In case you missed it, all of the products in our popular Happiest Place collection are on sale for 20% of through the end of July! This collection was first released last summer and it includes paper, embellishments, SVGs and an 8.5″ x 11″ Cut Above scrapbooking album kit. Using the FREE downloadable directions below plus a extra paper, you can transform this kit to make 16 beautiful 12″ x 12″ Disney-themed pages!
As we continue to adjust to life in the midst of a pandemic, it’s important to remember happy memories made during these otherwise challenging times and celebrate the things that unite us. With that sentiment, I’m pleased to announce our February special, In This Together!
If you are a 12″ x 12″ scrapbooker like me, you may not have thought the Happiest Place kit was for you. But with a little extra paper, you can tweek this kit to make 16 beautiful Disney-themed pages!
These virtual sessions will be held on the Close To My Heart Facebook page. Be sure to RSVP to these events by selecting “Going” for each of these events so that your name will be in the prize drawings! Attendance is free, but you can order the kits on my CTMH website if you’d like to create along with us!
Tuesday, August 11 at 3 pm CST
At this workshop, we’ll be making the 16 just for fun greeting cards, four each of the four designs below. You can order the kit on my CTMH Website. In addition to the paper, cards/envelopes, stamp set and embellishments included in the kit, you’ll basic paper crafting and stamping tools, plus the ink pads listed on the site. To finish them as shown, you’ll also need watercolor paints and a brush — I recomend our small waterbrush.
Tuesday, August 18 at 3 pm CSTAt this workshop, we’ll be making the three 2-page 12″ x 12″ summer layouts below. You can order the kit on my CTMH Website. These layouts use custom die-cut pieces and stickers. There is very little prep work, but you will need a paper trimmer for a few cuts. The sample layouts include sparkly highlights created with Cool Mint stickles. If you’d like to recreate that affect, be sure to add a bottle to your order!
(Sample projects. Actual cardmaking & scrapbooking workshop projects will be posted soon.)August 26, 5 pm CSTThe Cut Above workshop kit makes a sixteen gorgeously decorative 8.5″ x 11″ scrapbook pages. This kit can be purchased separately or as part of the product bundle. The pages will come together quickly thanks to die cuts and stickers. You also get photo placeholders and printed instructions. Memory protectors and albums can be purchased separately. (Memory Protectors ARE included in the bundle.)
August 27, 5 pm CST
August 28, 5 pm CST
Although pictures and other details of the cardmaking and scrapbooking projects have not yet been posted, you can see the list of additional materials needed on the Event page.
All of these events will happen on the Close To My Heart Facebook page. You can watch them live or on replay at a later time that works for you. Over the last few weeks, CTMH has hosted workshops to make cards and layouts from the Aurora, Stitched Together and Brushed collections. You can still order some of these projects and watch the replays!
The January Craft with Heart scrapbooking boxes have shipped — want to take a peek at these new layouts? Our subscription program is a fun way to get a kit for two layouts delivered to your door automatically each month.
The January Craft With Heart box includes the two 2-page layouts shown above. With titles “Explore the World” and “Love this Adventure” these pages are perfect for memories of a favorite trip, but can be adapted to display lots of other photos.
Not only are the January Craft With Heart layouts beautiful, they are also super fast to assemble. Thanks to pretty printed base pages, punch apart die-cut pieces and stickers, you’ll have completed pages in minutes.
There is NO cutting, NO stamping, NO big decisions!
These layouts are ONLY AVAILABLE available through our subscription program. If you’d like to get these beautiful, easy layouts, follow these three steps:
Ready to subscribe? Let’s compare your options:
In case you missed it, in addition to the lower kit prices there is significant savings on shipping and handling when you choose the 4-month or 12-month options. Under the monthly plan, shipping & handling is $7.95 each month, but under the second option, you only receive (and pay for) a shipment every 4 months.
Note that for the 12-month option, you will still receive a box every 4 months. However, there is NO SHIPPING and handling charge! You also get a coupon for free photo printing! It really is the best deal. Note that regardless of the plan you choose, you can cancel or change your subscription option at any time.
Want to see what is coming up? Photos for the layouts for February – April have been posted. Check them out!
If you subscribe under the 4-month or annual plan today, your first box will include all of the layouts from January – April. That’s 4 kits, 8 layouts or 16 pages depending on how you count them.
Keep Creating,
Rebecca
Our new Craft With Heart subscription program has been hugely popular over the last year. The layouts for August are some of my favorites!
They are so bright and cheerful that I couldn’t help but smile when I was putting mine together. What pictures do you have that would look good on these?
If you are familiar with our “Cut Above” line of products, you’ll understand how these layouts come together. Although the pages above have lots of fancy elements, there is NO CUTTING required! All those fancy designs are either printed directly on the base page, are punch apart papers or stickers! Seriously, these layout will come together in about 20 minutes or less.
These layouts are only available by subscription through August 31. If you subscribe today, these layouts will conveniently show up right on your door step!
