Cyber Monday Only: 20% Off All Cricut® Collections!

For the first time ever, Close To My Heart is offering 20% off the retail price on all Close To My Heart’s exclusive Cricut® Collections.

Whether you love scrapbooking, cardmaking, or creating 3-D projects, our four exclusive Cricut® collections make the perfect addition to any craft room!

• Art Philosophy (Z1686)
• Artiste (Z1790)
• Artbooking (Z1906)
• Artfully Sent (Z3017)

Sale starts at midnight (MST) on December 1 and ends at 11:59 pm (MST) Monday night. Shop my online store & join Gretchen's Holiday Party or contact me directly to order your collections.

You don't want to miss this fabulous sale!

CTMH Team Blog Hop - Christmas Cards

The Pineapple Paper Artists are getting ready for the holidays by making Christmas cards.  Whether you are starting your journey here, or you came from Martha's blog, this hop is perfect for helping you design your own cards or just putting you into the holiday mood!

In Close To My Heart's Annual Inspirations Idea Book there are paper packs appropriate for many different occasions.  There's one that was definitely designed as a Christmas paper and another that is perfect for winter projects.  These papers work wonderfully for the holidays for which they were designed.  However, they can be used for so much more.  I love stretching my papers by using them for purposes not originally intended.  To create this Christmas card, I used a background paper from the Pathfinding Paper Pack (X7186B), which was designed to be a fall-themed paper.  But doesn't it work great in conjunction with Smokey Plum?

• I stamped the Angel from the Sing Glory (C1587) Hostess Rewards stamp set in Goldrush (Z2123) ink on Colonial White (1388) cardstock.  Overlapping the angel, I stamped Hark, from the same stamp set, in Smokey Plum (Z2147).
• I inked the edges of the panel with Smokey Plum (Z2147) ink, layered it onto the Pathfinding (X7186B) paper and then onto a Colonial White (1388) card.
• Using the Art Philosophy Cricut Collection (Z1686) I cut the star from Smokey Plum (1291) cardstock and attached it to the card with 3D Foam Tape (Z1151).  I finished it off by adding a Gold Sequin (Z2012) to the center of the star.

Next, hop on over to Scrappy Sandra's Custom Creations, to see another beautiful card.

Color Dare #119 - Smokey Plum, Hollyhock, Olive

Welcome to the weekly Color Dare Challenge from Color My Heart.  Each Friday the design team announces a color palette for you to use to create your project.  You can create any type of project you'd like, as long as you use the chosen colors.  If you don't have the actual Close To My Heart colors, just use a similar substitute!

Color Dare #119 - Smokey Plum, Hollyhock, Olive 

Sonoma was one of my favorite paper collections, so I have been saving it for a special occassion.  It came in handy for this week's challenge!

• I started by creating a color-blocked background from the Sonoma B&T paper, Smokey Plum (1291), and Olive (1245) on a piece of Bamboo (1301) cardstock.
• I attached the background piece to an Olive (1245) card.
• I added a couple of pieces of one of the zip strips from the Sonoma paper pack.
• Using the Your Own Kind of Wonderful (D1627) stamp set, I stamped the sentiment in Hollyhock (Z2128) ink, the small butterfly in Olive (Z2137) ink, and the larger butterfly in Smokey Plum (Z2147) ink on a rectangle of Bamboo (1301) cardstock and attached it it to the card.
• I stamped the butterfly in Hollyhock (Z2128) on another piece of Bamboo (1301) cardstock, cut it out, and attached it to the card with Dimensional Tape (Z1151).

How will this week's color combination inspire you?   Visit Color My Heart for more information about the challenge, get inspired by the design team, and upload your project.  I hope you'll join the Color Dare!

Holiday Cards Super Workshop

Saturday, November 29th
11:30 a.m.
$35

It's time to celebrate this special time of year with beautiful handmade cards.  In this special extended workshop you'll make 14 gorgeous cards that are sure to impress your friends and family. (The above picture highlights just a few of the cards you will create.)

BONUS:  If 14 cards are not enough for you, I am offering bonus kits to all workshop participants for $25.  You'll get the supplies and cut-to-size papers, cardstock, and envelopes to make an additional set of cards.  Stamp the images during the workshop and assemble at home.  That will give you a total of 28 cards (or more)!  You must let me know BEFORE the workshop if you would like additional kit(s).

Are you interested in making the project but can't make the above date?  Contact me to purchase a kit!

Yuletide Triptych

Contact me if you'd like to attend this workshop!

Saturday, December 13th - 1:00 p.m. - $35*

This beautiful wall hanging/display piece will make a wonderful addition to any home or office.  Whether you are a decorating fiend, or are trying to cut back on your efforts, this piece will help you celebrate in style!


*Receive a $7 discount if you take both the Holiday Happenings Crush Book and Yuletide Triptych workshops!

CTMH Team Blog Hop - Florals

The Pineapple Paper Artists are showing off all the beautiful new paper packs, stamp sets, and embellishments of Annual Inspirations with a great new blog hop.  Whether you are just beginning your journey or you came here from Amy, the Pineapple Paper Artist, I hope you will continue on until you are inspired by everyone's autumn-themed artwork.

My original intention was to use a traditional floral stamp to create a card for this month's theme.  But I had one of those "brilliant ideas" when I came across my Paisley Perfect (C1556) stamp set!  Children of the 80's will hopefully get the "brilliant idea" reference!

• I started with a White Daisy (1385) card.  I attached strips of paper from the Pathfinding Paper Pack (X7186B), including one of the zip strips.
• I layered a square of Glacier (X5770) cardstock on top of the other panels.
• On White Daisy (1385) cardstock I stamped the small paisley six times in Goldrush (Z2123) ink, and then six more times in Glacier (Z2641) ink, to create the petals of a flower.
• I added a pearl to the center of the flower from the Mini-Medley Accents Rosewood Collection (Z1857).
• I layered the flower on a square of Chocolate (X5643) cardstock and attached it to the card with 3D Foam Tape (Z1151).

I hope you enjoy these beautiful florals!  Next, hop on over to Scrappy Sandra's Custom Creations, to see another beautiful project!

Holiday Happenings Crush Book Workshop

Contact me if you'd like to attend this workshop!

Saturday, November 22nd - 1:00 p.m. - $25
Saturday, December 6th - 1:00 p.m. - $25*
Both sessions are required to complete this project.

This pre-bound book features beautifully decorated pages, interactive add-ons, and fun embellishments.  You'll get lots of ideas that can be used on other cards, scrapbooks and art journals.  And when you go home, you will still have lots of room to add your own photographs, souvenirs, and memories.  A keepsake your friends and family will treasure for years to come!

*Receive a $7 discount if you take both the Holiday Happenings Crush Book AND Yuletide Triptych workshops!

November Stamp of the Month - It's the Little Things

Each month you can purchase a new D-size stamp set, available for one month only, for just $5 — that’s over 70% off retail! When you place an order of $50 or more in Close To My Heart products, you qualify for this special Stamp of the Month pricing.

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