June 2011 Blog Hop! We interrupt this….

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May the 4th Be With You...

ha! I love that saying for the eve of Cinco De Mayo!
As I can see (and you of course as well), it's been a while since I've blogged.
I am truly sorry bout that…truly and ruly. Lots going on other than the normal one hour commute each way to and fro work and then the required 8 hours.
I've been selling packs of hand-made cards as you can see from previous posts, can't make 'em fast enough actually. I've also been trying to finish up some projects just laying around, too. Photos coming of those WHEN I actually finish them! ha!
I've also been fortunate to be chosen to assist with training of new hires at work, and even though I am not on the phones, per se, it really makes ya think hard back to basics and to KISS (keep it simple, stupid!) They don't know what I know..so it's important to show the way not just TELL the way. Know what I mean? So that makes your brain have to slow down and concentrate for their sake..I can truly say that I am brain fried at night! Why…I can barely kick my cousin's *ss in a game of Word Feud anymore!

Anyhoot; so what's new with Close To My Heart you ask?
Well BIG NEWS for sure!
First, of course, it's NATIONAL SCRAPBOOK MONTH!
And here's a picture of the special kit created just for this month:

Get it free or purchase outright…beautiful and such a deal!

Second (getting wordy here, but to the point!)
Our business kit is now HALF OFF! That's right…you can join for $65. AND choose 3 out of 5 of the additional business kits! You also get the You & Me kit free as well. It's a win, win and a great economical way to receive over $300 worth of products whether you use it as a business or not.
I can't list all the features and benefits here (now THAT would be wordy!) so you'll have to hop on over to my website to check it all out!

And I hope you enjoy your very, merry month of May!

New colors of an old version...

nothing new…really.
I love this first design so bad, I think I saw the green combination on the Wizard's Hangout but couldn't find the card, but my first version is here…and now I love it in purples, too!

This next card…took an hour to make…here's why:
First I found the flowers (am trying to exhaust a lot of embellies on hand)
Then had to find some papers to match (or thort-uv match) which took 45 minutes!
Of all the CTMH kits I have, I would never have looked in the fall kit Olivia. Once I started looking at my sample swatches there it was!
Then viola!

It's Alive!

Due to circumstances beyond human control (solely a mole), our artichoke plants had to be taken to a more protective area. That means transplanted into a self-contained box with cement blocks underneath to prevent a certain mole from pulling it down by the roots.
Can you imagine a 5 foot tall plant with a stalk the size of small car tire being reduced to a 10" tall piece of leaf? I mean come on…!

For a quick refresher on the plants as young things, click here.


Anyhoot, shortly after transplanting, the poor things were dumped on by at least 11" of rain, winds up to 50mph, and more rain. There was doubt of survival.
Yesterday being the first sunny day in a really loooooong time, I ventured out.
Lo-and-behold…. It's alive! and ….producing already!

Well, if that weren't enough to throw me into summertime hypertension, I turned to the backside of the property and saw this…in all it's glory….

And wept with joy.

Lovin' Level One Special!

What's a Level 1 you might ask?
Well, years ago when Close to My Heart pioneered the Scrapbook industry with My Reflections, the basic kit was called Level 1…this being all you would need to create a few layouts and add some great My Stickease embellishments to accent. Easy Peasy. Whack slap and glue, done. Or as the company promoted; Faster, Simpler, Easier.
(Level 2 Kits would give you more papers, cardstocks to really let loose, Level 3 would have you on the moon…but for this month's special we'll focus on the Level One special, k?)

Sooooo…this month when you place a $100 order on my website,
you’ll receive one My Reflections^® Level 1 kit ($9.95 value) of your choice FREE.  There are many to choose from, too. 
While you're shopping in you jammies, take a gander at the HUGELY reduced- while supply lasts products as well…you will not be dissapointed..
And don't forget that you may qualify for a free or discounted April's Stamp of the Month..and that's no foolin'! 

No Trends Here….just a bit more of Artwork!

I have tons…TONS I say! retired papers and stamp sets…duh!
Making some Card packs for sale at work (by popular demand) is a great way to unload those papers to make room for more. (I didn't really say I needed more, right?)

