Spring Friendship Card for H2H Challenge!

The Heart 2 Heart blog challenge this week was to create something that is Springtime and/or Easter related. That's pretty much what I've already been creating and posting on my blog for weeks now, so it was a bit of a challenge for me to find time to come up with something else. I decided to use up some left-over scraps from last Spring (from the Bliss and Miracle paper packs) to re-make a card design we made during one my stamping classes last year that was one of my favorites (BUT I used some NEW ctmh stamps that I just got instead of what I used before). Here is the standard-size Friendship card I made using some lovely spring colors: Crystal Blue, Sky (ink used to stamp the flowers), and Sweet Leaf (with Chocolate and Cocoa added in as well). Stamp sets I used include "4 My Friend" D1510 and the "Lucy Workshops-on-the-go" stamp set G1034 to create the flowers. I hope you enjoy!

Valentine's Day Countdown - Day 12

Today I'm sharing a paper triangle box that I learned how to create at my 3rd upline Cindy Baker's consultant team meeting last year (here is a link to Cindy's Blog - I so admire her artistic talent)! At that same team meeting we also learned how to create all kinds of trendy paper flowers like the paper roses that adorn this box. Here's a link to one of my favorite paper flower online tutorials on my fellow CTMH consultant Jennifer Bennett's blog that shows you so well how to create the paper roses. I was a little lazier than Jen though and just kept it quick and simple by using Tulip cardstock (no sprayed ink or sponging) and also didn't crumple up the paper much either for my roses shown here. I've been wanting to post this fun triangle box here on my blog for some time now, so I think it's about time, right?! This box could be filled with Hershey's kisses (or any treat you'd like) to be given for Valentine's Day (or for any gift-giving occasion really).

To create the triangle box you will need one piece of cardstock cut to 5"x 12" and a piece of background & texture paper cut to 4.75" x 11.75". Adhere those two pieces together, centering the b&t which will leave you with a 1/8th" border of cardstock framing the outside edge. Then use your scoring blade/tool to make a crease in the center of the longest edge (at the 6" mark). Use a pencil to mark the mid-points (2.5 inches in) on both of the short ends. Then use your scoring blade/tool again to score a line from your corners at the 6" scored line to the 2.5" mid-point marks you made on each end. I've sponged the edges of my creased lines (above) with chocolate ink to help them be more visible so you can see all the lines that are scored (this also adds dimension and beauty to the finished box as well I think). Crease all your folds into a pie-shaped wedge and punch a hole on the open end where all the paper edges meet (you can see on my sample above that this results in 4 holes as the punch will go through 4 different parts of the paper). I like to use my crop-a-dile tool to easily punch through so many layers at once - it's actually 8 layers of paper when you count the b&t paper). Then simply thread a ribbon through the holes and tie a bow to hold your box closed.
Isn't this a simply great box pattern?!!!
I just love it - THANK YOU Cindy Baker for teaching it to me!

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!!