Welcome to the Joyful Stars blog hop for December

I attended a Close To My Heart event this weekend with fellow consultants and as usual we had a card swap.  We each made a bunch of the same card design and met for lunch before the event and swapped our cards.  I received so many beautiful cards.  I did not ask permission to post them her but I can at least post the card I made for the swap.

I used the following supplies:
White Pines paper packet      X7200B
Red Enamel Gems                 Z3090
Foil Tape (Gold)                    Z3129

For the sentiment I cut the shape in Colonial White from the Close To My Heart Artistry Cricut Cartridge at size 3.25 as specified on the stamp carrier sheet.  I then cut the same shape in Fern cardstock at size 3.40.

Stamps are from the White Pines Scrapbooking Workshop On the Go (G1098), and the stamp on the side of the card is from the White Pines Cardmaking Workshop On the Go (G1099).  You can order these from items my website .


Your next hop is over to Donna Ackley Long to see what she has created to share.


If you got lost along the way here is the entire list.

Donna Ackley Long         hintsofhappinesswithdonna.blogspot.com

Betty Locco                        scrapbookgirl2.blogspot.com

Yvonne                               justpaperandbling.blogspot.com

Joyce Houck                       Joyce-joyfulcreations.blogspot.com 

Marie Flayer                        njstampingqueen.blogspot.com

Helen Gullett                       helengullett.com 

Krista Hershberger              Kristascraftycorner.blogspot.com

Stephanie Huber                 lavendersagedesigns.blogspot.com  

Nancy Brown                     creativelyartsygallery.blogspot.com

Crystal Davis                      craftingwithcrystal.blogspot.com

Andrea Sherman                 girlpluspaper.blogspot.com

Lori Meadows                    craftymeadows.blogspot.com

Clearly the Best: Terrific Two-Tone (S01E04)

This technique has been around for quite some time but it is so fun!

Welcome to the Joyful Stars Blog Hop for November

For all of you that are swamped but want to create your own Christmas cards here is the perfect answer:

It is the White Pines Cardmaking workshop.  It comes with the paper, embellishments, and stamp set.   You just need to provide the inks.  The kit includes cutting guides and instructions.  The paper is even more pretty in person,

Your next hop is over to Betty Locco to see what she has created to share.


If you got lost along the way here is the entire list.

Joyce Houck                      Joyce-joyfulcreations.blogspot.com
Krista Hershberger           Kristascraftycorner.blogspot.com
Crystal Davis                    craftingwithcrystal.blogspot.com

Nancy Brown                   creativelyartsygallery.blogspot.com

Helen Gullett                        helengullett.com 

Andrea Sherman                girlpluspaper.blogspot.com

Donna Ackley Long        hintsofhappinesswithdonna.blogspot.com
Lori Meadows                 craftymeadows.blogspot.com   

Betty Locco                        scrapbookgirl2.blogspot.com

Welcome to the Joyful Stars Blog Hop for September

Hi Everyone, 

     I have a couple of simple cards I wanted to share with you this month.  This one is a 3x3 card that is made with cuts found in the new Artistry Cricut cartridge from CTMH.  I just thought the little monkey was adorable when I was paging through the booklet for the cartridge.  The "adorable" label is also cut from the Artistry cartridge.

I also used our new gold foil tape and was very pleased with how easy it was to work with.  I was able to re-position it as needed and was able to separate it when I accidentally had it overlap itself.  Here it looks copper but in person it is truly gold.  In person it when very well with our new Fern cardstock paper that I used in this card.

The herringbone paper in the background is actually from the La Vie En Rose paper packet.  To me it seemed fitting for my little monkey friend.

Here is another card that I made.  I took my inspiration directly from the CTMH "Make It from Your Heart" Volume 1 on page 43.  I love to look through those books.  

The striped paper and the floral paper that was used for the flower were part of the La Vie En Rose paper packet too.  I will be presenting more artwork with this paper packet over the next few months.

The flower and the matching leaves were cut from the Artistry cartridge as well.

If you have any questions about any of the CTMH products I used do not hesitate to contact me.  

For your next hop, please go see what Joyce has posted for this month.  I am sure it will be wonderful!

The full rotation is listed below for your hopping pleasure:

Joyce Houck                     Joyce-joyfulcreations.blogspot.com .

