A Temporary Move and November CTMH Specials

Well, dear friends and customers; it looks like Lakeland, Fl may be just a temporary move.  My husband may be transferring in the very near future to another Florida city for his new job, so we remain living out of boxes for the next few weeks until we know for sure.  Fortunately we have been staying with family while we looked for a new residence, so we haven't signed any contracts or leases as of yet.  Therefore, we can go anywhere the career takes us!  Since it's just the two of us, we are very mobile and ready for new adventures!

I'm actually very excited about the possibility of a new hometown and can't wait until we find out what is next for us.  Close to my Heart is such a mobile "business" for me, that I plan on finding new scrapbooking and stamping buddies wherever we end up!

Fortunately, I have internet access, so I can keep you all updated with the latest specials and promotions from Close to my Heart.  So even though I'm not there to personally demonstrate, you can still take advantage of the latest great deals.

Here are the details of the two November promotions:

Stamp of the Month:  "Capture the Date"

When you place an order of $50 or more, you can purchase this full size stamp of the month for just $5!

 

*********** "But wait...there's more!" ***********

 

 

In November, you’ll get something extra when you buy the Stamp of the Month—50% off another stamp set! When you qualify for and buy the November Stamp of the Month set, Capture the Date, you’ll receive another stamp set* of your choice for 50% off—it’s like two promotions in one! The versatile Capture the Date stamp set is great for any layout, card, invitation, or calendar, and now you can choose another stamp set at half-off for more wonderful papercrafting. Get Capture the Date and then capture the savings today!

 

Take advantage of this great offer right away by clicking HERE!

 

Thank you everyone for all of your support and prayers as we find our way to our new place on the planet! I appreciate all of you so much.  My email remains: createwithcare@att.net

 

With love,

 

Karen

 

 

 

 

 

Boxes, Boxes, Everywhere

I am surrounded by boxes!  Boxes to take to the donation center, boxes to fill for storage, and boxes to move to Florida.  I've moved before, but this time, because it is to another state, it needs to be much more organized and less haphazard then past local moves.

We've slept on an air mattress for the last two nights as our bed has been taken down and put into storage.  Just two more nights of sleeping so low to the ground!  Thursday is the big drive south and we are very excited.

Please forgive my lack of communication over the next week or so as we get settled in.  I'll post again soon and have more details about our new location, new artwork and when I'll be hostessing get togethers.

In the meantime...

If you would like to place an order, please click here.

If you would like to contact me, please click here.

Thank you so much!

Saying Goodbye Saturday

The countdown to our move to Florida is quickly ticking by.  It seems that everyday is filled with last times and goodbyes.  Last times and goodbyes to not only friends but also local sights and scenes.  We decided that before we move we want to make sure that we see and do as much as possible in the local area so that when we get to our new home, we don't look at each other and say, "Gosh, I wish we would have (fill in the blank) before we moved away!".  No regrets of  "I wish we would have eaten there", "I wish we would have seen that", or most especially "I wish I would have spent more time with them".  So this weekend we took a break from packing and organizing for some Fall sightseeing and fun. 

Saturday was devoted to the sights and tastes of Cherokee, NC.  Cherokee is located about an hour west of Asheville, NC and is the home of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. There are cultural sights and attractions, outdoor activities, lots of shops, restaurants and a huge Harrah's Cherokee Casino and Hotel. 

Welcome to the Cherokee Indian Reservation

Our first stop was the amazing Museum of the Cherokee Indian.  The artifacts and exhibits in this museum are first class; detailing the story of the Cherokee from the Paleo Period thru the Trail of Tears.  I'm so glad that we made time for this visit as it not only taught important lessons of history, but brought the stories of real people to life.  Do not miss this museum if you take a trip to Western North Carolina!  The best shopping for locally made arts and crafts is right across the street at Qualla Arts and Crafts.

We drove around the area looking for a restaurant that called our name to eat lunch.  We thought we found the perfect spot at Granny's Kitchen.  There were lots of cars out front and people were streaming in and the smells that wafted from the door were very tantalizing.  However, the wait was just a bit too long for our growling tummies.  We needed food quick!  Harrah's was just a short distance up the road and we knew that they had several restaurant choices on property.

My husband, the mystery diner!

Round One at the buffet!

