New Seasonal Expressions Book 2 - It's Here!

We are beginning to count down 

to May 1st 

when the brand new Close to My Heart 

Seasonal Expressions Book 2 is going life for all of you. 

Yes, we are only hours away.

If you like to be one of the first to find out what is in the new book and see the new products, stamps and papers, well the listen up:

You can check out all the new things online on my website by CLICKING HERE!

To receive your own personal copy of this new book feel free to contact me or at a free book to your order from my website. 

April Specials and Fab Faves Flash-Sales

Close to My Heart is kicking of April with so many wonderful specials. For one, if you become a Consultant in April you will get not only the start-up kit loaded with everything you need to start your own business. You also get four awesome stamp sets for free. 
In case you also happen to host a party you will get an extra special bundle.
For more information and how to join my team, please feel free to contact me.

SUPER FLASH SALE FOR ALL

In addition to the Fab Four special, Close to My Heart starts a 24-hour Flash-Sale every Friday in April. You will find a unique set of items and product bundles at 25% off the retail price.
So...make sure to check back every Friday in April to see whats new! The Flash-Save items will only be featured on our consultants websites. Please click HERE to get to my website for the offers......and remember, every Friday in April!

Sympathy Card - Sea Grass

For this card you need a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" white cardbase.

I started with a pieces of slate grey cardstock measuring 4" x 5 1/4". I used a stitched dies to cut out the center square. 

I stamped the phrase in black ink in the lower right corner before I adhered the "frame" in the center of my cardbase.

For the inside panel, I cut a piece of white cardstock about 1/4" smaller than my die cutout. Since I didn't use a lot of water for the background, using regular white cardstock is fine. 

 Our Close to My Heart Watercolor Paint (Z3132) has just the right colors for this project. Actually the set includes 36 colors so plenty to choose from to find your perfect match.

Using a wide brush I started with the orange, then the blue and at the end the green color. Make sure to let the paint dry really good otherwise your stamped image will be ruined.

Ones my piece was dry I stamped the sea grass image in black ink on it, well and the cute little dragonflies.

I adhered the watercolor image to the cutout stitched element and place them back in the opening raised by some foam dots.

A few matching blue sequins spread out on the front are all this card needs.

For the inside we used a matching phrase and the same sea grass stamp. This time we stamped the grass in a light green. This adds a settle image to the inside.

If you like ad a little black pen doodling and this card is done.

For more information on this projects or others seen here on the blog, please contact me.

Seasonal Expressions Book 2 - Sneak Peek

We are a week away from the new Seasonal Expressions 2 Book launch and I am so excited for you to see all the new goodies coming your way.

The items will be available from May until August. 
The new Annual Idea Book is also in the making and coming soon. I will keep you posted about this one in the upcoming months, so come back here often and see for yourself.

But now, let's talk about the new Seasonal Book shall we?

Beside a lot of new stamp sets we will have four brand new paper packs to choose from:

- Documented Paper Pack
- Beautiful Friendship Paper Pack
- Central Park Paper Pack and
- Fresh Air Paper Pack.

Each one is unique in design and there is something for everyone in it. All our Close to My Heart papers are double sided. This means with each paper you have two designs to choose from and yes, you get two of each page. All paper packs come equipped with their own special embellishments and compliment kits.

Looking for some nice stitched dies? How about circles, ovals and hearts? Sounds good? Well then don't look any further ;-)

One of my favorites from the current book are the cute recipe cards and guess what??? Yes, they are back in the new book too. Start your own personal recipe book and keep all these great family recipes together. Make sure your mom, grandma and auntie will write them down for you. Have recipes of your own, well add them to the book.....oh and don't forget dad's secret barbecue sauce.

Don't forget to mark your calendar and check my blog for a link to the online book to get a first glimpse on things. Come back often and see what else is going on.

Happy Crafting Everyone!

April Specials and Fab Faves Flash-Sales

Close to My Heart is kicking of April with so many wonderful specials. For one, if you become a Consultant in April you will get not only the start-up kit loaded with everything you need to start your own business. You also get four awesome stamp sets for free. 
In case you also happen to host a party you will get an extra special bundle.
For more information and how to join my team, please feel free to contact me.

