My "Seeing Double" Card!

The challenge issued on the Heart2Heart Challenges blog this week is entitled "Seeing Double!"  I chose to create this standard-size card inspired by Make It From Your Heart, Volume 1 - Pattern 28, since I felt like this card design fits the "double" theme so perfectly.  The stamps I used are from the Stitch Wonder set C1564, shown on page 102 of the current Idea Book.  I also used the Huntington papers X7174B with Barn Red and Cocoa inks. It's a very simple card...but sometimes simple is best! Enjoy!

Tag! You're It!

 

The challenge on the Heart2Heart Challenges blog this week was to create something that includes a tag of some kind....so this is the standard-size card I came up with this evening. I used the Chantilly paper pack X7163B and Fabulous You stamp set C1533 with a Slate pocket tag from the Posh Journaling Spots assortment Z1755 ($5.95). The only color ink pad I used on the entire card was Slate (plus a Sweet Leaf marker and paper-piecing technique to add color to the bird and flowers). I hope you enjoyed seeing my soft and simple "tag" card for Spring! Now, what can you do with tags?!!

A Box For My Valentine!!

 Wishing you all a very Happy Valentine's Day!

Today I'm sharing this little box I made for my husband Jose for Valentine's Day (below).  The heavy-duty chipboard box with magnetic closure is our My Creations Card Box Z1647 ($4.95). I used the "For Always" paper pack with My Stickease (left-over from scrapbook pages I made recently) and embellished it with Slate Mini-Medley Accents Z1787 ($5.95) and Silver Shimmer Trim Z1799 ($4.95).

This creation also fits the "Love is in the Air" Challenge over at the Heart2Heart Challenge Blog this week! You'll definitely want to visit the Heart2Heart Blog soon to see more "Love-inspired" artwork!!

Here's a side-view of the box (below).

 

Finally, here's what I put inside. Jose will need to hide his box good to keep his "secret stash" hidden away from me and all the kids. With five kids at home, you can bet that sweets of any kind (especially the chocolate kind!) get devoured quickly and won't last very long around here.

Happy Independence Day!!

Wishing you all a happy and safe 4th of July!

I had fun making this card tonight for the 

Heart 2 Heart Blog "Patriotism Challenge"!

 

Standard size card featuring American Celebration D1458 stamp set and the Superhero papers X7152B (Black, Cranberry, and Outdoor Denim inks). Firecrackers are rolled up B&T duos papers with black Baker's Twine inside for the fuses (papers were cut to 4 inches long before rolling).

Sweet Surprises Flower card for H2H blog challenge!

I was inspired by the "April showers bring May flowers" challenge issued on the Heart 2 Heart blog this week! The challenge is pretty simple...to create something using flowers...so I did!
 

 I created this simple 5.75" wide by 5.25" tall card using the My Creations Sweet Surprises Card Kit Z1731!! This kit is so fantastic...it even includes envelope boxes that fit the cards just right (click on this link here to see everything that the kit includes)! I also added just a little bit of our "Dotty For You" papers to cover the flap, added a White Daisy Bigger Brad, then used a Velcro dot to secure it closed. I was happy to discover how nicely this paper pack coordinates with this card kit...they are the perfect pairing! There is no stamping on this card at all (most of the pieces are dimensional elements die-cuts or stickers), just a little bit of sponge-daubered ink-distressing with Desert Sand ink, so it was an extra quick and easy card to put together!

  

 Here is a view of what the card looks like with the flap open (above).

 

  ...and here is a view of what the card looks like on the inside (above).

 

Finally, I wanted to show you what I filled the clear adhesive-backed treat cup (center of flower) with! This "tropical typhoon" flavored box of candies include colors that match the colors in this kit perfectly (and are pretty yummy too...I couldn't stop eating them this morning, lol). Enjoy!

"Dotty for You" card for H2H photo inspiration challenge!

 
This weeks Heart 2 Heart blog challenge was to use the photo (shown below) to inspire my creativity. I ended up coming up with this standard-size card featuring the "Dotty for You" papers. Colors I used include Cocoa, Colonial White, Smoothie, Sunset, and Sweet Leaf (The flower pattern on the bottom half of the card was created by stamping with 1st and 2nd generation Smoothie and Sunset inks). Stamp sets I used include Say it in Style D1283 for the sentiment and the Stella WOTG stamp set G1032 for the flower. I hope you enjoy and are inspired by my card...and if you can find some time this week, you really should try out this challenge too...it's such a fun one!! :)
 

Hand-stitched Teacher card for H2H!

