August CTMH Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to the August Stamp of the Month Blog Hop.  This month I am following Tamytha Jenkin's Blog.   We have almost 60 Close to My Heart Consultants participating in this month’s Stamp of the Month Blog Hop.   
                                                                                                                
The August Stamp of the Month is entitled A Chocolate Affair (Set of 16). Here is a picture of this stamp set:

Now, who doesn't like chocolate?  I remember reading a sign once that said that 9 out of 10 people live chocolate ................ and the other one is LYING!  LOL

We have a family story that revolves around chocolate.  My parents are from West Virginia and Dad was stationed briefly for a school in Los Angeles right down the street from See's Candy.  He fell in love with See's Candy and when he got out of the service, he went back and got my mother and we moved to Los Angeles because of the See's Candy.  Can you believe that?  In my family we can tell who belongs and who doesn't based on their love and appreciation of chocolate.

So what did I make?  I used our Kraft Container and our new Sarita paper pack along with this wonderful stamp of the month to make a candy gift canister.  You can really fill this with a ton of candy and then once the candy is gone, you can just add more and leave it on your desk at work.

Here is my canister.

Just realized that I love cupcakes too!

 And ice cream sundaes.  Especially hot fudge ice cream sundaes.  Yum!

 Whoa! And Chocolate Covered Strawberries are incredible and good for you.  Right?

And most of all, Chocolate always understands, doesn't it?

The purple "flower" is cut with our new Cricut Artbooking Cartridge in Gypsy Cardstock.  Sorry, but I just could not resist using purple.  It really makes my chocolate stand out!

Supplies Used

A Chocolate Affair (S1308)

Cocoa Ink 

Sarita Paper Pack

Cricut Artbooking Cartridge 

3 D Foam Tape

The next stop on the blog hop is the Fabulous Nancy Womersley's Blog.

The A Chocolate Affair Stamp Set can be purchased for $17.95 or This month our promotion is called Sweeten the Deal.  When you purchase $50, you will receive this stamp set for FREE between August 1 – August 31, 2013. You can purchase this stamp set as well as any of the above supplies here:  on my website.  

I am entering my project into these challenges:
Anything but a card at Creative Moments
Coffee Break or Food at the Anything Goes Challenge
and 3D at Craft Your Passion.

Preview CTMH Artbooking on Big Picture Classes Pajama Party

Close To My Heart is teaming up with Big Picture Classes again to bring you a live webcast with step-by-step instructions for making this layout using the Cricut® Artbooking collection. Purchase the collection beginning August 1, 2013 and revolutionize the way you scrapbook! Or take advantage of my Cricut Artbooking Preorder and save more than $35 plus get your cartridge faster!

The FREE webcast will air Wednesday, July 31 at 8:00 pm (CDT). During the presentation, you’ll learn to make several projects from a variety of sponsors, including Close To My Heart’s Artbooking layout, as our very own Kristine Widtfeldt walks you through the steps—and gives you a sneak peak into the Artbooking collection!

The Pajama Party class will be available for FREE at BigPictureClasses.com on July 31, and will be archived after the event for future viewing. If you would like to interact on the message board, participate in live chat, post to the gallery, download handouts, or enter any contests, you will need to log in to the Pajama Party “classroom” by creating a free account on the Big Picture Classes website. If you have already created an account or if you registered for the first Pajama Party in May, you are all set! You will not need to create another account or register again.

We hope you and your friends (Yes, spread the word!) enjoy this sneak peek of the new Artbooking collection as Kristine Widtfeldt, Stacy Julian, and the rest of the Big Picture Classes crew make the featured project and share their tips and tricks for using the collection. We know your customers will be chomping at the bit to make the Artbooking layout, so take this opportunity to have them sit back, relax, and drool over the items, then be ready to spring into action August 1 when they can buy the collection with the rest of the supplies. Then you can tune in to the archived event for step-by-step details on how to make the project.

It's That Time Again - Customer Loyalty Program

I absolutely love my customers!  To show my appreciation, I want YOU to earn FREE Close to My Heart scrapbooking papers, stamp sets, ink, and gorgeous embellishments.   All you have to do to earn these FREE products is to place an order each month until you reach a Hostess Rewards Level that YOU decide.

