More Cards from a Startup Special Cut Above® Card Kit

Around other commitments, I am still working on UFO Cut Above® Card Kits that are part of the Startup Special Cut Above® promotion from Close To My Heart. Startup Special ends on August 31.

Startup Special

I recently worked on cards 5 through 8 in the Sep–Dec 2019 Cut Above® Card Kit (CHC4201). You might remember I have a extra of each card from attending the 2019 CTMH Convention in 2019. This group of cards are 4¼"×5½".

card 5 - Sep–Dec 2019 Cut Above® Card Kit (CHC4201)

The card in the upper left was created as suggested in the worksheet included in the Sep–Dec 2019 Cut Above® Card Kit. On the other two cards I used a technique from the Jingle Joy Cardmaking Workshop (November-December 2020 catalog) and covered the snowflake die cuts with Icicle (Z3785) and Silver (Z3562) Stickles™ Glitter Glue.

close up - card 5 - Sep–Dec 2019 Cut Above® Card Kit (CHC4201)

The above photo shows a closer look at the snowflake die cuts. As the ribbon in the Sep–Dec 2019 Cut Above® Card Kit, I shopped my stash for a silver ribbon to use on the card with Silver Stickles™ Glitter Glue.

card 6 - Sep–Dec 2019 Cut Above® Card Kit (CHC4201)

As before, the card in the upper left was created as suggested in the sheet included in the Sep–Dec 2019 Cut Above® Card Kit. On the other two cards I used a technique we were taught at a CTMH launch event when the Shimmer Brush was introduced. I used the Clear Shimmer Brush (Z3293) on the die cut banner piece. Once they were dry, I stamped the sentiment.

close up - card 6 - Sep–Dec 2019 Cut Above® Card Kit (CHC4201)

After I assembled the cards, I used Icicle Stickles™ Glitter Glue (Z3785) on the card in the upper right to highlight some of the flowers, the hearts and dots around the floral focal and around the sentiment.

card 7 - Sep–Dec 2019 Cut Above® Card Kit (CHC4201)

I stayed (mostly) true to the worksheet for card 7. I added Icicle Stickles™ Glitter Glue (Z3785) to the ornaments on two of the cards.

card 8 - Sep–Dec 2019 Cut Above® Card Kit (CHC4201)

I made a few changes to card 8. On the card in the upper right I added Clear Shimmer Brush (Z3293) to some of the poinsettia and I mirrored the pattern. The card on the bottom has Diamond Stickles™ Glitter Glue (Z3563) in the card center. I also shopped my stash for a wider red ribbon to create a fuller embellishment. The "Merry Christmas" sentiment comes from one of the other Cut Above® Card Kits (Sep–Dec 2021 Cut Above® Card Kit (CHC4221)).

While most of the cards stayed true to the cards shown on the worksheet, I hope you like the little touches I added to make each card a little more unique.

Have a great week and enjoy the last few days of August.

Cards from a Startup Special Cut Above® Card Kit

The Startup Special Cut Above® promotion from Close To My Heart motivated me to work on some UFOs. If you have not heard the term UFO related to crafting, it stands for Unfinished Objects.

Startup Special

The Cut Above® Card Kits were introduced during the 2019 Close To My Heart Convention. CTMH Makers who attended that convention received some cards from the kit to create with to introduce us to the subscription, that's why you see three cards rather than two of each design that come in the subscription.

I pulled out the cards from Convention and the first Cut Above® Card Kit Subscription and made the first four cards. I tried to make each card a little different. Sometimes I used a stamp from one of the other Cut Above® Card Kit Subscriptions or another stamp set I had not put away yet.

Since I rarely use 3" × 3" cards, I created the first four cards with a local Senior Citizens group in mind. I know the member who makes sure each of the other members receives a card on their birthday and I hope she will be able to put a smile on someone's face with the cards.

card 1 - Sep–Dec 2019 Cut Above® Card Kit (CHC4201)

On the first card from the Sep–Dec 2019 Cut Above® Card Kit (CHC4201) I used a mix of adhesives. All cards have "Happy Birthday" inside and I tried to use a different version in each. I was not trilled with my stamping on one of the cards so I stamped on White Daisy cardstock then hand cut an arched dove-tailed banner. I also distressed the edges.

card 2 - Sep–Dec 2019 Cut Above® Card Kit (CHC4201)

On the second card I used stamps from other Cut Above® Card Kits. The card with "Happy Birthday" on the front has "You Take the Cake" inside, while the other cards have "Happy Birthday" inside.

card 3 - Sep–Dec 2019 Cut Above® Card Kit (CHC4201)

