Tuesday, March 25, 2014

You can earn a FREE Cricut/CTMH Cartridge Bundle in April!


Friends, Family and Former Close To My Heart or Creative Memories Consultants: If you've ever even remotely thought about joining my Paper Jungle Close To My Heart Team, APRIL is the time to do it! 

Beginning April 1, your $99 New Consultant Kit includes not only the fantastic array of Close To My Heart products shown here (a value of almost $300 in itself!), BUT you'll also get your pick of one of three CTMH/Cricut Collections

Choose from my personal favorite Cricut cartridge EVER, Art Philosophy, with 700+ cutting images; or its complementing cartridge (with swing cards!, love it!!!), Artiste. Into scrapbooking and more? Then Artbooking should be your pick. These collections normally retail for $99 -- and you get your pick FOR FREE just for enrolling in CTMH in April!

And there's MORE! Host a party -- real or virtual/on-line -- with your friends that has more than $250 in sales, and you can buy another Cricut collection for half-price! When that party's sales top $450, you can buy BOTH of the Cricut cartridges -- or ANY two items in our catalog! -- for half price!!!! That's what Hostess Rewards are all about. 

The Paper Jungle team is small but mighty, and I'd be your upline. I'm proud of my creative ways of building your business, or even just using your products to reach your own creative potential. I share my techniques with my CTMH sisters through a private "Bright Ideas" blog to which you'll have access, and I'll help you every step of the way -- as much or as little as you need. 

Please join me in this amazing adventure.

For more information, e-mail me at cardmonkey@comcast.net. You've got a week (and all of April) to explore whether Close To My Heart is the right fit for you -- because I want you to WAIT to enroll until APRIL 1 to take advantage of this offer.

Current Close To My Heart consultants who receive notice that they did not meet quota (only $300/quarter!) and will be dropped as of March 31 can REJOIN as early as April 1 simply by taking advantage of this great offer. 

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

My Blogaversary Approaches -- and some Introspection

Have you seen what I just noticed -- over there in the right hand column?  This picture:



That means in just 100 days, I will have been blogging for 4 years. Four years of bloggy goodness ...

So far that is:

654 posts (that's an average of more than 3 posts per week)
..with 306,203 page views to date (not including your view right now!) ... 6492 comments ... 1,363 followers from ten countries.

I'm thinking about what kind of celebration I should have to celebrate the actual Blogaversary -- definitely a giveaway because we all like presents! -- but what to do in the meantime? 

Well, I think I am going to look at why I blog, what posts have had the most impact, and perhaps evaluate what I should do in the future to improve the blog.

Do you have any ideas for me?  I'd love to hear your comments!


In the meantime, here's the first installment of why I craft -- and blog about it. 

#1 -- I craft to make others feel appreciated in receiving something special/handmade:



What do you do to share your talents in an altruistic way?

Our local hospitals (and senior centers, hospice facilities, nursing homes, etc.) offer volunteer opportunities for "off-site crafters."


Most of these crafters make knitted goods for babies, pillowcases for cancer patients, etc.

I've called and made myself available to make cards for those (adults and children) who are in the hospital for a long time, and perhaps have few visitors.

I'm also making (free or as a fundraiser for the auxiliary) note card sets for the hospital gift carts so those who are hospitalized can keep in touch with friends "on the outside."

This 3-D pop-up box card I have made celebrates the volunteers at our local hospitals. I am sending mine to the office Directors at the three hospitals most local to me, as well as to the senior center, as a thank you during NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK (April 6-13, 2014).

I developed the logo (butterfly tree in the back) and the theme as well.  



FYI, I used CTMH Lollydoodle bulk paper (pink side) for the interior of the box; the rest was from stash. I cut the box card using a template I found on http://extremecards.blogspot.com.  I developed the logo using an image from http://clickartonline.com that I purchased. 

Monday, March 17, 2014

St. Patrick's Day greetings to you and yours!


Supplies:

Cutting template by Extreme Cards (http://extremecards.blogspot.com)
Paper: Pear (green) and Daisy White by Close To My Heart; Shamrocks by Best Creation; gold metallic by Bazzill
Rhinestone resin sheet by The Buckle Boutique
Leprechaun cut using "Everyday Paper Dolls" by Cricut/ProvoCraft
Vines cut using a Cheery Lynn Design die and Big Shot
Glue: Liquid Paper by Close To My Heart
Tape Adhesive by Scor-Pal
Electronic Cutting machine: Silhouette Cameo

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Welcome Baby - and a cute Get Inky! Giraffe

Can you stand another pop-up card?  Well, I'm going to have to ask you to bear with me, as so many of those who purchase my cards just love them. Here's another.  This one I made to welcome a new baby.



To make this card, I used the template I posted last week, from Extreme Cards. I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut it and the baby pennant, as well as the sentiment, "Little One."  The adorable giraffe is a new stamp from "Get Inky Stamps" by Blue Moon Creations.  I colored it with Copic markers, and fussy cut it to mount on the card. The featured papers are called "Babycakes" by Close To My Heart.

One of the reasons that I like making these pop-up cards is that they deliver a "wow!" factor, and also retail for more than a standard fold card. Yes, they take a little longer and a little more paper to make, but the higher retail price (typically around $10) is something to consider as a cardmaker. 

Here is the front of the card, when folded flat (well, almost flat, for the picture)...

