Rose Blossom Legacies

Consider Yourself Hugged

2012-01-27T08:16:00.000-06:00

This past week, I put a challenge out to my team. Those that completed the challenge will be receiving a February Stamp of the Month card in the mail from me as a business builder tool. This is new paper along with new stamp sets so that will have this card to share with customers. I thought I'd show you the card they will be getting and talk about a little of what it means to be a Close To My Heart and be on my team!

What is our mission at Close To My Heart?
We show you how to celebrate relationships through discovering your creativity, to preserve and share the moments that matter the most.

Do you love to teach others and share the art of paper crafting? This might be just the opportunity for you! Let me tell you a little about why I love being a Close To My Heart consultant.

There is a huge community of paper crafting paper crafting buddies that are willing to share ideas!
I LOVE my team! The Rose Blossoms are about the most creative and friendliest team in Close To My Heart. They support, encourage, and help each other through our private Facebook group on a regular basis.
I absolutely LOVE to teach others the art of paper crafting!
Close To My Heart offers a generous commission along with monthly product rewards according to sales.
I am able to order new product one month before it comes out. I LOVE that!
Close To My Heart offers loads of training and support through an online academy, videos, and MP3 listening library. I can find an answer and support for business, creative, and personal development. It's awesome!
Regional Celebrations (like the one I attended in Detroit in October) and Yearly Conventions. This year I'll be heading to Dallas in July!
Incentive Trips! Had it not been for Close To My Heart, I would not have seen Italy and fulfilled one of my dreams. We were so spoiled on that cruise!
And finally - I am at home, being my own boss, running my business the way that I choose!

Would you like to see the NEW Consultant Kit? It's amazing and jam-packed with almost $300 worth of product!

These are wonderful business and creative products to launch your business in your way.

Whether you want to join the Close To My Heart family to get product at discount (low quarterly minimums make this easy!) or earn a little extra to pay a bill or two (or pay for your paper crafting supplies), or if you want to be your own boss and run a business - it's all possible with Close To My Heart. There is a place for you!

Please contact me at (763) 227-0583 or girlygirlrose43@msn.com with any questions you might have. If you are ready to take the plunge, you can visit my website and the online application HERE. I'd love to call you a Rose Blossom!! And then, you might be the one receiving a business builder card in the mail!!

Family Love

2012-01-24T14:58:00.000-06:00

Liz Qualman has a fabulous sketch again this week, so I knew I needed to take time to play along. They are always so fun, and they also leave so much room for interpretation.

I had a picture of my Grandma sitting on my desk that I have been wanting to scrap for sometime. I so loved my Grandma. I am so thankful for the time I spent with her and all the things I learned from her. I credit her to this day for being the one that taught me how to make a meal when there is seemingly nothing in the refrigerator - and how to do it quickly.

This paper will be in the new Spring/Summer Idea Book, and it is called Florentine. The large flower on the bottom left was cut from a sheet of the paper. Wait till you see it - it would be easy paper to hoard! We've got some new wooden shapes in the new book that are absolutely wonderful to play with. Just 8 days till the new Idea Book goes live! If you don't have your book yet, just click on the paypal link at the top left of the page. I will ship it to you with a coupon with your next purchase. I will also make sure that you have it in your hands by the 1st!

I put a * next to the new items, but all other product can be found on my website:
X7153B Florentine*
X7153C Florentine Stickease*
D1506 Family Love Stamp Set*
Z1718 Color-Ready Wooden Shapes*
Z1732 Color-Ready Seam Binding*
Z2167 Creme Brulee Ink
Z2114 Cocoa Ink
Z2160 Twilight Ink
Z1360 Rhinestone Designer Brads
Z1336 Pearl Opaque Gems
Z1685 Banner Dimensional Elements
Z1682 Notable Alpha Dimensional Elements

Scripture Box Class

2012-01-23T23:05:00.001-06:00

In February, I am having a Scripture Box Class using the My Creations Memory Game. One of my downline Beth (she doesn't have an active blog or I would share) put this idea in my head several months ago, and I was waiting to have the class until the days before the Lenten season. I was even happier to find this beautiful paper in the Spring/Summer Idea Book to create with. It is called Florentine, and you are going to love it! I'll show you the box, and then I'll give you details on the class.

Inside this box are 24 chipboard tiles:

They are covered with the same twilight blue paper that was used to create the flowers. I have printed 24 Scriptures on cardstock for class members to put on one side of the tiles. The opposite sides of the tiles will be left blank for personal Scripture choices or prayers.

Class Dates and Times:

February 9th - 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
February 10th - 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Class Price: $19.00

All supplies will be provided for this class, so there is no need to bring a thing! Each class is limited to 6 people so sign up early to reserve your spot!

If you are long distance, I can also send this to you with full instructions. There is an additional cost for shipping, so please let me know if you are interested!

Going Places...Come to My Open House!

2012-01-20T22:31:00.001-06:00

Ok, if I don't show you a sneak peek from the new Close To My Heart Spring/Summer Idea Book, I just might burst! This book goes live on February 1st, and you are going to love it! The artwork is beyond phenomenal, and the paper packets are awesome! Well, I'll let you be the judge as I share a little Cruisin' with you.

Amazing, right? This paper is so much fun!! Along with this paper, I've used the matching foil image stickers (are you lovin' that gas tank?!) Pennant Alpha stamp set (available now!), the upcoming April stamp of the month (you will be seeing a lot of this!), and baker's twine (we have 8 colors starting on February 1st!).

If you are local, plan on coming to see this layout and all the other papers up close at my Open House on Saturday, January 28th. The hours are 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. I'll have four make and takes for you, new product preview, class sign ups, and I'll choose a mystery hostess!

If you are long distance, you can click on the button on my left sidebar to order your Spring/Summer Idea Book. I send you a $5.00 coupon to use on your next order!

CCR Design Team Member!

2012-01-20T22:31:00.000-06:00

I am so excited to share that I am a new Design Team member at the Creative Cutter Room! I am super excited about this and can't wait to share work with you!! Take a minute to visit so that you can see all the amazing things that are happening there. There are tips, videos, and projects that I think you are going to love! I invite you to visit the other design team member blogs, and to play along with the challenges!

Brenda (Me!)

Tracy

Make and Takes for 12-Hour Crop

2012-01-19T12:57:00.000-06:00

My 12-hour crop is on Saturday, and I am always so excited to be heading into that day! The Senior Center that I am renting is going to be bustling full of happy paper crafters. I love to watch people craft and to see their ideas!

I've got some make and takes planned along with some demonstrations. I am focusing on some stamping techniques this time. And these are ideas that can easily be used on pages as well. I didn't think of these on my own - I found them all on Jeanette Lynton's blog, and I've been wanting to demonstrate them for some time. Go to her blog HERE, and click on Weeks of Wonder on the left sidebar. She has a multitude of ideas to keep you busy!!

I'll be announcing my March crop (Saturday, March 24) shortly, so watch your e-mail for the invitation!

Hostess Gift

2012-01-18T12:49:00.000-06:00

Now that my hostess has seen this, I wanted to share it with you!

Do you remember that I showed you one of these before? I absolutely love making them for my hostesses because I can put such personal touches on them! I know that Lynn loves vintage (check out her blog HERE), so I wanted to do something very vintage-y for her. The letter flowers, and banners were cut with the Art Philosophy cartridge, and I used Sonoma paper.

Would you love to have a Gathering but are not local to where I live in Minnesota? Well, you can! Lynn does not live near me, but she opted to have a Party in the Box. She has everything she needs to host a successful Gathering along with a short video of me doing an Idea Book tour. The best part is that she will earn awesome Hostess Rewards! Please e-mail me at girlygirlrose43@msn.com or call me at 763-227-0583 for more information. I would love to send a Party in the Box your way!!

Twelve on the 12th of 2012 and Clearance Sale

2012-01-17T16:38:00.000-06:00

First, I need to tell you to run to my website! A bunch of new things were added to the clearance page! Shop now before the items are gone! I also want to mention that there is a wonderful new shipping option that is really affordable. Lots of paper and embellishments at WOWIE prices!!

This year I thought it would be fun to participate in a challenge/class that requires me to take pictures of the every day things. I really liked and decided upon Ella Publishing's Take Twelve. I was super excited when the 12th came, and I have to tell you that I missed some photo opportunites. I saw my friend Amber that day - and should have taken a photo. I went out to lunch with my son - and should have taken a picture of the two of us (rather than just the food!). So already I am learning from this class - and I love it!

One of my resolutions every year is to work on any crafting materials I have in my stash. So I used some "old" Close To My Heart that I have been hoarding (and I truly have been hoarding this paper). This was the Key to My Heart paper from a January special, and I think it was either 3 or 4 years ago that I got it. How silly is that?!

I printed off all of my pictures in a 3x3 format. I used the tags that came with the Take Twelve kit to tell a little something about each photo.

#1 & #2 - I wake up to these two pets everyday. In fact, they choose their spots in the bed, and I end up sleeping where this is room! I know that some of you pet lovers will understand this silliness!

#3 - New cookbook to continue on my WW journey. I let Shane pick this one out so that I can cook one meal for all of us and still stay on track.

#4 - What is better than walking into Starbuck's and being given FREE coffee?

#5 - French Onion Soup and Thai Chicken Salad at Panera Bread.

#6 - Sorry, mice lovers, but this mouse on our deck needed to go!

#7 - New CTMH to play with!! Lots of artwork done, and I'll be showing it starting January 28th!

#8 - Shane has picked up the craft of cross-stitching. And boy, is he good at it!!

#9 & #10 - Magazine Publications

#11& #12 - Sales mentions on the Pacemaker team!

Phew! Makes me tired that all of that happened in one day! I love this class, and I love the idea of giving tribute to a day filled with "everyday" things.

Items that are not discontinued that you can find on my website:

Z1616 - Juniper Ribbon

Z1372 - Juniper Buttons

Z1104 - Clear Sparkles

Z1450 - Cork Alphabet

Z1377 - Kraft Color-Ready Borders

Open House

2012-01-14T21:24:00.001-06:00

I have been busy in my craft room all week, but I am not able to show you anything quite yet. You see, the new Close To My Heart Idea Book goes live on February 1st. I am so excited to show you all the amazing and fun new product! The papers and matching embellishments are outstanding! So I have been in my craft room busily creating pages and card for my Open House. Let me give you the details:

Saturday, January 28
9:00 am - 1:00 pm

Free Spring/Summer Idea Book!
4 Free Make and Takes (with a $25 purchase)!
New Product Preview!
Class Sign-Ups!
Mystery Hostess Rewards!
Retiring and Discontinued Items for Sale!

So bring a friend and come to enjoy the morning! Coffee will be on, and I'll have some yummy Tastefully Simple treats (thanks to Gina!) for you to enjoy.

I've got some fresh new ideas for you, and I can't wait to show you how to play with some new product! I'm looking forward to seeing you!!

If you can't make it, click on the link at the top left sidebar to order your brand spanking new Spring/Summer Idea Book. When you receive it, you will also get a $5.00 coupon to use on your first purchase!

Publications

2012-01-12T17:26:00.000-06:00

What an exciting couple of days for me! Two of my cards came out in magazines, so I can share them with you. I'll list the supplies for each card at the end. The first card was published in the February issue of Cricut magazine:

The next card was published in the March issue of CardMaker:

I think what I was super thrilled about is that both cards used all Close To My Heart products!! All products can be found on my website.

