Spotlight on Paper Fundamentals and a Contest Too!

I love our new Close to My Heart product line called Paper Fundamentals.  Paper Fundamentals is a huge pack of paper - 20 pieces - that have a glossy embossed pattern on one side and the same pattern on the other side without the glossy pattern.

Here is a card that I made with this paper pack.

The paper on the right side is from the Paper Fundamentals paper pack.  This is the side that is not glossy.  I am loving the pattern and it really adds to this card.  It pairs nicely with all different paper packs and patterned papers.

Paper Fundamentals Basics Assortment

InLinkz.com

Watch this short video to find out about how to enter the Fundamental Crafts Contest with just a comment.  Then be sure and enter.



Comment here, here or here to enter.

All Play and No Work! Contest

I would love to see one of my readers win this fantastic Contest posted on our Founder and CEO's blog!

"Piecing together a layout is a breeze when you’ve got the right ingredients all in one place. When you have Close To My Heart’s Workshops on the Go™kits that breeze turns into a gush of wind, because all the ingredients are in one place, and for a wonderful deal! If you’ve got adhesives handy, each workshop will appear quickly before your eyes. They are so convenient and simple to assemble that the term “working on a layout” is all wrong. This is play!"

All you have to do to enter is go to Jeanette Lynton's Blog and leave a comment.  Now how easy is that?  Leave your comment by December 31, 2013 and you just might be one of 20 winners!

Random Drawing for Free Product and Video

Entries are coming in for my random drawing for an incredible, fantastic box of goodies worth over $150.

You can read about it in yesterday's post.

What I want to talk about today is why you would want to enter my drawing.  I absolutely love Close to My Heart and have been a consultant for over 7 years.  A little over a year ago, I decided to really work my business and with the encouragement of fellow Consultants and my upline, I became a Director and started growing my team in earnest.  I believe that I have the best team in Close to My Heart.  Loving, caring, funny, and creative people who I enjoy being around and mentoring when they ask.

Close to My Heart is a wonderful company to work for and it has incredible, diverse products which really pushes my creativity to new levels.

Watch the video below and you will learn more and then click on the link above and enter my drawing to win a New Consultant kit and join the Bling Team.

Random Drawing for over $150 in Close to My Heart Scrapbooking Products!

No purchase is necessary to enter my random drawing for a FREE TRY ME box of AMAZING Close to My Heart Scrapbooking and Papercrafting Supplies!

Do you love Close to My Heart products or would you like to try them out with no obligation to EVER buy anything else?

Then enter my drawing using the form below for an absolutely FREE Close to My Heart New Consultant Kit.  This kit contains about $155 in Close to My Heart products that you can try with no obligation to ever sell or purchase anything else.  This could be an early Christmas present for YOU!

Here is what is in the box:

• 3 Autumn/Winter 2013 Idea Books 
• Petite Perks™ A Touch of Fall Incentive Stamp Set 
• Laughing Lola Complements Dimensional Elements 
• Workshops on the Go® Laughing Lola Scrapbooking Kit 
• Reflections® Scrapbook Program 
• Originals Card Confidence Program® 
• Black Exclusive Inks® Pad 
• Gypsy Exclusive Inks® Pad 
• My Acrylix® Paisley Perfect Stamp Set 
• My Acrylix® Cityscape Stamp Set 
• My Acrylix® Swirls Around Stamp Set 
• 3" x 3" My Acrylix® Block 

In addition to this, you will receive a 22% discount on all future purchases* plus the opportunity to receive free Close to My Heart products.  

This could also be a business opportunity and I will show you how to get your Close to My Heart business up and running.  There is no obligation on your part that you do this.  

Sign up for this drawing by 11/30/13 at 11:59 pm (CST)  The drawing will be held on 12/1/13 at 10 am (CST).

Fine Print:  This drawing is only offered through Melinda Everitt, Director, Independent Consultant, Close to My Heart

This box is a New Consultant Kit and in order to receive it, you must sign up as a New Consultant with Close to My Heart on Melinda Everitt's CTMH Bling Team.  Open only to residents of the US who are not Close to My Heart Consultants.

