My Blog Has Been Given an Award!

Karen Pedersen awarded my blog the "Your Blog is Over The Top" award! This is my second blog award (the first was for my family blog) and I am so excited and honored! Thanks Karen!!

The Rules are:
1. You can only use ONE word for each answer.
2. Pass this along to 6 of your favorite bloggers!
3. Alert them that you have given them this award!
4. HAVE FUN!!!



So here are the six people I would like to pass this award on to:
1. Kim G.
2. Stephanie P.
3. Kim M.
4. Lacie J.
5. Melissa M.
6. Bree L.

Congrats my blogging friends! I look forward to many more posts.

1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2. Your hair? Straight
3. Your mother? Friend
4. Your father? Favorite
5. Your favorite food? Italian
6. Your dream last night? Mice
7. Your favorite drink? Water
8. Your dream/goal? Travel
9. What room are you in? Office
10. Your hobby Scrapbooking
11. Your fear? Snakes
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? w/ Jason ("w/" isn't a word)
13. Where were you last night? Anderson's
14. Something that you aren't? short
15. Muffins? blueberry
16. Wish list item? Cruise
17. Where did you grow up? Idaho
18. Last thing you did? laundry
19. What are you wearing? PJ's
20. Your TV? Big
21. Your Pets? Cooper
22. Friends? Greatest
23. Your life? Perfect
24. Your mood? Tired
25. Missing Someone? Jason
26. vehicle? Van :(
27. Something your not wearing? Socks
28. Your favorite store? Kohls
29. Your favorite color? Red
30. When was the last time you laughed? Yesterday
31. Last time you cried? Hum?
32. Your best friend? Jason
33. One place that I go to over and over? Home
34. One person who emails me regularly? Cindy
35. Favorite place to eat? Out

Book Table Layout - Halloween

This is my Book Table Layout for October. I of course changed it and added some of my own products including: Liquid Glass on the title which I stamped with black ink and the Homestead Alphabet stamp set. I also added some ric rac ribbon, black cardstock that I sanded around the edges, smokey plum carstock and topiary cardstock.

A Little More Grace

I promised my workshop group I would post these two layouts I made at my CPR Retreat. Enjoy!

The layouts were designed by the talented Lynette Kankamp.  Here is the supply list: Grace Level 2 Paper Packet, Grace Level 2 Stickease Assortment, Delightful Things stamp set, Designer Ribbon Rounds Colonial White Collection, Brad Assortments Basic Collection, Just Blooms Paper Flowers Big Pinks, Dimensional Elements On Target and 3-D Foam Tape. All of these items can be purchased 24/7 at my Close To My Heart website. Also, the "Delightful Things" stamp set is on sale for $20 right now online!

Leaves

We have the most gorgeous fall leaves right in our front yard! Sunday was sunny and warm outside so the kids raked up a pile of leaves and did what we all dream of doing to a big pile of leaves; JUMPED IN THEM!

I posted a jumping sequence of Mikele on my family blog.

2010 Desk Calendar Class

This is going to be such a fun class! We are making this cute desk calendar. This is a great gift for Christmas or just a fun project for you or it could be BOTH! You can make more then 1.

The class is $18 and includes all the precut paper you need to finish the 12 calendar pages and cover, a "My Creations" Display Album, 1/2 package of clear craft buttons and all the accessories and ribbon needed to complete the project. This is a steal of a deal so sign up today.  The class will be on Wednesday, November 4th from 7:00-9:30. I have a limited number of kits so please email or call me asap!

Off The Grid

A friend of mine commented that I tend to scrapbook on a grid. I have to admit I do like my clean lines and structured layouts but I do believe that it is good to branch out and sometime you just need to "get off the grid!"
I found this sketch on Inspired Blueprints and I thought I would give it a try. I definitely prefer two page layouts so I just created a second page. I have to admit that I really liked how this layout turned out.  I used the following products: CTMH Best Friends Forever paper packet and stickease (retired), CTMH Heartfelt Whimsy collection, CTMH Adhesive-Backed Pearl (free with a full punch card - call me today to get your punch card started), CTMH Window Charms, CTMH Garden Green stamp pad

Announcing "Studio J" and Win a FREE Linen Album

I am very excited about a new product Close To My Heart will be offering in the spring of 2010, STUDIO J!!! Studio J is free online design software that allows you to create custom-printed two-page layouts you put in your albums. There is no software to purchase and install; instead, simply log in to Studio J and start designing your layouts! You can create and immediately purchase your layouts, or you can save them for later completion and purchase. Best of all you will still be using the same great color palette and products that CTMH already offers for classic scrapbooking. This is just another option to help make preserving your memories faster simpler and easier!

