August SOTM Blog Hop

 Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!  We will be featuring August's SOTM, which is Boroque Borders, a set of five stamps.  If you have come here from Jean McNulty'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, just visit the full list of consultants.

This month we have over 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!

 It's been awhile since I participated in a blog hop but they are always so much fun, I wanted to jump right back in! I've been spending lots of time reorganizing my crafting space so I was eager to actually create instead of clean something!

On this colonial white cardstock sized 4x4'' I simply stamped with two different shades of grey. Grey  Wool and Flannel Grey were the shades I used. I stamped the image in the lighter shade first and then sponged on the darker shade with a sponge dauber. It gives the image a multi-colored look. The sentiment was from a stamp set called "Card Chatter - Sympathy."  I love the simple elegant look of this card. 

I also wanted to share a photo of the following artwork. This card that also uses the Baroque Borders, was created as a Make 'n' Take provided by a teammate Cathryn, at my Silicon Valley Stampers team meeting. We always celebrate a new catalog with  make 'n' takes from the upcoming catalog using the stamps of the month. Fun times! Thanks Cathryn for making such a cute make 'n' take for us! 

Now "Hop" on over to Kathleen'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 August SOTM is only available until August 31st!  Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set for only $5.

More garden with Mayberry

Another layout from the same day with the same paper. I like keeping the same paper working on the same event. It's a visual cue that I'm still on the same day without reading the journaling.

I'm especially fond of this day looking at the amazing group of women who were role models to me and my children in their toddler and preschool years. I don't know where I'd be as a mom without these ladies!! (Not to mention all the great moms shown here too but that's a layout for another day!!)


This layout was adapted from Hat Trick layout in the Magic book. Find it on page 54. Typically I love the stickease layout suggestions but this sticker pack wasn't working with my photos. So I just found a layout that worked and adapted the stickers to work. They always do!!

Garden layout with Mayberry

I love the use of flip flaps. It's one of my favorite CTMH products. I love packing in more photos without cramming them all over the page or cropping down to tiny images. Sometimes tiny is nice but then you lose a lot of background. This was made with Mayberry - a pack that came out in the spring summer 2011 catalog. I have always really loved this paper pack for its gender neutral colors... Something I love having both a son and daughter.

Christmas layout

I received this layout in a team meeting Christmas gift swap. The layout was made by one of our team members Melanie. I have had this since probably 2010 but just now threw on some photos from Christmas 2011.

Splendor summer layout

One of my paper packets I dug out from 2010. Photos are actually from 2010 as well. I picked this layout from the extra project suggestion on the workshop on the go guide. I love these guides because they always remind me of creative ways to use my accessories!

Team swap items

Yesterday was out team meeting which was as always lots of fun. Here are some of the items from our swap. We enjoyed a nice potluck lunch and got to see all kinds of new product from the new catalog! Fun fun! Thank you Linda for having these great meetings for us to enjoy!

Five year anniversary

This next month marks my fifth active year with close to my heart. The time has flown. I have so many priceless memories preserved and am so thankful for all the work I've done.

I've also made some amazing friends and taken some awesome travels.

I'm looking forward to the next five years and beyond!

This is the charm they sent me as a gift.

Valentines day booklet

I used the paper bag that my daughter decorated as the cover. Then I used the crop a dile to punch holes in all the little cards and tied off to bind it into a book. I glued the teacher's card inside the front cover. I'll include the whole book in her preschool memory book.