Makover Monday: Let's Party (Okay!)

Happy Monday!

It's been quite a few Mondays since I posted a Makeover Monday so let's put an end to that streak today, shall we?

I used Close to My Heart's Let's Party Workshop Your Way Kit to create this uber easy birthday card...with my own twist of course!

Here's the pattern in the kit...

 ...and here's my twist!

I wanted to "man it up" a bit so I reversed the Prickly Pear pattern paper from the coral chevron to the blue striped side.  Then I used the blue and white twine from the Fundamentals  Enchantment Ribbon Pack.

The green sequins looked good to me!  ;)

I kept all the inks the same as the kit instructions (Lagoon, Sapphire, and Sweet Leaf), just leaving the "happy birthday" sentiment uncolored on mine. 

I've said it before, and I'll say it a hundred more times--versatility in my crafty toys is a MUST! These Workshop Your Way Kits provide just the right amount of "no thinking" with all the endless possibilities still out there!   ;)

Thanks for popping in!  :)

Almost time to say good-bye to Hello Foxy!  ;)

Freshly Made Jawsome!

Whew!  Just when I was on a roll yesterday, my internet decided to conk out...but it's back in business this morning, so lets get this thing posted!

I simply CANNOT get enough of this little guy right now...he's just THAT jawsome.  I combined the current challenges from Lawn Fawnatics and Freshly Made Sketches to give myself a good excuse to play with him again!  ;)

I also found a GREAT place to take some shots of my creations!  I don't have a dedicated space yet for this purpose, but this is the best I have found yet!

As you can see, I flipped the FMS sketch on its side so I could incorporate that fabulous Word Bubble Border die.  This was the springboard for my entire card!  :)

I haven't used my watercolors as much as I would like, so I was just trying to get a nice and subtle ombre of color in the ocean water.  I also tried a little water splatter on the finished watercolor background.  I'll have to play a bit more to get the results I wanted...I think it was too dry already.

See the layer of lined vellum that mats the watercolor?  Love that subtle addition...

So, this inside sentiment goes against every one of my "mom" instincts, (and I can't count the number of times I have told the girls to not use that word) but I just could not resist!!!

Isn't it PERFECT!?!?!  Duh!  Too fun.

Thanks for popping in to take a peek!  :)

Here is a list of my supplies for this one:

Close to My Heart products with links to my website
Value Pack White Card Bases with Envelopes
Uptown Fundamentals (striped vellum sheet)
Prickly Pear Sequins
Archival Ink
Watercolor Paints
Watercolor Paper
Watercolor Brushes
Waterbrush Small

Other Products:
MFT Stitched Rectangle Dies
Lawn Fawn Duh-Nuh Stamps and Dies
Lawn Fawn Word Bubble Border Die
Lawn Fawn Ocean Waves Accents
Lawn Fawn Let's Polka Sequins
Pretty Pink Posh Sequins
Copics Sketch T0, T3, O
Memento Ink Tuxedo Black

Use It, or Lose It!

It is time!!!  Time I finally used THAT paper...THAT embellishment...THAT frame.  You know what I'm talking about...it's time to use your crafty stash!  Do you even remember what you bought that roll of ribbon FOR???

Today my crafty friends and I are hopping to use our stash (see what I did there?)  ;)

You may have hopped over from Jayma's Blog, but if not, be sure to catch her post by hopping around our short circle.  Just click the next name at the bottom of each post.

Heeeeeeeeeere's my project!

This qualifies as one of those "difficult to capture on camera" projects, but don't worry!  I took a bunch of pics to help you get the feel of it...(now channel your inner Maui as you sing this...) you're welcome!  ;)

The following sentiment would be the entire reason I fell head over heals for the Stationery Noted paper line from Teresa Collins back when it came out...in (gulp) 2013!!!  What can I say, a girl sometimes needs a while to get the nerve to cut up ponder beautiful paper! 

I attached my very favorite saying via red shimmer trim to a background of Close to My Heart's Uptown Fundamentals vellum paper with gold dots...

