Black Friday Sale

Because I am so thankful for all of my loyal customers and feeling lucky to have so many blessings in my life, I have decided to have a Black Friday Sale. I hope that you can take advantage of this sale and that each and every one of you have a wonderful holiday season this year. 


Spend up to $24.99 and get a free accessory of my choice

Spend $25-$50, receive a free dye-based ink pad of your choice ($5.25 value). If this is $25 in stamps, you will also be qualified to receive the Holiday Wishes stamp set for $5;

Spend $51-75, receive either an A-size stamp set or Shade pack of your choice ($7.95 value). You also are qualified to purchase the Stamp of the Month for $5. If you order $25 in stamps, you will also be qualified for receive the Holiday Wishes stamp set for $5;

Spend $76-100, receive either a B-size stamp set or Level 2 Paper Pack of your choice ($9.95 value).  You also are qualified to purchase the Stamp of the Month for $5. If you order $25 in stamps, you will also be qualified for receive the Holiday Wishes stamp set for $5;

Spend $101-$149, receive a C-size stamp set of your choice ($13.95 value). You also are qualified to purchase the Stamp of the Month for $5. If you order $25 in stamps, you will also be qualified for receive the Holiday Wishes stamp set for $5;

Spend $150 or more, receive $25 of free products of your choice (certain limitations apply) as well as the Stamp of the Month for FREE. In addition, if you order $25 in stamps, you will also be qualifed to receive the Holiday Wishes stamp set for just $5.

All orders must be e-mailed to me (dotforbord@gmail.com) to qualify for this sale.  This is my own personal sale and cannot be purchased from my website.  You can, however, go to my website to choose the items you would like to purchase.  Sales totals before tax and shipping will be used to determine the free gifts you will receive.  All orders must be received by me no later than 10:00 p.m. Sunday, November 27 to qualify for this sale. BECAUSE OF A GLITCH WITH MY MAILCHIMP EMAIL NOT GOING OUT ON WEDNESDAY AS PLANNED, I AM EXTENDING THIS SALE UNTIL 10:00 P.M. ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011.

Want to get Close To My Heart products for Christmas?  Contact me for a Wish List form you can complete and give to your significant other or anyone else that may want to buy you a Christmas gift.  Gift certificates are also available.  I will even gift wrap your Wish List gifts!!

Happy Holidays!

Really Simple Card

I had depleted my stock of thank you cards recently, but I needed one fo I made one really quick.  Now, it's not a card that has a lot of detail, but I needed one quick and I think it got my message cross. Sorry for the bad pictures.  I haven't yet tried Tresa Black's method for taking/posting great pictures on your blog!

Final Open House Photos

So here is my friend Juli.  She was the winner of my Open House door prize.  Needless to say, she was a very happy camper (or scrapper, I guess)!!  Her winnings included the Reflections How-To Book, a Perfect Day Level 2 Paper Pack, A Game stamp set, a Find Your Style stamp set and 2 packs of embellishments. 

The Happy Winner

The Prize!

Beautiful Holiday Wishes Stamp Set

Our November Special is amazing!  From now until November 30, you can purchase this beautiful, intricate Christmas stamp set called Holiday Wishes for only $5.00 with every $25.00 of My Acrylix stamps that you order.  Isn't it beautiful?! Just think of the Christmas cards and projects you could make with this stamp set!  You can order directly from my website or you can contact me directly  to place your order.

Remember that you will be able to cut the images outlined in red on your Cricut machine using our Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge.  Just imagine - you could whip out your Christmas cards in no time this year which would leave you lots of time to relax and enjoy the season!

Still More Open House Photos....

Here are some of the bags I made using our Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge.  I had made several things so that I could show how versatile the cartridge is.

This first bag I made using the one found in the Idea Book on page 101 as my inspiration.

For this cute Santa bag, I was inspired by Mandy Leahy's bag which you can see here.  Instead of using the fluff around the top, I applied glue to the white piece and used some flock.  It's kind of hard to see in the picture, but it turned out good, I think.  And for the buckle, I used my Versamark and some silver embossing powder to make it shiny.

