DREAM POP COMING IN MAY!

With May being National Scrapbooking month, Close to My Heart always has some sort of NEAT AND FUN paper pack to help celebrate the month. This year is no exception! The DREAM POP paper pack is almost here! It will be available to purchase online on May 1st. Take a peek:

As a consultant, I would get to preview this paper pack a month early, but I just haven't had a chance to get it ordered. The colors are so bright and summer inspired! I love them!

I've pulled a few samples of cards and projects off of our Close to My Heart Art Board (giving credit to each consultant who was so creative!), so you can see "close up and personal" how beautiful and vibrant these papers are.

FROM Wandering Scissors . LOVE THE BRIGHT COLORS AND CUTE ELEPHANTS!

There are actually 24 SHEETS OF PAPER in this pack - a double pack! 2 each of 6 different colors with various embossing patterns on each (which are glossy), and 2 each of 6 different 2-sided design papers.  You can purchase this special pack for only $10.00, beginning May 1st, when you purchase $35.00 in Close to My Heart Products.  What an exciting deal!

FROM SUSAN WILLIAMS at Close to My Heart. Love how she used some of our silver glitter paper. Can you see the shiny embossing on those sun rays? 

HERE ARE SOME DARLING CARD SAMPLES FROM AMY GEHRING of Close to My Heart. These show all of the various printed design papers.

DARLING CARD FROM LORI BATESON HUHN, a Close to My Heart Consultant. Don't you just LOVE the paper on botton left with the gray background?? sigh......... the cute bird and sun are from the April Stamp of the Month, My Sunshine which is only available until the end of April. (NOTE, this link will only work during the month of April, 2013.)

SWEET RECIPE BOX FROM LORI BATESON HUHN.

Well, you'd better start "dreaming" now!  I know I am!

 

STRAWBERRIES AND STUMPS.

Can you believe that we had snow today? Wow, April 14th and 38 degrees and snowing. I just don't have any beautiful flowers to show you like so many other blog ladies in the more termperate climates are showing off! On other blogs, I'm seeing gorgeous trees in bloom, potted plants in full color and new buds coming out on tree limbs. All I have to offer you are some strawberries, a stump, and a few violas that have managed to peek their little heads up while the snows are still flying!

My very first new strawberry leaves! But............... the deer will probably eat them before I ever get a berry!

Pretty stump?  at least there is some green coming up behind it!

Can you guess what this is????????????????  Rhubarb... and the deer DON'T like this and I have plans for rhubarb pie this summer!

I had good intentions when I tromped around our yard hoping to find a little color, but not much to offer yet.  I did manage to find a few little violas popping their heads up.

Some pretty  branches............. and a couple of birdhouses..........

I've been having fun watching the birds fight for who gets ownership this spring of the birdhouses!

Oh...... I have one little flat of pansies and violas I bought a few weeks ago, and left them sitting out on my front porch......... a test to see if they would withstand the "spring" here in central Oregon!  So far they've survived 3 inches of snow, high winds, and temperatures down to 14 degrees!  I guess I can plant them now.  

And that's about it for color in my yard........ I do miss the wonderful flowers and early spring blooms to the west of the Cascades where I moved from, but I do love the rustic look here of the pine trees, pine cones and mountains, sage, and of course, stumps!
 

GET OUT YOUR 1" CIRCLE PUNCH!

The other day, I was looking at some of my favorite cards that I've made, or that I've saved from other Close to My Heart consultants' blogs. And guess what? I think I like circles, in fact I LOVE using little 1" circles of paper on my cards! Here are a few of my favorites:

THREE CIRCLES on bottom right using Colonial White and stamped and edge-distressed with Smokey Plum ink.

FOUR CIRCLES along right side tucked under the ribbon. Just using plain colored circles adds a little "punch"!!  This card used the Sonoma papers.

FOUR CIRCLES on right, using Colonial White, with little brads on them. These are some old retired CTMH papers. I love distressing my little circles with ink!

FIVE CIRCLES on right, this time facing IN towards the sentiment. I also used my 1" punch for the center circle in the flower, and then free-hand cut the next size up, and used my 2" scallop punch for the outside.  These are retired Pemberly papers.

FIVE CIRCLES - four on the right using my 1" punch to punch out the little flowers on the B&T Pemberly papers.  Alot of our papers have perfect little flowers to cut out using the 1" punch!  I also used a yellow circle on the left under the pretty filigree button.

ARE YOU DIZZY YET? HERE ARE MORE..... RED circles underneath the letters. I punched 1" circles out of the Colonial White and handwrote my word "Noel" with red permanent marker, then popped them up using 3D foam tape.

THREE CRUMPLED CIRCLES on lower right. I sanded the edges and crumpled. This is a quick, inexpensive way to add some more dimension to your cards or layouts.  This card uses the current For Always papers and fabric.

 And here's one more that I didn't make myself, but lifted from  Brenda Frerichs, a Close to My Heart Consultant.  I just LOVE this one!  Thank you Brenda for all these wonderful circles! She used the sweet Chantilly papers for all those lovely circles!  I've got to get punching on my Chantilly papers!

Here are some stamp sets that lend themselves wonderfully to 1" circles:

Monogram stamps 
Perfect Fit - Birthday 
Adventure USA 
Token Alphabet 
Dream Big  (this one is from the Autumn/Winter 2012 Idea Book - still available - 36 sayings!)
Salutation Seals 
Circle Together

(Check out the Autumn/Winter 2012 Idea Book (online here) for  more stamp sets that lend themselves to 1" circles.)

So get out that 1" punch and start punching.  I keep a box full of my 1" circles to use whenever I need to add a little "punch" to my cards!  I think I also will use them on some scrapbook page layouts.

HAVE FUN!

SWEET SURPRISES CARD KIT

The Close to My Heart While Supplies Last has the most darling card kit for only $8.00! Just had to show it to you. Better get it while you can! The While Supplies Last items usually go pretty fast.

 
What a darling, sweet card kit!  You can make 10 5-3/4 x 5-1/4 cards (envelopes included) and there are all kinds of neat embellishments and ribbon, plus the little plastic treat cups.  Here's what's included in the kit:

This is a $19.95 retail value kit for just $8.00!  (Shipping is based on the actual retail value, NOT the sale price).  Go here to my personal website if you would like to purchase this kit.

LET YOUR IMAGINATION LOOSE WITH THIS CUTE KIT!

 

APRIL "MY SUNSHINE" STAMP OF THE MONTH

I've been remiss in posting this months Stamp of the Month! Sorry about that. Here it is - My Sunshine.  

 Here are some ideas from the Spring/Summer Idea Book:

And here are a few DARLING projects made from another Close to My Heart consultant, Aaron Brown at  Booth #32.  I haven't had a chance to order this stamp set yet, so just wanted to show you how fun it can be!  Thank you Aaron Brown!  Looks like she has mostly used the Chantilly papers and a little bit of the Chantilly textiles. That is one versatile pack of paper.

Remember, all Stamps of the Month are yours for just $5.00 with your $50.00 order, OR you can purchase it alone for $17.95.

HAVE FUN WITH THIS ONE! AND HAPPY STAMPING.