Stamptacular Blog Hop

Welcome to our Stamptacular Blog Hop!  We will be featuring all of thew wonderful stamps on sale this month- some of our favourites are back in stock!  

If you have come here from Brenda's Blog, you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way all around.  If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants on Melinda’s Blog. 

This month we have 20 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other great CTMH products on their blogs. This is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

I had some photos I needed to scrapbook from our family holiday, and in particular from our trip to the Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium in Auckland, New Zealand. I had the Summer Vibes Cardmaking stamp set, which is on sale in our Stamptacular sale, and so I thought this would be perfect to use for some motivation to get those photos scrapped!

Here is the full look at my double page layout- but without a special addition that you will see at the end of my blog post.

Let's have a closer look at the left hand side with the focal circle point. This circle was cut from the Daisy Meadows Paper Packet- a spring and Easter themed but I have managed to make it sea themed!

I used the bubble stamp to create a border along the outer edges of each page using Glacier ink. I also used the stamp set to create the Just Keep Swimming Banner, and matted a journal card onto a bubble PML card from Summer Vibes. 

I then stamped lots of the cute little fishies in Peacock (first and second generation) and Glacier ink. I added a cute bubble border from the Summer Vibes Sticker Sheet to keep the theme going, and you can also spot some grey die cut shapes from the Seas The Day Diecuts.

Here is the right hand side of my layout- with a slightly smaller piece of the circle paterned paper background and some more of the fishes and bubbles from the Summer Vibes Cardmaking stamp set. 

Here are more of the cute die-cuts, and I really love the Together title under the photo of my two boys! I accented the die-cuts with White Pearls, as they always remind me of the sea.

Once I had done my two page layout, I realised I had all of the green screen souvenir photos from the day too! I simply added some more of the Summer Vibes PML Cards and the photos into the 6x12 Flip Flaps Memory Protectors. I love these fold outs for adding additional photos to a layout!

The PML card already had a pattern on it, but I stamped all over that with the bubbles stamp in Peacock ink, and added some more die-cuts and a strip of the Daisy Meadows paper to keep everything cohesive. 

Here is the finished layout, complete with the extra Flip Flap! 

Now "Hop" on over to Darlys' Blog to see her work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas! Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this and all the other Stamptacular stamp set at a discount!

Summer Vibes in Fiji

This week at Heart 2 Heart, Anything Goes!

I thought I would share one more Summer Vibes layout before this collection isn't available anymore- and yes it is another Fiji layout. I've nearly finished my vacation album and I wish I could be travelling right now, but at least I can scrapbook my vacation memories.

I loved the wave paper and wanted to create a poolside vibe for this double page spread. The serene blue then paired with the fun icon paper really draws your eye to all the photos, and I love this scrapbook page pattern!



On the left hand side I used the Summer Vibes PML cards as well as the Summer Vibes Acrylic Shapes and the stickers from the sticker sheet. I cut the cocktail out from my Cricut using the You Are Here collection.



The right hand side uses another Summer Vibes sticker for the title, and I cut up the neon PML card to create a cute square patterned paper piece.



I can't wait for the warmer weather here in New Zealand, and I will definitely miss this amazing Summer Vibes collection. I'd love to know what your favourite collection has been so far this year!

Don't forget to join us over at Heart 2 Heart Challenges where Anything Goes.

Use Your Scraps

Welcome to our Technique Blog Hop!  This month there are 10 of us highlighting ideas to use up our scraps. 

This blog hop is a great big circle so you can start wherever you want and continue through to see all the fabulous artwork incorporating this technique.

If you are coming from Carrie’s Blog, you are on the right track!

I'd like to show you a fun chevron border idea using some paper scraps. All of your patterned papers, bright designs and bold patterns are fabulous for this technique!

All you need are 1.5 x 1.5 inch squares of patterned paper, which you then cut in half diagonally. To make the border, simply layer them in a chevron pattern as shown below. I used about four types of patterns but you can use as many as you want, depending on what scraps you have.




Here is the completed chevron pattern on  a layout- I also used some leftover zip strips and stickers on this layout and I am really pleased with how it turned out!

Thanks for stopping by!  Please continue onto Haley’s Blog where you will find some additional artwork highlighting this technique!  Be sure to leave a comment and let me know what you thought of my variation and happy hopping!

August SOTM Blog Hop - Floral Celebration

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!  We will be featuring August's SOTM, which is Floral Celebration, a set of 20 stamps.

If you have come here from Darlys' Blog, you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way all around.  If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants on Melinda’s Blog.

This month we have 18 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other great CTMH products on their blogs. This is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

I wanted to use one of the Everyday Moments Cricut layouts, and so I got to work cutting using the Summer Vibes cardstock, Happiest Place Paper Packet and the Happiest Place cardstock.



Here's a close up of the left hand page. But where does the Stamp of the Month fit in?



This tone on tone Lemonade flower was stamped and fussy cut from the SOTM and then layered under the Cricut cut ampersand.



I also stamped and fussy cut the orange flower, and the title for the journalling box is also from the stamp set.



The right hand side is a bit more simplistic but still ties everything together.



I used the Stamp of the Month leaves to layer behind the Cricut cut heart.



Now "Hop" on over to Becca's Blog to see her work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas! Remember, the August SOTM is only available until 31st August!  Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount!

July/August New Product Blog Hop

Welcome to our July Blog Hop!  We will be featuring  new products from the brand new July/August catalogue, so sit tight and join our blog hop for some amazing ideas.

