January Stamp of the Month Bloghop - "This Moment"

Welcome to January's Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! This month, we are featuring the stamp set "This Moment" - a set of 12 stamps. The obvious theme is love, but there are so many other things that this stamp set can be used for as you will see throughout this blog hop, I am sure, so sit back and enjoy as you hop through the consultants' blogs on this tour. You should have arrived here from Gina Brandsetter's blog. If you get lost, a list of all blogs can be found here. 

The stamp set looks like this.

I chose to complete three projects with this set. The first two are cards. The first is a standard card at 41/4" x 51/2". I also wanted to use the Heartstrings PML cards as I have not used any of those products for card-making yet and I really wanted to experiment with that option, so this is what I came up with.  

 The second card is a 3"x 4" card - very simple and easy with few embellishments. 

My last project is a fun one - I decided to create a set of "Love Notes" - 6 fun date night cards. I used a PML card for the front and stamped the Love Notes sentiment on the front and then added a few embellishments. The following photo shows three of the six date night cards. I simply printed them on cardstock and then mounted them on co-ordinating paper from the Heartstrings paper pack. Everything is held together with a clothes peg from the Ruby Mini-Medley Collection.

I hope you enjoyed my projects. The next blog on the hop is Kathy Burrows' blog. I'm sure she has something wonderful to share with you! 

You can get this beautiful stamp set for just $5 this month with only a $50 purchase. Visit my shopping site here. Remember this stamp set is only available until January 31st! 

Products used are all Close To My Heart

Paper: Heartstrings Paper Pack, Picture My Life - Heartstrings, White Daisy Cardstock, Crystal Blue Cardstock, Lagoon Cardstock

Stamps: This Moment

Inks: Lagoon Pigment Ink, Crystal Blue, Hollyhock, Lagoon

Accessories: Heartstrings Complements, Pink Glitter Gems, Ruby Mini-Medley Accents Collection, Sparkles - Clear Assortment, Lagoon Hearts Washi Tape, Junebug Puffies, White Shimmer Trim, Corner Rounder

Enjoy, 

Alyson

12 Days of Christmas - Day 12 Christmas Day

Day 12 - Christmas Day - has finally arrived! Today, the final gift was sitting at their door. It is two gift certificates for a local coffee shop - Tim Hortons. Anyone from Canada knows that Tim Hortons in Canada, particularly this area of Canada, is HUGE. There is a Tim's at every rest stop, on every corner, just about everywhere! Everyone visits Tim Hortons - if not for coffee, for donuts, muffins, sandwiches, tea - for something at some point! These will definitely be put to good use!  

I had so much fun doing this - I will definitely consider doing this again in the future. 

Products used are all Close to My Heart

Paper: Snowhaven Paper Pack, White Daisy Cardstock, Cranberry Cardstock

Stamps: Magical Day, Home for the Holidays (ret.)

Inks: Cranberry, Glacier

Accessories: Art Philosophy Cartridge, Harvest Baker's Twine (ret.), Snowhaven Complements, Foam Tape

Enjoy,

Alyson

12 Days of Christmas - Day 11

Day 11 of the 12 Days of Christmas brings a little box filed with Ferrero Rocher chocolates. I don't think I have met anyone who doesn't love these chocolates! And the ones in this box are a mixture of the types that are made by Ferrero Rocher - not just the standard ones... There are white chocolate ones, dark chocolate ones, and some of the regular ones as well... mmm, mmm good! 

The box was cut from the Artiste cartridge and came together so easily. To keep the top down, I put a hook and loop closure on the end, just so it wouldn't keep popping up. The tag was cut from Art Philosophy and the red ribbon was from my stash. 

Products used are Close to My Heart unless otherwise indicated

Paper: Cranberry Fundamentals Cardstock, White Daisy Cardstock, Ruby Cardstock, New England Ivy Cardstock
Stamps: Magical Day, Snow Flurries (ret.)
Inks: New England Ivy, Ruby
Accessories: Artiste Cartridge, Art Philosophy Cartridge, Hook and Loop Closures, Red Ribbon (not CTMH)

Enjoy, 
Alyson

Merry Christmas to All!

Mika and I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! It has not been the easiest year but we made it and we hope that the coming year will be filled with blessings, lots of creative time and continued opportunities for growth.

Have a wonderful holiday, filled with joy and hope of things to come. 

Enjoy, 
Alyson

12 Days of Christmas - Day 10

Day 10 of the 12 Days of Christmas is another offering of loose tea - this time it is Magical Mango tea. The smell of loose tea from Steeped Tea is simply beyond measure and if you have not had tea from this company, find a consultant and host a party because their teas are absolutely amazing (and they smell terrific, too!)

The Pillow Box was wrapped and decorated in a very simple manner - just once around with a piece of cardstock from the Paper Fundamentals Collection and then two layers of paper for the sentiment with piece of Baker's Twine wrapped around the bottom. 

