November SOTM Blog Hop!

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!  We will be featuring November's SOTM, which is called Capture the Date, a versatile set of 72 stamps including four fonts of numbers!  If you have come here from DOREEN'S BLOG, you are on the right path!

This month we have dozens of Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this fab SOTM (and other great CTMH products) on their blogs. Hopping is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

This month I created a Gratitude Journal. I created a background stamp using numbers from all four fonts of numbers from the set. I also stamped an Art Philosophy Banner Tag to create my title embellishment, combining the SOTM and A Typeface.

To stamp the background I did some creative inking, swiping the stamp I created across my Whisper pad in a side to side motion to add some texture to the numbers for a distressed look. I also added some fine point marker dots and lettering for more of a smash book feel, since I'll just be journaling and occasionally adding a photo or piece of memorabilia to this now adorable little dollar store book.

I also cut some tabs on Art Philosophy, which I stamped with the Whisper/swiped number background I made and with the month names in colors that coordinate with the pre-printed stripe running down the binding of the book. I did a lazy book cover, leaving that last 1/2" of stripe from the printed cover showing, then covering the insides with Stella B&T. Waaaaay easier than disassembling the book and reassembling!

Now "Hop" on over to MICHELLE'S BLOG to see more crafty awesomeness! Be sure to visit all the Consultants Blogs to soak in the great crafting and SOTM ideas. Remember, this SOTM is only available until the end of November, and CTMH is offering a 50% off stamp set of your choice with your SOTm purchase this month. Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this sweet special!

Here are some more projects I have made using this Stamp of the Month...

Happy Birthday Cupcake Card

Life...Make it count card

And it's not too late to check out my Friday Favorite Things for this week! See ya Friday for the winner. Happy Hopping!

Holiday Auction Wreath

Here's the first of two classes I'm auctioning at my son's preschool Auction next week. Since I wasn't sure if the folks attending would be paper crafters, I chose some Holiday decor items that I hope will be a big hit! Instead of just making items, I'm auctioning crafty class experiences. Please cross your fingers for me that my auction items sell. I've never done one before, so I'm feeling a little nervous!

The first is a wreath made from ornaments, like dozens pinned to Pinterest by crafty wiz kids! It was amazingly easy to assemble, once I remembered how to load my hot glue gun. I chose a neutral color scheme, just golds and silvers, but I think I'm going to make another in reds and greens too! 

Of course, it wouldn't be my project without SOME papercraft, so I topped it off with a shiny wired ribbon and a big paper pointsettia. I kept this very simple to assemble - just multiple layers of an Art Philosophy flower that I embossed with my fav Swiss Dots embossing folder and adhered together with layers of 3-D Foam tape. I shaped each petal with a bit of bending and edged with with Almond Glitter Glitz. The Gold flourish came from the ornament hanging threads that came in each tube of the ornaments glued to the wreath, and I added a bit of bling...Rhinestone Designer brad, plus some Sparkles and dots of glitz. 

I'm linking this up to the Heart 2 Heart Keeping it Neutral Challenge. Check back here tomorrow for the SOTM Blog Hop. Stay safe, and Happy Halloween!

Card Challenge Catch-up!

So I was a busy little beaver at this weekend's crop...but I did not get my posts lined up (read...written at all) for you, hence the combo posts this week! Don't forget to check out this week's Friday Favorite Things Giveaway. Today I've got two cards for you, because I've got to clear the decks before we  load up the SOTM Blog Hop for Wednesday (unless Sandy takes down the hop...crossing my fingers and thinking good thoughts for everyone back east!). 

Anyhooooo, I found a fun new (at least, to me) blog called CAS(E) this Sketch, with adorable sketches and a love of parenthesis (which I've been told that I over use, but to each her own, dudes!). You have to go out and see the fab artwork there - that Monkey card by Therese gives me card envy. And there are dozens more adorable cards from this interesting sketch!

I used the November SOTM to stamp my background in Spring Iris ink onto coordinating CS. I colored my favorite little cuppie from Pun Fun with Sorbet and Sweet Leaf Markers, topping her off with a smattering of the new Pink Glitz Gel. My sentiment fit just perfectly into a 2 inch circle window, and the black just pops against the happy springy colors. I got my color combo inspiration the uber-clever gals over at Color Throwdown. I added the dotty border with a My Legacy Writer fine tipped journaling marker and my Piercing Ruler - I can just fit the .05 tip pen into the piercing holes! The inside reads, "...not your age!" I should so add that "Tee-Hee" stamp there!

