Sunday, December 12, 2010

Candy Gifts

This week's challenge on the Heart2heart challenge blog is to make a gift item and it needs to be something other than a card.  This is the first time I have entered their challenge so am hoping that I post correctly to be entered!  :)

I made these candy gifts for a craft show I attended last weekend.  The pattern came from the talented Becky Roberts and was part of her 2010 12 days of Christmas tutorials which can be found here.





Supplies used are all CTMH unless otherwise noted:
Cardstock:  New England Ivy, Cranberry, Olive, Juniper, White Daisy, Blush, Hollyhock, Colonial White
B&T:  Mistletoe, Mistletoe Creative Basics, Jingle Creative Basics
Ink:  New England Ivy, Hollyhock, Cranberry
Stamps:  Just for the Holidays
Embellishments:  Red, pink and Purple sparkle assortment; bitty sparkles; olive organdy ribbon (retired); white daisy organdy ribbon; cranberry ribbon; misc ribbon from Michaels or JoAnn's
Tools:  1 1/2" scallop punch (Marvy); 1 1/4" circle punch

I made 3 of each design for the craft show.  I even have a few left that I can use for teacher gifts this week - one less thing to get done in the busy weeks before Christmas!  :)

Thursday, December 9, 2010

More special deals!!

Just when you thought the specials couldn't get any better, they did!  Close To My Heart is offering some special discounted items for sale that you can only get through my website.  Some of the items are even 90% off!  These items are "while supplies last", and more items will be added throughout the month, so you'll have to check back often to see what has been added. 

These purchases even count toward the "Plenty for Twenty" special - where if you spend $20 (before tax and shipping) you will receive a D-size stamp set (chosen by CTMH) valued at $22.95 for free!  Oh, and don't forget, you may even receive Sticky Boy in your order! 

Click here or on the shopping link on the right to place your order.  Be sure to click on the "discounted products" link under the Shop Online tab to see all of the products that are currently available.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Plenty for Twenty!

Close To My Heart's December campaign is Plenty for Twenty! 



When you shop my website and spend $20 or more (before shipping and tax) on wonderful Close To My Heart products, you'll receive a free D-size stamp set valued at $22.95 for free—that more than doubles your value!  And on top of that, Close To My Heart will select random orders to have an additional little travel buddy with them…STICKY BOY! If you haven't heard about the legendary Sticky Boy yet, watch this short video to get yourself acquainted.

This special runs from December 1 - December 31, and there is no shipping/handling or tax assessed on the free stamp set.  The free stamp set will be selected by Close To My Heart, so you won't know what set you are getting until you receive your order. 

So click here or on the shopping link on the right and get your free stamp set today!

Monday, November 22, 2010

More Swap Layouts

I thought I would share a couple more layouts that I completed recently for a swap that I participated in with other CTMH consultants.  We were required to use retired paperpacks and any embellishments that we wanted.

The first layout was for the boy round that I signed up for.  I used the Tinkerin' paperpack and chose the "Title Topper - Photos" and "Bottom Border - Footnotes" layouts from the Reflections book.


Left side page

Right side page
Products Used:  (all CTMH unless otherwise noted)
Paper:  Tinkerin' B&T; White Daisy, Twilight and Sunflower CS
Stamps:  Boys at Play; Playin' Hard; Field Trip Alphabet
Ink:  Holiday Red; Sunflower; Clover Meadow; Twilight
Embellishments:  Holiday Red craft buttons; white photo clips; white eyelets; twilight spiral clip; white grosgrain ribbon

The second layout I have to share was for the holiday round and it is from the Imagine book, entitled "Grand Finale".  I used the Jingle paperpack for this one.  Images were colored with a waterbrush.



Left side page

Right side page

Products Used:  (all CTMH unless otherwise noted)
Paper:  Jingle B&T; White Daisy, Tulip, Juniper CS
Stamps:  Friendship Alphabet; Somethin' Special; A Timber; Share the Magic; St. Nick
Ink:  Juniper; Hollyhock; Tulip; Creme Brulee
Embellishments:  Jingle brads; sparkles; glitz glitter glue; curling ribbon (Wal-Mart)

Thanks for looking.  Oh, and if you are in the swap, I apologize for the spoiler!  :)

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Favorite Close To My Heart Product

Close To My Heart is having a contest on their Facebook page where we are to post about our favorite CTMH product for a chance to win $50 in CTMH product.  How to choose, how to choose!

I would have to say that right now, Studio J has to be my favorite.  Although I still love using traditional paper, embellishments, stamps, etc. to create beautiful pages, Studio J is helping me get caught up on scrapbooking all of those photos that are stored in shoe boxes, waiting to be added to an album.  (Come on, you know you are just like me!)

Here is a layout I did recently (you can click on the picture to make it bigger) using the retired paper pack "Game On".  (Ok, so these pictures are from this summer, but this is probably the quickest I've completed a layout using current pictures!)  Riley is 5 years old, so I have plenty of other events to scrapbook!

