Heart 2 Heart: Mistletoe and Bird Basics

This weeks H2H challenge was a sketch. I didn't follow the sketch precisely but here's my take:

I didn't notice my "merry" was crooked until I saw the photo! Guess I need to go fix it...

Thanks for stopping by! And I hope everyone enjoys a leisurely, peaceful Christmas season rather than a harried, frantic paced one. We tend to keep it pretty simple around here so never much stressing!

Thanks for stopping by,

Marie with a :)

Christmas Cards...Vintage CTMH style

I do it every year.
Say I'm only going to design one card.
It never happens.
So far this year I've done about 12 different designs!  (The last photo is one I posted a while back.)  I have a few non CTMH ones on my facebook page. Here's a couple more CTMH:

I love the rest of this sentiment:

This next one was inspired by Vicki at Wizard's Hangout :

Now I'm off to make some southwestern turkey stew for my gang. Thanks for stopping by!

Marie with a :)

Heart 2 Heart: Thank You! (and uploading photo problem resolved?)

(If you have had problems uploading your photos, see the end of my blog for what I did to fix the problem.)

On facebook I've been doing the "30 days of gratitude" and telling something I'm thankful for each day...usually more than one thing. It just seems like there's too many things to mention in one status each day! I have been thankful lately for all of the new CTMH blogging sisters I've "met" and for the support from other CTMH consultants. And I'm thankful I discovered the Heart 2 Heart challenge blog...challenges that are for CTMH lovers! This week's challenge was "thank you" and here's my take:

This card was pretty simple to make. Took a standard sized card and cut a strip off. I then used a border punch on the edge. Then I cut another strip and scored it before gluing it under the cardstock on the inside. I used some of my stashed away Miracle Kit and the November SOTM, a few pearls and some hemp. The border punch is SU.

Here's another one that I made for my daughter's 15th birthday:

Sound like a lot of people have been having issues upoading photos to their blog. I did too. I went back to settings and reset to the old editor. Then I uploaded (forgetting that you have to load in reverse order with the old editor!) and it worked. Now it's letting me use the new version even though my settings say the old one!

Twisted Sketches: Everyday Moments

I did it.
I finally remembered to check what the "twist" was for the Twisted Sketch ahead of time! And it's "history." Since I used a photo from more than a decade ago, I can call it a historical layout :)
My layout was for an 8 1/2 " page so I got a little creative with sketch. I plan to use the sketch again on a 12 x 12 LO because I like it so much
In light of November being a time to reflect on gratitude, I'd like to say I"M SO THANKFUL FOR EVERYDAY MOMENTS. It's the little, everyday moments that have been blended together to create the beautiful water color painting of my life.

(and here's another page created for the planner...)

Thanks for stopping by! And thanks for the comments and e-mails...they make me smile.

Marie with a :)

Weekly Planner, Meet Heart 2 Heart...

I haven't been in the craft room much lately but need to get to work on my 2011 CTMH Planner before the new year arrives.  So  I've decided I'm going to try to dedicate a couple of weekly challenges to my calendar...beginning with the CTMH challenge Heart 2 Heart. This week's challenge was "pretty, pretty princess" - very easy for me since I have three daughters (and three sons!) This is a layout of our middle daughter, and is particularly fitting because she has a blog titled "Princess in a Hat" and is a true princess; a daughter of the King.  Though the paper isn't pink (while she's sometimes a girly-girl,she's also a sports fanatic and pink isn't her thing), it is certainly a girly layout!

Here's a couple more pages that I've completed but not posted. (I'm needing to keep things simple since I have sooooo much to get done.):

I've decided to add a "receipt" pocket each month after a friend told me she has a folder calendar and includes all of the important receipts for that month in it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Marie with a :)

Nostalgia (Close To My Heart Has Outdone Themselves With Olivia!)

I spent the first 18 years of my  life in Vermont, before the Air Force brought me not only to other states, but other countries. Every place that I have lived or visited since leaving the Green Mountain State has brought delight and joy and growth and tremendous blessings.  The older I get, though, the more the seeds of nostalgia grow.  I long for winding dirt roads that lead a long way to nowhere-in-particular, for trees that don their ball gowns every autumn and woo the coldest of hearts, for little towns and general stores. Sometimes, however, when you are a parent, you put your longings aside for what is best for your children. At this moment in time, Colorado is the place where my children  need to be. (And don't misunderstand me...I LOVE Colorado...there's just been a soft breeze whispering "Vermont" to my spirit over the last couple of years.)  The HH also loved what he saw of Vermont and wouldn't mind packing up and heading North East. I've reconnected with a number of high school friends that I would love to spend more time with. Someday perhaps, after the kids graduate. 

One of the new paper packs from Close To My Heart, Olivia, (item # X7128B)  reminds me of Vermont in the fall - it's a blend of gorgeous New England Ivy, Sunset, Barn Red and Smoothie.  I can't seem to get enough of it!  I made a card for my mom, and then went on to make quite a number of other cards: Here's a few of them:

The cards are 4" x 8.5" and fit perfectly into business letter envelopes (even if they don't photograph well!)

The leaf stamps are from an exclusive set that is part of the Olivia Kit of the Month, item # G1013

Thanks for stopping by,
Marie with a :)