Ring in the New Year

Happy New Year

I hope your 2018 was a smashing success, with goals achieved and wishes granted. If not, then I hope 2019 sets you on your way to meeting those dreams.

The last quarter of 2018 had me a bit under. I had a surgery that kept me away from my craft room and my main computer. I had pre-cut some cards and scrapbook pages, but it's a lot harder to craft in a recliner than I expected. haha. And blogging from a tablet, for-get that.

Thank you to those who stuck with me, and visited and showed me their crafted goodies. It was so nice to share your creativeness, even while my muse went on vacation.

News from the Close to My Heart scene - January brings a new catalog, new special goodies, and of course, new stamps. It's the beginning of the company's 35th year -wow. And my 5th (also wow).

January is National Papercrafting Month - and CTMH has put together a gorgeous Magnolia Frame Kit - it's designed to make a word frame, but you can add photos, art, whatever you want to frame-it-up.

In preparation for Valentine's Day - Happy Hearts abound.. a special heart and love themed scrapbook workshop kit - Heart Happy

And the Heart Happy Everyday Life Album kit

And don't forget the January Stamp of the Month - everyone should have this one:

Card Captions - with something for every card. 

Place a $50 order and you can add this on for just $5.

New Idea Book Premieres

September... signals the end of Summer, for many Back-to-School shopping has been done and the kids have slipped on their backpacks and posed for their First-Day-of-School photos on the doorstep. Or you've dropped them off at the dorm with boxes and pillows and said a teary-eyed goodbye as they take their first steps into adult-hood and college.

Before those memories fade, make notes while the photos are being developed, so that when you create those precious pages for your album, they are filled not only with pictures, but your words, and perhaps the points of view from your children as well.

Close to My Heart has a fabulous Special in September; You've Got Class. It includes 7 special Tru-Fit Folios, folders which fit inside the top-loading memory protectors and can hold drawings, class essays, grade reports, or extra photos.


September is also the time when Close to My Heart's New Idea Book Launches! The 2018 Holiday Expressions catalog is live as of September 1 and you can view it online here. If you'd like a copy of your own, you can add one to your online order, or contact me and order one.

I won't spoil the surprise by going through the entire catalog, but will tell you the new papers are lovely, the new ink colors are bright and fabulous and you will love the new embellishments!
However, here are a few of the treats you can expect:

 

The Color Palette - Amazing... One big family of Color 

Plus, if you look closely, you will see some of the new Thin-Cuts, cuts from the new digital Cricut cartridge, and some of the fun embellishments.

 Color of the Year - Sugarplum - this photo does NOT do the color justice!

Available in our Exclusive Ink, Pigment Ink, Shimmer Brush!, Cardstock and Glitter Paper.

Another September Special - More Magical! 

How about a Kit-of-the-Month program? 

Yep, we've got one. Craft with Heart - featuring Cut Above layout kits.

Keep your creativity flowing with Close To My Heart’s Craft with Heart™ club, where you receive regular deliveries of project kits that will keep you connected with your passion.

Available in subscriptions monthly, every 4 months, or yearly, you choose what works best for you and your crafting muse. 

So much more, but I will save some for my next post. Check out the Stamp of the Month page to see what the $5 special is this month. It's perfect to help you get a jump start on your seasonal cards.

Thank you for stopping by, you bless me with your support.

Getting my ducks in a row...

Briefly, my husband has some health issues, we are waiting for word from the doctor (and waiting, and waiting). It occupies a lot of our thoughts and I forget to do stuff, like update my blog. This morning, I decided that until my brain could manage to think creatively on it's own, I was going to take a short blog break. I will still update the Stamp of the Month link, and the Monthly focus - but they may not be at the start of the month.

Thank you so much in advance for your patience and understanding. I appreciate your support much more than mere words can ever express.

August will bring a new Idea Book, if you would like one, please contact me, or go to my online business address and browse it, or order one.

May... National Scrapbooking Month, Dads, Vacations, Here Comes Summer!

We all pretty much see May as the herald of Summer. For many of us the weather has already turned warm, though here in the northeast, it feels more like spring. I'm a little behind in presenting the offerings from Close to My Heart, and I apologize. Family stuff.

But speaking of family, and upcoming vacations, get ready to show off those photos in the most flattering light! CTMH has got a set up for you! Just for National Scrapbooking Month; Postcard Perfect! And it IS perfectly summery. The Postcard Perfect Bundle includes a paper pack, stamp set, complements, coordinating paper, vellum, and 12" x 12" memory protectors. 

Just look at those tropical patterns, the colors, the flowers. I am so looking forward to working with this set!

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For those special scrapbook pages and cards to honor your dad, granddad, or father to be, there is the "Dad is Rad" workshop. The workshop kit contains a special stamp set, cardstock, embellishments and instructions to create three scrapbook pages and four cards.

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And as always, don't forget our Stamp of the Month! May's SotM is called Classic Summer Bash  and features all the refreshment that a jar of citrus punch or lemonade can offer. Ink up your next BBQ invites with this tasty set. Click the link above for all the details.

If you are interested in any of these sets, please click a link to order, or click here to visit my website to contact me for more information about becoming a consultant or hosting a gathering (not to order, I cannot accept direct orders). Thank you for visiting, you are a blessing to me.

April snow squalls... bring... Fab Sales?

What a crazy winter we've had here in the northeast! It's the first week in April and we just had snow (with a little more expected next week!) I think the seasons are shifting on us.

Meanwhile, March roared in like a lion and passed so fast that I completely missed it. Maybe that's why it's still snowing.

Back to April, I hope everyone had a Happy Easter, filled with Family, Friends, bunnies, eggs, and most of all. memory making. I hope you took lots of photos, and I hope you will get them printed sooner than later! If you do not create your own scrapbooks, get them created via one of the online options (Persnickety Prints, Shutterfly, etc). As I read recently, no one is going to pass down a CD of photos. So get those albums made!

For those of you who enjoy creating your own scrapbooks, Close to My Heart is having a Friday sale every week in April. Called Fab Faves; select items will be offered at 25% off each week for 24 hours.

So mark this link, Fab Faves! and check back each week! 

Another Fab deal in April - if you have been considering joining the Close to My Heart team as a consultant... this is a Fab time to do it! The Fab Four  - in addition to the great consultant kit and the $50 in CTMH Cash that you get to purchase the supplies that work best for your business - if you sign up during April you will receive the next four Stamp of the Month sets FREE (a $71.80 retail value). Check out this link for more information.

Aren't the Stamp of the Month sets cute!! Gotta grab 'em all, and what an easy way? Join my team!

The New Seasonal Expressions catalog is here! Happy New Year!

The new Seasonal Expressions catalog is here, and with it come fresh papers, stamps, coordinating die-cuts, embellishments, complements, new organizational tools and a welcome breath of spring! (Something we could all use right now on these cold days) Check out this gorgeous cover art!

With every new catalog comes new papers: Let me make the introductions,

Chelsea Gardens - a pretty floral in soft greens and blues, perfect for those spring projects.

Making Waves - bright purple and teal with a mermaid theme

Stargazer - another bright theme, this time in blue and red.

Gimme Some Sugar - A fun theme in pinks and mints. 

All of these papers are available in paper packs, and Workshops for both scrapbooking and cardmaking. There are coordinating complements and ribbons as well as sequins or cork shapes or acrylic dots (depending on the kit). See the "Kits" section for more information.

In addition to the new kits and paper packs, Close to My Heart has re-designed it's traveling organizational system. Called Designer Travel, the system is modular, which means that the set-up is easier to lift than the previous one, and because it's modular, you can purchase the pieces as you need them, or only the ones you need. Though to be honest, if you attend crops, you will want them all.

