Creating From Home in my Spare Time

Didn't get done in time....

2012-02-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

This is a card I made using the first Mojo Monday Sketch of February. While I didn't finish it in time to link to the cards for last week, I am glad to have used this sketch. It was a fun one to work with. I pulled some papers from my stash. My goal this year is to use what I have!

Last of "You and Me Kit" Papers

2012-02-13T13:39:00.000-06:00

I absolutely loved the papers and stamp set from the May 2011 CTMH special--You and Me Kit. I've been saving the last few scraps and finally decided to use them for cards.

The first card features the more masculine papers and a current "NEW" stamp set called A Journey. It's only $6.95!

The next two cards feature the more feminine papers and the swirl from the stamp set that came with the kit. Both Scripture sentiments are from Verve.

Sneak Peak at New CTMH Idea Book

2012-01-02T12:58:00.001-06:00

Before I get to pictures from each of the new paper packs, I wanted to let you know that most of the stamp sets from the Spring/Summer 2011 Idea Book will NO LONGER be available after January 31st. If there is a stamp set that you want from that idea book, now is the time to order. Without further delay, here is a sneak peak at each of the new paper packs that will be available February 1st, with the new Spring/Summer 2012 Idea Book:
Victory


Superhero

Stella


Cruisin'


Florentine


Footloose


Lucy


Pemberley

CTMH Sneak Peak

2011-12-19T07:00:00.001-06:00

Would you like to get a sneak peak at a brand new product that will be available for purchase in the Spring/Summer 2012 Idea Book? From December 19th through January 31st you will be able to purchase the My Creations Collage Cubes AND an exclusive E-size stamp set called Rock the Block for ONLY $15 when you place a minimum $25 order from the Autumn/Winter 2011 Idea Book. This is an excellent deal, with a savings of almost $30!

Celebrate the new year with ROCK THE BLOCK!

Visit my website today to get this fantastic deal.

You're not sure... Watch this video to see just how much fun you can have creating with the Rock the Block Promotion.

Mini Accordion Album Gift

2011-12-10T10:02:00.001-06:00

I didn't have time to take good pictures of the mini accordion album gift I made before I mailed it to the recipient. However, I did want to share it here. I used the Sonoma papers and several images from the exclusive CTMH AP Cricut cartridge.

This is the album cover page. I added several mocha opaques.

The center of the accordion album.

This is the back page of the album when it is folded shut.

This is the opposite side when the album is open.

A Thank You

2011-12-07T09:18:00.000-06:00

Over the weekend I was super excited to have my very first outside sale for Close to My Heart product. As a thank you for the order, I am mailing Lesley an idea book, this thank you card, and something to be determined.

I used the sketch challenge from Heart-2-Heart and then intentionally cut some images from the amazing AP Cricut cartridge, which is exclusive to CTMH. The papers are from the Sonoma paper pack--just gorgeous. The only non-CTMH items are the button and string.

Moved...

2011-11-09T07:58:00.000-06:00

As I wrote in an earlier post, I've been struggling with time management and just how I am using my time. While nothing that I am doing is wrong in and of itself, I have been feeling led by the Holy Spirit to move from so much time on the internet visiting fun papercrafting sites to fulfilling a greater call--ACTION. While I am still not sure what all that will entail, I do know that there are better ways for me to use my time.

I've just finished reading The Power of Simple Prayer by Joyce Meyers. As I've read and studied, I am coming to realize that I am being called to be a blessing to others. I cannot do that if I am sitting behind a computer looking at all the beautiful projects everyone else is creating. I desire to share the blessing of creating with those that God lays on my heart. Being able to craft and create is a blessing to me. Cards and gifts I create can be a blessing to others.

Another avenue that God has been speaking to me through is Ann Voskamp's blog. Today I was moved to tears as I read her post and think about all that God has blessed us with and how little we really give. Yes, we tithe faithfully. Yes, we give to various needs. But, do we ever hurt in our giving? Do we truly reach out across barriers and share the love of Christ in tangible ways? I desire to allow God to work in and through me to touch the lives of others--to bring light and love.

Combined Challenges

2011-11-03T07:00:00.013-05:00

When creating a card, one of my favorite things to do it to combine challenges. Heart-2-Heart and Mojo Monday Sketches are my favorite challenges, so when I can combine the two I have lots of fun. This was one of those weeks when the challenges worked well together (color challenge--Autumn Terracota, Juniper, Bamboo--from H2H and fun sketch from Mojo Monday). Plus, I had a little time to make a card.

I used a couple of retired CTMH stamp sets, Aspiration and Intrinsic Backgrounds, as well as a Verve Plain Jane Scripture stamp. All the paper is from CTMH, mostly cardstock. The button and fiber is from my stash. I used a Cuttlebug folder and Nestabilities as well.

Birthdays Galore

2011-11-02T07:18:00.000-05:00

In our family, there are seven birthdays to celebrate in the month of October. The last three fall on two days, so I had three cards to make and get in the mail in a short time. I'm a procrastinator and thought I was going to be seeing all three family members only to have things happen to prevent getting together. Therefore, in the mail the cards needed to go and I had waited until the last minute to start them. With that in mind, I knew the cards had to be relatively embellish free to go in the mail with a standard stamp. I'm not sure how all the stunning cards I see in the blogging world ever make it through the mail. Hand delivery I guess...

Our oldest niece is in the "tween" stage and just moved into a new bedroom with pink, purple and turquoise colors. Her card was kept simple and just utilized layers and textures in addition to images from CTMH stamps.

Our only nephew is one, so this is the cute little card I made for him using some scraps of paper and an adorable monkey from a retired CTMH stamp set.

Last, but not least, is a card for my dad. He is an avid pheasant hunter, so I gave the card a "hunting" spin with another retired CTMH stamp set.

Holiday Wishes

2011-11-01T08:50:00.000-05:00

When you place a minimum order of $25 in My Acrylix Stamp sets* between November 1-30, you can add a new D-size Holiday Wishes stamp set for only $5! That's a significant savings of $12.95. You may buy one Holiday Wishes stamp set for every $25 in qualifying stamp sets you purchase. As a creative bonus, many of the images in the set coordinate with our Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge for added cutting and stamping fun!

Start shopping today and get your stamp set in time to create fabulous Christmas cards.

*Stamp of the Month, K-size customized name stamps, Cricut® Art Philosophy collection, and Workshops on the Go™ kits do not count toward a qualifying purchase. Offer valid November 1–30, 2011. Tax and shipping apply.

Cleaned Up the Posts

2011-10-27T11:01:00.001-05:00

Earlier this year I had switched emails associated with this blog and in the process I lost over a year's worth of pictures. That meant I had over a year's worth of posts without pictures--just a black image with an exclamation point. I hated seeing them, so I finally just went through all my posts and deleted the ones with missing pictures. There were soooo many posts that I deleted. Bummer!

I've been mulling over the idea of creating a new blog and also the idea of just eliminating this blog altogether as it zaps a lot of my time. The time zap is not with posting, but perusing all the great ideas out in blog-land. I find that I spend so much time getting ideas I don't have nearly enough time to create.

