H2H Challenges: ABCs

Last week's Heart 2 Heart Challenge was to use numbers in your project, so this week we're wanting to see your letters!  I needed a gift for our niece so I decided to personalize a little tin for her new bedroom makeover.

 Can you believe that this is the Georgia paper pack?  It doesn't look anything babyish at all, which is a good thing since she is now 15.  I cut her initials from the Artfully Sent CTMH/Cricut Cartridge.

 All the other elements were cut with the CTMH/Cricut Artistry cartridge.

 I used silver shimmer trim and sequins to embellish the tin.

 The slate ribbon was the last scrap of that pretty retired pattern.

 The tin include this little 3.5x3.5 card (also cut with Artistry) and a little birthday cash inside.

I think she liked it!

Beloved Bouquet Layouts

The La Vie en Rose paper pack perfectly coordinates with the January stamp of the month, Beloved Bouquet.  I wanted to try two different techniques on my background, so I created two layouts to try them both.

For the firsts layout, I used watercolor paint spattered onto the background.

For the second layout, I stamped the spray across the bottom in first, second, and third generation black ink.  Then I random stamped the large blossom on both pages.  (I may go back in and add a few of the small flowers, but I want to wait until I have my pictures.  Otherwise, the layout could become too busy.)

Which layout background do you prefer?  The both use La Vie en Rose paper pack and complements, gold foil tape, and pink enamel gems.  (I will finish embellishing the second when I add my photos.)

Also, here is a handy guide I created to help me decide how to stamp my flowers.

Seasonal Expressions 1 Blog Hop

Have you seen all the cool new products in the Seasonal Expressions Close To My Heart Idea Book supplement?  I am not sure that I can choose a favorite!  You won't have to either as you follow this blog hop for tons of great ideas!  (If you're already hopping, then you've arrived from Brenda's blog.  If you're starting here, thanks!  You'll visit Tammy next.)

When I saw the new Regatta Workshop Your Way scrapbooking kit, I knew it would be perfect to scrapbook our recent cruise photos.  I began by creating the three scrapbook layouts and pocket page basically according to the workshop directions.  The kit includes Complements, Puffies, and ribbon!  Then, I began using the rest of the kit for more pages.  The title page, above, is on the back of the "happy place" layout below.

 The "Adventure at Sea" pages use the back of the page above and the pockets from the pocket layout spread.

My pocket layout is almost identical to the guide.

For the "You Are Here" layout, I customized my photos to the basic design.

To make my photos fit the "explore" layout, I added flip flaps to the left page.  Also, I added White Daisy card stock to stretch the pack even further.

Layouts aren't the only thing you can make with the Regatta Workshop Your Way kit!  It includes instructions for 8 cards (requiring additional card bases), and I added a 9th with my scraps.  I used the cute new Beach Days stamp set with the Regatta kit.  For most of the pairs, I created one according to the guide but added watercolor paint to the other.

The Beach Days stamp set coordinates with cuts on the CTMH/Cricut Artistry cartridge.

 Here's my bonus card.  I had to use that cute octopus!

Thanks for stopping by and hanging with me through the end!  Be sure to leave a comment and then continue on to TAMMY'S BLOG to continue the hop to see more great ideas.

Click HERE for all the hop participants and their blogs.

H2H Challenge: Frozen

This week's Heart 2 Heart Challenge introduces our Peacock Team, and the theme is "Frozen."  Whether you love (or hate) the movie, live buried under the frozen chill, or are simply dreaming of a frozen beverage, we hope this theme will inspire you to play along!  Since we got the first snow fall of the year on Sunday (that fortunately didn't stick), I sent my photos off to the one-hour lab to create this layout for you.

To create my layout, I decided to use a new sketch from the Regatta Workshop Your Way, but instead of using the new Regatta papers, I chose Zoe for the great Glacier houndstooth and those pretty Sorbet polka dots.

The title and snowflakes were all cut out of White Daisy card stock using the CTMH/Cricut Artistry cartridge.  I dragged out the black snowflake paper from a retired paper pack to match my theme and photos.  If you look closely you can see that I stamped the polka dots from Charming Cascade in White Daisy ink all across the background of both pages.  Here are a few close ups.

If you look closely at the zip strip, you can see where I circled the date.

For the second page, I turned it 90 degrees to better match my photos.

For my final embellishments, I used Glacier and Whisper thick twine and white enamel gems.

Thanks for getting Frozen with me!  Be sure to check out all of the great H2H designers' projects.  I hope you'll join us too!

Live Your Day National Papercrafting Month Blog Hop

Close To My Heart is offering a fabulous promotion this month in honor of National Papercrafting Month: Live Your Day Picture My Life cards!  Join my talented group of blog hop consultants as we share ideas with this pretty product.  (If you're already hopping then you've arrived from Darlys' blog and will visit Jennifer next.)

To maximize these PML cards, I decided to get a start on my 2016 photo-a-day project.  (Last year I commemorated every single day with a photo, and I decided to carry on in 2016.)  Above is my album opener.  (The top right and bottom left will feature family photos from later this year; I'll know when I have two good ones!)  I paired up the Live Your Day PML kit with the Beautiful You PML kit.

I just realized that I flipped the January card for the photo!  January will actually be on the back of the layout- the 2016 side will be on the front!  Anyway, for the top left card, I colored the heart and the flourish with Pixie ink and a blending pen and then traced the arrow with my black journaling pen.  Dream Big is from the retired November stamp of the month.

These cards got a little embellishing from some random Cricut shapes (leftovers from other projects that match this one well) and pink enamel gems.

Here is the back of the title page.  Again, the 2016 card will be on the front and the January card will show on this side.  We had a great New Year's Eve with friends, and actually stayed up until the 1st.

 Here is the next page with photos from Jan. 1, 2, and 3. My goal is to work on this project weekly because I do not have all of last year's photos scrapped (in part because I ordered my pictures monthly and I got overwhelmed).

Thanks for stopping by!  Now go check out Jennifer's project next!

Click HERE for all the hop participants and their blogs.