Liquid Pearls Cards

Today I'm sharing several more Liquid Pearl cards and I really love the look this technique creates. It's quite simple and the only hard part is waiting for things to dry.

Here is a trio of cards all using Liquid Pearls as a background for an image or senitment. The technique is simple....just squirt some Liquid Pearls on the cardstock. I used a tissue to then smear the Liquid Pearls around creating the backgrounds you see here. Sometimes I felt the need to a bit more color so I added more and smeared again. That's it....easy, right?!

Then the hard part...waiting for it to dry. If you don't have another project to work on during drying time you can use your heat tool to speed it up a bit. Next I stamped the images in Intense Black Exclusive Inks. Be careful when placing and lifting the stamp as the Liquid Pearls make the surface a bit slippery. Now the dry time wait begins again....or get the heat tool to help it along.

Finally I added some embellishments to accent the design and layered with cardstock to complete the cards.

Here's a list of products used to create these fun cards:

• Liquid Pearls: Coral, Robin's Egg, Ballerina
• Cardstock: White Daisy, Melon, Capri, Ballerina, Black
• Exclusive Inks: Intense Black
• White Cards and Envelopes Value Pack
• Embellishments: Melon Loose Sequins, Black & White Dots, Ballerina Liquid Pearls

As I said, it's simple and fun to do and you get such an beautiful shine and look.

Don't forget it's Stamptacular Month! ALL stamp sets are on sale through March 31st!

CC2234 Daisy, Daisy Stamp Set
Only available through March 31st.

D2109 Flourished Layers

B1806 Flourished Greetings

Let's go shopping!

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

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

Have you heard about our new VIP Customer Program? As a member you enjoy perks like a discount on your orders, FREE Stamp of the Month, special product bundles and online events. 

  Click here to find out more and sign-up. today!

Before you go...... be sure to sign up to follow my blog so you don't miss any great ideas! The link is in the column on the right.

Michelle

#showandtellwithmichelle  #ctmh  #cardmaking #liquidpearls #specials

Kangaroo Fun ~ March Stamp of the Month

Welcome to a new sketch from our Design Team at Atlantic Hearts! Each Monday there is a new sketch to inspire you. You can flip, flop, rotate, etc., the sketch. We just need to be able to see the sketch in your creation. 

As you can see I did manipulate the sketch a bit this time. I wanted to use this really cute kangaroo and needed the space to be a bit wider than the way the sketch presented.

The pattern paper is from the Mix-in Paper Pack (Jan. - March).  I stamped the image in Intense Black Exclusive Ink so it wouldn't bleed when I colored with TriBlend Markers. You can see the marker caps in the photo for colors. Adding a couple Melon Sequins finished the look.

Other Close To My Heart products used for this card:

• White Cards and Envelopes Value Pack
• Thin Foam Tape
• Cardstock: White Daisy, Glacier, Lagoon

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge
(open for submissions Wednesday)

S2303 Precious Moments
March Stamp of the Month
Available March 1-31
Get a discount with a qualifying order
VIP Customers can get it FREE with a qualifying order

March SOTM Artwork Showcase

Let's go shopping!

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

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

Have you heard about our new VIP Customer Program? As a member you enjoy perks like a discount on your orders, FREE Stamp of the Month, special product bundles and online events. 

  Click here to find out more and sign-up. today!

Before you go...... be sure to sign up to follow my blog so you don't miss any great ideas! The link is in the column on the right.

Michelle

#showandtellwithmichelle #ctmh #cardmaking #atlanticheartssketchchallenge #stampofthemonth

More March Stamp of the Month ~ Color Dare #540

Friday means a new challenge at Color My Heart Color Dare. We give you the colors to create with and you make any kind of paper craft you like! See the graphic below for the fine print details.

We reference Close To My Heart colors but you can use any brand you have as long as you can make a very close match. Kind of close doesn't count. When you're ready to join the challenge use the direct link under the graphic below.

I'm featuring another image from the adorable March Stamp of the Month: Precious Moments (link is below). This set is ONLY available from March 1-31 then it's gone. Be sure to get yours before it's too late.