When you sign up in August you’ll have a few options:
First, you will choose whether you want to receive a set of two layouts and pay each month. Alternatively, you can choose to receive the kits and pay every four months. With this option, you will receive 8 layouts immediately and again every January, May and September. You can save even more by selecting to pay annually. Under this option, you’ll still receive the layouts every four months, but you save 20% plus get free shipping when you choose annual billing.
Since August is the last month in the current 4 month cycle, you will also have the option of starting your subscription in August or deferring it until September.
Just to clarify, here are all of your choices using every combination of these options:
Monthly/Start immediately —> You’ll be shipped he August kit now. Then on September 1, a new kit will be shipped. Your credit card will be charged for the August kit immediately and again on September 1 and each 1st of the month going forward.
4-month or 12-month/Start immediately –> Your subscription will be retroactive to May 1 and you’ll be shipped all 4 of the kits below (8 layouts) immediately. Then on September 1, a new set of 8 layouts will be shipped! Your credit card will be charged immediately for these four kits and again each September 1, January 1 and May 1 going forward.
12-month/Start immediately –> Your subscription will be retroactive to May 1 and you’ll be shipped all 4 of the kits above (8 layouts) immediately. Then on September 1, a new set of 8 layouts will be shipped! Your credit card will be charged immediately and every May 1 going forward.
Monthly/Start Sep 1 –> Your September layouts will ship on September 1 and you’ll have a new set every 1st of the month following. Your credit card will be charged on September 1 and each 1st of the month going forward.
4-month/Start Sep 1 –> On September 1, 8 layouts for the September through December kits will be shipped! Your credit card will be charged on September 1 and each January 1, May 1 and September 1 going forward.
12-month/Start Sept 1 –> On September 1, 8 layouts for the September through December kits will be shipped! Your credit card will be charged on September 1 and each September 1 going forward.
I hope that helped sort it out…basically, if you don’t want to miss out on the August layouts, be sure to select Start Immediately. If you want to get the May – August layouts select Start Immediately with the 4-month or 12-month option.
Stay tuned…our subscription program is expanding in September!!! Can’t wait to share the details with all my cardmaking friends!! (email me if you want a sneak peek!)
I hope you are having a wonderful summer! What fills your days? Where have you gone? Who have you spent it with? If you have created some fun memories, now is that time to capture them with this cheerful summer album kit!
I’ve created this bright and cheerful mini-album to help you celebrate the good times you’ve had this summer. It is exclusively available through my website and you can choose to make it on your own or attend one of my classes in August.
Each kit includes:
When you order the kit, you will also get a guide with photos of sample pages. Although the photos will give you ideas and inspiration, you are free to mix it up and make pages that fit your style and photos! Here are a few of of the sample pages:
There is no cutting required other than cropping your photos. You will just need your favorite adhesives to assemble. This is a great project for all ages!
I’ll be teaching this album as a classon August 20 & 22 at First Baptist Church in Arnold. Sign up to make albums with your kids or grandkids and you’ll be making even more memories as you craft together! (Children under 12 need to be accompanied by an adult.)
However, because everything is ready to assemble, this is a project that requires little instruction. If those dates don’t work or you are not local, you can order by selecting the “distance” option when you “sign up”. Price includes shipping within the US!
UPDATE: Auto post failed on Friday, so I’m a couple days late. Just a couple days left to report your August pages to be entered to win a new product bundle!
It’s time for the week 5 of the #scrap20 Page Challenge check in. Through this challenge you can get some pages done, share artwork and earn a chance to win a PRIZE!
This week I finished 5 more pages from our trip to Thailand in January with Close To My Heart. These pages show some of the wandering we did while we were in Bangkok. I took these pictures before I finished some of the journaling, but I’m happy to report they are DONE!
The first couple pictures in this layout are from a shopping trip we took with my dear friend Jillene and her husband. We bravely took the ferry then skytrain to the MBK Center which is an 8 story mall with over 2000 stores! I tried to keep up with Jillene — wow, that girl can shop!
The day before Eric and I had gone to the Dusit Thani Hotel, which is where we stayed in 2005. On that trip, Eric worked a few blocks away while Emily (only 6 at the time) got very familiar with the hotel and the surrounding area. It was a walk down memory lane and I have several flip flaps loaded with additional pictures of the places including this lovely alcove which brought back memories struggling to focus on completing 1st grade school work.
During our prior stay, one of our favorite activities was exploring Lumpini Park which was just a pedestrian bridge away. On the way, we loved to stop to watch the busy traffic from this “bird’s eye” view. Once in the park, we loved spotting the huge monitor lizards (many 6+ feet long) that lived there.
On this return trip, we revisited the beautiful park and saw many of the sites we remembered from the previous trip. In green haven right in the center of busy Bangkok we saw lots of activity: bikers and walkers on the extensive walking paths, exercisers outdoor equipment, people paddling the swan boats in the lake and classes doing tai chi. We were hoping the monitor lizards were still thriving in the park and were not disappointed. We watched one fighting a flock of crows over a turtle for at least 10 minutes.
