Picture My Life

I am so loving the fact that Close To My Heart offers their version of a card system for scrapbooking.  Picture My Life is a little different from your traditional scrapbooking in that there is, for the most part, no cutting, gluing, or fussing.  No figuring out how to arrange your photos, no more guilt about not doing anything with those family photos, and certainly no stress at all is involved when you decide to reach into that shoebox of old photos that need to be protected. 

Now for all that are using Instagram to post daily photos, Facebook to post pics of your kiddos and including a little info that tells the story behind that shot, or Twitter to write a few words about what your are experiencing at that very moment...why not preserve those stories and photos?  Saving all your photos on your family computer is a great way to be sure they are safe however, preserving some of those photos in an album gives all a chance to really enjoy and appreciate those photos. 

Close To My Heart Offers 8 Picture My Life kits to choose from and the best part is you get the quality, beauty, and versatility that CTMH is known for!  Here are just a few......




If you would like to see more kits visit my website by clicking here.

Each month I will be offering a class as a tutorial for using the new Close To My Heart Picture My Life scrapbooking program.  This month's tutorial will be held on Friday, May 30th @ 6:30P.  To participate, you must already have Close To My Heart "Picture My Life" kit so orders yours today!

~Danielle

Free To Be Me

Hello all....with the new month comes a NEW special from Close To My Heart!  I am so excited to introduce to you, Free To Be Me!!!!

During National Scrapbooking Month in May, you can get the Free to Be Me paper collection for just $5 with your qualifying purchase of $50. The paper collection features exclusive printed cardstocks, vellums, and B&T Duos™ and, with a retail value of $11.95, is a fantastic deal for products you can’t get anywhere else. Plus, with your $50 qualifying purchase, you will also qualify for the May Stamp of the Month for an additional $5 (retail value $17.95)! This means May is the perfect month to double up on promotions, getting the paper collection for $5 and the May Stamp of the Month for $5—that is a savings of nearly $20! So make sure to get your Free to Be Me paper collection in May for just $5 and let your creativity take flight! Visit my website today!

Contact me for more information.....

 

Dates: Offer valid May 1- May 31

~Danielle

Quick Crafting with Class

Happy May! A New Month Brings New Crafting Fun!

Hello everyone and Happy May!  I just love a new month.  There is nothing better for me than starting with a clean slate!   Now that the snow is behind us and Spring is truly in sight, I am excited to get all my scrapping friends caught up with their projects.  In addition, I have some other great projects offer!  Here is what's to come:

Take a look at my "Upcoming Classes" page.  You will see what days we will be creating scrapbook pages.  This month, our featured paper is "Timberline".  Here is what we will be creating.....

This paper is absolutely perfect for you camping pics, sporting events, BBQs, or any other family event!  Did you take any camping trips during Spring break?  Get those pics scrapped with Timberline!  Will you be going hiking or do you have a Girl Scout or Boy Scout that have some events you would like to preserve and tell the story about?  Now is your moment.  Let me know if you would like to join us for any of the classes.

I also wanted to tell you about May's special!  For National Scrapbooking Month, Close To My Heart if offering the "Free To Be Me" Paper Collection for just $5 with a qualifying purchase of $50.

The paper collection features exclusive printed cardstocks, vellums, and B&T Duos™ and, with a retail value of $11.95, is a fantastic deal for products you can’t get anywhere else. Plus, with your $50 qualifying purchase, you will also qualify for the May Stamp of the Month for an additional $5 (retail value $17.95)! This means May is the perfect month to double up on promotions, getting the paper collection for $5 and the May Stamp of the Month for $5—that is a savings of nearly $20! So make sure to get your Free to Be Me paper collection in May for just $5 and let your creativity take flight!  Contact me for more details!!!!

Happy crafting!
~Danielle

What Will You Be Crafting For Easter? Artiste Can Help!

Hello all....I hope those of you who are on Spring Break right now are enjoying your time off from the roller coaster we call life.  I know here in my household, things have been very laid back, quiet.  I think I like it!

I took some time this morning, while sipping my coffee, to create some fun little treat boxes as a little token of thanks to some wonderful ladies who have been an amazing support to me over the past couple of months.  These treat boxes can also be wonderful to add to your holiday table!  You can use them as gifts, favors, or even place markers.

I used my Close To My Heart  Artiste Cricut cartridge and was able to make several in just minutes! 

Remember, this cartridge can be yours FREE this month (a $99 value) if you join my team and become a consultant yourself ;).  Take a look here.

