Hawaii Bound & THANK YOU gift for YOU!

We are SO EXCITED, and can hardly BELIEVE that in just 3 days we will be seeing my FAVORITE trees – Palm Trees!!

I just wanted to take a moment & again thank Close To My Heart, and a HUGE thank YOU to EACH of you for blessing me with this incredible opportunity!!  

Eric & I are really looking forward to our EXPENSE paid trip to one of the Hawaiian Islands – Oahu.  CTMH treats us like royalty when we are there…AND before we arrive too!! 

A few weeks ago, I received an entire BOXFUL of goodies from CTMH!!  Of course – I had to take a picture of these items…check it out!!

 Also, included in this kit is the yearly EXCLUSIVE stamp set, created just for the incentive trip earners of that year.  It has city names, places, and images that will be used throughout our entire album!!  Aren't the pineapples & flowers just perfect?!?!

 So, the “royal treatment” has started already, and I can’t WAIT to see what creativity CTMH has in store for our DAILY room gifts!!!  Yes – DAILY – this is another item I look forward to each trip!

This year, we will be staying at a Disney resort called Aulani. We are on the "Big Island"...and will be flying into Honolulu.  

This resort is only 3 or 4 years old, and while it has a Disney theme…it is very Hawaiian too!  I did a search to see what we will be encountering while there…and I wanted to share some of these AMAZING photos with you!! 

I can feel the sun’s warmth & see the palm trees already!

Enjoy the pictures…and if you’d like to stay up-to-date with what’s going on in Hawaii J…make sure to “like” my CTMH Facebook page!!  I plan on posting there a couple of times during my time away.  J

This is the Aulani resort…the front view.

There is a LAZY river at the resort!!  We plan to take advantage of this!!!

There is a waterslide for the tubes too – sounds like so much fun!!

This is the manmade lagoon on Aulani’s property (or so I’m told). 

Eric is planning on taking his fishing gear along…he said “Don’t you see all of the BIG fish out at those breakers?”

Oh my!  So – he will be relaxing by fishing! J

As part of my THANK YOU for helping me earn this trip,

I wanted to bless you with a goodie too!!

For EVERY $35 order placed on my website during the month of February 2015…

I will SEND you a FREE pack of our 4x6 FABULOUS flip flaps!!  

When your order is placed, please contact me to tell me you just placed the qualifying order & I’ll get those flip flaps mailed to you right away!  Wahoo!! J

Are Flip Flaps something NEW to you???  You don’t know WHAT you are missing!!  WE have a VARIETY of sizes & they are the PERFECT solution to create beautiful, uncrowded pages - but still get a LARGE amount of pictures on the page!!! 

Here are the many sizes we carry...

Want to learn more??? J 

Take a peek at my fellow consultant, Noreen Petty’s, FABULOUS video showing us how AMAZING these flip flaps are!!  I even knew how GREAT these flip-flaps were…but Noreen was SO CREATIVE in her MANY used of these fabulous embellishments!! 

Thanks so much for all of your well wishes & congrats and thank YOU once again for helping me to achieve this amazing goal!! 

Blessings to EACH of you and  Aloha!!! J

Krista J

 

Simply Inspired Blog Hop- Christmas Kraft Container

Welcome to our Simply Inspired

Close To My Heart Blog Hop!

This month we are highlighting Handcrafted Holiday items. As the Holidays are approaching, there are so many items that are fun to create to brighten up the festivities! 

If you have come here from Lisa Stenz's Blog, (and her gorgeous artwork) 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.

Its super simple to hop along with us - just click on the link at the end of each blog post to move to the next one!

Here we go! J

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I thought it would be FUN to create something special for the Christmas Holiday…take a peek ~

This Kraft Container can be used in SO MANY ways!!  

I LOVE the My Creations items that Close  To My Heart carries in our Idea Book!!  There are 17 different base items, ready for you to add your paper, ink & embellishments to create your OWN handcrafted item!  My Creations items make WONDERFUL gifts for EVERYONE, especially as Christmas is approaching!!

I planned to use our FABULOUS new washi tape on this project, but I wanted to use it in a different way...so I used the red chevron washi around the lid at the top (the normal way), AND the juniper (green) colored washi at the bottom of this container.

  Hmmm, the green washi- do you see it??  It’s not straight at the bottom, why is it scalloped??? J

I adhered the washi to a piece of white cardstock, and then cut around the dotted circles to create a border with the washi tape!!! FUN!!

I enjoyed using an older, but still orderable stamp set A Holiday.  The price point is AMAZING- just $6.95!!

  Did you know that single stamp sets (not in a kit) that coordinate with our Cricut cartridges are still available to order??  Check out the list on your consultants website!!!

On the lid & base of this container I cut my holly leaves with the Art Philosophy cartridge and then stamped away!  How QUICK & EASY!!

