If You Bling It

Close to My Heart March Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

2012-02-29T19:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the March Stamp of the Month Blog Hop. You may have found yourself here from Kathleen Androlewicz's Blog. We have 54 Close to My Heart Consultants participating in this month’s Stamp of the Month Blog Hop.

The March Stamp of the Month is entitled Potential (Set of 8). Look at what you can make with these cute stamps.

And here are the stamps.

The main image in the March Stamp of the Month is the latest rage. I thought of so many things that I could do with it and then settled on a birthday card for my step-daughter. We have four birthdays in our family next week so I am trying to make as many cards as I can. Plus we have a grandbaby due next week as well!

Here is my card.

I used our new Lucy Paper Pack. The flowers from the Lucy Workshop on the Go exclusive stamp set are super cute and are stamped in Hollyhock with the centers colored Crème Brulee. Then I applied our Stardust Glitz Glitter Gel to the center. The main image from the March Stamp of the Month is stamped in Grey Wool. And guess what? I cut the circle it is on with the Cricut Close to My Heart Art Philosophy Cartridge. In fact, I cut the flowers out as well with the cartridge! Super easy and fast!

I am very pleased with how my card came out. It was very simple and surprise, surprise, I did not ink even one edge. That has to be a first for me! Also check out the very elegant pearl opaques that I used to accentuate the main image. I finished the card up with stamping the sentiment in the bottom corner in Grey Wool. I am hoping that all of the touches added some elegance to this card since it is for a woman and not a little girl. What do you think?

Well, thank you for visiting my blog. Now you can head over to the next stop, Michelle Loncar's Blog, and see what she has created for you!

This stamp set can be purchased or you can even get it for only $5 Between March 1 – March 31, 2012. If you do not have a Close to My Heart Consultant, you can purchase this stamp set on my website.

Supplies

Inks: Hollyhock (Z2128), Grey Wool (Z2125), Chocolate (Z2111) and Crème Brulee Marker (Z2367)
Paper: Lucy Workshop on the Go (G1034)
Stamp Sets: Potential (S1203), Card Chatter – Birthday (D1475), and Lucy Workshop on the Go Stamp Set
Tools: Cricut Close to My Heart Art Philosophy Cartridge (Z1686)
Embellishments: Stardust Glitz Glitter Gel (Z1313), Sweet Leaf Ribbon (Z1383), and Opaques-Pearl (Z1336)

Fabulous Five Promotion

2012-02-15T22:15:00.011-06:00

DOUBLE YOUR LAYOUTS with our Five for Free promotion! For each Studio J ® 5-pack (SJ5P) you purchase this February, you'll get one free 5-pack. That means you get 10 layouts for just $55-that's just $2.75 per page, with free shipping! Even if you're already taking advantage of Studio J's incredibly low members-only pricing, you'll save even more when you purchase 5-packs through this special February deal! Studio J 5-packs include everything you need to have 5 two-page layouts (that's 10 scrapbook pages!) shipped to your door ready for your scrapbook album.

Each 5-pack can be redeemed for up to:
* 5 two-page layouts
* 5 Memory Protectors ®
* Free shipping and handling

Whether you're looking for an affordable gift or a way to save money on your own layouts, Studio J 5-packs offer you convenience and savings. Keep one for yourself and give one as a gift!

So how much can I save?
$92.85 - a savings of over 60%!

Here is a link to more information on this fantastic promotion.

Ready to start now? Go ahead and try it yourself. There is no software to buy or to load onto your computer, you go to a secure website to upload your pictures and scrapbook the layouts. There is no cost until your order your layouts. So, go ahead and play. Click here to go to Studio J Online Scrapbooking and have fun!

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Same Stamps, Different Theme

2012-02-14T21:51:00.001-06:00

Who doesn’t like a good deal? I know that I do. How many times do you see a stamp set and know exactly how you are going to use it……. one time, one use. I sometimes challenge myself to use a stamp set with a different paper pack, color, theme than I have already used it for. Try going to a crop way out in the middle of nowhere and only bring a few supplies and the stamp set. Now THAT is a challenge!
This video shows you how you can take a stamp set that just screams “BOY” and with different colored ink and different embellishments, you can have “GIRL”.

You can order this stamp set on my website. Click here and see what Close to My Heart has to offer.

Did I Miss Christmas?

2012-02-13T21:36:00.001-06:00

Yes I am a bit late. I managed to make these cards, but never managed to get them onto my blog. So, in the spirit of catching up, here they are.

I saw this pattern on the great Vicki Wizniuk’s blog. Check her card out here.

I saw the pattern and loved it and decided to borrow it for these Christmas Cards.

And here.

Four cards, all with the same pattern but looking very different. Love how you can do that. The top card is made with the Close to My Heart Wonderland Paper Pack and the other two are made with the Close to My Heart Believe Paper Pack. I used a variety of Close to My Heart Stamp Sets.

Didn’t get these sent out, but the good think about Christmas is that it comes around once each year. So, I am not late. I am early!

February Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

2012-01-31T19:53:00.006-06:00

Welcome to the February Stamp of the Month Blog Hop. This month I am following Amy McVey's Blog, and we have over 60 Close to My Heart Consultants for the February Stamp of the Month Blog Hop.

The February Stamp of the Month is entitled Thoughtful Tidings (Set of 11). This stamp set is so cool because it coordinates with Close to My Heart’s Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge and actually cuts out the images. Then you can stamp on them. Now how easy is that? No cutting necessary! Look at what you can make with these cute stamps.

And here are the stamps.

I accidentally turned this card for the Stamp of the Month Blog Hop into a challenge for myself. I went down to Florida to visit my daughter and grandsons and packed everything that I thought I might need for this card. Of course, I had no idea of what I wanted to do so I brought all of my inks and my new products and my tape and a few reinkers. The reinkers were perfect matches for Cruisin, one of our super cute new paper packs. Then when I started making the card, I decided I wanted to use Stella, another new paper pack. I was in a bohemian kind of mood.

