Hello Friend - BTF challenge

This week at Between the Folds we have a challenge for you, the challenge is to use Embossing Folders.  For the challenge I used the CTMH arrows embossing folder combined with the Penelope paper pack. I embossed my paper and then lightly sanded it to expose the white core of the paper. I also used my water blending pen and ink to lightly colour the flowers in. 

We would love to see how you use embossing folders in your projects. 

Products used:

Paper:

- Penelope

- Pear and White Daisy card stock

Stamp:

- M1055 Friendship Wreath

Ink:

- Pear

- Gypsy

Misc:

- Water blending pen (retired)

- Extra Thick Twine Gypsy

- Arrows embossing folder

We hope you are able to carve out some time in your scrap space to play along with us. We would love to see your projects using Embossing Folders.

All submissions must have some Close To My Heart product on it and if the CTMH product you used isn't obvious, please let us know what you used. Please see the right side bar to read all the rules for submitting to our challenges.

You have until Monday, March 28, 2016 at 11:55 p.m. Eastern Standard Time to participate in this challenge.

Please make sure that you check back with us on Tuesday, March 29, 2016 to check out our next Bi-Weekly Challenge.

Have a great day!

Thanks for stopping by, until next time...Happy Scrapping!

Brandi

Friend....AHSC #140

I am fortunate that I have a handful of very dear friends who understand some of the challenges I face in life and though they are walking a very similar path and have many of the same challenges, they never hesitate to stop and lend a helping hand or helping ear when it is needed. I made this card for one of those very friends. While she has her own battles and challenges, she never hesitates in being there for me when I need her, she has become one of my best and truest friends! I am lucky to have her in my life!

This card was made with White Daisy and Gypsy card stock, memento tuxedo black ink, S1512 Candlelight Garden. I coloured everything in with our water colour paints. I do recommend using the water colour card stock but I was out of it so I took a chance!

I hope you have a wonderful and safe New Years Celebration and all the best for 2016!

Thanks for stopping by! 
Brandi

Visiting Santa - AHSC #138

This is a crazy busy time of year but it is a fun crazy busy. It is the time of magic and wonderment in the kids. One of the highlights not only for them but for me as well is taking them to visit Santa. They love meeting with the big guy and knowing that they get to talk about their choices for the year and the real reason they want to meet him, their wish lists. This is from last year and we went all out, we did their hair up super special, curls, a touch of make up, our pretty Christmas dresses, the whole 9 yards! Our girls are such girly girls and love to get all dolled up. They would do this every day if they could (I am going to be in trouble when they hit the teen years aren't I?)

Again, I am sorry for the blurry faces, I know it takes away from the pictures but due to our adopting the girls, privacy is very important to us to protect them. This layout was done in the CTMH Studio J software and features the retired (and one of my favourite) paper packs, Mistletoe. 

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my project this week!

Happy Holidays!
Brandi Robinson

A H2H rewind

This week at Heart to Heart we are taking a look back and picking on project we wanted to show off again. I have chose to show off this one page layout I made for a selfie I took with my oldest daughter. 

This layout was super fun to do, it came together so easily, I used the wee bits I had left of a favourite paper pack and I just love everything about it. To see the original post with how it was made, click here!

We will be taking a break from the Heart 2 Heart design team for the remainder of the year to focus on spending time with our families. I hope to get some crafty time in even in the crazy busyness of the holidays. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Brandi

Merry Little Christmas....AHSCH #136

Hello...surprise surprise....another Christmas card! I was not sure how this sketch would work for me. It looks simple and easy to do but sometimes those are the hardest cards for me to come up with. This one came together rather quickly for me and super easy. I had a helper with this card. My oldest daughter loves helping me scrapbook and make cards and she has been hovering around a lot, so I put her to work helping me and she loved it!

Products Used:

Paper:
- Mistletoe (retired)
- Card stock: Colonial White, Cranberry, Olive (retired)

Ink:
- Cocoa

Stamp:
- B1455 Be Jolly

Misc:
- Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink (name of colour unknown it has rubbed off)

We would love to see your creations, join us over at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge (AHSC). Come play along with us!

