Gift Card Holder

Teachers play such an important role in our children's lives.  And, being a former teacher, I know how great it feels when a parent acknowledges my effort.  So, I bought gift cards for my sons' teachers this year and wanted to present them in a pretty way.
I made good use of my Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge and cut out almost everything with it.  Here's the super easy gift card holder I created:

Here it is opened up.

I used the Believe bulk paper, Topiary, Holiday Red and White Daisy cardstock.  The stamp set is Holiday Cheer, B1381.  To create the card, use the Card feature and cut .  I cut mine at 5 1/2 inches so that I could get two from one piece of cardstock.  I cut out at 1 1/4 inches for the Happy Holiday sentiment and again at 1 1/2 inches for the contrasting color.

Just add some adhesive or glue dots and attach your gift card inside, write a personal message and you're done!

Thanks to Carolyn Wheeler, www.cropcandy.com, for the idea for this cute card.  You can see her YouTube tutorial for more info: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAEdgLkiR8U.

Merry & Bright

I just love that saying...Merry & Bright.  Kinda hard not to smile when you say Merry & Bright.  I've been baking cookies this morning, listening to Christmas music and looking at my sparkling tree...all of it's making me feel merry and bright.  So, let me share with you a gift tag I made to swap with my Let's Get Fancy teammates at our annual Christmas Party last Friday.

I used paper from the retired Jingle set with Creme Brulee and Juniper card stock.  Generally, I like my Christmas colors in traditional cranberry and green but these colors jumped out at me.  I used my Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge to cut the circles and the scalloped circles.  I used my paper piercer to pierce little holes in the scalloped parts.  Then I put a little Liquid Glass on the light bulb.  Liquid Glass tends to make reds a little orangey, not sure why since it doesn't do it to other colors.  But, I think it blended nicely with the Creme Brulee.  I added three brads, put some Silver Glitz Glitter Gel on them and then a little Liquid Glass atop that to make them stick.  The new Glitz sticks great to paper, but being a glue, it can slide off metals when dry.  Finally, I added a little ribbon and voila, a simple but Merry & Bright gift tag!

Check back on Thursday to see tags made by my fancy friends!

Christmas Gift Tags

It's December 1st!  I'm so excited for the season leading up to Christmas.  It just seems a joyful time: bright lights, decorations and lots of excuses for crafting.  As much as I love making gifts for family and friends, I think I love wrapping the presents even more.  And, showing thoughtfulness in the gift wrap just builds the anticipation to the gift inside.

As a thank you to my customers who bought the Holiday Wishes stamp set last month, I invited them over to create several gift tags.  I created seven different tags, most of them using the Holiday Wishes stamp set.  Here's the bunch:

I set up four stations, one with the snowflake and the others with two gift tags each.  Here's what my dining room looked like:

We listened to Christmas music and even some Christmas "musak."  Later that night my husband told me he created a "good" playlist that omitted the Manheim Steamroller and slow jams Christmas songs.  That would have been helpful info about three hours earlier.  Oh, well!

Here are a couple of my favorites.  They're simple, sweet and will look great on traditional Christmas wrapping paper or Kraft wrapped gifts.

Thankful For You!

As I'm preparing for the Thanksgiving holiday, I wanted to take a moment to thank my wonderful customers.  This has been a great year for me as a Close To My Heart Consultant and I've enjoyed working with so many wonderful, crafty friends.  As my thanks to you, I'm offering 10% off all purchases made between now and December 12th.

You can order the following ways:

1) Online: http://michellejonesva.myctmh.com. Click “Shop Online” when you get to the page. Credit cards accepted.  I will send you a check for 10% of the retail sales (not including shipping and tax).

 

2) E-mail: michellejonesva@yahoo.com –Submit your order and you can pay by check or credit card. Please include your name, shipping address, phone number, e-mail, item number, description, quantity and price.    I'll be placing those orders on November 30th and December 12th. 

