September SOTM: Family is Forever

Happy September! Before we know it, we'll be feeling the chill of Fall in the air. In the meantime, we have another fun Stamp of the Month set and a wonderful Blog Hop!

If you have arrived here from my sweet friend Teresa's page, you are on the right track. If this is your first stop, following along is easy. Simply click the links provided at the end of each blog post to be directed to the next post in the hop. The blog is one big circle, so once you arrive back to your starting point, you are sure to be inspired by our amazing artists. If you get lost along the way, or find links not working, you can find the complete list of hoppers HERE.

The September Stamp of the Month, Family is Forever (D1409) celebrates those we love most!

    

I couldn't help but notice the autumn feel of this set, so the new Pathfinding papers were my immediate choice, and it works perfectly with the family portraits we took a few years back. I added a touch of Hollyhock to coordinate with the pop of pink in our portrait.

The tree was created by stamping the image a total of three times. The first image is stamped on Champagne paper in Olive ink. I stamped it again in Chocolate ink and once more in Hollyhock ink. The Chocolate and Hollyhock parts you see above are cut and pieced over the original Olive image. 

Here are a couple additional pieces of artwork created by our amazing Art Department at Close to My Heart!

Remember, the Family is Forever stamp set is only available through September. Order it today for $17.95 or get it at an amazing discounted price of just $5 when you spend $50. Visit my website to get yours today!

Time to head on over to Pamela's website to see what she has created to share with us! Happy Hopping!

Outside the Pocket...Inside the (Lunch) Box

Are you in love with the new Picture My Life kits yet? It seems every time I pull them out to create with them, I find another way to use them. The other day, when I was going through the Chalk It Up cards to find the ones I wanted to use on those easy-peasy cards I shared, I was touched by so many of the inspirational messages. Once again, the light bulb flashed on above my head and another idea was born!

Every year, on the first day of school (and often on random days throughout the year) I like to put short "love letters" in my kids' lunches. This year the PML finding their way to my school for a little mid-day love from mom. Being double-sided, the cards are perfect for my notes...I can write my message on one side and the other has a fun or inspirational message.

Remember, when you order your favorite PML kits this month, you can add a 10 pack of Memory Protectors to your order for just $3 (a $6.95 savings). What are you waiting for? Order yours TODAY! 

Still Thinking Outside the Pocket!

Over the past couple days I've shared with you a couple ways to take our amazing Picture My Life kits and use them "outside the pockets" for which they are designed.

Check out this adorable mini-album we created at convention using the Chalk It Up Picture My Life cards and a little extra cardstock. The cover page was custom made for convention attendees, but the rest are just cards straight from the PML kit or blank pieces of cardstock - add a few stamps and the Chalk It Up Assortment and a quick, easy and adorable mini-album is complete and ready for my convention memories!

Remember, if you order your favorite PML kit before the end of the month, you can add a package of 10 Memory Protectors for just $3 - that's a savings of $6.95. Order yours today!

Thinking Outside the Pocket!

Yesterday I shared some easy-peasy cards using one of Close to My Heart's Picture My Life kits. While these amazing kits are designed for the the pocket scrapbooking method of preserving your memories faster, simpler and easier, there are so many more possibilities in these cute little cards.

To see yesterday's post with more detail about the PML cards, click HERE.

Today I am sharing how I used a couple of the Balloon Ride PML cards on a traditional scrapbook page. I will admit, as simple as this concept looks, it took me a while to figure it out. I knew I could use the cards as a design element on my page, so found the cards I wanted, trimmed them just a bit and moved them all over the page to find the perfect spot. Much to my dismay, it wasn't coming together as well as I wished, and then the light bulb above my head went on! I quite trying to work with the rectangular shape of the card and cut out the part of the card I wanted to use. The beautiful sentiments on the PML cards were just perfect for my travel layout!

Did you happen to notice the paper on this layout is paper we retired long ago? Yes, I'm a little behind in completing these pages from our Mediterranean Cruise with CTMH, but I was thrilled that I could VERY easily find not only current, but BRAND NEW products that coordinate beautifully with the Perfect Day papers from many moons ago!

