Showing posts with label Valentine's Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Valentine's Day. Show all posts

Monday, January 13, 2014

Spreading Good Will | Sympathy Card

I was just thinking what a great company Close To My Heart is and how much I enjoy being a part of it. Recently, a coworker of mine lost her mother-in-heart. Hmm? Oh, well, you, know. A mother not of the blood but one who might as well have been. It was a long ordeal and painful to watch, emotionally and physically. While we were sad to see her go, it was a relief to know she truly is at rest now and being taken care of, literally, by angels. That also makes me very thankful to have the knowledge of Jesus Christ and eternal families.

Where am I going with this? I had created this card last month in preparation for sharing the January Stamp of the Month with you and actually had Valentine's Day in mind as well as a sweet little addition to our family (Brandon's brother and sister-in-law were able to adopt a brand new baby December 24 - more on that to come!)
Close up of the raised sentiment. I used 3D Foam tape to pop this up.
As I was sitting with my co-workers, it occurred to us that no one had thought to send a sympathy card around and she was due back in a few days. Sure, we had all been thinking about her and her family; had text, emailed and face-timed to share our love and support. But no one had thought to get a card and have our co-workers sign it.

I realized I had kept a card with me for inspiration during my breaks and was grateful now, to have it with me as I worked. Here was the perfect thing! A handmade card to beautiful and creatively express our deepest sympathy and empathy. Despite having a different recipient in mind while creating, I was still able to use it for the same purpose. Something in this electronic age, still able to more deeply convey our love and support than 15 daily texts and "Likes".

Well, the handmade card was received well and seemed to eclipse the rest of the last week. All because someone took some time to pen a handwritten thought and sentiment. Others added to it and shared their love. And my sweet friend received an unconditional statement of caring and support to always treasure and remember. You know, the texts are instant, but forgotten quickly and rarely reviewed. That card, however, will stay with her treasured mementos and always remind her she is loved, for a very long time.

I am grateful for the wonderful opportunity to improve myself and help build others around me and I know I would have less opportunities for both had I passed off on Close To My Heart as "one of those crazy pyramid schemes" and gone with the crowd when I first investigated being more than just a good customer. The reality is every business is a "pyramid" - one at the top and many below. Those who work hard, work upward and gain more rewards, and those content, stay happy where they are. But this is one opportunity where I am at the top of everything I do. Whether I want to work hard and build a team and thriving business, or just get a discount on my favorite products. I love loving what I do and I love helping others, making friends and building people up. Give yourself the tools to be a success at whatever you do and share a little love in your heart. What a great way to practice what we "preach"!

If you would like to learn more about joining my team and helping to spread a little more good cheer, then please watch this quick video. Or go here. Because I would love to have you on my team and be able to share even more good will!

Warm wishes my friend!


Tuesday, February 14, 2012

My Valentines


It's always a fun time when the cousins come to visit! This year, their parents went on a romantic getaway (how would that be?!) so the kids came to stay with us for the weekend. We celebrated with some heart shaped pizza and had a wild time playing games!

I had fun playing around on this layout, myself! My favorite things to customize are the fonts. By making the word Valentine in its own script, it adds a romantic flair suitable for the holiday and subject matter. Now, put the V in its own text box and make it significantly larger for additional flair. I also changed the font color in the journal box to Colonial White so you can see it over the dark cardstock background. (Use this trick on your photos and Complements My Stickease, too!)

Monday, February 13, 2012

Christmas in March

... sort of. Last year for Christmas we gave my parents some tickets to Les Miserables. The company was going to be on tour here in Salt Lake and of course I wanted to go (it's one of my favorites). Mom wanted to go. It seemed like a good excuse for a Christmas gift! Sadly, I thought I had reserved seats in December - and hadn't. So when the announcement came that the tickets were on a pre-sale - I ignored it. I had my tickets. Well.... no. It was terrible, but by the time I figured it out I had missed the window of opportunity, they were sold out. Ugh. There goes my awesome gift and awesome evening with Mom. 

