NEW PRODUCTS Available from Close To My Heart!

I just LOVE new stuff - especially when it comes from Close To My Heart! CTMH has switched up it's Idea Book release dates a little bit. The new Annual Inspirations 2015-2016 Idea Book won't officially begin until September 1st instead of August 1st as originally planned. So, to bridge the gap, during the month of August, you can get your hands on select new products from the 2015-2016 Annual Inspirations Idea Book! The new products available for customer purchase now are:

• Cricut® Artistry Collection (Z3167) - WHOOHOO!!

• My Reflections™ Zoe Paper Packet (X7197B)

• Zoe Complements (X7197C) 
• Zoe Assortment (Z3082) 
• Coral Shimmer Trim (Z3088) 
• Enamel & Glitter Duos Green Triangles (Z3123) 
• Workshops on the Go® Zoe Scrapbooking Kit (G1096)

• Framed – August Stamp of the Month (S1508) 

• Zoe Studio J® Kit 
• Zoe Studio J® Limited Edition Express Collection (Live until September 30, 2015)

• Marker Roll-Up (Z3120) and Accessory Roll-Up (Z3121) as part of the "August Get Organized" Campaign

Where can you get a hold of these incredible new products? My website, of course! Just enter any of the above item numbers or descriptions into the "search for products" spot at http://funforyou.ctmh.com. And while you are there, be sure to catch up on all the latest specials and promotions going on this month - you'll be glad you did!

Oh, and don't forget - there's only one month left to shop the "Retiring Items" list on my website as well - don't miss out on your favorites! Grab them BEFORE they're gone! (Hint - there will be seven NEW colors in the new Idea Book...which means the following are going away: Smokey Plum, Outdoor Denim, Indian Corn Blue, Ponderosa Pine, Olive, Autumn Terracotta, and Barn Red.)

I can't wait to start playing with all of my new products!!

Get Exclusive Hostess Stamp Sets in July - Without Being A Hostess!

Did you know that Close To My Heart has Exclusive Hostess Reward Stamp Sets that are available ONLY to hostesses with qualifying gatherings? There are some spectacular sets available at deep discounts for Hostesses. If only these incredible stamp sets were available to purchase without having to host a gathering....

Jump on It in July! This month you actually CAN get your hands on Exclusive Hostess Stamp Sets from the Annual Inspirations AND Seasonal Expressions 2 Idea Books - without being a Hostess!

During the month of July, when you purchase $25 in current, retail-priced stamps, you qualify to receive either the July Stamp of the Month, My Acrylix^® "Life Is Wonderful", FREE or any one of the Hostess Rewards stamp sets featured in Annual Inspirations 2014–2015 or Seasonal Expressions 2 for only $5! (All of the qualifying stamp sets are pictured above.) That is a savings of up to $17.95!

The July Stamp of the Month is a lovely, versatile stamp set that is a great match for your cards and layouts that celebrate all the wonderful things—big and small—that life has to offer. Additionally, the Hostess Rewards stamp sets have previously only been available as part of the Hostess Rewards program, which means now is the perfect opportunity to get those special stamp sets you’ve had your eye on!Remember - this offer is only good THIS MONTH, so take advantage - you won't find a better deal!

I absolutely LOVE these Hostess Stamp Sets! Here are a few of the cards that I have created using them:

(Uses "Tagged With Love" stamp set and Blossom Paper Pack)

(Uses "Paper Bird" stamp set and Brushed Paper Pack.)

(Uses "Sweet as Sugar" stamp set.)

(Use the "Cuddly Salutations" stamp set.)

And that's just a few of the stamp sets that are available this month for only $5 with a qualifying purchase. These sets are so fun! You can order anytime on my website at funforyou.ctmh.com. I'd love to see what YOU create!

Summer Crush!

Have you seen the incredible "Summer Crush" special that Close To My Heart is offering this month?! Well here's a little taste:

CTMH's My Crush® books are so fun to use. They are so user-friendly, informal, and un-intimidating - and there are now so many to choose from! I have the My Crush® Bluebird Book, which has 60 pre-printed 7" x 10" spiral-bound pages to fill to your heart's content. I used mine to chronicle the Disney Cruise we took 2 years ago. It was so easy to just paste things onto the pages - photos, journaling, ticket stubs, memorabilia - you name it. Here are just a few of the pages from my completed book:

(With Flip-Flap!)

