October Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to our

Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!

This month we will be featuring Close To My Heart’s October SOTM, which is called “ Very Merry Christmas” a set of 11 stamps, that will help remind you that CHRISTMAS is on the way! J

If you have come here from Tamra Pope’s blog, you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way all around. If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants HERE.

This month we have OVER 65 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM!! Wahoo!!! I LOVE to see how others have used this BEAUTIFUL stamp set!!!

This Blog Hop is simple to do…just CLICK on the link at the end of the post on each blog and move along to the next one!!!

Have FUN and happy hopping!!!

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Instead of the “traditional” colors that I normally use to create Christmas items, I decided to try using our La Belle Vie paper pack to go with this Christmas stamp set!

As I created my cards, I was excited with the end results!!!

Using the colors of our new Champagne ink color and our traditional color of Smokey Plum ink. It turned out to be a very elegant card!

A few close up pictures…

I used the script words in this stamp set to create a BACKGROUND for my mittens.

I also enjoyed adding the almond glitz glitter gel (NEW!) to add a bit of glitz and sparkle to my striped background paper AND my mittens!

On the 2nd card, I again used the script wording for a background, and used the famous almond glitz J – but I also pulled in one more stamp set…Snowflakes…to add the border at the bottom of the card.

I hope you enjoyed my creation using this stamp set…BUT this hop is not over!!! J

Next stop is Katy Taylor’s BLOG!!! Hop on over to check out what she has created with this beautiful stamp set!! J

Be sure to visit ALL the Consultants at their Blogs…and feel free to leave comments as you go through the Hop! It’s so much fun reading comments about each piece of artwork!

This stamp set “Very Merry Christmas”,

is ONLY available from October 1st- 31st …so contact your CTMH Consultant (or feel free to shop with me at my website J) to see how YOU can get this EXCLUSIVE stamp set for an AMAZING discount!!

Happy Creating,

Krista J

Beautiful Fall stamp set…only 3 more days!

Only 3 more days for your chance to receive this ADORABLE stamp set!!!

The September Stamp of the Month (SOTM) set, Fall Favorites, will only be available until September 30th at midnight!  Make sure you take the opportunity to receive this stamp for yourself, or this would be a WONDERFUL gift!!! 

Here is a card I created, using our NEW Make It From Your Heart, volume 1 book.  I used Pattern #29 and the September stamp set to create this card!  

(LOVE this book!!! Make sure you go check out this HANDY, quick and EASY how-to book!!!  It's ONLY $7.95!!!)

I had the opportunity to use our NEW alcohol markers!  I also used our new Tulle ribbon AND our new pigment ink pads!!  Let’s take a look! J


Did you notice how I used the words in the stamp set to create my OWN background!  I had used this technique in a previous SOTM card, and had to use it again on this card.  It’s so much FUN to try and use as many stamps as possible in a stamp set!

I also chose to use TWO different paper packs! The goldrush strip in the middle of the card, is from the FLIRTY paper pack.  The bottom part of the card, is from the MOONLIGHT paper pack.  It's FUN to mix and match our many coordinating colors!!!


This was the first card, where I used our new PIGMENT INKS.  Well, I was IMPRESSED!!!  I inked up the fall wording in goldrush pigment ink, and then covered the image with clear embossing powder.  Ta-da…a completed title!!  Love the look of it!!

So – HOW do YOU get this ADORABLE stamp set during the month of September? 

You can receive it 2 different ways!!!
1. You can purchase this stamp set for $17.95.  This is an exclusive stamp set and is not available after the month of September.

2. You can purchase $50 in retail, regular priced items from Close To My Heart…and automatically this stamp set will be reduced to ONLY $5.00!!!

AND…don’t forget that it is STILL  NATIONAL STAMPING MONTH…meaning…

With any $35 purchase, you are eligible to receive this DOUBLE stamp set for just $5.00!!!!

YES – you can receive BOTH items with a $50 order!!! Yayyyyy!!!

Want to get started on earning these FABULOUS deals??  CLICK HERE! 

Blessings to you for a BEAUTIFUL day!

Krista Hershberger J

Leaf Treat Box

The other day, I needed a FUN gift for one of my hostesses (Hi Tammy J) so I went directly to my Cricut Artiste Cartridge to see what I could find!

