Gina's Little Corner of StampinHeaven

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! This month we are featuring Sweet Life a set of 7 stamps. If you have come here from Elizabeth Mindemann'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 around. If you get lost along the way, you'll find the complete list of participating consultant's  HERE We have over 50 consultants participating in the hop. Following the hop is easy, just click on the link at the end of the post and it will hop you right over to the next blog! I created three cards with this set!  I went back to some older paper for these cards and I think they were just perfect!  These papers are still available but ONLY until July 31st! Let's take a look at them individually!    My first card I used the Clementine  (X7156B) paper.  It was the perfect backdrop for the peaches.  I used Cocoa pigment ink to stamp the sentiment and the peaches.  Next I used my alcoh

What an exciting day it was yesterday at Close To My Heart's annual convention.  The room was electric with excitement as over a thousand consultants waited for the new product announcements. The most exciting news was the announcement of a new EXCLUSIVE Close To My Heart Cricut Cartridge called Artbooking.   This new cartridge is guaranteed to take your scrapbooking to new heights. This new cartridge has accents, borders, titles, and photo mats that all accompany 15 layout themes and 10 mini books themes. You can create beautiful artwork with just the touch of a key!  Celebrate birthdays, new baby, vacations, sports holidays and more!  Just like our other exclusive collections, this new cricut collection includes 3 d-size stamps and three sets of dimensional elements!  This entire collection is just $99 and is available only through Close To My Heart beginning August 1st.  Better yet, host a party with sales of $250 and get this collection for $49!! Here are a few more great

  I'm in sunny Orlando Florida this week at the Close To Mt Heart Convention!  We are just hours away from the big reveal of the new Autumn Winter Idea Book and products!! Be sure to visit my Stampinheaven Facebook page for updates!!  I will return to soon to blog more details about the exciting new products!

Today, I'm off to my 4th Close To My Heart Convention!  I knew after attending my very first convention in Washington, DC in 2010 that I would never want to miss another one!  In 2011, I went to Disneyland in California and last year I attended the convention in Dallas, TX.  This year it's off to Disney WORLD in Orlando Flordia!! I will be staying at the Coronado Springs Resort..... I can't wait for all the excitement to begin.  The first General Session is always electric with anticipation of the new product announcements.  There will be much laughter, squealing, cheering and LOTS of giveaways!   It is a tradition to make (or purchase) roomie gifts for the ladies you room with.  Last year I roomed with 3 other ladies but this year it is just me and my friend Heather.  I've had an idea for several weeks now what I wanted to do but didn't get a chance to finally sit down and do it until Sunday afternoon.   For Heather's wall hanging I used a

A friend and co-worker is retiring this week! (What a lucky gal!).   My manager asked if I would make a retirement card for our group to sign.  Of course I said YES!  Instead of making a card, I decided to make a book!  I wanted to create something more than card that all of us could write something special in.   The 6x6 Memory Showcase was the perfect choice! Since she loves to cruise, I used the Tommy paper and Tommy Canvas Assortment .   Here are pictures of the book.   Front Cover  Page 1 - 2 The envelope hold tags that each member of her immediate workshop could write on. Page 3-4 By adding foam tape around the edges of the back side of the photo mats,  I was able to place more tags for signatures behind the pictures Page 5-6 One last group shot with signature tag. Poem for retirement I was able to print this poem directly on the sticker by removing a portion of the backing  to stick to the paper I ran through the printer.   Back o

Wow.... It's been a really busy week!  I had three of my monthly club meetings all this past week and in the middle of that, I've made a 6x6 book for a friend who is retiring (will share that soon), and I've been getting ready for convention - which means I needed to create a roomie gift too!   Our annual Close To My Heart Convention is next week and I've had a mile long list of things to do.   I'm slowly checking them off.   So, that has left little time for some plain ol' crafty fun. I did manage to squeeze some in this evening.   If you keep up with me, you know that no matter how busy I am, I still love to check in on my favorite challenge blogs.   Sometimes it helps to take a small break from 'busy' and do something fun.  That is exactly what I did tonight.  While my hubby was out watering the shrubs I took advantage of a little bit of time and threw together this card. The flower and sentiment are from the Hooray Bouquet (D1491).  I cut t

The Friday Mashup Challenge this week was really cool and I couldn't wait to try my stamps with it! It's called the Brickwall Technique.  I knew I wouldn't get to it until later on Saturday but I mentioned it to one of my really crafty friends at lunch on Friday and told her she needed to check it out and give it a try!   She did and she texted me Friday night saying she did the brick thing and wasn't sure she was liking it!  She had all the pieces cut up and the putting it back together was a pain.  I suggested she call her daughter in to put it back together for her - sometimes kids are great at puzzles.  She sent me a pic and I really liked her finished product.  Not sure she is going to post it though.   I told her she should! I made sure that I gave this technique a try too since I encouraged her to do it! (She might not take me up on my suggestions next time!)   Here is my finished Brickwall Technique card: After my friend's struggles, I knew I would

