Pretty in Pink

I currently belong to two Card Swap groups.  The idea is that you create multiples of the one card design so that each person in your card swap group receives one each of your cards.  My first card swap was in a group of 20 crafty CTMH Consultants! Wow, making 20 of the same card was certainly a marathon effort but it was well worth it as everyone else's cards started arriving in the mail.  I love hand crafted cards a lot so receiving one or more in the mail every day for a couple of weeks is definitely my idea of fun!

The Card Swap groups I currently belong to have 10 members in one group and 5 members in the other.  Making 10 cards or 5 cards at once is a breeze after making 20 let me tell you! :)

Now the reason I'm telling you this is that I would like to share my latest Card Swap creation with you. The design for this card came to me when I first spotted the A Budding Friendship stamp set in the Annual Inspirations Idea Book.  

A Budding Friendship was, and still is, my favourite stamp set of all time (yes, I love it THAT much).  I couldn't wait to try out this card design using this stamp set, so I thought the Card Swap would be the perfect time!  

So this is the card I created...

As you can see, this really is a very simple design using only two colours (don't you just love the freshness of White Daisy and Pixie together), some embossing with the new Floral Embossing Folder, a little Cricut-cut trim and a simple sentiment, but I think that simple can be quite lovely actually.

The feature that I was most interested in trying out was the window-pane effect on the flower, created by cutting the stamped image into four sections, separating them slightly and using Thin 3D Foam Tape to raise them off the pixie and white frame.  I think it creates an interesting focal point and steps up the look a little.  What do you think?

I also stamped the envelope to co-ordinate with the card!  I think this is a really nice touch when creating cards and so easy to do.

This card features: 
A Budding Friendship stamp set
Have a Happy Day stamp set
White Daisy Cardstock
Pixie Cardstock
Pixie Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Black Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Floral Embossing Folder
Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge (p. 63; cut at 1") 
Thin 3D Foam Tape

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my latest project.  Please drop by again soon.  

Happy crafting,
Denise :o)

Have a Beautiful Day

At our last Team Play Day one of our Team Members, the gorgeous Karen Kaden, inspired us with her beautiful card design.  The subtle use of ink applied to the surface of the embossed cardstock makes this card just so adorable.  This is my version of her card design.

CTMH products used to create this card:

5 1/2" X 4 1/4" White Cards & Envelopes, Value Pack
Happy Birds stamp set
White Daisy Cardstock
Glacier Cardstock
Black Archival Exclusive Inks Pad
Glacier Exclusive Inks™ Pad
Canary Exclusive Inks™ Pad
ShinHan Touch Twin Markers
Sequins Gold Assortment
Dot Embossing Folder
Sponge Daubers
3L® E-Z Dots® Adhesive
Thin 3D Foam Tape
3D Foam Tape

How to create this card:

1. Emboss Daisy White Cardstock using the Dots Embossing Folder.
2. Add colour effect to the embossed cardstock by applying Glacier and Canary Ink (or colours of your choice) lightly with sponge daubers.  Rub lightly and reapply to achieve the desired amount of colour.
3. Stamp images and sentiment with the Black Archival Exclusive Ink.  Wait for stamped images to dry completely before colouring them in with the ShinHan Touch Twin Markers,
4. Mount the sentiment on Glacier Cardstock and adhere with Thin 3D Foam Tape to the Embossed Cardstock.
5. Colour and cut out all stamped images and adhere to card.
6. Embellish with Gold Sequins.

I will be teaching this card at my Creative Card Workshop this weekend and I can't wait to see what everyone's finished cards look like.  

Thanks so much for dropping by, please visit again soon.

Warmest crafting wishes,
Denise xx

'What a Hoot' goes back to school

My son, Boyd, who is featured in these Year 1 photos, is now 18! It's so very true what they say, time really does fly when you're having fun! I can still vividly remember him at 5 years of age.  He was so incredibly energetic and inquisitive!  He had a thousand questions about every conceivable topic!  He loved to read, write, play in his sandpit and hang out with his little brother.  Time hasn't changed him greatly.  He is still an absolute joy to be around, still incredibly inquisitive (mostly about science these days) and is a great friend to his brother, Perrin.  

