Special Online Offers for June from CTMH

Special Online Offers for June
Love a great deal - how about 30!

In June you'll find a different deal each day on my CTMH website - a product special available only that day and only while supplies last (new deals will be posted 9am (MT) - FYI website may run slow due to traffic at 9am). Watch for popular products offered FREE with a stamp set purchase and all-the-rage goodie boxes filled will enviable items priced well below retail. Irresistible shipping discounts are included!
In addition I will be offering a prize draw for anyone who orders via my website during June. For every $10s ordered you will earn one ticket. On July 1st I will draw for the winners.
1st Prize - $30 product credit to choose what you want.
2nd Prize - $15 product credit
3rd Price - $5 product credit
Remember, each special is good only for that day, only while supplies last and only via my website. Visit often and save!

Visit my website at ronnie.myctmh.com

CPS - Card Sketch Challenge

I'm really trying as I said to do more challenges so here's another one. I love how people can create such different cards from the same sketch and that's what I love the CTMH card design books so much. I have been following the CPS blog for a few weeks now but this is the first time I've actually had the time to create the card. Didn't turn out exactly as I wanted but I think its works. Its a 6inch square card which provides lot of extra space to play with but then you have the problem of the envelopes. I need to hit Michaels with my coupon today to get some but not sure I will have time we've invited half the street for a grill at lunch! Well I'm off to prepare for the grill. Enjoy the Holiday.


Supplies (all CTMH unless noted):-
C1340 Aspiration
X7090B SILHOUETTE LEVEL 2 PAPER PACKET
X7090C SILHOUETTE My Stickease.
Z1033 Just Blooms Big Pinks
Z1147 Foundry Bookplates
Z1285 Holiday Craft Buttons (colonial white buttons)
Misc. Red and off white flower(not CTMH).

To see some other samples using the same sketch click here.

Color Inspiration #53

This week I was determined to get my card done for the color inspiration in time to post it. When I checked in to get the colors I was less certain about it. The colors this week are so not me. You know how colors just don't work well for you. Yellow is that color for me. I hardly ever use yellow and its only use is generally in very small amounts for centers of flowers etc. But I'm determined to do some more challenges so I took a sample of all the cardstock colors and laid them out in front of me. For a while they didn't speak to me and I thought I'd have to miss this week. But in the end primary colors spoke little boy and a little boy card was born.
The colors are Sunny Yellow, Holiday Red, Dutch Blue, Black and White Daisy - all CTMH. The stamps used are C1256 Little Boys (retired) and D1300 Circle Around - both CTMH. I stamped and edged both the Holiday Red and Dutch Blue pieces with images and then sanded the edges gently. Originally I didn't have the black photo hangers but the card was missing something so I added this and the piece of blue ribbon - who says ribbon isn't for boys!

So here it is - not sure when I'll use as I don't have much use for cards for little boys at the moment but you never know.

My First Circle Card

Circle cards are all the rage as far as I can see from my travels around the stamping blogs and magazines. Then "Wishes" arrived and its full of circle cards so I knew I had to make one. I also wanted to take part in the color challenge from the Kwerner Design blog that I did last week. The color challenge this week was :-














These are SU colors so I found the CTMH equivalents and went with creme brulee, crystal blue, vanilla cream, colonial white and bamboo. Unfortunately life took over and didn't get my card loaded last night before the deadline but still I can share for my blog readers, even though I can't win, I think its worth sharing. I hope you like it. The card is very similar to the one in the Wishes book - different stamps and colors but was so easy to put together that I think I'll be making more circle cards.

The stamp sets I used were sans alphabet (C1304), Argyle background (D1325) and Star Struck (D1237)

The day was so beautiful here in Texas that I decided to take my picture outside just for a change.

Wishes is Here!

The brown arrived this week with my copy of Wishes the latest card design book from CTMH. It wasn't expected to be available until June 1st but the printer got them out early so they were released for sale. Its of full of some really great new designs from card in a whole variety of sizes and types. 109 designs in total! It even comes with a CD full of patterns for you to print. In addition this time there are several card sets to make. It gives you all the cutting diagrams to cut the paper to create a set of coordinating cards. These “card workshops” are specifically designed to help you make bulk cards faster, simpler, easier - how cool is that!

It also emphasizes unique ROUND card patterns and a template CD to make these circles spectacular. Imagine the fun of receiving a cool, round card! Even better, imagine the fun of creating one!

If you want to order a book you can do this online at my CTMH website - the cost is $29.95 and it can only be purchased via a CTMH consultant.

Well a new book in hand meant I had to design a card using the book. As usual for me I never follow the pattern totally. I'm so the same when I'm cooking. I take an idea and change it around for me. The pattern I chose was for a small card (3 1/2 " by 2 1/2") but I wanted a standard card size. The sample in the book even uses the same colors and everything. I just enlarged the design added my own touch and I had my card done. All done and complete within 15 minutes from start to finish. That is the beauty of the card design books by Jeannette Lynton. They do really make your card designs faster, simpler and easier! I hope my brother-in-law appreciates the card as it will be going in the mail to England tomorrow so it arrives in time for his special day!



Products (all supplies CTMH)
D1283 Say It In Style
D1237 Star Struck
C1234 Simple Stitches
D1352 It's Your Day
X7097B Game On Level 2 Paper Packet
Black, Cocoa and Chocolate Ink
Silver Brads

Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Decided to try something different and joined a blog hop. Never done a blog hop - well its a fun way of sharing different ideas based on a theme. The theme for this blog hop is the CTMH May SOTM - you will get to visit 18 different blogs and see 18 different creations using this set. What a great way of see how versatile this set is. I know many of you already have it on your list for May but for those doubters around check out the cool ideas these consultants have come up with for it.

