Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - November: Illuminate

Welcome to the Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! This month we’re featuring the November set Illuminate, a set of 15 stamps. If you have come here from Haley Dyer’s blog, you’re in the right place! There are more than 50 independent Close to My Heart consultants sharing artwork made using the Stamp of the Month and other great Close to My Heart products. Hopping is simple to do – just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one.

The Blog Hop is a great big circle. Start here and work your way around. If you get lost along the way you’ll find a complete list of participating consultants here. You can use this list to pick up where you left off.

Off we go!

I really wasn’t sure how I felt about this set when I first saw it. It’s not my typical style, and so I thought about what I was going to do for the Blog Hop for a while - nothing solid, just ideas bouncing around in my head.

When I actually sat down to work on my card, I decided I should look at papers again. I had originally thought I’d pair Illuminate with the Sparkle & Shine paper (which happens to be the assigned paper pack for the person using the Stamp of the Month for my team’s Display Board Swap), but I wasn’t sure. I went through my paper samples a couple times and realized that this particular pattern from Laughing Lola was speaking to me. The paisleys look to be made of gold and sort of twinkling like lights! (The color is actually called Laughing Lola Gold, but if you see the coordinating cardstock it’s also got a slight green hue to it.)

I think I ended up with another simple, yet elegant result.

Here is what I used. All products are Close to My Heart:

S1311 Illuminate stamp set

X7170B Laughing Lola paper packet

1388 Colonial White cardstock

44751 Archival Black Exclusive Inks stamp pad

Z2162 Honey Exclusive Inks stamp pad

Z2167 Crème Brulee Exclusive Inks stamp pad

Z1862 Black Mini-Medley Assortment

Z1335 Opaques Licorice Adhesive Gems

Z1809 Black Shimmer Trim

Now “Hop” on over to Krista Hershberger‘s blog to see her work, and be sure to visit each consultant’s blog to get some great crafting inspiration and other fun ideas! Don’t forget, this exclusive stamp set is only available through November 30^th! Click here to order yours today!

Artbooking Made Easy: Festive Mini Albums (S01E09)

With the Cricut® Artbooking cartridge from Close To My Heart, your photos will find a cozy home on the pages of a dazzling holiday mini album. Watch the video to gather your own ideas on how to use its themed keys to create merry and bright holiday projects that last.

Trendy Trims

Your layouts, wall hangings, goodie bags, and other projects will come to life with some fun new trims from Close To My Heart! Whether used as pattern pieces, background designs, or accents, these trims are sure to add a lot of zest and dimension to your papercrafting.

Artbooking Made Easy: Everyday Layouts (S01E08)

Combine cuts from a variety of themes from Close To My Heart's Cricut® Artbooking cartridge to make original papercrafted masterpieces. Watch the video to kick-start your ideas!

Artbooking Made Easy: Fall into Artbooking (S01E07)

Fall for the autumn-themed projects you see in this video, all made with the Cricut® Artbooking cartridge from Close To My Heart!

Holiday Gift Guide Blog Hop 2013

In honor of Close to My Heart's new Holidays from the Heart Gift Guide, some members of the Stamp of the Month Blog Hop have decided to do a special hop featuring these new and exclusive products. If you have come here from Jody Gustafson's blog, you're in the right place. There are 22 Close to My Heart consultants participating in this Hop. If you get lost, click here to find your place again.

The 21-page Holidays from the Heart Gift Guide is a festive supplement to the Autumn/Winter 2013 Idea Book. Inside you’ll find all-new products, offered for a limited time only, including papers, project kits, embellishments, stamps, and more to pull off a memorable holiday season!

Any regular follower of the Stamp of the Month Blog Hop has probably noticed that I almost always make a card. I don't necessarily do this on purpose, but many times I don't have as much time to create as I'd like so I find that a card is a faster project than anything else. That being said, I made a conscious effort to create something different (different for me) for this Hop.

I generally prefer more traditional Christmas colors, but I am loving the varied shades of greens and reds in the Sparkle & Shine products. The Juniper, Ruby, and Slate have a sort of 50s feel to them, and I really like that. I also love the designs of the Sparkle & Shine Complements, so I decided to make a Christmas layout. I might as well have at least one done ahead of time, right? I hadn't used any of the layout patterns out of Make It From Your Heart Vol. 2 yet and that was another thing on my to-do list. Here's what I came up with:

I used the Sparkle & Shine paper pack (X7176B), the Sparkle & Shine Complements Dimensional Elements (X7176C), and the Ruby Mini-Medley Accents Collection (Z1861).

Now Hop on over to Judy Faye Garner's blog to see what she's created for you! Don't forget to go all the way through the Hop so you don't miss out on any of the artwork!

Babycakes Birthday Card Workshop

Babycakes isn't just for babies! I chose 12 card patterns and added some Gypsy, Lagoon, and Honey cardstock to the Buttercup, Sunset, Slate, and Chocolate that came with the paper pack. I used the Cricut® Artbooking Collection to create some of the frames and other accent pieces, and then I added in a little Lagoon and/or Slate Washi Tape, the Slate Striped Twist Ties, and the Slate Mini-Medley, and ended up with some fun cards!

If you'd like more information on how I made these cards, or if you'd like a kit, please contact me and I would be happy to help you!

Tools of the Trade

The right tool can make all the difference in your artistic scrapbooking. See what tools Close To My Heart has to offer to enhance your creative experience!

Artbooking Made Easy (S01E06): Designed Décor Flip Stand Album

With the help of the Cricut® Artbooking collection and Designed Décor flip stand album, Close To My Heart will make a home decorator out of you! Watch as simple icons, shapes, and titles from this cartridge are transformed into works of art perfect for display in your home.

Artbooking Made Easy (S01E05): Halloween Mini Albums

Close To My Heart will bring your projects back to life with the Cricut® Artbooking cartridge. Watch this video to learn how to use it while making your own fun Halloween mini albums.