This is YOUR program and I want YOU to decide how high your Rewards GO!

How the Program Works

• Complete the form found on this page to join my Customer Loyalty Program (Required)
• Place your order by the 20th of each month at  www.melindaeveritt.ctmh.com in the special Customer Loyalty Program gathering in the bottom right corner.  Just click the "Join" button and have fun shopping!
• As soon as you reach the Hostess Rewards Level that you desire, your commitment is over.  You may increase your Hostess Rewards by submitting orders from family and friends.  Just send me an email at mkgmt@aol.com so that I can credit your account.
• When you reach your desired Hostess Rewards Level, send me an email at mkgmt@aol.com with a list of the free and 1/2 priced items you would like.
• Your orders will be shipped directly to you by FedEx.  Once your order is shipped, you will receive a FedEx tracking number.
• You agree to place an order each month until your desired Hostess Rewards Level is reached.  If you find that you cannot place an order and your Hostess Rewards Level has not been reached, just email me at mkgmt@aol.com by the 15th and I will give you one "no-obligation month".  
• If you miss more than one month before you reach your desired Hostess Rewards Level, you will be considered to have exited the program and will cash out your earned rewards.  Rewards are not earned until you have reached $150 in purchases.

Benefits of Joining My Customer Loyalty Program

• Just for signing up, you will receive a FREE Close to My Heart Idea Book 
• You will receive FREE Close to My Heart papers, inks, embellishments and stamp sets
• Your order is shipped directly to you monthly by FedEx
• You can divide up your purchases into more affordable amounts and still qualify for great Hostess Rewards
• Collect orders from Friends and Family to increase your FREE Hostess Rewards
• You can exit the program at any time

Click Here to See the Hostess Rewards That You Will Earn

Scrapbooking Your Memories Are Important

With all of the upheaval in the Scrapbooking Industry and the bankruptcies and changing directions of some of the major players. I was surprised to find an article in our local paper about scrapbooking memories and how important it is for future generations.

From 1899 to 1917, Mrs. Grace Hall Hemingway scrapbooked her family's memories.  These became the mother lode of information for future generations chronicling Ernest Hemmingway's early life. The scrapbooks were donated to the John F. Kennedy Library after Hemmingway's death, but were so fragile that they have been kept locked up in a vault until now.  These scrapbooks can now be seen online here in digital format.

“These scrapbooks, lovingly compiled by Grace Hemingway, provide an unprecedented glimpse into the making of one of the greatest writers of the 20th century,” said Tom Putnam, Director of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. “From the everyday minutia of childhood, to priceless early correspondence and writings, the scrapbooks are a treasure trove for anyone interested in the early life of Ernest Hemingway."



Grace Hemmingway included pictures, journaling, correspondence, and even Ernest's schoolwork in her family scrapbooks, much like what we do today.  I would like to think that our scrapbooks today will be in better condition in 100 years because technology has come some far in the materials used to make our products.  However, it seems that we scrapbook in the same way that Grace Hemmingway did.  We tell of our day to day life for future generations to enjoy.

I am proud to be a Close to My Heart Consultant.  We have quality products that are fun to use and very trendy.  Our founder and CEO, Jeanette Lynton, once said in her blog, "as long as little girls are born with hands, they will want to create."  I believe that.  Creativity takes me to my happy place and when I can include memories of my beloved family, so much the better.

So, what does that mean for you?  Are you an experienced Scrapbooker looking for quality products or are you new to scrapbooking and you are looking for some great how-to books and guides on ideas how to start your new hobby?  Close to My Heart can provide for both and everything in between.  Our How-to books are the best in the industry with wonderful cutting directions, layout ideas, and technique instructions.  Our albums are top notch and affordable.  After lovingly creating your cherished family keepsakes and photos, you do not need to place them in a poorly constructed album.

Our catalog, also known as an Idea Book, can be found online, and I invite you to check it out for yourself. Have any questions?  I am only an email away at mkgmt@aol.com.

