James and Snowman Copic Colored

Hello everyone!  I hope everyone's holiday was safe and enjoyable.   I have one more James and Snowman card to share and post on the Lili of the Valley Ideas to Inspire Blog  for their monthly challenge.  I have posted the pencil  and the watercolor versions, now here is my Copic colored version.

I tend to stamp my new stamps to color three different ways, to see which one the stamp is best suited.  I can honestly say, that these little fellows work out in all three mediums. 

My other two cards were very simple, so I thought I would add a little more fuss to this one.   The paper is retired from CTMH, called Believe.  I love this paper. The colors are Sweetleaf, Holiday Red, and Sky.   The snowflakes are dies from SSS, as is the banner.  The sentiment is from the SSS card kit of the month stamp set called, Be Joyful.  I added some Lawn Fawn baker's twine and some buttons from my stash.  The white cardstock piece behind my image was embossed with CTMH's new embossing folders.  I really love these new embossing folders. They are 5x7, with a slit at the top you can feed your card fronts through.  Perfect for cardmaking. 

That's it for me today.   Have a wonderful rest of your weekend.  Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I hope everyone has had a lovely and safe holiday.  I decided to take a break from grazing on the goodies to share with you all another Studio J layout. 

These were some pictures of my daughter we took last weekend while taking pictures for some friends.  Not only did I take the pictures, but had them in a layout all in the same day.  How awesome is that? I just got my second batch of layouts ordered for a total of 37 layouts this month.  I have almost all my books caught up.  I would never have been able to get 37 layouts done in a month's time.   Thank you Studio J!  There is only a few days left to catch this great deal, but there is still time. 

I have one more James and Snowman card to post.  So be sure to check back.  Have a great rest of the holiday!

Thanks for stopping by!

James and Snowman Watercolor

Happy Saturday my blog friends!  I had mentioned that I had stamped the image from the previous card post on three different papers to color with three different mediums.  I finished my watercolor James and Snowman today and thought I would share. 

I colored this one with my distress markers, using them as watercolors.  I totally cased this card design from a Kristina Werner card she did for her Holiday card series this year.  I tried to stick with the same colors I used in my pencil-colored card, just for the sake of comparison.  The image looks bigger on this card, but it's the same stamp.  

I'm going to post this one on the LOTV Ideas to Inspire monthly challenge site, too.  They are going to get tired of me because I have one more to do.  I'll be working on my Copics colored image next.   When I get it finished, I'll be sure to post.

That's it for me tonight.  Thanks for stopping by!

Coloring on Kraft

Evening everyone.  I have one more card to share with you guys from the OCC Holiday Workshop.  On day 6, which was a bonus day, they focused on coloring.  Those who know me, know I love to color.  But what I had not tried yet was coloring on kraft paper.  I absolutely love the look.  Debby Hughes did a lovely card with a poinsettia colored with Prismacolors on kraft.  I had to give it a try. 

I loved this little stamp from Lili of the Valley.  They have such adorably sweet images.  As a matter of fact they have a monthly challenge blog and this month it's a Merry Christmas Challenge.  I'll be posting this card over there, too.

For starters, I stamped my image in Memento Rich Cocoa on Neenah Desert Storm cardstock.  I thought it kept it kind of country/crafty by using the brown ink.   And the Neenah cardstock is perfect for the colored pencils.  The sentiment is from SSS November card kit stamp set called, Be Joyful.  I really wanted to try for a background and maybe some falling snow, but I chickened out at the last minute.  When I got my image colored I was afraid I would totally mess up the card..lol.  So, this is my clean and simple (very simple), one-layered, krafty, pencil-colored Christmas card.  

I did stamp this image on three different papers with the intention of coloring these little guys in three different mediums.   I'll be sure to post them when I get them colored up. 

That's it for me tonight.  Thanks for stopping by!

Watercolor Wreath

Hello everyone!  I'm back with another Christmas card from the OCC Holiday Workshop to share.  On day three they focused on watercolor.  I have never really been good with watercoloring, but I am growing more and more fond of it.  Dawn from WPlus9 did a lovely watercolor wreath card using a stamp.   I didn't have the stamp she used, but I did have Remarkable Wreath from CTMH.   Here's my version of her card.

I loved the way she made her own wooden background simply with a paintbrush and watercolor.  This was my first attempt and I thought it turned out pretty well.  I took my color cues from what she had used.   Everything is done with Distress Markers.  For the wreath I colored right on to the stamp and then used my brush to soften the lines, just as she did.  My ornaments didn't turn out too well.  They look a little more like berries, which is ok, too.   I went back in the end with the fine tip of my marker and added a few more pine needles and then with my white gel pen for some highlights.

I really wanted a red bow, but as you can see I didn't get one.  Out of all the ribbon I have in this house, I don't have any red?  I don't see how, but I couldn't find any so the gold had to do.  I really like the idea Dawn had about creating your watercolor piece and then scanning it and printing it.  If you only had a few to do, this might not be so bad.  But for mass production without printing, I think I would pass..lol.

