Anything Goes..Holiday Style

I mentioned in my Dec 2 post that I created several different cards in multiples of six this year.  Well, this one takes the prize for taking the most patience and time. 

I cut this with a file from Complete Creativity, the newest Close to My Heart Digital Cricut Cartridge.  The file has all the components included.  You just need to cut everything out and assemble. I will warn you that the card size is 5 x 7.  Assembly was a little challenging.  I did find that a product called Dry Bond helped with the sentiment and Joseph and Mary.  I found it at Dick Blick the last time I bought it, but that was a few years ago.

So this is the last Heart to Heart Challenge of the year and a good time to tell you that I have decided to leave the team, at least for awhile.  However, I intend to keep this blog going, so please do check back now and then to see what I have been doing.  You may may even see me linking up to H2H and maybe some other challenges.

Thanks for being with me--

Merry Christmas,
Sue

Evergreen!

Evergreen is one of my favorite new colors in the Close to My Heart Exclusive Color Palette. I love the richness of this green and decided to feature it in this week's Heart 2 Heart Challenge, Evergreen.

Design Inspiration is Pattern 15 in Make it from Your Heart Vol.4

To create the card, I used Evergreen, Clover, Candy Apple, and White Daisy cardstock, patterned paper from the Every Little Thing paper packet and White Glitter Paper (hard to see in the picture. the sentiment is stamped with a stamp from Holiday Trimmings C1810. The holly was cut on the Cricut with a file from the City Sidewalks cartridge from CTMH.
This year, in order to use up some papers and to try new designs, I created Christmas cards in multiples of six .  I think this design is my very favorite of all I made.  But then, my favorite color is green, so there you go.

I hope you enjoy this card...thanks for joining me today.  Please visit Heart 2 Heart Challenges to see what the design team has to show you!

Sue

An Attitude of Gratitude

An Attitude of Gratitude...a good policy all year long, but especially now at Thanksgiving.  I don't know about you, but I am tiring of the autumn leaves that we have all been using for our Fall creations.  So I decided to use one of the Sep-Oct Mix-In papers and the November Stamp of the Month to create this nontraditional Thanksgiving card.  I also used the Stitched Hearts Thin Cuts and the Heart Patterns stamp set which is found in the 2019-2020 core catalog. I was inspired by a technique from Chris Robertson to create this 3-D heart.  What fun!

Thanks for joining me today.  For more inspiration, please visit Heart 2 Heart Challenges.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sue

Full Circle!

It is always easy and fun to create with circles.  I chose to use the Every Little Thing paper pack to create this card.  The Wisteria polka dot and the grid papers are from the Sep-Oct mix-in pack. The stamps are from Family Time--November Stamp of the Month.  I think the flower is probably intended to be a sunflower, but I think it looks wonderful stamped with Wisteria!

Inspired by Page Maps October 2018

Thank you for visiting my blog today.  I hope this gets you thinking about using your stamps in ways beyond their original intention.  For more inspiration, please visit Heart 2 Heart Challenges.

Talk with you soon,

Sue

Pumpkin Spice!

Heart 2 Heart is celebrating Pumpkin Spice this week.  To create my pumpkin inspired design team project, I chose to use both sides of the beautiful Paprika cardstock (X6033) from Close to My Heart.  I used the Multi Square Windows Thin Cut (Z4023) for the frame.  I embossed the pumpkins and leaves with gold embossing powder. Sorry, but the stamps and the "clip" embellishment were from a September special.  There are other options though.  Look through your stamps for small designs that will work in a 1" square or use the die to cut patterned papers and fill the windows.  For the embellishment, choose a shape and size that pleases you and substitute it for the "clip".

Inspiration from Gina Brandstetter

Thank you for joining me today.  For more inspiration, please visit the Heart 2 Heart Pumpkin Spice Challenge.

Happy fall crafting,

Sue

Fall

The hardest thing about creating this Fall project was coming up with something at least a little bit original.  It seems that this topic is popular among paper crafters...just take a look at Pinterest...you will  see what I mean.

I found my inspiration in Pattern 17 in the instruction book Make it from Your Heart, Volume 4.  It is dedicated to card making and has easy to create patterns to make beautiful cards.  I used patterned paper from the Hawthorn packet which is available until the end of October and Sapphire, Paprika, Saffron and White Daisy cardstock.

Assembly is pretty straight forward.  I did use the stitched circle Thin Cuts and did emboss the pumpkin cardstock.  Gold Glitter Gems provide the bling and the twine is from my stash.

