So not worthy....

Today in my email inbox was a lovely little note telling me I had received a blog award from a fellow consultant Tamytha Jenkins. I have stalked her blog on more than one occasion and have even flat-out stamplifted from her too!! Well, first I was totally flattered...and then felt a bit guilty, since in these past few months I have completely FAILED at this whole blogging thing!! It's not that I'm not 'stamping all day' - it's that I totally forget to take pictures and actually share what I am doing! :) And trust me, with this whole Pinterest inspiration in my life...I am doing A LOT!!

But in order to redeem myself and make sure I don't fail at the whole blog award thing too...I am going to neglect the 100 other things I should be doing right now in order to 'pay it forward' and send some kudos along to some other fellow crafters I know, adore and stalk! :)

For those of you unfamiliar with the Liebster Blog Award the goal of the award is to spotlight those bloggers with less than 200 followers and hopefully help everyone involved to increase their following. The rules are fairly simple...

• Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
• Select five bloggers (with less than 200 followers) and leave a comment on their blog letting them know they were selected.
• Copy and paste the award on your blog
• Have fun!

Here are my fave-five (under 200 followers)...in no particular order!

1. Amy More from amysartfromtheheart.blogspot.com

2. Pamela O'Conner from cherishyourmemories.blogspot.com

3. Jody Gustafson from cre8nmemories.blogspot.com

4. Karen Day from kdaycreations.blogspot.com

5. Christine Adams from creatingwithchristine.com

These ladies have all inspired me and I have most likely 'stamplifted' from them on more than one occasion...so please take a moment to go check them out!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

What?? You mean Halloween hasn't come and gone yet? Yes, yes...I know, I know. But in the papercrafting world if you aren't working on your Christmas cards in September/October...you're actually running behind!

I have been a busy, busy girl and been comin' up with some fabulous cards! So here are the Christmas cards you could be making if you were one of the lucky attendees for my Advance Stamper Christmas Card workshop this Saturday.

Each person is going to be making two each of these five fabulous cards!

If you aren't one of the lucky ladies who will be making these on Saturday...but you'd like to make some too...contact me to see how you can get a complete set (pre-stamped images and all) just for your very own!

Boardswapingpalooza!!

Wanna know what I have been up to?? Take a look...

Yep, you see that right folks! That would be a layout, 6 cards and one goodies box....
TIMES EIGHT!!

Do you wanna know why I have been working my fingers to the bone?? (or stained permanently chocolate brown??) Because I have the extreme pleasure in participating in a phenomenal board swap with some pretty phenomenal ladies!! (I won't be so obnoxious as to name-drop - but you phenomenal ladies know who you are!)

So before I bagged up all this wonderful "Wonderland" artwork up, I just had to photo and share...I actually hate to bag it up now and send it off. (I just wanna stand here and stare at all it's beauty. Like it's the newborn I just gave birth to...cause lemme tell ya girls...I labored over this stuff!!) But since I am already a few days past the deadline...I best be packing it up and shipping it off!!

Of course I will be back this week with close-ups and details about all that fabulousness you see up there! :)

"Nifty Gifty" Workshop

Nifty Gifty Workshop
Saturday, August 27th 1-5pm
$15 Workshop Fee
RSVP by August 20th
Create these stunning ‘nifty gifts’ when you join me for my next workshop. You will learn how to make a covered notebook, treat box and cardbox with uniquely shaped cards (envelopes included!) We will be playing with new Autumn/Winter papers—Typeset, Cork Letters and classy Antiqued Copper embellishments. Printed instructions will be included to recreate these projects at home!

Can’t make it on the 27th?

Contact me today to book this workshop for you and 2 or more of your friends in your home!

Don't live in my area?

Contact me today to find out how you can get a kit of your very own!

(Consultants are welcome to contact me too!)

It's a big, BIG day!!

It's here! It's here! The day has finallly arrived! Today is the first official day the new Close to my Heart catalog is available to you! Well, I know many, many consultants have given some fabulous sneak-peeks at some of the new goodies...but now you can order those goodies for yourself too!!

Click here if you would like to see the new catalog

Click here if you would like to get a copy of your very own!

Click here if you're to do some shopping! just ready

The next reason it's a big day is....I have a

BLOG CANDY WINNER!!

