My Favorite Stamp Set: School Years

I’ve had so much fun over the past 6 months seeing what you can do with stamps! The “My Favorite Stamp Set” series of posts has been such a great opportunity for me to share the beautiful artwork so many of you have created. As I see what you’ve chosen as your favorites, and hear the reasoning behind them, I feel so blessed to be surrounded by people that share my passion.

I hope my passion shines through the pages of every Idea Book we release at Close To My Heart; I back every single product within its pages. This time around there is one fabulous new goodie that I think deserves a little extra attention: the new Cricut® Artbooking cartridge! I absolutely adore this treasure, and I know you will too. Over the course of the next few months I will be sharing some top-notch artwork made with the cartridge. The feast begins next week, so this will be my final post of my “My Favorite Stamp Set” series.

But “last the best,” right? Take a look at these adorable items made by a studio artist with the My Acrylix® School Years stamp set.

First, this delightful flip stand album! The artist that made this project stamped just a corner of one stamp from the set to create the simple “school days” title. She loved the tiny pair of glasses stamp, so much so that she stamped it in Lagoon ink and meticulously cut it out! More work, yes, but the image stands out so nicely that it’s worth it.

The stamping adds a lot of fun to this project without overwhelming it. The great overlay (ironically disguised UNDERNEATH the flippable pages) and several shapes are from the new Cricut® Artbooking cartridge . . . like I said, you’re going to love it!

Second, this 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" card. Don’t you love the way each of the elements come together to fit the school theme? Though they’re playful shades here, the primary colors that make up the card lead me to think of the foundational lessons of my own school years. The tandem bike image fits perfectly with the “best friends” sentiment, and together they make me think of two school girls, off for a fall adventure once the school bell has sounded.

Notice that the kraft arrow shapes used here are actually the negative space from the overlay used on the flip stand album above. Isn’t that clever?

Ah, yes. Stamping is a delight! Thank you, all of you, for sharing your photos and comments here with the rest of us for these past few months. I think I speak for everyone when I say there is a whole lot of stamping creativity out there. I love sharing this passion with you and hope you continue to relish in your own inky habits, even if you don’t share them here. Here’s to stamping!

Recipe:
D1556 School Years
X7175B Frosted Paper Packet
Z1853 Aqua Dots
Z1802 Slate Satin Polka-Dot Ribbon
Z1825 Keyboard Kraft Alphabet
Colors: Sunset, Lagoon, Pear, Crème Brulee, Smoothie, White Daisy, kraft

My Favorite Stamp Set: Always Grateful

What could feel better than receiving thanks from a loved one who really means it? It feels so good to know for sure that your influence has been felt in someone else’s life, wouldn’t you say? Perhaps the only thing that feels better than receiving gratitude, is giving it!

There are so many things to be grateful for, and Consultant Joyce Beenes agrees. She chose today’s featured stamp set from the Autumn/Winter 2013 Idea Book, Always Grateful, as her favorite, and made a few adorable projects with it. Not only do the sentiments express perfectly what she feels, but the gorgeous tree images inspired her! The beautiful Huntington paper packet makes the perfect background for her beautiful designs, don’t you think?

On this first card, Joyce has stacked rectangular pieces of Ponderosa Pine and White Daisy cardstock to create a neat effect. I love the way she also layered ink to create the look of thicker branches, and in other places inked only a portion of the entire stamp to make shorter tree images. It’s amazing how by using just one stamp she has created the look of a lush forest! The dimension and the beautiful stamping techniques make me feel as if I am taking a relaxing stroll in the woods. The simple sentiment adds to the feel of the card to make it a very elegant piece of art.

One of my favorite things about this card is the technique Joyce used to stamp the tree image; using multiple inks, she gave the tree a textured look that I just love! The colors she chose match the designs of the lovely Huntington paper packet, and the two Sparkles from the brown & tan assortment along the bottom are a perfect accent.

This card also uses the brown Sparkles, but it has an added third element to help draw the eye: bronze Shimmer trim. It makes a beautiful visual break on the card, bringing two patterns from the Huntington paper packet together, side-by-side. What a nice touch!

Joyce, I am thankful for your great submission. You’ve reminded us all that expressing gratitude is in fashion for every season of the year, not just during the holidays.

Say thank you to the people around you today—with a card, with your words, with your heart!