I had decided to use one of our Spray Pens (Z1380) to mist a white piece of cardstock so that it would have an uneven distressed look. I did not bring the reinkers for Stella (I was traveling light – LOL) I mixed a reinker I had with a little rubbing alcohol (my favorite misting solvent). I was hoping the color wouldn’t be too far off. SO, guess what color the piece of cardstock with the sentiment is. Looks like Sunset, doesn’t it? Well Sunset IS one of the colors in the Stella paper pack. If you guessed Sunset, you are wrong. It was Cranberry. Who’d a guessed that Cranberry + Rubbing Alcohol = Sunset. Too cool!!

I decided that I needed more going on on the now misted Sunset cardstock so I took the hatched stamp from the Rock the Block promotion and 3rd generation stamped Cocoa over it. The card is one of our Kraft Die Cut cards and the border is one of the zip strips from the Stella Paper Pack.

Look at the cute butterfly. The butterfly is from the Color-Ready Garden Wooden Shapes. The shapes come plain - ready for you to decorate, sponge with ink, or stamp it like I did. You will never guess what stamp set I used for the butterfly. I was desperate and it needed something and all I had was new product……. I stamped it with the flower stamp from the Pemberley Workshop on the Go. Too funny huh? It is amazing how creative one can get when they are desperate. I was shocked that it actually looks like butterfly markings.

I am trying to get comfortable with clustering elements. Can you see the green swirl? It is from the Stella Complements package, I wish that I had sponge distressed it before I adhered it. Once it was down, it was down so there was no bringing it back up to distress.

Now for the inside of my card. I decorated the flat scalloped piece that normally fits over the front of the card to keep it closed. Then I adhered it to the inside of the card to use it as decoration. The sentiments on the outside and the inside of the card are from this month’s Stamp of the Month, Thoughtful Tidings. I love large sentiments like these because you can use them as the main stamped image.

Thank you for visiting my blog. Now please go on to the next stop, Wanda Riley's Blog and see what she has created for you!

This stamp set can be purchased or you can even get it for only $5 Between February 1 – February 29, 2011. If you do not have a Close to My Heart Consultant, you can purchase this stamp set on my website.

Supplies

Inks: Cocoa (Z2114), Tulip (Z2166), and Cranberry Reinker (Z2216)
Paper: Stella (X7147B)
Stamp Sets: Thoughtful Tidings (S1202), Rock the Block Promotion Stamp Set, and C1491 Pemberley Workshop on the Go Stamp Set
Tools: Sponge Daubers Z726) and Spray Pen (Z1380)
Embellishments: Just Blooms Paper Shapes Paradise (Z1710), Complements-Stella (X7147C), Opaques-Mocha (Z1333), Bohemian Assortment (Z1687), Color-Ready Garden Wooden Shapes (Z1718), Die Cut Cards and Envelopes (Z1474), and Badge Buttons-Pewter (Z1704)

Close to My Heart Retiring List

2012-01-07T21:31:00.001-06:00

These items are retiring January 31, 2012. You can still get them before they disappear forever by shopping at my website HERE.

I want to send a big thanks to Tamytha Jenkins for making up this slideshow.

Remember, you only have until January 31, 2012 to purchase these retiring items.

A Perfect 10 Promotion!

2012-01-06T08:11:00.000-06:00

What a great time for a Studio J Promotion! As a hobby, my youngest daughter takes beautiful photographs of her son at his sporting events. She has this camera with a gigantic lens and takes hundreds of pictures. I have tried to interest her in scrapbooking but she just does not enjoy “cutting and pasting” (her words).

So this past Christmas we had time together and I showed her how to use Studio J, our digital scrapbooking program. She absolutely loved it and in 3 hours from the time we turned on the computer, she had 12 – 2 pg layouts!

Now she has a way to scrapbook her memories and this month Close to My Heart is having a promotion that will save her and you money. It is called Perfect 10.

January is free layout month for Studio J® members! For every 9 custom-printed Studio J layouts you buy, you’ll receive the 10th layout free. To receive the discount, just add 10 or more layouts to your cart. You’ll see a discount reflected in your order total. And you can totally take advantage of this promotion by ordering in multiples of 10. Buy 9, get 1 free. Buy 18, get 2 free. Buy 27, get 3 free. And so on! If you’re not a member yet, now’s a great time to join!

You do not have to become a member to use Studio J and there is no programs to load onto your computer. The program is free and accessible here. There are no charges until you actually order your finished layouts, so go ahead and try it out. You will love the ease of use and the wonderful memories that you can scrapbook quickly.

I’m Back and Rocking this New Promotion!

2012-01-05T20:05:00.001-06:00

I have been gone awhile, but I have a great excuse. My husband had a complete knee replacement right before Thanksgiving. He has diabetes and high blood pressure as well so this has been quite a journey for him and I got to go along for the ride.

I am hoping to get back in the proverbial saddle and wanted to post our wonderful January Promotion at Close to My Heart. It is called “Rock the Block” and it is truly awesome. Here are the details.

When you place a minimum order of $25 from the Autumn/Winter 2011 Idea Book, you can get two valuable new products for just $15: the My Creations® Collage Cubes (a Spring/Summer 2012 sneak-peek product!) and the exclusive My Acrylix® Rock the Block E-size stamp set (available only during this promotion). This Rock the Block promotion represents a retail savings of almost $30! You're going to love the collage cubes and the Rock the Block stamp set, which work together for interactive, fashionable fun!

Dates: Offer valid December 19, 2011–January 31, 2012.

Here is a video that explains more about this great promotion.

Don’t you just love it? All you have to do to get it is to order $25 in product, any product, from the Fall/Winter Idea book. Then for only $15 more, you will receive the blocks and the E sized stamp set and save almost $30. I will be having a workshop in February using these blocks. You can order yours here.

December CTMH Spotlight Blog Hop is Featuring My Stickease

2011-12-14T23:55:00.002-06:00

Welcome to the Close to My Heart December Spotlight Blog Hop! If you have found yourself here from Terry Metzger's Blog then you are in the right place. This month we are spotlighting our wonderful Close to My Heart My Stickease! My Stickease is an incredible product. They match the paper pack and actually are made with Close to My Heart Cardstock.
I just love Christmas but am ready for a change. I needed some birthday cards, so I decided to use the Roxie My Stickease. I really needed to work on some artwork. I have been taking care of my husband after is surgery for a complete knee replacement and I needed a creative outlet. I have not had a chance to participate in Mojo Monday and a fellow CTMH Consultant, Debbie Carriere, designed this week’s challenge. Here is the card pattern:
I really love the large heart from the Roxie My Stickease and wanted to showcase it in a very special card. Here is my card.

