August Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - Wicked (S1108)

WELCOME to our August Stamp of the Month blog hop featuring this month's new SOTM - "Wicked" S1108! If you've just joined me from Carla's blog, then you are on the right path!

 The new 2011 Autumn/Winter Idea Book is amazing and one of the new changes - the Stamp of the Month program. Now, with a $50 purchase, the Stamp of the Month is yours for $5 -- that is it. Simple to remember and keeping in the faster, simpler, easier, Close To My Heart way.


And in celebration of the all the new changes in the 2011 Autumn/Winter Idea Book, you will receive a cute 'A Typeface' alphabet stamp when you purchase the September Stamp of the Month - two for the price of one. This special is good from August 1st to August 31st, 2011.

Looking for more ideas for projects with the Stamp of the Month? Starting August 1st, you will find online information for the projects shown in the little idea insert in each Stamp of the Month -- I told you this new Idea Book is AMAZING.


The technique I will be focusing on for the month of August is masking. Did you know how many ways there are to mask? I did not until I began to research. My Weekend Artist (Friday posts) and my Simply Shirley (Monday posts) will focus on this technique as will our Team swap.

Okay, let us get our supplies together - Goldrush and Black cardstock, Goldrush ink and Black Archival (I wanted a dark black), bone folder, post-it notes, blocks, adhesive, 3-D foam, and Wishes how to book.


We will start by making a mask, this is done by stamping on the post-it note as close to the sticky edge of the post it note.

Cut the image out, I like to leave a little edge when working with an intricate design to be sure the stamped image is totally covered when masked.

Stamp the image on the project and cover with the mask. Once the image is covered, you are ready to stamp with the next image. 


I used the honeycomb image. This stamp image is great to create a background as you can stamp the first time and then fit it together to look like you used a larger background stamp. 


You are ready to assemble your card!

I hope you've enjoyed seeing my artwork! Now you can continue on with the rest of this blog hop and see more creative ways to use this "Wicked" stamp set by visiting Wendy's blog next! Enjoy!!

WAIT -- Please take a moment to let me know what you think of my creation. THANK YOU.

Weekend Artist - A Time for Everything

I have been wanting to try a sketch challenge - today is the day. Mojo Monday hosts a weekly card sketch challenge. Here is my card for the MOJO201 sketch challenge.

This card is also part of our Close To My Heart technique card swap. If you look closer, you will see that there are circles dry embossed into the white daisy card stock.

How did I create these circles - no machinery was used. Chipboard circles and a stylus was all it took.

Let us get our tools, Sophia Level 2 paper packet stripe pattern scraps, Pear, Tulip, White Daisy cardstock, stylus tool, a new stamp set from the 2011 Autumn/Winter Idea Book, Pear and Tulip ink pads, Dimensional Elements (chipboard) circles, 3-D foam tape, Tombow adhesive, Pear ribbon.

Cut a 6" x 12" piece of Tulip cardstock and fold in half for the card base, cut 3 1/2" x 5 1/2" White Daisy cardstock and a 2" x 5 1/2" stripe pattern.


Now to make the embossed piece. You may not have an embossing machine and still want an embossed look, this is one of the ways to still get the embossed look.

First place your chipboard shape under your project piece, in this case, the 3 1/2" x 5 1/2" White Daisy piece.

I like to rub the area around the chipboard under the White Daisy cardstock so you are able to see where the shape is located. This helps when you are tracing with the stylus. Once you are able to see the edges of your shape, use your stylus and carefully trace the shape.

Use several different shapes to add texture.

Dry Embossing Technique Card Swap

Each month several of my team members join me in a technique blog hop. This month the technique was dry embossing.  Here are all the beautiful cards

Enjoy

Sharing a Cricut Tip

Have you heard, Close To My Heart has partnered with Cricut and we now have a Close To My Heart cartridge!!  Woohoo!! Today, Michelle Nist, a fellow CTMH consultant, shared this awesome video with me and I wanted to share it will all of you.

How to prepare your Cricut mat before you first use it. Have you had a new mat seem to lose it's sticky in no time, well, Cricut Dan will show you how to prepare your mat.





I am learning new things every day about the Cricut. Hope you find this little tip helpful, too!

Another Sneak Peek - Adding Cricut Flair to a WOTG

I love the Close To My Heart Workshops on the Go and they are new and improved. Our new Level 2 paper packets, added neutral cardstock, at least two full embellishment products, an Exclusive My Acrylix 'C' size stamp set and you have enough product to complete two 2 page layouts and a bonus project.