Thanksgiving Card

Yesterday I posted a THANKS banner.  I'm going to continue with the Thanksgiving theme another day before I jump feet first into Christmas.

I have to admit, Thanksgiving is not my favorite holiday.  It's not that I don't think people should be thankful and celebrate gratitude, it's just that I think we should practice that every day, not just once a year.  That being said, family gathering together to enjoy a meal is always a precious event.  This year, we'll be celebrating with my husband's parents.  I created these cards to send to the rest of our family to tell them how thankful we are for them, too.

If you're familiar with Close To My Heart's Fall/Winter Idea Book 2011, you'll notice this card looks a lot like the one on page 66.  I used paper that I had left from other projects (like some extra Olivia), so I'll let you choose your green and orange shades along with some Colonial White cardstock.  Then, I used the My Acrylix So Grateful stamp set, one of my favorites.  I popped up the pumpkin with a little 3-D tape, added some accents from the Honey Mini Medley Collection and viola! a simple sweet card.

Happy Thanksgiving!



THANKS

I love this time of year, the weather is cooling down, leaves are bright and falling and a spirit of giving is in the air.  I have so much to be thankful for again this year: an amazing family, incredible friends, a warm home and the opportunity to stay home with my boys while doing what I love-papercrafting!

My parents anniversary was last week and I wasn't sure what to do for them.  So, I made this THANKS banner for them so they would know when they looked at it how thankful I am for them!

I used the Olivia paper that's currently available in the While Supplies Last section of my CTMH site (under Shop Online) for only $5!!

Here are the supplies you'll need to recreate this banner:

My Creations Mix & Mingle Album, Z1334

Olivia Level 2 Paper Pack, X7128B

Dimensional Elements-Notable Alphabet, Z1682

Topiary Cardstock, X5918 (Olive, Pear, Garden Green or New England Ivy would work)

Cricut Art Philosophy Collection, Z1686 (includes the Dimensional Elements Alpha)

My Acrylix Harvest Happiness, C1463

Barn Red Ink Pad, Z2104

Topiary Ink Pad, Z2155

Natural Hemp, Z280

Visit my website today to check out the Olivia paper on sale, along with so many other fabulous items: http://michellejonesva.myctmh.com/.



Join My CTMH Team!

October is the perfect time to become a Close To My Heart Independent Consultant.  First of all, when you sign up as a new Consultant between October 1–31 you'll receive one New Consultant Kit add-on collection of your choice FREE! Add-on collections are priced at $40 each and have a retail value of $80– $130, making this an incredible deal! 

For just a $99 enrollment fee, you'll receive a New Consultant Kit packed with business essentials, paper, stamps, essential tools, embellishments, blocks, albums, and more valued at over $280, plus a FREE add-on collection to enhance your kit! That's $400 worth of the fantastic CTMH products you love for only $99!  And, if you want, you can choose to buy one or both of the other add-on collections for just $40 each. It's an incredible deal!
 
But what's another reason to join my team?  Because we have a blast!  You'll want to come to team meetings to learn lots of cool tips and tricks and to join all the fun we have.  The Let's Get Fancy team is filled with 60+ amazingly crafty and talented women who love to inspire and share their artwork. 
 
So, what do you have to do?
 
Just contact me about signing up.  There's really no HAVE to with CTMH's Consultant program.  You don't have to teach classes or workshops or hold crops.  You can just keep buying the fabulous products that you love at a 22% discount.
 
Quarterly minimums are only $300 (with your discount that comes out to roughly $75 per month).  Sign up now, with this awesome special & you don’t have to meet any minimums until March 31 – that’s 4 months from now!  If you can’t meet that deadline, you simply become a Junior Consultant and earn a 10% discount.

As a Consultant, you'll get exclusive offers on bulk ribbon, papers and other supplies and have access to our Training Academy and Consultant Bulletin Board.  And, I know you want to get your Bachelors, Masters or PhD in Scrapbooking and Stamping...all possible through CTMH's Training Academy.

