Say Hello to.....Andrea!

Our next team member is the lovely Andrea Ewen. Welcome to the team, Andrea!

Here's a little bio she wrote to share with you:

"My name is Andrea Ewen and I am a full time working mother married to my high school sweetheart, Guy, for 15 years now. We have a 12 year old son and a 10 year old daughter. I was introduced to stamping in 2002 and have been hooked ever since. I just started my blog, “EwenStyle” in March after finally gaining confidence in my artwork. I became a Close to My Heart Consultant in March also, and enjoy teaching workshops in my home. In my spare time you can find me in my craft room working feverishly on any sewing or paper craft. I am looking forward to some exciting challenges here at Heart 2 Heart challenges."

Andrea's the newest consultant to join the team and I'm excited to have her on board! Check out a sample of her beautiful artwork:

I {heart} this little guy! So cute!

I hope you'll join me in welcoming Andrea to the team! You can visit her blog at Ewen Style.

One more team member to meet tomorrow and then we kick off a new season of challenges on Monday - stay with us!

Our Friday Five are Cookin'!

Last week's challenge was all about recipes and our Friday Five this week used a variety of unique ways that incorporated that theme. Here are our favorites for the week - congratulations to these 5 ladies!

A new challenge will be coming at you soon but there's still time to play along with our color challenge this week! It might just be you in the next Friday Five!

In case you want to know what we look for when choosing our Friday Five, here's some tips:
* Following the challenge and using Close To My Heart products
* Creative and /or unique artwork
* Clean and well executed artwork
* Details and embellishments used
* Good overall design layout and presentation

We look forward to seeing what YOU create so join in our challenges - no matter your level of expertise, we hope our challenges inspire you to be creative!

Next up on the team - meet Jessica!

Our next intro is for new Design Team member Jessica Moore -

Here's a little info about Jessica from Jessica :)

"I am 31 years old, a Christian, a wife of almost 13 years to my most wonderful husband John, and mother to 5 children - the oldest is 7 and the youngest was just born on May 3rd. My life is everything I ever wanted and more, I am blessed to be a stay at home mom who will start homeschooling in the fall, we live in a tiny town in Upstate New York. I have a very full life and I wouldn't change it for the world!

I started scrapbooking in 2003 after my 1st child was born. I found Close To My Heart in the spring of 2007, signed up in September of 2007 and have loved every minute since! Papercrafting is very addicting and brings me a great deal of joy. I try to create something everyday! People often ask "how in the world do you find time to scrapbook with 5 kids?" Well I tell them it's easy, you always should make time for something you love. Since starting scrapbooking and cardmaking I have also started to sew as well as quilt, I love anything and everything related to homemaking, crafting, cooking, decorating, organizing and even cleaning, I was made to do these things! I am so excited to be able to share with others my love of papercrafts and Close To My Heart."

And here is a beautiful sample of Jessica's artwork:

Welcome to the team! If you want to visit Jessica's blog, you can find her at Jessica's Paper Petals and her CTMH site here.
Three intros down and three to go - stay tuned!!

Welcome Mandy to the team!

Today I have another new DT intro for you - welcome Mandy!

"I am a 29-year-old WAHM…I do billing and payroll for my husband’s Web Design & Development firm, www.InfinityArts.com and I’m a Close To My Heart Consultant. I’ve been with CTMH since March of 2009 and couldn’t imagine a better company to be a part of, that not only offers the best scrapbooking and stamping products out there but is also so great to us Consultants.


I was born and raised in San Diego, California and moved just up the way near Temecula after graduating college. My family is definitely my inspiration for scrapbooking and thank goodness my amazing, loving, handsome husband is so supportive of this addiction. He even helped me to create my favorite room in our home, my craft room. =} We have 2 adorable kids… Maverick is 2 1/2 months old and Brooklyn is almost 6. I love spending time with my family, scrapbooking, card making, shopping, going on vacations, blogging, pugs, watching reality shows and reading magazines. =}"

We're glad you are joining us Mandy! We have seen Mandy's work in our Friday Fives a few times and here is a sample of her fabulous work:

You can visit Mandy at her blog My Passion for Scrapbooking and at her CTMH site here.  Stop by and say hello! I'm looking forward to seeing what Mandy creates with us over the next few months!

Another intro tomorrow - stay tuned!

Color Challenge

Before we get to this week's color challenge, we first have a winner to announce!

All of last week's participants were entered into Random.org and the prize winner is.....14. Belinda K! Congrats Belinda! Please email me at [email protected] and I will forward your address to our prize sponsor, Rachel!  I also want to send a great big THANK YOU to Rachel for sponsoring our challenge last week. You can visit Rachel at her blog here: Dilly Belle Media. And you can find all of our great sponsors at the Sponsors page.

So this week we are working with the following colors:

Not a combo you might have considered but wait till you see what the DT came up with and you will want to play along!! This is also the last challenge for the current team so be sure to stop by their blogs and leave them a little love!

Angela

Carol

Helen

Jayma

Katy

Tracey

Mary

Incredible work, once again! Now we can't wait to see what YOU create with these colors! You have until Sunday night at 10 pm EST to upload your card or other project to your blog or online gallery and then come back here and leave us a link in Mister Linky below. You might just find yourself in the next Friday Five!

And be sure to stay tuned as we continue introducing the new Design Team members this week!

Our New Design Team members - meet Deneen!

We have 6 new members starting with Heart 2 Heart Challenges on August 2nd and over the next few days I would like to introduce them. Be sure to stop by their blogs and say Welcome!