There is NO obligation for any purchase.  You will keep the New Consultant Kit even if you never purchase another thing again!

Only one entry per person.

Have questions?  Check out my New Consultant FAQs.

*As long as you remain an Active Consultant.

My Final Birthday Promotion

Well I had a good run, didn't I?  I had a daily promotion for over a week and then life hit.  We have had a few blips on our screen so now I need to make this one promotion for the entire month.  

My Final Birthday Promotion will continue through November 30, 2013 at 11:59 pm (CT).

1.  Place an order of $25 to $49.99 and receive a free pkg of embellishments of your choice OR choose anything in the Idea Book up to a $5.95 value.  

2.  Place an order of $50 to $74.99 and receive a free A sized stamp set of your choice OR a set of our new Alcohol markers OR choose anything in the Idea Book up to a $7.95 value.  

3.  Place an order of $75 to $99.99 and receive a free B sized Stamp Set of your choice OR any current Level 2 Paper pack, OR choose anything in the Idea book up to a $9.95 value.  

4.  Place an order of $100 to $149.99 and receive a C sized stamp set of your choice OR a My Acrylix Organizer OR choose anything in the Idea Book up to $13.95 value. 

5.  Place an order of $150 or more and you will receive $25 in free products of your choice, AND choose either a D sized Stamp Set of your choice OR anything in the Idea Book up to $17.95 value.  

Want discounted shipping?  Then order on my website and have your order delivered directly to you.  Just click on this link and you will automatically join Melinda's Birthday Celebration.  Then just click the Shop tab.  If you order from my website and want cheaper shipping, pick the Smart Post selection.  I use it all of the time and it saves me money.

Then, email me with your choice of free product.  I will be sent to you separately.

Don't forget the Holiday Gift Guide Promotion - when you purchase $100 retail (full priced items), you can choose one star item for free from the Holiday Gift Guide.

Also, I will pick a name randomly from the customers who ordered to get a free CTMH Cricut cartridge of their choice for free.

***Don't have an Idea Book to browse through? You can view the Idea Book online here.

If you would like your own copy of the latest Idea Book, let me know.

****THE FINE PRINT:  The minimum dollar amount is calculated before tax and shipping.  You will pay tax for your free items when applicable.  This offer is good ONLY through Melinda Everitt, Director, Close to My Heart Independent Consultant. 

11/7 November Birthday Promotion

Here is my November Birthday Promotion for today. To get this product, go to my website and click on the Join button next to Melinda's Birthday Celebration.  Then place your order.  You will qualify for your free product based upon the retail amount of your order.

Today's promotion:

For a $25 order - A Holiday Stamp Set (A1115) (worth $6.95)

For a $50 order - Polar Bear Holiday Stamp Set (C1557) (worth $13.95)

For a $75 order - Christmas Village Stamp Set (D1554) (worth $17.95)

In addition to this, for every order you place during the month of November on my website using the Join button, you will be entered into a random drawing for the CTMH Cricut Cartridge of YOUR choice!  The more times you order, the more entries you receive.

***Your free products will be shipped to you separately.

11/6 Birthday Promotion

Here is my November Birthday Promotion for today. To get this product, go to my website and click on the Join button next to Melinda's Birthday Celebration.  Then place your order.  You will qualify for your free product based upon the retail amount of your order.

Today's promotion:

For a $25 order - 12" x 12" Page Protectors (10) (4110) (worth $5.95)

For a $50 order - 12" x 12" Page Protectors with Pockets (4112) (worth $8.95)

For a $75 order - Medium Organizer (Z4139) (worth $16.95)

In addition to this, for every order you place during the month of November on my website using the Join button, you will be entered into a random drawing for the CTMH Cricut Cartridge of YOUR choice!  The more times you order, the more entries you receive.

***Your free products will be shipped to you separately.

Today's November promotion

Here is my November Birthday Promotion for today. To get this product, go to my website and click on the Join button next to Melinda's Birthday Celebration.  Then place your order.  You will qualify for your free product based upon the retail amount of your order.

