Sheila's Stamping Stuff: January 2015

Saturday, January 31, 2015

A Happy Hello (February SOTM Blog Hop)

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop. The special stamp set for the month of February is named A Happy Hello and includes stamps for you to create your own bouquet of flowers. See all the images in the stamp set in the picture at the bottom of this post.

If you have come here from the My Heartfelt Sentiments 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!

A Happy Hello stamp set includes a nice long stalk with multiple stems for flowers and I used it to create a simple card. After stamping the stem with Topiary ink, I used Thistle, Honey, Smoothie, and Sunset inks to add a variety of flowers. Each flower is embellished with a Sparkle, some Thistle Chevron ribbon and Flaxen twine was added, and the piece adhered to a Kraft cardstock base.

Place a $50 minimum order this month (February 2015) and you are eligible to purchase A Happy Hello stamp set for only $5, or you can purchase it at the full price of $17.95 without a qualifying order.

Now "Hop" on over to Jen's Jewel Box 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.

list of participants

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

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Charmed, I'm Sure (Technique Blog Hop)

For the Technique Blog Hop this month, we were inspired by the "Charmed, I'm Sure" technique tip on page 133 of Close To My Heart Annual Inspirations book. Dazzle up your papercrafts with the shine of a few small charms from the Base & Bling line. Tie them on, adhere them, or simply let them dangle to add a little charm to all of your projects.

If you arrived from Jen's Messy Studio, then follow along with the link at the bottom of this post to continue the Technique Blog Hop.

Inspiration for my card was the gold feather dangle Base & Bling charm. An arrow and a rhinestone were also added and tied around the stamped piece using some Metallic Baker's Twine. A couple of images from the Feathers stamp set were inked with Desert Sand and then the edges rolled in Cocoa ink to add a bit of dimension. The fun pastel papers are from the special Year >> Noted kit (available for National Papercrafting Month) and the card sketch is pattern #26 in Make It From Your Heart Volume 2. To add another touch of gold, some Gold Polka-Dot Washi Tape is used between the two patterned papers.

Please visit Show and Tell, with Michelle blog for another entry in this month's Technique Blog Hop featuring the "Charmed, I'm Sure" tip with Base & Bling charms.

Technique Blog Hop participants:

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

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

Sunday, January 11, 2015

What I LOVE about CTMH ~ Stampers With An Attitude (Blog Hop)

This month, some members of our Stampers With An Attitude team are sharing what they *love* about Close To My Heart.

If you have come here from the My Creative Happy Place 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, or visit each blog from the list at the end of this post.

What I *love* about CTMH are the clear My Acrylix stamps. With a clear stamp mounted on one of the clear blocks, it is so easy to see exactly WHERE your image is being stamped. This is especially convenient for 2-step images like this flower which has a solid base and then a separate outline image to add detail.

For this card, the flower base from A Budding Friendship set was stamped using Pixie ink and then Hollyhock ink was used for the detail portion. Centers of the flowers were stamped using Honey ink, and Whisper for the flower stems. A sentiment from the For A Friend stamp set was inked with Lagoon and masked so that the stems continue past the greeting. The card came together quickly using pattern #27 in Make It From Your Heart Volume 1 and some patterned paper from the Heartstrings kit. A strip of White Shimmer Trim and a bit of Slate Diagonal Striped Ribbon add finishing touches.

Now "Hop" on over to If You Bling It to find out what Melinda *loves* about CTMH.

"Stampers With An Attitude" Blog Hop participants:

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

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

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Year >> Noted (National Papercrafting Month)

Welcome to our Year >> Noted Blog Hop, brought to you by the same ladies who participate in the monthly Stamp-of-the-Month Blog Hop. In celebration of National Papercrafting Month, CTMH invites you to reflect on the thigns that make you who you are and on what you want to accomplish in the coming months. With the help of the Year >> Noted paper kit, you can easily record your experiences and goals.

If you arrived here from Heartfelt Sentiments, you are hopping through our circle of Close To My Heart consultants sharing their projects using the Year >> Noted kit.

Using scraps of paper from the Year >> Noted kit, this card was created based on Pattern #28 in Make It From Your Heart Volume 2. The sentiment is found in the You Mean the World To Me stamp set and is embossed with Gold embossing powder. Additional touches of Gold include the Shimmer Trim behind the Zip Strip of arrows, metallic banners from the Year >> Noted kit, and a Gold Metallic Pen used to outline the mat behind the sentiment piece.

During the month of January, with a qualifying purchase of $50, you are eligible to purchase the exclusive Year >> Noted paper kit (retail value $24+) for only $5. Or for an additional $5, you can order the Year >> Noted paper kit with an accompanying My Creations kraft mini book. The paper kit for both options includes a C-size stamp set, stickers, cardstocks, and patterned papers, all specially designed to coordinate with the My Creations kraft mini book so you can have a yearlong scrapbooking experience. Included on the sticker sheet, you will find a large golden seal. Once the year is done and all the pages are filled, seal up your book and create a mini time capsule that you can open years from now.