"Gratitude" - Blog with Friends

Join me and my bloggin' friends as we post topics surrounding the theme of "Gratitude". I've posted images and links to their blogs below. We always appreciate blog traffic so be sure to check them out after you read what I have to share with you.

Do you send greeting cards for the holidays or special occasions? I do and they are always handmade. I don't know the last time I have given (or sent) a store-bought card. I need to do a better job on sending them to various people throughout the year. These cards were especially made for this time of the year, a season of gratitude (although it, too, should happen throughout the year). 

I enjoy making handmade greeting cards, and other treats, for family and friends. There were some basic stamping techniques incorporated into each of these and I've given a brief description of each of them below the close-up of the card. 

This one incorporates "2nd Generation Stamping". The middle color used on the acorns is the same as the one on the left. To achieve the lighter hue, I first stamped the darker image on a separate sheet of cardstock and then stamped the image again, without re-inking it, on the card base. That gave the result you see which allows you to achieve different hues of the same color. 

Where the sentiment is located, that technique is called "Tone-on-Tone". That means that the same color of ink was used, as the cardstock (on the lighter side). It's a subtle, but appealing, look. 

For this one, I used the "Rock 'n Roll" technique. I stamped the entire image up in the lighter yellow color (Saffron) and then rolled it in the darker shade, only getting that color along the edges of the image. This technique allows for "blended" colors. For the pine cones in the middle, they were stamped on a separate sheet of paper and then glued on top. 

This one does not incorporate a technique per say, but I did use Watercolor Pencils to color in the image. By easily using various colors, it's easy to show the various colors on the leaves, as shown. By using a Watercolor Brush, you can give the "watercolor" look (without the mess). 

One of the reasons I have enjoyed stamping for so many years is because of the various techniques you can learn and incorporate with supplies you may already possess. 

I hope you have enjoyed seeing these handmade cards. Contact me if you would like to make some of your own or if you would like for me to make some for you. I would be honored to do so. 

I truly appreciate you stopping by my blog today. Don't forget to click on my friends' links provided below. They are highlighting some fun topics this month!

Karen of Baking in a Tornado

 Lydia of Cluttered Genius

Tamara of Part-Time Working Hockey Mom

Dawn of Spatulas on Parade

"Boo!" - Blog with Friends

BOO! and welcome to this month's "Blog with Friends" where I join five other bloggers who posted some fun content aligned with the theme. You'll find their related images and links at the bottom of this post. Take a few minutes to go see what fun they have to share with you!

I have been waiting to share this Ca-UTE papercrafting project with you that is super easy to assemble!

As noted in the image, you can see it is made from a 6" x 6" piece of patterned paper; NO GLUE required! Of course, I had to incorporate one of our adorable stamp images that is suitable for this month's theme. 

The stamp set is part of an exclusive special, "Spooktacular", that is perfect for Halloween (and beyond). You can see a peek of those related items in the above image. For more details, click on the LINK. You save money when you buy them as a bundle. However, products are available for purchase individually. 

So you can see how super easy this treat is to assemble, I have provided a short how-to video. This is a great goodie for any occasion, like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas... You get the idea.

If you make one, let me know what you think!

Thank you so much for stopping by. Be sure to follow my friends' links below. Enjoy the rest of the month!

Karen of Baking in a Tornado

 Kia of the Ground Beneath My Feet

Lydia of Cluttered Genius

Dawn of Spatulas on Parade

Tamara of Part-Time Working Hockey Mom

"Ice Cream" - Blog with Friends

Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful and enjoyable weekend and are ready to join me and some of my blogging friends for some wonderful topics associated with "Ice Cream". That's our theme this month for "Blog with Friends".

Be sure to read to the bottom of this post and access my friends' content. Of course, we all appreciate blog love so please consider leaving a message when you visit.

So I decided to step outside the box a bit as you notice my creation has nothing to do with ice cream. Or does it? Okay, okay. Truth be told, I saw a little bit of rainbow ice cream in the way this chameleon is colored so I figured that worked and besides, I wanted to show you this fun creation!

This is a fun treat that is perfect for anyone! Need something to welcome a new neighbor? How 'bout a new co-worker? What about a well wish for the new school year, for a student or a teacher? No matter who they are created for, no doubt they'll put some happy on the face of the recipient. 

To easily and quickly color the images, I used Sponge Daubers. By using one Dauber for each color, I patted them in various ink colors. Then, I "smeared" them over the chameleons, repeatedly, until I had the desired look. Tip: Know that the ink takes a few minutes to soak into the paper, leaving this awesome and vibrant look, don't you just love it?

And let's talk about LOVE! I love this Wild & Punny stamp set. The images and sentiments are so adorable and always make me crack up when I read them! It is only available through the end of this month, while supplies last. That's right! They are retiring SOON! Be sure to get this stamp set, and other retiring products, before they are gone!

These are the dimensions for recreating these tasty treats, which contain four Hershey Kisses. AND, you can use the flavor you like so you can eat the leftovers. Okay, so maybe that's not the best advice. LOL (By the way, there are Cookies 'n Cream kisses, another flavor of ice cream and one of my absolute favorites!)

I did teach this in my VIP Group this past Saturday. If you would enjoy being a member of that group where I share fun stuff, contact me directly or you can request to JOIN HERE. I would love to have you!

Now it's time to move onto my "Blog with Friends" posts. Be sure to check them out for some great and tasty information. You'll be glad you did!

Make this week a great one!

