September Card Class

My goodness, it's been a long time since I posted on here!! How are you all? I have the worst time remembering how to sign in and then post. Apparently I need to keep a list of who I am, what my passwords are, what day it is when I post.....you get the picture. I told you all in the beginning I am not very computer savvy and I wasn't kidding!
So here is what I have been working on for my September Card Class. I used the retired Roxie paper and some of the newer stamps. I just love this paper and the colors seemed perfect for the 'almost Fall' weather we are having in Michigan. Enjoy!

What do you think? I love to have a coordinating envelope with the cards. The 'Friend' stamp on the card that is on the right is from the new Hostess Selection stamps that Close To My Heart now offers.

Please check out my website to purchase Close To My Heart products. 

Thanks for stopping by. I hope to be more regular about posting again now that my youngest is back in school for the year. Hard to believe another summer break is behind us!

Talk to you soon,

Debbie

Baby's First Birthday- Thank you.

Hello,
Boy-o-boy has this been a crazy busy summer. I like lazy slow summers but what are ya gonna do?
Our youngest grandson is turning one this week and for his birthday party his parents had a Whale theme on everything from his shirt to the cake to the decorations. We ordered the stamp set New Baby- C1541 from Close To My Heart and used that as a starting point for the Thank-you notes his Mama had me make. As the guests arrived for the party, she 'nonchalantly' took pictures of each of them with the Baby of the Hour.
She will be able to hand deliver most of the cards and if any need to be sent in the mail, we can easily whip one up that will work just fine. You will see that I chose to make a slider style card for this and on the inside is where she will place the photo that was taken at the party. This way it will be more of a keepsake with heart than just a simple thank-you note that might get tossed quickly.
Enjoy!

Next is the card opened/slid out to show where the picture of the guest and Henry will go.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful 'rest of your summer'!!!

Debbie

Puns of Praise Little Cards

Hello there!!
It's has been a long time since I posted and it's not because I haven't been busy, I have.
This summer break has gone so fast that I can hardly believe it. It is already the end of July and I am starting my yearly 'pout' about school starting way too soon.
I have been busy with my scrapbooking business and all the latest from Close To My Heart. We are wrapping up the Spring/Summer catalog and getting ready to debut the new Fall/Winter catalog. Oh boy, are we all in for some fun. The new products and paper collections are gorgeous and I can't wait to dig into the packages of new items I ordered.
But first, I would like to share with you the set of cards we did the other night in my monthly Card Class. We used the CTMH stamp set- Puns of Praise, and made a nice little set featuring each of the seven stamps in the set. This set will not appear in the Fall/Winter catalog but can still be purchased until January. The set number is C1535. If you'd like to purchase this set for yourself, please click over to my Close To My Heart site. While you are there you will be able to browse the specials and as always, check out the 'While Supplies Last' section for last minute goodies!
Here you go:
From Left to Right top: Looking Good, Time flies when I'm with you, You're the light of my life, You're sew thoughtful, You're magnificent
bottom: You're a picture of perfection, I'm your biggest fan.

I used Kraft Paper for all of the bases and made envelopes for the little ones from the Kraft Paper, also.
For the two larger cards I used Colonial White Envelopes. These were fun and the ladies enjoyed them
and had some clever ideas about who they would be good for.
Thanks for visiting and I hope to see you again soon!

Debbie

Super Workshop/Crop Update

Hello again,
I have had to change the date of my big Workshop/Crop to August 17th, 2013. I had trouble securing the location I had wanted and am pleased to announce that we will be meeting at New Life Christian Academy in Kimbal, Michigan from 9:00a.m. till 7:00 p.m.
Please e-mail me at debbiemay3115@yahoo.com if you have questions or would like to register. Please see previous post (I changed the date in it to August 17th) for more information about the Workshop/Crop.
I am getting more excited about this event every day.
Thanks for stopping by,
Debbie

Summer Break, My Foot.

Hi everyone. And thanks for stopping back. I know I haven't written in ages.

My son finished school for Summer Break the first week of June and I have to tell you, it really wasn't a 'break' until last week. We have been so busy with appointments, road trips and just stuff that I was actually excited not to have anything on the calender last week.
I am working on a Super Workshop/Crop for August 17th, here in my town. I say Super because it is going to be something different than any crops I have heard of. You know how you can Super Size your meal at the drive-thru joints? Well that's what I am doing for my crop. As a rule when you sign up for a crop you expect certain things. You get your table to work at, meals for the time period you are there, door-prizes, if it is a fund-raiser you might have raffles, 50/50 drawings etc. My Super Workshop/Crop will have most of that except the 50/50. PLUS my ladies will be given a kit when they arrive that includes a $20.00 chipboard album kit, a 6 x 6 16-page album to fill and a secret surprise that my family has been busy helping me make. Altogether the kit they receive with their registration will be over $30 in products. As an added bonus, my daughter in law from Pittsburg is trying to arrange her schedule to be here for the crop and that means a Super double bonus for me in that I get to see not only her but the grand-babies and my son. Now here's the good part: My son is a fantastic, very gifted cook. If all goes as I am hoping, he will be preparing the evening meal for us. The cost for the 10 hour crop is $55.00 per person.
So tell me, when have you been to a day crop that included all of that? Ok, so maybe you have, but you didn't have me to entertain you all day!
Remember, the crop will be in Port Huron, Michigan on August 17th, 2013. I have a very limited seating available and that is why I am able to have the amazing kits for my ladies. If you are interested in coming to this, I will need your registration fee as soon as possible to guarantee your spot. Please reply to my e-mail at debbiemay3115@yahoo.com if your have questions or interest.

Thanks again for stopping by,
Debbie

2 -fer June!

Hi Ladies and welcome back!

