for a friend

Oh I love being inspired by other Consultants and friends artwork! I also LOVE how much we all share and help one another. As a Close To My Heart Consultant I have a huge network to turn to when I need inspiration, advice, and guidance. Out of this amazing network I have made some incredible friends- they are a huge blessing in my life! I had seen on my friend Tina Sutton's blog this adorable flip flap album she made and I wanted to make one too. I searched our Consultant Bulletin Board where consultants share artwork and directions and I found the directions! A big thanks to fellow consultant Amanda Jarnagin for the great directions on the bulletin board!

Here is the one I made.

A friend of mine is having a big birthday event and I thought it would be fun if I made something that everyone that is close to her could sign and wish her a very happy birthday. And that is when I remembered these cute Flip Flap Albums! It would work perfect to cut 4x6 cardstock and slip those into the photo slots and have friends sign their messages on! If you would love directions to make one simply email me at craftingdivas@cox.net and I will share with you. If you are a CTMH consultant- just go to the bulletin boards they directions are there!

These albums would be cute for friends, christmas events, family gatherings, and I could go on and on!

CTMH products used: z4114 Memory Protectors Flip Flaps, z1122 Hollyhock Ribbon, X7114B Bella Level 2 Paper Pack, D1354 Endless Friendship, ink pads- olive, hollyhock and smokey plum.

~Jennifer :)

batteries charged and ready...

I got my camera up and running this morning and snapped some photos of my favorite layouts that I finished yesterday. I thought it would be fun to put them in a slideshow for you to enjoy! All products are Close To My Heart that I used to create these layouts...do you know I love my job?!? I love Scrap Club and playing with my customers and I LOVE that I have fun layouts too for our memories! Oh that makes life so good!!!!!

~Jennifer :)

did you miss me???

Oh I am back. All I can say is I have not had a major sinus infection like that for a very long time and I hope I don't get one for another very long time! I still have sinus pressure and a little cough...but I am far better than I was on Friday! :) Thanks to all my friends for all the well wishes...so appreciate it!

I finally visited my creation station today after being away from it for so long. It is a disaster down there. I am not sure if I will ever have it the way I want it to be while we live in VA but I can keep trying, right?!? And that is what always happens before I start creating- I organize and pick up! After talking to one of my downline today, waving at Elissa, I started thinking about all those lonely, neglected, beautiful scrapbook pages I have created that are begging for photos! So do you know what I did????


Yep that is right....I added pictures to them!!! I worked for about 3 hours straight and got a ton of pages done! I even journaled on every layout, gasp, I know! I was doing a happy dance when I was all finished! I even posted to facebook how stinkin happy I was!

That was until I discovered the batteries for my camera were DEAD!!! I got one layout photographed and that was that! I cannot wait to have a charged camera ready to roll and I will share with you my favorites!


So here is the one picture I could take before my camera went dead. This layout I created years ago for Scrap Club and I thought it was perfect for Ireland's Easy Bake Oven Adventures with Grandma! It feels so good to have put a MAJOR dent in 2007 photos! YIPPEEE!!!!
you can click on the picture too...to see it bigger. :)

~Jennifer :)

been quiet...

Sorry to have been quiet for so long. Upon our return from Colorado, I started not to feel so hot. My week was jammed packed with kid activities, doctor's appointment and getting back into the routine. As the week progressed, I just felt more miserable each day. I finally dragged myself to the doctor on Friday to discover I had a major Sinus Infection and the start of Brochitis! OH THE JOYS!
I am still not feeling 100% but hopefully by mid week I will back to myself. I just thought I would let you know why I have been so quiet....

I hope you all are doing well and I look forward to blogging soon!

take care,
Jennifer

:)

we are home!!!

What a great weekend we had in Colorado! As I sit here typing this and thinking of all that lays ahead of me this week and the next, I wish I could go back on Vacation!!! :)

Sean and Alyssa's wedding was lovely and I am so proud of my baby brother! He is such a strong, compassionate young man and he is going to be a great husband, friend and father( no they are not having kiddos yet....)!!! I am just tickled beyond words and have a hard time finding the write words for an amazing celebration of love!

This is a card I made for them. Funny thing- one hour before we were to leave on our flight I realized I had not made them a wedding card and I was not about to purchase one either. :) So out came the Wishes Book and the supplies and I got cracking! Nothing like working under pressure!


~Jennifer :)

off we go!

