Close to my Heart Warehouse Sale - Every Tuesday in August!

I'm always super sad when an idea book retires.  I can no longer get items from the book.  And now that it isn't available, I REALLY want it!  Curses!!

Corporate may be able to help...
"Every Tuesday during the month of August we will unveil a fresh set of retired Close To My Heart products and product bundles at a 50% discount! For this sale only, we’ll also only charge shipping and handling on the price paid instead of on the retail value of the items, the way we normally do. These items will only be available during the week they are launched while supplies last, so you’ll need to act fast!

We don’t want to give too much away, but we can say that the products we will offer are items that have been retired. From paper packets, Complements, stamp pads, stamp sets, and much, much more! Some items will be available individually and others have been grouped into purposeful bundles.

Normal shipping and handling rates, and taxes, will apply, but they will be calculated on the discounted price you pay rather than the customary full retail price of any item."

Other questions and answers:

Is this offer available only while supplies last? Yes, these items are only available while supplies last, so shop early in order to get yours while they are available!

Does the purchase price of these items count toward earning Hostess Rewards and the discounted Stamp of the Month? Yes, these items do count toward earning Hostess Rewards and the discounted Stamp of the Month.

Are these items available for purchase with Hostess Rewards credit? No. These items are not available for purchase with Hostess Rewards credit.

Are these items available for purchase as a Hostess Rewards 50% off item? No. These items are not available for purchase as a Hostess Rewards 50% off item.

Are these items available for purchase with Select Product Credit? No. These items are not available for purchase with Select Product Credit.

If you're a bargain hunter, I can set up a gathering for you.  Then, each week you'll have the opportunity to get the new items each time counting toward your gathering.  At the end of the month, you'll be close to $150 and qualify for hostess rewards.  Don't forget, the NEW Annual Inspirations will be orderable in August!!

Of course I'd be happy to come to your house and share with you products Close to my Heart offers. Or how about a Facebook gathering?  Let me know how I can help you reach your goals!

Picture My Life Video

Monica takes you through some stand alone sets we used to sell.  Now, though, every paper packet comes with two sheets of cut apart images.  Just like the cards she shows, each side has the same imagery but in both orientations.



What is still purchasable (is that a word?!), are the overlays.  We have three to choose from (until July 31, 2017 or while supplies last).  We also have more generic stand alone cards.

• White Frames (Z3283).  These you place over your pictures to border them or add is little sentiment with the picture.
• Retiring: Picture my Life Overlays - White (Z3193)
• Retiring: Picture my Life Overlays - Gold & Silver (Z3144)

Stand alone cards are as follows:

• Tabbed Journaling Cards (Z3278) are fun for journaling - lines to write straight! - and slide them into the pocket protector (or add on a page directly).
• Watercolor Cards - both white/clear (Z3221) and gold (Z3217) are waiting for you to add color with watercolor paints.

How about miniaturizing your book?! Additional retiring items (July 31, 2017) are mini memories - Instalife 4" x 4" books - Blue Jean (Z3282) and Blush (with dots on them- Z3270).  These have their own overlays - Gold (Z3279) and Black (Z3284). They get their own memory protectors (4" x 4" Z3116) and printed cards - Hello Gorgeous (Z3275) and Enjoy (Z3291).

Take inspiration from the video and move your scrapping along with the cut apart cards found in the Seasonal Expression books!

All is Bright and December Word Puzzle

Here's another two samples (because I'm running out of days to show you).  One uses the Quick Cards - All is Bright with December Word Puzzle, and the other just December Word Puzzle.

Here, Sapphire is the base of the left side of this Originals - On the Left (page 21).  The All is Bright is again stamped in Sapphire ink on White Daisy cardstock.  The stamped image is then adhered to Pansy cardstock.

Sapphire ink was used with the December Word Puzzle on Willow cardstock.  I know, it's odd to have the green with the purple and blue - those are tertiary colors.

Not that fast!  Before you adhere any cardstock, you're going to take your sanding kit and sand the paper to reveal the white core.  Don't worry about the stamped words, you can sand them too.  By doing so, you bring in some white to soften the intensity of color (especially the Willow paper) and marry the white from the cardstock.

Gold Foil Tape separates the Sapphire and Willow papers.  And if you can see them, there are 3 Dream Big Glitter Gems on top of the Foil Tape.


This second card also comes from Originals (retiring at the end of the month).  Buckle (page 82), I think, was the perfect choice for this card.

The colors are Poppy, Ruby, Fern, Canary, and New England Ivy.

Before I continue, I'd like to point out what NOT to do.  And that is not pay attention to your drawn lines.  I'm sure you see my line to the left of "Holidays" is slanted.  Well,that's because I didn't pay enough attention.  Had I paid attention, the line would be straight and higher in the corner.

