Rock the Block!

When you place a minimum order of $25 from the Autumn/Winter 2011 Idea Book, you can get two valuable new products for just $15: the My Creations^® Collage Cubes (a Spring/Summer 2012 sneak-peek product!) and the exclusive My Acrylix^® Rock the Block E-size stamp set (available only during this promotion). This Rock the Block promotion represents a retail savings of almost $30! You're going to love the collage cubes and the Rock the Block stamp set, which work together for interactive, fashionable fun!

Rock the Block Video

Join the craze! When you place a minimum order of $25 from the Autumn/Winter 2011 Idea Book between December 19, 2011 and January 31, 2012, you can get two new products for just $15: the My Creations^® Collage Cubes (a Spring/Summer 2012 sneak-peek product!) and the exclusive My Acrylix^® Rock the Block E-size stamp set (available only during this promotion). That’s a retail savings of almost $30!
You’re going to love the way the collage cubes and the Rock the Block stamp set work together for interactive, 3-D fun. Watch this video to get more details from Kristine Widtfeldt, Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

Happy Holiday Card Set Video

The 'A Holiday' stamp set is super cute and also super in-expensive! At only $6.95, be sure to add it to your holiday list. It also coordinates with the Cricut!

Timesaving Gift Ideas

The gift-giving season can be an uplifting time of merriment and joy... but it can also feel a bit hectic. It’s nice to know you can count on Studio J^® to help you give meaningful gifts that don’t require a lot of time or money. Here are a few ideas to simplify your life and save time for both the giver and the receiver.

• Make one family layout and print multiple copies for everyone. (Time: 15–45 minutes) With Studio J, printing extra copies of a layout is as simple as changing the quantity on the checkout screen. Or, if you prefer, create one layout, then copy it into a new project as many times as you like and customize it for each recipient.
• Give a Studio J 5-pack along with a Quick Pic™ album. (Time: 5 minutes) Since a 5-pack includes free layouts, free shipping, and free Memory Protectors^®, it’s everything they’ll need to create a finished album!
• Present a loved one with a 3-month Studio J membership. (Time: 5 minutes) A 3-month membership costs just $30 and is the perfect way to help someone “get their feet wet” with Studio J and give them complete access to a product you love. Combine it with a 5-pack to make it an extra-special stocking stuffer!

So put on the holiday music, pour yourself some eggnog, and pull out your holiday gift list. Studio J is a great way to help you give the gift of memories—without taking much time!

Visit my Studio J page at: https://scrapbookwithkira.myctmh.com/Retail/StudioJLanding.aspx?PageId=185

Studio J: Love Your Layout

Believe

I am featuring the Believe collection during the month of December. This is the Close to My Heart Christmas line this year! It is very whimsical/cartoon looking and is right on trend with colors and other looks in the industry. I am liking that at least one side of the papers are individually able to be used for items other than Christmas.

This collection can be viewed on pages 50-55 of the Autumn/Winter Idea Book

December Stamp of the Month

December Stamp of the Month: Mad About You
Available December 1-31, 2011
Retail Price $17.95
Spend $50+ and get the Stamp of the Month for $5.00

Dreamin'

The Dreamin' Collection is one of my favorites from the Autumn/Winter Idea Book. I am featuring it during the month of November because of the beautiful autumn look. The papers are truly art in themselves with beautiful patterns of leaves, flowers, and dandelion seeds. The stamp sets coordinate perfectly and the Harvest Happiness stamp set even has coordinating shapes on the Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge to make cutting the leaf images even easier. This is a collection you won't want to miss!
Please see your November newsletter for details about this month's crop or contact me.

The Dreamin' Collection can be viewed on pages 32-37 of the Autumn/Winter Idea Book.

Holiday Wishes

When you place a minimum order of $25 in My Acrylix^® stamp sets in November, you can purchase a new D-size Holiday Wishes stamp set for only $5! That’s significant savings off the full retail value of $17.95. And here’s a bonus: many of the images in the set coordinate with our Cricut^® Art Philosophy cartridge for added cutting and stamping fun!

November Stamp of the Month

November Stamp of the Month: Cherish the Day
Available November 1-30, 2011
Retail Price $17.95
Spend $50+ and get the Stamp of the Month for $5.00

Adorable Owl Wall Hanging and Mobile

I love making home decor items! This is a super cute idea from Close to My Heart!


Home décor just took on a whole new level of cuteness! These quick and easy owl-themed projects are a great way to bring a smile to the faces of all who see them.

