Online Exclusives Available Now: Marbled Elegance and Otterly Adorable

Two new online exclusive suites are available starting today!

The Marbled Elegance collection includes beautiful marbled DSP in Cherry Cobbler, Real Red, Melon Mambo, Flirty Flamingo, Petal Pink, Basic White, and touches of gold, two new stamp set and dies bundles, gold twine, clear gift bags, and more.  

The second collection is Otterly Adorable and lives up to its name!  You will love the Riverside Pearl adhesive gems and Lost Lagoon satin cord in addition to the stamp set, dies, and DSP.  

You can find both of these exclusive collections HERE!

July Specials

Hold on to your craft mats, because Stampin' Up! is dropping all kinds of amazing products tomorrow at midnight (7/3)!  The final installment of Close To My Heart products will launch along with two suites plus two more new bundles.  BONUS DAYS also start, where you will earn a $5 coupon for every $50 you spend through July 31.

Search for:

• Close To My Heart July Products

• Seasons of Green and Gold suite
• Iconic Celebration suite

• Changing Leaves bundle

• Spells & Potions bundle

March at CTMH

If you haven't already heard the news, Close To My Heart announced earlier this week that they are closing their doors.  Having been with them for over 25 years (24 as a Maker), I am deeply saddened by this news.  On the bright side, business will go on as usual for March and April.  After April, I will no longer be affiliated with CTMH, and they will officially close their doors at the end of June.

While I don't have firm plans yet, I do know that I plan to continue to share my love of papercrafting with you in whatever new endeavor I choose.  I would like to finish out my last two months with CTMH in the best possible way!  Thank you for being part of this amazing chapter of my life!

Let the March madness begin!  Grab all the cardstock you need to stock up on during Cardstock Carnival, with savings on cardstock packs, bundles, and exclusive die cut borders!  (Read all about it HERE.)

Isn't the March stamp of the month, Just Chicken In, adorable?!?  You can get it with or without Thin Cuts.  I can't wait to create and share with you!

The final installment of CTMH's amazing idea books is HERE!  Place an order of any size and receive your free copy of this beauty.

If you've read this far, then I would appreciate a comment of support.  If you don't have a current CTMH Maker, then it would mean a lot if you made a purchase from me between now and April 30.  Again, times are changing, but I will still be here papercrafting!  Thanks for your support!

National stamping month plaid stencil card

 This card was fun to make with the National Stamping Month Say It Style plaid stencils!

I used Honey Butter and Journey.  Next time I'll alternate the colors on both sides.  You can find the stencils and more HERE!

A Gnome for All Seasons- Autumn Hiking Layout

The current A Gnome for All Seasons- Autumn special features a fun autumn paper collection and lots more.  (You can find it here!)

I had fun creating this layout of us hiking!  The strips of paper measure 3-4" x 10".   I added a few sticker embellishments and a few enamel gems from the (retired) Cozy Up collection. 

Be sure to get your gnomes before they're gone!

Hello September!

August has come and gone with back to school on my part, and I can't believe how poorly I've neglected this blog!  (I've kept up a bit better on my Facebook page HERE if you're interested.)

September means TWO NEW Idea Books, the Essentials available for the year and the September-October collection.  You can virtually flip through both of them HERE.

This month's specials include the continuation of the Memory Lane and Gnomes for Autumn collections!

We also have a beautiful stamp of the month, Thoughtful Tokens.

I look forward to getting crafty and sharing more this month!  I hope you'll join me!

The Bee’s Knees Meets Cape Cod Meets Dream Maker

Although this card does not include any of the Dream Maker paper, I used a sketch from the Dream Maker card making workshop, and I LOVE how it turned out.  (I hope you do too!)

Each of the triangles is half of a 2“ x 4 1/2“ rectangle, cut on the diagonal. I ended up adding some really old, retired paper from my stash that happened to be out on my work table, and matches the Lagoon in Cape Cod. I had a lot of fun using an onion bag, sponge, and periwinkle ink to make the pretty textured background at the top of the card front.

I stamped the crab in Periwinkle and the coral in Toffee (from the Cape Cod Scrapbooking stamp set & Thin Cuts). I love the sentiment from the July stamp of the month, The Bee's Knees, so I stamped Hi in Bluebird on a Stitched Rectangle Thin Cut panel.  A little acrylic "sea glass" shell from the Cape Cod embellishments finished off this card perfectly (if I do say so myself). 

Hope you're all having a great summer!

The Bee’s Knees Banner Card

This card uses the pretty July stamp of the month, The Bee's Knees, and a sketch from Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 4.  

After stamping the bee on the White Daisy panel, I colored it with a yellow and Alpine Green Spectrum Noir Tri-Blend marker then added shimmer with a clear shimmer brush.  The banners are from the Bring Back My Pack For Always collection plus Honey Butter cardstock. 

