Simply Inspired Blog Hop - Seasonal Expressions 1

It's a new year and a new Simply Inspired Blog Hop!  Yay!  

You've just arrived from the blog of the always creative Pamela!

Thanks for stopping by!

  

I'm so excited to be featuring some awesome new product in the Close To My Heart Seasonal Expressions 1!  This little supplement is filled with so many beautiful papers, cool stamp sets and accents, and fun tools!

I chose the bright and colorful Penelope paper pack for my card.  I cut a card shape (page 24 - Sleeve - shift @ 5.5") from the CTMH Artfully Sent Cricut cartridge using black paper.  Next I backed the front of the card with the cute little white Penelope print with tiny dots, and filled some of the circle cut outs with Thistle cardstock just for fun!  

I'm loving the Watercolor Paint set, so I painted a wash of watercolor on Watercolor Paper and then stamped the happy little flowers form the "Friend In Me" stamp set.  After cutting them out, I had fun arranging a variety of flowers and leaves over the circles.  The sentiment circle is a 1.75" circle with a 2" black circle behind it.  I popped up both that circle and the two daisy type flowers with 3D Foam Tape....just cuz it's cute that way!  A few accents from the sparkly new silver Playful Puffies, plus a few Bitty Sparkles and a Glacier Extra Thick Twine bow were added for a little pizzazz!

Now hop on over to see what fabulous art Delightful Denise has to "wow" us with! 

If you get lost along the way, here's the list of participants. 

Roses in Pink and Orange and Yellow

Roses, hearts, and love are all ingredients for a pretty Valentine!  We made this card last week for our first night of Stamp Club of 2016.  We have such a great time creating, laughing, and of course, enjoying yummy desserts!  If you'd like to join one of my fun creative clubs or attend a workshop, give me a shout!

It's super fun and easy to watercolor paint these roses and leaves!  First, I used my Close To My Heart Watercolor Paints and large brush from the Brush Set to paint a simple wash of color on watercolor paper.  Allow to dry completely. 

Next, stamp the beautiful rose from the January Stamp of the Month "Beloved Bouquet" on the colored papers with a black Memento stamp pad.  This pad is nice and black as well as water resistant.  I love this pad!

Cut out the stamped images and arrange in a pretty bouquet on a card.  Embellish with sparkly accents and ribbon and you have a beautiful card for a sweetheart!  The Poppy cardstock piece was embossed with the CTMH Heart Embossing Folder.

Supplies used:

Beloved Bouquet January Stamp of the Month

La Vie En Rose Paper Pack : Poppy and Black Cardstock

Watercolor Paints - Brush Set - Watercolor Paper

Memento Black Stamp Pad

Treasured Puffies, Sparkles Clear Assortment, Black & Gold Ribbon

White Cards/Envelopes
Heart Embossing Folder
Cuttlebug for Embossing

More Valentines to come soon!

Happy New Year!

2015 has been a wonderful year filled with fun with friends and family, a new precious baby granddaughter, amazing travel experiences, and lots of creative adventures!

To celebrate both 2015 and welcome in 2016, here's a CHEERS to you and yours!  

May your New Year be filled with all things great!  Cheers!

This little celebration card was made with the CTMH Artfully Sent and Artistry Cartridges. 
Thank you to my creative friend and teammate Dawn Lecy, for some inspiration for this card!  

Here are the products and details:

Card base- Black Cardstock - Artfully Sent Cartridge, page 39, Sleeve - shift.  Cut @ 5.50"

Champagne Glasses - White Daisy cardstock and Gold Glitter Paper - Artistry cartridge page 50,  Icon 2 - cut @ 3.25"

Cheers - White Daisy cardstock and Gold Glitter Paper - Artistry cartridge page 50, Shape. Cut @ 1.25"

Back the card inset with a rectangle piece of La Vie En Rose patterned paper.

Accents: Bitty Sparkles for bubbles.  Glitter paper strips.

Thin 3D Foam Tape under the Cheers rectangle and under the left glass.

