Tuesday, April 30, 2013

May Project Kit - "For Always" Stationery Set


May’s Creative Club will be held on Thursday, May 16th at 7pm. This month we will be making a great stationery set using Close to my Heart’s beautiful For Always Collection. Your finished project will include a journal, 5 cards and envelopes, a floral pen, and a box with a separation insert to store and display your stationery supplies. This project makes a perfect gift! (You can even make one for yourself and one for a friend.)

Each full kit is $40 and includes:
Additional kits without the stamp set are $30 each.
Other supplies, not included, needed to complete the project:
  • Liquid Glass or other strong adhesive
  • 3-D Foam Tape 
  • Black Dye Ink Pad

(click on the photos to enlarge)
  

All of the goodies you make will fit inside the elegant box which looks nice displayed on a desk. You will also learn how to make a cardstock insert for the inside of the box that will separate the journal and pen from the cards and envelopes.

 

You will learn how to stamp on a Canvas Journal using the 1" x 1" Black Pigment Ink Pad which is included in your kit. (There are some tricks that I will share that make it easier to stamp on our journals.)


 You will learn how to make 5 accordion folded cards with a hidden spot inside for you to write a message to the recipient.


You will also learn how to make a flower pen using one of the 3-D flowers and leaves on the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge.


ETA: Thank you for the wonderful response. 
This class is now full, and all kits are sold out. Sorry.

To find out more about my monthly “no-commitment” Creative Club, click here. You do not need to be local to participate.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Only one more day to join my team and get extra perks!


When I first decided to join Close to my Heart as a Consultant 8-1/2 years ago, I primarily did it to get a discount on the great products for myself. The New Consultant Kit (which was 4 times the cost as it is now) and discounts were a great way to build my stash of wonderful, crafty products. I had no intention of building a big business.

After receiving my kit and playing with the products for a short time, I realized that I had found something truly special.  I found that being part of CTMH was more than just getting a discount on some great products. I became aware of all of the amazing perks that came with being a CTMH Consultant. Plus, I was now part of a family of other Consultants who shared my crazy passion for paper crafting and I had access to some fantastic training tools that helped me become a more creative and more confident crafter.

Who would have thought that 8-1/2 years later I would have turned my hobby into a lucrative business? I am thrilled to have a wonderful, thriving team of women all across the country who share my passion for paper crafting. Many of them signed up for the same reason that I did—simply to get a discount for themselves on some great paper crafting products. Many have also decided to build a thriving business. The best thing is that they can all decide for themselves what they want to do with their CTMH business. (I have a Team Facebook Group where we all connect and get to know each other even though we are spread out throughout the country.)

I would love for you to have the same opportunity! Did you know that right now you can join CTMH for as little as $49? Plus if you sign up by April 30th, you can also get the upcoming four Stamps of the Month for FREE! That’s an additional $72 value! Plus you have the opportunity to earn up to $200 more in FREE products in your first 90 days with our Straight to the Top Program and my personal incentive program for my team members!

Feel free to visit my New Consultant FAQs page for answers to many of the most common questions I receive about joining my team including: “What’s in the Kit?” and “What happens if I don’t do anything once I order my kit?”

Have more questions? Feel free to contact me. I would love to chat with you about all of the opportunities available to you.

Ready to sign up and take advantage of this GREAT deal? Click here to fill out the online application.

Sunday, April 28, 2013

"My Sunshine" Card


My friend, and incredibly talented fellow Consultant, Sara Batkin sent me this adorable card last week. She used Close to my Heart’s April Stamp of the Month called My Sunshine along with some papers from the Claire Collection. Isn’t it a sweet card?


Thank you Sara! 
xoxo

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Buzz and Bumble - Friend Card


I have another Buzz and Bumble card to share with you today. This one uses the For a Friend stamp set.  I masked out the word “friend” when I stamped the background in Cocoa ink onto a piece of Colonial White cardstock. Then I masked out the rest of the image and re-stamped it directly on top in Creme Brulee ink. (Close to my Heart’s clear acrylic stamps made it so easy to line up!)

It is a little hard to see, but I also stamped the bird/floral image from the Fabulous You stamp set to get a tone on tone effect in the background. To finish off the card, I hand cut little banner shapes on the bottom.


Friday, April 19, 2013

A Sweet Gift from a Sweet Friend


My sweet friend Jen Patrick gave me this adorable frame this week along with a beautiful card! I know I have shared this before, but one of my favorite things about being a Close to my Heart Consultant are the friends that I have made. Jen is not only a fabulous artist and great Consultant, but she is also so much fun to hang out with. I admire her for so many reasons!


