Ruth CTMH

6x6 Memory Showcase

2010-05-09T18:37:00.000-07:00

This Mother's Day I was able to do a little playing of my own. I had been wanting to do a Memory Showcase for Chuck's desk at work and for him to take when he has to travel. I decided on the theme, our trip to Disney last December. Once I had my theme and pictures chosen it came together really fast. Apart from the cover (which is Veranda) it is all Zippidee paper, Stickease and Embellishments. It took about 2 hours to complete, which was a lot faster than I had thought! The Memory Showcase only costs $3.95 so it makes a very fun and cheap project!

Mother's Day Grandma Gift

2010-05-09T18:29:00.001-07:00

For Mother's Day this year I made the Grandmas each a small book using the Cute As A Button My Originals Card Kit. I used 4 card bases, folded them inside out and glued them together. Using the My Stickease that came with the kit and a few extra embellishments they really came together. To finish it up I used liquid glass and ribbon along the spin.

Splendor Card Workshop

2010-04-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

May 22nd Card Workshop - We will be making 3 different cards using the new Splendor paper (a fun summery print), Pizzaz Irresistibles and Glitz Glitter Glue. The workshop will be held at Zanie Janie's Simply Coffee in downtown Holly @ 2 pm (RSVP by May 11). Pictures posted to the blog and website -Workshop Fee $6

Miracle Kit

2010-04-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

Join the National Scrapbooking Month celebration in May with the exclusive Miracle kit, available at a great retail price of only $19.95 US / $23.50 CAN or even at a discount ($10 with a $40 purchase or $5 with a $60 purchase)! This kit contains what you need to craft two gorgeous, interactive two-page layouts that work well with any photos—just add ink to customize the look. You’ll be amazed at how quickly the Miracle kit comes together, and there’s no stamping required! This Kit really is a miracle. It comes with everything you need (besides adhesive and ink) to make these great layouts. I was really happy with the way it all turned out. For more details, more pictures and to place your order visit my website (http://www.closetomyheart.com/nscrm2010/index.html?cn=Ruth+Jozwiak)

Celebrate Layout
What better to celebrate than the birth of my daughter? I love the way the embellishments make the images pop.

Memories Layout
I didn't have a hard time coming up with pictures for this layout. Chloe got to meet her only living (at the time) great-grandma when we went to Florida December 2007. Using the flip flaps is an awesome way to add more pictures while keeping the same layout.

Studio J

2010-04-26T10:52:00.000-07:00

Studio J is available to you April 27. I was able to get in and make some layouts over the past month and I LOVE it! It's an awesome tool. For those of you who are short on time it's pretty quick too! The longest part was uploading my photos.

Walt Disney World Vacation 2008

Chloe's 2nd Birthday Party at Jungle Java

Chloe at Kensington Farm Center

Chloe meeting Minnie Mouse December 2009

Easter Fun Day Party

Adhesives 101

2010-02-23T10:30:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder why we have so many adhesives and which one is best to use? Close To My Heart recently published a training course on just adhesives. I thought it was so helpful that I wanted to share it with you!

Dotto Dots - This glue is applied using a convenient dispenser that allows you to lay down a ribbon of tiny adhesive dots in any length. The adhesive dots are tacky, not liquid, so they stay right where you apply them. The great thing about Dotto Dots is they are not immediately permanent which allows you to reposition your artwork without causing any damage. After about a week Dotto Dots become permanent. The dispenser can be refilled with the Dotto Dots Removable Adhesive Refill. Dotto Dots are great for demonstrations or for designing new patterns because you can move pieces around and they will remain sticky. Dotto Dots can be removed by gently rubbing with a clean fingertip or with our Rub & Remove™ eraser. If you're unsure where you want to place your accent, you can apply Dotto Dots to your embellishment, try it in several locations, then rub the dots off and adhere your accent with permanent adhesive.

Tombow Mono - The Tombow® Mono® adhesive is a permanent adhesive that you apply using a rolling tape dispenser. As you press down and roll the dispenser head along your project, a line of tacky adhesive pulls from the dispenser tape and adheres to your art. If you apply firm pressure and hold the Tombow applicator upright, you will get a more even application of the glue strip. When you finish rolling as much adhesive as you'd like, lift the applicator straight up off the surface. This will help you avoid breaks in the adhesive strip. Tombow Mono is easy to apply, requires no drying time, is mess-free, and easy to refill. This all-purpose, non-liquid adhesive is great for small applications like ribbon and fibers, and on B&T Duos® paper. Tombow Mono is also perfect for using on photos—it adheres nicely to the glossy finish. Tombow may gum-up your sewing machine needle, so be sure to apply it 1/4" in from the edges you want to sew. When inserting a new refill, be sure to clean the blue tip first. Goo Gone works great for that.

