Thursday, December 30, 2010

Happy New Year!

I must admit I'm not much of a New Year Eve girl. It might be the knowledge that my two little monkeys will still be getting up at the crack of dawn that keeps me from getting excite about partying until after midnight. But I do find New Year Day to be exciting. It feels shiny and fresh and that anything is possible. And my Virgo self gets all tingly at the prospect of planning all kinds of fun for the new year.

Close To My Heart has all kinds of fun things planned for us as well in 2011. I can't unveil pictures of them just yet, but let me just say I am so excited with all the great things we will get to play with. New alphas, six new paper collections, buttons and banners! Woohoo!

My crafting plans for January are to create a baby book for my little niece Ava that is due to arrive in March, get caught up on the boys books and play with those banners.

What about you? What projects are you planning to work on? Leave me a comment and I'll randomly pick a name and send you a goodie from our new products to help with your project.

Happy Crafting!

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Fun with Triple Play

There is only a few more days to get your hands on Triple Play - CTMH's celebration of National Stamping Month. Click here for all the details on how to order yours.

I love how with the Triple Play kit you receive enough goodies to create three adorable mini albums. Here are a few pictures of the one I created.




And here is a picture of the mini album opened all the way.



I wanted to also show you what else you could do with Triple Play if you didn't want three mini albums. Here is a 2 page layout I created by cutting up the paper and using all the same stamps and punch outs that come with your kit.





And then here are some of the cards I created with the other papers.



Your options are limitless. I love options. Don't you?

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

CTMH Product Spotlight Blog Hop

Hello, and welcome to September's CTMH Product Spotlight Blog Hop. This month's spotlighted product is our great Dimensional Elements. If you are joining me from Traci's blog, then you are on the right track. If you are just joining in, then you can start from here and just follow the link at the bottom to begin the Blog Hop.

Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the crisp air, the color of the turning leaves, the hayrides, pumpkin patches, and apple pie. So I created a wall hanging to celebrate the season using our new Mix-n-mingles, our new Olivia paper and our Alpha Dimensional Elements. I love how you can ink up our dimensionals elements to any color you need to match your project perfectly. I'm so pleased with how it turned out. I've hung it in my office and it makes me smile every time I see it.



Double click on the image for a larger view of the whole.




If you interested in creating one of your own wall hangings, shoot me an email and I'll get you the information.

Now to continue on, check out the great things that Chris created.

Happy Hopping!

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Hooligans Workshops

How about some more Halloween fun? During September, I will be offering two different workshops using the new super cute Hooligans paper. One of the great things about this paper is that it doesn’t necessarily have to be used for Halloween pictures because it uses other colors besides the traditional orange and black of Halloween. I love versatile paper packs, don’t you? As you can see in the pictures below for the Fast and Fancy Hooligans Workshop, I didn’t use Halloween pictures at all. So feel free use whatever pictures you want for these workshops.

Fast and Fancy Hooligans Workshop
Tuesday, September 21st @ 7 pm
Cost $24

We will create three 2 page layouts using the Hooligans Level 1 paper and Mini Medley Accents and a few additional goodies from me. Here are a few of the layouts I created.




Please RSVP here by Tuesday, September 14th to ensure supplies arrive in time for class.


Karen Pedersen, click here to visit her website, is one of my creative heros. She is BRILLIANT. And generous. She created this Flip Flap workshop and shared it with her fellow consultants. And I have to share it with you because it is just too stinkin’ cool. This is what the layouts look like with the Flip Flaps closed.


The left page with the Flip Flaps open.



Right page with Flip Flaps open.


Fun with Flip Flaps Hooligans Workshop
Tuesday, September 28th @ 7 pm
Cost:
Basic Package includes:
X7129B Hooligans Level 2 paper $12.95
X7129C Stickease $4.95
Z1325 Flip Flaps $3.95
X5750 Color Ready Alphas-Bold $2.95
Z1312 Star Dimensionals $3.25

Total: $28.05 before tax and shipping.

Better Package includes the Basic Package and adding on any or all of the following items.