Canvas Wall Hanging

Create this paper-pieced owl—isn’t he a cutie?—then attach it to a 12" x 12" canvas (available at your local craft store). Here are some tips:

• Cut the pieces freehand or print some clip art from the Internet for a pattern. We used the flower stamp from My Acrylix^® Fill in the Blank (D1465) as a template for the feet, and used the
  1 1/4" circle punch (Z1311) to punch the eyes from Cocoa cardstock.
• We wanted to add Juniper to the artwork, so we added the Typeset Juniper damask B&T Duos^® paper to the Sorbet, Crème Brulee, and Olive B&T papers from Elemental.
• For the background, score a piece of 12” x 12” cardstock at
  1 1/4" intervals. Turn the paper over and lightly sand the ridges using a sanding block.
  • If the Sorbet background doesn’t match your particular color scheme, substitute Olive, Juniper, Desert Sand, Crème Brulee, or Cocoa cardstock for it.
• Attach the eyes, beak, wings, and belly to the body, using 3-D foam tape on the wings and beak. Be sure to outline the entire wings and beak with foam tape and add some in the middle to make sure it’s sturdy.
• Attach the finished owl body to the cardstock base then attach the whole thing to the canvas using Liquid Glass or Mod Podge.

Paper Mobile

Crafting this lightweight mobile is a cinch when you use two packages of Dimensional Element On Target (Z1226) chipboard circles, a 1 1/4" circle punch (Z1311), and the My Acrylix^® Hot Diggity (C1407) stamp set.

• Stamp owl five times each in Crème Brulee, Sorbet, and Juniper on Colonial White cardstock; trim. Turn cut-out image over and stamp on the blank side.
• Punch 10 pairs of circles each from Elemental (Crème Brulee and Sorbet) and Typeset (Juniper) B&T Duos papers. Attach pairs of matching circles together to hide back of B&T.
• Leaving space between each element, use a sewing machine to stitch through centers of circles or owls. Be sure to leave extra thread at the top.
• Take the largest scallop circle from each Dimensional Elements package and sponge surface with Sorbet ink. Sponge edges with Cocoa ink, if desired.
• Create the top of the mobile as follows:
  • Flip one of the scallop circles upside down so the sponged surface is facing away from you.
  • Tie bow in ribbon and secure ends with Liquid Glass to the white side of the Dimensional Element scallop circle. We used the dotted ribbon from the Designer Ribbon Colonial White collection (Z1126).
  • Use piercing tool to punch nine evenly spaced holes on the same white side of the Dimensional Elements scallop circle. Pull thread through each hole, starting under the circle on the sponged side; knot to secure.
  • Use Liquid Glass to attach second Dimensional Elements circle to first, placing white sides together and sandwiching thread ends and ribbon.
• Alternate idea: If you’d like to use more of your Dimensional Elements circles, simply incorporate them in the mobile by switching out some of the punched circles or stamped owls. All you’ll do is match up sizes from each package, sponge or cover them with B&T paper, attach thread to center of one on white side, and then attach the white sides together. Simple!

Pink Ribbon Card

Close to My Heart Products Used:
Roxie Level 2 Paper Packet
Colonial White Cards & Envelopes Value Pack
My Acrylix Always Remember Stamp Set
Blush Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
3D Foam Tape
Bitty Sparkles

Stocking Card

Recipe:
Card Maps June 2011 (pagemaps.com)

Close to My Heart Products Used:
My Acrylix Holiday Magic (October 2011 Stamp of the Month)
Elemental Level 2 Paper Packet
Mistletoe Level 2 Paper Packet (retired, I have sheets available)
Colonial White Cardstock
Kraft Cardstock
Cocoa Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
New England Ivy Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Edge Distresser
Mocha Opaques
3D Foam Tape

Other Products Used:
Stampin' Up Top Note Sizzix Die

Scraps of Roxie Hope Card

I had fun making this card with little scraps of paper left over from my Roxie paper pack. This is a 3x3 card, so the pieces were pretty little!

Close to My Heart Products Used:
Roxie Level 2 Paper Pack
My Acrylix A Hope
Black Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Vanilla Cream Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad- Pigment Based (I LOVE embossing with these ink pads. It turns out so well because the ink is so juicy!)
Clear Detail Embossing Powder
Silver Pearl Embossing Powder
1 1/4" Circle Punch

Other Products Used:
Stampin' Up 2" Scallop Circle Punch

Sleigh Card

Recipe:
Card Maps June 2011 (pagemaps.com)

Close to My Heart Products Used:
My Acrylix Holiday Magic Stamp Set (October 2011 Stamp of the Month)
Colonial White Cards & Envelopes Value Pack
Elemental Level 2 Paper Packet
Mistletoe Level 2 Paper Packet (retired, but I have sheets available)
Colonial White Cardstock
Dark Chocolate Striped Grosgrain Ribbon
Cranberry Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Cocoa Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge
Corner Rounder
3D Foam Tape

Idea Resources

I have had several people ask me where I get my ideas from for my projects. I thought I would post some of my favorite places to get ideas!