That's it for me tonight.  Thanks for stopping by!

Christmas Shaker Card

Hello everyone!  I still have a couple of cards that I did for the OCC Holiday Workshop class.  I don't normally do interactive cards, but Chari Moss did one that was so cute I had to give it a try.  She did a shaker card with a little winter scene.  I didn't have the stamp set she used, but I did have several of the same types of stamps.  

 

You may recognize the little fox as one I colored for my Copics for cardmakers class.  I still had some images that I hadn't used yet and thought this would be a perfect opportunity.  The little birds are from the CTMH Perfect Fit Holidays stamp set.  I didn't have any stamps of trees, so I just drew my own with a Memento tuxedo black marker and then colored them in with my copics, too.  I cut all the elements out.  I cut my hills with the Lawn Fawn die set, Stiched Hillside Borders out of Daisy White cardstock.  The frame is from Dutch Blue cardstock.   I didn't have any rectangle dies to cut my window with so I used my classic squares.  I made the first pass and then moved my die down and cut the lower half.  Voila! a rectangle.   I robbed a stamp set of its carrier sheet for my clear acrylic sheet to put over my window to keep my shaky stuff in there.    For the light blue background, I used a dauber and carefully worked  some Sky ink in from the sides  It's hard to tell from the picture, but it worked well for the sky.  Using 3d foam tape I built my little box.  

For the shaker stuff inside, I used the fallout from a Martha Stewart snowflake border punch I had.   I thought it worked out perfectly.  It gave me four different tiny snowflakes and three or four super tiny stars with each punch.  I glued a couple of those snowflakes to my back panel so there would be snow even when everything shook down.  I threw in a couple of sequins in the mix for sparkle.   Here's a side view to show you the shaky stuff. (I'm sure that's a technical name :))

 

I thought it turned out pretty cute.  Now, would I mass produce these, no I would not..lol.  But they are fun for that special someone.  

That's it for me tonight.  Thanks for stopping by!

OCC Holiday Card Workshop

Online Card Class's Holiday Card Workshop is almost over and I have only just begun..lol.  Such is my luck.  It was a great class, as they always are.  These ladies know how to make some cards for sure.

Last Monday was Day 1 of the class.  The focus was on doing sets of cards.  Cards that were easy to replicate for sending to the masses. They had some really great ideas.  Kristina Werner did a clean and simple card.  Here's my version.

 

These were relatively simple to do and could easily be mass produced.  The base is Neenah Desert Storm.  I used Pacifica cardstock for the blue.  Using a dauber, I gently came in from the edges with first Moonstruck (retired) ink followed by Outdoor Denim.  I really liked the effect.  

The sentiment on the card below is from the Be Jolly stamp set from CTMH.  It's heat embossed with Ranger Super Fine Detail white embossing powder.  I have been on a search for a good white embossing powder.  I must say, this has to be my favorite.

 

The snow in the background was the most time consuming part of this card and it still didn't take but a few minutes.  I used the Falling Snow stencil from SSS and embossing paste.  They make a texture paste and I'm not sure if it behaves the same way the embossing paste does.  If you notice my snow looks a little blue.  The embossing paste picked up some of the ink from my paper.  I didn't mind in this project, but it's something to think about if  you want it to be completely white. You would need to sprinkle it with white embossing powder and heat set it for a truly white detail.    I finished it off with some Xmas Red Stickles, baker's twine from Lawn Fawn, and some faux stitching.  Very simple card. 

Both of these cards were made at the same time.  This one doesn't have any heat embossing, but the same embossing paste for falling snow.   The sentiment is from the Merry and Bright stamp set from SSS.  The little stars are cut from the SSS Holiday Shapes die. 

 

The sentiment is stamped on the white cardstock and then I cut a circle for my window.  Easy peasy.

I have a few more cards to post, so be sure to check back.  That's it for me tonight.  Thanks for stopping by!

Lucky 5

Hello everyone!  This month is Studio J's 5th anniversary and I am so very excited because that means they are having a special.  All layouts are only $5.  You already know I am a huge fan of Studio J, but I am always amazed at how quickly layouts come together on there.  I made 20 layouts over the last couple of weeks.  I would never have been able to do that with traditional scrapbooking.  Don't get me wrong, I love the old fashion way, too, but there is room for both in my books. Literally :)

Below is one of my favorite layouts from this last batch.  I knew what I wanted to do with these pictures, sort of.  I knew I wanted wood, since it was kind of country themed. I also knew that we didn't have any paper packs with wood and the color that I wanted.  That is yet another wonderful aspect of Studio J, it is so very customizable.

