The most wonderful time of the year!

December holds lots of things for us to be glad about.  Celebration of Christmas and the birth of our Lord.  Plus some special things from Close To My Heart!  The 2012 Retired list is published, get a free glue pen when you order online, and the National Papercrafting kit goes live 12/14!  Plus I'm two workshops this month!  Join me December 14th for the Pear and Partridge workshop and December 28th for the Avonlea workshop.

Click on the 2012 Retired List tab up above to view items that will no longer available after January 31st, 2013.  Get them while you can!

AND...if you order $50 worth of product online (excluding Studio J) you get a free glue pen (while supplies last)

AND...if you order $35 worth of qualifying product (product only in the Autumn/Winter 2012 Idea Book) you can order the Whoo's Your Valentine kit for only $10. 

Order your Avonlea workshop supplies online after December 14th and take advantage of the sweet deals.  So many ways to work these deals is ridiculous, but sooo fun!

Scrapbooking, Stamping, Papercrafting AND helping Red Cross relief efforts

 

Capture the Date!
Capture the Savings!

 

In order to help meet the $50 minimum purchase for the November Stamp of the Month I am posting both November and December workshop information above. Fulfill your $50 minimum purchase with workshop items and help support Red Cross efforts at the same time! You'll get all of your workshop items, plus the November SOTM for 50% AND another stamp set of your choice (see exclusions) for 50% off. That is an amazing deal!

In November, you’ll get something extra when you buy the Stamp of the Month—50% off another stamp set!

When you qualify for and buy the November Stamp of the Month set, Capture the Date, you’ll receive another stamp set* of your choice for 50% off—it’s like two promotions in one! The versatile Capture the Date stamp set is great for any layout, card, invitation, or calendar, and now you can choose another stamp set at half-off for more wonderful papercrafting. Get Capture the Date and then capture the savings today!

 

* Offer valid for A-E and M size stamp sets only; K-size, Workshops on the Go^®, Cricut^® collection, and Stamp of the Month stamp sets are not eligible for this promotion. Maximum of one 50% off stamp set per order.

 

Dates: Offer valid November 1–30, 2012

 

Avonlea Workshop - November 30th @ 6pm

 

Choose From:

The Workshop on the Go - $29.99

Individual Items:

• Pear & Patridge Pack: $9.95
• P & P Compliments: $4.95
• Festive Felt Rub ons: $4.95
• DE - Holiday: $5.95
• Bitty Sparkles: $2.95
• Bitty Pearls: $2.95

Add on:

• My Creations Cubby: $16.95
• My Creations Mini Banner: $5.95
• Dimensional Elements Ornaments: $4.95
• Dimensional Elements Album Pages: $4.95

 

Pear & Partridge Workshop - December 28th @ 6pm

 

Choose From:

The Workshop on the Go - $29.95

Individual Items:

• Avonlea Paper Pack: $9.95
• Avonlea Compliments: $5.95
• Mini Medley Antique Gold: $5.95
• Brocade Assortment: $5.95
• Parlor Velvet Rub ons: $4.95
• Mini Medley Slate: $5.95

Add on:

• My Creations Bracket Frame: $8.95
• My Creations Card Box: $4.95
• My Creations Memory Showcase: $3.95

Lets hear it for Studio J!

I just finished scrapbooking my wedding photos.  Yes, I've been married ten years and I'm just now scrapbooking them.  Better late than never, right?  Anyhoo, I decided to try my hand at Studio J, Close To My Heart's online scrapbooking studio, and I must say...it was so easy.  Not only did I complete my layouts in record time I used a paper pack that has been discontinued but I LOVED!  Customization was quick and so was shipping!  Plus I get jpgs with my layout purchases or I can purchase just the jpgs files for less!  I love it!  Share them in an album or share them online.  My layouts are now neatly in an album waiting to be shared with family and friends.  Below is one of my Studio J layouts.  Just gorgeous!

 

 

 

For this month's Constant Campaign Close To My Heart is celebrating Studio J!  There have been some awesome changes like, no more memberships and more affordable pages.  You get the benenfits of an unlimited paper pack, stickease, embellishments, ribbon, stitching, and various distressing all at your computer!  Plus if you purchase nine layouts you get the tenth for free.  Click here for more info.  Create a focal point on a wall with a few 12x12 (or slightly larger) picture frames and add a Studio J layout.  Create one layout and purchase multiple copies for the other scrapbookers in your family. 

