All buttoned up!

It's time for a new challenge but before we get to that, did you see the Top Ten from April? If you haven't had a chance to check out the post, it is right below this one so be sure to take a look.

Now on to this week's challenge. REMINDER: You MUST include Close To My Heart products to enter our challenges. Thank you.

This wee we are working with buttons. We want to see how you incorporate buttons into your cards, layouts and other projects. One of our sponsors for the month is joining us today so let's start off with a look at Angel's button creation:

Fabulous use of buttons, Angel! Thanks for joining us this week and for sponsoring H2H this month!

Don't forget, our other fantastic sponsor is Sharon. You can visit both of these gals by clicking their names and leaving them some love at their blogs. Thanks ladies!

Now for the rest of the button creations from the DT:

Lorrinda

Haley

Debbie

Melinda

Mary

Jessica

Jody

Karen

What great ways to use buttons! Now it's your turn. Add some buttons to your project and then link up here. We can't wait to see how you button-up your artwork this week!

Top Ten for April

Without further ado, let's see who made the Top Ten for April -

Sketch week:

April showers bring May flowers week:

Recycle week:

Bunny Hop week:

Congratulations to all our Top Ten inductees! To see their entire project, click the photo.

And a big YEAH to the Top chick of our Top Ten - Jena! Jena will be our Guest DT in June and we're looking forward to working with her! Here is her winning artwork:

See you all tomorrow for another new challenge!

It's all about Mom

We're back in action and hope you're ready for a new challenge! But before we get to that, a little recap -

This is Lisa and Corina's last challenge with us and we will be so sorry to see them go! But they leave for good reason - to teach at Extravaganza! Congrats ladies - we will miss you!!

New to the team is the talented Haley Dyer and Jody Gustafson - welcome! If you missed their intro, be sure to scroll down and check it out. We are all looking forward to seeing what these new team members create - we know it will be great!

Also new this month is our Guest DT, Joelle Hiller but our April Guest DT isn't gone for good - watch for Shari to join us in a challenge later this month.

And finally, we have two new sponsors - say hello to Angel Shifflett and Sharon Holmes! Here are the prizes these ladies have up for grabs to two lucky participants from the May challenges:

From Angel....be sure to stop by her blog and say hello!!  Angel's Moments

And from Sharon is this great goody package! Visit Sharon at Tucker Lover.

Thanks ladies for sponsoring our challenge blog!

And now it's time for a new challenge. This Sunday is Mother's Day so it's time to create something for Mom. Cause who deserves it more? No one!!  Let's see what the DT created, starting with our Guest DT, Joelle:

Gorgeous! Thanks for joining us this week Joelle!

From our departing gals:

Corina

Lisa

From our new team members:

Haley

Jody

And the rest of the team:

Debbie

Jessica

Karen

Lorrinda

Mary

Melinda isn't with us this week, taking care of family at the present time but she will be back with us next week.

I think that is a pretty awesome display of love for Mom, don't you?? Now it's your turn. Create something for Mom - be sure to use CTMH products in your artwork - and then post to your blog or other online gallery and come back here and link up below so we can see what you created. I will be back later this week with the announcement of April's Top Ten so be sure to check back then - it might just be you!

More intros

I have a couple more people to introduce you to before we get started on May challenges. Let's meet our Guest DT for May - Joelle Hiller!

"My name is Joelle Hiller. I’ve been a high school math teacher for 14 years, but I’m currently on a temporary leave to care for my daughter who was born last September. My husband and I also have a 6-year-old son. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to stay at home and focus on being mom for a bit – I love spending time with my beautiful baby girl and sharing in all her wonderful baby “firsts”, and having the freedom to volunteer in my son’s class on a regular basis.

I was first introduced to CTMH at a local scrapbooking convention. I fell in love with the paper packs and the coordination of the paper, ink, and embellishments – I think it appealed to my orderly, mathematical brain! I had been scrapbooking for a few years before this, but had never tried stamping before. I tried it, and I got hooked. I am more of a hobbyist consultant right now, but would like to become more actively involved in the future.

A few other random bits about me…I’d choose a good book over a good movie every time; a Mediterranean cruise was my favorite vacation; I have to admit it, though I’m a little ashamed…I love my iPhone and am not sure I could live without it; and when I’m not scrapbooking, I am working on researching my family tree and preserving old family photos."

Welcome Joelle! You can visit Joelle at her blog Scrapbook Snippets.

Speaking of Guest DTs, I would normally say goodbye to our April Guest DT, Shari Maclaskey, at this time but, due to our taking a week off this past week from challenges, I have asked Shari to join us for a challenge in May so she will be popping back up sometime this month so stay tuned!

I also have two new sponsors to introduce to you but will do so on Monday when we start our challenges back up. See you then!

Thank you and intros to share!

