Holiday Expressions New Product Blog Hop

In this hop we are featuring various new products from the Close To My Heart's Holiday Expressions idea book.   You'll see lots of ideas for your fall and winter holiday crafting as you make your rounds on this blog hop.    If you have never participated in a blog hop before, it's one big circle of ideas, as you go from blog to blog.  If you are starting here, just look for the link at the end of my post to see where to go for the next stop.  If you are coming from Paige's blog, you are on the right path. 

For this hop, I am featuring a two of the fall stamp sets that I am using for one of my card workshops.  If you click on the links listed here, you will be able to see the entire stamp set or other product I have listed.

The first stamp set I'm using is Thanksgiving Spirit .  I stamped with black Momento ink and the colored the scene with CTMH watercolor pencils and then touched it with our new water brush to achieve the watercolor look.  The papers used here are from the Rustic Home Fundamentals paper pack. The ribbon is from the Rustic Home Ribbon Pack .

Another set I used is Forest Feast .  I stamped with Momento Ink and colored the little creatures with ShinHan Touch Twin markers.  The leaves were cut from the Artbooking Cricut Cartridge.  The greeting is from the Flower Market Cricut Cartridge Bundle stamp set.

If you would like a peek at the Holiday Expressions idea book, look here.  If you would like your own copy, contact your CTMH consultant.   If you don't have a consultant, I would be happy to help you.

I am looking forward to seeing the products the other consultants in this hop have decided to feature and what they have created with them.  So join me as we venture on.  Our next stop on this blog hop is Krista's blog.

If for some reason you get disconnected along the way, you can  find the complete blog hop list here to get back into the loop.

National Stamping Month Blog Hop

National Stamping Month 

Blog Hop

Create Kindness 

with Close To My Heart

Here's a closer look at all of the items included with this special.  You can visit my website to get an even better look at each stamp that is included.

The Create Kindness Card Kit ($46.95) contains all of the supplies needed to create 24 beautiful 3 x 3 handmade cards that you can use to brighten someone’s day!  Thanks to the pre-printed card bases, these cards come together in no time, leaving you more time to do something thoughtful for someone! (P.S. - The component parts are sold separately, but you're saving 15% with this special.)  

But wait, you can use these wonderful supplies to 

create so much more!  And that's what you'll see in this blog hop.

If you have never participated in a blog hop before, it is one big circle of creative ideas to see as you go from blog to blog.  If you are starting here, just look for the link at the end of my post to see where to go for the next stop.  If you are coming from Terrie Shortsleeve's blog, you are on the right path.

For my project, I worked on some scrapbook pages and some 5 1/2 x 4 1/4  sized cards using the supplies from this card kit.  Most of my workshops are scrapbooking workshops, so I wanted my scrapbook ladies to see the possibilities with the supplies from this kit.

With the Create Kindness stamps and cards, I used Pansy, Sea Glass, and Sea Glass Glitter paper.  The embellishments are the Enamel Glitter Duos - Purple Hearts and the new CTMH heart Thin Cuts.

For these layouts, I used Black, White Daisy, Raspberry, and Pixie cardstock and ShinHan Markers to color and shade the flowers.  Black Shimmer Trim was used to accent the page.  The little dots were punched from the shimmer trim.

The layouts here feature Sweet Leaf, Cocoa, Flaxen, and White Daisy cardstock.  The September stamp of the month, Blessed Beyond Measure , was also used with cocoa ink.  Die cuts were from both the Artbooking and Flower Market Cricut cartridges.

Then finally I made a few cards.  A small 3 x 3  kit card is mounted to the front of the larger card with a kit message on the top two cards.  The inside of the larger card can be used for writing a personal message.

You can get in on the Create Kindness special through your CTMH consultant, or visit  my website now.  If you don't have your own consultant, I would be happy help you.  Just contact me!

I am looking forward to seeing what the other consultants in this hop have created.  So join me as we venture on.  Our next stop on this blog hop is Paige Dolecki's blog.

If for some reason you get disconnected along the way, you can  find the complete blog hop list here to get back into the loop.

September SOTM Blog Hop (Blessed Beyond Measure)

Welcome to the Close To My Heart

September Stamp of the Month 

Blog Hop

This month we are featuring a great Fall themed stamp set that will be wonderful for both card making and scrapbooking. It is always so much fun to see the various possibilities for the Stamp of the Month stamp sets by making the rounds in a blog hop like this.

A blog hop is one big circle of ideas as you go from blog to blog. If you are starting here, just look for the link at the end of my post to see where to go for the next stop. If you are coming from Wendy Kessler's blog , you are on the right path.