What's really cool about this month's special is that you will receive the coordinating stamp set FREE with the purchase of a My Crush® Book and it's coordinating Assortment. Be sure to check out pages 150 - 157 of the Annual Inspirations Book for all of the fun selections!

{Please be aware - I just received the following notice from our corporate office: "The Summer Crush campaign has been a huge hit! Due to overwhelming popularity, the My Crush® In the Pink Assortment (Z2042) is no longer available for order; however, we don't want to leave the My Crush In the Pink books out of the campaign fun while they are still available in inventory. So for the remainder of the campaign—or at least for as long as the In the Pink books remain in stock—the My Crush In the Pink Clips (Z2048) will be available as a qualifying item for the In the Pink campaign combo. Simply order both the In the Pink book (Z2000) and the In the Pink clips and receive the accompanying My Acrylix® Glitter Glam stamp set (B1465) FREE! This offer applies only to the In the Pink campaign combo and not to any other qualifying combinations available as part of the campaign."}

I know you will enjoy these books as much as I do! This promotion, however, is only available until the end of June - and only WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!!

Need more ideas on how to use these fun books?! How about these from Michelle Snyder: 
"Pick any topic... things that make you happy, a book of possibilities, a book of quotes, a book of trip highlights, a book of silly things your kids do...anything. Start putting pictures, notes, found objects, etc on the pages and see how your story comes together as you add to each page. My Crush Books can become a perfect treasure to show how you live, what makes you laugh, and the people, places, and things you love. Those are truly blue sky kinds of things that you will enjoy reflecting on down the road. 
A place to start maybe with something as simple as a book of your favorite things. It is an easy theme that you can add to whenever and wherever. You can work on any page, in any order, and compile a book that features some of what makes you, you. What's your favorite type of movie, nail polish color, recipe to cook, destination to travel, etc.? The My Crush Books can become wonderful little capsules that record little things that make us special. Wouldn't you love to look through a little book about your grandmother and know all of these little things about her? I would. They might feel trivial while you are putting it together, but it's not. It's real. It's right now. It is about the things that make each of us unique."

Need I say more? Pick out yours today on my website - funforyou.ctmh.com

Artfully Sent – Exploring the “W” Key – Part 5

Well, here it is! The last installment of "Exploring the 'W' Key". The final feature on the "Artfully Sent" Cricut cartridge is "Pocket Card".

Like the two previous features, the Pocket Card allows you to cut two different cards - one that is 4" x 6" and one that is 3" x 4". These were designed specifically for Close To My Heart's "Picture My Life" Scrapbooking Program - a pocket scrapbooking program with specially designed Memory Protectors which have 4" x 6" and 3" x 4" pockets for photos, sentiments, journaling, and embellishments. Being a card-maker at heart, though, I chose to use these two pocket cards to make cards!

Both of the cards I created use two of my favorite things - Washi tape and the "Forever in My Heart" stamp set. Let's see the 4" x 6" card first:

I cut the 4" x 6" Pocket card from Lagoon cardstock. It simply has the arrow shape cut out of it. Next, I backed the card with a piece of white cardstock stamped with the striped "In The Background" stamp in Thistle ink. Using a 5" x 7" white cardstock base, I adhered a piece of Lagoon Hearts Washi Tape through the center, then my 4" x 6" Pocket Card on top of that. The rest is simply stamping and cutting out a couple of hearts from the "Forever in My Heart" stamp set, and a sentiment from the "This Moment" stamp set (no longer available).

Now for the 3" x 4":

My finished card is 4.25" x 5.5" Hollyhock cardstock with several strips of Ruby Chevron Washi Tape run through the center. I random-stamped the 3" x 4" Pocket Card, which I cut from Cranberry cardstock, with Cranberry ink and the small hearts image from the "Forever in My Heart" stamp set. I then backed it with white cardstock and embellished it with more stamped heart cut-outs and a sentiment.

Seriously, did you ever think you could get so many different cards from just one key on this "Artfully Sent" Cricut cartridge?! This thing is truly amazing. I am going to try and do a card workshop that focuses on another one of the keys - I hope to see you there!

Thanks for joining me in my "Exploration of the 'W' Key". Hope you'll come back real soon!