Thanks to all you lovely ladies (all 76 of you!!) who checked my blog out and thought it was good enough to want to follow or had already been following. I promise I have every intention of making it worth it!

I had originally intended on having my handsome 8 year old son pull a number for me and I would take a great photo, etc. etc. (You get the idea...) But he seems to be a bit uncooperative this morning. (Something about a penguin needed to be fed in his club??) So I have decided to use my next best option...I random generated a winning number....

So the winner is...

Comment #23

Lori Miller

Congratulations Lori! It was her comment letting me know she had given me a 'shout-out' on her blog which was the winner!

Okay, so that's all I have for now folks! But stay tuned...I have a 'fabulously artsy' blog hop to join...so I must go get my camera and get shootin'. I hope to be back later today to hop-hop-hop!

MEGA SALE!!

COME SHOP MY STASH!!

My scrapbooking/stamping/papercrafting supply overflow will be displayed during my Open House and is just waiting to go home with you!

Tons of NEW and GENTLY USED stamp sets starting at $2.00!!

Saturday, July 30th

Noon - 4:00pm

Contact me today if you would like directions to my home!

Don't live in the Phoenix/Surprise area??

Then contact me and I would be happy to send you a list of what I have for sale!!

These prices are just too good to miss!!

Extravaganza Artwork...Topiary

Hello everyone! Hope you are having a terrifict Tuesday!!

Today for your viewing pleasure...I have this incredible topiary make with paper! Yep! You got it! Paper!! This stunning creation was made with the fabulous new 3-D paper flower cut outs from Close to my Heart's new exclusive Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge. It was as simple and easy as programing my Cricut to cut the flowers, roll and glue to a foam shape!! Now even as easy as it is...I will admit there is about 300 flowers on this baby! So cut yourself some flowers, grab your DVR remote and catch up on your favorite show.



There are a total of six different flower shapes you can cut with CTMH's new Art Philosophy Cartridge. For the foral ball I used the rose style cut to create these semi-opened rose buds. They were cut at 3-3/4", inked and distressed with Chocolate ink and the rolled and glued with a touch of hot glue.


I created the stem of the topiary with a wooden dowel and some scrap floral stems from silk flowers I purchased for another project. I inserted the dowel in the foam ball and secured it in the pot with some additional foam, then surrounded to dowel with the cut stems.

For the 'moss' I cut one of the other styles of flowers from the cartrige - a more 'pom' style flower also at about 3-3/4" in Olive Cardstock.

I was thrilled with the results! I look forward to creating some other incredible home decor with the new Close to my Heart exclusive Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Extravaganza Artwork...Typeset

Photos in layout courtesy of Jennifer Strozewski
Today I have for you one of Close to my Heart's new My Reflections Level 2 scrapbooking paper packs - Typeset. It is gorgeous in it's lucios colors of Black, Juniper, Vineyard Berry, Bamboo and Colonial White. It will be your favorite go-to paper pack for all those back to school photos, graduation photos and countdown layouts. But, wait!! What's that you say? My layout is all summery?? Yup! You got it folks! The gorgeous colors in this new paper pack coordinated so well with my photos...it would have been almost criminal not to use it! But doesn't it look great?? It's one of my favorite layouts...for the moment, anyway!

Please enjoy some other selections of my Extravagnza Artwork with the new Typeset paper pack. (Please forgive the photography...as I am a 'mad' papercrafter, but a 'bad' photographer! Can't do it all, right??)

CELEBRATION BLOG CANDY!!

Okay all you faithful readers!! Time to be rewarded for your efforts! Today I am finally giving away my first BLOG CANDY!! This is celebration for several things...

First, that I have finally gotten over the last big-life-hurdle of preparing for, teaching at and attending Close to My Heart's Annual Convention. (not that more hurdles won't come my way really soon - but I gotta take a breath at sometime, right?)

Next, that I have actually posting on my blog again after a six month absence.

Last, (and most importantly) I am now celebrating my 10th YEAR with Close to my Heart!!

All these things seemed reason enough to celebrate with you and offer you some fabulous prizes and goodies! (Oh - and shamelessly recruit some new followers and readers!)

So here is what I have for one lucky winner:

A beautiful array of handmade items from me!!

