May Cross Canada Blog Hop with CTMH

Hi folks!

Welcome to our May Cross Canada Blog Hop featuring the Sweet Girl collection from Close To My Heart. Whether you are a scrap-booker or card-maker, both of these collections have something for you.

If you've just hopped onto my blog, then you CAN start here as this is a circular hop, but if you want to follow us across Canada, then please start at the beginning at Michelle's blog. If you came from Colleen's then you are in the right place!

I have a few cards to share with you today and not one of them is baby themed.

Up first - this birthday card. The cute bunny from the Sweet Girl Complements was perfect for the friend who received this card.

Next? A graduation card for my niece. She's winding up her college program and I thought this was a cute card to celebrate the occasion.  For this one I used cute Hedgehog from the cut-apart sheet in the Sweet Girl Paper Pack.

And finally? All FIVE of this year's Mother's Day cards.

That's it for me! Up next is Brandi!

Remember - if you get lost you can always head back to Michelle's blog as she has the full list of participants.

Thanks for hopping along with us - we hope we are able to inspire you in some way. If so, please leave us a comment as we love to hear back from the hoppers! We hope you are able to join us again next month. So be sure to mark June 10th on your calendar. And don't forget, you can reach out to your local consultant to purchase any of the items you see on the hop today!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

May Cross Canada Blog Hop

Hi Folks!

Welcome to our May Cross Canada "Celebrating Relationships" Blog Hop.

If you've just hopped onto my blog, then you CAN start here as this is a circular hop, but if you want to follow us across Canada, then please start at the beginning at Michelle's blog. If you came from Colleen's blog then you are in the right place!

This month we're all about celebrating the relationships in our lives - friends, family, loved ones - those who make an impact in our every day!

Today I'm sharing some cards that celebrate one of the first relationships we all have - the one with our Mom's. Mother's day was just a week ago so I thought I would share the cards I made for some of the special Moms in my life - there are quite a few.

Five cards in total - all using the following products from the new Seasonal Expressions Idea Book:

• the "Beautiful Friendship" paper collection
• a stamp and the layout from one of the cards in the "In My Heart" Cardmaking workshop
• a stamp from the "Mother's Garden Stamps and Thin Cuts" Bundle

That's it for me! Up next is I'm sending you back to Michelle (we're a small crew this month).

Remember - if you get lost you can always head back to Michelle's blog as she has the full list of participants.

Thanks for hopping along with us - we hope we are able to inspire you in some way. If so, please leave us a comment as we love to hear back from the hoppers! We hope you are able to join us again next month. So be sure to mark June 15th on your calendar as we create with the "Colours of the Rainbow" in mind. And don't forget, you can reach out to your local consultant to purchase any of the items you see on the hop today!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Live Beautifully - Black Flowers

Hi folks,


Just sharing a few more cards featuring the "Live Beautifully" collection from CTMH.


For this trio of cards, I went dramatic. Black hearts popped up against the thistle coloured paper in the collection. Again, these cards are inspired by cards in a workshop designed by Jacquie Paech - another CTMH consultant.

For this first card, I kept the portrait orientation for the layout.

For this second one, I switched it to a landscape orientation.

For this third card, I went with the same papers from the Mother's Day cards here but switched the layout to a portrait orientation and added the trio of black flowers.

card details:

• finished size: 4.25 x 5.5 inches, white card stock base
• patterned paper: CTMH "Live Beautifully"
• stamped floral image: CTMH "Live Beautifully" stamp set
• embellishments: CTMH Gold Glitter Gems

Live Beautifully - Sea Glass Flowers

Hi folks,


Here's another duo of cards I created using the CTMH "Live Beautifully" collection. Once again, these cards are inspired by a workshop designed by Jacquie Paech - another CTMH consultant.

The first is a Mother's Day card using the original portrait orientation.

And for the second I flipped the card into a landscape position.

card details:

• finished size: 4.25 x 5.5 inches, white card stock base
• patterned paper: CTMH "Live Beautifully"
• embellishments: CTMH Black and White Dots

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Live Beautifully - Double Hearts for Mother's Day

Hi folks,


Just thought I would share a few more cards I have made with the "Live Beautifully" collection from CTMH.

These cards went in the mail to mine and dearly beloved's Moms for Mother's Day. You can see the card I made for dearly beloved's step-mom here (she likes tea). They are inspired by cards in a Live Beautifully workshop designed by Jacquie Paech - another CTMH consultant.

