Don't Worry Bee Happy Card with CTMH Mayberry and Bee Happy

Whether you have been following my blog for a while or have just stumbled across me in the vast reaches of blogland, it probably didn't take you long to figure out I am a stamp-a-holic.  Yes, I admit it.  I am addicted to Close to my Heart stamps. 

When I saw the new set "Bee Happy" in the Idea Book I knew I was going to have to get it - how can you resist these little guys?  There are four adorable bees and two saying "don't worry, bee happy" and "you're sweet as honey".  It was a toss up for which sentiment to put on this card but as I was stamping I had that old song (very popular when I was a kid) playing through my head the WHOLE time - do, do-do-do, do-di-do-di, do-di-do....  Okay, you get it now right?  Sorry if its stuck in your head now too (hee-hee-hee)....

I colored the image in using our Watercolor pencils and then blending with our Blending Pen.  I added some Glitz to the bees wings and some dimensional buttons that were on clearance (score!) not too long ago.  Here's a better shot of the glitter...

If you'd like to make this card, get these supplies:

Paper:  Mayberry Level 2, Kraft Cardstock

Stamp:  Bee Happy

Ink:  Cocoa

Other:  Watercolor Pencils, Blending Pen, Glitz Glitter Gel, Buttons (I used retired Twitterpated dimensional chipboard buttons), Hemp, Kraft Color Ready Borders

Valentine's Day Countdown Day #4 Card with CTMH Daydream, Happy Endings, Solo K

Day #4

Just 10 more days left!  Now is the perfect time to get your cards ready for the mail!

This is a sweet little card I lifted from another talented CTMH consultant who posted last year on our consultant bulletin board (if this is your design please post here for credit!).  I just LOVE that little froggie!  The mushroom and frog are embossed with Black embossing powder and then colored in with our Watercolor Pencils.

Materials Used:
Paper:  Daydream Level 2
Stamps:  Happy Endings, Solo K
Inks:  Versamark, Black
Other:  Black Embossing Powder, Watercolor Pencils, Blending Pen

Friendship Card with CTMH Veranda Creative Basics Paper and So Sweet

This sweet card features our Veranda Creative Basics Collection (12 sheets of patterned paper - 6 each of 2 styles with 4 yards of Creme Brulee ribbon not shown).  The front uses one of our awesome base and shade stamps.

What is a base and shade stamp?  The flower portion is stamped on a piece of paper (all the Juniper blue stamping) and then another stamp has JUST the pink flowers - you line up the flower heads where they go and stamp in the color.  It is so fast, easy and impressive but you HAVE to be able to see through the stamps (gotta love our acrylix) in order to be able to do it!

I've used our new Togetherness stamp set to stamp Garden Green stitching around the image (just love that I don't have to actually sew on paper if I don't want to!) and then colored in the leaves with an Olive green watercolor pencil.  The inside of the card has the nicest of friendship sentiments "We are never alone when friends fill our lives."  from the So Sweet stamp set.

Materials Used:
Paper:  Veranda Creative Basics Collection, Colonial White Cardstock
Stamps:  So Sweet, Togetherness
Inks:  Juniper, Garden Green, Blush
Other:  Watercolor Pencils

CTMH Boy Space Birthday Card using CTMH Animal Cookies, Reach for the Stars, Express Postage, Robot Power

I've been wanting to make up a card using this new pattern from the Wishes card book called "Fancy File" and I finally got around to it last night. I love that I can print out the patterns from the CD that comes with the book (both Originals and Wishes come with a CD) and have all the fun and funky shapes AND envelope templates at my finger tips! No need for tons of specialized tools and equipment -with just a paper cutter and a pair of scissors you can create any of the cards in our How-To books!

If the yellow paper doesn't look familiar from Animal Cookies - I used the back side of the Dutch Blue stripe paper and stamped a whole bunch of stars on it to create a patterned paper that matched my theme. Animal Cookies is the perfect paper for birthday cards - there are so many bright and fun colors and patterns in this set and I adore the Animal Cookies Stickease for those adorable zoo critters! I need to buy a set just for making fun fast cards!

Materials Used:
Paper: Animal Cookies
Stamp Sets: Reach for the Stars, Robot Power, Express Postage
Inks: Clover Meadow, Dutch Blue
Other: Watercolor Pencils, Pop Dots, Wishes

CTMH Faux Grid Fish Birthday Card with directions CTMH Happy Birthday CTMH World's Best Dad

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish! This is the card I made for my fish-crazy 11 year old son's birthday. Spencer really liked it - anything with a fish on it is sure to be a hit!

Close up of the liquid glass on the fish and sentiments. It was a cloudy day so the shiny fish didn't show up too great on film but they're awesome in person!




