Tuesday Tidbit: Artfully Sent Basics

   Happy Tuesday, everyone! Today I wanted to share with you a video that CTMH did about the new Cricut cartridge, "Artfully Sent". If you haven't had a chance to check this out yet, you need to! This cartridge is so much fun to play with! Here are some Artfully Sent basics for you today:

   I just love this cartridge! Would you like to get this Cricut collection for yourself? It's easy!! Shop my Online Page today, and get this amazing cartridge straight to your doorstep! Have a wonderful rest of your day, everyone, and hope you can make time to get crafty! Until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Creative Challenge: January #3

    Happy Monday, everyone! CTMH was a little late in posting their challenge today, so I'm sorry this is a little late getting to you!

   This week is super exciting, and I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with! Here's the new weekly challenge:

This week, I gave the challenge to Events Manager, Tiffany Young to show a creative use of the Designer Creations paper bags. Last month, at our company holiday party, we used the Designer Creations bag to hold the utensils and napkins at each place setting. I can think of SO many uses for these fun, pre-printed products. 

Post your most clever creations from the Designer Creations line this week. Be sure to use the hashtag ‪#‎jrlcreativechallenge‬ to be entered to win! Also, to give everyone more time to submit, we are changing the deadline to Sunday at midnight. We’ll choose the winner first thing Monday morning. Have a creative week!

   This is an awesome challenge, friends, and I hope you all get a chance to play along! Especially because the deadline was extended through the weekend! Woo hooo!

   Make sure and post your projects to CTMH's Facebook and/or Instagram pages with the hashtag #jrlcreativechallenge by Sunday (2/1) for your chance to win another amazing prize! 

   Last week's winner won the "Flakey Friends" stamp set for her interpretation of the card challenge! So the awesome prizes keep coming (I'm predicting some awesome Designer Creations line for this week's prize)!

    There are so many options to choose from! You could do a mini album like the Kraft Mini Album I posted about last week or you could use the fun colorful bags and make a super fun project! Whatever you want! So definitely check this one out! Have a great week, and happy crafting! Until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Capture the Love

   Happy Wednesday, everyone!I hope you all are having a great week so far! Today I want to share a project with you all that I made using the new Heartstrings Picture My Life collection and the new Kraft mini album (both from the Seasonal Expressions Idea Book)!

   Some of you may have seen this cute little album during my Preview Party in November/December, but I wanted to show off the details and talk about the embellishments a little bit more today! Plus I wanted to show off the paper-pack-of-the-month, Heartstrings, on a few more of my projects!

   The new Heartstrings Paper Pack goes perfectly with the My Crush "In the Pink" book and accessories! These mini albums are perfect for using up extra Picture My Life cards, too! The possibilities are endless, but I hope you enjoy looking at the project I came up with!

Kraft Mini Album Cover decorated with Slate diagonal ribbon, 2 Heartstrings PML cards, a pink puffy heart from the Chalk it Up Assortment, and a clip and paper flag from the "In the Pink" accessories for the My Crush line.

The Inside cover was decorated with Heartstrings paper, an "In the Pink" envelope from the My Crush Assortment pack, stickers from the same assortment, and Pink Flamingo enamel dots.

I added Heartstrings PML cards throughout the mini album which has protectors in both 3x4 and 4x6 sizes. Then I added some cute photos of my niece and nephew from this last year!

The 3x4 photos were printed in Studio J and cut apart from the 12x12 sheet! This was an easy and fast way to get all the pictures off my phone and computer, but also get them in a smaller size that does not distort the image.

The back inside cover I decorated with another piece of Heartstrings paper and a couple strips of Slate washi tape. I didn't journal or embellish the cards on the inside of the album, but that's the next step! In total this project took less than an hour to complete!

   This book works well as a brag book in your purse or bag, and also works as a coffee table display album! Either way, you're going to love this little project! Grab your supplies and start getting crafty, friends!

