January Blog Hop

Welcome to the January BLOG HOP.

If you have arrived from Kim O'Rear's blog, you are hopping along the right path.

All of the artwork in this hop features CTMH's January Stamp of the Month, entitled "True Friends". It is a very versitile set of stamps that includes 4 friendship quotes, 3 brackets, and 4 frames that are great for cardmaking and scrapbooking journal spots.

Journal

On this blank journal, I have used the SOTM to frame my "ideas". I just LOVE these blank journals. They can be used for so many things. As you can see, this one is going to be a place to keep my ideas for upcoming workshops, cards and scrapbook pages. I need to order about 10 more journals, because I would like to have one for my favorite quotes, recipes, notes from my devotions and prayer list, a travel log, a sketch book, an address book, a brag book, guest book, the list could go on and on! Another fun feature about this journal is it has a clear pocket front, so you can change out the front as much as you like.

The tabs were made just by gluing 2 circles back to back with the page sandwiched inbetween.

On the inside back cover, I adhered an flip flap photo sleeve so I could store removable lists there.

All supplies used are from Close To My Heart:

My Creations Journal

Veranda paper pack

Creme Brulee Cardstock

Antiqued Copper Mini Medley Accents Collection

Rub-Ons: Love Letters

Cocoa ink

Creme Brulee ink

sponge daubers

Flip Flaps

Stamp sets: Jan SOTM, True Friends

State of Mind

Felicity

Mini Double Pocket Card

This mini double pocket card starts out from a 5"x 6" piece of patterned paper.

The finished mini card measures 2 1/2" x 3".

Our 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 envelope flat is the perfect companion for this little gift card.

For a tutorial on how to make the full size double pocket card, click here.

Now hop along to Angela Tutton's blog to see some awesome artwork.

Here is a complete list of blog participants if you get lost along the way:

Helen Onulak http://hookedonstamping.com/
Jena DeVries http://livelovelaughscrapbook.blogspot.com/
Jessica Booth http://jessicabooth.blogspot.com/
Carla Ironside http://carlacreates.blogspot.com/
Lori Miller http://clearlyfromtheheart.blogspot.com/
Misty Jackson http://misstscraps.blogspot.com/
Jen Patrick http://roxybonds-scrappin.blogspot.com/
Susan Brooks http://stampingintheopen.blogspot.com/
Kathleen Androlewicz http://bowlofstamps.blogspot.com/
Dawn Ross http://iamahappystamper.blogspot.com/
Amy McVey http://clearlystamping.blogspot.com/
Antoinette Herrin http://godblessyourart.blogspot.com/
Jill Lucas http://scrapwench.blogspot.com/
Barbra Otten http://barbraotten.blogspot.com/
Lori Brown http://savingmine.blogspot.com/
Brae Montgomery http://thebrae-er.blogspot.com/
Wanda Riley http://creatingwithwanda.blogspot.com/
Adeline E. Brill http://adeline-brill.blogspot.com/
Kami Welter http://scrappin4memories.blogspot.com/
Judy Burger http://makingtimeformemories.blogspot.com/
Pamela O'Connor http://cherishyourmemories.blogspot.com/
Cindy Leek http://paperspadsandpictures.blogspot.com/
Mary Eisen  http://mestamp2.blogspot.com/
Sylvia Jacquot http://stampinsylvia.blogspot.com/
Laura Dame http://thecroppersconnection.blogspot.com/
Melissa Laverty http://fancymelissa.blogspot.com/
Haley Dyer http://inkyscrapper.blogspot.com/
Terrie Dodd http://my-life-in-real-time.blogspot.com/
Katy Donaldson http://scrappinkaty.blogspot.com/
Chris Shouse http://houseostamps.wordpress.com/
Tammy Lea Pinchard http://mycreativeclubhouse.blogspot.com/
Krista Ritskes http://kristaritskes-simplycreating.blogspot.com/
Shannon Pelletier http://mycolorfulworldinvt.blogspot.com/
Deb Young http://scrapbookczar.blogspot.com/
Amy Edwards http://paisleysplayhouse.blogspot.com/
Sheila Bennett http://sheila-bennett.blogspot.com/
Kristie Herdener http://goofyscrapper.blogspot.com/
Jen Rubio http://jenrubio.blogspot.com/
Jody Gustafson http://cre8nmemories.blogspot.com/
Sarita Schraeder http://blessedscrapper.blogspot.com/
Laurie Levnik http://creationsbylaurie.blogspot.com/
Debra Van Patten http://memoriesoftheheartbydeb.blogspot.com/
Kimberly Smith http://verykimberry.blogspot.com/
Michelle Nist http://michellenist.blogspot.com/
Karen Norman http://gettinscrappywithit.blogspot.com/
Traci Godbee http://createwithtraci.blogspot.com/
Nancy Brown http://creativelyartsygallery.blogspot.com/
Maricar Harris http://maricarharris.blogspot.com/
Nona Davenport http://nonapearl.blogspot.com/
Laurie Newton http://scrapsfromthebeach.blogspot.com/
Dawn Heuft http://stamptildawn.blogspot.com/
Melissa Burch http://melissaburch.blogspot.com/
Kim O'Rear http://kimorear.blogspot.com/
Michelle Bourlet http://michellescreativeconnections.blogspot.com/ <<="">
Angela Tutton http://tuttonstreasures.blogspot.com/
Jenifer Benner http://jensmessystudio.com/
Shirley Ross http://momnmescrap.blogspot.com/
Latisha Haag http://domestichomefrontcoordinator.blogspot.com/

