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

Mixed Media Blitz UYSB Hop

What is mixed media, you ask? 

noun

1. 1.

   the use of a variety of media in an entertainment or work of art.

I chose to interpret it as different combinations of embellishments. 

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

Last month, I held my Skylark Workshop. I showcased the following two layouts along with the three that you may have seen previously posted on my blog. It was a perfect time to play around with mixing different left over embellishments I had accumulated since I was in the process of reorganizing my craft room anyway. 

Imagine Timeline Sketch

Scrapbook Generation Sketch

As you can see, I used retired Skylark paper, along with retired Footloose and Free To Be Me papers. I added in various buttons, lagoon mini medley, new chalk it up assortment, milepost shapes, and aqua dots. Great way to use up your stash!

My goal with these two layouts was to show a variety of uses for our Picture My Life cards. They can be used for more than just pocket pages. You may even notice that I cut the "good stuff" pml card down to 2x3. The sketch called for a journal piece of that size and I thought it would be a great teaching tool to showcase for you. I have previously fussy cut them to use as embellishments, too.

Another thing I want to point out is that I used liquid glass to completely cover the "vacation" title piece. I thought it looked a little flat, and since my pictures were water-themed, I immediately thought of my liquid glass. You could use a background stamp before applying liquid glass to give it yet another cool effect. Liquid glass is more than just a great adhesive!

One more thing: I use my glue pen when adhering small or skinny paper pieces to help give it extra hold. Seems to be less messy than my tombow, and provides a sturdy bond.

Products Used:

Paper: Skylark, Footloose, Free To Be Me, Kraft CS, White Daisy CS, Skylark PML Cards (CTMH)

Stamps: Skylark WOTG, Hello Summer (CTMH)

Inks: Black, Creme Brulee, Lagoon (CTMH)

Tools: Embossing Powder, Craft Tray, Craft Heater, Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors, Cricut Artbooking, Corner Rounder, Liquid Glass, Glue Pen (CTMH)

Other: White Embroidery Floss, Chalk It Up, Lagoon Mini-Medley, Milepost Shapes, Aqua Dots, White Daisy Brad, Foam Tape, Glue Dots (CTMH), Misc. Buttons (Other)

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

Happy Birds Card

Yay for Friday! I'm hoping to get crafty today. How about you?

I "scrap-lifted" this card from our new Annual Inspirations book. I tweaked it a little, by using our Distressed Backgrounds stamp set. I also used up another scrap of the Later Sk8r paper I had left from other recent card projects.

Recipe:
Paper: Later Sk8r (retired), Flaxen CS, Glacier CS, White Daisy CS, Desert Sand CS (CTMH)
Stamp: Happy Birds (CTMH)
Inks: Flaxen, Chocolate, Cocoa, Glacier (CTMH)
Tools: Craft Heater, Clear Detail Embossing Powder, Craft Tray, Watercolor Pencils, Alcohol Markers, Micro-Tip Scissors (CTMH)
Other: Green Glitter Tape (American Crafts)

I have to share something I found out while making this card. I found this pretty green glitter tape at my local craft store around Christmas. I forgot I had it until I was working on this card. I cut off the first piece and prepared to tear the plastic backing off to tape down, only to discover that this brand doesn't do that. I had to use my Tombow to adhere it. It's still pretty; guess I got a little spoiled with our glitter trim.

P.S. I love our background stamps! So fun!

Casandra

Birdy Thinking of You Card

I am so happy that it's finally Thursday; last day of my work week. 

One of the many perks of being a Close To My Heart consultant, is that we get to order 6x6 samplers of the new paper packs included in each new Idea Book. This also helps my creative process along. I can lay out the papers and gather up scraps and pair different colors together until I get the look I'm going for. That is exactly how this card came about. 

Recipe:
Paper: Brushed, Canary CS, Smoothie CS, Desert Sand CS, White Daisy CS (CTMH)
Stamp: Happy Birds (CTMH)
Inks: Pear, Desert Sand, Chocolate, Smoothie (CTMH)
Tools: Scallop Border Punch, Watercolor Pencils, Alcohol Markers, Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors (CTMH)
Other: Clear Sparkles (CTMH)

Those birds make me happy. Have a great day!

Casandra

New Home Congrats Card

Here's another card that was inspired by the Spring/Summer 2014 Idea Book.

Isn't it fun? As I was sitting here looking at the card, I remembered that one of my relatives moved into their first new home. This will be perfect for them.

Recipe:
Paper: Later Sk8r (retired), Brushed, Flaxen CS, Chocolate CS, Desert Sand CS, Lagoon CS, White Daisy CS (CTMH)
Stamp: Cricut Art Philosophy (CTMH)
Ink: Chocolate (CTMH)
Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tips Scissors, Glue Pen, Sanding Kit, Cricut Art Philosophy, Journal Pen (CTMH)
Other: Aqua Dots, White Daisy Embroidery Floss (retired), Neutral Baker's Twine, Teal Shimmer Trim (CTMH)

Thanks for stopping by. I hope your day is blessed.

Casandra