Atlantic Hearts Sketch #275 With Fresh Air Paper

Welcome back to another Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge!  This is challenge #275 and it features diagonal elements with a rectangular frame over it.  My card started with a 4.25" x 5.5" piece of Fresh Air paper which was cut from corner to corner twice.  I flipped over 2 pieces to create the background design.  The frame was cut from the Cindy Loo cricut cartridge.  The sentiment was stamped in New England Ivy ink from the retired Close to My Heart Casual Expressions stamp set.  Red Berry Nuvo Crystal Drops were applied to the tree.

Here is the Atlantic Hearts Sketch for you to follow this week:

Our challenge will be open until Sunday night August 6 at 9pm EDT.  We hope that you will find the time to play along!

I'm also linking up this card to the following challenges:

      Heart 2 Heart--Fresh Air Fun

      Bitten by the Bug--Use a Cricut Frame or Border

      Double Trouble--combine with Heart 2 Heart and AHSC

      Crazy 4 Challenges--Sympathy or Hope cards

      Brown Sugar Challenges--Use 2 Patterned Papers

    

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.

Color Dare #286 Meets Try Stampin' on Tuesday Sketch #368

Welcome back to another Color My Heart Color Dare challenge post!  This fortnight we are challenging you to combine the following  Close to My Heart colors:  New England Ivy, Linen and Blossom with an option of adding silver or gold.  Black and White are free to use but please do not add additional colors.  Of course if you don't have these exact CTMH colors yet, you may substitute similar colors so you can still join in on the fun!  Our challenge is open until July 5 at 9PM EDT so you have almost 2 weeks to participate.  We award blog badges for challenge winners and have a random winner drawn monthly for some goodies in the mail.

My sister recently gave us a set of new beach chairs for our new vacation home so I thought it was appropriate to feature a beach chair as a focal image for this card.

Close to My Heart products used:

     New England Ivy CS

     Linen CS

     Adventure Fundamentals Paper

     Blossom Ink

     New England Ivy Ink

     Shells and Stars stamp

     No Worries--Cardmaking Stamp and Thin Cuts                    (retired)

     Shell Sentiments Thank You stamp

     Stitched Circles Die

     Circle Die

     Clear Shimmer Brush

Just click on the Color Dare Graphic below to get to see what the rest of the wonderful Design Team has to inspire you and to find the link to share your project with us.

Here is the fabulous Try Stampin' on Tuesday sketch that inspired my card layout:

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

     Aud Sentiments Challenge #206--Anything Goes              with a Sentiment

     Cardz 4 Galz--Summer Sunny Days

     Through the Purple Haze--At the Beach

     Creative Sketchy Girls--Summer Card

     Dies R Us Challenge #99--Summertime Fun

     Sunsational Stamps--Beach Theme

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.

     

     

Hello Lovely Thank You Card with Mojo Monday Sketch #487 and Blog Candy Alert

Have you ever witnessed a total stranger doing something remarkably kind?  This happened to me the other evening when I was out to dinner with my elderly friend Loretta.  Loretta saw a woman who needed some help getting out of her booth seat and went over to assist.  When it was time to get our check the waiter came over and said that there was a woman and child who were sitting in the back of the restaurant who had paid our check.  He showed us the receipt which said "Paid in full.  Thank you for helping others."  The woman and child had already left so we could not personally thank her.  However her name was on the credit card receipt and this lovely card will be mailed to her.

Here is a closeup of the sparkly embossing powder that I used on the sentiment and small heart:

Close to My Heart products used:

     Flower Market cricut cartridge--Heart wreath

     Sorbet CS

     Colonial White CS

     Sea Glass CS

     Hello Lovely paper

     Happy Heart stamp set

     New England Ivy CS

     New England Ivy Ink

     Versamark Ink

     Polysparkle Tinsel ClearEmbossing Powder                         (retired)

     3D Foam Tape

Other products:

     Stitched Circle Die by Katscrappiness

Here is the Mojo Monday Sketch #487 that inspired my card design:

Blog Candy Announcement:

I would now like to pass the kindness on--I will send one (or maybe more) packages of craft supplies to someone randomly drawn who leaves a comment on this blog post by 3/19/17 at 11:59 PM EST.  (You will need to become a follower if you aren't already so you will be able to find out if you have won.)  Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

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

:) Marie

Flower Market Pumpkins for Joyful Stars Blog Hop

Welcome to the November Joyful Stars Blog Hop!  We are a group of Close to My Heart consultants who share something each month and at 9PM EST.  If you are coming from Debi Brile'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!

