Sleeping with the fishes...

...or not! I'm up a little late this week trying to finish up some slightly overdue swap cards. I owe four designs, so you'll be seeing some fun Footloose and Victory cards from me over the next few days!

The first of my four swap cards is this little cutie fish bowl that I paper pieces using Cricut shapes. I based this card off the Card Patterns Sketch for this week. I turned the circle shape in the sketch into my fishbowl by adding some label and tag shapes to create the top and bottom of my bowl.

I embossed the top half of my Sweet Leaf card base with my Big dots Cuttlebug folder and highlighted some of the dots with Stardust glitter Glitz. I glittered up the bottom by applying Monoadhesive all over the bottom half, then dropping strips of CS and patterned paper across the card and filling in the spaces with Prisma glitter.

My fish (from the new adorable set called Under the Sea) was heat embossed with White embossing powder and White Daisy Pigment ink. I colored him in using my waterbrush by picking up ink from the lid of my ink pad: squeeze your pad and when you open it a perfect coloring puddle of ink will be waiting for you! I accented his stripes with Stardust Glitter Glitz and added a googly eye for some pop!

The sand dollar is stamped in White Daisy ink on Kraft CS. The shell was rolled in Creme Brulee and sunset inks, then misted lightly to blend before stamping. You should probably use water for that step...but I used my stamp cleaner, since it was right there on the table!

My ribbon was inspired by a bow I found in the bottom of my misting box. I have an old CTMH box that I lined with scratch paper that I use for misting papers with my spray pen. I sprayed this ribbon repeatedly with Sweet Leaf and Lagoon spray pen (20 drops reinker + water to the 2nd line form the top)...plus Tattered Angels Pearl Mist...plus a generous coating of Krylon Silver Glitter spray. So pretty and sparkly!!

Hopefully my swap cards will be so good when they are done that my swap group will forgive me my extreme lateness this time...Just a few more to glue together and I'll be mailing them off as fast as I can swim over to the post office!

Card Patterns Sketch #161

Can you stand a bit more Dotty for You today? This time I used the new sketch from one of my favorite sketch blogs, Card Patterns. It is a cute square card, a bit out of the box for me, a girl who tends to lean hard on the standard size card! I needed to squeeze in one more post as I specifically used a fun Stick Pin for a flag on this card for the Tuesday Throwdown stick pin challenge...and I'm getting tired of finishing cards for challenges and then not posting them until just a smidgen too late! Might be time to actually start using that Blog planner i found on Pinterest...

I cut three layers of a simple daisy shape from my Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge and gently rolled each petal between my fingers before layering all three together with 3-D Foam tape.

The yellow scallop is cut from the same swirly Dotty for You paper. Each pattern in the pack is a brightly colored print on one side and a coordinating monochromatic polka dot on the back - sweet!

I cut the starburst image from the sheet of labels that comes in the Dotty paper packet, and the heart was handcut from Ocean CS and sanded pretty heavily. The Star was cut from the Dotty Paper labels, as was the SMILES sentiment I wrapped as a flag around one of our Pretty Pins stick pins. (I actually keep one of our adorable flower pins tucked in a rubber band around my Liquid Glass bottle - you know, to poke it when it won't go. Who can tell me where to get a Pretty Pin poker for a stubborn 4 year old?)

A bit of Lagoon Mini Medley stitched ribbon and I was loving my 3-D flower card! OK - I swear no more posts until after the blog hop tomorrow!

April SOTM Blog Hop!

Welcome to our CTMH Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! We will be featuring April's SOTM, which is called "You Are..." , a awesome set of 15 cool stamps!

If you have come here from KATY'S BLOG, you are on the right path! This month we have over 50 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's original SOTM and other great CTMH products on their blogs. Hopping is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

This month I created a Lego Wall hanging for my super particular oldest boy. He create all kinds a ..well...hmmm...interesting mini men combos, and gets very upset when his younger siblings (ages 4 and 2...not the gentlest of lego handlers) break his creations.

