Yummy Cupcakes & Candy Bars

This months Scramp Club project is so yummy! I have been known to recycle plenty of containers, but the new Crystal Light containers are fabulous. After peeling off the label you are left with a clear oval container.

~Because it is clear I wanted to only cover a portion of it so that you can peek at the goodies inside.

~The goodie inside this container is a milk chocolate candy bar covered in coordinating paper.

~And the paper is pretty yummy too. I used the new Topstich papers which worked perfectly with the February stamp of the month, Piece of Cake!

Here's a close up of the stamped image. I used some markers, paper piecing and Liquid Applique to make the frosting even more delicious!

Valentine Goodies

Yesterday I created my daughter's Valentine treats to pass out to her classmates. I had a few ideas in mind for this project, here's how it all came together.

On our weekly shopping trip I let my daughter pick out the goodies she wanted to give with each Valentine. She chose the Air Heads taffy candy which had the cutest flying cupids delivering a very hip message. They also had perfect valentine colors of purple, pink, red and a pop of shiny gold! The candy inspired the next ideas!




Inspired by the candy choice, I used CTMH exclusive colors of Hydrangea, Bubble Gum, Holiday Red, Amethyst, & White Daisy. Because of the darling cupid featured on the wrapper I wanted to incorporate the heart and wings from the Star Power stamp set. I was also dying to use these new envelopes and scalloped mini cards. {Stampin' Up}

Here is everything cut out and inked up. Those are 28 hearts and 56 wings I had to cut out. {what else is there to do while watching Super Bowl Pre-Game show}





Here are all the cards assembled and waiting for the gold glitter to dry. {Martha Stewart}




Here is the finished Valentine card. Ain't it SWEET! The heart and wings were rock and rolled in 2 inks then cut out and sponged in ink. The wings were given just a touch of gold glitter. You'll notice that the card base is on textured cardstock in Bubble Gum pink and there is a small square of White Daisy textured cardstock as well. Adding the textured cardstock became another goal in this project because of this month's promotion. You can find out more about Hearts For Haiti at the end of this post.

When my daughter was in first grade I made this mailbox for her to collect her cards and treats. It was a class contest. The base is a shoe box. At the time I had it mounted on a wood post and it was standing in a pot of gorgeous purple flowers. She won best valentine collection box and it amazes me that she has kept it for 5 years now. She will use it to collect her Valentines this year again.

She will tote her Valentines in the mailbox to school.

This is the finished project. I tucked the card into the envelope and then 2 air heads carefully not to burst the seams. {it was a tight fit} We then found some old stickers that had my daughter's name on them. This made it really quick to finish them off, rather than signing her name on all 28 of them. These should be fun to give and receive!

Do you like the textured cardstock I used for this project? During the month of February you can purchase a pack of textured cardstock and get one free. For every purchase Close To My Heart will donate $2 to Operation Smile for Haiti relief efforts. Please go to www.closetomyheart.com for more information and wonderful artwork using the textured cardstock.

Somebirdy Loves You

Only a cute card to share with you today. While I had the Love Birds stamp set out, I put together this simple card. The crystal blue background paper is from caboodle. I also used cocoa, tulip and sweet leaf.

Rock Star Celebration

We celebrated some Birthday's this weekend that totally ROCKED! Here are a couple of the cards I made for the "Rock Stars" that were partying this weekend. Both use the Star Power stamp set and the You Rock level 2 papers {CTMH}. Look for the skulls in the first one, they were embossed using the Cuttle Bug.

You & Me Tag Book

I've been playing with the Love Birds stamp set and Veranda papers. They are both great products and the paper is super versatile. Anyhow, this is a little tag book I put together for my "love bird"! I took 4 thin coin envelopes and glued them together in the middle only leaving the sides to open like an accordion. I cut the tops off with the round coluzzle. I used some cardstock to create a front and back for the book and reinforced the bottom with big brads to hold everything together. The top flap uses velcro to open and close. I simply decorated the tags with cardstock, B&T papers and a ribbon held in place with a brad. All that is left to do is decorate the tags with photo's or some journaling. Ooooh, or maybe they will become "love" coupons for Valentines Day!!! {wink, wink}


BTW ~ "You and Me" is actually a wonderful song that my Love bird and I enjoy listening to together. Check it out in my playlist by Dave Matthews Band.

With Sympathy

It's very rare that I create sympathy cards. Quite simply they are made because of an unfortunate event or out of sadness. I much prefer Birthday cards, Thank You cards, etc. Sometimes you just can't avoid it though.

I was able to use some new products on these cards which made it a bit easier. The reason for making them is that my Uncle passed away this past weekend leaving his wife, my Aunt {whom also happened to be my God parents} and two daughters with families of their own. As I created the cards, I was able to reflect back on some memories. I realized that the process was quite therapeutic. Hopefully these cards will give you inspiration when you are not inspired to do something that is unavoidable.




