Gina's Little Corner of StampinHeaven

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!   We will be featuring April's SOTM, which is Blessed , a set of 12 stamps.   If you have come here from  TONYA'S BLOG , you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way all around.   If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants here . This month we have 56 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other great CTMH products on their blogs. This is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go! April Stamp of the Month - Blessed This stamp set is available ONLY during the month of April. Get it at a discount of FREE!  Ask me how! Following are a few of my Blessed Creations using Miracle Level 2 Paper (X7133B): My own pattern inspired by a layout in the Spring Summer Idea Book! I used our new 2" Scallop Circle

I sat down tonight really intending to work on a card for a different challenge but I needed to make a card for my friend who's father passed away today.    The Mojo design was really more fitting for the card I was making.    As I made the card I thought of Ginny and her family and pray for comfort in this time of loss for their family.. Here is this week's Mojo design:       My card for Ginny: Recipe: Miracle Level 2 Paper (X7133B) Petal Cardstock (X5667) Cocoa Cardstock (X5642) Colonial White Cardstock (1388) Rosy Rgards Stamp (B1369) Cocoa Ink (Z2114) Kraft Color Ready Borders (Z1377) Bliss Level 2 Assortment (butterfly) (Z1355) Opaque Mocha Adhesive Gems (Z1333( Cocoa Designer Ribbon (Z1316) 3 D Foam Tape (Z1151) To see more creations for the Mojo Monday #184 be sure to visit their blog . 

If you have been following my blog, you know that I like to participate in the H2H and Mojo Monday weekly blog challenges.   These challenges have really encouraged me to think outside my box and and get creative.   Every once in a while H2H will have a color challenge which I really like.    My friend Mandy found a great color challenge blog last week called Play Date Cafe .    When I checked it out, I knew it was one that I wanted to take part in! Here is the inspiration for this week's colors.... (LOVE THEM!)                          These colors made me think of Close To My Heart's new stamp set called Paper Lantern .  Cool, crisp summer lanterns in Dutch Blue and Gypsy. Here is my interpretation of these colors: RECIPE: White Daisy Cards & Envelopes Valu Pack (X254) Paper Lanterns (C1458) Dutch Blue Exclusive Ink (Z2119) Gypsy Exclusive Ink (Z2190) Black Exclusive Ink (Z2105) White Textrued Cardstock (retired) Dutch Blue Cardstock (1241) Gypsy Cardstock (X5

I just love it when my customers get excited about creating something with Close To My Heart Products! At my Saturday Hostess Club I gave Gina her recent order.   She was so excited to get this one particular stamp set and she told me what she wanted to do with it.   She had seen a picture in a recent paper crafting magazine that inspired her to create something similar with a stamp by Close To My Heart.   Today, she shared her creation with me and I think it is beautiful!   I wanted to share it with you. RECIPE: Simple Memories (D1472) Card Chatter - Sympathy (D1476) Honey Exclusive Ink (Z2162) Blush Exclusive Ink (Z2106) Bubblegum Exclusive Ink (Retired) Chocolate Exclusive Ink (Z2111) Opaques Mocha Adhesive Gems (Z1333) (all products Close To My Heart) Thank you Gina for sharing your artwork and allowing me to share it too!

I'm a little behind getting to my Mojo Monday challenge - there seemed to be so much going on this week.   A co-worker is retiring next week and I was asked to make him a card.   This just gave me an excuse to get my Mojo on!    Here is the Mojo design:                                   Since this co-worker is male, I needed something with a masculine look and what better paper to use than Lucky!  This is the paper we've been working with at my monthly Hostess Clubs.  I also wanted to use some of my coordinating Lucky Level 2 Assortments.  These are perfect accents for the Lucky paper with many various die-cut chipboard shapes with unique designs.  I found one with a clock with I thought was perfect.   I added a couple of wooden buttons and used hemp in place of ribbon.  The sentiment is actually from the Card Chatter Birthday stamp but I only used the first part of the phrase.  Inside I stamped "CELEBRATE Retirement!" Recipe: Mojo Monday Pattern #183 Lucky Leve

