Project Inspiration: Color-Ready Seam Binding Ribbon

See how to make this pretty, soft white ribbon a stunning color to match your projects. It’s as easy as pie!

(Click over to my blog if you are unable to see this video)

For more information about this technique or other products used in this video, contact me or visit my website. Below are links to the featured products mentioned…

Color-Ready Seam Binding Ribbon

Sponge Daubers

You may also like these products to color your ribbon…

Exclusive Inks Stamp Pads

Exclusive Inks Re-inkers

Spray Pen

The possibilities are endless when you can color your ribbon to your heart’s desire!

Design Your Scrapbooks Online with CTMH Studio J–Video Tutorial

Seeing is believing!

Scrapbook the Close To My Heart Way

Do you enjoy the simplicity, beauty, and ease of crafting scrapbook layouts using Close To My Heart’s classic patterns, paper, and embellishments? We’ve filled Studio J^® with the same elements to make scrapbooking even faster, simpler, and easier! You’ll find many of the classic kits you know and love, plus new exclusive products available only in Studio J.

Unleash your inner artist

Indulge your desire to create gorgeous layouts in minutes—it’s easy, fast, and fun with Studio J! Your artsy side will be inspired by the variety of timeless patterns, your creative side will love the themed kits, and the over-achiever in you will be thrilled at how much scrapbooking you get done!

 

Click here to give Studio J a try for Free

Click here to learn more about becoming a Studio J® Member

Click here to view the Studio J Art Gallery

Alright, I’m off to play in Studio J so I can try some of the fun new techniques shared in the video above!

Have a blessed weekend creating memories to cherish for a lifetime!

One Summer Day with Studio J Online Scrapbooking

I had so much fun creating this Studio J online scrapbook layout yesterday using a new exclusive kit called ‘Love Bird’. The colors of this kit are perfect for Springtime or Summertime photos like the ones I used here of Bevyn.

Here is a sneak peek at the ‘Love Bird’ kit…

This is what my layout looks like inside the Studio J online program…

Check out those adorable My Stickease accents! There are dozens of different accents in this kit…this just represents a taste of what you can expect in Studio J!

Here are some close-ups of my Studio J layout…

So what do you think!?! If you haven’t given Studio J a try yet, I highly encourage you to! It’s really as easy as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5! See what I mean…

Click Here Get Started TODAY with Studio J…

Don’t Miss Out on the Five for FREE in February!

Double your layouts with our Five for Free promotion! For each Studio J^® 5-pack you purchase this February, you’ll get one free 5-pack. Kick start your creative inspiration with easy-to-follow instructions for the first five layouts below. To find out more about purchasing a 5-pack and/or becoming a Studio J member, contact me here or visit my website here.

Have fun creating with Studio J today!

Only A Few Days Left to Take Advantage of these Amazing CTMH Deals…

Be sure to place your orders by January 31st to get these great deals...

ROCK THE BLOCK

When you place a minimum order of $25 from the Autumn/Winter 2011 Idea Book, you can get two valuable new products for just $15: the My Creations Collage Cubes (a Spring/Summer 2012 sneak-peek product!) and the exclusive My Acrylix Rock the Block E-size stamp set (available only during this promotion). This Rock the Block promotion represents a retail savings of almost $30! You're going to love the collage cubes and the Rock the Block stamp set, which work together for interactive, fashionable fun! But hurry, the offer ends January 31st.

Here’s a fun card I made using the Rock the Block E-size stamp set…

And here’s a great YouTube video showing some great projects to make using the My Creations Collage Cubes & the Rock the Block E-Size stamp set…

Click here to place your order to qualify for your own Rock the Block promotion.

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JANUARY STAMP OF THE MONTH

Available January 1–31, 2012 only.

With a minimum qualifying purchase, get your D-size Stamp of the Month set for just $5.00! Add the stamp set to your cart at full retail price or, with your qualifying order, add it at checkout for the promotional price.

Spend: $50.00 You pay only: $5.00 (72% Off!)  

or You pay only: $17.95 (full retail) with no minimum required purchase.

Set of 25
Recommended My Acrylix® Blocks:1" × 3 1/2" (Y1002), 3" × 3" (Y1006), 2" × 3 1/2" (Y1009), 2" × 6 1/2" (Y1010)

Stamp images outlined in red coordinate with the Cricut® Art Philosophy collection (Z1686).

Click here to order your own January Stamp of the Month.

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FREE STUDIO J LAYOUTS IN JANUARY

January 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!

Click here to get started with Studio J today!

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need help placing your order.

CTMH Holiday Tags Assortment–Video Tutorial

Gift tags are a must-have year-round in every home and even more so during the holidays. Learn how to turn out classy, custom gift tags in assembly-line style, with the help of the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge, in this Close To My Heart video. It's one more way to tell your gift recipient, "You're worth it!"

Do Everything…

No matter where you find yourself today, no matter what you do, do everything for the glory of the Lord.

