Stamps that will retire soon - get them while you can!

Here is the List of Stamps to be retired and sets to stay:

This is one of my favorites :)

Sets that will not retire 

Sets that will retire and the date they will retire on. If you have some favorites, don't miss them. In the past, we carried many of the sets over through the whole year from the Expressions. We also kept the sets alive for an unlimited time, if they were compatible with our Cricut cartridges. Now we will not do that anymore. This way, we can always bring you new and exciting sets.

Penelope Workshop Your Way Videos

 

Watch the cutting guide for the workshop.

 

 Here you can see the directions for the layout workshop.

 

Here are the directions for the very cute cards of the workshop!

 

Make it easy for yourself and watch the PML layout directions!

You can still get this beautiful project until April 30 - Penelope will be available until then, along with all the products. Then it will retire. Have fun!

Stampaganza is back - Celebrate my 22nd Anniversay with CTMH with me!

Stampaganza 2016!

Buy two stamp sets and get one free!

The wait is over! Who is ready for Stampaganza 2016? Buy any two My Acrylix^® stamp sets (M-, A-, B-, C-, D-, or E-size) at full retail price and get a third stamp set of equal or lesser value FREE! That is a savings of up to $29.95! This offer is only available during March, so start submitting your stamp orders as soon as possible, and let the Stampaganza begin!

The lowest-priced set is…	Choose this size of stamp set to receive for free!
M-size	M-size
A-size	M- or A-size
B-size	M-, A-, or B-size
C-size	M-, A-, B-, or C-size
D-size	M-, A-, B-, C-, or D-size
E-size	M-, A-, B-, C-, D-, or E-size

Contact me me for more details.

*Offer valid March 1, 2016 (9:00 am MST)–March 31, 2016 (11:59 pm MDT) while supplies last. No tax will be charged on the free item(s). Shipping/handling is calculated based on the full retail price of all items, including the free item(s). 

 This event comes around rarely, but we all wait for it and it is finally here! Amazingly - Close to my Heart times it quite often either with one of my Anniversaries or my birthday. So guess what? Its my 22nd Anniversary this month. Yes, really - 22 years with this awesome company! So, celebrate with me and catch some of these awesome deals - because if you want to save even more, check out the Clearance section :) Happy savings!

 Margit 

How to Make a Large Paper Flower

Do you have a special event coming up? Now you have a great way to make your own decorations! This is how easy it is to make those flowers - if you don't want the flowers to be as big, just dial down the cricut and you have smaller flowers!

Enjoy!

Margit

January 2016 Charlotte Card workshop

Charlotte Card Workshop Cards - Beautiful!

Charlotte is one of the most beautiful paper packs I have worked with! I just love it! The ladies who came to my workshop agreed with me - they also loved working our new thin cuts - I let them play the Cuttlebug. They also got to work with our new Watercolors and they agreed that our Watercolors are very vibrant.

All of the images were stamped after I cute them out. The ink does not run as easy. It is your choice, however, what look you would like to have. If you do not want the color to go passed the lines. Color your image in after you cut and stamp.

Embellishments placed in the right spot will help your work to "shine" just in the right way. Also, as you color your image, you may want to choose different colors for leaves to make sure they do not all look the same or show highlights in your flowers.

Of course, you can always go back in after to add highlights on your flowers - as I did to my flower. Use those 3-D dots to gain more highlights. I did not cut the leaves, I stamped those directly on the paper and painted them in. If you look closer onto the ribbon - I just tied the knot and glued it onto the ribbon with Liquid Glass. Whatever would I do without Liquid Glass!?!

Here is what you need to make these cards:

C1641 My Acrylix Springtime Wishes
Z3146 Watercolor Paper
Z2164 Sorbet Ink
Z899 Black Memento Ink
Z3132 Watercolor Paints
Z3188 Paintbrush Set
Z3201 Springtime Wishes Thin Cuts
Z2060 Tin 3-D Foam Tape
X254 White Cards & Envelopes Value Cuts
Z3203 Treasured Puffies
Z3197 Black & Gold Ribbon
X7205B Charlotte Paper Pack
1386 Black Cardstock

However, if you purchase the G1104 Workshops Your War Charlotte Scrapbooking kit, you will get:

• Paper Pack (including extra cardstock,  black, whisper)
• Charlotte complements
• Black & Gold Ribbon
• Treasured Puffies

The cutting guide for the scrapbook pages and the cards can be found on line. Please let me know if you should need any help. 

As you look for what you might need to make cards just log into my website and start browsing!

Have fun!

Share the Love through Operation Smile

---

From Jeanette: Share the Love through Operation Smile™ by Close To My Heart

I consider my grandchildren to be among the greatest treasures in my life. I never could have imagined the joy that those precious smiles bring to me. I’m sure that those of you with children and grandchildren can relate! Even those without children of your own know just how priceless and special a child’s smile is. And that’s one of the reasons that Close To My Heart has been partnered with Operation Smile™ for so long.