I'm linking this card up to the Heart 2 Heart Challenges Birthday by the Numbers Challenge.

Next up is a sweet Holiday/Winter card based on a sketch from one of my favs, Retro Sketches. I used Kraft CS for the trees that I cut on my Cricut Artise Cartridge, inspired by the CAS-Fridays Kraft On Challenge. 

I embossed the background with my Swiss Dots cuttlebug folder, then tore a strip of White CS to crate my Snowy hill. I added Stardust Glitter Glitz to the tree branches, and a little pop of Red across the bottom with my Baker's Twine. Who's ready for some snow? OK, maybe not quite yet!

Thanks for stopping by, and hope to see you back on Wednesday for The SOTM Blog Hop!

Top Ten Firsts

Stasha over at Northwest Mommy wants a list of 10 "firsts"...and what Stasha wants...just kidding! I think this is a fascinating Listicle, and can't wait to get out there and read what ya'll write. Here's mine...

Top Ten Firsts as found in My Scrappy Life

1. First Love - My hubby was my first real love. We met in college in October in our dorm. He played my violin in the hallway. Smoooooooth.

2. First Date - We saw "Far and Away". In our defense, it was free and showing on campus. I may never scrap this...let's just keep this between you and me, ok? 

3. First Cruise - These pics are from my first (and only) Cruise to the Caribbean, which I earned through CTMH in 2005. I did not know I was a cruise person...but it was an-oh-so-lovely experience! Someday we'll do it again...

4. First Publication - That Layout above is one of 2 that was published in the CTMH catalog, my first time getting artwork published. At the risk of sounding repetitive, someday I'll do that again...

5. First Time Teaching at Extravaganza - making out own flip flaps before flip flaps were cool, man.

6. First Baby - that's my tiny little munchkin Gabe in a little 6x6 quickie scrapbook page. Monogram Solos had just come out. He was 6 pounds 2 ounces - so tiny!

7. First Layout of Ben - second baby, first love all over again!

8. First Blog Post - Uploaded on October 14, 2009. Cute boys, snow, and glitter. I can't believe I've been blogging for three years! 

9. First Layout of Max - Third baby gets Studio J digital scrapping. I get a nap.

10. First Project Feature - This one was a Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger pick, my first big blog woo hoo! I just about jumped out of my chair when I got the notice...and it only took me another 5 months to figure out how to upload the blog badge for it. 

And just 'cause I wanted too, here's one of my favorite more recent pages with lots of pics of my three favorite little guys. Thanks for taking a trip down scrappy memory lane with me! Don't forget to comment if you decide to play along on Monday Listicles (and you should!).  I'd love to read your list too!

Jamberry, I {heart} You!

As an avid crafter, I pretty much usually just don't bother with nails. Manicures barely last me until I reach the door of the salon, never mind through a club meeting or Saturday crop. Even and a certified chemical avoiding organic real foodie, I love getting a nice Shellac manicure right before I travel, when there's a chance I won't stain it with reinker or somehow embed glitter into it. But the cost adds up, especially when I don't usually get that much wear out of it before I accidentally sand part of it off...or apply pearl paint to it... 

Enter Jamberry nails! I met these beauties this summer, and I loved them so much that I'm actually having a party. And I NEVER have a party. I am the girl who goes to everyone else's party or teach at home gatherings. I do not host parties. Until now. 

My Jamberries lasted two full weeks. And not two weeks of travel, but two weeks right after convention, up to my elbows in new products, submerged in a sink full of reinker tinted water for 40 minutes. Why didn't I take a real picture of them? All I have is this one that I had cropped my fingers out of previously. It's got a weird glare on it too...sigh. I loved having black and white damask nails for two whole weeks, and people literally stopped me in the grocery store to say, "I love your nails!" Me! The girl who usually looks like she has been dyed four colors on my fingertips got complimented on my nails. 

So when I ordered originally I did not read the online catalog very closely. I just ordered up some cute pink polka dot/damask combo nails...which turned out to be Juniors, or for kiddos. Did I read the packaging when it arrived? Nope! I busted them open and spent quite a few minutes pondering if it is possible that I actually have Man hands, since only a couple of the shields actually fit my thumbs at all, and at least half the package did not fit me at all. Turns out I just don't have little kid hands!

