Close To My Heart 2014 Goals and 2013 Review

2013 has been a fantastic year for paper crafting in Jacksonville!  I have made so many great new friends since I moved here and started my endeavor with Close To My Heart.  What started out as a small group with 3 attendees at the first meeting has grown and blossomed to include 65 other paper crafters from NE Florida.  Here are some of the incredible things that have happened...

• I started the year not knowing anyone in the area and now have met so many wonderful women that share my love of scrapbooking, stamping and card making!
• 3 members of Scrapbook, Stamp & Socialize have grown to 65!
• Once a month meetings at my apartment clubhouse have turned into twice a month meetings at 2 different Jacksonville area libraries!

2014 is definitely going to continue on this upwardly moving path!  I have so many plans in the works.  Here are a few of my goals...

• I would love to sign up other Close To My Heart consultants in the area to build a team in and around Jacksonville.  Please contact me if you would like to learn more about the training that I will provide as well as great the income and friendship potential!
• More workshops!!  Our group loves to make cards and do workshops together.  I want to have at least 1 per quarter.
• More blog posts of my artwork.
• More personal scrapbooking!

I'm looking forward to a creative 2014!  I love the new 2014 Spring/Summer Idea Book and can't wait to share the new patterns and project with you throughout the upcoming year.

I wish you a peaceful, joyful, and happy new year filled with paper, ink, glitter and glue!

Close To My Heart 2014 Spring/Summer Idea Book PREVIEW!!

Close To My Heart 2014 Spring/Summer Idea Book!!

New post with photos added 1/14/14!  Click HERE!
Merry Christmas, everyone!  My present to you is a small sneak peek of the "hot off the press" 2014 Spring/Summer Idea Book from Close To My Heart!

I believe that you will absolutely fall in love with the color combinations and themes found in this brand new catalog.  I am so excited to share what I have found out so far.  I'll have copies to give out to my customers during our Scrapbook, Stamp and Socialize January crops and be taking orders in advance of the February 1st official reveal.

There will be 7 new collections!!  That's right, brand new paper packets with coordinating inks, stamps, and embellishments to create with!  So you can get started thinking about which inks that you might need, I've listed the collection name and coordinating colors for you right here!

Skylark

• Bamboo
• Desert Sand
• Juniper
• Kraft
• Lagoon
• Skylark Yellow
• Sweet Leaf
• White Daisy

Ivy Lane

• Bamboo
• Blush
• Hollyhock
• Ivy Lane Green
• Ivy Lane Purple

Ariana

• Ariana Coral
• Ariana Green
• Ariana Grey
• Crystal Blue
• Outdoor Denim
• White Daisy

Balloon Ride

• Cashmere
• Colonial White
• Creme Brulee
• Crystal Blue 
• Juniper
• Saddle
• Sky
• Sorbet

Jubilee

• Cashmere
• Cocoa
• Colonial White
• Cranberry
• Honey
• Indian Corn Blue
• Kraft
• Sweet Leaf
• Topiary

Timberline

• Bamboo
• Chocolate
• Colonial White
• Goldrush
• Lagoon
• Ponderosa Pine
• Twilight

Lollydoodle

• Cocoa
• Cotton Candy
• Juniper
• Pear
• Slate
• Sorbet
• Whisper
• White Daisy

I would recommend picking 2 collections to order that have a coordinating color.  This will allow you to order 1 ink pad that goes with 2 paper packets and give you the ability to mix and match.  For instance, the delicate green of Sweet Leaf can be found in both Skylark and Jubilee.  Sorbet, an orange shade is featured in Balloon Ride as well as Lollydoodle.  The light, creamy shade of Bamboo is found in 3 collections; Skylark, Ivy Lane, and Timberline.

I also recommend getting an extra pack of neutral cardstock to extend your paper collections.  This trick allows for the use of White Daisy or Colonial White as the background of your 12 x 12 layouts, while stretching your color and patterned papers.  At only $9.50 for 24 sheets, it's a great way to stretch your scrapbooking dollars.

