Hours Remain to Celebrate 30!

Only hours remain in June 2014 and that means you only have a few hours left to purchase the Stamp of the Month: Kaboom

and select one of the Celebrate 30! Collections.

I posted full details of the SOTM on June 1 and the Celebrate 30! Collections on June 2. If you want any of the Celebrate 30! Collections, do not delay. In addition to ending tonight, some have as little as 13% of the inventory remaining (as of Friday, June 27).

If you do not have a CTMH Independent Consultant to answer any questions you may have, I would be happy to assist you and would be delighted if you make a purchase from me.

Click the Shop with me link above to place an order or contact me if you have questions about any CTMH product or promotion or to schedule a Home or Online Gathering.

Thanks for stopping by today and be sure to come back tomorrow for details on the July SOTM: Circus Alphabet.

26 Weeks Until Christmas

It is June 26 and there are 26 weeks until Christmas 2014. Another way to look at it is there is one-half year until Christmas. I determined that by dividing 52 weeks (in one year) by two. The way the past few weeks have gone it seems like Black Friday will be here tomorrow.

This week I deviated a bit and made this Christmas Tag.

The tag was cut using the CTMH/Cricut® Art Philosophy (Z1686) cartridge. The tag is image #M44E8F. I cut the top layer from Colonial White cardstock (1388). I used Cricut® Design Space and the hide contour feature to cut a solid green tag from Olive cardstock (1245) I also cut the green tag slightly smaller than the top layer. I used the Slider Tag (#M3EA90) and the hide contour, duplicate and weld features to create berries to cut from Barn Red cardstock (X5637).

I stamped the Nutcracker from the CTMH My Acrylix™ stamp set Candyland (D1557) using a CTMH Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad (44751). I colored the image using Watercolor Pencils (3505) and a Blending Pen (3174).

The sentiment is also from Candyland, but I stamped it using a Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad (Z2105). I also added Baker's Twine Harvest Assortment (Z1751). I added three dots of gold glitter glue in the upper right corner.

Almost all items are from CTMH. If you would like to order any of the items used, just click on a link above to be taken directly to the description of that product. Two of the items are on the retiring list and are only available until July 31 or while supplies last: they are the stamp set and Baker's Twine Harvest Assortment. The only product not from CTMH is the glitter glue used to embellish the tag.

If you do not have a CTMH Independent Consultant to answer any questions you may have, I would be happy to assist you and would be delighted if you make a purchase from me.

Click the Shop with me link above to place an order or contact me if you have questions about any CTMH product or promotion or to schedule a Home or Online Gathering.

I hope you are inspired to create some cards. I would be delighted if you decided to follow my blog and/or Liked my Facebook page Brenda's Paper Crafts. Thanks for stopping by today.

Even More Sunday Cardmaking

Here is another card I started on Sunday and worked on bit by bit until it was complete.

I started by stamping all of the images from CTMH My Acrylix™ Teddy Bear Birthday (A1143) on White Daisy cardstock (1385) using a Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad (44751). I colored the images using Watercolor Pencils (3505) and a Blending Pen (3174). I cut around the images using a craft knife with the Versamat™ (Z1279).

I went to Cricut® Design Space and the CTMH/Cricut® Artbooking cartridge (Z1906) to cut out the Square Frame (#M46A32), [scalloped] Square (#M40F7A) and Be Yourself (#M437D5) banner. I used the hide contour feature on the square frame and Be Yourself banner. I used Cotton Candy (X5760) and Cocoa (X5642) cardstock. "Happy Birthday" was stamped with Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad (Z2105) and the Cotton Candy cardstock was embossed with the Quatrefoil Embossing Folder (Z1926). 3-D Foam Tape (Z1151) was used to attach several items to the card. ETA: I forgot to mention that I used the Sanding Kit (Z1294) to highlight the embossing.

All items, except the craft knife, used to create this card are from Close To My Heart. If you would like to order any of the items used, just click on a link above to be taken directly to the description of that product. Two of the items are on the retiring list and are only available until July 31 or while supplies last: they are the stamp set and Lollydoodle B&T Duos™.

If you do not have a CTMH Independent Consultant to answer any questions you may have, I would be happy to assist you and would be delighted if you make a purchase from me.

Click the Shop with me link above to place an order or contact me if you have questions about any CTMH product or promotion or to schedule a Home or Online Gathering.

I hope you are inspired to create some cards. Thanks for stopping by today.

More Sunday Cardmaking

Yesterday I shared a card using CTMH My Acrylix™ Quick Cards—Bountiful Season (A1130). I really like how the stamping turned out so I created a second card.

Like yesterday, I used Sponge Daubers (Z1938) to add color from CTMH Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pads in the following colors: Autumn Terracotta (Z2101), Barn Red (Z2104), Goldrush (Z2123) and Olive (Z2137). I stamped on Colonial White Cardstock (1388) and looked to the pages of the Originals Card Confidence Program™ (9036) for ideas. I was inspired by the Background Bar™ pattern.

