So thankful for my second job!

This is Glitter Tape.  I got it from Michael's for a ridiculously low price.  But, I wouldn't have even looked twice at it if I had not done the BABY CAKES WORKSHOP ON THE GO by CLOSE TO MY HEART. I absolutely HATE glitter ribbon.  But, working with glitter tape is an amazingly easy experience.  Once you figure out how to get the backing off, which can be a trick, it goes on and stays on - so smooth.  And it adds the sparkle  that a page or card needs now and then.

Don't tell my sister I said things need sparkle now and then.  She'll have a coronary.  I'm not much of a sparkle person.  But, a touch, now and then, is good for the soul.

So, this is my Michael's stash of glitter tape.  And I have all of the CTMH glitter tape so far.  I am thrilled that the new catalog has PURPLE tape!!  How fun is that going to be on the LAUGHING LOLA pocket life pages?!  I can't wait to play with all of the new things!

I hope you are spending time in your creative happy place today.  I know I am!  Connie

Well, it has been a long time since I have been here.  I'm sure your holidays were crazy too!  Mine involved not only the holiday planning, shopping, wrapping, cooking and working, I had kids moving in and out of my house!  Total chaos!  I couldn't wrap my head around anything last month.  My oldest and his girlfriend moved out on the 1st of January.  My tree came down today, and I think I may be getting back into the crazy routine that is my life. 

I thought I should start by telling you that our new catalog is in my hot little hands! 

It is AMAZING!!

I can't wait to share it with you all!  It goes live (active) February 1.  If you want one and you don't have one - call me!  I can hook you up!  

January is NATIONAL PAPER CRAFTING MONTH!  

Close to My Heart always offers a wonderful special, and this year is no exception!  

Cloud Nine card kit is full of fun stamps, colors, and new products to play with.  you can make 10 fabulous cards and check out 6 of our brand new products for only $15!  Ask me how! 

OK, that is all I am going to do tonight.  But, I have many things to share this month, so you will hear from me again soon!  

Hang out in your happy place!  C

Catching Up

Well, we here in South Dakota persevere.  With the beautiful weather the weekend AFTER the storm, you would never know we had 31" of snow.  But, all over town the sound of chain saws was the music and huge stacks of branches were the pictures.  Hubby and youngest son worked on our yard and went and helped my sis by cutting as much damage off of here huge old tree as they could. Don't they look like hard workers?

Meanwhile, I met some of my students for lunch before we did the picture frame class.  We went to HuHot for the first time.  YUMMY!  We really had fun.  And, we had a server who didn't mind getting into the spirit of things by photo bombing!!  :)

 And , then it was time to get serious and make some awesome frames to give as gifts or hang in our homes.  I am always amazed at the diversity of my friends.  One did a frame as an engagement gift, One did a frame of her boys camping....

 Another was a surprise for her hubby depicting the Sturgis Rally this year!  

 A family trip to Florida and Disney for another,

 And finally, a series of family vacation memories.  What a fun we to display them in your home!  

I'm still 2 weeks behind in Blog posts, so don't be surprised if you hear from me soon.  I am enjoying a semi-normal schedule at work for a while, so I am getting back into my house work/ scrapping/ 2nd job routine.  

I hope you all enjoy the pictures and visit.  I know I enjoy getting it all down.  

See you soon, 

Connie

Retreat week!

Well, you all know that we were snowed out o the retreat that I was going to host a few weeks ago, but did you know I planned on attending a second retreat this month?  I can't say my hubby is thrilled with me, but he does spoil me and doesn't put up to much of a fuss about the retreats in the fall.

I actually only attend 3 a year, and I host 2 of them, so they are a bit of work.  This one is awesome because I am actually working on my family albums and not fussing about how everyone is doing and watching clocks and worrying if people are having a good time.  Not that I mind that at all, I still enjoy my retreats, but this is a bit more relaxing!

So, one of the reasons I am excited about this retreat, is that I am going to be working on my 2012 album, which I have decided I am going to do BECKY HIGGINS PROJECT LIFE style.  I am hoping to get the whole year done in one weekend.  (scary huh?) But, I think I may be able to do it.  And, this is the pile of stuff I am taking to the retreat.  Yes!!  this is all.  I know right??  Not the huge car load I usually have.   Oh, I am taking my CRICUT and my GYPSY too, but that is it!  So, wish me luck and I will send you updates from the CROP!