Are you getting excited already?!  I can't wait to place my order and share these gorgeous collections with you over the next 7 months!

I look forward, with great excitement, to paper crafting in 2014!

Scrapbook, Stamp & Socialize Holiday Cookie Swap and Social

This weekend, we held the First Annual Holiday Cookie Swap and Social for our Scrapbook, Stamp & Socialize group in Jacksonville.  It was such a fun time filled with games, a Create & Take, and of course cookies!  There were 8 paper crafters that attended this first time event.  

The rules were simple...

Bake:  Each guest will choose their favorite cookie recipe and bake 1/2 dozen for each confirmed guest, plus 1 dozen extra to share at the party.

Bring:  Separately package each 1/2 dozen cookies that you will be sharing. Please bring the dozen to share on a platter or plate for the cookie buffet table.

Print:  Please bring copies of your recipe to share.  Each package should include a copy of the recipe.

Swap:  Each guest will get to take home 1/2 dozen of each cookie!

If 12 people sign up, each person will make 7 dozen cookies; 6 dozen will be split up into 1/2 dozen package and 1 dozen will be to sample at the swap!

Just look at this spread of goodies!  We had appetizers as well as cookies to munch on.  Our hostess also provided a hot cocoa bar and other assorted beverages.

There was a table set up for all of the fabulous baked treats that we were going to take home.  Everyone had packaged their treats to share in pretty boxes or bags that included the recipe of how to make them.

We played games such as Christmas Trivia and Gingerbread Cookie Word Scramble.  We also did a lot of talking about paper crafting!  There is even a plan in the works for the group to do a field trip to a local stamp store.

Finally, as a Create & Take we stamped white gift bags with snowflakes and make a gift tag in the shape of an ornament using the CTMH Frosted paper collection.  Watch for pictures and instructions for this project in an upcoming post.

Happy Holidays!

CTMH Laughing Lola Matchbook Style Post It Note Holder

CTMH Laughing Lola Matchbook Style Post It Note Holder

For November, I have featured the Laughing Lola paper packet from Close To My Heart in the Create & Take that my Scrapbook, Stamp and Socialize group have done together.  You can view the cute gift bags that we made earlier in the month here. 

I enjoy designing or discovering simple, easy projects that can be made together as a group. This project was a happy discovery found on the Splitcoaststampers website.  However, I needed to make mine fit a 3" x 3" Post-It note page, so I modified the measurements a bit.

• For the cover; cut a piece of Gypsy cardstock to a 8 3/4" by 3 1/8" rectangle.  Score it at 3 3/8", 3 3/4" and 7 3/4".

• Fold where you scored.  Staple once at the short fold about 1/4" in at the center point.  Hide the staple with a 3 1/8" x 1/2' strip of coordinating patterned paper.  I used the zip strip from the top of one of the B&T papers in the Laughing Lola pack.

• Adhere your Post-It note pad to the base, lining it up with the other 2 score lines.

• To decorate the top, cut a 2 3/4" x 2 3/4" square in Laughing Lola Gold cardstock.  Then cut an accent square in a coordinating B&T paper at 2 5/8" x 2 5/8" and adhere on top of your cardstock for a layered effect.

• I also used my CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge to cut out a decorative shape in White Daisy cardstock (page 26) <Shape1> and Black cardstock for the border (page 26) <Layer, Shape1>.

• I stamped the sentiment "A Note For You" from the Just For You stamp set and finished it with a couple of Sparkles from the Black & Gray assortment.

A quick, easy, and very pretty gift for anyone with a desk!  This would make a wonderful stocking stuffer or present for a teacher.

CTMH Laughing Lola and Art Philosophy Gift Bag

The Laughing Lola paper pack from Close To My Heart has a deep, rich color palette that is perfect for Autumn and Winter.  The shades that are predominately featured are Black, Laughing Lola Gold, Laughing Lola Purple and White Daisy.  However, there are splashes of Lagoon, Slate and Gypsy that really pop out and make great accents to the paper.