So in no par-TIC-u-LAR order however these are my favorite of the 10 in each pack:

this one…the colors and papers, definitely numero uno!

this one, second fav!

 always will love this "Stitched" stamp set...

"Hope"

Every time there is a natural disaster somewhere, I try to help.
Give blood no problem…$5, $10, $20 here n there whether I have it to spare or not.
I send it off, tweet about it and "hope" that in some way my little bit will add to a huge melting pot that others have thrown in.
I see the aid on the news…and think OK…I guess it did help so it does make me feel better.
Locally I see those in need as well. These are my neighbors, co-workers and family.
I take an elderly neighbor a plate of food and know they are nourished.
I see a homeless teen going barefoot and see her happy in a pair of my barely used shoes.
I see children lonely and sad in a hospital, so I take bags of Beanies so each child can call one of them their own and won't be so lonely.
Don't get me wrong…I don't have the need to get something in return….well…until now!

I know how great Close to My Heart has always been in time of need…and as Jeanette our founder says,
"If we all do a little, together we can do a lot. Let's show our support and together, provide real HOPE for Japan!"
So she whipped out this:

A stamp set I can love and use for a long time…but better yet ALL proceeds of this set will go to ARC efforts for Japan!
In fact, I might even find a tattoo in my future with this image in PINK!
You can order yours easy peasy from my website using order #A118 or go straight to the Hope for Japan link.
Don't forget to treat yourself to some highly discounted items and specials so you can also earn free My Acrylix blocks while helping others!

Ode to Rooster

He came to our yard scrawny, weak, and mangy looking last summer and could barely croak out a cock-a-doodle-doo.

Kept sayin', "the KI-yotes'll get 'im, won't last long".
Somehow he found various places to "roost" and rest.

I complained about him crowing at all times inappropriate…
I complained about all the peanut shells he left behind…
I complained about the small poop piles on the deck and sidewalk…
But he lasted through the winter..even started developing some plumpness around the breast area…his color became a beautiful varigated tone of white-on-gold, his rear tail
feathers became tall and sure.

Then one day last week…I slept in. The alarm actually woke me.
I realized…no crowing. No scratching at the door. Nothing but silence outside.
That night when I got home from work, I took a mag-lite and searched around the perimeter of our property, the neighbors, anywhere looking for signs.
Nothing. No feathers. Nothing.

I miss the dang crowing. I live in the country after all! There should always be a rooster crowing somewhere right? The peanut shells have blown away with the spring wind.
The poop piles have washed away with recent storms.
And I now rely on my alarm clock to wake me up in the morning.

Meanwhile…back 'n da Hood...

Hi Bloggers;
This was either sunrise or sunset over our "back yard"…just looked so cool I had to run for the camera.
Working on a new little "goodie" in the Studio, but since vacaysh is over, it'll be a few more times before I finish. I still zone out after a few hours after I get home from work.
Be patient. It's the way it rolls for me these days.

MARCH PAPER TRAIL…! Blog Hop

Hi all!
Surprise, Surprise, Surprise! I'm doing a Blog Hop again!
If you've found me from Betsy's Blog, welcome!
This month we are featuring the gorgeous papers from the new CTMH Miracle Kit.
I somewhat cheated…when this kit was a special, I had a Scrapbook for Hire project and the papers went really well with that theme, so I'm showing them off here. This was one of the pieces in the kit…Using a flip flap, it opens to reveal more pictures.

 The center strip is actually the stickease from the kit

 This is a cool way to add more photos without using a flip flap…mount a large card on your layout and mount on the top of the page protector…it reveals…….

 3 more photos!

The "family tree" also lifts up to reveal more photos using a single flip-flap.
and for a cute use of word stamps, click on the photo and see how I "wrote" on the tree!

 I love this set…using TONS of Colonial White large brads they add focus to the photo.

Thanks for stopping by! To purchase any of these products of course, visit my website

Now…
Hop on over to Mary's Blog to see what fabulous things she has in store for you!