I used a silver Ikea frame that I bought ages ago for like $10. I used a 5-minute epoxy (pheew!) to adhere the Lego blocks I stole from Gabe's stash to the front of the completed frame. After an overnight cure, the blocks are super sturdy and he can attached and detach his mini-men creations easily!

Here's a close up of the stamping on the mat that came right in the frame. I randomly stamped all the images in the set using his favorite Lego colors: Cranberry, Pacifica, Sunny Yellow, and Pear. Then I overstamped with the grid image (my favorite) in second generation Grey Wool. I went back through and stamped with the actual lego blocks as well, so there are little pear colored Lego logos and block outline shapes as well. Finally I added dots of sparkle with Silver Glitter Glitz.  The lining paper is the backside of some retired Fanfare star print paper that I stamped repeatedly with the line image in Sunny Yellow ink.

And I'm linking this to the Moxie Fab Household Items Challenge - they've got a gob of super fun challenges posted right now! I'm also linking to a fab new blog recommended to me by the awesome Julie from local scrapbook store Whimzee's: Today's Creative Blog Get Your Craft On Linky Party. Really amazing projects - go check it out!

I also wanted to use the April SOTM stamps in a more girlie way - so I made a flower card! I used Sketch 159 from the Card Patterns Blog - they always have the cutest sketches! I chose the Color Throwdown #185 scheme - in this case, Grey Wool, Blush, Pear, and Black. I am a big Sweet Leaf gal, so Pear was a bit of a stretch for me. That why I love color challenges - makes you reach for a pad you are neglecting! Finally, since I am also a super flower loving gal, this set was a little butch for me (says the woman with three boys)...so I took heart from the Moxie Fab DIY Your Own Embellishments Challenge and made some fun 3-D flowers using my Art Philosophy Cartridge! I cut them in three sizes starting at 3/4", curled the petals on each layer, attached them in the centers with white eyelets (remember those? I think I forgot how to use my crop-a-dile, lol) and topped the eyelets with self adhesive sparkles. The ribbon I got with a Groupon at my local scrapbook store, Life's a Scrapbook, so I don't know who makes it - but I loved it enough to buy 5 yards for my stash...in two colors...just in case...

Finally, I did two embossing treatments on the background for the Heart 2 Heart Embossing challenge. I inked my Cuttlebug Swiss Dot embossing folder with Powder Puff Black ink I picked up at the Quick Quotes booth at CK this year. Then I debossed the background with the inked folder! For the bottom half I used the cleaned folder to emboss the dots, which I sanded to expose the fabulous white core of our cardstock! There - girlier than I thought possible...and that grid stamp is going to be living on a block on my stamp table for a while!

Now Hop on over to HAYEY'S BLOG to see what wonderful craftiness she's got up her sleeve! Be sure to visit all of the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great SOTM  and other fun ideas!

Remember, the SOTM is only available for one month, so contact your consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set for just $5!


Here are some other projects I have made using the March Stamp of the Month...
You Rock! You Rule! Card (ruler lines)
Monday Motivations Team Card
Spring Floral Card
Super Hero Thank You card

You Rock & We're in this Together!

I've been reading this blog called CAS-ual Friday for a few weeks now. I've even completed a couple of the chellenges, but I never get them done in time to post them before the challenges close. But not this week! The challenge this week is Jest For the Pun of It! and I'm the type of gal who will giggle at her own (bad) puns, so this was a must do challenge for me.

I started with the sketch from Heart 2 Heart challenges - it was just perfect for the punny card I had in mind. CAS means Clean and simple, so I tried. I'm a lumpy bumpy gal at heart, so instead of grouping of embellishments I did a layer of white buttons on white CS for the background of the card. Then I stamped some lines down one edge of a scrap of Sunflower CS to make my ruler, and sanded my handcut rock with a twisting motion to simulate a rock texture. And I just love anything with googly eyes on it. Even a rock is cute with googly eyes! I've got one more card tonight, then go check out the rest of the punny goodness at CAS-Friday!