Glue Dots - Memory Book Glue Dots® are just what they sound like: tacky dots of glue. The dots sit on a thin roll of paper that you pull from the box and then remove the dots you need. The dots come in two different sizes for versatility, 3/8" or the mini 3/16" size. Glue Dots are considered a permanent adhesive but the glue itself remains pliable for several weeks, so it is possible to remove the dots from certain materials like metal, ribbon, and plastic. Glue Dots bond to any type of paper including photo paper, heavy cardstock, textured papers, and more, but they are most valuable for adhering 3-D embellishments such as buttons, ribbon, paper flowers, and such. Simply press your accent to the Glue Dot while it's still on the paper roll, and the dot will lift right off, sticking to your embellishment. Then place the accent on your project. Because Glue Dots are so sticky, it's a little tricky to handle them. If you need to take a dot off the paper, carefully peel up one side using your fingernail or tweezers and slowly remove. Glue Dots also come in handy when you're threading a button. They save you from having to tie your loose threads in a knot. Simply thread your button, attach a Glue Dot to the back, then trim the ends. Super easy! Glue Dots can be stacked to add a small amount of dimension to an object or rolled up like a burrito for very thin embellishments. On larger items it may be easier to peel the Glue Dot off the paper and adhere directly to the object to ensure correct placement.

3D Foam Tape - 3-D foam tape is double-sided foam tape that comes in two widths, 3/8” and 1/4”. You cut the tape to your desired length and then use it to attach an accent to your project. Then, your accent pops out from your artwork. 3-D foam tape works really well with trimmed out stamped images, Dimensional Elements, or any die-cuts, but you can use it on virtually any item. To create even more dimension, stack the 3-D foam tape in layers. Another tip is to cut the foam tape into thin strips up the length of the tape for use on narrow letters or small stamped images. 3-D foam tape is also handy for creating spaces behind photos for hidden journaling or other pull-out surprises.

Bonding Memories Glue Pen - The Bonding Memories® glue pen is a liquid glue that's blue when wet but turns clear when dry, making it easy to see where you have applied the adhesive. The small tip on the pen-like applicator makes it perfect for adhering corners of paper or attaching small embellishments. It's also a good glue to use when covering small chipboard shapes with cardstock or B&T Duos paper. Another fun way to use the glue pen is to outline a stamped image and then sprinkle it with Prisma Glitter. The Bonding Memories glue pen can be used as either a temporary or permanent adhesive. For a temporary bond or "dry" bond, lightly apply the adhesive, allow it to dry one to two minutes, and then attach your art. This bond is always temporary and is similar to Post-it® Notes adhesive. For a permanent bond, apply adhesive and attach your art or accent immediately. A nice feature is that the Bonding Memories glue pen dries quickly! To start the flow of adhesive, press and release the tip on a scrap paper until the blue adhesive is in the tip.

Bonding Memories Glue Stick - The big sister to our Bonding Memories glue pen is our Bonding Memories® glue stick. It is the same glue but in a larger applicator that is approximately 1/2” wide and is perfect for covering larger areas quickly. Bonding Memories glue is easy to hold, inexpensive, lasts a long time, and dries quickly. It can also be used as a temporary bond by lightly applying, letting it dry for a minute or two, and then attaching your art. The Bonding Memories adhesive is liquid, so it is best suited for thicker paper like cardstock which is less likely to curl if you apply too much. Because of its larger applicator head, it's good to use when covering larger chipboard shapes with paper. Both the Bonding Memories glue and the Bonding Memories glue pen should be stored upright to avoid excess glue flowing into the applicator tip.

Liquid Glass - Liquid Glass is one of our most popular adhesives because it can hide behind the scenes as a strong, permanent adhesive, or it can take center stage as an embellishment!
When using Liquid Glass as an adhesive, only light pressure is needed to apply a small amount of Liquid Glass, and a dot will go a long way because it spreads, so be sure to apply it to the middle of your embellishment—not near the edges. Liquid Glass is perfect for adhering tiny embellishments and felt die-cuts because of the pinpoint accuracy of the tip. This adhesive is also great for securing edges that may have lifted up. Because it is thick and glue-like, we recommend you do not sew across it as it may gum up your sewing machine needle. Liquid Glass takes a while to dry depending on how much you use, but it's well worth the wait if you want a strong, permanent bond! For embellishing, apply this cloudy liquid to your stamped images and My Stickease® art for dimension, sparkle, and shine. Dot it randomly for a polka-dot effect, or place it strategically on B&T Duos paper to accentuate a design. After it dries, it is clear and shiny. And do allow plenty of drying time. he fine-tip applicator allows for precise application of a glossy, glaze-like effect. This unique gloss effect can alter the appearance of ink colors so try it out on scrap paper first. Liquid Glass should be stored upright to avoid excess glue building up in the tip. A trick for cleaning out the tip after use is to tap the bottom of the bottle firmly against the table to remove the excess glue from the tip, then squeeze until an air bubble is released. A straight pin is great for opening a clogged tip. Be sure to securely close the cap when you're done.