   If you need any of the supplies I used to complete your own Kraft Mini Album, visit my Online Shopping Site today and start shopping!

   Have a wonderful day, friends, and until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Creative Challenge: January #2

   It's that time again!! CTMH released their second creative challenge yesterday on their Facebook and Instagram pages. They also released a creative Bingo board to help kick start your creativity this week!

   I love creative challenges! They help me get focused and give me a goal toward completion! That's why I highly encourage you to participate in these weekly challenges! Even if you don't share them with CTMH....it will at least help you make time getting crafty each week while also working on your own projects!

   Here is this week's CTMH post for the creative challenge:

This week, I asked our talented Marketing Manager, Carlie Robertson, to create a card to reflect the weather. Although we have been without snow lately in Utah, we are wishing for some white sometime soon! Carlie used “Flakey Friends” to create this adorable card. 

Your challenge is to create a card that reflects your weather and let us know what products you use. Post your creations to Instagram or Facebook by midnight on Friday and be sure to use the hashtag ‪#‎jrlcreativechallenge‬
Happy crafting! 

   Make sure and post your projects to CTMH's Facebook and/or Instagram pages with the hashtag #jrlcreativechallenge by Friday (1/23) for your chance to win another amazing prize! 

   Last week's winner won the "Charming Chevrons" stamp set for her interpretation of the layout challenge! So there are definitely awesome prizes to be had!

   The second creative challenge this week is CTMH's Bingo Board! I love playing creative Bingo! It's very inspiring, and makes you think outside the box! 

   Here’s how to play: Close your eyes and spin your finger around the board until you feel the draw to put it down. Open your eyes. Which box did your finger land on? Survey your position and then choose to follow either the vertical or horizontal row of the space you landed on. Now heed the guidelines of each box in the row and get crafting!

   You can post your project(s) to CTMH's Facebook page if you feel like sharing, but this is just a bonus challenge. There are no prizes for participating in this one! It's simply to jump start your creativity this week!

   You can download your own Bingo Board to print at home and play along by clicking on the picture and downloading the document to your computer! Let me know if you have any issues with this, and I can always help you out and email you a copy instead!   

   I hope this has inspired you all to get crafty this week and start making some amazing artwork! Have fun with these challenges, and enjoy your week! Until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Creative Time

   This week I finally made some time to get creative! It had been a long time since I worked in my craft room, and I missed it! There are so many projects and things that I have been wanting to do, but the holidays and post-holiday craziness had to come first!

   So today I want to share with you a couple of the projects I have been working on this week! First thing I worked on were the cards that I made for this month's workshop called "ShinHan Coloring Class". We practiced basic coloring techniques, shading and shadowing, and blending! It was a lot of fun, and we were able to get a lot of fun coloring done!

   The first card was made using the "Heartstrings" paper pack and the "Rainy Day" stamp set. I then colored the stamped images with CTMH's ShinHan markers: Pastel Green, Golden Yellow, Peony Purple, Lavender, Clay, Warm Grey (WG4), and Marine Blue.

   I ink distressed the White Daisy cardstock with a Chocolate Distress Ink pad for added texture. I didn't add any embellishments to this card yet, but I'll probably add a little something to "finish" it before I send it to anyone!

   The second card I made using the "Heartstrings" paper pack again only this time I used the "Your Own Kind of Wonderful" stamp set! I stamped the larger butterfly and sentiment in "Black" ink first. Then I stamped the two smaller butterflies in "Gypsy" and "Canary" inks.

   I used ShinHan markers to color in the butterflies and add detail over my sentiment again. This time I used the following colors: Golden Yellow, Marigold, Carmine, Turquoise Blue, Peacock Green, Lavender, and Warm Grey (WG4).

   I added a couple clear sparkle gems and some hand-drawn edges to embellish and finish the card, and ta-dah! Another fun and colorful ShinHan card!

