The Stamp Chick

The New Summer Catalog

2010-05-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

Close To My Heart 2010 Summer Idea Book

Okay, if you are like me, you are always excited to get your hands on a new Idea Book! I can literally spend hours flipping through the pages looking at all of the artwork. I promise, you will not be disappointed with the new summer catalog. Not only are the new papers absolutely beautiful and the new stamps and accessories to die for, you will also notice that they have actually LOWERED the prices on certain items. How cool is that?? So go ahead, flip through the online catalog if you dare. It will have you itching to get into your craft space!! And as always, if you would like a catalog, just drop me an email.

Vintage Birthday card

2010-02-23T20:01:00.000-08:00

I have been in a creative slump lately! It is hard to find the time to sit and play anymore and when I do, well let's just say I haven't been too impressed with my efforts. But I had a friend schedule a Close To My Heart party and I refused to let my stamping girls down!!!!! I had to come up with something cute for them, so after many failed attempts, this is what they got. I was really going for that vintage shabby look that I have been drawn to lately in a lot of magazines and what not. I used Bitty Sparkles and some Stickles for the bling and distressed the brad by rolling it in Colonial White ink and sanding it a little after it dried.

Perfect Day

2010-01-07T20:25:00.000-08:00

My girlfriend came over to take some family pictures for our Christmas cards this year. It was the Perfect "Fall" day here in Tehachapi!! She got a lot of great shots, but I LOVE this picture of us goofing around. I didn't even know she took it until I was downloading them from my camera, what a nice surprise! Now if only I knew how to use that Photoshop program that I have, I could go in and put a happier look on Eric's face, lol. He looks like he is about to crack under the pressure of holding me, he however insists that it is a "I'm the man" look. Oh well, I still adore this picture and the memories from that day.

Thanksgiving layout

2010-01-02T09:32:00.000-08:00

Between my kids and my dad it is impossible to get a decent family picture, they just goof around way too much, lol. I took fourteen pictures and I swear this is the best one! For some reason when I say smile, that means to do rabbit ears or poke someone in the eye! After thirteen pictures and my oven timer going off, I gave in and decided that a funny face would be my last ditch effort to get a picture that I could use! I'm not crazy about the B&W photo, but I just couldn't work with the wild color combo that everyone choose to wear that day! Don't these people know that I scrapbook???

Teacher Gifts and a Recipe

2009-12-20T09:18:00.000-08:00

This is what we came up with for teacher gifts this year. The boxes are Memory Keeper boxes from CTMH and they are fairly easy to decorate. The bows are the paper bows that I made a few weeks ago. We made Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodles, Peanut Butter Kisses and the most incredible Cinnamon Bread. I could seriously eat a whole loaf of this bread, it's that good!!! The teachers loved their gifts and were impressed with the boxes too. I wish I would have taken a picture of the card Jacob made his teacher, it was a classic! I had this Grinch paper that he wanted to use, so we cut out the Grinch image and then he stamped a naughty or nice list on the card next to the Grinch. He wrote all the fourth grade teachers names on it and made them all naughty- except his teacher!!! What a suck up :)

Anyways, I thought I would share the recipe for the Cinnamon Bread that I got it from my friend Jennifer. Give it a try, it is awesome!!!!

Cinnamon Bread

1 Yellow Cake mix

1 large box instant vanilla pudding

3/4 Cup oil

3/4 plus 1 TBLSP water

1 TSP vanilla extract

1 TSP almond extract

4 eggs

Suagr Mixture
1/2 Cup sugar

4 TSP cinnamon

Combine all ingredients for the bread and beat for 7 minutes on med speed. (don't cheat, it really has to mix that long)

Coat two loaf pans with butter and cinnamon.

Layer cake mix and sugar mixture, you should get three layers. It rises quite a bit while baking.

Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350.

Enjoy!!!!

I'm not all about paper

2009-12-16T10:45:00.000-08:00

Okay lousy picture, whatever!! A teacher friend is having a very unexpected fourth baby in a few weeks and I wanted to make her something special for the little guy. This is a crochet hoodie wrap and I am in love with these. They are so soft and cuddly!