Now that that rant is over, on with how the card was made.  : )

Enchantment Fundamentals - New England Ivy is the background paper for this card.  The trees were stamped with Fern (the outside two) and New England Ivy.  The stars were stamped with Canary (there are three stars).  Then the stars were stamped on scratch paper and then colored in with Pastel Green.  Two were cut out and then glued onto the focal.  The trees were 3D Foam Tape raised on Ruby cardstock.  The two buckle parts are Poppy cardstock.  I distressed them with the direct to paper technique - love that look.

"Happy" is stamped in Ruby and "Holidays" in New England Ivy.  As I mentioned earlier, I drew a line with the Journaling Pen around the base of the card as well as the focal trees. The card was finished off with the Green Triangular Gems (I thought they looked like trees).

So there you have it... Two stamp sets that aren't in the idea books that are eligible for Stampganza event - buy 2, get 1 free!

Items Used:
Let it Snow

Item Number	Description
A1148	Quick Cards - All is Bright (Stampganza special)
D1313	December Word Puzzle (Stampganza special)
X575	Sapphire Cardstock
x5782	Pansy Cardstock
X5784	Willow Cardstock
1388	White Daisy Cardstock
Z2848	Sapphire Ink
Z3129	Foil Tape - Gold
Z3321	Litter Dreamer Glitter Gems (retiring 8/31?17
Z1294	Sanding Kit (retiring 7/31/17)
Z1151	3D Foam
9036	Originals (retiring 7/31/17)

Happy Holidays

Item Number	Description
D1313	December Word Puzzle (Stampganza special)
1388	White Daisy Cardstock
X5927	Ruby Cardstock
X5779	Poppy Cardstock
Z3254	Enchantment Fundamentals (patterns retiring 7/31/17)
Z2870	Ruby Ink
Z2835	New England Ivy Ink
Z2850	Fern Ink
Z2843	Canary Ink
Z2852	Poppy Ink
Z2459	Pastel Green Shin Han Marker
Z3223	Enamel and Glitter Duos - Green Triangles (retiring 7/31/17)
Z1979	Journaling Pen
Z2060	Thin 3D Foam Tape
9036	Originals (retiring 7/31/17)

Annual Inspirations 2016-2017 Setting to Retire

As sad, and hard, as it is to say good-bye to an old friend, July 31, 2017 marks the end of our 2016-2017 Annual Inspirations.

The Fundamental papers will be changing, so if you like the patterns of what we have, order now!

The majority of stamp sets are retiring.  Stock up with our Buy 2 get 1 free promotion (through the end of the month too).  Corporate brought back some oldies but goodies for the month.

All Base and Bling items will be going.

Our Color of the Year - SEA GLASS - will be making room for a new color.  Don't forget to stock up on this gorgeous color!

Our Basic Color Palette is being retired too!  Black will be moving to be with White Daisy as a staple color, making room for a new palette of grays and browns.

Colonial White is going off into the sunset too.  That includes cardstock, ink, reinker, and the 50 value cards and envelopes.

Our How to Books - Reflections, Imagine, Cherish, and Originals - are going.

Go to the Going Soon! part of my website right now to see what's being retired.  Just don't wait to long or you might be out of luck!  And get that order in before 11:59pm Mountain Time (that's 10:59pm Pacific).

Stampaganza Stamp - All is Bright - Sample

I thought I'd share with you a stamp that is part of the Stampaganza campaign that you won't find in the idea books.  : )

Let me introduce you to Quick Cards - All is Bright.

I made this monochromatic card using the colors Sapphire, Pacifica, Crystal Blue, and Glacier.  I'm really pleased with how it turned out!

I modified the Make it from your Heart Volume 2 pattern #24 to make it.  According to the pattern the papers are 1/4" narrower and then butted next to each other to leave an 1/8" border around everything.  Instead, I cut the papers 4 1/4" wide to span the width of the card.  I had intended for no white to show, but had forgotten to take the height into account when I cut the pieces.  Instead, I made lemonade!

The B&T paper is from the Adventure Fundamental pack - Pacifica - specifically. ;)

All is Bright is one stamp set, so easy peasy!  That's where I started...by stamping in Sapphire ink on White Daisy cardstock (3" x 3" - unlike the pattern dimension).  From there I picked the other colors. The stamped image is mounted on Crystal Blue (1/4" larger than the White Daisy)(because I liked the look better than when the Glacier was placed on top of Crystal Blue).  That is 3D foam mounted to be raised.

To the Glacier cardstock, I used the direct to paper technique.  The look is accomplished by opening your ink pad, and lightly rubbing it (in a circular pattern) over the cardstock.  It gives the cardstock some movement and life (definitely one of my favorite techniques!).

Lastly, I cut and glued on the Sapphire Twine from the Adventure Ribbon Pack.  Those are two pieces.  One for the straight, and another for the bow.  I used Liquid Glass to glue the pieces.  Those were in position before I mounted the stamped image.

