It's Time...July Blog Hop begins TODAY!

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!
We will be featuring July's Stamp Of The Month
YOU'VE GOT FLAIR
(set of 8 -- D1351)

This set is full of lacy Victorian swirls and flourishes highlighting these graceful images, each one sending a message of flair and whimsy. Available July 1-31 ONLY.

I hope you'll check out each of the participating blogs - this month we have over 40 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other great CTMH products on their blogs. This is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Remember, this stamp set is only available during JULY. Contact your CTMH consultant right away to get your set at a discount or even for FREE before it's gone!
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If you have come here from Jan's Blog, you are on the right path!
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If you are just beginning, you may want to click on over to Jena's Blog where it all begins. This is a loop though so if you just continue on from here you will go full circle and just end with me when you've completed the loop.
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Supplies Used:
Bella Level 2 Paper
Hollyhock RicRac
Sparkle
Chocolate Ink for distressing
Hollyhock Marker

Card is from our new Card Layout Book WISHES by Jeanette Lynton called It's A Wrap
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Supplies Used:
Dutch Blue Cardstock
Black Cardstock
White Daisy Cardstock
Sand Paper
White Daisy Bigger Brads
TECHNIQUE TIP for the White Brads: I rubbed Staz On Black ink onto my White Brads since I did not have any bigger brads in black! Quick and easy little trick. Staz On is permanent so no rubbing back off!

Card Layout Design is from MOJO MONDAY Sketch #90

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Now hop on over to Alanna's Blog to see her work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas! Remember, the July SOTM is only available until July 31st! Contact your CTMH Consultant to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount or even free!
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"If you get lost on the hop or find links that aren't working,
here is a complete list of participating blogs:
Jena Devries
Wendy Kessler
Sherry Thompson
Dawn Heuft
Brae Montgomery
Melissa Laverty
Karen Norman
Deb Young
Adeline E Brill
Tammy Lea Pinchard
Jen Rubio
Cibele Glazer
Laurie R Newton
Kami Welter
Helen Onulak
Sarita Schraeder
Chris Shouse
Paige Dolecki
Dawn Ross
Jamia Bankhead
Nona Davenport
Haley Dyer
Misty Jackson
Jennifer Patrick
Carla Ironside
Jody Gustafson
Heather Painchaud
Julia Menssen
Lori Miller
Pamela O'Connor
Reba Poquette
Anne Beck
Shallon Pelletier
Caren Goldsein
Jan Moxey
Kristie Horness-Herdener
Alanna Moses
Leslie Markland
Barbara Otten
Traci Godbee
Jill Lucas
Amy McVey
Laurie Levnik

I'm so excited.....

I received my FIRST blog award! How fun is this?

Thank you to Carol Labuski for selecting me as a recipient to this award. Now I must choose others who I feel show great attitude and gratitude.

Congratulations to the following bloggers:

1. Tina
2. Wendy
3. Michelle
4. Vicki
5. Jen

The rules to the award is as follows:

*comment on this blog
*cut and paste the award logo and use it on your own blog
*nominate 5 to 10 blogs that shows great attitude and gratitude
*link your nominees with your blog post
*comment on their blogs to let them know they won the award
*link back to the person who gave you the award to show your appreciation!

Random Cards

I received a card kit in the mail a few years ago. I was digging in my cupboards looking for something else when this kit fell onto my head. Now I do not remember where they came from, perhaps it was just a freebie in the mail -- but I finally put them together! I kind of followed the photo but I definitely added some touches to a few of them.

This first one I did a major overhaul on. It was a Valentine's Card originally, not something I need in my card stash. It's my favorite of the set.

The papers are on where they should be but I added a ribbon to separate the polka dot and stripe papers and another ribbon piece tied off of the wording.

I used RUSTIC FLOWERS stamp set in Vineyard Berry and Barn Red for accents. I used my little label maker for the "FOR YOU" sentiment. Pewter brads were used as well.

This next card is done pretty much like the photo. I sponged on some Blush Ink around the edges. The Chipboard "h" was cardboard color so I went over it with some white paint slightly and then sponged Blush Ink on over it. I also used Blush Ink on the flower circles. I added the clear buttons to the flower centers.




This card was very basic. It came with the two tone cardstock base. I simply sanded it and did the rest as pictured. Not much creativity on my part!

