Christmas Tunes SOTM with Beary Christmas Papers

This month the CTMH Corporate Artists created some wonderful projects using the SOTM, Christmas Tunes, and the featured paper, Beary Christmas.

This artwork is in addition the artwork published in Holiday Expressions. The Corporate Artists created a layout, gift tag and two cards.

If you would like to create something similar, the needed supplies are:

Please click on the image if it is too small to read; if you would like a PDF of the recipes, you will find it here. I was inspired by the cards.

As you can see I finally used the image I stamped and shared earlier this month when I posted about cutting my stamp. I really wanted to be able to create more cards during October but there never seemed to be enough time.

All supplies I used to create this card are from Close To My Heart:

• My Acrylix™ stamp sets: October 2017 SOTM Christmas Tunes (S1710)
• Beary Christmas Paper Packet (X7225B)
• 12" X 12" Cardstock: White Daisy (1385), New England Ivy (X5959)
• 5½" × 4¼" White Cards & Envelopes, Value Pack (X254)
• Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pads: New England Ivy (Z2835), Cranberry (Z2816)
• adhesives: Adhesive Runner (Z3372), Thin 3-D Foam Tape (Z2060)

I hope you enjoy this card using the October SOTM. If you like the projects created with it, you still have a few hours to purchase it.

Christmas Tunes - Merry & Bright

I am still loving the Christmas Tunes stamp set. I was sitting in my craft space and looked down at this stamp and immediately thought stained glass. This is what I came up with.

I stamped on a transparency like you would run through a laser printer. One that is created to withstand the heat of a laser printer will not curl when it is heat embossed. I used black pigment ink and clear embossing powder. I think cut around the image and colored from behind using ShinHan Markers. The top of the transparency is sandwitched between the White Daisy card base and the Beary Christmas layer. I did not stamp behind the window so the stamped image is easier to see.

I had not planned to have the Beary Christmas watercolor paper behind the green embossed paper, but my Internet was flaky and my green paper cut wonky. The embossing and watercolor layer are to hid that. Since I did not have a larger piece of watercolor paper to use the window out, I cut strips and folded the ends on a 45 degree angle to miter the corners to try to make it look neater.

All supplies are from Close To My Heart except where noted:

• My Acrylix™ Stamp Sets: October 2017 SOTM: Christmas Tunes (S1710), Beary Christmas Cardmaking Stamp + Thin Cuts (Z4046)
• Beary Christmas Paper Packet (X7225B)
• 12" X 12" Cardstock: White Daisy (1385)
• heat embossing: Basics Exclusive Inks™ Mini Pigment Pads Set (Z2503) - this set has many retired colors, Ranger™ Clear Super Fine Embossing Powder (Z2088), Craft Heater (Z555)
• Black Memento™ Ink Pad (Z899)
• Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad colors: Ruby (Z2870) 
• ShinHan™ Touch Twin™ Markers in a variety of colors
• adhesives: Adhesive Runner (Z3372), Thin 3-D Foam Tape (Z2060)
• tools: Confetti Embossing Folder (Z3118)
• Cricut® Explore Air™ 2 (available at Level 3 of Hostess Rewards; see page 4 of Annual Inspirations 2017-2018) - my Design Space file uses Basic Shapes only
• Cricut® Cuttlebug™ (available at Level 1 of Hostess Rewards; see page 4 of Annual Inspirations 2017-2018)
• Supplies not from Close To My Heart: craft knife, glass cutting mat

Despite my card not turning out like I pictured in my mind's eye, I hope you like my stained glass card.

Fun with Heat Transfer Vinyl

I decided to try creating some shirts with heat transfer vinyl (HTV) and the Cricut EasyPress. I created three shirts for my great-niece Emma.

This was the first shirt I created. I use an image (Autumn Celebrations) and font (Cartoon Script Com Roman) in Design Space. I did some slicing on the pumpkin image so it would not be too thick. The HTV is from Cricut; I used a combination of Lite and Glitter HTV.

I really wanted to create this ghost shirt, but I did break the rules a little. I layered "regular" HTV on top of Glitter HTV; everything I have read says to not do this. I hope the HTV holds together, but with a child's shirt, she may outgrow it before that could happen. The design is from Apex Cuttable Designs; it is Shake Your Boo Thang.

I am sorry the photo did not come out very well. It looked fine in the viewfinder, but obviously was too shaded by the leaves on the top part of the shirt. I did swap up the design a bit. My mother suggested I put a layer of grey down and top it with the white glitter, but that is not the way it was designed. I ended up duplicating the bottom layer and then sliced the next layer out of it. I also sliced the eyes out of the layers so the shirt would show through rather than cutting black HTV for them.

The "regular" HTV is Grey and Pink Siser EasyWeed; the White Glitter is from Cricut.

This image is also from Apex Cuttable Designs; it is It's Fall Y'All Leaf. It is cut from Texas Orange Siser EasyWeed.

FYI, I provided links to the designs in case you like them enough to want to try them; I am not an affiliate of any store. I am a Close To My Heart Independent Consultant. If you purchase CTMH products from my Consultant Website, I do receive a commission. I thought it was important to be clear about how I may or may not profit when I share links to other products.

I have an image ready in Design Space to create a shirt to wear on Halloween. I hope to put that together in the next day or two. I hope you like my "dipping my toes" in HTV. I would love to know what you think of my recent projects. Thanks for visiting today.

One Week Remaining for Share a Smile

Next Tuesday is October 31st. While that means it is Halloween, it is also the last day to order several CTMH products.

The SOTM Christmas Tunes

The October 2017 SOTM (S1710) will no longer be available after October 31st. Over the past few weeks I have used this stamp set to create a few items:

Before I cut apart the tree stamp, in September I used masking to stamp the inside of this card:

Share a Smile Card Kit or Thin Cuts—Punny Pals

October 31st is also the last day to order the Share a Smile Card Kit (CC1342), Share a Smile Card Bases & Envelopes (CC1343) and Thin Cuts—Punny Pals (CC1340), that is, if there are ant left. All are available while supplies last. The Punny Pals stamp set (D1751) will continue to be available until the end of Annual Inspirations 2017-2018 (July 31, 2018).

Operation Smile™: Punny Pals (D1751)	Thin Cuts—Punny Pals (CC1340)
Share a Smile Card Kit (CC1342)	Share a Smile Card Bases & Envelopes (CC1343)

I'd also like to remind you that when you participate in the Share a Smile promotion by purchasing any of these special items or rounding up your order in support of Operation Smile™ you will automatically qualify for a chance to win a not-yet-released stamp set from the upcoming 2018 Seasonal Expressions 1 idea book! CTMH will be choosing winners throughout the month of October, so any time you place an order, you can be a winner!

 More details about Share a Smile are at my October 1 blog post.

Beary Christmas Blog Hop

Welcome to our Close to My Heart Beary Christmas Blog Hop! About ten CTMH Independent Consultants are showcasing items they created using the Beary Christmas collection available in Holiday Expressions. You will find the collection on pages 34 through 44 of the Holiday Expressions Idea Book. The Beary Christmas collection, along with the other collections in Holiday Expressions, are retiring at the end of December.

If you are visiting from Erica Haskin's Dresses and Spurs then you are on the right track. Carol Loftus is our hostess and her blog is the beginning of our hop.

For our Beary Christmas Blog Hop I created this card

When I was looking at the Beary Christmas supplies I had, I was drawn to the whimsical animals in the Scrapbooking Stamp Set, so I used that inspiration for creating my card.

Before you visit ***Shirley Ross - the Rockin' heART Stamper***, the supplies I used to create my project are listed below.

All supplies are from Close To My Heart except where noted:

• Beary Christmas Scrapbooking Stamp + Thin Cuts (Z4047), Beary Christmas Cardmaking Stamp + Thin Cuts (Z4046)
• Beary Christmas Paper Packet (X7225B)
• 12" X 12" Cardstock: White Daisy (1385)
• 5½" × 4¼" White Cards & Envelopes, Value Pack (X254)
• Black Memento™ Ink Pad (Z899)
• Watercolor Paints (Z3132); Waterbrush—Small Round (Z3224)
• Silver Shimmer Trim (Z1799)
• adhesives: Adhesive Runner (Z3372), Thin 3-D Foam Tape (Z2060), 3-D Foam Tape (Z1151)
• Cricut® Cuttlebug™ (available at Level 1 of Hostess Rewards; see page 4 of Annual Inspirations 2017-2018)

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 before you visit ***Shirley Ross - the Rockin' heART Stamper***, please let me know what you think of my cards. I love to read your comments. I hope you are finding many ideas for using the papers the are featured this month.

