July/August New Product Blog Hop

Welcome to  our New Product Blog Hop for July and August. This hop will feature products from our NEW mini catalog. On this hop you are going to see all kinds of fun ideas using brand new products from the catalog! The blog before mine belongs to Brandi Robinson. Click the links in each post to hop to the next blog. Now it's time to sit back and get ready to be Wowed! 

I love this sunflower set and knew I had some photos that would be perfect for a layout. So I stamped some flowers and got busy coloring with our TriBlend Parkers! The markers are fantastic because they have 3 shades of color in one barrel making shading a breeze! After struggling with a title I finally decided to use my Cricut Joy and cut out some block letters. Then I stamped flowers on the letters and did some more coloring! I love how it turned out. Since our cardstock has a white center when you tear it you get this great white edge. The flowers and fence were cut with the coordinating Thin cut Dies making it very easy! I painted the center or the sunflower along the bottom with a shimmer brush to give some nice sparkle. 

Click here to view the catalog.

Z3740 Joyful Sunflower

Other Close To My Heart products used on this layout.

• Cardstock: White Daisy, toffee, Carolina
• Exclusive Inks: Black, Expresso, Carolina, Fern
• TriBlend Markers: Citrus, Citrus Green, Earth Brown, Orange
• Embellishments: Toffee Shimmer Brush, Black & White Dots

Let's go shopping!

If you need a consultant I'd be happy to help.

If you'd like to BE a consultant I'd love to have you on my team!

Before you leave be sure to sign up to follow my blog so you don't miss any great ideas! I'm also on Pinterest and Facebook, too. 

Now it's time to see what Darlys Recker is inspiring us with on the hop. I know you'll love it!

Click here for a list of participating consultants.

Thanks for hopping by.

Michelle

#showandtellwithmichelle #ctmh #bloghop #newproductbloghop

Loving the Blues ~ Color Dare #402

Do you love the color blue? Join us for a challenge using Shades of Blue. Neutrals, Black, White and Silver are free. Make any paper craft you like and link to our Home Page to join the challenge.

With the unveiling of our new mini catalog for July/August I fell in love with this Gnome stamp set. It's just too cute for words AND you can get it with or without coordinating Thin Cut Dies!

I used Watercolor Pencils to color the images and papers from the Timber and Mix-in packs. After coloring with the pencils I used a water brush to blend the colors a bit and give it a smooth look. I couldn't decide which gnome to use so I used them both! I put the "shy" one slightly behind his friend. To ground them so they don't look like they are floating in the air I used the edge of an acrylic block to add some ink lines for the ground. I simple tapped the edge of the block on the ink pad then touched it to the card. Now I have a "ground" that is easy to do and gives a subtle look.

Close-up to see the Silver touches: gems, thread and Stickles.

I had a piece of the blue paper left over and even though it's not the right size to fit across the bottom I used it anyway. I added some of the little flowers to fill in the space in the corner.  I left the inside blank for now and will add just the right sentiment when I use the card. 

Z3741 Gnome Matter + Thin Cuts

X9017 Mix-in Paper Pack

X7259B Timber Paper Pack

Other Close To My Heart products used for this card:

• White Cards and Envelopes Value Pack
• Cardstock: White Daisy
• Exclusive Inks: Black
• Watercolor Pencils
• Tools: Water Brush, Thin 3D Foam Tape, Acrylic Block
• Embellishments: Silver Glitter Gems, Silver Thread, Silver Stickles

Let's go shopping!

If you need a consultant I'd be happy to help.

If you'd like to BE a consultant I'd love to have you on my team!

Now are you thinking of what you can make in Shades of Blue? Any paper craft will do. Our Design Team is waiting to see your idea of creating with BLUE! Click here to link your project and join the challenge.

Before you leave be sure to sign up to follow my blog so you don't miss any great ideas! You can also follow me on Facebook and Pinterest.

Have a creative day!

Michelle

#showandtellwithmichelle #colordare #colormyheart #colorchallenge

Summer Vibes ~ Color Dare #401

July is summertime and what doesn't feel like summertime than hot weather and watermelon! The Design Team at Color My Heart Color Dare is challenging you to use colors from our Inspirational Board seen below. Make sure your colors are seen somewhere on the board. Use of black and white are free but don't add any colors not seen in the board. Make any paper craft you like and link it to our home page to enter the challenge!

I love the summery look of this card! It looks like a picnic table with plates of watermelon ready to be gobbled up! Juice dripping, sweet and refreshing! Ok, now that we're all hungry for some watermelon let's talk about the card. LOL

I love the Summer Vibes Cardmaking Workshop! The images are fun and they have a coordinating Thin Cut to make using them very easy! The Summer Vibes papers for this workshop are fun and cute but I just needed to use this red paper from the full set! I paired it with Clover cardstock to keep it with the colors of watermelon. It's hard to tell in the photo but the watermelon seeds are painted with black shimmer for some sparkly fun. I added Black Dots to keep the theme going and act like seeds.

