January SOTM Blog Hop: True Friends

I have a line from the movie "Holiday Inn" (or maybe "White Christmas") running through my head -- "Let's start the New Year right!" What could be a better way to start the New Year than by checking out lovely cards, scrapbook pages, and altered items?! Over 60 CTMH consultants are participating this month. If you have come from Carla Ironside's blog, you're on the right path! From my blog, click the link toward the bottom of the post to go to the next blog. It's a circular hop, so you can start anywhere! Click here for the complete list if you get lost on the way.

The January Stamp of the Month blog hop features "True Friends," a set of 11 stamps available only January 1 - 31, 2010. The set has four lovely bracketed frames, three brackets, and four sentiments. I know I'll use this set for many years to come! You can purchase the set at full price, or you can get it at a discount or FREE based on a qualifying purchase. See my website for more details.

I used the card layout "Cubes & Colors" from the Originals Card Confidence Program. The book gives you just that -- the confidence to make a fabulous card every time! The paper is the Veranda Creative Basics collection from the new Spring Idea Book (available now). This is quickly becoming my favorite paper from the new Idea Book. I love the colors: Juniper, Creme Brulee, Garden Green, and Cocoa. The Creative Basics packet comes with 12 sheets of B&T Duos (6 of each of the 2 patterns pictured in the card) plus 4 yards of the Creme Brulee ribbon used on the card. The great thing about the Duos is that the back of each patterned piece has a solid color of the same pattern! Twice the options! I used the reverse side of the damask pattern for the base of my card front. Love it! You can see another card using this paper set here.

The embellishments used on this card are the Pewter Mini-Medley Accents Collection and the Just Blooms Big Pinks paper flowers. The ribbon was easy to do -- I fastened the left side down using glue dots, then used a glue dot every little bit to gather the ribbon. The right side was adhered with a glue dot, too, before attaching the hinge. I didn't trust my coordination to keep the ribbon straight otherwise.

I hope you've enjoyed my site. Now hop on over to Misty Jackson's blog to see her beautiful artwork! If Misty's blog is showing the December Stamp of the Month, skip on over to Jen's blog.

January SOTM Blog Hop List

Here is the list of all the CTMH consultants who will be participating in the blog hop for January. If you get lost on the hop, come on back to the list below. Remember that the hop will go live after 8:00 p.m. CST on 12/31. Happy New Year!

Helen Onulak - http://www.hookedonstamping.com/
Jena DeVries - http://www.livelovelaughscrapbook.blogspot.com/
Jessica Booth - http://jessicabooth.blogspot.com/
Carla Ironside - http://www.carlacreates.blogspot.com/
Lori Miller - http://www.clearlyfromtheheart.blogspot.com/
Misty Jackson - http://www.misstscraps.blogspot.com/
Jen Patrick http://www.roxybonds-scrappin.blogspot.com/
Susan Brooks - http://www.stampingintheopen.blogspot.com/
Kathleen Androlewicz - http://bowlofstamps.blogspot.com/
Dawn Ross - http://www.iamahappystamper.blogspot.com/
Amy McVey - http://www.clearlystamping.blogspot.com/
Antoinette Herrin - http://www.godblessyourart.blogspot.com/
Jill Lucas - http://scrapwench.blogspot.com/
Barbra Otten - http://barbraotten.blogspot.com/
Lori Brown - http://www.savingmine.blogspot.com/
Brae Montgomery - http://thebrae-er.blogspot.com/
Wanda Riley - http://www.creatingwithwanda.blogspot.com/
Adeline E. Brill - http://adeline-brill.blogspot.com/
Kami Welter - http://www.scrappin4memories.blogspot.com/
Judy Burger - http://makingtimeformemories.blogspot.com/
Pamela O'Connor - http://www.cherishyourmemories.blogspot.com/
Cindy Leek - http://www.paperspadsandpictures.blogspot.com/
Mary Eisen - http://www.mestamp2.blogspot.com/
Sylvia Jacquot - http://stampinsylvia.blogspot.com/
Laura Dame - http://www.thecroppersconnection.blogspot.com/
Melissa Laverty - http://www.fancymelissa.blogspot.com/
Haley Dyer - http://www.inkyscrapper.blogspot.com/
Terrie Dodd - http://www.my-life-in-real-time.blogspot.com/
Katy Donaldson - http://www.scrappinkaty.blogspot.com/
Chris Shouse - http://www.houseostamps.wordpress.com/
Tammy Lea Pinchard - http://mycreativeclubhouse.blogspot.com/
Krista Ritskes - http://kristaritskes-simplycreating.blogspot.com/
Shannon Pelletier - http://www.mycolorfulworldinvt.blogspot.com/
Deb Young - http://www.scrapbookczar.blogspot.com/
Amy Edwards - http://paisleysplayhouse.blogspot.com/
Sheila Bennett - http://sheila-bennett.blogspot.com/
Kristie Herdener - http://www.goofyscrapper.blogspot.com/
Jen Rubio - http://www.jenrubio.blogspot.com/
Jody Gustafson - http://www.cre8nmemories.blogspot.com/
Sarita Schraeder - http://www.blessedscrapper.blogspot.com/
Laurie Levnik - http://www.creationsbylaurie.blogspot.com/
Debra Van Patten - http://memoriesoftheheartbydeb.blogspot.com/
Kimberly Smith - http://verykimberry.blogspot.com/
Michelle Nist - http://michellenist.blogspot.com/
Karen Norman - http://www.gettinscrappywithit.blogspot.com/
Traci Godbee - http://createwithtraci.blogspot.com/
Nancy Brown - http://www.creativelyartsygallery.blogspot.com/
Maricar Harris - http://www.maricarharris.blogspot.com/
Nona Davenport - http://www.nonapearl.blogspot.com/
Laurie Newton - http://scrapsfromthebeach.blogspot.com/
Dawn Heuft - http://www.stamptildawn.blogspot.com/
Melissa Burch - http://melissaburch.blogspot.com/
Kim O'Rear - http://kimorear.blogspot.com/
Michelle Bourlet - http://michellescreativeconnections.blogspot.com/
Angela Tutton - http://www.tuttonstreasures.blogspot.com/
Jenifer Benner - http://www.jensmessystudio.com/
Shirley Ross - http://www.momnmescrap.blogspot.com/
Latisha Haag - http://domestichomefrontcoordinator.blogspot.com/