This is our blog hop list; clicking the link will take you directly to each person's Beary Christmas Papers post.

Carol Loftus	http://carolloftus.blogspot.com/
Julie Scott	http://craftwithjulie.blogspot.com/
RaNae Fennema	http://grandmanaedesigns.blogspot.com/
Erica Haskin	http://dressesandspurs.blogspot.com/
Brenda Lapp - you are here	http://centralnyscrapper.blogspot.com/
Shirley Ross	http://rockinheartstamper.blogspot.com/
Haley Dyer	http://inkyscrapper.blogspot.com/
Kathleen Androlewicz	http://bowlofstamps.blogspot.com/
Gerri Baker	http://gerri-ctmh.com/
Ramona Temple	http://ramonatemple.com/
Jen Rubio	http://jenrubio.blogspot.com/

Thank you for taking the time to hop with us today!

Share a Smile Blog Hop

Welcome to the Share a Smile Blog Hop featuring items created with the Punny Pals stamp set. Our hop has almost 20 CTMH Independent Consultants. If blog hopping is new to you, we try to keep it easy: click on the link to the next blog (typically near the bottom of the post) to visit the next stop. Keep visiting the next blog until you reach the blog where you started.

You should have arrived here from ***Darlys Recker's Crafty Happy***. If you get lost along the way, Melinda Everitt keeps a list of participants on her blog at If You Bling It.

I started by creating a 3" x 3" card mostly following the instructions and this is how it turned out:

I think this card kit would be perfect for children to exchange at Valentine's Day or for parents to add to lunch boxes. Since I do not have any of those reasons for 3" x 3" cards, I thought about ways to create cards that could be mailed.

I used the same idea as the kit instructions, but modified the cuts to cover the front of a 4¼" × 5½" white card. I cut a 4" square from Thistle and Eggplant cardstock and cut it diagonally as shown in the kit instructions. Then I cut a piece of 1¼" x 4" piece from each and cut that into four 1" pieces (two for this card and two for a future card just like the triangles). I cut a ¼" strip of Gold Foil Paper to embellish the card. I used colored pencils on this card so I did not need to wait for the image to dry.

Before you head to ***Stampin' Maui by Jean McNulty***, the supplies I used to create my project are listed below.

All supplies are from Close To My Heart except where noted:

• My Acrylix™ Stamp Set: Punny Pals (D1751)
• Share a Smile Card Kit (CC1342) - the kit includes Thin Cuts—Punny Pals (CC1340) and Share a Smile Card Bases & Envelopes—32 each (CC1343) plus 10 sheets (1 cardstock sheet each of Bashful, Eggplant, Glacier, Lagoon, New England Ivy, Smoothie, Sweet Leaf, Thistle, White Daisy, and one gold glitter paper) and a color printed insert with cutting diagrams and instructions for 6 different card designs
• Black Memento™ Ink Pad (Z899)
• Watercolor Paints (Z3132); Waterbrush—Small Round (Z3224)
• White Cards & Envelopes Value Pack (X254)
• Gold Foil Paper (X3365)
• adhesives: Thin 3-D Foam Tape (Z2060), Adhesive Runner (Z3372)
• Cricut® Cuttlebug™ (available at Level 1 of Hostess Rewards; see page 4 of Annual Inspirations 2017-2018)
• Supplies not from Close To My Heart: Chameleon Color Tones Pencils

Be sure to visit to Close To My Heart Blog for a fun Thin Cuts Technique with Our Punny Pals. Who knows, maybe we will see a card inspired by this technique on the top today.
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 leave I would be delighted if you left me a comment letting me know what you think of my cards. I hope you are finding many fun ideas for how you might use the Share a Smile items. Thank you for hopping with us! So you do not have to scroll back up, the next stop on the hop is ***Stampin' Maui by Jean McNulty***.

