My Heart is..Perfect right now

Welcome to the Sketch -N- Scrap Blog Hop!

We decided to try something new this month and our team is sharing artwork today featuring a bonus sketch! Also we have a special phrase for you to decipher along the way. Each of our blog hop ladies has a word(s) BOLDED for you to complete the phrase from the beginning to the end of the hop. Once you have completed the phrase, EMAIL it to sketchnscrap@gmail.com for another chance at the grand prize! If you have come here from Tamika's blog, then you are on the right path.

Our theme for our hop is Love Grows Where the Heart is...as I tried to decide what I wanted to scrapbook I came across these photos from my 40th birthday. I am not a big fan of them but at 40 if you don't learn to love yourself what will you have to offer others? There are a million things I thought I would have accomplished by 40 that I didn't. There are a million other things that I did accomplish. I think maybe part of the  reason I don't like these photos is because my whole WORLD had been crashing down around me leading up to my birthday and I was not really sure if I was prepared to take on my 40's or not. My 20s seemed a little tragic and my 30s were really a happy time and so since I had lots of final straws at 39 and had to decide where I wanted to take myself I decided that I could handle my 40's and I could handle them with grace, acceptance, and love...love of myself where I am right now. I have tons of changes I want to make in this decade. I need to pick up the pieces from a failed marriage. I need to start over financially. I need to lose the weight I have been saying I will lose for the past two decades. I want to send off my girls to each of their new life stages with the knowledge that they can do anything in the WORLD that their hearts desire. I want to enjoy those who love me. I want to make even more new friends and cherish my old friends.  I want to embrace who I have have become because of where I have been and enjoy each and every day! I want to remember that even though life is never perfect sometimes it can be perfect right now! At 40 I have learned to embrace who I am and you know what it is pretty liberating.  So no I don't think I am perfect .. but I am right now ~

Supplies: Pemperly kit and coordinating accessories from Close to my Heart

Here is the sketch if you would like to make your own page about how love grows where the heart is!

Now hop on over to Mandi's blog but before you do...leave me a little love and you will have a chance to win some eye candy! Yep...you have several chances to win...one chance here for leaving some love, a chance here and there on other Sketch-N-Scrap blogs...and one chance for figuring out the hidden phrase.

***eye candy surprise***

Leave me some love and I will pack a surprise goodie box for you full of fun things to make cards, scrapbook pages, or whatever paper craft you prefer. Winner will be drawn on February 15th so please comment by midnight on Valentines Day... February 14th.

A little cagie fun and some blog candy!

So I absolutly adore the new clear stamps from Basic Grey called Porcelain Aviary is just beautiful! I was playing with it all day yesterday as my car decided to break down. I am working up some ideas for my grandma's 90th birthday party and though these birdcages were just so sweet.

Here is what I came up with on my first attempt. I used some of my favorite CTMH paper from the level 2 paper pack Perfect Day...love it! I think it can use a little ribbon but I just didn't have any that made it work so I added some brads instead and aged it a little on the sides.

I think of all the bird cages taht come in the set that this one if my favorite. I like the playfulness of it. I am debating on adding a little color to the bottom of the cage where it is solid.

The next card I did fetaured some paper from the Paper Garden I am really liking the way this card turned out and I got to use some ribbon and the rinestone brads that I just adore. It is a little simple but that is ok especially if I have to make a ton of them.

My next card did not turn out so great but I thought I would share just in case anyone had an idea on how to fix it. Again it uses Paper Garden. I really wanted to incorporate my fun punch from the Martha Stewart collection. I also love to sand the CTMH paper so that the white shows through. I aded some fiber so it looks like it is hanging and an eyelet.

Moving on...

I decided to try some bright colors along with one of my favorte card paterns. This paper is using the fun and coloreful Chloe's Closet line from Making Memories.

The last card I made uses More to Adore paper by CTMH it is fun and funky and has Pailsey's in it...how can I not love this paper.

I thought this turned out super. I added a cute brown felt flower with a brad center. I think we might make this one for my stamp club tonight. It should be fun.

On all of these I have room to put your invited on the front and then the inside would have all the fun details. Once a final choice is made I will make sure to do another blog about how the invites turned out and how the party went.

Now moving on to the blog candy... it is a great little calender set that is great for making cards, scrapbook pages, or fun little projects. Here is what the set looks like

I will also add some paper and embelishments so that you can make a few cards.

Please leave a comment by April 15th and I will chose a random person for some blog candy.

I hope you have a great day!