I have been busy working on my club projects for June and am now ready to post them. This month we at Close To My Heart have all sorts of specials and I will refer you to my website, debbiemay.ctmh.com to see pictures and get more details on them. Just briefly with every qualifying $25.00 order from me you will receive a FREE Mini Banner set. value $5.95. We have two Patriotic stamp sets for the months of June and July with a portion of the proceeds going to the American USO. The June Stamp Of The Month is so cute I could just about cry! and for the first 10 orders I receive over $50.00 before ship and tax, I will include a FREE 'Thank You' stamp set valued at $2.95. This is a special through the month of June with ALL PROCEEDS going to help the victims of the Oklahoma tornado disaster. Loads of Specials.
I am calling this post 2-fer June because we will be doing two separate un-related projects at my 2nd Monday Club. Haven't finished the card club yet but you will be among the first to see them.
First, this is the page layout we will be doing using the Tommy paper from CTMH. It also features the coordinating stamp set and our special flip-flaps. These can be used to maximize the amount of pictures you can use in one layout. Simply stick it on over another photo and it gives you places for two more photos.

Next is the little card featuring the June Stamp of the Month. Love these little flowers. I stamped the image three times, used the first for the first layer, then cut the next two up, colored them and then popped them on the first for a fun effect. I saw this on the CTMH site and it is my take on Tamytha Jenkin's card.

Hope you like these and maybe find some inspiration of your own. Please visit my CTMH site to purchase some of the goodies that are available this month and be sure to check out the While Supplies Last section under 'Shop'. New product has been added and you won't believe the deals!

Thanks again and I appreciate your support,

Debbie

All Talk, No Pictures, yet.

Hi there,
I haven't posted pictures, or anything else for that matter, in awhile and I figure if my oldest son can actually ask about my blog the least I can do is get on here and write something! (love you G-man.!)
It has been a goofy Spring here in Michigan. We went from cold and snow to hot and humid with just about 63 hours of real Spring weather in-between. My husband has been helping me around the yard and we are making great progress after about two years of my boycott on gardening. Oh, I had my Victory Garden by the pool the last two years with my 14-foot tomato plants and massive tangle of cucumbers (that my youngest son and I fight over eating the second they are ripe enough) but my other gardens and lawn have kind of been on their own. Funny how 18 years ago when we moved here it was easier to get out there and haul dirt and stone for hours on end. Now it takes a lot more to get this old girl moving.
I sure am glad I did those years of hard labor when I did because I can really enjoy it now. Our homestead is on an acre in the township with golf course on two sides and a great neighbor on the other. In 2000 my step-son graduated from High School and I had just started my 'cement paver patio' phase. So I put in the first of what would become a long line of paver areas around our house. That one was about 15' x 10' if I remember. The next year my oldest graduated and I did a second one next to the first and just about the same size. Two years later my middle son graduated and I put a sidewalk to the front door. Of course you know I chose the hottest days of each year to do these massive projects. Sort of like we look at the Farmers Almanac and decide that's the time to do the hardest work. I'm telling you it can be 40 degrees one day and we plan to get the pool open the next and we wake up to record highs. It has never failed.
Well, the year 2000 was a long time ago and all three of those projects have been taken up and re-done. (is that a real word? re-doed?, nope.) That's one of the things I love most about paving stones. It isn't permanent. If you don't like it or it goes wonky over time from weeds or tree roots, pop 'em up, and start over. I take full credit for where said pavers and walkways go and what they look like but I have to admit that over the years I have had to depend on my husband and youngest son to do more and more of the heavy work. A ton or two, or three (literally) of stone and rock seems to weigh more than it did in 2000!
You might ask "When will it all be done, Mrs. Bag Lady?" And to that I have to honestly say "Never." I know myself well enough to know that if I get an idea, no matter how ridiculous or seemingly impossible to finish/ accomplish, that I am likely to just go for it.
My poor family never knows what's next. I guess it's OK to keep them on their toes. But one thing is for sure and they can pretty much count on it never changing- I will never be done! There is something very liberating in admitting that.
I have a club project to do this week so I need to stay out of the garden and work on that. I promise to post some pictures of what I come up with for my great club ladies. Thanks for stopping by to check up on me,
Debbie

Dotty cards for May!

Hi there,
Here is my card club offering for May 2013. There are three ways for you to get your set of three cards with coordinating envelopes:
1- Come to class. Make 3 cards with coordinating envelopes, fellowship and have a light snack for $5.00.
2- Order a pre-stamped set of 3 cards with coordinating envelopes and assemble on your own for $7.00 plus shipping to your address if necessary. Pick up in town is available.            
3- Order your "ready to sign and send" set of 3 cards with coordinating envelopes for $9.00 plus shipping to your address if necessary. Pick up in town is available.
 
These are made with the Dotty For You Close To My Heart paper collection that is now retired. Enjoy!

The card in the center was originally created by fellow CTMH consultant Gail Gross. The other two are designs that I made.
From left to right the inside sentiments are: Happy Birthday, You make my world go 'round, and So glad we're Friends.
If you would like to purchase one or more of the sets, please e-mail me at: debbiemay3115@yahoo.com
Thanks for stopping by and I look forward to hearing from you!

Debbie

Drawing Winners for May

Good Morning!
I have Winners to announce: Carolyn Burch and ahoffman are the names my son drew from my followers.
If this is you or you know who these names belong to, you have till Saturday to e-mail me at debbiemay3115@yahoo.com to tell me where to send your small thank-you prize. How fun is that?
Thanks to all my followers and occasional viewers for checking up on what I've been working on or making. The blog helps to motivate me to keep playing and creating with paper, inks and stamps.
Have a great week and I look forward to 'seeing' you all again real soon.
Debbie

May 17th 2013 and 6000+ views!!!

