Golf Theme Congrats Card for Freshly Made Sketches #105

If you are a golfer (or know one) you probably are aware that we want to someday "shoot our age".  That can be said to be an "advantage of aging".  My dear adopted uncle Bob shot 81 two weeks ago which is actually under his 82 years!  So I wanted to commemorate the occasion by making him a special card.  I followed the Freshly Made Sketch #105 to create this card. 

 

I can't tell you who manufactured the golf ball or grass papers as they have been in my stash for quite awhile.  The other supplies I used are:  Ponderosa Pine CS, Metallic Gold CS (retired CTMH), Artiste Collection stamps, Versamark Ink, Gold Embossing Powder, Ponderosa Pine ink, 3D Foam Tape and some gold ribbon.

Here is a side view so you can see the card lining and raised pieces.

Another thing that I made for him was a bag tag. for his golf bag so he can be reminded of his special achievement.

There is still time to enter the Sunday Stamps color challenge.  We would love to have you play along with us there.

 Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!
:) Marie

Alphabet Soup Theme for Heart 2 Heart Challenge

What kind of challenge is Alphabet Soup?  This week at Heart 2 Heart challenges we are asking you to use 2 or more different Close To My Heart fonts--stamps or cricut cuts.

 

This fun card was made with two different stamp sets and Later Sk8tr paper from Close To My Heart.  The penguin and greeting are from one of the new Close To My Heart Hostess Rewards Set called Wintry Wishes.  The "You can never have too much happy" is from Laughing Lola Cardmaking Workshop on the Go and is raised up with 3D Foam Tape.  There is a strip of Slate Washi tape under the "happy" greeting.  The hat and scarf were paper pieced also from Later Sk8tr paper.  The skate blades have some Silver Glitz Glitter Gel and the snowflakes are accented with Stardust Glitz Glitter Gel.  The card is completed with a single wiggle eye.

We would love to have you join in on our challenge.  Please use a direct link to link your creation to Heart 2 Heart challenges--you have until the end of September to enter this challenge.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!

:) Marie

Get Well Card for Sunday Stamps Color Challenge #59

Welcome back to another Sunday Stamps Color Challenge.  This week we are challenging you to combine the following colors:  Mint/Aqua, Coral and Gold.  You may add neutrals such as white, black or off white to enhance your design.

I used the Close To My Heart colors Sorbet, Green Chiffon (retired) and Metallic Gold (retired).  The flower center was stamped with Sorbet ink and the Honeycomb stamp set.  The greeting is from Say It In Style (retired CTMH).  The hexagonal flower was cut using the new Close To My Heart Artbooking cartridge--page 66 Border cut at Real Dial Size 2.5" amd trimmed to look like a flower.

We can't wait to see what you create using these colors!   Please use a direct link to join us here and include a link back to us in your blog post.  (Feel free to post our color graphic too to let your readers know about our challenge.)

Please take the time to visit the rest of the Design Team's blogs and leave them some appreciation.
Hayley, Joan, Brenda, Holly, Steph and Kathya.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity! .

:) Marie

Watercoloring for Color My Heart Color Dare #61

Welcome back to another Color My Heart Color Dare challenge post!  This week we are challenging you to create with Close To My Heart colors Olive, Autumn Terracotta and Goldrush--secondary colors.  (It's OK to substitute similar colors if you don't have CTMH colors).  

 
These colors remind me of falling leaves so I had to make a fall themed card! 

I used a Watercolor technique in which I placed drops of the challenge color reinkers onto an acrylic block, spritzed with water and placed onto an already dampened piece of watercolor paper.  I love how the colors blended together!  When it dried I stamped Quick Cards --Bountiful Season in Cocoa Ink and heat embossed with a little bit of old Polysparkle Tinsel.  The background CS is Colonial White with a vertical panel of Goldrush CS and a horizontal strip of Autumn Terracotta with a strip of Bronze Shimmer Trim.  The watercolored panel was placed on 3D Foam Tape to add some dimension.

We would really love for you to join us this week at the Color Dare!  Please use a direct link (going to your color dare #61 post and not to your home blog page) when linking up to our site.  There is a random monthly prize and weekly blog badges to be won!  