For Unto You

All month long, I've been participating in a photo a day activity.  Actually, I've been taking part in TWO!  It has been a challenge, and even though I'm a bit behind by a couple of the days, I am throughly enjoying it.

Today's prompt for #somethingaboutsharingdecember is Peace.  I decided to take photos of a Christmas triptych with a Nativity scene I painted in the fall of 1982.  I was expecting our first baby and still had time to paint.  With a newborn, I didn't paint much, so this was likely the last big project before her October arrival.  I don't remember exactly how many hours I spent painting this special project, but I know it was a lot! 

I always think of peace whenever I see a Nativity scene and I definitely think of peace when I reflect on this project. 

Wishing you a Christmas filled with Love and Peace.

 I used a folk art style of acrylic painting and a pattern designed by JoSonja Jansen.  She inspired me with many of her wonderful patterns and I was fortunate to take classes with her for a week at her studio in northern California.  What a fun experience that was many years ago! 

May 2016 be filled with fun and memorable experiences and peace!

Happy Mail!

Recently, I sent out a big bunch of Happy Mail to some great friends.  With each receiving three watercolor painted cards, I hope they brought a few smiles when they opened their package.

This floral card was stamped with the December Stamp of the Month ~ Candlelight Garden.  I love the jar, the flowers, the sentiments.... you get it, I LOVE this set!  

It's so pretty and so versatile!

Supplies:

December SOTM - Candlelight Garden, Sending Love (Sending Hugs)

Memento Tuxedo Black Stamp pad

Watercolor Paints, Brush Set, Watercolor Paper

White Daisy Cards/Envelopes. Journaling Pen

Assorted Clear Sparkles

Tiny Christmas Mouse in a Snow Globe!

Sorry my cute blog background has disappeared for some reason.  I hope to have something artsy and fun back again soon!

Now, on the the Christmas mouse post....

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse...  That's because he was living it up in a little jar turned snow globe!  Who knew a mouse could be so happy in a jar with snow?!

This merry little card features the jar from the December Stamp of the Month "Candlelight Garden" and the tiny mouse from "Animal Greetings" Operation Smile Stamp set.

Coloring this little guy was a breeze with the beautiful 

ShinHan Touch Twin Markers!  Love them!

This is the AWESOME December Stamp of the Month S1512 "Candlelight Garden"!  So many possibilities with this set!  

Did you know that Close To My Heart donates $7 of each D1679 Animal Greetings stamp set sold to Operation Smile?  What a wonderful cause repairing cleft lips for children around the world, giving a smile to a child who could never have this surgery otherwise.  Warms my heart to help support Operation Smile!

Supplies:

Stamp Sets:  Candlelight Garden December Stamp of the Month (jar),

 Animal Greetings (mouse), Reindeer Bells (sentiment), Holly Jolly Christmas (pine sprig)

CTMH Artbooking Cricut Cartridge (snowflake)

White Pines Paper Pack, White Daisy Cards/Envelopes

ShinHan Markers: Carmine, Turquoise Blue, Sap Green, 

4 Warm Grey, Pastel Peach  

Memento Black pad, CTMH Fern Stamp Pad

Bitty Sparkles

Retired: Season's Tweetings (tiny Santa hat), Cranberry Baker's Twine, Prisma Glitter

Planners Gonna Plan!

I can't wait to get my hands on this gorgeous planner!  I saw one at our CTMH Album Retreat in Salt Lake City last month 

and it was amazing!  

The Everyday Life Planner became available to order starting 

Dec. 1.  Get it this month with a special bundle price of $29.95 (value of $35.85)  It includes the Album, 2016 Planner pages and the cool matching stamp!  Find it here: Planner Promotion.

 The Planner Album - Beautiful!

The 2016 Planner Pages -  Stylish and Cool!

Stamp - Too FUN!

The Stamp - Too Fun!

And....there are more cool products to add to your Everyday Planner Albums!

My Crush Pages!  Love them!

 Fun new Washi Tape!  Yay!

Memory Protector Pocket pages in 4 x 3.....

 and 4 x 6 pockets!  Perfect!