I also whipped up another Blue themed March SOTM card. This one came from the Heart 2 Heart Picture Perfect Challenge, where they have a picture of a lovely, beachy room with blue accents. I used the sketch 154 from Card Patterns. They always have lovely card sketches!

For this card I did a lot of heavy sanding on my Bamboo CS pieces. I also debossed my Blue accent color piece with a cuttlebug swiss dot folder (meaning the dots go into the paper instead of poking out). Then I used an Outdoor Denim marker on the fine tip side to dot each little dot. I'm so sad that these markers are all retiring! They aren't copics, but they are lovely little reliable markers at a very reasonable price. They are still available only on a while supplies last basis...maybe I need to restock up! I have all the colors, but a few extra of my favorite colors can't hurt, right? Back me up CTMH friends - my hubby thinks I'm nuts!

Here's a close up of the debossed/markered CS and the 3-D cricut flower. I stamped each layer of the flower with the Biggest damask circle image from the SOTM using Bamboo ink. Then I sponges the edges with Desert Sand ink and rolled the rounded end of my paper piercing tool over each petal to give the flower a slightly rounded shape.

I'll be back on March 1st with the March SOTM Blog Hop - my project for the hop has me practically hugging myself I love it so much!

 Hope you'll stop back on Thursday and check it out!

Five for Free in February + giveaway!

Hi! I've been out of the loop this last week (working on personal healing and (hopefully) a publication project! I've got more art for you this week, starting with Pemberly pages coming ASAP. I've had a fun achievement this week, with a card placed in the top six at the Card Patterns blog - yippee! The sketch for this week is super cute, so go out and play too! 


CTMH is offering a FREE Studio J 5 pack for each 5 pack purchased this month - an amazing deal! They make great gifts - think baby showers, bridal showers, teacher's gifts... Plus, if you no longer have the time to scrap, Studio J is your solution! No stuff to tote, no mess to clean, just beautiful pages done in minutes! The part I love best is that there is no financial commitment - no pressure to use that 8x10 reprint just right, or to cut your pretty papers just so. Just point, click, and if you don't like it, don't buy it. Easy peasy!


You can check out some of the fun stuff I've done in Studio J HERE. I'm going to sweeten the pot further, and offer one of my winning Stella Thank you cards with each Studio J 5 pack purchase this month! 


Anyone interested in learning how to use Studio J can attend a free quick class this Saturday, February 24th at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. - thirty minutes and you'll be using Studio J like a pro! Just let me know you're coming so I'll print a handout for you!

Here is the CTMH take on this month's promotion: 

Double your layouts with our Five for Free promotion! For each Studio J^® 5-pack you purchase this February, you’ll get one free 5-pack. That means you get 10 layouts for just $55—that’s just $2.75 per page, with free shipping!

Studio J 5-packs include everything you need to have 5 two-page layouts (that’s 10 scrapbook pages!) shipped to your door ready for your scrapbook album. Each 5-pack can be redeemed for:

• 5 two-page layouts
• 5 Memory Protectors^®
• Free shipping and handling

Whether you’re looking for an affordable gift or a way to save money on your own layouts, Studio J 5-packs offer you convenience and savings. Even if you’re already taking advantage of Studio J’s incredibly low members-only pricing, you’ll save even more when you purchase 5-packs through this special February deal. Keep one for yourself and give one as a gift!

Visit my website and create your Free Studio J account. Build some layouts - it's all free! If you like what you see, then buy a 5 pack to order the wonderful pages you'll whip up. You will apply the code you received for your 5-pack right into your Studio J account. f you have any questions, don't hesitate to email me.

P.S.: There's only one week left to RSVP for my Pemberly Card Box class! 15 cards plus a beautiful 3-D storage box for just $25!

CLICK HERE for details!

Stella Thank You!

I love a new catalog - it makes getting to work in the stamp room so motivating! This weekend I finished the rest of the mustache valentines and a bunch of cards to go out for my team for their hard work in January! I used the Card Patterns Sketch 152 as my jumping off point. I loved the idea of the big off center focal point, so I cut some frames using my Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge - love that there's so many awesome images on that thing. It was hard to choose just one!