The 4th card -- well here it is! It is exactly how the picture showed it. The base cardstock already had the colors on it in the triangle directions, it came with the phrase "I'm glad you're in my life" that is adhered with brads or staples. Oh I did pop dot the FRIEND circle off the card front! That was my addition I guess. :)


As you can see -- I've been busy creating, just not sharing with you as quickly as I'd like to! I think it's that whole sharing the computer thing with others in the household and sunny weather -- it takes time to snap the photo, upload it, edit it and then post it. Thanks for checking back in!

Happy Scrappin, Stampin or Scrampin!
Kristie

July Club coming soon....

Here we are again at the end of a month. It's time to start my planning for my July Scrapbook Class coming up on July 17th -- the THIRD Friday this month.

We just took our youngest son to the Mt Hood Railroad to go for a ride on a coach with a life size Thomas the Tank Engine pulling them! We took one of his friends with us and they had an absolute BLAST! My son has not stopped talking about it and this was a week ago now.

My son is a HUGE Thomas fan (and Lightning McQueen) so we were very excited to get tickets to share this day with him. We told him about it the night before and he could not fall asleep -- at 10:30 I was still hearing him sing the Thomas Tune and saying how much he LOVES THOMAS!

Back to club....our next layout in the IMAGINE Layout Sketch book by Jeanette Lynton is MONOLOGUE. Selecting which pictures to use is always the part that takes the longest for me in preparing Club Layouts. Since we had such a memorable, busy day I couldn't wait to print the pictures and get them onto pages for my kiddo to relive and enjoy! I went with those photos to select my papers for Club.

I bought a CHEAPO Thomas Stamp at the event and random stamped Thomas to make my own B&T (background and texture paper). I stamped Thomas onto Dutch Blue Cardstock, used Cranberry Cardstock to Accent and laid it all out onto Black Cardstock.

Here is the bare bones layout -- before adding photos and accessories -- that we'll be cutting out together at our next club.

Nothing is glued into place yet -- I tend to like to pull it apart and rearrange from the basic guide provided in the sketch book. So I just snapped a quick photo of the basic layout.

I'm nearly done with this page layout, I'll get them posted some time next week. Let's just say the general layout is the same but I've added a lot of elements to this one -- stamping, accessories, colored cardstocks! I'm really anxious to share it with you! Now if our schedules would just slow up enough for me to get it finished.....

Happy Scrappin, Stampin or Scrampin!
Kristie

July SOTM Blog Hop COMING SOON.....

Have you heard of a Blog Hop?

There will be a starting blog and an ending blog that forms a loop and each one on the loop will have artwork featuring Close To My Heart's Stamp Of The Month.

This is a special stamp set available during it's designated month only and at reduced prices. I will be participating with other consultants who have all created artwork using that featured stamp set. So you will get lots of ideas on how to use this exclusive set.

July's SOTM is called "You've Got Flair", I think it is great for creating your own backgrounds or making floral bouquets like these featured in CTMH's artwork sampling shown here.

I’m so excited about the July Stamp of the Month Blog Hop. There are 44 CTMH Consultants participating! In order to make the hop run smoothly, I’m testing out links to Jan’s Blog, she’ll be the one that visitors are coming from and Alanna’s Blog, she’ll be the one that you’ll jump to after mine. I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with! Watch for the "loop" to begin on July 1!

Look at this sunset......

....need I say more?

The sun is so big and close it was like you could
reach out and touch it...

... or could you?

This photo was taken of my son in Seaside, Oregon last night ---
isn't God's glory magnificent?

We have a great collection of photos from our quick family trip that I can't wait to print out and scrapbook!

Color Challenge and Mojo Monday

The weather has cooled off a bit, everyone was busy with their own activities leaving me with a minute to myself last night!

I've had a fun card in mind since I saw the Mojo Monday Week 88 Card posted.

The ironic thing is I had some colors in mind to use on this Mojo Monday card but hadn't had a chance to get to it. Then Jeanette Lynton posted her Color Me Monday challenge from June 1, 2009 with a couple of the same colors I had in mind.

Here are the two challenges:

And here is what I came up with!

I did not use Grey Wool in my card.
I did use Cocoa ink with the Stipple Brush to antique my edges.
Everything is CTMH except for the chipboard H.
It was an extra I had so I did paint it White with the CTMH Acrylic Paint.
Then I brushed on Cranberry Reinker over the dry paint with the fan brush.
Next I used the stamp pad directly to the H giving more of the "lines" across it.

Supplies Used:
Cranberry, Twilight, Cocoa Stamp Pads
White Daisy Paper Flowers
Cranberry Organdy Ribbon
Cranberry Sparkles (retired)
Cranberry Cardstock
Heavenly Blue Cardstock
B&T Duo from Emporium Paper Packet