I used the CTMH Treat Tubes and boxes that we got with a previous promotion.  And I turned them upside down to look like flowers.  I love how the textured cardstock looks on the leaves!  And the bright pattern just makes me smile.

Here are some close ups:

Wow.  It's amazing how a card made just from neutrals can have such impact.  I love how this card turned out, using just White Daisy, Colonial White and Champagne cardstock.  And it's a great way to showcase one of my favourite stamp sets: Honeycomb.  Take a look!

These super simple but super sweet cards are made using some of my favourite Close to my Heart colours: Pacifica, Topiary and Blush.  They have a nice, spring-like feel, and they were perfect for the thank you cards I was making.  Take a look:

Have you ever been working on a project, cutting paper to your heart's content?  Then you notice that your cuts aren't as sharp as they should be.  But you're already in your comfy pants with your hair in a ponytail and you just don't want to go out to the store to get a new blade for your paper trimmer.  Or maybe you're just frugal and want your blade to go as far as it possibly can. 



That's right.  The answer to your dulling blade is right in your kitchen.  Simply take a piece of tinfoil and make a few cuts with your trimmer, just as if you were cutting paper.  Don't forget to turn your blade around and sharpen the other side too.



Tinfoil can also work to sharpen your punches.  Slide in a piece, punch a few shapes and your punch will be good to go again.

One fun way to journal on your scrapbooking layouts is to use music.  Maybe it's just a chorus or a song title.  Maybe it's tied more directly to your layouts, like mine below.  No matter -- music can really inspire us when we're in a creative mood.


This layout is a slightly modified Close to my Heart Workshop on the Go for the Claire kit.  It's all about my trip to Ottawa to see my friend Joy and go to see Keith Urban in concert at Bluesfest.  For fun, I used one of his song titles "Who wouldn't want to be me?" as my layout title.

Welcome to our April Cross Canada Blog Hop.  This month we’re featuring Home Decor projects using fabulous Close to my Heart products.  I used the amazing Claire paper pack and our 6x6 canvas to make an inspirational quote display for my office.

• This is a circular hop so you can start here and go all the way around
• If you came from Krista’s “Simply Creating” blog, then you are going in the right direction!
• And if you want to follow us from coast to coast, then please start at the beginning with Michelle S.’s blog “My Creation With Michelle”.  The complete blog list is also found here if you get lost along the way.  

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My Project:  Inspirational 6x6 Canvas using Claire papers
I have been on a personal journey to lose weight and get healthy – both in my body and my mind.  I am happy to say that, with help from Weight Watchers, the support and encouragement of my family, and my own determination, I have lost 25 pounds so far and am well on my way to my goal.  And I feel GREAT!

Along my journey, I found Bob Harper.  I have always liked “The Biggest Loser” but was never a regular watcher.  As part of my weight loss, I started doing Biggest Loser exercise DVDs, including “Weight Lose Yoga”.  Bob was the instructor.  He is encouraging without being condescending, motivating without being nasty.  Since finding him, I have learned more about Bob and his philosophies.  And I found this quote that I love: "Believe in yourself.  Trust the process.  Change forever.”   It touched me in such a way that I knew I needed to build it into my environment.

Bob Harper's words keep me going and make me feel like I'm on the right track.

That’s why I chose this quote for my Home Décor project.  I wanted to create something simple and impactful.  The Claire papers were the perfect colours and the 6x6 canvas was the perfect size.  I love how the hot air balloon just adds a touch of inspiration and hope, helping me to really connect with the quote and more importantly, the message behind it.  I've placed it in my office, right next to my desk and under my calendar, so I see it every day.

Products used:

• Claire paper pack
• Clear Sparkles
• Art Philosophy and Artiste cartridge
• Cranberry pigment ink
• Trinity Esize stamp
• Outdoor Denim ribbon
• Small paper flowers (not CTMH)

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What do you think of my project?  Please take the time to leave comments on this post, and other posts as you hop along.  We love to get feedback from our viewers....whether it was something that you really liked or some new technique that was used that you would like to learn how to do....by leaving us comments, we get to hear what you like, and what you want to see.

Your next stop on the Cross Canada Hop is Michelle M.’s “Twirl ‘n’ Time” blog. 

Thanks for hopping along with us - we hope we were able to inspire you to create your own projects using some of the designs and paper seen along the way. Join us again in May when we will be featuring projects on Canvas.

