National Stamping Month is Almost Over

National Stamping Month is almost over, however the Creativity in Motion Bundle and individual items created for National Stamping Day are still available.

National Stamping Month Creativity in Motion

Here's a video of the thank you card I shared on the Creativity in Motion Blog Hop showing how the motion works (I was at a hot spot for a work meeting and took the opportunity to do a few tasks that are data intensive).

Create your own unique designs using the Creativity in Motion items. Or watch the video from the September 19 Facebook Event and follow the Guide for cutting and assembly to create three each of the four cards pictured below from the Creativity in Motion Bundle. There was a special National Scrapbooking Day promotions page to support the Facebook Live.

Creativity in Motion Facebook Live

All of the Creativity in Motion options can be found until the end of September on the Creativity in Motion promotions page. If you missed this post before the end of September, that's OK. Any inventory remaining will be in the Online Only section of my shopping site.

Near the end of the Facebook Live there was a special Stamping Techniques segment. On the special National Scrapbooking Day promotions page there is a You Brighten My Day stamp set (CC92011) that was used to demonstrate the techniques. Here are two PDFs to download, Stamping Techniques 1 and Stamping Techniques 2, to stamp along as you are learning the techniques.

Thank you for visiting this evening and come back tomorrow for the CTMH October news.

CTMH Kids Craft Funny Farm Cards

If you are having difficulty finding the CTMH Kids Craft video from the September 25 Facebook Live, CTMH placed the video on YouTube so it is easier to share.

During this Facebook Live, Maya Wihongi, the daughter of CTMH President Monica Wihongi, walked us through creating five cards using the Funny Farm Card Kit (CC8207). If you would like to create additional cards or have more than one person creating while watching the video, there are Funny Farm Card Kits without the stamp set (CC8208).

The Funny Farms Cards Guide can be downloaded here; the Guide includes cutting information and assembly tips.

Photos of each card can be found on my August 16 blog post or under the product description.

Future Facebook Lives are listed on the CTMH Facebook Live Crafting Events page (also found in the green bar above). As soon as I can, I will update the Crafting Events page with links to past Facebook Live Events.

This kit is scheduled to be available through September 30; any kits still available after September 30 can be found in the Online Only section of my shopping site. If you miss the kit, the From the Funny Farm stamp set (D1947) is in the Core Products catalog (valid until August 31, 2021).

Can you believe the first of October is tomorrow?! How did it get here already?

Thank you for visiting today.

Creativity in Motion Blog Hop

Welcome to our Creativity in Motion Blog Hop. The Creativity in Motion hop is brought to you by the same group of Close To My Heart Independent Consultants who bring you the Stamp Of The Month Blog Hop.

We have almost 15 CTMH Independent Consultants sharing their creations on this hop. If you just happened upon my post, clicking the link to the next blog (often found near the bottom of the page) will take you full circle.

Creativity in Motion Blog Hop

You should have arrived here from ***Krista's Crafty Corner by Krista Hershberger***. If you get lost along the way, Melinda keeps a list of all blog hop participants on her blog at If You Bling It.

This is the first card I created when I received the Creativity in Motion Bundle. It is a retirement card for a (now) former co-worker who retired earlier this week.

Creativity in Motion retirement card

I still had some Craft On Patterned Paper scraps, so I fussy cut some flowers to add the the front of the card. I misplaced my Craft On—Cardmaking Stamp + Thin Cuts (Z4069) or I would have used that. I cut a strip from Lemonade cardstock and stamped the phrase from Celebrating You.

When I created the pull tab, I made it about 2 inches wide. When I was sliding the central image in and out, it occasionally would "hang up", so I decided to make the central image double sided. Problem solved and it makes the card a little more interesting to the recipient.

Creativity in Motion retirement card

If you do the same, be sure to make sure it flips top to bottom rather than left to right so the pull tab can remain on the right side.

You really need to see this card in motion to appreciate how awesome it is (at least in my opinion) and see how it will look to the recipient. [please be gentle as this is one of my first videos]

 

 

Unfortunately I could not find a current retirement stamp set on my shopping site, so I used the retired Happy for You stamp set for the "Congratulations on Your Retirement" sentiment I placed inside the card. I still had For My Beautiful Friend on my craft table so I used the butterfly stamps to embellish the sentiment. The butterflies are colored with Watercolor Pencils.

