New Idea Book Autumn / Winter 2013 Preview - Part 5

Last but not least, here are a few more previews before the new Idea Book will go alive tomorrow. If you can't wait for your own personal copy, check out my website tomorrow to see the Idea Book online. Starting August 1st, click here:

New in the Autumn/ Winter 2013 Idea Book are special designed Hostess stamp sets that the hostess can buy with their rewards. These stamp set are not available other than with your rewards, so make sure to book a gathering if you like the set.

Beside 6 different Workshops-on-the-Go, one for each new paper pack, you will find 2 special Card Kits as well. The Card Kits are available with “Laughing Lola” or “Frosted” paper packs.

Also new are two very different Décor Frames, a Flip Stand Album, Mini Clothes Pins, Hook Clips, Textiles, Mini-Medley embellishment kits, Ribbons, Glitter Papers and so much more

I hope you liked the little sneak peaks of the new Idea Book. Let me know if you like to get a copy of the book or if you like to book a gathering or with any other question you might have. I would love to hear from you!

Cricut Cartridges from Close To My Heart

Many of you have asked me in the past, what is so special about the exclusive to Close To My Heart Cricut cartridges? Well, were should I begin?

 Everyone has their favorite tools to work with and when it comes to die-cutting and embossing machines you will hear a whole variety of different opinions on which one is the best. I can't tell you either which one is the best, I can only tell you about my choices and what I was looking for.

For many many years I own and love my Cuttlebug. For those of you who are unfamiliar with these types of machines, the Cuttlebug is a die-cutting and embossing machine. Not electric (you will be the source of power) but very handy. I picked the Cuttlebug years ago, because it allows me to use not only the great folders and dies from Provocraft, it also allows me to use almost all other dies and folders for embossing that are out on the market. 
So if you are in for a machine, this would be my first to start with! I still to this day use very often and I don't want to miss my bug!

Cricut Artiste Cartridge

I also own and love my Cricut Expression machine. I didn't really saw a need in buying one, but once Close To My Heart came out with a Cricut Cartridge, I had to get one. Well how to decide which one and what does the machine do?
 The mini Cricut cuts only 6x12 while the Cricut Expression cuts 12x12. So I figured, if I invest in one, I get the bigger one, otherwise I would not be able to cut the bigger items.
 All Cricut's are designed to cut items out for you (meanwhile they can emboss and do other things as well). The advantage, the machine cuts each item in different sizes, from delicate to simple, everything you can image; disadvantage, you need to by cartridges for it. I bought a refurbished Cricut Expression, just to safe some money and see how I would like it. And I like it a lot too. It cuts my preparation time for my Workshops in half. I can cut out any letters as often as I need them and never run out. I can cut 100's of flowers at a time without exhausting myself and so much more.

Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge

Regarding the cartridges, yes there are hundreds of cartridges out there for every occasion you can think of, but I don't really need all of them. I had two cartridges that came with the Cricut and they offer me basic shapes and items, which is great. I did bought our Close To My Heart cartridges, because they not only give me more than 700 items per cartridge, I can also use them in conjunction with our clear stamps. Yes, you heart right! Our Idea Books show you some stamps that are surrounded by a red line! These are stamps where you can find a fitting image on the cartridge. On the carry sheet of your clear stamp is an inch size next to the stamps that have cartridge cut out. All you have to do is set the right size, pick the item from the cartridge and have the machine do its magic. Now you can stamp on the cut out and it will fit perfectly!
Beside images for stamping, there are 3D elements, backgrounds, laces, boxes, home decor items and so much more on them. The new cartridge ArtBooking also includes scrapbook page sets!

Cricut Artbooking Cartridge

So ... I am happy with my Cuttlebug and my Cricut and all three cartridges of Close To My Heart that I own. If you like to know more about them, how to use them or how to get started, please feel free to contact me. I also offer Cricut Classes for beginners!

Just a Thank You

This card design is so simple, but so very nice too. I found some left over SEI paper and thought this makes a great Thank You card.

The design paper goes on the bottom part of the base. I usually use a template to cut the scallop edge on the base. Then I adhere the paper overlapping the scallop edge and trim the excess away so the scallop edge is showing again.

The sentiment is stamped on a white piece of cardstock and ribbons are run through each side. The base for the sentiment is made from two rectangular cardstock pieces or design papers, one just a little bit smaller than the other. The corners are rounded and both pieces are glued together. The sentiment is places with foam dots in the middle of the two center pieces. In this case a little flower and two pearls finishing up this card.

If you are interested in any of the cards show or how to join my monthly card workshop, please contact me for more information. In case you have a couple of friends that like to met every month and make 3-4 cards, contact me and we can set up a workshop date just for you.

