Happy Fall!

I love watching the leaves change color this time of year. They look different every day! I am feeling the urge to get crafty again and I am loving this new Artbooking video from CTMH. How cute is the tree???

Freebies!

Life is sweet and so are these adorable designed paper pieces! Download them for free through October 31 and use them as cupcake flags or to wrap small chocolates and give the gift of sweet.

"A Chocolate Affair" and "You Are My Happy" Blog Hop

Greetings! I can't believe it is almost Fall! Time to get some crafting done :) I am excited to be a part of this blog hop to show some of the latest stamp specials that are available from Close To My Heart. You should have arrived from Michele's blog with her fun cards.

I had fun playing with "A Chocolate Affair" - I couldn't decide which kind of chocolate to make - just like when I am baking! I used colors and swatches from Pro Player. I was hesitating to use this because it is such a "guy" paper set but I found that the pages also work great as a neutral and I actually used an itty-bitty piece on top for my "sprinkles."  I also used my ever-handy Blending Pen to shade in the filling with my Ruby inkpad. Yum, I am going to go find some cake now! Head on over to see Lalia's Happy artwork!

All That Glitters

Happy Labor Day! Just wanted to share these two free e-cards from Close to My Heart. Click on the "Rediscover" link to the right to download these adorable cards to send to your friends! You have until September 30th :)

 

Be An Alpha Contest

Do you want to win a free E-size alphabet stamp set?

Take a look at this video and  share one “alpha” wish you have—the thing you would make happen if you were 100% in charge. My vote would be to have the time to craft 24/7! Watch the video to learn more details about the contest and how to enter. Our alphabet stamp sets now come on two 6"x6" carrier sheets that fit conveniently in your CTMH organizer! Now that’s something worth wishing for! Share your wish, simple or elaborate, and you may win a free E-sized alphabet stamp set of your choice from the new Autumn/Winter Idea Book.

Sweetening the Deal

FREE Stamp of the Month set in August with your qualifying order

 

August is an especially sweet time to shop—when you place an order of $50 or more during August, you’ll receive the August Stamp of the Month set, A Chocolate Affair (S1308A), FREE! This D-size stamp set with a retail value of $17.95 includes 16 images and sentiments that will have your friends salivating over your chocolatey layouts and cards. Make every project a treat with this must-have set.

*No additional tax will be applied for the free stamp set. Shipping/handling is calculated based on the full retail price of the stamp set ($17.95). Offer valid August 1-31, 2013.

Dates: Offer valid August 1–31, 2013.

It's Alive!!!!!!

The new Autumn/Winter Idea Book that is! There is so much stinkin' cute stuff in here that I don't even know where to start. How about with the cover page? :)  If you need a catalog let me know and I will send you one. I will be sharing lots of new artwork in the days to come. I have my hands on the new Artbooking Cricut cartridge and I am having so much fun playing with overlays and mini album layouts!!!!

Digital Pocket Life - CTMH Style

I first started hearing about Becky Higgins's PL scrapbooking style earlier this year and thought that it would be a great way for me to get one year of pictures done quickly. Rather than do a day-by-day album, I decided to do  monthly layouts in Studio J, CTMH "Pocket Life" style and get a lot of journaling done. That was the main goal - to get events documented so that some day I could go back and do traditional layouts if I chose. I created a template in Photoshop Elements and used a No Limits layout in Studio J. I then chose different themes for each of my pages. Here is my 2012 Pocket Life album, photos blurred for privacy. Since I made my album, CTMH has since added gridlines in Studio J so you can now do your own PL layout without having to create templates in Photoshop!

Turn Cans Into Pencil Cups!

I was tossing some large cat food cans into the recycling and thinking it was such a waste. Then I remembered seeing some upcycling ideas on Pinterest to make pencil cups out of tin cans and voila! We have cheap storage for my colored pencils, pens, and brushes! (Sterilized in the dishwasher of course!)

I used my fancy Pampered Chef can opener so that the edges would be smooth and then adhered my Chantilly paper to the cans with Royal Coat decoupage paste. I also put some red double stick tape along the top and bottom to make sure it would stick. Some snips at the top of the paper every half inch made it easy to fold over the can for a finished edge. After a few minutes, I put on a couple of coats of Royal Coat on the outside for protection. I like Royal Coat better than Mod Podge since it seems to dry completely without tackiness. Next time you are about to toss that empty soup or tomato can into the  recycle, make some fun storage for yourself!