 

You don't need an account to play with Studio J.  Just visit and see all that you can do.  

Close To My Heart Giveaway!

Close To My Heart is giving away our new Frame It Up stamp set to three winners!  Follow this link for details.  And don't forget to follow Close To My Heart on My Craft Channel for inspiring tips and techniques for our My Acrylix stamps!

Creating with CTMH and Cricut

So Close To My Heart has two awesome Cricut catridges. They coordinate with a lot of our My Acrylix stamp images and many of our dimensional elements chipboard pieces. As a matter of fact, the Close To My Heart Art Philosophy and the new Artiste cartridges come with three coordonating stamp sets and three dimensional element sets each. Did you know you can explore the images on the cartridges in the Cricut Craft Room? Plus the Cricut website has them for download, along with instructions on how to assemble the 3D art pieces. Search Close To My Heart. That is so helpful!

Play around with the cartridges in the Craft Room before you buy and tell me what you think.

Hello August! Hellooo Idea Book!

There are so many awesome things about August!  The kids go back to school.  I go back to work (which means a bit of play money).  The weather should get breezier.  AND...Close To My Heart releases their new Autumn/Winter Idea Book along with other sweet deals.  Check it out!

Autumn/Winter 2012

Ta Da!  You can view the Idea Book online (just click here) or you can request one for your hands.  Best of all they are FREE!  There are lots of new papers and embellishments, of course, but my favorite parts are the all new Artiste Cricut Cartridge and the Make It From Your Heart pattern book!  Plus there are more 3D Home Decore projects highlighted!  I can't wait!

Plus, if you've ever thought about becoming a consultant to get your own discount on already coordinated stamping and scrapbooking supplies there's a deal for you!  The consultant kit is now only $49!  Yes!  $49!  If you sign up between August 1st - 31st you'll also get a beautiful damask Close To My Heart consultant bag.  Sign up just in time for the upcoming National Stamping Month Campaign that starts August 15th!  Click here for all of the details.



Come Craft With Me!

Summer Crafting

Join me for two dates

Craft Night and

Scrapbook Workshop

Summer is such a fun and busy time.  Carve some time out of your busy schedule to join me for a craft night or a scrapbook workshop.  Come and chat and craft with the ladies during my upcoming Craft Night or complete a directed scrapbook workshop.  I'll have Autumn/Winter 2012 Idea Books in hand by then, too!  Come and Take a look!  RSVP by July 18th if you're attending the workshop and what you will be ordering.  Browse the current Idea Book here.

Craft Night - July 30th @ 7pm

Scrapbook Workshop - August 1st @ 6:30pm

STILL Dotty For You!

I'm still having so much fun playing with the Close To My Heart National Scrapbook kit Dotty For You!  Just look what I got to make this week!

The Home is in the Heart plaque is mounted on stiff chipboard.  I used the CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge for the hearts and Jubilee for the font.  The little houses are Maya Road.  The ribbon holder is CTMH Color Ready ribbon that was inked with Tulip, Smoothie, and Lagoon.  And, of course, the paper is CTMH Dotty For You!

The Recipe holder was sooo much fun to make!  I'm actually using it for my sketches not recipes (I mean...who wants to cook when theres crafting to do)!  I used CTMH Vanilla Cream pigment ink to ink the showing edges.  Once again, Jubilee was used for the font.  The CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge was used for the flowers.  The rhinestone swirl, color ready wooden butterfly, Pearl Opaques, and Sparkle are all CTMH.  I'm telling you...we have it all!

What do you think?

Ohhhhh! Ahhhhh!

I am finally trying Close To My Heart's pigment based inks....and wow! I goes on so smooth and works awesomely with the chipboard. It works better than paint since it doesn't soak into the material. It did take about 12 hours to completely dry and feel normal to the touch but I could start working with my piece after about five minutes. I love this stuff! I started with vanilla cream but now I think I need more colors!

Check it out at: wwe.ctmh/creating withlenora

Mother's Day Card

This is the cute Mother's Day card I made for my mother in law. I used the National Scrapbook kit Dotty For You. I just love how it turned out! The stamp set is Fringed Phrases.

