Freshly Made Sketch #220 with For Family Stamp Set

I was snowed in yesterday and got to spend some extra time in my craft room making cards.  The following two cards were made for a friend whose twin grand daughters are celebrating birthdays next weekend.

Which card do you like better?

Freshly Made Sketches #220 was my inspiration for the card design:

Close to My Heart products used:

     White Daisy CS

      Topiary CS

      Thistle CS

      Topiary Ink

      Thistle Ink

      Honey Ink

      For Family sentiments stamps

      Happy to Be Friends floral stamps

The current challenge at Seize the Birthday is "Clean and Simple" so I'm entering this card into that challenge also.

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

:) Marie

      

Beloved Bouquet for Case This Sketch #156 and Inkspirational Challenges #100

My favorite new stamp set has to be Beloved Bouquet (Close to My Heart January 2016 Stamp of the Month) and I just can't stop using it!  Today's lovely card uses the Baby's Breath stamp in "shades of green" for the Inkspirational Challenge #100 called "Blast from the Past".

Close to My Heart Products used:

     White Daisy CS

     Peacock CS

     Fern CS

     Beloved Bouquet stamp

     Balloon Animals (February stamp of the month) frame

     Just a Number (birthday stamp--retired)

     Peacock Ink

     Fern Ink

     3D Foam Tape

My inspiration for the card layout came from Case This Sketch #156:

Since it is a birthday card I am also linking this to the Seize the Birthday Clean and Simple challenge.

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

:) Marie

p.s.  If you are looking for a great color challenge this week check out Color My Heart Color Dare.  

    

Beloved Bouquet Meets Color Dare #177

Welcome back to another Color My Heart Color Dare challenge post!  I'm really excited to share this particular color combination with you as it really appeals to me.  We are challenging you to create a project with just these four fabulous Close to My Heart colors:  White Daisy, Whisper, Peacock, and Crystal Blue.

(If you don't have these Close to My Heart colors you can substitute something similar so you can still play along!)

My card features the January Stamp of the Month Beloved Bouquet which I really love!

The card layout is from Tuesday Morning Sketches #335:

Close to My Heart products used:

     White Daisy CS

     Peacock CS

     Crystal Blue CS

     Beloved Bouquet stamps

     Peacock Ink

     Crystal Blue Ink

     Artbooking cartridge--decorative circle

     Artistry cartridge--scalloped border

     

Here is the Design Space file if you want to recreate this card.

Please check out what the rest of the awesome Design Team has to inspire you with this challenge here.  We hope you will find the time to create something and share it with us on the Color Dare blog or on our Facebook page.  If you don't have the exact colors you may use something similar.

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

:) Marie

Use Your Stash "Patterned Paper" Blog Hop

It's time for our monthly Use Your Stash Blog Hop where we share what we've made using older product.  The theme for this month is "Patterned Paper Addict" and it was hard for me to choose what lovely paper I wanted to use.  If you are coming from Casandra Bennett's blog you are on the right track.  (If you get "lost" along the way you can check Wendy Kessler's blog for a list of all the participants).

My cards feature the beautiful "Brushed" paper pack which was retired last year. I combined it with some older "Tulip" red cardstock, Black cardstock, red or black shimmer trim and some new stamps that I really love called "Stamps of Approval" which is available in the new CTMH Seasonal Expressions catalog.  I made a group of cards to keep available to use or perhaps give as a gift to someone else.  I used Design Space to create the scalloped borders. The label mats were cut using the Artistry cartridge.

Which card do you like the best?

Card #1:

  

Card #2: 

Card #3:

Card #4:  

Card #5:  

Card #6:

Now head on over to Sheila Bennett's blog to see what she has to share with you.

Stop by the Color My Heart Color Dare blog on Friday morning to see the wonderful new color combination challenge.

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

:) Marie

Seasonal Expressions 1 Blog Hop

Welcome to our Seasonal Expressions Blog Hop!  We will be featuring new products from the newly released Close to my Heart Seasonal Expressions 1 catalog.  If you have come here from Jen Rubio'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: 

  

This month we have 31 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using new products from the Seasonal Expressions 1 catalog 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 friendship card features the following new products from Seasonal Expressions 1:

     Regatta paper

     Black and Gold Ribbon

     Stamps of Approval

Other Close to my Heart products:

     Pomegranate ink

     3D Foam Tape

Do you see the pretty focal frame?  It was actually cut from a piece of Regatta paper.  Look in the lower left hand corner to find it.  How easy to use is this?!