Recipe:
C1559 Always Grateful
1276 Ponderosa Pine cardstock
X7174B Huntington Paper Packet
Z1849 Bronze Shimmer Trim
Z1753 Sparkles Brown & Tan Assortment
Colors: New England Ivy, Cocoa, Barn Red, Olive

My Favorite Stamp Set: Paper Doll

Today’s favorite stamp set is the sweet and refreshing Paper Doll (D1547). The artist who chose the Paper Doll stamp set immediately fell in love with it . . . who doesn’t love adorable paper dolls? Not only can you use it on cards and layouts, but you can also make paper doll favors for a party that any little girl will love! Whether you focus on the paper doll images or the “sweet” sentiments and darling accompanying images, Paper Doll can be used on all your summer papercrafting!

This page uses the Paper Doll stamp set in a subtle way that adds precious charm. The banners at the top are stamped from the Paper Doll stamp set and trimmed to create lovely embellishments. One of the layout pieces and accompanying hearts in the same cardstock color were stamped with tone on tone circle images that make a lovely 3-D B&T pattern. And don’t forget the pretty stamped sentiment in the corner for that finishing touch!

This card plays up the lemonade sentiments and images from the Paper Doll stamp set for a sugary card that will cheer anyone! I especially love the way that the artist added dovetailed strips of brown glitter paper behind some of the stamped accents. A little sparkle goes a long way!

 These party favors make me want to throw a themed birthday party for a little girl! These paper doll images have been stamped and then colored in with colored pencils. You could even give colored pencils to the girls at the party and let them color their own! Then trim the images and you have hours of fun . . . so easy and so cute!

When life gives you a paper doll stamp set, make paper dolls! I’m excited to use this set in my own papercrafting. What a refreshing set for this summer weather!

Recipe:
D1547 Paper Doll
X7166B Claire Paper Packet
Colors: Goldrush, Smoothie, Smokey Plum, Saddle, Honey, Cocoa

My Favorite Stamp Set: Distressed Backgrounds

Sometimes a little stress in life can be a good thing, and today’s favorite stamp set is no exception. Talented Consultant Carolyn Stout confirms this in her creative use of the Distressed Backgrounds stamp set (D1544). She used it to liven up her cards without distracting from her intended focal points. Take a look at her cute contributions:

I love the way Carolyn used the houndstooth background stamp to give a unified feel to her multi-colored background. Little details like that give a card its pizazz!

Carolyn combined scraps from her Later Sk8r paper packet and a background stamp to make a unique card I love. Her stamping gives her white space more depth while allowing the important elements stand out.

Creating a focal accent out of a stamped image is clever—and absolutely adorable!—and I love the way it is presented here. Carolyn’s use of the background stamp gives the design a winning touch.

Stamps alone make up this entire card, and yet it is anything but boring! The combination of its stamped background and overlaid stamped sentiments are both simple and attractive.

Using the Distressed Backgrounds stamp set is the perfect way to add dimension to any piece of artwork. Thank you, Carolyn, for sharing your interpretations!

Recipe:
D1544 Distressed Backgrounds Flair
X7167B Later Sk8r Paper Packet
Colors: White Daisy, Black, Lagoon, Smokey Plum, Gypsy, Slate

My Favorite Stamp Set: Bright Sunshiny Day

Yay for sunshine! I love summer—family vacations, days at the beach, and lots of sunshine. Today’s favorite stamp set is the Bright Sunshiny Day stamp set (D1538) and it includes all of the great summer images that will bring sunshine to projects. Look at the fantastic things you can create with this stamp set!

If you haven’t tried papercrafting with a My Creations pillow box yet, you’re missing out! These food-safe boxes are perfect for filling with a colorful treat and decorating with papers, stamped images, and embellishments. The artist masked off part of one of the sentiments so that only the word “sunshine” was visible and stamped repeatedly to create her own strip of personalized B&T. Isn’t that darling?

Doesn’t this card remind you of family vacations? The car and circle image behind it are actually one stamped image but they have been stamped twice in different colors and the car was trimmed from one and adhered on top of the original stamped image. The hand stitched border adds a nice touch too.

This bracket frame is a great piece of home décor to document your summer memories and hang it for everyone to see. Many of the stamped and trimmed embellishments in the cluster on the bottom right side of the frame are from the Bright Sunshiny Day stamp set. Add some sparkles and tan glitter paper and you’ve got a summery addition to your favorite space.

