Life In Pictures Stamp Masking Technique

Hey there, stampers!  I have a quick little technique that I used in a layout last weekend.  It is SUPER-easy to use, so I wanted to share it with you.

This is a masking technique that uses a sticky note to do the "dirty work" for you.  Check it out...

I wanted to add the polaroid camera image from this month's CTMH Stamp of the Month to the center of this frame...but I didn't want it to extend past the inner rectangle.  I just placed a sticky note up to the line...

...stamped the image...

...and removed the note!

I TOLD you it was easy as pie!  I like to keep it simple, trust me!  Hope this was a tip you can use in your stamping too.  Have a fantastic weekend!

Just a couple more days to scoop up this sweet Stamp of the Month on my website, so be sure to check it out!

That's not ALL that's going away soon, either!  The Seasonal Expressions 1 Idea Book will be history in just TWO days!  Here are the only items sticking around a little longer...

Z3208 Everyday Life™ Album Black
Z3210 My Crush® Everyday Life Pages
Z3211 Everyday Life™ Washi Tape
Z3212 Everyday Life™ Perfect Plan Roller Stamp
Z3192 Memory Protectors™ 4" x 6"
Z3191 Memory Protectors™ 4" x 3"
Z3193 Picture My Life™ Overlay White
Z3196 Base & Bling Necklace Cards
Z3197 Black & Gold Ribbon
Z3189 White & Gold Ribbon

The rest will no longer be available...and I am sad to say the Charlotte papers are the first to disappear.  If you really want anything, get it before it's gone!  ;)

Kiss It Better (coordinates with Cricut Artistry)

Playful Puffies

My Anchor

My Anchor Thin Cuts

Woodland Romance (coordinates with Cricut Artistry Collection)

Stuck On You

 

Stuck On You Thin Cuts

Close to My Heart Animal Greetings Thank You Card

It DEFINITELY feels like Hump-Day today!  No matter how draining it can be at times, I simply love my job working as a paraprofessional in a gen-ed classroom.  One of the BEST parts of my job is making thank you cards for the kiddos when they give me something special.  Here is my latest that I made with the Close to My Heart Animal Greetings My Acrylix Stamp using a pattern from Make It From Your Heart Volume 2 (pattern 28.)

I used the zip strip from the Kaleidoscope Paper Pack, Purple Glitter Paper, and the Limeade Washi Pack.  The CS is embossed with the Dot Folder in my Big Shot to match the strip of dots in the pattern.

That little strip of grass is leftover from THIS project!

The sentiment that goes with this adorable puppy is my favorite one in the set...but there are SO many sweet punnies that you just have to see them all HERE.

I couldn't resist adding a bit of bling to her bow with the Bitty Sparkles!  I used ShinHan Markers and Watercolor Pencils to add color to the stamped image.

It is tons of fun to color in these images in any way you like to match your paper projects!  If only I knew when I was 5 just how long my love for coloring would last!  :)

Animal Greetings is not only a great little sentiment collection with pics to color, it's also the Operation Smile Fundraiser Stamp set!  $7 of every set sold will go to providing surgeries to repair cleft lips and palates in children that could otherwise not have the surgery.  Now that's what I call a winning combination!  :)

Just a few days left to grab this super Stamp of the Month!

Cuttin' Up Blog Hop!

Hello!  Welcome to the latest hop from a group of crafty ladies we like to call, Blog Hops with Heart!

This hop has been in the works for QUITE some time, and I happened to use the Close to My Heart Springtime Wishes Thin Cuts Dies in a MOST unusual way for my project...

I just LOVE using my crafty products in unexpected ways!  Totally corny, I KNOW!  But when I first saw this shape cut before I stamped on it, I saw ears of corn, lol.  I just used the die in my Big Shot on Canary CS, then drew in a bunch of kernels with the Golden Yellow ShinHan Marker.  I used the very springy Kaleidoscope Paper Pack along with the Jennifer's Hand Alphabet to create my own sentiment.  A bit of retired Green Glitter Paper and a couple Triangular Enamel Duos finish it off nicely.

