Color Your Life: April Stamp of the Month (Blog Hop)

Happy Easter and April 1! Welcome to this month's Stamp of the Month Blog Hop where we are featuring this wonderful stamp set, "Color Your Life". 

This stamp set comes with great sentiments/words that can be used on any type of papercrafting project. In fact, I am excited to make it through this hop and see what wonderful creations were made with it. I know we will be inspired. You can get this stamp set for $5 with a qualifying order. (You can click here for all the details.)

If you are coming from Cat's Blog, you are on the right track. You can find a complete list of participants by clicking here. 

The card was kept relatively simply in order to draw attention to the sentiment. Life is sometimes challenging with all that can be thrown our direction. It's at those times that we should remember to celebrate life and remind ourselves of our many blessings. I hope this card brings a little bit of happy to your life today.

I used patterned paper from our Basic Fundamentals paper pack and accented it with Raspberry cardstock (I love this beautiful and bright color) and White Shimmer Trim. The coordinating ribbon was created by using the Cherry Pink Shin Han Marker on Cream Ribbon. One of my favorite techniques is being able to take some of our white/cream products - ribbon, Dots, etc. - and using the markers to make them any color I choose.

Shin Han Markers were used to color the letters that come with some fun texture inside of each one. The Lagoon accents are leftovers I had from the Make Waves Complements.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Before heading over to Wendy's Blog, consider leaving a comment. I appreciate and enjoy blog love, knowing your thoughts on my artwork.

Have a blessed and wonderful week/month and don't forget to...celebrate life!

CTMH Technique Blog Hop - Purposeful Patterns

Welcome to this month's Technique Blog Hop where we are focusing on the theme, "Purposeful Patterns", highlighting some wonderful sketch books from Close To My Heart. One thing I enjoy seeing is the different interpretation of the same sketch, by different people, with a different theme, products, colors, etc. 

If you are coming from Kirsten's Blog, you are on the right path. You'll find a complete list of participants at the bottom of this post, if you were to get lost along the way. 

Want in on a little secret of mine? But you can't tell anyone... I don't create anything from scratch. Yup, that's right! Think I'm creative? I totally wouldn't describe me as so, although people beg to differ (and I appreciate that compliment). Do you want to know what makes me look so artsy? It's our How-To Pattern Books that are a scrapbook or card recipe waiting to happen and if you don't know anything about them, CHECK THIS OUT!

Here you can see a page from Make It From Your Heart Volume 4. This book includes 24 card patterns, 18 vertical card designs and 6 horizontal, in the standard 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" size. It fits inside our Everyday Life albums (separate purchase) for easy and convenient transportation. The pages, measuring 8 3/8" x 6 7/8" come loose with 3-ring holes. 

If you look close enough (or click on the image for an enlarged view), on the left side of the spread is where you are provided a blueprint of the card design. Paper dimensions are included as well as information on the placement of the card pieces. On the right side are two delightful cards created from this sketch. PLUS, there are plenty of Artwork Tips included throughout, giving you fun techniques to incorporate in your own creations! 

Volume 3 is dedicated to scrapbook layouts and includes 36 two-page layout patterns for standard photo sizes (4" x 6" and 3" x 4"), as well as artwork inspiration demonstrating how to incorporate additional photos using our Pocket Plus and pocket scrapbooking Memory Protectors. Layouts are organized by the number of photos in the design. It, too, fits inside the Everyday Life albums and measures the same as Volume 4 (above).

We also carry Volumes 1 and 2. Each features 16 two-page layout patterns, two single-page patterns, and 12 different card patterns. They include cutting diagrams, full-color artwork, and helpful hints for creating the projects.

While I have eyed this card pattern, it's not until now that I have used it and thought it a perfect greeting card for this occasion. It's Pattern 1 from Volume 3. 

The sentiment, from the March Stamp of the Month, Birthday Time (pictured below), is embossed using White Embossing Powder. (If you're not familiar with this technique, please take a few minutes to view this VIDEO. It's a super fun technique that can add a lot to your creative projects.) 

The banners are made with scraps from the Make Waves paper pack. And everything is always better with a little bit of ribbon (White & Gold) and White Dots. 

I appreciate you stopping by and hope you'll continue on the Blog Hop. Before you do so, I would love for you to leave a comment and let me know what you think of this card. Then, head to Haley's Blog to see what she has created to share with you. 

Happy Hoppin'!

List of Participants:

1. Melissa Robinson *YOU ARE HERE*

2. Haley Dyer

3. Debi McBain

4. Darlys Recker 

5. Michelle Loncar

6. Danielle Wagner

7. Michelle Johns

8. Tammy Lubick

9. Catherine Nowak

10. Sarah Devendorf

11. Kirsten Desorcy

I Whaley Like You!

On the eve of Valentine's Day, I thought I would share this cute and punny card (LOL) made with products from the Make Waves product line.

This card is one of the four designed and included with the Make Waves Workshop Your Way Scrapbooking Kit. I love the background for this card. It is made with scraps of paper and a piece of shimmer trim, placed on a rectangular piece of cardstock which are all then trimmed. Isn't that cool? 

A few circles cut of White Daisy cardstock and patterned paper, using the Thin Cuts - Basic Circles,  make for a fun and whimsical card. 

Check out the rest of the images and punny sentiments that are included with this set. And on the bottom...you can get the coordinating Thin Cuts that save you time and eliminate fussy-cutting.

A few gems were placed on the card for some necessary bling. These are the Make Waves Sequins & Gems that coordinate with the rest of the product line. Aren't they cute. If you look closely, the top sheet has some floral sequins that are iridescent. They are totally fun!

You can purchase these and other items on my website. Let me know if you have any questions! Enjoy the rest of your day!

Heart 2 Heart Challenge: Tool Time - Shimmer Brush

Happy Monday and good morning! 

This week's Heart to Heart Challenge is titled "Tool Time" and we are asked to incorporate a Shimmer Brush in our artwork. You, too, can participate in this challenge by linking up to us on the Heart 2 Heart Blog. Be sure to use Close To My Heart products in your creations. 

It was fun creating using this mermaid stamp image to create this card. Products used are from the "Make Waves" product line. And that flower sequin and glitter gems...aren't they fun?! They come in a package and are self-adhesive. ADORABLE!

The Shimmer Brush is challenging to reflect in photos but you can see some of the detail in these two photos. What I especially love about the Shimmer Brush, which currently comes in three colors - Clear, Gold and Bashful - is it dries quickly (especially compared to some similar products on the market).

It is super easy to control the amount of "shimmer" added to a piece of artwork and provides a beautiful, yet subtle addition to anything.

Thank you very much for stopping by my blog today. I hope your week is off to a great start and that you consider joining this and/or other challenges at Heart 2 Heart. We enjoy seeing what you create!