4/17/2011

Join Us on Our Bunny Hop at H2H!

Welcome to our Heart 2 Heart Bunny Hop! This week is another week of From Our Heart to Yours and our Design Team is sponsoring this hop for all our CTMH fans.  The challenge this week is to create Easter or Spring artwork and then link it back to our Heart 2 Heart Blog.  


I spent some time deciding what I wanted to make.  A few years ago when I first started working with paper and stamps, I used to wonder how people made such cool 3D altered projects.  I never saw myself doing this and definitely never saw myself designing these projects.  It's amazing what a few years can do to change your vision, creativity, and ability.  


I do not have a whole lot of Easter stamp sets and almost all of them are retired.  I pulled out the March Stamp of the Month, Sensational Season, and an older retired stamp set called Welcome Baby that had a real sweet chick on it.  


Then I needed to think about what to do with them.  I wanted to do something other than a card so here is the outside of what I came up with and may I say that the best is found inside of this cute box.

I decorated the outside but did not add much extra to it because I knew that it would get some wear and tear and I did not want it falling apart.  Now check out what is found inside of the box.


I made an Easter tic tac toe!  The bunnies and chicks are stamped on cardstock and colored in with our markers.  Then I attached them to flat bottomed marbles (that is one name for them - also called decorative rock) with Liquid Glass. Then I attached magnets to the bottom, again with Liquid Glass. 


Now I needed a piece of metal.  So I spent some time in Lowe's and I know the man in the building supply section thought I was crazy, but he pointed me to the sheet metal and even cut it for me.  They are so nice there!  You see, I wanted my tic tac toe game to be magnetic so that my grandkids could play with it in the car on trips so I needed a piece of metal to put in the bottom of the box so the bunnies and chicks could stick to the game and my grandkids would not lose the pieces.


I found the neatest box at Hobby Lobby which I painted white.  Then I used our Mayberry Level 2 paper pack to decorate the box and make the tic tac toe board.  The sheet metal is under the squares and the Dimensional Element frame is over the edges of the sheet metal.  By the way, the sheet metal is adhered to the box with our fabulous Liquid Glass.

I have to tell you about the pictures of the project.  I am visiting my daughter and grandsons in Florida this weekend and we are attending a baseball tournament that my grandson is playing in.  (By the way, they won their first championship this weekend and I am so excited!)  Anyway, these pictures are taken in the back of my car by my daughter while we were waiting for the championship game to start.  She is much better at photography and got these pictures in 3 tries!  Am I ever happy!
Now, please check out the other design team member's projects:

and then link your own Easter or Spring project to our H2H Bunny Hop.  You 
can ONLY post your link between 8:00 am EST and 8:00 pm EST on that 
Monday!! After 8:00 pm, the link list will be closed and no other entries will be
added through the week. You also MUST include CLOSE TO MY HEART products or your link will be removed. Then through out the day, you can bunny hop among the links to see what everyone has created.

We would love to see a big turn-out for this hop so spread the word! There will also be one random blog hop participant chosen to win a prize so you want to play along!!   Remember that it does not have to be a card.  We love to see anything that you make. Your projects must include CTMH products, but do not have to be 100% CTMH.  If other products are used, a list or description of what was used would be appreciated. Now be sure and head back to the  Heart 2 Heart Challenges Blog and follow the link list to the next participant. Also, remember to check back through 8 pm as more links will be added during the day and you don’t want to miss out on the other artwork!    

4/10/2011

How Would You Like to Join Us at H2H in Reducing, Reusing and Recycling?

Woo Hoo!  It's a new week with a new H2H Challenge!  At H2H we are going green for Earth Day and creating artwork while reducing, reusing and recycling.  I had to take a totally different look at my house and my art supplies with this challenge.  I went shopping in my attic!  I also picked up some of my partially finished projects and this is what I came up with:


This is one of Close to My Heart My Creation Journals.  I have never put one of these together before, but they are so easy to decorate.  The front page is made using one of my unfinished projects, paper bag book covers.  In support of a non-profit that I do volunteer work for, I made about 50 paper bag book covers, but I had one more left and was just not in the mood to make any more, so I used this last one for my journal.  In addition I added Olivia My Stickease, old silk leaves from a former project, some of our old Connections Club Charms and bling as well as some retired flowers.  The ribbons are from my stash and include retired as well as current.  I am trying to reduce my stash so this worked well.