In my paper crafting group in Jacksonville, Scrapbook, Stamp and Socialize, I always provide a complimentary Create & Take project for us to do together as a group.  It features one of the paper packets from the current CTMH Idea Book and shows off ways to combine and use the papers, coordinating stamps, inks and embellishments.  For this class, I was also expanding upon ways to utilize the Cricut and specifically the CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge, so I created this adorable little gift bag to show off both products.

I used Gypsy cardstock for my bag as I needed to cut out multiples for my group, however, any of the coordinating shades of cardstock that come in the paper packet would look amazing for this gift bag.

Supplies used:

CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge (including coordinating "Thanks" stamp and scalloped circle Dimensional Element)
Gypsy Cardstock
Laughing Lola Paper Packet
Slate Satin Polka Dot Ribbon
Gypsy Ink

Recipe:

Bag:  Shift, Font Layer, <Square1> at 5 1/2" (page 23)
Decorative base layer:  <Square2> at 2 1/2" (page 33)
Swirls:  Shift, Font Layer, <Circle5> at 2" (page 60)
Scalloped Circle:  <Circle3> at 2" (page 41)
Rose:  Shift, Font, <Banner1> at 3" (page 68)

Instructions:

Cut all pieces as directed.  Stamp "Thanks" on scalloped circle of card stock and adhere to Dimensional Element.  Adhere the following pieces to unassembled bag in this order:  decorative base layer, swirls, scalloped circle.  Assemble and glue bag.  Attach rose.

I filled a cellophane bag with chocolate nuggets and tied it off with a big bow using Slate Satin Polka Dot Ribbon.  This is the perfect "just because" gift for anyone you know!  I hope that you have been inspired to make one today.

CTMH Babycakes is NOT Just for Babies!

CTMH Babycakes Card by Create with Care

I have to admit that when I first received my Close To My Heart Autumn/Winter 2013 Idea Book and saw the Babycakes collection as I was flipping excitedly through the pages, my heart sank just a bit.  I thought to myself, "Oh no, I don't have children, so I will never use this paper".  Granted, it's patterns were absolutely adorable with fun alphabets and precious animals, and the coordinating My Stickease had sweet phrases such as "Naptime" and "Baby Love".  However, I quickly passed it by, thinking that it wasn't applicable to me.

CTMH Babycakes Paper Collection

CTMH Babycakes My Stickease

I was WRONG!!

I took a closer look and saw that the reverse side of each coordinating paper has great stripes, dots and patterns that can go well with so many projects.  Plus the colors of Chocolate, Slate, Buttercup and Sunset work fabulously together all year round!

I couldn't wait to share my discovery with the ladies that I teach in my Scrapbook, Stamp and Socialize group.  Many who, like myself, don't have children or their children are grown.  Since our next meeting included an in depth Cricut 101 class with a light focus on the CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge, I decided to combine these two wonderful products and have us make a cute all occasion card together.

Here is the recipe:

Pg 23:  Cut 4" Card from the <Oval 1> key out of Colonial White cardstock
Pg 33:  Cut 3 3/4" Scalloped Square from the <Square 2> key out of the yellow B&T paper
Pg 21:  Cut three 1 1/4" circles from the <Circle 1> key out of Sunset card stock
Pg 21:  Cut three 1" circles from the <Circle 1> key out of the polka dot B&T paper

Using your paper trimmer, cut a 4" x 1/2" strip out of the striped B&T paper.

Using the sentiments from the stamps that come with the CTMH Art Philosophy bundle, stamp the phrase "Have a day filled with..." on the yellow scalloped square in Chocolate ink and "Joy", "Love", and "Hope" inside the Sunset circles also in Chocolate ink.  

Assemble as shown in top photo and add a Durables Artisan Stud as an accent in the center of the circles.

That's it!  A super easy card using Cricut and CTMH to show that Babycakes is not just for babies!

I hope that you are inspired to think outside the paper pack by this project.

