Christmas in July....

My oh-so-favorite MIB (man in brown) brought me the best present today!! As compensation for teaching at Close to my Heart's National Convention in Washington, D.C. last week...I rec'd one of each of the new product bundles. This is about $800 in new toys!! WHOA!!

I am having so much fun just looking at it all! (As my husband just sat and laughed at me as I oohed and ahhed as I pulled it all out - arranged it - and then took photos of it!) I can't wait to actually PLAY with it!!

Plus...I still have my prize (one of every new accessory in the Fall/Winter Idea Book) for winning 3rd place in the Album Contest still due to arrive.....oh happy, happy day!!

Patience is a virtue...

Yes, yes...my faithful blogger readers...I know, I know...I have now been home for a few days from convention and I know you are fervently searching for all those posts I promised! However, if you will remember in my previous post where I talked about the months of preparations I did for this convention? Well, upon my return - the home and family I also neglected for those few months have now demanded that I actually do some of my 'first job' of taking care of our home, (the size and quantitiy of dust bunnies under my son's bed are going to begin to give him nighmares!) paying attention to them, serving them a meal (that didn't get delievered to the door - come in a paper sack - come in a wrapper or with a side of fries) and actually laundering some of their clothes. (Yea...I know - the nerve, right??) They just don't seem to understand I have returned will all these new toys and ideas bursting at the seams that I am just dying to use?? Sigh...

So while I spend some time satisfying my family's 'selfish needs' here are a few convention highlights to enjoy in the meantime....I promise your patience will be rewarded very soon!

We stayed at the beautiful Gaylord Hotel and Convention Center in D.C.

Here are the posh beds....I got to sleep in but didn't have to make! Oh, and you should have heard the 'evil' little giggle I let out and the delight I felt when I threw my towel on the floor and knew I wasn't the one who was going to have to pick it up!

Here are a couple thousand of my fellow CTMH consultant sisters waiting to go in for the first general session - who all have the same 'addiction' I do!
Here I am visiting with one of my swappin' buddies Lisa Stenz. She claims it's a honor to swap with me....but let me tell you the pleasure is all mine!! I stalk her blog and 'stamplift' from her often!! So go check out her blog...and I assure you that you will now end up surfin' her blog more often than you do mine!

And last, but certianly not least - I was thrilled and delighted to take 3rd place in the Album Contest. (I promise pictures of my album to come soon...I need to have CTMH return my album to me so I can actually take photos of it to post! Let's just say I am a girl who works best in the 11th hour...I didn't quite leave myself enough time to photo it before absolutely haveing to put it in the mail.) Here I am with Tracy Mason, the Grand Prize winner in a picture I stole from her facebook post - sorry for the size! She is also someone who I have admired from afar and was so honored to be able to celebrate our victories with her and her fantastic friends that evening. She is one ridiculously talented lady....and hysterical to boot! I hesitate to even give you the link to her blog....'cause now I will never get you back!

Well, that just about wraps it up for now. I know I have asked this of you before...but hang in there with me folks! Tons of great stuff to be coming your way very soon!

7 days and 7 Hours....

Until I can finally come up for air!! This is when Close to my Heart's annual convention in Washington, D.C. will begin and I can finally sit back and enjoy the fruits of my many months of labor!

I need to thank some of you for the lovely words of encouragement...or the emails checking to see where I have been...or checking on me to make sure everything is okay. Yes, everything is great! I have just been one busy, busy girl!

In the last two months I have been swamped with all things CLOSE TO MY HEART! Much to my delight...I was accepted to teach at the upcoming convention. Which means many, many hours and late nights of creating fabulous artwork - I am not allowed to show you! For the second year in a row, I was also invited to donate a piece of artwork for the silent auction which will be held at convention with the proceeds to go to our Operation Smile charity....again many hours of creativity and late nights....I am not allowed to show you. Oh, and let's not forget the entire album I created to submit for the album contest! No rules about not showing this one to you...but I am still keeping this one under wraps! :)

So please accept my apologies for the lack of posting lately. It is not that I haven't created all kinds of goodies...I am just not allowed to show you!! I appriciate all the love and concern which has come my way lately! And I thank you so much for hanging in here with me! I promise your commiment will be well rewarded very, very soon! I will be coming back from convention in 12 days just busting will all kinds of new ideas....artwork....a new catalog....and an OPEN CALENDAR with all kinds of time to be able to share it all!!

