Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Stamptacular Sale!

After a 2 hour 30 minute meeting tonight I had to stay up a little later than normal to share the Stamptacular Sale! details I found today. The Stamptacular Sale! runs through March 31 (while supplies last).

Stamptacular Sale!
Stamptacular Sale!
There are five exclusive stamp sets available during the sale. You can also choose a bundle of the exclusive stamp sets.
Stamptacular Sale! Exclusive Stamps.
Stamptacular Sale! Exclusive Stamps.
If you would like a PDF of the Exclusive Stamps Flyer, you can download it here.

The flyer images below, or you can download a PDF of the file, show all of the stamp sets or stamps + Thin Cuts available, while supplies last, during the Stamptacular Sale!
   
Stamptacular Sale! flyer page 1
Stamptacular Sale! flyer page 1
Stamptacular Sale! flyer page 2
Stamptacular Sale! flyer page 2
Stamptacular Sale! flyer page 3
Stamptacular Sale! flyer page 3
Stamptacular Sale! flyer page 4
Stamptacular Sale! flyer page 4
Stamptacular Sale! flyer page 3
Stamptacular Sale! flyer page 5
Stamptacular Sale! flyer page 4
Stamptacular Sale! flyer page 6
Stamptacular Sale! flyer page 3
Stamptacular Sale! flyer page 7
Stamptacular Sale! flyer page 4
Stamptacular Sale! flyer page 8
Stamptacular Sale! flyer page 5
Stamptacular Sale! flyer page 9
intentionally blank

Wow! So much stamping goodness on this page. I would like one of each please. :-)

I do not know if this helps you, but this is what I do when the Stamptacular Sale! comes around. I print the flyer, put a bold red X through all of the products I have. Then I go back with a black pen and put a squiggle through the stamps that are not my style or I do not picture myself using. Then I go back with highlighters in three or so different colors. I use one color for sets I want the most, other for sets "it would be nice to have" or "I would be thrilled if someone gave that to me" and another color for an in-between desire to purchase. This helps me to avoid making a duplicate purchase and helps me stay within a budget (do you dislike that word as much as I do?).

Keep your fingers crossed for me that I do not fall asleep at my computer tomorrow and that I can get caught up with sending out my mail (thank goodness bill paying is all online). I owe a few packages to a couple of people and they are probably thinking I forgot about them. I promise I have not forgotten anyone; there just are not enough hours in the day.

Thank you for stopping by today.

March 2023 CTMH News

Happy March 1st! Can you believe that we have closed the door on two months of 2023 already? Soon it will be time to start seeds to have something to plant after the last frost. Am I the only one who feels like the clock is speeding up?

March 2023 Stamp Of The Month Precious Moments

Precious Moments—March Stamp of the Month (S2303)
Precious Moments—March Stamp of the Month (S2303)

If you need an alternative spelling of the word "favorite", "favourite", S2003E of Precious Moments is available:
Precious Moments—March Stamp of the Month (S2303E)
Precious Moments—March Stamp of the Month (S2303E)
Precious Moments (S2303) is an exclusive D-Size set of 12 stamps. Precious Moments is available only during the month of March 2023. The stamp set can be free for CTMH VIP Customers who place a qualifying order during March 2023. Those who are not CTMH VIP Customers can place a qualifying order and purchase the stamp set on the same order for only $5. Everyone qualifies for additional sets at $5 for each additional $50 spent on the same order. The January 2023 SOTM is also available for $19.95 with no other purchase required. The recommended CTMH My Acrylix® Blocks for this stamp set are: 1" × 1½" (Y1016), 1" × 3½" (Y1002), 2" × 2" (Y1003), 3" × 3" (Y1006).

The CTMH Art Department created two cards using Precious Moments:
card created with Precious Moments—March Stamp of the Month
card created with Precious Moments—March Stamp of the Month

card created with Precious Moments—March Stamp of the Month
card created with Precious Moments—March Stamp of the Month

Stamptacular Is Back!

Stamptacular Is Back!
Stamptacular Is Back!

Unfortunately I do not have a pretty graphic or flyer to share with you yet, but in the last email update CTMH sent to Makers we were told that Stamptacular Is Back! We have been told to be ready for amazing deals on hundreds of stamps and Thin Cuts with the Stamptacular special. During this month-long special, stamp sets and stamp + Thin Cuts sets will be available at discounts up to 60% off! There will be five exclusive stamp sets that will only be available during this sale! Stamptacular deals will be available March 1–31, while supplies last. I will share the flyer as soon as I am able.

