February Layouts

Well!

It's about time, right?!

Pretty sure when they took out my teenager's tumor they took out my creativity along with it... at least for a couple of months... ;)

But I'm BAAAAAACK!!!

Here is layout #1 my Close To My Heart scrapbooking group made this month:

We used the Hello Lovely Workshop with the paper packet, matching stickers, bling, and ribbon. 

I LOVE the flower stamps that match this workshop:

Here is layout #2:

We used the Sweet Treats Workshop with the paper packet, matching stickers, bling, and 3 kinds of washi tape.

I needed a doughnut so bad making these pages:

I really appreciate the workshops Close To My Heart is offering lately!!! All the paper and embellishment matching is done for you! Just order and create!

February Layout

Well!

This is LATE!!!

Sorry Valerie!

Here is the layout my Close To My Heart scrapbooking group made in February:

We used the Charlotte Paper Packet, Gold Foil Tape, Gold Puffies, and Black and Gold Ribbon. I love that this paper packet has ONLY patterned paper!!! No plain cardstock for me to ignore!

I'm not much of a pocket scrapbooker, so I cut apart one of the 3x4 cards for my title:

 And for a few journaling spots:

LOVE the gold foil and heart puffies!!!

Scrap away!

KL February Layout Sketch

Shhh...

Here's a secret...

The layout challenges are my favorite!

Here is the Kiwi Lane February layout sketch:

And here is my sample:

Yes, the crazy paper choices were on purpose! In the photos my daughter is wearing a sparkly blue headband and the baby she is mauling is wearing a leopard-print outfit. See?! The paper isn't crazy, it's perfect!

I love how the sketch draws attention to the title:  

Any time you can "ground" your title is a good time!

I decided the journaling lines in the sketch would be journaling strips instead:

Yes again! Stamping journaling takes some time, but I hate my handwriting. HATE it!!! And since I own every alphabet stamp set Close To My Heart has ever made, I figure I better use them once in awhile!

Make sure you visit Kiwi Lane's blog HERE to make your own layout and enter to win!

KL February Card Sketch

Kiwi Lane Sketch time!!!

If you hurry and participate you could even get your Valentine's cards out by the actual Valentine's Day! It would be a first for me at least...

Here is the sketch:

And here is my sample:

 Here's the inside:

I think it's funny!

I swiped the card, hearts, and arrow edges with pink and red paint, stamped a border around the card outside, and hand doodled around my center arrow:

Added a bit of foam dimension of course:

And I think I ended up with a bright happy Valentine's Day card!

Go to Kiwi Lane's blog HERE to enter your own card to WIN your very own templates!!!

Do it now!

KL Card Sketch #2

I don't know about you guys, but I have piles of cards that I make too late to mail and wait "for next year" and next year never seems to come at a convienent time again so the pile grows and grows...

Just me?

Well Kiwi Lane has a great Valentine's Day card sketch with PLENTY of time to make and mail!

Here is the sketch:

And here is my sample card:

It is a 5x7 card using Close To My Heart paper, Kiwi Lane Sweetheart and Tiny Sweetheart templates, and a Fiskars scalloped circle punch.

To make a sparkly title I just stamped in light ink and traced over the letters with my trusty pink Glitz gel:

I traced my Sweetheart bracket shape along the bottom of the card to add interest when it's opened:

See that little strip of paper inside? It's a POCKET!!! I'm going to be super on the ball and put a Valentine's picture inside!

So not only mailed out in time, but with a PHOTO!!!

Right, I know, we'll see...

Visit Kiwi Lane HERE to enter to win your own set of Sweetheart templates!

Go make your own card!

Layouts for February

That's right, layoutS!

My Close To My Heart scrapbooking group is doubling up this month to make sure we get to do ALL of the cute paper packs this year!