   I wanted to keep these cards simple so that the coloring would stand out more! Have you had a chance to play with the new ShinHan alcohol markers? Well if not, I hope you get a chance this weekend! Thanks for checking out my projects today, and until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Retiring Stamp Sets

   Good Morning, everyone! I hope you all are enjoying your week so far! Today I wanted to share with you some exclusive CTMH news! This week I found out the stamp sets that will be retiring at the end of the month!

   Stamp sets are only active for a year's time (unless they are Cricut compatible stamp sets....those never retire)! So it's time to say goodbye to the following stamps in 2015:

A couple of my absolute must haves from this list include: "A Tree", "Love Doily", and "You're the Best"

I love love love our mini stamps! So my must haves from this list are the "Perfect Polka-Dot Day", "Balloons", and "Good job Stencil"! However, all of these sets are adorable and will be missed!

   All of these soon-to-be-retired stamp sets can be seen on my Online Shopping Site for easy reference and a super easy shopping experience, but act quickly to get your favorites because they will no longer be available after January 31st!

   Also note, the brand new rolling tote and shoulder bag are in stock right now, too! I received my set before Christmas, and absolutely LOVE them! Together they hold so much stuff! They're the perfect size for all my necessities,  and they're super cute, too! So make sure and check those out while you're shopping online as well!

    Don't forget that when you shop online you have access to CTMH's clearance items! These are retired items that you no longer can order from the Idea Books, but you can get your favorites for deep discounted prices! It's one of my favorite things to check when shopping online with CTMH! Here's a peek at the items currently in the "While Supplies Last" section:

   Last, but not least, I wanted to let you know that the White Shimmer Trim is currently unavailable! It's been a hot item since its release in December, and I am not surprised that inventory went quickly! I will keep you all updated when this item is officially back in stock, but it looks like new inventory should be coming in yet this week! So hopefully you won't have to wait long!

   I think that's everything I have for you today! If you have any questions or need help getting the goodies you would like this month, please let me know! I would love to help you out! Have fun shopping for your favorites, and until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Creative Challenge: January #1

   Happy Tuesday, everyone! Instead of my usual Tuesday Tidbit today, I wanted to share with you CTMH's very first weekly challenge! Did you get a chance to see the challenge on Facebook or Instagram yesterday?

   This week the challenge is about reflecting on your goals for 2015! All you have to do is create a layout that will help you keep your resolutions all year long. It can be a traditional 12x12, PML layout, or Studio J layout! Whichever you prefer!

   Make sure and post your project to Instagram and/or the CTMH Facebook page with the hashtag ‪#‎jrlcreativechallenge‬ by Friday (1/16) to be entered to win a terrific prize!

   Creative Communications Manager, Jill Broadbent, put her New Year's resolution on a layout as an example for this week!! This is her interpretation of the challenge:

   I love the colors Jill chose to use for her layout! Have fun with this challenge, friends, and I hope that one of you wins this week's prize! Happy Crafting, and until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Creative Challenge Kick-off

   Yesterday, CTMH posted on their blog a fun, exciting, and new series that they are starting for 2015! I'm super excited to share this with you all because each week, CTMH will be posting Creative Challenges for everyone to participate in! Here's how it'll work:

1. Tune in to CTMH's Facebook and Instagram pages each Monday to learn what Jeanette’s Creative Challenge will be. Follow Close To My Heart on Facebook and Instagram so you can get the details pronto! When they announce the challenge, you’ll see a sample project as your inspiration and it will then be up to you to create and share your own creations.

2. You have until the following Friday to post a photo of your own interpretation of the challenge to either CTMH's Facebook page or your own Instagram feed. Be sure to use the hashtag #jrlcreativechallenge when you post. You can search this hashtag at any time to see what others have posted!

3. What’s in it for you? This series is designed to inspire creative time and provide a place for unity and idea sharing each week. The challenge will give you a reason to get into your supplies on a regular basis for the sole purpose of having fun through crafting!

4. Oh, and did I mention there will be prizes? CTMH will choose one random winner each week to receive a prize for participating. They'll announce the previous week’s winners every Monday on Facebook and Instagram, just before the new challenge announcement.