Over the Moon card:
Z1686 Art Philosophy Collection
X7143B Sonoma Paper
1301 Bamboo Cardstock
S1112 December Stamp of the Month - Mad About You
Z2114 Cocoa Ink
Z2147 Smokey Plum Ink
Z1126 Colonial White Designer Ribbon
Z1612 Foundry Pin Clips

Grow Card:
X7137B Lucky Paper (retiring January 31st - order it now while it is available!)
C1439 Enjoy Life Stamp Set
Z2240 Outdoor Denim Ink
Z2237 Olive Ink
Z1359 Lucky Journaling Spot (retiring January 31st)
Z1277 Outdoor Denim Mini Medleys (While Supplies Last - $2.50)

2012-01-10T20:21:00.000-06:00

I thought I would bring you another example using the January Stamp of the Month, Little Reminder.

There are a lot of uses for this set:

Calendars
Invitations
Baby Congratulations
Personalized Birthday Cards

Here is what I have for you today:

Don't you love the easy way you can make an invitation from this set? That little background circular calendar is one of my favorite stamps in the set. If you click on the photo and look at it in more detail, you will see that I have a white daisy line of stitching above the ribbon. That's another little treat with this set - two long stamps that mimic stitiching. Perfect for people like me that don't sew! With your $50 order, you can get this set for just $5.00!

Initial Banner

2012-01-06T19:05:00.000-06:00

I have had such a good time today! I have two Gatherings tomorrow, so I spent the day getting ready for them. I get to spend the whole day talking about Close To My Heart and paper crafting - I love my job!! I put together an initial banner for each of my hostesses.

I put almost this whole project together using the Art Philosophy cartridge. Talk about making something fast and easy!! I used one of the My Creations banner pieces as the base. These are the cut measurements:

taffy scalloped banner - 7.1 inches
blue pennant (made with Miracle paper) - 6.8 inches
crystal blue flowers - 2.5 inches
taffy flowers - 3 inches
taffy letter - 2.5 inches

Once everything was cut, it was just a matter of rolling the flowers and putting it together. I use Liquid Glass to adhere everything to the My Creations products. It is such a strong hold! To finish it off, I add a bow and hanger using Sweet Leaf grosgrain. I know it's January, but this piece of decor brings just a little bit of Spring to a room!

I'm a ScrapFIT Girl!

2012-01-06T01:12:00.000-06:00

I have been holding this in, and now I can finally tell you that I am a ScrapFIT girl!!

I am SOOOO excited to be on this team of extremely talented women! You will recognize many of the names, and you will really enjoy checking out the layouts that are created for you. I hope you'll join us on the 1st and 15th every month. You won't be disappointed in the challenges!

Pretty Girls

2012-01-04T20:57:00.000-06:00

I saw a fun layout on Crop & Create, and I thought it the perfect time to scrap this picture that I got from my niece's Facebook page.

This is my wonderful niece Lacey (on the right) and my nephew's girlfriend Tawnee (left). What a cute picture of these two sweethearts! They are as nice as they are pretty, and that's always a wonderful quality in young women.

I used the following products that can be found on my website:
X7141B Elemental Level 2 Paper Packet
X7141C Elemental Dimensional Elements
C1464 Blue Ribbon Stamp Set
Z1680 Dimensional Element Stars
Z1489 Olive Mini Medleys
Z1327 Green Sparkles

Studio J

2012-01-04T14:45:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I showed you a layout using the lovely Magnifique paper that is retired from Close To My Heart. What a bummer that I used such pretty paper and you can't get it anymore! BUT I want to tell you that you can still use Magnifique. Have you hopped over to Studio J and played with the online software? Did you know that you can go into Studio J without downloading any software or purchasing anything? It is a brilliant online software! You simply go to my website via the link above and create an account. From that point on, you can choose paper kits, layouts, and try different options. One of my recent favorites in Studio is the stitching embellishment. I do not sew, so it is really fun to be able to add stitching to my pages like this.

There is a great Studio J special this month, too. For every 9 custom-printed layouts that members purchase this month, they will receive one free! Let me tell you about the memberships and what is offered:

Free JPG files for every custom-printed layout
Members-only patterns and paper kits
Free shipping on your monthly order (minimum of 4 layouts and maximum of 20 layouts)
Free Memory Protectors

Here are the Studio J membership prices:

3-month membership = $30.00
12-month membership = $99.00

If you'd like to get your feet wet, the Studio J 5-pack might be for you. For $55.00, you receive 5 custom layouts, 5 Memory Protectors, and free shipping.

Let me know if you have any questions. I'd love to help you get started in Studio J!

Exquisite

2012-01-03T17:24:00.000-06:00

I was THRILLED when I saw that Liz Qualman was bringing back her Sunday sketches! I have always been so inspired not only by her sketches but by her work. So it was a joy to sit down this afternoon and create with her first sketch of 2012:

I used a retired Level 1 kit, Magnifique, for this page:

The loon is Minnesota's state bird, and I can't tell you how many pictures I take for that one little moment when it opens it wings. We were on Forest Lake, and this particular loon was very friendly and allowed me to get really close. I just kept snapping until I ended up with this near perfect shot! One of the reasons Jerry and I love the lakes so much is the call of the loon. What a beautiful bird!

Almost the whole page was done with Magnifique paper and the matching stickease. I matted the stickers with black cardstock helping to draw out the color of the loon. I added some black brads and buttons, chocolate waxy flax, and some licorice gems. Those of you that know me, know that I already miss the Level 1 kits. There is just so much more that can be done with them than meets the eye! Look carefully and you'll notice that I popped up the 9x9 mat to add some interest to the page. I carried that them throughout trying to achieve balance.

Hope you're all having a great first week of 2012 - thanks for stopping by!!

Blog Candy Winner!

2012-01-01T19:12:00.000-06:00

I'll bet you are wondering who the two lucky winners are for the $25 in Close To My Heart products! First, I want to tell you how amazing it was to read each and every one of your comments. I am so blessed and feel very fortunate to call you my blogging buddies!! Your work inspires me to be the best I can be - and that, to me, is priceless!

Now without further ado, here are the winners of $25 in Close To My Heart product!

Jamie W. said...

Good for you, 3 years and 400 followers. That's awesome! I just love your blog and borrowing ideas from you.

December 28, 2011 7:39 PM

Alyssa said...

Congrats Brenda! I think I ahve been reading since you started but now I will officially follow you! Great place for inspiration - when I have time!!

Congratulations ladies!! I will be putting these packages in the mail on Tuesday for you!! I hope you have tons of scrappy and stamping fun!!

Three Years Calls for Some Blog Candy!!

2012-01-01T18:00:00.000-06:00

December marked my 3 year Blog-a-Versary! I so enjoy blogging and bringing my artwork to you. It is such a pleasure to read every single comment and to visit with you. I count myself very blessed to "know" so many crafty friends - people I would never have met if I didn't blog. I also noticed that I am just shy of 400 followers - oh how wonderful!! I love to read other's blogs - such a joy to grab a cup of coffee and be inspired by all the marvelous talents in blogland!!

So in honor of all these things, I am going to be giving blog candy away to two lucky followers! On January 1st, I will randomly pick two followers who comment on this post. Each winner will receive a surprise package containing $25 in Close To My Heart product!! Wouldn't it be fun to start 2012 with some new paper crafting goodies?

So invite your friends, and tell them to let me know you sent them. You will get an extra entry into the drawing! As always, thank you so much for visiting me!

January Stamp of the Month - Little Reminders

2012-01-01T00:00:00.014-06:00

Happy New Year!! My first post of 2012 - here's to another great year of blogging and sharing artwork!! If you haven't commented on my giveaway post, refresh the page to see it at the top. I will used random generator tonight to draw two names to win $25 in Close To My Heart product!!
Now, on to the January Stamp of the Month - Little Reminders. I love that this is another set where you can personalize your cards or your pages. If you work on calendars for gifts, this is also a very handy set for that because you have the days of the week along with nice-sized numbers Fun, fun set, and I'll be showing you examples throughout the month. Remember you can purchase your set for just $5.00 with a $50.00 order!

What a fun card base, huh? This is from the Art Philosophy cartridge. That is one of the many things I love about that cartridge - unique card bases. I don't think I'll ever have a standard card again in my card classes - LOL!! I incorporated the large circle of months, the numbers, and a sentiment on this card. If you look closely, you'll also see a stitching strip at the top of the card - that is also one of the stamps in the set. The paper is Elemental and the ribbon is from the Blue Collection.

Mad About You

2011-12-31T10:49:00.000-06:00

This is the last day to order Mad About You - a simply beautiful Valentine's Day stamp set. This set has 14 stamps, and I have been finding that it's useful for so many occasions! Let me share some of my Mad About You artwork one more time ~

You can CLICK HERE to get your stamp set or you can send me an e-mail for your order. I'll get it in today so that you can start making your Valentine's cards, pages, and projects in the next couple of weeks!

I hope you all have a safe, fun, and Happy New Year's Eve!!

Dude

2011-12-30T23:09:00.000-06:00

I spent the whole evening in my scraproom, and it felt so good! I was watching a movie and just putzing on this one page. I am not a "40-pages in one night" kind of gal, so this was really enjoyable to me. I used a sketch from Crop & Create for this layout.

All of the product used is from CTMH. The paper was a monthly special this year, and I was hoarding it. Time to use it all up, though, because there is a new idea book around the corner!

Valentine's Day Banner

2011-12-28T15:28:00.000-06:00

This is a class I am going to be teaching in January. The date is Saturday, January 14th at 9:00 am, and the cost is $10.00. If you are long distance you can buy the kit for $10.00 plus shipping!

In the next month, I am going to have a lot of ideas for you for Valentine's Day, so stay tuned!

Families

2011-12-25T21:38:00.000-06:00

I hope that you've had the opportunity to spend time with family this Christmas! We've actually had two Christmas celebrations within 24 hours, and boy, are we full! We also feel blessed to share time with extended family during the holidays and throughout the year. So I came home earlier this evening and put this card together as a way of expressing my thoughts about the past two days.

There are a few accessories on this card (buttons, ribbon, and glitter gel), but otherwise this was created with cardstock and stamps. The background gird, flourish, flowers, and sentiment are all from the Rock the Block stamp set. I want everyone that buys this wonderful set to have plenty of ideas with what to do with it! I think this would make a nice Valentine's card for a parent or grandparent.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T09:19:00.000-06:00

From our house to yours, we wish you a bright and peaceful Christmas filled with blessings and love!

More December Stamp of the Month

2011-12-22T22:36:00.000-06:00

I just know that as soon as Christmas is over, you are going to want Valentine's Day ideas. So here's another example for you using one of the sentiments from Mad About You.

Roxie is such a delicate paper. This card was fun to make. I took my time and sliced around the flourish with my craft knife so that I could tuck that scalloped circle underneath it. I cut the scalloped circle, heart, and flower templates with the Art Philosophy cartridge.

Thank You So Much

2011-12-22T14:17:00.000-06:00

I saw this paper from Echo Park called Times & Seasons, and I had to pick up a few sheets. It's been a long time since I've played with paper other than Close To My Heart! This paper has the rich, warm colors that I love so much, so it was no wonder that I was drawn to it. I always need thank you cards in the house, so that is what I decided to create.

I found some lace in my scrap jar that layered really well. I created the double border and flowers using the Art Philosophy cartridge. I think the flowers are truly the finishing touch on this card. The sentiment is from the Thank You set, and you call also find the Mocha Opaque Gems on my website.

