H2H Challenges: Count Your Blessings

When I saw the stamp set, A Grateful Heart, I knew that I wanted to make a little sign to remember its message each day.  (I've also made several to give as gifts that I will be featuring later this month.)  I think this project is the perfect link up for this week's Heart 2 Heart Challenge, Count Your Blessings.

To begin, I cut a White Daisy card stock to 4"x6".  I stamped A Grateful Heart with Espresso ink and then immediately sprinkled gold embossing powder on it, tapped off the excess, and then heat embossed.  The purpose of this is two-fold: first to make it easier to watercolor and second to give it some sparkle.  (Unfortunately that sparkle was impossible to photograph!)  Also, note that you will not get the full, even embossing coverage that you would get with embossing, pigment, or Versamark ink.

The I watercolored my wreath with my waterbrush and Espresso, Toffee, Almond, Fern, and Lagoon inks.

Finally, I added the layers of Fundamental Basics and Lagoon card stock (lighter side).  I placed the glass from my cheap frame onto my project and tied the white & gold ribbon around it then popped it in the frame.  I love how it turned out!

As I said, I have made a few more gifts.  What color combo would YOU prefer?  Please leave me a comment!  The H2H challenge, Count Your Blessings, is open all month so please join us.  Just click on the name to go to the blog.  I'm very grateful that you've stopped by!

H2H Challenges: Signs of the Season

This week's Heart2Heart challenge is "signs of the season," and this 3"x6" card fits the bill for November.  It's a lovely size and such fun to use.  The actual sketch comes from the Wishes how-to guide.  I used the Falling for You collection and the Inspired Words stamp set (on the center panel).  The left panel uses one of the Complements (stickers) from the collection, and the right one is a piece of the patterned paper in the kit.

I used my waterbrush to color the center image and accidentally dropped a dot of color onto the bottom of my card.  That mistake turned into a serendipitous border! I just continued to add dots all the way across the bottom and top of my card.  It actually turned out cute.  My CTMH team's motto is "It's not a mistake; it's an opportunity to embellish!"  All my customers know this one too!

Can you see how I added gold shimmer with the shimmer pen to all of the Saffron and Goldrush images?  It sparkles in real life.

In all things, give thanks!  Please leave a comment with something/someone for which you're thankful.  Be sure to visit the H2H blog!

CTMH Technique Blog Hop: Terrific Tags

This month's Technique Blog Hop is focusing on the terrific tags that Close To My Heart offers.   (If you're already hopping then you've probably arrived from Annemarie's blog.  From here, you'll visit Judy Faye next.)  We currently have two tag kits available, plus it is really easy to make your own if you don't have a kit.  That's what I chose to do today!

My tag is actually a wall hanging!  I was inspired by wooden door tags that I saw on Pinterest.  For mine, I used the CTMH/Cricut Artbooking cartridge and the Falling for You Workshop Your Way (with a few additional materials).  To begin, I cut a photo mat that looks like a tag to me.  Be sure to set this cartridge on "real dial size" before you cut!  Mine is 9-3/4". 

Then I cut the "give thanks" sentiment twice: once on the Fern B&T (at 3") and again on the Goldrush B&T.  I carefully cut the "thanks" portion out of the Goldrush piece to layer on top of the Fern piece.  Next I painted over the "thanks" with my gold shimmer pen twice to make it sparkle.  (That shimmer pen is really difficult to photograph, but hopefully you can see a bit of its sparkle.)

The pretty pumpkin patch image is from one of the Picture My Life cards from the Falling for You collection that I fussy cut and added to the bottom of the tag.  All of the kraft pieces are from that collection.  (I added one of the kraft leaves into the pumpkin patch.)  I also only glued the pumpkin/acorn portion of that piece and curled the outside leaves up off the project a bit.  It adds some dimension that was very difficult to photograph.  Finally, I did add the gold shimmer trim behind the kraft border piece, the gold glitter dots, and the pretty gold ribbon (from the Basics ribbon collection).  I love how this turned out, and it is going to stay on our coat closet door in our entryway through Thanksgiving.

I hope you like my twist on a traditional tag project.  Please leave a comment before you go!  I really appreciate your feedback. Now go see what Terrific Tag project Judy Faye has!  (Just click on her name to visit her blog.)  Be sure to give thanks always!

Try Stamping on Tuesday Top 3

This card was selected as one of the Top 3 for the Try Stamping on Tuesday challenge #207!