I thought these were super easy to apply, and there's a video to watch instead of having to read the instructions. If you want to try them out, they are having buy 3 get one free, and my online party closes on October 31st. There are over 250 designs/styles, which are heat/pressure activated for application. They are chemical free, made in the USA, and require no drying time. They are safe for natural and acrylic nails. 

You can see more at www.instyle.jamberrynails.com which is also where you can order and select my party (Wendy Coffman) at checkout. Since we're partying online, your order will ship right to you! Mostly I just love that in a week or so I'll be having some really fab Christmas nails...blingy fingers, here I come!

Stamp Cards in a Hurry!

So the good news is that my shoulder finally feels like I'm healing from my (possible) disc herniation flare up. Woo hoo! The bad news is that I only started feeling more like my old self this morning. So I have been a stamping slacker lately...right up to the last minute prep I did for my team meeting on Monday... At 7 p.m. ... which I started at, oh, say 6 p.m. And I owed my fabulous team not only a meeting project, but a swap card. Can you say "Ack!"

I think I did alright though, for someone who isn't exactly known for whipping out simple but adorable cards in a timely fashion. CAS is not my go-to strength, if you know what I mean! This adorable Christmas card was my swap card. I used the new Merry and Bright stamp set plus the December SOTM, along with that awesome Retro Sketches sketch for this week. I knew when I saw it that sketch was gonna be a fav for me! How much do you love that BLING gemstone? 

I'm linking this card to the Heart 2 Heart Christmas Project challenge and the fabulous Paper Issues Stamp On It challenge. I love that it's time for Christmas cards again!

 Of course, I owed them a November SOTM hands-on project too! I had seen this fabulous color/picture inspiration challenge on Jay Gee's Nook - and the ombre on that ruffled curtain just sang to me! So I grabbed a huge assortment of numbers from the Nov. SOTM (making your own custom stamps is a big reason I LOVE acrylic stamps!) and stamped them down the card front to simulate the ombre effect. 

I folded up a quick Banner sentiment that I cut using my Cricut Art Philosophy and Artiste cartridges, and let it flow over the edge as all the cool kids are doing lately. Inside it says "Make it Count!" 

I'm also linking this to the Heart 2 Heart Rolling Challenge, since I used the rolling technique in a side to side motion to blend the ombre through the center of the background.

Congrats to Cassandra Bennett, the winner of this week's Friday Favorite Things giveaway!

She'll be crafting with her new favorite Pear and Partridge papers soon! I'll post the next giveaway and linky party this weekend. Now I've got to scoot off to a little guy Halloween party. Have a fab Friday!

Wednesday Woo Hoo!

A big Wednesday Woo Hoo for the fabulous masking technique used on this spooky Halloween card by Amy McVey! She has a nice tutorial/explanation on her blog, too. 

Check out all the fab projects on this week's Friday Favorite Things Inkspiration Party. The party closes on Thursday, so it's not too late to link up and grab that extra entry for this week's giveaway! 

Thanks for the Inkspiration!

Zooming along to a super day!

Hi, Stampin' Friends! I made it back to the Stamp Pad today...to make another little boy birthday card for the 5 year old's birthday party we'll be attending this afternoon. Since the pieces from my last card were still strewn across my table... ahem...so another Super Powers card!

I couldn't have them be similar, of course, so I used the new sketch from Retrosketches for this card, replacing the flowers with a faint grey skyline, which I masked off and then random stamped the ZOOM repeatedly in Heavenly Blue to mimic a cloudy sky texture.  I tore one edge and added a few rounds of Cranberry Baker's twine along with a button and a glittered Milepost Shape to set off my (also glittered) ZOOM sentiment. But the real fun is inside the card...

This is my co-designer Gabe (age 6), who insisted on photo credit for his work today. He created the dinosaur themed art (since his friend loves dinosaurs) and added the hand lettering inside the card. The dino on the right is actually a big picture scene of dinos and superheros fighting off some villains that we folded up and popped into a pocket. 

And our superhero on the inside? He's popped up onto one of the cool Adhesive Springs so he literally LEAPS out of the card when you open it. I had to put this one into a big ol' 5x7 envelope to bring it to the party. 