I made this card for my sister's birthday.  She loves everything "pumpkin" so I got to use the latest Close to My Heart Flower Market Cricut cartridge to create a birthday card for her.  The stamped greeting is also from the Flower Market Cricut collection.  The "frost" on the pumpkins was made with the new Clear Shimmer Brush.

Close to My Heart products used:
     Flower Market Cricut collection
     Pansy CS
     Colonial white CS
     Sunset CS (recently retired)
     New England Ivy CS
     Goldrush CS
     New England Ivy Ink
     Clear Shimmer Brush

I'm also linking this card up to the Cards in Envy Pumpkins challenge.

Now it's time to head on over to Betty Locco's blog to see the awesome project she has to share this month.

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 becoming a follower of my blog so you won't miss any of my fabulous projects.


     

Flourished Anniversary Card

What do you do when you have interesting flourishes leftover from a previous card?  You make another card!  This week the challenge at Bitten by the Bug is to make a card with "Flourishes".  When I made my first card for this challenge I had used the "A Quilted Christmas" cricut cartridge for the flourish at the bottom of the card.  I had actually cut the design several times so I could inlay the holly berries in green thus I had a couple of New England Ivy flourishes left over to use.  My sister's wedding anniversary is this week so I chose to make an anniversary card.

 

Close to My Heart products used:

     Oh Deer! Paper packet

     Sea Glass CS

     New England Ivy CS

     New England Ivy Ink

     Say it All stamps (retired)

     Shin Han Touch Marker--Carmine  

     Clear Shimmer Brush (apTape

     

Other products:

     Grey Kraft paper (Recollections)

     Heart shaped punch by Family Treasures

Here is the first card I made with flourishes from "A Quilted Christmas" for the Bitten by the Bug challenge.   Which card do you like better?

 

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

     Sunny Day Crafting--Anything Goes

     A Bit More Time to Craft--Anything Goes

     Naughty or Nice--Punches and Diecuts

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

Color Dare #218 Meets Cut it Up

Welcome back to another Color My Heart Color Dare challenge blog post.  This week we invite you to use all and only the following Close to My Heart colors: Ruby, New England Ivy, Whisper and Colonial White.  (Of course if you don't have these CTMH colors yet you may substitute similar colors so you can still play along.)

Close to My Heart products used:
     Colonial White CS
     Ruby CS
     New England Ivy CS
     Whisper CS
     Ruby Ink
     New England Ivy Ink
     Season of Magic stamp
     Ruby Chevron Washi Tape (retired)

Other products:
     A Quilted Christmas Cricut cartridge

Here is the Color My Heart Color Dare graphic.  Just click on the picture to get to the Color Dare post to check out what the rest of the fabulous Design Team has to share.   There is some amazing artwork there! We hope you'll find time to play along with us this week.

I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:
     Bitten by the Bug--Flourishes
     Sunny Day Crafting--Anything Goes

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

Addicted to Stamps #21--Make Your Mark

Welcome back to another Addicted to Stamps and More challenge blog post!  This week we are challenging you to "Make Your Mark" with markers, paints, ink or whatever.  My card was made for my cat loving friend Diane following the Paper Players sketch #15. 

 

Here is a closeup photo so you can see the sparkly layer of Clear Shimmer Brush applied to the relaxing kitty.

Close to My Heart Products Used:
      Sea Glass CS     
     New England Ivy Green CS
     Spring Iris CS
     Birthday Sparkles Stamp
     New England Ivy Ink
     Black Memento Ink
     Clear Shimmer Brush
     Cozy Cat stamp (retired)
     Grey Wool Marker (retired)
     Spring Iris Marker (retired)
     Green Chiffon Marker (retired)
     Golden Ember Marker (retired)
     3D Foam Tape

Other:   Paw Print paper--unknown source

Here is the Paper Play Sketch that inspired my card:

 

We would love to have you play along!  Click on the graphic below to get to the ATSM blog and check out what the rest of the fabulous Design Team has to inspire you.

Sponsor

 

 

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

:) Marie

    

Happy Times Thank You for Addicted to Stamps and More

I am really loving the Happy Times paper and stamp set available from Close to My Heart (while supplies last) in May!  Here is a really quick card I made (inspired by Jean McNulty's card here.)