Did you love that sneak peek of the Dreamin' paper! One of my favorites, for sure!

Are you getting excited for the new Idea Book release. Check out my calendar for open house details. Already have a consultant, check out their calendar for their open house details. If you don't have a consultant and are unable to join me at my open house, let me know and I will be sure you get your own 2011 Autumn/Winter Idea Book.

Get Creative Today!

Why I LOVE Convention

The friends, the fun, the inspiration, so many reasons to love to go to convention. I am sharing a little video from Close To My Heart and tells the story of why I love going to convention.



Would you like to join us next year in Dallas? The new consultant kit is all you need to get started and at $99 (retail $300+), the price is right! Ready to come to convention, join my team!! Click here!

New Consultant Kit contents:

New Consultant Kit contents:

• Read Me First Letter
• Autumn/Winter 2011 Idea Books (qty. 10)
• Spring/Summer 2011 Idea Books (qty. 5, while supplies last)
• "You Are Welcome Here" Recruiting Brochures (W1151, qty. 25)
• "The Rewards Come Now" Hostess Brochures (W1150, qty. 25)
• Studio J® Brochures (W111, qty. 5)
• Hostess Order Forms (W122, qty. 25)
• Customer Order Forms (W101, qty. 25)
• Studio J® Customer Order Forms (W1102, qty. 25)
• Studio J® Membership Cards (W1103, qty. 5)
• Studio J® 5-Pack Cards (W1104, qty. 5)
• Close To My Heart Color Wheel (W470)
• Autumn/Winter 2011 B&T Duos® Sampler (W1109, 48 – 6" Square Samples)
• Cello Bags (W1152, qty. 25)
• My Acrylix® Lovable Petite Perks Stamp Set (W2021)
• My Acrylix® Wonderful You Incentive Stamp Set (W332)
• Double Scrubber (Z1163)
• My Acrylix® Spritz Cleaner (1778)
• Bonding Memories® Glue (1512)
• Sponge (Z697)
• Liquid Glass (Z679)
• Micro-Tip Scissors (Z534)
• Black My Legacy® Faux Leather Album (Z1345)
• My Creations® Memory Game (Z1614)
• Workshops on the Go™ Typeset Kit (G1024)
• Typeset Complements Canvas Shapes (X7139C)
• Milepost Shapes (Z1464)
• Juniper Exclusive Inks® Pad (Z2165)
• Bamboo Exclusive Inks® Pad (Z2103)
• Crème Brulee Exclusive Inks® Pad (Z2167)
• My Acrylix® Trinity Alphabet Stamp Set (E1021)
• My Acrylix® Vintage Type Stamp Set (D1481)
• 2" x 3 1/2" My Acrylix® Block (Y1009)
• 3" x 3" My Acrylix® Block (Y1006)

One more week for Bang for Your Buck

There’s still time to get stuff for a buck! It’s so easy: spend $50 or more (before shipping and handling and tax) on my website, and choose a bonus item for $1. There are five product collections to choose from, each valued at $8.95 retail.


Want to save even more money? Stock up on your favorite solid color cardstock packs and combo packs by July 31 to take advantage of the current prices. You’ll save $5 per pack by ordering now, prices will be increasing August 1st.

There will also be several My Reflections paper packs retiring so this will be your last chance to get them. Click on the names to view and shop.

Magnifique

Mistletoe

Miracle

Olivia

Sweetheart

Hooligans

Bliss

Wings

Sneak Peek Continues Convention Style

Let our journey to the unveiling of the new 2011 Autumn/Winter Idea Book start with our new mission statement. I am the papercrafty type, I love inky, papery, stampy, blingy, I could go on and on and on.  Close To My Hearts updated mission statement -

We show you how to celebrate relationships through discovering your creativity, to preserve and share the moments that matter most.

- shares my innermost desire, unleash your creativity. We are all creative in our own way and Close To My Heart has something for everyone! Let me be your guide to unleashing your creativity.

Our Convention is the most fun ever so let us begin at the beginning.

And now I will share some moments that matter most to me - starting with flying to California for our 2011 Convention at Disneyland.

 

I love this quote as our dreams are attainable.

Sharing memories is best when you have friends with you.

Jeanette Lynton, Close To My Heart Founder and CEO, makes us all feel welcome and starts the excitement from the very beginning.

Creativity

And Fun

AND GOOD FOOD!

And Mickey was everywhere!

I love this collage, the colors, the melding of art and memories is how I want my scrapbook of this event to show -- the melding of art, memories, work, and more.

