SOTM Blog Hop for CTMH

A Chocolate Affair

Welcome to our August Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!  This month's stamp from Close to My Heart is "A Chocolate Affair" and is available exclusively through your Close to My Heart consultant from August 1 - 30, 2013.  This month, you can receive this stamp set for FREE with a qualifying purchase.

If you have just hopped onto my blog, please start at the beginning at Lucy's blog – Love 2 Create .   If you came from  Pam  of  Pam's Crafty Creations  then you are in the right place!  

Chocolate is one of my favorites, and I know it is also a favorite things with many of my friends.  This stamp set is perfect for so many things, and it was hard for me to choose which stamp I wanted to use.  Well, after much thought, I decided to use them all!  Look how this card turned out.  M-m-m-m makes me want a chocolate fix just looking at it.  

Once I decided to use all 8 stamps, I went to work.  For the most part, I used Cocoa ink to stamp my goodies.  with the cupcake, cake, sundae, and strawberry, I colored the stamp with my markers, huffed on the ink-covered stamp, and put it on the paper.  

I trimmed around each stamp, rounded each corner, and mounted them on a green paper.  I placed ribbon all around the outside edge of the card and then popped each image up.  

Your next stop on our "Chocolate Affair" hop is Mary of Cr8ive M.E.  Here is the entire lineup in case you get lost along along the way:

1. Lucy ~ Love 2 Create http://www.love2createitall.com/2013/08/a-chocolate-affair-redux.html
2. Darla ~ Caution: Crafting is Contagious http://stampingunderdoctorsorders.blogspot.com/2013/08/a-chocolate-affair.html
3. Rebecca ~ Show Me Scrapping http://www.show-me-scrapping.com/2013/08/a-chocolate-affair.html
4. Jennifer~ 4 Hearts Scrapbooking http://4heartsscrapbooking.blogspot.com/2013/08/a-chocolate-affair-blog-hop.html
5. Janna ~ The Creative Princess http://thecreativeprincess.com/a-chocolate-affair-stamp-of-the-month-blog-hop/
6. Pam~Pam's Crafty Creations  http://pamtrostle.blogspot.com/2013/08/a-chocolate-affair-august-stamp-of.html
7. Connie ~ Connie Creates 2 http://conniecreates2.blogspot.com/2013/08/SOTM.html
8. Mary ~ Cr8ive M.E.    http://cr8iveme.blogspot.com/2013/08/a-chocolate-affair-blog-hop.html 

Artbooking with CTMH

I just love the new Artbooking Cricut Cartridge!  There are so many different things you can make...cards, minibooks, layouts, and so much more.  I wanted to share a mini book I made for my great-grandson.  He was born in June.  When I cut the mini book out, I covered the holes that were on the side.  I know little fingers will be checking out the book quite often, so I am putting each pages into it's own page protector.  I will add ribbon to the page protector holes, creating the book.

  I started with a simple cover page.

This  page had the scalloped half circle on the side.  When putting it into a page protector, I have it upside down, with a slit at the bottom side, to allow for the half circle.

 For the next couple of pages, I used the overlay for the whole page.  On the opposite page I added a shaped photo holder.  This page also had the word BABY attached to the side page.  The Artbooking Cartridge also had the word "It's a BOY"

 Here I cut a scalloped page and a plain page from the Artbooking cartridge.  Then I added some shapes and rub-on to the page.  The little giraffe on the bottom of the page was part of the baby mini book.

 I have two pages, again, with one of the having scallops around the edges.  They are simple, but you can decorate them as you want.

 A tag was cut from the Artbooking Cartridge and I added some rub-ons and other embellishments.  The saying, Little One, was also a part of the mini book.

Two more pages, one with the scalloped half circle.  I labeled it with some vellum, and it says "Memories."  

Another scalloped page and a plain page.  It also had a small overlay, which fits so nicely on the page.  

 The last couple of pages are here.  Again I used another partial overlay, along with some diecuts...the diaper pins.    

This album has been a labor of love.  I hope my granddaughter enjoys it.    I would love to  hear your comments on it.  Thanks so much.

Project Inspirations: Ombré Technique