So here is the box.  I used White Daisy cardstock for the box itself.  I sponged the sides and corners with Cotton Candy ink.  At the bottom of each I added the border from the My Stickease pack for Lollydoodle.  The butterfly at the top is also cut using the Artiste cartridge.  Of course, I had to add a little "bling" so included some sparkle flourishes.  Finally, I added a little gift tag by attaching it with baker's twine. 

Happy Spring to All!!!


~Danielle

Some other materials used in this project....


 

Today Is The Day! April Fools NOT!

Hello everyone and happy April!  I am so excited today, I can hardly stand it!  Why you ask?  Well because anyone who joins my team this month gets spoiled rotten!  Here's the scoop....

Over the weekend, an old friend approached me and asked "Danielle, how do you do it?  How do you work, take care of your 3 kids, and your house and still have time to be a consultant for CTMH?"  I didn't have to think at all when it just flew off my tongue..."I do it because it makes me happy." 

Yep, you see, my belief is this:  life is just way too short and precious at that.  I am not going to sit around being sad, feeling unfulfilled, and just plain tired and cranky.  When I am happy my family is happy..so you see, I NEED Close To My Heart. 

Think of it like this, you are like a bank account.  If you keep withdrawing (by doing dishes, making meals, caring for your ill children, fixing beds, scrubbing toilets, volunteering at school, teaching your children at home, working your 9-5 job....you get where I am going with this) and you don't make any deposits, you eventually end up with a zero (or even negative) balance.  That's it, nothing left to give.  So making a deposit into myself is heading off to do the next fun project or teaching others to do that scrapbook layout or meeting up with my team to put ideas together.......so you see, I NEED Close To My Heart because it makes me happy, makes me feel fulfilled!  Everyone deserves to be happy, everyone deserves to LOVE what they do for a living, everyone deserves to feel fulfilled.

So for all of those who like to scrapbook, makes cards, stamp, or create other projects...you have a place at Close To My Heart!  You are welcome here......

You can simply join to earn the benefits of being a consultant, such as a discount on product, opportunity to attend convention, etc.  Or, you may want to make a few extra dollars to help contribute towards your family's expenses.  I know that this has been a wonderful journey for me and have learned so much in addition to meeting some pretty awesome people along the way!  Whatever you decide you can bet I will help you every step of the way along with my wonderful teammates.  Not to mention, joining our team is affordable with start up cost being just $99 plus tax and shipping (for more than $300 worth of product).  Take a look here to see what the kit includes.  But WAIT!!!!!!  That's not all!

If you join my team from April 1st-30th you can not only get your starter kit, but you can also choose one of Close To My Heart's Cricut cartridge collections and it's yours...FREE!  

    

That's right...another $99 worth of product making that a total of over $400 in product for $99.  And if that isn't enough, if you make $1200 in your first 90 days as a consultant (and you will have my help as I will be your mentor and guide), you will get back your sing-on fee of $99 in cash!  So signing up would be FREE!  Not to mention you will get a FREE gift from me valued at $35.  So come join me in this awesome adventure!  I cannot wait to help you start your incredible journey!

~Danielle

Balloon Ride Offers Whimsical Fun To My Wedding Album

For the month of April, the scrapbook workshop/classes hosted will feature "Balloon Ride", one of the paper packs featured in the CTMH Spring/Summer 2014 Idea Book.  I decided to use this paper to help me scrap my wedding photos (it's only been 15 1/2 years...lol) and since my husband and I had a destination wedding, the paper was perfect!  Take a look at some of the layouts....

Here is a one page layout I did as an opening page.

The complements for this paper pack were dimensional elements which when combined with sparkle flourished, I think it adds depth to the pages nicely.  Not to mention a little sparkle.

If you would like your own Balloon Ride paper pack visit my website by clicking here.  As always feel free to contact me with any questions. 

~Danielle

Floating Your Fancy

Artbooking Made Easy: All-Star Scrapbooking

Artbooking Made Easy: Trailblazing Travel Albums

Artbooking Made Easy: Fab Frames

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Get your very own Artbooking cartridge for your Cricut machine by visiting my website today!

Picture My Life Scrapbook Program

Well good morning and happy Monday to all!  Gosh, I am just so excited for all the great NEW product in the Close To My Heart Spring/Summer 2014 Idea Book!  One of my favorites is the Picture My Life scrapbook program.  This is along the same lines as Project Life, just Close To My Heart style.  Now I LOVE traditional style scrapbooking and I will always favor that.  However, I started this awesome craft years after my oldest was born so scrapping her things can seem overwhelming.  So what I do is use traditional scrapbooking for all the "here and now" events for my family and little by little, I dip into the past and journal those photos and add some flair using this sort of system.  Take a look...

