My Favorite Things - Part 2

Hello! I am having fun will all of my new product from Close To My Heart's new Annual Inspirations and Holiday Expressions catalogs! Last week I showed you one of my favorite new stamp sets - "Emojis". This week, I have just a couple of cards to show you that I made using the "Woodland Critters" stamp set from the Holiday Expressions 2016 catalog. Here is the stamp set:

I am in LOVE with foxes, so I HAD to have this stamp set! :-) See those thin, red lines around the speech bubbles? That means that those shapes can be cut with one of our exclusive Cricut cartridges! These in particular can be cut with the "Artistry" Cartridge. So without further ado, here is the first card I made using this set:

In addition to "Woodland Critters", I had fun using the "Little Leaves" M-sized stamp set for the background, then coloring in random single leaves with my Vivid Green ShinHan marker. I also used the dots embossing folder on the Saffron cardstock to add even more texture. The speech bubble allowed me to add a pop of Peacock blue to my earthy color palate.

I love how this card came out. I focused on a neutral background with a pop of Lagoon blue to perfectly compliment and offset the deep Goldrush orange of the fox. The wood-grain paper comes from the "Rustic Home Fundamentals" paper pack, and the other two grey patterns are from the "Jeepers Creepers" paper pack. The fun leafy pattern that I stamped on the strip in the background is from one of the eight background stamps that comes with the "Flower Market" Cricut Collection.

I hope you enjoyed this small sampling of "Woodland Critters". I'm not exactly sure what my next "favorite thing" will be - I have a lot to choose from! See you next time!

My Favorite Things - Part 1

With the release of Close To My Heart's new Annual Inspirations 2016-2017 and Holiday Expressions 2016, there are so many gorgeous new things to see! I thought it would be fun to focus a series of posts on some of my favorite things from the newest catalogs. They'll just be quick samples of products and what I created with them.

Today's focus is on the new stamp set, "Emojis":

How cute is this?!? There are 49 images total - perfect for sending that quick, little note that's sure to make someone's day. Speaking of cute and little, that's exactly what I created with this stamp set - little 3" x 3" cards using all seven of the newest colors also found in the new Annual Inspirations catalog (plus Pacifica). I am in LOVE with these new colors in the Adventure color palate (Raspberry, Blossom, Tangerine, Lemon, Willow, Emerald, and Pansy). Here is the entire set:

Don't they just make you want to smile?! I love the bright colors! Here they are up close:

These adorable cards are perfect for slipping into someone's lunch bag, onto their computer, tucked into the bathroom mirror...anywhere you'd like to brighten someone's day.

Next time - "Woodland Critters" takes the stage - a fun stamp set from Holiday Expressions! Stay tuned for "My Favorite Things - Part 2"!

National Stamping Month: Create Kindness!

Celebrate National Stamping Month this month with hand-stamped cards designed to help create a little more kindness in the world. The "Create Kindness" Card Kit contains all of the supplies needed to create 24 beautiful 3" x 3" handmade cards (including the mini stamp organizer!) that you can use to brighten someone’s day. This entire kit can be yours for only $46.95—a 15% savings off the retail value!

Thanks to the pre-printed card bases, these cards come together in no time, leaving you more time to do something thoughtful for someone. Watch Close To My Heart’s blog, Instagram account, and Facebook page throughout the month of September to see what they’ve created with this card kit as well as the acts of kindness it has inspired! This exclusive kit will only be available in the month of September while supplies last, so make sure to get your order in early.

As a special bonus, the exclusive stamp sets and pre-printed card bases with envelopes are also available for separate purchase, but only in the month of September while supplies last!

I loved these stamps and cards so much, that I decided to make more of my own. The new Cricut "Flower Market" Collection just happens to come with eight fun background stamps that would be perfect for the patterns on the cards:

AND, it comes with the Adventure cardstock pack, which includes all seven NEW colors (which I used for my cards). Now I'll show you my versions of the "Create Kindness" cards. First, I gathered my materials:

Of the eight stamp sets that come in the kit, four of them are meant for the 2" white circles on the front of the cards, and four of them are sentiments for the insides of the cards. What I did differently from the kit is that I cut 2 1/4" circles from coordinating cardstock colors to back the 2" white circles with. I liked this much better, because the white circles were further offset from the backgrounds by doing this (you'll see). Next, I stamped all of the backgrounds onto the front of the cards (you can do the backs, too, if you like) using all of the seven new colors (Raspberry, Blossom, Tangerine, Lemon, Willow, Emerald, and Pansy) plus Pacifica, and stamped the four smaller images in black onto the 2" white circles (two times each for a total of eight):

Stamping the images in archival ink is better because it won't bleed or smudge when you color them with your alcohol-based ShinHan markers. However, if you color with colored pencils or are very careful with your ShinHan markers, you can stamp with your regular black dye-based ink. So, after coloring your images any way you'd like, simply adhere the white circles to the colored circles and then adhere to the front of the coordinating card. I kept like colors together, but don't be afraid to mix & match!

Adorable! And SO easy! The last step is to stamp the insides with your sentiments:

These cards are perfect for stashing in a child's lunch box/bag, in a co-worker's desk, on your spouse's computer...the list goes on and on. What a perfectly simple way to brighten someone's day! Create a little kindness and make the world a better place.

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