May Joyful Stars Blog Hop with Global Design Projects Sketch

Welcome back to the May Joyful Stars Blog Hop! We are a group of Close to My Heart consultants who share something each month on the 9th and at 9PM EST. If you are coming from Betty Locco's blog you are on the right track. (The complete lineup is also on Joyce's blog in case you get lost.) Have fun being inspired!

The card I am sharing with you today uses some 

beautiful new papers from the May National 

Scrapbooking special called "Live Beautifully" and 

the Flower Market cartridge. The image I chose is 

called Cherry Blossoms and reminds me of the cherry

trees in my backyard that have been dropping most of 

their pink petals.

Here is a slightly different angled photo so you can better see the shiny gold foil backgrounds and gold shimmer on the ribbon.

Close to My Heart products used:

     Live Beautifully paper

     Flower Market Cricut cartridge

     Blossom CS

     Raspberry CS

     Fern CS

     Chocolate CS

     Peacock CS

     Peacock Ink

     Jack Cardmaking Bundle greeting stamp

     Gold Shimmer Brush

     Uptown Fundamentals (gold mat for greeting)

The inspiration for my card layout came from Global Design Project #86:

I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:

     Die Cuttin Divas--Mother's Day or Feminine

     Heart 2 Heart--Teeny Tiny

     Crafty Cardmakers--Sentiment

     Bitten by the Bug--Happy Mother's Day   

     Always Fun Challenges--For a Female or Mom 

     Cards in Envy--Motherly Love 

Now it's time to hop on over to my friend Jennifer Benner's blog. I'm sure you'll be inspired by what she shares.

     

If you would like a chance to win a new Cricut Explore please visit my blog post here for more details.  

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

:) Marie

p.s. If you like what you see on my blog please consider "following" me by email or in your blog roll so you don't miss out on any of my fabulous card making ideas. You can sign up on the right sidebar. 

Paper Play Sketches #40 Meets Cardz 4 Guyz #166 Shades of Brown

Don't you just love the simplicity of this Paper Play sketch?  Here is a quick card I made using the sketch and the Cardz 4 Guyz "Shades of Brown" theme.

Close to My Heart products used:

     Champagne CS

     Chocolate CS

     Saddle CS

     Oak Brown CS (retired)

     Wood Slats embossing folder

     Bronze Shimmer Trim (retired) --1/4" hole                        punched

     Flower Market Cricut Collection Sending Smiles              stamp

     Chocolate Ink

Other products:

     Nuvo Cosmic Brown Embellishment Mousse                      (painted along the edges and rubbed over                       embossed pieces)

Here is the Paper Play Sketch #40 that inspired my card layout:

     

This card is being submitted to the following challenges:

     Cardz 4 Guyz--Shades of Brown

     Seize the Birthday

     Crafting from the Heart--Anything Goes

     Make My Monday--Embossing Heat or Dry

     Ooh La La Creations--Birthday

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

:) Marie

     

Thin Cuts Blog Hop

Welcome to our Close to My Heart Technique Blog Hop!  We will be featuring projects made with Close to My Heart Thin Cuts.   If you have come here from Gina Brandstetter's blog, you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way all around.  If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants on Melinda’s Blog:  http://ifyoublingit.blogspot.com/p/stamp-of-month-blog-hop-list.html. 

Our Technique blog hop is featuring  Thin Cuts because they are all on sale for 25% off through March 31!  This month we have 18 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using Thin Cuts and other great CTMH products on their blogs. This is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

My first card features the Sugar Rush Cardmaking Thin Cuts Bundle and an inside Twist and Pop treatment.

Close to My Heart products used:
      Sugar Rush paper
      Sugar Rush Cardmaking Bundle--Thin Cuts and                           Stamps
      Canary CS
      Chocolate CS
      Chocolate Ink
      Pomegranate CS
      Pomegranate Ink
      Sea Glass CS
      Clear Shimmer Brush
      Ink Blot stamps

Other products:
      Cricut Design Space--Edwardian font
      Gold Cricut pen

My card layout was inspired by this Sketch Saturday sketch #454:

Card #2 features an Artbooking overlay, Some Kind of Wonderful Thin Cuts Bundle and Thank You Thin Cut. Colors are White Daisy, Pixie, Sapphire cardstocks with Tangerine and Raspberry Adventure Fundamentals patterns.

