We Asked, They Answered: the Close to My Heart Thin Cuts Alphabet!

Based on my professionally limited research, THIS has got to be one of the most requested products EVER.  I am SO excited to introduce you to the Close to My Heart Thin Cuts Block Alphabet as we said good-bye to a family heirloom...

It was great how the stripes in the Fundamentals Basics Paper lined up!

Aren't they fantastic for titles!?  This was actually a super way to put "big orange" in BIG letters for some BIG impact.  We had that couch for YEARS...and it was in the family FOREVER, so this was a BIG occasion.  Are you feeling me?

I used the new In the Background stamp set to ink up some polka dots in just the right size to fit the letters...

I also used the current August Stamp of the Month for the thought bubble on this layout...

It's only around for two more days!  After that, the Seasonal Expressions retires and a NEW Holiday Expressions Mini Catty begins!

Don't forget to catch the 50% off Warehouse sale items too!

Sympathy Card Quilt with Close to My Heart Background Stamps

Hi everyone!  It is the last Peachy Keen Challenge of the month, so let's get to it!

This week we are making sympathy cards.  I don't have a big collection of Peachy Stamps, so I had to make do with a sympathy card for someone who might be down in the dumps.  I probably would not use the characters or faces for any condolence cards.

I have been wanting to make a quilted card for a while now after seeing different versions around the internet.  A quilt seems to say, "comfort," so I thought it would pair up nicely with this little bear and sentiment from the PK Thinking of You Bear Stamp set.

I used Kraft, Chocolate, Desert Sand, Colonial White, Twilight and Crystal Blue CS for the 1.25 inch squares of the quilt.  Then I used various patterns from the Close to My Heart In the Background, Distressed Backgrounds, and Geometric Backgrounds My Acrylix sets to stamp in Twilight, Chocolate, and Desert Sand Ink.  Wow, that was a mouthful!  ;)

I am super-pleased with the way the faux stitching turned out!  I just used a .5 tip My Legacy Writer (in my clearance section!) to draw in the x's.  Writing on the different layers of the papers was tricky, but I got the hang of it after a minute or two.

I forgot to show you the inside!!!

Can't wait to try this card again with a different sentiment to make it less cutsie.  Not that there is anything wrong with cutsie!  ;) 

How to Use Close to My Heart Background Stamps

Hi everyone!  I love that Close to My Heart is putting out more and more how-to videos to demonstrate our fantastic products.  Sometimes it just isn't possible to make it to a workshop or gathering, but you can still learn all the new techniques and tips!

This latest video shows just how easy and fun it is to use the background stamps in your scrapbooks and cards.  Take a look at the video to see if this is something you would like to do!  :)

There are a few different stamp sets available to choose from to use this type of stamping right now, including:

D1544 Distressed Backgrounds
D1540 In the Background

and

a brand new one coming on August 1st!!!  You will LOVE it!

Honey, Honey!

Hi everyone!  Welcome back for another Color Dare challenge with Color My Heart.  Today we introduce a single color challenge using the Close to My Heart color, Honey.

Let me tell you that life on a design team is rewarding, yet can be hectic at times as well.  I'd like to give a big shout out to all my fellow DT members at Color My Heart for all the time they put into their amazing creations each week, including the Queen of Color herself, Sarah!  Awesome and inspiring work, girls!  :)

This week, I was swamped with crazy summer schedules and fun.  I knew I didn't have a huge window of time to spend on designing my project.  In fact, I was in the middle of another assignment AND having fun with two of my friends when this one hit me SMACK in the forehead!  The end result was a trendy CAS card that was also quite quick to put together!

I used the newly released, A True Thank You for the sentiment, stamping it in White Daisy Pigment Ink.  This stamp fits perfectly on a 2 x 2 block.  One hundred percent of the profits from this stamp will be donated to the American Red Cross to aid relief efforts after the Oklahoma tornadoes.

I had actually made the little Polaroid frame for an entirely different reason, but when this idea came to me, I lost track of what my other purpose had originally been, lol!   Such is the creative brain at times!  ;)  My family loves me in spite of it.  Most of the time. 