{blue b&t paper from Caboodle, cardstock, stamp "TLC", white daisy ribbon (CTMH) scallop punch (Stampin' up)}



{garden green and creme brulee b&t paper from Veranda, frame stamp "Jan. SOTM True Friends", phrase "TLC", twilight organdy ribbon, antique brass brads, all CTMH}

{b&t from Veranda, cardstock, stamps "Love Birds" & "Doodle Alphabet", phrase stamp "Say it in Style", cocoa buttons, inks and water brush all CTMH}

Back to Basics

I decided to begin a new monthly class this year called Back to Basics Class or B2BC. I have some new customers this year that have done little or no scrapbooking before. I really had to take myself back a couple of years to remember where I got my start. The idea is to make simple pages that still have a pop of personality. They require little time, minimum supplies and low cost. Perfect for beginners or those who need to catch up on some scrapbooking in their busy lives.

Here is my January page. The photo does not give it justice. The colors are truly more rich in person. I will share my next pages as the year goes on.

Pockets on my Pages

I am so close to completing my 2009 family scrapbook. Here are just a few last pages I created for it. What makes them unique is that they have "pockets"! Creating pockets on your pages are a great way for storing unusual items or memorabilia.

For this first page I was making a layout for my daughter's Christmas play. She played the part of Mrs. Claus and I thought it would be cool to hold on to the script and sheet music. There are a couple pages stapled together that she can pull from the pocket and read again to bring back memories. My page here is not complete, however I will include photo's from the event along with a list of the cast members featured in the play.

This next page is something that I started a few years back. The very last page in my scrapbooks are a "pocket page" made purposely for all of those post cards and photo's we receive from family and friends every year. These are the latest pictures of friends, cousins, nieces and nephews and I would hate to lose them. By creating a pocket page I can easily look back every year and see their smiling faces!

Here is a top view so you can see that the pocket was hidden behind all of the cute houses. I used a strip of cardstock as an example of an insert, but believe me, once I fill in the post cards and photos this pocket will be bursting at the seams!

Supplies: (all CTMH) Jingle Paper Level 2; cardstock and ink in the following colors: black, white daisy, juniper, creme brulee, tulip and olive; Stamps: Heartfelt Christmas, Felicity Alphabet, Around the Block; Embellishments: Creme Brulee ribbon, twinkle brads

Mini Milk Cartons

I got some new stuff yesterday and wanted to play with it right away! Big Shot has a new die called mini milk carton. They are just adorable and will be perfect for classroom treats, valentine surprises or party favors. They are super simple to assemble and can be decorated for all sorts of occasions. I whipped these cuties up just last night.

This one would be fun for Valentines day!

Pretty pastels are perfect for Easter! Fill to the brim with jelly beans or chocolate eggs!

Finally, this one is great for any occasion, having a party or as a gift to a friend. It also features the color challenge this week on Jeanette's Blog.

**WARNING** These cartons are not recommended for holding real milk!!

An Elephant Never Forgets...

...however they can sometimes be a little late! I sent this sweet Birthday card out a little late to my niece, but I figure that makes the Birthday last longer! I used papers from the Key to my Heart pack and a couple of cute stamps. I like that it's a little fun and whimsical! Hope you enjoy it too.

Log~on to LOL!

This is my latest project and an effort to get organized this year. Everyone has that "Junk Drawer" in their kitchen or office. I was starting create a fourth one in my house, yikes! I have a really bad habit of writing down those log-on names and passwords on little sticky notes or scraps of paper then stuffing them in a nearby drawer. Then, when it comes to looking up the info I find myself searching through drawer after drawer.

Well, no more. I found these great little books that are alphabetized to keep those internet sites and passwords neatly organized. I will be teaching a class this Friday where the ladies will get to create their own. The front and back are covered, embellished and made pretty! No excuses for not finding that ever important information! It will be easier to blog and surf the day away now!

New Year in Disneyland

Our family celebrated a late Christmas present and a New Year's celebration in Disneyland California.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Celebrate National Papercrafting Month

Close To My Heart is celebrating National Papercrafting Month with the all new Felicity collection. It is a kit full of beautiful papers and a D~size stamp set. They will also have a Blog dedicated to artwork, techniques and tips using this collection. Also, if you leave a comment on the Blog you can win the kit for yourself! Check it out everyday for inspiration and to be a winner! Click on the button at the right of my page to begin the celebration!

Spooky Cute!

Christmas is over and yes Halloween has certainly passed us by. I am still scrapping and trying to get caught up before the New Year is here. I printed off my Halloween pictures and sat down to scrap them. I did not want the typical Halloween colors and directly went to the colors in the photo's. Both my daughter and I were wearing pink this year so why not go for it, sorry boys! I think the pop of pink was just perfect, it's SPOOKY CUTE!



