September is ending!

Well, obviously I'm having too much fun this month because September is almost over! Did you get some new goodies? Create with any new special products? Did you at least stamp something for National Stamping Month?!!!!

Here is what I have been up to with some of the newest goodies that will be available for just a few more days!

Share the Season~

Perk Up with Pumpkin Spice~

"BOO"~ tacular Halloween Cards and Complete Creativity Cricut Layout~

These are just a few of the new, fantastic products that are available now! You can always find more artwork on my Instagram. (link in right hand column) Please also check out my website for all the latest promotions and specials. Do your shopping there too, but don't wait too long!

Welcome September!

I love the month of September! Perhaps because it is my wedding anniversary month, my birthday month, cooler weather....or maybe because it is time for all NEW Idea Books, products and time to celebrate National Stamping Month!

Close to My Heart is offering a ton of great new products and programs. Please check out the right side bar for links to the new books, subscription programs, specials and new Cricut link.

I will be back soon to show off some of the new goodies and classes I'm working on including the upcoming Share the Seasons Christmas card class I'm hosting at the end of this week.

Here is a sneak peek of some of the items and artwork~

Come back and visit soon for more inspiration!

August has Workshops!

This month Close To My Heart has some great offers on getting crafty with Workshops. Whether your a scrapbook crafter or a card maker you will fall in love with the workshop kits that CTMH has to offer! To sweeten the deal you can purchase your second workshop at 35% off regular price.

Before I give you the details on this month's promotion, I would like to share an album I created for my new nephew due to make his appearance in October. This album is an example of what you can create on your own with papers and embellishments offered in a complimenting assortment in the Idea Book. The album was a mini wooden album offered back near Father's Day. It can be purchased individually which is what I opted for then added to the pages with the Into the Wild papers and complements.

As you can see I used many different papers, images from the cut-apart sheet, complements, wooden and chipboard pieces, picture my life cards and some Cricut cut images too! It was a little time consuming and there is certainly no template to follow, purely all out of my own imagination!

Sometimes I can take my time for a project like this, but that is not always the case. If you also struggle to find the time or creativity, but want to get your photos preserved and documented you would definitely benefit from a workshop kit.

On my website you will see this image. Click on more information and it will list all the kits included in this sale. You will find scrapbooking kits at various levels and card making kits that are super easy and fun! Once you try a kit I guarantee you will be hooked!

If you want a mini album kit with all you need and simple instructions included, I recommend you try the Craft On Everyday Life Album.

You’ll learn the fun 3-2-1 scrapbooking technique that focuses on using 3″, 2″, and 1″ paper pieces to build and decorate your layouts. Download the workshop instructions and order your workshop kit plus any of the additional supplies you need directly from my website. 

You will also see the Seaside Bring Back my Pack promotion and as always the Stamp of the Month at a discounted price!

Christmas in July

I will be hosting a Christmas in July card workshop later this week. I wanted to share the cards and tell you about some of the products that I am using as they are only available this month!

Here is the assortment of cards that we will be creating~

You might be wondering how can you do a Christmas themed card workshop when there is not a Holiday Idea Book with Christmas papers yet? Thinking out of the Christmas box you will discover that the Into the Woods papers are great for Christmas or Winter themed cards. Add in some stamped images, Cricut cuts and Thin cuts and you have wonderful holiday themed cards!

Two stamp sets I used are actually found in card making workshops in the current catalog. Those are the You're Awesome kit and the Thinking of You kit. These stamps are sold only in the card making kits with all the materials you need to design 12 handmade cards. Why not make a beautiful set of cards with the kit and then find more uses for the stamp set later!

I have also used the July Stamp of the Month named appropriately, Bear Hugs! You can get this stamp for only $5 with a qualifying purchase this month only. Bear and cub are perfect for a Christmas card!

Finally, you may also notice the Falala card with punched out circles. This is a band new Thin Cut only available through a promotion called Share the Joy! You can get more details on this special going on throughout the month of July on my website. The cool part is you have the option to purchase the thin cuts only, stamps only, or the complete bundle of products at a discount.

As you can see I have incorporated the monthly specials with current/available products to create unique Christmas cards. Sleigh bells will be ringing soon, will you be ready?!

Beautiful Moments Crafting On

I shared a layout I created using the Cut Above layout from the Craft with Heart subscription. This layout featured the Craft On collection which I altered the papers and embellishments with some older Prickly Pear items. Here is the original layout from the subscription box to remind you.

If you look carefully at this layout and the one I created in the previous post you will notice that I did not use the yellow flowers, some of the title and the polka dot and black stickers on the bottom portion of the page. Not to let any goods go to waste I repurposed them in another layout featuring the Craft On papers and embellishments. Take a look.

