Sangria Ready Set Go Layout

As I stated yesterday, I thought outside the box with Sangria.

It has been said that I tend to purchase clothing to match current scrapbook paper lines. LOL It's true; I do. But it also helps that Close To My Heart is always on trend. 

Recipe:
Paper: Sangria, Poppy CS, Colonial White CS, Glacier CS, Outdoor Denim CS (retired) (CTMH) Ahoy There (Carta Bella)
Stamps: Friend Tree, Chalk It Up WOTG (retired), School is Here (retired) (CTMH)
Inks: Outdoor Denim (retired), Eggplant, Poppy, Glacier (CTMH)
Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors, Journal Pen, 2" Scallop Circle Punch (retired), Cricut Artbooking Cartridge (CTMH)
Other: Gold Shimmer Trim, Outdoor Denim Brads (retired), Poppy Twine, Glue Dots, Thin 3d Foam Tape (CTMH)

I really wanted to represent who my daughter is now, but if you change out the apple die cut and maybe the crayon images, I think this would still work well for any age group.

When she came home from school that day, I asked her how her day went. "We did math and reading. It was boring." The following day, she told me how she was trying to sleep in class and the teacher called on her. "Can you believe they don't let us take naps?" By the way, she is now in second grade. LOL

By the way, the red in my daughter's dress is called "Poppy". No kidding. 

I hope you like it. And if you didn't like Sangria because of the purple, maybe this will have you looking at it in a whole new light (wait, somebody out there doesn't like purple?). Teehee.

Casandra

A Framed Best Wishes Card

Today, I have another "Framed" card to share with you. This one works well for any congratulatory occasion. 

Recipe:

Paper: Chalk It Up, Sorbet CS, White Daisy CS (CTMH)

Stamp: Framed (CTMH)

Inks: Lagoon, Black (CTMH)

Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors (CTMH)

Other: Foam Tape, Black Twill Ribbon (CTMH), Brads (Hobby Lobby)

I made this card with "back to school" in mind. It would be great for teachers or other school staff members. 

Can you believe summer is nearly over? I don't know where the time goes, but it always flies by. Have a terrific day.

Casandra

A Framed Note Card

I had an incredible weekend. It's not often that I feel spoiled, but this was definitely one of those weekends. My husband took me on our first date night in probably a year. We went out to dinner and then followed it up with movies. We saw "Vacation". Cute, hilarious movie, and all of my giggling attested to the fact that I don't get out much (sorry movie-goers). LOL

Yesterday, we went back to town and did some bicycle shopping. I haven't been on a bike in at least 18 years. I am a wobbler, and I ache all over. My new bike needs a sign for drive by at your own risk. ;)

Here is my next card made with the current stamp of the month "Framed".

Recipe:

Paper: Chalk It Up, Paper Fundamentals - Basic, Colonial White CS (CTMH)

Stamp: Framed (CTMH)

Inks: Sorbet, Lagoon (CTMH)

Tools: Needle, Micro-Tip Scissors (CTMH)

Other: Glitter Buttons (retired), Foam Tape, Embroidery Floss (CTMH)

This card illustrates a great way to use up those scraps. Sometimes, you just need a basic note card, so I chose that direction for this card. These papers will be retiring very soon. You can visit the "Shop With Me" link to the right of this post, if you are interested in purchasing your own crafting supplies.

Thanks for visiting my blog. Hope you have a Happy Monday!

Casandra

A Framed Thinking of You Card

Hello. I am back today to share my next "Framed" stamp of the month card with you.

Recipe:
Paper: Scaredy Cat, Chalk It Up, Paper Fundamentals - Basic, White Daisy CS (CTMH)
Stamp: Framed (CTMH)
Inks: Sunset, Black (CTMH)
Tools: Circle Stax Die (MFT), Micro-Tip Scissors, Glue Pen (CTMH)
Other: Black Twill Ribbon, Foam Tape (CTMH)

I love this color combo. The supplies I used to create this card won't be around much longer. Be sure to get your's before they're gone. You can order directly from my website.

Have a great week.

Casandra

A Framed Thank You Card

Good morning. I am so excited to be back in blog-land today with my latest creation. It also stars my NEW CAMERA. 

Recipe:
Paper: Basic Paper Fundamentals, Chalk It Up, Scaredy Cat, White Daisy CS (CTMH)
Stamp: Framed (CTMH)
Inks: Lagoon, Black (CTMH)
Tools: Circle Stax Die (MFT), Micro-Tip Scissors (CTMH)
Other: Foam Tape, Black Twill Ribbon (CTMH)

I'm so excited about my new camera. It is a Canon Rebel t5, otherwise known as a digital SLR. I have wanted one for so long and a good friend recommended it to me. Out of the box, I was a little nervous to use it. Finally, I decided the best way to learn was to just start snapping pictures. I didn't do anything special with the lighting and only did a general auto edit to this photo. I can't believe how clear it is. 

LOL Okay, well you probably didn't come here to talk camera with me. I love our paper fundamentals line. It is clear embossed on one side and the pattern on the flip side of this paper is white and desert sand pattern. I like how the neutrals really make the colors pop. 

Hope you like. I can't wait to share my other cards with you that I've made recently. It's so good to be crafty again.

Casandra

Use Your Ribbon UYSBH

Do you have tons of ribbon hiding in your craft stash? I do. I have a hard time parting with it. Our mission with this blog hop is to inspire you to use it.

If you have come here from Wendy's blog, you are on the right track. 

I am trying to use up as many Chalk It Up scraps as possible. I love this paper. The lagoon paper made me think of bubbles so I decided to create a bath/water fun layout with it. I love the dramatic pop of black mixed with the lagoon, white and glacier. For the second layout, I picked the largest scrap I had left, and mixed in some Flaxen Paper Fundamentals paper.

Our cousin just had a baby boy. When time allows, I try to create baby albums for my relatives. Between my husband and I, we have many cousins. I think I've created at least 3 albums so far. 

This first layout uses some American Crafts ribbon I had laying around forever. I thought it matched pretty close. The second layout uses retired sorbet ribbon. I tend to hoard my ribbon, so it's good to have blog hops like this one to use it. 

Products Used:

Paper: Chalk It Up, Free To Be Me, Whimsy Paper Fundamentals, Black CS, White Daisy CS, Sorbet CS, Lagoon CS (CTMH)

Stamps: What A Day, Under The Sea (retired), Chantilly WOTG (retired), New Arrival, Mini Calendar, Rustic Alphabet (retired), Marquee Alphabet (CTMH)

Inks: Black, Flaxen, Lagoon, Sorbet, Glacier (CTMH)

Tools: Embossing Powder, Craft Tray, Craft Heater, Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors, Cricut Art Philosophy, Glue Pen, Alcohol Markers, Watercolor Pencils, Prisma Glitter (retired), Journal Pen, Dots Embossing Folder (CTMH), Gel Pen (Other)

Other: Chalk It Up Assortment, White Enamel Stars, Brads (retired), Lagoon Washi Tape (retired), Sorbet Ribbon (retired), Glue Dots (CTMH), Blue Ribbon (American Crafts)

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below.  

Your next stop on the hop will be Theresa Morrow's blog. 

Thanks for stopping by! 

Casandra

30 Years of Happy NSM Blog Hop

Welcome to our 30 Years of Happy Blog Hop!  I always look forward to the month of September. Not only is it National Stamping Month, but it is also the month that my kids go back to school. 

When you spend $30 on any current retail-priced stamps during the month of September, you qualify to receive the exclusive C-size stamp set #30yearsofhappy for FREE! This exclusive stamp set features 30 adorable mini images and sentiments. 

You should have arrived from Peachy Lamb's blog. If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants at Melinda Everitt's blog.

For this blog hop, we have forty Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using #30yearsofhappy stamp set 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!

While these mini stamps are certainly small, I think they add the right size embellishment when coordinated with other like-size pieces. I was recently looking back through some of my albums and realized that somewhere along the way, I sort of stopped really telling the story behind the pictures. So today's layout is all about journaling...both my take on the event, as well as my son's. Scrapbooking is a journey, and it's important to me to preserve memories for my family. What are some of the reasons you scrapbook?

Recipe: 

Paper: Chalk It Up, Chalk It Up PML Cards, White Daisy CS, Black CS, Lagoon CS (CTMH)

Stamps: What A Day (convention exclusive), #30yearsofhappy, Friendship Alphabet - Large & Small (retired)  (CTMH)

Inks: Black, Glacier, Flaxen, Sorbet, Lagoon (CTMH)

Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors (CTMH)

Other: Black Embroidery Floss (retired), Chalk It Up Assortment, White Enamel Stars (CTMH)

Now "Hop" on over to Nikka Geers' 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 today.

Designs by Close To My Heart

Chalk It Up Preschool Layout

My kids went back to school today. I asked them on the way to school if they had butterflies, and they both got confused. My very logical third grader said "It's almost Fall, Mom. Why would we see butterflies?" My first grader kept looking around, asking "Where are the butterflies?" LOL 

I have to remind myself that said first grader takes everything literally. When she was two, she liked to color on herself and the walls, tables...everything. One day, I saw her running across the floor with some markers and quickly stopped her to make sure they were the washable kind. "These markers are washable; you can play with them." I went on about my chores and after a few minutes realized I was hearing the water run in the bathroom. Any mother will tell you that with a two year old, you need to investigate. Turns out that Izzy took me literally; I DID say "washable".

Anyways, after that story, I have another Chalk It Up school layout to share with you. 

Ironically, these pictures showcase Izzy at the exact age she was during the "washable marker" incident. Jack was four years old in these pictures, just starting preschool. 

I used Picture My Life cards, the Chalk It Up Workshop On The Go kit and also used the convention stamp and chevron border punch that my friend Celina sent me. This is a nod to Celina and her husband Greg...it's desert sand cardstock, not kraft (wink, wink).

