Being the Queen is Magnifique!

Each time we get a new Catalog the gals in my group have a shoebox swap. What is a shoebox swap you might ask? Well it is where we each design a card, in this case using only new products, and we prepare enough supplies for all of the participants and put it all in a "shoebox". then we all meet and pass the shoeboxes around the table so we can make each other's cards. It is a great way to get to use lots of the new products without having to buy everything. The ladies in my group are all so talented that I look forward to the shoebox swap every time.

This is the card I created for our shoebox swap.
And here is a close up of the tag.

Here is the recipe:

Based on Aubrey’s Invitation from pg. 81 of Wishes
4 ¼” x 5 ½” Chocolate card base
4” x 9” Colonial White (Score at 3 ½ “ for pocket)
2 ½” x 5 Colonial white tag
2 ¼ “ x 4” Magnifique Floral pattern (top of pocket)
3 ½” x 4” Magnifique Stripe (bottom of pocket)
2 ¼” x 3” Colonial White x2 for Crown (stamp crown on one and cut out, stamp sentiment on one and pop up crown)
2 ½” x 3 ¼” Pacifica for crown mat

Attach floral pattern to top of pocket
Fold up flap to create pocket
Attach Magnifique stripe to pocket front
Use clear ruler to punch holes for stitching on sides of pocket
Whip stitch using chocolate waxy flax up both sides of pocket
Attach pocket to card base
Stamp crown using lagoon ink and cut out
Stamp birthday sentiment on 2nd colonial white piece using chocolate ink towards the bottom
Mat with Pacifica
Pop up crown above sentiment and add sparkles

Tag:
Punch corners of tag using corner chomper
Stamp scepter on the left side using Pacifica for handle and Lagoon for gem
Stamp sentiment to right of scepter using Lagoon and Chocolate
Add Liquid Glass to gem
Add sparkles to scepter and sentiment

I post the cards created by the rest of the group in a later post. Thanks for looking.

SOTM Swap...It's a Thriller!

I have a bunch of talented ladies in my group. Check out this slideshow of our Stamp of the Month swap cards.

Click HERE to be taken to the slideshow. For some reason Blogger is not letting me embed it here.

It's Here!!!!!!!

The new Fall/Winter Catalog from Close To My Heart officially launches today. I have had it for a month and was chomping at the bit to share it with everyone. There are so many great new things in here!
First of all we have EIGHT, yes 8 beautiful new colors. May I present for your crafting and stamping pleasure.

• Sky - This one says it all. Imagine the blue sky on a perfect day.


• Sunset - That rich orangy red you see just before the sun fades away.


• Cotton Candy - The perfect shade of pink. Not pastel and not hot pink.


• Gypsy- This is a gorgeous shade of rich purple...mmmmm.


• Pacifica - LOVE, this color...think electric peacock blue. Goes perfect with the beautiful new stamp set called Circle of Love...I am lovin' that peacock image.


• Pear- This is an awesome crisp green.


• Lagoon- Makes me want to take another cruise just to see water this color.


• Smoothie- This is an orangy pink kind of half way between Cotton Candy and Sunset...yummy!

Here is a set if monogrammed cards I made using all of the new colors.

From top left...Gypsy, Sky, Pear, Sunset, Smoothie, Cotton Candy, Pacifica and Lagoon. Don't you just love them??



There are also four beautiful new paper lines. Here are brief descriptions including the featured color combos. Watch for ideas using each if the new paper lines with a Stamp of the Month set.

• Hooligans - Halloween designs featuring Gypsy, Lagoon, Pear, Sunset and of course Black.


• Olivia - Fantastic fall patterns featuring Barn Red, Pear, Sunset and Smoothie.


• Magnifque - Rich and elegant designs featuring Chocolate, Lagoon, Pacifica and Sky.


• Mistletoe- Classic holdiay papers using Cocoa, Cranberry, Garden Green and New England Ivy.

Want to see all of it?? Come to my open house this Saturday.

Saturday, September 4th

1:00-4:00pm

Stop by and see the new Fall/ Winter calatog from Close To My Heart. Make a free Halloween card, and see samples made with some of the new products...get your creative juices flowin'. Everyone who attends will get a free copy of the new catalog and will be entered to win a free stamp... set or Miracle page kit. Pick a date to host a home gathering party in September or October for an extra entry. Get some great deals at my craft room clean out sale too.

