March Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - Sunshine Birdies

Welcome to the 2016 March Stamp of the Month Blog Hop, featuring Sunshine Birdies. a set of 11 stamps. If you've come here from Jean McNulty's blog, you're on the right path. The hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and make your way around. If you get lost along the way, you'll find a complete list of participating consultants on Melinda's blog.

 

This month we have 39 participating consultants and I know you'll find tons of inspiration. Just click on the link at the end of the blog to go to the next post. It's simple!

I was really in the mood to create a simple, monochromatic card. I used Colonial White and Desert Sand and a piece of our Paper Fundamentals in Basic which I sponged to show the emboss resist on the paper.

I cut a small piece of Colonial White Cardstock and the Dot Embossing Folder to create some texture on the card. The scalloped circles were cut with our Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge.

Now, it's time to check out what the talented Traci Godbee has to show you! Be sure to visit all the Consultants' blogs to get some great crafting and other fun ideas! Remember, Sunshine Birdies SOTM is only available until March 31st!  Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount!

May SOTM Blog Hop - Just Sayin'

HELLOOOOOO!!! Sorry, I've seen Mrs. Doubtfire on television too often lately (can't you hear her now?). Anywho...welcome to the May SOTM Blog Hop, Just Sayin'. Thanks for coming from Gina Brandstetter's blog.

This is a cutie patootie set of 14 stamps. I can't wait to add those little sayings and icons to some layouts. But, I've been participating in an awesome card swap this year and Just Sayin' was my assigned stamp set for a card. Gotta admit, I freaked a little at first. But, I love how it turned out, especially with all of that new product from Close To My Heart's Seasonal Inspirations 2!

                   

I used my super awesome CTMH Score Board with the little arm pushed in so I could score on the diagonal. Ya can't do that on the Martha Stewart one, folks! Then, I flipped my card around, scored on the opposite diagonal to create the square pattern and sanded away.

Supplies used:

• Just Sayin,' S1505 (only available in May 2015!)
• Make It From Your Heart Volume 2 (#20), 9042
• White Value Pack Cards and Envelopes, X254
• Score Board, Z1937
• Jackson Paper Packet, X7195B
• White Daisy Cardstock, 1385
• Sanding Kit, Z1294
• Sponge Daubers, Z726
• Thin and regular 3-D Foam Tape, Z2060 and Z1151, respectively
• Oceanside Sequins, Z3041
• Glacier Extra Thick Twine, Z3039
• Lagoon Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad, Z2195
• Cocoa Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad, Z2114

Head over to Alyson Mayo's blog to see her artistic creation. Did you get lost on the hop? Find the complete list of 50 hoppers here.

November Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - It's the Little Things

Welcome to the Close To My Heart November Stamp of the Month, It's the Little Things, Blog  Hop. I appreciate you hopping over from Lela's Blog. For a complete list of hoppers, go here.


I made a little gift bag using my awesome Cricut Artiste cartridge. Then, I put my stamping and scissors to work with the little flowers. I layered the Thin 3-D Foam Tape to create different layers of dimension to the flowers, added some washi tape and sparkles and voila! Simple and cute homemade gift bag.

Side view to show dimension

Supplies Used (all CTMH)

• CTMH Artiste cartridge, Z1790 (Select 3D Object, <Noel>,
  Fit to Page) page 79 of the Artiste book
• Lagoon Hearts Washi Tape, Z2004
• Chalk It Up Paper Packet, X7184B
• Lagoon Ink, Z2195
• Flaxen Ink, Z2642
• Sorbet Ink, Z2164
• Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z2060
• Mini Clothes Pin, Z1815
• Sparkles Clear Flourishes - Small, Z1812
• Bitty Sparkles, Z1263

This It's the Little Things Stamp Set is going to get so much use with it's whimsical flowers and sentiments.  Remember, you can only get this set in November and it's just $5 with your $50 purchase on my CTMH website.

Be sure to visit all of the blogs on this hop for some creative inspiration. Next up is Nancy's Blog.

Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - Kaboom

Welcome to the June 2014 CTMH Stamp of the Month Blog Hop featuring the stamp set Kaboom. Thanks for visiting from Jen's Jewel Box.

 

Kaboom has 14 images perfect for your Fourth of July, Memorial Day or Patriotic themed events. My family often has friends over for BBQs and there's usually a fair amount of wine/beer involved. So, I decided to make drink charms with this stamp set. Simple stamping, Cricut Art Philosophy shapes, twine and my handy dandy personal laminator and voila, drink charms!

Kaboom can be yours for only $5 with any qualifying $50 purchase from your CTMH Independent Consultant, ONLY in the month of June 2014!  Now, it's time to head over to see what Pam has in store for you at Pam's Clearly Crafty Corner!

Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - You've Got a Friend

Welcome to the May (May! Can you believe it's already May?!) CTMH Stamp of the Month Blog Hop featuring You've Got a Friend. Now, I know you're going to love this set because there's something for everyone here. Thanks for coming from Priscilla's Paperie.

With any purchase of $50 or more, you can take home this stamp set for only $5 (regular price is $17.95!). Remember, it's ONLY available in May 2014! Take a look at the five sweet images included in this set:

This lucky gal is heading to Paris Friday morning for her 40th birthday! My wonderful parents are coming to take care of my two sons for (gulp!) eight days while my husband and I escape to gay Paris! So, the merci beaucoup sentiment will be perfect to accompany a gift we bring back from Paris for them.

I hope you enjoyed my card. If you got lost along the way, click here so you can be sure to see all of the amazing artwork created by our 50+ consultants. Now, it's time to head over to see what my good friend, Sarita Schraeder, has cooking for you over at Blessed Scrapper.

April Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - Balloon Talk

Welcome to the April Stamp of the Month Blog Hop featuring Close To My Heart's Balloon Talk stamp set. Thanks for visiting from Krista's blog. Balloon Talk is a set of 24 stamps with cute expressions and talking balloons you can use on a variety of layouts, cards or projects.

I was recently a vendor at a crop and made these cards for all of the crafters. Beate Johns' card (found on Pinterest) was my inspiration. The croppers loved their gift from me!

Products I used to complete the card (all Close To My Heart)

• Artiste Cricut Cartridge, Z1790 to cut the balloon at 1 1/2" Accent 2 <b> 
• Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge, Z1686 to cut the Kraft tag at 3 3/4" <Tag 4>
• Balloon Talk Stamp Set, only available in April 2014! S1404
• White Cards, X254
• Kraft Cardstock, Z1375
• White Daisy Cardstock, 1385
• Baker's Twine Paradise Assortment, Z1702
• Archival Black Ink (a must for crisp stamping!), 44751
• Flamingo Dots, Z1934
• Sparkles Clear Assortment, Z1752
• Washi Tape: 
• Lagoon Houndstooth, Z1950
• Honey Triangles, Z1931
• Smoothie Striped, Z1923
• Black Journaling Pen, Z1979
• Ruler, Z1471

Head on over to Michelle Johns' blog to see what crafty creation she's come up with! If you get lost along the way, click here for a complete list of participants.

March Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - Happy Places

Go Team USA! My family and I loved watching the Winter Olympics together. The March Stamp of the Month, Happy Places, reminds me of Sochi with the Matroyshka dolls. Coincidence CTMH? I think not!

Thanks for joining me from Lalia's blog. This month's set of 7 stamps focuses on home, mother/daughter relationships and those adorable nesting Russian dolls. Here's my take:

This is a 5x7 card cut from White Daisy Cardstock. I used Lagoon Houndstooth and Ruby Chevron Washi Tape crisscrossed to create my background. Then, I stamped the dolls with Archival Black Exclusive Ink (a must for crisp stamping!) and colored them in with Lagoon, Cranberry and Honey Exclusive Inks Markers. To use the "happy" I simply cut that word out of the stamp phrase, stamped it, cut it into a pennant and attached it to a toothpick! Sure, I could totally have used the masking technique. But, that cute "happy" is going to get a lot of use. He deserves some alone time!

