Wicked

There's only one more week to get your hands on the August Stamp of the Month, Wicked. You can get it for $17.95, or just $5.00 with a $50 purchase.

By purchasing this set, either at full price or at the discounted $5, you also qualify to receive the A Typeface set free!

Want to make the cute artwork featured with the stamp of the month?  Now it is easy!  Close To My Heart has included some helpful hints online so you can create the artwork that is featured with each stamp of the month set.  You can click here to find the instructions on how to make each of the projects featured with the Wicked set.  The instructions (as well as the current Idea Book) also list the other products you will need to complete the featured projects.  To purchase the items needed, you can click here or on the Shop with Me link on the right.

Here are pictures of the items that I made following the instructions:

Treat Box

Cards

The stamp of the month sets also come with a little color insert showing these projects, and the instructions will be available on the Close To My Heart website for one year from the date the stamp set is available.

Contact me if you would like to order these items or would like help putting these projects together!



New Product Blog Hop

Tresa Black is hosting a blog hop on her Fabulously Artsy blog that features projects using new products from the CTMH Autumn/Winter Idea Book that is live today.  I thought I would play along and share a card I made using several of the new products.

My favorite new product (so far!) from the new Idea Book has to be the Cricut Art Philosophy Collection.  I love that certain stamp images correspond to various shapes on the Cricut cartridge so I don't have to cut each image by hand!  The leaves and the sentiment were cut using the Cricut, and then I stamped right on them - no cutting required!!!  I also used the Cricut to cut the border.

All products used are CTMH and are listed below:

Paper:  Chocolate cardstock, Colonial White cardstock, Dreamin' Level 2 paper pack
Ink:  Chocolate, Goldrush
Stamp Set:  Harvest Happiness
Embellishments:  Bronze Glitz Glitter Gel, Antiqued Copper brads, Cricut Art Philosophy Collection

If you are interested in purchasing any products from the new Idea Book, you can click here or on the link on the right side of my blog.

I hope you enjoy looking at all of the fabulous artwork you see along the hop.

Cricut and Close To My Heart!

Wow, it's been a crazy few months!  I was busy with the boys' baseball games, end of school activities, summer vacation, CTMH Convention.....But now I'm back and full of great news for all you CTMH and Cricut lovers!

Introducing the exclusive Close To My Heart Cricut^® Art Philosophy collection! CTMH has worked with Provo Craft^* to bring you a Cricut^® cartridge filled with 700 shapes hand-selected by company founder and CEO Jeanette Lynton. Simply insert the cartridge into your Cricut^® electronic die-cutting machine (sold at retail stores) and you’re ready to cut any of the shapes with the touch of a button! Choose from stunning rosettes, unique gift boxes, elegant doilies, crafty banners, and more. The exclusive images are incredibly versatile, and many are designed to be used with specific My Acrylix^® stamps for real eye-popping power!

When you purchase the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge package, you’ll also receive three exclusive D-size stamp sets and three sets of Dimensional Elements designed to perfectly coordinate with images on the cartridge. That’s a retail value of over $120 for just for $99! Stamp on your Cricut shapes; cover your Dimensional Elements with a Cricut shape; or cut, stamp, and then cover!

Numerous My Acrylix^® stamp images in the new Idea Book  pair wonderfully with images on our Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge. When you see the Cricut icon or a stamp image outlined in red in the Idea Book, you will know there’s a matching shape on your Art Philosophy cartridge. Cut out the coordinating shape with your Cricut machine using the setting indicated on the stamp’s carrier sheet, then stamp your image on the base shape—quick and easy!

Here is a card I made using the new cartridge.  Although it looks big in the picture, the card is only 3 1/4" x 5".  The instructions are located in the booklet that comes with the cartridge.  It was so fun to make, I can't wait to work on other projects!

 

 

The new Art Philosophy Collection will be available August 1.  Get yours then by clicking here or on the Shop with Me link on the right.

Mojo Monday #187

This is the card I came up with for this week's Mojo Monday sketch.

It may be one of the cards I take to CTMH Convention this summer to swap with other consultants! 

