Shopping online

  

Seasonal Expression 2 will be available on April 1.  Today is the last day for Seasonal Expression 1.  Remember that always the stamps that are for use with the Cricut cartridges are available online.

You can shop on my website.  You can go to the page, Click on Products, then click on Idea Books.  You will find the annual catalog and the current Seasonal Expressions.  You can order from here and it will be shipped to you directly.   

Part of me is sad that items are going - I have this same feeling when the retired list comes out.  Yet there is anticipation of the new things that are coming!  Look over the Seasonal Expression 1 and make sure you have the items that you want to use.

Technique of the week -Artfullysent cards

I am falling in love with Close To My Heart products all over again. I am finding new ways or renewed ways of using things I have had and DO use but finding the versatility of what I have.

In the left hand picture, the left mat is the All-Purpose Mat.  It is a non-stick mat which wipes clean and is heat resistant.  I have always had it by my wet embossing things but when you cut the Artfully sent cards, there are a lot of small things cut in the paper which you need to glue to have the card look finished.  You can use paper but sometimes the card shifts and the glue gets on the front.  Here you can use the Bonding Memories glue on the card while it is on the All-purpose mat.  The wide tip on the glue easily covers the card with all the small pieces.  You put the backing on the card and hold it so it sticks.  Then you just wipe the excess glue up from the mat and you are ready to make the next card. 

The black mat is the VersaMat with one side for cushioned stamping and the other with the grids the self-healing mat.  The Artfully Sent cards have small cuts.  Sometimes they don't always cut through.  I would drag out a small self-healing mat I had forgetting I could turn over this mat and everything is right there.  For large groups, I use the 12x18 fun foam for stamping with the Close To My Heart desk pad paper sheets on top.  I love this mat at home for stamping.  I incorporate stamps with the cut cards which is fun.

Above the black mat is the Bonding Memories glue, the corner rounder and the bone folder.  These are helpful tools in making many things but help in the creation of the cards as well.

The score board (not pictured in the first photo) helps make the scoring of the cards so that the cards are easier to fold for a finished look.  In a pinch I use the bone folder on my paper trimmer which has a groove rather than mat where it cuts. 

I have talked about using the Artfully Sent Cricut cartridge for the 4x6 and 3x4 pocket cards.  The Pop-up cards are fun as are the scene cards. The scene card below folds out.  Also on this photo is a matching envelope.  You can cut a liner for the envelope or use it plain.

I have used the Sleeve cards on scrapbook pages for "hidden journaling".  As I am getting ready for the vendor fair, I realize that Mother's day, Father's day and Graduation are all coming up.  These are times when people give money and gift cards.  The Sleeve card is just the right size for a "gift card" to be taped on the Pocket Card that you make for inside the Sleeve Card.  These are some of the Mother's day samples.

On the top photo, on the black mat are 2 shiny objects.  At the vendor fair, I was worried about people looking at the cards and the cards getting dirty.  At www.clearbags.com you can get many sizes of clear bags.  I got 4x6 for the small cards.  I will have the inside greeting stamped and showing on the back.  I have the sleeve cards with the envelop in the middle with the sleeve on one side and the 4x6 pocket card on the other.  I included an envelope because many people might send them through the mail.

I got 5x7 clear bags so that people could just send the card through the mail - not needing a paper envelope.  I learned later that just like cards being too thick, these plastic envelops need extra postage.  I am making paper envelopes for all the cards but the plastic will keep them nice. 

This fall Close To My Heart will come out with another Cricut cartridge. I have been going through and seeing if I have missed some of their features and low and behold I am having fun finding new and different things from all the cartridges that I have used.  It is so much fun to explore what you have and find out new things that you didn't know you had.  It is fun to look around and see things you might not have used for a while and see in that they have new life in new ways.

Technique of the Week - How to programs and Workshop on the Go

Where do you get ideas from?  You can get them from looking at the Close To My Heart Catalogs or from what someone has done.  You may see things on Pinterest or other places.  The problem is that you might like what you see but you have to figure out how to cut the paper.  I do enjoy making my own designs but I have learned through using Close To My Heart how to plan and design before I cut so that there is little waste of paper.

There are new ideas all the time from the Annual Catalogs and Seasonal Expressions 1 with 2 coming out April 1.  In the catalogs it will tell you where the designs are in the "How To" books.  You can also get from your consultant, the recipes - that is the exact things that were used - no guessing. 

I love the way Close To My Heart has give us so many ways of making cards and scrapbook pages.  There are a number of "How To" programs.  For making cards there are the following books:

 In each catalog are programs called Workshop on the Go. Some are for cards and some are for pages. Here you will get the paper, bling, stamp and instructions for "how to" make either cards or pages.

