True Friends (January SOTM Blog Hop)

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!  It's a brand-new year, and January's stamp-of-the-month (SOTM) from Close To My Heart is True Friends.  It is a set of 11 images with great sentiments to create a 'just thinking of you' card for a special friend.  There are also brackets and frames that can be used to add a little something extra to just about any stamping project.  If you have come here from Amy's 'Paisleys Playhouse' blog, you are on the right path!

There are over 60 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other great CTMH products on their blogs.  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 quick and easy card was created using some of the papers from the new Topstitch paper packet.  Some Edge Anchors, Bigger Brads, and Sparkles were used to create the little flowers.  The self-adhesive Sparkles are one of my very favorite embellishments to use - they are so simple to use, and really add a nice finishing touch.  

And good news - the Bitty Sparkles that are used on the points of the stamped frame are now available to order, just $2.95 for a package of 100 of the 2mm size sparkles.  These teeny-tiny ones were always the first size that I would run out of from the package with four different sizes, so it's great that they can now be purchased separately.  

Now "Hop" on over to Kristie's 'Scrappin, Stampin, or Scrampin' 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 True Friends stamp set is only available until January 31!  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 Jena's 'Live, Love, Laugh, Scrapbook!' blog.

Wordless Wednesday

It's Mickey! (Tic Tac holders)

We made some cute little snowman Tic Tac holders at a Christmas card workshop this year, and they are really easy to make.  When I saw the idea that Tammy shared on her blog with a Mickey Mouse silhouette, I knew that I had to create some using the red and yellow Cherry Passion Tic Tacs.

So, I found some striped paper in appropriate Disney colors (retired Giggles & Grins paper from CTMH), punched some black circles, and created these little "hidden Mickey" holders.  Since Samantha and I are heading for Orlando (and Walt Disney World) on Sunday with the high school band, these will make a perfect little gift for our roommates. 

Wordless Wednesday (protecting the train)

Holiday Trinkets - Create Your Own Snow

An inexpensive and easy way to add the look of 'snow' to your cards and scrapbook pages is to use some glittery styrofoam balls.  Simply take two styrofoam balls and rub them together over a craft tray.  The craft tray will catch all the 'dust' that is scraped off the balls. 

This material is very soft and can be adhered onto your greeting card using any type of adhesive.  The consistency of the styrofoam 'dust' snow is the same as the colored Flower Soft products that are available at some scrapbook stores.

For this card using the Holiday Trinkets stamp set, glue was simply put on the edges of the stamped image and then the styrofoam 'snow dust' was added. The 'snow dust' gives some nice dimension to the card - and would be great for use as Santa's beard, or the cuffs of his suit and hat. 

I was lucky enough to find a slightly damaged package of glittery styrofoam balls at a local store.  The balls were not very uniform and had chucks out of them - but that was just fine for my purpose, since I was going to rub them together to create 'snow dust.'  The marked-down, damaged package was only $1.26, compared to $3.95 or higher for a package of styrofoam balls in "perfect" condition.

Felicity Collection - National Papercrafting Month

January is National Papercrafting Month and Close To My Heart is starting the celebration early by offering a stunning set of papers and stamps.  The collection features decorative die-cut paper, three gorgeous color schemes, and a D-size stamp set that includes flowers, flourishes, argyle patterns, birds, and an entire alphabet! 

• 1 – My Acrylix® Felicity stamp set (D-size)
• 2 – Autumn Terracotta Plaid B&T Duos® Paper
• 2 – Autumn Terracotta Flourish B&T Duos® Paper
• 1 – Autumn Terracotta Circle B&T Duos® Die-Cut
• 1 – Autumn Terracotta Bracket B&T Duos® Die-Cut
• 2 – Sorbet Dot B&T Duos® Paper
• 2 – Sorbet Flourish B&T Duos® Paper
• 1 – Sorbet Circle B&T Duos® Die-Cut
• 1 – Sorbet Bracket B&T Duos® Die-Cut
• 2 – Twilight Argyle B&T Duos® Paper
• 2 – Twilight Stripe B&T Duos® Paper
• 1 – Twilight Circle B&T Duos® Die-Cut
• 1 – Twilight Bracket B&T Duos® Die-Cut 
• 1 – Artwork Brochure (2-sided, full color, project ideas)
  

Five ways to get your Felicity collection:

• $34.95 - purchase it at full retail price
• FREE with an order of $60 or more in stamp sets
• FREE with an order of $125 or more of any CTMH products
• FREE to Hostesses with a party sales total of $400 or more
• FREE with your New Consultant Kit if you join CTMH in January
  

This special collection is available through January 31, and only while supplies last.  Let me know if you would like to place an order, or visit the Shop Online section of my CTMH website (http://sheila.myctmh.com).