5. Spread the word about this opportunity to anyone and everyone you know who loves creating, winning prizes, and a good challenge! The more people that get involved, the more fun it will be.

    Doesn't this sound awesome!?!??! Plus there's prizes!!! Score!!! I hope you'll join me in following CTMH on Facebook and Instagram, and participating in these exciting new challenges each week! Plus it's a great way to use up your stash and a great reason to make time getting creative!

   So gear up, friends, because the first challenge will be posted on Monday, January 12th!!! I hope you all are having a great week, and until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Tuesday Tidbit: Emboss Resist Stamping

   Welcome to the first Tuesday Tidbit of the year! I hope you all are ready for an exciting tip and video today! I wanted to share an "old" technique called "Emboss Resist Stamping". Many of you have practiced this technique before, but I love getting new ideas and seeing new projects using old techniques! It makes me want to dig out my stash and start playing right away!

   So without further ado, check out this video from Monica and Kristine demonstrating this fun stamping technique:

   Are you feeling inspired to get out your embossing supplies now? I love this technique and how amazing the final project looks! I can't wait to use the new Ranger embossing powders from the Annual Inspirations Idea Book to start resist stamping this week!

   If you have any questions or need to get your hands on some embossing supplies, let me know! I would love to help you out! Make time to get crafty this week, and until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Overwhelmed

   Hey crafty peeps! Today's post is not a crafty post, but more of an update on my crazy life! I haven't talked or seen many of you since the end of November/beginning of December, and a lot has changed since then!

   First, you might have noticed that I haven't been putting up as many blog posts the last couple months. The holidays are my time to put business in the backseat and enjoy the season and my family. However, you might have also noticed that I don't have a lot scheduled in the next couple months either! Well there's a good reason for that, too!

   Now don't panic....I'm not giving up the CTMH business or crafty time, but for the next couple months I won't be able to do as many of my classes and events either. I know....it's sad news, but life has decided to keep me busy elsewhere.

   So here's a couple reasons why I'm overwhelmed and my schedule is insane at the moment:

1. We have decided to start a basement remodel on our house.

    Yep! We decided to start the year with another huge project! This time, though, we're hiring it out to get finished in a professional and timely manner (and to save my sanity). So we're meeting with designers today, talking with contractors, and planning our space! It's going to be craziness around here, but it'll be awesome to get this space finished! 

2. We also are preparing to sell our house in Ankeny, IA.

    Ummm yes....we have had wonderful tenants living in our old house for the last 3 1/2 years, but they are ready to get a place of their own! This means that we now have an empty house to deal with starting in February! We have decided to sell it instead of re-rent it so that it's one less thing on my plate to manage. This means that there are updates and cleaning to take care of, appliances to replace and fix, painting, staging, and finding a realtor! Soooo yeah....this means a lot of my time will be spent in the Des Moines, IA area in February and March!

3. We will be taking our Annual Florida trip at the beginning of February.

    So on top of having these other two huge things going on, we also will be out of town for 2 weeks at the beginning of February for our Annual Florida trip. We're excited to see family and visit our nieces and nephews from Seattle, Washington (which we haven't seen in a year), and we're ready for some warm sunshine, too! However, this makes planning workshops impossible in February.

4. Lastly, the honest factor!

    My last reason is more of a chance to be honest with all of you. I haven't crafted a thing since the middle of November. I have all of the new products and projects in mind, but I haven't had a chance to touch any of it for a long time. So this has also affected posting artwork, upcoming workshops, promotion artwork, etc.

    I am hoping to have some crafty time these next two weeks before we leave for Florida, but we'll see what I can do. We still need to put Christmas away, clean our house, and take care of some beginning of the year business stuff, too (yay taxes, dues, and other time consuming paperwork).
 
   It's been quite overwhelming, friends, and I just wanted to keep you all in the loop! I will try really hard to get ahead soon, but please be patient with me as I try and get through all these crazy new hoops!

