The Everything ABC's Blog Hop - Letter O

Welcome to the Everything ABC's Blog Hop

For this hop, we will be featuring the letter "O".  This may be the name of a paper, a stamp set or an embellishment. Whatever the crafter has chosen as their "O" element will be featured in their post.  

If you came from Wendy Kessler's Blog then you're on the right track.  

In case you get lost along the way...go to Scrappy Therapy

For my "O" creation I use the Ombre technique.  I found a heart overlay from Artbooking that was cut too small for a previous project and decided I would use it to make a card.  I just took a sponge and Hollyhock ink and sponged the  overlay creating a darker hue on the bottom working it to be lighter on top. If I had started with a lighter cardstock the contrast would be even better.  I also took pink glitter gems and applied them from light to dark. I started with clear sparkles, though now think I need to take a pink ShinHan marker to lightly color them. The cut-out hearts and zipstrip are from the Heartstrings paper packet (retired).

All products are CTMH.

Hollyhock Ink - Z2128

Hollyhock CS.- 1246

White Daisy CS - 1385

 Heartstrings Paper Packet (retired)

Red Shimmer Trim Z4818

Pink Glitter Gems Z1807

Clear sparkles Z1752

Artbooking Cricut Cartridge

Your next stop on our Everything ABC's blog hop

 is  Lauren Moore of CTMH Craftings

 Be sure to leave comments.  

I hope you enjoy the inspiration! 

Jump on It July Blog Hop

For this hop we have 31 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations featuring 

the CTMH's exclusive Hostess Stamp Sets, 

from the special for July   

(See the list at the end of this blog). 

If you came here from Gina's blog you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way all around. This is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! If you get lost along the way, you will find the complete list of participating consultants on Melinda's blog. Here we go! 

For this month only, to help you celebrate life, you can get the stamp of the month for FREE with a qualifying purchase of $25 in current, retail priced stamps.  A super sweet deal!  OR you can get any of the Hostess Rewards stamp sets featured in 

Annual Inspirations 2014–2015 

or Seasonal Expressions 2 for only $5.   
That is a possible savings of up to $17.95 USD 

The July Stamp of the Month is a lovely, versatile stamp set that is a great match for your cards and layouts that celebrate all the wonderful things—big and small—that life has to offer.  Additionally, the Hostess Rewards stamp sets have previously only been available as part of the Hostess Rewards program, which means now is the perfect opportunity to get those special stamp sets you’ve had your eye on!  

For this hop, I used the Hostess stamp set, Paper Bird (C1613). 

 I love the words stamped on the bird, heart and butterfly.  To show each stamp, I used gold embossing powder and posted them on a pop-up card made using the Circut cartridge Artfully Sent pg. 11.  I backed the tree limb with the brown Jackson paper and used the Blossoms (bulk) for the band on the front of the card backed with lagoon, and the reverse side of Blossom was used inside the card.  I also added some gold glitter paper to outline the cutout items and to create additional trim.  

Card Front

Card inside

Now hop on over and see what creative inspiration

Lauren  has for us. 

These are the hostess stamps. 
that can be ordered for only $5.

S1507 My Acrylix® Life Is Wonderful

C1614 My Acrylix® Tagged with Love

C1613 My Acrylix® Paper Bird

B1477 My Acrylix® Exotic Flower

D1615 My Acrylix® Sweet As Sugar

B1454 My Acrylix® Thanksgiving Wreath

C1596 My Acrylix® Happy Hexagons

C1587 My Acrylix® Sing Glory

B1455 My Acrylix® Be Jolly

C1593 My Acrylix® Hats Off

A1169 My Acrylix® Well Wishes

D1608 My Acrylix® Better with a Friend

B1458 My Acrylix® Cuddly Salutations

A1163 My Acrylix® Practical Planning

This offer is available only during the month of July and applies only to the July Stamp of the Month and current Hostess rewards stamp sets, so spring into action and jump on this deal before it’s gone!

Contact me for more details.

CTMH Technique Blog Hop - Simple Shadows - Pg. 102

Welcome to our Technique Blog Hop!

This month there are 9 of us highlighting the “Simple Shadows Technique " found on Page 102 of the 2014 Annual Inspirations Idea Book.  This blog hop is a great big circle so you can start wherever you want and continue through to see all the fabulous artwork incorporating this technique.

