Heart 2 Heart Challenge 19 - getting sketchy!

This weeks challenge over at Heart 2 Heart is to follow a sketch (or to interpret it in your own way...).  When I saw this sketch, it spoke to me.  It said, cherries, create me with Cherry-O!  Since it's not too often that that happens, I decided to go with it.  It came together pretty easily and I like it.  I used liquid glass on the large cherry to make it shiny, you can't really tell in the picture but that is why the color seems a little off.  Here is my rendition of the sketch done using Cherry-O paper and the stamp set exclusive to the Workshop on the Go kit, both of which are only available for just a short time more.

So now, go get your sketch on and see what you can come up with!!  Then don't forget to post it and show all of us on the Heart 2 Heart Challenges Blog.

Materials:
Cherry-O WOTG kit
Blush Cardstock
Chocolate Brads
Corner Rounder
Liquid Glass
Chocolate, Tulip, Sweet Leaf Inks

ScrapThat clear cards tomorrow!!

Hi all!  I am enjoying the summer and hope that you are too.  I am especially enjoying the time I spend creating and teaching make and take classes at ScrapThat in the Burlington Center Mall.  The next project that I have for everyone is a little bit different than what I normally do.  Close to my Heart has these great clear cards that force you to think outside the box and get a little creative with the see through aspect.  I thought it would be fun to make some of these cards with the lovely ladies that crop on Saturdays! 

Below you will see pictures of 4 clear cards, 2 squares and 2 scallop circles.  For the low class fee of just $5 you'll get to make one of each shape, in the color scheme of your choice from the ones shown.  They make great gifts!!

You can post here if you will be attending the crop on August 7th and want to secure your set before that day, otherwise you can just find me that day.  Quantities are limited so be sure to secure your spot ahead of time! 


If you don't attend ScrapThat but are interested in making these awesome cards, leave me a comment with your email and we can talk about how to make it happen!


See you tomorrow!!

It's sale time!!!

The time has finally arrived!   Round up all of your crafty friends and head to my website and go bargain shopping!!  Stock up on all your favorite Close to my Heart papers and coordinating Stickease for just a fraction of the price.  Savings of more than 50% to be had!  Who doesn't love a good sale?!?

These are just some samples of what you can make with the papers that are on sale now!

Happy Shopping!!!

$2, $4, $6 for 8...It’s YOU We Appreciate! August Sale from CTMH

Big News here!!  I now officially have a Close to my Heart website!!!  You may have noticed all the new goodies in my side bar that will take you to my newest internet hotspot.  But more importantly, now that I have a website, you can take full advantage of this GREAT upcoming website only sale!   Just $2 for My Stickease, $4 for Level 1 paper Packs, $6 for Level 2 paper Packs for just 8 days beginning at 11am (EST) on August 4th and continuing until August 11 (or while supplies last).  These prices are more that 50% off retail!  In addition to that, you will be able to combine sale items with regular price items in one order AND sale items will count towards earning the Stamp of the Month at a discount or even FREE!
(Tax is assessed on the actual amount the customer pays for the item. Regular shipping and handling applies. All MyCTMH shipping prices are based on the weight of items ordered, not the price.)

Here is the list of items that will be on sale....read it over and be ready on the 4th!!  Some of my favorites like Boom-Di-Ada, Aspen, and Bella are on my list to stock up on, how about you?  Many items are retired, so now’s your chance to get them and at a discount!   A little piece of info for you...all of these items will be retired on December 31, 2010.


If you want to get a sneak peak, then you can head over to my website and type in the names of the paper packs you want to see in the search bar.  It will show you the Stickease, level 1 and 2 paper packs (if available).

Here are some cards I made to swap at convention that use some of these paper packs:

Item Number	Name	Price
X7045A	My Reflections Vintage Travel Level 1	$       4.00
X7045C	VintageTravel My Stickease	$       2.00
X7056A	My Reflections Discovery Level 1	$       4.00
X7060A	My Reflections Heirloom Level 1	$       4.00
X7060B	My Reflections Heirloom Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7061A	My Reflections Floral Impressions Level 1	$       4.00
X7061B	My Reflections Floral Impressions Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7061C	Floral Impressions My Stickease	$       2.00
X7062A	My Reflections Laid Back Level 1	$       4.00
X7069A	My Reflections Just Chillin Level 1	$       4.00
X7069C	Just Chillin My Stickease	$       2.00
X7070A	My Reflections Simple Pleasure Level 1	$       4.00
X7070B	My Reflections Simple Pleasure Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7070C	Simple Pleasure My Stickease	$       2.00
X7071A	My Reflections Best Friends Forever Level 1	$       4.00
X7072A	My Reflections School Zone Level 1	$       4.00
X7072C	School Zone My Stickease	$       2.00
X7073A	My Reflections Abundance Level 1	$       4.00
X7073B	My Reflections Abundance Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7073C	Abundance My Stickease	$       2.00
X7075A	My Reflections More To Adore Level 1	$       4.00
X7075B	My Reflections More To Adore Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7075C	More To Adore My Stickease	$       2.00
X7076A	My Reflections Sonata Level 1	$       4.00
X7076C	Sonata My Stickease	$       2.00
X7077C	Sweet Harmony My Stickease	$       2.00
X7078A	My Reflections Cutie Pie Level 1	$       4.00
X7078C	Cutie Pie My Stickease	$       2.00
X7079B	My Reflections Rough n Tumble Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7079C	Rough n Tumble My Stickease	$       2.00
X7080A	My Reflections Route 66 Level 1	$       4.00
X7080C	Route 66 My Stickease	$       2.00
X7081A	My Reflections Majestic Blue Level 1	$       4.00
X7081B	My Reflections Majestic Blue Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7081C	Majestic Blue My Stickease	$       2.00
X7082A	My Reflections Expedition Level 1	$       4.00
X7082C	Expedition My Stickease	$       2.00
X7083A	My Reflections Let's Get Together Level 1	$       4.00
X7084A	My Reflections Floral Tapestry Level 1	$       4.00
X7085A	My Reflections Everlasting Level 1	$       4.00
X7085B	My Reflections Everlasting Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7085C	Everlasting My Stickease	$       2.00
X7086A	My Reflections Caprice Level 1	$       4.00
X7086B	My Reflections Caprice Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7086C	Caprice My Stickease	$       2.00
X7087A	My Reflections Enchanted Level 1	$       4.00
X7087B	My Reflections Enchanted Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7087C	Enchanted My Stickease	$       2.00
X7088A	My Reflections Free Spirit Level 1	$       4.00
X7088B	My Reflections Free Spirit Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7088C	Free Spirit My Stickease	$       2.00
X7089A	My Reflections Lifes Delights Level 1	$       4.00
X7089C	Life Delights My Stickease	$       2.00
X7090A	My Reflections Silhouette Level 1	$       4.00
X7090B	My Reflections Silhouette Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7090C	Silhouette My Stickease	$       2.00
X7091A	My Reflections it’s a Guy Thing Level 1	$       4.00
X7091B	My Reflections it’s a Guy Thing Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7091C	it’s a Guy Thing My Stickease	$       2.00
X7092A	My Reflections Good Times Level 1	$       4.00
X7092B	My Reflections Good Times Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7092C	Good Times My Stickease	$       2.00
X7093A	My Reflections Sweet Pea Level 1	$       4.00
X7093C	Sweet Pea My Stickease	$       2.00
X7094A	My Reflections Paper Garden Level 1	$       4.00
X7094C	Paper Garden My Stickease	$       2.00
X7095A	My Reflections Boom-Di-Ada Level 1	$       4.00
X7095B	My Reflections Boom-Di-Ada Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7095C	Boom-Di-Ada My Stickease	$       2.00
X7096A	My Reflections Blue Ribbon Level 1	$       4.00
X7096B	My Reflections Blue Ribbon Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7096C	Blue Ribbon My Stickease	$       2.00
X7097A	My Reflections Game On Level 1 Kit	$       4.00
X7097B	My Reflections Game On Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7097C	Game On My Stickease	$       2.00
X7098A	My Reflections Sarsaparilla Level 1 Kit	$       4.00
X7098B	My Reflections Sarsaparilla Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7098C	Sarsaparilla My Stickease	$       2.00
X7100A	My Reflections Perfect Day Level 1	$       4.00
X7100B	My Reflections Perfect Day Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7100C	Perfect Day My Stickease	$       2.00
X7101A	My Reflections Magic Moments Level 1	$       4.00
X7101B	My Reflections Magic Moments Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7101C	Magic Moments My Stickease	$       2.00
X7102A	My Reflections Notebook Level 1	$       4.00
X7102B	My Reflections Notebook Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7102C	Notebook My Stickease	$       2.00
X7103A	My Reflections Aspen Level 1	$       4.00
X7103B	My Reflections Aspen Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7103C	Aspen My Stickease	$       2.00
X7104A	My Reflections Evensong Level 1	$       4.00
X7104B	My Reflections Evensong Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7104C	Evensong My Stickease	$       2.00
X7105A	My Reflection sEmporium Level 1	$       4.00
X7105B	My Reflections Emporium Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7105C	Emporium My Stickease	$       2.00
X7106A	My Reflections Unforgettable Level 1	$       4.00
X7106B	My Reflections Unforgettable Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7106C	Unforgettable My Stickease	$       2.00
X7107A	My Reflections That’s Amore Level 1	$       4.00
X7107B	My Reflections That’s Amore Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7107C	That’s Amore My Stickease	$       2.00
X7108A	My Reflections Daydream Level 1	$       4.00
X7108B	My Reflections Daydream Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7108C	Daydream My Stickease	$       2.00
X7109A	My Reflections Stardust Level 1	$       4.00
X7109B	My Reflections Stardust Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7109C	Stardust My Stickease	$       2.00
X7110A	My Reflections Back Country Level 1	$       4.00
X7110B	My Reflections Back Country Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7110C	Back Country My Stickease	$       2.00
X7111A	My Reflections Moon Doggie Level 1	$       4.00
X7111B	My Reflections Moon Doggie Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7111C	Moon Doggie My Stickease	$       2.00
X7112A	My Reflections Animal Cookies Level 1	$       4.00
X7112B	My Reflections Animal Cookies Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7112C	Animal Cookies My Stickease	$       2.00
X7113A	My Reflections Tinkerin Level 1	$       4.00
X7113B	My Reflections Tinkerin Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7113C	Tinkerin My Stickease	$       2.00
X7114A	My Reflections Bella Level 1	$       4.00
X7114B	My Reflections Bella Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7114C	Bella My Stickease	$       2.00
X7115A	My Reflections Jingle Level 1	$       4.00
X7115B	My Reflections Jingle Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7115C	Jingle My Stickease	$       2.00
X7116A	My Reflections Sweet Home Level 1	$       4.00
X7116B	My Reflections Sweet Home Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7116C	Sweet Home My Stickease	$       2.00
X7117A	My Reflections Grace Level 1	$       4.00
X7117B	My Reflections Grace Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7117C	Grace My Stickease	$       2.00
X7118A	My Reflections Twitterpated Level 1	$       4.00
X7118B	My Reflections Twitterpated Level 2 Paper Packet	$       6.00
X7118C	Twitterpated My Stickease	$       2.00