I selected the green side of the hero paper from Ivy Lane (X7178B) to cover the front of a card from the 5 1/2" X 4 1/4" Colonial White Cards & Envelopes, Value Pack (X1410). The card also has a strip of Autumn Terracotta (1270) cardstock and Olive (1245) cardstock is layered behind the stamped image. The Sanding Kit (Z1294) was used to distress the cardstock and some edges. Some edges were also inked using a Chocolate (Z2111) Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad. Some edges were sanded and inked. 3-D Foam Tape (Z1151) was used to pop the stamped image. A butterfly from Color-Ready Trinkets Wooden Shapes (Z1844) was inked in Barn Red and attached to the card front using Liquid Glass (Z679).

All items used to create this card are from Close To My Heart. If you would like to order any of the items used, just click on a link above to be taken directly to the description of that product. Three of the items are on the retiring list and are only available until July 31 or while supplies last: they are the stamp set, Ivy Lane B&T Duos™ and Color-Ready Trinkets Wooden Shapes .

If you do not have a CTMH Independent Consultant to answer any questions you may have, I would be happy to assist you and would be delighted if you make a purchase from me.

Click the Shop with me link above to place an order or contact me if you have questions about any CTMH product or promotion or to schedule a Home or Online Gathering.

I hope you enjoyed your visit today and thanks for stopping by.

Sunday Cardmaking

Yesterday, shortly after waking up, I received a phone call. I usually do not answer our home phone if I do not know who is calling, but something told me a call before 8am on a Saturday was a call I should not ignore. It was the sad news that my father's last remaining (and younger) brother had died. They had been trying to reach my dad on his cell phone, but my dad does not keep it on like my generation does, so they were getting anxious to reach him. When I spoke with my aunt (with widow of my father's late twin brother), she was starting to think she would need to send the police to locate my father.

Something about that call made me want to do some crafting so selected this stamp CTMH My Acrylix™ Quick Cards—Bountiful Season (A1130).

I used Sponge Daubers (Z1938) to add color to the stamp. I used CTMH Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pads in the following colors: Autumn Terracotta (Z2101), Barn Red (Z2104), Goldrush (Z2123) and Olive (Z2137). I stamped on Colonial White Cardstock (1388). Once I got to this stage, I was looking for some inspiration so I started browsing the pages of a CTMH How-To Program: Originals Card Confidence Program™ (9036). I was inspired by the Cubes & Colors™ pattern, but modified it.

I selected the green side of the hero paper from Ivy Lane (X7178B) to cover the front of a card from the 5 1/2" X 4 1/4" Colonial White Cards & Envelopes, Value Pack (X1410). The card also has a strip of Barn Red (X5637) cardstock and leaves cut in various sizes from the CTMH/Cricut® Artiste Collection (Z1790) from Autumn Terracotta (1270), Goldrush (1243) and Olive (1245) cardstock. The Sanding Kit (Z1294) was used to distress the cardstock and some edges. Some edges were also inked using a Chocolate (Z2111) Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad. 3-D Foam Tape (Z1151) was used to pop the stamped image and one leaf.

All items used to create this card are from Close To My Heart. If you would like to order any of the items used, just click on a link above to be taken directly to the description of that product. Two of the items are on the retiring list and are only available until July 31 or while supplies last: they are the stamp set and Ivy Lane B&T Duos™.

If you do not have a CTMH Independent Consultant to answer any questions you may have, I would be happy to assist you and would be delighted if you make a purchase from me.

Click the Shop with me link above to place an order or contact me if you have questions about any CTMH product or promotion or to schedule a Home or Online Gathering.

I hope you are inspired to create some cards. Thanks for stopping by today.

27 Weeks Until Christmas

It seems like time flew between last Thursday and this Thursday. I am a little late getting this card posted, as I have less than one hour until it becomes Friday, but I squeaked this card in just under the wire. The image actually has been colored for about a week and I cut out the globe in the few minutes I had between dinner and meetings earlier this week, but the embellishments just came together tonight as I was too tired to finish this last night.

This is the fourth card I have created using Santa's Letter by Digi Stamps 4 Joy. I have used a different coloring technique for each. Previously I used colored pencils, oil pastels and watercolor pencils. I am coloring another image and will be posting that card soon - I have an anniversary and birthday card to work on first.

