Virtual Swap Blog Hop

 I've been with Close To My Heart for a little less than a year now and I LOVE it! They keep up with trends but never fail on the basics we crafters want & need. When I joined CTMH I was lucky enough to sign up under Pamela O'Connor. Now I am part of a team with great & creative members but they are also very far from me. So thankfully Pamela has organized the 1st Stampers From The Heart Virtual Swap so now we can craft together. We had some basic rules to inspire us:   

• *Make It From Your Heart - Vol. 1 Pattern 19 featured on page 42.
• *New 2013 Spring/Summer Paper Packet of your choice.
• *New 2013 Spring/Summer Accessory of your choice.
• *New 2013 Spring/Summer Stamp Set of your choice.

The new items I used here are "For Always" paper pack, the yellow flower pin from "For Always" accessory assortment, & "Honeycomb" stamp set. Also used but not new, silver Shimmer Tape & stamp sets "Family Love" & "Trinity Alphabet". 

This card started with a folded size of 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" of White Daisy paper. The printed "For Always" paper was cut into 4" x 1 1/4" strips. The strips and the base are edged with Ruby ink. I then added strips of the shimmer tape down the center of all four strips, cutting them at an angle just shy of the edge. 

  
   I made the letter base with the "Honeycomb" stamp set. I adore these octagon shapes! The look nice with the "Buzz and Bumble" paper pack but the shape is not just for honey bees. First I stamped the outline stamp with black ink on Ruby paper. To give it dimension I stamped the fabric texture octagon filling the outline. (w/ second generation Ruby ink). Using the Ruby ink again, I stamped the letters (first generation) in the center of the shapes. After I cut the octagons out I edged them in black ink to cover any uneven lines and used foam tape to adhere them to the card. 
  Finally, I made the "Sweet" banner on scrap white daisy paper. Sweet is stamped in black & from the sentiment on "Honeycomb" & Love is stamped in Ruby & from "Family Love" stamp set. After I trimmed it into a banner and edged it with Ruby ink, I slid the pin from "For Always" into through it and into the foam tape behind the "E". To give it movement I put two tiny pieces of foam tape under the banner. 


Here is my favorite part: Every work of art starts with a mess so I always take a snap before I'm done. 

Hope you liked this. Now hop on over to my friends and see what they did with the same rules.
Pamela O'Connor ~ http://reflectionsofmyartandsoul.com/
Debbie Martin ~ http://wow-debbielou.blogspot.com/
Katy Taylor ~ http://www.scrappinkaty.blogspot.com/