December Stamp of the Month

2011-12-21T10:23:00.000-06:00

I have been showing you cards made with the December Stamp of the Month, so today I wanted to show you a layout. This is actually one of the pages from January Club (you can see all the pages under my Classes tab).

This paper is Roxie, and I just love it. The pink color is Smoothie, and it's such a warm pink. The stamp of the month images are the two tickets and heart on the bottom left. The other elements on the page are the matching Roxie Stickease. What I did to give the stickease just a little "more" was put Liquid Glass on the flowers. I know that is hard to see, but it just gives everything such a nice look!

What an Honor!

2011-12-20T19:18:00.000-06:00

I haven't had much time to play along with challenges lately, so imagine my surprise when my friend Lynn told me about this:

for this card:

Yippee! What fun news!! I have so been enjoying working with kraft cardstock lately, so this was really an honor!!

You're Sweet

2011-12-20T15:33:00.000-06:00

I am still working out of my card scrap box today, and I've made a Valentine's Day card to show you. I wanted to make sure to show you another example using the December Stamp of the Month Mad About You. I know we all have our minds on Christmas right now, but we are going to want to make our Valentine cards in January!

I've used some Roxie scraps, Colonial White Ribbon, and Bling to put this card together. So such a simple pattern really showcasing the lovely stamps from this set.

There are two ways to get the stamp of the month. You can purchase it outright for $17.95. Or when you place a $50 order, the stamp of the month is only $5.00. What a deal!!

Thank You Card

2011-12-19T20:12:00.000-06:00

I have the coolest box in my craft room. It's one of those 13x13 clear scrapbook boxes, and I use it for card scraps. I like it because when I have a few minutes, I don't have to go to my paper shelf, but I can grab this box and create. I never know what treasure-filled scrap I might pull out - just that I am always on a mission to use all that I possibly can. Tonight I saw a sketch at Mojo Monday that I liked, so I got a start on my thank you cards for January.

I love this chocolate striped grosgrain ribbon. It may cost a little more to mail, but it is so worth it! This card is very clean and simple, but the ribbon paired with Wonderland paper adds a lot of punch.

How are your preparations going for Christmas? It is a crazy busy time, isn't it? I wrapped the last of my packages today, so now it's just a matter of making food. I think we can enjoy the rest of the week!

Our Gingerbread Tree

2011-12-19T17:25:00.000-06:00

Shane's been spending some time in the kitchen, and things are looking pretty festive! I thought I'd share one of his creations ~

Rock the Block Winter Promotion

2011-12-17T23:24:00.004-06:00

Ok, I have been chomping at the bit waiting to show you the artwork that I created with this awesome winter promotion from Close To My Heart! This is an amazing promotion, so hang on to end of this post to hear all the details and see my artwork.
You will be able to find it on my website starting today! I will have a tab at the top of my blog for you to access the ordering information. This set contains an amazing set of 9 blocks (2"x2") that sit in a tray:

Along with that, you will get a wonderful 8-1/2" x11" stamp set. Look at a piece of typing paper -yes, that is how big this set is! Tale a look at this fabulous set:

To give you an idea of the size of the stamps, the grid and polka dot pattern fit on the block. Such a great set, right?!

Would you like to know the price? When you place an order for $25, you can purchase this set for just $15.00! Oh my goodness - this is such an amazing price, and you will love creating this set for your home or as a gift!

Now I'll show you what I created with this:

I wanted to be an "out of the box thinker" (as the stamp set says!), so that is why I took the blocks out of the tray. I wanted to create a firm standing piece of home decor for our living room. I want to invite you to click on the photo to see the detail up close. I stamped all of my pieces with the grid-like stamp from the set. What a great way to create your own patterned paper!

I created some flowers with the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge using Sonoma paper, grabbed some matching embellishments, and I had this completed by the end of a two-hour movie on Netflix. Really, this is a fast and easy project!
So then I was left with an undecorated tray. So the next night I caught up on an episide of Glee on Hulu while I created this:

I love this frame! Dreamin' is a gorgeous paper, and it suited this picture of Shane well. Truly, I just grabbed scraps and a few matching pieces to finish this piece. So by thinking out of the box, I maximized the use of this special set - getting a lot more bang for my buck!

What do you think about this set? Can you tell that I am thrilled about it?! I think the price is amazing as the set has a value of $42.90. You know I created two pieces of home decor and still have an amazing stamp set to explore. Whether you are a card maker or scrapper, you will find a use for these stamps. Now let me tell you about a couple little extras I am offering with this set.

I am holding a FREE class on Saturday, January 14th at 9:00 am for those that purchase the Rock the Block special. I want you to have fun creating your own individual piece! You bring your set and supplies. You can do anything you want, and I'll offer you help along the way. I'll have my Cricut out for use, and I am quite certain you'll find coffee and some muffins on my kitchen counter.
Anyone that joins my team between now and January 31st will receive the Rock the Block special from me as a gift! This set of collage cubes is going to be in the upcoming Spring/Summer Idea Book, so wouldn't it be great to have a project completed to show your future customers? I think so! I have an amazing (and super creative) team that I know you would love!

Please contact me if you have any questions about this set or the "extras" that I am offering with it. I would love to help you out! My e-mail is girlygirlrose43@msn.com, and my telephone number is (763) 227-0583. I can't wait to hear from you!!

Cookie Bake

2011-12-17T10:08:00.000-06:00

I have been finishing up some Studio J layouts for a Christmas gift, and I thought I would share a rather festive one with you.

For this layout, I used Believe paper along with the matching stickease. The great thing about using Studio J is that if I want to use more stickease than would come in the physical package, I can. It was so much fun to copy and paste those button and banner pieces! I was able to re-size the banners, elf, letters, and quote to fit the way I wanted them. There was another advantage of building this layout in Studio J. If either of my sisters or any of my nieces want copies, I can easily go back into Studio J and order them.

I can hardly wait till this layout arrives from Close To My Heart! I know the colors will be true, and the layout will be awesome quality. This 2-page layout cost $6.50, comes with free page protectors, and is being shipped free. What an economical way to create a gift album!

Love Your Layout with Studio J

2011-12-16T08:43:00.000-06:00

There are some great tips in this month's Love Your Layout! Studio J is a fabulous ways to get some of your holiday pictures scrapped quickly - and make copies to share with family and friends! Please contact me if you have any questions!

Cardabilities Reveal

2011-12-15T08:22:00.000-06:00

It's time for a new sketch at Cardabilities! The sketch is fabulous, and I am sure you will have fun with it!

Although it's not seasonal, I really felt like working with these feminine colors. Once I rolled the flowers, I put a little liquid glass on them, let them dry a bit, and then sprinkled some embossing powder inside the petals. It was a joy to create with these colors!
Head over to Cardabilities to see what the rest of the design team has prepared for you!

Let it Snow

2011-12-12T12:12:00.001-06:00

I came to my craft room this morning with the desire to just sit down and create. I really wanted to sit down and play with my papers and ink. I found a sketch that I liked from Sketchbook Saturday

and combined it with the "Let it Snow" challenge at the Kraft Journal.

I so love combining these blues with kraft paper. It's just so soft and reminds me of a gentle snowfall. I painted the snowflake with pearl paint and then poured prisma glitter on it. After all the glittering I've been doing this month, I think my carpeting is will shimmer for a long time! I sponged all the edges with white pigment ink.

Items used on this card that can be found on my website:

Z1375 Kraft Cardstock
X7146B Wonderland Paper
Z2163 White Daisy Pigment Ink
Z1225 Flurry Dimensional Elements
Z1385 Blue Designer Ribbon
Z1327 Blue Sparkles
Z1039 Create a Shade Pearl Paint
Z134 Prisma Glitter

Just a Peek!

2011-12-11T12:11:00.000-06:00

Do you remember me telling you about the Rock the Block special? Today I can't help but show you a little peek of my completed project.

Did you have any doubt that I would create with these colors? I will be showing you the whole project next Sunday, December 18th. This fabulous set of 9 collage blocks with a full 8-1/2 x 11 stamp set goes on sale Monday, December 19th.

I can't wait for you to get your hands on this block and stamp set! With any $25 purchase, you will be able to buy this winter promotional set for $15! I am looking forward to getting more blocks because I have ideas for every room in the house!!

Photo Tray

2011-12-10T17:33:00.000-06:00

I have had these done for a couple of weeks, but I couldn't show you until I gave it to my sister. In fact, I made these for two of my sisters, so they received them this morning when I saw them at a craft boutique. It was such a nice boutique with lots of wonderful handmade items. I had a hard time narrowing down my purchases! Right now I am sitting here in my heavy knit slippers. If you have every had these heavy, handmade slippers, you know just how happy and toasty my feet are right now! In the days to come, I will show you some of my other purchases!

Now getting back to the gifts I gave my sisters. They is the 7Gypsies 6x6 photo tray.

Of course, I had to fill them with all kinds of CTMH goodness! Do you remember when people used to line their shelves with beautiful lace edges? That's the look I was going for by adding the border strips above the small squares. Some great paper and a few embellishments and these gifts were done!

Items that can be found on my website:
X7143B Sonoma Paper Packet
Z1487 Pewter Mini Medleys (I used the corners and cut a frame in half)
Z1635 Heirloom Asst
Z1466 Bling Asst
Z1333 Mocha Gems
Z1126 Colonial White Designer Ribbon
Z1682 Notable Alphabet Dimensional Elements

One of a Kind

2011-12-07T06:58:00.000-06:00

I saw a sketch at Cards & Things challenges, and I fell in love with the simplicity of the sketch. I love making round cards, so I set to work right away on this one.

I used a clear card, so there is a lot of dimension to this card. That beautiful blue mat (from the Believe paper packet), bottom snowflake and sentiment are on the inside of the card. The silver ribbon, sparkles, and large snowflake are on the outside.

Have you ever wondered how to attach paper to a clear card? I use Liquid Glass - a wonderful product that not only holds really well, but is clear (thus the name!). It works beautifully on clear cards or albums.

Those glittery snowflakes are easy to create! I took a couple Flurry dimensional elements and painted them with Create-a-Shade pearl paint. While they were wet, I sprinkled prisma glitter on them. It's a pretty look!

Have you been working on Christmas gifts? I have, but I've not been able to show you. In case people are reading, I have to wait so as not to spoil the surprise! It's COLD here! Today will be in the low 20s, and tomorrow night there are predicting 0 degrees. Brrrr!! I think I'd rather have snow!

Thank for stopping by! I hope you are having a blessed week!

While Supplies Last Updated!

2011-12-06T09:39:00.000-06:00

There is new product on the While Supplies Last tab on my website!! More retired paper and LOADS of cardstock! If you are a card-maker, you are going to want to check out this sale!!

You're Sweet

2011-12-05T21:59:00.001-06:00

I am so grateful to my leader, Karen. When we reach a particular goal she has set, she sends handmade cards. I so appreciate them! She makes beautiful examples using the stamp of the month, and I think that is really awesome! So if you've never visited her blog, hop over there to see what she's up to. I know you will love it! I want to show you the card she made for the December Stamp of the Month, Mad About You.

Isn't it lovely the way she used the hearts from the set to make a flower? GO HERE to see the details on how she made this card. The December Stamp of the Month is one of my favorites. If you put "December Stamp of the Month" in the search bar at the top left of my blog, you will find examples of other projects I've made with this set.