And here is another view of my card.

The main image is the large heart “sticker” from the Roxie My Stickease. Isn’t it a magnificent image? I also used the Roxie Level 2 Paper Pack. I applied the Stardust Glitter Gel to the flourishes on the stickease for a little extra interest. There are bitty sparkles on the heart and I used Mocha Opaques beneath the image. All of the edges are inked, even the My Stickease. Close to My Heart’s My Stickease is made from Cardstock, so the images are sturdy enough to even be popped up from the card, like I did with this card.
Products Used

Stamps: Art Philosophy Stamp Set
Paper: My Relections Roxie Level 2 Paper Pack (X7140B)
Inks: Black (Z2105)
Embellishments: Mocha Opaques (Z1333), Bitty Sparkles (Z1263), Stardust Glitter Gel (Z1313), and Roxie My Reflections My Stickease (X7140C)
Other Products: Adhesive, Sponge Dauber (Z726), 3-D Foam Tape (Z1151), and CTMH Exclusive Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge (Z1686)

If you are ready to move on, then head on over to Jenifer B's Blog.

Love on the December Paper Trail Blog Hop

2011-11-30T19:49:00.004-06:00

Ask me how excited I am to be the Guest Blogger on the Paper Trail Blog Hop! This month the Close to My Heart Roxie Paper Pack is being featured. If you found your way here from Betsy Gully's Stamp Scrap Fever, then you are in the right place!

I have been wanting to decorate my scrap book room with some artwork that I designed and the idea for this small wall hanging has been inhabiting my brain for awhile. The Roxie Paper Pack was absolutely perfect for this project.

I started off with a small canvas that I picked up from Target and painted it black. Then I cut out all of the shapes I used with the Close to My Heart exclusive Art Philosophy cartridge. Isn’t it so versatile? I even cut and rolled the flowers with some patterned paper from Roxie.

The chip board letters spelling L-O-V-E are part of the package that comes with the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge. I covered them with the zebra patterned paper and then poured Liquid Glass over them to give them a glossy look.

The stamped words are all words that express love to me and are all embossed with black ink and clear embossing powder so that they stand out. They came from a variety of our stamp sets. I used the pattern on the patterned paper as part of the design and I really think that it came out super cute!

The little house was cut out with the Art Philosophy cartridge. I cheated and used my Gypsy to add the heart shaped windows, but you just have to have heart shaped windows when you are talking about LOVE. I placed a row of our Sparkles (Z1104) along the roof because you just cannot have enough bling. I also applied Liquid Glass to the windows and the doorway of my little house so that they would stand out a bit more.

Here is a close-up of the flowers on the bottom right corner.

It is the latest rage to group embellishments together. It takes some practice because it is easy to group too few or too many. I used some different flowers and leaves (check out the Queen of Paper Flowers, Connie McFarlane) and then added some of Close to My Heart’s gorgeous Rhinestone Designer Brads (Z1360) and a couple of stickpins from our Bling Assortment (Z1466). Inside each of the rolled flowers I put in either a Sparkle or an Opaque Adhesive Gem (Z1335) in the middle.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog! Next month the Close to My Heart paper pack, Wonderland, will be featured. Now it is time to mosey on down to the Wizard's Hangout, run by the talented Vicki Wizniuk.

Mad About the December Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!

2011-11-30T19:41:00.003-06:00

If you have found yourself here from Judy Burger's Blog, then you are in the right place. This month we have about 55 Close to My Heart Consultants for the December Stamp of the Month Blog Hop.

The December Stamp of the Month is entitled Mad about You (Set of 14). See some examples below showing what you can do with this stamp set.

And here are the stamps.

Since I became a Close to My Heart Consultant, the December Stamp of the Month has been a Valentine or “Love” stamp set. Can I tell you how well that works for me because my Wedding Anniversary is on December 1st! This year my husband, Dave, and I are marking 11 years. Dave had a complete knee replacement surgery on November 15th, so we will be taking it easy this year. He loves Cracker Barrell, so that will probably be our big excursion – on the way to his Physical Therapy session. Here is my anniversary card for this year..

Can you believe that this is the first time that I used the Sonoma Paper Pack? I am so ashamed. LOL Honestly, our paper packs are so gorgeous this catalog that I love all of them. I “borrowed” this card pattern from here. I think that I like the card I “copied” better but this card came out pretty well. I will tell you that I cannot seem to get a good picture of this card and that it is prettier in person.

Here are the details on my card. The main image, the heart, is embossed with clear embossing powder over Smokey Plum Ink. The pretty little flower from our Heirloom Assortment was almost Smokey Plum, but not enough, so I painted it with Liquid Glass colored with Smokey Plum Reinker and let it dry overnight. Then I put a Sparkle in the middle.

Thank you for visiting my blog. Now please go on to the next stop, Kami Welter's Blog and see what she has created for you!

This stamp set can be purchased or you can even get it for only $5 Between December 1 – December 31, 2011. If you do not have a Close to My Heart Consultant, you can purchase this stamp set on my website.

Supplies

Inks: Cocoa (Z2114), Smokey Plum (Z2147), Olive (Z2137), and Smokey Plum Reinker (Z2247)
Paper: Sonoma (X7143B)
Stamp Sets: Mad about You (S1112)
Tools: Craft Heater (Z555), Sponge Daubers Z726), Paper Piercing Kit (Z1114), and Sewing Machine
Embellishments: Heirloom Assortment (Z1635), Clear Detail Embossing Powder (Z821), Clear Sparkles (Z1104), Mini Medley Pewter (Z1487), Bitty Sparkles (Z1263), and Olive Ribbon (retired)

My Black Friday Sale Starts Today!

2011-11-20T17:49:00.005-06:00

This is my Biggest Sale Ever!!! Everyone who places an order of $25 or more will get a free gift from me AND go into my drawing for a FREE Workshop on the GO Kit OR any of our Scrapbooking or Cardmaking Books found on page 10 in the Autumn/Winter Idea Book.