Of course, it didn’t take long to find EXACTLY what I was looking for!!!  Take a look at what I created!!

I used the Moonlight paper pack to create the bottom and coordinating cardstock to create the leaves!  I’m still amazed at how simply BEAUTIFUL these projects created by the Cricut, turn out to be!!!  It just seems too easy!

For this box, I used the THANKSGIVING key of the Artiste Cartridge….look at what is all included on this key. 

As you can see by the page above– the 3D box is located under the “3D Object” key.  I than cut some leaves using the shift accent 2 key in goldrush cardstock and cocoa cardstock.

After creating this box like I did…I thought, you know…you could make this “box” into a pumpkin as well!  Just make the bottom part orange and make the leaves green and ta-da…you would have a pumpkin for your fall decorations!




Did you notice the veins in the leaves?  I used my dry embossing stylus and my Versa Mat (a soft surface) to create these veins to make the leaf look more “real”. 







If you haven’t ever tried our Versa Mat…I HIGHLY recommend it!!!  This mat is WONDERFUL and I actually have two of them that I use constantly!!!  The side of the Versamat that you see pictured, is a self-healing cutting guide!  Great for any detailed cutting I want to do with my cutting knife!!!
Flip over the Versamat, and you have a soft, cushion area – just like the white foam squares that come in each of our stamp set packs!  The back side – is a LARGE 13x13 area that you can use to STAMP on!!!  I LOVE the option of this large stamping space vs. the smaller foam sheets that come in our My Acrylix stamp sets!!!



Back to the project – LOL!! - To finish off this leaf box, I inked up our Color Ready Seam Binding Ribbon in our olive ink and created my own coordinating ribbon color to go with my project!!

Did you want to see what I placed inside? That’s the best part, right? J




I added some sparkle with shredded, glittery filler and then I added some goodies inside as an extra “thank you” to Tammy for hosting a home gathering!  Included is a 1” cube of ink, 2- 1” stamps and a 1” my acrylic block ~ ready for her stamping needs!


 When you host an online party, book party or home gathering with Close To My Heart you receive so many AMAZING goodies directly from this WONDERFUL company!

If you are interested in being a hostess to earn the AMAZING, QUALITY products from Close To My Heart…please Contact me!! J

 

Remember, there are THREE ways to be a hostess…

1. Online gathering – spread the word to your friends, far & near, and let them browse the online Idea Book!  You may direct them to my blog for samples of artwork using CTMH products. J Each person will go to my website (www.kristah.ctmh.com) and click on YOUR  party link to place their orders.  When they click the “join” button to your party link, the orders that they place, will be shipped directly to them.  When your party date is over, I will get in contact with you and we will figure our what your final sales total is…and then it’s time for YOU to go shopping!!  Party rewards start when your sales reach $150…and it only INCREASES from there!

2. Book party- Receive a few Idea Books from me and then take these BEAUTIFUL Idea books to show & share with your family, neighbors and friends! Gather their orders together, and when you are finished sharing CTMH, give me a call and we will place your order or if you are local, we can set up a time to meet to get the orders.  All orders will be sent directly to you as the hostess and you can then deliver them to your family & friends.

3. Home Gathering – A FUN, girls night out where we chat together and find out what QUALITY products Close To My Heart has to offer for our creating needs.  I always bring a sampling of products for you to touch and see AND we always take time to create a simple card that will be yours to keep for FREE!!! J After our night is concluded, we set up a time that is best for you to talk in a day or so, in case there are any other people you want to touch base with prior to closing your gathering.  After you know your final hostess sales total…it’s off to your wish list and choose what items you would like to receive for being a HOSTESS at a Close To My Heart show!!

This chart below show you the REWARDS that you will receive when you host ANY of the THREE types of GATHERINGS listed above!!! 

Rewards start at ONLY $150 in sales…and when you reach the $250 mark you get FREE hostess items PLUS a 1/2 price item OR bundle of your choice!!!  The rewards only INCREASE from there!!!