Here is another view so you can see all the glittery gold:

Close to My Heart products used:

     Pomegranate CS

     Pomegranate Ink

     Happy Times paper

     Happy Times stamp

     A Thousand Thanks

     New England Ivy Ink

Other products:

     Nuvo Crystal Drops--Bright Gold

I'm entering this card into the Addicted to Stamps and More CAS challenge and the Lil Red Wagon challenge called "Blooming Fun".

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

:) Marie

Monochromatic Colors for Fantabulous Cricut Challenge #270

Welcome back to another Fantabulous Cricut Challenge blog post!  This is challenge #270 and we are inviting you to create something (doesn't have to be a card) in Monochromatic colors.  Please stop by the FCCB blog for challenge guidelines and prize announcement.

My card features Cricut cuts from Cindy Loo (bird image) and Artiste (banner).  I chose green because I'm tired of cold and snow and green makes me think about spring!

Close to My Heart products used:

     New England Ivy CS

     Whimsy Paper Fundamentals (original patterns)

     Fern CS

     Sweet Leaf CS

     Say it All stamp

     New England Ivy Ink

     Sponge Dauber

     Sweet Leaf Ink

     3D Foam Tape

The inspiration for my card layout came from Freshly Made Sketch #223:

We hope you can find the time to play along with our challenge this week!

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

:) Marie

Spring Critters Frog for Color Dare #174

Happy New Year!  Welcome back to another Color My Heart Color Dare challenge blog post.  The new Close to My Heart Seasonal Expressions catalog is live today and I just couldn't wait to use this adorable little frog with it's coordinating "Thin Cut" die.  This week's challenge colors are:  New England Ivy, Desert Sand and Poppy.

Close to My Heart products used:

     New England CS

     Watercolor paper

     Desert Sand Ink

     New England Ivy ink

     Poppy Ink

     Spring Critters Stamp set

     Spring Critters Thin Cut

     Heart stamps from For Family stamp set

     Birthday Funnies (Hostess Reward stamp)

     3D Foam Tape

Other products:

     Tiny Wiggle eyes

     Paintbrush

The background panel was created by "painting" with Desert Sand ink. I placed an acrylic block into the ink and then spritzed with water and painted with a watercolor brush.  After it was dry I stamped the greeting from Birthday Funnies.  The frog was first stamped in New England Ivy ink and then painted with New England Ivy ink.  When it was dry I stamped the frog outline a second time.

My inspiration for this card layout came from Try Stampin' on Tuesdays sketch:

     

Since my card has a birthday greeting I'm also entering it into the Seize the Birthday Anything Goes challenge.

Head on over to the Color My Heart Color Dare blog to see what the fabulous Design Team has to share with you.  You have until Thursday evening, January 7 at 9 PM CST to enter the challenge.  

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

:) Marie

Masculine Birthday Card for Freshly Made Sketch #174 and Seize the Birthday

Freshly Made Sketches has another great sketch to work with!  I needed a masculine birthday card so I used some masculine colors and patterned paper to create this card:

Close to my Heart products used:

     Whisper CS

     White Daisy CS

     Art Philosophy cartridge to cut frame

     New England Ivy CS

     Victory paper (retired)

      You Mean the World to Me stamp

      New England Ivy ink

      3D Foam Tape

Here is the wonderful sketch I followed:

     

I'm also entering this card into the Seize the Birthday challenge to use hearts or arrows.

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

:) Marie

      

     

     

One Layer Card for Color Dare #123 and Stampin' Royalty #259

Welcome back to another Color My Heart Color Dare challenge post.  This is the final one for 2014 and you'll have two weeks to post your creation.  The challenge colors are New England Ivy and Ruby--it makes me think "holiday card" so that's what I made:

 

I challenged myself to make a one layer card (this is NOT my usual style!) to meet the Stampin' Royalty challenge also.  The To You and Yours stamp set images were inked with New England Ivy ink and then "smudge colored" with Q-tips and New England Ivy ink and Ruby ink as these are the challenge for the Color Dare.  To get the ink to color with the Q-tips I stamped ink onto an acrylic block and spritzed with water.   A retired Whisper Alcohol Marker was used to outline all the stamped images and White Wink of Stella was applied to create the leaf veins and highlight the berries and cardinal feathers.  I love the gentle shimmer that this brush pen creates.  There is a drop of Liquid Glass on the cardinal's eye.  The background was stamped with Whisper Ink and a very old CTMH wood stamp called "Stoneware Texture".