The way the blog hop works is that you move from blog to blog clicking on the links on each blog. So If you have come here from Shannon Laux's Blog, you are on the right path! But if this is your first stop, you may want to go back to Jena's Blog and start from the beginning - so you don't miss out on some of the great artwork being shared!

My input for the hop is a cool any occasion card. It could be for a girl friend who needs to be reminded the life is great or just to say Hi!

I used pansy purple for the background and used a flower template underneath the cardstock. Then I sanded the cardstock which brought out the flower shape which was highlighted again using the piercing tool. To make the center of the flower I punched a scalloped oval out of creme brulee cardstock which I then scored in both directions to make a grid which I highlighted using creme brulee ink. The images are from the Be Yourself Stamp Set (May Stamp of the Month). I just love how the lady is dancing - she looks so happy and when your happy everything is beautiful. The white core of the CTMH cardstock is what makes this card in my mind. A little bit of sanding can allow you to create such a different look than the basic cardstock.

Now "Hop" on over to Deb Young'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 May SOTM is only available until May 31st! If you want to order this stamp set - you can do it on my website at www.ronnie.myctmh.com - remember depending on how much you order you can earn this set for FREE - combine it with an order for $60s of stamps you'll also get the tickled pink set for more details click here - tickled pink

Also before you go remember to check out earlier posts on my blog which features other cards using the May Stamp of the Month - you won't regret it! Remember also to sign-up for updates to this blog at the top right of the blog. Its easy to do and you ensure you won't miss out on any of my blog enteries
Color Inspiration Card Sample
Slide show of Samples

Color Inspiration Challenge

Decided to try my hand at a color challenge this week. I used the CTMH colors Chocolate, Hollyhock, Goldrush and White Daisy. I had seen a card by Jean Johnson which I really liked but want to add to a little bit more color so this seemed the perfect time to do it.

The stamps sets I used are from the May Stamp of the Month from CTMH - Be Yourself and the stamps which come with the Tinkled Pink special which CTMH is offering for National Scrapbook Month. Finally the birthday comes from the August Stamp of the Month It's Your Day - but this could be replaced by any birthday you have.

Card Keeper with matching Cards - May Workshop

So I finally found time this week to pull together a workshop for May. I really thought I wasn't going to be able to do one as the clock has been ticking and didn't have anything designed. Luckily two ideas from other consultants came across my emails and I was able to adapt these and create a workshop.

A while back I did a workshop using the snapshot pages made by Close To My Heart (CTMH) to create cards. Since then CTMH has released new snapshots and they were begging to be used for a similar workshop. Thanks to Chris Green who provided the basic design idea I came up with 5 cards using the Perfect Day Snapshots (X8532) and the Botanical Fancy Cuts (X1405).

I had just completed this when Tresa Black shared on her blog a really cute card keeper. In a moment of inspiration, these are rare since I turned 40 so I have to mention it, I realised I could take the design she used to create a matching card keeper for my cards and I had my workshop.

The workshop will be held on Thursday May 28th at 10am at my house. One last fling before the kids finish for the summer. The cost will be $15 (tax and shipping included). For this you will get everything you need to create the card keeper plus five cards (with matching envelopes). You will have extra fancy cuts left over to make more cards at home. I'm sorry I can't do an evening class at the moment due to the cancellation of school events due to swine flu the back end of this month is crazy. I will offer the opportunity to purchase a workshop kit which will include everything you need plus detailed instructions. If you can't pick-up your kit there will be an additional mailing charge.

RSVPs required by May 14th to ensure we get the products in time. You will need to bring 12inch trimmer, scissors and adhesive of choice.

This card keeper would make an excellent end of year teacher gift - so if you want to order extra supplies to make more at home let me know. You can make one set out of 1/2 packet of snapshots.

Graduation Card

Its that time of year when we need graduation cards. As we usually give some money or gift card as well as a card I decided to make this a card which combined the card and the ability to hold money or gift card.

I used Good Times Level 2 paper packet, Chocolate Alphabet Large (E1010), Condfidential (D1347), Reach for the Stars (B1321), Chocolate Ink. (All Close To My Heart products).





Want to learn how to make this card. I have 4 classes this month when I will be teaching it. Check out my schedule on my ctmh blog at www.ronnie.myctmh.com - if there's a class you can make email me to check that I have a spot available at ronniecrowley@prodigy.net. Otherwise how about hosting a class at home where I can teach you and your guests how to make this card.

Samples from new sets from CTMH

Thought I'd share another set of swaps I was involved in with samples from a variety of new sets included in the new catalogs. The slide shows a whole variety of styles and items. You've already seen my sample but still I thought it was worth sharing.

I hoping the weather this afternoon arrives and keeps us home as I have more samples I need to make. I was working on a workshop based around snapshots last night and want to be able to share this soon. I wish I had more time and energy to create but the end of the school year is always a challenge for me even with out the swine flu!

Carol Harris
Nicole Simmons
Tammy Paulson
Emma Ault
Carrie Burdette
Starr Bartlett
Lisa Moore
Ginger Manning
Ronnie Crowley
Christina Cox
Jody Skinner
Heather Snow
Melissa Robinson
Teri Baxter

Heather Dennis

Stephanie Sickler