CTMH Event Calendar

Very convenient size, fits almost anywhere and comes with a hanging wire so it is perfect for placing just where you will use it most.

Here's one I did for a friend.




One of my favorite products that is exclusive to CTMH is their Event Calendars https://janeo.myctmh.com/Retail/Product.aspx?ItemID=683&CatalogID=175. The perpetual calendars have a wonderful blank header that is perfect for creating a one of a kind way to remember events which fall on the same day each year like birthdays and anniversaries. Never forget when your brother's anniversary is again. They make terrific gifts, perfect to finish and give as a Christmas gift. My favorite way to use them is as a baby gift for a new mom. Yep they make the best way to keep a daily record of all the little firsts in a new baby's life. I decorate the months of the year with seasonal decorations, and the front cover with a little poem about placing it where it is convenient to jot down all the 1st's that happen like first smile, first turned over, first doctor's visit etc. My daughter loved hers and still asks for one every year to keep a detailed record of all the happenings in their family.

This little guy is stamped in black and colored using a waterbrush and the ink pooled in the lid of the stamp pad, torn paper with the edges brushed with crystal blue ink and enhanced with Glitz Glitter Gel complete the snow scene.

The hearts were cut with CTMH's new cricut cartridge Art Philosophy Z1686 and then stamped with the coordinating stamps that come in the cricut bundle. Mom image cut using cricut cartridge "A Child's Year".

I just love how this header turned out, stamped from American Celebration D1458, glitzed using CTMH Glitter Gel.

CTMH paper and cardstock, images from cricut "Paper Doll Dress Up".

Using a combination of images from I Believe C1427 and Snow Days C1420.

Studio J layouts

If you haven't tried Studio J for your scrapbooking layouts, then you are truly missing out on a jewel to time management. I was not real sure that this "digital scrapbooking" was for me. I'm ok on a computer, in that generation where it doesn't come natural, but I muddle through and do ok. I thought that this would be hard to navigate, hard to achieve results that I would be proud to put in my albums. I retired this year because of my health and knew I would have tons of time to pull out all the paper, pictures, embellishments, diecuts that I have been stockpiling for eons to finally get caught up with my albums. Not! The biggest problem has been that with more time on my hands, I also have more time to make those priceless memories that I want to preserve. So it's like a vicious circle, more time = more memories=more pictures=more scrapbook pages to finish=less time to finish them. Then I discovered Studio J. It is easy to navigate, easy to customize, easy to finish a layout and then easy to print and put into my albums. If I decide that I want to add more brads, ribbon, buttons, that is something that I can do too.

The day that won me over to Studio J, was one day when we had a huge snowstorm. Ok if you live in upstate New York, it wasn't huge, but if you are in southeast Va. then you know what I mean. Anyway, my puppy dogs didn't know or didn't remember what snow was and they had a blast. Since my nest is empty except for them, they are my subjects for snowdays now. Out came the camera and I got some really good shots of them. I decided to try out Studio J for a couple of layouts. I was shocked that I had completed (3) 2 page layouts of them playing in the snow, complete with embellishments, and journaling and they were still wet. But don't take my word for it, give it a try for free. Yep you can go to my website http://www.janeo.myctmh.com/mh.com/, click on Studio J and then "try it out" you don't even have to register. When the Studio J screen loads, create a new project, name your project and follow the steps. Only when and if you like what you have created do you purchase the product. CTMH will then print it and mail it to you. Want to learn more about Studio J, give me a call. I've got tons of links to tutorials that will show you how to customize your layouts with the click of a button and I'd love to work with you one on one.

CTMH Cricut Cartridge Art Philosophy

Close To My Heart has teamed up with Cricut to create a very special cartridge exclusively for CTMH. It is awesome! (that's what my little 2 year old grandson Joshua would say) I'm very excited to be able to show you some of the terrific things that you can do with this cartridge and why it is so awesome. When you purchase this one of a kind cartridge you will also be getting 3 great D-size acrylix stamp sets and 3 sheets of chipboard that all coordinate with each other. Cut your image with the cricut then stamp that image with an enhancing stamp (crystal clear so you can see where your stamping) and then add another layer by mounting on the chipboard, for images that pop. The carrier sheets for the stamp sets even tell you which size to cut on your cricut for perfect alignment. How easy and unique is that.

But that's not all that makes this such a must have cartridge. How about if you could make 3-D flowers, boxes, tags, a new font, cards and envelopes? Take a look at the display board that I made on my little bug (the original one not the big expression) by cutting out the images from just one of the 50 buttons available. The images on the left were all cut a 2", the multicolored butterfly was one of each size on the little bug , and the 3 D flowers and boxes were done at 4". There are a total of like 700 images on the cartridge and then with all the size variations you have the potential for thousands of images from just this one cartridge. Christmas will be here before you know it and I love to give gift cards to my grown kids so they can choose what they really want. I know I will be using the unique little boxes for those gift cards, gives them something to open and insures that the gift cards don't get lost under the tree.

Close To My Heart didn't stop at just these three stamp sets to coordinate with the cricut cartridge though, there are numerous stamp images throughout the new catalog (which you can view entirely online by clicking on the catalog on the right side) which also match the images on the cartridge and they are easily identified by a red line outlining the image. I can't wait to play some more and post more artwork for you all to enjoy.

Long time no posts

Just realized how long it had been since I posted, shame on me. I will try and do better.
Life has been a series of ups and downs, mostly down this year and I'm really ready for 2010 to be over.
The biggest up has been Sara and Rob's wedding. It was wonderful and we are so blessed by our great kids, grandkids, family and friends.
I am retired now and will try and commit myself to posting some creative stuff at least once a week. I've got some really nice cards done just have to remember how to post them here.
For now I'll close and start getting things together for a creative session.

Congratulations to Sara and Rob

We are so happy that Sara and Rob have announced their engagement. Plans for a Fall 2010 wedding are being made. We couldn't be happier and wish them all the love and happiness of a lifetime.

Fall Leaves

Falling leaves, swirling in the wind is what this card reminds me of. Stamped the leaves from Autumn Splendor stamp set in Autumn Terracotta then colored them with watercolor pencils, stamped over the colored leaves with versamark and embossed with clear embossing powder to protect the colored leaves. With our wonderful clear stamps you are able to stamp over an image easily by looking thru the clear block and stamp to line up the images. Then using direct to paper technique just smeared on brown bag, a little desert sand and a touch of cocoa in the corners. Stamped Playful Flourishes in brown bag randomly over the background for that swirly effect and a hint of cocoa flourishes in corner. Mounted on olive then on Goldrush to complete the card. Want to learn some cool techniques give me a call. Free instructions are always provided.

Happy Fall

I love the Fall best of all. The cool temperatures the beautiful colors and the tastes of apple cider and pumpkin pie. This first card was done with a brayered background of Honey, Autumn Terracotta, and Chocolate Inks on a white background. I had stamped the words Happy Fall in Versamark, then embossed with clear embossing powder to protect the white words. Stamped the trees in black over my brayered background, sponged black in the corners and wipped off the white words. Mounted on layers of olive cardstock then Honey card. Hope you enjoy it, fun, fast and so so Fall.