Time-Saving Gift Idea

2011-12-04T10:00:00.000-06:00

The gift-giving season can be an uplifting time of merriment and joy... but it can also feel a bit hectic. It’s nice to know you can count on Studio J^® to help you give meaningful gifts that don’t require a lot of time or money. Here are a few ideas to simplify your life and save time for both the giver and the receiver.

Make one family layout and print multiple copies for everyone. (Time: 15–45 minutes) With Studio J, printing extra copies of a layout is as simple as changing the quantity on the checkout screen. Or, if you prefer, create one layout, then copy it into a new project as many times as you like and customize it for each recipient.

Give a Studio J 5-pack along with a Quick Pic™ album. (Time: 5 minutes) Since a 5-pack includes free layouts, free shipping, and free Memory Protectors^®, it’s everything they’ll need to create a finished album!

Present a loved one with a 3-month Studio J membership. (Time: 5 minutes) A 3-month membership costs just $30 US / $33 CAN and is the perfect way to help someone “get their feet wet” with Studio J and give them complete access to a product you love. Combine it with a 5-pack to make it an extra-special stocking stuffer!

Give a gift certificate for one-on-one Studio J training. (Time: 35 minutes) With Studio J, you can create two 2-page layouts in just 30 minutes. Give a gift certificate for a 30-minute session of one-one-one training where you help them create two layouts. Once you’ve shown them how fast and easy it is to scrapbook the Studio J way, they’ll be excited to create more pages on their own!

So put on the holiday music, pour yourself some eggnog, and pull out your holiday gift list. Studio J is a great way to help you give the gift of memories—without taking much time!

Love Squared

2011-12-03T16:39:00.000-06:00

The other day I showed you the stamp set that you can get with the Rock the Block special.

I want you to know that you can do so much with the stamp set once your collage blocks are made. I am going to be showing you examples this month and next, so I am bringing you my first card today. This is a simple, yet bold card.

You have to love this stamp set! This is the big corner flourish from the set - isn't it great? I added a small flourish to the right of "love". And speaking of the "love," I stamped and fussy cut it out so that I could pop it up. I also fussy cut the border and adhered it to the pleated ribbon. I love the simplicity of this card.

Items used that can be found on my website:

Rock the Block Stamp Set (available on December 19th)
Cardstock - X5759 Pacifica; 1388 Colonial White; Z1375 Kraft
Ink - Z2192 Pacifica; Z2116 Cranberry
Z1327 Blue Sparkles

December Newsletter

2011-12-01T19:31:00.000-06:00

Dear Wonderful Customers & Friends,

Happy Holidays! I am wishing for an amazing month of celebrations for you and yours!

December Stamp of the Month – Mad About You

Even though we are heading into Christmas, it’s time in the stamping world to think about Valentine’s Day. Mad About You will not disappoint you and will easily meet your Valentine needs. The stamp of the month can be purchased outright at $17.95 or with a $50 order; it is yours for just $5.00! Here is an example for you using this set. Watch for many more examples during the month of December!

December Special – Rock the Block

I am really excited to tell you about Rock the Block! If you have purchased any of the My Creations items (page 131 of your idea Book), you know what good quality they are and how easy they are to alter to meet your needs. With this special, you will get a set of 9 collage blocks in a tray along with an 8-1/2”x11” stamp set. This set has a value of $49.90, and with your purchase of $25, you can get it for just $15.00!!

I LOVE this set! It allows for so much creativity and really, you can do whatever you’d like with the blocks! Watch my blog in the next week to see what I am doing with mine.

A couple extra Rock the Block perks for you:

Rock the Block Class – Saturday, January 14^th at 9:00 am

Bring your Rock the Block set to my house, and I will help you put it together. Often all we need is to do is chat a little, eat a little, and see the creativity of others to finish our own work. I’ll give you some tips and ideas that make working with the My Creations items easy and fun! This is a free class when you purchase the Rock the Block set! RSVP by Thursday, January 12^th.

Join My Team

Have you given thought to joining the Close To My Heart family? I would be honored to have you join my Rose Blossoms team! If you join my team from now until the end of January, I will buy you the Rock the Block set! Please contact me if you are interested in this great opportunity. Whether you are interested in joining to receive a discount for yourself, earn a little extra money, or build a business, there is a place for you at Close To My Heart! Here's a layout of me, one of my downlines, and one of our CTMH friends. The friendships I have built in Close To My Heart are priceless to me!! These are pictures from Regional Celebration in Detroit:

December Classes and Workshops
Scrapbook Club - FULL
(but look for a great option below!)

If you would like to purchase a kit to create the four pages at home, the cost with shipping is $25.00. All of the pieces are pre-cut and all stamping is done for you. What a great way to have four pages done for your Christmas pictures!

Cricut Art Philosophy Class
Wednesday, December 7th
6:30 pm

We will be exploring the 700 images on the Art Philosophy cartridge and creating several items. If you have purchased the Art Philosophy cartridge this class is free of charge. If you would like to come to see what this cartridge can do before purchasing the collection, there is a nominal fee of $5.00. Should you decide to purchase the collection, I will subtract $5.00 from your total! RSVP by Tuesday, December 6^th.

12-Hour Crop

Saturday, January 21
9:00 am to 9:00 pm
$15.00

Do you need a day to get out and get some serious (or not so serious!) scrapping done? The cost includes lunch (sub sandwiches), dinner (chili & cornbread), demonstrations, and hourly prizes. They are always a lot of fun! I have 8 openings left for this crop, so please let me know if you are interested. The crop I had in November filled up with a waiting list, and I am certain this one will, too!

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A FUN EVENING WITH FRIENDS?

I would love to come to your home and show you and your friends what is new with Close To My Heart. I can help you plan a Gathering with a free make and take where your friends and family will have a blast! There are always prizes and great booking rewards. Along the way, you'll earn generous Hostess Rewards, possible half-price items, and a generous Hostess Gift from me!

I have just a couple of openings left for January and February. Whether you have a Home Gathering or Online Gathering, your Hostess Rewards are the same!

Contact me today (763) 227-0583 or by e-mail to set up a date - it's the perfect time of the year for a Home Gathering!

Thank you again for sitting down to read my newsletter. I so appreciate your loyalty and your business!

Black Friday

2011-12-01T10:19:00.000-06:00

I have another Studio J layout to show you today recapping our Black Friday experience.

There is not a lot of "extra" on this page as I let the journaling and pictures speak for themselves. Poor Jerry - that is a picture of him in Target at 3:00 am!!

Come back to visit me later this evening. I'll have my newsletter done, and you'll see the fabulous Stamp of the Month and special for December!

Glockenspiel

2011-11-30T10:56:00.001-06:00

Today I have a Studio J layout for you!

These papers are Roxie, and probably an unlikely paper for these pictures. But I love dabbling in Studio J to see what papers I can play with! This was a good dining experience for us, so I wanted to add that little bit of extra "love" to the page.

Thank so much for stopping by to visit!

Snowflakes

2011-11-29T15:29:00.000-06:00

I put together a quick and shiny winter card this afternoon:

I purposefully left the sentiment off so that this card could be used for any reason. Items I've used for this card that can be found on my website are:

Z1686 Art Philosophy Collection (card base, layer, and snowflakes)
X7146B Wonderland Paper
1385 White Daisy cardstock
Z1385 Blue Designer Ribbon
Z1466 Bling Assortment
Z1313 Stardust Glitter Gel

Thank You!!

2011-11-27T11:09:00.000-06:00

I want to stop in and say a BIG thank you to my customers that ordered from my Black Friday special! I thought so much about my customers on Thanksgiving and how grateful I am for them. I never take lightly that you chose me to service you for your Close To My Heart needs. I LOVE Close To My Heart, and I LOVE helping each and every one of you! I absolutely LOVE (and am humbled) when I hear that you've visited my blog because it is just one more way for me to show you what you can do with your Close To My Heart products.

So without further ado, I want to announce the winner of the Mystery Hostess Rewards from the sale. Congratulations goes to Barbara S!! I will be in touch with you!!

Gift Card Holder

2011-11-26T17:38:00.000-06:00

Have you been looking for ideas for gift card holders for Christmas? I love this 3-D "french fry" box that you can cut from the Art Philosophy cartridge!

I've cut this box at 5-1/4", and it folds up to be approximately 2-1/2" wide by 3-1/4" high. I used one of the sheets from the Elemental paper packet. It just happens to be olive print on one side and cranberry print on the other, so this sheet is perfect for Christmas. Now the cranberry star is from the Love Life stamp set. Isn't it great that so many sets can be used for all occasions? The other star is a Milepost Shape that is made of corrugated kraft. I simply squished the top on a versamark pad (don't you love my technical terms?), and then dumped some embossing powder on it. I mixed my own embossing powder to get a nice Christmas sparkle. The three items I used are white daisy and silver embossing powders along with a little prisma glitter.

Do you make a lot of your own items for Christmas? It makes things a little more hectic, but it sure is fun to give!

Miss Chanel

2011-11-25T21:55:00.000-06:00

There is a layout in our current Idea Book that I have wanted to create since August when I first saw it. Tonight I sat down and finally put it together. I built it almost exactly like the Idea Book. If you'd like to see it close up, just click on the photo.

Who could resist this beagle face? These photos were all taken on the boat this summer. She so loves to be on the boat!

It's so much fun to use the Idea Book for just that - great ideas! Did you notice that when you look through the Idea Book you find the pattern name under each picture? So it was easy to get the dimensions for this by grabbing my Magic book. I love that about our how-to books! I was able to build this layout in under 45 minutes. (So you might ask, what took me so long to put it together - LOL!)

Very few items were used for this layout, and they can all be found on my website:
9034 Magic Scrapbooking Program
X7141B Elemental Level 2 Paper Packet
X7141C Elemental Complements Dimensional Elements
1388 Colonial White Cardstock
Z2167 Creme Brulee Ink (for sponging base and pieces)
Z1615 Red Collection Designer Ribbon (I used the Sorbet)
Z1327 Blue & Green Sparkles

Did you have a nice Thanksgiving? We went out shopping at 10:00 pm last night. We didn't have anything to buy - just wanted an adventure. And that it was! It was warm here - about 60 degrees - and I think that brought out so many people! We were home and tucked in about 3:00 am. I don't think Jerry will want to do it again, but it was a fun experience to try once!

Black Friday Sale!!

2011-11-24T21:00:00.001-06:00

I am so grateful to have all of my customers and blog readers in my life. Truly, each of you is a tremendous blessing to me! Because of that, I want to have a Customer Appreciation Black Friday and Mystery Hostess sale!

WHEN

· Friday, November 25^thfrom 6:00 am to 11:00 pm

SALE

· Place a $25 order and receive a FREE Ink Pad! (value $5.25)

· Place a $50 order and receive a FREE Cardstock Shade Pack (value $7.95)

· Place a $75 order and receive a FREE Level 2 Paper Packet (value $9.95)

· Place a $100 order and receive a FREE Stamp Set (value $13.95)

HOW TO PLACE AN ORDER

E-Mail me at girlygirlrose43@msn.com with your order anytime during the sale hours. There are a couple of things you need to include with your order. First of all, let me know what you would like for your FREE product. The second thing I will need to know is how you would like to pay for your order. It can be check, PayPal, or I can call you for your credit card number. Whatever is most convenient and easiest for you on such a busy shopping day!

You can access my website HERE!! This link will bring you right to the Shop Online tab where you can look through our amazing product!!

MYSTERY HOSTESS DRAWING
I will randomly draw a Mystery Hostess to win the Hostess Rewards from this sale day. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be the winner? There are so many good things in the Idea Book!!

