Tiana

It feels so good to have a little bit of time to create today. Never mind that I am in sweats, my hair is not fixed, and you cannot find a stitch of make up on my face. The important thing is that I am creating, right? {wink}. Who needs to LOOK pretty if you are creating pretty things, anyway? I guess the best scenario would be to look pretty WHILE you are creating pretty things. But that is not the case today. Notice I did NOT include a photo of me in this post.

I used the Mojo Monday sketch this week (#131), along with Jeanette Lynton's GORGEOUS Color Me Monday combo (Baby Pink, Desert Sand, Garden Green and Hollyhock...all Close To My Heart colors) to make this 3.5" x 8" card for my niece, Tiana's birthday.

Close To My Heart products used: Friendship Alphabet Stamp Set Small (C1401), Noted Backgrounds Stamp Set (D1412), Topstitch Level 2 Paper Pack (X7120B), Bella Level 2 Paper Pack (X7114B), Bella MyStickease (X71114C), Life Delights Level 2 Paper Pack (X7089B), Versamark Pad (Z891), White Daisy Embossing Powder (Z673), Desert Sand Stamp Pad (Z2118), Round Sponge, Dimensional Elements Perennials (Z1139), Autumn Craft Buttons (Z1283), Bamboo Waxy Flax (Z906), 3D Foam Tape (Z1151), Corner Rounder (Z578), Baby Pink Organdy Ribbon (retired).

Click here to order from my website 24/7...even when you're in sweats and no make-up...in fact, ESPECIALLY when you're in sweats and no make-up!

Oh, and don't forget the wonderful "Dare to Dream" special this month. If you've ever thought about becoming a CTMH Consultant, NOW is a great time. Click here for more details.

Happy Birthday, Jeffrey and Art and Soul

My nephew, Jeffrey's birthday is coming up soon. I can't believe he will be 17 and is finishing up his junior year of high school.

When I saw the Color Me Monday combo this week on Jeanette Lynton's blog (Close To My Heart colors: Creme Brulee, Heavenly Blue, Key Lime and Olive), I thought, "Hmmm. That would be an interesting combo for a teenage boy birthday card. I think I'll try a card for Jeff with this combo and see how it turns out." I am pleased with the results!

The first thing I did was look for a fun card pattern. I found one right away when flipping through Originals, one of the two wonderful card pattern books that Jeanette Lynton has authored. You can purchase it here on my website. It is full of gorgeous and creative cards in many different sizes that Jeanette has designed, and diagrams and step by step instructions on how to put each card together. I chose one of the 3 1/2" x 8" patterns, "Upright" on page 34 (see photo of part of the actual page of the book here on this post).

Jeffrey's birthday is not until March 30, so I am feeling pretty darn proud of myself for having this done so early, as well as using a color combo that when I saw it felt kind of soft and girlish and challenging myself to try it for something masculine.

Close To My Heart products used: Happy Birthday Stamp Set (C1257), Creme Brulee Cardstock (X5754), Heavenly Blue Cardstock (1285), Key Lime Cardstock (1235), Notebook Level 2 Paper Pack, Veranda Level 2 Paper Pack, Topstitch Level 2 Paper Pack, Olive Stamp Pad (Z2137), Round Sponge (Z697), Fresh Shapes Dimensional Elements (Z1019), Dimensional Elements Monogram J (Z1064), Spring Craft Buttons (Z1281), Bamboo Waxy Flax (Z906).

Non-CTMH products: scalloped scissors (manufacturer unknown).

Click here to order from my website 24/7...especially when making birthday cards!

I also wanted to make sure you knew that the new webisode of Art and Soul is out! It's called "A Fling With Spring" and you can watch it on my website by clicking here. Leslie Austin, if you are reading this you will be excited to view it because it demonstrates how to do chalk popping, the technique I was describing to you just the other day. It is also full of lots of other great techniques and springy artwork! It's less than 12 minutes long and more than worth your time.