Z1034 Designer Ribbon Rounds-Black $ 7.95
Z1332 Holligans L2 Felt Monsters $ 4.95
Z1339 Pear Mini-Medley Collection $ 4.95
Z697 Round Sponge $ 1.25
Z2105 Black Stamp Pad $ 5.25
Z2305 Black Marker $ 2.95
Z2391 Sunset Marker $ 2.95
Z891 Versamark Pad $ 9.95
Z673 White Daisy Embossing Powder $ 3.95
E1014 Posterboard Alphabet $34.95
D1300 Circle Around $22.95
Z4115 Memory Protectors (10 pack) $5.95


Please RSVP here for this workshop by Tuesday, September 21st to ensure supplies arrive in time.

**If you are not local or aren’t available these evening, let me know and I can put together a kit for you and pop it into the mail.

***Also remember that your purchases qualify you to receive the Stamp of the Month at a discount or for FREE! Click here for more details.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

September's Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - Thriller

Welcome to Close To My Heart's September's Stamp of the Month Blog Hop. If you are joining me from Doreen's website, then you are in the right place. If you are just joining in, just follow the link at the bottom to continue forward and it will loop around.


I love, love, love September's Stamp of the Month set. It is that perfect mix of cute and spooky that I like for Halloween. Plus, I really like ALL the stamps in this set and had quite a hard time deciding which to play with first. But this guy stole my heart and I just couldn't resist him.








And since we are dealing with Halloween, I just had to make a little goodie holder. You can attach a fun size candy to the inside of the base or tape in a small bag of your favorite treats. These are so easy to make. I cut my black cardstock to 12" x 6" and then scored it down the 12" section once at 5" and then once at 7" and folded the two flaps up. I wanted to give it a tombstone look, so I just trimmed the two flaps where they meet and stuck two brads through to hold them closed. I thought about using ribbon but the brads where just too much fun.



For information on how you can get this stamp set for free, click on the picture of the whole stamp set in the left column.

Click here to continue on the blog hop and check out what the fabulous Carol created using Thriller.

Happy Hopping!!

Monday, August 30, 2010

CTMH in Scrapbooks etc Oct. issue

After the boys went to bed, I brewed myself a cup of hot tea and curled up on the couch with the October issue of Scrapbooks etc that I had just gotten in the mail. I was so excited for some quiet time to peruse it's pages for the latest news and great ideas.

Here is a few things that jumped out at me:

On page 51, they show a layout using the paper ruffles/frills technique that was featured in the latest webisode of Art & Soul. It is cool to see that CTMH is teaching the current trends.

On pages 74 through 82, they discuss and show examples of great ways to use photo sleeve pages for scrapping pages and extra photos. Super cool ideas that I was really excited about because not only does it answer the question of what to do with all the extra great photos that you didn't use on a page but also because it ties into a new product that is being introduced in the new Idea Book. We already sell these and these. But now we will also be offering 12 x 12 Six Vertical Pocket pages. Since they won't be available until after the first, I can't link to them. But their number is Z1324 and they are on page 87.

But say you didn't want to just slid in those extra pictures, but you wanted to actually scrap them. Well, I've some great news for you you. Now you can with our new 12" assortment of Flip Flaps (Z1325 also on page 87). You get 8 protectors: 4 - 6 x 12, 2 - 4 x 12, and 2 - 8 x 12. I learned how to use them at convention and I'll have a blog post in September featuring how they work, but in a word AWESOME!!


Back to Scrapbooks etc. On page 98, they feature CTMH's Memory Keeper Box. They have a nice little write up about how great it is and different uses for it and how to decorate it and some pretty pictures. YEAH!

It's funny. Whenever I spy these kinds of things, I feel like when you see a friend in the paper. I want to point and say, "Hey, you're famous."

So if you want to check out for yourself how famous CTMH is, pick up the latest copy of Scrapbook etc and you can point too.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

New Fall/Winter Idea Book

One of my favorite things to do is to look through my Idea Book, snuggled in my bed right before I drift off to sleep. Then I have such happy dreams of creating and crafting pretty things. But no matter where your favorite place is to flip through your Idea Book, you'll be excited to know that a new book is being released September 1st. That's right! The new Fall/Winter Idea Books are almost here. Below is a sneak peak.


Isn't the cover gorgeous? It features the new elegant Magnifique paper collection. And inside introduces you to all four of the new collections which beautifully celebrating Autumn and the beginning of Winter. Plus, there are many new goodies and colors that are making their debut. And I'm not even going to get started on all the great new stamps. Trust me. You need a copy.