Thank you very much!  That one was my favorite of the two, also.

Thank You!

Imagine my delight to find out that I am the Color My Heart Color Dare Diamond Winner for Challenge #125!

 Here is the layout I made using the Snowhaven paper pack and the January 2015 stamp of the month, This Moment.  (More details HERE.)

Thank you again!  I am truly honored!

Thank you!

Thank you to the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog for selecting my bird cage card was one of the Top 5 for the #230 Shape Up Challenge!

Thank you also to the Color My Heart Color Dare for selecting my card as the Ruby winner of the Cranberry, Canary, and Glacier color challenge!

H2H Challenges Thanks & Outlander Crosspost

Okay, that is a super crazy title, but you'll see how all of this ties together!  Today on the Heart 2 Heart Challenge blog, we are saying good-bye to three of our team members.  While I hate to see them go, that also means that we will have some fresh faces and new inspiration for you over there, so be sure to check it out.  If you're an H2H fan, but sure to hop over there to tell our retirees farewell.

This card was actually made for a friend to thank her for selling me her extra copy of the new release of my (current) favorite book series, Outlander: Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon.  (You can read more about this book and the series at Amazon and at Shelfari.  The first book is being made into a television series on Starz to premier in August.  I can't wait!)  This card hopefully looks a bit Scottish to you (with the plaid, right?), because the hero of the series is Scottish and several of the first books are set in Scotland.  (I don't want to give away too much!)

Today I am also thankful for returning home safely from a great beach getaway prior to my cousin's wedding Saturday.  We had such a great time!  I'd love to know what you're especially thankful for today.  Leave me a comment, okay?

Thank You!

What a surprise!  I was totally shocked when I went over to the Color My Heart Color Dare blog to find that I had won first place for my gratitude mini album.  Thank you so much!

Life Is Good/H2H Gratitude Challenge

This Life Is Good card certainly fits the new Heart 2 Heart Challenges "gratitude" challenge to me, because life is indeed good.  It may not be perfect, it certainly has its ups and downs (two teenage daughters and a total home remodel, anyone?), but it is definitely a good life that we are living.  I am so very, very thankful for all the blessings that we have.  They are too numerous to list!

This card uses the Huntington Workshop on the Go scrapbooking kit.  I designed it for my recent card class, and I really like how it turned out.  We were working on "background basics," so I hope that you can see the wood grain stamped in Desert Sand on the Desert Sand card base.  While the "life is" and "good" were hand cut, that pretty Olive CTMH/Crict Art Philosophy flourish is actually leftover from another project.  The banner was cut from the same cartridge.

If you ever need a little something pretty on a paper crafting project, grab out you spools of shimmer trim!  In silver, black, red, and bronze (used here), you're sure to find one to dazzle on any project!

My Brother's Wedding & H2H Lace Challenge

My brother got married Saturday, and we couldn't be happier for him and his bride!  I am still in the process of making a scrapbook for them so that they can just add their photos when they return from their "mini moon" honeymoon this week.  Here are a few of the pages.  Don't they coordinate well with the Heart 2 Heart Challenges lace challenge this week?  First up is the title page:

 Notice the braiding on the banner.  My brother, his wife (I love saying that!), and her daughter braided a cord in a shadow box in lieu of a unity candle.  I was glad that I hadn't finished the album so that I could add a braided piece to it.

 Here is the closing page, but I'll be back in a few days with more pages of their album and more info on how I made them.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the wedding:

 The four of us:

Can you believe that Ansley caught the bouquet?  I'm not ready for her to grow up, but this is a great picture anyway!

Hopefully the professional photos of the entire family have turned out well so that I can have some to scrap and share.

Thanks for sharing this special moment with my family and me!

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #10 Top 3!

Thank you, Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge DT, for choosing my card to be one of the Top 3 for sketch #10!  (You can see it HERE.)

Count Your Blessings

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends and family!  We are blessed to be able to spend this holiday at my cousin's home with extended family.  (We'll also celebrate again on Saturday with my in laws.)  Here is a simple gratitude journal that I made to take to my cousin.  I hope that it will become a treasured keepsake of memories.

I began by covering an inexpensive composition book with the beautiful (retired) Dreamin' paper.  I stamped the title square with Crystal Blue and Pacifica inks with The Works alphabet and the A Little Thanks stamp set.  The offset medallion was stamped in Goldrush and Chocolate.  I glitzed it up with Bronze and Almond Glitter Glitz Gel.

