One Year

I received an e-mail from Close To My Heart this morning congratulating me on my 1-year anniversary with Close To My Heart.

My 1st anniversary is actually tomorrow - May 1st.  I am thrilled, and there really are no words to describe how much I love this company and being a consultant!  So rather than try to explain, I will tell you some things that I love about my job!

• I am blessed to meet so many people!  Whether it is through a Gathering, a class, or a blog post, I have the best time meeting other paper crafters.  Who could call this a job?!
• I have the best team in all of Close To My Heart - I know this for a fact!  Each one of them is so wonderfully creative, and they are all so willing to share with each other.
• I have a fabulous upline that supports me. She has taught me well how to make sure that God and family are first.  Thank you so much, Karen!
• I am my own boss, so I can be flexible to accommodate my customers.  If I see a class that might teach them just a little bit more, I can look at my calendar and schedule it.  Isn't that marvelous?
• Every single day, I get to play with world class product.  I have had that Art Philosophy cartridge for almost 10 months, I use it every day, and I still can't believe what an amazing product it is!  it works so well with our papers and embellishments.
• I could go on and on, but the last thing I am going to share is that I am one of those people that actually does exactly what I love to do.  I wake up every morning full of joy because I am able to create beautiful things and share them with all of you!

Happy 1-year anniversary to me!!

A Card to Share

I have been working on things you can't see yet, but I wanted to take a few minutes to put together a card that I could share today.

I hope your weekend is fulled with sunshine, flowers, and all things good!

What a Great Video!

I love Close To My Heart (truly, I can't even explain what it means in my life), and if you watch this video, you will know why!

Clean and Simple

Today I am sharing one of the cards that will be in my May at-home card kit.  For the information on the full kit, please click on my Classes tab.

Such a clean and simple card, but I love it!  I've used the different colors of the Dotty for You packet to create my banners.  A couple of butterflies and a few randomly placed gems finish this card off nicely with a simple sentiment.  Best of all, this is a card that you can easily duplicate at home using any paper!

I have a little announcement to make concerning my card kits.  This will be the last one that I create like this as an at-home kit.  I know how much you like them as last month I ended up cutting 27 kits! I love knowing that you sit home and create my cards.  However, my passion is teaching you how to stamp and create.  So starting in the fall, I will have an evening Card Club.  It will be similar to my Monthly Scrapbooking Club, but I don't have all the details worked out quite yet.  Watch for the announcement in late summer!

In the meantime, I will be teaching a couple classes during the summer.  One will be the very much anticipated coloring class.  I'll teach you how to use your inks to create beautiful watercolor and blended looks.  So be on the look out for my class lists for the summer, too!

Plant a Seed of Friendship and a Couple of Tote Bags

I wanted to bring you another combination of colors from the Dotty for You paper packet.  This time I am working with the dotted side.  I can't decide which I like better - all the patterns or all the dots!!

The card, layers, banners, tag, and butterflies were all cut with the Art Philosophy cartridge.  It's just so easy to pick coordinating pieces to make a project, that I can't help but use it when I make a project.  I wrapped a little twine around the middle of the butterflies to give them a little pizzazz.  And of course, I had to add a few gems!  You'll be seeing this sentiment more next month as it is from the May Stamp of the Month.

Can you believe that next week is May?  The year is going really fast!  I wanted to share a couple of bags that were made for me.  Well, I asked for them - so two talented seamstresses put them together for me. I first saw this pattern on the Adornit Blog HERE.

The first is from my mother-in-law, Sharon, and it is very clean and crisp.  She wrapped the fabric all the way around the tote bag.  I love the gathers and how dressy this is.  That's also a very pretty bow!!

The next one is from my sister, Linda.  I chose the fabric for this one wanting it to kind of be my "rose blossom" bag for Convention.  It is very shabby chic, and I love the stitching on the hemlines.  The added crocheted flower (which I am sure she crocheted) and the embroidered name is really fun!

I love that although they are same pattern, they are uniquely and wonderfully different!  You will see carrying these a lot this summer!!  I appreciate that both of them took the time to make these for me - I feel very spoiled!!

Sis

I was able to capture this nice photo of Jerry's nieces last summer, and I've been waiting for the right paper to scrap it.  Along comes Dotty for You!  What could be better? The colors are just so bright and sunny!

There are just so many products that go with Dotty for You.  I would have a list a mile long if I named everything for you! But here are some of the things I used on this page that can be found on my website.

