Step Up Your Card Creation Game

 Go From Simple to WOW!

Have you been making cards and they look great but you want to step up your game and go to the next level?  I have some simple tips for you to follow.

Make your cards pop by using layers, thin cut dies and embellishments!

These cards are created using the In My Prayers Item Number: C1870 stamp set.  It’s so easy to add a card stock mat behind your main image or greeting and it really makes it pop.  

I cut my card mats to either match the size of my card or I go down a 1/4" from the card size. 

You can see that the card on the left is matted in black cardstock.

Another great tip is to use a thin cut die, like the card on the right.  The Olive Branches Background Thin Cuts Item Number: Z3679 was used to cut out a lighter cardstock color and then it is adhered to a darker cardstock to really make it POP!  The center is stamped with the flourishes and sentiment.

Add embellishments, like the gems, sparkles, pearls, dots, buttons, stickles and ribbons.  The card on the right has three sequins glued on the front along with a black velvet ribbon bow. There are quite a few that you can use that won’t add too much bulk to your cards. I like to keep them simple so my cards will easily go through the mail without extra postage.  If you aren't mailing your cards then the choices are endless!

################################

Stamp of the Month

October 2020: With All My Love Item Number: S2010, set of 16

Spend $50 and get this Stamp of the Month set for just $5.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

LIVE EVENT: Got Candy?  October 21 and 22

October is here, which means it’s time to get our spook on! Today, we are sparing you the tricks and are sharing with you all of the treats from our new Got Candy? collection! We also have a sneak peek into the goodies in store for our upcoming live virtual crafting event later this month.

Our Got Candy? event will take place on October 21 and 22 on the Close To My Heart (Official) Facebook page. Spend time crafting with us, get to know our product, or simply stop by to get inspired! This event is open and FREE for anyone to watch! An instruction guide for all of the project we are making will be posted on our Facebook page one day before the event, so you can follow along with our Home Office experts as they create these projects live. We’ll also be doing some exciting giveaways, so be sure to mark yourself as “Going” on the event page to be eligible to win!

The Got Candy? collection includes a delightful paper packet and sticker sheet, a coordinating cardstock pack, an exclusive My Acrylix® stamp set, and a matching set of exclusive loose sequins.

Purchase EVERYTHING you need for this live event 

Got Candy? special

Creativity in Motion Is Here!

 Animated Stamps, Yes Please! 

Welcome to September and to our FABULOUS special called Creativity In Motion!

 The Creativity in Motion special is brand new and introduces a new line of animated stamps. These animated stamps create images that move on the page and provide a fun, interactive experience you’ll have to see to believe.

This special includes three animated My Acrylix® stamp sets—Animated Sentiments, Animated Butterfly Kisses, and Animated Safari Animals. How cute are they??

Along with the three animated stamp sets shown above, the Creativity in Motion special also includes specialized Animation Sheets. These acetate sheets are printed with thin, black lines. These lines cover portions of the animated stamp images, but when they are pulled, the lines cover different parts of the stamp, creating the illusion of movement.

The Creativity in Motion special also includes the Border Tab stamp set and Thin Cuts metal dies. Together, they allow you create pull tabs to help guide the animated stamp experience. With simple instructive sentiments like “pull here” or “SLIDE,” and a few more fun options like “fancy,” “surprise,” “OOOH,” and “AAAH,” the Border Tab stamp set gives you plenty of options to create personalized pull tabs for your animated artwork. 

The Creativity in Motion special also includes our brand-new 6″ x 6″ Bright Stack; we’ve taken some of our favorite paper patterns from past collections and shrunk them down from their original 12″ x 12″ versions to create this adorable mini paper packet!