I wish that you could see this shimmer and sparkle in real life!

Dream Maker Anniversary Layout

When I bought the National Scrapbooking Month special collection, Dream Maker, I was planning to use it for some of our travel photos (and I still plan to do that), but it seemed just perfect with the pictures we took of our recent anniversary.

My layout was inspired by the Dream Maker Scrapbooking Workshop, but of course I had to make it my own to fit my photos. As you can see by the 4 x 4 photo mat, I forgot to order a picture of the beautiful orchid he gave me, so I’ve added it to my desktop "To Print" folder and will get it printed in my next batch.

Most of the embellishments are from the Cardstock Carnival die cuts (a special offer earlier this year) with some acrylic shapes thrown in for more color and dimension.

Part of me thinks I might need a few more black accents, but I think I am going to leave it as is.  I don't want to "gild the lily" for sure!

Do not be afraid to mix old and new products together!

The Bee’s Knees Meets Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #531

The Close To My Heart July stamp of the month, The Bee's Knees, has so many possibilities!  When I saw Sketch #531 at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge, I wanted to give it a try.  (I love using sketches to help me create pretty projects, and this one is no exception.)

I decided to use the current Bring Back My Pack special, For Always, with its beautiful black and white designs.  I paired it with Honey Butter to fit the bee theme.  After fussy cutting the bee, I colored it with the Spectrum Noir TriBlend darkest Citrus Blend and lightest Alpine Green.  After adhering the bee to my card, I colored its bum (technically its abdomen) again with my Honey Butter shimmer brush and then brushed Clear shimmer brush over the wings.  See that pretty sparkle?

Here's the actual sketch for reference:

You've only got a day left to join this particular sketch challenge, but the July stamp of the month, The Bee's Knees, is available all month long.  (If you're interested, you can learn more HERE.)  Thanks for buzzing by!

July CTMH Specials

How in the world can the year be half over already?!?  We have moved into the dog days of summer as July begins.  Here are peeks at this month's Close To My Heart specials.  (You can find everything HERE.)

First, we have a brand new Idea Book with exclusive products for July and August!

The Bee's Knees is July's stamp of the month, and this set of 15 stamps is only available through the end of the month for $5 with a minimum $50 purchase (or FREE if you're a VIP with a $50 purchase) or for $18.95 if you'd prefer not to spend $50 to get the discounted price.

The Bring Back My Pack special is featuring the beautiful For Always collection, and is available while supplies last until the end of July.

We have a new special collection called Memory Lane with its own beautiful paper pack, stamp set, and scrapbooking and cardmaking workshops.  Again, these items are available while supplies last, but through the end of August.

Again, you can find all this (and more!) right HERE!
 

Dream Maker Celebrate Card

The papers of the gorgeous Dream Maker collection have sold out already, but hopefully you'll find a little inspiration from this Celebrate card.

I used the Pennant Alphabet Thin Cuts to cut these banners quickly and easily.  What are you celebrating?

Hello, June!

 Hello June and happy summer!  Close To My Heart has some beautiful special offers this month!

The June stamp of the month is aptly named, Botanical Shadows.  I am really looking forward to creating with this set!

June is also a celebration of our color of the year with Melon Mania!  In addition to our current Melon products, CTMH has designed exclusive products available this month only (including an adorable stamp set).  You can find all the Melon Mania HERE.

Finally, the gorgeous Dream Maker collection is still available through the end of the month, while supplies last.  Oh my goodness, this collection is even more beautiful in person!

Change of Scenery, Layout #1

When I saw the National Scrapbooking Day special, Change of Scenery, I knew that I wanted to use my pictures from our hike in the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest for one of the layouts.  (BTW, this kit is still available while supplies last only!)

Since I had so many photos from this fun hike, I decide to go off script and create two 6"x12" flip flaps to incorporate all my photos.  (I did add one piece of White Daisy and one piece of Toffee cardstock to the kit- plus the flip flaps- to create what I envisioned.)   Here is a close up of the left page opened up.

I forgot that I also used a scrap of White Daisy plus some of the leftover Pine cardstock for my journaling spot.

For both pages, I added leftover strips of torn "cloud" paper to the top to help mimic the feel of the layout.  On the right page, I knew that I wanted to include at least two pictures vertically to help give a feel for the incredible height of many of the trees in this forest.  I also added some scraps of patterned paper leftover from the workshop to add more interest to the finished page.

Paper tearing is a fun technique to add a rustic twist to your projects!  Please give it a try!

Hello, April!

Can you believe that we are already a quarter of the way through 2023?!?  No fooling on this first of April!  As always, CTMH has some exciting specials to offer this month. 

