April 2014 Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to the April 2014 Stamp of the Month blog hop, featuring artwork from over 50 Close To My Heart consultants using Balloon Talk, a set of 24 stamps.  Whether you've arrived here from {Sarita's} blog or are just getting started, simply click on the link at the end of each post to go to the next blog in the hop.

So I know what you're thinking.  A bubble text stamp set is PERFECT for creating scrapbook layouts.  It absolutely is.  But, I found another cool use.  I LOVE to read, and between fun reading, school reading, and work reading, I often find myself looking for another bookmark.  Sometimes, I'll grab a Post-it note when I can't find a bookmark, and those things are boring and expensive.  This bookmark makes perfect use of the "START HERE" bubble, providing a perfect little pointer right to the line you want.  By using magnets, this bookmark will stay on the page and can be placed wherever it needs to be in order to point at your next sentence (photos were taken before laminating in order to reduce glare).  I did the 'emboss resist" technique of loading the stamp with Versamark and then my color of choice, then covered with Clear Detail embossing powder and heated with my heat gun.  Then I sponged the white text with Pear ink.  This allowed me to get two colors, and to keep them both true.  I cut a patterned piece of paper to the width of the text balloon and scored the middle, and then cut Blush cardstock to allow a 1/8th inch border.  I mixed Blush Re-inker with Create-a-Shade Pearl Paint, and brushed it onto the Blush cardstock.  After everything was dry, I assembled the pieces, adding magnets to the inside to allow the bookmark to grip the page, though it would also work without the magnets.  Laminating the bookmark after applying the magnets will ensure they stay attached to your bookmark.

Papers: CTMH Blush cardstock, CTMH Chantilly

Inks: CTMH Pear and Twilight, Versamark Watermark

Tools and Techniques: CTMH Clear Detail embossing Powder, sponging, CTMH Create-a-Shade Pearl Paint, CTMH Blush Re-inker, Basic Grey Magnets
Stamp Sets: CTMH Balloon Talk

Remember, Balloon Talk is only available April 1-30, 2014.  Contact your consultant, or click here to get one for yourself.  Now hop on over to {Lucy's} blog to see what she is talking about!

2013 Crafting Totals

Well, another year has flown by.  I didn't realize how quickly it passed until I went into my garage in December to get my Christmas tree, and realized that I never did get it put away on the top shelf of the garage when I took it down last year.

I wasn't very productive in terms of crafting, but I did accomplish a lot at work, completed my junior year of college (and made the Dean's List in the spring and fall), and did a little bit of volunteer work.

I remember that there were a few occasions when I had trouble updating the count gadget, but these numbers are fairly close.

Pages complete: 1

Cards complete: 7

Altered Items: 5

Digital Pages complete: 20

Sewing Items: 0

Crochet Items: 4 (one VERY INVOLVED in progress, about 75% complete)

Miscellaneous Items: 2 (a shadow box for a co-worker's retirement that I really must blog, a super cool geeky Christmas tree decoration that I also must really blog)

Once again, my expenditures far exceeded my production for the year, but I plan to do a better job of scheduling craft time into my schedule in 2014.  What are your crafting goals for 2014?

December 2013 Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to the December 2013 Close To My Heart Stamp of the Month blog hop featuring Special Care, a set of 6 stamps.  Whether you've just arrived from {Michelle's blog} or this is your starting point, just click on the link at the end of each post to go to the next blog in the hop.

This month's SOTM is a great set of tags that have potential for so many different projects:  gift tags, cards, layouts, or a wide variety of altered items.  I chose to make a small shadow box that would be perfect for a child's bathroom.  The image was cut out using the Art Philosophy cartridge, stamped in Pacifica, and mounted using several layers of 3D mounting foam to give it depth (the deep shadow box allows for lots of variation in layers).  The box was painted with Create-a-Shade paint in Pearl, and lightly brushed with Pacifica while the paint was still tacky.  Buttons and ribbon add a little bit of bling to the inside without detracting from the adorable kiddo or the overall project.

Remember, Special Care  is only available December 1-31, 2013.  Contact your consultant, or click here, to get this set for yourself.

Now hop on over to {Shirley's blog} to see her special creation.

If you find any broken links along the way, Melinda has the complete list here.