Keep enjoying the sunshine and remember to use the Bright Sunshiny Day stamp sets for your summer papercrafting projects. Hope you have a bright sunshiny day!

Recipe:
D1538 Bright Sunshiny Day
X7168B Surf’s Up Paper Packet
Colors: Sorbet, Twilight, Cashmere, Buttercup

My Favorite Stamp Set: Scrapbook Statements—Women

I absolutely love quotes—they have the power to inspire, uplift, or make someone smile. When I can’t find the right words to express what I’m feeling, sometimes the words of someone else in the form of a short quote does the trick. Today’s stamp set is brought to us by Dawn Montagano, a Consultant from Canton, Michigan. Dawn loves the Scrapbook Statements—Women stamp set (B1421) because the spunky, fun, and inspiring quotes are easy to combine with images from other stamp sets and various patterned papers.

For this first card, Dawn was inspired by pattern 16 in the Make It From Your Heart® Volume 1 book.  Using scraps of retired papers from her stash, she found enough colorful B&T papers to create a rainbow. The cloud is cut from the Cricut® Artiste cartridge and the grey Sparkles look like rain droplets to add a nice touch.

Isn’t this adorable? Dawn used papers from the For Always paper packet to create the stack of presents and then she topped it off with some Black Shimmer trim, brads, and glittery ribbon. What glamour girl wouldn’t love the card statement “Too much of a good thing is wonderful”? This would also be a great wedding card.

One of the stamp sets that Scrapbook Statements—Women pairs nicely with is the Fashionista stamp set (D1504). The sassy stamped sentiment coordinates so well with the paper pieced Fashionista woman image. Dawn added some washi tape, Black Sparkles, and doodling around the edges of the card to finish it off. Simple, yet eye-catching!

Hexagons are so trendy right now!  These hexagon shapes were cut using all of the beautiful patterns from the Claire paper packet.  Dawn used the Cricut® Art Philosophy cartridge to create the center bracket shapes.  A piece of Outdoor Denim Chevron Ribbon and a couple butterflies add the perfect something as embellishment.

Another stamp set that pairs nicely with Scrapbook Statements—Women is the Sightseer stamp set (C1534). Dawn stamped the man and woman icons repeatedly in a straight line to make the woman icon stand out. She used the Cricut® Artiste cartridge to cut the quote bubble and then added some visual interest to the card by folding one corner and securing it with a brad.

Those are wonderful pieces of art, Dawn! Thank you for sharing your projects, and the Scrapbook Statements—Women stamp set, with us. I’m certainly going to use this stamp set to make cards and layouts with these sassy sentiments!

Recipe:
B1421 Scrapbook Statements—Women
X7165B For Always Paper Packet
X7166B Claire Paper Packet
Colors: Black, White, Lagoon, Outdoor Denim, Hollyhock

My Favorite Stamp Set: In the Background

Never underestimate the power of background stamps! I was reminded of just how wonderful background stamps sets could be when I saw these pieces of artwork by Consultant Wendy Coffman from Portland, Oregon. She uses the In the Background stamp set (D1540) to create four beautiful cards and a mini album. Wendy loves the In the Background stamp set because it plays well with others and stands boldly on its own. Wendy loves it so much that she always has at least one image from this set on a block when she is papercrafting! Let’s look at some of Wendy’s fantastic creations.

This card uses the floral background image as the main element on this simple but adorable card. Add a sentiment and some Sparkles and you’re done!

Wendy used the same floral background image on this card, but this time she rolled it in two colors of ink and accented it with Sparkles for an elegant piece! The color, detail, and bling on the card means that the background image looks great all by itself.

With a bold diagonal stripe background image, trendy hexagons, a pop of color, and a little help from the Cricut® Artiste cartridge, this classy card is simply lovely! Wendy likes how the diagonal stripe background image is distressed on the edges to give extra texture to any piece.

This card uses nested chevron background images to create a background pattern that covers the entire card. It’s like a personalized B&T paper!

Wendy turned again to the floral background image to create this beautiful butterfly mini book. With the help of the For Always paper packet, and both the Artiste and Art Philosophy Cricut® cartridges, this book came together so nicely! The script B&T paper and all of the sentiment strips in the album have been stamped with the floral background image in a little Whisper ink to add a little something extra.

