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.

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!

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...

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.

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.

FLASH SALE June 1-2

It's FLASH SALE Time! 

That's Right, get your mouse ready, because at 5:00 pm Eastern (4pm Central, 3pm Mountain, 2pm Pacific), selected products will be featured at 30% off their normal prices!

There will be products and bundles from the current Annual Inspirations catalog as well as from the Seasonal Expressions  2 mini catalog.

Sale prices will only apply to items ordered online at Close to My Heart, and are only good from the times listed above on June 1 - same times on June 2. I have no advance knowledge of the items that will be featured.

Happy Shopping!

Live Beautifully, Live positively...

A very quick update tonight - I'm about a week behind. There's a new mini catalog with so much to share, and I've been trying to create samples. Meanwhile, May is National Scrapbooking Month - and to celebrate, Close to My Heart has put together an absolutely lovely paper pack this year. Check this:

Look at this lovely paper pack! It's the limited edition pack for May ONLY to celebrate National Scrapbooking month. And not just a paper pack, but a precious stamp set as well, with gorgeous full bloom roses!

And... a Cut-Above kit, with everything pre-cut and ready for your photos, including page protectors! It will make 5 two page layouts, and comes with 6 page protectors.

Or... how about an album bundle? An album, page protectors, journaling pen, Cut-Above kit, and adhesive! Just add photos and your album is practically done!

So many Memories.... So Little Time....

We never seem to have enough time to capture our memories. Well, this month, Close to My Heart is making that a little bit easier for you. How about “15-Minute Memories”? Grab your photos, one of our Cut-Above® layout kits and create a beautiful 2 page scrapbook layout in no time (or less time than usual), plus 2 pocket pages.

And, for all of April 2017, they are half price!

Each layout kit includes two printed 12” x 12” printed base pages, die cut paper pieces (even photos mats), title and embellishment stickers, 12 pocket cards, 2 12” x 12” memory protectors, 2 pocket style memory protectors, and assembly instructions. That’s everything you will need other than your photos, journaling pen, and adhesive.

Watch this video to see how fast they go together! 

One more reminder: April is the last month for the Seasonal Expressions 1 items!

That includes all the items from the following collections:

Dreamin' Big Paper Pack

Some Kinda Wonderful Paper Pack

Hello Lovely Paper Pack

Sugar Rush Paper Pack

Some Items are already sold out (Dreamin’ Big Thin cuts bundle, Sugar Rush Scrapbooking Kit L ), so be sure to check soon if there is anything you want! It’s all “while supplies last” until April 30th.

You can order any of these things by clicking the links, or clicking here to go to my OBA and browsing the entire line of Close to My Heart products.

~ ~ ~

Have you ever thought about becoming a consultant? Whether you want to make it a business, or simply get a discount on your own purchases for your hobby, becoming a Close to My Heart consultant is extremely flexible, you can do a little or a lot. April is a fantastic month to join my team, You'll get all the fun of ordering from the Seasonal Expressions 1 catalog, plus the first look at Seasonal Expressions 2 (it will come in your consultant kit). A box filled with product and business starters, plus $50 in product credit for you to choose which products you feel will best help you grow your business. 

Dreamin' of Spring

Here in the Northeast, it feels like winter has been arriving a little bit later the last few years. As in, really kicking around mid-January. This winter has been no exception, we got some major snow-fall at the end of January and in the beginning of February.

I love the snow, especially sitting and watching it quietly snow and snow, on days when I can stay home from work, snug and warm. However, getting so many storms, so close together, tends to wear out its welcome very fast, and start many of us thinking about the spring thaw all too soon. (Which we won't see until late March)

With that in mind, I started playing with one of the paper packs from the latest Close to My Heart Seasonal Expressions mini-catalog. It's called "Dreamin' Big" and it's really cute. I'm not done with the whole layout yet, so I'm only going to give you a little peek. The rest will come later this week.

Don't you love surprises?

Well, we all love good surprises. And Close to My Heart has got a Great Surprise in store for us all!

Mystery boxes!

On Black Friday, for one day, and ONE day only, you'll have the opportunity to to get amazing crafting supplies at an amazing price.

