Tuesday, April 30, 2013

May SOTM Blog Hop


Welcome to our CTMH Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!  We will be featuring May's Stamp of the Month, which is called Pinwheels, a happy, trendy set of 10 stamps.  If you have come here from LORI'S BLOG, you are on the right path!

This month we have 60+ Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's 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!
For this month I was inspired by a combo of challenges around the web. I knew I wanted to use some more of that YUMMY Dream Pop paper special, so I grabbed a sketch from my new friends at Scrapbook Challenges. I punned up the title with my son's name, so I've been humming Counting Crows ever since...and I'm linking that up to the Heart 2 Heart Pun Fun Challenge.

I used White Daisy Cardstock for the base, but misted it with some pearlescent spritz tinted with Sunflower Reinker for the April Get Messy Challenge, also going on over at Scrapbook Challenges. I think I usually hold my spritzer too close to the page. this time I angled the nozzle pretty steeply and let it drift over the page. I love the sparkly dimension the spritz added!

I paper pieced the multi-layered pinwheels from the May SOTM using Sorbet, Juniper, and Sunflower inks. Here can see where I colored over the whole Grey chevron resist embossed Slate cardstock from the Dream Pop packet with a grey marker, then buffed it with a tissue to tint the cardstock a bit darker for more contrast. I need all my cardstock to be resist embossed now, please! The pinwheels were nice easy shapes to fussy cut for the paper piecing.

On last detail shot - here the double layered stars are front and center. I wanted them popped up, but not as much as foam tape, so I cut tiny bits of scrap and glued the scraps to the back of the tiny star so it would be popped up just a smidge. I trimmed apart the chevron print zip strip to make my row of arrows across the top. And yes, I paper pieced the sentiment into a rainbow as well used post-its to fussy stamp the rest of the sentiment. I'm linking this page up to the Paper issues Serendipity Theme too, because they are totally awesome and I feel lucky anytime I finish a page with actual pictures, don't you?

Now "Hop" on over to ANGELA'S BLOG to see her TWEET work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants Blogs to soak in the great crafting and SOTM ideas! Remember, this SOTM will fly away at the end of May, and your SOTM purchase will count towards getting your paws on that yummy Dream Pop Paper too!  Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set for just $5!

Here are a few more projects I have made using the May Stamp of the Month...
Team Meeting Card
Hexagon Cards
Quilted Inspiration Card


Last chance for four free stamp sets!

Think of it as a membership in your favorite scrapbooking store! 

For just $49 you get a tone of awesome goodies, a fab discount on CTMH products, and insider scoop/previews on new specials. You can turn it into a business, share it with your friends and family, even come with us to convention in Orlando (which is going to be a super fun blast!) 

Plus four bonus stamp sets for free!
Join Team stamping Rules today - we'd love to have you on our team!

Monday, April 29, 2013

Team Meeting Card

My team is coming over to play tonight, and that's always a happy day. I'm frantically playing Candy Crushcleaning up the Stamp Pad in anticipation of their visit, since last night I whipped up my swap cards in a fabulous display of time management. I'm just a good leader like that.
For this card I used color inspiration from the Color Q Challenge. That's a bit of Dream Pop paper you see peeking there. The colors I used for the stamping were Sorbet, Sunset, and Pear, plus White Daisy for the chevron stamping in the background with In The Background. You know you can win that awesome set plus many others over at Moxie Fab World, right? 

I also used this simply fab sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch and flipped the tags a bit so that the two stars were behind instead of the center star. 

I added a bit of twine to fill in that space by my stars, which are not the same shape as tags, lol. And then I added a couple of water colored and glittered cuppies inside, so now I can link up to the Heart 2 Heart Bake a Cake Challenge! Finally here's a peek at my newest stamp...it's not from CTMH, but it is fantastic! I got it from a little etsy shop, and it was just too adorable to pass up!

Hope to see ya back here tomorrow for more May SOTM and Dream Pop goodies. 
Have a nice day! 

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Ten Acronyms I Love

As an ex-very-large-tech-company-who-shall-remain-unnamed (but if you live in Hillsboro, you know who I mean), acronyms flow from my lips like water when I try to sip neatly out of a cup with not straw. My hubby is also from that particular tribe, so there's a lot of that acronym business going on in our home. Sasha from the Good Life has tasked us with making a list of ten acronyms we use regularly. NP! (No problem!)
I'm even using LOL when I journal my pages...ROFL!

Ten Acronyms I Use Way Too Often

1. LOL - I know, I know. At first when people were writing LOL, I was all, no way I'm using that one. And now I'm an LOL junkie. I blame Twitter. and Pinterest. and the fact that y'all are just too funny.

