Just for Fun Blog Hop

Hello and Welcome to our special blog hop featuring this month's Just for Fun promotion.  This is such an awesome promotion - saving 30 to 40% off on some of Close to My Heart's most versatile products.  This hop features Close to My Heart consultants sharing their ideas on how you can use CTMH's Fundamentals line in your own creative work.

This is a circular hop - so if you have come from Kathy Burrows' blog, then you are headed in the right direction.  Click on the link at the bottom of this page to continue onto the next blog.

I have made SO many gorgeous layouts using the Fundamentals Basics set. The frame layer is the NEW Charcoal cardstock from the Basics Cardstock Combo Pack. I love the Pebble floral paper from the Fundamentals paper pack, which I used in the background.  I used a strip from the reverse side on the layout as well.  The silver embellishments and scalloped trim are from the Better Together Complements set. The pretty floral die cuts come from Falling for You Scrapbooking Stamp and Die Cut set, and coloured with the Shin Han Touch Twin Alcohol Markers.

Now, hop on over to Cat Nowak's blog and check out what she has made to inspire you!

Until we scrap again,

Emily

Holidays - Cross Canada Blog Hop

WELCOME to our November Cross Canada Blog Hop - featuring products that we have made for the holidays. We hope that you will take the time to leave comments on our posts, as we love to get feedback from our viewers....whether it was something that you really liked or some new technique that was used that you would like to learn how to do....by leaving us comments, we get to hear what you like, and what you want to see. Thank you… now on to our hop!

If you have just hopped onto my blog, you can start here as this is a circular hop, but if you want to follow us across Canada then please start at the beginning at Michelle's blog . If you came from Nicky's blog, then you are in the right place! 

For my club this month, we made gift tags - using a variety of current and retired CTMH products.  Some of these tags were cut using the fantastic Thin Cuts - Basic Tags set. Others were cut using the Cricut using a variety of cartridges.

The following current stamp sets were used: 

D1746 Christmas Borders

D1744 Season of Sweetness

C1692 The Thought that Counts
Z3378 Gingerbread Friends

M1182 Mistletoe Kisses

Your next stop on the Cross Canada Hop is Janet's blog. 

Thanks for hopping along with us - we hope we were able to inspire you to get creative using some of the designs, products and techniques seen along the way. We hope you will join us again next month when we will be featuring our Holiday Celebrations. So mark December 15th on your calendars and hop along with us.

Until we scrap again,

Emily

Holiday Card Blog Hop

Hello and Welcome to a special Holiday Card blog hop this month! 

In this hop, Close to My Heart consultants will be sharing their holiday card ideas with you, using products currently available from CTMH.  This is a circular blog hop, so click on the link at the end of this page to 'hop' along and see what the next consultant has in store for you:)  If you've come from Michele Rowley's blog, then you are headed in the right direction.

This was a very simple card, and in real life it is quite pretty!  I love the sparkle in the shimmer trim and embossing powder.  I started by running Cranberry cardstock through the Buffalo Plaid embossing folder - which is just one of my current favourite products - and only available until December 31st!  For the sentiment, I used the very pretty Frosted Christmas stamp set.  It was hard to photograph, but I actually used a blend of white and gold embossing powders, which created a really neat effect. I just trimmed the card out with white and gold baker's twine and black shimmer trim.  

Now, hop on over and see what Brenda Lapp has in store for you.

Until we scrap again,

Emily

More Watercolour Roses

OK - so I REALLY liked making that pretty little watercolour card with the embossed roses... and so I couldn't help but make another one...

I channelled my inner Jennifer McGuire in creating the white embossed sentiment on the black cardstock.  Again, this card uses Close to My Heart's Rose Embossing Folder and Watercolour Paint set.

Until we scrap again:)

Emily

November Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to our November Stamp of the Month Blog Hop for 'Through the Year'.  This blog hop features Close to My Heart Consultants sharing projects that they have made with this stamp set.  This is a circular hop, so just follow the link at the end of each blog post to 'hop' along and see what the next consultant has in store for you on their blog. If you have come here from Corinna Murphy's blog, then you are headed in the right direction.  This month, we have 21 consultants participating in the hop, so lots of inspiration!

I actually just wanted to recreate the cute layout in our blog badge above - isn't that a fantastic layout!?!  However, I did come up with my own creation - even though, if I am honest, I wasn't quite sure how I would use this stamp set in a layout at first.  This is was a rare layout for me, in that I totally just designed it as I went, and didn't really have a solid plan when I started.  In the end, I decided that it would be perfect for creating a background.  I was really keen to use some of the cute images and papers that I had leftover from the Beary Christmas Workshop Your Way Kit, along with the PML cards.  I started by stamping the 'December' word on our new Pebble cardstock with Pebble Ink for a tone on tone look.  I added the stars with Glacier Ink.  I really liked how soft this background was. 