If you have come here from Brenda's Blog, you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way all around.  If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants on Melinda’s Blog. 

This month we have 17 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using new CTMH products on their blogs. This is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

I absolutely love the new Summer Vibes collection, and I have been trying to use it in unexpected ways. 

I steered away from the usual summer theme and created a layout of a trip to Auckland Zoo in New Zealand. The palm tree vibe and the colour scheme still matched our photos but these were taken during our Spring. I have used the new Summer Vibes Paper Packet and Sticker Sheet, as well as the Coordinating Cardstock to create the base layout.

One of the best things about trips is all the souvenir photos I get, but I always end up with so many! That's why I added a Flip Flap down the side of the left hand page, in order to get as many photos in at possible! You can see how it folds out to add more photos.

Let's take a closer look at the left hand side- isn't that palm frond paper just gorgeous? I also love how the cardstock matches perfectly.

I used more of our new product on the right hand side of the page- this one was slightly more decorative as the flip flap was the main feature on the other side.

I used the Summer Vibes sticker sheet to add a cluster beside the photo, and the journalling will be added onto this flamingo card from the Summer Vibes Picture My Life Cards.

As soon as I saw this little flamingo in the Summer Vibes Acrylic Shapes I knew exactly why I needed to create this layout! As you can see, I was wearing a flamingo dress at the zoo and I took a photo with the flamingos, so this little pink flamingo was the perfect embellishment.

Now "Hop" on over to Haley's Blog to see her work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas! 

Summer Vibes Australasian Blog Hop

Hello and welcome aboard our Summer Vibes Australasian Close to My Heart Blog Hop.

If you have arrived here from Doris, then you are in the right place.

If you landed here by accident, no problem, please join in by following the link at the end of this post.

Today I would like to share with you a creation which features Close To My Heart’s July Featured collection, Summer Vibes.

I definitely need some summer vibes- as I sit here my fire is roaring and I have a cup of tea in my hands to warm them up! I thought I would share some more of my Fiji holiday photos with you using this collection.

One of our day trips into Fiji was to Malamala Beach Club, a tiny island that has a private beach party club. We had our own little cabana and a personal waiter, and we made the most of the beautiful beach and the extensive cocktail menu!

Here is the full two page layout, using the beautiful floral paper in small amounts to help frame all of the photos.



On the left hand side you can see I have used a lot of the Summer Vibes stickers to accent the page, as well as toning down the paper packet with the addition of coordinating cardstock. I stamped one of the sentiments from the Summer Vibes scrapbooking stamp set, and used one of the PML cards for the journalling.



On the right hand side, I used more stickers for accenting, as well as another PML card and another stamp from the scrapbooking stamp set. I also used the coconut from the Summer Vibes cardmaking stamp set to match my own coconut cocktail!



This exclusive collection is only available during July and August, and I encourage you to think ahead for your upcoming summer adventures!

I'd love you to leave a comment before heading off to the next stop, Doreen.

Sunny Days in Fiji

It's the middle of winter right now here in New Zealand, but it hasn't stopped me scrapbooking my Fiji holiday photos!

The new Summer Vibes collection was perfect for these photos of our seafood restaurant date night on our first evening in Fiji. I instantly loved the leaf print in this collection and wanted it to feature on my pages, and I added some extra tropical touches.

Here's the full two page layout with that gorgeous paper and some of the matching stickers.



A close up of the left page- here you can see my coloured flower that I stamped in both Lemon and Tangerine inks using the rock and roll technique, as well as the fun Chill sticker and a cute palm tree acrylic shape from the Summer Vibes collection.



The right hand page also features one of the PML cards from the Summer Vibes collection. Look at how beautiful that sunset was, and we both got given flowers to wear in our hair during the meal so I wanted to incorporate some floral elements to the page.



I absolutely loved my time in Fiji and I have been scrapping up a storm with the Summer Vibes collection, and I will be sharing some more Fiji photos over the next two weeks.

If you have some Sunny Days themed projects you've created recently, please share them with us over at Heart 2 Heart challenges this month!

July Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - For My Beautiful Friend

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!  We will be featuring July's SOTM, which is For My Beautiful Friend, a set of 20 stamps.  

If you have come here from Brenda's Blog, you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way all around.  If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants on Melinda’s Blog. 

This month we have 19 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other great CTMH products on their blogs. This is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

I know this stamp set looks very girly and floral, but I wanted to show you how to use it on a masculine page.

Here is a 12x12 layout of me with my boys on Mother's Day this year using the Stamp of the Month. I'd also like to point out the country feel of this layout- all of the papers are from the Summer Vibes collection, so once again I was trying to think outside the box and show a variety of ways to use our new products. You'd never guess that this is a summer themed paper pack!

 

I absolutely had to use this sentiment with the photos of my boys, and I also surrounded it with flowers that I stamped from the Stamp of the Month and fussy cut. Oh, and the little pink heart? That's from the Summer Vibes collection too!

Lastly, I used a Summer Vibes PML Card for the journalling, and then added the large floral bouquet stamp the the bottom of my layout. In order to do this I masked the girl and simply stamped ther bouquet, then added some pearls as a finishing touch.

I really encourage everyone to think outside the box with this stamp set!

Now "Hop" on over to Haley's Blog to see her work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas! Remember, the July SOTM is only available until the 31st July!  Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount!