Sparkle & Shine! Blog Hop

Posted on August 15, 2019

Welcome to our “Sparkle & Shine” blog hop! There are many ways to add some sparkle and shine to your crafty projects, and we’ve gathered 16 talented Close To My Heart Consultants to provide you with some inspiration. If you are joining me from Judy Faye Garner’s blog, you are on the right track. Remember, a blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way around.

Adding Sparkle & Shine to turn a plain card into a “WOW” card!

What’s Missing?

The August Stamp of the Month (S1908 From Me to You) pairs perfectly with the cute critters from Wild & Punny (D1865). I made this cute card featuring the Craft On paper. It’s fine, but it just didn’t feel complete.

Adding Some Bling!

This is where I started adding some Sparkle & Shine in the form of the Crafty Loose Sequins! Again, it’s a cute card, but I wasn’t quite satisfied. I decided to start over and add even more bling.

Shh…Sneak Peek!

This time around, I colored my cute critter with the new alcohol markers we will be launching next month! I love how they blend and can’t wait to share more with you on September 1. Until then…mums the word. To add a little more bling to this little guy, I covered the stripes with Liquid Glass using the Fine Tip Applicator (Z4089). When it dries, it creates a shiny embossed area.

Putting It All Together

For this card, I used Lilac cardstock and ink. Since it is a fairly pale purple, I wanted to make it pop by adding a little more Sparkle & Shine in the form of Black Glitter Paper (Z3236)!

Notice how the added layers make the card feel more finished. I also added some Sparkle & Shine to the sequins by putting Clear and Bitty Sparkles into the centers.

I’m now happy with this card thanks to some Sparkle & Shine and am ready to move on to my next project! I hope you enjoyed the walk through my process. Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions on ways to improve the card in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

Now it’s time to head on over to Wendy Kessler’s blog!

Highlight the Details Technique Hop

Posted on April 15, 2019

in Cards, CTMH

18 Comments

Welcome to our “Highlight the Details” blog hop! There are many ways to highlight the stamped details on your projects, and we’ve gathered 11 talented Close To My Heart Consultants to provide you with some inspiration. If you are joining me from Haley Dyer’s blog, you are on the right track. Remember, a blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way around.

Highlight the Details with Watercolor Pencils

Using the paper airplane stamp from Wish You Were Here (B1645), I created my own patterned paper. This would look great if it were tone on tone using colored cardstock and ink, but it looks a little plain using Pewter Ink (Z2832) on White Daisy Cardstock (X6027).

By adding Watercolor Pencils (Z4242), I was able to highlight the image and make it stand out from the background. The pencils add subtle shading (I did not add water this time), but you could achieve a more dramatic look using ShinHan Markers (Z9977).

I cut the stamped panel down using the Stitched Rectangle Thin Cuts (this set is currently unavailable, but it will be back soon!). I added the panel to the rainbow paper from I Heart Us Paper Packet (X7242B)…this paper makes me so happy! I finished off the card with more stamped images and a sentiment from Wish You Were Here (B1645).

Now, “hop” on over to Lauren Moore’s blog to see her works of art! Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to get the products that I used for this project.

March 2019 SOTM Blog Hop — This Happened

Posted on March 1, 2019

in Cards, CTMH, SOTM

12 Comments

Welcome to the March 2019 SOTM Blog Hop!

Welcome to the March 2019 Stamp of the Month Blog Hop. This month, 22 Close To My Heart consultants are featuring This Happened (S1903), which is a fantastic set of 26 stamps perfectly suited for scrapbooking. If you are coming here from Michelle Johns’ blog, you are on the right track. The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way around. If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants on Melinda’s blog.

This Happened SOTM Card?

“Amy,” you may be saying, “you just said this set is perfectly suited for scrapbooking. Why are you showing us a card?” Well, my crafty friends, I like to think outside-of-the-box and try to create something unexpected. In this case, I cut up the “Love This” sentiment and the “Take Note” banner to create my own “Love Note” sentiment. I also stamped my own background using one of the small icons from the SOTM. I hope you will never feel boxed in by the “theme” of a stamp set or paper collection.

Get Your SOTM Today

Remember that the This Happened (S1903) SOTM is only available until March 31, 2019. Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount!

Keeping Hopping Along the SOTM Blog Hop

Now hop on over to Megan Lawrence’s blog to see her artwork! Be sure to visit all the blogs and leave some love along the way in the form of comments.

October SOTM Blog Hop – Thanks & Giving

Posted on October 1, 2018

in Cards, CTMH

14 Comments

Welcome to the October Stamp of the Month Blog Hop where we are full of Thanks & Giving!