I started crocheting many years ago when I was a Police/Fire dispatcher. I needed something to fill those loooonngggg graveyard hours where they frowned on napping during a shift, so I taught myself to crochet. My first project was an afghan that I made Eric for our anniversary. It has since become our Great Danes blankie which Eric was none to happy about, but that's another story.

This is the perfect time of year to just sit on the couch watching a movie while working on a project and I have a few going right now. I get easily bored and distracted, so it's always an accomplishment when I actually finish one! I just finished an Alpaca beanie for Eric, maybe I can get him to look at the camera long enough to get a picture of it.

Bows, Bows, Bows

2009-12-02T14:44:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I have a ton of paper! I don't know what it is about it that I can't resist, but it just seems to jump into my basket when I walk by it. So, I have a ton of Christmas paper that I stocked up on last year. I can't even remember what I was going to do with it now, but it just stares at me with that disappointed look every time I open that bin. I found a paper bow tutorial on Splitcoast Stampers and went to town making bows. I ended up making 50 and 48 survived the cats, lol. I adapted the instructions a bit. The original instructions called for 3 brads and numerous pop dots for every bow. I used one brad and just layered the bow pieces onto it. Maybe I will do a video tutorial on it and show you how incredibly easy it is to knock out a whole bunch of these.

A card "FROM" a friend

2009-11-24T05:16:00.000-08:00

My good stamping buddy, Cheryl Myers, stopped by to bring me something and lucky me, it fit nicely inside one of her beautiful creations :-) I am always giddy when I receive a card and this was no exception. She even made a point of leaving the inside blank so I can pass on this beauty to some other lucky recipient. Now that's a green stamper who understands the art!!!

The beautifully spooky card below is another one of her creations that I received for Halloween.

Thanks Cheryl, your the best!!

Birthday Card Set

2009-11-21T06:02:00.000-08:00

So what do you get an eight year old girly-girl for her Birthday? Well, if you are like me, you usually take the easy route and do cash inside a card. However, I was in the creative mood AND I had a brilliant idea! Hey great ideas are few and far between for me, so I think that deserves a moment of silence....................................................................................................................................... Why not make a card set and let Miss. Rylee color in the images? I know, genius.... right??? I made two of each cards and added some goodies and bling in a bag with a glue stick. I also provided some colored pencils for her to work her magic. The card holder is an 11" circle with the ends folded in and a 1" band wrapped around it.

Now, if only she likes it as much as I do. Maybe I should throw some cash inside the card just to be safe

Funny Faces

2009-11-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

My kid is funny! He has so many different faces and expressions, he reminds me of Jim Carey. He is more of the slap-stick kind of comedian, you know, like The Three Stooges. The picture on the left page is his "You just took a picture of me in my underwear........outside" look. The middle picture on the right page has got to be one of my all time favorites. This is how he came out of the bathroom one night after taking a shower. I know, I know, I gave him the speech about how dangerous it is to put Q-Tips in body orifices and even more dangerous to walk around like that. No need to nominate me for the "Worst Mother of the Year Award".

A Cute Card

2009-11-15T06:43:00.000-08:00

You might be saying to yourself "Self, where have I seen this card before?" Yea, I can't get anything by you people so I will just confess! I scraplifted this straight from the Winter CTMH catalog. I have no shame, I am a scraplifter and I'm not afraid to admit it! I did a party for a good friend a couple of months ago and she wanted to do this card as one of our projects, so who am I to say no. Pretty cute if I do say so myself. And I CAN because they say your suppose to praise yourself for the little accomplishments in life. Hahahaha, I need to spend less time watching all the mindless programs that I record on the DVR and more time creating! Seriously, do you have a DVR?? OMG, how did I live without that? I actually sit and channel surf waiting for a program to finish so I can go back and watch it. My reasoning is because I hate commercials and the DVR lets me fast forward through them. I know, crazy and irrational, but it's my little way of getting back at Corporate America that aims it's ads at their target audience. I mean really, when my nine year old son asks me what Viagra is for because that ad airs over and over and over again during a baseball game..........OY! I think I might of just lost my one reader

How about a fall card

2009-11-13T07:19:00.000-08:00

Why is it that no matter how much time I spend making sure everything is perfectly straight on my project, something always look crooked in the picture??? Man, that is irritating!! Okay, I'm done ranting about my lack of photography skills.

