CTMH November SOTM Blog Hop: A Little Thanks

It's time once again to share Close To My Heart's wonderful Stamp of the Month! November brings to mind a time for giving thanks and this stamp set will certainly make it easy for you to express that. If you're coming from Jean's blog, congratulations on making it through the whole hop! Did you get lots of wonderful ideas? I'm the last in line this month, but if you've stopped here first, you can keep the hop going by continuing on to Helen's blog for the beginning.


The November SOTM, A Little Thanks, has a lot to offer...16 stamps to be exact!




Makes creating those much needed thank you cards a snap...well, if you can decide on which stamps to use, that is. I couldn't decide on just one card, so I made a couple of things to share.

The first card is very simple, just a little dry embossing and sanding to give interest.


Inks: CTMH Vineyard Berry, Outdoor Denim
Papers: CTMH Vineyard Berry, Outdoor Denim, Brown Bag, Colonial White


This next card uses one of the sentiment stamps to create a subtle background...they aren't just for focal points!


Inks: CTMH Barn Red, Chocolate
Papers: CTMH Olivia Reflections Kit, Chocolate

I used ribbon from the new Sunset Mini-Medley Collection, a couple of edge anchors from the Heritage Collection, and created a scallop with our 1¼ Circle Punch to finish the look.


A couple of weeks ago I hosted my Tricks and Treats workshop. As a thank you to my guests, I created these candy tubes filled with M&M's.
(A big thank you to Angela Tutton for her wonderful tutorial!)


Inks: CTMH Cocoa, Barn Red, Honey
Papers: CTMH Barn Red, Honey, Colonial White


And now for something completely different, take a look at my final card:


Inks: CTMH Olive, New England Ivy, Cocoa, Cranberry
Papers: CTMH New England Ivy, Cocoa, Colonial White

How about a Christmas tree? It's filled with Red Sparkles, though Knock-Out insists I find a star to put on top. The Gratitude sentiment is stamped in Cranberry and cut out. I then flipped the stamp over and stamped the backside in Cocoa and cut it out to create the border piece. I love that we can do that with our My Acrylix stamps!


Well that's all I have for this Blog Hop. If this was your first stop, be sure to continue on to Helen's blog for the beginning of the hop and you'll find inspirations galore with the other participants!

If you're interested in purchasing "A Little Thanks" or even want to earn it for FREE contact me!





P.S. Thank you for all the comments on the Christmas tree card! To answer a question, yes Sheila, it is made with the little "weed" stamp.

CTMH October SOTM: Share The Magic...With Gift Cards

The end of the month is near and that means you only have a few more days to get your hands on the exclusive Share The Magic stamp set. Before that happened, I wanted to share one last card with you...one that might prove useful in the upcoming months.

How many of you have started your Christmas shopping? If you've raised your hand, go sit in the corner...no one wants to speak to you right now. If you're like the rest of us and are barely getting your Halloween candy...listen up, this might save your sanity one day soon.

The simplest gifts to give are...everyone together now...Gift Cards! But they are kind of plain and not very fun to unwrap. Unless you like to do the whole box in a box in a box thing. Then you just might have too much time on your hands.

But I'm getting off track here.
With a little crafty ingenuity, you can really dress up a gift card. And October's SOTM can help you do just that.


Stamps: Share The Magic (October 2010 SOTM)
Inks: CTMH Garden Green, New England Ivy, Cranberry, Staz-On Jet Black
Papers: CTMH Mistletoe Creative Basics, Garden Green, New England Ivy, Colonial White


I used a waterbrush to color in the presents on the band. Gives it a nice subtle color. You slip off the band to open the card. Inside is the card holder:



You can write or stamp a message behind where the card will be as a little surprise for the recipient.

So what kind of gift cards are you going to give this year? You know what I think would make the best card to give away to a loved one?



How about a Studio J membership or 5-pack? The scrapbooker in your life would certainly thank you...it's like giving them the gift of time! And who would say no to that?


Well now...I'm off to "pre-sort" the trunk or treat candy. You know, get it ready to pass around after I take a couple of choice pieces out.


Have a safe Halloween weekend!

Studio J Birthday Layout

Today is my Dad's birthday.

Hi Dad!

I have this wonderful tradition of getting his birthday card made/sent late. I think it may have to do with the fact that his birthday is so close to Halloween and by the time the end of the month comes around, the boys have me on candy/costume/decoration/school festival overload and it slips my mind. And I know he knows I don't mean to be late...but why mess with tradition? This way, he gets to celebrate his special day just a little bit longer!

So while I don't have the card ready to share, I can share a Studio J layout I did of a special birthday party we threw him several years ago.


Studio J: Stardust Reflections Kit

You see, my dear father has a slight appreciation for all things Stargate. This particular year, he received a Stargate DVD season set, a soundtrack, a book, a boardgame, and yes, even a Stargate shaped cake...complete with DHD cupcake. My brother put together a Teal'c from spare G.I. Joe parts to finish off the look. We all wore standard Stargate wear: black and olive.

He was quite surprised when he walked in the door and saw us all!

So Dad, even though the card will most likely get to you just before Thanksgiving (just being real here), you know I love you and hope your day is full of wonderful surprises.






PS: I know the journaling looks wonky when you click on the picture to enlarge it...but it doesn't look that way in real life!