There are MANY reasons that I LOVE being a Close To My Heart Consultant.   I could sit here and type out reason after reason but I will give you just one important reason.   Close To My Heart is a very caring company.   This was proven to me in February 2010 right after the Haiti earthquake.    Close To My Heart quickly said "What can we do to help".   So, they had a huge Hearts for Haiti campaign and offered a buy one get one free deal for their Textured Cardstock with proceeds going to the relief effort.    It was unbelievable the amount of support that came with this offer. So, once again, Jeanette Lynton and CTMH said "What can we do to help?"  This time we are offering a special A-Size stamp set for just $5 .   The entire $5 will go to the American Red Cross to benefit the relief efforts in Japan.       This stamp set (shown below) will be available through April 30th. Add this stamp to your order when you order on-line (find it HERE ) or Contact me today

This week's H2H Challenge is all about Babies!  We could create anything with a new baby in mind.  I chose to make a card - actually two cards!  One for a boy and one for a girl.  I used the same pattern for both cards.  The pattern is called Designer Tab from Wishes .   My Baby Boy Card: Stars are cut from one of the B&T papers! RECIPE: Fanfare Level 2 Paper (X7138B) My Acrylix Stamp - Polka Dot Alpha (D1469) My Acrylix Stamp - Salutation Seals (C1461) Pacifica Exclusive Ink - (Z2192) Clear Button Assortment (1391) Designer Ribbon Blue Collection (Z1385) My Baby Girl Card: Instead of cutting a small slit for the flower tab, I used the pom-pom ribbon to slide the tab behind. RECIPE: Sweetheart Level 2 Paper (X7134B) My Acrylix Stamp - Polka Dot Alpha (D1469) My Acrylix Stamp - Spring Up (B1365) Baby Pink Exclusive Ink - (Z2102) Cotton Candy Exclusive Ink (Z2193) Pear Exclusive Ink (Z2197) Designer Ribbon Pink Collection (Z184) Bitty Sparkles (Z1263) Check out all

When you think of March you may think Lucky.  That just happens to be the name of this month's workshop but it's not GREEN like the popular St. Patrick's Day color!   This Lucky paper is full of warm colors of Outdoor Denim, Sunset, Olive and Desert Sand.  At my workshop we will be creating layouts (or cards) with the new Lucky Workshop on the Go Kit.   This kit includes a package of Wooden Buttons, hemp, an exclusive stampset (not sold separately) and an instruction brochure along with the Lucky Level 2 paper pack for creating a layout and 6 cards. Exclusive Stamp set & Wooden Buttons included in the kit. Feature Layout Additional Layout from Magic - Top Hat This paper was perfect for creating layouts from several bonfires that my daughter attended in the fall.   There are some really great Lucky Level 2 Assortments and Journaling spots that match this paper also.    The Level 2 Assortments are various die-cut chipboard shapes, each with a unique design.

Today's Mojo Challenge was a pretty simple sketch.   I really like the sketch but I think the challenge for me was to figure out a way to 'bling' it up a little and make it more than simple.  For this sketch I decided to use Close To My Heart's new Fanfare paper pack.   This paper says "PARTY!" to me so I decided to make a birthday card. Mojo Monday #182 Sketch:                                     Here is my version of this sketch: I used Close To My Heart's Edge Distresser.  This is a cool little tool that is great to use when you want  to roughen up the edges of the paper.  The designer brad on the ribbon is from the Fanfare Level 2 Assortments.    This is a cute little assortments of brads that coordinates very well with this paper pack. Recipe: 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" Colonial White Cards & Envelopes Value Pack (X1410) Fanfare Level 2 Paper (X7138B) Cranberry Cardstock (1272) White Daisy Cardstock (1385) My Acrylix Salutation Seal