Be sure to check back tomorrow for some more "outside the pocket" ideas for using Picture My Life! And if you haven't already, be sure to order your favorite Picture My Life kits during August to take advantage of our great special!

So Many Cards...So Many Possibilities!

Last Spring Close to My Heart introduced our own line of pocket scrapbooking cards called Picture My Life. Each Picture My Life kit includes the following:
*44 – 4" × 6" Cards (2 each of 22 designs)
*78 – 3" × 4" Cards (3 each of 26 designs)
*1 – 12" × 12" Designed Cover Sheet
*10 – 12" × 12" Memory Protectors™ (various designs) 
That's 122 DOUBLE SIDED cards just waiting to help you create your projects faster, simpler and easier! I simply LOVE that you get multiples of each card because the front and backs of them are so gorgeous I will want to make sure to use both sides!

We now feature 13 different Picture My Life kits, and this month when you order any of those 13 kits, you can add an additional pack of 10 Memory Protectors for just $3 (a $6.95 savings).

So...with just over a week to get in on this great deal, I wanted to share a few "outside the pocket" ideas for using the PML cards!

This morning, I sat down with the new Chalk It Up PML kit and created what had to be the easiest cards ever made! 

So easy-peasy, isn't it? Just a card base, a piece of cardstock, a PML card and a touch of Washi tape! Cute and SIMPLE!

Tomorrow I'll share another fun "outside the pocket" use for these super fun cards!

In the meantime, here is a sampling of all 13 of our Picture My Life kits.

 

Order your favorite Picture My Life kit today!

Annual Inspirations New Product Blog Hop

The brand new Annual Inspirations from Close to My Heart has been out for just about a week now! Have you checked it out? Isn't it GREAT?!?! So many fun, trendy goodies for all of your creative projects. If you haven't checked it out yet, be sure to visit my website to browse the online version.

Whether or not you've devoured the pages of the new Annual Inspirations, you definitely don't want to miss this blog hop! We have over 50 talented consultants ready to share some of their favorite NEW products featured in the Annual Inspirations. If you've arrived here from Terry Ann's site, you are on the right track. If this is your first stop, following along is simple - just click on the links provided at the end of each blog post to be directed to the next blog in the hop. By the time you get back here (or your original starting point), you'll be itching to get crafting and will certainly have a wish list as long as your arm! :-) If at any point you get lost along the way or find links not working, the complete list of hoppers can be found HERE!

I love ALL of the new My Reflections paper packets featured in the Annual Inspirations, but one of my favorites is Confetti Wishes...the bright, cheery color palette is perfect for year round cheer! This 12x12 layout features Confetti Wishes paper and Complements as well as a touch of Gold Shimmer Trim for a little kick! Do you love that purple color? It's one of our 5 new colors, Thistle!

I added a bit of 3-D Foam tape under the letters that spell out "make" and "wish" for a little dimension.

I also played a bit with Confetti Wishes and an adorable new Hostess Exclusive stamp set, Cuddly Salutations - just $6 if you are a Hostess with a gathering total over $150. This cute set of 10 stamps is filled with little animals ands sweet sentiments all in "speech bubbles". 

Of course, I had to play with a line image set like Cuddly Salutations because I am absolutely IN LOVE with the new markers CTMH is carrying. We are proud to feature the ShinHan Touch Twin alcohol inks markers.They are double sided with a fine tip on one end and a broad tip on the other, and when combined with the Colorless Blender, shading and blending is a cinch!

Below are three additional cards we created at Convention. All three feature Confetti Wishes paper and the ShinHan markers! Honestly, these markers are so easy to use and get a beautiful look each time. These cards were the results of my very first use of the ShinHan markers.

Additional Products: C1600 Happy Birds, Z2004 Lagoon Hearts Washi Tape, Z1979 Journaling Pen

Additional Products: C1600 Happy Birds, Z2004 Lagoon Hearts Washi Tape, Z1979 Journaling Pen

Additional Products: M1049 Blooming Heart, Z2004 Lagoon Heart Washi Tape, Z1979 Journaling Pen

Time to hop along and see what Judy Faye has created to share with us!