Lucky 10 Thirteen

Get Your Glitz On!

2011-06-17T08:25:00.000-04:00

Taking this month's challenge over at the Glitz blog. Made this card based on their sketch. Included lots of Glitz products that came in my Little Black Dress kits. This will be Richard's Father's Day card.

Friday Fill-ins

2011-02-12T09:27:00.000-05:00

Yes--I know it's Saturday, but I wrote these yesterday!

1. Family relationships are so weird sometimes.

2. “Life is full of ups and downs. The trick is to enjoy the ups and have courage during the downs.”

3. Trust your instincts.

4. Things usually work out for the best. Trite, but true in my experience.

5. Parents worry about their kids even when the kids become grownups.

6. It’s hard to take back what was said.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a cocktail (do I say that every Friday?), tomorrow my plans include the Hawks’ game and Sunday, I want to Skype with Claire in Australia!

Girly Cards

2011-02-08T18:23:00.000-05:00

Seems like there have been a lot of birthdays in the last couple of weeks. I made these cards using the January Stamp of the Month from Close to My Heart. Most of them also use a new paper pack called Wings -- except for Erica's which is basic black & white.

For Amy and Ellen

For Samantha

For Gretchen

For Erica

Happy Birthday, Ladies!

Friday Fill-Ins

2011-01-28T20:36:00.000-05:00

1. Up is not my favorite direction. I'm plagued by a fear of heights.

2. The flu is going around. Daniel had a fever last week.

3. Coats and scarves, mittens and boots: are neatly organized in the coat closet. One of my projects while we were snowed in!
4. I can't remember the last time I had a nice back rub.

5. I'm thinking about whether or not I should drive up to North Carolina this weekend.

6. I hope my dad will be OK after falling and breaking his hip this week.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to my third glass of wine, tomorrow my plans include the NW youth group Mystery Dinner Theater and Sunday, I want to do what needs to be done.

11 Books to Read in 2011

2011-01-03T08:42:00.000-05:00

Last year I challenged myself to read a classic every month. If you read my previous post about discipline, it won't surprise you to know that I didn't completely succeed. I did read a handful, though, and enjoyed them. This year I thought I'd make a list of the classics I'd like to read and post it here for accountability. I'm not sure they all qualify as true classics. Some are favorites from childhood, a few I want to refresh in my memory and a couple are to fill the "holes" in my reading history.

11 Books to Read in 2011

The Yearling--Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

Rascal--Sterling North

Caddie Woodlawn--Carol Ryrie Brink

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn--Betty Smith

Madame Bovary--Gustave Flaubert

Anna Karenina--Leo Tolstoy

Sense and Sensibility--Jane Austen

Wuthering Heights--Emily Bronte

West with the Night--Beryl Markham

Out of Africa--Isak Dinesen

1984--George Orwell

One little word: Discipline

2011-01-01T09:40:00.001-05:00

“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.”
~ Lao-tzu

One little word: a look ahead to 2011

2010-12-30T22:27:00.000-05:00

I've never really liked New Year's resolutions. But Ali Edwards' one little word concept appeals to me. Choose one word to invite into your life and see where it leads you.

Choosing my word this year hasn't been easy. There are two that jumped to the forefront and they are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Discipline.
Spontaneity.

To choose the first and live with it successfully for a year might lead to feeling satisfied and accomplished.
For years I've thought I lacked discipline. I start all kinds of things that never get finished. I sign up for online classes with a burst of enthusiasm which dwindles as the days pass. I start tracking my Weight Watchers points on Monday and let it slide by week's end. I know I need to add a couple of days of cardio to my exercise regime but it never happens. I haven't been able to sustain a daily spiritual practice. I can't even take my vitamins every morning for longer than a week or two!

To choose the second would probably be more fun! How many times have I said or thought, "Let's.........." or "Why don't I........." only to talk myself out of it? Why not just let go and be joyful and childlike?

I can't decide. I've got about 24 hours to make up my mind.

One little word: A look back at 2010

2010-12-28T23:42:00.000-05:00

The one little word I chose for the year was "fearless". My intention was to be more open to new experiences, to not allow myself to be restricted by fear. There were no dramatic mountaintop moments, but I did try some new things (acupuncture, for one) and say "yes" more than once when asked to do something out of my comfort zone. While I didn't keep myself laser-focused on my word, I never completely lost sight of it either. In fact, the universe dropped it right at my feet this summer when we were visiting the New Museum in New York City. There was an installation by Rivane Neuenschwander called "I Wish, You Wish." Hundred of ribbons printed with the wishes of previous gallery visitors were hanging from the walls. We were invited to randomly select a ribbon and then replace it with a new wish written on a strip of paper. The blue ribbon I pulled from the wall read, " I wish my fears would not limit my actions."

Halloween Workshop

2010-09-29T09:25:00.000-04:00

It's time to start thinking about my favorite holiday --Halloween! I have a workshop scheduled Thursday, October 7 and Sunday, October 9. We'll make everything you see in the photo using CTMH's new Halloween paper pack called "Hooligans" and "Thriller", our September Stamp of the Month. Let me know right away if you're interested in joining us. The fee is only $20.

