6/30/2011

Join Us On The Close to My Heart July Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!

If you have found yourself here from Debra Van Patten's Blog, then you are in the right place.  This month we have over 60 Close to My Heart Consultants for the July Stamp of the Month Blog Hop.  

The July Stamp of the Month is entitled American Celebration (Set of 12).  Check out this very cute stamp set.  Won't your 4th of July pictures go fantastically with this stamp set?    Here is a picture of the July Stamp of the Month:


I decided to make a bookmark with this stamp set because I do not have any 4th of July pictures yet that need to be scrapped and I do not send out 4th of July Cards.  And boy do I always need bookmarks!


I used Barn Red, Honey and Indian Corn Blue Inks.  Nothing is "popped up" because I want to be able to use it as a bookmark.  The red stripes on the bottom are pieced with actual paper as is the blue stripe above it.  They are glued with our ultra fantastic glue pen.  The stars are cut out from the star in the flag and everything is inked with Desert Sand Ink.

This stamp set can be purchased or you can even get it for free only from July 1 - July 31, 2011.  If you do not have a Close to My Heart Consultant, you can purchase this stamp set on my website.

So off you fly to the next stop, Beth Naumann's Blog  and see what she has created for you!

6/26/2011

My Last Challenge as DT Member for H2H.....Sniff, Sniff.....

That is right.  This is my last submission to the Heart 2 Heart Challenges as a member of the Design Team.  This has been a wonderful experience and I want to thank Mary for allowing me to participate with this very talented group of artists.  Welcome to the new Design Team and I cannot wait to see what you come up with for these very fun challenges.

This week our challenge was to use the colors Barn Red, Bamboo, and any color of blue in our artwork.   I have been incredibly busy this week with gatherings and an open house.  I was so tired that I asked my daughter-in-law to tell me what to use on my card.  Pick a stamp set, any stamp set!  She told me to use C1445 Bless This Nest.  I took a nap, got up, and spent the next few hours coming up with this card.

I am so loving this card.  It was the first card in a long while that just went together without too much trouble.  I embossed the barn red flower border from Eclectic Edges (C1450).  The black lines are simply drawn with a ruler and then embossed.  I pieced the bird houses because I wanted to pop them up with foam dots.  There is Glitter Glitz Gel on the swirls on the bird house with the heart and a bitty brad on the other bird house.  I just love adding those little details to my artwork.

Well I couldn't just leave my bird houses hanging in mid air so I used the tree from Splendid Day (D1462) and cut the branches off to make poles for my birdhouses.  Don't you just love them?  Then I use the grass tufts from Trees & Things (D1467) to anchor my poles (and to hide a tiny blue smudge that appeared from nowhere - LOL).

I love the saying from Delightful Things (D1369) and embossed it just above the birdhouses after I second generation stamped a background from Noted Backgrounds (D1412) just to jazz up the background a bit. There is no patterned paper used in this card.  Too cool, huh?  Just lots of cutting...............

Now, please check out the other design team member's projects:


and then show us how you used Barn Red, Bamboo and your choice of blue for your  artwork.  Then, link it with Heart 2 Heart Challenges!  Your projects must include CTMH products, but do not have to be 100% CTMH.  If other products are used, a list or description of what was used would be appreciated. Remember to post it on the Heart 2 Heart Challenges Blog.  You could win some fantastic prizes from our June Sponsors, Michelle Owen and Romaine Rancier.

6/19/2011

And Bingo was His Name-o.............. on H2H!

We have an interesting challenge for you at Heart 2 Heart Challenges this week.  Check out the bingo card below.  See how each square has a different tool or embellishment in it?  Just choose 3 of the embellishments so that when you "cover them" (like in bingo) you get a straight line, giving you a bingo.
I had such a difficult time deciding which 3 embellishments/tools to use and finally decided to use Ribbon - Border Punch - Brads, though in my case it was Brad.  

I wanted to make a special card for my daughter-in-law since her birthday is coming up.  I love to blog hop and had seen a bunch of cards with similar patterns and combined them to get this card.
I used our Level 2 paper pack called Sweetheart.  The stamp set I used is called Royal Birth (D1441) and it also is from Close to My Heart.  And you ask where did I get the paper behind the main image (the birthday cake)?  It is actually white cardstock.  I copied definitions of different royal words in Olde English Font and printed it on the cardstock.  Too cool, huh?  I only have one brad on my card and it is a rhinestone brad.  See it in the "Queen for a day" sentiment?  The cute black and pink flower is from our Irresistibles Pizzazz Diecuts. Whoops!  I hope it doesn't count as a flower.  It is only a diecut!

Now, please check out the other design team member's projects:


and then choose your three embellishments/tools from the bingo card for your  artwork.  Then, link it with Heart 2 Heart Challenges!  Your projects must include CTMH products, but do not have to be 100% CTMH.  If other products are used, a list or description of what was used would be appreciated. Remember to post it on the Heart 2 Heart Challenges Blog.  You could win some fantastic prizes from our June Sponsors, Michelle Owen and Romaine Rancier.