Hello everyone!!
I have had my blog for almost 5 solid months and have just passed the 6000 view count. How cool is that?!! As promised I will do a drawing from my followers in the next day or so. This time I will choose 2 followers to win a small thank-you gift and then post the winners 'stage name' on the blog. If I don't hear back from them within a week, I will choose someone else. This way I won't go bonkers trying to find you. I will do the drawing no later than Sunday evening so that will leave time for those of you that aren't signed up as followers to get in on the fun.
Thanks for a great five months and I look forward to many more with you!!
Debbie

YOU MAKE MY WORLD GO 'ROUND

Hi there,
This is my entry for the first half of May's Rose Blossom Garden Challenge. I decided to do a primary color type card because the ferris wheel  made me think of carnivals and amusement parks. Thanks for stopping by!

This was a little bit of a challenge for me. I guess that's the point of the Rose Blossom Garden Challenge. It is meant to stretch our imaginations by assigning a certain key on the CTMH Artiste cricut cartridge. You can also see by scrolling through my blog entries that I am a very moody creator. What I come up with is completely dependent on what mood I am in. 

See you again soon,

Debbie

Gettin' Inky!

Hi there, I've been Gettin' Inky!

Close To My Heart has some really great products that go way beyond also having the best Paper and Stamps in the industry. We have SUPERB, juicy, bright, coordinating inks and re-inkers that help you stretch not only your scrapbooking and card-making dollars but also your artistic individuality. If you have cruised around the internet sites that feature scrapbooking you will have seen the trend toward Art Journaling and Smash Books that are a looser approach to scrapping than the more traditional style that you are used to. As I have mentioned before, joining the scrapbooking industry was a bit of a struggle for me because as an artist, I see things in a more 'outside the box' sort of way. I subscribe to the idea that pretty much anything can be improved upon or changed to be closer to my interpretation of a thing or theory. Those of you that know me have probably heard me say (or at least hum the tune) "Anything you can do, I can do better". I realize that this is a rather egotistical attitude and perhaps a more accurate wording would be ''Anything you can do, I can change to better suit me."

Having 'admitted' that, I have been working to stretch my creativity with scrapbooking while also staying true to the company I am a consultant for. We have the tools you need to make the style you are comfortable with from traditional to artsy! As for the looser style associated with Art Journaling, by description a more artistic approach, we have spray pens that work with different mediums (products) to create looks that you really can't exactly get with stamps. We have re-inkers (liquid ink to re-saturate your ink-pads) that can be used in the spray pens or even as a water-color style application.

OK, I hope I have peaked your curiosity to see what I have come up with on my own little artistic side-trip.
Below is my May club project. All of the tools used are either CTMH or from using the cricut and CTMH cartridges. Enjoy! (Oops, the embossing folder is by Darice.)

I started out with two sheets of White Daisy paper and lightly misted Lagoon and Pear ink all over.
Then you can see that I made and used a custom Gear stencil on the left-hand side and then for the right I simply flipped the stencil over and patted the leftover ink onto the page. The extra gears were cut on the cricut from Slate cardstock, Outdoor Denim, and Pear cardstock then edge distressed for contrast.
I love how this turned out. The feature paper is from the CTMH Later sk8r collection.
Have fun and if you are ready to Get Inky, hop on over to my CTMH site and get the supplies you need to make it happen!
If you would like to order one of my Gear stencils, the cost is $8.00 plus shipping to your zip code. Please e-mail me for more information. debbiemay3115@yahoo.com
Talk to ya soon,
Debbie                                          

     Here is the paint box I made and the work in progress.

And the Winner is......

Can you believe it? I won the Blossom of the Month at Rose Blossom Garden Challenge.
How cool is that. My winning entry is in the post just below this one. I would stay to chat but
I am off to sign autographs! (And think about what I will do with this new found fame and fortune!)
I even get to post the Blossom of the Month badge on here. *Look to the right to see it.
Thanks for checking on me and for your comments and support. This is a blast!

My 2nd Rose Blossom Garden Challenge

The challenges for this involve projects that are designed using the Close To My Heart exclusive
Art Philosophy cricut cartridge and a certain designated key/page for each challenge, this time we were to use the Mother's Day keys on page 74 in the booklet. This one was an easy one for me as it is almost Mother's Day and I am lucky to still have my mother with me. Enjoy!

Below you can see the inside of the card and then a close up of the detail work on the front.

I was trying to put the bottom two next to each other but couldn't manage it. Thanks for stopping by.

Hope to see you again soon!

Debbie

                                                                        

         

Footloose Note Cards w/ Monogram

Hi,
How are you all doing? I am having a blast with this blog. I have flown right past 5000 views. I know several of you have loads more views/visits than that but since I just started this the end of December, I'm pretty excited with the results. Thanks to you for helping me do this!
Today I am posting a note card set that I made for my May club hostess gift. I am just loving these Close To My Heart monogram stamps. I have the whole set now by collecting them one or two at a time. These adorable and useful monogram stamps are only $2.95 each and come in the same, yet smaller, wonderful packaging envelopes that all of our stamp sets have.This set for my hostess includes four note cards and envelopes, a coordinating box/envelope (custom) and a brand new monogram for the recipient. I also have included four extra stamped 'C' circles for her to use to seal the envelopes when she sends her notes to friends.