Today's promotion:

For a $25 order - Teal Base and Bling Jewels (Z1891) (worth $5.95)

For a $50 order - Perfect Fit Holidays (B1412) (worth $9.95)

For a $75 order - Fabric Necklace Kit (Z1905) (worth $12.95)

In addition to this, for every order you place during the month of November on my website using the Join button, you will be entered into a random drawing for the CTMH Cricut Cartridge of YOUR choice!  The more times you order, the more entries you receive.

***Your free products will be shipped to you separately.

More Free Product!

One of the things that always struck me about Ellen Degeneres was when she had a month-long celebration of her birthday.  I so appreciate my customers that I have decided to do the same.  

Do you like free scrapbooking product?  My birthday is in November and I will be celebrating all month long.  To celebrate, I will be holding a different promotion each day.  Don't like today's promotion?  Then come back tomorrow.  Each day the free items will be different.

I am offering different free Close to My Heart Products each day.  To get this product, go to my website and click on the Join button next to Melinda's Birthday Celebration.  Then place your order.  You will qualify for your free product based upon the retail amount of your order.

Today's promotion:

For a $25 order - Trim the Tree Stamp Set (A1149) (worth $6.95)

For a $50 order - Season's Tweetings Bags (Z1914) (worth $8.95)

For a $75 order - Sparkle and Shine Washi Tape (Z1907) (worth $14.95)

In addition to this, for every order you place during the month of November on my website using the Join button, you will be entered into a random drawing for the CTMH Cricut Cartridge of YOUR choice!  The more times you order, the more entries you receive.

***Your free products will be shipped to you separately.

The 3rd Day of My Birthday Celebration - Free Product Giveaway

Do you like free scrapbooking product?  My birthday is in November and I will be celebrating all month long.  To celebrate, I will be holding a different promotion each day.  

I am offering different free Close to My Heart Products each day.  To get this product, go to my website and click on the Join button next to Melinda's Birthday Celebration.  Then place your order.  You will qualify for your free product based upon the retail amount of your order.

Today's promotion:

For a $25 order - Ruby Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad (Z2170) (worth $5.25)

For a $50 order - Make It From Your Heart Vol. 2 (9042) (worth $7.95)

For a $75 order - Non-Stick Micro-Tip Scissors (Z1836) (worth $13.95)

In addition to this, for every order you place during the month of November on my website using the Join button, you will be entered into a random drawing for the CTMH Cricut Cartridge of YOUR choice!  The more times you order, the more entries you receive.

***Your free products will be shipped to you separately.

Second Day of My November Birthday Celebration - Get Your Free Products!

Do you like free scrapbooking product?  My birthday is in November and I will be celebrating all month long.  To celebrate, I will be holding a different promotion each day.  

I am offering different free Close to My Heart Products each day.  To get this product, go to my website and click on the Join button next to Melinda's Birthday Celebration.  Then place your order.  You will qualify for your free product based upon the retail amount of your order.

Today's promotion:

For a $25 order - Base and Bling Floral Accents (Z1883) (worth $4.95)

For a $50 order - Frosted Paper Pack (X7175B) (worth $9.95)

For a $75 order -  My Crush Bluebird Book (Z1856) (worth $12.95)

In addition to this, for every order you place during the month of November on my website using the Join button, you will be entered into a random drawing for the CTMH Cricut Cartridge of YOUR choice!  The more times you order, the more entries you receive.

***Your free products will be shipped to you separately.

The First Day of my November Happy Birthday Free Products Promotion!

Do you like free scrapbooking product?  My birthday is in November and I will be celebrating all month long.  To celebrate, I will be holding a different promotion each day.  

I am offering different free Close to My Heart Products each day.  To get this product, go to my website and click on the Join button next to Melinda's Birthday Celebration.  Then place your order.  You will qualify for your free product based upon the retail amount of your order.

Today's promotion:

For a $25 order - Ruby Mini Medley (Z1861) (worth $5.95)

For a $50 order - Classy Doily Stamp Set (B1424) (worth $9.95)

For a $75 order - Wishes Card Confidence Program (9041) 

                          (worth $14.95)

In addition to this, for every order you place during the month of November on my website using the Join button, you will be entered into a random drawing for the CTMH Cricut Cartridge of YOUR choice!  The more times you order, the more entries you receive.