Thanks for stopping by, until next time...

Happy scrapping!
Brandi

Making Cookies for Santa - H2H Challenges

One of the things I love about the holidays is that there are so many things to do and activities, it is such a fun time. At the same time, it can be cumbersome and overwhelming when it scrapbooking, there are so many wonderful activities to scrapbook that it feels a bit like where to start. 

I was at a weekend crop and decided to start, just jumping and for it and start some with something and it was my girls making their cookies for Santa. 

Products Used;

Paper:

- White Pines

- Cocoa, Champagne, Cranberry, Fern, Glacier, and White Daisy card stock

Die Cutting:

- Silhouette Cameo

- Making Cookies for Santa by Miss Kate Cuttables

- Christmas Cookie set by Miss Kate Cuttables

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my project this week! We would love to see what you come up with, please join us over at Heart 2 Heart Challenges (H2H). 

Until next time, happy crafting!

Brandi

Tis the Season to be Jolly - AHSC 135

Ho Ho Ho! Christmas is quickly approaching and I really need to kick it into high gear and get some Christmas cards made and quick! Here is one I threw together for this weeks Sketch from Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge. I went a bit rogue and rather than a straight line down the side I used the holly to give that affect, it just seemed to add a much needed bit of UMPF to the card!

Have you been working on your holiday cards? it is not to late yet! Join us and post your work for us to see!

Sketch 135

Products used:

Paper:
- Pear & Partridge (retired)
- Colonial White, Olive (retired), and Cranberry

Stamps:
- B1455 Be Jolly
- D1678 White Pines Scrapbooking WOTG

Cricut:
- Artistry

Ink:
- Cocoa, Olive (retired) and Cranberry

Embellishments:
- Z3090 Enamel Gems Red

Thanks for stopping by! Until next time...

Happy Crafting, 
Brandi

Grateful - a H2H Challenge

This is the time of year when we slow down and think about the blessings in our life. I am truly blessed because I have a family that I love more than anything in this world. I have a family I adore and love so much and they are just the kindest, nicest and funniest! I have family all over the place and I love and miss so many of them every day. 


I made this layout to showcase a great picture my father in law took at Thanksgiving! We celebrate it in October up here in Canada but being American I always celebrate both!

 

Products used:

Paper:       

- Sangria

- Cashmere, Eggplant, and Pomegrante

Silhouette Cameo

- For this family...by Lori Whitlock

Wishing you... AHSC 134

OMG...this card was one of the fastest cards I have ever done. From start to finish it took only 27 minutes. Now part of it is I did have help from my 8 year old daughter, while I was cutting and measuring she was inking the edges for me, we tagged teamed this one. 

I really struggled with this one, the sketch was not very inspiring to me to be honest but once I got going on it, I loved it and it all came together was so much fun to do. I tend to find that happens a lot, the sketches I think I will struggle with end up being easy but the others I think I will really enjoy prove to be a challenge. That is why I love these challenges they keep me on my toes!

Products Used:

Paper:
- Pear & Partridge (retired)
- Olive (retired), Cranberry, and Colonial White card stock

Ink:
- Cocoa

Stamp:
- Pear & Partridge WOTG (retired)

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my project! Please feel free to join us at AHSC, we would love to see what you come up with!

Until next time, Happy crafting!
Brandi

You are my happy - H2H challenges

One of the newest products in the Close to my Heart is the water colour paints and they are all the rage.  So I was very excited about this challenge. I ordered my water colour paints and got them in, went to play with them and guess what, I forgot the paper that goes with it! Ekes, what is a girls to do? Luckily my CTMH upline used the water colours for a make and take at a crop I attended so I incorporated that piece into my project for this week, whew my upline to the rescue!

I have been told that they will work on normal card stock but due to the water it will bend and buckle when wet so I did not want to take that chance and the right tools for the job. 

Any hoots, here is the card I made using the make n take!

