Creative Cards - H2H Creative Challenge

Welcome to our "Creative Cards" Challenge with Heart 2 Heart!

To participate, create and share a card that is anything BUT a standard, 4 1/4" x 5 1/2", size card. Be sure to incorporate Close To My Heart products in your creation! You have until the end of the month to link up so considering joining us!

This 5" x 7" card front was kept relatively simple to draw attention to the friendship sentiment.

The I Heart Us - cardmaking stamp set was used. It was fun stamping the "beautiful" image in Lagoon ink, cutting it out and then 3-Ding, to add dimension.

Be sure to check out the artwork shared on the Heart 2 Heart Blog and link up at the bottom of the related post. I hope to see your artwork there!

Make it an awesome week!

Heart Happy Blog Hop

Welcome to this month's Blog Hop where we are featuring the beautiful Heart Happy Special that contains beautiful colors and perfect images for Valentine's Day or other special occasions. 

You can find details about it, and the coordinating products, by clicking here. These products are only available through the end of February. 

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

I decided to keep my card a little simple, while truly loving all of the images in the stamp set. 

To create the red glitter heart, I stamped the image on a scratch piece of paper, traced it on the BACK of the Glitter Paper, and cut it out. 

Red Pearls, a soon-to-be-gone item, were used as an additional element. 

Gotta love when a card is attractive and didn't take a lot of time to create. 

Head on over to Cat's Blog to see what she has created with this fun product! I am looking forward to creating much more!

Heart Happy (exclusive products)

(You can view the entire collection by clicking on the Promotions Tab.)

Show your love with this Exclusive, "Heart Happy", Collection available through February 28, 2019, while supplies last.

The beautiful colors, patterned papers, and coordinating products are to make someone's heart happy this year!

There are two options from which to choose:

The Happy Heart Collection includes an exclusive paper packet, stamp set, and sticker sheet you can use to show your love in all kinds of crafts! 

The Heart Happy workshop guide provides instructions for using these items together, with a few other products, to create two single-page 12" x 12" layouts, one two-page 12" x 12" layout, 10 cards and five tags. 

In fact, you can save 25% when you purchase the workshop kit that includes the My Acrylix "A Piece of My Heart stamp set!

Click HERE to see all of your options for these product items.

The second option is a Heart Happy Everyday Life Workshop Kit that guides you in creating an entire 6" x 8" scrapbook album using papers from the exclusive Heart Happy paper packet to celebrate the things that bring you joy!

Would you like to see samples of the pages for the mini album? If so, click HERE and view the thumbnails below the main image. (Be sure to consider the additional supplies needed if you would like to assemble your album as designed.)

You can save 25% when you buy the kit that includes the My Acrylix "Living My Best Life" stamp set!

These products are absolutely beautiful in person! Be sure to get yours while they are still available. Let me know if you have any questions.

I pray your weekend ends on a positive note!

"Card Captions" - January Stamp of the Month

HAPPY NEW YEAR and welcome to the first Stamp of the Month Blog Hop for 2019! 

Today, I am thrilled to welcome in our NEW Seasonal Expressions Idea Book which contains tons of new stamp sets, paper packets, and more! While you might await a hard copy, you can view the Online Idea Book by clicking on the link provided. You can get a FREE copy of it when you place your first order through your Consultant's website. (Don't have a Consultant? I'd love to be yours.)

This month's Stamp of the Month is called "Card Captions" and contains 26 stamp images, some which can be combined as desired to provide for that perfect sentiment. I love that different fonts were incorporated into the set. 

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

While I worked to focus on the stamp images of this set, I couldn't help but throw in the beautiful floral image from the I Heart Us - Cardmaking stamp set (shown below).

The sentiment and heart images are stamped in Heather ink, with the flower images colored with our Watercolor Pencils. I did cut a tag from Ballerina cardstock using the Fancy Tags - Thin Cuts, with my Cuttlebug.

I used some White Ribbon for the bow. I love this ribbon since you can ink it up and make it any color of your choice. 

The Ballerina-striped patterned paper is from the Something Fierce paper packet. 

Thanks so much for stopping by on this first day of the new year!

Please head over to Cat's Blog to see what she has to share with you.

I look forward to sharing my love or Close To My Heart with you in 2019! Make it a blessed day and year!

In Any CASE...with Melinda & Melissa

Join us twice a month as we CASE, “Copy And Selectively Edit”, artwork created by the Art Department of Close To My Heart as showcased in the current Idea Books and our Make It From Your Heart How-To Books.

On the 2^nd and 4^th Thursday of each month, at 7 pm CST, we will direct you towards a piece of art and recreate it using the exact products or others that compliment its initial design. Tips, techniques and assembly directions will be shared in detail to help you recreate them on your own.

As you reproduce the items we have shared, post them on social media using the hashtag #ctmhinanycase. We will randomly search that hashtag and reward those who CASE our items. Winners will be announced on our blogs so be sure to follow us!

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I hope you are doing GREAT and had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Because were were enjoying the holiday with our families, we took a little break from our CASEing, but...we are baaaaaaack!

Today, I am coming to you to highlight this handmade card found on page 70 in Holiday Expressions Idea Book. 

As a reminder, the majority of the products contained within the book are set to retired on December 31st. If there is anything you still have to have from the book - I'm having such a hard time preparing to say goodbye to some of them! - then be sure to get them soon as they are only available while supplies last! You can SHOP HERE. 