Once I decided to use strips of all the colors for my background I decided to keep the image simple in black and white. I also used a couple of strips of Vellum to add some interest with the strips.

The image layer is popped up with some Thin Foam Tape. I added some Black Flower Die Cuts to finish it off. 

A few other items used for this card:

• White Cards and Envelopes Value Pack
• Cardstock: Ballerina, Sage, Toffee, Sapphire, Pine, White Daisy, Black
• Exclusive Inks: Black

Direct Link to Color Dare #540

S2303 Precious Moments
March Stamp of the Month (available March 1-31)
With a qualifying order you can get it at a discount.
VIP Customers can get it FREE with a qualifying order!

March SOTM Artwork Showcase

Let's go shopping!

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

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

Have you heard about our new VIP Customer Program? As a member you enjoy perks like a discount on your orders, FREE Stamp of the Month, special product bundles and online events. 

  Click here to find out more and sign-up. today!

Before you go...... be sure to sign up to follow my blog so you don't miss any great ideas! The link is in the column on the right.

Michelle

#showandtellwithmichelle  #ctmh #colordare #colormyheart #cardmaking #stampofthemonth

Hedgehog Fun ~ March Stamp of the Month

I just can't get enough of this adorable stamp set! It's the March Stamp of the Month called Precious Moments and it's only available March 1-31. The animals are too cute and the sentiments are great! Be sure to get yours before it's gone! You can even get it at a discount with a qualifying purchase. VIP Customers can get it FREE with a qualifying purchase. Details below.  

I love this little hedgehog with the flower. It's just too sweet! This card is my version of a card made by Laura Beacham. I tweaked it a bit but love her work and the inspiration.

I used Thin Cut Circle Dies to cut a circle in the cardstock. I backed it with a panel created with 3/4" squares of Life's a Hoot paper. A journal pen was used to doodle around the circle.

The hedgehog was stamped in Intense Black Exclusive Ink so it wouldn't bleed when colored then fussy cut. I used our TriBlend Markers to color and shade the image. You can see the colors I used in the photo. 

I placed a small circle of Vellum behind the hedgehog and layered this entire piece on Black cardstock then a card base from our White Cards and Envelopes Value Pack. A couple of Yellow Dots  and a sentiment finished the look.

S2303 Precious Moments
March Stamp of the Month
Only available march 1-31
Get it at a discount with a qualifying purchase.
VIP Customers can get it FREE with a qualifying purchase!

March SOTM Artwork Showcase

Let's go shopping!

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

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

Have you heard about our new VIP Customer Program? As a member you enjoy perks like a discount on your orders, FREE Stamp of the Month, special product bundles and online events. 

  Click here to find out more and sign-up. today!

Before you go...... be sure to sign up to follow my blog so you don't miss any great ideas! The link is in the column on the right.

Michelle

#showandtellwithmichelle  #ctmh  #cardmaking #stampofthemonth

Cute Koala Card ~ Color Dare #539

Welcome to our popular Tic Tac Toe Challenge at Color My Heart Color Dare! Start by picking your colors by row, column or diagonal. After that if you want to use more of the colors in the grid go for it! See the graphic for the fine print of the rules.

We reference Close To My Heart colors but you can use any brand you have as long as you can make a very close match. Kind of close doesn't count. Make any kind of paper craft you like. When you're ready to join our challenge click here for the direct link. 

I absolutely love our March Stamp of the Month: Precious Moments (link is below). I can't resist all those cute little animals! This set is only available during March so get yours now! You don't want to miss out on this adorable set!  This card features the koala and is my version of a card made by Dawn Haight. 

I also love our Irresistible Cardstock (link is below) and felt it would be a good match with this design. I'm a fan of plaid so that is the one that said, "pick me, pick me!" Haha. 

Using the diagonal of colors: Wisteria, Sapphire and Periwinkle and Blending Brushes I applied the ink to the Irresistible Cardstock. All you have to do is rub the brush on the ink pad then rub the ink onto the cardstock to have the magic happen! The glossy part of the pattern resists the ink which creates the pattern. Check the photo below for the different patterns in this fun paper pack.

