Finishing up the month

Tomorrow (or likely today by the time you read this) is the last day to enter the September challenges in order to be eligible for a prize so why not spend World Card Making Day and make something for one of our challenges? The deadline to enter is 10:00 pm EST!

As we are heading out of one month and into another I wnated to take a minute to introduce our Guest DT for the month of October - meet Debra!

"Hi, I’m Debra Almanza, I live in the land of enchantment (New Mexico) and I have a creative blog called Enchanting Stamping and other pursuits.  I’ve been a Close to My Heart/D.O.T.S consultant for 14 years now and I still totally love our products, they are the best around.  So… this is how it happened. One day I was sitting in the teacher’s lounge at school where someone had strategically left a D.O.T.S. catalog on one of the tables.  A staff member was hosting a gathering at her house.  I couldn’t make the gathering but I took one look through the catalog and I fell in love with all the stamps and the creative potential I could imagine using those stamps.  I called the person whose name was on the back of the catalog and told her “I’ve never been to a stamping event and you don’t know me, but I love the catalog, I think I want to sign up as a demonstrator”, that’s what we were called back then.  I’ve been happily stamping and creating ever since.

I’ve only recently had the opportunity to play along with the Heart 2 Heart Challenges but they have really inspired me to try new things and work outside my comfort zone.  I am thrilled to be a part of this month’s challenges as a Guest Design Team member and want to thank all the talented contributors who participate in each challenge.  You’ve inspired me so much!"

 

Welcome Debra - we're happy to have you joining us!

That's all for now everyone - I will see you Monday with a new challenge and a couple of new sponsors too!

Sentiment-ally yours...

This week we are focusing on sentiments but before we get to that, we have to say goodbye to our September Guest DT, Jane! We've enjoyed having her with us this month and she has another creation to share with you this week  - we'll get to that in just a minute.

It is also the last week and last challenge of the month so be sure to have all your September entries in by Saturday at 10:00 pm EST to be eligible for the prize drawing and the September Top Ten.

Ok here's your new challenge. The only stamp that you can use is a sentiment stamp. You can use any papers, embellishments, etc. but no stamps unless it is a sentiment.

Let's see what the team did with this challenge:

Jane is giving us a look at the inside of her card. Be sure to visit her blog to see the beautiful outside!

Jody

Brenda

Michelle

Pamela

Debi

Haley

Ready to show us your sentiment-al side? How about your sentiment focus creation? Link up below and be sure to use Close To My Heart products!

Are you up to the challenge?

My apologies for the late start today - time just got away from me!

We have a great challenge for you this week but first off, I want to add in a photo of the prize package that Heather is offering this month - take a look:

It includes the Pair a Phrase stamp set, the new milepost shapes and blue & green sparkles. In addition there is also the prize package from Kelly Jo up for grabs so keep playing along with the September challenges and two winners will be drawn at the end of the month!

Now for this week's challenge - we want to see what you can do with cardstock only - no patterned paper! In addition, we want you to use at least 3 different colors of cardstock! Oh yeah, time to put your thinking caps on! Let's see what the DT came up with:

Brenda

Jody

Pamela

Haley

Debi

Michelle

Beautiful work ladies! So what do you say - think you can meet the challenge?

Remember - NO patterned paper and at least 3 colors of cardstock. Ready? You know you are! We can't wait to see what you come up with!

Time for a new Scrapbook Layout!

Over at our Scrapbooking page (see the link up top there?) our next layout sketch and sample from the talented Cheryl is now up for your enjoyment! We'd love to see what you can create based on the sketch!! Have a comment to leave for Cheryl? Leave it in this post, please.

Happy creating!

Die Cuts R Us this week!

Thanks to everyone who played along with our challenge last week and shared their favorite color combo! This week, we want to see how you use die cuts. With the introduction of the new Cricut package, this should be a lot of fun! Don't have the Cricut software from CTMH? That's ok - any die cuts will qualify as long as you include CTMH products in your project.

Let's start the showcase of die cut projects with our Guest DT, Jane:

Gorgeous, Jane! Be sure to pop by her blog to see more photos of this crazy cute project!