Are you a Creative Memories Consultant or Customer looking for a new home now that Creative Memories is getting out of the traditional scrapbooking product line?  You Are Welcome Here, either as a customer or as a Close to My Heart Consultant.  Here is a link to the questions that I am frequently asked about becoming a Close to My Heart Consultant.   

If you do not have a Close to My Heart Consultant yet, I would love to become your Consultant and share with you my love of preserving family memories and relationships through the art of papercrafting.

Water, Water, Water at H2H Challenges

Welcome to this week's challenge at Heart 2 Heart Challenges.  Team Sunset is up!  Our challenge this week is Water, Water, Everywhere. Use water - the ocean, a lake, or even a glass of water, as your inspiration for your artwork. 

I have lived in Memphis, TN for almost 10 years, but I grew up in Southern California and lived there until I was in my 30's and the US Air Force had other ideas for my family. I have only been back for an occasional trip, but my heart still belongs to the coast of California.

We grew up by the beach and surfboards and palm trees were plentiful. I was super-excited by this challenge, especially after I saw that Close to My Heart's new Artbooking cartridge has a surfboard with a matching overlay! I had gone through a week of mild depression and crafting has always been my "medicine" so I picked myself up and started working on my surfboard tag.

Here is my tag:

There is no stamping on this tag, but there is a whole lot of ink on it.  LOL  All of the edges are inked with Chocolate Ink.  Did you know that you can only purchase an Cricut Artbooking Cartridge from your Close to My Heart Independent Consultant?  The Artbooking Cartridge is  available to order on August 1st.   I am offering an Cricut Artbooking  Preorder Special here.   

Here is another view of my fun little surfboard hanging outside.  I love this picture because you can see the "coconuts" on the Palm Tree.  Making this tag took me into my happy zone.  I really had fun adding all of the little touches.  I am participating in a Summer Tag Swap and so turning this surfboard into a tag really delighted me.

So, how did I make it?  All of the cuts were made with the Artbooking Cartridge.  

Artbooking Cartridge, pg 53

Surfboard - Cut twice and glued together to give strength, Kraft Paper Colonial White Cardstock, pg 53, < Icon >, 10"

Surfboard Overlay - Surf's Up Patterned Paper, pg 53, < Icon> < Shift >, 10"

Fun & Sun - Surf's Up Teal Cardstock, pg 53, < Title >, 2"

Sunburst - Surf's Up Patterned Paper, pg 53, < Border > < Shift >, 5"

Artbooking Cartridge, pg 52

Waves - cut twice and glued together to give strength - Surf's Up Patterned Paper and Crystal Blue Cardstock, pg 52, < Border > , 4"

Artbooking Cartridge, pg 67

Palm Tree Base - Chocolate Cardstock, pg 67, < Icon>, 9"

Palm Tree Fronds - Surf's Up Patterned Paper, pg 67, < Icon > < Shift >, 9"

Oops, I misspoke.  I wanted the sun to stand out more so I cut the Sun base with our Artiste Cartridge - Sorbet Cardstock, pg 70, < Accent 2> < Shift >, 4" and I "hid" the middle circle out so it wouldn't cut.

Artiste Cartridge, pg 70

So now it is your turn!  What do you think of when you think of water?  Could it be the color or a lake or an ocean or maybe just a wonderfu vacation?  After you finish your artwork please go to  www.heart2heartchallenges.blogspot.com and post a link to your project.  I cannot wait to see what you make!

Here are a few rules:  

*Our challenges are open to everyone!
*To enter, follow the challenge of the week and post your results to your personal blog or other online gallery.
*Be sure to go here and direct link to your challenge post so we can see your artwork!

*In order to enter a challenge, you must use Close To My Heart products but your project does not have to be 100% CTMH.
*If you use something from another company, please consider including details in your project's description.
* You MUST mention H2H challenges in your blog post (and a link back to us would be appreciated).
*Spread the word about our challenge blog by including our badge on your blog.

* I love to leave comments on our participants' blog posts, but word verification slows me down, so please turn yours off so that I can leave you some love on your blog!
*Most importantly, have fun creating - the Close To My Heart way!
Note: Any entries not following the above rules are subject to having their link removed.