Daisy, Daisy

Daisy, Daisy
Daisy, Daisy

Daisy, Daisy (still one of my top three favorite CTMH specials) continues though March 31 while supplies last. There is a Daisy, Daisy Workshop Kit that you can use to create one 12" × 12" single page, three 12" × 12" two-page layouts, and three unique standard size cards. Or purchase the product bundle to create something unique to you. Unfortunately the papers are sold out (again) and I missed out on getting a second paper packet [insert really sad face here]. I have not hear anything about the paper packets being restocked again. I hope they are, but who knows?

Details are in the three pages of this flyer (click on any image to get a better look):

Daisy, Daisy flyer page 1
Daisy, Daisy flyer page 1
Daisy, Daisy flyer page 2
Daisy, Daisy flyer page 2
Daisy, Daisy flyer page 3
Daisy, Daisy flyer page 3

A PDF of the flyer can be found here. Daisy, Daisy is available until March 31 2023 while supplies last.

January–March 2023 Catalog

cover of January–March 2023 Catalog
cover of January–March 2023 Catalog

At the end of March we will close the cover on the January–March 2023 Catalog for good. At least one item sold out (Love Mail Stamp + Thin Cuts Z4693) and, if the Stamps + Thin Cuts in this catalog are included in Stamptacular, I suspect we will see several more items sell out in the first few days of March. If you have something on your wish list, I suggest ordering sooner rather than later. You will find the January–March 2023 Catalog here.

I hope you had a good February and that your March is even better. I have my fingers crossed that all of us will find some extra creative time this month.

Thursday, February 23, 2023

It's the Little Things Ends February 28

The It's the Little Things special ends on February 28.

It's the Little Things
It's the Little Things
It's the Little Things features a collection of exclusive 6" x 6" papers, plus stickers, embellishments, stamp sets. There are three fun workshop projects, scrapbooking, cardmaking and a mini album, and it all comes to an end on February 28! The exclusive items featured in this special are all available while supplies last. Fortunately as I write this all items are still available, so, if this bright and fun collection caught your eye, be sure to place your order before the items are gone for good!

If you would like to see the cards and pages the workshops create, visit the It's the Little Things page on my eCommerce site and either view the Workshop Guides or visit each of the workshop pages, Cardmaking Workshop Kit, Scrapbooking Workshop Kit or Mini Album Workshop Kit, and click through the images there.

The three workshops were featured in Facebook Live events held on the Close To My Heart Facebook page last week. Somehow I missed the announcement before the events took place, but fortunately the recordings can still be viewed on the CTMH Facebook page. Watching the videos gives you a chance to create the projects along with the CTMH Home Office presenters and learn their tips and tricks. Here are links to the It's the Little Things events:

I tested the links in a Chrome window as a guest (go to the upper right where your picture (or initial) are, left click, and then left click on guest near the bottom) and I was able to scroll through the videos without having a Facebook account.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, February 16, 2023

Presidents Day Flash Sale

Presidents Day Flash Sale

I was about to shut down my computer and do some crafting this evening when I said to myself I'd better check the CTMH weekly update. Imagine my surprise when I learned there will be a Presidents Day Flash Sale.

Presidents Day Flash Sale
Presidents Day Flash Sale
The Presidents Day Flash Sale begins at 5:00pm EST (3:00pm MST) on Friday, February 17. Deals, while supplies available, will be available through 1:59am EST on Tuesday, February 21 (that is 11:59pm MST on Monday, February 20)

There will be exclusive items and discounts up to 50% on a wide selection of current and retired products during the sale.

Please keep in mind that details that applied to previous flash sales that also apply to the Presidents Day Flash Sale:

  • Sale prices are only available on orders placed on my Maker website.
  • All discounted items count toward earning VIP Credit.
  • All discounted items count towards Stamp of the Month qualification.
  • Sale prices do not apply to VIP Credit purchases; that is, if you choose to redeem VIP Credit on sale items, you will be charged the full retail value for those items (so my suggestion is to save your VIP credits for a future order).
  • Shipping and handling is based on the full retail value of the sale items.
  • To see the items featured in the sale, visit the Flash Sale page on my Maker website during the sale.
  • All offers are only available while supplies last, so be sure to get them in before the sale ends!
  • I believe only a limited number of current products were set aside for the sale. Once CTMH sells through the allotted supply, I think those items will no longer be available. I also believe any current items that sell out during the sale will return to availability at their normal price when the sale has ended.

Subscribers to the Close To My Heart newsletter or Close To My Heart VIP newsletter will receive an email at the beginning of the sale to let them know when it has started.

Please shop early for the best selection.

Holiday Closure

The Close To My Heart Corporate Offices will be closed on Monday, February 20 observance of the US Presidents Day holiday. While the website will be open to download instructions and for placing orders, no orders will ship and customer service will be closed.

Systems Maintenance

On Wednesday, February 22 CTMH will be conducting systems maintenance from 8:00pm MST to midnight MST (that is 10:00pm EST February 22 to 2:00am EST February 23). During this maintenance window, ordering on my Maker website and downloading Workshop Guides may be unavailable. In addition, some of the images on this blog may not load.

I hope you will get an opportunity do some paper crafting this long (for some) weekend. Enjoy your weekend.

Monday, February 6, 2023

Year of the Rabbit

It is the Year of the Rabbit. And this rabbit is adorable.

Year of the Rabbit
Year of the Rabbit
The Year of the Rabbit stamp set was designed to celebrate the Chinese Zodiac calendar and is the second in Chinese Zodiac calendar series, following the 2022 Year of the Tiger.

Year of the Tiger
Year of the Tiger
The Year of the Rabbit will be available on my Maker website indefinitely (and The Year of the Tiger is still available). Because it is manufactured in-house (in Utah), this stamp is not subject to the supply chain issues that we have become familiar with during the pandemic. 

Year of the Tiger flyer
Year of the Tiger flyer
You can download The Year of the Flyer here.

Year of the Rabbit Stamp Set (A1298)
Year of the Rabbit Stamp Set (A1298)
Year of the Tiger Stamp Set (A1263)
Year of the Tiger Stamp Set (A1263)

Have a great first week of February 2023. 

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

February 2023 CTMH News

Happy February. Just in time for the groundhog to pop out and predict the weather, we are facing some of the coldest weather of the winter. Yikes! I am happy that I have the opportunity to work from home during the chill and will not have to walk from the parking lot to the building and back. In my option, the best place to be when the weather is not nice is inside playing with my crafty supplies. I hope you enjoy that too.

February 2023 Stamp Of The Month Springtime Borders

Springtime Borders—February Stamp of the Month (S2302)
Springtime Borders—February Stamp of the Month (S2302)

Springtime Borders (S2302) is an exclusive D-Size set of 7 stamps. Springtime Borders is available only during the month of February 2023. The stamp set can be free for CTMH VIP Customers who place a qualifying order during February 2023. Those who are not CTMH VIP Customers can place a qualifying order and purchase the stamp set on the same order for only $5. Everyone qualifies for additional sets at $5 for each additional $50 spent on the same order. The February 2023 SOTM is also available for $19.95 with no other purchase required. The recommended CTMH My Acrylix® Block for this stamp set is: 1" × 6½" (Y1005).

The CTMH Art Department created two cards using Springtime Borders:

cards created with Springtime Borders—February Stamp of the Month (S2302)
cards created with Springtime Borders—February Stamp of the Month (S2302)

Daisy, Daisy

Daisy, Daisy
Daisy, Daisy
This has to be one of my favorite specials since I became a CTMH Maker. Daisy, Daisy has gorgeous papers, a beautiful stamp set and a wonderful Thin Cut (the Thin Cuts were so popular during the three of so days of the Maker preview that they are not available to purchase on their own until the next shipment of Thin Cuts arrives later in February).

Details are in the three pages of this flyer (click on any image to get a better look):

Daisy, Daisy flyer page 1
Daisy, Daisy flyer page 1
Daisy, Daisy flyer page 2
Daisy, Daisy flyer page 2
Daisy, Daisy flyer page 3
Daisy, Daisy flyer page 3

A PDF of the flyer can be found here. Daisy, Daisy is available until March 31 2023 while supplies last.

It's the Little Things

It's the Little Things
It's the Little Things
It's the Little Things special continues to be available in February while supplies last. It's the Little Things includes your choice of three workshop kits: scrapbooking, cardmaking and a mini album or purchase a bundle of all three workshops. There are exclusive, workshop-specific stamp sets, scrapbooking and cardmaking stickers, die-cuts, embellishments and a 6" x 6" mix-in style paper packet. The flyer describes all of the options (click on any image for a larger view):

It's the Little Things flyer page 1
It's the Little Things flyer page 1
It's the Little Things flyer page 2
It's the Little Things flyer page 2
It's the Little Things flyer page 3
It's the Little Things flyer page 3
It's the Little Things flyer page 4
It's the Little Things flyer page 4
It's the Little Things flyer page 5
It's the Little Things flyer page 5
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You can also download a PDF of the flyer here. It’s the Little Things will be available from January 1 through February 28 while supplies last.