Final Inspiration Card... for now

2011-10-26T07:00:00.001-05:00

I've sold all the retired CTMH stamp sets that I originally pulled from my collection. While I really need to go through them again and part with a few more, it's such a difficult decision. Some stamp sets hold sentimental value, some I've purchased with ideas for how to use them (even though it's not happened yet), and others are favorites that I won't part with.

Anyway, here is the card I made for the buyer of a former SOTM called Heartthrob (D1309). While I did use this stamp set on occasion, I now have a newer stamp set that has hearts for all those "love" projects. The color combination came about by accident using scraps I had on my table. It was one of those happy discoveries as I like the way the card came together with these colors.

Floral Thank You Inspiration

2011-10-25T07:00:00.001-05:00

Here is another example of a super simple card using all scraps and a retired CTMH stamp set called Floral Thank You (B1124).

A couple of retired stamp sets that I parted with...

2011-10-24T08:24:00.000-05:00

The retired stamp sets used for this card are Whimsy Garden (B1072) and Special Friendship (C1092). I used scraps and miscellaneous embellishments for this bright and cheery card. In hindsight, I would have used a larger card base to spread out the stamped images and embellishments.

Brilliant Bookplates Inspiration

2011-10-23T12:05:00.000-05:00

So I went through my collection of CTMH stamps and picked out several sets that I haven't used in years, so I could sell them. I like to make a card for each of the stamp sets I sell and give to the buyer as inspiration for their own use of the stamp set. As I created this card using the retired CTMH set, Brilliant Bookplates, I kept thinking, "Why haven't I done this before?" I really like the look of the patterned paper I created using this stamp set. The sentiment is from the current set, Say It In Style.

turning 6

2011-10-22T08:22:00.000-05:00

A special little boy we know recently turned 6, so this is the card I made for him. It also fits the Heart-2-Heart challenge this week--use a number in your creation. The papers are retired papers from CTMH called Goodtimes. I used the January 2012 SOTM, Little Reminder.

Birthday Gift for a Friend

2011-10-21T16:21:00.000-05:00

A good friend of mine celebrated a birthday recently, so as part of her gift I gave her a set of all-occasion cards in a cute little magazine holder. The papers are from K&Company. All the stamp sets used are from CTMH.

Happy Birthday Little Brother!

2011-10-13T09:57:00.000-05:00

My one and only sibling celebrates a birthday soon, so one of our daughters and I made this card for him using the Mojo Sketch (#210) for this week. The papers are from a long ago retired pack called, "It's a Guy Thing," by CTMH. The sentiment is from the current CTMH set called, For Every Occasion. I used Cuttlebug dies to cut the leaf shapes--such a great masculine accent this time of year!

Curly Sentiments

2011-10-12T07:00:00.001-05:00

I have sold my friend the only copy I had of the retired CTMH stamp set, Curly Sentiments. While I had gotten good use out of it, I just didn't use it any longer. She has grade school age girls that like to stamp and make cards, so this set is perfect for their family.

Anyway, I made this simple card for them so they could stamp one of the sentiments on the inside before sending it to someone. I also used one of the exclusive AP Cricut cartridge stamp sets for the flowers and the May promotional stamp set From Me to You for the ticket. Each of these stamped images was cut using the cricut! I only have the baby bug, so I couldn't get the exact size for the flowers. If you ask me, they still look great and I didn't have to fussy cut anything.

Alphabet Favorite

2011-10-11T07:00:00.001-05:00

The CTMH stamp set, Doodle Alphabet, is one of my all time favorite CTMH alphabet sets! Unfortunately it is retired, but you can use any alphabet stamp set to create a card like this.

I also used one of the exclusive AP cartridge stamp sets for the heart. The butterfly is a MS punch and the button, ribbon and thread are all from my stash.

This is just a cute, super simple card that could be used for a child's birthday or a just for fun card. I was in a hurry or I would have done a better job getting my letters lined up. :)

More Treasures of the Heart

2011-10-10T11:06:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine purchased three retired CTMH stamp sets from me. I have duplicates of two of the three sets, so I decided to make inspiration cards for her using the sets I have. She had specifically asked about how to use the stamp set, Treasures of the Heart (C1271), so I made this inspiration card for her as an example of how she might use one of the sentiments with the flower. This card could be used as a thank you or a friendship card.

Friendship Alphabet Inspiration

2011-10-06T10:16:00.000-05:00

With the Typeset promo in August, I saw several cards using that stamp set to create a "word find." Well, you can do that with any alphabet stamp set you have. I used the small Friendship Alphabet set (C1401) to create this inspiration card for a lady who purchased it from me. In addition, I used a stamp set the comes exclusively with the Cricut package from CTMH (Z1686) and the stamp set Say it in Style (D1283), along with the Fanfare papers (X7138B) that are still available. From start to photograph, this card took me 30 minutes. Having the Mojo Monday Sketch 209 sitting out was a big help. I was literally needing to run out the door to deliver the card and stamp set.

Beautiful Fall Day

2011-10-05T12:43:00.001-05:00

For the past several days we have been enjoying absolutely gorgeous fall weather--it's been in the low 70's. The turning of the leaves on the trees and the crunch of fallen leaves beneath my feet were the inspiration for my card. I used the Mojo Monday 209 sketch and some DCWV papers I've had for far too long. The leaves were cut using my Cuttlebug and the sentiment is from a retired CTMH stamp set.

Sketchy with a 6"x6" piece of paper

2011-10-04T08:01:00.000-05:00

The first challenge over at Heart-2-Heart is a sketch challenge.

I love sketch challenges! For my card, I used the 6"x6" piece of Typeset patterned paper that was in my consultant idea book, a card base, and a few colonial white cardstock scraps. The largest star image and the sentiment image are found on one of the exclusive AP Cricut cartridge package stamp sets from CTMH. Love, love, love that I can use the Cricut to cut images and then stamp them with a CTMH stamp set.

Quick Test

2011-10-03T08:21:00.000-05:00

I received my exclusive AP Cricut cartridge, available ONLY through CTMH, at the end of last week. YAH!!! Oh my, there are so many options and so little time to play. Anyway, I wanted to quickly test out the cartridge, so I cut images that can be stamped with one of three stamp sets that come in the bundle you can purchase here.

We had a beautiful fall weekend in Wisconsin, which came after many days of gloomy weather. Therefore, I didn't spend time in my craft corner, but outside enjoying the beautiful weather and God's amazing creation. This is a super quick card that I put together using two of those images and some very old fall papers that I have in my stash. Add a little ribbon and a couple of brads and there you have it.

It's expected to be nice all week long, so I don't know how much time I'll be taking to craft. However, it's time to begin a whole new month of Heart-2-Heart challenges, beginning with a sketch challenge. I've also not submitted anything for the Mojo Monday challenges in ages, so I think it's about time I did that as well.