The distressed chevrons on the card are stamped in Honey Ink from the D1540 In the Background My Acrylix Set.  I popped the sentiment up on foam squares over the chevies, and THAT, my friends, is a WRAP!

This was a really good reminder to me that a wonderful and pleasing card doesn't need to have hours of work involved to make it that way!  :)

I hope you have fun with our challenge this week to use the Close to My Heart color Honey (or one that is similar) in a project along with any neutrals you choose.  Link up with us over at Color My Heart to play along, and YOU just might get to display the Color Dare Diamond on YOUR blog or page!  :)

Hello, Again!

Here is another card I made that started with inspiration from an embossing folder.  I saw this folder used on a beautiful card by my fellow Color My Heart DT member, Lela.  You can see her card  HERE.  I loved how it mimicked the little bird in the Hello Blooms My Acrylix, so reeeeealy needed to get my hands on it.  Lucky me, a little birdie helped me out with that!    ;)

Well, I had to use that folder asap, and here is my first card with it!  (UPDATE:  The name of the folder is Bird Scroll Frame by Darice.)

I had a little mishap with my Lagoon Ink in the bottom right corner right next to the little birdie, so kindly ignore that, lol.  Don't ask.

I cut the word Hello on my Cricut Expression 2 with the Artiste Cartridge at 1.5 inches.  I did this on White Daisy Cardstock.  Yes, I am sure.  ;)  Then I used my In the Background My Acrylix to stamp the pretty floral pattern.  It really didn't provide the contrast I was looking for against the white paper underneath, so I used my sponge to ink right over the entire word with Pear Exclusive Ink.  BINGO!  Just what I was looking for.  :)

I really like this flower stamp from Hello Blooms.  I rock and rolled this one again because I liked my first card so much.  First I inked it in Buttercup, and then I rolled it in Sunset.  Awesome!  The leaves are from the Girls Rock My Acrylix which I am also a huge fan of.  (Sorry, that's my second hanging preposition!)  I inked the leaves in Sweet Leaf and rolled in Pear.

Can you see the shimmer from my Sakura Gelly Roll Stardust Pen in the pic up above?  Gotta have some sparkle!  ;)

Here you can see the inside corner of the card where I added the cute little birdie from Hello Blooms as well as another Hello sentiment.  I stamped the little guy in Sunset first and then paper-pieced the Lagoon body portion on top.

You can see all of these complete stamp sets in my online store by clicking on the links.  They are some of my favorite new sets!  Thanks for stopping in today!  :)

Just Peachy Chevrons

I cannot believe that I haven't played along with Peachy Keen's Challenge since the beginning of the year!  Time to jump in again!  I created this card with some leftover cuts from other projects, and by golly, I think that bear is just about as adorable as they come!  Paired up with the chevrons, this card is totally a winner!  ;)

Peek-a-boo!  :)  The little bear from the January 2013 Club Stamp is peeking over the Close to My Heart chevron stamp from D1540 In the Backgound.  LOVE, love both these stamps!

    
I used the Close to My Heart Alcohol Ink markers to color in the sentiment from the Artiste Collection.

You can find the Artiste Collection and In the Background on my website by clicking on the links.  Don't forget, time is running out to get the March 2013 Stamp of the Month, Floral Happiness, so if you are thinking about adding it to your order, think fast!  ;)  You can see my new projects with this stamp set HERE.


Creative formulary for Just Peachy Chevrons:

Chantilly Paper Packet
Desert Sand and White Daisy Cardstock
Cricut Artiste Collection
Archival Black My Exclusive Ink
Alcohol Ink Markers
In the Background My Acrylix Stamp Set
*Peachy Keen January 2013 Stamp Club Stamp
*Gelly Roll White Gel Pen

CAS Boxed Card Set

I have been making some pretty detailed cards for many of my DT duties lately.  When Heart 2 Heart posted their new CAS (Clean And Simple) Challenge, I knew exactly which card to use.  I recently completed two sets of cards that I am donating for silent auctions.  This one is for the Spotlight Youth Theater's local production of Beauty and the Beast.  I saw it this week (Belle is my favorite princess after all), and it was AMAZING!!!  Those kids are so fantastically talented.