Unexcused absence...

Yes, yes…I know…I have been totally absent from my blog. Does someone know where I can find a 36 hour day??

Well, my faithful blog-followers your patience will now be rewarded! I am here to announce our new Summer Idea Book will be released in only two days!! It has all kinds of fabulous new papers and products to make your papercrafting endeavors...faster, simpler and easier! Starting Saturday, May 1st you can visit my website and start shopping! Want a copy of your own? Contact me today to inquire about getting one!
I have been a busy, busy girl playing with all my new products and I am here to share a bit of that with you today. Have you noticed how big clouds are in papercrafting right now? Keeping with the times...Close to my Heart now offers the most darling cloud paper in our new Splendor My Reflections Paper Pack. Check out all these great creations I was able to make with just one paper pack and a few of our new accessories.

All supplies used are Close to my Heart:
STAMPS: Over the Rainbow, Hot Diggity, Thank You
PAPER: Splendor My Reflections Level 2
INKS: Goldrush, Moonstruck, Heavenly Blue, Topiary
DOODLES: Crème Brule and Heavenly Blue Ribbon Rounds, Summer and Autumn Craft Buttons, Just Blooms paper flowers, Autumn Brad Assortments, Splendor Designer Brads, Colonial White Mini-Medley, Irresistables – Pizzazz and Lots of Dots

Well, better late than never...

Although Valentine's Day was days ago...and the heart shapped chocolate boxes around my house are now empty skeletons and the sugar-high has faded...I still wanted to take a few moments and share my Valentine's Day goodies with you.

First, here are the darling little suckers I made for my children to take as their Valentine's:



They are made from mini candy canes. You just place two mini candy canes in the shape of a heart on a piece of wax paper an fill the center cavity with some melted candy making chocoate (I of course chose white chocolate for these suckers). I purchased an inexpensive squeeze bottle from the craft store along with the chocolate to make the process go quickly and easy! Once I filled the center with chocolate I placed a sucker stick in the warm chocolate, dabbed on a few multi-colored sprinkles and the let them set up. In about 15 min or so you have these darling suckers that I baged and tagged...and ta-da!!

Then, as much as I love mint and chocolate together, I felt as though I wanted to do something a little different for all the adults in my life who I wanted to share a little love with. So what did I do? I baked! One of my newfound hobbies (like I needed another!) is to do cake decorating...so a spinoff from that is to do these cute little sugar cookies with all kinds of fun pipping on them.

When it comes to making homemade goodies...it's all about the presentation. So I made sure to bag them up nice and place a cute little tag on them....and ta-da....YUM!

Crazy for Caboodle!!

Is this not the most adorable thing you have ever seen?? Even I can’t get over how darling our new Caboodle My Reflections Paper Pack in pretty pastels of Sorbet, Sweet Leaf and Crystal Blue…it’s just so scrumptious, I want to eat it up!! I used this great new paper pack to create this little card-keeper box. Thanks to the inspiration of Vicki Wizniuk!!

I will be offering several workshops this month to teach you how to make this darling little gift! Contact me today if you are interested in attending!

Supplies Used:

X7121B My Reflections Caboodle Level 2 Paper Pack

A1102 A Posy Stamp Set

D1361 Thank You Stamp Set

Z2164 Sorbet Ink Pad

Z2117 Crystal Blue Ink Pad

Z2153 Sweet Leaf Ink Pad

Z1024 Envelope Flats

Z1126 Colonial White Designer Ribbon Rounds

Fabulously 40

Wow, where do the years go? It seems just like yesterday I met my hubby - a strapping young gent of only 18years old. He said some funny jokes, made me giggle and swept me off my feet! Here it is 22 years later and we are still like two teens in love. (Ask my kids...they'll tell you how much they groan when we snuggle!) Well, today my sweetheart turns 40 and I was so delighted to make him this card (with mushy sentiments inside!) and now I am happy to share it with you!