Wander

I am so excited to share with you all that today I am honored to be a guest designer over at Stick It Down. I love the inspiration I get from this blog for scrapbook layouts as well as cards. Each month they have single-page layout, double-page layout and card sketch challenges that are so much fun to participate in. I was given a double-page sketch for the September challenge to create from and I am happy to share with you my version of the sketch.

You can see the sketch I used along with other sketches here on the Stick It Down blog.

My layout features the new Bloom With Grace collection from Close To My Heart. As soon as I saw this sketch I knew I had to use it to record one of our visits to Burlington VT to see our older daughter and one of the many places we visited while there. The diagonal strips were so much fun to create with and I especially enjoyed using an embossing folder on some strips to add some additional dimension. The row of flowers inspired me to have fun with these sunflowers (which is my daughter’s favorite flower).

I used a mat, ruler and craft knife to cut the diagonal strips. I aligned the ruler with the bottom left corner and then at the 5" mark on the top to start my cuts. For each strip I moved the ruler over 1 1/2" to the right on the top and bottom.

I added some extra strips to mine with Sangria cardstock that I embossed using the new Woodgrain Embossing Folder. I placed 1/2 of the strip in the folder and then ran through my die cut platform. I turned the piece around and ran the other 1/2 through to complete the look.

I added the embellishments using stamped images from the Joyful Sunflower Stamp Set + Thin Cuts. I stamped the fence in Espresso Exclusive Inks and the sunflowers in Intense Black Exclusive Inks. I colored in the sunflowers using our Triblend markers.

The title is cut with my Cricut and comes from the You Are Here Cricut Collection from Close To My Heart. You can see the whole collection here on my affiliate link.

You too can participate in their September sketch challenges. You have until the end of the month to share your creation with them. Their design team selects one winner from each category to be a Guest Designer on their blog and one random winner will receive a prize.

You can watch my process video for this sketch here:

I hope you liked the layout! Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies List:

X7260S - Bloom With Grace Paper Pack + Sticker Sheet

X7260C - Bloom With Grace Coordinating Cardstock

D1932 - Joyful Sunflower Stamp Set

Z2829 - Espresso Exclusive Ink

Z4189 - Intense Black Exclusive Ink

Triblend Markers

Girl Time

Sharing my latest finished layout from my Scrapbook with me events. I knew as soon as I saw this sketch I wanted to use it for documenting a recent mani-pedi time I had with my girls. I am glad I still had some of the retired Some Kinda Wonderful paper from Close To My Heart available in my stash to work with since it went so well with this sketch and the pictures.

The inspiration came from this sketch from A Cherry on Top. You can see this sketch along with others here.

To make this into a 2-page layout I just mirrored the elements on the right-hand page. I decided instead of doing a large background piece (the white piece in the sketch) I would do some faux-stitching around the edge to make a border.

I also combined some die-cut stars with some acrylic hearts I had in my stash for embellishments.

I finished it off with a title that I used both die-cut letters and stamped letters to create. I enjoy mixing fonts in my titles.

I hope you liked the layout. Thanks for stopping by!

To join my Scrapbook with me events, just follow my Facebook page (here) and you will get the notifications when I schedule these events.

Halloween Treats

Sharing more Got Candy? fun with you today! I think I spoiled me co-workers a bit by giving them Halloween treats in handmade containers each year so far. I got my inspiration for this year's treat bags from an idea I saw on Pinterest. I combined the papers from the Got Candy? paper pack with stamps from the Spooky Gnomes Stamp Set to make this year's treats.

Each treat bag is made from 1 sheet of black 12" x 12" cardstock. I embellished mine with 2 strips of 1 1/4" x 12" paper and 1 strip of 1 1/2" x 12" cardstock.

Cut the cardstock first at 4" to get a 4" x 12" strip, cut this down to 4" x 8". Next, cut the remaining 8" x 12" piece along the 12" side at 4" to get a second 4" x 8" strip. Cut the remaining 8" x 8" piece along one side at 6" to have a 8" x 6" piece.

Score the 8" x 6" piece lengthwise at 1" and 2". Next turn it widthwise and score at 1", 2", 6" an 7".

Fold the piece along the score lines. Cut away the bottom 2 tabs on each side and cut up to the 2" score line. Apply strong adhesive tape to the outside of the tabs. Fold the sides in to create the box, starting with the sides before folding up the bottom of the box. The box will have an open back that we will cover with the tag we will make in the next steps.