I have the best job ever. I would love to share the opportunity with everyone.

Dallas in 2012 - YeeHaw, are you ready to join us?

p.s. did you see a little sneak peek of paper?

Sneak Peek - New 2011 Autumn/Winter Idea Book

I am so happy to begin my sneak peek of the wonderful new products that will be a part of the new 2011 Autumn/Winter Idea Book and the first sneak peek is a video showing out partnership with the Cricut.



That's right, Close To My Heart's exclusive Cricut Art Philosophy Collection will be available in the new 2011 Autumn/Winter Idea Book. The cartridge has 700 images (font, shapes, and 3-D items). The collection includes three coordinating My Acrylix D-size Stamp Sets and three 9" x 12" Dimensional Elements (one sheet of three different shapes). If you would like more information or to pre-order as this will be flying off the CTMH shelves soon, contact me.

Simply Shirley - Masking

If you have ever been looking through your stamps trying to find a border or photo corner or an image you just don't seem to have? Today's Simply Shirley will show you how to look at your stamps in a whole new way.

Let me show you how to create a scallop border using an ice cream image and the masking technique.  The Masking technique I am demonstrating in this tutorial is the technique of using a section or specific part of a stamp image.

First, we will get our supplies, cardstock for our project, post-it notes, ink, stamp set, I am using the Fanfare Workshop on the Go stamp set (can only be found in the Fanfare Workshop on the Go), blocks, trimmer, scrubber and spritz.

Step 1. For my project, I placed the sentiment stamp image where it will be stamped on the completed project as a reminder to keep enough space to include it at a later date. My scallop border will be running along side a pattern paper piece, so next I trimmed a matching piece from a post-it note . When cutting a post-it note mask, you will want to keep the sticky part of the post note as part of your mask.  Now I placed the post-it note in the spot the pattern paper will eventually reside

Step 2. Add post-it notes to the top and bottom and any other part of the project piece to keep from having the image stray from where you want it.



Step 3. Ink your image, in this example I am using an ice cream stamp image. Line the image so the scallop border is along the right hand side of the middle mask and all the way to the top.

Lift the stamp image from the project and your first section of scallop border is complete.










Re-ink your stamp image and line it up next to the first stamped image.

















Step 5. Lift stamped image and now remove the post-it note masks.

    Here is the completed card. The scallops border the pattern paper and buttons and a stamped ice cream cone complete the project.

July Special - Bang for the Buck!

IT’S SIMPLE. SPEND $50, THEN CHOOSE A BONUS ITEM FOR $1 (FIVE products to choose from). Because everyone loves more bang for the buck!









Eligible $1 Bonus Items:
• Creative Basics® Mistletoe Collection
• Creative Basics® Animal Cookies Collection
• My Originals® Bits & Pieces Card Kit
• My Originals® It’s Your Day Card Kit
• My Originals® Around the Holidays Card Kit

PLUS, don't forget that a $50 order will give you the July Stamp of the Month set at 50% off.

July Kit of the Month - Fanfare

July is the perfect month for the Fanfare Workshop on the Go. A festive paper packet in deep reds and blues, perfect for the 4th of July, birthdays, and more.

You may purchase a kit at any time during the month, however if you want to participate in a PlayDate and use this month's kit, I need to hear from you no later than Friday, July 8th.

Here I have created the balloon with button accents on the Workshop on the Go brochure layout.

Basic Kit:
Fanfare Workshop on the Go Kit (includes Stamp Set, Fanfare Level 2 Paper Pack, Blue Buttons Collection, Neutral Embroidery Floss Collection)
Total with shipping and tax: $35.24*

Better Kit = Basic Kit + the following products:
Fanfare My Stickease
Blue Ribbon Collection
Fanfare Level 2 Assortment
Total with shipping and tax: $53.89*

Best Kit = Basic and Better Kits + the following products:
2" Scallop Punch
Corner Rounder
Round Sponge
Cocktail Alphabet
Pacifica Stamp Pad
Cranberry Pad
Total with shipping and tax: $139.31** (and you get the Stamp of the Month FREE!)

*at this level you qualify for the Stamp of the Month at 25% off (regularly $22.95, only $17.21 with the discount)
**at this level you qualify for the Stamp of the Month FREE

The additional layout will be perfect for this year's 4th of July photos. A little embossed star using my special sparkly embossing powder (White Daisy, Prisma glitter, Clear Detail embossing powder).

And the Workshop on the Go is my budgets best friend. Here are some cards and cute My Creation 6"x6" Accordion Album