H2H Color Challenge for the week of 7-26

It has been a couple of weeks since I have participated in the Heart 2 Heart Challenge but I am happy to say that this weeks color challenge inspired me to come back and play!  The colors are Vineyard Berry, Blush and Creme Brulee. 

I was just starting to work on the pages of my hair cut/donation to Locks of Love and this happened to work very well!  Great timing indeed!  So the first set follows the challenge exactly and just uses the 3 colors and a neutral, the second adds a splash of Juniper to the mix.  Only the first layout is for the challenge but the colors worked so well, I used them on my second layout as well!

Materials:
Paper: Emporium Creative Basics, Key to my Heart, Unforgettable Paper Pack, blush and Colonial White Cardstock
Inks: Vineyard Berry, Blush, Creme Brulee, Cocoa
Stamp sets: Something Splendid, Chocolate Alpha large and small, A Love
Other Embellishments: Blush Brads, Creme Brulee Ribbon, Color-ready Alphas, Irresistibles Lots of Dots Alpha

Be sure to check out all the other entries this week and play along at the Heart 2 Heart Challenge Blog!

A taste of things to come...

Well, I must say Convention was a blast! Every bit what I expected and more.

Sooo many things to tell you and show you but some of it must wait!  All I can say is that in a day I will have in my hot little hands brand new Fall/Winter Idea Book products and I am so excited to start playing and create great projects and workshops for all of you!   There are great new colors and awesome new products, even a new How-to book. 

Studio-J has some great new features too so be sure to click the link on my side bar and check it out.  Oh, and BIG NEWS....On August 1st I will be signing up for my very own CTMH website, so you can shop from me in your pajamas any time you want!!! It's so easy!  If you want to have access to all these fun new things, then ask me how you can be a part of my awesome growing team. Leave a comment with your email or just email me directly at GrigsterN at yahoo.com.  Consultants have access to all the new Fall fun starting August 1st.  Why wait until September?!?

Summer time!

Right about now I am just starting my second day of the Close to my Heart Convention in Washington, DC!  Since I am writing this to post while I'm gone, I'm going to assume that I am going to be having a blast with all my other consultant "sisters (and brothers)"!   I wanted to leave you with something while I was gone so you didn't think I fell off the planet.  This was a page I made to remember all the wonderful people that I taught with in the Math Department this past year.  4 of those people will not be with us again next year, some retiring and some just moving on with life.  It turned out even better than I had hoped so I wanted to show everyone.  Keep in mind as well that I am a 2-page layout girl so this single pager had me stepping out of my "circle" of comfort!

