Paper Garden September 2015 SOTM Blog Hop

Welcome to the September 2015 SOTM Blog Hop featuring the stamp set Paper Garden. This month there are almost 40 bloggers sharing projects they created with Paper Garden. If blog hopping is new to you, just keep clicking on the link to the next blog (typically near the bottom of the post) to visit the next stop.

The SOTM for September 2015, Paper Garden, is a D-size set of 10 stamps that is $5 with a qualifying purchase. Paper Garden is compatible with the Cricut® Artiste Collection (Z3170) exclusive to Close To My Heart. Recommended CTMH My Acrylix® Blocks for this stamp set are: 1" x 1" (Y1000), 2" x 2" (Y1003) and 4" x 5" (Y1012). The stamps in the Paper Garden set are:

You should have arrived here from ***Melinda Everitt's If You Bling It***. If you get lost along the way, Melinda keeps a complete list of participants on her blog at If You Bling It.

Unfortunately I misplaced my stamp set. I have been taking some medication and while they warned me that I should not drive, it did not register with me that I had to be extra cautious in other aspects of my life. I remember thinking I needed to put the stamp set in a "safe place" because I needed to create with it soon, but, well you know. I guess I should not be surprised since I have tried to put the milk carton in the cupboard with the glasses. If the milk carton would have fit, that is where I would have found it the next time I wanted milk.

Fortunately some of the stamps coordinate with cuts from the Cricut® Artiste Collection (Z3170), so I improvised with die cuts and our new Watercolor Paper and Paints. I hope you forgive me my craziness this month.

The CTMH Watercolor Paper cut beautifully on my Cricut® Explore. I used the Light Cardstock + setting and a well used green mat. In the photo above, you can see the cuts that have not been painted and those that I watercolored. I watercolored right on top of my Cricut® mat. I will wash my mat off in the sink and hang it to dry later. As you can see, the die cuts curled at bit as they dried. That was fine with me as I planned to do some shaping. After the paint dried, I used both the end of a paint brush and my fingers to shape the flowers and leaves.

I tried to create an ombré color wash look on the background die cut. My plan was to have the background darker in the middle and lighter near the top and bottom. It did not turn out exactly as I envisioned, but I am still quite happy with it. I waited until the paint was completely dry before stamping the sentiment. I used a combination of adhesives to attach the flowers and leaves working around the shaping and creating different heights for the pieces.

This was the first time I working with watercolors since grade school. I am fairly pleased with the results. I hope that you find my card pleasing to your eye.

Before you head to ***Priscilla's Paperie by Priscilla Gotham***, the supplies I used to create my project are listed below.

All supplies are from Close To My Heart except where noted:

• My Acrylix™ September 2015 SOTM: Paper Garden Stamp Set (S1509) - inspired the flower and leaf shapes
• My Acrylix™ Holiday Tags (D1560)
• Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad (Z2105)
• 5½" X 4¼" White Cards & Envelopes, Value Pack (X254)
• Watercolor Paper (Z3146)
• Watercolor Paints (Z3132)
• Paintbrush Set (Z3188)
• 3L® E-Z Dots® Adhesive (Z3022)
• Memory Book Glue Dots™ (1772)
• 3-D Foam Tape (Z1151)
• Cricut® Artiste Collection (Z3170)
• Flower - #M3ABCB
• Leaf - #M40485
• Cricut® Artistry Collection (Z3190)
• Frame - #M4181DD - page 48
• Supplies not from Close To My Heart: Cricut® Design Space, Cricut® Explore

If you are not already working with a CTMH Independent Consultant, you may purchase all of the supplies I used at my Online Business Address.

I love to hear what people think of my crafts, so if you have a moment I would be delighted if you leave a comment. So you do not have to scroll back up, the next stop on the hop is ***Priscilla's Paperie by Priscilla Gotham***.

Thank you for visiting today. I hope you are enjoying the hop.