This Halloween test tube holder wasn't made using the AP cartridge, but it was cute, so I thought I would make it!  I found the tutorial on Splitcoast Stampers here.   You could actually use these instructions to make test tube gifts for any holiday or birthday.

This final bag was inspired by another CTMH consultant, Pamela O'Connor.  In her version of the bag, she used one of our Kraft cards to make the bag.  I didn't have any of those cards yet, so I improvised and used some of our Kraft paper and then just added a flap at the top. 



I hope you enjoyed looking at all of my creations.  If you have any questions about any of them, don't be afraid to ask  I love to share!

While Supplies Last........

Run and check out the 'While Supplies Last' section of my website as soon as you can.  There have been some new things added such as some retired paper packs and some of our retired blocks.  Check it out soon so you don't miss out!  You can find that section HERE.

More Open House Photos

Here are some more pictures from my Open House a couple of weekends ago.

This first card was inspired by the one in the Idea Book on page 85. I loved the colors and the stamp set (Remarkable Wreath C1473) used in their card, but I didn't want to 'copy' it exactly, so I decided not to make a shaped card.   The second card I made I really wanted to use the flowers from Hooray Bouquet (D1491) stamp set.  I know I will have a lot of fun with this one. And it was super easy making the flowers by using the coordinating cuts on my Cricut with the Art Philosophy cartridge rather than cutting them out by hand!

Card Class

I am having my first card class on Saturday, October 22 at 9:00 a.m. and Monday, October 24 at 6:30 p.m.  I am having two different class times to accommodate a couple of schedules.  You will make 18 cute little cards using our Elemental Paper Pack and several different stamp sets. All of the paper will be precut, so you will just stamp and assemble.  The cost of the workshop is $15.  If you would like to make these beautiful cards, call or e-mail me before Friday, October 14 so that I can order the supplies for you.

Open House

I had my Open House celebrating our new Idea Book (I know -- I'm a little late!) last Saturday.  Over the next couple of days I will showcase some pictures of a few of the things that I made to showcase our beautiful new products. 

First up is this beautiful card box.  You can use it for cards, as a catchall on your dresser or desk, to hold special momentos/keepsakes, ect.  I may be holding a workshop to make one of these before Christmas, so keep your eyes out for that.  This box was inspired by the one found in the Idea Book.

The outside of the box was covered using our Sonoma paper packet.  I didn't think I really liked this paper packet until I actually had the papers in my hand.  It's beautiful! The flowers on top, as well as the label, were made using our Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge.  I really can't get enough of this cartridge!  It has brought my Cricut new life!  And don't you just love our new bling brads!

Pretty Birthday Card

Here is a birthday card that I made for a very special friend.  I was inspired by the card on Page 123 of the Idea Book.

Blogtoberfest Is Here!!!

What is Blogtoberfest you ask??  Well, it was started by the amazingly talented Tresa Black (one of my idols and inspirations) from Fabulously Artsy.  She created Blogtoberfest to challenge us to, as she puts it, 'step up' our blogs. She is going to be posting tips on improving your blog throughout the month.  I must admit that I am not very good at posting on a regular basis.  So, for the month of October, I am challenging myself to post at least 3 times a week.  That my not seem like much of a challenge to you all, but believe me, it will be a challenge for me!  Hopefully I will post something that teaches or inspires you somehow!  Let me know if there is anything that you would like to see or learn and I will try to accommodate your request as best I can.  You can join Blogtoberfest, too, or simply check out Tresa's amazing blog at Fabulously Artsy.

Last Week To Get Pair-a-Phrase Free with $75 Order

Can you believe it is already September 25??  Why is the summers/falls so so fast and winter goes sooooo slow??  Since it is almost the end of September, you only have a few more days to take advantage of September's National Stamping Month special.  When you purchase $75 in product, you will get the Pair-a-Phrase double stamp set for free!  Contact me to place your order!

While Supplies Last.......

There have been some wonderful new items posted in the 'While Supplies Last' section of my website.  You can find it HERE.

