1FREE Facebook live events from Close to my Heart

Join Close To My Heart on the CTMH Facebook Page for some Facebook Live crafting events! These events are a great way to start of stay on your creative journey!

 Upcoming events will take place as follows (all times are Mountain Time Zone as the CTMH Home Office is located in Utah):

• August 21, 4:30pm (MDT): CTMH Kids Crafts—Born to Shine Album Kit (CC72013)
• August 26, 4:00 pm (MDT): Happiest Place Cut Above® Layout Kit (without Memory Protectors™) (CC7208NP)
• August 27, 4:00 pm (MDT): Happiest Place Cardmaking Workshop (CC7209)*
• August 28, 4:00 pm (MDT): Happiest Place Scrapbooking Workshop (CC7209)*
• September 8, 3:00pm (MDT): Timber Cardmaking Workshop (G1210)
• September 19: 2:00pm – 8:00pm (MDT): National Stamping Day Workshops
• September 22, 3:00pm (MDT): Timber Scrapbooking Workshop (G1208)
• September 25, 4:30pm (MDT): CTMH Kids Crafts Funny Farm Cards (CC8207)
• October 1, 3:00 pm (MDT): Bloom with Grace Cardmaking Workshop (G1213)
• October 15, 3:00 pm (MDT): Bloom with Grace Scrapbooking Workshop (G1211)
• October 21, 2:00 pm (MDT): Got Candy? (CC8206)
• October 22, 2:00 pm (MDT): Got Candy? (CC8206)
• October 30, 4:30 pm (MDT): CTMH Kids Crafts (Details coming soon)

*The Happiest Place Product Bundle (CC7209) includes all the papers and accessories you’ll need for both the cardmaking and scrapbooking workshops.

To complete finished items as created during the Live events, be sure to order the bundles listed above. If you are on the fence about a kit, you can always watch the Facebook Live before ordering. If you decide to order a kit, quickly place your order as kits may be fast sell outs after the crafting event. Rest assured, if you want or need to re-watch an event, they will remain available on the CTMH Facebook Page.

There will also be some awesome giveaways during these events, so be sure to visit the Close To My Heart (Official) Facebook page, click on the Events tab, and mark yourself as “Going” so you can be entered to win!

It will be so much fun to connect and craft with everyone!

Great Collection from Close to My Heart!

The Happiest Place Collection! by Close To My Heart

Hold on to your hats, because we’re going on a VIP tour of our newest and most magical collection, yet—the Happiest Place! https://stampin4ever.closetomyheart.com/ctmh/promotions/campaigns/2007-happiest-place.aspx

Summertime is the perfect time to make memories, and the Happiest Place collection is the perfect way to preserve them. With vibrant colors, delightfully whimsical patterns, and a wide selection of fun products to go with them, the Happiest Place will bring a smile to any face!

1. Happiest Place Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet

Let's start everything off by taking a look at the Happiest Place Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet. This packet comes with twice as many patterned papers than the packets in most of our other collections, with 12 sheets—2 each of 6 double-sided designs!

Along with this awesome paper count, we’ve also got a beautiful sticker sheet, complete with silver glitter foil accents! This eye-catching assortment of stickers is the ideal complement to the fun designs of the papers, and you’ll love accenting your artwork with them!

2. Happiest Place Coordinating Cardstock

The Happiest Place Coordinating Cardstock adds yet another element of wonder to this magical collection. Like the sticker sheet, this cardstock pack includes a selection with silver glitter foil designs. With these shiny patterns, it’s easier than ever to add a little sparkle to your cards and scrapbook pages!

3. Happiest Place Acrylic Shapes

Looking to add even more dimension to your project? The Happiest Place Acrylic Shapes coordinate perfectly with the patterns in this collection and make a great addition to any card or layout!

4. Happiest Place Stamp + Thin Cuts

Preserve your happiest memories and create truly magical artwork with the Happiest Place stamp set and Thin Cuts dies!

In addition to the Happiest Place stamp set and Thin Cuts, the new Magical Alphabet stamp set from our July–August catalog fits right in with the Happiest Place collection. Expand your creative magic even further and create personalized, coordinated titles!

5. SVGs (Digital Art)

Along with the playful images in these stamp sets and Thin Cuts, the Happiest Place also includes a variety of digital art options. With two collections of SVG files—Happiest Place Digital Art Titles and Happiest Place Digital Art Designs—you’ll be all set to use and cut these too-cute shapes for yourself with your favorite digital design program and personal digital cutting machine! These shapes can be used to cut paper for your cards or layouts, or they can be used to cut vinyl images for a one-of-a-kind album cover, like this one!

6. Happiest Place Cut Above^® Kit

Use the materials in this kit to create the pages of an 8½" × 11" album. No fussy-cutting required!

The Happiest Place Cut Above Layout Kit includes pre-printed base pages, exclusive die-cuts, pre-cut pieces, and instructions to guide you through every step of the way! No cutting and no stamping. Just bring your memories along with a journaling pen, photos, and adhesive!

7. FREE Virtual Event!

Join us as we host another fun and free 3-day virtual crafting event, beginning August 26! For more information, visit the Events tab on the Close To My Heart Facebook page.  We’ll be doing some exciting giveaways in conjunction with this event, so be sure to mark yourself as “Going” when you visit our Facebook page to be registered for the giveaway opportunities!

Flower embellishments with Cricut

So I haven't been in a swap in ages, challenges yes, but a swap..... wow it's been years. When I saw an offer to join a swap on the "Love RTS" facebook group, I thought - why not. 

Here are the links to my videos showing my creations.  (Beware - I am very NEW to doing videos, LOL) I had fun and can't wait until next months swap.  If you would like more information, let me know.

