AH 314 - Layered Rose along the Lines

Welcome to Atlantic Hearts Sketch #314! 

I simply love this sketch - it can be very simple or it can be taken to a much more detailed level depending on how it is interpreted. I can’t wait to see the design team members' interpretations as well as the participants' interpretations of this one! 

I chose to flip the sketch 180 degrees but I wanted to maintain the three skinny lines because I really liked how that kept some form of continuity on the card design that I had in mind. I considered using a different type of line like a chevron border but it would have been too busy. I used glitter paper for those lines, though, to add some extra interest. 

I used a layered rose die for the flower and three shades of purple. The leaves have two bright shades of green and I stamped the sentiment using one of those shades of green and embossed it so it would really stand out. I dry embossed the background with a rose embossing folder to provide a detailed background for the entire card. I added some silver embellishing thread behind the flower as well. The whole card is raised with foam tape. 

Come and join us at Atlantic Hearts and show us how you interpret the sketch shown above. 

You have until Sunday evening to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!
I am also linking up my card with the Double Trouble - SomeThing, AnyThing and EveryThing challenge. 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, Clover Cardstock, Willow Cardstock, Lilac Cardstock, Thistle Cardstock, Pansy Cardstock, Purple Glitter Paper (all CTMH), Neenah Solar White Cardstock

Stamps: Sending and Wishing (SSS)

Inks: Clover Pigment Ink (CTMH)

Accessories: Clear Detail Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Rose Embossing Folder, Silver Embellishing Thread (all CTMH), Layered Rose Die (Kaisercraft), Foam Tape

Enjoy,

Alyson

H2H - Bright Blooms Shaker Card

Welcome to the last post of April at Heart 2 Heart! 

However, this challenge is being reposted to actually be the FIRST challenge of May since there are just a couple of days left in April! 

Since May is right around the corner, we are challenging you to create a project that focuses on flowers. 

I love creating with flowers. I have so many floral stamps and they are usually the ones I turn to first, especially when I am in a non-creative mood. I find they make it easier for me to create because they almost always lift my spirits. 

For this card, I chose to use a CTMH stamp set with coordinating dies and make a shaker card with them. I wanted to use bold and bright colours so I stamped all of the images on cardstock first and then coloured them with coordinating markers. They were then die cut. 

Inside the shaker, I used a second stamp set - this one from Kaisercraft. I love the sentiment. I masked that to stamp it in two colours and surrounded it with images from the same CTMH stamp set, stamping the images in the same coordinating colours as the outside images. I added sequins in some of the same colours as the stamped images.

The base and circle were die cut using stitched dies and then I placed the stamped images around the outside. A few bitty sparkles were added here and there. I used some of the leftover pieces to decorate the inside of the card as well. A photo below shows the shimmer on the flowers as it doesn't show in the larger photo. 

The inside of the card using some of the leftover die cuts 

Close up of the shimmer on a couple of flowers 

Come and join us at Heart 2 Heart and show us your floral projects! 

You have until the end of April to link up your creation. 

We can't wait to see what you create! 
I am also entering my card in the Double Trouble - SomeThing, AnyThing, EveryThing challenge. 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, Lemon Cardstock, Candy Apple Cardstock, Pixie Cardstock, Pansy Cardstock, Lagoon Cardstock, Willow Cardstock (all CTMH), Neenah Solar White Cardstock

Stamps: Budding Peony (CTMH), Breathe (Kaisercraft)

Inks: Intense Black, Candy Apple, Lagoon (all CTMH)

Accessories: Budding Peony Thin Cuts, Clear Shimmer Brush, Bitty Sparkles, Shaker Window Thin Cuts, Shaker Window Acetate and Foam (all CTMH), Touch Markers, Sequins, Foam Tape (Misc.), Stitched Rectangles (GMD) 

Enjoy,

Alyson

Umbrella Girl

It's time for a card for the Double Trouble challenge once again!

They have an interesting challenge for the end of April... and one that involves several components.

Part 1 is to use something that shows water or something water-related. 

That was done with my raindrops. 

Part 2 is to use an umbrella - and that is completed.

Part 3 is to use the Joy of Sets grid. That part is also completed as I actually matched both the bottom row and the middle column. The top layer of the umbrella is vellum although it sort of looks like grey in the photo. I used micro glue dots to adhere it down and placed pearls on top of the adhesive so the glue dots wouldn't show. The sentiment is embossed in white as well.

