"A Little Thanks" Blog Hop!

Welcome to our November Stamp of the Month blog hop featuring this month's new SOTM - A Little Thanks D1444. If you've just joined me from Pamela's blog then you are on the right path!

(Remember you can click on any of my photos to see them larger).

All of the cards I've created to share with you today use the Magnifique Level 2 papers X7127B and colors: Chocolate, Lagoon, Pacifica, and Sky with Colonial White cardstock. My first card (above Left and below) is a 2.5x3.5" card inspired by Originals - Center View (p. 16) I love the simple distressed design that is created simply by sanding our cardstock and b&t papers with sandpaper! I used the faux stitching technique that I've already explained here in detail in a previous post. Please click here to visit that post if you'd like to learn how to do the faux stitching! The next card I've shared (above on the right) is a 3x6 card inspired by Originals - Oval Cameo (p. 87).

Lastly, this 5x7 card (below) was inspired by

Originals - Terrific Triplets (p. 86).

Notice how the card above and below are the exact same design. The only difference is that I used the front side of the B&T on the top card and the back side of the same B&T on the bottom card (which is the exact same pattern, but shown in a monotone shade of Sky). I sure do love the added creative options our fantastic two-sided background and texture papers give us!!I hope you have enjoyed my creations! If you'd like to see a whole lot more artwork created with this stamp set by the very talented members of my consultant SOTM swap group please visit my blog again soon (11/3) when I will be sharing more! Now you can continue on the hop by visiting Sheila's blog next! Enjoy!!

Mistletoe Christmas Card Workshop - coming November 13th!

Now is the time to get started and/or finish making your Christmas cards to mail or give out this December! Let me show you how to create this festive holiday storage box with 10 Christmas cards (2 each of 5 designs) with envelopes featuring our beautiful Mistletoe papers!
You can CREATE IT ALL for just $25! You do also have the option to make just the CARDS ONLY for $15 OR make the BOX ONLY for $15! (each of the three different kits you might choose include a full pack of the Mistletoe Level 2 assortment of embellishments shown on page 91 of the Idea Book)! You also get your choice of paper envelopes for the cards (that you can stamp at the workshop!) or the clear envelopes that can also be mailed or used to hand your cards out in person, as well as a full-color Workshops-on-the-Go brochure that includes step-by-step instructions for the first three cards we're stamping (layout idea is also included as a bonus)!

The 4th purchasing option you have is to order the Mistletoe Workshop-on-the-Go kit (shown on page 25 of the Idea book) for just $29.95 + $6.95 for the box (plus tax and s/h) if you would also like to receive the kit-exclusive "All the Best" stamp set in addition to all the supplies needed to do this workshop with me!!

Please pre-order your workshop kits from me no later than Saturday 11/6 so I can order all of the supplies needed in plenty of time to arrive for our workshop. If you can't attend on the scheduled date (11/13), you do also have the option of making up this workshop with me during my free play dates coming up on 11/19 (6-10pm) and 11/20 (1-5pm).

The "My Creations" Recipe/Photo box will store all 10 of the hand-stamped cards (plus room for more) and could also be used to:

organize your 4x6 Christmas photos that are ready to scrapbook after the holidays!...

Or to store all the standard-size cards you receive from your friends this holiday season...

Or could be used to store your favorite holiday recipes...

Or could even be used to store all of the cards you start creating early for next year's holiday giving!

card 1 (below)

card 2 (below)
card 3 (below)
card 4 (below)
card 5 (below)

Snow Days with Mistletoe Layout!

This is the layout that I created last week to teach to 10-12 guests at a scrapbooking techniques class I'm teaching tonight in Las Vegas!! Yep, you read correctly, I'm driving all the way to Vegas tonight and I am so excited about this opportunity to catch up with an old friend and meet lots of new ones that already love to scrapbook! These scrapbook pages are inspired by the layout shown on page 23 of the current Autumn/Winter Idea Book. It uses a pattern from our brand NEW Magic how-to-program - Raise the Curtain (p. 67). One of the cool techniques I'll be showing everyone how to do is faux stitching (yes, it's hard to tell, but that stitching is fake!!) I used my scoring blade to dry emboss lines 1/4" in from each edge of the New England Ivy cardstock. Then I sanded the edges and lines lightly with sandpaper. Then I used my piercing tool kit (with foam mat) to pierce holes evenly spaced every 1/8th" along the white line (our exclusive white core cardstock is what allows this white line to show through so nicely when it is sanded)!

Remember, you can click on any of my photos to see them larger!!

(then use your back arrow to get back to this page)

Left side of the layout (above)
The little flowers are simply made with background and textured paper that I punched with a mini-flower punch that I have.

Two different stamping options (shown above) - some guests may want their scrapbook page to say "Snow Days" while others may prefer "Merry Christmas" so the pages could be used with either snow or holiday-related photos!
Here is a close-up of the journaling (above) so you can read what I've written with one of our black My Legacy writers. I used the Journaling Jots stamp set (B1269) to stamp the lines with cocoa ink.
Right side of the layout (above)
Close-up of the paper flower (and holly leaves) that I'll be teaching them to create (this is such a fun and easy paper-folding technique)! Love that easy stamped border too!
Close up of the stamping (colored in with Creme Brulee, Desert Sand, and New England Ivy markers) then cut out and adhered onto the page. I've also used sponge daubers to add some edge distressing with cocoa ink around many of the paper elements! I hope you like my pages and I sure hope my students are inspired by this tonight!
I can't wait for the fun to begin!

Have you tried Studio J yet?! (21 reasons you need to now!!!)

