Friday Focus: The White Pines Collection

Hi All! Welcome to another Friday Focus! Today we will be featuring projects made with Close To My Heart's White Pines Collection. I love the addition of Glacier blue and Chocolate brown to the more traditional holiday pallet. And the animal icons are fantastic! In addition to the paper pack, compliments, and assortments, this collection also includes Picture My Life cards that are perfect for your December daily or even a fun little Christmas countdown project. If Christmas isn't your thing, the patterns in the paper lend themselves to any winter-themed layout or project. (And I have to say, some of the patterns in the paper pack can be used year round in birthday cards and other occasion projects.)

So today I wanted to feature cards that I made using the White Pines Cardmaking Workshop.

As per usual with the Workshops On The Go, I added some of my own touches to these cards. (Frankly, more often than not, I do that to turn a mistake into a happy little accident.) However, in this case, the main difference between my cards and the way they were created in the workshop is the greeting I stamped the "from our house to yours" greeting inside each card. Let's take a look:

For the card above, I stamped fewer green branches around the wreath and added a bitty bling to dot the "i" in Christmas.

Next, for the O Christmas Tree card, I added a few more sparkles to the Christmas tree, and then "Merry Christmas" inside (along with "from our house to yours").

Finally, this is the card that I deviated the most on. It all started with stamping "the wrong" leaf cluster on the front. I then stamped berries on the top (like you see at the bottom), but initially didn't like the look. So I stamped the flower image on scrap cardstock and fussy cut around it. I popped it up with some foam tape, added a bitty sparkle, and really liked the look. I also ended up liking the berries on the branch and added it to the bottom cluster. Then, I liked a bow better than a knot so added that to the front. I moved "from our house to yours" from the front of the card to the inside as well. Finally, I decided to forgo the mini staples on the cards altogether.

And that is it! My favorite thing about the Cardmaking Workshops On The Go is that you really can't go wrong with them. They are perfect if you want to whip up 15 cards in an afternoon, or you can use the idea sheet as an inspirational jumping off point for your own creativity--or happy accidents... :)

So I hope this inspires you to get started on those holiday cards, and to check out the White Pines Collection. For more fantastic inspiration, hop on over and see what the über talented, Kraft-y Heart-ed, Lynn Darda has for you at From My Bungalow!

Have a wonderfully creative weekend!

Kraft-y Hearts Blog Share Day 3: Not Just for Valentine's Day

Celebrating Close To My Heart's January Stamp Of The Month: Happy Valentine's Day

Hi All! Welcome to Day 3 of the Kraft-y Hearts Blog Share for the January SOTM: Happy Valentine's Day. I hope you've been inspired over the last few days!

So today, I wanted to show how versatile this stamp can be, so I used it in conjunction with the Avonlea Card Workshop On The Go stamp set. (That set will also retire at the end of the month, so you want to act quickly to get it!)

This A2 card was made with Whisper cardstock and stamped in Whisper Exclusive Ink using the small rose image. I cut a piece of Lagoon cardstock 1-inch smaller than the base (which makes it 4 1/2 x 3 1/4 inches) and again used the tone-on-tone stamping technique with Lagoon Exclusive Ink. The White Daisy cardstock layer is cut at 3 inches square. The sentiment and edge stamps are from the Avonlea Card Workshop On The Go, and are stamped in Ruby Exclusive Ink. It seemed a little bare, so I added a rose in the corner in Whisper Exclusive Ink. Finally, I used small and medium Opaque Pearl Gems to add a little elegance and Color-Ready Seam Binding for texture.

Here are a couple of close-ups:

I hope you have enjoyed our Kraft-y Heart Blog Share and are inspired to go out and create something beautiful today. Remember, the Happy Valentine's Day stamp set and the Avonlea Card Workshop On The Go are only available through 31 January. If you are interested in purchasing either or both, visit me here.

Now hop on over to From My Bungalow to be inspired by the über-talented Kraft-y girl, Lynn Darda!