The koala was stamped in Intense Black Exclusive Ink so it wouldn't bleed when I colors with markers. Our TriBlend Markers are amazing and have 3 shades in one marker making it easy to blend the color. You can see the colors used in the photo. 

Thin Foam Tape was used to pop up the image and sentiment layers. A couple Black Dots were added for fun! Don't forget we have a great item to have on hand.....White Cards and Envelopes Value Pack. You'll always be ready to make a card!

S2303 Precious Moments
March Stamp of the Month
You can even get it at a discount with a qualifying order.
VIP Customers can get it FREE with a qualifying order!

Z4675 Irresistibles Cardstock

March SOTM Artwork Showcase

Let's go shopping!

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

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

Have you heard about our new VIP Customer Program? As a member you enjoy perks like a discount on your orders, FREE Stamp of the Month, special product bundles and online events. 

  Click here to find out more and sign-up. today!

Before you go...... be sure to sign up to follow my blog so you don't miss any great ideas! The link is in the column on the right.

Michelle

#showandtellwithmichelle  #ctmh #colordare #colormyheart #cardmaking #stampofthemonth

Inspiration Card

March is a time for Wearing O' the Green and these two Challenges do just that! Double Trouble is challenging us with a project featuring green and plaids/checks. Inspiration Station has a challenge photo full of beautiful greens. Check both of these challenges out by clicking the links I added later in this post. 

First of all, Green is one of my favorite colors and I love a good plaid, too! So this challenge is right in my wheelhouse!

I have several inspirations going with this card. The two challenges I already mentioned and another by Dana Baker. Her inspiration was a card where she used Liquid Pearls to create a pretty background. I couldn't wait to get into my stash of Liquid Pearls and try this out! 

The plaid background is a piece of Irresistible Cardstock with Sage Exclusive Inks brushed on it with a Blending Brush. The cardstock colors are Sage, Sapphire and White Daisy. Exclusive Inks colors are Sage and Sapphire. I also added Sage ink to the sentiment to bring in the green color and soften all the white cardstock. The stamp set the sentiment comes from is D2095 Irish Blessings and is on sale during this months Stamptacular Sale! White Cards and Envelopes Value Pack is a staple in my stash so I'm always ready to make a card.

Here's where the Liquid Pearls comes in.....the butterfly. I used Sage Liquid Pearls to create a background by squirting a good amount on my white cardstock. With a tissue I smeared it around the cardstock until I had a nice look. I did add a bit more Liquid Pearls to get a stronger color then smeared it around. As I was designing this card I decided to use the Liquid Pearl piece.... once dried..... to cut out a butterfly using the Z4653 Layered Butterfly Thin Cuts. You can seen the sheen in the photo but it still looks better in person. I added a bit of Sapphire ink to the edges to make it stand out from the background. I also bent the wings up a bit and put some Thin Foam Tape on the back of the wings for a dimensional effect.

Double Trouble Challenge #133 Pinch Proof

Inspiration Station ~ Inspiration Prompt #47

This photo is an inspiration because it reminds me of Ireland which is #1 on my Bucket List! 

Let's go shopping!

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

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

Have you heard about our new VIP Customer Program? As a member you enjoy perks like a discount on your orders, FREE Stamp of the Month, special product bundles and online events. 

  Click here to find out more and sign-up. today!

Before you go...... be sure to sign up to follow my blog so you don't miss any great ideas! The link is in the column on the right.

Michelle

#showandtellwithmichelle #ctmh #cardmaking #doubletrouble #inspirationstation

 Thoughts and ideas during our Stamptacular Sale!

5 Things We Love About Stamping

Stamping is at the center of who we are at Close To My Heart. In a real way, everything we do now is derived from our Founder & CEO Jeanette Lynton’s initial love for and fascination with this unique art form. With that in mind, it is no wonder that we continue to be taken with all things stamping even all of these years later! 

During this month’s Stamptacular special, where we are offering exclusive stamp sets and discounted prices on stamp sets and stamp + Thin Cuts sets, we wanted to shed a little more light on some of the things that we love about stamping. Here are five of the things we love about stamps and stamping!

Click here to read the full story.

Click here to shop our Stamptacular Sale.