This Years Christmas Photo & Card

I am so behind this year on Christmas cards that I am cheating. I'm using Close To My Heart's Merry & Bright Christmas Card kit! It is so cute and looks like I spend hours on them when it really only took a few minutes per card. This years photo was taken at my Mom and Dad's house on Thanksgiving. Don't they look great?

National Papercrafting Month!

JANUARY IS NATIONAL PAPER CRAFTING MONTH - AND WE ARE CELEBRATING EARLY!

Close To My Heart is Proud to announce National Papercrafting Month - a January sensations that celebrates all the amazing things you can create with paper and a little creativity. And to make it even more fun, we're offering a fantastic kit that will enhance every one of your projects.The gorgeous new Key to My Heart Level 2 paper packet features all of our luscious new exclusive colors: Tulip, Juniper, Sorbet, and Crème Brulee. The packets is accompanied by the awesome new E-size My Acrylix Key to My Heart stamp set brimming with elegant, charming designs.

We are making this kit available EARLY beginning on DECEMBER 16 for our customers so you can be ready for Paper Crafting month!

You can purchase this great Key to My Heart kit for $47.90 BUT here are 2 ways to get it at substantial savings or even FREE! Here's how:
Spend $130 and get the Key to My Heart kit FREE!

Spend $75 and the kit is yours for just $20!

The campaign also has enticing opportunities for hostesses and new Consultants. JANUARY Hostesses get the package FREE with a Home Gathering sales total of $400 or more, and new Consultants who join Close To My Heart between January 1-31 will receive the kit FREE in their New Consultant Kit.

WATCH FOR MORE INFO SOON about National Papercrafting Month!

I'm An Aunt!!

Today my baby nephew was born! His due date was December 25th but they had to plan a c-section for December 18th because he was breech. He decided changed the plans and was born today. Here is me and baby Payden at the hospital. Almost makes me want to have another baby. :)

Welcome Baby

Payden Javery Carter

Born: Dec. 10th 2008 at 3:00 pm

Weight: 6 lbs 11 oz

Length: 18 inches

Morning Frost

We finally got some decent snow on Thursday and this morning it was so cold that the trees, grass and plants had beautiful frost on them. I grabbed my camera and shot these pictures.

Evensong Workshop

When: Saturday, December 13th 2008

Time: 12 pm to 2 pm

Where: My House
(contact me for directions)

RSVP: November 28th 2008
(payment is due at that time so I can order every one's product)

Close To My Heart has come up with a new workshop experience. You now have a choice of how much you would like to spend and now take product home to create more fantastic layouts.

Your Options Are:

BASIC ~ Cost $21.00
This package allows you to create the 2 page fully-embellished 12"x12" layout featured in the brochure with extra items to create the additional layout projects available on the web.

Included in your cost:
X7104B - Evensong Paper Packet, X7104C - Evensong My Stickease Assortment, 28" of Cranberry Grosgrain Ribbon, 13 Clear Sparkles, and the Evensong Brochure plus the use of my stamps and ink pads.

BETTER ~ Cost $44.00
This package allows you to create the 2 page fully-embellished 12"x12" layout featured in the brochure with extra items to create the additional layout and card project projects available on the web less the embellishments.

Included in your cost:
Basic Package plus D1315 - My Acrylic Evergreen

BEST ~ Cost $57.00
This package allows you to create the 2 page fully-embellished 12"x12" layout featured in the brochure with extra items to create the additional layout and card projects available on the web fully embellished.

Included in your cost:
Better Package plus - Z134 Prisma Glitter, Z1134 Holiday Fabric Tags and Z1104 Clear Sparkles (a whole package instead only 13).

Festive Frills Christmas Cards

Here are two cards my Hostess Club members creative for November's meeting. We also made the Christmas Door card shown in a previous post.