Check out the New Consultant Kit:







Roxie Add-on



Elemental Add-on

Studio J Add-on



Dreamin' Shower Invitation

My husband works for a great company.  And, he just loves the people he works with, too.  One woman in particular has always made his job a bit easier, which makes my life better, too.  So, when she got engaged, Jeff and I really wanted to throw her a couples' wedding shower.

We're going to use fall colors for the shower with mums and pumpkins as decorations.  This Dreamin' paper pack went great with that theme.  Congratulations Andrea and Jonathan!  We can't wait to celebrate with you!

Products Used:

Dreamin' Level 2 Paper Pack, X7142B

Chocolate Cardstock, X5643

Colonial White Cardstock, 1388

My Acrylix Harvest Happiness, C1463

Chocolate Ink, Z2111

Goldrush Ink, Z2123

Barn Red Ink, Z2104

Cricut Art Philosophy Collection, Z1686

Judy Cards

My mother-in-law, Judy, is classy and elegant.  She asked me to make a few sample cards for her that she may order for her friends as Christmas gifts.  So, I made these cards with clean, classic lines and handsome colors.  They just "looked" like her.

If you'd like personalized, custom cards, I'm happy to discuss options with you.  Contact me today for a sample.  Or, I'll share my recipes with you and help you order the products you need to make them yourself!

Spooky Banner

I just love Halloween.  You get to pretend to be anyone you want.  The cooler temps, pumpkins and hayrides are all favorites for my family.  We like to decorate indoors, as well as out.  I made the below Spooky Banner following CTMH's on-line instructions (under Ideas & Inspiration, Workshops on the Go, Mischief, Bonus Project).  It was pretty simple and I love the finished project.  The details are really amazing, this photo doesn't do it justice.

The banner hung from my family room mirror.

The mantle in our family room all "spooked" out!

I have room for one more person at my Spooky banner workshop this Tuesday, September 27th at 7 p.m.  Contact me if you'd like to come!

Football Lanyards

Are you ready for some football?

The smell of leaves, the start of school, cooler temperatures and football all signify my favorite season, Fall!  Okay, so this year it was more like heat, earthquakes, hurricanes and floods that signified Northern Virginia's start of Fall, but whatevs.

Both of my sons are playing flag football this year, same team.  That means one practice and one game a week...Hoo Ya!  As a way to get to know the players and parents, I made these lanyards for the parents to wear. 

Each player has a lanyard with their photo, shirt number and name on the front.  On the back, each child's name, jersey number and parents' names are listed in a table.  That way, when #1 scores a touchdown or #12 snatches a flag, everyone can cheer, "Go Alex!" or "Go Joshua!"  The schedule and coach's information is also listed on the back for convenience.  Then I laminated the cards, tied some plastic lace around it, added a few football beads and voila...team lanyards.  Just something simple, but all the other teams are jealous!  :)

School Days

My baby started kindergarten last week.  Sniff.  I felt a mixture of excitement and sadness at how quickly he's growing up.  CTMH has a fabulous paper pack, Typeset, that's just perfect for school photos.  So, I did a three layout workshop last week to document my official "free time" now that both boys are in school.  Here are the finished products:

Alex, the "baby" starting kindergarten.

Magic: Charmed

My Joshua, who started second grade.

Magic: Magician's Choice

 

Finally, a page of both boys for "my" scrapbook!

Magic: Illusion

Supplies Used:

Typeset Level 2 Paper Pack, X7139B

Colonial White Cardstock, 1388

Typeset Complements Canvas Shapes, X7139C

Color-Ready Alphabets - Cork, Z1450

Milepost Shapes, Z1464

Cocoa Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad, Z2114

Cocoa Exclusive Inks Re-Inker, Z2214

Cocoa Exclusive Inks Pen, Z2314

Stipple Brush from the Texture Tools, Z1298

Skype Me!