SUPER FLASH SALE FOR ALL

In addition to the Fab Four special, Close to My Heart starts a 24-hour Flash-Sale every Friday in April. You will find a unique set of items and product bundles at 25% off the retail price.
So...make sure to check back every Friday in April to see whats new! The Flash-Save items will only be featured on our consultants websites. Please click HERE to get to my website for the offers......and remember, every Friday in April!

Male Birthday Card - Sailing and Lighthouse

Masculine cards are always a bit more challenging to make. I don't know what it is about them, but it just takes more creative thinking to make them.

I usually search for the perfect stamp set to use for the project. Well you can't go wrong with lighthouses and sailing boats right? While I have a few new sets with fish or golf that will come up here on the blog, this is the one we created in class in April.

The cardbase is a 5" x 6 1/2" card. The brown paper is cut at 3" x 6 1/2" and the design paper is cut at 2" x 6 1/2".

Before you adhere the papers to the cardbase, make sure to wrap the the bakers twine around the bottom of the brown cardstock. Close the ends with a knot and adhere the cardstock flush to the left side of your cardbase. Now add the design paper flush with the right side.

For the pictures, I cut two square pieces of cream colored cardstock at 3" and stamped the images in chocolate brown ink on it. I used a sponge and the same ink to go around the edges of the squares. 

While the lighthouse square is adhered directly to the base, the sailing boat was raised with some foam dots. 

The happy birthday is also stamped in the brown ink on the inside of the card and the little tag for the outside. A leftover piece of the design paper decorates a little the inside including some doodling.  

The front is finished of with some matching sequins and there you have it :-) 
For question or if you like to attend my classes, please feel free to contact me.

April Card Class Projects

Here is my monthly view on the cards we created in April. Like always I try to pick card topics that are important to the ladies in my class. This been said, you can always pick a design and simply change the phrase or poem to you liking's.

Masculine birthday cards are always a challenge, but this beautiful stamp set with the lighthouse and sailing boat is a perfect match. 









The next card started out with this beautiful phrase (and wait until you see the inside phrase :-) ). Simple colors, a watercolor look and a sparkling butterfly make all the difference in this card...don't you think?

Since the weather here in Michigan had been a bit challenging in the past few week to say the least, we needed a pop pf color. 
A play of color and pieces makes this set really interesting. Same parts but you pick the outcome.








Last but not least we ones more pulled out our watercolors and created the background for this card. Stitched dies and a simple sea grass stamp was all that was needed to make this card.

For more details and instructions check back on the upcoming Wednesday to find out more about these cards.
If you have questions or like to attend any of my classes please feel free to contact me.
Stay tuned for more ....

April Specials and Fab Faves Flash-Sales

Close to My Heart is kicking of April with so many wonderful specials. For one, if you become a Consultant in April you will get not only the start-up kit loaded with everything you need to start your own business. You also get four awesome stamp sets for free. 
In case you also happen to host a party you will get an extra special bundle.
For more information and how to join my team, please feel free to contact me.

SUPER FLASH SALE FOR ALL

In addition to the Fab Four special, Close to My Heart starts a 24-hour Flash-Sale every Friday in April. You will find a unique set of items and product bundles at 25% off the retail price.
So...make sure to check back every Friday in April to see whats new! The Flash-Save items will only be featured on our consultants websites. Please click HERE to get to my website for the offers......and remember, every Friday in April!

April - Stamp of the Month

Close to My Heart offers every month one unique stamp set that is only available during this month.

In April we are looking at "Color your Life" (S1804). 

This set is perfect for coloring and adding some extra interest to you cards and pages. 

You can receive this for only $5 with a qualifying  purchase or you can buy it on it's own for $17.95 +SH

If you like to know how to get the set for only $5 and what else is on special this month, contact me.
You can also find more information about the promotion and more of our products on my website ....CLICK HERE.