New “OPEN” Creative Club starting next month!

I am so excited to announce that I have a new club starting next month. Most of my clubs in the past have been traditional 6/25 clubs meaning that there were 6 members who were committed to spending $25/month for 6 months. We always made a great project at no extra cost, and had lots of fun. Sometimes I had people who wanted to join the club while we were in the middle and I didn't have a spot for them. Well, now I am proud to announce my new “Non-Commit,” “Open” Creative Club which will allow anyone to join at any time with no monthly commitment. “How does it work?” you ask. Here are the details...

We will meet at my house the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. starting May 13th. You may join the club at any time and there is no commitment to stay in the club for any length of time or to place an order. There will be a $5 fee for the supplies used for the projects we make which will range from cards to small gift items, to scrapbook pages, and more. Each person who signs up for this club will have their name added to the bottom of the hostess list. The person whose name is on the top of the list will get the hostess rewards that month. In order for your name to keep its “place” on the list, you must place a $25 minimum order whether you attend the class that month or not. If you do not place a $25+ order that month, then your name goes down to the bottom of the list. If you do place a $25+ order, then your name continues to move up the list AND you will not be required to pay the $5 supply fee for that class. It will be free!

Club members will also receive:

• A free current Idea Book/Catalog
• Free Hostess Rewards during your hosting month
• $5 or free optional monthly classes
• Optional opportunity to hold a home workshop or party to boost your hostess benefits
• $5 discounts on all workshops while you are a member
• Lots of other freebies and surprises...

May’s club project will be a fun stationery set that was inspired by this one made by one of my favorite bloggers Becky Roberts. We will use one of Close to my Heart’s new paper packets called Bella. We will be using some of the new stamp sets as well. The stationery set will include two cards and envelopes, a notepad, a matching pen, and a cute case to hold it all. (This is another one of those projects that will make a great gift!)

These are the two cards we will be making.
Notice the detail on the flower centers? A little Liquid Glass can make anything look fabulous! LOL!Email me if you would like more information on joining this fun club! You can even join the club if you are not local! Ask me how. *Ü*

Bella Card - New Product Sneak Peek

Thanks to everyone who posted a comment or emailed me with support about my last post. Please know that I was in no way referring to those (including me) who scraplift, case, or copy cards or layouts that we see online. Most of us do that and usually give credit to the person who inspired us. I was referring to those who take actual photos from someone else and post them on their websites/blogs and pass them off as their own. OK, that is the last I will say on the subject. *Ü*

Wanna peek at some new paper in the CTMH Summer Idea Book coming out May 1st? Here is a simple card that I made using the new Bella paper packet. I love this paper! I am in a swap using this new paper so you will see a few more projects with it in the next week or so.
I monogrammed the first initial of each person in my swap using CTMH’s Embroidery Floss. First I printed out the initial on white paper using the Heritage font on CTMH’s Expressive Fonts CD Volume I. Then I placed the printout on top of a piece of Smoky Plum cardstock and used my Piercing Tool to poke holes through both pieces. I hand stitched the letters with the Floss using the holes as a guide. I taped the backs with Scotch tape and then matted it on Olive and Colonial White cardstock. (I also distressed the edges with my Edge Distresser and sponged some Chocolate Distressing Ink around the edges.) After adhearing it to the card with Foam Tape, I added some organdy ribbon to finish it off.
Stay tuned for more Bella samples...

Oh my, I didn't mean to publish that last post...

Oh my goodness...I started the last post and was called away by one of my kiddos and didn't mean to post it yet because I wasn't done. (I was sort of venting and didn't want to post anything before I re-read it.) Anyway, I meant to finish by saying that I am more than willing to share my ideas because that is what blogging and artwork websites are all about. However, it would be great if those who wanted to use my copy or my photos would just shoot me a quick email to let me know. 99.9% of the time I am happy to let anyone use my photos, text, ideas, etc. as long as it isn't for publications or contests.