2. ROFLOL - Rolling on the Floor Laughing Out Loud, mostly used when writing my sister on FB or text. Hi, Heidi!!   ROFLOL

3. ROFLOLSHMSFOAIDMT - Ok I don't really use this one because it's just too long (among other reasons), but I do love tacos a lot, so every time I see it I do a giggle-snort combo that's either really unattractive or way funny depending on how long we've been chattingdrinking. Ok, that one made me chuckle but it's not even close to true since I almost never drink (alcohol), so I'm gonna blame it on the chocolate. So my snort is funnier after a few hours of chocolate eating. I swear - come crop with us and I'll show you! BYOC. Just saying.

4. OMW - what I text to my hubby when I'm on my way...from the store, to the crop, who cares, I'm OMW!

5. CS - I do it on my blog, too. Every blog post I have to go back and spell out the word "cardstock" since I tend to type CS almost automatically. Now can I just use the acronym?

6. LG - Liquid Glass. Everyone should start calling it LG. Way easier to type.

7. MMM - Monthly Memories Club. Although when I type that no one knows that I'm talking about, even my club members...'cause they all just call it club. Maybe that's a good thing, like my scrapbook club is SO EPIC that it only needs one name. Like Madonna. Or Jello.

8. WOTG - Only other CTMH lovers know what WOTG is. And probably not even all of them. See what I did there? Acronym inside an acronym definition...it's a sickness!

9. CTMH (#1) - CTMH stands for Close To My Heart, my favorite, most awesome scrapbooking company ever!

10. CTMH (#2) - Also stands for Can't Tell My Husband, as in your scrapbooking purchase was so epic now you CTMH so you have to sneak it into the house one piece at a time to blend it in with the stash you already own. Which I have never, ever done, since I am more of a TMI kind of gal when showing hubby my new goodies, TYVM.

That's it for me - TTYL!

Friday, April 26, 2013

Dream Pop Blog Hop!


Welcome to our Dream Pop Blog Hop!  We will be featuring the National Scrapbooking Month special, an amazing specialty paper packet called Dream Pop.  If you have come here from ADELINE'S BLOG, you are on the right path!

This month we have loads of Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their dreamy creations using this super sweet paper on their blogs. This 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 made a single page layout featuring my youngest son Max. I loved the April Sketch from Practical Scrappers, and serendipitously it almost matched the background layout of one of the Dream Pop Papers. That's right - the yellow grid, lovely sketchy flowers, and some of the washi type elements were already in place just waiting for some quick customization! And I totally used the word serendipitous because I'm linking this page up to the fab linky party going on over at Paper Issues!

In the title shot you can see how the cardstocks from this pack are embossed with a glossy raised pattern. How fun is that? I emphasized Max's name with letters cut on the cricut from glitter paper, and embellished some of the pre-printed flowers with wooden disks topped with grey sparkles.

Here you can see some more of the embossed cardstocks. The pics are all printed straight from my Instagram feed with one of my fav new things, Prinstagram!

I love the combo of the rustic wooden embellies from the Wooden Mini Medley collection against the sliver glitter paper and sparkles. The little arrows I trimmed by hand from a banner I cut on the cricut. Here you can also see the fine yellow grid printed on the background - I LOVE all the details included on this awesome paper! I'm linking this to the Heart 2 Heart Button Up challenge for all my cute wooden buttons topped with grey sparkles!

Now "Hop" on over to MARIA'S BLOG to see what she's dreamed up! Be sure to visit all the Consultants Blogs to soak in the great crafting and Dream Pop ideas. Remember, this amazing paper packet is only available while supplies last in the month of May. Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this paper packet for just $10!

Here are some more projects I have made (so far) using the Dream Pop papers...
Hoot Hoot Hooray Card

Hoot Hoot Hooray!

It's almost blog hop time...Dream Pop Blog Hop, that is! If you haven't noticed, I've been a weeeee bit absent on the blogging front this month. Some personal glutenized issues have been making me ill, so I have not been where I want to be, up in the Stamp Pad staring lovingly atcutting up this gorgeous paper packet. No more - Dream Pop projects are in the house, y'all!

One of the pages has this adorable owl layout practically already done for you. Of course, I immediately needed to behead the owl (paper owl, paper, no need to panic...sorry, Bonnie!). I tucked him behind a window punched from my favorite big bold floral of the packet. My card design was inspired by the fabulous Virginia Lu, who's the Monday Muse over at the Muse Challenge Blog

I topped off our owl friend with a birthday hat ('cause the inside says, "It's your birthday!"). Don't you love that glossy embossed pattern on the cardstocks in the kit? He got the wiggly eyes, and sparkly topper for his hat, too!

I'm entering this card in the CAS-ual Fridays Birthday Bash Challenge - Happy birthday, Michele!

