March Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!

Welcome to our CTMH Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! We will be featuring March's SOTM called Sensational Season, a set of 10 adorable Bunny/Easter stamps. I was a little nervous about these, since I'm not usually a color-it-in kind of gal, but the bunnies are so hoppin' cute!

If you have come here from LISA'S BLOG you are on the right path! If this is your first stop, you may want to go back to Helen's Blog and start from the beginning!

This month we have dozens of Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their artistic creations using this month's 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!

For March I made an adorable little paper basket, inspired by one I saw done by Mary Thompson on the CTMH cruisers loop. I built the basket out of cardstock. You cut a 5 x 5 square, and score it at 1 1/2" on each side. Then you snip one side of the square at each corner to create flaps. Adhere the flaps all around to create the basket.

TIP: I like to attach the handle (ribbon, or I used a decorated cardstock strip) with brads on the outside of the basket before you glue the flaps together so that the brads won't show on the inside of the basket.

I decorated my basket handle with a flower that I fussy-cut out of that yummy Mayberry paper. I set 5 Antique Copper Bitty brads into the flower center - gotta love the dimension!

I used my awesome new 2" scallop and 1 1/4" circle punches to create the basket front embellishment, as well as the candy covers pictured below. I stamped the bunnies in Cocoa ink and colored them lightly with Bamboo, Baby Pink, Honey, and Heavenly Blue markers. I pierced all around my scalloped punch for the basket front embellishment, and tucked a fussy cut "For You" sign that I trimmed off another stamp from the set into the medallion.

The candy covers are so simple - just punches, with more spotlighted bits of the bunnies stamped and colored...but they hide little peppermint patties! It's like an adorable little oreo sandwich, only filled with minty, chocolatey goodness. I'm so sending these baskets along to Gabe's teachers at school before Spring Break!

I freehand cut the purse handle from my card base for the front and back - it's attached along the top of the handle. Then I covered it in Sorbet CS that I swiped with an acrylic block inked in Sorbet and Juniper inks to give it more texture.

Now "Hop" on over to HELEN'S BLOG to see her work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafty ideas for more fun projects! Remember, the March SOTM is only available until the last day of March!  Be sure to ask your CTMH Consultant how to get yours FREE (or click here) - you're gonna love it!

Last Day for Studio J - FREE ALBUM!!

 Just a Friendly Reminder: LAST DAY! CTMH is running a Studio J Members Only promotion during February – create 10 layouts, buy 9 and get the 10th one free!  You can even do multiples – buy 18, get 2 free, and so on.  So…I thought since I know how much you'll  LOVE your Studio J membership, and you’ll have a GREAT opportunity to get caught up on scrapbooking…you’ll be needing a new album – so how 'bout a…

Free 12″ x 12″ Faux Leather Album!

Purchase a one-year Studio J membership (through me) TODAY, February 28 and receive a 12″ x 12″ CTMH Faux Leather Album the color of your choice: Black, Dark Chocolate, Outdoor Denim, Hollyhock, Dark Cranberry or New England Ivy (not shown)…FREE!  I’ll pay the shipping & tax to get it to you!  Over $25 value!

Give Studio J a try.  It’s totally free to go in and play around. You don't have to be a member to try it - there's no credit card to enter, no purchase required. I think you’ll be pleased at how fast, simple & easy it is to create gorgeous layouts in minutes.

If you love it…then get the 12-month Studio J membership & get a free album too!

Get your 12-month Studio J membership today!

Missed my Mojo...

OK - We'll I lasted a month, then I missed completing the Mojo Challenge on time this week...on the plus side, we put an offer in on a house today, so cross your fingers for me! Perhaps next week I'll be less distracted...

While I might not have scrapped or stamped as much as I like this week, I did finish a bunch of Studio J layouts. The awesome February special is buy 9 layouts, get one free, plus with my membership it's free shipping for up to 20 layouts, so it's apparently a digital month for me!

These pics I took of Ben just lounging outside of Gabe's school and spilling water onto his face on purpose. I love the new drag and drop photo feature - you can switch photos between wells without reloading, easy peasy. I pulled these papers from the Caboodle Kit, and found my layout using the search feature that only shows the layouts that fit the number of pics you have.

I'll hop back on the Mojo horse next week - and I've got lots more Studio scrapping to share too. Happy Super Bowl!

February Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!

Welcome to our CTMH Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! We will be featuring February 's SOTM called Friendship, a set of 8 beautiful damask stamps. I am loving these as a monochromatic background!

If you have come here from Deanne's Blog you are on the right path! If this is your first stop, you may want to go back to Helen's Blog and start from the beginning!

This month we have about 70 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their artistic creations using this month's 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!

I did a purse card with this elegant stamp set for February. I stamped the background of the card with one of the damask stamps inked in Sorbet and rolled in Juniper ink. Working on a small canvas like this, it was really easy to line everything up pretty evenly - being able to see through the stamps makes that job a lot easier!

I freehand cut the purse handle from my card base for the front and back - it's attached along the top of the handle. Then I covered it in Sorbet CS that I swiped with an acrylic block inked in Sorbet and Juniper inks to give it more texture.

I created one of those adorable pom pom flowers using my new Scallop Punch and the new Lucky papers - can you see the Bingo card pattern in my flower? I pounced my completed flower with Desert Sand ink. I created a cute little tag to slip behind my flower, with a second generation image stamped over my 1st generation sentiment. 

Finally, I cut a piece of 3 inch wide Sorbet CS to make the base of my "purse". I scored it at 1/2 inch from each side, and at 1 1/2 inches (or the middle/in half), then folded it in half with a mountain fold and flipped the 1/2 inch edges up. Those little flaps I adhere to the bottom of my card to complete the purse - it could hold a little baggies of candies, or gift cards, etc...

Now "Hop" on over to Tonya's blog to see her work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafty ideas for more fun projects! Remember, the February SOTM is only available until the last day of February!  Be sure to ask your CTMH Consultant how to get yours FREE (or click here) - you're gonna love it!

Studio J rocks!

I spent a couple hours on Studio J last night, and $35 later I had finished 7 layouts - so awesome!

Here's one of my pages - adorable new pics of Max. I used the Cherry-O paper pack, but changed a bunch of the papers to tones of grey and black - colors that are not in the kit. I love the new controls that allow you to take any of the B&T patterns in a kit and change the colors and saturations to match whatever color you need! And it was so simple - just point and click.

The new lining up tools were useful too - as you are placing items, there are little blue guidelines that appear to help make things even. That's how I lined up my row of brads across the scalloped border. So simple - I had a blast Studio scrapping last night!

Check back tomorrow - it's almost Blog Hop day!