PLUS
each customer can earn drawing tickets with their purchase. I will choose one lucky customer to receive their choice of ONE of the Hostess collections found on page 3 of the 2011 Autumn/Winter Idea Book.

You can participate in this sale even if you live outside the Memphis area. Your order will be shipped directly to you! In fact, save your gas. All orders over $50 will be shipped directly to you.
Here is how it will work:

Call me at (901) 850-1836 or email me at mkgmt@aol.com between NOW and 10 pm Monday, November 29th. You must e-mail or call me with your order. Ordering directly from my website will not count towards this sale.

1. Place an order of $25 to $49.99 and receive a free package of embellishments of your choice OR a Dye Ink Pad of your choice OR choose anything in the Idea Book up to a $5.25 value .

2. Place an order of $50 to $74.99 and receive a free package of Craft Buttons of your choice OR an A size stamp set of your choice OR a package of Bulk Ribbon OR choose anything in the Idea Book up to a $7.95 value.

3. Place an order of $75 to $99.99 and receive a free package of Rub-Ons OR a B size Stamp Set of your choice OR any current Level 2 Paper pack, OR choose anything in the Idea book up to a $9.95 value.

4. Place an order of $100 to $149.99 and receive a C size stamp set of your choice OR a My Acrylix Organizer OR an Accessories Case OR choose anything in the Idea Book up to $13.95 value.

5. Place an order of $150 or more and you will receive $25 in free products of your choice, AND choose either a D size Stamp Set of your choice OR anything in the Idea Book up to $17.95 value.

With a purchase of $25 in My Acrylix Stamp Sets, you will qualify to purchase our gorgeous Holiday Wishes Stamp Set for $5 (pictured below). With a $50 purchase, you will qualify to purchase the Cherish the Day Stamp Set (pictured below).

***Don't have an Idea Book to browse through? You can view the Idea Book online here.

If you would like your own copy of the latest Idea Book, let me know and I will send one to you!

Now for the raffle! You enter the raffle with tickets you earn. One way you earn tickets is based on the amount you purchase. But there are other ways as well:

1. First purchase ever from me - 1 ticket
2. Order $25 to $49.99 in product - 1 ticket
3. Order $50 to $74.99 in product - 2 tickets
4. Order $75 - $99.99 in product - 3 tickets
5. Order $100 - $149.99 in product - 4 tickets
6. Order $150 - $174.99 in product - 5 tickets
7. Order $175 - $199.99 in product - 6 tickets
8. Order more than $200 in product - 7 tickets
9. First customer to order - 1 ticket
10. Book a gathering, virtual, “real” or catalog (Dec thru Feb) - 5 tickets
11. Book a workshop at your house - 5 tickets
12. Refer a friend who purchases during this sale - 3 tickets

****THE FINE PRINT: The minimum dollar amount is calculated before tax and shipping. You will pay tax for your free items when applicable. This offer is good ONLY through Melinda Everitt, (901) 850-1836, mkgmt@aol.com.

Drawing for raffle will be held at 9 am on Tuesday, November 29th. If you are the winner of the Raffle, I will need to have your choice by 9 pm Tuesday evening. ___________________________________________________________

Holiday Wishes November Promotion

When you place a minimum order of $25 in My Acrylix Stamp Sets between NOW and November 30th, you can add a new D-size Holiday Wishes Stamp Set for only $5! That's a great savings of $12.95. You may buy one Holiday Wishes Stamp Set for every $25 in qualifying Stamp Sets you purchase.

As a creative bonus, did you know that all of the images with the red line around them can be cut out with our Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge. Just think how faster and easier it is going to be to create your projects!
Available through November 30, 2011
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November Stamp of the Month

Cherish the Day

(Set of 44)

Recommended Blocks: 1" × 1" (Y1000), 2" × 2" (Y1003), and 2" x 3 1/2" (Y1009)

Available November 1 - November 30, 2011 only.

With a $50 purchase, you can purchase this Stamp of the Month for the discounted price of $5! Or you can purchase it for at the regular price of $17.95. _____________________________________________________________________________

Join My Team!

I am looking for new members to join my team. Please call me at (901) 850-1836 or e-mail me at mkgmt@aol.com for more information.

Close to My Heart has the lowest quarterly minimum of all the stamping and scrapbooking companies. We also welcome people who do not want to sell but want to receive the 22% discount. If this sounds enticing to you, please call. I am welcoming new team members from outside the Memphis area as well.

My Party Animal Birthday Card

2011-11-05T12:14:00.001-05:00

My youngest grandson’s birthday was on October 31st and he was 10 years old. 10 Years ago I was fortunate and blessed to be present at his birth. 4 years ago I was fortunate and blessed to be present when his mother received his diagnosis of Autism. AJ was diagnosed as severely autistic. He was non-verbal and “a runner”. Keeping him safe required extreme vigilance and kept his mother busy. She and my son had just gotten divorced and she had moved to Wisconsin, near her family. A couple of weeks after AJ’s diagnosis, my husband and I asked my daughter-in-law and grandson to move in with us. We were already “running an Autism friendly house” since my middle son had been diagnosed at age 16 with Asperger’s and we had plenty of room. I have never been sorry about that decision.

The progress that AJ has made in the past 4 years has been amazing. He is now in the 4th grade, at grade level and is as talkative as any other 4th grader. Both he and my son are on the DAN (Defeat Autism Now) protocol and the gains both of them have made are wondrous. AJ has improved so much that he would now probably not easily be diagnosed as having Autism. I love AJ’s extreme literal thinking and he brings so much delight into my life. He said something the other day and I laughed. He asked me if I was laughing at him and I told him no, that he brought so much joy into my life that I was laughing because of the happiness and love he gives to me. Then he laughed too!

Here is the special birthday card that I made for my sweet Halloween grandchild.

Supplies are pretty easy here so I won’t list them. I used our retired Hooligans Paper Pack and the Party Animal Stamp Set (D1437).

Hope you all had a Happy and Safe Halloween!

Welcome to the November Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!