Creativity in Motion card - inside sentiment

 I created another card, but was unable to take a photo before it got dark. Here it is; I will replace the photo when I get an opportunity to re-take the photo in better light.

Creativity in Motion thank you card

I stamped the solid stamp with second generation Clover, but it is hard to see. Then I stamped the outline stamp with Intense Black. I colored with a variety of TriBlend™ Markers.

There will be a Facebook Live on the CTMH Facebook Page creating with the Creativity in Motion Event Bundle (CC9208) tomorrow, Saturday, September 19. The Event starts at 4pm EDT / 2pm MDT. If you have not received your bundle yet, the video will be available to watch later. Cards that will be created are shown in this image:

CTMH National Stamping Day Creativity in Motion

Before you move along to ***Crafty Happy by Darlys Recker***, the supplies I used to create my cards are listed below.

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

• My Acrylix™ Stamp Sets: Animated Butterfly Kisses (CC9202), Animated Sentiments (CC9201), Border Tab (CC9204), Celebrating You (C1847), Happy for You–retired (C1660), Floral Borders (C1822), For My Beautiful Friend — July Stamp of the Month (S2007)
• Patterned Paper: 6" x 6" Bright Stack (CC9207), Craft On–retired
• Cardstock: White Daisy (1385), Lemonade (X6035), Pixie (X5984), Clover (X6040), Evergreen (X6030)
  
• Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pads: Clover (Z6507), Intense Black (Z4189)
  
• White Cards & Envelopes Value Pack (X254)
• TriBlend™ Markers, Watercolor Pencils (Z3630) 
• Thin Cuts: Border Tab (CC9206), Stitched Simple Brackets (Z3687)
  
• Die-cutting & Embossing Machine (HB1080, available with Hostess Rewards, see Party on my Consultant Website)
• Supplies not from Close To My Heart: Tim Holtz Stamp Platform, larger card base from my stash for the retirement card
  

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

If you have a few moments, please let me know what you think of my card. I am curious the impression people have of my cards and I enjoy reading the comments. I hope you are enjoying the projects created with the new products from CTMH. Thank you for hopping with us!

So you do not have to scroll back up, the next stop on the hop is ***Crafty Happy by Darlys Recker***.

September–October 2020 New Product Blog Hop

Welcome to the Close to My Heart New Product Blog Hop brought to you from same the group who bring you the Stamp Of The Month Blog Hop. Today we are featuring items created with products from the new CTMH Idea Book September–October 2020 catalog.

We have about 20 CTMH Independent Consultants sharing their creations on this hop. If you just happened upon my post, clicking the link to the next blog (often found near the bottom of the page) will take you full circle.

September–October 2020 New Product Blog Hop

You should have arrived here from ***Lauren Moore's CTMH Craftings***. If you get lost along the way, Melinda also keeps a list of all blog hop participants on her blog at If You Bling It.

I really like stamp sets that are not occasion-specific. They are a sweet way to send a note to let someone know you are thinking of them. When I saw Oh, Hay There paired with the cute Mini Envelope Thin Cut, I knew both had to be in my first order from the September–October 2020 catalog.

September–October 2020 New Product Blog Hop

I planned to cut a piece of Black cardstock as my first layer, but I realized that I forgot to add Black cardstock to the last Custom Cardstock Pack I purchased. What to do? I found a long skinny scrap so I decided to create a mitered border. Those who also quilt know what I am talking about, but in case this is new to you, here is a quick lesson.

I cut two ¼" strips the length of my skinny scrap, then I cut two 4" pieces and two 5¼" pieces. I cut both ends of the strips on a 45° angle as shown in the photo below. Fortunately there is a 45° line on my glass cutting mat; I also used a metal-edged ruler and craft knife. I inked the edges of the Black cardstock with Black Exclusive Inks™ to hide the white core.

mitered corners

If you do not have a cutting mat that has a 45° line, you can cut a square, fold it on the diagonal, then use the fold to guide your cut.

I used Mix-in papers, cut at 2" by 5", and the Fancy Borders Thin Cuts to make the horizon. I cut the Glacier patterned paper with a Fancy Border then separated the cuts just a little to give the "sky" some interest. I built all of this on an unseen 4" by 5¼" piece of French Vanilla cardstock. Then I added the Black cardstock border followed by the fussy cut horse, Mini Envelope and the horse's nose/mouth.

