Joyful Stars July Blog Hop...

I'm so glad you could hop on by and view the Creative Inspirations of some of our talented Close To My Heart Independent Consultants.  If you  arrived here from the blog of  Stephanie Brown then you're right on track.

Hope you are having a terrific summer!  I love all the vibrant colors and little critters that are scurrying around this time of year and so I thought I'd capture a little piece of summer in this "Butterfly" assortment.  Enjoy!

For this little trio I used my Cricut Air Explore and a combo of Close To My Heart's Cricut Collections.  Featured are images from Artbooking, Artfully Sent and Artiste.  I used a combination of honey, gypsy and black My Exclusive cardstock.  And My Reflections Kaleidescope.

Here's a closer look...

I'm your last stop on this month's Blog Hop.  If you got lost along the way or want to start over, please begin at Joyce Houck's Blog.

If you'd you like to learn more about Close To My Heart products, please visit my website.

Happy Creating!

Donna

Joyful Stars February Blog Hop...

Welcome to the Joyful Stars February Blog Hop!

I'm so glad you could hop on by and view the Creative Inspirations of some of our talented Close To My Heart Independent Consultants.  If you  arrived here from the blog of Andrea Sherman then you're right on track.

This month I am focusing on Valentine's Day since we are celebrating a month of LOVE :)  Here's a quick little 6X6 Mini Album I made using a combination of Close To My Hearts Artbooking and Artiste Cricut Collections along with the La Vie En Rose Paper Pack.

Here's a closer look at each layout.  I love how the base came together!  Plenty of room for pictures journaling and embellishments.  Now comes the FUN part adding my photos and personal touches :)  Enjoy...

Front Cover

Page 1 & 2

Puzzle Heart Close Up

Page 3 & 4

Half Page Close Up

Page 5 & 6

Page 7 & 8

Page 9 &  10

Back Cover

For this project I used these CTMH Products...

La Vie En Rose Paper Pack X7201B (includes White Daisy & Black cardstock)
Exclusive Cardstock Ruby X5927
Artbooking Cricut Collection Z3169
Artiste Cricut Collection Z3170
Thick Twine Whisper Z3095

If you are interested in any of these products, please visit my website where you can shop and view our current Idea Books.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Next on the Joyful Stars Blog Hop is Helen Gullett, don't forget to leave everyone a comment...we LOVE getting feedback on our designs :)

For a complete list of the Joyful Stars February Hop head on over to Joyce Houck's Blog.

Happy Creating!
Donna

Everything ABC's Blog Hop Letter C...

Welcome to the Everything ABC's Blog Hop!

For this Hop we will be featuring the letter "C"  This may be the name of a paper, stamp set or an embellishment.  Whatever the crafter has chosen as their "C" element will be featured in their post.

If you came here from  Jennifer Benner at Jen's Messy Studio then you're right on track!

My Inspiration for Letter "C" is our Beautiful Black Beauty
Maybel.  As you can see my "C" is CAT :)  She is a JOY to our family.

I decided to focus on design for "C" and keep the design clean with the shadow of the cat being featured in each card.  I love the way the sleek black cat shows up against the bright pastels.  All three cats were cut from CTMH's Artistry Collection.

 

I used a few fun designs with the crisscross pattern,the sparkle of the shimmer trim and of course my daughters favorite the rising moon.

For this project I used these Close To My Heart Products...
My Acrylic Stamp Set  "Love My Cat" (A1181)
My Reflections "Kaleidoscope" paper pack (X7202B)
Cricut Collection "Artistry" (Z3190)
My Exclusive Inks Black Stamp Pad (Z2105)
Shimmer Trim Purple (Z1919)

If you are interested in any of these products or learning more about Close To My Heart, please visit my website.  I'd love to share our wonderful products with you.

Thank you for visiting and please leave a comment, I love seeing your feedback.!  I am your last stop on the Everything ABC's Blog Hop this time around.

If you got lost along the way please head over to Catherine Nowak's Blog at Cat Scrapbooking for a complete list of Hoppers :)

Happy Creating!
Donna

Joyful Stars December Blog Hop...

