Monday, August 31, 2009

September Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!

Welcome to the Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! September's SOTM is Treasures, a great set filled with images and sentiments for all your dandelion wishes!

If you've arrived here from Wendy's site, you're on the right track. If you're just getting started, simply click on the link at the bottom of each blog hop post to follow the path until you end up back here. Once again, we have over 60 Close to My Heart Consultants sharing their creations!

This month, I have two fun cards to share with you.

This simple 5x7 card uses the midpoint concept from Wishes. The Prisma Glitter adds a little sparkle and just the right finishing touch.


Stamp set: Treasures (September SOTM)
Papers: My Reflections Level 2 Paper Packet - Grace
Exclusive Inks: Honey, Cocoa
Accessories/Tools: Colonial White Ribbon Rounds, Prisma Glitter, 3-D Foam Squares, Sponge Daubers

The next card, a 4 ½” x 4 ½” design, is inspired by the Matchbook concept, also from Wishes.





Stamp set: Treasures (September SOTM)
Papers: My Reflections Level 2 Paper Packet – Grace
Exclusive Inks: Honey, Cocoa, Twilight
Accessories: Antique Copper Brads, Prisma Glitter, Sponge Dauber

Now "Hop" on over to Barbra’s blog to see her work! Enjoy the blog hop – you’re sure to get lots of great new ideas and inspiration! Remember, the September SOTM is only available until September 30th!

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Still Cupcake Crazy!

Like so many of you, I fell in love with Close to My Heart's Cupcake Sprinkles stamp set (D1336) when it was released in the Spring 2009 Idea Book!

I was recently able to pull it out and use it again for Amy's Cupcake Buffet themed Home Gathering! Amy sent out fun custom invitations, served delicious homemade cupcakes to all of her guests, and we played with the Cupcake Sprinkles stamp set! Such a sweet night it was!

It is always fun to pull out a stamp set and match it with NEW papers! Yes, that's right, this card is made with Close To My Heart's new Twitterpated papers. The colors are a perfect compliment to Fall, but work well with so many other themes!

Speaking of NEW...the Fall/Winter Idea Book will be available to view online on Tuesday, September 1st. Just head over to my website to see it (remember, it won't be there until Tuesday!). Want your own copy, just drop me an email (I offer a great subscription rate where you just pay for shipping and the books are FREE)!

And of course, keep checking back here to see lots of the new goodies in the coming weeks!

Friday, August 14, 2009

Come Sneak-a-Peek!

You’re invited to the annual SNEAK-a-PEEK!

Fall/Winter Catalog Kick-Off & Open House

Thursday, August 20, 2009
4pm – 8pm
At my home in Camarillo

Mark your calendar and plan to join us for all the fun! This will be your first chance to see the incredible Fall/Winter 2009 Idea Book and Catalog and many of the NEW scrapbooking products.

♥Free Fall/Winter 2009 Idea Book for all who attend
♥Enter to win a fabulous basket filled with amazing CTMH products and support Operation Smile at the same time!
♥Make & Takes
♥Current and “Retired” Products for Sale
♥Door Prizes
♥Refreshments and MORE!!!

HOW TO EARN DOOR PRIZE TICKETS:
♥RSVP before August 17th -- 1 Ticket
♥Be one of the first 5 guests to RSVP (and attend) -- 2 Tickets
♥Bring a ”fresh face” with you (someone who is “new to me”!) -- 3 Tickets
♥Place a $35+ Order (before tax and shipping), join a club or book a home gathering -- 4 Tickets
♥Bring a friend who places an order, joins a club, or books a gathering -- 5 Tickets

Click here to RSVP by August 17th so I can have a catalog and make-n-take supplies ready for you!

I hope you'll Grace me with your presence at my Sweet Home. You'll get a chance to see the latest and greatest from Close to my Heart and you'll be so Twitterpated you'll certainly Jingle all the Way Home!

Friday, August 7, 2009

Gotta love FREE goodies!