And now for the rest of the team:

Michelle

Brenda

Jody

Pamela

Haley

Debi

Beautiful artwork, ladies! Now it's your turn - let's see what you are inspired to create using die cuts. Be sure to post your finished project to your blog or other public online gallery (doesn't need a password to access) and be sure to add the link to your blog post page, not your blog home page. Have a creative week, everyone!

Time for the Top Ten

My apologies for the delay in getting this Top Ten list posted but with all the incredible artwork, it's a job! Anyhow, without any further ado, here they are:

Week 1 - Kid's Birthday:

  

 Week 2 - HOT!

Week 3 - DT CASE:

Week 4 - Back to School:

Sorry those picture sizes are all over the place and not very uniform! That's what happens when you try to blog at work....shhhh.... Be sure to click on each photo to see the entire project at the creator's blog.

And our top chick of the Top Ten is......  Debra! 

Congratulations everyone! Keep playing along with us this month for YOUR chance to be in the Top Ten!

(Badges will be sent out later this evening).

From Your Heart to Ours

Last week, we challenged you to use three colors chosen by us. This week, we are turning the tables and want to see YOUR favorite color combo! But before we get to that, let's say hello to our two new sponsors for September: Heather Hunt and Kelly Jo Ratcliff.

Heather will have a photo ready of her prize soon but in the meantime, she wanted you to know that the package includes a D-size stamp set, some embellishments, and a set of cards.  Sounds good!

Kelly will be offering this package of goodies:

Thanks ladies for joining us this month!

Now on to the challenge. This week in a From Your Heart to Ours challenge, we want you to share any project with us that features your favorite color combo. Be sure to tell us what colors you have used so we can all discover new combos to love!

Let's see what the DT whipped up using their favorite color combos:

Pamela

Brenda

Haley

Michelle

Jody

Debi

Beautiful work team! Be sure to click their name under the photo to head to their blog and check out what colors they each used. And leave them a little love while you're there!

Now it's time to show off your art! Link up your post below and be sure to check back later this week when I announce the Top Ten from August!!

Happy Labor Day to all our U.S. friends!

Meet our September Guest DT!

Time for the changing of the guard - and time to meet a new Guest Design Team member! But first I want to thank our outgoing Guest DT, Debi! It's been great working with you and we have enjoyed your artwork so much!

Now please welcome our new Guest DT, Jane:

" Hi! I’m Jane Haas, aka Scrappy-Gram, from St Louis, Missouri, and I’ve been a CTMH consultant for the past three years.  When my hip 83-year-old mom took me to a Scrapping Buckeye Babes gathering led by Deb Butler in my hometown of Napoleon, Ohio, I got hooked! I had been scrapbooking for 20 plus years using a hodge-podge of materials, and had never before seen such a fun, fast, and simple way to do it! The MyAcrylix stamps opened my door to card-making--what a way to save money and get therapy! Now Deb is my amazing upline, and the 500-mile distance between us seems short with today’s technology. 

After five years of teaching children in early childhood classes in Lutheran schools, and then having two daughters, I transitioned into writing, editing, and designing curriculum for Concordia Publishing House. After retiring recently, I took a leap of faith to begin Jane Louise Photography as an on-location, lifestyle-photojournalist. Paper-crafting and photography are a natural combo and I love what I do, and I’m living testimony that “old dogs CAN learn new tricks!”

During 41 years of marriage, we’ve visited every state except Hawaii, a sprinkling of foreign countries, and DH and I have officially given up pup-tenting for cruising, saving on Aleve. One of my newest endeavors is creating faith-booked pages, leaving my witness to my Christian faith in memory books for our family.  Our grand-girls, Ella and Beatrice, are constant subjects in all my artsy efforts.

What an honor it is to be a GDT member for September! I can’t wait to see everyone’s creative efforts! Happy scrapping!"

You can find Jane’s blogs at: http://scrappy-gram.blogspot.com and http://janeellinghaasphotography.wordpress.com

We are looking forward to what Jane creates for us during the month!

See you Monday when we offer up a new challenge and a couple of new sponsors!