I Won!!! I Won!!!

I cannot believe it...I won one of the three $100 Grand Prizes from the Quickutz Register & Win Contest! All I did was register on the QK Community and upload a layout! And yesterday I got an email telling me to pick out my prize! Of course, I got another alphabet... Mary Jane Grand! I cannot wait to play with it! Not to mention the customer service was top notch! If you haven't register, you should go do it now and see all the other talented QK artists out there. There are some very creative and sweet people on the boards! Go check it out!

Introducing CTMH TV!

Did you miss seeing Close To My Heart’s recent appearances on PBS? Or would you like to see them again? Well, it’s now possible! We’re making web videos available that demonstrate fun tips, techniques, and product highlights as seen in video segments from the PBS show “Scrapbook Memories.” Every few weeks we’ll add more episodes from “Scrapbook Memories” or PBS’s “Paint, Paper, and Crafts,” so you and your customers can watch them at your leisure. (Don’t forget the popcorn!)

To see these informative and entertaining web videos, simply visit my MyCTMH website and click on “CTMH TV.” Happy viewing!

Coloring Chipboard

So, I was just reading another blog that I frequent and she said the most time consuming part of her layout was cutting the cardstock to cover her chipboard letters for the title. So, I wanted to share a little tip for those that have not tried it. Save yourself some time and just take your chipboard letters and rub them around on the face of your stamp pads. So much quicker than cutting cardstock and gives a much more vivid color. Also, if you don't like colored fingers you may want to wear gloves, but I wear my colored fingertips as a badge of creativity ;o) Also a great way to "own" more colors...ie, if you don't have cranberry cardstock (but do have the ink pad) and wanted your accents to be cranberry on your layout, you can use your ink pad to color your chipboard letters and embellishments. Voila!

It's Back!

It’s back! Buy two My Acrylix® stamp sets and select a third stamp set of your choice FREE!* Whether you’re a long-time crafter or brand-new stamper, now is the perfect time to grow your collection of My Acrylix® decorative stamp sets! From June 3–30, 2008, when you purchase two stamp sets at full retail price you will receive a third stamp set of your choice FREE*—a savings of up to $22.95

We're Home!

So, for the last 9 days we have been traveling and I mean alot! We visited Seaside, Oregon...Victoria, BC, Canada...and Seattle, Washington! We had an awesome time but are sooo happy to be home, even if life is very chaotic right now. I will have plenty more to share later, but just wanted to share this pic for Granny, who really needs a little Hailey fix ;o)

Happy Mother's Day!

I just wanted to say Happy Mothers Day to my mommy! She is such an amazing person, so talented, creative, caring, smart, and beautiful both inside and out! I love you so much mom! And Hailey loves you more than I think she can express in words, but is shows in her face when she talks to you on the phone or sees you in person. Her face lights up about her "Granny"! So, I hope you enjoy your day and wish we could be with you, but I think you understand ;o) Go take a drive with your top down, let your hair blow, and let the sun shine on your face! We love you!

And Happy Mothers Day to all the other Mommy's out there! Or, as Hailey spells it... Happy Momee's Day!

H2Ohhhhh!

Just wanted to get these posted...will be back later to share the details!

Cheap Pics Alert!

ScrapbookPictures.com is having a sale until May 18th on 4x6 pics, only 12 cents a piece with the same great $2.00 flat shipping no matter how many you order (hundreds, in my case)! And they are having a different sale from the 19th till the 31st but I cannot remember what it is ;O)

Oh and Walgreens has a FREE 8x10 for today only. Use coupon code 4MOM

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

I just wanted to share a couple layouts that I finished up this past weekend, the other is in the gallery over on the side --> I actually stamped those trains, cut them out and pop-dotted them! I think they turned out nice!

Sketch: Scrapbook PageMaps Book (loving it!)
Paper: Close To My Heart Rough 'n Tumble Level 2 Paper Pack, Vellum
Stamp: C1221 Choo Choo Train
Title: Quickutz Blossom Grande
Ribbon: CTMH Cranberry & Outdoor Denim Ribbon Rounds
Brads: CTMH Colonial White My Accents
Ink: CTMH Outdoor Denim, Cranberry, Sunny Yellow Exclusive Ink Pads

National Scrapbook Day & New Summer Catalog

WooHoo! Its National Scrapbook Day today, hope you get lots of scrapping done! Plus, the New Summer Catalog is here! You can view it digitally on my website, just click on Products. Currently, I am trying to justify buying all the new Dimensional Elements Monograms! Well, happy scrapping today! I hope to sneak in a little scrap time tonight!

the Ozarks

• Sketch: Page Maps new book!!!

• CTMH Retired Calendar Paper Pack

• Dimensional Elements: CTMH Slide Frames

• Fonts: Quickutz Skinni Mini Lemonade and Spicy Chicken Grande

• CTMH Sunflower Bigger Brads
  

having shrimp in Savannah

These pics are from last year around my birthday, we were driving home from a conference in NC and decided to make a pitstop in Savannah, GA to grab dinner and stretch our legs. We ended up having dinner on the second story balcony of the coolest place... upscale seafood restaurant upstairs/bar, club, live band downstairs. DH and I shared the biggest platter of steamed oysters, crablegs, crawfish, shrimp, clams, and probably some other stuff I am forgetting. Hailey tried fried shrimp for the first time and LOVED them! As we were finishing dinner, fireworks started and we had the best view! Then we decided to stroll along the boardwalk/downtown area and listen to the best sax player. Anyways it was a nice early birthday dinner for me!