This first card follows the original design fairly closely, I just changed up the sentiment for a mother's Day one.

The second card is my favourite 6 x 6 size with a black base instead of white. I think the black really makes the papers pop. I also added the gold dots card from the pack and switched out the zip strip for the bolder black and white. I also added another layer to the hearts.

card details:

• finished size: 6 x 6 & 4.25 x 5.5, black cardstock base & white cardstock base
• patterned paper: CTMH "Live Beautifully"
• die cuts: CTMH Basic Hearts Thin Cuts
• embellishments: CTMH Gold Glitter Gems

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Have a Tea-rrific Mother's Day!

Hi folks,

As promised I'm back with a couple more cards I made using the Dreamin' Big paper pack from CTMH.

With Mother's Day coming soon, the floral paper in the pack just begs to be paired with the March SOTM "Tea-rrific" to make a card for that special Mom in your life, don't you think?

And, I'm not sure why, but I'm in love with the gold and orange hued papers in this pack. I seem to be drawn to them whenever I make a card.

For this one, I went graphic in the style again and made great use of the Happy Birthday Thin Cuts (all Thin Cuts are on sale this month for 25% off!!!).

Can you tell that these two very different cards use the same layout? The layout is from the Make It From Your Heart Volume 2  Inspiration Book - pattern 19 on page 42.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Happy Times for Mother's Day

Hi folks,

Just thought I would pop in this morning to share a couple more Mother's Day cards for this year.

I've been getting a little bored with the usual side or top fold cards and decided it was time for a gate-fold card. Why don't I make more of these? I love them!

They are a great way to showcase a pretty paper - in this case the "Happy Times" collection from Close to My Heart - a special promo available only during the month of May for National Scrapbooking Month.

card details:

• finished size: 6 x 6, white card stock base
• patterned paper: Close To My Heart "Happy Times"
• stamps: CTMH "A Bunch of Love" (with the partner thin cuts die) coloured with Shin Han Markers and Copics, "My Mother" (retired)

As always, thanks for stopping by!

A Mother's Arms

Hi folks,

With Mother's Day just around the corner, I figured it was high time I made this year's cards. I finally got around to it on Sunday.

Here's a couple of cards I put together using the new Florence papers from Close To My Heart and one of my newest stamps from Unity Stamp Company.

card details:

• finished size: 6 x 6 inches, kraft cardstock base, CTMH Flaxen card stock mats
• patterned paper: CTMH Florence
• stamps: CTMH "A Day For Mother" (retired), Unity Stamp Company "A Mother's Arms"
• layout: based on Mojo Monday 441

Challenges for these cards:

• Simply Create Too #108: Ladies Only

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Happy Mother's Day - Yuletide Carol

Hi folks,

I know what you're thinking? Odd title for post. But yes, for a couple of this year's Mother's Day cards I actually used papers from the CTMH Yuletide Collection - a Christmas themed paper pack!

I quite like these papers and thought they would make a nice choice for the cards that were sent to both mine and dearly beloved's Mom.

Yes - I'm cheating. Same stamp, same papers - just a different orientation on the layout. But I REALLY like them. In fact, there are going to be four other cards posted in the coming days which feature these same papers in the same basic layout.

card details:

• finished size: 4.25 x 5.5 inches, black card stock base
• patterned papers: CTMH Yuletide Carol
• card stock: CTMH Black, Champagne
• stamps: CTMH "Flowers for Mom" (B1473) with the coordinating die cut shape cut from the CTMH Cricut Artfully Sent cartridge
• embellishments: CTMH Black Shimmer Trim, adhesive pearls and black paper rose from my stash
• layout inspired by a card on page 103 of the 2014-2015 CTMH Annual Inspirations Idea Book

Challenges for these cards:

• Sisterhood of Crafters: Mother's Day with a flower (in the stamp I used)

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Happy Mother's Day - Blossom

Hi folks,

Today I'm sharing another of the Mother's Day cards I made this year. This one is for my sister.

card details:

• finished size: 4.25 x 5.5 inches, white card stock base
• patterned papers: CTMH "Blossom"
• stamps: CTMH "Happy to be Friends" (C1605) stamped in Lagoon Ink
• embellishments: CTMH Coral Reef Sequins and adhesive gems from my stash
• die cut: CTMH Artfully Sent Cricut Cartridge

Challenges for this card:

• Craft your passion #261: Anything goes
• Come and get it: Got Flowers
• Sentimental Sundays: Mother's Day

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Mojo 342

Hi folks!

