Card Swappin' Creativity

I love receiving cards.  Any card expressing thanks, congratulations, friendship or well wishes is wonderful  When I get a handmade card, I always appreciate the extra effort and creativity that went into making it.  So, getting ideas from the CTMH card swap is always exciting.  Below are four cards that I made to swap.  I made 30-35 cards to swap.  I tend to create thank you cards, birthday or friendship cards because I know they will be used.

CTMH supplies used:

• Kraft Cardstock, Z1375
• Miracle Level 2 Paper Packet, X7133B
• Colonial White Cards and Envelopes, X1410
• Buttons in Basic Assortment, Z1358
• Buttons in Blue Assortment, Z1371
• Olive Ink, Z2137
• My Acrylix Thank You, D1361
• Twill Ribbon, Z1099

CTMH supplies used:

• Fanfare Level 2 Paper Packet, X7138B
• White Cards and Envelopes, X254
• Cranberry Grosgrain, Z1103
• Stars Dimensional Elements, Z1312
• Waxy Flax in Sunflower (no longer available)
• Pivot Point Stapler, Z1009
• 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Z1311
• Outdoor Denim Ink, Z2140
• My Acrylix Thank You, D1361

CTMH supplies used:

• Lagoon Cardstock, X5762
• Pear Cardstock, X5764
• Sunny Yellow Cardstock, 1225
• White Daisy Cardstock, 1385
• White Cards and Envelopes, X254
• Lagoon Ink, Z2195
• Sunny Yellow Ink, Z2152
•  1 1/4" Circle Punch, Z1311
• 2" Scallop Circle Punch, Z1392
• Sparkles, Blue & Green Assortment, Z1327
• Bity Sparkles, Z1263
• My Acrylix Royal Birth, D1441
• My Acrylix Spot On Backgrounds, D1280

CTMH supplies used:

• Sweet Leaf Cardstock, X5639
• Black Cardstock, X1412
• Wings Level 2 Paper Packet, X7135B
• Black Ink, Z2105
• Craft Heater, Z555
• VersaMark Ink Pad, Z891
• Embossing Powders in Gold, Z668
• My Acrylix Find Your Style, D1452

Let me know if you're interested in a card workshop featuring any of the above cards.  I'd also be happy to help you design one of your own!







Swap It!

An exciting part of CTMH's Convention is the card swap.  It's totally informal and not endorsed by CTMH, but it's so awesome to see the creativity of my scrapbooking sistahs.  ;)  Basic rules are to use current product, at least two layers of paper on the card, clean stamping and at least one embellishment.  I must admit that I think another "etiquette" rule should be making it a full card and not just a face and including an envelope.  It's been frustrating a few times when I've hurriedly grabbed a card and it's just the card face.  Maybe I should learn to plan ahead.  But that's another post.

Here's the card I made last year to swap.  By the way, I made 100 of this card and was SICK TO DEATH of it by the time I was finished.  And not to mention all of that distress sponging I did on the edges with Chocolate Ink...my fingers were stained for a week!  But, I did think it was pretty.

I used Blush Re-inker to dye the crocheted flowers to match the cardstock on the front.  It took a while but I loved the effect!  I also liked doing something different with our product.  Speaking of different, this is probably my favorite swap I received...so unique that friends who had already swapped all of their cards begged for extras to swap for this one.

How cute is that?  The front is the bra and the back is the panties.  Inside it reads, "Count your blessings" with the pink ribbon again.  This was designed by Debi Squires (debisquires@yahoo.com) and was a HUGE hit!

I can't wait to see what kind of cards I get from swaps this year.  Stay tuned for the cards I made for this year's swap! 

Convention 2011

Close To My Heart Convention 2011 is quickly approaching...just 16 more days until I board a plane for Anaheim.  California here I come!  The Thursday-Saturday event is filled with business classes, Extravaganza techniques, fun workshops, entertainment and all sorts of scrapping and stamping goodies.  While I love learning about the company and all of the exciting plans they have for us consultants, my favorite part is probably hanging out with my Close To My Heart team, the Let's Get Fancy girls!  Here's a photo of my good friend, Laura Petruso, and me holding our team sign last year.

Convention 2010 was held in Washington, D.C. and there were a total of 13 of us from Melissa Laverty's (http://www.fancymelissa.blogspot.com/) Let's Get Fancy team.  This year, even with flying across the United States, there will be nine of us attending Convention.  I'm hoping for another awesome team photo, like this one, taken at the Gaylord Hotel and Convention Center last year.

These are amazing, fun, energetic women who share a passion for papercrafting.  Don't you want to join our team?  Contact me to find out how you can become a Close To My Heart consultant, or sign up here (in Step 5, enter Michelle Jones, Leesburg, VA as your upline!). I'll save a special prize pack valued at over $60 for the first three people who sign up with me!