CTMH July SOTM Blog Hop - Life is Wonderful

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!   

We will be featuring July's SOTM, "Life is Wonderful", which is a set of 8 stamps.  If you have come here from Lela'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 on Melinda’s Blog:
 http://ifyoublingit.blogspot.com/p/stamp-of-month-blog-hop-list.html.

This month we have almost 50 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!

Thess cards were made by masking the word "something" and then going back to add
the sentiments, "the good stuff" and "my thoughts are with you".  I also added the flourishes and masked part of the flourish for the middle small flourish.

Other CTMH Products 
Pink Glitter Gems
Pixie extra thick twine
Bitty Sparkles
Hollyhock Ink
Hollyhock CS
Extra Thick Twin - Thistle
Brushed PaperPack -back ordered
Jackson WOTG Stamp Set  G1094
("The Good Stuff" sentiment)
Artbooking Cricut  Cartridge for the hearts overlay

Here is another card I made using this Stamp of the Month.
with .the sentiments, "my thought are with you.".

 

Blossoms Paper pack

Teal Shimmer Trim

Lagoon CS

Chevron Punch

Extra Thick Twin Glacier

Paper Bird Stamp Set C1613

(Sentiment: "My Thoughts are with you")

Now "Hop" on over to Lisa Plummer's Blog to see her work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas! Remember, the SOTM is only available until July 31!  Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount!

The Everything ABC's Blog Hop - Letter M

Welcome to the Everything ABC's Blog Hop 

For this hop, we will be featuring the letter "M".  This may be the name of a paper, a stamp set or an embellishment. Whatever the crafter has chosen as their "M" element will be featured in their post.  If you cam from Linda Norman's blog, then you're on the right track. 

 The money card is in the envelope under the cardinal.

For my "M" creation, I've created a Money Holder Milestone (Graduation) Card in a Mighty Cool Magical Box  for my aMazing first born granddaughter who is taking a "gap year" to work as an au pair on Reunion Island, a French speaking tropical island in the middle of the Indian Ocean.  We thought the easiest gift would be money in the form of a Visa card so she could use it where ever she travels, which includes trips to Paris and the Alps.

Poor child!  Such a deprived life.

I'm sure she will be Making Marvelous Meaningful Memories 

for me to create a " Memories of on Au pair Scrapbook".

Your next stop on our Everhting ABC's blog hop

 is Catherine Nowak of Catscrapbooking Blog.

In case you get lost along the way...go to Scrapy Therapy

Reflections on Retiring

After teaching 31 years, I'm officially retired.

Yes, I filled out the official "intent to return" form by checking the 

"No, I am not returning next year" box. 

June 11, 2015 was my last day.

My teaching career officially began with student teaching 1st grade (31 students) in Anchorage, AK, 1982.  We moved to NJ that same October, where I taught 7th grade physical science at Mt. Olive Middle School for twelve years.  October 1995, we moved to Yakima, WA where I was hired at Tieton Middle School ten miles SW of Yakima to teach special education resource classes.  After ten years, I looked for a general education math or science position, but was again led to a special education position in the Wapato school district, 20 miles south of Yakima.  My assignments included one year at the HS teaching Life Skills, three years at the MS teaching some resource English and mostly inclusion classes.  Don retired July 2010 and we moved to Ferndale. I landed a Life Skills position at Ferndale HS only 5 minutes from our home.  The position was a one year hire. We were visiting the kids in Ohio, when I got six phone calls asking me to return to that position, however, the Lord had another plan for me.   By the time I got the messages, another teacher had been hired.  Those events and the orchestrated counsel of others in my life, led to an open door for me to teach at Lummi Nation High School.  It has been a culturally rich experience and I hope to continue there in substitute teaching to help support my paper crafting addiction.