Rub and Remove Eraser - A handy tool that will help you keep your adhesives under control is our Rub & Remove™ eraser. This special eraser is perfect for removing misplaced adhesive. It works great on Dotto Dots, Bonding Memories glue, and Tombow Mono adhesive. You slowly rub the eraser across the extra adhesive and, presto, the glue is gone! For a more precise edge, you can trim the eraser to a finer point. Adhesives are sticky and will leave some residual glue on the Rub & Remove eraser, so you will want to remove excessive buildup by picking it off with your fingers or trimming the eraser a bit with your scissors.
If you're a fan of our rub-ons and glitter rub-ons, you should know the Rub & Remove eraser also removes stray rub-ons, too! That's super versatility!

February Stamp of the Month

2010-02-05T12:25:00.000-08:00

Make February a Piece of Cake with the February Stamp of the Month! During the month of February you can earn the below stamp set discounted or free with purchase. Ask me how!

Hearts for Haiti

2010-02-05T12:17:00.001-08:00

Our hearts go out to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti, and like so many of you, we’re eager to help. And helping has never been easier! Throughout February, purchase a 12" x 12" textured cardstock combo pack and you’ll get one FREE—and with every offer purchased, Close To My Heart will donate $2 US to Operation Smile’s Haiti relief efforts. That means for only
$14.95 US, you get two packs of our high-quality textured cardstock and you help this urgent, important cause. Offer valid February 1–28, 2010. Tax and shipping/handling charges may
apply. Donations to Haiti will be made by Close To My Heart on your behalf to Operation Smile’s relief efforts.

Top Stitch Card Workshop

2010-02-01T19:09:00.000-08:00

2/20 Card Workshop will be held at Zanie Janie's Simply Coffee in downtown Holly. We'll be making 2 of each of the below cards.

January Stamp of the Month

2010-01-25T12:02:00.000-08:00

Celebrate Friendship with the January Stamp of the Month! During the month of January you can earn the below stamp set discounted or free with purchase. Ask me how!

4 New Paper Lines

2009-12-23T11:03:00.000-08:00

I've been having fun previewing the Spring Idea Book! Below are some images of the 4 new lines, each has a level 1 scrapbook kit, level 2 paper pack and my stickease.

Topstitch

Veranda

Caboodle

You Rock!

Bring Home Felicity

2009-12-14T10:46:00.000-08:00

CELEBRATE PAPERCRAFTING WITH THE STUNNING FELICITY Collection! The collection features decorative die-cut paper, three gorgeous color schemes, and a D-size stamp set that include flowers, flourishes, argyle patterns, birds, and an entire alphabet! Your papercrafting possibilities are endless! There are three ways to get the Felicity collection:

• Purchase it at full retail price for $34.95. (CC1008)
• Place an order of $60 or more in full-retail priced stamp sets (A,
B, C, D, and E-size) and receive one collection FREE! (CC1008A)
Excludes: Stamp of the Month, Art & Soul,® Workshop on the
Go,TM and customizable (K) stamp sets.
• Place an order of $125 or more in full-retail priced Close To My
Heart products and receive one collection FREE! (CC1008B)

The campaign also has enticing opportunities for hostesses and new Consultants. Hostesses get the collection FREE with a Home Gathering sales total of $400 or more, and new Consultants who join Close To My Heart between January 1–31 will receive the collection FREE in their New Consultant Kit.

Celebrate with the Felicity Collection today!

Holiday Heyday!

2009-12-02T11:10:00.001-08:00

This is the sale you have been waiting for!! 50-80% off! Lots of paper, stamps and accessories to choose from, get 'em while they last! Oh and yes there is LOTS of ribbon for only $4!

Journaling 101, part 2

2009-11-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

This is a continuation from last weeks post about journaling.

Now that we’ve talked about why it’s important to journal, let’s chat about the basics of how to journal. For starters, remember that there is no right or wrong way to journal. Even by just adding the basic information—like who, what, when, where, why, and how—is more information than just having pictures and cute accessories on a page. And, journaling doesn’t have to mean writing an essay. You can add a few details or feelings to capture the overall memory.

These six questions are the easiest things to journal and probably the things we are most likely to put in our scrapbooks. I like to include all of them but I try my hardest to incorporate all the names of people involved—especially first and last names. Here’s why: I recently started to scrapbook my high school pictures. I knew those kids for many years and I never thought I would ever forget their names. To this day I can remember their faces and different things we did together, but I can’t remember their names. What I have learned is friends come and go. Even if we are close friends, in 20 years from now I might not even remember their name—so am I going to remember the details?

The other information like the what, when, where, why, etc is also important because years from now you’ll want to remember those details. Have you ever looked at a picture in a box and thought, “I know this was when Johnny was about six because he had a broken arm and we lived in the tan house”? If you’re like me, you have had similar thoughts. And, if you’re like me, unfortunately you can’t remember anything else about that picture other than Johnny had a broken arm and you lived in a tan house. What if that was the day he actually broke his arm? How did he break it? Was he a brave little boy at the hospital? Did he say anything adorable that you wanted to always remember? Were the nurses especially kind—what were their names? And so on.

