Sneak Peek Day 8

Calling all cardmakers! CTMH has lots of fun new products to take your cardmaking to the next level.

Workshops on the Go Laughing Lola Cardmaking Kit

There are two new Workshops on the Go Cardmaking Kits! Use the materials, kit-exclusive accessories, and instructions to create 15 beautiful cards (five cards each of three designs) inspired by Jeanette Lynton!

The Laughing Lola kit comes with My Acrylix Laughing Lola Cardmaking Workshop Stamp Set, Laughing Lola papers, five cardstock sheets, 15 White Daisy cards and envelopes, Whisper, Black and Silver Baker's Twine (10 yards), Purple Gems and instructional brochure.

The theme of this set is love and support.Whether you're creating a get well card, sending a little something to cheer up a friend or making a sympathy card, this kit makes cards that are stylish and heartfelt.

Workshops on the Go Frosted Cardmaking Kit

The Frosted kit is perfect for conveying your Warm Winter Wishes. The D-size stamp set is one you'll turn to over and over again, not only for cards, but for scrapbook pages, holiday projects and even tags and packaging!

The kit comes with a Frosted Cardmaking Workshop Stamp Set, Frosted papers, five cardstock sheets, 15 Colonial White cards and envelopes, Champagne, Colonial White and Silver Baker's Twine (10 yards), Silver Glitter Gems and instructional brochure.

These kits are only $24.95! That's only $1.66 per card! And represents a savings of $11.83 (the retail value of the individual pieces is $36.78).

These card kit are also excellent projects for Home Gatherings! Split a kit among your guests and each can create and take home three beautiful cards. And of course, your guests will love the cards so much, they'll want their own full kits! It will be easy to earn free Hostess Rewards when you host your own Workshop Home Gathering!

In addition to these kits, CTMH is offering a new My Originals Polar Pals Card Kit. Following up on the popularity and ease of the My Originals Matchbook Card Kit, Polar Pals is an easy to assemble kit for cardmakers of any skill level. The kit consists of 12 tri-fold pop-up shaker cards for sending holiday and wintery greetings to friends and family. The tri-fold cards hold photos and gift cards perfectly. In addition to the cards, the kit includes a sheet of stickers, 12 Shaker Bubbles, 12 adhesive springs and 12 coloured envelopes. These cards are perfect for all the little gift cards given out over the holidays--to teachers, co-workers and as stocking stuffers.

CTMH has also added a new style card to its card family: White Daisy Circle Spin Cards and Envelopes. The focal point of these cards is a die-cut circle that spins! Just the right size for adding a sentiment or spectacular stamp, these cards make a strong statement!

October and November are great for hosting a Home Gathering and choosing a cardmaking project as the theme. At this time of year, people are looking to get into the holiday mood with crafty projects and it's just the right time to start holiday shopping! But you don't have to wait to book your autumn Gathering! Contact me today to get your preferred date!

Sneak Peek Days 6 & 7

Sorry for dropping the ball there...life gets in the way of blogging sometimes....

But here's a double-dose of what you can expect from the new Idea Book: THE PAPERS!!

I know this is one of the first things people rush to once the Idea Book is in their hands. They must see what new colours, patterns and  combinations CTMH has come up with. The wait is over.

Laughing Lola is a fun, energetic mix of Black, Gypsy, White Daisy and three exclusive new colours: Laughing Lola Blue, Laughing Lola  Gold and Laughing Lola Purple.

Complementing the Laughing Lola paper packet are the Laughing Lola Assortment (four satin paper clip bows and nine printed gems in three sizes) and Laughing Lola Complements Dimensional Elements (two 12" x 6" chipboard sheets).

Laughing Lola can be described as  "a touch of class and a lot of sass!"--to quote the coordinating Paisley Perfect stamp set.

Sarita is a collection of striking patterns and colours including Colonial White, Cotton Candy, Goldrush, Gypsy, Lagoon and Outdoor Denim. For those of us who love bright colours and striking patterns, this is a must have.

The Sarita Assortment includes 10 etched wooden shapes and four embossed metal icons. The Sarita My Stickease Assortment has the same bold colours and patterns seen in the papers with two titles, journaling spots, borders and also includes pennants, flowers, arrows, feathers and more.

