Three Amigos June 2016 Blog Hop

Welcome to the Three Amigos Blog hop.  We are three Close to My Heart Independent Consultants with a love for stamping and scrapping and would like to share our creative ideas with you.  On the 3rd of each month we feature a different CTMH product and create a card, layout, or other project.  There are only three stops on this hop so it will only take a few minutes to hop through.

For this month's hop, we are each sharing three of our favorite products. Choosing only three favorites from all that we have to offer was no easy task! I settled on our B&T Duos (from the Florence Paper Packet), Thin Cuts (A Bunch of Love), and Rose Gold Foil Tape for my project.

Last month I made a birthday card using the special Happy Times Paper Packet, Happy Times Stamp set, and the May SOTM, Celebrate with Cake. I neglected to post the project during the month of May, so I will share it at the end of this post. I liked the card so much, I decided to use the same design and concepts to create a card for this hop.

The edges of the card front, one of the mats, and the inside of the card are all covered with the Rose Gold Foil Tape. I tried to capture the shine of the foil in the pictures. I stamped the floral image with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink and colored it with Shin Han Touch Twin Markers. After lining up the image inside the matching A Bunch Of Love thin Cuts, I ran it through my Cuttlebug and popped it up on the card with 3-D Foam Tape.

I curved the sentiment on my block to fit inside the banner. The background piece has a light wash of blue watercolor paint.

I lightly embellished the inside of the card with two of the B&T Duos from the Florence Paper Packet. The Rose Gold Foil Tape is the star of the show as it shimmers in the light.

The card I created last month with the Happy Times Paper Packet is a rotated version of the special friend card I just shared. I loved the gold foil embossing on some of the Happy Times B&T papers and wanted to highlight it with the Gold Foil Tape.

The happy birthday sentiment of the front and celebrate sentiment on the inside are embossed with gold embossing powder, adding to the shine from the gold foil.

Thanks for stopping by today. Be sure to check out Lisa's blog and Donna's blog to see what they made.

Supplies Used:

Special Friend Card

X7208B Florence Paper Packet

C1647 A Bunch Of Love

Z3251 A Bunch Of Love Thin Cuts

Z2192 Pacifica Ink Pad

Z2116 Cranberry Ink Pad

Z2651 Saffron Ink Pad

Z899 Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

Z2459 Pastel Green Shin Han Touch Twin Marker (Y49)

Z2448 Carmine Shin Han Touch Twin Marker (R11)

Z2463 Sap Green Shin Han Touch Twin Marker (GY235)

Z2458 Marine Blue Shin Han Touch Twin Marker (B62)

Z3218 Rose Gold Foil Tape

Z3226 Medium Flat Waterbrush

Z3132 Watercolor Paints

Z1151 3-D Foam Tape

Happy Times Birthday Card

CC1063 Happy Times Paper Packet (retired)

CC1064 Happy Times Stamp Set (retired)

S1605 Celebrate With Cake SOTM (retired)

Z2650 Fern Ink Pad

Z2196 Smoothie Ink Pad

Z3129 Gold Foil Tape

Z1151 3-D Foil Tape

Z891 Versamark Ink Pad

Gold Embossing Powder

Three Amigos May Blog Hop

Welcome to the Three Amigos Blog hop.  We are three Close to My Heart Independent Consultants with a love for stamping and scrapping and would like to share our creative ideas with you.  On the 3rd of each month we feature a different CTMH product and create a card, layout, or other project.  There are only three stops on this hop so it will only take a few minutes to hop through.

Lisa wasn't able to get her hop projects ready before flying out to visit her son this month, but don't despair. We have a special hopper this month. Lisa's mom, Suzanne Reynolds, graciously accepted the challenge. This month, our theme of "three" is to create three cards to share.

Back in March, I attended a special CTMH event and was able to get a sneak peek at all of the fabulous new products in the new Seasonal Expressions. Our projects included a layout from the Magical paper pack, two cards from the Florence paper pack, and a banner from the Calypso paper pack. I'm going to share one of the cards we made, and two cards I designed from the banner pieces we received.

My first card is a graduation card using Florence papers and the Smarty Pants stamp set. I assembled the front of the card following the design instructions we were given, but inked the edges of the paper pieces. I also decorated the inside of the card.

I trimmed one of the PML cards included in the Florence paper pack and adhered it to the inside of the card. I stamped the sentiment for the inside and matted it to match the sentiment on the card front.

The Calypso paper and the Tickled Pink stamp set have to be one of my favorite combinations in the book! I heat embossed the sentiment with black embossing powder. The flamingo wing and the two hearts were embossed using clear embossing powder over the stamped image. I decided to double mat the card front. I love how the black mat makes the colors pop. The flamingo was cut using the Tickled Pink Thin Cuts.

