Bird Basics Card

This is a new stamp set in the 2009 Spring Idea Book. When I saw it, I knew I had to have it. It came the other day and I have been dying to play with it. This is what I came up with and how I did it. 1) Ink your stamp with VersaMark and then in your color of choice. This way you are achieving your color and the embossing powder has something to stick to. 2) Stamp your image. 3) Sprinkle with clear embossing powder and heat set. 4) Ink up your brayer with color and ink it good. The secret to good coverage is firm, even pressure with a brayer loaded with ink. 5) Ink up your Flourish stamp with a light color first and then sponge your accent color on randomly before stamping. 6) Last, to add some depth, sponge some ink around the edges of the card. It is hard to see in this picture, but the bird's wing is actually pop dotted up for dimension. This stamp set is great because it's kind of like build a bear, except this is build a bird!

Card Stock: Chocolate, Creme Brulee, Juniper, Whisper White
Inks: Creme Brulee, Sorbet, Goldrush, Juniper, Bampboo, Chocolate and VersMark
Stamps: Bird Basics, Key To My Heart, Whooo Loves You
Misc: Birds Nest Baubles

The first sign of winter

Deer in my yard is not unusual, but we haven't seen them in quite awhile. They are just now starting to come down from the higher elevations. We have had a few buck sightings in the last few weeks, but this is the first herd family this season. The kids love throwing them carrots and apples and the mistletoe that grows on the oak trees is one of their favorite treats. I love where we live, I am just not a city girl! I hope that moments like this will help my kids appreciate nature and the importance of preserving the world we live in.

Party-girl-bella

Here is another Bella card for a girlfriend's birthday that is coming up. I hope she doesn't check my blog before she gets this, but if so "Happy Birthday, Sue"!!!!

Card Stock: Whisper White, Orange, Key To My Heart paper and misc. scraps

Stamps: Partygirlbella

Ink: Black Stazon
Misc. items: Liquid Appliqué, Prismacolor markers, CTMH rub-ons and CTMH ribbon

Paper Crafting Month

January is National Paper Crafting Month and to celebrate, Close To My Heart is offering an amazing kit; Key to my Heart from December 16 - January 31. The kit includes an exclusive paper packet with our new colors and a new E size stamp set. You can earn it at a discount or even for free...

Spend $75 - Get the kit for just $20

Spend $130 - Get the kit for FREE!
Host a $400 show - Get the kit for FREE!
Become a consultant - Get the kit for FREE!
Or buy the kit outright for $47.90.

Contact me at bweathers@bak.rr.com

or visit my website for more information.

LatteBella Birthday Card

This is a card I made for a friend's Birthday. I am adding a Starbucks gift card in it, so I thought this Bella stamp was perfect!

Card Stock: Very Vanilla, Blush, Sweet Leaf and Misc. scraps

Inks: Black Stazon

Stamps: LatteBella

Misc: Coordinating CTMH markers, Prismacolor markers, chocolate brads,

CTMH White Daisy ribbon and sparkles

Snow Day

What do you do on a Snow Day????? Well, we played four games of Yahtzee, watched "A Christmas Story", baked and decorated sugar cookies, a little sledding, hot chocolate by the fire and Jacob built this snowman all by himself!!! I think he may be the best snowman ever.

The Slice

I just got my new Making Memories Slice today and all I have to say is WOW, I am impressed!! I had a Cricut when they first came out, but it had issues like many of the first ones did. So, I have been without a die cutting machine for some time now. I was on the fence about getting a new Cricut Expressions when I ran across The Slice on Frantic Stampers website here. I watched many videos on You Tube and called Fran at FS and asked a lot questions. Boy, was she nice! Can you believe I was the second person from Tehachapi to order one that day??? Anyhow, fast forward to today when it came. I took it out of the box and started cutting. I had seen Jennifer McGuire make a star ornament that I thought was cute, so that was the first thing I did. It was so easy and my favorite part is that I can use any size of card stock because you set the machine on top of the paper to cut. I am IN LOVE with this little machine!!!!

Star Ornament

Happy Thanksgiving

Today is the big day, what do you have planned?? I am not cooking this year, in fact, I think I will get some scrapbooking done today!! Hows that for a great day?! I usually cook, but this year I have resolved myself to relaxing and slowing down a bit. That is my early resolution as we go into the holiday's. I won't be going out at 3:00 A.M. tomorrow morning shopping for that "perfect" gift for everyone, I'm not going to worry about every decoration being perfect, my homemade Christmas cards will be simple, the baking will be simple and I will watch "A Christmas Story" as many times as I want without my family commenting about it. Okay, maybe not the last one, but at least I won't care if they gripe about it! This is the year that we will slow down and enjoy the true meaning of the season and it will be perfect. Jeanette Lynton has been posting what she is thankful for every day on her blog here and that got me thinking, could I come up with at least ten things that I am thankful for? To my surprise, I had a huge list in a matter of minutes. Here are my top ten:

1. My husband of almost 16 years.
2. My kids, they have taught ME so much.
3. My parents, they are the "best" grandparents.
4. That I get to share my passion of paper crafting with so many.
5. Health, don't take it for granted!
6. Friends; new, old, cyber, I love you all.
7. Being a stay at home mom and being involved in my children's lives.
8. All of our animals and the compassion that they teach us.
9. Our annual family vacations.
10. Technology and all of the wonderful inventions that have made life easier.

