This afternoon I played around with the Art Philosophy cartridge and I thought I would share. I also used the B1460 Trick or Treat Sweets stamp set, Slade and Thistle cardstock along with the Slade ink pad.

This treat box was easy to put together, but surely will make someone happy - like someone in my family!

Don't forget right now you can still get a free stamp set with a $30 purchase in stamp set purchases!

For Montana Residents Only - Free CTMH Cartridge!

Exclusively for Montana Residents 

Discover the Art of Business
 

Begin your business with fantastic savings!

Montana residents who join Close To My Heart as Independent Consultants September 5–October 5 will receive their favorite “art-full” Close To My Heart Cricut^® collection FREE! Our New Consultant Kit is just $99 and comes packed with nearly triple the retail value in products and supplies to help you succeed. Simply order your New Consultant Kit online and select your chosen collection. Receive your FREE Cricut^® collection from the eligible options—retail priced at $99—and watch your new business soar!

*Offer valid September 5–October 5, 2014. No tax will be charged on the free item. Cricut^® Artfully Sent Collection is not eligible as part of this offer. For more information on shipping and handling options for the New Consultant Kit and how to receive your free collection, please contact your Independent Consultant - that would be me, hopefully! Just go to my website and click here:

Be A Consultant

Dates: Offer valid September 5–October 5, 2014.

If you don't want to take advantage of this great offer - share it with someone else from Montana. If you wonder, why only there? The state had a law pending that prevented many companies from letting their consultants sign anyone up in that state. So, when Close to my Heart offered this great opportunity to every one else in April, Montana residents could not take advantage of it. Now they can - so share, if you can or get that cartridge yourself!

If nothing else - its a great Christmas gift!

The wait is over - The Artifully Sent cartridge is Here!

The new cartridge is finally here and available! You won't believe all the cool things you can do with the cartridge! Here is just a little run down of what you can do with the cartridge!

• 700 images
• 250 artistic cards
• 150 small projects
• gives you 400 unique projects
• you will have sentiment cards
• pop up cards

Let your creativity explode and have fun! Now, I need to hurry and order my cartridge!

So Happy Stamp Set - get it while you can!

Celebrate National Stamping Month and Jeanette Lynton’s #30yearsofhappy in the stamping and scrapbooking industry!

September is National Stamping Month, and Close To My Heart is ready to celebrate all month long! When you spend $30 on any current retail-priced stamps during the month of September, you qualify to receive the exclusive C-sized stamp set #30yearsofhappy for FREE! This special offer is part of our celebration of National Stamping Month and in honor of our on-going celebration of our founder and CEO Jeanette Lynton’s 30-year anniversary in the scrapbooking and stamping industry. The exclusive stamp set features 30 mini images and sentiments perfectly suited for 30 days of happy stamping! Plus, make sure you check out Close To My Heart’s Facebook page and Instagram during September to follow all the ways we’re celebrating #30yearsofhappy for a full 30 days!
Contact me for more details.

*Offer valid September 1–30, 2014. No tax will be charged on the free item(s). Shipping/handling is calculated based on the full retail price of the free item(s) ($13.95 USD / $15.25 CAD).

 This cute little set is so versatile! As soon as I make some more samples up, I will post them for you. You can use this set all year round - that is what we love! Use it as a background set, sentiment, decoration, on tags, cards, scrapbooking, just decoration - the uses are endless! What are you waiting for? Once you get the set, let me know how you used the set.

Happy Stamping!

Birthday card workshop

 These were the cards and gift bag we made at our last workshop. Don't you love those?! This time around I did not use any circut cartridges, but I used quite a bit of the new products and papers. Love some of those new papers - don't you?

 

This is one of my all time favorite gift bags to make - please let me know in your comments if you want me to make a video on how to make this little bag. It is super easy - once you know the fold - but you need to know the fold - so comment away! I may even do a drawing for a little gift if I get enough comments :)

Here are the products I used: B1462 Lovely Birthday

Z2197 Pear and Z2644 Pixie inks

scallop punch for top edge

Scaredy Cat B & T, white CS

 

This card was layered with:

Gypsy, Canary, Confetti wishes Paper, Lagoon, white CS,

Confetti wishes Paper

I also used the Lovely Birthday stamp set again, Thistle Ink pad, Itty bitty Sparkles, our new Sequins gold assortment, new thin 3-d foam tape, teal resin flowers and teal glitter trim

Ok, so I fibbed a little - I did use the Cricut for this card! The yellow flower was cut out with the Art Philosophy cartridge! For my cards I used a lot of layering, as you can tell - it gives the cards a lot of dimension and color. You may also be able to tell that I love to distress the edges of my cards with my scissors. Our cardstock has the white core and I like to bring that out.

As you use the cuddlebug and emboss our cardstock, go ahead and distress. It looks and it feels good to distress! Its good therapy :)

Here are the products I used B1417 Perfect Fit- Birthday, B1599 Pretty Petals, C1456 Heartfelt Treasures

Z2644 Pisie, Z2643 Canary, Z2114 Cocoa Inks

Desert Sand CS, Topiary CS, Pear CS

Z2023 Bling Gem Asst, 3-d Tape, red brads

Another note, if you ever have to look any of these items up in my website, just type the item in the search cube and it will pop up. You do not need to have the exact name of the item. Its a great feature.

I hope you can join us at our next workshop on September 22! 

 

Cut Above™ kits

If you are looking for some great card kits or treat kits to put together quickly? These are it. They are pre-cut for you. All the supplies you need are included. All you need to do is stamp the images, included the candy in the treat bags (oh, the candy is not included either, ha!). You are done! Your holidays are covered, they are quick and easy to do. Have fun creating :)

Go to my website in the shopping area and look for "Cut Above" Kits.

