Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Live Beautifully Thank You Card

As I mentioned earlier this month, I really love the National Scrapbooking Month–Live Beautifully papers. I am surprised that it is the last day of the month and the papers have not sold out yet.


This Thank You card was a fairly quick and easy to create. All of the layers are flat. I needed to dress up the card a bit and looked through my drawer of embellishments and found that the retired Black and Grey Epoxy Bubbles look lovely on this card.


If you would like to create similar cards, here is list of products I used to create the Thank You Card:
All of the Limited Edition National Scrapbooking Month—Live Beautifully products can be found on my Consultant website. So far all options are still available this last day of May, but only while supplies last or until 11:59pm MDT tonight.

Thanks for looking!

Live Beautifully Happy Birthday Card

Close To My Heart has some really talented Independent Consultants and sometimes they get the opportunity to work with products before other consultants know what the products will be. They will often share items they created, either on Facebook or the Bulletin Boards that consultants can visit, and sometimes they will write a workshop that fellow consultants can use to share the possibilities that a product offers. Jacquie Paech, a consultant in Australasia, created a 10 card workshop using the National Scrapbooking Month–Live Beautifully papers and stamp set. I finally was able to sit down and start cutting the papers and was able to complete one of the cards.


I did not order my twine early enough so I do not have the twine wrapped around the card middle (between the layers) and I did change the cutting measurements a tiny bit, but overall this card is very similar to the card Jacquie put in the workshop. ETA: I forgot to mention that I used Sea Glass cardstock in place of the Ombré Sea Glass paper. I choose to keep that paper and use it someplace where the beautiful ombré can be a little more exposed.

Jacquie's workshop only uses one half of the papers, that is, you will have one each of the papers that you do not cut into, and it creates 20 cards. Except for the paper pack and stamp set, the other supplies needed should be (the embossing folders are on the retiring list) available after May 31. I am sorry that I am just now sharing information about the workshop - I sometimes find it difficult to keep track of all details related to CTMH when I am also working full time.

Those who ordered the Live Beautifully paper packet from me received a copy of the workshops. If you would like the card workshop, or the scrapbooking workshop that was created by Karen Pedersen, you only need to purchase the Limited Edition National Scrapbooking Month—Live Beautifully paper packet and stamp set from my Consultant website. All National Scrapbooking Month options are available while supplies last or until 11:59pm MDT tonight.

Thanks for stopping by.

Saturday, May 20, 2017

Seasonal Expressions 2 New Product Blog Hop

Welcome to the Seasonal Expressions 2 New Product Blog Hop.  There are almost 20 bloggers sharing projects created with products introduced in SE2. If blog hopping is new to you, we try to keep it simple: find the link to the next blog (typically near the bottom of the post) to visit the next blog  on this hop. Our blog hop is circular so visiting the next blog will take you back to where you started.


You should have arrived here from ***Jean McNulty's Stampin' Maui***. If you get lost along the way, Melinda Everitt keeps a list of participants on her blog at If You Bling It.

I do not know why, but ever since I saw the Hooray star-shaped stamp, the phrase "hip, hip, hooray" has been going through my head. I thought with the star shape I could go with a patriotic-themed card or a more masculine card. I decided to shoot for a masculine birthday card; I guess it also looks a bit patriotic based on the colors I used. I mixed and matched several stamps to complete the card.


I carried the stars to the card inside. I happened to have some scraps of Sapphire cardstock that I would normally toss, but had just finished cutting the papers for the Let's Party Cardmaking WYW. The smallest star could be squeezed out of that scrap. I stamped on the star die-cut using the dot and solid stars from that WYW.


I wanted to create a cut out card front with the Thin Cuts, but I was late getting started on my card so I decided I could not take a chance making a mistake and possibility need to start over with a new project. The dot and solid star stamps are not a perfect fit on the star Thin Cut, but they fit nice enough that it works. Since I stamped tone-on-tone I am afraid it is hard to see in the photo.

Before you head to ***Priscilla's Paperie by Priscilla Gotham***, the supplies I used to create my project are listed below.

All supplies are from Close To My Heart except where noted:
If you are looking for other ideas using new products from SE2, I participated in a Little Dreamer blog hop this morning. I also used the Let's Party Cardmaking WYW stamp set on that project.

If you are not already working with a CTMH Independent Consultant, you may purchase all of the supplies I used at my Consultant website.

If you have a moment to leave a comment I would love to know what you think of my card before you head to ***Priscilla's Paperie by Priscilla Gotham***.

Thank you for hopping with us!

Little Dreamer Blog Hop

Welcome to our Close to My Heart Little Dreamer Blog Hop! A few CTMH Independent Consultants are showcasing items they created using the Little Dreamer collection available in Seasonal Expressions 2. You will find the collection on pages 4 through 13 of the Seasonal Expression 2 idea book.