1st up is a familiar face around H2H as she has participated in most of the challenges to date and was even a Guest DT member - meet Deneen Treble!

"I've been a Close To My Heart Consultant for 5 years now, and have enjoyed every minute. I love to create and share my creations with others...especially any tips and tricks that will keep them from making the same mistakes I did:). I've been married 16 years to a wonderful, supportive husband. We have 3 children, Tatiana 9, Victoria 8, and Spencer 2...and all of them would love to help me with my creations if I'd let them.


I'm really excited about being part of the H2H Design Team and look forward to sharing my creations with you, as well as being inspired by your creations."

To visit Deneen's blog, check out A Path of Paper. And here is a sample of some of Deneen's gorgeous artwork:

Wow! Welcome Deneen!

I will be back soon with another DT intro!

The ABC Friday Five

First off, I have to say, this was one of the hardest weeks to judge projects and pick our favorite five because they were all so darn good! Most of the DT members sent me their top 8 or their top 10 and that's the farthest they could narrow their list down! So kudos to everyone - your ABC projects were awesome! But we finally did whittle it down to the top five - and here they are -

Congratulations ladies! Your badge codes will be sent later today. Amy, I couldn't find your email address but I think you already have a badge so let me know if you need me to resend it.

In other news, I am excited to report that our next Design Team has been chosen! While I am sad that our current team members will be leaving, I am looking forward to working with the new gals and I will be posting introductions for each member here on the blog over the next few days. The current team will wrap up their session with Monday's challenge and the new members will start creating on August 2nd. I hope you will join me in welcoming the new members and saying thank you to the outgoing members.

Don't forget there is still time to play in this week's recipe themed challenge! Maybe you will be in our next Friday Five!

What's Cookin' at H2H!

Before we get to the next challenge, I would like to award last week's prize from our fabulous sponsor Natacha and the lucky winner is.......#3 Ann. Congratulations, Ann - your number was chosen by random.org. Please email me with your mailing information so Natacha can send out your prize.

Also, a big round of applause goes to Natacha for sponsoring the prize this week. Be sure to stop by and visit her at her blog Scrapbooking, Card-Making and Me!

And this week we have another prize up for grabs but right now, it's a mystery! Our sponsor for the week is Rachel Hoffman Wohrlin and you can visit her on the web at Dilly Belle Media. I will let you all know what the prize is up for grabs as soon as I get the info!!

Ok so let's get on to the next challenge!  This week we are incorporating a recipe of some sort into our artwork. Not sure what to create that fits the theme of recipe?? Wait till you see what the talented Design Team came up with!

1st off, a wonderful project from our Guest DT, Jody:

Be sure to stop by Jody's blog to find out all about this adorable and fun project!

And here's what the rest of the team created:

Carol

Helen

Tracey

Katy

Mary

Angela

Be sure you click on each member's name to go to their blog and read all about how they created a project based on the theme of recipe. Everyone had such different projects! What a tremendous group I have had the opportunity to work with! Thank you, team!!

Speaking of teams, there is still time to submit your application for the next round of the H2H Design Team which will start on August 2nd! Tomorrow (July 20th) is the last day to send in your application so no time to waste!!

So are you ready to create something that includes a recipe of some sort?? Create, post to your blog or other public online gallery and then come back here and leave a link to the exact page where we can find your artwork. We can't wait to see what you cook up!!

Sketchy looks from the Friday Five

I love sketches and seeing all the different ways one sketch can inspire such a variety of looks! Thanks to everyone who played along with our sketch week 14. Here are our picks for the top 5:

Congratulations Friday Five! Benjaman, Nicole, Brenda and Amy - please contact me at [email protected] for your badge code. (If you already have a Friday Five badge from us, you won't need another). Thanks!

How can you be in the Friday Five? Just play along with this week's challenge and create something that catches our eye. Here's some tips on what we look for:
* How closely you stick to the challenge
* How creative and "different" your project is
* How clean and well executed your project is
* Great use of CTMH products

We hope you'll play along! Have a great weekend!

ABC - it's easy as 1-2-3....

This week our challenge is an ABC challenge - Anything But a Card!

Before we get to the DT's samples, I want to welcome Natacha as our prize sponsor this week. Check out the great package of goodies that will go to one lucky player:

Included is a stamp set, a rub on sheet, a notebook and an address book - aren't they pretty? Thank you Natacha for sponsoring us this week! You can visit Natacha at Scrapbooking, Card Making and Me! and check out her creations.

Ok now on to the DT samples this week. Our 1st sample is from our July Guest Design Team member Jody who created a very cool altered clipboard with notepad and pen:

Adorable! Happy to have you playing along with us this month Jody!

Here is what the rest of the team "whipped" up:

Angela

Tracey

Carol

Jayma

Mary

Katy

If you want to find out all about these fabulous projects (and why wouldn't you?), click on the name below the photo and go check out the DT member's blog and description. And love them some lovin' while you're there - they are some hard working, creative dynamos!

Now it's your turn to create something that is Anything But a Card! Post a photo of your project to your blog or other online gallery and then come back here and leave a link to that post. We can't wait to see what you create easy as 1-2-3!

This week it's the Saturday Six!

I apologize for being a day late but the good news is, I added an extra person to our usual Friday Five to make it a Saturday Six!

You were all waving your stars and stripes last week and we are so happy you all played along! Here are our top choices:

Are you feeling that patriotic vibe? Congratulations to our six winners! I will be sending your badge information soon!

** Jacklyn, I couldn't find your email address - could you contact me please at [email protected]? Thank you!

Don't forget about our current challenge - you might just be in our next Friday Five! See you soon!