Technology and I are often adversaries.  That's partly my fault and partly Technology's fault.  See, we just don't think alike.  Technology is so precise; you have to do things "just so" to make him work right.  I want to do things my way and have Technology read my mind and figure out how to make it happen.  Code? Please, give me intuition!  That's what I expect from the men in my life (right, Jeff?).

One of my good friends and customers, Jenn Rau, moved out to California a few months ago.  After she bought her new house, she said, "We'll have to do workshops via Skype."  To which I cheerily replied, "Absolutely, that would be so much fun!"  But, really I was thinking, "I'm never gonna see this girl's face again."  Technology and I just don't see eye to eye and I thought Jenn and I weren't going to anymore either. 

Installing Skype was actually incredibly easy.  Technology prompted me with all of these questions and I answered yes to all of them, whether I knew what he was talking about or not.  I even took a photo of myself to go next to my account name and tested the audio.  Technology and I were sympatico, finally understanding each other for the first time.  Or, was he just leading me on, making me think I could actually use him?  I figured there'd be some kind of glitch when I actually tried to make him work at last night's Typeset Workshop.  Four of my "regulars" were over, including Jenn's sister, Audrey, so at least I was in supportive company for when this whole thing flopped in my face.

Imagine my pleasant surprise when I dialed Jenn's number and she actually appeared!  Jenn gave us a tour of her gorgeous new home.  A home which did not look like it was newly moved into...paintings hung, everything decorated and Jenn caught up in all of her scrapbooking, I don't know where the woman gets the energy.  Anyhow, I digress, we were able to converse, crop and even hear a concert performed by her youngest with the help of a new Dora guitar.  All this made possible by Mr. Wonderful-Technology.

Here's a photo of the girls cropping...with Jenn on Skype!

August Stamp of the Month, Wicked

Wicked is a teasingly mischievious name for this charming stamp set.  There are so many clever ways to use the set.  However, if you aren't feeling too creative, CTMH has directions to make the three below projects to put you in a spooky mood. 

You only have a few more days to get Wicked.  With a qualifying order of $50 or more, you'll get Wicked for just $5!  Shop on-line at: http://michellejonesva.myctmh.com/ to place an order.  Then, download the templates for the cards and treat box here.  You won't regret getting this stamp set!

Jenny's Stamps

My dear friend, Jenny Maresca, just had a birthday and I wanted to give her something special.  See, I've known her since her actual birth.  Her mom is my godmother and my dad is her godfather.  Jenny is a couple years younger than I am and has an older brother closer to my age.  He, another family friend, Michele, and I used to pal around together, with "little" Jenny trailing behind.  Then, as we got older and more focused on school friends, I lost touch with Jenny for a while.  She's recently back in my life and guess what...she loves to scrapbook and make cards!  So, this similar interest has really bonded us.

Okay, back to her birthday gift.  Jenny recently asked me about CTMH's My Acrylix Organizer as she's collected enough stamps to fill one.  So, I decided that would be part of her gift from me.  But I couldn't just give it to her plain.  I "Jennyfied" it, decorating it with lots of butterflies-her favorite!  I used the retired Wings paper some plain Sweet Leaf cardstock.  I used first and second generation stamping on the cardstock with butterflies from the Blessed stamp set and January's Stamp of the Month set, Find Your Style.  Finally, I cut out butterflies and "Jenny's Stamps" using the new Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge.  I put a few products inside that I knew she'd like (including the new Flutter Paper Shapes, natch), and voila, a custom gift.  I sure hope she likes it!

Open House

Close To My Heart's new products are so amazing.  I'm thrilled to show them off to friends coming to my two Open Houses (Thursday, 8/11 9:15 a.m.-noon and Wednesday, 8/17 6-9 p.m.).  It's hard to get a feel for our new papers and products without actually handling them.  So, I've created the two below make-and-takes to get folks familiar with how easy stamping can be!