This is a card Workshop on the Go that will be available April 1, 2015 from the paper packet Blossom.  The instructions tell you what to cut from what paper to make 15 cards - 3 designs 5 times. 

What you would need in addition to the Workshop on the Go is the appropriate ink pads and Acrylic blocks for the stamps as well as stamp cleaner.  You can get more paper of the same kind and cardstock and continue to make cards or get different paper and other stamps to get an other look.

There are also "How To" books for scrapbook pages:

In the front of each book, you can see the layouts with the number of photos it supports.  You then find in the book the number of sheets of paper needed for the design and how to cut it out.  What is so neat about these books is that you have a layout but each page can be rotated 1/4 turn several times for an all together different look and then flip it over! Each page can have 8 variations.  The Workshop on the Go's sometimes are for pages:

This is all that comes with Hopscotch.  You get the paper, stamp, bling and directions to complete a 2 page layout with the option to make a different 2 page layout.  Again you would need ink and blocks and cleaner to actually get the project done. 

Jeanette Lynton is very creative in designing both cards and scrapbook pages. I can't give praise enough for all of these books.   Sometimes people like to do only cards.  Sometimes people only like to do pages.  I have always like to do both.  There are some smaller instruction books called Make It from Your Heart Vol. 1 and 2 that have both pages and cards.

You see this beautiful paper, you have these wonderful photos and often you can just sit there and say "Now what do I do?".  All of these "How To" programs help you be creative and make the most of the gorgeous things you have purchased. They give you options and show how you can create your own pages and cards.   It is easy.  It is fun.  It is creative.  Even if you have the same design as someone else, each person's personality shows through.  This is a fun way to have designs and know just how to put things together.

Cricut® Artfully Sent: Pocket Function

Being a consultant

I thought I would share about being a consultant for Close To My Heart.  I have done scrapbooking and stamping for a long time.  When I began in 1979, you had to put black ink from what looked like a rolling deodorant container onto heavy felt to make your ink pad each time you wanted to work.  I have worked with many products over the years. Things I still like came from companies that don't exist anymore. I chose to become a consultant for Close To My Heart in 2006.  I had used their products since they were called DOTS in the 1990's.  Where I moved there were no consultants and I really wanted to continue using the wonderful products.  The Month of March has some special promotions if you want to become a consultant. 

You will see this on the Close To My Heart website:

Thinking about joining Close To My Heart? March is the month to do it! During the month of March*, new Consultants who enroll will receive a FREE shoulder tote (a retail value of over $26 USD / $29 CAD with their New Consultant Kit. Our New Consultant Kit is just $99 USD / $109 CAD and includes nearly triple the retail value in products and supplies. Including your FREE shoulder tote, that is a savings of over $290 USD / $320 CAD! Additionally, new Consultants who remit $300 (USD & CAD) worth of commissionable sales in their first 40 days after their New Consultant Kit ships will receive the rolling tote (a retail value of $149.95 USD / $164.95 CAD) as a FREE bonus (not including shipping/handling)! These organization pieces are designed to help you get your business rolling, but they are only available while supplies last, so hurry on over and join today!

My reasons?
1. I love the stamps.  They are so easy to store!  I have the same amount of stamps in a fraction of the space that the wooden stamps take up.
2. The paper is superior to so much on the market that is about the same price. So are so many of the products that are available.  The quality runs throughout all the products.
3. The company cares about YOU.  There is so much online training - not just in how to use the product, but about being a business person, having teams, caring for people who are your customers and so much more.  Then there is training in person at events and yearly convention.
4. My upline and others who are consultants, supervisors, and directors are also gems of resources and help. There is a spirit of cooperation and helping others to grow their creativity and business.
5. There is great support from corporate - weekly updates as well as great phone people in so many areas.
6. There are creative books that help you do exactly what is on the page and then become creative and do your own thing!
7.  Jeannette Lynton and her corporate team couldn't be greater people and helpers but also forward thinking in the industry. 

I would encourage you to think about becoming a consultant.  This is a great company to be a hobbyist or create your own great business.  Think about it.  Message me.  Let's talk.

Technique of the week - Resist embossing and markers with embossing powders

I last talked about wet embossing as a technique.  Close To My Heart has: Ranger Princess Gold, Ranger Silver Super Fine, Ranger White Super Fine and Ranger Clear Super Fine.  After you have used other embossing powders, you will appreciate the 'super fine" as it brings out more detail of the stamp.  You are not limited to these colors - although it is nice to have the matching Gold and Silver Shimmer Trim to accent the card or page.  Know that any of the pigment ink - all the colors - will show through when you use the Clear embossing powder. 