Part 1 - Embellishing Cricut Flowers

Part 2 -Embellishing Cricut flowers

New Corona stamp sets from Close to my Heart

There are three new stamp sets and they are some of the cutest I've seen.  I guess we have to make the most of this trying time in our lives and using my creative avenues to document it is doing just that.  Hope you are all staying safe!

Click here to go to CTMHs page!

Hugs, Judy

Renew me!

Hi, I've decided to revamp this blog as I've found it easier to use.  Please follow me for updates and creative ideas.  Thanks!

September is National Stamping Month, and Close To My Heart is ready to celebrate all month long! When you spend $30 on any current retail-priced stamps during the month of September*, you qualify to receive the exclusive C-sized stamp set #30yearsofhappy for FREE (a $13.95 USD/$15.25 CAD value)! This special offer is part of our celebration of National Stamping Month and in honor of our ongoing celebration of our founder and CEO Jeanette Lynton’s 30-year anniversary in the scrapbooking and stamping industry. The exclusive stamp set features 30 mini images and sentiments perfectly suited for 30 days of happy stamping! Plus, make sure you check out Close To My Heart’s Facebook page and Instagram during September to follow all the ways we’re celebrating #30yearsofhappy for a full 30 days!  

*Offer valid September 1–30, 2014. No tax will be charged on the free item(s). Shipping/handling is calculated based on the full retail price of the free item(s) ($13.95 USD/$15.25 CAD). Excluded stamps include discounted Stamp of the Month, Hostess Rewards stamps, Workshops on the Go® stamps, and any other kit-exclusive stamps.

August Constant Campaign: Picture Perfection!

Save big on Memory Protectors™ with Picture My Life™ scrapbooking programs!

We know that, as a crafter, your chief mission is to preserve and protect the images and memories from your life that you hold most dear. To aid you in this quest, we’re providing you with a hot summer deal! During the month of August, when you purchase any of the 13 available Picture My Life™ scrapbooking programs featured in the Annual Inspirations idea book at their full retail price of $24.95 USD / $27.50 CAD, you are eligible to add your choice of 1 of 8 qualifying Memory Protectors™ 10-packs for just $3 (USD & CAD)! Each Picture My Life scrapbooking program already includes a coordinating 10-pack of Memory Protectors, so when you add your additional 10-pack for only $3, you will be well on your way to your own picture-perfect pocket scrapbooking adventure. You’ll be able to preserve double the memories in half the time! Check out our 5 new Picture My Life scrapbooking programs in the new idea book, or choose from the 8 existing programs. There’s a theme for every season of life—find yours!

Damask Divas Blog Hop - Chalk it Up

Welcome to my Blog.  My name is Judy Dahlgren and I am an Independent Consultant for Close to my Heart.  “If you came from Jeannie Resnick's blog you are in the right place.  If you have jumped here and just discovered our blog hop, feel free to check the full list at the Damask Divas Chalk it Up Blog Hop to find the complete list of blog hop participants.”
New August 1st!!! the Close to my Heart Inspirations catalog with lots of great papercrafting items. Great Quality, great inspiration and a super company to be a consultant for!  Here's my creation for this month:

This layout is based on a sketch I saw on http://stucksketches.blogspot.com/.  Although I didn't enter the contest they offered, you can get some great ideas from sketches.  Another great resource for ideas is the Reflections scrapbook program from CTMH.  Okay, onto the details.....for this layout I used our new papers: Canary and Thistle (love, love, love these colors!)  along with Lagoon and the Chalk it Up Workshop on the Go - G1081.

This is the 2nd page for the double page layout and I used the same ideas from the original sketch, just mixed it up and turned it on its side. This new ribbon is the Black striped twill - z1988.  I know I'll be using it alot!

Close ups of the embellishments- a chipboard circle above and arrow below  from the Chalk it up assortment - Z3009 included in the kit.

Believe it or not this card was a completely random creation.  I had tested the 'Life is good' stamp with Lagoon ink on the Lagoon paper to see how it would look.  I liked it so I stamped it on my scrapbook page #2 above.   After the layout was finished, I had this image so I used it to create a Graduation Congrats card!  I cut out around the image, scored above and below and make my own swing card.  Using a white gel pen I doodled in the same fashion shown in the Chalk it Up kit and loved how it turned out.  It is a bit of an odd size so now I have to make an envelope.  The inside saying was written by my Cricut Explore.  

I hope you enjoyed my blog hop creations, please comment below, I'd love to hear from you.
“The next blog on the list belongs to the creative Cydney Fowler .  Hope you have a great time on our hop and checking out all the creations using Chalk it Up. If you get lost, just hop on over to the Damask Divas Chalk it Up Blog Hop for the full list.”  

I received my box of goodies from Close to my Heart and the first thing I wanted to play with was the new ShinHan Touch Twin Markers.  I used the new 'Your own kind of Wonderful' stamp set to stamp the butterfly images with Memento Black ink on our white daisy cardstock.  Then I colored them in, cut them out and attached to a new sheet of cardstock for display.  The title  is stamped with our July stamp of the month set 'Circus Alphabet'

Card Shares

This card was inspired by my granddaughter.  We used the stamp set 'Owls', colored with gel pens, background is Lollydoodle paper,

 This was my first attempt at this design.  I used the Timberline paper pack and the Take Note Cricut stamp set that comes with the CTMH Artbooking Cartridge .

This was my make-n-take for a recent crop.  We used the June Stamp set of the Month from CTMH and Gypsy, Hollyhock and Honey inks.

While at the crop I used the Ivy Lane stamp set with Indian corn blue, Ruby, Olive and Smokey Plum inks.  Liquid Glass was added to the sentiment and really added a unique look once dried.  You can use this card design with just about any stamp set and set of 3 ink colors.  Sweet and simple!