Hope to see you there!

Thriller

I am not talking Michael Jackson here folks, although it may be appropriate background music for working with this month's set. I am referring to September's Stamp of the Month (SOTM).

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and this month's SOTM is great for all of your Halloween cards, favors, and scrapbook pages. pair it with the new Hooligans paper line and it is

Frightfully Delightful!

Each month I participate in a card swap with some of my fellow consultants. We each use the same paper pack, Hooligans this month, and the SOTM set to create a card. It is so much fun to see everyone else's creative ideas. Here are some of the designs for this month.





This one was my design. I pulled the tree from the Childhood Portraits set. The house and roof are from Around The Block and the spooky images are from the SOTM, Thriller. I embossed almost everything with black to give it that shiny/spooky look and sponged the background with Outdoor denim for a creepy evening feel.
This one is by Natalie Zylstra. I love the coffin with the embossed spider web. Here is the inside.

How cute is that??? This next one is by Vicki Price. The photo does not do it justice. It is a clear card so all of the layers are sandwiched with the clear acrylic in the middle and the image stamped with Stazon on the front. I love how this came out!

Next is a fun card by Angie Petersen.
It is a such fun working with such talented ladies. Stay tuned for more fun Halloween stuff using Hooligans and our cute new Monster stamp sets.

Sweet Soiree

At church I get to work with 8-12 year old girls twice a month. They are all so sweet and I really enjoy my time with them. For one of our activities this month we are having a Back To School Soiree (don't you love that word, highly under used in my opinion). Anyway, we are having a Mother/ Daughter tea party of sorts (minus the tea) where we will learn about the importance of education and lifetime learning. We'll also have some yummy refreshments...who doesn't love refreshments??? I wanted to send some more formal invites for this event so this is what I came up with.

Isn't it sweet. I hope they bring a smile to the girls' faces when they get them in the mail later this week.
Recipe:
Stamps; CTMH Childhood Portrait
Paper: CTMH Boom-Di-Ada Level 2 paper pack
Ink: CTMH Chocolate, Hollyhock and Topiary
Misc: Flowersoft (I forget the name of the color blend), Mark Richards gems

What's Cookin Cherry-O?

Can I tell you how much I love the new Cherry-O paper line from CTMH? When I first saw the new lines in our consultant sneak peek I noticed something else as well. They showed a decorated recipe box using Cherry-O! As soon as I got the new catalog in my hot little hands I went looking for that recipe box. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Upon further examination of the new catalog I saw that we also have a new matching recipe card kit (with 32 recipe cards and 6 dividers), how perfect.

Here is my recipe box. I haven't quite finished decorating the front flap but I wanted to show you anyway. Sorry the image isn't the best.

I love the colors, the designs and how easy this was to make. As shown this is a NO STAMP project, anyone can do this!

You know you wanna make one too! Here's your chance.

Recipe Box Class and Recipe Swap

Saturday, May 15th

1:00-3:00pm

Cost is $30 and includes

Recipe Box

Card Kit

Cherry-O Stickease

Embellishments

Please bring a one of your favorite recipes to share so we all go away with a few new recipes.

Registration and payment for this class is due by Saturday May 8th.

Life is Sweet Clear Card Class

I am so excited. I have been waiting to do this class for a month since I saw these awesome clear cards in the Summer 2010 catalog. I love the look of clear cards, they are so much fun and CTMH has outdone themselves with these. they are precut in two shapes, squares with rounded corners and scalloped circles.

I couldn't wait to put them together with the new Cherry-O paper for some adorable spring cards. Here they are, I love them and hope you do too!

Here are the four cards included in this class.

And some close ups of each card. It is hard to get the pictures to do them justice but I hope you get the idea.

Since this is the first month of the new catalog I am going to do something special for this class. You can get this class FREE.

That's right I said FREE!

Just make a purchase of $40 or more from the new catalog through me before May 15th and you can come to either class for FREE.

If you just want to take the class and don't have an order right now the cost is $15.


I will be holding the

Life is Sweet Card Class

Thursday, May 20th from 6:00-9:00 PM

OR

Saturday, May 22nd from 1-4PM



Payment for qualifying orders and/or class fees must be made prior to registering for the class.

Space will be limited and I will take registrations for paid or free classes through May15th.