Plant a Kiss

I kept this card clean and simple for the Freshly Made Sketches this week. Using their sketch I layered some of the new cactus stamps with some older papers to be the focus of the card. Lately I've been cutting out the Thin Cuts cactus, stamping it, then using watercolors to fill them in. This time I simply cut them out on Juniper cardstock and stamped in the same ink. Done!

Be sure to check out the Seasonal Expressions Idea Book to see all of the brand new Thin Cuts!

Get EnTWINEd with H2H

The challenge this week on Heart 2 Heart Blog is to be enTWINEd. This can be interpreted in so many ways, however I liked the idea of birds entwined in love. That thought led me to feathers and the older Free to Be Me paper collection.

I was in need of more 3x3 mini card sets for my customers and one of them in particular loves feathers on projects! I bundled the set of 4 cards with some Olive twine, adding to the theme. Look close and you will see the cute feathers I cut out on the Cricut with some special shiny paper that was included in the paper collection. The simple sentiment "hello" is one of the stamp sets included in the Artfully Sent Cricut collection.

Be sure to visit H2H Blog to see how the design team members got enTWINEd!

Graduation Day Layout

I was able to get some of the graduation pictures scrapbooked this week. Not bad, considering it's still June...thank goodness for Summer vacation!!

These are some pictures of the graduation day...or should I say night ceremony! Our small town High School held the ceremony the old~fashioned way, out on their football field. It was a really hot day so we were worried about the sun beating on us while we waited for the ceremony to begin. Luckily by the time the ceremony began at 8pm the seating was really well shaded and temperatures fell quickly as the sun set behind the school. It was a wonderful ceremony! After the graduates received their diploma, they walked down the aisle and in front of the bleachers for all to see. As our son made his walk, we could hear his family members shouting & cheering for him! His Pa Pa loudly exclaimed "I love you, Alex!". {He's the one in the buttercup yellow collared shirt and dark blue hat}

 After the ceremony all the kids formed a big group and got to throw their caps in the air! This was also cool, because several schools have banned this action! After a big group picture the families were allowed on the field to take pictures. I knew we would have to be fast as my son is not a big picture taking kind-of guy!!

So here are a couple of good photo's I captured before the ceremony and after. I say "good" photo's because my camera does not take great pictures in football field lighting! :(

 I'm still using up some Free To Be Me papers. I combined them with an older paper collection and journaling pockets called Elemental. For my title I combined some AC Thickers with the E-sized Framework Alphabet. The pocket works well for holding the tickets. I have added some fun tags and embellishments of all kinds. I have yet to do the journaling, but I imagine it will be about what I described at the beginning of this post! :)

The following day we had a BBQ to celebrate...those pictures have yet to be scapped! Stay tuned!

Woohoo!

I've been using more of the Free To Be Me papers. It was such a wonderful collection and can be mixed with all sorts of other products and stamps. You will see it reappear again in the future I'm certain!

This is a fun Birthday card using a great graphic sentiment, some Heidi Swapp color shine pieces and stars punched from chalkboard labels.

Scrapbooking Month Finale!

Did you get some scrapbooking done this month? I was able to complete my 2013 book and make a few new entries in this year's album. I have enjoyed the various events happening throughout the month and loved the Free To Be Me paper collection for both scrapbooking and card making.

For my finale I created one last layout using this fabulous paper collection. This has been an incredibly busy month for our family, but we made time for a whole new experience! We got to dress up and head down town for a fabulous theater event.

This is such a wonderful collection of papers and vellum's. You have today and tomorrow to still order, don't miss out! Click here to order online!

 

{I've pinned lots of inspiration on Pinterest, check it out!}

To the Moon and Back

Today I'm playing along with the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches as well as the cute Stamp of the Month for May! You can get all the details on this darling stamp by clicking on the Current Specials tab. The sketch was perfect to showcase this title and add a fun moon and arrow detail. I incorporated the lovely Free to Be Me paper collection also. It's difficult to see in my photograph, but this entire card has so much shimmer and shine!

