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.

Oh so Worth it.

First of all... the question on everyone's mind... who stole spring? Personally, I think Old Man Winter realized he kind of slacked off in some parts of the U.S and wants the chance to catch up, so he's blockading Miss Spring from coming on board. While that's a fun mental picture, this continued cold with teasers of nice weather is getting old. Fast.

Meanwhile, in my crafting world, Close to My Heart is offering a wonderful opportunity for those of you who have been considering joining the team (or even want to sign on to get the discount). Joining in April is only $75!  Just in time, as the New Seasonal Expressions catalog debuts next month. If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact me for more information. I'd love to have you on my team!

Of course, opportunities aside, Close to My Heart has another fun Stamp of the Month available in April. This one is really 'focused' on good times and great for scrapbooking.
It's called 'Life in Pictures'  - Here's a great piece created by one of the many talented people at the CTMH office.

So many great ways to use this Stamp of the Month Set! I've got plans to use that Polaroid stamp on some old scrapbook pages in some fun colors, just like the ones we could get back then. This IS a limited time set, and it's available for $17.95 (it's a D size set), or for $5 with an order of $50 or more. Click on the link above, and snap it up, then smile for the cameras!

Last, but certainly not least, April is the last month for the Seasonal Expressions 1 mini catalog.  Please do take a long look through, and be sure you've got plenty of any embellishments or papers that you fell in love with since January. Don't count on them coming up in the clearance section, if you love them, chances are, a lot of other people do too! We've already sold out of the Springtime Wishes thin cuts (at the end of March!).

It's StampaGanza-tastic!

Ok, so that title is a little over the top. I blame it on the beginnings of Spring Fever! It's been such a strange winter here in the north-east, I'm ready to be done with it. Bring on the budding trees and flowers!

But... It really is StampaGanza... from Close to My Heart anyway. For the whole month of March, when you buy two stamp sets, you can get a third one for FREE! Yes, I dared to say the "F" word - FREE! (disclaimer, lowest price stamp set will be the free one).
So, pull out that wish list you've had tucked in your journal, by the computer, or in your catalog, and go here, and bulk up your stamp stash!

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So I haven't been terribly creative lately; though I DID manage to put together a massive 36-card workshop designed my my wonderful upline Susan Williams (shout out, fist bump, she's awesome!).
I haven't "quite" finished it yet, because, silly me, I had forgotten to order the embellishments on my last order. Which causes me to point out... it's a great idea to ALWAYS have some extra embellishments on hand. I always order the new paper packs, because I never know what project I might be inspired to do, but I sometimes slack on ordering the embellishments. And this is where it leads. To not having them when I want them for a project. So, no pictures of it yet, though you can see it on her site if you are interested (she takes Much better pictures than I do - I'm learning).

However, I DO have a photo of the Adorable card I made with March's Stamp of the Month set "Sunshine Birdies" (yes, I think it's a touch out of focus). I just LOVE this set. This was for a set of baby shower thank you notes. It was just too perfect. (And they were appreciated). My materials list for this card is below the stamp set image. The "Thank you" stamp is from the 'Candlelight Garden' set, a past SOTM.

This stamp set is fabulous for coloring with our Shin-Han Twin Touch markers, Watercolor Paints, or Watercolor Pencils. 

For the card, I used; CTMH Exclusive Cardstock in Pixie, Pear and White Daisy, paper from the Kaleidoscope paper pack,  CTMH Exclusive Inks in Pixie, Pear and Gypsy, and a non-CTMH white card base with a deco edge.

The Stamp of the Month is only available in March, for $17.95 USD. Or, with a $50 (or more) purchase, you can buy this sweet set for only $5. If you'd like this or any other stamp set, or materials, please visit my OBA (Online Business Address), to make a secure purchase. If you have any questions or comments, please drop me a note, I'll answer as soon as possible.

Happy Spring and Happy Stamping!