Special Days Inspiration

2011-10-02T07:00:00.002-05:00

The retired, CTMH stamp set, Special Days, is sooo versatile. There are lots of "special day" stamps to choose from, but I opted to keep it simple and use the "birthday" stamp that comes in the set. I was also guessing the lady that purchased this stamp set would have a use for a birthday card. This card uses the Fanfare paperpack and some buttons from my stash.

Tiny Feet Inspiration

2011-10-01T09:23:00.000-05:00

In the last month I have sold a few of my older, retired CTMH stamp sets that I no longer use. My tastes have changed as I continue to stamp and develop my paper-crafting style. To help with ideas for use of the stamp sets and as a thank you for the purchase, I have included cards using the stamps they purchase.

For this card, I used the stamp set Tiny Feet and the current Mayberry papers. I love the use of the Mayberry papers for a baby card--it would work for a boy or a girl!

5 for 5 this month

2011-09-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

Yah! I did it! I participated in all 5 of the challenges at Heart-2-Heart this month.

The final challenge was to use a sentiment stamped image only. Since I already had the February 2011 SOTM set out for the last challenge, I opted to use the sentiment from that set as my focal point. I then used some scraps of paper from the Sophia paperpack and punched some circles from a ruined New Testament I have saved. I inked the edges of the 6 circles and stuck a brad through the center of each, before shaping the paper into a flower. After I had the flower the way I wanted it, I spritzed a little water on it and let it dry. This helps it to hold its shape a bit better.

This was a super easy card to make, but the bright cheery colors from Sophia just make me smile when I look at this card. Now to decide who to give it to...

Sparkle

2011-09-27T07:55:00.000-05:00

I have to admit, I hold onto paper. You know, I just might need that piece for a special project or a scrapbook page, etc. The crystal blue textured cardstock is one such piece that has a lighter shade on the reverse side. I used both sides--the crystal blue for the square and the lighter side for the scalloped circle. I also used twilight cardstock, which I ran through a cuddlebug folder. The black cardstock was stamped with a damask image from the February 2011 SOTM. I used other retired stamp sets for the sentiment and dress form (this came from the January 2011 promotional stamp set for Wings). To add some sparkle to the card, I first stamped the dress form image using embossing ink and then I heat set the silver embossing powder. The ribbon and blue gems are from my stash of embellishments.

It was fun to create a card using all cardstock. I've been inspired by the beautiful artwork for this challenge at Heart-2-Heart.

Treasures Inspiration

2011-09-21T08:00:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I shared that I made a couple of cards for a lady that purchased several of the CTMH stamp sets I had available for sale. Here is the second card that I made using the retired stamp set, Treasures of the Heart, and papers from the Sophia kit. I really like this card and plan to make a few more similar to it. Once I get the new AP cartridge, I can just imagine the possibilities... No more cutting out stamped images by hand! At least not as many as I do now.

Blog Award

2011-09-20T14:54:00.000-05:00

To be nominated for a blog award by such a FANTASTIC blogger is very humbling. I want to thank Marie with a Smile for thinking of me for this blog award. You can visit her blog here.

I've copied the "rules" directly from Marie's blog:

The goal of the award is to spotlight up and coming bloggers who currently have less than 200 followers.

The rules of the award are:
1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.
5. And most of all - have fun!

There are many fantastic up and coming bloggers that I have visited, but here are 5 of my favorites--if Marie hadn't been the one to nominate me, I would have definitely put her blog on my list:

1)Aaron B at http://aaronsbooth32.blogspot.com/ I wouldn't call her an up and coming blogger, but she doesn't have 200 followers yet. She brings wonderful inspiration on a regular basis, with videos thrown in here and there.

2)Shirley at http://momnmescrap.blogspot.com/ This lady shares many great techniques with pictures and written instruction. Lots of great things to try can be found here.

3)Casandra at http://casandra-scrappinbliss.blogspot.com/ Casandra is a new CTMH consultant just like I am; however, she has jumped in with both feet and is off and running with her business. You can find lots of new projects with current papers on her blog.

4)Carol at http://iluv2cre84u.blogspot.com/ Carol is another blogger I wouldn't call up and coming, but she still qualifies for this award. Carol's creations are beautiful. She often has scrapbook inspiration to share, which I just love!

5)Karen at http://kdaycreations.blogspot.com/ She has a lovely blog and I LOVE the style of her cards. She does beautiful work and you are sure to find great inspiration here. Again, I wouldn't call her blog up and coming either, but she doesn't have the 200 followers yet.

Fishing Inspiration Card

2011-09-20T08:00:00.004-05:00

I've accumulated several CTMH stamp sets, so I decided to sell all my duplicate sets and several of the sets I no longer use. My goal is to reinvest in more current CTMH product. Anyway, I had a lady by 6 new stamp sets from me, so I made a couple of cards as inspiration for her using duplicate sets I have. The first card I will share is using the retired stamp set, World's Best Dad, and papers from the Lucky kit. It is a simple card with limited embellishments, so it came together rather quickly. I left the inside blank, so the sentiment "celebrate" can be used for a few different occasions.

3 for 3 so far this month!

2011-09-19T11:00:00.000-05:00

It is my goal to submit an entry for each of the challenges at Heart-2-Heart for the month of September. Here is my entry for the die cut challenge. I used my cuttlebug for the leaf shapes as I will be placing an order later this week with the new exclusive CRICIT cartridge on the order. I'll get to play with that in October. I used the Lucky papers and the stamp set Enjoy Life for the bike.

The new challenge for this week is to use 3 different colored cardstock papers on a project--no patterned papers. I'd best get to thinking on that one...

Birthday Girl

2011-09-12T12:54:00.000-05:00

Here is a quick card I made up for our youngest daughter's birthday. My color combination came from the small piece of ribbon I wanted to use on the card. Because the buttercup piece of cardstock was too plain on it's own, I used a background stamp to give it some dimension. This particular stamp set is no longer available, but you can create a background with any of your stamps.

I didn't have any little colored flowers other than the green one, so I inked some white daisy flowers from CTMH. They are a fantastic deal and so versatile. Buy them here. Not much else to tell except that she loved all the pretty colors.

Italy Anyone?

2011-09-08T10:28:00.000-05:00

Early in the summer when I had my first CTMH open house, I had cut several cards using some of the new papers from the Spring and Summer Idea Book. This card was what I recently ended up creating with the last of the card pieces using the Fanfare papers. I inked up my Ciao stamp for the first time, too.

Sweet Leaf and ???

2011-09-06T07:51:00.000-05:00

The challenge this week at Heart-2-Heart is to share your favorite color combination. Well, I can't say that I have a go-to color combination. There are so many wonderful combinations that you can create using Close to my Heart's exclusive color palette. For this challenge I knew I wanted to use sweet leaf--it works with so many colors. Then I just decided to see what scraps I had to use.

For the first card, I used barn red and chocolate with the sweet leaf. The stamp set is called Remarkable Wreath.