Here is the break down of products used:

Paper:

- Lucy (retired)

- Card stock: Pear and Slate

- Z3146 Watercolour Paper

Embellishments:

- Z1934 Flamingo Dots

Stamp:

- Not sure what set it is from, once I hear from her I will update this!

Fab - AHSC #133

All of my girls love to play dress up! In todays layout for the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge, I have my middle daughter dressing up like a rock star and she looked just Fabulous!

Products used:

Paper:

- Zoe

- Slate, Glacier, Pear, and White Daisy card stock

Cricut:

- Artistry

Misc:

- Zoe Compliments

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my work. For more inspiration be sure to check out the AHSC here.

Until next time, happy crafting!

Brandi

Trending Now - Niagara Falls! - H2H challenge

#family, #love, #makesmehappy, #ctmh, #bestjobever...ahhh hash tags! Remember when this # was a number sign? I do! (obviously since I typed it...lol) Times have changed a lot since I was a kid. The new hip thing is to see what is "trending" aka making news, getting noticed, the hot topic (and yes I realize I sounded super old saying the hip new thing...lol)

For this weeks challenge I decided to do a layout. Now I do not know if #niagarafalls is a trending topic on social media but in our house it comes up often. Niagara Falls was one of the first road trips we took our girls on and they LOVED it and still talk about it all the time. We have been back one other time and it is always a favourite topic so it tends to trend in our house. I also used some different things you can find on social media such as a locate arrow and a hashtag stamp for #makesmehappy.

Products Used:

Paper:
- Zoe
- Glacier and White Daisy card stock

Ink:
- Glacier and Sweet Leaf

Stamp:
- #makesmehappy

Embellishments:
- Zoe Compliments
- Zoe Assortment
- Bitty Sparkles

Silhouette:
- Sketch Pens
- Clean up your mess Font
- Build a Banner Set by Sarah Hurley

Sparks - AHSC 132

I just adore this picture of my oldest with her face painted like a puppy from one of her Sparks meetings. She loves going to Girl Guides and just has so much fun learning from the different leaders and making new friends. 

Sorry for the blurred faces but I struggle with showing off my layouts and the protection of my girls privacy. They did not consent to me posting their image and they are not old enough so I blur their faces & names out. 

Products used:

Paper:

- Zoe

- Glacier and White Daisy card stock

Ink:

- Slate, Sorbet, and Sweet Leaf

Stamps:

- D1658 #makesmehappy

- D1647 Documenting Moments

Misc:

- Alphabet rub ons (Not CTMH; packaging gone not sure of manufacturer)

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my project for the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge (AHSC) this week! Be sure to check out the rest of the design team and the other participants work. 

Until next time, happy crafting!

Brandi

Through the window - A H2H Challenge

This week we have a fun challenge from Heart 2 Heart challenges. The theme is "Through the window." What is your take on this theme?

I will admit I struggled with this a bit compared to my fellow design team members, they had some super awesome creative ideas. All I could come up with is this card with a window and a flower box. I was ok with that as I love this sweet stamp set and use it whenever I can. 

I got to play with our the new CTMH Zoe papers and I will be ordering more of this paper as I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! It is so versatile. You will be seeing more of these papers in my next few blog posts because I am just loving playing with it!

Products used:

Paper:
- Zoe
- Pear and White Daisy card stock

Ink:
- Pear
- Cocoa

Stamp:
-D1490 Flower Pot (retired)

Misc:
- Watercolour Pencils 

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look. To see what others have done be sure to check out the rest of the Heart 2 Heart design team here.

Happy crafting!
Brandi

Life is Wonderful - AHSC Sketch 131

One of the things I love the most about being on the AHSC and H2H design teams is they keep me creating, the weekly challenges force me to find time to get into my scrap room and create something wether it is a card or a layout. My goal is always layouts as I am a scrapbooker at heart but I do love making cards as well. 

This week is one of those weeks that I was able to get a layout done and that makes me so happy, I love getting my memories in albums and what makes it even more special is when my little ones help me with the scrapbooking. All 3 of my girls have been hit by the paper crafting bug and love making cards and scrapbook pages so I know my scrapbooks will be in wonderful hands in the future. 