Let me tell you, we hit the buffet jackpot!!  Did you know that the first lady of southern cooking, Paula Deen has a restaurant in Cherokee, NC?  She sure enough does and let me tell you it is fabulous!  It's called Paula Deen's Kitchen and the fried chicken was life changing!   Oh, and my husband couldn't get enough of the fried catfish.  There were so many sides to choose from: macaroni and cheese, green beans, hoe cakes, roasted potatoes, pinto beans and more.  We could have chosen an entree from the menu, but why pick just one thing, when you can have a taste of so many types of delicious foods? 

See, half my plate consisted of vegetables!  I admit to a second plate, but that was just for small tastes of things that wouldn't fit on the first one.  

As you can imagine, we needed to do a bit of walking after this meal, so we explored the rest of the hotel and casino.  Harrah's has a very large selection of slots and table games and was quite busy on the day that we visited. 

We took a more scenic route on the drive back home and had to stop to take in this breathtaking view of where we had just came from.  I will never, ever get tired of scenes like this.

NC Hwy 19 / Old Soco Road

I'm Moving to Lakeland, FL!

I'm so excited to share my news with you that I will be moving to Lakeland, Florida at the end of this month!  A great opportunity has come our way with regards to my husband's career, so we are stepping out on faith and heading south  I am looking forward to meeting new people  (especially paper crafters!) and putting down roots in a new place.

We have lived in Florida before, but it was many, many years ago and in different part of the state.  I know a lot has changed since then and it will be a different experience from the previous.  I have to admit I won't miss the snow and cold winters of Western North Carolina!  However, I will miss the beautiful mountains; and of course, this goes without saying, my best friend!  But, I know that friendships outlast geographical boundaries, so I know that we'll always be close.

The packing and boxing up of possessions has just begun, but we are making good progress already.  We downsized quite a bit during our previous move, so this time it is much easier.  Plus, I have to admit, I'm a bit of an organized person, so I have the original boxes of a few things still around like my Cricut and iMac! I guess I knew that we wouldn't be in our current place forever, so I kept things at the ready.

Today, I packed up my Close to my Heart products and other crafting supplies so it will be a few weeks before I am able to post any original artwork.  However, I will still post CTMH videos and specials that are going on.  I will also keep you up to date on where I am in the relocation process.  It's looking like we will be leaving Asheville the week of October 22nd.

So here is what I would love...if you are in the Lakeland, FL area and enjoy paper crafting such as scrapbooking, card making or stamping, let me hear from you!  Send me an email and let me know if you would like to get together to Create with Care!  

Birthday Tea, Brunch and Dinner

Today is my birthday!!  I have been treated like a Disney Princess this whole weekend by both my wonderful, loving, and generous husband as well as my kind, caring and generous best friend.  

My friend Jennifer knows just how much I love the ceremony, celebration, and joy of an English tea.  So for my birthday she treated me to a scrumptious afternoon tea at the amazing Chelsea's Tea Room here in Asheville, NC.  It was so much fun, and because I love to blog, I took pictures every step of the way so I could share with you.  

Birthday Tea at Chelsea's in Asheville, NC

It was such a beautiful, clear and crisp day that we sat on the patio for our treat.  We ordered a pot of Earl Grey for two and had a great time giggling and people watching.  When the two tiered afternoon tea plate arrived we were taken aback at the assortment of goodies that awaited us.  There were savory treats such as deviled eggs, spinach and artichoke spread on toast, hummus with feta and cucumber on crackers, and sample size portions of Chelsea's quiche of the day.  Then for sweets we were served peanut butter cookies, portions of English trifle, banana cake, pumpkin biscotti and coconut macaroons.  Plus we  each received a full size maple walnut scone with strawberry jam and cream.  Oh my goodness it was feast for both the eyes and the tummy!

The Afternoon Tea Plate

Sharing a pot of Earl Grey

The celebration continued into today, with more dining out treats from my husband.  No cooking for me today!  I had a lovely birthday brunch at the famous (written up in Southern Living and appearing on Food Network) Tupelo Honey.  If you come to Asheville, I insist that you eat here!!  I swear, the sweet potato pancake tastes like Autumn on a plate!  And per my special request, I had the amazing chicken parmigiana at Black Bear Pizza for dinner.  

The above mentioned dining establishments are not paying me to brag on them, I just thought ya'll should know so your life could be as enriched by them as mine has been.

Thank you for letting me share my happy weekend with you.