You will get 2 cards with envelopes, once card box and one absolutely adorable paper cupcake all created from our gorgeous Sophia My Reflections Level 2 paper pack!

Wanna know how you could enter to win?

Become a follower!!

Then leave a comment telling me that you did or that you already are a smart cookie and you've been following me. :) For another chance to win these fabulous prizes...give me a shout-out on your blog and post a link to my Blog Candy post - of course you'll need to leave another comment telling me that you did, along with your blog address (if you don't - I won't know that you did and you miss your extra chance to win!)

I will leave my very first Blog Candy contest open until July 31st. On that day, I will have my very handsome 8-year-old assistant draw a name and then I'll announce the winner!

In the meantime, keep hanging in here with me! I am in the process of taking photos of all my convention artwork and will begin posting it all really - really soon!!

Psssttt.....remember me??

Ever have one of those days??

Well, I am having one of those kinds of years!! If there was a life-hurdle out there that needed to be jumped...I've jumped it in the last 6 months. (And if you've every met me personally, you know I'm kind of a 'fluffy' girl and jumping certainly does not come easily to me!!) Yes, folks...you got it! It has been about 6 months since I have been able to share on my blog and I have missed you all terribly. It also seems the few readers I actually have out there in blogger-world might have actually missed me too! (Thanks for your emails of concern that I may have fallen in a ditch or something.)

But I am here to tell you...

I'm back baby!!

So we're going to start off this reunion with my very first every blog candy!! (Must now make mental note to raid my CTMH stash and come up with fantastic prizes and goodies...) Stay-tuned for all the details on how you can win...but I am sure it will involve something along the lines of leaving a comment and following my blog (cause I would love to boost my readership to more than the three loyal people who do read my blog - you know - my mom, my sister and my best friend!)

So hold onto y'er britches folks....cause I look forward to sharing all the fabulous artwork that I have stocked up over that past 6 months....and that includes all the goodies I created to teach at Close To My Heart's Annual Convention...and hopefully try and make up for this incredibly unexcused absence!!

H2H Challenge - Color Challenge

Welcome to the new year and a new challenge from the H2H Challenge website! My term as a Design Team member has sadly come to an end...however, it still doesn't mean I can't play along! So here is my contribution to the challenge this week!

This week's challenge is a color challenge...here were the colors we were to play with this week...

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look!

New year inspiration...

SNEAK A PEEK AT GREAT SPRING/SUMMER 2011 IDEA BOOK products! Including amazing deals on new stamp sets and the January stamp of the month when you buy the new Wings Workshops on the Go kit!

All of our Workshops on the Go kits come with paper, accessories and an exclusive stamp set designed especially for the workshop projects. Workshop kits are available in all the new paper packs which premier in the 2011 idea book.

Get your hands on your very own Inspiration brochure to find out about all the details about these spectacular savings by contacting me today!!

You can also view the brochure online here.

During the month of January (1st-31st), when you purchase the Wings Workshop On the Go kit you can also get:

• All the NEW stamp sets featured in the brochure at a significant discount - as much as 30-35% off!!
• Get an even greater deal on the January Stamp of the Month. If you purchase the Wings Workshop on the Go kit and 4 additional items from the brochure you will get the January Stamp of the Month for FREE! (You could qualify for the FREE stamp set with a purchase as little as $52.75!! And that includes the $29.95 Wings Workshop Kit!!)

You can order these or any of the other 100's of other great Close to my Heart products on my website 24/7!

If I haven't already 'inspired' you enough that you just gotta have these new goodies...take a look at what I was able to do with the spectacular new Wings Paper Pack, coordinating stamps (including the January Stamp of the month) and embellishments I was able to create this gorgeous 9x9 wall hanging that will be my January workshop:

I was 'inspired' by some of the elements on a layout created by a fellow consultant Tammy Jenkins at paperheartist.com. You should check out her blog and her fantastic artwork!

Would you like to see other fantastic artwork from some uber talented conslutants? Click here to visit the host of a "Linky Party" on her blog - the rediculously talented Tresa Black! The number of contributors is growing every day and you will be totally inspired!!

So I hope this post will 'inspire' you to go check out the new Inspirations Brochure or contact me today and I would be delighted to send one to you!