You Make Me Happy

Hi everyone! Excited to share with you these cards I made using the Operation Smile stamp set from the Close To My Heart March/April 2020 Catalog - You Make Me Smile. Each catalog from Close To My Heart has a stamp set in which proceeds from the set go to Operation Smile. If you are unfamiliar with Operation Smile it is a non-profit organization that provides surgeries to repair cleft lips and palates in children around the world. I fell in love with the set from this catalog - the animal images are absolutely adorable.

For each card I used a sketch from our Make It From Your Heart Volume 2 How-to Book. I also tried my hand at practicing some different coloring techniques with the cards. For all the cards I used the Mix-In Paper Pack and Coordinating Cardstock from the current catalog. The Mix-Ins in the catalog are meant to coordinate with the paper collections from the catalog - this pack of Mix-Ins goes beautifully with the Yesterday & Today and Seas the Day collections.

For the first two cards I used our TriBlend Markers. These markers have color blends from light to dark which makes it so easy to give shading variations to your artwork.

For the second two cards I used our Watercolor Paints and our Small Round Watercolor brush. The barrel of the brush holds water and it is perfect for

For the final two cards I used our Watercolor Pencils along with the Small Round Watercolor Brush. These pencils are great for getting tiny details of color and the brush lets you gently blend the colors to get the effect you want.

Click here to check out this stamp set on my website today!

I hope you liked the cards. Thanks for stopping by.

Supplies Used:

D1920 - You Make Me Smile stamp set
9042 - Make It From Your Heart Volume 2
X9013 - Mix-In Paper Pack
X9014 - Mix-in Coordinating Cardstock
Z4189 - Intense Black Exclusive Ink
Triblend Markers
Z3132 - Watercolor Paints
Z3224 - Small Round Water Brush
Z3630 - Watercolor Pencils

Family Legacy and a Sketch Challenge

I hope everyone is staying well during these times. I have been working on catching up on some projects around our house as well as with my Close To My Heart business while practicing social distancing. I have been wanting to showcase the March Stamp of the Month - Family Legacy - for awhile and finally had a chance today to create a card today using some of the Featured Paper for the month of March - Yesterday & Today - along with the stamp set.

This card follows this weeks sketch challenge #428 from Freshly Made Sketches. You can find the sketch along with other card makers variations on this sketch here.

I changed the sketch a bit in that I added an additional banner strip next to the sentiment. I worked with the patterned papers from the Yesterday & Today paper pack along with Espresso cardstock, Espresso and Black Exclusive Inks. I stamped the sentiment in Black and the scroll work in Espresso. I also inked the edges of the sentiment banner with the Espresso ink. I used a scalloped circle die along with some gold gems to add something extra to the card.

The Family Legacy set is perfect for scrapbooking or card making. This set of 17 images can be purchased for $18.95 on my website through March 31st or you can get it for just $5.00 with a $50 purchase.

If you are interested in this stamp set there is still time to get it. Click here to head on over to my website and see this stamp set today!

I hope you like the card. Thanks for stopping by.

Supplies Used:

S2003 - Stamp of the Month: Family Legacy
X7254S - Yesterday & Today Paper Pack + Sticker Sheet
X5951 - Espresso Cardstock
Z2829 - Espresso Exclusive Ink Pad
Z2805 - Black Exclusive Ink Pad
Z3312 - Gold Glitter Gems

Walt Disney World Scrapbook and Tips for Scrapbooking a Vacation

So excited to share with you all the scrapbook I just completed from our 2018 vacation to Florida. I really enjoy creating scrapbooks of our vacations. Vacation scrapbooks are some of my favorite since it is so much fun to go back and revisit those places we have traveled to over the years.

Scroll to the end of this post for a slideshow of the layouts in this scrapbook album.

I am sharing this since I have been often asked how I approach a vacation scrapbook.  The main thing I will say is that - Organization is key.

• I organize my photos by day and by event or location visited within the day.
• I try to be very picky with the photos I use so as not to print too many. I don't feel the need to scrapbook every photo I take on a vacation - I try and choose only those that help tell the primary story in each layout.
• I choose a paper collection to use for the entire album. This helps to unify the various layouts within the album.
• I keep the background papers to primarily black, white and a simple neutral. I will occasionally add a pop of color on a layout with a different background color.
• I keep the embellishments simple - a few gems, buttons and some ribbon is enough.
• I rely on sketches to help keep my layouts clean and uncluttered.
• I tend to pick a couple fonts to use throughout the album when creating titles on my Cricut - this also helps to unify the pages.

For this album I used the More Magical collection along with the coordinating paper from Close To My Heart. These papers were perfect for this and I wish the collection was not retired. Close To My Heart brought it back once and I hope they will again.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you liked the album. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions.

Everyday Moments Cricut Collection

I don't know about you but I am in love with the Cricut Collections done in collaboration with Close To My Heart. The newest collection - Everyday Moments features several fully-designed scrapbook layouts and cards in a variety of sizes and styles, making it easy to complete an entire project in a single sitting.

You can even use selected elements from a project to create something else. For this layout from our last trip to Walt Disney World I used the title and a few additional elements from one of the layouts included in this collection.

The Everyday Moments Cricut collection is available exclusively through my consultant website. Click here to go to my website and click on the Cricut icon to purchase this an any of our other Cricut collections.

These Are My People

I am excited to share with you the new special from Close To My Heart - These Are My People. This collection is here to help you preserve the moments that matter most, with the people that matter most. 

This collection includes a 6" x 8" Cut Above Kit, a Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, a Paper Packet, a Coordinating Cardstock Pack, a My Acrylix Love These People stamp set, and a Workshop Kit. 

The smaller 6" x 8" Cut Above format is a great way to dive into the scrapbooking process and is an

excellent place to start for those who may be new to scrapbooking. With a smaller size and all the

elements pre-cut, you will love how easy it is to create striking layouts featuring your most precious memories. It even comes with an exclusive SVG file to help you personalize the front of your

album!

In addition to the These Are My People Cut Above. Kit, the These Are My People Workshop Kit allows you to create thoughtful cards and gorgeous scrapbook layouts. This workshop kit is available in two purchasing options—one including the stamp set, and one without. All items in this special are available for individual purchase, but when you purchase the workshop with the stamp set, you will

receive a 20% discount. You will also receive a FREE SVG file included in both workshop kit

options.

Click here to see the These Are My People collection. The offers in this special are available from March 1 through April 30, while supplies last.

Yesterday & Today

Excited to share that there is a new catalog from Close To My Heart that is now live! With the new catalog comes new collections, stamps, tools, embellishments, etc. I will be sharing more about this catalog with you in upcoming posts. Click here to see all of the new catalog now!

 Today I am sharing the Featured Paper for the month of March - Yesterday & Today. This collection features elegant and timeless designs that will add depth and beauty to all your crafting projects. Use this collection of papers and coordinating items to preserve family memories, send heartfelt cards, or even create one-of-a-kind decor items.

Yesterday & Today Paper Pack with Sticker Sheet

Yesterday & Today Coordinating Cardstock

Yesterday & Today Picture My Life Cards

Yesterday & Today Foil Die Cuts

Yesterday & Today Vellum Die Cuts

Click here to see the full Yesterday and Today Collection.