Well, would you believe  in a million years that the dies I used are completely sold out???  YEP!  There are none left in stock....BUT, I plan on selling mine to make room for new supplies, so it just might be your lucky day! Shoot me a message if you would like to buy my gently used Springtime Wishes stamp and die set so we can arrange a PayPal transaction.  Here is a pic!

Your next stop to Cut It Up is Kelly Janes who will undoubtedly have you shouting, "CUT IT OUT!!!"  Enjoy!  :)

Here is a list of all the ladies Cuttin' It Up today!

Amie (that's ME!)

Kelly

Becca

Stephanie

Amy

Jayma

Only in April!

Sparkle and Shine Volleyball Themed Birthday Card

Thanks so much for stopping in today!  I had a few minutes to myself this weekend in between keeping an eye on my hubs (recovering from hernia surgery) and enjoying the fantabulous weather! I decided to play along with the current Sparkle and Shine Challenge while creating a birthday card for my volleyball-playing niece. 

I used the beautiful watercolor-like purple paper from the Close to My Heart Kaleidoscope Paper Pack.  The Play Hard--Volleyball images were just what I needed to make a personalized card.  This Wish sentiment is always one of my favorites...
 

See the silver #6?  I embossed my niece's uniform number in silver to go with the inspiration theme!

I stamped the volleyball image in second-generation Black Exclusive Ink--which is actually stamping the image two times without re-inking...I usually do a lot of practice stamping to see which way I want to use my stamps and inks...

I think the sentiments on the Birthday Funnies Hostess Reward My Acrylix stamp are hilarious...so I picked one for the inside of her card.

 

 Remember to conserve your glitter paper by only using what actually shows!  Look at all that I saved!!!  ;)

My Jamberry nails accidentally matched my glitter paper!

If you want to play along with this challenge, here is the challenge inspiration photo badge and the link!

Sparkle and Shine Challenge!

 Here are some of the other sport-themed Play Hard stamps from Close to My Heart that will retire after July...there are also sets for gymnastics, swimming/diving, and cheerleading!

Only available in April!

Mixing and Matching Magic Part 2

I apologize for the delay in getting this layout posted!  I took my hubs to have a hernia repaired today, and didn't quite get this written up before we left.  He is doing great, and I just might have a crafty day tomorrow while he heals up!  :)

Here is my Easter layout featuring not 1, not 2, but THREE different Close to My Heart My Reflections paper packs! Mixing and matching papers is a bit intimidating at first, but once you start, the possibilities are endless!

I started off interestingly enough, with the title word, "happy" in the Penelope Complements.

I cut this half of my title on my Cricut Explore with the Artistry Cartridge.  I love the little patterns in the Fundamentals Papers...this one is Canary in the Whimsy Collection.

I colored my silver sequins with the ShinHan Alcohol ink markers to match!

I had a couple of obstacles to overcome when putting this layout together...one of those being my complete lack of knowledge as to when this particular egg hunt took place, lol.  That was easy enough to remedy by using the Fundamentals Stickers for the year...I just left the last number off for when I can find the date...and a blank journaling box.

These eggs were cut on my Cricut in a pattern from the Kaleidoscope Paper Pack.

The second issue I dealt with was my kiddo's choice of "Easter" egg hunt clothing, lol.  She is a die-hard Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks Fan, so her wardrobe is HEAVILY red.  My Penelope Paper is PERFECT for this with that touch of red in the PML card sheet, but I needed to pull in a strip of Ruby from the Regatta Paper Pack to add a bit more...

LOVE these glittery Playful Puffies!

I adore how this grass turned out!  I used the Limeade Washi stuck to White Daisy CS and my Fiskars grass border punch to create a little border on two photos...

Did you notice one of my favorite features of CTMH paper packs?  That yellow woodgrain pattern is a ZIP strip! What is a zip strip?  It is a 1/2 inch strip of paper along the side of each of our 12 x 12 pattern papers--once you cut it off there is a true 12 x 12 paper left, plus you have another embellishment that coordinates with your papers!  :)

Many of the supplies I used are available in the Workshops Your Way Penelope Scrapbooking Kit.
This makes it super-easy to have embellishments that coordinate with your papers.  It also provides you with a download that gives you directions for making three layouts and even some cards!  Most of the products I used are not available after April, so be sure to check them out soon!