That is where today's technique comes in.  Using the Clear VersaMark pad, stamp the image on the page.  Use the clear embossing powder.  You can see when the "dust" of the powder turns to the shiny embossing feature as you heat set it.  Close To My Heart has 3" sponges.  You can cut them in 4ths to use for distressing the edge of paper as well as inking and going over the clear embossed feature.

CTMH used to carry Silver Pearl.  That is what I used in these cards.  I didn't get the clear because I had a large ultra thick clear embossing enamel but there was no detail in this stamp with its use.  On 2 of the cards I used the cloud stamp as well as the light house.  I used 3 blues - Pacifica, Lagoon and Crystal Blue.  I daubed the sponge in the ink pad, holding the sponge as a small bunched tip and then in circular motions colored the light on top, the medium in the middle and the dark on the bottom. 

Resit looks neater with white on Daisy White or clear on Daisy White/ Colonial White. You an use what ever color inks match the paper you are using.  The image doesn't appear until you put the ink on it. 

I also used this technique on these 4 cards.  The first and the last are using the ShinHan markers to color the image and the ink on the sponge to fill in the background.  The second and third are sponge over the embossed images.

I like to use the markers with the embossing powder.  You can 'color' in the lines and it leaves a crisp edge.  When you color, you can also use the black pigment ink and clear embossing powder for "black" outlines of the stamps.  When I get going using embossing powders I begin to see so many stamp sets in a new way.  It opens the doors to using a stamp that you didn't see as possibilities any more.  Try different ways of doing wet embossing.  It will bring new ideas of how to use all your stamp sets.

Another set of prototypes

I am having fun creating different cards for the May 2nd event.  Let me know what you think.

What do you look for at a craft fair?

I have been invited to be a vendor at a local craft fair May 2, 2015.  I have never sold my cards.  I have given them as gifts.  I have made samples for workshops where people made their own cards.  In the long run I love to work with people so my goal is to gather people for workshops on scrapbook pages and to make cards.  I would like to do open crops.  Since we have moved, I haven't found many people to join me.  The other groups that are established are with other companies.  The follow cards are some of my prototypes.  I am looking for ideas of what kind of cards might sell or what you think of these cards. 

I am not using much "bling" as people mailing cards through the post office must have less than 1 oz and less than 1/4" thick.  If you have ideas about being a vendor or what you have experienced, I would like to hear about it.  Some people have not had good luck at craft fairs.   My goal is to meet people who are interested in saying "I could do that!' and start making groups.  I am trying to make a few of every design rather than a number of one kinds.  I will have things in the categories of: sympathy, thinking of you, get well, birthday and other celebrations.

Technique of the Week - Wet embossing

It can be confusing because there are 2 different things called embossing.  There is dry embossing which used a machine to "smoosh" a pattern from an embossing folder into the paper.  There is also wet embossing in which you use pigment int or VersaMark clear ink and put embossing powder on it.  Part of the reason to use the powder is that the ink dries slowly on its own.

You take an "embossing buddy" and rub it over the paper you are going to stamp.  There are bits of things on that paper that the embossing powder would stick to if you didn't rub this over the paper first.  You stamp into the VersaMark ink and then onto your paper.  It is hard to see the image but it is there.  You may not be able to see it but here is a coffee filter on under everything on the photo.  (There are great plastic trays you can power powder or glitter onto paper.  They have spout to pour things back into the master container which you can also use but a coffee filter is just as easy.) You put your stamped image onto the coffee filter and pour the embossing powder generously onto the paper. Tap the paper so that excess powder falls off into the coffee filter.  I suggest you carefully fold the filter to a point and put the extra powder back into it's original container.  When you use your heat gun it could melt the powder on the table.

You can see a little alligator clip holding onto the paper.  You can use that or use the All Purpose Mat from Close To My Heart.   This is great to work on.  Ink and glue won't stick and it it heat resistant.  If you have a small piece, the heat gun can blow it off. 

You turn on the heat gun and start moving across the paper with the powder.  Do not stay to long on anyone part.  You will see it shift from powder to shiny.  Once it has turned shiny, move over the image going back and forth on the powder side. when it is shiny you stop.   This is a heat gun and it will burn the paper.  There may be times you want a "browned" paper effect but it isn't most of the time.

I have to laugh because the one that says "Thinking of you" is really with silver powder!  It really looks silver in my hand but not on the photo. There is the thing on the internet about the "blue and black or gold and black" dress.  The Silver Shimmer trim on the card looks gold as well.  The first card with the flowers is also in silver!  I also used Stardust Glitz on the little flowers on the top row.

I am trying to make cards for a vendor fair.  When you have "bling" that is more than 1/4 " thick on a card and send it through the mail, it will be torn to sherds if you don't put extra postage on it.  You also have to pay more if it weighs more than 1 oz.  I am trying for great "thin" look.  Happy card making.