Featuring themed mystery boxes filled with retired Close to My Heart products, all at a major discount!

These mystery boxes will have five different price points, ranging from $35 USD to $150 USD - some of those mystery boxes will be 50% off the retail value!

This starts at 12:am Mountain Standard Time Nov 25, 2016 for 24 hours ONLY, while supplies last. That means that once the boxes at any one price point sell out, they are gone. Gone, gone gone. 

So click here (after midnight MST) and grab a box for your stash fast!

Pumpkin Spice Everything...

'Tis the season for Pumpkin Spice... in and on everything. After so many years, it's sort of annoying.
but I digress. I just wanted to use it as a title. lol

Pardon my late posting, I was in Florida at the beginning of the month, visiting family on the east coast. They are all safe, as are their neighbors. I was delayed getting home to my northern climes by a couple days, but it gave me the chance to help put the house shutters up before Matthew came to visit. Being an area watching all the hurricane prep was an interesting experience, and I continue to keep all of you who live in the hurricane belt in my thoughts.

Meanwhile, the month moved on and I neglected getting things updated here. eep. October has brought a new Stamp of the Month, Yuletide Joy (see the SoTM page and pic to the side), and a thrilling option for hostesses interested in signing on as a consultant.

For October - you can apply your Hostess Rewards to your consultant kit! See all the details here!  And I would love to have you on my team.

A sampling from the consultant kit.

Of course, being a hostess has always been a fabulous way to earn free products from Close to my Heart. Look at all the rewards you can get.... FREE! Being a hostess is easy, you can even have a gathering online, rather than in-home. Leave me a comment below

Big news! ALL - yes ALL the ink colors are now available in the New ink pad design! If you have been holding off buying ink-pads waiting for that great new magnetic inkpad... wait no more! At least pick up the Black. You will love it, I promise!

AND... I almost forgot this... The Happy Happy Christmas Album Bundle (say that five times fast, I dare you!). As if an album, protectors, cardstock, complements, Picture My Life cards, and My Crush pages... plus instructions on how to create five 2-page layouts for the album weren't enough. On top of that, there are instructions on how to create extra projects using the leftover materials. There are two album kits, one for post bound, and one for D-ring. links below, as well as the list of items for the extra projects.

Happy, Happy Christmas Album Bundle (Post Bound) - CC1180 - $69.95

Happy, Happy Christmas Album Bundle (D-Ring) - CC1179 - $69.95

Purchase one or more of the products below, and then follow the instructions to use your leftover supplies from the layouts to create even more Christmas crafts! 

• Designed Décor Red Magnetic Chalkboard (Z2006) • Display Tray (Z1750)• 5" × 7" Hinged Display Tray (Z1838)• Everyday Life™ Sea Glass Album Bundle (CC1181)

That's it for now, still trying to dig out of luggage (I hate unpacking as much as I hate packing), I always overpack! I'll create something to post this weekend....

Jeepers Creepers!

Welcome to our JCB Monthly Blog Hop!

This month there are 5 of us highlighting the “Jeepers Creepers” paper collection. This blog hop is a great big circle so you can start wherever you want and continue through to see all the fabulous artwork incorporating the Jeepers Creepers Paper collection.
If you are coming from Von's Craft Studio, you are on the right track! I chose to do a scrapbook layout. Halloween is one of the favorite holidays at our house, and with a grandkid now who is old enough to enjoy dressing up, things are really getting fun again!

The base page of this project is the dark gray print, to give it a spooky night feel overall. I used the Cricut Artbooking cartridge to cut out a Haunted House and a fence (3x, welded together), and backed the windows with orange from the striped paper. Then I cut out some of the monsters from the monster print paper to inhabit the house. Behind the fence, I layered a strip of the spooky eyes paper, I was trying for the feeling of eyes blinking through the fence in the dark. Did I get it? I added a couple of the eyeballs from the assortment on the fence as well, for some dimension. For the photo wells, I used the Pansy circle paper, cut to 4 x 4 inches, which just about takes up 4 circles each. The photos themselves will be 3.5 x 3.5 when I add them (shown here with placeholders). I added the moon, sparkly bat, SCARY and Monsters from the complements. I think the Scary plus Monsters make a fun title.

