Blog Hoppin' With A Wonderful Friend

Welcome to our June Stamp of the Month blog hop featuring "Wonderful Friend." This is a super stamp set that celebrates those guys in our lives. It has 9 stamps including two verses that come from the heart. If you have come from Laurie's blog you are on the right track.

My project includes some gift coupons for our favorite guy all enclosed in a special gift coupon holder made from an envelope. This project can also be used for a gift card but since our family is on a tight budget I made some special coupons for our special guy.

Gift Coupon Holder

Remove the belly band to open the coupon holder.

Make your coupons or purchase a gift card.

Secure your coupons together with a clip

Slide the coupons (gift card) into the pocket and close the flap.


Close the coupon holder and secure with the belly band.

Celebrate your "Wonderful Friend" with this stamp set in the month of June. Now get ready for a Creative Journey at Annette's blog to see her amazing creations.

Note: Directions for the gift coupon holder can be found Here.

Gift Card Holder Directions

Use an A2 size envelope to make a gift card holder

Fold your envelope in half
Open the flap and cut to the top of the envelope. Glue the flap on the left down on the envelope.

Cover the left side with BTP of your choice. Punch 1/2 circle on the top of the BTP for the right side of the envelope. Attach BTP to the envelope making a pocket at the top opening.

Finish the inside of the holder. Slide your gift card in the pocket and fold down the flap. Close the gift card holder like a card.

Cover the front and back sides of the envelope with BTP. Make a belly band to keep closed.

Let Freedom Ring

We are so blessed to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave. As Americans, we are privileged to be able to stand on our individual freedoms. However, Freedom comes with a price. If you are visiting my blog today please take a moment to remember those who have given their lives for our freedom and pray for their families. And... if you know someone who has fought for your freedoms be sure to thank them everytime you see them.

God Bless the United States of America.

Heart 2 Heart #8

Stamp Your Own Background Week

Choose your favorite stamp set and three of your favorite colors and get ready to stamp. I am using Hollyhock, Buttercup. and Sweet Leaf. Any combination will work for this technique.

This challenge is extremely exciting because it shows us how to take ordinary card stock and turn it into extraordinary background papers. There are several ways to make stamped backgrounds. I used a simple stamping technique that gives a unique background texture. Using the backside of your image, stamp your shape second and third generation randomly on your card stock. Start with the darkest color and end with the lightest color. Be sure to completely cover all the card stock with ink. Then use one of your stamps on the front side to randomly stamp that image over your patchwork background first generation. Now get ready to make your projects.

This first card also shows tone on tone background stamping with the dots on the Sweet Leaf Card stock using Sweet Leaf ink. The second card show the Sweet Leaf dots on White Daisy. The third card shows tone on tone stamping on the parts of the tag.

"Sentiment Secured" from Wishes

"A Heartfelt Classic" from Originals

"Designer Tag" from Wishes

Be sure to visit Heart 2 Heart for more inspirational stamped backgrounds. This versatile technique is extremely useful for all stamping projects. If you don't have the right color background and texture papers you can just make it yourself.

All Supplies are from Close To My Heart:

• Papers: Cherry-O Basics
• Cardstock: Sweet Leaf, Hollyhock, Buttercup and White Daisy
• Stamps: Tasty Treats, Postcard-Travel Series (Backside only)
  Inks: Sweet Leaf, Hollyhock, Buttercup
• Embellishments: Pizzazz Irresitibles, Ricrac & Sweet Leaf Ribbon Collections, Winter Craft Buttons,
• Tools: Border Punch and Flower Punch

More Background Techniques:

See Word Background Here

See Random Stamping Here

See Background Blocks Here

See Stamped Border Here

See Tone on Tone Stamping Here

Having Fun With Those "Happy" Colors

Even though two of the colors from Jeanette's Color Me Monday are not on my list of favorite colors, I am having fun creating with them. If you haven't guessed which two colors they are go here and make a guess and win a prize.