October 2013 Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

It's OCTOBER, and that means a Christmas-themed stamp set for the Close To My Heart stamp of the month!  Whether you arrived from {Krista's} blog or are just starting here, simply click on the link at the end of each post to go to the next blog in the hop.  This month we have over 50 consultants participating in the hop which features Scandinavian Wishes, a set of 12 stamps.

This stamp set has coordinating shapes that can be cut from the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge, so I decided to make some ornaments or gift tags.

I used the Art Philosphy cartridge to cut out a few of the ornaments.  One great thing about the stamps that coordinate with the various Cricut cartridges is that the cartridge name, image size and page are listed on the stamp carrier right next to the image, making it virtually fool-proof.

I cut out the images, then stamped them with Versamark ink.  For two of them I used a colored embossing powder, but for two of them I used clear.  After allowing them to cool, I used a sponge to color the two that were heat embossed with clear powder (which allows the paper color to show through).  You could do a bunch of different things with these:  use ribbon or twine and hang them as ornaments or gift tags, add them as a dimensional element to a layout or card, put a bunch of them on a length of twine to create a garland (you could even use one alone to be a simple bookmark).

Remember, the October Stamp of the Month is only available from October 1st through 31st. Contact your Close To My Heart consultant, or click here to find out how to get this stamp set for yourself.

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

If you find any broken links along the way, Kathleen has the complete list of hoppers here.

August 2013 Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to the August (!) 2013 Stamp of the Month blog hop featuring A Chocolate Affair, a set of 16 stamps.  This month we have over 50 consultants participating in the hop.  Whether you've arrived here from {Gina's} blog or this is your starting point, simply click on the link at the end of each post to be taken to the next blog in the hop.

This stamp set is perfect for making tags for sweet little gifts (or should that be little sweet gifts) that you might give to someone.  I had planned to put my tags on little cellophane-wrapped packages of gluten-free cookies, but I haven't been able to get off of work before the bakery closes (sidebar:  WHY does the bakery have to close so early?  WHY do I have to work so late?).  Since I didn't make it to the bakery, NO COOKIES FOR YOU!!!

My tags were made using a 2 inch circle punch and a 2 1/2 inch scalloped circle punch.  The images were inked first with Versamark and then with the colored ink, then stamped on the cardstock.  I used clear embossing powder and my heat gun to get a bit of texture and sheen to the images.  Inking the stamp with Versamark and then the colored ink allows the colored ink to be applied to the paper and the Versamark ink over top in one step.  You could add a hole with a hole punch and use ribbon or twine to wrap around a bundle, or you could adhere these to something flat (like a giant dark chocolate bar).  What a stamp set to use when there is NO chocolate in the house!

The heat embossing is a bit more evident in the second picture.

Remember, A Chocolate Affair is only available August 1-31, 2013.  Contact your consultant, or click here, to find out how to get one for yourself.

Now hop on over to {Wendy's} blog to see her sweet project!

If you find any broken links along the way, Helen has the complete list of blogs here.

June 2013 Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to the CTMH Stamp of the Month blog hop.  If you just arrived from {Shirley's} blog, you are on the right path.  This month there are over 50 Close To My Heart consultants participating in our round-robin blog hop.  This month we are featuring A Flowering Bunch, a set of 10 stamps.

Summer means a new class for me, which means new books, which means NEW BOOKMARKS!!  Which is perfect, because when I looked at this stamp set, the big flower just screamed "bookmark" to me.  I chose colors from the Later Sk8r paper pack.

The first step was to cut out the shape from the Cricut Artiste cartridge, once in White Daisy and once in Pear.  Then the image was stamped on the White Daisy cardstock, sprinkled with black embossing powder and heated with the heat gun.  To do the watercolor, squeeze the lid of your stamp pad.  When you open the pad, there will be a bit of ink on the underside of the lid, which you will run the waterbrush through to load with color.  After coloring, the magnet disks were attached to the inside of each piece and then they were laminated.  Laminating after attaching the magnet disks gives an extra layer of protection to keep the magnets attached to the bookmark.  The bad thing about lamination is that regular adhesives don't adhere to it very well.

A few years ago I learned about Terrifically Tacky tape, which is AMAZING when you are working with surfaces that don't take adhesive well.  I applied the Terrifically Tacky tape to the underside of the front piece and trimmed to fit, then attached the two pieces of the bookmark together.  I squeezed them together, then decided to give the bond a little extra holding power by using my heat gun to warm the bookmark and squeezing some more.  And here is the final product in action.

