January Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - "Every Thank You"

It's time to ring in 2021 with a NEW Stamp of the Month set AND a NEW Idea Book full of NEW products and NEW artwork! I'd say those are several great reasons to celebrate, wouldn't you?!

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

This exclusive stamp set, with 25 images, provides us the opportunity to say thanks a variety of ways. Valued at $18.95, it can be yours for just $5 - or FREE if you're a VIP.  You can find all the details, about the Stamp of the Month, by clicking here. 

I worked on this card a bit at a time, not sure how my idea would come together. I do love the result! 

The Star Shaker Window Thin Cuts was used to create the focal point which incorporates one of the 'thank you' sentiments from the stamp set, as well as a cute heart. I did build the shaker on top of a White Daisy star and DID cut it out of the top banner cut, for a different look. 

Layered on top of Raspberry cardstock and Sapphire Glitter Paper, I filled the star with Blue Belle Sequins and the NEW Flower Confetti. By stamping 'so much' and adding the Raspberry Twine Bow and stamped hearts, I was pleased with the finished card. I actually love it and hope you do too! 

If you are wondering how I got the stitched portion on the bottom part of the "banner", I used the Stitched Hexagons Thin Cuts - the largest one - and only ran that portion through my diecut machine. I like the added touch that was a result of an experiment.

Thank you so much (get it? LOL) for stopping by my blog. Please continue making your rounds, for this Blog Hop, by heading to Wendy's Blog to see what she has created to share with you. Consider leaving a comment before you do so. 

Happy 2021!

Zoe Blog Hop

Do you remember this paper pack from a few years ago? No, you're not dreaming... Zoe is BACK and better than ever, with some refreshed colors and a NEW 12" sheet of stickers you are sure to love!

Today, we are highlighting artwork created with these exclusive products, good through the end of May, while supplies last. There are several ways you can purchase the items, receiving a discount when you purchase the entire kit bundle, which includes a stamp set. Click HERE for all the details.

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

I created four scrapbook layouts created with the Zoe products and then used the remaining items to make this fun card.

The sentiment and popsicle images are stickers from the sheet I mentioned above. I simply cut a square out of the polka dot paper, trimmed it diagonally to create two triangles and then added the Sweet Leaf Zip Strip flush against it. 

A bit of Thin 3-D Foam Dots, a Journaling Pen, some Black Dots, and Liquid Glass (on the popsicle to make it shiny) were all I added to make this simple & sweet. (I may or may not know that something great is coming for the Liquid Glass on May 1st). 😉

I truly appreciate you stopping by to check out the card I have to share with you. Please head over to Michelle's Blog to see what she has created.

Enjoy the end to your week!

In Any CASE...with Melinda & Melissa

Thank you for joining us this week for...

Join us twice a month as we CASE, “Copy And Selectively Edit”, artwork created by the Art Department of Close To My Heart as showcased in the current Idea Books and our Make It From Your Heart How-To Books.

On the 2^nd and 4^th Thursday of each month, at 7 pm CST, we will direct you towards a piece of art and recreate it using the exact products or others that compliment its initial design. Tips, techniques and assembly directions will be shared in detail to help you recreate them on your own.

As you reproduce the items we have shared, post them on social media using the hashtag #ctmhinanycase. We will randomly search that hashtag and reward those who CASE our items. Winners will be announced on our blogs so be sure to follow us!

*************************************************

I decided to recreate this adorable shaker card that features the CA-UTE stamp set, Hedge-Hugs.

I mean, serious?! Isn't this stamp set adorable?! Now that I have it, I am totally looking forward to creating some other items with it. Do you love it too? You can find it on my website by clicking on this link.

To create any Shaker Card, the Thin Cuts - Shaker Window & Confetti are an ABSOLUTE MUST! You can create shaker cards using your choice of colors, themes, etc. and these make that super easy to achieve! 

These are the pieces and parts (above) I cut to create the card. You'll see how they are incorporated below and...YES! I totally did make my own confetti out of Sugarplum Glitter Paper! FUN stuff, huh?! 

For the main base of the card, I used this polka dot patterned paper from the Seasons Mix-in paper packet. I put the big circle, cut out of White Daisy, as the bottom piece for the shaker card elements. Then, I built the rest on top of it. 

I combined the Loose Silver Sequins with the Thin Cut punched confetti. The stitched circle, that finishes off the shaker piece was cut in Sage cardstock. 

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I am starting to have an attraction to the Silver Embellishing Thread. LOL When I first tried it, I wasn't quite sure how to work with it but have been given some tips to assist me:

• Wind it around two of your fingers, approximately 5 times.
• Use glue dots to adhere it to and to secure it to your artwork. 