Pretty clever huh! I pulled in some of the cut-apart pieces and papers from some older mix-in packets too adding a pop of yellow stripe and Lagoon!

See all of the Craft On collection in the newest Seasonal Expressions Idea Book or online here.

Thinking Outside of the Box! Plus, It's June!

Hello friends!

Welcome to a new month and new specials! June has some great specials to continue your scrapbooking, gift giving and all things summer!

First, I would like to say that I just started my summer with a quick trip to sunny Southern California to see our son and spend time as family. I am just embarking on my summer adventures which will hopefully include more crafting time with all the new products.

One of the new items I've been wanting to play with is the scrapbooking pages from the current Craft With Heart Subscription Box. I really liked the layout for the month of August which features the Craft On papers. I however, was not thrilled with the floral papers and wanted a burst of color to match the pictures I took in California! So I thought out of the box and pulled in some older Prickly Pear papers. The perfect match!

Here is what the original layout looks like in the Cut Above guide~

Big difference it makes! It was easy to change up though, I only needed to add some papers to the existing base and change up the embellishments. The "sunshine" title remained and I added the "California" from the Hello USA Cricut cartridge.

Here is a look at the layout with photo's~

I feel like the Cut Above kits gives you a good launch board towards creativity, yet allows you freedom to put your own flare on it!

Speaking of getting a head start towards creativity! Check out the special for this month.

FREE Layout Kits with Select Stamp Sets!

Celebrate the best moments during June with four My Acrylix® stamp sets and coordinating layout kits designed to preserve some of your favorite memories. This special features three stamp sets from our Seasonal Expressions idea book and one exclusive set—Then & Now—designed just for this special. 

For this month only, we’ve paired each of these stamp sets with materials for creating a 2-page scrapbooking layout at no additional cost! You pay the price of the stamp set and get the layout materials FREE—a savings of up to 40%!

Save an additional 25% by purchasing all four kits as part of the special The Best Moments Are Free bundle! You can also get one of these workshop kits FREE when you become a Consultant or host a qualifying party in June!

Take a look at some of the kits you can purchase online or get the bundle!

Please log onto my website for more details and to see all the purchasing options!

Let's not forget about Dad's and Grad's this month either! We have a special mini album that is geared for Dad's, but would make a great graduation gift also with a few changes!

You can find all the details included for this promotion also on my website here. The bundle is the best deal and will make your project super easy to put together in time for Dad! 

Last, but not least, a super pretty Stamp of the Month. It's Your Day to Sparkle is the sweetest cake stamp great for wedding, anniversaries and birthdays.

As always you can get this special stamp at a discounted price for the month of June only. Follow the hashtag #ctmhitsyoudaytosparkle or search for it on Pinterest for more ideas using this lovely stamp.

Thank you for stopping by, hope you have lots of crafty fun this summer!

World is Yours Cards Too!

Hello! Hope you are enjoying National Scrapbooking Month so far! The World is Yours collection is great for all those moments we will celebrate not only in May, but throughout the year! However, the papers and exclusive stamp set from this collection can be used for making cards also. Here are a couple cards I created with that cute bicycle image.

You can simply stamp the bike on a piece of cardstock or you can fussy-cut the image and add it to your project. Don't forget that flowers and leaves make great background stamps! Be sure to check out all the options available this month and other specials going on online! Have an adventurous day!

National Scrapbooking Month ~ The World is Yours

May is National Scrapbooking Month! To celebrate Close To My Heart has several options to capture your most treasured memories. The World is Yours kit has options for traditional 12x12 scrapbookers, mini-album experts or those crafters addicted to pocket pages! With all the gorgeous papers, embellishments, tools and an exclusive stamp set you'll be set for the month. Plus, you will have access to all sorts of downloadable artwork from the website. Here are a few pages I made with some help from those designs.

Don't you just love the titles throughout these pages?! This look is achieved by cutting the letters on your Cricut on the base page. Before adhering them you can back them with any colored cardstock that you choose. This is all available online to create yourself and will include the download for your Cricut machine. (as long as you own the cartridges)

I did change up some of the paper colors, embellishments and orientation of the photo's on the right side page. You have the freedom to change is as you like or keep it exactly as shown on the workshop.

This next single page layout is an absolute stunner! Shaker cards are all the rage, but have you ever seen a giant shaker page? This is awesome! The shaker is made with a cut-out map from the Cricut, some foam and the transparent layer to contain your sequins/sparkles is from a 12x12 page protector cut to fit!

Again I changed up some of the papers and colors, but you can download and create this page exactly as shown in the guide. Now to find the perfect photograph to showcase on this incredible page!

There are more creations to come, plus some super easy Cut-Above layout too. I'll be back soon to show you more options! In the meantime have a happy scrapbooking month!