Mojo CONTEST and Verve Words of Encouragement!!!

Another 1st Monday of the month is here (well...it was yesterday!), which means a new Mojo Monday Contest! I tell you what, I LOVE these sketches! Don't know what I ever did without 'em!

The first time I saw this sketch, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it! Here is the sketch:

I had envisioned a card with a sewing theme, and when my daughter asked, "Is that PAPER?!" I knew I had succeeded! It took me awhile to finish because I tried out my little crafty sewing machine...and it worked pretty good! But if I ever want to zig-zag I will need to pull out the big machine.

And here's my card:

Verve Stamps is having a new Project Parade and this month's theme is...
Encouraging Words/Friendship. So, I think this card would qualify as encouraging, don't you? Check out the Verve Project Day Challenge!

Paper is from the new fall stack Indian Summer from DCWV. There are some beautiful papers in that stack!!! Before I stitched the pieces together, I distressed the edges of the paper with the edge of my scissors, rolling portions to get that worn fabric look. Also used my Worn Paper Distress Ink on the sides and swiped it across the fronts of each rectangle. Everything else is from my scraps / pieces parts.

Hope you like it! Thanks for stopping! Leave a comment if you have time! :)

JustRite Mojo Monday

My very good friend's birthday is this week, so it was the perfect opportunity to break out my new JustRite stamps and play! Honestly, it took me a while to figure out how to use them without smudging everything, but just like with many stamps, you may need to "season" it before you actually use it on a project.

I used the Mojo Monday card sketch as the springboard for this card...made a few changes as you will see. But I actually chose to use this sketch for a very specific reason. My friend is always teasing me about how linear I am.... I hardly EVER use circles on my cards or on my scrapbook pages. So I made a point to show her that I really can do it! I am getting better! And the Nestabilities die cuts really help with that! LOVE 'EM!

Front of card:

I changed the length of the strips accross the front (you can hardly see the thin lace in the picture), and put the pearl accents in the upper corner instead.

The center of the large circle is popped up, as well as the small circle with the butterfly on it depth. Also added glitter to the transparent butterfly sticker.


The paper is actually a scrapbook page kit that I found at the Dollar Store a couple years ago. Love the colors and the stickers! Don't know why it took me so long to use this stuff! The friend sentiment stamp is from the See-D's Victorian Flourishes set.

If you're reading this, Kim, I hope you had a wonderful birthday and that you are enjoying your vacation!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fantastic day!

Treasure Altered Journal

A few years ago I started making altered journals to sell. Though it takes me FOREVER to complete one and they are pretty labor-intensive, I really like making them! I'm considering starting to make them again...

Anyway, all this to say that a couple weeks ago my daughter asked me to make her a journal. She picked out the paper for the front cover, and the rest she left up to me, which is pretty scary considering our tastes are not the same. So I'm hoping that I didn't over-do this one because I am very happy with how it turned out. I would probably put a little more bling into it if it were up to me, but I don't think Bri would like that. I can always add it if she wants me to later.

Here is the front. Her favorite color is blue, and at first I didn't think I had much blue paper until I sorted through all my stash...and it's the color I have most!

(all pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them)

The charms, cross and fibers are hanging from a hair pin that I just slipped over the cover. I found the heart with her name on it a couple years ago and was just waiting for the right time to use it!

The Fun Fur has beads on the ends...not much...just enough to add some weight to keep it hanging straight.

Here's a close-up of the bottom corner. I think the butterfly is also off a hairpin that was probably picked up at the local thrift shop sometime, as well as the "MakeAWish" pin. I LOVE the metal roses in the center of the flower & on the cross! Found those at ARTChix Studio and they come in several different colors.

Inside the front cover is a frame die-cut from my stash with a flat metal heart in the center. I didn't want to have too much inside here so it won't interfere with writing in the journal. You can't see it well in the picture, but I sponged Staz-On black, purple and blue ink onto a piece of Denim cardstock (CTMH) to coordinate with the front paper. REALLY like how that turned out - sort of a soft marble look.