Then to pick a layout, and for that, I headed over to Pinterest and found a cute layout that I had pinned by ScrapwithSue.  I wanted to use the "Oh Dear, Christmas is Coming" PML card with the little deer as my title, as we always have lots of pre-Christmas preparation photos - and this layout will be perfect for that.  The 'Cranberry' strip of paper was embossed using the Buffalo Plaid embossing folder.  I polished it off with some of the Beary Christmas complements.

It's time to hop on over and see what Michele Rowley has created for you.

Until we scrap again,

Emily

Share a Smile Blog Hop

Welcome to our Share a Smile Blog Hop!  We will be featuring the special Punny Pals Stamp Set, which is sold to raise funds for Operation Smile - a charitable organization which provides cleft palate repairs for children in need.   To further support this charitable project, in October, there are special Thin Cuts and Cardmaking Bundles available only this month!   If you have come here from Priscilla'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.  

This month we have 20 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this special Operation Smile Stamp Set and other great CTMH products on their blogs. This is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

Since I mostly scrapbook, I could imagine all kinds of fun ways to use this cute set, but I chose a simple design that really highlighted the cute little critters.  I designed this layout on Cricut Design Space, cutting out the heart template on my Cricut Explore, and then tracing it onto my layout.  From there, I stamped my kids' favourite little Punny Pals into the heart, and coloured them using my Shin Han Touch Twin alcohol markers.  Of course I added some shimmer to each critter too with the Shimmer Brush. The title "You are my Sunshine" is from the Falling for You Stamp and Thin Cuts bundle.  

Now "Hop" on over to Krista Hershberger's blog to see her work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas! Remember, the special Share a Smile bundles are only available until October 31st!  Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount!

Until we scrap again :)

Emily

Watercolour card

Hello fellow creators:)

I made a fun little project today that I wanted to share with you.  It was a little time consuming (took me about 45 minutes), but it was relaxing and fun, and I just love how it turned out.

This card was actually very easy to do - and now that I have practiced this technique once, I think I am going to have to follow up with a layout using the same technique.

I used the new rose embossing folder and watercolour paints.   The sentiment was made using the retired Z3301 Hello Lovely Cardmaking Stamp and Thin Cuts set.

Until we scrap again:)
Emily

October SotM Blog Hop (Christmas Tunes)

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!  We will be featuring October's SOTM, which is called Christmas Tunes.  If you have come here from Vickie ODell'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 on Melinda’s Blog. 

This month we have 27 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other great CTMH products on their blogs. This is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post to move on to the next blog! Here we go!

I REALLY like the Stamp of the Month collection in the current Holiday Expressions catalogue, and this one is really creative.  I love the way that the Christmas carol lyrics are worked into the designs:)  I am more of a scrapbooker than a card marker, but I couldn't wait to play with some designs for my card club.  I ended up making three variations on the same design. These are gatefold cards.  I heat embossed on vellum for the SOTM images, and made the backgrounds with foil papers and cardstock run through some older stock embossing folders that I had on hand.

This one was stamped with My Exclusive Inks in New England Ivy and Cranberry and then heat embossed with clear embossing powder. The background cardstock is Fern, and Kraft cardstock was used for the card base and front panel.

This one was made with Gold Foil and embossing.

And this one is done in silver:)

The base of the snow globe was coloured with a Shin Han Touch Twin Alcohol Marker.

Now "Hop" on over to Miss Carrie's Creations to see her work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas! Remember, the October Stamp of the Month is only available until October 31st!  Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount!

Until we scrap again,

Emily :)

Holiday Expressions New Product Blog Hop

Welcome to our Holiday Expressions New Product Blog Hop!  We will be featuring some of our favourite new products from the NEW Holiday Expressions Idea Book.  If you have come here from Vicki ODell'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 on Melinda’s Blog.  I'm new to this blog hopping group, and feel very honoured to be a part of this talented group of women. 

This month we have more than 20 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations on their blogs. This is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

The Holiday Expressions catalogue is always one of my favourites, as it contains papers and themes for my two FAVOURITE times of the year - Fall and Christmas!