The top card was created with the stamp set from the Sep–Dec 2019 Cut Above® Card Kit, but the bottom two cards were stamped with sets you will find in the new Core Products catalog. The card on the left was from Flourished Greetings (B1806), while the card on the right was from Shooting Stars (B1813). The sentiments inside are "Sprinkled with lots of fun", "You Take the Cake" and "Time to Celebrate You". All of the inside sentiments are from a Cut Above® Card Kit.

card 4 - Sep–Dec 2019 Cut Above® Card Kit (CHC4201)

This group of cards was difficult to vary the front due to the banner die cut. The only change I did was to move the flower cluster to the top so you could see the sequins better when the card is standing up on display. The inside sentiments are stamped with stamps that came with a Cut Above® Card Kit: "Time to Celebrate You", "Oh Happy Day" and "Sprinkled with lot of fun".

Please be sure to have a cup of coffee for me if you are reading this on Tuesday, August 23. My alarm is scheduled to go off at 3:45am so I can pack my lunch and get to the polls on time to greet voters at 6am.

Have a great day!

VIP Referral Program

Attention all VIP Customers... Close To My Heart is giving you the opportunity to earn bonus VIP Credit when you share your referral code with your family friends and they use your referral code when they sign up to become a VIP. CTMH even provides this image that you can use when sharing your referral code.

CTMH VIP Referral

You will find all of the details, including a FAQ, on my eCommerce website here. The image can be found at the bottom of the page. Close To My Heart send you your referral code via email last week. If you no longer have the message, but have now choose to share your code, you will find your referral code under "Account" > "VIP Membership" (look under your name in the upper right corner).

When you share your VIP Referral Code I would really appreciate if you recommend me to your friends.

If you just happened upon today's post, you can use my Referral Code, M866Q8, to sign up to be a CTMH VIP.

CTMH VIP Referral - Brenda's Code

If the FAQ does not answer all of your questions, please reach out to me via the Contact Form to the right and I will do my best to quickly find an answer for you.

No matter whose code you use when signing up to be a CTMH VIP, to receive the extra $10 in credit, you must sign up by September 30, 2022.

If you are in New York State and did not vote during early voting, do not forget that there are Primary elections on Tuesday, August 23. Check your County Board of Elections for more information about voting in your area.

Have a great week

Core Catalog 2022-23 New Projects Artwork Showcase

As you are likely aware, Close To My Heart released a new Core Products 2022-2023 catalog on August 1. Today's post features new items you will find in the new catalog.

CTMH Artwork Showcase Core Products (August 2022 – July 2023) Catalog

My cards were inspired by creative classes I attended at the Close To My Heart Virtual Convention in June.

cards created with new CTMH Colors

The cards we created at Virtual Convention were Slimline, but I thought it would be fun to create A2-sized cards with some of the same products.

I cut ¼" strips from each of the new cardstock colors, then cut them to 4". I layered the cardstock with the true color side followed by the lighter color side.

I stamped with a mix of first and second generation, and, on the card shown on the right, I used the back of the "to the happy couple" stamp to create a background for the sentiment stamp. I completed the cards by embellishing with Woodgrain Die-cut Flowers.

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

• My Acrylix™ Stamp Set: Floral Sentiments (D2122)
  
• Cardstock: Pine (X6070), Mist (X6069), Periwinkle (X6067), Seabrook (X6068), Honey Butter (X6066), Melon (X6065)
• Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad: Pine (Z6540), Mist (Z6539), Periwinkle (Z6537), Seabrook (Z6538), Honey Butter (Z6536), Melon (Z6535), Intense Black (Z4189)
• White Cards & Envelopes Value Pack (X254)
• Embellishment: Woodgrain Die-cut Flowers (Z6036)
  

I really enjoyed creating with Floral Sentiments. I think this will be a stamp set that I keep on my desk for months to come.

Visit Melinda Everitt's CTMH Artwork Showcase to see what other folks created with items from the new CTMH Core Products Catalog.

#august2022coreideabook

CTMH SOTM August 2022 - Teach Love Inspire

Hello from what feels like one of the hottest places on earth (though I am certain there are hotter, more humid and less desirable places that I could find myself). If it also hot where you are, I hope that you have a great way to keep cool. Today is one of the days I wish I lived near the beach and could get some cool breezes while sitting under a beach umbrella.

While enjoying the cave that my house becomes when it is hot enough that running the air conditioners is the only option, I got an opportunity to create with the August Stamp of the Month Teach Love Inspire.