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving and take a few minutes to tell someone how grateful you are that they are part of your life.

Baby Card

What do you get when you have less than twenty minutes to make a baby card and you don't own a baby stamp set???? This adorable card! Yes, you read that right, I don't have any baby stamp sets...........not a one!!! Isn't that funny, I guess I have never found one that I just had to have. That's how this card came about. I went looking for a card that didn't require much stamping and stumbled onto this one. I totally scraplifted this from Lisa Stenz, I just changed the color scheme. This is a great all occasion kinda card and I plan on mass producing some to have on hand. I have been so busy scrapping for others and getting ready for shows, that I can't tell you the last time I did a layout for myself. I hope the weather turns cold soon because that seems to be when the scrapbooking bug hits me. My biggest challenge lately seems to be taking pictures to scrap. I hate leaving my camera out, but if it's not out, I don't think to use it. I'm really good at scrapping the special occasions, but I am not so good at scrapping the everyday stuff. So that's my challenge to myself, I will post what I come up with!!!

Card Stock: CTMH Heavenly Blue and Whisper White

Stamps: Playful Flourishes and Giggle Lowercase

Ink and Ribbon: Heavenly Blue

Cuttlebug: Swiss Dots

Artsy Owl Card

Do you think of yourself as an artsy person?? Well, today I became an artist. One of my favorite places to go for inspiration is Michelle Zindorf's blog. Her creations are such an inspiration to me because she makes me want to step out of my comfort zone. What a talented girl!! Check it out
here.

I needed to make a birthday card for my brother in-law, so I figured I would give the artsy thing a try. I used one of my most favorite stamp sets, Whoo Loves You and followed one of her step by step tutorials. First I stamped my little owl guy and then heat embossed him with clear, then I punched a hole in a scrap piece of card stock and sponged the moon. After sponging the dark blue sky, I stamped the trees with Lovely As A Tree. Yes, I do still have a few sets of woodies that I just couldn't part with and this is probably my favorite set. I then put little baubles on his eyes, which actually made him look a bit crossed eyed........all the cuter! Oh, and although I am not completely happy with the faux stitching on the sides, it covered up the ink that I got onto the white card stock when I decided the owl needed more ink around him. I may not be a Van Gogh, but I am pretty happy with how this card came out.

I have also been busy organizing the Boutique that we are having this weekend. It originally started out at Tompkins School, but that just got to be way more complicated than it needed to be. So, Mountain Bible Church has been gracious enough to open their doors to us! We have 22 vendors committed to this event so far and more on a waiting list. The youth group will be selling .50 cent raffle tickets and we will be giving a prize away every half hour! I would love it if you all stopped by to see me this Saturday from 10:00-4:00.

Card Stock: Twilight, White Daisy

Inks: Twilight, Indian Corn Blue, Outdoor Denim, Black, Autumn Terra Cotta, Bamboo, Versamark

Stamps: Whoo Loves You, Lovely As A Tree

Misc: Robbins Nest Baubles, Clear embossing powder, Outdoor Denim marker

I'm a Blogger

Okay, it is official, I have joined the blogging world!!! I have really been on the fence about this because I pay for my Close To My Heart website and I spend a lot of time trying to keep that up to date, but I am limited by Corp. as to what I can do with it. My blog will allow me to share more of my creations and get feedback from you the reader.

Now I don't claim to have an exciting life by any means, but I will try to post often. My challenge with this concept is that I am by nature a private person. I don't even know if private is really the word I am looking for. Let's just say that I would much rather hear about what is new with you than bore you with the details of my life. My mom always said that I should have been a reporter because I have this knack of not only listening to someone, but being interested in what they are saying. I can talk to anyone about anything.

So here I am! Bookmark my site and check back once in a while.

I am going to start my new found freedom with a Close To My Heart creation. How's that for breaking away from the grips of Corporate control???? Anyhow, I finally got in the mood to put a memory box together. I am not a very sentimental person, but I thought it would be nice to have a place to put all my little mementos. And after putting one together, I now need one for all of my stray chipboard pieces.

Enjoy what is left of your weekend!!

Products used:
CTMH Memory Box, chipboard, Big Pinks flower, Sparkles, Glimmer Mist and SU scallop.

Card stock: Magic Moments, Hollyhock, Sweet Leaf, Colonial White and Cocoa.

Ink: Garden Green, Cocoa.

Stamps: Friendship Alpha