Show me your box cards! :)




DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Happy Birthday Blog Hop: Celebrating with a Pop-Up Card!

Welcome to the Happy Birthday Blog Hop

It's Connie Can Crop's birthday weekend and what better way to celebrate than with a super blog hop full of fabulous projects, a spectacular lineup, and yummy presents for 2 lucky followers!!

This weekend, we're celebrating the birthday of our host, Connie, with this one-day blog hop.  Connie Can Crop is the first stop on her birthday blog hop. Leave a comment for all of these talented friends (and a birthday greeting for Connie, if you will!) and you have a chance to win these prizes: 

We have TWO awesome
sponsors and giveaways for this hop!

 

ABusyBee is giving away 3 delicious Spring Colors of Skittles!! What's a skittle?? Check out her store HERE:






Connie is  giving away a gorgeous 6x6 paper pad and  may just throw in some fabulous LoveBug Creations Rumple Ribbon too!!




So what do you need to do to win? Easy... become  a follower of each of the fabulous blogs in this hop and leave each of them a  comment letting them know what you like best about their projects. Then come back to Connie Can Crop and post that you followed the rules.  You will have until 12:00 am Monday to finish the hop and leave your comments.  Winners will be announced on Wednesday at Connie Can Crop.
Be sure to follow everyone and leave a comment  along the way!

Gonna Party! 
It's Connie's Birthday! 
Let's go! 
Here's my project:

Have you gotten into the new craze of making 3-D pop-up box cards?  They're all the rage now. In fact, many people are already getting sick of seeing them. I, for one, can't get enough of them because they're unique, special, and I bet people will take some extra care with them. They'll likely stay on a recipient's desk or tabletop for quite some time!

Last month, I showed you the pop-up birthday card I made for one of my cardmaking students, Susan. (If you didn't see it, here's the link.)  Well, she loved it so much that she commissioned me to make a card for a friend of hers.  Here it is:



The friend's birthday coincides with the opening of the baseball season, and Jane's quite a baseball fiend -- especially Phillies baseball.

To make the base of this card, I relied on a brand new box card file from the Silhouette Online Store, created by Lori Whitlock.  What I especially like about this file is that it has shaped pop-ups for securing the sentiment and baseball.

For the background paper, I used a glittered baseball pattern that I have had for a while. I think I got it at a local scrapbook store that has since closed. It's by Best Creation Inc. (www.bestcreation.us). I backed it with Close To My Heart cardstock in Barn Red. The red/white polka dotted paper on the front is by Recollections for Michael's.  The ribbon is Rumple Ribbon by Lovebug Creations. I printed the sentiments and Phillies logos on my computer. Baseball stickers were provided by the client; I believe they're by Jolee Boutique.


Here is another 3-D pop-up card that I recently made, using Close To My Heart's new Timberline paper and "Happy Camper" stamp set. Isn't it adorable?For this one, I used a template that I found on an excellent blogsite called Extreme Cards. This site has free templates that you can hand-cut, or download to cut on your Silhouette. It's far easier to make these cards than it looks -- give it a try!

Now, continue on the Happy Birthday Blog Hop by visiting our next stop along the way, to the fantastic blog by:
Here is our complete line up in case you get lost along the way:


Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Faux Leather Albums are Retiring ... Stock Up Now!



Are you a scrapbooker who has loved and used Close To My Heart's expandable Faux Leather Albums over the years?  If so, it's time to stock up on your favorite colors in the Faux Leather post-bound albums while supplies last, as they are retiring at the end of the current Idea Book & Catalog cycle (July 2014).  Yes, we're making way for some exciting change at Close To My Heart in our renowned high-quality albums!

The new My LegacyTM albums will be available beginning August 2014 in a coated canvas finish, in beautiful patterns and some solid colors as well. They will be available in the traditional post-bound album (post/screws), or in the very popular D-ring format. Neither of the types of albums will be expandable; this is a new change -- and one I see as for the better.  

Why? Huge albums -- some clients expand them to four and five inches thick, in many cases -- are harder to handle, heavier, and are less stable. Stacked or lined up on a shelf, they just don't make for a uniform appearance.  And the carefully-considered new albums being introduced will be easier to assemble, with "wings" on the screws to make them easier to turn -- no more fumbling with screwdrivers.


If you're just getting into scrapbooking or building your album, you may want to consider CTMH's "Work in Progress" Album.  I have two of these myself -- one that I carry back and forth to crops, and the other that I store my embellishments in. 

What?!  Yes! This is my favorite way to store embellishments:  I use a wide variety of Close To My Heart's divided page protectors, and then sort the colors of my gems and pearls in the prismatic (ROYBGV) fashion.  Each page holds a different color for easy viewing and storage. And the box that surrounds the albums keep the gems from slipping out, onto my shelf. I just ♥ it so much, I actually kissed the binder when it was all assembled. Ok, I'm a nut -- a craft nut -- but I just love good storage ideas for my craft supplies. 

So if you just love CTMH's Faux Leather Albums or have been planning to buy them for your future layouts, stock up now on both the albums and the accessories that go with them such as the extender posts,  posts & screwsspine expanders, etc. Since they are only available while supplies last at this point, I would hate for them to run out of your favorite color or the accessories to expand the current albums that you have.


Click on any of the active links to order your albums or accessories today. Contact me, please, if you have any questions or would like to host a CTMH gathering (at home or online!) for your friends and family!



DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,