It's Blog Hop Time! The "CTMH Product Spotlight" Blog Hop promises to be exciting and inspirational. The 15th of each month this talented group of crafters will be highlighting a different Close To My Heart product. As a mentioned in my last post, sketches are a great way to complete your projects in a quick and easy manner. This Blog Hop is featuring the CTMH book called "Imagine." The book is packed with scrapbook layouts and tips to help you complete your design "faster, simpler, easier."If you got here from Tracy's Blog, you are on the right track. Isn't her work wonderful... "Imagine" is a great book. The variety of sketches, the examples the tips are second to none. For this hop, I chose the layout called Sweet Symphony. It is a 2 page spread that includes 3 4 x 6 and 4 3 x 3 inch photos. I had so much fun completing this layout. I don't scrapbook enough and have sooooo many pictures. In the middle '90's, when my Mom was still healthy enough to travel, we would leave the "boys" at home and head off for an week long trip somewhere around the county. What fun we had. I wanted to do a few special things for such a special layout and here it is...
This is National Papercrafting Month so I just had to use CTMH's special kit completed just for the event. It is called Felicity and the colors of Sorbet, Barn Red and Twilight were just perfect for the desert pictures. The kit includes a great stamp set with both images and an alphabet, several B&T Duos papers and instructions on completing your own cards and layouts. I did a few special things in the layout. First off, notice the hemp on the bottom of the first page and at at the top of the second page. One of my goals for the layout was to enhance the feel of the rustic desert. I chain stitched the hemp for texture.
The other special technique that I used on this layout was brayering. A brayer, you know that hard rubber roller thingie that is in the back of the Idea Book? It adds wonderful look to your projects. Don't be baffled by its use....here is a quick and simple lesson on using a brayer....
Collect your supplies. For the purpose of this tutorial, I used a 3 x 6 inch sheet. On the layout I actually used strips that measured 3 x 12 inches. The colors used are Bamboo, Sorbet, Barn Red and Twilight. I selected these colors because I wanted to mimic the colors of desert and and sky. Make sure that you have scrap paper to work on.
Load the ink on your brayer. Always start will the lightest color. IMPORTANT...only roll the roller in one direction. If you load the ink in a back and forth motion you will get streaks of ink that will transfer to your work.
Begin applying the ink to the paper. Start by rolling on the scrap paper and slowly move toward the project paper. You can see this if you look closely at the scrap paper in the picture. Now it is time to roll back and forth. Do so quickly and lightly. Make sure that you go off the paper on both the top and the bottom of your work. This will avoid choppy marks.
I applied bamboo ink on both sides of the paper. If you look closely you can see that the ink is heavier on the edges. That is because the ink moves from the brayer to the paper and as you roll inward the brayer runs out of ink. Also look closely and you will see lines. This is due to the grain of the paper and can't be avoided. These lines add to the dimension of your work.
Next, load your brayer with the next lightest color...in this case Sorbet. Apply the ink in the same quick back and forth motion. Remember to start rolling off the project paper and roll your way to your project. Apply the ink on only one side and only 1/2 way up the paper. This begins to for the desert landscape.
Oh...That's Bombay...my kitten....she wants to learn how to brayer, too!
Now repeat the process with the next color....in this case, Barn Red.
Now it is time to complete the sky. Load the brayer remembering to roll in one direction. Lay down the Twilight ink on the edge that only has the bamboo ink. See how the effect of a desert is created? Now look at a close up of the brayered pieces on the full layout.
It's time to hop on over to Mary's Blog and check out her wonderful work using a layout from the Imagine book. For Now, Happy Crafting!
Next take a piece of card stock that measures 6 x 9 inches. It should be scored at the 3 inch mark on the left side. 
Next attach the short piece of card stock to the larger piece making sure that the fold lines match closely so that the card will close. You will have a seam in the back but that will be covered as you decorate the card. It makes more sense in the picture.
You are now free to decorate the card. I took the liberty to distress the edges before I assembled the the pieces. And now for the card...
Here are more views of the inside...
I cut the "nut cup" using "Bags, Tags and Boxes" cartridge and my Cricut. The cupcake image is on all four sides. The cupcake cake was heat embossed in Cocoa and colored using a blender pen. The raised icing was done using Liquid Applique. I finished it off with a glitter pen.
It's time to head over to Judy's Blog and check out her creation. The full list of participants can be found here. Thanks for hopping by and don't forget about Hearts for Haiti...Load up you stash while you help out with earthquake relief. For Now, Happy Crafting!