This card is an ever so cute 3-D card......... humor me. I guess I should have taken one of those fancy side view pictures so you could actually see how it looks IRL (that means "in real life", a sad attempt on my part to convince you that I am a savvy blogger). I stamped the tree image on the base card and then stamped it again on another piece of card stock. Then I cut out the inside of the tree on the second image with the E.R. blade, otherwise known as an Exacto Knife. I just know one of these days I will end up in the E.R. when using this knife, so I call it like it is! Then I layered it with foam tape and adhered my buttons.

Am I lost??

2009-11-11T08:46:00.000-08:00

Is this MY Blog???? Wow, has it really been over two months since I posted last? I am a bad, bad blogger! I am sorry if I have let my ~~readers~~ reader down, lol. I won't bore you with all the excuses, only because I can't think of any good ones right now. But I do have something to show you if that helps win me any redemption at all.

This is a layout I did from our Seattle trip. I took enough pictures to fill a whole album, but opted instead for a one page layout with many pictures on it with the highlights of the trip. I'm sure I will go back and scrap other pictures, but I'm just happy to have this one done for now. Heck, why stress myself out trying to keep up with the Jones'. There’s something you should know about me...........I'm a perfectionist living in an imperfect world and that just stresses me out!

And since we are here, I might as well confess my soul to you. Two of the reasons I am such a bad, bad blogger is 1. I HATE- HATE- HATE having to remember all the products that I used so I can post them in the dreaded "supplies list". So from here on out, if you would like to know a specific item that I used, just ask me and I will figure it out for ya ( please refer to the last line of the previous paragraph for my reasoning) 2. I take awful pictures of my artwork. First of all, the professionals say to use "natural, indirect light". I would challenge anybody to find any natural, indirect light in my house after 8:00 a.m. By the time I remember I need to take the picture, well lets just say I am usually on my second pot of coffee and it is waaayyyyy past 8:00 a.m. I really need to invest in one of those Photo Light Boxes.........................Oooohhhhh Honey

Thank You for being you

2009-08-09T10:57:00.000-07:00

We made it back from Seattle!!! We had such a great time and it all seems so surreal. I LOVE my Aunt Becky sooooooo much and I am thankful for the time we got to spend together. She is such a warm and loving person. I wanted to make her a Thank You card that incorporated a picture of us and this is what I came up with. It is a 5X7 so it could hold a picture CD. It is hard to see in the picture, but the sentiment says "Thank You for being you" from the new Card Chatter stamp set. I will share some pictures later.

Supplies: Cardstock; White Daisy, Chocolate, Sorbet and Heavenly Blue

Stamps; Card Chatter

Ink; Sweet Leaf

Silk Ribbon and machine stitching

Flower Child

2009-07-08T20:08:00.000-07:00

Cardstock: White Daisy, Sunflower, Outdoor Denim and a misc. scrap

Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black, Stamps: Flower Child, Copic Markers and the silk ribbon is from Creative Impressions

I have been having so much fun playing with this stamp set and my Copics!!! Isn't this little guy cute?? This set reminds me of the photographs that Anne Geddis takes of those adorable little babies. I have been practicing and playing with my Copics and I now have dozens of these images colored. I LOVE my Copics now that I have taken the time to play around with them and learn how to use them. ENABLER ALERT: Carpe Diem has them on sale right now and they have lightening fast shipping! My last order only took two days to get here. I think I might have to get a job to support my Copic habit, not to mention that the kids are eating us out of house and home. Funny because I don't think they eat this much while at school!