I used the Calypso Washi Tape to dress up the inside of the card. Isn't it the cutest?!

Here's a little detail of the card front. I tried to capture the shine from the heat embossing, but wasn't able to.

My final card also uses the Calypso paper pack. I cut down the "Hello" PML card and matted it for the front. I used liquid glass on the "Hello" sentiment to make it stand out a little more (Lisa would be so proud! She is the liquid glass queen!) I sprinkled Calypso sequins and bitty sparkles down the front of the card and added a bow from Pixie Extra Thick Twine.

A couple banner flags, sequins, and sparkles adorn the inside of the card.

Here's a closer view of the front. The liquid glass doesn't show up (sigh), but it helps give the sentiment dimension.

Thanks for stopping by today. Now hop on over to Suzanne's blog and Donna's blog to see what they created for you.

Three Amigos April 2016 Blog Hop

Welcome to the Three Amigos Blog hop.  We are three Close to My Heart Independent Consultants with a love for stamping and scrapping and would like to share our creative ideas with you.  On the 3rd of each month we feature a different CTMH product and create a card, layout, or other project.  There are only three stops on this hop so it will only take a few minutes to hop through.

Sorry I am late to the hop today. We were out of town for ten days and arrived home late last night. My post will be short and sweet since I have to head out to a surprise party soon. This month we are featuring three tools. My tools are simple and something every paper crafter probably has on hand. I made a corner card using my paper cutter, a bone folder, and my micro-tip scissors.

My card is designed using the Kaleidoscope WOTG stamp set and background and texture paper. The finished card measures 4 1/4" x 4 1/4". You can find a video on how to make this card here.

I used a Wink of Stella pen on the stamped images. The camera didn't capture the shimmer.

Thanks for stopping by today. Be sure to check out Lisa's blog and Donna's blog to see what they made.

Three Amigos March 2016 Blog Hop

Welcome to the Three Amigos Blog hop.  We are three Close to My Heart Independent Consultants with a love for stamping and scrapping and would like to share our creative ideas with you.  On the 3rd of each month we feature a different CTMH product and create a card, layout, or other project.  There are only three stops on this hop so it will only take a few minutes to hop through.

This month's theme of "3" is to use three stamps on our project. With the Stampaganza 2016 promotion going on right now, this is the perfect theme. I put together a card using A1185 Friendly Wishes, C1638 Spring Critters, and D1465 Botanical Backgrounds.

My stamped images are colored in using the watercolor paints and our paintbrushes.

Since our stamps are clear acrylic, I was able to curve the "Just Because" phrase to follow the curve of the flag.

I brushed a small swatch of watercolor onto the inside of the card before stamping the sentiment.

Thanks for stopping by today. Hop over to Lisa's blog and Donna's blog to see what they have created for you.

Supplies Used:
A1185 Friendly Wishes
C1638 Spring Critters
D1645 Botanical Backgrounds
X7207B Penelope Paper Packet
1385 White Daisy Cardstock
Z2117 Crystal Blue Ink Pad
Z2162 Honey Ink Pad
Z2197 Pear Ink Pad
Z899 Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad
Z3132 Watercolor Paints
Z3188 Paintbrush Set
Z3207 Spring Critters Thin Cuts
Z2060 Thin 3D Foam Tape
X254 White Cards and Envelopes Value Pack
Z1934 Flamingo Dots
Z2012 Gold Sequins Assortment

March Already?

Hello!

March certainly seems to be coming in like a lion around here. After warm temperatures over the weekend, the weather turned cold and snowy again. I guess that's the perfect excuse to stay inside and stamp the day away!

This month is full of all kinds of crafting goodness. Stampaganza is back! If you've had your eye on a few stamp sets, now is the time to get them. Check out these featured products for March...

Stampaganza 2016!

Stampaganza is the best time to get our top quality My Acylix® stamp sets. Choose from dozens of designs!

Brighten Someone's Day with Penelope

These adorable pinwheels could cheer anyone up, and they're a cinch to make using our Penelope suite of products and a corner rounder.

• Start by rounding the corners on a square of Penelope paper.
• Cut a slit from each corner about halfway to the center to create two flaps at each corner.
• Fold one of the flaps at each corner to the center and fasten it there (we used hook & loop dots for a good, firm hold).
• Embellish to your heart's content!

To further personalize your paper pinwheels, back your paper squares with other patterned papers to get the exact look you want.

Get your Penelope products and try it for yourself.

Happy Stamping with March Stamp of the Month

The My Acrylix® Sunshine Birdies stamp set is only available during March—get it at a discount with your qualifying order!

If you have any questions about anything in this email, feel free to contact me.