Felicity: January's Constant Campaign

January is National Papercrafting Month. This year's Felicity Papercrafting Kit is beautiful! (To see more details click on the above image, then on the same image on my CTMH website.) Not only do you get a stamp set that includes a complete alphabet, flourishes, birds, argyle patterns, flowers, leaves, but also twelve 12" x 12" B&T papers in 3 different color schemes along with six coordinating 12" x 12" die cuts perfect for scrapbook layouts or cards, boxes, journals and other papercrafting projects! In addition, you will receive a two-sided, full color brochure giving you project ideas along the recipes for each! In my opinion, this is the most beautiful set CTMH has ever produced. I like it so much, that I don't want to cut into the papers - crazy, isn't it?

There are FIVE ways to get the Felicity Collection*:
1) Purchase it at full retail price for $34.95.
2) Place an order of $60 or more in full-retail priced stamp sets and receive one collection FREE!
3) Place an order of $125 or more in full-retail priced Close To My Heart products and receive one collection FREE!
4) Host a home gathering or workshop with a minimum sales of $400 and receive one collection FREE!
5) Join Close to my Heart between January 1-31 and you will receive the collection FREE in your New Consultant Kit.

*This promotion is while supplies last from December 15, 2009-January 31, 2010.

Stamped Tile Coasters

These TILE COASTERS make wonderful gifts

- easy, classy and personalized.

These were made as Christmas gifts for our neighbors.

I also plan to make some as gifts for a few upcoming weddings.

Used the Baroque and The Works alphabets

Used the Rustic and The Works alphabets

Used the Friendship and The Works alphabets

To make them,

1) Start out with tumbled marble tiles (Home Depot and Lowes carry them - you get a box of 9 tiles for $5.)

2)Wipe them down with a damp cloth - coming out of the box they are very dusty.

3) Use StazOn brown ink to stamp the names with alphabet stamps. (It is best to practice first on a 4x4 piece of paper). Using Close To My Heart's clear acrylic stamps allows you to see exactly where you are stamping and you can place the entire name onto one block, so stamping multiple times is very easy.

4) Place adhesive backed felt circles on the underside corners of your tiles.

The box was purchased from Dollar General - it had a big poinsetta on the top of it. I just made a matching cover piece for the top that I had embossed with Cocoa embossing powder and double matted with Garden Green and Ponderosa Pine Cardstock.

Invisible Woman: Be Encouraged!

A friend recently sent me a Youtube video entitled "The Invisible Woman", by Nicole Johnson. It is incredibly encouraging. So much so that I have left it on my desktop all week so I can view it daily before the craziness of the day starts in.  (If you cannot view the video, take a peek at this excerpt by Nicole.)

Here is a quote from Nicole, taken from her website, Fresh Brewed Life: "Mothers are making incredible sacrifices every day. And a sacrifice, by its very nature, is almost always invisible. If people saw and appreciated everything you did and affirmed you for it, it wouldn’t really be a sacrifice, would it? But to keep working for something you believe in, and doing things just because they need doing, is what mothers are all about. So it’s only natural they are going to feel invisible a lot."

So if you are feeling a bit "invisible" today, if you are wondering if the many monotonous things you do as a wife, mother, and caretaker have any value ~ be encouraged, because God sees what you are building. He sees the sacrifices you make each day, even when no one else does. You are building something great, but the results are in God's hands in God's own time.

So ...
"...with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.”
                                               
                                    KEEP ON BUILDING!