For more Fall inspiration, be sure to visit Heart 2 Heart Challenges.  We will love it if you link your project there.  Just remember to use at least one Close to My Heart product

Happy Fall crafting,

Sue

All About Cricut!

This week at Heart 2 Heart we are challenging you to use your Cricut to create a paper crafting project.  With our smallest grandchildren heading back to school, I turned to the Close to My Heart Artbooking Cricut Collection for my First Day project. 

Design credit goes to Lisa Hidy

So while I sort of went with the primary color theme often seen with school layouts, I added some twists.  I like to mix prints; I like a little texture;  and I am ecstatic when I can use up scraps.  So here you can see the prints...the background paper and the Julep print from the Mix-In pack from the new Sept-Oct catalog and the Cranberry print from a long retired Fundamentals pack.  For texture, I embossed the retired Honey with the Word Find embossing folder (hard to see in the picture).  The blue Cricut cuts were cut from Sapphire cardstock.

I am waiting for my son to send me pictures and then I will have to decide which cutie will be featured on this layout!

Close to My Heart has created a new partnership with Provo Craft Cricut.  You are now able to purchase Cricut files and supplies through my website.  If you have Design Space/Cricut Access, all the CTMH cutting files except the newest collection being released this month, are already there!  If this interests you, please contact me and I will walk you through the process.

As you read this, I will just have arrived home from an Eastern European trip!  Oh, the scrapping I will have ahead of me!  Can't wait!

Please check out Heart 2 Heart Challenges for more Cricut inspiration.

Til next time,

Sue

Mixed Fonts!

There are so many ways to mix your fonts on your projects.  You can choose sentiment stamps that utilize different fonts or use alphabet stamps to completely mix things up.  You may want to use your computer to create a title or journaling with different fonts or how about cutting varied fonts on you Cricut or other cutting machine.

For me...when I opened my Hawthorne paper and Complements package and saw the "Awesome" sticker with the fonts already mixed up, I knew what I wanted to create.  Here is a layout celebrating my granddaughter's FFA State Degree.  I utilized the 4-3-2 method and added a journaling block and some banners. For my simple embellishments, I resurrected some Colonial White brads.  They worked perfectly with the French Vanilla, the new off-white from Close to My Heart. These papers from the Hawthorne pack blended with the blue and gold of the FFA jackets

I have been a little frustrated lately, trying to reinvent the wheel with new layout designs.  Actually, this layout is my style...very linear and "clean and classy." While I will still attempt to challenge myself, I think you will be seeing more layouts like this.

For more inspiration, please visit Heart 2 Heart Challenges.

Happy crafting and have fun mixing your fonts!

Sue

From Me to You...

There are so many ways to say "From Me to You" with your paper crafting.  You may choose to make a card, a gift bag or box or maybe (and this is ambitious), an album.  The possibilities are endless!

I chose to create a birthday card and used the Craft On one more time before it is retired at the end of the month.  The cardstocks are Carolina and White Daisy. The design sketch is from Mojo Monday.

The sentiment and hearts were stamped with From Me to You S1908, the August Stamp of the Month.  The shading behind the sentiment was stamped with Timeless Textures, D1852.

The Seasonal Expressions 2 catalog will retire on August 31st.  To order from it, please visit my website or contact me. Be watching for news of big changes at Close to My Heart coming on September 1!

For more inspiration, please visit Heart 2 Heart Challenges.

From Me to You,

Sue

Adventure Awaits!

Oh boy...I love this heart 2 Heart Challenge!  In a little over a month, another couple and my hubby and myself will be embarking on an Eastern Euopean riverboat cruise preceded by three days in Vienna.  What an adventure! We booked this trip a year ago last spring and I can't believe the time has almost come!

As "Adventure Awaits" is this week's theme, I decided to create the cover page for my trip album.    I scanned the two guide books I have purchased and downloaded the map of our cruise itinerary. I added a September calendar with the trip dates circled.  The title was cut on the Cricut from a CTMH file and the sentiments were stamped with the Escape to Paradise stamp set (D1847).

What adventures do you still have planned for this summer or what adventures have you already participated in?  I hope you will create a project, be it a layout or a card and link it Heart 2 Heart.  You will have until the end of August to do so...just remember to use at least one CTMH product.

For more inspiration, please visit us at Heart 2 Heart!

May all your adventures bring you joy!