Have a super weekend !  I know I will - Connie

Fall retreat in South Dakota

So, I have had these pictures loaded for about a week and a half, but they make me so sad, I have had trouble getting the post written.  I was so excited to go to out retreat at STORM MOUNTAIN this year.  I was organized, I had a plan, I started packing about 2 weeks in advance, and piles of things to load into my car appeared in the living room starting the Monday of retreat.

By Thursday night, this is what I was looking at piled up by the front door.  I knew the weather man was predicting bad storms, but he is always wrong.  They ALWAYS go south of us!  We ARE going to scrap book this weekend!  AT STORM MOUNTAIN!  And, I believed that, right up to 11:00 AM Friday morning, when I watched someone go into the ditch on the way home from Walmart.  :(

By Friday afternoon, this is what we were dealing with.  And it was still coming down in droves. The leaves, still on the trees and not yet turning their beautiful fall colors, were holding all of the snow up in the trees.

And by early evening on Friday, we were hearing branches breaking all over the neighborhood.  Power had been flickering in and out all day, and by 6:00 PM.....it was over.  No electricity for us.

My son's little project truck has a broken windshield.  And the tree damage on the property is unreal!

Thankfully, the tree that landed on the shed didn't do any damage, but I was worried, with very little storage in the house, this is where I keep my extra stuff.

The last blessing for us of course, was the fact that I picked up firewood on an impulse Friday morning.  We haven't used this fireplace in 10 years because we aren't home long enough (usually!) But it sure kept us warm this storm.  

So, during the storm, I read 3 books, made 6 cards for a customer of mine  (oooh!  I should take pictures of those!), and hung out with my hubby and son.  

I wonder if this might be the beginning of  a weather trend here, it has been the weirdest year for us.  I am going to remain prepared just in case.  Firewood ready!  Flashlights a plenty!  And batteries galore for when the next storm hits.  In the man time, I have put away my retreat bags and and plan on doing those projects at home, sometime between now and Christmas.  And, I am packing up for my next retreat at the end of the month.  I am working on a new project at that retreat!  I am going to give pocket scrap booking a try.  I'll let you know how it goes.    C

Getting ready

So, it's Sunday morning and I thought I would give you a glimpse into my day.  I slept in, I LOVE Sundays for that!!  Woke up knowing that I was making waffles for breakfast and got moving!  Started dish water
(didn't get dishes done last night because I want to Les Miserables with my sis!) and heated up the waffle iron.  Before I got to far into my multitasking, I had sliced my thumb open and gone through 2 sets of band-aides.  Not a great way to start the day, but I must persevere!  I have much to accomplish!  Look at these Boxes!!

These are only 2 of the 4 that I need to get packaged out for the girls going to the retreat this weekend!  Many many fun things in here!!  Can 't wait for you all to get to Storm Mountain!

The only side effect of boxes is those darn pillows!  I have bags and bags of them.  Usually, I donate my bags and boxes to the Black Hills Area Decorative Artists.  They use them to ship memory boxes to hospitals all over the world.  It is such a great program.  If you don't know what the memory box program is, please go check it out here!  (oooh!  I've never added a link like that before!  That was fun!)

So, right now, I have this one bag of pillows, but I'm sure by Wednesday I will have at least one more.  I'm so glad they get recycled.  And, hopefully by the end of today, I will be able to find my living room again!  ;)

Connie

Welcome to STUDIO J

So Excited to share some STUDIO J pages with you today.  These are the first ones I have created and I am THRILLED!  I am a total paper scrapper, but it was fun to step out of my box and these came together SO QUICKLY!

I created a St. Patrick's Day layout first.  I had to do it twice, because I learned how to change the papers, and I really was unhappy with one of the B&T papers I had used.  Once I figured out how to do that, I was thrilled with the layout, but I don't have permission to share the people's pictures, so, I will just keep that one private.  

I think I only spend a couple hours on ALL FOUR of these layouts.  I am thrilled to have the pages done for my bonus child, Tori.  I have a book started for him, but get so few pictures.  I think these are almost all of the pictures I have for 2013. That's OK, he's a grown up, but I still want him to have a book.  

I LOVE the details on these pages.  It is so fun to play with the elements and know that you aren't committed until you say "order these pages"  You can change and change and change everything until you are completely happy - or crazy and have to step away.  Either way, you have pages created!

Buttons, Brads, Bingo cards under pictures, and stickers.  What more could a girl want?

And access to a bunch of old AND NEW papers through STUDIO J.  

Won't you come play with me??  c