Nancy Brown                   creativelyartsygallery.blogspot.com

Betty Locco                      scrapbookgirl2.blogspot.com

 Krista Hershberger          Kristascraftycorner.blogspot.com

Andrea Sherman               girlpluspaper.blogspot.com

Crystal Davis                    craftingwithcrystal.blogspot.com

 Marie Flayer                    njstampingqueen.blogspot.com

 Helen Gullett                   helengullett.com       

 Lori Meadows                  craftymeadows.blogspot.com

Welcome to the Joyful Stars Blog Hop for August

I created a card with the new Zoe paper and the August Stamp of the Month.

To create this I started with a White Daisy card base sized 5.5 x 4.25

Zoe paper coordinates with our Sorbet Card Stock.  The next layer is Sorbet and sized at 5.25 x 4.  I embossed a White Daisy piece sized 5 x 3.75 with our Dot Embossing folder.  The Sorbet band is sized at 5 x 1.5.   The Zoe (polka dot) is sized at 5 x 1.25.  The shapes on the August Stamp of the Month can be cut with our new Artistry Cricut Cartridge.  I highly recommend our new cartridge but these shapes could easily be cut by hand.

I think is always gives a card a little extra dimension to add our 3D tape behind the sentiment.

For your next hop please see what Krista has in store for us this month.

         

Krista Hershberger                Kristascraftycorner.blogspot.com

Joyce Houck                          Joyce-joyfulcreations.blogspot.com  .

Nancy Brown                         creativelyartsygallery.blogspot.com

Betty Locco                           scrapbookgirl2.blogspot.com

Andrea Sherman                    girlpluspaper.blogspot.com

Marie Flayer                          njstampingqueen.blogspot.com

Stephanie Huber                     lavendersagedesigns.blogspot.com

The August Stamp of the Month is fantastic

This is the August Stamp of The Month.  I love it because I will use it all year long!  As you can see the shapes have a red outline which means it can be cut with the Cricut.  With this stamp set it corresponds with the new Artistry Cricut Cartridge,  

The Cut sizes are (from top down) 

1.75” page 32

2.0” page 13

1.25” page 11 

BEAUTIFUL STAMPS, AMAZING DISCOUNTS

Each month you can purchase a new D-size stamp set, available for one month only, for just $5 — that’s over 70% off retail! When you place an order of $50 or more in Close To My Heart products (excluding purchases made in Studio J®), you qualify for this special Stamp of the Month pricing.

August 2015: Framed (S1508)

Spend $50 and get this Stamp of the Month set for just $5.

To order please click here My Close To My Heart Website

Welcome to the Joyful Stars Boghop for July

Here is a simple card that I created while at our consultant retreat.  The picture does not really show the detail.  I created a 4.25 x 5.5 card base using White Daisy card stock,  I then cut 2 pieces of White Daisy cardstock and embossed them with our Damask embossing folder.

I then used the white shimmer trim to cover the seams and added rolled flowers and vines.

Please hop on over to Krista's blog she always has such wonderful creations.

Krista Hershberger         Kristascraftycorner.blogspot.com

Joyce Houck                   Joyce-joyfulcreations.blogspot.com

Nancy Brown                  creativelyartsygallery.blogspot.com

Crystal Davis                   craftingwithcrystal.blogspot.com

Andrea Sherman              girlpluspaper.blogspot.com

Marie Flayer                    njstampingqueen.blogspot.com

Stephanie Huber              lavendersagedesigns.blogspot.com                

   

Close To My Heart Convention is now!

The convention is taking place in Californian this year.  I was not able to go this year but I am cropping with a room full of fellow consultants in Allentown.  We can't wait to hear about all the new goodies that will be in the new catalog.

Next year the convention is in Florida and I am definitely going!  It is so much fun!

Welcome to the Joyful Stars bloghop for May

I had grand plans to complete my "Taste of Summer" scrapbook layouts but instead we went shopping for flowers and herbs.  So instead I will post several cards I made recently.

Here is a very simple and quick card that could accommodate almost any sentiment.  I fussy cut the butterfly, stamped the card with one of the stamps from D1645 Botanical Backgrounds and colored them with our wonderful ShinHan Touch markers.

This is another card that can accommodate almost any sentiment.  It is a type of tri-fold card using the Blossom paper packet.

Here is a sympathy card I made.  It is almost exactly like the card I previously posted.

Your next hop is to a very talented friend Andrea Sherman at GirlPlusPaper.

Andrea Sherman              GirlPlusPaper.blogspot.com

Helen Gullet                    http://helengullett.com

Nickie Hoffer                 nickiehoffer.blogspot.com

Joyce Houck                    Joyce-joyfulcreations.blogspot.com
Betty Locco                     scrapbookgirl2.blogspot.com
Krista Hershberger           Kristascraftycorner.blogspot.com
Marie Flayer                    njstampingqueen.blogspot.com

Nancy Brown                   creativelyartsygallery.blogspot.com

Crystal Davis                   craftingwithcrystal.blogspot.com

Lori Meadows                  CraftyMeadows.blogspot.com

Bridal Favors

I had a friend join me yesterday for paper crafting and we played around with making Bridal shower favors.