Look at all the great papers in the entire pack - I have so much more to play with! Supply List for the layout shown above: Jeepers Creepers Paper Pack - X7211B - $9.95 JeepersCreepers Complements - X7211X - $6.95 JeepersCreepers Assortment - X4009 - $3.95 (Alternatively - JeepersCreepers Workshops Your Way - G1110 - $26.95 - comes with White, Pansy and Whisper Cardstock) Black Cardstock - 1386 (24sheets) - $14.50 Cricut ArtBookingCartridge Collection - Z3169 - $99

Thanks for stopping by! Please continue onto My Little Scrap Happy Corner where you will find some additional artwork by Danielle highlighting this Theme! Be sure to leave a comment and let me know what you thought of my variation and happy hopping!

Just Crazy Blessed Team Blog Hop - Whimsy Fundamentals

Welcome to the Just Crazy Blessed Team Blog Hop!!! Thanks for joining us today! All of August and September, we are showing products from the new Close to My Heart Annual Inspirations catalog. I hope you enjoy this little peek at our new goodies.

This blog hop is a great big circle so you can start wherever you want and continue through to see all the wonderful artwork incorporating the week's theme, by clicking the next or previous buttons at the end of this post. If you are coming from Danielle's Blog, you are on the right track!

This week we are highlighting the Whimsy Fundamentals, and once I started playing with them, I just couldn't stop. I love the sherbet colors of this paper pack. It's bright and cheerful, and can be used so many ways, from Birthdays to Baby and Wedding showers. I paired this fresh paper with the Birthday Sparkles Stamp set (Paper and Stamp set images shown below the card pictures) and made 4 different Birthday cards. Because… always need Birthday cards on hand, right? 

This first card is really simple, but got raves from my "review board". Tone on tone with Smoothie card stock backing a bit of White Daisy with the image on it. I used a blending pen to grab a bit of Smoothie Ink and fill in the "You", and finished off the card with some White and Gold Ribbon.

For this card, I used the 'sparkles' stamp that comes with the set to stamp a texture all over a piece of Sorbet card stock,  then layered it with Juniper card stock and the green dotted paper from the Whimsy Fundamentals. A piece of Glacier behind the White Daisy with the greeting embellished with a few Bitsy Sparkles and it's done.

I really liked the pattern going on here, and wanted to use all four colors in a card. This is two papers with both sides showing. I added a piece of Juniper card stock and Black Shimmer Trim, and along the bottom, the soft Canary Stripe.

I had really been eyeing a paper in the pack that looks like all over watercolor. It's SO pretty! There are 4 colors of this; Sweet Leaf, Crystal Blue, Canary, and Smoothie. I finally was inspired by the blue. I created the clouds and the balloons using images from the CTMH Cricut Artistry cartridge, in White Daisy, Sweet Leaf, Smoothie Stripe, and Canary Stripe. I used Canary card stock behind the sentiment on White Daisy. I raised the balloons and sentiment with Thin Foam Mounting Tape.

There are more papers in the Whimsy Fundamentals that I haven't gotten to yet, but will soon, I am sure. There is SO much in the new catalog, there aren't enough hours in the day...

Look at ALL the paper you get in just ONE pack! Two Sheets EACH of these double-sided patterns!

Thank you for joining us on the blog hop!

If you would like to know more about the products I used in my creations above, please continue to scroll down. If you would like to continue on, please use the buttons below to continue on the Just Crazy Blessed Blog Hop. I hope you enjoy what Michelle at My Flights of Fancy has to share next!

Close to My Heart Products used in cards pictured above (and links to them):
Whimsy Fundamentals Paper pack - Z3255 - $19.95Whimsy Card Stock Combo pack - X5940 - $14.50Birthday Sparkles B-Stamp Set - B1537 - $9.95White Cards/Envelopes Value Pack (50) - X254 - $14.50Bitty Sparkles - Z1263 - $2.95Black Shimmer Trim - Z1809 - $4.95White and Gold Ribbon - Z3189 - $5.95Exclusives Ink in colors below - $6.95 (until the end of August)Black, Smoothie, Sweet Leafe, Canary (colors used for distress edging)If you have any questions about these products, or would like more information about becoming a Close to My Heart consultant, please let me know and I will contact you within 24 hours. Thank you for stopping by.

