Happy Mail from Amy M and Mixed Emotions!

What a week it has been for Happy Mail! Thank you to Amy M. (next to me in our matchy pajamas. I'm the far left and Amy is next to me in her cute, sassy glasses) for a sweet little package that arrived in the mail the other day that included this darling card. I'll be sharing some more happy mail that showed up on my doorstep last night in tomorrow's post.

We are getting ready to move in the next few days and although Springville is only 30 miles south of where we live right now (Highland), it's a HUGE change. We have lived in our home for over 16 years and have had mostly the same neighbors during that time. My children have all attended the same schools and had the same teachers (who, I might add, might not be too sad to see the Pedersens go! lol). Our town is small enough that I know most of the cashiers at the grocery store, the tellers at the bank, the post office employees, etc. Almost anywhere I go I see someone I know and there is comfort and familiarity in that. We have also decided with just one child left at home, it is time to downsize. That will be nice in so many ways, but I will also miss the luxuries and extras our home has. I will miss you, two-headed shower mega-shower! I will miss you, 2 family rooms and one living room. I will miss you, formal dining room. As you can tell, I have some seriously mixed emotions!

So many of my friends have called, sent cards, left treats on my doorstep, and offered to help pack and move. I am a very blessed girl to have so many people in my life that care about me and want to help make this a good transition. THANK YOU to all of you who have gone out of your way to make me smile.

I know I will love you, Springville. Change is hard but I know it is what makes us reach beyond ourselves, stretch ourselves, and grow. I remember the excitement I felt when we built our home in Highland, the optimism about the new adventures we would have, the trepidation about doing new things, and meeting new people. Our Highland Adventure could not have been a better experience. I'm sure Springville will be the same. It's just hard to teach an old dog new tricks. Look out, Springville! Here we come. Woof!

Happy Mail from Brenda

My sweet friend, Brenda surprised me with some happy mail this week. Don't you love opening your mailbox to an unexpected card from someone you love? THANK YOU, Brenda.

You can check out more of Brenda's gorgeous artwork on her blog here.

Close To My Heart products that Brenda used on this card: Mayberry Level 2 Paper Pack, Corner Rounder, 3D Foam Tape.

You can purchase any of those products, plus so many, many more on my website here...24/7!

Non-CTMH products used: Twine (the best price I have found on this popular twine is at The Twinery).

Have a wonderful day!

April Stamp of the Month 3.5" x 8" card

I had so much fun making this card! I knew when I saw this soft and elegant set (Close To My Heart's April Stamp of the Month) I wanted my creations with it to keep that same feeling. I decided that embossing the image would give it that elegant feel, as would watercoloring the flowers and leaves.

First I embossed the flower on chocolate cardstock in white. I also embossed the same flower on white cardstock in white. I used my waterbrush and a stamp pad and watercolored in the flower bud and leaves on the white paper and then cut them out and paper pieced them onto the chocolate cardstock. I also did some background stamping with chocolate ink on chocolate cardstock. i think tone-on-tone inks on papers is also very elegant and I do it a lot! Voila! Magic! Of course, to see these details closer and in more detail, just click on the photo.

To find out how to get this set (value of $22.95) at a discounted price or even FREE during April, click here. Don't forget that if you spend $100 on my website during April, you get this set as well as a Level 1 Kit of your choice ($9.95 value) absolutely FREE!

CTMH products used: April Stamp of the Month (Blessed), White Daisy Cardstock, Chocolate Cardstock, Chocolate Stamp Pad, Cotton Candy Stamp Pad, Pear Stamp Pad, Versamark Stamp Pad, White Daisy Embossing Powder, Waterbrush, Embossing Gun, Kraft Color Ready Borders, Pearl Opaques, 3D Foam Tape, Corner Rounder.

Click here to order these or other wonderful CTMH products from my website...24/7!

More "Hope for Japan" Artwork

As you know, Close To My Heart has designed a special set (Hope for Japan, pictured below) that is available until April 30 in which 100% of the profits go to the American Red Cross efforts in Japan. It's only $5 too. What a great way for you to help Japan, and at the same time get a beautiful stamp set. As soon as I saw it, I had to order mine. It came a couple of days ago and last night I had a minute to play with it a bit.

These cards (click on the photo to see it larger and in more detail) were inspired by a card done by the CTMH Art Department that you can see here. Our art department is amazing! Why re-invent the wheel when they had already come up with something I liked so much? I just made the card a little bigger (6" x 6") and added a little different colors and background to make it mine.

From left to right in the photo, these are the CTMH exclusive colors featured: Hollyhock, Smoothie, Cotton Candy and Tulip. Isn't this rainbow of pinks and reds GORGEOUS? Here is a little close-up of the focal point so you can see that I popped up the main square and also the heart. I shaded the hearts with watercolor pencils, but didn't use water. I love using watercolor pencils like regular colored pencils because they are so soft and blend so beautifully. Have you ever thought to shade on top of a solid stamp with colored pencils? Well, if you haven't, give it a try. You'll love the effect! You can read a little bit about shading with colored pencils on this post.

