Joyful Stars May Blog Hop

Welcome to the Joyful Stars May blog hop, where a group of talented Close to My Heart consultants, and me, gather to share ideas with you in a fun blog hop.  

CTMH just released their newest Seasonal Expressions catalog, full of new products.  For my card, I've used one sheet of new double sided paper from the Magical paper pack to make this locking gate fold card.

Card #1

* Challenges to which I am submitting this card can be found at the bottom of the post.

We made a card similar to this in Joyce's card class and I really like the fold.  The card below uses stamps from the May Stamp of the Month.  Scroll down or use the link to see the inside and the other cards we made with this set.

 

The die cuts on my Father's Day card are from the CTMH Artistry Cricut Cartridge.

The sentiment and frame stamps are from the 

CTMH Framed stamp set. 

Now, since this is a blog hop you might have arrived here from Marie's blog.

Your next stop is Andrea Sherman's blog.  The hop is circular. So if you are just starting here, simply continue hopping until you find your way back, making the full circle.  If you get lost, the complete list of participants is on Joyce's blog.

Wait!
Don't go yet!
Here's a second Father's Day card I made following this week's Mojo Monday Sketch # 447 and using the same Magical paper packet and a CTMH Happy Father's Day Stamp (M1134).

Card #2

Challenges for Card #1 (at top of post):

Cards und More Challenge #158 - Masculine Cards
Lemon Shortbread Challenge #15- Anything Goes
Send a Smile 4 Kids Challenge - Cards for Dads or Special Males from the Kids

Challenges for Card #2:

Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge #447

Through the Craft Room Door Challenge May 10-16 - Anything Goes

Crafting From the Heart Challenge #111 - Always Anything Goes

Craft Your Passion Challenge #311 - Always Anything Goes

Addicted to Stamps Challenge #126 - Sentiment, no image 

Now you may hop on over to Andrea's blog. 
Thanks for stopping by.

Mojo Monday Move

My grandsons will soon be looking for Thank You cards for their teachers.  My daughter-in-law, a teacher herself, mentioned Saturday that there were only 28 days left.  

When making and giving cards, I often try to make them reusable giving the recipient the opportunity to send it on.  It's simple to use a post-it note or put the inside sentiment on another sheet of paper and use a strip of removable glue.  Then I address an outside envelope and include another with the card for re-mailing.

(Inside: one removable dot holds the bottom so you can slide a gift card behind the stamped index card)

 For this card I followed the Mojo Monday Sketch and used mostly CTMH products (fundamental papers and the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge) with the exception of the markers, the Skittles from Double Click and the ribbon, which I salvaged from a little gift bag I received with a recent stamp order.  It took me 2 days to get it untied!

If you visit my blog often, you may recall my flurry of preparations for the family Mother's Day Luncheon Saturday.  Those preparations included stripping my craft table, so it could be used as a dining room table. 

And, while most everything has been returned to it rightful place, I haven't moved my "stuff" back downstairs, yet, or emptied the silverware from the dishwasher.  I won't need the fancy silverware until Thanksgiving.  But, I did need to make my Mojo card!

Card operations have temporarily been moved to the spare bedroom where I stashed my "stuff" and stuff my "stash". 

Today's Challenges:

Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge #447- I really like this sketch and plan to use it again tomorrow for the Joyful Stars May Blog Hop.  Hope you return for a fun Father's Day card.

 

Double Click Skittles Challenge - Teacher Appreciation

Addicted to Stamps Challenge #126 - sentiment only, no image

As You Like It Challenge - Favorite patterned or embossed paper and why 

I really love these Fundamental Papers by Close to My Heart.  You get the best of both worlds.  One side has a pattern and the flip side is embossed.  And they come in a wide variety of colors with matching embellishments, too.  If I had to choose between patterned or embossed.... I would probably choose embossed because I like the texture.

Don't forget to stop back tomorrow for the 

Joyful Stars May Blog Hop

and a new 

Tuesday Throwdown Challenge.

 

Mother's Day with Leftovers

Last week I cut these velum butterflies (using the CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge) to use on  a Mother's Day Card for Mojo Monday.   Then I decided black butterflies with velum overlays would be more striking on that card, and set the velum butterflies aside.

Those leftover butterflies, now embossed, became delicate additions to this card.  I added a few skittles from Double Click; used a gorgeous die cut from Our Daily Bread Designs; and a sentiment from Newton's Nook.

****

Speaking of leftovers, our family's annual Mother's Day luncheon was yesterday.  Guess I overdid it.  The fact that 4 cancelled at the last minute didn't help. My frig is so packed with leftovers!  I'll be distributing some to my neighbor, although Paul was hoping I'd have a three layer chocolate cake to share.

And then I had one uninvited guest of the wrong gender...

 

We don't usually include canines.  And I almost freaked when he jumped up on my new white sofa!

****

Back to the card...