6/12/2011

Father's Day at Heart 2 Heart Challenges

Hello and may I say that I am glad that you are taking the time to visit my blog.  The challenge at H2H this week is to make a background paper using stamping and then use it for a Father's Day card.  I am not a big random stamper but had seen a technique called the Collage Technique and had been meaning to try it.  Here is my finished card.

With the Collage Technique you choose a few different stamps that "go together" and 3 or 4 different colors of ink and then start filling in the cardstock with stamped images.  I used Barn Red, Garden Green, Chocolate, Brown Bag and Cocoa Inks.  I already had an idea of where I wanted to put some of the images but it really took on a life of its own as I was stamping it.  I love this technique because you can stamp over images that you already stamped and your stamping does not have to be perfect.  In fact it is more interesting if it is not perfect.  Here is a closeup of the left side of the card.

I used plain Vanilla Cream Cardstock.  My daughter-in-law actually asked me if I had stamped on patterned paper.  Below is a closeup of the right side of the card.

I am absolutely loving my little man on a bicycle!  Reminds me of Charlie Chaplin.  I really wanted to keep my card kind of plain without heavy embellishments.  I wanted to let the stamping be the focus of the card.  I sponged the edges of the card with Brown Bag Ink, then Chocolate Ink and finally added Cocoa Ink around the outer edge.  I decided to add a little more interest by distressing the outsides of the card and mat and to turn one edge over.  I also stamped "you're great" on the Garden Green mat that is exposed where I turned the card front edge over.
Here are the stamp sets used for this card:
Lucky WOTG (B1366)
Just Like You (C1300)
Live Inspired (C1408)
Enjoy Life (C1439)
Universal Backgrounds (D1477)
You and Me (D1495)
Please check out the other design team member's projects:


and then create your own background paper using stamping.  Make a Father's Day card with it and link it with Heart 2 Heart Challenges!  Your projects must include CTMH products, but do not have to be 100% CTMH.  If other products are used, a list or description of what was used would be appreciated. Remember to post it on the Heart 2 Heart Challenges Blog.  You could win some fantastic prizes from our June Sponsors, Michelle Owen and Romaine Rancier.

6/08/2011

Studio J Free-for-All!

No Purchase Necessary! 
Studio J Free-for-All 
 
During the month of June, everyone can receive a FREE Studio J JPG File - no purchase required!  Now is the time to check out Studio J for yourself and it will cost you absolutely nothing!  Simply log on to Studio J, create a layout, then order one free JPG file of your layout per customer during the checkout process.  It's as easy as that!  If you do not have an account, just log on and create your account and then order your free JPG file as well!   

With Studio J, there is never any cost until your order your layout and there is no software to pay for.  Everything is done on my website.  No one else (Including me) can see your layouts or pictures - it is all very secure.   

Let Me Show You How to Use Studio J! 
Before you get started creating check out these awesome videos.  These videos will show you how to create layouts even when you do not have  your scrapbooking supplies with you!  And then remember to order you free jpg file!














6/07/2011

You & Me: Stronger Together

Hi All!
I hope that you all got through the storms and flooding in one piece.  Close to My Heart would like to raise funds for the survivors of the severe storms that have pummeled the Midwest and Southern states.  They are doing that with the You & Me: Stronger Together campaign.

From June 2-30, 2011, you can purchase the National Scrapbooking You & Me Kit for only $15!  There is no additional products to buy and you can purchase as many kits as you would like while supplies last!  A portion of the proceeds of every You & Me kit sold during the month of June goes directly to the Red Cross Spring 2011 Floods and Tornadoes fund.

With the kit, you can create two gorgeous two-page layouts fully embellished with trendy accents and a new D-size stamp set. The full-color instruction brochure will guide you every step of the way. The You & Me kit has a retail price of $34.95. 
  


If you would like to order, please contact me here to place your order or visit my website to order This is a "while supplies last"  promotion, so when they are gone, they are gone!   

***I will be placing an order on June 10th if you would like to add your order and get a break on shipping. 

6/05/2011

Here Comes the Bride at H2H!

All dressed in white............  

This week is Wedding Week at Heart 2 Heart Challenges!  I love weddings and I had so many ideas going through my head, but I had limited time so I decided to make a card.

I so had to use this cake stamp.  It is from the Piece of Cake Stamp set (D1407) and is incredibly darling and elegant.  Then I decided to pair it up with the crimped diamond technique (Check out the link for tutorial) and voila!!! Here is my wedding card:
My cake is colored with CTMH markers, the flower is a big bloom sprayed with Rubbing Alcohol mixed with black reinker.  I have one of our shimmery silver brads in the middle of my flower and I have a villa irresistibles sponged in gray and ladened with pink sparkles behind the flower.  

I did not put a sentiment on the front because I felt that there was enough going on already.  I have licorice opaques in the upper right hand side of the card.  Hope you like my card and I cannot wait to see what you make.   

Please check out the other very talented design team member's projects:
and then create your own wedding project!  Your projects must include CTMH products, but do not have to be 100% CTMH.  If other products are used, a list or description of what was used would be appreciated. Remember to post it on the Heart 2 Heart Challenges Blog.  You could win some fantastic prizes from our June Sponsors, Michelle Owen and Romaine Rancier.