What a Hoot (August SOTM Blog Hop)

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop.  This month the featured stamp set is What a Hoot, with a couple of adorable owls and various "costumes" that can be stamped to create a unique Halloween look.  See all the images in the stamp set in the picture at the bottom of this post.    

If you have come here from Jen's Jewel Box blog, you are on the right path!    

This adorable owl from the What a Hoot stamp set was embossed using White Super Fine Embossing Powder and then colored using some of our new Touch Twin alcohol-based markers.  The crown was embossed using Silver Super Fine powder and then colored with our silver Metallic Marker.  Two new colors, Canary and Thistle, are featured with papers from the Confetti Wishes kit.  For a bit more whimsey, the P282 (Peony Purple) Touch Twin marker was used to color some of our new mini staples before they were loaded into the Mini Stapler and added to the owl image.  The simple Pattern #27 in Make It From Your Heart Volume 1 is perfect for using fun patterned papers.     

Place a $50 minimum order this month (August 2014) and you are eligible to purchase the What a Hoot stamp set for only $5.  

Now "Hop" on over to Nancy's Paper Crafting With Heart 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.   

Follow Sheila's board CTMH SOTM Blog Hop on Pinterest.

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

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

If The Broom Fits ...

Spent a fun day stamping and creating with friends.  While trying to find inspiration for another project, this idea came to me.  It is a 'tongue in cheek' friendship card using stamps from the Halloween Greetings set, which will be available beginning August 1 in the Close To My Heart Annual Inspirations idea book.  No embellishments, just simple stamping using Pacifica, Topiary, Canary, Lagoon, Thistle, Pear, Gypsy, and Saddle inks on a Kraft cardstock base.  

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

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

Summer Recycle ~ "Use Your Stash" Blog Hop

This month, the challenge for those of us participating in the "Use Your Stash" Blog Hop was to create a project using something recycled.            

If you have come here from 'Jan's Works of Heart', you are right on track for the "Use Your Stash" Blog Hop.  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, or visit each blog from the list at the end of this post.  

This jumbo Tic Tac container is 7" tall and a great size to hold Sharpies.  It has been around for years, and has finally found a useful purpose. Using some Scor-Tape, which is an incredibly sticky double-sided adhesive, a patterned paper from the new Snowhaven kit was adhered to the container.  The edge of another strip of Snowhaven patterned paper was punched using the Chevron Border Punch and added to the container with some Red Shimmer Trim behind it, which can be seen through the open chevrons.  Stamps from the Here We Go set are perfect to label a container of Sharpies, and some Metallic Baker's Twine in both Black and Slate was used as a final embellishment.     

Now "Hop" on over to 'Wow ... did you make that?' for more projects using recycled items.   

"Use Your Stash" Blog Hop participants:

• Wow ... did you make that?
• My Scrapbooking Blog
• An Inside To My Heart ... one scrap at a time
• Mom 'n Me Scrap
• Jan's Works of Heart
• Sheila's Stamping Stuff - (here)

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

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

The Invisible Man

Received a box from Close To My Heart today, full of new product available in the Annual Inspirations book beginning August 1.  Included in the box was the new Woodgrain Embossing Folder and the "Just Us Girls" Challenge blog Trend #249 is to use woodgrain, so that was the inspiration for this card.  Hats Off is a new stamp set which is available only as a Hostess Reward item.  So if you would like this adorable stamp set, gather some of your friends and invite me over to introduce them to the wonderful stamps and papers from CTMH.  

Even though the background paper is from the Yuletide Carol kit and is intended for Christmas, it is a very neutral pattern and is perfect for this truly masculine card.  The bowler hat, glasses and mustache are so cute that nothing else was required.  Pattern #25 in Make It From Your Heart Volume 2 was used for the card design.  

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

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

Annual Inspirations Sneak Peek (Technique Blog Hop)

Effective August 1, Close To My Heart is publishing an Annual Inspirations book featuring all of their new products.  Even though the name has changed from an Idea Book, this Annual Inspirations contains almost 200 pages of inspirational artwork along with many crafting tips and techniques scattered throughout the book.  For the Technique Blog Hop this month, each consultant will be sharing artwork inspired by one of the featured technique tips.   

If you arrived from Shirley's "Mom 'n Me Scrap" blog, then follow along with the link at the bottom of this post to continue the Technique Blog Hop. 

Inspiration for this card was the 'Music To The Eyes' tip found on page 34 of the Annual Inspirations.  Jazz up your pages with a journaling pen and your creative hand.  Outline individual letters and other accents with the pen to better contrast them with the background, making them bolder and easier to read.  

The adorable new Frightfully Fun stamp set was used along with a patterned paper from the Scaredy Cat kit.  A journaling pen was used to create a quick pattern around the stamped images.  Adding the dot-dot-dash lines adds texture and interest to the edges of cardstock.  The design is Pattern #28 from the Make It From Your Heart Volume 1 book.  A bit of Baker's Twine and some Black Shimmer Trim complete the card. 

Please visit "Show and Tell, with Michelle" blog for her creation inspired by the 'All Lit Up' technique tip.      

Technique Blog Hop participants:

• The Other Sister (Handmade Hues, page 66)
• Mom 'n Me Scrap (Book Smarts, page 36)
• Sheila's Stamping Stuff (Music To The Eyes, page 34)
• Show and Tell, with Michelle (All Lit Up, page 88)
• The Inky Scrapper (Simple Shadows, page 102)
• Heartfelt Sentiments (Charmed I'm Sure, page 133)
• My Heart & Soul (Washi Borders, page 116)

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

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