The favor boxes are from Tags, Bags, and Boxes 2.  The favors were cut from Glacier cardstock.  I wanted to cut just the overlay in White Daisy so we played around with Cricut Design Space to slice away what we didn't want.

This smaller one is just under 6 inches so we could cut 2 favors from a 12x12 sheet.  I used our Damask Embossing folder for the white dress.  I used the thin Glacier Washi Tape from the Boardwalk Washi Tape Pack for the waist.  I then embellished it with retired bitty pearls. 

This larger one was cut just over 8 inches.  Because of the proportions I did a double layer of the Glacier washi so it was wider then added the white shimmer trim on top.  

It was quite late when we finished but we had a great time catching up and creating.

Welcome to the Joyful Stars Blog Hop for April

We just returned from our vacation in Charleston South Carolina.   I highly recommend this to everyone!  We had a wonderful time!  We had a guided tour of the city and learned so much about the history and architecture.  My husband and son went fishing for Red Fish and had a blast.  My son also took pictures of most of his meals and sent them to his friends.

I had planned to post the layouts from the new Jackson Workshop on the Go that I just LOVE but due to time constraints I am going to post pictures of a card I created for a friend of mine.  Everything was made with Close To My Heart products except the gold card stock I used to signify their Golden Wedding Anniversary.

Your next hop is over to Helen's blog.


Helen Gullet                      helengullett.com
Nickie Hoffer                    nickiehoffer.blogspot.com
Joyce Houck                      Joyce-joyfulcreations.blogspot.com
Betty Locco                        scrapbookgirl2.blogspot.com
Krista Hershberger             Kristascraftycorner.blogspot.com
Marie Flayer                       njstampingqueen.blogspot.com
Nancy Brown                     creativelyartsygallery.blogspot.com
Crystal Davis                      craftingwithcrystal.blogspot.com

April Stamp of the Month

Each month Close To My Heart offers a specific stamp set at a significant discount.  The promotion is called Stamp Of The Month.  

Here are two examples that were made with the Stamp of The Month:

BEAUTIFUL STAMPS, AMAZING DISCOUNTS

Each month you can purchase a new D-size stamp set, available for one month only, for just $5 — that’s over 70% off retail! When you place an order of $50 or more in Close To My Heart products (excluding purchases made in Studio J®), you qualify for this special Stamp of the Month pricing.

April 2015: Typed Note (S1504)

Spend $50 and get this Stamp of the Month set for just $5.

S1504 Typed Note, set of 19

Recommended Blocks:

1" × 3 1/2" (Y1002)

2" × 2" (Y1003)

4" × 5" (Y1012)

Order from my website by clicking here.

April Constant Campaign - Deal of the Day

Every month Close To My Heart has a special offer called a Constant Campaign.  During the month of April it is spectacular and called "Deal of the Day".

Love a great deal? How about 30 days of great deals? During the month of April, you have the opportunity to score a deal every day with Close To My Heart! What deals are we talking about? Each day during April, while supplies last, we’ll feature a random grab bag filled with current and retired Close To My Heart products available for purchase at a major discount. To grab your bag, simply place any current, full-priced item in your online shopping cart through your Online Business Address and you will be eligible to purchase as many grab bags as you wish (while supplies last)! Grab bags will be featured at five different price points throughout the month, ranging from $35 USD / $55 CAD to $150 USD / $160 CAD. Some grab bags will contain product with more than DOUBLE the retail value of the price you pay! Grab bags will be available for 24 hours starting at 3 pm MDT each day and only while supplies last—so visit often and early! Remember that grab bag tiers will be featured on a random schedule throughout the month, so seize the opportunity to purchase from the grab bag tier you’re interested in when it becomes available because it might not come around again!

Order from my website by clicking here.

Welcome to the Joyful Star Blog Hop for March

I am sure there are some people who are just like me.  I start with an idea for a card, create it, and then decide to modify it.

I wanted to share with you how some minor alterations can change the look of a card.  I used almost all the same materials.  In the first card I ensured that the entire sailboat stamp fit on the Colonial White piece. 

With the second I allowed the stamp to "spill" off the left side.  By doing that it allowed me to reduce the size of the Colonial White and then add layer of Desert Sand behind the Colonial White.