The image was printed on Georgia Pacific white cardstock and colored with Close To My Heart Exclusive Inks® Stamps Pads in Buttercup (Z2110) - this color is retiring July 31 (or while supplies last), Chocolate (Z2111), Saddle (Z2171) and Whisper (Z2172) and a Blending Pen (3174). A fine point glue pen and CTMH Prisma Glitter (retired) was used for the "snow". The printed cardstock behind the globe is from Starry Night a Recollections Signature Paper Pad. The printed cardstock on the card background is from Echo Park Paper - Winter Park by Lori Whitlock. The holly and banner were cut using my Cricut® Explore and Design Space using the Stretch Your Imagination and CTMH/Cricut® Art Philosophy (Z1686) cartridges (Design Space images #M465F1 and #M41727). "Merry Christmas" is from the CTMH My Acrylix™ stamp set A Holiday (A1115) and stamped with a Black Exclusive Inks® Stamps Pad (Z2105). All other cardstock and a pre-scored white greeting card with envelope are from my stash. I used CTMH 3-D Foam Tape (Z1151) to attach the globe and holly.

I am linking my card to Decosse's Dynamite Doodles 12 Months of Christmas Card Link Up. This is the image for the Digi Stamps 4 Joy June 2014 Monthly Christmas Challenge. The other cards I have created with this digi were just because I really like this image.

Thanks for stopping by and seeing my card. I hope you like it.

Happy Father's Day

For this Father's Day I created cards for my father and brother. The first card has a gift card holder in the middle.



The card was created using Cricut® Design Space and Cricut® Explore using CTMH/Cricut® Artiste (Z1790) and Cricut® Holiday Cakes cartridges. In Design Space search for images #M4630E, #M44A67 and #M40443. The card base was cut using CTMH Balloon Ride paper (X7180B). The blue and brown paper are from my stash.

I cut a matching envelope (#M3C3C2) from CTMH/Cricut® Artiste (Z1790) using white copy paper.

I purchased the file for this card base over a year ago when I received a gift card with the purchase of my Expression 2, but it is part of the subscription if you use Cricut® Design Space.

The card front was created with Father's Day - Argyle and Iron-on Lighthouse images. All of the paper for the card front is from my stash.

The inside sentiment and frame were created from CTMH/Cricut® Art Philosophy (Z1686) and Artiste (Z1790) cartridges. In Design Space look for images #M3A4A2, #M45E01, #M43DF8 and #M3CD18. The brown and blue paper is from my stash; the frame was cut from My Mind's Eye™ All Spice designer cardstock paper. I used a pre-made CTMH White Daisy Envelope (XZ1476).

I hope you enjoyed your visit today and that you and your family had a wonderful Father's Day. Thank you for stopping by today.

CTMH Retiring Products From S/S 2014 Idea Book - Get them while supplies last!

Close to My Heart released a list of retiring items on June 12, 2014. These products will no longer be available after July 31, 2014 or while supplies last.

If you want to see a photo of any item, click on the link or see all of the times on my OBA > Shop > Retiring Items):