I love the internet and think it is a great tool as long as we all use it in an honest way. Thank you to all of you out there who post your wonderful artwork that inspires me. I try my best to give credit where credit is due. Hopefully I haven't missed anything and have posted a link or at least mentioned the name of the person who inspired many of my projects!

Ok, I am hopping off my soapbox now. I hope I didn't upset anyone. I really am not a confrontational person and rarely mention anything that upsets me. I just had to finally mention this because has happened so many times and it just happened again today.

On a happier note...I promise to post some fun artwork soon that will hopefully inspire you...

A little beef...

I have not wanted to post this because I want my blog to be uplifting and positive, but I just can't keep silent any longer. Please, please, please don't copy anyone's photos, artwork, or text without asking them first. I cannot tell you how many times I have visited someone's blog or website and found my photos and/or text that has been copied word for word, typos and all, with no mention as to where they got them. I am so flattered that people actually like my work and want to share it with others. However, I work very hard to create and photograph my projects, and write my copy. As you can tell I am a horrible copywriter so I wonder why anyone would even want to lift my copy. LOL!

I am more than willing to share my ideas

Picket Fence Seed Packet Card

The Women's Ministry Team at our church is hosting a Garden Tour and luncheon next month and asked me to make something cute with a little seed packet that they could give to everyone as they leave. This is what I came up with. I was inspired by Deneen's adorable card here. I found some inexpensive seed packets at Walmart and redesigned my card around them.
The card is pretty easy to make. I cut three strips of white cardstock in a rectangle shape and cut a point at the top. Then I cut two thin strips of cardstock (after printing the bible verse from my computer) and attached them to the “pickets.” I sponged some chocolate distressing ink around the edges with a sponge dauber. Then I attached the card front to a 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" piece of white cardstock with some pewter brads. After putting the card together, I stamped the flower stems from CTMH’s March Word Puzzle in Garden Green ink and the flower tops in Blush ink. The seed packet are attached inside with repositionable tape.
Now I am off to make 60 more by next week! LOL!

More fun National Scrapbooking Month news...

Here’s some great news! As I mentioned yesterday, the Tickled Pink scrapbooking kit, created exclusively to celebrate National Scrapbooking Month, is now available to purchase at retail or earn FREE with a qualifying purchase. In addition, hostesses who have qualifying Home Gathering sales totals will receive the Tickled Pink kit for FREE, and new Consultants who enroll in May will receive a FREE Tickled Pink kit as part of their New Consultant Kit.

Artwork Contests on Special Website
And it gets even better! As another fun way to celebrate this special month, CTMH has created a website, www.scrapbookandshare.com, that you can visit to share your artwork and win Close to my Heart products! To participate in the Scrapbook and Share contest, simply send a JPEG image of a two-page layout that highlights you in some way to scrapbookandshare@closetomyheart.com. Along with your submission, you’ll want to share why the layout highlights you. At the end of May, finalists will be selected from all of the entries, and you will be able to vote for your favorites. The winners in each category will receive $150 retail in Close To My Heart products! Woo-Hoo!

Click here to find out more about this great contest, to see artwork that others have created, to find out more about what is in the kit, and everything else you want to know about this great promotion!

CTMH's National Scrapbooking Month Tickled Pink Promotion starts today!

Close to my Heart is celebrating National Scrapbook Month a few weeks early this year! In case you did not know, May is National Scrapbook month. You will be tickled pink when you see what CTMH has created to celebrate this “holiday!” Tickled Pink is an amazing scrapbooking kit that contains everything you need (including step-by-step instructions) to make (2) double-page spreads with a lot of goodies left over to make more layouts and cards. (Check out some of the things I made with the kit here and here.)