Mischief Workshop on the Go Class

My next Workshop on the Go Class is scheduled for Sunday, September 18 at 6:30 p.m. in my studio.  Here are the 3 layouts we will be making.  The third one I have not embellished yet, however, I wanted to post the pictures so you could see what we will be making.  If you would like to purchase the products necessary to join this class, please e-mail me right away.  I will need to order these products no later than September 8.

Typeset Workshop On The Go Class

Here are the pictures of the layouts we made during my Typeset Workshop on the Go class on August 29. We always make 3 2-page layouts.

Our Fall/Winter Idea Book is LIVE Today!!!1

Good morning, everyone! It's a great day because YOU get to order from our new Idea Book starting today!! There are many new changes that you will see once you see the book. The first you may notice is our LOWER STAMP PRICES!! "Yay" to Close to my Heart for making this incredible change. Now you will be able to afford MORE stamps!! :)

We have also changed our B & T (patterned) paper. It is now a cardstock weight with two completely different patterns on each side. There is also a zip strip that will get cut off the bottom of the page. The interesting thing about that strip is one side has information about the paper -- the other side has a cool border image that you can use on your layouts! Also, our Level 2 paper packs have changed. They now contain 6 sheets of the B&T Duos (2 each of 3 designs) and 6 sheets of coordinating cardstock. While this is less paper than before, it is now also at a LOWER PRICE, too!! You can get our Level 2 paper packs for $9.95. And you will actually USE all of the paper instead of having so much left over!

Another change is that our Level 1 paper packs have been discontinued. Our Studio J layouts are now considered to be our Level 1 scrapbooking since it is SO SIMPLE to use! If you haven't heard by now, Studio J is our online (digital) scrapbooking program. It is so easy to use, you just won't believe it. If you would like more information on this, just let me know and I will be happy to share with you!

Another BIG change is our affiliation with Cricut!! CTMH and Cricut have teamed together to create our Art Philosophy Collection --- and it is amazing!! For $99 you will get a Cricut cartridge with 700 images!!! You will also get 3 coordinating stamp sets. These stamps coordinate with the cuts on the cartridge. So you can cut out the shape and the stamp will work perfectly with it -- HOW SIMPLE!! You also get 3 9x12 sheets of our Dimensional Elements. These are chipboard shapes that you can use with the cartridge and stamps to make awesome embellishments for your layouts and cards. There is a way to get this amazing bundle for half price --- Just ask me how!


The last change I will tell you about today is our Stamp of the Month program. It will now be even easier for you to get our amazing Stamps of the Month -- and they are ALL awesome in this Idea Book! All you have to do is spend $50, before tax and shipping, and you can purchase the Stamp of the Month for only $5!! Of course, you can also purchase it at full price, which is $17.95. A new feature included with the Stamp of the Month will be tips and artwork on how to use the stamp. This month's stamp is called Wicked, and it's an awesome Halloween stamp featuring a very cool witch and cat! But you could also do a lot with the set that is non-Halloween related, too.



In addition, we have a special for the month of August -- purchase $50 in products (before tax and shipping) and then purchase the SOTM-Wicked for $5, and you will get a cute little alphabet stamp set, Typeset, for FREE (a $6.95 value)!! You will get $24.90 in stamps for only $5!! What a deal!!



You can view the new Idea Book HERE or if you would like your own copy, call or e-mail me. If you place an order over $20, I will give you a book for free. Or you can purchase a book for $4.00 and that will include a coupon for $5.00 off your first order.

I KNOW you will all enjoy browsing the new Idea Book. I have been keeping a napkin handy so that I can wipe up the drool that seems to automatically happen when I start looking at the book! Seriously, this is my favorite book ever! There are so many cool things - I want them all NOW!! I will be having an OPEN HOUSE, hopefully in September. I will post the details as soon as I am able to work them all out!

Change is in the Air!!!

OMG!! You Close To My Heart fans are going to LOVE the wonderful changes that are coming in August!! CTMH's annual convention was held July 14-16 in Anaheim, CA. I didn't get to go - we were actually on a family vacation at the Black Hills - but there were some awesome changes unveiled during Convention. Our new Idea Book goes live to customers on August 1st and it is going to knock your socks off!! Two of my favorite changes --- lower prices on ALL stamp sets!!! And my other fav -- we are now partnering with Cricut!!! There will be an exclusive Cricut cartridge that will work with several of our stamp sets in the new Idea Book!!! Here's a video that shows you some of what you will be able to do with this amazing cartridge that has 700 different images on it!!!

