September Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to our September Stamp of the Month (SOTM) Blog Hop! We are featuring "Thriller", a set of 9 stamps.

If you have come here from Katherine's Blog, you are on the right path! My blog marks then end of the "hop" but 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 69 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other great CTMH products on their blogs.

Here is my creation!

I am carrying on the tradition of using chalks again this month... I LOVE using this technique especially for Halloween-themed items and I think it fit perfectly with this stamp set!

To get this effect I took a piece of Black cardstock.  Using a cotton ball, I placed various colors of coordinating chalk (3 colors are suggested) on the cardstock in a circular motion.  Then, I inked up the image with the Versamark ink pad and stamped the image on the cardstock.  When removing the image, the stamp design is seen through the chalk and this is the resulting factor!  This technique can be used on darker colors of cardstock but I have found that it works best on Black.  Give it a try and share what you come up with! 

Products Used: X7129B Hooligans Level 2 Paper Packet, Z903 Summer Soft Chalks, Z891 Versamark ink pad, Z1101 Black Grosgrain Ribbon, Z1218 Basic Brad Assortment.

Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas!  Click here to start the blog from the beginning by visiting Helen's Blog!  Remember, the September SOTM is only available until September 30, 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!

Splendor Cards

Thanks to my friend, Debi, I have a card club going and we have met monthly for the last three months.  Last week I created and they made these four cards and this cute storage box to store them in.  We used the Splendor Level 2 Paper Packet and the Irresistibles Dimensional Elements (my favorite product at this time)!

The Irresistibles work like MAGIC!  They come white with some white embossed images on them and when you use a sponge or dauber and apply your choice of color...the white part resists the design and you get some beautiful embellishments!!!!!  Check them out in close-ups of the cards!

These cards measured 4 1/4 x 4 1/4 and were created using standard-size card bases and envelopes (4 1/2 x 5 1/2).  It's a cute variation for them and they store nicely in this box.

Thanks for looking and I hope you like!

One week down!

I just completed my first week of school and all went well!  Despite having 15 years of teaching experience, it took several days to adjust to some processes of my new school.  I have been reminded how much I enjoy teaching at a high school - the school year's first pep rally was today and the atmosphere was fun!  I am looking forward to a great year!

Another birthday celebration!

This was the first year that my birthday was extended past just the day of the 15th and you will hear no argument from me! 

Last weekend I co-hosted a joint event at one of my downline's house (Xellina's) and with several of my team members and we had a great time!  The set-up was fabulous and we enjoyed a delicious Mexican meal!  Much to my surprise, Xellina made me this DARLING noteholder (and the cute magnets and card) as a birthday gift!

It was attached to these CUTE balloons and on a beautiful stand!

She also purchased a birthday cake for me and another team member (Cyndi) whose birthday was the day before mine.  The cake was chocolate cake with chocolate frosting - my absolute favorite - and was decorated so CUTE!  Did I mention it was also yummy?!  It was fun celebrating my birthday again surrounded by dear friends.

Here, my friend Karen and I, take a break from creating.

Thank you, Xellina for going out of your way to celebrate our birthdays!  It was very much appreciated!

Not for the squeamish!

If you are frightened, even of photos, of reptiles you might want to skip this post although...it's just a baby... :0) However, the story might make you squirm!

A couple of weeks ago, I was working on some things in my scraproom.  I needed to go get something from my purse, which was on the floor in another room, and when I leaned over to get something from it I realized something was moving in the living room!  I looked over to see what it was, knowing but not wanting to accept it, and hoping it was a lizzard... 

It was no lizzard!  It was this baby snake, although quite long in length.  The pattern on it is pretty distinct but I refuse to determine what species it is.  Initially I was not sure what to do with it - I have never killed a snake before - and finally got the broom and took a few stabs at it.  It weakened a bit and I slid it onto this dustpan.  But...it was not dead! 

At some point it ended up lifting it's front portion upright and hissed at me!  I ended up calling the office, Corey was not home and I did not know what to do with it now (lol), and they sent over a couple of maintenance guys to help me.  Of course they were extremely disappointed when they arrived and teased me a bit.  I told them typically I am not afraid of snakes but I typically do not expect them to be in my house either!  They put the snake in an empty plastic bottle and carried him away for keeping.  I hope he does not get loose and show up here again! 

