Fruitful Delight

This card is from an older sketch challenge . . . seem to have trouble getting to them in a timely fashion. But though the challenge period is over, it is a good design. The soft colors worked for this card. Several others are in the trash. It's been tough getting my ideas to paper. This is the pear from a lovely CTMH set called Fruitful Delights (C1410). I used Bamboo and Olive CS, the ribbon came from a grab bag package at a local craft store. There is a shimmer to it that looked nice with the tiny gold brads.

Tomorrow I will be posting a huge project just finished that has the cherries from this stamp set on the cover. It's a special surpirse gift for the bride-to-be of my BFF, so I can't reveal it until tomorrow :)

Clean and Simple

Amazing that anything called 'clean and simple' could come out of my stamping room which is very messy and chaotic! But I managed to clear a tiny corner and make these two cards. The first one is stamped with CTMH Bamboo ink for the trellis, and then the vine and grapes ( from CTMH Bon Appetite set) were done in Bamboo also. I used CTMH chalks on the vine, which gives the colors a softness. The second card has the three dimensional flowers, but they are simple to make. Each is just three small flowers held together with a tiny brad and scrunched together. The leaves are from the SU! Bird punch. All cardstock is CTMH.

Not much time for paper play these past few days. The big party for my oldest was a great success. Many of his friends stopped by and there was plenty of food. I got behind on my preparations and was saved by my BFF. What would I do without her??!

The last evening tonight before Don returns to Japan for another year. I have made enough sauce, meatballs, sausage, manicotti for a small village. DH just shakes his head. He loves leftovers, thank goodness.

Hope your summer is as beautiful as mine right now,

Dena

Heart2Heart Recipe Display Book

This week's challenge was to make something that included a recipe. It has been very busy here with many birthday celebrations, a welcome home party and open house for my son who is visiting from Japan . . .so I have pulled out my summer recipes- salads, marinades, salsas, and goodies for the grill. I have been wanting to finish this display album and finally H2H gave me the push. It really was easy once I got cutting. I used a paper from CTMH and a set of cordinating 'Stickease' and a few ribbon/brad embellishments. There are twelve double-sided pages in this 6X6" album with room for lots of summer favorites. Now I can copy my recipes on to the cards and it is ready to gift. I like that it stands up and the protective covers keep the recipes clean. All of the items used to make project this are available on my website http://denahughes.myctmh.com/

product used: CTMH display album (Z1054), Blue Ribbon papers X7906B), Blue Ribbon 'My Stickease' (X 7096C), Outdoor Denim twill, cranberry + white daisy grosgrain.

Gift-card Birthday

June and July have so many family birthdays, and friends too! I wanted something special for a gift card. I found inspiration at http://kendrawietstock.blogspot.com/

Her card is really beautiful - I didn't make mine as nice inside. Next time I will make it square as hers was, and add some designed paper inside, too.

The little pocket inside holds a gift certificate. The band is attached all around the card and is fastened with velcro. It's a heavy card, but still fits in the envelope!

products used: CTMH chocolate, twilight, creme brulee cs, inks, + ribbon; white daisy card base; chocolate mini-medley brads; D1257 Make It Count, C1257 Happy Birthday, and D1247 From Me to You stamps; paper from my hoarded stash - they aren't CTMH, but have no markings . . .

My day was very busy, but I accomplished a lot. Tomorrow is an all day outing with husband's family for Mom's 86th birthday, Friday is a grandson's 4th birthday, Saturday oldest son arrives from Japan, and Sunday a big party for youngest son's 27th birthday. Wow! Got the cards and gifts covered, there is baking to be done though. It's fun to have a whole week of celebration for all ages! And, of course, a great excuse to eat cake.

Thanks for visiting,

Dena

SFYTT 07.10.10

This fun digital stamp from Bugaboo reminded me of summer fun with my three little boys (now all grown up!). Paper and buttons are CTMH products. The gingham paper is from my hoarded stash...long retired now. I colored the image with CTMH markers.

I tried to clean up my stamping room today . . .and instead pulled out so many things that inspired me to play. It's much more chaotic than when I began. sigh. But I've had fun! Hope you are, too.

Blue Skies

Another CTMH Clear card using Splendor paper and Over the Rainbow stamp set (D1426).

Clearly Love Strawberries

I have been fearful about trying out CTMH's new clear cards, but finally tried one. Very easy, and unique- I bought some adhesive runner for Vellum and it works perfectly on these cards.
I 'chalk popped' the strawberries = stamp the image in Versa Mark, then rub chalk over and let the clear watermark ink pick up the color. It's magic!

products used: CTMH clear cards (Z1309);Tulip+ Colonial white CS; Fruitful Delight stamp set (C1410); CTMH chalks; scalloped circle punch; Cherry-O paper; American crafts 'uptown elements' ribbon; white gel pen.

H2H14 Cherry-O!

This is my take on the Wishes City Scape sketch which is the Heart2Heart Challenge this week. One of my fondest childhood memories is eating this yummy, hot, dessert at my Aunt Shirley Clarico's home. It was such fun to visit there - we would go with Uncle Tony to the bakery and buy fresh pizza dough and make our own pizzas, and then have this, too! My boys loved it growing up and the old recipe card is tattered, stained, and worn.
I love how CTMH has helped me preserve memories and share them, too!

I rotated the sketch, and had to increase card size to 4.25 X 5.5 to accomdate the recipe card pocket.

CTMH products used: D1427 Tasty Treats, B1351 You're Sweet, B1348 Bowl of Cherries stamps; chocolate, sweet leaf, and tulip inks; Tulip Mini-medley brads + ribbon; Sweet leaf Ribbon Rounds; Cherry-O papers with choclate and Colonial white CS.

Weekend Challenge #5

Yes...I know the weekend is as much before me as behind today! But I am going to catch up today and tomorrow on some fun challeneges that are posted for this week.

So here is my morning post - - the carpet cleaning this afternoon will keep me in my craft room, so there should be multiple posts today. Hurray!

This challenge on http://www.nikkageers.blogspot.com/ was to make a single layer card with one ribbon. I really enjoy random stamping, but it can be tricky. All products used are Close To My Heart - Outdoor Denim and Honey inks; Outdoor Denim ribbon round; white Daisy CS

Off to clear furniture - but I'll be back.

Strawberry SFYTT 7.3.10

Back from a quick, but marvelous, trip to Port Townsend. It's my favorite place for combining shopping, vintage buildings, gourmet food, beach walks, museums...the only thing missing is a stamp store! But they do have a fun bead shop and I usually buy some charms there for cards.

I was happy to come home and play with my new Lindsay Weirich digi and some BoBunny paper I had for a long time. I used some Kraft paper for a base and CTMH Tulip cardstock and ink, CTMH Topiary + SweetLeaf inks, and copper 'Bitty brads' for this 4 1/2"X 6" card. I 'popped the strawberries with foam tape.

www.iheart2stamp.com/ has the sketch, and beautiful samples from their design team.