Thinking outside the box

I have to start this post off by showing you the Stamp of the Month for this month so you know where this started from...

Last night a fellow consultant (thank you Dominique) posted this picture where she was trying to turn the owl stamp into a raccoon but felt something just wasn't quite right..

Me being the kind of person I am, saw this as a challenge.
I decided to do what I do with all things that don't quite look right... I immediately turned it upside down. It's a strange trick for your brain to be forced to see it differently.

I then of course had to immediately go draw all over it with the drawing program in my phone. (Oh did I mention it was almost midnight and I was in bed but couldn't sleep? LOL)

Here's what I came up with...

What do you think? 

I also want to show you the owl could also be a sock monkey... Check out Dominique's post about that here


With a minimum qualifying purchase, get your D-size Stamp of the Month set for a discounted price! Add the stamp set to your cart on this page at full retail price or, with your qualifying order, add it at checkout for the promotional price.

Sketch 17

Today's card is SUPER simple since I had a much more elaborate card made but in the process of plugging in the camera to charge so I could take the picture I knocked my water over onto my card. I did not have time to re do the elaborate version for you so I did up this quick little 3x3 note card using Sketch 17 from Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge.

This card uses cocoa ink on desert sand cardstock and this months Stamp Of The Month which is FREE with any purchase over $50 this month.

Please go check out all the other great creations by our design team using this weeks sketch HERE.

Sweet Life Blog Hop

Welcome to our July Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! This month's stamp from Close to My Heart is "Sweet Life" and is available exclusively through your Close to My Heart consultant from July 1 - 31, 2013. You can purchase this stamp set for only $5 with a qualifying purchase. 

 If you have just hopped onto myblog, please start at the beginning at Lucy's blog – Love 2 Create. If you came from Lucy's blog – Love 2 Create then you are in the right place!

My card today uses the peaches and one of the sentiments from this set. I used colonial white as my card base and for my layers and coloured my images using buttercup, sorbet and sweet leaf alcohol markers as well as a chocolate brown marker from the old style since that's what I had. I used Buzz & Bumble B&T and I inked the edges of everything except the card base with Goldrush ink.

I am very happy with how this card turned out. What do you think?

You can see another card I made using this stamp set that I posted the other day HERE.

Your next stop on our "Sweet Life" hop is Theo of Celebrate Crafts.

Products Used:

Here is the entire line up in case you get lost along the way. :)

1. Lucy ~ Love 2 Create  
2. Darla ~ Caution: Crafting is Contagious 
3. Theo ~ Celebrate Crafts 
4. Jennifer ~ 4 Hearts Scrapbooking 
5. Mary Ellen ~ Cr8ive ME 
6. Cat ~ Catscrapbooking 
7. Rebecca - Show Me Scrapping   
8. Heather - Paper Crafter Anonymous 

 Thanks for hopping along with us - we hope we were able to inspire you.

My take on Sketch # 11

I have 2 cards for your today.

The first is my own take on this weeks sketch. I just can't help myself, no matter what when I see horizontal stripes I think sky line.

This card uses the watercolour pencils to colour a white daisy cardstock panel with the July Stamp Of The Month (available for just $5 with any purchase of $50 or more). I LOVE this stamp set! I then mounted this piece on a kraft cardstock base.


This second card I want to share with you today is NOT my design but that of CTMH corporate team. This card was made at convention this year (soooooo much fun by the way) and as soon as I saw it I started to chuckle to myself because unbeknownst to the card designer they had followed this weeks sketch. I guess the designer and Michelle has similar thoughts without knowing it considering we have had the sketches up and available for our design team to work with for more than a month ahead of time (might have even been two months but can't remember when I uploaded this one).

Design by Close To My Heart corporate staff

This card uses a new paper pack coming out August 1st with the release of the Autumn/Winter 2013 idea book.

Now make sure you head on over to the Atlantic Hearts Challenge blog HERE to see the rest of the design team creations for this week and the top 3 from last week.

You can see this weeks sketch and the entries so far HERE.


Products Used:

Exciting news!

Okay, I don't want to distract you too much and have you miss out on any retiring products.. so before I begin here's you reminder:

Don't forget with a new idea book coming out August 1st there will be lots of products retiring! If you had your eye on something and haven't ordered it yet do it before it's gone! If you want to know if the items you're looking at are retiring or not contact me with your list and I will let you know. :)

You can order by contacting me or through my website HERE. Make sure you join my open gathering and I will send you a little goody as well.

okay.. warning over.. now onto my exciting news!

Have you heard the news? No?

Close To My Heart has introduced a new cricut cartridge bundle that will be available for customers August 1st!

Bundled with 3 sheets of colour ready dimensional elements and 3 D size stamp sets!

There are page lace overlays (would make a great card front as well), scrapbook layouts already thought out for you just set your dial size to 11" cut assemble and add photos (of course you could also switch them up from the predesigned layout and use them for MANY more different ones as well), mini albums, titles, card fronts, envelopes, file folders, a complete font and much much more!

I am of course offering a special for you! 

Order the all new Artbooking cartridge through me and receive 2 FREE cricut blades (your choice of regular or deep cut), a copy of the new idea book and a small stamp set as a token of my appreciation. You will also qualify for the stamp of the month and any current promotion that may be going on as well.

Also, if you are local and order before July 20 I will have it waiting here for you to pick up on August 1st.

Of course you can always get it before August 1st by joining my team for just $49 and receive over $155 worth of stuff (see the kit HERE), get a minimum of 22% discount on all of your CTMH purchases, enjoy consultant perks (like convention, album retreats, bulk items, great training videos, product videos and more)  and preorder new products before the book goes live. As a member of my team you will also get my personal email, home phone and cell phone number to reach me any time you need to and the benefit of my team facebook page where you can ask any question you like, share ideas, get ideas and more. I do team member only videos if I think it will help to see something visual instead of just a verbal answer and more. Pretty good value for just $49 right?! 

I know some of you are now thinking... 

The last 2 cartridges were fabulous but how could they possibly have come out with a third that I "need:?

The answer... take a look for yourself! Check out the photos below and/or the PDF file of the complete handbook HERE and the pictures of the stamp sets below as well:

Oh, did I mention that Close To My Heart will be offering a 32 week video class using this cartridge absolutely FREE??? That's right, 32 episodes packed with information, instruction and ideas using this cartridge! It will start in September and run right through until April!Of course they'll be available to watch any time you wish after that as well.