How is your summer going?? The older I get, the more I appreciate the little things in life. I have come up with my top ten list of things that I like most about summer. What about you, what are you enjoying the most? Here's mine:

1. Sleeping in late

2. Staying up late

3. Not having to get up at the crack of dawn to get Cait to the bus

4. Watching my garden grow

5. Watching the baby chicks grow (one turned out to be a rooster!)

6. Vacations

7. Water, swimming pool or the lake, I just love water

8. Laying out on the deck on cool nights looking at the stars

9. No more lunches to make

10. Baseball season

Old fashion fun

2009-06-13T09:25:00.000-07:00

In a desperate attempt to get my kids off of their video games, computers, cell phones and other mind numbing devices, we have started looking for fun things we can do as a family. Jacob absolutely loved bowling. Catie didn't actually bowl, but she was there. What can I say, at 16 years old I was just happy that she was there and entertained by our great bowling skills, lol! We have also gone rollerskating, or uhm.....rollerblading. I just think that four wheels is the safer way to go. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! Just my opinion.

Mood Art

2009-06-10T07:42:00.000-07:00

click on picture to enlarge

Have you ever noticed that your artwork is a reflection of the mood you are in?? When I am completely happy and over the moon, I find myself using bright cheery colors and when it is cold and snowing outside, I head straight for the warmer colors. Well, this layout is a result of a mood I was in not to long ago. Sometimes I just put too much on my plate and I start to feel over whelmed. I started thinking that even though I am not perfect and by no means ever will be, life is good. My intentions are always in the right place. I have so much to be thankful for, take off your pity party hat!

A little while later I came across this layout by Jennifer McGuire. WOW, that is amazing! Even she has the same feelings of inadequacy every now and then. So I headed to my table for some self-therapy. That was exactly what I needed and this layout came together so easy. I don't keep a journal or a diary, but with this layout I discovered that scrapbooking is my way of "writing" my feelings down.

Sunflower Harvest

2009-06-06T07:35:00.000-07:00

click on picture to enlarge

These are the sunflowers in the garden from last year. I took pictures of them and forgot all about them until I started planting this years garden. I found some seeds that I had saved from last years harvest and I thought it would be fun to do a layout and preserve those memories.

Jacob looks forward to planting season every year. We do a pretty good size garden with lots of different stuff. The one thing I hope my kids take away from me is that you can never take more from this earth than you give back. Nothing goes to waste! We try to use as much as possible, everything from the chicken manure, egg shells, veggie trimmings and the plants themselves go into the composter and in return it gives us black gold that goes right back into the garden.

My hope is that many years from now when my kids have kids and their kids have kids, they will enjoy looking at these memories that I have captured of our life. And it would be really cool if they could take something from it, like those sunflower seeds and plant them and grow their own memories.

On a roll

2009-06-02T07:12:00.000-07:00

Wowzer, is this really my third post in less than a week??? I have been on a roll lately! I wouldn't say that my mojo is back, it's more like it comes and goes.

I had a completely different vision for this card when I started it. I just could not get it to turn out the way I saw it in my head, I guess that happens sometimes, lol. I spent way to much time fiddling with it and just decided it is what it is! My bff liked it none the less and I didn't mention the many hours it took me to get it done.

Cardstock; Crystal Blue, Chocolate, Creme Brulee, Caprice Paper pack

Misc. flowers, baubles, white ribbon from my stash that I dyed with Creme Brulee re-inker,

Fiskars corner rounder, machine sewing and chocolate ink pad

It's been a hoot!

2009-05-31T06:51:00.000-07:00

I L-O-V-E owls and have been in heaven ever since they became popular again! This stamp set from Close To My Heart is one of my very favorite ones............aren't these little guys cute??? The card on the left is for a friend, I just felt like making her a card! It simply says "Just wanted to say Hello" on the inside. The Thank You card on the right is for Jacob's teacher and on the inside it says "It's been a Hoot".

Cardstock; Misc. solid color for base, Close To Cocoa, Colonial White and Bloom & Grow by My Minds Eye

Cocoa and Bamboo ink, CTMH buttons, ribbon from my stash, Fiskars border punch, the Coluzzle and Copic markers.