I stamped a flower spray image from one of our consultant only stamp sets, and paper pieces the flower heads by rolling the image in Sunset adn Tulip inks, then cutting out the circular flowers and gluing them back onto the stems with Liquid Glass. I topped them off with medium sized sparkles.

I also dip dyed some of the new Seam Binding ribbon for this project - messy, but so much fun! I rolled the ribbon into a small circle using my piercing tool. Then I dipped one side into Sunset Reinker, clipped it with a binder clip, then dipped the other side in Tulip reinker and let the colors meld towards the center to create an ombre effect. Once the whole ribbon was inked, I took off the clips and laid it out on some scrap paper to dry overnight. Fabulously varigated ribbon in custom colors - I'm going to be doing this again for sure!

Then I whipped out one of the coordinating stamp sets that come in the Cricut bundle. I cut 2 3/4" scalloped circles at just the right size to stamp the whole image, plus regular circles at 2 1/2 and 1 inch to create a paper pieced 3-D Image. Each layer was lightly sponged on the edges with Cocoa ink as well.

I added an extra little bitty flower from that Consultant only stamp set that is also rolled in Tulip/Sunset inks to fill in my sentiment cluster. I filled the flower center with another sparkle and some pierced detail. Then I created a faux ribbon tail for my scalloped sentiment by cutting some banner on my Art Philosophy Cartridge and painting them with reinker using a cheap foam brush. I tried to create a fabric look to the faux ribbon tails by swiping on the color them coming back with the tip of the brush to bring in extra color stripes. Finally, Bling Assortment button tied on with some waxy flax finished off my card. Now it's off to the PO they go, to bring a smile to my fabulous team!

Card Patterns & H2H New Catalog Sneak Peek!

OK. I admit I'm a hardcore CTMH fanatic. I scared my father-in-law by leaping and bounding over a small child and various train tracks and toys to get to the door when FedEx delivered my new catalog shipment after Christmas. I literally giggle and bounce in my seat when I'm sitting down with a pile of new CTMH goodness to design a new project. Those who've scrapped with me know that I TALK to my projects...complimenting them on how cute they will be when the "grow up." I love what I do...

So you can see how out of commission I must have been last week. All of my new stuff came in - not catalogs this time, but actual scrumptious new product...and there it sat. I had the boxes here for a few hours before I busted them open. Then I left them on the table until John came home and he moved them upstairs for me...where they sat untouched until today. Thanks goodness for acupuncture - pain be gone, and let the wild stamping begin!

I used sketch #148 from the Card Patterns blog to kick off the stamping tonight. Don't you just love the broken background? I stamped the largest flower from my new Card Word Puzzle set in Colonial White pigment ink all over a sheet of Bamboo Cardstock, then cut it into 1 x 3 inch strips to use for my background. I inked each panel with Outdoor denim ink, then mounted those onto heavily sanded Desert sand CS. I stamped and embossed the same flower image on my card base using a pearlescent embossing powder.

I accented on the left side with a bit of Cricut cut scalloped border, which I also (carefully) sanded. I love that border on the Art Philosophy cartridge particularly because, as a busy mama who loves a good shortcut, that border is actually a double sided border. I like to trim it in half and get two for the wait of cutting once intricate border. Impatience, thy name might be Wendy...or in this case, as I got 4 cards out of each border, perhaps I'm a clever clogs!

The little scalloped edge square (at 1 1/2") was also cut on my trusty Cricut. I topped it off with a bit of the new Pemberly Paper packet, and a stamped butterfly. I stamped the butterfly onto the B&T square and onto some scrap Desert Sand paper. Then I got out my fabulous Pearl Paint, tinted a couple shades of blue using a Outdoor Denim reinker and detailed my butterfly with a fine tipped brush.

I added a strip of the new Color Ready Seam Binding, which I kept in the original creamy color for this card. It's super light and flexible, easy to tie and work with, and almost sheer, but with more heft than an organdy ribbon. I love it! An adorably dotted new Just Blooms flower and a few Pearl Opaques finish off my embellishments. Now my card is all grown up (with 11 siblings) and ready to fly off to Tina Lovell's swap group. Bon voyage!