Don't you just love getting FREE scrapbooking goodies? I do! and I LOVE the Thanks-a-bration special offered by CTMH right now!

Between now and August 17th simply place a minimum order of $100 and you get not only the fun Stamp of the Month set, It's your Day for FREE, but CTMH will throw in a My Reflections Level 2 paper packet as well (a total retail value of $35.90). To make it an sweeter deal, CTMH will also cover the tax and shipping on both of your free items.

Thanks-a-bration only lasts until August 17th, so don't wait! Head on over to my website...http://beth.MyCTMH.com and shop online. Of course, you can call or email me with your order as well!
*Free paper packet will vary by order and will be hand selected by CTMH. Limit of one free paper packet and one free SOTM set per order (but you're welcome to place as many qualifying orders as you'd like!).

Monday, August 3, 2009

Cards for Operation Smile

As many of you know, Close to My Heart is an active supporter of Operation Smile. Operation Smile is an amazing children’s medical charity whose network of global volunteers are dedicated to helping improve the health and lives of children and young adults. Since its founding, Operation Smile volunteers have treated more than 130,000 children born with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities. Did you know that only $240 can pay for a surgery which will bring a beautiful smile to a child's face? Last year (July 2008 - June 2009), through your donations and simple "rounding up" of your orders. we were able to donate almost $650 to Operation Smile. Further, through all consultant contributions and purchases of My Acrylix stamp sets, Close to My Heart donated $150,000 to this incredible cause.

At our Leadership Conference last week, we held a Silent Auction to benefit Operation Smile. A handful of consultants were asked to create something to donate to the auction which also included items made by our amazingly talented corporate Art Department. I was honored to receive a phone call asking me to contribute to this fun Silent Auction.

I chose to create a Magic Moments Card Set! Cutting and designing 20 cards was a snap using the one of the three workshop guides in the new Wishes book. Embellishing each of the cards took a little more time as no two cards in the set are alike. All 20 cards were put into a fun altered tin complete with dividers to keep the cards organized by theme.


The bidding on my item was beyond my wildest dreams! Thank you so much to everyone who bid on my card set. A special thanks to Marie for your very generous donation to Operation Smile - enjoy those cards!!

I've shared some of my favorite cards from the set below.

For this fun card, I cut the paisley accent out of the paisley print B&T paper from the Magic Moments paper packet.

A simple little Sparkle can make a big difference! That cute flower and the sentiment are both found in the Dainty Thoughts stamp set (C1350).
Liquid Applique and a touch of Prisma Glitter on the Sunflower star really makes this card shine. Stamp sets used are Thoughtful Seasons (D1299) and Magic Moments (B1318).
For this card, I stamped the cute paisley from the Magic Moments stamp set (B1318) in three different colors (Hollyhock, Indian Corn Blue and Sunflower) and then pieced together the elements to create a multi-colored paisley! An Antique Copper Brad adds the finishing touch.


Super simple card! I used the Thank You stamp set (D1361) and the Magic Moments set (B1318). After stamping the sentiment, I covered it with a Circle Window Charm and placed it on the card with a foam square - love that dimension!
Two more simple cards! The Celebrate card uses two stamp sets; Magic Moments (B1318) and It's a Party (D1182). The simple knotted ribbon adds a great finishing touch! The Thank You card uses Thank You (D1361) and lots of fun buttons!

Once again, I paper pieced the fun paisleys for these two cards. For a little extra kick, I added Liquid Applique to the dots in the center of the paisleys. FUN!
Who doesn't love flowers?!!? I use the Big Pinks Just Blooms for this card. Notice the Hollyhock and Garden Green brads in the center of the button. Such a simple card! If you love flowers how about a whole garden of them? This last card was created using our White Daisy Just Blooms paper flowers and Sweet Leaf Ric Rac for the stems and leaves. The centers of the flowers were created by cutting out circles from the circle print B&T paper in the Magic Moments paper packet and covering them with Circle Window Charms.