 

You may not recognize this paper pack right off.  This is Dakota.  The colors were blue, red, and grey-toned wood.  I changed the colors completely.  Because I changed the colors so drastically, none of the My Stickease matched the layout.  I didn't want too much on this page so as not to detract from the pictures, but I did want something.   I created the flowers using photo clips and brads.  I used stitching for their stems and borders.  I really loved the way it turned out.  Very simple. 

There is more than just  a good deal going on this month.  Not only is Close to My Heart celebrating  with discounted  prices, but every fifth order placed in Studio J receives a FREE surprise Close To My Heart accessory in its shipping box! The accessory has a retail value of $5 or more.  And if that wasn't enough, there is a chance to win a golden ticket.  The ticket entitles you to one of our new D-ring albums with ten memory protectors.  AND another way to win is to simply create new, gorgeous layouts in Studio J, select your favorites, and then post pictures of them on Close To My Heart’s Facebook page using the hashtag #ctmhlucky5. After November 30, five lucky winners will be selected from the entries based on their artistry and creativity and each of these winners will receive their own D-ring album loaded with 10 Top Load Memory Protectors!  How awesome is that?

I'm off to see about making some Christmas cards.  I was taking the OCC Holiday Workshop 2014 card class, but I haven't been able to get but two cards done (because I have been playing in Studio J..oops)   I'll be sure to share those with you guys as soon as I get them uploaded. 

That's it for me tonight.  Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Scrapping!

Dance Dance Dance

Yep, you guessed it.  I'm working on my dance recital book..lol.  I had finished a layout just before the OCC class started and never posted it, so I thought I would share with you now. 

 

This layout was all stash stuff.  I just happened to have some teal paper that matched the girls outfits. I knew I wanted to keep it relatively simply so I used only one sheet of random, loose black and white patterned paper.  I stamped the flourishes using the CTMH stamp set Swirls Around (retired) and the date with Glamour Lowercase stamp set.  I sprinkled some sequins, cut some flowers, punched some flowers,  tucked in some tulle, and that was it. 

In an earlier post I had mentioned that in my attempt to keep my books caught up, I had decided to scrap the portraits and then use StudioJ for the on stage/ action photos.   Here's another example.  This was from the same recital as the costumes from the portraits above.

 

If you have ever tried to take pictures of dancing children on a stage, then you understand my pain when you go back to find all your pictures have strange lighting and focal points.  And because of that, I probably wouldn't have printed all the pictures out.  But with StudioJ you can plug them in and see if they work or not for that size, color, etc.   It saves a lot of time and money in the printing department.

Here's another one from that recital.

 

If you haven't tried StudioJ I definitely recommend giving it a spin.  It's free to create.  There is nothing to download or to buy until you want to purchase your finished layout.  And to make it a more perfect time, starting on November 1st, StudioJ will be on sale for $5 for a two-page layout.  Needless to say, I have been steadily working on my backlog of pictures for every occasion..lol.  So far I have 12 layouts completed and waiting for November to get here. 

You can access StudioJ by clicking on the tab at the top of the page or the blinky thing on the right side of the page. Give it a whirl!

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Copic Colored Puppies

Hello everyone!  A quick post tonight.  I'm still dabbling in the images I colored in the OCC class.  On Day 6 we had some adorable little puppies and foxes.  I had three of each I really liked.  The rest were definitely just practices.  I threw together a couple of cards tonight with the puppies on them and I thought I would share.

 

This is one of those cards that didn't end up anything like what it started out to be.  I really loved the card Debby Hughes made for the class using this little fellow.  My intentions were to try to replicate it.  Needless to say, I didn't..lol.  But this turned out to be an interesting little card.  It was quick and simple. The sentiment is from the SSS 3x4 stamp set call appropriately, "You."  The card base is from SSS Khaki cardstock.  This was the first time I had used this cardstock.  It's heavy! I love it. The little stars are from the SSS Holiday Shapes die set.   

 Here's another very simple card.  I used the Thanks on a Line die from SSS on this one.  

That's it for me tonight.  Thanks for stopping by!

 

Coloring Die Cuts

Happy Sunday everyone!  In the midst of my domestic duties, I managed to make a card.  In the OCC Copic Class, Jennifer McGuire made a card using copic colored die cuts.  I didn't have any dies quite as intricate as the one she colored, but I did have Fresh Daisies from SSS.  I thought I would give it a whirl.

 

Although I don't know of any red daisies, these were the colors that I had out.  I love this little die.  I ran it through my die cut machine and then kept it in tact when I got it out.  That way I didn't have to be real particular in my coloring.  I used SSS Khaki cardstock for my card face.  I used my Versamark ink to stamp my wood grain background stamp from Hero Arts. After cutting my circle out of my card front, I attached my die cut flowers.  I stamped my sentiment in SSS Khaki ink.  The card front is attached using 3d foam tape to give it a little dimension.  I didn't want too much going on with this card, but I felt it needed a little something, so it got a ribbon bow.   

