Senior Year Album Part 1

Our youngest is a high school senior this year, so I am trying to make her an album of highlights of this school year.  On this final day of 2018, I thought I would share what I've gotten made so far.

{You read about this particular layout HERE.}

This is definitely a year of "lasts," as we took our final first day of school picture together (I am a teacher).

This layout was made with the Boutique collection.

 This layout went together really quickly thanks to our cool new Craft with Heart layout subscription.

 It's easy to personalize the kits with stuff from your stash, too.

Learn more HERE.

Another Craft with Heart layout that was so easy to make my own for Thanksgiving memories.

Highlights of December with another Craft with Heart layout (even though I did not follow the directions on this one AT ALL).

Thanks for letting me share!  I wish you all the absolute best in 2019.

Senior Night Layout

Many of you know that my "baby" is a senior in high school this year, so I am really trying to make an album to document this special year.  Some layouts are hers alone, others I'm duplicating for both of us, and others incorporate some of her pictures into my scrapbook.  Her senior band night is one that I decided to duplicate for each of us.

The layout sketch is based on Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 2, sketch 3.  I used a mix of old and new: Boutique papers + retired Enchantment B&T in Eggplant.

Some of my retired stamps are the perfect accents and title.

I am working really hard on making her an album of her senior year, and I got really emotional about it yesterday!  More layouts to come...

Chicken Run Layout

Did you know that we got three chickens this spring?  They were hatched in our school's STEM class.  Turns out one of those cute chicks was a rooster!  The three of them are actually really fun to have.

We got our first egg at the beginning of November.  We are currently getting about an egg a day (actually two eggs every other day).  Unfortunately we lost our rooster to a fox so the girls don't get to free range as much as they would like now.  (They do not understand that it's for their own good!  Sounds like every parents' lament!)

My layout uses the current Seasons Mix In patterned paper plus Almond and Sweet Leaf card stock.  I cut my title with one of my CTMH/Cricut cartridges.

Thanks for letting me share another side of our lives with you!

H2H Challenges: Wish Upon a Star

Happy Christmas Eve!  I really, really love this holiday season.  Heart 2 Heart Challenges is asking you to Wish Upon a Star for our final challenge of 2018. You can interpret this one in some many ways (but remember to use some Close To My Heart products)!  (I can't help but think about my "star" of a daughter who made district band and qualified for the final round of All State auditions in a few weeks.)  I chose to focus on the true reason for the season with my creation, one variation of the Christmas cards I sent out this year.

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

You can join any of the H2H December challenges until the end of this month.  You'll be glad you did!

Love of Color (CTMH Technique Blog Hop)

Close To My Heart introduces an amazing publication called Love of Color.  It provides color combo suggestions for each current Close To My Heart color and gorgeous artwork to inspire your creativity.  We are featuring ideas from this how-to guide to show you what a great resource it is.
(If you're already hopping then you've probably arrived from Melissa's blog.  From here, you'll visit Debi next.)

Glacier was my starting color.  In Love of Color, one of the Glacier combos is Glacier, Peacock, Heather, and Linen.  I had this Glacier scrap from the Boutique collection and my Falling Flakes stamp set handy, so I random stamped the flakes in the three darkest colors.  (Stamping "stitching" stamps in Linen really doesn't show well.)  I mounted my snowy piece onto a standard-size piece of Linen paper, also from the Boutique collection.  For my sentiment panel, I inked up Merry Christmas in Glacier and then inked the bottom portion again in Peacock before stamping.  A little silver shimmer trim and sparkles finishes this off and still allows the card to be mailed easily.

My inspiration for this hop was actually this family photo (taken this summer).  I really wanted to make a layout or home decor piece with it, but I don't have time right now with all of the holiday hustle and bustle!  I am planning to use it with the following color combo: Glacier, Sugarplum, Ballerina, Sage, and Pewter (from Love of Color of course).  What do you think?  I see a lot of potential, so this project will "perk" until I have a great idea and time to implement.

If you haven't yet explored Love of Color, talk to your CTMH consultant or go ahead and order a copy for yourself.  I can't wait to see what color each consultant has selected to share along this hop.  I'd love a comment before you dash off to Debi's blog next.

May your holidays be merry, bright, and colorful!

Featured Paper Collection Blog Hop: Oh What Fun

As much as I love traditional holiday color combos, there is something so, well, FUN, about the Oh What Fun collection!  Maybe being the mom of two girls (now almost grown women) plays into my love of a pink and green Christmas?  You are going to get some spectacular ideas with the Oh What Fun collection on this blog hop. (If you're already hopping then you've arrived from Carol's blog.  From here, you'll visit Shirley's blog next.)