God bless you today,

Top 10 Countdown – Why I Love CTMH – Reasons #8 & #7

Now through May 31st, I will be counting down the top 10 reasons why becoming a Close To My Heart consultant over 12 years ago was one of the best decisions I ever made. I hope that over the next 10 days something that I share will resonate with you and you will see why becoming a Close To My Heart consultant in May could be one of the best decisions you ever make!

Let’s get to it…

#8 – People

Can I tell you just how blessed I’ve been over the past 12 years!?! I have met so many wonderful women (and a few gentlemen…hi Dr. Phil) all because of my Close To My Heart business. A lot of these women have become some of my very best friends and many of them don’t even live in the same state that I do!

First, are my customers. They are the best and they always come through for me when I’m trying to meet a goal…like making Director this month…only a few more days to sign up…CLICK HERE if you haven’t done so yet! =)

Then there is my wonderful team of consultants…the Stampers from the Heart Team. I love these women so much because we have a common interest in what we do with Close To My Heart and we have become like a little extended family over the years. I know many of us continue working our businesses just so we can maintain our minimums so we can remain a part of the ‘family’.

I can’t forget my wonderful uplines, Kimberly and her team the Stamper’s with an Attitude and Karen and her team the Dream Team! We have so much fun when we get together…like this past February when I traveled to Las Vegas for Kim’s Winter Stamp Camp! 

And last but not least…all the wonderful consultants all across the country & the corporate staff…they are incredible! 

#7 – Convention

There are not words to express how amazing it is to attend Close To My Heart’s annual convention! This year is going to be especially exciting as it’s going to be at…DISNEYLAND!!!

I look so forward to attending convention each year to meet up with a lot of the friends that I mentioned above and to find out what new & innovating products & programs Close To My Heart has come up with to WOW us…which they do on a regular basis! It’s also a wonderful time to learn new business tips and creative techniques.

In the past I have enjoyed traveling to Portland, Oregon all the way to Orlando, Florida…and in between! It’s always fun to find out where we are going next.

This video will give you a pretty good idea of why I love convention so much…

 

Have I convinced you yet why I love Close To My Heart and why I know you will too when you become a Close To My Heart consultant today!?!

If you’d like to be a part of the fun…don’t delay…click here today!

NEW! ‘Love Your Layout’ Tutorial

HAPPY NATIONAL SCRAPBOOK DAY!!!

I’m so excited to share with you today a new online show by Close To My Heart called ‘Love Your Layout’. This new show will teach you how to create beautiful Studio J layouts in just minutes!

On today’s show, Kristine will show you how to create a fabulous Studio J layout of someone you love, so let’s get started!

Need help getting started using Studio J? You may want to check out this video tutorial…

Have you heard of our Studio J Memberships?

Did you know that you can get your Studio J layouts for 50% off with free shipping, free memory protectors and free hi & low resolution jpegs? As a Studio J Member you can do just that!

Let me tell you more…

Save an amazing 50% off retail price by becoming a Studio J^® member. Only members receive free JPG files of their layouts with each purchased custom-printed layout and also have the option to purchase JPG files separately. JPG files come in both high resolution and thumbnail sizes to print, share, or archive. Membership comes with other perks like exclusive patterns, kits, and free Memory Protectors^®. On top of all that, members also get free shipping on one order per month that has a total of 4 to 20 layouts in the continental US or 7 to 20 layouts in Canada and non-continental US shipping zones. For full details, see the FAQ.

To get started TODAY, click here to try out Studio J with a 3-Month Membership for only $30.

To get the BEST value for your money, click here to purchase a 12-Month Membership for only $99!

Want to test-drive Studio J before making an investment? You can upload photos and create layouts to your heart’s content for FREE!

Click Here to Test-Drive Studio J Today!

Want additional help?

Contact me to schedule your 30-minute personal one-on-one session so I can help you get started with Studio J as soon as possible.

I’ll be back soon with my completed ‘Love Your Layout’ using the featured kit & techniques in the show.

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

On This Day…

I realized that I MUST have the My Acrylix stamp set featured in this video…

Get inspired by artwork featuring the My Acrylix^® On This Day stamp set in this short, fun video. You’ll love the paper piecing technique that really makes the stamped images stand out!

To purchase the featured stamp set & products, click on the shopping cart below…

Don’t forget to check out all the great deals in the While Supplies Last section too!

Have a great day and make it from your heart,

Simply Scallops Tutorial

Discover clever uses for our new scallop circle punch. Your head will spin with the plethora of circle ideas in this video! Quickly add darling scallop circles to your artwork using our innovative 2" scallop circle punch. Pairs perfectly with round stamp images!

Video Tutorial courtesy of the Close To My Heart Art Department

Faith-Filled Friday

Welcome to Faith-Filled Friday!

I have been thinking about starting Faith-Filled Fridays for some time now and just sat down a few minutes ago and decided now was as good a time as any to jump right into it. So here we go…

My goal with this weekly post will be to share with you snippets of my daily walk through out the past week with God. It may be such things as what I’m reading or listening to, events that are happening in my life, lessons that God is teaching me and so forth. There will probably be no rhyme or reason to it all, but as I’ve learned over the last several years…that’s LIFE!