Before you head to ***Becca Whitham's Expressions***, 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: Oh, Hay There (D1970)
  
• Patterned Paper: Mix-in Paper Packet (X9019)
• Cardstock: French Vanilla (X6046), Black (X6047), Desert Rose (X6055)
  
• Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pads: Intense Black (Z4189), Black (Z2805)
  
• White Cards & Envelopes Value Pack (X254)
• Thin Cuts: Mini Envelope (Z3767), Fancy Borders (Z3682)
• Watercolor Pencils (Z3630)
  
• Die-cutting & Embossing Machine (HB1080, available to Hostesses who reach the first level of Hostess Rewards, see Party on my CTMH site)
• Supplies not from Close To My Heart: glass cutting mat, metal-edged ruler, craft knife

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

If you have a few moments, please let me know what you think of my card. I enjoy reading your comments. I hope you are enjoying the projects created with the new products from CTMH. Thank you for hopping with us!

So you do not have to scroll back up, the next stop on the hop is ***Becca Whitham's Expressions***.

National Stamping Day - Creativity In Motion!

As I mentioned in mid-August, Close To My Heart made the Creativity in Motion bundle available a little early. They wanted everyone to have plenty of time to order and receive their purchase prior to the National Stamping Day virtual event on Saturday, September 19th. During the FREE Facebook Live event we will be creating 12 cards, 3 each of these 4 designs.

National Stamping Day—Creativity in Motion Facebook Live

Be sure to visit the Facebook Event page and mark yourself as "Going" to the event. There is a two-fold benefit to submitting an RSVP: 1) you will be reminded of the event as it gets closer and 2) this is the only way to entered to win prizes.

The two items which launched early are the Creativity in Motion Event Bundle and You Brighten My Day Stamp Set. I'm told the Brighten My Day stamp set will not be used in the creative projects, but some techniques will be taught using this set.

Creativity in Motion Event Bundle (CC9208)

Creativity in Motion Event Bundle includes:    1 – My Acrylix® Animated Sentiments Stamp Set (CC9201)    1 – My Acrylix® Animated Butterfly Kisses Stamp Set (CC9202)    1 – My Acrylix® Animated Safari Animals Stamp Set (CC9203)    1 – My Acrylix® Border Tab Stamp Set (CC9204)    1 – Animation Sheets pack (CC9205)    1 – 6" × 6" Bright Stack (CC9207)    1 – Border Tab Thin Cuts (CC9206)    1 – Clear Sparkles (Z3274)    12 – white card bases & envelopes

You Brighten My Day (CC92011)

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In addition to the Creativity in Motion Event Bundle, there are are few additional supplies needed to create the cards on National Scrapbooking Day. They are (this list is also on the Details tab of the National Stamping Day - Creativity In Motion! Facebook Event):

• 1385 White Daisy Cardstock (2)
  
• Z3237 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad
  
• Z6513 Green Apple Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad
  
• Z1151 3-D Foam Tape
  
• Y1000 1” x 1” My Acrylix® Block
  
• Y1002 1” x 3 ½” My Acrylix® Block
  
• Y1003 2” x 2” My Acrylix® Block
  
• Y1006 3” x 3” My Acrylix® Block
  
• Y1009 2” x 3 ½” My Acrylix® Block
  
• Z2498 True Black Marker
  
• Z4260 Stitched Rectangle Frames Thin Cuts
  
• Z4259 Stitched Square Frames Thin Cuts
  
• Z1836 Non-stick Micro-tip Scissors
  
• Adhesive of Choice
  
• Die-cutting Machine
  
• Washi Tape
  
• Trimmer
  

The National Stamping Day - Creativity In Motion! items are also available in smaller bundles and standalone purchases. The unique stamp sets created to work with the Animation Sheets are available as a bundle (CC9209) or individually. The Border Tab Bundle (CC92010) includes the stamp set that assists the recipient with how the card works and the Thin Cuts to create pretty tabs, but both are available individually.

Animated Stamp Sets Bundle (CC9209)	Border Tab Bundle (CC92010)
Animated Sentiments (CC9201)	Animated Butterfly Kisses (CC9202)
Animated Safari Animals (CC9203)	Border Tab (CC9204)
Animation Sheets (CC9205)	Border Tab Thin Cuts (CC9206)
6" x 6" Bright Stack (CC9207)	this space intentionally blank

I created my first animated card last week and it was much easier than it looks and was so much fun to create. I will be sharing that card when I participate in a Creativity in Motion blog hop later this month.

