You Are... Welcome to the April SOTM Blog Hop!

Welcome!  This month we are featuring "You Are...", a set of 15 stamps, great for cards, layouts, and more.  If you are just starting out, or have come from Dawn Ross's blog, you are in the right place!  When you're done here, you'll head over to Angel Sawyer's blog to continue on.

I love that this set is good for so many things, and can easily be adapted for girls or boys, and any number of subjects.  I'm trying to catch up on some scrapbooking, and around here we have a lot of soccer pictures.  It's hard to find soccer themed papers, especially in quality brands, so I love that I can create my own patterns with stamps.  Here's what I came up with for some pictures from a few years ago:

No need to have a thousand soccer balls everywhere; just a few accents thrown in and voila - perfect!  I used the diamond pattern stamp to make tone-on-tone Topiary pattern paper for my large circle; I used the stripes stamp to make a black on white striped pattern; and I used the stars stamp with Heavenly Blue, Cranberry, and Topiary inks for a sports star pattern fitting for any sport!

I stamped the "incredibly" and "fun" images and cut them out with my Micro Tip scissors and popped them up on some 3-D foam adhesive tape.  (Just ignore that little mis-stamped area where my diamonds don't quite match up!  Wouldn't you know, I got in a bit of a hurry at the very end and messed up my last one - typical.)

  I added stars cut with my Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge (the blue ones are also stamped with the diamond pattern in the same color), a few buttons tied with twine, and some stamped soccer balls for accents.  (The "soccer" and soccer ball images are from a discontinued stamp set.)

If you're ready to shop, you are welcome to head over to my website! Here are the supplies I used:

• You Are... stamp of the month
• Cardstock in Black, White Daisy, Topiary, Heavenly Blue, and Cranberry
• Exclusive Inks Stamp Pads in  Black, Topiary, Heavenly Blue, and Cranberry
• Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge collection
• Bakers Twine Neutral Assortment
• Buttons, Green Assortment and Blue Assortment
• Adhesive 3-D Foam Tape
• Micro-Tip Scissors
• Sandpaper from the Sanding Kit (used to distress the green & blue cardstocks after stamping)

When you're ready to hop along, head on over to Angel Sawyer's blog and see what she has for us today!

G45 Blog Hop

If you love Graphic 45, then this is the hop for you!  We are all Graphic 45, all the time, for the next two days.  Hop along and enjoy all of the projects!

I've been trying to get caught up on some scrapbooking, and the G45 Tropical Travelogue papers were perfect for these pictures from Sea World:

My large scalloped circle was cut using my Cricut and the Art Philosophy cartridge.  I cut out several of the stamp images and used a postage edge punch along the edges.  I also stamped the flamingo from one of the coordinating stamp sets in brown ink and colored it in with my Copics.  My journaling shape is a stamp from Unity Stamps, also colored with copics.

Time to hop along to the next stop!  Here's the lineup for you:
Monica - http://scraps2treasure.blogspot.com/
Anita  http://www.anitaandbugs.blogspot.com
Pam http://lovebugcreations3.blogspot.com/
Evila - http://www.frenchconnectiondesigns.blogspot.com
Lori - http://savingmine.blogspot.com/       -   YOU ARE HERE!!
Angela-http://creativecraftin.blogspot.com
Jearise - http://lorbysworld.blogspot.com
Tami - http://tamboscreations.blogspot.com/

I'm Certified! (and Probably Certifiable)

 Twelve days ago, I completed the first step of a journey I never knew I wanted to take: I have completed the Standard Copic Certification!  I bought my first markers about a 18 months ago, thinking I wouldn't use them much.  I've never really enjoyed coloring stamped images much, but I have become a convert!  I plan to take the Intermediate Certification  later this year, but I want to practice more with the Standard techniques first.

I've been a little short on mojo lately, but needed to make a card for my friend's mom, and was directed to the 7 Kids Challenge Blog by another friend, so I thought I might as well use some of my new coloring skills!

