July's Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! We will be featuring July's SOTM, which is "Happy Forever", a set of 9 stamps.

If you have come here from Nicole's Blog, you are on the right path! If this is your first stop, you may want to go back to Helen's Blog and start from the beginning!

This month we have 67 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other great CTMH products on their blogs. This is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

The adorable images of this stamp set are cute for many occasions!  Here I incorporated a little bit of paper-piecing, by stamping the entire image onto the Colonial White Cardstock.  I then stamped it once more on each of the various patterned papers seen in the balloons.  By cutting out the images and gluing them onto the cardstock image, I was able to achieve different "textures" in the balloons.  The Colonial White Designer Brads, which match the colors of the Zippidee paper pack, provided the finishing touches for this 6x6 card made from our exclusive Originals card program (Button Trio pattern).

Products Used: X7125B Zippidee Level 2 Paper Packet (coordinating stamp pads - Black, Chocolate, Desert Sand, Cranberry), Z1103 Cranberry Grosgrain Ribbon, Z1274 Colonial White Designer Brads.

Now "Hop" on over to Katherine's Blog to see her work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas! Remember, the July SOTM is only available until July 31, 2010.  Contact me (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount or even free!

To view other projects that have been made using this Stamp of the Month please click here.

Happy Hopping and thanks for stopping by!

Fun in the Sun!

These are some swap cards I made to exchange at our National Convention that will be held in just a few more days (and I cannot wait).

I made them using the Caboodle paper pack (coordinating inks), the "Hot Diggity" stamp set, Bitty Black Brads (for his eyes), and some Black Grosgrain Ribbon.  I also used our Pivot Point Stapler to attach the ribbon on the focal point.  I hope they are a hit and cannot wait to see what I get in return!

Childhood Friends

Two years ago when I lived in North Carolina, my cheerleaders held a fundraiser event - a Fly-In - at one of the girl's family's airplane strips.  We had a great day and I even received a private ride.  It was fabulous!

Of course, I was taking numerous pictures this day when a lady stopped me and asked if I would take a photo of her father (on the left) and his childhood friend. They had become friends in 1938 and had reunited this day, sharing some fun memories with those of us who listened in.  I told the lady that I would send her the picture and never had.  Instead I created this layout this past weekend and will be mailing it to her and my cheerleader's Mom whose Father-in-law is the man on the right.  I hope they like it!  (The ribbon on the right side of the photo contains journaling.)

Missing my family reunion

My maternal grandmother's family reunion (Jimenez Family Reunion) is being held this weekend in Silver City, NM and I am sad that I was not able to be there to join in the festivities.  It was the best decision but I KNOW there is tons of partying going on and I am missing it!  Corey and I haven't been to the reunion in many years and we always have a good time.  It would have been great seeing relatives I have not seen in quite some time but instead...I will spend the weekend scrapbooking and being around friends.  :0)

As a tribute to the family, I thought I would share this picture of my Dad and I with my Mom's first cousin, Jo Ann.  (She was a bridesmaid in my parent's wedding, almost 40 years ago...)  She lives outside of Wichita and Corey and I were blessed to have shared some fun times with her this past year when we lived in Kansas. 

These photos were taken the day before we left Hutchinson when we met Jo Ann for one last sha bang (at least for now)!  She and her crazy family are always good fun at the reunion and I will miss seeing them there!

I love hosting challenges for my team and do so at various times throughout the year. 

Just a couple of months ago I hosted a challenge where the winners would receive a CTMH exclusive stamp set as a gift/thank you from me.  Joey T. participated in the challenge and was sent the stamp set she used to create this card! 

Thanks for thanking me, Joey and for surprising me with this card!  I appreciate it!

Gotta love fun mail!

So many times it's advertisements or worse yet, bills that arrive in the mail so I love a "fun mail" day! 

Several of my team members have placed an order with me for some of our cute team shirts!  (I will share a picture when they arrive.)  We like to wear them on the same day at Convention to represent the team.  We also enjoy wearing them at our Close To My Heart events or out in public as a form of advertisement.  Some of the checks that were mailed to me were included in fun cards and here are two of them!

This card was handmade by one of my downline, Windy L. 

It was so stinkin' cute I just could not help but show it off.

This one is a printed card with the beautiful photography taken by my downline, Janet W.  I thought the colors in this photo were absolutely gorgeous and I hope you can appreciate them through this photo.

Thanks to both Windy and Janet for brightening my day!

12 years and counting!

It's been a busy week with our Anniversary/Father's Day, my Dad's Birthday, and preparing for my trip to D.C. in just a little over a week!  I've been very productive but haven't taken the time to post anything so I'm going to do so over the next few days.
Corey and I celebrated 12 years of marriage on Sunday!  We had a VERY relaxing day doing little other than watching movies.  We even had dinner delivered rather than fighting the Father's Day crowd.  It was great and here's to 13! 

I love my Dad!

Today is my Dad's birthday!  I wasn't able to physically celebrate it with him but we did chat over the phone several times today and I hope I get to see him soon!  Luckily, he helped Corey and I move from Kansas to Dallas and was with us for 10 days just a couple of weeks ago!  I am so thankful to him for helping us and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with him!  We shared many laughs and had many good times.  I can't wait for many more.  Happy Birthday, Dad!  Love you tons!

This is us posing with Elvis (not the real one) at Chuy's Restaurant in McKinney.

Memorial Day Weekend

On the last day of the school year (a work day), Corey and I packed up and drove to New Mexico for the holiday weekend.  It was a long but enjoyable trip and we had a good time with my family.

One morning Corey treated us to a delicious grill-made breakfast, complete with potatoes, bacon, sausage, and eggs.  We enjoyed the great food while sitting on my parent's deck.

One day Corey and I took my (maternal) Grandparents out to lunch.

We even managed to squeeze in a little bit of family Pictionary - full of good laughs, of course!

Alyzae had to have her turn, of course.  My dad assisted her with the drawing.

Corey and Amari concentrate really hard on a team member's drawing!

There's something special about spending the holidays with family...

Deep in the Heart of Texas...

I have been away for a bit with the hustle and bustle of finishing up another school year and...packing up and moving (yes, again).  We are happy to be back in the DFW area, amongst good friends and widespread opportunities!  We have been gone for three years - having met wonderful people and experienced new things in Palatka, Florida, Salisbury, North Carolina and Hutchinson, Kansas.  I look forward to making many new memories!

I just arrived home this evening from a fun, relaxing and productive weekend at the Covered Bridge Inn in Weatherford (just 45 minutes from my home)!  I had a great time with friends Cindy D., Karen G., and Pamela O.  I can't share most of my creations right now as they are goodies for my team at Convention and swap cards but I will post them soon.  In the meantime, I'll share some fun pictures we took instead.

 Me and Cindy Denning on a swing in the front yard.

Taking a break in the hammock.

A view from the Covered Bridge in front of the Inn.

We had a great time and thanks for another fabulous experience, Cindy!  Love you!