Enjoy!

Materials:
Splendor Level 2 paper packet
Just Blooms White Daisy
Dimensional Elements On Target
Splendor Designer Brads
Cherished Flourishes Stamp Set, Summer Wishes Stamp Set, Cocktail Alpha Stamp Set
Moonstruck, Topiary, Goldrush, and Heavenly Blue Ink

Be back on Sunday to give you a preview of all the great new stuff CTMH has for the Fall!!

Heart 2 Heart Challenge - Sketch week - Wishes - City Scape

This weeks challenge over at Heart 2 Heart was to follow the card pattern City Scape from one of CTMH's great How-to books, Wishes.  When I looked at the pattern I realized the card was smaller than I had imagined and my first idea was going to need more space.  I had also wanted to incorporate Jeanette Lynton's Color Me Monday combo for this week into my creation.  Well after playing around for a while, I decided to do both!  My first card follows the pattern size 4 3/4" by 3" and does indeed use Jeanette's colors of Chocolate, Sunflower, Twilight and Sorbet.  I used the Petite Perks stamp set available to earn during this Idea Book period.  I do like how it turned out, I used my blending pen to color the flower and butterfly.

But, wait, there's more....I did a second card as well to satisfy the first idea that I had, the one that needed more room!  I converted the card into a 5" by 7" to accommodate my runner girl on her jaunt through the grass and flowers.  I am enjoying using the Splendor paper pack and the designer brads that match - so much that you might just see it show up again soon!

I've enjoyed playing with this sketch - now head on over to the H2H Challenges blog to gather inspiration to create your own art!

Heart 2 Heart Challenge - Happy 4th of July!

This weeks challenge over at the Heart 2 Heart Challenge Blog is a festive one - somehow include stars and/or stripes (and Maple leaves for our Canadian friends) in your project.  Well, everywhere I went it seems like everyone was getting ready for this upcoming holiday weekend so I decided to work with that and combine a whole bunch of challenges into one.  My card follows the Mojo Monday sketch for the week.  It also includes the colors from Jeanette Lynton's Monday color combo.  Lastly, of course it has lots of stars and even some stripes!

Front of card when it's closed:

 Inside of card when open:

It took a little bit of playing with scraps to get this to come together the way I wanted it to, but I am very pleased with the results!  Now go check out what everyone else has created by visiting the H2H challenge blog - and maybe even get crafty yourself!

Materials:
Papers: scraps from You Rock (outdoor denim), scraps from Cherry-O (tulip), Tulip, Desert Sand, Crystal Blue, and Colonial White Cardstock
Stamp Sets:  A Twinkle, July Word Puzzle
Inks: Crystal Blue, Desert Sand, Outdoor Denim, Tulip
CTMH round scallop clear card
Bling!

July Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to the July Stamp of the Month Blog Hop featuring the stamp set D1423 Happy Forever.  Hopefully you have seen lots of wonderful artwork to inspire you this month!

This is just my second time participating in this blog hop and I am still very excited to show you what I have created this month with our little "hedgie"!

If you have come from Nancy's Blog then you are on the right track!

The card that I made was inspired by Vicki Wizniuk.  She made a card that I wanted to try out for myself, so I did with a few changes.  First, I was on a roll with our new Clear Cards so I wanted to play with those and also our new Chipboard Irresistibles Pizzaz.  So with her idea in my head and these new products in front of me, this is what I came up with.  I think this little guy is adorable and sure to make anyone's day a little brighter!

Stamping on the clear cards requires the use of an ink that won't run or smear, so scared as I was to use Staz-on, I gave it a try.  I am happy to report, my sentiment isn't going anywhere!  I also used Staz-on to stamp the Hedgehog so that when I colored him in, I wouldn't lose the outline.


Materials used:
CTMH Square clear card
Splendor Level 2 Paper Packet
Colonial White Cardstock
D1423 Happy Forever stamp set
Irresistibles Pizzaz chipboard shapes
CTMH Inks: Topiary, Goldrush, Staz-on Brown
CTMH Markers: Brown Bag, Chocolate, Moonstruck, Creme Brulee


Now it's time to head on over to Melissa's Blog and see what she has created!

If you lose your way or just want to check out the list of participants, Helen's blog has a complete list.

If you like what you see here and would like to get your own stamp set or other supplies, email me at GrigsterN@yahoo.com.

H2H12 Color challenge

This week, the Heart 2 Heart Challenge is a color challenge.