August 2022 SOTM Teach Love Inspire Artwork Showcase Badge

I thought the Teach Love Inspire stamp set would be fantastic for creating a bookmark, so that is what I came up with. I started by cutting White Daisy cardstock with the inner die from the Slimline Shaker Window Thin Cuts.

bookmark created with Teach Love Inspire (CTMH August 2022 SOTM)
front view

I created a few vignettes on the bookmark front, using masking to group stamped images together. I did not mask the glasses, I just stamped the frame against the cup lid. Since the lens of glasses are clear, you would be able to see the cup though the lens and masking the frame would have gotten tricky due to their size. I colored the stamped images with TriBlend™ Markers.

bookmark created with Teach Love Inspire (CTMH August 2022 SOTM)
back view

Since I used Tri-Blend Markers on the front, the back of the White Daisy cardstock did not remain pretty, so I cut a piece of Capri cardstock (cut from the lighter side) to back the bookmark. Not only did it cover where the markers bled through, but made the bookmark sturdier and provided another canvas to decorate.

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

• My Acrylix™ Stamp Set: Teach Love Inspire—August Stamp of the Month (S2208)
  
• Cardstock: White Daisy (1385), Capri (X6057)
• Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad: Intense Black (Z4189)
  
• Tri-Blend Markers: Ice Grey Blend (Z2474), Fair Skin Blend (Z2476), Citrus Blend (Z2482), Light Yellow Blend (Z2483), Ice Blue Blend (Z2490), True Blue Blend (Z2491), Dark Red Blend (Z2497), Red Brown Blend (Z2513), Alpine Green Blend (Z2521)
  
• Thin Cuts: Slimline Shaker Window (Z4103)
  
• Die-cutting & Embossing Machine (Z5038)
  

In addition to creating something for those in education, I think this stamp set will work beautifully for some quick Thank You cards. A few of the stamps would also work with many of the card blanks in the Craft with Heart™—Cardmaking Subscription (The May through August 2022 kit is still available even though the September through December 2022 subscription is pictured. Plus there several previous Cut Above® Card Kits available via the Buy 2, Get 1 Free! Startup Savings promotion valid through the end of August while supplies last. To make it easier to compare the Startup Savings card kits, I posted images of the completed cards last month.

If you are not previously working with a CTMH Maker, you may purchase the supplies I used at my eCommerce website.

Be sure to visit Melinda Everitt's CTMH Artwork Showcase to see other art work created with Teach Love Inspire.

Enjoy the last few hours of our sizzling hot weekend. The good news is the temps are supposed to be a little lower starting on Tuesday. Hopefully you can be in an air conditioned space doing some crafting. Please wish for rain so we do not have to carry water for my mother's plants.

#ctmhaugust2022stampofthemonth #teachloveinspire #ctmhmakershowcase

New CTMH Colors

As I mentioned before, Close To My Heart had a Virtual Convention in late June 2022. At Virtual Convention the new 2022-2023 Core Products catalog was revealed.

Cover of Core Products 2022-2023 Catalog

In addition to marketing and creative classes, Convention attendees were treated to a catalog walk through with information about how the artwork in the catalog was created. We also got a first look at the colors new to the Exclusive Color Palette.

The new CTMH colors revealed were (Melon is the Color of the Year):

12" × 12" Cardstock	Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad	Exclusive Inks™ Re-inker
Periwinkle Cardstock (X6067)	Periwinkle Stamp Pad (Z6537)	Periwinkle Re-inker (Z7537)
Mist Cardstock (X6069)	Mist Stamp Pad (Z6539)	Mist Re-inker (Z7539)
Seabrook Cardstock (X6068)	Seabrook Stamp Pad (Z6538)	Seabrook Re-inker (Z7538)
Pine Cardstock (X6070)	Pine Stamp Pad (Z6540)	Pine Re-inker (Z7540)
Honey Butter Cardstock (X6066)	Honey Butter Stamp Pad (Z6536)	Honey Butter Re-inker (Z7536)
Melon Cardstock (X6065)	Melon Stamp Pad (Z6535)	Melon Re-inker (Z7535)

You may have noticed that the label on the stamp pad and re-inker are different. I love the new look. This is a rolling change. The rolling change was described to us as when current stock of stamp pads and re-inkers are depleted, the new stock will have the updated label. You could make a purchase from the 2022-2023 Core Products catalog and receive a stamp pad or re-inker with the old label style.

Please visit again in mid-August to see the cards I created that include all of the new colors. I will be sharing the cards in Melinda Everitt's CTMH Artwork Showcase Facebook Group for the Core Catalog New Product Artwork Showcase.

August 2022 CTMH News

Wow! What a month July was. Too many hot days–at least all days did not have high humidity–and too many eventful days. One eventful day was the morning when we were drawing water from the kitchen faucet and we lost water pressure. We thought it was the water pump, but unfortunately the year has been to dry and for the first time in the 51 year history of the well, it could not keep up. Fingers crossed that we start to get regular rain and that the well rebounds quickly. For now we have a water tank hooked up to our pump so we can do the basics. I hope your July was less eventful.

