September's Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to the Close To My Heart Stamp of the Month Blog Hop for September!

All artwork on the hop will feature September's SOTM, "Treasures" a set of 13 stamps! If you have come here from {Jena's blog} you are on the right path! I'm the second stop on the hop, so if you missed Jena's post, you should go back and start there. Just click her name above.

This month we have 69 CTMH Consultants sharing their SOTM creations, and other great CTMH artwork. Hopping along is fun and simple to do - just click the link at the end of each blogger's post to move to the next one! If you get lost or a link doesn't work just go back to Jena's blog and click on the links in her post. Here we go!

I designed this 4.25" x 5.5" card for my September Card Class. (Come back tomorrow and you can see the other 2 cards I'll be teaching this month!) I used the new Grace paper packet from the Autumn/Winter Idea Book. I also used black ink, barn red ink, and black bitty brads. It's a simple card, but a fun one!

Here are two other simple cards I made using the Grace papers and the Sept. SOTM:

This card measures 4.25" x 5" and features the new "soft set" eyelets by CTMH and natural hemp.

This final 4.25" x 5.5" card also features the Grace papers and bitty brads - this time in gold. I accented the weed stamp with holes pierced using the CTMH piercing tool kit.

Remember, the September SOTM is only available until September 30th, so contact your CTMH Consultant (or Me!) to order this stamp set, or get it at a discount with qualifying orders, or for FREE with a $100 order!

Also celebrate National Stamping Month this September, and receive a free Celebrations Card kit with any $60 stamp purchase! Click the link for more details!

Thanks for stopping by! Now "hop" on over to {Katy's blog} to check out her SOTM creations and continue the hop.

Sisterly Snuggles

Here is another set of quick pages. This time it is from the Mod Girl collection from Shabby Princess. I love these quick pages because I was able to get these done in about 15 minutes, and while holding the baby. All I had to do was a few clicks of the mouse and then type up my journaling! Easy Breezy.

The sisters meet layout

Wow - I don't think I have been THAT sick in ten years. It was brutal! After three days of fever, I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with bronchitis. 5 days of antibiotics and I'm a new woman!

So, now that I'm feeling better I have artwork to share! :) Here is the set of quick pages I did showing off pictures of Sammie and Ruby meeting for the first time. I used two pages from the "Holiday or Not" album by Shabby Princess. You can click on photos to see the pages larger.

Computer Fixed!

My computer is back in business - thanks to my wonderful hubby!

My body however is not. I have the flu! :( Back to bed I go. Sigh....

Home

Praise the Lord! We are home. We got the call early yesterday morning and made it on a plane in the afternoon.

Ruby did an awesome job on the plane - didn't make a peep! Once home, she got to meet her Grandma Leslie and Grandpa Rick at the airport! Then we went to pick up Sammie from Grandma 'Ree and Grandpa Tim's house. Sammie was *so* excited!

We let her hold her first - because she's the big sister. Sammie got to feed Ruby a bottle, and snuggle her. Then it was Tim, Marie and Auntie Meagan's turns. Everyone just fell in love with Ruby!

We got home and crashed. Thankfully Ruby slept well, so we all woke up rested. I'm feeling a cold coming on, so please pray it passes quickly! Also, my computer is still down, so once again it will be a few days before I am able to blog more/post pics. I guess it works out because our house looks like a bomb went off, and I'm sure the visitors will come a knockin' soon. :) So you'll find me cleaning, sleeping, and snuggling my family, and stamping for the next few days.

:) Nona

Computer Down =(

Just a quick note today. The fan in my computer died and my hubby wasn't able to fix it. So I won't have much of a computer presence until we get home and can get a replacement part. I'm using Dave's mac - but it doesn't have any of my pictures on it. And what is a blog post without pictures, right?

So please keep checking in. Once I get home I will have a ton of great artwork using NEW ctmh goodies and Ruby pictures to share. It's just a shame that this had to happen now.

Get Your Ruby Fix!

Sorry for not updating the blog recently. We've been busy with baby! :) For all of you wanting a Ruby fix, here is a picture I took the other day of us snuggling on the couch. I can't wait to go home and get pictures of BOTH my girls.

With that in mind, it seems my blog header will need some updating as well! Look forward to a new look to my blog soon. Have a blessed day!

Project 365 - catching up

Since we are still in Texas, I've had some time to catch up on my digi-scrapping. With project 365, I'm now caught up through the middle of May. Here is my most recent layout (click on the photo to see it larger):

I used a template by Jessica Sprague (one that was offered during the Digi - In Deep class). I also used papers from Shabby Princess, and a free sparkly alphabet.

This layout took forever (over 4 hours), so I'm very excited about CTMH's Studio J. I could have done something extremely similar in about 40 minutes. Also - using Studio J allows me to use CTMH papers which is so cool! If only it would be here now! I'm counting down the days until Studio J is released. :)

Here is another digi layout of Ruby. You can click on the layout to view it larger. It is a 2-page spread, and I used a "digi template plus" by Jessica Sprague. I didn't really add anything to it, just changed a few colors. The fonts are Porcelain and Gloucester MT Ext.

You may have heard that CTMH is coming out with "Studio Scrapbooking" in the spring! I'm so excited for this. You can watch preview movies of Studio J by clicking here. This will truly revolutionize how I do my digi scrapbook layouts - and will allow me to quickly, simply and easily encorporate CTMH papers and patterns into my "digi" scrapping portfolio. The best part of it - nothing to download ever AND you can use the full version Studio J for free! You only pay for the 12x12 layout prints you want! As it gets closer to the release I'll be sure to let you know. :)

Until then, here is my latest Ruby page to share! Can't wait until I have Ruby and Sammie "sister" pictures to scrap.

Ruby the Vulcan?

Ruby had a great day today. We went to the doctor for a check-up and she has already regained her birth weight! They like to see that within the first two weeks, but we are only at day 3! She is certainly a good eater. :)

We are in Texas for a while - meaning no new creative things to share. (SAAAD - all my new CTMH goodies are sitting in my front hall still in boxes! I'm just itching to play with new paper and products. With a new model to scrap the ideas are just flowing!) But, I'll do my best to post new pics of Ruby every day so you can all get your baby-fix.

Today we caught the best moment. Check out Ruby's hand! We swear we did NOT do that to her - it was 100% Vulcan baby power. My hubby was so proud.

Our Blessing from God

About a week ago I promised that there was something big in the works. It has been *so* hard keeping this a secret, but we decided that we wanted to wait until everything was final before sharing. We have experienced so much heartbreak in this process, but today made it all worth it.

God has answered our prayers, and has blessed us with a beautiful baby girl. We signed adoption papers today and are just smitten with our little Ruby. Nicole, her birth mom, is an incredible, strong, and amazing woman, and we are so honored that she chose to place her baby with us. It is the most selfless act of love that any person can perform!

Here is Ruby's very first layout! This picture was taken on Tuesday when she was just a few hours old. She is such a wonderful baby. She's eating well, sleeping well, and we love her with all our hearts.

We also want to give a huge thank you to everyone who has been praying for us and supporting us through these difficult months. We could feel the prayers through the adoption process. We know that God's plans are perfect, and it is so wonderful to finally be able to see where He has been leading us for the past 1 1/2 years.

Presenting our little love.... Ruby Adelle Nicole Davenport