There are inserts to hold paper, inks, markers, stamp sets, stamp blocks, and tools. You can use hostess rewards towards a special bundle of the set.

Speaking of hostess rewards, hostess only stamp sets are back! Hostess rewards start when your party reaches $150, and they just go up from there.

January's Stamp of the month - Bloom and Grow - is so pretty - it pairs beautifully with the Chelsa Gardens paper:

Each month you can purchase a new D-size stamp set, available for one month only, for just $5. When you place an order of $50 or more in Close To My Heart products, you qualify for this special Stamp of the Month pricing.

You can order any of the items listed above by clicking on the links listed, or by visiting my website here. Thank you for dropping by, I hope you will visit again. 

Crafty Holidays and a Year to Remember!

Here's wishing you all a Very Happy Christmas and a Merry 2018!

A quick note - there's still time to grab the Close to My Heart special calendar bundle "Through the Year" with step by step layout instructions for a simply gorgeous photo calendar that you can create and then have 12 pages for an album at the end of the year. The bundle comes with everything you need; paper, complements, a stamp set. Just add ink and adhesive...

Wow, what a storm!

Just a quick update. Maine (and much of the North East) was hit by a major storm last Sunday night and most of Maine lost electricity for at least 3 days, some people are still without. CMP and linemen from out of state and Canada have been busy pulling tree limbs and trees off of downed power lines all week. Thank you to these brave men and women!

In many towns, Trick or Treating and other Halloween festivities was postponed until Friday Nov 3rd (tonight) due to unsafe conditions (the afore mentioned downed power lines and trees in the streets, plus darker streets than usual).

For us, it was an adventure indeed, we had out of town guests visiting during the storm, and though we were all inconvenienced mostly because our best-laid plans had to be set aside; we were safe and warm, and content to be together and keep company. We got power back about six hours after they left for home.

If you live here in Maine, I hope you have power and water, and your family is safe around you. If you do not have the first two, I hope you do have access to them, and have your family. Stay safe and God Bless.

Let the Monsters Come!

Halloween is almost here! Do you have your scrapbook pages ready for those precious shots of your family’s costumes? The front porch all decked out with jack-o-lanterns and scarecrows?

Close to My Heart’s Cats N Bats paper pack is the perfect blend of spooky fun and colorful pop. Just look at the ideas below. Scrapbook layouts, party invitations, cards, décor… I’m sure you can think of more.

CatsN Bats Paper Pack - $9.95 – X7224B 

Cats N Bats ScrapbookingWorkshop Your Way kit – G1136 - $27.95 - includes patterened paper pack, coordinating cardstock, Cats n Bats complements, Cats n Bats Dots, and Black Shimmer Trim.

Important News

ATTENTION! ALL CRICUT® LOVERS

ProvoCraft has announced that they will no longer make physical cartridges for the Cricut® machines.

That Means…

Close To My Heart is retiring all physical Cricut® Cartridges 

They are Available While Supplies Last Only!!

Let me reiterate:

ProvoCraft will no longer be making the Cricut® physical cartridges; not even special ones for CTMH. 

CTMH will continue the digital cartridges for Cricut® Artistry, Cricut® Flower Market, Cricut® Artbooking, and Cricut® You Are Here Cartridges.  But the digital cartridges will only work with Cricut® Explore and above in Design Space. (The older versions of Cricut® machines - like the Expressions -will not work with the digital cartridges.)

If you’ve been holding out getting that Cricut® cartridge (Physical cartridges) that you wanted, get it now, before they are sold out.  There are a few left of Artfully Sent; but you have to type in the product number-Z3168 ; or Click here for the link for Artfully Sent Cartridge.

Feeling Grateful

In the spirit of feeling grateful, I am donating all commissions from orders on my website during September and October to the Red Cross for disaster relief (wherever it may be needed - hurricane or fire). Thank you in advance.

In addition, Close to My Heart is offering a special Stamp set called "Stronger Together" for $13.95 - Item # C1716, with ALL proceeds going to the Red Cross. We believe in the good that comes when we work together as a community. As the stamp set name states, we truly are stronger together. 