This card features a cool "cracked glass" technique that is hard to see in the photo. I stole the design from another CTMH consultant, who describes the technique in detail on her blog, so go there to check it out if you're curious.

Friday Fill-Ins

2010-08-06T09:12:00.000-04:00

1. Life is sweet.

2. The key is to just keep going.

3. My last text message (or IM) ended in these three words: of school going?

4. The last prepared freezer dinner is what I'm thinking about for dinner sometime soon.

5. On the 1st day of August I placed an order for new CTMH products . I’m excited to play with the Halloween kit, Hooligans.

6. Our kittens, Mose and Finn, are extremely lively and energetic in the morning.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to cocktails---again, tomorrow my plans include laying carpet squares in the RE building and picking Claire up from the airport and Sunday, I want to enjoy having Claire home!

$2, $4, $6 for 8...........It's You We Appreciate!

2010-08-03T11:00:00.003-04:00

Close to my Heart wants to show how much they appreciate YOU! To do so, we're bringing SUPER deals to you for 8 days only. From August 4 through August 11, while supplies last, you can purchase selected My Stickease® assortments for only $2, My Reflections® Level 1 kits for only $4, and My Reflections® Level 2 paper packets for only $6 on my website. With a huge list of products to choose from, you're sure to find something you love!

Level 1 kits are perfect for quick scrapbooking. They feature four preprinted 12 x 12 scrapbook pages, two 12 x 12 sheets of our double-sided designer paper, and two sheets of My Stickease® stickers (a sheet of letters and a sheet of artwork). Level 2 paper packs contain twelve 12 x 12 sheets of our beautiful printed paper (two each of six patterns) and 10 sheets of coordinating card stock. The My Stickease assortment that you can purchase separately is different from the one that comes in the Level 1 kit and they coordinate beautifully. It includes two sheets of gorgeous adhesive artwork that you can use on just about any project.

The sale begins tomorrow, August 4 at 11:00 am on my CTMH website: http://cathryn.myctmh.com. All sale items are available while supplies last for up to 8 days. You can combine discounted items with regularly priced products and they count towards earning the beautiful August Stamp of the Month.

Happy Shopping!

Friday Fill-Ins

2010-07-30T09:50:00.000-04:00

1. I'm going someplace cooler if the temperatures don’t get out of the 90s soon.

2. I’ve never really had a sense of adventure and daring.

3. Perhaps today you can make it a point to smile while you are driving.

4. I wish I had a true adventurer’s spirit.

5. Compassion is the key to joy.

6. I always try to be polite no matter how difficult.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to cocktails, tomorrow my plans include poring over the new Close to My Heart catalog and Sunday, I want to buy a big piece of white laminate at Lowe’s (if their saw is fixed) for the display unit in my workshop.

Thursday Thirteen

2010-07-29T14:00:00.019-04:00

Thirteen things I like to eat and drink when following the
Weight Watchers program:

1. CranBran Vitamuffin Tops - 1 point

2. Beck's Ultra Premium Light Beer - 1 point

3. Unsweetened Iced Tea - 0 points -- counts toward water intake

4. Celery Sticks and a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese - 1 point

5. WW Chocolate Pretzel Blast mini bars - 1 point -- but it's hard to eat just one

6. Multi-Grain Sandwich Thins - 1 point

7. Gardenburger, Original Flavor - 1 point

8. Dannon Light & Fit Yogurt - 2 points

9. Trader Joe's 9 Whole Grain Crunch Cereal - 1 point for 1/2 cup -- good on top of yogurt

10. Lean Cuisine Pepperoni French Bread Pizza - 6 points -- high points, but a safe way to get your pizza fix. Add mushrooms and peppers.

11. Diet tonic and lime - 0 points -- not counting the vodka, of course!

12. Kashi TLC Cherry Dark Chocolate granola bar - 2 points

13. Skinny Cow Brownie Fudge single serve ice cream cups - I don't have one of these in the freezer right now, so I'm not sure about the points. But, they are delicious and because you have built-in portion control, it's a great treat.

Let's Play Catch-Up

2010-07-25T20:19:00.000-04:00

Here are two of the things that have been keeping me busy lately:

Mose and Finn

We've also been to Santa Barbara, Chicago (no photos!) and New York.

I haven't been doing much scrapbooking, but I took two great classes with Donna Downey at EMI Scrapbooking in Cumming last weekend.

I'm also learning mixed media techniques from an online class with Claudine Hellmuth.

That's it! We're up-to-date!

Inspired!

2010-05-18T13:32:00.001-04:00

Last week I spent about 36 hours in Concord, North Carolina being inpsired by some of the most creative women I have ever met in my life!

Gretchen and I attended Donna Downey's Inspired Artist Workshop and crammed as much as we possibly could in the little time we had. We both had to be back home on Friday, so we couldn't stay for the main event, but we took full advantage of the mini-workshops being offered on Thursday. And, we shopped until we dropped! We are already planning our return next year!

Here we are with Donna in her little on-site shop that was loaded with canvas and fabric embellishments. Gretchen went wild for the iron-ons and I invested in a journal -- along with a few other things!

