Monogram Stamps - A Personal Touch

Add a personal touch to your artwork with our new Monogram stamps - only $2.95 each.  Each Monogram stamp is approximately 1 1/4" in diameter and are packaged in a "mini" 3"x3" stamp envelope, just like our regular size stamp sets.  

Whooo's Your Valentine (Blog Hop)

Welcome to our Whooo's Your Valentine Blog Hop.  Yes, it is almost two weeks before Christmas and we are showing you Valentine ideas.  But for crafting, you have to plan in advance!  

In celebration of National Papercrafting Month, Close To My Heart is offering a fun kit you can use to create treats for Valentine's Day or any time you would like to give a little treat to someone special.  The kit includes: 

• 12 -- Die-Cut Boxes (3 each of 4 colors; Blush, Hollyhock, Ruby, White Daisy)
•   3 -- 12"x12" Cardstock Sheets (Blush, Hollyhock, White Daisy)
•   1 -- Sheet Silver Glitter Paper (new product for Spring/Summer 2013)
• 12 -- Treat Tubes with Lids (new product for Spring/Summer 2013)
•   1 -- Whooo's Your Valentine Stamp Set (shown below)

All of this is only $10 when you place a minimum order of $35 from the current Autumn/Winter 2012 Idea Book & Catalog.  The boxes are super simple to create - they are all pre-cut and pre-scored, you simply fold on the lines and use a little adhesive to hold it together. 

If you have come here from Joy's 'Wow...did you make that?' blog, you are on the right path!  The kit comes with a picture of six different projects with a Valentine theme, so on our Whooo's Your Valentine Blog Hop we will be showing you different uses for the treat tubes and for the stamp set itself.  Blog Hopping is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one!

For this project, the chevron stripe stamp in the Whooo's Your Valentine set was used for the sides and top of the box.  Remember to stamp on the box before assembling it!  The adorable owl from the stamp set is stamped using Lagoon ink and the edges are rolled in Saddle ink for some added color.  Almond Glitter Gel is added to her beak and some Brown Sparkles bring her eyes to life.  Also, the smaller owl from the stamp set is on the top of the lid.  Some Silver Shimmer Trim was used around the top of the box, as a ribbon with the sentiment, and also around the tube.  

For this treat, the heart patterned stamp was used with Ruby ink to stamp on all four sides of the Ruby box.  A piece of Dark Chocolate Striped Grosgrain was tied in a large bow around the tube and the 'B' Monogram stamp was used to create a more elegant look.  

For a true Valentine treat, I created these two tubes by following the samples provided by CTMH, with a few changes of my own.  Creating these tube treats is really fun.  Of course, it is almost impossible NOT to use one of the incredible CTMH Cricut cartridges.  The paper bow and the pink rosette ribbon were both cut using the Artiste cartridge.    

Every paper crafter needs this adorable stamp set that is included in the Whooo's Your Valentine kit.  I will definitely be playing with it more and sharing some cards with you soon.  

Now "Hop" on over to Jody's 'Cre8n' Memories' blog to see her work!  Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their blogs to get some great crafting inspiration and other fun ideas!  

The Whooo's Your Valentine kit (with a retail value of $40) is available for only $10 from December 13 until January 31, with a minimum $35 order of products from the CTMH Autumn/Winter 2012 Idea Book & Catalog.

Stationery in a Box

A fun stationery project completed with the Perfect Fit-Frames stamp set and a Monogram.  There are five cards, lined envelopes, seals for the envelopes and a holder to store all of them.  This would make a great gift.  Each Monogram stamp is approximately 1 1/4" in diameter and are packaged in an adorable little 3"x3" stamp envelope, just like our regular size stamp sets.  Each letter is only $2.95.

For this project, Close To My Heart papers from the Dakota kit were used along with prepared cards and envelopes from the 50 card value pack.  The shapes for the Perfect-Fit Frames stamp set were cut using images from the Art Philosophy cartridge and the magazine-style holder is available with the Artiste cartridge.  The 1 1/4" circle punch is the perfect size for the monogram letters.   

Thanks to CTMH fellow consultant Lisa Stenz for sharing this great stationery idea. 

Year-Round Cheer (December SOTM Blog Hop)

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop which features the Year-Round Cheer stamp set from Close To My Heart.   This stamp set has a cute image and sentiment for every month of the year!   