Well, let’s get started…

Two weeks ago, our Thursday morning Bible study group began a new study by Priscilla Shirer entitled, Jonah – Navigating a Life Interrupted.

Here is the blurb from the back of the book…

You Can’t Escape Life’s Interruptions

They shock us: they shake us; they compel us to change. You can’t escape life’s interruptions, but you can change your perspective on them. Dive into the study of Jonah and discover that what you see as an interruption may truly be God’s divine invitation to a life so much bigger than you can imagine.

I have completed Week 1 of this study and I want to share with you a few insights I’ve learned already…

• The Book of Jonah is not really about a man swallowed up by a big fish.
• Jonah was the only prophet who received instructions from God and ran from what God told him to do.
• I planned one thing for my life, and yet my current situation looks nothing like what I had in mind.
• I hate interruptions!
• I have to decide to yield to divine intervention at the cost of my own plans or continue on my own path instead.
• I don’t mind following Christ as long as His path eventually converges onto the one I already have chosen.
• When the Lord speaks over my life, separating me unto Himself for His purposes or allowing circumstances to derail me from my original plan, I should consider it my personal invitation from God to join Him in His work.
• I will be continually frustrated as I run from or ignore His attempts to guide me toward His best for me. His best includes predetermined purposes that I’ve been specifically equipped to master.
• God’s plans for me are so overwhelmingly beyond anything that I could ever imagine that my feelings or ability to reason His directives cannot be the determining factor for choosing obedience.
• Engaging in God’s will is not always comfortable or convenient, but it is worth it.

Wow…am I in for the ride of my life or what!?!

If you’d like to join me, grab a member book and download the audio or video of each session HERE.

Now, I have one last thing to share…

Here is the latest song from my all-time favorite Christian artist, Shawn McDonald...

I love the lyrics that say…’Tell me why do I run when I am in fear? Why do I run when you are so near?’ Hmmm…sounds a lot like the story of Jonah.

Have a Blessed Weekend and Keep the Faith!

…Never Let Go

This was a blessing to me and I thought it would be a blessing to you too!

May God bless YOU this week!

Sneak-A-Peek @ Krafty, Kool, Kolorful New Product

The Close To My Heart Art Department created this video tutorial using brand new products that will be available February 1, 2011!

Transform your kraft Color-Ready borders into vivid embellishments for all your artwork.

(Visit YouTube HERE if you have trouble viewing this video on my blog)

Visit MyCTMH Website beginning February 1, 2011 to order from the new CTMH Spring/Summer 2011 Idea Book!

Thank you for stopping by!

Spray Pen Unplugged & Week of Wonder

I’d like to share a few new products and techniques directly from Close To My Heart…

Add glamour to your artwork with the spray mist technique. Let us show you how using the affordable spray pen, a dash of re-inker, and a dab of Create-a-Shade® pearl paint.

Now…head on over to Close To My Heart’s Founder, Jeanette Lynton’s blog and learn what the ‘Week of Wonder’ is all about…

To get your hands on these exclusive Close To My Heart products now,

 

Have a blessed weekend and make it from your heart with Close To My Heart,

The Eclipse & a New Marbling Technique

If you are friend of mine on Facebook, then you know how much I enjoyed Monday night’s total lunar eclipse that just so happened on the winter solstice. We were blessed to have a beautiful clear night sky with temperatures that were in the 50s. It was amazing! I sat out in the middle of our yard, by myself mostly, as my husband, Mike, wasn’t feeling to well and the girls were asleep. My 15 year old son came out a few times and we enjoyed some time together. Once the moon was totally in the Earth’s shadow, that is when the sky was the darkest and the stars shown so incredibly bright. I was in awe of God’s creativity of the heavens.

Here is a pretty good picture that I captured with my camera and zoom lens of the moon partially covered.

If you missed it, I’m not sure you will ever get the chance in this life time to see it. It probably depends on where you live. I do know it will never happen again on the winter solstice in our life time.

***

Now, how about I share with you a really cool new technique I learned yesterday from the latest webisode of...

While I was waiting on the total lunar eclipse to take place, I watched an awesome tutorial on Tracey Mason’s blog on how to create these cool paper roses I’ve been seeing everywhere. Once I got one made, I had to use it on something, so I made this card using the cool background paper I learned to make on Art & Soul!

Come to think of it, I used several new techniques on this card. The idea for the pleated ribbon made from cardstock came from a You Tube tutorial I watched by Annette Green.

Ok, check out the new cool marbling technique that Jill taught on the latest webisode of Art & Soul using Liquid Glass!

It really was so easy to do and gives the coolest background effect. Check out how to do it on Art & Soul today!

Here is the inside of my card using the leftover scrap I had from my background paper…

You will definitely be seeing more ideas from me using this technique! Try it today!

Not sure if I’ll get around to posting anything else before Christmas, so just in case…may you and yours have a Blessed & Merry Christmas!

Remember…Jesus is the Reason for the Season,

It’s About the Cross