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Last Chance: Life is Wonderful

Don't miss out on this versatile stamp set, Life is Wonderful, this month's Stamp of the Month.  And don't forget you can earn this stamp set free in our July special, Jump On It July.

 

Wonderful Birthday

Stamping is something I thought I wouldn't do, even though I loved to scrapbook.  My mom was the stamper.  But once I found CTMH, I found out how much fun using stamps in my scrapbooks can really be.  I particularly like to combine multiple colors.  One super east way to do that is to stamp different images in different colors.  This week's Color Dare is to use Cranberry, Canary, Slate, White Daisy.


Birthday cards are a great way to play with different colors.  Using your color wheel, you can create different feelings with colors groupings.  Playful cards, kid birthday, sophisticated cards. I used this week's dare to make a fun birthday card.


Retro Sketches got me started on this week's card.  1" squares of the Cranberry and Slate, with a 1" X 1/2" Canary Cardstock line the upper and lower edges.  The large white strip in the center was stamped with the July Stamp of the Month, Life is Wonderful, in Slate.  The "wishing you" and "Birthday" in Cranberry is from the Belated Birthday set.  The balloon and string are stamps in the Cricut Cartridge Artiste Collection.  Boy, do I love how easy it is to manipulate the stamps!  The balloon string was a lot straighter, but the My Acrylic stamps can be stretched and curved to meet my project.  The cute little stars are white enamel and are self-adhesive.


Check out all the other Color Dare entries at colormyheartcolordare.blogspot.com and Retro Sketches at retrosketches.blogspot.com.

http://colormyheartcolordare.blogspot.com/

You're a Charmer



Dimension on cards and scrapbook pages add interest and pizzazz. CTMH has many choices for charms. This month's feature kit, Seaside Assortment has ocean themed charms. The Base and Bling section has many additional themes, such as mustaches, anchors, owls and keys. Use the charms for jewelry, handmade gifts and decor, scrapbooks and greeting cards. Just about anything you can think of, add a little charm.

Summertime Rainbows



Summer is well underway and Miami is as hot as ever.  Our skies are full of big fluffy clouds, but not much rain.  We're in a drought in South Florida and our water table is pretty low.  Crafting while trying to keep cool in the A/C is perfect for a lazy Sunday.  This week's Color My Heart Dare was to use colors from one of our summer paper packs, Seaside! Glacier, Lagoon, Pear, Hollyhock, Sorbet, Desert Sand, Colonial White


The colors in our Seaside pack reminded me of trendy rainbow, in the right order, so I thought I'd try to use the fun polka-dot paper to make a rainbow.  I used washi tape to temporarily mask off 1/2" sections and sponged different inks in a rainbow order.  The clouds were cut from the CTMH Artise Cricut Cartridge in two sizes, one to match the stamp set Rain or Shine, the other a bit larger to add the sentiment "Sunshine".


Two of the clouds on the front were popped up using 3-D foam tape and I added a Flamingo Dot on one of the clouds.  I also stamped a sentiment inside using the Rain or Shine set.  The little sun on the front and inside is from the Seaside Workshop on the Go.

Color My Heart Color Dare
Check out all the other Color Dare entries at colormyheartcolordare.blogspot.com.

Seaside Scrapbooks


Seaside My Reflections kit is one of my favorite kits in the 2014-2015 Annual Inspirations book.  The fun and bright colors evoke playfulness that we feel when headed off the beach with a blanket and our plastic bucket.

Use your Cricut Cartridge to jazz up a layout by adding overlays, like the scrapbook page below, part of the Seaside Workshop on the Go kit.  This WotG kit has everything you need to make several 2-page layouts with paper, stamps and more.


Seaside Relaxation



On Feedly, the blog aggregator, I follow a blog called House of Turquoise. Erin shows tons of lovely ways to decorate seaside cottages and houses in my favorite color, teal. This month's feature kit, Seaside, is a perfect kit to help decorate your home like the places in House of Turquoise. Images of sea stars and coral evoke the serenity of the beach and help create a place to kick back and relax.

http://inkysquid.ctmh.com/Retail/Product.aspx?ItemID=8128

Convention 2015: Roomie Gifts


While I'm at convention, I thought I'd share the gifts I gave my roomies this year.  Normally, I try to make something, and I had grand plans this year too.  That didn't really work out.  My other fun job, studying the ocean, got in the way.  But, I did have fun putting these super bright fun goodies together. 

 

A container is good way to start off the gift.  I found these super cute (and bright!) shaker containers. I'm not sure what they are supposed to be used for in the normal world, but in the crafting world, I think they could be used for glitter or empbossing powder dispensers.  And with the nice cap on top, you can prevent any accidental spillage.

 

Every year I choose a charm that goes with the theme or destination for convention.  A few weeks ago, Corporate announced this year's theme will be based on Disney's movie, Up.  I found these awesome charms on Etsy, made by Mint Marbles.   Aren't the balloons clever?  She makes lots of really neat jewelry, so head on over to check out Nicole's store.



Even though I have only two roomies, a lot of the same group coordinate plans for months beforehand on Facebook.  These gals will get one of the buttons below.  I got a mixture of buttons from the Etsy shops of Artemis Accessories and Cool Pin Buttons.

Flip for Summer


Whether you use it for a table side scrapbook album to quickly flip through, or a to-do list holder for the week, the Designed Decor Flip Stand Album great for displaying items beautifully in your home.  The Flip Stand Album is a clear acrylic stand with rings for displaying photos up to 6½" × 5¾". The stand has slot for inserting background image; instant photograph frames from the Cricut® Artbooking cartridge work great!


Make It From Your Heart


Convention starts tomorrow and I'm on a flight today, super excited about what's to come.  Our annual convention is a way to find out about all of the new products and programs that will be available in the coming year.  

You can follow all of the action in several ways.  My Twitter (@inkysquids), Instagram (theinkysquidblotter), and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/inkysquid.ctmh) will be updated regularly, and you can follow hashtags set up by CTMH at #ctmhconv2015, #makeitfromyourheart, and #stickyboyctmh.

Can you count how many people find sticky boys at the 2015 convention?

 

Jump For It July


During the month of July, when you purchase $25 in current, retail priced stamps, you qualify to receive either the July Stamp of the Month, My Acrylix® Life Is Wonderful, FREE or any one of the Hostess Rewards stamp sets featured in Annual Inspirations 2014–2015 or Seasonal Expressions 2 for only $5! That is a savings of up to $17.95! The July Stamp of the Month is a lovely, versatile stamp set that is a great match for your cards and layouts that celebrate all the wonderful things—big and small—that life has to offer. Additionally, the Hostess Rewards stamp sets have previously only been available as part of the Hostess Rewards program, which means now is the perfect opportunity to get those special stamp sets you’ve had your eye on! To get your FREE stamp set or your $5 Hostess Rewards stamp set, simply place an order for $25 of any current, retail priced stamps. This offer is available only during the month of July and applies only to the July Stamp of the Month and current Hostess rewards stamp sets, so spring into action and jump on this deal before it’s gone!



SOTM: Life is Wonderful


For me, this month's Stamp of the Month is decidedly apropos when combining it with this month's featured My Reflections Kit, Seaside. The Ocean (and Seaside) has made my life wonderful in many ways. It's provided a source of income in my job as an oceanographer. It delivered my husband on a shiny white and blue ship in the middle of the Southern Pacific. And it creates constant memories of things that I will always remember. This stamp set is a great way to celebrate life's great moments in scrapbook pages and cards.

Always remember, something WONDERFUL is about to happen.
Life Is Wonderful