Hope for Japan - Use it Tuesday

Use it Tuesday is doing a great challenge this week. Not only do that want you to use red and a forgotten item on your card, but they will donate money to Red Cross for Japan. I used Hope for Japan which is a stamp set from CTMH that only cost $5 and all procedes go to Red Cross for Japan. So I'm so doing my part to help as a crafter.

Here is my card for the challenge. I chose to use red as a small part of my card. I didn't want it to be too much. I was digging thru my craft drawers when I came across the metal mesh. It was just subtle enough to work and pull the card together. The background was embossed with dots and then stamped with a script stamp.

All Items Close to my Heart unless stated:

Cardstock - White Daisy, Kraft

Stamp - Hope for Japan, Universal Background

Ink - Versamark, Cranberry,

Embossing Powder - Black

Cuttlebug Dots Embossing Folder, Machine

Metal Mesh from Stash

Join us to help

OUR HEARTS GO OUT TO THE VICTIMS OF THE EARTHQUAKE AND tsunami in Japan, and like so many of you, we’re eager to help. And helping has never been easier!
During April, purchase the exclusive “Hope for Japan” A-size stamp set for the special price of only $5 (retail value $7.95) and Close To My Heart will donate 100% of the profits to the American Red Cross efforts in Japan. This beautifully designed stamp set reminds us of how our hearts are hopeful for those who are in need.
Contact me today to get involved in this heart-worthy cause.


Plus as a thank you, I will entry you into a drawing to win a free D stamp and a free 3x3 block

i might not be posting for a bit

i am home for a while but i have a bad ear infection that is causing me vertigo so i don't think i will be able to sit and craft. which i am sad about cuz i got new goodies from ctmh i want to play with. they also from a nodule on my thyroid when they did the ct of my ear. they said its probably nothing but i have to get an ultrasound done and maybe a biopsy. im hoping they just found what was causing me tobe sick all the time. until i can craft again, have a great day

Welcome to this month's spotlight blog hop

....And this month we are bring you techniques. You should have come fromLuisa"s blog. Next in the hop is Wendy's blog. Don't worry, if you just started here you can still go full circle and see everyone's blog.

My technique is how to alter paper. This is great if you have old paper you don't like to much or if you love the pattern but don't love the paper. Check out the before and after pictures. Isn't that cool? I love doing this because I never waste paper this way.


OK, no the deets of how to do this. first, I stamped the damask stamp and embossed it. You can emboss in any color, I chose clear because I wanted a little bit of the blue coming thru. I also made sure when I heated the powder, that it soaked into the paper. The back side of this paper is brown and that shows thru a little with the clear absorbing into it. Now its slightly multi colored embossing. I then stamped the flourishes with a light grey so it would blend into the background a little. Then I took a darker blue on the sponge and inked the background. I didn't ink it completely to get the shading. Another technique I used was to use a stamp block to stamp with. I used white pigment ink so the sentiment would show up better. If you use a dye ink you can spray the block for more of a watercolor effect. Third technique I used was masking my sentiment stamp. the original had the word all in one line, but that didn't fit my block of white. So I used tape to tape off the second part, stamped the 'thinking' . Then I used tape to cover the first part and then stamped the 'of you'. Remember to remove the tape before you stamp tho.


Ok this is all I have for you. I am doing this last minute (I'm working on that) and I made this in like 5 minutes before I posted this. It's taking me more time to write this post then I did on this card. I still don't know how I did it that quick. It's a crafting miracle for me.

Have a great day

its not rejection because everyone gets to see them still

It just in a different venue. I submitted two cards to Papercrafts go to sketches call and i didn't receive anything back. so i guess that mean i join the reject hop created by Dr amber.

This card i submitted for sketch 38. On both of the cards I used Close to My heart, cept for the diecuts were Spellbinders. I got a really good deal on a 4 pack of flower spellbinders. i now have more then one. lol. I like this one, its cute but not cutisie. I cheated and didn't finish the inside ( i wonder if they knew that)

This card i submitted for sketch 23. I don't know why the camara was all fussy on this one. I just want to say one thing, I HATE HANDCUTTING. lol. I bought a cricut so I wouldn't have to, but sometimes you just do. I found these yellow baubles for free and thought the teardrop one would look cute on the card. so I colored it with my bic markers ( yes i went the cheap route for alcohol markers, but it works) mainly lookin at these pics, i think thats why they didn't get chosen. I need to work on the photography when submitting. But I'm glad I finally got to submit. I normally see the call the day its due. Altho I did submit the night of. (blush)

So go to Dr Amber's blog where you can see the rest of the "rejects"