H2H Challenge – My Style

Welcome to another Heart 2 Heart Challenge post all about ‘My Style’. I had to do a little thinkin’ about ‘my style’…what is it really!?! Well, I know I love color. I love stamping. I love distressing. So, I used a little of each in my creation this week and viola…

My 4-1/2” Wishes Card Confidence Program circle card was created using CTMH’s new Elemental Workshops on the Go Kit along with a few other stamp sets called Love Life & Zoology. My featured colors are Desert Sand, Olive, Pacifica, Cranberry & Chocolate. I used my Sanding Kit to distress all my papers. You’ll also notice I used the new Mini-Medley Accents Collection in Pewter and some Natural Hemp.

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Just a friendly reminder…

The Heart 2 Heart Design Team for July – Dec 2011…

Brenda Rose, Cheryl Even, Debi Barber, Haley Dyer, Jody Gustafson, Mary Vogel (owner), Michelle Auten and Pamela O'Connor (me!).

Our August Sponsors are…

Lisa Sargent and Melinda Everitt!

Our August Guest Designer is…

Debi Davis

Please be sure to create a project using mostly Close To My Heart products and then head on over to the Heart 2 Heart Challenge Blog and post your creation under the appropriate challenge. Your project may be one of ten chosen for the Top Ten at the end of August and you may even win a prize at the end of the month and an opportunity to be a future Guest Design Team member!

I look forward to seeing all your wonderful creations! God bless,

October Stamp of the Month Blog Hop & Stippling

Welcome to the Close To My Heart Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!

This month we are featuring the October SOTM from the 2010 Autumn/Winter Idea Book, which is D1443  Share the Magic, a set of 12 stamps.

If you have come here from Jen's Blog, you are on the right path! If this is your first stop, you may want to go back to Kathleen's Blog and start from the beginning!

This month, myself and my fellow Close To My Heart Consultants are sharing our creations using this month's SOTM and other great CTMH products on our blogs. To follow along on the hop - just click on the link at the end of this post to move to the next one! Here we go!

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This month I chose to create a card using our new 4-1/2” Colonial White Circle Cards with envelopes and the Wishes Card Confidence Program pattern, Inner Court. I also used the Mistletoe Level 2 Paper Packet, Red & Pink Embroidery Floss Assortment, and Opaque Pearl Adhesive Gems.

I did some paper piecing using the SOTM, so there was no coloring involved. Also, along the edges of the Colonial White Cardstock, I stippled with Cocoa Ink.

Let me briefly explain what ‘stippling’ is…

You will need a stipple brush from CTMH’s Texture Tools Kit, an ink pad and B&T Duos or Cardstock.

Ink your stipple brush generously with your desired ink.

Then gently brush the edges of your paper, preferably from the outer edge into the middle of the paper. This will give your paper an antique look.

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Now "Hop" on over to Kami's Blog to see her fabulous works of art! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas!

Remember, the October SOTM is only available until October 31, 2010!  Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount or even FREE!

Have a blessed day and make it from your heart!

Wishes Designer Tag - Topstitch Cards

Ok, I really need to take a refresher course on children’s songs/lullabies so I can sing along with my 2-1/2 yr old’s sing-a-long piano…especially since she is insisting that I hold the microphone and sing songs I don’t know the words to!

Well, as you can probably guess, I was able to distract her and get her mind onto something else so that I could sit down at my work table and create some fun cards using Wishes and some Topstitch scraps. I love this collection so much that I’m going to have to order myself another paper packet pretty soon.

My cards today were created using the Designer Tag pattern from Wishes, featured on pg 97. I had some fun with an exclusive consultant stamp set that has some great Thank You messages in it. However, the center image was a flower, so I decided to cut it out with an exacto knife and I overlaid a stamped image from the exclusive stamp set from the Topstitch Workshop on the Go Kit. I love how the B&T Duos peek through on the tag.

Since I used Chocolate CS for my card base, I decided it would be smart to place some Colonial White CS on the inside for my message and I decorated it up a little with more scraps and stamping.

A handmade card is really never finished until you stamp your mark on the back of the card! Here I used another stamp from an exclusive consultant stamp set and then I used the cute little pinwheel inside. Love the message!

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you were inspired to create something beautiful for a friend or family member…just because!  

Wheresover you go, go with all your heart. ~ Confucius

God bless,

January Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!

Welcome to the Close To My Heart Stamp of the Month Blog Hop. I am so excited you have hopped by to visit me!

This month we are featuring January’s SOTM, True Friends , a set of 11 My Acrylix stamps.

If you have come here from Judy's Blog, you are on the right path!

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This month we have over 60 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other great CTMH products. It is so simple to hop along with us - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

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For this month’s post, I chose to create two square cards using Wishes Card Confidence Program and a few new paper packets. On the smaller card, I used the Felicity Collection which is only available through 01/31/2010. You can order your Felicity Collection HERE. For the larger card, I created a 6” x 6” card using the new Caboodle Level 2 Paper Packet available 01/01/2010 from the new 2010 Spring Idea Book.

I just love the colors in the Caboodle Level 2 Paper Packet…Crystal Blue, Sorbet, & Sweet Leaf.

I used coordinating markers to color in the dots in the focal image along with some bitty sparkles. the focal image is pop dotted to give some dimension to the card.

I especially enjoyed creating the 4-1/2” x 4-1/2” card below using the Felicity Collection. The die-cut circle paper is so striking with a little bit of it peeking out behind the focal point image.

I stamped the focal point image twice, once in Desert Sand and once in 2nd generation Sorbet. I cut out both images, but on the 2nd generation Sorbet, I cut out only the line with dots and then layered it onto the Desert Sand image. I also pop dotted this image because of the Colonial White Ribbon I placed behind it.

I hope you enjoyed my projects. Both of these are very simple to re-create. I hope you take the opportunity to do so! Enjoy the rest of the hop!

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Now "Hop" on over to Cindy's Blog to see her work…I’m sure she has something adorable to share with you!

Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas! Remember, the January SOTM is only available until January 31st!

Contact me at pamela@myctmh.com to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount or even FREE with a qualifying order!

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If you get lost on the hop or find links that aren't working, click HERE for a complete list of participating blogs.

Have a blessed day and make it from your heart with Close To My Heart!

Greetings Card Workshop

Learn how to make cards in bulk using Jeanette Lynton’s “workshop” approach in the Wishes Card Confidence Program®  to save time and get the most out of your supplies as I did here for my Greetings Card Workshop.

 

View them close-up…

View Full Album

Anytime you need to make a bold statement, you’ll love the  Greetings Card Workshop. This extraordinary paper-thrifty project will help you make 16 standard 5-1/2” x 4-1/4” cards (two each of eight designs) using just three sheets of paper, plus card bases.

This workshop is featured on pages 110- 115 of the Wishes Card Confidence Program®. Shop online at MyCTMH website for your copy today!

Recipe: B1334 Enjoy the Journey My Acrylix® Stamp Set (only available by purchasing the Sweet Home Basic Kit), X254 White Value Pack Cards & Envelopes, X7115B Jingle Level 2 Paper Packet, X5670 Cozy Textured Cardstock Combo Pack, Z2166 Tulip Exclusive Inks® Stamp Pad, Z2117 Crystal Blue Exclusive Inks® Stamp Pad, Z2153 Sweet Leaf Exclusive Inks® Stamp Pad, Z1090 Foam Tools

Enjoy the Journey with Close To  My Heart,