March Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! We will be featuring March's SOTM, which is Sensational Seasons, a set of 10 stamps.

If you have come here from Tammy'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 almost 60 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 created a card using Wishes pattern Sentiment Secured.  I colored the bunnies before cutting them out and applying them to the card with glue dots.

Supplies Used:
Cardstock - Pear, White Daisy
Pattern Paper - Sophia
Ink - Blush, Cocoa, Desert Sand, Hollyhock, Pear, New England Ivy, Sweet Leaf
Stamp Set - Sensational Seasons
Embellishments - Sweet Leaf Buttons, White Ricrac

Now "Hop" on over to Cindy'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 March SOTM is only available until the 31st! Visit my website or contact me to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount or even free!

Happy Hopping!
Wendy

New Calendar Cover

After always being on the search for the "perfect" calendar, I finally decided to make my own for 2010.  I took the parts that I liked from the different ones in the stores and combined those parts for what I thought would work for me.  It worked out well for 2010 and when everyone at the office was ordering calendars for 2011, I decided to tweak mine.  It's a little time consuming but so worth it for me!

Every couple of months, I make a new cover for it.  I have finally gotten around to do something new for this year.  I used the Wings Workshop on the Go Stamp Set.  I used three of the stamps on White Daisy Cardstock to create my own pattern paper.  I used Black Ink for the large stamp and Hydrangea ink for the other two.  I cut the pattern paper down and layered it on top of Hydrangea Cardstock that was on top of Black Cardstock.  I used purple sparkles to give it a little shine.  I put it together with my Bind It All. 

Here it is:

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: Black, Hydrangea, White Daisy
Ink: Black, Hydrangea
Stamp Set: Wings (B1376)
Embellishments: Black Opaques, Purple Sparkles, Black & Purple Ribbon

February Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

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

If you have come here from Dawn'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 almost 70 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 used one stamp from the set on my card.  After stamping in black ink, I stamped over it with VersaMark and then embossed the image with our Clear Detail embossing powder.  Before heating the embossing powder, I sprinkled on some prisma glitter.  The card looks much more shiny in person!  I added some bling after embossing.

Supplies Used:
Cardstock - Black, Gypsy, White Daisy
Ink - Black, VersaMark
Stamp Set - Friendship
Techniques - Embossing
Embellishments - Blue, Green, Pink & Purple Sparkles

Now "Hop" on over to Melissa'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 February SOTM is only available until the 28th! Visit my website or contact me to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount or even free!

Happy Hopping!
Wendy

January Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! We will be featuring January's SOTM, which is Find Your Style, a set of 9 stamps.

If you have come here from Pamela'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 over 50 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!

This month I used the stamp set to create my own pattern paper and then used it jazz up a gift bag.  On one side I used the bird, Beautiful and Friend stamps.  I randomly stamped and second generation stamped.

On the other side, I used the butterfly and Beautiful stamp to random stamp and second generation stamp.  I embossed the Friend stamp and the saying stamp.  I also embossed some of the Beautiful stamped images on this side.

 

Supplies Used:
Cardstock - Black, Colonial White
Ink - Black, Gypsy, Pear
Stamp Set - Find Your Style
Techniques - Embossing, Random Stamping, Second Generation Stamping
Embellishments - Black Opaques

Now "Hop" on over to Kristie'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 January SOTM is only available until the 31st! Visit my website or contact me to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount or even free!

Happy Hopping!
Wendy

Christmas Gifts

My grandparents are always difficult to shop for during the holidays - they go out and buy whatever they need when they need it. My mother-in-law is another one that is super difficult to buy for.  All of them like to stop at yard sales and at second hand stores and have houses that are full of "stuff". 

This year I thought I would be a little more creative with the gifts that we give them.  About a month ago, I told my husband that I was going to make two albums (one for the grandparents and one for the mother-in-law).  The plan was to include photos that I've taken during the last year - starting with last Christmas.  I know they will all love it and hopefully it will start a tradition for years to come. 

I've gone through our pictures and selected just the right ones.  I've chosen some patterns from the fabulous Close To My Heart How-To books.  Now, I need to get busy and get some scrapping done and put the albums together!  We're celebrating with my grandparents next Saturday!

As I am trying to get inspiration for the next pages, I thought I'd share my just completed Easter layout.  We have Easter at our house every year and invite both sides of our families.  This year, my cousin Heather was visiting from Las Vegas.  This layout is for my grandparents book.

Supplies Used:
Paper - Colonial White CS, Garden Green CS, Veranda B&T
Stamp Set - Baroque Alphabet, The Present
Ink - Cocoa
Other - Mocha Opaques, Designer's Calendar Cricut Cartridge, Cherish - Fab Fifteen

Stay tuned for more layouts to come!
Wendy

December Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!  We will be featuring December's SOTM, which is Amore, a set of 13 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 a complete list of participating consultants on Helen's Blog.

This month we have over 60 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using the SOTM and other great CTMH products on their blogs.  This is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of each post on each blog to move to the next one.  Here we go!

My card for this stamp set was inspired by the Heart 2 Heart Challenge for this week.  The challenge for this week is this sketch:

If you haven't checked out the H2H Challenges, you should do so!  They offer a different challenge each week and sometimes offer goodies for a lucky participant!

Here is my card:

I used Sky ink and did some random stamping with the Love stamp.  The large heart was stamped in Pacifica ink and then cut out.  I also inked the edges of all the Colonial White pieces with Cocoa ink.

Products used:
Paper - Cocoa CS, Colonial White CS, Magnifique
Stamp Set - Amore
Ink - Cocoa, Pacifica, Sky
Embellishment - Mocha Opaques

Now "Hop" on over to Kathleen's Blog to see her work!  Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas!  Remember, the December SOTM is only available until December 31.  Visit my website to see how you can get this stamp set for FREE!

Happy Hopping!
Wendy

Heart 2 Heart Challenge - Pretty Pretty Princess

Last week Heart 2 Heart Challenges had a Pretty Pretty Princess challenge - this challenge was all about being girly!  Well, believe me, I can do girly! 

These photos were taken of my daughter last year.  She loves to put on my shoes and walk around the house.  I was shocked that she was able to stay upright in these boots! 

The bling makes it a little difficult to get a good photo - I'll keep trying and repost them if I get a better shot.

 The top photo says "Kickin It Mommy Style" and the bottom has her nickname "Teagie Sue".

Supply List:
B&T: Hooligans, Daydream
Cardstock: Black Gypsy
Embellishments: Clear Sparkles, Pink & Purple Sparkles, Paper Studio Flowers, Crystal Letters

Have a great day!
Wendy