Birthday Cards

You can't tell from looking at my blog, but I have been creating things like crazy lately. The thing is, almost all of it is from the new CTMH Idea Book which isn't released to the public until September 1. So, after September 1, watch out!

I have been making birthday cards for family members. So, today I will share them with you. All of them are made using only CTMH supplies.







Thanks for looking. Have a great day!

Finally, some card pics!

I know I have been remiss in my blogging duties lately. While it's not an excuse, I offer up an explanation... I have been working on secret projects! Actually, in the last 2 weeks, I have stamped and scrapbooked more than I had in the 7 years prior. Finally today, I get to share a great project.

To get a jump start on September as National Stamping Month, today, August 14, Close to my Heart released a card kit that is so stinkin' cute I could just spit! In a good way, of course. As a consultant, I got my hands on one of these a couple weeks ago so I could put together the cards. Let me tell ya... Cute, fun, and easy. When you want to give a card to a friend "Just Because", you will reach for this box. And speaking of the box, it is gorgeous! it is 7" x 3.5" x 6.75".

So, when my box arrived, here is what I pulled out:

The kit features a brand new color: Tulip. This could be my new favorite color. Word on the street is Tulip is the next pink! It is a great light red for Christmas, Valentine's Day, every day! And the card kit includes the cutest little mini stamp pad in Tulip and one in Cocoa.

Each of these cards I assembled according to the directions in less than 15 minutes. Which means for most of you card making types, you could do it in 5 minutes! I'm slow. Also, there are so many ways to dress up the cards beyond the basic directions or even toss the directions aside and do your own thing.

Here are the cards I created per the step-by-step instructions:

I can't believe I got this kit for free!

I am still working on some other secret projects which I can't reveal quite yet. I can hardly wait! I feel like my card making and scrapbooking skils have come a long way in the last 8 months. Oooooh! And I even tried stitching with embroidery floss on a card. So stinkin' cute also! As soon as I'm allows to show it, I will.

Thanks for looking!

Pregabella

Here is the shower card I made for my pregnant friend! It is loosely based on this week's Papertake challenge. Too much time has passed since I made my last Bella card, and this Bella is oh-so-perfect for a baby shower!

All supplies are CTMH except the Bella image. This is one of my favorite paper packets, Let's Get Together. For the dangle, I colored the back of it with the Exclusive Inks Markers in Cranberry, Breeze, and Buttercup.





patterned paper (Let's Get Together, Level 2), cardstock (Buttercup), Accents (Friendship Clear Inspirations dangle)

Life's a Jungle

In my circle of long-time friends with children, most of them have girls. Beginning with the birth of my daughter, there are only 5 boys and more than 20 girls! The trend continues...

Here is a birth announcement I made for one of my best friends. She is pregnant with twin girls (the 4th set of twins in our group of friends, I might add)! The stamp set I used is the Close to my Heart July Stamp of the Month. You can get this set for free, just ask me how!

ETA: 4th set of twins in our group of friends, not the 4th set for the one family. It was late last night when I was typing ;-)

OPH #4 and 12x12 Scrapbooking

Over at One Powerful Hour, Caroline challenged us to create something around the theme of fashion. I have absolutely no gorgeous, glamorous stamps such as Elisabeth's. So, I improvised.

Last month, my in-laws dug up an incredibly entertaining picture of DH in his Hair Metal Band days (circa 1992). If this doesn't speak to fashion trends, then I don't know what does. His pants lace up on both sides! So, I created a then-and-now 2-page 12x12 layout. I finished in an hour, and I even cleaned up after myself!

I absolutely love these Rock Star papers by DCWV. I purchased them before the Hair Metal Band picture fell into my hands. And when it did, I knew what had to be done!

Yes, his hair was longer than mine has ever been.

This picture was taken the day we got a PS2 and Guitar Hero, the day after Thanksgiving, 2007. Here is DH and my sister's DH jamming out.

Supplies: patterned paper (DCWV Rock Star stacks)* chipboard letters (Thickers by American Crafts) * ink (Close to my Heart Exclusive Inks in Key Lime, and Distressing Ink in Chocolate) * accents (silver hinges and brads by CTMH) * adhesive (Zip Dry Paper Glue by Beacon Adhesives and Bonding Memories glue by CTMH)

For the love of coffee!

One Powerful Hour challenged us this week to create something using food or beverage as an item. This idea has been floating in my head lately, so I put it to paper. It's a pet peeve of mine!



All supplies from Close to my Heart: cardstock (Parchment, Garden Green, Petal), dye inks (Chocolate, Garden Green, Petal), pigment-based ink (White Daisy), glitter (Prisma Glitter), sentiment (handmade using Sans Alphabet, Believe Lowercase, Coffee Shop), stamped image (Coffee Shop).

I am busy working on swaps for the upcoming CTMH convention. Wow. I should have started as soon as I registered. I have some great ideas, though!

Thanks for stopping by!

Challenges

In my quest to do different challenges, I have found a couple blogs (Thanks, Anna!).

For Allison's Suggestive Sunday Challenge this week, she suggested we use a sentiment as the focus of our card and refrain from using any other stamped images. I don't have very many sentiment stamps, so it was a challenge just to find one! I finally located one I liked that was included in the CTMH My Acrylix (R) Stamp of the Month set from February, Endless Love.



All products from Close to my Heart: paper packet (More to Adore, Level 2), Exclusive Inks (tm) Stamp Pads (Chocolate, Hollyhock), eyelet (Holloyhock), textured cardstock (Blush), Cardstock (Vanilla Cream, Chocolate), button (Hollyhock), adhesive (Bonding Memories).

The second challenge in which I participated was from the Arty Girlz Challenge Blog. This week, they offered a sketch challenge. The format I chose was 2.5" x 3.5", a.k.a. Artist Trading Card. I love, love, love sketch challenges, and this was no exception. I liked it so much that I made several of these ATCs to swap.



Products: cardstock (Die Cuts With a View Pocket full of Posies premium 12x12 and mat stacks and Glitter mat stack), clear epoxy stickers (JoAnn Craft Essentials large square bubbles), adhesive (Glue Dots, mini).