Once a quarter I love to get away for the afternoon with my CTMH sisters and head to the East side.  In the multi-purpose room of a church you'll find 30-40 consultants screaming, laughing, and dressing up in some of the wildest outfits.  It's a time to share ideas, earn free product, talk business, and eat a whole lotta food.  This past Unit meeting we created this fun thank you card with papers from the Mayberry line.  

The sentiment is actually stamped on a button. A button? Yeah! A button! One of Close to My Hearts new Canvas Badge Buttons from the Spring/Summer 2011 Idea Book.  My favorite part is that once you are ready to attach them, you just peel the backing off and stick!   

The little flower buttons are from our new Basic Assortment Buttons, and I added just a touch of twinkle with the use of Bitty Sparkles (With a 100 to a pack, I can justify adding these to everything!).  And lets not forget about the actual shape.  Circle cards are all the rage, but creating them can be frustrating and time consuming. Close to My Heart is here to help keep you up with all the treads and still have time for...well, life. With their 4 1/2 inch Circle Cards (available in Colonial White and White Daisy) you can create your own fashionable artwork Faster. Simpler. Easier.  

CTMH products used: Mayberry Paper Pack, Basic Buttons Assortment, Bitty Sparkles, Canvas Badge Buttons, 4 1/2 Colonial White Circle Cards, Cocoa Ink, Thank You stamp set.

Chrysalis

I don't talk much about my pregnancy with my first born for many reasons.  I think as woman we sometimes struggle with how society tells us to feel and how our spirit really does.  Unlike many of my friends, I LOVED being pregnant.  Words cannot describe how much I enjoyed the changes in not only my body, but my views as to what is beautiful.  The fact that I had a pretty uneventful pregnancy(sans nausea), probably does influence my overall view, and I'm grateful for that.  It gave me a chance to see myself in a way I never had before.

I was able to express my vision beautifully with the Wings paperpack by Close to My Heart.  The title not only refers to my chrysalis into motherhood, but to a realization about myself.  With the how-to book Magic, an actual transformation takes place by pulling the butterfly and revealing the rest of the title.  If you look closely on the bottom left side, you'll see a great way to add texture to any page by pleating a piece of paper.  A little sponging here, a little crunching there, and it really draws the eyes. And don't you just love how the word "beautiful" came out?!  It was easy with Close to My Heart's new alpha stamp set Bohemian E1019.

Life is definitely more beautiful now that my son graces it.  The baby love I have for him has expanded my heart outside of my body.  I'm blessed to be able to spend my days with him and watch him grow and learn.  What's amazing though, is how much I've grown from having him and learned from loving him.

Using more papers from the Wings Workshop on the Go, and the stamp set that comes with it I recreated the layout above.  I spied it on our fabulous CTMH bulletin board; a place for consultant sisters to share artwork, ideas, and friendship.  I just had to use the classic clean look myself.  The pinwheel flowers were my own take on the design and I love how the Licorice Opague gems finish them off.  Don't forget you can use patterned papers as well as cardstock as accents.  The background is spritzed with our Spray Pen filled with Vineyard Berry Reinker and rubbing alcohol.  It's really a great technique to add a little something to your white-space.

These layouts were created for Ladies Night Out in February.  If you'd like to create layouts, catch up with friends, or just steal some guilt-free time for yourself, join us!  Call or email me for details and check out the tab at the top of the page labeled "Ladies Night Out".

You can order the supplies used in the layouts showcased above on my website 24/7, along with other great products from Close to My Heart.

March Stamp of the Month Artwork

This a cute simple card by my dear friend and Upline+, Jolene.  I just love how the Mayberry papers go with the Beatrix Potter inspired March Stamp of the Month. The adorable bunnies in the stamp set with the fresh colors of the paper make me long for spring.  Warm weather?  Yes, please!

The stamped image is brought to life with the use of our wonderful Watercolor Pencils.  They really create a fluid look that makes an image "pop".  See how the dress of the Mother Rabbit has a pattern to it? This effect is created with a great technique called paper piecing.  To recreate this idea start by stamping your image on a piece of cardstock( this is your base). Stamp the same image again on patterned paper, and cut out the parts you want your image to have with that particular pattern.  Repeat with other patterned papers until you have all the pieces you want.  Then simply glue your pieces to the base image to create a singular, striking focal point.

CTMH products used: March Stamp of the Month, Colonial White Cardstock, Mayberry Level 2 Paper Packet, Black ink, Watercolor Pencils, and Micro-Tip Scissors

Learn how you can earn the March SOTM: Sensational Season D1415 at a discount, or even for FREE by clicking here or on the "CTMH Specials" tab located at the top of my blog. Don't forget Hop on over to My Website to grab your own supplies to recreate this card and other amazing products from  Close to My Heart.

Clearly an Awesome Special!

At Close to My Heart we know we have the best clear stamps and blocks--and we'll prove it!  Only during the month of March, when you buy $25 worth of My Acrylic stamps(before shipping and tax), you will receive your choice of one of two very popular block sizes: the 3" x 3" or 2.5" x 6" block. For real?!  Yeah, for real!  It's about a $10 value for FREE when you spend $25.  That's almost 40% back!

So, if you love to stamp or have been thinking about giving it a try, now is a great time.  Call or email me for more details, or check out my "specials" tab located at the top of my blog.  This offer is also valid on purchases through my website.

A Little Boo-tiful Magic

Oh, my gosh!  That little face never fails to make my heart lurch!  The Hooligans papers are a perfect way to show off how cute Braam was as a little "monster" this past Halloween.  I love how easily it all came together with the use of Magic, one of Close to My Hearts template books.  But the "magic" doesn't stop there.

 With a pull of the tab, you can reveal not only hidden journaling, but another amazing little photo!  Yup, look back up at the layout photo and then again at the close up.  How cool is that?! It's a surprise "treat" with the use of a little Close to my Heart "trick".  

The story behind the costume is told in layout #1 with a little help from hinges and flip-flaps.  If you click on the layout you'll see in greater detail how the photo in the upper right corner can be "flipped" up to reveal my hidden journaling.   Now, I don't usually do three layouts for one event, but there was so much I wanted to capture...and with photos like these, can you really blame me?  Below are two more layouts I created with the Hooligans papers.

Layout #2

Layout #3

Ever found a layout you liked, but you had one too many pictures?  Well, with a little more help from Magic, the problem disappears. With the slide of a button, Layout #3 opens the door to a third photo. Now that's a slight of hand anyone can appreciate!  Once you master this simple trick you'll want to do it on every page.  The other trick I used to throw this page together was the use of Hooligans My Stickease Assortment and a little Liquid Glass by CTMH.  Just a few dabs on the eyes of the "monster" stickers and I have accents that really "pops".

You too can add a little "surprise" to your layouts with the how-to book Magic. Click here to order these items and other wonderful products from my website 24/7.