Do you BUNDLE?

The latest and best way to get a discount on your cable bill, is by adding phone and Internet service.  The cable companies call it a bundle.  Did you know you can bundle when you scrapbook?!  You absolutely can!  Close To My Heart has several different ways for you to save money by bundling.

Let me show you how:

CTMH New Product Starter Bundle

New to paper crafting?                                   

This New Product Starter bundle is the perfect way to get some basic tools and materials to help you jump right in and start creating.  The item number Z1972 includes the following items:

SureCut (TM) Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer (Z1783; $34.95 retail)Memory Protectors (R) Clear Value Pack (qty. 50) (Z4115; $22.95 retail)

Outdoor Denim My Legacy (R) Faux Leather Album (Z1346; $24.95 retail)

3 album posts and screws, 1" (1011; $2.50 retail)

White Daisy Cardstock 24-pack (1385; $9.50 retail)

Total Retail Price: $94.85

Your Discount Offer: $90.00     

Have a Cricut?  

All Close To My Heart Cricut cartridges (with over 700 images per cartridge!) come bundled as a collection with 3 coordinating stamp sets as well as 3 sheets of coordinating Dimensional Elements shapes!   

The Art Philosophy Collection is a great foundational cartridge complete with basic shapes, numbers, an alphabet and images for most of life's occasions.

The Artiste Collection features an amazing amount of 3-D images such as boxes, bags, cupcake holders, and party favors.  It truly is a party in a box!

The Artbooking Collection is our newest and is designed to make scrapbooking easy.  With one key, you have 14 coordinated images fitting a specific theme such as birthday, school days, Halloween and many more!

Total Retail Value:  approximately $125.00

Your Discount Offer: $99.00

Want everything you need in one kit?  

Workshops on the Go is the answer! These cardmaking or scrapbooking kits include all the materials that you will need to make 15 greeting cards or 2 two-page scrapbooking layouts.  The kits come complete with paper, embellishments and a coordinating stamp set!  

There are 2 cardmaking kits; one featuring the adorable Laughing Lola paper collection, and a second one featuring the pretty holiday paper, Frosted.

For scrapbooking there are 6 kits!  One for each new paper collection in the Autumn/Winter 2013 Idea Book:  Laughing Lola, Sarita, Babycakes, ProPlayer, Huntington, and Frosted.




Total Retail Value:  $36.78 (cardmaking kit) or $41.46 (scrapbooking kit)
Your Discount Offer:  $24.95 or $29.95



See how easy it is to save by bundling?  Get more bang for your paper crafting buck by purchasing a bundle of goodies with Close To My Heart and me, your Independent Consultant!

Jacksonville, FL is Close To My Heart!

Thank you Jacksonville, FL paper crafters for being such a welcoming bunch of ladies!  

When my husband and I moved to the city in December of last year, we didn't know a soul.  I really wanted to make friends in my new home, but as many of you know, the city is so big and spread out and people are busy going about their lives, it is very hard to make a personal connection.

I decided to reach out to those that I had a common interest with: paper crafters!  I've always found scrapbookers, card makers and stampers to be such wonderful people that enjoy getting together to work on their projects.  I personally, get so much more scrapbooking done in a social setting then I do at home on my own!

Utilizing meetup.com, I decided to organize my own group as a way to meet new people with the same interests.  I set up Scrapbook, Stamp and Socialize in the Jacksonville area to reach out to other paper crafters and make new friends.


Just before we relocated, I had joined Close To My Heart as an Independent Consultant, so I  have been able to use the fabulous supplies that I have access to and the techniques that I have learned to share my love of scrapbooking, stamping and card making with those that attend our group.

I'm pleased to say that there are now over 50 members in the group!  Ladies from all over Northeast Florida that love to get together and have a great time creating things with paper.  We meet at least once a month to do a Create & Take together and to spend time working on our personal projects.  We also do group workshops together such as card making and scrapbooking.  

I am so grateful for the new friends that I have made and thrilled that we were brought together because we all love to play with paper!