All supplies are CTMH:

Cardstock:  Colonial White, Kraft, Sweet Leaf
Paper:  Creative Basics Wings Collection
Inks:  Cocoa, Sweet Leaf, New England Ivy
Stamp Sets:  Togetherness, Miracle WOTG set
Embellishments:  Colonial White Waxy Flax, Colonial White ribbon, Basic buttons

It's a Bunny Hop!

H2H is hosting its first ever blog Bunny Hop.  I am sharing with you some Easter layouts that I just completed in Studio J.  (You can click on any of the images to make them larger.)

The first layout uses the kit entitled "Take the Cake".  Even though the kit is designed for birthday layouts, I thought some of the paper designs worked great for my egg hunt pictures.

The next two layouts use the kit entitled "Hippity Hop".  I love how you are able to change the colors of the paper to match your photos!

The H2H Bunny Hop starts on Monday, April 18, at http://heart2heartchallenges.blogspot.com/ so be sure to check back on Monday to see some more Easter artwork.

Wishing You Sunshine

The Heart 2 Heart Challenge this week is "April Showers Bring May Flowers", where we are to create something with showers and/or flowers.

My card was inspired by a design I found in another paper crafting supply catalog.  When I saw the flower bouquet made with buttons, I had to try it out myself using the new buttons that CTMH unveiled in their Spring/Summer Idea Book. 

Since there isn't a yellow assortment, I made my own!  I mixed one drop of Create-a-Shade Pearl Paint with one drop of Sunny Yellow Reinker and painted it on the back of one of the flower buttons from the Clear Buttons assortment.

For the sunshine stamp image (from the Splendid Day stamp set), I stamped the image using Sunny Yellow ink and then used a sponge dauber to dab some Sunset ink around the edges of the image.

All supplies used are CTMH, and you can purchase them all here or by clicking on the "Shop with Me" link on the right.

Paper:  White Daisy Cardstock, Wings Level 2, Fanfare Level 2
Inks:  Sunset, Sunny Yellow, Black
Embellishments:  Clear buttons assortment; blue buttons assortment; pink buttons assortment; red buttons assortment; basic buttons assortment; green floss assortment; bitty sparkles; sweet leaf ribbon rounds

Recipe Box with Mayberry

I thought I would share my first attempt at using Close to My Heart's My Creations Recipe/Photo Box.  I decided to use the new Mayberry paper, the Token Alphabet stamp set, the Recipe Box stamp set, and the stamp set that comes with the Mayberry Workshop on the Go Kit.  It has the cutest fruit images!

Here are several pictures of my recipe box:

Front view

Side view

Top view

Inside views

Close up view of divider tabs

If you would like to make one of these recipe boxes, sign up for my workshop!

When:  Saturday, April 16, 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Where:  Rosalia Catholic Church Hall
Fee:  $13
Signups and payment due by Monday, April 4.

Contact me at scrap4fun.amyg@gmail.com for more information.

A Perfect 10 for Studio J®

February is free layout month for Studio J^® members! For every 9 custom-printed Studio J layouts you buy, you’ll receive the 10th layout free. To receive the discount, just add 10 or more layouts to your cart. You’ll see a discount reflected in your order total. And you can totally take advantage of this promotion by ordering in multiples of 10. Buy 9, get 1 free. Buy 18, get 2 free. Buy 27, get 3 free. And so on! If you’re not a member yet, now’s a great time to join!

What is Studio J^®?

Studio J^® is online design software that allows users to create custom-printed two-page layouts for 12" x 12" albums. There is no software to purchase and install; instead, simply log in to Studio J^® and start designing your layouts. You can create and immediately purchase your layouts, or you can save them for later completion and purchase.

Why purchase a membership?

Becoming a Studio J^® member is the perfect way to catch up on all of your scrapbooking while also getting access to exclusive content that will give you even more artistic options and flexibility. Studio J^® members have access to exclusive, members-only kits and patterns, allowing for even more creativity. On top of that, members get our best pricing of 50% off retail price—that works out to be just $3.25 per page. It’s one of the best deals around!

You can choose a 12-month membership ($99) or a 3-month membership ($30), with the 12-month membership offering the greatest value.