Hostess Rewards - available only to Hostesses time is winding down to schedule a Gathering
page	item #	description
7	A1158	Doodle Signs
9	A1160	This Is Good
8	B1446	Some Bunny
8	B1447	A Mother's Love
9	B1448	My Hero
7	B1451	Enjoy the Little Things
6	D1583	Unicorn Dreams
5	HB1059	Hostess Collection 1
5	HB1060	Hostess Collection 2
5	HB1061	Hostess Collection 3
Workshops on the Go®
page	item #	description
23	G1072	Workshops on the Go® Skylark Kit
29	G1073	Workshops on the Go® Ivy Lane Kit
35	G1074	Workshops on the Go® Ariana Kit
41	G1075	Workshops on the Go® Balloon Ride Kit - SOLD OUT
47	G1076	Workshops on the Go® Jubilee Kit
53	G1077	Workshops on the Go® Timberline Kit
59	G1078	Workshops on the Go® Lollydoodle Kit
74	G1079	Workshops on the Go® Ivy Lane Cardmaking Kit - SOLD OUT
75	G1080	Workshops on the Go® Lollydoodle Cardmaking Kit
My Reflections™
page	item #	description
19	X7177B	Skylark Paper Packet
19	X7177C	Skylark Dimensional Elements Complements
19	Z3000	Skylark Assortment
25	X7178B	Ivy Lane Paper Packet
25	X7178C	Ivy Lane My Stickease® Assortment
25	Z3001	Ivy Lane Assortment
31	X7179B	Ariana Paper Packet
31	X7179C	Ariana Dimensional Elements Complements
31	Z3002	Ariana Assortment
37	X7180B	Balloon Ride Paper Packet
37	X7180C	Balloon Ride Dimensional Elements Complements
37	Z3003	Balloon Ride Assortment
43	X7181B	Jubilee Paper Packet
43	X7181C	Jubilee Dimensional Elements Complements
43	Z3004	Jubilee Assortment
49	X7182B	Timberline Paper Packet
49	X7182C	Timberline My Stickease® Assortment - SOLD OUT
49	Z3005	Timberline Assortment - SOLD OUT
55	X7183B	Lollydoodle Paper Packet
55	X7183C	Lollydoodle My Stickease® Assortment
55	Z3006	Lollydoodle Assortment
60	X7170B	Laughing Lola Paper Packet
60	X7170C	Laughing Lola Complements Dimensional Elements
60	Z1854	Laughing Lola Assortment
60	X7171B	Sarita Paper Packet
60	X7171C	Sarita My Stickease® Assortment
60	Z1873	Sarita Assortment
61	X7172B	ProPlayer Paper Packet - SOLD OUT
61	X7172C	ProPlayer My Stickease® Assortment - SOLD OUT
61	Z1879	ProPlayer Assortment
61	X7173B	Babycakes Paper Packet - SOLD OUT
61	X7173C	Babycakes Complements Canvas Shapes - SOLD OUT
61	Z1869	Babycakes Assortment
Designed Décor
page	item #	description
78	Z1911	Designed Décor Frame Kit - SOLD OUT
Base & Bling and Textiles
page	item #	description
82	Z1891	Base & Bling Teal Jewels
82	Z1892	Base & Bling Black Jewels
82	Z1893	Base & Bling Red Jewels
82	Z1894	Base & Bling Pink Jewels
82	Z1895	Base & Bling Purple Jewels
82	Z1874	Base & Bling Necklace
82	Z1875	Base & Bling Cuff
82	Z1876	Base & Bling Hair Clips
82	Z1877	Base & Bling Rings
82	Z1878	Base & Bling Headband
83	Z1820	For Always Textiles
83	Z1885	Sarita Textiles
83	Z1970	Skylark Textiles
83	Z1971	Jubilee Textiles
Accessories
page	item #	description
123	Z1961	Marquee Enamel Shapes–White
124	Z1837	Mini-Medley Accents Wooden Collection
124	Z1808	Outdoor Denim Chevron Ribbon
124	Z1863	Color-Ready Midtown Cork Shapes
124	Z1844	Color-Ready Trinkets Wooden Shapes
124	Z1825	Keyboard Kraft Alphabet - SOLD OUT
124	Z1835	Tiny Type Epoxy Alphabet
124	Z1826	Hollyhock Zipper Lace
124	Z1846	Ruby Chevron Ribbon
124	Z1867	Jute Ribbon
124	Z1917	Lagoon Zipper Lace
125	Z1702	Baker's Twine Paradise Assortment - SOLD OUT
125	Z1751	Harvest Baker's Twine
125	Z1760	Burlap Ribbon
125	Z1817	Slate Polka-Dot Washi Tape
125	Z1850	Lagoon Houndstooth Washi Tape
125	Z1930	Chocolate Woodgrain Washi Tape
127	Z1789	Chalkboard 12" x 12" Sheet, Adhesive-backed
127	X1404	True Fit™ Folios (5) - SOLD OUT
128	Z1843	Irresistibles™ Frames
128	Z1858	Irresistibles™ Hexagons
129	Z1832	Spinner
129	Z1195	My Creations® Memory Showcase 6" x 6" - SOLD OUT
129	Z1647	My Creations® Card Box
129	Z1797	My Creations® Bracket Frame - SOLD OUT
129	Z1868	My Creations® Kraft Ring Box
129	Z1870	My Creations® Kraft Pocket Album
131	Z1039	Create-A-Shade™ Pearl Paint - SOLD OUT
131	Z1801	Alcohol Blending Marker
131	Z1114	Piercing Tool Kit
132	Z338	Euro Personal Paper Trimmer
133	1514	Tombow Adhesive
133	1515	Tombow Adhesive Refill
133	Z1311	Circle Punch 1¼"
134	Z1344	12" x 12" Post Bound Album-Hollyhock - SOLD OUT
134	Z1343	12" x 12" Post Bound Album-Cranberry - SOLD OUT
134	Z1345	12" x 12" Post Bound Album-Black - SOLD OUT
134	Z1348	WIP 12" x 12" Album-Chocolate - SOLD OUT
139	Z2400	Marker Set: Twilight
139	Z2401	Marker Set: Crystal Blue
139	Z2402	Marker Set: Sky
139	Z2403	Marker Set: Juniper
139	Z2404	Marker Set: Sweet Leaf
139	Z2405	Marker Set: Buttercup
139	Z2406	Marker Set: Crème Brulee
139	Z2407	Marker Set: Sorbet
139	Z2408	Marker Set: Blush
139	Z2409	Marker Set: Smoothie
139	Z2410	Marker Set: Gypsy - SOLD OUT
139	Z2411	Marker Set: Pacifica
139	Z2412	Marker Set: Lagoon
139	Z2413	Marker Set: Topiary
139	Z2414	Marker Set: Pear
139	Z2415	Marker Set: Honey - SOLD OUT
139	Z2416	Marker Set: Sunset
139	Z2417	Marker Set: Cotton Candy
139	Z2418	Marker Set: Hollyhock - SOLD OUT
139	Z2419	Marker Set: Cranberry
139	Z2420	Marker Set: Smokey Plum
139	Z2421	Marker Set: Outdoor Denim
139	Z2422	Marker Set: Indian Corn Blue
139	Z2423	Marker Set: Ponderosa Pine
139	Z2424	Marker Set: New England Ivy
139	Z2425	Marker Set: Olive
139	Z2426	Marker Set: Goldrush
139	Z2427	Marker Set: Autumn Terracotta
139	Z2428	Marker Set: Barn Red
139	Z2429	Marker Set: Ruby
139	Z2430	Marker Set: Black - SOLD OUT
139	Z2431	Marker Set: Slate
139	Z2432	Marker Set: Whisper
139	Z2206	Reinker Blush - SOLD OUT
139	Z2210	Reinker Buttercup - SOLD OUT
139	Z2260	Reinker Twilight - SOLD OUT
139	Z2267	Reinker Crème Brulee - SOLD OUT
139	Z2294	Reinker Sky - SOLD OUT
139	Z2106	Stamp Pad Blush - SOLD OUT
139	Z2110	Stamp Pad Buttercup - SOLD OUT
139	Z2160	Stamp Pad Twilight
139	Z2167	Stamp Pad Crème Brulee - SOLD OUT
139	Z2194	Stamp Pad Sky - SOLD OUT
139	Z2500	Whimsy Mini Pigment Set
137	Z4133	Marker Tower
139	1271	Cardstock 12" x 12" Buttercup
139	X5640	Cardstock 12" x 12" Blush - SOLD OUT
139	X5666	Cardstock 12" x 12" Twilight
139	X5754	Cardstock 12" x 12" Crème Brulee
139	X5761	Cardstock 12" x 12" Sky
139	X5936	Whimsy Cardstock Combo
My Acrylix™ Stamp Sets Not shown in Spring/Summer 2014 Idea Book
item #		description
A1130		Quick Cards-Bountiful Season
A1143		Teddy Bear Birthday
A1144		Birthday Cheer
A1145		Flowering Thanks
B1407		School Is Here
B1411		Greek Alphabet
B1425		Stitched with Love
B1426		Pick a Posey
C1473		Remarkable Wreath
C1510		Merry & Bright
C1524		Words of Comfort
C1555		Count Your Blessings
C1563		Cityscape
D1483		Glory To God
D1514		Just a Number
D1551		Swirls Around
D1557		Candyland
D1564		Maximum Power