I love every little thing about this card including the fact that it's super easy to reproduce, can be used for various occasions (stamping a different sentiment, rather than the believe, if necessary), AND uses scraps you may have from other projects! 

The paper is from the Oh What Fun paper pack and I look forward to creating more projects with it through the rest of this month. While it contains some fabulous Christmas-themed paper, it definitely has many papers that can be used otherwise. 

While I only used the "believe" banner from this coordinating stamp set, I have definitely enjoyed using the other images on different artwork. 

I wanted to show you how it was super easy to include the Raspberry Baker's Twine on the packages, as faux ribbon. I find by using some Scotch tape, that I just adhere the edges of the ribbon to the back of the presents, forming a cross. Then, I took a separate piece to tie the bow and frayed the ends a bit. 

This approach is easier than having to try and keep the twine as one piece. 

Here is a close-up of the packages and other dimensional items.

The Glacier heart, in the top right corner, is from the Complements. The Raspberry heart is a white dimensional Complement that I sponged, using a Dauber, with Raspberry Ink. That was a slight edit from the original artwork in that I had already used one of the Glacier hearts for some layouts I made. I did 3-D the gifts and banner for some added dimension.

Here are the measurements to create this card design. Consider switching it out with other papers, images, etc. It can definitely be used for birthday cards!

My partner in CASEing, Melinda Everitt, has this card to share with you today! She'll do so on her blog so follow the link now!

We look forward to you CASEing artwork from Close To My Heart. When you do, tag it with #ctmhinanycase. We'd love to gift you a goodie for doing so!

I hope you are having a wonderful week wherever you are! Thank you for stopping by. Always choose joy!

Holiday "Anything But A Card" Blog Hop

Welcome to our Blog Hop where we are featuring artwork that is "Anything but a card". I'm looking forward to seeing what the other participants have created to share with you and I hope you are too!

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

One of the reasons I joined Close To My Heart over 20 years ago is because of my love for giving people gifts, for various occasions. I learned that I could hand-create goodies for a fraction of a cost of what I would pay for something in the store and that is what got me hooked and still holds true!

I wanted to create some treats for my team members as we gathered together last weekend for a kick-off celebration for the new catalog, which debuts January 1st. I wasn't sure what I wanted to create and came across this pattern for a Ghiradelli holder. I think it came out cute and hope you do as well!

This pattern doesn't require any glue so that was nice. Just some scoring, folding and tucking is all! LOL

I worked to keep the decorations cute and simple by cutting out the circle on Gold Glitter Paper and then adding some White & Gold Skinny Ribbon. I thought all was the perfect topping for a package.

A little tip: My corner rounder didn't allow some of the sides to tuck in nicely, so I used some scissors to trim off a bit more. Should you recreate these and experience the same, hopefully that will help. 

The little box holds two Ghiradelli squares; a perfect treat, in my opinion!

I truly appreciate you stopping by. Let me know if you plan on trying this pattern out for yourself and then head on over to Cat's Blog to see what "Anything but a card" item she has to share with you.

Happy hoppin'!

It's a Holly Jolly Christmas - Blog with Friends

Welcome to this month's "Blog with Friends" post where I, and a few friends from around the country, share some fun topics associated with the theme, "Jolly". 

At the bottom of this post, you'll see links to those friends blogs. Show them some blog love by visiting their sites and leaving the a comment. You can see some great topics reflected in the above visual. 

I am here today to share something Jolly with you. Santa, an ugly sweater and hot cocoa all say "Jolly" to me. What about you?

Making handmade greetings cards and other fun treats is my joy and that totally rings true during the Christmas season! Keep scrolling as I share a couple of jolly creations with you!

Not only do I enjoy this Santa image, I love this card design a friend of mine shared with me. (Thanks, Pam!) 

You can see that it's almost like a "faux" front, with a hidden message. This is how it looks inside. While simple, it is something a bit different from a typical card and that makes me love it.

 I paper-pieced the red parts of the ornament and Santa Claus which means... I cut those images out of the respective papers and glued them on top of the image stamped in Black. It's a fun technique that is perfect for some images.

Know anyone who can use a little sprinkling of hot cocoa and the extras as we enjoy the cold weather? Coworkers, teachers, neighbors? This is a fun way to gift them a little goodie. And the sayings on the "Ugly Sweater" stamp set! LOL I love them!

Which is your favorite sentiment? They all kind of make me giggle.

I created this based on the information provided on this blog of Do Stamping with Dawn.

You can see that it's filled with a packet of hot cocoa, candy cane and then I took a plastic jewelry bag and filled it with some marshmallows (with clean hands, of course)!

I will be teaching how to make this hot cocoa treat on Thursday, December 13, 2018 in  my VIP Group on Facebook. Join me there, if you currently do not have a Close To My Heart Consultant (or are not one 😘). That's where I share all the crafty goodness!

Now...check out these fabulous blog images, associate with awesome content, and check out my Blog with Friends links! I see how all of them perfectly connect to what I had to share with you.

Make it a jolly day, week and month!

Karen of Baking in a Tornado

Dawn with Spatulas on Parade

Tamara of Part-time Working Hockey Mom

Lydia of Cluttered Genius

Jules of the Bergham Chronicles