G1209 Summer Vibes Cardmaking Workshop

Other Close To My Heart products used for this card.

• White Cards and Envelopes Value Pack
• Summer Vibes Paper Pack
• Cardstock: White Daisy, Clover
• Exclusive Inks: black, Candy Apple
• Thin Cut Dies: Stitched Circles, Stitched Rectangles, Circles
• TriBlend Markers: Dark Red, Light Green
• Embellishments: Red Shimmer Trim, Black & White Dots, Black Shimmer Brush
• Thin 3D Foam Tape (for the middle watermelon)

Let's go shopping!

If you need a consultant I'd be happy to help.

If you'd like to BE a consultant I'd love to have you on my team!

Before you go be sure to sign up to follow my blog. You can also follow me on Pinterest or Facebook. This way you'll keep up with all the great ideas I share!

What colors are YOU inspired to use from our Inspirational Board? I can't wait to find out!

This card is also being shared at Double Trouble - Challenge #60 and Heart 2 Heart Challenge. Check it out!

Leaving a comment makes my day! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Michelle

#showandtellwithmichelle #colordare #colormyheart #colorchallenge #ctmh

For My Beautiful Friend ~ July SOTM Blog Hop

Since it's the first of the month it's time for our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! Each month we feature artwork starring images from the current Stamp of the Month. This month we have a fantastic stamp set called For My Beautiful Friend.

Our blog hop is one big circle so you can hop on and off at your pleasure but I think you're going to want to stay on for the entire ride! Our consultants are very talented and have fantastic and creative ideas! The blog before mine belongs to Brandi Robinson. Click the link in each post to hop to the next blog. It's that easy!

For my card I wanted to showcase some of the smaller images in the set. Sometimes those images get kind of lost among the larger images but they deserve to shine all on their own! I love the small floral border and used it to flank the sentiment. I stamped the border in the middle of my strip and then filled it in on the ends to complete the look. The butterfly and flowers were colored with our TriBlend Markers.  The leaves were colored with a Shimmer Brush. The color on top of the sentiment is an image in the stamp set!

NOTE: A Stamp of the Month is only available in the month it's featured. So For My Beautiful Friend is only available from July 1-31, 2020. You can get the set for only $5 with a qualifying order! Click here for all the details.

For the background I used a pattern from our Brushed pack. This is a Special for July and is a beautiful collection of colors and patterns available in bundles or individually. I also accented with a narrow strip of Glitter Paper.

The butterfly is painted with a shimmer brush and on the flowers I gave them a glittery center using Stickles. Tip: when I added the butterfly I put adhesive on one wing and a piece of foam tape on the other wind. I bent the butterfly a bit in the middle and put it on the card. This gives a little 3D effect and looks so cute!

Close To My Heart products used for this card.

• Stamp Set: For My Beautiful Friend (available July 1-31, 2020)
• White Cards and Envelopes Value Pack
• Paper Pack: Brushed
• Cardstock: White Daisy, Julep
• Specialty Paper: Julep Glitter 
• Exclusive Inks: Intense Black, Canary, Pixie
• TriBlend Markers: Light Yellow, Bright Pink
• Embellishments: Acrylic Hearts, Silver Stickles, Shimmer Brushes--Clear, Julep
• Thin 3D Foam Tape

Let's go shopping!

If you need a consultant I'd be happy to help.

If you'd like to BE a consultant I'd love to have you on my team!

Before you go to the next blog be sure to sign up to follow me by blog, Facebook or Pinterest. You don't want to miss any great ideas!

Now it's time to see what Darlys Recker has created to inspire us. I know you're going to love it!

Click here for a list of participating consultants.

Thanks for hopping by!

Michelle

#showandtellwithmichelle #ctmh #stampofthemonthbloghop #cardmaking

Silly Boy Layout ~ Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #375

I had so much fun making this layout using the latest sketch from Atlantic Hearts! Take a look and I dare you not to smile!!!!

With our sketch challenge you can make any paper craft you like. You can rotate as I did here to create this layout. I adjusted the elements to look balanced in the new size. You don't need to make the elements exactly like the ones in the sketch. Full details are on our blog.

This is a simple layout and went together quickly once I had the dimensions figured out. I kept the embellishments simple so as to better highlight the photos. Sometimes you just don't need much on the page!

Here is a close-up of the Stickles dots I did as an accent. Subtle but adds a nice touch. For the heart I put some Stickles on it and then smeared it with my finger to make a highlight.

Atlantic Heart Sketch Challenge

Close To My Heart products used on this layout

• Paper Pack: Blue Skies, Blue Skies Coordinating Cardstock
• Cardstock: White Daisy, Sapphire, Pewter, Peach
• Thin Cut Dies: Stitched Circles, Stitched Hearts
• Stickles: Cool Mint

Let's go shopping!