Each of the mini-workshops I took was taught by a very talented artist. I made a travel journal out of an old book. A tiny little album with a skeleton key spine (Jenni Bowlin's class--I was excited to meet her). A distressed storage tin. Fun fabric flowers (I think Margie was my favorite teacher!). A miniature canvas with bits of emphemera. The mini canvas collage might be my favorite project. I haven't finished mine yet, but here's a photo of one made by our teacher, Lisa Super.

This event definitely lived up to its name!

Open House Make & Take

2010-05-04T14:52:00.001-04:00

Drop in to my Open House this Friday to pick up your free copy of the Summer Idea Book. While you're here, you can make one of these cards to take home with you. It would be a sweet Mother's Day greeting. You'll also enjoy a special chocolate-cherry treat!

Both cards were adapted from a pattern in Wishes, our cardmaking how-to book. The price of Wishes has been reduced from $29.95 to $21.95! It's a great value!!

If you're signed up to crop Friday night, you'll receive a little kit to make your favorite of these two cards.

We'll have homemade pizza for dinner and the chocolate-cherry treat for dessert. Make a $20 purchase from the new Idea Book and you'll crop for free!

I'm looking forward to seeing all of you.

Summer Idea Book Goes Live!

2010-05-02T09:46:00.000-04:00

Close to My Heart's new Summer Idea Book is now available! You can page through it on my website or contact me to pick up a hard copy.

My five favorite new CTMH products:

1. Splendor Level 2 Paper Pack

2. Cherry-O Workshop on the Go

3. Stardust Glitz Glue -- add glitter glue to all your projects and make them sparkle!

4. Ms. Scrapbook -- a cute set of stamps with a scrapbooking theme

5. Clear Cards -- 8 acrylic cards, 4 squares and 4 scalloped circles

6. Pizazz Irrestistables -- chipboard elements with a resist design that shows through when colored with ink, markers or chalk

(Sorry, I just couldn't choose five!)

Kiss Me..............

2010-03-17T08:40:00.001-04:00

I'm Italian! There might be some Irish floating around in my bloodlines, but somebody will probably pinch me today for not wearing green!

I have two friends who were born on St. Patrick's Day so I made a card like this for each of them:

All supplies are from Close to My Heart. The printed paper is from the Animal Cookies pack. The stamp is So Lucky. I bought it to use for Valentine's Day, but obviously it was made for this! I popped up the clover leaves with foam dots. I pressed a brad down into the center which really gives it a lot of dimension but is hard to see in the photo.

I wish Selma and John a very happy birthday and a happy St. Paddy's Day to the rest of you!

May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light,

May good luck pursue you each morning and night.

~Irish Blessing

A Favorite Soup Recipe

2010-03-15T13:42:00.001-04:00

I've been making Chicken Tortellini Soup for about 10 years. The recipe is adapted from one I found in Taste of Home's Quick Cooking mazagine. Don't be afraid to adjust it to your taste. This is probably what we'll have for dinner at my Friday night crop this week. Everybody loves it! I hope you will, too! Don't forget to visit the Recipe Carnival again this week for more great food ideas.

Chicken Tortellini Soup

8 cups chicken broth

1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, plain or Italian

1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

Salt and pepper to taste

Baby carrots, cooked separately (I buy a small bag of the mini baby carrots and steam them)

Cheese tortellini, cooked separately (I use a bag of frozen tortellini)

2 ½ cups shredded cooked chicken (I cook the chicken in the crockpot the day before I make the soup)

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Combine the broth, tomatoes, spinach, salt & pepper. Slowly bring to a simmer. Add the cooked carrots, tortellini and chicken and cook until everything is heated through. Add the Parmesan cheese to the pot just before servings or let each person add it to their bowl.

Makes about 8 servings.

Recipe Carnival

2010-03-09T15:18:00.000-05:00

I love to read recipes! A new cookbook is just as good as a novel as far as I'm concerned. And, after more than 30 years of cooking for my family, I've gotten pretty good at being able to pick a winner.

I am participating in a recipe carnival should be a great source of winning recipes. What is a carnival you may ask? Is there cotton candy? A blog carnival is a collection of links about a certain subject that is published regularly. In this case, every Tuesday there will be a new post with links to recipes as well as shopping and food preparation tips. Just click on this link and enjoy. I hear Christy's brownies are not to be missed!
And, maybe someone will even share a recipe for homemade cotton candy!

Got Soup?

2010-03-05T09:25:00.002-05:00

During the winter I like to serve soup for dinner at my crops. Here's one of my favorites:

Hearty Corn Chowder
(published in The Atlanta Journal Constitution)
16 servings
This quick-cooking soup is served every year at Marist School's Holiday Traditions festival.

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter or margarine

2 cups chopped carrots

2 cups chopped celery

2/3 cup finely chopped onion

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon celery salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 (11-ounce) cans kernel corn with red and green peppers

5 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 (12-ounce) cans evaporated skim milk

1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices

Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add carrots, celery and onion and sauté until soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the flour; slowly add the water, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly. Stir in salt, celery salt, paprika, pepper and corn. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. Gradually stir in cheese until it is all melted. Stir in evaporated milk. Add sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. If desired, garnish each bowl with a sprinkling of parsley.

