RIBBON RAVES!

Wow do I love some of the Close to My Heart ribbons! There are so many new ones, but my two favorites are the Dark Chocolate striped Grosgrain Ribbon and the Slate Satin Polka Dot Ribbon which to me, just really give a card something extra. The pictures in the catalog DO NOT do these justice!

Here's a pretty card I just made using the slate polka dot ribbon. I think it's gorgeous!

I USED THE SONOMA (RETIRED) PAPERS WHICH I ABSOLUTELY LOVED! I USED SOME SLATE CARDSTOCK THAT CAME WITH THE SONOMA PAPERS FOR THE CARD BASE. THIS BOW IS ACTUALLY A REAL TIED BOW.

Here's another one with a little different twist on the bow:

ON THIS ONE, I JUST TOOK A PIECE OF THE SLATE RIBBON AND TIED IT WITH SOME SILVER TWINE.

I just LOVE THESE CARDS!!!

I love the Close to My Heart cardstock.  It is so heavy duty and makes beautiful card bases. Not flimsy like the card sets you buy elsewhere.

Now for the Chocolate Brown Grosgrain striped ribbon.  I am totally hooked on this one!  Here's a birthday card I made using the (retired) Pemberly papers.  I think the ribbon just adds so much. I put little plain brown grosgrain knots on top of it.

And here's a Christmas card I previously made, using the Pear & Partridge papers (retired) last December.  That brown grosgrain ribbon goes with just about anything!

I TIED A LITTLE PIECE OF TWINE AROUND THE GROSGRAIN RIBBON.  I ALSO USED DAKOTA  PAPER FOR THE BACKGROUND. I LOVE THAT WOODGRAIN LOOK AND IT IS STILL AVAILABLE!

I've seen the Dakota woodgrain papers used with our new CHANTILLY  papers on vintage-look cards.  Here is a darling card posted by Sarah Stone Creations. It's hard to believe you could put woodgrain with pastels and get vintage!

SEE THAT DAKOTA WOODGRAIN PAPER BEHIND THE LEAVES AND FLOWERS? 

 I also love the Hollyhock Zipper Lace and the Burlap Ribbon.  I'll try to get some samples on my blog soon.

Happy ribboning!! {is that really a word?} 
 
 

Happy Valentine's Day - and vintage favorites.

TO ALL THE LOVELY LADIES OUT THERE WHO READ MY BLOG!

SWEET LITTLE WALL HANGING QUILT THAT MY AUNT "HOO HOO" MADE IN THE 1990'S. I sure loved quilting with her and loved her so much. She passed in 2005.  Happy Valentine's Day Aunt Hoo Hoo!

SHARE YOUR LOVE AND IT WILL COME BACK TWO-FOLD.  I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT.  This is a treasured cup and saucer that was my mom's.  The hankie underneath is one that my mom collected over the years.  She was an avid garage-saler and loved vintage hankies. She passed in 2001 and I miss her terribly.  Happy Valentine's Day mom!

SHARE SOMETHING SPECIAL TODAY WITH A LOVED ONE.

The thread of our life would be dark,

Heaven knows!

If it were not with friendship and love intertwin'd.

Thomas Moore

 

TIME FOR VALENTINE CARDS.

Where did February go? It's time to be making cards for our loved ones and I'm behind already! Here are a couple of cards I've managed to get done. Thought you might enjoy them!

I just love the look of this one!  I can't take credit for it though.  I lifted it from Lynn's Stamping and Scrapbooking  and when I saw it, I just had to make it!  I made a little tag to fit inside the little envelope.  Made the envelope from Martha Stewart's score board. They are so cute and easy to make and have so many uses.  A little black glitter paper around the edges really makes it pop!

 Here's another view:

 

My ALL TIME FAVORITE is one that I made following a design of Allisa's at Rocky Mountain Paper Crafts.  She had this card posted on her blog which I subscribe to. I changed it up a little bit.  I used black glitter paper and silver glitter paper.  I just love the new glitter papers that CTMH has in their new Spring/Summer 2013 Idea Book!  There also gold, brown and tan glitter papers.

I used silver glitter glue around the edge of the heart.  Two little pink bows stuck down with Liquid Glass, a heart button on top with a little bit of our red twine.  How cute!

One more view of this gorgeous card.  THANK YOU Rocky Mountain Paper Crafts for this beautiful card idea!

The versatility of these cards shows you how much fun we can have with creating beautiful things.  I used the January special kit, Whooo's Your Valentine, which was only available in January, but any artistic stamp set can be used, or any sentiment.

Here are some of the Whooo's Your Valentine Treat Tubes that I made with the kit.  I filled them with Hershey's Kisses. Little red hots look great inside, or colorful heart candies.  The treat tubes will be available on their own in a pack of six, beginning on March 1st.  They can be made up for any occasion.

Valentine's Day. Such fun and another reason to make something pretty for our loved ones!


 

FEBRUARY STAMP OF THE MONTH - Home Sweet Home

Just a quick post to show you the MUST HAVE February Stamp of the Month, Home Sweet Home.  

Yours for only $5.00 with your $50.00 order in February. Or you can purchase it for $17.95.  

Here's a project showcased in the CTMH Spring/Summer 2013 Idea Book.  So many uses for this darling stamp set.

Darling scrapbook page and little muslin drawstring bag using this stamp set.