The main images on my card were die cut from images on Cricut cartridges. The grass, ovals  and rectangles are all dies cut with my Big Shot. I have included a close up of the white embossed sentiment as it is pretty small...

Interesting challenge and I had to really think about how to include everything!

Products used are as follows:

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, Raspberry Cardstock, Willow Cardstock, Black Cardstock (all CTMH), Neenah Solar White Cardstock, Vellum (unknown)

Stamps: Sunshine and Showers (SCT)

Inks: Intense Black, Versamark

Accessories: Artistry Cartridge, You Are Here Cartridge, White Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Decorative Border Thin Cuts, Liquid Glass, Oval Thin Cuts, Stitched Oval Thin Cuts, White Pearls (all CTMH), Stitched Rectangle Dies (SSS)

Enjoy,

Alyson

H2H - Rainbow Friendship Fancy Fold Card

Welcome to Heart 2 Heart's weekly challenge! 

This week, it's all about Happy Times! 

Some of my happiest moments are times spent with friends so I wanted to create a card to honour some of those special friendships. 

I chose to use a Double Z Joy Fold Card for this purpose. This card is so easy to create and there are instructions all over the Internet if you search for that title (or just joy fold card). 

The I Heart Us paper pack with the rainbow paper was a perfect background and I chose Thistle and Lagoon for my background cardstock. I used the coordinating stamp set "I Heart Us - Cardmaking" for the two sentiments. The first sentiment was carefully masked to get the word BEAUTIFUL in a different colour. I decided to use a completely different stamp for the flowers. "Know That I Care" had watercolour-type flowers and that is what I was looking for - something whimsical in nature. I stamped flowers all around each of the two sentiments and then in the centre panel, I stamped just the single bouquet of flowers there. 

Using a water brush and four ink pads, I coloured the flowers and leaves. I went back and brushed over the white part of the word BEAUTIFUL and the word Thanks using a clear shimmer brush. I also added trios of dots among the flowers using a Turquoise fine tip marker. No embellishments were added so this card will lay flat in an envelope for mailing purposes. 

This photo shows the card completely open. 

The centre panel...

The back panel...

Come and join us at Heart 2 Heart and show us your HAPPY TIMES!

You have until the end of April to link up with this or any of the other April challenges. 

We can’t wait to see what you create! 

Products used are Close To My Heart unless otherwise indicated: 

Paper: I Heart Us Paper Pack, Thistle Cardstock, Lagoon Cardstock, White Daisy Cardstock

Stamps: I Heart Us Cardmaking, Know That I Care

Inks: Intense Black, Thistle, Lagoon, Ballerina, Mint

Accessories: Waterbrush, Clear Shimmer Brush, Turquoise Sharpie Marker 

Enjoy,

Alyson

CD 339 - Pink Daisy Extravaganza

Welcome to Colour Dare Challenge #339 - and it's another Tic-Tac-Toe Board! 

Please note that Silver and Gold are included on this week's board and neutrals are allowed in addition to the colours listed. 

It really helps us if you identify the row or column that you use, plus any 

additional colours from the grid. 

I chose to use the centre column of Raspberry, Sugarplum and Lagoon plus Gold. 

I also added white and black plus two shades of grey to my card (neutrals). 

My card design is based on a sketch from Tuesday Morning Card Sketches from a couple of weeks ago. I didn't get a chance at the time to play along but I just loved the sketch and wanted to use it anyways so I am posting it here for reference. 

I used several images from the Flower Market Cricut cartridge and one image from the Artiste Cricut cartridge to build my floral chain. Both the Raspberry and Sugarplum cardstock were used on both sides to take advantage of the lighter colour on the reverse side. The sentiment was gold embossed to match the gold pearls and the gold glitter paper in the centre of the daisies. 

Come and join us at Colour Dare and show us how you use this Tic-Tac-Toe palette to create your project. You have two weeks to link up your project. 

We do use Close To My Heart colours for reference but you are welcome to use any products. 

We can't wait to see what you create! 