I imagine this concept might be a bit to wrap your head around. I have to admit that I was a little nervous sitting down to create my first card, but some very clear instructions came with the bundle and it was much easier than I anticipated. If you have any questions about this card style/technique, please feel free to reach me via the contact form to the right.

Have a fantastic week!

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day to everyone, especially essential workers, who have been and are continuing to work extremely hard during the Coronavirus pandemic.

While I have been handing out cards I created with National Scrapbooking Day Cardmaking Bundle 2 (CC7214), I am unable send a card to all of you, so I created this card to share with you today. 

Labor Day 2020 Thank You Card

I hope this card gives you a reason to smile during these difficult times.

I forgot to take a photo of the card inside; it says "Thank You" in Sapphire ink with some streamers and confetti stamped in Candy Apple. I stamped the icons in second generation Pewter.

The stamp sets I used are now retired, but you can still find the Forever Grateful stamp set in the National Scrapbooking Day Cardmaking Bundle 2 (CC7214) available while supplies of the bundle last.

The supplies I used are:

• My Acrylix™ Stamp Sets: stamp set (B1590) from A Slice of Happy Workshops You Way (G1148)–this was available in Seasonal Expressions 1 in 2018, Forever Grateful (CC7210)
• Cardstock: White Daisy (1385), Sapphire (X5957)
  
• Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pads: Candy Apple (Z6509), Sapphire (Z2848), Pewter (Z2832)
  
• White Cards & Envelopes Value Pack (X254)
• Supplies not from Close To My Heart: Tim Holtz Stamp Platform

I love to read what visitors think about the crafts I create. If you have a few moments, please let me know what you think of this card. Thank you for stopping by today!

September–October 2020 Hostess Rewards Stamp Sets

On September 1 Close To My Heart debuted the September–October 2020 catalog. There are many fabulous new products in this new catalog. With a new catalog, there are new stamp sets available exclusively with Hostess Rewards.

Cover of September/October 2020 Idea Book

In addition to only being available with Hostess Rewards, they are only available for the life-cycle of the September–October 2020 Catalog – until October 31, 2020.

 

You’re Amazing (A1271)

Christmas Cardinal (C1871)

Party Animals (D1983)

In addition to the exclusive stamp sets above, there are a variety of other products available with Hostess Rewards. All of the Hostess Rewards are detailed on the Party page of my Consultant Website.

If you would like to host an online gathering – on Facebook, Zoom or suggest another platform, I am willing to try something new if you are – we can create a fun evening or weekend afternoon event. You can reach me via the Contact Form to the right.

CTMH Here for the Memories SOTM Blog Hop - September 2020

Welcome to the September 2020 SOTM Blog Hop featuring the stamp set Here for the Memories. This month there are approximately 20 Consultants sharing projects created with the CTMH Stamp Of The Month Here for the Memories. Our blog hop is a circle; visiting the next blog (typically via a link near the bottom of the post) will take you back to where you started.

Here for the Memories SOTM Blog Hop

You should have arrived here from ***Stressed is just desserts backwards from Colleen Dewis***. If you get lost along the way, Melinda Everitt also keeps a list of all participants on her blog at If You Bling It.

Here for the Memories Stamp Set

To create this card I did a little stamp surgery. For me and this particular project, it was easier to do that than masking. I tried to do this with masking and I kept getting the spacing between the words wrong.

card created for the Here for the Memories Blog Hop

I stamped the outline on the lighter side of Desert Rose with Intense Black first then stamped the shading in Espresso. I cut the Gold Shimmer Trim in half using the SureCut™ Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer. I exposed the adhesive on either end of the shimmer trim and stuck it to the trimmer. Then I placed the blade in the middle of the shimmer trim (from top to bottom) and cut in one direction, then I cut in the other direction.

I miscalculated the space I would have left at the bottom of the Desert Rose cardstock so I had to adjust where I placed my die cut flowers and I had to search my stash for a different way to create "you". I cut the letters to feature the dark side of the Desert Rose cardstock. I colored the stamped die cuts with TriBlend™ Markers then attached them with a mix of 3-D and Thin 3-D Foam Tape.