2011-11-01T16:52:00.003-05:00

If you have found yourself here from Lisa Sargent's Blog, then you are in the right place. This month we have about 55 Close to My Heart Consultants for the November Stamp of the Month Blog Hop.

The November Stamp of the Month is entitled Cherish the Day (Set of 44). See some examples below showing what you can do with this stamp set.

And here are the stamps. Just think of all of the things that you can make with this stamp set!

I decided to combine the SOTM Blog Hop with the Heart 2 Heart Challenges Color Challenge this week. Here are the colors for this challenge.

Autumn Terracotta, Juniper and Bamboo. I like the look of these colors together but I found that I was having a hard time putting it all together. Here is my card.

I used a patterned paper from the retired paper pack, Game’s On, along with the Juniper patterned paper from the new paper pack, Typeset. I also stamped on our retired Twill ribbon the sentiment, It’s Your Birthday. I added some of our Bronze Glitter Gel to one of our arrow Milepost Shapes. I added Bitty Sparkles around the date to showcase it.

Actually I have more embellishments than I have paper. LOL I would have liked to add more bling but this card is for a male friend who is a manly man and I am sure would have been uncomfortable with more sparkly bling. I had to hide it in the card. Check out the star from the Milepost Shapes. It is painted with our Create-A-Shape Pearl Paint and Bamboo Reinker with a little juniper button attached. I used our Stipple Brush from the Texture Tools set to apply Cocoa Ink to the edges of the card.

Thank you for visiting my blog. Now please go on to the next stop, Nicole Grigg's Blog and see what she has created for you!

This stamp set can be purchased or you can even get it for only $5 Between November 1 – November 30, 2011. If you do not have a Close to My Heart Consultant, you can purchase this stamp set on my website.

Supplies

Inks: Cocoa (Z2114), Autumn Terracotta (Z2101), Cocoa Reinker (Z2214), and Bamboo Reinker (Z2203)
Paper: Typeset (X7139B), Game On (X7097B), and Autumn Terracotta Cardstock
Stamp Sets: Cherish the Day (S1111) and Card Chatter – Birthday (D1475)
Tools: Stipple Brush (Z1298), Sponge Daubers Z726), Paper Piercing Kit (Z1114), and Blending Pen (3174)
Embellishments: Create-A-Shade Pearl Paint (Z1039), Bronze Glitter Gel (Z1483), Hemp (Z280), Mini Medley Pewter (Z1487), Bitty Sparkles (Z1263), Milepost Shapes (Z1464), Buttons Green Assortment (Z1372), Twill Ribbon (retired), Foundry Ribbon Slides (Z1460), and Pewter Photo Hangers (Z1403)

Directions for My Super Duper Cute Santa Box

2011-10-29T22:03:00.001-05:00

I saw the Santa Gift Bag on Sarah Will's Blog and loved it but I wanted to make it totally with Close to My Heart’s new exclusive Art Philosophy Cartridge. I used Sarah’s easy downloadable instructions to make the box, but the rest of it is mine.

First you will make the box. You will need a piece of 12” x 7 ¾” Cranberry Cardstock.

Score lengthwise at 1 ¾” (this will form the bottom flaps) and then turn the cardstock 90 degrees and score at 1 ¾”, 5 ¾”, 7 ½” and 11 ½”. In the picture below, the cardstock is flipped over and the “flap” on the left side is actually the 11 ½” score line.

See how I cut away part of the cardstock at the left flap so that the box goes together more easily? You will also cut along the score lines below the bottom score line but only up to the bottom score line. This will form the bottom flaps.

Apply a strong adhesive to side “flap” and bottom flaps. I use Scor-Tape to put my box together. Assemble box. After you assemble the box, tuck in the sides of the box as you gently push the front and back of the box together. Each side will bow in and form a slight “V”.

Cut a 1” x 12” piece of black cardstock for the belt. The rest of the Santa is cut with the Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge. Here is a picture of all the pieces.

CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge Shapes Used:

Daisy White Cardstock:

Beard is <Rectangle8> 8.0” (pg 65) You will cut 2 ½” off each end and you will get 2 beards from one piece
Mustache is <Heart1> 2.5” (pg 26) Cut in ½ to get 2 equal pieces
Hat Trim is <Shape10> Font Shift 4.35” (pg 67)
Pom Pom is <Circle4> Decorative Layer Shift 1.5” edited with the Gypsy to remove inner design (pg 51)
Holly Leaf is <Leaf3> 1.75” (pg 46)

Baby Pink Cardstock:

Box Flap is <Banner3> 4.25” (pg 39) Score 2 ½” and 2 ¾” from squared end.
Nose is <Oval2> 0.75” (pg 32)

Honey Cardstock:

Belt Buckle is <Square 1> Tag 1.65” (pg 23)

Black Cardstock:

Eyes are <Circle 1> 0.65” (pg 21)

Cranberry Cardstock

Hat is <Shape 11> 4.75” (pg 28) Cut ½” off of bottom. (Refer to picture)
Holly Berries <Circle1> 0.33” (pg 21)

Using the circle background stamp from the Love Life Stamp Set, stamp with Grey Flannel on Beard, Mustache, Pom Pom and Hat Trim. Sponge Grey Flannel Ink on those edges.

Sponge Blush Ink onto the nose and the face part of the Baby Pink Flap.

Stamp two Holly Leaves with the A Holiday Stamp Set with Olive Ink and sponge the edges with Olive Ink.

Stamp three Holly Berries with Cranberry Ink.

Sponge Black Ink onto the rest of the pieces.

Run the belt through the belt buckle and adhere to the box as shown. Apply all pieces as pictured.

Sponge Blush Ink onto Santa’s cheeks. Apply strong adhesive to back of scored flap and adhere flap to the back inside of the box. Adhere Velcro to the front of the box so that the box will stay closed. With the White Gel Pen, draw in the white on the eyes and the nose. Apply the Glitz Glitter Gel to the Holly Berries.

