Seasonal Expressions 2 New Product Blog Hop

Close To My Heart released the Seasonal Expressions 2 Catalog and Idea Book on May 1, and there is so much fun summer goodness in it!  You're going to get so many great ideas along this blog hop featuring new products from the SE2.  Are you ready?  (If you're already hopping, then you've probably arrived from Jennifer Dykstra's blog.  From here, you'll visit Gina Brandstetter's blog next.)  I decided to focus on the No Worries Workshop Your Way.

When I saw the "relax" and Adirondack chair in the coordinating No Worries complements, I decided that I needed to make a sign.  (I am slowly trying to decorate our basement with a lake theme since we live on a lake.)  All of the cut out pieces were made with  the CTMH/Cricut Flower Market cartridge (sentiments & anchor).  The other pieces are from the complements.

 To make my background, I began by swiping Cashmere pigment ink across the bottom of my 8"x10" canvas panel.  Be sure to swipe the edges also.  Next I did the same thing across the very bottom with Desert Sand ink.

 Then I started at the top swiping Glacier ink (regular dye-based ink and not pigment ink) and then Lagoon, overlapping them and working from lightest to darkest with my colors.

 Finally I added a band of Sapphire to the middle.

WARNING: It took about a week for my canvas to dry!  I probably could have spend up the process, but I didn't have time to work on it then anyway.  I will probably go back and seal the entire piece with mod podge.

To create the nautical knot, I used our new white burlap ribbon (available in the Workshop Your Way or individually) after searching for some instructions.

 Here's a nautical card that I also made using the same basic materials with the addition of silver shimmer trim.  (What?!?  Silver?!?  Learn more HERE.)

Thanks for checking out my Seasonal Expressions 2 No Worries new product showcase.  There is so much to choose from that it was hard to decide what to share!  Please leave a comment before you go visit Gina Brandstetter's blog next.  Thanks!

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

Little Dreamer Blog Hop

Did you know that each month Close To My Heart features a different paper collection?  This month is Little Dreamer, new in the Seasonal Expressions 2 Idea Book.  You'll find some fun ideas with this collection along this blog hop.  (If you're already hopping, then you've probably arrived from Julie's blog.  From here you'll visit Gerri's blog next.)

This paper pack with its whimsical unicorns and rainbows is perfect for little girls, so I wanted to show that you could also use it for your big girls.  Mine are 18 and 15 in these pictures from this past year.

All of the embellishments I used are found in the Little Dreamer Workshop Your Way.  Not only are they a great way to get a complete coordinated product line for your projects, but they also include instructions to create layouts and cards.  (My layout is a 4-3-2 concept layout: one piece is 4" wide, another is 3" wide, and the other is 2" wide.  The 1/2" piece across the bottom is two of the zip strips from the collection.)

The Thistle glitter letters (and all of the shimmer pieces) are part of the Little Dreamer complements.

Here is a card that I have already posted using Little Dreamer paired with the May stamp of the month, Live Laugh Love.  You can read more about it HERE if you're interested in learning more.

Thank you for hopping by!  Be sure to visit everyone on the hop by going to Gerri's blog next!

I'm linking up my layout to the following challenges:

• Scrap Our Stash May Tic Tac Toe Challenge (left column: journal card, yellow, & 3+ patterned paper)
• Color My Heart Color Dare #244 Little Dreamer Colors
• Between the Folds #46 Little Dreamer

Remember, to continue the Little Dreamer hop, go visit GERRI'S BLOG next!

CTMH Technique Blog Hop: Embellishment Envy

Welcome to the May Close To My Heart Technique Blog Hop!  This month we are featuring our amazing embellishments!  (If you're already hopping, then you've arrived from Melissa's blog.  From here, you'll click to visit Judy Faye Garner's blog next.)

When I saw the new No Worries collection, I knew that I had to have it!  The scrapbooking Workshop Your Way is always a great bargain because it includes the paper pack, coordinating card stock, coordinating Complements, and several embellishments.  This collection includes the sequins and white burlap ribbon you see on my card.  To cut the "porthole" and anchor, I used the CTMH/Cricut Flower Market collection.  The anchor was cut at 1-1/2" on sanded Sapphire card stock.  The White Daisy circle was cut at 2" and the Kraft card stock at 2-1/2".  My sentiment is also from the Flower Market collection.