If you are visiting from Crafting with Carol by Carol Loftus then you are on the right track. Carol is also our hostess/blog hop organizer and her blog is the beginning of our hop.

For our Little Dreamer Blog Hop I created a card. I was inspired by the cards created with the Workshops Your Way® Let's Party Cardmaking Kit (G1132). The Let's Party kit comes with Prickly Pear paper, but I hope you will agree that the stamps work will with Little Dreamer papers too.


My card pulls elements from both Let's Party cards above.


I used ink that had transferred to the lid of my Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pads with the Blending Pen to color in "Happy Birthday". The Thistle banner looks darker because I stamped those banners twice.

All supplies are from Close To My Heart except where noted:
If you are not already working with a CTMH Independent Consultant, you may purchase all of the supplies I used at my Consultant website.

Before you head to see what Julie Scott created, please take a moment to let me know what you think of my card. I love to read comments to learn what draws your eye.

Here is a copy of the blog hop list. As soon as possible I will update this table so clicking the blog address will take you directly to each person's Little Dreamer blog post.


Thank you for hopping with us today! I hope you found some fun ideas for your crafting pursuits.

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Annual Inspirations 2016-2017 Other Retiring Products

Late last week Close To My Heart Corporate posted a list of products that are retiring from Annual Inspirations 2016-2017 (you will find a PDF of the idea book here).

Annual Inspirations 2016-2017

On Saturday I posted the My Acrylix™ stamps that are retiring from AI '16-'17. Today I am sharing the other products that are retiring at the end of this idea book.