And yes, one of the exciting NEW PRODUCTS is the muslin drawstring bags set of 3, which can be stamped on, and colored with the watercolor pencils or markers.  Here's one that I made using the Adore stamp with Smokey Plum ink.  These can be used as gifts to hold sweet treats, gift cards, soaps, fat quarters (for you quilters), potpouri, note cards, and many other little goodies.

 

HAPPY STAMPING!!!!

         

FLIRTY PAPER PACK FOR SALE - $1.75!

Just a quick little post today! Just noticed that the While Supplies Last area of the CTMH website has the FLIRTY PAPER PACK on sale for $1.75! Wow and double wow! View it here. If you need some pretty spring colors and flowers, get one while supplies last. You can also get the BULK flirty paper pack of 24 sheets of the one double sided sheet shown here for just $3.50. What a steal!  There are some matching Flirty Dimensional Elements for $1.50 too.

HERE ARE THE FLIRTY PAPERS USED IN OUR DISPLAY TRAY.

 

 

 

 

 

They also are still carrying the Mischief paper pack for $2.50. Love this and love the blacks, grays and rusts that will go with so many of our current papers!

MISCHIEF PAPER PACK - NOT JUST FOR FALL OR HALLOWEEN! LOOK AT THE GORGEOUS BLACKS, BROWNS, BEIGES AND RUST!

AND ONE MORE EXCITING PACK - THE BULK PEAR & PARTRIDGE B&T DUO, which means you get 24 sheets of one design, shown here (the most popular) for $3.50.  You will get 24 sheets of the beautiful page of the partridges and green and red scrolls, plus a gorgeous green printed color on the back.  Here's one of my cards using the paper.. it's the little tree......  you can see the little pears and partridges and scrolls and the pretty green on the back.  I don't have a picture of the entire sheet... sorry.  You can view it above on my website.

PEAR & PARTRIDGE BULK PAPER USED ON THE TREE.  DAKOTA PAPER IS USED ON THE BACKGROUND (THE WOOD GRAIN PAPER).

That's my quick post for today!  Just wanted you to be aware of these fantastic specials going on right now on my website here.  Every week or so, new things are added, so be sure to check back every week or so!

HAPPY SALES!!!!!
 

 

NEW CATALOG - MY FAVORITE FUN PAPER!

Hi all!  We all know that the new Close to My Heart Spring/Summer 2013 Idea Book is now published, delivered, online, and ready to view!  Or do you?  ha!  I've probably reminded you enough for the last month that you are sick of hearing it (if you're not a consultant or customer of Close to My Heart). This Idea Book edition is so beautiful. Here is is again. I just love the cover! 

And for you fabric lovers, be sure to scroll down to the end of this post to see the new exciting products!

I am so EXCITED about the new Chantilly  paper pack!  This is the most "fun" and "happy" and "cheerful" paper I've seen from anywhere, not just from Close to My Heart.  IT IS MY MOST FAVORITE PAPER PACK.

Here is the STAR of the Chantilly show!  This paper is so bright and happy.  The cover project on this Spring/Summer Idea Book uses the Chantilly papers and colors.

Here are pages from the Idea Book showing the entire paper pack (2 each of 3 two-sided B&T papers, and 6 colored papers that coordinate).

Note the DARLING Dimensional Elements on the lower right.  ALSO PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PHOTO DOES NOT DO THESE PAPERS JUSTICE.  THEY ARE MUCH BRIGHTER AND VIVID.

Two page scrapbook layout which is shown in the Idea Book on pg. 18. I LOVE these pastel papers!

And since I haven't yet purchased this paper pack (but it's next on my list), I wanted to show off a beautiful card made by Marilyn Gossett of Marilyn Gossett Designs.  She is so talented and this card shows the brightness and FUN of this paper!  

FABRIC, FABRIC, FABRIC!!!
And guess what?  for those of you who love sewing and quilting, CTMH has added FABRIC to their line of products!  How exciting is that?  My mind is spinning with all the things I can do with fabric and paper, and I'll be posting some projects as soon as I receive the fabrics.  Their line of fabrics matches two sets of papers.  One line coordinates with the Chantilly papers, and the other coordinates with the For Always papers shown here.

Each fabric "coordinates" with the papers and is not an exact match. Each piece is 14x24 Inches (much bigger than a fat quarter!) and the 3 pack set sells for $8.95.

Here's a project designed by the CTMH designers which is pictured on the back page of the Idea Book, which uses the For Always papers and fabric. They've also used a little bit of Chantilly paper, and the new My Reflections Clear Paper Pouches as a little envelope for the tag.  Isn't this sweet?  If you want to find out how to make this, please get in touch with me.

All Rights Reserved - Close to My Heart.  I would have the little copyright thingy here but I can't figure out how to make it on my blog!  sorry...  (Fabric is used for the background, around the edges and behind the photo, oh, and a little ruffle too!).

 

Close-up of the cute little paper pouch, and the ruffled fabric.

As I said above, my mind is spinning with ideas for projects using fabric!  I have been a quilter and seamstress for years, and I actually could NOT get to sleep the other night because of the ideas running through my head.  I had to get up and write everything down before I forgot them.  

And when I woke up, I couldn't find the piece of paper!  I thought I might have been dreaming, but phew.... I found it and there was my scribbled hand writing so I knew I hadn't been dreaming {shaking my head}.

I'll be posting some of those projects and more of my favorites soon!