Once a quarter I love to get away for the afternoon with my CTMH sisters and head to the East side.  In the multi-purpose room of a church you'll find 30-40 consultants screaming, laughing, and dressing up in some of the wildest outfits.  It's a time to share ideas, earn free product, talk business, and eat a whole lotta food.  This past Unit meeting we created this fun thank you card with papers from the Mayberry line.  

The sentiment is actually stamped on a button. A button? Yeah! A button! One of Close to My Hearts new Canvas Badge Buttons from the Spring/Summer 2011 Idea Book.  My favorite part is that once you are ready to attach them, you just peel the backing off and stick!   

The little flower buttons are from our new Basic Assortment Buttons, and I added just a touch of twinkle with the use of Bitty Sparkles (With a 100 to a pack, I can justify adding these to everything!).  And lets not forget about the actual shape.  Circle cards are all the rage, but creating them can be frustrating and time consuming. Close to My Heart is here to help keep you up with all the treads and still have time for...well, life. With their 4 1/2 inch Circle Cards (available in Colonial White and White Daisy) you can create your own fashionable artwork Faster. Simpler. Easier.  

CTMH products used: Mayberry Paper Pack, Basic Buttons Assortment, Bitty Sparkles, Canvas Badge Buttons, 4 1/2 Colonial White Circle Cards, Cocoa Ink, Thank You stamp set.

Chrysalis

I don't talk much about my pregnancy with my first born for many reasons.  I think as woman we sometimes struggle with how society tells us to feel and how our spirit really does.  Unlike many of my friends, I LOVED being pregnant.  Words cannot describe how much I enjoyed the changes in not only my body, but my views as to what is beautiful.  The fact that I had a pretty uneventful pregnancy(sans nausea), probably does influence my overall view, and I'm grateful for that.  It gave me a chance to see myself in a way I never had before.

I was able to express my vision beautifully with the Wings paperpack by Close to My Heart.  The title not only refers to my chrysalis into motherhood, but to a realization about myself.  With the how-to book Magic, an actual transformation takes place by pulling the butterfly and revealing the rest of the title.  If you look closely on the bottom left side, you'll see a great way to add texture to any page by pleating a piece of paper.  A little sponging here, a little crunching there, and it really draws the eyes. And don't you just love how the word "beautiful" came out?!  It was easy with Close to My Heart's new alpha stamp set Bohemian E1019.

Life is definitely more beautiful now that my son graces it.  The baby love I have for him has expanded my heart outside of my body.  I'm blessed to be able to spend my days with him and watch him grow and learn.  What's amazing though, is how much I've grown from having him and learned from loving him.

Using more papers from the Wings Workshop on the Go, and the stamp set that comes with it I recreated the layout above.  I spied it on our fabulous CTMH bulletin board; a place for consultant sisters to share artwork, ideas, and friendship.  I just had to use the classic clean look myself.  The pinwheel flowers were my own take on the design and I love how the Licorice Opague gems finish them off.  Don't forget you can use patterned papers as well as cardstock as accents.  The background is spritzed with our Spray Pen filled with Vineyard Berry Reinker and rubbing alcohol.  It's really a great technique to add a little something to your white-space.

These layouts were created for Ladies Night Out in February.  If you'd like to create layouts, catch up with friends, or just steal some guilt-free time for yourself, join us!  Call or email me for details and check out the tab at the top of the page labeled "Ladies Night Out".

You can order the supplies used in the layouts showcased above on my website 24/7, along with other great products from Close to My Heart.

March Stamp of the Month Artwork

This a cute simple card by my dear friend and Upline+, Jolene.  I just love how the Mayberry papers go with the Beatrix Potter inspired March Stamp of the Month. The adorable bunnies in the stamp set with the fresh colors of the paper make me long for spring.  Warm weather?  Yes, please!

The stamped image is brought to life with the use of our wonderful Watercolor Pencils.  They really create a fluid look that makes an image "pop".  See how the dress of the Mother Rabbit has a pattern to it? This effect is created with a great technique called paper piecing.  To recreate this idea start by stamping your image on a piece of cardstock( this is your base). Stamp the same image again on patterned paper, and cut out the parts you want your image to have with that particular pattern.  Repeat with other patterned papers until you have all the pieces you want.  Then simply glue your pieces to the base image to create a singular, striking focal point.