Products Used: (all CTMH unless noted)
Colonial White Card Stock
Festive Frills stamp set
New England Ivy InkCranberry Ink
X-mas Red Stickles
Creative Basics Evensong Collection
Olive Grosgrain Ribbon (included in the Evensong Collection)

Christmas Door Card

I just LOVE this card! I got this idea from a fellow Consultant and decided to make one for myself. This card is simple to make just a bit of cutting for all the panels. Here are the dimensions so you can create this card at home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Card Base ~ 5 x 7

Top Panels ~ 2 each of 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 and 1 1/14 and 1 1/4

Middle and Bottom Panels ~ 4 each of 1 1/2 x 2 1/4 and 1 1/4 x 2

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Products Used: (all CTMH unless noted)

Colonial White Card Stock

Festive Frills stamp set

New England Ivy Ink

X-mas Red Stickles

Desert Sand Ink

Bamboo Ink

Creative Basics Evensong Collection

Retired CTMH Gold ribbon

Make "N" Take Tags

These are just some tags that I have for a Make "N" Take at a fundraiser crop I am participating in on November 8th. These are made with all Close To My Heart products.

Christmas Tags:

Vineyard Berry Cardstock

Ponderosa Pine Cardstock

Bamboo Cardstock

Black Cardstock

Black Grosgrain Ribbon

Evergreen Stamp Set

Pink Tags:

Notebook Paper Paper Packet

Hollyhock Cardstock

Bamboo Cardstock

Black Cardstock

Hollyhock Twill

Black Grosgrain Ribbon

Shining Star Stamp Set

Elk Galore!!

My husband and I went away this Sunday for two days to Estes Park, CO. We are vacation club owners and were invited up to spend some time at the resort. We had planned on getting up early Monday morning to see the Elk out and about but when we arrived in Estes about 5 o'clock Sunday evening we saw at least 100 Elk! They where so beautiful and I got some great pictures.

Craft Fair

Over this past weekend, a friend and I decided to make some goodies to sell at a small Holiday Bizarre. Well, it turned out to be a bust but we had a good time make the goodies. I guess we have our holiday gifts ready to go. LOL

WOW!! We have reached over 5,000 Hits!!

This is so exciting!! I will be posting a blog giveaway very soon for reaching this great milestone!! Keep checking back for giveaway details.

Happy Birthday To Me!!

Today is my 32nd Birthday!! This morning I woke up to my husband and all 4 kids signing me "Happy Birthday" with a giant Tinkerbell balloon, cards, flowers and Starbucks coffee in hand. It was so sweet I started to cry. Later my Mom took me and my Sister-In-Law (we share the same birthday) to the Boulder Tea House for lunch. I had the Lamb Burger with sweet potatoes french fries (pictured above). It was absolutely yummy!! Tonight I will be opening gifts with my family. I think the kids are more excited about the gifts than me. LOL All in all it was a pretty good birthday!!

"JOY" Coaster Frame

This coaster frame is great for placing on a mantel and allows for two photos between the letters in JOY. I created this to sell at a local craft fair that a friend and I will be doing on the 26th of October.

Hope you like it!!

Fall Colors

So sorry I have not been blogging in awhile. I have been busy around here trying to get some housework done as well as packing for a weekend crop in Winter Park. I just got back and have some pictures to share of Colorado's Aspen leaves changing. The mountains were so beautiful this weekend!! I have another weekend trip in Estes Park at the end of the month, just a fun getaway not cropping, and hope the leaves will still be on the trees to get some better photos.

September Club Layout

Here is this month's club layout. We used the new Perfect Day Paper Packet to create a beautiful layout. I have decided to use this paper for my Wedding pictures. I am SO happy that I have finally found (after 8 years of marriage) the perfect paper!! As and extra to the layout I have added the scroll rub-on from the Love Letters Rub-On's. Now all I need to add is the title. LOL!

Roller Skate Thank You Card

Here is a simple but cute Thank You card that I am working on for a custom order. I first stamped Thanks on the lower right-hand corner of the card, then used my Cuttlebug to emboss the the front of the card, then stamped a roller skate on a piece of white cardstock, added some touches of pink with a gel pen and matted that with pink and black carstock. Adhered it all down on the card and your done!!