• Sketch: Page Maps new book!!!

• PP: CTMH Road Trip Level 2 Paper Pack

• Dimensional Elements: CTMH Fresh Shapes (the arrow and the solid stars), the speckled stars I stamped using CTMH "Star Struck" onto some left over chipboard from another alphabet pack then just hand cut them.

• Font: Quickutz Lowercase Sophie... I really want the uppercase to go with this one! I think this is the only font that I don't have the entire set!
  

three & a half

This layout was so much fun to make, okay it was a bit of work too! All the stiped paper is hand cut, adhered, and placed to match the stripes of my dd's shirt...I know a little obsessive! But, I couldn't find paper that fit the layout just right, so I made my own. I then used my sewing machine to sew along the edge to make sure all those strips wouldn't go anywhere after all my hard work!

• Sketch: actually, my own!

• CTMH Cardstock: Bubblegum, Sunflower, Sunny Yellow, Clover Meadow, Dutch Blue, Breeze

• Font: Quickutz Merry & Bright

• CTMH Dimensional Element "&" sign from Simple Alphabet Uppercase, rubbed on Sunny Yellow Ink Pad to color

• Bling in the flower centers are Close To My Heart's Sparkles and the flowers and leaves are also CTMH Mini-Medley Accents Summer Celebration Collection
  

cropping time!

Here is a little closeup of the layout I finished last night (actually waiting on an enlargement for that top picture.) You can see the entire layout over there --> Its the one of Hailey meeting "Abigail" her CPK doll a couple Cmas' ago. Thanks Uncle Mattie, Hailey still loves this doll years later. But I think we all remember our first CPK doll, I do! This layout was a bit of a challenge to use the yellow base. But it was fun! The flowers are one of the Quickutz Revolution daisies that I foled the petals around a paint brush to round them back and give them some dimension and a little different shape. Whatd'ya think?


Sketch: March'08 PageMaps
Paper: CTMH Let's Get Together L2 Paper Pack
Ribbon: CTMH Garden Green Collection
Embellishments: Bigger Brads Winter Classic, Winter Buttons

Little Dummer Girl

Just finished this layout last night, love it! Thanks, Aunt Mary for the inspiration!!! If anyone wants to scrap on Friday... Hailey and I will be scrapping all night! You are welcome to join us! ;o)

Coming Soon....

The new CTMH Summer 2008 Idea Book Catalog!!! If you are signed up for my catalog pre-ship, I will have my hot little hands on these this weekend and will be sending them out to you asap! If you aren't than email me and let me know you would like one! The catalogs are $4 to cover shipping and includes a little goodie, or free with a $25 order.

Its a ZOO out there!

This is a close up of one of those unfinished "finishing touches" from my last post...you gotta go see the whole page in my gallery. I love how the lions mane turned out! Thanks to the new Reflections book for this inspiration!!!

ET Phone Home!

So, I went to apply for Hailey's passport and the lady at the post office said that she looked like Drew Barrymore in ET, which is too darn funny because people used to say that about my baby pics! Maybe she does look a little like me ;o)

So, I have posted 6 new layouts on the gallery slideshow over there ----> some of them are not complete, but I will let you know once the enlargements are ordered and the final touches done. Which brings me to my next thought...

is anyone out there??? does anyone actually read my blog??? why dont y'all comment???

Hot off the presses...New Scrapbook Layout!

I am so excited, I actually got a layout done yesterday between mommy duties! I just finished Quickutz'ing the title (Merry & Bright font) and flourishes! The pink dots are a regular hole punch. Hey Mom, have I mentioned lately that I love my Revolution?! Thanks!!! The sketch is a twist of one from Page Maps, the purple and pink cardstock are CTMH Textured (the sets that are on sale!), and the pp is from a retired CTMH Calendar Paper Pack. Actually both the pink and purple cardstocks are the reverse side of other colors (bubblegum and petal, I think). That is one of the main reasons I love the textured cardstock packs, not only are they white core, but they are double sided....one side is the true color and the back side is a shade lighter, which worked perfectly for this layout. And the texture is nice on both sides...not concave on one side and convex on the other. Oh yeah, I even stamped on this layout! Along the bottom of the vellum I used our white ink pad and the phrase "celebrate" from a retired birthday set. You have to give it a little longer for the ink to dry, but it is so worth it. Nice and white!

It’s Time to Get Totally Textured!

Keep texture at your fingertips with this incredible offer! When the mood to create strikes, and regular cardstock seems too plain, it’s time to get totally textured! Our Totally Textured sale features a whopping 20% off all our textured cardstock now through February 29.

THIS INCREDIBLE 144 SHEET TOTALLY TEXTURED CARDSTOCK PACK includes four sheets each of the six colors in these four palettes: Spring Harmony, Summer Celebration, Autumn Harvest, and Winter Cozy. Also included are 24 sheets of White Daisy textured cardstock. Here’s the best part: only the Totally Textured cardstock pack features four sheets each of never-before-available textured cardstock in six colors taken from our two Basic palettes, Antique and Timeless: Bamboo, Black, Chocolate, Cocoa, Colonial White, and Desert Sand. Purchase the Totally Textured cardstock pack for just $70, that's 20% off the
regular retail price of $87.70!

You can also purchase any individual Textured Cardstock Combo for just $11.96, 20% off the regular retail price of $14.95! Also available is White Daisy Textured Cardstock for just $10.36, 20% off the regular retail price of $12.95. Don’t miss this incredible deal, offer ends February 29th!