See the difference? In ten years when you pull out that photo of Johnny, so many other life-changing events would have taken place since then, making this special memory less clear. So that you can remember how you felt as you watched your little boy be so brave, take some time to jot down the details and feelings when you scrapbook.

It really doesn’t take much time at all to jot down a few details and the end result will last throughout your lifetime and the lifetime of your posterity.

One trick that I have learned when I’m scrapbooking is to count my journaling section as another picture. For example, let’s say I have three photos to use. When I look through Cherish™ or Imagine™, I look for layouts that will accommodate four or five pictures, instead of three. Then I use the extra spaces for my journaling instead of the extra pictures! That way I make myself journal, and it is so easy because the pattern is already laid out for me! Oftentimes this is more than enough room to cover all the basic information and your feelings.

If you prefer not to have your feelings out in the open for others to see, try using hidden journaling. File Folders and Library Pockets work great for just that occasion. So whether you don’t like your handwriting or have private thoughts to journal, you can write down your story and then cover it up—for only you and your loved ones to see.

Another way I like to quickly and easily add journaling is to write or print it on My Stickease™ artwork. We have tools such as these at our disposal and they really do make journaling a snap!

re are some more easy ways to incorporate journaling in your scrapbooking.

Quotes are all the rage right now and you can find them everywhere. Quotes are a good way of portraying your feelings, especially during those times when you don’t know how to express your emotions about the event. A quote can make up for it! Our stamp sets have great quotes; you can use song titles or one-liners from family members, or you can even look up quotes online!

Titles are a great way to incorporate journaling. E-size alphabets, My Stickease alphabets and Dimensional Elements are perfect for titles. It gives your pages focus and it tells the viewer the most important information—right away!

I recently worked on pages for an “All about Us” album for my husband. I had these great pictures of our dogs that I definitely wanted to include. I could have said “Snow Fun” or “Barkley Playing” but that didn’t really fit in an “All about Us” album. So, my title became “We Are Dog People.” Doesn’t that perfectly capture what we are all about regarding the kinds of pets we have? Once I had the perfect title, I journaled about how much we love taking our dogs to different places, watching them enjoy life, and how much they are a part of our lives.

Another fun way to incorporate journaling into your layouts is to get your family and friends involved.

Why not try a “He Said/She Said” spin on your journaling? You could both answer the same set of questions and then journal the questions and answers. On one side of the layout you can have his spin on the event; while on the other side, you can have yours!

Another way to involve your family is to interview each other every year. Ask the same questions every year so you can see the differences over the years. As you each grow and develop, your tastes will change and over time the things that were once so important will be a fond memory. It will be so fun to see how you’ve changed! This is also a great way to remember everyday life—which sometimes we forget to scrapbook. Each year you can write down school, work, and extra curricular routines, too. This will be a fun resource to turn to as your kids grow up and leave for college, get married, or have children of their own!

Another fun thing to do to get some different perspectives and include friends and family is to do a baby shower, bridal shower, birthday party, or retirement album. You can have all the people at the event write down why the guest of honor is important to them on 3” x 5” pieces of cardstock. They could even include some advice! You could do this with your children’s class albums as well. At the end of a school event, such as a field trip, have every child write down what they liked most about it. This will also capture your child’s own handwriting!

Pictures may someday be just pictures without the story that goes along with them. That is why journaling is so important! Tomorrow will come, our memories will fade, and we may regret not jotting down who that pretty girl in the photo is. Journaling only takes a minute but it very well may be the most valuable part of your scrapbook album to your children and grandchildren. Scrapbook your photos and mementos but also scrapbook your memories while they’re vivid. It’s a lasting way to let everyone know who and what is significant to you and, most importantly, why!

Journaling 101, part 1

2009-11-12T10:51:00.000-08:00

As a consultant, I have access to lots of training courses. One of these training courses is about journaling. This has always been my least favorite part of scrapbooking, mainly because I never knew what to write, thought I wrote sloppy, basically you name it I've used it as an excuse. After going through this course though I have a new-found appreciation for it and am trying to incorporate more into my own scrapbooks. I hope you will find this as helpful as I have. We will unfold the basics of journaling, talk about why it’s important, and teach you ways to tell unforgettable stories about your wonderful memories through different journaling methods.

Journaling by definition means keeping track of events by recording them in a journal or log. But it can mean much more than that when we include it in our scrapbooking. Journaling can portray many types of feelings, as well as details, so that we don’t forget those precious memories we are striving so hard to preserve.

If you’re like me, scrapbooking is a passion! I enjoy capturing the details of the things in my life so I can look back and reminisce. So, as Scrapbookers, if preserving memories through scrapbooking is our passion, why do we sometimes hesitate when it comes to telling the stories that go along with our wonderful pictures?