And all you have to do to get one of your very own, is click here and leave me your name and address and I will pop one in the mail for you.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Great Inspiration in the new Art & Soul


I always look forward to viewing the next webisode of Art & Soul. Every time I learn a new technique and I am inspired to create a new project. The latest webisode, "Eclectic Elegance," is no exception. It is chalk full of cool stuff like how to tie the perfect bows and knots using ribbon, the importance of odd numbers in creating clusters, and cool ribbon ruffles and rosettes.

Click here to be inspired.

I'd love to see what you create after watching, so take a picture and email it to me at jenna_chere@yahoo.com.

Happy crafting!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Happy Birthday, Zayra!

Today is my sister Zayra's birthday. She is a great sister. I have countless fun memories of us. She always insisted I could do anything and never thought any of my dreams too big or ridiculous. And she has lead the way by example, blazing a trail straight to her wildest dreams. She is an amazing poet and painter. Click here to go to her website.

As long as I can remember, she has journaled. And journaled and journaled. I thought I'd use the creativity she has always encouraged to create something she could use in her own creativity, so I made her a journal. Here is the cover.


And the inside.



I used a CTMH's journal and decorated it using the paper from the elegant Emporium collection. I then used the "z" from the Dimensional Elements-Alphabet and just inked it up in coordinating Crystal Blue, wrapped some Waxy Flax around it and popped it on. Then to dress up the spine, I snipped little pieces of ribbon from our Ribbon Rounds and tied them through the spokes in a simple knot.



I also created this card using the same paper to go along with the journal.



I hope you find a little inspiration in your day! And Happy Birthday, Zayra!

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Triple Play - National Stamping Month Special

Septemember is National Stamping Month. Woohoo! CTMH is celebrating by offering the super cute and great value Triple Play. And they are so excited about it that they are starting the special NOW!! Double woohoo!


One’s good, two’s great, and three’s best of all! Celebrate your love of stamping by using stamps to embellish the three mini albums in our exclusive National Stamping Month kit, Triple Play. With inks, stamps, albums, and pre-cut accents for stamping, you’ll complete all three albums in a jiffy. Since each album has its own color scheme, all three are unique and ready for many different kinds of photos. Make one for yourself and two to give away—if you can bear to part with them! In honor of National Stamping Month, you can get huge discounts on the Triple Play kit when you purchase My Acrylix® stamps from your wish list, or get it free when you host a qualifying Gathering or become a Close To My Heart Consultant. Here are five ways to get this outstanding mini album kit: (Note: We’ve saved the best for last, so be sure to read all five.)

1. Buy the Triple Play kit for $29.95.

2. Purchase $25 in My Acrylix® stanps and get the Triple Play kit for just $15.

3. Spend $40 on My Acrylix® stamps and get Triple Play for only $5!

4. Host a Gathering wiht sales of $300 or more and get Triple play for FREE!

5. Join Close To My Heart as a Consultant and get the kit FREE!

National Stamping Month is always fun, but this year you’ll get three times the excitement with Triple Play!


To place an order, click here. If you are interested in hosting a gathering or becoming a Consultant, click here.

*Qualifying stamps set purchases exclude Stamp of the Month sets, K-size custom stamps, and Workshops on the Go™ stamp sets. Tax and shipping/handling may apply. Offer valid for customers and hostesses August 15 – September 30, 2010. Offer valid for new Consultant enrollees September 1–30, 2010. Limit one discount-priced Triple Play kit per order per customer. Offer valid while supplies last.

Happy Stamping!

Friday, August 13, 2010

August Stamp of the Month

With all the moving craziness, I just now got around to playing with August's Stamp of the Month, Something Splendid. Isn't it gorgeous?


I had such a blast playing with it and I wanted to show how amazingly this stamp set works.

I took the large flower on the bottom right and stamped it three times in Baby Pink.

I then took the large flower on the top left and stamp over the base flower with three different shades from the red family. Blush, Cotton Candy (a new color coming out in September), and Tulip. The tone on tone of the Blush is very soft and sutble. The Cotton Candy is flirty. And Tulip is dramatic. Pretty cool, huh?