One of the best reasons to become a Studio J^® member is your exclusive access to high-resolution printable JPG files as well as low-res files perfect for emailing or posting on blogs or Facebook. Members also get free Memory Protectors® for each custom-printed two-page layout, as well as free shipping and handling on their monthly order (4 to 20 layouts in the continental US, 7 to 20 layouts in the non-continental US and Canada). With all of that, members still get exclusive promotions and deals throughout their membership!

To sum up, when you become a Studio J member you receive:

·         50% off retail price for custom prints

·         JPG files available free or for purchase

·         Free Memory Protectors®

·         Free shipping

·         Exclusive kits and patterns

·         Special deals and promotions

Another Incentive!!

Since this is a perfect time to try out Studio J^®, I thought I would offer my own special.  If you purchase a one-year Studio J^® membership (through me) from now through February 28, receive a 12″ x 12″ CTMH Faux Leather Album in the color of your choice: Black, Dark Chocolate, Outdoor Denim, Hollyhock, Dark Cranberry or New England Ivy (not shown)…FREE!  I’ll pay the shipping to get it to you!  Over $25 value!  Once you've purchased a membership, I'll contact you to find out which album you would like.

Go ahead.  Give Studio J^® a try.  It is totally free to go in and play with.  I think you'll be pleased at how fast, simple & easy it is to create gorgeous layouts in minutes.

Here is a layout I created a few months ago that I haven't shared yet.

Find Your Style

Close to My Heart's January Stamp of the Month is Find Your Style.  I love the bird and the butterfly! 

You can get this stamp set at a discount or even free by purchasing items from the new Inspirations brochure.  My previous post explains the details of the specials available this month.

I used the new Wings paper and the new folded ribbon along with the butterfly from the Find Your Style set to create this 6x6 card using the Log Cabin pattern from the Originals how-to book.

I used a sponge dauber to color the butterfly with Vineyard Berry, Juniper, and Black ink.  Then coated it with prisma glitter.  Here is a close-up of the butterfly, although it is much prettier in person. 

To see more creations using the new products available in the Inspirations brochure, visit the Blog Hop / Linky Party on Tresa Black's Fabulously Artsy blog.  You can click on a thumbnail to visit a blog participating in the "Linky Party".

Creative Inspiration

Need some creative INSPIRATION to get the new year started?  Read on to see what Close to My Heart has to offer during the month of January.

Here are the details on how you can get some brand new products at a discount during the month of January:

When you purchase the new Wings Workshops on the Go™ kit (G1016) for only $29.95, it opens the door for you to participate in three exciting promotions. With the purchase of the Wings Workshops on the Go kit you can choose any or all of the following:

1.  Purchase the following new Spring/Summer Idea Book My Acrylix® stamp sets at a super discount:

My Acrylix® Stamp Set	Discount Price	Full Retail
A Game (A1113)	$5	$7.95
Rosy Regards (B1369)	$10	$13.95
Take a Picture (C1440)	$15	$18.95
Dreams Come True (D1470)	$18	$22.95
Bohemian Alphabet (E1019)	$25	$34.95

2.  Get the January Stamp of the Month set, Find Your Style, at a discount or free by purchasing new Spring/Summer 2011 Idea Book products found in the Inspirations brochure as follows:

Purchase a Wings Workshops on the Go™ kit AND…Get Stamp of the Month
1 item from the Inspiration brochure	25% off
2 different items from the Inspiration brochure	50% off
3 different items from the Inspiration brochure	75% off
4+ different items from the Inspiration brochure	FREE!

You can also mix and match new products from the Inspirations brochure and products from the Autumn/Winter 2010 Idea Book.

3.  Celebrate National Papercrafting Month in January with a My Creations® banner project. Simply purchase a My Creations® Banner (Z1378) and you will be able to make the project with the remaining supplies from the Wings Workshops on the Go™ kit and the E-size Bohemian Alphabet stamp set. The how-to instructions are included with the Wings Workshop kit exclusively through the month of January.

Here are samples of the layouts and cards you can make with the Wings Workshops on the Go™ kit:

When you are ready to take advantage of these huge deals, you can click here or on the shopping link on the right.