In person the cloud which was stamped with Glacier Ink shows up better than in the picture but my next modification is to heat emboss that cloud with white or clear embossing powder (and straighten that last stud!).

Materials:

Seaside Greetings Stamp set (D1609)

Seaside paper packet (X7192B)

   5 1/4 x 4

Desert Sand cardstock (1273)

   3 1/2 x 4, 4 1/4 x 5 1/2

Colonial White cardstock (1388)

   first card 3 1/2 x 4, 
   second card 3 1/4 x 3 3/4   

Desert Sand Ink (Z2118)

Chocolate Ink (Z2111)

Glacier Ink (Z2641)
Durables Artisan Studs (Z1816)

Your next hop is over to my good friend Andrea Sherman.  She always has such beautiful artwork for you to enjoy!

 Andrea Sherman                girlpluspaper.blogspot.com

 Helen Gullet                      http://helengullett.com

 Nickie Hoffer                    nickiehoffer.blogspot.com

 Stephanie Huber                lavendersagedesigns.blogspot.com

 Jolene Barron                     jolenespapertrail.blogspot.com

 Betty Locco                       scrapbookgirl2.blogspot.com

 Krista Hershberger            Kristascraftycorner.blogspot.com

 Joyce Houck                       Joyce-joyfulcreations.blogspot.com

 Marie Flayer                       njstampingqueen.blogspot.com

 Nancy Brown                     creativelyartsygallery.blogspot.com

  Lori Meadows                   craftymeadows.blogspot.com

Do you want discounts on your CTMH purchases? Join my team!

If you join my team you will be invited to participate in monthly conference calls with 2 of the top ten sellers in CTMH.

When you join my team you can choose either the Scrapbooking kit or the Cardmaking kit.  This is in addition to the special incentive during March.  Check out the details here:

Link To My Website

Link To My Website

March Recruiting Special

Thinking about joining Close To My Heart? March is the month to do it! During the month of March*, new Consultants who enroll will receive a FREE shoulder tote (a retail value of over $26 USD/ $29 CAD) with their New Consultant Kit. Our New Consultant Kit is just $99 USD/ $109 CAD and includes nearly triple the retail value in products and supplies. Including your FREE shoulder tote, that is a savings of over $290 USD/$320 CAD! Additionally, new Consultants who remit $300 (USD & CAD) worth of commissionable sales in their first 40 days after their New Consultant Kit ships will receive the rolling tote (a retail value of $149.95 USD/$164.95 CAD) as a FREE bonus (not including shipping/handling)! These organization pieces are designed to help you get your business rolling, but they are only available while supplies last, so hurry on over and join today! *Offer valid while supplies last March 1-31, 2015. No tax will be charged on the free shoulder tote. The shoulder tote will ship with the New Consultant Kit. For more informatiion on shipping/handling options for the New Consultant Kit, please contact your Independent Consultant. Shipping will not be charged if a shoulder tote is shipped separately from a kit checked out from a sponsoring Director. Shipping/handling will be charged on the full retail price of the bonus free rolling tote, if earned, based upon normal shipping/handling rates.

Cricut® Artfully Sent: Sleeve Function

Another CTMH video highlighting another feature in our Artfully Sent Cricut Cartridge.

March is the month to become a consultant!

I am so thrilled about this special signing incentive during March.  Contact me about joining my team.  Even if you are just curious I can answer your questions.  No hard sell from me.

Thinking about joining Close To My Heart? March is the month to do it! During the month of March*, new Consultants who enroll will receive a FREE shoulder tote (a retail value of over $26 USD/ $29 CAD) with their New Consultant Kit. Our New Consultant Kit is just $99 USD/ $109 CAD and includes nearly triple the retail value in products and supplies. Including your FREE shoulder tote, that is a savings of over $290 USD/$320 CAD! Additionally, new Consultants who remit $300 (USD & CAD) worth of commissionable sales in their first 40 days after their New Consultant Kit ships will receive the rolling tote (a retail value of $149.95 USD/$164.95 CAD) as a FREE bonus (not including shipping/handling)! These organization pieces are designed to help you get your business rolling, but they are only available while supplies last, so hurry on over and join today! *Offer valid while supplies last March 1-31, 2015. No tax will be charged on the free shoulder tote. The shoulder tote will ship with the New Consultant Kit. For more informatiion on shipping/handling options for the New Consultant Kit, please contact your Independent Consultant. Shipping will not be charged if a shoulder tote is shipped separately from a kit checked out from a sponsoring Director. Shipping/handling will be charged on the full retail price of the bonus free rolling tote, if earned, based upon normal shipping/handling rates.