I was able to use this weeks sketch to create this layout of my husband and our girls just goofing around while my husband was putting his shoes on to go to work and I was able to catch these snap shots and they are amazing, the look of love and happiness says it all! These are the little every day moments that I cherish...my husband was putting his shoes on to go to work and the girls were trying to get him to stay home...snuggles all around!

Here is the sketch that this layout is based off. I moved a few things around but tried to keep it simple and let the picture do all the work. I realize there is no picture I thought I had made a 5 X 7 print of this particular picture but I did not so I need to get it printed off and put onto the page. 

Here is the 2nd page of the layout. The picture that will go on the first page is like the one below on the right but it has all three of my girls in it

Products Used:

Paper:

- Sangria

- Champagne, Poppy and Eggplant card stock.

Ink:

- Eggplant

Cricut:

- Artistry

Stamp:

- 1658 #makesmehappy

Embellishments:

- Z2012 Gold Sequin Assortment

Thanks for stopping by!

Brandi

Little Monsters!

I have a little friend whose birthday is on Halloween and she just adores Halloween so I make her a Halloween themed birthday card each year. I call her my little monster as a pet name so it is only fitting that I break out this little monster dude for her card!

I need to stamp Happy Birthday on it still and that will go in the upper right of the card, but I am waiting on a stamp set that is due to arrive this week so I will add that when I get the stamp set, but until then I wanted to get this into the Boo theme for this week at Heart 2 Heart challenges (H2H). 

The theme this week is Boo! What do you make of that? It could be anything Halloween related, it could be a boo boo, injury or an oopps! Please join us and show us your Boo!


Thanks for stopping by, until next time...Happy Crafting!
Brandi

Hello Friend - AHSC 130

I have a card today that I made for a friend of mine, life has been so busy for both of us lately that we have not had time to connect so I thought I would use this weeks sketch to make her a quick card to let her know that while we have been to busy to connect withe each other, she is never far from my thoughts!

Products used:

Paper:

- Emporium (retired)

- Colonial White and Crystal Blue 

- Darker blue is not CTMH and I am not sure what brand / colour I bought it at a crop years ago!

Ink:

- Crystal Blue

Embossing

- Quatrefoil

Stamp:

- Sept 2015 Constant Campaign

Thanks for stopping by and visiting. Be sure to check out all the great inspiration at AHSC here.

Until next time, happy scrapping!

Brandi

Everyday Life - H2H challenges

This week at Heart 2 Heart it is all about that Cricut! Use your Cricut on any project and that is it! You don't have a Cricut, no worries, any die cut will do!

I made this card using the Cricut Artfully Sent Cricut Cartridge from CTMH. 

The paper is all retired CTMH it was from the Moon Doggie paper pack. The flowers are some yardstick that is not CTMH but I do not recall from where, I have had these flowers rolled from another project from a few years ago, these were left overs! The leaves are also retired CTMH, I believe they were called Autumn blooms. 

Thanks for stopping by!
Brandi

Home - H2H challenges

This week at H2H we are taking a look at our hometowns. I grew up in beautiful, sunny California and well, it would be near impossible to focus on just my hometown so I am focusing on my home county, The OC....yes, The OC! I grew up in Orange County, California!

This layout was done with the Close to my Heart Studio J software. I love this software for when I am looking for a quick project or I do not have time to get to my scrapbook room and still want to be creative!

Thanks for stopping by and learning more about my hometown!

Until next time, happy crafting!
Brandi

Family - AHSC 128

Do you ever find yourself short on time and yet need.want to get some work done? That is where I find myself today and therefore I am using CTMH's Studio J software to get a digital layout done. 

I threw this together in no time at all! I also used the AHSC Sketch 128 as my inspiration and guide! Sangria was the perfect paper for this picture of my munchkin and her daddy posing for me!

All products are Close to my Heart Studio J!

Thanks for stopping by!

Brandi