My project for this month is part of my card workshop for October using the Blessed Beyond Measure stamp set with the Rustic Fundamentals Paper pack which is my favorite paper this season.

Supplies used:  Click on each link to find these in the catalog

Stamp Set(s) - Blessed Beyond Measure , D1708 Cricut Bundle Stamp for Thinking of You

Card bases - CTMH Colonial White Value Pack

Cardstock - Colonial White, Goldrush, Chocolate, Saffron

Patterned Paper -  Rustic Home Fundamentals 

Pens and Pencils - ShinHan Touch Twin Alcohol Makers - Bronze, Mahogany, Clay, Marigold, Golden Yellow

Inks: Goldrush, Chocolate, Saffron

Embellishments -Rose Gold Foil Tape,  Gold Sequins colored with ShinHan marker - Marigold

Thanks for stopping by to see the fun I had creating with this new stamp set which is available only through the month of September for $17.95  -- or better yet, just $5 with a $50 purchase available through your CTMH consultant or on my website.  (PS -- I'd love to be your consultant!)

Be sure to see all the other consultants on this hop.  I'm sure you'll see lots of new product along with other fun ways to use this stamp set.  Your next stop is Jen Rubio's blog

If you somehow get disconnected, you can find the complete list of  blog hop participants here to get back in the loop.

Calendar Update

September - October CALENDAR UPDATE

Friday, September 2 -- Open Crop

Tuesday,September 6 --  Two page Scrapbook Workshop

Thursday, September 15-- Six Page Scrapbook Workshop - featuring Jeepers Creepers Paper packet

Friday, September 30  -- Something New!  Cardmaker's BUNCO Party

Friday, October 7 -- Open Crop

Tuesday, October 11 --  Rustic Home All Occasion Card Workshop - Fall themes

Saturday, October 15 -- All Day Rustic Home - 10 page workshop Swan Lake Paper packet

Tuesday, October 25  -- Something New!  Scrapbooker's BUNCO Party

Click on name of event on the calendar visible on my blog to see details about time, materials needed, what we'll be making

For Card workshops -  Please bring your own scissors, stamp scrubber, adhesive, and pop dots and a 12" paper trimmer if you have one.  Most materials will be precut, however, you may want to do some trimming.

For Scrapbook workshops - Bring basic scrapbooking tool kit including paper trimmer, scissors, adhesives

Contact me if you have any questions.

Calypso - 6 page workshop

August 2016 - CTMH Calypso

6 page Scrap Workshop

The Calypso Paper pack is available through the end of August.  If you are interested in ordering the Calypso paper pack and Calypso complement pack , you can order here.  

Ok, so this is actually 10 pages!  I still had paper left over after I finished 6 pages, so I kept going!

The full workshop includes Cricut cuts and stamping.

If you are interested in the workshop, 
please contact me before August 31st.

New Product - Open House

Close To My Heart

New Product Release Party

Scrapbooking - Pocket Scrapbooking - Card Making
Thursday, August 25th, 4 - 8PM

Can't make this date - Repeat on Sat. 8/27 - 10AM - 2 PM

·       New product give-away drawings
·      Touch and feel the new products with make-n-takes
·      See the paper packs included in this month's special
·      See samples of the workshops for the fall
·      Bring a friend (new to me or CTMH) - 3 tickets for drawings
·      Sign up for workshops - 1 ticket
·      Find out and sign up for my September CTMH Bunco Party
·      Place an order - get a free idea book

• Get 5 tickets and a free idea books with any of the following

·      Join my Hostess Club - get free hostess gifts once in the next season
·      Host a home gathering (your home or mine)
·      Host a Facebook or EZ Invite Online Party

Just come! 

It will be a lot of fun!

RSVP by August 24 to get 2 tickets for free product drawings

Annual Inspirations New Product Blog Hop

Welcome to the Close To My Heart 

2016 - 2017 Annual Inspirations

New Product Blog Hop

In this blog hop, each participating consultant is featuring one or more products 

from our newly released idea book.  

I'm sure you are going to want to make your rounds in this blog hop to find out what exciting and fun stamping and scrapboooking products are in store for us this season.  

If you have never participated in a blog hop before, it is one big circle of ideas to see as you go from blog to blog.  If you are starting here, just look for the link at the end of my post to see where to go for the next stop.  If you are coming from Gina's blog you are on the right path.

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Since scrapbooking is my passion and favorite pastime, I chose to do a layout featuring papers from the new Enchantment Fundamental paper pack and the School K-6 Complements.  I'm currently working on my grandson's book from the past year, so I did a Kindergarten layout.  (Normally I don't photograph my layouts in photo protectors, however to show the flip flaps and the page pocket plus protector, it works out better that way.)