MONTHLY SPECIALS

Holiday Wishes Stamp Set – Place an order of $25 in stamps and add Holiday Wishes to your order for just $5.00.

Stamp of the Month – Place a $50 order and purchase Cherish the Day for $5.00

I know many people have scrapping plans over the winter, so this is the perfect time to stock up on some of your needs and get a little bit extra. Do you need Christmas gifts? Let me give you some ideas that any paper crafter would love!

· Our scrapbooking how-to books – Cherish, Imagine, Reflections, and Magic

· Our card-making how-to books - Originals, and Wishes

· The Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge – An exclusive cartridge with 700 images, 3 full-sized stamp sets, and 3 sheets of Dimensional Elements would make any Cricut lover and paper crafter happy!

· Studio J Membership – Do you have a digital scrapbooker on your list? Oh my goodness, this would be a wonderful gift for that person!

Let me know if you have any questions at all about this sale! Black Friday can be a really fun day, and the shopping is even more fun when you earn a FREEBIE with your order!!

A Blessed Thanksgiving to All!

2011-11-24T08:38:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving Day Prayer

Lord, so often times, as any other day

When we sit down to our meal and pray

We hurry along and make fast the blessing

Thanks. Amen. Now please pass the dressing.

But Lord, I'd like to take a few minute more

To really give thanks for what I'm thankful for.

For my family, my health, a nice soft bed

My friends, my freedom, a roof over my head.

I'm thankful right now to be surrounded by those

Whose lives touch me more than they'll ever possibly know.

Thankful, dear Lord, that You've blessed me beyond measure

Thankful that within my heart lives life's greatest treasure.

Thank you, dear Jesus, as you reside in that place

And I'm ever so grateful for Your unending grace.

So please, heavenly Father, bless this food You've provided

And bless each and every person that we have invited.

Amen! - by Scott Wesemann

Peace on Earth

2011-11-23T00:29:00.000-06:00

I've finished the second layout for club, so I thought I'd share. If you are a club member, you'll find both layouts for December under my classes tab.

I made my club members work so hard last month, so I decided we'd do a few things that are a little easier in December. Lots of sponging on the two layouts along with loads of glitter gel. Gotta love sparkle and the "snowy" look in December!

Items used on layout that can be found on my website:

X7146B Wonderland Level 2 Paper
1385 White Daisy Cardstock
D1480 Snowflakes Stamp Set
D1384 Snow Flurries Stamp Set
C1469 December 25th Stamp Set
Z2163 White Daisy Pigment Ink
Z2111 Chocolate Ink
Z2160 Twilight Ink
Z1686 Art Philosophy Collection
Z1225 Flurry Dimensional Elements
Z1313 Stardust Glitter Gel
Z1617 Dark Chocolate Striped Ribbon
Z1247 Crystal Blue Waxy Flax
X1466 Bling Buttons
Z1104 Clear Sparkles

Life is Good

2011-11-22T13:47:00.000-06:00

I have had such a busy month, so I apologize for not commenting and posting as often as usual. I am going to In the next month I've scheduled a little more creative time for me, so things will get back to normal in my blogging world!

I created this simple card in two different colors as simple thank you notes to go in my customer's orders.

The Remarkable Wreath stamp set is just so beautiful! There are so many different things that you can do with it, and for jsut $13.95, I think it's a steal.

Are cooking for Thanksgiving? We will be staying home and putting a trukey breast on the grill. We are supposed to have nice weather, so it will be a perfect day for a good meal, long walk, and a nap before shopping at midnight. We don't really even have anything to shop for but thought it would be fun to go out in the crowds this year.

No matter what you are planning, I hope your day is blessed!

Believe Layout

2011-11-19T23:20:00.000-06:00

I have been working on my clubs for the month of December and decided to show you the first layout that I finished.

I've used White Daisy pigment ink around the edges of all the pieces to give this layout a "snowy" look. The snow flourishes are embossed with white daisy embossing powder mixed with a little prisma glitter. I think my club members are going to have a great time with this layout!

Items used that can be found on my website:

X7145B Belive Level 2 Paper
1385 White Daisy Cardstock
D1384 Snow Flurries Stamp Set
C1469 December 25th Stamp Set
Z2163 White Daisy Pigment Ink
Z2153 Sweet Leaf Ink
Z2127 Holiday Red Ink
Z1225 Flurry Dimensional Elements
Z1482 Silver Glitter Gel
Z1313 Stardust Glitter Gel
Z673 White Daisy Embossing Powder

Black Friday Sale

2011-11-17T22:26:00.001-06:00

Can you believe that next week is Thanksgiving? I cannot believe how fast 2011 has gone by!

WHEN

· Friday, November 25^thfrom 6:00 am to 11:00 pm

SALE

· Place a $25 order and receive a FREE Ink Pad! (value $5.25)

· Place a $50 order and receive a FREE Cardstock Shade Pack (value $7.95)

· Place a $75 order and receive a FREE Level 2 Paper Packet (value $9.95)

· Place a $100 order and receive a FREE Stamp Set (value $13.95)

HOW TO PLACE AN ORDER

· E-Mail me at girlygirlrose43@msn.com with your order anytime during the sale hours. There are a couple of things you need to include with your order. First of all, let me know what you would like for your FREE product. The second thing I will need to know is how you would like to pay for your order. It can be check, PayPal, or I can call you for your credit card number. Whatever is most convenient and easiest for you on such a busy shopping day!

MYSTERY HOSTESS DRAWING

· I will randomly draw a Mystery Hostess to win the Hostess Rewards from this sale day. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be the winner? There are so many good things in the Idea Book!!

MONTHLY SPECIALS

· Holiday Wishes Stamp Set – Place an order of $25 in stamps and add Holiday Wishes to your order for just $5.00.

· Stamp of the Month – Place a $50 order and purchase Cherish the Day for $5.00

· Our scrapbooking how-to books – Cherish, Imagine, Reflections, and Magic

· Our card-making how-to books - Originals, and Wishes

· The Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge – An exclusive cartridge with 700 images, 3 full-sized stamp sets, and 3 sheets of Dimensional Elements would make any Cricut lover and paper crafter happy!

· Studio J Membership – Do you have a digital scrapbooker on your list? Oh my goodness, this would be a wonderful gift for that person!

Let me know if you have any questions at all about this sale! Black Friday can be a really fun day, and the shopping is even more fun when you earn a FREEBIE with your order!!

Holiday Wishes

2011-11-17T14:16:00.000-06:00

Do you remember me telling you about the awesome Holiday Wishes special? When you purchase $25 in stamps from CTMH this month, you can buy this stamp set for $5!

I created a very clean and simple card for you today.

I rarely using white cardstock as the base and background, but it just highlights the tree so well! If you were to see this up close, you would see that the tree is embossed with olive embossing powder. The added sparkles allow good use of the matching sentiment from this set.

Please visit my website or contact me if you are interested in purchasing this set. The special goes through November 30th.

What a Pretty Layout!

2011-11-16T16:05:00.000-06:00

It's no secret how much I love these warm fall colors, so I fell in love with this month's Lovin' Your Layout video for Studio J! Enjoy - I'm off to Studio J to make this layout!

State Fair

2011-11-15T18:00:00.001-06:00

I am excited to show you this page! I don't know that there is anything phenomenal about it other than I made it just because. Last Saturday at my crop I could have worked on things I needed done for this week. But I chose to sit back, relax, and just take my time.

This paper has been on my shelf for a very long time. It is CTMH's discontinued Route 66, and the colors were just perfect for some of my fair pictures. If you look closely you will see that I've done a lot of sanding. I also popped up the center picture to add some more depth.

These are the items that are available on my website:

1273 Desert Sand Cardstock
X5923 Moonstruck Cardstock
Z1450 Color Ready Cork Alphabet
Z1615 Designer Ribbon Red Collection
Z280 Natural Hemp
Z1086 Cranberry Waxy Flax
Z1366 Brads Metal Assortment
Z1369 Buttons Red Assortment
Z1371 Buttons Blue Assortment
Z1294 Sanding Kit

Season's Greetings

2011-11-15T00:22:00.000-06:00

Time for a new reveal at Cardabilities! This is a great sketch and allows you to be very clean and simple.

I chose to use some discontinued CTMH paper (Everlasting) that created more of a vintage feel.

This is my favorite Christmas paper of all time. I know the trend is a little different now with all kinds of modern colors, but these will always be the warm, beautiful colors of Christmas to me. I didn't do any stamping on this card. Rather I used matching stickease, embellishments, and lots of ink distressing.

Head over to Cardabilities and see what the rest of the design team has done!

Thank You!

2011-11-13T09:47:00.000-06:00

I want to take a moment to say a huge THANK YOU to all the wonderful people that attended my 12-hour crop yesterday!! It was such a fabulous day of scrapping, card making, and gift making! There was so much creativity flowing! It was absolutely a pleasure to watch all the varied paper crafters!!

It was a wonderful day of teaching, talking, laughing, and eating. I appreciate every single person that was able to take the time for themselves on this fun day!

Treat Bag

2011-11-10T23:09:00.000-06:00

I thought I'd share the little treat bags that I made for my 12-Hour Crop on Saturday.

There are about 3" wide and 4" tall, and you can use your Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge to make them. I also cut the snowflake, snowflake layers, and ticket with the cartridge. And yes, that is the November stamp of the month (Cherish the Day) stamped on the ticket. Such a fun, fun stamp set - and you will be seeing a lot of it. I simply used a marker to faux stitch around the handle and then filled it with some sweets. So easy!

Holiday Wishes Meets Cherish the Day

2011-11-09T21:42:00.000-06:00

I am so sorry that I haven't visited in awhile! You know life has a way of take hold sometimes, and you just have to go with the flow. I was putting together some thank you cards to go in orders today, and I decided to make them Christmas cards - because I know everyone is going to need them soon! With just a little over 6 weeks until Christmas, it is coming fast!

I used the Cherish the Day stamp of the month (I LOVE this versatile year-round set!) and the November Special stamp set Holiday Wishes on these cards.

I loved combining these two sets, and isn't it fun that I've used the same sets but gotten completely different results? That's why I love stamps and paper - they are just so much fun! I used only the Holiday Wishes set on the last card:

All tht sparkle makes me so excited for Christmas lights! I used a mixture of silver and white embossing powder on the die-cuts. Of course I added prisma glitter, and that is the sparkle you see!

Cherish the Day can be purchased for just $5.00 during the month of November with a $50 purchase. Holiday Wishes is also only available during November, and in order to qualify for that set you need to purchase $25 in My Acrylix stamps. These are two sets that you will have so much fun with! You can click on my monthly newsletter tab or scroll the left sidebar to see images of these two stamp sets.

Some of my time this week has been getting ready for my 12-hour crop on Saturday. 20 wonderful women are coming to this fun getaway! I am so looking forward to spending time with some of my customers on Saturday!!

Turkey Table Runner

2011-11-05T20:34:00.000-05:00

I was at my family's annual cookie bake today. Oh, it was so much fun! This year I only took my gingersnaps to bake, so that I wouldn't bring many cookies home. But I loved making just the one kind as I had a lot of time to visit with people that I see all together too little of. We had games, prizes, and of course, the grand prize. Our grand prize game was to guess the M&M's in the jar, and I guessed 631 - the exact amount! Now how often does that happen? I won this beautiful table runner that my sister Linda made:

Don't you wish that you had this on your table? I always say that Thanksgiving is the forgotten holiday, and I love that day so much. So it's just lovely to have this decoration!! If you are wondering about the candle ring, it is the one I made with five sheets of cardstock and the Art Philosophy cartridge. You can read more about it here.