Check out what the rest of the Design Team and this week's fabulous Guest Designer Michelle has to inspire you: Sarah, Pam, Becca, Shirley, Sheri and Gretchen.  Don't forget to leave them some comments on their beautiful projects. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!

:) Marie

p.s. Be sure to stop by on Sunday for new Sunday Stamps Color Challenge post and on Monday for new Heart 2 Heart Challenge post.

Glittered Sarita for Color Dare #60

This is my off week from Design Team responsibilities for Color My Heart Color Dare but I just love the colors so much I had to create something! 

 

All products are from Close To My Heart and are available on my website here.  (The chalkboard technique I used here is explained in this post from last week.)

You Are My Happy stamp set--available until the end of September 2013.
Sarita paper
Cotton Candy CS
Lagoon CS
Gypsy CS
Black CS
Black Shimmer Trim
Stardust Glitz Glitter Gel
3D Foam Tape

 

Thanks for stopping by!  Be sure to stop by tomorrow for a new Color Dare!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!

:) Marie

Swirls Around Birthday Card for CAS(E) This Sketch #45

Swirls Around is one of my favorite new Close To My Heart stamp sets and I was happy to use it in this sketch challenge:

The swirls were stamped in CTMH Cashmere and Cranberry on White Daisy CS and mounted onto Cashmere CS.  The birthday greeting is from Perfect Fit--Birthday. (I did separate the Happy and Birthday so I could arrange them as below).

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!

:) Marie

You Are My Happy Greeting for Black Tie Friday #31

The challenge at Black Tie Friday this week is to use Teal and Black.  I found a sketch that I liked on Pinterest and used retired Close To My Heart True Teal B & T paper and the September Stamping Month promotion available here.  I used White Daisy pigment ink to stamp the greeting onto Black CS and then used my inky finger to create a smudgy "chalkboard" look.  Just Blooms flowers (retired CTMH) accent the greeting with new CTMH Aqua Dots as the flower centers.  I really like how this card came out.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!
:) Marie

H2H Challenge--"Brown Paper Packages Tied up with String"

The Heart 2 Heart challenge this week comes right from a song--can you guess which song it is from?  "Brown Paper Packages Tied Up with String" is our theme this week and you can interpret it any way you want--just be sure to use some Close To My Heart products!    (Answer at the bottom of the post--hint it is from a Broadway musical).

 

Close To My Heart Products Used:

Cranberry CS

Pear and Partridge paper (retired)

Kraft paper

Burlap Ribbon

Harvest Baker's Twine

Bronze Shimmer Trim

A Little Gift stamp--paper pieced from Kraft, Cranberry and Champagne)

Chocolate Ink

Stardust Glitz Glitter Gel

I've got a brown package and lots of string--I removed a few strands of burlap to create spaces to weave the twine through and left it ragged on the edges.   How will you be inspired to create using our theme this week?  Please use a direct link to enter here.  We look forward to visiting your blogs.

Answer:  the phrase comes from the song "My Favorite Things" from the musical "Sound of Music".  

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things

When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad

  

I don't know about you but I'll be singing it in my head all night now!  

Check out what the rest of the Design Team has to inspire you:

Brittany, Carol, Kelly,  Haley,  Lucy and our Guest Designer Wendy leave them some well deserved comments.  

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!

:) Marie

Polar Bear Holiday for Sunday Stamps Challenge #58

Welcome back to another Sunday Stamps Challenge post!  This week we have a terrific sketch by Steph to inspire you:

 

This is a sketch I will be using over and over again because it is so simple and easy to use!  I used a brand new Close To My Heart stamp set called "Polar Bear Holiday" for it's delightfully fun image and versatile greeting.  The background paper is from "Pear and Partridge" (retired CTMH), the scalloped edges were punched with the new Scallop Border CTMH punch from Cranberry CS.  The polar bear was "paper pieced"  (i.e. stamped 3 times to layer the elements). The scarf was stamped onto old Cranberry B & T paper and the spots were colored with a Cranberry marker.  The polar bear was stamped with Black ink onto White Daisy CS. The sled was stamped in Desert Sand ink on Colonial White CS.  The greeting was stamped in Cranberry ink.