The next card uses hollyhock and indian corn blue with sweet leaf. I came up with the combination by looking through my stash of precut stamped flowers left from previous projects. The stamp sets used for the tag are the September SOTM and the National Stamping Month promotional Pair-a-Phrase. Both of these sets are available THIS MONTH ONLY.

Enjoy the Ride

2011-09-04T06:45:00.000-05:00

A sweet friend from church is celebrating a birthday today, so I wanted to make a card for her. I began with two things in mind--Heart-2-Heart color challenge (pear, sorbet, cocoa) and using the special National Stamping Month promotional stamp set from Close to my Heart.

I knew right away where to get the pear paper--the Sophia collection! As for the sorbet paper, that was another story. When I was searching through my CTMH paper stash, I came across the Evensong (retired) paper and found the perfect compliment for the pear paper. To finish off the color challenge, I used cocoa cardstock for my base. As for the stamps, I used C1439 Enjoy Life and FREE PROMO Pair-a-Phrase.

Wouldn't you love to be able to stamp this adorable bicycle for yourself? This month ONLY, you can get this stamp set for FREE with a $75 qualifying purchase. Did you know this is a super special stamp set? It is a Double-D stamp set--that's right, you get two D size stamp sets for FREE! Just visit the side of my blog and look for the Celebrate National Stamping Month image for all the details and to shop with me to get your own FREE Pair-a-Phrase stamp set.

Birthday and "Birth" Celebration Cards

2011-08-16T09:09:00.000-05:00

Heart-2-Heart had a challenge this month to make a birthday card for a child, so my first cards were made rather quickly as I needed them to put with birthday gifts for two of our nieces. I used the Sophia papers and the stamp set from the WOTG for it--all from CTMH. While they are cute and there is nothing wrong with them, I just didn't love them.

Now I also needed to create a card for a baby shower for a couple at church. I had a little more time to pull this one together. It uses the Fanfare paper from CTMH and the September SOTM along with a couple of retired CTMH alphabet stamp sets. I like the bright colors and fun patterned paper for this card.

August SOTM Card

2011-08-15T15:47:00.000-05:00

I created this card using the August SOTM and the Mayberry papers. So fun!!!

Take advantage of this month's fantastic deal--place a $50 order, get the August SOTM and Typeset for only $5 more. See the side bar for more details.

Extra! Extra!

2011-08-11T12:11:00.000-05:00

It's time to celebrate the newly updated Stamp of the Month program that CTMH offers! In August, when you place an order of $50 or more in products and purchase the SOTM "Wicked" for just $5 you will received the My Acrylix A Typeface bonus A-size set FREE (retail value of $6.95)!

Visit my website today and order yours--http://tammy.myctmh.com/.

Working for a masculine feel...

2011-07-21T08:00:00.001-05:00

My stash of masculine cards is about gone, so I decided I had better start working on putting a few back in my card box. I used the May and June CTMH promo stamp set from the You and Me kit and a soon to retire (unless it's in the new idea book) stamp set called Say it in Style. The papers are from my too big collection of scraps. The buttons and fiber are also from my stash.

CardMaker Magazine Inspiration

2011-07-20T07:22:00.000-05:00

The last time the kids and I went to the library, I began looking through some older issues of the CardMaker magazine. On page 40 of the September 2010 issue, I fell in love with the Enjoying Autumn card.

I used the backside of some old Groovy Blossoms B&T paper (retired) and stamped a background image using the Weathered Backgrounds (retired) stamp set. The flowers are from the stamp set Simple Blossoms (retired) and the sentiment is from the For Every Occassion stamp set. The ribbon is just some from my stash.

Watermelon Anyone?

2011-07-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

While I'm not a fan of watermelon, everyone else in my family is. I do enjoy making watermelon cards, though! I used the "table cloth" stamp to create the pleated paper. The card is rather simple, but there is lots of depth with the pleated paper and raised stamped section.

Embossed Vases

2011-07-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

I had two embossed vases left over from a previous card making project, so I opted to create two more cards with them using the last of my scraps of the coordinating paper. I do think I could get one or two more cards out with what is left, but I'm not sure if I will try.

I found my inspiration from cards in the Spring/Summer 2011 CTMH idea book. The idea books have so much to offer!

Catching up with Heart-2-Heart

2011-07-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately I wasn't able to play along with the final challenges for June, but I did want to jump back in and get going on the July challenges over at the Heart-2-Heart challenge blog. The first challenge was an inspiration challenge using this picture:

I was drawn to the three panels and the vases, so this is what I came up with using retired paper from CTMH (Best Friends Forever, I believe) and various CTMH stamp sets. I can't believe I have succumbed to cutting out stamped images! I always said I wouldn't do that. However, it adds so much to a project I can't help myself now.

Where does the time go?

2011-07-11T19:36:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it's practically the middle of July already? We've been gone more than we've been home this summer, so I've had very little time to create. However, I do have a few new cards to post over the next few days and I found the final graduation card I made for the 2010-2011 school year. That's what I'm sharing today.

It's been so long since I made this card, I can't remember the details. I believe I used a Mojo Monday sketch for my design and then just used some colors that were "school color friendly" for the young lady graduating. The papers are some I've had in my stash for years.

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-18T16:18:00.000-05:00

While our children each make their own cards for Daddy, I wanted to make a card for my husband as well. He is a wonderful husband and father. I love that he is a strong leader in our home and that he loves the Lord. The kids and I are so blessed to have him in our lives.

For this card, I used all CTMH products. The paper pack is Fanfare and the stamp sets are Enjoy Life and Wonderful Friend (this one is no longer available). There is lots of stamping on this card. Do you see the subtle background stamping on the Sky B&T paper and the Cranberry cardstock?

Wedding Card

2011-06-17T13:31:00.000-05:00

The challenge for last week at Heart-2-Heart was to make a wedding themed project. While I don't have a wedding to go to in the near future, I thought this card would be good for a wedding or anniversary. The paper is from the retired pack, Paper Garden and the stamp set used for the flourish and flower is the retired, Felicity set. I can't remember which retired set I used for the sentiment. For the pop of color on the card, I used Barn Red ink.

Playing around with card pieces

2011-06-13T08:00:00.001-05:00

After the open house I had, I decided to play around with some of the pre-cut card pieces I had left over. This is a card that I came up with with the intention of using it as one of the last graduation cards I need. These papers are from the Fanfare paper pack available through CTMH. The stamp set is from the limited time You and Me kit.

Don't wait, visit my website and get yours before it's too late!

My first CTMH open house...

2011-06-12T08:00:00.004-05:00

While my first open house just barely qualified for hostess rewards, I am not judging success based on sales. A good friend of mine from back home drove a long way to come see me. The open house was a wonderful excuse for the two of us to catch up and share some girl time together.

Anyway, I had three card options for guests to choose from--a friend card using Mayberry papers, a graduation card using Lucky papers, or a Father's Day card using Fanfare papers. I am pleased with all three cards, but my favorite is the card using Lucky papers. I got the idea for the card from the ultra talented Aaron Brown's card here.

