Acrylic Mini Album

I made this really cute Acrylic album for my dear niece Lindsey's wedding shower. I used Topstitch paper. I was able to create this album in just a few hours, yet it looked like I had spent days. I've always had a thing for mini albums, but these Acrylic ones are my favorites!

Graduation Cards

We had a number of graduates this year….. College and High School. I always find graduation cards hard to make, (I never like the stamp sets) and this year I needed something fast and simple. This is what I came up with. One for boys and one for girls.

Family Blocks

My dear friend Erin made me these sweet blocks.
She used my favorite pink and chocolate papers and lots of bows and flowers.
I LOVE THEM!
Thanks Erin

Studio J

Close To My Hearts new digital scrapbooking program soon to be released!
Consultants have been previewing Studio J for a few months now, helping work out the bugs.
I’ve created a number of layouts and I have to say it’s easy and enjoyable to create with.
I ordered a new 12 x12 album to store them in, but I’ve also put some old school layouts in the album.
They really blend together nicely….. Due to the high quality of paper and the printing that makes the digital pages look AMAZING!

Look for upcoming information about Studio J!

Easter Card

I always have a hard time making Easter cards.... I think it's because I don't like to use "Easter colors". So this year I went with hollyhock pink, white and black. When I was done with it, I had to laugh..... it can be an Easter card OR a breast cancer card.

Molly the Owl

For well over a week I’ve been watching a barn owl who lives in an owl box in California. She’s on the web 24/7 and on my computer in the kitchen day and night. She has one owlet and 4 eggs.
I’m Addicted to Molly!

Due to my addiction to Molly I haven’t done any crafting in over a week. Then it hit me. My mother had given me a cute note card set that she wasn’t going to use. Today as I passed by my stamproom I saw them sitting there and it hit me, “I could make something fast and easy with those.” So I spent about 10 minutes making these cute “molly cards” to send to my fellow addicts (you know hoot you are) I also made two extras so that if someone who reads my blog tells me that they are also a Molly addict I can send them one too. So here’s your challenge, go check out Molly, www.ustream.tv/theowlbox
if you think I’m crazy.... then no card for you! But, if you find Molly as amazing as I do let me know and if you’re one of the first two I’ll send you one of the cards.

World MS Day

Beautiful Day - English from MSIF on Vimeo.

Dare To Dream

For New Consultants:
Receive all four of the Stamps of the Month (May-August) found in the Summer 2010 Idea Book when you enroll anytime during March 1-31.

Studio J

I've been scrapbooking on my computer today.

Close To My Heart is about to launch it's new and exciting digital scrapbooking program....
Studio J.

I've been playing around with it, along with Close To My Heart consultants around the world. As we have issues arise we are asked to report them to the home office. I've had very few glitches (most have been with setting on my computer) and reported them as they arose, the CTMH office would always get back to me on the next business day with an email trying to help me resolve the problem. Today I sat down with my laptop, and a goal of completing the three layouts I've started. I'm proud to say I've done it. Here is a little taste of what I've created.

Valentines

This is batch two of Valentines for me.
I had to mail a check to a friend last night, and I couldn’t send it “naked” so I thought I’d whip out a card to send it in, and I can never make just one card at a time, so I made eight. They were pretty fast to make, and I like the simple look of the card.
Best of all it fits in a business size envelope!

Supplies:
Notebook paper x7102B
Rustic Alphabet Set E1002
White Daisy Flowers Z1300

Relief for Haiti

Our hearts go out to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti,
and like so many of you, we’re eager to help. And helping
has never been easier! Throughout February, purchase a
12" x 12" textured cardstock combo pack and you’ll get one FREE—
and with every offer purchased, Close To My Heart will donate $2
US to Operation Smile’s Haiti relief efforts. That means for only
$14.95 US, you get two packs of our high-quality textured cardstock
and you help this urgent, important cause.
Offer valid February 1–28, 2010. Tax and shipping/handling charges may
apply. Donations to Haiti will be made by Close To My Heart on your behalf to
Operation Smile’s relief efforts. To learn more about their efforts visit
www.operationsmile.org/haiti.

Water Bottles

Lauren and I whipped these bottles out last night. Savanna is singing in the New Mexico All State Choir this weekend. I wanted to make a personalized water bottle for the kids who made the choir from the Moriarty - Edgewood school district.
They are super simple to make. Just cut a strip of Background and Texture paper that’s wide enough to cover the label of the water bottle. Savanna had typed out the names of the kids and printed them on computer paper. Then Lauren and I just glued them to the BG&T and then used packaging tape to attach then to the bottle. Simple and the kids love them!