No matter where you live, take time to count your blessings!  Cultivate an attitude of gratitude.

 

I'm entering this gratitude journal at Tammy's Scrapin Corner Challenge #37: Anything Fall or Thanksgiving.

Heart 2 Heart Challenges: November Inspiration

If you're already a fan of Heart 2 Heart Challenges, then you may have seen this week's news: Our fearless and fantastic leader, Mary, is stepping down from the H2H blog at the end of the year.  (She is no longer a CTMH consultant and is being led in other directions at this stage of life.)  Never fear, though, because Yours Truly is stepping up to try to fill her mighty big shoes and keep H2H moving forward.  Shirley Ross is coming along with me as my fearless and inspirational sidekick. 

Now on to this week's challenge: Use this photo in any way that strikes you to spark your CTMH creativity.

I fell in love with the color palette and those darling owls.  Unfortunately, none of my owls seemed to "work" for me, so instead I created this thank you card.

It uses the A Little Thanks stamp set, and I literally pulled scraps of Champagne, Chocolate, and Topiary (retired B&T) to fit card sketch #28 from the Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 1 how-to guide.  I stamped the edges of my card base with a floral spray from this stamp set in the same colors as the papers. 

For the sentiment, I first inked it up in Pear and then rolled the edges in Chocolate.  (Yum!)  I cut it out along the stamped scalloped edges and then used Liquid Glass to adhere the two cardstock pieces to the burlap ribbon and then the ribbon to the Topiary panel.  I also used Liquid Glass to hold the button and Chocolate striped grosgrain ribbon.  A little Almond Glitter Glitz Gel gave the sentiment a bit of sparkle.

If you'd like more inspiration or are ready to play along, head on over to H2H.  We're so thankful for our readers and participants! 

Teacher Thank Yous

Today is the last day of school!  Every year, I have a hard time believing that the end is really here.  This year is particularly bittersweet.  I've had a great class, and I'll hate to see them go!  Also, our school system cut ALL teacher workdays (and of course our pay), so we are trying to get everything done before the kids leave because today is our last day too.  You would not believe the amount of work that goes on "behind the scenes" to wrap up a school year!

I am pleased to report that both girls have had really good years.  I am in a total state of disbelief (and shock?) that our big girl will start high school in a few short months while her little sister will start at the middle school.  Not having one of my girls at my school (practically next door this year) is going to be really hard on this momma for sure.

We made sure to make thank you cards to show our appreciation to our teachers for a great year.  Because I had eight to make, I kept them fairly simple.  The girls wrote their own messages of gratitude on the inside.

(On a side note, I am also sad to see a favorite student graduate this year!  He has come to visit me every Christmas and end of the year since he left me in fifth grade.  It means more than he will ever know that he has taken the time to show me, year after year, that I made a difference in his life.  That is absolutely what it's all about, dear readers!  Go thank a teacher today yourself, because you know there's at least one out there who greatly impacted your life.)

The card for the academic teachers includes a panel from an old children's novel that had seen much better days.  (I promise it was already falling apart.  No books were harmed in the making of these cards!)  The two music teachers' cards feature the music stamp from the Universal Backgrounds stamp set.

I created these thank you cards with two challenges in mind:

1. The Cupcake Craft Challenge 193, Book Lover, to use a book image or text on your project (I used pages from an actual children's book, plus I think a lot of book lovers also love to play Scrabble, hence the other patterned paper.)
2. The Dynamic Duos #3 Black Tie Week, pairing black with Daffodil Delight (or in my case, CTMH's Honey)

Thanks for looking!  Now let summer officially begin!

Gratitude Word Art (Printable Freebie) & Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends and family!

You can download this beautiful word art by Jill Paulsen at A Matter of Memories in either 5"x7" or 8"x10" for instant holiday decor.

Today was a furlough day for me instead of a teacher workday, so I worked around the house, did the grocery shopping, etc., to get ready for the big turkey day. We are eating with my in-laws Thursday evening and with my family Saturday evening. Life is good and bountiful. Count your blessings and remember an attitude of gratitude!

Wishing you the best always!

H2H Challenges (From Your Heart to Ours): Gratitude

This week's Heart 2 Heart challenge is "from your heart to ours," where we ask you to share something special with us. This week's theme is gratitude, and you have all month to play. I created a collection of goodies, and I'll share each of them with you, below. All of my projects use the Sonoma Workshop on the Go kit (paper pack and stamp set). (If you'd like to see the rest of the H2H Design Team's creations, head right on over to H2H. Thanks!)