August 2022 Stamp Of The Month Teach Love Inspire

Teach Love Inspire—August Stamp of the Month (S2208)

Teach Love Inspire (S2208) is an exclusive D-Size set of 15 stamps. Teach Love Inspire is available only during the month of August 2022. The stamp set can be free for CTMH VIP Customers who place a qualifying order during August. Those who are not CTMH VIP Customers can place a qualifying order then purchase the stamp set for only $5. Everyone qualifies for additional sets at $5 for each additional $50 spent on the same order. Teach Love Inspire is also available for $18.95 with no other purchase required. The recommended CTMH My Acrylix® Blocks for this stamp set are: 1" × 1" (Y1000), 1" × 1½" (Y1016), 1" × 3½" (Y1002), 1" × 6½" (Y1005), 2" × 2" (Y1003), and 3" × 3" (Y1006).

The CTMH artists created two cards with the SOTM Teach Love Inspire:

cards created with Teach Love Inspire

Visit Melinda Everitt's CTMH Artwork Showcase to see other art work created with Teach Love Inspire.

Fa-BOO-lous!

Fa-BOO-lous! Halloween Special

With Fa-BOO-lous! Close To My Heart is getting you ready to document your Halloween memories. The featured colors are Peach, Melon, Paprika, Seabrook, Linen and Black.

There are several Fa-BOO-lous! items to choose from: a paper packet + sticker sheet, paper packet, coordinating cardstock, Fa-BOO-lous! stamp with or without coordinating Thin Cuts and new Melon Dots from the 2022-2023 Core Catalog. All are pictured in the flyer below. Also available are a Fa-BOO-lous Product Bundle and a Fa-BOO-lous Workshop Kit; both are at a 20% savings off the retail value.

Fa-BOO-lous! flyerpage 1

Fa-BOO-lous! flyerpage 2

Fa-BOO-lous! flyerpage 3

You can also download the flyer here. Fa-BOO-lous! is available until October 31 while supplies last.

Visit the product page to download the Fa-BOO-lous Workshop Guide, Included in the Guide are instructions to cut and assemble a single 12"×12" page, 2 12"×12"layouts and 12 treat pockets.

Startup Special

Continuing through August 31 is Startup Special, a chance to purchase select Cut Above® Kits. Some of the kits have been featured in past Craft with Heart™ kits while others are from past specials.

Startup Special

Cut Above® Kits are a great way to try a new paper craft. With the Cut Above® Scrapbooking Kits you only need adhesives (I like to use a combination of Adhesive Runner (Z3372) and 3-D Foam Tape (Z1151) and/or Thin 3-D Foam Tape (Z2060) or similar adhesives) and a Journaling Pen (a new version is in the new Core Catalog). For the cardmaking kits only need adhesive as the kit comes with a stamping block, mini ink pad and stamp set

A handful of these kits are available at a 20% discount, and all featured kits are part of a special buy two, get one free offer! This flyer shows a variety of the options that are available:

Startup Special flyer - page 1

Startup Special flyer - page 2

Startup Special flyer - page 3

Click on any of the images for a better view, or visit this blog post for more details of the Cut Above® Scrapbooking Kits or this post for more information about the Cut Above® Cardmaking Kits, or download a copy of the flyer here.

Overstock Offer

Also continuing through August 31, while supplies last, is Overstock Offer, an opportunity for VIP Customers and non-VIP Customers to pick up some items that were previously offer only to current VIP Customers.

Overstock Offer

If you have been on the fence about becoming a VIP customer, here is your chance to because you were wondering about the VIP-only products, here is a chance to get the VIP treatment by purchasing any of the VIP-exclusive items and seeing them first hand.

Overstock Offer flyer

Click on the image above for a larger view or download a copy of the flyer here.

If you are a VIP, items from both specials will earn you VIP Credit and the amount paid for items will count toward earning the Stamp of the Month for free. Unfortunately you cannot redeem VIP Credit toward any of the Fa-BOO-lous!, Startup Special or Overstock Offer products.

July–September 2022 Catalog

July–September 2022 Catalog

August 2022 is the second month of the three month July–September 2022 Catalog. This catalog has three new paper collections with coordinating stamps and embellishments.

Core Products 2022-2023 Catalog

Cover of Core Products 2022-2023 Catalog

Today marks the first day of the 2022–2023 Core Products Catalog. There is so much goodness packed between the front and back covers of this catalog that I cannot begin to do the catalog justice with a few sentences. You will just have to take a look at the catalog for yourself.

Because the new colors deserve their own post, yes, I think they are that beautiful, please come back a little later today to see all of the new colors.

I hope you have an awesome August.