January SOTM Blog Hop - Jan. 1!

Celebrate New Year's Day by hopping 'round the blogs! The January Stamp of the Month is called "True Friends," and you won't want to miss all the gorgeous artwork from more than 50 Close To My Heart consultants. Stop by on January 1, and start hoppin'!

Mojo Monday Sketch 118

Okay -- it's not Monday, but this is the past week's Mojo Monday Sketch 118. The holidays interrupted my cardmaking a bit, but I love this sketch and wanted to make a card from it. The card is made with brand-new CTMH papers, Veranda, available January 1! I also used Antiqued Copper Mini-Medleys for the photo corners.

Merry Christmas!

I want to wish you a very merry Christmas! I hope your holiday was everything you hoped for!

My sweet husband gave me gift certificates to my local scrapbook store and to Hobby Lobby, so I have some shopping to do. A Scor-Pal and a Bind-It-All are on my wish list, so I may start out the new year with some new toys ... umm... TOOLS!

I have a few days off before I have to head back to work, so hopefully there will be some new artwork on here soon! There will definitely be new artwork for the Stamp of the Month blog hop on January 1. If you get tired of football, join me on the blog hop to see some spectacular January Stamp of the Month artwork!

Christmas treats

It's that time of year -- time to decide what to give the co-workers. Coming up with something appropriate and within the budget can sometimes be a challenge. I was so excited to see these cute little treat cans because they were just the ticket! They're not difficult to make, and they're fun, too -- how do those treats get in the can with the pop top intact?

Start with a can with a pop-top lid. These can be a little challenging to find. I found some with fruit at WalMart.

Open the bottom of the can using a can opener that removes the entire lid with a safety edge. See how the can's upside down in the picture? Be sure to save the bottom you remove; you'll put it back on later!

Empty the contents of the can (or cans, if you're making several of these little gems) into another container then carefully wash the can and the bottom piece. Remove the label.

Once the can is dry, the fun begins! Make sure the can is right-side-up now. Cover with paper and decorate as desired. I used the Aspen paper packet since my treat cans are holiday themed.

I used my Cricut to cut circles for the top and the bottom of each can and attach. Fill the can with the desired treats -- I used Hershey's kisses and Hershey's white chocolate peppermint kisses -- and carefully glue the bottom back on. Liquid Glass works great for this! I got excited about filling the cans and forgot to take pictures of the process, so you'll have to rely on your imagination. To be honest, I also got a little distracted by the peppermint kisses -- oh, WOW! they are great!

