Gina's Little Corner of StampinHeaven

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!   We will be featuring July's SOTM,  American Celebration,  a set of 12 stamps.  If you have come here from   DEBBIE'S BLOG ,  you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way all around.    If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants  here   . This month we have   65 Close To My Heart Consultants  sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other great CTMH products on their blogs. Following the blog hop is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go! I decided I would make a few party decorations for a July 4th picnic. I made place cards with the American flag using 2nd generation stamping and the masking technique to use 2 different colors.   (The names were stamped with The Works Alphabet).   Next I made napkin rings with Outdoor Denim and White Daisy

 Did you know Studio J has a blog?  It has some great tips and techniques just in time for July 4th!  I've always tried to take pictures of fireworks but they never seem to turn out.   This article on Studio J tells you all the ins and outs to taking great fireworks shots - SIMPLY!                                     Check out the article HERE at Studioj.com/blog Don't forget!  Today is the last day to get your FREE JPG from Studio J.  Go now and give it a test run.  You will love it!  You have until August 15th to send me your FREE JPG for your chance to win a free 3 month membership to Studio J. (fireworks photo compliments of StudioJ.com)

I had so much fun making a clear card last week, I wanted to create another one! This week's Mojo Monday sketch we could choose either round or square.   The circle sketch was perfect for our clear circle card!    I chose our Sweetheart paper for this card which is the same as I used for last week's  Mojo Monday #196 sketch.  Only this time, I used the reverse side of the paper!   The pink 'flower' is from our Designer Ribbon Pink Collection.  I used a combination of rub-ons and a stamp from Piece of Cake (D1407) for the card front.    Side View The Rub-ons are from Nature's Ambiance (Z1097) which is now a "While Supplies Last" item on my website .   At just $2.00 you get three  6" × 12" sheets, 1 each of White Daisy, Chocolate, Black.  These look great on clear cards.   I used the 4 1/2 Clear Cards (Z1309) from Close To My Heart.  The Sweetheart (X7134B) paper is available only through July 31st.   

Here is Card #2 of my long list birthday cards for June & July.   Tonight I used Card Patterns Blog challenge to get me started with this one.   I thought this sketch had 'clear card' written all over it.  I haven't made a clear card in a while.  I forgot how fun they are! Here is the Sketch:     My card: Front View Open - to see inside My paper is from the Fanfare Level 2 paper pack.   I cut out the flowers and star from one of the B&T pieces.  I placed the sentiment near the top so that it would be covered up when the card is closed.  Since this card is for someone turning 40 I stamped a "4" and "0" underneath each flower.  I also signed the card underneath the star. This picture shows how I hid my glue on the back side of the flowers that was attached to the front of the card. All products are from Close To My Heart. Recipe: Fanfare Level 2 paper - X7138B Fanfare Level 2 Assortment Brads - Z1400 Designer Ribbon Blue Coll

If you are going to be looking for Birthday card ideas just keep checking my blog.  I've got a TON of birthdays to celebrate from now through July.  So I'll be sharing my cards as I get them made. This week's Mojo Monday sketch is the basis for one of the two birthday's coming up this week. This week's sketch: My Card: I changed the design up just a tad because I really wanted to use the Sweetheart Epoxy stickers.  I love the swirl and didn't want to hide it so I applied it on top of the oval.   Recipe: White Daisy Cardstock (1385) Sweetheart Level 2 Paper (X7134B) Butterfly - Exclusive Sweetheart Workshop on the Go stampset  (G1017) Salutation Seals (C1461) Sweetheart Level 2 Assortment Expoxy Sticker (Z1386) Tulip Button - Mini Medley Tulip Collection (Z1320) Black Exclusive Ink (Z2105) Tulip Exclusive Ink (Z2166) White Ric Rac Ribbon (Z1052)  (A clearance item on my website!) Our new Idea Books come out on August 1st!  Some items such as

