Some cards for a friend

As a birthday gift for a friend, I made 12 of the 20 cards in the Wishes Just Because card workshop.  I used a left over Tickled Pink set and my friend really liked them. 

Heart 2 Heart Challenge, Sentimentally Yours

So this week at the Heart 2 Heart Challenge, we have to use a Close To My Heart sentiment stamp to create our project.  Be sure to check out the challenge blog here for all the beautiful artwork. 
Shortly after we started school, I met a woman who's husband works for the Royal Australian Air Force.  He is on the same project that my husband is on, but they don't work together.  Each of our middle children are in the same kindergarten class and she knows what it is like to live overseas.  She lived in Seattle for three years while her hubby was on this project. 
Anyway, this kind lady has taken me under her wing and showed me the ropes of living in Australia.  I'd be lost without her.  I decided to make her a card and here it is.

I used the Stay Left pattern out of Wishes and made my own background paper.  I took a piece of bamboo textured cardstock and sprayed it lightly with water.  Once damp, I crumbled it all up and then flattened it back out.  I let it dry and then stamped the KINDNESS stamp from the set State of Mind in Cocoa ink across it.  I then cut it to size.  I used Vineyard Berry and Cocoa cardstock for the rest and hand-stitched the edges of the Vineyard Berry.  I used a scrap of Vineyard Berry ribbon and stamped the Thanks in Vineyard Berry.  The Thanks is from the stamp set For Every Occasion.  It was also stamped on a bit of bamboo textured cardstock. 

I think that my friend will like the card and I'm happy with how it turned out. 
Thanks for looking!

Heart 2 Heart Challenge, week 17

I'm finely back to crafting after several weeks of moving.  Not being able to craft is like having an itch I can't scratch.  We've gotten all moved in and everything is unpacked.  We don't have internet at the house yet, but I am able to borrow internet on the weekend. 
This week's Heart 2 Heart Challenge is a color challenge.  It was pretty difficult for me as I don't use the colors very often in general so it was tricky to get them all together. 
This week we had to use Vineyard Berry, Blush and Creme Brulee.  Here is what I came up with:

I get to make quite a few more of these in order to send them out to close friends and family who will need our new address.  It turned out fairly well considering how much trouble I was having with these colors.  I used the flower from Extreme Happiness as well as the word Paradise. 

I am a big fan of having layers.  This card has lots of layers.  The pattern is from our Wishes book and is called File Pocket.  The little folder opens up to show our new address. 

I think that I will include a picture of the kids in front of our new house or something.  I haven't decided what to include in the card.  I could just include a picture of the incredible view from our new house.  We hope that we get to rent the house for the entire time we are here.  I don't think that I could complain at all if I get to wake up to this view for the next three years.

Heart 2 Heart Challenge, week 5, Mother's Day gift

This week for the Heart 2 Heart Challenge, we were to make a Mother's Day card or other project. Check out The Heart 2 Heart Challenge blog to see all the other great projects.
For my Mother's Day gift, I made a card and gift card holder. All products used are from Close To My Heart. I got this idea from the June 2010 Scrapbooks Etc. Magazine. They made one for a graduate on page 94.

The outside of the card is a picture of my mom and myself. I was only a few months old in this picture. I used some paper leftover from our Felcity kit. Felcity was a Constant Campaign last fall. I really like this paper and wish I had more of it. The word "love" is from one of our rub-ons. For the flowers, I used our Create-a-Shade paint mixed with sorbet ink and painted the flowers. I also used one of our new fliagree charms in the center of it.

The inside of the card holds a gift card holder.


I used the stamp set from the Felcity set to stamp some birds and a flourish. My mom has three kids, so I made three little birds.


Here is the first side of the gift card holder. The empty spot will get a gift card, but I just haven't been to the store to get it quite yet.

The other side of the gift card holder:

I made little pull out cards with pictures of my kids for her.
The card all closed up:

When making this card, be sure to leave room for the gift cards. I made a corner fold of about 1/4".