This first birthday card shows how easily you can use stamping and distressed cardstock to make gorgeous cards...no patterned paper necessary!  I also used the new Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge to cut out the flowers.  If you want to know what exact products I used, come to the Open House! 

These cute little 3x3" cards designed in mind for the start of school feature the new Elements Paper Pack.  I think they'd make great tags on a box of cookies given to a teacher at open house or back to school night.  I've always loved the saying, "Believe to Achieve!" and was so excited to see this on the new Pair-a-Phrase double stamp set.  You can get this "Double D" sized stamp set for FREE from August 15-September 30, 2011 when you place a $75 order.  It has the cutest images and sentiments!

I have one other surprise project for my Open House guests.  RSVP to me (michellejonesva@yahoo.com) and I'll reserve the projects for you!

My Creations Memory Game

I have a confession to make.  I am in love with chipboard.  And CTMH has created a few new ways for me to express this chipboard love.  One is the "My Creations Memory Game" found on page 131 of the new Fall/Winter Idea Book.  This sturdy little chipboard box comes complete with 24-3"x3" chipboard squares.  There are so many ways to use this: as a memory game, as a collection of photos, as a scavenger hunt for the car.  The 24 days also made me think of Advent...imagine filling it with 24 days of Christmas activity ideas!  I covered mine with the new Elemental paper.  Here's a photo including the chipboard squares that fit nicely inside:

Let me know if you'd like to join me for a workshop creating this fun chipboard box.  Chipboard!

Art Philosophy Cricut® Collection

Close To My Heart read my mind and then went beyond anything I could imagine. They've added the Cricut Art Philosophy Collection to their repertoire of essentials in papercrafting. This amazing cartridge comes with 700 images and pairs with our clear acrylix stamps and chipboard die-cuts, a first in the industry! Simply plug the cartridge into your Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter machine and you can start creating everything from tags and borders, lace and 3-D flowers. Oh, and it can cut shaped cards and gift boxes, too. It's really phenomenal!

The Cricul Art Philosophy Collection will be available August 1st for $99. Here's what you get:

• Cricut Art Philosophy Collection cartridge
• instruction booklet
• three My Acrylix Stamp Sets that coordinate with the cartridge
• three sets of Dimensional Elements that also coordinate

Want to get the cartridge at a discount? Place an order of $150 or more and CTMH now offers you Hostess Rewards. Just add a few other items and earn $25 in rewards. Or, host a show with at least $250 in sales and you'll get the Cricut Art Philosophy Collection cartridge half off and earn $40 in rewards! Or, do what I do! Become a consultant and purchase it at a discount.

I'd love to talk with you more about the Cricut Art Philosophy Collection. Better yet, stop by for a demonstration and to play with it yourself!

Check out this video from CTMH to see what it's all about:

Gifts from Talented Scrapbooking Sistahs

You saw the Sticky Notepads and Paper Purses I made for my Let's Get Fancy teammates as gifts at CTMH's Convention.  I just had to share the amazing creations I received.  This first one, a gorgeous photo album from my roommate, Laura Petruso, is a frame made with the Zippiddee paper pack (no longer available) perfect for Disney photos.

Other team members were so creative with their gifts.  They made jewelry, mini albums, notebook holders, tags, candy purses, framed artwork, coasters, frames, cards and even a "prescription" for creator's block!  My upline, Melissa Laverty, who also doubles as a ThirtyOne consultant, gave me the beautiful lunch bag.  Each item was thoughtful and I treasure these gifts for the time and love that went into them.  Now, don't you want to join our team?!!!



Kraft Card Album

While in Anaheim for Convention, we had an evening crop on our last night.  My friends, also known as the Let's Get Fancy team, gathered around a couple of round tables and opened our bag filled with CTMH goodies and instructions to make this awesome album, made from...6" x 6" Kraft Die-Cut Cards, available in the new Idea Book.  At only $6.95 for 10 cards and envelopes, these cards are a multi-purpose steal!  I used three cards and attached them at the die-cut overlay to create this accordian album.

