H2H Challenges: Terrific Tags

 Heart2Heart Challenges is kicking off October with a "Terrific Tags" challenge.  You can interpret this challenge however you like as long as you use a tag (or two or three or four or more) on your project!

My tag is made with the Date Stamp "library pocket" stamps and Thin Cuts.  After choosing the beautiful fern foliage print from As You Grow as my card background, I used Sage cardstock to cut the Thin Cuts pocket and Shortbreak cardstock for the actual tag.  (I did stamp the library card stamp in Shortbread on the tag.)  I stamped the floral parts of the hedgehog and the owl from the October stamp of the month, Wildflower Friendship, in New England Ivy on the pocket.  I also used New England Ivy to stamp my sentiment from the stamp of the month.  I stamped the pretty fox from the stamp of the month on White Daisy, fussy cut, and the colored with a few of my Tri-Blend Spectrum Noir markers, my Bronze metallic marker, and Dusty Rose shimmer brush.  A few Autumn loose sequins and Rose Gold shimmer trim finished off my card.  I hope you like it!

Be sure to visit the H2H blog to check out our designers' inspiration and join us with your Terrific Tags this month!

October Stamp of the Month Blog Hop: Wildflower Friendship

 Welcome to the October stamp of the month, Wildflower Friendship, stamp of the month blog hop!  (How can it be October already?  Hopefully you're enjoying the changing season in your neck of the woods.)  Be sure to hop along our stamp of the month blog hop to see lots of great ideas with this adorable stamp set.  (If you're already hopping, then you've probably arrived from Show and Tell with Michelle.  From here, you'll visit Gina's blog next.)

If you know me, then you know that I don't love to color, so my first card plays on a simple black and white color scheme.  My card sketch is based on a pattern from the new Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 5.  (Next time I would probably cut my circle with my Thin Cut a little higher on the black cardstock panel.)  I stamped the owl in black on White Daisy and fussy cut her out quickly.  I added some quick coloring with two of my Spectrum Noir Tri-Blend markers (Citrus Blend and Dull Green).  Can you see how I added clear shimmer brush to the "moon?"  I also used a piece of black velvet ribbon.

For my second card, I decided to use the pretty fox.  After stamping with black ink and fussy cutting, I colored her with Desert Rose shimmer brush, plus three of my Tri-Blend markers (the same as the other plus the light turquoise).  I flicked some Desert Rose shimmer brush on the Glacier cardstock base and then added a "hill" cut from Sage cardstock.  The final touches were a Desert Rose rectangle Thin Cut and a few Autumn loose sequins.

I can't wait to create something with that adorable hedgehog next!  Thanks for letting me share two cards with you.  Please leave a comment before you click on her name to hop to Gina's blog to continue the October stamp of the month blog hop.

More September Stamp of the Month Cards

 So Grateful for this Life!

Slimline Celebration Blog Hop

Close To My Heart has an amazing Slimline Celebration for National Stamping Month!  With four stamp sets, five Thin Cuts, and two exclusive bundles, the possibilities are endless.  Hop from blog to blog to get some amazing ideas with these exclusive products.  (If you're already hopping, then you've probably arrived from Scrappin Katy's blog.  From here you'll visit Kathy's blog next.)  I have used the Slimline Sentiments on my projects.

My first card has a fun background made by wiping distress oxide inks in Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Candied Apple, Abandoned Coral, Peeled Paint, and Vintage Photo on my all-purpose mat then spritzing with water.  This panel is actually the second one that I made from the same "puddle" of ink on my mat.  After it dried, I splattered Toffee, Gold, and Desert Rose shimmer brushes on the panel.  For the sentiment, after stamping it in Espresso, I used a small stamp from the Perfectly Imperfect Patterns stamp set to create the "watercolor wash" behind Thank You (Shortbread) and Hug (Papaya).  A little rose gold shimmer trim and an Autumn sequin finished this.

My second card uses the same stamp set but on a standard-size A2 card.  I inked the stamp in Papaya and Sapphire to coordinate with the Pumpkin Spice background.  I used my Desert Rose shimmer brush to color in the heart.

This final card has already been featured on my blog (details HERE), but I wanted to share it on this hop also.  The background is made entirely from shimmer brushes, and boy does it sparkle prettily in real life!

Thanks for letting me share some Slimline Sentiments cards with you.  Please leave a comment before you hop on over to Kathy's blog to continue the Slimline Celebration blog hop.

