February Stamp of the Month Blog Hop: Piece of Cake

Welcome to the Stamp of the Month Blog Hop featuring the Piece of Cake Stamp Set!

This is a set of 10 stamps that are great for birthday’s and any other special occassion- if you would like to order this stamp set then click here!

The above card was created using all CTMH products: You Rock paper, Piece of Cake stamp set, Shining Star Stamp set, prisma glitter, markers and an edge distressor. The card was based on the Wishes pattern Delightful Dots (I replaced the dots with stars).

This was a great time to feature this stamp set as my son, Austin, turned 6 this week and his party was yesterday. So, I designed the card for him (although he barely looked at it)!


This is him in his Bumblebee costume that Grandma got him- he was soooooo excited! It came complete with superhero boots and a transformer sword (and today he plans to wear it all day- even to Walmart)!

Now if you want to continue on the Blog Hop then click here to go to Pamela’s Blog.

Also make sure to read below for important information on other things happening at CTMH!!

February is the month to help Haiti!!

Our hearts go out to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti, and like so many of you, we’re eager to help. We’re excited to announce Close To My Heart’s February Constant Campaign, Hearts for Haiti-where customers can get a great deal while doing great good for those affected by the devastation in Haiti.

From February 1-28, 2010, our 12″ x 12″ textured cardstock combo packs are buy one, get one FREE-and with every offer purchased, Close To My Heart will donate $2 US to Operation Smile’s Haiti relief efforts.

Operation Smile is always a fantastic charitable partner-offering free facial reconstruction surgeries to needy children throughout the world. They’ve currently marshaled their medical teams and resources to provide emergency relief in Haiti, and the donations given as part of Hearts for Haiti will be used exclusively for Operation Smile’s efforts in Haiti. For more information on their on-the-ground response, you can visit www.operationsmile.org/haiti.

That means that for $17.50 CAN, you gets two packs of textured cardstock (a great deal at about $.30/$.36 per sheet!) and Operation Smile will receive $2 to benefit this urgent, important cause. Stock up on every color combination: Basic, Spring Harmony, Summer Celebration, Autumn Harvest, and Winter Cozy packs are available.

Have you checked out my latest video yet??

If not click here to see it and help me to win CTMH’s Cleary the Best contest!

Thanks!!

Until we craft again, The Brae-er


Clearly the Best- “Party with CTMH” Video Submission


Close to my Heart’s current contest for consultants is to create a video that show off the best features of our Acrylix stamps- well, I started out yesterday and created a very boring and stuffy tutorial- blah!! I got rid of it all and decided to something fun …… and funny!

Watch my “Party with CTMH”! Share it with your friends as the person with the most views wins a great prize with Close to my Heart. The words are now posted below! Have fun!

Help me with my contest my linking my video to your blog!

Thanks!

Until we craft again, The Brae-er


“Party with CTMH”- The Words

You never know- maybe it will become a famous song! In case you were curious what was being sung here are the words!!
I hopped out the car at my BFFs
with a dream and my tombow
welcome to the land of scraps and stamps
am I gonna fit in?

Ran in the house,
Here I am for the first time
Look to the right and I see the acrylix stamps
This is all so crazy
Everything seems so pretty

My tummys turnin and I’m feelin kinda home sick
Too much pressure and I’m nervous,
That’s when the consultant handed me a block
and I could see right thru
and I could see right thru
and I could see right thru

CHORUS:
So I put my hands out
And grabbed the detailed stamps,
And started strechin them around
Inkin my stamp like this
Dabbin my stamp like that
And I got my hands out
And grabbed the detailed stamps
I know my page will be okay
Yeah, It’s a party with CTMH
Yeah, It’s a party with CTMH

Get to the playgroup for stampers
Everybody’s lookin at me now
Like “whos that chick, thats rockin’ her block
She gotta be new to stamps”

So good with stamps all around me
Its definitely not a regular party
Cause’ I can correct my mistakes
Guess there will be no waste

My tummys turnin and I’m feelin kinda home sick
Too much pressure and I’m nervous
That’s when I was handed a new stamp set
And the base and shade was taught
And the base and shade was taught
And the base and shade was taught

CHORUS:

Feel like seasonin’ my new stamps (my new stamps)
Just so they don’t stain this time (stain this time)
Something reminds me everytime (everytime)
To care for my stamps and they’ll be alright!

CHORUS:twice

Until we craft again, The Brae-er


A Project and A Promise

Lately I have just not been on my blog- so I apologize!! I have a very good reason and one that I will only begin to share with you today. Close to my Heart has recently put some challenges out to their consultants- and I am hoping to win!! Both of them are a lot of work though so please bear with me as I finish up two video segments and five pieces of exceptional artwork (well, I hope they are exceptional)!!
I thought I would share with you one of the projects that did not make my pile of ‘exceptional’ pieces. I like it- but it is just not as good as the other stuff I have created! For this project I used Topstich paper, Soft Suede pinwheels and stamped some pinwheels (I also cut a pinwheet out of the Topstich paper!). I have added some prisma glitter and embossing powder to add some glam! To glam up my background I used create-a-shade pearl paint.
Make sure you visit again soon as I will be uploading a video tour of my scrapbook room (AKA the basement rec room)- thanks to Treasa Black and another consultant (and I cannot remember who) for the inspiration for this video!

Until we craft again, The Brae-er


A Monster Jam and 50 Merci’s

This morning you would have thought that Christmas had come again to my house. Austin was up at 8 to get ready for his big day- first he had his usual breakfast date with Grandma at McDonald’s. This is a tradition started a few months ago that Austin just loves- Grandma is busy usually so they try to get together once a week for their ‘date’. Then Austin came home only to be whisked away for part of his birthday present- two tickets to Monster Jam!!
He had all his toy Monster Jam trucks ready to go with him to Toronto and he was really hoping to see his favourites- Gravedigger and El Toro Loco. Well, he was not disappointed. According to Daddy he had a great time and even came home with a new Monster Truck- Jurassic Attack!
Sadly, now he is watching his Monster Jam movie- I am sure we will see that over and over again for the next few days!