Hoooope to see you back here tomorrow for the Dream Pop Blog Hop!

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

10 Chapters in my Mommy Autobiography

Gosh, the Listicles topic this week from Stasha was giving me a bit 'o trouble...scrapbook about my family, fab! scrapbook about the individual boys, awesome! Scrapbook about my obsession with glitter, totally! Write about my own life...about myself...whoa. Crickets... but I need to post 'cause I miss y'all, and I can't share anything I'm working on in the Stamp Pad right now. I have no idea where our pictures in digital format from before 1998 are hanging out right now. Probably with my feather duster, two old printers, and who knows what else is living in my garagestorage facility. So here's my Mommy autobiography in children's book titles, all linked up to my favorite online bookstore, Jacobsen's Books, run by one of my amazing mommy friends.

10 Random Chapters in My Mommy Autobiography illustrated in Children's Book Titles

1.  Where the Wild Things Are - I am the oldest of four children, all about a year apart. I'm sorry, Mom. I had no idea...

2. Love You Forever - Oldest son Gabe is born...life is wonderfully, messily, crazily, happily never the same again.

3. I'm a Big Brother - We read this one so many times before Ben was born that it's the first book Gabe ever memorized. I'm fairly certain that he loved the book much more than he loved having his brother. Except in that moment at the hospital when we gave him a gift from his new baby brother...at that moment he loved the train more. For a long while after if we drove past the hospital he would point and cry "Train!" I'm guessing he was hoping to return Ben and get another train.

4. The Giving Tree - Now I'm mom to three boys, all just about 22 months apart. Perhaps I learned a lesson from my mom's every-year-spacing...but If I did, I didn't learn it by much. Ok, I didn't learn it at all - I'm the only mom I know who's been accidentally "Surprise!" preggo three times after the age of thirty. There is a tree, and she loves three little boys...

5. Green Eggs and Ham - Getting three little boys off all things gluten and onto the diet that I truly believe saved their health my sanity bears a remarkable resemblance to this story? I am that peppy Sam-I-Am cheerleader for all new foods (You do not like these brand new foods? Eat them, eat them, you'll love this, dudes!), and my oldest son is grumpy Gus. Now I give all new foods at lunch while he's at school...so the other two aren't infected with his awesome attitude. And he'll feel left out when they chow it down enthusiastically in front of him later... Maybe that's more like I Will Never, Not Ever, Eat a Tomato with a slightly darker twist...whatever works, right?

6. Oh, the Places You'll Go! Like the Children's Museum, the potty, the Salem Children's Museum, the library storytime, the Children's Museum, the zoo, a new library story time after you've completely embarrassed yourself and cannot show your face at the first library story time, the grocery store, the grocery store, the grocery store, the grocery store, the Children's Museum...so when I take my annual trip ALL ALONE to the CTMH Convention, you can see why I don't care at all where it is, just that I'm going! In June! With 9 of my bestest CTMH buddies and teammates! You should totally come with us - it totally beats the pants of going to the Children's Museum again!

7. No, David! Every day of my life right now resounds with the word No. I want to be one of those cool, got-it-all-together moms who says yes. Yes to crafts, yes to trying new things, YES! Adventure is out there! but nope...I have to be the mom who says no. No, Boys! Don't climb that flagpole/jump off that stone ledge/eat that possibly gluten thing from the ground/punch your brother in the ear/scream penis in the checkout line then giggle/spin in circles till you fall over next to large displays of glass homewares/fling toys out of the upstairs Stamp Pad window/fling yourselves out of the upstairs Stamp Pad window...Man, I am a drag!

8. Once Upon a Potty - now currently in bathrooms near me for the very last time! Max has been in underpants for over a week now...is that freedom I see dimly lighting the end of this very long tunnel?

9. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie - I am a planner. I like to line up my ducks and knock 'em down. I love getting a fresh new calendar to write all my appointments in or a new post-it pad to mark down and check off my To-Do's. Now each and every day runs like one of these damn mouse books...one thing leads to another, and at the end we are home, having a cookie with no idea how our day went so far off the post-it note flagged course...and all the happier for it.

10. Corduroy - This must be a family! I've always wanted a family!

Here's hoping you are loving your crazy, mostly sweet life this week too.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

I feel super!

I'm back with another Monday Listicle Challenge from Stasha over at Northwest Mommy - did you know she's famous now? This week she challenged us to write a listicle about feeling like a superhero. Since most days I feel like I just scraped through by the skin of my teeth if all three boys made it to bed and no one was seriously injured that day, this one took some pondering for me!