 
Here's a standard-size card that I created for the Heart 2 Heart blog challenge this week. The challenge was to include stitching of some kind on your creation. I chose to use some hand-stitching with black waxy flax. I didn't use a ruler or a guide of any kind to help me with the spacing of my stitching because I wanted it to look like it was really sewn by hand (and thus, not look too perfect, lol). The stamp set I used is School Rocks B1396 with the Typeset paper pack X7139B. Ink pad colors I used include Black, Cocoa, and Juniper (with Bamboo, Parchment, and Vineyard Berry markers for the coloring in of the school house). Teacher appreciation week is coming up in a few weeks, and because I know so many teachers (and am married to one!), I have been trying to think up some card ideas for them. I hope to come up with a few more "teacher appreciation" ideas that I can post and share again soon!

A Bow-wow Card for H2H April Sketch Challenge!!

I spent a little time playin' in my craft room this afternoon! I was saddened to realize that it is already the last day of Spring Break for my kids and I, so I needed a little cheering up. I really enjoyed hearing the pitter-patter of rain and seeing the storm just outside my window while I created. I made this standard-size card using the new "Dotty for You" papers that will be available for customers to start purchasing very soon (April 17th)! I also used just a little bit of one of the B&T patterns from the Cruisin' paper packet X7154B (can you spot it? here's a hint...the paper is grey wool in color and it doesn't include dots). I LOVE this bright and bold color combo that makes me feel ready Spring: Creme Brulee, Lagoon, and Sunset with some Grey Wool thrown in as well (don't you know...Grey is the new Black! lol). Using these fun colors was just the thing I needed to cheer me up! I also used black ink and a Grey Flannel marker to do just a little coloring and shading on the dog. My card design is inspired by this weeks Heart 2 Heart Blog Sketch Challenge!

 

A "Teacher Appreciation" Card with the Typeset papers!

The Heart 2 Heart Blog challenge this week was to create something to celebrate this time of year when kids of all ages are going back to school! (Remember you can click on my photo to see all the details much larger)! I decided to use our NEW Typeset papers X7139B to create this simple standard size "teacher appreciation" card. The stamps I used included D1361 Thank You for the "thanks" sentiment, B1380 Mayberry (WOTG stamp set) for the apple and leaves, and an "oldie but goodie" wooden stamp I123 Best Teacher for the large sentiment. I haven't kept very many of my old wood stamps from my early days of stampin' with CTMH, but I just couldn't part with this one because it is a stamp I find myself drawn to and have kept on using it again and again! My husband is a teacher, many of my best friends are teachers, and teachers are just...well...Close to my Heart!! (pun intended!)

As my kids have just finished up their first week of school, my plan is to do a much better job this year of making sure that all of our teachers know how much we appreciate them for the very important and sometimes difficult work they do!!

A "Sweet" Card for the Heart 2 Heart "Hot" challenge!

On a "hot, hot, hot" summer day there's nothing more refreshing than an ice-cold beverage! Here in the high desert of California, we've had temperatures up to 110 degrees this past week, so "hot" weather is definitely something I know a little something about. On the hottest days, I like to stay cool inside my air-conditioned craft room and get creative while drinking my favorite drink, an ice-cold cherry coke!

So here is my card submission for the Heart to Heart challenge blog this week! We were challenged to create something associated with the word "hot". This little card measures 4.25" tall by 2.75" wide and I used a lot of retired products I had sitting around to use up. Stamp sets I used include You're Sweet B1351 (still available) and the Bowl of Cherries B1348 stamp set that came with the Cherry-O Workshop-on-the-Go kit that was available a while back (summer of 2010). The soda that fills the glass is "Cocoa" B&T paper from the now retired Veranda pack, and the straw was cut from paper from the Zippidee pack (also now retired). The opaque-looking paper that makes up the "glass" is Vellum stamped with White Daisy ink. I hope you enjoy this simple-to-make card and have a "cool" rest of the summer!

Ambiance card for H2H "Times 3" scene challenge!