The last time I was at the grocery store, they had these fantastic bundles of giant sunflowers. Their beauty inspired me to create this card using this month's SOTM and our new clear cards that will also be coming out in September.




If you love this stamp set, hurry and place your order. It will only be available until the end of this month. And as always, the more you purchase the bigger the discount on the Stamp of the Month.

Have a wonderful Friday!!
J

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Grammie's Bragbook

Tomorrow, we will be celebrating my sweet Mom's birthday. One of the really great benefits of being an adult is the wonderful friendship that I have with her. Quite frankly, I'd be lost without her. She has instilled in me the art of being silly and is always up for an adventure. She is the classic southern belle who has never met a stranger and she makes a mean seafood gumbo. She's classy and sassy and just too much fun. And of course, she adores her grandkids, so I made her a Grammie's bragbook for her birthday.

I used this adorable Cream Mini Album, which comes with eight 3 x 3 clear sleeves inside for your pages. Can you believe it is only $3.95? For the cover, she wanted just flowers and since she thinks the Filigree Charms are "just gorgeous" I popped one on as well. You could easily modge podge paper on the cover as well, but that's not what she wanted. And for today, the lady gets what the lady wants.


I felt the elegant and whimsical Veranda paper best suited my Mom, so I used scraps left over from my Veranda workshop in the Spring. It came together easy peasy and she loves it. We'll see how many times she busts it out of her purse at dinner tomorrow night.

**Please ignore the dirty fingernails. I was playing in my flower beds this morning.







Hope your day is wonderful.
J

Monday, August 9, 2010

I've moved.



Yep, we've moved. Away from the sweltering heat of Texas and home to gorgeous California. I am such a lucky girl. I'm ten minutes from the beach and we haven't gotten above 75 degrees since I've gotten here. Ahhh!!

We barely survived the trip across the desert. The Penske truck was a brute to drive. And 18 month old twins strapped down in carseats for three days. Need I say more? Currently, we are living in a sea of cardboard boxes.

My standard answers to "Have you seen...?" is "Sure, in Texas." "Where is ...?" "Um, in a box."

Of course, after unpacking the coffee pot and toilet paper, I began unpacking all my craft stuff. A girl's got to have her priorities straight. Who needs pots or pans? Then you have to cook. Moving is a great excuse for take-out.

"But wait," you say, "How will I still get all my cool Close to my Heart goodies?" Well, never fear. I've got you covered. Simply go to www.jennachere.myctmh.com and you can place an order anytime and have it delivered straight to your front door. Cool beans, huh? Or if you'd like to have a party to earn our fabulous hostess rewards, we can do an online party. They are super cool and easy. Just drop me a line at jenna_chere@yahoo.com.

Well, I guess I can't put off the unpacking anymore today, but I did want to let you know my news and share this card I made to mail out to people with out new address on the back. I've been dying to use this fun Stamp of the Month from last year. I'm hoping to get these cards listed on my etsy site later this week, so if you know anyone who is about to move, they can purchase a pack of this cutie at www.jennachere.etsy.com.

Have a fantabulous day!!
J

Monday, May 17, 2010

Carstock Storage Situation

Please help me. I have a cardstock storage situation. It's been upgraded from a dilemma to a situation. Please help me before it grows into a problem.

I need a new way to store my loose leaf cardstock. I've outgrown my previous system. So help a fellow crafty girl out and leave a comment, letting me know what system is working for you.

Thanks. Y'all are the best.
Jenna

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Scrapbook Crop

Come join us in celebrating
National Scrapbooking Month

When: Saturday, May 15th from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm
Where: First Baptist Church, Ingram.
3139 Junction Hwy, Ingram, TX

Cost: Free for crop. Bring a yummy dish for potluck.
Miracle workshop ~ $20 held at 2:00 pm
Unlimited use of my stamps, ink pads, punches
and tools ~ $5

Please bring your cutter, scissors, and adhesives.


* 6’ tables for each person

* I will be on hand for help with any Workshops you
would like to work on.

* I will have cardstock, paper, and embellishments on
hand for purchase.

Please let me know if you are interested in attending.
www.jenna_chere@yahoo.com or 210.264.4025


For those of you who live in San Antonio, Ingram is just an hour north on I-10 into the beautiful Hill Country. So drive on out and enjoy the bluebonnets and enjoy a day of crafting in the country.