Get crafting with the All-Purpose Mat

Discover what you can do with our new All-Purpose Craft Mat. Let me give you some hints:

• First put the sticky side down to make sure you have steady work surface - yes that means, the side with "Close to my Heart" is face down.
• Also, make sure you always store it rolled up
• Want to use it as a paint pallet? Go ahead, mix some re-inker on it with water til you have the mix you want. Use your blender pen and color your artwork! If it bleeds onto the mat, you can clean it up easy!
• Want to make those fun clear dome glue dots with our Liquid Glass - go ahead. Just put some small droplets on the mat, let them dry and they come off the mat easy! Then you can attach them to your artwork easily - if you want while they dry add some glitter for extra bling!
• Use the mat to do your nails! Cleaning up is easy
• You can emboss on the mat!
• Any glue or paint cleans up easy
• When you use alcohol based markers you don't need to worry about bleeding through now, because the mat cleans up. You do want to make sure after you wipe the mat off so you will not pick up the color with your arms or hands
• Use it for your cricut projects - makes it easy to put them together on 

I am sure there are loads more things you can do with this handy mat. As I find more ways to use it, I will add them to this list. For now, enjoy it and have fun. 

Happy crafting,

Margit

Picture Perfection

Your picture-perfect pocket scrapbooking adventure awaits!

Choose from 1 of 8 Memory Protectors™ designs!

During the month of August, when you purchase any of the 13 available Picture My Life™ scrapbooking programs featured in the 2014–2015 Annual Inspirations idea book at their full retail price of $24.95 USD / $27.50 CAD, you are eligible to add your choice of 1 of 8 qualifying Memory Protectors™ 10-packs for just $3 (USD & CAD)! Each Picture My Life scrapbooking program already includes a coordinating 10-pack of Memory Protectors, so when you add your additional 10-pack for only $3 you will be well on your way to your own picture-perfect pocket scrapbooking adventure!
Contact me for more details.

*Offer valid August 1–31, 2014 while supplies last. No tax will be charged on the free item(s). Shipping/handling is calculated based on the full retail price of the free item(s) ($9.95 USD / $10.95 CAD).

 I love this system - not only can you use these cards for scrapbooking, but they are great for making cards or home decorating projects! If you want to check out the images of all the programs, I just found a fellow consultant who took the time to make a picture of all the kits, front and back. She was gracious enough to share them with us. Here is her link - check for the name of the kits on the right side of her blog.

When you are ready to order your own kit - just go to my website and make your choice! Remember, our awesome special this month with the savings of our protectors!

August news and special!

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the new Annual Inspirations idea book!

Enter a new world of crafting possibilities with the launch of our latest idea book.

Close Read

After months of anticipation, Annual Inspirations has arrived at last. The art-filled pages are now available for your viewing pleasure! Peruse the gold mine of new products, ranging from the new Cut Above™ line to the ShinHan™ Touch Twin™ Markers, and admire the gorgeous artwork that dances across the pages. With additions such as 5 new colors and 9 new My Reflections™ paper packets, this idea book is overflowing with artistic inspiration and surging with products fit to make any crafter’s heart swoon. So go ahead, fall in love with the new idea book. We promise the plunge will be well worth your time.

Check out the idea book »

August Stamp of the Month: What a Hoot Prepare for “owl” the fall festivities with this hoot of a stamp set. Close Read Fall will be swooping in before we know it, and there is no better way to welcome in crispy breezes and falling leaves than with the August Stamp of the Month, What a Hoot! When you place an order of $50 or more, these festive fowl can join your aviary for only $5! The quirky owls in this adorable stamp set will add an endearing element to any craft. You can even dress them up in costumes and wish your friends a “Happy ‘Owl’oween”! Whatever the occasion, these feathered friends are sure to make a hoot in your neck of the woods. See the stamp set »

August Constant Campaign: Picture Perfection!

Save big on Memory Protectors™ with Picture My Life™ scrapbooking programs!

Close Read We know that, as a crafter, your chief mission is to preserve and protect the images and memories from your life that you hold most dear. To aid you in this quest, we’re providing you with a hot summer deal! During the month of August, when you purchase any of the 13 available Picture My Life™ scrapbooking programs featured in the Annual Inspirations idea book at their full retail price of $24.95 USD / $27.50 CAD, you are eligible to add your choice of 1 of 8 qualifying Memory Protectors™ 10-packs for just $3 (USD & CAD)! Each Picture My Life scrapbooking program already includes a coordinating 10-pack of Memory Protectors, so when you add your additional 10-pack for only $3, you will be well on your way to your own picture-perfect pocket scrapbooking adventure. You’ll be able to preserve double the memories in half the time! Check out our 5 new Picture My Life scrapbooking programs in the new idea book, or choose from the 8 existing programs. There’s a theme for every season of life—find yours!

*Offer valid August 1–31, 2014, while supplies last. No tax will be charged on the free item(s). Shipping/handling is calculated based on the full retail price of the free item(s) ($9.95 USD / $10.95 CAD).

Peruse the programs

My Acrylix® Spritz & Scrubber and more Tools of the Trade!

Now with a total of 25 short videos, our tool training series has everything you need to utilize your terrific Close To My Heart tools!

• Learn the ins and outs of the Rub & Remove™ eraser
• Get familiar with the stitch guide, ruler, and foam mat trio
• Get an exclusive look at Exclusive Inks™ re-inkers and spray pen
• And many more!

You will be able to find many of the products right here in my website. Please let me know if you should have any problems if you can't find any of them - I will be more than glad to help you. I have used many of the items for years - in fact, my little scissors are just about 10 years old and still going strong! I love them for not just cutting but distressing as well! A girl has to distress her paper :)

Well, have fun checking these short videos out!