January Stamp of the Month Blog Hop and Blog Candy!

Welcome to the Close To My Heart Stamp of the Month Blog Hop for January!

All artwork on the hop will feature January's SOTM, "True Friends"  a set of 11 stamps! If you have come here from {Maricar's blog} you are on the right path!  Click the link at the end of my post to hop to the next blog.  If you hop through them all, you'll see over 60 examples of great SOTM artwork!

Here's a look at some art that CTMH made with the SOTM "True Friends".   This artwork is also featured in our NEW Spring 2010 Idea Book - which you can view here: (link will go live at 8 am, Jan 1st)

As an added bonus this month, I'll be randomly selecting one person to win BOTH of my blog hop cards!  To be entered, just post a comment below.  Receive a second entry if you sign up to be a follower of my blog!  I'll draw a winner and post their name at 8 am, Jan 2.


This month my cards all feature the same basic products (besides the SOTM).  They are the *new* Veranda Paper Pack, Waterbrush, Cocoa and Tulip Inks, Brown Stayz On Ink, Sponge Daubers,  Antique Copper Mini Medleys, Filigree Charms and Just Bloom Spring Blossom Flowers.


Card 1: Size - 4.25" x 5.5".  For this card I used the waterbrush and tulip ink to lightly spread color on the tips of the new Just Bloom flowers.  I also used sponge daubers and brown Stayz On to turn the pewter colored Filigree Charm an antique copper color.  To get the look of a double mat on the frame, stamp it in cocoa ink on the patterned paper.  Then cut it out right on the brown line.  Glue it to colonial white paper, and cut around it leaving 1/8" border.

Card 2: Size 4.25" x 5.5".  All of the papers on this card were roughed up (distressed) using the scissor technique.  Take your microtip scissors and leaving the blades closed, rub them against the edges of your paper.  This is safer than opening the scissors and it produces the same look!  The Filigree charms were "antiqued" again with Stayz On as with the first card.  I also stamped the flowers from the new stamp set "So Sweet" in Stayz On so that I could use the waterbrush to watercolor the leaves and blossoms.  I picked the ink up from the lid of the ink pad after giving the pad a gentle squeeze..  This gives a very soft look.  For more vivid color use a drop of reinker in the lid of your stamp pad.  The corner element is from the Antique Copper mini medley pack.

I hope you enjoyed my cards!  Don't forget to post a comment.  One lucky poster will win both cards!!!

Now hop on over to {Laurie's blog}!  She is sure to inspire you with her incredible artwork!