Graduation Card with Copics

A few weeks ago, I attended Copic Certification classes in Philadelphia with my CTMH BFF, Crystal. We spent two jam-packed days learning how to use and blend with Copic Markers, along with many other fun techniques. We have both had Copics for years, but never really learned how to use them properly. I'm so glad we took the time to attend these classes. Cindy Lawrence was our instructor, and we learned so much from her! Ever since that weekend, I've been so busy that I really haven't had much of a chance to play with my new skills. Well...that chance finally came today!

Today I want to share a graduation card for a party I'm attending tomorrow. I used this adorable hedgehog stamp from Penny Black called "A Scholar." All of the products are Close to my Heart with the exception of the stamp and the circle Nestabilities dies. The paper is all from a pack called Dream Pop, but I'm sad to say it is no longer available. (I'm desperately trying to use up some of my stash before buying more paper!) I used Bronze Shimmer trim and Brown Glitter Paper to add some bling on the right side of the card. The flower is from the Chantilly Assortment set. I just love the paper I added to the inside of the card as well. It's light enough that I can write a message, but added just the right amount of fun. As always, you can click on any image for a closer look!

I used MANY Copics to color this image. The B colors were used for the sky. I used the E colors on the hedgehog. The G colors were used for the grass, and the W colors were used on the graduation hat. The red and yellow were accents colors for the star and the ribbon.

I decided to use this week's Mojo Monday sketch as the layout for this card. It is such a fun layout and I loved playing along with the challenge!

Babycakes Name Frames

A few years ago, I started making these baby name frames as gifts for my co-workers whenever they had a new addition join their families. As more people in my work family received these gifts over the years, others started asking questions about how to get me to make more. I still make them for gifts at work, but I also make them for other people to give as gifts too. They are a huge hit, and are relatively easy to make!

This one was made for my niece to give as a gift to twins that were born on her husband's side of the family. They feature the Babycakes paper pack and matching canvas complements. (Aren't they adorable?!?) Click on the image for a closer look! Each square piece is matted to 2" and the inside piece is 1 3/4" square. The letters are cut on my Cricut and then I cover the letter with Bonding Memories Glue and Martha Stewart Glitter. The frame is 11" x 14"and the artwork measures 8 1/2" x 11". It needs to be placed outside of the matted area in order to fit. Sometimes I place elements on the outside of the frame for a little bit of added dimension. 

Joyful Stars July Blog Hop

Welcome to the Joyful Stars Blog Hop! I am very excited to be participating in this blog hop for the first time this month with some very talented CTMH consultants. The hop is a circle, so it doesn't matter if you are coming from my dear friend Crystal's blog or if you start here on my blog. Just continue around until you get back to the blog you started on to make sure you see all of the wonderful artwork!

This month I would like to feature a 5x7 hinged display tray. My best friend's oldest daughter graduated from high school last month, and I wanted to make something that she could take with her to college in the fall. The hinged display tray was a perfect choice! I started by covering the front and back of the box with the black paisley paper from the Laughing Lola paper pack. I added the complement border pieces to the top of the tray, and then put the pieces I trimmed off on each side. For the inside, I decorated each box individually. The smaller photos are wallet size prints trimmed to fit, and the larger photo is a trimmed down 4x6. It's hard to tell in the picture, but I used lots of foam tape to add dimension to the project. If you want to make one of your own, hurry and order your supplies from the list below! Everything is retiring except for the display tray.

Close to my Heart Supplies Used:

5" x 7" Hinged Display Tray
Laughing Lola Paper Pack
Laughing Lola Complements
Laughing Lola Assortment
Base and Bling Purple Jewels 
Base and Bling Black Jewels  (clear jewel on bottom right)

Next, please head on over to Betty's blog to see what she's created for us this month! Thanks for hopping along with us. For a full list of all participating bloggers, please click here. Be sure to come back in August for more inspiration and to see some fabulous new CTMH products!

Pop-up Gift Card Holder

One of the things I enjoy most is finding creative ways to give a gift card. It's much more fun when a card has an interactive element, instead of just putting the gift card inside of the card. I found this cute pop-up gift card idea online, and when I saw it I decided to make one for my niece's bridal shower gift. The box holding the gift card lies flat when the card is closed, but pops up with the gift card when the card is opened. How much fun is that?!?

I wrote my personalized message on the white daisy cardstock, and I did not give her an Applebees gift card ;-)

The paper and stickers I used are from the CTMH pack called For Always. The image is from Fred She Said Designs, and it's called Wistful Emma.

Posting again! Wedding Project #1

Yeah, I know...it's been WAY TOO LONG since I've posted anything here. Let's just say life got in the way. Although things are still crazy, and there is still much going on, I really have missed sharing my artwork with you all, so I'm going to make another attempt to re-enter the blogging world.

For a good chunk of time last year, I wasn't able to share my work. You see, I was creating things for my niece's wedding, and they were top secret. I wasn't able to share them with anyone until they were made public. One of the most time consuming projects was the invitation because I made 225 of them! The invitation is based on an idea I found online, and for the life of me, I can't find the original card. All of the paper (except for the glitter paper) on the invitations came from www.paperandmore.com. The bride, groom and hearts were cut from the CTMH Artiste Cricut Cartridge. They were a huge hit, and I'm very proud of the final product!!! You can click on each photo for a closer look. Enjoy :-)