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

H2H Challenges: Glitter and Glitz

It seems like every single papercrafting project I make includes some type of glitter or glitz, even for my projects for the guys in my life.  The current Heart2Heart Challenge, Glitter and Glitz, is right up my alley!

I created this background panel with Peach, Desert Rose, Toffee, Gold, and Espresso shimmer brushes.  It really sparkles in person!  I stamped my sentiment with Toffee ink and added an Espresso band.  I had planned to add a Desert Rose glitter paper pennant, but It was honestly too much.  I did add some Autumn loose sequins to my sentiment.

Be sure to add your Glitter and Glitz project to our Heart2Heart Challenge before the end of the month!

September/October Catalog New Product Blog Hop

 By now, you've probably browsed the new September/October Close To My Heart Idea Book a time or two!  This hop is featuring some of our favorite products from this beautiful collection.  (If you're already hopping, you've probably arrived from ScrappinKaty's blog.  From here, you'll click to visit Lauren's CTMH Craftings.

I love the new Pumpkin Spice collection and realized that the colors matched my photos from our stay in Memphis.  We were there in July, so the fall vibe didn't work for me, but the rest of the collection certainly did!  I used Pattern 12 from Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 5, to create my layout.  (Unfortunately, all of my photos haven't arrived.)

I decided to cut down my Mink cardstock so that I could have the Paprika cardstock border background.  I ink-distressed the edges in Mink on the top, outside edges, and bottom, plus then added scissor-distressing to give the layout more texture.  In addition to the Pumpkin Spice polka dots and stripes, I added Harbour and Shortcake cardstock plus Papaya glitter paper.  I stamped my title in Harbour with the new Daisy Alphabet from the core catalog.

If you look closely, you can see that I stamped the Perfectly Imperfect Patterns stamp set (also from the core catalog) in Shortbread and Harbour on my base pages.  I added sequins from the Autumn loose sequins with Liquid Glass plus some wooden triangles from my stash.  I can't wait to add my photos to finish this layout.

Thanks for letting my share my (almost finished) layout with you.  Please leave a comment before you click on the link to visit Lauren's CTMH Craftings next!

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

September Technique Blog Hop: Make It Shine!

Who doesn't love a little sparkle, bling, and shine?  That's the focus of this month's technique blog hop.  Close To My Heart offers so many pretty, shiny products!  (If you're already hopping, you've probably arrived from Cat's blog.  From here, you'll visit Lauren next.)

I had SO MUCH FUN making this card, and let me tell you, it is so much prettier in real life!  (You can see a quick video HERE if you'd like!)  I placed a 4"x5.5" piece of White Daisy cardstock on my all purpose craft mat then grabbed and swiped my Peach, Desert Rose, Toffee, and Gold shimmer brushes across the panel.  I made sure to overlap the colors and then added a bit of a gold wash over it all.

Instead of stamping Happy Birthday in Espresso on a White Daisy panel, I stamped directly onto the shimmer brush piece because I hated covering it up!  I added Autumn loose sequins into my shaker window area (and later adhered some on the card panel), then added a rectangle shaker window foam/acetate and a Rose Gold glitter paper stitched Thin Cut rectangle.

Pardon the glare on the acetate window, but here's a close up to help you better see how pretty and sparkly this card is.

Thanks for letting my share my sweet friend's birthday card with you.  Please leave a comment before you hop on over to Lauren's blog next.  Thank you!

Craft with Heart Scrapbooking Subscription: September 2021

 If you're a scrapbooker, be sure to check out the Craft with Heart scrapbooking subscription!  You will easily create gorgeous layouts with this subscription box!

I thought that the second of the two September layouts were a great background for my pictures of visiting the Close To My Heart corporate office this summer.

I love how you can personalize these beautiful layouts to make them your own!  The suggested title was These Are the Best Days, but that didn't really fit the pictures I chose.

Hopefully you can see the dimension of using foam tape to pop some of the die cut circle pieces.

Visiting corporate was definitely a best day!  If you'd like to learn more about the Craft with Heart scrapbooking subscription, click HERE.

For All Occasions Masculine Birthday Card

 Yesterday, we celebrated my brother-in-law's birthday, so I quickly made him this card.

