Artfully Sent Christmas Card Workshop

I will be holding workshops in my home the next couple weeks. Here's a picture with a few samples of the first workshop utilizing the new Close To My Heart exclusive Cricut Artfully Sent cartridge.

Workshop dates are:

• Tuesday, November 18th, 6 – 8:30 pm
• Wednesday, November 19th, 1 – 3:30 pm
• Or create your own workshop! 
• Contact me for available dates & times then invite 2 to 7 of your friends. All of your friends will receive free a mini stamp set and the 2014-15 Annual Inspirations catalog/idea book. And as the ‘hostess’ you’ll receive your choice of a 6” x 6” stamp set from my stash and earn rewards based on Close To My Heart orders you & your friends place within a week of your workshop.

I look forward to seeing you soon!

How I Met Close To My Heart

Earlier this month I responded to a request from Close To My Heart to share the story of how I became a Close To My Heart consultant. I am so honored to be chosen as one of four stories to be published. I've copied my story below but you can read all the stories on the Close To My Heart blog: Make It From Your Heart.

November 14, 2014

Blast from the Past: How I Met Close To My Heart

A huge thanks to everyone who read Monica's story a few weeks ago and then contributed their own tale of discovering Close To My Heart. Every story was heartfelt and inspiring. Though we can’t share them all, we've included a handful we know you’ll enjoy.

  

Wendy Bilyeu Hardin

Pekin, Illinois

I first met Close To My Heart at a CKC expo. Even though I only purchased a few items, I recall how genuine Briana Bostick was when talking about Close To My Heart. Over the next few years, she kept in contact, even though I only made sporadic purchases. Since I had started scrapbooking in the late 1990s, my scraproom had accumulated a hefty collection of papercrafting supplies and tools, so I already had a large assortment of inks, papers, and stamps. However, I was easily convinced to sign up as a Consultant when offered a free Cricut® cartridge. I was already a huge Cricut® fan and had been “chirping” since the Cricut® was first available. For the next two years, I enjoyed using the products, holding events, and passing on discounts to my best friends.

In January of this year, my husband of almost 30 years started having extreme back pain. In April, after many tests, we were told that he had stage four lung cancer that had spread to his spine. We were told to expect maybe 6–12 months. I lost him on June third.

Close To My Heart is not just a company name to me, it is my life. I now carry some of my late husband’s ashes in a heart pendant around my neck—close to my heart. Memories of our life together are captured in pictures and our stories written—from the heart—to the pages of albums. The home we designed and built together is now a retreat space and has become my refuge, filled with laughter—from the heart—as my friends are always invited to come and craft with me. Thankfully, my days are full and busy.

Close To My Heart, I am so glad I met you.

November Stamp of the Month

It's the Little Things, set of 15, S1411 - only $5.00 with a $50 purchase!

Autumn "Artfully Sent" Scene Card

Capture the beauty of autumn with this creative background technique as seen on the Make It From Your Heart blog and featuring Close To My Heart's exclusive Cricut Artfully Sent cartridge:

All-Purpose Mat Color Splat

When we posted the Halloween-themed cards on our Facebook page last month, the background on the Halloween village card captured many hearts across the world. (Click here to see the card.)

Several of you asked us how it was done. So we took your questions to the artist herself, and not only was she generous enough to show us her methods, but she also created yet another stunning card for us that illustrates this beautiful technique.

Check it out!Isn’t that beautiful?

The technique used to create this kind of background centers on our all-purpose mat. (This tutorial will only add more truth to its name!) The non-slip surface makes it perfect for mixing ink and water to create special artistic effects.

There’s an infinite amount of possible art you can create with this technique, but first try this quick tutorial on creating the background seen on this great Happy Autumn card.

What Tools You’ll Need:
D1604 My Acrylix® Season of Thanks
C1589 My Acrylix® Lifetime of Happiness
Z2123 Goldrush Exclusive Inks™ Pad
Z2118 Desert Sand Exclusive Inks™ Pad
Z2137 Olive Exclusive Inks™ Pad
Z2191 Sunset Exclusive Inks™ Pad
Z2101 Autumn Terracotta Exclusive Inks™ Pad
Z2162 Honey Exclusive Inks™ Pad
Z2643 Canary Exclusive Inks™ Pad
Z2172 Whisper Exclusive Inks™ Pad
Z2642 Flaxen Exclusive Inks™ Pad
Z2641 Glacier Exclusive Inks™ Pad
Z1380 Spray Pen
1778 My Acrylix® Spritz Cleaner
Z697 Round Sponge
Z2045 All-Purpose Mat

1. Rub Olive, Desert Sand, Goldrush, Sunset, and Autumn Terracotta Exclusive Inks™ pads directly onto surface of all-purpose mat to create desired pattern.     2. Holding spray pen at a distance of about 12″ from the mat, spray water over ink until it has a dewed appearance.     3. Take your cardstock (preferably Colonial White or White Daisy) and lay it directly down into the watered ink. Rub back of paper lightly to ensure complete coverage. Lift paper and allow ink to dry completely. Use a craft heater to speed up the process.     4. Once ink has dried, repeat steps 1–3 with Glacier ink, except this time, instead of spraying the Glacier ink with water, spray it with the My Acrylix® Spritz Cleaner in order to achieve a more modeled look.

