You're Sweet

Here's another Valentine I made using the CTMH Hostess Only stamp set called "Sweet as Sugar".
I could have used one of the sentiments in the stamp set, but I needed a skinny one to fit the sketch. Unfortunately I didn't finish the card before the challenge ended but that's OK. 
So the Sentiment and the small background hearts came from the "Forever in my Heart" stamp set. 

I used the Heartstrings Paper Pack again for this card. Ir's just so addicting. Also used the Teal Shimmer trim and one of the Aqua dots for the handle of the candy Jar. 
I added MS Glitter Glue to the hearts in the jar and the hearts stamped at the bottom.

Challenges for this card:
Pile it on - Hearts or Flowers
The Craft Place - Love/Valentines
My Sheri Crafts - Valentines
Just for Girls  - 

Art By Miran - Anything Goes

Brown Sugar - Valentines

Left of Center - Layer it Up.

Sister Act - Anything Goes

Wags 'n Whiskers - Hearts

- 

Happy to be Friends

I've had this Spellbinders dies in my case for YEARS, and never used it. When I saw the Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge, it made me think of this Die. 

I started with  piece of Smokey Plum Cardstock and dry embossed it with the CTMH Quatrefoil Embossing Folder. 
Then I sponged the flower with Smokey Plum Ink. I dug out some old Belle La Vie papers but the side I was thinking about using was too dark. SO, I flipped it over and WaLa! The perfect look. I then sponged the leaves with Flaxen Ink and Matted the center piece with Flaxen CS also. 

I then got out my NEW CTMH stamp set called "Happy to be Friends". I stamped the Thinking of You and the mini flowers in smokey Plum and the little greenery behind them in Flaxen. 
In the centers of all the flowers, I used some MS Glitter Glue, which matched the Flaxen color perfectly.

Other Challenges for this Card:

Crafty Cardmakers - Old(die and papers) New(Stamp Set)

Love to Scrap - Anything

The Crazy Challenge - Embossing

Crafty Boots - Butterflies

As you like it - Favorite Embossing Folder - Quadrefoil because it can be masculine or feminine.

Crafting for all Seasons - Things with wings

Your Own Kind of Wonderful Calendar Card

I'm really behind with my calendar cards. These were suppose to be made before Christmas so I could give them as gifts. But, better late then never.

For this I used the CTMH Brushed Paper Pack along with the "Your Own Kind of Wonderful" stamp set. 

Everything else was done with Dies and Punches.

Challenges for this card:
Paper Shelter - Punches and Dies
Stampotique - Bright Colors
Digi Stamps for Joy - Dies or Punched & favorite thing (Easel Cards) and Frilly dies and punches.
Creative Colors - Pink, Blue, & White, Flowers and a Sentiment.

Paper Minutes - Flower Power
Try it on Tuesday - Favorite Things, Easel cards and frilly dies and punches.
Crafty Card Maker - Old Punches - New Stamps, papers and Dies
Love to Scrap - "L" Leaves, "T" Shimmer Trim, "C" Calendar, "B" Butterfly
Ooh La La Creations - Words to Inspire
Path of Positivity - Uniqueness - The sentiment
Without Words - Dreaming of Spring

Hugs and Kisses

My card today is another Valentine or Anniversary card. I just love these colors together.

I used Lagoon Cardstock and stamped the background with stamps for the Heartstrings Workshop on the Go with Lagoon ink for a tone on tone look.

I then used the Brushstrokes Stamp set for the background of the sentiment. I then stamped "hugs and Kisses" using black Pigment ink and Clear Detail Embossing Powder. Then added some hearts from the WOTG set.

I used a small scrap of Heartstrings paper for the banner. I used a strip of Glacier CS and stamped the edges using the WOTG stamps and then added some teal Shimmer trim.

I put it all together and added a Hollyhock Bow.

The inspiration for this card came from a sketch at Inspired by Stamping.

Other Challenges for this card:

Hiding in my craft room - Use scraps

Artbymiran - Anything

Creative Corner - Love is in the Air

Sister Act - Anything

Wags 'n Whiskers - Anything

Polkadoodles - Sentiment, more then 2 layers, wet embossing

Noor Designs - Turquoise

Amour

On April 8th, my husband & I will be married 37 fabulous years. Every year, I'm running around the night before our anniversary trying to come up with a card for him. Well, my card is done three months early! Woo Hoo!!! Now all I have to do is remember where I put it! *Ü*

The CTMH New Seasonal Expressions has lots of great new products. And this stamp set, called "Amour" is one of them. 

I wanted to keep it monochromatic and away from the Valentine colors. Only colors of ink used are Desert Sand and Cocoa. 
Actually, this card could be a Valentine as well as Anniversary or any other reason you may have for giving a card to the one you love.

I got some new Spellbinder Dies for Christmas and couldn't wait to use them. This stamp set seemed perfect. 

The beginning inspiration for this card started with the dies and fit in perfect with a sketch challenge from Die Cuttin Divas.

