“You’re Special” Greeting Card

Here's a super-quick card featuring the March Stamp of the Month, Choose Happy!

Ingredients:

White card and envelope (Value Pack)

March Stamp of the Month, Choose Happy

5 1/4” x 2 1/2” Heartstrings B & T paper (Cranberry hearts side)

5 1/4” x 1 1/4” Hollyhock Cardstock

5 1/4” Heartstrings Zip Strip (arrow design)

3 1/4” x 2 1/2” White Daisy Cardstock

Hollyhock Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

1 heart from the Stuck on You Puffies

3 Clear Sparkles

Damask Embossing Folder

3L® E-Z Dots® Adhesive

3-D Foam tape

Instructions:

1.   Stamp the scallop frame stamp and the ‘you’re special’ sentiment in Hollyhock ink onto the White Daisy Cardstock.

2.   Cut around the frame using Non-stick Micro-tip Scissors.

3.   Emboss the Hollyhock Cardstock using the Damask Embossing Folder.

4.   Assemble the card as shown above.

5.   Adhere the sentiment using 3-D Foam Tape.

6.   Add the 3 Clear Sparkles along the bottom on the left side of the card.

“Bunches of Love” Greeting Card

The original design for this card came from a very talented member of my team, Michelle Firth.  I think it is just adorable, with oodles of gorgeous flowers that make it just perfect for giving to a special mum this Mother's Day. 

Here's what you need to do to make it for your own mum:

Ingredients:

White card and envelope (Value Pack)

A Budding Friendship stamp set

Flowers for Mum stamp set

3 3/4” Juniper circle (cut using Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge)

6” x 6” White Daisy Cardstock (for stamping)

Gypsy Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Sorbet Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Cotton Candy Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Lagoon Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Pear Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Topiary Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Slate Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Embossing Folder (the card uses Honeycomb)

3L® E-Z Dots® Adhesive

Thin 3-D Foam Tape

3-D Foam Tape

Instructions:

1. Trim the top and bottom off the Juniper circle to create the “vase”.

2. Stamp 2 large flowers (Gypsy and Sorbet, outlined with Slate ink).

3. Stamp 3 small flowers (Cotton Candy and second generation Lagoon, outlines with Slate ink).

4. Stamp a number of small and large leaves (Pear and Topiary, outlined with Slate ink).

5. Cut out the flowers and leaves using Non-stick Micro-tip Scissors.

6. Stamp the ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ sentiment from the Flowers for Mum stamp set in Slate ink and then emboss the vase above the sentiment.

7. Adhere the vase to the card base using 3L® E-Z Dots® Adhesive.

8. Arrange the flowers and adhere them using Thin 3-D and 3-D Foam Tape to achieve different levels.

Heartstrings Double Z-Fold Card

I love fancy-fold cards! Here is a double Z-Fold Card that I taught recently at my March Cardmaking Workshop.  It's so easy to make, but the end result is so impressive.  It's a card with a wow-factor, so the person receiving it will think you spent ages creating it.  I won't tell them that you didn't!

Here's how to make it:    

Ingredients:

Happy Autumn stamp set

6” x 12” Whisper Cardstock

5 3/4” x 1 7/8”Heartstrings B & T paper (Juniper diamond side)

5 3/4” x 1 7/8” Heartstrings B & T paper (Cranberry hearts side)

5 3/4” x 3 7/8”Heartstrings B & T paper (Cranberry hearts side)

5” x 3 1/4” White Daisy Cardstock (inside)

4” x 2 3/4” White Daisy cardstock

4 1/4” x 3” Hollyhock Cardstock

4 3/8” x 3 1/8” Slate Cardstock

3” x 2 1/2” White Daisy Cardstock (for stamping flower)

Pixie Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Hollyhock Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Cranberry Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Pear Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Topiary Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Cocoa Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

3L® E-Z Dots® Adhesive

3-D Foam Tape

Instructions:

1.    Score the Whisper Cardstock at 2”, 4”, 8” and 10” and fold to create the Double Z-Fold.

2.    Adhere the B&T Paper to the inside and front panels of the card.

3.    Create the flower by inking up the bottom of the stamp (flat side) with Pixie ink and stamping it onto the White Daisy Cardstock. Clean and let the stamp dry before flipping it over.  Now ink the flower in Hollyhock ink and then Rock ‘n’ Roll the flower in Cranberry ink so it is on the outside edges of the flower.  Stamp the image on top of the Pixie image trying to cover as much of the Pixie as possible.

4.    Cut out the flower using Non-stick Micro-tip Scissors.

5.    Ink the leaf stamps in Pear ink and Rock ‘n’ Roll the leaves in Topiary ink.  Stamp two small and one large leaf onto the top of the 4” x 2 3/4” piece of white cardstock.  Stamp the sentiment below in Cocoa ink.

6.    Adhere the flower on top of the stamped leaves using 3-D Foam Tape.

7.    Choose one of the other stamps to decorate the inside piece of White Daisy Cardstock using the Rock ‘n’ Roll technique. Adhere to the inside.

Until next time.

Crafting wishes,

Denise :)

Framing Happy!