Gabe is pretty excited to have his art featured today. He thinks he'll be famous now, lol. I'll be featuring one of your fab projects on Wednesday, so don't forget to link up! And go have a peek at the Retrosketches sketch for this week - it's so cute I may have to make it twice. I've been off my flower fix for weeks now!

Hope you have a super day!

Friday Favorite Things!

Welcome back to Friday Favorite Things! I did not craft this card for this weekend's birthday parties, but for a Retro Sketches challenge that my shoulder issue eclipsed a while back. We have another birthday party this weekend, and that reminded me that I did have a project banked to share with y'all! 

I love this Superhero set for little boy parties. And while all the colors are not yet available, I'm still loving our new Alcohol Markers. I did not use a paper packet on this project, instead stamping my own background paper on one of our 40 shades of coordinating CS. 

This weekend though, I'm getting down to brass tacks planning out my MHS Swap card. I'm planning to mix and match some paper packets - there are so many cute new patterns! So this week I'll be giving away your choice of one of our new paper packets! You can enter below, and I hope you'll link up to our weekly Inkspiration party too!

Congratulations to last week's winner of the fab new Ruby ink pad, Amie Kiger!

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Friday Favorite Things INKspiration Party Guidelines

• Any linked recipes should be paper-crafty in some way.
• Provide a link directly to your post, not your homepage.
• Your project does not have to be only CTMH...but you will get an extra entry in the Weekly drawing for using CTMH products!
• Please link back to this site with either my button or a text link.  It’s good blogging etiquette.  Feel free to grab the button below to display on your post.  In order to be featured next week, you must link back!

<div class="Stamping Rules button" style="width: 125px; margin: 0 auto;"> <a <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">href</span>="http://www.<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">stampingrules</span>.com"> <<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">img</span> <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">src</span>="http://<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">img</span>.<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">photobucket</span>.com/albums/v168/<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">wtcoffma</span>/1-2-DSCN9391.<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">jpg</span>" alt="Stamping Rules" width="125" height="125" /> </a> </div> <!--end button code box-->
• Current and past posts are welcome, but please try to post something different each week.
• It’s helpful if you provide a little description with your project instead of just your (fabulous) name (i.e., Avonlea Holiday Card, Halloween Layout, 3-D Wall hanging, etc.).
• You can link-up as many as 2 posts weekly.
• Leave a comment telling us about your submission, and visit to comment on other bloggers submissions, too. It makes us all feel loved!

Entries that do not comply with these guidelines will be kindly removed.

Important Legal Information:

By linking up, you agree that I may make use of any applicable pictures in my Stamping Rules posts, and that, by entering, you are giving permission to use them and/or re-pin them via Pinterest.  You also, by entering, guarantee that the picture is not someone else’s work, or else has a broad usage license (for example with stock photography put in public domain).

Ready, Set, Link!

Last call on Volume Three!

Avonlea Family Tree Frame - Artiste flowery goodness broken down into easy steps!

Due to popular demand, I've opened another order for the Volume Three consultant kits - thanks, Stampin' Friends! The order will be open until October 31st, and then I'll be focused on Holiday workshops (yes, new projects will eventually be coming!)

Moonlight Mini Calendars for stocking stuffers!

Simple Alcohol Marker tutorial & the cutest stamps around - Pun Fun!

Kits are $9.95 each or three for $25 - a fabulous deal! If you want any of these three kits to teach, please check out the ordering info on my Consultant Kits Page.

And, of course, if you are not a consultant, full pre-cut kits for any of these workshops are still available as well. I'll be setting up a better order system for that shortly - stay tuned!

Now I'm off to yet another chiro appointment - I've got high hopes to be back in the stamp room this weekend. Happy Thursday and cross your fingers for me!

Wednesday Woo Hoo!

Hi, Stampin' Friends! I'm still out of commission on the stamping front this week, but I'm seeing a new Chiro tomorrow, so I've got high hopes (again). Too much sketching and Pinterest, not enough stamping going on around here...but in the meantime, have you checked out the fab projects on the Friday Favorite Things Linkspiration Party? Every one of them is a gem! 

Thanks to all of you for bringing on the eye candy - it's really cheered me up this week.