***Your free products will be shipped to you separately.

Celebrate with a Great Deal!

I am guessing that since you are following my blog that you like papercrafting.    I am also guessing that you might like Close to My Heart products and that you also like to get a good deal on these products.  Am I right?  Then the April Promotion is right down your alley PLUS I have sweetened this deal with my own added EXTRAS!

How would you like to get these 4 stamp sets absolutely free?  They are our next 4 Stamps of the Month, worth approximately $85 including shipping and tax.  And guess what ........... You won't be paying shipping and tax on these stamp sets.  They are absolutely free.  

 

How do you get them, you ask?  All you have to do is purchase the kit below for $49.  It is worth $155.  

Good deal, huh?  So what is the catch?  Why am I offering you $240 in fantastic Close to My Heart products for $49?  

Well, I am not.  I am going to sweeten this deal even more and add my own special to this already fantastic special.  

I am going to add a Twilight Ink Pad and a Pear Ink Pad plus one of our 2" x 2" blocks and they are going to be absolutely free to you as well.  That is another $20 of products (with shipping and tax) that you will receive absolutely free.  Already have those colors?  No problem, pick another.  I am pretty easy, aren't I?

Still reading?  This is all you have to do to get the:

1. 4 full size stamp sets
2. all of the product listed below
3. the 2 ink pads
4. 2" x 2" block 

worth a total of $260 for only $49 (plus shipping and tax on the $49 paid for the kit):  Sign up as a Close to My Heart Consultant!  

Do I hear groans?  Well give me a couple of more sentences before you toss in the towel.  Close to My Heart has instituted a policy where you can purchase this kit and NEVER have to purchase or sell anything ever again.  In fact, you can purchase this kit, wait six months and purchase another kit, always getting the new product from the current catalog.  

Now are you getting interested?  We just want you to try our product and see the quality for yourself!  So, if you have any interest in this at all, please call me at (901) 218-1847 or email me at mkgmt@aol.com.  If you live in the Memphis Area, I have 6 kits that I can deliver to you immediately.  You don't even have to wait for the shipping, though our shipping is incredibly fast!  Just contact me first before signing up if you want one of my 6 kits.  Want the kit shipped directly to you and are willing to wait a few days?  Well here is the link to sign up:  I want to purchase this kit now!

This deal is only good until April 30th and the EXTRA ink pads and block are only good with Melinda Everitt, CTMH Independent Consultant.

  

CONTENTS OF THE NEW CONSULTANT ESSENTIALS KIT INCLUDE:

Workshops on the Go® Chantilly Scrapbooking Kit

Chantilly Complements Dimensional Elements

Petite Perks™ Critter Expressions Incentive Stamp Set

Reflections® Scrapbook Program

Originals Card Confidence Program®

Buttercup Exclusive Inks® Pad

Cotton Candy Exclusive Inks® Pad

Spinner 

My Acrylix® Wheel of Life Stamp Set

My Acrylix® For a Friend Stamp Set

4" × 5" My Acrylix® Block

Current Idea Books (qty. 3)

Close To My Heart Color Swatches

Spring/ Summer 2013 B&T Duos® Sampler  

 

March Madness at H2H!

We have some really fun challenges at Heart 2 Heart Challenges but now we have bumped up the fun!  We have started MARCH MADNESS!   This will add some fun  to our challenges for you our readers, subscribers, and crafty peeps.  How do you win, you ask?  All you have to do is play to win and follow our usual challenge guidelines.  We have a couple of prizes that are not just for our usual players - we're looking for YOU -- our first time players!  

That's right, our first prize is for a first-time H2H player!  We're looking for someone who joins us for the very first time ever. To be eligible for this prize, you must NOT be a current Close To My Heart consultant, you need to follow the challenge guidelines, AND you must leave a comment in our comment section of that challenge telling us it's your first time participating at H2H challenges.  (One randomly-selected lucky newbie will win!)