Thank you for stopping by!

Free to Be Me Family {with photo's}

Did you do any scrapbooking yesterday? Have you been following along on Instagram? Before I fell asleep late last night they had reached over 4,000 layouts! Talk about being inspired! Big Picture Classes had some great classes throughout the day filled with several ideas and some really cool tips!

The scrapbooking celebration continues all month long. Close To My Heart is offering this beautiful collection of papers called Free to Be Me. I gave you a peek of the layout I created for yesterday's big event. However, I completed the layout for my Instagram post with some family pictures taken on Easter morning. The addition of the photo's really brings it to life!

 

Pictures don't do this paper justice. You really must see them in person! You can find more details about this month's special in an earlier post, under the current specials tab or shop online here.

Be sure to check out Instagram all weekend long for more inspiration. You can also see lots of ideas using the Free to Be me paper collection on Pinterest. I have an entire board dedicated to it!

Free to Be Me Family

It's National Scrapbooking Day! I decided to kick it off with a layout from the new Free to Be Me paper collection. Be sure to follow along on Instagram today where scrapbookers hope to reach 10,000 layouts today. See this page complete with pictures and lots more! Search #CTMHcreate or #NSD10k.

Happy National Scrapbooking Month!

Yeah, it's May! That means this month is dedicated to scrapbooking! Why do you scrapbook? What do you love about it?

I recently read an article in Women's Health about how our high-tech gadgets are erasing our minds. In one particular paragraph it referred to our love of Instagram and how we instantly snap our picture to share with our followers, but never recall it again. We are subconsciously counting on our camera/gadget to capture the moment for us. One of the suggestions to fix our memory is to first really take in the moment before snapping the picture. Ask yourself what you want to remember about the image and moment. Then take the time to organize your photo's and look at them again from time to time. Isn't that why you scrapbook?

I love looking back through my books and reflecting on a moment that has long ago passed me by. I like to remind my husband to take a look from time to time too. We both are always amazed about how far we've come (celebrating 20 years of marriage this September) and how much we've accomplished. I also shared with my children that they need to give my books special attention when I'm no longer around. I have hidden notes, stories and treasures throughout them, shoved between pages or tucked in little pockets. Sweet mementos that I have left behind for them.

So how do we celebrate National Scrapbooking Month and save our minds?! We celebrate with an amazing paper collection offered at a great deal for this month only!

You can get the Free to Be Me paper collection for just $5 with your qualifying purchase of $50. This collection is stunning and directly on trend with the market. You will receive artfully designed B&T Duos papers, a feather vellum, gold dot vellum and UV coated cardstocks as well. Plus, when you spend $50 and get the collection for just $5, you also qualify for the Stamp of the Month. Which is perfect because you can use it to create some wonderful cards in addition to the two-page layouts that you will be able to create from an instructional guide. {ask me for more details on instruction guide & workshop opportunities!}

Some product suggestions to reach your $50 purchase are~

Aqua dots, Z1853

My Acrylix Feathers, C1584

 

My Acrylix Marquee Uppercase Alphabet, E1029

 

Hopscotch Alphabet, E1028 {This was not suggested in the guide, but I used it on my layout and it works just as well. Come back soon to see the post of that layout!}

This Saturday, May 3rd, is National Scrapbooking Day. Will you be joining the fun? getting creative? capturing memories? Follow me on Instagram @amys_art or using "hashtags" #CTMHcreate or #nsd10k. {I know Instagram...how ironic?} Big Picture Classes and friends will be hosting the online scrapbooking event of the year. They hope to reach 10,000 layouts on Instagram! Don't miss it!

I will also be posting scrapbook layouts and other fun projects using the Free to Be Me collection all month long. Be sure to visit often!

Happy National Scrapbooking Month!!!