Welcome to the Joyful Stars December Blog Hop, glad you could hop on by and view the Creative Inspirations from several of our talented Close To My Heart Independent Consultants.  If you  arrived here from Lori Meadows blog then you're right on track.

Here's a page I've been working on for a bit and finally got the finishing touches added.  The idea for this layout came from the Team Retreat I attended this past fall.  It was demo'd by my upline Denise Sanner and the design was created by the very talented Michelle Snyder.  I just love the Warm and Welcome Feeling it gives.  Just insert a favorite family photo in the mat and you've surely got a treasured keepsake for years to come!

Here is a list of Close My Heart Products I used for this project...

My Reflections White Pines Paper Packet X7200B

Gold Glitter Paper X3076

Art Philosophy Cricut Collection Z3171

Artiste Cricut Collection Z3170

Artbooking Cricut Collection Z3169

Red Enamel Gems Z3090

Dot Embossing Folder Z1924 

My Exclusive Inks Chocolate Z2111

Liquid Glass Z679

Hope you enjoyed this beautiful layout :0)   This project fits perfectly in CTMH's Designed Decor Shadow Boxes.   If you are interested in any of  these products, please visit my website where you can shop and view our current Idea Books.

Next on the Joyful Stars Blog Hop is Betty Locco, don't forget to leave a comment...I'd love to hear from you!

Happy Creating!

Donna

Waiting For My Little White Box...

Do you use a Cricut to enhance you Papercrafting?  I have to say, although I love my punches I'm not quite sure where I would be without my Cricut.  I'm kind of old school in the fact that my favorite is my first love, the original Cricut Personal Cutter.  My tried and true 6X12 friend but times and technology change and I advanced to the Cricut Expressions 2 a few years back and it has been a love/hate relationship between us.  Can you relate?  I love that it is 12X12 but I sure do miss my dial & keypad.  Truth be told I still have to use my manual to get just what I want but hey its okay...Really!

Ask me WHY and I'd have to say my Close To My Heart Cricut Collections.  Yep, that was what drew me in.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that we partnered with Provo Craft to create custom designs that work perfectly with our My Acrylic Stamp Sets!  And with the release of the new ARTISTRY product (Z3190), I am super stoked to have recently ordered it insert "HAPPY DANCE" :)  Have you seen it yet?

I can't wait to try it out!  I've seen the pins and posts and cannot wait for my "Little White Box!"  In the meantime, check out a few of my favorite creations I've snagged from some of my talented CTMH Sisters.

Interested in learning more about the Close To My Heart Cricut Collections, visit my website to check out all FIVE Collections, each includes; Cricut Cartridge, 3 Size D Stamp Sets and Cardstock.

BTW, remember my love/hate relationship with my Cricut E2 ;)  I have a Cricut Explore Air on order!  As I mentioned technology changes and I'm trying to stay current, cannot wait to see how it works with my laptop and iPad.  The thought of creating from anywhere intrigues me!

Happy Creating!

Family Is Forever...

Yesterday I shared that September is National Stamping Month and Close To My Heart was running a special promotion #30yearsofhappy, a mini stamp set of 30, FREE with a qualifying order of $30.  Today I wanted to share about CTMHs Stamp Of The Month program for September, "Family Is Forever"  This set coordinates with our Cricut Artiste Collection and can be added to stash for just $5 with a $50 purchase.  So why not bundle these two GREAT promotions and get more bang for your buck?  Simply purchase $50 in products including $30 My Acrylix stamps for the #30yearsofhappy promotion and for $5 you'll get them both!  Now that is EXCITING!

Remember Stamping is not just for Cards & Scrapbooking, think Home Decor, Entertaining, Wearable Art.  Stamping provides an array of opportunities to express your creative side.  Just look at these two samples featuring the current SOTM - Family Is Forever.

Here's a closer look at what's included in the Family Is Forever 7 piece D-Sized My Acrylix set.

For complete details on either of these September Promotions and to view Close To My Heart's full Annual Inspirations Idea Book, visit my website.

Happy Creating!

Finding Balance...

