Layers of Love Challenge

So I have been thinking about Heidi Swapp's idea of inviting a word into your life for the year and this year I want to invite the word "Love" into my life.  And I want to use the 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 definition, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 

Working in a school, it is so important to love the children!  And in my own family, and community!  I wanted a reminder every day, so, I love the Cut it Up challenge:  Layers of Love and I am posting my new planner dashboard I made with my laminator and Anna Griffin die cuts made with my Cricut.  I am enchanted by this swirly "love."

On the back I put a die cut that came from Anna's Griffin planner embellishment kit.  I matted the love die cut on gold card stock and placed it on the Anna Griffin patterned paper.  Did you notice that I printed the Remember tab on the back of the patterned paper?!  I love this technique for a clear card, or scrapbook page too!
  
The green rose is also Anna Griffin, but I have had it in the stash so long I am not sure what embellishment pack it is from.  The small hearts are Close to my Heart and I hand wrote the "is" with some sharpies inside the laminate cover before I ran it through the machine to assure it never rubs off.  

Tiny Treasure with TRN

This month The Robin's Nest is teaming up with Timeless Twine and I thought it would be great for a baby page!  I love to crochet and make baby quilts, so I look a little inspiration from a crochet blanket fringe to make an embellishment.  I cut the blue circle with holes using Cricut's Accent Essentials cartridge.  I then made a blanket stitch around the edges with Timeless Twine.

 I cut 2 inch strips of Timeless twine and tied them onto the blanket stitch edging.  It make this fast and easy, I used a crochet hook.  On top of the blue circle I stamped the "Hello Life" using Close to My Heart stamp set and pop dotted it.  I punched a yellow circle for a mat for the circle title.  I combined it with The Robin's Nest Special Boys tag that says "Little Treasure," for my page title.

I added the star and heart from The Robin's Nest Special Boy Embellies Package.
I cut strips from the Rocking Horse and Fleur papers and faux top stitched them with a marker.  I cut "Celeste" using Cricut's Chalkboard Font.  Did you know that every week Cricut offers free digital files for use with their Cricut Craft Room software?  The first week of June was Chalkboard Fonts, so I took advantage of the freebie and cut my title.  I embellished the title with Amber Diamond Dew Drops.  I love this look!  And Diamond Dew Drops are on sale for the month of June at 20% off!  No need for a coupon, they are already marked down!

Supplies
The Robin's Nest Special Boy Embellies
The Robin's Nest Special Boys Tags
The Robin's Nest Glitter Belgian Chocolate
The Robin's Nest Fleur/Stripe Tropicana
The Robin's Nest Boys Rocking Horse/Stripe
The Robin's Nest Amber Diamond Dew Drops
The Robin's Nest Special Delivery Paper
The Robin's Nest Amber Dew Drop
Monamigabby flower
Timeless Twine
Yellow Card Stock
Heidi Grace Designs Double Sided card stock Marina Drive
Needle
Crochet Hook
Close to My Heart It's Your Day  Stamp Set
Cricut George Cartridge (circle around stamp)
Cricut Accent Essentials (Blue circle with holes)
Cricut Chalkboard Font
Button

For the Font Fanatic

This month The Robin's Nest is teaming up with Gel-a-tins.  I was sent an alphabet stamp set for my projects that I love, but what to do that was new?  I started thinking about all those alphabet paper laces that were so big a few years ago and one of my favorite design elements ever:  a circle.  So, I wondered how I could combine the two?  Moxie Fab World helped with the solution, with this weeks Tuesday Trigger:  Pretty Little Petit Fours.  Do you see the circle in the background (well it's really an oval but I love circles)?  

Here's my solution, and I have to say I am so pleased with the results!
Here is how I got this look:
1.  Cut a 7" circle in the middle of a white piece of card stock.  If you want a nice circular stamped image, this is key!  Ink the inside edge of circle with Versamark and use Teal You What embossing powder to emboss the circle.

2.  Layout a "test" version of your letter circle (see photo above).  I tried to vary the width of the letters around the circle.  So, this means you may need a wide letter on the sides and a high letter on the top, mixed with smaller letters in between.
3.  Once you are happy with the layout begin stamping your letters in Versa Mark ink.
4.  Use the Teal You What embossing powder and heat set.
5.  Fussy cut your letter circle using scissors and or Exacto Knife.

The chevron is a Close to My Heart Stamp.  The clock face is The Robin's Nest.  The label is cut with CCR basic shapes and the stickers are Basic Grey.  For black in the center of the flowers on the inspiration photo I wanted bling.  I combined Want2Scrap with Diamond Dew Drops from The Robin's Nest.