Heart 2 Heart, week 4, project #2

I was so inspired by the Heart 2 Heart Challenge (http://heart2heartchallenges.blogspot.com/2010/04/heart-2-heart-4-challenge.html) that I actually made two projects. I am home with sick kids today, so I am filling up my time with projects.
I used an older paper for this card. We are putting together some care packages for troops overseas so I thought I would make a card to go in them.
Here it is!


All products used are Close To My Heart. The pattern for the card came from our Wishes book and is called "Done Right" (pg 119).
I used the Blue Ribbon paper pack, Thoughtful Seasons stamp set for the "thanks", our twill and outdoor denim twill ribbon, soft set eyelets, hemp, and a chipboard star from a long ago Constant Campaign (Dazzling Diecuts, Fall 2008). I inked the star with Cranberry ink using my rubber brayer.
This is the first time that I have put eyelets in twill ribbon. It was tricky as the eyelets kept pulling through. I've done it in grosgrain ribbon before and it is much easier.
I wove two colors of ribbon together for the background of the star. The ribbon gets adhered to a piece of cardstock before the star is put on and it is all cut.
A close up:



Thanks for looking!

Heart 2 Heart, week 4

This week the challenge is to use two types of ribbon on a project. To see the challenge and everyone else's project, go here: http://heart2heartchallenges.blogspot.com/2010/04/heart-2-heart-4-challenge.html.
I enjoy working with ribbon and trying new things with it. So I liked this challenge and set right to making something that I had been thinking about trying.
Here is mine!



All items used are from Close To My Heart. I used some leftover sweet leaf ribbon from a Connections Club item that was previously available. The wide white ribbon was the grosgrain ribbon that was included with the Animal Cookies Creative Basics. I stamped on the ribbon using Tulip, Chocolate, and Sweet Leaf Ink. I used the new stamp set called Bowl of Cherries. It is from our Cherry-O Workshop On The Go. The B&T paper is from the Cherry-O set.



The larger cherries were stamped and the cut out and popped up with dimensional dots. The stems on the larger cherries are made with Chocolate Waxy flax.



Thanks for looking!

Heart 2 Heart Challenge, week 1

Okay, so I love scrapbooking...well, all paper crafting really. I tend to let life in the way and don't get to enjoy my hobby as much as I would like. I also don't share on my blog much about my hobby. Well, perhaps that will change. This week I decided to participate in the Heart 2 Heart Challenge. The challenge is to use the specified colors to create something using Close To My Heart products. It doesn't have to be all CTMH, but what I created today is 100% CTMH.
This is a Luau invite that I am helping my mom make. This is my first run and she will have to approve everything, but it works for this challenge. This week, we had to use Sweet Leaf (green), Sunflower (yellow-orange), and Chocolate (brown).
Here's how I created my card.

Supplies needed:
Colonial White card base,
Chocolate cardstock, 1 x 4 1/4
Colonial White cardstock, 3 x 3
14 inches, hemp
Surf's Up stamp set
Foam dimensional tape
Sunflower, Sweet Leaf and Chocolate ink

For the background I used just a plain Colonial White card base and random stamped the base of the pineapple using Sunflower ink. Sunflower ink is actually the color of the surfboard, but I used a technique called second generation stamping.
To do second generation, simply ink the stamp. Then stamp once on a scrap piece of paper. Then, without reinking, stamp the image on your project. I used second generation Sweet Leaf on the tops of the pineapples.
The surfboards were stamped on the 3 x 3 cardstock and cut out. I chose to do one of the surfboards in Sunflower and Chocolate and the other in just Chocolate ink.
I used an edge distressor on the piece of chocolate cardstock, but the edge of your scissors will also work. I tend cut and tied the hemp and placed in on the card. I used the foam tape to raise up the surfboards and then stamped the Luau in chocolate ink on the card.
That's it. Pretty simple. But I like how it turned out.