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

Paper: Black Cardstock, Charcoal Cardstock, Heather Cardstock, Raspberry Cardstock, Sugarplum Cardstock, Lagoon Cardstock, Gold Glitter Paper, Neenah Solar White Cardstock

Stamps: Well Said (SU)

Inks: Versamark

Accessories: Flower Market Cartridge, Artiste Cartridge, Gold Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Gold Pearls, Foam Tape

Enjoy,

Alyson

AH 312 - Happy Leaf card

Welcome to Sketch 312 at Atlantic Hearts! 

This week's sketch lends itself to layers if you wish - and they are pretty easily laid out for you in this sketch. I stayed very true to the sketch myself, choosing to use a scalloped circle for the centre and the same orientation for my card. 

I used some patterned paper from the Frosted Floral collection from Stampin Up for the leaves. I also added some die cuts from the same collection around the sentiment but they are very subtle as they are cut in the same coloured cardstock as the scalloped circle. The sentiment was stamped in Juniper ink on top of a background stamp of Fern ink. That image was cut with a stitched circle die and the larger image was cut with a stitched scalloped circle die. Since there was a hole at the top of the die, I added a bow to cover the hole. 

Come and join us at Atlantic Hearts and show us how you interpret the sketch shown above. 

You have until Sunday evening to link up your project. 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, Juniper Cardstock, White Glitter Paper, White Daisy Cards and Envelopes (all CTMH), Frosted Floral Designer Paper (SU)

Stamps: Sentiment Collection (Penny Black), Splash of Colour (CTMH)

Inks: Fern, Juniper (both CTMH)

Accessories: Decorative Border Thin Cuts, Stitched Circle Thin Cuts (both CTMH), Rectangular Stitched Dies (SSS), Frosted Bouquet Framelets Dies, Whisper White Organza Ribbon (both SU)

Enjoy,

Alyson

Foxy Birthday

It's the beginning of the week and remarkably, I managed to carve out a bit of time this Monday morning to create a card for a challenge that I really enjoy - Double Trouble. They always have interesting components to make you think about how to combine everything into one challenge and get it all onto the same project. 

This particular challenge is about woodland creatures and wood pieces...

Double Trouble Part 1 is about creating a project with something that looks like or is made from wood - DONE.

Double Trouble Part 2 is to include a woodland creature - DONE

Double Trouble Part 3 is to link up your project with Cupcake Inspirations as their challenge is also about using a woodland creature - DONE 

So, here is my card for these two challenges...

I used an old stamp called Spring Critters for the fox and since I need a LOT of birthday cards in the next while, I gave the fox a birthday greeting. I went with a pink theme and splattered the background paper with ink. I placed random flowers and leaves around the sentiment and raised the entire sentiment piece with foam tape. For emphasis, I inked the edges of most of the papers. A few yellow sequins were added to the centres of the flowers. I used a pattern from Make it From Your Heart - Vol. 4 to create my card. 

Be sure to check out both Double Trouble and Cupcake Inspirations for this challenge before the entry dates expire!

Products used are as follows:

Paper: Rustic Home Fundamentals. Beautiful Friendship Paper Pack, Heather Cardstock, Bashful Cardstock, White Daisy Cardstock (all CTMH), Neenah Solar White Cardstock

Stamps: Spring Critters, Chelsea Gardens Cardmaking (both CTMH)

Inks: Tuxedo Black Memento Ink, Pixie, Pewter (all CTMH)

Accessories: Spring Critters Thin Cuts, Chelsea Gardens Cardmaking Thin Cuts, I Heart Us Sequins (all CTMH), Pink Ribbon (SU), ShinHan Markers, Foam Tape

Enjoy,

Alyson

H2H - Spring Shaker Card

Welcome to this week's Heart 2 Heart challenge! 

This week, we are inviting you to create a project using your favourite sketch. You don't have to use Close To My Heart sketch resources - any sketch resources are fine. As a design team, we ARE using current Close To My Heart sketch resources so we cannot post the actual sketch for you as they are copyright protected but if you can post the sketch resource for us, that would be terrific! 

I chose to use a card sketch from Make It From Your Heart - Volume 4. I rotated the sketch 180 degrees and used a circle for the focal part instead of a rectangle because I wanted to use a shaker for my main image. The rotation fit my design better due to the sentiment location as well. Remember - sketches are starting points and as long as they can be identified, they do not have to be followed exactly.

Come and join us at Heart 2 Heart and show us your favourite sketch and how you use it. Remember to use at least some Close To My Heart products. You have until the end of April to link up your project. We can't wait to see what you create!