Purchase the special Creativity in Motion Bundle and get it all for a discount!  The bundle Includes:

1 – My Acrylix® Animated Sentiments Stamp Set (CC9201)

1 – My Acrylix® Animated Butterfly Kisses Stamp Set (CC9202)

1 – My Acrylix® Animated Safari Animals Stamp Set (CC9203)

1 – My Acrylix® Border Tab Stamp Set (CC9204)

1 – Animation Sheets pack (CC9205)

1 – 6" × 6" Bright Stack (CC9207)

1 – Border Tab Thin Cuts (CC9206)

1 – Clear Sparkles (Z3274)

12 – white card bases & envelopes

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

National Stamping Day

Join us on Saturday, September 19, for a virtual event dedicated to the art of stamping.  You are invited to a virtual event filled with creativity and fun in celebration of National Stamping Day on Saturday, September 19! Everyone is welcome to join in and watch the FREE event on our Close To My Heart Facebook Page, but you’ll want to get the items below in order to join in on the fantastic creative projects that we’ll be demonstrating during the event! Watch the Close To My Heart Corporate Facebook Page for further updates on this great event.

You Brighten My Day stamp set

Creativity in Motion Event Bundle

Easy Tips for Lining Up Paper When Papercrafting

Need helpful tips for lining up your paper?

Today I will address the issue of keep those lines straight and looking good!

My Tips

• Look at the paper line it up using handy tools like a ruler, t-ruler or what I like to use, a VersaMat™ Item Number: Z1279 It helps me get it all down straight and has more great uses too.  The VersaMat™ is perfect for protecting your work surface as you create. The 12" × 12" grid side of the mat helps me place pieces with precision when I making scrapbook pages or cards.  The flip side of the mat is cushioned and allows me to create crisp, clear stamping images.

• Be sure you have good lighting with very little shadows otherwise it makes it hard to line up the paper and you realize later, when it is too late, that the paper is off-center. Make sure you have lights coming from above your work space or from the sides. I use an OttLite,  (on sale now with a great back to school special). They are great for all types of crafting.  You can purchase them in a wide range of sizes too which makes them easy to fit in any type of space you utilize for creating.  I also like to take advantage of the natural light from my floor to ceiling windows.  Do what makes your space the best it can be for you!

• When putting the paper layers down, keep the border the same width all the way around like the card above on the right and the the inset paper for the card on the left.  It is called matting.  Most framed photos or pictures are matted before being put into a wood or metal frame.

• Use adhesive that is easy to reposition like Adhesive Runner Item Number: Z3372.  I love it because after I stick paper down, I can lift it up and fix it if I have to.  It holds well after it has been adhered to the paper for a while so don't worry about it not working.

I hope these tips are helpful for those of you who are having issues keeping their papers lined up and looking good.

*************************************

Here is a sneak peek at the BRAND NEW COLORS 

They are in the new CORE catalog that releases September 1, 2020

These are the retiring colors so buy them while you still can!

Got Candy? and Story By Stacy On Sale!

 Who wants to start Halloween papercrafting?

Got Candy? Product Bundle Item Number: CC8206 $45.80 $35.95 USD

This month we have started selling the amazing and super cute Got Candy? paper and stamp collection!  You can purchase this darling set as a bundle for 20% off or you may buy the items individually.

 Got Candy? Paper Packet Item Number: CC8201  

 Description

• 6 sheets, 2 each of 3 double-sided designs 12" × 12" plus ½" zip strip.  

Featured colors: Avocado, Black, Canary, French Vanilla, Mint, Nectarine, Sundance.

Got Candy? Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet Item Number: CC8202

Description

• 6 sheets, 2 each of 3 double-sided designs, and 1 coordinating sticker sheet; 12" × 12" plus ½" zip strip on paper.

Featured colors: Avocado, Black, Canary, French Vanilla, Mint, Nectarine, Sundance.

Got Candy? Loose Sequins Item Number: CC8205

Description

• Assorted loose sequins in 10 styles, including ghost, spider, and jack-o-lantern shapes; 3 mm – 18 mm.

Got Candy? Item Number: CC8204

Description

• Set of 17. 

Recommended My Acrylix® blocks:

1" × 1" (Y1000), 1" × 3½" (Y1002), 2" × 2" (Y1003), 3" × 3" (Y1006), 2" × 3½" (Y1009)

I created a slimline card, measures 3.5" x 8", using Charcoal Cardstock Item Number: X5953, New England Ivy Cardstock Item Number: X5959, Goldrush Cardstock Item Number: X5962, Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad Item Number: Z2805, Spooky Gnomes Stamp + Thin Cuts Item Number: Z3782, Got Candy? Item Number: CC8204, Glisten Stickles™ Glitter Glue and Spectrum Noir™ TriBlend™ Markers

***********************************************************************************************************

Save on Storytelling!