Workshops on the Go

• The Close to My Heart Workshops on the Go are WONDERFUL! They have a paper packet, stamp set, embellishments, and a workshop guide to create several projects. The current Workshops on the Go show you how to make two scrapbooking layouts and an additional project. This is how I make most of my scrapbooking layouts because they are done for me! I just have to cut it out and stick it together! There is a Workshop on the Go for each new paper pack in the current Idea Book and they are available for the entire 6 months that the catalog is live.

Idea Books

• Close to My Heart Idea Book---The Close to My Heart catalog is titled an "Idea Book" because it is filled with so many projects and photos! It is a great resource and everything can be recreated! If you look under the projects, it identifies which Close to My Heart How To book the project is from. For example "Magic: Final Act" on page 41 of the Autumn/Winter 2011 Idea Book refers to the Magic Scrapbooking How To Book and the Final Act recipe inside. I also have a recipe book available that pairs with each catalog. This lists each project, the how-to book it is from, and the products used to make it. http://www.closetomyheart.com/en/Products/myctmh_Idea_Book.aspx?i=FB43&c=1&mw=1

• Stampin' Up Catalog

Close to My Heart How To Books

• Close to My Heart has 4 scrapbooking how-to books and 2 cardmaking books. These are excellent resources with infinite possibilities. I have several pages from the book that I am allowed to pass out for free as samples of the book. Contact me and I would be happy to share these with you and review how to use the books. My current favorite books are the Wishes card book and Magic scrapbooking book.

Sketches

• Sketches are some of the easiest ways for me to get inspiration. They are simply following the basic shapes and elements included in the sketch.

• pagemaps.com- This webpage has a new set of layout sketches every month. They add card sketches, tags, and other types of sketches every few months. The sketches are available in pdf form and the lady that does them even has a few books out.

• Mojo Monday -This is a challenge blog that has a new card sketch every Monday. They want you to play along, upload your project, and even give out prizes from time to time.

Challenge Blogs

• Heart to Heart Challenge- This blog was started by a group of Close to My Heart consultants that encourage you to create projects using Close to My Heart products. There are some fabulous ideas presented each week and they mix it up with a variety of challenges.

• 365 Cards- This blog encourages you to create a card a day. They present a variety of ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

Jeanette Lynton's Blog

• Jeanette Lynton is the founder of Close to My Heart. She updates her blog very frequently with new ideas. During the month of October, she is presenting a project each day created with the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge.

I hope these my resources will help get your own creative juices flowing. I would be happy to explain to anyone specifically how I use these ideas and some of the projects I have created with each of them.

Studio J: Love Your Layout

Wicked Halloween Card

Recipe:
Mojo Monday 210

Close to My Heart Products Used:
Colonial White Cards & Envelopes Value Pack
Mischief Level 2 Paper Packet
My Acrylix Wicked (September 2011 Stamp of the Month)
Black Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Hemp

Other Products Used:
Fiskars Threading Water Border Punch

Hooligans Wall Hanging

Close to My Heart Products Used:
Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge
Hooligans Level 2 Paper Packet (retired)
My Acrylix The Boo Crew (retired)
Sunset Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
3D Foam Tape

Other Products Used:
Paper Doll Dress Up Cricut Cartridge (tree)
Cardboard

Hooligans Treat Bag

Close to My Heart Products Used:
Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge (treat bag cut "fit to page")
Hooligans Level 2 Paper Packet (retired, I have sheets available in my Cash & Carry box)
Hooligans Level 2 Assortment (retired, but available in the While Supplies Last section https://scrapbookwithkira.myctmh.com/Retail/Products.aspx?CatalogID=1702)
My Acrylix Love Life Stamp Set
My Acrylix The Boo Crew Stamp Set (retired)
Grey Flannel Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Gypsy Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Clear Detail Embossing Powder
3D Foam Tape

Halloween Rag Quilt

My mom and I went shopping on Labor Day and stopped at JoAnn Fabrics. They had all their fabric bundles and fat quarters half price. I bought 2 bundles of Halloween fabric, 4th of July bundles and matching fabric, and some clearance jelly rolls and matching fabric swatches. I bought these with the intention of making a rag quilt. My friend has made several of these and has one displayed in her house. I have made pieced quilts for years, but had never made a rag quilt. I dove-in with the Halloween fabric first.