Luckily, Mom being Mom, she was willing to *settle* for Riverdance, lol. It just so happened they were detouring through and I was able to secure some seats for us. Dad wanted to go, too. Ok, so maybe he felt a little obligated (Brandon bowed out with the excuse he's seen it before - believe it or not, he has. LIVE.-but redeemed himself when he agreed to watch the kids).

My Mom used to work for Ballet West before I was born and always loves going to the theater - no matter what kind. We had so much fun telling tales about all the shenanigans behind the scenes at Capitol Theatre. We laughed about the artistic director's wife, Mrs. Christensen (Mrs. C, as she was known by the company), and how she always had to sit in the Orchestra section right under the spotlight in the center. That way when the lights went up for the curtain, she was perfectly highlighted.

All in all, no matter the venue, we had a great evening - even Dad! (You can see the text of the page by clicking on the image to enlarge it.) Date night with the parents. Who'd have thought?

Warm wishes,
PS- Don't forget you can get 10 layouts for the price of 5 all through February! See more about that here.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Tuscany with My Sweetie

You got to see the photos on my personal Facebook page in November, but now check out the finished pages. For Mom's birthday, the whole family met at the local upscale joint, lol, for a very nice dinner to celebrate all Mom does for us. With a large family, she never gets to see everyone together, so it was the best present! Thanks to my sister-in-law Holly and Dad for coming up with it. If you want to read the story behind the Bro-Staches, see it here.

This is another quick layout you can make using the Roxie kit in Studio J. The kit comes pre-loaded with the papers as they are and I added 2 copies of the My Stickease scroll along the left side picture to add some sophistication and ambiance to match the location. It didn't start out as a particularly romantic Date Night, but since we so rarely get to go on date nights, I'll take what I can get! This kit is retired in paper, but you can still create with all of the papers and My Stickease online in Studio J. As you can see, it doesn't have to be Valentine's Day to scrap the one you love!

Warm wishes,

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy New Year and a Christmas Layout {Studio J}

It's the end of another year. We had many great memories together and I hope to have inspired you at least once during that time. With year's end comes a moment of reflection and and a list of "I will.." resolutions for the new year.
Some Great Moments
Two blog awards!
Week In The Life 2011
Ann Lessner wining my first blog candy contest.
Magic Layouts
April Fool's Day {Colt}
Countdown to Valentine's Day


Welcoming A New Year
I'm including January's Constant Campaign info today as I'll be out of the office on Sunday the first for New Year's. There's a lot a fun coming up in 2012 with brand new classes and stunning artwork! Start signing up for classes as space will go quickly. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, there's something for everyone. Mark your calendars now and sign up today!

January
Play Dates
This month make three layouts from Wonderland. With your Basic Kit you get enough supplies to complete 3 layouts and you get to take home an exclusive C-size stamp set to keep!
Wonderland Kit (G1031)
Retail value: $33.78 / You Pay: $29.95
Wonderland Level 2 Paper Packet (X7146B)
White Daisy Cardstock Sheets
My Acrylix® Wonderland Workshop Stamp Set (C-size)
Clear Sparkles (Z1104)
Foundry® Pin Clips (Z1612)
Instructional Brochure


Rock the Block
When you place a minimum order of $25 from the Autumn/Winter 2011 Idea Book, you can get two valuable new products for just $15: the My Creations® Collage Cubes (a Spring/Summer 2012 sneak-peek product!) and the exclusive My Acrylix® Rock the Block E-size stamp set (available only during this promotion). This Rock the Block promotion represents a retail savings of almost $30! You're going to love the collage cubes and the Rock the Block stamp set, which work together for interactive, fashionable fun!
Dates: Offer valid December 19, 2011–January 31, 2012.
Perfect 10
January is free layout month for Studio J® members! For every 9 custom-printed Studio J layouts you buy, you’ll receive the 10th layout free. To receive the discount, just add 10 or more layouts to your cart. You’ll see a discount reflected in your order total. And you can totally take advantage of this promotion by ordering in multiples of 10. Buy 9, get 1 free. Buy 18, get 2 free. Buy 27, get 3 free. And so on! If you’re not a member yet, now’s a great time to join!
Dates: Offer valid January 1, 2012–January 31, 2012.
Stamp of the Month (SOTM)
Get the stamp of the month for just $5 when you order $50 in products during the month! This month is for all of your little reminders and it's great for Save The Dates!