Now & Forever

Now & Forever
Now & Forever
Now & Forever is also available in February while supplies last. While I think this is a very elegant collection, I paired a stamp or two with the January SOTM to create Valentine's cards (go back to the next two posts on my blog to see the cards). Several items are available individually and there is a Scrapbooking Workshop Kit and Cardmaking Workshop Kit.

Now & Forever Flyer - page 1
Now & Forever Flyer - page 2
Now & Forever Flyer - page 3
Now & Forever Flyer - page 4

If you would like a PDF of the Now & Forever Flyer, you will find it here. Now & Forever is available until February 28 while supplies last.

January–March 2023 Catalog

cover of January–March 2023 Catalog
cover of January–March 2023 Catalog
February marks the second month of the January–March 2023 Catalog and all of the goodness you will find inside including three new collections: Are We There Yet?, Storybook, and Life's A Hoot. There is also a Mix-In Paper Packet that coordinates with the other papers and many new stamps and stamps + Thin Cuts. You will find the catalog here.

Stay warm during the cold snap this weekend. Hopefully this will be the worst of our cold winter temps. Try to get in some crafty time while you are keeping warm with your favorite hot beverage. Have a nice Valentine's Day and rest of February.

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Frosty Days Cards

When I sent out to make Valentine's Day cards this year, I also worked on using any and all items in my craft stash. I looked at a stamp and just let my mind wander with ideas.

card created with S2301 Frosty Days
card created with S2301 Frosty Days
On the card above I used a few colors of Cosmic Shimmer Jamie Rodgers Pixie Sparkles to create the background. You cannot tell from the photo, but I stamped hearts from Frosty Days on the letters cut from Raspberry cardstock with the retired Block Alphabet Thin Cuts.

card created with S2301 Frosty Days
card created with S2301 Frosty Days

card created with S2301 Frosty Days
card created with S2301 Frosty Days
Lunch is over and I'm out of time to write more about how the cards were created. I will try to fill in more later. If you have questions, please contact me via the contact form to the right.

Have a great day!


Monday, January 30, 2023

Where Did January Go?

I am writing this the evening of January 30 and I am wondering where the past month went. If time flies this fast before retirement, what will time be like when I am able to retire?!

Before January ends and Frosty Days, the January 2023 Close To My Heart Stamp Of the Month, is no longer available, I wanted to share one of the four cards I created with this set.

card created with S2301 Frosty Days
card created with S2301 Frosty Days

As you can see, I used Frosty Days to create Valentine's cards for my great nieces and great nephew. The birds, squirrel and tree were stamped on White Daisy cardstock with the Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad (Z4189) then colored with Watercolor Pencils (Z3630) and fussy cut. I cut a piece of scrap cardstock using the Hearts Slimline Thin Cuts (Z3992) and used it as a stencil on the White Daisy cardstock (1385) background. I used the retired Tattered Rose Distress Oxide™ Ink Pad with the Mini Ink Blending Tool (Z3886) to ink. I used some glitter glue from my stash (I am trying to stash bust) on some of the hearts that were "left over" from the Hearts Slimline, but you could use the Stickles™ Glitter Glue colors of your choice. I used the Mini Envelope Thin Cuts (Z3767) to cut a piece of Flamingo Cardstock (X6050). I attached the envelope so it looked like the bird was shaking hearts out of the envelope. I used a mix of Dual-tip Multi-bond Glue Pen (Z3441) and Thin 3-D Foam Tape (Z2060) to attach the hearts. The sentiment is from the Now & Forever Stamp Set (CC12224) and was stamped in Sangria or Scarlet; I am sorry, but I don't remember.

If I get a chance during my lunch break tomorrow, I will share the three other cards I created with this set.

In addition Frosty Days, Workshop Wow: Four Seasons is also ending tomorrow.

Workshop Wow: Four Seasons
Workshop Wow: Four Seasons
Workshop Wow: Four Seasons was so popular that there are only a few options remaining, but whatever is left when the calendar flips to February 1, 2023 in Utah (MST) - where CTMH is headquartered - will no longer be available.

I hope you like my card. I'd be interested to hear what you think of it.

Enjoy this last day of January 2023