April SOTM Blog Hop

Welcome to this month’s blog hop!  Thank you for stopping by.  If you’re just starting here, no worries, it’s a big loop which will bring you back here.  If you're lost, you can  find the whole list of hoppers { here. }
If you came from { Judy Faye’s blog }  you’re on the right path.
All these project were created using April SOTM “You Are…” which is available only this month for just $5 with a $50 purchase or for $17.95.  If you love what you see, click {here} to purchase your very own set in the month of April. 

I made my card one night at a crop when I didn’t have the the right inks to go with the B&T paper I had brought.  So I made my own B&T paper!  It was super simple to make the subway art style paper with the great variation of fonts in this set. 
I cut the banner on the Cricut using the CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge.  If you have that cartridge, you also have the Happy Birthday stamp that came in the bundle!

Thanks for visiting.  Now hop on over to { Jean’s Blog }  to see her creation.
Thanks for stopping by!

March Love Your Layout with Florentine Papers

Spring is just around the corner! Use Studio J® to capture this beautiful time of year with fresh colors and simple techniques that come together in minutes! Watch this month's Love Your Layout video for instructions that will show you how to make this darling layout. We'll show you a clever way to add your title and also play with the stitching tool! Log in to Studio J and start saving those memories!

If you would like a personal tour of Studio J, contact me.   

The Amazing Gift of a Team!

Joining Close to My Heart isn’t a solo adventure.  You’re part of a team!  No matter what level you join for, you get support and camaraderie that’s unparalleled. 

Here’s some ‘eye candy’ to show you what I mean.  These cards were made by team members!  I made just one of these cards below and at that, I borrowed my design from another consultant.  These are the cards I display at workshops, gatherings and some day I’ll be sending off in the mail as birthday & thank you cards.  It’s not just me doing the creating & inspiring.  (Oh thank goodness).  I’m supported by wonderful friends all over the Pacific Northwest in my little paper crafting adventure and it’s wonderful.  And team members come in all forms, sponsored and adopted. 

On the downside, you will loose the “excuse” to buy everything in the new Idea Book so that you can make samples for your customers.  I’m sure you’ll find another reason to buy it if you “have to” have it. 

I’m so thankful for Naomi & Michele who lead these teams & creative swaps on a regular basis! 

As a customer, take a look a these cards~  Do you love one of them and want to create it?  Except for the autumn card, nearly all the products you see below are available to purchase & create your own cards with! 

Credit:  Lisa Combs, Carol Thompson, Sharon Hatch, ??? , Michele Rowley

Credit:  Carla Pizzaro, Mary Thomas, Jayma Malme, Michele Rowley, Tracie Cassidy, Me (Really Vicki Wizniuk as this was her design)

Credit:  Cindy Newell, Jessica Booth

To receive the cards, I participated in swaps.  I created 6-8 cards of ONE design & swapped them with gals.  I ended up with 6-8 unique, beautifully made designs for the creative effort of 1 card!

Would you like to be a part of my team?  Now’s a great time to join as you will receive the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge free with your consultant kit in the month of March.

Email me if you’re interested or click here for more info or sign up.   

Lucy Die Cut Birthday Card with Seam Binding Ribbon

Back in February a lucky group of gals made this card at my Fabulous 4th Friday workshop.  It was fun trying out the new Colonial White die cut cards. 

We used the Lucy Workshop On the Go stamp set along with the Glitter button from the Bohemian Assortment for the center of the big flower as well as my newest favorite:  The Ready Color Seam Binding Ribbon. 

I love any product that is economical, versatile & makes for no-bulk easy to mail cards. This is it! 

It comes as 10 yard roll and is a creamy Colonial White to start.  However, it’s made to be colored!  On this card, I inked it by pressing it into my Sweet Leaf Ink pad with a sponge and pulling!  A couple pulls through and here I had beautiful green ribbon.  Voila!  You’ll want to let it dry on its own for an hour or quickly dry it with a craft heater for embossing before putting it on a card—or it will bleed into the paper.  But other than that, it’s a cinch to use and I only have to buy 1 roll of ribbon yet I have endless possibilities.  I’m also thrilled to say that it is not bulky, thus it shouldn’t cause you to pay extra postage due to the thickness of your card!

It can also be inked with markers or spritzed with re-inker mixed with water or dyed in a baggie (no mess!).  It’s so easy.  I hope you love it as much as I do.  It will be showing up on many upcoming projects!

My next Fabulous 4th Friday Workshop will be Friday, April 27th, 6:30-8:30 at my home.  If you’re interested in making cards for Mother’s Day and/or Birthdays, email me.  The cost is $5 for 3 cards.  Or FREE with a $30 purchase in the last 30 days.

Shop with me!

Get the Art Philosophy Cartridge for Free this month!

How you may ask?  When you sign up to be a consultant this month!

Whether you’re thinking of this as a hobby or as a business, it’s a fantastic time to become a CTMH consultant!  You will get the CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut Bundle for free!

For $99, the same price as the Art Philosophy bundle alone, you will get to start your own business, save 22% on your future purchases & receive $288 in product in addition to the Art Philosophy! 

There’s been a couple changes to this kit.  It only gets better.  The scissors have been swapped for the piercing ruler, the memory cubes have been swapped with the Memory Game & you get another stamp set to boot! 

Click here for the rest of the details and to sign up! 
Have questions?  Email me or give me a call.  425-350-6879

The free Cricut Art Philosophy offer expires 3/31/2012

Dream Banner

3 weeks ago, I gave you a hint of a fun little project in my blog post called “Improvising”

Remember this? 

Here’s the completed project! Click on the image to get a better view.

This is the bonus project from the Lucy Workshop on the Go with the added My Creations ® Mini Banners and my improvised spiral flowers that were cut at 1.75” with the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge.  It’s a quick project and is a beautiful spring accent.  Each mini banner set contains 10 pieces so you can personalize the message. 

The Lucy Workshop on the Go includes the Lucy papers, a Cricut Compatible exclusive My Acrylix Stamp set, Lucy Glitter Rub-Ons & Bitty Sparkles.  You can make these 2 layouts, this banner project and still have scraps left over for cards and more! 

Order yours today at my new CTMH website:

www.lharris.ctmh.com