Check out the CA-UTE 3-D flowers she made with the Artiste Cricut cartridge. I love the bling she added to the center!

The card she made for me is super cute too. I love how it swings open on both sides. I’d show you the inside, but she wrote me a special “secret” message. *Ü*

Thanks Jen for my awesome gift!!! Big hugs coming your way!


Sunday, April 14, 2013

Only $49?


What was the last thing you spent $49 to buy? Was it a pair of shoes or a cute shirt? Perhaps it was lunch or dinner at a local favorite restaurant? Can you even remember? What is that purchase doing for you today?

What would you say if I told you that you could start a new business that could change your life for just $49? It’s true. A few years ago I joined Close to my Heart because I loved the products so much that I wanted to be able to get a discount on future purchases for myself. Who would have thought that 8-1/2 years later, my life would be changed by that purchase. (By the way, the New Consultant Kit at that time was FOUR times the cost!)

There are so many benefits to becoming a CTMH Consultant that I didn't even know about until after I joined. The discount on the amazing products was great, but the friendships, the creative growth, and the leadership experience are all things that I never thought about at the time.

I would LOVE for you to be able to experience all of that as well! For just $49 you can start the journey of a lifetime. Plus, if you join by April 30th, you will also get FOUR extra stamps of the month absolutely free in addition to all of the goodies in the New Consultant Kit. You will also be part of an amazing team that consists of over 165 Consultants all across the country!


Here are some great videos about becoming a Close to my Heart Consultant that might help answer some of your questions.

Have more detailed questions? Click here for my New Consultant FAQs page.

Still have more questions? Feel free to contact me. I’d love to chat with you about this wonderful opportunity!

Ready to sign up now? Click the image below for the online application.


Saturday, April 13, 2013

Sweet as Honey Card


The Buzz and Bumble Collection is filled with such fun designs and images. I created this little pocket card using the Buzz and Bumble papers, the Honeycomb stamp set, and the stamp set that comes in the Buzz and Bumble Workshop on the Go kit. (I love the little bee in the WOTG stamp.)

I started with a 6" x 7" piece of Créme Brulee cardstock. After stamping once side with the barbed wire image from the Distressed Background stamp set, I scored and folded the 7" side at 2-1/2". I added adhesive to the edges and then folded it up to create the pocket. A piece of 2-1/2" x 6" brown patterned paper was added to cover the front of the pocket. I used a corner rounder to round the edges.

The inside card is a matted piece of 4" x 5-1/2" Colonial White Cardstock. After stamping the honeycomb on the bottom and the bee, trail, and sentiment at the top, I colored in the bee with some Créme Brulee markers. Then I added some Stardust Glitz Glitter Gel to his wings.


To finish off the card I dyed a piece of Color-Ready Seam Binding Ribbon with some Cocoa Re-inker and tied it around the card base. I cut a small strip of brown stripes from another of the Buzz and Bumble patterned papers and adhered it to the top of the ribbon, wrapping it around the card. I tied another bow around it with a piece of Hemp Baker's Twine from the Mini Medley Accents - Wooden Collection. The sentiment on the tiny tag is from the Keepsake Alphabet stamp set.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

It's a Cricut Party!


Whether you use one Cricut-cut piece or several, you can create cute party favors and decorations using your Artiste cartridge. Combine your Cricut pieces with unique stamping techniques and you have projects that will knock your guests’ socks off! Want some recipes and tips for how to make this adorable artwork? Below are instructions for creating two pieces from the “Clearly the Best: How to kiss—with stamps” episode. Combine the Cricut-cut pieces for these projects with the kissing stamping technique taught in the video, and you have a stellar 3-D item! Want to learn more about the kissing stamping technique? Click here to watch the video.

Recipes and Tips

Party Banner
Stamp set of your choice
X5668 Honey Cardstock
X5764 Pear Cardstock
1272 Cranberry Cardstock
Z2197 Pear Exclusive Inks® Pad
Z2163 White Daisy Exclusive Inks® Pad
Z1751 Baker’s Twine Harvest Assortment
Z1311 1¼" Circle Punch
Cricut® Shapes:
Artiste
1" Shift+3D Object (cut 56, p. 57)


Art Tip! This banner only uses one type of Cricut shape, but the finished product is still stunning. Use stamp kissing to randomly stamp across the pieces using the stamp set of your choice. Score with the help of the Cricut-cut score lines on the shape and piece together to create little globes. Tie together with baker’s twine and voila!