I apologize in advance for the long post!  This project has just been soooooo long in the making that I am swoooooning with joy about it all coming together so seamlessly!  Now, THIS little saying just about wraps up my baby girl--she marches to her own beat no matter what anyone else thinks.

The gold foil embellishments in the Springtime Complements were PERFECT for my project!

Cue the tears...sorry!  I have no less than ten shots of her pulling this wagon with reckless abandon through the sprinkler at our old house last summer...oh to be so happy-go-lucky about just having the BEST time of your life in the sprinkler!

Now this one is for me.  The picture below this statement shows us standing alongside a ravine in TN while we were hiking...and I'm absolutely beyond terrified.  But I did it.  With a smile.
 

The final motivational sentiment would take FAR too long to explain it's family meaning around here...just suffice it to say that when I most feel like controlling a situation I need to extend grace.  To my girlies.  And let's just say I am always practicing.  :)

I used the red Prickly Pear Sequins for a bit more bling!

Thank you sooooooo much for sticking with me here...and even if you didn't, lol.  The next stop on our hop is Kelly, so get on out while you can before I start talking again!

WAIT!  (what did I tell you!?) Here is a list of all the crafty ladies on our hop today in case you need it...

Jayma

Amie (that's me!)

Kelly

Becca

Stephanie

 ENJOY!!!

Fundamental Father's Day Frame

It was a whirlwind of a weekend, so I didn't quite get my father-in-law's gift blogged.  Fast forward a few days and now I have 3% or so left of my wifi usage left, so I must type with haste!!!

In short, my in-laws are selling their home which my hubby's grandfather actually built.  It is a bittersweet time for them (and us) so when my FIL showed me this amazing sunset he captured on his phone of all things, I knew in a heartbeat what I needed to do.

Isn't it stunning!?!?  I wish I had seen it in person.  At least I can capture the moment for them to take with to their next home.  I am smitten with this world map paper from the Close to My Heart Memo Fundamentals.  It was honestly hard to chop it up!  Placing a purple heart glitter gem on their location on the map was the perfect personalization (is that a word?) along with the address under the picture...

I just used Mod Podge to adhere the paper to the wooden frame, and then added a few more coats, letting them dry in between...

It was really an easy project, but I knew when I saw him open it that it meant SO much more!  :)

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.

A Lawn Fawn Cheerful Get Well Challenge

Hi friends! 

I made this adorable little card for my aunt who is bravely fighting cancer and receiving chemo for yet another week this time around.  I am doing my best to write her more now that the summer leaves me with a bit of free time.  I'm linking this one up with the Lawn Fawnatics Get Well Challenge...

This was a super easy shaker card to put together.  I used the Get Well Soon and On the Mend stamps and dies, Into the Woods sequins, Lobster Ink Pad, and a rainbow plaid paper pack that I adore...

These images are pretty easy to color with ShinHan Touch Twin and Copic markers.  I also added some flags using Willow and Sea Glass CS (on sale NOW!!!), along with a spotted purple paper from the Fundamentals Adventure Paper.

I set up my foam tape like this in order to make the shaker feature...The die I used helps me to line up the foam tape on the edges of the heart...

This heart Thin Cuts I used was from Close to My Heart, but is not currently available.  It includes an outline of the heart that I was able to use on the inside sentiment...

Thanks for taking a look!

Good-bye, Mojo Monday!

Oh my goodness what a SHOCKER!  When Julee announced that Mojo 500 would be her final Mojo Monday sketch challenge my jaw totally hit the floor.  I completely understand her two little precious reason, though.  ;)

Thank you, Julee, for providing us with so many wonderful sketches to jump start our mojo!

Mojo was one of the very first "challenge" blogs that I discovered through my other crafty friends after I became a Close to My Heart Consultant.  Let's just say I was quickly hooked on sketches!  I have had the joy of winning a couple of different stamp sets, and my Verve collection has somehow outgrown it's drawer...no idea how that happened.  ;) So I went back and found my very first Mojo Monday post when I played along with sketch 249...so promise you won't click, but it is HERE, lol.  Wow that was a long time ago! My VERY favorite entry (go ahead and click, lol) is THIS one from all the way back in January of 2013!  Or maybe it's THIS one.  I love them both!!!

