Card Marathon is Coming!

The most popular workshop I offer is my 20 Card Marathon. . .my customers love that they can come and whip out 20 awesome cards in one evening.  My next round of card marathon classes is coming up Monday, March 4th (9:30 a.m. or 6 p.m.), Tuesday, March 5th, 6 p.m. and Thursday, March 7th (6 p.m.).  Cost for the class is a $20 minimum order.  We'll make four each of five different cards.  I've designed the cards so that you can change the sentiments (words) on the cards to suit your needs.  Take a peek at the cards we'll be making this time:

I can't get enough of the For Always paper, because it's SO extremely versatile.  I designed this card so that my workshop attendees can choose whatever message they want--wedding, graduation, birthday, etc.   The bow is made from our Tulle Ribbon and one of the buttons from our new Black Button Assortment.

This card features our new Tommy paper.   The center image is from the new Perfect Fit--Birthday stamp set.  I'm a big fan of our new Outdoor Denim Chevron ribbon, which I used for the tails on my ribbon.  My apologies that my cards are always crooked in my photos!!
 

This card is made with our new Claire paper. . .I used a Colonial White card base.  The middle pieces are Outdoor Denim and Champagne cardstock (a little washed out in my photo).  The message is stamped in Outdoor Denim.  The flower is cut from the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge to match the stamp from the Girls Rock stamp set.

This card features our new Buzz & Bumble paper, which has been quite popular with my customers!  Most of the flowers were cut on the Cricut in Sunset or Creme Brulee Cardstock.  I put the new Artisan Studs in the center of each flower.



I saw a card similar to this on Vicki Wizniuk's blog (www.wizardshangout.blogspot.com) and changed it a bit for my class.  When designing this card, I tried several different combinations of the Chantilly papers, and I like every single one.  This is just an adorable pack of paper!  The flower is cut from the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge.

Studio J Layouts only $5 in February!!!

Our Studio J 12 x 12 two-page layouts are already a great deal at the regular price of $6.95, but for the month of February, they're only $5!!  This is a wonderful time to give Studio J a try.  To access Studio J, simply go to my website, http://christina.ctmh.com, and click on Studio J.  If you're a first-time user, you'll need to register and you may be asked to provide a credit card number. . .but you don't pay anything until you actually order a finished layout print.  It's FREE to get on Studio J and play! 

I know so many people who snap OODLES of digital photos. . .some of them end up on Facebook, but most of them just wind up stored on the computer.  Studio J is a great solution for busy people who want an attractive, fun way to display they're photos but maybe don't want to commit to the time and expense of traditional scrapbooking.  Even though I TEACH scrapbooking classes, I find that I don't often have the time to sit down and put together layouts.  Studio J is my solution for getting it done! 

If you're in a REAL hurry, try our new Studio J Express layouts--they're layouts that are already "done" (complete with beautiful embellishments added)--you just drop your photos in and add titles/journaling.  If you've got a little more time, then choose from our huge selection of paper patterns (including kits that have long-since retired from our catalogs), select the layout design of your choice, and start playing.

Need some help getting started?  Come to my beginner class on Tuesday, Feb. 12th, 6 p.m., and I'll show you how.  If you're local, I can also schedule a one-on-one session to teach you the basics.  If you're long-distance and need some help, I'd be happy to walk through Studio J with you on the phone--just contact me to set up a time!

February Stamp of the Month

 

Our February Stamp of the Month, Home Sweet Home, features some great sayings for your scrapbook layouts or cards.  I really love the fonts they chose for these--so cool!!  During the month of February, you can purchase this Stamp of the Month for only $5 with a $50 purchase or order it for $17.95 by itself.  To order, visit my website at http://christina.ctmh.com

 

 

 

 

Some Fun Valentine Ideas!

I'm sorry I didn't get around to posting Valentine Ideas a little earlier. . .got interrupted by our Close to My Heart Southern Caribbean Cruise!

I made this fun Valentine gift box using our new My Creations Clear Pillow Boxes (Z1840, $2.95 for 3 boxes).  I embellished it with paper from the For Always paper pack and from hearts I cut with the Cricut Artiste cartridge.  The "I Love You Because" stamp comes from the new For Always Workshop on the Go Scrapbooking Kit. 

I made this card for my team meeting swap. . .it was so fun to play with our new fabric (For Always Textiles, $8.95).  I just cut a strip of the fabric and straight stitched it on my machine (you could do this by hand, too)--then I pulled the thread to make it ruffle up a bit.  The hearts are cut on the Artiste Cricut cartridge  The white heart is embossed with black embossing powder--the stamp comes from the For Always Workshop on the Go Scrapbooking Kit. 

If you have our Artiste Cricut Cartridge, you have a gazillion Valentine projects right at your fingertips.  This heart-shaped card pouch is one of them.  I believe I cut the pouch at 4 inches and the heart to go inside at 3 1/4 inches.  The ribbon is our Color Ready Seam Binding ribbon stamped with hearts using our pigment inks (Cranberry). . .if you don't use pigment ink, your stamped images will likely "bleed" on the ribbon and come out fuzzy.

Here's another fun new product. . .our Muslin drawstring bags.  The muslin fabric is very flat and easy to stamp on.  I used hearts from my Whooo's Your Valentine stamp set and stamped them with our Pigment Inks (Hollyhock, Cranberry). 

