February Stamp of the Month BLOG HOP

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!  We will be featuring February's Stamp of the Month (SOTM), "Friendship", a set of 8 stamps.  

If you have come here from Wendy's Blog you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way all around.  If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants here.

This month we have approximately 66 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!

I love the "damask" look of this stamp set - great for creating backgrounds as I did on this card.  

Using a Black ink pad, I random-stamped the image on White Daisy Cardstock, creating a triangle pattern as I did.  Trimmed slightly and layered on Crystal Blue cardstock, I then added the focal point to the center of the card.  In my attempt not to detract from the background paper and beautiful friendship saying, I simply added a few Opaque Pearls and Black-striped ribbon as a finishing touch.

Close To My Heart Products used:  D1453 Friendship SOTM, Z1336 Opaque Pearl Adhesive Gems, Black Ink, Z1393 Black, Mini Medley Accents Collection, Crystal Blue Cardstock, Heavenly Blue Cardstock.

Here is an alternative to the card, using the colors and paper of the NEW "Miracle" paper packet.

Now "Hop" on over to Caren'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 SOTM is only available until January 28, 2011!  Click here to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount or even free!  I have additional samples viewable on my website!  Click here to view them!

HAPPY HOPPIN'!

Disney-bound! (You can be too!)

This year's National Convention will be held in Anaheim, California at the Disneyland Hotel!  I look forward to this event every year as I get to have fun and connect with my team members and other fellow Consultants.

We always have a great time as the Idea Book is unveiled to us "live" - you would be amazed at the excitement such an unveiling generates!  We have the opportunity to learn about the newest products and fabulous techniques in which to incorporate them as well as business trainings that help us make the most of our businesses.

Since returning from Convention last summer (held in Washington, D.C.), my friend Teri, shared an incentive idea she was doing with her team and I jumped onboard.  My team members had an opportunity to join the Mickey Mouse Club, simply by registering for Convention.  We have the luxury of doing so by joining the "Dollars to Disney" program where we can make gradual payments towards our registration fee!  I did this last year and felt like I was able to attend for FREE since I never felt it in my pocket book.  I'm excited to have participated in this program this year - even tucking away a little money towards new products (which we can purchase at a discount at Convention)!  For those who joined the club...I also sent them the above pin, to wear at their Close To My Heart events, and this CUTE card!

I used the retired "Giggles & Grins" paper packet and the retired "Fancy Fuzz Borders" - to create the Mickey silhouette.

There's nothing like the experience of being at a Close To My Heart Convention.  If you would like to know more about becoming a Consultant and a member of my Heartfelt Sentiments team, please email me and I would be happy to provide you more information.  (There is a wonderful recruiting campaign that will take place during the month of February.  Watch my blog, during the early days of the month, for additional details.

Getting Organized in 2011

For those who know me, I'm a pretty organized person.  I can find most things I need when I need them - but I can always use some additional and CUTE organizational methods to help me in this area!

After attending Team Builders and hearing a presentation by Dana S., I came home with motivation to decorate and organize this Business Binder.  It has everything I need, at my fingertips, for my Close To My Heart Business including downline and customer information, creative ideas, and my business calendar.  Of course, I had to decorate the CUTE cover using the Sophia paper pack and coordinating cardstock!  Here's to staying organized this year!

Giant Nugget Card Boxes

This is one of the projects we created at my Team event this past Saturday.  The pattern was shared by my upline, Jody, and I created them as Christmas gifts for my club members.  (I forgot to take pictures of those but made them using Christmas paper.)

This stinkin' cute, paper-crafted boxes and cards, are absolutely adorable and even moreso in person!  They are a little sneak peek at the beautiful new paper pack called...SOPHIA!  I have fallen in love!

 Three Hershey's Nuggets have been wrapped with background and texture paper (B&T) to coordinate.  Aren't they cute?!

Here is a better photo of the cards.  I chose to keep them simple for mass production.  Can you identify, besides a new stamp set highlighted here, another new product that will be included in the Spring/Summer 2011 Idea Book to be released on the 1st of February?!  I have fallen in love with it too!

I will be hosting a workshop in February for these cute boxes.  If you don't live locally to me and can't physically attend - because I'd love to have you at my workshop - then email me and I'm happy to share directions!  They make great gifts for co-workers, secret sisters, small appreciation gifts, etc.!

Successful Nation-wide Team Gathering

My accountability partner and dear friend, Teri, and I worked together to conduct team meetings in various locations throughout the United States yesterday and we pulled it off with great success!  Between the two of us we had 51 attendees!  Isn't that awesome?!  With both of us having lived away from close acquaintances involved in CTMH, it has allowed us to greater understand the feelings of those who don't live in close proximity to us, their uplines.  We taught two different workshops and had fun networking and connecting nation-wide over the phone through a conference call.

Each location coordinated their own lunch menus.  I served a salad and potato bar (thanks to the idea from my friend, Cindy) and the attendees brought munchies.  Two of the items which were especially enjoyed was this chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting and strawberries and yummy cupcakes.

 From left to right:  Amanda, Karen, Cherri and Erlynne

 Lynn, Cyndi and Amanda working on their projects

 Here was our croppin' area provided by my dear friend and downline, Xellina.

Here's the entire group!

Front row:  Lynn , Cherri, Amanda, Xellina and Me (Melissa)

Back row:  Erlynne, Karen and Cyndi

I enjoyed spending time with these sweet ladies and it was wonderful to connect with so many of my team members in one day! 

Here is a photo of the group who united in Chandler, TX!