I’m so inspired by this beautiful stamp set as it is a wonderful reminder to give thanks. I hope that you, too, will be inspired by all of the amazing artists along the Thanks & Giving blog hop. Remember that blog hops are a big, fun circle and that you can hop on at any point. If you are coming from Brenda Lapp’s blog, you are on the right track. If you ever get lost, you will find the complete list of participants on Melinda’s blog. Remember to give my fellow consultants some love along the way by leaving comments.

My Thanks & Giving Art

Did you know that CTMH has new Watercolor Pencils? You can use them with or without water. For this card, I colored directly on to Kraft paper. I used pairs of watercolor pencils to give the leaves some dimension. In addition to using the Stamp of the Month, I added the “for you” sentiment from the Just a Little Something (C1730) stamp set.

The stitched borders were added using a Thin Cut from the new Decorative Borders (Z4241) collection. I’m pretty sure it is my favorite product from the new Idea Book! I can’t stop using them…especially this stitched border.

So, here is a question for you…does this card seem complete? I debated with myself about adding sequins or bling, but I was going for a clean and simple look with the leaves as the star of the show. Once I added the white embossing, the leaves became a little muted and now I wonder. Let me know in the comments if you would add some bling or leave it as it is. While you are at it, let me know what you are thankful for at this very moment!

Shop & Hop

The Thanks & Giving Stamp of the Month is available October 1-31, 2018, only. The regular price is $18.95, or you can get it for only $5 with a $50 purchase. You may purchase this stamp set as well as any supplies you see listed above on my website.

Thank you for visiting my blog. After you leave a comment, it’s time to hop on over to Melissa Robinson‘s blog to see what she has made with this adorable stamp set.

Make Waves Pinwheel Card Tutorial

Posted on February 19, 2018

in Cards, CTMH

1 Comment

Pinwheel Card Tutorial

I love double-sided, patterned paper and have recently been on a quest to find fun fold cards that will showcase both sides of the paper. The first I discovered was this adorable pinwheel card fold, so I thought I would make a quick tutorial. I used the following CTMH products on my card:

X7227B Make Waves Paper
S1802 Sunny Thoughts SOTM
X5941 Bashful Cardstock
X5984 Pixie Cardstock
Z2844 Pixie Ink Pad
Z534 Micro-tip Scissors

Be sure to take advantage of the Pretty in Pink sale this month where you can save 25-30% on pink items including the cardstock and ink used on this card!

To create the card, you will need the following paper:

8″ x 8″ double-sided paper
4″ x 4″ cardstock or paper for inside
7/8″ x 12″ paper or cardstock for belly band
12″ Zip Strip for decorating the belly band
Additional paper/cardstock to decorate your card

One of my YouTube subscribers sent me a picture of the card she recreated from the video, and I’m thinking I may not have been entirely clear on the instructions, so read this prior to making the card! Roughly 5 minutes into the video, I show you how to score on the inside of the card to the corner you just cut out. Please note that you are only scoring on the left side of each flap so that, when folded, your paper looks like the image to the left.

I hope you enjoy this video, and please subscribe to my YouTube channel and share your cards with me in the comments below or on my StudioScrapping Facebook page!

CTMH Technique Blog Hop – Blushing Backgrounds

Posted on January 15, 2018

in Cards, CTMH

10 Comments

CTMH Technique Blog Hop ~ Blushing Backgrounds

Welcome to the CTMH Technique Blog Hop! This month, we are focusing on Blushing Backgrounds in the hope that you will find some new uses for your background stamps. If you are joining me from Annemarie Julian Wetzel’s blog, you are on the right track!

One of the things I love best about background stamps is that they let me create my own patterned paper. For the Whale Done card, I stamped Shells & Stars onto ombré paper from the Adventure Fundamentals. That paper would have been fine on its own, but I really like the added texture I get on my card with tone-on-tone stamping. It adds just enough interest without taking away from the icon and sentiment from the Make Waves Cardmaking Stamp.

Kraft paper is such a fantastic neutral, and I use it in scrapbooking all the time. It can look a little plain in cardmaking, so I jazz it up by adding background stamps! The Paws stamp set is perfect for either cats or dogs, so I paired it with the Cat’s Meow stamp to create this simple yet adorable card.

Here’s a quick bonus technique for you–I cut the “Nine Lives” stamp apart so that I could finish the sentiment on the inside of the card. I added ellipses on both the front and inside with a Blending Pen and Toffee ink. The Blending Pen is in the Going Soon section of my website, so get some while you still can. I have one for every color family.

Here are a few more examples of background stamps or small stamps used to create backgrounds. Look at your stash of stamps and get creative. I would love for you to share your creations in the comments below or on the StudioScrapping Facebook page.

The next stop on the hop is Melissa Robinson’s blog.

Click to leave a comment!

I’m back with loads of CTMH goodness to share!