Here are the rest of the stamps in Polar Bear Holiday:  

 

If you just have to have this adorable stamp set feel free to order it from my website here if you don't have a local Close To My Heart consultant.  Here is another card I made recently using the skating polar bear.

We can't wait to see what you create using this sketch!   Please use a direct link to join us here and include a link back to us in your blog post.  (Feel free to post our sketch graphic too to let your readers know about our challenge.)

Please take the time to visit the rest of the Design Team's blogs and leave them some appreciation.
Hayley, Joan, Brenda, Holly, Steph and Kathya.

I'm also entering this card into Top Tip Tuesday Challenge # 109--Paper Piecing.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity! 

:) Marie

Color Dare #59--Choose Your Own Color with Slate and Whisper

Welcome back to another Color My Heart Color Dare post!  This week we are challenging you to use both Close To My Heart colors Slate AND Whisper with one other color of your choice.  Feel free to substitute similar colors if you don't have these CTMH colors yet and you may use neutrals such as White Daisy, Colonial White and others from the Basics CTMH color palette which you can see here.  (The background panel is White Daisy although my photo editing program makes it look a little pinkish.)  I chose the color Ruby and used In the Background Stamps chevron and Happy Autumn stamps.  The postage stamp frame was cut using the Art Philosophy cartridge (page 24 Square 6 cut at 2.25").  

The floral stamp was actually stamped twice--once with masking off the leaves and stems with a piece of scotch tape while inking the flowers with Ruby ink and removing the tape before stamping.  The second time I stamped it I masked off the flowers with tape so only the stems and leaves would be stamped in Slate ink.

We would really love for you to join us this week at the Color Dare!  There is a random monthly prize and weekly blog badges to be won!  

Check out what the rest of the Design Team and this week's fabulous Guest Designer Karen has to inspire you: Sarah, Pam, Becca, Shirley, Sheri and Gretchen.  Don't forget to leave them some comments on their beautiful projects. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!

:) Marie

p.s. Be sure to stop by on Sunday for new Sunday Stamps Sketch Challenge post and on Monday for new Heart 2 Heart Challenge post.

Sarita "Inchies" for Operation Write Home VCMP

Last weekend Operation Write Home sponsored a Virtual Card Making Party at various times and gave us a week to submit something.  My entry features Close To My Heart Sarita papers including Gypsy, Cotton Candy, Lagoon and Colonial White.  The greeting is from Casual Expressions Occasions and the flourishes surrounding it are from "Swirls Around".  Lagoon ink was used.  This was a fun card to put together!

 

Here is the sketch I followed:

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!

:) Marie

Use Something Recycled for Black Tie Friday #30

After a long break Black Tie Friday Challenge blog is back!  Hooray!  My patterned paper on the front of this card is actually the inside of a security envelope to meet the challenge requirement of using something recycled.  The stamps are from  Close To My Heart--Happy Autumn and Say it in Style (retired) and were stamped with Gypsy ink.  The mat is Outdoor Denim.  The vertical strip is Gypsy CS with a strip of Black Shimmer Trim (black is optional this week).

Here is a photo of the recycled envelope I used:

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!  Be sure to stop by for tomorrow's new Color My Heart Color Dare challenge post.
:) Marie

"Penguin Power" Wintry Wishes for CAS Colour Sketches #40

Don't you love these adorable penguins?  They are from a new Hostess Reward Set by Close To My Heart called "Wintry Wishes" that you can see on page 9 of the new Idea Book.  The color challenge at CAS Colour and Sketches #40 is  a Double--color challenge AND sketch.  Here is my submission:

Here are the requirements:

My substituted colors are from Close To My Heart--White Daisy, Indian Corn Blue and Outdoor Denim which I think are an excellent match! The penguins were stamped with Outdoor Denim ink.   The Indian Corn Blue mats were cut from CTMH Artiste cartridge (pg.77 Accent 2 shift at 2.5").  The ear muffs and skate blades were accented with Platinum Liquid Pearls.  The hatband and pom pom were accented with White Liquid Pearls.  The snowflakes were accented with my favorite embellishment--Stardust Glitz Glitter Gel.

Here is a plug for the September National Stamping Month Promotion by Close To My Heart:.  Watch this short video to see what fabulous items are included.  Feel free to place an order from my website here.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!
:) Marie