Papers: CTMH Pear and White Daisy cardstock
Inks: CTMH Lagoon, Outdoor Denim, and Pear; Versamark
Tools and Techniques: CTMH Black Embossing Powder, Waterbrush, Cricut Artiste cartridge, Basic Grey magnets, Xyron lamination, Terrifically Tacky Tape  

Remember, A Flowering Bunch is only available June 1-30, 2013.  Ask your consultant, or click here, to find out how to get this stamp for yourself!

Now hop on over to {Angel's blog} to see her creation.

If you find any broken links along the way, Helen has the complete list on her blog. 

My 2012 Crafting Count

Well, 2012 was not a very productive year for me craft-wise, but that is because of how busy I was with work and school.  I moved back to the States from Okinawa, took a bunch of college classes, made the Dean's List, was inducted into TWO honor societies, got an AWESOME back injury at work, completed extra professional education and reading for work, and planned and executed the biggest-deal project of my military career.  Unfortunately, that means my expenditures on crafting supplies FAR exceeded my production for the year.  These are my totals:

Pages complete: 0

Cards complete: 13

Altered Items: 3

Digital Pages complete: 0

Sewing Items: 0

Crochet Items: 0

Miscellaneous Items: 2

I actually did work on some digital layouts on Studio J, but I don't count them until I place the order (so that will mean a boost in my 2013 numbers).  

I think my school schedule this year will be such that I will be able to have at least a little bit of crafting time each month (well, until the fall anyway).  Maybe I'll set a goal this year of scheduling crafting time into my weeks.  That sounds like a good goal.  What are YOUR crafting goals for 2013?

January 2013 Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to the January 2013 CTMH Stamp of the Month Blog Hop.  If you just arrived from {Sarita's} blog, you are on the right path.  This month there are nearly 50 Close To My Heart consultants participating in our blog hop.  We are featuring the January 2013 Stamp of the Month Happy Valentine's, a set of 7 stamps.  

For my project, I broke out my Cricut and the Artiste cartridge.  The little square box measures 2.5" on each side, and has a cutout window on the top.  I cut the box body from Sweet Leaf cardstock, and the lid from La Belle Vie.  I stamped the rose on the reverse side of the window cutout from the box lid in StazOn black ink.  I cut out the rose and then used Liquid Glass to attach it to the underside of a 2.5" square of acetate (I just use those overhead transparency sheets you can buy at the office supply store).  I also used Liquid Glass to attach the acetate to the underside of the lid.  Once the LG was dry, I attached black Opaques from the Licorice package, and made a bow from black grosgrain ribbon which was attached with Zots glue dots.  For the box body, I mixed black Re-inker with Create-a-Shade Pearl Paint and dry-brushed it over the box, allowing some of the cardstock color to show through.  If you wanted to make the  box sturdier, you could coat it with a product like Mod Podge.  Now you have a cute box that you can put a small gift or treasure into.  

Remember, Happy Valentine's is only available January 1-31, 2013.  Contact your consultant or click here to find out how to get your own.

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

If you find any broken links along the way, Helen has the complete list of hoppers listed on her blog.

May 2012 Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to the May 2012 Stamp of the Month Blog Hop featuring Friendship Bouquet, a set of 8 stamps.  If you have just arrived from {Lori's} blog, you are on the right path.  If you are just starting here, you can join in our circular hop by simply clicking the link to the next blog at the end of each post.

Well, this was definitely cutting it close.  My shipment from Okinawa took the full 60 days to get here (technically, they didn't call me until the 61st day), which has NEVER happened to me before.  So, two short days ago the movers were here.  This was my scrap room Friday afternoon, before the movers were finished.

And this is what it looked like Sunday night.

 And I still have scrap stuff in two other rooms.  Luckily, I was able to "dig up" the supplies I needed to make this cute gift, which would be perfect for introducing yourself to a new neighbor.  I took some seed packets and tied them together with Tan Hemp.  Using a Dimensional Element from the Art Philosophy Collection, I stamped the sentiment in Hollyhock and the leaf in Bamboo.  Had I been able to locate my hole punch, I would have tied on the Dimensional Element, but I just used adhesive to attach it to the seed packet.  The hemp was threaded through the buttons and tied off, leaving the flower-shaped buttons to dangle.