Sue

On the Border!

For the Heart 2 Heart "On the Border" challenge, I decided to use the beautiful Lace Border die from CTMH.  I chose my papers from the Sweet Girl suite and used Peach and White Daisy cardstock. Although the inside of this card appears pink, it is actually the light shade of the Peach paper.

Nothing too fancy here...I hope you enjoy it!

Until next time,
Sue

Color Challenge...Candy Apple!

This week at Heart 2 Heart, we are challenging you to use Candy Apple in your creation.  This color is a very pretty red that works well for almost all occasions, the obvious being Christmas, Valentine's Day, Canada Day and of course, the 4th of July.

I have chosen to use a color combination from the CTMH Love of Color book.  I used Candy Apple, Glacier and Almond along with White Daisy to create my anniversary card.  My inspiration was Pattern 24 from the Make it From Your Heart, Volume 4 book.  I actually needed several anniversary cards this evening and I was able to quickly put several together.

The sentiment was stamped with Special Day Duo, a new stamp set in the Seasonal Expressions 2 catalog. It also includes the word Birthday.  The embellishments are from the Black and White Enamel Dots set.  The patterned paper was featured in the 2018 Holiday Expressions catalog and is now retired.

I hope you are inspired by this card and that you will visit Heart 2 Heart Challenges for even more ideas.

Until next time,

Sue

Craft on!

Ok...I do this with most every catalog.  I look at the paper packets, feel ambivalent with half of them and a few weeks later...bam, I need them all.  Craft On was one of those packets.  I was particularly not in favor of the floral on the black background.  My friend said "It will grow on you".  She was right.  I am using it as well as the yellow check here on this card for the Heart 2 Heart Craft On challenge.

Design credit to Dawn Griffith

The sentiment is from the cut-out sheet from the Craft On packet.  The cardstocks used are White Daisy, Black and Pixie.

This was a fun card to make.  I have not added the inside sentiment yet as I have not decided which to use.  I am thinking a birthday for a crafting friend or maybe a Just Because card to brighten someone's day!

I hope you will visit Heart 2 Heart Challenges for more crafting inspiration.  We will also love it if you link your creation to the blog site...you have until the end of the month to do so.  Just remember to use at least one CTMH product.

Talk with you soon...Craft On!

Sue

Geometrics!

This week we at Heart 2 Heart are challenging you to create a project using geometrical shapes.  You can do as I did and use the Thin Cuts--Stitched Quilt Shapes from CTMH, or maybe you will think out of the box and come up with your own designs.

I was inspired by a quilt pattern I found on Pinterest.  I used the True Love paper packet, and White Daisy and Sugarplum cardstock.  To accomodate the quilt square, I made this card 5" x 7".

Creating this quilted look is a little time consuing,, but aren't the results worth it?

For my more geometrical inspiration, be sure to visit the Heart 2 Heart blog site.

Until next time,

Sue

For the Love of Pets!

We love animals...we really do.  We have a grand bulldog named Sophie and a great-grand mix named Bailey.  They are both sweet girls and we enjoy them.  For now, we have chosen to not have pets.  But a long time ago, we had a wonderful golden retriever named Rusty.  He was the best dog...so gentle with the kids.  When he tired of playing with them, he simply walked away.

Now Rusty had a very strange habit...call it an addiction if you will.  When he was a puppy we gave him water in a galvanized bucket.  He started working his way into the handle and carrying the bucket around his neck.  I need to say that we monitored this situation and he was never in any danger by doing this. Rusty had several adventures with his bucket.  The funniest came about when he decided to make a trip to town from our farm home.  He obviously left with his bucket as I never saw it again.  However, when our cousin saw him and brought him home, Rusty now had two buckets around his neck...neither of them ours.  To the unknown owners of the pails, I send apologies!

So this week at Heart 2 Heart, we are celebrating the love of pets.  I have been wanting to scrap this story about Rusty for while, so it was the perfect opportunity to do so.

Design credit to Susan Stringfellow

For my layout, I used Into the Wild, a new paper packet from the Close to My heart Seasonal Expressions 2 catalog.  I love the muted colors and the outdoor look.  I also used the light side of Sapphire cardstock as well as Heather and Mink cardstock.  The dog was stamped with Espresso onto Almond cardstock.  The dog is from the Faithful Friend set which is retired.  The wood embellishments are from the Into the Wild Wood Shapes and are new in this catalog.  The title was cut on the Cricut.

