My Hubby's Birthday is Today!

I love celebrating my husband's birthday, another opportunity for me to welcome in a fun and exciting year!  Of course, life is always full of fun and surprises when you have the husband I have! 

Birthday events are pretty limited around here as mine is smack in the middle of football season and his, during recruiting.  So, we take pleasure in doing what we can to celebrate the event around the busy football schedule and this year is no different.

Yesterday I made this birthday card for him out of our "You Rock" paper pack.  I am pleased with how it came out and hope you like it too!  (While it's difficult to see, the Goldrush star (just above "rock") is 3-D, layered on top of the same star.)

Brrr...

If you recall, I mentioned (in a previous post) that my team had done a gift exchange during the holiday season called, "Holiday Homies".  Well, one of the requirements of the participants was to send a "thank you" gift to the person that had been giving to them.

I received some CUTE items that I'll be sharing over several posts.  My downline and friend, Joey, included this beautiful card with her thank you gifts!  I love how she used the White Daisy pigment-based ink on these snowflakes!  She also included some bling in the middle of them using our Sparkles and topped it off with a piece of Chocolate ribbon and a snowflake from our "Wonder Heartfelt Die-Cuts" collection.

Thanks so much for all my goodies, Joey!  I think I'll make sure you have me next year!  :0)

Gotta love a snow day!

I knew it got cold and snowed quite a bit in Kansas, but what I did not think about was the fact that people from around here or further north don't think twice about wintery weather.  We knew we were expecting 4 to 8 inches of snowfall Thursday evening but I wasn't holding my breath for a snow day!

After the snowfall we had in November, which pretty much became ice, and I still had to drive to work for several days in a row I was surprised at the call I received last night.  "Due to weather conditions, school is cancelled tomorrow..."  Woohoo!  I didn't even need to listen to the rest of the message!  I love an excuse to stay warm and cozy inside while being able to do whatever I want to!  Of course, a 3-day weekend is just an added bonus.  I was productive and will be sharing some of my creativity over the next few days with you.  In the meantime, here are some wintery photos from Kansas.

A view outside the backdoor.  This was early in the day and it continues to snow but you can see the height accumulation on the picnic table.  There won't be any "picnicin" here for awhile!

A photo out the front door.  Our side street never gets cleaned since it's parallel to a main street.  That's where the challenge takes place!

Out the front door, looking southwest.

My purpose for this photo, although I didn't make too many attempts because it was COLD, was to show how deep the snow on the front porch was.  It had been pushed back when Corey went to work this morning.

Altered Letters

Have you ever known someone for just a short while and felt like you have known them all your life?  That is how I feel about my friend Kristy.  We were blessed to meet each other in 2006 while working at The Academy in Irving, TX.  It was her first year teaching and we were neighbors and hit it off just great!  We have shared some fun times and great memories since then and I just love my friend!  I decided to make her these altered letters - some wall decor she can find a home for. 

I purchased these larger (and cute) letters at Hobby Lobby and used the backside of one of the paper patterns included in "Daydream" (the green stripes).  Then, I used our "Love Letters" rub-ons to include the flourish design you see here.  While the photos were not taken in the best light, I think you get the idea.  I hope she loves them!

"Love Is Family" Workshop - February 18th!

For just $6, join me on Thursday, February 18th at 6:30 p.m. and you too can make these layouts - perfect for your family photos!  Space is limited and the event will be held at a location in Hutchinson (KS).  Reserve your spot by Sunday, February 14th.  Contact me for additonal details!  I hope to see you there!

Close-up of the left page

Close-up of the right page

Rub-Ons on Mugs?!

My downline, Joey, used Rub-Ons on a tall vase (which was a gift for one of our other Consultant friends) and I thought I would give a whirl and here was my result.

I bought these mugs at the Dollar Tree for just $1 (gotta love that) and used our "Love Letters" rub-ons to decorate them.  I was pleased at how simple it was to do so, making sure I cut out the image and then laid it on the mug.  I did use a small piece of tape, on either end of the image, in order to help hold it in place as I rubbed the image onto the mug.  I did not seal them - need to look into that - but figure I can always use and hand-wash them when I want.  However, right now, they are sitting in my scrap area/office with some CTMH goodies in them! 

I even went as far as to place some images on the back side of the respective mugs.  I was so pleased with the results and hope you like them too!

Had a successful Open House!

My "Out with the Old, In with the New" event, held this past Saturday, was a fun and successful event!  I enjoyed sharing Close To My Heart with those who attended.

When each guest arrived, they were given one of our brand new, 2010 Spring Idea Books - a gift from me for attending - a folder full of useful information AND a cute, Hershey Nuggets tent (close-up provided in a previous post)!

I had new products out for them to view, helping them complete their Tic-Tac-Toe game sheet (of course, their were prizes given for completion).