Cricut® Artfully Sent: Pop-Up Cards with Icons

Cricut® Artfully Sent: Sentiment Function

Score Big with Embossing

We have even more embossing folders available now since this video was released.

Cricut® Artfully Sent: Scene Function

Cricut® Artfully Sent: The Basics

Welcome to the Joyful Stars Blog Hop for February

Valentine Shaker Card

I love these shaker cards and they are really so easy to make. 

The first step was to cut 2 hearts from Art Philosophy Cartridge at 3.5 inches from White Daisy.  I also cut 2 solid hearts from acetate at 3.5 inches.  I attached one acetate heart to each of the open frame hearts.  I used Liquid Glass because I wanted a very secure seal.

  I attached our 3-D foam tape (1/4 inch) fully around one heart on the acetate side to ensure that none of the mini hearts would escape.

I also cut a bunch of solid hearts sized .5 inch in White Daisy, Ruby, and Pixie cardstock.   With the mini hearts sandwiched in the middle attach the other large heart with the acetate side facing in.

I cut a piece of Pixie cardstock sized 4 1/4 x 4 1/2 and embossed it with our Heart Embossing Folder.  If you look at the finished card above you can see that I used the debossed side rather than the embossed side.  It was just my preference when I was creating the card but can be done either way.

To embellish the card I cut a piece of Extra Thick Twine (Pixie) sized 5 1/2 but as you can see I slightly frayed the ends and attached them on the back side of the Pixie cardstock.  I frayed it to ensure it would lay flat.  I then attached the Pixie cardstock to the front of the card base 4 1/4 x 5 1/2.  I attached the "shaker heart" to the front of the card, tied a short piece of extra thick twine to the piece that spanned the Pixie, and stamped "Happy Valentine's Day" to the bottom of the card base.

Supplies I used:
Cardstock - Pixie (X5773), White Daisy(1385), Ruby (X5927)
Ink pad     - Pixie (Z2644)
Liquid Glass (Z679)
3-D Foam Tape (Z1151)
Extra Thick Twine (Pixie) - Z3035
Heart Embossing Folder - Z3018
Stamp Set - Holiday Tags (D1560)
Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge
Acetate - I happen to have some 3M Transparency Film that was going to be tossed out but there are other types of acetate that you can use.

Thank you for checking out our blog hop.  Your next hop will be over to Joyce Houck's blog.
If you missed any of the hops, here is the complete list:

Joyce Houck                Joyce-joyfulcreations.blogspot.com 

Krista Hershberger        Kristascraftycorner.blogspot.com 

      Betty Locco                   scrapbookgirl2.blogspot.com

      Stephanie Huber            lavendersagedesigns.blogspot.com

      Marie Flayer                  njstampingqueen.blogspot.com

      Nancy Brown                creativelyartsygallery.blogspot.com

      Nickie Hoffer                 nickiehoffer.blogspot.com

      Helen Gullet                    http://helengullett.com

      Crystal Davis                 www.craftingwithcrystal.blogspot.com

      Andrea Sherman             girlpluspaper.blogspot.com

      Lori Meadows                 CraftyMeadows.blogspot.com

Now is the time to stock up on albums!

During the month of February*, when you purchase one of Close To My Heart’s alluring coated canvas albums you will be eligible to receive a second album of your choice at half price. That is a savings of over $17 USD / $19 CAD! These albums are available in a gorgeous variety of colors and patterns in both post-bound and D-ring styles—perfect to pair with traditional, Studio J®, or pocket scrapbook layouts. This offer is only available while supplies last, so make certain to get your order in early to ensure you can choose the styles and colors you love. They’re going fast and are built to last; so don’t delay—place your order today!

I think everyone has their own preferences on what type of album they like to use.  For me I like the post bound albums for my traditional 2 page layouts.  For our "Picture My Life" program and projects in progress, the D-rings would be my first choice.  We also have a large variety of page protectors to suit everyone's preferences (Picture My Life, top load, side load, strap side load).   

This special can be combined with the Stamp of the Month!

BEAUTIFUL STAMPS, AMAZING DISCOUNTS

Each month you can purchase a new D-size stamp set, available for one month only, for just $5 — that’s over 70% off retail! When you place an order of $50 or more in Close To My Heart products (excluding purchases made in Studio J®), you qualify for this special Stamp of the Month pricing.

February 2015: A Happy Hello (S1502)

Spend $50 and get this Stamp of the Month set for just $5.

If you have any questions on how to get the most from your order don't hesitate to contact me.  I am here to help in any way.

You can place your order here.