Thanks, Wendy, for your gorgeous artwork that so elegantly featured the In the Background stamp set. Whether your background image is the focal point of your project or a behind-the-scenes player to bring texture and color to your artwork, get creative with background stamps!

Recipe:
D1540 In the Background
X7165B For Always Paper Packet
Colors: Cranberry, Sunset, Crème Brulee, Pear, Pacifica

My Favorite Stamp Set: Just for You

I have a stamp set “just for you”! The Just for You stamp set (B1398) is the favorite stamp set of Consultant Mary Gunn from Linn Valley, Kansas. Mary loves the low price of this stamp set for the variety you get, plus the extra bonus of shapes that are Cricut-compatible. This stamp set makes it easy to create simple and complex projects too. Let’s check out some of Mary’s fabulous artwork!

This card is so elegant, yet simple. There are two stamped and trimmed images mounted on White Daisy cardstock to a Crème Brulee cardstock base. Add the stamped sentiment for a classy card!

For something a little more complicated, Mary stamped this card with the individual patterned petal images in Cranberry, Honey, and Black. She created the leaf and scalloped border by using one of the patterned petal images too—isn’t that creative? I love the color combinations on this card. Add a little Cranberry baker’s twine for a finishing touch!

This card uses the papers of one of my favorite Spring/Summer paper packets—Buzz and Bumble! This time, Mary used the same petal image in identical colors for all the petals and I love this look. The washi tape adds a little extra something, don’t you think?

This final card is my favorite one. I adore the way that Mary incorporated a spinner into this card! She used a variety of B&T papers from the new Spring/Summer paper packets for a colorful look and then stamped the patterned petal images in many different colors too. The Hollyhock zipper lace makes a cute ruffle by the fold!

I want to thank Mary for these beautiful cards, each with a different way to use the Just for You stamp set! I so enjoyed seeing the variety of styles and colors, all using the same stamp set. Check out this stamp set too to create your own fun projects—it’s “just for you”!

Recipe:
B1398 Just for You
X7164B Buzz and Bumble Paper Packet
Z1832 Spinner
Z1826 Hollyhock Zipper Lace
Z1817 Slate Polka-Dot Washi Tape
Colors: Honey, Cranberry, Crème Brulee, Slate, Sky, Lagoon, Pear, Cotton Candy

My Favorite Stamp Set: Wheel of Life

I love beautiful artwork that gets my wheels turning, and these projects certainly do! The artist who made these pieces used the Wheel of Life stamp set (D1545) because of its distinct stamp images that are great for embellishments. The large pie chart image is especially fun! Look at these two great projects using the Wheel of Life stamp set:

On this cute page, the artist stamped the pie chart image in Black ink on a piece of White Daisy cardstock, trimmed, and then cut pieces of her favorite B&T papers to fit in the divided sections. Isn’t that a colorful accessory? I also like the stamped and trimmed polka-dot arrow and the stamped list of adjectives to describe this young girl.

The great thing about the Wheel of Life stamp set is the way that it coordinates so perfectly with a spinner. The focal point of this card is the stamped spinner for an interactive element. Add Shimmer trim, B&T strips, and your favorite baker’s twine for a card with a different spin!

I hope that these projects got your wheels turning too. If you’re looking to create unique cards and layouts that stand out from the rest, try the Wheel of Life stamp set for a variety of possibilities!

Recipe:
D1545 Wheel of Life
X7167B Later Sk8r Paper Packet
X7169B Tommy Paper Packet
Colors: Black, Slate, Whisper, Smoothie

My Favorite Stamp Set: Fabulous You

Everyone has fabulous people in their lives—I know I certainly do! Lynn Darda, a Consultant from Winamac, Indiana, chose today’s favorite stamp set: Fabulous You (C1533). These images are perfect for that fabulous special someone. We’ll look at three beautiful cards that Lynn created with the Fabulous You stamp set to get a taste of some of the lovely things you can create too!

This card uses the feminine colors of the Clementine paper packet and pink and red ribbons to accent and add dimension. I just love the argyle pattern that was stamped repeatedly in Sorbet ink on this card to create subtle background pattern and color.

That stamped bird image is practically popping off the page! Lynn colored the bird using watercolor pencils and I love the soft look of watercolor pencils combined with the bright blue color to make the bird stand out. She used papers from the Avonela paper packet to complement that blue bird—isn’t that lovely?