CTMH at Creating Keepsakes Convention Jacksonville and Flip Flaps!

Close To My Heart booth at Jacksonville CKC

I had such a fabulous time at CKC this weekend!  The Creating Keepsakes Convention was a great success here in Jacksonville, Fl.  I was fortunate enough to be able to assist Close To My Heart Presidential Director, Tina Sutton in her booth at the vendor faire.  I met so many wonderful paper crafters and was able to teach for both days at the Create and Take table.

The Create and Takes featured the amazing Flip Flaps!  Have you heard of them?  Do you know what they do?  I'm serious when I say that they have changed my scrapbooking life!  They make your scrapbooking pages interactive!  They are clear, self adhesive pockets that attach to your page protectors that allow you to expand your layouts even more!  You can slide in additional photos, journaling, and paper souvenirs such as theater tickets, boarding passes, etc. to really tell your story.  It even saves on paper if you have just a few extra photos to add, but don't want to continue onto another layout!

I will be sharing more about how to use CTMH Flip Flaps at my next Scrapbook, Stamp and Socialize crop on September 21st.  You won't want to miss it!  Click HERE for upcoming crops and class schedules. 

The Create and Takes also featured designs from the newest CTMH Artbooking Cricut cartridge, as well as "hybrid" layouts using both Studio J digital layouts and traditional scrapbooking embellishments.

I can confirm that arts of scrapbooking, card making and stamping are alive and well in Jacksonville.  I look forward to sharing even more tips, tricks and fun ways use products from Close To My Heart in my upcoming workshops.

Close To My Heart September Stamp Specials!!

September is an amazing month to get great deals on clear, My Acrylix stamp sets from Close To My Heart.  In recognition of "National Stamping Month", CTMH is offering two great promotions that are sure to get you thinking of all of the creative ways you can decorate a card, scrapbook page or home decor item.

The best thing is that both specials are combinable!  

For just a $50.00 minimum order, you can purchase the September Stamp of the Month for only $5.00 and the exclusive "You Are My Happy" trio stamp set for $10.00.  That's a retail value of $65.85 for only $15.00.  Wow!

I have to say that my favorite of the two are the "You Are My Happy" trio.  It is an amazingly complete set that will get you far in so many projects.  It contains a full alphabet on one carrier sheet, a sheet of fun sentiments and a sheet of whimsical and cute images such as a heart, flowers and a star.  All very versatile and adaptable to a variety of paper crafting.

Watch the video below for a close up of the images and ideas about how they can be used.








In addition to this exclusive and special National Stamping Month offering, you can always count on CTMH for a great deal on a Stamp of the Month!  This month's featured stamp is called Poster Tidings, a version of the very trendy subway art movement.  Check out how cute these are.  You get two large stamps; one for fall and one for Christmas!

Want ideas on how to use these for your cards or scrapbook pages?  Watch the video below.









If you've been waiting all year to find a great deal on stamps, wait no longer!

SHOP NOW!

CTMH Huntington Scrapbook Layout

Scrapbook layout using CTMH Huntington

For me, Labor Day weekend is the start of Fall.  I know the calendar doesn't agree, however, that's when I start thinking about all things pumpkin!  Yesterday, I had my first taste of what my husband and I call "pumpkinpalooza" with a pumpkin doughnut at Dunkin' Doughnuts!  I promise, this will be the first of many pumpkin items consumed by me in the next three months!  

To celebrate my favorite season, I reached for the new Huntington paper collection from Close To My Heart.  I love the richness and warmth of the colors and how well suited the papers are for anything Autumn.  The featured colors are Barn Red, Cocoa, Champagne and Desert Sand.  However, what really stood out for me and what I wanted to make pop were the shades of Goldrush and Olive.  To highlight these two colors, I stamped images from the Harvest Happiness stamp set onto Colonial White using the coordinating Exclusive Ink pads.