First, I would like to thank everyone who has contacted me with thoughts and prayers as our family goes through this most difficult time. I am also so thankful for my wonderful Design Team who have supported me and offered words of comfort, as well. You all touch my heart and I am so grateful to call each of you my friend. We are hanging together strong as a family and from them, God and each of you, I am beginning to find peace and solace, if not answers.

With that said, I thank you all for the challenge-less week. My heart just wasn't into it and it felt like the right thing to do. But we do have a lot of changes coming up here at H2H and I wanted to get back into the swing of things and share some news and info with you all before we get back to the challenges this coming Monday!

The current Design Team started in January and were to end their term on April 30th. I made a change along the way and asked the team to stay for an additional 2 months and was thrilled when they said yes!! With the exception of two of our gals who will be leaving after our next challenge - and leaving for a very good reason, I might add! Lisa and Corina will be leaving the team as they will have committments preparing for their teaching stint at CTMH's Convention this summer! Congratulations ladies and we wish you great success! And while I am sad to have these very talented ladies leave the team, I am equally excited to introduce you to two new DT members that I asked to join us. And without further ado, here are their intros!

First up, Haley Dyer!!

"Hi!  I'm Haley Dyer, AKA the Inky Scrapper.  I started out mainly as a scrapbooker, but love how I can use my supplies to create cards, home decor, and more.  I've been a CTMH consultant for 11 years, which is a very natural extension of my love of paper crafting and teaching.  (I've been teaching elementary school- 5th grade in particular- for more years than I care to count!)  My favorite scrapbook subjects are my family: my husband, two daughters (almost 13 and 10- Yikes!), our dog, and our cat, plus our extended family too.  In addition to paper crafting, I love to read and travel.  As if this weren't enough, I'm also a consultant for the Longaberger Company.  Paper crafting, however, is my passion."

You can stop and visit Haley's blog at The Inky Scrapper (and check out her blog candy giveaway while you're there)!


Our 2nd new DT member is Jody Gustafson:

"My real name is Barbara but you can call me Jody. I've been married to the best husband ever for 43 years. I'm a mother of 2 great children, Mikel and Carrie. I've been blessed to be a grandmother to 6 super wonderful grandchildren, Autumn, Joshua, Alicyn, Alexis, Ashley and Zachary. I have been an independent consultant with Close to my Heart since 1998. The reason I joined this company is because I was looking for a fun way to make a little extra money. When I saw my friends beautiful handmade cards and scrapbook pages I knew I could have fun with this business. My time with this company has been filled with special times and special people. It is a real privilege to work with the finest products in the industry.  One of the greatest joys of the job is the people that I have met and that I now call "friend."

And Jody's blog can be found at Cre8n' Memories - and be sure to leave her some love while you're there!

Welcome ladies - we are looking forward to your fabulous creations!!

How about more introductions? Watch for another post soon when you will meet the Guest DT for May as well as our two new sponsors.

But before I sign off, I want to announce the prize winner from the Bunny blog Hop! We had so many participants and I think everyone had a great time so we're calling it a success! Thank you to everyone who played along.

So I plugged in all of the numbers of the players at Random.org and the prize winner is......

#39 - Lisa Sargent!!

Lisa, email me at mbryt1@bex.net with your address and I will get the prize out to you.

Ok, that's it for me  - but I will be back soon with more info to share!!

A week of silence

Hello Heart 2 Heart readers this is Jessica here filling in for Mary. It is with a heavy heart that I will share with you today that last week Mary lost her infant granddaughter Liberty. The upcoming months are going to be very difficult for Mary and her family and I ask that you would keep them in your thoughts and prayers. We as a design team decided to take this week of from our challenge in memory of little Liberty. We will be back with our next challenge next Monday and in the meantime you can still play along with any of our other challenges from the month. We will also be back later this week with the winner of the random prize drawing from last weeks bunny hop, so make sure you check in to see if it might be you!

It's time to Hop, Hop, Hop!

This week is a From Our Heart to Yours challenge in which we, the Design Team, share something with all of our fabulous followers - and newcomers as well!

As Easter will end this week, we thought that a Bunny blog Hop would be a great thing to share with all of you!

Here are the details - in case you missed them. Your project MUST include Close To My Heart products (if it does not, it will be removed). It must also be Easter or Spring themed. You must link to your post below between the hours of 8 am EST and 8 pm EST TODAY ONLY! No other entries will be accepted through the week.

Then the fun begins - just hop around to all the links to see what everyone has created! And be sure to leave comments along the way cause who doesn't love comments???

You will want to check through out the day as more and more links are added. Spread the word - let's get as many people as we can playing along. One lucky player will be getting a prize too so everyone post and hip hop down the bloggy trail.

To kick us off, I have a fabulous easter card to share with your from our April Guest DT - Shari McLaskey:

I know! How awesome is that card?? Fabulous work Shari and thanks for starting us on the Bunny Hop! The rest of the DT will be found in the links below so link up and have a great time hopping!