Oftentimes I hear people say they don’t have enough time to add details or they struggle with journaling because they don’t like their handwriting, or they don’t always know what to say. Then other times I hear people say they just simply can’t remember what happened. I have had these concerns as well—but ultimately I want to be able to remember my experiences in ten or twenty years so I have figured out ways to overcome these concerns. Later in this course I will share some really easy things I have learned to help me in this process.

Journaling is important—we need to put our cherished memories down on paper so nothing essential is lost over time. Sometimes you may not want to journal. In fact, sometimes you may just want to get your pages done and move on because you are busy and have other important things to tend to.

But, think for a moment to 10 years from now—when someone looks back at your scrapbooks, are they going to know why those events were important to you? Probably not. They can see it in the pictures but they aren’t going to know the real story or the feelings, like Ginni mentioned. They won’t know why you enjoyed that time in your life so much or how anyone else felt about that time period either.

Here’s an example from my life that brings this point home. Both sets of my grandparents have passed away and I have two boxes full of pictures of them. In one box is a collection of pictures with nothing written on them. I have no clue who the people are, what they are doing, or why they are doing it, or even why the pictures are important.

The other set of photos have my grandmother’s writing on the back. The thing that I cherish most is what my grandmother wrote on the photos. Her handwriting is not the best and her English is not the best but it was a part of her. It is the only real thing I have left of her, who she was, and what was important to her. I treasure her memories more than the actual pictures. Your family will feel the same way when they look back through your scrapbooks.

Level 1 Kits, Level 2 Paper Packs and My Stickease

2009-11-03T10:32:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things about Close To My Heart papers and My Stickease is that they coordinate beautifully and are so versatile. The front of the B&T (Background and Texture) paper is full color and the back is the same design but monochromatic and somewhat muted. This really helps you get the most out of your paper.

The kits and packs really take the guess work out of shopping for paper. No more having to pick and choose papers at the scrapbook store sheet by sheet and hoping they coordinate.

Each kit and pack tells you what colors are featured making it super easy to match up our inks, paper, makers and embellishments.

Level 1 - These kits are specifically for the scrapbooker - beginner, intermediate or advanced. They include 4 - 12x12 pre-printed layouts, 2 - 12x12 B&T duos paper (1 each of 2 designs), 2 - 12x12 sheets of cardstock (1 each of 2 colors) and 2 6x12 sheets of My Stickease (1 alphabet and 1 design). The pre-printed layouts are great for getting layouts done faster and simpler. When you combine them with the My Stickease and B&T Duos paper people will think you spent hours working on your layouts.

Level 2 - These paper packs are perfect for the cardmaker, scrapbooker or paper crafter. They include 12 - 12x12 sheets of B&T duo paper (2 each of 6 designs) and 10 - 12x12 sheets of cardstock (2 each of 3 colors and 4 neutral).

My Stickease - These stickers make a great addition to your Level 1 Kit or Level 2 Paper Pack. They include 2 - 6x12 sheets. My Stickease aren't your average sticker. They are cardstock thickness and are very detailed.

November Newsletter

2009-11-02T11:31:00.000-08:00

Happy November! Hope everyone had a good Halloween! This was our first year taking our girls out trick or treating and it was as if Chloe had been doing it for years! Yesterday we had a Christmas Card workshop here at my house and we made 4 cute cards. It was a lot of fun!

November Promotion - Stampaganza!
The November promotion is a GOOD one! Whether you're a long-time fan of stamps or are just venturing into this fun hobby, now is the perfect time to grab some My Acrylix® decorative stamp sets! From November 3–30, 2009, when you purchase any two stamp sets (sizes A, B, C, D, and/or E only) at full retail price you will receive a third stamp set of your choice FREE (of equal or lesser value)— a savings of up to $22.95! I hope you all are able to take advantage of it! It's a great way to save a little on your Christmas shopping or for those giving gifts to you to get you a little more without spending any additional money! Have you made your Christmas cards yet? Get a couple Christmas stamp sets and something fun! Remember you can shop online, anytime at ruthjoz.myctmh.com.

Straight To The Top (STTT)
In the last newsletter I told you about my Straight To The Top goal. Thanks to a couple great parties and my upcoming workshop supplies I needed I was able to make it! Yippee! I earned $125 in free product. I'll be using it to get some of the new products during the consultant preview period for the new book.

Website
I hope you all have taken a few minutes and made it out to my website ruthjoz.myctmh.com. On the website you can view my art, shop online, watch some great CTMH demos on CTMH TV. This month I wanted to point out a couple things about the shopping. When you shop online you have access to not just the items seen in the current idea book but all items Close To My Heart carries that aren't retired, discounted products and special Art & Soul (CTMH TV) collections. New this month and just in time for Stampaganza! there is a category for stamp sets that will be retiring the end of this year. Get your favorite stamp sets before they retire!

Wish List
I have attached a Holiday Wish List for you. Feel free to print it,
fill it out and give it to your family and friends who will be
purchasing gifts for you this upcoming season (remember they can now
shop with me online!). If you'd like, you can give the list to me and I
will contact your family and friends on your behalf.