I grabbed my Pumpkin Spice collection and decided that this fall scene would be the perfect backdrop.  (This band measures 2.5"x5.5".)  I mounted that piece onto a 4.25"x5.5" of Harbour cardstock.  I cut a piece of gold shimmer trim in half (or almost in half) and adhered the larger piece to the bottom of the band and the skinnier piece to the top.  I used my NEW For Every Occasion stamp set to stamp happy in Paprika on Mink and birthday in Harbour on Shortbread.  How cute is that wooden leaf sticker?

Remember that the Pumpkin Spice collection is only available September-October 2021, so be sure to get yours soon!

2021-22 Core Catalog New Product Blog Hop

September marks the beginning of the Close To My Heart year with a brand new, incredible Core Catalog!  Our blog hop group is featuring our favorites from the Core Catalog, which will be available through August 2022.  Grab your wish list and hop along to see so many amazing new products and ideas. (If you're already hopping, you've probably arrived from amazingly creative Katy's blog.  From here, you'll visit my Heart2Heart Challenges teammate Lauren's blog next.)

I finally decided to use the pretty As You Grow paper pack, sticker sheet, coordinating cardstock, and Picture My Life cards to scrapbook my aunt's memorial service this past weekend.  You'll notice that I haven't journaled (yet) because my thoughts are too private for the world wide web.  (Thanks for understanding.)  I do want to stress how important journaling is to document the stories and people behind your photos.  No one wants to inherit "strangers in a box."

I embellished both pages with NEW Papaya shimmer trim.  Though this collection has a baby motif, I thought that the "love you forever" sums up my love for my aunt and my extended family.  My aunt loved to garden, so the botanical theme is perfect to celebrate her life.

Since it was hard to get 23 of us to look at the camera (especially since two are under four years old), I wanted to use two of the many family photos.  Flip flaps of course came to my rescue, and on the 4x6" Picture My Life journaling card, I will document who exactly was in attendance- and who had to attend virtually unfortunately due to COVID-19.  Also note that the actual service bulletin can be pulled out of the top-loading page protector.  The poem is adhered at the middle and bottom to provide a pocket to pull out the bulletin.

Thanks for letting me show you a little bit of the pretty As You Grow collection.  If you only saw babies, I hope I've inspired you to think again!  Please leave a comment before hopping to Lauren's blog next.  

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

H2H Challenges: Creative with Cardstock

For National Stamping Month (AKA the month of September), Heart2Heart Challenges wants you to get creative with cardstock!

I just had to play around with the color of the year, Wild Berry, and using it with Black, Pewter, and White Daisy cardstock (plus some Wild Berry glitter paper).  I tried my hand at a herringbone technique for this card.

I used one of my new favorite stamp sets, For All Occasions.  This set features 26 stamps for just about any sentiment you could need! 

Next time, I will probably stamp the "just because" in first generation or second generation only, not both.  I also wonder if I should have mated my Stitched Rectangle Thin Cuts border with a slightly larger piece of Black cardstock to make it pop even more.  Also, next time, I may vary the width of my strips (these all started as 0.5"x6" strips).  Take note of how I layered a Black Burst onto a Wild Berry flower sequin!

Be sure to check out all of the H2H Designers' inspiration, and join us this month to get creative with cardstock!

September Stamp of the Month Blog Hop: Grateful for This Life

September means a new stamp of the month, new two-month idea book, and a new core catalog!  It is such an exciting time for Close To My Heart!  You're going to enjoy all kinds of great ideas with the beautiful September stamp of the month, Grateful for This Life, along the stamp of the month blog hop.  (If you're already hopping, then you've probably arrived from Katy's blog.  From here, you'll visit Lauren's blog next.)

I made two cards using two brand new colors, Papaya and our color of the year, Wild Berry!  Before I share the details, be sure to check out all of the amazing sentiments in the September stamp of the month, Grateful for This Life.

My first card pairs uses Wild Berry to make a fun shaker card!  I made it in stages to show how cute each version can be.  I began by stamping Grateful with Wild Berry and the other sentiments in Black.

I turned that simple card front into a shaker card by cutting out the Wild Berry glitter paper rectangle with the Stitched Rectangles Thin Cuts. 

Aren't the Wild Berry sequins absolutely gorgeous?

My second card is a little simpler version and uses the new color Papaya.

Again, I think the simple stamped version makes a pretty card in and of itself, but I took it to the next level by tracing the "shadow" with my black journaling pen and adding black burst sequins.

Finally, I added some sparkle, because you can never have too much sparkle (!), with Papaya and black shimmer trim.

Thanks for visiting!  Please leave a comment before you hop to Lauren's blog next!

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