• CC1017 Dotty for You ($5.00 with a $35 purchase!)
• Z1710 Paradise Paper Flowers
• Z1718 Garden Wooden Shapes
• Z1702 Paradise Baker's Twine
• Z1104 Clear Sparkles
• Z1372 Sweet Leaf Buttons from the Green Collection
• Z1736 My Creations Mini Banner (I used one banner at the top left)

I am entering this layout in the following challenge (s):

• Grand Diva's Creative Corner TicTacToe Challenge

50

Every once in awhile, you get those great pictures but were taken in poor lighting or without flash.  That is what happened on my birthday.  Guess what?  I scrapped them anyway!  I had an exceptionally wonderful birthday this year, so I wasn't about to let some bad lighting stop me from scrapping these pictures.

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

• X7153B Florentine Paper
• X7153C Florentine Stickease
• Z1686 Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge
• Z2167 Creme Brulee Ink
• Z1732 Color Ready Seam Binding Ribbon
• Z1333 Mocha Opaque Gems

God Bless You

I saw this photo over at Inspired By, and I was completely drawn by the colors.

In the photo, I saw these colors - Colonial White, Creme Brulee, and Twilight.  So I pulled out my Florentine  paper packet.

Don't you agree that these are good colors for this challenge?  I grabbed a 3-1/2x8 die-cut cards, and this is what I came up with:

The journaling block and scalloped border are actually from the Florentine Stickease packet.  Because the stickease are cardstock quality, so they are really nice to distress and ink.  I've added some pearl opaque gems, pewter mini medleys, and some color-ready seam binding ribbon that I sponged with creme brulee ink.

Back to creating!

Dotty for You Initial

I have a couple days that I can spend crafting at leisure, so look out!  You may see a lot of little projects!

I always make a gift for my hostesses - whether they are near or far.  It's one of the great pleasures of my job.  I so appreciate when people allow me into their homes for a few hours!  This is what I gave my hostess this morning.

This is a simple wooden letter that I picked up.  It was easy to work with because it was already painted white.  I simply adhered Dotty for You paper to the front and then used a craft knife to cut around the edges.  Now of course I had to make flowers!  Any time I get the chance to use the dark chocolate striped grosgrain, I pull that out, too.  It makes the nicest bows!  A couple of flutter shapes and opaque gems, and it was done.

I'll have another new project for you tomorrow!

Pemberley Heart Bag

I wanted to share the project that I've done as a Make and Take at my last few Gatherings.  Guests have had so much fun with this!

This is one of the many 3-D items that can be cut with the Art Philosophy cartridge.  It is the perfect size for a gift card or to adhere to a package.  When I've used these for packages, I tuck some chocolate inside.  The flower is one of the 3-D flowers, and I've stamped two flowers from A Blossom.  Such a great stamp set and only $6.95:

I hope you're having a good weekend!

Excited to Announce...

that I am part of the inaugural Creative Team for Memory Miser!!

I have been so excited to tell you about this!!  I will be on the Creative Team from May through October, and I can already tell you that I am going to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE bringing you fresh ideas using your Cricut!!  I hope that during my term, you'll find ideas to inspire you!

Please join me in also welcoming the other Creative Team members, Kassidy and Leanne.  Also new to the Memory Miser team is Social Media Consultant (and a fellow Close To My Heart Consultant),  Dr. Phil.

May Club - Victory

Now that my April club is over, it's time to show the May Clubs. Victory is GREAT paper, and can be used for so much!  The technique that we will be focusing on in May is sanding.

Our first layout has just that little bit more...

And because of the title, the second layout has just enough...

Dates of May's club are:

• Monday, May 7th at 6:30 pm (1 opening)
• Tuesday, May 8th at 6:30 pm (full)
• Monday, May 14th at 6:30 pm (1 opening)

Mini Banner

It's no secret that I love banners!  And these My Creations Mini Banners are just so easy to work with!  Did you like this short video?  If you'd like to create this, I can help you with dimensions.  Just give me a call (763.227.0583) or send me an e-mail (girlygirlrose43@msn.com).  I showed this before, but I'll show you again so that you can see another idea for creating the mini banners!

National Scrapbooking Month Special - Dotty for You

Today is the day!  You've been watching me create artwork with Dotty for You, and now you can purchase your own!    From April 17 (TODAY!)through May 31, you can get this BEAUTIFUL "Dotty for You" pack of 24 cardstock weight patterned paper (different prints on both sides). This pack is valued at $19.95 and can be yours FREE, or for only $5.  ( Keep reading to find out about the Dotty for You Recipe/Photo Box class...)