CTMH products used: Hope For Japan Stamp Set, Wings Workshop on the Go Stamp Set, Colonial White Cardstock, Cocoa Cardstock, Cocoa Stamp Pad, Hollyhock Cardstock, Hollyhock Stamp Pad, Smoothie Cardstock, Smoothie Stamp Pad, Cotton Candy Cardstock, Cotton Candy Stamp Pad, Tulip Cardstock, Tulip Stamp Pad, Chocolate Stamp Pad, Round Sponge, Mocha Opaques, 2" Scallop Punch, 3D Foam Tape.

Click here to order the "Hope for Japan" stamp set and other wonderful CTMH products on my website...24/7!

Get Started with Studio J...Let Me Show You How!

You gotta see this (to turn off my music play list, scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page and click the pause button on the black play list box. Then you can listen to the video with no musical interruptions!):



If you haven't tried Close To My Heart's user-friendly and oh-so-beautiful answer to digital scrapbooking: Studio J, NOW is the time! This just over 7-minute tutorial gives you all the basics you need to make your first layout...and MORE! You'll LOVE it! Don't trust me? Well, trust 2 of my customers and friends, Jenny and Tricia who use Studio J and love it. By clicking on either of their names, you'll be transported to blog posts they have made showing off their personal Studio J layouts. AMAZING stuff, I tell you!

After watching the video, to try out Studio J just go to my website: http://leavealegacy.myctmh.com, click on "Studio J" and you're on your way to fast, easy and GORGEOUS Studio J layouts.

One last little Studio J teaser...here are two layouts I just did of my son, Easton on his 2-year LDS church mission (click on the photos to see them larger and in more detail. I LOVE the journaling on the first layout, it's straight from Easton's mouth!). I love Studio J!

Please call or email me (801.360.9896, pedermom@aol.com) with any questions. I'm here to help!

Blog Candy Winner and HUGE-A-MONGOUS SALE!

This is my 2nd post today. Be sure to check out the first one for all the GREAT April CTMH deals!

Before I announce the Blog Candy Winner, I had to share that there is a HUGE-A-MONGOUS sale going on right now on my website here. When you get there, just click "Shop Online" and then "While Supplies Last". Close To My Heart has bundled some paper packs, stickease, and accessories together and priced them at over 50% off, some much more than that. Once you get to the "While Supplies Last" page, you'll need to scroll down about half way to get to the bundles. Yowza, they are GREAT DEALS!

Remember, if you spend $100 (before shipping and tax) on my website during April, you'll not only get a Level 1 Kit of your choice FREE ($9.95 value), but you'll also get the April Stamp of the Month FREE ($22.95). That's about $33 worth of FREE stuff. That deserves another YOWZA!

Take the photo you see here, for example. This bundle includes the Passages Level 2 Paper Pack ($12.95 value), the Passages MyStickease Assortment ($4.95 value) and the Passages Marks ($3.95 value). This bundle's total value is $28.95 and is on sale while supplies last for $10.75. No foolin'!

Blog Candy Winner
Drum roll please...................and the blog candy winner is Cheryl Nelson, who said, "Fab tutorial! I learned that making these can be so easy, but they look like they would be complicated."

Cheryl, please email me (pedermom@aol.com) with your mailing address and I'll get your stamp set sent to you right away. Be sure to put "Blog Candy Winner" in your subject line. You're gonna LOVE this set!

Specials and Stamp of the Month for April with Close To My Heart

Don't forget I'm drawing for Blog Candy tonight at 7 pm (MST). You have until then to enter. Click here to find out how.



Boy, do I have A LOT to share today, folks...and that's no foolin'! As always, you can click on any image in this post to see it larger and in more detail.

In this post you'll see the following:

1. Information about the April Stamp of the Month: D1455-"Blessed" and artwork that I've made with it
   
2. Information about the wonderful April "Lovin' Level 1" Special
3. Information about the April "Let Your Studio J Layouts Shine" Special

Here we go..

1. The April Stamp of the Month looks like this (remember, the actual size of the carrier sheet is 6" x 6"):

I have made several cards with this set that are pictured at the beginning of this post and I will be featuring each of them individually throughout the month. I used the color combo of Chocolate, Cotton Candy, Pear and White Daisy on my cards. I'll share product lists for each of them as I feature them in posts throughout the month. Now, let me tell you how you can get this set at a discounted price...or even for FREE!

* earn it FREE when you spend $100 or more (before shipping and tax)
* earn it for 75% off ($5.74) when you spend $75 or more (before shipping and tax)
* earn it for 50% off ($11.74) when you spend $50 or more (before shipping and tax)
* earn it for 25% off ($17.21) when you spend $25 or more (before shipping and tax)
* purchase it for full retail price ($22.95)

You'll notice in #2 below that special hinges on spending $100 as well. When you spend $100 in April you not only get the Stamp of the Month ($22.95 value) FREE, but you also get a Level 1 Kit ($9.95 value) FREE. That is a total of $32.90 FREE when you spend $100 on my website in April. So what are you waiting for? Start shopping!