David

2011-06-11T21:00:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we traveled to Wisconsin Dells to celebrate cousin David's HS graduation. David is an extra special young man and our kids just adore him. He always takes time to play with the kids and give them 4-wheeler rides or take them to the barn to see the cows.

For his card I used mostly retired CTMH products. The school colors for Wisconsin Dells are white, light blue and dark blue.

Some more masculine graduation cards

2011-06-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

I needed to make up some quick graduation cards, so my husband could take them to school to give to a couple of his students. Of course I turned to my CTMH idea book for inspiration!

Had these cards been for girls I would have added some more embellishing, but I didn't want to get to "girlie" for the boys. The stamp set is from the CTMH You and Me promotional and the papers are just from my stash.

It's Not Too Late...

2011-06-03T12:48:00.002-05:00

Did you miss out on CTMH's May National Scrapbooking Promotional? Well, this kit is being offered again through the You & Me: Stronger Together campaign at an amazing discount. You will be able to purchase this fabulous kit for only $15 (no other purchase necessary), but only through June 30th OR while supplies last. If that wasn't good enough, a portion of the proceeds will be going to the Red Cross 2011 Floods and Tornadoes relief operations.

If you can't wait to get your hands on this kit, go to my website, click shop online and you will find at the bottom of the list "Stonger Together." This will take you to all the details and the opportunity to add it to your cart for purchase. Hurry, this kit won't last long at this price!

Studio J Free-For-All in June

2011-06-03T12:07:00.001-05:00

Are you a digital scrapbooker? If not, have you ever wanted to give it a try. Well, here is your chance to try it for FREE. Yes, you read that correctly, FREE!

During our Studio J Free-for-All in June, everyone can create a FREE Studio J JPG file--no purchase required. Simply log on to Studio J, create a layout, then order one JPG file of your layout. It's that easy! Download and save your file so you can post your layout online, email it to family and friends, or print them.

If you have a Studio J or My CTMH account, just log in through my website (http://tammy.myctmh.com/) and start creating. If you don't already have an account that's not a problem. Just visit my website, click on "Studio J Online Scrapbooking" and create your account today.

Discover how quick and simple scrapbooking can be with Studio J and get your FREE JPG layout in Free-for-All in June!

Sketch Challenge--elegant graduation card

2011-06-03T11:46:00.000-05:00

I used the stamp set from the May and now June special kit from CTMH. I LOVE this set. The papers are from a retired CTMH pack called Silhouette. I added a touch of the school color with some gems from my stash, as well as using some black satin ribbon I had picked up a long time ago.

I love that you can use both sides of the CTMH B&T papers.

Ink Resist

2011-05-25T08:00:00.002-05:00

I used the CTMH stamp set, From Me to You, for both the image and the sentiment on this card. The colors are Sweet Leaf, Petal, and Pansy Purple.

I used a CTMH background stamp on the "white" cs. I sponged the edges of two of the papers and sanded one. The flower image was stamped with embossing ink and clear embossed. I then added color by sponging ink onto the paper. For the flower I used the darker purple first and then used the lighter purple around the edges.

The ribbon and gems are from my stash.

Another take on page 33 card...

2011-05-24T08:00:00.001-05:00

We have been invited to the graduation of a young lady from our church, so I wanted to create a special card for her using the school colors. I again used the card from the current CTMH idea book on page 33 for my starting point. It's a fun layout to play around with.

I dry embossed on the black cs and machine stitched around the white. All paper, stamps and the button in the lower left are CTMH. The rest of the buttons, flower and ribbon are from my stash of unknown origins.

Since I am behind in my Heart-2-Heart challenges, I could use this for technique or buttons. I think I will opt to use it for the button challenge as I typically don't add buttons to cards, because I mail most of my cards. This is a card I can hand deliver.

Masculine Graduation Cards

2011-05-23T08:00:00.002-05:00

Graduation season is upon us and we have several invitations to parties. I'm starting with a couple of masculine graduation cards, using stamped images and sentiments from a handful of CTMH stamp sets. I like the basic layout of the card, so I may use it for all the graduation cards this year, just changing up the papers and embellishing a bit.

Something Different

2011-05-22T10:53:00.000-05:00

As I sat down to create a card for my husband, to recognize 12 years of marriage, I didn't have a plan. That's just fine when you have beautiful inspiration from CTMH! I looked through the most recent idea book and found a card on page 33 that caught my attention. Here's my version:

Not back...

2011-05-15T19:05:00.000-05:00

After returning to the computer following a busy weekend, I was hoping to find my lost pictures had magically returned. NOPE. In fact, some of the oldest pictures that were there on Friday are no longer there. I still can't figure out what happened, but there is nothing more I can do (at least that I am aware of) to get them to return.

Hope you all have had a beautiful weekend.

Where are my pictures?

2011-05-13T16:38:00.004-05:00

AARGH! I'm not sure if anyone else is having this problem, but I don't see most of my post pictures right now. Hopefully it is just a blogger issue that will be resolved on it's own soon.

ADDED 5/14.... I think I may have messed everything up when I switched the email address attached to this blog and then deleted the original email so I can't even go back and get it. Oops. I'm recovering as many pictures as I can, but I tend to delete "card" pictures from my hard drive and I don't make a copy on CDs. It's a bummer, but in the scheme of life, not a big deal. I'll just have to do more creating!

Okay, I've been able to find the pictures dating back through posts to December 21, 2010. I began this blog in 2009 and most of the posts from the start to the December 21st post of last year pictures are lost in blog-land. The crazy thing is some of my very first posts are still intact. STRANGE... not sure what happened now. My original thought doesn't make sense with the first posts still okay.

EXCITING!

2011-05-13T13:26:00.003-05:00

I am so excited to announce that I am now a CTMH Consultant! It's been a long time coming (not sure why I waited so long), but now it's official. I'll be posting more within a week and making some additions to my blog. For now I just wanted to share how much I'm looking forward to being a CTMH Consultant.

If you are already a consultant, I'd love pointers to help me get my business going.

Thank you!
ADDED: Here is a link to my personal CTMH webpage... http://tammy.myctmh.com/.

Mother's Day

2011-05-06T10:32:00.002-05:00

I needed to get a card in the mail for my mom, so this morning I opted to use the Mojo Monday Sketch and some of my newest CTMH papers to create a card that fits her. I love how a sketch and coordinated products can make a card so easy to pull together in a short amount of time.

She's not a frilly girl, much more down to earth and laid back. Plus she is a multi-talented crafter, so this paper just suits her. I also chose a stamped image from the Hot Diggity CTMH set she purchased for me last year. The little owl is so cute.

Forest Friends

2011-05-03T11:48:00.001-05:00

My cousin and his wife are expecting their first child, a son, in June. I'm not able to attend the baby shower on Saturday, but I still wanted to send a gift. According to their registry, they are going with a "forest animal" theme for the nursery. That is the inspiration for this frame...

All stamped images are from CTMH stamp sets I have. Most of them were stamped and then cut out before being placed on the background.