Papers: CTMH Dimensional Elements

Inks: CTMH Bamboo and Hollyhock

Tools and Techniques: CTMH Hemp, CTMH Pink Assortment Buttons, CTMH Blue Assortment Buttons
Stamp Sets: CTMH Friendship Bouqet

Remember, Friendship Bouquet is only available May 1-31, 2012.  Contact your consultant or click {here} to find out how to get your own.

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

If you find any broken links along the way, Helen has the complete list of hoppers listed on her blog.

December 2011 CTMH Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to the December 2011 Stamp of the Month Blog Hop featuring Mad About You, a set of 14 stamps.  If you have just arrived from {Kami's} blog, you are on the right path.  If you are just starting here, you can join in our circular hop by simply clicking the link to the next blog at the end of each post.

The great thing about the December SOTM (that is, for those of you who aren't procrastinators) is that it is perfect for making your Valentine's Day cards and gifts.  I used the set to decorate a cover for a box of candy.  I started with a sheet of Blush cardstock, and then random stamped four images in Blush ink.  I then laid the cardstock face down, and used my Embossing Stylus to trace around the box, and creased the lines and made cuts where necessary.

Next I adhered the cardstock to the candy box.  I cut a strip of Pear cardstock, which was random stamped in Pear ink.  Once again, the stylus was used to mark the edges, the creases were made and the coordinating strip attached to the box.  The large heart image was stamped in Blush on Blush cardstock, and mounted using 3-D Mounting Foam.  (I apologize for the poor quality of the  photos.  I seem to have lost my camera battery charger when I moved barracks six weeks ago, so I had to resort to using my phone for pictures.)


Remember, Mad About You is only available December 1-31, 2011.  Contact your consultant or click here to find out how to get your own.

Now hop on over to {Melissa's} blog to see a project you're sure to be mad about.

If you find any broken links along the way, Helen has the complete list of hoppers listed on her blog.

October 2011 Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to the October 2011 Stamp of the Month Blog Hop featuring Holiday Magic, a set of 18 stamps.  If you are just arriving from {Teresa's} blog, you are on the right path.  If you are starting here, just click on the link at the end of each post to go to the next blog in the hop.

The October Stamp of the Month is always a Christmas stamp (well, at least "always" since 2007 that I can vouch for), so it is the perfect stamp to jump start your holiday crafting.  I decided to make gift tags, which I like to do every year.

Some ideas for attaching your gift tags are Embroidery Floss, Waxy Flax, and Hemp.  One thing I like to do with ribbon is punch a very small hole in the item (smaller than the width of the ribbon), and then run the ribbon through it.  The small size of the hole will hold the ribbon in place, so it isn't necessary to tie a knot.

Remember, Holiday Magic is only available October 1-31, 2011.  Contact your CTMH consultant, or click here, to find out how to get yours.

Now hop on over to {Wendy's} blog to see her magical creation.

If you find any broken links along the way, {Helen} has the complete list on her blog.

September 2011 Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to our Close To My Heart consultant Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! We will be featuring the September SOTM, which is Limited Edition, a set of 21 stamps. If you have come here from {Teresa's} blog, you are on the right path!  If this is your starting point, hop on in and enjoy the fun.  Just click the link at the end of the post to take you to the next blog in our hop.

This is one of many CTMH stamp sets that coordinates with the new Cricut© Art Philosophy Collection, which is exclusive to Close To My Heart and includes the Art Philosophy cartridge, 3 My Acrylix® D-sized stamp sets, and 3 9" X 12" Dimensional Elements (Item number for the collection is Z1686).  I look at this stamp set and had inspiration for book marks, gift tags, and the project that I made, magnets.

I stamped the images on cardstock, and used some of our (now retired) Window Charms.  I simply applied the Window Charms over the stamp image, cut out with my cutting knife and glued a magnet on the back (you can use magnetic sheets, which are usually self adhesive, as well).   Since my barracks room has a metal door, I now have a cute magnet to hang my "don't forget" list (so maybe I'll stop forgetting my coffee, or workout clothes, or mp3 player...) when I leave for work or school.  The other two will go to work for my board; the clock is for anything time-sensitive, and the hand is for my "to do" items.  I love when I get to have something cute and useful at work!

