A Birthday Card and a Bear Called Jack

I've been super swamped lately with "house" stuff.  Seriously would consider a tiny home if I could have a second one for my crafts!  ;)

Thank goodness for a back-log of projects I made with the Close to My Heart Jack Cardmaking Stamp and Die set.  This bear.  I cannot explain my love--because bears are not really high on my list of creatures in real life.  Not by a long shot.  What doesn't kill you makes you stronger--but bears, they will kill you!  I like to think my fear is a "healthy" fear.  ;)

Anyhow, this little guy who I just like to call Jack is SOOOO incredibly versatile!  And if you know my crafty self, versatile is a must.

I am definitely not what I would call an experienced "artist" when it comes to coloring, but we can't all be good at everything, so I'm willing to cut myself some slack.  Luckily, the ShinHan Touch Twin markers make it enjoyable and the results smooth themselves out to a point. I like the Mahogany for his fur. My go to ink for coloring stamped images with no embossing is Memento.  Always.

This set mixes so easily with others since this little guy has adjustable arms--he can hold virtually any item!  I used the candle from the Sweet Birthday Stamp and Die set.  (PLEASE NOTE:  You will want to wait to purchase this one if you haven't yet!  It will be available in August as a set with the die included.  Only the stamp set is currently available.  I know it will be tempting to get this one during Stampaganza right now, but you will NOT be able to purchase the dies separately later, only in the set!!!)

One of my new favorite easy-button techniques is attaching burlap ribbon with the Mini Stapler...

I also used one of my favorite card kits right now...Workshops Your Way Let's Party.  I just love this sentiment for the inside...

The papers I used on this one come in the Jack Paper Pack (mmmmm, those trees!) and the Let's Party Kit.  I will have some more Jack to show you later this week!  :)

Never let anyone dull your sparkle!

Only in July!

Buy two get one free!!!!!!  Really!

Summertime Fun Challenges!

Time for another challenge!  Ummmm...make that two!  ;)

Both Lawn Fawnatics and the Simon Wednesday Challenge Blog have issued Summertime Challenges this week! How could a crafty girl resist???

I'm SO excited to share this super fun box card I made for one of my BFFs...it includes THE most fantastic of summer themes: ocean beachy water fun!

Lawn Fawn sure hit the nail on the head with this box card die.  It makes the box card process practically painless!  Easy button?  OK!  This is what it looks like before you add all the pretties...

I did add the waves and sand from other LF border dies, but you get the gist.  ;)

Then you get to start creating a scene!  I used the mermazing LF Mermaid for You stamps and dies...

With a box card, you can decorate the inside, outside, anything you like! I used the banner dies included in the box card set to make some fancy party decor.  It is especially fun to use some clear packaging or leftover carrier sheets from embellishments to make "floating" details.  I used Glue Dots to make sure they stay put...

Be sure to add a blank panel in the back of the card for you to write a note to your card recipient...

The coolest part of this box card is that it folds flat to fit inside a standard size envelope!!!

Just like magic!

Thanks for coming to take a peek!

Here is a list of the other crafty toys I used to make this one...

Sizzix Big Shot

Lawn Fawn--various inks and plaid papers (I cannot get enough of these plaid patterns!)

Close to My Heart--Sea Glass Ink, Birthday Sparkles My Acrylix, 2x2 My Acrylix Block, ShinHan Touch Twin Alcohol Ink Markers, Champagne CS, White Glitter Paper

Copic Sketch Markers

One More Watercolor

I had some more watercolored paper to use after my jawsome shark, so I decided to use up some other stamped and colored Lawn Fawn images and die cuts in my stash.

And if you're going to make a card, you might as well make it a shaker!!! Am I right?   ;)

Shaker window cards are deceptively easy to create if you have some clear packaging (for instance from those cricut cartridges you bought, lol,) 3D foam, and a handful of items to create the "shake." It also makes it super easier if you have any die cuts.  I used my Oval Thin Cuts from CTMH, loose sequins from my stash and added some paper fish from the Mermaid for You stamps and dies that I had already created.  I colored all my images with the ShinHan Touch Twin Alcohol Ink Markers and Copics. 

