My 31 Days of Artiste Begins!

Hi everyone!  I am so excited to show you all the amazing things our Close to my Heart Cricut Artiste Cartridge has to offer.  This first project is a little more involved that I will usually be showing just because it is a home decor item.  It features our Moonlight Paper collection with lots of fun little extras!  To get you in the mood this month, I've made a banner with the "My Creations banner".  With 8 chipboard pieces and rings to attach them together, this was so easy to decorate.  That hardest part was deciding which word to use on it.  

Now, those of you familiar with our paper packs will know that there is this fun little strip of paper at the top that tells the name of the My Reflections collection and the colors used.  On the other side is a printed design that you can use in your paper crafting.  That is where the words strip if from on the first piece.  I used the Artiste Cartridge (Accent 2 of the Halloween/Boo button.  Cut 2 @1.5") to cut out the round accent.  The cricut cuts little score marks so you know exactly where to accordian fold it! Glue together and sponge with black along the outer edge.  I also use the Moonlight Complements Dimensional Elements as an accent.  To enhance that just a little, I used the Stardust Glitz Gel and Bronze Glitz Gel.  The "S" banner features a tombstone from the cartridge (Eek/Spooky button, accent 1 @2.5").  I also stamped the mummy from the Workshop on the Go stamp set.  Buying the WOTG gives you the paper, some embellishments and a cute stamp set that all coordinate to make it easier to put together pages and projects.  It also includes a brochure to tell you exactly how to make the featured pages from the kit! Finally I stamped the "happy hauntings" with Versamark and heat embossed it with Black.

The next 2 letters include the "Boo" from the Cartridge @ 2.25"(I just cut the bottom part of the B off to make it a P).  The P is stamped with a retired stamp set (because I love the bats) and the bat was cute from Artiste (Eek/Spooky button Card @1.5"). I needed something to make the P stand out so I also cut that shape from the Halloween/Boo button, Accent 2 (shift) at 2.75").  The "O" I cut from grey and gold rush with the same accent behind.  The Cat is from the Eek/Spooky button at 2.5").  Cute little zip strip at the top, and black embossing powder at the bottom (retired stamp set, sorry) finish it off.

The next "O" is still from Boo, with the tombstone and front from the same accent button as above.  I added a zip strip through the middle with some paper behind.  The skeleton is from Creepy Creatures.  I accented him with some ink and my water brush.  "Who's afraid" is from the WOTG stamp set again and heat embossed.

The "K" is from Eek, the web from Eek/Spooky button on Artiste (accent 4 @ 3").  The spider is embossed from the WOTG stamp set and you can't tell from the picture, but there is glitter glitz get on the web.  I stapled the top strip with some Black Tulle behind.

Finally, the last 2.  The Y uses stamps from the WOTG (fence with owl and "bugs and hisses".  Embossing powder and the owl is stamped again on another sheet of paper with gypsy ink and colored with watercolor pencils.  Again I used the zip strip and stamped the web underneath.  The final banner piece is similar to the first just using a different Dimensional element.  

Whew!  That's it for today, lots of work on that one, but lots of fun shapes and accents from the Artiste Cartridge!  I hope you enjoyed todays take...

Don't forget to check out our October Campaign! Buy 9 Studio J layouts get 1 free, up to 4 layouts FREE!

Have a great day,

Lori

Hello, I'm back!

Every fall with back to school time I always realize that life has gotten away from my and the first thing to fall to the wayside is my poor blog!  Well, once again, I am determined to get back on the horse!  Hopefully this time I won't fall off!  It will be interesting with a move (again) in 8 months and all that comes with become a "commander's wife", but I look forward to the adventure.  

My kids have grown exponentially and with one in high school, life is seldom restful!  Since they are all involved in activities and sports, it is a balancing act, especially as soon as school lets out!  This has been an exceptionally challenging week with my son getting a concussion on the playground, my husband away at a school and my daughters in girl scouts, volleyball, gymnastics plus!  I have cut back my volunteer time this year hoping I can get some work done in my scrapbooks before we move everything again!  We shall see how that goes.  (I have a hard time saying "NO"...there, I admitted it! lol)  Anyway, so I figured if I am going to be doing all these great projects, (which I do but never seem to get them posted), I better show them!  While I generally try to stick to mostly, if not all CTMH products, occasionally I veer away and try other products...spice of life, right?  