List current as of July 16, 2014.

If you do not have a CTMH Independent Consultant to answer any questions you may have, I would be happy to assist you and would be delighted if you make a purchase from me.

Click the Shop with me link above to place an order or contact me if you have questions about any CTMH product or promotion or to schedule a Home or Online Gathering.

Exclusive Hostess Rewards Stamp Sets

Today's post is to remind you that there are less than two months to host a Gathering, either Home or Online, to earn Hostess Rewards to select any of the seven Exclusive Hostess Rewards Stamp Sets.

Items created by the CTMH studio artists using the Hostess Rewards stamp sets are in the following images:

A1158 - Doodle Signs - set of 8 - coordinates with Artbooking

A1160 - This Is Good - set of 3

B1446 - Some Bunny - set of 4 - coordinates with Art Philosophy

B1447 - A Mother's Love - set of 7

B1448 - My Hero - set of 5

B1451 - Enjoy The Little Things - set of 13

D1583 - Unicorn Dreams - set of 7

If you have your Spring/Summer 2014 Idea Book, you will find the stamp sets on pages 6 to 9. If you do not have an Idea Book, you can browse through it online. If you would like to recreate any of the above projects, CTMH publishes a PDF of "Recipes" that lists the products used to create that item.

You might remember that I used the Some Bunny stamp set, Art Philosophy and Artiste cartridges on my Easter Baskets this year.

The Hostess Rewards Stamp Sets are only available to hostesses and only through July 2014. The stamp sets are new to the S/S 2014 Idea Book and are discounted to make your select product credit stretch further. Learn more about being a Hostess and Hostess Rewards on my OBA.

If you have any questions about this or any other CTMH promotion or product please contact me. If you would like to schedule a Home or Online Gathering to earn free products, sent me a note with the best number to reach you so we can work out the details.

Thanks for visiting today.

28 Weeks Until Christmas

There are only 28 weeks until Christmas 2014! I cannot believe how fast the weeks are flying by. This is the third card I have created using Santa's Letter by Digi Stamps 4 Joy. I have used a different coloring technique for each. Previously I used colored pencils and oil pastels.

The image was printed on Georgia Pacific white cardstock and colored with Sargent Art Water Color Pencils. I used a CTMH Medium Waterbrush (retired) to blend and soften the colors. "Snow" was created using CTMH Stardust Glitz™ Glitter Gel (retired). The printed cardstock is from Starry Night a Recollections Signature Paper Pad. I used CTMH 3-D Foam Tape (Z1151) to attach the globe to a pre-scored white greeting card with envelope. The snowflakes are chipboard stickers from Making Memories. This is another card I "shopped my stash" to create.