5. Using the My Acrylix® Season of Thanks stamp set, stamp several tree trunks in Whisper. Stamp some trunks with second-generation impressions in order to add depth.     6. Using the My Acrylix® Lifetime of Happiness stamp set, stamp leaves in Canary, Honey, and Flaxen inks. Stamp quickly, using both second- and first-generation impressions. To give some leaves a more finished look, spread some ink on the all-purpose mat, spray it with spritz, dip the stamp in the dewed ink, and then stamp on cardstock.     7. Using the sponge, daube Canary ink around your design to lighten things up and maintain depth.      8. In order to create a soft edge, spread Whisper ink in a circle on your all-purpose mat and then spray it with spritz. Rub each of the edges of your cardstock lightly in the ink until you achieve a subtle border on each side. Allow ink to dry completely.

Voila! Your beautiful background is now complete. Now all you need to do is add your embellishments and other additions to complete your card.

This technique is full of possibilities, so feel free to experiment with it in other ways, too. We’d love to see what you come up with!

Happy crafting!

My {Scrappy/Crafty} Home Flyer

Rack Cards by Vistaprint

Home For The Holidays, Part 2

While attending a Close To My Heart team meeting in Waco, Texas early this month I participated in a card swap using the Snowhaven Paper Packet and the October Stamp of the Month - Home For The Holidays.  

This $17.95 set is available only during the month of October and with a $50 purchase on my shopping site it is discounted to only $5! All the images with red lines are compatible with the CTMH exclusive Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge.


Here's a few of the swap cards I received:

This was created by my CTMH Sister Joy Tracey. Using Snowhaven, the SOTM, and Best Christmas she made a bright & cheerful easle card. Notice it is embellished with Ruby Chevron ribbon! This retired ribbon is FREE this month with a $50 purchase...SWEET!!  

The "Winter Cheer" seal is from D1613 Best Christmas and it was cut from the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge also.

This custom gift card holder card was created by Linda Norman using the Snowhaven paper packet and the SOTM. She also added Black Shimmer Trim and Clear Sparkles for embellishments. 

The black flap opens up and around the ornament to reveal the gift card.

Here's another gift card holder that was cut from Cricut Artiste cartridge:

I was amazed at the variety of designs my fellow sister consultants created with just one stamp set and one paper collection. 

Number 16 carefully cut out the center of the ornament to enable the pretty patterned paper & sparkle to shine through. The white background layer was embossed with the Quatrefoil Embossing Folder after cutting the scallop border with the Cricut.

Number 22 stamped the polar bear three times in three different colors then fussy cut the polar bear and scarf! After layering the images she then framed the whole thing with a frame of Green Glitter Paper cut from Cricut Art Philosophy. What a difference it made! Number 30 altered a small memo book for keeping track of who's naughty and who's nice :)

I love how number 26 created a photo card using the Cricut frame!



I hope you are as inspired by these creations as I was! Remember that you only have until October 31st to get Home For The Holidays stamp set.

Make It From Your Heart

Close To My Heart has launched a new blog! Be sure to check it out at http://blog.closetomyheart.com/

If you like what you see, be sure to click the "Follow" button in the bottom right of your screen. Every time a new post is posted you will receive an email notification. Never miss another posting!!

New this month is a free Halloween printable for you!

Print it large to hang on the wall, print it out onto 4" x 6" or 2" x 3" heavy stock to add to your Picture My Life/Project Life album, or print it out to use on a card or layout. So many options!

In addition this month (until October 20th) is a contest to win a Close To My Heart 1" Circle Punch. Post a comment on the blog with the number of circle punches you think are pictured and inside the jar. Good luck!

    Other features include recipes...not just the foodie type, but also yummy crafting recipes! Many more new features will be revealed in the months to come so make sure you 'Follow'.....I know I will be!

Birthday Card From Scraps

The Close To My Heart Facebook page shared this birthday card today:

Isn't this a great way to use up a bunch of thin scraps?!

The festive cake and sentiment is from B1442 - Belated Birthday. 

By stamping the cake in three colors (Pixie, Sorbet, & Whisper), then hand trimming the layers and flags, a multi-colored birthday cake is created. The tag was cut from the Close To My Heart exclusive Cricut Artiste cartridge, page 35, at 3 1/2".

The strips for the background come from the Chalk It Up Paper Packet, the Brown & Tan Glitter paper, and the Lagoon Hearts Washi Tape. The sentiment was stamped with Lagoon ink and a piece of Slate Diagonal Striped Ribbon was tied to the tag.

   

This design inspiration is "A Heartfelt Classic" pattern from the Originals Card Confidence Program book. I'm so glad this book has been re-made in a soft-cover with a spiral binding that folds in half for convenient use!

This card and stamp set is pictured on page 91 in the 2014-15 Close To My Heart Annual Inspirations Idea Book and Catalog. Don't have the new catalog? Please leave a comment below so I can share how to get your own copy of this 194 page resource. 

