November Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to the November Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!  

Remember this is a circular hop, so if you get lost along the way, you can always go back to Melinda's blog here.   Each month our group of consultants keeps growing and you will find over 60 creative designs for this stamp set.  If you have been hopping along then you have arrived from Wendy's blog here.


This month's stamp set is "It's the Little Things" - a stamp set perfect for making thank you cards and favors.

When I first looked at this stamp set, I thought - there is NO way that I am cutting out all of these little pieces!  So I decided to play around with stamping the images.  I found a card I made several years ago using the "doodling' technique and I "googled' doodling and boy did I get an updated 21st century version!

I flipped through the Annual Inspirations and I found inspiration in the Brushed Floral paper.  If you have been following my blog lately, then you know that this is quite the opposite of colors that I have been using!

I am really pleased with how this card turned out.  I decided to name my technique  "Brushed Watercolors".  It may not be new but it is NEW to me!

Here are the steps that I did to create the look of the background paper in the card. (sorry - videos are not my expertise!)

Step #1

Step #2

Step #3

Step #4 

Don't forget to add the accents to your smaller flower as well.

Step #5

Step #6

Step #7

Supplies:

Cardstock - White daisy, Pixie

Brushed B & T paper

Inks- Canary, Cotton Candy (I don't have Pixie yet) and Juniper 

Waterbrush- retired

I hope you enjoyed this quick tutorial and give this technique a try! Now it is off to Melinda's blog here

March Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to the March Stamp of the Month Blog Hop. This is one of the "happiest" places  this month.. (sorry, Disney...)

Over 50 ladies are participating in this month's hop and if you get lost along the way, you can always go back to Melinda's blog here.. You will not want to miss any of the inspiring work this month! If you have been hopping with us, then you have arrived from Kim's Schnoor's blog here

The stamp set this month is S1403 Happy Place and it is available for $5.00 with a minimum purchase of $50.00.

Let's start with the artwork from the CTMH artists.  I was trying to wrap my head around this stamp set when I noticed a set of these dolls sitting in my dining room hutch...mmmmm

I must have inherited them from my mother-in-law and so I decided to open them up and see what was inside...Six little ladies with a snowman at the end!  How cute!  It was quite interesting to read the history of these carved dolls.

I envisioned the set on a card and I created my first Bendi-Fold card on my Pazzles machine.  It was definitely a challenge to play with this WPC files and tweak it to create exactly what I wanted!

I spent all day designing this card but I was very happy with the results.  This is probably not the last time you will see the house surface in the artwork - it fit the theme of the stamp set perfectly.  I cut multiple layers and then "paper-pieced" it together.  Both of my machines were busy cutting furiously to keep up with my design I had in my head!

Supplies:

S1403 Happy Place

X7179 Ariana paper pack including Kraft cardstock

Pazzles WPC files include the bendi-fold card, and stamp set outlines.

CTMH Art Philosophy

CTMH Artiste

Colors- both ink and markers include Honey, Sky, Sorbet, Ruby, SweetLeaf and Outdoor Denim.

If you are ready to hop along, then check out Pam Ellison's artwork here

AWA Laughing Lola Workshop was a success!

My first Artbooking with Addie workshop was a success!  I created a CCR for both my layout and card.  I thought I would share them with everyone!

I used the layout from the WOTG and then added the extra pieces from the NEW Cricut Artbooking cartridge.  You can download the files here

I used the card made by Bekki Edwards from our recent SOTM swap for the class sample.

These files are from the Cricut Artiste cartridge.  You can download the file here

enjoy!

"Death by Chocolate Open House"

What could be better than "Death by Chocolate'???  I had the cookbook for years but I can not find my copy - mmm - did I give it away and just plain forgot?  Oh well, I am not going to dwell on my missing cookbook...

My guests were treated to an M & M walkway - if you really know me - then you know I have a 'thing' about M & M's!....  so naturally if I have a chocolate theme, the M & M's will be there!

Here is the walkway that my guests followed to get to my house...

I managed to get them up just before the rains came...  then Ms. M greeted them at the door....

Of course I had to have chocolate treats for them to munch on - 

And the ladies enjoyed the Open House projects that they were able to make...

The first Make-n-Take was the gift bag using the stamp of the month - A Chocolate Affair...

Their thank you gift included the chocolate magnets, buttons and ribbon...

The second make-n-take was a simple faux washi tape card using the NEW Hostess gift set D1558 Washi Wonder..

I like the simplicity of this design and selecting  a bunch of inks to 'make it work'!! I hope you enjoyed the little vignette of my Fall Open House!

July Make It From YOUR Heart Workshop

Ladies, it is July and I have been crazy busy!  I hope you have all received my July newsletter, if not let me know and I will add you to my CTMH mailing list.  Convention was FAB-u-lous!! and I am all excited about the new product.  But the July workshop is at the top of my list right now!