Here's one of my favorite linkspirations this week, from the fabulous Amy McVey. Look at that painted background...makes me want to whip out the cuttlebug folders (even if only actually using them was physically impossible for me this week). 

Forgot to link up? You've got until tomorrow to link and grab your entries for this week's Friday Favorite Things Linkspiration Party and drawing. Now that I can type well again I'll be posting what I made at the crop at the beginning of October. Bring on the Inkspiration!

Make It Monday for my friend

OK...maybe it's just me. But when I'm feeling poorly, I sometimes have a hard time getting motivated to do, well, anything. Cleaning, cooking, crafting, even sometimes sleeping become things that sound good in theory, but are not really happening. But a project for someone else...now that'll get me going every time.

Today my friend LaRonda needed a sign board for an upcoming fair. She's an amazing Usborne Books consultant, and my boys love every single book we've ever been lucky enough to buy from her. Helping LaRonda with her project was just the kick I needed to get back into the Stamp Pad and get some major use out of my Art Philosophy and Artiste Cartridges today. We (mostly) whipped this out while Max was napping, and I finished up the flower vase this evening after the boys when to bed. 

Here's a close up of her cute Pick a Date Idea.  I built the vase out of Vellum that I partially inked on the backside with Heavenly Blue ink. I sprayed the front of the vase with Krylon glitter spray. The flowers are embossed with my favorite Swiss Dott cuttlebug folder and inked with Smokey Plum ink. The dates for her upcoming available parties will be in the center of each flower - how cute is that? I so want to make one of these for my upcoming craft fair now!

I'm linking this up to Make It Monday at an Original Belle, because they have awesome ideas and I made this on Monday! 

Don't forget to check out the new Friday Favorite Things - just because my shoulder took me down does not mean I forgot this week's drawing!

Friday Favorite Things and an apology

I love sharing art and INKspiration with all of you, and I totally missed out this week! Let's just keep it short and say that most of my "spare" time this week was taken up with visitation...to my massage therapist (twice), the chiropractor, and the acupuncturist to get my shoulder and neck unstuck so I could function like a human again. I was not in any shape to create or blog, and for that I apologize. But I'm very hopeful that we've got it back under control, and I'll be back to the inky paws soon! So here's the scoop...

Today's Friday Favorite Things Slate Ink Pad winner was Carolyn Heniges! Woo hoo!

Check out my rafflecopter below to enter the next chance to win the next Friday Favorite Things drawing by midnight EST on Thursday. This week I'm giving away one of the top vote-getters from CTMH's new colors - a Ruby Ink Pad!

The next winner will be posted on Friday. You have to enter each week to have a chance to win, but if you are already a blog follower (for example), you just have to click through the widget.  Good luck, and check back on Friday to see if you won!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday Favorite Things INKspiration Party Guidelines

• Any linked recipes should be paper-crafty in some way.
• Provide a link directly to your post, not your homepage.
• Your project does not have to be only CTMH...but you will get an extra entry in the Weekly drawing for using CTMH products!
• Please link back to this site with either my button or a text link.  It’s good blogging etiquette.  Feel free to grab the button below to display on your post.  In order to be featured next week, you must link back!

<div class="Stamping Rules button" style="width: 125px; margin: 0 auto;"> <a <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">href</span>="http://www.<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">stampingrules</span>.com"> <<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">img</span> <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">src</span>="http://<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">img</span>.<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">photobucket</span>.com/albums/v168/<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">wtcoffma</span>/1-2-DSCN9391.<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">jpg</span>" alt="Stamping Rules" width="125" height="125" /> </a> </div> <!--end button code box-->
• Current and past posts are welcome, but please try to post something different each week.
• It’s helpful if you provide a little description with your project instead of just your (fabulous) name (i.e., Avonlea Holiday Card, Halloween Layout, 3-D Wall hanging, etc.).
• You can link-up as many as 2 posts weekly.
• Leave a comment telling us about your submission, and visit to comment on other bloggers submissions, too. It makes us all feel loved!

Entries that do not comply with these guidelines will be kindly removed.

Important Legal Information:
By linking up, you agree that I may make use of any applicable pictures in my Stamping Rules posts, and that, by entering, you are giving permission to use them and/or re-pin them via Pinterest.  You also, by entering, guarantee that the picture is not someone else’s work, or else has a broad usage license (for example with stock photography put in public domain).
Ready, Set, Link!