This last card uses papers from the new Buzz and Bumble paper packet from the Spring/Summer 2013 Idea book. I like how the sentiment was stamped directly on the patterned paper and in that Chocolate ink, it is still readable! I also adore the way Lynn tore one edge of the honeycomb B&T paper to expose that white core.

Thanks, Lynn, for some beautiful projects for me to showcase! I love how you used the Fabulous You stamp set in cards that you can give to your fabulous family and friends. If you’ve got someone fabulous in your life, tell them so with your own handmade project using the Fabulous You stamp set.

Recipe:
C1533 Fabulous You
X7164B Buzz and Bumble Paper Packet
X7155B Avonlea Paper Packet
X7156B Clementine Paper Packet
Colors: Cocoa, Outdoor Denim, Sorbet, Chocolate, Desert Sand, Saddle

My Favorite Stamp Set: Puns of Praise

We all have important people in our lives who deserve praising. The artist who chose Puns of Praise (C1534) as her favorite chose it because the images and sentiments are perfect for praising the important people in her life. The puns are quirky and funny, but the underlying message is the same: thanks for being you! Take a look at these cards made with the Puns of Praise stamp set:

The foam tape under the magnifying glass image here gives the card some added pop and dimension. I love how the sentiment is short and sweet and the image is simple. Add some chevron B&T and stitching and you’ve got a lovely card!

Don’t you just love the way the artist used threads to create a 3-D multicolored arrow? And that camera image is not only cute on this card, but would be great on a vacation layout too.

Stamping the same image on three different cardstock pieces really ties this piece together. I adore those embellishing flowers and the zigzag stitching at the top. Isn’t that fun?

This last card uses the same fan image as a background pattern as well as a trimmed full-color image popped up with foam tape. How charming!
Let your loved ones know that you care by creating a card or layout for them with the Puns of Praise stamp set. You’ll make someone’s day!

Recipe:
C1535 Puns of Praise
X7165B For Always Paper Packet
Colors: Lagoon, Honey, Whisper, Black, Topiary

My Favorite Stamp Set: Stitched Together

Today’s featured artwork was created by Close To My Heart Consultant Leanne Garner from Alabama. Leanne chose the Stitched Together stamp set (C1459) as her favorite and from the beautiful cards she created with the set, it isn’t hard to see why! Let’s take a look at Leanne’s creations.

This card is elegant, colorful, and absolutely stunning! I love how Leanne stamped one of the running stitch images from the Stitched Together stamp set to create her own border. That cluster of stamped flowers and sweet sentiment tie the whole thing together for a lovely piece of art.

I was blown away by this adorable bee card! Leanne used one of the stitch images from the Stitched Together stamp set to create a fun little trail for each of the bees. I like how the stamped images and sentiment look against the golden background of a Chantilly B&T paper. It’s pieces like this that get my creative juices buzzing!

Thanks, Leanne, for letting me share your artwork! These cards are so stunning; I love to see the beautiful projects that Consultants create. If you have artwork you would like to share, let me know! I look forward to spotlighting many more Consultant pieces in the future.

Recipe:
C1459 Stitched Together
Colors: Sky, Pear, Black, Cotton Candy, Crème Brulee, Sunset, Blush, Honey, Champagne, Cashmere

My Favorite Stamp Set: Patterned Pennants

Here comes the sun! Want to add some sunshine to your papercrafting? Then Patterned Pennants (D1534) is the stamp set for you. The artist who chose Patterned Pennants as her favorite loves the different textures displayed in the images. I love the texture too! Let’s look at how the textures add pattern and dimension to these artwork pieces:

 

 The rays of cardstock, B&T papers, and textured stamped pieces make this page really shine. Add washi tape, Dimensional Elements, and Sparkles for a finishing touch.

Don’t you just love Cricut? This box and many of the embellishing elements (like the sun piece) are cut with the Art Philosophy and Artiste cartridges. The stamped polka-dot ray from Patterned Pennants adds a stripe of texture to the box too.

 

 

I like the added interest on this card created by a design of squares in differing colors and patterns. It reminds me of a stamp quilt!

If you want to add a little texture and a lot of sunshine to your own artwork, I recommend Patterned Pennants. It’s a great stamp set for scrapbooking those summer memories too!

Recipe:
D1534 Patterned Pennants
X7165B For Always Paper Packet
X7169B Tommy Paper Packet
Colors: Juniper, Honey, Slate, Outdoor Denim