Remember, Limited Edition is only available September 1-30, 2011.  Contact your consultant, or click here, to find out how to get yours.

Now hop on over to {Angel's} blog to see her enchanting creation. 

If you find any broken links along the way, Helen has the complete list of hoppers here. 

July 2011 Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to the July 2011 Stamp of the Month Blog Hop featuring American Celebration, a set of 12 stamps.  If you have just arrived from {Terrie's} blog, you are on the right path.  If you are just starting here, you can join in our circular hop by simply clicking the link to the next blog at the end of each post.

My project is a set of place cards for your Independence Day picnic table.  Simply cut cardstock to your desired width by two times your desired height, then score and fold.  Stamp the images in shades of red and blue (I used Cranberry, Pacifica, and Sky), and stamp or write in the guests' names.  I also made slightly larger cards that you can use to label the tables (really useful if you are having a potluck, so like dishes are put together).  I used the rock and roll technique on the "dessert" card, first inking the stamp in Sky, then rolling the Cranberry stamp pad around the edges to get the two colors blended.  Names were stamped using Friendship Alphabet Small.

Remember, American Celebration is only available July 1-31, 2011.  Contact your consultant or click here to find out how to get your own.

Now hop on over to {Nicole's} blog to celebrate her project.

If you find any broken links along the way, Helen has the complete list of hoppers listed on her blog. 

March 2011 CTMH Spotlight Blog Hop

Welcome to the March 2011 CTMH Spotlight Blog Hop.  This month we are featuring scrapbooking techniques.  If you just arrived from {Haley's} blog, you are on the right path.  If you're just starting here, you can enjoy our hop by simply clicking the link to the next blog at the end of the post.

I decided to feature Studio J layouts, specifically using them in interactive layouts.  I have printed several Studio J layouts that I intended to add something to after I received it.  In some instances, it was a picture that I didn't have electronically (a copyrighted photo from an event, for instance).  Other items have been pressed pennies, tickets, and in today's example, bib numbers from races.

There are a lot of great ways to add interactive elements to your scrapbook layouts.  One of the easiest is to use Memory Protector Flip Flaps.  But the technique I am going to show you today is ideal when the interactive item is an unusual size.  My bib number was 8 1/4" X 8 3/8", so instead of a flip flap, I used a piece of transparency film (yes, those same sheets that you remember from elementary school, which you can buy in your local office supply store).  I cut a piece of transparency film 5" X 8", and scored it down the length.  Next, I used a bone folder to sharpen the crease (hint:  if you don't have a bone folder, the My Acrylix® blocks can be used to serve the same purpose).  You really want to create a sharp crease so your interactive portion will lay flat when closed.  Next, I attached the transparency to the back of the layout using Terrifically Tacky Tape.  When you are using the transparencies, you need to use a really heavy-duty adhesive, because the slick material doesn't hold adhesive well.  Also, you'll want to make sure to NOT put the layout or the materials you are attaching all the way up into the crease.  If you don't leave a bit of space at the crease (really, you don't need much), your interactive flap won't lay down flat when you are finished (see the layout below, from the first time I did this technique.  All except the bottom right photo were mounted using this technique-except through the page protector.  Notice how the top left photo on the right page isn't laying flat.  That's because I put the pieces all the way up into the crease, so it didn't have room to close flat).  

After attaching the flap to the back of the layout, I prepared my two pieces for the outside of the page protector.  One is the race number, the second is a piece of cardstock that I cut to match the size of the race number and used for journaling.  Be mindful of how the viewer will look at the items when you mount them.  Because I was using two items, I sandwiched the outer piece of transparency between them, once again using Terrifically Tacky Tape.  I adhered the cardstock and race number to each other using my regular adhesive (only part of each is attached to the transparency).  Then I simply lifted my "flap" and slid the page into the page protector, then laid the flap down on the outside of the page protector.  The race number is made of Tyvek, so I wasn't really concerned about it not being protected.  If you are using something that is paper, laminate it before attaching to the transparency (that is exactly what I did the first time I used this technique, and is how I discovered Terrifically Tacky Tape, as none of the other adhesives I tried would keep the laminated item attached to the transparency.

I hope I've given you some ideas for your scrapbook pages, and helped you to see how you can incorporate items into your layouts to make them interactive.  Now hop on over to  {Adeline's} blog to see what she's created.

