Sending Love Your Way

New artwork from the CTMH Annual Inspirations catalogue! I recreated this card I saw in the Idea Book - so cute.

Materials Used:
CTMH Shin Han Twin Touch markers
CTMH Geometric Washi Tape
CTMH "Lifting Spirits" stamp set
CTMH cardstock & ink

Autumn

I can't believe it has been 2 weeks since I last posted.  I don't remember the last time I went that long without blogging :-(    Life has been crazy lately - but I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel and hope to be back to just a 'normal' level of busy very soon.    

Today I do have some new artwork for you - - we have a special challenge for you this week at Let's Get Sketchy for the 5th Monday of the month - - and that is to make a fall or Halloween themed card.

Here is my contribution:

I used the Close to My Heart stamp of the month for September (today is the last day to order it - just $5 with orders of $50 or more!!).   Such a great stamp set - you can see a Christmas card I made with this stamp set HERE.   The paper for this card is CTMH's Huntington collection which is filled with gorgeous fall colours!  

Hope this card gets you in the mood for autumn and that you'll be inspired to play along with this week's Let's Get Sketchy fall card challenge.  

CTMH Stamp of the Month Blog Hop for August

Welcome to the Stamp of the Month Blog Hop for August.   This month we are featuring the stamp set "A Chocolate Affair".   

Ok -- seriously, chocolate & crafting  . . . my two most favourite things!!  LOVE this stamp set!   

Hope you'll join us this month - we have CTMH consultants from across the US and Canada who have created some great projects for you featuring this month's stamp set.    The variety of ideas are sure to leave you feeling creatively inspired!

If you've come here from Michelle's Blog, then you are on the right path.  If my blog is your first stop, that will work too! Just keep hopping until you get back here again!   You'll find a link at the end of each post to move to the next site.  Enjoy :-)

Here are my creations for this month's hop:

Both card designs are from the brand new CTMH sketch book 'Make it From Your Heart Volume 2'.

Materials Used:
CTMH Babycakes paper pack
CTMH cardstock: Chocolate, Ruby
CTMH bulk colonial white card bases & envelopes
CTMH Ruby Chevron Ribbon
CTMH August 2013 Stamp of the Month: A Chocolate Affair
CTMH Ink: Ruby, Chocolate
CTMH Foam Tape

The August stamp of the month is available from your consultant (or from me!) for just $17.95 during the month of August.  OR -  get it for FREE with any CTMH purchase of $50 or more between August 1st & 31st.  

To see more great artwork using this set - keep hopping!   My friend JEN - the Roxybonds Scrapper is next up on the hop.

Simple Saturday: The Best Things in Life

A simple & sweet card for you today:

Sketch is pattern #29 from "Make it From Your Heart Volume 1".

Materials Used:
CTMH Chantilly Paper Pack
CTMH Cardstock: Ruby, Buttercup
CTMH Chantilly Chipboard Complements

Have a great day!

CTMH Stamp of the Month Blog Hop for May

Welcome to the CTMH Stamp of the Month Blog Hop for May.   This month we are featuring the stamp set "Pinwheel"!   

Hope you'll join us this month - we have CTMH consultants from across the US and Canada who have created some great projects for you featuring this month's stamp set.    The variety of ideas are sure to leave you feeling creatively inspired!

If you've come here from Allisa's Blog, then you are on the right path.  If my blog is your first stop, that will work too! Just keep hopping until you get back here again!   You'll find a link at the end of each post to move to the next site.  Enjoy :-)

For this month's hop I have created a set of cards.   I think this month's stamp set is so versatile and I wanted to create some cards that could be used for males or females on a variety of occasions.

Here is what I came up with:

Card Sketch from: Less is More #117

 Card sketch from: Freshly Made Sketches #83

Card Sketch from: Sketchbook Saturday #95

Materials Used:
CTMH May 2013 Stamp of the Month - Pinwheel
CTMH Paper Collection: "Tommy"
CTMH Brads - Cranberry, Honey & Outdoor Denim
CTMH Harvest Bakers Twine
CTMH Ink: Cranberry, Honey, Outdoor Denim
Pinwheels cut with CTMH Artiste Cricut Cartridge
Cardstock: CTMH White Daisy, Outdoor Denim
Foam Tape

The May stamp of the month is available from your consultant (or from me) from May 1st to 31st.   Buy it for just $17.95 or get it for just $5 with your purchase of $50 or more during the month of May.

To see more great artwork using this stamp set - - keep hoppin!   The next blog in the line up is MICHELLE JONES.

A Card for the Season

A fall card to share today -

The card image is one stamp - easy peasy!  To get the multi-coloured image, you use sponges to add pigment ink to different areas of your stamp as desired.  When your entire stamp is covered - give your stamp a big 'huff' of hot breath (I know, sounds weird - but refreshes the ink if it has started to dry) and then stamp away.    Add the bitty sparkles for some added dimension & voila!  