Let's start with the unveiling of the new April-June Idea Book!  So much spring and summer goodness in there!  Read all about it HERE.

First up is the April stamp of the month, Sweet Tweets, an adorable set of 17 bird-themed stamps.  Of course it's a favorite of mine!  Learn more HERE.

Our famous CARDSTOCK CARNIVAL celebration is back again this year!  In addition to great savings on cardstock, check out the awesome die cut collections!  Read all about Cardstock Carnival HERE.

Our National Scrapbooking Day Celebration isn't just for scrappers!  This two-day virtual event on May 5 & 6 features five different product bundles and projects.  One great thing about CTMH virtual events is that you can always watch on replay at your convenience if you can't join live.  Learn more HERE.

If you're a scrabooker, then you should definitely consider investing in the upcoming Virtual Album Retreat.  You will NOT regret it.  (I've participated in two- and am currently finished the second one.)  Reach out if you have questions, but first learn more HERE.

Happy spring and happy April!

Happy 2023 with Close To My Heart (and Me)!

Happy 2023!  (Are you as surprised as I am that the new year is here already?!?  Where does the time go?)  Do you set goals or resolutions in the new year?  I don't really, but it is a good time to reflect and think about ways to do and be better.  I am looking forward to getting back into a better crafting groove.  I'm really excited about the newest Close To My Heart catalog, available now until the end of March!

The new "Are We There Yet?" collection (featured on the cover) is going to be perfect to use with photos of my big trip last year!

January brings an adorable "Frosty Days" stamp of the month featuring cute wintry woodland critters and trees.

The newest special offers three different, fun collections called "It's the Little Things."  Fun 6"x6" patterned paper pairs with three different stamp sets and stickers for three different workshops: a 12"x12" scrapbooking workshop (three 2-page layouts and one single layout), a mini album workshop (twenty 6"x6" pages), and a cardmaking workshop (two each of 18 different cards).  Learn more HERE- click on the Promotions tab!

Carryover specials include Now & Forever and Workshop Wow: Four Seasons.  (Click on their names to learn more.)

I look forward to sharing more of my artwork with you and getting back to regularly scheduled, in-person classes.  You can learn more about them on my Facebook page HERE. 

Best wishes to you and yours as we begin a new year together!  Happy 2023!

Heart2Heart Challenges: A Few of My Favorite Things

Our first December Heart2Heart challenge is "A Few of My Favorite Things," so of course I had to include scrapbooking, Close To My Heart, travel, and my family!  (I can't believe that I didn't stamp anything on this project- yet.  I'm not sure I'm finished with it.)

These photos are some of my final ones that need to be scrapbooked from our Awesome American Adventure last year.  I decided that the Flower Shoppe collection was a great fit with my photos (with less of a focus on the floral elements).  My scrapbook layout sketch came from the recent Flower Shoppe Workshop Wow Scrapbooking kit (these instructions are no longer available, but all of the Flower Shoppe collection is HERE).

On the left page, I had three photos that I wanted to use, so I am incorporating a flip flap to include three photos on the space of one.

I had fun using my black journaling pen to doodle and journal.  So far, I've used the paper pack +  stickers, cardstock pack, and acrylic shapes from this collection.  I may go back and stamp something also if that ends up helping my layout flow in the bigger pictures of my trip album.

Be sure to see all of our H2H designers' favorite things and add yours before the month ends right HERE!

November Card Class

How is it the end of November already?!?  I realized that I had not shared my November card class cards with you, so here we go!

This card uses the November stamp of the month, Christmas Snowflake Mandalas, with the Cherish collection.  I stamped the main French Vanilla panel with the largest snowflake in Pewter ink.  I then stamped it again on scrap in Mist, again in Mink, and once more in Seabrook to fussy cut all the different layers (with a little 3D foam tape in the middle).  I used Stickles & Liquid Pearls to accent the beautiful stamped image.  (This card did take a LOT of time to make, so it's probably not one that you would want to mass produce for your holiday greetings.  It's definitely worth it for some special someones though!)

The rest of my cards use the All Purpose Tags Thin Cuts.  

This first one still uses the Cherish collection paired with the From Me to You special offer stamp set, Just for You, and the November stamp of the month.

My second card uses the Cup of Cheer special offer stamp set with the Christmas Story collection.  Can you see the Gilt Gloss Spray background on the card front?

The fourth and final card uses the same stamp set, Cup of Cheer, with the skinnier tags and the Four Seasons- Winter paper pack.  Used some red Stickles to accent the hearts on the sentiment tag.

Hurry to take advantage of the November offers if you haven't already!  If you don't have a Close To My Heart Maker (consultant) already, feel free to shop HERE.  Please leave a comment telling me which card you like best.