February 2011 Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to the February 2011 CTMH Stamp of the Month Blog Hop, featuring Friendship, a set of 8 Stamps.  If you've just arrived here from {Kristie's} blog, you are on the right path.   But, if you're just starting here you won't miss a thing.  Our hop is one big circle, so jump right on in and enjoy the artwork!

Well, one of the joys of living in Okinawa is the mail.  Sometimes it arrives, and sometimes it doesn't.  Sometimes part of your shipment arrives, and sometimes you have to have things tracked and re-shipped...unfortunately my new Stamps of the Month haven't arrived, so I don't have any new artwork to show just yet.  But I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they'll show up tomorrow (which would be today now that you're reading this. LOL).  Keep yours crossed too please!  I'm quite bummed out, because as you may have noticed from my blog background and the background in some of my pictures, I really like damask and black and white.  I hope you'll have as much fun with this stamp as I hope to.  In the meantime, here is a picture of the images in this set.

 

Remember, Friendship is only available February 1-28, 2011.  Contact your consultant, or click here, to find out how to get yours for a discount or even for free. 

Now hop on over to {Traci's} blog to see what she's created.

A New Bookmark

My ninja progressed to his most recent belt a few months back.  While I was home at Christmas, he mentioned that he needed a new bookmark (as he was still using his blue belt bookmark).

I definitely need to practice my hair coloring techniques.  I just gave up and went with what I ended up with, rather than start over.  He's a boy, he won't care.  LOL.  You can view the last one I made for him (with much better hair) here. 

Ian's skin was colored with E00 and E02, his pants with 110, hair was E33, Y21, Y06, and Y00 (and who knows what else, I was trying to salvage it after all!!), belt was CTMH Watercolor Pencil and shadowing was Prismacolor Premier Cool Grey 10%.

Papers: CTMH cardstock in Hydrangea and White Daisy
Inks: Brilliance Graphite Black, Copic Markers
Tools and Techniques: CTMH Watercolor Pencils, Basic Grey Small Magnetic Disks, Xyron Lamination, Cuttlebug, Nestabilities Large Labels, CTMH Liquid Glass
Stamp Sets: CTMH Tiny Typewriter, TGF Karate Ian (digital)

The magnets are self-adhesive, but I used some Liquid Glass to ensure a good long-term bond.  The lamination will also serve to keep the magnet disks in place.  The lamination wasn't applied until after I took the picture, as it tends to cause a glare and make it a challenge to get a decent shot.

More Studio J

Here's another Studio J layout of our vacation in 2009.  I never bought the Stickease to go with this paper pack, so I love the fact that Studio J includes the matching Stickease for each paper pack!

January 2011 CTMH Spotlight Blog Hop

Welcome to the January 2011 CTMH Spotlight Blog Hop!  This month our hop is featuring Valentine's ideas.  If you have just arrived from {Debbie's} blog, you are on the right path.  If you are just beginning here, you won't miss any of the action, as our hop is a full circle.  Just click on the link at the end of each post to take you to the next blog in the hop.

My project is a Valentine's box.  This box actually has multiple uses.  It could be placed on the desk to receive Valentines in, it could be given full of chocolate kisses, or it could even be used to hide a jewelry box.  The box came from the dollar bin at Target, and all other items are CTMH (unless noted).

  

 

Papers: CTMH cardstock in Blush and Garden Green, CTMH That's Amore
Inks: CTMH Chocolate and Tulip, StazOn Timber Brown (to color the Colonial White Bigger Brads), CTMH Re-inker in Blush and Tulip
Tools and Techniques: CTMH ribbon(Cocoa Collection), CTMH Bigger Brads (Colonial White), Sponging (to color the Colonial White Bigger Brad and the cardstock on the flag), White Daisy Crochet Flowers (from Mini Medley Accents Collection), Mod Podge
Stamp Sets: CTMH Amore

Two outside of the ordinary things I did for this project:  I used alcohol mixed with Re-inker to color the crochet flowers, and I coated the completed box with Mod Podge to give it extra durability.

I hope you're inspired to create a fun Valentine project of your own.  Now hop on over to {Vicki's} blog to see her creation.

Happy New Year!!!

I will scrap more in 2011!!!  To get that off to a good start, I made a few Studio J layouts on New Year's Eve.  This is from our family vacation in 2009.

I love Studio J membership!  I get free shipping on one order of layouts each month (minimum and maximums apply, and vary based on shipping location), my layouts are half-price because I'm a member, there are special papers and layouts that are only available to members, I get free page protectors with every order, and I get free .jpgs of my purchased layouts (both high resolution for printing, and lower resolution for posting online).  Want more info on Studio J?  Just check it out on my website by clicking here.