February
Spring/Summer 2012 Idea Book is live for customers on the first and it is SPECTACULAR. You can see it online at closetomyheart.com or you can get one in your hands by calling me TODAY!!

Countdown to Valentine's Day
Here on the blog we'll be counting down the days until Valentine's Day with a fun project every day. Whether cards, layouts or gifts for your sweetheart, this is the place to be to get some GREAT ideas!

I can't wait to see you in the new year! Reserve your spot today and have a Happy New Year!

Warm wishes,


Friday, March 18, 2011

29 Cent Dimensional Elements!!


Wow, if that didn't get your blood pumpin' I don't know what will! Close To My Heart has added some new sale items to the While Supplies Last section of my website. You can get colored Dimensional Element chipboard accessories for only 29 cents now! Rub-ons and ribbons are as low as $2.00! Stock up today! Kraft mini albums are only $1 and would be perfect for Mother's Day and Grandma Brag Books! Neighbor gifts for Christmas, perhaps? Buy now at WAY below cost and reap the rewards! See them here now. Because like all good things, this certainly won't last.

This is a layout I did a few years ago of Brandon holding a newborn Brook. She was only 1 day old and such a sweet bundle! Our first, we couldn't get enough cuddle time! I gave Brandon a framed copy of this for Father's Day that year. These Hollyhock Arrow Brads which anchor the photo and accent the paper are currently on sale on the website for DIRT CHEAP at $3.00 (45% off!) This sale is a great way to get some bling on, girl!

Warm wishes,

Monday, February 14, 2011

Happy Valentine's Day


This is my card to my sweetheart, my husband of eleven years. We have known each other for over 16 years. Years full of love, joy and happiness. You are my best friend and the love of my life. Always.

With love,
T

***
I was inspired by a photo Valentine my mother-in-law received Saturday. It's a 5x7 base in Grey Flannel. The bird is from Who Loves You and is stamped in Lagoon. I used Grown with Love for the tree and added a small heart from Welcome Baby. The white hearts are embossed and the inked hearts are in tulip and hollyhock. The dots are vineyard berry. Leaves were rock n rolled first in sweet leaf, then topiary. Love is from the felicity alphabet and the border is from the Passages workshop set, Lifetime.

Thanks for hopping with me and counting down the days until the Big V with fabulous new works from the heart. Please leave some love and post a comment, then follow the links party and browse everyone's sites! Cheers!
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Sunday, February 13, 2011

Wow, only one more day

until VALENTINE'S! Today's post Failed. Epically. I couldn't upload the pic in time to get in for the links, but here's the others' pages to browse.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Sweet Valentine

Day Number 12 in the Countdown to Valentine's Day
Welcome hoppers! New here? My fellow consultants and I are counting down the days until Valentine's Day with DAILY works of Heart. Visit my blog every day for a new heart-licious post to amp your creativity! Then follow the Linky Party below to see what everyone else has posted!

Brook's School Valentines
One of my favorite stamp sets on display again-Soul Mates takes center stage with this heart Rocked and Rolled in first Cranberry, then Black to give it some WOW! Sweet is also from Soul Mates, and Valentine is from Say it in Style, a retired set I still use a TON! Gotta love all those little holiday stamps! The black stitched ribbon is from our Black Designer Ribbon Round.

Thanks for stopping by! I'd love to hear your comments about this and other posts. Leave me some love, and I'll be sure to do the same to you! Then click on the thumbnails below and see who's doing what.

Warm wishes,



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Friday, February 11, 2011

Love for Teacher


Welcome hoppers!
This card is for the kids' teachers. I used Cranberry Cardstock for the base, then over that is Veranda B&T. These are sponged in black ink. The heart is from Soul Mates - one of my favorites still! - and then Teacher is from Classmate Alphabet. The leaf is my own hand cut piece and then black stitched ribbon from the Black Designer Ribbon Round. And don't forget the adorable button brads in the Black Mini-Medley! Simple - but, hey, that's what you get at midnight-thirty!