The paper is from the retired Footloose collection and I used Lagoon ink for the stamping. Isn't this a sweet little set? Just in time for summer greetings! You can order the monogram stamps from my Close To My Heart site, just click on the 'shop now' spot to the right.
Depending on feed-back, I might be persuaded to offer these kits for sale. I will need to figure the cost but let me know if you are interested. The completed set would be a great addition to your own stationary collection or make a lovely gift for a special friend. If I get enough interest, I will edit this post to include details for purchasing.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Debbie

Dotty For You Workshop

Hi there everyone!
I am only 3 days away from my Dotty For You Workshop and thought I better post what we will be doing this month for those of you who like keeping tabs on me. This has been a HUGE project to get ready for the ladies that will be here this week. I saw a few different takes on the Dotty layouts on pinterest and then had to decide on my own measurements and change things a little to fit my supplies. The first ones are pretty close to the ones I saw by Mary Thompson, but the bottom one is all mine. These colors are so fun and will look great for either girl or boy pictures. Take a look then we'll chat some more!








What do you think? It's kind of hard to get a photo of this many layouts all at once but I think they turned out great. Won't this make a super start for a whole scrapbook? This months workshop is full and I am just about down to my last bits of the Dotty paper but please stay tuned for future projects. I will post again when the next classes/kits are available or have something interesting or funny to share. Thanks for stopping by!
Take care and have a wonderful day,
Debbie

Welcome new Followers!

Greetings from Mrs. Bag Lady!
I just wanted to say a quick Welcome to my new followers. It's good to have you here and I hope you enjoy your visit. I don't post super often but try to have something new at least once a month or more. If you have looked around at my past posts you will see that I had a drawing for followers-only a bit ago. I have now connected with each of the winners and prizes were sent. I will try to locate people a little differently if I do that again so I can send prizes out faster.
I have my first card class this week, see previous post below, and a big workshop of five 2-page layouts this week also. I plan to post the layouts today or tomorrow.
Once again, thanks for stopping by and I look forward to 'seeing' you here and even on your own blogs!

Debbie

Chantilly Card Kit/Workshop

Hello Card-Makers!
When I started out I was strictly interested in scrapbooking pages to keep my mountain of photographs on.
I just couldn't understand all the fuss and hoop-la about making cards. Now that I know about a billion scrappers that only make cards, I am starting to get it. I still find it difficult to give my cards away to anyone that doesn't know what goes into making these miniature works of art. Now giving them to fellow scrappers or artists like myself is another story. They (you) appreciate what it takes to design, cut, stamp, paste, tie, punch...... You get the idea.
I have had a few gals ask if I would be interested in holding a card class/workshop and of course I jumped on the idea. During the last 12 months of being with Close To My Heart, I have learned how to scale down the pages I was used to and now really enjoy making the smaller version to share (or horde in my stash) with friends and family.
Here is the set of cards that I have made for my first card class/workshop. I have to mention that the middle card is one I saw that Mary Thomson, a fellow ctmh consultant, had posted on pinterest-I think.

                                        


I was going to try and add this text down the side of the photo but haven't learned that yet.
The first, or top card is a layered piece that was stamped on separate pieces of white then matted between the layers. You can see that the stamped design is continuous across the front of the card.
The second, middle card, is a take on the quilted style that I am loving to work with.
The third, bottom card, is one that happened by chance when I sat down to play with my papers and punches. I used the ek punch for that darling lace edge on the front of the card. The denim blue strip is actually on the inside and helps to make the lace show up so nicely.
Also included in the class will be the envelope liners that I think add a classy finishing touch to the collection.
I feel that you could be proud to present any one of these to a special friend or loved one.

How to get a kit:
If you contact me and come to my home class/workshop- the cost is $5.00 to make the three cards/envelopes. If you order and plan to make 2 sets for $10.00 you will get a bonus card.
I will be holding my in-home class/workshop April 25th, 2013 at 6:00pm. Please e-mail me by
April 20th to reserve your spot.

If you chose to order the kit and have it sent to you, it will come pre-stamped so you will mostly need to just assemble your cards and envelopes with minimal cutting.
The cost for the three card kit with pre-stamped pieces is $7.00 (+shipping to you)
You might like to order the six card set (two of each design) for $14.00 (+shipping to you) and I will include a bonus card/tag (still to be designed but will coordinate with these.)


Please e-mail me at debbiemay3115@yahoo.com if you would like to order either of these sets.
I do not have a paypal set up yet and will request check or money order for pre-payment.
If you have questions I will be happy to help via e-mail.

Thanks so much for checking in on me and what I have been up to. I look forward to hearing from you!
Debbie

My entry for the Rose Blossom Garden Challenge.

This is my first entry in a challenge. It is for the Rose Blossom Garden Challenge that I mentioned a few posts ago. I will now try to get it over to their blog address. Wish me luck!

Check out the other 'contestants' at  roseblossomgarden.blogspot.com

Quilted Dotty For You

Hi there,
We had some fun last night at my monthly club meeting. The hostess for the evening has been requesting that we do some of the quilted projects at club so since it was her night, I figured we would go for it. My usually chatty and bubbly group was rather sedate and I was getting paranoid so I asked them ''What's the matter? Everyone is so quiet I am a little nervous." Turns out they were concentrating so hard on their little projects that they weren't as gabby as usual. I had thirteen dishes full of different two-sided Dotty For You 1" squares set out on a table, sort of like a smorgasbord of paper choices, for them to use in their design. They each had an 8" x 8" base square on which to 'build' their quilt. Below are pictures of the sample quilts that they could use to either copy or use as prompts to get started. I am very proud to say that all 9 quilts came out great and was thrilled to see how everyone made a quilt that was unique by simply choosing different papers and patterns. Everyone seemed really proud of their finished quilts.The finished quilts ended up being from about  4 1/2" square to just under the 8" base in size. Hope you enjoy Quilted Dotty For You! It is a paper set that was offered by Close To My Heart in 2012 for a limited time. Keep an eye out next month for the next special paper collection that can be yours for $10.00 with every $35.00 order from our current catalog. It is called Dream Pop and is a beautiful, very vibrant set of 24 sheets. I'd love for you to place an order and/or perhaps join my blog as a follower. Just click on the shop now spot and have a look.