On this table I highlighed our soon-to-come Studio J online scrapbooking software, our great "how-to" program (Cherish and Wishes), Serendipity (our January/Papercrafting Month Constant Campaign), cards made with "True Friends" (our January Stamp of the Month) and some cute paper-crafting projects (you can view a close-up in the photo below).

Here are just a few of my favorite papercrafting/altered items.

Guests did make a cute, altered coaster that served as a sticky note holder (I will post a photo of that later in a separate post) and they loved them!  There were tickets given for various things such as RSVPing for the event, placing an order, make the create 'n take item, etc. and I am proud to announce that Pam was the winner of the drawing!  She won $25 in select product credit and was able to select 3 items from the Idea Book.  Thanks to all that attended!  I had a great time!

Nugget Tin

Gotta love these nugget tins that are so practical - they have Hershey's Nuggets in them (hello!) - and make cute gifts!  This one was made using the Grace paper pack and the January Stamp of the Month, "True Friends".  I used coordinating Background & Texture paper (a.k.a. patterned paper or B&T) to cover the Hershey nuggets so they coordinated with the tin.  This didn't take much time to put together and I love the results!

NEW Idea Book Celebration

I am finishing up some final things for my NEW Idea Book Celebration which will be held tomorrow!  I am excited and look forward to showing off some of our newest products and generating some interest for my upcoming events.  I am hoping for some fun and energy as I share my love of Close To My Heart with people in this area.  Each person that attends will get their very own copy of the NEW Spring 2010 Idea Book FREE (valued at $3.95) - filled with awesome products and beautiful artwork - as well as some additional treats for attending!

I look forwarding to providing an update on how my event went.  Until then...  I wanted to share this cute gift with you.  I received it with my Christmas gifts, made by my Mom.  It's a cute sticky note pad holder made with coasters (yes, drink coasters)!  The paper used is from "Notebook" with some adorable embellishments that really put the finishing touches on this cute item!

Here's an "inside" view:

Clear Bucket

While I have received these cute little buckets as gifts before, and have even purchased some, this is the first one I have decorated and I think I did a pretty good job! 


I used our Magic Moments paper pack and the January Stamp of the Month, "True Friends", to decorate it.  Of course, the bucket would not be complete with all the cute ribbon on the handle.  This one is a gift for a friend and I hope she likes it!

Nugget Tents

There is a good reason that our Close To My Heart "catalog" is called an "Idea Book".  Not only are there fabulous products found inside but I love the many samples that are also provided in there!  I love copying them or using them to spur on a little bit of my own creativity. 

These cute nugget tents are pictured in the NEW Spring Idea Book on page 36 and are so simple to make!  It just takes a 2" x 6" sheet of cardstock and then you score at 2.5" and 3.5".  You can embellish as desired.  I used our new Topstitch paper to accent these and felt that it was enough.  You can be more elaborate in decorating them but I chose to keep these simple!

Altered Pocket Calendars

One of the reasons I joined Close To My Heart over eleven years ago was because of the inexpensive gifts I could make and this fact still holds true!  I love finding a good bargain and did so with these pocket calendars.


I enjoy frequenting the discount sections of stores to see what is alterable.  Last week I found these pocket calendars in the Dollar Spot section of Target for 75% off!  I was able to buy 4 of them for just $1 - what a steal!  Usually when I find them I tend to look inside to make sure the "decorations" inside are not too overpowering so that I have some CTMH products that I can make a cover with.  As soon as I saw the insides, it made me think of "Be Yourself" (one of our past and cutest Stamp of the Months) and so that's what I used on the covers.  I was able to use scraps of paper and hope they will find a great home.  I intend on using them for some gifts for friends and business events.  These always make great gifts at the start of a new year!  Of course, I will be sure to make and include a coordinating pen just have not made those yet to include in the photo.

Here are a few more that I have made over the last month or so.

This one is mine!

I made it through the week!

It is always challenging return to work after an enjoyable break but luckily, it wasn't too challenging and I made it!  Of course, the students come back to school tired (as I do) after staying up late and sleeping in every morning during their time off.  Many were anxious to get back to school because of the socialization aspect, not really for any other reason.  It was good to see and hear the excitement of them seeing you again after two weeks, actually saying they missed you!  Luckily, we have a short week this week because of parent-teacher conferences, something I actually enjoy and we get to enjoy a 4 day weekend because of conferences and Martin Luther King Day.  I think I will be able to survive this week although it will be extremely busy!

Check back for daily posts this week!

Go Cowboys!

Corey and I have always been Cowboy fans, even before we knew one another existed.  Over the years we have enjoyed watching their games on t.v., going to venues in Dallas to join in all the fun, and better yet, attending them in person!  When possible, our Thankgiving tradition has been to go to the Cowboys game and we did so again this past Thanksgiving Day!  We had a great time, as always, creating our own personal tailgate hours before the game!  Of course, we are thrilled they won their first play-off game yesterday (since 1996) and hope they will keep playing as strong to progress towards the Super Bowl!

Negative Temperatures!