***This container would be the PERFECT gift to fill up with yummy goodies and give to a neighbor, teacher or friend…however, my mind went in a different direction.  J

I thought...Why not create something for children...maybe for your Sunday School children or even nieces or nephews…

SO - I made something to fill this container J …

fun packets of sparkly, Christmas pencils with an ADORABLE tag!!!

By using our scallop punch, 1 1/4” circle punch and some FABULOUS stamp sets (see list below) it was quite easy to create these toppers and adorable tags!!

I can’t WAIT to hand these out to little people!!  (Actually, I’d even like one myself..LOL!! J)

Here is the list of supplies, so that  you can create a Merry Christmas container too!! J

Products Used:

Sparkle & Shine paper pack, My Creations Kraft Container, Art Philosophy Cricut collection, Artiste Cricut Collection, D1560 Holiday Tags, C1567 Santa Claus, B1412 Perfect Fit-Holidays, A1115 A Holiday, Silver & Red Shimmer Trim, Sparkle & Shine washi collection, Ruby Mini-Medley, Neutral Baker’s Twine, 2” Scallop Punch(retired), 1/4” Circle punch, Scallop Border Punch, Liquid Glass

inks used: Ruby, slate, juniper

Now "Hop" on over to Michelle Snyder’s Blog  to see her AMAZING work!  Be sure to visit all the Consultants in the Hop to get some great crafting ideas!

Thanks for stopping by!

Blessings to you for a wonderful day!!!

Krista J

Joyful Stars Blog Hop - September 2013

Welcome to our monthly 

Joyful Stars Blog Hop!!!!

We're excited to share our creativity with you using our favorite Close To My Heart products!

THIS MONTH we have items to share that are related to back to school, fall or Thanksgiving theme.  So come on in and  see what BEAUTIFUL projects my fellow consultants have creating using the AMAZING products from Close To My Heart!!

 This blog hop is easy to do…just click on the link at the end of the post to go to the next creation!!

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If you have arrived from Nickie’s blog you are right on track.

Today I’d like to share with you the My Creations Card Box that I created using the HUNTINGTON paper pack.

I will be sharing details about the Card Box today…

but feel free to come back to my BLOG during the next two weeks  to learn details and see close up pictures of the 4 cards shown in the picture above! (2 cards this week & 2 next week!)  J

Here is the TOP of the card box…

I used the NEW Artbooking Cricut cartridge (exclusively from CTMH) for the frame, flowers and leaves on the top of this card box!

Here are some items to note, if you choose to create a similar box…

• I used cocoa re-inker, and a paintbrush to “paint” the edges of my card box PRIOR to adhering any paper or embellishments to the top or sides of the box.
• The frames are cut from the M key of Artbooking Cricut cartridge.  The sizes of the 3 frames - 4”, 4 1/4” and 4 1/2”. 
• The roses were cut from the D key (of Artbooking) and cut at 1 3/4” and 2 1/2”.  I rolled the flowers with the handy-dandy quilling tool,(LOVE this tool!)  and then I used liquid glass to secure the rolled flower to the base of flower.

• Did you notice how the dots of Liquid Glass on the diamond background - add dimension to the top of the card box?
• Stamp sets used…Happy Autumn & Universal Backgrounds

For the border near the bottom of the box, I got out my handy dandy NEW scallop border punch J - I have this punch RIGHT BY MY SIDE at all times!!  I use this punch on SO MANY of my projects! 

I scalloped a piece of the chain-link, barn red, patterned paper that comes with the Huntington paper pack.  I also scalloped a piece of Cocoa cardstock to layer under the designer paper. 

For some added sparkle, I added a piece of our adhesive-backed bronze shimmer trim and topped off the scalloped border with bitty pearls from our Mocha opaques collection.

I hope this has inspired you to think about what items YOU CAN CREATE as the holiday season approaches!  I LOVE the My Creations Box and the MANY ways it can be used! 

Now hop on over to Stephanie’s blog to see what amazing artwork she has created this month!!  

Happy Hopping and we’ll see you on the 9th next month, with the Joyful Stars team members sharing some NEW goodies!!    

Blessings to you for a BEAUTIFUL day!!!

Krista Hershberger J

2013 CTMH Convention - part 2

Yes, it is only 1 month later….and I am getting the part 2 blog posted! J Where DOES the time go???

I have some more pictures to share with you…but I am SO SAD!!  I just realized that somehow, my first day pictures got erased off of my camera card.

I have NEVER had this happen to me before…and I am devastated!  I know I had about 200 pictures from that first day, because we went to Downtown Disney, the beautiful grounds of Coronado Springs and so much more! 