Cool Technique: The heart is stamped in Cranberry first, then Rock n Rolled on the bottom edge in Black ink. I totally lifted this idea from Vicki Wizniuk's cute birthday cards posted earlier this month (I believe.)

Now check out the linky party below and my fellow consultants' work! Leave us some love, we'll return the favor!

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Lisa’s Creative Corner: A New Use for Acrylic Blocks

I ran across Lisa Stenz's new video on shadow stamping with your acrylic blocks. I am SO doing this for my next Valentine!
Lisa’s Creative Corner: A New Use for Acrylic Blocks: "Want a new way to use your acrylic blocks? Check out my latest video on using your blocks as background stamps..."

Warm wishes,

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Countin' Down!


It's day number 10 on the blog hop to Valentine's Day! Despite my best intentions and some FABULOUS artwork in the Links Party, I still found myself blinded by the kids' school parties. Text today: Don't forget your treats tomorrow for our class Valentine party! Me: Oh, crap!

Midnight run to Wally's and a quick run through the craft room and voila! Let me know what you think, then hop on to some other blogspot that are out of this world!

Warm wishes,

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Countdown to Valentine's - Day 9

Welcome Hoppers!
We're another day closer to Valentine's Day and even more fabulous art to show off!



This one came together all on it's own. I sat down and knew I wanted to use the XOXO stamp from Priceless Word Puzzle and sweetheart paper. That's it! Not bad, though. Black ink is used and some silver brads. I popped the letters with some foam tape as well. Thanks for looking, please leave some love below - I'll love you long time!

Then check out the linky party below for more Daily Works of Heart.

Warm wishes,

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Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Valentine's Day Countdown - Day 8

Welcome fellow Heart-Lovers!
We're counting down the days until Valentine's Day with a blog hop featuring DAILY Love notes - great works of art celebrating our most romantic holiday!



Today, my card is a bit of stretch for Valentine's as it was actually created for a baby shower card for my husband's cousin who is being *blessed* with triplets in a few months. I say *blessed* because - Wow! is it an amazing blessing, but Wow- that's scary to me!

However, after completing it, I thought it fit the bill for V-Day with the hearts and.. well, I'm using it! Lol! This is straight from Wishes - pattern, colors, design. The only thing I changed was the bling and I added pink hearts - she's having 2 boys and a girl, so her colors were blue, green and pink. The heart brad in the corner is not CTMH, but everything else is. They are just too fabulous not to use, though!

Since this is my duplicate copy the inside is left as original. It's a quote from the Unforgettable My Stickease. I thought it was appropriate for Valentine's Day as well. ~For Angie's I crossed out "one" and wrote the number "3" in blush marker, then also added an "s" to the end of miracles. It put a little spin on the surprise they felt at finding out they had triplets.

Supplies: Miracle papers, Sweet Leaf textured cardstock, Hit the Spot, Priceless Word Puzzle, Foundry Metal frames, Cherish Connections Rewards, Silver Brads, Mocha Opaques, Winter Cozy Buttons, Basics Embroidery Floss, Twilight Designer Ribbon Rounds.

Thanks for stopping by! Leave me some love and post a comment, then check out the linky party to see more fabulous DAILY works of heart!

Warm Wishes,


Monday, February 7, 2011

Countdown to Valentine's Day #7

Welcome Hoppers!
LOTS of techniques in this post!

We're halfway there! It's Day number 7 in the Countdown to Valentine's Day Blog Hop. There has been some STUNNING artwork this past week. I can't imagine what is waiting for us in the coming week! I've seen so many great ideas with this hop - I'm never going to get to them all, but I'm sure gonna try!

Today's artwork is from the class I went to last Friday by fellow consultant and best crafty pal, Yvonne Wickham. She got me into LOVING Close To My Heart and has recently come back into the fold after taking time out to have a baby and focus on her beautiful family!

