This beautiful cardinal card is one my ladies made in a recent card workshop. I've always loved cardinals so I couldn't resist creating something festive with Season of Splendor (item # D1326). It's a two-step stamping set meaning you stamp the outline image with first generation ink then fill in with the matching solid image in a lighter ink which we in the stamping world call "second generation." In case you're not sure about the whole "generation" stamping technique, let me explain...
September 1...just a few minutes away! And you know what that means? The new Fall/Winter Idea Book goes LIVE! New scrapbook themes, accessories, stamps and so much more...this book is an amazing kick-off to a fun and exciting Fall. Three times a year the anticipation builds and builds...now you can relax, start shopping, and planning for a creative season of stamping and scrapbooking. With the release of the new Idea Book, you'll find a multitude of products for the seasons that await us...everything from Fall and Harvest products to Christmas. And as usual, you'll be amazed at how versatile the products are, especially the Background & Texture papers.
Gotta love classic color combinations like this one. Chocolate goes with just about any color...doesn't it look warm and inviting when pared with Dutch Blue? Your everyday can be more than an average day by creating beautiful card projects from our September special, Delight in the Everyday. There are a ton of terrific products in this kit. Visit my MyCTMH website, click on the image in the center that matches the one here on the left and you'll get all of the nitty-gritty details. Love, love, love our card kits! Oh, how they make my life simple when I most need it that way.
Let me send you one of our new catalogs. E-mail me for details.
See ya soon!
A little update on the leak in our house....the plumber was here this morning and able to use leak detection devices to isolate the leak. Once he jackhammered a nice 2 foot deep hole in the cement of the living room, he came to within 3 inches of the leak in the pipe. Pretty darn good, I'd say! Good, that is, until the insurance adjuster came by and gave me her "news".
We've been following everything by the book...it's been a phone circus with different people from insurance calling to line up various people to take care of the problem. On Monday, one of the insurance guys I spoke to said any damage caused by the leak would be covered. Access to, repair of, and closure to the leak isn't covered. But, carpet would be covered since it was water damaged. Leak detection services would also be covered as would be the services for drying out the area. Great, I understand this.
Okay...fast forward to today...some random adjuster lady drove 2 1/2 hours to stop in this morning, peer at the hole, whisper something to the plumber so that I couldn't hear, and got out her tape measure to measure for carpet. Then she excused herself to go to her car and make a phone call. She came back in a short time later and said she had bad news...nothing is covered. WHAT?????????? That was a complete contradictory statement to what I had been told!!! Now, if I used foul language, I might have cussed her out, given her a quick boot to the arse and a slammed door behind her. But instead, it all stayed in my head and I asked a few questions then told her to leave. Am I furious? You bet! Soooo, exactly why do we pay homeowners insurance?? I'm not quite sure other than to make someone else's life very, very comfortable. (If you're an insurance agent reading this...don't take it personally.) We'll see what our local agent has to say...he's a reasonable guy, right?
So, Jill, my darling neighbor, bailed me out again. I wanted...no, I needed...a Diet Coke for lunch and the box was empty. Since everyone living here seems to have discovered all of my Diet Coke emergency hiding places, and the plumber was here, I phoned Jill up to ask if she had any extra Diet Cokes...(or hard liquor since I had just finished up with the adjustor lady)...and guess what? She did! (Diet Coke, that is.) Ah, at least I could drink to my frustrations with a cold soda. Thanks, Jill:) About the hiding places? I'll be finding some new ones as soon as I replenish the soda.
No news on the mouse front. Pierre, bless his passive little heart, slept all day yesterday in Karliann's room, where the mouse was last seen. Good grief dude...get up and hunt that beasty boy down! Maybe we should quit feeding the cats for a day or so and let them get good and hungry.
Until next time!
Since I spent part of today preparing for a workshop, I thought I'd take this opportunity to show you a couple more pages for the recipe book I posted a few weeks back. I used this incredible stamp set, Bon Appetit from our Summer 09 Idea Book and let me tell you, it's simply a classic. We had a similar set years ago when Close To My Heart was D.O.T.S. and I've never parted with the wood stamps! The recipe book uses a few of my favorite colors from the Close To My Heart color palette: Smokey Plum, Hollyhock, and Olive. Topiary could be swapped in for Olive if you wish.
Speaking of recipes, oh my goodness...our daughter, Jessica, and her friend, Jessica, made us the most scrumptious dinner last night! You've gotta give this a try. Hmmm, now that I think of it, why haven't they been preparing dinner for the last 4 days while they're both home from college??
It took us about an hour to hike to this lake, Long Lake. It's just one of the many beautiful lakes out of Bishop Creek. The trail was uphill all the way, but not as steep as our hike on Day Two. (Seriously, it really was uphill...I promise!) Stay tuned for Day Two...that hike was the bomb!
I have a brilliant friend! Artistic, too. I wish I could be just like her but that wouldn't make me......well, me. So, I have to be happy just being me and being inspired by her creativity. Like this layout...how darling is this! It's the second side to the My Favorite Things layout that we made in my monthly scrapbook group. You know those little leaflets that occasionally come in the mail, advertising different paper crafts? Well, her eye caught this one and she hung on to it for years. Kinda like all of those wonderful papers I hang on to, waiting for just the right photographs to use or journaling that will compliment the theme. Some things are just timeless!
I mentioned in a previous post that my monthly scrapbook groups are scrapbooking about themselves this year. One of our themes was My Favorite Things. When I designed the pages, I remember walking through my yard thinking what some of my favorite things are...the smell of flowers, their bright colors, the pond we put in this year, great music while cleaning, naps on Sunday afternoon, our annual family vacation to Pismo Beach, scrapbooking and stamping with friends, and the list goes on and on. What was so neat was how the theme got me to thinking! I do have a lot of favorite things in my life. Here is the first side of the layout. There's lots of room in the lower left section for photos! Watch for the second side in the next day or two. It's the greatest.
Here's a fun photo of my friend, downline and sister-consultant, Kristina.
Announcement 2: August Customer Special
Close To My Heart extends a big Thank You to its loyal customers this month by way of FREE products. With any $100 purchase, you will receive the August Stamp of the Month, It's Your Day, along with a FREE package of My Reflections Background & Texture paper AND free tax and shipping/handling. You won't want to put this off, though...the offer is effective from August 3 - 17. Take advantage of it by calling me (760)873-3994, e-mailing me, or placing your order online at my http://laurie.myctmh.com/ website.
One of the best things about being a Close To My Heart consultant is being able to spend time with my sister consultants. Over the years many of them have become my not only my friends but also my inspiration. I love these people! I'll post some photos of some of my friends tomorrow along with some highlights of the Director's dinner.
Until then!