The Countdown begins

The countdown begins ... 8 more days and the new Close To My Heart Idea Book will be available to see online.

 Right now you can see the cover logo of the new Idea Book on the left side of this blog as well as a picture of the brand new Cricut cartridge Artbooking. 

 You will be able to view the brand new Close To My Heart Idea Book, the Cricut cartridge Artbooking and everything else on

Thursday, August 1st ... 

 just click on the new Idea Book logo on the blog. 

If you would like your own personal copy of the Idea Book Autumn/ Winter 2013, please feel free to contact me.

So don't forget to make a note in your calendar and explore the new Close To My Heart Idea Book Autumn/ Winter 2013 on August 1st.

Have Fun !!!!!

New Idea Book Autumn / Winter 2013 Preview - Part 4

More news... Good News... Guess what else is back....

HOW-To-Books are back!!!!

Yes, believe it or not,  ALL How-To-Books are back. Now available (after mid August) in a soft cover with spiral binding and a lot cheaper! So many of you asked for them and they are back. Make sure that you don't miss them this time.

Make it from Your Heart Volume II

A brand new “Make it from Your Heart” Book Volume II is also available for all that like a few new ideas on how to create scrapbook pages and cards. This small book includes both and is a great tool to get started. If you haven't checked out the first volume, you should start right now... 

Well, by now you have a good idea of all the wonderful new things coming your way in the new Close To My Heart Idea Book Autumn/ Winter 2013. Next Wednesday will be the last preview and if you like to get your own personal copy of the Idea Book, contact me!

Keep checking out my blog for more ...

Timeless and Classic

This is our last workshop card for the month of July. I timeless and classic card that will fit every occasion.

To finish up our experience with the "old fashion" wood-mounted rubber stamps we used one more time a stamp by "stamping with Judith". This grass image was stamped in olive ink from Close To My Heart on a piece of colonial white cardstock.

The embellishment seen was created with a medium sized glue dot and a string of hemp. 

I left the glue dot on the transfer paper and started rolling the hemp around a small pin in my hand. Once it reached half the size of the glue dot, I placed it center on the dot. 

The rest of the hemp was run around until the whole glue dot was covered.



After assembling the card I placed the dot onto the card and loosely fixed the end on a small glue dot covered with a rhinestone.

But before this finish touch we have to put the card pieces together... 

I used a white card base and centered a piece of design paper on it. next I assembled the three layers of cardstock. On top of the black cardstock is centered in the middle a piece of grey cardstock, followed by the stamped piece.

The whole assembly is raised with foam dots and placed in the middle of the card base. My little hand made embellishment is placed and this card is done. You can stamp a phrase or saying on the inside or leave it blank.

If you would like to make the July cards at home, please contact me for more information and how to get the set home. Stay tuned for more cards to come this month and don't miss our Card Workshop Class in August.... it will be "Berry" cute ...

New Idea Book Autumn / Winter 2013 Preview - Part 3

So, what else will be coming up in the new Close To My Heart Idea Book Autumn/ Winter 2013. Well, here is another quick peak:


In case you wonder what had happened to the Christmas papers and stamp sets in the new Idea Book… well, there will be a small separate Holiday Gift Guide available in October. Stay connected and be sure to contact me for more information in September! Or you can sign up for my monthly newsletter, just send me an email or sign up on my blog.


Brand new are also Mini Stamps for only $2.95 each, Washi Tape, a Stitch Guide with special mat and Punches. 

My Crush Books are another new item in the Autumn/ Winter edition. You will be able to choose between two different styles, 

Modville Book

or Bluebird Book.


Each Crush Book comes with separate kits for embellishment.

A lot of new things are in the Idea Book and you will see more of them next Wednesday....stay connected!

Birthday Wishes

This is the third card we made in this month's Card Workshop. You can never have enough Birthday cards in the house. This once is a great way to make a wonderful card and at the same time use up all the left over pieces of paper we don't like to throw away.

You need a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" colonial white card base. Then you have to surge through your pieces of cardstock and design paper and pick 4 different once. All four pieces should measure 1 1/4" x 4". Round two corners on each piece and adhere them to the base. 

I used four 1" square pieces of white cardstock. Stamped them with a dotted design and placed a butterfly on each of them. Three of the butterflies will be embellished with a rhinestone and all four squares are placed with foam dots onto the card base.

I stamped the Birthday Wishes, like the dots in SLADE ink and went around the tag with a pen. Two small foam dots hold the tag in place and under the square.

Papers, cardstock, stamps and inks used are from Close To My Heart. 

Like to know more about the products or how to get a set of this month's Card Workshop home, well contact me for more information.

