STAMPAGANZA IS BACK!!

Oh my goodness!!  Stampaganza is back and starts on March 1st!!  I wanted to give you a few days notice so that you can look over your books and my website.  Remember, there are many, many stamps on my website.  On March 1st, you can start shopping HERE!

I do want to let you know that there is a retirement schedule for our stamps:

• Seasonal Expressions 1 - all stamps will retire on April 30, 2016
• Annual Inspirations - all stamps will retire on July 31, 2016
• The additional stamps on my website that aren't shown in any of the books will also retire on July 31, 2016.

Now is the time to pick up your favorites so that you have them for your paper crafting needs!!

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Easter Card Kit

Over the years I have made card kits for Easter, and although the paper and stamps are different, there is always one thing that stays the same.  I keep Easter cards simple so that the thought behind the card is always our Risen Savior.  Easter is my very favorite holiday.  I love the time of reflection before during the Lenten season.

I did something unique with this kit - I used retired stamps.  Perhaps it is because lilies are my favorite flower or maybe it's because I love the simplicity.  The inside of the card is stamped with the sentiment "May His love fill your heart."  

This card will come to you pre-stamped in black and white.  Markers are included in the kit so that you can color your images.  I will include some tips for coloring these images easily.
(There is an option if you'd like me to color your images.)

The $16 kit includes (With this option, the card bases, envelopes, and cardstock are free):

• (4) 4" x 4" card bases and envelopes
• Pre-cut White Daisy and Thistle cardstock
• Pre-stamped images and sentiments
• Leaf Green Shinhan Twin Touch Marker
• Golden Yellow Shinhan Twin Touch Marker
• 12 Bitty Sparkles
• Shipping

The $10 kit includes:

• (4) 4" x 4"card bases and envelopes
• Pre-cut White Daisy and Thistle cardstock
• Pre-stamped  AND COLORED images and sentiments
• 12 Bitty Sparkles
• Shipping

Easter Card Kit

Kit with Markers and Shipping $16.00 USD Kit Pre-Colored with Shipping $10.00 USD

Please order your kit by Tuesday, March 8th, so that I can get them to you in time for Easter!

Thank you so much for stopping in today!

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Penelope Layout Class with Long Distance Option

Yesterday I introduced you to Penelope with my card class.  Today, I am bringing you my Penelope Layout Workshop!  This workshop includes (3) two-page layouts.

By the time you are done, you will have pages done to scrap 18+ photos!!  I love the bright and cheerful colors in Penelope!

Sunday, March 20th at 2:00 pm

Andover Senior Center

OR

Monday, March 21st at 6:30 pm

My Home

$35 In-Home Class Fee Includes (RSVP by e-mailing me HERE):

• Penelope paper - pre-cut paper for layouts with extra leftovers
• Penelope Complements
• Limeade Washi Tape (3 rolls for a total of 15 yards)
• Package of Playful Puffies
• Pink Glitter Paper
• Cardstock for Layout Bases

$42 Long Distance Class Fee Includes (Order by clicking on the Buy Now button below):

• Penelope paper - pre-cut paper for layouts with extra leftovers
• Penelope Complements
• Limeade Washi Tape (3 rolls for a total of 15 yards)
• Package of Playful Puffies
• Pink Glitter Paper
• Cardstock for Layout Bases
• Shipping

Thank you so much for stopping in today!  I hope that as you are reading this, you find yourself blessed!

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Penelope Card Class with Long Distance Option

Happy Monday!

I am here today to introduce to you my first Easter Card Class.  You can either take this class in my home or order it long distance.

In this class, you will be making two cards of each design for a total of 8 cards.  I love this class because I am teaching so many techniques within these four cards.  You will watercolor backgrounds in different ways, and I will teach you how to use and blend Shinhan markers to color the animals.

Thursday, March 10th at 6:30 pm

My Home

(Space is limited to sign up early!)