Father's Day Card

2009-05-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

Here is the Father's Day card we did in the club this month. It was a huge hit and oh-so cute!!! I can't wait to give it to Eric since he already got his present a little early. I am making one for my dad too.......it's a nice change from the ordinary kinda card.

All supplies are Close To My Heart

Where does time go????

2009-04-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know I have been a bad blogger lately!!! I don't have anything crafty to share because I haven't been to my scrapping corner in a looooong time. Part of the reason is that my mojo left and I can't find it! The other reason is that we have just been plain busy around here.

For anyone that doesn't know, I have been on a mission to lose weight. The pounds just kept sneaking up on me over the years and I couldn't take it anymore. I became VERY conscious of what I ate and I got active. I work out with a personal trainer once a week and make an effort to do something physical every day. My efforts have paid off because I have lost 50 pounds since January!!! WOOOHOOOO!!!!!I still can't wrap my mind around what 50 extra pounds felt like. I am very proud of myself to say the least!!!

Anyhow, I have some pictures to share of some of the things we have been up to in the last two weeks.

Pismo Beach

It was cold and windy, but we didn't care. Any day at Pismo is a good day!

Please excuse the bad hair and no makeup, lol.

Jacob and his sand castle.

Me on the beach

The new baby chicks!!! They are the cutest little things.

Jacob on Easter in the back yard.

Catie on Easter in the wild flowers.

Jacob's first time bowling. He did really good too!

Simple Sunday #7

2009-03-15T06:33:00.000-07:00

Cardstock: My Minds Eye, PinkPaislee, American Crafts

Inks: Chocolate, Tulip

Stamps: CTMH The Works Alphabet

Misc.: ric rac, My Minds Eye die cuts, CTMH rub ons, distressing tool

2 Be With You

2009-03-13T13:04:00.000-07:00

I was recently online "just looking" over at A Page 4 All Seasons when I saw the French Flea Market collection by My Minds Eye. I just melted and HAD to have it!!!It is amazingly beautiful.

This layout was inspired by a layout done by Jennifer Johnson and posted on Inspired Blueprints. She used the scallop border punch on her page and I thought it was a brilliant idea.
I normally don't convert my pictures to black & white, but the colors in this picture were just to harsh. I am really happy with this layout................it never hurts to have beautiful paper!

Cardstock: Cocoa, White Daisy and My Minds Eye; French Flea Market collection

Ink: Cocoa

Misc.: Big Pinks flower, scallop punch, doodlebug pearls, sparkles, CTMH rubons and computer journaling

Simple Sunday #6

2009-03-08T17:22:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I just can't bare the thought of cutting up beautiful paper. I kept it simple here and didn't add a lot to it, I wanted to see the design on the paper! I did do some sewing on it, but only because I already had it out from another project. I will share that one later! The sewing could easily be done with a faux stitching stamp though.
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. The time change always seems to effect my internal clock and it will take me some time to adjust to losing an hour.

Cardstock: Chocolate, White Daisy and My Minds Eye; Bohemia collection

Stamps: Dream Wishes

Inks: Chocolate

Misc.: CTMH Rubons, Clear stickles and machine sewing

Born to shop

2009-03-04T04:56:00.000-08:00

If I had to use one word to describe my mom, it would definitely be "Bling"!!! So I decided her Birthday card had to have A LOT of bling on it. And I had every intention of getting her a Roomba, but that became an impossible task here in our little town. So, I settled for a gift card so she could go get one. This card fit the occasion perfectly, Born to shop...not to mop! Okay, maybe vacuum in this case, but that wouldn't have been as cute.

Cardstock: White Daisy, SU paper (very old)

Stamps: Ms. on the go

Inks: Black Stazon and chocolate

Misc: Prima flowers, copic markers, flower brads, ribbon, sparkles

March's Tip: Liquid Glass

2009-03-02T05:05:00.000-08:00

Liquid Glass is very versatile and has many, many uses. It is one of the best all around adhesives that I have found, but you can also make images shine or look 3-D and you can add liquid glass to any stamped image to make it pop.