Would you believe, teaching was not my initial vocational goal?  I was thinking along the line of medical technology and started taking courses in furtherance of a Med-Tech degree at Montana State, Bozeman. We moved to Anchorage, where the local university only offered an associate degree in medical technology, so I put that plan on hold.  My teaching career was inaugurated with our adoption of Sonya, who was diagnosed "a failure to thrive child".  At age four she was wearing size 2T clothes and was below the 3 percentile for weight and height.  I became more interested in child development, soon realizing that everything I was doing was related to teaching - as a mother, as a Sunday school teacher, girls club counselor, (Calvinettes and Busy Bees) plus Ladies' Bible Study.  It soon became apparent to me that God's vocational plan for me would be to matriculate in education at the University of Alaska, Anchorage; so that I could refine the teaching skills I was already using.  I have been grateful for God's leading in that decision and am grateful for the honor of being paid to do what I’ve loved for 31 years, teach.

 NOW, My Top 10 Retirement Lesson Plans:

1.   Week-long crafting retreats
2.   Teaching classes in my Crafty Happy Studio
3. Time with my best friend who retired 5 years ago
4. Time with extended family
5. Travel
6. Reading novels and reading through the Bible in a year instead of titles by Marzano such as "Using Common Core Standards"
7.  More time for GEMS Girls' Club
8. Organizing my "stuff" so my kids won’t get stuck with my crafting clutter
9.  Gardening 
10. Cooking

One of my favorite quotes:

God put me on this earth to accomplish 

a certain number of things. 

Right now I am so far behind 

that I will never die.

Bill Watterson

CTMH Technique Blog Hop - Call for Backup - Pg. 80

Welcome to June's CTMH technique blog hop. This month we are highlighting the “Call for Back-up” Technique found on page 80 of the Close to My Heart's Annual Inspirations Idea Book focusing on creating unique effects by backing negative spaces with some other material - _____ -  fill in the blank with your creative imagination; B&T paper, ribbon, shimmer trim, Fundamental papers...the list is endless!  For the entire hop list go to Debi Barber.  This blog hop is a great big circle so you can start wherever you want and continue through to see all the  fabulous artwork incorporating this technique. If you are. coming from Catherine Nowak, you're are on the right track!

 

Added a matching ShinHan marker (Peacock Green) to the Bling

This card is so simple and easy.  I was inspired by a card made by Julie Reynolds that used only one single punch of the CTMH Chevron punch.  Thinking outside of the box = unique effects.

Blossom Paper Packet X7196B
Chevron Punch Z1998
Teal Shimmer Trim Z1918
Teal Glitter Paper Z1991
Happy Everything D1653

Thanks for stopping by!  Please continue onto Michelle Loncar where you will find some additional artwork highlighting this technique!  Be sure to leave a comment and let me know what you thought of my variation and happy hopping! 

My Crush Constant Campaign Blog Hop

Welcome to the CTMH My Crush Blog Hop!

 If you have come here from Angela White'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 on Melinda’s Blog: 

http://ifyoublingit.blogspot.com/p/stamp-of-month-blog-hop-list.html

 This month we have 32 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using June's Campaign (My Crush Albums) 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!

During the month of June, when you purchase any My Crush™ book and its accompanying assortment pictured in the 2014-15 Annual Inspirations catalog, you will receive the coordinating stamp set for FREE! That is a savings of at least $9.95! Choose from five lovely My Crush book offerings that will provide a swoon-worthy background for your favorite memories. From family reunions to camping adventures to holiday countdowns—and much more—you will be crushing on all these books and the possibilities they provide. Every My Crush book also features perfect bases for your memory keeping. Additionally, each My Crush book also features unique details—from glossy print, to vellum pages, to gold foil, to ink-resist patterns—that make displaying your personality easier than ever. Plus, once you add the artistry of the coordinating assortments featuring sticker sheets, envelopes, alphabets, cards, and journaling spots, along with your free stamps, etc. you will be well on your way to your own gorgeous mini book creation! This offer is only available while supplies last and once they’re gone, these books will be gone for good, so get your order in early to get your summer romance rolling today!

Click here or on the image below to order your My Crush goodies. 

Remember, only the My Crush pictured in the 2014-15 ANNUAL INSPIRATIONS CATALOG

 Check out some ideas on the Close to My Heart Blog site.