I just love it when we come out with practical products that are SUPER affordable.  These small paper pouches are only $2.95 for 20 of them!!  They are 3 x 4 in size--perfect for small gifts, snacks or a cookie, but you can also get them in the larger 5 x 6 size.  I spritzed my bag with our spray pens (Z1380) filled with water and a few reinker drops.  I added some cardstock and a strip of our Silver Shimmer tape.  The polka-dot square is one of our new Irresistibles Frames--chipboard shapes that you can rub with your ink color to get really cool patterns.  These bags would be great for birthday party favors--just use stamps and colors to match your party theme. 

February Club Projects featuring For Always paper

This will be our layout for the February club.  I don't think my photo quite captures how pretty this layout is. . .the beauty is in the details!  I use paper from the "For Always" paper packet (X7165B, $9.95), along with accents of Ruby cardstock.  You could use ANY accent color with this black and white kit, and I think that's what makes it SO incredibly versatile.  I don't think there's a color that would look bad with this paper packet.  I didn't have photos to put on this layout yet, but just FYI, the grey strip on the right page is meant to hold four 2 3/4" square photos, side by side.  Also, at the top of the right page, the "Here's Our Story" flap opens up for a place to add journaling or more photos.  This layout design is "Card Trick" from Jeanette Lynton's "Magic" book.   I used the Love Doily stamp set (B1418)--you won't believe the detail in this stamp as well as the stamp set from the For Always Workshop on the Go Scrapbooking Kit (G1055).  The flowers, hearts and "Love" were cut with the Cricut Artiste and Art Philosophy cartridges.

 

 

Here's a close-up detail of the lefthand page.   You can't quite see the Sparkle Flourish on there, but it gives the layout some beautiful shine!

And, for my cardmaking club members. . .



I made this card with the For Always paper packet using Lagoon cardstock as my accent color.  The stamp is from the new Perfect Fit--Birthday stamp set (B1417, $9.95).  I stamped the present in Honey ink and mounted it on foam tape to make it stand out.  The ribbon is our Black Striped Grosgrain (Z1781, $6.95)

I copied this card design right out of the new catalog and, again, it shows how easy it is to work with the papers from the For Always paper pack.  The "Hello" stamp comes from the Patterned Pennants stamp set (D1534, $17.95), and the speech bubble is cut from the Cricut Artiste cartridge.  I used Black Tulle Ribbon and our new Black Assortment buttons (LOVE these), Z1821, $5.95.

This is one of the MANY cards you can cut on the Cricut Artiste cartridge.  The black sleeve slides over the closed card--just cut it the same size as your card.  I can't remember which cartridge I used for my flowers (either Artiste or Art Philosophy), but they're cut from Honey cardstock and layered. 

This is another card design that I got from our new Spring/Summer Idea Book.  What I love about it is that I got to use some of our new For Always Textiles (Z1820, $8.95) on the card--you might not be able to tell from the photo, but the fabric is the black banner piece with white writing on it.  This fabric is so easy to cut, and it lays perfectly flat on your card.  I also used some of our new Black Shimmer Trim (love that this stuff is self-adhesive) and our new Black Assortment Buttons.  The accent colors are Lagoon and Ruby.  "Wishing You Congrats" comes out of the 4 My Friend stamp set (D1510, $17.95).

 

It's coming!!!  It's almost time to unveil the brand new Spring/Summer Close to My Heart catalog!  Come check it out at my open house on Thursday, January 31st, 5 to 8 p.m.  I'll have door prizes, lots of new products and artwork on display, sign-up sheets for my upcoming classes, yummy snacks, a fun make n' take, and an AWESOME Mystery Hostess Drawing!  Place an order of $15 or more and get entered into the drawing.  Get entered a second time for every additional $10 you order.  Every guest receives a FREE Spring/Summer catalog full of beautiful, inspiring ideas.

 

 

 

 

An Exquisite Stamp of the Month

Close to My Heart has really given us a stunning Stamp of the Month for January, and I encourage you to get it before it's gone!  You can purchase the Stamp of the Month for only $5 with a $50 purchase in January, or you can purchase it for the regular price of $17.95.  Don't forget that our Whooo's Your Valentine Special is also running this month. . .place a $35 order and get the entire Whooo's Your Valentine kit for $10.  Add a little more, and get the Stamp of the Month for $5.  You can order both specials HERE.

I made this card using Creme Brulee, Black and White Daisy Cardstock.  I stamped the roses in Black Staz On ink and colored them with our alcohol markers--Creme Brulee and Olive.   Even if you're not great at coloring techniques, I think you'll do well with this stamp set because the intricate shading lines are already cut into the stamp.

I try to post original artwork as much as possible, but every now and then I see a card inspired by another Consultant that I just have to try myself.  I copied this card from one of my FAVORITE bloggers, Allisa Chilton of www.rockymtnpapercrafts.blogspot.com.  I changed a couple of things (different saying and added the pearl pins), but it's pretty similar to her original card.   I HIGHLY recommend that you wander over to her blog and take a look at her exceptional artwork.  I stamped my roses with Staz On Ink and colored them with our Ruby alcohol markers.  I stamped the Happy Birthday in Ruby as well as the the zigzag pattern (which is from our Whooo's Your Valentine set).