Here's What I've Been Doing

I usually have a theme when I update the blog, but this time I decided to just show you some of the things that have been keeping me busy during the last couple of months. I've really enjoyed using my Close to My Heart Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge in conjuction with my stamps. Below you will see what I just finished yesterday. You see, my parents will be celebrating their 65th Wedding Anniversary. We are having a dinner for them, so I made little treat boxes for each place setting. There should be 38 of us!

You will see that I tried to coordinate the boxes with the napkins we will be using. The close up version below.

Yes, I actually made 38 of the baby roses to add to the boxes! I have loved making the flowers as you will see throughout my post.

This is a bouquet of roses made with a pen as the stem. I used cardstock from the Cardstock Shade Pack of Blush, Hollyhock and Tulip.

I'm ready for 2012. These are my calendar and checkbook cover for the new year.

I made several of these this fall, using them for Anniversaries and Birthdays.

This is an extremely simple "thinking of you" or "get well" card.

My niece, April, is expecting her third child. I made this card to congratulate them on their newest addition to their family!

Yet another rose with an accompanying birthday card for our new school librarian.

Birthday card done using a Cuttlebug Embossing Folder for the border around the flowers.

Another Adams Central friend celebrated her 60th birthday, so a black rose was in order!
It was a fun celebration.

August 2011 -Guess What's New

It has been forever since I posted to this blog. Actually, not forever, just February! We are about to turn the calendar to August, and on August 1st the new Close to my Heart catalog is released to the public. I've had it for a week or so, and I just ordered a very few products to get me started with new things.

The most exciting thing in the new book is a Cricut Cartridge Bundle!! What is that you ask? Well, Close to my Heart has partnered with Cricut and they have given us a wonderful new tool to use. Lots of people already have the Cricut personal electronic cutter. I didn't have until a week or so ago, but when I learned of the new opportunity, I purchased a Cricut. The Cricut Cartridge Bundle from CTMH contains not only the cartridge, but three exclusive stamp sets and three coordinating demensional element packs. It's SO MUCH fun. Throughout the whole new catalog you will find stamp sets that contain stamps that have matching images on the Cricut cartridge! It's really neat. I was excited when I heard about this new product, but since the cartridge arrived on my doorstep on Tuesday, I haven't left my stamp room. There are an incredible number of images on the cartridge, over 700 of them!!

Along with the Cricut, there are lots of new products and stamps. The second bit of exciting news is that the cost of stamp sets has been REDUCED. The D-size sets now sell for $17.95 rather than $22.95, C-size sets are $13.95, B-size are $9.95 and A-size are $6.95. So, even if you choose not to use Cricut, the stamps are still beautiful and useful as you created your own unique artwork.

With the good also has to come the bad, and paper prices have increased a bit, so they have come up with packages with fewer pieces in them in order to help with the price point. It's a PERFECT deal for the customer.

I have been with the company for 13 1/2 years now, and have seen many changes. I have learned that CTMH keeps up with the current trends and thus offers updated product and the highest quality product out there.

Call me or stop by my house to pick up your new catalog.

Here is a picture of the Cricut Cartridge Case, showing just a few shapes.

This is an oval card that I actually cut with Cricut. Isn't that fun?

Another Cricut-Cut shaped card

The flowers on this one were cut with Cricut. The paper is from a new packet entitled "Sonoma"

This is a fall-colored pack with Smokey Plum and Olive.

I was also excited that they have brought out a 6 x 6 album again. This is a pre-assembled album with 8 memory protectors, so that's 16 pages. It's really nice, and I'm able to create my baby albums again. These will be great for gift-giving.

Here is a card created with Smoothie cardstock and stamps from a new set. Don't you just love the "flourish"?

New paper using Smoothie

February 2011

What else do you do when you are confined to the house due to a winter storm? Well, you update your blog! Not with snow pictures, but cards. I don't exactly know where January went, but I kept really busy with year-end procedures at Adams Central. I don't usually have a whole lot of stamp time during January. But, today is February 1st, and although some of you have already seen these cards, I thought I would go ahead and post them anyway. The colors used are Barn Red, Sweet Leaf, Juniper and Black. Some of these components are in the Wings Workshop Kit.

If I have not given you your Spring/Summer Catalog, please call or stop by to pick one up. It's really fun to look at the flowers and bright colors in the Spring/Summer Idea Book.

Christmas Already????

Season's Greetings,

It is hard to believe that Christmas is almost here! As we finish all those last minute details, it is important to remember the reason for the season. So as you wrap, tie the bows, cook and do all the dishes!.......don't lose sight of that baby in the manger.

Last week was my mother's birthday and it has become a tradition that I make her a calendar. She always tells me how much she enjoys them, so I did one again this year.

I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

Happy Thanksgiving

It is almost impossible to believe that Thanksgiving is week after next! The weather has been so warm that it doesn't seem possible we will soon be sharing Thanksgiving meals with our families and friends.

I like to send Thanksgiving cards to those family members I won't be seeing this year. This card was EASILY created in a couple of minutes by using paper from the Olivia paper packet. Because you get cardstock and coordinating background/texture papers, it takes just a minute to create something like this. I used Barn Red ink and the new Mocha adhesive gems.

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving, a season of thankfulness for our blessings.

Autumn Fun

It's October and that means fall leaves, cool days and cooler nights, and Halloween. I like what Close to My Heart does with Halloween......they make it fun! The pumpkins used on my cards are from a set called "The Boo Crew". Also new to the fall/winter catalog are some little guys called "Hooligans". These are little guys made of felt and they coordinate with the Hooligans paper packet.

The cards I made for Halloween could also be used for a "near" Halloween birthday with the change of sentiment stamps. The colors used were Sunset, Gypsy and Pear. Also in the packet also contains Lagoon. Check out pages 18 and 19 in the catalog.

I couldn't resist making a "pretty" card using the paper in the Hooligan's Paper Packet. With the addition of a bow and a butterfly, you have a nice all-occassion card.

September is Here

September means Fall is just around the corner, and also with September comes a new Fall-Winter catalog. Along with new papers, stamps and accessories comes eight fresh, new colors. The papers below are three pieces from the "Olivia" paper packet.
Below are the eight new colors. My photograph doesn't do these any justice. The top row, left to right are Gypsy, Pacifica, Sunset, and Sky. Bottom row is Smoothie, Pear, Cotton Candy, and Lagoon. Close to my Heart has always been on top of the trends in color. Sunset gives you a warm, autumn feeling, but it is also a versatile color for summer. I am excited to see Cotton Candy, which is a pretty pink that I think we've been missing in our pallette. Pear is a green that blends beautifully with blue, but can also be used for Christmas with reds. I keep finding more color blends as I play with these.

One of the new stamp sets is entitled "The Present". I love the verse, which can be used on a the front of a very simple card. It can be used for a sympathy card or a thinking of you card, or even a birthday card.

Here are two cards made with "The Present". The first card uses Sunset ink. The corner makes a frame for the verse. Simple. The second card uses a piece of paper from the paper packet, "Olivia".

Go to the Close to my Heart website to see the new catalog, our give me a call and I will get you a new catalog soon.