Close To My Heart products used:

     White Daisy CS

     To You and Yours stamp set

     New England Ivy Ink

     Ruby Ink

     Liquid Glass

     Whisper Ink

     Stoneware Texture stamp (retired)

     

Other products:

     White Wink of Stella Glitter pen

Card challenges entered:

     Stampin' Royalty #259--One Layer Card

     The Male Room--Christmas theme
     Addicted to Stamps Challenge--anything goes
     

Now it's your turn to play with these fun holiday colors!  If you don't have these exact colors you may substitute similar colors and you may also combine them with neutrals such as black, white, tans, and greys.  Please visit our the Color My Heart Color Dare blog to see what the rest of the Design Team has created and then link up your papercrafted creation with a direct link here.  Hope to see you in our gallery!   The deadline is Thursday evening, January 1, 2015 at 9PM CT.

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

:) Marie

     

Color Dare #97--Honey, New England Ivy, Olive and Outdoor Denim

Welcome back to another Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge post where we invite you to creatue using the specified Close To My Heart colors.  (You are welcome to substitute similar colors if you don't have Close To My Heart colors yet).  This week our colors are Honey, New England Ivy, Olive and Outdoor Denim.

In my creative opinion masculine cards feature geometric shapes and dark, rich colors so I chose the very trendy chevron shape.

Close To My Heart products used:

    Outdoor Denim CS

    Olive CS

    White Daisy CS

    Honey CS

    Charming Chevron stamp

    Happy Birthday stamp--retired wood stamp

    Outdoor Denim Ink

    Honey Ink

    New England Ivy Ink

Other products:

    Adhesive Gold Gems by Darice (cut from a long strip)

I'm also entering this card into the Stampin' Royalty Masculine project challenge.

Check out what the fabulous Color My Heart Color Dare Design Team  has to inspire you.  You have until Thursday, June 13 9PM CT to enter your papercrafted creation here.  We look forward to visiting your blogs and seeing what you create with the colors Honey, Olive, New England Ivy and Outdoor Denim.

Seize the Birthday #8--Golf Theme

Welcome back to my blog!  This week it's masculine birthday card making at Seize the Birthday #8.  I really liked the sketch and decided to play along.  I used the Close to My Heart Art Philsophy cartridge to cut the label on the right hand side of the 6.5" x 5" card (page 53 layer cut at 3.75") from Outdoor Denim CS.  The background paper is from the Lucky paper pack (retired CTMH).  The golf ball (Tee Time acrylic stamp set--retired CTMH) was stamped in Outdoor Denim ink onto glossy paper (retired CTMH), trimmed and popped up from the tee with 3D Foam Tape.  The tee was stamped in New England Ivy ink onto glossy paper (retired CTMH) and also popped up from the background with 3D Foam Tape.  The greeting was made on my computer using the Showcard Gothic font. 

 

Here is the sketch from Seize the Birthday:

Thanks for stopping by!  If you like to use "masculine colors"  perhaps you would like to join in on a color challenge using Outdoor Denim, Lagoon and Pear in the Color My Heart Color Dare #32.

Have a fun week filled with fun and creativity!

:) Marie

Color Dare #27--Sweet Leaf, Topiary and New England Ivy

We are very happy that so many wonderful papercrafters have participated in our Color Dare this past week.  For Color Dare #27 our colors are monochromatic shades of green--Close To My Heart Sweet Leaf, Topiary and New England Ivy.  I was in a whimsical mood when I designed this card and wanted to use the cute owl that comes with the "Whoo's Your Valentine" January promotion. (details here).  I stamped him in each of the indicated colors and mounted them on black rectangles and gave them very tiny wiggle eyes.  From top to bottom the background panels are New England Ivy gingham (retired), Topiary CS and Sweet Leaf from Miracle (retired).  The stamps come from "Just a Number" and were stamped in New England Ivy ink.  I had fun making this card and hope it brings a smile to your face too!

Now, it's your turn to use the greens.  Please join in on the fun and link up your creation using Sweet Leaf, Topiary and New England Ivy (you may substitute a similar color if you don't have these Close To My Heart products yet) to Color My Heart Color Dare by Thursday, January 31st at 9pm CT.

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