It really IS that easy! J

HOSTESS REWARDS

WHEN YOUR GATHERING SALES REACH:	REWARD YOURSELF WITH SELECTED CLOSE TO MY HEART PRODUCTS*:	AND CHOOSE YOUR HOSTESS REWARDS PLUS! OPTION(S) FROM ANY IDEA BOOK ITEM OR THE HOSTESS COLLECTION
$1,050 or more	$200 or more** in free products	AND select up to 4 items in the current Idea Book at 50% off
$950–$1,049	$180 in free product	AND select up to 4 items in the current Idea Book at 50% off
$850–$949	$160 in free product	AND select up to 3 items in the current Idea Book at 50% off
$750–$849	$140 in free product	AND select up to 3 items in the current Idea Book at 50% off
$650–$749	$120 in free product	AND select up to 2 items in the current Idea Book at 50% off
$550–$649	$100 in free product	AND select up to 2 items in the current Idea Book at 50% off
$450–$549	$80 in free product	AND select any 1 item in the current Idea Book at 50% off
$350–$449	$60 in free product	AND select any 1 item in the current Idea Book at 50% off
$250–$349	$40 in free product	AND select any 1 item in the current Idea Book at 50% off
$150–$249	$25 in free product

Please note: Hostess Rewards are redeemed at full price. An order total must reach $150 in sales, exclusive of shipping, handling, and tax, to qualify for our Hostess Rewards program. In the US, tax is collected on Hostess Rewards free products based on full retail price. Tax is collected on discounted items based on discounted price. Tax rules are subject to change. Promotions such as Stamp of the Month and other specials are not eligible as Hostess Rewards. Free shipping and handling apply only on Hostess Rewards and Hostess Rewards Plus! items.

YOUR SELECTION OF PRODUCTS FOR YOUR HOSTESS REWARDS INCLUDES THESE CHOICES:

*Hostess Rewards select product credits are redeemable for My Acrylix^® Stamps, My Acrylix^® blocks, Exclusive Inks^® pads, Exclusive Inks^® markers, Exclusive Inks^® re-inkers, My Stickease^® assortments, Complements, My Reflections^® paper packets, all cardstock packs, Workshops on the Go™ kits, Studio J^®memberships, and Studio J 5-packs.
**For each $100 in sales over $1,050, add an additional $20 in free products.

I'd be HAPPY to chat and answer any questions you may have. 

Contact me with any questions you may have OR to schedule your own home gathering today. J

****SEPTEMBER SPECIAL****

This is the LAST week to take advantage of the National Stamping Month DOUBLE stamp set!!!

Purchase $35 in CTMH products…and qualify to receive this DOUBLE stamp set for ONLY $5!!!

CLICK HERE and Join my September party orders to get this AMAZING savings today!!!

Cupcake Card–created with Artiste cartridge!

I thought I’d share my newest CUPCAKE card with you today! J

 

A couple of FUN things about this card…

1. I LOVE the new Artiste cartridge, and how QUICK & EASY it makes card creating!  

The cupcake & the top of the cupcake came from the BIRTHDAY GIRL key… 

The decorative, elegant FRAME on this card came from the FAMILY key…

Take a peek at the images that are included on the Artiste Cricut Collection cartridge.

2. Another FUN item with this card…

I used the Fall Favorite FLIRTY paper pack…but WAIT…did you notice? 

Hmmm, are ALL of those papers from the Flirty paper pack?

No!!! I used THREE different paper packs to complete this card!!! It has been SUCH a CHALLENGE to me to mix and use different paper packs on the same project…WELL I conquered that challenge for the first time!!!

Paper packs used to create this card…

Flirty

Scholastic

Moonlight

3. Do you know where the cupcake & banner stamp images came from? They are included in the Cricut Artiste BUNDLE!!!

The AMAZING stamp set used in this card, is just ONE of the 3 EXCLUSIVE stamp sets included in the Artiste Bundle packet!!!

Here is a picture of the stamp set I used…Isn’t this stamp set WONDERFUL???  And you will receive TWO more EXCLUSIVE stamp sets (different from this one) when you purchase the Artiste Cricut BUNDLE!!!

As you can see in the picture, all of our stamp sets that coordinate with our Cricut Cartridges have a PAGE NUMBER and SIZE printed on the stamp carrier sheet!!!  This makes finding the image & cutting it out EASY, PEASY!!!!

Well, OK…so let’s take a look at this cupcake card I created for my Convention class a couple months ago.  Yes, it’s the SAME card design, but by using a NEW paper pack…isn’t it amazing the different “feel” it can bring to the card?

I LOVE the La Belle Vie paper pack and the trendy, but elegant colors in this paper pack! 

