We're saying THANKS with 2 free stamp sets!

During November Close To My Heart is expressing our gratitude to you by helping you earn two fabulous My Acrylix® stamp sets for FREE! When you place a minimum order of $100, you will not only receive the November Stamp of the Month set, A Little Thanks, for FREE, you will also receive one stamp set of your choosing from the 2010 Autumn/Winter Idea Book for FREE*! This means you can increase the value of your purchase by up to $45.90—that’s almost 50 percent more
in value! It’s just our way of imparting A Little MORE Thanks to you for being a great customer.

*Free stamp sets include A-D size sets. Stamps that are not available as the free set include Workshops on the Go, Stamp of the Month retail, E-size, and customizable K-size. Tax and shipping/handling may apply. Offer good November 1–30, 2010.

Place your order today to receive two My Acrylix® stamp sets for FREE!

November Kit of the Month Club Cards

November KOTM Cards - Olivia.

Kit of the Month Club
This new club provides a fabulous way for you to get beautiful scrapbook pages and/or handmade card sets completed quickly, have products leftover, get a fabulous discount on the product kit, get your hands on an exclusive stamp set, get FREE products from the idea book, have fun and be creative!
What: Each month, we’ll complete a project from the selected kit. Each kit includes a Level 2 Paper Packet, a full accessory pack, an exclusive B-size stamp set (not available anywhere else) and a full-color instructional brochure. At our club meeting, we’ll go through the cutting guide for the featured project together – you can choose either a 2-page 12x12 scrapbooking layout or a set of 6 cards from that month’s featured kit.
Cost: $29.95 per month (products in kit retail at $35.00) plus shipping/handling cost.
Commitment: Six-months of participation in the club. This club makes it very easy to do your packet “to go” for any of the months you cannot make it to the club meeting since it includes the full-color instructional brochure right in your packet. You’ll receive the cutting guide, blueprint, instructions and everything you need. If there is a month you don’t like the kit we’re doing, you can just order $29.95 in your choice of products from the idea book.
Benefits: - Hostess one of the six months ($25 in free product from the idea book).
- Simplicity of ordering (all you are required to order for the month is pre-ordering your kit for the following month for $29.95 plus s/h).
- You’ll receive instruction on making a beautiful 2-page 12x12 scrapbook layout or 6 versatile cards (2 each of 3 designs).
- Provides flexibility of making either cards or scrapbook pages in the same club from month to month.
- Instructional brochure has info on both scrapbook and card project, as well as bonus layout and card projects so you can complete more at home with your leftover products!
Sign up now! Call me at (503) 393-9146 or e-mail at allisong@myctmh.com

November Kit of the Month Club Layout

November KOTM Club Layout - Olivia.

Kit of the Month Club
This new club provides a fabulous way for you to get beautiful scrapbook pages and/or handmade card sets completed quickly, have products leftover, get a fabulous discount on the product kit, get your hands on an exclusive stamp set, get FREE products from the idea book, have fun and be creative!
What: Each month, we’ll complete a project from the selected kit. Each kit includes a Level 2 Paper Packet, a full accessory pack, an exclusive B-size stamp set (not available anywhere else) and a full-color instructional brochure. At our club meeting, we’ll go through the cutting guide for the featured project together – you can choose either a 2-page 12x12 scrapbooking layout or a set of 6 cards from that month’s featured kit.
Cost: $29.95 per month (products in kit retail at $35.00) plus shipping/handling cost.
Commitment: Six-months of participation in the club. This club makes it very easy to do your packet “to go” for any of the months you cannot make it to the club meeting since it includes the full-color instructional brochure right in your packet. You’ll receive the cutting guide, blueprint, instructions and everything you need. If there is a month you don’t like the kit we’re doing, you can just order $29.95 in your choice of products from the idea book.
Benefits: - Hostess one of the six months ($25 in free product from the idea book).
- Simplicity of ordering (all you are required to order for the month is pre-ordering your kit for the following month for $29.95 plus s/h).
- You’ll receive instruction on making a beautiful 2-page 12x12 scrapbook layout or 6 versatile cards (2 each of 3 designs).
- Provides flexibility of making either cards or scrapbook pages in the same club from month to month.
- Instructional brochure has info on both scrapbook and card project, as well as bonus layout and card projects so you can complete more at home with your leftover products!
Sign up now! Call me at (503) 393-9146 or e-mail at allisong@myctmh.com

It's not too early.....