CTMH Huntington (Item # X7174B)

The featured colors are Barn Red, Cocoa, Champagne and Desert Sand.  However, what really stood out for me and what I wanted to accent were Goldrush and Olive which I used to heavily accent my layout by stamping images from the Harvest Happiness stamp set.  I used both the large leaf on the top left of the carrier sheet as a boarder that I stamped in Goldrush across both pages on the Colonial White paper background.  Since this stamp coordinates with the Cricut Art Philosopy cartridge, I cut two on Colonial White paper and stamped the image in Olive and tied them together with a piece of Natural Hemp.

CTMH Harvest Happines (Item #C1463)

I wanted to use this gorgeous paper to focus on the great afternoon that I had at Grandad's Apple Orchard and Corn Maze in Hendersonville, NC.  As you can see, this was a perfect place to celebrate the season. Filled with boxes of pumpkins, squash and apples, this orchard was a combination farmers market, bakery, and corn maze.  I made sure to try the hot apple cider and apple fritter before heading through the acres of corn stalks.

Page 1 - CTMH Huntington Scrapbook Layout

I used two sheets of the Cocoa cardstock as my background base.  The zip strip from the top of the patterned paper had a great sentiment about leaves, so I added that as an accent.  I also cut out a strip of Barn Red cardstock the same length and width and repeatedly stamped the chain of leaves in Cocoa Ink to create a vine effect.  I matted my photos using the Champagne cardstock and added two of the Durables Artisan Studs for a dimensional accent.

Page 2 - CTMH Huntington Scrapbook Layout

I wish you a Fall filled with pumpkins, apples and fun! 

Organize Your Paper Crafting Supplies with Close To My Heart

Are your craft supplies scattered throughout your home or even your car?  Do you ever find yourself buying duplicate items at the craft store because you forgot that you already had it at home?  Have you ever had to stop in the middle of creating to find the coordinating embellishments for your project because they weren't with the rest of your supplies?  

Close To My Heart has the perfect solution!  The CTMH organizers, inserts and dividers are the perfect way to keep all of your crafting supplies at your finger tips in a beautiful and affordable system.

Watch the video below to see the versatility of the Large Organizer and continue reading below for more creative storage ideas!

Small Organizer (Item # Z41380

The Small Organizer (left) is perfect for embellishments, pigment inks, sponge daubers and/or My Acrylix stamping blocks.  Several foam inserts are available for you to customize this sturdy plastic, see through container.

Small Organizer
My Acrylix Blocks Foam Insert
Craft Boxes Foam Insert
Craft Boxes
                                                                                     Pigment Inks Foam Insert
                                                                                     Daubers Foam Insert

Medium Organizer (Item #Z4139)

The Medium Organizer (right) is great for your Exclusive Inks Stamp Pads or all of your miscellaneous tools and supplies.  I think it is perfect for bringing things like a paper trimmer, Crop-A-Dile to an away from home crop.

Medium Organizer

Large Organizer (Item #Z1834)

The Large Organizer (left) is an amazingly versatile 14 1/2" x 10 1/2" x 7 1/2"! If you only by one container, buy this one!  You can add tabbed dividers and use this as your one stop crop in a box!  Stack Exclusive Inks Stamp Pads, bring several My Acrylix stamp sets, throw in sponges, Exclusive Inks Markers, a sanding kit, embellishments and ribbons.  Everything that you need to create beautiful scrapbook layouts or cards can be organized in one small space!
Large Organizer
Tabbed Dividers






For a great way to keep your My Acrylix stamps sets corralled in a beautiful container; consider the My Acrylix Organizer below.  It's designed specifically for CTMH stamp sets!  

My Acrylix Organizer (Item #Z1038)

It's easy to keep your paper crafting and stamping supplies neat and organized with Close To My Heart!

What's New in Stamps from Close To My Heart

Watch the latest video from Close To My Heart; "What's New in Stamps".  You will love seeing and hearing about the improvements and additions to the My Acrylix line of stamp sets.  Contact me to schedule a time to see these and other CTMH products in person!

