Beloved Bouquet Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to our first blog hop of 2016! If you've arrived here from Maureen O'Sullivan's Something To Scrap About blog, or if you're just starting out, you're in the right place.

This month's gorgeous stamp of the month set is Beloved Bouquet, a set of 14 image and phrase stamps. Now, I know a couple of the phrases are Valentine-y, but don't limit yourself because of that. Here's what I did:

Click on the pic to make it bigger!

I combined this stamp set with items from the La Vie En Rose collection - perfect for a more formal look for my concert pictures. I added kraft pieces and plastic die-cuts from the Complements pack, some gold foil tape, and a few white Enamel Gems from the Grey pack. I used a sketch pattern from Make It From Your Heart Volume 1 to create my layout.

You may notice that my flowers do not look flat like you might expect from a stamped image. I have an easy technique I use to give flowers dimension, so I thought I would share it with you.

 Start with a cut out image and the foam pad that comes in the stamp set.

Place the image face down on the foam pad.

Use an embossing tool to rub in a circular motion over the image, starting large and moving in to the center. Start with a lighter touch and gradually add pressure to create a domed shape, being careful not to press so hard that you tear the cardstock.

A completed flower! Adhere them to your project using 3-D Foam Tape to keep the shape.

Thanks for checking out my project! If you'd like to shop, the photo list below contains links that open in a new window so you don't lose your place in the hop. When you're ready to move along, we'll hop over to Jen Rubio's blog to see her inspiration for us this month. 

January Stamp of the Month

La Vie En Rose Paper Pack

La Vie En Rose Complements

Non-Stick Micro-Tip Scissors

Piercing & Embossing Tool Kit

3-D Foam Tape

Gold Foil Tape

Grey Enamel Gems

Make It From Your Heart Vol. 1

Cheers! To You

I really wish I had been able to play with the stamp of the month more this month! I did jump on in and create a New Year's layout with Cheers, 2016! as well as papers from the White Pines paper pack.

What I really love about both of these items is how versatile they are. Most of the stamps in this set are useful for things other than New Year's, and I don't think you can tell that these papers are from a "Christmas" set.

I love the fun fonts used in the stamp images (that 2016 is going to get all kinds of use this year!), and the little adhesive hearts add the perfect touch.

I love how combining a Cricut font in a larger size makes the stamps great for page titles too. The gold embossing powder (plus a little glitter paper) adds just the right amount of bling, whether my pictures ends up from a full-on party or the more likely quiet night at home.

If you're interested in the stamp of the month, it's only available until November 30, so be sure to order right away - remember, the price drops to $5 with any $50 purchase!

Christmas Love - October Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to October's stamp of the month blog hop! I know it's not even Halloween, but we all know that it's never too early to start crafting for Christmas. If you've arrived here from Angela White's blog, or if you're just starting out, you're in the right place. Just hop along to all the blogs until you make your way back to where you started.

This month's stamp set, Twinkle, has 15 stamps ready to help you create Christmas projects - and even some non-Christmas projects. I chose to focus on Christmas, and paired it up with White Pines paper for a 2-page layout.

I used a sketch from Make It From Your Heart volume 1 for this layout.  I'm determined to get some family pictures taken this year, so I'm planning ahead with this simple, cozy looking layout.

I added some layered Cricut cuts to my stamped title for a little extra impact. I added 3-D Foam tape between the red & blue layers for added dimension, and some Red Enamel Hearts to reinforce the theme.

In the opposite corner, I added some ornaments using the stamp image, popping one up with 3-D Foam Tape, more Red Enamel Hearts, and a stamped circle I will use for some brief journaling. I used tone-on-tone stamping here to keep the color light enough that I can write over it if I need to.

Here you can see the strips of pattern paper up close - I inked the edges of everything for a more finished look. I also added another small cluster of hearts to complete a visual triangle of design elements.

If you're ready to shop, I have a clickable list below. Links open in a new window so you can remain right here in the hop and not lose your place. When you're ready to move on, be sure to leave me a comment then let's head over to Tammy Lubick's blog and see what she made for us this month.