Other Challenges for this card:

Polkadoodles - Image, Sentiment, Die Cuts, more then 2 layers & wet embossing.

Cardz 4 Guys - Vintage

Cuttlebug Mania-It takes Two

Papertake - Anything

Shopping Our Stash - Use something New

Craft-Dee Bowz - Anything with a handmade bow

Crafty Boots - Use something New

Vintage Stamping - New Stash

4 Crafty Chickes - Anniversary

Joyful Stars January Blog Hop

Welcome to the Joyful Stars January Blog Hop. This hop features Current Close to my Heart Products by 11 fabulous and talented Consultants.

If you've come here from Marie's Blog you're on the right track. If you just happened upon my blog, that's fine, just continue from here and when you get back to me, you know you've seen them all.

Please leave us a little lovin' in our comments. We Love hearing from you! *Ü*

My projects today are Easel Card note pad holders I made for my grandchildren's teachers for Christmas. This one is fro Mya's Teacher. I used the Teacher Appreciation Stamp Set. The main sentiment is not CTMH but everything else is. 

The paper pack is "Chalk it Up". 

Here is the one I made for Jeffrey. Same design, just different colors.

Now hop on over to Nickie's Blog and see what fabulous goodies she has to share with you.

Love Notes

Here is a Valentine card made with the Heartstrings paper pack, the January Stamp of the Month set called "This Moment", and then Hello Wonderful Stamp Set.

I embossed the Heartstrings background paper with the NEW Heart Embossing Folder then sanded over it to make the hearts stand out.

I got the original inspiration for this card from a sketch at Aliciabels's Challenge Blog. However, in place of the bow, I used the same swag I used in previous cards. Reason being, I stamped a bunch of them and fussy cut them while watching a movie Saturday night. I got a little carried away with them. I might try this sketch again with a bow next time.

I stamped the circle with the Hello Wonderful stamp in Whisper Gray ink. Then the "I Adore You" from the same set in Black. The Love Notes is from the January Stamp of the Month Set. All stamped in Black and heat embossed with clear detail EP. 

I used a Sparkle Black Flourish and a silver Sequin with an alcohol marker, hand colored, clear sparkle in the middle. I wanted to add a third element of the lagoon to the card. I used the Lagoon Hearts Washi tape for the border.

Other Challenges for this Card:
DL.ART Thankful Thursday - Use Red
Tag Along - Use Washi Tape
Crafting Musketeers - Valentine
The Crafting Cafe - Lots of Layers
Sisters of Craft -  Anything
Inspirational Challenges - Note

You Mean The World Birthday

The last card I posted was a Valentine. But, I wanted to use the same sketch and concept and made this one a Birthday card. I just love the Heartstrings Paper Pack. So, just showing how changing a piece of paper, dies cut and one stamp, you can change the total look of the same card.

I used a different piece of the Heartstrings Paper. Using the Chevron Border Punch, I punched the bottom left corner and lined it with Red Shimmer Trim. I then cut a doily with hearts from the Close to my Heart exclusive Cricut Cartridge, "Artiste". 

I cut a smaller circle out of Cranberry Cardstock and ran it through the tiny dots embossing folder and sanded it to expose the fabulous white core of the CTMH cardstock.

I then cut a smaller circle using a spellbinders die and sponged the inside edge with lagoon ink before removing the paper from the die. 

I then stamped the Birthday Sentiment from the "You Mean The World To Me" Stamp set with Cranberry Ink and heat embossed with clear detail embossing powder to give it more dimension.

The swag spray was stamped with Lagoon ink and heat embossed also. The roses were stamped with cranberry and all was fussy cut. 

I assembled all pieces following the Cardabilities Sketch and added three Red Enamel Hearts to the upper right corner.

Other Challenges for this card:

Cards Und More - Use a Doily

Crafting From the Heart - Anything Goes

Crafty Boots - Use something New

Love to Create - Anything

Dreamweaver Stencils - Birthday Wishes

Seize the Birthday - Birthday

Heartstrings WOTG Valentine

Happy New Year!

I finally got some inspiration to start making Valentine cards. It is really hard for me to faze out of the Christmas Card mode. Christmas is my favorite card making season.

So, I broke out my New Heartstrings Workshop on the Go. My inspiration for this card started with a sketch challenge over at Cardabilities Challenge Blog.  This is a fabulous paper pack and stamp set featured in the New release of the Seasonal Expressions.

I used the Chevron Border punch on the lower left and then backed the punched area with the Teal Shimmer Trim.

I die cut the doily.

I fussy cut the Lagoon stamped Heart and the swag. I then stamped two Cranberry roses and attached them to the swag. I added some red glitter glue to the hearts and dots on the swag. 

After all was together, I added three Red Enamel Hearts to the upper right corner.

Other Challenges for this card:
ABC Challenge - Anything Goes
Cards Galore -  Anything
Country View - Use something New
Die Cut Divas - Anything Goes with a die cut
Natalie and Amy - All things New
My Time to Craft - All things New
ShowCASe your Style- Use at least one die cut.
Stamping Sensations - Dies and Punches