If you need a consultant I'd be happy to help.

If you would like to BE a consultant I'd love to have you on my team!

Now it's your turn to create a paper craft using our sketch! It's a lot of fun since we give you a starting point. 

Before you leave be sure to sign up to follow my blog so you don't miss any great ideas!

Ok....off you go to create and share!

Michelle

#showandtellwithmichelle #ctmh #scrapbooking #atlanticheartssketchchallenge

Hooray! Color Dare #400 ~ Purples, Greens & Blues!

Welcome to Color Dare #400! We have a really pretty and fun challenge for you to mark this occasion. There will also be a random draw for PRIZES....plus when you post your creation mention the first date you participated and the "oldest" will win a prize! Full details are in the post on our blog home page.

Now let's get started with the challenge! Using only shades of purple, blue and green create any paper craft you like. We're also giving you some FREE colors: black, white and grey. If you combine challenges make sure your colors follow our challenge.

I decided to make a card with a pretty jar of flowers. I love flowers but have no luck growing them but at least I can have flowers in my paper crafting! The perfect stamp set to use is the Mason Jar Bouquet. The dainty flowers and stems create a beautiful bouquet. I stamped the mason jar on Vellum to give a nice glass like appearance. Just remember to allow plenty of time for the ink to air dry on the vellum...or gently dry it with a heat tool. 

I used our TriBlend marker for coloring but also stamped some tiny flower stems with ink. I stamped a shadow of blue behind the bouquet, too. It was stamped in second generation for a subtle look. The flower stems were cut with the coordinating Thin Cut Dies making it very easy! I used a journal pen to extend the stems in the jar, doodled around the edge and added some Stickles to the flower centers. 

Some of the flowers have been popped up a bit with some foam tape. This gives a nice dimension to the bouquet.

I left the inside blank until I use the card. Then I will add a custom sentiment. But for now I've added a bit of decoration to tie in together with the front of the card.

C1845 Mason Jar Bouquet

D1887 Strokes of an Artist

X9015 Mix in Pack

Other Close To My Heart products used for this card.

• White Cards And Envelopes Value Pack
• Cardstock: White Daisy
• Exclusive Inks: Black, Carolina, Thistle
• TriBlend Markers: Jade Green, True Blue, Purple
• Specialty Paper: Vellum
• Embellishments: Waterfall Stickles
• Tools: Thin 3D Foam Tape, Journal Pen

Let's go shopping!

If you need a consultant I'd be happy to help.

If you'd like to BE a consultant I'd love to have you on my team.

Before you go be sure to sign up to follow my blog. You can also follow me on Facebook and Pinterest.

Now go check out all the details of our special celebration for Color Dare #400! It's all on our Home Page.

Thanks for stopping by!

Michelle

#showandtellwithmichelle #colordare #colormyheart #ctmh #colorchallenge

Brushed Blog Hop

We have a fun special going on right now! It's called Bring Back My Pack and this time features the Brushed paper pack. This beautiful pack comes in bundles or as individual items. Either way I know you'll find things you really want!

Since this is a blog hop you'll find all kinds of inspiration from out talented consultants. The blog before mine belongs to Darlys Recker. Click the link in each post to go to the next blog.

With all the pretty pinks and greens in the patterns I had just the right photo to scrap! I also wanted to use one of the fun layouts from our Cricut Everyday Moments Collection. This makes  scrapbooking very easy and you end up with a well put together layout!

NOTE: Clicking in the top right column will take you directly to the Cricut site featuring ALL the Close To My Heart collections both current AND retired! From there you can also access all other Cricut products, too! I'm an affiliate and purchases through this link include compensation.

Since the pattern papers were being used for the stars I wanted them to be seen and not lost on the page. To make the colors pop I used a sheet of black cardstock for my base. Look at how those colors stand out against the black! 

Once the Cricut cuts were done all I had to do was glue the stars to the back of the star outline and the title to the backing. . I told you it was easy! When the page was assembled I added some stickers from the pack, gold sequins and gold thread. A bit of journaling and the page was done!

Click here to see the Brushed Collection

Close To My Heart products used on this layout.

• Paper Pack: Brushed + Stickers
• Cricut: Everyday Moments
• Cardstock: Black, White Daisy, Raspberry
• Embellishments: Gold Thread, Gold Sequins
• Tools: thin 3D Foam Tape, Tombow Liquid Glue

Let's go shopping!

If you need a consultant I'd be happy to help.

If you'd like to BE a consultant I'd love to have you on my team!

Before you go be sure to sign up to follow my blog. I'm on Facebook and Pinterest, too!

Now it's time to hop over and see what Alyson Mayo has created to inspire us! I know you're going to love it!

Thanks for hopping by!

Michelle

#showandtellwithmichelle #ctmh #bloghop #scrapbooking