I hope you enjoyed this layout and hearing about Rusty.  For more inspiration for creating projects honoring your pets, please visit Heart 2 Heart Challenges 

Until next time,

Sue

National Scrapbooking Month!

I love that May is National Scrapbooking Month!  I often say that I am mainly a scrapper and just make cards to justify my stash.  Now that is not entirely true as I really do like creating cards, but scrapping may be my first love.  May also means we have a new catalog at Close to My Heart.  It is called Seasonal Expressions 2 and is filled with wonderful products and ideas for your paper crafting. I will give you the link to the book at the end of this post.

But for now, here is the layout I created for you.  I was inspired by one of the layouts included in the Expressions 2 consultant launch kit.  Because the wood look reminded me of a gym floor, I decided to do a layout about my granddaughter's basketball team.

So is the herringbone pattern created with strips of the woodgrain paper from the Sweet Girl packet awesome or what?  It was a little challenging and time consuming, but I love the results.  If you want to create this look for yourself, I will be happy to show you how!

Other papers used include Heather, Black and retired Sunflower cardstock.  I happened to spy the checked paper in my stash and decided it was perfect for the layout.  It was from an old Western look paper suite...I don't even remember the name!  This is one of the beauties of CTMH...years may pass and the papers still blend very well!

I hope you will visit Heart 2 Heart Challenges to see what else the design team has created for your inspiration.  I also invite you to click here to view the Seasonal Expressions 2 Catalog and Idea Book. I have some other projects from the book completed and will be posting some of them soon.

Until next time,
Sue

Happy Times!

Happy Times...this Heart 2 Heart Challenge theme can be interpreted so many ways! Choosing to use all CTMH products, I selected the So Much Happy paper packet and the Years of Sweetness stamp set to create my bright and happy birthday card.

Design credit to Jodi Collins of MFT

The white strip with the tiny hearts is from the I Heart Us packet and I used White Daisy, Pacifica and Willow cardstock.  I love the fringe cut with a Thin Cut as well as the white enamel dots and the little strip of Washi tape.

I hope you will join us at Heart 2 Heart by creating and linking your own happy project! Just remember to use at least one Close to My Heart product.

Until next time,

Sue

Favorite Sketch!

I had no problem creating a project for this week's challenge.  Pattern 14 in Make It from Your Heart, Volume 3 from Close to My Heart has been a favorite of mine for a few years.  It was first used in a Workshop your Way kit and was then included in the above mentioned instruction book.

For today's layout, I used paper, Complements and Washi Tape from the So Much Happy WYW kit.  I also used Linen and Sapphire carstock.  The enamel dots are from the retired Stargazer suite. The title was cut on the Cricut. This layout is easy and quick to put together.

Just for fun, here are some of the other layouts I have done with this layout. What a difference different papers and embellishments make!

Thanks for joining me today.  For more inspiration for both scrapbook and card layouts, please visit Heart 2 Heart Challenges.

Talk with you soon,

Sue

Seasons Change!

Have you heard?  It is officially Spring!  Here in Illinois it is probably wise not to take that too much for granted, as we have had absolutely dillies of snowstorms well into April. But for now, the days are getting warmer, the sun has been shining and my dear hubby has been in the mood to work at picking up the fallen branches in the yard.

So here I was with this "Seasons Change" challenge.  Not really sure what to do, I decided to create a card with spring flowers. I love these papers from the So Much Happy paper packet.  The vase with flowers is actually a sticker in the Complements pack.  I rubbed the back with a anti static pouch to remove the stickiness and then bumped it with Thin 3-D Tape.  The sentiment stamp is retired, but the card will be perfect with a sentiment of your choice.  A few Bitty Sparkles on the flower centers finished the card off.

Design credit goes to operationwritehome.org

For more seasonal inspiration, including an absolutely beautiful wreath for the wall or door, please visit Heart 2 Heart Challenges.

Wishing you a lovely spring--

Sue

By the Numbers!

This week, Heart 2 Heart is challenging us to use numbers in our project. You can accomplish this by using patterned paper with numbers or stamping your numbers. You can use stickers or chipboard embellishments, or cut your own numbers using dies or an electronic cutting machine.

Design credit to SQSC 15

To create my numbers, I used the CTMH Cricut Artiste cartridge.  I cut 3 of each number from White Daisy and 1 from the patterned paper.  I then glued the layers together to create a dimensional emellishment that coordinates perfectly with my paper choices.  This can be seen in the photo below.