Hope it's a beautiful day wherever you are! Here in Ottawa the sun is out, shining brightly early this morning.

Well, it looks like my resolve to be better about posting my backlog of cards fell by the way-side -  yet again! Busy, busy! Keeping that in mind, it is almost a week later and I'm sharing the last two Mother's day cards I made this year, base on the Mojo Monday 342 sketch from back in April.


For the first card, I remained fairly faithful to the layout.

But for the second one I decided to play around a bit with the orientation and elements. I REALLY like this one.

card details:

• finished size: 4.25 x 5.5 inches, kraft card stock base, white card stock mats
• patterned paper and enamel dots: My Mind's Eye Up and Away
• stamped image: The Stamp Barn - Sunshine Designs. Floral set CR5058 CU LG. Coloured with Copic Markers (R12, R21, R22, R24, YG21, YG23)
• sentiment: Close To My Heart "May Word Puzzle" (retired)
• Spellbinders: Petite Circles
• EK Success Scalloped Scallops Border Punch

Challenges for these cards:

• Clear it Out Challenges: Theme: Mother's Day, Stash: Flowers
• One Crazy Stamper: May Challenge: Anything Goes + Embellishment

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Viva La Verve May Week 1

Hi folks,

Well, I figure it's about time I started getting some of the huge back log of cards photos that I have made recently.

I HAD planned on posting this ON Mother's Day but the time got away from me and I am just now getting around to sharing a few cards I made for that occasion using the Viva La Verve Week 1 Sketch for May.

The first two cards, I did as landscape cards.

And for these two I stayed a little more loyal to the sketch.

card details:

• finished size: 4.25 x 5.5 inches, kraft card stock base, white mats
• patterned paper, washi tape & enamel dots: My Mind's Eye "Up & Away"
• stamped image: The Stamp Barn - Sunshine Designs. Floral set CR5058 CU LG. Coloured with Copic Markers (R12, R21, R22, R24, YG21, YG23)
• sentiment: Verve "On Occasion"
• brown washi tape from my stash

additional challenges for these cards

• One Crazy Stamper May Challenge: Anything Goes and an Embellishment
• Tuesday Throwdown #195: Spring Blossoms
• Corrosive Challenge #199: Banner Day
• Clear it Out Challenge: Mother's Day/female Stash: flowers (my images and some of the papers)

As always, thanks for stopping by!/

Pssst....did you notice the new badge in my side bar? I'm now an independent  consultant with Close To My Heart. Feel free to check out my online shopping portal right here. In the coming days, I'll be posting more details!

Viva La Verve May 2013 - Week 2

Hi folks,
back with the last of this year's Mother's Day cards - finally! This one for dearly beloved's sister-in-law. I thought this layout from the Viva La Verve Week 2 challenge would make a perfect Mother's Day card. It just screams bow, ribbon and doily don't you think?

Here's the sketch:

and here's the card:

card details:

• finished size: 4.25 x 5.5 inches, kraft card stock base
• patterned paper: My Mind's Eye "Be Happy"
• stamps: Verve "Because of You"
• corner rounder punch
• chalk seam binding from my stash

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Sweet Sunday 183

Hi folks,

back with another of this year's Mother's Day cards - this one for dearly beloved's sister-in-law.

card details:

• finished size: 5x5 inches, white card stock base
• patterned papers: My Mind's Eye "Be Happy"
• stamps: Verve "Because of You"
• EK Success Scalloped Scallops border punch
• layout: Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #183 (oops! Missed the deadline for the challenge upload!)

Thanks for stopping by!

Mojo 279 - For Mother's Day

Hi folks,

Yes, I make a lot of Mother's Day cards. Not just for my Mom and dearly beloved's Mom and Step-Mother but also for each of our sisters and sisters-in-law who have kids. This card was for dearly beloved's sister.

card details:

• finished size: 4.25 x 5.5 inches, kraft card stock base
• patterned papers: My Mind's Eye "Be Happy"
• stamps: Verve "Because of You"
• Spellbinders Petite Oval Die
• layout: Mojo Monday 279 (an older sketch from a couple of month's ago that I had lying around on my desk. This is definitely my kind of layout - you will probably see it cropping up here again!)

challenges for this card:

• The Sisterhood of Crafters: April showers bring May flowers (use at least one flower)

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Mojo Monday 291

Hi folks,

back with still another Mother's Day card! I used the Mojo Monday 291 sketch for the layout.