 

This stamp set is pretty versatile. I can totally envision using it as a layout for Mother's Day (with me and my mom since I have sweet little boys). Here's the full set of stamps you'll get:

Remember, Happy Places is only available the month of March through your Close To My Heart Independent Consultant. For just $5 with any $50 order, you can own your own Happy Places!

Now, it's time to hop over to Susan's blog to see her creativity. There are more than 50 consultants sharing their artwork this month, so if you get lost you can find a complete list here. And, isn't Adeline's blog badge just too cute?

 

February Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - Wild About Love

Welcome to the February Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! Thanks for hopping over from Judy Faye's blog. This month's stamp set is Wild About Love featuring the cutest little foxes you've ever seen. I couldn't help singing "What Does the Fox Say?" when I saw it. You too? 

Here's the card I created:

I used a lot of new product from the Spring/Summer 2014 Idea Book: Lollydoodle Paper (X7183B), Flamingo Dots (Z1934), and Paper Fundamentals Basics Assortment (Z1939). These "oldies but goodies" were used to complete my card: Sparkle Chevron Shapes (Z1909), Black Shimmer Trim (Z1809) and Black and White Daisy Cardstock (1386 and 1385, respectively).

Now, head over to Susan Brooks' blog to see what she's created. If you get lost along the way, click here to find a complete list of hoppers.

December Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - Special Care

Welcome to the December SOTM Blog Hop, featuring the punny set, Special Care, from Close To My Heart. Thanks for hopping over from Wendy's Stamping Rules blog. There are 55 artists sharing their treasures, so be sure to check them all out. If you get lost along the way, visit Melinda's blog.

Special Care is a set of six stamps that are perfect for those baby and kid events.

To be honest, I hadn't planned ahead and printed photos of my two handsome boys to create a layout with these stamps. But, I'm helping with an upcoming baby shower and thought these sentiments would look adorable making "Baby's Instruction Manual."

 

The idea is to have all who attend the baby shower give some words of advice to the new mommy. I used my Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge from Close To My Heart and cut out <Tag 5> at 5.5". Then, I stamped the images on the bottom or sides to leave room for writing. Quick, simple, cute and thoughtful!

 

Supplies Used:

• Special Care SOTM, S1312 *available only in December 2013, $17.95 or just $5 with a $50 purchase!
• Framework Alphabet, E1027
• Hodgepodge Alphabet, D1301
• Chocolate Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad, Z2111
• Bronze Shimmer Trim, Z1849
• Dark Chocolate Striped Grosgrain, Z1617
• Colonial White Cardstock, 1388
• Sweet Leaf Cardstock, X5639
• Buttercup Cardstock, 1271
• Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge, Z1686



Now, head on over to Jill's Scrap Wench blog to see what creativity she's ready to share!

September Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - Poster Tidings

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!  We will be featuring September's SOTM, which is Poster Tidings, a set of two large stamps.  If you have come here from Helen's blog, you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way all around.  If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants here.

I recently renovated the top two levels of my house and have really been enjoying using my favorite CTMH products to decorate my house. I have this plate on a stand that I often write bible verses that I want to commit to memory. This month, I decided to add the Autumn sentiment and some burlap ribbon to dress up my plate.

I used CTMH pigment inks in Autumn Terracotta and Cocoa to stamp the sentiment onto a piece of Colonial White cardstock. I used a piece of B&T paper from the Huntington Paper Pack and 3-D foam tape to highlight the word art.

Now "Hop" on over to Tamra's blog to see her work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their blogs to get some great crafting and other fun ideas! Remember, the September SOTM is only available until September 30th!  Contact your CTMH Consultant to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount or even free!

June Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - A Flowering Bunch

Welcome to the June Stamp of the Month Blog Hop featuring A Flowering Bunch.  Thanks for coming over from Judy's blog.

This stamp set features ten images that look hand sketched and are just begging for some CTMH alcohol based markers for color.