Owl Miss You Bag
1385 White Daisy Cardstock
1292 Crystal Blue Cardstock
X5668 Honey Cardstock
X5930 Slate Cardstock
Z2162 Honey Exclusive Inks® Pad
Z2117 Crystal Blue Exclusive Inks® Pad
Z1349 Shimmer Designer Brads
Z1752 Sparkles Clear Assortment
Z1311 1¼" Circle Punch
Twist Ties
Thread
Cricut® Shapes:
Artiste
4½" 3D Object (p. 77)
4½" Shift+3D Object (cut 2, p. 77)
1" Shift+Accent 2 (p. 51)



Art Tip! This project uses many Cricut® shapes and all the pieces coordinate so nicely for an adorable finished product. Use the Artiste assembly booklet to put the bag together and then add the embellishments. The feathers are created with punched circles that are stamped using the kissing technique; however, if you don’t have the circle punch, you can easily make these using the Cricut as well. The eyes were created using Shimmer designer brads, but you can use any large brad or button to create the same look. Finish with the “owl miss you sentiment” for a special touch.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Chantilly Mother's Day Card



I just can’t get enough of the pretty Chantilly papers. I made this simple Mother’s Day card using one of Close to my Heart’s White Daisy Die-Cut Cards as the base. The sentiment is from the Perfect Fit — Mom stamp set. I love our “Perfect Fit” sets because they all have images that perfectly fit shapes on either the Art Philosophy or Artiste Cricut cartridges. Check out all of the other “Perfect Fit” sets.


I think this one will be going to my Mother-in-law. *Ü*

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Paper Doll Card



One of my talented downline, Regina Hardy, made this adorable card using the new Paper Doll stamp set and the Chantilly Paper Packet. I thought it was so darn cute that I asked her if I could share it on my blog and she graciously agreed. Thanks Regina! *Ü*

If you have never visited Regina’s blog, hop on over and take a peek. She is very creative.


Isn’t the stamp set darling? I can’t wait to make some fun projects with it myself.

Monday, April 1, 2013

April Club Kit - Hinged Display Tray


April’s Creative Club will be held on Thursday, April 18th at 7pm. This month we will be making a fun home decor item using Close to my Heart’s new Hinged Display Tray and the Claire Collection. You can choose to make your Display Tray with a feminine, masculine, or neutral theme. This would make a great Mother’s Day gift!

Each kit is $28 and includes:
Other supplies, not included, needed to complete the project:
You will have the freedom to create your tray any way you like. The instructions will show samples of both feminine and masculine options. You can mix and match the ideas to create a final project that is customized to your photos. 

(click on the photos to enlarge)
  









ETA: Thank you for the wonderful response. 
This class is now full, and all kits are sold out. Sorry.

To find out more about my monthly “no-commitment” Creative Club, click here. You do not need to be local to participate.

Sign Up and Celebrate!

Sign Up and Celebrate! - April Promotion 


I am so excited about the April promotion that I couldn't wait to share it with you! For those of you who have been waiting for a sign up promotion, I am happy to announce that during the month of April when you sign up to become a Close to my Heart Consultant, you will receive a little something extra for joining the Close To My Heart family—the April, May, June, and July Stamp of the Month stamp sets for FREE! These D-size stamp sets are great for a new Consultant to create artwork, bring to Gatherings, and show off to everyone. (Not to mention that they are so stinkin’ cute!) That's an additional $70 value added to your kit! Now that’s a reason to celebrate!

If you have ever thought about turning your hobby into a lucrative business, this opportunity is perfect for you!

OR

If you have ever wondered how you could get all the CTMH products that you want for you and your friends at a great discount, this opportunity is perfect for you!

OR

If you would like to have access to Studio J online scrapbooking, for you and your friends at a huge discount, this opportunity is perfect for you!

OR 

If you just want to get $225 worth of fabulous product for only $49, this opportunity is perfect for you.

Whether you want to start a booming business, be a hobbyist and get a great discount on all of your CTMH products, buy and/or sell online digital scrapbooking, or even just take advantage of purchasing the kit to get the goodies at a great price, this kit is a GREAT deal! And if you ARE interested in building a business, I would love to help you achieve your goals and dreams!

Have questions? Visit my New Consultant FAQ page for information on all of the wonderful benefits of joining my team.

Ready to take advantage of this great deal? Sign up here.

*No additional shipping/handling or tax will be applied for the free stamp sets. Only new Consultants who sign up during the month of April will qualify for the free stamp sets. Offer valid April 1–30, 2013.