So, I thought I should put a few things up so you who follow me, (all 3 right now) can see our beautiful new products from CTMH!  READY???

  Our new idea book!  Isn't it beautiful!

BEFORE TIME RUNS OUT, this campaign is only until the end of September with a minimum order of $35 in qualifying product!

  Buy it here!

Our AMAZING new Cricut Cartridge "ARTISTE" has even more beautiful and inspiring images to cut and stamp on!  With even more stamp sets to coordinate and tons of 3D objects to make.  I will be showing off this cartridge with my "31 Days of Artiste" in October! 

Then there are the new KITS you just have to see!

Spellbound Cricut Kit featuring our Artiste Cartridge!

Avonlea Cardmaking kit!

Our new Home Decor Scroll Album kit!

Pear & Partridge Cardmaking kit!  Make your very own beautiful Christmas Cards...well before Christmas! (only 3 months away!!)

And help your kids get excited about Christmas or give them ideas to count down to Christmas with our Fantastic Advent Calendar kit!

Plus there are many, many more new and exciting products to see in our Autumn/Winter Idea book!  A newer feature of CTMH is our Video series.  Periodically I will be posting videos created by our wonderful corporate offices showcasing our products and new ways to use them!  Stay tuned!

Have fun perusing the catalog today and get ready for all the decorative fun that's coming your way!

Have a great day, see you soon! (I promise!)

Lori

It's HERE!!!

Our newest IDEA BOOK is here! 

With 8 new My Reflections Scrapbooking Kits and many new accessories, you'll LOVE the beautiful new colors and papers inside!

 Just click on the link below to browse the Spring/Summer 2012 Idea book!

https://orders.closetomyheart.com/CTMHConsultants/Marketing/IdeaBooks/SS12.aspx

Stella

 Pemberly

Lucy

Victory

Footloose

 Superhero

 Florentine

 Cruisin'

Don't forget our AMAZING
Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge!

And our February Stamp of the Month!  Very versatile and SO cute!

Enjoy browsing the catalog and remember, with a $25 purchase you can get one free from me!  Email me or order from my website anytime! Just click below!

https://ldiamond.myctmh.com/Retail/RetailLanding.aspx?PageId=184

If you're thinking about becoming a consultant, this is the beautiful kit you will receive! Contact me for more details at Lbanh5@gmail.com!

Have a GREAT day!

 

Happy New Year...

What a great start we had!  After Christmas, we went to Ohio to visit my family and after a few days, David and I left the kids with my parents and finally took a honeymoon!  15.5 years, 4 children, 5 deployments and 15 moves later!  We spent 4 blissful days in Oahu enjoying the absolutely BEAUTIFUL scenery, snorkeling, swimming, kayaking, hiking and just spending time together!  It was amazing! Something we will definitely have to do again...soon!  If you have never been, find a way to go!  So, this year I set off my resolutions until I got home and back into the swing of things...obviously, you know where I am going with this! 
Resolutions:
1. Post to my blog more often!
2. Scrapbook!
3. Paper craft more!
4. Use up my stash!
5. Make more gifts!

Ambitious?  Maybe.  But with all the wonderful supplies I have and all the new supplies CTMH is going to carry (you should see the new catalog!), I NEED to do this!  So... here are a few things I have already made this year.

