Tag: Travel

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January Craft With Heart Scrapbooking Layout Reveal

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

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Celebrate National Scrapbooking Month with The World Is Yours Suite of Products! (free project downloads)

May is National Scrapbook Month and we have an exclusive suite of products called The World Is Yours to help you celebrate!

I’ve only begun to create with the exclusive collection and I’m already in love. The travel and outdoor theme is perfect for a lot of the pictures I need to get into my albums and the bike and other images are great for happy, fun cards. I can’t wait to create more pages and cards with this fun set. Scroll down to learn all about it. Follow the links for more information or to place your order.

The World Is Yours suite includes a paper pack, coordinating cardstock, exclusive stamp set plus a Cut Above (super quick) layout kit.  Save over 20% on the bundle that includes all of these products! Learn more>>

Looking for more project ideas? Three very creative consultants have designed projects for you to make! Download and order just what you need to complete them or order these convenient bundles.

1) Scrapbooking Workshop: Create three coordinating scrapbooking layouts and one single page. 

DOWNLOAD GUIDE

2) Everyday Life Album Workshop: Create 16 pages plus decorate the cover of one of our Everyday Life (8″ x 6″) albums.

DOWNLOAD GUIDE

3) Cardmaking Workshop: Create 20 fun cards!

DOWNLOAD GUIDE

You can also get The World is Yours Cut Above layout kit FREE when you become a Consultant or host a qualifying party in May!

Learn more about hosting a party

Learn more about becoming a Consultant

Happy Creating!

Rebecca

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#scrap20 Week 4 Check in: More Thailand Pages

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

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#scrap20 Week 3 Check In: Thailand Page 1

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

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I’m Cruising with Close To My Heart!

It’s official! I’m so excited to share with you that I’ve earned my third incentive trip and will be cruising the Western Carribean with my Close To My Heart in February 2019! Who would have thought when I joined this company so I could get some beautiful scrapbook paper at a discount, that I’d be traveling around the world with some of my best friends that I met through this amazing company.

Before earning my first trip two years ago, I heard other consultants talk about how they were spoiled on the trip. But I had no idea until I experienced it for myself. There are lots of perks to traveling with Close To My Heart. Based on last year’s incentive trip to Thailand, here are a few of the ways that traveling this is different than regular traveling.

1) Travel companion. The package includes airfare and cruise for me AND a guest. I choose to take my husband, Eric, with me to Thailand and I’m so thankful we had this shared one-in-a-lifetime experience.

2) Scrapbook. Every trip earning receives a kit with materials to complete a beautiful trip themed album. The pages for these books use lots of fun techniques and you get all the products you need to complete it, including an exclusive stamp set. I just posted my pagesfrom the 2018 Puerto Vallarta trip last week. I’m working on last year’s Thailand album now and can’t wait to show you the beautiful embossing and other techniques in these pages.

3) Shirts. Each earner and their guest receive an exclusive trip shirt prior to the trip. Last year, there were several styles to choose from and we could purchase extras if we wanted. The picture below is of all of the Thailand trip earners in our coordinating shirts making “Close To My Heart hands”.

4) Welcome and Farewell Dinners. The first evening of the trip is a dinner with announcements, awards and gifts. It’s a great time to greet friends and meet new people while enjoying delicious local food. At the end of the trip we all gather together again before heading back to our homes.

5) Gifts! Our President Monica Wihongi is a gift giving queen. She always chooses practical and unique gifts. It’s so fun to return to our room and find a box filled with an assortment of items. Last year’s box included water bottles, hat, visor, back pack, cinch bag, cooling cloths, umbrella and fan.

6) Excursion. Our Thailand trip also included a dinner cruise on on the Chao Phraya River to see the sights of Bangkok, taste authentic Thai cuisine and enjoy traditional Thai dancing.

7) TLC. Several members of the Close To My Heart executive team and staff traveled with us. They worked seemingly tirelessly to make sure that we were safe and comfortable. As happens when traveling, there were times that plans didn’t happen quite the way they were supposed to and the staff made sure we were informed and patiently answered questions. Traveling in a foreign country can cause some stress and they did everything they could to ease our anxiety. After full days of touring, while we fell into our rooms to get much need rest, the home office staff fired up their computers to work with their teams in the US who were just starting their days. I honestly don’t know how they did everything they did it all and without dropping their friendly smiles.

8) Friendships. The thing I’ve gained from the two trips I’ve taken that I value the most is the friendships. There is nothing like traveling with a group of around a hundred people with common hobby and business passion. Can you imagine running into close friends while wandering around an exotic place like the Siam Paragon (mall) in Bangkok? I can because it happened! Multiple times!

