April Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - My Sunshine

Welcome to the April Stamp of the Month blog hop!  Thanks for visiting from Susan Brooks' blog.

There are over 60 Close To My Heart Independent Consultants on this month's hop featuring the My Sunshine stamp set.  Don't forget, with any $50 order of Close To My Heart products in April, you can get this stamp set for just $5!  Most of the images coordinate with the Artiste Cricut cartridge.  The plastic sheet that each image rests on tells you the size of the image to cut on your Cricut!

I chose the Chantilly Paper Packet to use the bird and sun images from My Sunshine.  I popped them up using some 3-D Foam Tape and added a Bitty Sparkle for the bird's eye.

I just had to use that hot air balloon image on my second card!  I stamped the balloon twice, once on the Cricut cut hot air balloon image in Outdoor Denim ink and again in Sweet Leaf on a scrap piece of cardstock.  I trimmed the Sweet Leaf balloon strips and popped them up with 3-D Foam Tape.  I used the Tiny Type Epoxy Alphabet (a new favorite!) to write "lets take off" and "TOGETHER" on the inside of the card.

I was inspired to create the dimensional clouds from Amy Koenders. To create the clouds on the Twilight cardstock, I cut out several sizes of clouds from the Artist cartridge.  I used a little adhesive to keep them in place and then used my Paper Piercer to poke holes around the clouds.  When I flipped over my cardstock, voila, little cloud shapes!

Now, hop on over to Krista Hershberger's blog to see how she's used My Sunshine.

Claire Scrapbook Layout

I just finished teaching a six-session scrapbooking class to the most amazing girls.  They were in second-fifth grade and not only were they creative and artistically talented, they were just the sweetest, most fun group of girls, too!  What a blessing to get to share my passion for scrapbooking with them.  Here we are on our last day:

Each week, I created a different themed layout, using CTMH papers and accessories, naturally!  For the last class, I used the Claire Paper Packet and the Girls Rock stamp set.  I just love the flowers and border stamps in this cute set!  I also used the Chocoate Alphabet Stamp to create the "epic" title.  Did you know that "epic" is the new "awesome" or "cool?"  I didn't until a former scrapbooking student let me in on "what the kids are saying these days!"  Ha!

Using my Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge, I was able to cut out shapes that perfectly matched the flower shapes.  This awesome cartridge easily cuts out flower shapes from our new Glitter Paper, too.  Then, a little of the Silver Shimmer Trim (LOVE that it's self-adhesive!), a few buttons from the Buttons Pink Assortment and voila...one cute layout!

I focus on a different technique or two each week with my Scrappy Gals.  This week, we did border stamping, rock'n'roll stamping and second generation stamping.  Check it out:

It was amazing to me that each girl put her own spin on the layout.  Almost nobody ever copied my layout design exactly.  It just shows the artistic flair inside each one of us when we're encouraged to let our creativity shine!

My Happy Life Mini Album

Admit it ladies, you hold on to all of those little scraps and shapes you cut from your Cricut Artiste, I know you do.  Well, I know I do and that several of my workshop gals do, too (you know who you are!).  If you want a super cute and creative way to use those scraps, CTMH has the answer for you...a mini album!  Check out the great step by step video by CTMH VP, Christine Whitfeld: