Christmas in July Blog Hop

Happy Christmas in July!  It may be sweltering where you are (it certainly is where I am), so I am cooling off in the air conditioning along with a great group of Close To My Heart makers to enjoy some holiday crafting. (If you're already hopping, you've probably arrived from Show and Tell with Michelle.  From here, you'll visit Darlys's blog next.)

I combined my Winter Penguins stamp set and Thin Cuts with the Wander collection (mainly Sapphire and Evergreen) and added Scarlet- with my Scarlet shimmer brush- to make it festive to create three different holiday cards.

My first card uses Pattern 25 from the Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 5 and the Wander Sapphire star paper as my base.  I cut six squares from Evergreen cardstock and stamped the center two on the lighter side with the background from my Wander Cardmaking stamp set.

Hopefully this close up shows a little of the sparkle of the Scarlet and Evergreen shimmer brush coloring (on the Scarlet squares and on the cute penguin's cap).  To stamp the sentiment, I inked the top half in Evergreen and the bottom in Sapphire, then stamped onto the White Daisy strip.

My second card was already featured on my blog HERE, but you'll see that I used the same collections to create it.

My third card features another adorable penguin and uses Pattern 30 from Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 5.  Instead of stamping the snowflakes on the Sapphire patterned paper, I stamped them on the Evergreen cardstock.  I used my Scarlet shimmer brush to create the Scarlet strip (and to color her cute hat), plus I painted clear shimmer brush on the White Daisy base and the Glacier pond to give it additional wintry sparkle.  I also used a waterbrush and Sundance ink to color her beak & feet.

Thanks for letting me share my version of Christmas in July with the limited supplies I've brought with me on our family RV adventure.  Please leave a comment before hopping to Darlys's blog to continue the hop.

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

H2H Challenges: Christmas in July

The weather may be sweltering, but it's not too early to begin planning for the holiday season!  Heart2Heart Challenges is partnering with Double Trouble Challenges to bring you Christmas in July.

I paired my Winter Penguins stamp set with the Wander Cardmaking Stamp Set/Thin Cuts and paper collection to create this fun winter-y card.

Hopefully these different angles will show all of the shimmer brush coloring that I did.  First, the snow and pond were brushed with clear shimmer brush.  I added Evergreen and Scarlet shimmer on the penguin's scarf.  I also added Evergreen shimmer brush to the Evergreen strip.

Enjoy a little chill during the heat of July, and join us at H2H & Double Trouble for Christmas in July!

July/August 2021 New Product Blog Hop

Are you loving the Close To My Heart July/August 2021 Idea Book?  (You can view it HERE if you haven't already.)  Hop along this new product blog hop to see amazing artwork with our favorite new products!  (If you're already hopping, you've probably arrived from Alyson's blog.  From here, you'll visit Show and Tell with Michelle.)

The Butterfly Background Thin Cut makes the most beautiful card front (in my humble opinion)!  Here's a closeup of the die:

For my first card, I layered a White Daisy Butterfly Background Thin Cut panel onto a standard-size White Daisy card base.  (I love our bulk cards and envelopes!)  Hopefully you can tell in the closeup how I painted each butterfly's wings with clear shimmer brush and then added flower sequins over each flower cutout.

My second card used another White Daisy Thin Cut panel, but I layered a Ballerina Butterfly Background Thin Cut panel underneath, with a Sage card base as the background.  

You can see how I "weeded out" different portions of the layers so that the Ballerina shows as flowers and as a background for the butterfly wings.

Hopefully you can see the clear shimmer brush on the butterflies' wings!

If you love the Butterfly Background Thin Cut die as much as I do, be sure to get yours either HERE or on your CTMH Maker's website before they run out!  (Sometimes our popular Thin Cuts demand exceeds supply, so if you have a Thin Cut on your wish list, I would recommend ordering sooner rather than later.  Stamp sets are available for a year from their introduction except for stamps of the month and other special collections.)  Thanks for leaving a comment before hopping on to Show and Tell with Michelle!

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

July Technique Blog Hop: Interactive Elements

This month's technique blog hop features interactive elements.  (Think: I like to move it, move it!)  Be sure to visit everyone on the hop for some fabulous ideas!  (If you're already hopping, then you've probably arrived from Wendy's blog.  From here, you'll visit Melissa's blog next.)

Since my husband and I recently celebrated our 26th anniversary AND we are RVing out West, I knew that I had to make a pretty special card.  The Wander Cardmaking stamp set and Thin Cuts were what I had to use with the limited supplies that I brought with me, and they were perfect!  (I was inspired by a card I found on Pinterest HERE but put my own twist on the design.)

After inking the sentiment up in Toffee, Sapphire, and Evergreen, I stamped it onto White Daisy cardstock and then used a Wander Die Cuts frame and arrow to highlight the "belly band" sentiment.  I fussy cut the s'mores stamp after stamping with Toffee ink.

Here's a closeup of the mountains inked up in Mink and Evergreen plus the river inked up in Glacier and Sapphire then brushed with Clear and Sapphire shimmer brushes.

If you're interested in creating a similar card, here are the specs: I stared with an Evergreen 4.25"x5.5" panel.  I then cut two Evergreen pieces that were 5.5"x5" and scored at 4.25" (to make a 4.25"x5.5" panel with a tab).  Next, I cut from the scored line to .75" from the bottom of the opposite edge.  Finally, I adhered the "wings" to the back of the base panel.

Finally, for the center panel, I cut a piece of White Daisy cardstock 4"x5.25" and a piece of Wander patterned paper at 4"x6".  I folded the excess across the top to make a tab to adhere the Wander paper to the White Daisy base.

I had a lot of fun creating the mountain scenes on the "wings" and then the little camper scene on the center panel.  After Thin Cutting the trees, I sponged them with Sage and Evergreen inks respectively and stamped the center images in the same colors.  After stamping the camper in Sapphire, I fussy cut it and then colored the wheels and hitch with my black journaling pen.  It may not show very well, but I painted the pond with clear shimmer brush so that it shines in the "moonlight."

I inked the sentiment in Toffee and Sapphire, and then inked the campfire in Sundance and Toffee to create my final sentiment for our anniversary card.

My husband was pretty impressed with his anniversary card!  Here we are at (windy!) Yellowstone Canyon on our anniversary.

Here's to 26 years!

Thanks for letting me share my interactive anniversary card with you!  Please leave a comment before you hop on over to Melissa's blog next to continue the July Interactive Elements Technique Hop.

July Stamp of the Month Blog Hop: Strong Roots

Close To My Heart has a welcoming July stamp of the month, Strong Roots.  Join me and my fellow CTMH maker blog hop group to showcase this pretty set on this month's stamp of the month blog hop.  (If you're already hopping, then you've probably arrived from Darlys's blog.  From here, you'll visit Krista's blog next.)

When I saw this set, I knew that I wanted to make a card for my mom.  I decided to modify a sketch from Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 2 (Pattern 20) for my card.  I used the Woodgrain collection from the core catalog for my base and then cut pieces with my Stitched Rectangles Thin Cuts.

I stamped the large tree in Espresso and then colored it with my CTMH watercolor pencils.  Then, I used some "smooshed up" Saran wrap and pounced it in Peacock Feathers distressed oxide ink and then pounced ink onto my background.  I flicked water with a waterbrush to create a watercolor effect.

In addition to adding gold shimmer trim and gold glitter gems, I painted my wooden heart with gold shimmer brush.

I especially love the door and key stamps and can't wait to play with them!

Thank you for letting me share my Strong Roots card with you.  Please leave a comment before clicking on her name to visit Krista's blog next to continue the hop!

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