Eagle card

Here is a card I made for a family friend who achieved his Eagle Award in Boy Scouts. I used the Fleur-de-lis from the You and Me Kit. I stamped it with my Versamark and then used CTMH silver embossing powder.

Trees & Things Stamp Set

Check out this helpful video using the Trees & Things stamp set (D1467). This is a really fun stamp set, perfect for many different occasions!

Fanfare WOTG

Here are the layouts we made during our hostess club class this month. We used the Fanfare Workshop on the Go to complete these layouts. You should be able to click on the pictures to get a close-up view if you would like to see something better. I do have to work on my photography skills. Or maybe it's my camera? I'm sure operator error is more likely, though!!!

Our class in July will be making either the Wings or the Sophia WOTG. I let everyone choose which they wanted to do this month. I will post the layouts as soon as I get them prepared. If you are interested in attending our class in July, please contact me.

Graduation Card

Here are the graduation cards I made this year. I usually try to do a different card for each person, but I was short on time this year, so I made the same card for all 5 grads we knew this year.

Studio J Video With Cool Embellishment

Hope you enjoy this video that shows you how to make your own embellishments in Studio J....

Studio J Special for June!!

You know the old saying, "Nothing in life is free"?? Well, that is simply not true this month at Close To My Heart! For the month of June, you can create a layout in Studio J, which is always free, and then you will get a free Jpeg of that layout. What can you do with this free Jpeg? Well, you can share your layout on your Facebook page or e-mail it to all of your friends or family. If you have a 12x12 printer at home, you can print your Jpeg at home. Or you can have it printed professionally! You can get to Studio J by going to my website here and create an account. I have put some videos on my blog that will help you get started. But if you do have any questions, call or e-mail me and I will help you get started with this amazing program!

Another Studio J video

Another good video to get you excited about Studio J.......

Birthday Card

Here is a birthday card I made for my daughter a while ago. I used Chocolate cardstock for the base. I also used Sunset and Lagoon cardstock,I embossed it and wrapped it with some natural hemp. I used the It's Your Day stampset with Pear, Tulip and Lagoon inks.

Studio J - Photo Placement

Here's a helpful video about photo placement in Studio J....

Studio J - Photo Editing Tool

Here is another video explaining how to use the photo editing tool.

Focus On the Photos!!

Here's another video for you......

Studio J - Personalize Your Layouts

Here is the second video in the series on how to make the most of Studio J.

Studio J Helpful Videos

Close To My Heart's online version of scrapbooking, Studio J, is at the top of the industry. This is not software to buy like with some companies. You simply create an account and then you can create until your heart is content!! You only pay when you are ready to order the amazing layouts you have created! This is a great way to catch up on your scrapbooking. You can create layouts in such a short amount of time, you will be caught up in no time. Also, this is a good way to see how your traditional layouts will look before you go ahead and cut all of your paper. There are several videos that Close To My Heart has created to help you make the most of your Studio J experience. I have downloaded one here, and will continue to do so in the coming week. If you have any questions, please be sure to let me know!

Video Showing On This Day Stampset Ideas

Check out this video from CTMH showing some ideas on how to use the On This Day stamp set.

March Scrap Club - Mayberry

Here are the layouts that my March hostess scrap club made using the Mayberry Workshop On The Go kit. I have an opening to fill if you are interested in joining the Hostess Club. As part of the 5-month club commitment, you will agree to spend $30 per month, get to make 30 layouts using our awesome Close To My Heart products, get frequent 'gifts' from me and you will be the hostess one of those months. As the hostess, you will receive at least $25 in free product and a free Stamp of the Month. Call or e-mail me if you are interested in joining. If I get enough interest, I will be starting a second group. No prior scrapbooking experience is necessary!! I will have the layouts all planned out and show you how to put them together!