I'm also entering this card into the Happy Little Stampers--Anything Goes with Dies challenge.

Now "Hop" on over to Wendy Kessler's blog to see her work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas! Remember, the Thin Cuts 25% sale is only available until March 31!  Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get these tools at a 25% discount!

You can see other Thin Cuts projects I've created here, here, here, here and here.

Something really nice happened to me last week and I'm offering some blog candy (craft supplies) to a lucky winner.  Please go to this blog post to read more.

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

:) Marie

p.s. If you like what you see on my blog please consider "following" me by email or in your blog roll so you don't miss out on any of my fabulous card making ideas. You can sign up on the right sidebar. 

 
   

Fantabulous Cricut Challenge #290--Give Thanks

Welcome back to another Fantabulous Cricut Challenge blog post!  We would like to see your Thanksgiving projects made with your cricut machines!  We are being sponsored by Dreaming Tree with a $20 Gift Certificate to the winner.

Products used:
      Holidays Through the Year Iron on Cricut cartridge
      Flower Market Cricut Cartridge (sunflowers)
      Autumn Terracotta CS (retired Close to My Heart)
      Barn Red CS (retired Close to My Heart)
      Goldrush CS
      Canary CS
      Chocolate CS
      Colonial White CS
      Nuvo Crystal Drops--English Mustard

I'm also linking this card up to the following challenges:
      Bitten by the Bug--Thanks or Thanksgiving
      Hiding in My Craft Room--Show Thanks
     
Now head on over to the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge blog to see what the rest of the fabulous Design Team has to inspire you.

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

Flower Market Sunflowers in Paper Play Sketch #21

Here is a card I made with the new Close to My Heart Flower Market cricut cartridge using Paper Play Sketch #21.

Close to My Heart products used:
      Flower Market Cricut cartridge     
      Champagne CS
      New England Ivy CS
      Goldrush CS
      Canary CS
      Saffron CS
      Chocolate CS
      Clear Shimmer Brush (on flower centers and 3 chocolate accents)

Here is the Paper Play Sketch #21 that inspired my card (rotated 90 degrees)

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

Color Dare #172 Meets Mojo Monday Sketch #427

Welcome back to another Color My Heart Color Dare challenge post!  This week our challenge colors are from the Close to My Heart White Pines paper pack:  Glacier, Fern, Cranberry, Champagne, Chocolate and Colonial White.

Here's my card:

Close to My Heart products used:

     White Pines Paper

     Cranberry CS

     Glacier CS

     Fern CS

     Chocolate CS

     Cranberry Ink

     Holly Jolly Christmas

     Artistry cartridge

     Leaf Green Shin Han Touch Marker

     Glitter Gems

     Opaque Adhesive Gem

     

Other products:

     Liquid Pearls 

My inspiration for this card came from Mojo Monday #247:

I'm also entering this card into the Heart 2 Heart challenge for using ideas from the Holiday Expressions catalog.

You can play along at the Color Dare Challenge here.

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

:) Marie

The Male Room Challenge #20 Meets Between the Folds #9 and Seize the Birthday

Between the Folds is a new challenge blog featuring Close to My Heart products which are my favorite products!  This week they are featuring a sketch from the Originals Card Confidence Program.  The theme at The Male Room Challenge Blog this week is Autumn.  Here is the card I came up with:

Close to My Heart products used:

     Saddle CS

     Champagne CS

     Chocolate CS

     Brown and Tan Glitter paper

     Artistry cartridge

     White Pines CS

     Birthday Funnies stamps

     Pathfinding leaf stamp (retired)

     Vineyard Berry Ink (retired)

     Vineyard Berry Ribbon (retired)

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

:) Marie

Artistry Octopus In Atlantic Hearts Sketch #118

Welcome back to another Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge blog post.  This is the final one for me as new Design Team members will be joining the team.  It was a great pleasure and honor to work with the talented AHSC designers.

My card features some current Close to My Heart product and has a sneak preview of the Artistry Cricut collection which will be available to customers on August 1.