There are 8 kits to choose from and each kit comes with the following:

44 – 4" × 6" Cards (2 each of 22 designs)
78 – 3" × 4" Cards (3 each of 26 designs)
1 – 12" × 12" Designed Cover Sheet
10 – 12" × 12" Memory Protectors™ (various designs)

These products are acid-free, lignin-free, and buffered.   You can find them on my website here.

Here is what is so awesome about these kits.  You have so many fun cards to choose from.  You can use those cards for other projects as well.  Since these kits coordinate with our paper packs, you can add the cards onto your traditional scrapbook pages or you can create your own fun mini albums.  Our Hip Pics albums are a perfect match for these cards as the pages hold 4x6 photos.

 Prices at just $8.95 you can't go wrong......click here to get yours.  Here is what I did with a few of the pages in my "Hip Pics" album using the Avonlea Picture My Life kit.

Super easy and lots of fun.  Let me know how I can help you and click here to get your own Spring/Summer 2014 Idea Book.

~Danielle

CTMH Spring/Summer 2014 Idea Book Now LIVE!

Happy February....and a happy day it is!  The Close To My Heart Spring/Summer 2014 Idea Book is now available for customers to order from!  So many exciting New product in this book.  NEW paper packs, NEW scrapbook systems like "Picture My Life", NEW jewelry making product, NEW embossing folders, NEW ideas, and so much more!!!!

Just visit my website today and take a look at what is now available to you.  If you would like your very own Spring/Summer Idea Book, contact me today, and I will get you all set with one OR now you can get your very own copy sent to you by using item number WC1141 for just $3.95 when you shop on my website.  

So enjoy your Saturday and let me know what I can do to help you get your projects done!

~Danielle

Artbooking Made Easy: Love Is in the Air

Embellished Burlap Bags (Perfect For Packaging Your Valentines)

Artbooking Made Easy: Inspiration Mini Albums

Warm Thoughts With a "Frosted" Touch!

Can you believe that it is already Wednesday?!  I am hoping and praying that we see some warmer temps and real soon.  I am not very good with the Winter to begin with, so this has been difficult.  I took some time the passed couple of days to work on "titling" and "journaling"  some unfinished scrapbook pages.

I am so good with getting the layouts done.  I am even good about getting the photos printed and placed.  I'm not so good with the titles though!  One of my many downfalls.....so I pulled out my Cricut, my CTMH cartridges, and my unfinished layouts and got to work.  I figured if I can get six (6) pages done each day, it would be six (6) pages more than I had done before.  If I remain consistent, it will be done in no time at all.  I also decided that I would, from now on, title and journal as I go so not to fall behind!  There you have it...another GOAL for the new year!!! 

I also dug into my scraps from CTMH's Frosted paper pack and created some cards to give to the cherished parents of my preschoolers to say "thank you" for their thoughtfulness and generosity during the holidays!!!!  This is what I came up with after being inspired by a good friend.  Here is the finished product.

So I hope you all have had some time to get some crafting in the passed few days as well.  Stay warm and keep scrapping!!!  Here is a rough draft of the dimensions of this card:

• Card base is 5 1/2"x4 1/4" (I used Colonial White from CTMH for this project)

• The stamped image is from a retired stamp set from CTMH called "A Sip" (I love when I have a versatile stamp set like this on hand.  Great for a Get Well card or to create a gift card holder for a treat from a much loved coffee shop.)
• The Frosted Gray panel that is directly on the base measures at 4"x5 1/4"
• The patterned paper panel (looks like a diamond or lattice pattern) measures at 3 3/4"x5"
• The next panel that is Frosted Gray is 2 1/2"x5"
• The Snowflake patterned panel is 2 1/4"x5"
• The Frosted Gray Oval and the Colonial White Oval  were both cut using the Cricut cartridge Art Philosophy exclusive to Close To My Heart.  The Gray lacey ones measure at 2 1/4" and the Colonial White at 1 3/4"
• The small rectangle with "You Warm My Heart" stamped on it is 3/4"x1 1/2"

~Danielle

How Do You Use Your Scraps?

I cannot believe it is already Sunday!  My goodness time flies on the weekend!  Lately I have been sharing a few things about the CTMH Cloud Nine Card Kit that happens to be our special for this month.  Like being able to create 10 adorable cards with this kit isn't enough....there is a bit leftover paper, shimmer trim, and durables to use for a few more small projects.  Doesn't get better than that for $15.  PLUS don't forget this kit comes with an awesome "all occasion" stamp set that is just the perfect size.  

With that said, I wanted to show you this cute little "Post-It" note holder I created using some of the scraps.....

The heart die-cut and the "love you" stamp image comes from the Cloud Nine kit.  I took the sentiment from an older CTMH stamp set.  Love how I can pull out ANY of my CTMH product and make it work.  Take a look here for more information about this great kit.  If you have any questions or comments, feel free!  Happy Sunday!