For all these reasons and more I consider a Close To My Heart incentive trip the ultimate reward from my business. It is the best way to celebrate the work I do doing the year. I love that I can treat my hardworking husband to a thrilling vacation to the most beautiful places in the world.

James Bond Island

Thank you Close To My Heart for the opportunities you have given me. I’m also so thankful for all the support I receive from my customers, friends and family. That includes those who have made purchases from me, attended a workshop or crop, or offered words of encouragement. It all means so much and I feel blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life.

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Highlight Reel stamp set is here in July — just $5 with qualifying purchase!

I’ve mentioned before that our Stamps of the Month generally are versatile. They have images and sentiments that can be appreciated by scrapbookers as well as card-makers. This month’s stamp, Highlight Reel, is no exception.

Because of the scale of these images, this one really lends itself to mini-albums. The album, created by the Close To My Heart artists, is a great example of what you can do with a few sheets of paper, ink pads and this stamp set. The smaller images allows the miniature pages in the album to have plenty of room for photos. 

Recipe:

S1807 Highlight Reel (July Stamp of the Month)

X7231B Central Park Paper Pack

X7234B Documented Paper Pack

Solid Cardstock: White Daisy, Almond, Juniper and Poppy

Stamp Pads: Espresso, Juniper and Poppy

X7234E Picture My Life Cards – Love Us

Z1263 Bitty Sparkles

Z1151 3D Foam Tape*

Z2060 Thin 3D Foam Tape*

Sewing Machine and thread **

* I LOVE using foam tape and am so excited that we have two thicknesses to vary the height of elements on our projects. And now we can get it in both dots and rolls. Makes me happy 🙂

** I LOVE the look of real sewing on projects but NEVER take the time to add it to mine.

One great thing about mini-albums like this is that you can create one in a single setting. Once you’ve gathered your supplies and photos, you can assemble it fairly quickly. So no guilt of having an unfinished project waiting for you. So carve out some time to create this week! Trust me, your week will go so much better.

Rebecca

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Not just one, but 4 new Cricut Collections from Close To My Heart! (Special Bundle Offers too)

Highest on my wish list for the new Idea Book was a new Cricut Collection. Guess what? They gave us not one, not two,…but FOUR: You Are Here, Hello USA, Hello Canada & Hello AU/NZ! I’m so excited to introduce you to them today. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this email for exclusive Cricut Collection bundles!

You Are Here 

Whether you’re traveling abroad, taking a road trip or enjoying a relaxing “staycation”, this Cricut collection is sure to have everything you need to document your journey. From outdoor escapades and family reunions to spa retreats and holiday outings, you’ll find shapes and sentiments for every pit stop along the road of life!

The cartridge has 700 images including two complete fonts and travel-related shapes, titles, phrases and fonts.

Sample of images on You Are Here cartridge

View the complete image index>>

You can order the physical cartridge or if you have an Explore type machine, you can order the digital-only version. Note that you will not get a handbook with the digital collection. Regardless of whether you order the physical or digital collection, you will also receive three D-sized stamp set and a pack of 20 sheets of Enchantment two toned cardstock!

Hello USA (Digital Only)

Hello USA is a must for patriots and travelers. There is a total of 60 layered images including one for each of our 50 states with the name, a local flower, slogan and a state specific icon. We also get a layered image for Puerto Rico! In addition, you’ll get a complete image of the United States with optional layers of state outlines, regional boundaries, slogans and icons. Bonus images of the flag, July 4th star and America the Beautiful Heart.

Note this collection is digital only which means it in only for use with machines in the Cricut Explore family.

Hello Canada (Digital Only)

The Hello Canada Collection includes 20 layered images. First you get a geographical view of the entire country with optional layers to show the provincial and territorial boundaries, maple leaf and slogans. You’ll also get an outline image for each of the provinces and territories with layers for the name, flower, slogan and icon. In addition, you’ll get the flag, hockey, parliament building and polar bear!

Note this collection is digital only which means it in only for use with machines in the Cricut Explore family. 

Hello AU/NZ (Digital Only)

Hello AU/NZ is a collection of 20 layered images is a must if you have traveled to Australia or New Zealand. Full Australia and New Zealand geographical images includes an optional layers marking the state and territory boundaries, slogans, flowers and icons. In addition, there is an image for each individual state and territory as well as a local flower, slogan and coordinating icon. In addition, you’ll get both countries’ flags, plus a dolphin and sea turtle!

Note this collection is digital only which means it in only for use with machines in the Cricut Explore family.