If you haven't tried it yet, give it a try. I think you will like it just as much as I do. As you can see, I have been adding it to my projects when they need "just a bit more". 

My partner in CASEing, Melinda Everitt, is showcasing THIS creation on her blog so be sure to head that direction by following this link. I guess we are both lovin' the Shaker Cards based on what cards we selected this week!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Happy creating!

"Just For Fun" Blog Hop

Thank you for stopping by my blog where I am participating today in a Blog Hop featuring Close To My Heart's Fundamentals product line. These items are up to 40% off this month, while supplies last. You can find details about the special here.

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

I decided to make some simple cards that are possible because of the pattern papers included in the Fundamentals paper packs. I switched out the cardstock and patterns used to create two cards. (Blossom is the color of this card.)

The "Stronger Together" stamp set has some wonderful sentiments and the proceeds from sales of this stamp set will be donated to the Red Cross to benefit disaster relief efforts experienced by victims of recent hurricanes, wildfires, etc.

Lagoon was used on this card.

This card was created with Lemon.

The "thank you" sentiment is from the "All the Thanks" stamp set. The script font is really fun as are the various ways to say "thanks". Black & White Dots, as well as Silver Shimmer Trim, were added to the cards.

I hope you like the simplicity of these cards that serve a great purpose and were easy to put together. The Fundamentals product line - paper packs, Complements, and ribbon - are beautiful and can be used for various papercrafting projects.

Consider leaving a comment before you head over to Wendy's Blog to see what she has created to share with you. Thanks for stopping by!

Happy hoppin'!

CTMH Technique Blog Hop - Fabulous Foil

Welcome to this month's Technique Blog Hop, "Fabulous Foil", where participating Close To My Heart Consultants feature shiny artwork. I am excited to see what they share and hope you are too!

If you are coming from Cat's Blog, you are on the right track. You can find a list of participants at the bottom of this post, should you get lost along the way. Now...onto the fun!

Here is a sneak peek of my creation! Are those gold embossed leaves beautiful?! I love how simple it was to get this look so let's see what I did.

I used our Gold Foil Paper, which I absolutely love, and the Leaves Embossing Folder to create the primary background on this card. By sandwiching the piece of gold foil paper in between two 'C' plates, and running it through the Cuttlebug, this was the resulting look. So beautiful and simple!

Needing a fall-themed stamp set, I headed straight for this month's Stamp of the Month, "So Blessed". The images are stamped in Espresso and New England Ivy inks. I used a Sponge Dauber to distress the edges with Saffron ink. The heart was colored in with Ruby ink, applied with a Waterbrush Pen for a watercolor look.

If you haven't yet purchased our Foil Paper - in Silver or Gold, I strongly suggest you give at least one of them a try. It's such a great quality of cardstock - 10 lb. cover weight. It's definitely not a cheap paper! You will enjoy working with it, I promise! And...don't forget to choose an embossing folder. We have several that would look great embossed on foil.

Thank you very much for stopping by. Let me know what you think of my card by leaving a comment below and then head over to Janna's Blog to see what she has up her sleeve in the way of creativity.

Enjoy the hop and your day!

List of participants:

1. Melissa Robinson *YOU ARE HERE*

2. Janna Gray

3. Darlys Recker

4. Debi McBain

5. Belinda McLane

6. Michelle Loncar

7. Michelle Johns

8. Sarah Devendorf

9. Haley Dyer

10. Cat Nowak

Heart 2 Heart COLOR Challenge

It's a color challenge!

Welcome to this week's Heart 2 Heart Challenge where we are incorporating all or some of the following colors into our artwork: Toffee, Pomegranate, Sorbet, Canary, Peacock, and Pebble. Why not join us?! To participate all you have to do is incorporate the theme, using Close To My Heart products, and then link up to the challenge at Heart 2 Heart.

Let's check out what I created, shall we?

Using the September Stamp of the Month, "Feel So Blessed", I created this thank you card. (All colors were used except for Canary.) The leaves were stamped on some patterned paper and fussy-cut. The Pebble striped paper is from the Beary Christmas paper pack (which you will absolutely love). The Gold Pearls were the finishing touch for this card, with the help of some White Twine. 

Thanks so much for visiting my blog today. Be sure to link up to our challenge at Heart 2 Heart. I look forward to seeing your artwork there! 

Have a wonderful Labor Day!

CTMH Technique Blog Hop - Embellishment Envy

Welcome to this month's Technique Blog Hop, "Embellishment Envy", where we are sharing artwork that highlights some of Close To My Heart's embellishments. While there are products specifically identified as embellishments, many others provide an opportunity to accent artwork. We hope you will be inspired by what you see and appreciate you joining us.

If you are coming from Michelle's Blog, you are on the right track. You will find a complete list of participants at the end of this post.

