What A Hoot Blog Hop

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!  This month's stamp is called "What A Hoot". This adorable stamp set is only available through the end of August. If you have come here from April Nourse's blog, you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way all around.  If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants at Melinda Everitt's blog.

This month we have over sixty Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other great Close To My Heart products on their blogs. A blog hop is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

I am using our new Scaredy Cat paper. Every consultant I know breathed a happy sigh when they saw this paper. I used the flower stamp (included in the set) as treat bags for my owls. I even braided the bag handles with 3 different colors of embroidery floss. P.S. My husband thinks I'm nuts. LOL If you are looking close enough, you may have already noticed the skinny pumpkins. Those came from the party hat stamp. The leaves are also part of the flower stamp. I love to paper-piece and this stamp is perfect for both coloring and paper-piecing. One more note before you continue on your journey, and it's probably not the first time you've heard it tonight, but I really love our new ShinHan alcohol markers. They provide rich, even color with no paper pilling. So awesome!

Recipe:

Paper: Scaredy Cat, Pathfinding, Goldrush CS, White Daisy CS, Slate CS, Thistle CS, Black CS (CTMH)

Stamps: What A Hoot, Perfect Fit - Halloween (CTMH)

Inks: Black (VersaFine)

Tools: Clear Detail Embossing Powder, Craft Tray, Craft Heater, Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors, ShinHan Marigold Marker, ShinHan Peony Purple Marker, Honey, Sweet Leaf & Crystal Blue Alcohol Markers (retired), Glue Pen, Liquid Glass, Cricut Art Philosophy, Cricut Artbooking (CTMH), Fence Die (MFT)

Other: Scaredy Cat Complements, Black, White, Purple, Gold Embroidery Floss, Foam Tape, Glue Dots (CTMH), Googly Eyes (Jo-Ann's)

Now "Hop" on over to Kathleen Androlewicz's blog to see her work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting tips and fun ideas!   Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount! Thank you for stopping by.

*Designed by Close to My Heart Art Department

*Designed by Close To My Heart Art Department

S1408 What A Hoot

Stashbusters Confetti Wishes Layout

We're trying to get back into routine here today, with added puppy duties. I was browsing some blogs in the early a.m. today, after being up for the fourth time with Jagger. It appears he has his days and nights mixed up, much the way a newborn baby might.

I came across a Stashbusters layout on a blog I follow and decided to follow the link. Once there, I looked up the most current sketch requirements. This is what I came up with.

I used some new product I received last week, called Confetti Wishes (purple paper plus yellow checker paper). Otherwise, the other papers are retired. I also used up some retired embellishments. I'm starting to use my Cricut more. Funny that it took purging a bunch of product to help me out in that direction.

Recipe:
Paper: Dotty For You (retired), Later Sk8r (retired), Confetti Wishes (new), White Daisy CS (CTMH)
Stamps: Chocolate Large Alphabet (retired), This is Good, Keyboard Uppercase Alphabet, Cricut Artbooking (CTMH)
Inks: Thistle (new), Lagoon (CTMH)
Tools: Cricut Art Philosophy, Cricut Artbooking, Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors (CTMH)
Other: Honey Mini-Medley Assortment (retired), Lagoon Mini-Medley Assortment (retired), White Daisy Brads (retired), Glue Dots (CTMH), Purple Buttons (Jo-Ann's), Purple Embroidery Floss (DMC)

I would like to enter this into Stashbusters July 2014 Week 2 Challenge, as well as Color Throwdown CTD302 Challenge. I'm always looking for ways to use up my extra stash. The scalloped square pieces were cut at 4", and the journaling piece was cut at 4" real dial size.

Hope you have a great night! Thank you for stopping by.

Casandra

Skylark Workshop Layouts

Last night, we drove 2 hours to pick up our new puppy. Meet Jagger.

He is a Blue Heeler, otherwise known as an Australian Cattle Dog. 

Of course, the title of my post brought you here to see my Skylark Workshop Layouts. You may have seen my Freedom layout in a previous post. Here are the other two I designed for my workshop.

For the first layout, I followed the workshop on the go guide pretty close. I used Whisper ink instead of Slate. I also used embossed cardstock sheets from our Basic Fundamentals pack. It really adds a nice texture to this layout. I wanted to use the "suggested" pattern paper (or B&T) elsewhere. Another change I made to stretch the pretty lagoon paper from this kit was to cut the large pieces at 8x10 instead of 10x10. I was then able to use the extra scraps elsewhere (Freedom layout, for example).

I also incorporated a Skylark Picture My Life card into the second layout. It serves as a title for this layout.

Recipe:
Paper: Skylark, Free To Be Me, White Daisy CS, Sunset CS, Lagoon CS, Sweet Leaf CS, Paper Fundamentals Bamboo CS, Whisper CS, Skylark PML (CTMH)
Stamps: Skylark WOTG, Lifting Spirits, True To Life (CTMH)
Inks: Lagoon, Sunset, Chocolate, Whisper (CTMH)
Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors, Sanding Kit (CTMH)
Other: Aqua Dots, Pearls (retired), Paradise Flowers (retired), Slate Twist Ties (CTMH)

Hope you can get outside to play in the sunshine today.

Casandra

H2H Freedom Layout

Good morning. This is just a quick post today before I head to work.

I made the following layout with Skylark papers and added in some cranberry and creme brulee cardstock for a fun twist. This was part of my Skylark workshop this past Sunday, and it was a big hit.

I used an older Scrapbook Generation sketch. Where you see my embellishment clusters, the sketch used stars. There are so many ways to interpret a sketch. The pennant banners worked perfectly as stripes on our flag. 

I have to point out that the embroidery floss I used to stitch with comes from a floss box I have had since I was 12 years old and used to make friendship bracelets. Each floss bobbin was neatly wrapped and labelled even back then, and only the best embroidery floss was ever purchased. :)

Recipe:
Paper: Skylark, Cranberry CS, Creme Brulee CS, White Daisy CS (CTMH)
Stamp: Kaboom (retired) (CTMH)
Inks: Cranberry, Lagoon, Creme Brulee (CTMH)
Tools: Cricut Art Philosophy, Cricut Artbooking, Micro-Tip Scissors, Paper-Piercer (CTMH)
Other: Grey Twist Ties, Foam Tape (CTMH), Yellow Embroidery Floss (DMC)

I am entering this into Heart 2 Heart Challenge "Up, Up and Away".

Have a great day, my friends!

Casandra

My Craft Room

I'm embarrassed at how long it's been since I last posted. 

As some of you may know, I work at my father's two businesses as his bookkeeper. He owns an excavating business as well as a trucking and gravel mining business. Summer is our busiest time of the year, and this year has been especially busy. I'm thankful for that, but have found that it leaves little time for crafting.

Today, I want to share some fun news with you. I have been cleaning my house and purging a lot of stuff in preparation for the newest member of our family...a puppy! This upcoming Thursday, we will finally get to bring him home. 

I feel like my craft room is finally clean enough to post pictures of and share with all of you. So here they are.

View from my Living Room

This is my oasis. I spend more time in this room than I do in the living room. My computer desk is strategically placed to view the tv in the living room, and watch the kids play.

Stamp organizers, punches, ribbon, embossing powders, albums, etc.

Ink towers, large alphabet stamps, idea books, current projects, cuttlebug, misc.

But I can't stop there. On Friday, my new craft goodies arrived. Here's a sneak peek at some new product from the Annual Inspirations Idea Book.

I will be posting later in the summer about how I store my embellishments. 

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you are all having a fabulous summer. 

Casandra