Merry Christmas

Wow! Is everyone else as tired as I am? Christmas is a whirlwind! I had family in town all week and some drop in company throughout the season. At least my house is some-what clean and now I can relax a bit. I started by joining some dear friends for coffee at a local coffee shop on the square in Newnan today. Even though the service left much to be desired, the company was great! Jeanna and Margo always have a way of making lemons into lemonade when we are together. There is something special about spending that quite time with friends without our children. I know most of you don't know this about me, but I am a homeschool mom and as rewarding as it is to teach your children and see them discover new things everyday it feels great to get out and be with other homeschool moms that need some encouragement just like me. It was rejuvenating and has sparked my creative juices! We went next door to the quilting shop and I realized that I don't have time for another hobby...but I did realize that it was a great place to get some color combination ideas and it really stimulates your creative side. One day I will take it up and learn the art of quilting, but for now I will wander in for inspiration! I also can't wait to use the coffee shop wall in scrapbook page! Faux brick and broken plaster sounds like a great backdrop to a sizzling page! I challenge you to look for inspiration everywhere that you go and to take some time to get a page or so done before the new year begins.

Looking ahead.

It is amazing to me that we are almost finished with another year. As I think about it I wonder what next year has in store. I have been blessed with family, friends, health and so far surviving the holidays! I think about what I want to change about myself, my house, my business in the upcoming year and realize that I have a lot of thinking to do. I have been cleaning like a mad person this week getting ready for company, and I have found some areas in my life that need to be ORGANIZED! I love that word... my family isn't a big help with that department though. Over the next week or so I will be sharing my Organizational tips with you!I am about to make over my computer area and my Scrapbook room! Look out.. I see a big mess in my future. If anyone has any great tips to share, please post them here! I am so ready to start fresh!

Unforgettable Workshop

Unforgettable Bonus Workshop

Come and create 6 scrapbook pages fully embellished with New products and New techniques! Plus you will also make 3 cards and a bonus project!

You will receive:

My Reflections Level 2 Paper Packet “ Unforgettable”, Unforgettable My Stickease, Foundry Book plates,Dimensional Elements Perennials, Designer Pewter Brads, and Ribbon!

Option #1 includes everything above to make your projects and you will use my stamps and ink. $40

Option #2 includes everything above plus My Acrylix Aspiration stamp set $60

Optional items available to add to your workshop:

Dry embossing stylus $3.25

Cocoa Marker $2.95

Cocoa stamp pad $5.25

Sorbet stamp pad $5.25

Sponge $1.25

January 24, 2009 at 6:00pm @ Sandy’s house... refreshments will be served and fun will be had by all! Registration is Due by January 4th. Come and invite a friend! You will learn new techniques and work with all New Products from our Spring Idea Book.

National Paper Crafting Month

I am so excited about our New National Paper Crafting Month coming in January! Close to my heart has done an outstanding job on a new promotion. Close to my Heart is proud to announce – a January Sensation that Celebrates all the amazing things you can create with paper and a little creativity. And to make it even more fun , we are offering a fantastic kit that will enhance everyone of your projects.

The gorgeous new Key to My Heart Level 2 paper packet features all of our luscious new exclusive colors: Tulip, Juniper, Sorbet and Crème Brulee. The packet is accompanied by the awesome new E-size My Acrylix Key to my Heart stamp set brimming with elegant, charming designs. It’s a great combo with a retail value of $47.90.– and From December 16– January 31st it can be yours at a substantial savings or even FREE!

What’s more, hostesses can get the kit for FREE with a Home Gathering sales total of $400 or more in January.
Or if you join CTMH between January 1– 31 you will receive the kit Free in your New Consultant kit.

I will be hosting a special event workshop for everyone who purchases or receives this kit for free in honor of National paper crafting month. Date and details will be announced soon! Watch for details to come!

Three Great Choices:

Purchase the kit for retail of $47.90

When you spend $130 you will get the Key to myHeart kit FREE!

When you spend $75 you can purchase the kit for just $20

Accordion Gift Album

This album was made also using More to Adore papers, photohangers, photo clips, brads, and more to adore my stickease all from Close to my Heart. This was a gift album for a friend I left several photo spaces for her to add additional favorite pictures and her own journaling on the tags. To see more details you can click on any image and it will make the photo larger ! Enjoy!

