August Constant Campaign$2, $4, $6, for 8...It’s YOU We Appreciate!

We want to show how much we appreciate you and to do so, we are bringing a Constant Campaign with SUPER deals to you for 8 days only.

From on August 4 at 9 am (MDT) through August 11, while supplies last, you can purchase selected:

My Stickease® assortments for just $2

My Reflections® Level 1 kits for just $4

My Reflections® Level 2 paper packets for just $6!!

The deals are amazing and available only on my Close to my Heart Consultant website.

Here's what you'll find for sale...

• X7045A My Reflections Vintage Travel Level 1 $4.00


• X7045C VintageTravel My Stickease $2.00


• X7056A My Reflections Discovery Level 1 $4.00


• X7060A My Reflections Heirloom Level 1 $4.00


• X7060B My Reflections Heirloom Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7061A My Reflections Floral Impressions Level 1 $4.00


• X7061B My Reflections Floral Impressions Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7061C Floral Impressions My Stickease $2.00


• X7062A My Reflections Laid Back Level 1 $4.00


• X7069A My Reflections Just Chillin Level 1 $4.00


• X7069C Just Chillin My Stickease $2.00


• X7070A My Reflections Simple Pleasure Level 1 $4.00


• X7070B My Reflections Simple Pleasure Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7070C Simple Pleasure My Stickease $2.00


• X7071A My Reflections Best Friends Forever Level 1 $4.00


• X7072A My Reflections School Zone Level 1 $4.00


• X7072C School Zone My Stickease $2.00


• X7073A My Reflections Abundance Level 1 $4.00


• X7073B My Reflections Abundance Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7073C Abundance My Stickease $2.00


• X7075A My Reflections More To Adore Level 1 $4.00


• X7075B My Reflections More To Adore Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7075C More To Adore My Stickease $2.00


• X7076A My Reflections Sonata Level 1 $4.00


• X7076C Sonata My Stickease $2.00


• X7077C Sweet Harmony My Stickease $2.00


• X7078A My Reflections Cutie Pie Level 1 $4.00


• X7078C Cutie Pie My Stickease $2.00


• X7079B My Reflections Rough n Tumble Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7079C Rough n Tumble My Stickease $2.00


• X7080A My Reflections Route 66 Level 1 $4.00


• X7080C Route 66 My Stickease $2.00


• X7081A My Reflections Majestic Blue Level 1 $4.00


• X7081B My Reflections Majestic Blue Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7081C Majestic Blue My Stickease $2.00


• X7082A My Reflections Expedition Level 1 $4.00


• X7082C Expedition My Stickease $2.00


• X7083A My Reflections Let's Get Together Level 1 $4.00


• X7084A My Reflections Floral Tapestry Level 1 $4.00


• X7085A My Reflections Everlasting Level 1 $4.00


• X7085B My Reflections Everlasting Paper Packet $6.00


• X7085C Everlasting My Stickease $2.00


• X7086A My Reflections Caprice Level 1 $4.00


• X7086B My Reflections Caprice Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7086C Caprice My Stickease $2.00


• X7087A My Reflections Enchanted Level 1 $4.00


• X7087B My Reflections Enchanted Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7087C Enchanted My Stickease $2.00


• X7088A My Reflections Free Spirit Level 1 $4.00


• X7088B My Reflections Free Spirit Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7088C Free Spirit My Stickease $2.00


• X7089A My Reflections Lifes Delights Level 1 $4.00


• X7089C Life Delights My Stickease $2.00


• X7090A My Reflections Silhouette Level 1 $4.00


• X7090B My Reflections Silhouette Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7090C Silhouette My Stickease $2.00


• X7091A My Reflections it’s a Guy Thing Level 1 $4.00


• X7091B My Reflections it’s a Guy Thing Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7091C it’s a Guy Thing My Stickease $2.00


• X7092A My Reflections Good Times Level 1 $4.00


• X7092B My Reflections Good Times Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7092C Good Times My Stickease $2.00


• X7093A My Reflections Sweet Pea Level 1 $4.00


• X7093C Sweet Pea My Stickease $2.00


• X7094A My Reflections Paper Garden Level 1 $4.00


• X7094C Paper Garden My Stickease $2.00


• X7095A My Reflections Boom-Di-Ada Level 1 $4.00


• X7095B My Reflections Boom-Di-Ada Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7095C Boom-Di-Ada My Stickease $2.00