There are three ways to get this pack:

• Place an order of $35 or more (before shipping and tax) from the Spring/Summer 2012 Idea Book and add the Dotty for You paper pack for only $5.
• Host a gathering (in your home or just collect orders) with sales of $400 or more (before shipping and tax) and in addition to your already wonderful hostess rewards (at least $60 in free products plus at least one half-off item) you will also receive the Dotty for You paper pack FREE!
• Join Close To My Heart as a new Conslutant and receive a Dotty for You paper pack FREE!

To get this paper pack , you can do one or more of the following:

• Place an order on my website (www. http://brendarose.ctmh.com )
• Call or email me to place an order (763-227-0583, girlygirlrose43@msn.com)
• Call or email me to schedule an in-home gathering or to schedule a Catalog Gathering wherever you might be.
• Sign up to be a consultant on my website.  Once you're there, just click on "Opportunites' in the top bar menu, and then "Be a Consultant."  It's easy, and you get over $300 in supplies in your $99 kit.

Here is a photo of the papers. Remember, there are TWO of each pattern you see. The front sides of these papers are full of fun, colorful designs. The backs are all polka dots in coordinating colors.  

Dotty for You Recipe/Photo Box Class! 

This is a fun and unique class!  You purchase your Dotty for You before May 15th.  Come to class to create a recipe/photo/card box using your favorite patterns from the Dotty for You packet!  Your $12 class fee includes the box, cutting guide for your papers, 6 file dividers for your box, gems, ribbon, and all the supplies necessary to create this project.  You just bring your Dotty for You and yourself!

 I am holding two class dates:

• Monday, May 21st at 6:30 pm
• Tuesday, May 22nd at 6:30 pm

Here is my sample:

Your box will be decorated in the same way, but with whatever papers, ribbon, and letters you would like to use!  We will cut the letters and flowers on the Cricut the evening of the class using your Dotty for You paper.  Space will be limited for this class, so sign up early!

Blog Hop Winner!

First of all, I want to say a HUGE thank you to all of you that visited the Rose Blossom Blog Hop!  Everyone that participated in the hop is really grateful to you for stopping by and commenting on their work.  You know, it's the little things that truly mean so much!!

I did the drawing the old-fashioned way - by putting pieces of paper in a basket.  WOW!  There were a lot of pieces of paper!  The winner of the Rose Blossom Blog Hop is........

Tamytha

Tamytha, sne me an e-mail at girlygirlrose43@msn.com, and I will send your prize right away!

Rose Blossom Team Blog Hop!

If you are looking for my ScrapFIT reveal, please scroll down.

Happy Spring!  Welcome to the Rose Blossoms Blog Hop!

Let me tell you a little about the Rose Blossoms. As a Close To My Heart consultant, I am blessed to have a beautiful bouquet of team members, and the name of my team is the Rose Blossoms.  We support and encourage each other not only in our Close To My Heart businesses, but in our artwork.  After all, it is our love of paper crafting that drew all of us to become Close To My Heart consultants in the first place!   Don’t you agree that creativity blossoms even more when it is shared and appreciated?

So now we want to share with you!  We are starting here on my blog, and I want to invite you to visit each of my team members that are participating.  We will each be inspiring you with a lovely spring project, and here is mine:

I found a 9" clear acrylic plate at Target on clearance for 37 cents.  That is the base of this piece of home decor.  I used my Art Philosophy cartridge to cut 84 flowers, 42 leaves, 1 butterfly, 1 banner, and 1 circle.  I used the dotted side from Dotty for You. (On Tuesday you will be able to order yours!!) There are three five-petaled flowers stacked together, and I've put a rolled flower in the center.  I used Liquid Glass and pop dots to adhere everything to the plate.  This will sit in our living room as a spring decoration.  Maybe it will even stay out there all through the summer!

Now it's time for you to visit the remaining blogs on the hop and leave them some love!  Should you get lost you can always come back here to find out who you need to visit:

  Brenda (me) - Rose Blossom Legacies

·             Marg - I Didn’t Have Potatoes
       Tammie - I Love to Craft!
       Crystal - All Things Crafty
              Lynn - From My Bungalow
              Kristine - Merry Heart Creations
       Jenny-May - Angel Bay Crafting Hearts


      I have a grand prize for you, and the rules are really simple for this one.  