My Legacy™ Post-Bound Albums

The next time you purchase a My Legacy™ Post-Bound Album, you may notice a slight change. The Corporate Office released this information during our weekly update:

We have received feedback that many Consultants and customers prefer starting their album with a 1" post until they have enough layouts to need the larger 1½" post. Consequently, we have decided to include 1" posts in post-bound albums in place of the 1½" posts. Some album styles are already being shipped with 1" posts. All remaining styles will be updated to include 1" posts as soon as we have sold through our inventory of albums with 1½" posts.

Additional posts are available in both the 1" and 1½" size:

• My Legacy™ 1" Album Posts (Z3185)
• My Legacy™ 1 1/2" Album Posts (Z3398)

 Happy scrapbooking (and cardmaking)!

Stronger Together

About a month ago I told you about the Disaster Relief Stamp Set Stronger Together.

Stronger Together (C1716)

Consultants received an update via email last Thursday and I thought you would like to know how much has been donated so far.

"Your response to the Stronger Together stamp set has been phenomenal. Because of your generosity and support, we have donated over $44,000 USD to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, and over $9,000 CAD to the Canadian Red Cross British Columbia Fires Appeal. Because the relief efforts are ongoing, this stamp set will remain available for purchase for the foreseeable future."

Thank you!

Christmas Tunes - Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

One of the comments I received during the SOTM Blog Hop (the post immediately prior to this) was asking about what my stamp looks like now that I cut it apart. Since I made my card for the blog hop I cut it again. I left room between the pieces so it is easier for your to see where I made the cuts.

After I made the additional cut I planned to create two cards, but ran out of time to complete both. This is the stamped image where I used two colors:

I am still trying to decide how to finish it. Since time was not on my side, this image will have to wait, but I did get one card finished:

It is hard to see in the photo, but the image is layered on Silver Foil. I really love this stamp so I did not do a lot to embellish the card; I didn't want to take away from the image.

All supplies are from Close To My Heart except where noted:

• My Acrylix™ Stamp Sets: October 2017 SOTM: Christmas Tunes (S1710)
• Beary Christmas Paper Packet (X7225B)
• 12" X 12" Cardstock: White Daisy (1385), Cranberry (X5975), Fern (X5960)
• Silver Foil Paper (Z3366)
• 5½" × 4¼" White Cards & Envelopes, Value Pack (X254)
• Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pads: Pewter (Z2832)
• tools: Thin Cuts: Ribbon Border ( Z3349), Scallop Border (Z3348)
• adhesives: Adhesive Runner (Z3372), Thin 3-D Foam Tape (Z2060)
• Cricut® Cuttlebug™ (available at Level 1 of Hostess Rewards; see page 4 of Annual Inspirations 2017-2018)
• Supplies not from Close To My Heart: craft knife, glass cutting mat, Scotch Quick-Dry Adhesive

I hope this helps envision what I did when cutting my stamp. I admit, I find it nerve-wracking, but I was not able to achieve the results I wanted with masking and I am really happy with how the stamp looks when stamped in two colors.

Thank you for visiting today.

Christmas Tunes CTMH SOTM Blog Hop

Welcome to the October 2017 SOTM Blog Hop featuring the stamp set Christmas Tunes. This month there are about 25 bloggers sharing projects they created with the CTMH Stamp Of The Month. If blog hopping is new to you, we try to keep it easy: just keep clicking on the link to the next blog (typically near the bottom of the post) to visit the next stop. Our blog hop is circular so visiting the next blog will take you back to where you started.

You should have arrived here from ***Brandi Robinson's crzy4scrapbooking***. If you get lost along the way, Melinda Everitt keeps a list of participants on her blog at If You Bling It.

I really love this stamp set so I created two cards for this hop. I really wanted to use this "O Holy Night" stamp. I did not have a plan, I just tried different things until I came up with something I liked.

I used my fingers to shape the banner so it was raised in the middle and was flatter at the ends. I used 3-D Foam Tape to help it keep its shape.

The card below was inspired by a card on page 66 of Holiday Expressions. If you hopped with us for the Holiday Expressions New Product Blog Hop, you might recall I cut the "Christmas Tree" stamp apart to use it with Mistletoe Kisses (M1182). I fit the pieces back together on the block and removed the word "Christmas" before inking with New England Ivy. Then I fit "Christmas" back in, removed the other pieces and inked with Cranberry.