Monday, April 19, 2010

This blew my mind!


The new Art & Soul webisode just came out and y'all this blew my mind. They demonstrate a new technique called Puddle Pads. Oh My Word! Too cool. I already ordered a slew of re-inkers and you know I have enough baby wipes. hee hee. I can't wait to play with this new technique. I know the results are going to ROCK.

Click here to link to the webisode. Be prepared to be amazed.

Pretty stinkin' awesome, huh? Email me at jenna_chere@yahoo.com or give me a call at 210.264.4025 to place an order for your re-inkers, so you can start making your own puddle pads.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Laugh and Win

I love Jeanette Lynton, CTMH's founder and CEO, for lots of reasons. One of those reasons is her sense of humor and encouraging nature. If you'd like to have a few laugh out loud moments today, pop over to her blog and read today's post and the replies. I've even posted one of my stories. hee hee.

Then if you are brave enough, you can post your own embarrassing story and be entered to win product from the as of yet not released Summer product line. Yippee!!! C'mon be brave. I double dog dare ya.

Happy reading! Just don't drink your coffee and read at the same time. It gets messy when you laugh it out your nose.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

CTMH Summer 2010 Catalog Preview




Isn't it just too cute? I am so excited I can hardly stand it. I can't wait for us all to get to play with this delicious new paper collection called Cherry O.

And that's not all. Oh no Ma'am. There are three other equally as wonderful new paper collections debuting. And a ton of great new stamps. And new products like clear cards. Yes, you heard me right. Clear cards. Those will be a blast to create with. So many new fun things to try out. Yippee!!

But I can't tell you anymore. Sorry.

If I did, I'd have to kill you.

Just kidding.

But seriously, I would.

But I can tell you the new catalog is going to be released May 1st. So consider hosting a party in May, since everyone will want to snatch up all kinds of new things, you would reap tons of hostess reward points which turns into FREE product. Woohoo!

And if you just can't wait until you see me later in the month, shoot me an email at jenna_chere@yahoo.com or give me a shout at 210.264.4025 and I'll pop a catalog in the mail for ya. 'Cuz I cool like that.

Love ya and happy crafting!

Thursday, April 8, 2010

A week!?! Really!?! How'd that happen?

Man, it's been over a week since I've posted. A whole week. How'd that happen?

I'll tell ya. Easter. And baseball. Baseball has FINALLY started. I always feels like it takes forever to get to opening day. But it FINALLY got here and it was fantastic. The Red Sox beat the New York Yankees. Or as Lelia calls them, "The Monkey Butts". I love a Red Sox game, but I LOVE a Red Sox game where the beat the Yankees. Pure happiness.

Anyway, I've been soaking up all the fun, while getting ready for some classes and workshops. And I've been planning a crop for next month for National Scrapbooking Month. And getting ready for the launch of the Summer Idea book. I can't wait for y'all to see the super cute Cheery O collections and the pretty Splendor. And new clear cards. Crazy cool. We are going to have so much fun playing this summer. Anyway, I promise to post something crafty soon.

Have a wonderful day.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

April Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to April's Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!!

When I first saw April's Stamp of the Month - Flower Pot - I was so excited. It was so cute and had so many ways to put it together to create fun, pretty cards.

Here is just one of the cards I made using this set. I know I'll be using this set tons this spring and summer. Plus, it will be fun to use when I scrapbook my garden's flowers.



From here you will go check out the wonderful things that Helen created with this months stamp.

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful April.

Monday, March 29, 2010

April Workshop - Cute Caboodle

With all this lovely weather we have been having, I hope that y'all have been getting out and getting some great spring pictures. The boys had their first trip to the park and they loved it. They went on the swings, down a slide and played in the sandbox. And they learned sand doesn't taste good. And last Saturday, they went to their first Easter egg hunt. They aren't so sure what that was all about, especially since mommy won't let them eat the candy. Big meanie. But mommy did get pictures. And what better paper than Caboodle to scrapbook them on.

Here is a picture of one of the layouts you can create with this workshop.



If you are interested in joining in on the fun, whether with a club or at home in your pjs, email me at jenna_chere@yahoo.com or give me a call at 210.264.4025.

Here is the flyer with details on the stamp set and embellishments that are included.