The finished product is at the top of the post.

I wanted to include my homemade hot chocolate mix in the gifts, too, so I put 1 cup in a holiday container. I tied a ribbon around the container with a chocolate-covered peppermint stick (found them at Aldi) and a tag. I stamped the tag with a retired stamp set (Coffee Shop) and wrote directions for making the hot chocolate on the back. Simple and easy!

Hot Chocolate Mix

1 lb. box Nestle Quik

8 qt. dry milk

1 box powdered sugar

1 lb. jar powdered coffee creamer

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. I like to put the ingredients in my big Tupperware bowl, put on the lid, and SHAKE!

To make the hot chocolate, stir 1/3 c. of the hot chocolate mix into a mugful of hot water. Enjoy!

Felicity - National Papercrafting Month

One of the things I love about CTMH is all the celebrations! National Papercrafting Month is one of those celebrations, and the kit available from December 15, 2009 - January 31, 2010 will take your breath away!

The kit is called "Felicity," and it truly has something for everyone. The papers can be used for masculine or feminine pages and cards, and you even receive a flyer with several ideas to get you started.

The Felicity collection features decorative die-cut paper, three gorgeous color schemes, and a D-size stamp set that includes flowers, flourishes, argyle, birds, and an entire alphabet! The collection has a retail value of $34.95. You can buy it outright, or you can earn in in one of two ways:

• Purchase a minimum of $60 in full-retail priced stamps (A, B, C, D, and E-size). Excludes Stamp of the Month, Art & Soul, Workshops on the Go, and customizable (K) stamp sets.
• Place an order of $125 or more in full-retail priced Close To My Heart products.

Couldn't be easier! The kit is available while supplies last, so please be sure to order early if you're interested. Now I'm off to see what else I can come up with using this fabulous kit...

Mojo Monday Sketch 117

It's Monday, and you know what that means -- Mojo Monday Sketches! Today's sketch is #117. I used papers and stamps from the Felicity Collection, CTMH's special offer for National Papercrafting Month! Check back on December 15 for details about how you can get these gorgeous papers!

The flower and charm are sneak peeks into the Spring Idea Book. I can hardly wait to share it with you! The charm is pewter, but I "aged" it with brown Staz-On ink to make it coordinate better with the papers.

Enjoy!

$30 Mystery Box - Holiday Heyday Clearance Sale

Christmas is coming, and sometimes Santa needs a little help. Take a peek here on Paige Dolecki's blog to see a sample of what you might be able to get in the Mystery Box from Close To My Heart during the Holiday Heyday Clearance Sale! Order yourself a mystery box, wrap it up, and place it under your tree so you have a surprise on Christmas morning!

Remember that the sale is only through December 17 or while supplies last, and the product is at bargain-basement prices! We're talking entire paper packets for $6.50! Don't miss out on the terrific deals - check out all the goodies on my website.

Silhouette Memory Box

Baby, it's COLD outside! The winds are howling and are whipping around the little bit of snow we have on the ground. It's just a good day to stay inside and make something cute!

My daughter wanted to make a Christmas gift for her boyfriend's mother, so we came up with this cute memory box. We started with a Memory Keeper box, which is one of my favorite alterable items. We chose Silhouette as the paper pack because it matches the mom's bedroom. I added some paper flowers and Colonial White buttons, and we were set! We made a beautiful gift in just about an hour -- fast, simple, and easy! There's also a little sneak peek of some new product from the Spring 2010 Idea Book -- the filigree charm in the middle of the large flower.

The box is so easy to assemble. It comes flat, like this:

Unfold the box and pop the sides up so it takes on the "box" shape:

Fold the outer flap over the side to secure the box. You can also peel off the adhesive corners to make the box retain its shape. Or leave it unadhered so you can fold it down again. The cool thing is the magnet in the flap to keep it closed!

Mojo Monday Sketch 116

I have another Mojo Monday sketch for you today! When I saw the circles, I knew I had to try the card. My mind has been on Christmas cards, so I wanted to get some more mileage out of the Jingle papers.


