Thursday, February 25, 2016

How to Make a Large Paper Flower


Learn how to create an extra-large, papercrafted flower using the Charlotte paper packet, and Close To My Heart’s exclusive Cricut® cartidges. 

Monday, September 14, 2015

National Stamping Month—Hello, Life!


During the month of September, you can purchase any one of the exclusive C-size My Acrylix® Hello, Life! stamp sets for $13.95 USD / $16.50 CAD / $21 AUD / $25 NZD each! Or, for an even better deal, you can purchase all three for only $34.95 USD / 41.50 CAD / $53 AUD / $64 NZD!

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Close To My Heart: Life is worth...


At Close To My Heart, we believe in capturing and preserving memories and helping you celebrate the relationships that matter most.

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - July: Life is Wonderful


Welcome to the July Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! This month features is Life is Wonderful, a set of 8 stamps.

If you have come here from {Jacquelin Green’s blog}, you’re in the right place! There are more than 40 independent Close to My Heart consultants participating. Click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move through the Hop.

The Blog Hop is a great big circle. Start here and work your way around. If you get lost along the way you’ll find a complete list of participating consultants here. You can use this list to pick up where you left off.

Off we go!


This last round of swaps has come full circle as I started with having Picture My Life cards as my assignment, and that’s what I ended on as well.

Because of the larger nature of several of the stamps in this set, I decided right away to make a page with all the cards the same size. This also meant that 4” x 6” was the best size. I felt like I wanted to make a feature out of the “Life is Wonderful” phrase, so I spread it out over two cards.


I did some tone-on-tone stamping with the corner flourishes, used the Chevron Border Punch and backed the cut-outs with Bronze Shimmer Trim, and I used one of the zip strips, too. A simple page of cards but one that would be perfect for Father’s Day photos and memories. 

Here is what I used. All products are Close to My Heart:

S1507 Life is Wonderful My Acrylix® Stamp Set

Now “Hop” on over to {Michelle Loncar’s blog} to see her work, and be sure to show the other consultants on the hop some love, too! Don’t forget, this exclusive stamp set is only available through July 31st. Click here to place your order today!


Saturday, June 6, 2015

Summer Crush - My Crush™ Books Blog Hop


Welcome to the Summer Crush Blog Hop, which features the My Crush™ line from Close to My Heart! From books and clips to assortments and sticky tabs, the My Crush™ line includes plenty of fun products to get you on your way to creating something fabulous. (Complete details on the promotion are at the end of this post.)

If you have come here from {Darlys Recker’s blog}, you’re in the right place! There are more than 30 independent Close to My Heart consultants participating. Click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move through the Hop.

The Blog Hop is a great big circle. Start here and work your way around. If you get lost along the way you’ll find a complete list of participating consultants here. You can use this list to pick up where you left off.

Here we go!

My Crush Modville Book

About a month ago, Close to My Heart posted a video highlighting the For Him and For Her My Crush™ books. This video showcased a variety of My Crush™ artwork, including cards and layouts with pages that had been torn from the books. After watching the video, I knew exactly what I wanted to do for my project. (You can see the video here.)

When the My Crush™ line first came out last year, there were just two books – Modville and Bluebird – and I ordered one of each. Upon arrival, I opened my Modville book only to find that the wire binding was a bit smashed on the inside. (These things sometimes happen, and Close to My Heart is great about replacement products.) I got a new one but was able to keep the damaged one, too. I’d put it away with the idea that someday I’d do something with it.

This was my chance! The perfect opportunity to use something from my stash! I flipped through the pages, and as soon as I saw the words “My Favorite Things,” my idea started becoming more complete. I tore out some of the pages I wanted to use and began putting the pieces into place. My son's birthday is this month, so I thought it would fun to catch this moment in time and have him list his favorite things.


I used Cricut Craft Room to alter the calendar overlay found on the Artbooking cartridge. I removed all the small boxes and added 3 larger ones to use as photo frames. I also created the date in Cricut Craft Room with the font found on Artiste. I used scrap pieces from some of the torn out pages to fill in some of the empty spaces on both pages. Washi Tape and stickers from the assortments were what I used for embellishments. 


The photos for the left page highlight his love of reading (and he happens to be reading a James Bond book), playing outside with a neighbor, and sleeping. (I don't buy this one at all, but it's his list.)


The photos on the right page highlight his love of being at a friend's ranch where he can ride our quad, his new-found love of paintball, riding his bike, food, and ducks.

Here is what I used. All products are Close to My Heart:

My Crush™ Modville Book
My Crush™ Best Day Ever Assortment
My Crush™ Besties Assortment
Outdoor Denim Cardstock
Kraft Cardstock
Black Arrow Washi Tape
Sunset Chevron Washi Tape
Cricut® Artiste Collection
Cricut® Artbooking Collection
Cricut Craft Room

Now “Hop” on over to {Michelle Battitori’s blog} to see her work, and be sure to visit each of the other blogs in the hop to see the many possibilities for the My Crush™ line. 

Click here to place an order today!