You have the opportunity to earn 8 tickets for the drawing:


**Visit each one of my team members on the hop  and leave a comment for one ticket in the drawing (including me!).  You must comment on all of them to get this ticket!
**Receive an extra ticket for each blog that you decide to follow!  (As their leader, I promise you won’t be disappointed.  I have the most creative bunch of rose buds!)

This Spring Blog Hop goes through Monday, April 16^th at 11:59 pm central time.  I will gather all the tickets and randomly draw one winner that I will announce on Tuesday evening, April 17^th.  Each of my team members will also announce the winner on their blogs.  Here is the $40 prize package that the winner will receive:

Your next stop is Marg at I Didn't Have Potatoes.  Happy Hopping and thanks for visiting me and these wonderful team members of mine!

ScrapFIT Workout #66

Diana, our Creative Trainer at ScrapFIT, has put together this rigorous workout just for you!  Let this color inspiration direct your Layout/ Card/ Paper craft project! These colors are a beautiful combo of soft and subtle with a pop!  

Here is what I created for you using a PageMaps sketch from Crop & Create:

This paper is called Perfect Day.  It is no longer available (you'll find it in Studio J!) but I have been hoarding a few sheets for the perfect picture.  I sure love spending time with Jerry, so this was the right time to pull it out!

SPONSOR: My Divine Inspiration Etsy Shop /http://www.etsy.com/shop/mydivineinspiration?ref=pr_shop_more

Stars Shine Bright

The Close To My Heart Convention is in Dallas this year, and I am SO EXCITED to be going!  CTMH friends + good teaching + creative time + loads of fun + new product = a very, very good time!!  A couple of months ago, CTMH sent a postcard in the mail, and I almost threw it away.  But it was such a fun postcard that I hung it on the wall and thought I'd save it for an album.  Well, good thing I did!  Turns out the postcard was for a contest that we can enter.  Even more fun - I love that CTMH creates so much fun for us!  So for this contest, we are to create a one or two-page layout using the postcard and 100% CTMH product.  I decided to make the first page in my Convention album.

I used Dotty for You paper.  Isn't it great paper?  Don't worry - less than a week till you can get yours!  I had some ribbon from a the 2008 Convention, and I used that for some of the trim.  The protector that you see is one of our Flip Flap protectors that is perfect for storing brochures.  It would normally go on the outside of the 12x12 page protector, but for the sake of picture taking, I have it directly on the page.  And if you were to use the flip flaps that way, it would be okay, too!

Three lucky winners of the Lasso a Stamp Set contest will win a stamp set from the Fall/Winter Idea Book.  No matter what - I sure had fun making this page!  I'm going to use a chocolate Quick Pik album for this event, and this contest motivated me to think about some other pages I can create ahead of time.  Back to my craft table!

Life is Good

It really is...life is so good!  I like the unique sketch over at Clean and Simple:

So  I combined it with Dotty for You and this sentiment from Remarkable Wreath.

Smoothie is such a fun spring color. The metal frame adds a little charm to this card while keeping it simple!

Snowy Days and Spring

I thought I'd share a couple more Studio J layouts with you today along with the monthly "Love Your Layout" video.  Watching these videos is a great way to learn new tips and techniques when working in Studio J.

These photos were taken on leap day this year:

And only 3-1/2 weeks later, this was going on (only in Minnesota!):

Let me know if you have any questions about Studio J!

Scrap

I thought I'd share a Studio J layout with you today.  When I have a lot of photos from an event or I want to fit certain pictures in a smaller area, I turn to Studio J.  These are photos from a scrapping weekend with two of my sisters and two nieces.  When I put this together, I realized that I didn't get a group picture and didn't get any of myself!  I was in my jammies most of the weekend, so that was probably best!

If you'd like more information about Studio J, just let me know!  I finished  four 2-page layouts last night in less than 3 hours - complete with journaling.  It cost me $26, and they will be shipped to me free along with free memory protectors.  What a great deal!!

Dream

Happy Easter to all of you!  What a blessed day to remember that we live in grace, love, and mercy because of the sacrifice made for us.  I hope you and your family had a wonderful day!

After dinner today, I sat down to make a banner with the Dotty for You collection. (I just couldn't get a clear picture today, so I am so sorry for the poor clarity.)