I have been using a lot of Zippidee paper lately but these colors weren't exactly the same so I had to come up with something else.  After putting solid colors together, I knew I needed a patterned paper to bring it all together.  I remembered checking out what the design team had created and liked what Helen had done with the Argyle Background stamp set to create her "patterned" paper.  It worked well for what I was doing as well, so thank you Helen!  This layout officially concludes the game night series for me!

Supplies:
Jingle Creative Basics, Let's Get Together Paper Pack, That's Amore Paper Pack, Tulip, Black and White Daisy Cardstock
Tulip Mini Medley Accents
Irresistables Pizzaz chipboard shapes
Argyle Backgrounds Stamp
Tulip, Black and Buttercup Inks
Reflections How to Book

I invite you to check out all the other entries this week for the Heart 2 Heart challenge!

9 x 9 Accordion Album workshop

I have had so much fun working on some great projects and I am super excited to show you how to make your own!

The 9 x 9 inch Accordion Album from Close to my Heart makes a great gift for new baby, graduation, Father's Day, Mother's Day, birthday, anniversary, wedding, just about anything you can think of!   Here are  pictures of the one I made using Cherry-O and I can't wait to make another one to give as a gift!

 Front Cover

First 2 inside pages

Second 2 inside pages

Back Cover

Last 2 inside pages

Come to my house in Hamilton, NJ on either of the following dates to make your own book:

Friday, July 16th from 6:30-9pm      OR        Sunday, July 18th from 1-3:30pm

If I usually see you at ScrapThat - I will be offering this on Sat., July 17th from 2-4:30pm


Here are the supplies you'll need to pre-pay/order from me:
(1) 9 x 9 Accordion Album
(1) Level 2 Paper Packet of your choice
(1) Coordinating My Stickease
Total with shipping and handling: $28

**When you are done with this project you will still have half of your paper left over for other projects.**


If you want to partner up with a friend and share a paper pack you can do that as well.
Then you'll need the following:
(2) 9 x 9 Accordion Albums
(1) Level 2 Paper Packet of your choice
(2) Coordinating My Stickease
Total with shipping and handling: $40 (split - $20 each person)

** I will be supplying the use of my inks and a cutting guide to follow, please bring the following supplies with you:
~paper trimmer
~adhesive
~scissors
~sponge (if you have one)

Be sure to check out all the paper packs to choose from.   If you don't see something that works, email me and I can help you with that!

Payment may be in the form of cash, credit card, or check/money order and must be to me by Thursday, July 1st in order to ensure the supplies arrive in time.

Please feel free to email me or give me a call if you have any questions or if you want to come!

Don't miss out - a limited number of spots are available for each session, they will fill up fast!!

H2H11 Get Scrappy Challenge!

The challenge for this week at Heart 2 Heart is a fun one - get scrappy!  Use your scraps to create something for Dad.  Well, I've been working a lot with Zippidee recently to scrapbook my recent trip to the Circus and I've got a bunch of scraps going.  So I pulled out those scraps to see what I could come up with. 

I had enough Cranberry CS to create a base for a 4.5" by 4.5" card, so I went from there.  I chose to use the Wishes How to book pattern Fancy Four.  I wanted to give it a more roughed up feel so I used some sanding and distressing to do just that.  It's nice to use up scraps sometimes - goodness knows I have enough!!

Materials:
Scraps from a Zippidee Level 2 paper pack
Inks: Black, Dutch Blue, Colonial White
Stamp Sets:  A Little Everything, June Word Puzzle, It's Your Day, and Wonderful Friend
Other: Edge Distressor, Sanding Kit, Embossing Stylus, Paper Piercer, and various black and cranberry embellishments.

Have fun playing with your scraps this week and be sure to play along with the Heart 2 Heart challenges!

H2H Scrapbook Challenge!

Well, I have to say, this weeks Heart 2 Heart challenge wasn't really that at all for me.  Scrapbooking is 95% of what I do!  But I did challenge myself in a different way.  I have been thinking more about how I can more effectively market CTMH's Level 1 scrapbooking kits, so I purchased a few to play.  After going to the circus, Zippidee seemed like a fitting paper choice for those photos. After looking at some artwork and going through my pictures this is what I was able to put together in about 1 hour, and I still have 2 full sheets of paper and some scraps left!   I think they turned out pretty nice!

 

Materials:

Zippidee Level 1 Scrapbook kit, black marker

Now stop on over to the Heart 2 Heart Challenges blog to see all the great artwork this week!

Oh, and be on the look out for some fabulous upcoming workshops for the summer!!