I guess I can't stall any longer reminiscing, so on to the final sketch!!!

Now, I recall receiving these papers and ribbon with my Mojo order a while back--and there was some new challenge to use them for...but oh my goodness, I had no time to play along and now I have no idea what they were for, lol.  I decided it would be fitting to use them for this sketch along with the Blessings and Sunny Days Verve stamp sets and dies.

Those white dots work beautifully with all the other color here...

I happened to have some perfect paper pairings that complemented the two pattern papers I was working with...a Juniper wood grain paper from Jack that I used for the sentiment and a scalloped lace zip strip from one of the Prickly Pear 12 x 12 papers that runs along the ribbon.

I also glittered up the flower and button with the two Shimmer Brushes offered by Close to My Heart.  Can you see it?

Well, the time has come to say good-bye to Mojo Monday...but I'm hoping it is more of an "until we meet again!"  ;)  (sniff, sniff)

Happy Wedding Day Card

I cannot believe how back-logged I am in sharing my pics lately, lol!  I guess I am spending way more time stamping than blogging...which isn't necessarily a bad thing, eh?  ;)

OK, so here is a super quick yet beautiful wedding card I made for my daughter to take along to her BFF's mom's wedding.  Lucky me had a bunch of beautiful flowers from the Ellen Hutson Courage set already stamped and cut just waiting for me to "plant!" 

I combined some paper and sequins from the Prickly Pear Paper suite from Close to My Heart with the flowers, but made sure to keep them the center of attention.  My heart thin cut was an easy way to center the sentiment from Happy To Be Friends on this one!  Oh how I adore this font! Next time I think I will stamp the "Happy" in another color or a second generation from the "wedding day" part of the sentiment to make a little more clear.  Definitely didn't have time for a re-do on this day, lol.

By the way....it was the PERFECT day for a wedding!!!

I'm linking up with the Ellen Hutson June Mix It Up Challenge for the first time.  Kind of a new discovery to me, so I'm pretty excited!

Happy Birthday to Me = A Gift for YOU!

I have a quick update to show you!  Remember that JAWSOME card I made for Mojo Monday? I actually updated it to better suit my occasion, lol, take a look...

How cute is he in that cap?!?  I just quickly stamped and colored in the hat from the Lawn Fawn Hat's Off To You set!  And I literally did this moments before leaving for the party, lol.

I also took a pic of the inside!  YAY!  I used the Happy for You Acrylix from Close to My Heart.

Sooooo did I mention that June is my birthday month?  IT IS!!!

To celebrate my birthday with you I want to give my customers the gifts!  Everyone who places an order joined to Amie's Birthday Month Bonus link on my website will be receiving a special surprise gift in the mail (or in person) from ME!

It's really easy to join your order to a "party" called a gathering on the Close to My Heart website--just click on "Join!"  It shows up on the main page...

 After you join, it changes to say, "Leave."

Thanks so much for coming in to see me today!  Head on over to my CTMH website HERE if you would like to get your hands on some SUPER crafty supplies, and have a great weekend!  :)

Only in June!

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

Little Dreamer...with Sparkle!

How is it already June 6th???  Seriously.

OK, so I finally saw one of my BFF's to give her this FANTASTIC little birthday card...so I can FINALLY share it with you!!!

Isn't it just YUMMY?!?

I used a LOT of different toys to make this one...including my Sizzix Big Shot!  Did you know Sizzix is giving away a $50 gift card to their shop???  Yep!  You can totally get a Big Shot with that kind of dough! 

I will make a list of everything I used at the bottom of my post...

This is the die set I used in my Sizzix Big Shot.  It is from (shocker here, lol) Close to My Heart, Thin Cuts--Stars...

This shaker card was an absolute BLAST to make!

Here is my list of supplies...

Close to My Heart--
Thin Cuts--Stars
Little Dreamer Paper Packet
Sea Glass Cardstock and Glitter Paper
White Card Bases

Papertrey Ink--
Make it Market Shakers and Sprinkles Kit
Sparkle Die