We love Bangkok and are so grateful to Close To My Heart for taking us back to this exciting city.
Tally: My goal for August is to complete 20 pages. With the 5 I finished this week, my total is 21 for the month — yay, I did it!
I know I did more than I would have if I didn’t do the challenge. My personal projects are usually packed up in my closet and when they are out of sight, they are out of mind. And they sit just waiting.
So how did you do?
How many pages have you done? Comment your count below this weekend and you’ll be entered to win a new product bundle from the Holiday Expressions Idea Book! I’ll do the drawing on Tuesday, 9/4 at the Crafty Girls BINGO night. In the mean time, share your completed pages on social media using the hashtag #scrap20!
Can’t wait to see what you make!
Rebecca
It’s time for the week 4 of the #scrap20 Page Challenge check in. Through this challenge you can get some pages done, share artwork and earn a chance to win a PRIZE!
This week I finished two more pages from our trip to Thailand in January with Close To My Heart. The pictures on these pages are from the night we arrived in Bangkok. We landed around 10 pm and were checked into our room a little after midnight. You would think that after traveling about 24 hours we would be exhausted and collapse into the bed, right? Well kinda…our bodies may have been tired, but our brains said it was about noon because of the 12 hour time difference from home.
So instead of going to bed, we left our room and explored the beautiful Anantara resort. We checked out the pool, located the spa and breakfast area and wandered over to the dock overlooking the Chao Phraya River. This river is a major transportation alley through the city of Bangkok so during the day, it is busy with river taxi and other boats. But at night, it was tranquil and somewhat magical with the lights from the bridge and the market reflecting on the water.
Both of these pages have stamping using the exclusive Thailand stamp set we were given with the album kits, the Splash of Color stamps (love the splashes!) and the Pen Pal alphabetstamp set.
The title “LIGHTS” on the second page was cut from Canary cardstock using the Block Alphabet Thin Cuts. These die cuts are the perfect size for scrapbooking titles and you’ll see letters cut with them throughout this album. I popped them up with 3D Foam tape to add a little more dimension.
This week I nearly finished several more Thailand pages, but the deal with this challenge was that they only count if they are completely done. So that’s all I have for this week.
Tally: My goal for August is to complete 20 pages. I finished 2 this week which brings my total up to 16 pages and I have 4 to go!
How many pages have you done? Comment your count below before next Friday and you’ll be entered to win a new product bundle from the Holiday Expressions Idea Book! We’ll have one final check-in next Friday (8/31) so be sure to check back in. I’ll do the drawing on Tuesday, 9/4 at theCrafty Girls BINGO night. In the mean time, share your completed pages on social media using the hashtag #scrap20!
Can’t wait to see what you make!
Rebecca
Week 3 of the #scrap20 Page Challenge is in the books — scrapbooks that is! Through this challenge you can get some pages done, share artwork and earn a chance to win a PRIZE!
This was one of those weeks that it was hard to find time to scrapbook. In fact 24 hours ago, I had not made time to work on any of my personal projects. The semester starts next Monday and I’ve been busy planning for my classes. Other than that, I’ve also been busy getting ready to roll out all our new Holiday products in September (can’t wait to show you!!!)
But because of this challenge, I had to get something done this week, so I sit down and finished the first page of my Thailand scrapbook. One page is better than nothing, right?
This page was designed by the Close To My Heart artists and provided as a kit as part of the incentive trip I went on earlier this year. This will give you an idea of how beautiful the pages in this album will be and it uses some techniques that I never take the time to do unless following a guide.
You’ll notice that there is lots of gold accents which really reminds a lot of the sites in Thailand. This page has gold in the Glitter Paper, Glitter Gems and Black Shimmer Ribbon.
This map of Thailand was one of the images on the exclusive stamp set provided in the kit. It was stamped on a piece of patterned paper and fussy cut out — something I never take the time to do, but I love how it turned out. It really pops because of the Saffron splatter behind it. The “splatter” actually an image on the stamp set Splash of Color (D1733). This fun stamp set is used through out the album to add extra layers of color. By the way, it retires at the end of August, so there are just a few more days you can get it.
This temple is another image on the exclusive Thailand stamp set. It is stamped with Momento ink and colored with watercolor pencils. You may know that these pencils went out of stock a couple months ago and I’m excited to tell you that we are getting them back in September. I love using them with our small waterbrush to make the colors blend to get that fun watercolor look.
Tally: My goal for August is to complete 20 pages. I only finished 1 this week which brings my total up to 14 pages and I have 6 to go!
How many pages have you done? Comment your count below before next Friday and you’ll be entered to win a new product bundle from the Holiday Expressions Idea Book! Then be sure to check back each Friday in August to update your count to get another ticket in the drawing. In the mean time, share your completed pages on social media using the hashtag #scrap20!
Can’t wait to see what you make!
Rebecca