One of my greatest joys in life is scrapbooking our family's precious memories.  What an absolute delight it was to place these adorable photos of my little boy onto beautiful pages to keep as a special reminder of his first year at school.  

Because the photos themselves were filled with colour, it seemed fitting to marry them with the more subdued colours of Chalk It Up and Seaside.  I have used my new favourite Alphabet Stamp Set, 'Handwritten Print' for the title and included the darling owl from the August Stamp of the Month, 'What a Hoot' as a playful and very colourful embellishment. I have finished the page with Gold Shimmer Trim and Gold Sequins because there is always room for a little bling!

This double-page layout comes from Pattern 7 in Make It From Your Heart: Volume 2.

Products used to create this layout include:

What A Hoot – August 2014 Stamp of the Month
Chalk It Up Paper Packet
Seaside Paper Packet
Lagoon Cardstock
Glacier Cardstock
Sorbet Cardstock
White Daisy Cardstock
Handwritten Print Alphabet stamp set 
Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad
ShinHan™ Touch Twin™ Markers
Gold Shimmer Trim
Sequins Gold Assortment

Well it is always nice to take a stroll down Memory Lane that's for sure.  Thanks for meandering along with me!  Let's do it again soon. xx

Please visit my website Scrap Stamp Share for more information about the gorgeous August Stamp of the Month 'What a Hoot' or to see all of the other beautiful CTMH products used to create this very special layout.

Happy crafting,
Denise :)

'What a Hoot' gets a pretty pastel Makeover!!

I am just loving the variety of cards that are able to be created with the darling What A Hoot – August 2014 Stamp of the Month. 

One of my team members, the very talented Julie Crooks, taught us this card at a recent Team Play Day.  Not only does it feature the gorgeous Brushed Paper Packet, but it also stars three new Whimsy colours- Pixie, Canary and Thistle and a cool inking technique.  

The diamond-shaped inking at the bottom of the card has been created by cutting an overlay template using the Artbooking Cricut Cartridge (p. 62), placing the template on the White Daisy card base and then applying the colour to the cut-out sections of the template using our Sponge Daubers.  The colours used to create this look are Canary and Pixie. In some spaces you can see that both colours have been used together to create a gorgeous colour variegation effect. 

The products used to create this fun card include:

What A Hoot – August 2014 Stamp of the Month

5 1/2" X 4 1/4" White Cards & Envelopes, Value Pack

Brushed Paper Packet

Pixie Cardstock

Canary Cardstock

White Daisy Cardstock

Feathers Stamp Set

Pixie Exclusive Inks™ Pad

Canary Exclusive Inks™ Pad

Thistle Exclusive Inks™ Pad

Cricut® Artbooking Collection

Sparkles Clear Assortment

Sponge Daubers

3-D Foam Tape

If you are looking for even more ideas and inspiration for using this month's Stamp of the Month, 'What a Hoot', then look no further than my August Stamp of the Month Pinterest Board.  There are over 120 ideas using this adorable, versatile stamp set!  

Don't forget to pick your set up for $5 in August only when you make a $75 purchase.  

Happy crafting,

Denise :o)

Getting my HOOT on!

I am still having so much fun with the August Stamp of the Month, 'What a Hoot'! I'm loving this gorgeous little owl so much! Here I have used Snowhaven, a Christmas-themed Paper Packet, with 'What a Hoot', a Halloween- themed stamp set, to create a card that is neither Christmas-y nor Halloween-y!  I just love using products that can be used across a variety of themes and for multiple occasions.  

I love the masculine feel of this card and think it could be used for birthdays (it would make such a fun 18th or 21st card), invitations or even Father's Day.

The White Daisy circle is cut at 3" and the Cranberry Scallop Circle is cut at 3.5" using the Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge.  

This card features the following products: 
Snowhaven Paper Packet 
White Daisy Cardstock 
Cranberry Cardstock 
August SotM 'What a Hoot'
Archival Black Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
ShinHan Touch Twin Markers 
Black Enamel Stars

If you are in love with the What a Hoot stamp set as much as me, remember that you can only get it in August, so grab it before it is gone.  This is a $27 stamp set that you can get for just $5 when you place an order for $75 or more in August.  Visit my website to find out more!

Happy crafting wishes,
Denise :o)