Pam's Pretty Winning Card

This past week I ran a little challenge for my Close To My Heart team (The Pacemakers, so named because we keep "THE HEART" pumpin'. For more information about joining my team, email me {pedermom@aol.com}. I'd LOVE to have you join! We have so much fun building our Close To My Heart businesses together. . It was simple. All they had to do was create something (a card, scrapbook page, or anything else) using the Color Me Monday color combo from February 15 at Jeanette Lynton's Blog. The colors were Garden Green, Outdoor Denim, Crystal Blue and Twilight (all CTMH colors). I also created a card using these colors. You can see it here. You can also very easily sign up to be a member of my Pacemaker Close To My Heart team here.

Everyone on my team who wanted to participate was to email me a photo of their creation. On Monday I chose my winner. Congrats to Pam J! Her card is gorgeous and creatively uses the color combo.

Pam's prize is the card that I created with this combo. What a fun little challenge. I hope you enjoy the card, Pam! Thanks for being such a special part of my team!

You're a Star

This week's Color Me Monday combo (Crystal Blue, Garden Green, Outdoor Denim and Twilight...all CTMH colors) over at Jeanette Lynton's blog is a great one! I love the masculine feel of this mix. I also really liked the sketch this week at Card Patterns. I combined the two and this is what I came up with.

Wondering how I got all of those colors on that star? Well, I did a little paper piecing. I stamped my star in all 4 colors (garden green, outdoor denim, twilight and crystal blue). I used the garden green star as my base and then cut out pieces of each of the others and glued them on. Easy, peasy, lemon squeasy! I really like the look.

I ran a little challenge for my team with Close To My Heart this week (my team is called The Pacemakers because we keep 'The Heart' pumpin'!). I challenged them to use the Color Me Monday color combo on a piece of art they create this week and email me a photo. I will be judging what they send and the winner will receive this card..the one I made with the CMM combo. I can't wait to see what everyone creates! By the way, if you are interested in becoming part of my team, I am more than happy to answer any questions you have. Just email me at pedermom@aol.com. You can also click here for info and to sign up.

Close To My Heart products used: Shining Star Stamp Set (D1320), Garden Green Stamp Pad (Z2120), Outdoor Denim Stamp Pad (Z2140), Crystal Blue Stamp Pad (Z2117), Twilight Stamp Pad (Z2160), Emporium Level 2 Paper Pack (X7105B), Back Country Level 2 Paper Pack (X7110B), Autumn Craft Buttons (Z1283), Winter Craft Buttons (Z1284), Crystal Blue Waxy Flax (Z1247), 3D Foam Tape (Z1151), Corner Rounder (Z578).

Non-CTMH products used: Heidi Swapp Ghost Stars

Click here to order from my website 24/7...because you are a STAR!

'Originals' Baby Shower

My beautiful daughter, Kori and I volunteered to make the baby shower invitations for her best friend's shower. Tricia is a sweetheart and I love her almost like one of my own kiddos. The two of them have been best buds since Junior High. She got married a year before Kori and will be having her 2nd baby in a couple of weeks (Love, you Trish!). You know how a mother hopes and prays that her children will be blessed with wonderful friends who will be uplifting to their children, who will be loyal and kind? Well, Tricia is an answer to those prayers for me. She and Kori should have been sisters.

With all of the excitement of getting ready for Easton to come home, I have to admit that we kind of let the little responsibility of getting these invitations made sit on the back burner. They really needed to be sent out yesterday so we got some serious busy going on and got all 40 done yesterday morning. Kori addressed and sent them all out yesterday afternoon while Easton and I went shopping for shoes so we could make it back in time for Tannons game (lost in overtime. DARN!). Whew! Hope you like them, Trish!

We chose to use the color combo from this week's Color Me Monday over at Jeanette Lynton's blog (blush, hollyhock, chocolate and parchment. All CTMH colors). Gorgeous! It was perfect for a baby girl.