Basically, all you have to do is squeeze it out to cover the desired area and that's it! Here are a few tips on how to use this product efficiently:

1. Don't shake the bottle! When you shake the bottle it adds bubbles and makes the surface less smooth when you squeeze it out. If you have bubbles, gently squeeze a little out onto scrap paper so that you can get the air bubbles out before your start your project.
2. Be sure to clean off the tip each time you use it so you don't get globs of it stuck to the outside.
3. A little bit of this goes a long way. For instance, when I am using it to apply chipboard, I apply it in small dots to the inside surface only. This eliminates the excess liquid from seeping out onto my project.
4. Allow time to dry. 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness. If it's really thick let it sit longer.
5. Add glitter to the liquid glass before it dries, apply patterned cardstock to clear buttons, apply to the center of a stamped flower for that 3-D effect or use to apply chipboard or other heavier items to your project.
6. If you are using liquid glass on an image that will but cut out, first stamp the image, apply liquid glass, and then cut out after drying. If you cut out the image before applying the liquid glass, the paper may curl.

Simple Sunday #5

2009-03-01T07:45:00.000-08:00

It really is my own fault, I mean you probably shouldn't ask a nine year old what colors you should use! His favorite color is green, so imagine my shock when he said blue and orange!

My personal challenge of late is to use up the old before I break into the new. I am not much for stickers, but I seem to have a lot of them. So I pulled out my sticker box and found something Orange.

These pictures were taken last week when Jacob had the flu. I decided to keep him home "just one more day" from school just to be safe. Well, he drove me nuts!! He was fine and should have gone to school that day. I learned my lesson, lol.

Cardstock: SU and Imaginisce

Stamps: He said, She said and The works alphabet

Misc: Stickers, chipboard and the Coluzzle

Totally Scraplifted

2009-02-25T06:13:00.000-08:00

Come on..............we all do it, we usually just change a little something to fit our unique styles. I scraplifted this from Lisa, I really like her simple style. I however, didn't put the daisy's on them and I left the sentiment open for whatever I choose to use them for. I made a whole bunch of these because they were so simple. What a cute thank you card, we can never have enough of those!

Cardstock: White Daisy

Stamps: Argyle Background

Inks: Chocolate, Baby Pink and Juniper

Misc: Ribbon from my stash

Water Coloring

2009-02-24T12:56:00.000-08:00

I LOVE water coloring!!!! It is easy peasy............just emboss your stamped image and color in with the ink from a stamp pad using the waterbrush. This card took no time at all to make and it was F.U.N. to do, lol. Please ignore the lousy picture btw. It is cloudy today and I just couldn't get enough light on it.

On a side note, Nichol is having an awesome giveaway, so check out her blog and leave a comment!!!

Cardstock: Colonial White, Garden Green and watercolor cardstock

Stamps: Treasures of the heart

Inks: Tulip, Sorbet, Sunflower and Versamark

Misc: Waterbrush, sparkles, white embossing powder and Garden Green ribbon

Simple Sunday #4

2009-02-22T09:25:00.000-08:00

Cardstock: CTMH Stardust, My Minds Eye, Outdoor Denim

Stamps: Argyle Background and Headline Alphabet

Inks: Versa Mark and Cranberry
Misc.: CTMH rubons, chipboard, white sticker brads and the title is heat embossed with clear powder

Anniversary Card

2009-02-18T05:31:00.000-08:00

Here is the card that I made Eric for our anniversary. I love how it turned out and was inspired by Julee over at Poetic Artistry, here. This makes 16 years for us, so on the inside I wrote 16 reasons why I still love him. I'm pretty sure he appreciated the thought that went into it.

Cardstock: Outdoor Denim, My Minds Eye double sided cardstock and White Daisy

Inks: Outdoor Denim and Juniper

Stamps: Friendship Blessings and In My Heart

Misc: White Daisy Ribbon

Simple Sunday #3

2009-02-15T07:42:00.000-08:00

I have had this picture stored in my computer forever. My desktop actually gave me some warning before it crashed so I was able to save all of my pictures. I am a very lucky girl! This is one of my very favorite pictures of Jacob because it reminds me of that time when he was still a little boy. This is my take on Inspired Blueprints sketch #5.
This layout is simple in the fact of the cardstock and picture placement. I wanted to emphasize his big brown eyes so I painted the chipboard letters for the title in brown. My picture is 5x7, the Star cardstock is 4x11 and the Striped cardstock is 2 1/2x11.