Pro Player is the paper packet I've been waiting for to document the techno-love in my home. The video game inspired papers feature Black, Outdoor Denim, Pacifica, Ruby, Slate and Whisper. With fun digitised patterns, Pro Player is excellent for documenting boys and their toys.

The Pro Player Assortment has 10 corrugated cardboard shapes and six metal-rimmed enamel badge buttons. The Pro Player My Stickease Assortment touches on all things digital--whether your techno-geek is a Guitar Hero,attached to their cell phone, or if you're an X Box widow, there's a fun sticker to tell your story.

Babycakes says it all. These papers are sweet and adorable, just like the new arrivals in your life. Cute giraffes, fun alphabets, soothing stripes and dots are perfect for pages, cards and mini albums about babies. The Buttercup, Chocolate, Colonial White, Slate and Sunset colour scheme is gender-neutral and great for childhood themes.

Babycakes Complements Canvas Shapes add texture to your projects along with cute animals, borders and popular titles. The Babycakes Assortment coordinates perfectly with the papers, but will find it's way into non-baby themed project too! You'll love them so much you'll want to use them on everything! These 12 wood-rimmed badge buttons are adhesive backed and come in three sizes.

Huntington embodies everything I like about autumn-themed papers: heritage, vibrancy and fall colours. The colours, Autumn Terracotta, Barn Red, Cashmere, Champagne, Cocoa, Desert Sand, Olive, and Slate, are the ones I go to again and again for all my pages. My favourite, pattern looks like a large damask, but has an unexpected, large, vibrant flower. It adds fun and whimsy to traditional patterns.

The Huntington Assortment includes four printed canvas shapes and six printed wooden spool tops. Texture and unique ephemera in one package.

The Huntington My Stickease Assortment plays up the vibrant reds and oranges of the colour palette along with the cooling green. Banners, pennants, flowers and leaves are all perfect for your autumn pages and cards.

Frosted isn't your typical Winter/Christmas paper. With cool tones and hot patterns, Frosted strikes and interesting balance of traditional and fashion forward. Champagne and Colonial White combine with two new colours, Frosted Grey and Frosted Turquoise in geometric circles, chevrons, diamonds and, of course, snowflakes.

The Frosted Assortment isn't theme specific, but combines with the papers beautifully. Six felt flowers in three colours (pink, dark grey, and cream) will add elegance and beauty whether you're doing a page about a December Rose or a Spring Bloom.

The Frosted My Stickease Assortment is what you'll turn to for Christmas cards and winter pages. Snowflakes, snowmen and winter images abound in this set of two sticker sheets.

In addition to the My Reflections products described above, each line comes with new My Acrylix stamp sets designed to coordinate with the paper themes. And of course, each has a Workshop on the Go, which includes the paper packets, exclusive stamp sets, embellishments and an instructional brochure all at a discounted price.

There's your first taste of the colours and themes in the new Idea Book. Keep visiting my blog this week for more glimpses at great new products and The Big Reveal on August 1st!

Sneak Peek: Day 5

If you have a Cricut, you're going to LOVE CTMH's new offering. If you don't have a Cricut, beg, borrow or steal one because you're not going to want to miss out!

Take your scrapbooking to never-before-seen levels with the new Cricut Artbooking collection! With oodles of images in each of 15 layout themes, you can create several coordinating pages for each theme using just two keys and one dial size. Images include accents, borders, titles, overlays, photo mats--in standard photo sizes!--and more.

The Cricut keys are optimised for creating 12" x 12" pages in a jiffy. You'll love creating ten themed mini books, also optimised for several different sizes using just two keys and one dial size.

Celebrate birthdays, new baby, vacations, friends, sports, Halloween, Christmas, and more. When you're finished cutting, use the coordinating stamp sets and Dimensional Elements shapes to add even more pizazz!

The Cricut Artbooking collection includes the Cricut cartridge with 700 images, font, mini books and layouts; three My Acrylix D-size stamp sets; and three 12" x 9" Dimensional Elements in coordinating shapes.