Note: the last time I made this I added a chopped red bell pepper. I also reduced the amount of cheese by 1 cup and it was still yummy!

Got Mojo?

2010-03-04T16:56:00.004-05:00

I guess I wore myself out with all that blogging in February! I got back on track by challenging myself to make a couple of cards using both the Mojo Monday sketch and the color challenge on 365 cards.

I used my sewing machine on a card for the very first time -- something I thought I would never do! But, I found a cute, little mini Janome for a very good price on Overstock.com and couldn't resist. The felt embellishment was already stitched. I added the zigzag. The crumpled flower from an earlier post found a home here. I would never have thought to use red on that card, but I like the way it pops!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T15:49:00.004-05:00

Miss Prescott Had Once Been in Love

I've been saving this project for last because I made it as a Valentine's Day gift for my husband. I don't think he reads my blog, but you never know and I didn't want to spoil the surprise. It's been a hard secret to keep!

This collage was inspired by a kit designed by Jenni Bowlin, a well-known scrapbook artist. I have always loved to collect bits and pieces of ephemera. If you look closely you'll see, among other things, an old ledger, vintage sheet music, postage stamps, a whiskey label and a cigar band. I found the portrait of the young woman at a flea market last summer. When I brought it home, Richard commented that she looked like me! Something about the round face and the glasses, I think.

I loved the process of assembling the collage and was so pleased with the way it turned out that I e-mailed a photo of it to Jenni. I was thrilled when I received a reply asking if it could be featured on her blog! So, now I've been published! I hope you'll check it out there. My friend, Christy G., took some cool photos while I was working on the collage at the SSNA retreat a couple of weeks ago and they are included in the feature.

I've been dreaming up all kinds of variations of this project and can't wait to make some more!

I hope you're all having a happy Valentine's Day spending time with the people you love the most!

Countdown to Valentine's Day: Your Lucky Day Thirteen

2010-02-13T13:20:00.010-05:00

I know I've missed a couple of days in the countdown. It's hard to blog every day! But, I have something big planned for tomorrow and today I'm going to share a little embellishment that I really love.

Crumpled paper flowers!

For these examples, I used CTMH paper from Notebook and Veranda for the top two flowers and a page from an old book for the one on the bottom.

Now, for those of you who know me and know that I used to be a librarian -- don't worry. No first editions or valuable texts were harmed in the making of this flower! The page came from one of my childhood Bobbsey Twin books! If you don't have one handy, you can easily find inexpensive books with nicely aged pages at flea markets and thrift stores.

Here's how to make the flowers. Use a scalloped circle punch to punch five circles out of lightweight, double-sided printed paper. Stack them up and pierce through the center of all five at once with your piercing tool. Use a small brad (any color--it won't show) to hold the five circles together. Now, beginning with the top circle, crumple it up so that it folds in on itself. Crumple it up good! Don't be afraid. Crumple the second circle in the same way. Do the same with the third and fourth circles, crumpling them up around each other. Leave the bottom circle flat so that the flower will be easy to attach to your artwork. Choose a button to complement the paper. (I have a collection of vintage buttons that I love to use for projects like this. Close to My Heart also has a nice variety of buttons that match our paper packs.) Unfurl the flower petals and attach the button to the center of the flower with a piece of foam tape. Push it down firmly and crumple the flower petals back up around the button a little. That's it! I love them!

Countdown to Valentine's Day: Day Eleven

2010-02-11T23:58:00.007-05:00

A Valentine's Day edition of Thursday Thirteen. My 13 favorite love songs from my I-pod:

1. Al Green -- Here I Am (Come and Take Me)

2. Bonnie Raitt -- Something to Talk About

3. Buddy & Julie Miller -- You Make My Heart Beat Too Fast

4. Counting Crows -- Accidentally in Love

5. Dixie Chicks -- I Can Love You Better

6. Faith Hill -- This Kiss

7. James Taylor -- How Sweet it Is

8. Kasey Chambers -- If I Were You

9. Lucinda Williams -- Still I Long for Your Kiss

10. Lucy Kaplansky -- Don't Mind Me

11. Marvin Gaye -- Distant Lover

12. Mary Chapin Carpenter -- Shut Up and Kiss Me

13. Nanci Griffith -- This Heart

Countdown to Valentine's Day: Days 8 and 9

2010-02-09T12:51:00.009-05:00

Missed yesterday! Sorry about that. To catch up, here are two Valentine's Day cards I made with a sort of shabby-chic vintage style. I love collecting ephemera and old photos to use in my projects.

Inside the baby card I stamped "Be Mine".

Countdown to Valentine's Day: Day Seven

2010-02-07T22:02:00.006-05:00

This scrapbook page doesn't have a Valentine theme, but it does include a photo of someone I love very much -- my daughter!

All of the papers used here are Close to My Heart, as are the butterflies and the felt crown.

I created this layout as an assignment for a class I'm taking over at Big Picture Scrapbooking. It's called "Point of View" and is being taught by Nic Howard. After you've been scrapbooking for a while like I have (15 years, I think!), sometimes things get dull and your photos all start to look the same. This class is designed to help you look beyond the obvious and find something different and fun in your photos. I'm looking forward to the fresh inspiration!