I followed the Stick it Down January card sketch to make this card.

Now "Hop" on over to the very beginning of the hop 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 items featured in the Seasonal Expressions 1 catalog are available only until April 30.  Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get these limited time only products.

  

Here are some more projects I have made using new products from the Seasonal Expressions 1 catalog: Stamps of Approval Card, Kiss it Better card, Spring Critter card, Beloved Bouquet card.

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

:) Marie

Let it Snow for Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog #268

Welcome back to another Fantabulous Cricut Challenge blog post!  Today we are challenging you to create something with your cricut with a Snow Theme.

Close to My Heart products used:

     Artfully Sent cricut cartridge

     White Daisy CS

     Wonderland paper (retired)

     Black CS

     Sunset CS

     Stardust Glitz Glitter Gel (retired)

I'm also entering this card into the Clear it Out Challenge blog to add a snowflake and Heart 2 Heart "Frozen" challenge.

Challenge #268-Snow
Make a project featuring snow

This Weeks Sponsor

Pretty Cute Stamps

To qualify for the prize, be sure to use at least 1 Cricut cut on your project and if it's not obvious, let us know what cartridge you used. If you use a Cricut Explore machine, at least one cut must be from the Cricut catalog of images.

And, if you submit a project in our challenge that isn't a card, you will get two entries for a chance to win the prize instead of one! 

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

Color Dare #176 Meets Fusion Card Challenge and Seize the Birthday

Welcome back to another Color My Heart Color Dare challenge blog post!  We are challenging you to create something with just these Close to My Heart colors:

(Of course if you don't have these CTMH colors yet you may substitute similar colors).

My card features the original Paper Fundamentals pattern and cuts made with the Art Philosophy (scalloped oval) and Artiste (Happy Birthday) cartridges by Close to My Heart.  If you have these cartridges and would like the Design Space file you can grab it here.  

Who would think to make a birthday card in these colors?  I think it works when you tack on the 50!  

Close to My Heart products used:

     Art Philosophy cartridge

     Artiste cartridge

     Paper Fundamentals Slate (original pattern --now discontinued)

     Whisper CS

     Black CS

     White Daisy CS

     Shimmer Brads (retired)

     Black Shin Han Touch marker

Here is the card sketch that inspired me:

I'm also entering my card into the Seize the Birthday, Cardz 4 Guys birthday challenges and Heart 2 Heart numbers challenge. 

Please head on over to the Color My Heart Color Dare blog to see how the rest of the fabulous Design Team have to inspire you!  Our challenge ends on Thursday evening January 25 at 9 PM CST.  

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

:) Marie

My Little Superhero for Friday Mashup #238

A few weeks before Christmas my son told me that my grandson would really like a Superhero costume. Although I didn't have time to make it for him for a Christmas gift I did finish it shortly thereafter when he was staying at my house. We are calling him the "Amazing Antonio" thus the A emblem.  He has a reversible cape with a velcro closure each way, a black sweatshirt and a red t-shirt.  Here is what I made for him:

Here is the "Amazing Antonio" wearing his superhero costume:

The logo was designed in Design Space (with help from grandson) and cut on the Cricut Explore (love this machine!)

Products used:

     Holographic Gold Heat Transfer Vinyl from Vinyl Expressions

     Holographic Red Heat Transfer Vinyl from Vinyl Expressions

     White Heat Transfer Vinyl from Cricut

     Nursery Rhymes cartridge for the letter A

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

:) Marie

Kiss it Better Meets Saturday Sketch #394

A good friend of mine will be undergoing radiation and chemotherapy soon so I made him this card using Sketch Saturday #394:

Close to My Heart products used:

     Regatta paper (from the new CTMH Seasonal Expressions catalog)

     Champagne CS

     Champagne Ink

     Pomegranate Ink

     Kiss it Better stamp set (from the new CTMH Seasonal Expressions catalog)

     3D Foam Tape

Here is the sketch that inspired me:

    

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

:) Marie

p.s. If you are up for a good color challenge check out Color My Heart Color Dare.  This week's challenge features Glacier, White Daisy and Silver.

La Vie En Rose Birthday Card for Joyful Stars Blog Hop and Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge

Welcome back to another 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 Yvonne Barbosa's blog you are on the right track.  (If you get "lost" along the way visit Joyce's blog for the complete lineup.)  Have fun being inspired!  