Front row:  Melanie, Pam, Rose Mary

Second Row:  Rebecca & Judy Faye

Third Row:  Joy & Tina

Fourth Row:  Janet & Wanda

WHAT FUN!!!!!  I look forward to our next nation-wide event in April!

Goodies are always good!

Everyone loves goodies and last weekend at the Team Builder's Conference, we weren't short of them - that's for sure!

Upon registering we were given this C-U-T-E basket of goodies, especially appreciated by the cheerleader in me, full of "cheerleader"-type items, fitting for the weekend's theme.

There was a megaphone, pom pons, #1 fingers, mini banners, tattoos and lots of other fun goodies!

Then...(drum roll is needed here, please) on Friday we were given a rolling bag with over $1500 worth of scrapbooking products in it!  It weighed in at over (drum roll again, please) 51 lbs.!  The bag would barely roll!  In it were paper packs, embellishments and other fun stuff...OH MY!

It was packed to the brim with various products and even the pockets on the front were filled with goodies!  I'll be playing with this fun stuff and using it as door prizes at my upcoming events and for challenges for my team!  It almost felt like Christmas all over again!

On Saturday, placed at our tables, were these BEAUTIFUL leather notebooks with our Legacy Writer pens on top.

 The notebook is absolutely gorgeous with our CTMH logo on the front.  It's one of those things that's almost too pretty to use!  GEEZ!  You think we would want ugly stuff so we wouldn't mind using it?!  NO WAY!  I'll take the plunge at some point when I decide what I want to write in it.

For those of you who know me well, any gift is a great gift!  I love the thought behind gift-giving but these gifts were totally awesome and greatly appreciated.  I love our company who loves surprises and likes to provide treats and watch us get extremely excited over them!

Beautiful scenery in Salt Lake City

After our meeting Thursday night, we found snow falling outside as we sought a place to socialize and hang out for a bit.  It was BEAUTIFUL!  On our way out to find some fun, fellow Directors Naomi and Louise, posed with me for this fun picture (in front of a tree with red lights).

 

We were told that the hotel across the street was worth seeing and that we needed to check it out, so we did.  We found the courtyard covered in snow and saw it as an opportunity for some photos.

Me, Briana, Louise, Naomi, Noreen, & Cindy

Making some snowballs (and eating them).

Briana and I hanging out.

It really hasn't been as cold here as it could be (or maybe not much phases me anymore after living in Kansas last year).  I've enjoyed experiencing the winter in Salt Lake - although we have to see what weather we get today and tomorrow.

Having fun...

Safe & sound in Salt Lake City

I arrived last night, with my friend Cindy, in Salt Lake City.  We are having a Team Builder's Conference here, held with Close To My Heart Directors.  Our room is absolutely gorgeous and VERY spacious!  We have a beautiful view of the downtown area which is snow-covered.

 Vanity area outside of bathroom.  (Full-size closet to the right.)

 Sink area in bathroom.

 Glassed in tub.  (I refrained from posting a photo of the toilet.  LOL)

Here are photos from our room this morning.

Beautiful view of the snow-capped mountains.

 

Our conference starts this evening so we have enjoyed being lazy this morning.  Stay tuned for more updates from our weekend!

Recipe Box

One gift exchange I participated in this holiday season required a kitchen-item.  I wasn't sure what to purchase and finally decided on decorating one of our Recipe Boxes - perfect for the kitchen!

 I used the Cherry-O Level 2 Paper Packet, coordinating Stickease and the Level 2 Assortment (the bling cherries and leaves).

 I also incorporate the chef's hat from a retired stamp set.

The box was a hit and now I need to make one for myself!

More "Find Your Style" Artwork

I absolutely LOVE the Inspirations brochure that contains the Wings paper packet and several new stamp sets and embellishments.  It was designed to hold us over through January as we transition to a new Idea Book on February 1st and ohhhhh is it doing just that?!  I love all that it has to offer!

Using the SOTM and the Wings Paper Packet, I altered a My Creations Cube.  I needed a hand-made Christmas gift for my friend, Kristy, and ended up deciding on this.  I altered each of the sides as shown below and include some fun "goodies" for her.

After emptied, she can use it as a pen or candy holder or anything else her little heart desires.  (Hi, Kristy!)  I enjoyed giving her something unique - always have to try and impress her.

Inspirations Blog Hop - NEW PRODUCTS AVAILABLE NOW!

Welcome to our Inspirations Blog Hop!  We will be featuring products currently offered in our January Inspiration Brochure.  You can purchase exclusive, new products for a discount during January!  Click here to view details or here to see the full brochure.  Now...let's get hopping!

If you have come here from Teri's Blog, you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way all around.  If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants here.

 

We have 13 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's brochure 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!

I chose to work with the "Dreams Come True" stamp set.  I like the beauty of the stamps and especially love the sentiment included in this set.

Incorporating the gorgeous butterfly background & texture paper in the Wings Level 2 Paper Packet, I stamped the rose in Vineyard Berry Ink (and popped it up - although difficult to tell from the picture).  I then added a few leaves, stamped in Sweet Leaf Ink, and included the saying, "Believe Until Your Dreams Come True."  Using the thin and cute ribbon from the Black Mini-Medley, I adhered it and included a bow to finish off this 6x6 card created from the Originals card program.

I absolutely love this paper packet and the coordinating stamps included in the Inspirations brochure and know you will too!

Supplies used:  D1470 Dreams Come True stamp set, X7135B Wing Level 2 Paper Packet, Z1393 Black Mini-Medley and Ink Colors:  Vineyard Berry, Sweet Leaf, and Black.

Now "Hop" on over to Shirley'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, these products are only available at a discount in the month of January!  Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get these products!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Hoppin'!