My first project is a bottle tag (which I am also linking up to CAS-ual Friday's "Tag, You're It" challenge.) Don't you think this would make a lovely hostess gift to show your thanks? It was really simple to create, and I had a scrap of Sonoma paper that was the perfect size! I just used the scalloped circle punch to cut out a whole in the top center to make this piece hang onto the bottle. The back includes a piece of Colonial White cardstock on which to write a personal message. Then I decorated the front similar to my card, below.

This card's decorations were inspired by the Sonoma Workshop on the Go instructions, but I didn't want to make a 6"x6" card. Instead, I used the "Sentiment Secured" pattern from the Wishes how-to book.
Here's a peek at the inside, stamped with the "ribbon" from the Sonoma Workshop on the Go stamp set and punched with a Martha Stewart lovely.

Finally, my last three cards are actually what started this whole project! Since the H2H theme was to create something for someone to whom or for which you're grateful, and of course my family came to mind. I created these three little 2.5"x3.5" cards (also from Wishes patterns) for the loves of my life (from left to right in card order). my husband, my younger daughter, and my older daughter. (I think they were pleasantly surprised to find them last night!)

Thanks for stopping by! I'd love for you to leave a comment, especially sharing what you're grateful for, before heading on. Thank you, dear readers and visitors! I am grateful for YOU.

World Card Making Day FREE Card Crop

SAVE THE DATE! Saturday, October 1, 2011, is World Card Making Day, and what better way to celebrate than a FREE card crop? I will be hosting this free card crop at a convenient Blairsville location (TBA) on Saturday, 10/1, in the afternoon. Bring your supplies and your paper crafting projects for a little fun and fellowship! Get started on your holiday cards, make a few seasonal cards, or work on whatever projects that you’d like. You’ll be provided plenty of table space to spread out and create to your heart’s content. Also, I will be teaching a few card ideas throughout the crop to help inspire you, so be sure to bring some extra materials to participate.

This free crop will benefit our servicemen and women through donations to Operation Write Home, should you choose to participate. (Crop participants are not required to help OWH.) I will be collecting card donations for our servicemen and women. (If you’d like to help, you can make your cards at the crop or bring some that you’ve already made to donate.) The purpose of OWH is to provide handmade cards for our troops to use to send to their loved ones. There are a few simple card rules to follow for OWH:•A2 size (4.25”x5.5”)
•Handmade, not store bought
•NO GLITTER
•Dark cards need to have a liner on the inside
•Envelopes are preferred but not required
•Please write or stamp “Operation Write Home” on the back (a limited number labels will be provided at the crop)


In addition to a card drive, “Any Hero mail” is welcome. These are cards or letters of gratitude and encouragement for our servicemen and women. Often, these cards and letters begin with “Dear Hero.” For more information, visit http://operationwritehome.org/anyhero.html.

If you plan to attend the card crop, please RSVP by 9/30. I hope you’ll just me for an afternoon of fun, fellowship, and craftiness! Happy World Card Making Day!

Always Remember & Operation Write Home

Today is a day that no American should forget, even those who weren't alive or who were babies (like my girls) on that horrific day 10 years ago.


On that patriotic note, are you familiar with Operation Write Home? This fantastic organization collects cards and Any Hero cards/letters to share with our servicemen and women. I have participated in one OWH event and plan to start my own in the near future. Visit their website HERE or find them on Facebook to learn more. What a great service project for your crafters, club, or organization! (If you're in the local area and would like to get started, learn more, or help, please let me know!) I'm also going to start a "collection box" at my home for my crafty friends, so feel free to bring extra cards when you come to class, etc.

OWH requests A2 size cards (4.25"x5.5") for ease in shipping. NO GLITTER is allowed. Cards MUST include "Operation Write Home" on the back (OWH abbreviation is not OK). Again, visit their website for complete info. We can show how crafters care and support our troops at the same time.

God bless the USA!

Lasting Memories Winner

Sorry to hog my own blog, but I was excited to see that I was chosen to be in the Top 3 at Lasting Memories for my "all about the title" Dance layouts. Thank you!

Scrap Our Stash July Winner

While recently stalking, I mean, browsing at Scrap Our Stash, I was so surprised and honored to find that I have been chosen as one of the two July Red, White, and Blue challenge winners for my telescoping card! Thank you so much! I am going to be a Guest Designer in September, so I will let you know about that next month.