Countdown to Valentine's Day: Day Six

2010-02-06T15:57:00.003-05:00

I found this little wooden word in the clearance bin at Michael's right after Christmas. I roughed it up a bit with sandpaper and attached some vintage elements from my collection.
Cheap, quick and a little bit rough! It might be just the thing for your Valentine!

Countdown to Valentine's Day: Day Five

2010-02-05T23:40:00.005-05:00

More chocolate! These little nugget tins are easy and fun to make.

Each Hershey's nugget is wrapped in a strip of paper that is 3 1/4" long x 1" wide. Build the piece that wraps around the box by layering 10" long strips in varying widths. Mine are 2 1/4", 1 1/4" and 1/2". Use any paper you have. Add ribbon, tags and embellishments as your heart desires.

Countdown to Valentine's Day: Day Four

2010-02-04T19:44:00.006-05:00

You can't have Valentine's Day without chocolate, so here is a delicious and decadent recipe from Nigella Lawson's book How to Be a Domestic Goddess.

Molten Chocolate Babycakes

scant 1/4cup soft unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
12 ounces best bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup sugar
4 large eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup all-purpose flour

6 individual 6-ounce custard cups, buttered
baking parchment

Unless you are making these up in advance, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, putting in baking sheet at the same time. Lay 3 of the custard cups on a sheet of doubled baking parchment. Draw round them, remove and then cut out the discs as marked. Press them all into the base of the cups.

Melt the chocolate and let it cool slightly. Cream together the butter and sugar, and gradually beat in the eggs and salt, then the vanilla. Now add the flour, and when all is smoothly combined scrape in the cooled chocolate, blending it to a smooth batter.

Divide the batter between the 6 custard cups, quickly whip the baking sheet out of the oven, arrange the little cups on it and replace in the oven. Cook for 10 - 12 minutes (the extra 2 minutes will be needed if the puddings are refrigerator-cold when you start) and as soon as you take them out of the oven, tip out these luscious babycakes onto small plates or shallow bowls.

Or............hop in the car and drive over to Trader Joe's. Check the freezer section for Chocolate Lava Cakes. Purchase. Bake as directed on the package.

In either case, serve with whipped cream, custard or ice cream. YUM!!

Countdown to Valentine's Day: Day Three

2010-02-03T17:36:00.006-05:00

Another card! It will be hard for you to re-create this one exactly because the stamp and the embellishments are no longer available. But, that's the beauty of a card sketch like the ones in our how-to books. Use the same sketch with your own stamps, paper and embellishments to create a unique card.

Card measurements
Card Base: 5 1/2" x 4 1/4"
Piece A: 5 1/4" x 4"
Piece B: 5" x 3 3/4"
Piece C: 3"circle
Piece D: 2" circle
Piece E: 1" circle

I'd love to see what you create with this sketch.
Leave me a link to your blog in the comments or e-mail me with a photo.

Countdown to Valentine's Day: Day Two

2010-02-02T14:26:00.008-05:00

Here's another easy card for Valentine's Day. This one features our chipboard Dimensional Elements. The newest episode of Art & Soul covers a variety of ways to use them. The little bee stamp is one of our Petite Perks -- an exclusive gift for my customers!

I also used a little bit of black textured cardstock on this card and I love the touch of sophistication it adds. This month CTMH Textured Cardstock Combo Packs are buy one, get one free with $2 from each purchase donated to Operation Smile's Haiti relief fund. Visit the Operation Smile blog for information about their on-the-ground response.
Stock up on every color combination and help this important and urgent cause!

Countdown to Valentine's Day: Day One

2010-02-01T23:56:00.001-05:00

I'm joining CTMH consultant, Paige Dolecki, in counting down the days to Valentine's Day. I'll post a card, layout or project each day to help get you in the mood for love! Here's one of the cards we'll be making at my Valentine's Day workshops scheduled for Thursday, February 4 and Sunday, February 7. Let me know if you'd like to join us!

This card features the stamp set Love Birds. I used markers and the waterbrush to add a little color and some Liquid Glass on the heart. The Xs and Os are our new Lots of Dots alphabet stickers. They look white when you start out, but when you ink them up the polka-dot design shows through!

Simple but sweet.

Some pages, finally!

2010-01-15T16:11:00.013-05:00

I did so little scrapbooking last year that I've challenged myself to do a page a week in 2010.

Here are a couple of layouts I did that were done for a sketch challenge on ScrapShare. Supplies for these are all Close to My Heart.

This first one uses paper and stickers from "Emporium."The stamp set is "Connections."

This next two-page layout is the first I've done from our Baltic cruise this summer. Nothing fancy here -- title cut with Opposites Attract and some Journey Journaling Spots from CTMH.

Sweet Lucy

2010-01-05T13:39:00.005-05:00

After almost 16 years together, we said goodbye to our sweet Lucy yesterday.