I am in love with rag quilts now! They are so super simple and quick to make. Steps:
--I cut the fabric into rectangles that were 6x7 inches. I could get 9 rectangles out of each piece of fabric in the bundle.
--I used scraps of batting that were slightly smaller than the fabric squares (they were either 5x6 or 4x5).
--Sandwich the right-sides OUT (opposite than normal sewing) with a piece of batting in between them. I chose matching fronts and backs.
--Stitch an X from corner to corner to hold the batting in place.
--Sew the squares together with one side of the quilt showing the seams.
--Clip the seams to help it fray and lay flat
--Wash & dry to promote fraying of the seams

Is it bad that I relate almost all things to Close to My Heart products now? This quilt reminds me of the Hooligans paper from last fall. I have already started making things to match it with the Hooligans paper!

Materials:
Bundle of Halloween Fabric from JoAnn Fabrics:
---Multi Dot
---Webs on Dots
---Black Cats
---Boo! On Black with Glitter
---Outline Pumpkins
---Witch Hats & Shoes with Glitter
---Halloween Stripe (did not use on the quilt)
---Eyes
---Zig Zag Stripe
---Spiders with Glitter

Buttoned Up Video

Roxie Wings of Hope Card

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. My mother is a breast cancer survivor, my aunt is currently diagnosed with breast cancer, and my boyfriend's grandmother died of breast cancer at an early age. We have several family friends who are also breast cancer survivors. Self-checks and mammograms save lives! Remind the women in your life the importance of being aware.

Look closely and you can see "Hope" embossed in the center of the winged heart. If you click on the photo you can see it larger.

Close to My Heart Products Used:
Roxie Level 2 Paper Packet
My Acrylix A Hope
Black Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Vanilla Cream Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Clear Detail Embossing Powder
Silver Pearl Embossing Powder
Wings Level 2 Assortment
Bling Assortment
Black Hemp
Edge Distresser
Heat Tool

Stamp of the Month- Mini Christmas Tree

I have this little tree on my desk at work each year for Christmas. It has little ornaments and lights on it. I made a few ornaments with the October Stamp of the Month- Holiday Magic. I also made a few packages for under the tree using the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge.






Close to My Heart Products Used:Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge
Mistletoe Level 2 Paper (retired, I have sheets still available)
Colonial White Cardstock
My Acrylix Holiday Magic (October Stamp of the Month)
New England Ivy Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Cranberry Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Cocoa Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Bamboo Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Vanilla Cream Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Piercing Tool Kit
Embroidery Floss- Neutral Assortment
Gold Ribbon from Mistletoe Creative Basics (retired, I have sheets and ribbon still available)
Clear Detail Embossing Powder
Heat Tool

Elemental Christmas Tree Card

Recipe- Page Maps- Card Maps September 2011

Close to My Heart Products Used:
Elemental Level 2 Paper Packet
My Acrylix Holiday Magic (October Stamp of the Month)
New England Ivy Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Cocoa Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Mocha Opaques
3D Foam Tape
Colonial White Cards & Envelopes

Elemental Fall Wreath Card

Close to My Heart Products Used:
Elemental Level 2 Paper Packet
My Acrylix Remarkable Wreath Stamp Set
Chocolate Exclusive Inks Stamp Set
Autumn Terracotta Exclusive Inks Stamp Set
Sunflower Exclusive Inks Stamp Set
Goldrush Exclusive Inks Stamp Set
Sunset Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Dark Chocolate Striped Grosgrain Ribbon
Foundry Metal Accessories- Ribbon Slides
Colonial White Cards & Envelopes

Roxie

The Roxie collection is super sassy and right on trend with everything including fashion! I am not an animal print person, but I can't wait to start creating with this paper! When mixed the correct way, the animal print adds just the right element to projects to make them pop.
Check out your October newsletter for details about crops, workshops, and specials this month.

The Roxie collection can be viewed on pages 20-25 of the Autumn/Winter 2011 Idea Book.

October Stamp of the Month

October Stamp of the Month: Holiday Magic
Available October 1-31, 2011
Retail Price $17.95
Spend $50+ and get the Stamp of the Month for $5.00

Fall Wreath

The leaves are just starting to change color here. I photographed several projects outside one evening and the last thing to photograph was the wreath. I hung it on one of the hooks on our front porch and I just love how the photo turned out.

Close to My Heart Products Used:
Colonial White Cardstock
My Acrylix Harvest Happiness Stamp Set
Barn Red Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Sunset Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Goldrush Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Sunflower Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Chocolate Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge
Dark Chocolate Striped Grosgrain Ribbon
Other Products Used:
Hemp
Creative Memories Custom Cutting System- Jumbo Circle

Elemental Fall Card

Close to My Heart Products Used:
Elemental Level 2 Paper Packet
Colonial White Cards & Envelopes
My Acrylix Harvest Happiness Stamp Set
My Acrylix Many Thanks Stamp Set
Barn Red Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Sunset Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Goldrush Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Sunflower Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Chocolate Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge