Thank You's

A short while ago I was over visiting one of my friends, helping her with her computer.  She is a Stampin Up demonstrator (and you know I'm a Close To My Heart demonstrator) so we both have a lot in common and always a lot to talk about--latest trends in stamping scrapbooking, etc.  Her husband is quite a potter and actually does classes etc. at the Archie Bray Foundation (for ceramic arts--famous world-wide).  Oh my gosh you should see some of his amazing pottery!  (but I digress)  Anyway, he is playing with woodworking and last Christmas I received a wonderful amazing mouse pad (from him and his wife) that was a wood piece with designs in the wood made by pieced together wood.  He told me that I needed the barrett to match and gave me this BEAUTIFUL barrett (below)!  Imagine the mouse pad which has some of the intricate wood patterns created by the different tones of wood.  Really awesome!

Isn't this AMAZING???  Here is another photo to show you about how big it is.  I have really thick and long hair and you would not believe how hard it is to find something that can actually hold my hair, but this does.

Anyway, something so beautiful cannot go un-thanked.  I wanted to create a beautiful and manly card to thank him for the wonderful present.  With his wife being the super talented card maker it was a challenge!  I selected Lucky papers (because I love those papers).  So, I'm hoping he will be pleased too!  He and his wife are some of my favorite people!

Supplies:
Papers: Lucky WOTG papers; Pacifica & Sunset Cardstock; Husk (retired) card base cardstock
Stamps: Thanks
Ink: Chocolate (pads shown to identify colors or the Lucky papers)
Embellishments: z1617 Dark chocolate striped grosgrain ribbon; z1387 Wooden Buttons; orange waxy flax (retired); z1706 Round Durables Studs
Other: Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge- 2-3/8" scallop circle and 1-3/4" circle; z1392 2" scallop circle punch

I'm hoping that you all walk with friends that love you and are as richly blessed as I have been!

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Thought I'd share a little of the fun! Be sure to click on the image so you can print it out and have some fun!

And thought I'd top it off with a little joke:

Years ago, the chaplain of the football team at Notre Dame was a beloved old Irish priest.
At confession one day, a football player told the priest that he had acted in an unsportsmanlike manner at a recent football game. “I lost my temper and said some bad words to one of my opponents.” “Ahhh, that’s a terrible thing for a Notre Dame lad to be doin’,” the priest said. He took a piece of chalk and drew a mark across the sleeve of his coat.

“That’s not all, Father. I got mad and punched one of my opponents.”

“Saints preserve us!” the priest said, making another chalk mark.

“There’s more. As I got out of a pileup, I kicked two of the other team’s players in the . . . in a sensitive area.”

“Oh, goodness me!” the priest wailed, making two more chalk marks on his sleeve. “Who in the world were we playin’ when you did these awful things?”

“Southern Methodist.”

“Ah, well,” said the priest, wiping his sleeve, “boys will be boys.”

Potential - March SOTM Blog Hop

Welcome to our March Stamp of the Month Blog Hop featuring S1203 Potential, a set of 8 beautiful stamps!

If you have come here from Helen Onulak's Blog, you are on the right path!  You can find a list of all the participant's in case you get lost here: http://bowlofstamps.blogspot.com/p/sotm-blog-hop-list.html

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. Blog hopping 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!
Now "Hop" on over to Melinda Everitt's blog to see her beautiful eye candy! 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 March 31st!  Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set for $5!

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Below is one of the ways I decided to use this stamp set (as an anniversary card).  It is a 5" x 7" size card using the Stella papers.  Note that you can click on the picture to see details.

Below is a picture of more detail.  The large circle is first loaded with Sunset ink and then the outside has Tulip sponged on it before stamping.

Supplies:

Papers: Stella WOTG papers; Colonial White, Tulip, Black cardstock

Stamps: S1203 Potential
Ink: Sunset, Tulip, and Black Exclusive Ink

Embellishments:  Sunset Mini Medley Collection; Bohemian Assortment; Blue & Green Sparkles Assortment

Other:  QuickKutz Nesting Lace Circles cutting dies

Now hop on over to Melinda's Blog by clicking the block below:

Four-Drawer Easel Card

This month my workshop is going to be a 4-drawer easel card.  I just thought these were the cutest idea and I love paper crafting ideas.  I saw this a while back but have been seeing more and more.  This one is a 6x6 by size easel card.  Below is the picture showing the easel on the drawers.

Next pictures shows all the drawers pulled out...

Close up of the card top (below):

Below is a closeup of the embellishments:

Finally below is a picture of the inside of the drawer....

Papers: Lucy WOTG papers; Colonial White, Blush, Pear & Gray Wool Card stock

Stamps: S1202 Thoughtful Tidings
Ink: Grey Wool and Pear Exclusive Inks

Embellishments: Pear Mini Medley Collection; Bitty Buds Assortment; Licorice Opaques Adhesive Gems

Other: Colonial White ribbon Collection and Liquid Glass

February SOTM Blog Hop

Happy February! This month the featured stamp of the month is S1202-Thoughtful Tidings, a set of 11 images!  Below are the images in this stamp set.  Notice the red lines around some of the images--those are images that can be cut with the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridges exclusively available from Close to My Heart.

If you have come here from Vicki Price's blog, you are on the right path!  I am the first stop for this month's hop! You can find a list of all the participants (in case you get lost) here: http://bowlofstamps.blogspot.com/p/sotm-blog-hop-list.html  This month we have over 60 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this set. The hop is simple to follow - just click on the link provided in the post to move to the next blog!

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My item is a 5" x 5" card made with the Lucy Papers.  When I first saw Lucy it I thought it was darling for little girls.  I'm just loving this paper A LOT!  I choose to stick to a simplistic design.  Originally I was going for this weeks Mojo Monday, however when I saw how gorgeous this paper is, I just couldn't cover up half of it.  I just love those flowers!!

I also think the Pear Mini Medley Collection is perfect for this paper too!

Papers: Lucy WOTG papers; Colonial White, Blush & Gray Wool Card stock

Stamps:  S1202 Thoughtful Tidings
Ink:  Grey Wool Exclusive Ink

Embellishments:  Pear Mini Medley Collection

Other:  Liquid Glass & Prisma Glitter

Time to hop on over to Helen Onulak's Blog to see her beautiful eye candy! Be sure to visit all the Consultants' Blogs to get some great crafting and other fun ideas! Remember, the SOTM is only available until February 29th! Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set for $5! Here we go!

Happy hopping!

2012 Spring/Summer New Product Blog Hop

Welcome to our 2012 Spring/Summer New Product Blog Hop featuring new products from the 2012 Spring Summer Idea Book.

If you have come here from Helen Onulak's Blog, you are on the right path!  You can find a list of all the partipant's in case you get lost here: http://bowlofstamps.blogspot.com/p/sotm-blog-hop-list.html

We have nearly 30 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using new products. Blog hopping 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!

Now "Hop" on over to Michelle Loncar's blog to see her beautiful creations! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas! Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to order new products!

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Below I am featuring the new Lucy papers.  I have created a gift card holder using "My Time Made Easy" templates--Insert Card Here and the Abra Bow Dabra templates for my Pazzles Inspiration Cutting Machine.  This box makes a perfect gift card holder for our FIVE FOR FREE in FEBRUARY campaign--buy a Studio J 5-pack and get a 5-pack for FREE (get the brochure by clicking on the icon in the upper right corner of my page)!   Below is a side view of the gift card holder.

Next is a top view...

And finally a look inside the box...

Papers: Lucy WOTG papers; Colonial White, Blush & Gray Wool Card stock

Stamps:  Pemberly WOTG stamp set
Ink:  Grey Wool, Blush Exclusive Inks

Embellishments:  Colonial White Designer Ribbon (lace)

Other:  Insert Card Here template and Abra Bow Dabra template; Pazzles Inspiration, Prisma Glitter; 2" scallop punch, 1-1/4" circle punch   
    

Now hop on over to Michelle's Blog!

First Layout of the New Year

I have not been much of a scrapbooker but I love paper crafting.  My layouts are far and few in between.  But I've been wanting to do a layout of my grandson, Xander.  So here is the captured memories of my grand son's first haircut, in March last year.  I chose Lucky papers to match what he and his dad were wearing.  I just love the colors!!  I actually did this layout in Studio J last year.  [Studio J is the FREE to use online program from Close to My Heart that you can access here.]  I designed the layout in Studio J and used that to create this traditional scrapbooking page.  Feel free to click picture to see details.

Closer look at the left page layout:

 Closer look at the right page layout:

Supplies used (all CTMH unless otherwise noted):

Paper:  Lucky Workshop on the Go Kit; Cocoa, Outdoor Denim, Indian Corn Blue, Autumn Terracotta, and Colonial White CS; Lucky My Stickease Assortment

Stamps:  D1471 Vintage Type

Ink: Olive, Cocoa, Outdoor Denim, Bamboo

Embellishments:  Wooden buttons, Autumn Terracotta waxy flax (ret.), Autumn Terracotta brads, Autumn Terracotta photo clips (ret.), Outdoor Denim grosgrain ribbon from the Blue Collection, Autumn Terracotta grosgrain ribbon (ret.) Pewter photo hanger

Other:  Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge; SU tearing ruler

And, for the curious, here is what I actually created in Studio J.  When doing the actual layout, it helped me to size my pictures and choose which way someone was looking (because you can also flip pictures around).  What a super tool to help in designing your layouts (a necessity for me who professes to be more of a card maker than a scrapbooker).

Studio J was fun but when I look at the two layouts, I think I love the classical scrapbooking one best because of all the textures and dimension!  But you can't beat Studio J for a design tool (and it's FREE - go to my shop on line site and create yourself an account and have FUN, FUN, FUN!!)