That's it for me today.   The OCC class is wrapping up, but I still have lots of ideas for cards and images to use.  I'm going to try to stay on the productive path.  Thanks for stopping by!

Dragons Rule My Heart

Hello everyone!  I'm sure some of you have figured out by now, that I love things with wings.  Dragons included.  When I first saw this stamp from Tiddly Inks (Hello Pet), I knew it had to be mine.  This is actually the first time I have stamped it.  I have a friend that has a birthday coming up in December and she shares my same love for dragons.  So guess who's getting this card..lol. 

I'm still working on techniques and such from the OCC Copics for Cardmaking class.  Kristina Werner made the neatest background for one of her images creating a sort of banner behind her image.    I really liked the way it turned out.   Mine, eh, maybe not so much, but I'm going to keep trying.  I loved how she used her copics to make a lined border, too.  I ran out of room on this card front, but loved the idea, so I colored the edges of a white piece of cardstock in two of my violet colors and mounted my card face on that.  The fact that I don't have to choose paper to try to match the colors is a huge plus for me.   I used a little Wink of Stella (shocking I know!) on the dragons to give them a little sparkle.  I think I may go back and put some glossy accents on my hearts, too. They were cut from the SSS Holiday Shapes die.  I used my copics and colored a scrap piece of paper and ran it through my machine.  Voila! matching hearts. 

That's it for me tonight.  Thanks for stopping by.  I'm going to see what else I can color ;)

Copic Christmas Card with Tiddly Inks

Hey everyone! I'm still having fun with my Copics. Thought I would share a Christmas card I made.  There were a few firsts in this card.  It was the first time I made an entire background with my markers.  It was also the first time I used Copic X-Press it Blending Card Paper.  And it was the first time I had used this precious stamp from Tiddly Inks.  They have such cute images. 

 

I'm not sure if this is considered a one layer card since it's a one layer piece on top of my card base, but it's close enough for me.  The X-Press It paper was different than any I had used before.  I'm undecided on whether I like it better than the papers I have been using or at least just as well.  I think it has it's place.  It's very smooth to the touch.  It behaves a little differently in blending.  In this card, I love the effect it has in the blue sky.  It almost has a textured look.  The more I blended the more texture I got.  Maybe it's just me.  You can't really tell from the photo, but I took my colorless blender and made little dots randomly in the background hoping for it to look like snow.  I couldn't help but add a little wink to my snowman, too.  This card took a little time to color,  but once the coloring was done there were no more decisions to make.  The card was done.  I do like it like that.   The less decisions I have to make, the better off I am..lol.

There are still a few more days of techniques and several more images from class to work with.  I'll be sure to share when I get more done. Thanks for stopping by!

Flowering Thank You

Hello everyone!  I have two more cards that I made using the practice sheet images.  These were from Day 4.  I colored up three of these flower images using the same colors on each flower but coloring them each a bit different.  So far, I only have these two cards made.

The first one was inspired by a card from Jennifer McGuire.  I loved the layout of her card.

 

I didn't have any cardstock to match the color that I had used on the flowers, so I followed Jennifer's tip  and used my copics to color the border.  

The next one is a take on a card that Debby Hughes made for the class.  I made mine horizontal instead of vertical.  

 

These flowers were colored with the same copic colors as the ones above, but they turned out quite different.  Again, I used my copics to color some stripes on a scrap piece of white cardstock I had laying on my desk.  I cut it into a banner and used my 3d foam tape to give a little dimension to the card.  I added some black enamel dots and a little ribbon bow to give it a little interest. 

The sentiment on both cards is from the Teacher Appreciation stamp set from Close to My Heart. I just love the font on this stamp.   

Those are my two cards for tonight.  I haven't made cards in so long I realized how much I missed it.  I'm going to see how many more I can get done. I'll be sure to share when I do.

Thanks for stopping by!

Copic Colored Birdie - Thinking of You

Hello everyone!  I came by for a quick post to share a card I made yesterday with one of the images I colored from the OCC Copic Coloring for Cardmakers class.

On day 8 of the class, the amazing Shari Caroll used this little bird image to make a card and I fell in love with it. I had colored several of these little guys but didn't quite know what to do with him.  I couldn't help but to borrow her idea/layout for this little fellow. 

I used the Leaves Stencil from Simon Says Stamp to create my foliage for my background.  With a dauber I lightly inked it with Pear and Sunny Yellow ink.  The sentiment is from the  Card Chatter-Sympathy stamp set (retired).  I stamped it on a scrap piece of Neenah Desert Storm card stock with Versamark ink and used Ranger Super Fine white embossing powder to heat emboss it.  I didn't have any solid colored twine, so I took the Lagoon Baker's Twine from CTMH and separated the blue from the white threads.  Voila! Lagoon thread.  I fussy cut my little bird out and mounted him and my little banner, which I hand cut as well, to the front of my card face.  I added a few sequins from the Fall assortment from SSS and that was it. 