I also used the Heart 2 Heart challenge by stamping backgrounds on each part of this card. Be sure to visit the Heart 2 Heart blog for some great inspiration.

Happy Together

Jeanette's "happy together" color combination from Color Me Monday were "guaranteed to elevate our mood." I took a look at the colors, two of which I really don't care for, and two that usually do elevate my mood. I was really surprised when I pulled the colors from my scrap drawer and put them together. I couldn't get them out of my mind. So I had to get busy.

If you can guess the two colors that I really don't care for and the two colors that usually elevate my mood I will have a prize for you. I will post the winner and the prize as soon as I have a winner. Good Luck to all who guess.

It's A Color Challenge With Heart 2 Heart #7

I decided to give this week's Heart 2 Heart challenge a try. The Color Challenge:

I really think Topiary is one of our great colors but I hardly ever use Ocean. And of course, Desert Sand is a must have basic color. The first card I made I used the Stardust paper pack because it has Topiary and Desert Sand. That left me with Stars for my main stamped image and I wanted to do something more vintage. So out came the butterfly with an emphasis on Desert Sand.

All Supplies are CTMH:

Paper: Splendor, Stardust, & Notebook

Card Stock: Colonial White, Desert Sand & Black

Stamps: Butterfly Kiss, Lovely Kiss

Inks: Black, Topiary, Ocean, & Desert Sand

Embellishments: Colonial White Ribbons, Pretty Pins, & Splendor Designer Brads

Card design is "Delightful Dots" from Wishes

To make the Pretty Pin coordinate with your card remove the pink bead and add Black and Ocean color beads.

Hope you can play along. It's soooo much fun seeing all the creations and the amazing inspiration. If you want to play go to Heart 2 Heart and join the fun.

Lovin' Those Crazy Critters

Hot Diggity (C1407) we've got crazy critters. If you don't have that stamp set yet, Why? It's full of cuteness and Summer fun. Oh, and don't miss out with Over the Rainbow (D1426) to brighten up some one's day. I used my left over scraps to make some crazy critter 3 X 3 note cards. Then I packaged them in a little gift card set.

Miracle Card Workshop

Bring your Miracle kit Tuesday, May 18, 6:00 PM and we will put together 8 gorgeous cards. See complete details on my website.

It's all in the Puddle Pad

If you haven't tried the puddle pad yet then you need to go to my website and click on CTMHTV and watch the episode "Live Your Dreams" and give it a try. It's really fun and easy. I used my puddle pad to make the butterfly and the fish from the "Hot Diggity" stamp set. The colors are topiary, heavenly blue, and goldrush.

Give it a try and let me know how you did. Some more techniques found on CTMHTV are

• Puddle Pads
• Chalk Popping
• Embossed Resist
• B&T Versatility
• Random Stamping
• And many more

Happy Mother's Day

Blessings to all mothers today. Hope you are enjoying Your Day and may God's love fill your life as you celebrate Him.

A Bit of Dimension With Ruffles

Adding ruffles to your cards or scrapbook pages adds a bit of dimension and surprise. To make your ruffles with ease just follow Jeanette's directions from her blog.

We will be learning paper pleating at 5-Card night this Monday. Hope to see you there.

A Patchwork Background

Using up scraps is one those things that are just compelling and complulsive. I've finished my project and ready to clean up the mess. Oh the scraps...what to do? Trash them? File them? Pile them? Use them? Here's a "Use Them" idea:

With scraps from Spleandor BTP I cut into 1" squares and adhered to a scrap of card stock. Then I used my patchwork piece to accent my card.

And a Nation Prays

The National Day of Prayer was established by a congressional joint resolution and signed into law by President Truman in 1952. Today with all the turmoil and unsettling events I am urging all people of faith to take a few minutes to pray for our nation and all its leaders.

To all who come here I share with you my card I made to remember this day. I used Jeanette's "Seeds of Change" colors as inspiration for the card and hope that the real seeds of change will be planted today, watered tomorrow and grow strong in the future.

God bless the United States of America and all her people.