Smile with Animal Greetings

 I HEART the cute little animals and sayings found on the Operation Smile stamp set, Animal Greetings. Because of the donation to Operation Smile, this stamp set is not part of the Stampaganza special this month, BUT helping people get their SMILE is so worth it!!

Add ShinHan alcohol markers or water colors and you can take these cute little sweeties to the next level!!






Here was one of my Easter favorites -- a little Pear from the Adventure Fundamental paper collection sure makes the pink of his ears and the red of his rosey cheeks stand out.

Make this stamp set yours before it retires in July!!

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Penelope Picture My Life Cards make great CARDS

 The new Close To My Heart Workshop Your Way paper suites include Picture My Life pocket page scrapbook sheets.

Several are beautiful patterns and perfect for card making.

The first card uses the multi color striped piece and the my most favorite stamp set (and thin dies Z3200 -- get them before they sell out) Stuck On You (C1643). A little watercoloring to add that soft burst of color.

Adding a little interest in the corners with the dots stamp image.





The second card used one of the floral cards for the background and the pink woodgrain for the fussy cut flowers from Springtime Wishes (C1641). Honey cardstock and the Honey floral zip strip (ask me what this is) added a little punch of color.

I love to send Thank You cards to anyone ordering from my -- SHOP NOW -- and this card may be the one I send to you!!

Black and White with a Splash of Thistle

A new Scrap It Southern Style Black and White and Splash of Color class using Thistle, soft purple.

Layering flowers and white foliage replace the hearts of the previous class.

The stamp set Happy to Be Friends (C1605) is great for the beginner card maker. Several occasions, flowers and foliage all on one stamp set. And you can get by with one block, 2" x 3 1/2" (Y1002) to start with.

And REMEMBER to grab you Hello Paradise stamp set before it is GONE!! Only available until the end of March!! SHOP NOW

Happy to Be Friends (C1605)

Another Partial Die Technique Project

This time I used the Stuck on You duo, stamp (C1643) and thin die (Z3200).

On the far left version, I stamped the cactus and the pot and when I placed the thin die to cut, I placed the pot off the cutting plate, so it would mot cut. This made the full cactus pop up.

The White Daisy piece was matted on a 2 3/4" x 2 3/4" Sapphire cardstock piece. Be sure NOT to adhere the cactus!! The matted piece was adhered to a 3" x 3" White Daisy card base.

On the far left, I marked, with pencil, the middle line on a 2 3/4" x 2 3/4" White Daisy piece. Next I stamped the cactus image  and the pot and placed the thin die cactus over the image. This piece was placed on the cutting plate even with the pencil line. After it was die cut, I scored along the pencil line on each side of the cactus die cut, erased the line, and folded. Finally it was adhered to a Sapphire 3" x 3" card base.

Stuck On You Thin Die (Z3200)

Stuck on You (C1643)

A Little Birdie Told Me You're An Original

Today it is time to try a little whimsical look. Started with a 4 1/4" x 11" piece of Thistle folded in half and a matted Penelope blue pattern piece on Honey. The little birdie and limb from our Stamp of the month, Sunshine Birdies (S1603) were stamped on White Daisy in Archival ink and watercolor was the coloring medium of choice. Close To My Heart White Daisy works well with watercolors.

The sentiment 'you are my sunshine' and the sun were stamped directly on the blue Penelope pattern paper and I used a ShinHan alcohol marker to color the negative spaces of the words -- do this before you mat it!!

Next fussy cut, which means cutting out with scissors, the bird and tree branch. I attached the tree branch and in Black ink, I stamped the little birdie where I wanted him to be -- WHY you ask, because I wanted him to look a little 3D and stamping directly on the paper and paper piecing the body gives that depth. May go back and change the feet to look the same. Using the journaling pen, add a little whimsical border.

Do you like the look of an elegantly lined card -- a quick way to achieve this, cut regular copy paper to fit inside the card, here the piece is cut at 4" x 10 1/2" and fold in the middle.

Stamp your sentiment on the inside and fold closed, put a line of your favorite adhesive along the top edge, close to the fold line of the copy paper.

Keeping this copy paper insert folded shut, place it inside the open card, placing the copy paper fold up to the score line of the card base and close the card base.

It adheres your sentiment liner to the top and when it opens, you will see the sentiment.

The sentiment 'You're an Original' is from the beautifully floral stamp set Blossoming Expressions (D1665).

Blossoming Expressions (D1665)

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A Weekend Challenge in Red

This past weekend, I shared a cute image as our weekend challenge. Later, I was inspired from one of my Rockin' heARTist, Karla Morgan, with a clear panel card idea. Together they melded into my challenge artwork.

Here is the photo inspiration.

Here is the card created from the photo inspiration.

This is a clear panel card. In the card base box were a few retired clear cards.

An 11" x 4 1/4" piece of Cranberry cardstock is the base scored at 5 1/2". Measure down to where you want the clear panel and cut out that section.

Cut your acetate an inch larger than the opening. Cut two pieces of Cranberry cardstock the same size as the top and bottom of the remaining card base.
Attach your clear panel 1/2" on the top and bottom and cover, on the inside, with the two corresponding pieces. This will hold your clear piece in place. I used my VersaMat, self healing on onside and stamping foam on the other, to place the pieces by using the grid lines to create the 5 1/2" card front.