Here's the Page Pocket Plus Protector - design 1 that fits as an insert in the layout.

Here you can see how well the insert fits into the layout.

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One set of  new products I was most pleased to see were the additional new memory page pocket plus protectors and the new individual packs of flip flaps with vertical and horizontal tape strips.   

Since I almost always have more pictures than I have room for that I want to include as keepsakes or to tell my story, I was thrilled to find the inserts that I can use for additional pictures, journaling or Picture My Life elements. Both my customers and I have been wishing for individual packs of 4x4 flip flaps, so even though I didn't use them on this layout, you can be assured they will be a hot item in my future layouts and workshops.

New Products Used: click links to go to the Annual Inspirations Idea Book to see more detail and information.

Enchantment Fundamentals Paper Packet

School K- 6 Complements

Page Pocket Plus Protector - Design 1

I am super excited about these pocket memory protectors (inserts) since they also come in other configurations for pictures other than 4 x 6.

You can shop or see the new catalog on my website now.  If you are interested in getting your own copy, contact your own consultant.  If you don't have one, I would be happy to be yours.  Just contact me!

I am looking forward to seeing what the other consultants on this hop will be showcasing.  Everyone has her own favorites and it is always great inspiration to see what others have created.  So join me as we venture on.  Our next stop on this blog hop is Brenda's blog.  

If for some reason you get lost along the way, you can find the complete blog hop list here to get back into the loop.

New Idea Book - New Products

It's here!

The new Annual Inspirations 

book for 2016 - 2017

Contact me to get your copy now or plan to stop drop in for my New Product Showcases

Thursday, August 25 - 4 to 8 pm

or 
Saturday, August 27 - 10am to 2 pm

• Touch and feel the new products when you do some make-n-takes
• See the paper packs included in this month's special
• See samples of the workshops for the fall
• Bring a friend (new to me or CTMH) - get three extra tickets for free product drawings
• Sign up for workshops
• Find out and sign up for my September CTMH Bunco Party
• Host a home gathering (your home or mine)  
• Host a Facebook or EZ Invite Online Party 
• Join my Hostess Club and receive one month out of the next season to receive free hostess gifts

Just come!  It will be a lot of fun!
RSVP by August 24 to get extra tickets for my free product drawings

August Stamp of the Month - Purr-fect Halloween

Close To My Heart 

August Stamp of the Month 

Blog Hop

This month we are featuring a cute, whimsical stamp set that will be fun for card making or scrapbooking.  Even though it has Halloween sentiments, there are many other possibilities that I'm sure you'll see as you make your rounds on this blog hop.    It's one big circle of ideas, as you go from blog to blog.  If you are starting here, just look for the link at the end of my post to see where to go for the next stop.  If you are coming from Dana Kesslers's blog, you are on the right path. 

I've been waiting to work with a stamp with some open space to try a little Zentangle - which is a brand name for doodling patterns.  I'm sure there's more to it, and obviously I have a lot more to learn about Zentangle, but I just decided to give it a try with this stamp set.  I also used another stamp set to create one of my cards to incorporate the look of the latest coloring craze.

On this card, I used the Ornate Blossoms Stamp set (D1687) to create the coloring book type pattern.  I stamped the cat in black first, then I stamped the pattern with Bamboo ink.  Next came the journaling pen to trace the pattern, and then fussy cutting the kitty to put her on the card.  Her eyes and the other embellishments on this card are Bitty Sparkles.  Oh, yes, and did you notice the new paper and ribbon.  It's from our brand new idea book, just released today!

The kitty on this card is filled in with  my own doodles as is the border.

One more card using my own doodles.

Supplies used:  Click on each link to find these in the catalog

Stamp Sets - Purr-fect Halloween, Ornate Blossoms

Card bases - CTMH White Value Pack

Cardstock - Black

Patterned Paper - Adventure Fundamentals - Tangerine and Pansy.  (Background display paper is Willow.)

Pens and Pencils - CTMH Water color pencil was used to outline the letters on the first card and the journaling pen that CTMH offers

Inks:  Momento Black, Bamboo 

Embellishments - Bitty Sparkles and Black with Gold edged ribbon is from the the new Uptown Ribbon Pack 

Thanks for stopping by to see the fun I had creating with this new stamp set which is available only through the month of August for $17.95  -- or better yet, just $5 with a $50 purchase available through your CTMH consultant or on my website.  (PS -- I'd love to be your consultant!)

Be sure to see all the other consultants on this hop.  I'm sure you'll see lots of new product along with other fun ways to use this stamp set.  Your next stop is Brenda Lapp's blog .  

If you somehow get disconnected, you can find the complete list of  blog hop participants here to get back in the loop.