Thanks for stopping by. I plan to post a workshop and a card kit that will be available for order soon. 

Debbie

Finding my Winners, and Other Fun Stuff

Hi there,
Well I have found three of my winners. It hasn't been easy for this Bag Lady to search on the World Wide Web but dogone-it, I found three. The goofy thing is that I already had 'known' two of them through Close To My Heart and didn't know it. Having real names and blog names can be a little tricky. I was just telling my friend that I am probably the only American this side of 3rd grade that doesn't know how to track someone on here successfully using either google or some other secret code. What's that saying about old dogs learning tricks?
So like I said, I have found 3 of the winners. I am now looking and hoping to find Janice(grandmaJ). If you happen to recognize this title, give her a shout. You can see why that would be a tough one to track. Maybe I should add a cracker or wringlett or whatever they're called so people can leave finger-prints on my blog so I can find them. Now keep in mind that even if I had everyone's e-mail address that would not guarantee that I could connect easily. Here's how bad it was yesterday. Look over at my collection of followers. Do they show? Do you recognize anyone you know or have seen somewhere else on this blog? Yup. I signed up to follow ME yesterday whilst searching for YOU. And the best part is I have no idea how to unfollow Me because I don't know how I found ME. You now have a little taste of what it must be like to live with me.
My poor family.
OK, Janice(grandmaJ), if you are out there, try to contact me with an address. My e-mail is on here somewhere and I wish you luck in your travels.
Thanks everyone for making my first 4000+ a blast. Oh, I also had a winner, Denice K, in my 2nd 25th Birthday drawing. Denice will get to chose $25.00 in hostess products for being the winner in that.
Talk to you all soon. I am going into therapy (at my craft table) for the rest of the week.......
Debbie

And the Winners Are...........

In honor of my blog hitting the 4000+ views number, I just drew 4 names from my list of followers to each win a set of Rustic Edge Anchors by Close To My Heart. 

The winners are: Janice (grandma J.), Karyn K., Terry D., and Diana C. I will attempt to send each of you a message to get your address so that I can mail this to you. They will go out as soon as I secure a mailing address for you. 

Thanks to all of my current followers for checking in on me and for your support by just being there. I will continue to strive to post interesting, if not entertaining, projects or thoughts for your viewing pleasure. I am really having a ball with my blog and that has come as a surprise to me considering it was like pulling teeth to get me to start it. I now find that I actually like getting comments on things I have done. I am also forever grateful that most of you have been brought up with the lesson: "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.'' I was too, I just don't always chose to live by it!! haha.

Stay tuned. I am working on my next workshop and I think you are going to enjoy it. 

If you are one of the winners and you don't hear from me shortly, please e-mail me direct. debbiemay3115@yahoo.com

Talk to you soon,

Debbie

I DID IT!!! (Up-dated Sunday at 2:45 p.m.)

Oh My Gosh! I am so excited. I just checked and I have OVER 4000 views since I started my blog 4 months ago! And just for that I am having a prize drawing for my wonderful followers. Tomorrow evening, April 1st, I will draw 4 names to receive a little thank you from me. I thought if I had you sign in your e-mail address that I would be able to contact you if you are the winner but I think I was wrong. If you are one of the winners, I will post on here tomorrow and then have you e-mail me your address. So check back to see if you win. This is so fun! If you are not yet a follower of mine, please take the time to do that now. You still have time to get in on this drawing.
I have a blast doing this. I am not one to enter art shows with my paintings but for some reason I really like being able to post the scrapbooking things I have made. Go figure. So Thanks to all of you that take the time to check up on me and especially those of you who check often.
OK, sign in, you have till about 6 p.m. on April 1st. (And no, this isn't a joke...)

Debbie

YIKES! 2nd 25th B'Day Alert!

The site for my Close To My Heart online store, debbiemay.ctmh.com, is having problems. If you are trying to order there and it doesn't come up pretty soon, PLEASE e-mail me direct and I will help you out. You still have time to get in on the drawing. Please scroll down to get more details. Thanks for your support!
e-mail me at:  debbiemay3115@yahoo.com

Hand-stamped To Coordinate!

Hi Friends,
I have been busy playing in the ink and wanted to share what I have come up with so far. I am just finishing the second Roxie Workshop (see two posts below) and decided to create some coordinating papers to go along with the ones I had from Close To My Heart.
The black solid one in the back has clear-embossing on the roses. It's a bit of a classy punch to the set. I liked the Argyle A LOT because I have sons and some of my friends were requesting more 'guy' themes with my layouts and classes. (I have grand-daughters now so please cut me some slack-smile here! I LOVE all the girly colors and patterns I can use now!)

I think if you click on the picture it will help you see more detail. This was fun! I have been an inky mess this week. Have some fun of your own and try something new. Close To My Heart has amazing re-inkers that allow you to really think (and stamp and splatter and brush....) outside of your box.
Talk to you soon,
Debbie

My Second 25th Birthday! prize drawing.