It has been a sad week in our household.  Three people close to me lost someone special in their lives.  May those 3 lovely ladies rest in peace and live on in the hearts of those who loved them.

I hope that I am honouring the ones who have passed on, and the ones left behind by creating a card for them, using this week's colour combo.

Ever wonder how you could take your layouts to the next level?  Just add some interactivity!  I love pages that I can "play" with, especially if it means I get more photos on the page too!

On May 11, I will be teaching you how to add some flips and folds, slides and spins to your layout.  Using the soft and classy Buzz and Bumble papers, we'll do a 2-page layout that has a fun spinner for journaling, a fold-out section that holds 6 4x6 photos, and a "filmstrip" that reveals a secret!


We'll also create some texture and add some fun with stamping, using the fabulous Honeycomb stamp.

Want to join us?  I'd love to have you at this workshop.  Just RSVP by Thursday, April 18 at 5pm and I'll save you a spot!

Interactive Layout Workshop
Saturday, May 11
1:30 - 4:00 pm
$25 each

Then, please stay and play at the FREE Open Crop afterwards: 5pm until midnight!

What's better than using Close to my Heart's amazing Stamp of the Month?  Using it multiple times to create a great-looking card!

This week's Tip is actually a Technique: Motion Stamping.  And it really is as easy as 1-2-3.

STEP ONE:
Choose your stamp.  I used the Hot Air Balloon from the "My Sunshine" April Stamp of the Month.  Ink it up really well -- I used Outdoor Denim.  Stamp it once.



STEP TWO:
Do NOT re-ink.  Stamp again, slightly off-setting the image from the original.  This is called Second Generation stamping.


STEP THREE:
Do NOT re-ink.  Stamp a third time, again, slightly off-set from the second image.  Keep repeating until you have created the motion you like, or until you run out of ink on your stamp.



Here are 2 cards, using this technique and the balloon from "My Sunshine".

Believe in Yourself -- Sky cardstock and Chantilly B&T, Outdoor Denim and Sunset ink, clear sparkles.

Enjoy - Sky cardstock and Clementine B&T, Sunset and Saddle ink, Blue buttons.

Feeling like your project can use some motion?  Go ahead and try this technique for yourself.

One of my favourite things to do is play with different Close to my Heart colour combinations.  So I'd like to challenge you each week to try some of the combos I've come up with.

THIS WEEK'S COLOUR COMBO: Outdoor Denim, Sunset and Cashmere

Where to start?  PHOTOS!
I start with my big box of photographs (usually after a sale on prints from Costco) and my layout folders OR XL zipper bags.  I get my zipper bags from Dollarama and they are 13 inches by 15.6" (33 cm x 39.6 cm) and you get 6 bags for $1.25.

Then I sit down and sort my photos by themes or the layouts I want to do.  I try not to worry about how many photos are set aside for each layout -- I just get them sorted.  Then I put the photos in the zipper bags -- one bag per theme or layout.

Don't forget the MEMORABILIA!
Next, I go hunting for and pull out any memorabilia I've saved from trips and events.  If you're like me, memorabilia is stuff I usually save, then put in a so-called "safe" place, only to forget where that safe place is.  Don't worry -- I usually find it ... AFTER my layout is done.  So I've started keeping a box with just memorabilia in it (a safe place I can find) and remembering to pull out the ticket stubs, brochures, admittance bracelets, postcards and more when I organize my layouts.

Once you've found your stuff, put them in the zipper bags with the corresponding photos.

PAPER is next.
Once I have the photos and memorabilia organized, I go through and pull out the paper I want to use for that layout.  Sometimes I have a specific Close to my Heart paper pack purchased just for that layout.  Other times, I pull out my bin of paper and just see what works.  I don't always know what will work best, or what will inspire me more, so I may pull out more than 1 option.  Then I select cardstock to match.  Don't forget neutral cardstock for your layout bases!  Put all your paper into your bag with your photos.


Bring on the BLING baby!
The next thing to add to your zipper bags is embellishments!  Again, sometimes these have been specifically purchased, like soccer ball brads or Las Vegas stickers, or sometimes they are just what works, like sparkles or cork lettering.  I also pull out any MyAcrylix™ stamps I want to use.  The more you can pull together, the better chance you'll USE what you HAVE in your stash.

• Photos
• Memorabilia
• Paper and cardstock
• Embellishments
• Layout ideas