Another thing I like about Studio J is that if you didn't get a chance to order paper before it was retired, you can find your favorite retired paperpack in Studio J!  How cool is that?? 

To find out more about Studio J, check out my previous post here or click on the Studio J link on the right and check it out for yourself.  I'm sure it will become one of your favorite products too!

Monday, November 8, 2010

A Little More Thanks

Close to My Heart's "Little MORE Thanks" campaign in November says "thank you" twice to you, our great customers. When you place a minimum order of $100, you'll receive the November Stamp of the Month set for free, PLUS you can choose one more stamp set from our Autumn/Winter Idea Book for free!


November Stamp of the Month
 This campaign gives you the versatile Stamp of the Month set, A Little Thanks, that you'll use year-round for thank-you cards and notes, PLUS your choice of another stamp set, size A through D*. Select a birthday set, a Christmas set, a friendship set, a baby set—whatever your heart desires! We've really tailored the campaign to suit your own style and needs, whether you're a scrapbooker, cardmaker, or papercrafter. It's our way of imparting A Little MORE Thanks to you this giving season!"  
(*Excludes Workshops on the Go™, Stamp of the Month retail, E-size, and K-size custom stamps.)

To take advantage of this great special, click here, or the shopping link on the right.

Happy crafting!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Adventure layout

I am in a 12x12 layout swap in which we are to use up old papers that we have stashed away.  (I have a LOT of that!!)  I chose to use the Back Country papers for an outdoor layout. The edges of all of the papers have been sanded with the edge distresser to give a more rustic look.

I used the Dynamic Design pattern in the Cherish how-to book, which Helen Onulak features in her weekly scrapbook challenge.




Here are close-ups of the left and right pages:






Supplies used (all CTMH):
Cardstock:  Outdoor Denim, Olive, Barn Red, Crystal Blue
Papers:  Back Country (retired)
Stamps:  Hook, Line & Sinker (retired); Backwoods (retiring 12/31/10); Campin' Fever
Embellishments:  Outdoor Denim ribbon (retired); antique copper brads and bitty brads (retiring 12/31/10)

Thanks for looking!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Tissue Stamping


This month's episode of Art & Soul is entitled "Autumn Projects to Fall For" and features tissue stamping.  What a cool technique, and all you need is your favorite stamp set, some ink and a few Kleenex's!  The episode also shows various ways to use the new flip flaps, as well as how to cluster embellishments in your Studio J layouts. 

To view this episode, click here!  To order products featured in the episode, click here.  Happy stamping!

Monday, October 4, 2010

Another Studio J layout and a scrapbook challenge

Fellow Consultant Helen Onulak posts a weekly scrapbook challenge on her blog that features a pattern from one of Close to My Heart's how-to books.  This week, her challenge features a member's only pattern from Studio J called Through the Lens.

I used this pattern for a layout featuring my son Riley, who graduated from preschool last spring.  The layout also features a member's only paper kit called Class Act.


To try your hand at the Through the Lens pattern, click the Studio J link here or to the right of my blog.  Be sure to check out Helen's blog for some very helpful tips on using Studio J.  I know I'll be trying them out on my next Studio J layouts!

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Membership has its privileges...

I never thought I would like or use digital scrapbooking.  I have way too much paper, embellishments, tools, etc.  However, after trying CTMH's online scrapbooking program Studio J, I am hooked!  It is so quick and easy to design a 2-page layout and there is no software required.  You can design your projects to your heart's content and never pay a dime until you actually order your project.

The price of a printed, 2-page 12x12 layout is $13 (plus applicable tax and shipping).  However, if you become a Studio J member, you will receive additional perks, such as 50% off layouts, free shipping, special members-only kits and patterns, free memory protectors, and other incentives and perks.  For more information on Studio J as well as the benefits of becoming a Studio J member, check out my website here.

Another perk of being a Studio J member:  you receive JPG files with your order.  These files allow you to share your layouts on blogs, Facebook, etc.  Here are a few samples of the layouts I recently created:

This layout uses a special members-only kit called Splash Zone and a members-only pattern.


This layout uses the retired paper kit Back Country and a special members-only pattern.  (You can click on either of these images to see them larger.)


I encourage you to try your hand at Studio J and let me know what you think.  I am sure you will love it as much as I do.  To access Studio J, you can click here or on the Studio J button on the right of my blog.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog! I have been wanting to start a blog for some time now, and finally decided to take the plunge! So please bear with me as I try to figure out the ins-and-outs of blogging.

I am a part-time, stay-at-home mom to 2 boys, ages 7 and 5. I have been married to my husband, Clay, for 17 years. We recently moved back to Washington State after living in Montana for 17 years. It is good to be back in the area where we both grew up. We have been trying to get back closer to family for several years, and the opportunity finally arose this summer.

I have been dabbling in scrapbooking for the last 6-7 years. After attending a workshop in 2008, I fell in love with Close To My Heart products and decided to sign up as an Independent Consultant. My plan is to share some of my artwork with you as often as I can.

In the meantime, welcome, and I would love to hear from you!