I linked this blog post to the H2H Ready For A New Year challenge, which asks everyone to use a brand new stamp set you haven't briken out of your stash before.  Check it out, then play along, too!

Moxie Fab Team Meeting Card

How was your Thanksgiving? We had a wonderful feast, followed by lots of stamping fun this weekend at the Black Friday Holiday Hoopla! One of the projects I whipped up over the weekend is this fun 8 x 3 1/2 card using the new Rock the Block special stamp set. It's so adorable, with the paisley and the fab flowers! I have a lot more Rock the Block projects coming, plus a Rock the Block blog hop coming soon...See the blank blocks there in the background? Check back on the 20th to see what I'm doing with them!

I made this card for my team to make at our meeting Monday night. I wanted to make something for the Moxie Fab Pay It Forward Challenge, to make a card for World Hello Day, Sweetest Day, or National Day of Encouragement. It's not too late to play too - it's open until December 12th, and there are some cute projects to peruse out on their site! I used the Sketch #143 from Card Patterns blog.

The card is done in Tulip and Grey Wool Ink. I stamped paisley and flower images on Tulip cardstock tone on tone in Tulip ink. Then I used the Polka Dot background image on the Grey Wool cardstock, also tone on tone. I masked the card base to stamp the circle border down the side in Grey Wool ink. The LOVE sentiment is three layers of stamping, popped up with 3-D Foam tape for lots of dimension.

I also made some faux baker's twine using my Waxy Flax. I separated a strand of Cranberry Waxy Flax and twisted it with a full strand of White Waxy Flax. Then I tied my Red buttons on with the remaining strands of Cranberry Waxy Flax. I just love the new patterns in the button assortments.

I have more to share this week, as I've been busily working to get ready for our Holiday Bazaar booth at Mooberry Elementary School - see ya back here tomorrow!

Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger + Card Patterns!

So I was working away at my final cards for Tina Lovell's cute card swap this week when I was blessed with a bit of kismet. The Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger popped into my inbox, bringing this gorgeous charm bracelet photo...that made me want to bling out my entire swap card, which I based on the sketch from Card Patterns Sketch 139. My colors were already similar, I already had a cascade of swirls with a flower or two on it...and I had a whole couple of the new Rhinestone brads that had been ever so quietly calling my name.... So I grabbed my sample card from the wall and started adding the bling. Well, first I grabbed my Liquid Glass and tinted a glob in a small cup with a few drops of Sky Reinker. The brads were calling my name, but once I saw the Trigger I knew that they needed to be the touch of blue in my card. So I painted them with the tinted Liquid Glass to change the color!

Here's my completed card, with rolled 3-D Cricut flowers, fussy cut 3-D layered flowers with the centers popped up on bitty brads, Glitter Glitz, Pearl Opaques, Sparkles, and the now blue hued Rhinestone Brads. I covered the black CS swirl die cut (Cricut AP cartridge) with a couple layers of Bronze Glitter Glitz. Plus I edge distressed the focal point with black ink and Bronze glitz. The papers are from the Roxie packet - I need like a million sheets of that big damask rose on canvas pattern!

It's so sparkly in person! I couldn't capture the full glory of the bling, but I love it almost as much as I love that whole jar of bling buttons you see there. No, I'm not hoarding them, I'm getting ready for my  Stamp A Stack workshop! Still, a little big grin spreads over my face every time I  glimpse the bling button jar as I'm working.

Speaking of Bling, I've got 3 more projects to post tomorrow to wrap up the Black Friday Holiday Hoopla peeks. Glitter is drying, and I'm putting finishing touches on the final project, the cherry on top if you will. Had to take a break tonight to hang with my scrapbook club gals - to scrap or not to scrap...is it even a question? See ya back here soon, and in the meanwhile, take a peek at the fun challenges on Moxie Fab and Card Patterns.