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July and you took lots of pictures.  This paper pack may not resemble any fireworks but it sure does scream red, white and blue!

My layout this month is from the Make It From Your Heart - Volume 1- layout #16.  Yes - there is a Volume 2!!  I am excited to see it and it will be arriving soon...

I had a little help from my fellow consultant, Pam Thorn.  I used her idea for the tag and journaling accent on the lower left.  The pictures are from the Lucille Ball Memorial Park in Celeron, NY.  My hometown is Jamestown, NY and it is not far from this landmark.  If any of you have been to Chautauqua Lake, you will recognize some of the sites.

  

I took these pictures on a beautiful summer day in August of 2010.  I guess I have been saving them for the "perfect" paper pack.....

As usual we will be creating a card with the July stamp of the month.  The original design I found during the recent Stamp of the Month Blog Hop.  You can visit Krista's blog here if you are interested in comparing the two....:)

If you love the Tommy paper pack, then you are in luck!  This paper pack is one of the papers that will move forward into the Autumn/Winter Idea book! Unfortunately the   Buzz and Bumble , Later Sk8tr and Claire paper packs are gone!!  But the G1057 Later Sk8tr Workshop To Go ,is still available....just sayin...  If you want a Workshop To Go, you had better order it soon as the Buzz and Bumble AND the Chantilly ones are already gone!  None of the workshops to go move forward into the new Idea Book!

Place you order on http://ctmh.com/SweetAline and select the SHOP tab and add the numbers to your order.  A few of you were lucky last month and ordered the papers before they were gone and they are in your bags!

Please RSVP for the workshop before July 10th so I can cut all the paper and assemble the kits!

July Make It From YOUR Heart Workshop:

WHEN:  July 12th from 6-9:00 p.m.  (Always the second Friday of the month)

WHERE:  My home - email me for directions!

COST:  $10.00 for a 2 page layout and a card

RSVP:  by July 10th Sweetaline@verizon.net

This workshop ends the Make It From YOUR Heart Workshops.  Starting in August I will be offering the "Artbooking with Addie" Workshop (a.k.a. AWA Workshop) on the second Friday of each month AND the "MiniBook Magic" Workshop (a.k.a. MBM Workshop) on the fourth Friday of every month.  You can sign up for both or only one depending on your schedule!

My Fall Open House is scheduled for August 4th from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.  The theme is "Death by Chocolate".  Check out the August SOTM for the reason behind the theme....

So be prepared to each some mighty fine chocolate treats!  More info coming soon on the Open House.

Hey, It's July! CTMH SOTM Blog Hop

Welcome to my blog - it is July already!!  Can you believe it?  Hot, humid and sultry describes my living conditions here in Florida...  but hey - I love the winters!!

Over 50 of the CTMH Consultants are participating in this month's blog hop and that is pretty good since many of us have been in Orlando the last few days, enjoying the NEW Autumn/Winter 2013 products!!  ( more posts coming soon...)


If you have been busy hopping with us, then you have arrived from Dawn Ross's blog here  and viewed her awesome design!  July's stamp set reminds me of my summers in western New York, where we enjoyed the fresh summer fruits of the season.  One of my fondest memories is picking cherries in the orchards on the 4th of July in Fredonia, NY....I believe it was the 'cheapest' family fun time ever!!


S1307 Sweet Life

Here is the artwork form Close to My Heart  to give you additional ideas or inspiration for your designs...

My one page layout does not give you the typical impression of fruit but more of an example of the "Sweet Life" we all live here in the U.S.!  This is the port we stopped at in Labadie, Haiti and of course we saw none of the impoverished lifestyle of the Haitians, only the cruise ship luxury that we are used to.  So again I am thankful that my immigrant grandparents decided to travel to America to live a better life and that, I as their granddaughter could do so as well.....

Thank you to my nanni and poppi and my babcia and dziadek 

Supplies:

S1307 Sweet Life
X7169B Tommy paper pack
X7169C Tommy My Stickease
Cranberry brads
Outdoor Denim ink and Baker's twine


Now it is off to Elizabeth's blog here to view her beautiful artwork.

National Scrapbooking Month Special

What a dream this paper pack is!  I fell in love with it as soon as I saw the colors!  

The bright colors of tangerine, raspberry and strawberry are a perfect match for your summer photos!  Here is a color chart with matching inks designed by Fancy Melissa.......

If you order a DREAM POP paper pack from me this month, I will be hosting a FREE workshop for you!  I am working on the layouts now but I have a 3 of the cards completed.  We will be using the SOTM set Pinwheel.  Don't you just love it??

Here is Card #1-

You will receive a small "goodie bag" filled with the embellishments you will need to complete the projects.  This card includes the Washi tape, bakers twine and wooden shapes.  ooops!  forgot the bling!

 Here is Card #2- 

Here is Card #3 -

FREE DREAM POP WORKSHOP Information

WHEN:  May 31st  from 6-9:00 p.m.
WHERE:  my home - email me for my address
COST:  FREE - when you purchase a DREAM POP paper pack from me in May!
WHAT TO BRING:  You will need to bring a cutter ( yikes - I have to cut my own paper!), your favorite adhesive, and scissors.  I will have a 'goodie bag' of the embellishments you will need to complete the layouts.

Here is a video from Close to My Heart giving you a 'sneak peek' at one of the workshop layouts!

Want more ideas?  Click here!  But DO come back often to my website this month as I will be adding more artwork using this FAB-u-lous paper pack!

Enjoy!

CTMH March SOTM Blog Hop

'Where oh where' did the month of February go????  My friends have told me that the months would FLY by after I retired and boy, are they right!  The last few weeks have been so busy that I haven't had time to blog and now I have to get busy again because I have lots of artwork to show you.  

Over 50 consultants are participating in this month's blog hop  and if you have been hopping along with the rest of use, then you have arrived from 
Haley's blog  and checked out her beautiful project.

This month's stamp set is S1303 Floral Happiness.  It has several beautiful sayings along with floral designs and coordinating backgrounds.

This is the artwork that Close to My Heart is featuring with the stamp set.    SO versatile - perfect for cards, layouts and Home Decor!





When I was designing my card, I was thinking 'clean and simple'!  SO I started looking for ideas on Pinterest and Google images.  Then I decided to try my luck with Technique Junkies - one of my FAV-orites for new and original ideas.  I have been a member for several years (I think it is time to renew again...) and this technique is from the October/November issue of 2012.

I enjoyed the simplicity of the weaving with the Z1701 Bakers' Twine and added the contrast to the black and white with a POP of Ruby!  I punched the holes with a retired 1777 Long Reach punch from CTMH - this is one of the reasons why I hoard my CTMH products! :)

Now it is off to Lalia's blog for a beautiful card design using this stamp set.

Happy Birthday Elizabeth!

I am finally able to post the card that I made for my son's girlfriend.  Can you guess the date of her birthday?!!

She and her mother share the same birthday and she returned home last week and we were able to celebrate her birthday on Sunday!  I am really lovin' this stamp set and you will see why in my next post!

CTMH fights for Hurricane Sandy victims!

 November 2012 Constant Campaign

Close to My Heart is having an awesome promotion with the November Stamp of the Month.  Place a qualifying order to purchase the Stamp of the Month for only $5, and you can chose another stamp set of your choice for 50% off! Your half off stamp set is your choice from any of the current A,B,C,D,E or M stamp sets! If you have been waiting to try the alphabet stamp sets, now is the perfect time to add one to your collection! The promotion is valid from November 1, 2012  through November 30, 2012.

This month's stamp of the month S1211 Capture the Date carries more clout than being a good deal!

To show our support of Red Cross relief efforts for those areas of the US severely affected by Hurricane Sandy, Close To My Heart will donate $1 for every Stamp of the Month set sold as a part of this promotion during November.

Here are the card samples I made for the workshop!  After cruisin' the internet and the CTMH SOTM blog hop, I was able to create these two cards.  the card below is the prototype - did not like it...

Here is the final card that the ladies made for the workshop.

Be sure to "like" my NEW Facebook page here for  all of my Close to My Heart artwork.  I have decided to change to both a personal and business Facebook.  So please join me!

BOO to YOU! October Workshop

My October workshop is all ready to go.  I still have a few openings for this month and several have already reserved their spot for November!  Don't forget it is the SECOND Friday of every month!

What: Make it From YOUR Heart October workshop

When:  October 12, 2012 from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Where:  My home - email me for directions...

How Much?:  $10.00 each month - no obligation

Workshop: 1 2-page layout and 2 cards (1 SOTM card)
R.S.V.P. : by October 10 by email at Sweetaline@verizon.net  or call me at (813)766-7125


This month we are using the Moonlight paper pack and the WOTG Stamp set!

  
Here is the layout that you will be creating!  Isn't it SCARY!! I have labeled the photo wells in case you haven't scrapped the pictures from last year!!  Did you know that Halloween is the holiday with the MOST picture taking?!!

Check out the details of the  layout - we will be usingZ1380 Spray Pen to add detail to the spooky title and the RIP tombstones!

Here is the swing card we will be making.  It can be found on page 52 of the new Cricut Artiste cartridge.

The second card will be using the Stamp of the Month S1210A Very Merry Christmas.

So are you ready for an absolutely entertaining evening? Lots of scary fun and food too, including mummies, jack-o-lanterns and more from SMC Cake Pops!

Here are her cake pops from the VIP tables at the Kids Krop.  Don't they look yummy???

Don't forget to email me at Sweetaline@verizon.net or call me at (813)766-7125  by October 10th (so I plenty of time to make the kits!)