Tuesday 30 September 2014

October SOTM Blog Hop - Home for the Holidays





Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop featuring October's SOTM, Home for the holidays, a set of 7 stamps. If you have come here from the creative Hayley'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 here.


This month we have approximately 70+ Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other great CTMH products on their blogs. This 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 love this stamp set as most of the images can be cut out on the cricut from the Art Philosophy cartridge.  I had to make a few of the super cute tags, and then for the card I did tone on tone stamping, and adding a little Black Shimmer trim to jazz the card up.(will post a better photo, as was having lots of technical difficulties tonight)

Your next stop on this hop is Katy's Blog, so please hopping along.

If you would like to purchase this stamp set along with any of the additional supplies found throughout our hop, please contact your local consultant or you can shop with me here.

Wednesday 17 September 2014

Sparkle and Shine meets AHSC #73

This week I have been trying to get caught up on all my computer projects, I've had some blog hops, and other projects on the go, and it's really hard to do so when your computer isn't working properly.  Well, we solved that problem and went out and bought a new computer.  We are getting the old one fixed(only a little over a year old, so not really old at all) and will have that as a back up.

Anyway, I've still a bit behind in my scheduled projects, as I'm writing this post and doing all my linking well after the time in which our sketch challenge goes live.....

Here is this weeks sketch:


Here is my card:


I used the Christmas themed paper from last year, Sparkle & Shine.  I really loved this paper.  I added the scallop border as I thought it needed a little more detail since it was such a very clean and simple design.  I think it still has that CAS aspect, just polished a bit.  The sentiment comes from the Perfect Fit - Holidays stamp set and is stamped in Juniper.

I hope you decide to play along with us this week, but before you get crafty, head on over to Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge and visit all of our designers to get inspired.  This week our guest designer is Brandy Ortiz-Lees.

Monday 15 September 2014

Cross Canada Blog Hop - My Favorite Things

Welcome to our September Blog Hop featuring our Favorite New Things.  To purchase any of the items seen in our blog hop today, contact your local consultant to place an order.

We hope that you will take the time to leave comments on our posts, as we love to get feedback from our viewers....whether it was something that you really liked or some new technique that was used that you would like to learn how to do....by leaving us comments, we get to hear what you like, and what you want to see. Thank you… now on to our hop! 

If you have just hopped onto my blog, you can start here as this is a circular hop, but if you want to follow us across Canada then please start at the beginning and join Julie at 12*12 Travels.  

I have so many favorite items from the catalog that I couldn't just choose one, so I will show you a few of my favorite things. First thing that I totally love are all the new stamps, the images are just so fabulous...but I couldn't show you all the images, so I choose one stamp set to feature. I chose Frost Fun(D1611).


I used our New Alcohol Markers, ShinHan Touch Twin, to color the image stamped.  
Colors used:
Black 120
Warm Grey WG7 and WG4
Tender Pink RP198
Barely Beige YR29
Carmine R11
Turquoise Blue BR68
Marine Blue B62
White Colorless Blender

The next items that I really like are the new pieces to our base and bling line.  If you are wondering what I mean, then check the pieces below out.


We have many jewellery pieces available in our catalog now, and these are just a few.  I have the new oval and rectangle pieces, but haven't been able to create anything yet.  Aren't they just fabulous, and this frame is the prefect showcase for displaying this necklaces.

My last piece to show you is a card I made for my Customer Appreciation day.  It uses my favorite paper package, Seaside, and the super fun Treasured Friendship (C1594) stamp set, Teal Shimmer Trim and one of the new border punches Z1998 The Chevron Border Punch.



I placed the shimmer trim behind the punched border.....doesn't it just pop!  I really hop you enjoy our blog hop this month, and will continue to hop along with our very talented Canadian Consultants.

Your next stop on the Cross Canada Hop is Nicky at Timeless Cottage.

If you get lost along the way, just pop back here to my blog and visit the complete blog hop list.




  • Julie ~ 12x12 Travels
  • Michelle ~My Creations With Michelle  YOU ARE HERE
  • Nicky ~ Timeless Cottage
  • Krista ~ Simply Creating
  • Brae ~ The Brae-er
  • Michelle H ~ The Right Hugh
  • Carol ~ Crafty Carol's Place
  • Kiera ~ Inspire Paper Crafts
  • Christine ~ Chris' Creative Life
  • Brandy ~ Canadian Scrappers
  • Sandra ~Paper Sage
  • Terry Ann~ Terry Ann Diack
  • Chantal ~ It's a Hoot Papercrafts
  • Nancy ~ Nancy Klein
  • Kristine ~ @ Home with Studio K-
  • Candra ~  Paper Dragon Fleur



  • Thanks for hopping along with us - we hope we were able to inspire you to get creative using some of the designs, products and techniques seen along the way. We hope you will join us again next month when we will be featuring Trick or Treats,for Halloween.  So mark October 15th on your calendars and hop along with us.