CTMH products used: March Stamp of the Month, Colonial White Cardstock, Mayberry Level 2 Paper Packet, Black ink, Watercolor Pencils, and Micro-Tip Scissors

Learn how you can earn the March SOTM: Sensational Season D1415 at a discount, or even for FREE by clicking here or on the "CTMH Specials" tab located at the top of my blog. Don't forget Hop on over to My Website to grab your own supplies to recreate this card and other amazing products from  Close to My Heart.

Clearly an Awesome Special!

At Close to My Heart we know we have the best clear stamps and blocks--and we'll prove it!  Only during the month of March, when you buy $25 worth of My Acrylic stamps(before shipping and tax), you will receive your choice of one of two very popular block sizes: the 3" x 3" or 2.5" x 6" block. For real?!  Yeah, for real!  It's about a $10 value for FREE when you spend $25.  That's almost 40% back!

So, if you love to stamp or have been thinking about giving it a try, now is a great time.  Call or email me for more details, or check out my "specials" tab located at the top of my blog.  This offer is also valid on purchases through my website.

A Little Boo-tiful Magic

Oh, my gosh!  That little face never fails to make my heart lurch!  The Hooligans papers are a perfect way to show off how cute Braam was as a little "monster" this past Halloween.  I love how easily it all came together with the use of Magic, one of Close to My Hearts template books.  But the "magic" doesn't stop there.

 With a pull of the tab, you can reveal not only hidden journaling, but another amazing little photo!  Yup, look back up at the layout photo and then again at the close up.  How cool is that?! It's a surprise "treat" with the use of a little Close to my Heart "trick".  

The story behind the costume is told in layout #1 with a little help from hinges and flip-flaps.  If you click on the layout you'll see in greater detail how the photo in the upper right corner can be "flipped" up to reveal my hidden journaling.   Now, I don't usually do three layouts for one event, but there was so much I wanted to capture...and with photos like these, can you really blame me?  Below are two more layouts I created with the Hooligans papers.

Layout #2

Layout #3

Ever found a layout you liked, but you had one too many pictures?  Well, with a little more help from Magic, the problem disappears. With the slide of a button, Layout #3 opens the door to a third photo. Now that's a slight of hand anyone can appreciate!  Once you master this simple trick you'll want to do it on every page.  The other trick I used to throw this page together was the use of Hooligans My Stickease Assortment and a little Liquid Glass by CTMH.  Just a few dabs on the eyes of the "monster" stickers and I have accents that really "pops".

You too can add a little "surprise" to your layouts with the how-to book Magic. Click here to order these items and other wonderful products from my website 24/7.

Krafty, Kool, and Kolorful Borders

I can't wait to share the new Spring/Summer Idea Book which launches February 1st!  There are so many beautiful new papers and amazing, fun products that Close to My Heart has to share.  One of the new "must have" items are the Kraft Color-Ready Borders (Z1377).  You can stamp, layer, weave, mask, and even cut apart. The possibilities are endless.  The borders are 12 inches long and come in a package of 50 (2 ea/ 25 designs). And the best part is they're adhesive!  How's that for Faster. Simpler. Easier. To help you get your imagination moving Close to My Heart has created a video.  Check it out!

Spray Pen Tutorial

Close to My Heart has this great tutorial on how to use their new Spray Pen.  The pen comes in the Wings Workshop on the Go kit, which we will be using in February at Ladies Night Out.  It's so stinkin' cool!...and a little addictive.  I used it on three of the layouts we will be making, and hope to post artwork later this week using it in a few more ways.  You can also purchase the Spray Pen separately from Spring/Summer Idea Book debuting February 1st.  It will come in a three pack for only $3.95!

Embossing Beauty

Each week Close to My Heart's Founder and CEO, Jeanette Lynton, shows you how to create, step by step, a fun and beautiful stamping technique on her Blog.  This week Jeanette combined the simple beauty of  embossing with the favorite technique of "Rock and Roll".  Her card featuring Rosy Regards (B1369) is absolutely lovely and I wanted to share her work with you.

And Guess what!!!  In the month of January, this set can be purchased at a discount!! It's one of the stamps featured in the Inspirations brochure as one of CTMH's specials for ordering the Wings Workshop on the Go kit. Check it out and order on my website 24/7.