We will also have a prize for a CTMH Consultant who participates AND the non-CTMH Consultant who participates the most in March!   Every time you link up, add a number with your name to help us keep track of the number of times you play, starting with your second time in March.  So, my second entry might look like "Melinda#2" in the linky.  If you don't number your entries, we won't be able to count you for the prize.  (In the event of a tie, multiple prizes will be awarded.)

AND to make this even MORE fun, some of our craft Design Team members may be offering prizes on their blogs -- who is doing that you might ask???  Well, you will just have to check out each DT's blog for the details on their project to see who might be offering some blog candy.   You just never know who will be doing a giveaway throughout the month.

So, keep on checking my blog out, or even better, subscribe to my blog and watch for when I post some blog candy.  You will never know when I am going to post some March Madness!

Studio J Tricks to Add Flair to Your Layouts!

Studio J® Tricks to Add Flair to Your Layouts

Even though Studio J^® is fast and easy to use, it is helpful to know some great tricks that can make customizing your layouts even more exciting. Here are some Studio J tricks straight from our professional Close To My Heart artists:

1. Customize your background and texture paper. You can change the color and intensity of the background and texture paper included in whichever kit you choose. Simply select the piece of background and texture paper, change the color in the color selection tool, and increase or decrease the intensity of the color in that same popup box.

2. Crop My Stickease^® quotes, titles, and tags. The cropping feature on the My Stickease images allows you to select a section of a quote, title, or tag to use as a border or other embellishment.

3. Create a customized My Stickease image. If you have a specific image in mind to use as an embellishment on your page, you can create a customized My Stickease to fit your theme perfectly. Simply add a text box, photo hanger, ribbon, ribbon slides, and Stickease to create the little suitcase! So easy! Be sure to crop or send elements behind other elements when necessary, and add several elements together for a unique look!

4. Select more than one element at a time. If you want to move several elements of your layout at once, simply click and drag your mouse around the elements you would like to select. Let’s take buttons, for example. After the buttons have been selected, you can click the icons in the popup box to choose to align the buttons vertically or horizontally if you desire.

5. Make faux washi tape with vellum text boxes. To create the look of a piece of clear washi tape, make a small rectangular text box, filled with vellum background (this is the default color for text boxes). You can make the tape strips as large or small as you want, or even layer them for more emphasis.

6. Stretch one photo across multiple photo wells. If you have fewer photos than photo wells, instead of deleting the excess wells, try scaling the picture to a larger size and then copying the picture to other photo wells and matching the photos up until they align with an almost seamless image. This trick works best with photo wells that are adjacent to each other.

7. Create ruffled ribbon. Select “Ribbons” in the drop-down menu under the Embellishments toolset. Choose ribbon tab and rotate the tab so that it is vertical on the page. Then layer several tabs on top of one another, sending every other one to the back to create a ruffled look.

8. Create a jagged border with text boxes. You can create a jagged border simply by rotating multiple text boxes about 45 degrees and making them the same color as the background. Put these boxes on top of a long, rectangular box of another color, and you’ve got a jagged border!

9. Change the background of your layout. Sometimes you may like the photo and journal arrangement in a layout, and yet want to change the background colors. Because photos sit on top of everything else, this is easy to do. Simply pull a journaling box over the space you want for a different background and fill it with a color from the color selection tool or a patterned paper from the Papers toolset. Then, send it backwards until the photo wells are on top of your new background.

Bonus Trick! Use keyboard keys to make embellishments. Did you know that some of the best tools for creating custom embellishments are the basic keys on your keyboard? It’s as simple as typing into a journaling box with no background color. Use periods to make a polka dot pattern, angle brackets to create a trendy Chevron look, overlapping pound signs to make burlap, question marks to make rope, and so much more!

October is the perfect month to give these Studio J hints a go because for every 9 layouts you create, you’ll get a 10th layout for FREE!

And remember that I am holding a fantastic October Giveaway.  If you are one of my first 5 customers to take advantage of the Buy 9, Get 1 Free, I will send you a FREE Studio J 5 pack. (Retails at $39.95)

You can log on here to start creating with Studio J. 

October Giveaway!

Ready for the Next Giveaway?

October is all about Studio J!

In concert with Close to My Heart's Save with Studio J Promotion:   Buy nine layouts, get one free,

I am offering a free Studio J 5-pack to the first 5 people to take advantage of this promotion!