Inside front cover.  Olivia patterned paper and more My Stickease.  The insides of the flower have a little glitter with Glitter Gel.  Can you see the sparkle?  
Another picture of the inside front cover including the paper that comes in the journal.  Lots of room for journaling and doodling or even drawing some card or layout designs.

Inside back cover.  Again I used the My Stickease and stamped a quote.  Isn't this gorgeous?  I just love this elegant flower.

And then finally the back of the journal.  I just cut out a piece of the patterned paper and matted it.  It really didn't need anything else.  You can also see all of the ribbon.  Kind of went crazy with it, but it is growing on me.  

Please check out the other design team member's projects:


and then create your own project using recycled or repurposed items.  Remember that it does not have to be a card.  We love to see anything that you make. Your projects must include CTMH products, but do not have to be 100% CTMH.  If other products are used, a list or description of what was used would be appreciated. Remember to post it on the Heart 2 Heart Challenges Blog.  You could win some fantastic prizes from our April Sponsors, LeAnne Dudley and Michelle Zimmerman.

One more thing ......... 
On April 18, we will be sponsoring our first blog hop - the H2H Bunny HOP and we want you to play along.

Here are the details: Before Monday, April 18th, create something Easter or Spring themed. Post it to your blog. Then on Monday April 18th, add your link to our Mister Linky here on the H2H blog. You can ONLY post your link between 8:00 am EST and 8:00 pm EST on that Monday!! After 8:00 pm, the link list will be closed and no other entries will be added through the week. You also MUST include CLOSE TO MY HEART products or your link will be removed. Then through out the day, you can bunny hop among the links to see what everyone has created.

We would love to see a big turn-out for this hop so spread the word! There will also be one random blog hop participant chosen to win a prize so you want to play along!! 

4/03/2011

April Showers Bring May Flowers on H2H!

Are you ready for our latest challenge?  Our challenge this week is artwork  featuring rain or flowers.  You know, kind of like April Showers bring May Flowers?  I pulled out my favorite stamp set, Smiles (C1397) and CAS'd an old favorite card of mine and then added it to my inspiration layout, the layout you can find on page 6 of the Spring/Summer Idea Book.  I changed up a few papers and of course used a different stamp set, so probably only I know that I started off with this layout.  So, here is my card.

I wish that the photo showed that the second flower from the left and the one on the right is actually stamped onto patterned paper, cut out, and pop dotted so that they stand out.  Here's a better picture of the stamping.

All the images are embossed with clear embossing powder. The flower on the left has bitty sparkles in the center.  The large Hollyhock flower has a pink sparkle in the middle while the Dutch Blue flower has a dark gray Opaque in the center.  And don't you love the whimsical butterfly from Ambiance stamp set (C1349)?  The inside says " and smiled!"  Love that sentiment! Wouldn't it make your day to receive a card like this?  Me too!

Products Used
  • Stamps:  Smiles (C1397) and Ambiance C1349
  • Paper:  Sophia My Reflections Level 2 Paper Pack (X7131B)
  • Inks:   Hollyhock (Z2128), Blush (Z2106), Black (Z2105), Pear (Z2197), and Goldrush (Z2123)
  • Embellishments:  Opaques Licorice (Z1335), Bitty Sparkles (Z1263), and Sparkles, Red, Pink and Purple Assortment (Z1326)
  • Other Products:  Craft Heater (Z555), Clear Embossing Powder (Z671), Versamark (Z891), Adhesive and Sponge Dauber (Z726)
Please check out the other design team member's projects:


and then create your own project featuring rain or flowers or both!  Remember that it does not have to be a card.  We love to see anything that you make. Your projects must include CTMH products, but do not have to be 100% CTMH.  If other products are used, a list or description of what was used would be appreciated. Remember to post it on the Heart 2 Heart Challenges Blog.  You could win some fantastic prizes from our April Sponsors, LeAnne Dudley and Michelle Zimmerman.