Posted on September 10, 2017

in Cards, Cricut, CTMH, SOTM

September 2017 Stamp of the Month

I’m a fan of the September SOTM, Feel So Blessed. Here is the first card I created with it. I used the new color of the year, Bashful, along with the new Rose embossing folder. I have to admit that it has been awhile since I’ve done heat embossing, and I managed to run my finger through the letters before they were dry. I’m sure I’ll do better next time. LOL!

I can’t wait to see what you create with this awesome stamp set. It will be perfect for my November gratitude journal!

New Cricut Collections

Calling all Cricut fans…CTMH knocked it out of the park with 4 new Cricut collections. That’s right, four! The You Are Here Cricut Collection contains everything from travel to staycation images. It is really fun…and the stamp sets are fantastic! Here are a couple swap cards I created with them.

The other three digital-only country collections are Hello USA, Hello Canada, and Hello AU/NZ!

Wow! It is really late and I have so much to share. Looks like I’ll have to make another post, so be sure to subscribe to my feed so you receive an email when I make the next post.

Save

April 2017 Stamp of the Month

Posted on April 2, 2017

in Cards, CTMH, SOTM

SOTM Card Folio

I was inspired by another consultant, Cassie Ingersoll, who created a really cute card folio last month. I recently taught it at a workshop in my home. Here is the folio that I created with papers from Some Kinda Wonderful. I did some paper piecing on the front cover, but everything else was stamped and colored with ShinHan Markers.

In addition to using the SOTM, I used a couple sentiments from the Flower Market stamp set. I kept the cards simple and easy for mailing, so only embellished with the Black & White Dots since they are nice and flat.

I’ll link the rest of the cards below. I also took a photo during the construction of the pouches for the cards. I used the Base & Bling Adhesive Strips which are currently on sale in the Clearance section of my website! That adhesive is really strong and is perfect for 3D projects like this.

Don’t forget that you can get this stamp set for $5 with a $50 purchase or for $17.95, but it is only available in April. If you purchase the set from me, I’ll send you the instructions for creating this folio with 6 cards!

Join My Team and Get a Seasonal Expressions 2 Idea Book

The new Idea Book doesn’t go live to customers until May 1st, but, if you join my team today, not only will I send you a copy of the Seasonal Expressions 2, you’ll also be able to order from it immediately! Contact me for more details.

Top

Save

Pi Day & Mojo Monday 488

Posted on March 13, 2017

in Cards, CTMH

4 Comments

Let’s Celebrate with a Card and Pie!

Okay, I’m not really going to eat pie tomorrow, but I am going to give this card to the math teacher at school who awarded me the Steed of Courage at our last staff meeting. The math department is providing pie in celebration of Pi Day, so it’s the least I can do. I would love to give this card to all my math teacher and geeky friends, so know that this virtual card is my way of wishing you a very Happy Pi Day!

I had two inspirations for this card. The first was by a fellow consultant, Michele Rowley, who posted a fantastic Pi Day card on our team page. Once I saw her card, I knew I had to make my own. I used today’s Mojo Monday sketch 488 to complete my card. I love how it turned out! I used lots of foam tape on this one.

Would you like to make your own Happy Pi Day card? Here’s a FREE Cricut Design Space file you can use. Happy scrapping!

Happy Pi Day Card by Amy Ulen

Top

Save

Dreamin’ Big Blog Hop

Posted on March 11, 2017

in Cards, CTMH

14 Comments

Welcome to our Dreamin’ Big Blog Hop!

I’m excited to be participating in my first blog hop in years! We will be showcasing items from our new Seasonal Expressions Idea Book with various projects created by talented Close To My Heart consultants. If you are visiting from Julie’s blog, then you are on the right track. If you get lost along the way, feel free to start at the beginning with our hostess Carol.

Dreamin’ Big Meets Thin Cuts

If you have been following my blog at all, you know that I’m in love with the adorable critters from the Some Kinda Wonderful Cardmaking set. If you are new to my blog, welcome! I’ll admit that my use of these critters has become a bit of an obsession. 😉 With that being said, how awesome is it that you can get the Some Kinda Wonderful Cardmaking Thin Cuts Bundle at a 25% discount this month!

On this card, I created the Dream Big banner by cutting it out of a 3×4 card on the PML sheet that comes in the Dreamin’ Big kit. I also added enamel dots to the eyes of the fox!

Here is an example of the fox without the enamel dots. On both cards, I colored the fox with Watercolor Pencils and went over it with the Blending Pen.

Next, check out Darlene’s blog or scroll down to see a Dreamin’ Big layout created with Flip Flaps!

Dreamin’ Big Meets Flip Flaps

One of the great perks of being a CTMH consultant is attending workshops where we get to make art with sneak peeks of new product a month or more before it goes live to customers. If you want to take advantage of this perk, I would love for you to join my team! This layout is from our last Seasonal Expressions launch event in December. I loved the layout that the CTMH art department created, so I didn’t modify it other than adding Flip Flaps. Be sure to click on the images to see the full size versions.