Lydia of Cluttered Genius

Karen of Baking in a Tornado

Dawn of Spatulas on Parade

Kia of the Ground Beneath My Feet

Tamara of Part-time Working Hockey Mom

"Tell Your Story" - Blog with Friends

Welcome to "Blog with Friends" where I join several other bloggers and we connect with one another as we highlight a theme that is up to our interpretation. This month's theme is "Tell Your Story". 

After you read my post, you'll find images and links to the other blogs. We'd love for you to visit all of them and always appreciate when you leave a comment sharing your thoughts. So...be sure to read all the way to the bottom. 

Do you tell your story? I'm sure you realize you are the best author of that book, right? We have so many daily happenings that take place in our lives - some great, some good, and some we don't want to remember. We've all been there and the fact of the matter is, they all make us who we are; even the challenging ones.

So how about another question? How many photos do you have, solely on your phone alone, that tell part of your story? I'm going to guess you have tons of them just like I do. Truth be told, however, those photos aren't stories until you document the tales behind them. 

Think about a recent and favorite photo you have on your phone. Now, go look at it. Does it make you smile? Why? What does the photo tell you about that moment you experienced?

Would someone who looked at that same photo experience the same feel-good? I'm going to guess the answer is 'no'. Wouldn't you like for others to look at that photo years in the future and know why you took it and how it made you feel even as you reflected upon that occasion after it took place? It's part of your legacy, after all.

I love documenting my stories and have done so through scrapbooking over the years. "Scrapbooking" is a scary word to some people but I work to keep it simple and enjoyable, preserving the moments that matter most. Now, don't think I'm all caught up or anything because that is far from the truth but I do enjoy telling my stories.

In fact, would you believe me if I told you that it took me less than 6 minutes to put together this layout, without the photos? It's true! It took me longer to decide which photos I wanted to print than it did to create it. I love that was the case!

Alright, so I'm no magician AND I didn't create the layout is not my original design, but does it detract from the fun moments experienced when we went to the Hawaiian Islands last month? I would imagine that would be a resounding 'no' from the audience. :)

Check out this quick video (feel free to mute the music if you would like) and you will see me assemble it. 

I LOVE that it was simple to put together and then by adding our photos and my journaling...it's a masterpiece, don't you think? It was made with the Close To My Heart scrapbook subscription kit, Craft with Heart, from June. It only requires adhesive, a journaling pen and photos. 

While these are 12" x 12" layouts, I love that I have also used a variety of sizes through a product line by Stacy Julian. 

How do you tell your story? You'll find some additional ideas on how to do so and if you want more information on doing so the paper way, let me know! I'd love to tell you more!

Now it's time for "Blog with Friends"! 

Dawn of Spatulas on Parade

Karen of Baking in a Tornado

Lydia of Cluttered Genius

Jules of the Bergham Chronicles

Tamara of Part-Time Working Hockey Mom

"Fireflies" - Blog with Friends

Welcome to "Blog with Friends" where I join fellow Bloggers as we share topics/ideas around a theme. This month our theme is "Fireflies".

So...you might be wondering where the fireflies are on this layout. There aren't any! ha BUT...I will tell you that fireflies totally scream summer and I think this layout totally aligns with that. What do you think? Well...that's what we're going to go with.

Outside of the tropical theme, I love the sentiments on both layouts. "Escape the ordinary." Yes, please! I want each day of my life to be something "different" and "new", not the same ol' same ol' many people experience. While I appreciate structure, sometimes being unpredictable provides a jumpstart. 

"To travel is to live". Yes it is! God created such beauty on this earth and while I've been able to enjoy a lot of it, there is tons more left for me to see. I plan on living until I die. What about you? Don't cut your life short by missing out on the extraordinary. 

Do you have some fun memories you would like to preserve? There is a fun and inexpensive way to do so with a special from Close To My Heart, during the month of June. It's called "The Best Moments are FREE" and you have four different options. The price is a steal because essentially, you pay for the stamp set and get the rest of the kit items FREE! It truly sounds too good to be true, but it is true!

If you would like to preserve your memories, while I create the layouts for you to do so on, contact me and that is completely possible. In fact, I'd be honored to do that for you. I'm sure you have memories worth documenting. 

Now, check out these other fabulous blog posts from some of my bloggin' friends. We all love when you leave a comment and show us some blog love so please consider doing so. 

Dawn of Spatulas on Parade

Karen of Baking in a Tornado

Lydia of the Cluttered Genius

Enjoy your week!

May Day - A Blog with Friends

Celebrated in many counties, on May 1st, May Day is a traditional springtime festival or day honoring workers. Today, I join my "Blog with Friends" group to celebrate it in a variety of ways as you will find, by reading their related blog posts (links below). 

I chose to celebrate it by making these fun creations, where flowers are the focal point. 

One of Close To My Hearts newest die cuts are these Thin Cuts - Stitched Flowers. You can see them used as focal points on three of the above items. By simply running them through a diecut machine (i.e. Cuttlebug, etc.), they make for a great element on any papercrafted item. While I didn't think I needed them, initially, I think they are my favorite product at this time! 

We've got some fabulous paper suites, with coordinating products, I incorporated. This one is called "Zoe" (and only available through this month).

"Craft On" is another fabulous line I am currently in love with. It's available through the end of August, while supplies last. 

I am teaching these items on my VIP Group, where I would love to have you! You can attend both physical (DFW area) and virtual events. 

...Now it's time to check out these fun topics highlighted through my "Blog with Friends" by clicking on their links below. Comments (aka "blog love") are always appreciated. 

Karen of Baking in a Tornado

Dawn from Spatulas on Parade

Lydia from The Cluttered Genius

Thanks so much for stopping by! Make it a great day!