Cricut Artbooking Bundle

You'll find pages, cards and mini books throughout the new Autumn/Winter 2013 Idea Book featuring Artbooking die cuts. If you can't wait one more week until the new Idea Book comes online, check out my Close To My Heart Board on Pinterest. New images are being posted almost every day.

Not ready for Artbooking? CTMH has two other Cricut collections: Art Philosophy (basic brackets, frames, flowers and font) and Artiste (featuring themed projects, interactive cards and more). Whether you're a new or advanced crafter, there's a cartridge for you!

Did you know the Cricut collections are designed with CTMH stamps in mind? Whenever you see a stamp image outlined in red, that shape can be cut with one of the Cricut cartridges. Just refer to the note under the stamp to see which cartridge is needed. Also, on the stamp carrier sheet, you'll find the settings you need to cut the shape to exactly the right size. CTMH has made using the Cricut cartridges, coordinating stamps and shapes fast, simple and easy!

Sneak Peek: Day 4

My latest home decor piece using the Display Tray.

I love seeing my scrapbooking around my house. Whether it's mini-albums in a basket, a favourite layout in a picture frame or a canvas on the wall, I get a lot of joy out of seeing something I've lovingly made, that's celebrating the people I love, displayed in my home.

The designers at Close To My Heart know exactly how I feel and have neatly organised several new products to make embellishing my home as easy as embellishing a scrapbook page. With Designed Decor (home decor with heart), crafters are encouraged to create artwork with substance.

Turn your crafting projects into enduring works of art with our new Designed Decor products. These art and memory displays are durable enough to last from your child's first finger paintings through junior high art class and beyond.

Designed Decor Black Frame

The mini clothes pins and hooks, sold separately, are ideal for clipping artwork or photos to our new wired frames.

Use the Designed Decor Black Frame, with five wires, to organise and display precious photos or important pieces of paper--like tickets, notes and business cards.

The Designed Decor Colonial White Frame uses honeycomb wire for displaying artwork, photos, accents and more.

Both frames come with sawtooth hangers on the back.

In addition to the Display Tray and the Hinged Display Tray seen in previous Idea Books, the Autumn/Winter 2013 Idea Book introduces the Designed Decor Flip Stand Album.. This clear acrylic stand has rings for displaying photos up to 6 1/2" x 5 3/4". The stand also has a slot for inserting a background image.

Designed Decor Frame Kit

 The Designed Decor Frame Kit comes with everything you need to create a stylish, decorative art piece to display in your home. The kit includes a Designed Decor Colonial White Frame, My Acrylix Frame Kit Stamp Set (B size), 33 Kraft Paper Die Cut Shapes, 6 Mini Wooden Clothes Pins and 1 yard of Baker's Twine Hemp.

This is an excellent project for a workshop Home Gathering! Your family and friends will love crafting this stunning frame to display in their own homes.

It's easy to set up your own Workshop Gathering. Contact me to select a date. Invite your family and friends. Confirm how many kits you need 2 weeks before the Gathering. Get your crafting space ready. On the Gathering Day, I will arrive with everything your and your guests need to create the project, including additional inks and stamps, and will provide instruction and guidance to help your guests create a special keepsake--and having fun crafting the whole time!

Contact me today to book your own Gathering with the Designed Decor Frame Kit!

Sneak Peek: Day 3

Do you have a box of odds and ends that are sentimental to you, but you really don't know what to do with? I do. It's an old cigar box and has a few pictures from my childhood, foreign currency, ticket stubs and even one of those key chain photo things from Canada's Wonderland.

My Crush Modville

They're all special things I don't really want to part with, but not anything I'd want to make a full scrapbook or even 12" x 12" page with. Just small memory tokens.

Well, CTMH knows most of us have a little box, or envelope, or drawer of these things and has come up with a way for us to preserve these small memories in one place: My Crush.

My Crush is a memory keeping system that's fast, easy and convenient. Find it. Crush it. Love it.

My Crush books give you a safe place to quickly hold the precious everyday memorabilia while life is happening. Grab a glue stick, some tape, or a paperclip and attach your little things on the printed pages of these handy-size books. It's a way to capture your memories on the go.