I found the saying online and thought it was a phrase that would "grow" well and allow the picture to be changed out as their son gets older. Just click on the image to see it larger.

So Blessed....

2011-04-23T20:16:00.001-05:00

I made this card after seeing the inspiration and opportunity to win a prize at Aaron's blog. The table cloth was the trigger for pulling out this old piece of CTMH B&T paper. I cut out the basket and flourish using my Cricut. The papers were all scraps, with the circles and eggs cut using my Cuttlebug and Nestabilities. The sentiment is from a retired CTMH stamp set.

I plan to give this card to a lady at church that does lots for the kids of the church. Tomorrow she is giving each of the kids Easter treats and two of my girls get to help pass them out.

50th Anniversary

2011-04-21T07:46:00.001-05:00

Our family has the privilege of helping my husband's aunt and uncle celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary this spring. I knew that I wanted to make them a card, but I wasn't sure where to begin. As I was visiting some of my favorite blogs, I came upon this card on Jen's Scrappy Pages. The layout was eye catching, so I ran with it.

Not wanting to do the traditional "gold" card, I opted for gold tones, rich reds, and browns. My color combination came from the patterned paper, which is one I picked up at Michaels or Joanns when they had a super cheap paper sale (you know, buy 6 for 96 cents kind of thing). All the stamps are from CTMH, but the names elude me as I sit here and type. I used ribbon and brads from my stash. I've still got to work on the inside, but for now this is it:

After stamping the word "journey," I felt it wasn't a bold enough image. I looked through my stamp collection, but couldn't find the right size "love." That's when I opted for an alphabet set with just the right letters. The "love" sentiment is second generation stamping so it wouldn't detract from the original sentiment.

The Simple Things...

2011-04-18T06:00:00.003-05:00

The Heart-2-Heart Challenge Blog is featuring a "Bunny Hop." Here are the details: create something Easter or Spring themed. Post it to your blog. On Monday April 18th only, add your link to the Mister Linky on the H2H blog. You can ONLY post your link between 8:00 am EST and 8:00 pm EST on April 18th!! After 8:00 pm, the link list will be closed and no other entries will be added through the week. You also MUST include CLOSE TO MY HEART products or your link will be removed. Then through out the day, you can bunny hop among the links to see what everyone has created.

I originally planned to use this card for the "reduce, reuse, recycle" challenge; however, when I thought about a spring themed project this just fit the bill. What better way to spend a spring day than outside on a swing! The inspiration for this card came to me when I was helping my young son pick up his room and I came across a half dozen tires he's popped off tractors. I could recycle them instead of throw them out, but I didn't want to use them in the obvious way and use them as tires on an image. Then it came to me--a tire swing! I am so pleased with the card.

CTMH supplies used:

stamp sets--The Simple Things and Grown With Love
inks--chocolate, sweet leaf, and pink carnation
cardstock--chocolate
B&T paper--Magic Moments

H2H Reduce, Reuse, Recycle....

2011-04-17T06:00:00.003-05:00

This is my first attempt at this challenge--a true reuse project. I started with an empty Band-aid box and scraps of old CTMH paper. In addition, I took some pages from a discarded New Testament (When the Gideons handed out New Testaments at the high school my husband works at, he found one ripped up and I told him I would use it in some way.) to create the flower. The stamped image is the cute little frog from CTMH stamp set, Hot Diggity. I'll likely fill it with treats and give it away or use it as a door prize for one of our craft nights at church.

The next project utilized a piece of plastic from a Nestabilities package. I love the 3-D effect of the butterfly with this reused/recycled plastic.

The paper I used is from another retired CTMH paper pack, called Paper Garden. The stamp set was a SOTM earlier this year--LOVE IT!!! I used two other CTMH stamp sets as well. One is a sentiment set and the other is called Playful Flourishes. The first butterfly was stamped on blush cardstock in blush ink. The recycled butterfly was stamped with staz-on ink and attached to the first butterfly with a single gold brad.

You can see the recycled butterfly much better in this close-up:

H2H Spring Has Sprung

2011-04-16T13:39:00.003-05:00

With thoughts of spring, come thoughts of flowers just beginning to peak out of the dirt. Oh how I love the flowers in full bloom, when we can bring in a variety of flowers and form a gorgeous arrangement in a vase! That time will be here before you know it...

The papers I used were some long ago CTMH papers, but they are so bright and cheery--perfect for spring. I used a CTMH stamp set called With Love.

Oops... I forgot to add the close-up picture of the vase. I used clear embossing powder on it. Here it is:

Soaring Wishes

2011-04-01T15:55:00.001-05:00

My husband has a birthday coming up and I wanted to get in on the H2H sketch challenge this week, so in the few minutes I had this is the card I came up with. This was the largest Nestabilities circle I have, so I may try another card with a larger circle. I'll just have to use the Cricut next time. The papers are from a former CTMH promotional card set and the stamp set for the eagle and mountains (that's what is stamped on the blue CS) are from a retired set, Racoon and Friends. The sentiments are also CTMH SS.

Chocolate and Friendship

2011-03-29T08:00:00.006-05:00

I've been meaning to give the ladies in my Bible Study a little something just because they are such precious friends and I am so thankful for their friendships. Chocolate was an easy choice, but how to package it was what took me some time to come up with. Thankfully there are so many ideas out in the cyber world and I came across a YouTube video with this purse idea. They are so simple to create and pack quite a presentation punch.

Hope the ladies enjoy...

Solid Foundation

2011-03-28T08:00:00.002-05:00

This is the last of the cards from my "Card Making Marathon Day" a few weeks ago. It's a card my husband would be happy to grab and use when he wants to send a thank you or birthday card to someone.

Just Because

2011-03-27T08:00:00.002-05:00

These were a couple of the cards I had made a few weeks ago when I had a card making marathon day utilizing scraps of paper. Sweet, simple, and ready to send a "Hello" note to a friend or add a "Happy Birthday" sentiment if needed.

H2H From Your Heart to Ours Challenge

2011-03-26T16:54:00.001-05:00

I was at a loss as to what to create for this challenge. In the end, I got inspiration from the quilts my grandmother made for the older girls' bunkbeds. They are bright, patchwork style quilts with floral, dot, and butterfly prints on the material. I tried to coordinate the CTMH colors as best I could to make this dry erase board for the older girls to have in their room. When the weather is nicer, I plan to spray paint the frame. For now I used acrylic paint to cover the nasty metal frame, but it didn't work the best.

I used several different CTMH SS to create the patterns on the cardstock. I like how that part turned out and so do the girls.

H2H Baby Challenge

2011-03-26T16:45:00.001-05:00

With time quickly running out to create a "baby" themed project, I opted to use the current Mojo Monday Sketch and create another baby card. I used some long since retired CTMH paper and CTMH SS. I kept the colors gender neutral, so I can use it for a mom to be that hasn't found out the gender of the baby yet.

H2H Times 3 Challenge

2011-03-26T08:47:00.001-05:00

Oh how I love how this card turned out! When I first saw the challenge I was at a loss as to what I wanted to create, but after I decided on the tree as my focal image the rest just kind of came together.

