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