The shapes are cut with our new Cricut cartridge, the Philosophy Art Collection.  So awesome!  And I completely fell in love with Decor Journaling Spots.  Each pocket has a coordinating tag with string.  You could journal in them or put a hidden photo inside.  These are a favorite new product of mine!  And, the adorable stamp set is not in the new Autumn/Winter Idea Book but it's been rumored that it will be for sale.  If you're a Disney fan, make sure you order one of these!

I'm considering doing this as a workshop, either Disney themed or any theme you want.  Let me know if you're interested.  It would also make a great Girls' Night Out activity!

Supplies Used:

Kraft Die-Cut Cards and Envelopes, Z1474

Dreams Stamp Set, D1500

Color-Ready Alphabets Cork, Z1450

Decor Journaling Spots, Z1461

Olive Mini-Medley Accents Collection, Z1489

Cranberry Cardstock, 1272

Elements Level 2 Paper Pack, X7141B

Cocoa Ink, X5642



Oh, and here's a photo of my scrapbooking sistah, Jill Perla, after inking the edges of the cards.  I think she had more ink on her fingers than on her project.  The sign of a true stamper!!!



Sticky Notepads

Okay, I'm not exactly sure how many notepads one person needs or can make.  With that being said, I found these on a favorite blog: Angie Juda's Chic'n Scratch: http://www.chicnscratch.typepad.com/.  She uses something called a bind-it-all to put the o-rings on them.  Thankfully her awesome demo also shows how to do it with a Crop-a-dile.  Don't have a Crop-a-dile?  You need to get one, they're amazing at punching holes and setting eyelets.  And, mine is hot pink so that's an added bonus for me!

I've been talking about gift giving at Convention and I made one of these for each of my 11 team members, personalized with their initial in Sweet Leaf ink and then clear embossed to make their initial pop.  I used CTMH's Miracle paper and Kraft cardstock.  I love the details of the paper piercer on the scallop punch.  It really adds some pizazz, don't ya think?  I hope they enjoy using them as much as I enjoyed making them! 

Then, I put each one in a plastic sleeve and added a personal note.  I'm so excited to spend four days with these awesome women!  I'll add details about the supplies I used when I get back from Anaheim.  I'm leaving at 4:45 tomorrow morning to make my flight out of Reagan National.  Yawn...better hit the hay!

Paper Purses

Gift giving for roommates and teammates is kind of a tradition at Close To My Heart Convention.  This year, I wanted to make something special for my awesomely fun roommate and for my amazingly generous upline.  I found this unique "Stationary Box Pocketbook" on Amy Celona's blog: http://www.ustamp4fun.com/.  While these make great card carriers, I plan to fill them with some snacks for those busy Convention days.  Since these purses require two-sided cardstock, I had to purchase the main paper from a local supply store.  I'm sincerely hoping CTMH has an announcement about two-sided, patterned cardstock for us next week!

Bliss: Before

A year and a half ago, a friend (who I'd recently reconnected with from high school!), invited me to a Close To My Heart gathering.  I loved the amazing products and signed up as a Consultant within a month.  I'm fortunate enough that she and I still get to scrapbook together at least once a month.  At the end of June, we decided to create some layouts for our wedding photos that never made it into albums.  Since we'd both been married over 10 years, it was about time!  CTMH's Bliss paper pack was definitely the way to go.  Check out what we came up with:

Magic: Now You See It

Magic: Showtime

Magic: Spellbound

Won't these look amazing with photos?  While I'm good at creating the layouts, I'm not so good about putting photos on them right away.  Maybe that will be my new "School Year's Resolution!"  Once I add photos, some more My Stickease and Villa Irresistibles, I'll post my Bliss: After shots!