Like what you see?  Head on over to my website and you can shop to your heart's content!  We have a bunch of specials this month as well!

Love all of the challenges!  This tag is entered into the Anything Goes Challenge at Challenges 4 Everybody,  Anything But Square (I definitely think I have that covered - LOL) at A Gem of a Challenge, and the Summer Challenge at Pumpkin Spice.

Surf's Up

It's summer time and I know we are all spending time outside enjoying the sunshine and the surf!  For this month's blog hop, we are featuring the exclusive "Surf's Up" paper pack from Close to My Heart!    We're celebrating fun in the sun with this colorful paper pack that also has some amazing coordinating accessories and embellishment.

Not only are all of our creations going to use our Surf's Up paper line BUT they will also be using our exclusive Art Philosophy, Artiste, and/or the NEW Artbooking Cricut cartridges available exclusively through a Close to My Heart consultant!  What ?!?!? If you don't already have a Consultant that you are currently working with, please contact one of the Consultants in our hop with any questions you have!

In this hop, you will see projects featuring this versatile cartridges from many talented crafty ladies!  Enjoy our blog hop!  

If you have just hopped onto my blog, please start at the beginning at Lucy's blog.   If you came from Michelle then you are in the right place!

This card was so much fun to make!   See the Surf's Up Gold Sun in the background?  It is actually an overlay cut with the new Close to My Heart Cricut Artbooking Cartridge. It is found on page 53, b5, Overlay, < shift> < t > at 7".  Also all of the word pennants were also cut with the Artbooking Cartridge My Favorite - on page 40, a3, Title, < 3 > and Paradise - on page 53, b5, Title,  < t > at 4". These are all cut with your real dial size OFF.   
It is a little hard to see but all of the pennants that I cut out with the Artbooking cartridge are backed with our new Bronze glitter trim. I am loving all the different ways we can now add bling to our artwork. And look at the cute gem in the middle of my flower.  I was in pure heaven when I saw that package of bling that comes from our new Babycakes Collection.  So many uses - my head is spinning.  I sounded like a kid under the Christmas tree discovering her presents.  Yep, that's what gets me excited.  Let me show you a closeup of my cluster. 

Most of this is made with our Stickease.  Now how easy is that?  And here is the inside of my card.

Not sure of the sentiment yet, but I have started decorating the insides of my cards when I make them because otherwise I lose interest and it is hard to go back.

Supplies Used

Surf's Up Paper Pack (X7168B)
Surf's Up My Stickease Assortment (X7168C)
Bronze Glitter Trim (can order 8/1)
Color Ready Garden Shapes (Z1718)
Babycakes Assortment (Z1869 - can order  8/1)
Dots (Z1853 - can order 8/1)
Cricut Artbooking Bundle (taking pre-orders now)

Your next stop on our Surf's Up blog hop is Melissa Harris.

Here is the complete lineup in case you get lost along the way:

1. Lucy 
2. Theodora               
3. Traci 
4. Michelle 
5. Melinda Everitt 
6. Melissa Harris 
7. Justine Hovey 
8. Heather Hunt 

Thanks for hopping along with us - we hope we were able to inspire you.

I am entering this card in the sketch challenge #164 at Pals Paper Arts and the Life is a Beach challenge at Chocolate, Coffee and Cards Challenges.  Love that name! Also entered into the Aloha Friday Challenge at Kitty Bee Designs.

My Close to My Heart Last Chance Sale!

Are you ready for a great sale?  This is your absolutely last chance to purchase items from our retiring list (found below) and to purchase a few of our promotional items.

To sweeten the deal, ANY purchase qualifies you to be a hostess for this sale. Plus whatever you pay in shipping, I will give you in FREE Product!

What that means is that if you go to my website and click on the Last Chance Sale "JOIN" button and shop to your heart's content, not only will your order be sent directly to you, but on August 1st, your name will be entered into a mystery hostess random drawing.

I have decided to have multiple winners so I will be dividing the mystery hostess rewards into $20 Free Product winners and half price winners.  Any customer purchasing at least $50 will also receive $5 off on their next order and a free Idea Book.  Refer a friend and I will give you an extra entry into the random drawing.