I love spending time with my family. In attendance were my mother, two sisters, four nieces, and two beautiful young girls that are dating two of my nephews. Around mid-morning, a Mary Kay consultant came to pamper us with facials. It was just marvelous!! Good company, good food, good cookies, and lots of love make for a great day!

To You and Yours

2011-11-04T17:12:00.000-05:00

Today I worked on the final card for my Gathering this weekend. I used the November Special Holiday Wishes to complete this card.

This a clean and simple card, but is perfect for bulk duplicating. I embossed the tree with a mixture of white and silver embossing powders and prisma glitter. I wish that I could get it to show up better, but it's really very sparkly! Items used that can be found on my website are:

Z1686 Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge (tree, card base, card layer)
1385 White Daisy Cardstock
1245 Olive Cardstock
X7145B Believe Level 2 Paper Packet
CC1015 Holiday Wishes Stamp Set
Z891 Versamark Ink Pad
Z2116 Cranberry Ink Pad
Z1466 Bling Assortment
Z673 White Daisy Embossing Powder
Z669 Silver Embossing Powder
Z134 Prisma Glitter

I am finishing things up here in my craft room. Tomorrow we are heading to my sister's house for the annual cookie bake. I am looking forward to seeing my mother, sisters, and some of my nieces. I just know it's going to be a great day!!

Christmas Card Class

2011-11-03T18:46:00.000-05:00

Do you remember the lovely stamp set I told you about the other day that is our November Special?

You get this lovely stamp set for $5 with your qualifying $25 stamp purchase. It is called Holiday Wishes, and it is gorgeous! Let me give you some specifics about the size of these stamps. The tree is 4", the ornament and stocking are 2-1/2", and the start is 2". I had some ideas about what I wanted to do with this set before I saw them in person, and my whole course changed when I saw them! They are such lovely stamps to simply just stamp. The filigree pattern in them stamps so crisp and clear that these make beautiful elements on a card or page!

I went to work designing my Christmas Card class, and they only trouble I had was keep the cards flat enough to use only one stamp! You know me - I love my bulky cards!! But here is what I cam up with for my class. Look beyond the photos and you will find details for the class.

Saturday, November 19th at 10:00 am

RSVP by Thursday, November 17th - class size is limited!

Supplies needed for class: Adhesive Tape Runner, Scissors, Glue Dots, 3-D Foam Tape

We will be making 5 of each of these cards in class for a total of 20 cards. Here are the class prices:

$20.00 - All 20 cards as shown
$16.25 - All 20 cards without Sparkles
$15.00 - All 20 cards as shown with purchase of the November Special, Holiday Wishes.

If you would like to buy this kit to make at home, it is the class fee plus $4.75 shipping.

Happy, Happy Birthday to You

2011-11-01T22:29:00.000-05:00

Remember I told you the other day that I was making 3 cards for a Gathering? Here is the second one that my hostess's guests will be creating on Sunday afternoon.

I love this tent topper card and found really easy directions HERE. So unique and still fits in a standard envelope. I'll tell you a secret about a technique that I used on my gems. I didn't have enough black licorice gems, so I made my own using clear sparkles, re-inker, and some liquid glass. Simply put a little liquid glass on a paper plate (about nickel size is perfect). Add ONE drop of your desired re-inker color. The re-inker mixes itself into the liquid glass, and you can just use a toothpick to drop the colored liquid glass onto the clear sparkle. Easy! Just make sure that you use only ONE drop of re-inker. If you use more, you will find that it never dries. You can color pretty much anything using this method!

Items used that can be found on my website:
X7139B Typeset Level 2 Paper Packet
1388 Colonial White Cardstock
Z1686 Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge
D1475 Birthday Card Chatter Stamp Set
C1464 Blue Ribbon Stamp Set
Z679 Liquid Glass
Z2105 Black Stamp Pad
Z2205 Black Re-Inker
Z1104 Clear Sparkles
Z1464 Milepost Shapes

Cherish the Day - November Stamp of the Month

2011-11-01T06:00:00.039-05:00

It's November 1st, and one of the best things about the 1st of the month is that Close To My Heart introduces a new stamp of the month! Let me introduce this beautiful 44-piece stamp set, Cherish the Day.

This is a great set because it can be used every single month of the year! I will show you several examples this month, but I wanted to start with this beautiful card created by my more-than-fabulous and more-than-wonderful upline, Karen. (You won't be disappointed when you visit her blog!) I met a goal in my business last month, and I received this beautiful card from her. I love getting pretty handmade cards in the mail!!

Can you believe how lovely this card is? I love all the stars, and the detail in this card is amazing! Karen used her spray pen on this card not only to mist the background, but to color the star. I also like the touch of liquid glass over the number. Perfect!

If you are interested in this set, you can purchase it on my website. During the month of November, you can get this set for $5 with your $50 purchase. Such a great deal!

Other product used on this card:

X7140B Roxie Level 2 Paper Packet
1388 Colonial White Cardstock
Z2105 Black Stamp Pad
Z2205 Black Re-Inker
Z2218 Desert Sand Re-Inker
Z1464 Milepost Shapes
Z1487 Pewter Mini Medleys
Z1615 Sorbet Ribbon from Red Collection
Z1335 Licorice Opaque Gems
Z679 Liquid Glass
Z1380 Spray Pen

Thanksgiving

2011-10-31T08:00:00.041-05:00

It's Monday and time for another Heart 2 Heart reveal! We are challenging you to use three colors from the beautiful Close To My Heart palette. (Remember, you must use Close To My Heart products to play at Heart 2 Heart.) We'd like to see a project using the combination of Bamboo, Juniper, and Autumn Terracotta.

Aren't these colors lovely together? They make a wonderful Thanksgiving card. I'll tell you a little about my card. The flowers were cut with the Art Philosophy cartridge, and I added a little bronze glitter gel to the top. I added that wonderful bronze gel to the edges of my stamped leaves as well. By popping the leaves up, I balanced out the 3-dimension of the flowers. I added a strip of juniper ribbon to the card and then created a paper pleat to put on top of the ribbon. That metal piece is one of our foundry bookplates (I love these). Isn't that a nice stamp inside the bookplate? That is the November Stamp of the Month called Cherish the Day, and I will be telling you much more about that in the coming days!

I am sad to say that this is my last post as Heart 2 Heart design team member. I have loved being on this team and "meeting" the other members! I so love Close To My Heart products and this was a wonderful opportunity to bring even more ideas to life, and I so appreciate the time I have spent with them!

You Make Me Smile

2011-10-29T23:26:00.001-05:00

I am having a Gathering next Sunday, and my hostess wanted me to create three cards for her guests to make. These types of Gatherings are so much fun (who am I kidding - all types of Gatherings are fun)! The hostess invites her friends, and they all get to make three cards for $3.00. Very inexpensive, and everyone walks away with new ideas! I am creating a birthday card, thank you, and a Christmas card for her guests all using different techniques and paper packets. Today I'm showing you the first one.

This gate-fold card opens up to say "thank you for your kindness." This sorbet is such a lovely color, so the flowers are such a natural choice to use as a means to "close the gate." I've used foam tape to pop up each lower to add slight dimension to the card.

Items used that can be found on my website:

1388 Colonial White Cardstock
X5924 Juniper Cardstock
X7141B Elemental Paper Packet
D1491 Hooray Bouquet Stamp Set
D1361 Thank You Stamp Set
Z2164 Sorbet Ink
Z1104 Clear Sparkles
Z1615 Sorbet Ribbon from Red Collection
Z1686 Art Philosophy Cartridge (flowers, leaves, tag and tag layer)

Cardabilities Reveal!

2011-10-29T07:00:00.023-05:00

Time for sketch #42 at Cardabilities! I am going to show you the sketch, and if you are a follower of my blog, you are going to know that this was way out of the box for me. I love this sketch because of that. I do like a great challenge!

Here is what I came up with:

I have such a hard time with white space, but in the end I love the way this card turned out! I'd love to see you try this challenge so that I can see what you come up with!

Items used that are available on my website:

X7145B Believe Level 2 Paper Packet
1385 White Daisy Cardstock
Z1686 Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge
Z1466 Bling Assortment
Heavenly Blue Organdy (discontinued)
Bling Flourish (Recollections)

Amazing Special! Holiday Wishes Stamp Set

2011-10-27T16:38:00.000-05:00

Isn't this stamp set beautiful? From now until November 30, for every $25 in My Acrylix® stamp sets you purchase, you can add on the new D-Size My Acrylix® Holiday Wishes set for just $5! Since many of the images coordinate with the Cricut® Art Philosophy collection, you will be all set to create quick and easy handmade gifts and cards for the holiday season! This campaign is available through my website or by contacting me to place an order.

The images are so intricate and will be lovely whether stamping or embossing. Because this is a brand new special and I won't have my set until next week, I am going to show you a Corporate image of some artwork.

Just a little extra perk for you. I am having a Christmas card workshop on Saturday, November 19th at 10:00 am. It is going to be 20 cards for $20. I will be using this set to make the cards - it's going to make lovely cards!! If you purchase this set and want to take the class, you will get $5.00 off your class fee. I want you to use your stamps, and I can offer great ideas for this set!

Are you long distance? I can still offer you the same special! Just purchase your stamp set, and I will send you the Christmas card kit for $15.00 (plus $2.00 shipping).

I will be posting the cards next week, so watch for them. Please contact me with any questions!

November Card Class - Dreamin'

2011-10-26T18:32:00.000-05:00

I have been a busy girl the past two days! Yesterday I posted the club layouts for November, so if you haven't seen them, scroll on down. Today I worked on the November card class and was so happy to also finish them! I used many ideas that I learned at the Regional Celebration. Little things that you may not even notice, but that truly make life as a paper crafter easier!

So this is my card class. It is on Sunday, November 20th from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. You can come any time during those hours to make your cards. I think these will take about 60 to 90 minutes to complete. Everything is pre-cut and ready to go. You just need to bring scissors, tape runner, glue dots, and pop dots. The cost is 5 cards for $5.00.

Let me know if you are interested in buying this class long distance. I charge $7.00 for the class when I mail it to you. The extra $2.00 covers shipping costs. They come pre-stamped and all the pieces are in the cards so that you can easily put them together. I like putting them together while I am watching television.

I hope you all are having a good week! I don't say this enough, but I truly appreciate when you visit my blog. I read each and every comment, and I smile with each one. It means the world to me that you spend time here! I noticed today that I am getting close to 400 followers. Watch for some blog candy within the next week or so. It's almost my third blog-aversary (wow, I can't believe how much I love this bloggy thing!), so I think I'll celebrate these two milestones together!

November Club Layouts

2011-10-26T00:16:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd take a minute to post the November club layouts. You can always access the information you need for this class by clicking on the Classes tab. In November we are focusing on thankfulness, and I hope you find that shines in these layouts!

Card Box

2011-10-25T23:11:00.000-05:00

This is another project from Detroit Regional Celebration. I took some liberty with this one making it my own, but the basic pattern, pieces, and idea are the same.

I have an assortment of "things" from Shane. Little notes, cards, things he's made. I thought this would be a perfect little box to store all those memories!

