While Supplies Last and December Specials

Christmas month is here!!  I love the colors, the lights, the spirit - everything about Christmas!  People are a little kinder and hearts are a little lighter as we celebrate the gift of our Saviour.  This is the month I contemplate what has been over the last year and anticipate what is to come.  There's just all kinds of good in December!!

Speaking of good, I have so many specials to tell you about for December!

• Starting December 1st at 1:00 am CST, there will be new items on the While Supplies Last section of my website!  You will find a wide variety of paper and coordinating accessories at a substanial discount.  Some of the items are currently available and this is the time you will see a further markdown!  I would suggest shopping early for the best selection.  I have a feeling that product is going to fly off the shelves!!
• If you spend $50 on an online order during the month of December, you will receive a FREE Bonding Memories Glue Pen!  That sweetens the deal even more, don't you think?  I love my glue pen for adhering letters and Cricut cuts to my paper crafting projects.
• Spend $50 in December and you are also eligible to receive the December Stamp of the Month for $5.00!  Year Round Cheer is a wonderful set suitable for cards, pages, and calendar work. 
• REINDEER BUCKS!  This is a special available only through me in December!  For every $10 you spend with me in December, I will give you $1 back in the form of a gift certificate.  So, if you spend $50, you get $5 in Reindeer Bucks!  Spend your Reindeer Bucks starting with the new Spring/Summer Idea Book on February 1, 2013.

Didn't I tell you?  

Just. All. Kinds. Of. Good. 

And if this weren't enough (wow, is Close To My Heart amazing!), there is a new National Paper Crafting month special starting December 13th!  I'll give you more details about this as it closer, but for now let me give you a hint....Whooo's Your Valentine?  The special is fun, super affordable, and will be a wonderful winter project for you!  There's even going to be a chance for you to get it FREE from me, so stay tuned!!

Cut it Up Challenge #7

We'd like to see your 3D holiday decorations at Cut it Up.  It's up to you what holiday you would like to create for - just make sure to use a die-cut!

I don't have any New Year's decor, so that is what I decided to create:

I only wish you could see how sparkly this is!  Let me show you some details up close:

My base pieces are the My Creations banner.  I left them plain and used my Universal Background music notes stamp to "cover" them.  (I am gaining a huge love for background stamping!)  I used the same desert sand ink to sponge the edges of the banners.  I cut the numbers at 5-1/2" using the Artiste cartridge.  I covered them with Liquid Glass and then pressed them into Prisma Glitter.  Ihad to let them dry for about 4 hours before I could adhere them to the banners.  It's worth the wait, though, because that glitter is permanent!  I wanted to add some New Year's sentiments, so I cut these using my Slice Words & Expressions Holiday card.  A few gems and  little organdy, and this banner was ready to hang in my living room!  I do want to give you another tip.  When making something like this, cut out extra numbers.  I cut numbers for the next six years (4 through 9), so that I can use this banner again and again.

I love visiting you when you play along!  You always inspire me greatly!  For this challenge, you are playing for this great prize:

I am entering this into the following challenges:

• Decorate to Celebrate - party decoration for a holiday
• Flourishes - gold or silver
• Heart 2 Heart - Glitter
• Eclectic Ellapu- Celebration with Sparkle

Noel

Because I got to thinking about how behind I am in my Christmas card making yesterday, I thought I'd better be making Christmas cards for while!  I grabbed a sketch from Waltzingmouse, and I took to creating this morning.

The rich traditional look of the Pear & Partridge is perfect for Christmas cards.  I combined it with some Kraft cardstock, hemp, sparkles, flowers, and a holiday dimensional element.

I hope that you have a crafty day!

Just Beecause

My second post for the day - that's a good day in my book!  

I saw the inspiration photo at Inspired By

and the sketch from Mojo Monday

and I knew exactly what I wanted to do! 

The floor in the Inspired By photo reminded me of bees, so I knew I had to pull out my Pun Fun stamp set.  I had some scraps left from the Spellbound WOTG - I love these black polka dots!!  I think they work wonderfully with cranberry and a touch of honey.

It was triple the challenge fun when I found one little piece of black embroidery floss to create the bow.  That  fits the challenge at Shopping Our Stash (Odds & Ends Waiting to Be Used).  It may be the time when we are needing to create Christmas cards, but I love this little bee!  It's also a pretty simple card that lets the paper and stamp speak for itself.