Scroll down and I have a list of our retiring items that are still available as of today.  These are while supplies last.   Then click on this link to my website and look for the JOIN button as illustrated below. It is on the right side of my website home page.

Join one of Melinda’s Gatherings

• GATHERING NAMEDATE
• Last Chance Sale31 Jul 2013 

This is also the last time to buy our Patriotic/Military Stamp Sets pictured below.  Don't miss out!

You have until July 31st to take part in this sale, so hurry up and place your order!



***This sale is only available through Melinda Everitt, Close to My Heart Independent Consultant.

A Close to My Heart Update

With the recent bankruptcies of some major companies in our industry and the scrambling by their customers to purchase the materials they need to finish their projects before they can no longer buy these products, I find it very comforting that Close to My Heart is debt-free and not in danger of going out of business.

I know that when I purchase my papercrafting supplies, that when I need more, Close to My Heart will still be there.  There have been a few statements made by these companies who are in bankruptcy that scrapbooking is no longer popular.  Well, as evidenced by the increased attendance at my crops, I don't believe that and neither does Close to My Heart.  Please listen to this short video about the state of our company entitled, "You are Welcome Here."



I love Close to My Heart products and love that they are innovative and stable.  Bar none, we have the best New Consultant kit at the cheapest price.  We make it easy for you to join Close to My Heart as a customer or a consultant.  I joined Close to My Heart 5 years ago in order to get a discount on my papercrafting supplies and I have found a true home with the fellowship of some awesome ladies and gents.

We just released our New Consultant Kit for the 2013 Autumn/Winter Idea Book.  If you are interested in receiving $155 of product for only $49 or you just want to see what is in the kit, you can find more information here and I have even answered some frequently asked questions.  And did you know, that as a Close to My Heart Consultant, you can even get our new Cricut Artbooking cartridge with your discount?

Need Creative Memories Page Protectors?

As Creative Memories is progressing through bankruptcy, there is talk that they will not be carrying their line of traditional scrapbooking supplies as we know them.  Many people entered the art of scrapbooking through Creative Memories, as did I.

So, what do you do when Creative Memories albums, pages and page protectors are no more?  Well here is one of our newer Australian Close to My Heart Consultants and former Creative Memory Consultant, Shauna Richards, to show you how.

After you watch the video, you can see the American prices and information for the Close to My Heart page protectors by clicking here.

Stampers with an Attitude Patriotic Blog Hop

Welcome to the Stampers with an Attitude Patriotic Blog Hop.  This month I am following  Jaime Llewellyn.  Aren't you feeling inspired?

Our theme this month is Patriotic Artwork.  We are all still feeling very inspired by the 4th of July and are excited to show you our patriotic artwork, Close to My Heart style.

One of the things I love about being a Close to My Heart Consultant is getting Close to My Heart products at a discount.  Another thing I like is being able to order new products before our customers can.  Something to do with being the first one on our block to have one, I guess.

Our new Fall/Winter Idea Book is coming out on 8/1 and you will find our latest and newest and most revolutionary Cricut Bundle called Artbooking. Click on this link to see all 700 images in the handbook.  I have played with that cartridge so much in the past couple of days that I needed a new Cricut blade.  Now that takes a lot of cutting!

This new cartridge has overlays that you can use on your scrapbooking layouts and cards.  I decided to use a star overlay on my card.  I cut it out in Outdoor Denim Cardstock and White Daisy Cardstock.  

Here is my card:

I made my card base from Ruby Cardstock.  I used the Outdoor Denim overlay on top and then fit a couple of the White Daisy stars into the spaces where they fit (just like a puzzle) to give the effect of Red, White and Blue.

Everything on this card is cut from the Cricut Artbooking.  The fireworks is actually the sun on pg 53, cut twice, once in our Tan (Gold) Glitter Paper and the other in our Grey (Dk Silver) Glitter Paper.  Freedom (found on pg 64) is cut in Ruby Cardstock and White Daisy Cardstock  and adhered them together, slightly offset, with our Glue Pen.

I used the stamp set, Home of the Brave (D1576), that is only available to order until the end of July.

