Hello with Whimsy and Rustic Home

My card today showcases some of the new beautiful prints in the Whimsy Fundamentals paper and some earthy Rustic Home kraft paper. The finishing touches to this card are definitely the Hello Thin Cut, Rustic twine looking ribbon and those itty bitty staples in the center of the heart.

Not visible in the photo is a piece of vellum over the top of the diagonal striped flaxen paper. It just lightly mutes the color and gives the entire card some softness. I originally made this card as a congrats/welcome card to my nephew and his wife who just had their third baby, but you could use this style card for many more occasions.

All of these new products are available now in the 2016-17 Annual Inspiration Idea Book. Find all of these goodies online here and don't forget that you can get that Rustic Home paper free this month with a qualifying order.

Oh Hello!

With only 2 days until the newest Annual Inspiration book release, this card is a little sneaky! A sneak peek that is! Feast you eyes on some new items coming very, very soon as I play along with the sketch on Freshly Made Sketches this week!

I can't tell you about all the new stuff yet, but get ready for some crafty goodness coming to my updated website on Monday morning. Log on at www.amysart.closetomyheart.com

Hello H2H Sketch Challenge

It's been awhile that I've played along with Heart 2 Heart Challenges. Its a sketch challenge this week. I was able to use up some Cricut cuts I did some time ago and added the pretty Springtime Wishes flowers that were pre-cut with the thin cuts. Just a bit of white & gold ribbon and some bling in the corner and this card is complete!

Soft Cactus?!

Is it possible for cactus to be soft? Sure, especially when they have beautiful Close To My Heart watercolors! This card was inspired by another CTMH consultant Aaron Brown. I just loved the soft color choices and the water color background.

This card will be part of my Watercolor Workshop happening next month.Attendees will not only learn to blend watercolors on images and backgrounds, but they will get to use the Thin Cuts and Stuck on You stamps. These are all amazing products that will keep your creative juices flowing!

Hello, Life! Saying Goodbye!

National Stamping Month is almost over!

You only have a few days to order your Hello, Life! scrapbooking, pocket or card-making stamp sets. When they're gone, they're gone! See more details on the Current Specials tab or order online here.

Hello Little Lovely Flower Jar

I have been fascinated for quite some time with mason jar crafts. From food gifts to home lighting, even scrapbook projects, these jars have endless possibility! You can imagine how happy I was to see a mason jar with flowers on the new Artistry cartridge. It is just adorable and so easy to size and cut out.

For this card I was inspired by some colors I saw recently on a shopping excursion. I'm especially fascinated with the hints of gold with these coral and mint colors. Many of us have also found an interest in painting, particularly a spray or splat of paint on our projects. For this card though I practically cheated on the splats as I used the nifty Ink Blot {D1660} stamp set found in the new Annual Inspirations book. I am entering this card on Heart 2 Heart Challenges this week for their "Splat" theme!

Close up of the splats! 

There's that awesome "hello" sentiment again! Don't forget that you can get the amazing National Stamping Month sets at a discounted price when you buy all three. They will only be available this month, special ends September 30th.

Hello September!

So many crafter's have been waiting for this day! September marks the beginning of the brand new 2015-16 Annual Inspirations Idea Book. Close To My Heart has also released the Holiday Expessions mini book where you can find all sorts of inspiration for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas! You will have plenty of time to prepare for the upcoming Holidays, but pace yourself with all the amazing new products featured in the annual catalog!

I have books available or you can view it online by clicking the image on the right side bar.

As if all the new books & products weren't enough....It's also National Stamping Month!

September is National Stamping Month, and this year Close To My Heart has something to help every kind of papercrafter say a big “hello” to life! 

Available only during the month of September, these exclusive C-size My Acrylix^® Hello, Life! stamp sets can be purchased for $13.95 USD / $16.50 CAD each! 

Or, for an even better deal, you can purchase all three for only $34.95 USD / 41.50 CAD—a savings of $6.90 USD / $8 CAD! 

Each stamp set is designed to fit with a specific type of papercrafting, whether that’s scrapbooking, cardmaking, or pocket scrapbooking. However, all the stamp sets coordinate with each other and can be used together to create dynamic artwork. 

These stamp sets also coordinate with shapes from the new Cricut^® Artistry collection to help expand your artwork options even further. Remember, these stamp sets are available for one month only, so get your orders in for one stamp set—or all three—before these gorgeous stamps disappear! 

Make certain to follow Close To My Heart’s blog, Instagram, and Facebook page for artwork inspiration featuring these lively stamp sets all month long. You can post your own artwork to your social media channels using the hashtag #ctmhHelloLife.

Dates: Offer valid September 1, 2015 (9:00 am MDT)–September 30, 2015 (11:59 pm MDT).

Finally, what's a new month without a gorgeous stamp set at a discounted price. You can find all the Stamp of the Month stamp sets in the back of the Holiday Expressions Idea Book. (no longer contained in the Annual Inspirations book) Paper Garden will make your creativity bloom! Find more details on the Current Specials tab at the top or shop online here.

My Crate Card Club meets up again in just a few weeks and I also have a fun Halloween Layout class to share. September will be sensational, stay tuned for more artwork and inspiration!

Lovely Mini's

I love creating mini cards, especially when I get to use some new products! Each of these cards feature some new papers or stamp set offered in the Seasonal Expressions Idea Book. You will also notice some adorable Puffies on each of them too!

They just keep getting cuter as you scroll down right?! Remember that many items featured in the Seasonal Expressions book are available for a limited time.