Anything Goes Technique Blog Hop

Welcome to this month's Technique Blog Hop where we use Close To My Heart products to showcase papercrafting techniques. However, this month you are in for a treat as the participants can highlight any of their favorite techniques as we titled this, "Anything Goes". 

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

Here is what I have created to share with you today:

For this card, I incorporated a few techniques such as resist embossing and dry embossing. I'll explain my process. 

Using the August Stamp of the Month, "Tutti Frutti Summer" (shown below), I random stamped the strawberry image, with Versamark Ink (Z891), all over this stitched rectangle. I poured White Embossing Powder (Z2068) all over the images, removed the access powder, and heat set it with the Heat Tool. You can see some of those white strawberries on the area to the far left. 

Then, using the "Picked Raspberry" Distress Oxide Ink, and a Foam Tool, I applied ink all over the White Daisy Cardstock. 

Next, I wanted to distress the pink background by spritzing it with some water. I couldn't put my hands on my water bottle quickly so just sprinkled it with my hands. You can see how I got a little too much, for my liking, in the top right area but it ended up being covered by the Green Apple cardstock in my finished project. 

After I applied the drops of water, I used a paper towel to wipe off the pink ink that had stuck to the white strawberries. By doing so, I left this fabulous result. Don't you love it?! I do! This technique is called "Resist Ink Distressing". 

For the strip of Green Apple Cardstock, I did some dry embossing with my Dual-Tip Stylus Embossing Tool. I put my paper in my paper trimmer and measured off in 1/2" and 1/4" increments. Then, I used a sanding block to distress it for the resulting look. 

Lastly, for the strawberry, I didn't want it to have a black outline. I wanted just the fruit image so I stamped it on cardstock using Ballerina ink (light pink) and then used Tri-Blend Markers to color in the image. I fussy-cut it and used Thin 3-D Foam Tape for added dimension. 

A few Black Dots and I called this fun card "done"! I hope you enjoyed it and maybe even learned something new, or were reminded of a technique you haven't done in awhile.

Now, keep making your way around the Blog Hop and head over to Cat's Blog. I'm confident you'll love what you see there! 

Happy hoppin'! 

List of Participants:

1. Melissa Robinson *YOU ARE HERE*

2. Cat Nowak

3. Darlys Recker

4. Haley Dyer

5. Brandi Robinson

6. Maz Wood

7. Lauren Moore

8. Tamara Sandwisch

9. Katy Taylor

10. Krista Hershberger

11. Jayma Malme

12. Michelle Loncar

In Any CASE...with Melinda & Melissa

Happy 2019 and welcome back to...

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!

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I loved this card the moment I sat my eyes on it and am excited to share it with you today.

Here are the dimensions for the card pieces:

For the striped paper, you can either do two, 5 1/2" x 1/2" strips, OR cover the base of the card, 5 1/2" x 4 1/4". (I used 1/2" strips so I could keep more of the patterned paper.)

The white embossed sentiments totally pops on this card, making it so charming, don't you think?

This is the stamp set, Dandelion Wishes, that I used. 

And...the Silver Glitter Gems and White Ribbon are great accents! 

This is the beautiful card Melinda is sharing with you on her blog post. It incorporates some fabulous new Thin Cuts. Head to Melinda's Blog so she can show you all that fabulousness! 

Consider CASEing with us and when you do, tag your artwork on social media with #ctmhinanycase. We hope to see more participation this year!

Have a great evening! 

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