~Elisha

PRODUCTS USED: cardstock and "Thanks" stamp by Close To My Heart, Gel pen by Gelly Roll, roller skate stamp from Clear Dollar Stamps

Another Roller Skate Invitation

WOW! I haven't posted in a while. There is a good reason, promise. I have been very busy with school, kids, Girl Scouts, and creating 40 Roller Skate invitations for a custom order. I really LOVED how this one turned out! I told my customer that I think hers turned out better than my original. It's amazing how just changing the colors changes the whole mood of the invitation. Hope you like it!!

For this card I use:

Flower Power (retired CTMH paper)

Vellum (CTMH)

Bazzill Bling in Purple, Orange & Black (not sure of the exact color names)

Ribbon- (American Crafts)

Cotton Candy Stickles (on the toe stopper)

Votive Candle Card

Here is a cute and easy gift to make for anyone that loves candles. I used the new Magic Moments Paper Packet from the Fall/Winter Idea Book, the September Stamp of the Month - Treasure Life, vellum, Big Pinks Flower and a button. I loved how it turned out.

Treasure Life Card

Here is a little sneak peek of a few new items from Close To My Heart. I used the NEW Originals Card Confidence Program and created the Pocket Card using the NEW Magic Moments Paper Packet, the September Stamp Of The Month - Treasure Life. This card is for an upcoming Home Gather. I think everyone will that attends the Home Gather will enjoy making this card.

First Day of School Layout

Here is a layout I have been working on over the past weekend. I hope to get more scrapping done this Labor Day Weekend, but we will see.

Products Used:

Bazzill Textured Cardstock

CTMH Cardstock

CTMH Giggles & Grins Paper Packet

School Paper

ABC Ribbon (retired from CTMH)

Cricut Expressions - Locker Talk cartridge

Celebrating 7 Years with Close To My Heart!!

I can't believe it has already been 7 years with Close To My Heart!! Where does the time go? I remember the day I decided to sign up to become a consultant. I was so excited and even more excited when my Consultant Kit showed up on my door step! So much has changed since the day I became a consultant 7 years ago. Our logo changed, our stamps changed from wood to acrylic, our Idea Books got smaller and now come out 3 times a year rather than once a year and our products keep getting better and better with each new Idea Book!! Today, I am still excited to be with Close To My Heart and hope that all of you will celebrate with me in my journey with such a great company.

Roller Skate Template

I have had such a huge response on my Roller Skate Invitation and template that I have now made the template available on my blog. Enjoy making those roller skate invitations!! I would love to see what everyone comes up with!!

NEW Scrapbook Room Pictures!!

OK, you have asked for it and here they are!! Pictures of my newly re-done scrapbook room!! I still have not finished putting everything away but this will show you what I have done to my room so far. I hope you like it and welcome your comments!!

Cuttlebug Tin

Here is a cute lunch tin that I altered with some old Close To My Heart paper, ribbon from a local craft store, Close To My Heart's Big Pinks flowers and a little glitter to add some bling. Since my room is Brown and Pink this matches perfectly and is functional as well. This lunch tin holds my Cuttlebug embossing folders and dies (well for now).

HUGE Online Clearance Sale Starts TODAY!!

Here's the scoop:

From August 5–28, you’ll be able to participate in an online clearance sale, available on MyCTMH websites only, giving everyone a great chance to stock up on a variety of Close To My Heart retired products at tremendous savings. Here are just a few of the bargains you can expect:

• My Acrylix® stamp sets for as little as $2
• My Reflections® scrapbooking kits for as little as $2
• My Child’s Reflections™ kits for $3• My Stickease™ assortments for $2
• And much more!

Beginning August 5, a complete list of sale items will be posted on MyCTMHwebsites; just click Shop Online. The prices listed are for both US and Canada.

Here are details of the campaign:

1. All sale items are limited to stock on hand—when they’re gone, they’re gone! Many are bound to sell out very quickly, so you’ll want to order as soon as August 5 rolls around.