If you find any broken links along the way, Wendy has the complete list of participants on her blog.

CTMH Spotlight Blog Hop Featuring Color Combos

Welcome to the February 2011 CTMH Spotlight Blog Hop featuring color combos.  If you've just arrive from {Adeline's} blog, you're on the right path.  If you are just starting here, you are in for a treat.  Our hop is a circular hop, so just click on the link at the end of each post to take you to the next stop on the hop.

The CTMH Idea Books are much more than just a catalog.  They are full of great layouts, cards, and projects that you can look back on for inspiration.  I have all of my Idea Books going back to the first CTMH gathering I attended in 2006.  One of the great inspirations to be found in our Idea Books are the color combos.  I always love getting to the My Acrylix stamp section to see the artwork created using interesting color combos.  The color combo I'm using comes from the Autumn/Winter 2007 IB and features three colors that debuted in my first IB (A/W 2006).  The colors are Cocoa, Honey, Petal, and Twilight.  And since (with the exception of Cocoa) I'm pretty sure none of those colors has been with another in any CTMH paper pack, that left me to my cardstock and embellishments.  But never fear!!!  CTMH colors are easy to match with our Exclusive Inks and Re-Inkers.

This is just a "Fat Lil' Notebook" that I'm embellishing so there is no confusion as to whom it belongs.  First I took out the spiral, and then covered the front and back cover with cardstock.  One thing I love doing with my cardstock is ink distressing with the matching ink.  That gives the oomph of the technique without making it too busy.

But then I realized that there is no ribbon in Twilight, Honey, or Petal.  Never fear, there are several ways to get a perfectly-matched ribbon.  For the Twilight organza ribbon, I cut a length of White Daisy organza and put it in a sandwich bag (the zipper type), making sure to push it toward the bottom.  With the bag lying on its side, I dripped about 15 drops of Twilight Re-Inker into the bag near the top.  Then I carefully closed and zipped the bag, and smooshed the Re-Inker across the width of the bag.  After it seemed to be fairly evenly distributed, I pushed the ribbon up into the ink and rubbed the bag around.  Once it appeared to have good coverage, I unzipped the bag and pulled the ribbon out to dry.  There were a few spots with too much ink, so I patted the ribbon with a paper towel.  And since I did this inside a zipped baggie, no inky smudges on my fingers (I removed the ribbon from the baggie using tweezers to keep my fingers clean)!

The Honey ricrac was colored in a different way, since I don't own Honey Re-Inker.  I simply opened up my Honey ink pad and set it on a plastic grocery bag.  Next, I took my length of ribbon, and starting at one end laid it on the surface of the ink pad. Then I used an edge of the plastic bag around my fingers while I pressed the ribbon into the ink pad, making sure to get both sides of the ribbon.  After the first pass, there was a pretty cool pattern showing white through the Honey, but I decided to go for a solid color.  So, second pass entailed pressing the ribbon into the surface of the ink pad while pulling it through for full coverage.  A few spots looked a bit more color-saturated than the rest, so I blotted them with a paper towel.  Voila!  MORE perfectly-matched ribbon!!!

So, I challenge you to find some color inspiration, and don't let your options be limited by how things are.  Use inks, Re-Inkers, and markers to get things just the color you want!

Now hop on over to {Wendy's} blog for some more color inspiration!

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.

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.

October 2010 Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to the October 2010 CTMH Stamp of the Month Blog Hop, featuring Share the Magic, a set of 12 Stamps.  If you've just arrived here from {Georgia's} blog, you are on the right track.  If you are just starting here, just jump in and enjoy our circular hop, which has over 60 participants this month.  When you reach the end of a post, click on the link at the end to go to the next post, easy peasy!!

My project is a set of 12 gift tags.  I thought it would be fun to do some heat embossing, so I chose a few different colors of paper with plans to use different embossing powders on them.  My first step was to punch out the tags, and then put in eyelets at the top for the ribbon/waxy flax.  Next, I put the "To:" and "From:" stamps on the block.  **Hint:  to put multiple stamps on the block exactly the way you want them, place the stamps on your work surface or on a piece of paper with the flat side up and in the positions that you want them in.  Then, set the block on top of the stamps and press gently.  Voila!  Perfectly positioned stamps for your project.  This is extremely useful when making words from alphabet stamps.**  The stamps were inked with Versamark, and then stamped on the tags.  Embossing powder was applied, making sure to brush away the excess powder before using the heat gun.  **Hint:  when heat embossing on both sides of an item, make sure that you remove the excess powder from the first side before embossing the second side.  Trust me, even if you don't intentionally put powder on the first side when you powder the second side, it WILL end up there.**  The snowman was colored in using markers, and ribbon and Waxy Flax were used for the hanging loop.