While silver, white, or gold shimmer trim would probably look great with this collection, I wanted a blue to augment the nautical feel.  I grabbed my Marine Blue Shin Han Twin Touch alcohol marker and some silver shimmer trim to create my own custom shimmer trim.  (Those of you who know me know that shimmer trim is my absolute favorite embellishment!)  I cut a piece longer than my card width of 4.25".  Then I held one end down with my finger and used the Marine Blue marker to color the shimmer trim.  I love how it turned out.

Thanks for checking out my card and embellishments.  I try to post to my blog at least once a week, so come back often for new ideas.  Do you have embellishment envy yet?  The great thing about CTMH's embellishments is that they are very reasonably priced.  Please leave me a comment, then click on her name to continue the hop to go see what Judy Faye Garner and the rest of the talented consultants have created!

National Scrapbooking Month Blog Hop

Close To My Heart has several amazingly beautiful offerings this month in honor of National Scrapbooking Month: the Live Beautifully stamp set, paper pack, and Cut Above layout package.  We are featuring these gorgeous, must-have products on this blog hop.  (If you're already hopping, then you've probably arrived from Jennifer Dykstra's blog.  From here, you'll visit Gina Brandstetter next.)

 My daughter's dance recital pictures from last year seemed like the perfect match for the gorgeous Live Beautifully paper collection.  (I did add White Daisy card stock page bases.)  Each of the photos was trimmed down to 3.75" x 5.75" to have the borders you see.

 All of the stamping was done with the Live Beautifully stamp set.  My layout is embellished with black shimmer trim and black dots.  I cut my title with the CTMH/Cricut Artbooking cartridge.

 Next are close ups of our I stamped and cut out the pretty accent flower.  I began by inking up the flower in Pixie, then rolling the stamp edges in Pomegranate, and then rolling the edges again in Eggplant.  After I stamped this image, I highlighted the center of the flower with my gold metallic marker.

 I stamped the same image again by inking up first in Pixie and rolling the edges again in Pomegranate.  I then fussy-cut what I thought would be the next layer of flower petals to give it more dimension.

 My third and fourth layers of petals were stamped with Pixie and cut out.

 The final/fourth layer was just one petal, and I bent it slightly with my finger to give it even more dimension.

Thank you for hopping along the Live Beautifully blog hop.  I'd love a comment before you go see what Gina Brandstetter has created to share and inspire!

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

Finally, I'm linking my layout up to these challenges:

• Color My Heart Color Dare: Live Beautifully
• Heart 2 Heart Challenges: Coming Up Roses
• Always Fun Challenges: For a Female or Mom

May Stamp of the Month Blog Hop: Live, Laugh, Love

Welcome to the May stamp of the month blog hop featuring Live, Laugh, Love!  Not only do we have a new stamp of the month today, but the Seasonal Expressions 2 has launched along with the gorgeous National Scrapbooking Month collection, Live Beautifully.  You are going to see so many new, great ideas along this hop!  We will be highlighting the Seasonal Expressions and Live Beautifully in blog hops later this month (5/10 & 5/20), so you're going to want to come back.  (If you're already hopping, then you've probably arrived from Gina's blog.  From here, you will visit Jen Rubio next.)  For this hop, I've created two very different projects with similar techniques.

For both of my projects, I used a waterbrush to color in the flowers of the stamped images.

For my 3"x6" gate-fold card, I paired the Little Dreamer collection with the May stamp of the month.  To color those gorgeous letters, I grabbed my smallest waterbrush and all the inks from Little Dreamer plus Willow for the leaves: Lemon, Tangerine, Blossom, Thistle, Glacier, and Lagoon.  (I ended up NOT using Glacier.)  I tried to work from light to dark colors as much as possible.  The letters were easy to cut out and adhere to the top portion of the card.  All of the embellishments came with the Little Dreamer Workshop Your Way collection.

My next project is a scrapbook layout using the May stamp of the month with the gorgeous National Scrapbooking Month paper pack, Live Beautifully.

This picture of my girls cracks me up every time I see it!

To embellish this layout, I added Sea Glass glitter paper and gold dots to the layout.

 Since I only had the one picture to go with the story, I typed up my journaling to include on the second page.

Thank you for hopping by!  Be sure to check out all of the lovely Live, Laugh, Love creations by clicking to go to Jen Rubio's blog next!

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