A Bright and Cheerful Card

Tonight's card is going to a good friend of mine, to help her start off the new year. 

Like myself she is a direct sales consultant, who has great goals for 2019. 

I wanted to send her a little something to let her know I believe in her.

The polka dot and striped paper are both from the Close to my Heart "Oh What Fun" paper packet that just ended with the Holiday Expressions 2018 catalog. 

However, I know many of you purchased it for not only Christmas cards and layouts but for everyday use as well. 

The sentiment "Dream Big" is from the Holiday Expressions 2018 Hostess Rewards Stamp Set "Dream Catcher". 

I stamped the sentiment in Archival Black Exclusive Ink by Close to my Heart.

I used the "Blacked Out" technique, and layered each piece with black cardstock to make the colors really pop! 

For just a little flare, I added three silver glitter gems from Close to my Heart.

I was inspired by sketch #297 from Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge Blog for the layout for the card.

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

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. 

Have You Seen the Love of Color How To Book from Close to my Heart (CTMH)?

Purchase your Love of Color book on my Close to my Heart website.

Perfect for any level of paper papercrafter!

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

Love of Color - CTMH Technique Blog Hop

Welcome to the December 

Close to my Heart Technique Blog Hop!

There are 13 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's Blog, you are on the right track.

As mentioned in a post a couple weeks back, I love to use our new 

Love of Color How-to-Book to inspire my cards and layouts. 

This month's Blog Hop showcases how useful this book really is.

The book has several awesome features:

It fits inside our Everyday Life™ albums for easy and convenient transportation. 

It includes breathtaking artwork that illustrates how to create perfectly balanced color combinations, and has tons of patterns for cards and layouts.

This book is perfect for both new and seasoned crafters. 

It would make an awesome Christmas or Birthday gift!

I created this card, to showcase the color combination on page 10 of the book. 

The three featured colors are Saffron, Smoothie and Lagoon.

The card base and second layer of the circle is Saffron cardstock. 

The torn strip is Lagoon.

The layer of cardstock behind the strip is Smoothie. 

One of my favorite Stamp Sets in our current catalog is the Grateful Heart Stamp Set. 

It is perfect for Thank you, Birthday, even Wedding cards!

I used Versamark Ink with the butterfly from the Grateful Heart Stamp Set, to create a very subtle tone on tone background on the Smoothie cardstock.

I used Lagoon ink to stamp the "Thank You" from our Grateful Heart Cardmaking Stamp Set.

For a bit of dimension, I used Saffron Ink to distress the edges of the White Daisy circle. 

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

Cute Cat Themed Card

Today's card features the cat and sentiment from the Punny Pals Stamp Set. 

This Stamp Set was part of the Close to my Heart Operation Smile fundraiser. 

It has several adorable animals with various sentiments to match. 

I chose to use three main colors: Canary, Lagoon and Sapphire. 

These three are featured together in the new "Love of Color" How- to -Book from Close to my Heart. 

It has tons of layouts and card samples, using a variety of complimentary colors.

I entered the card into the following challenges:

Pile It On! Challenge Blog-#148 Pets

Creative Moments- #155 Anything Goes 

Friendship Challenge- #35 Anything Goes 

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

Addicted To Stamps and More - #316 Anything Goes 

Lemon Shortbread Challenge Blog - #79 Anything Goes 

Halloween Card...

It's almost Halloween, and as others are feverishly decorating their homes, I am making cards to send to a few friends. 

One of my Halloween cards will go to a Swap Partner, I have in a "Baker's Dozen" Swap. 

You essentially send 1 card per week for 13 weeks to the same person. 

It has been so much fun. 

Her cards have been gorgeous. 

Here is the most recent one I made, and this one will go to my Swap Partner:

This adorable card was made with the Luv Kitty digital stamp from Ike's Art. 

Rather than color in the image, I simply printed it on the Pewter cardstock I chose.

The cardstock and patterned paper layers are all from Close to my Heart. 

The patterned paper is from an older Fundamentals Paper Packet.

For the "Boo!" sentiment, and the small black dots, I used the "Hello Pumpkin" Complements pack from Close to my Heart.

I  entered this card into the following challenges:

Pile It On! Challenge Blog- #147 Black, Purple, & Orange and/or Fantasy

A Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge: Anything Goes with Patterned Paper 

That's Crafty! Challenge Blog-Spookalicious

Dragonfly Journeys- #128 Halloween 

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