Wild About Love (February SOTM Blog Hop)

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop for February.  Wild About Love includes some adorable foxes to make you wonder 'What Does the Fox Say'?   

If you have come here from Nikka's Create Your Vision blog, you are on the right path!  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!  

One of the pieces of patterned paper in the new Skylark kit includes nice colorful strips in the corner with birds on a wire, so I used that portion of the paper for the background.  The cute pair of foxes along with the sentiment are in the Wild About Love stamp set.  For something a little different, a cloud shape was cut using the Artiste Cricut cartridge and a mini Hook & Loop Dot is used to keep the flap closed.  On the flap is a piece of cardstock with a nice edge using the Scallop Border Punch along with some metallic Baker's Twine and woodgrain Washi Tape.   

To finish the inside of the card and coordinating envelope, the tree stump from Wild About Love is used.  The adhesive-backed Hook & Loop Dots are small, only ¼" so they do not distract from the design of the card. 

Place a $50 minimum order this month (February 2014) and you are eligible to purchase the Wild About Love stamp set for only $5.  

Now "Hop" on over to Wendy's 'Stamping Rules!' 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.  

If you get lost along the way, the complete list of participants is available on Melinda's 'If You Bling It' blog.  

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

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

My Nana (Crop Tuesday)

Next week is Crop Tuesday again.  We are meeting on the first Tuesday of each month at 10:00 am.  Please join us!  If that day and time is not convenient and you would like to create this layout, contact me and we can schedule a time for you.  

This beautiful layout is from the Lollydoodle workshop-on-the-go, substituting the Sweet & Lovely stamp set included with the Artbooking bundle for the stamp set which is available with the WOTG kit.

In the Inspired Scrapbooking class that I am taking this year at Big Picture Classes, this month our focus was on a 'season' of our life.  My Nana was an important part of my life and was always there for my brother and I during our unstable childhood.  Since my grandson was born almost two years ago and I am now a Nana in my "grandmother" season of life, it was nice to create a page layout honoring Nana's life.    

As I was selecting photos for the pages, it worked out that all photos on the left page are black & white while the later photos on the right page are full color.  Nana lived a long and full life and saw many changes in the world and technology during her 85+ years. 

If you would like to join us for Crop Tuesday, or if you would like to schedule a time to create this layout, please contact me via email or phone.  All of the pieces will be pre-cut and ready for you to stamp, assemble and embellish.  The cost is $10 per kit, or the fee is waived if you order $30 or more in CTMH products. 

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

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

Always Grateful ... for a Clean & Simple sketch

Always grateful for a clean & simple card sketch!   This week  CAS(E) This Sketch (CTS61) includes a tree, so I was inspired to use a tree image from the Always Grateful stamp set.  

A patterned paper from the Ivy Lane kit provided color inspiration and the background for the card.  Even though it is difficult to see in the photo, the tree from Always Grateful stamp set was inked with Saddle and then "rolled" in Blush so there is a hint of pink color on the ends of the branches.

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

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

Create & Share ~ Gift Card Holders

For the third week in the Create & Share Cardmaking workshop offered at Big Picture Classes, we made a library pocket to hold gift cards.  Since my CTMH order arrived, I used new products which will be available in the Spring/Summer Idea Book.  

Papers in the Lollydoodle kit are fun and bright and perfect to create a pocket card.  Images used for the sentiment tag are in the Oodles of Doodles stamp set.  This whimsical card includes a lot of different shapes and textures with the patterned paper, Glitter Paper, Twist Tie, pink flower, and Baker's Twine.

For a masculine gift card holder, the Timberline paper pack has great colors.  A Ponderosa Pine card base provides a deep, rich color with a bit of woodgrain Washi Tape and some Baker's Twine.  Sentiment used is from the Congrats Graduate stamp set and the arrow image is included in the My Life stamp set which is part of the Artbooking bundle.      

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

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

Purrr-fect Cozy Cat

Since my 'Time Marches On' card was chosen as the Diamond winner for Color Dare #75 on the Color My Heart blog, I was asked to be a Guest Designer for Color Dare #78 with the colors Indian Corn Blue and Hollyhock.  

This sweet Cozy Cat has a 'purrr-fect' sentiment.  After stamping the image on the Colonial White cardstock, it was  also stamped on a piece of Hollyhock patterned paper from the soon-to-be-released Ivy Lane kit and then cut out and paper-pieced for a pretty cushion.  Inspiration for the card design is from Pattern 23 in the Make It From Your Heart, Volume 2 guide.  For the dovetails at the top, some Slate Washi Tape was placed on Indian Corn Blue cardstock for some subtle color. 

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

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

Butterfly ... Butterfly ...

A card without stamping, just pretty paper and a butterfly.  

The beautiful butterfly was cut using the Artbooking Cricut cartridge.  The top layer of the butterfly and the background for the card are the same pattern from Skylark paper pack.  And the stripe is the reverse of the same patterned paper.  So this card qualifies for Two Faced Challenge on the Heart 2 Heart Challenge blog this week.  Inspiration for the design of the card is from Freshly Made Sketches (FMS120).

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

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