Supplies Used

Inks: Black (Z2105), Cranberry (Z2116), Olive (Z2137), Grey Flannel (Z2124) and Blush (Z2106)
Cardstock: Honey, Baby Pink, Black, Daisy White, and Cranberry
Stamp Sets: A Holiday (A1115) and Love Life (D1482)
Other Products: CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy Collection (Z1686), Cricut Expressions 2, Gypsy, White Gel Pen, Glitz Glitter Gel – Stardust (Z1313), Glue Dots and Adhesive.

Boo! Spooky Halloween

2011-10-29T18:59:00.001-05:00

I recently participated in a card swap with some good friends and downlines. I want to share my card with you. I am SO feelin’ it. It came out exactly like I hoped it would. I am entering this in the Heart 2 Heart Challenge in the Halloween/Autumn Challenge they are featuring this week.

Looks like a whole lot of work, doesn’t it? Well it isn’t because I used only one stamp set for the scene. It is the spooky stamp from Backdrop - Charmed (D1490). I am totally intrigued by all of the intricate stamping in this scene. Such detail from an acrylic stamp. Now, I ask you, how cool is that?
I used our Mischief Paper Pack and cut the frame for the scene and the Sunset cardstock for the scene with our Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge (Z1686). I am getting so spoiled with this cartridge. I don’t have to have extra punches or do excessive cutting. I can just cut it out with my Cricut, stamp it, and assemble my projects. Fast, Simple, and Easy!
Now check out the inside of my card.

I stamped these scary images from the Stamp Set, All Hallows Eve (C1462) and the words came from the Stamp Set, Fright Night (B1359). I think stamping the inside of the card really finishes it off.
The frame surrounding the scene was covered with Purple Stickles. I am so hoping that Close to My Heart comes out with colors like this with the next Idea Book. I love extra bling on my cards and this fit the bill exactly! Look at all the sparkling!

Supplies

Inks: Black (Z2105
Paper: Mischief (X7144B) and Gypsy Cardstock (
Stamp Sets: Backdrop – Charmed (D1490), All Hallows Eve (C1462) and Fright Night (B1359)
Tools: Cricut Art Philosophy Collection (Z1686), Cricut Expressions 2, Sponge Dauber (Z726) and 3-D Foam Tape (Z1151)
Embellishments: Black Grosgrain Ribbon and Lavender Stickles

Hope you all have a safe and Happy Halloween! If you do not have a Close to My Heart Consultant, I would love if you purchase these products on my website.

My Sweet Little Santa Box

2011-10-20T13:01:00.002-05:00

The Holiday Season is coming fast and I was ever reminded how fast it was coming when our weather went from a high of 86 on Monday to 51 on Tuesday and 45 yesterday. Tonight we are under a frost advisory. So I got in the mood to work on some Christmas projects for my upcoming workshops.
Check out my Sweet Little Santa Box.

I had seen the Santa Gift Bag on Sarah Will's Blog and loved it. But I wanted to make it easier for my customers to make so I set out to make it using Close to My Heart’s new exclusive Art Philosophy Cartridge. Now isn’t it just stinkin’ cute? I used Sarah’s easy downloadable instructions to make the box, but the rest of it is mine.
Here is a close-up of my Santa’s face.

I think I am in love! Just kidding, but he is super duper cute.
CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge Shapes Used:

Belt Buckle is <Square 1> Tag
Beard is <Rectangle 8> (Cut in 1/2)
Mustache is <Heart 1> Cut in 1/2
Nose is <Oval 2>
Eyes are <Circle 1>
Hat Trim is <Shape 10> Font Shift
Hat is <Shape 11>
Pom Pom is <Circle 4> Decorative Layer Shift edited with the Gypsy to remove inner design

Supplies Used

Inks: Black (Z2105), Cranberry (Z2116), Olive (Z2137), Grey Flannel (Z2124) and Blush (Z2106)
Cardstock: Honey, Baby Pink, Black, Daisy White, and Cranberry
Stamp Sets: A Holiday (A1115) and Love Life (D1482)
Other Products: CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy Collection (Z1686), Cricut Expressions 2, Gypsy, White Gel Pen, Glitz Glitter Gel – Stardust (Z1313), Glue Dots and Adhesive

Are you sold on the Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge yet? Well if you don’t have one, you can purchase it here and it will be shipped directly to you so you can even purchase it if you are outside of the Memphis area. Feel free to CONTACT ME if you have any questions.

Getting a Better Stamped Image

2011-10-17T22:16:00.000-05:00

Well I guess you can never get too old to learn a new technique! A fellow Close to My Heart Sister Consultant, Melissa Laverty of fancyMelissa.com, was sweet enough to share what she learned at Close to My Heart Convention this year and she even made a video! I absolutely love videos and Melissa said that she would love to share.

Her video says everything, so here it is. Watch and enjoy and improve your stamping with this easy technique and thanks for sharing, Melissa!

Can I Entice You to Become a Close to My Heart Consultant?

2011-10-10T23:19:00.001-05:00

I want to share with you why I love being a Close to My Heart Consultant. I truly love to craft, I love to design, and I love to make and preserve memories. Close to My Heart provides me with the high-quality products to do that with. I also get to have a job where I meet wonderful people who like to create beautiful projects and memories for their family and I get to show them how to do that. The look on a person’s face when they have made a scrapbooking page that has meaning for them or a special card for a loved one is priceless and I get to take part in this.

I joined Close to My Heart four years ago as a “hobbyist”. I wanted so many of the products and in Close to My Heart we say that if you want a lot of our products that you should become a Consultant. As a Consultant you receive a 22% discount. Our quarterly minimums are the lowest in the industry and between my daughter and I we made them easily. After a couple of years I began teaching workshops and once people try our products they want more, so “selling” just happened. I found that I love to show people how to enjoy using our products. So, let me show you our October New Consultant promotion.

So, what does this mean to you? During the month of October you can purchase the New Consultant kit for only $99 and then add one of our awesome Consultant Kit add-ons for absolutely FREE! This means that you receive $400 of some of the best scrapbooking, stamping and cardmaking supplies on the market for only $99. Let me show you what is in the New Consultant Kit as well as the Add-ons.