Did you know that there is a recipe booklet that details all the products and Cricut cut sizes for each project in the Annual Inspirations catalog? You can get a copy of the entire file emailed to you FREE by just commenting below!!

Collect Cricut Reward Points

Have you purchased the new Artfully Sent cartridge? And are you a Cricut Rewards member? Did you know that you can claim your 90 reward points even though a certificate wasn't included with the cartridge? 

Just follow these steps:

Call Provo Craft at 877-727-4288 and use option 5 
Have ready: 
Your first and last name 
Your phone number 
A picture of the front of the actual cartridge 
A picture of the back of the actual cartridge 
Your Cricut Reward ID #, found at www.cricutrewards.com under "my account"
You will then be given an email address to which to send your pictures and other information.

I imagine that this technique will work with any cartridges you purchase new that don't have the Cricut Rewards certificate included in the box. Cool, huh???

Now let's just hope that they don't retire the program before I spend my points!! I'm over half-way to that 3000 point Cricut Circle membership :) In my humble opinion that's about the only thing worth getting anymore!

Home For the Holidays

The Stamp of the Month for October is S1410 Home for the Holidays.

All of the images above in black have coordinated die-cuts on the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge which make using the stamps super easy!

The following card was made for a Close To My Heart Consultant Swap using Home For The Holidays, Snowhaven Paper pack, CTMH Cricut Artfully Sent and Art Philosophy Cartridges:

I used a White Daisy cardbase and cut the bottom layer with snowflakes using the Shift Sleeve Function on page 49 of Artfully Sent. I trimmed off the unneeded part of the cut. I cut two paper paper ribbons (doodling with LePen on the cardstock ribbon) and one using the Teal Glitter Trim and embellished with two Silver Sequins. 

For the middle piece I stamped using Glacier Pigment Ink on the shape cut from CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy page 27 at 2 1/2". For the top piece I stamped onto a scrap piece then quickly applied clear embossing powder and heat embossed. Using the R11 ShinHan Alcohol Marker I easily colored in the letters of "believing" because the embossed edge of the embossing kept the ink inside the lines. 

To pop-up both layers, I used the Thin 3-D Foam Tape to keep the card from being too bulky.

The scalloped "Let It Snow" liner is also in Artfully Sent on Page 49, Shift Scene Function, using Glacier cardstock that was cut at 7 1/2" Real Dial Size since it was originally designed for a 5" x 7" card. I backed the sentiment with Lagoon cardstock.

Tomorrow I will show some of the cards I received from the swap.

My {Scrappy/Crafty} Home - Guest Rooms Now Available!

Phase 2 of My {Scrappy/Crafty} Home is now complete! My guest room has been redone and now includes 2 all-new twin beds for crafters who would like to stay overnight.

I choose to furnish the room with a daybed and trundle bed. Both beds have a new 6" memory foam mattress and new sheets. The room also includes a remote controlled ceiling fan and 32" TV.

You'll have access to a beautiful, large, private bathroom.

Complete with whirlpool spa tub and tiled shower with heat lamp.

You will also have complete access to my kitchen. Your overnight fee will include a brunch of muffins or bagels, fruit, and salad. 

All your drinks for the day are included also. You have a choice of assorted Keurig K-cups, SodaStream sodas, fresh-brewed tea, or filtered water. Although your evening meal is not included you may use any kitchen appliance for storage or heating your own food. There are dozens of restaurants within a 10-minute drive and many also make deliveries to my home.  

Any overnight stay at My {Scrappy/Crafty} Home is only $35 per person. Although my guest room only accommodates two people, my master bedroom with queen bed is also available, as well as a second complete bathroom.  This service is available at almost any time with advance notice.  

For only $15 per day, you can also schedule complete access to my Craft Room. Each workstation includes a full-spectrum lamp, a craft mat, a Scrap-Ma-Bob to hold your drinks and scraps, padded chair, and a power strip to power your small electronics. It also includes use of over 100 Close To My Heart stamp sets, my ink pads, and Cuttlebug with over 40 embossing folders. 

My entire collection of 150 plus Cricut cartridges and Cricut Expression machine is available for use with purchase of any sheets of Close To My Heart cardstock or paper. 

I have all 40 colors of CTMH cardstock plus Kraft, White Daisy, and Colonial White and a wide collection of printed papers. In my store for purchase is albums, page protectors, storage containers, pattern book, Picture My Life accent/journaling cards, embellishments, envelopes, and much more.

Pick a weekend, invite your friends, and become completely immersed in your craft for 48 hours for just $100 (5 pm Friday to 5 pm Sunday)! 

***Day use with no meals or drinks for the weekend is only $30. Maximum capacity is four overnight guests/eight crafters.***

My home is located on the NE edge of Pekin, Illinois in a quiet subdivision with walking paths and only a mile away from the 700 acre McNaughton Park with over 7 miles of wooded/hilly hiking trails (just one part of Pekin Park's 2,500 acre district). Pekin also has 4 championship golf courses if you wish to play (or need to have something for the husband :) 

To contact me to schedule or ask questions, please comment below. You can also post or send me a private message at my business Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WendysCTMHpage