I spent more hours on this layout than I meant to. Every time I felt stuck, I walked away and then came back to it. I think it has the right balance now, but what was bugging me was all the "white space". However, the desert sand cardstock really pulls out the colors my son was wearing in the photos, and after all, that's the point.

Have a great night!

Casandra

Chalk It Up Back To School Layout

Last month, I finally found time to play with my Chalk It Up workshop kit. 

I only made a few small variations to it because it worked perfectly for my photos. I added some journal pen lines to the title for more definition, and stamped it in different colored inks. This title worked perfectly with my pictures and the story I was trying to tell. If I had any complaints, it would be the composition journal pieces, while cute, are so small, you can't really add much detail to them. Otherwise, they are an adorable detail in their own right. I even like the flaxen cardstock for bases. (Surprised myself with that one!)

Recipe:
Paper: Chalk It Up, Flaxen CS, White Daisy CS, Lagoon CS (CTMH)
Stamp: Chalk It Up WOTG (CTMH)
Inks: Flaxen, Sorbet, Lagoon, Black (CTMH)
Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors, Artbooking Cartridge, Journal Pen (CTMH)
Other: Chalk It Up Assortment, Black & White Stripe Twill Ribbon, Glue Dots (CTMH)

I love this layout so much. It's really much nicer in person than the photograph conveys.

I think we are pretty much ready for back to school here. Kids start on Wednesday. Have a great week!

Casandra

Family Is Forever SOTM Blog Hop

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!  This month's stamp is called "Family Is Forever". This stamp set is only available through the end of September. I am your last stop on this blog hop. You should have arrived from Jacquelin Green's blog. 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 eighty (can you believe 80?!) 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 Chalk It Up paper. It was important to me that these photos were really the main focus of this layout. I did some hand-stitching to finish it off. A quick note: Maybe no one else saw this, but when I looked at the "LOVE" sentiment included in the stamp set, I saw dog bones. 

This is our little puppy, Jagger. He has been a hand-full, let me tell ya. The biggest problem we are having is that he likes to bite. Izzy is Jagger's person, if you believe in such things. She loves him, despite his bullish behavior with her. If anyone has any tips for how to break this cute puppy from biting, I would love to hear them. So far, we are basically putting him in "time-out", but we also read somewhere that you are supposed to startle him with "Ouch" in a loud voice. Anyways, I love this stamp set, and plan to also create a family tree type of layout with it.

Recipe: 

Paper: Chalk It Up, White Daisy CS, Black CS, Lagoon CS (CTMH)

Stamps: Family is Forever, Keyboard Uppercase Alphabet, Chocolate Alphabet Large (retired) (CTMH)

Inks: Cotton Candy, Lagoon, Glacier, Black (CTMH)

Tools: Stitch Ruler, Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors, Scallop Border Punch, Glue Pen, Journaling Pen (CTMH)

Other: Gold Sequins, Chalk It Up Assortment, Black Embroidery Floss (CTMH)

Now "Hop" on over to Melinda Everitt'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

*Designed by Close To My Heart

Chalk It Up Card #2

Hello. Today just happens to be my birthday. Here's another card I created using a mixture of Chalk It Up and Seaside papers. Sorbet is still one of my happy colors. So I am happy to see it being used in such a beautiful way with these two kits.

This card was also inspired by artwork in our Spring/Summer 2014 Idea Book. It uses Wishes: Keyhole template, and was made easier by cricut cuts from the Art Philosophy cartridge.

Recipe:
Paper: Chalk It Up, Seaside, White Daisy CS, Desert Sand CS, Lagoon CS (CTMH)
Stamp: Cricut Art Philosophy, Chalk It Up WOTG (CTMH)
Inks: Lagoon, Sorbet, Desert Sand (CTMH)
Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors, Sponge, Art Philosophy Cartridge (CTMH)
Other: Aqua Dots (CTMH)

So yesterday, my husband took me out to lunch. Probably two of the best presents I received was the last sanding on the drywall project we had to do this past week (no more dust!) and also my puppy learning what the word "potty" means. We had 3 successful trips outside last night and each time, Jagger did exactly what I asked him to. Yay! 

Have a great week, my crafty friends!

Casandra

Chalk It Up Teacher Card

Good morning. I really enjoyed making this next card. I can't take complete credit for it, though. I was inspired by a card featured in our (CTMH) Spring/Summer 2014 Idea Book, Page 65. That's the beauty of our idea books...they are more than just a selling tool. 

Recipe:
Paper: Chalk It Up, Desert Sand CS, Chocolate CS, White Daisy CS (CTMH)
Stamps: School Is Here (retired), Cricut Art Philosophy (CTMH)
Inks: Lagoon, Chocolate, Ruby (CTMH)
Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors, Watercolor Pencils, Glue Pen, Cricut Art Philosophy, Journaling Pen, Stitch Ruler (CTMH)
Other: Chalk It Up Assortment, Aqua Dots, White Daisy Embroidery Floss (retired) (CTMH)

Isn't this cute? I love this paper! That "cool" sticker is a throwback to my childhood, when I was first introduced to puffy stickers. They are so fun. A must-have for any embellishment collection.

Have a happy day!

Casandra