Close to My Heart products used:
     Artistry Cricut Cartridge--coming soon!
     Seaside paper--retiring soon
     Outdoor Denim CS--retiring soon
     Chocolate CS
     Colonial White CS
     Teal Shimmer Trim
     3D Foam Tape
     Stardust Glitz Glitter Gel--retired

If you have the Cricut Explore and the Close to My Heart Artistry cartridge, the cut file to make the above card is here.

Here is the Atlantic Heart Sketch #118 that I followed to make the card:
   

The challenge at the Male Room Challenge Blog this week is to use "Spots and Stripes" so I'm entering this card into that challenge also.  (Did you see the stripes in the Woodgrain background panel?)

Now go to the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge Blog and be inspired by the other Design Team members.  We hope you'll be able to enter our challenge this week.

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

:) Marie

Final Post as a Sunday Stamps Designer

It has been my great pleasure to serve on the Sunday Stamps Design Team since June of 2013. Thank you, Holly, for inviting me to join you and thanks to all the other wonderful Sunday Stamps designers who inspired me so often.  I will miss being a part of this creative team.  Our last challenge for the year will last for 3 weeks:  Yellow, Teal and Brown.  

Feather cards are quite popular now so my card is following the trend.

Close To My Heart products used:

     White Daisy CS

     Chocolate CS

     Canary CS

     Lagoon CS

     Lagoon Ink

     Sponge Dauber

     Gold Metallic Writer

     Artiste Cricut cartridge to cut feathers

     Say it in Style stamp (retired)

     Paradise Assortment Baker's Twine

Other products:

    Ranger Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls spray

My inspiration came from Case This Sketch #103:

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.)  You have until Friday, January 2 at 6PM EST to enter this challenge.

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

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

:) Marie

Happy Thanksgiving with Addicted to CAS Sketch

Happy Thanksgiving to you!  I was inspired to make some cards using the Addicted to CAS Sketch:

Close To My Heart products used:

     Pathfinding Paper

     Barn Red CS

     Chocolate CS

     Sunset CS

     Sunset Ink

     Holiday Tags stamp

Other:

     Gold Sparkles

Close To My Heart products used:

     Huntington paper (retired)

     Autumn Terracotta CS

     Barn Red CS

     Autumn Terracotta CS

     Holiday Tags

Both of these Close to My Heart patterned papers are so beautiful--I can't decide which card I like better?  Which one do you prefer?

Here is the Addicted to CAS sketch:

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

:) Marie

Color Dare #117--Pick Your Own CTMH Orange!

Welcome back to another Color My Heart Color Dare post!  Which Close To My Heart Orange will you choose?  We challenge you to select just one orange from the Close To My Heart palette (Sunset, Sorbet, Autumn Terracotta or Goldrush) which you can combine with neutrals such as tans, greys, white, black and browns.

My card features the Close To My Heart color Autumn Terracotta. (You may substitute similar colors if you don't have any of these CTMH colors yet).

Close To My Heart products used:

     Champagne CS

     Chocolate CS

     Autumn Terracotta CS

     Colonial White CS

     Holiday Tags stamp set

     Season of Thanks

     Chocolate Ink

     Autumn Terracotta Ink

     Artiste cartridge to cut jigsaw panel (pg. 57 Accent 1 Shift cut at 2.5" 3 times in 3 papers)

     Bakers' Twine Neutral Assortment

     3D Foam Tape

     

I am also entering this card into the following challenges:

     HIMCR (Hiding in My Craft Room)--any holiday

     Card Concept--Thank "Fall"--"Clean and Layering"

     Take Heart Challenges--Anything Goes--include one CTMH item

Come check out what the Color Dare Design Team has created.  We would love to see you enter our color challenge by linking up here.  You have until Thursday, November 6 at 9PM CT to enter.  There are several blog badges to be won along with a prize to one randomly drawn entry every month.

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

:) Marie

Buzz and Bumble Bee Well for Tuesday Morning Sketches #253

This card is going to a young man in Queensland, Australia who will be undergoing brain surgery soon.  Since I will be mailing this a long distance I kept the "bulk" down by eliminating twine or ribbon and using an old paper punch to make a bow. I read about this request for cards here. Tuesday Morning Sketch # 253 provided the inspiration for me.