SHE calls it a simple card class - I call it Techniques 301! We played around with several different skills and had a beautiful canvas to work with - the new Sweetheart My Reflections paper pack. They all turned out amazing - despite my ineptitude, lol! Thanks for inviting me, Yvonne!



 Liquid Applique
Okay, liquid applique is a great product we sell. It comes in a small tube and you use it like a pen. Simply draw where you want the design to go, heat emboss and Poof (puff?)! It goes on really thick and it expands 2 to 3 times its original size. It's just great for sheep, clouds, Santa and butterfly bodies. Oh, and flower stems, and ... Well, you get the idea. Anything to puff out a bit.

Reflection Stamping
Just like the name implies you stamp a reflection of it by using a brayer. Ink your stamp and stamp directly onto the brayer roll. Now you're going to line it up and roll the brayer to drop the inked image onto the paper. In this case, we inked a single heart for each butterfly wing. If you were to just stamp it on either side with the bumps on the heart out you'd have the "Egyptian Effect" as Yvonne calls it - one up and one down. Now to get the other side, you want to Second Generation stamp, by inking, then stamping off, then stamp right onto your art. The brayer acts as a Second Generation stamp and does remove some ink in the process. So to even them up and make the coloring uniform, you stamp off first on the regular non-brayered image. This works great with mountains and a lake or mirror scenes, too!
 Spray Pen
 This is a fabulous new tool which debuted in January Inspirations. You fill the body of the pen with about 7 drops of re-inker then top off with water (about an ounce total) then spray on your art! Simple! The closer to the art, the more full, solid coverage. This would work great if you ran out of cardstock for a project! On the middle square here, I was about 7 inches away from it to get the splotchy effect. Below, on the white candy hearts over the cotton candy circle, you can see the ink on the circle is pretty solid. That was about 3 inches away and a few sprays. You'll want to wash the spray pen thoroughly in warm water after each use to prevent clogging and bleeding - especially if you add in pearl paint.


Rock n Roll Stamping
 One of my FAVORITE techniques! This is done by first inking the image up, then stamp off the paper (onto scratch) to achieve a Second Generation impression. Before you stamp your project, you're going to take your inked stamp and roll only the outside edges in fresh ink. This will give you a dark outside "border" and a lighter center. This works best if you have the smallest block size possible for the stamp so you can better control how much ink and where it gets put on the rock and roll. It really gives you a depth to your stamps previously missing. To see a variation, look here.

Heat EmbossingThe white heart is embossed using a craft dryer, tweezers and White Detail embossing powder. Ink your image in Versamark Watermark ink and stamp. Then sprinkle embossing powder over the image and shake off excess into your craft tray. Using your tweezers (so you don't burn your widdle fingers!) hold the paper 3-4 inches from the dryer and dry until you see the image change from dry matte to shiny plastic. (You CAN over do it and burn your project so be careful!)

Masking
The "Love" tag is stamped with a word stamp that actually says, "I Love You." To only get the one word, use a post it note and cover up the "You" portion of your stamp. Now ink it, but leave the "I" un-inked. It doesn't matter if you ink up your post-it note. That's what it's there for! Now remove the post-it and stamp. Voila!

Masking of a Different Sort with the Spray Pen
When you have an image that is trimmed fairly close to the original design, you can put that item down on your paper, spray over it, then remove and clean the stamp. Now mount the stamp on your clear block and stamp the image in the white space left.
Pinwheel Flowers
Yvonne came up with a simpler way to do these flowers. Rather than four squares the size of the flower you want, she took a 12" long strip of B&T in the width of the radius. After accordion folding the strip, attach the two ends together. Then lay flat, positioned where you want it and add a dab of hot glue or Liquid Glass to the center. Add your grommet and squish in the circle to the center a bit to grab the glue and hold until set.


Box Pleats
The pleats are formed by folding a long strip of paper Up Down Down Up Up Down Down, etc. The UP is toward you and DOWN is away from you. Some people score them every half and quarter inch. I prefer them just a bit messy! This card took 2 2-1/2" x 11" strips, adhered together. I started in the middle over the seam to 'cover' it with the folds and worked out in either direction.
 Random Stamping
The pleats are white printer paper random stamped with Tulip hearts and then spray penned with a cotton candy re-inker and water mixture.