Speaking of Christmas cards, I haven't designed mine yet.  Yikes!  I'm not usually last minute, but this really crept on my quickly!!  I hope I am not the only one feeling like that!  Thanks for visiting today!

This & That

That's the name of the paper I used for this layout - This & That Christmas from Echo Park.  I wanted to enter their Christmas project challenge, and I really liked the ruby red in this snowflake paper.

I cannot believe that this unbelievably cute picture was taken 20 years ago.  I do not know where time goes or how Shane grew up so fast.  I tend to get a little nostalgic around Christmas, so I like to pull out his "little boy photos" to scrap.  I am glad that I have never been a chronological scrapper because that means I get to pull out these memories and think on them while I am scrapping.  I think I feel this way around the holidays because holidays change so much when children grow up.  It becomes less about the presents and more about our faith and family time.  There is not one present in the world that can match precious time we spend with loved ones.

The twine is from My Mind's Eye, but otherwise all the embellishment is from the This & That collection.

December Club Layouts

The focus in December will be on Christmas!  We are going to be using Pear & Partridge along with the matching glittery rub-ons.

I love the total cuteness that the rub-ons add the the pages.  They are so much fun to use, and I can't wait to share them in December club!

Winner of the Rose Blossom Blog Hop!

I am just so overjoyed by how many people visited my team's blogs!  I am so grateful that you took the time to hope through and leave so many, many kind comments!!  As their leader, I think that these wonderful women are superbly talented, and they let that shine in their Christmas creations.  I do so love my team, and I appreciate the time and effort that went into being a part of this hop!

Without further ado, the winner of the blog hop is:

LynnaeNovember 23, 2012 10:12 AMLove the blog hop! So much creativity! Thank you for sharing!

Thank you so much, Lynnae, for joining us!  Your package will be going out in the mail today!!

Before I leave you, I want to let you all know to keep following.  Our next blog hop will be in February, and it will feature creations using  new product from the Spring/Summer Idea Book.  I hope to see you then!

Rose Blossom Christmas Blog Hop

I am so glad that you took time out of your holiday to visit today!  If you are at my blog first, I want to invite you to start at the beginning and visit the other 6 blogs in the hop.  My Rose Blossom team has been working so hard on their projects, and I know you are going to be inspired!  Be sure to read on for the blog hop rules!

Here is the blog hop order:
(Just click on the first one and then you will be led to the next!)

Marg 

Tammie

Crystal

Kim

Lynn

Kimberly

Brenda (that's me and you are here!)

Ok, let me show you the project I made for the hop.  It's one of my favorite My Creations items - the card box.  It's so affordable at $4.95, and it makes a great piece on a table or a wonderful gift.

I have used just a few items to complete the box.  They are Pear & Partridge paper, Holiday Dimensional Elements, and Antiqued Gold Mini Medleys.  The banner from the dimensional elements is the perfect size for this box.  I cut the fasteners off the Antiqued Gold brads, and used glue dots to adhere the tops of the brads to the banner.

The top was really fun to make!   I cut a fancy border on the Artiste and then layered that with a piece of dark chocolate striped grosgrain.  From there, I created a yo-yo flower using the Artiste cartridge.  The scalloped circle is another dimensional element, and I've finished it off with red gems, an antiqued gold button, and a bow made of bamboo Waxy Flax.  Do you see those antiqued gold flourishes?  They are super easy to bend. so I can add even more dimension to projects!  Oh yes, there's sparkle!  I added some Almond Glitz Glitter Gel to the folds of the yo-yo flower.  I think this will be a lovely addition to Christmas decorations, and it will be a great place for those wonderful Christmas letters we receive!

Now, on to the blog hop rules!

• Comment on and follow all seven blogs to be eligible for the grand prize!  That's it!!  

You've got all weekend to hop, and I will be drawing the grand prize winner on Monday.  Speaking of the prize, here is what you have the opportunity to win.  It's a stamp set and metallic marker package that is valued at almost $40!

I hope you have fun along the way.  I know that I sure enjoyed seeing everyone's work!  I have one talented bunch of Rose Blossoms!!

And because I love the fun of it all, too, I'll be entering this box into the following challenges:

• Heart 2 Heart - Christmas
• It's All About the Vintage - Glitter  (so happy to find this Finnish challenge blog!)
• ABC Christmas - wrapping
• Crafty Creations - Christmas is Coming

May You Have a Blessed Thanksgiving

It is a tradition of mine to share this beautiful poem/prayer every Thanksgiving...

