It's the Last Week...

Of April.      Of the Deal of the Day.      Of the Typed Note Stamp of the Month.

If you've been on the fence about these, it's time to jump off and grab them!

All it takes to get the Deal of the Day is purchasing one regular priced item. 

One.... Anything... Any... Little... Thing.

And if the Deal of the Day puts your order total over $50 you can then buy the 

Typed Note stamp set for just $5! How cool is that?

($17.95 without the $50 purchase)

Surely you could use some bright Carnival Washi tape? Some Glacier Extra Thick Twine?

A new ink pad? A journaling pen? Some My Acrylix Spritz Cleaner?

I'd love to see pics or hear about what you got in Your DotD. Please leave me a comment below.

I feel like I won...

A quick, short update this morning. I got my Deal of the Day box last week, unpacked it, oooh and ahhhd over it, took pictures of it, and then got busy this week with babysitting and fighting a sore-throat-stuffy-nose head cold (on top of working). But, that aside, here's the picture of the lot that I promised:

Look at all those goodies! It felt like Christmas when I opened the box and started pulling little packages out. Mostly because I hadn't picked any of it, but was pleased with it all. There is a nice mix of retired and current items, I got some tools, paper, two kits, and plenty of embellishments. Some types that I had looked at in the catalog but not seriously thought about ordering. There are some groupings that I can put together, which is nice, because I can coordinate some cards, or scrapbook layouts. And my very first thought upon seeing it all laid out was, "I want to order another one"... Hahahaha. I haven't yet, and there's only a week left.

So, I'm reminding you too, if you like the looks of this (this was a $150 Grab Bag), that the April Deal of the Day is only going to last until April 30! And it is SO easy to get in on! Simply go to my Close to My Heart shopping page after 3pm Mountain Time, order ANY one item at regular price (need a new adhesive, we have that), and you will be prompted to order the deal of the day. And you can order as many Deals as you want! The deal's price is different every day.

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments section.

My First Scrap-booking Workshop.... Blossom!

I have to say, I had forgotten how tough it can be to work on scrap-book layouts. I haven't worked on my scrap-books in... years. Yep, my photos are piling up, badly. I'm grateful for my digital camera, because now they can pile up on my external hard drive. Let's put it this way, the last time I worked diligently on my scrap-book... that popular company... you know the one I mean... was still under it's original ownership... Yeah... it's been a Lonnnnng time.

So, I've been sort of putting off doing any layouts since I joined Close to My Heart. Just working on cards, loving the My Acrylix stamps and all the gorgeous papers.  And maybe I could have bought one of the scrap-booking Workshops on the Go and dipped my toe in the water that way, or I could have tried out someone else's layout packages. But noooo, I decided to dive into the deep end, grab a paper packet, the complements for said paper pack, some coordinating sequins, my pencil, graph paper.. and go for it. And finally, I am done. I have a bit of paper left, and will probably create two more bonus pages, and maybe some cards. Soon. But here's are the three two-page layouts I have done. I'm really pleased with the way this Workshop turned out. I hope you are too.

While the white mats are meant for photos, obviously, one or more of them could also be used for journaling the story. And you could leave them off and just put the photos there if you didn't want to mat them. It was a very new concept for me to be creating a page with the paper instead of photos as my inspiration. Please leave me a comment and tell me what you think.

Here's a list of the supplies needed, all from Close to My Heart (not including adhesive.)

My Reflections- Blossom Paper Packet #X7196B $9.95

Blossom Complements Stickers #X7196C $4.95

Coral Reef Sequin Assortment  #Z3042 $3.95

Gold Shimmer Trim #Z1985 $4.95

Marvy Uchida Journaling Pen #Z1979 $3.25

I also used a couple extra sheets of White Daisy cardstock. 24 sheets #1385 $9.50

If you don't already have a stash of this, it's well worth it to grab a pack. I promise you, you will use 

it.

I will send the instruction files and cutting guide via email to anyone who orders the workshop supplies (or any $25 order) via my CTMH Shopping site. The files include ta Welcome letter/Cover sheet, the color guide, photo suggestions, additional notes and tips to assist with the workshop completion, Color photos of each page, and the bonus layout and card instructions (that I haven't finished yet, but will photograph and include ASAP.)

You really don't want to miss this Deal!!

Ok, I mentioned in a previous post about the April "Deal of the Day" wherein you can order ANY regular priced item and then qualify to buy the day's grab bag of current and retired items. The grab bags so far have ranged in price from $35 (the most common mentioned in my team's Facebook group) up to $150. The value is listed (by the company) as worth twice as much or more. (The $150 was reputed to be a $325 value). Below is a picture of a $35 Deal of the Day package that was ordered the first day (not by me).

There are two items in that package alone that cover the $35 cost. So well worth the value if you are wanting to build up your stash of goodies. It's hard to see there, but everything is laid out on top of the Display Tray, which is a current item. There are also some Picture My Life cards, and several cute sets of accessories. Now, not every Deal of the Day will include these items, this is just an Example of what might be in the one you order. So far, every one that has been received has had rave reviews on the boards.
This is only for April, so take advantage, we have no idea when Close To My Heart will ever do this again!