Do you need a quick gift?  I'm not sure where I got these plastic bags, but I stuffed them with a little hand sanitizer and a yummy truffle.  Creating the topper was easy!  I just measured how wide the bag was, how long the topper needed to be, and then doubled the length.  I kept this easy peasy with the adorable Merry Christmas stamp in Raspberry.  The tree is one of the stickers in the Oh What Fun collection.  The Raspberry twine comes with the Workshop Your Way (and is available separately).

Here is a card I made using the December stamp of the month, Candy Cane Alphabet.  I was trying to extend this pack beyond the Christmas season.

You can read more about this card HERE if you'd like.

Finally, I'm sharing another project I've featured here on the blog, an Oh What Fun holiday layout.  You can learn more about it HERE if interested.

Hopefully you've been inspired to get crafty with the Oh What Fun collection. I'd love a comment before you hop on over to the sensation Shirley's rockin' blog.  Thanks for stopping by!

ABC (Anything but a Card) Holiday Blog Hop

It's time for a fun ABC (Anything But a Card) Holiday blog hop!  You just might get some last minute gift ideas, or some inspiration for your next crafty project.  (If you're already hopping, then you've probably arrived from Melinda's blog.  From here, you'll visit Darlys's blog next.)

My project began with the chipboard monogram letters to spell out JOY.  (I actually scored this set- letters and gold glitter cutout overlays- at a recent CTMH flash sale, but you could easily cut your own.)  I used the CTMH/Cricut Flower Market cartridge to cut these lovely poinsettia flowers from Candy Apple and New England Ivy cardstock and 3.5" and 3".

 You can see the Candy Apple cardstock cuts and then how I bent them with my fingers to make them a little more authentic.

Liquid Glass is my go-to adhesive for this type of project!

A gold glitter gem finished off each flower center.

Here are the letters in my window sill.  The "J" doesn't stand well on its own.  I am thinking about adding ribbon to hand each letter in the window or on one of our French doors.

The possibilities with the monogram chipboard letters are endless!  You could easily make a lovely monogram for your home.  Thank you very much for hopping by!  I'd love a comment before you leave to see what Darlys has created!

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

H2H Challenges: Shake It Up

Are you ready to shake it up with Heart 2 Heart?!?  You don't have to use our new shaker cards to shake things up, but I certainly did!

This ornament uses the CTMH/Cricut You Are Here cartridge's compass base as the ornament base (cut from Peacock card stock), a shaker window & confetti, silver embossing powder, Charcoal ink, and the Christmas Blessings stamp set.  (Complete details are HERE.)

You can also use shakers on scrapbook layouts.

Oh What Fun layout details can be found HERE.

Be sure to check out all of the H2H Design Team's projects, and help us shake it up this week.  You have all month to play!

December Stamp of the Month Blog Hop: Candy Cane Alphabet

If you're getting ready for Christmas then you are going to love the December stamp of the month, Candy Cane Alphabet, for your projects!  You'll see lots of great ideas with this alphabet set along this blog hop.  (If you're already hopping then you've probably arrived from Brandi's blog.  From here, you'll visit Jean's blog next.)

I wanted to try to use this set for a non-Christmas project.  I think this card would make a cute Valentine or winter birthday/thinking of you card.  What do  you think?  I used the Oh What Fun collection which includes that pretty Raspberry twine.  This card is based on a sketch from Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 4.

Thanks for hopping by.  I'd love a comment before you leave.  Now visit Jean's Stamping Maui blog to continue the hop.

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

H2H Challenges: Sugarplum, Sapphire, and Sage

Heart 2 Heart Challenges has a lovely color challenge to finish November: use Sugarplum, Sapphire, and Sage on a project.

I decided to make a non-traditional Christmas card using Bunches of Love stamp set and the little M-size Merry Christmas stamp.

Following Pattern 4 from Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 4, I cut the Sapphire piece from the Grateful Heart collection, Sage card stock, and Sugarplum glitter paper.  I stamped the floral image from Bunches of Love with Sapphire ink and then over-stamped the floral centers with Sugarplum and the leaves with Sage.

I decided to stamp the leaves again on scrap White Daisy and then fussy cut them to adhere over the Sage card stock.  Hopefully if you look closely you can see Sugarplum shimmer brush on the flowers and the Sugarplum gems on the berries.

If you visit the H2H blog, you'll find lots of inspiration with this pretty color scheme.  We hope you'll join us before the end of the month!

Featured Paper Collection Blog Hop: 'Tis the Season

Although I'm partial to celebrating one holiday at a time, in the crafting world you have to work ahead of the season.  'Tis the Season is a wonderful, traditional collection to celebrate your holidays! (If you're already hopping then you've arrived from Carol's blog.  From here, you'll visit Shirley's blog next.)

My layout is very simple.  It came directly from the 'Tis the Season Workshop Your Way, which made it super fast to create.

Don't you love the gold foil in the Complements?

Now to decide if I'm going to put last year's or this year's pictures on my layout...

Be sure to continue along this blog hop to see some pretty creations with the 'Tis the Season collection.  Visit SHIRLEY next!