CTMH has a new and fun sweepstakes for you to enter! Simply sign up for email updates at Studio J.com (top left side of the screen) and you will automatically be entered into a weekly random drawing for a My Legacy® Dark Cocoa linen album. We will notify the winner via email. If you didn’t get the album, don’t worry—your name is still in the drawing for the next week. You will also receive occasional updates about Studio J.

 Do you want 10 Free Studio J layouts? Become a CTMH Consultant! When a new Consultant signs up between October 1–31 and achieves both levels of Straight To The Top (STTT), they will receive 10 Studio J layouts FREE! Email or Call me today and let me share with you all the amazing benefits of being a Close to My Heart Consultant!! 

A Little Bit of Old With a Dash of New

I keep a family album and an album for each of my kids.  So this weeks layout is using pictures that I had already made one layout with and needed to duplicate. So I headed to my nifty paper drawer and started digging to see what paper I had that might work for Jason and Brock's father and sons camp out.  This old and long retired paper packet, "Great Outdoors" was perfect. To spice up the layout I added some much newer products including the chip board squares that I stamped on using the stamp set "Homestead Alphabet." I also added some chocolate ribbon and a few chocolate brads. Finally I added a little more dimension with the scallop boarder found in the Dimensional Element "Boarders" collection and a little bookplate from the Dimensional Element "Booksmart" set.  The great thing about this project is that all though I was using some old retired products and some new products all the colors matched perfectly because of our consistent palette of colors. Yea CTMH!

Introducing Color Me Monday on Wednesday

Jeanette Lynton is the founder and CEO of Close To My Heart. I have met her in person and heard her speak and she is inspiring! On her blog she posts a new color combination every Monday. Every week I have full intentions of creating something using her new color combination but have never made the time. Today I put aside excuses and made the time to use this weeks color combination.
Anyone who knows me knows that I NEVER put black and blue together so this layout did stretch me a little. Both layout designs are from "Reflections" one of CTMH's 3 amazing how to books. I love that the back of our B&T paper (background and texture) is a coordinating color pattern paper. The clover meadow and sunflower paper is from the "Animal Cookies" paper packet and the twilight paper is from the "Tinkerin" paper packet. I also implemented another product that I purchased when it was introduced but had never used. See the cute swirly thing behind the journaling piece? That is from the Fancy Cuts Die-Cuts Borders.


This was a lot of fun to mix and match from different paper packets and I got another layout in my album. I can't wait to see and use next week's new color combination. Stay tuned!!

October Workshop Layouts "Grace"

This month we will be making the following 3- 2 page 12x12 layouts. I really had fun working with this paper packet. With the sudden change in weather this paper made me feel ready for fall. If you would like to join my workshop group email or call me today!





Here is a list of the products used:
Grace Workshop on the go Kit $33.85 Value You Pay $29.95.
It includes:
X7117B Grace Level 2 Paper Pack 12.95
"Beautiful Flourish" Stamp Set exclusive to the kit 13.95
Z1287 Rustic Edge Anchors 5.95
Grace Workshop Guide 1.00

I also used the following accessories, tools and stamp sets

Z1206 Basic Craft Buttons 7.95
Z1247 Crystal Blue Waxy Flax 3.95
9030 Imagine Book 21.95
D1195 "The Works Alphabet" Stamp set 22.25
Z1114 Piercing Tool Kit 5.95
Dimensional Elements Monograms $3.25 each
D1335 Intrinsic Backgrounds $22.95
E1011 Headline Alphabet- Large $34.95

All of these items may be purchased here!

Book Table Layout

I am a member of the Book Table's scrapbook club. Each month we assemble a layout using the kit provided. I never buy any extra products but challenge myself to use some thing I have already purchased and have sitting at home waiting to be used on a scrapbook page. Well lately the kit provided has been a little lacking so I have had to get more creative but I do think this months layout turned out pretty well.

Does the layout look familiar? It is a recreate from the Bella workshop. I duplicate my layouts for each of my kids and this is the duplicate for Brock's book. I also added 2 sheets of cardstock, the Autumn Sunflower Just Blooms and some black Bigger Brads.