Workshops & Gatherings
We have the last of the scheduled workshops coming up Nov. 22. It is the Small Gifts Workshop, where we will be making a cube, a set of magnets and a bookmark. These items are perfect for the upcoming gift giving season. Let me know if you'd like to join us! Remember, at Workshops you don't have to come with anything or have any
experience. It is your chance to do something creative, hang out
with some friends and try before you buy!

Coming in 2010, I will be having a workshop every 3 weeks. The workshops will alternate scrapbook, card and craft. Most workshops will be here at my house, although I will be holding some at Janie's Coffee Shop in downtown Holly. The tentative dates and themes for January are:

Jan. 3 - Scrapbook Workshop - Winter or one of the new lines from the new book
Jan 23 - Card Workshop - Love (Valentines)/Thinking of You

I currently don't have any Gatherings booked, but would love to get together with you and your friends. We can even do it at my house if that works better. I'm getting a really nice area set up in the basement! Let me know what month works for you!

Customer Story
In a recent newsletter from Close To My Heart Corporate Office, the following story was shared. It was such a great story I wanted to share it with all of you!

I am a long time customer of Close To My Heart and had many scrapbooks done, including one for each of my daughters. We lost our home to a fire last year. Both of the girls' scrapbooks were on my kitchen table and we thought they were a total loss.

Two days after the fire, we were rummaging through the ashes to look for some valuable jewelry and a friend came upon the scrapbooks. The table they were on was totally gone, as were most of the rest of our belongings, and both scrapbooks were badly burned but still fairly intact on the outside. We took them both out of the house and started looking at them and were super surprised to see that many of the photos were salvageable!

However it happened, the Memory Protectors® sealed together and preserved most of the pages. We lost photos from the edges of some of the pages because of burning, and lost some to moisture from the water and chemicals used to try to put out the fire. But we were able to salvage an incredible amount out of those books. Both the albums and Memory Protectors were from Close To My Heart.

We just wanted to let you know how well your products did in such an extreme situation and that we have told all of our fellow scrapbookers about our ordeal.

Kylie Mortensen, Customer, Trego, WI

Hope you all have a great November and Thanksgiving! I can't wait to give you a sneak peak of what 2010 has to offer in the December newsletter!

Around the Holidays

2009-10-30T12:26:00.000-07:00

The Around The Holidays My Originals Card Kit is super easy, super fast and SUPER cute! The kit comes with everything you need to make 4 gorgeous cards, including 3D foam tape and ribbon! I used these at one of my card workshops so everyone could experience how easy and fun
they are to make! Pick up a set today: https://ruthjoz.myctmh.com/Retail/Product.aspx?ItemID=4861&CatalogID=1548

November Promotion - Stampaganza

2009-10-28T19:12:00.000-07:00

Look Out! It's Stampaganza! Just in time for the holidays, the November promotion is Buy 2 Stamp Sets get 1 FREE! This promotion runs November 1st through November 30. I'm very excited about this promotion and hope you all are able to take advantage of it!! Remember you can shop with me online at: ruthjoz.myctmh.com.

My Goal

2009-10-18T19:12:00.000-07:00

I made it!! I made it!! I made it!! I made my straight to the top goal, I get $125 in free product. I'll be using this for stamp sets and paper packs from the new book (once it becomes available). I'm so excited to be able to share it with you at Gatherings and Workshops! Yahoo!

New Website!

2009-10-01T11:24:00.000-07:00

I have a new website! You can now shop online anytime and your product will ship directly to you. You can also check out my calendar to see upcoming events. I'll still be maintaining the blog too.

ruthjoz.myctmh.com

Fall/Thanksgiving Card Workshop

2009-09-29T19:27:00.000-07:00

I finished the samples for my upcoming Fall/Thanksgiving Card Workshop.

Sample: Gathering Projects

2009-09-22T18:29:00.000-07:00

The following are a couple Gathering projects I have done. The first uses Twitterpated paper and the Many Thanks Stamp Set. The second uses Grace paper and the Delightful Things Stamp Set.

Sample: Jingle

2009-09-22T18:24:00.000-07:00

5.5x4.25 card, Bookmark, 3x3 card

Sample: Grace

2009-09-22T18:22:00.000-07:00

5.5x4.25 card, 3x3 card, 3x3 card

Sample: Sweet Home

2009-09-22T18:19:00.000-07:00

3.5 x 8 card, 5.5 x 4.25 card, 5 x 7 card

Sample: Twitterpated

2009-09-22T18:16:00.000-07:00

Bookmark, set of magnets, 4x4 card, 3.5x8 card

2009 Workshops: Dates and Fees

2009-09-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

Workshop dates and fees have been set! Email or call ASAP to reserve your spot at the table.