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

Don't forget to stop this weekend for my Rose Blossom team blog hop! 

 I've been getting sneak peeks, and you are going to be inspired!!

NEW Card Kit!

I decided to make a card kit for that would work well for Christmas thank you cards.  I don't know about you, but I never have enough thank you cards!

Here are the details:

• All kits come pre-cut, pre-stamped, and packaged with envelopes and instructions.
• Kit includes 4 cards and 1 Stardust Glitz Glitter Gel (you have to have sparkly snowflakes!)
• Order your kit by Saturday, December 15th.  All kits will be mailed on Monday, December 17th.
• Cost for the kit is $9 shipped directly to you.

Believe

We don't have snow here in my part of Minnesota yet, but that's okay.  I would much rather have my stamp my snowflakes!

I used the snowflakes from the Pear & Partridge WOTG stamp set.  They are so pretty stamped in Crystal Blue ink.  Then I sponged around them to add a little more warmth.  I want to show you a close up so that you can see further detail:

Look closely, and you will see that after I stamped and sponged, I ran the cardstock through my Cuttlebug using a Darice snowflake embossing folder.  A little bit of glitz finished off the snowflakes.  I wish you could see this card in person because it's really shiny!  The black organdy and acrylic slide are from my CTMH stash - things that I have been saving for just the right projects.  This is a pretty clean and simple card, but oh, so pretty!  The only problem is....who do I give this card to for Christmas?!

The jumping point for me for this card was the Dynamic Duos color challenge:

My Mum's Craft Shop, CAS-ual Fridays, and 4 Crafty Chicks are all have winter challenges so this fits perfectly into those as well.

I also want to tell you about something fun that is going on this weekend.  My Rose Blossom team is having a Christmas Blog Hop!  It will be from Friday, November 23rd to Sunday, November 25th.  You will find much inspiration along the way!  I could be a little biased, but I have some fabulous artists on my team, and I can't wait for you to see what their creations!  There are 8 stops on the hop and prizes to be won.  I hope you'll join us!

Relax...With a Sweet Sunday Sketch

I have had T.I.M.E. in my scrap room this weekend, and that has made me a very happy camper.  I was able to get my December club pages done which I'll show another day, and I was able to sit down and look through some sketches.  I really like the one over at Sweet Sunday, so I grabbed some Victory scraps and got to work.

I so seldom make a masculine card, and my card rack is getting very empty.  My customers pick up cards when they come to a class, so I am going to be working on adding some cards this week.  The stamp set you see with the trees is A Journey.  It's one of our $6.95 sets, and it's great for cards and pages. The window is an Art Philosophy cut - so fun!  I added a little sentiment from a long retired set (Outdoor Thoughts), and some embellishment to finish the card.

I hope this finds you well - thanks so much for stopping by to visit!!

Pretty and Buttons

Time for another challenge at Cut It Up!  This week want to see how you can incorporate buttons into your die-cut project.  I've created a layout for you this week.

These are my two very pretty nieces, and I love this picture I found on Facebook.  As you can see, I have blush buttons, bling buttons, and buttons on the butterflies...it's easy to add buttons to a project!  I cut the butterflies, scalloped border, and pink flower using my Art Philosophy cartridge. 

Now let's see what you can create.  I love coming to visit you, and you inspire me so with your creations for Cut It Up!  Take a look at the fabulous package of glittery goodies that you can win!

Families

I taught a class this afternoon (it was so much fun!), and I had some time this evening after I prepped for tomorrow evening's class.  I was actually yearning to create something pretty for no good reason.  Sassy was meowing like crazy because she thinks when it's dark I need to go down to the family room.  But I powered through all that noise and distraction simply because I had to feed that yearning within my soul.  Those of you that know me well must know that I pulled out some Florentine paper.  Along with that I used Sketchbook Saturday Challenge #83.

There is something so soothing to me about the patterns and colors in this paper.  It's hard to photograph, but I used a clear card for this.  The print and sentiment (Family Love stamp set) are on the inside, and the ribbon and embellishments are on the outside.

It brings me great joy to cluster and embellish.  There is nothing better than taking a bunch of matching supplies and putting them all together in a wonderful way.  What a blessing it is to be a paper crafter!

I am also going to enter this into the flourish challenge at Come and Get It.

Dye vs. Pigment Ink

With my Monthly Giveaway being a Pigment Tower this month (click on tab above for details!), this video came out at the perfect time.  Watch these fun women tell you all about the differences!