Hi Ladies,
In honor of my second 25th Birthday (the first one was more than 25 years ago) I am going to offer you a chance to receive at least $25.00 in free Close To My Heart products. It will really be quite simple for you.
Just click on over to my CTMH website and place an order of at least $25.00. For every $25.00 you order, before shipping and tax, your name will be put into a drawing. This is only for the rest of the month of March as this is my actual birthday month. On April 1st, I will draw a name from orders collected between now and  the end of March to win $25.00 in hostess rewards. I will contact the winner and have you tell me what you would like from the select hostess products in our current catalog. If you order $150.00 or more from the catalog, you will qualify for $25.00 in select product hostess rewards plus your name will be put in the drawing six times! How cool is that?! You might also like to contact your friends for outside orders to make your chances of winning even better.
Thanks for stopping by and if you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me at: debbiemay3115@yahoo.com

Happy Shopping from Debbie, The Birthday Girl

Workshop with Roxie

Hello again and thanks for stopping by!
I have been busy for several hours designing and laying out my Workshop for this coming Monday. Boy do I love this Roxie paper! It is a retired set that I have had for awhile and with Winter hanging on with a vengeance I decided to lean a little more to the deeper tones and cozy side of Roxie than going more with the brighter corals and sparkly Colonial White. Of course I used my beloved Colonial White in the layouts for some of the design, after all it is a beauty! Because these are for my Workshop and I try to keep the cost down and teach my customers that they don't have to spend a  fortune to create beauty, I used the Roxie Stickease and just a bit of additional embellishment by way of ribbons and buttons. I hope you enjoy looking at them. They make me smile!

I have enough supplies to make 7 more sets to sell to the first to contact me.

The set includes the paper and embellishments to create three 2-page layouts seen here.  Each set will include papers, Roxie embellishments and the extras that you see. You will need black ink, chipboard if you want to raise your photos, glue dots and/or foam tape to raise embellishment as you wish and adhesive.

Of course you can purchase adhesives and extra base color cardstock from my Close To My Heart website:   debbiemay.ctmh.com

The cost for the kit -three 2-page layouts- is $20.00 plus shipping and handling to your zip code. 

Please e-mail me if you are interested. 

debbiemay3115@yahoo.com

Thanks again for stopping by. I look forward to hearing from you and appreciate your comments, also!

Debbie

Rose Blossom Garden: Welcome!! New Follower Prize Drawing!!

Rose Blossom Garden: Welcome!! New Follower Prize Drawing!!: We would like to welcome you to a new challenge blog - Rose Blossom Garden!  Let me tell you why this challenge blog was created and wh...

March Stamp of the Month card set

Just a quick post to show a few card sets I made for some friends. When these are blown up I'm sorry to say my mistakes show up more than I realized. They are nice little sets, though. The box on the left holds four cards/envelopes and has a tiny velcro closure. The 'envelope' holder on the right holds two cards/envelopes. Of course they are Close To My Heart products. My friends are Close To My Heart, as well!

Thanks for looking!

Debbie

For Always

Hi there,
During the last several weeks we have had some things happen in our family that have really made us realize that time is short to really love the ones we have. My parents will be 89 this year, my youngest son is 14 going on 25 at times and at others 12, my middle son left our home town for the South this morning and I am feeling lonely for my family to be all together again. Not to be all sappy and emotional now, when we are all together it is sometimes quite crazy and crowded! I tend to think my kids still need me to tell them when to brush their teeth and comb their hair. And that's not the least of my 'helpful input'. Maybe we'll save more on that for another time.....
While preparing for my Club for March, I chose the paper named 'For Always' because I wanted a fresh crispy design to go with this month's Close To My Heart  stamp of the month. It is a beautiful layered rose set and I have had fun working with it. I think a nice black and white family photo would be lovely in the photo spot, maybe one from the old days when my grandparents were still with us. The grey in the roses would pull the grey tones from an old photo and be so pretty.

I cut the paper on an angle then used the top strip that comes on our papers to cover the seam where I    simply flipped the cut corner over. The roses are layer stamped and the top, smaller one is lifted with foam tape. The 'Family' embellishment is done with a new product I found while playing on pinterest. It is double sided adhesive sheets by silhouette. Simply place on the cricut cutting mat, select the 'Family' cut from the

Close To My Heart exclusive cartridge, and hit cut! Then you peel the backing off and place it on your paper. Press down all over for a good 'stick' then peel off the top layer to expose the sticky top. The kit came with super fine glitter that you then spread around and rub into the sticky design. It turns out great and shiny, all set for your project. And the glitter stays put and doesn't flake all over either. 

Enjoy!

Debbie

Quilted Chantilly

Hi, and welcome back! Or if it's your first time here, glad to have ya!
Today I'd like to share a few personal details and explain why I do some of the things I do. Don't run for the escape button, I won't get too personal.
If you've been reading my blog since I began this past December, you already know that I like to make things with my hands. I sew, I paint, I build inside and out, and as of about 4 years ago I began scrapbooking as a hobby and then as a Close To My Heart consultant in March 2012. I tend to 'collect' (some might be tempted to use the 'H' word...) things that are associated with my passions and I have a hard time throwing anything out that 'I just might need' someday. Don't get me wrong, I don't keep wrappers from french fries or dirty combs from the street. But I do store and collect things that could possibly come in handy some day. So clearly scrapbooking is right up my alley!

Two years ago I completed a quilt that I had started in 1982 when I became pregnant for my first child. It had been moved from place to place, worked on now and then and stuffed back in a storage container until I came across it one day around Christmas of 2010. Before the decorations and boxes had been put away that year I decided that it was time to finish the project that I now refer to as my '30 Year Quilt'. As it turns out, during the year 2011 I ended up not only finishing that first quilt for my oldest son, but hand pieced and finished two more for my younger sons in time for Christmas. Of course I collected lots of fabric pieces in the process and probably have enough material left over to cover South-East Michigan if I wanted.

