Gingerbread House Gift Box

Check this out!!!! Lisa has created a TOTALLY, WAY COOL, OVER THE TOP gift box using the November stamp of the month. Click here to see her post. You ROCK, Lisa!

Sunday Vegan Dinner

Okay - I just had to share this with you guys! My son is a vegan - which grossly (emphasis on "gross") limits his food choices. In addition to this, our relationship has been greatly strained the past few years. A few weeks ago, I felt God stirring my heart to reach out to him and his friends by making them a homemade vegan meal. I did just that recently and it was SO GOOD I just had to share it with you! I visited a website called allrecipes.com (Thanks Shanti!) to find some worthy recipies and found these. The photos really don't do them justice. It was really good! (Click on the titles to see the recipies.)

Vegan Rainbow Veggie Chili


accompanied by Vegan Light Oat Bread (I substituted vegan butter)


and a salad


topped off with Vegan Brownies and Rice Dream!


I'm looking forward to the next time! I've had a request for Vegan Pizza next!

Christmas Card Workshop

It's not too late to get your Christmas cards made and in the mail! Join me on Friday, December 4th to create 10 cards (2 each of 5 designs) for $10.

These cards all feature our new Creative Basics - Jingle paper!

This card features our Flurry Dimensional Elements snowflake covered in prisma glitter along with our Holiday Commentary (C1379) stamp set!

This card also uses Flurry Dimensional Elements stars - again, covered in prisma glitter along with our Card Chatter - Christmas (D1388) and Holiday Trinkets (D1366) stamp sets.


This card features our new connection club reward - adhesive pearls, along with one of my favorite new stamp sets, Snow Flurries (D1384).

This card features the Holiday Trinkets (D1366) stamp set.

This card features the fun new Ms. Holiday Cheer (D1374) stamp set.

We will use paper piecing as well as liquid applique and fun flock on the fur!

Back from Pigeon Forge!

Pam and I traveled to Pigeon Forge, TN last week to participate as CTMH vendors at a weekend crop at River Stone Resort & Spa. We had a GREAT time! There were 110 croppers and 4 vendors. Everyone was so friendly! Many had never heard of Close To My Heart and a handful are very interested in signing up as consultants! Pam and I each offered a workshop and received lots of positive feedback! I can't wait to do something like this again!!

If you know of an event like this, please let me know. I'd love to participate as a vendor!



Although we were in Pigeon Forge, we really didn't get to see any of it, except driving through. We were up at 7am and back in bed at 1:30 am each day. I'd love to go back and spend the weekend exploring. Lots of fun places to visit and beautiful scenery abounds!

More Christmas Cards

I have a Christmas card party this Thursday at a local church. Here is what I came up with. They are all very simple - easy for beginners!All use our Aspen papers/colors and the Originals and Wishes patterns.

Here is one SUPER simple card where I have embossed the twilight cardstock with my cuttlebug and lightly sanded it to reveal the white core of our cardstock.


Here is a totally simple card in two different versions.I used the Essential Alphabet stamp set and a snowflake for the "O". I inked the snowflake in twilight ink and rolled the edges in outdoor denim ink. Then I attached a white crocheted flower with a twilight Twinkle brad in the center.


Here is the same thing, using the backside of the snowflake paper and with a sparkle in the center of the snowflake.


Here is the sentiment from the Christmas Story stamp set:


Here is an outline stamp from the Christmas Story stamp set. I stamped the manger in desert sand ink and then stamped a second image, cut it out, and added 3-D foam tape under it to add dimension. I used our inks and blending pen to add a little color to the image and then added a dimensional element star, inked and glittered, to the stamped star image. The front of the card is cut out so you can see the image inside.

I'm going to have another card for the kids to make - but haven't fully decided on that one yet. I'll post it once I do!

If you are interested in hosting a card party or workshop, let me know!

Wishes Club - November

Here is our card this month - it features our All Decked Out stamp set. This is such a FUN stamp set! (See the cute sample card on pg. 42 of our Autumn/Winter Idea Book!)



The snowman is paper pieced on the front. I added a little liquid applique, sprinkled with prisma glitter on a few snowflakes and heated it with a craft heater to set it.



The technique we are learning tonight is creating a coordinating envelope liner! Check out a great tutorial on Lisa's blog here.

I should mention that this card was inspired by another card Bren Yule created last year! LOVE those corduroy brads on the ear muffs from our Mini-Medley Winter Cozy collection. Thanks Bren!!

Jingle Layout

I am going to Tennessee with my team member, Pam, as CTMH vendors at a weekend crop. Here is the layout I am teaching at a workshop that weekend.



The techniques I will be showing with this layout are dry embossing, edge distressing, generation stamping, heat embossing, embellishing with liquid glass and prisma glitter.

I LOVE this Jingle paper and the Holiday Trinkets stamp set! So FUN!

Stampaganza is BACK!

Whether you are a long-time fan of stamps or are just venturing into this fun hobby, now is the perfect time to grab some My Acrylix decorative stamp sets! From November 3 - 30, 2009, when you purchase any two stamp sets at full retail price you will receive a third stamp set of your choice FREE (of equal or lesser value) - a savings of up to $22.95!

Choose any stamp set* offered in any 2009 Idea Book or current Product Review.

*Excludes stamp of the month, Art & Soul discounts, workshops on the go, and customized stamp sets.

Take advantage of this month's great offer to add to your assortment of these innovative stamps! Click here to begin shopping or contact me today!

November Stamp of the Month

This month's stamp set is SO dang cute! You can do so much with it too! It's called Around the Block and is perfect for announcing that you have moved, welcoming a new neighbor to the neighborhood, or for embellishing your layouts of home and family. Click here to see the stamp set and details on how to get it at a discount or FREE!

Here is a simple card I made with That's Amore paper. (I believe it was fellow CTMH consultant Vicki Wizniuk that inspired this one.) The house frame is actually quite tall, I cut mine down to fit on a standard sized card:



I raised the sentiment and flower box on 3-D foam tape just for fun and paper-pieced some parts.