Hello Friend Card

Since the weather has been so rainy here lately I have stayed in a bit more. 

This has been great since it has given me a bit more time to craft. 

I have been working on layouts and cards most of the weekend, between laundry and watching movies with my kids. 

Today's card I am sharing, is another creation using the Grateful Heart Cardmaking stamp set. 

If you haven't noticed yet, this set was definitely my favorite of the entire 

2018 Holiday Expressions catalog.

You have a few more days before this catalog technically ends, and the stamp sets become while supplies last. 

This card uses a color combination of three main colors, Heather, Raspberry and Ballerina. 

My card base is made of Heather cardstock.

I then layered a piece of Raspberry cardstock.

I stamped a layer of Heather, but used the lighter side of the cardstock. 

I used the little sprig from the Grateful Heart Cardmaking stamp set, and stamped randomly using Pewter ink. 

I used the "Hello Friend" sentiment from the Grateful Heart Cardmaking stamp set as well.

I stamped the sentiment in Pewter on the strip of Ballerina cardstock.

I distressed all of the edges of the layers with Pewter ink. 

The inside of the card, just has a white panel, that is also distressed with Pewter ink.

I hope you enjoyed today's card, please let me know if you have any questions at all. 

Grateful Heart Butterfly Card

As the year winds down, so does another great catalog from Close to my Heart. 

The 2018 Holiday Expressions catalog ends on December 31st, in just a few days. 

This catalog was certainly one of my favorite. 

I purchased at least 1 packet of every patterned paper we offered, and some I purchase 3 or more. 

The Grateful Heart collection was certainly one of my favorites. 

This particular card uses the Grateful Heart Cardmaking Stamp Set from that collection. 

I have used this stamp set before many times, it is definitely one of my go to sets for just about any occasion. 

This time around, I needed to create a Thank You card to send to one of my community partners at my daily grind. 

I was so excited to work with them a few weeks ago and couldn't wait to make them a handmade card. 

So this is what I came up with to send to them...

The black paper with the diamond patterned came from the Hello Pumpkin Paper Packet. 

I loved this paper pack, because all of the cute black and white papers, went so well with other colors, things that weren't even Halloween or scary themed. 

I layered the black paper with a piece of Smoothie cardstock. 

Then a smaller strip of Canary cardstock.

I punched out a circle from the same paper, flipped it over and used the dotted side as an accent piece underneath the Butterfly. 

The Butterfly was stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink, then colored with 4 Copic Colors. 

Then I popped the Butterfly up on some of our 3-D Foam Tape.

Our 3-D Foam Tape comes in 2 different thicknesses and different widths. 

The regular 3-D Foam Tape, what I used, is Double-sided, 2 mm tall; with 2 rolls per package, ⅜" and ¼" widths, 75" per roll.

The thin 3-D Foam Tape, is Double-sided, 1mm tall; with 2 rolls per package, ⅜" and ¼" widths, 75" per roll.

I love this stuff!

I distressed all of the edges of the cardstock and the circle with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink.

I stamped the sentiment, "Thank You" with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink as well. 

While we no longer carry the Tuxedo Black Memento Ink, I still use it and have several in my personal collection. 

I love using them for Comic coloring specifically. 

I hope you enjoyed today's card. 

If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact me. 

A Cute Card For Pile It On! Challenge #149 Shaped Cards and/or Add a Charm

Today's card was created for this month's Pile It On! Challenge Shaped Cards.

Pile It On! is sponsored by Crafty Sentiments Designs for this challenge.

I used their Bundle of Hearts Digital Stamp.

I colored the image with Copic Sketch markers.

I kept the card relatively simple this time, with just a few layers. 

The card base was cut with the Cricut Explore Air 2.

The base is Kraft paper from Close to my Heart.

The circle layer behind the image is the lighter shade of Ruby cardstock.

I added a strip of Red Shimmer Trim, for a little sparkle.

The "Grateful" sentiment is from the Grateful Heart Stamp Set by Close to my Heart 

and is stamped in Pewter Ink. 

I entered the card into the following challenges:

Creative Moments- #158 Anything Goes 

Through The Craft Room Door- Challenge for the Week of December 11

Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge Blog- #410 Anything Goes

Dragonfly Dreams- Anything Goes

Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge- #442 Anything Goes 

Aud Sentiments- #218 Anything Goes and a Sentiment

Hippo Inspiration Card

This week's card, was created 

using the Cuddly Critters Hippo digital image from Dr. Digi's House of Stamps. 

I colored in the hippo using markers, which is my favorite way to color. 

All papers and cardstock used are from Close to my Heart.

The "Be Fearless Sentiment" came from the Make Waves Complements Pack by Close to my Heart.

It's on clearance for only $2.25 (US).

I entered the card into the following challenges:

Pile It On! Challenge Blog - #148 Favorite Way to Color

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge-November Anything Goes with Patterned Paper 

Lemon Shortbread Challenge Blog- #80 Anything Goes

Creative Moments-#156 Anything Goes 

Fall Splendor Card

Today's card was inspired by the Black, Orange and Purple Challenge over at Pile It On! Challenge Blog!

 I kept the layout of the card simple, yet cute and fun. 

While these three colors can certainly be used for Halloween, I went with a fall sentiment instead, for a different spin. 