Fall/Thanksgiving Card Workshop - Sat. Oct. 3 @ 2 p.m. at my house. We'll make 2 each of 3 different cards (6 cards total). We'll be featuring the Many Thanks Stamp Set and Twitterpated Paper. Fee: $9
Holiday Card Workshop - Sun. Nov. 1 @ 2 p.m. We'll make 2 each of 4 different cards (8 cards total). We'll be featuring Holiday Trinkets Stamp Set, Holiday Jingle Stamp Set, Card Chatter - Christmas Stamp Sets and Jingle Paper. Fee: $12
Small Gifts Workshop - Sun. Nov. 22 @ 2 p.m. We'll be making some wonderful small gifts, perfect for the upcoming gift-giving season. The gifts will include: a set of magnets, a bookmark and a cube. Fee: $15

Each workshop will also have a drawing for a special prize!

My First Gathering

2009-09-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

My first Home Gathering was this past Saturday and it was so much fun! Thanks mom for hosting! There was a pretty good turn out and everyone made a cute Fall card with acorns on it. The project was always my favorite part as a Gathering participant and is still my favorite part as a consultant. While I like talking about the products I really like it when the guests get to experience using them. I especially love it when they discover how fun and easy it is.

The Cube

2009-09-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

I finished my cube and I think it turned out really nice. The hardest part was coming up with a theme! It is SOO cute in person. This will be featured in a workshop class (small gifts) coming the end of November. I will also have this on display at Gatherings. I used the More To Adore (paper), Adorable stamp set and misc coordinating embellishments.

This is actually the top of the cube. The tag on the side pulls out and I wrote Reese's birth information on it.
Item used: Boutique Alphabet (R), Chocolate Large Alphabet, Blush Ribbon, Chocolate Ribbon, White Daisy Ribbon Slide, Connections Club Pearls.

Side 1 - Reese at 3 months
Items used: Clear Sparkles, Heartfelt Whimsy Diecuts, Adorable Stamp Set

Side 2 - Reese at 6 months
Items used: Pretty Pins, Blush Ribbon, White Daisy Ribbon

Side 3 - Reese at 9 months
Items used: Brads, Liquid Glass, Adorable Stamp Set

Side 4 - Reese at 12 months (she hasn't turned 12 months yet so no picture) I layered the photo sleeves so that I can put 2-3 pictures on this side.
Items used: Clear Sparkles, Heartfelt Whimsy Diecuts

New Idea Book

2009-09-02T16:21:00.000-07:00

The new Idea Book is now available for browsing online. Just click on the link on the right hand side (the image of the idea book).

My Originals Card Kits

2009-08-30T05:02:00.000-07:00

Close to My Heart offers something for all skill and interest levels. One of my favorite items for beginners (and even those more experienced) is the My Originals Card Kits. There are several designs to choose from. The kits come with everything you need to make a beautiful set of your own cards: preprinted card bases, coordinating My Stickease (adhesive backed cardstock images, kind of like super premium stickers) and envelopes. Some kits even come with extra embellishments, like the white swirl clips seen in the below pictures. My Originals are so easy and fast to make and they look great! For those of you who want to do a little more such as add some ribbon or other embellishments they are great for that too. At only 12.95 per pack of 12 it works out to be a little over $1 each!

My Originals Happy Everything Card Kit made without any additional embellishments

The card on the right is done with just the items included in the kit. The card on the left has some 3-d foam under the flower, top of the flower petals and under the end of the tag.
Note: To make a My Stickease no longer sticky on the back rub some baby powder on the back.

Magnets

2009-08-29T12:19:00.000-07:00

Magnets are super easy to create using the Close To My Heart Window Charms, scrap paper and a small magnet (purchased at a craft store). I created the below set of 4 in under 10 minutes.

These would make such a great gift and are an excellent way to use up a leftover bit of paper that is just too cute to throw out but too small to use for much else. Window Charms come in circle and square (although I think the square version is retiring this year). Each pack has a variety of sizes - the circle pack has 42 charms in 3 sizes: 3/4" to 1 3/4"and the square pack has 44 charms in 4 sizes: : 3/4" to 2".

Looking for some great how to?

2009-08-21T12:29:00.000-07:00

Close to My Heart offers some great webisodes demoing different products. Check it out.

http://www.closetomyheart.com/ctmhtv/channels.aspx

Workshops

2009-08-09T17:26:00.001-07:00

I'm trying to find out what workshops you are interested in, please leave me a comment or send me an email. For more information on what is included for the below workshops let me know and I will send you the flyer. These are the official workshops for the Autumn/Winter Idea Book, if you would be interested a different type of workshop let me know that too and I'll see what I can do to get something like that on the calendar.

Grace Scrapbook Workshop

Grace Card Workshop

Twitterpated Scrapbook Workshop

Twitterpated Card Workshop

Sweet Home Scrapbook Workshop

Sweet Home Workshop

Jingle Scrapbook Workshop

Jingle Card Workshop

Fall/Winter Preview

2009-08-07T14:26:00.000-07:00

The new Fall/Winter Preview is going on right now for Consultants only, but I just couldn't resist sharing the 4 new lines with you. Starting Sept 1, you can browse the catalog online. Contact me to schedule your Home Gathering so you can earn these exciting new products for yourself. Stay tuned for more information regarding workshops featuring these new themes.