I wanted to make eight cards for the set, so had to keep it simple for time's sake, yet impressive to draw a good bid.  I think I managed to do both!

Part of my goal was also to make the set of cards very versatile, so I wanted to use a variety of colors to suit different personalities.  I used the new Close to My Heart My Acrylix set In the Background to make a black and white patterned strip across the card.  Then, I double matted that piece with black and the coordinating color to the sentiment.  The "thanks" sentiment was cut on my Cricut Expression 2 from the Cricut Artiste Cartridge.  Until the end of February, you can order this cartridge from me with free shipping!  Click the link in the upper right of my blog to order!

This adorable Magazine File makes a beautiful box for any card set.  This cut is also on Artiste.  I did bling this up a bit with some For Always B&T Paper, black shimmer trim, and a gorgeous flower made with a cut on our other Cricut cartridge, Art Philosophy.  You can also order this cartridge from me for the month of February for FREE shipping!  I used our awesome silver marker to write the word "cards" on the spine.  I love how this looks on black paper!

I have absolutely no idea where I first saw this use of the black tulle ribbon as layers on a flower, so I am sorry that I cannot give credit to any one consultant, but I can tell you that I did not invent it, cross my heart.  :)

Like I said, I am linking up my cards to the Heart 2 Heart CAS Challenge for February.  Come and play along if you can...you will find tons of fabulous inspiration there!

Color Dare #26 and MORE Spring and Summer Sneak Peeks!

Ever feel like you are wandering around in a black and white movie?  All this playing around with black and white themes has me thirsty for color for sure!  The challenge this week (starting Friday) at the Color My Heart Color Dare is to use black and white with just a {POP!} of color.  I really had a hard time keeping it to just a pop of color!  ;)  I decided to go simply understated for this challenge, and the result is that I came up with quite a few versions of cards!

Here is the first one!  This card was really fun to make.  There were a million and one different directions I could have gone with the spinner spaces, but this is a valentine, so I kept the love theme constant.  I used my Cricut Expression 2 and the Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge to cut the circle card base from white daisy cardstock.  Then I cut the rest of the shapes according to the stamp sets that coordinate with them.  

The spinner is from the Wheel of Life My Acrylix Stamp Set D1545--available from the new Spring and Summer Close to My Heart Idea Book beginning on February 1st!  This is a fun stamp that can be used in oh so many ways!  My very first Scrapbooking workshop in February will feature this set!  

There was a skinny little cut of our black tulle ribbon lying around, so I tied it right on the fold of the card.  I cut out the arrow after I stamped it, shortened it, and popped it up with a skinny piece of foam.  That silver brad goes right through it all!  Love how it looks.  My pop of color in this card comes from this letter "u" cut with the Art Philosophy Cartridge on Ruby Cardstock.  I also used an adorable stamp from the Whooo's Your Valentine Kit to stamp teeny tiny hearts in Ruby Ink on the circle card base.  The x's and o's on the heart are also from this set.  It is only available until January 31st or while supplies last!  You can get it for ONLY $10 with any $35 purchase!

Ok, so these next two cards are similar to each other yet different.  I used one of my favorite new stamp sets for Spring and Summer, D1540 In the Background.

Isn't this a fabulous pattern stamp?!  I cut the word, "thanks" from the Cricut Artiste Cartridge at 1 inch on Lagoon cardstock. Simple cards can still make a beautiful statement.

This next card features my favorite pattern from the In the Background My Acrylix stamps.  It is a chevron pattern!  The stamp gives it a slightly distressed look, but if you want it more solid, just color in some of the negative space.  :)  It is available beginning on February 1st!

These little guys are from the It's Your Day My Acrylix and are stamped in Black and Lagoon.  I gave them little shimmer trim bodies to add some much needed sparkle after all the black and white!  I cut "thanks" at 3/4 of an inch for this size A2 card.

That is it for me for now with the black and white...but it is just the beginning for you!  Go ahead and link up your paper project to the Color Dare!  It can be a card, layout, 3D item, gift tag, or anything else you might create with black and white and a POP! of color.  Remember, you don't need to use all Close to My Heart products, just include some!  ;)  Link up HERE at Color My Heart--the Color Dare Challenge Blog starting Friday.