Last Day for February Specials and a Fun Birthday Layout

Today is the last day of February, which means the last day to take advantage of the February specials!

Share the Love:  This stamp set is only $17.95 and $7 of that goes straight to Operation Smile to help an underprivileged child somewhere in the world receive much needed Cleft Palate surgery. Order your set here before by 11:59 pm (Mountain Time) tonight.

February Stamp of the Month:  Balloon Animals is a set that just about anyone can use...and it's OH-SO-CUTE! It's only $5 ($12.95 savings) with every $50  you order (before shipping and tax). Order $100, get 2...and so on.  When ordering on my website, you'll be prompted to add your set before you check out. Easy Peasy!  The artwork at the top of this post was created by the talented Close To My Heart Art Department using this set.

You Make Me Smile All-Occasion Card

You might be wondering how I am posting while lounging on an Eastern Caribbean beach. Well, that's the wonder of pre-posting! YAY! While I'm gone for the next week, you'll still be treated to posts today, Monday, Tuesday, and Friday.  Nifty!

You mean you didn't know I was gone? Well, be sure to check out the last post to see how you can benefit from my trip.  Did someone say, "FREE PAPER PACK?"  Yep, they sure did!

Now, let's talk about this card. My fabulously talented friend, Melanie Brown, at Courtney Lane Designs, designed this card and I copied it 100% exactly. Shameless! I couldn't help myself. It was just too cute!

Don't forget that this darling "Share the Love" stamp set is only available this month. It's $17.95 and $7 of that goes straight to Operation Smile. You can order it on my website here.

Share the Love	5 1/2" X 4 1/4" White Cards & Envelopes, Value Pack	12" X 12" White Daisy Cardstock	Lagoon Cardstock
Black Exclusive Inks® Stamp Pad	Slate Exclusive Inks� Stamp Pad	Lagoon Exclusive Inks� Stamp Pad	Honey Exclusive Inks� Stamp Pad
Pixie Exclusive Inks� Stamp Pad	2" X 2" My Acrylix® Block	Surecut� Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer	Non-Stick Micro-Tip Scissors
3-D Foam Tape	3L® E-Z Dots® Adhesive

InLinkz.com

Share The Love One Page Layout

This little girl makes me smile every day!  She is full of sass and spunk and lots of love!  When I saw the "you make me SMILE" stamp and the camera in the February special "Share the Love" set, I knew I wanted to use it for these sassy pics.

I decided to get a little messy and creative on this layout.  I used watercolors and the spray pen, and hand lettered my title.  I love the 'artistic' look it created, don't you?

I'll share a few more details of the layout in just a second, but first I wanted to remind you how to get this stamp set (in February only) and why it's so special.

This stamp set was created with love and charity in mind. $7 of every one of these stamp sets purchased goes straight to Operation Smile. I love this charity and what it does for underprivileged children around the world who are born with cleft palates. It costs approximately $244 per surgery, so your purchase pays for about 2% of one child's surgery.  You can order your set on my website here.

Here are a few detail shots of the layout. I've included a list of all of the products I used on this layout, complete with photos and links for your convenience, at the end of this post.

Share the Love	12" X 12" Juniper Cardstock	Watercolor Paper	Paintbrush Set
Watercolor Paints	Black Memento� Ink Pad	Juniper Exclusive Inks® Stamp Pad	Glacier Exclusive Inks� Stamp Pad
Cocoa Exclusive Inks� Re-inker	Lagoon Hearts Washi Tape	Black Arrow Washi Tape	Silver Geometric Washi Tape
Marvy® Uchida® LePen�	Spray Pen	2" X 2" My Acrylix® Block	Surecut� Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer
Non-Stick Micro-Tip Scissors	3-D Foam Tape	3L® E-Z Dots® Adhesive

InLinkz.com

Hello Card and Technique Instructions

Each Friday in February I'll be sharing an art project using the February special stamp set: Share the Love.  

Watercoloring is all the rage right now.  Some people are a little intimidated by the technique, so today I thought I'd share a watercolor idea that ANYONE can do. This card is a standard card (5 1/2" x 4 1/4).  I cut a 2" x 5 1/4" strip of watercolor paper and did a wash by using the following steps:

• Lightly "wash" watercolor paper with water and a brush. I like the widest brush in the set for this.
• Load your paintbrush with water and a color of watercolor paint, swipe it back and forth the short way along the strop. I started with a turquoise/green color, loaded up again and went to a blue, and then loaded up again with a purple until I had filled the whole strip with colors that gradually melted into each other.  Don't be afraid to add more water to your brush and go back over your 'masterpiece' if it's too dark, or to add more color if it feels to light. You don't have to be perfect.  The variety and variance of color/intensity is what gives it personality.
• Let your watercolor strip dry and then stamp an image or sentiment using a Black Memento Pad (my fave!). I chose the telephone from the "Share the Love" exclusive stamp set this month.

This stamp set is available in February for only $17.95.  $7 of that goes straight to Operation Smile to help a child with cleft palate surgery who would never be able to get it otherwise.  Not only are you helping  a child in need, but you are also getting a darn cute stamp set. Win/win!!!! Close To My Heart has been supporting Operation Smile for many years now. I am proud to be part of a company that cares about more than just itself.  We donate tens of thousands to Operation Smile every year.

Here's a little closer detail of the watercolor wash. Every time I pull out this set, I find myself singing Adele's "Hello", Lionel Richie's "Hello", or Drake's "Hot Line Bling." At least I'm entertaining myself while stamping, right?  *wink*

Share the Love	5 1/2" X 4 1/4" White Cards & Envelopes, Value Pack	Penelope Paper Packet	12" X 12" White Daisy Cardstock
Watercolor Paper	Paintbrush Set	Watercolor Paints	Black Memento� Ink Pad
Honey Exclusive Inks� Stamp Pad	2" X 2" My Acrylix® Block	Surecut� Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer	Non-Stick Micro-Tip Scissors
3-D Foam Tape	3L® E-Z Dots® Adhesive

InLinkz.com