By the way, I had moved some boxes in from the storage area outside our place to reorganize some things.  We have suspicion it may have taken cover in there in an attempt to keep cool and I brought him in with the boxes.  At least that sounds like a great explanation rather than thinking there are more in here! LOL  We live right above a cliff so getting critters is not too surprising.  That day was definitely an adventure!

You've Never Seen a Recipe Book Like This!

A couple of weeks ago, I shared a 6x6 layout I created for a Recipe Swap held at a team event.  I'm going to send you to my website with this post so you can see the other phenomenal artwork that was submitted!  It is well worth checking out! 

And...if you post a comment to this post, I will draw three names to receive a handmade card from me in the mail!  (If you win, I will announce your name on my blog in a few days and will ask you for your mailing address privately.)  Thanks for stopping by!

My Favorite Birthday Memories!

I am thankful and blessed my parents made the drive from Silver City, NM to Arlington, TX to help me celebrate my birthday!  Out of the twelve years I have been married, they have only helped me celebrate once, in 2003, so this year was extremely special!

We did lots of things during their visit but I first wanted to share highlights of my birthday...

We started out my birthday weekend with dinner on Saturday at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in downtown Fort Worth.  The atmosphere was wonderful and the food, phenomenal.  I had a petite steak, some yummy garlic potatoes and some birthday dessert.  We topped off the night going to a Jazz club and were enterained with a couple that took dancing way too serious!  lol

Sunday morning, Corey surprised me and my parents with a scrumptous breakfast (pictured here).  He is a fabulous cook and I usually tease him that he does not allow me to confirm that often.  :0)

I received some fun birthday gifts including a beautiful bouquet of flowers, a Clip It Up (for my CTMH embellishments - a picture to come later), a cute black and green polka dotted bag for my Cricut, and some fun spending money.  I have already used some of my birthday money to buy a new chair for my workspace desk (will also share later).

Sunday afternoon we made a trip to Dave & Buster's for some fun and games!  We started with Shuffle Board - Corey and my Mom vs. me and my Dad.  It was the first time my parents had played and we had a great time!

My Dad and I won!

After spending quite a bit of time at Dave & Buster's, we headed to the House of Blues in downtown Dallas so my parents could see it.  We have only been there one time prior but it was on a Saturday night and was completely packed so it was nice to be able to move with freedom.

Then we headed to dinner at Fireside in Highland Park where we ate some delicious wood-fired oven pizzas that were delicious!  To top off the night we had a tasty ice cream cake from Baskin & Robbins - white cake and Oreo Cookie ice cream.  YUM!

My birthday weekend was wonderful and one that I will treasure for a long time to come.  Thanks for sharing this special time with me, Mom and Dad. I appreciate it very much...

Stamp Camp 2011!

Between my blog doing some weird things these last few days, being without a modem since Friday afternoon, and spending time with team members yesterday...I have slacked in my posts.

Yesterday I had the wonderful opportunity to spend the day with 31 other Close To My Heart Consultants, focusing on new improvements to our businesses and creating some fun artwork with new techniques - which I will be teaching to my customers in the next few months.  It was a wonderful day and I almost had a difficult time being in the moment.  Having been away from team members for several years it was hard to believe it was "real".

Heartfelt Sentiments Team Members who joined me at Stamp Camp 2011.

Front Row (L to R):  Windy Leal, Mary Collins, ME (Melissa Robinson), Xellina Wieland, Amanda Canale, Cyndi Lam, Michelle McDougald, Lupita Garza

Back Row (L to R):  Pam Thorn, Janet Johnson, Judy Faye Garner, Jennifer Hart, Rose Mary Steel, Joy McHargue and Bertha Camarillo.

This was a joint team meeting held with Cindy Denning's Western Hearts Team. 

Here is a photo of her team as well as some highlights from the day.

6x6 Recipe Artwork

I am at Stamp Camp today - an event where 30 area Close To My Heart Consultants, from my team and my friend's Cindy Denning's team, have joined together for a day of fun and productivity!  I look forward to sharing photos of the event over the next few days but will start with sharing my creation for a swap that will take place there.

13 of us elected to participate in a Recipe Swap where we created a layout (two-pages) and either could include one recipe spread across both pages (as I did) or a recipe on each page.  The only requirements were we had to use all current CTMH products so this is what I came up with!