Back from my little hiatus :)  Sometimes its hard to find balance with the demands of home, family, work, end of school, jury duty and summer camps...I certainly don't have the answer to that one.  I often feel like my van just goes and finding downtime is a thing of the past.  I know we all have those season's where we put us on the back burner and just go, go, go...then things magically settle down and its time to focus on what we love and as you know for me that is stamping and creating!  I have really missed it!!!  Other than my birthday card workshop in early June, I just haven't had a chance to enjoy my ART.  As soon as I get my stamp studio back in order I'll post pictures of those cards.  In the meantime, I wanted to let you know about the July special and remind you that this is the last month for our current catalog...Yep, a new idea book is being released August 1st....so excited.

July Stamp of the Month....a very versatile set of 68 stamps titled "Circus Alphabet" I have been patiently waiting for this moth's special. 

Such cute artwork with this one!  Remember with all SOTM, only $5 with a $50 qualifying order.  Would love you to visit my online shop and place an order this month!

And here's a peek at the new Idea Book Cover. 

One big change is we are moving to a yearly Idea Book with 2 supplements.  And wait until I share all the stamping goodies with you...there are so many.  I am HAPPY Close To My Heart is offering a wider selection of products for us stampers!  Oh and yes there will be a new Cricut Collection :)

Happy Creating!

Party Planning...

Have you been thinking about having a Party?  Have an upcoming, bridal shower, wedding, baby shower or birthday?  Close To My Heart products can be used to help you create the perfect decorations, favors or gifts.  Let your creativity run wild!

Here we've paired up one of our CTMH Cricut Collections with My Reflections Ivy Lane for a picture perfect table scape.

Themed party's?  No problem...here CTMH shows you just how to coordinate a "Monsterific" celebration!

Need a cute little way to package up a gift?  Stamping and Scrapbooking supplies make it as easy as 1-2-3!

Hope these ideas give you a little Inspiration for your next Celebration!  Happy Creating!

Mother's Day Mini Book...

How did you spend National Scrapbooking Day?  For me I put the finishing touches on my Mother's Day Mini Book.  For the past couple of days, I've been designing and prepping this project for my Workshop.  Only thing left to do is add a few pictures and give Mom her handmade gift.  "Gifts from the Heart" as I like to say!

I find it interesting to see how other's craft and well...I'm a bit of a HOT MESS :)  Creative Chaos...

But the finished product is so REWARDING!!!  In this Mother's Day Mini Book, I used My Reflections "Balloon Ride" and "Ariana" paper packs.  I cut the pages of the book and the front page

overlay with CTMH's Artbooking Cricut Collection and used the Artiste Cricut Collection

for tags and embellishments.

Enjoy!

 

Have A Blessed Sunday!

Friends Forever...

I have been blessed with some very dear friends through the years.  God seems to bring people into my life that have walked the road before me or are willing to walk the road with me.  Whether its raising a special needs child, being a girl scout leader, crafter in crime, life long schoolmate, college dorm buddies, sorority sisters or sisters in Christ.  My life has been blessed!  You know who you are and I thank God you are in my life!

As I was playing around with our new "Free To Be Me" paper pack I decided to use our "Fabulous You" stamp set in honor of my dear friends.  As I say "Hints Of Happiness" in Everyday Life...Friends definitely fall into that category!  Take time to look around and count your blessings, pick up the phone and call just to say HI!  Reach out to others and be inspired!  Hope you enjoy this cute little card I made today using our Artiste Cricut Collection.

If you would like to recreate this look, here are the products I used.  If you need to order any Close To My Heart products, I would love to earn your business.  You may shop at my online website.

• Cricut Artiste Collection Z1790, Base cut at 4.25 using Oval Card & 3-D Object on page 45 and Flower Embellishments cut at 2.50 using Accent 1 on page 55.
• Fabulous You Stamp Set C1533
• Exclusive Inks Black Z2205
• Colonial White Cardstock 1388 for base
• Free To Be Me Paper Pack (National Scrapbooking Promotional Offer May 2014) for insert, ribbon and flowers.
• Faux Pearl Gemstones

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Creating!