June Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! CTMH Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

Greetings! Welcome to our Close To My Heart June Stamp of the Month blog hop!  Did you get here from Jen's blog?  If not, no worries....just follow the link at the bottom of this post and you'll eventually come back here, full circle!

CTMH's Stamp of the Month for June, "Wonderful Friend", is perfect for Father's Day.  But it's also perfect for any number of masculine cards!

I used five of the stamps from "Wonderful Friend" on this card.  The image of the watch is stamped in Cocoa ink and clear embossed (shiny IRL!).  The watch 'background' is stamped in Bamboo ink with the argyle stamp.  There's also a houndstooth stamp (awesome!) that I stamped in bamboo behind the sentiment, which is stamped on cs cut with Nestabilities(TM) Labels Three.  Finally, I used Cocoa ink to stamp the front of the card base (behind the script paper/mat from "Passages") with a fleur-di-lis men's tie image.  There are a total of nine images in June's Stamp of the Month, which you can purchase or earn it free with other purchases!

Now hop on over to the delightful Wendy's blog to check out her creation!

Memorial Day Photos Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

Alan took these photos when he visited the beaches of Normandy a couple of years ago.  He backpacked through Europe and his love of history dictated that he visit this place of our fallen soldiers.  The first photo is the actual beach where our American soldiers landed. 

My dad served in the Korean War.  Alan's other Grandpa did as well, and Alan's dad retired from the Navy.  I learned the ways of the military well.  How about you?  Do you have special memories today?

 

Another Take on Caboodle CTMH Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

Hello, friends!  Thanks for coming back after my two week hiatus.  There's no good reason for it...but it's surely the longest period I have let lapse without blogging! 

I've just been in a funk.  No desire to create, blog or do much of anything, to be perfectly honest.  We're all worried about our jobs at work, and I guess I lean towards hibernation when I'm stressed.  So why didn't I hibernate in my studio and knock out some projects?  Who knows.  Just wasn't in the mood.

But my sister told me yesterday that I need to get out of my funk, so I'll start by sharing this card that I made for the Humble Artists' Swap (HAS) that was due in April.  I really like it!  We had lots of requirements for this card - seven or eight layers in one place, embossing (I did dry and with powder), ribbon, scallops, a specific number of embellishments....it's really fun to meet the challenge!  Every product is from Close To My Heart except for the sentiment mat, which is cut with my favorite Nestabilities(TM) Labels Five die template, cut in half.

If you have any questions about how I made the various elements in the card, ask away and I'll answer here.  Because I'm too lazy to get up and get the names of the stamps that I used!  Good grief. 

I hope you're enjoying your summer.  I have a new air conditioner and my pool is warm, leaving me no excuses for not exercising.  How have you been?  Any great plans for the summer?

Lovingly,

Miracle Butterfly is JustRite Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

Happy weekend, y'all!  The weekend just flies by, doesn't it?  Sometimes I think I wish my life away waiting for the weekend.

Today I had a wonderful day scrapbooking with my friends.  With my BEST friend Rindy, my other best friend Theresa who just moved home from Charleston (wooHOOO!), my other best friend Amelia and a new best friend Donna.  Now, Rindy got on my case tonight because I have so many 'best' friends.  Well, what's a girl to do????  So she gets all caps and red.  'Cause she really is my best friend.

Here's a card I made with CTMH's National Scrapbooking Month special, the "Miracle" kit.  Aren't the colors peaceful?  The kit includes papers and instructions to make scrapbook layouts.  See the little butterfly?  She is one of many chipboard shapes included in the kit, and she is an "irresistible".  She started out white and all I did was sponge her with Sweet Leaf ink.  See where the design "resists" the ink and stays white?  Awesome, right????

The sentiment is from JustRite, and it's the first time I've used their awesome stamps.  I used my Nestibilities(TM) to mount the stamp, as well as the nice mat behind the image.  Don't you love that you can stencil the image while it's still in the die template, leaving the nice bright white border?  Yum, yum! 

So are you looking for a Miracle (ha)?  Check it out on my CTMH website....order it and have it delivered directly to your front door!

Will you be spending Mother's Day with your sweet babies?  I will be spending the day with my sisters and my Mom.  I feel lucky to still have my Mom with me.  She is so cute.  Her little church group had a "Safari" today.  It was a dinner at the church for the seniors, and she wore a shirt with giraffes on it with binoculars and a straw hat.  Cute!  I told her to take a photo, and if she did I will be posting it for sure!

