Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

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

All artwork on the hop will feature November's SOTM, "Around the Block"  a set of 26 stamps! If you have come here from {Laurie's blog} you are on the right path!

This month we have over 60 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!

My creation was inspired by CTMH Consultant Karen Pedersen's fantastic gingerbread cards and knew I had to follow suit.  I made my card a little more simple, because I'll be teaching it to my customers at November card classes.  Be sure to come back tomorrow to see the other 2 cards I'll be teaching in November.  :)

Anyway - back to my card...  I embossed the house image with white embossing powder on brown bag cardstock.  To be honest, that was the first time in 5 years I've used brown bag paper!  The sentiment was stamped in black ink and comes from the set Festive Thoughts (now retired) and it says "...from our home to yours" inside the card.  I swiped the edges of the sentiments in crystal blue ink.  I embellished the card with paper from the Jingle Paper Packet,  fun new Twinkle Brads, and colonial white organdy ribbon.  The card measures 3.5" x 8" and fits perfectly in a business sized envelope.

I hope you enjoyed my preview of the November Stamp of the Month!  Remember, the SOTM is only available until Nov. 30th (my birthday!), so contact your CTMH Consultant (or Me!) to order this stamp set for $22.95, or get it at a discount with qualifying orders, or for FREE with a $100 order!

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

Catching Up...

So apparently, I've not been blogging about what's going on in my life.  :)  Hopefully you all aren't TOO confused.

The facts are these: (side note - did anyone else *love* Pushing Daisies as much as me?  I so miss that show)
1. Dave has now finished school (YAY).
2. We have Ruby now (Double YAY).
3. My business is growing.
4. Our house is shrinking.
5. The market for buying a home is FANTASTIC - assuming, that is, that you can sell your house.

Long ago, Dave and I discussed that once he finished school and we had our baby, that we would like to upgrade to a bigger house.  Those things came to pass this summer, and we started browsing real-estate sites on the web.  While doing that, we found that we could double our square footage for very little money.  We called some close friends whose mom is a Realtor and dad a mortgage broker, and got the ball rolling two weeks ago.

While it isn't the best time to sell, our house has good equity and unlike almost every other house for sale right now, it isn't bank owned or a short sale - meaning we could potentially close in 30 days versus several months.  Also, the first home buyer tax credit has possibly been extended a few more months, so someone looking for a house this size could take advantage of that by buying our place.  :)

Last week we found a home that would be *perfect* for our family.  It's over 2700 sq ft, has 4 bedrooms, beautiful kitchen, AND a 550 sq ft bonus room (with a separate entrance, bathroom, and counter with sink) that would be just the thing for my classes.  Best of all - it's only 3 minutes away from our current home!  We placed an offer on it (with the contingency that our house sells) on Tuesday.  So now we just need to get lender approval (it was a short sale), and we need to sell our house.

Just like any other situation we've gone through, Dave and I are prayerful that things work out.  We know God has good plans for us!  So we figure that if this new house is where He wants us, our house will sell.  If he has other plans, then we are just going to wait (as patiently as we can) for Him to show us.

:)  So now you're all caught up!

Our House!

So all this week we've been getting our house ready to show.  We've been cleaning, and packing, and scrubbing, and painting, and well... you get the idea.  We're exhausted, but our house is gorgeous!  Now we're just praying for a buyer.  :)

Our Realtor dislikes making flyers, so I offered to make them for her.  It was really fun, and I even offered to make them for her other clients too.  Who knows - this might turn into something!  LOL... for now I'm just excited to get back to crafting and knitting.  This week has been a killer.

I've blurred out the personal info, but if you are in Lynnwood, WA and want to come see it let me know!

Ear Warmers for Craft Fair

I've been doing a ton of knitting lately (been inspired by the cold weather - and looming craft fair deadlines).  Here is another creation I'll be selling at my upcoming fairs.  They are ear warming headbands.  :)  I also have fingerless gloves in a matching pattern that I'll show off later this week.  I have a ton of colors in this soft yarn - Vintage by Berroco.  This one is a rich caramel color.

Lotus Moebius Hat

I finished this hat for a friend this week.  Yarn is Cascade 220 (love it!) and is the same yarn I used to make Ruby's Heart Blanket.  It is the lotus blossom hat from Cat Bordhi's book "A Treasury Of Magical Knitting".  This is also the book where I learned the moebius cast-on.  Just a fabulous knitting book all around.  :)

Please excuse my goofy faces.  :)  I was in a silly mood when I took these pics.

When You're Smiling...

