NEW Adventure Colors + Sea Glass STYLE INK PADS AVAILABLE NOW!

Close To My Heart's new style of ink pads... Just take my word for it! You want them! :)

They are single-color, water-based, dye ink stamp pads with a sleek magnetic closure and larger in size than our previous pads.

They are currently available in these eight colors. (Our other colors are to be released in this new style in the next few weeks.) They are truly wonderful and that magnetic closure is DA BOMB!

You can order them by clicking here. Let me know if you have any questions. I have them and love them!

Happy Tuesday!
Melissa

Heart 2 Heart Challenge: Adventure

Welcome to this week's Heart 2 Heart Challenge entitled, "Adventure". You can interpret it however you choose as long as you incorporate Close To My Heart products in your artwork. I chose to make a card using the Adventure Fundamentals paper pack and the adorable stamp set, "Sweet Birthday". You can see the fun, bright and whimsical colors and patterns in this paper pack. I love it!

I colored in the images with ShinHan markers and attempted to show you, in the photo below, how I added some glitter using the Shimmer Brush pen. It is such a fabulous product!

I hope your week is off to a great start and that it only gets better. We look forward to you linking up to us at Heart 2 Heart.

Melissa

Heart 2 Heart Challenge - Sea Glass

This week at Heart 2 Heart we have a challenge featuring Close To My Heart's Color of the Year, Sea Glass. This color is absolutely gorgeous, seen everywhere, and coordinates well with many other colors. I love it so much it could take the place of "purple". Okay. Maybe not. I love it a lot but... :)

I kept this card simple to draw attention to Sea Glass. I random stamped the roses from the stamp set shown below and used a pencil eraser to create the polka dots. Always needing to add some bling, I added Gold Shimmer Trim, Gold Sequins, and this beautiful, gold embossed sentiment from the "Good Life Complements" (also shown below).

I love the versatile images of this stamp set, "With You". It is perfect for welcoming in the Fall but can also be used well beyond that and for many occasions.

 Check out these fabulous and colorful "Good Life" Complements designed to coordinate with the Adventure Fundamentals paper pack. I LOVE the bright colors and these gold, vellum embellishments...LOVE THEM!

Consider linking up to us at Heart 2 Heart so we can see your fabulous artwork created with CTMH's Sea Glass.

Have a great day!

Melissa

Holiday Expressions Blog Hop

We are featuring new product that was released in our Holiday Expressions. It debuted September 1st and contains Halloween, Fall, Christmas and Winter-themed paper! It is full of fabulousness! You can click here to view its contents online.

If you are coming from Cat's Blog, you are on the right track.  You can find a complete list of participants by clicking here.

I used the patterned paper from City Sidewalks, and made a banner out of Peacock cardstock. The stars were random-stamped with Glacier ink using "All is Bright" stamp set. The sentiment was stamped in Raspberry ink and I, of course, had to add some Shimmer Trim to finish it off. I absolutely love how this card turned out. I hope you like it too!

Head on over to Melinda's Blog to see what she has in store for you, using some of our brand new products.

Happy hoppin'!
Melissa

CTMH Technique Blog Hop - Flower Power

This month we are showcasing the new "Flower Market" Cricut Collection that Close To My Heart released August 1st through our "Flower Power" Technique Blog Hop! The cartridge has over 700 fabulous new images. You will definitely want to add it to your Cricut library. 

If you are coming from Tonya's Blog, you are on the right track. you can find a complete list of participants at the end of this post.

The flower petals were cut out of Glacier and Crystal Blue cardstock while the leaves were cut out of Canary and Fern. They were simply glued together and a little Liquid Glass was applied to the flower center. "Beauty is all around" is just one of the many sentiments that is included in one of the  stamp sets included as part of the collection. You can find complete details about this Cricut Collection by clicking here. Did you know there is a digital option that is available at a lower price?

Have fun checking out all the fun artwork using this cartridge. Head on over to Darlys' Blog to see what she has created.

Happy hoppin'!

Melissa

1. Melissa Robinson *YOU ARE HERE*
2. Darlys Recker
3. Michelle Johns
4. Janna Brown Gray
5. Michelle Loncar
6. Haley Dyler
7. Tonya Whitehurst

Heart 2 Heart - Create Kindness

Welcome to this week's Heart 2 Heart Challenge where we are focusing on "Create Kindness".

Close To My Heart has a fabulous campaign this month that serves as a great "Stamping Starter Kit" and is titled "Create Kindness", the premise for this week's theme. However, you have the opportunity to interpret the theme how you choose. I am sure you are with me in that there is definitely a need for more kindness and positivity in this world. Let's help generate it!

The kit comes with all you see here, including 3" x 3" card bases and some EXCLUSIVE stamp sets that are wonderful, all by themselves. Of course, throw in the Small Organizer and everything else that is included and it makes for a wonderful purchase! In fact, this serves as a great birthday or Christmas gift for any papercrafter and especially those wanting to get started on stamping. (It is only available through the end of this month and while supplies last.)

I incorporated the card bases, circles and stamp sets, to create these cards. I cut these 2 1/4" scallop circles out of the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge which provided for some fun layering. A little bit of stitching around the edge of the circle, with the Journaling Pen, and watercolors and ShinHan markers for the focal points... These were the results! I so love them and hope you do too!