Papers: CTMH cardstock in Cranberry, Olive, Tulip, and White Daisy
Inks: CTMH Markers in Black, Chocolate, Cranberry, Goldrush, and Olive, Versamark
Tools and Techniques: Heat embossing, CTMH embossing powder in Black, Gold, and White, CTMH eyelets (old style) in Cranberry and Olive, CTMH Eyelet Kit (old style), CTMH ribbon, Waxy Flax, Marvy Uchida punch
Stamp Sets: CTMH Share the Magic


Remember, Share the Magic is only available during the month of October 2010.  Ask your consultant, or click here, to find out how to get this stamp for a discount or possibly even FREE!

Now hop on over to {Dawn's} blog to share in her magic. 
If you find any broken links along the way, Helen has the complete list of participants {here}.

For the teacher...

My friend B is at the end of her first year as a teacher, and her birthday is also this week.  So, my first scrapping project in Okinawa (this time) is a name placard shadow box for her classroom.  She loves butterflies, and the colors pink and green, so I wanted to incorporate all of those into the shadow box.  The box is 8X10, and I got it at JoAnn.

Papers: CTMH Blush cardstock, CTMH Emporium

Inks: CTMH Blush

Tools and Techniques: Sponge edge distressing, Silhouette Machine (words and butterflies), CTMH Big Pinks flower, CTMH adhesive pearls, Zva Creative crystal flourish, Karen Foster Scrapper's Floss, Making Memories button, 3-D Mounting Foam, Xyron Adhesive


The butterflies were cut out with my Silhouette machine.  I adhered one completely onto the base, and the second one was mounted using 3-D mounting foam only on the center.  The edges of the wings were rolled slightly to give it dimension.  A row of adhesive pearls defines the butterfly's body, and a piece of floss attached to the underside are his antenna.  The crystal flourish was applied before the top butterfly. 

A piece of floss was tied through the button, which was then attached to the flower with glue dots.  The flower was attached to the background using glue dots as well.  Letters and mats were cut with the Silhouette.  The mats were sponged with Blush ink around the edges.  Letters were run through the Xyron to attach to the mats, then the mats were run through the Xyron to attach to background.  The "W" was instead mounted using a double stack of 3-D Mounting Foam (two pieces stacked on top of each other--remember to remove the paper backing before sticking the pieces together) in order to raise it up enough to clear the flower.  

 

 

Recycle (and break in some new stuff)

The challenge at Our Creative Corner this week is to create a card or project using recycled items. The timing couldn't be more perfect. I was cleaning out the pantry the other day and came across this tin. My husband's company had been giving them out at some convention-type thing, and it came filled with chocolate chip cookies. There were still 1 1/2 of the little cookies in the tin, and I know he's had it for ages. I tossed the cookies (haha, tossed my cookies ;) ) and decided to keep the tin to alter. I didn't think I'd get to it so soon, but this week's challenge was the perfect excuse.



I used CTMH Silhouette paper, as well as Bamboo and Tulip cardstock. Stamp set used was CTMH Friendship Small. Flowers are Prima, I sewed with my machine on the two strips of Bamboo cardstock (only one is visible in the picture). Ribbon is CTMH Colonial White Ricrac, and brads are CTMH Tulip. I got to break in my new Cuttlebug (I broke my old one last month by trying to go from memory instead of using the cheat sheet for the cut/emboss stacks), as well as my new Nestabilities Labels One (which arrived two days after I broke my Cuttlebug and has been teasing me for weeks now, begging to be used). After embossing the labels, I sponged them (while still in the die) with the matching ink. I'm glad I did that, because all of the pressure necessary to keep the label in place while the Mod Podge dried pretty much removed the embossing. I didn't really have an intended purpose for this, but I think I am going to use it as my secret candy stash in the scrap room. I need to go see if I have some sugar free Werther's Originals to fill it with...