Enjoy your day and thank you again for stopping by!

Paper Roses for Mother's Day Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

Hey y'all!  Can you believe I have my Mother's Day card ready this early?  A record, for sure!

My primary inspiration for this card was the paper rose you see above.  Jeanette made it sound so easy- which it was! - but mine will never be as beautiful as hers!

This card has a lot going on, so I didn't use patterned paper and kept the colors simple. You can see that there are three key elements - the roses, the sentiment panel and the cameo tag.  You usually can't go wrong if you feature three elements rather than two or four.

There is a tiny big of patterned paper - "Lush" from Pink Paislee".  I cut leaf shapes from a small piece and scored veins in the leaves.  The sentiment mat and the tag are cut and embossed with my awesome Nestabilities(TM) die templates - as well as a tiny mat behind the cameo!  I stenciled the Fancy Tag die template with Blush ink and dabbed a bit on top of the smaller rose.  The Blush cardstock is scored and sanded to show the white core.  Simple but a nice backdrop to anchor all the craziness!  And no ribbon - can you believe that?

I hope you will be able to spend Mother's Day with your dear mother, as I will.  I hope that my son will be able to come home from college - I've never had a Mother's Day without my baby!

Thanks for stopping by, friends!

Spellbinders Gals Photo and Mojo Monday 136 Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

Hey, y'all!  I have a couple of fun things to share with you today. 

Here's a cute card that I made for the Mojo Monday 136 Sketch Challenge.  Can you believe that I used this bright, funky paper?????   I am trying to step outside of my 'zone'.  This is the second time I have used orange!  wooHOO!

The paper, ribbon and sunglasses 'sticker' are from Cosmo Cricket's "The Boyfriend Collection".  Awesome, right?  Now how perfect is the Nestibilities(TM) Small Pinking Circle die template behind that sticker - makes it look like the sun, right????  The great thing about Spellbinders(TM) die templates (well, one of the great things) is that after cutting and embossing, you just leave the paper in the die template and sponge away (yes, ORANGE ink!!!). 

Now here's proof that I really was in Phoenix with the awesome Spellbinders 2010 Design Team:

Yep, that's us!  I am the big one (HA!), second step behind my new BFF Mona.  Behind me, my new BFF's Julie, Gina, Judy and Ashley (hey y'all!).  Standing in the front my new BFF's Latisha, A.J., Kimberly and Kazan (yo girlfriends!!!).  We had a BLAST!!!  Can you believe that they let me be a part of this amazing group? (p.s.  We were all wearing black on purpose - for our headshots.  tee hee).

Beth made a gorgeous layout that's posted on the Spellbinders' blog.  Go check it out and read about entering our National Scrapbooking Day contest!!

Thank you for lasting through my ramblings and for all your sweet comments.

Till later,

May Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! CTMH Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

Greetings, y'all!  Welcome to Close To My Heart's May "Stamp of the Month" Blog Hop!  Did you get here from Shirley's blog?  If not, just keep hoppin' and you'll come on back around!


The name of the May Stamp of the Month is Cherish the Moment, and it features eight different label/tag elements that are quite versatile!  I used the "Celebration" tag on my retreat bags.  I think this is my favorite stamp in the set!

This time I used a paper packet that's brand new - Cherry-O!  Oh, my, it's awesome!  I truly thought it was going to be a bit too 'cutesy' for me - but I love it!

I kept the layout very simple so as to showcase the stamp and the Cherry-O paper.  This card is for a dear friend who gifted me a gorgeous bonsai tree for my new office.  I'll try to remember to take a photo (don't hold your breath - ha!).

Contact your CTMH independent consultant to purchase this stamp set only in May, or get it free with purchase!  If you don't have a consultant, you can purchase it now on my site.  Now hop on over to my friend Misty's blog - tag, she's it!!!!

Look at all this loot! Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

Hey y'all!  I am up to my earlobes in paper, die templates, ribbon, glue dots......you name it!  As if I needed any more excitement in my life.....the new Summer Idea Book from Close To My Heart releases a week from today!  Here's a little peek at a card I made today with one of the new papers, Cherry-o.  I'll post the whole thing after the book goes live.

So back to all those goodies that are cluttering up my house....here's the proof:

Now.  I know that's a tiny photo.  But it's all I have.  (Edit:  Margie sent me a larger photo - woohoo!  Thanks, doll!)  Margie took this photo of her Spellbinders(TM) loot spread out on her bed at the hotel.  It does not include an entire box (ten inches high) of cardstock, a Copic airbrush system with markers and the Wizard die cutting and embossing machine.