Basic directions:

1. Cut your cardstock in even inches (5x7 shown here or 4x5)
2. Mark off a 1" grid LIGHTLY in pencil
3. Stamp image with some or all crossing a line.
4. Use a black marker to go over the grid lines (but not through the image)
5. Erase extra pencil lines inside the stamped image.
6. Color images in (I used CTMH watercolor pencils)
7. Color in some squares in contrasting colors saving an area for a sentiment.
8. I used a blending pen to smooth out the squares.
9. Apply liquid glass to the fish images and sentiment (the sentiment is pop dotted on the black base)

For Spencer's birthday surprise we went to see Ice Age 3 tonight. It was better than I expected (I usually trust Ebert's reviews on most movies so I was willing to pay the money to see it in the theater). The kids got a kick out of it and we all laughed at several parts. Afterwards we went out for Chinese at Got Rice - one of our new family traditions for birthdays (about 2 years now we've been going for everyone's b'day). Then home for some presents and cake. Spencer said it was the best day of his life and he had lots of fun. I'm so proud of the young man he is growing into - he is kind, sharing, loving, smart, witty, full of life, joyful, stand up for others and has a strong sense of fairness. I know I'm kind of biased but I basically think he rocks! I'm so glad God gave him to me and I look forward to seeing him grow on life's journey.
Materials Used (all CTMH):

• Cardstock: White Daisy, Black, Orange
• Stamps: World's Best Dad (SOTM), Happy Birthday
• Ink Colors: Black, Star Spangle Blue, Black Marker
• Other: Watercolor Pencils, Blending Pen, Liquid Glass, Pop dots

This card was inspired by one I saw while surfing the net but I didn't log where it came from! I know it wasn't CTMH but can't remember where I saw this technique. If its your design let me know so I can give you credit!

CTMH June 5th Deal of the Day - Autumn Daisy Paper Flowers (set of 75) FREE

Friday, 5th June's Deal of the Day is a tube of Aumtumn Daisy Paper Flowers (value $7.95!) from Close to my Heart for FREE with any A,B,C,D or E size Acrylix Stamp! With A sizes starting at just $10.95 this is a fabulous deal! Offer good until 8AM Saturday, 6th June.

Our Aumtumn Daisy collection of 75 flowers in two sizes comes in 3 colors - Hollyhock, Pansy Purple and White Daisy. On this card I used a smaller Hollyhock flower and a larger White Daisy flower that I sponged with Honey Ink to match the ribbon. The adorable lion was colored in using one of my all time favorite techniques - our color matched watercolor pencils and a blending pen!

Paper flowers are very versitile embellishments as you can ink them up to color match your project, stamp on them to give them patterns, paint them with Pearl Paint, layer them, put small dots of liquid glass on them to look like dew, etc. The list of things to do with these is as long as your imagination! I have a tube of every color we sell at home and I love these sweet little things!

Materials Used:

Paper: Hollyhock CS, Olive CS, White Daisy CS

Ink: Hollyhock, Black, Olive, Honey

Stamp Sets: C1257 Happy Birthday, D1285 Life's A Jungle

Other: Autumn Daisy Paper Flowers, Olive Big Brad, Watercolor Pencils, Blending Pen, Cuttlebug and unknown ribbon from stash

Baby Card with CTMH Daydream Paper, Ms. On the Go, Watercolor Pencil Technique and Wishes Cardmaking Pattern

I finally had a chance to play with this great stamp set "Ms. On the Go" the other night to create a card for a friend who is due soon. I love how you can color the mommy in to match the person you are sending the card to, such a nice personalized touch!

This is one of the new 4.5x4.5" cool square cards from the new Wishes book. As you can tell from my previous post I really love our books (LOL). I'm totally a more-bang-for-your-buck kind of gal so I love helping people maximize their dollars.

The card is not high on bulky bling as I'm sending it in the mail. I used our Daydream paper pack and cut one of the wavy strips off a full 12x12 sheet and then put two of them back to back to make the 2" strip in the center. The primary image is from Ms. On the Go colored in with watercolor pencils and a blending pen.

Ah, watercolor pencils.... Such a great tool! They can truly make you look and feel like an artist. I can't draw very well (my mother painted and minored in art in college and my brother is an architect so I know my drawing skills are not up to snuff) but stamping makes me into an instant artist! You use watercolor pencils just like regular coloring pencils but when you are done coloring you take a clear marker called a blending pen and go over the image - it is moist so it blends all the coloring into a nicely painted look. I like to go darker around the edges and then lighter in the center of the image so it looks a bit shaded as well. Very fun tool in your tool box!

Materials:
Paper: Daydream Level 2 Paper Pack
Stamps: Ms. On the Go, Family Ties - Adults, Family Ties - Children (for mama and baby)
Inks: Black, Hollyhock
Other: Watercolor pencils, Blending Pen, Black Bitty Brad, Paper Piercer