• X7096A My Reflections Blue Ribbon Level 1 $4.00


• X7096B My Reflections Blue Ribbon Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7096C Blue Ribbon My Stickease $2.00


• X7097A My Reflections Game On Level 1 Kit $4.00


• X7097B My Reflections Game On Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7097C Game On My Stickease $2.00


• X7098A My Reflections Sarsaparilla Level 1 Kit $4.00


• X7098B My Reflections Sarsaparilla Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7098C Sarsaparilla My Stickease $2.00


• X7100A My Reflections Perfect Day Level 1 $4.00


• X7100B My Reflections Perfect Day Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7100C Perfect Day My Stickease $2.00


• X7101A My Reflections Magic Moments Level 1 $4.00


• X7101B My Reflections Magic Moments Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7101C Magic Moments My Stickease $2.00


• X7102A My Reflections Notebook Level 1 $4.00


• X7102B My Reflections Notebook Paper Packet $6.00


• X7102C Notebook My Stickease $2.00


• X7103A My Reflections Aspen Level 1 $4.00


• X7103B My Reflections Aspen Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7103C Aspen My Stickease $2.00


• X7104A My Reflections Evensong Level 1 $4.00


• X7104B My Reflections Evensong Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7104C Evensong My Stickease $2.00


• X7105A My Reflection sEmporium Level 1 $4.00


• X7105B My Reflections Emporium Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7105C Emporium My Stickease $2.00


• X7106A My Reflections Unforgettable Level 1 $4.00


• X7106B My Reflections Unforgettable Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7106C Unforgettable My Stickease $2.00


• X7107A My Reflections That’s Amore Level 1 $4.00


• X7107B My Reflections That’s Amore Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7107C That’s Amore My Stickease $2.00


• X7108A My Reflections Daydream Level 1 $4.00


• X7108B My Reflections Daydream Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7108C Daydream My Stickease $2.00


• X7109A My Reflections Stardust Level 1 $4.00


• X7109B My Reflections Stardust Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7109C Stardust My Stickease $2.00


• X7110A My Reflections Back Country Level 1 $4.00


• X7110B My Reflections Back Country Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7110C Back Country My Stickease $2.00


• X7111A My Reflections Moon Doggie Level 1 $4.00


• X7111B My Reflections Moon Doggie Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7111C Moon Doggie My Stickease $2.00


• X7112A My Reflections Animal Cookies Level 1 $4.00


• X7112B My Reflections Animal Cookies Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7112C Animal Cookies My Stickease $2.00


• X7113A My Reflections Tinkerin Level 1 $4.00


• X7113B My Reflections Tinkerin Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7113C Tinkerin My Stickease $2.00


• X7114A My Reflections Bella Level 1 $4.00


• X7114B My Reflections Bella Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7114C Bella My Stickease $2.00


• X7115A My Reflections Jingle Level 1 $4.00


• X7115B My Reflections Jingle Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7115C Jingle My Stickease $2.00


• X7116A My Reflections Sweet Home Level 1 $4.00


• X7116B My Reflections Sweet Home Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7116C Sweet Home My Stickease $2.00


• X7117A My Reflections Grace Level 1 $4.00


• X7117B My Reflections Grace Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7117C Grace My Stickease $2.00


• X7118A My Reflections Twitterpated Level 1 $4.00


• X7118B My Reflections Twitterpated Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00


• X7118C Twitterpated My Stickease $2.00

*Available August 4-11, 2010; while supplies last

Re-Carding?

I recently received a very pretty hand crafted wedding invitation. Designed with pretty pale blue glimmering paper and accented with glimmery black paper which had been embossed with a beautiful vine and bird embossing folder.

The papers were so pretty together I thought I really wanted to re-use them to make the wedding card I would give back to the bride and groom. However, I was at a bit of a loss as to whether it would be okay or if it would be tacky. Such a dilemma!

The invitation was clean & simple aka Classy. It was adorned with a single layered stamped medallion, which meant a fair amount of usable paper. Here is the original invitation both front and inside.