If you are coming from Catherine's Blog, 
you are on the right track!

I'm just back from the Annual CTMH Convention and excited about all the new ideas I saw.  Eager to experiment and try all kinds of new techniques.  The technique I observed on several art pieces was this "Simple Shadows" technique by offsetting a die cut with a contrasting paper to create a shadow and make it "POP".  I had also used it on previous artwork and was eager to play with shadows on more projects.

Artfully Sent pocket card (pg 29) layered 

on a Daisy white 4 1/4 X 5 1/2 card.

The LOVE was cut from Smoothie CS and a hint of a shadow was created  by cutting a same size black pocket card and layering it slightly offset for a hint of a shadow without using foam tape.

Thanks for stopping by! Please continue onto Melissa David's Blog where you will find some additional artwork highlighting this technique! Be sure to leave a comment and let me know what you thought of my variation and happy hopping!

CTMH Operation Smile Blog Hop - - Happy Everything

Welcome to the CTMH Operation Smile Blog Hop

For this hop we have 31 Close To My Heart Consultants 
sharing their creations featuring CTMH 's exclusive Operation Smile Stamp Set,  
Happy Everything, a set of 13 stamps.  

You can change the life of a child with just one stamp set.  When you purchase the D-size Happy Everything stamp set at full retail price from now through August 2015, Close to My Heart will donate $3* of the proceeds to Operation Smile. 
Since it's founding in 1982, Operation Smile has performed over 220,000 surgical procedures to correct facial deformities in children.  It only take an hour for volunteer medical teams to perform these life-altering surgeries that will give children confidence for a lifetime.

* Donation is $3USD. Stamps purchased in US states AL and MA excluded from donation due to legal requirements.

If you came here from Paige Dolecki you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way all around. This is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!  If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants on Melinda’s Blog.  

Card in a Box 
They take time, but I'm getting the hang of it and it's getting easier.
I used the tutorial from Splitcoaststampers
http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/popupboxcard/

Card closes for mailing

 

Open views front and side.

Brushed paper pack X7190B

Hollyhock  ink Z2128

Black ink Z2105

Carmine ShinHan marker Z2448

Clear Assortment Sparkles Z1752

Pink Glitter Gems Z1807

Brown and Tan Glitter Paper Z1830

Artiste Cricut Cartridge Pg.71 Z1790

Card in a Box created for a combination 
Retirement/75th Birthday Celebration
Using the Stamps from Happy Everything
I love this stamp set!

Box Closed for mailing

Front and side views

Another card I made using this stamp set was posted in the June Technique Blog hop

Blossom Paper Packet

Now "Hop" on over to Lisa Plummer  to see her work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas! Remember, this stamp set is only available until August 31. 

The Everything ABC's Blog Hop - Letter N

Welcome to the Everything ABC's Blog Hop 

For this hop, we will be featuring the letter "N".  This may be the name of a paper, a stamp set or an embellishment. Whatever the crafter has chosen as their "N" element 

will be featured in their post.  If you came from

Catherine Nowak's Blog  

then you're on the right track. 

For my "N" creation I had trouble deciding 

A. Nautical?

B. Nursery?

                                       C. "N" key on the Cricut Cartridges?

I actually ended by creating Nothing New by replicating a Nautical card with the Seaside papers from the Current Idea Book page 127 and using some "N" products found in the CTMH Annual Inspirations.  I like how all the New items are listed with an "N" and the Cricut items have a "C" along with the name of the associated cartridge. Both very helpful when looking at the huge selection of CTMH crafting items.

(Wishes: N-chanting N-closure, Wishes: Framework)

This card is found on page 127 of the 2014-2015 

CTMH Idea Book- good through August 2015.  

All items are CTMH.

I added the Neutral metallic  Baker's Twine

Current Not New items:

Aqua dots Z1853

Baker's Twine Z1921

"New" Items from the current Idea book

Glacier CS X5770

Glacier Ink - Z2641

Seaside Paper Packet X7192B

Gold Shimmer Trim Z1985

Tourquoise Blue ShinHan Marker Z2465

Your next stop on our Everything ABC's blog hop

 is  Sue Hoback of CuriousCrafter 

In case you get lost along the way...

go to Scrappy Therapy

I hope you N-joy the N-spiration!