July is going to be full of birthdays so I need to start early to get them all made.   I'll be looking to many of the challenge blogs to help me get this done!  Today, I used two challenges for my inspiration. First, the sketch is from  Pals Paper Arts .   (This is fast becoming a favorite blog of mine!).  I made a square 6x6 card. Next, the colors!   Over at The Play Date Cafe , this weeks colors are bright and cheerful. Here is their inspiration for colors: I used Close To My Heart's colors of Sky, Sunset and Cotton Candy.     I used Close To My Heart's My Acrylix stamp - Piece of Cake (D1407).  To make my cake I actually did 'piece' it together and even added decorator icing! (Liquid Applique Z308)    I first stamped my cake on the White Daisy cardstock with sky ink.  Before stamping onto the cardstock, I wiped the ink off of the flames and inked the flames with sunset - only applying the flames to the sunset ink pad.   Next, using Cotton Candy ink, I st

This week over at the ColourQ b log they have chosen masculine colors in celebration of the upcoming Father's Day.   I needed to make a Father's Day card so this helped jump start my creativity.   I went to my stamp drawer and pulled out a stamp from a year or so ago.  It is called Wonderful Friend.  It's a great stamp to use for masculine cards.   Since this was featured as a Stamp of the Month it is no longer available.    If you really like this stamp and would like to have one, contact me and I'll see if I can find one for you! Here is ColourQ's inspiration for colors:                                      I used Close To My Heart's colors of Barn Red, Autumn Terracotta, Indian Corn Blue and Grey Wool. I used the little Argyle stamp and Barn Red ink for a tone on tone background.  My stamped pocket watch adds an accent color of Autumn Terracotta.  Since the card features a tie, I thought it was appropriate to add the tiny white buttons which make me thin

Studio J that is!   Have you played yet?  Don't forget - there is about 15 days left to try it out and get your FREE JPG!   I've been so busy with non-scrap related business that I haven't had much of a chance to sit down at my scrap table to create.  I've GOT to get back in there!   But, in the meantime, I have stolen a few minutes to create some pages.  I've created 5 layouts so far for my daughter's softball book.  I just now ordered my FREE JPG for one of the layouts.  Within 5 minutes (or less) I recieved my email with the JPG's attached.   How cool is that!  So I'm sharing it here and I'll also share it on my Facebook page!  (you can click on the layout for a larger view) For my layout I chose to use Fanfare paper.   The layout pattern I chose, did not actually fit the demensions of my pictures so I just rotated them so that I could use a large horizontal team picture instead of a vertical picture.  That was easy!    I used Stickease letter

I sat down last night to check my email and a few other things and decided I would do a quick Studio J Layout.   Before I knew it, I had finished 2 more layouts of my daughter's sophomore season of softball.   All in less than an hour!  I can't wait to share them with you.    In the meantime, check out June's installment of "Love Your Layout" for Studio J. Kristine shows you how to make a flower out of knotted ribbon and then she tops it off with two brads one on top of the other.  This is something you'll never see with classic scrapbooking!  There are so many cool the things you can do!   Sit back and enjoy this quick little video. Don't forget to try out Studio J for yourself!  Get your FREE JPG and share it with me. I will post it  on my Studio J page here on my blog and then enter your name in a drawing for a FREE 3 - month membership!

If you've checked out my June Special page you've seen that this month Close To My Heart is offering a FREE JPG from Studio J.   No purchase necessary!  That is a pretty cool way to get everyone to try out this awesome way to scrapbook.    These pages look so traditional, you'll be able to slip these in among your other pages that you have created with actual paper and embellishments, that no one will notice the difference! Really!! I had some Studio J pages displayed on my wall at my workshop for months and once I mentioned that I did them in Studio J, some of my customers had to walk up to them to feel them! They thought all along they were pages that I created with paper, ribbons, brads and more! With Studio J, there is no program to purchase and download to your computer, no 'extra embellishments' to purchase.   All you have to do it go to my website and click on Studio J to get started!  (You may be asked to set up an account if you do not already have one).