The Fall/Winter 2011 New Consultant Kit

New Consultant Kit includes:
Autumn/Winter 2011 Idea Books (qty. 10)
"You Are Welcome Here" Recruiting Brochures (W1151, qty. 25)
"The Rewards Come Now" Hostess Brochures (W1150, qty. 25)
Studio J® Brochures (W111, qty. 5)
Hostess Order Forms (W122, qty. 25)
Customer Order Forms (W101, qty. 25)
Studio J® Customer Order Forms (W1102, qty. 25)
Studio J® Membership Cards (W1103, qty. 5)
Studio J® 5-Pack Cards (W1104, qty. 5)
Close To My Heart Color Wheel (W470)
Autumn/Winter 2011 B&T Duos® Sampler (W1109, 48 – 6" Square Samples)
Cello Bags (W1152, qty. 25)
My Acrylix® Lovable Petite Perks Stamp Set (W2021)
My Acrylix® Wonderful You Incentive Stamp Set (W332)
Double Scrubber (Z1163)
My Acrylix® Spritz Cleaner (1778)
Bonding Memories® Glue (1512)
Sponge (Z697)
Liquid Glass (Z679)
Micro-Tip Scissors (Z534)
Black My Legacy® Faux Leather Album (Z1345)
My Creations® Memory Game (Z1614)
Workshops on the Go™ Typeset Kit (G1024)
Typeset Complements Canvas Shapes (X7139C)
Milepost Shapes (Z1464)
Juniper Exclusive Inks® Pad (Z2165)
Bamboo Exclusive Inks® Pad (Z2103)
Crème Brulee Exclusive Inks® Pad (Z2167)
My Acrylix® Trinity Alphabet Stamp Set (E1021)
My Acrylix® Vintage Type Stamp Set (D1481)
2" x 3 1/2" My Acrylix® Block (Y1009)
3" x 3" My Acrylix® Block (Y1006)

Add-On Options

(Choose one FREE Add-On Option from October 1-31!)

In addition to all of the wonderful products you will receive, you will become a member of my team, “The Bling Team”! I am a very enthusiastic team leader and hold regular team meetings and an awesome Stamp Camp twice a year. We have a great group of ladies on our team and I will give you the support you need to start a new business or just enjoy the discount you will receive as a Close to My Heart Consultant.

Click here if you are ready to sign up. If you have some questions or would like to talk to me about it, then e-mail me at mkgmt@aol.com to set up a time to talk. I am looking forward to discussing your opportunities with Close to My Heart.

Check Out My Holiday Bag Workshop

2011-10-09T18:35:00.001-05:00

Woo Hoo! I think I am getting my mojo back. I have spent the past few days learning how to use my new Cricut Expressions 2 and Gypsy. I must admit that I am a Cricut Novice. I had not purchased one because I sell Close to My Heart and we did not use Cricut. We cut our stamped images with SCISSORS! LOL Imagine my surprise and consternation when at our Close to My Heart Convention it was announced that we had our very own Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge with stamp sets that are designed to be used with it!

Then it got worse. They they announced that we have tons of stamp sets in our Fall/Winter Catalog that can also be cut with our Art Philosophy Cartridge. Well I am not stupid! I saw the writing on the wall, went back to my room and ordered a Cricut Expressions 2. So after feeling very overwhelmed I have jumped onboard and I am now a Cricut Lover. I especially love our Art Philosophy Cartridge. The shapes are awesome and can be used for cards, boxes, bags, scrapbook pages or anything you want to use it on. Click here to see our Cricut Art Philosophy Collection. If you do not have a Close to My Heart Consultant, you can even order it there, and I will greatly appreciate it!

So on to my Holiday bag workshop. I have three of the “bags” made. Check back later for two more that I will have designed and posted by next week.

Here are some closeups:

This super adorable Santa Gift bag was designed by the uber-talented fellow CTMH Consultant, Mandy Leahy and it was cut from the CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge.

And this very cool Halloween purse was designed by Vicki Wizniuk, a fellow very talented CTMH Consultant.

Finally, this one is all mine! I cut this out with the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge as well. Isn’t it versatile? It is large enough to hold candy or a gift card or both!

Workshop Details:

Date: October 22nd from 10 am – 3 pm.

Cost: $15 includes lunch

RSVP by October 19th to mkgmt@aol.com. Thanks!

Stardust Reach for the Stars Boy Birthday Card

2011-10-05T23:03:00.002-05:00

I have been rearranging my scrapbooking room and a found a surprise! In my Stardust Level 2 Paper Pack (retired) I found two of these cards I made when I was visiting my daughter and her family in Hawaii. We were at a crop and I had limited supplies with me. Here is what I came up with:

I needed a birthday card for my grandson so I was extremely happy to find this card. I think the stamp set might have been called Reach for the Stars. It is colored in with a Blending Pen and our ink. I am hoping that my grandson enjoyed it. Thanks for looking.

Topiary Made with Cricut Close to My Heart Art Philosophy Collection

2011-10-01T13:49:00.004-05:00

Finally I can show you why I have not been posting much on my blog. I had a dear friend whose daughter was getting married. I sent her a picture of the fabulous Lisa Stenz's topiary made with the Close to My Heart Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge (Z1686) and they both fell in love with it. And then they asked me to make SEVEN of them! Oh my goodness! Each topiary took about 105 handrolled paper roses. They were cut out in CTMH Cranberry Cardstock on my Cricut Expressions 2, edges were inked with Black Ink, and then they were crumpled up and then flattened out so that the edges were pliable. Otherwise my fingers took a beating when I assembled them.

Here is my topiary.

I rolled the roses with my Close to My Heart tweezers and then I glued the roses together with the Aleene's Fast Grab Tacky Glue. Actually I glued about 400 with the Aleene's and the rest with my hot glue gun. In my opinion they both worked equally well. Then I "smooshed" the roses so that the petals looked more like rose petals and then attached the roses with Black tipped corsage pins to a 5 inch styrofoam ball.

Here is a closeup of my roses.

and here is an even closer view of the roses.

I am entering this in the Heart to Heart Challenge using die cuts.

Holiday Magic - October Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!

2011-09-30T19:31:00.000-05:00

If you have found yourself here from Susan Brooks' Blog, then you are in the right place. This month we have approximately 55 Close to My Heart Consultants for the October Stamp of the Month Blog Hop.