Memory keeper

This was a baby shower gift. I used Close to my Heart memory keeper box and the More to Adore paper packet.

Smilebox fun!

Ok so I have discovered a new fun way to waste away the day. Smilebox is a great site that allows you to make super easy scrapbooks to send to everyone via email. With a subscription you can print them and add your own music. They are too easy and too much fun. So while I am on my free subscription I thought I would get the most out of it. Enjoy the pictures of our Smokey Mountain vacation this past summer with my parents. It was a great trip.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Thanksgiving was so much fun. Here is the smilebox that I made to remember all the fun we had! Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Glitter Disaster

Well, this morning took an unexpected turn. I have a large wooden embellishment center in my scrapbook room that my darling husand made me. On it I have various size and shape jars filled with buttons and ribbons, accents and several little containers. In one of these little containers is glitter and this container dropped from the third shelf to my desk that is covered with my card workshop projects. Anyway, the glitter exploded EVERYWHERE! It was a mess! I never realized how hard it was to get rid of glitter!

First, in a glitter emergency scrape as much as you can into your craft tray with a paint brush.
Next, shake and tap off all the papers, stamps, blocks, versa matte etc... and brush it into the craft tray. Then, get out the vacuum cleaner and use your edging tool to vacuum it all up! (FYI the dusting tool doesn't work ) Anyway, I think I will be finding glitter forever in my space and on me! I even had to empty out my tool caddy and vacuum it too along with my chair! I am telling you keep your glitter low, very low so it can't fall!

That goes to show that buying cheap glitter comes with it's downfalls... the lids don't stay on! I will be sticking with CTMH prisma glitter from now on, because the jars close tight!

Green glasses

Every where I look everyone is talking about green, especially my husband as he helped his company get LEED certified for building products. (a project he was proud of at YKK) Every building magazine has the word Green on the cover. Well, in our house I am the recycling nazi. Just ask my kids! But that is not the only time I am in a recycling frame of mind, everytime I go to throw something away I think about if it can be used in a special way, especially, if I think it can go on a scrapbook page. I have trained my husband to ask before he throws anything away that he thinks I can use on a page or a project with the kids. He thinks of ways of using things in ways I never thought of before!

I find things even cleaning out my kids pockets and in the lint trap of the dryer! I find pieces of chains, buttons, and landyards. Before I toss things in the kitchen can I wonder if I can alter it for a gift or paper crafting project. For example, I love JARS! They hold ribbon, markers, embellishments and those buttons I pulled from the dryer! I don't think I can have too many jars. Turn one into a votive holder and decorate it with paper and ribbon....

I know you think I am a packrat, but I am not! I do save movie stubs, tickets to shows etc. to put in my scrapbooks, but the trash , it goes in the trash. My family also knows that I love to throw things away! I hate clutter... only the useful stuff may stay.

Here are 5 ways you can go green with your scrapbooks!

1. Save your scraps and use them to make cards for friends when you need one (don't spend $5 on a piece of paper that only fills the land fill, make one they will treasure and put in their scrapbook!)

2. Jot your note on a sticky note before you send a handmade card so your friend that doesn't scrapbook can reuse the card for another friend.

3. Foam sheets sent in packages can be used for a stamp pad with Acrylic Stamps or for paper quilting in your scrapbook. Don't throw it away!

4.Use empty embellishment tubes or ribbon round containers to decorate and fill with treats for a little gift. My kids love when I do that !

5. Trade your unwanted scrapbook supplies with a friend or donate to a school or girls club in your area for use as craft supplies!

I hope you start looking at things through green glasses.... it will make this world a better place for our kids!

A whole new world

Well, I figured since this was the rage and everyone else was doing it I would give it a try.... (don't I tell my children everyday, I don't care if your friends are doing it?) Anyway, this looks like fun and may be easier than getting my husband to finish my personal website. I guess I should introduce myself, my name is Sandy and I am a mother of 4 children Kensley, Sean, Brayden, and Jonathan. I homeschool my 3 boys and that is a full time job in itself. I also am a consultant for CTMH... that is so much fun! I enjoy having a creative outlet and meeting new friends everytime I go to work. I hope you will join me often for new projects, ideas, and senseless rambling! (isn't that the point?) I look forward to sharing my world with you.