I have experienced the coldest temperatures in my life (literally) over the last week.  Temperatures here in Kansas set records in some places.  I went to work Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings with temperatures in the negatives.  Over the last few days, the negative temperatures were with AND WITHOUT the wind chill.  At least while growing up in New Mexico, when the roads were too icy or we had snow that endangered travel to work (i.e. school), there were some benefits...but not here!  My thought is, if it's this cold...it should come with beauty (snow) and a two-hour delay or a day off of work! LOL

Needless to say, it's been bearable being that I am only out in the elements going between house, car, and work and in reverse order.  I hope to say that we have experienced the coldest weather of the winter season but I am not sure that will hold true.  The sun can definitely be deceiving.  It's beaming in my room at work, being that my classroom is located on the 4th floor but do not get your hopes up...it is still cold out there!  In fact, this morning when I woke up, the sun was shining beautifully but it was 10 degrees and felt like -3!  Hoping you are staying warm wherever you are.

This is a photo from my classroom, when we had a good snow in December.  On this day it wasn't nearly as cold as it's been here in the last week, without the snow.

Holiday Homies

Several members of my team and myself participated in a "Holiday Homie" exchange over the last few months.  I decided to call the exchange "Holiday Homies" rather than "Secret Santas" or "Secret Sisters" because when mailing things all over the country, it is a little challenging to keep it secret.

Participants were asked to send hand-created papercrafting gifts to their Holiday Homie around Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas with a thank you gift sent, in return, around the New Year.  It has been fun seeing the different items that were created and sent.  The person giving to me was my dear friend and team member, Tonya, and she sent me some cute, cute items!

She sent me an adorable Halloween frame that has been packed away with the fall decorations so forgive me for not taking a picture beforehand.

My Thanksgiving gift was this adorable 12x12 picture frame which serves as a dry erase memo board.  She used the Grace paper pack and coordinating stamp sets and embellishments.

She outdid herself with my Christmas gift.  She made this beautiful My Creations All-Sorts Mini Album (Z1224) made with Jingle paper and cute accessories. 

You will find a slideshow of all the beautiful pages in the slideshow below this post

This was a fun exchange and hopefully becomes a tradition of the Heartfelt Sentiments Team.

It's time to get back to "real" work!

One of the benefits of being an Educator is getting time off for the holidays!  I tend to take full advantage of them, sleeping in and dictating my schedule for the day!

This holiday break was no different.  While it was cold here in Hutchinson, I had a good excuse to stay inside and work on some of my papercrafting projects.  Not only did I clean out some of my products, I reorganized and did some creating!

I have loved these little pizza boxes ever since I saw them posted on the Close To My Heart Bulletin Board and finally decided to try one.  They are super easy and even cuter in person!  You can fit a small gift inside or a few small gift cards or tags.  They are simply adorable!

I used the directions created by Jen del Muro, found through splitcoaststampers.  Please contact me if you would like a copy of them.

See you tomorrow after my first day back to work!

Looking forward to 2010!

I am excited about the start of a new decade and am looking forward to making great strides in achieving both personal and business goals. The first of my goals begins tomorrow as I vow to work out a minimum of 3 days a week, doing Zumba, and then adding in some jogging/running when the weather allows.

There was no better way to start off the new year than spending it with my husband. We spent the night in Wichita, beginning the evening with dinner at P.F. Changs and then heading to Fox and the Hound where they had a new year's eve celebration, complete with a D.J. and finger foods. We always manage to have a good time, even when it is just the two of us, and this time was no different.

Wishing you the best in the new year!

Join me in celebrating National Papercrafting Month!

January is National Papercrafting Month, and we are celebrating in style! Check out the daily blog created especially for this month. You can win a Felicity papercrafting kit, just by reading and leaving a comment. One lucky winner will be chosen each and every day. Become a follower of the blog.

Celebrate papercrafting with the stunning Felicity Collection! The collection features decorative die-cut paper, three gorgeous color schemes, and a D-size stamp set that include flowers, flourishes, argyle patterns, birds, and an entire alphabet! Your papercrafting possibilities are endless!

There are three ways to get the Felicity collection:

• Purchase it at full retail price for $34.95.
  
• Place an order of $60 or more in full-retail priced stamp sets (A, B, C, D, and E-size) and receive one collection FREE! Excludes Stamp of the Month, Art & Soul, Workshop on the Go, and customizable (K) stamp sets.
  
• Place an order of $125 or more in full-retail priced Close To My Heart products and receive one collection FREE!

The campaign also has enticing opportunities for hostesses and new Consultants. Hostesses get the collection FREE with a Home Gathering sales total of $400 or more, and new Consultants who join Close To My Heart between January 1-31 will receive the collection FREE in their New Consultant Kit.

Celebrate with the Felicity Collection today! This campaign is valid thru January 31, 2010.

Place your order through my website or contact me directly and I'll add it to my next order!

Limit of one FREE kit per order, which includes all obtainable options. Standard shipping and handling is charged on full retail value. Tax may apply. While supplies last.