I have to say that this was probably not a wise image to start with!  It's full of tiny little areas that are hard to color, so of course now it's a challenge for me.  I think I did pretty well for this being the first time I've colored this image, and I am definitely looking forward to improving my coloring abilities so I can really do this pretty Sarah Kay stamp justice!

Supplies used for this card:

• Stamp - Finn Whistling While He Works, Sarah Kay from Stampavie
• Papers - from my stash (discontinued Close To My Heart)
• Cricut cartridge - Elegant Edges (frame)
• Border Punch - Effervescence border punch, Fiskars
• Sentiment stamp - from my stash
• tulle, ricrac, twine, button, crochet flower, and tag - from my stash

I'm entering this in the Anything Goes challenge at 7 Kids Challenge Blog.  If you'd like to enter too, you have until 3/26!

Echo Park Layout and Contest

Today I have a fun contest to share with you.  Echo Park Paper is sponsoring a sketch contest on their Facebook page, but of course you need the sketch!  But before I tell you how to get it, I wanted to share my layout(s) with you.  If you've come here from the Cutters Creek blog, you've already seen this first page:

Of course, if you know anything about me, you already know that I almost never create single-page layouts.  So, I rotated the sketch, simplified the design, and created this second page:

 

Oh!  I also should share a quick little tip here!  I know it looks like I've used a LOT of paper here, but I am all about saving everything I can.  So, I cut the centers out of the cream & brown papers to save for another project.  (I know, I should have taken a picture of the back but I forgot!)

Products used in this project:

• Echo Park Paper, This & That Charming (green pattern) and Graceful (all others) collections
• Echo Park Paper This & That Graceful embellishments - brads, chipboard, layered chipboard
• Edge Distresser, Close To My Heart
• Stitched Together stamp set, Close To My Heart
• Chocolate Ink Pad, Close To My Heart

 And now, what you really want to know!  You can get the sketch and all of the details on the This & That layout sketch contest by downloading their new This & That eBook, currently available FREE on their website here.  Be sure to join me - just go order your This & That paper from Kim at Cutters Creek and get those layouts entered in the contest!

I'm Seeing Spots! A Challenge from Scrappy Frog

It's time again for a monthly challenge from Scrappy Frog! This month's theme is "Seeing Spots", so it's super easy to play along. Here's my inspiration for you:

Sorry for the poor colors in this photo; the weather has not been cooperating here lately!  (Which I have just remedied by buying one of those little photo studios - yay!)  I started with a 5"x7" kraft card base and my Cricut, and the rest of the products this time are all from Close to My Heart. I used the following:

• Typeset paper pack
• Stitched Together stamp set, C1459
• Vintage Type stamp set, D1481
• Ink Pads in Cocoa, Twilight, and Vineyard Berry
• Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge (you can use any cartridge with a circle on it!)

This was easy peasy - I just cut several circles at 1.25" from random scraps of paper.  I stamped the circle stitching in Cocoa, then adhered them to the card front.  Next, I stamped over the rows of circles with one of the stitched line stamps, also in Cocoa.  I used the alpha border stamp from Vintage Type and stamped along the edge of the card in Twilight.  Finally, I used the alpha stamps from Vintage Type to create the sentiment "You Rock" and stamped it in Vineyard Berry. Now I have a perfect card for one of my kids for the upcoming ISAT testing here in Illinois - just a little encouragement to get them through!

Don't forget to head on over to Scrappy Frog's Challenge Blog and link up your spotty project!

Before I go today, I wanted to share a sweet deal on that Art Philosophy Cricut collection.  Close To My Heart has a great special this month if you decide to join our consultant family: you get your cartridge collection (OR $100 of other product) free. I'm also offering a special bonus all year long to anyone who joins my team - I'm not allowed to share the details here, so be sure to email me if you want to know the details!  No need to worry about huge minimum sales requirements, either - Close To My Heart makes it easy for even a hobbyist to stay on board.  Be sure to contact me to get full details, and then I would love for you to join my team - we are currently dotted across the country from Illinois to Hawaii and there's always room for one more!

Thanks for stopping by today!  I'd love for you to become a follower or email subscriber while you're here!