All the products used are from CTMH, most from the current Seasonal Expressions 1.  For questions about this card or how to order product, feel free to contact me or click here to visit my website. For more number inspiration, please visit  Heart 2 Heart Challenges.  I have also submitted this to the Color my Heart Color Dare Challenge.  For this challenge, I have used all the colors shown.

Til next time,

Sue

CASE It!

I love it when the Heart 2 Heart Challenge is to copy something from the current catalog/idea book.  This time, we are challenging you to copy something from the CTMH Seasonal Expressions, only giving it your own twist.  I copied the card at the bottom of page 85, but gave each card a twist using various papers from the Something Fierce paper packet.  This was a lot of fun and a great way to use up scraps!

The stamps are all from the Years of Sweetness set (D1827), also on page 85.  The circle was cut with a die from the Stitched Circle Thin Cut set (Z4181) and the cupcake and candle were cut on the Cricut, but would also be easy to fussy cut.

So please select a favorite card or layout from the catalog...you can see it here...and then giving it your own twist, copy away.  We will love it if you link your project to the Heart 2 Heart post...we love being inspired by you.  Please remember to use at least one CTMH product.

Happy Casing!

Sue

I Heart Us!

In true Valentine spirit, Heart 2 Heart is challenging us to create a project that says "I Heart Us".  While CTMH has a fun paper suite with that very title, for my Design Team project, I decided to use papers from the February special, Heart Happy.  I was inspired by Mojosketch #508 by Julee Tilman.
The sentiment was stamped with a stamp from A Piece of My Heart.  Information on the paper packet and the stamp set can be found here.  These items are available through February 28th.  The guy and gal were stamped with a set called Sightseer, unfortunately long retired.

I am sure you are all creating cards for your Valentines...how about using at least one Close to My Heart product and linking to the Heart 2 Heart site?  While you are there, take a look at what the Design Team has prepared for you.  I know you will be inspired.
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Happy Valentine's Day!
Sue

For the Love of Color!

Yes, I love color, expecially in my paper crafting.  So I am excited to post this layout featuring the CTMH colors, Peacock, Carolina and Sage with Mink, Saffron and Sorbet thrown in.

Design credit to Close to My Heart
Make it From Your Heart, Vol 3, Pattern 20
Color inspiration from Love of Color from CTMH

Think about it...color is everywhere.  When you see a picture in a magazine that pleases you, take a look at it.  What are the main colors and how can you create a card or layout using these colors?  You can also find inspiration in scrapooking and card magazines and of course, Pinterest.  If you follow me, take a look at my board, Color Palettes that Please Me. If you enjoy reference books, consider purchasing Love of Color from Close to My Heart. So many possibilities!

Love of Color is the theme for this week's Heart 2 Heart Challenges Click here to see what the Design Team has for you.  I hope you will be inspired to create something colorful!

Until later,

Sue

Technique Time!

Tonight I was reading the Blog from CTMH titled Five Ways to Get out of a Creative Rut and Get Inspired (You can also read it here).  One of the suggestions is to try something new.  This week at Heart 2 Heart, we are challenging you to create something using a stamped background.  No matter if  this is a new technique for you or an old favorite, I hope you will be inspired to create a project and then link it!

Design credit to Close to My Heart

I used the "love you" stamp from the January Stamp of the Month for my stamped background.  The paper is from the Heart Happy set, available through February. I originally planned to stamp a sentiment on the larger heart, but with all the patterned paper I used, I really needed to make the hearts solid and just allow the "love you" background serve as the sentiment.  The inside will be stamped with a Valentine's message.

Heart Happy Paper Packet

January 2019 Stamp of the Month

For more stamped background inspiration, please visit Heart 2 Heart Challenges.  We hope you will link your project...just remember to use at least one Close to My Heart product. You have until the end of the month...we will love being inspired by you.

Happy Stamping,
Sue

Scrap our Stash Challenge

I have been following this challenge for awhile and finally decided to make an entry.  When I saw the theme "Saturday Cartoon Inspired Stash Challenge",  I knew that I had the perfect pictures and the perfect papers in my stash.

All products used are from Close to My Heart.  The patterned papers except the lemon are retired. The lemon paper is from the "Something Fierce" paper packet in the current Seasonal Expressions book.

Please visit the Scrap Your Stash Challenge blog for more inspiration and information.

Happy Scrapping,
Sue