This is what is in the kit:
Featured Colors: Blush, Crystal Blue, Twilight, Hollyhock, Sweet Leaf
1 – My Acrylix® I Am Stamp Set (D-size)
2 – 12" × 12" Floral B&T Duos™ Paper (1 with glitter)
2 – 12" × 12" Stripe B&T Duos™ Paper (1 with glitter)
1 – 12" × 12" Blush Textured Cardstock
1 – 12" × 12" Crystal Blue Textured Cardstock
5 – 12" × 12" White Daisy Textured Cardstock (1 sheet with die-cut shapes)
1 – Mini-Medley Accents White Daisy Collection
1– Foam Texture Tool
1– Step-by-Step Brochure

The best thing about this promotion is that there are many ways that you can get this fantastic kit!
This is how you can get the kit:

• Place a minimum order of $60 in MyAcrylix stamp sets (excluding K-size and Stamp of the Month sets) between April 15 - May 31 to receive this kit FREE!
• Purchase the kit outright for just $34.95 plus tax and shipping.
• Host a Home Gathering or workshop between April 15 - May 31 with minimum sales of $400 and receive the kit FREE!
• Sign up as a new consultant between May 1 - May 31 and receive it FREE!

For more information and to order, feel free to visit my website or e-mail me with any questions.

Tickled Pink Card

I LOVE the stamp set that comes in the CTMH Tickled Pink promotional kit. I used it to make this simple but fun card. Check back tomorrow for all the details on this amazing promotion...
All supplies are CTMH:
Stamps: Tickled Pink, Dainty Thoughts
Cardstock: White Daisy
Inks: Hollyhock, Baby Pink, Chocolate
Other: 3-D Foam Squares, Sparkles

Tickled Pink Promotion Layouts

National Scrapbooking Month is right around the corner. Close to my Heart always has something fun planned to help celebrate this fun “holiday,” and this year is no exception. I cannot wait to share the Tickled Pink promotion with you. It is a kit that includes everything you need to make two double-page layouts (including step-by-step instructions) with a bunch of goodies left over to make more layouts, cards, or whatever you like. I will share more promotion details with you in a couple of days. In the meantime, check out one of the layouts that I made using the kit...I love that the kit showed me how to make layouts about myself. This is something that I know most scrapbookers, including me, have a hard time doing. If you are like me, you usually scrapbook about everything else except you. It was fun to do a layout about me for a change.
The kit comes with a beautiful stamp set and matching die cuts that you can stamp on. Look how fun these flowers are. I just stamped the flower stamp right onto the die cuts and popped them out. Easy peasy!
Stay tuned for more sneak peeks of the upcoming Tickled Pink promotion...

Here's a sneak peek at something from the new Summer Idea Book...

Doesn't this paper look fun? The matching stamps are great too. The paper pack is called Moon Doggie. Being from Southern California, I cannot wait to scrap some of our beach photos and make some fun summer-themed cards using these new products. The new Summer Idea Book will be available May 1st. Stay tuned for more sneak peeks...

Daydream "Celebrate You" Layout

Do you like this layout? Would you like to make it yourself? How about inviting your friends over to make it too? You can host a Close to my Heart scrapbooking workshop where I will come to your house and guide you and your friends through the process to make this double page layout with the adorable Daydream Paper Packet and Stickease. You and your friends will get all of the supplies to make this adorable layout and, you will have enough supplies left over to make two more double page spreads and 3 cards, plus you will get a detailed instruction guide to make all of the projects! (Click here to see the other two layouts and cards that you can make with the extra supplies.) Contact me to schedule your workshop today!
I would love to show you how to use Liquid Applique to make the icing on this cupcake look so yummy!
Check out these cute “Pretty Pins!” Aren't they adorable?
Learn how to cover Dimensional Elements chipboard with patterned paper and file the edges with our great Finishing Files!
(Click on the photos to see them larger.)

1st Five

Everyone should have received their fun goody by now from my 1st Five Giveaway. I never received a mailing address from Kelly Jo or Alyssa Walters. If you gals would still like your fun goody, feel free to email me at lisa@myctmh.com and I will get it out to you right away. Thanks for playing. *Ü*