(Card was cut with CTMH Cricut Artiste and stamp set is Bountiful Season from CTMH)

Have a great fall day!

Avonlea Card Kit

CTMH introduced some new cardmaking kits in the current Fall/Winter Idea Book and I recently had a chance to play with the Avonlea kit.   The kit provides enough paper & embellies for 15 cards.   You can follow the instructions and guide to come up with 5 cards each of 3 different designs . . . or get a little creative as I did and change up your designs for a little more variety.   I didn't use anything on my cards other than what was provided in the kit, but I did do a few Cricut cuts, as you'll see.

All 15 cards I created

Design #1, with 2 different stamped sentiments

Design #2 with different orientation and 2 different stamped sentiments

Design #3, with different sentiments using my Cricut Artiste cartridge, and some variation in stamping & embellishing.

Materials Used:
Avonlea Cardmaking Kit
Cricut Artiste Cartridge
Inks: Slate, Chocolate, Smokey Plum

Thanks for stopping by today!!

CTMH Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - September

Welcome to the Close to My Heart Stamp of the Month Blog Hop for September. This month we are featuring the stamp set "Fall Favourites". 

Hop along with me & a bunch of other great CTMH consultants! We've created a whole lot of artwork for you, all using the September Stamp of the Month. If you've come here from Wanda's Blog, you are on the right path. If this is your first stop on the hop, that will work too (just keep hopping till you get back here again).

To continue along the hop, just follow the link at the end of each post to go to the next site. We hope that following the hop will give you lots of inspiration and ideas for using this month's stamp set, along with the many other great CTMH products you'll see in each post!

My creation for you this month is a 3D item created with the new CTMH Artiste Cricut cartridge!   I created a lunch sack style gift bag and matching tag.  With the addition of the September stamp of the month to decorate the tag, I thought this would make a cute little gift (a teacher or a friend, perhaps) in the coming autumn months!    The warm tones of the Clementine paper pack are great for fall!  

My bag was inspired by a back to school gift bag created by Fancy Melissa.  

I stamped the images from the featured stamp set "Fall Favourites" on my kraft tag using the brand new CTMH pigment ink in "Saddle" as I knew the pigment ink would be much more vibrant on the kraft paper than regular dye ink would have been.   The sentiment (stamped in Twilight Dye-based ink on Creme Brûlée cardstock) "Have a Splendid Day" is from the Harvest Happiness stamp set.    I used our great new burlap ribbon to tie my bag closed and attach the ribbon.  I sponged the edges of my bag using our Saddle Dye-based Ink.    The bag is cut from the "Noel" key on the Artiste cartridge at "Fit to Page".   The tag was cut from the Art Philosophy cartridge at 3.5" and the scalloped oval is cut from the Art Philosophy cartridge at 1.25".  

The September stamp of the month is available from your CTMH consultant from September 1st to 30th.  It can be purchased for $17.95, or get it for just $5 with every purchase of $50 or more during the month of September!   A must have stamp set for fall!

If you would like to continue on this month's blog hop for more fabulous inspiration using this great stamp set - "Fall Favourites" - continue on to Angel's Blog to see what she has created for you.

Thanks for stopping by today,

Let's Hang Out

A quick card for you today . . . another created at the CTMH Convention  . . . one of the great reasons for attending is all the fabulous artwork we come home with!

The card and sleeve, as well as the attached tag were cut with the CTMH Artiste Cricut Cartridge.  The dress was stamped and paper pieced using the new Pun Fun stamp set.  Sentiment is also from that stamp.    Bakers Twine is from the Harvest assortment and the gems are from the Black Sparkle collection.  Woodgrain paper is from the Dakota Collection, the fuchsia paper is from the Flirty Collection and the dress is cut from La Belle Vie paper.  

CTMH Stamp of the Month Blog Hop for May

Welcome to the Close to My Heart Stamp of the Month Blog Hop for May. This month we are featuring the stamp set "Friendship Bouquet".

Hop along with me & a bunch of other great CTMH consultants! We've created a whole lot of artwork for you, all using the May Stamp of the Month. If you've come here from Melissa's Blog, you are on the right path. If this is your first stop on the hop, that will work too (just keep hopping till you get back here again).

To continue along the hop, just follow the link at the end of each post to go to the next site. We hope that following the hop will give you lots of inspiration and ideas for using this month's stamp set, along with the many other great CTMH products you'll see in each post!
 
My creation this month is a set of 6x6 cards.  My inspiration came from the Less is More blog and their Week 65 Sketch challenge. 
 

Very clean & simple - which allows this beautiful stamped image to stand out!  I coloured my flowers using my watercolor pencils and blending pen.