I still have a few more birds left in all different colors. I have a feeling you might be seeing more birds like this in the future :) That's all for me tonight.  Thanks for stopping by!

Copic Colored Butterfly Cards

Hello everyone!  Today I'm sharing with you a couple of cards I made from some images I colored as a part of the Copic Coloring for Cardmakers Class from Online Card Classes.   This class has been great whether you have are just beginning with Copics or you have been coloring for a while, there is something for everyone. 

The butterflies were a part of a practice sheet for the day where we were practicing flicking and using tip to tip blending.   I wasn't crazy about my butterflies at first, but then when I put them on cards, they kind of worked.

The copic colors I used were Y00, Y11, YG13, and B04.  Although I used the same colors on both, they turned out differently.  Of course, when I got through coloring these, out of all the paper I had in my room, nothing seemed to match.  Am I the only one with that problem? lol. What I did end up finding was a 6x6 paper pad of Washi paper.  I had never used any and basically, forgotten I had it.  I found this great watercolored/ombre background in all the colors I needed.  I used one sheet and was able to do both cards.

 

Because I wanted the focus on the butterfly, I thought this background was subdued enough to work. I cut a couple of circles with Spellbinders dies and the banner is from Tilted Banners die set from Simon Says Stamp.   I stamped the sentiment in Pear ink using the Lifting Spirits stamp set.  The sequins were from a brand new package of sequins from SSS called Fall Festival.

Using the leftover strip from the washi paper I made this card.  The sentiment was cut using the Thanks on a Line die from SSS.  Because I didn't have any paper to match, I cut it from White Daisy cardstock and then used my Copic markers to color it.  I attached it just above the washi paper, adhered my butterfly with some 3d foam tape, and added some bling from my stash.  That was it. 

We have colored several other images in class.  If I create any more cards with them, I'll be sure to share.  That's it for me today.  I still have coloring homework.  When I'm taking OCC classes it's the only time I get excited about homework..lol.  Thanks for stopping by!

It's a Hoe Down with Studio J

Hello everyone! I am still on the quest to catch up all my event albums.  I have one for each holiday and then specific things that reoccur, like pageants, recitals, band concerts, etc. Since my daughter started dance, it seems the amount of photos has increased with each recital.  That's not a bad thing, but I never could seem to get them organized enough to get them in the books.  What I have found that is working best for me right now is doing traditional layouts for her dance portraits and then using Studio J for the action/on stage pictures.  It saves a bunch of time for me, and money. 

For those who aren't familiar with Studio J, it's the online digital scrapbooking program from Close to My Heart.  There is no program to buy or anything to download.  You upload your pictures into it and create to your hearts content.  It's free to create.  You only pay when you decide you want to purchase your layouts. You get two pages (12x12) for only $6.95, which also includes the .jpegs and web viewable two page layouts like the ones I have posted below. 

Here's a couple of layouts from last year's recital.

I'm terribly indecisive.  Studio J allows me to put pictures in, take them out, resize, adjust, etc, instead of me printing them out over and over to get the size right.  And you have access to tons of paper packs and coordinating embellishments to choose from, current papers and retired.   So if there was some retired CTMH paper that you just absolutely loved but can no longer find, chances are it's still alive and well in Studio J.   

If you want to try Studio J for yourself you can follow any of the links throughout this post or click on the tab at the top of the page.  Remember it's free to create!  Give it a try!

That's it for me tonight.  I'm going to try to get some more Studio J done.  Maybe I'll get this year's recital finished.  I'll be sure to share when I do :)

Thanks for stopping by!

All Smiles

Hello everyone!  Just a quick post from me tonight.  I thought I would share another layout I did for my daughter's pageant book.  I'm not quite through with this event yet.  I keep getting distracted by shiny things!

 

This is another one of those pages that started out to be something totally different than it ended up.  The patterned paper is a piece I had in my stash that just happened to have the right turquoisey (I'm sure it's a word :)) color in it.  I matched that up with some Cotton Candy, Ruby, Crystal Blue, and Desert Sand cardstocks.  I cut a bunch of flowers of varying size from the cardstock using the Artiste cartridge (page 32).  The title was cut from the Art Philosophy cartridge.  I must say that's probably my favorite all-around font for general use.  The flourishes are from a Hero Arts die and the frame from Spellbinders. I added some sparkles to the flowers and that was it.

I went back and forth about the colors.  I think it was the Desert Sand that was throwing me, but it was about an exact match in the other paper.  All in all I think it worked.  I have at least one more layout to do from this event and then that book will be caught up.  It will the second album (out of probably 10..lol)  I have caught up..yay!

That's it for me tonight.  Thanks for stopping by.  Happy hump day everyone!