Before you visit ***Stampin' Maui by Jean McNulty***, the supplies I used to create my project are listed below.

All supplies are from Close To My Heart except where noted:

• My Acrylix™ Stamp Sets: October 2017 SOTM: Christmas Tunes (S1710)
• Beary Christmas Paper Packet (X7225B)
• 12" X 12" Cardstock: White Daisy (1385), Cranberry (X5975), New England Ivy (X5959)
• 5½" × 4¼" White Cards & Envelopes, Value Pack (X254)
• Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pads: Cranberry (Z2816), New England Ivy (Z2835)
• ShinHan™ Touch Twin™ Markers: Golden Yellow (Z2452), Sap Green (Z2463), Carmine (Z2448)
• tools: Thin Cuts: Ribbon Border ( Z3349); Embossing Folders: Buffalo Plaid (Z4032); Sanding Kit (Z1294) - this is in the Going Soon! area of your Consultant's website
• embellishments: Gold Pearls (Z3371), Gold Shimmer Trim (Z1985)
• Cricut® Collection: Artbooking physical cartridge (Z3169) - physical cartridges are retiring and available while supplies last
• Doily Circle ― #M470D9 ― page 80 ― height 3.4″ ― PhotoMat2 <Sugar> ― I used the Hide Contour feature in Design Space (I also used the circle shape in Design Space and cut it at 3")
• this is my Design Space file if using the Hide Contour feature is new to you
• adhesives: Adhesive Runner (Z3372), Thin 3-D Foam Tape (Z2060), 3-D Foam Tape (Z1151)
• Cricut® Cuttlebug™ (available at Level 1 of Hostess Rewards; see page 4 of Annual Inspirations 2017-2018)
• Cricut® Explore Air™ 2 (available at Level 3 of Hostess Rewards; see page 4 of Annual Inspirations 2017-2018)
• Supplies not from Close To My Heart: craft knife, glass cutting mat

If you do not have a CTMH Independent Consultant, you may purchase all of the supplies I used on my Consultant website.

Before you leave I would be delighted if you left me a comment letting me know what you think of my cards. Thanks for hopping with us! So you do not have to scroll back up, the next stop on the hop is ***Stampin' Maui by Jean McNulty***.

October 2017 CTMH News

It's October?! When and how did that happen? I guess time flies when you are busy.

The October 2017 Stamp of the Month is Christmas Tunes

Christmas Tunes (S1710) is an exclusive D-size set of 7 stamps that is only available for purchase during the month of October 2017. The stamp set can be yours for $5 when you place an order of $50 or more in qualifying Close To My Heart products (and you qualify for additional sets at $5 for each $50 you spend). Alternatively it is available at $17.95. Recommended CTMH My Acrylix® Blocks for this stamp set are: 2" x 2" (Y1003), 3" x 3" (Y1006), 2" x 3½" (Y1009) and 4" x 5" (Y1012).

CTMH Corporate Artists created two cards using the Christmas Tunes stamp set.

I have already used the stamp a couple of times; on a card I created for the Holiday Expressions New Product Blog Hop and on a card created with the National Stamping Month From the Heart Card Kit.

If you would like a list of the products used to create the above items, you will find the information in the Recipes for Holiday Expressions, a PDF file that lists the products used to make the samples in the Holiday Expressions so you may re-create projects at home. I am participating in a Christmas Tunes blog hop this month; you will find my post here tomorrow. Please visit my CTMH 2017 10 Oct SOTM Christmas Tunes for additional ideas using the Christmas Tunes stamp set.

October 2017 —Share A Smile

The October monthly special will feature an exclusive set of Thin Cuts that will coordinate with our My Acrylix® Operation Smile™: Punny Pals stamp set (D1751). You may purchase the Thin Cuts on their own or as part of the Share a Smile Card Kit.

Operation Smile™: Punny Pals (D1751)

The exclusive card kit includes the Thin Cuts, card bases and envelopes, papers and instructions for you to create 32 adorable cards that are sure to brighten anyone's day. You may also purchase the card bases & envelopes on their own.