Operation Smile is an international non-profit organization dedicated to helping children with cleft palate, cleft lip, and other facial deformities receive lifesaving and life-changing surgeries. They are truly a special organization. At our last Convention, we shared a video of an Operation Smile mission, and I want to give you all a chance to see it now:

Watching this video brings tears to my eyes every time. The work this organization does is absolutely incredible, and I am determined to do what I can to help this incredible organization succeed.

Since February is the month of love, we thought it would be a wonderful time to really focus our efforts on expressing our love for Operation Smile and the dear families they serve. For this purpose, we’ve created the My Acrylix^® Share the Love stamp set, and for every stamp set sold, we will donate $7 USD to Operation Smile*.

This stamp set is only available during February, so be sure to get yours while you can. There are also many other ways you can help Operation Smile throughout the year. You can purchase the My Acrylix^® Animal Greetings stamp set, which you can use to create this adorable children’s book and many other wonderful works of art. This stamp set is sure to bring smiles to many children’s faces!

We also have a selection of t-shirts to help promote the Operation Smile mission. For every t-shirt you purchase, we will donate $10 USD*.

Another way to help is to round up your order totals. When you do this, we will donate the difference. Each surgery is only $240 USD, so small donations can really add up to make a big impact.

Finally, if you or someone you know would like to make an outright donation to Operation Smile, simply talk to a Close To My Heart Consultant, who can walk you step by step through that process.

We’ll be sharing some more stories this month to show what some of our awesome Consultants have done to support Operation Smile, as well, so be sure to check back with us throughout the month.

My friends, you already add so much goodness to this world. Donating to Operation Smile is simply a way to extend the reach of your goodness. With all my heart, I thank you for all you have done, all you are doing, and all you will do for people, both around the corner and around the globe. Your selflessness inspires me.

All my love,

Jeanette

*Products purchased in US states AL and MA excluded from donation due to state registration requirements. 

Share the Love

Item Number: CC1060

Product Description

Filled with adorable icons and loveable sentiments, this stamp set will be a beautiful addition to your collection—but there is more to this stamp set than meets the eye! Not only will you get a high-quality, swoon-worthy stamp set by taking part in this promotion, but Close To My Heart will also donate $7 USD* of the proceeds from this stamp set to Operation Smile™, an amazing organization that provides surgeries to repair cleft lips and palates for children all over the world!

Set of 13
Recommended My Acrylix® Blocks:
1" × 1" (Y1000), 1" × 3 ½" (Y1002), 2" × 2" (Y1003), 3" × 3" (Y1006)

*Donation is $7 USD. Stamp sets purchased in US states AL and MA excluded from donation due to state registration requirements.

Magnet Advent Calendar

Just look at what CTMH just posted on their blog! I absolutely love it and I wanted to share it with you!

You’ll Love This Valentine’s Day Advent Calendar! by Close To My Heart

The timeless love sonnet by Elizabeth Barrett Browning has inspired countless thousands of people to “count the ways” they love one another for over a century now. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we’ve come up with an irresistibly cute project to help you count the days! Take a look:

Didn’t we tell you it was the cutest? :) And it’s amazingly simple, too. Staring with our Designed Décor Red Magnetic Chalkboard, we added a big heart cut from the Charlotte paper packet. Next, we cut 14 adorable envelopes from a variety of cardstocks and glitter papers with our Cricut^® Artiste collection. Have a look:

After cutting them out, you’ll need to fold your envelopes. Use a bone folder to get deep creases so the flaps will stay in place—no adhesive required! Then attach a set of hook & loop dots to each envelope. These Velcro-like dots make opening and closing the envelopes a cinch!

Now for the fun part: decorating and filling the envelopes! We attached a heart to every envelope and attached a number on top. Feel free to embellish your envelopes to your “heart’s” content!

What will you put in your envelopes? A note with something you love about your significant other? A little piece of candy? A picture of a favorite memory? An act of love you’d like to complete that day? Whatever you choose, it’ll get you and everyone else at your house even more excited for the big day!

Make your own heart-filled advent calendar, so you can count the ways AND the days this Valentine’s!

Recipe

Happy Valentine’s Day Advent Calendar
X7025B Charlotte Paper Packet, 1246 Hollyhock Cardstock, X5927 Ruby Cardstock, X5760 Cotton Candy Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5780 Pomegranate Cardstock, Z3076 Gold Glitter Paper, Z2006 Designed Décor Red Magnetic Chalkboard, Z679 Liquid Glass, Z1805 Hook & Loop Dots, 1772 Memory Book Glue Dots^™, Z1204 Bone Folder, Z3171 Cricut^® Art Philosophy Collection, Z3170 Cricut^® Artiste Collection, Chalk

Cricut^® Shapes:
Art Philosophy
1" Shift <Heart1> (cut 14, p. 26)
11 ½" Shift <Heart1> (p. 26)

Artiste
2 ¼" Shift+Card <Z> (cut 14, p. 61)
½" <font> “1234567891011121314”

The magnetic frame above can be used not just for Valentine's Day, but all kinds of other fun occasions throughout the year. I love those multi-purpose items! 