Here's the sketch:

and, of course, I used the square option for this card for dearly beloved's step-mother:

card details:

• finished size: 5x5 inches, white card stock base
• patterned papers: Authentique "Gathering"
• stamps: CTMH "May Word Puzzle"
• black satin ribbon from my stash
• Spellbinders Petite Circles

additional challenges for this card:

• Gem of a Challenge #79: Things with Wings
• Sister Act Card Challenge #6: Anything Goes
• Daring Card Makers: Ink it Up. I rarely "ink up" my CTMH stamps these days. And I have dozens upon dozens of sets. But, usually, once a year, this set gets "inked up". The May word puzzle as it has some Mother's Day sentiments AND some lovely spring silhouettes like this butterfly. 

Thanks for stopping by!

MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge #123

Hi folks,

back with yet another Mother's Day card! This one was for dearly beloved's Mom.

card details:

• finished size: 5x5 inches, white card stock base
• patterned papers: Authentique "Gathering"
• stamps: Verve "Because of You", "Mother's Day" plain jane
• aqua gems from my stash (centres of the flowers)
• layout: MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge #123

additional challenges for this card:

• The Sisterhood of Crafters: April showers bring May flowers (use at least one flower)
• Dare to be Sassy #176: April showers bring May flowers (use flowers)
• One Crazy Stamper: May Flowers

Thanks for stopping by.

Sketch 'n Stash 113 - Again

Hi folks,

Well, since I had the two other pieces sitting on my craft table from making this card, I decided I should use them to make another Mother's Day card - but opposite!

I also added another pop of colour with matching card stock mats in the dark coral colour.

card details:

• finished size: 5 x 5 inches, white card stock base
• patterned paper: Authentique "Gathering"
• stamps: Verve "Because of You" (sentiment and floral silhouette)
• layout: Sketch 'n Stash 113

additional challenges for this card:

• The Sisterhood of Crafters: April showers bring May flowers (use at least one flower)
• Papertake Weekly Challenge: Anything Goes + option of 2 stamps
• 365 Cards: Day 128: Word Wednesday - Mother
• Sister Act Card Challenge #6: Anything Goes

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Sketch n Stash 113 - For Mother's Day

hi folks,

Back again with ANOTHER Mother's Day card! This one is for my brother's fiancee.

card details:

• finished size: 5 x 5 inches
• patterned paper: Authentique "Gathering". I REALLY need to work on not buying more paper. My stash is completely out of control - I should take a photo of all my DPs....except that would actually require MULTIPLE photos!
• stamps: Verve "Because of You"
• flower brad from my stash. Isn't it the sweetest? I wish I had more of these.
• layout: Sketch 'N Stash 113

additional challenges for this card:

• Pile it On #18: For a Mother
• Craft your Passion #161: Floral Delights
• Love to Create #64: For Mom or Special Lady
• The Pink Elephant #198: Mother's Day
• Clear it Out Challenge: Theme: Anything Goes, Stash: 2 or More DP
• Shopping Our Stash #100: Mother's Day

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend! It's a wet one here and since I'm kind of tied to the house because I'm on-call I don't really mind. Really hoping to get in lots of crafty time! I need to make up for being away for a couple of weeks!

Mojo 292 - For Mother's Day

Hi folks,

Here's another card I made for Mother's Day - this one for my sister.

card details:

• finished size: 5 x 5 inches, die cut white card stock base from my stash. Don't you  just love the curvy edge? I picked up a "few" of these some time ago at Michaels. I won't confess just how many. That might be incriminating!
• patterned paper: Authentique "Gathering"
• stamps: Verve "Because of You", "Great Friend"
• EK Success Scalloped Scallops Border punch
• corner rounder punch
• layout: Mojo Monday 292

additional challenges for this card:

• Pile it On #18: For a Mother
• Craft your Passion #161: Floral Delights
• Love to Create #64: For Mom or Special Lady
• The Pink Elephant #198: Mother's Day
• Clear it Out Challenge: Theme: Anything Goes, Stash: 2 or More DP
• Shopping Our Stash #100: Mother's Day

Thanks for stopping by! And if you are a Mom - hope you are having a lovely Mother's Day weekend!