I am entering it in these challenges:

Crafty Calendar May Challenge - Things with Wings 

Brown Sugar Challenge #197 - Mother's Day

DL.Art Thursday Challenge #179 - Mother's Day 

613 Avenue Create Challenge #175 - Anything Goes (option- use a die to frame/showcase your sentiment.) 

Addicted to Stamps Challenge #126 - Only a sentiment/no image

Come and Get It Challenge #117 - Card for a woman 

Pile It On Challenge #107 - Garden Creatures 

Stamping Sensations Challenge - May Anything Goes 

Hope everyone enjoys Mother's Day 

and a week of sunshine!

 

Happy Birthday to a Chick with Style

The Cool Chicks digital stamp set from Beccy's Place is one of my favorites.

  

This is my entry for the May Challenge at Beccy's Place.  Anything Goes as long as you use one of her images.  And, if you don't have one of her images, she has a freebie available.

DP is from CTMH and embossed with a SU embossing folder.

Chick and frame are colored with Promarkers.  Birthday sentiment is a CTMH  stamp.  Die cuts are from the Vintage Flourish set by Our Daily Bread.

Challenges I am entering today are.....

Crafting with Friends Challenge #20 - Anything Goes

Crafty Catz Challenge #323 - Female only

Fussy and Fancy Challenge #153 - Birthdays

Polkadoodles Crafting Week # 18 - Things with Wings

Quick Quotes Challenge #63 - Things with Wings

Aud Sentiments Challenge #154 - animal + sentiment

 

Red Hat Bird

Today I am using a Bugaboo Image Flower Bird colored with pencils, a CTMH sentiment stamp, 2 cricut cuts from the CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge, 2 different embossing folders, distressing, a ribbon and handmade bow, and a tiny red feather for embellishment.  I am a Red Hatter and this will be a perfect card for a birthday gal in our flock and would work equally as well as a Mother's Day card.  

After all...

All Mother's are Special!

 

I like having multi purpose cards in my drawer.  Then when I need a card, I can quickly add the appropriate sentiment and send it off.  I could see using this for a birthday, Mother's Day, thank you, encouragement, even as a note card.

Challenges I am entering:  

DLArt Thankful Thursday Challenge #179 - Mother's

 

Sassy Studio Designs Challenge #332 - Mother's Day

 

Seize the Birthday Challenge - Coloring

 

Through the Purple Haze Challenge #101 - Anything Goes 

Back to my cleaning.

Less is More Challenge + CTMH Card Class 5/3/16

Yesterday I posted a Mojo Monday Mother's Day card for my BFF's mother.  Today I'm sharing a Less is More Mother's Day card for my BFF.  I used the same DP for both, only opposite sides.  I love double sided dp. 

 

card front

 

(Inside of card, with lots of room for a little note.)

Stamps are SU and CTMH.  Die cuts are from Our Daily Bread. 

Challenges:
Less is More Lucky Dip Challenge Week 274 - Use patterned paper in a CAS way.  
Crafting From the Heart Challenge #110 - Always Anything Goes
Craft Your Challenge Challenge #310 - Always Anything Goes
Crafty Boots Challenge - Monochrome 
Eureka Stamps Challenge - Feminine Cards/Mother's Day 
Through the Craft Room Door Challenge May 3-9 - Anything Goes
Dragonfly Journeys Challenge #55 - Mamma Mia 
 

******************

This afternoon, at Joyce's CTMH card class, we spent the better part of a half hour drooling over the new products in the Close to My Heart Seasonal Expressions Catalog 

and the beautiful paper pack 

that is a special just for May, National Scrapbooking Month.

Then, using the May Stamp of the Month,

 we made these 4 fun cards...

 

Mojo Monday Sketch Contest # 446

This card will be headed to my BFF's mother in sunny Arizona.  We haven't seen much sun in Pennsylvania lately and this week's forecast doesn't call for much either.  Normally, I'd just hunker down and make more cards.  But my annual Mother's Day Luncheon is on Saturday, so I'll be cooking and cleaning most of the week anyway.  Hopefully, there will be one day when it's not raining so DH and I can spread the remainder of the mulch currently in the driveway.

I'm assuming you stopped by to see my Mojo Monday card and not for a weather forecast.  

The stamp is from Newton's Nook.  

The embossing folder was a freebie from a magazine. 
The butterflies cricut cuts are from the CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge.   Here is a closeup of the butterflies.

I used black cs with a velum overlay.

Challenges:

Mojo Monday Sketch Contest #446

 

Dragonfly Journeys Challenge #55 - Mamma Mia 

Pile It On Challenge #107 - Garden Creatures 

Jo's Scrap Shack FFC #136 - Mother's Day

Jade's Sparkling Butterflies Challenge #18 - Anything Goes/ Add a Sentiment 

OK.  That's enough of that.   Places to go (The SPCA to pick up Mom's new kitty.)  Wash to sort.  Cards to mail.  Craft table (aka dining room table) to clear off.  Cleaning to start........

Judy,

If you see this, inquiring minds would like to know how you are doing and where you are.

Hope everything went well and your recovery is quick.