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...

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!

New Year! New (mini) Catalog!

Yes 2017 is finally here - and it's been a long while since I was glad to put a year behind me! I know many, many of us feel the same way! For lots of reasons.

Keeping to the subject of my blog - paper crafting - in 2017, I have plans. I have ideas. Ideas and Plans, yes. No resolutions. But lots of ideas, and plans. mhm.

Anyway - Close to My Heart has a new Seasonal Expressions catalog, it's full of new paper collections, some new stamp sets, and also full of ideas. (The difference, is their ideas have been acted on - mine are still in my head). It just breathes Spring!

Also, January is National Papercrafting Month - and Close to My Heart has a fantastic kit to celebrate this - You can purchase it for $18.95 or get it for FREE when you purchase $60 in other Close to My Heart products. (and you've also qualified for the gorgeous Stamp of the Month for only $5!)

It's really easy to put it together, I've added some photos below of when I assembled the wreath. There's NO cutting needed, and NO stamping if you don't want to (I added a little shading around the edges to add some depth to the leaves and change the color of two of the roses).

Here's the package as you get it, you can see a couple of the pages of leaves, ready to punch out.

 

This is a montage of the assembly process, Clockwise from upper-left: all the pages, plus a glimpse of the instructions; one of the roses, right after I had sponged all of the edges; a layered succulent, ready for curving the leaves; punched out leaves, ready for sponging the edges.

and finally, my finished wreath. This was a fun project, and there are enough gold letters to do just about any name, or saying. The flowers and leaves do not 'have' to be put right as the picture says, and I know mine aren't in the exact same place. I didn't sponge enough on my first rose either, but had already curled it up before I realized it. Oh well. 

To finish this project, you will need the following items: 

Liquid Glass (Z679 - $6.95) or other thick, quick drying adhesive. I prefer the Liquid Glass to anything else though - it dries right away, and it's got some other great uses.

Quilling Tool (Z1795 - $7.95) - you can use an embossing stylus (I did), or a bamboo skewer, but it's very difficult to hold the end of the flower on to get it started. I really wish I'd had the quilling tool this time around. (I will for the next batch of roses I make)

Inks and Sponge Daubers (Z726 $4.95) if you wish to edge the paper pieces as I did.

I used the color Fern and Sweet Leaf Exclusive Inks ($7.95 ea) for the different green pieces. I used those greens on the blue-ish leaves also, but I think Glacier or Juniper would be good if you wanted to be very precise. I used Canary on my roses (tip: if you are going to sponge your roses, you can do it before you punch them out, and sponge both sides of the paper, since both sides will show.)

This is such an easy kit, it would be a wonderful way to introduce paper-crafting to someone. Or a lovely project to take with you.

If you would like to order this kit, or any of the products mentioned, please visit my Online Business Address (OBA). I'd love to be your Close to My Heart Consultant. I'm happy to answer any of your questions about Close to My Heart or paper-crafting, Just leave a comment below and I will get back to you.

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....

Just Crazy Blessed Team Blog Hop - Uptown & All About the Gold 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 creations.

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 XXX's Blog, you are on the right track!

This week we are highlighting  the "Uptown" and "All about the Gold" Fundamentals. 

The "All About the Gold" Fundamentals is an amazing set of 6 see-through overlays with gold foil designs. They make a great contrast to the black and white of the Uptown set. When you turn them over, they show silver through the plastic, and that makes a nice complement to either the black or the whisper side of the Uptown papers. 

The "Uptown" Fundamentals are some great basics to have in your stash. Three in black and white on one side, and Whisper and white on the other, and one in gold foil and white stripe. There are also two vellums in the pack; one with a subtle white diagonal, and the other with a gold confetti pattern (when you turn it over, it looks silver). You get two of each pattern for 12 sheets in the pack.

 I created a simple Thank You card with the Uptown paper pack using the My Acrylix "All the Thanks" stamp set. Another great basic to have on hand. Four different, simple Thank Yous, perfect for any occasion, from gifts, to thanking someone for house-sitting.

I made this card as an idea for use as a thank you after a long visit. I used the whisper side of the word background paper, then used the journaling pen to fill in two of the words, to make them stand out. It took a steady hand, and patience. :)

The products used to make this card:

White Cards and Envelopes, value pack (50) - X254 - $14.95

Black cardstock - 24 sheet pack - 1386 - $14.50

Uptown Fundamentals - Z3263 - $14.95

All the Thanks My Acrylix stamps - B1536 - $9.95

Journaling Pen - Z1979 - $3.25

Thank you for joining us on the blog hop!

If you would like to know more about the special this month at Close to My Heart, 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 Janna has to share next!

There's only a few more days to get the Basically the Best Deal on Close to My Heart's New Fundamentals Paper Packs - 

If you take advantage of the above deal, you qualify for the Stamp of the Month, Purrfect Halloween, for only $5

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.