January Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to the CTMH January Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!

December's Stamp of the Month is called.....

****Find Your Style****

The blog hop makes a circle so if you are starting here just continue until you make your way back and you will have made it through them all.  If you have already started and are coming from Kami Welter's blog, "Scrappin' 4 Memories!", then you are on the right track.

The last SOTM blog hop, I wrote about not always being immediately inspired by a stamp set.  This stamp set is soooo not in that category.  The first time I saw it, I was in love (if you could really be in love with a stamp set...lol).  It took me back to the time that I worked in a rubber stamp store (one of my favorite jobs ever).  There was one of my co-workers who loved to work with a line of stamps called "Me & Carrie Lou".  They had a very feminine, Victorian quality and she did some amazing work with that line.  However, they were pretty expensive...even then.  One large stamp was roughly $16!  Now I think...ONE stamps for $16?  If you were to buy this stamp set outright, you would get 9 stamps for $22.95!  Big difference!  However, you can actually get this stamp set absolutely FREE!  If you want to find out how, simply click on the tab at the top that reads, "Stamp of the Month" to get the details. 

I was reading my January issue of Creating Keepsakes when I was inspired by two different layouts.  On page 27, there was a layout created by Grace Tolman, where she journaled on strips of paper.  I've seen this before...heck, I've done it before, but for some reason her placement caught my attention.  I also loved the layout on page 72 by Deena Wuest.  I loved how she placed the scalloped circle to the right, but over both pages.  Deena actually used CTMH's Circle Dimensional Elements. Unfortunately, I didn't own any at the time when I created this layout, so I had to use what I already owned from Fancy Pants.  I also liked how she ran her title along the curve of the circle, as well as her flower clusters.  The flower clusters also brought to mind CTMH consultant and paper crafter extraordinaire, Tracey Mason, and the stunning paper flowers that she creates.  Combine these ideas, along with this month's absolutely gorgeous SOTM and what do you get?  You get a layout that is one of my all-time favorite layouts (of mine, that is).  Even though I still haven't mastered Tracey's technique, I'm still pleased with how they look.  I am truly excited how beautiful this layout turned out...if I say so myself...and so happy to be able to share it with you.

The two hams in the pictures are my daughter, Hannah and her best friend Jade.

Dress form was stamped twice.  I cut out one, removing the stand.  I then applied liquid glass to the dark area of it and then poured the beads to cover the liquid glass, using a craft tray to catch and return unused beads.  After it dried, I popped it with 3D foam tape on to the whole dress form.  I used opaques for the flower centers.

I used 3D foam tape under the right side of each strip, adhering it so that the strips would buckle.

I used the satin edged ribbon to create a flower by twisting the ribbon.  There are many, many tutorials on YouTube showing how this is done.  Real simple...but really nice look, especially with the satin edged ribbon.

Stamped the letters on colonial white cardstock two times, cutting one set out closely with micro scissors and a craft knife.  The other set, I trimmed to create the various square sizes.  I used a sponge to ink each square with black ink.  I then cut out one of each letter and adhered them to the squares for more dimension.  Finally, I added the bitty sparkles wherever there was a white spot or flower center on the letter.

I cut various strips of paper, cutting the ends into a V-shape.  I layered them, along with strips of various ribbons (also cutting the ends).

I created two butterflies.  I inked each butterfly with Juniper ink and then inked the edges with Black ink.  However, on one of the butterflies I inked the antenna with black, trimmed it out and used it as my base butterfly.  Next, I cut out the second butterfly, trimming off the antenna and then applying liquid glass and clear beads just as I did with the dress form.  I also repeated the same process for the body, but using black microbeads.  Finally, I adhered the beaded butterfly to the base butterfly and placed 3D foam tape under the wings (closer to the body) to give it even more dimension.

Supplies used (all CTMH unless otherwise noted):
Paper: Wings Level 2
Stamps Used: Find Your Style, Bohemian Alphabet
Inks: Black, Vineyard Berry, Sweet Leaf, Juniper
Embellishments:  Opaques Pearl Adhesive Gems, Opaques Licorice Adhesive Gems, Bitty Sparkles,  Satin Edged White Organdy 5/8" Ribbon, Colonial White Grosgrain, Colonial White Ric Rac, Black w/White Flowers Grosgrain, Sweet Leaf Floral Grosgrain, Black Micro Beads (Gary M. Burlin & Co.), Clear Beads (unknown), Chipboard Scalloped Circle (Fancy Pants), Stardust Glitz Glitter Glue
Tools: Sanding Block, Edge Distresser, Micro-tip scissors, Sponge, Craft Tray, Corner Rounder, Cutting Knife, VersaMat, Euro Personal Trimmer
Adhesives: 3D Foam Tape, Liquid Glass

Photo courtesy of Beth Naumann

Remember, if you love what you've seen so far along your SOTM Blog Hop journey, and you want your own "Find Your Style" stamp set at a discount or for FREE, be sure to contact your Close To My Heart Independent Consultant.  If you don't already have a consultant, I'd love to be yours.  You can find details on the "Stamp of the Month" here on my blog, or by clicking on the "Stamp of the Month" tab at the top of the page or by clicking on the "Shop with Me" link near the top right.  Of course, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

If you have time, take a moment or two to check out the rest of my blog.  If you enjoy your visit, then please consider "Following Me" and/or leaving a comment (we all love comments...the nice ones anyway), then be sure to continue along on the hop by heading over to  Wendy Koffman's blog, "Stamping Rules" and check out her beautiful creation....
If for some reason you get lost along the way, you can always find a list of all this month's CTMH SOTM Blog Hop participants on Helen's Onulak's blog.

Happy hopping!  :)