Mayberry Scrapbooking & Card Workshop

I have the perfect workshop just in time for fall festivities like apple pickin' and leaf rakin'!  Mayberry's color palette of Cocoa, Honey, Olive, and Smoothie are the perfect combination for capturing your family memories.  The workshop includes the Mayberry Level 2 paper packet, an exclusive stamp set (only available with this workshop), and the NEW Canvas Badge Buttons that are stampable!!  I am hosting this workshop in August so if you would like to participate just let me know!

An Officer and A Gentleman!

My son, Jeffrey, really is an Officer and Gentleman and is pictured here with his beautiful wife, Amy.  I was so excited when I received my box of goodies from Close To My Heart to create display boards for the CTMH annual convention.  This new paper pack, Mischief, and the new embellishments added the perfect touch of elegance to this picture of Jeffrey and Amy at the Navy EOD ball.  Here is a list of the new items that will be featured in our Idea Book that debuts on August 1:

Mischief Level 2 Paper Pack - X7144B
Milepost Shapes - Z1464
Heirloom Assortment - Z1635
Bling Assortment - Z1466
Just Blooms Paper Shapes - Z1463
Designer Brads - Z1360
Pewter Mini-Medley Collection - Z1487
Dark Chocolate Stripe Grosgrain - Z1617
and finally ...
Bitty Sparkles - Z1263

If you would like an Idea Book or have any questions, just give me a shout!  Let me know what you think about my layout and our wonderful new products!

Close To My Heart and Cricut!! A Winning Combination!

I am so excited about what Close To My Heart has to offer coming August 1st. Do you own a Cricut? If you do, you will want this. If interested, you can purchase on my website at www.dblack.myctmh.com on August 1st. Check out this link. http://youtu.be/OdUV0y4RFDI

Close To My Heart Convention Anaheim CA

I am in Anaheim CA for the CTMH Annual Convention and am having so much fun and learning lots of new things to share with you!  I can't wait to get things posted when I get back to NC.  There was magic in the air last night at the Awards Banquet and I WON 2nd place in the CTMH Make A Wish Album Contest!!  Thank you CTMH.

Operation Smile Silent Auction Project

I am so proud that Close To My Heart supports the charity Operation Smile and has a silent auction every year at our annual convention to raise money.  For the second year in a row I have received this email from Close To My Heart...
"Your reputation as an artist precedes you! You’re known as a creative, skilled papercrafter, and so we’d like to invite you to donate artwork to the Operation Smile® silent auction fundraiser at Convention 2011. We’ve hand-selected only a few Consultants to donate, and we’d like to congratulate you on being one of them!"
I am so honored to be selected and put extra effort into this project!  I did the mix & mingle album for Summer, Fall, Winter, & Spring.  For the lucky buyer of this item, they have a year round home accent piece.  Would you bid on this project??

Believe in Your Ability & Abundance

...from our awesome Close To My Heart email....this does not just apply to direct sales people but to everyone!!! You can have the life that you dream of...

In the October 2008 issue of Direct Selling News, Ian Percy, an organizational psychologist, author, and business speaker, talks about the power of transforming our thinking. He says, “From the moment of our existence we begin to form an understanding of how the world works... through our socialization, education and experiences. A few people are blessed with a huge expansive understanding as to what is possible. Unfortunately, most of us are taught more about what is not possible and what we can’t do.” Percy says every once in a while we’ll have an experience that forces us to change our mode of thinking. But why wait for that experience to happen? If you’re willing to break out of your current way of thinking and believe in your own limitless ability, you will be all you can be!

Percy explains that we need to become comfortable with the wisdom of our own intuition and operate from an “abundance” mindset rather than one of lack and victimization. This means trusting ourselves, truly believing we are capable of succeeding, and taking responsibility for our actions or inaction.

A Few More Rehearsal Pictures!

These are a few more Rehearsal Layouts that I did of Amy and Jeffrey's wedding.  I won the large chip board X and O at a crop and wasn't sure exactly how I could use them but knew I could work them into the wedding in some way.  After re-arranging the layouts many times, I was very please with the final layout.  Let me know what you think and how you would have used these very large dimensional elements.  One page also features their wedding invitation.  I made 100 of these and thought they blended perfectly with their "jungle", "bamboo" theme.  (They met on the tropical island of Guam so that was their theme.)

Love Your Layout: May 2011

Thinking you want to give Studio J a try this month and get a FREE .jpg of you layout? This video is for you. Just watch and find out how to create beautifl digital layouts with Close To My Heart!

Finishing Up My Son's Wedding Album...

I know I have post so many wedding album pages and I am finally get close to the end.  These are from Amy & Jeffrey's rehearsal dinner.  I have made so many pages that they have 2 wedding albums!!  I just can't help myself, the photographer took so many great photos.  Let me know what you think about the Rehearsal Dinner!