Item #	Product	Retail Price
D1751	My Acrylix® Punny Pals Stamp Set	$17.75
CC1340	Thin Cuts—Punny Pals	$28.95
CC1343	Share a Smile Card Bases & Envelopes	$9.75
CC1342	Share a Smile Card Kit Includes Thin Cuts—Punny Pals (CC1340), Share a Smile Card Bases & Envelopes (CC1343), and 10 paper sheets; stamp set sold separately	$48.69 Your price $39.95

The Share a Smile Card Kit comes with 10 sheets of paper (1 cardstock sheet each of Bashful, Eggplant, Glacier, Lagoon, New England Ivy, Smoothie, Sweet Leaf, Thistle, White Daisy, and one gold glitter paper), 32 card bases and envelopes (3" x 3"), the Punny Pals Thin Cuts, and a color printed insert with cutting diagrams and instructions for 6 different card designs.

Every time you place an order and round-up to the nearest dollar, your round-up donation will go even further because Close To My Heart will be matching all round-up donations, up to $10,000!

Finally, this is something that should bring a smile to everyone. When you participate in the Share a Smile promotion by purchasing any of these special items or rounding up your order in support of Operation Smile™ you will automatically qualify for a chance to win a not-yet-released stamp set from the upcoming 2018 Seasonal Expressions 1 idea book! CTMH will be choosing winners throughout the month of October, so any time you place an order, you can be a winner!

There are ways to get the Share a Smile Card Kit for free. As a hostess when your Gathering reaches the third level of Hostess Rewards or higher or when you become a new consultant during October.

If you would like to create the cards as shown in the instructions, you may need some additional items if you do not already have them:

• My Acrylix® Punny Pals Stamp Set (D1751)
• Black Memento™ Ink pad (Z899)
• Watercolor Paints (Z3132)
• Waterbrush—Small Round (Z3224)
• 2" x 2" My Acrylix® Block (Y1003)
• Thin 3-D Foam Tape (Z2060)
• Adhesive Runner (Z3372)

The stamp set was not included in the kit because some people may have already purchased it; by being available separate from the kit it preserves the $7 Operation Smile™ donation associated with the stamp set.

Disaster Relief Stamp Set: Stronger Together

Stronger Together (C1716)

As I posted on September 8, CTMH released this stamp set designed specifically to benefit those affected by disasters, such as the recent hurricanes in the United States and the wildfires throughout the US and Canada.

In order to be able to support multiple needs, the Corporate Office determined that proceeds from the sale of this set will be donated to the Red Cross, which provides relief efforts to multiple disasters, and which will allocate the funds to where they are needed most.

For this C-size stamp set, it is recommended that you use My Acrylix® blocks 1" x 1" (Y1000), 1" x 3½" (Y1002), 2" x 2" (Y1003), 3" x 3" (Y1006) and 2" x 3½" (Y1009).

CTMH Physical Cartridge Cricut® Collections to Retire

In case you do missed the news, the physical cartridges are retiring because Provo Craft has made the decision to discontinue production of physical Cricut® cartridges.

Cricut® Artbooking Collection physical cartridge (Z3169)	Cricut® Artistry Collection physical cartridge (Z3167)
Cricut® Flower Market Collection physical cartridge  (Z3285)	Cricut® You Are Here Collection physical cartridge (Z3389)

The CTMH Corporate Office has been able to secure enough inventory of the You Are Here collection to last through the duration of the Annual Inspirations 2017–2018 idea book, but effective immediately, all Cricut® Collections that include a physical cartridge are available while supplies last.

Of the above collections, all have a digital option except Artbooking. The Corporate office is working on tutorial videos to help us learn more about how to use Design Space and the newer Cricut® machines. Watch the Close To My Heart YouTube channel for the videos.

Holiday Expressions

The idea book has been valid for one month and the cover is generating quite a bit of talk. For those of you who would be interested in creating a village like on the cover, I have good news. The Corporate Office is working on instructions for creating a similar village and will post them on the Make It From Your Heart blog. Unfortunately I do not have an estimate when they will be ready.

If you are ready to place an order or would like to read more about a product, the Shop Now button will take you there.

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