Felicity Collection

I’ve had these papers sitting around, and have been itching to use them. It took me a long time to find pictures to use, I stumbled across pictures I’d taken at my niece, Kristen’s wedding. Her wedding was very elegant, and these papers don’t capture that, but I think they did bring out the earthy tones of the location.

If you love the Felicity Collection papers you can still get them on my Close To My Heart website
Buffienelson.myctmh.com

Savanna’s Room

Savanna decided last summer that she wanted her room decorated in a

Paris theme.

Thanks to Mrs Persival (art teacher) and her hours of painting with Savanna
over the summer break.
Tonight we put the finishing touch on the wall…. The long awaited clocks!
These clocks have been working out in mine and Savanna’s heads for a long time. And today I bit the bullet and just did it.
Thank you Erin for the encouragement and advice on cutting vinyl on the Cricut.
And thanks to Scott for spotting me as I climbed up on the stool
and helping me get everything straight.

Little Blue Card

I received a sweet little Christmas card from my sister this year, and it inspired me to create this little blue card. 4X4.5 I used Heavenly Blue cardstock, and just a small scrap from my Topstitch paper pack. I broke out the new Togetherness stamp set D1402 (which I really love) and Pewter Designer Brads Z1146. I’ve actually had the brads for awhile, but just couldn’t bring myself to use them, as they are so beautiful. I had planned on putting them on a scrapbook page because, in theory, that way I could keep them forever. But they seemed so perfect for this card that I just had to use a few of them. Not to worry, I still have plenty left for a scrapbook page or two.
I also broke out my new Piercing Tool Kit Z1114. I’ve had the CTMH piercing tool for years, it was not as sharp as it use to be, and it was getting some glue residue on it. I love the new pad that comes with the tool now. I’m sure it’s going to always have to be right at hand on my craft table!

Get your copy of the NEW Close To My Heart catalog.

Email me today and I’ll send it off to you.

Valentine’s Day Cards

I made up this stack of cards the other night. They are 8 x 4.5 and will fit in a business size envelope.
Supplies:
Baby Pink Cardstock
Vineyard Berry Cardstock and ink
Topstitch paper pack X71208
All My Love stamp set D1194
State of Mind stamp set D1416 (my new favorite)
Paper flowers
Brown eyelet
Bitty Sparkles
Ribbon: Vineyard and Baby Pink

Happy New Year!

Along with my plan to create more, I’d also LOVE to use up at least some of the scrapbooking supplies I already own. Lets face it, I have a mountain of them, and don’t want to even think about the investment I’ve made in them. I can even admit to being a out of control paper hoarder (which is the first step in healing). I don’t know what it is about paper, but it seems that when I get my hands on some that is ridiculously cute I have a hard time using it. I want to be sure I have just the right pictures, or stamps to use with it…. I don’t want to regret using it all up and then running across pictures that would have looked better on that “rare paper“. I really need to change my mind set, and regret all the cute paper I own that is still in it’s packaging and not in my scrapbooks.
I have a dear scrapbooking CTMH sister (who I will not name to protect the innocent) that has a different problem then me. She can cut her rare paper and create beautiful pages,but then can’t bring herself to put pictures on them….. I don’t get it, I can't even cut my paper, but if I could, I'm sure I find the right pictures to slapping on them and filling up my books, for me it's the cutting of the paper that is so hard. I only wish we lived closer to each other so we could somehow help each other with our sicknesses.
Below is a layout I made using some of my most rare and favorite paper (which really is rare, called Cocoa Café Collection from a special Close To My Heart had a few years ago). I feel really good about it! The pictures are perfect, the subjects are worthy, and it shows off a great memory. When Savanna got her puppy Gabby who was a “Labradoodle” we went to my friend Judy’s house and had a Labradoodle play date. Gabby and Calypso had so much fun playing together in a doodly way. It was a few days later that we found out that Gabby is a Kuvasz and not a doodle. But this layout will always remind us of her fun doodle play date.

As we embark on 2010 I have made big plans to spend more time in my craft room stamping and scrapping and paper crafting! I want to be able to share my creations with my Close To My Heart customers, family and friends.

So I'm dedicating this blog to my art and soul.

My hope is that it will keep me inspired, and inspire others to create. We were created in the image of God who is The Creator… therefore we are created to create too.