$20 In-Home Class Fee Includes (RSVP by e-mailing me HERE):

• Use of my watercolors and brushes, markers, Thin Cuts dies, stapler, stamps, and ink (This is HUGE!  The cost of these items alone is over $130!!)
• Pre-cut paper
• Watercolor paper
• Card bases and envelopes
• Limeade Washi Tape (3 rolls for a total of 15 yards)
• Package of Playful Puffies

$28 Long Distance Class Fee Includes (Order by clicking on the Buy Now button below):

• Stamping, watercoloring, and marker coloring finished for all cards (If you would like all of your cards stamped with "Happy Easter" just let me know!)
• Pre-cut paper
• Card bases and envelopes
• Limeade Washi Tape (3 rolls for a total of 15 yards)
• Package of Playful Puffies
• Shipping

Thank you so much for stopping in today!  I appreciate you!

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Happy Notes

A group of my customers will be creating this box tomorrow afternoon at their Gathering.

This is a journaling card box filled with 6 cards using Georgie paper.  Such bright and cheery colors, don't you think?  Here's a little of the balloon detail.

This balloon is stamped three times and then pieced together for different colored layers.  I finished it off by embellishing with Bitty Sparkles.

I used the Balloon Wishes stamp set, and as you will see it has 6 sentiments.  The cards are all the same layout, but I've use one of each of those sentiments to make a box of all-occasion cards.

Thanks so much for stopping in today.  I appreciate your visits!! 

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Bloom

To say that I have spring fever is an understatement.

I need to hear the birds sing.

I want to have the windows open.

I'd love to sit out on my deck to drink my coffee in the morning.

And you know, for Minnesota, it really hasn't been a bad winter.  But it's that time where I start thinking about budding trees, what plants I will buy this year, and how very peaceful it is in our backyard.  

However, it can always be spring in my craft room!  I pulled out a 6" x 6" pallet I bought at Crafts Direct, and I went to Cricut Design Space.  They always have a fun "make it now" project, and that's just what I did!

All I had to do was choose colors, load the paper, and this project was cut for me.  So easy and fun!! I welded the word "bloom" together and decided on that for the center sentiment.  I added some gems, a couple of metal and fabric embellishments, and then used some lace around the outside of the pallet.  It's the perfect piece to set next to my hibiscus that I am wintering over in my living room.

On a side note, I really hope you display all the beautiful pieces of home decor that you make.  If I took you on a tour of my house, you would see all the handmade item that are in all the rooms.  It's a cozy feeling to know that so many things that I made with love decorate our spaces.

Thanks so much for stopping in today.  You really brighten my day!

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Rose Blossom Blog Hop - Share the Love

Welcome to the Rose Blossom Blog Hop!  In this hop, we are bringing loads of ideas for the Share the Love stamp set.  When you purchase this stamp set during the month of February, $7 will go to Operation Smile!  No matter where you start in this hop, you can just keep following the links to go through the circle.  You are really going to be inspired by this hop!

I saw a sketch over at Sketch-N-Scrap for this layout of my oh-so-cute great nephew. I am so glad that my sisters and nieces post these moments on Facebook so that I get to see the little ones grow!

Five of the stamps from Share the Love worked perfectly for these photos - the arrows, sentiments, and camera.  I used a variety of paper for this page - Georgie, Penelope, Whimsy Fundamentals, and Enchantment Fundamentals.  I love the Fundamentals for mixing pattern with paper packets, and it's easy to do this because there are 40 colors of Fundamentals! It was a lot of fun to pick and choose by matching the colors in the photos.

Now it's time to move on to Lynn's blog where I know she has great artwork for you!  Keep hopping the circle because you will find amazing ideas!!

Order your set through February 29th!

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Sending You a Prickly Hug

I think it's amazing that Close To My Heart has so many fun medium to color with.  From dye ink to pigment ink to watercolor pencils to watercolors to alcohol markers, there are a number of ways that we can color our projects.  What I also like is that these mediums are fast and easy!

Today I wanted to play with the new Stuck on You stamp set and matching Thin Cuts.  I grabbed my watercolor pencils and blending pen for this project.

I used the Thin Cuts to die cut my shapes.  Have you seen these in the Seasonal Expressions book?  Let me show you the stamp set and die cuts next to each other.

Do you notice the blue lines around the stamp images?  That mean that there is a corresponding die cut for that image.  If you have never used die cuts, take a few minutes to watch this video from Close To My Heart:

Now, on to how I colored my die cuts...

I colored tall and round cactus with a clover meadow pencil and then went lightly over them with an olive pencil.  I used the blending pen to mix and blend the colors to achieve the look I wanted,  I colored the tips of the other cacti with citrus leaf and then blended that with clover meadow.  I used crystal blue and hydrangea pencils for the blooms.