We leave today for Northern Colorado! Woo-Hoo! I am so excited to see family and meet new family! It is going to be a great weekend. I just wish we could stay longer but with kids in school and Daddy's busy job- we will return on Monday!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

I am sure I will have lots to share upon my return!

~Jennifer :)

1st Day of School!

Yesterday was the kids first day of school! Oh let the fun BEGIN! It was a rainy, yucky day but we tried to make the most of it. It was hard to take pictures and Ireland was not being very patient with me. I think she was pretty nervous with starting at another school but would not admit to it! Oh my stubborn children. :)


Then there was my Patrick who had no nervous jitters, was happy and ready to go. He even walked into the school by himself! WHOA- What a difference a year makes!

I am so happy and excited for my 3rd and 1st graders! They are going to have a fabulous YEAR-
I can just feel it!

~Jennifer :)

September Stamp of the Month...

I found a little bit of time this weekend to play with September's Stamp of the Month- so cute! I have loved viewing other CTMH consultant's artwork using this darling stamp set- love how much we all share(another great part of the CTMH family). The new Grace Level 2 Paper Packs work great with this stamp set and it is just perfect for this time of year.

The first card was made using the scrap pieces of Cocoa Cardstock left over from those Ghirardelli Chocolate Holders I made Friday night. I also used some Juniper and Colonial White Cardstock too. I think these will make cute gift tag cards! :) I used some Liquid Glass on the flower to add a little dimension- LOVE LIQUID GLASS.

This second card was inspired by a fellow consultant Beth Naumann. I loved her card so much that I created it just a little bit smaller. I made mine a 4x4 size. This card and the one above will be the two make n takes at my friend, Tiffany's, Crafty Afternoon in Colorado!
I love getting together with friends to share my love of creating! I have to admit trying to prep and plan a fun party with limited supplies and materials has been a challenge! I am so excited and jazzed to create with them but it has made my mind work a little overtime trying to prep and make it totally realistic while living out of suitcase and hotel million miles away from my Creation Station. :) I know we are going to have a blast and I cannot wait to share with you how great her Party turned out!

This last card is a card I created using our Wishes Book! Love that Book! It is 5x7 card and I just loved having the flower be the focal point and using Liquid Glass to pep it up!

Loving this Stamp Set? Would you like to get your hands on it?!? For the month of September it can be yours FREE when you spend $100 in Close To My Heart product. Simply shop on my website, email me or call me- so easy, peasy! You can also get this lovely stamp discounted. 75% off when you spend $75.00, 50% off when you spend just $50 and 25% off when you spend just $25! have questions- feel free to drop me a line at craftingdivas@cox.net!


And don't forget the great National Stamping Promotion available for just this month- The Delight in Everday Card Kit. Info about this darling kit on the side of this blog.


Happy Creating!
~Jennifer :)

hey Batter, Batter....

We are having a fun Labor Day Weekend- hope you are too! The kids each had sleep-overs on Friday night. I had mixed feelings as my baby boy headed off to his friend Mikey's house for a sleep-over. He has never slept anywhere without us and mind you this child still gets up and joins us in our room still every now and then!!! So surprise, shock, and sadness were all the emotions as he headed off of on his adventure. He was in great hands and he did have a BLAST! (the girls had fun here too).

We spent Saturday just cleaning house and getting ready for our trip to Colorado. Josh needed to get some new duds and I sent him off shopping as two tired kiddos would not be fun waiting for Daddy to get his GQ look together. It is so nice to have a hubby that has great fashion sense and he is my bargain hunter too! LOVE IT.

Today we went to Church and then off for an afternoon game at the Nationals. We don't mind that they are the worst team so they say- we have grown to love the team and their players. I think in a few years they will be a team to watch! Patrick can tell you everything about each player and in fact he was getting frusturated when they had a player come in to Pitch Hit...oh he was cracking me up with his knowledge of the game- I am still trying to learn. :) They kids love to go and it is fun to share with them. And the game was awesome! Just as you thought the Nationals were going to give away another game for silly mistakes...Zimmerman steps up to bat in the bottom of the 9th and drives a home run that gives them the 1 run advantage to win the GAME! SO EXCITING!!!!! The kids were pumped and I was happy to teach Patrick that you always have to keep striving even when your back is to the wall!