That adorable plaid paper is also from Lawn Fawn. I drool over it each time I see it!  My watercolor supplies and white dots are from Close to My Heart.  I used the leftover MCT stitched frame from my jawsome card, and just trimmed it to the right size...it is definitely times like these that I am happy to be a hoarder keeper of paper scraps!

Finally I used some loose twine and die cut banners from the LF Box Card Die set to create my sentiment.  The alphabet letters are the Pen Pal Alphabet by CTMH.  This is definitely one of my go-to alphas!

It was GREAT to use up some of the leftovers piling up on my workspace!  Are you a scrap keeper or tosser?  

Join in on the challenge here!

ALL SIZES!!!!  Lowest price will be FREE so place your orders accordingly or contact me for help.  :)

Storybook Alphabet (not included in Stampaganza)

Hello Foxy, Meet Jack

WELL, now isn't June just moving right along?

There is just a bit under half of the month left, so I wanted to show you the versatility of a couple of my current favorite Close to My Heart products--the Hello Foxy stamp of the month and the Jack papers!

Now Jack is kind of a guys guy if you know what I mean, so I wanted to reveal his softer side.  See those two strips of patterned paper on the edges of my card?  I adore how they peek out to frame the floral centerpiece!  

I used a Basic Circle Thin Cut to make the opening in my front panel before stamping.  It gives the card a little more dimension when I used my thin 3D foam tape to make a CS sandwich for the front...

My ShinHan Alcohol Ink Markers in Marigold, Cerulean Blue, and Lavender combined beautifully for a pleasing color scheme.  I finished it off with some hand drawn leaves with my LePen and sequins from the No Worries collection.

Don't tell Jack I let you in on that little secret!  They just might take away his man card!  ;)

One more quick little tidbit before I go...this little fox from the same stamp set is a cutie.  Here's a little tip for stamping and cutting out your images.  I used a black marker on the edges of the cut-out image to really make him pop.  Try it and see what a difference it makes!  :)

This Stamp of the Month is only available for the month of June, so grab him soon he's on your wish list!  :)  Remember, it's my birthday month, so anyone who places an order on my website on Amie's Birthday Bonus link will receive a gift from me!  See THIS POST for a quick tutorial if you don't know how.

Hello Foxy Scrapbook Layout

The June Stamp of the Month from Close to My Heart is a MUST have for beginner artists learning to use their alcohol ink markers!  This little fox is SO easy to color.

I used just ONE shade of orange to bring him to life--the ShinHan Touch Twin in Marigold.  Before I go any further, take a look at my layout...

One of the neatest discoveries about our new house last summer was the family of foxes living nearby.  They would show up any time of day and just about anywhere.  These pics were my first up-close sighting when I woke up one weekend!   I hadn't even printed them until I saw Hello Foxy, lol...

I was really geeked to finally use my new Wood Slats Embossing Folder with Cocoa CS to frame out my pics...and I used my Cocoa Ink on the raised grain to give it even more depth.

I used several different embellishments for the layout, mixing and matching kraft and vellum with gold and copper foil elements for a great combo...

See that fabulous Black Shimmer Ribbon?  Yummmmm!

Here is a list of all the products I used...

Hello Foxy June 2017 Stamp of the Month--only available in June!
Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
ShinHan Touch Twin Marigold Marker 
" Cerulean Marker
" Lavender Marker 
" Vivid Green Marker
Memo Fundamentals 
Wood Slats Embossing Folder
Cocoa and White Daisy CS
Cocoa Exclusive Ink
All Together Complements (copper foil and kraft elements)
Good Life Complements (gold foil)
3D Foam Tape

Close to My Heart Planner Coloring Pages: February and March

It's the last Monday before spring break here, so that calls for another blog post to get us through!  Today I wanted to show you my Close to My Heart Planner pages that I colored for February and March.  Did you know you can still pick up this planner in three different bundles at a CLEARANCE price??? 

February is just BEAUTIFUL!  I love the colors on a Peacock...so stuck pretty much to God's natural palette.

These are the ShinHan alcohol ink marker colors that I used...

