December Stamp of the Month Blog Hop – Notice the Details

Welcome to the Close To My Heart Stamp of the Month Blog Hop. I am so excited you have hopped by to visit me!

This month we are featuring December’s SOTM, Notice the Details , a set of 41 My Acrylix stamps.

If you have come here from Shannon's Blog, you are on the right path!

***

This month we have over 60 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other great CTMH products. It is so simple to hop along with us - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

***

After brainstorming a bit about how I would use this fabulous stamp set, it occurred to me how wonderful it would work with my Project 365!  I have gotten way behind on my album but had already gotten a few months worth of photos printed and inserted into my CTMH Photo Storage Pages. I just love these things! They can hold 6 – 4”x6” photos on each side for a total of 12 pictures!  They work perfectly for this type of album.

As you can see, I have a title spot for each week in the upper left corner and then the pictures for the week, Sunday – Saturday and then at the bottom are the journaling blocks for each day.

Below is a close-up of the journaling blocks. I used the ‘today’ journaling stamp and did a little masking to make it longer to fit the space. I still need to stamp the date on each block.

Below is the title block in the upper left corner. Isn’t the left border darling!?! Looks just like a sheet torn out of a notebook. I used some of the sayings from the stamp set to stamp around the edges and then stamped the days of the week. So cute!

 

***

Now "Hop" on over to Kathleen's Blog to see her work!

Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas! Remember, the December SOTM is only available until December 31st!

Contact me at pamela@myctmh.com to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount or even FREE with a qualifying order!

***
If you get lost on the hop or find links that aren't working, click HERE for a complete list of participating blogs.

Have a blessed day and make it from your heart with Close To My Heart!

December ‘Kit of the Month’ - Sweet Home

I have had so much fun creating with the Sweet Home ‘Kit of the Month’ and I can not wait to share it with you! I still have a few spots open for Thursday, December 17th. We will meet at Christoval Baptist Church beginning at 6:30 p.m. If you are interested in joining us, please let me know ASAP so I can show you how to create the four beautiful scrapbook layouts in an evening. Contact me today at pamela@myctmh.com to reserve your spot today!

But wait…I know how busy this time of year can be and you may not live in my area, so you can also order your December ‘Kit of the Month’ and have it shipped directly to your home to create at your leisure this holiday season. Just email me at pamela@myctmh.com to place your order.

To select the kit that best fits your needs, see below…

Basic ‘Kit of the Month’ - $21.50 (Retail $21.90) - Includes Sweet Home Paper Packet, Mini-Medley Accents White Daisy Collection, Color Brochure

Better ‘Kit of the Month’ - $29.95 (Retail $35.85) - Includes Basic ‘Kit of the Month’ plus Exclusive My Acrylix Enjoy the Journey Stamp Set

Receive the current Stamp of the Month for only $17.48 with the Better ‘Kit of the Month’ purchase!

Best ‘Kit of the Month’ - $42.85 (Retail $48.75) - Includes Better ‘Kit of the Month’ plus Z1154 Designer Ribbons Buttercup Collection, Z1211 Top Coats Framed-In

Receive the current Stamp of the Month for only $17.48 with the Best ‘Kit of the Month’ purchase!

I Want It All ‘Kit of the Month’ - $99.25 (Retail $101.15) - Includes Best ‘Kit of the Month’ plus E1006 My Acrylix Baroque Alphabet, Z2114 Cocoa Exclusive Inks Pad, Z2121 Garnet Exclusive Inks Pad, Z2130 Indian Corn Blue Exclusive Inks Pad,  Z726 Sponge Daubers to complete the four scrapbook layouts exactly as shown below.

Receive the current Stamp of the Month for FREE with the I Want It All ‘Kit of the Month’ purchase!

***If you're just beginning your My Acrylix stamp set collection, remember to purchase the recommended My Acrylix block that goes with your stamps. A great money-saving option is our My Acrylix Block Starter Kit featuring four of our most versatile block sizes. If you're unsure about which block size to purchase, contact me at pamela@myctmh.com.

Check out all the beautiful products and the completed scrapbook layouts below…

Aren’t the papers and embellishments gorgeous? Look at what you can create using these products…

…with lots of leftover materials to create more scrapbook layouts and cards!

Order your December ‘Kit of the Month’ today!

Studio J Online Design Software

I’m so excited! I had to share some of my excitement with you about the soon to be released online design software, Studio J. This past Monday I received early access to Studio J as a perk for attending the Close To My Heart Leadership Conference this past July. I have been waiting (not so patiently might I add) to try it out and I have to say that…I Love It!

Those of you that know me well, know that I love to get my hands dirty with ink and distressing, but I can honestly tell you that I will be using Studio J to help me get more of my photos and memories scrapbooked and into albums for my family to enjoy!

I can not wait until the UPS man delivers my order on Monday! Until then, I thought I’d share with you a few screen shots of layouts I created using Studio J this past week.

These are of my two beautiful daughters and a few of the fun things we did this summer & fall.

Did I mention to you how much I Love Studio J Online Design Software??? The software is extremely intuitive and easy to use. The software walks a user through five simple steps that include:

1. uploading photos;
2. choosing the desired themed kit;
3. selecting an exclusive layout pattern;
4. adding photos, embellishments, title, and journaling;
5. and purchasing custom-printed layouts ready for a cherished album.

Faster. Simpler. Easier.

If you’d like to learn more about Studio J and be one of the first to use Studio J, click here to sign up to become a Close To My Heart Consultant today!

Studio J will be released to customers in Spring 2010, but you can learn more about it today!

Hope you are having a blessed day! Make it from your heart with Close To My Heart.

Buy 2 My Acrylix Stamp Sets & Get 1 FREE!

Check out the BEST Sale of the Year from Close To My Heart! Don’t wait any longer! This amazing sale on My Acrylix stamp sets ends soon.

Only thru November 30th, when you purchase any two stamp sets (sizes A, B, C, D, and/or E only) at full retail price you will receive a third stamp set of your choice FREE (of equal or lesser value)—a savings of up to $22.95!

Choose from any stamp set offered in any 2009 Idea Book or the current Product Review. Take advantage of this great offer to add to your assortment of these innovative stamps. They are the BEST on the market!

Start shopping today at MyCTMH Website…open 24/7 & delivered right to your doorstep by the man in brown!

Click HERE to shop all 2009 My Acrylix Stamp Sets.

Click HERE to shop all 2009 Retiring My Acrylix Stamp Sets.

Check out below a few of my favorite My Acrylix Stamp Sets this season…

Here is how the sale works…

Jingle Collection

When you buy D1366 Holiday Trinkets ($22.95) & E1010 Chocolate Alphabet Large ($34.95), you get C1371 Holiday Jingle for FREE!

Sweet Home Collection

When you buy D1370 Welcome Home (22.95) & E1001 Essential Alphabet ($34.95), you get C1384 Neighborhood for FREE!

Twitterpated Collection

When you buy D1372 Grown with Love ($22.95) & D1371 Many Thanks ($22.95), you get any A-D size My Acrylix Stamp Set of your choice FREE!

Need ideas or suggestion for your new My Acrylix Stamp Sets? Just send me an email at pamela@myctmh.com and I’ll be happy to share some wonderful artwork & ideas with you! I’ll also be more than happy to share the artwork recipes for the above artwork…just let me know.

Wishing you a wonderful Black Friday & happy Cyber Monday!

Stampaganza Ends in a Few Days! Don’t Miss Out…

(Be sure to see my other post today regarding my 2009 Christmas Cards/Kits that are available for purchase.)

Whether you’re a long-time fan of stamps or are just venturing into this fun hobby, now is the perfect time to grab some My Acrylix® decorative stamp sets!

From November 3–30, 2009, when you purchase any two stamp sets (sizes A, B, C, D, and/or E only) at full retail price you will receive a third stamp set of your choice FREE (of equal or lesser value)—a savings of up to $22.95!

Choose from any stamp set offered in any 2009 Idea Book or the current Product Review. Take advantage of this month’s great offer to add to your assortment of these innovative stamps.

Start shopping today at MyCTMH Website…open 24/7 & delivered right to your doorstep!