And don't forget the inside! A piece of 4" x 5 1/4" White Daisy cardstock is perfect for the Happy sentiment, which will show through the clear panel. Happy was stamped using the Handwritten Print (E1030) stamp set.

A little happy shared at the bottom using the Friend in Me (C1640) stamp sent.

Black Shimmer trim scalloped with the Close To My Heart scallop punch adds a focus to the clear panel. The card is finished with the large flower stamped with Archival Black ink and cut out. A little bling from the stash added to the center. A little white gel pen faux stitching is added around the outside edges of the Cranberry card base.

Birthday, from the Build A Cake (D1618) stamp set, is stamped in White Daisy ink at the bottom.

This card is created to also celebrate Jeanette Lynton's upcoming birthday. Jeanette is the founder and CEO of Close To My Heart, and one of the most inspiring people I know. More information on her celebration may be found HERE. #cards4jeanette

And remember, STAMPAGANZA is happening right now! Buy 2 stamp sets and get ONE for FREE. The three stamps shared in this project would be perfect!!

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Penelope Workshop Your Way and the Magic How To Book

Penelope is the perfect paper for Spring themed layouts and with all the goodies in the Workshop Your Way, you can create so many projects and still have leftovers!!

I used the My Complement stickers for the title, the cute little flowers and hearts with just that touch of silver to create embellishment clusters. And one of the Picture My Life style cards, cutout from the Penelope Workshop Your Way Picture My Life pattern paper, perfect for journaling.

The Magic how to book recipe, Card Trick page 86, makes creating this and other layouts so much easier!!

Remember, this month is STAMPAGANZA -- 

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Penelope and the Artiste Cricut Cartridge Cards

Are you loving the bright colors of Penelope?

And how cool is the ShinHan markers and some of my favorite stamp sets -- REMEMBER March's special is STAMPAGANZA, Buy TWO stamp sets and get ONE FREE!!

These cards are my advanced card class cards featuring

Penelope Workshop Your Way

And the ShinHan markers -- 

And for my Cricut Explore friends, here is the link to the Design Space file -- you must have the Close To My Heart Artiste cartridge (Z3170)

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My First Illustrated Journaling

I want to thank my friends, Judy Hardwick and Stephanie Buice, for their inspiration to try this new art genre and especially to Cindy Anderson for hosting a Bible Journaling workshop. I learned so much and there is so much to try.

I am using an Inspirational Journal my sister, Kristina, gave me many years ago. It surfaced after my year of re-journaling in my healing journal. My healing journal was started when my husband and father passed away and I re-journaled (journaled on the back of each page) after my Mom passed and it was amazing how many of the same verses were shown to me again during this grieving year.

Have you ever felt it is time to let the light back in and spread those wings? 2016 is my year of light and joy, even when the days are not so joyous, it is my goal to find the beauty in each day!! And the Inspirational Journal is such a help. There is a little inspirational saying, a Bible verse, and a question for you to journal about.

Because I craft already, the only purchase I had to make was for the clear gesso to cover pages so the paper could take the ink and watercolors and stamps and whatever else one would want to add to their pages.

It will be fun and interesting to see where this new medium will take me in my meditation moments. As you can see by the sun coming out over the cold blue sky to melt my heart -- JOY is there!!

Clean and Simple Penelope Cards

Clean and simple cards are so much fun to create and with the Live, Laugh, Love  (C1636) and Your Beautiful Self (B1516), they can be beautiful too!

A little Pear and Thistle cardstock mat a White Daisy 3 3/4" x 5" piece of cardstock.

The floral frames from Live, Love, Laugh (C1636) are stamped in Slate and colored using the ShinHan markers. Love to color!!

A little butterfly from Your Beautiful Self is added to the upper right corner and the Cricut Artistry coordinating shape is stamped with a sentiment from Live, Laugh, Love (C1636).

Easy peasy --

And when you order these two stamp sets, the third one is FREE!!

Spring Critters using the Partial Die Cutting Technique

I love the Spring Critters stamp set and the coordinating Thin Cuts die

Spring Critters (C1638)

 Spring Critters (Z3207)

And what a great stamp set to learn the partial die cut technique. This was my first try - pretty good, I stamped after cutting BUT I am going to try again with stamping first and cutting after. I will share the results soon.

The video I watched can be found here.

Along with the Spring Critters, stamp sets Friend in Me (C1640) and Live, Love, Laugh (C1636) work so well TOGETHER!!

And with STAMPAGANZA order all three and ONE will be FREE!!

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Sunshine Birdies (S1603) Close To My Heart Stamp of the Month

March starts out with a CUTE whimsical stamp set perfect for coloring!!

And I am loving using it with the Penelope paper collection, my featured paper pack for March.

My first piece of artwork to share with you is a card created using the Make It From Your Heart Volume 1 recipe 27 turned so it is a top opening card.

Honey cardstock embossed with the dots embossing folder, the polka dot pattern from Penelope and one of the 3" x 4" Picture My Life style cards (one pattern of Penelope is a sheet of Picture My Life cards ready to cut apart).

Coloring the sentiment and the little butterfly with the ShinHan markers added a little more color and silver sequins clustered to one side add some pop. And, of course, I had to have some bling, so there is a little green shimmer trim.

Are you ready for Spring? How about a GREAT SPECIAL -- STAMPAGANZA, buy two stamp sets and get a third of equal or lesser value for FREE!!

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