Here is another layout I did recently with my digi supplies.  I used template 40 by Manda Girl (see my side bar to visit her blog), and I used the Shabby Princess Summer Cottage Kit.

It's a two page spread, but I saved it as 2 files instead of one large 12x24.  Hopefully you can still get the full effect.  Enjoy!

Ruby Finds Her Fingers

We gave up on the binkie when Ruby was about 3 weeks old.  She just couldn't keep it in her mouth, and we were exhausted doing the binkie dance all night.  She really didn't seem to miss it much, and we all slept better.

But every now and then Ruby really wanted something soothing to suck on.  She would gladly suck on her own fingers if we put them up to her mouth, and so it was a great day when she accomplished that feat all by herself!  I created this layout to celebrate that milestone.  :)  I used the same Blossom Kit from Shabby Princess as yesterday's post.  I also used a different Katie Pertiet grouping of photo frames.

Family of Four

It's been a crazy busy week, so I haven't had much time to blog.  I had a record 23 guests at card class this month!  Woohoo!  Heads up - next month is new "member" sign up time.  So if you want all the benefits of being a card class member (free product, free idea books, one free guest pass, drawing eligibility, etc) you should try to make it to class!  Sign ups are first come, first served... and I only have 11 spots!

In the mean time, I'm working on some new digi layouts.  Photoshop is having to tide me over until our fabulous NEW Studio J becomes available.  I can't wait to try it!  But, in the meantime, here is a recent creation:  I used a frame by Katie Pertiet, and the rest is from the Blossom Kit from Shabby Princess.

It's Moebius Time!

The calendar says it's October, and the wind is picking up.  It's starting to rain (or even snow).  The icy chill in the air means one thing - it's Moebius Time!

Once again, I'm selling my hand knit Moebius (pronounced MO-bee-us) neck warmers and hoodies!  They provide all the warmth and function of a scarf, but are more fashionable and practical!  There are no scarf tails that fly away, unravel, or get bunchy under coats.  And the twist is so chic - and it allows the moebius to lie flat against the neck, unlike most cowls.  Best of all, the yarn I knit with is machine washable!

This year I have a brand new addition - Kiddie Moebies!  Give the gift of warmth to your whole family.

Moebius neck warmers, hoodies, and now Kiddie Moebies make wonderful gifts - especially for those hard to shop for loved ones.  I already have about two dozen knitted up and in stock, and can ship most special orders within 7-10 business days.

To order - please email orders@firebin.net.

Please include the item style(s), quantity and color choice - select from the color swatches at the bottom of this post.

Kiddie Moebie (fits most 3-8 year olds) - $15 each + shipping

Sammie is modeling the color "Pumpkin"

Adult Moebius Neck Warmer - $25 + shipping

Dave is modeling the color "Light Green"

Nona modeling the "Light Purple" Adult Moebius Neck Warmer

Adult Moebius Hoodie - $40 + shipping

Nona is modeling the color "Fall Leaves"

I ship via USPS Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation included.  Insurance is available upon request and at buyer's expense.  Once shipped, I claim no responsibility for packages lost or damaged by USPS.

   Shipping rates are as follows:

1 Moebius - $5.00

2-6 Moebiuses - $9.25

7-12 Moebiuses - $13.00

13+ Moebiuses - email me for quote

Please select from the following colors:

(click on the photo to see it larger)

Remember that some computer monitors may alter colors slightly, and there may be slight color variants between yarn batches.


Here's what people were saying last year about their moebiuses!

"Great craft show today! I'm enjoying my moebius immensely" - Emily

"I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my moebiuses. Thank you so much for making them for me. 
They will be great gifts." - Maureen


"They are beautiful and a great idea for a gift in this freezing weather!!" - Tricia

Blogtober Fest!

So my good friend Tresa Black is celebrating Blogtober Fest over on her blog Fabulously Artsy.  She's sharing artwork and tutorials daily, and is even offering some GREAT prizes!  You should check it out!

In addition, she's featuring guest artists on her blog and tomorrow (Saturday) one of my "Classy Crafts" video tutorials will be shown!  I'm so excited!

So head over to her blog and check it out, and sign up to win her prize.  THEN, come back to my blog and leave a message about what new video tutorials you'd like to see me do!  I've been in a rut lately, and would love to jump back in with the videos.  I just need some inspiration.  :)   I'll pick a winner from the posters (with random number generator) and they will win a set of my October card class cards!

