Hi everyone, so now it's the beginning of June... can you believe it? And it's time for our next team blog hop. This blog hop is featuring all things PINK, as one of our team members, you know who you are.. loves pink. 

If you have come here from  http://kerryscreativecollection.blogspot.com.au/  blog you are on the right path! The blog hop is a giant circle, so no matter where you start you can work your way through all the blogs. If you get lost along the way you can find a list of all the blogs in this blog hop on Alison's blog - just click here  https://scissorspaperheart.wordpress.com/

I have had loads of fun designing a card to highlight pink. Its a colour I usually only use as an accent, so this has been heaps of fun for me. Having said that, I just love Close To My Heart's range of pinks. Thistle I think is my favorite, but thats just at the moment! 

I just love making cards, which has come as a big surprise to me as Im an obsessive scrapbooker. Nowdays I love to relax by playing with the Close To My Heart colour palate and creating fantastic cards to give to family and friends. Something that I made for them. 

Which is different of course with scrapbooking, which gives me the same amount of pleasure creating the pages, but generally not many people see those pages, they are mostly just for me, unless Im creating them for a class. 

Here is the card I created for this months Blog Hop. Hope you like it. Ive actually made a lot of extras, if anyone would like to buy them from me please email me at juliespapercraft@gmail.com.

For this Birthday card I've used the following products: Snowhaven paper, as a base, Thistle cardstock on the next layer, the banners and band are using Brushed paper, which has a hint of pear in it, the inks are Pear and Black, and ive used Vivid Green Shin Han Marker, Bity Sparkles, in the flower and the two stamp sets I've used are Holiday Tags Occasions (D1560) and Happy Birds Seasons & Nature (C1600), Ive included ordering codes for anyone who wants to order the wonderful stamp sets.

I really enjoyed colouring the flower it reminded me that I used to love colouring in as a child. Its great I get to do that again with many of the stamps we have and of course the Shin Han markers are just a dream to use. 
If you would like to check out Close To My Hearts products just go to my website; www.juliemorrison.ctmh.com.au where you can place an order if you need to. 

Thanks for checking out my blog and seeing what I've done with the Just Sayin' stamp. Now, why not check out  http://helensheartncraft.blogspot.com.au/    blog and see what Helen has done.

I can't wait to see what challenge our team comes up with next month... whatever it is Im sure it will challenge me.
Happy crafting everyone, especially now the cooler months are with us and we can hunker down in our craft cavevs!
Till next time, thanks for reading.

Hi everyone in craftland. I hope you all had a lovely weekend, and some of you at least were able to get your craft on. It was beautiful and sunny here in Melbourne, perfect for outdoor activities, and for taking lots of lovely photos.
Which leads me onto my topic for this blog: when to take photos, and when not to.
I went to a Christian retreat this weekend, it was set at a stunning gardens, and of course the weather was fantastic. There is a policy of no photos at these retreats, which I understand and didn't have a problem with, until I went for a walk in these beautiful gardens.
I learned something about myself this weekend. That is, I now see the world through a camera lens, and then thru the pages I would scrapbook Until this weekend I didn't realise the strength of my urge to document most of the moments of my life, thru photos.
I was happy not to take photos of the beautiful friends I was making this weekend, I was happy not to photograph the aging, but peaceful retreat building. What I really, really struggled with was not taking photos on my walks in the garden. I saw some things I really wanted to take photos of.
The garden had a pond in it, well, it was really a small lake, and in and around this lake was the most stunning garden. I don't really have to the words to describe it too you so I won't even try. Another fellow retreater commented that some of the views were very 'Monet's Garden', so that should give you some idea.
I also spotted some very unique and stunningly beautiful toadstools. They were not like ones I've ever seen in nature they were red, with little white spots on top and perfectly round. Its like a little fairy should have been sitting under it.
I realised my inability to look at anything if I wasn't photographing it. It was a struggle not to run back to my room and  get my phone to take these photos. But here's the funny thing. I learned something. I learnt that I don't have to photograph EVERY experience of my life, some can just come along and you sit with them. These experiences become the fabric of who you are and can be even more special and important because you can't photograph and then journal them.
I also learnt that I'm reliving that lovely walk in that beautiful garden in my mind, because I have no other way of re-looking at it. Maybe this memory will live on sharper because it touched me so much and there isn't any physical evidence of it???
So to sum up this long, and 'no project' post, I'm not sure how this experience will alter my photography in the future. I do know there is a certain print shop relying on me to continue taking vast amounts of photos... but I'm definitely going to ponder on this weekends experience.  
Till next time when I will definitely have a project for you to looks at.....

Hi happy crafters, now that I've survived my very first bolg hop, its time for another blog. It's Mothers Day and Ive had just the most perfect day. I got hugs from both my adult sons, made myself banana pancakes for breakie, and then was able to spend the cold, windy and wet day inside playing with my inks, cardstock and craft toys. I even tried out my new toy, the heat gun!
Oh happy, happy day.
Here is a great little Mother's Day card I made a few weeks ago, I just love the fresh colours, and the texture the embossing folder gave the cardstock.

For the card I used Pear cardstock, Brushed cardstock, Colonial White cardstock, Black ink, Pear ink, Cherry Pink Shin Han marker, Clear Sparkle, and two  Close To My Heart fantastic stamp sets, a retired stamp set, 'Laughing Lola Scrapbooking Workshop', and  'Happy To Be Friends Occasions' current stamp set.
I embossed the Pear cardstock with our Dot embossing folder. All on a White Daisy card.
I really enjoyed putting this card together. I have such a collection of stamp sets and love mixing them all up when creating. A bit here and a bit there.... does the trick.
Close To My Heart stamp sets work well in complimenting each other so you can always make a card for any occasion.
Today I played with my spray pens, re-inkers, inks and stamps. One of my very favorite things to do is to alter paper. With a range of stamps, inks and an endless supply of white cardstock, you can make any paper to compliment you photos or to put on a card.
I spend way too much time looking at You-Tube, Pintrest and other craft websites, and with just these few tools in my craft kit, I can alter my white paper to look like the paper Ive seen elsewhere. Its the way I love to use my stamp sets, and of course inks.
Well, let me tell you, my hands ended up looking very stained by the end of the day, but inky fingers make me happy!

The top image is Slate cardstock, sprayed with the misting pen with Indian Corn Blue re-inker in it. Dried with my heat gun, then stamped with Pacificia ink, and the image is from the 'Geometric Background' stamp set.
The middle image is using the same stamp, with the same colour and on a background of Crystal Blue cardstock, and for something completely different, the bottom image is a different stamp from the same set, with black ink on Colonial White cardstock, sprayed very lightly with the spray pen loaded with Thistle re inker. It might not be apparent from this photo but the spray pen gives the image another dimention.
Here is how I used some of there formally plain pieces of paper in a scrapbook layout:

    I needed a simple layout to showcase the stunning photo, and my handmade paper at the bottom set the page off, well, that is my intention.
If you would like to purchase any of the products featured on this blog, please check out my website; http://juliemorrison.ctmh.com.au/ or email me with any question, or be added to my newsletter list please email me at juliespapercraft@gmail.com My newsletters have details of my upcoming workshops, and I have lots of fantastic things planned this year.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog as much as Ive enjoyed putting all these ideas into it for you. I hope all the mother's out there had a lovely day, and happy papercrafting everyone.
Till next time.