I hope you enjoy my card.

I am linking my card to Decosse's Dynamite Doodles 12 Months of Christmas Card Link Up. This is the image for the Digi Stamps 4 Joy June 2014 Monthly Christmas Challenge; I linked Tuesday's card to that challenge and Wednesday's card was just for fun.

Thanks for visiting today.

Santa's Letter Christmas Card

When I print a digital stamp I typically print 4 or 9 on one sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" cardstock because I do not want to have many little pieces that will not feed well through my printer that I cannot bear to throw away (I still use my QuicKutz/Lifestyle Crafts cutting dies and I can use some really small pieces of cardstock). This is another card I created using Santa's Letter by Digi Stamps 4 Joy printed on Georgia Pacific white cardstock.

The image was colored with Pentel Arts Oil Pastels. Tortillons and blending stumps slightly dampened with water were used to blend and shade the colors. The red and green cardstock are from my stash. I used the CTMH Corner Rounder (Z1912) on the white and red cardstock. The "Merry Christmas" paper is the back of Bingo Bites from the American Crafts Peppermint Express Collection which I picked up at Tuesday Morning a couple of weeks ago (when we introduced my nieces to the store). "Snow" was created using CTMH Stardust Glitz™ Glitter Gel (retired). The holly is cut using my Cricut® Explore and Design Space using the Stretch Your Imagination cartridge. I used 3-D Foam Tape (Z1151) to attach it to the card. The Baker's Twine is from King Arthur Flour and the pre-scored white greeting card with envelope is from my stash.

Here is a closeup of the holly sprig. I wanted to show you how wonderful the Explore cut it when it is only 1.25 inches wide.

I hope you enjoyed your visit today and I would love to know what you think about my card.

I am linking my card to Decosse's Dynamite Doodles 12 Months of Christmas Card Link Up. This is the image for the Digi Stamps 4 Joy June 2014 Monthly Christmas Challenge; I linked yesterday's card to that challenge.

I have a Facebook page and I would be thrilled if you headed over there and liked it. Thanks for visiting today.

Monthly Christmas Challenge - June 2014

I continue my quest to have all of the Christmas cards I need for the upcoming season well in advance. In trying to reach my goal I created this card with the Digi Stamps 4 Joy June 2014 Monthly Christmas Challenge image.

I used the following materials to create the card: Santa's Letter by Digi Stamps 4 Joy printed on Georgia Pacific white cardstock. The image was colored using Lyra Rembrandt 72 Polycolor Fine Art Coloured Pencils for Artists. A Sizzix embossing folder was used on blue cardstock and everything was layered on a pre-scored white greeting card with envelope. A fine point glue pen and CTMH Prisma Glitter (retired) was used for the "snow". Except for the image, everything was from my stash.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you like my card. I would love to hear what you think.

I am linking my card to the Digi Stamps 4 Joy June 2014 Monthly Christmas Challenge and Decosse's Dynamite Doodles 12 Months of Christmas Card Link Up.

Stamps that say G'day

I have meaning to tell you about these stamp sets for awhile. They are not pictured in the Close To My Heart Spring/Summer 2014 Idea Book. Originally the stamps were only available to those in Australia and New Zealand, but there was so much demand for them in the United States and Canada that they were added to our Online Business Addresses (OBA) for customers in North America to purchase them. Click here to visit my OBA.

The stamps in the PDF flyer are shown at 75%. If you would like me to send you the flyer so you can better estimate the size of the images, please send me a note.

The stamp sets pictured above are Australian Thanks (C1586) and Outback Adventure (D1596). Australian Thanks is a set of 9 My Acrylix™ stamps and the recommended My Acrylix™ blocks are 1" x 3½" (Y1002) and 3" x 3" (Y1006). Outback Adventure is a set of 8 My Acrylix™ stamps and the recommended My Acrylix™ blocks are 2" x 3½" (Y1009), 2" x 6½" (Y1010) and 4" x 5" (Y1012).

The stamp sets in this panel are Australian Salutations (C1585) and Hoppy Birthday (D1597). Australian Salutations is a set of 5 My Acrylix™ stamps and the recommended My Acrylix™ blocks are 2" x 2" (Y1003) and 3" x 3" (Y1006). Hoppy Birthday is a set of 10 My Acrylix™ stamps and the recommended My Acrylix™ blocks are 1" x 3½" (Y1002), 3" x 3" (Y1006) and 4" x 5" (Y1012). Hoppy Birthday is compatible with Cricut® Artiste Cartridge (Z1790).