Products used are all Close To My Heart

Paper: Desert Sand Paper Fundamentals Cardstock, White Daisy Cardstock, Lagoon Cardstock
Stamps: Magical Day, Best Christmas
Inks: Lagoon, Desert Sand
Accessories: Neutral Metallic Baker's Twine, Pillow Box

Enjoy,
Alyson

Atlantic Hearts Sketch 87

The sketch at Atlantic Hearts this week comes so close to Christmas that I thought I would take a break from Christmas and start thinking toward spring! Yes, even with snow on the ground and mistletoe in the air, my mind is already on spring :) So, I pulled out a couple of my favourite stamp sets and went to work. The colour combination of orange and blue always works so I used the new Hopscotch Paper pack for my background paper and Sunset as the accent colour.

Products used are Close To My Heart unless otherwise indicated:

Paper: Hopscotch Paper Pack, Colonial White Cardstock, Lagoon Cardstock, Glacier Cardstock

Stamps: A Budding Friendship, Have a Happy Day

Inks: Sunset, Lagoon, Glacier

Accessories: Sunset Arrow Washi Tape, Scallop Punch (ret.), Circle Punch (not CTMH), Orange Twine (not CTMH)

Enjoy, 

Alyson

12 Days of Christmas - Day 9

Day 9 of the 12 Days of Christmas brings a little bag filled with a useful gift - although maybe not as "pretty" as some others - it contains 2 small laundry bags of all things! These bags can be used to contain socks and other small items in laundry loads and they are so useful to ensure that those kinds of small items don't go missing in the laundry. It is also a great way to help family members sort their own items before laundry day!

I had a tough time fitting them into this container - I had to roll and tape them together to get them to fit... and they finally did - just barely!

Products used are all Close To My Heart

Paper: Yuletide Carol Paper Pack, Colonial White Cardstock, Ruby Cardstock

Stamps: Magical Day, Best Christmas

Inks: Topiary, Ruby

Accessories: Art Philosophy Cartridge, Artiste Cartridge, Ruby Mini-Medley Collection

Enjoy, 

Alyson

12 Days of Christmas - Day 8

Day 8 of the 12 Days of Christmas bring us a Ruby gift bag filled with hand cream and some little chocolates - a very practical gift in our Canadian winter (well, maybe not the chocolates... but certainly the hand cream!) The tag is from the Season's Tweetings set last winter and I just adore the little bird so I had him sit on top of the sentiment within the wreath. These little bags are so practical for so many things - I just love them :) 

Products used are Close To My Heart unless otherwise indicated

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, Season's Tweetings Tag (ret.)
Stamps: Magical Day, Season's Tweetings (ret.)
Inks: Topiary, Black, Ruby
Accessories: Season's Tweetings Ruby Bag (ret.), Circle Punch (not CTMH), Foam Tape, ShinHan Markers

Enjoy,
Alyson

12 Days of Christmas - Day 7

Day 7 of the 12 Days of Christmas is a Kraft Container filled with Piouline wafers and some little chocolates... mmmm! The decor on the container was taken from the Facebook site of Close To My Heart's 12 Days of Christmas suggestions, which I just loved. The adorable snowman set on two layers of paper, along with some shimmer trim and baker's twine was the perfect setting for this container. The top is shown below as well, with a snowflake decorated with sparkles. 

Products used are all Close To My Heart

Paper: Snowhaven Paper Pack, White Daisy Cardstock, Honey Fundamentals Cardstock
Stamps: Magical Day, Flakey Friends
Inks: Black Pigment Ink, Lagoon
Accessories: Art Philosophy Cartridge, Kraft Container, Neutral Metallic Baker's Twine, Silver Shimmer Trim, ShinHan Markers, Clear Sparkles

Enjoy, 
Alyson

12 Days of Christmas - Day 6

Day 6 of the 12 Days of Christmas brings a burlap bag filled with 10 individual packages of Wet Ones (pre-moistened wet cloths) for those times when you really need a damp cloth - accidents in the car, a dirty public restroom, etc. 

Rather than stamping directly on the bag, I chose to stamp candy canes and attach them to the bag instead. 

Products used are Close To My Heart unless otherwise indicated

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, Pear Cardstock

Stamps: Magical Day, Merry & Bright (ret.)

Inks: Ruby, Pear

Accessories: Green Twine (not CTMH), Circle Punch (not CTMH), Burlap Drawstring Bag

Enjoy, 

Alyson

12 Days of Christmas - Day 5

Day 5 of the 12 Days of Christmas brings a cupcake sock - one of my favourite little gifts to give at Christmas! It is such a warm, fuzzy way to say hello during the cold, Canadian winters! 

This little one is bright pink, wrapped in a paper from the Brushed Paper pack, along with one of the decorative papers from the Fundamentals Cardstock paper collection. 

The sentiment is from a retired stamp set called Season's Tweetings. 

Happy Owlidays to you! 