Birthday gift for Holly's friend:  personalized trinket box and matching birthday card

Top View: CTMH paper retired, Olive, Sweet leaf, Cocoa, Sky and Cotton Candy cs, AP Cart-butterflies, swirls, crochet flowers, buttons; (Non-CTMH: Life's a beach Cart, Luau Cart, Storytime cart,  Basic Grey-Lemonade paper pack, pearls-Michaels, white wash paint, box- Michaels

Side view of box: CTMH paper-retired, Cotton Candy and Sky cs, AP cart-butterfly,  MS edger punch, white wash paint

Card using retired CTMH paper. Cocoa,  Cotton Candy, Sky cs,  AP Cartridge (Shapes and butterfly), D1482 Love Life, D1475 Card Chatter-Birthday, Inks: sweet leaf and cocoa, white Organdy ribbon; (Non-CTMH) Basic Grey-lemonade paper pad, cuttlebug EF, pearls- Michaels

Gift Bag for gifts from Hawaii: Basic Grey- Lemonade pp, Luau Cart, CTMH Cocoa CS, CTMH retired gems

Birthday card: CTMH: You & Me promotion (retired) pp/ stamp set, Colonial white & Chocolate cs, Olive, Sunflower, Chocolate inks, D1482 Love Life; PTI die-stamp shape

Inside: D1475 Card chatter-birthday (see above for paper/ink)

 Hope to chat soon!  Have a great day!

Lori

Ashley's Birthday

I have been wanting to try one of these cards for a while and finally had a moment to do it.  The paper is older paper called Sweatheart (from the beginning of the year, but retired). The stamp sets are also from the beginning of the year; butterfly (JSOM) and Dreams come True (D1470).  The butterfly was stamped in amethyst ink then black, tulip and cotton candy were sponged onto it.  I then spread some irridescent stickles to make it sparkle! Of course I used our new cartridge behind to give it a flower to land on! Love that cartridge!  The card was easy to make and Ashley loved it! 

Whew, it's been a while!

So I actually had a card camp a couple weekends ago and these are the cards we made!  It was a success and I think everyone learned a thing or two which always makes me happy!  Enjoy!

Did you hear us Chirp?

What an amazing event convention was this year!  Held annually in July, convention is the most anticipated event of the year for consultants!  Whether you are able to attend or not, everyone is on pins and needles in anticipation of what is to come and boy did they bring out the big guns this year! 

Did you hear the CHIRP??? That's right!  CTMH has a brand new Cricut Cartridge, called Art Philosophy, that is the end-all, be-all of cartridges!  It has EVERYTHING!  From basic shapes and scallops, to borders, to doilies, to beautiful embellishments to bags and tags.  It even has a beautiful font!  Over 700 images on one cartridge!  The best part of our new Art Philosophy cartridge is that it coordinates with several of our stamps!  When you see the RED outline around a stamp image in the catalog there is a coordinating cut on the cartridge for it! It doesn't get much better than that!

A few other changes to note are the changes to our colors!  Nope, we don't have any new colors this time, but they have reorganized them into full groupings so it is easier than ever to order paper!  Also, our B/T paper is now cardstock weight!  So you can make your beautiful cards and projects with a heavier and sturdier paper!  But, the best change of all is...our stamps cost less!  Same great quality, new even lower prices!  Have you been eyeing those few stamps sets but just couldn't bring yourself to purchase them?  Well, they are now even more reasonable!  Go for it!

There are several other changes you will find in the catalog, so don't be shy, browse the catolog online or contact me to see how you can get one FREE!  lbanh5@gmail.com or visit my website at ctmh.com/ldiamond!  Have fun and stay tuned for some exciting new artwork!  

Check out our Stamp of the month for September!   Our stamp of the month program has changed to make it even easier for you to get it!  With only a $50 purchase, you can purchase the SOM for $5! 

 

AND, did you know that September is National Stamping Month?  Well, to celebrate, CTMH is offering the first ever double stamp set!  You can get the exclusive My Acrylix^® Pair-a-Phrase double stamp set FREE when you place an order of $75 US / $82 CAN from August 15 through September 30, 2011. You'll love this double set—two D-size sets in one envelope—which includes lots of clever phrases and coordinating images you'll use in your handmade cards all year long. The double set has a retail value of $35.90/$39.90, which drastically increases the value of your qualifying purchase! Have double the fun stamping during National Stamping Month with our new Pair-a-Phrase double stamp set!

Have fun shopping!  See you soon!