Challenge 1: 3 identical sizes of paper and stamp color on color

Challenge 1 – same shapes – stamp color on color.  Many times you will have scraps left over. Often they are just kept in a bag or left on a shelf.   I have brought out my scraps and just started making cards and pages.  Before you adhere anything to the paper, see how many different ways you can lay them out.  See what gets the “ah ha” in your head.  Feel free to use any embellishments that you want on the pages or cards. 

Page Challenge: Neutral base pages may need some extra stamping to make the page not seem so blank.  Use 3 – 2x12 pieces that can be the same or different color in different arrangements.   I did 2 pages as that is how I will use them.  You can make just 1 page and use some of the same colors for a later 1 page challenge.  There is nothing that says that the pieces need to add up or look the same.  Most of the time it makes a continuous looking 2 page layout but if you have lots of photos on the pages it may not matter.  Use different stamps for color on color and you can use the same stamp with the same or different color on the page.  You can also use colored paper or background and texture paper for base pages.  Remember you can turn the page to any side of the paper for a much different look.  Remember that you can edge the paper on pages as well as on cards. 

 

 

I used D1720 Keep Dreaming and D1713 Hello Lovely – Scrapbooking with Archival Black ink as I used the Water Colors and the Water brush.  Over the top I used the Gold Shimmer Brush over the words and flowers.  Remember that using this over watercolor will activate the watercolors and can look need in blending or make a mess.  You could also stamp the flowers on patterned paper or cardstock and cut them out.  If you want to use the exact color of the inks, you can use a brush with the re-inker or push down on the cover of the ink pads and use the ink with your brush or water brush.

I stamped the leaves with Topiary.   It was hard to see how the Gold Shimmer brush make a difference on the pages.

Annual Catalog: page 95 starts the color/paper section with Sea Glass. The color shades come in “families” of Whimsy, Adventure, Enchantment, and Basics.  The ink stamp pads and re-inker are water based.  The mini pigment pads are just that pigment.  Pigment can have the embossing powder over it to help it dry or just remember it takes longer to dry or use heat setting.  If you are making albums the water base is just fine.  However, if you are putting something up on a wall for display and you want to keep it for a while, you need the pigment ink.  Water base will fade in sunlight where pigment ink won’t. 

In the Annual book on page 65-69 are stamps that can work well for this challenge.  You can use stmaps as borders.  

Mini memories (4x4 books) on page 80 in the Annual book and Every day life on page 82 as well as pocket pages can benefit from this as well.  You can have scraps that will turn these into great projects.  Save your scraps but USE them as well.

Seasonal Expressions has Card and Scrapbook thin cuts and stamps which can be used once or in a repeating pattern.  

Disclaimer on cards: I need to make 125 Thank you cards for a wedding gift by September so most of the card samples will have the “thank you” theme.  Any stamp and any theme is acceptable.  Close To My Heart cards are 5 ½ by 4 ¼ so that is the base size that I am making the samples from. 

Card Challenge: Use 3 - 2x3 shapes on the card.  It can be the same color or different colors or patterns.  In my samples I used Lagoon, Smoothie and Topiary and sponged the edges.  I used for the “thank you” words D1703 Nature’s wish, A1192 Happy Heart and S1706 Hello Foxy.   I used the Basic Oval Thin cut and the A1206 Scripty Thank You.  Use a stamp, shape, Cricut or thin cut on the card.  You can stamp a message on the inside if you wish.

You can go to my website and go to SHOP.  You can find everything: paper, stamps, inks& coloring, embellishments, tools, dies, cards & envelopes.  Remember that the Albums are on sale this month.  Buy one and get a second for ½ off.  You can check under Mini Albums for sizes other than the 12 x 12.  Sometimes just a little something extra will allow you to use the scraps you have saved.  Have fun.  Post here or on my Facebook site. 

Outline of the June Challenges

I will give 12 challenges to you.  The first will be June 1 but afterwards Wednesdays.  There will be one on Saturdays and Sundays.  You don’t need to do them in order and you don’t need to do them all.  You may like one technique and try it in a variety of ways and skip another technique all together.  I will post 1 challenge for cards and 1 challenge for 1 12x12 page.  For the pages, you don’t need to have the photos on the page.  You can use place markers of the size or don’t put them there at all.  If you want to make the page layouts double, that is fine but no necessary.  For each one you do and post a picture of here, your name will be put in a drawing at the end of the month for $25 in free Close To My Heart product. 