We also pulled out one of Close To My Heart's 'how-to' books, Originals (9032). This is one of our two card making books. We chose the 'Balance it Out' pattern (see photo here). We also have three scrapbooking pattern books. I thought it was quite perfect that we made Tricia's invitations with one of these books since Trish is one of the BIGGEST fans of these books that I know. She just recently created a breath-taking scrapbook as a gift for her cousin totally using patterns from Imagine. Tricia is one of my Play Group members. Here she is last month (with several other Play Groupies) working on her pages. Sidenote: I'd LOVE to have you come and try out Play Group. Just check out the details on the left side of my blog.

Close To My Heart products used: Spot On Backgrounds Stamp Set (D1280), Sweet Baby Stamp Set (C1359), Blush Cardstock (X5640), Chocolate Cardstock (X5643), Parchment Cardstock (X5645), Chocolate Stamp Pad (Z2111), Just Blooms Autumn Daisy Paper Flowers (Z817), Basic Brads Assortment (Z1218), Shades of Chocolate Mini- Medley Collection (Z1037),Blush Collection Designer Ribbon Rounds (Z1138), Corner Rounder (Z578), 3D Foam Tape (Z1151), Round Sponge (Z697). Click here to order from my website 24/7...especially when creating baby shower invitations!

Non-CTMH products used: Martha Stewart Border Punch.

So, anyhoo, I thought I'd share this little labor of love with all of you today. I can't wait for your shower, Tricia...and I'm even more excited about getting that little baby here! I love ya!

Merry and Bright...and Last Day!

First things first: today is the LAST day of the Close To My Heart Online Clearance Sale (Holiday Heyday...50-80% off!). To take advantage of these amazing deals, click here and then click on Shop Online.

Next, I need to let you know that there is a brand new special beginning with Close To My Heart called Felicity (remember all those hints I kept giving you the past few weeks?). I will be telling you about it TOMORROW, right here on my blog. So, stay tuned. It's a good one!

Now onto some artwork. My daughter, Kori emailed me the photo that she and Rick chose for their Christmas cards the other day and I HAD to scrapbook it. So pretty! I know I'm probably a little bit biased, but I happen to think my daughter, her hubby, Rick and their little girl, Daci are the most beautiful little family around. As I was trying to decide how to scrapbook this photo to do it justice, I saw Jeanette Lynton's Color Me Monday combo for this week on her blog (Close To My Heart colors: Twilight, Heavenly Blue, Grey Flannel and White Daisy). "Wow!" says I. "That would be just perfect." So away I went.

I was really happy with the end product. I hope you enjoy it too. FYI: To make the glittery snowflakes, I used Create-a-Shade Paint (Z1039) and brushed over the Dimensional Elements Flurry Snowflakes (Z1225), then I quickly sprinkled with Prisma Glitter (Z134) while still wet. I LOVE the effect, don't you? I'll definitely be trying that again sometime.

I used a few products that are coming out in the Spring 2010 Idea Book (live here on my blog on January 1), so there is a sneak peek at a few new things. I'll put a little * by them in my product list. Sound good? Close To My Heart products used: Snow Flurries Stamp Set (D1384), Twilight Cardstock (X5666), Twilight Stamp Pad (Z2160), Heavenly Blue Textured Cardstock (From Spring Harmony Textured Cardstock Combo Pack...X5681), White Daisy Cardstock (1385), Grey Flannel Stamp Pad (Z2124), Grey Wool Marker (Z2325), Dimensional Elements Flurry (Z1225), Corner Rounder (Z578), White Daisy Organdy Ribbon (Z100), Photo Hangers (Z293), 3D Foam Tape (Z1151), Create-a-Shade Pearl Paint (Z1039), Prisma Glitter (Z134), Irresitibles Lots of Dots* (Z1261, available January 1. These are the letters you see spelling out "merry and bright"...see detail photo below. I LOVE them! They are white with little raised polka dots. You can color over them with marker or sponge with ink and the letter will be colored but the dots remain white. SO STINKIN' COOL!), Filigree Charms* (Z1269, available January 1. These are the cool metal shapes I mixed in with the sparkly snowflakes...see detail photo above.).