I am entering this card in the Three Amigos challenge - Springtime - because it's all about SPRING with its bright and spring-like colours! 

Products used are Close To My Heart unless otherwise indicated: 

Paper: So Much Happy Paper Pack, White Daisy Cardstock, Mint Cardstock, Lagoon Cardstock, Neenah Solar White Cardstock

Stamps: Know that I Care, Well Said (SU)

Inks: Lagoon, Lemon

Accessories: Shaker Window Kit, Shaker Window Foam and Acetate, Loose Sequins - Gold, Gold Sequins, White and Gold Skinny Ribbon, Decorative Borders Thin Cuts, ShinHan Marker (other)

Enjoy,

Alyson

CD 337 - Needlepoint Birthday Greetings

Welcome to Colour Dare Challenge #337! 

This week offers some choice for you - a palette with a few different colours. You must choose at LEAST THREE COLOURS but you may choose more than that - or you can use all of them if you wish. Black and White are free. 

I chose to use only three of the colours in the palette - Sage, Ballerina and Silver. I also used White. I often prefer cards with a minimalistic colour scheme - just a personal choice. 

I found a gorgeous design on Pinterest and based my card from that design. That card can be found here. I loved the simplicity of the design. 

The Needle & Thread stamp set and coordinating Thinlets from Stampin' Up are unique in that they have some dies that don't cut but emboss an image into the paper, leaving a gorgeous pattern in place. Some of the stamps have similar patterns. Other stamps are designed to work as a group, interlocking with each other. It is a really fun set! 

On the front panel of my card, I used some of those interlocking stamps - and I stamped the centre flower 4x with Ballerina ink to make it as dark as possible. The background flower was stamped twice. The small flower fits perfectly within the large flower. The greenery behind it is a stamp that leaves an opening within it to fit the larger flower - that's what I mean by an interlocking set of stamps - they all work together. The white background was embossed using one of those dies that doesn't cut through but leaves a gorgeous pattern behind. The background was cut using a stitched die and then dry embossed using a tufted embossing folder. The sentiment was wet embossed using silver embossing powder. Some foam tape and silver gems were added to complete the card. 

Come and join us at Colour Dare and show us which of the colours you choose from the palette shown at the top. 

We can't wait to see what you create! 

You have two weeks to link up your project. 

I am also entering my card in the Three Amigos April challenge - Springtime - because spring is all about flowers! 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, Sage Cardstock, Ballerina Cardstock (all CTMH), Neenah Solar White Cardstock

Stamps: Needle & Thread (SU), Sending & Wishing (SSS)

Inks: Ballerina, Sage, Versamark (all CTMH)

Accessories: Silver Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Clear Sparkles (all CTMH), Needlepoint Elements Thinlets, Tufted Embossing Folder (SU), Rectangular Stitched Dies (SSS), Foam Tape

Enjoy,

Alyson

AH 310 - Kind Soul Shaker card

Welcome to Atlantic Hearts Sketch 310!

I really like this sketch because I think it has so many possibilities. I opted to create a shaker card, using the sentiment section for my shaker. 

I left that centre section white but decided to emboss the background using just Versamark and clear embossing powder for a gentle effect. It's hard to see in the large photo but the second photo which shows a close-up allows you to see that embossed section a little better. It adds just a bit more detail to the card. 

The outer section was stamped all around although I did try to focus my larger flowers where the stems are located on the sketch. I chose to use two mats - one just a basic mat and the other a stitched mat for emphasis. The larger pink flowers were also brushed with a clear shimmer brush to make them stand out just that little extra bit - again, seen better in the close-up photo. 

Come and join us at Atlantic Hearts and show us how you interpret the sketch shown above. 

You have until Sunday evening to link up your project. 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, Pixie Cardstock, Clover Cardstock, White Daisy Cards and Envelopes (all CTMH)

Stamps: Hello Lovely (Concord and 9th), Petal Palette (SU), Kind Soul (W Plus 9)

Inks: Clover, Intense Black, Versamark (all CTMH)

Accessories: Clear Shimmer Brush, I Heart Us Sequins, Loose Silver Sequins, Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool (all CTMH), ShinHan Markers, Foam Tape, Rectangular Stitched Dies (SSS)

Enjoy,

Alyson