H2H Challenge: Embossing

That has to be the loveliest word I've heard this week. Between Scrap Pack, a workshop and prepping for my Studio J class tonight, I've not had much me time...creatively speaking. And I've not been able to participate in the H2H Challenges for quite a while either! School breaks and traveling will mess with your scheduling I suppose.

But I'm happy to see the challenge this week was embossing because that means I have a card to share!


Here it is:


Stamps: CTMH Share The Magic (October 2010 SOTM)
Inks: CTMH New England Ivy, Cranberry, Versamark
Papers: CTMH New England Ivy, Cranberry, White Daisy, Black, Vellum

I used the same coloring technique as in this card. I haven't used it very often, but I sure love the look it gives.

How about a nice shiny close-up?




In case you missed the technique the first time, emboss your image on vellum, flip it over and color it in with markers and blending pens. It gives it a nice watercolored look. I used several CTMH markers to color the back of the image: Barn Red, Cranberry, New England Ivy, Olive, Grey Wool, Black, Honey, Grey Flannel, Vanilla Cream, Blush.


Well, I still have to get dinner planned and cleaned up before class starts so I'll sign off now. Have a great weekend everyone!

My Close To My Heart Top 10 Under $10

Today's date is pretty special. 10-10-10.


In this house of Math & Engineering, it brings talk of binary numbers and computers.

You do know that 101010 translates to the number 42...which means nothing, but I thought I'd educate you all a little.

You're welcome.

This date in history only comes around every 100 years. Since I'm reasonably sure none of us will be around for the next one, I wanted to mark the day with a proverbial Top 10 list.

We all know what great products CTMH offers, but I wanted to share my favorite 10 for under $10.

In no particular order they are:

1. Texture tools $9.95

I love to add shading and texture to my paper craft projects. It just completes the look in my opinion. However, I don't really like to go too overboard with the distressing and these tools make it easy to control.


2. Micro-Tip Scissors $9.95

These have become my favorite scissors! They just feel more comfortable in my hand and I can cut longer without getting scissor cramp. You know what I mean, right? Cut so long that your fingers curl into your palms automatically? Only a trip to the acupuncturist would help? Not with these. And I love that you can get into itsybitsyteenytiny places when you're cutting.


3. Piercing Tools $5.95

I use my piercing tool as often as I can. I love the look it gives and how easy it is to add just a little something extra to a project.


4. Create-A-Shade Pearl Paint $2.95 and Glitz Glitter Glue $2.75



Okay, I know technically this is two items, but they go so well together I had to mention them together. And it's my list.

If you really like to make your projects sparkle and shine, these two items are an amazing value!


5. Opaques and Sparkles $2.95 each


I know, another 2 items. But I had to put these two blingy (yes, that's a real word) items together. These accessories (and their variations) add so much to a project for so little! The problem comes when you find yourself looking at other things and imagining them with little pearls and sparkles.
Let me tell you, boys do not appreciate that.


6. Mini-Medley Accents $4.95

These mini collections of embellishments pack a big punch! They come in many colors and of course coordinate with all the papers, inks and other accessories. And they're affordable enough to get one of each!


7. Liquid Glass $6.95



Honestly, I don't know what I'd do without this. I use it all the time! It's wonderful for doing what it's meant to do...plus a lot more. I use it to fix broken toys, seal torn vinyl on play tables, and gluing school projects. If my boys were a little more careful around the house, I could actually use it more on my craft projects!


8. Flip-Flaps $3.95


These new Flip-Flaps are so fun to use! Have you ever had just too many photos for one layout? With these new larger sized Flip-Flaps, you can make your albums more interactive and exciting.


9. My Creations 3-D Elements $3.95-$9.95


This entire collection is full of fun and versatile items to decorate and create! Make something for your home, make something for a friend, make something that shows how much you care. The holidays are coming up and these make great gifts for everyone.


10. A-sized My Acrylix Stamp Sets $7.95




While I love everything about all our My Acrylix stamps; the clearness, the flexibility, the high quality, the thing I love most is the affordability! Now, this set I have pictured, A Timber, is my favorite but there are many, many more sets for all occasions. And at only $7.95 they are such a great value, you can have them all!



So that's my Top 10 for under $10 list for 10-10-10. Do you have a favorite 10 CTMH items that you always reach for? Share it with me!

And if you need some ideas on what to do for the rest of today, visit GeekDad and see what fun (albeit geeky) things you can do with your family.


I'll let you know which ones we did.

Jump For Joy With CTMH In October!

I hope everyone has had a chance to go through the SOTM Blog Hop!


Are you completely inspired by all the wonderful projects you've seen? Good! Christmas is just around the corner and this exclusive stamp set would make super fun cards for the holidays. Even the kids could make a set of their own to give to friends. How cute would it be for them to color in?

I've got a couple more cards I created with this fun set...and I will post them...but not today!

Wait, wait, wait. Don't go away mad. I've been busy and out of town. When I get unpacked and laundry tackled, I promise to share them with you.

But today I wanted to share another reason for you to...



This month, when you host a Home or Online Gathering and have $450 in total sales, you can jump up to the next Hostess Rewards level!

More fun, more free product, more 50% off items!

So jump over to my Calendar and schedule your own Gathering for this month.

You and your friends will Jump for Joy!