Click HERE to shop all 2009 My Acrylix Stamp Sets.

Click HERE to shop all 2009 Retiring My Acrylix Stamp Sets.

(Don’t forget to purchase the appropriate sized Acrylic Blocks for your new stamps. Recommended block sizes are shown along with the order number and price of each stamp set.)

Wait! There is even more…You can also get the November Stamp of the Month at a discount or even FREE with your Stampaganza purchase in November! Check it out…

(Click on the picture to view a picture of the stamp set)

Each month Close To My Heart offers you a specially designed My Acrylix^® D-size stamp set at a great discount or even free, available only through the Stamp of the Month program. The set, which retails at $22.95 US, is available to qualifying customers for that month only. It's our way of saying thank you for purchasing Close To My Heart products!

So, how do you get in on the deal and snag our cute Stamp of the Month sets? Simple...

You spend:	$25 US	$50 US	$75 US	$100 US
You save:	25% off	50% off	75% off	100% off
You pay only:	$17.21 US	$11.48 US	$5.74 US	FREE!

Click HERE to see the November Stamp of the Month Blog Hop which features dozens of samples of artwork using this stamp set.

Click HERE to order from MyCTMH website 24/7!

2009 Christmas Cards/Kits Available!

Would you love to send out handmade Christmas cards this year but are running short on time? It’s not too late! Do not miss out on this special offer by yours truly!

Jingle Tri-Fold Shutter Christmas Cards 

These darling Christmas cards will definitely make a statement!

25 Christmas Card Kits for $25 (materials ready to assemble by you)

For only $1 per card, I will cut, score, stamp everything you need to create 25 Christmas cards…envelopes included. Order in multiples of 25.

Quantity

25 Cards $25.00 50 Cards $50.00 75 Cards $75.00 100 Cards $100.00

25 Handmade Christmas Cards for $35 (completely assembled & ready to mail)

For only $1.40 per card, I will completely assemble 25 Christmas cards for you…envelopes included. Order in multiples of 25.

 

Quantity

25 Cards $35.00 50 Cards $70.00 75 Cards $105.00 100 Cards $140.00

Order deadline is November 30, 2009

Place your order today! The sooner you place your order, the sooner I can create your kits/cards and deliver them to you! Priority shipping charges apply. All orders will ship 7-10 days from date of purchase.

Email me at pamela@myctmh.com with questions. Thank you!

Have a blessed day and make it from your heart with Close To My Heart!

Let Me Tell You My Story

Wow! I had an amazing experience last month on my Walk to Emmaus and I wanted to share with you just a little of what God revealed to me over this wonderful 3 day journey.

I started this journey with very few expectations (mostly because no one will tell you what will happen…which is all good) and was blown away with what was revealed. It was so awesome to be surrounded by so much love from people I didn’t know when I walked through the doors. Even more amazing was walking out the doors with so many new sisters and brothers in Christ in my life. Can’t wait to see what the future holds.

At the end of our time together we were asked to think about one thing we learned and what action we were going to take next. There were so many wonderful things I learned over the weekend, so narrowing it down was a bit challenging.

So, to sum it all up (for me)…I was overwhelmed with delight by all the expressions of love I received through out the weekend. I don’t want to reveal too much, but I can guarantee you that the sentiments of love will overflow the banks!

I came to the realization several years ago and it was confirmed again on my walk, that God definitely had His hand in my life over 12+ years ago, even before I knew Him and had committed my life to Him. He was steering me in a direction that would add much love and joy into my life for many years to come.

You see, that is when He quietly put Close To My Heart in my path…as I was passing by a magazine counter, a beautiful magazine cover caught my eye. I flipped through the pages and that is when I discovered my passion for scrapbooking. It was a few short months later that I discovered Close To My Heart (then D.O.T.S., Dozens of Terrific Stamps) through an ad on the back of one of those magazines. I can still remember the beautiful papers and darling stamps that were featured on that ad.

It wasn’t too much longer after seeing that ad that I searched for a local consultant and attending my first workshop and heat embossed my first stamped image…I almost burned right through the cardstock with the heat gun! LOL! With a little practice, I became a pro.