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At Close To My Heart , we now have TWO Cricut Cartridge bundles…EXCLUSIVELY made from Provo Craft FOR Close To My Heart customers and consultants!!

If you already have the Art Philosophy Cartridge Bundle, you know just how AMAZING these exclusive cartridges are and you won’t want to miss out on our newest Cricut Cartridge!!!

 CLICK HERE to see all the images on the Art Philosophy cartridge!

The Art Philosophy Bundle features hundreds of basic, versatile shapes and fonts you'll use every day, many of which coordinate with dozens of our My Acrylix® stamps, this collection is a must-have for every crafter!

Cricut® Art Philosophy Collection includes:
1 – Cartridge (700 images: font, shapes, and 3-D items)
3 – My Acrylix® D-size stamp sets
3 – 9" × 12" Dimensional Elements (3 sheets of different shapes)

Creative Feature Keys: Layer, Decorative Layer, Tag, Card, Font, Font Layer.Recommended blocks for included stamp sets: 1" × 1" (Y1000), 2" × 2" (Y1003), 2" × 3½" (Y1009), 3" × 3" (Y1006).
Cricut® is a registered trademark of Provo Craft & Novelty, Inc. All rights reserved.

Take a peek at our newest cartridge Artiste Cricut Collection. 

The Cricut^® Artiste collection has 700 images (not sizes) on this AMAZING cartridge!!

With just the touch of one Cricut® Artiste key you can take your creativity over the top with wonderful 3-D projects, party favors, interactive cards, awards, and more! From robots and spooks to weddings and Valentines, your cupcake wrappers, invitations, and party essentials will coordinate and come together for any celebration! Includes a step-by-step assembly booklet for the 3-D projects.

Collection includes:

• 1 – Cartridge (700 images: themed projects, cards, fonts, shapes, and 3-D items)
• 3 – My Acrylix® D-size stamp sets
• 3 – 12" × 9" Dimensional Elements (3 sheets of different shapes)

Creative Feature Keys: Accent 1, Accent 2, Accent 3, Accent 4, Card, 3D Object.
Recommended blocks for included stamp sets: 3" × 3" (Y1006), 2" × 3½" (Y1009), 2" x 6½" (Y1010).
Cricut® is a registered trademark of Provo Craft & Novelty, Inc. All rights reserved.






CLICK HERE to see all the images on this new Artiste Cartridge Collection!!!

***How can you receive these

AMAZING cartridges? J***

There are 3 Ways to receive either the ARTISTE CARTRIDGE or ART PHILOSOPHY COLLECTION...

1. CLICK HERE to purchase it on my website…make sure you click on the“September orders with Krista link” when you purchase this cartridge!! When you place this order…you will QUALIFY for the ADORABLE double stamp set – It’s Your Day – for ONLY $5.00!! 
Retail value would be $35.90!!!!
AND…(yes there’s more! J)  You will also QUALIFY for the September Stamp of the Month (SOTM) – Fall Favorites – for ONLY $5.00 – a retail of $17.95!!!  This is a BEAUTIFUL fall stamp set that you will want to add to your collection, or maybe give away as a gift!!

2. When you have a CTMH gathering (a book party, online gathering OR an in home show) and your sales reach the $250 mark – you will receive $40 in product credit PLUS a 1/2 price item….this CRICUT Bundle can be your half-price item!!! (you pay only $49.50!)
WAHOO!!!!!

3. Join my team in September for only $49 and get this AMAZING Cartridge at the Consultant discount!!! 
As a consultant, you can purchase this Cricut Bundle at your consultant discount ($77 instead of $99!!) PLUS you will be adding monthly sales to your account and earn extra products!!!

I’d love to chat with you about ANY questions you may have regarding today’s post!!

I often wonder “How did I create quickly & efficiently without our Cricut cartridges that coordinate with our stamp sets?”  I know that sounds silly, but as an AVID stamper…I ALWAYS seemed to be cutting out any image I was stamping!  Now, it’s only about 20% of the time that I will cut anything out by hand.  Close To My Heart’s Cricut Cartridges have saved me so much time! 

I LOVE Close To My Heart and how they STRIVE and ACCOMPLISH the Faster.Simpler. Easier. way to create!!!

Happy Creating!!!
 Krista