Falling for Fall

OK... yeah, I know, the title souns a bit cliche... but Fall is one of my favorite seasons. I love the colors changing in the trees, the crispness in the air, changing over the wardrobe. I love the seasons of change in general. It feels like an opportunity to make changes. Clean out rooms, closets, drawers.

This year will be a little different, there won't be as many leaves in our backyard to watch change and fall... we had most of our "woods" cleared out behind our house this summer. It was always very mushy back there, and a few larger trees were uncomfortably close to the house. We felt this would give an opportunity for the ground to dry out and us to let a few of the smaller trees fill out, plus clear off the big ones that were hanging over the deck. Downside, not as much color this fall.

I'll have to make my own color with my lovely inks. On the upside, I won't have to rake all that up and burn, mulch, or bag it.

September also brings Back to School, kids starting new schools, plans for upcoming holidays and the new Close to My Heart Holiday Expressions mini catalog.

Inside you will find all beautiful papers and stamps and embellishments to help make your holiday crafting easy and amazing!

Here's a peek at some of the fun papers!

Falling for you

Cats and Bats

Beary Christm

Silver and Gold

It's also National Stamping Month and there's a very special Stamp and Card making kit you can buy just this month. The kit creates twelve foil framed, interactive cards, that are stamped with multi layered stamps. You can also buy the stamp set and the card bases separately, but if you buy the kit, you will save 20%, and you can buy more card bases to make more cards when you finish your first kit. Don't be fooled, there are a LOT of stamps in this set!

You can order this lovely kit, or any of the papers above, along with complementary stamps and embellishments, on my Personal Business Site. You can also use this site to contact me and leave me a message with any questions or comments you have.

New Papers, New Stamps, So much Newness

Wow, it’s August already! We’re seeing the Back to School ads everywhere, and I even heard a commercial for a certain spiced latte… ack!

But what August means to me is…. A New CATALOG!!! Yay! That’s right, the New Close to My Heart Annual Inspirations debuted last week.

There’s a lot (I mean A LOT) of new goodness in this catalog. All the paper families got a makeover, and the Basics line got a complete turnover in colors! Black moved out on it's own with White Daisy and Kraft. The solid color cardstock is now slightly lighter on one side, for more versatility. All the Fundamentals got new patterns, and they are gorgeous! There are a ton of great new stamps! I could go on and on…

But I’ll let you browse for yourself…

The color of the year is... (drumroll) Bashful. But that sweet blush pink is not going to sit on the sidelines this year. Expect to see this beauty front and center in many a project. Look at everything you can get in this lovely color: (An easy way to see this, simply click the magnifying glass at the top of the screen of my OBA and type in "Bashful" and all things in that shade will pop onto the screen.)

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This month there will be warehouse deals every week, so check back and take advantage of some wonderful bundles to grab some essentials every crafter can use.

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Hostesses can really benefit this month with a special offer to "jump up" their hostess rewards. 

When you host a Gathering in August that reaches at least the third level of Hostess Rewards, your rewards will “jump up” to the next level—which means extra rewards and even extra 50%-off items!

If you haven’t booked your August Gathering yet, contact me today!

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Also, if you’ve been considering becoming a consultant, this is a fabulous month to join Close to My Heart. When you sign up as a Consultant in August and meet certain sales goals, you’ll be rewarded with your choice of one of these items FREE: 

•     Any of our Cricut® Collections (and there's a Brand New One in the Idea Book!!)
•     The Thin Cuts Block Alphabet + In the Background Stamp Set 
•     An additional $99 SPC

To qualify for this reward, sign up today and submit $300 in commissionable sales by September 30.

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Well, that's certainly a whole lot of information to soak in. So grab that "particular spiced flavor" coffee, make it iced for these hot August days... sit back, and enjoy clicking through my Close to My Heart virtual catalog...