Piece of Cake (February SOTM Blog Hop)

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!  For the month of February, Close To My Heart created a really fun stamp-of-the-month (SOTM) named Piece of Cake.  There are 10 images, including 6 fancy cakes and cupcakes on cute pedestal stands.  Color the detailed images using colored pencils, markers, chalk, or ink for your unique creation.  

If you have come here from Brenda's 'Keepsakes With Heart' blog, you are on the right path!

There are 70+ Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other great CTMH products on their blogs.  So you should be able to find lots of great creative ideas to use for your own projects.  Blog Hopping is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! 

This is my first attempt at creating an easel card.  It is surprisingly easy to do, and is a nice change from standard-fold cards.  The fun colors and papers used are from the new Caboodle paper packet.  Of course, there are some of my favorite embellishments used on the card - the self-adhesive Sparkles.  They are so simple to use, and add a bit of 'pizazz' to your project.  

Now "Hop" on over to Melissa's 'Stamp*Crop*Create' blog to see her work!  Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas!  Remember, the Piece of Cake stamp set is only available until February 28!  Let me know if you would like to find out how you can get this stamp set at a discount or even free.

If you get lost on the Blog Hop or find links that aren't working, there is a complete list of all participating blogs on Helen's 'Hooked On Stamping' blog.

Stamp WOW! (Sham Wow parody)

Tresa Black is a fabulously talented CTMH consultant and she created this fun video for a "Clearly the Best" contest with Close To My Heart.   She makes really cute videos and her Fabulously Artsy blog has several great tutorials.  Just like the original Sham Wow infomercial - "You'll be sayin' WOW everytime!" 

Rainy Day Ducks

Just a simple card created using a single, folded piece of cardstock - no extra layers or embellishments.  Used one of my favorite new stamp sets, Springtime.  This set just makes me smile - it includes umbrellas, ducks, and rubber boots!  The are three different 'patterns' (plaid, dots, or flowers) to decorate the umbrella and rubber boots.

Sweet Treats To Go

Finally!!  I've been procrastinating for a couple of weeks with the ideas for this month's workshop 'in my head,' and I finally created the samples.  At the "Sweet Treats To Go" workshop, you will create three different projects - each project can hold a 'sweet treat' for you to share with someone.  You will actually create two of each project, so that you can keep one for a sample and still have one to share with a friend.

This cute box has a window in the lid to show off a single cupcake which is held in place with a small platform.  Sorry, a cupcake is not included.  Papers used are from the new Topstich kit introduced in the Spring 2010 CTMH Idea Book.  The adorable 'cupcakes on a pedestal' stamp image is from Piece of Cake, which is the February stamp-of-the-month from Close To My Heart.  The cupcake boxes are really fun to create, you can see another sample on my Cute Cupcake Box blog post.

Everyone needs a little chocolate sometime.  Create a box specially designed to hold three Ghirardelli chocolate squares using papers from the Caboodle kit along with the Be Happy stamp set. 

To say 'thanks' to someone who has been a real 'life saver' to you, give them one of these matchbook-style holders with a pair of life saver candies.  The stamp images are also from the Be Happy stamp set, and the fun striped paper is from the Daydream kit.

The "Sweet Treats To Go" workshop will be offered on Friday evening, January 29 (starting at 7 pm) and also Saturday afternoon, January 30 (at 1 pm).  Whichever day you choose to attend, the projects will be the same. The $15 workshop fee includes 2 of each of the 3 projects. All supplies are included, except adhesive.  Everyone needs to bring their own adhesive, and a dry 'tape runner' type (i.e. Tombow, ATG) is better for these projects than a wet glue.

Please let me know if you would like to attend one of the"Sweet Treats To Go" workshops. Feel free to leave me a comment on this blog, send an email to sheilabennett@comcat.net, or call 913-485-4355.

Wordless Wednesday (Citrus Parade)

CTMH Workshop-On-The-Go Kits for Spring

Close To My Heart has some great new Workshop-on-the-Go (WOTG) kits that can be used to create scrapbook pages and cards - and each one contains an exclusive stamp set that is only available with purchase of the kit. There are four new WOTG kits included with each Idea Book.  These kits are available ONLY during the 4-month cycle of the Spring Idea Book which is January, February, March, and April. 

Each kit contains a complete paper packet, an exclusive stamp set, a Workshop Guide, and a coordinating embellishment. Each item in the WOTG - except the exclusive stamp set and the Workshop Guide - can be purchased separately. However, if you purchase the basic kit for $29.95, you will be saving between 10% and 15% off the retail value. The Workshop Guide is a full-color 6-page brochure which has complete cutting and assembly instructions for 2 scrapbook pages and 6 cards (2 each of 3 designs). Also included are pictures of 2 additional scrapbook pages and 3 additional cards. More information about the additional projects is available in the Workshops On The Go section of MyCTMH website.

One of the kits is named You Rock.  It includes bright, up-beat colors and the Just Be You stamp set has some really fun images.

The Veranda kit has absolutely beautiful papers.  And the Follow Your Heart stamp set can be used for 'springtime' cards, or to add decorate elements to just about any project.

The Veranda WOTG Workshop Guide includes instructions for creating this 2-page layout.

This kit is named Topstitch and the versatile Love Is In The Air stamp set has some adorable 'stitched' images of flowers and pinwheels.

The Caboodle kit comes with the unique This Way stamp set which includes some arrows and circles which you can use to decorate many cards and scrapbook pages.

You can think of the WOTG kits as a "project in a bag" since the papers, stamp sets, embellishments, and instructions are all included - the only extras you need are adhesive, inks, and blocks to use the stamps. Chances are you already have these extras at home just waiting for a new project to work on!  Contact me to order your WOTG project - or order through the MyCTMH website.

Wordless Wednesday