The stamp sets in the last panel are Aussie Praises (D1598) and New Zealand Greetings (D1601). Aussie Praises is a set of 10 My Acrylix™ stamps and the recommended My Acrylix™ blocks are 2" x 2" (Y1003), 3" x 3" (Y1006) and 2" x 3½" (Y1009). New Zealand Greetings is a set of 11 My Acrylix™ stamps and the recommended My Acrylix™ blocks are 1" x 3½" (Y1002), 3" x 3" (Y1006), 2" x 3½" (Y1009) and 4" x 5" (Y1012). Aussie Praises is compatible with the Cricut® Artiste Cartridge (Z1790).

If you are ready to place an order, please click on the Shop Now button.

If you have any questions about any CTMH product please contact me. If you would like to schedule a Home or Online Gathering to earn free products, sent me a note with the best number to reach you so we can work out the details.

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Birthday Cards

Today I have two birthday cards to share with you. Both are from the Ready to Make projects in Cricut® Design Space. They were quick and easy cards to create. It took me longer to pick out the paper I used than it did to assemble them.

This first card is the Happy Birthday Card.



The card was created with papers from my stash. It's a nice simple card to create and you could tailor the colors for the person you are giving it to. Embellishments could be added to dress it up a bit. For those having trouble with masculine cards this would be a create card to use.

My second card is the Happy Birthday Candle Card.



The printed My Reflections™ B&T Duos™ Paper is from the Close To My Heart Laughing Lola Paper Packet (X7170B) available until July 31, 2014 or while supplies last. The remaining cardstock is from my stash. I used 3-D Foam Tape (Z1151) to pop the banner and candles on this card. I think this photo shows that better.

I have not created envelopes for these cards yet. The Happy Birthday Candle Card project has an envelope in the project, but I do not like to cut my envelopes from cardstock (typically 65 lb. cover weight) because I think they are too heavy. I may make an exception this time and use the reverse of the Laughing Lola paper because B&T Duos™ Paperis 100 lb. accent opaque text weight so it would be fine.

For the Happy Birthday Card I think I will do what I have done in the past and create one using Design Space and the Explore.

I hope the recipients of the cards love them. Thanks for visiting.

29 Weeks Until Christmas

There are only 29 weeks until Christmas 2014. I know that seems like a long time from now and we have not had the first day of summer yet, but my plan this year is to break preparation down into smaller pieces so there will be fewer nights I will up up late in November and December. That said, my goal is to create and post at least one Christmas card each week. This is week 4 of meeting my goal.

This is a card I created using Cricut® Design Space, but do not rush like I did. I folded the card backwards so it looks like I flipped the image top and bottom. The last "ho" looks a little weird, but the printed paper hides it a bit. Or at least I hope it does. I grabbed supplies for one card as I ran out the door for work to create and take photos during my lunch break so I'd be sure to have good light. I guess that did not work out as well as I planned. I did not notice my error until I was looking at the photo while cropping and watermarking. I am curious, what is your worst crafting mistake?

Now about the card. I first selected a card with an opening (#M44D60) from the CTMH/Cricut® Art Philosophy cartridge (Z1686). I sized it so two cards can be cut from one 12" x 12" sheet of paper. The "Ho Ho Ho" (#M42117) is from the CTMH/Cricut® Artiste cartridge (Z1790) and I used the weld feature to attach it to the card opening. To cut the B&T Partridge & Pear (retired) paper in the label shape that mimicked the card opening I used the hide contour option and hid the outside cut lines for the card and removed the score line.

I added "Merry Christmas" (#M3806B) - also from the Artiste cartridge - changing the image to write rather than cut, then attached it to the label and used the Cricut® Antiquities Pen in midnight.

My second card is exactly like my first (except I did not accidentally fold the card the wrong way) and I used cardstock from my stash and the recently purchased paper with "Merry Christmas" repeated on it (as soon as I saw this paper at Tuesday Morning I though of a project where the paper peeks through).

For this card I had to finish the inside a bit different. There was a distinct pattern on the back of the "Merry Christmas" paper (tic-tac-toe) the looked horrible when cut so I enlarged the label and removed the "Merry Christmas" (but it would have looked nice with the sentiment as well), cut it from white cardstock and embossed using a Sheet Music Sizzix Texture Fades Embossing Folder by Tim Holtz.

If you use Cricut Design Space®, have the Art Philosophy and Artiste collections and would like to be able to create this card immediately, feel free to use this URL to get started. I encourage you to direct  people to this blog post if they too would like to create the card. I only ask that if you use this file and post photos online that you acknowledge where you got the inspiration and create a link back to this post.

I believe this card would easily go together in Cricut® Craft Room, but I have not found the time to give it a try yet.

If you need the Art Philosophy or Artiste cartridges or any other supplies to create this card and are ready to place an order, please click on the Shop Now button.

If you have any questions about any CTMH product or promotion please contact me, especially if you plan to purchase one or more of the cartridges. You could host an Online Gathering to work toward Hostess Rewards and maybe a 1/2 price item. Sent me a note with the best number to reach you so we can work out the details.