The paper on the back of the journal is from a stack of hand-pressed paper I found at our local grocery store's scrapbooking section!

One more thing to scratch off my To Do list! Thanks for stopping by today! Have a great weekend!

A Gathering Place Blog Give-Away

A Gathering Place is celebrating her 200th post with a blog give-away of a beautiful, soft pink Christmas stocking valued at $60-$75!!! All you have to do to win is go to Rebecca's blog and add a comment! SIMPLE! Check it out...it is STUNNING!

Mojo Monday Sketch 103 - Baptism Card

A friend at church is getting baptised today! I was very limited on time to make a card for her, and I was very shocked to see how quickly this one came together. I used the Mojo Monday Sketch 103 and mainly scraps to make this card in just over 30 min (that NEVER happens for me! Thanks Mojo Monday!!!) :

You can't tell, but the background DP has crosses on it. I was kinda bummed that they got covered up, but that's ok. Yesterday I picked up some Brilliance metalic inks at Michael's & used the copper one for the stamped cross. You can click on the pictures to enlarge to see the metallic effect of the ink. The swirly flowers on the sides of the cross are from the Close To My Heart stamp set "Adorable."

Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you all had an enjoyable and relaxing Labor Day Weekend!

Willow for Hannah!

Our godchild turned 3 on Sunday! Time sure flies...It seems like just yesterday that she was born!

This card was made using the Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge #81 and Whiff of Joy's Willow in the Summer Breeze stamp, and KI Memories paper. Hannah's favorite color is pink, so naturally I had to go crazy with PINK!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET BABY GIRL, HANNAH! We love you!

Hey Chick!

This card was a lot of fun to make!! I think it's the bright colors and the cute little chick that just made me smile the whole time I was making it... just like the person it was made for! She is always there with a smile and a warm hello!


Happy Birthday, Suzanne! Thanks for always being there to brighten my day!

National Stamping Month Starts NOW!

Don't forget to check out the great deal Close To My Heart is offering NOW for National Stamping Month! You can get an ENTIRE card kit that includes everything you would need to make 16 cards...all for FREE!!!

Contact me if you want to take advantage of this limited time offer!

Bubble Bunny

Mojo Monday is celebrating their 100th by posting card sketches every day this week. I really like using sketches - helps to narrow down the options and keep me focused!

Here's the sketch:

And my card:
I LOVE this little stamp from House-Mouse! You can't see it too well from the pictures, but I used Close To My Heart's Liquid Glass on the bubbles - the glitter is about all that you can see here. Just sprinkled some Martha Stewart purple glitter on the wet Liquid Glass & let dry. I like the effect! It looks much better in person, tho... Also popped up the stamped cardstock for some depth.

The inside says, "It's your birthday...relax." Hmmmmmm....doesn't that look tempting!

Calgon, take me away! :)

Holy Cow, It's Another Birthday!

Ever since my youngest daughter was a wee one, my dad had a running dialog with her about holstein cows. Anytime he was with her (which wasn't often enough since my parents live in Colorado), sometime...somehow the conversation would turn to holstein cows. And then they started exchanging holstein gifts at Christmas! It's very cute, and something she

will always remember about her Grampa.

So that is what has inspired the birthday card I made for my dad! I used the Taylored Expressions card sketch #78:

And here's what I came up with:

Stamps are from TAC and everything else is from my scraps. The inside says, "It's just another birthday." I think it will get a chuckle! Happy Birthday, DAD!

Willow Birthday Card

FINALLY got around to using a stamp from this gorgeous Whiff of Joy set! You can find the link to their website on my sidebar.

But I cannot take credit for the design of this card - yes, I'm guilty of SCRAPLIFTING! I think I need to join, or start, the support group SCRAPLIFTERS ANONYMOUS! :)

I am an avid follower of Bev's blog All The Things I Love, which is where I found the inspiration for this card. Bev is on the design team for Whiff of Joy.