The following spring, 2012 (only a year ago) I met a CTMH consultant and by the time she was through with her demonstration, I knew where I was headed. You see, I am a great believer in things happening for a reason. I believe that God places certain people in our lives for reasons we might not understand at the moment. At the time I had been hoping to be involved with teaching some basic Art classes at a local school as a volunteer and for some reason, it just wasn't coming into line. I was discouraged but when the opportunity to join CTMH was offered, it was clear as a bell why the teaching position hadn't happened. So now I find myself not only teaching, which I love and find I seem to do OK at, but working with Art in a new way that also feeds my 'collecting' tendencies. Perfect all around, if you ask me. And I can even combine two of my interests in a new way altogether.
Which brings me to my new post: Quilted Chantilly. (If you scroll way down to my very first post you will see my Quilted Christmas Cards that my super supportive daughter-in-law photographed and then helped me post on my new blog.) So without further delay, I present to you Quilted Chantilly!

This is the group of four that I did with the Chantilly paper package from Close To My Heart. The colors are so fresh and pretty I feel like I'm in a garden, pretty much the closest place to Heaven on Earth, to me.
They aren't perfect, in fact they are a little wonky in spots, but that is the way sewn quilts sometimes are. The top left and the bottom right blocks begin with 1" pieces. The Log Cabin is done with 1/2" strips.The top right blocks begin with 1/4" pieces then cut on diagonal for design. More on that one below.

The quilting pattern name of the next one is called Maple Leaf so I did this for my CTMH Canadian friends! This is a tiny one and only measures 4 3/4" square. 

Thanks again for stopping by to see what I've been up to. If you would like to purchase some Chantilly beauty for yourself, check out my CTMH site for details. This has been a fun and therapeutic project for me. It's great to lose yourself in something you enjoy and get a little break from the real world. 

Talk to you soon!

Debbie 

Tiny Toes

Hi there and Happy Almost Valentine's Day!
This is a fun project I want to share with you today. I couldn't post until today since the recipient might have peeked and that would have ruined the surprise. We had our son and his two babies over a week or so ago for dinner. His wife had an appointment and couldn't come with them. Well, that was perfect timing for me. I had been daydreaming about sneaking the kiddie's foot-prints and it worked out just in time. I am continually amazed that little kids will allow me to plop their feet in paint and then smush them on paper for a print. Cecilia, the 2 year old, sat up there and I swear it was like she did this sort of thing every day. It went like clock-work. Even little Henry, who is isn't even a year old, sat in the booster and let us 'take his prints'!! Of course Gramie, that's me, was covered in paint by the time we were done. My main worry was that I wouldn't get all the paint off their tiny little toes and our daughter-in-law would wonder what we had done to them.
Because I wanted to keep the focus of the gift on the 'heart-foot-prints', I didn't add a ton of embellishments to the matting area. I did write a little love letter to their Mama with very fine .01 micron marker around the outside of the prints to emphasize the heart shape.

On Henry's I used a Basic Grey background and then made my own coordinating embellishments from plain  papers that came in the same kit. On Cecilia's I used Flirty Close To My Heart paper and the matching embellishments.
The writing beginning at the bottom of the heart and going up and around to the bottom on the other side reads: Dear Mama, I Love you with all of my heart. From the top of my head to the tip of my toes, I'll Love you always.
I can't wait to see her face when the kids give them to her this evening!
Enjoy, and I hope you have some little toes you can dip in paint, too!
Talk to ya soon,
Debbie

I Love You A Latte

Hello, good to see you again!
I am really getting into this Valentine thing this year. Not since the kids were little and we were making and signing all the little cards for classmates have I had so much fun with Valentines!
I want to introduce a really special part of my family to you today. My son Taylor started a home-based coffee business last year and we are all very proud of him and have been spoiled to be able to have fresh roasted- fresh ground coffee whenever we want. He hasn't gone global yet, but is building a nice little clientele in our home town. With a little help from my husband Brett, Taylor has built his own coffee been roaster from the ground up! His company is called Ground Level Coffee....kind of a play on words. He has beans from different parts of the world and sells ground or whole-bean coffee in a variety of roasts. When he is roasting or grinding, the smell is absolutely Heavenly!
I decided to showcase his coffee this month with a card that was inspired by a Close To My Heart friend, Dawn Mantagano. Below is my take on her 'Love You A Latte' card.

Of course you know I used ctmh products to create the card. The stamp set is called Cup of Cheer and is item #B1404  in the catalog. The stamp set includes a coffee pot, cup of steaming coffee, a little spoon and some phrases. I used the 'I Love You A Latte' on the front of the cup. To open my card, you simply slip the insulator wrap off and the card folds open to reveal the sentiment inside. All of the cuts for the card can be done with the Art Philosophy cartridge that we carry. 

All of this talk about coffee has me ready to go pour a cup for myself! While I do that, why not grab yourself a cup and check out my ctmh site? If you feel like a bargain, don't miss the 'While Supplies Last' section.

Have a wonderful day and I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Debbie

Lady's HOME Journal

Hi again and welcome back!
I wanted to talk to you today about a subject that is near and dear to my heart: Bargain Hunting! I suppose you might have guessed that as 'Mrs. Bag Lady' I wear many hats in my world. Well, one of them is that of a Cheapskate. Yes, I am proud of it. Another thing I have tried to teach my kids is to always do your research before purchasing something you really want. But we all know that on occasion a deal smacks us in the face and you just have to throw the money on the table and run with it. A week ago I was at our Walmart for a few things and ran into a clearance rack that had my name on it. Right there in front of me was a stack of 23 paper journals just waiting to be 'dooded-up'. My heart raced, my hands shook as I loaded the cart, and my 14 year old son ran for cover. Even the cashier gave me an odd look. Well, ladies and gentlemen, wait till you see what I came up with. Of course using my beautiful new close to my heart products. These little gems will be the project for my February scrapbooking club. Have a look at what can be done with a simple paper journal and while you are at it, get a load of that beautiful Chantilly paper, now available on my ctmh site. Also, the stamp on the front of the journal is from the ctmh February stamp of the month. Only available this month.