I used the "You Rock" Level 2 paper packet, "The Works" Alphabet, "A Twinkle" stamp set, Outdoor Denim Twill Ribbon, and Stars Dimensional Elements in design.  I used a Sponge Dauber, inked in Goldrush, to color the stars.  I feel the "layouts" came together well and I hope they are liked by the other participants.

P.S. These yummy S'more Cups are absolutely delicious and super easy to make!

$2, $4, $8...for 8 days ONLINE SALE! (Starts tomorrow - the 4th)

Close To My Heart wants to show you how much we appreciate your business! To do so, they are bringing a Constant Campaign with SUPER deals to you for 8 days only.

From August 4 at 9 am (MDT) through August 11, while supplies last, you can purchase selected My Stickease® assortments for only $2, My Reflections® Level 1 kits for only $4, and My Reflections® Level 2 paper packets for only $6 on my MyCTMH® website. The deals are amazing and in order to bring them to you these items are only available through my website for the next 8 days.

LIST OF SALE ITEMS
Here is a list of the sales items that will be available starting tomorrow morning. Visit my website tomorrow to find photos or you can email me for a detailed list.  Please contact me if I may be of help. (Note: Last number in line of link indicates sales price of item. 2 = $2)

X7045A - My Reflections Vintage Travel Level 1 4
X7045C - VintageTravel My Stickease 2
X7056A - My Reflections Discovery Level 1 4
X7060A - My Reflections Heirloom Level 1 4
X7060B - My Reflections Heirloom Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7061A - My Reflections Floral Impressions Level 1 4
X7061B - My Reflections Floral Impressions Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7061C - Floral Impressions My Stickease 2
X7062A - My Reflections Laid Back Level 1 4
X7069A - My Reflections Just Chillin Level 1 4
X7069C - Just Chillin My Stickease 2
X7070A - My Reflections Simple Pleasure Level 1 4
X7070B - My Reflections Simple Pleasure Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7070C - Simple Pleasure My Stickease 2
X7071A - My Reflections Best Friends Forever Level 1 4
X7072A - My Reflections School Zone Level 1 4
X7072C - School Zone My Stickease 2
X7073A - My Reflections Abundance Level 1 4
X7073B - My Reflections Abundance Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7073C - Abundance My Stickease 2
X7075A - My Reflections More To Adore Level 1 4
X7075B - My Reflections More To Adore Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7075C - More To Adore My Stickease 2
X7076A - My Reflections Sonata Level 1 6
X7076C - Sonata My Stickease 2
X7077C - Sweet Harmony My Stickease 2
X7078A - My Reflections Cutie Pie Level  6
X7078C - Cutie Pie My Stickease 2
X7079B - My Reflections Rough n Tumble Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7079C - Rough n Tumble My Stickease 2
X7080A - My Reflections Route 66 Level 1 6
X7080C - Route 66 My Stickease 2
X7081A - My Reflections Majestic Blue Level 1 4
X7081B - My Reflections Majestic Blue Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7081C - Majestic Blue My Stickease 2
X7082A - My Reflections Expedition Level 1 6
X7082C - Expedition My Stickease 2
X7083A - My Reflections Let's Get Together Level 1 6
X7084A - My Reflections Floral Tapestry Level 1 6
X7085A - My Reflections Everlasting Level 1 6
X7085B - My Reflections Everlasting Paper Packet 6
X7085C - Everlasting My Stickease 2
X7086A - My Reflections Caprice Level 1 6
X7086B - My Reflections Caprice Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7086C - Caprice My Stickease 2
X7087A - My Reflections Enchanted Level 1 6
X7087B - My Reflections Enchanted Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7087C - Enchanted My Stickease 2
X7088A - My Reflections Free Spirit Level 1 4
X7088B - My Reflections Free Spirit Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7088C - Free Spirit My Stickease 2
X7089A - My Reflections Lifes Delights Level 1 4
X7089C - Life Delights My Stickease 2
X7090A - My Reflections Silhouette Level 1 4
X7090B - My Reflections Silhouette Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7090C - Silhouette My Stickease 2
X7091A - My Reflections it’s a Guy Thing Level 1 4
X7091B - My Reflections it’s a Guy Thing Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7091C - it’s a Guy Thing My Stickease 2
X7092A - My Reflections Good Times Level 1 4
X7092B - My Reflections Good Times Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7092C - Good Times My Stickease 2
X7093A - My Reflections Sweet Pea Level 1 4
X7093C - Sweet Pea My Stickease 2
X7094A - My Reflections Paper Garden Level 1 4
X7094C - Paper Garden My Stickease 2
