek at the inside.  I used two of the butterfly cutouts to embellish the White Daisy card liner.

Thanks for checking out my take on the Call for Back-Up technique.  Be sure to check out what the other nine designers have in store for you by clicking to go on to Tonya's blog.

Happy Retirement!

A dear colleague (and our daughter's 1st grade teacher) retired last week.  While this card looks like a graduation card, I made for her for her retirement.  The inside says, "Congratulations on your 'graduation' to retirement!"  She's an avid reader who is also writing a mystery novel so I thought that this owl from the Teacher Appreciation stamp set was a great fit.

The "congratulations" stamped all across the card base is from the Diploma Day stamp set.  I used pieces from the Chalk It Up paper pack and a sketch from Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 2.  Embellishments include teal shimmer trim, a black epoxy star, and black sparkles.

I think she's happy to be retiring!  Best wishes, Mrs. Turlington, as you begin this new chapter in your life!

My Crush Blog Hop

Are you totally crushing on Close To My Heart's June My Crush collection special offer?  If not, then you will be after you hop through this blog hop!  You are not going to believe all of the creative ways you can use these adorable little books and/or the coordinating accessories and stamp sets.  To see all the great ideas, just hop through this cool Crush hop.  (If you're already hopping then you've arrived from Gina's blog, and you'll go to Brenda's blog next.)

Can you guess which My Crush collection I used to make this Welcome Baby card?  (Your choices are In the Pink, Modville, Bluebird, Holiday Happenings, and Wildwood.)

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

If you guessed the Christmas-themed Holiday Happenings Assortment, you're spot on!  I wanted to try to use this collection in a non-Christmas manner, and I think that I succeeded.  This sweet little cherub made me think of making a baby girl card, so I ran with it.

After picking out the cherub card and a coordinating envelope to use as a mat, I selected the Ruby 4"x6" card with the quotation area and roses.  I stamped Congratulations from the CTMH/Artfully Sent sentiments stamp set in Desert Sand ink and then stamped the vines from the Love This stamp set (part of the My Crush collection and special offer this month) in New England Ivy in first and second generation.

The flower is also from the Love This stamp set.  I stamped it in Desert Sand onto a pretty, square piece from the Holiday Happenings Assortment and then cut it out.  To finish the card, I used gold polka dot washi tape, ruby washi tape, gold shimmer trim, gold sequins, and metallic baker's twine.  I mounted the 4"x6" Holiday Assortment onto a 4.5"x6.5" piece of Basics embossed card stock and then onto 5"x7" Colonial White card embellished with gold polka dot and ruby washi tape and stamped vines.

Be sure to check out the Close To My Heart My Crush special offer this month after you've been inspired by everyone's artwork.

Please leave me a quick comment to let me know what you think of the non-holiday card with the My Crush Holiday Happenings Assortment and the Love This stamp set.  Then, go check out Brenda's My Crush creation!

Look Who Got Her License!

Last Thursday, our older daughter got her driver's license!  (Watch out, world!)

I surprised her with this card and a new wallet plus matching lanyard when we got back out to the car.  She was really pleased but of course questioned what I would have done if she hadn't gotten her license.  I just laughed and said, "Kept it hidden until you finally did get your license!"

 Because her car is gold, I started with a Champagne card stock base that I cut with the CTMH/Cricut Artfully Sent cartridge.  The car license plate actually is cut out to say #1 Dad, but I covered that portion with a handmade "license plate" using the Congratulations stamp from the CTMH/Cricut Artfully Sent sentiments stamp set.  I lined the windshield with a piece of B&T from the Wanderlust paper pack and then made the "road" with a strip of Chalk It Up B&T.  Before I added the White Daisy card liner, I used white shimmer trim for the headlights.  The parking lights are gold glitter gems.

On the inside, I stamped Congratulations again with Smoothie ink, added a strip of Gold polka dot washi tape, and the license plate zip strip from the Wanderlust paper pack.

She was thrilled!

H2H Challenges: Warm Vs. Cool

Happy June!  It's the first Monday of a new month and that means the kick off for a new Heart 2 Heart Challenge!  This week (and open all month long), we have a fun color challenge for you: warm vs. cool.  Maybe the weather in your neck of the woods will inspire you with this one; maybe not.

My card design was inspired by a card that I saw on Pinterest but unfortunately didn't pin and therefore can't give credit.  (Let me know if you find the original card!)  I wanted to mimic the diagonal stripes and go with the warm vs. cool color scheme, so I paired Lagoon washi tape and teal shimmer trim with Honey washi tape.  The butterfly and sentiment (stamped in black) are from the exclusive hostess-only stamp set, Paper Bird.  (I stamped the butterfly on the card, then once on Lagoon B&T from the Chalk It Up paper pack, and again on a piece of Honey card stock, which I then paper pieced onto the card front.)  The pop of black card stock mat on the Honey card stock card was the perfect finishing touch.  Oh, and so were a few black sparkles.

Thanks for checking out my warm vs. cool card.  Be sure to visit the H2H blog for inspiration and to play along with us!