Tuesday, May 31, 2011

June Stamp of the Month: Jubilation

It's Blog Hop time!

Welcome to the June Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! This month we have over 50 talented consultants sharing their creativity. If you've arrived here from Carla's blog, you're on the right track. If this is your first stop, simply follow the links found within each blog post to get to the next blog until you arrive back here. By the time you're done, you're sure to be filled with inspiration!

The July Stamp of the Month, Jubilation, truly is a stamp set for all seasons! With an image and/or a sentiment for just about every holiday and season, this set of 24 stamps is one of the most versatile stamp of the month sets we've offered in a while!


The card below uses the new Fanfare paper packet and two of the stamps from the Jubilation set. The featured colors are Sunny Yellow, Pacifica, Sky and Cranberry.
The "Celebrate" sentiment is given a little bling with a few Bitty Sparkles and a little dimension with 3-D Foam Tape.

Remember, the Jubilation set is only available through the month of June. Visit my website to see how you can get your set at a great discount or even FREE!

Time to hop along and see what the amazing Jen Rubio has created to inspire us all!

Monday, May 30, 2011

Ooops!

If you visited my blog earlier this evening you might have gotten a sneak peek at my post for the June SOTM Blog Hop! In my eagerness to pre-schedule my post, I put the incorrect date - Ooops!

Since my fellow "hoppers" are not ready to go until tomorrow night, Tuesday, May 31st, I have removed mine. It will repost tomorrow night and all the links should work as usual!

Hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day making memories and remembering those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Studio J: Let Me Show You How!


By now, you've heard me talk about Studio J, the new online scrapbooking program from Close to My Heart! Earlier this month, I was one of just 42 consultants who attended the first ever, Studio J Boot Camp. During this amazing two-day event we were guided through the creation of 10 GORGEOUS two-page layouts using a variety of advanced techniques. I was awed and amazed that the things this program can do and simply cannot wait to share it all with you!

I am currently scheduling FREE Personal Studio J Consultations in your home or mine. Let me show you how you can create real scrapbook pages in a matter of minutes...Let me show you how Studio J makes it easy to scrapbook your memories anywhere you have a computer and an internet connection...Let me show you how you can keep with up-to-date with your scrapbooks with Studio J!!

During your FREE 30-minute Studio J Consultation, we will use your photos to create TWO gorgeous layouts in Studio J. That's right! TWO scrapbook layouts in just 30 minutes! There is absolutely no cost to you and you have no obligation to purchase the layouts we create during your consultation.

And...the first 10 people who schedule a Personal Studio J Consultation between now and June 30th will be entered into a drawing to win 5 FREE Studio J layouts (a $55 value)- just for letting me show you a little about this amazing program!

Take a look HERE at some of the layouts I've created using Studio J and then call or email me to set up your Personal Studio J Consultation today!

Friday, May 13, 2011

More Clearance Items & an Invitation

Good news! More clearance items were added to my website earlier this week! Head on over there now to find some of our most popular embellishments at low, low prices - as low as $1.50!

Click HERE to check it out!

And now for the invitation...

You are invited to join my CTMH Facebook page where you will get the latest and greatest info from CTMH, artwork, inspiration, tips & techniques, contests, give-aways and more!

Click here to visit my new page and be sure to click on the "Like" button at the top, so you can add the posts to your news feed.

Earlier today, I kicked off the first give-away...a fun Refer-and-Win contest, so "Like" my page today, invite your friends and have a chance to win great prizes!

Teacher Appreciation: Pencil Bouquet

Earlier this week I shared the 100 Grand bars we made for our teachers and staff for Teacher Appreciation Week. On Wednesday, all of the students were asked to bring in some sort of school supply for the classroom. I found the idea for these cute little pencil bouquets online and thought they were so fun!


To create your own pencil bouquet, simply follow these steps:
1. Gather 20 - 50 sharpened pencils in your hand to form a round bunch making sure the eraser ends are all even to make a flat bottom.
2. Hold them tightly together while a friend secures them with wire (this is the trick to the whole thing - the wire needs to be tight enough to hold them pencils together or the middle ones will slip out)
2. Add ribbon and a gift tag with a cute note!

I hope my kids' teachers liked them!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Join CTMH for $65!

Yes, you read that right! During the month of May only, you can become a Close to My Heart Consultant, and begin enjoying all the benefits our amazing company has to offer, for only $65 - that's 50% off the regular price - and the BEST deal I've seen in my 7 years as a CTMH consultant!

If you have EVER considered becoming a Close to My Heart Consultant or if you'd simply love to earn a generous discount on your favorite stamping and scrapbooking products, NOW is the time to do act!

So...you might be wondering what you get for that $65. Would you believe me if I told you, your $65 will get you almost $300 in CTMH product and basic business supplies? That's right, our New Consultant kit is better than ever, and YOU get to choose what your kit includes.