 

Christmas Treat Pails

One of my favorite things to do during the Christmas season is to find unique ways to package that special gift under the tree.

I found these cute little pails at Target in the dollar bins (I love the dollar bins!).  With a little Pear & Partridge paper, some twine, and buttons, they were transformed into a lovely way to give a gift. The yo-yo flowers were cut with the Artiste cartridge, so this project was not just super fun but really fast, too!

15 Minutes Later...

...and this layout was completely finished using Studio J!  Wowie!  My niece and nephew put pictures on  Facebook yesterday of their children.  They went hunting over the weekend, and the pictures are awesome! Hunting has been such a tradition in this part of my family, and it's fun to see the kids taking an interest at such a fun age.

Do you not believe me when I say it took 15 minutes?  But truly, that's it!  After I grabbed the photos from Facebook, here are my steps:

1. Open Studio J and name a new project.  "Hunting" worked for me!
2. Upload the photos.  You simply select, and while they are uploading, you can move on.
3. Select an Express Collection layout.  I used one of the Little Man layouts.
4. Pop the photos in their spaces.
5. I changed one photo well to a journaling spot and put a little something in there.  
6. Save
7. Add to cart
8. Approve the layout
9. Purchase
10. Within 3 minutes I had a jpeg in my e-mail, and I am sharing them with you.

Pretty cool, huh?  If you haven't check out Studio J lately, pop over and take a look.  There's no cost to play and look through everything Studio J has to offer.  As you can see, it's pretty fast and easy!

Christmas Treats

I am going to be in a wonderful craft show next Saturday (read on for coupon below), and I've been working on some small items for gift giving.  I so love playing with Close To My Heart product in this way!

These are little tea bag holders.  I've used Elemental paper (discontinued) and a stamping technique that I learned from Jeanette Lynton HERE.  The tag is from the October Stamp of the Month, and although it's hard to see in the photo, I've put Stardust Glitz Gel on the tags as well.  It just always gives things that little bit more.  On the inside there is a little pocket that holds a Peppermint Tea Bag and a Peppermint Patty.  Perfect for a teacher or co-worker that needs a little afternoon pick-me-up!  I designed my own template for this, and I will share in the weeks ahead.

These are little Hershey Nugget boxes.  I love making these and they are one of my favorite things to give people.  You can find the template HERE, and they adaptable for any size box you would like.  I've used Pear & Partridge paper and the tag from the October Stamp of the Month.  (NOTE:  I hope you purchased that set because you will get a lot of stamp miles from it!  Please let me know if you still need one, and I will do my best to find one for you!)  On this box, I used dots of Almond Glitz Gel on the tag.

My Christmas card class is the afternoon, and I am looking forward to a houseful of lovely ladies and Christmas music.  I hope your home is happy today!  If you live in the area, I would love to have you find my booth at the Cross of Hope Boutique  this Saturday.  Here is a coupon for you!

Cut it Up Challenge #5

What a wonderful month of gratitude!  With that thought in mind, at Cut it Up, we'd like to see you make a thank you card .  Of course, don't forget to use a die-cut!

I am all about using up my scraps, so I grabbed these Echo Park Times & Seasons scraps.  I finished off this card by making some rolled flowers from the Art Philosophy cartridge.  The vintage crocheted ribbon pairs very nicely with the flowers.

The random winner of this challenge will receive the Wild Horses stamp set from Mark's Finest.  Be sure to play along!!

Capture the Date to Capture the Savings in November!

I think this is my favorite month of the year.  November is such a great reminder to be thankful everyday for all the good things in life.   I am so appreciative for each and every one of you.  Truly, I love being a Close To My Heart Consultant and part of this big old blogging world!

Do you remember in my last post I told you that in November you would be able to purchase a stamp set for half-price?  Well, I want to tell you all about it now!

When you qualify for the Stamp of the Month in November for $5, you can add a stamp set of your choice to your order at half-price!  What a celebration of our Stamp of the Month program!



This set is prefect for your scrapbooking projects!  I love that the months are in lowercase as that is very trendy and fun on pages.  I am going to be sharing pages through the month, but I thought I'd show you another idea with a card, too!

It's as fun as can be to create your own background paper by putting all of your numbers on one block.  You could even mix the smaller numbers and the month names.  The possibilities are endless!

Be sure to check my Monthly Giveaway tab to see how your Capture the Savings purchase can put you in a drawing for another fabulous prize!