H2H Photo Challenge

Heart 2 Heart is a Close To My Heart challenge blog and it is AWESOME! If you ever need a kick in the pants to create, visit HERE. 

This week is a photo challenge. Since I figured out how to transport the inspiration photo (all by myself! I'm so proud!) here it is: 

And here is what I came up with:

I could not get the fabric draping out of my head, so I just went with it! I used a similar color scheme (Sorbet, Dutch Blue, Kraft) and obviously stuck with the striped hot air balloon.

Yes, it took forever to make my balloon. 

And shade my clouds. 

And hand-stitch my string.

And yes, it was worth it!

Operation Write Home

The Scrapbook Expo is this weekend!!! I am just a little excited!

This year the expo is collecting cards for Operation Write Home. This is an organization that provides donated handmade cards to military bases all over the world. The cards are available at no cost for the soldiers to send home! The expo's blog (HERE) said some specific themes were needed: "Thinking of You", "Just Because", "Love", and "Teenage Birthday".

So far I have "Thinking of You":

 And "Love":

The cards need to be mostly flat, so no bulky embellishments. My "Thinking of You" card has some dots of pearl paint at the center of the flower, and my "Love" card has some black embossing. 

If anyone out there is going to the Scrapbook Expo in Utah this weekend, BRING SOME CARDS!!! This is a really worthy cause! And who doesn't love an excuse to paper craft?

Other People Have Really Cute Ideas!

This card was either copied from Vicki (visit her blog HERE) or Aaron (visit her blog HERE). Both of them are amazing, so you really can't lose by looking at both blogs! Here is my version:

I used different papers and embellishments... so it's not a TOTAL copy... right?

I love that really creative people are willing to share their art! 

So I can copy it. 

March Layout

My house was a very scrappy place this morning! We did 3 packets today because of the flood last month. I already posted Elemental and Typeset, so here is the last set of pages:

We used the incredible beautiful Florentine Paper Packet. I think it is my official favorite from the Spring catalog. 

It's hard to tell, but those are little bitty Mocha Pearls on the letters.

We also used the Flutter Paper Shapes. They accept ink really well so you can adapt them for any page; which is good since we all have a ton left over!

Coming soon.... a new way to organize stamps!

February Layouts... kindof

I'm baaaaack!

Wow! Between me getting sick, the baby getting sick, and our downstairs getting flooded, I just don't seem to have the energy to blog ;)

Here are the layouts my scrapbook group would have made this month but are now making in March after things have (hopefully) dried out:

First up is the Elemental Paper Packet. I LOVE the colors! We also used the Decor Journaling Spots since they match perfectly. The white will be covered up with 4x6 photos. No cutting or matting required!

The flowers are from a very discontinued (years ago...) stamp set that happened to look great with the paper. 

Quick note: if you have a cursive alphabet stamp set and want it to actually look like flowing cursive, just stamp the letters individually and overlap a bit.

Next up is the Typeset Paper Packet. I was super excited for this one because it is covered in letters and my daughter just placed 3rd in the school spelling bee! We used the Milepost Shapes, which are glorified corrugated cardboard shapes all pre-cut for you, and some black hemp.

The shapes are all messy-swiped with black ink and then sponged with Cocoa ink. The black and Juniper cardstocks are sanded for some texture.

I left the pennants blank so my group can add whatever "title" that works for them, as long as it is 5 letters long!

Thanks for looking! Hopefully I will not be gone so long this time...

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!