In the background you will notice some of the little books 'before' and then front and center the finished book and bookmark. A nice little bookmark will also be included in the kit. The products I used are all from ctmh. The Art Philosophy cricut cartridge, the coordinating stamp set, Hooray Bouquet (the AP cartridge has 700 cuts on it and many of them are perfectly coordinated with our exclusive acrylic stamps...the best in the industry.)

You might also like to pick up a package of Bakers Twine, some of our exclusive, mouthwatering inks, or any of a  multitude of goodies to make your journal sing before you even start writing in it. Some suggestions I will pass on to my club for the journal might be: ctmh Wish List, sketches of projects you might like to create, Date and Time of club and crops, family favorites, mileage in the car, towns you visit.....or just jotting down your thoughts once in awhile. If you enlarge for detail, you will notice I kept the design quite flat on purpose. This way bulky embellishments won't get caught on things in your hand-bag, briefcase or glove box. After my club meeting, I might cover mine with a sheet of clear contact paper to keep it pretty and clean as it gets dragged in and out of my bag during the day.

OK, thanks for visiting and if you have a second, leave me a message so I know who's been checking on me!

Debbie 

La Belle Vie

Hello again,

I am getting ready for a Workshop tonight focusing on Valentines Day and got inspired to make a fancy for my Sweetheart. The first one is obviously the front and then the second is a design I saw and tweeked from pinterest. I needed it to fit the taller card so it had to be stretched out a bit. This paper is from the close to my heart La Belle Vie line and will be going away the end of January, the same as Flirty below. 

From my own  experience it is best to stock up on your favorite papers while you can because once they are retired it is a little difficult to track them down. The stamps I used are from the Workshop On The Go sets that we carry featuring the different paper lines. If you have questions about how you can order these supplies, check out my ctmh site or leave a comment. I hope I'm not posting too often but I suppose you have already guessed that I have a lot to say/share and am not afraid (unfortunately at times) to say/share it!! 

Thanks for looking, and if you haven't been here before scroll down so you don't miss anything!
Talk to you soon,

Debbie

Getting Flirty!

Hi there,
I was hoping that title would get your attention. Being it is almost Valentines Day and Love is in the air, I decided to feature the close to my heart paper package, Flirty, today. Wait till you see these papers! As one of my girlfriends puts it I 'went rogue' and used some of my stash embellishments to dress up some cards. The base projects are from Flirty and if you can see the raspberry paper in the background and feature papers, you will agree that this paper is worth the price of the entire set. I LOVE it. So yummy. I saw a model home in Florida one time years ago and it had been decorated around raspberry carpet. It was gorgeous. Ever since then I have dreamed about having the nerve to carpet my house in raspberry.
I have to mention that this is the last few days that you will be able to order the Flirty collections from ctmh as it will be retired the end of January. I will be sad to see it go but glad that I have a little collection to keep me happy!
Hop on over to my ctmh site and check out the whole line of Flirty and matching inks.
Talk to you soon,
Debbie

Hi again!
Here is the set that I made with close to my heart's Whoo's Your Valentine collection. As you can see there is enough product in the kit to not only complete the 12 treat-tube sets, but loads of extra to create some beautiful cards. Plus, I still have paper left for more cards. I did add some blank 4"x 6" cards so I had all white bases. And don't forget after all is said and done (stamped and stuck!) you still have an incredible stamp set to use over and over again!

Check out my ctmh site at  debbiemay.ctmh.com to order your set today. Time is running out for this set the end of January or while supplies last!
Talk to you soon,
Debbie

Hello and Happy New Year!
I have been busy with family and travel since your last visit. After Christmas we headed to Florida for a few days with my aunt. We spent the end of the vacation at Jetty Park in Cocoa Beach, right on the Ocean. We were camping and were able to walk to the pier for fishing and sun. The canal that the pier runs along is the shipping channel for cruise ships, commercial shrimp boats, pleasure boats and wild life! We saw dolphins jumping in the water not fifty feet from us and right at the water line below our feet were sea turtles. Being from Michigan and used to raccoons being something that you rarely see during the day, it came as quite a surprise to see a Mama Raccoon strolling down the pier looking for snacks for her new babies. Man, are things different in the south! I have to say that the salsa at La Cantina didn't disappoint. If you find yourself in Cocoa Beach, stop by and try the chips and salsa. Best ever!
Now that I am home and have the laundry done and the Christmas Tree down, I have been working on my project for this months scrapbooking club. We call it 2nd Monday Club. I would imagine you already figured out what day of the month we meet! We will be doing 2 cards and a bonus 'bag' project. I used the La Belle Vie paper from close to my heart with a few extra embellishments.

The card on the left is layered with a black embossed bouquet. The stamp is from the January Stamp of the Month by close to my heart. A beautiful and versatile set. The little bag in the middle is a cut from the ctmh exclusive cricut cartridge. Wouldn't this be so sweet filled with treats for your beloved? The card on the right  is an idea I saw by a fellow consultant, Dawn Montagano. I changed it up a bit and added an 'I Love You' cut from the cricut cartridge. A few pink gems add a bit of sparkle in the corners. Enjoy!  (I'm going to try and add the picture now........)

Wow, it worked! That was the first time I actually did my own 'add a picture'!!!! I hope it comes out clear for you and you are able to see the details. I love the color combination and think they will be a big hit with my club.
Thanks for visiting and I hope to hear from you soon. Now that I am getting the hang of this (sort of) I just might be posting more often. I did a TON of projects with the 'Whoo's Your Valentine' kit that is being offered this month on my ctmh site. Hop on over and order a few and check out the other amazing supplies that we offer.
Talk to ya soon,
Debbie