    Definitely keep checking this blog and my Facebook business page for updates, and feel free to contact me with any questions or orders that you would like to place in the next couple months! Thanks for understanding, friends! I hope you all are getting time to get crafty this month! I would love to see what you're making if you do! Until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Happy New Year!!!

   Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you're enjoying this first day of 2015! I am looking forward to all the wonderful things that 2015 may bring, and all the memories and adventures that will happen!

   Have you made any resolutions or goals for this year? Are you making any crafty goals for 2015? I have been thinking about my goals for 2015, and think I've pinned it down to a couple things!

   In 2015 I want to make time to get creative at least 3 days a week for at least an hour at a time. I also want to work on projects, scheduling, and upcoming event details 4 months in advance! I started doing this last fall, but then things got really crazy busy with the holidays! So now I'm putting it on my goals list to try and stay ahead this year, and multitask a little better throughout the year!

   CTMH is helping us all kick off a crafty 2015 with some amazing deals in January that you do not want to miss out on! Brace yourselves, friends, 2015 is starting with a crafty bang!

January SOTM: This Moment

   This month's SOTM is one of my absolute favorite stamp sets! It's fun, super cute, and I immediately knew I had to have it! There are 12 total images on this set, and believe me you're going to fall in love!

 

Here's a card I made for my husband for our Anniversary last fall! I used Flaxen Fundamentals paper, retired Twilight cardstock, and striped twill ribbon! I loved playing with this stamp set and combining the images with the Happy Hexagons Hostess Rewards stamp set!

January is National Papercrafting Month!!!

   CTMH is kicking off National Papercrafting Month with a very special, new, exclusive kit called Year>>Noted! 

   During the month of January, with a qualifying purchase of $50, you are eligible to purchase the exclusive Year >> Noted paper kit (which has a retail value of over $24) for only $5 (that’s over 80% off retail)!

   Or, for an additional $5, you can order the Year >> Noted paper kit with an accompanying My Creations kraft mini book.

   The paper kit for both options includes a C-size stamp set, stickers, cardstock, and B&T Duos papers, all specially designed to coordinate with the My Creations kraft mini book so you can have a yearlong scrapbooking experience. This means you will receive over $34  worth of product for only $10 if you purchase the kit with the accompanying mini book!

   This is such a beautiful kit, and is the perfect color combo to start the new year!Check out the video showcasing some artwork using this awesome new kit, and be prepared to fall in love:

 

Extra! Extra! Hostess Rewards!!

   During the month of January, all Gatherings that reach $350 or higher, will be eligible to receive up to 50% more Hostess Rewards! This means an additional $30, giving you the opportunity to earn up to $230 or more in select free products.

   This offer is only available during January and is the ideal pairing for your National Papercrafting Month Gatherings! Besides who doesn't like extra bonus rewards??

Earn extra rewards just for getting your friends and family together to buy your favorite CTMH items!

   Contact me today to set up your own workshop or gathering during the month of January! You do not want to miss out on this very special offer by CTMH!

New Albums now Available

      Did you know that CTMH's new albums are now available in both D-ring and post bound styles?? All 3 styles of CTMH Albums are now available to order! These albums are amazing and you're going to love how they look on your shelves!

Lagoon Chevron, Ruby Floral, and Black Canvas

   Each album comes with a special canvas coating that is sealed with a smudge-proof, stain-proof finish! This makes it perfect for handling and showing off anytime you like! Plus it's perfect for keeping the outsides of your albums clean and dust free! Here are the measurements of the albums:

Post-Bound: 12½" × 13" × 2½"
D-Ring: 15¼" × 14" × 2½"

   If you would like to see more of these albums up close, check out the video that CTMH released:

   Whewww......I think that's everything you need to know to kick off you new year! I hope you're as excited about all these awesome deals as I am! If you have any more questions, please let me know! Otherwise, have a wonderful New Year's, and until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!