Cardstock: Stars and Stripes by Basic Grey, Outdoor Denim and White Daisy

Misc: Making Memories Chocolate paint, Dimensional Elements alphabet letters, brads from my stash, ric rac is really old and waxy flax.

February Girls Club Layout

2009-02-10T05:01:00.000-08:00

I absolutely LOVE this paper pack!!!! The possibilities are endless and it can easily be used for boyish layouts and cards too. The picture sizes are one 6x6 and four 4x4. There is actually no matting for the pictures, I only put them on to show picture placement. We are focusing on stamping techniques this month.......... there is just so much you can do with a stamp! My layout is titled "Our Club" because I plan on taking pictures of us at our meeting this Sunday. One of my goals this year is to scrap more about me and my life. I hope you like it! Oh- and this month, CTMH has a wonderful promotion! When you spend $25.00 in stamps, you will receive a custom-designed B-size stamp My Acrylix "Good Times" stamp set free. So if you have been thinking about getting a stamp set, now is the time!

Cardstock: Unforgettable, Vanilla Cream and Juniper

Inks: Sorbet and Juniper

Stamps: Headline Alphabet, The Works Alphabet, Intrinsic Background and Aspiration

Misc.: Colonial White Ric Rac, Pewter Brads

Simple Sunday #2

2009-02-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

Seriously Simple, that's all I can say about this layout!!!! Everything used is CTMH unless stated otherwise. All it takes is a base page, 5x7 and 4x4 pictures, ribbon, flowers and brads. I really like this layout because it focuses on the pictures.

Cardstock: That's Amore and Chocolate

Misc: Big Pink Flowers, satin ribbon, white mini medley accents and white mini brads.

Online Sale

2009-02-07T15:49:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while I need to go through and make room for new stuff. I cleaned my craft area out yesterday and decided that I would let go of some stamp sets and other stuff. I like to think of myself as a collector of all scrapbooking things, but I am running out of space. So if there is anything you are interested in or have a question about an item, just shoot me an email. The Spellbinders and the Sizzix all work with the Cuttlebug. Everything is used unless noted otherwise. I accept paypal as well as checks. Thanks for looking.

Scor Pal (large one, 12x12) REDUCED $20.00

Spellbinders Nestabilities: Oval $20.00

Cuttlebug Alphabet Die Cut; Make me an offer

Sizzix Die Cuts: Circles; Make me an offer

Sizzix: Cuts; Make me an offer

NEW Sizzix Bibz Die: Dingbats; Make me an offer

Delight In Everything$15.00

Today's Date $15.00

Serendipity $15.00

Snap, Crackle, Pop $7.00

The Simple Things $15.00

Make My Day $7.00

Baseball $7.00

Magical Seasons $15.00

Wonderful Charms $7.00

Coffee Stain: NEW $10.00

Moments $15.00

Kindered Spirits $15.00

Remember This: NEW $10.00

February's Tip: Cutting

2009-02-05T05:00:00.000-08:00

After you cut out your desired image or design, use a file to smooth out the edges of the cardstock. A little filing will smooth out any jagged or frayed edges and your finished product looks clean and professional!. Try it the next time you cut out something for a project!

Simple Sunday #1

2009-02-01T13:09:00.000-08:00

Here is the very first of the Simple Sunday Layouts!! I hope you like the idea of doing a "simple" and easy layout. Sometimes I forget that scrapbooking isn't brain surgery and I have a tendency to over think things. I really like the idea of getting back to the basics.

I had these pictures already printed and matted so I decided to just make them work. This is a prime example of me over thinking things. These pictures have been sitting around for months waiting for me to find just the right inspiration for them. It was a real challenge for me to keep this one simple. I still think it could use some kind of bling or something, but I am going to control myself!

