Close To My Heart Boxing Week Sale

Come check out Close To My Heart's Boxing Week sale through Monday, December 31.  New items everyday beginning at midnight MST.  Click Here to be taken to my website

Graphic 45 Design Team 2013 Audition

Wow, ever since I first saw Graphic 45 papers at Achiever's I was hooked.  I love the vintage feel and the color pallet of these papers.  They're so much fun.  When they announced the call for the 2013 design team, I knew I had to give it a shot.  Below are my projects for their consideration as a member of the 2013 Design Team.


Frame for my grandparents wedding photo

Altered canvas

Birthday Card

Decorative Shadow Box

Winter Journal for recording events from my childhood

Cruise Journal and pages

Getting back to blogging

Well, it's been almost a year since my last blog update and I'm ready to get back to posting.  My goal is to post 2-3 times a week.  Life has been a little hectic since my last post.  I was chosen to teach at last year's Close to my Heart Convention and had a little over a month to prep 4 art boards and have a few items for a table display.  It was very crazy.  I would work my day job for about 9 hours then come home eat quickly and work for another 2-3 hours making stuff.  Those of you who make anything know how time consuming that can be.  I was able to get all the pieces done and used almost all the supplies Close to my Heart sent me for the projects.  Convention was a blast and I will definitely try teaching again.  I can make this year's convention due to some family issues but am shooting for 2014.

At convention I was also the winner of two of the "heart" statues given out.  I'll be posting pictures of those soon along with my art from Convention.  It was such an honor to get the awards.  I really wasn't expecting them.  Convention was in July and I drove from Colorado to Dallas to attend.  My daughter and her friend went with me.  It was a long drive, we did it in two days staying in Amarillo both going and coming home.  Soon after getting back we had a guy in my department at work quit so I needed to train the new person, plus figure out what he did and didn't do before he left.  Then the Holidays were here and time just flew by.

I also earned my very first incentive trip with Close to my Heart, a cruise to the Southern Caribbean aboard the Celebrity Summit.  My consultant friend Miranda went with me.  This was the first cruise I have ever been on and I really enjoyed it.  I wasn't crazy about the flying part, as it was only the 6th time I have been on a plan in my entire life and we had to fly to San Juan, Puerto Rico to board the ship.  The trip was Feb 2-Feb 9.  So I'm just now getting back to normal with home and work.

The next few months will be busy as well with my daughter graduating from High School and my son finishing 8th grade, but I have a lot of new stuff I've been making over the last year to share and want to get it up, so 2-3 times a week should be a good starting place for me to get back in the swing of posting.

See you soon...

Life's a Beach

This card was customized for a co-worker. He wanted something with a beach theme, but also include softball. This is what I came up with.

I used real sand and seashells for the beach. The paper was from K and Co's 2011 summer paper, the palm tree is one of the die cuts from the same line. The sun was a punch I had in my stash. The beach accessories and ball and bat are either Jolee's or Recollections brand. I bought several themed stickers and just don't remember what I actually used.

Another Personalized Card

Here's another card I created for a co-worker. I really enjoy the challenge of making cards for people when they have something specific in mind. All supplies except the letter stickers are from Close to my Heart. I used Outdoor Denim and Indian Corn Blue cardstock and ink. I crumpled the Indian Corn Blue and sanded the Outdoor Denim to distress it.

Happy Earth Day

Customized Birthday Card

This was a birthday card made for a co-workers wife. They love the outdoors. Her favorite color is blue. Most of my co-workers like cards with the intended recipient's name on them.

I used all CTMH product on this one. Crystal Blue and Outdoor Denim inks and cardstock. The font is the Gypsy font and the trees are cut with a Sizzix die.

Immortal Painter's Tray

My daughter and I made this painter's tray for her room. The tray is from Hobby Lobby and the paper and embellishments is from the Immortal Love line from DCWV.

Thank You Card

I have another Thank you card for today. This was one of about 40 I made for a lady at work. She gave her daughter a box of cards fro a gift and wanted several thank yous and general birthdays.

I machine sewed around the edges.

More Dotty for you Sneak Peaks

These two cards are kits I made for my team. I used the new Dotty for You paper pack from Close to my Heart. This paper will be available April 17. It's only $5 with any purchase of $35 or more from the current Spring/Summer 2012 Idea Book.

Another Thank You Card

This card was a thank you for a girl who likes shoes and flowers. I used DCWV Black Currant, the shoes were cut from Forever Young. The flowers are misc. ones from my stash.

Thank You Card

Here's a thank you card I made for a co-worker.


Sorry for the flash glare



I modled this card off the elegant birthday card in this post

The background paper is a piece of randomly stamped paper I had in my stash. I embossed the purple cardstock for texture. The flowers are random flowers I have. Some are Prima, some are from the wedding secation at Michael's and some were bought at a scrapbook garage sale. I added various brands of pearls and sparkles to the flowers for some WOW. I used silver beaded ribbon/garland that I got from Michael's one year in the Christmas section.

Happy Friday the 13th

Friday The 13th Pictures

Get Well Card

Here's a get well card I made for a co-worker. I used Close to my Heart Unforgettable and cuts from Indie Art and Creat a Critter.

Your Story mini album

I created this little mini with the Your Story Photo binding machine. I took one of the binding covers that came with the machine and embossed it to give it some texture. I made the flowers using the Cuttlebug Quilling kits. I added a little ribbon and some pearls I found in the wedding section at Michael's.




The inside were pages pieces of double sided cardstock. I didn't get pictures of the inside before I gave the book away.

Happy Easter

Extravaganza Application part 2

I had to split this into two posts.

This next project is a mini inside one of the My Creations Card Boxes. I cut the front of the box to form a flap that folds down, where the mini album is hidden. There's a tray on top to hold memorabilia or accessories for the book. This project was inspired by Paper Phenomenon's Kathy Files Secretary found here



The box has a nice magnet closure on it, but because I altered the box, the magnet wasn't strong enough to hold it closed. I used two brads and some twine to keep it closed.

Here's the book that is hidden inside








My final art piece is mini album home decor piece. This idea came from Laura at Following the Paper Trail






The sides come off the box so you can put pictures on the "pages"





I made the roses from co-ordinating cardstock and some of the patterned paper. The butterflies are Flutter Paper shapes, sponged with Outdoor Denim, Honey, and Indian Corn Blue inks. The butterfly trails are Mocha Opaques Adhesive Gems.




The box goes together very easily and quickly. I used the Pemberly paper pack and additional Honey and Colonial White cardstock.

I hope you enjoyed my application artwork.