Spring time and the crafting is easy.

One of the things I love about Close to My Heart is that they offer so many options. And one of the first options I fell for when I first came to know the company was their Workshops On The Go (or WOTGs in CTMH parlance). Almost every paper pack in every catalog has a WOTG associated with it. For either card-making or scrapbook pages. Sometimes both. And even if the WOTG is geared towards one, that doesn't mean that you can't switch it up and use it for the other (or both, by buying an extra set of the paper).
They come with paper, embellishments, a stamp set, a detailed cutting guide and full color instructions. What could be easier?


The new Seasonal Expressions 2 mini-catalog has an adorable card-making WOTG using their new Blossom paper. It will make 15 cards.Look at everything that comes in the workshop. And after you make the cards, you'll still have the instructions and the stamp set, so you can always order more supplies and make more cards (well, as long as there is Blossom paper).

I'll be making up these cards soon, and I will post the results soon after.

Just My Type....

Stamp of the Month... I love playing with the new stamp sets every month. April's set is great for cards. It's very vintage, isn't it? You can get all this for only $5 with a qualifying purchase ($50 minimum) Or you can buy it at the retail price of $17.95. But with all the fantastic new papers and stamps and embellishments that just came out in the Seasonal Expressions 2 mini-catalog... you can get this stamp set for $5... trust me on this.

As you can see by the picture below, I stepped beyond a card as well. Now I know most of you probably keep all your phone numbers in your cell phones, and honestly, when I set out to make this, my intention was to make a cover for a datebook. The card with the phone cut out is from the Artfully Sent Cricut Cartridge. I had cut another one that said "Hello Today" for the front of the datebook, and the telephone one was an extra to use up the paper...
I just wasn't thinking very well about the sizing when I was setting things up in the Cricut Craft Room, lol. Much to my surprise when I pulled the cards off the mat, they were all bigger than I was expecting. The Hello Today card was horizontal and wouldn't fit. So I made a phone book cover instead.

We call people for all these occasions don't we? Personally, I do have a regular address book. There are some people I would never call from my cell phone, but I do need their information. 

Anyway... there it is. On to what I used. In addition to the Typed Note stamp set, I used the numbers from the alphabet stamps that come with the Artfully Sent Cricut Collection, Colonial White Cardstock, Black Cardstock, paper from the Yuletide Carol pack, Exclusive Inks in Black, Gold Shimmer Trim, and Gold Sequins.

For the card on the left, I used some of the paper from the new Jackson pack. Isn't it nice? Would be great for a guy's card. The red piece is the zip strip from the same piece. I embossed the typewriter (with clear embossing powder) to give it an old fashioned feel. You can't really tell from the picture. Trust me, the glossy look really did the trick. I used Colonial White Cardstock, Exclusive Inks in Black and Chocolate, Black Shimmer trim, Black Sequins, and Thin 3D Foam Tape.

I hope you like this little taste of the new Seasonal Expressions 2 mini-catalog (the Jackson paper). I'll be back with more in a couple days! And don't forget... Deal of the Day - every day in April!

Wheee, New Stuff, No joke!

It's April! In most parts of the world it's spring. Even here in the northeast, it's starting to show signs of melting. However, there's still snow to be seen on the side of the road, and in the shady spots. I haven't checked on any gardens, but I am sure there are some bulbs pushing up green shoots somewhere. It's lighter longer and that's very good.

In my stamping and scrapping world, April is a big month! Close to My Heart has BIG news in April! There's a new Seasonal Expressions mini catalog! (Which means new paper packs! New Workshops on the Go! And new stamps, and new accessories!) There's a new Stamp of the Month! And there is an amazing deal going on! There is so much to talk about that I will not be able to cover it all in one post!

So I'm going to start with the Amazing Deal, because, to me, is maybe the hardest to pass up.
Here's the deal:
Each day during April, CTMH will feature a random grab bag filled with current and retired products available for purchase at a major discount (while supplies last). To Grab your bag, simply buy ANY current, full-priced item via my Online Business Address and you will be eligible to buy as may grab bags as you wish (while supplies last).
Grab bags will be featured at five different price points throughout the month; ranging from $35 US/$55 CAD to $150 US/ $160 CAD. Some grab bags will contain product with more than DOUBLE the retail value of the price you pay!
Grab bags will be available for 24 hours starting at 3pm MDT each day and ONLY while supplies last (that day). So visit often and early!
Grab bag tiers will be featured on a random schedule throughout the month, (remember that), so sieze the opportunity to purchase from the grab bag tier you're interested in when it comes around, because it might not become available again! This is an April Only Event!

Now, be sure to check out the new Seasonal Expressions 2 mini catalog, and get ready to see what I have made with April's Stamp of the Month. I'll be sharing that with you in my next post.