Have I mentioned how much I love the March Stamp of the Month 'Choose Happy'? I love the name and I love the stamps! smile emotico 

Here is a 5" x 7" card that I whipped up in The Crafty Shed this week. It's based on a cute idea on page 104 of the Annual Inspirations Idea Book and features the following ingredients:

• Choose Happy March Stamp of the Month stamp set
• Paper Fundamentals- Whimsy Assortment
• Rainy Day stamp set
• Teal Shimmer Trim
• Lagoon Cardstock 
• Pear Cardstock
• White Daisy Cardstock
• Pear Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad 
• Lagoon Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
• Sunset Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad 
• Chalk It Up Assortment
• ShinHan Touch Twin Markers 
• 3-D Foam Tape

Choose Happy- CTMH March Stamp of the Month Australasian Blog Hop

Hello and welcome aboard our CTMH March 2015 Stamp of the Month Australasian Blog Hop. If you have arrived here from Doris Taylor's  Creative Inspirations, then you are in the right place. If you landed here by accident, no problem, please join in by following the link at the end of this post. 

Today, I would like to share with you a card project that features the March Stamp of the Month 'Choose Happy'.  This stamp set is available only in March 2015 for $27, or for just $5 when you spend $75. It is the latest of 12 glorious, exclusive Stamp of the Month stamp sets featured in our CTMH 2014- 2015 Annual Inspirations Idea Book!

This is such a cute stamp set, perfect for creating embellishments for page layouts, gift bags and cards.  The fun doodled borders are perfect for framing pages and cards and the fun frames are great for enhancing these adorable sentiments.

I just love the Heartstrings Paper Packet from the Seasonal Expressions 1 Idea Book.  The papers are so fresh and feminine! I particularly love the rose B&T paper from this Paper Packet.  I wanted to use the paper to create a set of decorative cards featuring the March Stamp of the Month.

 

I started with two sheets of the rose B&T paper from the Heartstrings Paper Packet and used my SureCut™ Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer to cut each sheet of paper into six (6) pieces measuring 3 3/4” x 5”.  You can see that there are two different ways that you can cut the 6 pieces from the paper- landscape and portrait.   There will also be small off-cuts left over to play with later! 

I then used my SureCut™ Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer to cut Hollyhock, Cranberry, Whisper and Slate Cardstock into pieces measuring 4” x 5 1/4”.  I cut three of each to make a total of 12 pieces of Cardstock.

I mounted the rose B&T paper on the Cardstock and adhered them to the White Daisy card bases.    Don't you love how the decorative paper creates these beautiful card fronts so quickly and easily?  This is a lovely way to use our gorgeous B&T paper to decorate cards and you might like to try it yourself.

I stamped the frames and a range of sentiments from the March Stamp of the Month and the Artfully Sent   'Just to Say' Stamp Set onto White Daisy Cardstock using the Slate Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad.  

I then coloured them using our gorgeous ShinHan Touch Twin Markers in co-ordinating colours.  You'll notice that I didn't colour all of the white space on the stamped image.  Instead, I chose to highlight particular features on the image with colour and left parts uncoloured as the rose B&T paper I was putting the images on was already very colourful and I didn't want it to be too busy.

Even though the frames have some quite intricate decorations on them, they are very quick and easy to colour in if you use the fine tip end of the ShinHan Touch Twin Marker and a light touch.  I fussy cut around the outside and added 3-D Foam Tape to the back of each framed sentiment.  My Non-Stick Micro-Tip Scissors came in very handy when I was fussy cutting these out, let me tell you! I love the way these amazing little scissors get into the smallest spaces and around the tightest corners.  I would be lost without them! 

I then added a strip of Silver or Teal Shimmer Trim to each card (because who doesn't LOVE a bit of shimmer) and adhered the frames to the front of the cards.

I made a total of 12 cards from these two sheets of the rose B&T paper from the Heartstrings Paper Packet! How great is that?  And so quick and easy too!

Products used in this project include:

• 12 cards and envelopes from the 5 1/2" X 4 1/4" White Cards & Envelopes, Value Pack
• 2 sheets of the rose B&T paper from the Heartstrings Paper Packet
• March Stamp of the Month 'Choose Happy'
• Artfully Sent 'Just to Say' Stamp Set from the Cricut Artfully Sent Collection
• Slate Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
• Cranberry Cardstock
• Hollyhock Cardstock
• Whisper Cardstock
• Slate Cardstock
• Silver Shimmer Trim
• Teal Shimmer Trim
• ShinHan Touch Twin Markers in the following coordinating colours- Peacock Green, Turquoise Blue, Carmine, Cherry Pink, Tender Pink and Warm Grey 4
• 3-D Foam Tape

Well I hope you like my set of 12 cards featuring the March Stamp of the Month.  Please do leave a comment below before you hop onto the next stop on our Australasian Blog Hop, Vandra's Virtual CTMH Craftroom to see more creative ways to use the March Stamp of the Month.

Remember, the March Stamp of the Month 'Choose Happy' is available throughout March 2015 from your Close To My Heart Independent Consultant for $27, or for just $5 when you spend $75.  And sadly our Heartstrings Paper Packet will only be available until the end of March too, so get in quick if you would like to use this gorgeous Paper Packet to create your own cards and page layouts!

Warmest crafting wishes,

Denise :)