Studio J - our easy to use online design studio allows you to:
1). Create directly with your digital photos—no need to size and print - easy to upload!
2). Same 3 P’s as classic Close To My Heart scrapbooking:
Patterns, Paper, and Palette
3). Flexibility without flubs
4). Appeals to tech-savvy and tech-challenged users alike
5). Faster, simpler, easier way to scrapbook
6). Memberships and 5-packs are eligible for Hostess Rewards when purchased at Home Gatherings
7). You can add classic accents to create an embellished studio layout
8). It's easy to print more than one copy of the same layout, or slightly different versions of the same layout
9). Great way to preserve scanned heritage photos
10). No set-up/clean-up time
11). Studio J can go anywhere you have an Internet connection
12). Users are supported throughout the creation process, step-by-step
13). Both "studio" and "classic" scrapbook layouts fit right in the same 12x12 album (and you have the flexibility to move your pages around to any album and in any order you desire)
14). People who aren’t interested in "classic" scrapbooking can still LOVE "studio" scrapbooking
15). A studio habit keeps you caught up on your memories as they happen!
16). Variety of price point options (full retail, 3-month membership, 5-pack, 12-month membership) for every budget
17). 5-packs can be given as gifts or used by the purchaser (with no expiration date)
18). Our easy online design studio means you never have to purchase any software or download any programs to your computer
19). Free I-phone app available so you can show your finished layouts off with your cell phone!
20). It is absolutely FREE to try!!! (you only pay for your layouts when you wish to purchase prints)
and...
21). You have ME as your consultant to answer your questions, help you get started, and guide you through it!

What are you waiting for?!

LET ME SHOW YOU HOW!!

(faster. simpler. easier.)

Click here to get started online now!

Two cards to "Fall" for!

(I hope that title doesn't seem too vain for this post, I'm just TRYing to be clever with my title here, lol!) I love the Autumn here in Barstow when the weather finally starts to cool down and I feel the mood strike me to start stamping bunches of colorful autumn leaves (since we don't get as many "real" autumn leaves here in the desert, lol)! The Heart2Heart blog challenge this week is to stamp and create something with either "leaves" and/or "trees" and as usual lately, I haven't had much time for creating this week (other than the few hours I spent on a scrapbook layout I'm prepping for a gathering coming up next week). But... I do have tons of things I've created in the past that I have been wanting to share here on my blog for ages, so I couldn't resist taking advantage of this opportunity to share some fall-themed creations with you all, and here... they are!

The standard size card (above) is one I created back in 2007 for the "Humble Artists" swap I was a participant in. The Nature's Vein stamp set (D1232) that I used for the leaves was one of my favorites back then and must still be a favorite of many since it hasn't retired yet in all this time and is still available to order! I also used a lot of scissor distressing, sanding, and ink distressing on this card. The white streaks on the cocoa cardstock "half-oval" shape is white acrylic paint that I added with a fan-shaped paint brush (easy)! The other stamp set that I used to stamp the background is Goodness of Life C1286 which is now a retired stamp set I believe.
My 2nd card (just above) is also a standard size card that I designed a while back (in the fall of 2008 - a few of you may remember creating this card with me at my Open House!). It uses the Perfect Day papers and the Treasure Life stamp set (D1306) that is shown on page 53 of our current Idea Book. The leaves here were stamped with cocoa ink while the flowers were stamped and set with clear ink and embossing powder so I could do the "embossing resist" technique. To get the embossed image to resist the ink, I just used sponge daubers with cocoa and sorbet inks to sponge in some color around the flowers (and then used a tissue to wipe off the excess ink that resisted from sticking where the embossed image is). It's very simple do but allows for such a "wowie!" effect! So I hope I've inspired you even just a little today - Welcome Autumn!! - my favorite time of year!

Order your Hooligans kit for my 10/16 and 10/22 workshops now!

This is a kit that you don't want to miss! Create all of the artwork shown above with your very own little critters - the cute "Troublemakers" stamp set that is only available with this workshop kit. For just $29.95, your kit includes the paper pack, the stamp set, the workshop guide, and the embellishments at a discount off of the regular retail price (shown on page 25 of the Idea Book)! You also have the option to use my stamp set and tools at the workshop and purchase just what you need from the list of required supplies below:

___ X7129B Hooligans Level 2 Paper Packet (p. 18) $12.95
___ Z1338 Mini-Medley Accents Sunset Collection (p. 92) $4.95
___ Workshop Guide $1.00

If you wish to create an even larger variety of additional scrapbook pages and/or cards, I highly recommend you add the...
___ X7129C Hooligans My Stickease (p. 18) $4.95

...on to your order also!

The following list of supplies (below) will be provided for you to use with me at the workshop, but you are welcome to add any of these items on to your order also if you wish to have them for your own use later at home:

D1303 My Acrylix® Classmate Alphabet $22.95
Z2105 Black Exclusive Inks® Pad $5.25
Z2190 Gypsy Exclusive Inks® Pad $5.25
Z2197 Pear Exclusive Inks® Pad $5.25
Z134 Prisma Glitter $4.25
Z553 Bonding Memories® Glue Pen $4.50
1764 Craft Tray $7.95
Y1000 1" × 1" My Acrylix® Block $3.95
Y1002 1" × 3 1/2" My Acrylix® Block $5.95
Y1003 2" × 2" My Acrylix® Block $6.50

Be sure to contact me soon to preorder your kit so you can plan to join us at one or both of my upcoming workshop-on-the-go times this month (Sat 10/16 from 1-5pm and Fri 10/22 from 6-10pm)!

Kits need to be pre-ordered by Friday 10/9 to guarantee that they will arrive in time for the workshop! Thanks!

More "Share the Magic" Artwork (by my consultant SOTM swappers)!