CTMH Blog Hop!

Welcome to the Close To My Heart Blog hop. Over 40 CTMH consultants are celebrating the release of the Summer Idea Book by sharing their amazing creations using the new product via their blogs. Just click on the link at the end of each post to hop to the next blog. If you have come here from Jen's blog, you are on the right path. If you did not come from Jen's the blog hop starts at Erin's blog. There is a complete list at the bottom of this post.


I used the new Animal Cookies paper pack for this layout. This paper is adorable and so versatile.



This layout is based on a layout in Imagine called Medley on page 34.

List of supplies used:

Animal Cookies Level 2 Paper Pack X7112B

Animal Cookies Level 2 Stickease X7112C

Sweet Baby Stamp Set C1359

Tulip Stamp Pad Z2116

White Daisy Pigment Ink Z2163

Summer Carnival B rad Assortment Z296

Dimensional Elements Simple Alphabet lowercase Z1048

Liquid Glass Z679

I random stamped the tulip cardstock with stamps from the Sweet Baby set in Tulip Ink to give the cardstock just a little umph. I cut "Let's get" on my cricut using the Opposites Attract cartridge. Then I covered the letters in liquid glass and then applied glitter to them. I also did that on the chipboard letters "wild." I also heat embossed the date and polka dots with white embossing powder to make it stand out a little more. The date stamp was from the January stamp of the month. The rhinestone frame is from our Connections club rewards. Ask me how you can earn a set of the rhinestone frames.







This next layout also uses the Animal Cookies paper.



This layout is based on the layout in Imagine on page 66 called Memoirs Complete.

List of supplies used:

Animal Cookies Level 2 Paper Pack X7112B

Animal Cookies Level 2 Stickease X7112C

Craft Buttons Summer Collection Z1282

Summer Collection Bigger Brads Z296

Tiny Typewriter stamp D1222

White embossing powder Z673

Liquid glass Z679

The word "the" in the title was made with chipboard circles covered with the Animal Cookies paper. I then stamped the letters with the Tiny Typewriter Alphabet stamp and then heat embossed the letters with white embossing powder. Then to get the epoxy look, I covered the circles with liquid glass and let it dry. The words zoo crew were cut with my cricut using the Zoobaloo cartridge and were also covered with liquid glass.








The next stop on your blog hop is Amy Edwards blog at http://www.paisleysplayhouse.blogspot.com

If you got lost in the hop, the complete list of blogs is as follows:
Erin Herring http://www.tazzygirl2000.blogspot.com/

Penny Doucette http://scrappinpenny.blogspot.com/

Kathleen Rensel http://scrapbookaddictkath.blogspot.com/

Jessica Moore http://www.jessicaspaperpetals.blogspot.com/

Colleen Porter http://www.inkemup.blogspot.com/

Sherry Thompson http://www.picturespatternsandpaper.blogspot.com/

Jen Patrick http://www.roxybonds-scrappin.blogspot.com/

Corey Acton http://scrappytimeswithcorey.blogspot.com/

Amy Edwards http://www.paisleysplayhouse.blogspot.com/

Amy Schultz http://www.amylizschultz.blogspot.com/

Tresa Black http://www.fabulouslyartsy.blogspot.com/

Leslie Kolic http://www.leannesscraps.blogspot.com/

Rebecca Garrison http://www.stampingwithbekah.blogspot.com/

Miranda Kurz http://www.scrampinwithmiranda.com/

Terrie Dodd http://my-life-in-real-time.blogspot.com/

Traci Tanimura http://www.creativetraci.blogspot.com/

Debora Mcelhany http://www.mcdoodlesscrappinplace.blogspot.com/

Katie Paterson http://katiepaterson.blogspot.com/

Michelle Robinson http://amaizenbluelady.typepad.com/

Lori Scott http://scrapinglori.blogspot.com/

Amberlyn Gentry http://amberlyng.blogspot.com/

Wendy Kessler http://www.myscrapbookingblog.com/

Meredith Burgess http://www.meredithsscrappylife.blogspot.com/

Vicky Sullivan http://www.sullyscrapandstamp.blogspot.com/

Caren Goldstein http://www.scrappycaren.blogspot.com/

Jena Devries http://www.livelovelaughscrapbook.blogspot.com/

Kami Welter http://www.scrappin4memories.blogspot.com/

Traci Godbee http://createwithtraci.blogspot.com/

Julie Banzon http://www.scrapbookiejulie.blogspot.com/

Laurel Seabrook http://www.want2scrap.blogspot.com/

Alisan Smith http://scrappinalistamps.blogspot.com/

Haley Dyer http://www.inkyscrapper.blogspot.com/

Dawn Heuft http://www.stamptildawn.blogspot.com/

Ali Creel http://www.scrapali.blogspot.com/

Helen Onulak http://www.hookedonstamping.com/

Jean McNulty http://stampinmaui.blogspot.com/

Aaron Brown http://aaronsbooth32.blogspot.com/

Shannon http://www.rockinstamps.blogspot.com/

Julie Lane http://raggedydoodles.blogspot.com/

Carrie Zrodlowski http://carriesinspiration.blogspot.com/

Card using the May Stamp of the Month

Once again these cards were inspired by some of the other very talented CTMH consultants. I was not a big fan of this stamp set when I first saw it, but then I started seeing some of the great artwork done by other consultants and saw it's potential. These cards were doing using the Perfect Day paper from CTMH.