Sponging
The white paper flower is sponged with cotton candy ink to give it a little pop! All edges in all the cards are sponged in Tulip ink also.


Pleats
The cotton candy flower strip is folded back and forth to create a series of pleats. You want to fold a long and a short. Fold Down first, then a quick Up. Then go longer past the first fold before folding Down - so the pleats are staggered, rather than a flat accordion fold with everything the same size.

"Love" and the scroll are from the Bohemian alphabet. Both are Heat Embossed in Detail White powder as described above.
Whew! That's a lot of new techniques! Thanks for sticking with me and check out this fabulous art from my fellow consultants on the Countdown to Valentine's Day Blog Hop!

Warm wishes,

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Sunday, February 6, 2011

Daily Works of Heart

It's day number 6 in the Valentine's Day Countdown!

I hope you have been as inspired as I have with all these wonderful projects! Every day from now until February 14th you can see all NEW artwork featuring Close To My Heart products created by consultants from all over the United States and Canada! All consultants will be using thumbnail pictures which link directly to their blogs so you can stop by DAILY and visit with all the participants.

Something SWEET


This card was inspired by Vivki Wizniuk, a fellow consultant. It's another bold and beautiful combo that is non-traditional and full of zest! Good Times, Wings and Solo E combine to make the fabulous images here. Magnifique and some sunset cardstock shimmer like a beautiful beach - which is where I'd like to be right now, if truth be told, with our negative degrees wind chill! On the inside I used My Legacy Writers and my Tulip marker.

Check out the Linky Party below and see more Daily Works of Heart!

Warm wishes,

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Countdown to Valentine's Day Blog Hop Day#5

Welcome Hoppers!

We are counting down the days until Valentine's Day with DAILY art posted on blogs across the country! My fellow consultants are joining in each day to help give you some great inspiration on how to tell your sweethearts you love them this Valentine's Day.




Today I have a couple of cards featured. I started with this color scheme yesterday, after seeing it in a magazine and it's my next big thing! So much fun playing with colors and mixing and matching. I really like the bold contrasts presented here - and Grey Wool is the new black!

Supplies Used:
White Daisy Cardstock
Holllyhock, Tulip, Sunny Yellow, Honey, Grey Flannel and Grey Wool Inks
Just Because, Soul Mates, Code It and Treasures My Acrylix Stamp Sets
Sponge

Check out the linky party below for some more fabulous works of heart!

Warm wishes,

Friday, February 4, 2011

Countdown to Valentine's Day Blog Hop - Day 4

Welcome to Day #4 of our Valentine's Day Countdown!
This has been sooo much fun! I am really enjoying the challenge to be creative EVERY day and flex my skills! Sometimes they are simple, sometimes they are elaborate, but they are all VALENTINES! That's right! You can get DAILY inspiration here from now until Valentine's Day as my fellow consultants and I count down the days until the big V.


These 2x2 cards are pretty simple and are great for your child's classroom Valentines! Add some Bit o' Honey and you got yourself a winner!

I used:
Bee Mine Petite Perks
Lilac Mist, Honey, Tulip and Black Inks
Sponge
Blending Pen
My Legacy Writers

Thanks for hopping by! Check out the Linky Party below and HOP on over to your next best idea! If you would like to receive an email each time my blog is updated, please send me a quick message and I'll add you to my mailing list!

Warm Wishes,





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Thursday, February 3, 2011

Countdown to Valentine's Day Blog Hop #3



Another layout featuring Wings, Dimensional Elements Chipboard Hearts, the black Mini-Medley, and my sister and her fiance. I eA privileged to take their engagement picture 5 years ago and am FINALLY scrapbooking them!

Check out my fellow consultants' art on the linky below as we countdown the days until Valentine's Day with a whole lotta love!


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Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Countdown to Valentine's Day Blog Hop #2


Rolling on the second day with Wings and January SOTM
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