2. Shoppers receive FREE shipping after their purchase reaches $75 US / $100 CAN. Purchases under $75/$100 will have shipping charges calculated based on the overall weight of the items.

3. Shopping for current product will still be available during the sale, but the two types of shopping (clearance and regular) cannot be combined on one order. Under the MyCTMH Shop Online link, there will be a special shopping area just for clearance sale orders.

4. Clearance items cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion, including Stamp of the Month.

5. Because regular orders will take priority in shipping, please allow up to 10 business days for us to ship clearance sale orders.

Convention 08!!

Well, the Close To My Heart's convention is going on right now in Orlando,FL. No, I am not their but there is lots of exciting news along with lots of NEW stuff. Of course we have new stamp sets and My Reflections Kit coming out but there is also new tips, new tools, new accessories, new organizers, new colors, new album, new Originals Card Confidence Program, new pricing, and so much MORE!!! I can't revel any more information but if you join my newsletter you be the first to see all the new CTMH products!

To join my e-newsletter list please e-mail me at ElishaCarter@msn.com to be added.

We Are Family Page

Here is my first page that I completed in my NEWLY redone scrap room!! This is a custom order page for a lady here in Colorado. I loved the way it turned out so much that now I need to create one for myself!! LOL

Products Used: (all CTMH)

Silhouette Paper Packet

Ribbon Rounds Black Collection

Just Blooms - Big Pinks

Edge Anchors - Heritage

Black Bigger Brad

Black Brads

Bamboo Ink

Dimensional Elements - Fresh Shapes

My Furniture is In!!

My furniture is in my NEW scrapbook room!! I am so excited!! I don't have any "new"room pictures to show as of yet because I am now slowly moving everything back into my room. I didn't realize how much stuff I really have until I moved it out of my room. Now I am worried that I will not have enough room for all my stuff. LOL

Scrapbook Room Update

Sorry I have been away from the blogging world. Things are just a little crazy around here. I decided that I needed to hook up my computer back up to the Internet to check my mail and give you an update. So here is what's going on.

I found some great furniture on Crag's List last Thursday. On Sunday, my husband and I rented a Uhal truck and I drove down south, a good hour from our house, to a very richy neighbor hood. We slowly loaded very heavy furniture and made our way back home. Pick up my paint that same night and started painting Monday morning. My room is almost finished being painted. Just have some trim work to due. I have had lots of great help trying to get my room done. My poor house in such a mess with everything out of my scrap room and in my living room, my son's room and the dinning room. We should be able to move my new furniture back into my room Thursday night or Friday morning. As right now I do not have any pictures to share but once I get things back where they are suppose to be I will be sure to post pictures.

Well, that's it for now. Back to doing some housework while the kids are with Grandma for a bit. I can't wait for you all to see my new room!!

Another NEW Toy!!

I had a Scrapbook Garage Sale over the past weekend with great success. I had such a huge turnout that I ended up selling my baby Cricut and was able to go out a purchase the Cricut Expressions!! It is so COOL!! I haven't had to much time to play with it but I am very excited to have it. Hopefully I will be able to show you some neat tricks as I learn them.

I am also now in the process of redoing my room. I have already bought a few things and we are slowly working on it. My goal is to have my room done by beginning August but we will see. We have a lot of stuff going on during the weekends in July so it may be the middle of August before we can be done. I will post updates on my room as we get things done. Right now it is just cleaning things out and purchasing paint and goodies to go in.

July Hostess Club

For this month's club I am showing my members how to use the NEW Dimensional Elements Monograms for titles along with a fun embossing technique.

Products used: (all Close To My Heart)
Blue Ribbon Paper Packet

Dimensional Elements Monograms in J U L Y

Clear Embossing Powder

Cream Paint

Clear Buttons

Liquid Glass

Cranberry Waxy Flax

Dimensional Elements Ribbon Accents

Vintage USA Stamp Set