One little word

2009-12-30T13:14:00.023-05:00

"Let me pray not to be sheltered from dangers, but to be fearless in facing them." -- Rabindranath Tagore

A few years ago, Ali Edwards (the scrapbooking/memory keeper guru) started a tradition of choosing one word each January to focus on over the course of the year. One word to keep in mind as she went about her daily life.

This idea really appeals to me and the word that popped into my head today was "fearless". Just the thought of living for a year with that one little word as my guide scares me. Which makes me think it is the right choice.

Here's a video by the Buddhist author, Susan Piver, describes exactly what "fearless" means to me.

I plan to create two scrapbook layouts --one at the beginning of the year to express my intention and the second one at the end to reflect on the process and the influence that living with purposeful fearlessness has on my life.

As you consider making resolutions at the start of the new year, I challenge you to join me in this twist on tradition. Choose one word -- or as Ali says, let it choose you. Live by this word and at the end of 2010, reflect on what kind of impact it had on your life. I'd love to know which words speak to you. Please share your choice in the comments...................or keep it close to your heart.

I wish you all a very happy New Year!

2009-11-19T12:13:00.005-05:00

Oh, I have sadly neglected my blog. The last post was for Halloween and now it's almost Thanksgiving.

I'm headed out on a scrapbooking retreat weekend tomorrow. When I return I should have lots of new things to show you. In the meantime, here is a photo of the cards we'll be making at my holiday workshop on December 3.

All of these cards were made with Jingle Creative Basics paper and ribbon by Close to My Heart. the ideas were adapted from other consultants and our how-to book, Wishes. It's hard to see from the photo, but there's glitter and "snow" and pearls -- lots of bling!

In addition to the cards, we'll make a little embellished box that can be used for storage or to turn the cards into a really cute gift set.

All for just $15! And you'll have lots of paper left over so you can make multiples after you learn the techniques. Join us!

Trick or Treat!

2009-10-29T19:34:00.008-04:00

I love Halloween! It's right up there with Christmas for me. In some ways it's even better because there's less pressure. Some years I go all out and some years I make minimal effort. This year has been somewhere in between.

I taught several groups of women how to make these little treat bags and made at least 25 myself. After being filled with candy, the bags went out in the mail to Santa Barbara, Chicago and Durham (you know who you are!) and have been handed out all over town.

The directions can be found on the Scor-Pal website. The only change I made was to cut the paper 4.25 x 11 so I could get two out of each sheet of paper. All of my Halloween paper scraps and stickers were called into action. I used a variety of Martha Stewart ribbons and although I didn't take a picture, the bat from Beware, a Close to My Heart stamp set that's on special right now, was featured on most of the bags.

Have fun but beware of ghoulies and ghosties and things that go bump in the night!

BOO!

Thursday Thirteen

2009-10-16T00:02:00.004-04:00

"He who does not thank for little will not thank for much." - Estonian proverb

Not the big ones like family, friends and health, but 13 little things I'm grateful for:

1. Lululemon workout pants
2. Advil
3. DVR
4. E-mail
5. A good sermon
6. A good book
7. My Knitpicks interchangeable circular knitting needles
8. Rain (but enough, already!)
9. Prepared meals in the freezer
10. Glue dots
11. Birthday cards
12. Zinnias
13. Friday nights

For the stylish witch

2009-10-14T18:06:00.003-04:00

How cute is this?!

I'm going to fill this little witch shoe with Halloween candy and bring it to my hairdresser on Friday. Then I need to make at least one more to give to an unnamed friend who looooves shoes. You can download the pattern here: http://www.skiptomylou.org/2008/10/28/paper-witch-shoes/

Tips: Use double-sided paper and you won't have to line the shoe.

Paper clips or mini clothespins work well to hold the shoe together while the glue dries.

I used Beacon 3 in 1 glue. It worked great and holds quickly.

Wouldn't these make adorable favors at a princess birthday party or a bridal shower?

Thursday Thirteen

2009-10-07T19:37:00.007-04:00

Thirteen Things I Love About October:

1. Halloween

2. A hint of fall in the air -- no more 90-degree days

3. Sweaters

4. Mini Milky Way bars

5. Pumpkins at the farm stand and grocery store

6. Witches

7. Bats

8. Black cats

9. Red and yellow leaves

10. Shopping for winter clothes

11. Being able to work on my pink afghan without sweating to death

12. Taco Soup

13. My birthday

Digi-scrapping

2009-09-07T10:00:00.004-04:00

I've been dabbling with digital scrapbooking for a couple of years now ever since Creative Memories came out with their Storybook Creator software. I find it more user-friendly than Photoshop Elements. There isn't the same tactile satisfaction of playing with paper and glue that you get with traditional scrapbooking, but I like having an alternative.

I was struggling with how to do our family album for 2008. I haven't kept up with my scrapbooking the way I used to and we also don't have as many pictures as we used to now that we are empty-nesters. So, I created a "year in review" photo book using the information from my daily planner as an integral part of the layouts. These are the pages from February and September:

Early next year, Close to My Heart will introduce their free online design software called Studio J™. There is no software to purchase and install; instead, you'll simply log in to Studio J from my CTMH website and start designing your layouts! All Studio J patterns are two-page layouts, chosen from Cherish™ and Imagine™, with additional combinations forthcoming from Reflections®. The initial launch of Studio J will include 25 layout patterns that can be swapped and rotated for even more variety. The paper and embellishments will be digital versions of the CTMH products we all love! I'm looking forward to trying it out!