For just $65 you will receive all the necessary business supplies (Idea books, etc.) as well as any 3 of the following Choose Me Bundles:

Choose Me 2: Studio J Membership (disregard the price on the photo below...by now we know the price is MUCH less this month).
Think you'll NEVER get caught up scrapbooking your photos? Then Studio J is the answer for you. With this Choose Me bundle, you will receive a 1 year Studio J membership with all the benefits that members enjoy. Click HERE to see more about the benefits of Studio J Membership! Retail Value: $99

Choose Me 3: Mayberry Scrapbooking & Stamping Bundle
The lively paper, sunny ink colors and cheery stamp sets in this collection will make your heart sing and your artwork shine! Retail Value: $66.85

Choose Me 4: Lucky Scrapbooking & Stamping Bundle
Cardmakers and scrapbookers alike will cherish this collection of vintage-themed products and versatile tools. Retail Value: $78.55

Choose Me 5: Album & Stamp Bundle
Beauty meets practicality with this collection of two types of albums, ink, stamps and a block. Retail Value: $73.60

Choose Me 6: Stamper's Dream
Get ready to create to your heart's content with three adorable stamp sets, two beautiful ink pads, and supplies to clean and maintain them. Retail Value: $75.05

In case you didn't notice, the cost of the kit this month, at just $65, is LESS than the retail value of any ONE of those amazing bundles...and when you sign up, you get to choose THREE of them! It doesn't get much better than this...but, oh it does!!!!

In addition to the amazing deal on the New Consultant Kit, when you sign up in May, you will ALSO receive the You & Me kit, our special for National Scrapbooking Month, absolutely FREE!!!

Isn't this all a GREAT deal!?!? Still have questions, or simply not sure which bundles to choose? Give me a call or send me an email and I will be happy to meet with you or talk over the phone to answer any questions you might have.

Ready to take the plunge and become a part of this incredible company that offers so much more than just great, innovative products. Head on over to my CTMH website and sign up today!

I look forward to welcoming some of you to our team soon!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Teacher Appreciation: U R Priceless!

We are celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week at my kids' school this week! In addition to the students bringing in small gifts each day for their teachers, our PTC does our best to show the teachers and staff just how much we appreciate all their hard work to enrich and enhance the lives of our children.

Today, we gave each staff member a small treat...a 100 Grand bar! However, we all agreed that 100 Grand simply wasn't enough for those who give so much of their time and their hearts, so we added the tag that reads "U R Priceless".

These little candy bar wrappers were simple to whip up - and fun too!

Simply cut your desired paper to fit the specific candy bar you are using (be sure to allow a little overlap for adhesive). These wrappers used B&T papers that were cut to 6 1/2" x 4". I scored one long side of the B&T at 1/4" and folded the other edge to meet the score line. The 1 1/4" circle punch was perfect for punching the notch out of the top (be sure to do this before adhering the sides together unless you want the front and back notched out). Next, I added adhesive to the 1/4" flap and along the inside bottom edge and folded the wrapper to adhere. My paper crimper was getting a little lonely after sitting in the same spot for probably the last 6 years, so I pulled it out and gave it a workout - I'm not sure it shows so well in the picture, but I crimped the bottom inch or so of the wrapper. Add the candy bar, embellish as desired, and the basic wrapper is complete!

It is our hopes that during Teacher Appreciation Week, we make our teachers feel like 100 Grand, but we all know they truly are PRICELESS!

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you amazing mom's out there! We have a busy weekend celebrating our own mom's this weekend - dinner with Mike's family tonight (a delicious strawberry cake made with FRESH strawberries is done and ready to go) and brunch in Pasadena with my mom tomorrow - but I wanted to take a moment to share with you one of the Studio J layouts I created at Boot Camp this week!

This layout features photos taken last Mother's Day when my sweet hubby and children treated me to brunch at the Queen Mary!
Do you recognize the "paper" kit used in this layout? No? It's my all time favorite, SOPHIA! A few of the more advanced techniques used in creating this layout include:
1. Changing the color of the B&T - that cute polka dot is Pear and White Daisy in the classic line...in Studio J, I can make that polka dot any color I'd like!
2. Changing the color of the cardstock - Did you know that you can use ANY of our 60 exclusive colors with ANY kit? That's right, Chocolate isn't a featured color in the classic Sophia line, but through the magic of Studio J, I can add it to my layout!
3. Layering My Stickease - using the "send to back" layering My Stickease, text boxes and more is a snap in Studio J!



Want to learn more about Studio J? Call or email me to set up your personal one-on-one Studio J session...all you need is 5 to 10 photos of two different events, an internet enabled computer and 30 minutes...with that I will help you create you first two Studio J layouts!

Or simply head on over to my website to check out Studio J for yourself - it is absolutely FREE to try!

Monday, May 2, 2011

Shipping Out!

ATTEN HUT! My ruck sack is packed and I'm shipping out today to Boot Camp!!

No, not military boot camp...Studio J Boot Camp in Salt Lake City! I am so excited to be one of 40 Close to My Heart Consultants attending this 2-day training workshop to learn in-depth and advanced techniques for Studio J, our amazing online scrapbooking program. Of course, I'm even more excited to come home and share these techniques and everything I learn with YOU! Watch for info on Studio J events coming soon!

In the meantime, check out this video from CTMH demonstrating how easy it is to truly let your creativity soar and make your layouts your own unique creations - and then head over to my website and check out Studio J for yourself!