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

Mojo Monday Card Sketch - Wedding & Anniversary Cards

A friend of mine needed a wedding card for this weekend, so I decided to use the Mojo Monday week 98 card sketch challange. Here is the sketch:
I'm not sure how much I like my card, but my friend was happy with it. I think it's the colors that threw me off. I'm not a "peachy" sort of person...

I like the affect of the Twinkling H2O's on the cake! Also used black embossing on the cake and popped up the circle portion for depth. Most of the other supplies were from my scraps stash, and the peach colored paper is CTMH Taffy.

My in-laws have a wedding anniversary this week, so I decided to use the same sketch, but with a little creative licence and made a few changes. I think the only difference is there's no circuit, and I used a rectangle for the image instead of a square. My in-laws love victorian decor so I found this image on a blog that has free vintage prints for crafters to use. I will definitely be using that blog again! AWESOME images!

I've been feeling the "urge" to create more lately, so keep watching! Will most likely be posting more goodies before the weekend is done.

Until then, have a great day!

Thanks-A-Bration Starts Today!

CTMH's Thanks-A-Bration is now concluded. Be sure to check out what we have to offer for National Scrapbooking Month going on now until Sept 30th!

Just a reminder that Close To My Heart's Thanks-A-Bration starts TODAY. Click here for details. Give me a call or leave a comment if you are interested in placing an order!

To view the latest CTMH catty, click here!

To vew the August Stamp of the Month, "It's Your Day!" click here.

I am also available for 4-card workshops ($5 each participant) or 2-page lay-out workshops ($10 each participant) for you and your friends! Spend an enjoyable evening socializing, creating, and sharing in the joys of scrapbooking and stamping. Give me a call to schedule your workshop!

August THANKS-A-BRATION with CTMH!

Some exciting news from Close To My Heart!

From August 3–17, customers who place a minimum order of $100 will be rewarded with a number of extra perks!

YOU can receive the August Stamp of the Month ("It's Your Day") for FREE as well as a current, hand-selected My Reflections® Level 2 paper packet (a total retail value of $39.90)!

Plus, CTMH will cover tax and shipping/handling on BOTH of these free products, saving YOU even more! But this special Thanks-a-bration offer only lasts for 15 days!

National Scrapbooking Month is Coming!

September is National Stamping Month and Close To My Heart is celebrating early and in a big way, with something for everyone!

Between August 18–September 30 when you purchase a minimum of $60 in stamp sets (A, B, C, D, and E-size; some exclusions apply), you’ll receive a FREE Everyday Celebration card kit containing materials to handcraft 16 exquisite cards.

Join the stamping festivities by making a qualifying purchase, or buy the kit outright for just $39.95. Hostesses and new Consultants with CTMH can also get the card kit free during September. CTMH is also holding a drawing where CTMH will give away an Everyday Celebration card kit each day in September. Just check the Close To My Heart website every day during the promotion to see if YOU are a WINNER!

The Everyday Celebration Card Kit Includes:

1 – My Acrylix® Everyday Celebration Stamp Set (D-size) (Only available with this kit!)
16 – 4 W" * 5 V" Colonial White Card Bases
16 – 4 W” x 5 V” Colonial White Envelopes
1 – 12" * 12" Dutch Blue Cardstock
1 – 12" * 12" Colonial White Cardstock
4 – 12" * 12" B&T Duos® Paper
1 – Chocolate Distressing Ink
1 – Dutch Blue Distressing Ink
1 – Mini-Medley Accents Shades of Chocolate Collection
5' – Chocolate Ribbon with Colonial White Stitch
50 – 3-D Foam Squares
Sponge
1 – Full Color Step-by-Step Instructional Brochure
Featured Colors: Chocolate, Colonial White, Dutch Blue, Sweet Leaf