Artfully Sent – Exploring the “W” Key – Part 4

We’re heading into the home stretch! Only two more styles left to explore – that’s four more cards – all on this one key! This second-to-last style of card/function from the “Artfully Sent” Cricut™ Cartridge again contains two different cards. Today we’ll be looking at the Sleeve cards.

The Sleeve function has both a 4” x 6” and a 5” x 7” card – the former of which was designed to hold a 4” x 6” photograph. Both sizes will have the same pattern cut into the front of them – the 4” x 6” card, though, will fold into an actual sleeve, or pocket, whereas the 5” x 7” folds into a standard card.

Let’s look at the 4” x 6” card on the “W” key. I absolutely love the wood-grain pattern! After cutting the card from Chocolate cardstock, I folded on the score lines, glued the bottom and side pieces, and cut a piece of patterned paper to slip into the inside.

The back of this piece (not shown) has a bunch of journaling lines on it with the caption, “This Year’s Highlights”. After tying a piece of ribbon around the center, this would be the perfect addition to a scrapbook page! Or use it as a stand-alone card with a photo, invitation, or special message on the inside.

The 5” x 7” card was so simple. After cutting the card on the Cricut from Saddle cardstock, I simply backed the front of the card with Cashmere cardstock and embellished the front with stamped images from this past January’s Stamp of the Month set, “This Moment”.

How cute is that? There are SO MANY fun patterns throughout this cartridge – you will have such a blast discovering all of them.

Next week – the last function on the “W” key – the Pocket Card! Don’t miss it!

Artfully Sent – Exploring the “W” Key – Part 3

This next style of card/function from the “Artfully Sent” Cricut™ Cartridge actually contains two different cards. Today we’ll be looking at the Sentiment cards.

The Sentiment function has both a 5” x 7” and a 4.25” x 5.5” card within it. When you think of the sheer number of cards that this function alone allows you to cut from this cartridge, it’s mind-boggling! Let’s look at the first sentiment card – the 5” x 7” – on the “W” key. Many of the Sentiment cards on the cartridge cut a sentiment and an icon into the front of the card. This key happens to cut a sentiment only. You could simply back this with a piece of patterned paper or colored cardstock. But I wanted to go just a little bit further.

After cutting the card from black cardstock on my Cricut, I folded it and slipped a second piece of black cardstock, about 1/8” smaller on each side than the card front, into the middle of the card. I then took a pencil and lightly traced around the insides of the cut letters, so that my sentiment would be transferred onto my black cardstock insert. This allowed me to block out each word with a different patterned paper/color on the insert:

I continued covering the traced words with paper (for one I used shimmer trim!) until I had everything covered. I could then go back to my card and adhere the paper-covered insert to the inside front, thereby allowing the color blocks to show through the cut letters – and you see none of it on the inside of the card!

This is a fun and easy technique to really make your cards one-of-a-kind.

The vast majority of the second sentiment cards on this cartridge cut a border into the bottom front. For this key, it cuts a fun leaf pattern. This was a very easy card to make. Once the card was cut, I simply backed the cut with a strip of Topiary cardstock, wrapped a piece of Topiary Mini Chevron ribbon around the front, and stamped and mounted the tree image from the “Country Born” stamp set. Simple, yet beautiful! 

The next two function keys we will explore with the “W” key also each have two different cards within them. Next week, it’s the Sleeve function – it’s a fun one!

About Me

Over the years, I have posted MANY things to this blog. However, it recently occurred to me that I don't believe I've ever posted anything "about me". Many of you know exactly who I am, what I do, and why. But the vast majority of you may not have any idea. So, in the spirit of sharing, I thought a good place to start would be to share the "About Me" from my Close To My Heart website. So, here it is:

Michelle Morrissey

UXBRIDGE, MA  

aafaa@charter.net

Hello! My name is Michelle and I live in Uxbridge, MA with my husband of 21 years and my two beautiful children. As of April 2015, I am celebrating 13 years with Close To My Heart! I became a CTMH Consultant back in 2002 because I was a recently-new stay-at-home mom, I loved CTMH products, and I was extremely frustrated at not being able to find matching cardstocks and inks in my local craft stores. CTMH made it so easy - I wanted it all! So I joined the company, like so many others, for the discount! Thirteen years later, I have had so much fun meeting new people, going to Conventions (five of them!), holding workshops, and buying new products. Every new Idea Book release is like Christmas morning! I encourage you to experience and enjoy CTMH as much as I have!

So that's all "About Me"! Enjoy your evening!