The two new My Crush books each include sixty 10" x 7" full-colour, designed pages in a wire-bound, hardcover book. Adhere memorabilia and photos to the pages, write some quick journaling, and then close the book until next time.

My Crush Modville Book

Its small, portable size makes it easy to carry around in a purse or backpack so you can quickly memory-keep, even amidst the busyness of life. If finding time for traditional scrapbooking is a tricky thing right now, start a My Crush book and document life as it happens. No paper trimmer required.

My Crush Bluebird

My Crush comes in two fashionable designs: Modville and Bluebird.  Each also has two assortments to chose from. Add stickers, alphabets and envelopes to embellish and personalise you book You can also use the exclusive coordinating B-size stamp sets to take your book to the next level. Finish it off with your choice of embellishments, like Washi Tape and Shimmer Trim for even more flair!

Whether you want to use My Crush like a smash book, a journal or a mini-album, this is a must-have for creative crafters who want to document the special moments in life.

Scrapbooking Pajama Party!

Here's a message from Close To My Heart:

Close To My Heart is teaming up with Big Picture Classes to bring  you a live webcast about the Cricut® Artbooking collection. Purchase the collection beginning August 1, 2013 and revolutionize the way
you scrapbook!

Tune in for the FREE webcast on Wednesday, July 31 at 7:00 pm (MDT) at BigPictureClasses.com. During the presentation, you’ll learn to make several projects from a variety of sponsors, including
Close To My Heart’s Artbooking “2 of a Kind” layout.

If you’d like to interact on the message board, participate in live chat, post to the gallery, download handouts, or enter any contests, you will need to log in to the Pajama Party “classroom” by creating a FREE
account on the Big Picture Classes website.

We hope you enjoy this sneak peek of the new Artbooking collection as Kristine Widtfeldt and the Big Picture Classes crew make the featured project and share their tips and tricks. We know you will
be chomping at the bit to make the Artbooking layout, so take this opportunity to sit back, relax, and drool over the items, then be ready to spring into action August 1 when you can buy the collection. Then tune
in to the archived event for step-by-step details on how to make the project.

To make the project, you will need the following items—or similar products—on hand:

Z1906 Cricut® Artbooking Collection*
1301 Bamboo Cardstock
1388 Colonial White Cardstock
X5668 Honey Cardstock
X5762 Lagoon Cardstock
X5930 Slate Cardstock
X5639 Sweet Leaf Cardstock
X5666 Twilight Cardstock
Z2160 Twilight Exclusive Inks® Pad
Z2173 Slate Exclusive Inks® Pad
Z1853 Aqua Dots*
Z1799 Silver Shimmer Trim
Z1151 3-D Foam Tape
Z1294 Sanding Kit

*These products will be available for purchase beginning August 1, 2013.

Sneak Peek: Day 2

Fabric Necklace Kit

Undoubtedly you've heard me talk before about taking scrapbooking out of albums and into your world. This fall, CTMH is showing you a new way to take your crafty skills to the next level: making jewellery!

Base & Bling (wearable crafting projects) allows you to create beautiful adornments that reflect your scrapping personality.

Start with the Base elements (necklace, cuff, hair clips, rings or headband) and add the Bling with five different assortments (in teal, black, red, pink and purple) and two different accents (words and floral). There are also adhesive dots and strips to make sure your creation is easy to assemble and lasts.

Add textiles to your jewellery to create rosettes and flowers. There are four textile sets: Chantilly, For Always, Sarita (new) and Sparkle and Shine (new).

Want to try making your own jewellery, but not sure how to start? Try the new Fabric Necklace Kit! Use the fabric from the Sarita textiles and Base & Bling products to create your own beautifully embellished necklace. The kit includes the following: Outdoor Denim/Twilight Dots fabric, Base & Bling necklace, adhesive dots and strips, selected teal and black jewels, floral accents and word accents.

For only $14.95, the Fabric Necklace Kit is an excellent way to to try out crafting your own jewellery. It's also a great project and affordable project for a Home Gathering! Your crafty friends, scrapbookers or not, will love making this beautiful necklace.

Don't wait until the Idea Book comes out! Book your own Home Gathering now!