September CTMH Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!

Welcome to our Close to my Heart Stamp of the Month BLOG HOP for September featuring our "Treasures" acrylix stamp set which you can get at a great discount or even FREE with an order from now through September 30, 2009! If you are coming to me from Tammy's blog then you are on the path!

This is a circular hop so if you keep on clicking through to check out the great artwork provided by over 70 different Close to my Heart consultants, you'll have done the full circle when you come back to where you started. I can't wait to click through and see all the fabulous creations from my sister consultants! We have some serious talent in this company!

To follow along on this hop you just need to click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move along to the next site. Afraid you'll get lost? No worries! The list of all participating consultant sites can be found in the post just previous to this one - keep scrolling to the next post and you'll find the complete list!

Now - on to my contribution!

This month's piece is a single layout I did for my husband. The sentiments in this set really spoke to me for him. He's in a time of unexpected change right now and I really wanted to tell him how much I love him, support him and how much faith I have in him. I know he'll take care of our family and I know, as with so many changes we've been through in our 20 years together, in the end this will bring postive things to our family. The process of change is hard but it is also what propels us forward into new directions and new beginnings. I guess its the optimist in me - the part of me that answers YES! to the questions of the universe that makes the sentiment fit so well - "the winds of change bring treasures untold...embrace change".

I've used a lot of tone on tone (my hubby isn't a flashy guy) and very little embellishment as that fits more with his personality. This really is just a straight forward, directly from the heart piece. There is a hidden journaling matted block I've made for the back of the layout - when journaling is very private I will attach it to the back of the layout to hide just for me - I could have also put it in a pocket under the picture to hide it as well. As far as techniques in this project - I've added some chocolate ink in a swirl around the embossed flowers using a stipple brush to highlight those images and give some texture to this very simple layout. I love the multiple sizes of dandelion flower heads in this set - if you follow from the bottom left corner you'll see the sizes decrease like they are blowing in the wind away from you.

Materials Used (all CTMH):
Stamp: Treasures (September SOTM)
Paper: Desert Sand Cardstock, Indian Corn Blue Cardstock
Ink: Desert Sand, Chocolate
Other: White Daisy Embossing Powder, Love Letter Rubons, Stipple brush

Now, put back on your frog feet and hop on over to Kelly's blog - she's FABULOUS - I can't wait to see what she's come up with! Be sure to follow the whole hop and visit all 70 or so consultants who are participating for tons of great ideas! Don't forget - if you spend $100 in product you'll get this stamp set for FREE and now CTMH will pick up the tax on the free SOTM as well! Until September 30th (or while supplies last) you can also get our awesome Everday Celebrations card kit with $60 in acrylix stamp purchase - combine both promotions and you'll get $62.90 in free product with your $100 order - what a great deal!

If you don't have a Close to my Heart consultant I'd love to be your personal consultant! Just send me an e-mail at paigedolecki@yahoo.com if you have any questions or if you already know what you are interested in ordering, then hit my website - paige.myctmh.com - for 24/7 shopping and access to all the great specials! Thanks so much for hopping with us today!