February Paper Trail blog hop

Welcome to the Paper Trail blog hop.  This month Close to My Heart releases our 2012 Spring/Summer Idea Book with eight new paper packs, Workshops on the Go, and a myriad of new stamps and embellishments.  Our Paper Trail team has taken advantage of this "transition" month to feature our own favorite papers, either new or old.  So take a peek at our blogs and get a preview of what's to come or say farewell to an old favorite.

Our Paper Trail blog hop is a loop so you may have arrived here from Pam's P-Inks blog or you may just be getting started.  Don't worry, if you follow our links from one blog to the next you won't miss anyone.  And be sure to let our artists know how much you appreciate their art and samples. 

My choice of new paper is called Florentine and is full of rich greens, blues and honey colors.  I got stuck behind the eight ball this afternoon and didn't finish all I have planned so I am posting just a glimpse of what's to come.

I chose to make cards with Florentine papers and the matching Stickease, using some of Close To My Heart's card packets providing variety of styles and forcing myself a little out of my comfort zone.  I love clear acrylic cards but always feel a little stumped at how to layer them to create a visually appealing card.  I think I've come to the conclusion that less is more.

And here is the inside.  What do you think?

The Florentine paper pack & MyStickease used:

Continue on the Paper Trail to Connie's blog, Scraps & Stories, to see what she has in store for you.  I'm sure you will like it!

January Paper Trail Blog Hop is Wonderland

Welcome to the January Paper Trail Blog hop. This month we are featuring our beautiful wintery Wonderland paper pack, full of beautiful blues and browns with a touch of purple.  Lovely snowflakes adorn three sides of these papers and polka-dots, plaid & stripes adorn the other three sides.  I love these colors & patterns!

Terri's My Frame of Mind may have brought you to my blog.  As usual, Terri has some fantastic art to share.  If you arrived here by other means, not to worry, the blog hop is circular and you'll come back to her blog.

I designed a luminary with Wonderland using the 6x6 Kraft Die Cut Cards as a base.  Using the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge I cut snowflakes from the paper and created 3 panels to wrap around the base.  A jewel hangs in the center of the snowflake and six little diamonds are at the inner points. 

I used battery style tea lights to light the luminaries.  Here are three with lights and different papers for the main body.

With out the lights.  The color of the papers are more true in this photo.

My other offering today is a set of tags I made for an exchange.  Again cutting snowflakes from the paper, glittering and adhering to a tag.  I stamped snowflakes under the glitter snowflake cutout.  On the back, the "to" and "from" and a snow border from Winter Joy. 

I hope you've enjoyed what you've seen here.  Now hop on over to Lynne's blog, Field's Finery for some more wintery delights, and some Studio J magic.