Blog Hops with Heart is Going Green

I'm in the final push for deadline number one of the three I need to meet this summer while promoting two books I wrote last year with May release dates (see sidebar for links to The Secret Admirer Collection and Come Fly with Me). I'm also exactly one week away from signing out of our house in Alaska for a move to South Carolina so my husband can attend a six-month long school.

Yes, I still have my hair, but my nails are a total wreck.

Anyway, one of the things I do to help me de-stress when I'm under deadlines is escape to my stamping room. This month, Blog Hops with Heart decided to "Go Green." My original thought was to do something with recycling, but remember those deadlines I told you about. Yeah...just didn't have it in me to be that creative. So I went green. Like totally green.

Here's my first card. It uses current CTMH products:

To create the inset sentiment, I cut the "thanks" at an angle along the bottom of a 5.5 x 4.25 piece of white cardstock. I then cut it again from patterned paper out of the Some Kind of Wonderful paper (still available for purchase) and glued the two sentiments together. I then used my paper cutter to trim the bottom edge of the white cardstock and set everything aside.

Next, I smeared Topiary ink over top of the Confetti embossing folder and ran it through my Cuttlebug with Willow paper. The effect is known as two-tone embossing or something, but the basic idea is that you can get a multi-dimensional effect. As you can see, I ended up with sort of this splotchy look which, while it was okay, wasn't as much contrast as I was hoping for. So...sanding kit (which is set to retire...boo!) to the rescue. I often forget to take advantage of the white core in CTMH cardstock but love how it gives me a fun option like this.

I glued the Willow piece to the bottom of a 5.5 x 4.25 card base then glued the white panel with "thanks" cut out of it over top. Then I fit the die cut "thanks" into the white panel. To complete the card, I stamped "so very much" in black on a leftover piece of white cardstock and hand cut it into a banner. I then decided that I wanted the banner to hang off the edge of the card, so I trimmed the assembled card down to 4 x 5. 25 and used foam tape to mount the banner. I used my craft mat to make sure the banner only hung off by 1/4 inch so I could still fit inside a standard A2 envelope.

Here's a second card that uses the same basic design principle of an angle across the bottom but uses products that are close to thirty years old.

And here's a picture of the stamps and ribbon that, you heard me right, are close to thirty...as in 3-0...years old.

In case you can't read it, this is Aspen Green. It was my favorite green before it retired. I still have a ton of coordinating paper, but I love the simplicity of just the inked bottom with torn vellum over top and a ribbon with a plain knot. Easy and elegant.

I got a sneak peek of a few projects included in this hop, so I can tell you with absolute certainty that you don't want to miss a single one. You should have come from Stephanie's blog, and now you're headed to Amie's blog. The hop is a circle, so keep going until you get back to where you started.

This will likely be my last post for a while. I have packed a crafty bag so I can create on the road, but it might be tricky to photograph and post from the road. It will take us over a month to get from Alaska to South Carolina because we plan to add a vacation into our travel. I'm particularly looking forward to the ferry ride from Whittier, AK to Bellingham, WA through the Inside Passage. The ferry might not have the same amenities as a cruise ship, but the views will be the same. I'll try to post pictures as I can. And so...

Until next time,
Becca