JINGLE

TWITTERPATED

SWEET HOME

GRACE

Gatherings vs. Workshops

2009-08-07T12:25:00.000-07:00

What is a Gathering?

Typically a one-time event, Gatherings are great for getting acquainted with Close To My Heart, creating a small project, and earning Hostess Rewards.

What is a Workshop?

Workshops are regularly-held events, usually monthly, where guests pay a supply fee to create a scrapbooking or cardmaking project with instruction by me. This is a great way to build your scrapbooking or cardmaking skills.

Autumn/Winter Idea Book

2009-08-01T04:58:00.001-07:00

I got to preview the new Autumn/Winter Idea Book today. It rocks! Autumn and Winter are my favorite seasons and this new book has a lot of great new items that really fit the theme. I'm so excited to be able to share it with you all.

September kicks off the new Idea Book so think about hosting a Home Gathering with your friends so you can earn some of these great new products. September is also National Stamping Month and we have a great promotion going on for that (see the Sept. Promo post for details).

Over the next couple weeks I'm going to start planning my first workshop. Once I figure out what I'm going to do I'll post the details.

September Promotion

2009-07-24T18:23:00.000-07:00

The September Promotion was also announced and I think this is a GOOD one! I can't wait!

TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL STAMPING MONTH

in September we are giving you 3 ways to get a FREE Everyday Celebration card kit for making 16 beautiful cards!

Purchase a minimum of $60 in stamp sets** (includes A, B, C, D, and E-size) between August 18–September 30 (CC1006C)

Host a Home Gathering with minimum sales of $400 between September 1–30

September 1–30 you can also buy as many card kits as you’d like for $39.95 per kit (CC1006B). And there’s more fun! Place any order between September 1–30 and you’ll be automatically entered in our daily drawing for a FREE card kit! Winners will be announced on closetomyheart.com. Express your passion for stamping with this pretty new card kit today!

Kit includes:
1 – My Acrylix® Everyday Celebration Stamp Set (D-size) (Only available with this kit!)
16 – 4 W" * 5 V" Colonial White Card Bases
16 – 4 W” x 5 V” Colonial White Envelopes
1 – 12" x 12" Dutch Blue Cardstock
1 – 12" x 12" Colonial White Cardstock
4 – 12" x 12" B&T Duos® Paper
1 – Chocolate Distressing Ink
1 – Dutch Blue Distressing Ink
1 – Mini-Medley Accents Shades of Chocolate Collection
5' – Chocolate Ribbon with Colonial White Stitch
50 – 3-D Foam Squares
Sponge
1 – Full Color Step-by-Step Instructional Brochure
Featured Colors: Chocolate, Colonial White, Dutch Blue, Sweet Leaf

August Promotion

2009-07-24T18:19:00.001-07:00

The August Promotion has been announced, just in time for my first gathering!

YOU DO SO MUCH FOR EVERYONE ELSE; LET CLOSE TO MY HEART DO SOMETHING for you! This August 3–17, place a minimum order of $100 and you not only get the August Stamp of the Month, My Acrylix® It’s Your Day stamp set, for FREE, but we’ll throw in a My Reflections® Level 2 paper packet as well (a total retail value of $39.90)! How about even more thanks? We’ll also cover the tax and shipping/handling on the free products! Act fast, time is already running out. This Thanks-a-bration only lasts until August 17!

Thank You Card

2009-07-22T11:54:00.001-07:00

This card was created using Animal Cookies Paper Pack, Tree Tops Stamp Set, Fringed Phrases Stamp Set and Summer Craft Buttons.

Thinking of You Card

2009-07-22T11:42:00.000-07:00

This card was created using the Moon Doggie Paper Pack, Extreme Happiness Stamp Set and Fringed Phrases Stamp Set.

Training

2009-07-21T11:53:00.001-07:00

I've been going through some of the Close To My Heart online training the past couple days, during naptime and after the girls have gone to bed. It is really good and I am looking forward to sharing what I am learning with you.

My First Gathering

2009-07-21T11:49:00.000-07:00

My first gathering will be held on 8/8 at 3 p.m. I am getting so excited for it. I am eager for everyone to see just how much fun it is, not to mention easy! For those who are unable to attend you can still order from me or book a gathering or workshop to help get my business off to a great start.

I'm a consultant!

2009-07-16T11:26:00.000-07:00

Monday I joined Close To My Heart (a scrapbooking and stamping company) as an Independent Consultant. I am planning my kick-off event for 8/8. My friend Deb is also a consultant and introduced me to Close To My Heart. It is a great company and great new products come out 3 times a year! I am always so inspired after I come away from one of Deb's home gatherings or workshops and I wanted to be able to pass that along to my family and friends. I hope to have some really fun times showing everyone how easy and fun it is! One of the things I really like about their products is they make it SO easy to keep things coordinated which makes for a beautiful book, card or other project.