I hope you are enjoying this time of year. I LOVE Christmas time. I am just about ready! Woo hoo! The shopping is done, the presents are wrapped (except 2. Dan the Man can't remember where he hid them. We're working on that.), the baking is getting done, and I'm feeling merry and bright.

Click here to order from my website 24/7...especially TODAY...the last day of the Holiday Heyday Online Clearance Sale.

Another Rustic Snowflake

I'm on a funky colored snowflake roll! Here's yet another card using Jeanette's Color Me Monday combo from this week. I also used the CPS sketch for this week (#144).

Close To My Heart products used: Snow Flurries Stamp Set (D1384), Barn Red Cardstock (X5637), Olive Cardstock (1245), Colonial White Cardstock (1388), Plaid Background and Texture Paper (retired), Barn Red Stamp Pad (Z2104), Cocoa Stamp Pad (Z2114), Olive Stamp Pad (Z2137), Versamark Pad (Z891), White Daisy Embossing Powder (Z673), Designer Ribbon Rounds-Colonial White Collection (Z1126), Dimensional Elements-Flurry (Z1225), Basic Buttons (Z1206), Natural Hemp (Z280), Round Sponge (Z697), 3D Foam Tape (Z1151).

Non- CTMH products used: Martha Stewart Snowflake Punch, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist-Pearl

Click here to order from my website 24/7. Oh! And, don't forget the Holiday Heyday Online Clearance Sale (50-80% off!) that is going on now on my website too.

Rustic Snowflake

After yesterday's "What the Heck!" card, I decided I kind of liked these non-traditional colors for snowflakes. Here I go again.

This 5" x 5" card was inspired by this week's sketch as 2Sketches4You. The colors were again taken from Jeanette Lynton's Color Me Monday Combo on her blog this week.

Close To My Heart products used: Holiday Trinkets Stamp Set (D1366), Jingle Borders Stamp Set (D1225), Barn Red Cardstock (X5637), White Daisy Textured Cardstock (X5671), Dimensional Elements-Flurry (Z1225), Basic Buttons (Z1206), Barn Red Stamp Pad (Z2104), Cocoa Stamp Pad (Z2114), Olive Stamp Pad (Z2137), Bamboo Stamp Pad (Z2103), Natural Hemp (Z280), Round Sponge (Z697)

Non-CTMH products used: Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist-Pearl.

Click here to order from my website 24/7...especially when you're feeling a little non-traditional.

What the Heck

This is my 2nd post today. Be sure to scroll down to see some artwork using the December 2009 Stamp of the Month (Notice the Details).













I would NEVER, in a million years...maybe even two million, have thought to use these colors with snowflakes. But, when you get a challenge, what do you do? You go with the flow! When I saw this sketch on the Mojo Monday site this week (#115) I knew I wanted to accent the large circle with some snowflakes. Then I saw Jeanette Lynton's Color Me Monday combo over on her blog and decided, "What the heck! I'll combine the two and see what happens." This is the product of my, "What the heck."

Close To My Heart products used: Holiday Trinkets Stamp Set (D1366), Jingle Borders Stamp Set (D1225), Barn Red Cardstock (X5637), White Daisy Textured Cardstock (X5671), Dimensional Elements-Flurry (Z1225), Basic Buttons (Z1206), Barn Red Stamp Pad (Z2104), Cocoa Stamp Pad (Z2114), Olive Stamp Pad (Z2137), Desert Sand Stamp Pad (Z2118), Natural Hemp (Z280), Round Sponge (Z697).

Click here to order from my website 24/7..."What the heck!?!"

Fall Beauty

I am so lucky to have a daughter who is as obsessed with taking photos as I am (I taught her well). Because of this, I get LOTS of great photos of my little granddaughter. These are the photos Kori took to commemorate the important occasion of her 8 month birthday. LOVE 'em...especially the one with her tongue poking out. Oh! And the one where she is trying to eat a leaf (everything goes in the mouth). Oh yeah, and the one that she is so excited that her whole face is all scrunched up. OK, I love them all.