CTMH Products Used:

Bliss Level 2 Paper Packet, X7132A

Bliss Level 2 My Stickease Assortment, X7132C

Grey Flannel Cardstock, 5573

Grey Flannel Ink, Z2124

Chocolate Ink, Z2111

Magic, 9034

Trellis Stamp Set, D1451

Friendship Alphabet Large, E1016

Old World Alphabet, E1017

Mayberry Workshop

Last month, I got together with a few of my favorite CTMH "workshop girls" to lead them in a Level 2 Workshop with the adorable Mayberry paper.  In a Level 2 Workshop, we use coordinating My Stickease to complete two layouts quickly (well, quickly for us).  My workshops tend to focus on the fun and friendship as much as the creative scrapbooking! 

One of my favorite things about CTMH's My Stickease is that they have layout suggestions on the back.  The layouts are based on our how-to books, Magic, Imagine and Cherish.  Each book is full of professionally designed patterns, simple cutting guides and easy-to-follow instructions.  At only $21.95 each ($29.95 for Magic) they are the first product I made sure I bought!

Magic: Performance

Magic: Shuffled Deck

I added Canvas Badge Buttons to add dimension to the pages.  These amazing buttons can be stamped directly on the canvas and are adhesive backed...brilliant!

CTMH Supplies Used:

Mayberry Level 2 Paper Packet, X7136B

Mayberry Level 2 My Sickease Assortment, X7136C

Magic, 9034

Canvas Badge Buttons, Z1397

Smoothie Ink, Z2196

Cocoa Ink, Z2114

My Acrylix Heartfelt Treasures Stamp Set, C1456

My Acrylix One of a Kind Stamp Set, D1410

Nifty Notepads

This winter and spring I had the privelege of being in a bible study with about 20 wonderful women from church.  I learned so much from them and was sad when our group met for the last time in June.  While many of us will resume our study in September, our large group split into two smaller groups.  So, I wanted to give a small gift of love and appreciation to these friends.  I decided to create a little notepad, kind of a "Blessings Journal" that the women could use to record anything from blessings to prayer lists to grocery lists.  Below you'll see the the front of the notepad and then it opened up.

I purchased 8"x5" notepads from Staples and had them cut them in half for me (Staples gets lots of my business these days!).  I used the following Close To My Heart products to create the folded notepads:

• Blush Cardstock, X5640
• White Daisy Cardstock, 1385
• Pear Cardstock, X5764
• Hollyhock Ink, Z2128
• Pear Ink, Z2197
• Sophia Level 2 Paper Packet, X7131B
•  Buttons, Pink Assortment, Z1370
• Colonial White Waxy Flax, Z1081
• 3-D Foam Tape, Z1151
• 2" Scallop Circle Punch, Z1392
• 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Z1311
• My Acrylix April Stamp of the Month: Blessed, D1455

When I finished these notepads, I was so happy with the results that I decided to make a special treat for the gals attending my monthly workshop.  Below is a notepad perfect as a summer hostess gift.  Hmmm...just might have to take this one to a friend hosting a Fourth of July party!

CTMH supplies used:

• Pacifica Cardstock, X5759
• Sunny Yellow Cardstock, 1225
• White Daisy Cardstock, 1385
• Cranberry Ink, Z2116
• Sunny Yellow Ink, Z2152
• Fanfare Level 2 Paper Packet, X7138B
• Blue Assortment Buttons, Z1371
• Sunflower Waxy Flax (no longer available)
• My Acrylix Just Be You, B1341
• My Acrylix Stamp of the Month July: American Celebration, D1458

As you can see, I used the large star from this month's stamp of the month set, American Celebration.  Ask me how you can get this $22.95 set discounted or even for FREE!

Thanks to my amazing upline, Melissa Laverty: http://www.fancymelissa.blogspot.com/ who gave me a similar notepad last year for this idea!  If you're not familiar with fancyMelissa's awesome blog, you need to be!