The picture on the left side is 8x8 and matted on Cranberry Red cardstock and then matted on black cardstock that I scalloped and hole punched. The right side pictures are 4x4 and also matted on black cardstock. The border B&T paper is 11x7.

Cardstock: Creme Brulee, Cranberry Red, Black and Rock Star paper is by SandyLion.

Misc: Black Chipboard letters and the star was die cut with the Slice Basics cartridge.

Masculine Birthday Card

2009-01-30T12:03:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Dad!!!!! This card is from Originals, page 78, Tie Back Tags. My dad is a simple, practical kinda guy, so this card is perfect for him.

Check back on Sunday, I am starting a weekly post called "Simple Sunday". It will be an easy layout that you can do in no time at all.

I hope you have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by!

Card Stock: Free Spirit Reflections Packet, Close to Cocoa, Bamboo, Indian Corn Blue

Ink: Close To Cocoa, Colonial White, Indian Corn Blue

Stamps: Typewriter Keys, Say it in Style

Misc: Brads from my stash and circle paper puncher

You Rock Birthday Card

2009-01-29T07:53:00.000-08:00

Today is Jacob's Birthday and this is the card I made for him! The first thing he asked me when he got up this morning was if I made him a card. He has always been my biggest fan and always impressed with what I come up with. He loves heat embossing, so I knew that had to go on his card. I used the cuttlebug for the dry embossed card stock and everything else is Close To My Heart.

Tomorrow is my dad's Birthday and then I am done with those for awhile. I just about have his card done, so I will post that tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Valentine Memory Box

2009-01-28T12:17:00.000-08:00

Okay, I admit that I haven't been as good at posting on here as I thought I would be. But with the craziness of the holiday's and birthday's almost behind me, I am ready to go. I won't bore you with all of my excuses, I will just have to get better at it!

I am making my kids Memory Boxes for Valentine's day this year. This is the one that I made for Catie. I plan on filling them with fun little goodies. I used the Key To My Heart paper because her favorite color is yellow and I was going for that vintage feel. It is hard to see in the picture, but I added little sparkles all over the flourish image. I hope she likes it. I absolutely love these Memory Boxes! I have made several of these now and they make wonderful gifts. What's better than a gift inside of a beautiful box?? Close To My Heart has a tutorial on how to put one of these together, check it out here.

Tomorrow is Jacob's birthday, so I need to make a card for him and start his Valentine Box. I have to go get busy, I'll post what I come up with.

Card Stock: Key To My Heart

Inks: Juniper, Tulip, Creme Brulee and Desert Sand

Stamps: Key To My Heart, Bird Basics and the saying is from Aspirations

Misc: CTMH Sparkles, pretty ribbon and a charm from my stash

January Girls Club Layout

2009-01-13T21:35:00.000-08:00

This is the club layout for January. I love the Emporium paper! Everything used is Close To My Heart. I used one of the Workshop layouts and changed it up a bit because I didn't have eleven pictures to put on it. And even though I am not crazy about handwriting on my layouts, I understand the importance of it. I really like the clean, crisp look of the computer fonts. So, one of my goals this year is to overcome this obstacle! I don't know how long that will last, but I am willing to try.

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

"Happy New Year" and "Gung Hey Fat Choy" which means "Wishing You Prosperity and Wealth". I say bring on 2009, baby!!! Chinese proverb states that all creations are reborn on New Year’s day. The New Year is a celebration of change ... out with the old and in with the new!
And that's exactly what I plan on doing. I don't have any big resolutions this year, they never turn out the way I envision them. So this year my ONLY resolution is to be a better person. That's it! How about you, do you have any resolutions this year??? If you want to know more about the history of New Year's Day, check it out here.

To me, the New Year represents hope and change. I like to picture myself blowing out the candles on a birthday cake and making a wish for the new year. Just close your eyes and make a wish, it can be anything......just dream big!!! I wish you all nothing but the best in 2009!!!

Bird Basics Card

2008-12-23T05:55:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-22T10:10:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-15T18:20:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-08T18:50:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-27T09:15:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-18T18:31:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-12T15:34:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-09T09:40:00.000-08:00

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