I am LOVING this stamp set.  The flag is so easy to stamp.  It actually comes in two pieces so that you can stamp it in two colors without having to mask your image.  The stamp is only available for 2 more weeks and is a must-have for your 4th of July layouts and artwork, any military layouts, or will even work with school layouts and projects.  Coming from a military family, I also like that three dollars from each B-size My Acrylix^®Courage stamp set and $5 from each D-size My Acrylix^® Home of the Brave stamp set will be donated to the USO, the leading, most recognized military-support and services organization in the country.  

Here is the Courage Stamp Set (B1437),

Now, hop on over to our next Blog hopper, the very talented, Angela Garcia and see what she has made for you to see!

If you get lost, here is a list of our participating blog hoppers.

1. Debbie Andrews 
2. Jen Patrick
3. Sheila Bennett 
4. Denise Elliott
5. Pamela O'Connor 
6. Kimberly Moss 
7. LaJeania Hicks 
8. Becky McClain 
9. Jaime Llewellyn 
10. Melinda Everitt ~ ME!
11. Angela Garcia 
12. Cat Nowak 
13. Vickie ODell 
14. Di Crawford
15. Barbi Kelley 

See something you like?  Well I would love it if you would head on over to my website and see what Close to My Heart has to offer!  I am sure that you will love our products as much as I do.

Video Using Cricut Craft Room with Close to My Heart

First of all I have to say that I love my Gypsy.  Once I started using the Cricut, I discovered that I could not do what I wanted to do with it and that I needed the Gypsy.  I love it and have never looked back.  Until now.

There is a free program out there called the Cricut Craft Room.  It is free and looks pretty easy to use.  I have my fingers crossed that it will work on my iPad 2.  With the Cricut Craft Room, it looks like I can use it to do what I have been doing with my Gypsy and if I can use my iPad 2, I can actually see it better to do it since the screen on my Gypsy is pretty small.  I will report back here after I have played with it a bit.

So watch this video with the beautiful Monica Wilhongi and see if the Cricut Craft Room is as exciting to you as it is to me!

Mix and Mingle Challenge at Heart 2 Heart Challenges

Welcome to this week's challenge at Heart 2 Heart Challenges.  I am  a member of Team Sunset, which I love because I love a good sunset!  Our challenge this week is to Mix and Mingle in your artwork at least 3 different stamp sets and/or 3 different paper packs.

I just returned from Close to My Heart Convention and I am really looking forward to this next catalog. We were given some of the new stamp sets to use and I am LOVIN' them so I could not resist pulling them out.

My dear hubby is such a doll that 4 days after Convention he watched the kids and critters so that I could attend a Crafting retreat in Scottsboro, Alabama. My friend and I were the only crafters doing papercrafting. The rest of the crafters were quilters. I used to quilt before I started papercrafting and the excitement of being surrounded by quilters influenced my card design.

Here is my card:

I decided to use 3 stamp sets on my card from the new catalog.  This way I can also preview some of our fantastic new products.

Here are the stamp sets:

A1145 Flowering Thanks

I used the Flowering Thanks Stamp Set as my focal point.  It was colored with Close to My Heart Alcohol Markers.  I wanted the flowers to stand out more without coloring them so I did a wash of Champagne Ink with my waterbrush around the Thank You.

B1425 Stitched with Love

With the Stitched with Love Stamp Set, I fussy cut the heart from the top image.  I designed my card to look like a quilt and I loved the little heart in the corners.  It was also colored with our Alcohol Markers.

D1559 Geometric Backgrounds

And finally, I used the center stamp from Geometric Backgrounds for the design around the focal point.  When I first used this stamp, I thought it was not picking up ink well.  It just about drove me crazy until I realized that it was designed to look distressed.  I used my paper cutter and cut the stamped image into 3 rows and then placed it around the Thank You. 