I used the pages of the My Crush For Her Book (not available for this special) 
 for an anniversary layout to honor my husband of 48 years.  
My Crush can be used for layouts, cards, and even a card in a box. 
It's all paper, and we can play with it anyway we are inspired.
 We celebrated our anniversary Wednesday, June 3.  On our way home from a church meeting with our grandson, we celebrated by stopping at Sonic Drive-In to share a 1/2 price milk shake! That's the way we roll. My husband still introduces me as his bride,
though sometimes, I'm introduced as "his first wife".LOL
A really BIG reason he's the best is that he supports my habit in so many ways.
1. We found our retirement home with a large room to make into a craft studio. 

2. PLUS we built a shed for all the "overflow" craft storage. 

3.  He loads and unloads the car for traveling to crops  LOL  

I love this man more than words can express.  

Oh and did I mention, he does dishes, laundry, vacuums, and cooks? 

 I married a bachelor who taught me to cook! 

I had no idea when I got married,  how wise I was to pick him for my hubby! 

I'm posting an incomplete project .boohoo, not enough time with a 3 year old distraction..
I used the plastic sleeves to create "flip-flaps" and have more under the "Your're Loved';
just having photo problems.

Now "Hop" on over to Vicki Price's Blog  to see her work!

Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas!

 Remember, the free stamp is only available until June 30!   

Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set FREE!

Here are some more projects I have made using the My Crush Books.

 I used the For Her My Crush album for all the parts of this card in a box, except for the Blossoms Compliments and actual base of the box.

        

I've also made cards at Julie Reynold's Team Meeting.

For these cards, I used My Crush In the Pink

They are really fun and fast!

The Everything ABC's Blog Hop - Letter L

Welcome to the Everything ABC's Blog Hop!

For this hop we will be featuring the letter "L". This may be the name

of a paper, a stamp set or an embellishment. Whatever the crafter has

chosen as their "L" element will be featured in their post.

If you came from Marie Goetz then you're on the right track!

For this Everything ABC Hop, I've selected the "L" for my great-niece Leah and the "Laughing Lola" Picture my Life mini album I made for her.  Her third grade class did a "Flat Stanley" project in April.  She designed a "Flat Leah" based on Stanley's Story.  Flat Leah first visited her mom's sister in Holland, Michigan, then was mailed to us and from Washington she flew to our friends in Anchorage, Alaska.  We hope Leah's next visit is in person and that she takes the entire family.

Flat Stanley Story Synopsis

Stanley Lambchop and his younger brother Arthur are given a big bulletin board by their father to display pictures and posters. He hangs it on the wall over Stanley's bed. During the night the board falls from the wall, flattening Stanley in his sleep. He survives and makes the best of his altered state, and soon he is entering locked rooms by sliding under the door, and playing with his younger brother by being used as a kite. One special advantage is that Flat Stanley can now visit his friends by being mailed in an envelope. Stanley even helps catch some art museum thieves by posing as a painting on the wall. Eventually, Stanley is tired of being flat and Arthur changes him back to his proper shape with a bicycle pump..

 Cover

 

Back of Album

12 pages for photos and reflections.

All items are CTMH - 

 Laughing Lola Picture My Life cards, 

or Laughing Lola Compliments (retired)

Thistle Diagonal stripped  ribbon

Liquid glass

Some photos for the album

 

I went through Mt. Vernon during tulip time on the way to a crop with Julie Reynolds.  The tulips had just started to peak and the Roozengaarde Display Garden is amazing. I also love the old barn surrounded by the tulips out in the fields.  Flat Leah also came to Lummi Nation School where I teach and she can be seen on the dash of the car going to school, climbing a totem at school and riding down the hill enjoying the beautiful view I see every day on my way home. Lummi Island across Hale Passage the flows between Bellingham Bay and  Lummi Bay.

Your next stop on our Everything ABC'S blog Hop is Mildred Sue Hoback of Curious Crafter.

In case you get lost along the way…go to Scrappy Therapy!