April Stamp of the Month artwork

This card was inspired by someone on the CTMH bb. I don't remember who it was, but I'm so thankful that there are so many talented consultants who share their work. I am not a cardmaker, so making cards is always a challenge for me. This card was made using the Originals book-Background Blocks and Free Spirit paper from CTMH.

Scissor challenged!

I had about 24 hours to myself this weekend. Pure Bliss! I had a Saturday to myself a few weekends ago and used that time to order pictures and kind of figure out how I wanted to scrap them. I received the pics the other day and all my new goodies from the CTMH Summer catalog. I was ready to go with pics from our Colorado vacation last year-was going to use the new Back Country paper for that. But, the trip to the zoo on Wednesday and the new Animal Cookie paper was calling to me. So, what did I do? I printed off pics of our trip to the zoo and scrapped them. I started on Friday night and finished the layouts today. I tried several different, fairly new to me, techniques. We spent about 4- 5 hours at the zoo and I spent much more time scrapping the layouts. Oh well. Why can't I just do some simple layouts sometimes, or work faster, or debate with myself less? They did turn out cute and I'll post pics tomorrow or Monday. I also stayed up way too late last night and then John called me at 8 am to inform me of his plans for the day. Gee thanks honey! I was good and awake then, so I figured I might as well head for my scrap room. After I finished up the zoo layouts I started trying to figure out a card to do for the gathering at Brenda's next week. I'm doing a mini workshop and we're doing a 2 page layout, a criss cross card, and a swinger card. I saw an adorable card on the CTMH bb that used the stamp set in the Tickled Pink set. I thought I could use that for inspiration and do my swinger card with that set. But, I forgot one key thing. I am scissor challenged. I see all this fabulous art that people have done where they cut out their stamped images, but they must have more patience than I do, and be more skilled with scissors. When I try to cut out images, it looks like the work of a first grader. Guess I'll keep working on that little skill. Well, my alone time bliss is over and I'm typing this while Caleb is in the bath. He's starting to get restless so I'll sign off for now and hopefully post some pics tomorrow.

A funk!

I've kind of been in a funk the last week or so. I'm not sure exactly what's wrong. I'm just in a funk, I guess. I just finished a 9 week study on Esther by Beth Moore. It was a fabulous study and I learned a lot. I had done a study by her in the past and HATED IT! I think it was just the wrong study for me with the wrong people. I've avoided Beth Moore studies since then, but I was really glad I finally talked myself into doing another. John and I are still trying to find a church closer to our house, and still haven't really found one. However, I saw that the Sunday School class that we liked at FBC Waxahachie was doing a parenting study. We decided to go to that for the 6 weeks of the study. I've been a little disappointed in it. I thought it was going to be an indepth parenting study, but there is little homework and it is mainly just a video and a discussion every Sunday. It's not bad, just not as in depth as I had hoped. I'm really struggling with parenting right now. I naively assumed that once you had children you were somehow enlightened on how to do everything. I've discovered that that just isn't so-maybe that's where the funk is coming from. I've read several books on discipline already and am still struggling. It's just so hard to know what to do in every situation. I have certainly discovered that my 2 year old definitely has a mind of his own. He's digging in the sandbox right now, and thankfully leaving me to my ramblings. I'm sure the funk will pass in a day or two and I'll go back to the drawing board with all of my frustrations.

On another note, I'm trying to build my CTMH business again. Since the scrapbook retreat isn't going to happen for a while, I thought I'd try to get some stuff going with CTMH. Our Summer catalog comes out May1st. Consultants get to order a month early and I am loving a lot of the stuff in the new catalog. I've already placed an order and hopefully will get it next week. I just need some time to scrap and I'll be set. If you know anyone in the Dallas area or in the Wichita Falls area that would be interested in having a gathering, have them contact me. I'd love to show you and your friends all the great products that CTMH has. Here is a sneak peak at some of the new papers and stamps that are coming out in the Summer book:
Animal Cookies

Backcountry

Bella

Blog Candy on Sonia Kertznus's blog

I've followed Sonia's work on the Cricut messageboard for quite some time. Go check out her blog and register to win her blog candy. She will draw a winner on April 1st.
http://www.scraps4fun.com/2009/03/blog-candy.html?showComment=1238172720000#c1801482930540701230

Scrapping is cheaper than therapy

To help me get through the disappointments of the last week, I've been on a creating kick this weekend. I have been itching to work on our Disney album from last year, so last weekend I sat down with my 3 favorite sketch books: Reflections, Imagine, and Cherish and went through my pictures and planned out some of the layouts I wanted to do. I picked out a sketch for each set of pics that I wanted to scrap and then ordered the pics I would need. That process makes it so much easier to create when you sit down to scrap. This layout is from our almost perfect day at Disney World at the Magic Kingdom. Everything went well that day. We didn't have to wait in any long lines, the weather was nice, and we just had a great day. We left for a bit in the afternoon for Caleb to nap and then went back to eat dinner, watch the Spectro Magic parade, and watch the fireworks. The fireworks were amazing and I just stood there in awe thinking what a magical day it had been. The layout is done with CTMH's Daydream paper pack and stickers. All the embellies on the page are also from CTMH. The sketches for this layout came from Reflections.