Baby

Came across this photo of my soon to be 8 year old in a pile on my scrapbooking desk, and had to make a quick layout with it.  I can't believe how fast the time has gone.  Seems like just yesterday that I was cuddling with her in my lap. 

Colour or Color? Pre-class Tag Assignment

The first assignment in the class that I just signed up for had us make a set of tags using a rainbow of colors, and a handful of different techniques. I took the opportunity to get a little inky with it too. There is stamping on every tag. Most of the stamps are CTMH, with the exception of the orange tag. That's a Tim Holtz set that I just couldn't say no to at Michael's the other day. It was fun to spend a couple of hours at my desk creating these tags, and I even dug into the depths of my stash and used some fibers on the yellow, fun in the sun tag.  I braided the ones through the top of the tag, and it looks a lot like a beach towel.  Can't wait to see what the rest of the class will be like!

A Trio of My Favorite Cards

I was just organizing some photos of things I have created this morning, and thought I would share a few of my favorites.

Love the color combo of this birthday card.

Black and White are great colors to use for sports related cards.  A splash of the team color personalizes it perfectly.

Love the elegance paired with some shabbiness.

Studio J Layouts

I did several Studio J layouts when the service was first available, but at the time, they did not provide a jpg file so that the layouts could be shared online.  Now, with the purchase of the printed layout, you also get a jpg file to share.  They actually send you files that you can share on the internet, and files that are higher quality so that you can have them reprinted if you wish.  This month, there is a promotion running in which you can get one free jpg file without having to purchase the layout that you make.  If you want to check out Studio J, and make your own layout, you can access it at my CTMH Website . Choose Studio J in the menu on the left and scrap away :)

Hope For Japan

The various images that I've seen coming out of Japan have been heart wrenching to say the least.  I don't even know if I'm capable of fully comprehending the devastation that has happened there, and my heart goes out to all of those who have lost homes, pets, and loved ones.  I hope that those who have survived this tragedy have the strength to persevere and reach some sense of normalcy again, even though they will likely never be the same people that they were before.

Close To My Heart has issued a new stamp set specifically for raising money to help with relief efforts in Japan. From now until April 30, purchase the exclusive, “Hope for Japan” A-size stamp set for the special price of only $5 (retail value $7.95 US / $8.75 CAN) and Close To My Heart will donate 100% of the profits to the American Red Cross’ efforts in Japan. This beautifully designed stamp set reminds us of how our hearts are hopeful for those who are in need. Here are some images of the stamp set:

This stamp set can be ordered at My CTMH Website or by contacting me through e-mail at heatherlabond@yahoo.com

Long Time No Blog

Well, it appears that teaching full time along with the kids' activities kept me way too busy to think about posting on here. School is out for the summer, and the activities have dwindled to a very manageable pace, so I guess it's time for me to do some more creating and posting.

I made the card above to let my daughter know that she had moved up to the next level of competitive dance team at her studio. I love the bright colors with the black contrast! I also love the texture of the Cuttlebug embossing folders. The stamp (stars, swirl, and circular background) are all Close To My Heart Stamps from various sets. The CTMH colors used are Citrus Leaf, Watermelon, White Daisy, and Black.

I love the August Stamp of the Month. It's a great little birthday set. One of the things that I love the most about stamping is always having the ability to work with any colors that you want. I love the bright colors in the first card just as much as the more muted pastel tones in the second one. With pre-made stickers, papers, or other products, if you don't like the colors it's no fun to use them, but with stamps, you can use whatever you please :)

Every year at my daughter's elementary school, they do a daddy-daughter dance. This past winter, the theme was a Hawaiian Luau. CTMH's Moon Doggie paper pack was just perfect to record this memory. I'm pretty sure I'd never seen my husband in a Hawaiian shirt before this day;)

Here's a cute little card that I made for my upline CTMH consultant. She just had a baby boy about a month ago.

This is Meghan in last year's recital costume. When I first saw the Whoops a Daisy paper pack from CTMH, I knew it would be perfect for this picture. I also used CTMH rub-ons and sparkles to dress it up along with a couple of stamp sets. The big purple flower is actually one that fell off the costume after it made its way to the girls' dress up box.

Here's an anniversary card that I made for my husband back in June. I used the That's Amore paper pack from CTMH and a couple of different stamp sets. I love it almost as much as I love him :)

Luau Invitations

Here's the invitation I made for my daughter's luau themed birthday party that we had back in June. It's a little pocket with all the details on a tag inside. I love how they turned out, so bright and sparkly. I think I'm still cleaning up glitter off my desk, but they were a hit. I also stamped the envelopes to set the tone before they even opened it up.