Tell your story with these Story by Stacy™ products, available at discounted prices for a limited time!

The unique Story by Stacy™ collection offers innovative solutions to help you tell the stories behind your photos in fun and easy ways. Save on the Story by Stacy products below from now until 11:59 pm (MDT) on Sunday, August 23 , while supplies last!

Story by Stacy™ Extended Story Bundle Item Number: CC8209  $57.75 $42.95

Includes:
1 – My Acrylix® Story FYI Stamp Set (D1841)
1 – Story by Stacy™ Storyteller (Z4079)
1 – Story by Stacy™ Storytelling Pack (Z4080)
1 – Sapphire Everyday Life™ Album (Z4087)
1 – Memory Protectors™ Combo Pack (Z409)

There are other sets on sale as well so get on over to my website to SAVE!

August Is Here And So Is Timber!

Plaid, trees, wood, axes & the outdoors ~TIMBER~

August brings in everything you need to document your time in nature.

My older brother loves to fly fish.  He has spent days outdoors catching, sometimes releasing, trout.  All year long he spends time out in the rivers and streams.   

These are just a few of his amazing photos he has taken while out having fun.

Photo credit: Kurt Pflock

Close To My Heart has created the perfect paper and stamp collection to help you preserve your memories in the woods, mountains or water.  I put together the Timber Cardmaking Workshop so now I'm stocked up on more neutral cards that I can send to my friends that aren't into flowers, pastel colors, or bling.  You can purchase your own workshop here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Upcoming Events

August: Facebook Live card making workshop featuring the Timber Collection.   

*I will pre-cut the paper and provide everything except the stamp set, adhesive, inks and My Acrylix® Blocks (which can be purchased on my website).

*The workshop makes 10 cards total, 5 of each design.  

*The cutting guide will also be provided.  

*The cost is $15.00.  

*If you want to order your kit, please let me know by August 7th, 2020.  Email Me

*Workshop will be live on Saturday August 15th at 10:30 am.  The video will be recorded for you to watch at a later time if that time doesn't work for you.

~Materials Needed: 

C1858 My Acrylix® Timber—Cardmaking Stamp Set  

Z2848 Sapphire Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad 

Z2828 Toffee Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad 

Z2835 New England Ivy Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad 

Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape 

Z2089 Glue Dots® Micro Dots 

Y1003 2" × 2" My Acrylix® Block 

Y1009 2" × 3½" My Acrylix® Block 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spend $50 or more with me in August and get a FREE cardmaking guide featuring the August Stamp of the Month Floral Celebration S2008

Order your stamp set for only $5 when you spend $50

*This offer is only good with Mrs Anna Light, CTMH Independent Consultant August 1-31, 2020*

Christmas In July Sale!

Christmas In July Sale Starts Today!

Get ready to save big with the Christmas in July sale! 

This weekend, you can enjoy great discounts on some of your favorite holiday items beginning at 3:00 pm (MDT) on Friday, July 17. The sale will end at 11:59 pm (MDT) on Sunday, July 19.

Shop here

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FREE Scrapbooking Layout with $50 Purchase!

Make a purchase of $50 or more on my website from July 17-July 31, 2020 and you will get an emailed PDF with complete layout instructions for this cute The Mountains Are Calling two page scrapbook layout.  **this offer is only available with Anna Light, Close To My Heart Independent Consultant**

Get a pre-cut, pre-stamped kit for $28 plus shipping, just email me with your order.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Relive your best moments with the Happiest Place collection! This vibrant paper suite is the perfect way to complement the smiles and stories behind your fondest memories. You can even save 20% when you purchase the Happiest Place Product Bundle!  

Purchase your supplies here

Happiest Place Collection

Here are some samples of pages and cards I have created using this amazing paper collection!