Here in Western Washington, we have had the most beautiful Autumn that I can remember in years.  Our state's dry weather has come at a cost - serious wildfires on the Eastern side of the mountains.  It saddens me to think of the damage the fires have done . . . the property lost, and the air quality so unhealthy.  So I keep those Washingtonians in my prayers, during this hard time.

But knowing that I can't change the flow of events there . . . I will continue to be grateful for the long days of sunshine here, the cool mornings and warm afternoons, and my ever-ripening tomatoes.  I will choose to be thankful for the good that is, despite the hard things that continue to be.

Life is busy, and it always will be.  Choose to be creative, despite your busy-ness!  As you browse through this blog today, you just might see creative ideas that will entice you to host a Gathering of friends for crafting, or join in a class at my Art Room.  Treat yourself . . . choose creativity.

"It's Your Day" Art by Melinda Everitt

"It's Your Day" Art by Jen Rubio

"It's Your Day" Art by Melissa Laverty

"It's Your Day" Art by Pat Hamilton

"It's Your Day" Art by Vicki Wizniuk

"It's Your Day" Art by Sheila Bennett

"It's Your Day" Art by Lalia Harris

"It's Your Day" Art by Suz Daniels

September Stamp of the Month Art #10

Art by Julie Reynolds

In this stamp set, the title "Fall Favorites", dotted lines and little pumpkin patch are all one one stamp image. There's a Cricut tag that cuts PERFECTLY to fit this stamp (as shown above.) Then the four little harvest phrases are individual and can be placed however you like . . . either on this tag or used separately (see Maggie Cameron's card earlier, for instance.)

"It's Your Day" Art by Jen Rubio

September Stamp of the Month Art #9

Art by Renee Valenti

Two things stand out to me on this card: The use of one of the stamps as a background, using ink that coordinates with the paper . . . the other is the cute little bitty pearls used for eyes on the spider!

The Swipe Hype!

"It's Your Day" Art by Crystal McWhorter

"It's Your Day" Art by Vicki Price

"It's Your Day" Art by Jean McNulty

What's New in Close To My Heart Color?

September Stamp of the Month Art #8

Art by Julie Reynolds

Wanting a simple "color block" look, I opted for a repeated image in 3 colors, then simple single matting with the addition of 2 small squares on the corner, which repeat colors of the stamped images. This is an easy way to use one stamp, but almost give the feeling of a quilt block!

"It's Your Day" Art by Haley Dyer

It's So EASY with Artiste!

September Stamp of the Month Art #7

Art by Tina Dupin

I love how a simple circle can give the effect of a harvest moon! This card is stunning with its detail.

"It's Your Day" Art by Dana Kessler

"It's Your Day" Art by Vicki Price

September Stamp of the Month Art #6

Art by Maggie Cameron

Our Paper Flowers make a pretty accent to this soft looking card. The scarecrow actually provides a subtle background image to the card, while the eye gets the color punch of the floral element.

"It's Your Day" Art by Crystal McWhorter

September Stamp of the Month Art #5

Art by Renee Valenti

Here Renee used one long stamp, containing the 4 outline images and featured them individually. I don't know if this is how Renee did it . . . . But an easy way is to stamp the entire 4-image stamp once in each of the 4 colors. Then cut out all the images, mix and match and piece together your card. Fun!

"It's Your Day" Art by Bren Yule

September Stamp of the Month Art #4

Art by Julie Reynolds

I used a pattern from our new "Make It From Your Heart" resource ....... Just $7.95! Full of layout and card patterns, it's such a help when designing your projects.

"It's Your Day" Art by Wendy Coffman

"It's Your Day" Art by Beth Naumann

September Stamp of the Month Art #3

Art by Debi Gardner

Using B&T papers in strips and patches is a wonderful way to make use of scraps, and at the same time provide pretty accents for a clean-looking card.

"It's Your Day" Art by Vicki Wizniuk

"It's Your Day" Art by Amy Edwards

September Stamp of the Month Art #2

Art by Cathy Stai

Our Moonlight paper is used here for a pretty background. Edges are sponged to soften the look.

September Stamp of the Month Art #1

Art by Brenda Rose

Beautiful shading with markers and layering with 3D Foam Tape bring this card to life.

"It's Your Day" - It's Not Just for Scrapbooking!

Art by Allisa Chilton

Up Close & Personal with "It's Your Day!"

National Stamping Month Special

Just $5 with a qualifying purchase!

To celebrate National Stamping Month, Close To My Heart is offering this fantastic Double D-sized stamp set (Yes, your cup runneth over . . . with creativity! :-) With a retail value of $35.90, this set is a steal at just $5, when you add it on to a purchase of $35. Click here for more details.

I will be posting artwork, featuring this set, throughout the month. So please visit often!

Where's Your Mom?

My daughter, Marie, recently told me, "You know what I realized? I don't have a single picture of you in my apartment!" A friend had been over and been looking at the many framed pictures she had of family and friends, and then asked, "Where's your Mom?" Marie said she couldn't believe it when she looked around and realized I was missing!

This is one of the things that happens when we become the designated "picture taker" of the family. We often neglect to include ourselves in photos. So Marie told me she wanted to be sure to get a picture of the two of us, while we were together at a family cabin for the weekend.

So when we went on a walk with several family members, we made sure to bring the camera along. When Marie spotted a picturesque gate in front of the pear orchard, we stopped for an impromptu photo shoot. Now it won't be a "Where's Waldo?" type search for her mother anymore.

Many of us spend a lot of time recording our family's lives in photos. Remember to include yourself! It's a gift to your family.