March was filled with birds of all kinds!  What a great way to get ready for spring!  I dug out some of our bird identification books and used the ShinHan markers again to create my favorites...

How many can you name?  :)

Wait, what?!?!?  Yep, ALL of them!

Get this tea-rrific stamp in March!

Wait, What???

Ok, you might want to sit down for this one...let me know when you are ready.  No, really, sit down. 

It is FEBRUARY 6th!!!  As I sit here and type this, it is actually February 6th (sooooo now it is the 7th!!!)  I have NO actual idea how this happened, because it was literally just January...like yesterday!

Soooooo, really quickly, let me show you a little something I have been creating!  This one came about as I played with the new February (gasp!) Stamp of the Month, Easter Bunny.  Because don't your envelopes deserve a little bit of lovin' this month?  ;)

I just slipped a piece of cardstock inside the envelope to stamp with Memento Ink and colored them in with my ShinHan Alcohol Ink Markers.  Easy, peazy, lemon squeazy!  :)

Only available this month! 

Balloon Wishes on Wednesday

Woah.  It's getting super late, so here comes a quick post!

I created this card to cheer up a crafty friend's hubby...

I stamped the beautiful hot air balloon image from Balloon Wishes in Memento Ink and colored it in a rainbow of ShinHan Marker colors...

The clouds are left over cricut cuts from Artiste, and two little Red Enamel Gems set off the sentiment banner...

I found this perfect sentiment on the stamp set that accompanies the new Flower Market Cricut Collection!

I sure hope it made him smile.  :)

Get ready for Valentine Season Now!

FREEEEEEEE!?

Take Two Tuesday! (Why didn't I think of that before?)

Alright, that little project yesterday was fun and fabulous...so I just HAD to make some more!!! Take a peek back if you didn't see it...because then you will know what I put inside these lovelies! 

I used another super-fun stamp set along side the CTMH Season of Magic that I started with yesterday.  This one is called Cozy Christmas, and it comes with some steel dies to cut out the little parts of a snowman!  I just love it!

I started off using the snowflake zip strip from the City Sidewalks Paper Packet to trim out the bottom of the gift card holder.  Then I decided to use some washi to mix it up.  I always considered myself a variety girl!  ;)

My scarves are stamped in Lagoon and the tophats are Memento Ink.  I also easily added a bit of Turquoise Blue ShinHan marker to the brim of that magical hat...

This is going to be a GREAT little surprise for my coworkers!  What do you do for your peeps at work for the holidays?  Let me know, I'm always looking for a great idea!  :) 

If you thought this idea was grand, you need to scoop these adorable Close to My Heart products up quick--they retire with the end of the Holiday Expressions Idea Book, and when they are gone....they are GONE!  ;)

only in December!

Makeover Monday Snowflakes PLUS Chocolate!

I LOVE making little treats for people who are completely unsuspecting of it...and the week before Christmas is the perfect time to pull this off when you work at a school!  ;)

I made little Ghiraradelli Chocolate holders for some of my peeps and can't wait to surprise them.

I really thought this sentiment from the Close to My Heart Season of Magic My Acrylix was PERFECT for our current polar weather.  I just wanted to add some color to the leaves and berries, but I am not a big fan of masking when I stamp.  I needed an easier way.  Enter the ShinHan Touch Twin Markers!  I stamped the image in White Daisy Pigment Ink and then heat embossed with the White Ranger Super Fine Powder.  Finally, I simply colored with the markers over the embossing!

It doesn't even have to be perfect to be perfectly amazing looking!

A simple gift, yet definitely effectively satisfying during the last days before Christmas (can you say 'indoor recess'???!)
 

I added another fun sentiment from the same stamp set in a 2 inch scalloped circle on the back of the little 3.75x3.5ish card.  This card is actually a gift card holder die from My Creative Time.  Like I always say, easy is great because it gets things DONE!

So, in case you were wondering, here is my "makeover" part of this Monday...I altered one of the CTMH Thin Cuts Snowflake Dies by cutting loose some of the arms...a GREAT solution when the white glitter paper is a bit too small.  ;)