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Celebrate 30! See the Collections in this Video

The month of June is a busy month at CTMH. There is the SOTM Kaboom, CTMH Founder and CEO Jeanette Lynton is celebrating her 30th anniversary in the scrapbooking industry with Celebrate 30!, CTMH put together Five Fab Collections That Save - bundles that give you essentials for different types of papercrafting and you can win a Workshop on the Go™ scrapbooking kit from Close To My Heart with the Carefree Crafting Contest.

If you have been thinking about any of the Celebrate 30! Gift Collections, this short video shows each of the options. You can choose one of the collections for $30 when you make a qualifying purchase of $50.

The CTMH description of the video Celebrate 30! is "During the month of June 2014, Close To My Heart has a deal worth celebrating: snag your choice of 1 of 6 gift collections for only $30!"

In addition to everything I listed above, Convention is later this month and some details about retiring and new products might start to become available.

If you are ready to place an order, please click on the Shop Now button.

If you have any questions about any CTMH product please contact me. If you would like to schedule a Home or Online Gathering to earn free products, sent me a note with the best number to reach you so we can work out the details.

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Carefree Crafting with Workshops on the Go™

During the month of June you can win a Workshop on the Go™ scrapbooking kit from Close To My Heart!

There are three different ways to enter:

Visit Jeanette Lynton's Blog Post Carefree Crafting Contest.

Or visit the Close To My Heart Facebook Page.

Or visit the Close To My Heart YouTube Channel Carefree Crafting Contest post. Learn more details by watching the video.



Do not forget to comment on or before June 30 for your chance to win! Good luck.

If you would rather not take your chances and are ready to place an order, please click on the Shop Now button.

If you have any questions about any CTMH product please contact me. If you would like to schedule a Home or Online Gathering to earn free products, sent me a note with the best number to reach you so we can work out the details.

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Celebrate 30!

As I mentioned yesterday, the June 2013 CTMH promotion is Celebrate 30! The promotion is to honor CTMH Founder and CEO Jeanette Lynton's 30th anniversary in the scrapbooking industry. Selecting one of the collections for $30 with a $50 purchase is a great way to get a bundle of similarly themed items to add to your papercrafting supplies or to gift to a crafty friend.

The Celebrate 30! Gift Collections are:

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CC10281 - Delightful Ribbon and Trim Collection

• Hemp Black
• Dark Chocolate Striped Grosgrain Ribbon
• Color-Ready Seam Binding Ribbon
• Party Washi Tape 3-Pack
• Sparkle & Shine Washi Tape 3-Pack
• Colonial White Rosette Ribbon

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CC10282 - Extraordinary Embellishments Collection

• Mini Medley Accents Antiqued Gold Collection
• Just Blooms™ Floret Paper Shapes
• Pixie Glitter Alphabet
• Glamour Glitter Alphabet
• Color Ready-Canvas Alphabet
• Chalkboard Shapes
• Durables Round Studs
• Durables Square Studs
• Colonial White Rosette Ribbon

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CC10283 - Holiday Happiness Collection

• Season’s Tweetings Gift Bags (2 sets)
• Frosted Paper Packet
• Frosted Complements
• Frosted Assortment
• Sparkle & Shine Textiles
• Sparkle Holiday Shapes
• Sparkle & Shine Complements
• Sparkle & Shine Assortment

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CC10284 - Accessory Coordinates Collection

• Black Striped Grosgrain Ribbon
• Dark Chocolate Striped Grosgrain Ribbon
• Huntington Complements
• Chantilly Complements
• Huntington Assortment
• For Always Assortment
• Tommy Assortment
• Surfs Up Assortment
• Chantilly Assortment

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CC10285 - Papercrafting Possibilities Collection

• Color-Ready Seam Binding Ribbon
• Bronze Glitz Glitter Gel
• Almond Glitz Glitter Gel
• Colonial White Die-Cut Cards
• My Creations™ Cubby
• My Creations™ Collage Cubes
• My Creations™ Star

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CC10286 - Gifts and Kits Collection

• Hemp Black
• Glamour Glitter Alphabet
• My Originals™ Matchbook Card Kit
• Chantilly Textiles
• Seasons Tweetings Gift Bags (2 sets)
• My Creations™ Collage Cubes

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Each collection has a minimum retail value of $50 and some have a retail value of almost $65. The gift collections are valid June 1-30, 2014 or while supplies last. Shipping/handling is calculated based on the qualifying order and the promotional price ($30) of the collection.

If you are ready to place an order, please click on the Shop Now button.

If you have any questions about this or any other CTMH promotion or product please contact me. If you would like to schedule a Home or Online Gathering to earn free products, sent me a note with the best number to reach you so we can work out the details.

I am on Facebook and I would love it if you Liked my page.