For today's hop, I created a layout using the new Falling for You paper collection.  The layout comes from the new Make if from Your Heart Volume 3 Pattern Book.  I loved using a variety of stamping techniques with the Falling for You Cardmaking Stamp and Thin Cuts set.  I used regular stamping, rock and roll techniques, and embossing with white and gold embossing powders.  After watching this month's National Stamping Month video on YouTube, I was inspired to add the little foliage stamps behind the leaves.  Of course, I needed to add some of the gorgeous new Bronze Sequins too:)

I hope the beautiful colours in this collection inspire you this fall.  Now "Hop" on over to Michelle Stewart's blog to see her work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas!  Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can add some of these great products and ideas to your creative projects! 

Until we scrap again:)

Emily

Team Brae-er No Worries Blog Hop

Welcome to this month's Team Brae-er Blog Hop post for No Worries!  Thank you for coming to visit everyone along the way.  This is a circular hop - so just follow the links on each page to visit the next blog - and please leave us comments.  If you came from Michelle Hughes' blog - then you are headed in the right direction.  We love to hear your feedback. If you see any products that you would love to order, please visit the links on your Consultant's page:)

I thought I loved the last two paper packs that I've been playing with - but after the projects that I have already made with No Worries - I'm going to have to get another set!  I didn't have any tropical vacation pics to scrap - although I've decided to remedy that lol... However, I did have some fun camping pictures needing attention.  No Worries is my favourite from this Seasonal Expressions 2 collection, basically because it is totally my style and colours! I love the blues and greys and browns and the casual beachy feel. 

I started this month the way that I usually do - with the Workshop Your Way Kit.  I made the three layouts from that kit - although I did change up the way that I used some of the papers, so that I had more leftovers.  Then, I grabbed some cardstock from the coordinating cardstock pack and got to work.  When I need quick inspiration - I always grab one of Jeanette Lynton's pattern books - so today I grabbed Cherish.  If you don't have the whole collection of pattern books - now is the time to grab them, because they are on the discontinued list - leaving us on July 31st. 

This first pattern is Visual Texture.  I played with some old school techniques, using the edge-distresser to rough up the edges of my photo mats and add texture to my pages.

The second pattern was Scenic Byway.  I used the Gold Shimmer pen blended with some Desert Sand re-inker to make the splatters. 

Here's what I think is really cool about my work today - I completed 5 layouts in just 4 hours!!  Close to My Heart really makes it quick and easy to save your memories in creative ways.  Let me show you how:)

I hope you enjoyed my post today.  Keep on hopping and see what Michelle Stewart has made at her blog.

Until we scrap again,

Emily

Team Brae-er Little Dreamer Blog Hop

Welcome to this month's Team Brae-er Blog Hop - featuring the Little Dreamer paper collection - which is just so fun and whimsical!  I love the colours and cheerful graphics... unicorns, rainbows, clouds - oh my!  If you have come from Brae's blog - then you are headed in the right direction.  We have lots of creativity to share with you this month. 

This month, I jumped right in and started creating with the Little Dreamer Scrapbooking Stamp Set and Thin Cuts - I couldn't wait to make my own rainbow.  This layout definitely needed LOTS of glitter - so there is shimmer trim, and accents glitzed up with the Clear Shimmer Brush.  The splatters were made with the CTHM Create a Shade Pearl Paint, which is no longer available (but still very fun to use) and some Ranger Dylusions paint. 

 Because I was having so much fun with the paint, my next layout was made using an ombre background using the leftover paint.  I just love the pearl effect... so perfect for a unicorn theme! 

I hope you enjoyed my projects.  Now hop on over to see what Michelle has to show you at Creations with Michelle!

Until we scrap again:)
Emily

Jack Cards

One of the new collections in the CTMH Seasonal Expressions 2 catalogue is called Jack.  Jack and I will be seeing a lot of each other this spring.  Jack's buffalo plaids and woodsy themes will be adorning many of my scrapbook pages this season.  But... in the meantime... there was card club.  For card club this month, we used the Jack Workshops Your Way Father's Day Cardmaking Kit.

However... the Jack collection has this adorable stamp set with a very cute bear that I just couldn't leave alone... so some of the cards ended up looking like this...

 

Then... one of the nice things about the Workshop Your Way kits, is that you download the patterns, and then can use those patterns for lots more projects... like these made with the May Scrapbooking Month Live Beautifully paper collection and May Stamp of the Month...