February Ladies Night Out: Wings

I finally finished the layouts we will be making on February 25th at Ladies Night Out. I wanted to post the layouts included in the Wings Workshop Kit, as well as, the two additional layouts I created just for you. We will be using the dreamy dark paperpack "Wings" from Close to My Heart. I hope you love the papers as much as I do! (Click on the layouts to see them larger and in more detail).

Additional Layout #1 "Baby love"

Additional Layout #2 "Beautiful"

And here are pictures of the two layouts that come with the Wings Kit created by Jeanette Lynton and the wonderful artist at Close to My Heart.

Wings WOTG Kit Layout #1

Wings WOTG Kit Layout #2

Call or Email me to sign up for Ladies Night Out and to place your order by no later than January 31st at 7pm. (616-406-8312, kelly.m.maatman@gmail.com) OR order the Wings Kit on my website 24/7.

And Remember, by purchasing the Wings Workshop Kit in January your eligible for additional savings on the stamps highlighted in the Inspirations brochure!

New Year, Beautiful Inspirations

January is full of great specials with Close to My Heart. Here are the great promotions just for you!

1. The Inspirations Brochure: Close to My Heart has put out a beautiful brochure for the month of January called Inspirations. It is full of beautiful stamps, papers, and accessories that will take your breath away. AND on top of that there are several specials that are good for the life of the brochure (Jan 1-31, 2011)

• Buy the Wings Workshop on the Go kit and get special pricing on get special pricing on the stamp sets shown in the brochure.
• Get the Stamp of the Month for less than ever before! (see #2 below)

2. January Stamp of the Month: Find Your Style. This stamp set is gorgeous! I'm in awe of it really. I plan on working on some artwork, but in the meantime you can just fawn over what the fabulous artist at CTMH have come up with:

Getting this set for FREE is even easier than before!!! This month, and this month only, if you purchase the Wings Workshop on the Go kit and 4 other items from the Inspirations Brochure, you get January's Stamp of the Month: Find Your Style for FREE!! By doing the math, I've figured it out: You can get it for as little as $49.80(before shipping and tax). That's a $22.95 stamp set FREE for a $49.80 purchase. Close to My Heart has NEVER offered the Stamp of the Month at this price before!

Here's my suggested purchase list to earn the SOTM for FREE with the smallest purchase:

Wings Workshop Kit (G1016) $29.95
Wings Level 2 My stickease (X7135C) $4.95
Mini-Medley Accents Collection (Z1393) $4.95
Wings Level 2 Ribbon Assortment (Z1398) $4.95
A Game stamp set (A1113) $5.00

Subtotal $49.80

Total with Shipping and Tax(depending on your area, I used a 6% sales tax) came to $56.98

You can make this purchase 24/7 on my website:

http://memorieswithmaatman.myctmh.com

Inspiration is all around

From Jan 1st-Jan 31st when you purchase a Wings Workshop On the Go kit for $29.95, it opens the door for you to participate in three great promotions.

1. Purchase New Spring/Summer 2011 Idea Book Stamp sets at an unheard of discount!

• Stamp Set Regular Price Discount Price
• A Game (A1113) $7.95 $5.00
• Rosy Regards (B1369) $13.95 $10.00
• Take a Picture $18.95 $15.00
• Dreams Come True (D1470) $22.95 $18.00
• Bohemian Alphabet $34.95 $25.00

2. Get the January Stamp of the Month set, Find Your Style, at a discount, or FREE, by purchasing new Spring/Summer 2011 products as follows:

-Purchase the Wings WOTG and ... Get the Stamp of the Month for...

1 item from the brochure 25% off ($17.21)

2 items from the brochure 50% off ($11.48)

3 items from the brochure 75% off ($5.74)

4 items from the brochure FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can also earn the Stamp of the Month with your purchases from the Autumn/Winter 2010 Idea Book following the standard SOTM program based on dollar totals rather than item totals.

Mix and match new products from the Inspirations brochure and the Autumn/Winter 2010 Idea Book and we will automatically calculate the greatest savings based on the standard program and this promotion for you to get the best deal possible.

3. Celebrate National Papercrafting Month in January with the new My Creations Banner project!!! Simply purchase the My Creations Banner (Z1378) and you will be able to make the project with the remaining supplies from the Wings Workshop On the Go kit and the E-size Bohemian Alphabet

stamp set. The instructions are included with the Wings Workshop kit exclusively through the month

of January.