Oh, and the last thing I did, was add some Shimmer using the Clear Shimmer Brush.  I added it to the snowflakes, every other tree, and below the "Merry and Bright all night" saying (you can sort of see that in the picture).

Items used (all CTMH):

Item #	Description
A1148	Quick Cards - All is Bright
Z2848	Sapphire Ink
Z2841	Glacier Ink
1388	White Daisy Cardstock
X5770	Glacier Cardstock
1292	Crystal Blue Cardstock
Z3253	Adventure Fundamental Pack - Pacifica
Z3286	Adventure Ribbon Pack
Z3293	Shimmer Brush - Clear
Z1151	3D Foam Tape
Z679	Liquid Glass
9042	Make it from your Heart Volume 2

Sign In Guest Book Album

I saw Karen Pederson at convention last month.  I wanted to, and did, thank her and curse her for the video she put together about the sign in guest book.  I loved the idea as soon as I saw it.  I sent it to my niece, who also loved it!  Since I had made my niece her wedding invitations as her gift (100 invitations made!), I needed to find a sponsor to make the album.  My younger sister jumped at the chance!  Yeah, Lora!!

This is the front page.  It will hold a 5" x 7" picture.  My niece wanted Sea Glass.  I added the grays, browns, and blacks.  When I learned that her flowers were going to have coral in them, I turned to the Hello Lovely (retired) paper and fussy cut the flowers for each of the layouts.

This back page also holds a 5" x 7" picture.  The saying is from a retired stamp.  I thought it appropriate for the last page of a wedding.  The front and back photos are double matted.  A very small frame of Sea Glass is between the black and white.







The following are the two page layouts.  There is a lot of white space for people to write things.  Some of the papers were Rustic Home Fundamentals, Sea Glass cardstock and glitter paper, Some KindaWonderful B&T, Desert Sand cardstock, Whisper cardstock, Black cardstock, Live Beautifully B&T paper, Rustic Home Ribbon, and Washi tape.

Each page is double matted.  The base page is 12" x 12" of Black cardstock.  The next layer is 11 1/2" x 11 1/2" of Slate cardstock (the groom was going to wear a gray suit).  Then the 11" x 11" White Daisy cardstock.

pages 2 and 3

pages 4 and 5

pages 6 and 7

pages 8 and 9

pages 10 and 11

pages 12 and 13

pages 14 and 15

Some techniques I used:

• embossing (front and back cover)
• embossing and then sanding (pages 3 and 4)
• direct to paper inking (pages 2 and 3)

The strips of paper I used varied from 1/4" (going with the central background strip) to 3 1/2" (central background strip).  The banners ranged from 1/2" (washi tape and ribbon as well as paper) to 2 1/2".  Most were 1 1/4" to 1 3/4" I believe.  Each was bannered about 1/2" upward.

Since pictures were not going in beforehand (my niece wants to put wedding picture in), I varied the orientation.  I stamped "place photo here" so people wouldn't sign there.  The single Black mat was cut at 4" x 6" and the white area is 3 1/2" x 5 1/2".  The 4" x 6" pictures will need to be trimmed down.

I raised the flowers with Thin 3D Foam so that pictures could be placed beneath them.

So, THANK YOU, Karen Pederson (her original post on her blog), for sharing this with us!  I'm so grateful because I've started a new tradition in my neck of the woods.  And curse you, for sharing the idea with us, because now I'll be making more.  : )  Of course seeing the expression of the bride and groom, and hearing the oohs and aahs of guests, the effort was well worth it!

July is Stampaganza at Close to my Heart

It's time to stock up on your stamp sets at a discount!

It's also a great month to be a hostess!  Host a gathering in July that reaches the fourth level of Hostess Rewards or higher (submitting your party order no later than August 7, 2017), and receive the Word Puzzle Bundle (CC1300) FREE! The Word Puzzle Bundle is a set of 12 classic D-size stamp sets and is valued at $215.40!

Are there any My Acrylix® stamps that will not be eligible for this promotion? Yes. Stamp sets not available for retail purchase (such as stamp sets included in Cricut® collections), Operation Smile™ stamp sets, and Stamp of the Month stamp sets (both discounted and full-priced) will not be eligible for this promotion (either as the qualifying full-priced stamp set or as the free stamp set).

How many free stamp sets can I qualify for in a single order? Everyone can purchase as many stamp sets as you wish during this campaign. For every two sets purchased at full retail price, you will qualify to receive a third stamp set of equal or lesser value for free. (Free stamp sets will always be the lowest-priced stamp sets in an order.)

Is now a good time to become a consultant? Become a Close To My Heart Consultant in July and submit $300 in commissionable sales by August 31, 2017 and earn the Word Puzzle Bundle FREE!

Check out my website for more details and to order your stamps.  : )