Supplies used in this project:

October Stamp of the Month

White Pines Paper Packet

Red Enamel Hearts

3-D Foam Tape

Sponge Daubers

Stamp Pads in Cranberry, Fern, Glacier, Chocolate, and Champagne

Cricut Artiste collection

Make a Wish!

What kid doesn't love a birthday party? All three of mine love a party, and this mom loves to document them! I think the Confetti Wishes line from Close To My Heart is great whether you have a boy or girl celebrating. Here are a few examples of birthday layouts I made using the paper pack, complements, and assortment.

This layout is really just a large photo mat backed by strips of the various patterned papers. The title and embellishments are complements stickers.

I based this layout on a sketch from one of CMTH's Make It From Your Heart pattern books.  The title is cut from the Cricut Artbooking cartridge, the tag is a complements sticker, and the other embellishments are from the Confetti Wishes assortment. I added a fiber from my stash to the journaling tag.

This is a "boy" version using squares and strips of the pattern paper, a Cricut cut title from Artbooking, and complements stickers.

Here's another "boy" version. I used another title cut with the Cricut Artbooking cartridge, and more complements stickers.

I've shown this fun layout before. In addition to the paper pack, I stamped some pattern paper using a former stamp of the month set. I also added a title and embellishments made with the same stamp set. Note: while this particular stamp set is no longer available, there are several other sets perfect for birthdays on the website.  Look in the Occasions stamp category for ideas!

I did add a few sheets of cardstock from my basic supplies for page bases. But even after all of these fun layouts, I still have some decent scraps of paper left, as well as a few embellishments from the assortment and some complements stickers. Perfect for making any birthday cards we need in the next little while.

Jump On It!

Welcome to our Jump On It in July blog hop! If you've arrived here from Haley Dyer's blog, or if you're just starting out, you're in the right place. Here's the scoop on Jump On It in July:

This month's special offer is a one-of-a-kind chance to get your favorite set of Hostess Reward stamps without hosting a party, for only $5. Or, you can choose July's Stamp of the Month for free. All you have to do is purchase $25 in current, retail priced stamps and the choice is yours!

There are a lot of great stamp sets to choose from, and I'm sharing two of them today. This first card uses the Hats Off stamp set along with the masculine Jackson papers.

My card design is from the Wishes pattern book, and I used the Happy Birthday stamp from the set on the inside. This is a great masculine set, but that clock could make some pretty feminine birthday cards as well.


My second stamp set is Happy Hexagons, and I chose to make this card using only cardstock to show you how to really take advantage of this special.

The sentiment and hexagon border images are from the Happy Hexagon stamp set. To get this set, you can buy the other two sets I used for this card, and there are tons of other possibilities for the three sets.

The single flower is from the Shower Flowers stamp set ($13.95).

The allover patterns are from the Botanical Backgrounds stamp set ($17.95).

The background patterns can easily be stamped tone-on-tone, like the pear panels in my card, or can be colored in, like my white panel. I used our watercolor pencils on my card, but you could also use our Shinhan markers with great looking results.

Remember, this offer is only good for the month of July 2015, so be sure to jump on this chance while you can!  If you are ready to shop, you can use my picture list below. The links open in a new window so you can continue on with the hop as soon as you're done. When you're ready to move along, let's go see what Pam Ellison has created for us!

Shopping List for Card #1:

Jackson Paper Pack

Wishes How-To Book

Kraft Cardstock

Stamp Pads in Glacier, Barn Red, and Cocoa

Hats Off - Promo appears in cart when you qualify!

Shopping List for Card #2:

Cardstock in Pear and White Daisy

Make It From Your Heart - Vol. 2

Stamp Pads in Pear. Glacier, Sunset, and Canary

Watercolor Pencils

Shower Flowers Stamp Set

Botanical Backgrounds Stamp Set

Happy Hexagons - Promo appears in cart when you qualify!