    Friday 12 September 2014

    Brae-er's Team Blog Hop - Resist Embossing

    With school now being back in the full swing of things, Team Brae-er's blog hop is going to show you how to create projects using different techniques.  If you have come from Brae's blog then you are in the right place, and you will also find the full hop list on her blog.

    For my project I decided I would teach you how to create a card using the resist embossing technique.

    First choose you stamp, cardstock, and embossing powder.  Then you want to prepare your cardstock by precutting it to the size you want it to be, in this case it is 4"x 5 1/4".  I have this little bag that I filled with baby powder and I dust that over the cardstock to prevent the embossing powder from sticking where I don't want it to be.


    Then using Versamark Ink I inked up my stamp and stamped it onto the cardstock.  Because Versamark Ink is clear you won't see it in the photo.

    I then used Clear Detail Embossing powder so that the image and sentiment will remain white.


    It is very hard to see the embossing powder, but believe me it's there.  I placed a sheet of white printer paper under my project so that I can use that to pour the unused powder back into the container. Next choose your ink colour. I choose Pacifica.



    I inked up my sponge and rubbed over top of the whole piece of cardstock.  Now do not be alarmed when you see that the embossed image takes on ink, all you need to do is have a lightly damp cloth or tissue on hand and wipe off the ink.  All done.  Now apply your cardstock to your cardbase and you are done.


    Now keep hopping as we have lots of amazing techniques to share with you.  Your next stop is Chris and she is playing with reinkers.

    Wednesday 10 September 2014

    AHSC #72 Better with a Friend

    This week over at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge we are starting off our Guest Designers with Brenda Rose.  We have a line up over the next few months of amazingly talented artists.  So we hope to see you participating every week, and coming back to visit.

    This weeks sketch was really super fun to play with:
    Here is my creation:


    I started with a Black Cardstock base and layered Pear Cardstock. The flags are Black Shimmer Trim,  The image and sentiment is from the Hostess Stamp Set "Better With a Friend"(D1608).  I used the NEW ShinHan Touch Twin Alcohol Markers to colour in my image.

    So now you can pop over to Atlantic Hearts and see what our Amazingly talented Design Team has created to inspire you.

    Saturday 6 September 2014

    National Stamping Month Blog Hop - 30 years of happy

    At Close To My Heart we have lots to celebrate.  Not only is it National Stamping Month but we are also celebrating Jeanette Lynton's 30 years in the scrapbooking and Stamping Industry.




    When you spend $30 on any current retail-priced stamps during the month of September, you qualify to receive the exclusive C-sized stamp set #30yearsofhappy for FREE! This special offer is part of our celebration of National Stamping Month and in honor of our on-going celebration of our founder and CEO Jeanette Lynton’s 30-year anniversary in the scrapbooking and stamping industry. The exclusive stamp set features 30 mini images and sentiments perfectly suited for 30 days of happy stamping! Plus, make sure you check out Close To My Heart’s Facebook page and Instagram during September to follow all the ways we’re celebrating #30yearsofhappy for a full 30 days!



    If you have come from Melinda's Blog then you are in the right spot.  There are 42 of us on this hop to inspire you to use this super cute stamp set. If you get lost along the way you can find the complete list here.

    I've decided to make 5 3x3 cards that I can include in gifts or to leave a note for my husband. I basically just dug through my scraps of paper to help me complete these cards.





    .


    I hope you are inspired by our creations while hopping along, your next stop is Sheila. To make a purchase to earn this stamp set for FREE contact your local consultant or shop here now.

    Wednesday 3 September 2014

    Birthday wishes with AHSC #71

    This weeks sketch is super fun, and I have tons of ideas floating through my head for ways to use the sketch.

    I decided to go with my original notes with my sketch, and just changed out the image I had planned to use.

    Here is the sketch:
     

    Here is the card I made:


    Supplies Used:

    Crystal Blue Cardstock
    Black Cardstock
    White Daisy Cardstock
    Seaside Greetings Stamp Set
    Black Ink
    Black Epoxy Bubbles
    3D Foam Tape


    Now head over to Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge and visit with our Design Team to see what they have created to inspire you.