Caboodle Basic Workshop Kit (includes):
Caboodle Level 2 Paper Packet ($12.95)
My Acrylix® This Way ($13.95)
Dimensional Elements Booksmart ($4.95)
Workshop Guide ($1.00) $29.95
You Pay: $29.95 (Retail $32.85)
You will have plenty of supplies left over for additional projects.

Create the Projects just as they are in the guide by adding the following:
Z1271 Tiny Tabs $3.95
Z1125 Designer Ribbon Rounds™ Sweet Leaf Collection $7.95

Extend your fun with this paper pack by adding the following:
X7121C Caboodle My Stickease Assortment $4.95
C1387 Playin' Hard $18.95
C386 Boys at Play $18.95
Z1261 Irresistibles Lots of Dots $4.95

Additional Tools:
E1015 Cocktail Alphabet $34.95
Z2117 Crystal Blue Exclusive Inks® Pad $5.25
Z2164 Sorbet Exclusive Inks® Pad $5.25
Z2153 Sweet Leaf Exclusive Inks® Pad $5.25
Z2169 Vanilla Cream Exclusive Inks® Pad $6.95
Z697 Sponge $1.25
Y1000 1" × 1" My Acrylix® Block $3.95
Y1001 1" × 1 1/2" My Acrylix® Block $4.50
Y1009 2" × 3 1/2" My Acrylix® Block $7.50

In addition, these are just some of the cards you can create with this kit.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Versatility

I am a mother of four: 12 yo d, 8 yo d, and twin 1 yo boys. After all the shoes, diapers, and lipgloss, I don't have a huge crafting budget. I love, love, love when I can make my supplies stretch and my ideas work for both my boys and my girls. And this is one of my favorite things about CTMH collections. Their colors and designs aren't gender specific. Take for example their Topstich collection.


At first glace, it looks pretty girlie. And my girls love it. Great for so many girlie layouts--tea parties, BFFs, and sweet portraits.

But check out the bottom right paper. The blue circles on brown coupled with the Chocolate or Heavenly Blue cardstock works great for the boys' layouts.

So here is the same trio of photos capturing the wonderful relationship between my oldest, Lelia, and my youngest (by a minute), Griffin in the same layout. Both using paper from the Topstich collection.





Pretty cool, huh? So in no time flat, I completed two new pages to add to their books and used up more supplies from one kit. This makes me super happy, because more than I like making my crafting money stretch, I HATE when I have supplies left over that I can't use. GRRR! And big plus, using all my supplies helps convince my hubs that yes, indeed, I do need this new paper kit. hee hee

So if you are looking for more bang for your crafting buck, consider CTMH's versatile collections. I'm off to create some more fun layouts of the kids with the super cool YOU ROCK collection.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Classes at Hometown Crafts

I am so excited! Starting next week, I'll be teaching scrapbook and card classes Monday and Saturday mornings from 9:30 to 12:00 at Hometown Crafts here in Kerrville. Yippee! Here is the class schedule for April.


Intro to Scrapbooking and Card-making March 29th & April 3rd
Ever wondered what it’s all about? Feeling a little overwhelmed? Then this class is for you. We will cover all the basics to create fun layouts that spotlight your photos and chronicle your memories. In addition, you will learn how to create cards that celebrate your relationships. You will learn how to use basic supplies and tools while creating your first layout.
Class fee is $15.00, All supplies are included. No tools are needed. No previous experience necessary.

The Art of Embellishment April 5th & 10th
Take the next step into paper crafting by learning how to use various embellishments: buttons, brads, ribbons, rub-ons, flowers, threads, stickers, inks, and adhesives. To help you remember what you’ve learned, we’ll create an Embellishment tag book for you to keep with examples and instructions.
Class fee is $15.00. All supplies are included. No tools are needed.

Two Twos in Two April 12th & 17th
In two hours you’ll create two 2-page layouts. This month, we’ll celebrate Spring, using paper and embellishments in fresh and bright colors perfect for Easter, park and kid pictures.
Class fee is $20 for instructions, coordinating cardstock, paper and embellishments. Bring your favorite cutter, scissors, and adhesives. Intro & Embellishment classes encouraged but not required.

