It’s been a while since I have had 2 posts in a day, but when I saw this, I wanted to share. I know we’ve all been reeling with the images of tragedy and devastation in Japan. If you’re looking for an easy, real, practical way to help relief efforts, then take a look at this!

Typically, our A-sized sets retail for $7.95, but the “Hope for Japan” set will be available through April 30 for just $5–and Close To My Heart will be donating 100% of the profits to the American Red Cross to benefit relief efforts in Japan.

If we all do a little, together we can do a lot. Let’s show our support and together, provide real HOPE for Japan!

If you would like to order this, email me and we will get it ordered for you!

~Michelle

The March Stamp of the Month is bunnies! They are adorable bunnies! Perfect for coloring and/or paper piecing! They are so very cute!

I am part of Jen Rubio’s Stamp of the Month swap group. And these are the cards that I made for that! (and they are available for workshop cards too! Just let me know!) I was really happy with how they turned out! We used the Sophia paper pack with these cards.

Momma Bunny with a little gift! I colored her with our watercolor pencils. You see 2 new ribbons on the card too, these are the pink ribbons. They have 4 different styles in a package for just $7.95!

Little Boy Bunny is cute in his green jacket. The left side is tied with our hemp twine. I colored him too with the water color pencils and used a blending pen to give it a nice smooth look.

This cute little 3×3 card would be perfect on a package or easter basket! Just a small piece of hemp tied around the sign! Again, this is colored with the water color pencils.

All of the products used were CTMH products! I would love to show you how to make these adorable cards!

Products used for these cards:
Sophia paper pack: X7131B $12.95
Pink Ribbon Collection: Z1385 $7.95
March Stamp of the Month: D1454 $22.95 (or less, maybe even free!)
Water color pencils: 3505 $22.95
Blending Pen: 3174 $3.95
Foam Tape: Z1151 $5.95
White Daisy Cardstock: 1385 $9.50
Chocolate Cardstock: X5643 $9.50
Black Archival ink: 44751 $5.95
Hemp: Natural: Z280 $2.95
Antique copper brads (from Mini Medley): Z1275 $4.95
Tombow Glue: 1514 $8.95
Assorted Clear Blocks

So, at Creative University, I met my “sista’ from another motha'”! We are so alike, it’s sometimes scary! But, she totally gets the things I am saying, when other people just look at me funny! LOL And, She totally turned me onto jewelry making. I had such a blast learning how to make charms and bracelets!!

Miss Erin taught us how to make charms, and arranged the charm swap. She also had a necklace making class available. And, while I could do a whole post about it, with photos, she already did one . . . so I am just going to point you in her direction! So, Check out Erin’s blog, Inky Smiles

And, just for a little teaser . . . here’s one of the photos!

Isn’t it gorgeous???

So, keep an eye out, because, soon, jewelry classes will be on the schedule!!

So, you may (or may not) know that I attended Creative University. Don’t know what that is? Well, it is a weekend chalk full of lots of stuff!! There was charm making, adding sewing/stitching to your layouts, making cards, meeting new people, learning about different business ideas and how to’s, and food. Boy oh boy was there food! Pretty much anything you could have wanted for, you had available to you! LOL

So, first, the lady that put it all together! Mrs. Tresa Black! The stamp goddess in all her glory! (Seen here with Denise)

And then there were roomies! All of us roomies arrived on Thursday! (some, later than others . . . )

Here is my car mate and roomie, Lynn! Isn’t this a fun thing to have done?

Then on to the classes!

Here is a fun picture of Jenn, she did our bookmark cards!

Here is the card, with the bookmark removed. It just fits right over that pink diamond/square thing.

Here is a fun one of Chrissy, she did our sewing on a layout class

Here is a layout that isn’t quite finished yet (not that mine is yet either!)

Here is Nona in her teacher’s apron (adorable, aren’t they?)

This is the layout that Nona taught us (with her photos, of course). We all learned about how to make these fun flowers!

This is one photo of the altered clipboard that Denise taught us! What a fun project!

And a photo of Denise showing another ‘camper’ how to make the rolled roses

On Friday there was a card botique, where you would make 3 cards and 3 card/gift card holders. It was put on by Donna Smith and Sheila Bennett.

Here are the gift card holders . . aren’t they great?

Here are the cards themselves:

Here is a fun photo of some ladies doing their cards at the card botique.
Erin in the back left corner, Linda in the front right corner (she was one of my table mates), Roberta in the grey, and Kim Garrett in the back right corner.

And there was the junk-lace class and charm swap! I had a blast making charms for this swap! I learned a lot! Erin taught the class and was in charge of the charm swap. Here are the pieces that most everyone (except me) got for their ‘junk-lace’

For that charm swap, she hired some special mafia ladies! Here’s a fun photo of most of the mafia group . . . Tamara had left already, so she isn’t in our photo (boooooo!!!)

I met some ladies, that were great fun! This is Kimberly and Tamara. Kim lives out in Scappoose (where I went to school, if you didn’t know). I think Tamara is out there too . . . but I don’t know for sure! Kimberly is a massage therapist and is Terra’s consultant. 🙂 And Tamara belongs in another photo (see the Charm Mafia) . . but these two left before we could get that team photo!

And now some just plain fun ones in the ‘photo booth’! This is the photo booth, before people started messing with it . . .

This is Me, Tresa, Erin, and Kathy!

Me, Erin, and Kathy!

Three of my roomies! Kari, Kandi, and Amy

Kimberly, Tresa, and Tamara having fun!

This one is so funny! I was being part of the paparazzi . . . standing on a chair to a. eliminate the white of the ceiling in the photos and b. gives a better vantage point . . . removes ‘chins’ .. . lol! Kathy saw me and thought that I needed to have some sturdying! So she grabbed my leg. I don’t know who snapped the photo, but it’s funny!!

And . . . meal times! Lots of fun then too! We got to know some of our retreat-mates better! Catch up with friends that we hadn’t seen for a while and general whatnots. Plus, the food was sooooooo good!! (Amy made THE BEST banana bread ever! And the cranberry muffins we had for breakfast . . . oooooh la la!!)

This is .. . . I think Friday lunch. At the table we have Kim Garrett (far left), Lisa Tafoya, Tahne, Bobie, me, and Erin. (see those pink frosted sprinkle cookies? They liked to have our dessert on the tables when we arrived to eat! LOL)

Here is another of Kim, Tahne, and Lisa at one of the meals, these girls were so fun!

Friday dinner was YUMMY!! Lasagna with bread, and fun red sparkly pens waiting on the table for us! At our table on Friday night was: Erica, Erin, Me, Jeri, Kathie, Amy, Amy, Dawn, and Nichole

And Friday’s dessert was delish! Brownie topped with peppermint ice cream and whipped cream! mmmmmm!

We had all these cute little bird houses on the tables as center pieces. Saturday night, after dinner, Tresa read this great little poem, and we passed a pepper shaker around the table each time she said left or right. At the very end it was back and forth between Erin and I. I, however, was not the lucky winner. Erin got to take home this super uber cute little birdhouse!

I mentioned food above? Right? Well, there were two tables set up, one upstairs and one downstairs. For everyone to put stuff on to share. This is just the upstairs table! (and I think some things were gone by then too!)

And, last, but not least in the food category, this is Amy, she was the coffee/latte maker, kitchen help, grace sayer, and all out fun gal! I have to say though, she is the female version of Pauly Shore, if there ever was one!

And, what would university be, without a class photo? Here is CU class of 2011!

Thank you Tresa for a wonderful weekend!!

I’ll have another photo heavy post in a couple of days!! 🙂