CTMH January SOTM Blog Hop-- Cross Stitch Wishes

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! This month we are featuring Cross Stitch Wishes, a set of 13 stamps. If you have come here from Beth's Blog then you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way around. If you get lost along the way, you'll find the complete list of participating consultant's HERE.

I have to admit that I'm not much of sewer, but I have a couple of good friends that are.  One of my friends makes beautiful dresses.  With that in mind, I came up with the 3 cards below. 

I hope you enjoyed my design. Please feel leave a comment or follow my blog-- I need a reason to keep blogging:) Next up is Kim. Please be sure to visit Kim's Blog and all the other consultants participating in this hop.

Thanks, Maureen

Christmas Cards-- Flourishes "Holiday Sparkle" & October Afternoon Holiday Cheer

Hi, I can't believe we are weeks away from Christmas!  With Thanksgiving being so late this year, Christmas just snuck up on us.

Below are two cards I made using Flourishes "Holiday Sparkle" stamp and October Afternoon's "Holiday Cheer" paper line.  CTMH is the number one choice of me in terms of paper and stamps.  October Afternoon is my second favorite in terms of paper.

I colored in the ornaments using Copics markers. The bow was paper pieced.    Old fashioned vintage Santa's are my favorite Christmas ornaments:)

Thanks for stopping by. I hoped you liked these cards. Thanks, Maureen:)

CTMH ProPlayer LO

Hi,
Here is a LO that I did during my November weekend scrapbook get-away.  Sometimes I hear that inking and stamping on LOs slows you down.  But, during the weekend get-away I was able to complete 16 pages and add some finishing touches to a couple more!  CTMH's products are all color coordinated and the new Artbooking cartridge provides sample LO pages.  This makes things go much quicker!

I used an overlay from the CTMH Artbooking cartridge. I cut it in yellow so that it would pop. I also used the Artbooking cartridge to cut the baseball and stamped the year on it.  In 2011, my daughter's team won the championship, it was also the last year that she played. 

Stan's father, Bernie, came to Shaelin's last game.  He was cheering so loudly that the umpire asked him to quiet down several times!

Well, I hope you liked the LO!  Thanks for stopping by, Maureen:)

CTMH Supplies:
Paper: Pro Player
Stamps: Artbooking stamp set
Inks: Slate, Black, Ruby, Honey and Lagoon
Other: Slate Strip Ties; ProPlayer Assortment; CTMH Artbooking Cartridge

CTMH December SOTM Blog Hop-- Special Care

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!  We will be featuring December's SOTM, which is called Special Care, a set of 6 stamps.  If you have come here from Lalia's Blog, you are on the right path!  Should you get lost along the way, click HERE for a list of hoppers.

This month we close to 55 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM (and other great CTMH products) on their blogs. Hopping is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

To showcase December's SOTM, I created a mini-book.  A friend of mine wants to make 3 mini-books for Christmas gifts.  I also needed to make one for a co-worker who is about to start a family.  So, presto I created this book last night!  The inspiration came from page 36 of the current Fall/Winter Idea book.  Page 36 just showed a cover, below is what I imagined inside:)

The book stays open, so I simply tied a ribbon on it to keep it closed. For the book, I used CTMH's My Creations Kraft Pocket Album.

The book is full of pockets, so I just removed the pockets and left 2-- one at the beginning and one at the end.  You'll be covering the pages inside the book with paper, but still be careful when removing the pockets. 

I plan on making a tag that lists the name, birthdate, weight and height-- you know all those important facts!  The tag will fit perfectly in this pocket.

Nothing fancy here-- just CTMH's Babycakes paper line and stickers.  All you need is a paper trimmer, Dessert Sand ink, brown twine, and tape. Looks great!

To create something different, I stamped a few images.  Here is the 'Handle with Care' from the December SOTM in Slate and the Lion in Sunset ink from the 'Wild Wonders' stamp set. 

Notice those little ties, they are CTMH's Slate Striped Twist ties.

More stamped images and stickers inked up.

The Wash Away Your Cares from the December SOTM will go perfect with pictures of the baby's first bath:)

Made a cluster on the bottom right hand side using the Babycakes stickers and the December SOTM.

Okay, so I ran out of steam on this last page!  (OMG...I have to fix this!)

For the last pocket, I envision the parents putting some memorabilia or a little note to their little one!











Here is the Dec SOTM.  See those red outlines-- that means it is compatible with the CTMH Cricut cartridges!

I hope you enjoyed this creation! And remember it only took me a few hours to make this. CTMH's products make creating so easy! The paper, patterns, and ink all match.

If you are interested in the December SOTM and do not have a consultant, then please visit my Store.  Please also feel free to leave me a comment or follow my blog.

