Thursday, April 30, 2009

You're here!! The first ever...

Close To My Heart Consultant Blog Hop!!

Tomorrow marks the release of the BRAND NEW CTMH Summer Idea Book!! The book has so many awesome new products and 40 consultants (including me!) have joined forces to set up a blog hop for you to get a great view of these new products!!

So... if you're stopping here because you are on the hop- welcome to my blog!! If you're stopping by because you are a regular visitor- you can start at the beginning by scrolling to the bottom of this post and clicking the link to Erin's blog... I'm including the entire blog list in case any links don't work properly- or the consultants forgot to include the link to the next blog in the hop!

On to my artwork: I chose to highlight the Extreme Happiness stamp set with a couple other new items including 2 paper packs! (note that I've highlighted in red all the NEW products used!)

The first is a card using the new Bella paper pack- I LOVE the papers/ colors in this pack- they are so rich and beautiful!!

This hibiscus set is awesome! It includes a large flower, small flower, leaf, even a border stamp that is a row of hibiscus flowers. There's one sentiment stamp that is a definition of Paradise: Paradise (par-uh-dahys. -dahyz) 1. a place of extreme beauty, delight, or happiness.
I stamped the image seperately, cut it out and adhered it so that I could offset it off the square.
Supplies: Extreme Happiness Stamp set, Bella Level 2 paper pack, white daisy cardstock, white hemp, Pansy Purple and Sunflower Stamp Pad


The second project is another card. It uses a design from the new Wishes Card Design book called "Delightful Dots". The book is not yet orderable as it hasn't arrived from the publisher quite yet- but soon!! I followed a card in the Summer Idea Book that says it used that design. I even used some of the same papers since it was so cute!


Supplies: Extreme Happiness Stamp Set, Desert Sand Cardstock, White Daisy Textured Cardstock, Moon Doggie Level 2 paper pack and Stardust Level 2 (the smallest circle), natural hemp, pewter brads, Cranberry, Desert Sand and Sunflower stamp pads, edge distressor, piercing tool, Desert Sand marker.


It's hard to tell in the photo but I edge distressed the circles. I faux stitched the blue patterned paper (from Moon Doggie level 2) by using my piercing tool to poke the holes along the edge and "connecting the dots" with my Desert Sand marker.


and Finally- A scrapbook page!! I'll admit this left page was a total idea rip-off from Close To My Heart. This layout was on the cover of the consultant newsletter we received with the new Idea Book and it was PERFECT for our photos of our road trip along Lake Michigan last year!! I did make a couple minor changes- I used a vertical photo vs their horizontal which means I also changed the direction of the wording- and their layout had a cute net affect that they designed out of hemp.. well- I could NOT figure that one out so I left it off and it looks fine without it- my vertical photo fills more space along the bottom anyway so it really wasn't necessary.
Supplies: Extreme Happiness Stamp Set, Post Card- Travel Series Stamp Set, Rustic Alphabet Stamp SEt, Color Ready Bold Alphabet Stickers, Moon Doggie Level 2 Paper Pack, white hemp, pewter brads, Desert Sand, Sunflower, Cranberry and Pansy Purple Stamp Pads, White Daisy Cardstock to stamp the "Paradise", postcard, and flowers on, Desert Sand marker for journaling.
Well- I hope you've enjoyed your stop at my blog!! I've starred the next blog on the list below- or start at the beginning if this was your first stop!
Traci Godbee http://createwithtraci.blogspot.com ****you are here*****
Julie Banzon www.scrapbookiejulie.blogspot.com ********* Next blog in the hop*****
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Tuesday, April 28, 2009

new art at last!!

Well- I'm finally on maternity leave and have the energy to post! The last few weeks have been really busy wrapping up projects at work since I'll be off till sometime in August! By the time I got home each night I was too exhausted to get on-line for very long. Today I'm in cooking mode to stock up my freezer with quick/ easy meals for after the baby comes so while I'm getting stuff together I thought I'd take a little break and schedule some posts for this week. I'll start of coarse with today's.


This was a fun card I designed for my club members. It's a bit funny really because normally when I take photos of cards with glitter- the sparkle never shows- but this photo shows the dress sooo sparkly that you can not even tell it's purple!!


The glittery dress is a new technique for me that I picked up on the CTMH consultant bulletin boards. Basically you mix Liquid Glass, prisma glitter and re-inker ( I used Amethyst which is the color purple in the striped paper)


Supplies: Key Lime and White Cardstock, Life Delights Level 2 (stripe pattern), Unforgettable Level 2 paper (pink leaf), Liquid Glass, Amethyst Re-inker, prisma glitter, Black Stamp Pad, and Bamboo, Vanilla Cream and Sunflower markers, Happy Endings Stamp Set (the flourish in the Dance layout below is also in this set!!)

The inside has a "Happy Birthday" sentiment- perfect for a little girl's birthday card!!