A Studio J 5-pack retails for $39.95 and includes 5 two-page layouts and free shipping.  What a fantastic prize!

You do not have to comment or contact me.  Once your order  goes in, I will contact you with your Studio J 5-pack code.  This code never expires and you can use it to take advantage of another October Save with Studio J Promotion!

No software to purchase.  Click here to set up your account and start creating!

Any questions?  Call me at (901) 218-1847 or email me at mkgmt@aol.com.

* Only One free Studio J 5-pack per customer.  This giveaway is only offered through Melinda Everitt, CTMH Independent Consultant and only through October 31, 2012

Winner of Help Me Pick My Watermark Giveaway

I want to extend a big THANK YOU to everyone who helped me pick my watermark. It looks like the watermark with the butterfly was the most popular choice. My Husband is very happy because he said that is the one that suits me the best. I promised one lucky commenter (whom I chose using random.org) a "D" size stamp set and the lucky winner is: Dianas free moments said... I also think #2 is the better choice, the butterfly will get lost in a picture... :) So if Diana will contact me at mkgmt@aol.com, I will get your stamp set sent off to you. Thanks again for helping me choose my watermark!

Please Help Me Choose My Watermark and Win Some Blog Candy!

Sometimes blogging can be so hard!  I hate to do the housekeeping part but the final product is worth it.  The first part of my blog housekeeping was a new blog look.  That is done, though I am still tweeking it a bit.  But basically it is done and I am keeping it for at LEAST a year.

The next part was my Blog signature and I have that done as well.  Now that I love.  So pretty.

I think my last part is my watermark.  A watermark is placed on the photo of your work to prevent others for digitally "stealing" your work and claiming it as their own.  I have had my photos "stolen" and placed on other blogs and it doesn't feel good.  I never object to someone CASEing my work.  I will even supply measurements if I have time.  But please at least make your own copy of it and take your own picture.  Using mine without permission is not okay.

I have been using Picasa to edit my photos and I really do like it, but it does not allow me to truly watermark my photos.  I use the text option and add text to my photos.  I have not been good about placing this text over my photo and need to change that.  Suzanne Dean from Color Me Creative Classroom sent out an email this week informing followers to her blog that people are stealing photos from Pinterest.com.  Suzanne urged people to watermark their photos.

So I asked my grandson, Nicolas Green, to design a watermark for me.  He had me choose a font and any kind of decorations I wanted.  Never knew what a dingbat was until now.  LOL  This is what he came up with and now I cannot decide which one to use and would love your help.  Please leave me a comment and tell me which one you like.  Thanks so much!  

For helping me, I will choose a lucky commenter using random.org and send you a D sized stamp set from Close to My Heart as a thank you, so please leave your comments and help me choose a watermark to protect my artwork.  Blog candy winner will be chosen on September 15th.

Watermark #1

Watermark #2:

August Giveaway Winner

I am so excited to announce that my August Giveaway winner is:

Penny Harrison!!

Penny you have won   a $50 gift certificate   that you can use to buy anything you want from our new Autumn/Winter Idea Book from me.   

Thank you all for entering my Giveaway.  I will be offering another Giveaway next week, so be sure and follow my blog so that you know when to sign up for my next Giveaway.

Open House Special

Until August 18 at 7 pm, I am passing on a special I am offering my Open House Attendees.

Purchase any Close to My Heart Cricut Cartridge and receive a scrapbooking or cardmaking Workshop on the Go absolutely free (value $29.95).  

I have a link up on my website in he bottom right hand side that says "Melinda's Open House".  Click the JOIN button and purchase your Cricut Cartridge and whatever else you would like.

Then you can click here and choose the Workshop on the Go (Value $29.95 or less) that you would like and email me at mkgmt@aol.com your selection.  Do not purchase your Workshop on the Go.  You must email your selection to me and I will have the Workshop on the Go of your choice sent directly to you.

You do not have to live in the Memphis Area to purchase from me and all of your items will be shipped directly to you.

Remember that this special is only good until Saturday, August 18 at 7 pm.