Sunday, May 31, 2015

Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - June: Ice Cream Dream

 

Welcome to the June Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! This month’s set is Ice Cream Dream, a set of 7 stamps.

If you have come here from {Michelle Jones’ blog}, you’re in the right place! There are more than 50 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!


Ice Cream Dream. Definitely one of my favorites from this year’s set of stamps of the month. It’s fun, playful, and just downright adorable. Of course, pairing it with the Blossom papers was still a bit of a challenge.

Fortunately, the colors in the Blossom palette are soft, much like ice cream, so the challenge was more in choosing my papers than anything else. Once I really took a look at them, I had to highlight Sunset because it reminds me of my childhood favorite, Orange Creamsicles. 

I chose pattern #21 from Make It from Your Heart Volume 1. This design was perfect for the sentiment I wanted to use. It also lent itself well to using one of the zip strips. 


The other thing about this stamp set is that it forced me to use my ShinHan™ Touch Twin™ Markers. I tend to be afraid of them for some reason, but I really enjoyed using them for this project and like how it turned out.

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

S1506 Ice Cream Dream stamp set
Z1853 Aqua Dots

Now “Hop” on over to {Lauren Moore’s blog} to see her work, and be sure to visit each consultant’s site to get some crafting inspiration and other great ideas! Don’t forget, this exclusive stamp set is only available through June 30th. Click here to order yours today!

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

His and Hers: A Book for Both



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!

Click here to order yours today!

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

National Scrapbooking Month - Taste of Summer

It’s National Scrapbooking Month, and Close to My Heart is celebrating by offering a little Taste of Summer! The Stamp of the Month Blog Hop group is also celebrating with a special edition hop featuring the Taste of Summer paper packet and bonus stamp set! In the paper packet you’ll find two each of six fun and fruity patterns on one side and a coordinating monochromatic pattern on the reverse. Meanwhile, the stamp set has 14 stamps that coordinate perfectly with the papers. (Complete details on the promotion are at the end of this post.)


If you have come here from {Maureen O’Sullivan’s blog}, you’re in the right place! There are more than 30 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.

Here we go!
Paper and stamp set sold separately.
I’m not sure what it is about these papers, but I am completely in love with them! It might be because summer is my favorite season, although the colors are pretty great, too. Either way, I’m just getting started with creating with them.

I’ve seen a lot of fabulous artwork from other consultants, and a 2-page layout from Pamela O’Connor (Reflections of My Art and Soul) particularly caught my eye. I didn’t duplicate her layout, but it did inspire me to use the strawberry paper and create a layout of my own. I used the Backstage pattern on pages 28 and 29 of Magic because I liked the scallops as they reminded me of the white flowers that bloom before strawberries appear. 


To stamp the strawberries I used the Rock ‘n Roll technique. First I inked the stamp in Cotton Candy, and then I rolled part of the image in Cranberry to give the berries a little contrast and depth. It helps them stand out from the other papers a bit more. The stems are stamped in Topiary. “You’re Berry Special” was stamped with the masking technique. I put a piece of scotch tape over “you’re” and “special”, inked the stamp in Cranberry, and then I removed the tape. I carefully inked “you’re” and “special” in Topiary ink and then stamped the entire image on the White Daisy circle. 


The one thing I did the same as Pamela was my title. The Topiary stands out, and the font in the stamp set and on Artfully Sent are quite similar if not the same. It really goes perfectly with everything else. 


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

Now “Hop” on over to {Melinda Everitt’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, you can only get the exclusive Taste of Summer items through May 31st. Click here to order yours today!

*Celebrate National Scrapbooking Month during the month of May with our exclusive mouthwatering Taste of Summer paper packet, available for only $8.95! Featuring bold, vibrant colors, this exclusive paper packet is perfect to pair with your sweet summery memories, and provides delicious designs for your layouts, cards, and more! Contact your Independent Consultant for information about workshops for this paper packet. Watch Close To My Heart’s blog, Instagram account, and Facebook page throughout the month for more projects inspired by Taste of Summer. This paper packet is only available during May while supplies last, so get your order in early. No matter where you are or what the weather may be, you deserve a little taste of summer in your life!