Close To My Heart products used:

    Buzz and Bumble paper (retired)

    Barn Red CS\

    Sunset CS

    Choolate CS

    Colonial White CS

    Bee Well Soon stamp  (retired)

    Barn Red Ink

Other products used:

   McGill bow punch

   3/8" round punch by Recollections

Here is the Tuesday Morning Sketch:

    

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

:) Marie

Sunday Stamps Challenge #61 with Unscripted Sketch #226

Welcome back to another Sunday Stamps Challenge post!  We are so happy when you can come along and join us.  This fortnight we have another color challenge--chocolate, pumpkin and teal.  Don't these look like fun colors to play with?

My card follows Unscripted Sketch #226 with Close To My Heart colors Autumn Terracotta, Chocolate and Lagoon.

The stamps are from Casual Expressions  and Happy Autumn stamp sets with Chocolate Ink,  Autumn Terracotta and Lagoon markers onto Colonial White CS.   After the background cardstock pieces were attached to the base it was run through the Cuttlebug machine with the pumpkin embossing folder.  The greeting panel is raised up with 3D Foam Tape. 

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

Use it Tuesday #48 Warm it Up with Freshly Made Sketch #70

The focus of the Use it Tuesday challenge blog is to use your stash and I certainly have accumulated a lot of "stash".  I combined a new stamp "Cozy Cat" (my absolutely favorite!) along with the new paper (cat's pillow) from "Chantilly" which will be available to order from Close To My Heart this Friday, Feb. 1.  The other 6 elements I've had in my stash for quite awhile (Burlap Ribbon, Chocolate CS, Sunset CS, Victorian Buttercup B&T paper (retired), Cranberry B&T paper (retired) and Dotty for You--also retired.  The greeting "You Make Me Smile" is from Hooray Bouquet.  The focus of the Use it Tuesday #48 challenge this week is to use warm colors such as yellow, orange and red.  I followed the Freshly Made Sketch #70--I love their clean lined sketches and play along with them as much as I can.  Some extra embellishments I used were Stardust Glitz Glitter Gel, Bronze Glitz Glitter Gel, Silver Glitz Glitter Gel and 3D FoamTape.

 

Here is the Freshly Made Sketch I followed (flipping the pattern to fit in with the direction the cat is facing.) :

I am also entering this card into Send a Smile for Kids Challenge Anything Goes.

If you are looking for a good color challenge try using these 3 shades of green at

 

Color My Heart Color Dare:

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

Color Dare #24--Neutrals and Design Team Announcement

Have you been to Color My Heart Color Dare this week?  If so, you'll see that there is a brand new Design Team and I'm on it!  I'm very excited to  join the very talented ladies that are on this team!  Visit my sidebar and check out their amazing blogs. I've had the opportunity to be a Guest Designer for this challenge which I thoroughly enjoyed and now I will be submitting something made with the fabulous Close To My Heart products every week!

This week's challenge is to create a project (card, layout or other papercrafted item)  using only neutral colors from the Close To My Heart Basic color palette.  They are:

White Daisy
Colonial White and

At first I thought that this would be difficult as I usually prefer bright colors but then I remembered that I had the perfect CTMH paper in my stash.  Silhouette was one of my favorite Close To My Heart papers which retired several years ago but it works great for this color challenge!  It features Black, Bamboo, Colonial White and White Daisy.  The paper I chose has a lovely floral pattern to it.  On  my first card I also added Chocolate, Colonial White and Desert Sand cardstocks and used Almond Glitz Glitter Gel and Stardust Glitz Glitter Gel to embellish the patterned paper.  The sentiment is from Card Chatter--Sympathy (a very versatile set) and it was inked in Versamark ink, Chocolate ink and then clear embossed to give it some texture.

After I applied the CTMH Glitter Gels I wondered if maybe I went overboard with it so I made two more cards trying out different neutral colors.  In this next card I used Black and White for the greeting and Colonial White as the card base.

This last card features  Black embossed sentiment on a Bamboo strip of cardstock with a black card base.

I like all of these cards with a slight preference for the glittered first one.  Do you have a preference?  I would be interested in reading it and would love for you to leave me a comment if you have the time.

This neutrals color challenge at Color My Heart Color Dare ends at 9PM Central Time on Thursday.  We would love to have you join us there! 

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

:) Marie