First up is the Hopscotch Paper Packet:

We are using the paper, Extra Thick Pixie Twine, and Flamingo Enamel Dots. Since the twine is so thick, I split it in half to do the stitching. The cute title is done by stamping in a light color and just gluing twine over the top:

 Last up is the Heartstrings Paper Packet:

We are using the paper, retired Heart Chipboard, Red Enamel Hearts, and Pink Shimmer Trim. To cover the chipboard hearts trace them onto your paper, cut out, and glue the paper to your chipboard. The inner hearts are just cut inside the tracing lines to make them smaller:

Happy Scrappin'

Felt Rose Wreath

My Mom and I wanted to make Valentine's wreaths. So we did what anyone would have...
we Googled it!

Here is what we came up with:

I REALLY like it!!!

Want to know how to make it?

Of course you do!

Supplies:
-straw wreath (leave the plastic on)
-1 1/2 to 2 yards of red felt
-glue gun and TONS of glue sticks
-scissors
-circles to trace
-10mm and 5mm pearls

To make the roses, cut out a circle of felt. Mine were about 6 1/2 inches for the big ones and 3 1/2 inches for the little ones. You can cut out a couple at once to save time :)

Cut a spiral into the circle, leaving a circle in the middle. Again, I did 2 at once.

Ok, now it's one at a time! Roll up your circle starting with the outside pointed edge of your spiral.

Keep rolling until you get to the middle circle you left when cutting. This is where you glue down your rose. If you cannot handle glue gun burns, walk away now; this project is not for you!

Here is your finished rose! You can keep it as loose or tight as you want. The felt is very forgiving! Just play with it. If you really mess up, just unroll and start again.

My finished roses were about 3 inches for the big ones and 1 3/4 inches for the little ones.

Repeat...

Repeat...

Repeat...

I needed 13 big roses and 103 little ones. It depends on how much you squish them in there and how tight you keep your roses.

Cut long strips of the felt as wide as you are comfortable and wrap up that awful straw wreath. Trust me, it is a BAZILLION times easier and cleaner to leave the plastic wrap on!!! Just make sure you glue gun every once in awhile to keep things in place.

Glue gun on your big roses in a circle around the center of the wreath.

Start filling in little roses. I recommend starting on the inside, but it probably really doesn't matter! This is where it's up to you how far back you want your roses to go and how squished together you want them to be.

Making progress...

Ta-Daaaaaa!

Well, not really. Mine still needed something.

So here is where you add your pearls!

Big pearls in big roses and little pearls in little roses. Please expect to fry your fingertips with the little pearls. I found I made less of a glue gun stringy mess if I put the glue on the pearl and not on the flower. Hence the burns...

Close up of your finished product:

See?! It needed the pearls!

My husband calls this my "Quiet Book Wreath" since it's made out of felt. Sigh...

Let me know if you try it!

Happy (early) Valentine's Day!

My husband hates when I make him cards. He appreciates them, but then feels like he must save them, and really he just wants to throw them away...

so I made Valentine cards for my card group and the Heart 2 Heart Valentine challange!

I left them blank. I feel there is nothing tackier than a heartfelt message to a loved one written by a stranger :) Here is a close up of the flower:

Always been a sucker for flourish stamps! I think I own every single one Close To My Heart has made in the past 5 years!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy February!

It seems that Valentine's Day kinda dies after you get married. Maybe that's why my husband was so "thrilled" when I created this:

Ok, he didn't really hate it; he is just less than excited that paper covers over half our house! But this is a topiary... 

In making this I found out that Styrofoam balls are surprisingly expensive! So I used a paper mache ball and painted it white. My husband was kind enough to drill a hole in the bottom for the "stem". (see, he doesn't completely hate it) Then I covered it in about a million little punched flowers out of my favorite, but discontinued, Close To My Heart Sweetheart paper. 

 

I like it! Now I have a whopping TWO valentine decorations! 

I am also entering this in Heart 2 Heart's challange for the week: make a 3D item; so wish me luck!