September's Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

2009-09-01T09:12:00.003-04:00

I think these are so much fun and a great way to find creative ideas for the current stamp of the month from Close to My Heart. There are almost 70 consultants participating this month which features September's stamp called "Treasures." Feel free to hop on and off the trail as time allows. Here's where you start: September Blog Hop.

New Card Workshop

2009-08-20T13:19:00.011-04:00

We're back from our cruise of Russia and the Baltic and mostly recovered from the jet lag, so it's time to get back to making some cards and scrapbook pages. I can't wait to play with the products in the new Idea Book, but first I needed to prepare for a card workshop at the end of the month. Here are the cards we'll be making:

Thank U and Happy birthday card are based on sketches in Wishes. These use the "solo" alphabet stamps.

These two use the August Stamp of the Month and were "cased" from consultants on the blog hop I told you about earlier this month. I love this stamp!

Here's another one from Wishes. It's definitely a must-have book.

Now that these are done, I can play with "Twitterpated." What's that, you say? You'll have to wait until September 1 to find out!!

We're here!

2009-08-06T12:55:00.001-04:00

Blog Hop!

2009-08-01T20:44:00.006-04:00

There are 64 Close to My Heart consultants participating in the August Stamp of the Month blog hop! This month's stamp is called "It's Your Day" (D1352). It's full of fun party images: cakes, candles and gifts plus a few festive sentiments. This set is perfect to have on hand for all your birthday needs! It is only available August 1-31st so get it before it's gone. Contact me right away to get your set at a discount or even for FREE during the month of August.

To start at the beginning of the hop,visit Jena's blog first. Then just click on the link at the end of each blog post to go to the next stop. It's a great way to see some creative artwork and get some new ideas for your cardmaking.

Let me know if you participate. Maybe I'll join in next time.

Hunting at the Flea Market

2009-07-18T09:46:00.007-04:00

I'm taking an online class with Jenni Bowlin at Big Picture Scrapbooking called "Re-purpose, Re-invent, Re-think." This week's assignment was to visit a flea market to discover the objects that inspire us creatively. Jenni says that because our "Creative DNA" makes us all receive inspiration in different ways it's important for us to identify the triggers so that we can begin to surround ourselves with those things. She had us compile a list of the top ten things that we are most drawn to and then sent us off to the flea market with our list as a guide.

Here is my list:

Old postcards -- especially greeting cards
Old photos -- portraits
Old letters and ledgers -- almost anything with handwriting
Quotations
Birds/owls
Halloween -- black cats/witches/crows
Old Christmas ornaments
Buttons/sewing notions
Brown & white china
Skeleton keys

The photo at the top is my flea market haul from yesterday. My favorite is the small notebook with mostly empty pages. I'll probably tear them out to use on cards or layouts. I also love the portraits of the girls wearing glasses! Richard said the one with the round glasses looks like me!

I had never paid any attention the elaborate designs on the back of portraits before. It's one of the things that Jenni Bowlin loves and it did influence which photos I chose out of the hundreds that were there. After about two hours, I was on sensory overload and went home. I'm still thinking about two things I didn't buy -- a big, old ledger and a circular metal plate with numbers on it that I think was part of an old gas pump. Next time!

10Thirteen was really Lucky!

2009-07-12T13:18:00.015-04:00

I was at the Atlanta Scrapbook Expo crop Friday night and they were doing a bunch of giveaways based on your birthdate. I couldn't believe it when they called out October 13!! And, then I was amazed to see five people run up! The nice Expo people decided to give each of us a prize. Like Let's Make a Deal, I got to choose between the box, the bag or a surprise behind the curtain. I chose the curtain and went home with a brand new Cuttlebug machine. I don't think I've ever won anything before so this was pretty exciting. Earlier in the evening I actually won another drawing and got to pick out a little gift -- some cute ribbons to match the paper in the gift bag we received at the crop.

What a fun day! I took a Basic Grey card class where we made a set of magnetic cards with a matching portfolio to hold them. After that I headed out to Chick-Fil-A for lunch with my friends Marta and Adele. Gretchen joined us when we got back to the Expo and we shopped until we dropped! My favorites were the felt borders at Queen & Co and the glittered chipboard at Melissa Frances. I also bought a ton of Basic Grey. Dinner out revived us enough to do some cropping and we stayed until the bitter end.

Adele & Gretchen at the Queen & Co. booth

The four of us at CTMH.

Gretchen, Marta & me cropping

I was exhausted and went to bed Friday night with visions of embellishments dancing in my head. Yesterday Gretchen convinced me (she didn't really have to twist my arm too hard) to head back over there to take a class from Melissa Frances. It was great to meet her and make five cute cards using her chipboard pieces. Can't wait for next year!

It's Mojo Monday again!