Come back tomorrow and hop along with the Three Amigos Blog Hop!

Happy Stamping!

Three Amigos February 2016 Blog Hop

Welcome to the Three Amigos Blog hop.  We are three Close to My Heart Independent Consultants with a love for stamping and scrapping and would like to share our creative ideas with you.  On the 3rd of each month we feature a different CTMH product and create a card, layout, or other project.  There are only three stops on this hop so it will only take a few minutes to hop through.

This month's theme of "3" is to use three Background and Texture Papers on our project. I used papers from three different paper packs, Zoe, Georgie, and Charlotte to create a one-page layout. I think that's a first for me! You'll notice I also used a few retired products. I've been in the process of relocating my studio for the third time since our move back in August (third time's a charm, right?) and decided I really need to start using up a lot of my embellishments.

My layout design was inspired by a quilt I made for my mom a little over five years ago. The quilt is actually the subject of my layout. Mom loved the quilt and used it every day. Every time I snuggle up in the quilt, I think of my mom. On the days when I miss her most, I wrap the quilt around me, and it's like she's giving me a hug from heaven. Cappi and Truffles seem to be drawn to the quilt as well.

The border of the quilt has a chocolate colored background with large polka dots on it. I decided to mimic the look on the base of the layout with Chocolate Cardstock, a polka dot stamp from a retired stamp set called Hit the Spot (C1406), and embossing powder. I also wanted to give the layout the same feel as the quilt, so I ran the Background & Texture papers in strips down the page. I added a few penned stitch lines as well. The empty spot next to the small picture of the quilt is for journaling.

The title letters are from two retired sets we carried years ago. I inked the polka dot resits letters and the edges of the canvas letters with chocolate ink. I used the "You Are Here" wooden accent piece from the gold Fundamentals Assortment to point to the quilt to go along with the "Close to You" title.  I kept the embellishments simple since the quilt design was a little busy.

Thanks for stopping by today. Hop over to Lisa's blog and Donna's blog to see what they have created for you.

Supplies:
X7197B Zoe Paper Packet
X7203B Georgie Paper Packet
X7205B Charlotte Paper Packet
X5643 Chocolate Cardstock
X5639 Sweet Leaf Cardstock
Z2111 Chocolate Ink Pad
Z891 Versa Mark Ink Pad
Z3105 Fundamental Assortment- Gold
Z3102 Fundamental Assortment- Glacier
Z2068 Ranger White Super Fine Embossing Powder
Z555 Craft Heater
BULK364 3-D Hearts Sorbet (retired)
Z3041 Oceanside Sequins (retired)
Z1777 Canvas Alphabet (retired)
Z1261 Irresistibles Lots of Dots Alphabet (retired)
4206 My Legacy Writers Set (brown) (retired)

Three Amigos January 2016 Blog Hop

Happy New Year! Welcome to the Three Amigos Blog hop.  We are three Close to My Heart Independent Consultants with a love for stamping and scrapping and would like to share our creative ideas with you.  On the 3rd of each month we feature a different CTMH product and create a card, layout, or other project.  There are only three stops on this hop so it will only take a few minutes to hop through.

This year we are are working with a theme of "Three." We posted our first Three Amigos hop in September of 2013. Since we are in our third year, our projects will all have some element of three associated with them. Our challenge for this month is to use three colors featured in the new Charlotte Paper Pack. I designed my card using Whisper, Champagne, and Sorbet.

The Champagne mat is cut from the Paper Fundamentals Basic Assortment. If you look closely, you can see the subtle clear-embossed design. The flowers are a two-step (base and shade) stamp from the January SOTM, Beloved Bouquet. I stamped a second generation image of the solid (base) stamp by inking it up with sorbet ink, stamping on a scrap piece of paper, and stamping again on cardstock to create the softer color. I inked the outline image (shade) with sorbet ink and stamped directly over the second generation image on my cardstock. Both flowers are cut out and adhered to the card separately. The sentiment is from the new Take Heart stamp set.

I used the Paper Fundamentals to mat the inside of the card as well. I added a sentiment and a little repeat of the card front for consistency.

Here's a closer look at the front of the card. I added some retired bitty antiques pearls to dress it up a bit without detracting from the overall look of the card.

Thanks for stopping by today. Hop over to Lisa's blog and Donna's blog to see what they have created this month.

Supplies:

S1601 Beloved Bouquet

C1639 Take Heart

X5929 Whisper Cardstock

1385 White Daisy Cardstock

Z3128 Paper Fundamentals Basic Assortment

Z2164 Sorbet Ink Pad

Z2172 Whisper Ink Pad

Z2174 Champagne Ink Pad

Bitty Opaques Pearls (retired)