Long story short…It’s when my consultant got stationed to Hawaii that I decided I needed to become a consultant to support my new found hobby and I figured it was much easier for me to be in control of my scrapbooking destiny. LOL! I love it when the UPS man comes knocking at my door with goodies!

As I look back over the last 10+ years being a Close To My Heart Independent Consultant, I can see that God introduced me to some of the most amazing & wonderful ladies I will ever know. He used many of these ladies to direct my path right into His arms!

What a ride it has been! I learned this weekend not to anticipate what will come next and enjoy the journey…all the ups and downs…give thanks for it all!

So, now that you know a little bit more about my story and why I love what I do, I thought it appropriate to share with you some of the same opportunities that were shared with me through a series of circumstances and people many years ago.

I love what I do and so can you!

5 Reasons I love being a Close To My Heart Independent Consultant:

• I love this company because they are committed to making my life easier through their Let Me Show You How & Faster, Simpler, Easier philosophies. I am amazed by our founder’s (Jeanette Lynton) vision towards the future, innovative new products (Studio J), training, and her heart of gold. I’ve never met a woman like her!
• I love meeting new people and making new friends. I have met so many wonderful women and some of my very best friends through teaching home gatherings, leading my Stampers from the Heart Team, attending & teaching at CTMH events across the country and on the Western Caribbean cruise that I earned several years ago.
• I love that I can work my Close To My Heart business around my family, other activities, and even unexpected circumstances. With the surprise blessing of our youngest daughter, now two-years old, I have been able to make the adjustments needed so that I can work from home and be confident that I can supplement our household income.
• I love that I have been able to travel to places that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise by attending corporate events all over the country. I have even had the opportunity to take my wonderful husband on a Western Caribbean Cruise, courtesy of Close To My Heart! Can’t wait to do it again in 2011 when we set sail on The Epic Eastern Caribbean Cruise!
• I love that I am able to share my love of scrapbooking and stamping with others through home gatherings, workshops, and even at corporate events through training classes and contests. Ten years ago I would never have imagined that I would be comfortable standing in front of 8-10 ladies, let alone 100s, sharing something I love to do and making $$$ doing it! 

Do you connect with any of my reasons for loving what I do?

If you do or would like to, now is a wonderful time to become apart of this fabulous company that is Close To My Heart!

It is Faster, Simpler, & Easier than ever to become a Close To My Heart Independent Consultant TODAY!

The New Consultant Kit has everything you need to start your business right, including forms and a huge supply of Close To My Heart products, over $300 worth, all for only $99. You may add one or both bonus packs, with a scrapbooking or cardmaking emphasis, at a great price to complement your kit.

2009 Fall/Winter Consultant Kit – Only $99

Scrapbooking Bonus Pack – Only $60

Cardmaking Bonus Pack – Only $50CLICK HERE to learn more and to join the Close To My Heart family today!

Make it from your heart with Close To My Heart,

Friday Flashback – 11/6

Welcome to my Friday Flashback! This is where I share with you days gone by using CTMH products and memories. I decided to pull out some old scrapbooks I made probably 8+ years ago and came across a layout that uses one of my all-time favorite stamp sets, Frighten Fun! I just loved the pumpkins in the stamp set.

I believe this is a layout that we created for a scrapbook club project many moons ago. :O) So, there should be several of you out there that have this very same layout…hopefully with your own pictures on them by now! If not, dig it out and get busy!

Check out the darling pumpkin faces and how great the colors still look so many years later! I sure do miss that Gingham B&T.

Thanks for stopping by and revisiting some old favorites with me. May you have a blessed weekend and make it from you heart with Close To My Heart!

Wednesday Wishes 11/4

Welcome to another Wednesday Wishes featuring the latest Color Me Monday combination by Jeanette Lynton and the Wishes Card Confidence Program.

I began my morning thinking I would dig through my stash of cards and find a Wishes concept using a previous Color Me Monday combination…to no avail.

So, I stopped by Jeanette’s blog to check out the latest color combination that she posts every Monday and I was inspired to create something from scratch.

This week’s color combination is Goldrush, Desert Sand, Chocolate and Cocoa. What a beautiful combination for fall leaves.