New Idea Book Autumn / Winter 2013 Preview - Part 2

Welcome back to more previews of the new Close To My Heart Idea Book. It has been a while, but now it is here... two brand new items:

Cricut ARTBOOKING Collection

It is finally here, the Cricut ARTBOOKING Collection is brand new and the third cartridge that Close To My Heart offers. Loaded with again over 700 items, containing Images, Fonts, Mini Book and brand new LAYOUTS!

Base & Bling Kit

Absolutely new in the book is also a “Base & Bling” kit, which will allow you to create wearable crafting projects like necklaces, cuffs, hair clips, rings, headbands and more.

Like to know more? Next Wednesday will be another preview or make sure you sign up for my blog to stay up to date....

Hang in There Card

This is the second card we will create in this month's Card Workshop. "Hang in There" or "Get mow...tivated" are only two phrases you can use. 

 This is a fun little stamp set from "JilliBean Soup" and I will show two different ways to use it.

We will use a piece of light blue cardstock as the stamping background. The image is stamped in black onto the upper part of the piece. 

Gel-pens and Souffle pens are used to color the laundry and the mower in. These pens are great since the will color over the blue in the cardstock.


Two strips of green cardstock were cut with scissors that cut grass like edges. Both strips are distressed with chocolate ink and adhered to the card. The higher one first, then the shorter one on top.

The mower was cut out and added to the grass. A little clothes pin will hold the tag to the card. The light blue cardstock was adhered to a darker piece and both were added with foam squares to the card.

Here is another way of using the same idea. This time I stamped the clothes line image onto the blue cardstock and again onto a white piece of cardstock. I colored the clothes on the white piece and cut them out. There all are adhered with foam dots to the line. The same with the mower. A little Thank You note is finishing of this card.

Since I used alcohol markers to color in the second example, I used a light gray marker to go around all clothes after I was done coloring. This gives each item a much deeper look. I made sure that I left a little bit of the grey around each piece when I was cutting them out.

You can order these cards in a set to assemble at home. Everything will be in it except glue, glue or foam dots and coloring pens! Contact me for more information.

A Little Flower Card

Finally... here are the promised sneak peaks for your this months Card Class. We start the Class with a very versatile card. Like flowers, this card can say Thank You, Get Well, Miss You, You are great and so much more. 

As like many of you, I still have some good old wood mounted rubber stamps. I still love to use them even so it is much hard once you are used to the clear stamps. These once are from "Stamps by Judith & Heather".

Placing the stamp in the right place is a little challenge, but who doesn't like a challenge.

Well, I stamped the grass in OLIVE ink from Close To My Heart. The flowers are either stamped with OLIVE ink and INDIAN CORN FLOWER ink or GOLDRUSH ink. (Same inks for the butterflies)

I stamped the phrase in CHOCOLATE ink onto the craft paper and embellished it with a little green bubble and a small ribbon knot.

I used sponge daubers to ink up the flower stamps. This way I could get them in a two color tone. One dauber (olive) inked up the stem of the flowers, while another one (blue or goldrush) would ink up the flower part. At the end I used a grass stamp to fill in the bottom of the colonial white paper piece. 

The butterflies were stamped with the same inking technique.

I adhered the poka-dot paper to the card base. The stamped flower piece was glued to the craft paper piece and added with foam dots to the card.

If you like this month's cards, stay tuned for more. You can also purchase the whole month's set for assembling at home. Please contact me for more information.

New Idea Book Autumn / Winter 2013 Preview - Part 1

Here are a few sneak peeks into the brand new Autumn / Winter 2013 Close To My Heart Idea Book.

The Idea Book will be available August 1st and you can win a FREE copy when you sign up to follow my blog...

-       This Wednesday you will get to see the new paper packs and colors:

LaughingLola:  

Black, Gypsy, Blue, Gold, Purple (Great for Halloween)

Sarita:                 

Cotton Candy, Goldrush, Gypsy, Lagoon, Outdoor Denim

ProPlayer:            

Black, Outdoor Denim, Pacifica, Ruby, Slate, Whisper (Great for the men in your life)

Babycakes:

  

Buttercup, Chocolate, Slate, Sunset (Great for Baby Girls and Boys, neutral color scheme)

Huntington:          

Autumn Terracotta, Barn Red, Cashmere, Cocoa, Desert Sand, Olive, Slate                (Great for Fall)

Frosted:

                

Champagne, White, Frosted Grey, Turquoise (Great for Winter and Christmas)

Also, every time we get a new Close To My Heart Idea Book there is a new Consultant Kit available for you. With the Essentials kit you can become a new consultant and join my team.

The kit has a value of ca. $155 and it is yours for only $49. Are you interested? Just try it and see how much fun it is. You have nothing to loose and in case you don't like it (which will not happen) you can resign at anytime with no costs to you and you can keep your Essentials Kit. Contact me for more information…

                          

More preview next Wednesday....