Double Embossed Technique Lace Tree Christmas Card

This is one of those even better in real life kinds of cards. I had some metallic cardstock given to me by a friend that I put through the Cuttlebug using my new Lace Tree embossing folder. The results were nice but I have a hard time with plain cards so I needed to spruce it up a bit. I took my Versamark embossing pad and VERY LIGHTLY tapped on the top of the embossed area. I then added some of our Silver Embossing Powder and heat embossed the dry embossed areas. I loved the results - very classy and shiny!

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, Unknown origins gold metallic cardstock
Ink: Versamark
Other: Silver Embossing Powder, Cuttlebug Lace Tree embossing folder

CTMH July Stamp of the Month You've Got Flair BLOG HOP! Heat Embossing, Gift Set

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month BLOG HOP for July featuring the "You've Got Flair" Acrylix stamp set which you can get at a great discount or even FREE with an order from now through July 31!

This is a circular hop so if you keep on clicking through to check out the great artwork provided by over 40 different Close to my Heart consultants, you'll have done the full circle when you come back to where you started! I can't wait to click through and see all the fabulous creations from my sister consultants! We have some serious talent in this company!

To follow along on this hop you just need to click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move along to the next site. Afraid you'll get lost? No worries! The list of all participating consultant sites is at the very bottom of this post!

When I first saw this set I kept thinking - oh cool that looks like a paisley bandana! I love the artwork corporate did with this set featured in the Idea Book but I really wanted to try a different look with this set. The more I looked at it the more it reminded me of Henna paintings. I wanted to keep that look but capture it in classic black and white.

This is the gift set that I came up with to showcase the stamp set. I used White Daisy embossing powder on black cardstock and made a set of 6 Thank You cards and matching envelopes with a neat gift enclosure pouch. I'll be posting a tutorial on how I made this soon so come back and visit me!

• Materials Used:
• Paper: Black Cardstock, White Cardstock
• Stamp set: You've Got Flair, Thank You
• Other: White Daisy Embossing Powder, Spring Blossom (retired colors) Organdy Ribbon, some additional surprise supplies I'll tell you about during the tutorial!

Now "Hop" on over to my cyber friend and sister consultant Dawn's blog to see her work!

Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their blogs to get some great ideas! Remember, the July Stamp of the Month is only available until July 31! Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount or even FREE!

Got lost? No worries! Pick the blog hop back up by following this list of participating consultants! Happy Hopping!

Jena Devries
Wendy Kessler
Sherry Thompson
Dawn Heuft
Brae Montgomery
Melissa Laverty
Karen Norman
Deb Young
Adeline E Brill
Tammy Lea Pinchard
Jen Rubio
Cibele Glazer
Laurie R Newton
Kami Welter
Helen Onulak
Sarita Schraeder
Chris Shouse
Paige Dolecki
Dawn Ross
Jamia Bankhead
Nona Davenport
Haley Dyer
Misty Jackson
Jennifer Patrick
Carla Ironside
Jody Gustafson
Heather Painchaud
Julia Menssen
Lori Miller
Pamela O'Connor
Reba Poquette
Anne Beck
Shallon Pelletier
Caren Goldsein
Jan Moxey
Kristie Horness-Herdener
Alanna Moses
Leslie Markland
Barbara Otten
Traci Godbee
Jill Lucas
Amy McVey
Laurie Levnik

CTMH Altered Composition Book, Coaster Post-it Holder, Happy Endings stamp set

About a year and a half ago a good friend invited me to a Close to my Heart gathering at her house. My youngest son had recently been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and I was looking for a way of coping with the stress and uncertainty upon us. I knew I wanted to start scrapbooking so I could document our lives and really capture the essence of what makes my family unique - the love my kids have for eachother, what good friends they are to each other, the fun we all have together as a family and in general the deep unconditional love I have for my mad monkeys. Long story short - I fell in love with Close to my Heart products and their how-to books and philosophy. A couple of months later I became a consultant and I've been having fun and relieving stress ever since! There are three things in life that keep me sane - friends and family, paper crafting and Tae-Kwon-Do (terrific stress reliever).

So anyways, this friend who started me on my journey with CTMH has a daughter turning 7 and asked me to come to the party and lead a group of 7 year old girls through a couple of projects. Yes, these are all simple projects - I have a 7 year old so I know what their attention spans are like!

I've pre-embossed the girls names on their journals and I'll let them stamp as many butterflies as they want on the front and back covers. This one was done by my 13 year old - I think she liked that blue color - what do you think?










Then we'll do the frog and heart treat bag (kind of a princess theme going here) using the Happy Endings stamp set from CTMH. I've pre-made the tags so they can write their names on them to keep track of their stuff.




















After that we'll do the super simple post-it holder using the Daydream Level 2 paper pack from CTMH (covered coaster with a clippy) and then a very simple book mark using that terrific stamp set again. My daughter is totally out of the little girl princess stuff but I couldn't resist getting this too-cute stamp set. It was the frogs....I have a thing for really cute frogs.... I'll be curious to see how long these projects take. I have about a hour for the paper crafting part. Who thinks I'll only be getting through half the projects????





One of the things I adore about stamping is that you can use your stamps for so many different things! Its not just about layouts and cards - its about lunch bags and candles, journal covers, post it holders, pencil cups, etc. I have to admit I am nuts about our stamps and THANK GOODNESS they are acrylix on the carrier sheets. Because of this I can store my 300+ stamp sets in two 8" wide and 40" high towers instead of an entire bookcase. Yes, I am totally addicted to CTMH stamps. I guess I'll have to join a 12x12 program (budum-bum-bah!)

Products Used: Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, Hollyhock Cardstock, Daydream Level 2 Paper Pack
Stamps: Happy Endings, Butterfly Wings (March SOTM)
Inks: Cocoa, Blush, Topiary, Sweet Leaf, Heavenly Blue, Spring Iris
Other: Colored Pencils, Hollyhock RicRac (from Boom Di Ada Creative Basics Kit), White Daisy Grosgrain Ribbon, Gold Embossing Powder
Non-CTMH: Coasters, White lunch bags

CTMH Altered Mini Legal Pad with Heat Embossing

Here is the hostess gift I made for my dear friend Tracy who recently held a Close to my Heart party with me. I've known Tracy for a couple of years - my youngest boy had pre-school with her youngest. We hit it off instantly as she is such a down to earth, honest and dependable person. We used to take our boys to McD's for lunch after school and sit and talk for hours. She is another of my blessings - supporting me through good times and bad.
I like making these mini legal pad holders - there is a slit to hold the cardboard backer so you can switch out the pad when you are done with it. The butterflies are from the Butterfly Wings March Stamp of the Month from CTMH - the big one is embossed with Vineyard Berry and the little ones in Heavenly Blue. I used Gold embossing powder for the name in Giggle alphabet stamp set and a border stamp for the top and bottom. The paper started off as White Daisy but I had fun with the brayer and it turned into Sweet Leaf. This was one of those projects I had to play with for a while to get the look I was going for. Sometimes things flow and sometimes you have to keep adding until they look right!
Here is the inside - there is a slit cut for the ribbon that his sandwiched between two pieces of White Daisy to make it into a pen holder.

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, Emporium Creative Basics
Inks: Sweet Leaf, Heavenly Blue Marker, Sweet Leaf Marker, Vineyard Berry Marker
Other: Vineyard Berry Embossing Powder, Heavenly Blue Embossing Powder, Gold Embossing Powder, Rubber brayer, Ribbon from Emporium Creative Basics kit