• E size stamps now on two 6" x 6" carrier sheets for easy storage in your My Acrylix Organizer.
• New Mini Stamps!  A brand new collection of single 2" x 2" stamps that are only $2.95 each!
• Exclusive Hostess Rewards stamp sets for a limited time.  Seven sets to choose from at a special discounted price to say thank you for hostessing your own gathering (either online or in person).
• Improved stamp sets in the already amazing Workshops On The Go kits.  The coordinating stamp set is now D size!  Even more stamps for the same price!
• Jeanette's Stamp Archive - What's old is new!  Limited edition, hand drawn stamps from CTMH founder, Jeanette Lynton are now available in clear My Acrylix versions.

Happy stamping!

CTMH For Always Photo Tin

For Always photo tin

I recently came across this small tin box in my craft supplies.  It is only one half inch deep, but it is large enough in dimension to hold photographs.  As I was thinking about how to use the tin, I thought about a box of black and white photos that I inherited from my grandmother.  These photos are in various sizes from the time period of the mid 1900's.  Many of the photos are of people that I don't recognize and unfortunately, they are not organized in anyway.  

This box of black and white mystery people are one of the reasons that I decided to become a scrapbooker.  I believe that photographs are of historical and emotional significance and that they should be preserved for generations to come.  I just can't bring myself to throw away  these photos of unknown people.  This smiling bride and groom; a young man in front of a new car; a grandmother holding her grandchild.  These are people with stories to tell, but no one to tell them.  This is why I scrapbook.  I have a responsibility to tell my story.

The black and white photographs inspired me to use CTMH's For Always paper packet.  It is a collection of black and white background and texture patterned paper with cardstock in Lagoon, Honey, Slate and Ruby to add a colorful accent to your project.  Because I wanted a softer look, I decided to add floral accents to my tin.

I cut a 12" x 3" strip of Slate cardstock and added the coordinated zip strip from one of the patterned papers as a center "ribbon".  I adhered it together snug enough to stay in place around the tin, but also so it could slide on and off for access to the photographs inside.   I used my Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge to cut out flower shapes of various sizes that also coordinated with one of my favorite stamp sets called Hooray Bouquet.  I used the stamps to do some tone on tone stamping of the flowers and stamped the Lagoon cardstock flowers with Lagoon ink and the Honey flower with the Honey ink.  I also cut out a tag shape from the Cricut cartridge and threaded it with a piece of Lagoon Satin Ribbon.  Then I placed the flowers in a cluster, layering them as I glued them on.  I also accented with a few clear buttons as flower centers.

A very easy and pretty project that can be a keepsake for yourself or given as a gift to a loved one. Photographs don't have to be in an album, but they should be preserved and organized in some way.  This project is a simple solution to stacks of loose photos.

Memory Keeping Matters - Preserve your Precious Memories

"When you take a photograph you are documenting a brief moment in time that can be used to continually tell a story to current and future generations of your family. Let me show you how to preserve your treasured memories with paper, inks and embellishments that will delight and bring enjoyment to you and your loved ones for many years to come."

In the above introduction to my blog, I share how important memory keeping is to me and how much I want to share this craft with others.  Close To My Heart believes this, too.  Please watch the video below to see why this amazing company has been around so long and will continue to support people like us who want to keep our family alive to future generations.

Memory Keeping Matters

Close To My Heart gives you:


Stability You Can Trust

With nearly 30 years in the industry, Close To My Heart understands what is important to those of us that preserve our family memories for generations to come.  Our company is debt free and a leader in the field.

Fresh Creative Products You Crave

Close To My Heart is always setting or keeping up with the latest trends.  Our products are fresh and relevant and we show you new and fabulous ways to document and keep your stories alive.

An Unbeatable Opportunity  

Join me to experience the fun and camaraderie of scrapbooking and memory keeping.  If you would like free products, an income source and dream vacations doing what you love, this is the place for you.  

YOU ARE WELCOME HERE!

Contact me to learn more about Close to My Heart and join me as a customer or a consultant!