Close to My Heart July Special

Jump of It July! is a special campaign that will allow you to have either the July stamp of the month, or any of the hostess reward only stamp sets from the annual or seasonal expressions catalogs!  If you were eyeing one of those Hostess stamps and couldn't get it - this is your chance! Here are the details:  

During the month of July, when you purchase $25 (USD&CAD) in current, retail priced stamps, you qualify to receive either the July Stamp of the Month, My Acrylix® Life Is Wonderful, FREE or any one of the Hostess Rewards stamp sets featured in Annual Inspirations 2014–2015 or Seasonal Expressions 2 for only $5 USD&CAD! That is a savings of up to $17.95 USD/$19.75 CAD! The July Stamp of the Month is a lovely, versatile stamp set that is a great match for your cards and layouts that celebrate all the wonderful things—big and small—that life has to offer. Additionally, the Hostess Rewards stamp sets have previously only been available as part of the Hostess Rewards program, which means now is the perfect opportunity to get those special stamp sets you’ve had your eye on! To get your FREE stamp set or your $5 USD&CAD Hostess Rewards stamp set, simply place an order for $25 (USD&CAD) of any current, retail priced stamps. This offer is available only during the month of July and applies only to the July Stamp of the Month and current Hostess rewards stamp sets, so spring into action and jump on this deal before it’s gone!
*Offer valid July 1, 2015 (9:00 am MDT)–July 31, 2015 (11:59 pm MDT). No tax will be charged on the free item(s). Shipping/handling is calculated based on the full retail price of the free or discounted item(s). 

Here is a handy link for your shopping!  Sharli.CTMH.com

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July!  This week will be filled with excitement in the Brainerd area - I am so happy to be here for the "small town" 4th of July celebrations!  Everyone gets involved, and the weather here allows for all kinds of "American" activities (like Baseball!).  We have been enjoying watching the boys play baseball and since they are on different teams, that practice and play on different days of the week, it is a Monday through Thursday commitment!  I have much gratitude for the chance to be here for these events! 

Hope you like my simple card! (the baseball stripes are Washi tape!)
Happy Canada Day for my Northern friends!

Hedgehog!!!

We have a friend in AZ who loves anything "hedgehog"! So when I came across some hedgehog stamps, I caved and got some! Isn't this little guy adorable?!? He is from Rubberhedgehog Stamps and it is called Summer Reading Program.  I hand-drew the trees and grass and colored with Derwent Inktense pencils. I am pretty happy with the final product. The sentiment was from another stamp set called handwritten sentiments (although I see them first as balloon strings!) from Simon Says.

So, I made a set of these cards for my friend. Each one is unique as I played with the colors, but all look pretty much like this one. Hope you like it!

Hexagons

A dear friend recently gave me a Fiskars hand punch that makes hexagons! I also have three different stamp sets (at least!) that are hexagons. So the other day I grabbed the punch and some paper scraps and began to build a "Get Well" card. The colors and design were made with a man in mind so there are no frilly bows. The papers are Jackson from the Seaonal Expressions 2, now retired, I believe. 

This card, as you can see, is a bit more feminine! I love this paper and how it turned out! I only had sample pieces, and the pink on white border piece is not CTMH, but it all came together so nicely. The sentiment is from a new set called "finding the words". Hope the photos are clear enough!

Hugs!!!

a boy-card

Birthday cards for boys are a little ok, a lot, different than cards for girls! I found an example of a fabulous one (alas! No watermark so I can't tell you who!) and I tried to copy it. There were a few changes due to the paper and ribbon I had on hand, and I realized looking for the artist's name that the original card included three colors on the sentiment (the top section was possibly Pacifica). The balloons on the original had been cut with a Cricut, while I stamped mine. The lagoon one was stamped on the reverse, cut out and flipped over and popped up for dimension.

It turned out fine and was fun to make! My favorite part is probably the spray of dots across the page. What a playful accent and it indicated a breeze to my eye. 

Hugs!
Edited to add: I found the original! It was here on Jeanette Lynton's blog! No wonder I loved it so much!!!! 

Birthday

Just a quick post to share this quick card! I used a card from one of the My Crush book sets and tru. Ed out the flower, then stamped the two little flags, brushed the flower with "wink of Stella" and rounder the corners. All CTMH but the design papers are long ago retired. Easy-peasy!

Baby card

I pulled out an older CTMH stamp set recently to welcome a new "grand baby" for one of my dear friends! The image and sentiment just never get old! I have forgotten if I used markers or pencils to color, but I think it was marker. I know the sentiment was Twilight. 

We have been busy, and I still only have my iPad (which is cumbersome) for posting. Every day I think we will resolve that issue and it hasn't happened yet. Perhaps this week.

The weather has been cooler than normal so our garden is slower than usual, too. I love that I can work out there without mosquitoes so you won't hear me complain about the coolness!  I just grab a sweatshirt and gloves and off I go!

We think a bike ride might be in our afternoon . . . :)