Back to School Layouts

Hello everyone!  Last week was the first week of school for us.  My daughter started high school this year..eeek!  We have a tradition of taking pictures on the first day of school.  It was much easier before she reached the double digits in age..lol.  Now, I have to bargain to get my pictures.  But in any case, I get them and that's what counts.  I have an album that is dedicated to just that, the first day of school pictures and her annual school pictures.  It's really amazing, and a little heartbreaking, to flip through the pages and watch her grow up.  This album is now officially caught up until I get school pictures from this year.  I thought I would share with you the last two layouts in the book that I finished this weekend.

 

Out of all the paper packs we have had in the past few years, I think I have used Laughing Lola the most for my child.  The colors have been prefect for her pictures.  This layout was straight out of the book with just a little adjustment.  It worked perfectly for my modus operandi, first day pictures on the left and portrait on the right.   I used the LL complements for embellishments and the Artbooking cartridge, with a little help from Cricut Craftroom, for the titling.  I actually cut that title twice, once in black and then once in Thistle.  When I layered them, I just slid the black down and to the right to give the title a little drop shadow effect.  I didn't use 3d foam tape at all.   What I did find out was that our new color Thistle worked great in the place of LL purple.  That is what I used here for the purply color cardstock.  The other cardstocks are Whisper, Black, and the LL B&T's. 

For the following year's layout, I used  our retired Proplayer paper pack.  I'll be honest, I hadn't used this paper pack until now.  But the colors worked out great with the school pics.  

I used the free sketch for June from Scrapbook Generation to plan my layout.  When I saw it, it just clicked.  The cardstocks here are White Daisy, Ruby, Pacifica, and Silver Glitter along with the B&T from the PP pack.  I cut the title using the Artiste cartridge.    I used the School is Here (retired) stamp set to stamp my small title and the little apple on the left page.  I went online and found a font called Eraser ( I think)  for free, and printed my journaling and tag.  It wasn't exact, but it was pretty close to the stamp's font. I used a couple of my Marvy punches, Sizzix Star die set, and SSS Holiday Shapes dies for the stars.   

Although I haven't had much time to play in all the new stuff that has been released in our new catalog,  I did use a couple new items on this page.  The striped strip across the top and bottom is actually one of our new ribbons, Slate Diagonal Striped Ribbon.  I absolutely love it.  It's very thin and easy to tie if need be.  The other thing I used is our new mini stapler. I have been wanting one for quite some time, so I was very excited when we got one added to our arsenal of great tools.

 

Here's a closeup of the little banners at the top right corner of the page.  I used the mini stapler to run a little line across the top of the banners.  It's pulling double duty here.  It's holding my banners in place and it almost appears as faux stitching.  

That's it for me tonight.  Hope everyone has enjoyed their weekend.   Thanks for stopping by!

 

Love You to Pieces

Hello, my blog friends!  I'm behind as usual.  I have had so much going on lately, it seems I'll never get caught up.  School is about to start again, we had a new book go live, we have tons of new product, and I've been trying to get some Studio J caught up, not to speak of this work thing I have to do every day.   Busy, busy, busy!

For those of you who didn't know, Close to my Heart has released its Annual Inspirations book, instead of its semiannual idea book as it has done in the past.  

 

If you would like to peruse our new catalog, you can view it online by clicking here.   I feel certain you won't be disappointed. 

On to the crafty stuff!  I have been making some cards by request lately, I thought I would share one with you.  This card is made with the Stitched with Love stamp set, that was a part of Jeanette's Archive and now retired, again, and the Stitch Wonder (C1564) stamp set.

 

I had a co-worker who was giving a gift which was a mason jar full of Reeses Pieces with the idea of "love you to pieces."  I have been waiting to use this little girl on something for a while.  The gift was for her babysitter and I just thought it kind of fit.  I stamped the sentiment and the border stitching from the Stitch Wonder set in Chocolate, Canary (new color!), and a SSS ink called Orange Peel.  That way everything matched the Reeses pieces.  This little girl is actually colored with our now retired alcohol markers and Copics for the flesh tones. I fussy cut her and then popped her up on some 3d foam tape. Very simple and sweet. 

That's it for me tonight. Hope everyone has a great week!  Thanks for stopping by!   

Laughing Lola Layout

Hope everyone is having a good weekend.  I thought I would do a quick post and share a layout I did last week using the soon to be retired Laughing Lola paper pack.

 

I love  Laughing Lola.  It was a little busy for this layout, but I had to use it.  The colors were great. I used Black, White Daisy, Crystal Blue and Laughing Lola Purple cardstocks.  I used the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge to cut out my title letters.  The little flowers are from the Laughing Lola Chipboard Complements.  The butterflies were cut using the SSS Leanna Butterfly die.  There's a few sparkles here and there, but mostly just a lot of pictures :)  It is a busy layout, but I enjoy the fact that I was able to include all the pictures.  I have a few more layouts to go and this book will be up to date.  Woohoo!

Thanks for stopping by!