At this time in our world, maybe now more than ever, there is a need to create kindness and we have the opportunity to do so with this fabulous campaign. You can read more about it here or contact me with your questions. 

I'm looking forward to distributing these as Random Acts of Kindness.

Have a blessed day and week...wherever you are!

Melissa

National Stamping Month Blog Hop

Thank you for joining us for our Blog Hop where we are celebrating National Stamping Month! Gotta love a reason to create, although...who needs one?!

We have a fabulous campaign that helps us "Create Kindess" and you will love all that is included in this exclusive kit, including EIGHT MINI STAMPS! Click here for complete details and watch this video for more details. This world definitely needs more kindness and you can help provide it!

If you are coming from Cat's Blog, you are on the right track. You can find a list of participants by clicking here.

I used one of the stamps included in the Create Kindness kit for the focal point on this card and incorporated watercolor as a technique. A girl always has to add some bling, doesn't she?!

Thanks for stopping by. Now please head on over to Melinda's Blog. No doubt you will love what you find on her blog.

Happy hoppin'!
Melissa

CTMH Paper Blog Hop - Jeepers Creepers

Welcome to our Blog Hop where we are featuring artwork incorporating the Jeepers Creepers paper pack that was newly released on September 1st. I love the ability to use the product line beyond Halloween. 

If you are coming from Debi's Blog, you are on the right track. You can find a complete list of participants at the bottom of this post.

Here is the card I made and...I must draw attention to those eyes! Aren't they too fun?! They are included in the Jeepers Creepers Assortment, which also includes the enamel stars. 

I love the colors in this paper pack. The cute li'l girl and the sentiment come from the adorable Operation Smile stamp set, "True Love". (When you buy this stamp set, $7 will donated to Operation Smile, a non-profit organization that provides surgeries to repair cleft lips and palates in children.)

Thank you for stopping by my blog. Head on over to Tonya's Blog to see what she created with this fun paper pack.

Happy hoppin!

Melissa

Here is a list of the participants:  

1. Melissa Robinson *YOU ARE HERE*

2. Tonya Whitehurst

3. Anna Robinson

4. Katy Taylor

5. Debi McBain 

Heart 2 Heart - Nat'l Stamping Month

Happy National Stamping Month and thanks for joining us this week for the Heart 2 Heart Challenge that focuses on stamping! Incorporate stamping on your artwork, using Close To My Heart products and link up. 

I created this card using the September Stamp of the Month, "Blessed Beyond Measure".

I stamped various images onto the Sea Glass piece of cardstock with Sea Glass. I love the subtle look that provides. Our clear stamps and acrylic blocks allow for accurate placement of your stamped images, time after time.

We look forward to seeing how you celebrate National Stamping Month, the Close To My Heart way!

Have a blessed Labor Day holiday!
Melissa

Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - Blessed Beyond Measure

Thank you for hopping with us as we highlight the September Stamp of the month, “Blessed Beyond Measure.” Isn’t this stamp set beautiful, with wonderful fall images and the perfect sentiments to coordinate? It can be yours for just $5 – this month only. Click here for additional details.

If you are coming from Cat's Blog, you are on the right track. You can find a list of participants by clicking here, should you get lost along the way. Let's go ahead and get started.

I AM blessed beyond measure, how ‘bout you?! I had the pleasure of co-hosting a Faith & Friends Retreat last weekend where we focused on six women of the Bible. We combined our love of crafting and studied God’s word. It was absolutely amazing. (I will share a little more below the artwork, if you are interested.)

While I LOVE the fall weather, I am not a fall colors type of girl. If you know me, you know I LOVE the bright and vibrant colors; like what are part of our Adventure palette. However, I absolutely LOVE this card I created (and I happened to sneak in some Pansy). 

I did cut three pieces of cardstock, from the Artbooking Cricut Bundle, for the pumpkin. It was cut out of White Daisy, New England Ivy, and Goldrush. I cut them and layered them accordingly for some dimension. By simply adding some of the polka dot patterned paper, in Pansy (my absolute favorite CTMH color), from the Adventure Fundamentals paper pack, it provided for a fun background. The leaf was colored by cutting the image from the Cricut and then I applied some watercolor, stamping the image with Cocoa by second generation stamping. I hope you love it as much as I do!

If you want to read more about the retreat, keep reading below. If not, hop on over to Melinda's Blog to see what she designed incorporating this stamp set.

One of the things we discussed, through the study of Eve, is that we sometimes forget the many blessings in our life – sometimes small ones – because we can lose focus, thinking about what is lacking. As I created this card, and reflected on the sentiments included in the stamp set, I am reminded that my blessings are plentiful. In fact, in this time of my life, I am blessed beyond belief and that can bring its own set of challenges. I continue to remind myself to be thankful for all the wonderful tasks that are on my plate that keep me busy. If the current blessings that bring the challenges weren’t a part of my life I would face circumstances desirable by no one.

Thanks for reading. Head on over to Melinda's Blog where you are sure to find some inspiring artwork.

Happy hoppin'!
Melissa