Monarchs in the Mountains

Earlier this week my husband and I took a "field trip" to Transylvania County, NC to visit the Cradle of Forestry, which is an amazing place that is known as the birthplace of forest conservation in America.  It is located on 6,500 acres in the Pisgah National Forest and is home to a great exhibit on what happens in the forest as well as many hiking and walking trails and picnic areas.  We had a really fun time wondering on the trails and seeing the historic buildings, logging train and learning about conserving and maintaining the forests of the United States.

From there we took a short drive up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is a road that we enjoy immensely! We didn't have time to drive very far, but wanted to take a few pictures overlooking the Pisgah National Forest that we had just hiked in.  It didn't take long at all to reach the perfect spot; the Pounding Mill Overlook was exactly what we had hoped for.

Milepost 413 on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Take a look at this amazing view!  If you click on the picture below to enlarge it, you will see a gorgeous monarch butterfly floating by just to the right of center!

View from the Pounding Mill Overlook

It turns out that single butterfly was not just a single butterfly, there were hundreds not only floating past, but perched in bushes and flowers all along the overlook.  It was a spectacular sight!  Other sightseers were snapping pictures as fast as we were and oohing and ahhing over the beauty of it.

Monarch butterflies are unable to survive the cold weather of northern winters, so they migrate to warmer temperatures.  According to experts, if a monarch lives in the eastern United States, they head south to sunny Mexico in early October to hibernate. 

I'm so glad that we took that short detour instead of heading straight home!  It was truly a blessing to see these amazing creatures up close and in such a large quantity.  Thank you letting me share my Monarch in the Mountains adventure with you!

October Stamp of the Month

Are you ready for Christmas?!  You've probably just answered "Heck, NO!" and laughed out loud!  Well, I'm here to help you out.  The Close to my Heart October Stamp of the Month is called Very Merry Christmas and it's going to make you and your holiday gifts the stars of the season.  I adore this stamp set!  Five, yes FIVE stamps in this set, coordinate perfectly with Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge!  Your holiday tag making will be done in super fast.  And the best thing...?

It's only $5.00 with any order of $50.00 or more!

Close to my Heart October 2012 Stamp of the Month

Don't want to make tags?  Check out what it can look like on a scrapbook page.  Adorable!

HELPFUL HINTS

To create the techniques featured in this artwork, follow the helpful hints outlined below. Then use the pattern (Reflections: Front & Center—Trio™) found on page 70 of our Reflections^® how-to publication for inspiration.

• Cut the title phrase at 3" <Christms>, found on page 80 of the Artiste booklet.
• Cut the large ornament at 3" Shift+3D Object <HoHoHo>, the snowflake at 1 1/2" Shift+Accent 1 <HoHoHo>, the two red snowflakes at 1 1/2" Shift+Accent 4 <HoHoHo>, and the two mittens at 2 1/2" Accent 2 <Noel>, all of which are found on page 79 of the Artiste booklet.
• To create the paint splatter look, add a few drops of Colonial White re-inker and pearl paint to the spray pen and shake until combined. Spray as much as desired and set aside to dry.
• Embellish with stamped accents, paper accents, and accessories, adding dimension with 3-D foam tape as desired.

Click here to start shopping!

Thank you for stopping by!

Layered Card to celebrate World Card Making Day

Did you know that this Saturday, October 6th is World Card Making Day??  I was so excited when I found out!  I can just picture paper crafters all around the globe gathered together with  paper trimmers, adhesive and piles of paper being creative and crafty this coming Saturday.  I want to be one of them and you should be, too!  So, if you are in the Asheville, NC area, please feel free to join me.  Click here for the details of my get together in celebration of World Card Making Day.  I would love to see you.

The project that I will be teaching uses a really great layering technique.  I was inspired after seeing this done by another Close to my Heart Independent Consultant on her blog.  Check out Mandy Leahy's website and video for the gorgeous Layered Heart card that got me excited to try this technique.

I decided to celebrate both fall and Christmas with the two cards that I made using this fun technique.  I used my Close to my Heart Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge to cut out the oval shape for the pumpkin card and the tree shape for the holiday card in varying sizes both in black and white card stock.  I stamped the images using Exclusive Inks in Black, then colored the images using CTMH Water Color Pencils blending them for a softened effect.  For the holiday card, I mounted the tree image on CTMH Pear & Partridge B&T paper.

CTMH "Give Thanks" stamp (Item # D1110)

CTMH Pear & Partridge Paper

I hope that you have been inspired to "Create with Care" a handmade card for World Card Making Day!