Next up is Dawn and she is a happy and talented stamper!  Please be sure to visit Dawn's Blog as well as all the other consultants' blogs.  Thanks, Maureen:)

CTMH Supplies:
Paper:  Babycakes (X7173b) and Stickers (X7173c)
Book:  My Creations Kraft Pocket Album (Z1870)
Ink:  Slate, Chocolate, Sunset, Yellow and Dessert Sand
Stamp Sets:  December SOTM (S1312A) , Wild Wonders (C1588) and Framework Alphabet (E1027)
Other:  Babycakes Assortment (Z1869); Slate Striped Twist Ties (Z1864); Neutral Twine (Z1701); Bronze (Z1849) & Silver (Z1799) Shimmer tape, and Misc Bling

CTMH Retiring Items

Hello, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I had a great time visiting my sister and her family in Maine.  My mother and I drove up and had many, many laughs!  My sister goes all out on Thanksgiving.  Her menu planning, shopping, and cooking really makes this day special.  I host Christmas dinner, so I better get cracking!

A couple of my customers have asked what will be retiring in February 2014 as the new CTMH catalog comes out.  Please click HERE to check it out.  Please note that every acrylic stamp in the Fall/Winter catalog will be available through July 31, 2014.  However, not all the paper lines will be.  The following paper lines will not be available after February 1st and could sell out beforehand:

• Tommy (Nautical)
• Chantilly
• Surf's Up
• For Always
• Huntington
• Frosted

So, if you like any of these paper lines, you should pick up a pack and embellishments while you can!

Have a great weekend!  Thanks, Maureen:)

CTMH Pro Player LO with Artbooking

Hi,  here's another LO that I made this past weekend.  My daughter's team won a local softball championship in 2011.  Shaelin had been playing softball since 2nd grade and 8th grade was here last year.  Once she started high school, she moved onto Tennis and Field Hockey.

To capture these memories, I choose CTMH's Pro Player paper line.  This line is versatile and can be used for sports, gaming or boy themes.

For the LO design, I was inspired by CTMH's Artbooking cartridge.  The cartridge is loaded with lots of scrapbooking designed pages.  Here is one of them:

For the arrow, note paper, and cool circle I used 1 of the 3 stamp sets that came with the Artbooking Cricut Cartridge.





This LO only took me 45 minutes to complete-- super easy, which is what Artbooking is all about!
Thanks for stopping by, Maureen

CTMH Supplies:
Paper: Pro Player
Stamps: Artbooking stamp set
Inks: Slate, Lagoon
Other: Slate Strip Ties; Black, Red and Silver Glitter Tape

October Afternoon- Midway LO

Hi, I promised more LOs and here's another one!  I used October Afternoon's (OA's) Midway line to capture this event.  My daughter won two big stuffed animals on her first try at a carnival game!  That was the good news.  The bad news was that we had to leave room in our suitcases for the stuffed animals on our journey from San Diego back to Boston!  Somehow we found the room:)

To do the above LO, I used a sketch book from CTMH, along with Slate ink. Inking the edges of your scrapbooking pages/elements just adds more dimension and interest. Just like journaling, inking is a must for me!

Thanks for stopping by, Maureen:)

CTMH Sparkle & Shine WOTG LO

Hello,  I just came back from a weekend crop!  It was great to sit with friends and laugh, talk and scrapbook.  We had many laughs and I was able to complete 16 scrapbook pages!  Here are 2 of the 16 pages.  There will be many more to follow:)

For this LO I used CTMH's Sparkle & Shine Workshop on the Go (WOTG).  This kit, along with all the Sparkle & Shine paper/accessories, is in the mini-Winter catalog and will only be available through 12/31.  So, if you putting off getting yourself a present, there is still time!

A fellow consultant, Dana, did a similar LO with trees.  I took that idea and added my own little twist.  The trees were cut using CTMH's Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge.  I just cut the trees in different sizes. 

The pictures below don't do this paper line complete justice.  The colors are more vibrant.

To add more pictures and place for journalling, I added 2 6x6 flip/flaps. I just love flip/flaps!

If you'd like to order this WOTG or would like to order a pre-stamped kit from me, then just email me at mosmojo65@yahoo.com. Thanks for stopping by, Maureen

CTMH's supplies:
Sparkle & Shine WOTG Kit $29.95-- Kit includes:  Paper Pack, D Size Stamp set, Sparkles and Shine Assortment, Bling and Directions

Ink:  Slate, Juniper and Black

BG Konnichiwa LO with CTMH One Way Border Flair Arrows

Hi, I had a nice long weekend.  It was busy with family and then a calendar class, but I squeezed in some time tonight for 2 layouts:)  Here is the first one that I did.  I had these pictures for almost 2 years and paired it with Basic Grey's Konnichiwa's paper line.  Konnichiwa has a Japanese flair-- so perfect pictures to document and highlight a meal at a local Japanese Steak House!

Creative Scrappers had the perfect sketch to highlight my four photos. 

For the sketch, I randomly cut different widths and lengths of paper and inked them in CTMH's Black ink. For the arrows, I used CTMH "One Way Borders Flair" Stamp set (C1561). I stamped some of the arrows on cardstock and the last arrow right on the layout.   I  just love this set!