Thankful...

Today is a joyful day! Happy Easter to everyone! God gave His only son to us so that our sins could be forgiven. He knows I need forgiveness and I'll gladly accept it from my savior.

I bought this blank metal sign back in October 2011. I meant to make a Thanksgiving sign of thankfulness but am just now doing it. I made it a family affair. I think it still pertains, yes, it still pertains!

I used my Cricut to cut the vinyl. The wooden swirls are from KaiserCraft. The wooden butterflies and pearl Bitty Beads are from Close To My Heart. The dark rhinstone swirl, orange rhinstone circle, and leaves are from Recollections.

April Workshop: Florentine

This month we will be doing the beautiful and elegant Florentine papers! These papers are so elegant that they will work for any subject or event for whats going on in your life now and what happened yesterday. Join me on April 27th to assemble the above featured layout and at least two more!

The Florentine Workshop on the Go kit is $29.95 and includes:

• Florentine Level Two Paper Packet
• Color-Ready Seam Binding Ribbon
• Florentine Workshop Stamp Set
• Instructional Guide

Customize your own kit by purchasing the Florentine Level Two Paper Packet for $9.95 and adding any of the following:

• Florentine My Stickease Assortment
• Family Love Stamp Set
• Timeless Charms
• Pewter or Antiqued Badge Buttons
• Dark Chocolate Tapestry Velvet Rub Ons
• Olive Mini Medley
• Color-Ready Seam Binding Ribbon

Use the April Stamp of the Month to help you earn our National Scrapbooking Month special, "Dotty for You"! 

Don't forget our "Dotty for You" April campaign to celebrate National Scrapbooking Month!

 

When you place an order of $35 or more in products from the Spring/Summer 2012 Idea Book between April 17 and May 31, you may add the Dotty for You paper packet, valued at $19.95, for just $5. Dotty for You includes 24 specially designed, coordinating B&T Duos^® sheets (2 each of 12 patterns) and an artwork idea insert to get your creative juices flowing. Join me later for special Dotty for You projects or follow on my blog!

Pemberly Workshop

So excited about the cute embellishments from the Pemberly workshop! They made for great focal points on my layouts. I used my Cricut for the flowers, cut them in different sizes and then layered them. On the three peonies I used a masking technique that was quick and easy. Loved them so much I just had to share! Enjoy!

Raise Your Hand for FREE!

I love, love, love my Close To My Heart Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge!  And I want you to love one, too!  During the month of March you can get a FREE Art Philosophy cartridge.  It's so easy.  Join me by coming a Close To My Heart consultant and you get a FREE Art Philosophy cartridge, bam, just like that!  If you already have the cartridge you can choose something else in it's place dollar for dollar.

Being a consultant has been wonderful.  Close To My Heart offers all of the tools you need to have your business take flight!  Or, simply take advantage of the awesome consultant discount.  Come and get creative with coordinating papers, embellishments, stamps, and Art Philosophy images!

The consultant kit is full of all of the materials you need to get you crafting right away.  This is a $200 deal for half that cost!

Card Plus!

This 8x6 accordion card was my Wednesday project but turned into my Thursday project. Late, still way cute. What do you think?

I got the instructions from Scrapbook and Cards Today under their Bonus Project Sheet tab>BoBunny. I am in love with their site because not only do they have doable projects but you can view their magazines online for free! Awesome!

All you need are two sheets of 12x12 cardstock, coordinating patterned papers and embellishments and about an hour. Click here to view the printable instructions.

Paper Flowers! So cute! So easy!

I found a tutorial for these cute paper flowers on Yahoo Shine. I thought they were so cute I wanted to try it myself. Their flowers only had five petals but I used six on mine to even out the alternating petals. If you know me, you know I like symmetry.

1. Fold a square piece of paper to form a triangle.
2. Fold the bottom two corners up to the top corner to create a square again.
3. Flatten the two corners you just folded upward.
4. Fold back the tips of the two parts you just flattened.
5. Fold the two corners you flattened in half.
6. Apply double sided tape to one of the corners you just folded in half.
7. Bring sides together without completely flattening.
8. Use a stick or dowel for the stem and embellish the center.

You give it a try!

Rock the Block Exclusive

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!

Dates: Offer valid December 19, 2011–January 31, 2012.