H2H Challenges: Unwind and Relax

The final June Heart 2 Heart challenge is the theme "unwind and relax."  Don't we all need some of that right now?!?  I made a fun summer-y card for this challenge!

My inspiration for this card are two current Close To My Heart special offers: the Dad Is Rad kit and the Create the Rainbow savings.  (You can find out more HERE if you're interested.)  My card is based on a cool sketch in the Dad Is Rad workshop, but I customized it for summer with the yellows in the Create the Rainbow savings (Goldrush, Saffron, and Canary) combined with the Central Park Scrapbooking stamp set.  From left to right, the 1/4" stripes are gold glitter, Canary B&T from Beautiful Friendship, Canary card stock, Saffron B&T from the Enchantment collection, Saffron card stock, and Goldrush B&T from the Enchantment collection. 

For the sentiment, I stamped the Sunshine word in Goldrush, its shadow outline in Canary, and "walking in" in Saffron.  The sun on the card base was also stamped in Saffron with gold shimmer brush to highlight the sun's center.

Thanks for checking out my summer, sunshine, relax & unwind card!  Be sure to visit the H2H blog, and join us!

Dad Is Rad Workshop Layouts

This month, Close To My Heart is offering a cool "Dad Is Rad" workshop!  You get a selection of papers, a stamp set, ribbon, gold clips, and preprinted instructions to create a two-page layout, a one-page layout, and four cards.  I pretty much followed the directions exactly to make the projects.  Today I'm sharing the layouts.

For the two-page layout, I decided NOT to add the dad sentiments yet because I may use it for more of our cruise pictures instead.  So, don't be afraid of this set because you might not "need" so many dad-themed projects.  The color scheme is gorgeous, and argyle is classic.

My second layout, the one-page layout, was absolutely perfect for this gorgeous picture of my parents, who are celebrating their 50th anniversary later this summer.  (We actually have already started celebrating "anniversary season" with a cruise earlier this month!)  This layout is the title page of the album that I am making for them to highlight our cruise and their party next month.

If you'd like to know more about this layout, just click HERE.  Yes, the gold glitter paper is part of the collection!  There is plenty extra to cut the title the way that I did.

Come back later this week to see the cards from this cool collection.  Thanks!

Featured Paper Blog Hop: Fresh Air

Welcome to the monthly Featured Paper Blog Hop!  We have four CTMH consultants highlighting the Fresh Air collection this month.  I have both a scrapbook layout and a card to share with you.  (If you're already hopping then you've probably arrived from Carol's blog.  From here, you'll visit Kathleen's blog next.)

The Fresh Air collection was a perfect choice to scrapbook my husband, brother-in-law, and daughter's rafting trip last year with friends!  The colors went so well together along with that great outdoor theme.  The inspiration for my sketch came from the Workshops Your Way for this collection (second layout), but the actual dimensions didn't work for my pictures so I just made it my own with a little trial and error.

You can see how I used the Fresh Air Scrapbooking stamp set to accent my layout in two places.  First, I stamped the "Memories" circle onto one of the lightest pieces of the patterned paper after inking up the stamp in Glacier, New England Ivy, and Nutmeg.  I also stamped some pine boughs onto the Escape pre-printed card.

The "Incredible" sentiment was part of a larger stamp, so I used post-it notes to cover the parts of the stamp that I didn't want to use, ink up the exposed stamp in Nutmeg, peeled off (and threw away) the inky post-its, and then stamped "incredible" under my focal photo.  A few of the Fresh Air wooden shapes and gold glitter gems finished off my layout nicely.

My second project is a card that I made with the June stamp of the month, A Bushel and a Peck.  You can read all about it HERE if you'd like.

Thanks for hopping by!  Take a deep breath of fresh air, leave me a comment please, and then go on to visit Kathleen's blog next.  Enjoy the great outdoors!

Mini Is Marvelous (CTMH Technique Blog Hop)

Mini is marvelous!  You're going to love all the teeny tiny projects you'll see along this fun technique blog hop.  (If you're already hopping then you've probably arrived from Catherine's blog.  From here, you'll visit Danielle's blog next, just by clicking on her name.)

My projects are two mini 3"x3" cards made with the Beautiful Friendship collection: Cardmaking stamp set, Thin Cuts, and paper pack.  After stamping both the tea cup and the tea pot with Sapphire ink onto scrap White Daisy cardstock, I ran them through my Cuttlebug with the coordinating Thin Cuts dies to cut them out so beautifully.  For the tea cup, I stamped the pretty floral pattern with Canary ink, and on the tea pot I used Smoothie for the sentiment.  Both cards use some grey gems, and I wrapped some grey thick twine around my card before adding the tea pot on top with 3D foam tape.

I love making and giving mini cards, because they express a lot in a small package!  Be sure to leave me a comment please before you hop on to Danielle's blog to see her interpretation of Mini Is Marvelous!

H2H Challenges: Dad Knows Best

Boy, could I create an entire scrapbook around the Heart2Heart Challenge's theme, Dad Knows Best!  (He sure thinks he does!)  Instead, I've chosen to use the current Dad is Rad collection to create a layout to celebrate my parents' 50th anniversary which is coming up later this summer.

This layout was super easy to make because I basically just followed the directions in the Dad Is Rad workshop collection.  I personalized this layout by first turning the photo 90 degrees to fit my parents' picture.  I also added the "50 years" title with the gold glitter paper from the collection and my CTMH/Cricut Flower Market cartridge.  All of the gold glitter and the burlap ribbon are part of the collection; I did add the gold glitter gems for some extra bling.  Of course you need some gold for a 50th anniversary celebration!  You will get to see lots more about their celebration(s) this summer, so be sure to come back often.  Don't forget to visit the H2H blog to see how our talented designers interpreted this theme, just in time for Father's Day!  As always, you have all month to play along with any of this month's H2H challenges.

June Stamp of the Month Blog Hop: A Bushel and a Peck

Welcome to the June stamp of the month blog hop, featuring A Bushel and a Peck!  (If you're already hopping then you've arrived from Krista's blog.  From here you'll visit Shelly next.)

My card is based on the Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 4 pattern 4, turned to become a side-fold card.  After choosing the Fresh Air paper collection, I stamped my sentiment onto White Daisy card stock with Nutmeg ink.  I then stamped the basket onto scrap card stock (also in Nutmeg).  To color the basket, I first used my waterbrush dipped in Toffee ink for the lighter brown and then Nutmeg again for the top of the basket and the apple stems.  With the waterbrush, I colored the basket strip and apple leaves with New England Ivy.  After all that dried, I used three of my Shin-Han Twin Touch markers to color the apples: Golden Yellow, Sap Green, and Carmine.

Instead of embellishing with the pretty green burlap ribbon in this collection, I opted to use white burlap instead for a nicer contrast.  Finally, I added three red enamel gems to balance the pop of red from the apple basket.

Thank you for letting me share my simple card!  After leaving a comment, be sure to visit Shelly's blog next, and continue on for lots of great ideas!

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