The embossed black strip & medallion are part of the back of the card and fold over the front from the back. That flap was three layers of heavy card stock and the black was nearly impossible to strip off. It certainly limited how I could use the piece.
The inside has a pocket for all the important little things you must include with invites... directions to the church, RSVP card, etc. That piece was also most firmly attached. Since I did have a bit of trouble separating them I had to alter from my original idea. Perhaps for the best.
My finished card. I used Twilight card stock from CTMH for the card base. A strip of the embossed black was attached to the lower edge. I cut two pieces of the shimmery pale blue and edge punched them. One was centered on the front over the black and the other was used inside the card to write my message on.

The flower was more difficult in trying to match the color. I used dream coat white paint and an old CTMH re-inker, Cloud Blue. I was hoping for more variation in depth of color but starting with such a light color it's hard to get very dark. After dabbing on paint and ink I sprayed it with shimmer mist, dried it with the heat tool and cut three different size flowers with my Cuttlebug. I scrunched the flowers up, un-scrunched them and added a thin coat of Liquid Glass. Although not exactly the result I was looking for I am pleased with it. It looks a little "rubbery" almost like I made it from Naugahyde.

I also tinted a large brad then clipped all the three flowers together with it. Layered with a black and thinner blue ribbon and three leaves cut from Twilight card stock and Ta-Da! my re-carded wedding card. Then, just before I was ready to put it in the envelope I added a bit of glitter to the brad. You can see that in the top photo.

I was still feeling a little unsure about 're-carding' but those fears went away at the reception. My family shared table with two couples, of which both the women are avid stampers and scrappers. I shared my secret with them and guess what.... they both made their wedding cards for the bride and groom from the invitations!! I hope I get a chance to see them!! By the way, the photo makes the flower look pinkish - it's not.

Super Secret Swap Cards!

I can't believe after all this time of dying to share my swap cards with you, I totally spaced it! It's been almost a week since I've been back from convention and I am just barely beginning to feel like my old self. Wow, no one told me "recovery" takes so much longer once you break that 50 year mark!

The first card I created for convention swapping was designed using a stamp set I am absolutely in love with. I love the card, as well, but the logistics soon proved to be far too much for my feeble time frame. I embossed the Key and Key Hole in gold on Cocoa and then cut them out, including the hole in the handle of the key. FAR too much work for mass production.

When opened into an easel card there was more detail work in the form of torn paper, brads, Cuttlebug cut circles (Nestibilities), sigh... I just didn't have the time to devote all that attention to too many cards. I ended up with a few more than 20 of this design.
Moving on to what I thought would be less time consuming I created this:

I started with wedding coasters I purchased on clearance at Michael's and covered them with our papers. I used A Tweet for the stamped image and negatively sponged a hot little sun in the background.

I wanted an item that was a souvenir of convention so I used my Cricut to create the Washington DC frame on the back and more CTMH stamps for the month & circled days. I love how it turned out!
And to me, the best, most fun part of all, is that it's not a card, but a fan! I don't know about anyone else but mine did get a little action during general session. I can always count on being too warm sometime during the events!

Brain on Overload!

Close to my Heart convention never fails to hype me up and inspire me.

Then I return home.

Oh My Gosh. So much to see and do and make... I simply have not been able to assimilate it all yet. Not to mention we got to DC three days early to spend time sight seeing in very hot weather. You know that feeling that you need a vacation to recover from your vacation? Um, yeah....

As usual, Close to my Heart has some super great things coming up with the September release of our Autumn/Winter Idea Book and I can't wait to share it all with you. But for now I will remain mum and share what I made for roomie gifts instead. I created 3 mini albums using the tri-fold shutter card as the base. I love Love LOVE how they turned out!! I snuck out one afternoon to get photos printed and placed in the albums before I gave them away. That part may have been a mistake... not that it didn't make the albums more special, I think it did, but I absolutely hate missing any of convention!!

The paper I used for this album was from our Notebook pack. It always stumps me at first when I try using this pack, but I always love the results!

This is what the album looks like with just the front flaps open.

When the mini album is fully open, this is the left "wing" including the center photo, on the far right.

Here is the right wing, with the center photo now on the far left.