The "Friendship Bouquet" stamp set is available from your CTMH consultant from May 1st to 31st, 2012.    You can purchase it for $17.95 or get it for just $5 with every CTMH purchase of $50 or more during the month of May.

If you would like to continue on the SOTM Blog Hop to see more artwork created using this stamp set - please visit Heather's Blog next! 

If I had a flower . . .

The ladies at my recent weekend retreat enjoyed this card as one of the make & take projects we offered.  I taught them how to use the CTMH Kraft Color Ready Borders in lots of different ways! As I told everyone at my retreat - these borders are my favourite product in the Spring/Summer Catalogue.  You can use them on so many projects and they come with 50 in a package (2 each of 25 different designs) for just $6.50Cdn!!  Love them!

This card uses an inked-up Kraft Border strip as the flower stem.   Participants also enjoyed learning how to make their own paper flowers with punched scalloped circles - - simply spritz with a little water, crumple up in a ball, un-crumple, ink the edges & voila - - a pretty flower!!  Layering adds even more dimension to your flower!  

Materials Used (all Close to My Heart):
Mayberry Level 2 Paper Pack
Kraft Color Ready Borders
Rosy Regards stamp set (leaves)
Thoughts of You stamp set (sentiment - retired)
Gold Bigger Brad (retired)
Inks - Olive, New England Ivy, Cocoa

Sophia Workshop Cards

Here are the cards you can create with the Sophia Workshop guide (so pretty!!).  Six different designs in all:

Love the florals in the Sophia line!!  And the colour combo is great too!!

Happy Spring

Calgary had a glimpse of spring this past weekend - - and then a big cold front blew in yesterday and we are back to below normal temperatures and a forecast of snow.  Enough already!!
So while we wait for winter to end - - I'll just think spring in my craft room to keep my spirits up!
Love these fun 3D flowers from the "Spring Up" stamp set!

Linking up to a few challenges:
Papertake Weekly - Truly Dimensional
If the Shoe Fits  . . . Scrap It - Spring

Materials Used:
Spring Up Stamp Set
Blessed stamp set (April 2011 Stamp of the Month)
Red/Pink/Purple Sparkle Assortment
Pearl Opaques
Cardstock: Juniper, Colonial White, Creme Brulee
Paper: Aspen (retired)
Ink: Juniper, Tulip, Creme Brulee

A Rose for You!

A clean and simple card for you today  . . . there is something about a single red rose!! I didn't think this card needed any sentiment.

Hope you had a fabulous weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

CTMH Stamp of the Month Blog Hop for February - Friendship

Welcome to the Close to My Heart Stamp of the Month Blog Hop for February - featuring the gorgeous stamp set "Friendship".

Along this month's Stamp of the Month hop you'll find dozens of fabulous creations using this stamp set - all brought to you by a very talented group of CTMH Consultants! If you've come here from Helen's Blog, you are on the right path. If this is your first stop on the hop, that will work too (just keep hopping till you get back here again)!

To continue along the hop, just follow the link at the end of each post to go to the next site. We hope that following the hop will give you lots of inspiration and ideas for using your "Friendship" stamp set, as well as the many other great CTMH products you'll see in each post.

I have two creations for you today!
My first offering is a 12" x 12" layout.  I used the stamp of the month set to stamp my background on the Heavenly Blue cardstock.  The rosettes were created by simply twisting grosgrain ribbon in circles onto a cardstock circle covered in adhesive.  And I added a fun border using our pearls adhesive gems - - I think the border draws attention to the pearls I am wearing in the photo!   The letters for my title were cut with my Cricut.   The layout design is from the Scrappiest Blog (Sketch #103).

Materials Used (all Close to My Heart):
Friendship acrylic stamp set (February 2011 Stamp of the Month)
Sweet Home Level 2 Paper Pack (retired)
Pearls Opaques Adhesive Gems
Colonial White Grosgrain Ribbon
Cardstock: Chocolate, Colonial White, Heavenly Blue
Ink: Chocolate

My second creation today is a quick card I created using the leftover stamped cardstock I had after creating the layout above.  (Love to use up those scraps!!).  The card design is from the Cardabilities Blog Sketch #23.

Materials Used (all Close to My Heart):
Friendship acrylic stamp set (February 2011 Stamp of the Month)
Mocha Opaques Adhesive Gems
Foam Tape
Cardstock: Chocolate, Heavenly Blue
Ink: Chocolate

The "Friendship" stamp set is available from your consultant from February 1st to 28th!  You can earn this stamp set at a discount or even FREE with every CTMH order placed in the month of February!   

Thanks for stopping in!! To continue on the hop, visit KATY's BLOG to see what she has created for you!

You can also check out great artwork using the Friendship stamps by clicking on any of the thumbnails below! You can even join in the fun - add your link to something you've created using this great stamp set!