Here's my take on the set, using the My Creations Kraft Container, Z1833.

Have you ever pictured something in your head that seems so awesome, spent a lot of time on it then had totally different results than expected?  Yeah, me neither.

Now, head over to the lovely Krista's blog to see how she's used A Flowering Bunch!

February SOTM Blog Hop - Home Sweet Home

Welcome to the first blog hop of CTMH's Spring/Summer 2013 Idea Book!  I can't wait to show you all of the new artwork I've been working on with these gorgeous papers, stamps and embellies.  Don't have an Idea Book yet?  Leave me a comment below and I'll be happy to send you one, just for the cost of shipping.

Thanks for visiting from my dear friend, Scrapi Traci's blog.  She always comes up with the cutest artwork; I can't tell you how many things I've "scraplifted" from her!

Home Sweet Home is the featured Stamp of the Month for February.  It's a set of four stamps that stamp so clear and crisp, you'll just love them.

I've been doing a lot of thinking of this concept of home, and really got to thinking about how grateful I am to call the good 'ole USA my home.  I decided to take an "old" layout...a Studio J layout (more on that below) and add the "Home Sweet Home" sentiment to my layout.  What do you think?

I've been looking for an excuse to cover an "oopsie" on this Studio J layout.  I had added a button, then removed it, but forgot to remove the stitching on it!  So, I layered some Outdoor Denim, Cranberry and Champagne Cardstock and stamped Home Sweet Home in Outdoor Denim.  Then, I used my Piercing Tool Kit and my CTMH Ruler with guide holes for perfect stitching to add a little Natural Hemp to the paper.  I feel like it tied it in so nicely with the stitches in my Studio J layout.  

Speaking of Studio J...did you know that layouts are just $5 this month!?  What a steal!  Head over here to try Studio J out for yourself for free.  If you need a little direction, leave me a comment below and I'll send you a two-page tutorial to get you started on Studio J today!

Thanks to all of our brave men and women who dedicate their blood, sweat and tears to protect my family's freedom.  You are the reason I can call the USA my Home Sweet Home!

Now, it's time to hop on over to Kami Welter's blog to see how she's used this great stamp set!

Happy Valentines - January's SOTM Blog Hop

The glow from my Christmas tree is lighting my computer as I write this and I've got food in the oven for tonight's New Years' Eve party...but with crafting, it's always time to look ahead, so let's talk Valentine's Day!

Thanks for hopping over from Inky Georgia's blog!  Happy Valentines, Close To My Heart's January Stamp of the Month, is available only from January 1-31 and can be yours for just $5 with a $50 product order!

I have to admit I was a bit worried about working with this stamp set at first as I don't feel very confident in my "coloring" abilities.  But, the roses really grew on me as I used CTMH's new alcohol markers to add color.  I love the mini pigment inks to stamp the image before adding color with the alcohol markers.  Here's what I created:

My adorable husband sent me on a "treasure" hunt with clues that led me to one of those little families on the back of my minivan window (complete with a "scrapbooking" mom...and yes, that's hard to show on a mini-figure).  So, I thought I'd do the same for him by placing a clue (and a few chocolates) inside this cracker.

 

I made this card with "Smitten" sentiment to complement the cracker.

 

I hope you have fun making something with this stamp set for your Valentine!  Now, head on over and check out what Lori Brown has created for you!

December SOTM Blog Hop - Year Round Cheer

I'm so happy to share this month's Close To My Heart Stamp of the Month.  Thanks for coming from Sheila's blog. 

Year Round Cheer is such a versatile little set!  I decided to go for Clean and Simple cards nestled in a Cricut Artiste bag to give as a New Years' hostess gift!

Paper bag made with La Belle Vie paper and Black Tulle ribbon.

January, February and March cards.

April, May and June cards.

 

July, August (my favorite!) and September cards.

 

October, November and December cards.

Now, go check out what Angel created with this fantastic stamp set! 

Don't forget to visit the While Supplies Last section of my website when you order this stamp set.  CTMH has added new items and has further discounted ones already there!