*During the month of June, when you purchase any My Crush™ book and its accompanying assortment pictured in Annual Inspirations 2014–2015, you will receive the coordinating stamp set FREE! That is a savings of at least $9.95 USD / $10.95 CAD! Choose from five lovely My Crush book offerings that will provide a swoon-worthy background for your favorite memories. From family reunions to camping adventures to holiday countdowns—and much more—you will be crushing on all these books and the possibilities they provide. Every My Crush book features a hard cover with wire binding and cardstock-weight pages that are printed with eye-catching designs to form the perfect bases for your memory keeping. Additionally, each My Crush book also features unique details—from glossy print, to vellum pages, to gold foil, to ink-resistant patterns—that make displaying your personality easier than ever. Plus, once you add the artistry of the coordinating assortments featuring sticker sheets, envelopes, alphabets, cards, and journaling spots, along with your free stamp set, you will be well on your way to your own gorgeous mini book creation! This offer is only available while supplies last and once they’re gone, these books are gone for good, so put your orders in early to get your summer romance rolling today!

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

Sunday, May 31, 2015

Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - June: Ice Cream Dream

 

Welcome to the June Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! This month’s set is Ice Cream Dream, a set of 7 stamps.

If you have come here from {Michelle Jones’ blog}, you’re in the right place! There are more than 50 independent Close to My Heart consultants participating. Click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move through the Hop.

The Blog Hop is a great big circle. Start here and work your way around. If you get lost along the way you’ll find a complete list of participating consultants here. You can use this list to pick up where you left off.

Off we go!


Ice Cream Dream. Definitely one of my favorites from this year’s set of stamps of the month. It’s fun, playful, and just downright adorable. Of course, pairing it with the Blossom papers was still a bit of a challenge.

Fortunately, the colors in the Blossom palette are soft, much like ice cream, so the challenge was more in choosing my papers than anything else. Once I really took a look at them, I had to highlight Sunset because it reminds me of my childhood favorite, Orange Creamsicles. 

I chose pattern #21 from Make It from Your Heart Volume 1. This design was perfect for the sentiment I wanted to use. It also lent itself well to using one of the zip strips. 


The other thing about this stamp set is that it forced me to use my ShinHan™ Touch Twin™ Markers. I tend to be afraid of them for some reason, but I really enjoyed using them for this project and like how it turned out.

Here is what I used. All products are Close to My Heart:

S1506 Ice Cream Dream stamp set
Z1853 Aqua Dots

Now “Hop” on over to {Lauren Moore’s blog} to see her work, and be sure to visit each consultant’s site to get some crafting inspiration and other great ideas! Don’t forget, this exclusive stamp set is only available through June 30th. Click here to order yours today!

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

His and Hers: A Book for Both



Close To My Heart’s My Crush™ books make great homes for your memorabilia! They come with a variety of beautifully designed papers and provide just the right backdrop for your keepsakes. See them for yourself!

Click here to order yours today!

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

National Scrapbooking Month - Taste of Summer

It’s National Scrapbooking Month, and Close to My Heart is celebrating by offering a little Taste of Summer! The Stamp of the Month Blog Hop group is also celebrating with a special edition hop featuring the Taste of Summer paper packet and bonus stamp set! In the paper packet you’ll find two each of six fun and fruity patterns on one side and a coordinating monochromatic pattern on the reverse. Meanwhile, the stamp set has 14 stamps that coordinate perfectly with the papers. (Complete details on the promotion are at the end of this post.)


If you have come here from {Maureen O’Sullivan’s blog}, you’re in the right place! There are more than 30 independent Close to My Heart consultants participating. Click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move through the Hop.

The Blog Hop is a great big circle. Start here and work your way around. If you get lost along the way you’ll find a complete list of participating consultants here. You can use this list to pick up where you left off.

Here we go!
Paper and stamp set sold separately.
I’m not sure what it is about these papers, but I am completely in love with them! It might be because summer is my favorite season, although the colors are pretty great, too. Either way, I’m just getting started with creating with them.

I’ve seen a lot of fabulous artwork from other consultants, and a 2-page layout from Pamela O’Connor (Reflections of My Art and Soul) particularly caught my eye. I didn’t duplicate her layout, but it did inspire me to use the strawberry paper and create a layout of my own. I used the Backstage pattern on pages 28 and 29 of Magic because I liked the scallops as they reminded me of the white flowers that bloom before strawberries appear. 


To stamp the strawberries I used the Rock ‘n Roll technique. First I inked the stamp in Cotton Candy, and then I rolled part of the image in Cranberry to give the berries a little contrast and depth. It helps them stand out from the other papers a bit more. The stems are stamped in Topiary. “You’re Berry Special” was stamped with the masking technique. I put a piece of scotch tape over “you’re” and “special”, inked the stamp in Cranberry, and then I removed the tape. I carefully inked “you’re” and “special” in Topiary ink and then stamped the entire image on the White Daisy circle. 


The one thing I did the same as Pamela was my title. The Topiary stands out, and the font in the stamp set and on Artfully Sent are quite similar if not the same. It really goes perfectly with everything else. 


Here is what I used. All products are Close to My Heart:

Now “Hop” on over to {Melinda Everitt’s blog} to see her work, and be sure to visit each consultant’s site to get some great crafting inspiration and other fun ideas! Don’t forget, you can only get the exclusive Taste of Summer items through May 31st. Click here to order yours today!

*Celebrate National Scrapbooking Month during the month of May with our exclusive mouthwatering Taste of Summer paper packet, available for only $8.95! Featuring bold, vibrant colors, this exclusive paper packet is perfect to pair with your sweet summery memories, and provides delicious designs for your layouts, cards, and more! Contact your Independent Consultant for information about workshops for this paper packet. Watch Close To My Heart’s blog, Instagram account, and Facebook page throughout the month for more projects inspired by Taste of Summer. This paper packet is only available during May while supplies last, so get your order in early. No matter where you are or what the weather may be, you deserve a little taste of summer in your life!