To decide what concept I would use this week, I randomly opened up my Wishes Card Confidence Program and ended up on page 76. The 4-1/2 x 4-1/2 card called Matchbook caught my eye.

So, off I went into my scrapbook room to find the perfect  B&T Duos and cardstock in the color combination.

I grabbed a sheet of Chocolate Polka Dots B&T Duos from the Caprice Level 2 Paper Packet, Cocoa cardstock, Colonial White cardstock & I found a scrap of Goldrush cardstock that I had used with the ‘suede’ technique a long time ago. I also grabbed my D1371 Many Thanks My Acrylix stamp set (get it free when you buy two stamp sets in November) and ink pads. I’ll explain in more detail below.

With everything in hand, I got to work by following the cutting diagrams and instructions in the Wishes Card Confidence Program…again…on page 76 using the Matchbook concept.

Here is my finished creation…

The base of the card is Cocoa cardstock and I layered the Chocolate Polka Dots B&T Duo on the card front. You can see the Cocoa cardstock on the right because it is scored at 3/4” so it will wrap around the card front like a matchbook does.

You may be asking where did I use Desert Sand? Well, I used it on the leaf actually by first stamping the leaf in Desert Sand ink, then lightly into Goldrush ink and finally I rolled the edges of the image in Cocoa ink and stamped it onto Colonial White cardstock and cut out.

For the Colonial White cardstock directly underneath the leaf, I did some direct-to-paper with my Cocoa ink then randomly stamped another leaf from the set in 2nd generation Desert Sand ink (ink your stamp, stamp off once onto scratch paper/desk pad and then onto the Colonial White cardstock).

Finally, I had to figure out a way to secure my card closed so I took some Cocoa Grosgrain Ribbon and a Colonial White Mini-Medley Ribbon Accent  and wrapped the ribbon around the card and underneath the focal point, then tied it around the ribbon accent.

Oh, and I’m thinking now that you’d like to know how to create the ‘suede’ technique??? It’s super easy! The easiest way is to spritz some water into your cardstock and then crumple the cardstock into a ball. You can also run it under the faucet briefly. Don’t get it too wet or the paper will fall apart. Once you have crumpled it up pretty good, gently un-crumple it and lay out flat to air dry or I have even used an iron on a low setting to dry it and smooth it out. This technique used with CTMH cardstock with the white core gives a really weathered look. I love it!

Well, that’s all for now folks! May you have a blessed day and make it from your heart with Close To My Heart.

November Stamp of the Month Blog Hop -

Welcome to the Close To My Heart Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! We are featuring November's SOTM, Around the Block , a set of 26 My Acrylix stamps. If you have come here from Brae's Blog, you are on the right path!

***

This month we have over 60 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other great CTMH products. It is so simple to hop along with us - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

***

In honor of Halloween, I chose to create a scrapbook layout for some Halloween pictures this year…so that’s why there are not any photos on the layout yet. I have yet to create the 2nd page of the layout as I was being ‘Last-minute Lucy’ this month.

I used a recent Color Me Monday combination from Jeanette Lynton’s blog…Black, Pansy Purple, Sweet Leaf and Colonial White.

 

I haven’t decided yet if I will put a title in the middle column or a journaling block. I guess it will all depend on which concept I pick for the 2nd page. This concept came from the Reflections Scrapbook Program and is called Triple Play – Columns.

I used two B&T Duos from different Level 2 Paper Packets. The Black B&T Duos is from the Game On collection and the Smokey Plum B&T Duos is from the Enchanted collection.

 

The little bats on the clouds are from the stamp set Beware. I used my black marker to color in the bats I wanted to use from the large corner swirl stamp in that set.

Well, I guess that’s it until I get the other page created and my pictures printed. I’ll be sure to post those soon! Thank you for hopping by!

Now "Hop" on over to Antoinette's Blog to see her work!

Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas! Remember, the November SOTM is only available until November 30th!

Contact me at pamela@myctmh.com to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount or even FREE with a qualifying order!

***
If you get lost on the hop or find links that aren't working, click HERE for a complete list of participating blogs.

Have a blessed day and make it from your heart with Close To My Heart!