I blinked and October is over halfway over already!  I can't believe it - I feel like I was just getting used to school being back in session and now almost two months have gone by.  You know what that means - before we know it, the Holiday season will be upon us.  It's never too early begin thinking about your Christmas projects, specifically cards - here's a couple of fun ones for you.

My first card is a small but stunning example.  My favorite part of it is the stamp set I used - it's one of CTMH's new A-sized stamp sets, which are now only $7.95!!!  It's called A Timber and it features the gorgeous tree with the swirls on it, along with the swirl stamp, the sentiment and a few other little accents.  I used the Mistletoe paper packet which features New England Ivy, Cranberry, Garden Green, and Colonial White for it's colors.  I finished it off with some Cranberry brads and one of my most favorite new embellishments from CTMH - Opaques in Mocha.  These little pearls are self adhesive and add a super classy, finished look to any project.

The second card is 8x3.5 size.  I also used Mistletoe papers for this card, along with the Mistletoe Creative Basics papers.  This is a special bonus pack of two coordinating Background & Texture papers, along with a spool of ribbon (metallic garden green) - perfect for card making projects.  I used the A Timber stamp set again, along with the Holiday Trinkets and Card Chatter-Christmas sets.  I also used some Colonial White Brads and Bitty Sparkles for that finishing touch.

Festive Fall Card 2

I apologize if you saw my blank post yesterday - my blog was having some technical difficulties!  Anyway, it's back in gear now and here's another fall card using the gorgeous Olivia kit.  I used the timeless stamp set again, and the rock and roll technique on the leaf - this technique lends itself so perfectly to leaves and their natural color variations.  I also used some Cocoa grosgrain ribbon and Antiqued Copper brads.  Super simple yet super stunning!

Festive Fall Card 1

This card is a fun 6x3 size.  I used CTMH's new, gorgeous autumn kit - Olivia.  The colors are Barn Red, Sunset, Cocoa, Bamboo and Colonial White.   Fall is my favorite season by far!  I love the cool, crisp air, the gorgeous colors, crunchy leaves everywhere and all things cozy - sweaters, hot drinks and a warm toasty fire.  This kit is the embodiment of autumn.  I used the Timeless stamp set, and the rock and roll stamping technique on the leaves.  I finished it off with some Cocoa buttons and Colonial White waxy flax.  Come back tomorrow for another autumn card from the Olivia kit.

Bling Bling Invite

Here's the birthday party invite I just finished for my daughter's 4th birthday party.  I wanted to keep things simple and with the theme of her party and I think it turned out perfectly.  She loves "Bling Bling" Lightning McQueen from the movie Cars, so we chose a turquoise and black/white color scheme which the new Lagoon CTMH color was perfect for.  We stamped the birthday cake, flourish and birthday present using the Everyday Celebration stamp set.  Then, I added some "bling" with some of the Bitty Sparkles to carry out the theme.  I've fuzzed some of the personal information out for privacy. 

I'm still here!

You know how life has distinctive patterns?  A time when you have time to work, time to play and time to relax.  Another time when you're going 90 mph with your hair on fire just to keep up with your family's schedule and you barely have time to take a breath?  That's the time I'm going through right now!  So sorry I haven't posted anything lately.  Things are leveling out a bit for me this week and I hope to have new artwork to post for you in the next couple of days.  In the meantime, here's one of the projects I've been working on this past week.

These were some tissue paper topiaries I made for an event for the mom's group I'm a part of at church.  We used them as centerpieces during our first general session last week to reflect a game we were playing.   The verse in the middle was part of the favor box we used as a table goodie for each attendee.  Between making these, keeping up with football schedules (my son's and my husband's), processing hundreds of tomatoes from our garden into salsa and tomato sauce, and teaching 5+ dance classes each week at the dance studio, my head is spinning.  I can't wait to sit down this week and get creating on some scrapbooking and card-making projects.  Check back soon for new artwork pics!  Hope your autumn season is off to a great start!

Here's a couple of photos of what we've been up to this season so far:

Ava eating her rice krispie treat "world" she made at preschool as a part of her "God created the world" lesson.  She loved it!

Alex ready to play at his first flag football game.