RB Hop: January Stamp of the Month

Happy New Year and Welcome!

You likely came by way of Lynn's Bungalow where some of the best-ever-kraft- happiness resides!
Our hop is easy ... start wherever you'd like and simply hop through until you land where you began.

We're kicking off 2016 with this lovely Stamp of the Month:

"Beloved Bouquet"

This exclusive stamp set is available until January 31st

Find it HERE

Okay. In all honesty, this is not a stamp set I would naturally gravitate toward. But, I'm a sucker for good sentiments and totally love the fonts used on this particular set. Well, I set out to create cards using those wonderful sentiments.

Well, one thing lead to another and it wasn't long before I found my self playing with all the stamps and lots of ink! I brushed up on some first-second generation stamping skills and before I knew it, I had a full blown "garden" to pick from! At this point I knew I had wandered away from my original card making mission.

I cut out several blossoms and continued to play. In no time at all, {true story} I had successfully created my very own cluster! {insert pat on the back here}. As I am so not a cluster-queen, this achievement deserved something more than a card ... besides, it was too big! I decided to use my Beloved Bouquet cluster on the cover of this My Creations Black Mini Album:

So... the moral of this story: Never underestimate the possibilities when looking at ANY Close To My Heart stamp set. Open those ink pads and play!  You might just surprise yourself ...

I paired my newly embellished mini album with the Beautiful You Picture My Life card set.

A perfect combination that came together quickly, and with wonderful results.
Just one of the many reasons I love Close To My Heart products.

Oh, and about those cards .... I'll post those later this week!

Now, you're off to see the my friend Shelly who gave me a sneak peak yesterday. 

You're sure to love what she has in store!

We thank you for hopping with us and look forward to sharing more ideas and fun in 2016!

Artbooking: Eight is Great!

Rearranging a few things in my crafty-room and realized that I never shared this mini album with everyone.

I made this for my #1 G-Son (he's a very active 8 year old) using the Artbooking Cartridge and a project-cut guide developed by Pam Thorn http://pjayscorner.blogspot.com/

There are elements from the now retired Pro-Player product line used here BUT keep in mind that this same project can be re-created using any other paper line. Our current Wanderful product line comes to mind.

Mr. #1 G-Son gave me a 2-thumbs up on this mini album .... why not? It's all about him!

Thanks for stopping by ... enjoy your weekend!

RBG Challenge #9 Reveal: Summer

Being it's August and all, this is the perfect time to feature Summer Themed projects at the Rose Blossom Challenge Blog!

For this challenge the "Cricut Bonus Key" is the "T" Key on the new Artbooking Cricut Cartridge by Close To My Heart. I couldn't resist the mini album project on this particular key.

Here are a few pages that give you an idea of the basic cuts available to create an adorable Summer themed mini album.

 

 

You'll be seeing this mini album again in future posts. I can't wait to show you how to use the new Photo Well tool at Studio J to size and print photos that fit your mini albums perfectly!

I'll also be showing you some of the fun cuts and stamps included in the Artbooking Bundle.

So head on over to the Rose Blossom Garden, be inspired, and play along! We'd love to see your Summer Theme project!

Supplies used:
Cardstock: Sunset, Buttercup, Lagoon, Sorbet, Sky, Sweet Leaf
Aqua Dots
Paradise Baker's Twine
Burlap Ribbon
Sweet Leaf Ribbon (retired)
Artbooking Cartridge

Thanks for stopping by ..... Wishing you a creative Summer day!

May Day Mini Memory Album

I love making small, simple mini albums for my g-kids. It's a fun way to share memories. Mini albums are easy for little hands to carry and hold. The best thing about minis is watching my g-kids show them off to family or friends. They begin telling their own story as they point to each photo.

Dream Pop paper, May Stamp of the Month: Pinwheels, Keyboard Kraft Alphabet

...and yes, that's a bread bag twist tie I used for the pinwheel stick.

 (twine is an unknown snippet of scrap from my stash)

 

 

We all have a story to tell .... from the moment we utter our first words. Start telling yours today. Because, like Stacy Julian says "If you don't tell your story, who will?"

Thanks for stopping by the Tator Patch....

as always, comments are encouraged, welcome, and appreciated!

 

Shopping and Inspiration 24/7

margvp.ctmh.com

 

Remember ....

the Dream Pop paper pack is only available until May 31st or while supplies last!

 

 

Gratitude Mini Album

Several years ago we switched out how we celebrate Thanksgiving at our house. For more reasons than I care to bore you with, we gather for our Thanksgiving on the Sunday before the official turkey day. It all works out so well. We have the entire day to catch up with each other, enjoy a traditional turkey dinner, and talk about what we're most grateful for in the past year. The latter activity is met with some grumbling by a few of the kids. Eventually they all contribute to the conversation and all is well!

I switched things up a bit last year, took a cue from Cathy Zielske and created a mini album based on individual photos and written responses to the ever looming "gratitude question" at the dinner table. This approach was met with little resistance and I loved the end result. So much so, that I decided to do another Gratitude Mini this year but with a new twist.


Inexpensive photo album from my local Target Store
Canvas Buttons, Irresistibles Lettering, and Inks by CTMH
 

This 2012 edition includes a photo of each family member in attendance. But rather than a written response, I asked for one, two, or three words that describe gratitude, celebration, accomplishment, or where they're at in life right now.



I used the top of one of the treat boxes to make the title page. I added just one journal page.
The rest of the pockets contain 4x6 photos. Individual photos along with various candid shots from our day.
 

I opened each photo in PicMonkey and used the text feature to place each person's word directly on their photo:


This was really, really fun and super easy! The whole point here is to DOCUMENT and keep the album SIMPLE.  I gave myself one hour to pull supplies together, decorate the cover, make the title page, and write a short intro. It's not fancy but it is fun! It gets done right away and is ready to be passed around at every Thanksgiving for years to come!

Thanks for stopping by today.

Wishing you and yours a Thanksgiving filled with family, friends, and peace.

Marg Van Patten