Only in April!

PLUS, earn a FREE Cricut Collection!  Only in April!

Mixing and Matching Magic

How many of you are completely intimidated by mixing and matching papers?  I am raising my hand (and waving it frantically) over here, so don't be shy!

Actually one of the MANY reasons I love Close to My Heart is the very fact that ALL of the mixing and matching is done FOR me...the patterns and colors are chosen to coordinate beautifully in each of the My Reflections Paper Packets.  I don't even have to guess to match solid colors either--our inks and cardstock come in colors to match, and did you know the matching colors are listed on the handy dandy zip strip on each patterned paper!?  They sure are!

Anyhow, I totally start to sweat  sparkle when I think about, gasp, MIXING paper packets.  Here is a super-sneak peek at an Easter layout I am working on with the Penelope and Regatta Papers...

I'll share the finished layout at the end of the week!

Until then, take a look at these FABULOUS paper combinations over on the Close to My Heart Blog!

Zoe meets Georgie

Zoe, Georgie, Kaleidoscope and Urban

Get this one before April is over!

CTMH Perpetual Calendar: May

Time to leap ahead again in my Close to My Heart perpetual calendar...this time to May flowers!

I made this calendar for my sister, and thought this PML card was just perfect to add for May when all things are growing...

I believe this one if from the retired Avonlea Picture My Life Cards...

Those branch-like shapes are from the Cricut Artistry Cartridge--leftover cuts from a tag set I created for a workshop back in November!  The puffy heart takes me waaaaaaaay back to a grade school sticker collection.  You can find it in the Chalk It Up Assortment available on clearance now over on my CTMH website!

Life in Pictures

I. Adore. These. Stamps.  Meet the Close to My Heart April Stamp of the Month, Life in Pictures...

SO many possibilities here, my crafty peeps!  Scrapbooks, cards, home decor, you name it!

My first creation was a birthday card for my brilliantly talented photographer niece.  These images were perfect.

I created a background paper of sorts by arranging the different camera images on a piece of Whisper Cardstock.  It was easy to lay out all the clear acrylic stamps to see how it would look...

I stamped the background in Whisper Ink for a nice tone on tone feel.  I added the words next in second generation Black Ink.  

The sentiment is retired, but is still a go-to for me.  You can just barely see the second generation old-style camera I stamped behind the words.  Three little glitter and enamel hearts were paired with a thick twine accent for a bit of beautiful tonal color before I popped it up on thin foam tape.

Love how this simple card captures the heart of the recipient!  :)

If you love this set as much as me, then don't wait too long to scoop it up--this Stamp of the Month is only here during April!  Available as always at full price for $17.95 OR for just $5 with a $50 order on my website!  :)

Baby, You're Worth It!

Happy April!  Happy Spring!  Happy everything!  :)

Oh my goodness, this month is going to be CRAZY!!!  Crazy good, though, so I better buckle up and hang on tight...

New months mean new sales and specials over at Close to My Heart, and this month brings LOTS to talk about...starting with a BRAND NEW Consultant Kit and incentive!

Join my team in April, and you have the chance to earn a FREE Cricut Collection!!!  You can also choose to take $100 in SPC (Select Product Credit) instead!!!

The NEW Consultant Kit gives you more choices than ever before!  You get to customize the kit by adding $50 worth of papers, inks, stamps, or any number of other items to the basic supplies above...all for just the $75 cost of the kit!  ALL the details can be found over on my blog HERE.  I also have other information to send you if you are interested, so just let me know!  You can sign up with this link HERE!

NEXT we have to discuss the new Stamp of the Month for April...Life in Pictures!

She's a photographer's dream set, so I know LOTS of peeps will be picking this one up!  I will be back tomorrow with my very first creation with this classy stamp set!  See you soon!  :)