While Daddy and Austin were away, Mommy got to do some stuff of her own. After cleaning up the house and getting ready for my Kid’s Scrapbook Club, I had a chance to make the 50 Thank You cards for Austin’s school- French school= French ‘Merci’s. They took some time but I kept the pattern simple so that it could be done fairly easily. Supplies used were Boom-di-ada Creative Basics and Free Spirit Creative Basics. I especially love the Free Spirit as it works in the French Fleur-di-lis. Now I just need to drop them off to another parent who will be adding the inside notes before giving them to the community members who helped in our recent silent auction. Through the parent council efforts this year we have been able to raise enough money for TWO interactive Smart Boards for the school!

Until we craft again, The Brae-er


Rockin’ the Birthday

My little baby turns 6 in a few weeks and I wanted to somehow create a layout that was not about his birthday party but about him and all of the great fun we have had together in the past year. A few months ago when I realized that his birthday was coming up I got teary-eyed at the realization that he would be 6!! Where did the time go?? Where is my cuddly little baby? Certainly I am not the first mother (nor will I be the last) to realize just how fast our children grow and how little our time with them is- so we need to make the best of it!

On Groundhog Day he will reach a new milestone- for him this is an important birthday. As sad as I am to see the little baby go he has become so much more – he is now the cuddly boy, the sweet little man who tells me how he is a ‘genius’ and who says that he is cute ‘because he is’. He is now beginning to read in French and English and really can be so mature some days!! It will be neat to see how he grows into the man he will eventually become.
I love you Austin- Happy Birthday!

Until we craft again, The Brae-er


New Product Blog Hop

Welcome to our Close to my Heart New Product Blog Hop!

17 Fabulous Close to my Heart Consultants are celebrating the recent release of the Spring 2010 Idea Book by showing you some of our creations with the wonderful new products from Close to my Heart!

This is simple do to- just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

This cute card was made using our new Caboodle paper and my favourite stamp set- Love you Forever!! I used the Wishes pattern Collage and added some sparkes and embroidery floss to finish it off.

As soon as I saw this stamp set in the spring catalogue I knew I had to have it! I have read that book to my son many times and I had just quoted the phrase from the book to him the day before! It is our special thing! I was so excited to get it and see what great stuff I could create! Hope you enjoy!



The background of the card was created by cutting apart one of the stamp images- I just wanted the flower off the tree image so I CAREFULLY cut it apart. I then stamped it in one colour and used my blending pen to add colour in the flowers. I did that same technique when colouring in my bird family and tree stem. Below is a close up of the center image.

Now “Hop” on over to Carla‘s Blog to see her work!

Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and see the great new Paper Packs, My Acrylix Stamp Sets, and amazing new embellishments!

You can purchase any of these items by contacting me directly, or from my CTMH website .

**Link not working? Missed a Blog? Here is a list of all the participants in the New Product Blog Hop!

Erin Herring www.tazzygirl2000.blogsot.com

Lisa Stenz http://www.lisascreativecorner.blogspot.com

Brae Montogmery https://www.brae-er.com

Carla Ironside http://carlacreates.blogspot.com

Helen Onulak www.hookedonstamping.com

Adeline Brill http://adeline-brill.blogspot.com

Jody Gustafson www.cre8nmemories.blogspot.com

Haley Dyer www.inkyscrapper.blogspot.com

Antoinette Herrin www.godblessyourART.blogspot.com

Sherrie Thornton http://impressionableart.blogspot.com

Jessica Moore http://jessicaspaperpetals.blogspot.com

Wendy Kessler www.myscrapbookingblog.com

Dawn Ross http://iamahappystamper.blogspot.com

Dawn Heuft www.stamptildawn.blogspot.com

Kimberly Smith http://verykimberry.blogspot.com

Amy Edwards www.paisleysplayhouse.blogspot.com

Amy Schultz http://amylizschultz.com

Until we craft again, The Brae-er


Upcoming Event Calendar Workshop

Looking for something different to do this month?? Want to make something that you will leave out all year, looks great and will help organize you! Then this is it!!!
Come to my Event Calendar Workshop on January 31 from 1-4 at my home! You can create a beautiful event calendar to track all of those special dates throughout the year- OR – make a first year milestone calendar for that special person who is welcoming a baby this year!!
The cost of the workshop is only $20.00 and this includes everything you need for one event calendar- and you can also order multiples if you would like one for yourself and one as a gift! Please RSVP by January 15th if you would like to attend!

Until we craft again, The Brae-er


New year and some fun with New stuff!!

Yesterday was my team stamp camp- every catalogue release we get together to play with new product, share some business tips and show off some of the new product. At the January event we also give out the awards for the year before!! Although pulling this off is a lot of work I am always really excited- the night before I could barely sleep with the anticipation! We work in an Operation Smile fundraiser and the whole day is just great.
Yesterday we raised $520 dollars for Operation Smile!!!!
We also awarded some of our hard working girls like Cheryl who is pictured above – she won first in sales and top recruiter for my unit!! Way to go girl!
As part of the prep myself, my fab friend Sarah and a score of other people create some wonderful artwork- I was in charge of the January Stamp of the Month board so here is one of the pieces off that- it is a 6×6 card out of Wishes. I used the Veranda paper, Spring Blossom flowers, filigree charms and one of the stamps from the Veranda workshop on the go stamp set! Hope you enjoy!

Until we craft again, The Brae-er