A Few Simple Cards and an Enabler Alert

Last week I had a sushi/coloring date with a few girlfriends and we had a blast!  After dinner at Blue C, we came back to my place and colored the night away with our Copics.  I was able to get 24 cards done that night (some images had been colored previously), and here are a few of them.

This card features a stamp from The Greeting Farm - Wild Sprout Bree, and some paper that another lady put in my garage sale.  I also used the new CTMH dimensional buttons that match the Twitterpated paper.

This card is also using a TGF stamp - one of the girls from the Miss Anya Collection.  Also used the same paper as above, and a CTMH crocheted flower and flower brad.

ENABLER ALERT: If any of you need copic markers, I found the most AWESOME place to purchase them!  Michelle has the best prices on copics, AND if you find them for less she will match the price and REFUND you 10% of the difference!  Also, she ships everything priority mail - so I had my markers in less than 3 days!!!

I was so pleased with the level of service and the prices in her shop, I promised her I'd tell ALL my friends.  Happy Shopping everyone!  And if you make a purchase, be sure to tell her you heard about her store from me!

Teacher Treat Boxes!

Here is another fun thing I'm selling at my upcoming craft fair.  Teacher Treat boxes!

These feature CTMH's 9x9 memory boxes with magnetic closure lids.  I've covered the boxes, and inside will have a matching gift card holder.  Also, I spoke with several of my teacher friends and compiled a list of items they would like to receive from their students as gifts.  A list will be included in the box, so people can go shopping and fill up the box with treats for the teacher!  And later, the teacher can use the boxes in his/her class to hold treats for the students, or a private candy (or aspirin) stash.  LOL!

This set of boxes uses the Twitterpated papers, matching dimensional buttons, and color ready stickers.  The stamp is from TGF (colored with my copics)

Side view:

Here is a second box using the Silhouette papers, felt flowers (not CTMH) and the TGF stamp.

Side view:

2 Months!

Ruby turned two months old yesterday!  She is such a joy, and the sweetest baby!  Here is a fast layout I did using a Shabby Princess "Barefoot Album" quick page.  She smiles and giggles when we blow raspberries, and has even made a few attempts at doing them herself.

Garage Sale on the web!

Here are a few woodies I have left over from my garage sale.  Let me know via email if you want anything, and I will send a paypal invoice.  (nonapearl@myctmh.com).

Shipping is $5 for the first set, $9 for 2-4 sets, and $13 for more than 4 sets.  Sorry folks - woodies are heavy!  I can include insurance at buyer's request and expense.

Thanks so much for looking!!!

Friendship Blossoms - NEW - $8

Check It Out - NEW - $8

Be Happy - NEW - $10

A Little Bit of Happiness - used once, no stains - $8

Blooming with Happiness - NEW - $10 SOLD!

Close As A Memory - NEW - $8 SOLD

Doodle This - gently used, large flower stained - $12

All Sorts mini album to share

I'm currently working on item to sell at my upcoming craft fairs, and thought this All-Sorts Mini Album would make a cute addition.  Not sure how many more of these I'll make, but one was a good start.  ;)  I thought it would be great for those wallet sized elementary school pictures (and slightly larger sized photos for junior high and high school pics).

I used the the Notebook papers and stickers, black rub-ons, and the playful flourishes stamp set with black ink. All products CTMH.

Note: Thank you for pointing out that Kindergarten is spelled incorrectly.  A case in which checking google did not help me!  The album has now been fixed.  :)

October's Card Class Cards

Besides the candy holders from yesterday's post, here are the other 2 cards we are making at Card Class this month!  :)  It seems like just as I'm finishing one card class, it's time for another.  But that's a good thing because I *love* to teach!  I have some room in both Monday and Tuesday nights' classes.  Let me know if you'd like to attend (those of you in the Seattle area of course!)

First up is my Christmas card for the month.  All class attendees will receive a template and shopping list to make 24 of these cards.  This is a special perk just for them!  :)  No, you can't have this one unless you come to the class.  There, no one needs to email or post about that now.  LOL.

Supplies are all CTMH: Jingle Creative Basics, White Daisy CS, Holiday Trinkets stamp set, Tulip and Blush Inks, Liquid Glass.

Here is the last card.  Funny, I didn't notice until now that both of these cards feature stamp rolling. That is where you ink your stamp in a lighter color, and then roll the edges in a darker color before stamping.  This card is super simple, and was inspired by a card on Jeanette Lynton's blog (she's the CEO and founder of CTMH).

Supplies all CTMH: Chocolate, Cranberry, Goldrush CS, Many Thanks stamp set, antique copper brads, chocolate, cranberry and goldrush ink, 3d foam.