X7095A - My Reflections Boom-Di-Ada Level 1 4
X7095B - My Reflections Boom-Di-Ada Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7095C - Boom-Di-Ada My Stickease 2
X7096A - My Reflections Blue Ribbon Level 1 4
X7096B - My Reflections Blue Ribbon Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7096C - Blue Ribbon My Stickease 2
X7097A - My Reflections Game On Level 1 Kit 4
X7097B - My Reflections Game On Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7097C - Game On My Stickease 2
X7098A - My Reflections Sarsaparilla Level 1 Kit 4
X7098B - My Reflections Sarsaparilla Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7098C - Sarsaparilla My Stickease 2
X7100A - My Reflections Perfect Day Level 1 4
X7100B - My Reflections Perfect Day Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7100C - Perfect Day My Stickease 2
X7101A - My Reflections Magic Moments Level 1 4
X7101B - My Reflections Magic Moments Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7101C - Magic Moments My Stickease 2
X7102A - My Reflections Notebook Level 1 4
X7102B - My Reflections Notebook Paper Packet 6
X7102C - Notebook My Stickease 2
X7103A - My Reflections Aspen Level 1 4
X7103B - My Reflections Aspen Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7103C - Aspen My Stickease 2
X7104A - My Reflections Evensong Level 1 4
X7104B - My Reflections Evensong Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7104C - Evensong My Stickease 2
X7105A - My Reflection sEmporium Level 1 4
X7105B - My Reflections Emporium Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7105C - Emporium My Stickease 2
X7106A - My Reflections Unforgettable Level 1 4
X7106B - My Reflections Unforgettable Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7106C - Unforgettable My Stickease 2
X7107A - My Reflections That’s Amore Level 1 4
X7107B - My Reflections That’s Amore Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7107C - That’s Amore My Stickease 2
X7108A - My Reflections Daydream Level 1 4
X7108B - My Reflections Daydream Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7108C - Daydream My Stickease 2
X7109A - My Reflections Stardust Level 1 4
X7109B - My Reflections Stardust Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7109C - Stardust My Stickease 2
X7110A - My Reflections Back Country Level 1 4
X7110B - My Reflections Back Country Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7110C - Back Country My Stickease 2
X7111A - My Reflections Moon Doggie Level 1 4
X7111B - My Reflections Moon Doggie Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7111C - Moon Doggie My Stickease 2
X7112A - My Reflections Animal Cookies Level 1 4
X7112B - My Reflections Animal Cookies Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7112C - Animal Cookies My Stickease 2
X7113A - My Reflections Tinkerin Level 1 4
X7113B - My Reflections Tinkerin Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7113C - Tinkerin My Stickease 2
X7114A - My Reflections Bella Level 1 4
X7114B - My Reflections Bella Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7114C - Bella My Stickease 2
X7115A - My Reflections Jingle Level 1 4
X7115B - My Reflections Jingle Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7115C - Jingle My Stickease 2
X7116A - My Reflections Sweet Home Level 1 4
X7116B - My Reflections Sweet Home Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7116C - Sweet Home My Stickease 2
X7117A - My Reflections Grace Level 1 4
X7117B - My Reflections Grace Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7117C - Grace My Stickease 2
X7118A - My Reflections Twitterpated Level 1 4
X7118B - My Reflections Twitterpated Level 2 Paper Packet 6
X7118C - Twitterpated My Stickease 2

Love My Heartfelt Sentiments Team!

I was blessed to be able to spend the weekend scrapbooking with some of my team members and Consultant friends!  I was extremely productive, making fun layouts and cards with some of our new products but...those are under wrap until September 1st!  I know, I know...I'm such a tease...but they are stinkin' cute!  :0)

I managed to complete this layout commemorating some moments spent with my team at Convention in early July.  Most photos were taken at our team dinner but others, during the course of Convention.  These Ocean-colored polos were our team shirts worn on the first day of Convention and helped to easily identify one another. 

There are no names or journaling on this layout because that information will be included elsewhere in the album.  This layout was a little different for me, putting the photos right next to each other with no mattes, but I love how it came out!  Did I mention...I LOVE MY TEAM?