As the saying goes...

"All good things must come to an end."

I finally took the time to take down our Christmas decorations just a couple of days ago.  The room looks bare without our tree.  We enjoyed it while it was up.

The holiday season was good to us and we are thankful to have celebrated another Christmas and New Year.

Wishing you a great week,

Team Tuesday

Happy Tuesday!  I am thrilled to highlight my team member's blogs on Tuesdays and am starting this off with a sweet lady, Judy Faye Garner.

Judy Faye has been a Close To My Heart Consultant since 2007 and I am thankful to know her.

Please take a moment to check out her blog by clicking here.

Have a wonderful day!

Whooo's Your Valentine?

So you might think it is a bit too early for Valentine's Day but you definitely don't want to wait too long to take advantage of this month's campaign!

In celebration of National Papercrafting Month, Close to My Heart is offering a new product available through the end of January.  The Whooo's Your Valentine kit retails for $40 but can be yours for just $10 when you spend $35 or more on CTMH product!  The kit includes 12 die-cut boxes, 3 cardstock sheets, 1 sheet of silver glitter paper, 12 treat tubes, and an exclusive D-size stamp set created specifically for the kit!  Perfect for gifts and classroom projects, the Whooo's Your Valentine kit will make Valentine's Day a cinch!  

This CUTE stamp set comes with this kit!  I used it to make this card that does not have to have anything to do with Valentine's Day.  Gotta love stamp sets that are versatile!  (I used the Clementine paper packet.)

Here you can see a close-up of my paper-pieced owl.  I think he came out pretty cute!

Don't pass up the opportunity to get this adorable kit!  It is only available while supplies last and I expect it to fly off the shelves in the warehouse.  If you need assistance ordering it, please contact me immediately.  You can order it directly from my website by clicking here.

Off to see what else I can create with this stamp set,

Happy 2013!

Happy New Year!  I am thankful to a God who has allowed me to see this day and who continues to bless me just as He promised!

If you have been reading my blog for long, you know I love a fresh start and I am especially thrilled for this one.  There are so many things I am expecting in 2013 and I am charged up and ready to move forward towards all that lies ahead!  Thank you for reading my blog and stay tuned for all that is in store for this new year.

I had fun creating this card just a couple of days ago.  I used the December and November Stamp of the month stamp sets to create this fun card!  A list of supplies I used is provided below but would you like to know how I got the multi-color effect on the stamped image?  I put Scotch tape over the portion of the image I did not want to ink up, inked the image, REMOVED THE TAPE (don't forget this step) and then stamped the image where desired.  I repeated this process to achieve the three different colors on the focal point.  Cool huh?  This stamp set is perfect for that but it's only available for a few more days!

Supply List:

• S1211 November:  Capture the Date SOTM (no longer available but you can use another stamp set for the numbers)
• S1212 December:  Year-Round Cheer SOTM (available through January 5, 2013 - contact me directly or click here to place an order)
• D1530 Cricut Artiste Collection Kudos (only available when you purchase the Artiste Cartridge - click here for details)
• X5761 Sky Cardstock
• 1386 Black Cardstock
• Z1799 Silver Shimmer Trim - It's self-adhesive!  
• Smoothie Polka Dot B&T Paper from a retired paper packet (you can use any coordinating B&T of your choice)
• Z578 Corner Rounder (to create the scallops)

 Here's to a fresh start and the best year yet!

My Scrap Room

I LOVE organizing but don't always do it when I should.  LOL  It has to fit into my schedule but I do love how I feel when I am finished.

Here are some photos of my newest scrap room. I enjoyed creating in here yesterday evening and am happy to report that it looks like this even after I created some artwork.  (It is amazing how putting things away after I am done can help with keeping the room clean.  LOL)

I try not to be a hoarder and am pretty good about cleaning out things regularly.  It also helps that I move frequently and would rather move less than more.

Other than what you see in these pictures, I have a couple of organizers in my closet but that is it!  I think all of my scrapping supplies are here unless my hubby is hiding them from me somewhere.  I do have a little "night stand" in the fourth corner which has my printer and some printing supplies.  I move my laptop around so don't have any stationery place for it in the room.  (I just use it on my desk when I need it.)

Anyway, just wanted to share my scrap space with you.  I am thankful I have a spot to retreat to when my creative juices are flowing or just when I need to smell stamp sets.  LOL

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy holidays!

I pray this message finds you warm and healthy, having enjoyed a fabulous CHRISTmas and ready for a fun weekend!

I enjoyed a wonderful Christmas with my awesome husband and parents.  My Mom, Dad and I enjoyed a day of baking, leading up to Christmas, and made biscochos and marble brownies.  It was such an enjoyable day and the results were delicious!  Of course, a holiday is not complete without some game so we managed to squeeze some of those in.