The argyle ribbon, liquid glass title and pink glitter give it the glamour quality it needed!

Christmas Goodies

It's been a baking marathon the last two days around here. My house has never smelled so delicious as you can imagine! Here are some visions to make your mouth water.

Stained Glass Star Cookies: {Not just an ordinary sugar cookie though. I use a cream cheese cookie dough, it makes them oh~so moist}


Chewy Chocolate Drops: {These are my sisters favorite, I hope she's on the nice list this year! :) }



Lemon Cream Cookies: {Hardly fair to call it a cookie, it's more like a mini cake with lemony icing on top. Made with fresh lemons and Ricotta cheese they are super moist and delicious. My Hubby's favorite}

Holiday M&M Cookies: {It's a traditional Holiday drop cookie that the kids can't resist}

Peanut Butter Brownie Cups: {Gotta have some peanut butter, why not combine it with chocolate brownies!}

Sugar Stars: {Cut out from the centers of the stained glass stars, these are finished off with colored icing, YUM! and they're bite sized too, how convenient}

Gingerbread Cookies: {My daughter and her best friend helped make these festive cookies. Anyone remember the skit: "Oh! No, Mr. Bill!" Ha Ha Ha}

Hope you enjoy all the "sweetness" of the season.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Merry "Elf"mas!

All month long I enjoy going to my mailbox to see what cards have been sent. I especially love the photo's everyone sends. For the last couple years I have just taped them to a column in my home. This year I wanted to create a better and more fun way to display them. I had this frame laying around for some time now. The glass broke out of it, but the frame was still in good shape. So I covered a piece of cardboard with some Cranberry and New England Ivy cardstock. I adhered a strip of B&T across the center then laid strips of twill ribbon in a grid pattern across the entire surface. The grid is not perfect, it's meant to be a bit crazy and whimsical. I held them in place with New England Ivy and Cranberry big brads. It is already filled with family photo's and there are more coming. I guess I need to make another frame!!

Same Design ~ Different Look

Here are a few cards I sent out this year. This was a fun project to complete. I took one template, the same sentiment stamp, a store bought snowflake and the same color scheme and created 8 different cards. They are all cohesive together yet each is individual... just like a snowflake! I like the combination of colors and elegant papers, hope you like them.


Here are just a few close up:

Christmas Card Exchange Results

Here are the cards from last Saturdays exchange. All of the ladies did a great job. I am always amazed with the creations that everyone comes up with. It is also interesting to see how different a few of the cards turned out using the same Jingle papers. Unfortunately a few of the cards got lost in the mail, but I'm certain that they were beautiful.

Here is another view of this card so you can see the detail of the 3D artwork. Very cool!

This snowman card was not only cute and filled with detail, but it smelled like hot cocoa!

This card closed by tucking the outer circle under the ribbon. So clever!

Fun With Gift Bags

I had some fun decorating a few gift bags this year. They are inexpensive and come in an array of colors. I chose a white and a craft (brown) bag for these projects because they allow the papers and stamps to be the star!

This first bag was the create and take project for last Saturday's card exchange. The ladies got to make this fun ornament bag to collect all of their cards at the end of the day. It uses some polka dot Jingle paper and the Holiday Trinket stamp set. We also incorporated a large 'E' size alphabet stamped directly on the bag then stamped a sentiment over the top from the Holiday Commentary stamp set. A couple strands of ribbon and some bling finished it off perfectly.


This next bag was the craft type or brown bag with handles. It was the perfect backdrop to some creams and twilight blues. On this I stamped some snowflakes from the Heartfelt Christmas stamp and used the same ornament as the prior bag. A simple sentiment and it's cute as can be.

This final bag is for the coffee lover! I random stamped an old wooden stamp on cardstock and adhered it to the craft bag. I liked the chocolate color with the tulip colored hearts. For the sentiment I simply stamped it on a thin strip of cardstock, then adhered it to some fat ribbon with brads. Do you like it a Latte?

Mini Glitter Albums

While I'm waiting for a few more cards from Saturday's Christmas card exchange, I have some fun glittery mini albums. You may recall me posting a CTMH TV link on my blog a few weeks ago. One of the products they focused on were the glitter rub-ons. I wanted to give it a try as soon as I finished watching the video. The first step I made was to use the glitter rub-ons on white daisy cardstock. I let them sit for a few days while the right project came along to use them on. I finally decided to make these mini albums to showcase my kids school pictures to be sent out with Christmas cards this year. I just cut the glittered image I wanted to use for each one and they were assembled in no time at all. I posted pics of each album up close for a better view.