The October Stamp of the Month is entitled Holiday Magic (Set of 18). See some examples below showing what you can do with this stamp set.

And here are the stamps in this set. Aren't they adorable?

Look what I did with it!

I used the new Level 2 Paper Pack called Wonderland (X7146B). One of the things that I really love about our new paper packs is that on the top of the paper pack on the "zip strip" you will find the colors featured in this paper pack. I love that I no longer have to guess which color blue is on the patterned paper. I am going to list supplies used at the bottom of this post, but I wanted to point out that I used our Clear Buttons (Z1391) coated on the flat back with our Glitz Stardust Glitter Gel (Z1313) to give the impression of snow flakes. They have a snowflake pattern on them and with the Glitter Gel they shimmer. Check out my cute raccoon sitting on the sleigh. He is from Bundled Buddies (C1472). I paper pieced his scarf from the striped pattern paper in Wonderland. He is colored with ink and a blending pen (3174).

The runners for the sleigh was stamped with Grey Wool and then Silver Glitz Glitter Gel was applied over the stamped image.

Oh! By the way, the Twilight Cardstock shape and the patterned paper background was cut with the new Cricut exclusive Art Philosophy Collection (Z1686).

Contact me to find out how to get your Cricut Art Philosophy Collection at half price!

This stamp set can be purchased or you can even get it for only $5 Between October 1 - October 31, 2011. And guess what??!! If you do not have a Close to My Heart Consultant, you can purchase this stamp set on my website.

Supplies

Inks: Twilight (Z2160); Chocolate (Z2111); Olive (Z2137); Grey Wool (Z2125); Garden Green (Z2120); Grey Flannel (Z2124); Bamboo (Z2103); Blush (Z2106); Crystal Blue (Z2117); Heavenly Blue (Z2126); and Versafine (Onyx Black).
Paper: Wonderland (X7146B)
Stamp Sets: Holiday Magic (S1110) and Bundled Buddies (C1472)
Tools: Cricut Art Philosophy Collection (Z1686) Blending Pen (3174); Bonding Memories Glue Pen (Z553); Liquid Glass (Z679) and Cricut Expressions 2
Embellishments: Bitty Sparkles (Z1263); Glitz Silver Glitter Gel (Z1482); Glitz Stardust Glitter Gel (Z1313); Sparkles - Blue & Green Assortment (Z1327); and Clear Buttons (Z1391);

Thank you for visiting my blog, but it is time to hop to the next blog. So off you go to the next stop, Haley Dyer's Blog and see what she has created for you!

Welcome to the September Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!

2011-08-31T19:00:00.001-05:00

If you have found yourself here from Nicole Grigg's Blog, then you are in the right place. This month we have over 60 Close to My Heart Consultants for the September Stamp of the Month Blog Hop.

The September Stamp of the Month is entitled Limited Edition (Set of 21). Look at all of the cool images and the tag is absolutely adorable! Here is a picture of the September Stamp of the Month:

Looky, looky what I made with the September Stamp of the Month, Limited Edition!. I call this a Tag Card (for obvious reasons! LOL!)

I needed a birthday card for my sweet grandson, Austin, and I love to give him a one-of-a-kind card. Can you believe that my jock grandson actually keeps my cards? That makes him very card worthy so Grandma goes out of her way to make him a special card.

I used our new paper pack called Typeset (X7139B). I also employed my new Close to My Heart Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge (Z1686) to make the ever so cute star, ticket and tag. May I tell you how easy it is to make a card like this when I do not have to cut out the stamped images! I love how many of our stamps have images that can be stamped out with this Cricut Cartridge. Contact me if you want more information about this great new product!

Anyway, back to my card. I took out my sewing machine and sewed around the edge of the card for a little added texture. I used the zip strip from the top of the paper to add detail to the top of my tag pocket. The arrow is from our Milepost Shapes (Z1464) and is sponged with Vineyard Berry ink and then I covered it with our new Bronze Glitz Glitter Gel (Z1483).

The star is cut from Creme Brulee Cardstock and I used my stipple brush from my Texture Tools set (Z1298) to distress it with Cocoa Ink. The pull on the top of the tag is actually a photo clip from the Pewter Mini-Medley set (Z1487) covered with a canvas Typeset Complements piece. It was a little too big but I adhered it to the photo clip and then cut it down to side and then distressed it with Cocoa Ink. The ticket stamped image comes from the stamp set, Blue Ribbon (C1464). Also, check out the pewter ribbon slide with the Twill Ribbon tied onto it. Hoping this is not too girly!

Check out the cute little tag that I made with this stamp set that is the centerpiece of my card.

I even used the Typeset patterned paper to finish of the inside and used the A Typeface (A1117) stamp set to stamp Happy Birthday.

The September Stamp of the Month stamp set can be purchased or you can even get it for only $5 Between September 1 - September 30, 2011. And don't forget our National Stamping Month Special entitled Pair-a-Phrase! Until the end of September, while supplies last, you can get this FREE 2 D-size Stamp Set with your $75 order. What a deal!

If you do not have a Close to My Heart Consultant, you can purchase this stamp set on my website.

Thank you for visiting my blog, but it is time to hop to the next blog. So off you fly to the next stop, Dawn Ross's Blog and see what she has created for you!

Butterfly Puddle Pad Thank You Card

2011-08-15T19:55:00.000-05:00

I have been busy, busy, busy lately. I participated in setting up a convention for a non-profit that I participate in. I love listening to speakers and I was the Speaker Chairman. I wanted to make a special card to thank them for taking the time to talk to us and this is what I came up with.

How do you like my sweet butterfly? The butterfly is from the Close to My Heart Butterfly Wings (D1341). I used the puddle pad technique to stamp the butterfly.

The puddle pad technique is when you take a piece of felt (I lay it on a plastic lid to keep the mess down) and randomly drop reinker over the felt. I then use the felt as a stamp pad. This explains the need for the plastic lid. LOL

This was a quick and easy card to make and my speakers loved it!

Did you know that Close to My Heart has an awesome special going on until the end of August? You can get 3 stamp sets for free with your order. Contact me at mkgmt@aol.com and I can tell you more!