My card features the beautiful La Vie En Rose paper from the Annual Inspirations catalog. 

I made it for my niece who just turned 17 following the current Atlantic Hearts Sketch #141. I'm also sharing it with Seize the Birthday challenge blog.

  

Close to My Heart products used:

     La Vie En Rose paper

     Silver Foil Tape

     Artiste cartridge (frame)

     Artbooking cartridge (17)

     Black CS

     Black and Grey Glitter paper

If you have a Cricut Explore here is the cut file.

The next stop on the blog hop is Betty Locco's blog.  I'm sure you'll be inspired by what she shares.

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

:) Marie

P.S.  If you like Close to My Heart products and you like to challenge yourself I invite you to check out the Color My Heart Color Dare blog.  We award blog badges to our weekly winners and have a monthly prize drawing for a randomly drawn entry so the more often you play the more chances you have to win a donated prize from a CTMH consultant.

Mojo Monday #429 Meets Bitten by the Bug

Here's a winter card inspired by two of my favorite challenge blogs (other than Color My Heart Color Dare of course!) Mojo Monday #429 and Bitten by the Bug Frosty the Snowman theme.

Close to My Heart products used:

     Pomegranate CS

     Crystal Blue CS

     Sapphire CS

     Artistry Cartridge

     Artfully Sent Cartridge

     Shimmer Adhesive Gem

The Design Space file can be found here.

Other products:

     Crayola Blue Supertip pen for buttons

     Minc Holographic Heat Reactive Foil (for snowflake)

     tiny wiggle eyes

I'm also entering this card into the Heart 2 Heart "Frozen" challenge.

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

:) Marie

     

     

Beloved Bouquet in Glacier, White Daisy and Silver

Welcome back to another Color My Heart Color Dare challenge blog post.  This week we are inviting you to use just 3 colors:  Glacier, White Daisy and Silver.

As I was reading through some old blog posts I came upon a new to me technique called spotlighting.  I found more information about it on the Gina K Designs blog here.  Instead of using a frame stamp I just pencil traced around different sized CTMH acrylic blocks and then later used the CTMH silver metallic marker to fill it in.  Here is my creation:

Close to My Heart products used:

     White Daisy CS

     Glacier CS

     Beloved Bouquet January Stamp of the Month stamp

     Glacier Ink

     Silver Metallic Marker

     Silver Embossing powder 

Please check out what the rest of the awesome Design Team has to inspire you with this challenge here.  We hope you will find the time to create something and share it with us on the Color Dare blog.  If you don't have the exact colors you may use something similar.

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

:) Marie

Stamp of Approval Thank You Card

Here is a quick card I made for a special friend.  This card layout is one that will work quite well with the other stamps in the new "Stamps of Approval"set just released by Close to My Heart in the new Seasonal Expressions catalog.  This card also features the Baby's Breath stamp from the January Stamp of the Month which created the Glacier background pattern.  The bottom Sapphire panel was embossed with the Stripes Embossing Folder.

Close to My Heart products used:

     Artistry Cartridge

     White Daisy CS

     Glacier CS

     Sapphire CS

     Beloved Bouquet

     Stamps of Approval

     Sapphire Ink

     Glacier Ink

     Silver Shimmer Trim

     Black and Grey Glitter paper

     3D Foam Tape

     Stripes Embossing folder

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

     Just Us Girls #324--Word--Thank You

     Inkspirational--Thank You with something new

     Nacho Average Challenge--color scheme

Are you looking for a good color challenge blog?  Check out the latest challenge from Color My Heart Color Dare to combine New England Ivy, Desert Sand and Poppy.  The challenge ends at 9PM CST on Thursday, January 7.  There are weekly blog badges awarded and a randomly drawn prize given away every month.

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

Wreath Card for Retrosketches #195

This lovely wreath card was made 10 days ago but I never got a chance to post it until now.  Retrosketches #195 was the inspiration for my card and I used two different Cricut cartridges and some retired CTMH papers to create it.

Close to My Heart products used:

     White Daisy CS

     Cranberry CS

     Artiste Cricut cartridge (Merry Christmas)

     Dutch Blue CS (retired)

     Deck the Halls paper (retired)

     Clover Meadow CS (retired)

     Ponderosa Pine CS (retired)

Other products:

     Celebrate with Flourish Cricut cartridge

Here is the sketch that I followed:

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

:) Marie