Mother’s Day and Thank You Cards April 19th & 24th
You can never have too many Thank You cards and who better to say thank you to than Mom? You’ll create 12 cards in designs ranging from sweet to elegant in a variety of colors.
Class fee is $18. Bring your favorite tools and adhesives.
Intro & Embellishment classes encouraged but not required.


To register, email Jenna at jenna_chere@yahoo.com or call 210.264.4025

** Note: If you are interested in one of these classes, but live in the surrounding areas and San Antonio, contact me to schedule a class in your area.

I am really looking forward to all the fun we will have at these classes. I also have all kinds of cool things that we will be doing over the next few months. If there is something specific you are interested in learning, let me know.

I hope everyone has a fantastic week.

Friday, March 19, 2010

CTMH in Creating Keepsakes March/April Issue

This is so cool! Check out the cover layout.



You see that cute, little umbrella with the stitching? It was made using CTMH's Springtime stamp set. The same one I used to make the duckie card from the Spring/Easter card workshop. How great is that? And that's not all. Close To My Heart products show up in other layouts in this issue. More and more papercrafters are finding out just how fantastic our goodies are. Yippee!

For example, Cindy Tobey used patterned paper from our Twitterpated collection on her layout on pg 25. She also used our chipboard buttons from our Dimensional Elements in Color, Organic. I can’t tell for sure, but I think she created the deer using Close to My Heart’s Heartfelt Die-Cuts, Wonder.

On page 91, they highlighted the gorgeous CTMH's Eastertime stamp set. The same one we just used in our Easter/Spring cards workshop. Yay!

And then on pg 109, Jennifer McGuire's colorful card sports a sentiment stamped using the CTMH Classmate Alphabet stamp set. Woohoo! If you ever need inspiration, check out her website. She's AMAZING!!

And there are too many times to list where crafters listed that they used CTMH inks. Way too cool.

So while you're out this weekend running errands, treat yourself. Grab a coffee and Creating Keepsakes and put up your feet. Let the colorful creations kick start your imagination.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Happy St. Patrick's Day


St. Patrick's Day holds a very special place in my heart. I met my husband in person on this day four years ago. We were set up by a service and to be honest, I figured he would be like so many others, just not the one. When he called, he was polite and funny and asked if we could meet for dinner. But I had my best friend and mom staying with me that weekend, and then I was leaving to take fifteen middle schoolers to DC for a week long field trip. We made tentative plans for when I returned. To my pleasant surprise, he text me the morning I was flying out that he hoped I had a safe and fun trip. Then he sent me a text that evening to check that I had indeed made it there safely and to see how I was holding up with the kids. He was just too sweet and funny. This started a week long texting, emailing and phone calling extravaganza. He cracked me up the entire time. And by the time I returned home, I felt like I'd already been on a date with him and was actually looking forward to meeting him in person.



I had seen a picture of him, but when I opened the door, my first thought was that he was more handsome in person. And he brought me flowers. That sweetie. And then I'll be honest, I kissed him. Partly because I knew he'd wait until the end of the date being a gentleman and all and I'm impatient like that, and partly because on the phone He'd done an impersonation of Thumper from Bambi and said "I twitterpated him." What's a girl to do? Anyway, the kiss was lovely and sweet. He then took me to Gruene (pronounced Green), TX since it was St. Patrick's Day, which tickled my funny bone. We ate and talked and walked around the cute, historic, little town and talked some more. We went wine tasting and he bought a bottle of wine and said, "Next year on our anniversary, let's come back here and get another bottle."



And you know what, we did. That next year, we had already married and he took me back to Gruene on St. Pat's Day and we ate at the same restaurant and bought more bottles of wine to toast each other and our life together. He also bought me silver four leaf clover ear rings because I'm his lucky charm. I know cheesy but cute. That's my Handyman and those ear rings make me smile whenever I wear them.



When we married, I got the pleasure of becoming two sweet girls' step-mom. They have been so much fun to love and enjoy life with. And then a year ago, yesterday, we had the great joy of getting to bring home from the hospital our twin baby boys. Four years ago, I had no idea the heart could love this big. Or that I could be this tired.



Boy, has my life change over the last four yours. There have been many struggles, but a lot of laughter, and always plenty of hugs and kisses. And amazing love.

Happy Anniversary, My Handsome Husband. You are indeed My Lucky Charm.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!