This week's H2H Challenge was to create a scene using 3 different stamps.  They could be from the same stamp set or from different stamp sets.   One thing I learned from this challenge - I don't have many stamps to make a scene!  The only trees I have in my 'yard' are all Christmas Trees and as much as I LOVE Christmas, I'm over that for now.  I want SPRING!!!   So this really was a challenge for me.  I thought about it all week.   I got out my idea book several times this week trying to get that 'ah ha' moment.   At one time I thought I figured it out but I wasn't excited about my idea.   So tonight, I sat down at my stamp tower and searched through all my stamps looking for something.  One stamp I kept going back to was Flower Pot.   Then I remembered the upcoming May Stamp of the Month - Chairs to You.   I haven't had a chance to play with this one yet but it was my favorite one of all the Stamps of Month.   So I decided to create a 'homey&#

This week's Mojo Monday Challenge was just that for me.... a Challenge.   The design was angles, circles, different patterns, you name it and it was there!   I had been working with April's Stamp of the Month - Blessed and the new Miracle Level 2 Paper all weekend.   On Sunday night I was playing around with one of the stamps thinking about doing a circle card.   I stamped the bird image a few times before finally getting something that I was happy with.   It was late so I set the image aside to finish something the following day.   When the Mojo Monday Challenge was posted the next morning I knew I had a starting point with my stamped bird!  So I began creating my card around the bird!  I was excited to get to use the Kraft Color Ready Borders with this card.  I matted the bird with our new Kraft cardstock.   I actually used my corner round (with the guard removed) to turn the plain circle into a scallop circle! Here is the Mojo Design:                        Here is my

What helps to make a cold rainy day better?  Get out your favorite paper and do some crafting!  I needed to design a fun card for an upcoming private workshop that I will be doing so I pulled out the Mayberry paper and went to work.   I have the cutest stamp set called You're Sweet that I purchased last summer.  I had yet to use it so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity.   I got out my Wishes book and found a card design called File Folder that I thought would be fun to use our new scallop punch with. I have to admit, as this card was coming together, I got more and more excited.   If you were at my house and in another room you would wonder what those little squeaks and squeals were about.  I can't help it.... I emit little noises when I really like what I'm creating.    When I was finished, I had to show it off.   I 'skipped' (not really) to the family room where my husband was watching TV (Probably basketball) and said "Isn't this cute???&q

The rainy weather today was the perfect recipe for creating today.   So I sat down with my Creative Basic Wings Collection paper and a couple of A-size stamps and created a few cards!  This week I have my Card Chatter Workshop and we are going to be using this same paper to make our cards.  If you missed my post on my Card Chatter Workshop you can see it here .    I wanted to show off our A-size stamps at the workshop along with our wonderful How To books - Originals (9032) and Wishes (9033) .    My card-making skills were really lacking in the design department before these books came along.   Now I make cards with confidence!  hmmmm..... Maybe that is why they are referred to as a Card Confidence program!  I love the style of these new A-size stamps!  They make creating quick cards very simple and easy and they are OH SO CUTE!   The price of these A-size stamps is great too at just $7.95.  There are eleven different A-size stamps to choose from.  I've compiled all eleven right

I was so busy last week, I didn't have time to participate in both of my favorite blog challenges - the H2H Challenge and the Mojo Monday.  But this week I'm back!  I decided to combine both challenges this week and make one card.    H2H this week was a color challenge.  These are always fun because they are usually colors that I would not think to put together. These are the colors:                                        And this is the Mojo Sketch:                              I decided to do a 6x6 square card.   I mixed up the paper using B&T paper from Hooligans and Veranda paper packs! Who would have thought these two could go together!  I couldn't wait to use my new Kraft Color Ready Borders for this card.   These are new from Close To My Heart and come with 50 12" borders (2 each of 25 designs).  They are so cool because you can use your ink to make them different colors.   I, of course, inked mine black!  I used another one of our newest products - t