So, needless to say, here are a few more pictures to help you capture what a CTMH Convention is all about! J

A fun, extra part of Convention - is the giving of gifts.  Not that they have to be handmade, and not that gifts have to be given at all (I think I was lacking this year in creativity of gifts!) but I had to share with YOU a few of the gifts that I received at Convention…

These cards were made by Dawn Kennedy…one of my 4th downline!! Thank you so much for this ADORABLE card set!! 

Here are two more gifts…the bucket of goodies is from my good friend & 3rd downline, Elizabeth Mindemann.  

The adorable book was created by Meredith Hainsworth, my 4th downline.

Keep in mind I actually received more gifts…a Sticky Boy t-shirt, a Love, Live, Scrap t-shirt, and many more I didn’t mention!! 

Thank you SO much to each of you for being a part of my CTMH family!! 

I feel so blessed to know each and every one of you! J

Another HIGHLIGHT of Convention….
I found my FIRST STICKY Boy on my own!!! Here is what Sticky Boy looked like this year….


Two years ago, one of my friends found a Sticky Boy for me…but I had never found one all by myself…


Now I have the LARGEST Sticky Boy of the family…and he’s wearing a Sombrero!!  Yayy!!





So, are you wondering Who is Sticky Boy??  Sticky Boy is CTMH’s mascot that ONLY makes an appearance at Convention.  So it’s rare to see him, and extra special to find him “sticking” somewhere around the Convention hall! 

If you’d like to see what Sticky Boy is all about -

check out this video!! 

You will also find out how durable My Acrylix stamp sets really are!!!!

Close To My Heart Conventions are also a GREAT time of creating NEW friends…and renewing old ones!!!

Joyce Houck - my friend and fellow consultant who I signed up under.

My NEW friend Goofy J

Some of "my girls"…waiting for a General Session to begin…

My friends Rachel and Rebecca!  I’ve been on a couple CTMH Incentive trips with them and it’s always great to see them at Convention!

ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT….

This year was EXTRA special for my 4th downline, Elizabeth Mindemann!!!  She was a DIRECTOR this year - meaning a lot of extra perks at Convention!!! 

Here we are with our Director sashes on..


A few of our perks as Directors were…
prime seating each session - we were right up front!!!  We had special entrances and exits so we didn't have to come in with the crowd.  We received our NEW Idea Books right at our seats!!! 

As Directors & above we also had an exclusive dinner on Thursday night at Epcot.  Then we had a tour guide lead us to see the beautiful fireworks display…and THEN, we had a “just for consultants” ride on the “Soarin’” after the park closed!!!

We also receive a GIFT as Directors.  I REALLY love the gift this year…take a look!!

I love the beautiful ceramic plates we were presented with at Convention. They were hand-made for us (thus the CTMH stamp on the back). and they are microwave & dishwasher safe. I can’t WAIT to use this at my 2013 Fall Open House….starting next Thursday night!

I hope you enjoyed this final recap of CTMH Convention 2013.  Unfortunately, I haven’t even shared HALF of what all takes place at our annual Convention...and it all happens in an amazing 3 days at the end of June each year! J  

If you’d like to join me in DISNEYLAND, California next year J, why not join my team and join in on the fun!!!  We’d love to have you!!

If you would like to learn more about the MANY ways you can join the CTMH company as a team member, jump on over to my blog page that will fill you in on all the details!!! 

CTMH is a wonderful family to be a part of and I’d LOVE to have you join my personal team!!! J 

Blessings to you for a WONDERFUL weekend!!!

Krista J

THREE July 2013 Specials….+ RETIRING LIST

1. How about a 50% discount???  CHECK it out!!!

Get this Canvas Workshop KIT for ONLY $19.95!!! 

While supplies last!!!

 

This kit is ADORABLE…AND there are enough items included in this kit to create 2 canvas’ if you choose!! 

 

Click on the picture below to check out what OTHER specials are taking place on the While Supplies Last section of my website! J

 

2. Stamp of the Month - ONLY available in JULY 2013!!!

A Sweet Life SET of 9

Available July 1-31, 2013

Get this EXCLUSIVE stamp set at reg price of $17.95

OR

get it for just $5 when you place an order of $50 or more.

CLICK HERE for more details!!!

3. Last month to purchase these EXCLUSIVE stamp sets!!!

Exclusive military stamp sets –ONLY available until July 31^st!!!  Part of purchase price goes toward helping the military. 

CLICK HERE for details on these exclusive patriotic stamp sets!!

*****Retiring List!! *******

 

CLICK HERE to see the up-to-date retiring list!!!

Items are SELLING out FAST!!

 

CLICK HERE to read about some of my FAVORITE items that are going away!!!

Here are just TWO items…but there are many more!

The ink pad bag….

Check your wish list and make sure that none of the items you have listed are on your list!!! 

All items are WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!!