House Mouse Birthday

Hello everyone!  I have another card to share with you tonight.  This one features a House Mouse image by Ellen Jareckie (hope that's spelled right).  Joann's had some of these little cuties on sale not too long ago, so I got a few cling stamp sets that I thought would be fun to color and pretty on cards.  Here's the first one I have done from my new bunch.

This paper came from a previous SSS card kit.  I loved the soft muted colors, so I played off those when I colored my mice.  I used distress markers on Tim Holtz distress watercolor cardstock.  When I got through with my image I used SSS postage stamp die set to cut it out and the papers on the page.  I couldn't decide how, if at all, I wanted to put a sentiment on the card front.  I thought it needed something, but it was going to cover my image.  Heavyweight vellum to the rescue!  I embossed my birthday sentiment in CTMH gold embossing powder.  I used my wink of stella glitter brush and hit the high spots for a little added sparkle. All in all I think my little mice turned out kind of cute.

That's it for me tonight.  Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Birthday Cupcake

Hello everyone!  Just a quick post from me.  I wanted to share a birthday card I had made for another one of my July birthday girls.

 

I have several of these images from Penny Black.  This one is a wood mounted rubber stamp called Sweet Thing.  I colored her up with copics and then used my Wink of Stella glitter brush and some liquid glass for some accents.  I cut her out before I knew what I wanted to do with her.  I found this pretty light purple paper in my stash.  I thought it would look cute if I made it look like she was coming through a little window on the card.  I used some Kool Tac clear foam adhesive and raised just the upper part of her and nestled the lower part of her behind the opening in the circle.  The striped paper is from the SSS card kit from June.  While rummaging through my stash, I found this purple grosgrain ribbon that just happened to match perfectly.  I stamped the sentiment, which is from the SSS stamp set, Birthday Messages, and then finished it off with a bow. 

That's it for me tonight.  I'll try to get some more posted for you soon.   Thanks for stopping by!

 

Inkspirational Mermaid

Hello everyone!  I stumbled upon another blog challenge site called Inkspirational Challenges.  I must say that's exactly what it did, it inspired me to get inky.  The challenge was based on a very interesting sea themed picture that had mermaids and hot air balloons.   The mermaid is what caught my eye.  I had purchased a bunch of stamps from Sweetpeastamps.com a while back.  I hadn't had a chance to really play in them. But I remembered I had a mermaid.  She is quite interesting, so I thought it only fitting I used her.

 

This image is by Elaine Cox, called Dreamy Sandcastle.  I colored her with Copics and then added some Wink of Stella to her tail, the shells, and the sand.   She just looked like the subject for a "thinking of you" kind of card.  I found a little sentiment from SSS stamp set called Best Mom Ever.  I stamped it in Moonstruck (retired) and inked the edges of my little label with Lagoon.  That's also the CTMH cardstock colors I used along with White Daisy for the card base.  This card is a little bigger than the standard size. I had found some envelopes that were odd sized and larger than usual so, I cut my card to fit.  This card is roughly 4 1/2 x 6 inches.  

I'll be posting my little mermaid in the Inkspirational Challenge since she fits the theme.

That's it for me tonight.  Thanks for stopping by!

Retrosketches Magnolia Birthday

Good Morning everyone!  I hope everyone had a safe and happy July 4th holiday.   July is filled with birthdays for me.  I have been back in the card making mood so now was the time to get some birthday cards made.

I stumbled upon this Retrosketches sketch #121.  It just happens be the challenge this week on their blog.  Here's the sketch:

Here's my card:

 

I turned the sketch around a little bit to suit my purposes, but it's still there.  I used the papers from CTMH's Lollydoodle paper pack.  The sentiment is from the Birthday Card Chatter stamp set stamped in Whisper ink. The image is from Magnolia Stamps and it's Sitting Tilda with Butterfly.  I stamped her on watercolor paper and used my distress markers to color her in.  

This stamp is a "mini" Magnolia.  I thought I would give one a try when I saw them on sale at Joann's a few days back.  I must say, the image is adorable, but it is tiny.  You have to really like someone to color one of these up for them..lol.   They are a perfect size for a smaller card and for those people with really steady hands and great vision :)  They had some really detailed images, but thankfully I chose this one.  She is very sweet, though, and I have a friend who loves Magnolias, so this is her card.  Her birthday is over a week away, but this challenge ends today, so don't tell her ;) I will be entering my little Tilda in the Retrosketches challenge.  

Also, if you like the Lollydoodle paper pack, just a reminder, our new book goes live on August 1st.  Although we will be getting tons of new stuff, all of the old paper packs will be retired.  Lollydoodle being one of them.  It and all the current paper packs will be available while supplies last until July 31st.  You can click here to see all the other retiring items.

That's it for me today.  I do have a couple of more cards to share with you.  I'll get them posted soon.  I also found a few layouts that I thought I had posted, but did not.  They, too, will be coming soon.  