Items used that can be found on my website:

Z1647 My Creations Card Box
X7142B Dreamin' Level 2 Paper Packet
Z1615 Designer Ribbon Red Collection ( I cut the chocolate strip from the striped ribbon)
Z1464 Milepost Shapes
Z1450 Color-Ready Cork Alphabets
Z1487 Pewter Mini Medley Accents
Z1686 Cricut Art Philosophy Collection

Heart 2 Heart Challenges

2011-10-24T11:15:00.001-05:00

It is time for this week's reveal at Heart 2 Heart Challenges! You have got to stop over and see the amazing work that the design team has created for you. If you need ideas, trust me, this is the place to go!

My card on the challenge blog is different than the one I am showing you today. So if you'd like to see my card there, you'll have to click over ;) This card is the one I created for the Regional Celebration contest/swap. Our objective was to use the 6x6 kraft cards, and I just didn't have time to think of something really new and different. However, the gals that won, WOWIE! is all I can say. I saw easel cards, mini albums, candleholders, treat bags - all made with our 6x6 kraft cards. So let me show you mine.

I created this card by cutting the scalloped border off card and layering pieces of Dreamin' paper. The bird, scalloped circles, flowers, and tabs were cut using the Art Philosophy cartridge. The sentiment and leaves are from the So Grateful stamp set. Yes, I fussy cut 98 leaves for this swap! I find fussy cutting very relaxing sometimes, so I popped in a movie and cut leaves.
I am going to link this up to:

The Kraft Journal - Anything Goes
Create Blog - Fall
Really Reasonable Ribbon - Fun 4 Fall

What a Layout!

2011-10-23T13:57:00.000-05:00

I am sitting on a rather long layover at the Chicago airport, so I thought I may as well share a post with you. I just spent three days in Detroit for a Close To My Heart Regional Celebration. And what a celebration it was! Awesome business teaching, over the top beautiful artwork, and lots of bonding time with my CTMH sisters. I am exhausted (and really just want to be home in my bed), but I expected that. There are just so many ideas floating (well, running!) through my head.

I will warn you that this is not the best picture, but I did want to share a layout that we were taught. My lucky club members just might see something like this in the near future....shhhhh!

What do you think? That BIG flourish with the BIG star just knocks this layout of the park for me! The two base pages are printed paper from Typeset, but the rest is stamping on cardstock. Wowie! I love making those chevron, ric-rac striped. The background stamping is just awesome. The corporate art department really comes up with some winners!

I go to Dallas next July, but I am already looking forward to it! I absolutely love creative training, and there's loads of it there. You know, if this all sounds really fun to you, why not think about joining my team? This month we have an add-on kit free (valued at $80) when you buy the Consultant kit for just $99. That's a lot of product to get you going!! What happens when you join my team?

Along with our fabulous Start with Heart newsletters, I arrange weekly calls to you until you get off your feet.
If you are local, I will help you with your first home Gathering.
My team has a private Facebook group where we share artwork and business ideas. It's a great place for questions, and someone always answers quickly!
Close To My Heart offers a generous commission and select credit for your sales.
Low quarterly minimums.

If this interests you, please don't hesitate to contact me! We had so much fun (and loads of chocolate!). I would LOVE to have you join my team!

Snowy Days

2011-10-22T08:45:00.002-05:00

Today's Studio J layout is about winter. I love the peacefulness that radiates from these pages! Now, in hard copy, you cannot buy our papers in these colors. However, when you play in Studio J you will find out that you can change the colors of the patterned papers. Awesome, huh?! When you click on the photo to make it larger, you will see all the snowflakes that I added - and that included all of them on the left page. Also, notice the distressing on the edges of the paper. That is possible to do in Studio J!

Has this taste of Studio J the past few days made you want to play? CLICK HERE and you will go directly to Studio J on my website. Go ahead and create your free account so that you can go into the online program and play.

A Perfect September Weekend

2011-10-21T08:38:00.000-05:00

Here's another Studio J layout! I want you to notice the pictures on the right page. That is one picture in the bottom 6 frames. Another great tip from Corporate direction! And yet so easy to do! Click on the photo to make it larger, and you will notice online stitching on this layout as well. Now that I can do! Tomorrow, I'll bring you another Studio J layout!

My Two Happy Boys

2011-10-20T08:38:00.000-05:00

I realized that I didn't have to leave my blog empty while I'm in Detroit. I have Studio J layouts to share with you, so that is what I will do for the next few days! The layouts I am pre-posting for the next few days were and "assignment" for Regional Celebration. Oh, I learned so much! Today, I've got a layout that I created for my mother-in-law. She so seldom reads my blog, that I think I'm pretty safe posting this!

One of the fun things I learned in this layout was how to create argyle. You'll see that on the bottom of the left page. One of the things I loved in this layout is the mixed font in the title. Come back tomorrow for another Studio J layout!

Regional Celebration

2011-10-19T19:20:00.000-05:00

I have been a very bad blogger lately. Last week, I had a Gathering, 3 clubs, and 2 classes so that's what I've been up to! It is SO MUCH fun sharing Close To My Heart with others! And on that note, I am leaving tomorrow to go to the Close To My Heart Regional Celebration in Detroit.

This is two days of business and creative training, so I am really, really excited! Next week, I am going to have so much to share with you! My blog will be quiet until Sunday, but I have not forgotten you! I am just going to learn more so that I can bring those fun ideas here. Have a great weekend!

Holiday Magic

2011-10-18T00:23:00.000-05:00

There's still plenty of time to get your October Stamp of the Month - Holiday Magic. What a great stamp set - and so versatile! I've been showing you examples of different Christmas cards this month using this set, and today I have another one for you.

This is Elemental paper. You've got to check it out as it's just so versatile for the whole year! I've made beach layouts with it, Thanksgiving cards, and now a Christmas card. Do you see how easy this card is? It is 4-1/4" inches square so that it can fit in an A2 envelope and not have increased postage. The few little cranberry buttons and olive ribbon finish this card off quite nicely.

Here's another peek at this stamp set ~

Lots of fun images that are perfect for Christmas cards and layouts! The stamp of the month can be yours in one of two ways. You can purchase it outright for $17.95 or if you place a $50 order, you can buy the stamp of the month for just $5.00. What a great deal! Using a clean and simple pattern, like the card I made above, really makes your Christmas card creating fast and easy!

Heart 2 Heart Challenge

2011-10-17T12:28:00.000-05:00

This week at Heart 2 Heart, it's all about numbers. You can create any type of project you want as long as it has one number on the front. Easy, right?

For my project I used the following items available on my website:

X7141B Elemental Level 2 Paper Packet
Z1686 Cricut Art Philosophy Collection
Z1450 Color Ready Cork Alphabets
You & Me Stamp Set (no longer available)
Z2137 Olive Ink
Z2167 Creme Brulee Ink

Stop by Heart 2 Heart to see all the wonderful inspiration from the Design Team!

Take Out Box

2011-10-16T23:46:00.000-05:00

There are just so many things to do with the Art Philosophy cartridge! I especially love all the 3-D items. In this piece I've combined the take out box with 3-D flowers.

It's just so much fun to create in so many ways with one cartridge!

Items used:
Z1686 Cricut Art Philosophy Collection
X7140B Roxie Level 2 Paper Packet
Z1487 Pewter Mini Medley Accents
Z1466 Bling Assortment

Have a great start to the week!

My First Reveal at Cardabilities!

2011-10-15T20:53:00.000-05:00

This is my first reveal for Cardabilities! Stop by and see what the rest of the team has done - such fabulous work!!

Items used that are available on my website:

X7139B Typeset Level 2
Z1686 Art Philosophy Collection
Z1333 Mocha Opaque Gems
Z1276 Colonial White Buttons

While Supplies Last

2011-10-14T12:22:00.000-05:00

Run over to my website! New items have been added to the "While Supplies Last" section! Are you looking for some of those paper kits that have been discontinued? You will find Miracle Level 2, Bliss Level 1 & 2, Sophia Level 1, Lucky Level 1, and Mayberry Level 1. Level 1 kits are rare because Close To My Heart is no longer making them. There are even some items as low as $1.00!

Please call (763-227-0583) or e-mail me (girlygirlrose43@msn.com) if you have any questions!

Jeanette Lynton's Shape-a-Day

2011-10-13T13:49:00.000-05:00

Jeanette Lynton is sharing a Shape-a-Day on her blog this month. The shapes are cuts from the Art Philosophy cartridge. I have so enjoyed going there every day! The artwork (as always) is amazing, and I am learning new and different things to do with shapes!

Today she has created a Christmas Tag Card. I immediately fell in love with this card, and I decided to make a version of it using our Believe papers. The stamp set I used is called December 25th.

Cute, huh? I can't take any credit for this one! Be sure to bookmark Jeanette's blog and visit often. You will learn tons!

Holiday Magic

2011-10-11T13:46:00.001-05:00

Today I am bringing you another example using the October Stamp of the Month. Holiday Magic is one of my favorite sets as I think the images are just so veratile. I was reading blogs this morning and was completely inspired two things - a sketch at There She Goes

and the Tuesday Trigger at Moxie Fab

I couldn't wait to use Holiday Magic to create this card!

I have used only cardstock for this card - White Daisy, Grey Flannel, and Lagoon. These are not traditional colors by any means, but oh, so pretty together! Thanks Cath, for giving me the inspiration to use them in the Tuesday Trigger!

The background on the paper is actually the trees from the stamp set. I stamped them with Lagoon ink to create a frilly background. When you get a stamp set, always think outside the box to create with it. A triangular tree can be so many things! The banner is also stamped with Lagoon ink and that is the very tip of the other tree in the set. I stamped the stocking fur with Grey Wool, and the stocking with Lagoon on White Daisy paper. I cut them out leaving about 1/8th of an inch of white showing and then matted them on Grey Flannel paper. A simple sentiment from the set along with some Lagoon embellishments and Licorice gems, finished off the card perfectly!

Studio J Video - Filled with Tips!

2011-10-10T22:15:00.000-05:00

There are so many ideas and tips in this month's "Love Your Layout" video! I think you are going to love it!

Heart 2 Heart Challenge

2011-10-09T23:20:00.001-05:00

This week our challenge at H2H is to create a layout with a story. Journaling is so very important, and this is a good chance to put that to practice!

This layout was created with Sonoma papers. Such perfect paper for the black and white photos! I'll show you some up close detail because that's part of the beauty in this layout.

Here I clustered some of the matching stickease, a resin floer, and I used the Art Philosophy cartridge to cut the butterfly and layer as well as the 3-D flowers. Don't you love that pewter frame?

I cut the banner with the AP cartridge and adhered them to the matching Dimensional Element. Of course there had to be the addition of ribbon and bling! Now I'll share the journaling with you ~

We hope you play along with us this month at Heart 2 Heart!

Items used that can be found on my website:

X7143B Sonoma Level 2

X7143C Sonoma Stickease

D1491 Hooray Bouquet Stamp Set

Z1686 Art Philosophy Collection

Z1487 Pewter Mini Medleys

Z1126 Colonial White Ribbon Assortment

Z1466 Bling Assortment

Z1635 Heirloom Assortment

Treat Boxes

2011-10-09T01:22:00.000-05:00

I am so love my Art Philosophy cartridge! I want to make treat boxes for my club members this month and fill them with the candy corn/peanut mixture. This is what I came up with ~

I used 4"box cut on my Cricut using Mischief paper. From there I stamped and embossed these CUTE spiderwebs from the All Hallow's Eve stamp set. I had to fussy cut those, but they were very easy! I simply added a black bow and a couple of sparkles - easy!
I wanted to think of some way to make treats fun at club, and this Art Philosophy cartridge gives me loads of ways to do that!
It's going on 1:30 am, so I suppose it's time for bed. I could keep crafting (too much cinnamon coffee!), but Sassy has been meowing at me for over an hour which means it's bed time. See you tomorrow with some more artwork!