I just got the Winter Cheer Glitter Rub-Ons and could hardly wait to try them out! I'm not usually much of a glitter girl, but these are just sparkly enough without being too sparkly (if there is such a thing!). There is a little trick to using them, but once you get the hang of it, they are AWESOME! The Glitter Rub-Ons come with sheets of the rub-ons which are a glue-like substance. I found that if I hold the sheet on an angle while I cut out the desired image, I can see it better. Once you cut out the image, flip it over onto a hard surface and rub the back to make sure it's totally on the clear transfer sheet. Remove the backing and carefully place the image where you want it. A word of warning -- once the image touches the paper, you're committed! Rub just like a regular rub-on. I like to use my Basic Grey tool with the wide black flat end. Then cut a piece of the glitter transfer paper and rub on top of the glue. Gently rub additional glitter on using a circular motion. I was pleased with the results!



This card was quick and easy -- give it a try!

Little Gobbler

I know everyone is in turkey recovery mode and thinking ahead to Christmas. But I wanted to share these cute little placecards I made for our Thanksgiving table! The credit for the idea goes to another CTMH consultant, Shelly Davis. These were super easy to make: I made 12 in no time at all!

I started with clear ornaments I picked up from Michael's. They were about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. After removing the hanger, I stuffed the turkey (tee-hee -- couldn't resist!) with 14 or 15 pieces of Chocolate cardstock cut into 1/2" x 6" strips and rolled around a pen. The tail feathers are 3" ovals cut on my Cricut from Goldrush, Honey, and Cranberry cardstock. I edged all cardstock pieces with Chocolate ink to give it some depth. The beak is cut free-hand from Honey cardstock, and the wattle is Cranberry. To get the wattle shape, I placed one of CTMH's small craft jars on a piece of scrap cardstock and traced half the circle. Then I overlapped the craft jar over the half-circle until I had the size I wanted.

The tag for each person is stamped with their first initial -- again in Chocolate! (I kind of have a food theme going with the cardstock, don't I?!) I tied the tag with - you guessed it - a piece of ribbon from the Chocolate Designer Ribbon Rounds. The base is a 6" strip of Goldrush cardstock on which I used a MS punch. Last but not least -- the eyes are drawn simply using a black Sharpie.

The biggest challenge was getting the pieces to stick to the glass ornament! I tried glue dots -- no luck. I ended up using Liquid Glass, which held well but I had to hold it in place for a few minutes. Success!

The turkeys were definitely a hit and a conversation piece!

Notice the Details: Dec. SOTM Blog Hop

Welcome to the December Stamp of the Month blog hop! More than 60 Close To My Heart consultants are sharing their creations, so be sure to "hop" all the way around! This month's hop features the stamp set "Notice the Details," available December 1 - 31, 2009 only. This is a darling set of 41 stamps, perfect for cards, calendars, and journaling! If you came here from Lori Brown's blog, you're on the right path! At the end of this post, you'll find a link to the next blog on the hop. You can keep going all the way around until you come back to my blog, if this is where you started.

I used the stamp set to make a dry erase board. It is super easy to do! Make a 12 x 12 page, and place it in a scrapbook page frame. I got mine at Michael's. They go on sale pretty often, so I usually pick up a few when they're 50 percent off. Write on the glass using a dry erase marker.

Items used:

• Notice the Details - December Stamp of the Month
• X7102B - Notebook Level 2 Paper Packet
• Ink colors: Desert Sand; Black
• Z1300 - White Daisy Variety Pack Just Blooms Paper Flowers
• Z1216 - Winter Cozy Brad Assortment
• Scrapbook page frame

I hope you enjoyed the visit to my blog! Now hop on over to Sarita Schraeder's blog to see the beautiful work she has posted. Enjoy the rest of the hop! I'll see you back here next month for the January Stamp of the Month blog hop. The Spring Idea book will be available January 1, so you won't want to miss the hop with all the new products!

Jingle Card

I got me some mojo going this morning with this sketch from the blog Mojo Monday. I used the following products from CTMH to make this 5 x 7 card:

• Jingle Level 2 Paper Packet
• Cranberry Designer Ribbon Rounds
• Heartfelt Wonder Die-Cuts
• Adhesive pearls
• C1371 - Holiday Jingle

And from Fiskars: Threading Water punch

Taco Soup Recipe

I enjoyed a great day of shopping and scrapping with some friends on Saturday! We had such a good time together, ending the day with a supper of taco soup. It's quick and easy to make -- perfect to share with good friends. I promised the girls I'd put the recipe on here:

Taco Soup (from the East White Oak Bible Church cookbook)
1 lb. hamburger
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can undrained kidney beans
1 can refried beans
1 can undrained Mexican chili beans
1 can undrained corn
1 can undrained diced tomatoes
1 1/2 c. water
1 packet ranch dressing (dry)
1 packet taco seasoning

Brown hamburger with chopped onion. Drain. Combine all ingredients in a crock-pot and simmer on low for at least 3 hours. If desired, garnish each bowl of soup with a spoonful of sour cream, cheddar cheese, and crushed tortilla chips.

My notes: The regular batch will serve 6 - 10 people, depending on how hungry they are! :) I usually double the recipe (make sure you are using a large pot) and freeze some of it for another meal. Sometimes I use Rotel diced tomatoes with peppers instead of regular diced tomoatoes, and I'll often throw in a can of ranch-style beans, too. This is a great, hearty soup and fairly diet-friendly, too -- lots of fiber from all the beans! Enjoy.

Reason #2 to try Stampaganza: It's easy!

Adding to your stamp stash could not be faster, simpler, and easier! It only takes a few clicks to order the stamp sets you want. Just go to my website (I'll make it easy for you -- click here!) and browse for the sets you would like to have. Add them to your shopping cart, check out, and sit back to wait for the big brown truck to pull up outside your home with a beautiful white CTMH box! That's always a happy, happy day at my house. I wonder if the man in brown realizes the joy that he brings? Maybe that's why he runs back to his truck so quickly . . .

Reason #1 to try Stampaganza: Complete a collection

Maybe it's because I tend to be a bit OCD about things, but I plan to take advantage of Stampaganza to purchase the October word puzzle. It's the only one I don't have, and who wants a year without October -- the best month of the year! The monthly word puzzles are being retired at the end of the year so I need to act fast. I just have to find one more stamp set to buy (not a difficult task, I assure you!), and I will get a third one free! That's a pretty sweet deal!

I use the word puzzles a lot. They're great for seasonal cards and scrapbook pages. Another way I like to use them is for calendars. It's so easy to make a cute event calendar for an easy, memorable Christmas gift. Or use my favorite embellish-able (is that a word??) item: My Creations Display Album. I hope to post some ideas using both of these items very soon!

Be sure to check out the list of retiring stamp sets here. These are only available through December 31, 2009, so now is a great time to stock up!

Nov. SOTM Blog Hop: Around the Block

Welcome to the November Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! This month's hop features the stamp set "Around the Block," available November 1 - 30, 2009 only. You can take advantage of Stampaganza and qualify for a discount on this set of 26 stamps or even earn it free! If you have come here from Wanda Riley's blog, you're on the right path! At the end of this post, you'll find a link to the next blog on the hop. You can keep going all the way around until you come back to my blog, if this is where you started.


My first item using Around the Block is a card using the Twitterpated Level 2 paper packet. I thought it would be cute to be able to "lift the roof," so I stamped the image on B&T, cut it out, and adhered only the very edges. I cut a slit toward the top so the roof can be lifted to show the message on the attached tab. The windows are paper-pieced, and I stitched the stems of the flowers. I didn't have floss in Sweet Leaf, so I colored white floss by laying it on scrap paper and running the Sweet Leaf ink over it several times. Easy!

Here's a close-up of the flowers and the stitching:

Items used:

• Around the Block - Nov. SOTM
• Twitterpated Level 2 Paper Packet
• Ink colors: Chocolate, Sorbet, and Sweet Leaf
• Basic Brad Assortment
• Embroidery Floss - Neutral Assortment

I also wanted to use the stamp set to scrapbook the pictures of the very first house my husband and I owned as newlyweds. It is the only brand-new house we have ever owned, and we loved to go every day to check on the progress. I used the house to create a journaling space.

I love the Heartfelt Die-Cuts and used the big circle from "Wonder." I wanted to fill it with photos, so I traced a circle onto plain cardstock using the inside of the circle as a template.

After cutting out the circle, I arranged my photos on the circle and laid the die-cut over it to be sure of my placement.

Once the pictures were where I wanted them, I adhered them one-by-one onto the circle. Then I flipped the circle over and trimmed the photos.

I adhered the felt by using adhesive in a few places, then securing it with brads placed around the scallops.

Items used:

• Around the Block - Nov. SOTM
• Delight in the Everyday - National Stamping Month promo
• HeartFelt Die-Cuts - Wonder
• Assorted Dimensional Elements Monograms
• Shades of Chocolate Mini-Medley Accents Collection
• Chocolate ink

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I hope you enjoyed visiting my blog! Now hop on over to Carol Taggio's blog to see the beautiful work she has posted! Enjoy the rest of the hop, and I'll see you next month for the December SOTM blog hop.