 Have fun!

Margit

More Clearance items!

Here is just a short sample of items currently in our clearance section - you don't want to delay - some items will go quickly. These items will only be available as supplies last! Have fun!

White Daisy Envelopes (50)

$5.20 Z8997

Picture My Life™ White Pines Scrapbooking Program

$5.37 Z3176

Base & Bling Jolly Holiday Style Sheet

$2.37 Z3175

Cut Above™ Deck the Halls Card Kit

$7.17 Z3149

Base & Bling Red Bead Charm—Faux Silver

$1.77 Z3139

Base & Bling Red Bead Charm—Faux Gold

$1.77 Z3138

Base & Bling Jingle Bell—Faux Silver

$1.77 Z3136

Base & Bling Snowflake Charm—Faux Silver

$1.77 Z3135

Base & Bling Jingle Bell—Faux Gold

$1.77 Z3112

Base & Bling Snowflake Charm—Faux Gold

A Year of Great Products!

A Year of Great Products! by Close To My Heart

Happy New Year from Close To My Heart! 2015 has been amazing, and we know 2016 will be just as good! At this time of looking back and looking forward, we thought we would show you some of our favorite products that debuted in 2015 and some products we think will top 2016’s charts from the brand new Seasonal Expressions 1, which goes live January 1!

Let’s start with five of our favorites from 2015: 

1. Instalife^™. It isn’t any surprise that this adorable line was a top-seller last year. Instalife makes creating a fun-sized, trendy album of mini memories quick and easy.

2. Fundamentals. Whether it’s filled with papers, stickers, or assortments, a Fundamentals package is always a lifesaver. Because these staples come in our exclusive colors, you’ll always have the materials to match your latest layout or card. They’re helpful and adorable!

3. Paper Packets. Our paper packets are well loved for their cute and coordinating designs that can liven up any project! Several of our paper packets were top-selling items this year, with Zoe being number one.

4. Cut Above^™. We love Cut Above because it helps you create charming, handmade cards in a flash. For instance, our friend, Dapper Giraffe, and his card kit will get you ten party-themed cards faster than you can say “Happy Birthday!”

5. Stamp of the Month Sets. A lot of you are taking advantage of our Stamp of the Month sets—proof that you know a good deal when you see one! You can always get the current Stamp of the Month for a really great price with a qualifying purchase. Like you, we love a good deal. :)

2015 was a pretty great year, wasn’t it? And 2016 is going to be just as great! Here are five of our favorites from the new Seasonal Expressions 1 that we think really set the tone for an exciting new year:

1. Everyday Life™. Our planner system has already been a huge hit, and we know everyone is going to love using it all year long! We also know you’ll love the My Crush^® Everyday Life pages and the Everyday Life washi tape, which, when paired with the planner pages, help you organize your life and preserve your memories at the same time! Also, have you heard about January’s special? We’ll be offering an exclusive Picture My Life™ scrapbooking program that will complement your planner perfectly!

2. Workshops Your Way^™. We are so excited about this new program! Our new Workshops Your Way^™ scrapbooking kits come with materials and instructions for creating three scrapbook layouts and a Picture My Life^™ layout! And since we know you love using up every last bit, we’ve also designed adorable cards you can make using the remaining workshop materials and a few extra items.

3. Thin Cuts. These little beauties look like cookie cutters and let you cut shapes that coordinate perfectly with certain stamp sets. Just put them through your die cutting machine with a piece of paper, and then stamp the matching image onto the shape. 

4. Base & Bling Necklace Cards. Do you love using Base & Bling to create personalized gifts? Wait ‘til you see these! Using the My Acrylix^® Friendly Wishes stamp set, you can stamp a special message onto the necklace card, add a splash of watercolor, and attach the necklace. Slide it all into the sealable bag, and you’re ready to give someone a dazzling gift!

6. Picture My Life^™ White Overlays. You’ve loved them in gold, you’ve loved them in black—and now you’re going to love them in white! Picture My Life^™ overlays are clear cards with foil designs that you can slip over your photos or cards in your pocket scrapbooking for an extra bit of flair.

Doesn’t this list get you excited for 2016? With products like these, creating beautiful artwork to preserve your memories or discover your inner artist will be an exciting adventure! Tell us below which products you’re most excited about from Seasonal Expressions 1!

CC: Picture My Life™ - Live Your Day

These cards work wonderful with our new planner. This video shows examples for the planner and scrapbook pages, but I know you can also use these cards on cards. As soon as I make some samples, I will post them.

Have fun!

Margit