Products are all Close To My Heart unless otherwise indicated

Paper: Brushed Paper Pack, Fundamentals Cardstock - Pear, White Daisy Cardstock, Pear Cardstock
Stamps: Magical Day, Season's Tweetings (ret.)
Inks: Black Pigment Ink, Cotton Candy, Pear
Accessories: Season's Tweetings Labels (ret.), Paper Crimper (not CTMH), Pink Twine (not CTMH), ShinHan Markers, Pink Sock (not CTMH), Gusset Bag (not CTMH)

Enjoy, 
Alyson

12 Days of Christmas - Day 4

Today is Day 4 and a very simple bag with a simple gift. 

The Muslin Bags can be stamped using our Pigment inks and I used Glacier, Lagoon and Crystal Blue to stamp snowflakes on this little one. I realized after I took the photo that some of the Bitty Sparkles had already fallen out of place... such is life. They are almost impossible to keep in place on fabric, I find! 

Inside are three large clips that can be used for a variety of purposes - holding open bags of food tightly closed, keeping stacks of paper in place, etc. 

Products used are Close To My Heart unless otherwise noted:

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock
Stamps: Magical Day, Snow Flurries (ret.)
Inks: Pacifica, Lagoon Pigment Ink, Glacier Pigment Ink, Crystal Blue Pigment Ink
Accessories: Muslin Bags, Bitty Sparkles, Circle Punch (not CTMH)

Enjoy, 
Alyson

12 Days of Christmas - Day 3

Today's gift is in the form of a decorative bag - with the Frosty Friends stamp! 

I love this stamp set... the three snowmen are so adorable and I couldn't decide which one to use but I think I will probably end up using all three at some point for these gifts. 

There are two cookies inside the bag. 

Products used are all Close To My Heart

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, Glacier Cardstock
Stamps: Frosty Friends, Magical Day
Inks: Black Pigment Ink, Lagoon
Accessories: Art Philosophy Cartridge, Liquid Applique (ret.), ShinHan Markers, Paradise Baker's Twine (ret.), Designer Creations Lagoon Paper Bags

Enjoy, 
Alyson

12 Days of Christmas - Day 2

Today's gift comes to you in the form of a pillow box (and it is shown empty as well). 

It was kept very simple - just some cardstock and patterned paper wrapped around the pillow box and a label cut from Art Philosophy and stamped - that's it. 

It was filled with loose tea from Steeped Tea - one of my favourite tea companies. 

Products used are all Close To My Heart

Paper: Yuletide Carol Paper Pack, New England Ivy Cardstock, Cranberry Cardstock, Colonial White Cardstock

Stamps: Magical Day, Best Christmas

Inks: Cranberry, Cashmere

Accessories: Art Philosophy Cartridge, Quatrefoil Embossing Folder, Twine (ret.), Pillow Box

Enjoy, 

Alyson

12 Days of Christmas

After reading a terrific post on the Close To My Heart Facebook page, I decided to do the 12 Days of Christmas for some friends of mine. The hardest part was figuring out what to put into each of the bags or containers since they are really not very large! That takes some creative thinking! 

I have already missed a couple of days so I am behind with my posts but here was the first day. 

I wanted to do cupcakes but no matter how hard I tried, I could not cut the box from the Artiste cartridge large enough to fit a reasonable size cupcake, even with a 12x24 inch mat. There was all sorts of space left over in the cutting diagram that I couldn't delete... So, I ended up going with a pair of tarts instead and creating these boxes that ended up being about 4x4 inches and approx. 2 inches in height. 

Tune in tomorrow for another idea - daily through until Christmas Day! 

Products used are all Close To My Heart unless otherwise noted: 

Paper: Snowhaven Paper Pack, Cranberry Cardstock, White Daisy Cardstock, Black Cardstock, Glacier Cardstock

Stamps: Magical Day

Inks: Glacier 

Accessories: Artiste Cartridge, Snowflake Embossing Folder (not CTMH), Clear Sparkles, Cranberry Ribbon (ret.), Twine (ret.), Ruby Mini-Medley Collection, Foam Tape

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Atlantic Hearts Sketch 85

The sketch at Atlantic Hearts this week is awesome - every week's sketch for Atlantic Hearts is awesome! However, when I saw this one, I knew right away which stamp set I wanted to use and the colour scheme I wanted to use as well. It was to be a straight forward, simple card.  

I decided on a winter themed card - and one of my all time favourite stamp sets - Snow Flurries. The flourishes in this stamp set are simply gorgeous. I covered the lower half of the stamp with washi tape so it wouldn't show and stamped the remainder of the flourish. I used a sentiment from another terrific set called Adornable. 

Some retired embellishments in the same colours and that's it - simple but "snowflakey". Hope your day is filled with snow like mine is! 

Products used are all Close To My Heart

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, Teal Glitter Paper
Stamps: Snow Flurries (ret.), Adornable (ret.)
Inks: Lagoon, Lagoon Pigment Ink
Accessories: Artiste Cartridge, Clear Detail Embossing Powder, Blue and Green Sparkles (ret.)

Enjoy, 
Alyson