This months The Robin's Nest Sale:  Sorbet Paper Collection!
This months team up:  Gel-a-tins

Supplies
The Robin's Nest Shocking Pink Glitter Sorbet Card Stock
The Robin's Nest Classified Card Stock (Background)
The Robin's Nest Black and White Clock Cardstock
The Robin's Nest Obsidian Diamond Dew Drops
White Card Stock
gel-a-tins LOL Oversized Mix Stamp set
gel-a-tins Teal You What embossing powder
Versamark ink
Close To My Heart In the Background Flair Stamp Set (chevron)
Want2Scrap Black Bling Swirl
Cricut 
CCR

Daisy Days Blog Hop with The Robin's Nest

Welcome to the Daisy Days Blog hop with The Robin's Nest!  Thanks for stopping by all of the blogs on the hop!  To follow the hop line up, simply click on the blog listed at the bottom of this post or to the right!  The fun starts at  Robin's blog.  And The Robin's Nest is offering blog candy!   Each blog will have a prize package, "Daisy Package" with a value of $15.00 and it will include Tear drops, paper and embellishments.  One Grand Prize winner will get $25.00 towards the Robin's Nest on-line store and will be posted on the Robin's Nest blog on Sunday April 21st   Be sure to leave a comment on all the blogs along the hop for your chance to win!

I thought I would use this hop to talk about how to pull together a mini album for a great look!  Here are my tips:
1)  Use a great paper line from the same company!
2)  Use a theme:  I used travel.
3)  Use a consistent shape:  I used daisies!
4)  Use a few consistent inks, markers and embossing powders that coordinate with your color theme.  I chose my color theme by using the colors in the albums and adding neutrals.
Growing up, when we heard my Dad say he was taking the scenic route, we were sure to get lost, but we also knew that we would see the off beaten track beauty and back roads sites.  I want to teach my boys to record their memories and enjoy the journeys on all of their vacations and trips!  Since I often associate wild flowers with these scenic routes, I thought the daisy theme of this blog hop was perfect for my travel album theme!
I started with a mini album I picked up at my local dollar store called Inspired Traveler by Creative Imaginations.  I added beautiful paper and embellishments by The Robin's Nest.  Below I used a Close to My Heart Stamp set (USA) and a Heartfelt Creations Stamp set (Script inside the map) on the Robin's Nest  Discovery Glitter Swirl paper.  Some other tips for mini albums:  use those scraps you love in small touches to make embellishments!  Find your theme and shape ideas on Pinterest!  Just search for the item you want to use to pull it all together and you'll find lot of ideas!  Scrap pages ahead of time and bring travel albums on the trip.  Have the kids journal on the road trip!

Below are some of the pages made with the Marvy Uchida Flower punch and Dew Drops by The Robin's Nest.  

I love these fishing chippies from The Robin's Nest and had to work some into our travel mini album!  I just cut a bit of brown card stock and clipped the chippie onto it.  Of course my Uniball white ink pen ran out of ink and I have a new one on order, so please excuse the missing faux sewing stitches!

Supply List
The Robin's Nest Getaway Dew Drops
The Robin's Nest Teal Classic Glitter Card Stock (cover)
The Robin's Nest Daisy Stripe Honeycomb
The Robin's Nest Brown Classic Glitter Card stock
The Robin's Nest Fishing Chippies
The Robin's Nest Pearl Dew Drops
The Robin's Nest Pinetrees Card Stock
The Robin's Nest Viva la France Rubon
The Robin's Nest Fresh Mowed Grass Dew Drops
The Robin's Nest Teal Fleur Card Stock
The Robin's Nest Tropicana Fleur Card Stock
The Robin's Nest White Snow Glitter Card Stock
The Robin's Nest Discovery Glitter Swirl
The Robin's Nest Autumn Tag Kit
Piccolo Enamel Powder Adhesive
Piccolo Vintage Copper Enamel Powder
Little Yellow Bicycle Fresh Print TRAVELER paper
Marvy Uchida Flower Punch
White Card Stock
Green Card Stock
Inspired Traveler Mini Album by Creative Imaginations
Cricut George Cartridge
Cricut Opposites Attract Cartridge
Cricut Graphically Speaking Cartridge
Close To My Heart Adventure USA Stamp
Stampin' Up The Open Sea Stamp (Globe Image)
Creative Memories Circle Punch
Heartfelt Creations Stamp
Glue Dots
Close To My Heart Inks
Brown Marker
Uniball White marker
Flower Bling
Chalk inks

Moxie Monday

Whenever Moxie Fab World had a challenge that includes ruffles, I can't resist giving it a try.  I loved this week's Tuesday Trigger challenge called Elegant Emerald.  Maybe it is the fashion designer in me, that recognizes that all those glorious ruffles are cut with a circular ruffle.  I love the color and the touches of gold, so I used this weeks Tuesday Trigger to work up a sympathy card I needed.  Below is the Moxie Fab World inspiration photo.  Notice I pulled out the butterfly on the model's eye and made it a feature in my card.  I cut the ruffles by cutting circles with my Creative Memories cutters with a center circle cut in the middle.  This leaves an O shape about an inch wide.  I clipped into the center and ran terrifically tacky tape along the inside circle.  I then placed the tape along a straight line on the card, and a ruffle is formed.
Supply List

The Robin's Nest Classified Card stock
The Robin's Nest Wave Card Stock
Gingham check ribbon Michaels
Butterfly Wings stamp Close to My Heart
Comforting Thoughts stamp Close to My Heart
Queen and Co bling
Close to My Heart Ink
Glitter Gel Pen