As long as I had my cuttlebug out to cut the shapes, I used it to dry embos the background of my card using the diamond embossing folder.

I hope that you've enjoyed today's card!  Thanks for stopping in!

Be sure to come back tomorrow (Monday) evening for the Rose Blossom Blog Hop!

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My Hubby's Valentine

It can be a little tougher to make a Valentine for a man, so I decided to go with the darker colors in the La Vie En Rose paper packet to make a side step card.

I grabbed the pomegranate cardstock and black striped paper from La Vie En Rose.  The flowers and sentiment were stamped with Memento ink and are from the La Vie En Rose workshop on the go.  I used Shinhan markers to color the flowers, and I wanted to match them to the pomegranate paper.  I colored the flowers with Cherry Pink first, and then I colored over that with Peony Purple.

Important:

You must color in that order to achieve a pomegranate color!

"You & Me," "Together" and the black hearts are from the La Vie En Rose complements.  The bow and glitter circles are from the Pomegranate Fundamentals assortment.

I love that I can pull so many matching products together to build a card!

It's dinner and a movie for us on Valentine's weekend.  

I hope that you have something special planned!  Don't forget to tell someone that you love them!

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Share the Love, the Rose Blossom Team, and Mark Your Calendar!

Have you been thinking about the fun Share the Love stamp set?  $7 of your purchase goes directly towards Operation Smile!  Here is another card with it using the Enchantment Fundamentals.

I love this camera image!  Now if you come to my card buffet on Sunday, February 21st, this is one of the cards you'l be able to make!

The past weekend, I spent 4 days with a portion of my team at Maple Ridge Retreat.  We had such a good time sharing artwork, stories, food, and time together.  I really couldn't ask for a better team of women to call the Rose Blossoms.  They are kind, welcoming, caring, and really so loving toward each other!

They also are very willing to share their talent at our Operation Smile crop through their time, talent, and auction artwork.

Mark your calendar for this year's event!

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Share the Love and Help the Life of a Child

Operation Smile is an amazing non-profit organization that puts smiles back on the faces of children with cleft palate, cleft lip, and other facial deformities.  During the month of February, Close To My Heart is focusing their efforts on Operation Smile by offering a special stamp set called Share the Love.  For every stamp set sold, Close To My Heart is donating $7 to Operation Smile!

Look at how adorable this stamp set is!  I've put together a simple, but oh-so-fun, card, and when you purchase this set in February, you will receive this card as your thank you from me!

Thanks for stopping in today!  I always appreciate your visits!!

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Rose Blossom Blog Hop - February Stamp of the Month

It's time for the Rose Blossom Blog Hop showcasing the February Stamp of the Month, Balloon Animals!  I hope that you look forward to this as much as I do.  During our two hops each month, I am constantly amazed by the talent on my team.  They truly do bring you their very best!

Now this hop is a circle so you can just keep going around.  Should you get lost along the way, come back here, and there is a list of blogs at the very bottom of this post.

I've gotten a scrapbook page to show you today of my cute little great-nephew.  He happens to be my Dad's namesake, and he has a smile as happy as my dad always did!

Well, isn't he cute as can be?!

Before building this page, I splattered it with yellow and blue watercolors.  That adds such a nice touch to a page!  (If you'd like to learn more about watercolors, visit THIS LINK to watch an excellent Close To My Heart video.)

The yellow striped paper is from the Penelope paper packet.  I added a few pieces from the Adventure Fundamentals sticker,  Glacier Fundamentals assortment, and some Carnival washi tape.

It's time to go visit Marg now!  I know she has amazing things for you in the Tater Patch!

Here is the Stamp of the Month.  It's always just $5.00 with a $50.00 purchase!!

Blogs:

Brenda - http://roseblossomlegacies.com

Marg - http://ididnthavepotatoes.blogspot.com/

Kim Hill - http://violetsandsunshine.blogspot.com/

Morgan - http://www.tweetscraps.com/

Cathy A - http://theseeagerhands.com/

Kristine Porter - http://merryheartcreations.blogspot.com

Kim Sparks - http://memoriesinthyme.blogspot.com/

Margot - http://margotsmix.com/

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