I used Dutch Blue cardstock, which I lightly sanded, for the sky. I stamped clouds using the SS Childhood. The grass is Splendor B&T paper that I tore and then stamped grass patches using the SS Grown with Love. The tree and leaves were also from this stamp set. The bird was stamped on the opposite side of the B&T paper. It came from the SS Doodle Alphabet. My sun is actually a flower from the SS Cottage Floral with a Nestabilities circle center. The sentiment is from the SS Treasure Life.

Make it a great day!

Mojo Baby Inspiration

2011-03-23T16:49:00.001-05:00

I was inspired by this Mojo Monday Sketch 181. There were so many fabulous cards made using this sketch I just had to give it a try. Boy am I glad that I did--I had LOTS of FUN playing with this sketch.

Unfortunately I made this card prior to the most recent Heart-2-Heart challenge, so another baby card will be in order with CTMH products. I used some gender neutral baby paper scraps to create these cards. My sewing machine was ready to go when I made these cards, so I even did some real stitching on these cards.

A lady from our church is having a "surprise blessing" in September, so I wanted to give her a card and little something to purchase things she needs.

A Paper Flower

2011-03-08T08:00:00.002-06:00

This card started with the piece of patterned paper and the desire to send a note of encouragement to a sweet lady at our church. Not wanting to cover much of the patterned paper and wanting to create one of these paper flowers, I looked through my CTMH Originals book for inspiration. It was important for me to keep the card simple and relatively flat for mailing.

H2H color challenge... a challenge

2011-03-07T07:58:00.001-06:00

I struggled with this color challenge (gypsy, creme brulee, and black). Much of it had to do with my lack of the specified colors; however, the need for a sympathy card gave me a little inspiration. I ended up stamping the bird image in the creme brulee and coloring a piece of scrap white ribbon with the creme brulee ink as well. I don't have anything gypsy, so I resorted to petal cardstock and ink, using a background stamp set to create the patterned petal paper. The verse is from Verve and the Peace is from the CTMH Everlasting Life stamp set (using a bit of masking).

Frosty Friends--Post 2 Today

2011-02-25T15:23:00.002-06:00

As I was thinking about "COLD" as my starting point for creating a card, I immediately thought of this oldie, but goodie CTMH stamp set. Not knowing where to start after deciding on this stamp set, I ended up using a Cuttlebug folder to emboss the front of a card base. Then I dusted off a set of chalks I have and chalked the raised snowflake images. To help the image "pop" a little I colored in a handful of details. The ribbon was added with staples to just give a bit more detail to the card.

Treasure of the Heart

2011-02-25T15:17:00.001-06:00

With Valentine's Day already past, I didn't really know what kind of heart card to create. As I was looking through my CTMH stamps and paper scraps, the idea for this card began to form. Other than the fact that the little 3/4" x 3/4" squares were time consuming, I rather enjoyed coming up with a card without getting inspiration from elsewhere. All of the supplies, except for the gems, are from CTMH.

Winter Day

2011-02-15T15:22:00.001-06:00

Here was a simple card I made during my card making marathon day a couple of weeks ago. It was one of my attempts at creating a card with a more masculine feel using scraps. We've got lots of snow here, so I thought the winter image from this CTMH stamp set, which has a tree depicting each season, would be a good choice. This card is completely blank, so it can be used in a variety of ways.

Happy Birthday Becky

2011-02-12T11:06:00.001-06:00

Last night was a youth fundraiser at church and also the birthday of one of the mothers of a youth member. I decided to bring Becky a birthday card, which included a piece of Ghirardelli chocolate. It was so much fun to help her feel a little special!

The card uses CTMH cocoa and twilight cardstock, scraps from a piece of paper from Michael's, CTMH sentiments from 2 different stamp sets, images from the CTMH Find You Style stamp set, a CTMH flower, and brad from my stash. I used my Cuttlebug to emboss the cocoa cardstock and I embossed the dress form image to add some sparkle. The flower was "colored" with twilight ink.

Handmade contributions for the LOL auction.

2011-02-11T13:08:00.001-06:00

The teens at our church are having a special fundraiser tonight called LOL (Love Out Loud). There will be a meal, made by the teens, served family style; skits put on by the teens; and both a silent auction and a live auction. I decided to create a couple of things to put in a "Quiet Time" basket for the silent auction.

I made a journal using some cocoa cardstock, a scrap of twilight cardstock, a sheet of patterned paper from Michaels, and a 1/2 size notepad. I used a limited edition stamp set from CTMH for the flourishes (which I embossed with clear embossing powder), a Verve plain jane for the Scripture, and the CTMH Live Inspired stamp set (you can just see the image on the white cardstock). The ribbon, gems, and brad are from my stash, while the flower is CTMH.

The cards are single layer cards using the CTMH stamp set Treasure Life (my favorite set) and various CTMH stamp sets for the sentiments. I used cocoa, twilight, and sweet leaf inks. With the event tonight and not starting the cards until lunchtime today, I needed to keep it simple and quick.

Kiss and tell...

2011-02-09T09:00:00.001-06:00

Here is my submission for the current challenge over at Heart 2 Heart. It is a card using some dirty stamp kissing and some clean stamp kissing. For three of the "train cars" I stamped the image in a lighter color and then kissed it with images using cocoa ink. For the cocoa car I just inked the image and then pressed a clean stamp on it to get the pattern. The main stamp set I used is called Childhood. I can't think of the name of the paper pack, but it is from a retired CTMH level 2 pack. The brads, buttons, and ribbons were just some that I had on hand.

My cousin and his wife are expecting a baby boy in June, so I will likely use this card for them.

2007 Christmas

2011-02-09T07:00:00.006-06:00

I created this layout using the H2H Scrapbooking sketch posted on January 27th, which can be found on the Heart 2 Heart blog. Most of the spaces now have pictures on them. Just the smaller colonial white mat on the left page will have journaling.

I used various CTMH stamps and the Mistletoe paper pack for these pages. The chipboard trees were the only non-CTMH item. I had picked those up at Big Lots a couple of years ago and never used any.

Single layer card--stamping only.

2011-02-08T09:46:00.003-06:00

I have made several of these cards and put them together as sets using various color combinations. They make quick and easy gifts. This is the only card I have left of this style and I neglected to take pictures of the sets I gave away. My original inspiration came from Lisa Stenz's blog.

This CTMH stamp set (Treasure Life) is perfect for cards like this. I just used two colors (sweet leaf and moonstruck) and some second generation stamping. The verse is a Verve plane jane stamp. There is a youth fundraiser this Friday at church, so I hope to get at least a couple sets of cards made up for the silent auction. I will definitely be making a set of these cards using various Scripture and sentiments.

Almost ready to set sail.

2011-02-06T06:52:00.001-06:00

With girls outnumbering boys in our family 2 to 1, masculine cards and pages don't get as much attention. However, last weekend in my card making marathon, I purposely created a few masculine cards. The cards you see here just need a sentiment stamped and they are ready to go. I used an old CTMH stamp set for the sailboat (sorry, I can't think of the name right now) and more scraps to complete the card. In fact, I stamped 'Happy Birthday' on one and mailed it to my BIL last week.

