July Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!

Welcome to the July Stamp of the Month, "Live Out Loud", Blog Hop! If you arrived here from Karen Fullam's Blog, "Enriching Memories", you are on the right track. Visit all the blogs along this hop and you are sure to feel inspired. Each participating Consultant has created a unique project using this same stamp set. Look for links at the bottom of each post to take you to the next blog on the hop.

This month's stamp set has great word phrases that are perfect for both statement cards or scrapbook layouts. This stamp set features 8 stamps that fit on the following block sizes: 1" × 3 1/2" (Y1002), 3" × 3" (Y1006), 2" × 6 1/2" (Y1010).

I loved the "Just Be!" sentiment and used it on my Son's 2nd Birthday layout to create a title saying "Just Be 2!" :) I used the stamp on a 2 inch circle and layered it to make a medallion. (The Juniper circle is 2 1/4 and the starburst circle is 2 1/2). I also used the Typeset Paper Pack and positioned the paper to feature the "2". I based my layout on the sketch at "Let's Scrap" Ning Blog Sketch Challenge. (It's a great site for layout/sketch inspiration!).

I haven't gotten to the other projects I want to make with this stamp set just yet, but I have something in mind for each sentiment. "Soar" will be for my daughter's day spent with a pet butterfly she fell in love with. "Imagine the Possibilities" is great for graduation!

Hope you had fun seeing what I created! Now hop on over to Erin's blog, "CreatErin", and see what she has crafted up!

Father's Day Gift: Hand Tracing Frame!

Happy Father's Day to all those celebrating the amazing Dad's in their life!

I love to create handmade gifts whenever possible. I found the idea for this on Pinterest and I just HAD to make one for my family! It felt like a perfect fit to give it as a gift to my Husband for Father's day from me and our growing children.

This was pretty simple to make! The hardest part was being sneaky about getting my Husband's hand traced. :) I got the kids started tracing hands on a morning when Daddy was home... they eventually naturally asked Dad to take a turn. I made sure to keep track of that paper and stash it away for later. Then I transfered it to my cardstock once I selected the colors I would use.

Once I had everyone's hand traced and transferred to the card stock I wanted to use I simply trimmed them to shape and layered them on each other from smallest to largest.

I did the boys in grey wool, my daughter in petal, and myself in gypsy.

I added a sentiment at the top as a title. I used my Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge to cut the shape that allowed me to add ribbon holders to the sides. I used my stamp set "Family Love".

Let me know what you think! What special things are you doing for Father's Day?

Black and White and Red!

What's black and white and red all over? A wedding card that celebrates love! :)

When I get an invitation to a Wedding I get really excited! I try to craft a card that matches the style of the invitation. I know that the Bride and Groom put a lot of thought and effort into picking out an invitation design that was special to them. The invitation to this wedding had a black background with white text and a doily/henna style design on it.

The journaling spots pockets were a perfect match for this card! I stamped a sentiment on the tag that slides out and replaced the string with Cranberry Red ribbon.

I have entered this card in the Heart 2 Heart Color Challenge. The Challenge was to paper craft an item using black and white and only one other color. This is a really fun blog to enter artwork you create using Close to my Heart products. You can play along too!


Supplies:
- Card Chatter- Love stamp set (Love Heart)
- Square White Card with Envelope
- Rock-the-Block stamp set (black and white design)
- Black and Cranberry Red Ink
- Cranberry Red Ribbon (from the while supplies last section)

Spatter Technique Challenge, Footloose Preview!

This spatter technique challenge at Moxie Fab World Blog caught my eye the moment I saw it! I've actually been looking for an excuse to get my spatter spray pen out again and make something other then snow with it. So what's the opposite of snow? SAND! (have you been working with a spatter technique? You could play along too!)

This is one of the layouts I made with my "Footloose" Workshop on the Go Kit from Close to my Heart. It was screaming for "sand"! Plus, I had some great pictures of my son spending the day playing in sand.

I used a spray pen + pearl paint + dessert sand reinker = golden glimmering sand.

You don't have to worry about getting the spatter just right because we will be placing photos on top of it and the sand will act as a detailed backdrop.

For the horizon line of this 2 page layout I used blue sky (or blue water) patterned paper. (You interpret it how you see fit). I added the zip strip bands to look like sand dunes in the distance (or a shoreline). The title is made with the color ready adhesive alphabet from the While Supplies Last section of my website. You can also use your Cricut to cut title letters for this page.

Supplies:

- Footloose workshop on the go kit
- Spray Pens
- Create-a-shade paint in "Pearl"
- Dessert Sand (brown) Re-inker
- Color Ready Adhesive alphabet

Happy Anniversary Card!

My anniversary is fast approaching! I used some of my free time, that was also hubby-free, to make a handmade surprise card for my Husband. I already knew what stamp set I wanted to use, "Card Chatter Love", from close to my heart. But I had to search around for some inspiration for color and design. I found this for inspiration from Moxie Fab World blog. It is a Tuesday Trigger called "Man-tastic".

Man-tastic

I found a great card sketch to use on the Mojo Monday Card Sketch Challenge! This one is called Mojo 244!

So here is what I created combining all of the above criteria and inspiration! Tada!

I used alternating hearts along a stitch looking stamp to mimic the rain drops on the string in the "Man-tastic" inspiration photo. I used the colors from the photo as well: Cranberry Red, Teal, Indian Corn Blue, Grey Flannel, and Chocolate.

I used the new fork trick that I learned from Pinterest to tie this fancy bow out of color ready ribbon. Who knew I needed tools from the Kitchen in my craft area!?

I love the "Card Chatter Love" stamp set for anniversary cards, weddings, and Valentine's day. On this one I used the "You are my..." on the cover of the card and placed "Happily Ever After" on the inside.