Have a great weekend!

Thanks from the June Card Kit

I got the cardmaking bug this weekend.  I made a couple of more cards from the SSS June card kit.  I really love the flower stamps in this set.  I foresee getting a lot of use from this one. 

 

The set comes with the solid color stamps and then the line drawings of the flowers, leaves, and little squigglies.  I started out just stamping to try out the set and test the colors I wanted to use.  Then I decided to keep the paper and use it in a card.  I used Blush, Juniper, Crystal Blue, and Buttercup ink from CTMH and stamped the flowers in second generation for the base color.  I stamped over the top of them with the line stamp in Black ink.  The sentiment is from SSS set called Lots of Thanks.  That's another go-to set for me.   I added some baker's twine and a little enamel heart that came with a previous card kit.  I mounted the card face on a standard size top fold card I cut from the cardstock in the kit.  I love the colors in this kit. 

The card on the right is another card I made with the stamp set, using it in the same fashion with the same colors. The sentiment is also from Lots of Thanks. 

 

Because it's still anything goes at SSS Wednesday Blog Challenge, I'll be posting these cards over there.  

That's it for me today.  I'm going to try to get a few more things done. I'll be sure to share when I do.  Just a side a note, if you like the colors Blush and Buttercup from CTMH, this month is your last chance to get them.  They will be retiring.   If these are colors you use often, grabbing another pad or re-inkers might be something beneficial to you.  You can click here to see all the other retiring items as well.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

 

 

Love is Everything

I thought I would share a card with you that I made from the Simon Says Stamp June card kit.  I already have my July kit and this is the first chance I have had to play in my June kit.   It's been so long since I have made a card. I think I was going through withdrawals :)

 

The stamp set in the kit is called Favorite Flowers.  It's a build a flower kind of stamp set, but it also has some nice sentiments.   The card base is Neenah Desert Storm and it's a standard sized top fold card.  I heat embossed the sentiment with Hero Arts white embossing powder. The baker's twine is from Lawn Fawn.   I loved all the soft muted colors in the papers that came with the kit.  

Over at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog it's "Anything Goes" this week.  I'll be posting my card there. 

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great week!

Chantilly Flashback

Quick post from me this Sunday morning.  I'm still slowly trudging along in the pageant book trying to get it up to date.  Here's a layout I did using the retired Chantilly paper pack and complements.  I only had one picture from that night and I had multiples of it.  Because it was so small,  I used it twice.  So, no you are not seeing double, nor have I lost my mind....this time :) 

This layout is of a very simple design.  I used the printed paisley/floral paper from Chantilly along with Outdoor Denim, Juniper, Cotton Candy and White Daisy.   The scalloped edge was made with our border punch.  I used the Uppercase and Lowercase Glamour alphabet stamp set for the title and stamped directly onto my base.  I used the Keyboard alpha for the year on the banner at the top.  All the other embellishments are from the Chantilly Complements.  I threw in a few sparkles here and there and that was it.

Now, I have my first pageant done, and all I lack is the last.  One book almost up to date.  I realized there are several other pages I have done recently that I haven't shared.  As soon as I can get those photographed, I'll be sure to share.

A quick reminder, tis the season for a new idea book!  I can't wait!  Our new idea book will go live on August 1st.  All of the papers that are listed in the current idea book will be gone.  Nothing will carry over this time.  Our new book is huge and will be for the entire year.  All of the papers in the new book will be brand new.  Not to speak of several new items like new markers, base and bling, embossing powders, tools and new sparkly things.  Be sure to check out my website by clicking here to see all the items that are retiring.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope to be back soon with some more layouts to share.  Have a great rest of your weekend!

Happy Scrapping!

A Couple More Layouts

I'll go ahead and apologize up front for the terrible lighting in the photos.  I really must devise a better system for photographing my layouts.  This past weekend I got a couple more layouts done in the pageant book.    I have also been trying to use up my stockpile of papers and goodies so these papers and embellishments are from long ago.

 

The papers in this layout came from an old Colorbok stack.   I only had scraps left, so I made good use of them.  I thought the colors went perfectly with her little outfit.  The title was made with the stickers from the stack as well.   This layout turned out to be my favorite of the two. 

 

This layout has papers from an old Doodlebug page kit that was all black and white.  I added some blue accents that I punched from scraps and some strips.  This layout is much prettier in person.  I think the floor is rather distracting in this photo.  But you can get the idea. 

I only have one more year to get caught up in this book.  I'll be sure to share when I get it done. 

Remember the new idea book goes live on August 1, 2014.  The idea book coming up will be active for a whole year!  That means that all the paper packs we have in our current book are going away.  Nothing will be carrying forward.  If you liked any of the paper packs in this idea book, you will have only month left to order.  If you have any questions about any of our products, please feel free to contact me. 

That's it for me tonight.  I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week!