This is the center shot of the album. I didn't write on the tag slipped behind the center photo. I thought the recipient of the album should use it to write their own thoughts about convention and their roommate experience. The back of the album is quite plain, but I did stick a photo of me on the back and write a short, very brief note.

A Bit of Eye Candy

Seems like all I have been doing is getting things ready for the Close to My Heart convention which is about to happen in Washington DC. It's taken my attention away from making things I can share. Instead I have been in the land of top secret swap cards and roomie gifts. If I show you any of that stuff before the opening of convention, I'd have to kill you - and we wouldn't want that!!

Since Jackpot June has come to an end I thought I should do something with the July Stamp of the Month and show you just how stinkin' cute it is. So I made up a couple of cards for your crafting pleasure....

The set is called "Happy Forever" and features four of the cutest little ground hogs. The first card I did with our Passages papers. I used glitter on all three butterflies, but alas, glitter is shy when it comes to being photographed!

This second card was done with our Top Stitch papers. It was originally one of my lesser loved papers, but after using it I have come to appreciate it and moved it way up on my list of favorite papers. So cute!

Oh My!! Time Flies When You Are Having Fun!!

I came home (from stamping with a friend, of course!) yesterday to find a smallish package on my door step. I was puzzled since I hadn't ordered anything... why else do packages come other than from online shopping or my CTMH orders? Even stranger was the return address DID say CTMH. I had already received my convention logo order and hadn't noticed anything back ordered...? Hurry inside and rip that baby open!!


Inside was a velvet jewelry box so of course my heart started thumping even harder. When I opened the box it revealed the gorgeous pin you see above and a lovely letter congratulating me on my 15 year association with Close To My Heart!!

Did it really say 15 years??? Oh my. It's been so much fun, it feels like I just started yesterday. But when I think of all the changes and wonderful new things that have come along in all those 15 years, it seems like we've been together forever... like an old married couple.


When I joined Close To My Heart the actual "Close To My Heart" family wasn't even in the picture yet. That child came along later. We were a rubber stamp company called DOTS, which stands for "Dozens Of Terrific Stamps" (we had hundreds, though - not just dozens!).

There is not much left of the company that really reminds me of DOTS. Our conventions are bigger an glitzier, our products have changed dramatically as an industry leader. Our Idea Books (catalogs) are gorgeous and so very user friendly and come out not once but three times a year. We've really grown up into an incredibly awesome company.

But the most important thing is what hasn't changed over all those years, the people. Jeannette Lynton, the founder and CEO of the company is one of the warmest nicest people you could ever hope to meet. She has an amazing team of artists and business people who are constantly developing and on the lookout for the very best products and the very best programs to make us, the consultants, successful!!

The friends I have made in my association with CTMH are simply the best I have ever had!! They live in every part of the country, heck, the continent, and even overseas if they are in the service. They are the glue for me. Not all of them are still with CTMH, but they are all still in my heart and still a part of my life through venues like Facebook or MySpace. But we started as friends long before the social networks. We started in an AOL chat room and met face to face year after year at conventions. We came to put real names and faces behind AOL monikers like CUStampin, Joy2NoHim, DOTSQueen and many many more. We made up groups in our local areas and called ourselves "Cousins" when we got together to stamp and share ideas. Or we had cross country groups we called "Kin" as our tiny 2 person units did card exchanges to share ideas. We have our "ice cream social" nights at convention to this day to reconnect and celebrate those long ago friendships that still exist but in different ways.

Yes, it's been 15 years. 15 wonderful years full of such great memories and friendships. I truly love being part of Close To My Heart!

July 4th Project

This patriotic looking item was made for the Quarter Bid Auction which is tomorrow. Gosh, sometimes I feel like that is all I work on.... sigh. The papers are all CTMH but they've been long retired. The pretty star strip on the red box was done with my Cricut - so glad my hubby goaded me into using it - so fun!!

Viewed from above, you can see the inner space is all lined with perfectly coordinating card stock. Bigger Brads and several glue dots hold the boxes together to make one unit. Do you know what it is yet? Or have you known all along?

It's a picnic caddy for plates, napkins & flatware! I hope it's a hit - but somehow I keep seeing it tossed in the garbage as soon as July 5th.... sad.