10 THINGS THAT MAKE ME FEEL LIKE A SUPERHERO

1. Birthing my three kiddos. C section or not, having a baby makes you a superhero.

2. Every night at bedtime Max tells me, "You're awesome, Mom!" in his baby 3 year old voice. 

3. Going to the grocery store with three boys in tow and leaving with actual food to feed my family, and no one is lost/crying/in need of medical aid.

4. When we're cropping and someone needs a brad/ribbon/scrap of specific paper and I have it! I'm not a hoarder, I'm a scrappin' hero!

5. Every day between 2-3 p.m. when I manage to get still mostly napping baby into the car and pickup the brothers at their respective schools in two different towns armed only with tired-over-stimulated-tantrum-killing snacks and the ability to hear the same knock knock joke 80 million times without screaming. Knock Knock. Who's there? Interrupting . Interrupting...BURRRRP! 

6. Canning enough tomatoes to last my family through the winter! 

7. Finding the missing toy/sock/croc/wallet/whatever that no one else can see. Apparently I have X-Ray vision, too.

8. When my endless love of blog reading leads me to cook a dinner that my family loves beyond reason. This week it was this three ingredient teriyaki chicken, which I made gluten free with coconut aminos. Picky oldest son ate two servings and left the rice on his plate. 

9. When my kiddos' teachers tell me how nice and polite the boys are....it's good to know they are well behaved for someone!

10. I just found out this week I was selected to teach at Extravaganza at CTMH's convention this summer. I knew they were only picking 18 teachers this year, so even though I'd applied I really didn't think I could make it for such a small group. I've been feeling like I'm flying ever since I got the notice...and that's definitely a SUPER feeling!

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

And then he kissed me...

Just a quick Studio J layout and a not-quite-Monday Listicle to share today. The boys and I did do a craft today, making paper flowers that we floated in the bathtub after school. These pics are from a seed planting project from last year. My boys sure do love a messcraft! Not sure exaaaactly where they get that from {whistling} but I'm grateful for Studio J, which makes my quickie pics of the boys look so awesome. 

Stasha over at the Good Life has tasked the Listicles with a list of the 10 Favorite Places My Dear Hubby Has Kissed Me. I'm not usually one to kiss and tell...but for Stasha...

1. The hallway of Price House at UOP...first kiss sweetness!
2. On the tour of his high school on my first trip to his home town.
3. Top of the Space Needle when he proposed. Surprise!
4. At our lovely outdoor wedding in Apple Hill.
5. In Maui where we honeymooned.
6. In the Caribbean for my CTMH Cruise. Best vacation ever!
7. In Vegas 2005, when he came along for support (and poker) while I taught at Extravaganza. We discovered that what happens in Vegas does not always stay in Vegas...ahem.

8. At Tuality Hospital (for baby #1 in 2006) and St. Vincent's (twice for babies #2 and #3)
9.  At Hawthorne Fish House, a GF fish place he found for our last date night!
10. Just now in our kitchen where he's doing dishes while I work on my blog and instructions for Friday's workshop. He so rocks!

Chantilly Club pages

I can't believe how fast April arrived! Here's the pages for our meeting on Friday - can't wait to crop with my fabulous Stampin' Ladies!
This month we're using the Chantilly WOTG kit as the base for our six pages. Of course, we aren't actually making the pages from the kit...I added the coordinating Dimensional Elements and the color ready Noted Canvas Shapes. All the cuts were made using the Artiste Cartridge.
Look how detailed the flowers from the chipboard set are! The leaves are cut on the Cricut, and the flowers are topped off with Pink Glitter gems.
For Pages 3/4, I went all pink and girlie. The Cotton candy CS along the bottom is stamped with images from the coordinating WOTG stamp set. This is where I used most of the gorgeous Chantilly Assortment covered buttons. Click the link to see them up close...they have tiny rhinestones embedded in the beautiful stitched tops!
For pages 5/6 I flipped the color palette and did a page focusing on the blues and greens. I love how versatile CTMH paper packets are! I've got plans for this page...as yet un-snapped pics from our annual jaunt to the Tulip Festival! Every year we go...and it's almost always rainy. But sometimes the sun peeks out and I always get the cutest snaps of the boys running in the flower fields! 
Check out this Canvas banner stamped with images from the WOTG stamps. I popped up the title letters with Foam tape and added Dimensional element bows and lots of glitter gems. These pages really do make me just plain happy! 

I'm linking this set up to the Paper Issues Up In The Clouds Linky Party. Have you been out to soak up the rainbow of goodness happening there? 

Love what you see but missed the order deadline? Contact me and I can have a kit shipped right to you, with emailed full color instructions and cutting guides for all six pages. Kits range from $20 to $40. Check out the details on my Monthly Memories page! Next month....Later Sk8r!

You are my sunshine, Stampin' Friends! Hope to see you Friday!

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