Supplies Used (All Close to My Heart unless indicated)

Black Pigment Ink
Clear Embossing Powder
Ruby Cardstock
White Daisy Cardstock
Indian Corn Blue Cardstock
Black Cardstock
Champagne Cardstock
Alcohol Markers
Hollyhock (Z2418)
Olive (Z2425)
Creme Brûlée -Dark (Z2406)
New England Ivy (Z2424)
Sky - Light (Z2402)
Indian Corn Blue - Light (Z2422)
Outdoor Denim (Z2421)
Stamp Sets (New - available 8/1)
Flowering Thanks (A1145)
Stitched with Love (B1425)
Geometric Backgrounds (D1559)

So now it is your turn!  Which 3 stamp sets and/or paper packs are you going to Mix and Mingle?  After you finish your artwork please go to  www.heart2heartchallenges.blogspot.com and post a link to your project.  I cannot wait to see what you make!

Here are a few rules:  

*Our challenges are open to everyone!
*To enter, follow the challenge of the week and post your results to your personal blog or other online gallery.
*Be sure to go here and direct link to your challenge post so we can see your artwork!

*In order to enter a challenge, you must use Close To My Heart products but your project does not have to be 100% CTMH.
*If you use something from another company, please consider including details in your project's description.
* You MUST mention H2H challenges in your blog post (and a link back to us would be appreciated).
*Spread the word about our challenge blog by including our badge on your blog.

* I love to leave comments on our participants' blog posts, but word verification slows me down, so please turn yours off so that I can leave you some love on your blog!
*Most importantly, have fun creating - the Close To My Heart way!
Note: Any entries not following the above rules are subject to having their link removed.

I am entering this card in the Thank You challenge at Squigglefly and the Make it Red Challenge at Crafty Croppers.

Like what you see?  Head on over to my website and you can shop to your heart's content!  We have a bunch of specials this month as well!

Pre-Order Your CTMH Cricut Artbooking Collection

I am here in sunny (and rainy) Orlando at our annual Close to My Heart Convention. Our new Fall/Winter Catalog was just revealed and it is totally UNBELIEVABLE!

In the next few weeks I am going to be introducing some of our new products that you can order on August 1st. I will also be taking preorders.

The first new product that I want to talk about is our new Close to My Heart exclusive Cricut Artbooking Collection. I cannot say enough about this earthshaking, ground breaking, must-have collection so let me just read to you the description of it in our new Idea Book.

"Take your Scrapbooking to never-before-seen levels with the new Cricut Artbooking collection! With oodles of images in each of 15 layout themes, you can create several coordinating pages for each theme using just 2 keys and 1 dial size.  Images include accents, borders, titles, overlays, photo mats - in standard photo sizes! - and more.  The Cricut keys are optimized for creating 12" x 12" pages in a jiffy.  You'll love creating 10 themed mini books, also optimized for several different sizes using 2 keys and 1 dial size.  Celebrate birthdays, new baby, vacations, friends, sports, Halloween, Christmas, and more.  When you're finished cutting, use the coordinating stamp sets and Dimensional Elements shapes to add even more pizzazz!"

What this means is that you will be able to dial in one size for your layout (for example, 11 inches) and all of your images will be cut to that proportion.  Now how cool is that?  No more guessing if your images are going to be in proportion to each other!  No more extra cutting!  No more wasted paper!  This is the coolest cartridge ever and a must-have for every crafter.

Artbooking has 700 images AND 3 sets of coordinating stamp sets And 3 sets of coordinating chipboard Dimensional Elements.  What a fantastic value!

Want to get your Cricut Artbooking Collection before your friends? Why not pre-order it now?  This cartridge will not be released to customers until August 1st. ***. Pre-order yours now and I will place your order at 12:01 am on August 1st so that you can be one of the first customers to receive your Cricut Artbooking Cartridge and Collection.  Plus I am offering FREE SHIPPING and a Free NEW Fall/Winter CATALOG with each Cricut Purchase.  The new catalogs will start shipping as soon as I receive your order.

The Cricut Artbooking Collection is only $99. I have now decided to sweeten the deal and offer this super adorable Stamp of the Month, A Chocolate Affair, absolutely free with each pre-order.

For your convenience, I am accepting PayPal for pre-orders.

Pre-Order Cricut Artbooking

Pre-Order Cricut Artbooking $99.00 USD

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Want to see the new Cricut Artbooking Handbook?  Well you better sit down. Here it is.