2. April's "Lovin' Level 1" Special: During April, when you place an order of $100 on my website, you’ll receive one My Reflections^® Level 1 kit ($9.95 value) of your choice FREE. Choose from several popular Level 1 kits. You’ll also qualify for a free April Stamp of the Month ($22.95 value) set! Now that’s a deal. Start shopping on my website here.

3. April's "Sparkle with Studio J" Special: This April, it’s time to let your Studio J^® layouts shine with this exclusive, members-only campaign! Studio J members get free bling when they buy 10 layouts this month. Bling it up and bling it on with FREE packages (one of each) self-adhesive Sparkles and Opaques Pearl gems! Click here to start with Studio J.

How's that for a fun-filled, jam-packed, truer-than-true, no foolin' post on April Fool's Day?

One More Bird Card

This is my 2nd post for today, so be sure to scroll down for the first post with 2 other cards that matchy-matchy this one (and supply lists), and information on how to win some blog candy. Off to make some dinner....

The Gift That Keeps On Giving, Workshop on the Go Stamp Sets

Be sure to check out yesterday's blog post for some blog candy! You have until 7 pm on Friday, August 1 to qualify.

Today I thought I'd share a couple of cards (first card shown is 6" x 6" and the second is 4 1/4" x 5 1/2") I made this week using the stamp sets from two of Close To My Heart's awesome Workshop on the Go kits. The bird stamp is from the Sophia Workshop on the Go and the damask background and sentiment are from the Wings Workshop on the Go. Some of you may mistakenly think that when you order the Workshop on the Go's, you use them and then you're done. Not so! The stamp set that comes with the Workshops on the Go is a gift that keeps on giving! In fact, I also used the cool spray pen that came in the Wings Workshop on the Go on these cards. Click on either card to see them larger and in more detail.

So, what are you waiting for? Go get one of your Workshop on the Go stamp sets out and create something new!

CTMH Products used on these cards: Wings Workshop on the Go Stamp Set, Spray Pen and Left-Over Paper, Sophia Workshop on the Go Stamp Set, Desert Sand Cardstock, Black Stamp Pad, Desert Sand Re-inker, Basic Buttons Assortment, Licorice Opaques, Heart Dimensional Elements, Big Pinks (currently on sale for 33% off!), Chocolate Waxy Flax, Round Sponge, Kraft Color Ready Borders, 2" Scallop Circle Punch, Water - to mix with re-inker in the spray pen (available from your own tap...lol).

To order these or other wonderful CTMH products, shop on my website...24/7! And, don't forget to order the $5 "Hope for Japan" stamp set while you're ordering (available now through April 30). 100% of profits go to the American Red Cross efforts in Japan. Oh, one last reminder, today is the last day to get the March Stamp of the Month too!

3D Stamped Flower Video with Close To My Heart & BLOG CANDY!

I have a GREAT little video tutorial (less than 4 minutes long!) to share with you today on how to make stamped 3D flowers with a really fun Close To My Heart stamp set called "Spring Up" (B1365). Keep reading until the end of this post to find out about the blog candy I'm offering today.

Just as a little reminder, I do have a music play list on my blog. Because I have been posting video tutorials quite often lately I have considered taking the music off but, after emailing several of my regular readers the consensus seems to be that you like my play list and don't want it removed. I'm glad you enjoy the music I love so much! So here is how to watch this video without having to listen to it and the play list at the same time:

1. Scroll to the very bottom of my blog until you see the play list
2. Click on the pause button. It's in the top left corner area and looks kind of like this: II
3. Scroll back up to the video and push the play button (arrow).
4. Enjoy the video!
5. When you're done, if you want the play list back on, just scroll back down and click the play arrow on that.

BLOG CANDY ANNOUNCEMENT: Comment on this post and tell me something cool you learned or noticed in the video. Deadline: you must comment no later than Friday, April 1 at 7 pm MST. I will draw a name from those comments and the winner will receive this stamp set sent to their home, FREE from me as your prize! I will announce the winner on Friday night at 8 pm my time. Be watching!

Here's a little photo of the stamp set and finished card you see on the video. You can click on the photo to see it larger and in more detail. If you are the winner of the stamp set (see "BLOG CANDY ANNOUNCEMENT" above) you can just come back to this post and copy this darling card! Stamp-lifting rocks, baby!

Close To My Heart products used in this video: Spring Up Stamp Set, Colonial White Cardstock, Blush Stamp Pad, Micro-tip Scissors, Memory Glue Dots.

To order these, or any other wonderful CTMH products, just click here and then 'shop online' and go to town....24/7!