Working to keep the focus on the embellishments, I kept this card very simple.

I used our Thin Cuts - Basic Hearts to cut a window from the piece of White Daisy Cardstock and backed it with Pansy (purple). Deciding on a few types of bling that I wanted to add to the card, I chose what you see here. I placed them randomly and then stamped the sentiment from the "Happy Heart" stamp set (pictured below).

I always love to add a little "doodling", with a Journaling Pen, when just a bit more is necessary.

Happy Heart Stamp Set (A1192)

These are the embellishments I used:

Enamel & Glitter Duos Purple Hearts (Z3124)

Bitty Sparkles (Z1263) & Clear Sparkles (Z3274)

Pink Enamel Gems (Z3091)

Black & White Dots (Z3394)

Thanks so much for stopping by today! If you want to place an order, you can do so on my website by clicking here.

I love hearing what you think of my artwork so please consider leaving a comment and then head on over to Haley's Blog where you are sure to be inspired by her creation. Happy hoppin' and have a blessed week!

List of Participants:

1. Melissa Robinson *YOU ARE HERE

2. Haley Dyer

3. Judy Faye Garner
4. Annemarie Julian
5. Michelle Loncar

Heart 2 Heart Challenge: "Teeny Tiny"

Welcome to the first Heart 2 Heart Challenge for May 2017! Is it challenging for anyone else to believe May is already here?! Not being in a school setting anymore, I no longer countdown the end of the school year with my students so it seems to roll around unexpectedly the last few years.

This week's challenge is "Teeny Tiny". We hope you will connect to this Heart 2 Heart Challenge and interpret the theme however you see fit, being sure to incorporate Close To My Heart products when you do!

I struggled a bit with the interpretation of the theme but decided to focus on this NEW stamp image, "Scripty Thank You", that has teeny tiny leaves and flowers. Our NEW Oval Thin Cuts are a perfect fit for it.

I totally CASEd this card design from page 54 in our NEW Idea Book that releases today (see details below). The card size is our standard, 4 1/4" x 5 1/2". I included the dimensions for this card. Please feel free to use them and consider sharing your artwork with me when you do. I would love to see them!

Artwork tips:

• Dovetail the Smoothie (blush) and Lemon (yellow) pieces of cardstock.
• Center the black piece, left to right, and place 1" from the top of the fold.

To color in the image, I used our Shin Han Markers. A little "extra" was added with the White Twine and Pink Enamel Gems. Thin 3-D Foam Tape was used to "pop" the Blossom banner and sentiment.

The patterned paper in the back has a large rose pattern and is from our "Live Beautifully" paper pack (has a coordinating stamp set) that is our special this month in honor of National Scrapbooking Month. It is a definite beauty and something you will want to be sure you buy. Plus, there are a variety of ways to purchase it, including special prices when purchased with additional items! Be sure to check them out!

If you didn't already know, Close To My Heart released new products in their new publication today, "Seasonal Expressions 2" (aka SE2). Contact me if you would like a hard copy of it (and don't currently have a CTMH Consultant) or you also get one FREE when you place an order on my website.

Wishing you a blessed May!

CTMH Technique Blog Hop - Vellum Makes Everything Better

Welcome to this month's Technique Blog Hop where we are featuring vellum! Vellum is a fine parchment paper that allows for different types of techniques, or creates just a nice overlay, as I have used it in my artwork below.

If you are coming from Kirsten's Blog, you are on the right track. Let's go ahead and get started!

Did you know Close To My Heart carries vellum? We sure do. It is not a stand alone item but is included in a couple of our paper packets and are usually always included in the Complements. I used the gold embossed polka dot paper that is included in the Uptown Fundamentals paper pack. It contains several sheets of vellum, with different patterns.

The striped paper came from the Adventure Fundamentals paper packs. One of the patterns included is this bold stripe. I chose the Emerald (green) sheet. Using a card design by Jennifer McGuire, I cut a portion of the circle into a piece of White Daisy cardstock. (The striped paper, piece of vellum, and white cardstock were all glued to the front of the card base.)

The floral images on the card were stamped using the set from the Here For You Cardmaking Kit. "Thanks" is from the All the Thanks stamp set.

The sentiment was gold embossed and the main flower was 3-D to add some dimension to the card.

I really enjoyed working with the vellum and am excited to see what the other ladies have created with it. Please consider leaving a comment before heading to Haley's Blog to see her vellum creation.

Happy hoppin'!

Participants:
1. Melissa Robinson *YOU ARE HERE
2. Haley Dyer
3. Tammy Lubick
4. Michelle Loncar
5. Darly Recker
6. Wendy Kessler
7. Annemarie Julian
8. Kirsten Desorcy