I love butterflies!

2011-02-05T09:26:00.001-06:00

With limited space in my little craft area, I don't have a lot of room for stuff in general. I'm also one that hates to throw out any scraps, but I am getting better. First, I am turning to scraps before cutting into 12x12 sheets for cards. Second, I recently went through my file system for scraps and threw away any scraps smaller than 2x2 or shorter than 4 1/4 inches. This eliminated a good deal.

I created these cards using scraps and the lovely CTMH January SOTM. I'm pleased with how they turned out and look forward to sending a word of encouragement to a friend... just because.

Get Well Critters

2011-02-04T08:46:00.001-06:00

A sweet lady in our church was taken to the hospital after church on Sunday for chest pains. After a short stay she is now home and this is the card I made to send to her. To begin, I used the Heart 2 Heart sketch challenge and then I used all CTMH papers, some are rather old scraps, and stamps. It's all CTMH I guess, because I just used paper and stamps for this card. Simple and sweet!

Last card using my DCWV card base stash...

2011-02-03T09:00:00.002-06:00

The colors on this card lent itself to create a more masculine feel card, so that is just what I did. My supply of masculine cards is very low and I wanted to add a few cards to it. Over the weekend I ended up with 5 cards that had a masculine feel. The CTMH stamp set I used on this card is called Make it Count and it is another favorite of mine.

Here is another card I made using this stamp set. The card was started by a friend of mine one craft night last fall and she couldn't figure out what to do with it. I finally got around to adding the white strip and then doing the stamped images. When I know how it will be used I will add a sentiment to the front as well. Lately I have been leaving most of my cards blank, because you just never know what you might need a card for...

More DCWV bases and Find Your Style SOTM...

2011-02-02T09:00:00.002-06:00

Thank you to everyone who has shared projects using this stamp set! I wasn't sure about it until I saw some of your wonderful creations and now I am having so much fun playing with the stamp set myself. It's a great set to use for those "girlfriend" cards that are a joy to give.

Adding some ribbon to the dress form and a little pink gem to the shoe (it's hard to see in the picture) just set the card off IRL. This is also a favorite color combination of mine... CTMH used to have a beautiful paper pack using these colors. I'm hoarding mine for scrapbook pages of my girls.

A little blue bird wisdom.

2011-02-01T09:00:00.012-06:00

This card base was one of four DCWV patterned card bases that I had left from a purchase I made a couple of years ago. In sorting through my scraps I was able to find some colors that complimented the base. I used the January SOTM, Find Your Style, for this card. LOVE IT! This is definitely a stamp set I will be using on a regular basis.

Productivity makes me HAPPY!

2011-01-31T12:26:00.001-06:00

I had a productive card making weekend. On Saturday afternoon my friend, Kendra, and I were able to spend a couple of hours making cards while our kiddos played. Because my craft area is not conducive to multiple crafters at one time, I just brought a few supplies upstairs and we worked at the dining room table. I only brought up scraps, so all the cards you see over the next several days were made with scraps. On top of using lots of scraps for the cards I made, I cleaned out my scrap container. It is a plastic hanging file folder container that I keep scraps in sorted by color. As difficult as it was, I tossed several small scraps.

The first cards I have to share are a set of cards I made to give one to each of the lovely ladies in my Bible study group. I used the CTMH stamp set called Hot Diggity. I'm enjoying this adorable stamp set. It's one that my mom thought was cute and she ordered it for me. Thanks, Mom!

The monkey needs a line...

2011-01-28T09:00:00.002-06:00

For the final Heart 2 Heart challenge of the month, "Time to Get Wild," participants were asked to include an animal or bird in their creations. I've seen lots of beautiful work utilizing the January SOTM, Find Your Style, but I wanted to pull out a stamp set, In The Wild, that I had to have and yet have rarely used. In fact, I think I've only used it one time on a zoo layout. In addition to using an older stamp set, I have utilized lots of scraps in this card. The only non-CTMH items are the brads.

I still have to figure out what "sentiment" should go on this card, so please leave a comment with your suggestions. This may be the Valentine's Day card I give my husband. If not my husband, then I will likely give this card to one of our four children.

Craft Space...

2011-01-27T16:47:00.001-06:00

I wasn't sure if I was going to publish a post for this Heart 2 Heart challenge--craft space and organization. After seeing all the gorgeous craft spaces that so many of you get to work in, I have to admit I was drooling. You can be sure I am taking notes and making a wish list for a "future" craft space if I ever get one... With that said, I do have to be thankful for the craft space I have in our little ranch home. My husband and I share an unfinished room in the basement that is jam packed with STUFF. My side is full of all things used for card making and making scrapbook pages. His side is a reloading bench that he has still never used... I tend to spread out onto his flat surface.

A close look at my space and "NO" I didn't clean up before taking a picture because this is how it normally looks when I am trying to get some crafting in.

Below you will find some pictures of my attempts at making the most of my space--using any jars I can to house embellishments such as buttons and ribbon, mismatched shelves that have been given to me or purchase very inexpensively, crates with file folders to hold my 12x12 papers all organized by color (rainbow order), etc.

Heart 2 Heart Color Challenge for January 2011

2011-01-27T16:31:00.002-06:00

The first Heart 2 Heart challenge of the year is a color challenge--Sky, Pear, Colonial White and a pop of Sorbet if you like. I didn't have Sky or Pear, so I substituted with colors as close as I could get--the blue is Crystal Blue from the Cherry O paper and the green is sweet leaf cardstock.

Check out Lorrinda's blog!

2011-01-25T10:58:00.000-06:00

Would you like to be inspired? Lorrinda has some beautiful paper artwork on her blog http://isntthatsweet.blogspot.com/2011/01/happy-blogaversary-to-me-blog-candy.html. Go check it out for and learn how you can win some super sweet blog candy!

Mojo inspired card....

2011-01-24T15:33:00.001-06:00

We received word last week that a friend of ours has a brain tumor. Friday she underwent surgery to remove as much as possible, but the doctors were not able to get the entire tumor. I created this card using a former Mojo Monday sketch and verve Scripture to send to the family. The papers are some that I had picked up at Michael's some time ago.

Prayer Journal

2011-01-02T14:11:00.001-06:00

I like to give our church secretary a little something each year for Christmas. She does a wonderful job, often going above and beyond her job description to help things run smoothly each and every day. This year I decided to create a journal for her to use to record prayers, praises, or thoughts from any Bible studies she does this year.

The flourishes (a CTMH promotional stamp set from a year or two ago) were clear embossed and turned out great if I don't say so myself. Embossing is still a work in progress for me, but it is coming along. I inked the edges of the flower with twilight ink from CTMH to add a little dimension to it. I like the added color rather then leaving it all white. The Scripture stamp is from Verve. All the papers were from Michael's or Joann's.