Until we scrap again:)
Emily

April Team Brae-er Blog Hop - Some Kind of Wonderful

Thank you for joining us on this month's Team Brae-er Blog Hop for Some Kind of Wonderful.  We appreciate you taking the time to visit us.  If you came from Sheena Brooks' blog, then you are headed in the right direction:)

Close to My Heart's Seasonal Expressions 1 catalogue will soon expire!  But, we are going out this season in a burst of colour. This Some Kind of Wonderful collection was the absolute perfect set to scrapbook my daughter's birthday party with her friends last June.  We had a backyard party on a perfect early summer evening. 

But, before we get into the layouts that I made... here is a quick peek of the Some Kind of Wonderful paper collection - only available until April 30th - so head to my website to get shopping now if you like it:)

Of course - my scrap process begins with a Workshop your Way Kit... where I make all the pre-designed layouts - so easy.

Then I get to work using the scraps to make my own layouts.  Here is what I came up with this month.  Now, I apologize in advance for the less-than-stellar photos of the layouts this month.  I forgot to photograph the layouts before adding the photos, and didn't have permission to use the children's photos online - so I have somewhat clumsily just added mats over their images.  Next month, I will have more time to get better acquainted with my software and see if I can come up with a more visually appealing alternative.  In the interim:

This was a simple layout, made with assorted paper and complements scraps leftover from from the Workshops Your Way kit.  I wanted to play with that gorgeous Raspberry cardstock and my Cricut, and using the Artbooking cartridge - came up with this:

I loved this colour combination for our fresh summer photos! 

I hope that you have some new inspiration for your crafting this spring...now hop on over and see what Michelle Hughes has in store for you.

Until we scrap again,

Emily

Favourite of the week

Well this was my favourite project this week!  A couple of weekends ago, I was showing a new friend how to use Magenta Nuance powdered watercolours and made this background as a demo.  I quite liked the colour combination, so decided to make it into a special card this week for my Dad's birthday.  Another friend (don't we all just LOVE having scrappy friends to hang out with?!?!)  had loaned me this Stamper's Anonymous Tall Trees stamp by Tim Holtz... next thing I new the versamark came out, along with some CTMH black embossing powder and Stampendous Shabby White embossing powder, and this card whipped right together in a few minutes.  I think I am going to have to make more of these before I give my friend her stamp back lol...

Just for fun - here is another project that I made using that same stamp set late last month, for my Alberta Road Trip album. These trees were stamped in first and second generation stamping in a few different CTMH greens - Sweet Leaf, Fern and New England Ivy.

Until we scrap again,

Emily

A Good Collaboration

So, I recently made a new, fun scrappy friend - and together, we collaborated on making this card.  I was showing her how to use Faber Castel Gelatos to make fun backgrounds.  I also needed to make a Get Well card for a little competition in our Card Club... and voila!  I LOVE this HELLO stamp from CTMH's Dreamin' Big Scrapbooking Stamp set.... and if you love it too, I'll give you a heads up that there is something similar and exciting coming in the new catalogue launching for May!!  I can't wait to show you!! The HELLO was stamped in versamark and then embossed with Ranger Superfine Silver embossing powder (available through CTMH), and coloured with the Gelatos.  This colourful card needed some glitter - and so the addition of silver glitter paper on the mat, and shimmer trim accents.  It was polished off with a pretty little butterfly from the CMTH Dreamin' Big Cardmaking Stamp and Thin Cut Set. The butterfly was stamped using the 'rock and roll' technique in Sorbet and Canary ink.  I hope it cheers up our injured friend as much as it warmed our hearts making it:)

Until we scrap again,

Emily

Team Brae-er Dreamin' Big Blog Hop

Welcome to this month's blog hop, featuring the gorgeous Dreamin' Big collection.  If you have come from Lucy Imrie's  blog, you are headed in the right direction.

This paper pack features a combination of whimsical florals, bugs and dragonflies - making it perfect for everyday adventures. 

My favourite way to scrap these days, is to start by creating the Workshop Your Way layouts - they are so fast and easy!  Then I use the leftovers from the kit to make my own layouts and stretch my creativity even further.  Pairing the themed papers in the Workshop Your Way kits in the Seasonal Catalogues with paper Fundamentals from the Annual catalogue is a great way to stretch the fun themes even further. 

Since I had such success pairing the Hello Lovely papers with woodgrain patterns from the Rustic Home fundamentals last month, I decided to try again this month and created this fun layout. 

Then, I just had to replicate the 'Hello' page from the Seasonal Expressions catalogue and paired it with a second page based on a design from Make it From Your Heart Volume 2.

I hope you have fun creating your own Dreamin' Big layouts!  Now hop on along for more inspiration from Darcel Kirvan:) 

Until we scrap again:)

Emily