Happy New Year! (Close to My Heart Style)

I can't believe it's AUGUST already! 

On one hand, I have been looking forward to it, because I have family visiting in a couple weeks (YAY!), and this is a relatively slow time at work. AND, the new Close to My Heart Annual Inspirations catalog is released! (squeals of joy are heard around the world!)

The new Fundamentals Paper packs are wonderful, the colors (look at the Adventure Combo) are so vibrant, well, I run out of superlatives when I try to describe the changes. I'll be showing these things in posts to come.

On the other hand... summer is practically over, back to school sales have already started, the last of the summer tourists have poured into Maine, and there's only one month left to the Spring/Summer Seasonal Expressions mini catalog.

This little booklet is filled with some amazing paper packs and stamp sets. I will be sorry to see them go (and glad I have them in my stash to use later - might be hoarding the paper for a while though, lol).

I've been itching to create with the Florence paper pack. This is a vibrant, boho sort of theme. Floral, rich tones, I just love it! So far, I have created 6 scrapbook pages, and 5 cards. I still have TONS of paper and most of the PML cards left, and still not sure what all I will do with it. Probably more cards, I love cards. So here are the pictures:

I experimented with wavy line doodles around my photo place holders. I don't think I will do that again. :) They do not seem to photograph well. (The straight line doodles look nicer in general and more consistent.)

The "Brilliant" and the little rose gold embossed heart (hard to see the metallic embossing in this photo), are from the Florence Complements Assortment. It's also hard to see in this photo the pretty Rose Gold foil tape. All the embellishments I used come in the Florence Workshops Your Way Kit.

"Genuine", another word from the Complements Assortment. You can also see a couple of the Florence Sequins up in the corner, they are in really rich tones for sequins!

More of the Complements package, Little flowers, and word pointers, There are those sequins again!

I hear you - Enough with the peeks already! Let's see the full pages!

The picture does not do the color justice - I have GOT to get a better spot to take photos, I apologize. But at least you get a look at the layout scheme. The layout itself is from one of Close to My Heart's wonderful pattern books. "Make if From Your Heart" Volumes 1 & 2 offer some great scrapbook layout and card patterns guide you into using their papers and embellishments. With all the measurements, and photos of finished page options as well.

Another layout from one of the Make it From Your Heart books. On both of the above layouts, I have altered the original layout pattern to add more photos, more journaling boxes. I haven't finished adding embellishments from the Florence Complements Assortment,sometimes I find that hard to do without the photos in place first.

I'll post the cards and third layout in a week or two. We are smack in the middle of repainting/reflooring part of our house, and doing all the furniture moving and DIY work while working full time etc, etc... well - we put it off only due to a humidity wave, but with family visit impending, it can no longer wait (the guest room is filled with furnishings).

The Products I used in my layouts (some not shown yet):
Workshops Your Way Florence Scrapbooking Kit - G1107 - $26.95
Whisper Cardstock, 2 sheets - X5929 - $14.50 (24 sheets) (always good to have on hand)
                                            - or X5933 Basics Combo $14.50  (2 sheets each color)


Future projects will also include:
White Daisy Cards & Envelopes Value Pack - X254 - $14.50 (50 Cards/Envelopes)

If you would like to order these or other products, please visit my Close to My Heart Online Business Address (OBA). Be sure you log in, or create an account, your shopping will be much easier, and you can save your shopping cart if you need to come back later and finish your order. You will also get the monthly email newsletter from Close to My Heart (if you choose to).

Lastly for today, the Stamp of the Month! Can't forget that. August's SoTM is SO cute! It's aimed at Halloween, but I'm already seeing other ways to use it. It's called "Purr-fect Halloween." And yes, it's cat themed.

The Stamp of the Month is an Exclusive D-sized set, available Only this month. You can purchase it for $17.95 (usd), or you can get it for $5 with a purchase of $50 in other Close to My Heart products.

If you've read this far, thank you for your time and support! I appreciate it and am blessed by you.