Before you head to ***Becca Whitham's Expressions***, 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: Here for the Memories — September Stamp of the Month (S2009), stamp + Thin Cut from Bloom with Grace Cardmaking Workshop (G1213)
• Patterned Paper: Bloom with Grace Paper Packet (X7260B) or Bloom with Grace Paper + Sticker Sheet (X7260S)
  
• Cardstock: French Vanilla (X6046), Desert Rose (X6055)
  
• Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pads: Intense Black (Z4189), Espresso (Z2829)
• White Cards & Envelopes Value Pack (X254)
• TriBlend™ Markers: Brown Grey (Z2475), Gold Brown (Z2479), Orange (Z2480), Citrus (Z2482), Citrus Green (Z2484)
  
• Gold Shimmer Trim (Z1985)
• SureCut™ Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer (Z1783)
  
• Die-cutting & Embossing Machine (HB1080, available with Hostess Rewards, see Party on my Consultant Website)
  
• Supplies not from Close To My Heart: Tim Holtz Stamp Platform, short alphabet dies
  

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

I love to hear what viewer think about the crafts I create. If you have a few moments, please let me know what you think of my card. I hope you are enjoying the projects created with Here for the Memories — the September Stamp of the Month. Thank you for hopping with us!

So you do not have to scroll back up, the next stop on the hop is ***Becca Whitham's Expressions***.

Close To My Heart Colors Introduced in 2020

With a new Core Catalog, and several colors that retired yesterday, Close To My Heart is introducing seven new colors and a new Color Of The Year–Blue Belle.

Cover of Core Products 2020-2021 Idea Book

The seven new Close To My Heart colors are:

12" × 12" Cardstock	Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad	Exclusive Inks™ Re-inker	Exclusive Inks™ Pigment Pad
Desert Rose Cardstock (X6055)	Desert Rose Stamp Pad (Z6525)	Desert Rose Re-inker (Z7525)	not applicable
Cinnamon Cardstock (X6052)	Cinnamon Stamp Pad (Z6522)	Cinnamon Re-inker (Z7522)	not applicable
Scarlet Cardstock (X6049)	Scarlet Stamp Pad (Z6526)	Scarlet Re-inker (Z7526)	not applicable
Flamingo Cardstock (X6050)	Flamingo Stamp Pad (Z6520)	Flamingo Re-inker (Z7520)	not applicable
Grape Cardstock (X5980)	Grape Stamp Pad (Z6524)	Grape Re-inker (Z7524)	not applicable
Avocado Cardstock (X6053)	Avocado Stamp Pad (Z6523)	Avocado Re-inker (Z7523)	not applicable
Sundance Cardstock (X6051)	Sundance Stamp Pad (Z6521)	Sundance Re-inker (Z7521)	not applicable

There is a new color of the year–Blue Belle. There are several new Blue Belle products.

Blue Belle Cardstock (X6048) Core page 99	Blue Belle Everyday Life™ 12" x 12" Album (Z5318) - Core page 90
Blue Belle Stamp Pad (Z6519) Core page 99	Blue Belle Re-inker (Z7519) Core page 99
image coming soon Blue Belle Pigment Pad (Z8008) Core page 99	Blue Belle Shimmer Brush (Z3669) - Core page 75
Blue Belle Glitter Paper (Z3442) Core page 63	Blue Belle Shimmer Trim (Z3800) Core page 66
Blue Belle Glitter Gems (Z7001) Core page 68	Blue Belle Glitter Gems (Z7001) - close up Core page 68
Blue Belle Pearls (Z7000) Core page 68	Blue Belle Pearls (Z7000) - close up Core page 68
Blue Belle Loose Sequins (Z3676) Core page 67	Blue Belle Loose Sequins (Z3676) - close up Core page 67

Blue Belle is also featured in a few other products. Since this color will be available until August 31, 2020, Blue Belle will likely be featured in future collections as well:

Love of Color Volume 2 (9047) Core page 5	not applicable	not applicable
Lovely Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet (X8015S) Core page 8	Lovely Paper Packet (X8015B) Core page 8	Lovely Coordinating Cardstock (X8015C) Core page 8

A list of all Close To My Heart colors, including color history back to 2010, can be found on CTMH Colors. CTMH Colors can also be reached by the link you will find in the green bar above.

I am excited about the new colors. I hope you are too.