Here's the sketch-- don't you love it!

Thanks for stopping by! Maureen

CTMH Supplies:

Stamp Set:  C1561

CTMH-- Picture My Life-- new Products coming soon!

Hello, here's a quick look at CTMH's "Picture My Life" line. The line will debut in the Spring/Summer catalog which comes out in February 2014.  

Love documenting memories in minutes? Then you’ll love the new Picture My Life™ scrapbooking program, meant for quick and beautiful memory-keeping. This program comes in eight themes, all based on the gorgeous designs of some of our most popular paper packets. Whether you choose to embrace a single theme or mix and match for a truly unique look, you’ll love the ease, affordability, and beauty of the Picture My Life programs. Your own photos are all you need to add to make astounding artwork—in no time at all!
 
Each program has a theme, from childhood to friendship to travel, but because we have ensured sufficient variety in design and style of each you can easily apply the cards to other themes. Say you love the palette and designs of the Babycakes program but wish to apply a “family” theme—go ahead! It’s one of the unique differentiators and possibilities of the program! With a large quantity of product in each program you will be able to craft creative arrangements all your own. Each program includes 122 double-sided cards plus 10 unique Memory Protectors™ to capture life as it happens, and their versatility and gorgeous designs will transform your albums into masterpieces. On one side of each card is space for journaling, and on the other you’ll find artistic sentiments and icons. Each program is designed to accommodate approximately 100 photos in your included Memory Protectors, so with a balance of photos and cards, you’ll finish with about 20 remaining cards. That means you have plenty of choice and flexibility in which cards you choose to include, making it uniquely yours! Of course, you can easily use more or fewer photos in your project to suit your story’s needs.
 
Unique to Picture My Life is the included 12" × 12" double-sided cover page with each individual program, using a beautiful My Reflections™ pattern. True to Close To My Heart standards, the cover page offers a finished and cohesive look to your project with its featured high-quality design. The Picture My Life program is so versatile that you’ll find dozens of other ways to incorporate it into your papercrafting. Use the cards to expand other projects you’ve started! For example, if you just got back from the trip of a lifetime and wonder how you will capture all the details, mix the Picture My Life cards with your photos to extend your scrapbook pages. Choose your very favorite photos to scrapbook on 12" × 12" two-page layouts then use coordinating Picture My Life cards and your remaining photos to document the rest of your trip in minutes.
 
This program is yet another new, fresh addition and option for memory keepers to preserve their memories. The cards enhance the scrapbooking experience—making it even more fun—and they work brilliantly in mini albums, My Crush™ books, as journaling cards on your 12" × 12" classic scrapbook pages, or as gift cards and tags.
If you join CTMH as a consultant, then you can earn one of these sets for free.  Click HERE  to learn more!  Thanks, Maureen

CTMH November SOTM Blog Hop-- Illuminate

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!  We will be featuring November's SOTM, which is called Illuminate, a shining set of 15 stamps.  If you have come here from Katy's Blog, you are on the right path!  Should you get lost along the way, click HERE for a list of hoppers.

This month we over 50 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM (and other great CTMH products) on their blogs. Hopping is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

For this stamp set I created a LO which documented my daughter's summer trip to Martha's Vineyard, which is located off of Cape Cod.  She was very lucky to spend a week there with a close friend and her family! 

I have many pictures of her trip, but I just love this one.  To me looking out at the wide, open Atlantic Ocean, it represents all that is possible.  The sentiments of the Illuminate stamp set are so motivational-- Let your shine shine through, you light up my life, and if there is light in the soul there will be beauty in the person.  Beautiful words for a beautiful picture and story!

To cut the sunburst, I used CTMH's Artbooking Cartridge and cut out a 10 inch sun overlay.

On the sentiment, I random stamped the little suns in Honey and stamped the sentiment in Sorbet. Like all of CTMH's products, the products are color coordinated. The Sorbet ink matches the cardstock. By taking out the guess work, it just makes scrapbooking easier! I used CTMH's Keyboard Kraft Alphabet for the subtitle-- Martha's Vineyard.

I hope you are enjoying the blog so far. If you are be sure to leave a comment or follow my blog.

And, if you don't have a consultant and you would like to order the November stamp of the month or any other CTMH products, please see my store: Maureen's Store.

Please be sure to complete the entire blog hop to see all of the consultant's art.  Next up is Kathleen and you will love her work:  Kathleen's Blog.
Thanks for stopping by, Maureen

CTMH Supplies:
Inks:  Desert Sand (Z2118); Sorbet (Z2164); and Honey (Z2162)
Paper: Surf's Up (X7168B); Surf's Up Assortment (Z1841)
Other:  Paradise Twine (Z1702); Keyboard Kraft Alphabet (Z1825); Sparkle Clear Flourishes (Z1812); Bitty Sparkles (Z1263); Silver and Bronze Shimmer Tape (Z1849 and Z1799) and Artbooking (Z1906)