I am thankful to God for blessing me with this one life which I hold dear to my heart.  I live every day to be a follower of Christ, serving Him in all I do.  As the scripture above states:  "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life,"  John 3:16  I am thankful to serve an all-knowing God who I can resort to at all times.

Praying you enjoyed a very Merry Christmas and always remember the reason for the season.

God bless,

Website Clearance Sale!

Everyone enjoys shopping the deals this time of year, and you’ll be tickled to learn that Close To My Heart is making more fabulous deals available to you. At 12:00 AM (MST) on December 1, we will add new items to the “While Supplies Last” section of my shopping page on my website. Among the new additions you will find a wide variety of paper and coordinating accessories, all with a substantial markdown. You will also find that most of the items that are currently available will also see a further markdown at that time.

To sweeten the deal even more...

from December 1–31, all orders placed on my website that reach or exceed $50 will also include a free Bonding Memories® glue pen (Z553)—a $4.50 value!  Shop early, because these deals are only available while supplies last.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Enjoy this first weekend of December,

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am blessed beyond words and thankful to my Heavenly Father for the many blessings and gifts He has bestowed on my family and I.  We are thankful to be spending the holiday weekend with my family in Southwest New Mexico and are looking forward to enjoying a time of fellowship and fun.

I made this cute turkey based upon the creativity and directions shared by my dear friend, Sheila Wilkerson. (Visit her blog by clicking here.)  It is made entirely from our exclusive Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge.  It was so nice that I did not have to cut the pieces by hand - gotta love the Cricut!

I made quite a few of these for my staff and filled them with a variety of Chex Mix and M&Ms - always gotta have chocolate. :0)  They were a big hit and I had fun making them.

Enjoy a wonderful and blessed thanksgiving filled with His grace,

Right up my alley!

You have heard me say (write) many times that Simple + Cute = RIGHT UP MY ALLEY!  I love being able to create something handmade that did not take me all day and night to complete.

I pulled this card idea from our new publication, Make It From Your Heart, and used the colorful, new paper packet, Flirty (pictured below).

The focal point for this stamp set was an image pulled from our Cricut Artiste Collection.  I cut the die-cut the perfect size to stamp the coordinating image.  When you purchase the Artiste Collection you get a lot for your money, to include 3-coordinating and exclusive stamp sets.

Without wanting to add too much to this card and make it too busy, I chose to use some of our Just Blooms Floret Paper Shapes (pictured below) - flower and leaves - and a bigger brad.  For the finishing touch I used some of our retired ribbon that was included in a kit some time ago.  

I had fun experimenting with this paper packet and card pattern and am creating more this weekend!

Lovin' Flirty,

Just a few days left to get this stamp set!

I have recently been inspired to create a card using the October Stamp of the Month, A Very Merry Christmas, and you have until November 5th to get it!  Did you know we have a few days grace period each month for the previous month's Stamp of the Month and campaign?  We do!  You have to email your order rather than place it through my website so I can date the order accordingly.  Read below for some reasons you don't want to pass up on this stamp set and contact me to place your order!

The red outline around some of the images in this stamp set indicate there are coordinating options in our newest Cricut Artiste cartridge which is exclusive to Close To My Heart.  With the easy reference book, you can set the settings on your Cricut machine to the right size, stamp your image and add it to your artwork!

I had fun creating this card using the Pear & Patridge paper packet (shown below).  It is absolutely gorgeous in person - the card (lol) and the paper packet.  Photos never do things justice, do they?  This paper packet lends itself well to Christmas items but it's also versatile enough to work beyond the holiday.  Using the ornament and greeting image from the November stamp set, this card was simple to put together and... a little bling always does the trick!

If you know me very well, you know that I cannot start most creations from scratch.  I have to be prompted by something.  I was a bit sad when it was announced that CTMH was eliminating our popular and very well-loved product line of How-To programs (Cherish, Imagine, Magic, etc.).  I could not imagine what could be put in their place but as always, Jeanette Lynton (our founder and CEO), never disappoints.  

She created this publication, called "Make It From Your Heart", which contains blueprints and inspirational ideas for scrapbook layouts and cards.  It's just $7.95 and it is what I used to create this Christmas card.  Gotta love being inspired and allowed an opportunity to put your own spin on things.  It is definitely something you want to add to your library of resources so click here for further details.  

There are more project ideas to come using this stamp set so do not let it pass you by.  Contact me today with your order!  You will be inspired with the fun cards and gift items you can make for Christmas!

Feeling the holiday spirit,