Dream Pop Blog Hop!

It seems like PL (by Becky Higgins) is everywhere these days and I thought the new CTMH Dream Pop paper pack would be perfect for some journaling cards. I had just received the Sightseer stamp set and it turned out to be a great match with Dream Pop! I did sneak in the OK Smile...sentiment from last year's "It's Your Day" stamp set since it seemed to go with my theme. My teammates and I are showcasing different ideas for the National Scrapbooking Month special paper pack and if you are following our blog hop, you should have arrived from Michele's blog.

With all of the different patterns, bright colors, and textures in the paper and the various combinations I could make with this stamp set, I had a hard time stopping at just four cards. I plan to make a lot more! Please stay tuned for future Pocket Life ideas and a workshop.

If you are interested in the products I used to make my journal cards, see below for more information.Thanks for the visit. Now go check out Lalia's Blog for some great inspiration!

Sightseer Acrylic Stamp Set

$13.95 C1534

April-May 2013 National Scrapbooking Month Constant Campaign

Get the exclusive paper packet for only $10 when you spend $35!

In honor of National Scrapbooking Month, you can get the yummy Dream Pop paper packet for only $10 when you spend $35 in May (valued at $19.95 retail)! This exclusive paper packet includes 12 cardstock sheets as well as 12 B&T Duos^® papers that were specifically designed for this promotion only—you can’t get these sweet colors and patterns anywhere else! Start National Scrapbooking Month off right with a unique paper packet at a bargain price and get your creative juices flowing! Also, consider hosting this month: Hostesses receive one paper packet free with qualifying May Gathering sales totals of $400 or more.

*Shipping/handling and tax apply. Not available for purchase at full retail. Offer valid May 1–31, 2013, while supplies last. Qualifying purchases must be current, retail-priced product.

Dates: Offer valid May 1–31, 2013.

Easter Blog Hop

Happy first day of Spring!! I am excited to be part of an Easter blog hop with my fellow Close to My Heart teammates from Evergreen Memories. We will be showing off the latest papers, stamps, embellishments, and inks from the new 2013 Spring/Summer Idea Book.

If you started the hop elsewhere, you probably just came from Lalia's Blog. Welcome!

I used my favorite paper packet from the new catalog - Chantilly. The pastel colors make me think of ice cream and warm weather. Plus, they mix well with bold colors. I had fun playing with my Artiste Cricut cartridge and I was looking for an excuse to cut out the hot air balloon. The balloon makes me think of blue skies with puffy clouds and no rain in sight! The little bunny peeping in the grass was also cut on the Artiste cartridge, right down to his flower tail. The cloud in the background is actually negative space in the card base. I mounted white cardstock behind it and sponged lightly. For the "Easter" sentiment on the Cricut, I used our new glitter paper and had no problems cutting it. I hope you like my creation!

Materials Used:

• CTMH Chantilly Paper Packet X7163B
• CTMH Glitter Paper, Black & Grey Z1829
• CTMH Slate Cardstock X5930
• CTMH Artiste Cricut cartridge Z1790
• CTMH Workshop on the Go, Chantilly G1053 (cloud stamp)
• CTMH Twilight ink pad Z2160
• CTMH Baker's Twine, Paradise Assortment Z1702

If you would like to buy these products or would just like to browse in my Close to My Heart online store, just click here.   

Thank you so much for visiting my blog.  Now it's time to hop on over to see what surprise Cindy's Blog has in store for you!

Jump for Joy!

During the month of March, hostesses “jump” to the next level of Hostess Rewards when a Gathering reaches $250 or more! More discounts and more free products for hostesses. Now that’s a reason to jump for joy! This offer is valid until March 31, 2013. Contact me for more information.

Project Inspiration: Muslin Gift Bags

I think these new Close to My Heart stampable muslin gift bags are so cute! It is an easy technique too. I can't wait to try this when my muslin bags and pigment inks arrive. C'mon Fedex!