Apples

2011-10-08T20:06:00.000-05:00

I don't think I've ever shared with you that a few years ago, I developed an apple allergy. We love apples in this house, and it's apple picking time right now in Minnesota. I really miss biting into a sweet tango or honeycrisp. So this year I was bound and determined to get my apples in!

Something else I may not have told you is that my husband and I started the new Weight Watchers Plus Program in late summer. We are loving it and so love that WW focuses on superfoods now - those vegetables and fruits that are really healthy for us. When I looked over the new plan, it made a lot of sense to me, and we love it! So far so good - Jerry has dropped 28 pounds, and I've lost 23. Wowie! We've still got a ways to go, but we are feeling better everyday!

Now back to those apples. I needed to make them in a way that I could eat them, not have an allergic reaction, and still stay within my eating plan. So I started coring the apple and putting it in the microwave with splenda and cinnamon. Yummy!! And no allergies! Once in awhile I add an eighth of a cup of of kashi granola, and tonight I also added a pear.

I'm finishing it all up with a cup of Starbuck's cinnamon coffee. Mmmm!! Now, Shane is at work, Jerry is watching some fights, and I'm about ready to start some crafting. See you soon with some new artwork!

Peace on Earth

2011-10-08T11:42:00.000-05:00

I saw this tutorial by Beate Johns on Splitcoast Stampers this week and wanted to give it a whirl. It is called a Double Z-Fold card, and I used the CTMH Kraft Die-Cut 6x6 cards to make it. I have had a package of them sitting near my desk, and I thought this was the perfect time to put them to use!

With the double z-fold, a 6x6 card is folded down to 4". I used Wonderland paper on the folds. The snowflakes on the blue flap have been stamped and embossed with white powder (mixed with a little prisma, of course!). I wanted this card to remain simple on the outside because of the sentiment on the inside:

Inside I embossed Peace on Earth and a snow swirl. The stamp set I used for this card is Snow Flurries. What a gorgeous set for the holidays and for general winter cards!

I used a little chocolate striped grosgrain to tie around the card, and I left it just loose enough to be able to slide it over the card. That allowed me to die-cut a layered snowflake from the Art Philosophy cartridge and adhere it over the knot. That flower button from the blue button assortment is so sweet and works perfectly in the middle of the snowflake!

I saw a couple of challenges that I will enter this card into - Bah!Humbug! (glitz and glitter) and Just Add Ink (die-cuts).

Our Little Family

2011-10-06T22:51:00.001-05:00

I am going to Regional Celebration in Detroit in a couple of weeks. One of the things that we were given was instructions to create was some fun Studio J layouts. There were techniques I had not tried, and it was fun to be in a state of learning while I was doing these. I am so looking forward to Regionals for that very reason. It is two days of business and creative training. Yippee!!

I'm just going to show you my favorite layout today ~

I have about the most handsome son in the whole wide world. These are pictures from our bonfire last weekend, and I really appreciated that Shane hung around for so long. He even helped us clean up everything. In the journaling box, I added a poem by Erma Bombeck that fits our little family pretty well.

Hope you're heading into a great Friday!

Merry Christmas (October Stamp of the Month)

2011-10-04T10:19:00.000-05:00

This October Stamp of the Month - Holiday Magis is such a great set! I will have loads of examples to show you this month, so I hope they inspire you to think about your Christmas cards. It's always nice to get a jump on them!

I received this card in the mail from my dear friend and upline Karen. You'll want to visit her blog as she is just so talented!

What a pretty card! She has captured the trend in this card by adding the black. I am so glad that she embossed the cranberry and black cardstock to give me an example of another way to use this set. Thank you so much Karen for sending me this card!!

Close To My Heart items used that can be found on my website:
1386 Black Cardstock
1272 Cranberry Cardstock
S1110 October Stamp of the Month - Holiday Magic
D1477 Universal Backgrounds stamp set
A1115 A Holiday stamp set
X254 White Daisy Card Value Pack
Z891 Versamark Ink Pad
Z673 White Daisy Embossing Powder
Z1616 Olive Ribbon
Z1335 Licorice Opaque Gems

Buttoned Up Card Set Video

2011-10-04T00:00:00.010-05:00

The Happy Clusters stamp set is so very cute! Take a look at this video to show you some different ways to use it. If you have any questions, please let me know!

H2H Challenge and October Stamp of the Month

2011-10-03T12:07:00.000-05:00

You won't see my card on the Heart 2 Heart reveal page as I was a little behind this last week. But I wanted to make sure to get it done today and post it for your inspiration. It is a really unique sketch, and I used it quite literally.

This is the October Stamp of the Month - Holiday Magic - and some different colors for Christmas.

I've used the smokey plum diamond pattern and the olive textured background from the Sonoma paper packet. The stockings (smokey plum ink), fur (cocoa ink), and snowflake (smokey plum ink) are from the stamp of the month. The couple other items used on the card are olive mini medleys and mocha opaque gems.

Please stop by Heart 2 Heart today to visit the inspiration from the other design team members. We have two new sponsors for the month of October - Nichole Lewno and Jena DeVries. We'd love it if you stopped by their blogs and thanked them for their generosity!

October Newsletter

2011-10-02T22:38:00.000-05:00

October Stamp of the Month - Holiday Magic

Have you been thinking about Christmas cards? The October Stamp of the Month is perfect for your Christmas cards! It has great images and fabulous sentiments that speak for themselves and allow you to make a beautiful flat card for mailing. You can buy the stamp of the month at a discount for just $5.00 with a minimum $50 purchase. You can also buy it outright for $17.95. Either way, this set of 18 stamps is tremendous bargain! Watch my blog this month for ideas on how to use this set.

October New Consultant Special

Have you been thinking about joining the Close To My Heart family? This might be just the special that you have been waiting for! If you join Close To My Heart during the month of October, you not only receive the huge Consultant Kit for $99, but you receive one of the add-on kits FREE! You know just how much I love to tell you that you can get something free! I want to invite you to click on the JOIN MY TEAM tab at the top of my blog for detailed information on the consultant kit, the three add-ons and information about my team. Have you been thinking about joining in my team? I would LOVE to have you and so would your fellow team members! Click HERE to fill out your consultant agreement!

October Classes and Workshops

Two-Sided Banner Workshop
Saturday, October 15th at 10:00 am
$11.50
RSVP by Friday, October 14th

You are going to create a two-sided banner in this class that will decorate your home for Halloween and Thanksgiving! Everything will be pre-cut for this class. You only need to bring a scissors, tape runner, and small pop dots for this class. Space is limited so register early. Last month my class filled up quickly!

5 for $5.00 Card Class
Sunday, October 16th
2:00 pm - 6:00 pm
$5.00
RSVP by Friday, October 14th

The cards will be set up at stations and you can come anytime during those 4 hours to complete your cards. Papers are pre-cut, and all you need to bring is a scissors, tape runner, pop dots, and glue dots. Class size is unlimited, but I need your RSVP so that I have enough card kits cut for you!

Studio J Class
Tuesday, October 18th at 6:30 pm
FREE
RSVP by Monday, October 17th

Have you been wondering about the Close To My Heart online software Studio J? I would love to teach you about it and show you exactly how it works. I know you will be surprised at how easy it is and all the things you can do with it! With this class, all you need to bring is your laptop! If this time doesn't work out, please contact me. I can also bring my laptop and come to you!

Cricut Art Philosophy Class
FREE

Call or e-mail me to schedule a free Art Philosophy class! Would you like to know what you receive with Art Philosophy collection? I can also show you many examples of what you can do with this unique Cricut cartridge that contains 700 images. I can come to you or you can come to my home. We can schedule a day or evening class that is convenient for your schedule.

Opportunity Night
Sunday, October 9th at 6:30 pm
FREE
RSVP by Saturday, October 8th

Have you been wondering about the Close To My Heart opportunity? Come on over for dessert and coffee! Let me show you what is in the consultant kit and the add-on kits. I'd also like to share information about my team and the wonderful possibilties that come with Close To My Heart! Whether you want the discount for yourself, want to learn a little extra money, or are interested in building a business, I'd be happy to share my love of Close To My Heart with you!

12-HOUR CROP

Saturday, November 12, 2011
9:00 am - 9:00 pm
$15.00
Andover Senior Center; 1685 Crosstown Blvd; Andover, MN
Register Early! Space is Limited!!

Fee includes:

Lunch
Dinner
Free Demonstrations throughout the day
Hourly Prize Drawings (you earn tickets during the crop)

Basic supplies will be available for purchase during the crop. Cardstock, printed paper, Tombow tape runners and refills, and embellishments are some of the things I will have on hand. Should you need something specific, contact me by November 1st with your order, and I will have it ready for you to pick up at the crop!

Bring:

Your paper crafting supplies - don't forget the pictures!
Die-cutting machines and extension cord
Snacks and beverages - there is a refrigerator available for your use

Reserve your spot by Tuesday, November 1^st with payment to Brenda Rose; 473 195^th Ave NE; East Bethel, MN 55011. If you prefer, I can send you an invoice so that you can pay with your debit or credit card.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A FUN EVENING WITH FRIENDS?

I would love to come to your home and show you and your friends what is new with Close To My Heart. I can help you plan a Gathering with a free make and take where your friends and family will have a blast! Along the way, you'll earn generous Hostess Rewards, possible half-price items, and a Hostess Gift from me! Contact me today (763) 227-0583 or by e-mail to set up a date - it's the perfect time of the year for a Home Gathering!

Thank you again for sitting down to read my blog and newsletter. I appreciate you!!

Pumpkin Patch Re-Run

2011-10-01T21:47:00.000-05:00

I had put this on my blog some time back and had to remove it because it was picked up for publication.

To see all the directions, please visit Scrapbooking.com magazine. They do such a nice job of showing feature articles. You can even click on the youtube link at the top of the article to see this layout in video format. It is such an honor to have my work published this way!

Our Fall Centerpiece

2011-09-30T20:28:00.002-05:00

We are having a bonfire tomorrow with family and friends. Jerry is smoking ribs and frying the fish he caught this year. My contributions are German potato salad and my famous homemade baked beans. I'll also made some mini cupcakes, snickerdoodles, and chocolate chip cookies. Oh, of course I made the indian corn and peanut mixture. Have you had it? Tastes just like a salted nut roll. We are supposed to have 60 degree weather and a day full of sun, so it's going to be perfect for an on-going fire during the day. We have 25-30 people, so it's going to be great fun! Even though everyone will be outside, I wanted a seasonal centerpiece for our dining room table.

The base is a straw wreath. I used the Art Philosophy cartridge to decorate the wreath. I cut 90 leaves in three different colors (barn red, goldrush, and honey). I think I have a dozen of the aster-looking flowers (barn red) and about the same number of rolled flowers (smokey plum). I finished it off by adding some vine-type leaves (olive). It might sound like a lot, but really I only used 5 pieces of cardstock. I used my glue gun to attach everything to the straw wreath and then covered it with Mod Podge. I found a little pumpkin, cut it down, and then put a candle in the middle. I LOVE this decoration in our house. We so love the fall (thus the bonfire), and it feels so wonderful to decorate with these colors.

I'll take loads of pictures and share them with you in the coming days!