On Friday I gave a little bit of the History of Flag Day (see my card and post HERE ) so I thought it would be fun to look up the history of Father's Day.   I bet you'd be surprised at how long (or SHORT) it's been an OFFICIAL holiday!   On July 19 of 1910, the governor of Washington, proclaimed the nation's first "Father's Day".  However, it was not until 1972 that the day became an official holiday in the United States.  This was after we had be already celebrating Mother's Day for 58 years!   So, what brought about the July 1910 proclamation in Washington?  A Spokane, Washington woman named Sonora Smart Dodd, one of six children raised by a widower, tried to establish an official equivalent to Mother’s Day for male parents. She went to local churches, the YMCA, shopkeepers and government officials to drum up support for her idea, and she was successful: Washington State celebrated the nation’s first statewide Father’s Day on July 19, 1910.  Sl

On June 14, 1777, the first official flag, also known as the Stars and Stripes or Old Glory, was approved by the Continental Congress.  But it was over 100 years later before the first official Flag Day was declared.  The idea began in 1889 with a school teacher named BJ Cigrand in Wisconsin who arranged for the pupils in the Fredonia Public School to observe June 14 as 'Flag Birthday'. In numerous magazines and newspaper articles and public addresses over the following years, Cigrand continued to enthusiastically advocate the observance of June 14 as 'Flag Birthday', or 'Flag Day' With BJ Cigrand and Leroy Van Horn as the moving spirits, the American Flag Day Association, was organized for the purpose of promoting the holding of Flag Day exercises. On June 14th, 1894, the first general public school children's celebration of Flag Day in Chicago was held in Douglas, Garfield, Humboldt, Lincoln, and Washington Parks, with more than 300,000 children particip

I just LOVE this little stamp! I created another card tonight with the A True Thank You stamp.  This stamp was to be introduced in Close To My Heart's Fall Winter Idea book but after the terrible tornado tragedy in Oklahoma, Close To My Heart pulled it out early for something very special.  During the month of June, 100% of the profits from the sale of A True Thank You will go to help aid the relief of the Oklahoma Tornado Victims.    According to the Corporate offices last week, already THOUSANDS of this little stamp has been sold! We still have a few weeks left in June so I'm hoping that thousands more will be sold!  I actually purchased several because I think these will make great little gifts! Here is the card I created tonight using the colors from this week's ColourQ challenge along with a sketch from our Close To My Heart's How To Book - Wishes. Recipe: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 White Daisy Card A True Thanks - M1029 Cardstock - Twilight, Sweet Leaf,

One of the things I just LOVE about Close to My Heart is their generous giving spirit. They have made it so easy to help those affected by the May tornado that tore through Oklahoma. Close To My Heart is making a new Autumn/Winter 2013 stamp set, A True Thank You, available immediately and will donate 100% of the profits from sales of the set from May 23 through June 30 to the American Red Cross to aid the Oklahoma victims.                                                            I couldn't wait to order several of these little cuties. These make great gifts, stocking stuffers and more! But best of all, they make cute thank you cards! Tonight I sat down and created this card: I used the sketch from Clean and Simple and the colors from the Paper Players Challenge .                                  I stamped the "thank YOU" several times in Cocoa pigment ink onto the card. Next, I stamped it three more times onto a piece of White Daisy card stock an

I needed to make a card for an upcoming party.   Since it's summer, I thought using the Surf's Up paper would be perfect!   I used Honey and Sorbet ink for my palm tree and flower, first inking the stamp in honey and then rolling the edges in Sorbet.  I love the look of this technique.   The palm tree, flower and little waves are from the stamp set Tropical Paradise (C1531). I cut the conversation bubble using the Artiste Cricut cartridge and stamped it with "thanks" using a stamp set that is included in the Artiste Cricut Cartridge Collection . This card makes me want to go to the beach! I'm entering this card into the following challenges: Heart2Heart challenge - create something tropical CAS-ual Fridays - Banners or Flags

It seems like all too often these days someone close is called home to be with the Lord.  So, lately I've been making a few sympathy cards - not always an easy task.   I wanted to share this Sympathy card I made for a friend who's father recently passed away. I chose to use the Buzz and Bumble paper for this card because before he had passed, my friend was telling me how he loved to keep bees.  She told me about the days when she was small and she would help turn the crank that would spin the hives to extract the honey.  I could tell she had a lot of memories of that.  Even weeks before he passed, she told me he still went out to take care of his bees. "Be Still and Know that I am God" is perfect for this card.  It comes from one of my most favorite stamps - Be Still (A1141).   Bees are fascinating - just a small part of this amazing world of nature that God created.  When you stop and take a moment to "Be Still", and take a look at the smallest th

I needed to make another graduation card recently so I used the sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch! .  I'm almost too late in getting it posted.  My dear hubby has been trying to fill up his new found free time (no more summer travel ball anymore) so he's been working on re-landscaping our yard.  Front AND back!  For some reason, he thinks I have this same new found free time and I want to spend it working in the yard.  So I spent Sunday going to the nursery and then planting several new bushes that we brought home with us.  I have to admit - it does look pretty good. It is really nice to work on projects together like this but I don't want it to take up ALL my free time! I NEED my scrap therapy!  Anyway, on to my card...... This was quick and easy.  I used bits of paper from the Claire Paper (X7166B) pack layered on Outdoor Denim Cardstock.  The "Congrats" was stamped with Outdoor Denim ink and the Cocktail Alphabet (E1015) .  I used Natural Bakers twin f