Rewards Your Way (The Best Deal)

I know you probably want one or more of these cartridges and I’d like to help you get them in your hands so you can start creating right away! The best way to get one of them plus a bunch of other great Close To My Heart products is by joining my team. Only in August, when you join my team, you will have the opportunity to earn your choice of these Cricut collections for free in your first 30 days!

Learn more about the choices>>

Get Started>>

Bundled Savings!

For each of the new Cricut Collections, I’ve put together a bundle that includes a free related stamp set! You can order the Cricut collections on my website and I’ll send the bonus stamp sets separately.

Bundle #1: You Are Here PLUS A New Adventure (B1565) FREE

Order You Are Here with a physical cartridge>>

Order You Are Here digital collection>>

Bundle #2: Hello USA PLUS Fourth of July (A1204) FREE

Bundle #3: Hello Canada PLUS Canada 150 (A1214) FREE

Bundle #4: Hello AU/NZ PLUS Aussie Greeting (A1211) FREE

Order Hello AU/NZ digital collection>>

These bundles are only available during August 2017 by ordering on my personal Close To My Heart website.

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Get all 50 State Stamps for around $100 — must order by July 31!

One of my favorite (and least expensive) Close To My Heart current products are the State Stamps. Don’t you love this one of the “Show Me State”?

These M-sized stamps are a perfect detail for travel scrapbook pages like this one from the Close To My Heart blog.

They are also great for scrapbooking your home, a move or a long distance relationship!

Sadly, these stamps will be retiring at the end of the month. However, the good news is that you can get them at a deep discount thanks to our Stampaganza special. This month all stamps are buy 2 get 1 free. At regular price, all 50 state stamps would cost nearly $150, but right now you can get ALL of them for around $100!

Don’t want to enter 50 item numbers? Just let me know and I’ll do it for you 🙂

There are also M-sized stamps for each Canadian province, plus Australia and New Zealand.

These stamps also count toward the buy 2 get 1 free special. In fact, all of the current stamps (except stamp of the month) are included in this deal.

This includes some special stamps that were pulled out of our archive just for this special!

Start shopping now>>

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Get Fancy with the Florence Collection

Have you seen the Florence paper collection? The rich colors of this paper make it perfect for travel as well as special occasions. It also is great for home decor items like this lovely dream catcher.

When you buy the Florence Workshop Your Way, you get everything you need to make six decorative scrapbook pages.

You can print the instructions on the workshop resource page of my website.

The kit also includes two sheets of double sided Picture My Life cards that you can cut apart. These can be used alone in pocket pages or added as titles, journaling and alternative papers to your layouts. 

You will have some paper left over that you can stretch by adding more solid cardstock to make additional layouts. Or you can add a few more products and make this set of beautiful cards!

These cards use the A Bunch of Love stamp set. When you add your own cards and bases, you’ll have enough product left to make two of each of them (8 all together).

Notice the blue lines around a couple of the images? This means that this stamp set has a coordinating set of thin cuts. No fancy cutting needed to get these cut out cleanly. In the photo above, the stamped images were dressed up with a few dabs of watercolor.

Again, you can print the directions to all of these Florence projects on the workshop resources page of my website. Are you a visual learner? On the Resource page you will also find links to step-by-step videos

Just a reminder that the Florence collection is only available for a limited time and will retiring on August 31. In addition to the complete kit, you can purchase the paper and embellishment sets separately. You can see the whole collection HERE. 


Happy Creating,

Rebecca

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Memory Keeping Magic

Have you seen the new Magical paper collection? The bright fun colors are great for your summer pictures, especially if you travel to a certain “world” in Orlando, Florida! But even if that location is not your destination, the theme includes cameras and water blues that will go with lots of vacation plans.

When you buy the Magical Workshop Your Way, you get everything you need to make six decorative scrapbook pages.

You can print the instructions on the workshop resource page of my website.

The kit also includes two sheets of double sided Picture My Life cards that you can cut apart. These can be used alone in pocket pages or added as titles, journaling and alternative papers to your layouts. 

You will have some paper left over that you can stretch by adding more solid cardstock to make additional layouts. Or you can add a few more products and make this set of adorable cards!

These cards use the cute Fairytale Birthday stamp set. When you add your own cards and bases, you’ll have enough product left to make three of each of them (9 all together).

B1534 Fairytale Birthday Stamp Set

Again, you can print the directions to all of these Magical projects on the workshop resources page of my website. Are you a visual learner? Close To My Heart also created a set of four videos that take you through the workshop directions step by step!

Just a reminder that the Magical collection is only available for a limited time and will retiring on August 31. In addition to the complete kit, you can purchase the paper and embellishment sets separately. You can see the whole collectionHERE.


Happy Creating,

Rebecca