This standard size card is inspired by Originals - Center Charms (p. 59). I created it using 3 different stamp sets to create a scene for the Heart 2 Heart "Times 3" challenge. Stamp sets used include Ambiance C1349 (Idea Book p. 50), Connections D1330 (Idea Book p. 95), and Intrinsic Backgrounds D1335 (recently retired). Colors used include Bamboo, Chocolate, Colonial White, Desert Sand, Sweet Leaf, and just a touch of Cranberry (including Red sparkles from Z1326).
This scene really puts me in the mood for Spring
(aren't you glad it's coming soon?)!!

"A Timber" Card with Curves!

The Heart2Heart blog challenge this week was to create a card that is "out of shape" (not rectangular or square) - what fun!! Real women have lots of curves right?... and so aparently does my latest creation! Here is the curvy Christmas card I made this evening using one of my favorite new little nifty stamp sets - "A Timber" (it's an A-size stamp set, sells for just $7.95). I also used our Mistletoe papers X7130B and Mistletoe assortment of embellishments Z1330 with Cocoa sponging and Cocoa ribbon (adhered in place to make it look like a Christmas gift/present). In case you're wondering how I came up with this curvy shape for my card, the answer is simple. I used one of the pages from our My Creations All-Sorts Mini Albums Z1224 as a guide to trace the pattern and form the front of my card (card front measures 6.25" tall by 5" wide at the mid-point).
Here is a view of the back-side of my card (below) so you can see that I adhered my card front to a 3x6" cardstock base (a 6x6" square of cardstock before it was folded in half). This was just my way of trying to keep the cutting for the card base as simple as possible. It's also a good reminder that you can't always judge a book by it's cover, lol.
Finally, if you've never seen the All-Sorts Mini Album Z1224, here's another view of this album with one of the white chipboard pages covered and decorated up a bit (although, it is still in need of some photos and journaling, so this little album isn't quite complete yet). The papers I used to cover this page are from the Twitterpated X7118B paper pack (which is still currently available to order, but it is on the retired list making it still available, but only while supplies last).

Two cards to "Fall" for!

(I hope that title doesn't seem too vain for this post, I'm just TRYing to be clever with my title here, lol!) I love the Autumn here in Barstow when the weather finally starts to cool down and I feel the mood strike me to start stamping bunches of colorful autumn leaves (since we don't get as many "real" autumn leaves here in the desert, lol)! The Heart2Heart blog challenge this week is to stamp and create something with either "leaves" and/or "trees" and as usual lately, I haven't had much time for creating this week (other than the few hours I spent on a scrapbook layout I'm prepping for a gathering coming up next week). But... I do have tons of things I've created in the past that I have been wanting to share here on my blog for ages, so I couldn't resist taking advantage of this opportunity to share some fall-themed creations with you all, and here... they are!

The standard size card (above) is one I created back in 2007 for the "Humble Artists" swap I was a participant in. The Nature's Vein stamp set (D1232) that I used for the leaves was one of my favorites back then and must still be a favorite of many since it hasn't retired yet in all this time and is still available to order! I also used a lot of scissor distressing, sanding, and ink distressing on this card. The white streaks on the cocoa cardstock "half-oval" shape is white acrylic paint that I added with a fan-shaped paint brush (easy)! The other stamp set that I used to stamp the background is Goodness of Life C1286 which is now a retired stamp set I believe.
My 2nd card (just above) is also a standard size card that I designed a while back (in the fall of 2008 - a few of you may remember creating this card with me at my Open House!). It uses the Perfect Day papers and the Treasure Life stamp set (D1306) that is shown on page 53 of our current Idea Book. The leaves here were stamped with cocoa ink while the flowers were stamped and set with clear ink and embossing powder so I could do the "embossing resist" technique. To get the embossed image to resist the ink, I just used sponge daubers with cocoa and sorbet inks to sponge in some color around the flowers (and then used a tissue to wipe off the excess ink that resisted from sticking where the embossed image is). It's very simple do but allows for such a "wowie!" effect! So I hope I've inspired you even just a little today - Welcome Autumn!! - my favorite time of year!

H2H color challenge for 9/6/10 (Halloween Pop-up Card revisited!)

As some of you know, the past month has been so overwhelmingly busy for me! So it's been at least a month (or more) since I've been able to find the time to participate in the weekly Heart2Heart challenges that I love so much. This week I was very happy to discover that the color challenge includes a color combination that I have used before! So the card below isn't something new I've made, but rather a pop-up card I made last year that just so happens to use the very same colors from this week's H2H challenge (yaay)! My card does include the added colors of black and a little bit of cocoa as well (for the tree) and uses the Spellbound C1374 stamp set.
Here is what the card looks like when it is closed (below). The cool thing is that because it lays completely flat this way, you can mail this card to someone easily and affordably, and then they can pop the card open and display it standing up - isn't that fun?!
For instructions how to create this type of card, you can click here to visit the Free-standing Pop-up Card tutorial on Splitcoast Stampers!

Happy 4th of July!

This weeks Heart 2 Heart challenge (#13) is to create and share something patriotic!! Oh how I wish I had more time this week to do that! As you may know I am busy packing and preparing for the annual Close to my Heart Convention in Washington D.C. next week. My plane leaves very early am on July 4th, so I am down to just 1.5 days left to enjoy my kids and finish all of my final preparations (yikes - I still have so much to do). I'm sorry I don't have something "new" to share but I hope you will still enjoy these patriotic creations that I made using the Blue Ribbon papers during the Summer of 2008! (Remember you can click on my photos to see them up close). Have a very happy and safe 4th of July!

Altered Canvas wall-hanging (below)

12x12 layout
standard size card
another standard size card

Happy Father's Day!!

Wow, guess what?! This card made the Friday Five over at the H2H challenge blog - what a great surprise!! Click on the button below to be taken back to that post!

• I want to wish all the men in my life a very happy day today!! I am so blessed to have many wonderful Father's in my life: my own beloved Father who raised me, my sweet husband Jose, my Pappaw (Dad's dad), the legacy of my Grandpa Orville who passed away shortly before I was born (but whose life, memory, and spirit has continued to bless and help me in spite of that), and an amazing Father-in-Law Juan! All of these men have made my life better in so many ways. I am strengthened by their faith, courage, and kind and loving example each day. I want you all to know how much I love, adore, and appreciate you!

• My little sister Mary is giving a talk today in her ward at church. I just read her talk that is posted on her blog and needless to say, it brought me to tears. Mary shares some of her memories and experiences with our Father over the years and it was so touching to me because I know this same man that she is talking about so well. Many of Mary's sentiments are mine exactly and I am so grateful that she has put into words so eloquently exactly how much I love my dad and all the men in my life also. I encourage you to read my sister's talk on her blog by clicking here! I promise it will uplift you and make you feel good (and for those of you who know me well, it will explain some of my family history to you and help you understand how I am continuing to become who I am). I have been so blessed throughout my life and have a lot to strive for and live up to!

• Now for the details about my card shown above (and below). I created it for the Heart 2 Heart challenge this week. Our challenge was to make a Father's Day card using up some of our scraps (and I certainly have plenty of those to use, lol!) I used the Simple Pleasures Level 1 Kit as well as My Stickease scraps I had a bunch of also. I did a lot of distressing with Cocoa ink, but amazingly there is absolutely NO STAMPING on this card (such a rarity for me)! I hope you enjoy my card and that it inspires you! Have a wonderful Father's Day everyone!

My Mother's Day Card for the latest H2H challenge!

So the Heart 2 Heart blog challenge this week was to create a Mother's Day card, which is just perfect for me because I was wanting and needing to make a Mother's Day card this week anyway!! My 6x6 card above is a design inspired by Wishes - Keep It Level (p. 107). I used Cherry-O papers as well as the Cherry-O Creative Basics papers too. To stamp the flower I used Something Splendid D1424, the upcoming August SOTM, with Blush and Tulip inks. I tried to keep my card somewhat simple (since I have a lot of Moms/Grandmas/Sisters and will need to make quite a few of these). I'm also going to be creating this card with my customers at my NEW Summer Idea Book Open House that I'm hosting at my house today starting at 1pm!

Happy Mother's Day everyone!!

A card for the Heart 2 Heart Challenge #1

There's a NEW challenge blog for those of us who love using mostly Close to my Heart (like me) - and it's called "Heart 2 Heart" challenges! I hope you will click on the new button I've posted on the side that links to this blog and check it out some time! I'd love to have you join me in the challenges even if you can!! This new challenge blog was started by some very talented fellow CTMH consultants and I'm happy to be playing along with them for the very first challenge which is to use this lovely color combination - sweet leaf, sunflower, and chocolate. So here is my standard size card above - I also added a little bit of desert sand and black ink as well - I hope you enjoy it! (P.S. - the inside of the card reads "We Owl do!")