Next, create a large tag using the 2 4" x 8" pieces of cardstock - using 2 adds stability to the box. I marked each corner at 1" down and 1" in using a pencil then aligned the marks on my trimmer to cut the corners. I used strong adhesive to put the 2 pieces together and then punched a hole at the top with a 1/4" hole punch.

Using strong adhesive on the 3 tabs of the open-backed box adhere the tag to the back of the box. Be careful as you line up the pieces.

I embellished the box by wrapping the box with Got Candy patterned paper and cardstock strips then adding a tag I punched with the Tags & Tabs Thin Cuts set, a doily I had in my stash and some stamped images from the Spooky Gnomes Stamp Set + Thin Cuts. I stamped these with Intense Black Exclusive Ink and colored them in with Triblend markers.

I added a bow punched from some more of the Got Candy patterned paper using the Small Bow Thin Cuts set and used a 1/4" and 1/2" punch to add a reinforcing circle on the tag.

You can watch the following process video to see each step as I create one of these treat boxes.

I hope you like these treat bags! Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:

CC8201 - Got Candy? Paper Pack

Z3782 - Spooky Gnomes Stamp Set + Thin Cuts

Z3690 - Small Bow Thin Cuts 

Z3726 - Tags & Tabs Thin Cuts

X6047 - Black Cardstock

Z4189 - Intense Black Exclusive Inks

Z2060 - Thin 3-D Foam Tape

Triblend Markers

Additional Supplies:

Scoring platform

Strong adhesive tape

Ribbon

1/4" circle punch

1/2" circle punch

Got Candy?

It's never too early to start thinking about Halloween! I don't know about you but once we get close to Fall I start to craft like crazy! I have so much fun making cards, scrapbook layouts and paper crafting for the holidays and special events of this season.

I am excited to share with you today some cards I made using the Got Candy? special collection from Close To My Heart.

I had a lot of fun making these cards with the Got Candy? Paper Pack. I love the versatility of the double-sided papers in this collection.

I kept the card design fairly simple in sticking to strips of the papers on a black cardstock base. I stretched the use of the papers by cutting 2 pieces at 3 3/4" x 5" from each sheet and then cut the remaining into strips that were either 2", 3" or 1 1/2" tall.

I added some embellishment using images and sentiments from the Got Candy? stamp set along with some Black Shimmer Trim and some Silver Sequins.

All the images were stamped with Intense Black Exclusive Ink and colored in with Triblend Markers. I love the blended shading I get from these markers. Having a light, medium and dark shade within one marker really gives a variety of possibilities for coloring.

You can see the entire Got Candy collection here on my website today! Remember that this collection will be available through October 31st.

I hope you like the cards! Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
CC8201 - Got Candy? Paper Pack

CC8204 - Got Candy? Stamp Set 

X6047 - Black Cardstock

X254 - White Cards & Envelopes Value Pack

Z4189 - Intense Black Exclusive Inks

Z1809 - Black Shimmer Trim

Z4304 - Silver Loose Sequins

Triblend Markers

Party Time!

Welcome to September! With the start of this month that means that we have 2 things to celebrate - a new Core Catalog and a new Idea Book from Close To My Heart!

I am so excited for the release of these new catalogs and all of the wonderful products that have been added to the Close To My Heart line. The Core Catalog runs from September 1, 2020 through August 31, 2021. The Idea Book will be good from September 1, 2020 to October 31, 2020.

Today I had a chance to craft with one of the new paper collections - Party Time. This collection is from the Core Catalog and contains double sided papers with vibrant colors and images that are perfect for both boy and girl celebrations as well as gender neutral celebrations.

The great thing is that any of these layouts or cards can be changed up to fit your needs with the flexibility of the double-sided patterned paper in this collection!

Click here to see this paper pack and more of the collection today!

Hope you like the layouts and cards! Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
X8016S - Party Time Paper Pack + Sticker Sheet
X8016C - Party Time Coordinating Cardstock

Z3779 - Wishing You Everything Stamp Set + Thin Cuts

Z3804 - Yellow Acrylic Stars

Z2848 - Sapphire Exclusive Ink

Z2895 - Lagoon Exclusive Ink

Z2812 - Raspberry Exclusive Ink

Z3224 - Small Round Watercolor Brush