Monday, October 25, 2010

H2H Challenge - The BOO Crew!!

It's that time again....it's the H2H Challenge for this week! This week's challenge - should you choose to accept it - is to do something with a Halloween or pumpkin theme. Well, some time back I created this Halloween and this was just the perfect time to show it off again!


I love to be a girl who thinks ‘outside of the box’! My goal in creating artwork is to try and come up with a creative way to use products in a new and unique way. So I have a few tips for using Close to my Heart Products in unexpected ways. First, for this layout, I have used a page from Close to my Heart’s new Mix and Mingle Album as a unique embellishment rather than just using it in creating the standard mini album. Next, at the time I created this layout I did not have any of Close to my Heart’s new Hooligans paper pack (which is our new darling Halloween themed paper pack in the 2010 Autumn/Winter Idea Book.) However, I was not worried! There are several paper packs in our collection which are perfect for this event! Here I have used the very versatile "You Rock" Level 2 Paper Pack with its 'perfect for Halloween' colors of Sunflower, Pansy Purple and Garden Green. Which is my second tip for you – don’t ‘box’ yourself in to the implied theme in each of our paper packs! Many of our paper packs are perfect for all sorts of different events and celebrations! For incorporating the use of the Mix & Mingle album on my layout - Here I have used one of the bracket shaped acrylic pages to create a unique 'dimensional' embellishment for my layout. First, I distressed the acrylic page with black Stazon Ink - in order to really make the shape of my acrylic piece 'pop'. Then I mounted it to the layout by using brads, attached directly to the layout, as spacers and covering the pre-drilled holes with our new Licorice Opaques (new black pearls!!). By placing some of my stamped and cut-out elements on top and behind the acrylic enabled me to make my witch appear as though she was flying over the moon.


I am also pleased to announce that I am the 4 for 40 sponsor this week! So get your 'spooky' creative juices flowin' and share your artwork with us at the H2H Challenge Blog! If we get 40 players again this week - you could be the lucky winner of a fabulous pack of 4 of my cards - created especially just for you!!

All supplies used are Close to my Heart:
*NEW* My Creations Mix & Mingle Mini Album
STAMPS: Fright Night (set of 10) B1359, Beware (Set of 8) D1381
PAPER: You Rock Level 2 Paper Pack, Autumn Harvest Textured Cardstock (retired)
INKS: Sunflower Exclusive Ink, Archival Black Exclusive Ink, Black Stazon, Black Marker
DOODLES: Designer Ribbon Rounds Black Collection, Licorice Opaques, Basic Brad Assortment, Fresh Shapes Dimensional Elements, Monograms Dimensional Elements, Color Ready Alphabets - Bold
TOOLS: Corner Rounder, Cutting Knife, Piercing Tool Kit and Sanding Kit

Monday, October 18, 2010

H2H Challenge - Embossing Time!

This week at the H2H Challenge blog...EMBOSSING! You can choose to do dry embossing or heat embossing. Well, I really stepped up to the challenge and did both!

I decided to create my festive monocromatic card with the beautiful Juniper snowflake B&T from the Jingle Level 2 paper pack and needed a second B&T texture for the card. So I decided to create my own B&T by dry embossing the Juniper cardstock with a pinstripe. I simply accomplished this by placing my paper in my trimmer (with the blade removed) and used the measuring guide to move along at 1/2 in intervals and use my Embossing Stylus to impress the lines into the paper. Then I lightly sanded to make the dry embossed lines 'pop' more.

For my sweet little ornament...I used the Holiday Trinkets stamp set. I stamped the ornament with Juniper ink on Juniper paper and cut it out. I love this set because it has the perfect little stamps to embellish your ornaments. I used the snowflakes and heat embossed the them in white and then sponged a bit of Juniper ink around the heat-set embossing in order to help those snowflakes 'pop' too.





So now it’s your turn! Grab your stylus or your heat tool (or both) and create a fabulous card and then hop on over to the H2H Challenge blog and share your creation by Sunday night at 10pm for your chance to be chosen as the Fab Friday Five!! You can also check out the other design team member’s incredible artwork for inspiration! The links to each of their sites can be found on the sidebar of my blog.

Monday, October 11, 2010

H2H Challenge - Lovely leaves

It's time to celebrate fall!! Well, here in Arizona we have FINALLY broken the triple digits and we are beginning to have cooler weather. We even had quite a doozie of a storm last week! So even though we're in the 80's...it's Fall to us! This is why the challenge this week over at H2H is trees and leaves and I was happy to accept the challenge! If you are a regular follower of my blog...you will know my love for snowflakes!! Coming in as a close second is leaves and fall (again- I don't get to see snow and I don't get to really see the changing of the seasons - so I live vicariously through my cards!)



This week, I chose to create this quick and simple little 5x5 card. Of course it was created with our beautiful new papers from our Oliva Level 2 paper pack, a bit of stitching and a 'roll' of the stamp....and ta-da! Simply lovely, in my opinion!


So now it’s your turn! Grab your favorite tree or leaves stamp set and get busy!! Then hop on over to the H2H Challenge blog and share your creation by Sunday night at 10pm for your chance to be chosen as the Fab Friday Five!! You can also check out the other design team member’s incredible artwork for inspiration! The links to each of their sites can be found on the sidebar of my blog.

Monday, October 4, 2010

H2H Challenge - You say it's your birthday??

Good Morning! I am here once again with the Monday installment of the H2H challenge this week. The challenge this week...if you should choose to accept it...is to create a birthday card! Not so hard, huh! So grab your favorite birthday stamps and make sure to play along this week!

Even with all the new paper in the new 2010 Autumn/Winter catalog, I was drawn to play with one of my all-time favorites - Emporium. This darling little card is actually a 3-1/2x3-1/2" card base mounted onto a 5x5 card. Makes for an interesting little twist for the recipient!



So now it’s your turn! Create a fantastic birthday card and then hop on over to the H2H Challenge blog and share your creation by Sunday night at 10pm for your chance to be chosen as the Fab Friday Five!! You can also check out the other design team member’s incredible artwork for inspiration! The links to each of their sites can be found on the sidebar of my blog.