Thursday, April 30, 2015

Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - May: Just Sayin'


Welcome to the May Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! This month’s set is Just Sayin’, a set of 14 stamps.

If you have come here from {Krista Hershberger’s blog}, you’re in the right place! There are more than 65 independent Close to My Heart consultants participating. Click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move through the Hop.

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!



My swap group actually creates a month ahead so that we’re all set when the first of the month comes. Sometimes this leaves us with a gap, as does the timing of the release of new catalogs. That being said, our assignment for May was to use the Stamp of the Month, of course, but each participant was allowed to use a paper pack of their choice. As we had used a more Halloween-themed stamp set with Wanderful the first time, I wanted to use it again so that I could use different patterns.

Two other things happened for me in April: 1) my son was on spring break the first week, which is also when one of my very good friends got married in Las Vegas, and he and I were both in the wedding, and 2) my swap assignment was a 12x12 layout. Using Wanderful just made that much more sense!

I chose pattern #11 from Make It from Your Heart Volume 1. I liked it because I could feature a little bit of several patterns from the paper pack, as well as a large piece of my favorite pattern. I also thought that because this layout features several small photos, it would be perfect for featuring highlights of the first day of our trip.


As for the stamp set, I chose images that I thought went with the travel theme. I stamped them in different colors and cut them out by hand, then I attached them with Thin Foam Tape. 




I only did the right-hand page for the swap, but as I couldn’t wait to actually make mine into a complete 2-page layout, I did just that. I used the Artbooking cartridge to make the “Las Vegas” title and modified it in Cricut Craft Room so I could weld the letters together. “Viva” was cut from Artiste.


The small photos are popped up with Thin Foam Tape. I wrapped the large photo with some of the Extra Thick Twine, so it’s popped up with regular foam tape. 

Here is what I used. All products are Close to My Heart:
S1505 Just Sayin’ stamp set
X7191B Wanderul Paper Packet
Z2105 Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad
Z2117 Crystal Blue Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad
Z2642 Flaxen Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad
Z2162 Honey Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad
Z2190 Gypsy Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad
Z2196 Smoothie Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad
Z3036 Flaxen Extra Thick Twine
Z1151 3-D Foam Tape
Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape
Z534 Micro-tip Scissors
Z1836 Non-stick Micro-tip Scissors
Z1790 Cricut® Artiste Collection
Z1906 Cricut® Artbooking Collection
Cricut Craft Room

Now “Hop” on over to {Lucy Kelleher’s blog} to see her work, and be sure to visit each consultant’s site to get some great crafting inspiration and other fun ideas! Don’t forget, this exclusive stamp set is only available through May 31st. Click here to order yours today!

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Paper Fundamentals 10-Card Workshop Kits

Happy Sunday everyone!

I have put together an easy and versatile 10-card workshop that I am offering as a kit. Each kit comes complete with card bases, envelopes, stamped images, and all the pieces you need to put the cards together. I will also include printed instructions and tips.

This kit features the Paper Fundamentals Whimsy palette. The solid side is embossed with a pattern, and the reverse side has the same pattern but in white. There are 10 different colors and each one has a different pattern.


Basic card design CASEd from fellow consultant Susan Williams.

The cost of the basic kit is $25 plus $5 for shipping ($30 total).

Add-ons:
If you want to add a journaling pen, add $4.
If you want to add Thin 3-D Foam Tape, add $7.
If you want a stamp to make additional items, add $4.

The items you need to put the cards together are adhesive and scissors. I used our thin foam tape to pop up the calendar, but it is not a necessity. To achieve the same look as the cards I did, you will want a black journaling pen.

I will take orders for the kits through Sunday, May 3rd and will ship between now and Friday, May 15th.

Please message me on Facebook or send me an email if you're interested. My contact information can be found here.

Have a great week!

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

My Crush™ on Crafting



Close To My Heart’s My Crush™ books make great homes for your memorabilia! They come with a variety of beautifully designed papers and provide just the right backdrop for your keepsakes. See them for yourself!

You can see the rest of the My Crush™ line here.