If you have come here from the 'Fancy Melissa' blog, you are on the right path!  With some very creative Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their projects, you will see many different uses for this stamp set.  Blog Hopping is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one!

If you have not guessed by now, the new Artiste cartridge for the Cricut machine is one of my very favorite products.  It contains such a large variety of images, and all of them are cut with precision to create wonderful items very quickly.  For this card, the two pieces are cut from La Belle Vie paper using the 'Card' feature of the 'k' button.  The "Tis The Season" image from the Year-Round Cheer stamp set is stamped using Sweet Leaf and Bamboo.  A small Sparkle was added to the center of the ornament, some larger Sparkles on the ends of the card insert along with a strip of Silver Shimmer Tape and more Sparkles completes the card.

The center piece slides out of the card wrapper, with enough room for you to sign the card on the front or on the backside.  

Now "Hop" on over to Michelle's 'Scrappy Hour' blog to see her work!  Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their blogs to get some great crafting inspiration and other fun ideas!  Remember, the Year-Round Cheer stamp set is only available during the month of December 2012.  The regular price is $17.95, or you can purchase it for only $5 with a minimum order of $50 in other CTMH products.  

If you get lost on the Blog Hop or find links that aren't working, there is a complete list of all participating blogs on Helen's 'Hooked on Stamping' blog.

The Beautiful Display Frame

A couple of months ago, I shared an insert for my cell phone using papers from La Belle Vie and titled the post "The Beautiful Phone" because "La Belle Vie" is french for "The Beautiful Life."  Using the same paper, I've decided to call this post "The Beautiful Display Frame."  The Display Frame is a great product that can be used to create unique decor for your home or for a gift.

For this piece, papers are used from the La Belle Vie packet along with the coordinating My Stickease, a few pieces of Colonial White Rosette Ribbon, Sparkles Black Flourishes and a Display Tray.  There is no stamping involved, just the My Stickease and the Artiste cartridge for the Cricut to cut some frames and hearts.  Each opening is 3"x4" and is perfect for creating small individual pieces as shown here, or you can add photos in some of the openings also.  This piece was inspired from a similar piece created by Janice Hodgkin.  

Since the total size is 12"x12", you can cut-up a full scrapbook page and place into the individual spaces for a unique way to display one of your favorite scrapbook pages.  The Display Tray is wooden, painted black, and includes hangers ready to mount on your wall.  

Capture the Date (November SOTM Blog Shop)

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop which features the Capture the Date stamp set from Close To My Heart.   This stamp set is perfect for journaling your scrapbook pages.  It includes all of the months of the year, both full names and abbreviations, as well as four different styles of numbers and a journaling box.

Also this month, CTMH is having a "Capture the Savings" special where you can get 50% off your favorite stamp set in the Idea Book.  When you purchase the exclusive Capture the Date SOTM, you get an additional bonus of 50% off any other stamp set in the Idea Book!  This deal excludes those sets sold as part of Workshops on the Go kits or our Cricut collections, but that still leaves you over one hundred options to choose from.   

If you have come here from 'Scrapi Traci' blog, you are on the right path!  With over 60 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations, you will see many different uses for this stamp set.  Blog Hopping is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one!

For my daughter's 20th birthday, this stamp set was perfect for creating a personalized card for her.  Using paper from the Clementine kit along with a few embellishments, the card was quick and easy to create.  From the Capture the Date stamp set, the journaling box was stamped and then the month name and date were added.  The 'Birthday Wishes' stamp is included in the Artiste collection.  And that Cricut cartridge was used to cut the images for both the journaling box and the banner.  The numbers 20 are from the Cork Alphabet and Sorbet ink was sponged on the cork to add a bit of color. 

Now "Hop" on over to the 'Fancy Melissa' blog to see her work!  Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their blogs to get some great crafting inspiration and other fun ideas!  Remember, the Capture the Date stamp set is only available during the month of November 2012.  The regular price is $17.95, or you can purchase it for only $5 with a minimum order of $50 in other CTMH products.  Remember, with the purchase of this month's SOTM, you are able to purchase another stamp set for 50% off.

If you get lost on the Blog Hop or find links that aren't working, there is a complete list of all participating blogs on Helen's 'Hooked on Stamping' blog.