Spellbinders was rolling out the product every 15 minutes!  This is Ashley having what she called an "Oprah moment".  ha!  Isn't she clever?   Sorry for the fuzzy photo - she couldn't be still!  tee hee!  That's Judy in the background.....they are both Spellbinders Design Team members!

Can you believe it?  I had an extra carry-on and half of my big (BIG) suitcase empty when I arrived, and I still had two boxes shipped home!  So I've been playing with my goodies all weekend instead of doing laundry or cleaning house.  Fun, fun, fun!

One of the products that I received from Spellbinders was the Impressablities(TM).  These are cool metal 'screens' that, when run through the Wizard or your other compatible machine, embosses your cardstock.  The super cool part is that you can use them for stenciling as well!  Check out StampTV this weekend
over at the Gina K. Designs blog for a tutorial.

So get ready for a few more sneak peeks.....you're gonna love it all!

Treat Bags! Yum, yum, yum...........Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

Can you find the chocolate in this photo?  It's in the little glasine bag - and I didn't eat it!  ha. 

Well, I'll let you in on a little secret.  My last nine posts, including this one, were pre-scheduled and posted a couple of weeks ago.  I am actually on my way back from the Spellbinders(TM) 2010 Design Team retreat in Peoria, Arizona!!!!  I know by this time my brain must be exploding with all kinds of smart stuff - ha!!! And my luggage will be full of all kinds of Spellbinders(TM) goodness.  Oh, what fun!

We were all told to bring each other a little gift that reflected our hometown. 

Well, Melbourne, Florida is the hometown of Ocean Potion sunscreen products.  The little decorated jar is clear zinc oxide for your face, lips, nose...you get the idea.  And we are also the home of Grimaldi handmade chocolate, specializing in chocolate-covered potato chips.  That's what's in the little bag!  Also all wrapped up in the gift bag is one of CTMH's brand new clear acrylic cards with a clear plastic envelope!!  Scalloped and square - oh my!  I hope the girls liked them.  Will tell you tomorrow and spill all the beans!!!

Thanks for sticking with me!  OH!!!!   I just remembered that yesterday was my one-year blogaversary!!!!   Did we make it to 25,000 hits?   I still need to hunt up some blog candy.  Give me a day or two to unpack and I'll see what I can find! 

Peace out,

My family - I was once a teenager! CTMH Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

I nearly lifted this layout directly from a fellow CTMH consultant, Lisa Stenz.  She is amazing!  Hers was so beautiful that I couldn't see much sense in changing it.  Of course, it's MY family photo - tee hee!  I think that we all coordinate well with the paper except for my mom and Jeannie. 

I am the huge one on the left.  I have always been the biggest!  Sigh.  Some things will never change, I suppose. 

Until later,

Passages - CTMH Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

Okay, I just couldn't wait any longer.  I am in love with this new paper - Passages - that will be introduced in CTMH's Summer Idea Book on May 1.  The sentiment and little 'stitch' stamp are from a set available if you purchase the Workshop on the Go - which you will be able to do May 1.  The flower is from a kit that my sweet mom gave me for Christmas, and the cork button (YES!  Cork Button!!!) is from the Queen Bee line from Pink Paislee.

Clean and simple!  From me!  Go figure.

Smiles,

Rock Star! CTMH Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

How about this cute little rockin' girl?  I paper pieced her clothes using another pattern from "Rock Star", the same paper on the card base.  Did I show you the acrylic album I designed with this paper? 

Here's a layout of Alan on graduation day.  Doesn't he look happy?  My handsome young man.  Love him so much!  His next graduation will be this winter from University of Florida.  Who knows how many more he will go through before reaching his goals.  He studies so hard!

Here's one more card with the same paper.  Now, all of those little swirly circles on the top layer are actually stamps!  I love how easy it is to match and coordinate the inks with the papers....so nice!  And those little circles....don't they remind you of a Spirograph?

Okay, am I showing my age now, or are Spirographs still around?  Surely one of the greatest toys ever invented.  Good grief....we went through reams of paper playing with that thing.  Who would have known that just a few (ahem) years later (ha ha), I would be playing with acrylic stamps that mimicked those same spirally images?  Fun, fun, fun!

Did you enjoy your weekend?  Silly question......I wish my life away waiting for my weekends!

Peace out,