The second photo is actually the left side of the "Dance" layout I posted in the previous post. Just wanted to show one of the completed pages since I typically am showing layouts without photos!! I really do finish them off once I have pictures :)
Thanks for checking in today and keep checking the rest of the week- I'll be scheduling posts for each day and if you keep an eye out on the blog you'll see the FIRST EVER Close To My Heart blog hop where over 40 consultants will be previewing artwork created with BRAND NEW product from the Summer Idea Book that is released to customers May 1st!! Don't miss it!! I'll have a link to the first blog in the hop on my post that day as well as the blog that follows mine in the hop!!

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Wednesday, April 15, 2009

some club layouts

Did you all have a nice Easter last weekend? I did! my cousin and her husband came down with her boys (they're so cute!) and the kids had a little Easter egg hunt. Here's a photo- you'll notice I had to give them Chinese Take out boxes for their baskets... who doesn't remember the baskets for an egg hunt!! Too many other things for me to remember right now. I'd bought the take out boxes for a project that I never got too so that worked out for me!! You can tell it was a cold winter in Michigan- my daughter is soooo pale!!

I've been a busy beaver prepping for my upcoming club this Saturday. They'll be making their projects for March and April since I had to cancel last month's club meeting due to the flood in my basement. They each get to choose to projects- either 2 layouts, 2 card sets or one of each. Here are the first two layouts (I'm designing 3 total and need to pick up the stamps for the 3rd tonight)

The first layout is a dance layout that is way cuter in person!! The colors are based on my daughter's dance outfit since I'm hopefully getting those pictures back soon- but the club members choosing to make this layout can choose the colors of their choice.

The left side of the layout did not photograph well- It was in my kitchen and the lighting was wonky. The "dance" lettering is the small Chocolate alphabet embossed in silver. The grey page has some flourishes all around the edges. The little ballet slippers (on the journalling mat)
are from the Dancing Dreams set as is the little girl on the right page. All of the flourishes are from the "Happily Ever After" set. My colors are : blush, grey flannel, keylime and amethyst.
On the right page I used square rhinestones to finish off the top of the page with a silver embossed flourish showing the "motion" of my little dancing girl.... It's adorable in real life!! The green photo mat on the right page is a little larger than needed for my 5x7 photo but I really wanted a pocket for the recital ticket, pamplet and the little butterfly that was on my daughter's hairbow. The sides of the pocket are adhered with regular adhesive and four brads reinforce the corners. It's hard to tell but there are 2 smaller photo mats along the left side of the page to hold some of the snapshots I took back stage before the show.... Now I just need the photos!!
The second layout so far is an Easter Layout. I always do pastels for Easter and decided to try a different color combo this year. I went with Buttercup, Hollyhock , Black and White. I'm pretty happy with this one too! The " Easter" is stamped with Buttercup using the Boutique alphabet- then cut out using my cutting knife (probobly one of my most used tools!) I wanted to dress it up a bit so I added 3 black bitty brads at the "E", 3 tiny rhinestones at the "s" and the flower and button between "E and R"

I used the same bunny set for this layout as I did for my daughter's Valentine's cards back in February- I think it's called "Bunny Love" or something similar. The left page holds a 5x7 photo. The right page holds 3 smaller photos plus

has a circle mat for journaling.
I added some Hollyhock twill, a paper flower with pewter designer brad and another cute bunny laying in an egg shell.

My markers colors are: Bamboo, buttercup, hollyhock and blush.


Well- I'll be back tomorrow to start posting cards and as soon as I finish the 3rd layout I'll post that as well!!





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Sunday, April 5, 2009

a new post!

I just want to start by saying thanks to the loyal followers who have been checking the 'ole blog even while I haven't been posting. It's been a busy few weeks, to say the least. Our basement finally dried out (and cost us a fortune in the process... but I'm still glad we hired someone else to deal with it!!), my daughter's dance recital came and went and yesterday we finally got our taxes done... feels good to cross a few things off the list. My basement still is not put back together, lots of totes and boxes in the garage still AND to top it off our new baby will make his debut in another 4-5 weeks- eek!

I have been totally stressed and realized I hadn't done ANY stamping and scrapping for a month! No wonder!!

So I did devote 15 minutes to stamping time today with a promise to do more this week!

I have several projects to share this week- today's post is the only project I made today. The rest are from classes I taught March 1 and 8th.

So- now that you've heard the story here's the art.

I saw this idea this past week on the Close To My Heart Consultant art board- it was sooo cute! The consultant had smaller bags so limited it to one marshmallow peep in her Easter smore set but with the larger bag I needed to take up space! I made this one as a practice - My daughter will be making these tomorrow to mail to her cousins that live across the state.
The picture isn't the best- I took it in my kitchen and the lighting isn't great at 10:30pm. I used the CTMH March word puzzle and Bunny Love stamp sets. Markers: chocolate, grey flannel, Lilac Mist and Sweat Leaf.
Well- It feels good to be posting again! I'll be back with more art this week as I finally found the tote with all the cards a couple of days ago!
Traci

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