2009-07-06T17:18:00.004-04:00

These are so much fun! Here's the sketch:

And, here's my card:

I've had this stamp forever. I used Basic Grey Bittersweet paper. The ribbon, flowers and pearl brad came from my stash. This will probably end up being a birthday card for Beverly's "milestone" birthday and maybe the prototype for a swap I'm doing on ScrapShare.

Walk-In Wednesday

2009-07-01T15:45:00.004-04:00

Every Wednesday during the summer I have Walk-In Wednesday from 10 am - 2 pm. The house is open and I'm downstairs in the scrapbook room working on whatever appeals to me at the moment. My customers are welcome to drop in with their albums and work alongside me. No fee, no frills, no food. It's easy for me and it's fun!
Today I had 5 people walk in, including Amy who needed to do her Unforgettable workshop projects. So I was busy and didn't get much done, but I did make this card for Richard's 4th of July birthday:

CTMH supplies: Indian Corn Blue, Cranberry and Colonial White cardstock , Shining Star and Argyle Background stamps, Indian Corn Blue ink, Wishes how-to book.

My Very First Blog Award!

2009-06-17T18:00:00.006-04:00

Deneen over at A Path of Paper has given me my very first blog award!

The rules for this award are:
1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.
2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.
3) Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Blogging seems to be all the rage for CTMH consultants, so that will make up a good part of my list.
Just Ducky at Heart
Laurel's Place
Wizard's Hangout
Fancy Melissa
Miss Gingerdots
Paige
Jeanette Lynton -- Jeanette is the founder of Close to My Heart and certainly doesn't need an award from me, but I really enjoy her blog and wanted to share it with you.
Mojo Monday
The Last Door Down the Hall
Lemons2Lemonade --my friend, Lee (formerly of ScrapShare!)
CynM -- another ScrapShare friend
Brooklyn Tweed -- one of my favorite knitting blogs -- gorgeous photos
BabyCocktails -- more knitting (and cocktails!)

Well.....that's not 15 like the rules say, but it is Lucky Thirteen!!

Ric Rac!

2009-06-15T11:06:00.003-04:00

I love Ric Rac! Today's Deal of the Day at my CTMH website is a free ric rac collection (a $9.95 value!) with the purchase of one stamp set.

Meeting the challenge

2009-06-03T16:29:00.004-04:00

I promised I would post my Mojo Monday cards this afternoon, so here they are. All of the paper is from CTMH's Notebook kit which is still available even though it's not in the current idea book. The stamp and embellishments are from miscellaneous sources.

Here's one more using the same paper and a sketch from the CTMH book,"Wishes." It's the same as one of the cards we made in Sunday's workshop -- an easy, versatile pattern. I think I'll add some stickles to the black chipboard piece to give it a little bling!

A Challenge

2009-06-02T14:13:00.003-04:00

I challenge you to use this sketch from Mojo Monday to come up with your own card! I'll post mine tomorrow after Walk-In Wednesday. Remember -- every Wednesday this summer from 10-2 I'll be in my workshop room working on cards or page layouts. You are welcome to join me. Just walk right in! See you tomorrow.

Sunday Card Workshop

2009-05-30T20:56:00.004-04:00

Here are the cards we're going to make tomorrow at my afternoon workshop. All of the patterns are from the new Close to My Heart how-to book, Wishes. The book includes cutting directions and step-by-step

instructions. It couldn't be easier! And, all you have to do is change the paper or the stamp to get a totally different look.

https://cathryn.myctmh.com/Retail/Product.aspx?ItemID=4618&CatalogID=1529

Memorial Day

2009-05-25T10:15:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

2009-05-20T11:31:00.004-04:00

Friday is my dad's 82nd birthday. I thought the sentiment on this Club Scrap stamp was especially appropriate given that he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer over 12 years ago!

Getting Ready for National Scrapbook Day

2009-05-12T16:00:00.005-04:00

My biggest crop of the year is this Friday night from 4 pm - midnight. Twelve people are signed up, so that's a full house! I have another crop on Monday from 9 am - 5 pm with lots of openings left there. Here's a sneak peek at the gifts my croppers will receive:

The cards were all made using the same sketch. It was fun to see how different I could make them. Only two paper packs were used: Silhouette and Emporium.

There will also be a drawing for the new Tickled Pink Scrapbooking Kit, the March Stamp of the Month: Butterfly Wings, a distressing kit and a sheet of ABC stickers.

Back from The Windy City

2009-05-11T13:16:00.016-04:00

We had a great weekend visiting Greg in Chicago.
Did a bunch of touristy things including an architectural river cruise (fun),

the pirate exhibit at the Field Museum (disappointing)

and Mother's Day brunch at The Peninsula Hotel (fun, again).

Mother's Day Cards

2009-05-06T09:32:00.012-04:00

These are ready to go out in today's mail.

Funny that for my first post in what is intended to be my Close to my Heart blog, no CTMH products were used.

Products used in "Purl Gurl" include Knitting Bella from Stampin' Bella, printed paper by Collage Press and solid background paper by Basic Grey. I used the Copic markers I've been collecting for the first time! The knitting basket is cut out and popped up with foam dots.

The dress card uses scraps and a template I found on splitcoaststampers. http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148547&highlight=dress+template

Happy Mother's Day!