In a class or in a crop or just working with someone else, it is fun to share what you just made.  It makes it more fun than just working alone.  Since we aren’t getting together in person, I thought this would be a good way to share what fun we are having. 

I love Close To My Heart products.  I am going to share different techniques and share some of my favorite things.  I will share what pages they are in the catalog and share the link to my website : barbarapagekell.ctmh.com.  I will not be available much in June but in July I will post some crop times that people can come over and try some of the techniques at my house. 

I will see from the responses if I will duplicate this in other months. 

Virtual Crop

It is so much fun to see what people are doing!  I did a card class at the Baraboo First UMC and at the Portage Public Library.  It is great to share what YOU did with what you were given.  The month of June is busy for me - our Annual Conference for Northern Illinois, Vacation Bible School, my Mom's memorial service and family gathering.  I will post challenges here - in sketch form or by showing you an example.  You take those ideas and make them your own and post them here or on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ctmhscrapingfun.  Each time you post, your name will be put into a drawing for $25 in Close To My Heart product.  You can post at either/or or both sites but if you post the same thing, only 1 will count for the drawing.  If you put in 1 post, your name will be put in 1 time.  If you post 2 times, your name will be put in twice.  Since this is the first time doing this and some of you are newer to Close To My Heart, you can use what you have at home.  Let's see what we can do together!  I will share some techniques.  You may not have supplies for these at home.  If you are close to my home, keep posted for times you can come over and try things out. 

Seasonal Expression Cards

No matter what kind of project you are doing, there will be some paper left over.  I love the Workshop Your Way as they incorporate the scrapbooking pages and cards in the same project.  If you don't want to do the cards, then you have paper for other pages.  Here are the cards from the Workshop Your Way: Little Dreamer, Prickely Pear and No Worries.

Little Dreamer: You make 9 cards, 3 of each design.  All the cards that come with the Workshop Your Way, use the Stamp sets and thin cuts along with ink and inks.  (The scrapbook projects are just cut and paste.) The Little Dreamer - Cardmaking Stamp and Thin cut is Z3335.  You can find the Workshop Your Way at http://www.closetomyheart.com/Retail/Product.aspx?ItemID=9932&ci=8409 On that Website, you can find the other things that coordinate with the projects like the stamp set with thin cuts.

Prickly Pear has 12 cards - 3 designs - 4 each.  You can find the paper and all coordinating things at: http://www.closetomyheart.com/Retail/Product.aspx?ItemID=9934&ci=8458 the Prickly Pear Cardmaking stamp and Thin cuts is Z3332

No Worries Workshop Your Way makes 6 cards, 2 of each designs.  You can find it at: http://www.closetomyheart.com/Retail/Product.aspx?ItemID=9933&ci=8456  the No Worries Cardmaking Stamp + thin Cuts is Z3337.

Each of the paper packets have the stamp set and thin cuts.  You can just get the stamp set but it is much easier to have the thin cuts.  Each paper packet also has a scrapbooking stamp set and thin cuts.  These are usually slightly larger for the 12 x 12 pages.  Think about the fun you will have making 3 - 2 12x12 layouts and cards all in about 3 hours!  Look over the packets and get in touch with me to come and get your projects going.  Remember that it takes 1 - 2 weeks advance notice so that all your supplies can be ordered and be here. 

May 1 starts the new Seasonal Expressions and goes through August 2017

You have 4 months to do somethings with 4 great papers.  You also have THIS month to get Live Beautifully and do great things with it.  I am sharing the papers from 3 of the packets.  Later I will post the cards that accompany the Workshop Your Way.

The first one is "Little Dearmer".  You couldn't get cuter thank with this unicorn set.  There is enough leeway with the double sided paper that if you don't have photos for the unicorn, there is the other side of the paper to work with.

The next paper is "Prickley Pear".  The fiesta spirit is strong with this one.  I love the Workshop Your Way as it gives you great layouts but enough paper and extra things to make more pages and to change what pages they have laid out for you.  You have enough to make 6 - 12 cards depending on the paper packet.

The last one that I did was "No Worries".  All of them are great sets of papers that you can make for your photos.  Remember that you can get just the paper packets and complimentary cardstock and go wild with all the creating you would ever want to do.