You'll see this exact banner on page 31 of your Idea Book.  Instead of Lucy, I used Dotty for You paper, but I cut everything the same size.  I chose to use the sweet leaf, creme brulee, and lagoon dots.  All of the banner pieces, letters, circles, flowers, and butterflies were cut with the Art Philosophy cartridge and then adhered to the My Creations Mini Banner.  I tied the banner together with white grosgrain, and I added some blue gems to finish this off. What a cute decoration for my craft room!

Card Box

It's a beautifully sunny day here in Minnesota, so I wanted to create something equally as sunny.  I took out some Dotty for You paper and a My Creations recipe/photo box.  I have been needing a place to store my thank you cards, so this is what I came up with.

I love that there are so many patterns in this Dotty for You packet.  It can be bright and sunny like this when a little ribbon, flowers, and sparkles are added.  I cut the letters and flowers using the Art Philosophy cartridge.  This is a pretty fast and easy project!

Dotty for You Video

Amazing!

In the past couple of days, I've shown you the April Stamp of the Month and the National Scrapbooking Day special Dotty for You.  Today I've combined the two for you.  There is so much variety in the Dotty for You paper packet!

I will never grow tired of banners,and they are so easy to cut with the Art Philosophy cartridge!  I love how versatile they are for sentiments and as embellishment.  I added a little Lagoon twine and some Bitty Sparkles and this card was finished.

While you are waiting for the Dotty for You special to start, why not look over the While Supplies Last list?  Here are just a few of the items you can get at a great price!

Color-Ready Alphabets Oxford - $1.50

These versatile, adhesive-backed letters in White Daisy cardstock are perfect for chalking, inking, sponging, stamping, and more. Just embellish, peel, and attach! (2 - 6" × 12" sheets)

Dimensional Elements On Target - $2.00

Encircle your photos, stamped images, and other focal points using this collection of fancy chipboard rings in lots of sizes. (1 – 9" × 12" sheet)

Mini-Medley Accents Antiqued Copper Collection -$2.00

A great selection of accents in one of the most versatile colors around!

Collection Contents:
8 Photo Corners, 4 – 1/4" Ribbon Slides, 3 Bookplates, 3 Arrow Photo Clips, 3 Rectangle Photo Clips

Dotty for You

I am so excited to tell you about the Dotty for You special that is starting on April 17th!  May is National Scrapbooking Month, and CTMH always celebrates in a great way!

This is a paper packet filled with 12 patterns (the back sides are "dotty").  You will receive two of each pattern for a total of 24 sheets of paper! I think you'll agree that this is great paper!!

I bet you want the details!  It's so easy!  Place a $35 order, and receive the Dotty for You paper packet for just $5!  Easy, peasy!  There are two more ways to get it, too:

• Hold a Home or Online Gathering from now until May 31st that totals $400, and you will receive Dotty for You free!
• Join my team by May 31st, and you will receive Dotty for You with your Consultant Kit!

Now it's time to show you one of the things that I made with it!

This paper is just a breath of fresh air - perfect for the Spring!!  You'll be seeing a lot more of it this month!

April Stamp of the Month

You know me by now.  Every month I say that "this month's stamp is my favorite."  But in my defense, once you start working with the CTMH Stamps of the Month, they do become a favorite!  April's You Are is no exception - it's versatile for so many things!

Awesome, right?!  I'll be showing you examples throughout the month on cards and pages. 

Now there are a couple ways to get the stamp of the month.  You can purchase it outright for $17.95 or with a $50 order, you can get this awesome stamp for $5.  What a deal!!  Watch for more artwork examples throughout the month!

ScrapFIT Workout #65

Have you been having fun playing along with the ScrapFIT workouts?  They are always so varied and so much fun!  We have a picture this week to inspire you:

I LOVE this inspiration photo!  I have had a picture of my father-in-law for quite some time.  It is from 1942, and I loved the shot and the whole background.  It was perfect to use for this challenge!

This is Echo Park's Times and Seasons paper.  I edge distressed all the paper as I thought it gave even more character to the whole page.  I added a few CTMH embellishments, a Tim Holtz tag, and the layout was finished.  I am so glad that I am not a scrapper that likes to hurry through photos to get them in a book.  If I were, I may not have had this precious photo to use for this page!

We have a great sponsor this week - My Divine Inspiration.

Stop by ScrapFIT to see the other design team member's work, and then try this challenge for yourself!  I'd love to see what you do!