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!