I used the Hello Pumpkin Paper Packet, for the Pumpkin Cut apart. 

I layered it on a piece of Thistle Cardstock, then layered that on Black Cardstock, then layered that on a piece of Tangerine Cardstock.  

There is a piece of Thistle Cardstock behind that. 

I mounted them all on a Black Card base. 

The inside of the card is a layer of Tangerine Cardstock with a half circle cut from an older Fundamentals Paper Packet.

I finished the card off with three small Silver Glitter Gems as embellishments. 

I entered my card into the following challenges:

Pile It On! Challenge Blog- #147 Black, Orange and Purple

Polkadoodles- #40 Anything Goes

Crafting With An Attitude- #44 Anything Goes

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge Blog- October Anything Goes #56

Creative Moments- #153 Anything Goes, optional twist Autumn Colours

Yippee! Masculine Card

Today's Card Features a Digital Stamp from Angie's Digital Stamps

 for our Think Big Challenge over at Pile It On! Challenge Blog.

This card features layers of Goldrush, and Espresso Cardstock. 

To add dimension, I used Nutmeg Ink to distress the edges. 

I also added 3-D Foam Tape to the back of the cut out image for dimension.

I finished the card off with the "Yippee" sticker from the Prickley Pear Complements. 

I also entered my scrapbooking layout into the following challenges:

Pile It On! Challenge Blog-  #146 Think Big (Large shapes; enlarged image; Big words, etc)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog- Pop It Up

Polkadoodles Challenge - Week #37 Anything Goes 

Crafting With Friends- #73 Challenge Blog

Crafting With An Attitude- #43 Anything Goes

The Corrosive Challenge Blog- #9 Anything Goes 

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge Blog- #55 Anything Goes

Creative Moments- #152 Anything Goes 

Sew What?! - CTMH Technique Blog Hop

There are 12 other amazingly talented Close to my Heart Consultants sharing their artwork with you for this month's Blog Hop. 

Should you get lost along the way, all participant's links can be found here. 

If you are coming from Michelle Loncar's Blog, you are on the right track.

I used all Close to my Heart products for my featured card:

If you have had an opportunity to see the Story by Stacy™ line of products, you already know how versatile the stamp sets are regardless of the project you are working on. 

For this month's "Sew What?" Blog Hop, I chose the Quotable Words Stamp Set for the sentiment.

The pink polka dot patterned paper and the gray houses patterned paper are both from the Central Park Paper Packet.

I used Black and Pewter cardstock for the card base and layers.

I also used Pewter Ink to distress all of the edges of the card. 

I used 3-d Foam Tape to pop the sentiment up for some added dimension. 

I used a Marvy® Uchida® LePen™ Journaling Pen to add faux stitching along the top left corner and bottom right corner of the card, to give it a sewn feel. 

Thank you so much for stopping by, before heading over to Darlys Recker's Blog, please consider leaving a comment and enjoy the rest of the creative talents in this month's Blog Hop! 

Convention Swaps Are Underway...

I am so excited, in just a few weeks, I will be driving across the country again out west to Close to my Heart's annual convention. 

This year it is in Las Vegas!

I've been to Las Vegas, once before a few years ago, to visit my husband's family. 

While out there this year, I am going to try to spend some time with them again. 

If you have ever been to a Scrapbooking/Stamping convention, then you know swapping your handmade cards is a big deal!

Last time, I think I swapped over 100 cards. 

My goal this year is at least 50, but I am going to try to reach 100 if I can. 

So since I have such a lofty goal, I knew I needed to go ahead and get started. 

So this weekend, I didn't have much planned, so cards it is. 

Now some folks like to make all of their cards exactly the same, kind of like an assembly line. 

I personally like to make mine that way, but in small batches, then switch the colors, layout, etc. 

So today I am sharing with you my first batch.

I made 6 cards to swap at convention, and a card for a dear friend that is feeling under the weather. 

I used the One-Sheet-Wonder Technique, to create the floral print paper. 

The flowers, and leaves came from the stamp set Beautiful Friendship-Scrapbooking by Close to my Heart.
The cards are all based with the White Cards and EnvelopesValue Pack.

I used Thistle, Smoothie, and Bashful for the two-step stamped flowers and Sweet Leaf for the leaves.

Most of the cards, have the top panel of White Daisy, distressed with Pewter ink.

The "Life is Better With Friends"sentiment came from that same set. 

These were both stamped in Pewter ink. 

The "Simply Beautiful" sentiment came from the "A New Adventure" stamp set. 

This set is so versatile and definitely one of my personal favorites. 

I used our new Thin Cuts- Stitched Ovals and our Thin Cuts- Basic Ovals for the sentiment and them mounted it with 3-D Foam Tape.

These were stamped in Pewter on White Daisy cardstock, then layered on Bashful cardstock.

I used the Grey Gems to embellish a few of the cards.

For the card I am mailing to a friend, I used a layer of Bashful under the three panels of White Daisy I created.

The "A Beautiful Friendship" sentiment came from the "Beautiful Friendship- Scrapbooking" stamp set. 

Each panel was distressed with Pewter ink.

I will start working on my second batch in just a few minutes. 

As I create batches over the next few weeks, I will post them here on the blog to share them with you.

As always if you have any questions at all please let me know.