I hope you are having a great time weekend too. I was busy tonight prepping for a fun Crafty afternoon I am doing with friends in Colorado on the Sunday after my brother's wedding-still cannot believe it is here. I am going to cry like a baby! I will share tomorrow some of the fun cards I put together. And yes I am crazy! I have had mulitple friends ask me if I am nuts! I cannot wait to see Tiffany and all her friends...we are going to have a blast!


~Jennifer :)

Chocolate Holders....

I have been busy making 30 of these lovely Ghiradelli Chocolate Holders for my Brother's Rehearsal Dinner on the 11th of September. I cannot believe his wedding is already here- the time went so QUICKLY! The holders are very cute and simple to put together. I got the basic concept idea from our Scattered Hearts Chocolate University Day as Tina had one for each of us that morning. I thought they would make a great little keepsake for Alyssa and Sean and something fun to set at each person's spot for the Rehearsal Dinner.

I took the cute one from Chocolate U apart to figure out how to make it! So fun to make those discoveries!

First you need to cut a sheet of Cardstock 3 x 6 1/2

then you need to score that piece at 3" and 3 1/2"

Next you cut a piece of coordinating B&T paper to 6x6

hot dog fold this piece together to the middle( making the folded piece measure 6 x 2 3/4)

then glue folded side down onto the Scored 6 1/2 x 3 piece of cardstock. There is a pocket on each side.

Under the glued down sections I adhere a piece of ribbon with glue dots.
One glue dot to hold the ribbon to the cardstock and then a glue dot to hold the B&T to the ribbon- just makes it stronger.

Once it is all glued together I Score it again all put together at 3" and 3 1/2"- this helps redefine that book binding fold to keep the shape.


Then decorate the front as you like. I cut one piece of B&T to 2 1/2 x 2 1/2. Then I took a piece of Colonial White Cardstock and cut it to 1 3/4 x 1 3/4

This is a fun project and I hope you enjoy it! Makes a darling little gift! Now I am off to buy 60 chocolates to stick in these little guys! Just hope I don't eat them all before I get to Colorado!

~Jennifer :)


thanks to my daughter, Ireland, for being my photographer! :)

friends....

I am so lucky- I got more happy mail! The day after I posted about my happy mail from my friend, Cherie Lynn, I received MORE happy mail from Cherie Lynn! I am one LUCKY girl! I loved the card she made and her special note to me and this adorable mini album is the CUTEST! I cannot wait to make one myself! So fun! Thank you Cherie Lynn you are the best even if you hubby was in the Navy! tee-hee.

We have been BUSY this week getting the kids ready for school and we are leaving next Thursday for Colorado too! You will remember my brother is getting married! So much going on and I am running around like crazy- which is why I have been quiet this week.

Yesterday the kids had a Fun-Filled Day! They went to work with Daddy and then we had a special tour of the Pentagon- wowsa! I am so thankful the kids got to see where their Daddy works and have a glimpse at how important his job is! We also went to the Pentagon 9-11 Memorial and I was so impressed with their questions and truly wanting to understand what happened. They amaze me with their level of depth and understanding of life.

Then it was off to Patrick's school to meet his new teacher! We are tickled this year as he got Ireland's teacher from last year and the best part is he will loop with Mrs. Valent and the class. Which means he will have the same teacher and little friends for 1st and 2nd grade- this is exactly what my structured little guy needs. He is not a big fan of change- he LOVES routine! So I am feeling blessed to have this all set for him(now we just pray we don't move until 2nd grade is finished!).

After Patrick's little tour we were off to Ireland's new school! Can I just tell you how strong my daughter is??? This will be her 2nd new school in VA and a new school for each year! WOW! I am so amazed with her at times. We are happy for Ireland and hope she loves her new school and new friends and that the challenges this school has instore for her are right up her alley! The school expects a lot of their students but I know Ireland is up for the challenge and I think it will be a great opportunity for her!

I am looking for our last weekend of Fun together before the kids start school on Tuesday. I am torn between ready for them to be at school and enjoying having them home! I think in the end I will be doing a happy dance and thankful for the mental break for a few hours during the day- which hopefully I will get back in that Creation Station of mine without so many distractions!

here is Cherie Lynn's adorable 6x6 mini album! She used the new Grace Paper Pack, My Stickease, coordinating ribbon, brads, and our new Felt embellishments! Like I said I cannot wait to make one myself! Thank you again my dear friend! BIG HUGS to you!!!

~Jennifer :)