I used two different sketches as inspiration for this layout, as well as the Color Me Monday color combo on Jeanette Lynton's blog (Close To My Heart colors: Gold Rush, Desert Sand, Chocolate, and Cocoa). The sketches are from Inspired Blueprints (left side) and Creative Scrappers (right side).

I had fun mixing and matching papers from several different Close To My Heart paper packs. Don't ever think that you can only mix and match what comes in a certain collection.

Close To My Heart products used: Magic Moments Level 2 Paper Pack (X7101B), Twitterpaged Level 2 Paper Pack (X7718B), Caprice Level 2 Paper Pack (X7086B), Goldrush Cardstock (1243), Mini Medley Autumn Garden Collection (Z1119), Journey Journaling Spots (X1409).

Click here to order from my website 24/7...especially when surrounded by Fall Beauty!


Non-CTMH products used: letters (from Target dollar spot), scallop scissors

3 Cards and More Football

"Where's the artwork?" Remember the Wendy's commercial,"Where's the Beef?" If you were not an 80's girl, you probably don't. If that is the case, ignore my greeting and just be assured that there is some artwork in this post and that I am probably much older than you. Also, I made the photos a bit smaller than usual in this post so it wouldn't be too terribly long, so feel free to click on any photo to see it larger. You know the drill, right?

Firstly (probably not a word, but I'm using it anyway), I am sharing a card I made using Jeanette Lynton's Color Me Monday combo (CTMH colors: crystal blue, sweet leaf, tulip and white daisy) and the 2Sketches4You card pattern this week (#34). By the way, 2Sketches4You chose me as one of their Fab 5's last week for my Sunflower card. Woot!

Close To My Heart products used: White Daisy Cardstock (1385), Twitterpated Level 2 Paper Pack (X7118B), Jingle Level 2 Paper Pack (X7115B), Perrenials Dimensional Elements (Z1139), Winter Buttons (Z1284), Red and Pink Embroidery Thread Assortment (Z1092), Crystal Blue Waxy Flax (Z1247), Designer Ribbon Rounds Sweet Leaf Collection (Z1125), Spring Blossom Brad Assortment (Z1213)Crystal Blue Stamp Pad (Z2117), Sweet Leaf Stamp Pad (Z2153), Connections Stamp Set (D1330), Round Sponge (Z697), 3D Foam Tape (Z1151).

Secondly (I think that is a word. I know I've heard it used before): I am sharing 2 cards that arrived the past few days for my birthday. I love it when cards come a little late. It's so much fun to keep celebrating. Thank you, Marian Q (the flowers and balloon in a vase card) and Brenda R (the big flower pocket card) for your thoughtfulness. You are both dear, sweet friends! Both of these ladies are Close To My Heart consultants.

Marian's card below: Celebration Bouquet Stamp Set (C1313), Paper Garden Level 2 Paper Pack (X7094B), Sweet Leaf Stamp Pad (Z2153), Blush Stamp Pad (Z2106), Crystal Blue Stamp Pad (Z2117), Petal Stamp Pad (Z2161), Metal Brad Assortment (Z1217), Prisma Glitter (Z134), Round Sponge (Z697)

Brenda's Card below: Aspen Level 2 Paper Packet (X7103B), Designer Ribbon Rounds Creme Brulee Collection (Z1131), Botanicals Fancy Cuts Die Cuts (X1405), Lilac Mist Cardstock (1295)

Thirdly and lastly, Dawson's team won their football game agains Orem last night. Dawson played great and so did the rest of the team. They beat Orem 23-8. WOOHOO. Dawson is #19 in this photo because our dark uniforms got printed with another team's number list. They are making us new jerseys but they weren't done for this game. Hopefully he will be #10 again before we know it. D had 1 sack, 3 tackles for losses, several assisted tackles and a catch. You go, boy! Tannon plays tomorrow night against Riverton. Keep your fingers crossed.