Sweet Life (July SOTM Blog Hop)

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop which features the Sweet Life stamp set from Close To My Heart.   With detailed images of apples, peaches, and cherries, as well as "sweet" sentiments, this stamp set is perfect for summertime greetings.   

If you have come here from Melinda's 'If You Bling It' blog, you are on the right path!  With so many creative Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their projects, you will see a variety of uses for this stamp set.  Blog Hopping is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one!

This was a very fun card to create, and I really like the subtle look of the stamped image with a piece of Black Tulle Ribbon wrapped around the focal piece.  The cherries image from Sweet Life was stamped using Slate ink, and then the coloring was added by using a q-tip to pick up small amounts of ink from red and green ink pads.  Using paper from the For Always packet gives a bit of elegance to the completed card.

Now "Hop" on over to Allisa's 'Rocky Mountain Paper Crafts' blog to see her work!  Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their blogs to get some great crafting inspiration and other fun ideas!  Remember, the Sweet Life stamp set is only available during the month of July 2013.  The regular price is $17.95, or you can purchase it for only $5 with a minimum order of $50 in other CTMH products.  

If you get lost on the Blog Hop or find links that aren't working, there is a complete list of all participating blogs on Helen's 'Hooked on Stamping' blog.

All papers and stamps are from Close To My Heart (CTMH).

	Sheila Bennett Close To My Heart Independent Consultant (913) 485-4355

Origami Owl ~ Share to Win!

Have you heard about Origami Owl?  Their story began with a 14 year old girl's dream to buy a car for her 16th birthday.  In 2010, Bella created a unique jewelry line which allowed people to share their stories through the creation of a "Living Locket."  Each locket is custom designed with charms that tell the story of your life and represent the things you love.

To celebrate 'Festival on the Trails' - my first big event as an Origami Owl Independent Designer - I am excited to offer a FREE Large Chocolate Living Locket and 16-18" Chocolate Ball Station Chain [a $50 value]!

Please visit my Origami Owl - Sheila Bennett, Independent Designer Facebook page and "share" this photo with your Facebook friends.  Then comment on the photo to let me know that you've shared it to gain entry into the drawing. 

A winner will be randomly chosen on June 14 from all who "share" this beautiful Chocolate locket.   (Sorry, current Origami Owl Independent Designers are not eligible.)

{Origami Owl's Mission}

To be a force for good 

To LOVE, INSPIRE + MOTIVATE women of all ages to reach their DREAMS + EMPOWER them to make a DIFFERENCE in the lives of others

Visit my Origami Owl website to learn more about our custom jewelry.  

	Sheila Bennett Close To My Heart Independent Consultant (913) 485-4355

A Flowering Gift Tin

Happy surprises are so nice!  The card that I created and posted for Color Dare #43 on the Color My Heart blog was chosen as the winner for the week.  Because of that, I was invited to be a Guest Designer for this week.   Color Dare #46 for this week is to use Pink, Orange, and Yellow - my choice of shades.

For this challenge, I used Blush, Sorbet, and Creme Brulee inks along with papers from the Claire paper packet.  The flower image is from this month's stamp-of-the-month, A Flowering Bunch.  Since the image has a red outline around it in the Idea Book, I knew that it was available to cut using one of CTMH's Cricut cartridges.  Two of the flower images were cut at 2" using the Artiste cartridge, and then Saddle pigment ink was used to stamp and emboss the flower image.  Both flowers were colored using Creme Brulee, Sorbet, and Blush markers and then layered to create a 3D effect.  The tin has a clear front, so a piece of paper from the Claire kit was cut and adhered to the inside.  Some coordinating card stock and patterned paper was layered with a piece of Burlap Ribbon to create a band around the tin, creating a nice gift box.

Be sure to visit Color Dare #46 to see other creative items using these three fun colors. 

All papers and stamps are from Close To My Heart (CTMH).

	Sheila Bennett Close To My Heart Independent Consultant (913) 485-4355