Memory Protectors™ Mini 4" × 4" (Z3116)
SOLD OUT - pages 13 and 81
Memory Protectors™ Mini 2" × 2" (Z3117)
SOLD OUT - pages 13 and 81
Whimsy Fundamentals (Z3255)
SOLD OUT - page 17
Baby Girl Complements (Z3272)
page 17
Baby Boy Complements (Z3273)
page 17
Whimsy Ribbon Pack (Z3287)
page 17
Adventure Fundamentals (Z3253)
page 21
space intentionally left blank
Good Life Complements (Z3264)
page 21
Adventure Ribbon Pack (Z3286)
page 21
Enchantment Fundamentals (Z3254)
page 25
School K–6 Complements (Z3265)
page 25
School 7–12 Complements (Z3266)
page 25
Enchantment Ribbon Pack (Z3288)
page 25
Rustic Home Fundamentals (Z3262)
page 29
All Together Complements (Z3267)
page 29
Rustic Home Ribbon Pack (Z3292)
page 29
Memo Fundamentals (Z3294)
page 29
All About the Gold Fundamentals (Z3246)
page 31
Uptown Fundamentals (Z3263)
page 31
You & Me Complements (Z3269)
SOLD OUT - page 31
Uptown Ribbon Pack (Z3289)
page 31
My Boy Complements (Z3306)
SOLD OUT - SE1 page 44 / SE2 page 44
My Girl Complements (Z3308)
SE1 page 45 / SE2 page 45
Springtime Complements (Z3307)
SE1 page 46 / SE2 page 46
Snapshot Complements (Z3309)
SE1 page 47 / SE2 page 47
Picture My Life™ Overlays—Gold & Silver (Z3144)
page 33
Picture My Life™ Overlays—White (Z3193)
page 33
Circle Diffuser (Z3096)
page 78
Square Diffuser (Z3097)
page 78
Confetti Embossing Folder (Z3118)
page 78
Confetti Stars Embossing Folder (Z3119)
page 78
Simple Chevron Embossing Folder (Z3247)
page 78
Wood Slats Embossing Folder (Z3248)
page 78
Happy Thoughts Embossing Folder (Z3249)
page 78
Word Search Embossing Folder (Z3250)
page 78
Thin Cuts—Celebrate (Z3256)
page 79
Thin Cuts—Love (Z3257)
page 79
Thin Cuts—Happy (Z3258)
page 79
Thin Cuts—Hello & Thanks (Z3259)
SOLD OUT - page 79
Thin Cuts—Hearts (Z3260)
SOLD OUT - page 79
Thin Cuts—Stars (Z3261)
page 79
Instalife™ Album—Blush (Z3270)
page 80
Instalife™ Album—Blue Jean (Z3282)
page 80
#Life™ Cards—Hello Gorgeous (Z3275)
page 81
#Life™ Cards—Enjoy (Z3291)
page 81
#Life™ Overlays—Gold (Z3279)
SOLD OUT - page 81
#Life™ Overlays—Black (Z3284)
page 81
My Crush® Adventure Calls (Z9978)
page 83
space intentionally left blank
Base & Bling Circle Glass Covers (Z1966)
page 85
Base & Bling Square Glass Covers (Z1967)
SOLD OUT - page 85
Base & Bling Oval Glass Covers (Z2011)
page 85
Base & Bling Rectangle Glass Covers (Z2030)
page 85
Base & Bling Circle Pendant—Faux Silver (Z3153)
page 85
Base & Bling Circle Pendant—Faux Gold (Z3154)
page 85
Base & Bling Square Pendant—Faux Silver (Z3151)
page 85
Base & Bling Square Pendant—Faux Gold (Z3152)
page 85
Base & Bling Oval Pendant—Faux Silver (Z3157)
page 85
Base & Bling Oval Pendant—Faux Gold (Z3158)
page 85
Base & Bling Rectangle Pendant—Faux Silver (Z3155)
page 85
Base & Bling Rectangle Pendant—Faux Gold (Z3156)
page 85
Base & Bling Chain—Faux Silver (Z3160)
page 85
Base & Bling Chain—Faux Gold (Z3159)
page 85
Base & Bling Royalty Style Sheet (Z3276)
page 86
Base & Bling Mad for Plaid Style Sheet (Z3277)
page 86
Base & Bling Watercolor Sheet—Gold (Z3280)
page 86
Base & Bling Watercolor Sheet—Clear (Z3281)
page 86
Base & Bling Bow Charm—Faux Silver (Z3133)
page 86
Base & Bling Bow Charm—Faux Gold (Z3107)
page 86
Base & Bling Ribbon Charm—Faux Silver (Z3134)
page 86
Base & Bling Ribbon Charm—Faux Gold (Z3108)
page 86
Base & Bling Heart Charm—Faux Silver (Z3110)
page 86
Base & Bling Heart Charm—Faux Gold (Z3109)
page 86
Base & Bling Black Bead Charm—Faux Silver (Z3141)
page 86
Base & Bling Black Bead Charm—Faux Gold (Z3140)
page 86
Base & Bling Teal Bead Charm—Faux Silver (Z3143)
page 86
Base & Bling Teal Bead Charm—Faux Gold (Z3142)
page 86
Base & Bling Rhinestones—Faux Silver (Z3161)
page 86
Base & Bling Rhinestones—Faux Gold (Z3162)
page 86
Base & Bling Necklace Cards (Z3196)
page 86
space intentionally left blank
Shoulder Tote (Z3031)
page 90
Marker Roll-Up (Z3120)
page 90
Accessory Roll-Up (Z3121)
page 90
space intentionally left blank
12" × 12" Sea Glass Cardstock (X5789)
page 95
Sea Glass Glitter Paper (Z3240)
page 95
Sea Glass Exclusive Inks™ Mini Pigment Pad (Z2507)
page 95
Sea Glass Exclusive Inks™ Re-inker (Z2713)
page 95
Sequins Silver Assortment (Z2013)
page 102
Sequins Gold Assortment (Z2012)
page 102
Pink Enamel Gems (Z3091)
page 102
Enamel & Glitter Duos Blue Dots (Z3122)
page 102
Enamel & Glitter Duos Green Triangles (Z3123)
page 102
Enamel & Glitter Duos Purple Hearts (Z3124)
page 102
Aqua Shimmer Trim (Z3086)
page 103
Green Shimmer Trim (Z3087)
SOLD OUT - page 103
Coral Shimmer Trim (Z3088)
page 103
Fern Thick Twine (Z3093)
page 103
Poppy Thick Twine (Z3094)
page 103
Gold Foil Tape (Z3129)
page 103
Silver Foil Tape (Z3130)
page 103
Rose Gold Foil Tape (Z3218)
page 103
Blending Pen (3174)
page 104
Sanding Kit (Z1294)
page 106
Ruler (Z1471)
page 107
Stitch Guide (Z1852)
page 107
Foam Mat (Z1859)
page 107
1" Circle Punch (Z1999)
SOLD OUT - page 108
3L® E-Z Dots® Adhesive (Z3022)
page 108
3L® E-Z Dots® Adhesive Refill (Z3023)
page 108
Thumb Notch Punch (Z3131)
page 108
space intentionally left blank
Originals Card Confidence Program™ (soft cover) (9036)
page 110
Reflections™ (soft cover) (9037)
page 110
Cherish™ (softcover) (9038)
page 110
Imagine™ (softcover) (9039)
page 110
Magic™ (softcover) (9040)
page 110
Wishes™ (softcover) (9041)
page 110

Updated June 16, 2017 for items that have sold out.

During Convention in late June Close To My Heart will likely announce some additional retiring items, typically a few colors may change from this Annual to the next. As soon as I learn about any other retiring items I will post them as soon as possible. The products above are available while supplies last or until July 31, 2017 (the Compliments above that are shown in Seasonal Expressions are while supplies last, but could be available until August 31).

The Shop Now button will take you to my Consultant website where you can see all of the products currently available from Close To My Heart, read full products descriptions and place orders.


If you have any questions, do not hesitate to email me. You will also find me on Facebook at Brenda's Paper Crafts. Thank you for visiting today.