~Danielle

Old Plus New Makes Awesome!

Good morning, all, and happy FREEZING COLD Saturday!!!!  I never thought this kind of cold was possible here in Northern VA but there you have it!  I took some time this morning to go through my paper crafting inventory to see what things I need to use up and what things I may need to purchase from my Autumn/Winter 2013 Close To My Heart Idea Book before the end of the month. 

As you know, we have a great special going on this month.  The Cloud Nine Card Kit can be yours for just $15 with a qualifying purchase.  What I love about the kits that CTMH offers is that they include a step-by-step guide on how to complete your project leaving no guess work on your end.  Now, yes, I know that there are companies out there that offer kits to complete a project and all you have to do is stick the pieces together.  That is great.......however, for me, I don't want ALL the work done for me.  I want to do some of the work.  I want to do the stamping and the gluing and the cutting.  I like to change things up sometimes and add my own "something special" to a project.  Sometimes the "cookie cutter" projects make me feel like they defeat the whole purpose of making something handmade...something with a personal touch.  It makes me feel like my projects are mass produced and that is kind of what I try steering away from when I do paper crafts.  Easy-I am all about...just like to add my touch to my work. 

So I got right down to completing my Cloud Nine cards by following the guide that comes with the kit and was pleasantly surprised to find that I still enough paper to complete a few more small projects.  Woohoo!!!  Nothing better than that!  I will get on that ASAP but before I head off to do that, I wanted to show you a card I created using some leftovers.  My sister is on her way to take my baby girls to spend the weekend at her house and asked if I had a "thank you" card she could use....Do I have a "thank you" card!!??  Um.......Yes I do!  Since I was bitten by the craft bug this morning, I decided to make a different pattern from what was in the card workshop guide for Cloud Nine.  Here is what I did.....

Ok, wait.....you may be asking me, "where does the old plus new makes awesome come from?".  Well I used the Cloud Nine patterned paper (NEW), Teal Shimmer Trim (NEW), Aqua Dots (In current Idea book so not brand new), diecut image from Cricut Artbooking (again in current Idea Book so not brand new), and the stamped image is from my Cricut Artiste cartridge (still available but old).  More images of this card...

There you have it!!!!  I hope you all have a wonderful day doing what you love to do.  Stay tuned for more fun stuff!  If you want to order your own Cloud Nine kit, click here!  

~Danielle

New Year, New Attitude!

Happy Friday!!!  Brrrr...it is cold outside.  As much as I would like to complain about the weather, I won't as the bitter cold temps and blast of snow last evening bought me a day off!  Another day to pull myself and my thoughts together.

I have set some personal goals for myself for this new year.  I also made some promises, one being I am not going to set my goals according to how everyone else thinks they should be set.  Instead, my goals will be those that are just right for me.  That makes them more realistic and when they are more realistic, my chances of reaching those goals are much higher.

One of my goals is to take what I love doing and inspire others.  I want to use my creativity to get others to dig down deep inside them and find their own creativity.  (Whether you want to believe it or not, EVERYONE is creative!)  I want to show them that they can do it!  They have something to offer, something special, to help preserve their life's journey.  So how will I do this?  I will start by offering daily posts (yes, I will try again to be more diligent about keeping up with my blog).  Even if I did not complete a project, I will try somehow to inspire through words or pictures.  I am so adamant about this, that I am even organizing my thoughts on paper!  I know....shocker!!!!

When I became a Close To My Heart consultant, I was given a goldmine!  I have these amazing product in my hands, I have a great team of girls that are always willing to share their thoughts and ideas, and I have a plethora of inspiration from others around me via everyday in-person interactions and technology!  I vow to take all of these things and INSPIRE all.  Let me help you get your 2014 paper crafting goals met.  Want to start stamping?  Let me show you how!  Want to start a scrapbook?  Let me show you what your options are and we will find the right fit for you!  Want to add a personal touch to an upcoming special occasion?  Let me show you how you can create your very own favors, invites, and table decor!  Close To My Heart offers all kinds of great product to help all of us get that project done.  Let's create together...........

~Danielle

Simple Card Project 
Here I used the washi tape, teal shimmer trim (available in the SS2014 IB), an "thanks" stamp image from the Cloud Nine card kit which is our January special.  I added a faux patterned trim at the bottom using the Geometric Backgrounds stamp set (D1559) which is on page 97 of the AW2013 IB or here on my website. 

This one is headed off in the mail today!  Visit my website today to order your own Cloud Nine card kit for just $15 with qualifying purchase!

Happy crafting!!