It's Almost Christmas!

Holy moly! Christmas is mere days away and I have been missing in action. The truth of the matter is that this Christmas season has somewhat gotten away from me. Life has been very busy on the home front and I honestly have not had much time for Christmas crafting and unfortunately, even Christmas cheer. But I am bound and determined to try to salvage some Christmas. Today, on one of my first free afternoons in weeks, I am going to try to attempt some Christmas crafting. And I'm going to be printing some of these to brighten up my Christmas wrapping.

(My printer is lacking in ink and having already braved the holiday crowds today, this is as good as it is going to get--but, hopefully, you can still get the idea of how cute these freebies from Close to My Heart are).

So even if you are ready for Christmas, print off some of these darling tags to brighten your Christmas wrapping or projects. And if like me, you're a bit overwhelmed this year, print them off just to simplify your Christmas wrapping (and make it look like you were a little more on top of it than you actually were--wink). 

Merry Christmas!

Cherish Your Memories in December

December is underway! But, lest any of you may be behind and suffering guilt because of it, please know that my Christmas shopping is not done, my Christmas cards are not made yet, and not all of my Christmas decor is up. But the Christmas music is playing and the Christmas spirit is alive and well at my house.

And with that confession, I'm a little slow getting my pages posted for this month's Cherish Your Memories workshop. The class was posted on Facebook a while ago but I didn't quite get to the blog post (again, please don't look to me for perfection--I'm trying to keep up just like everyone else). But here they are! I just need to go through my archived Christmas photos to find the perfect ones or add some from this year's festivities.

The class will be Friday, December 6th in Salt Lake City or Saturday, December 7th in Provo. I may have an extra packet or two if you haven't already RSVP'ed or I am happy to provide a kit if you can't attend or RSVP'ed too late. This kit includes the Sparkle & Shine paper packet, the Sparkle & Shine Complements, a cutting guide, the Cricut cuts (from the Artbooking cartridge) and any additional cardstock you may need. Contact me if you are interested.

Happy December! And Merry Christmas!

Christmas Card Workshop

I know, it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but in the crafting world, you've always got to be thinking ahead.

And with that, it's time to get your Christmas cards done! I had big plans to hold a Christmas card workshop this year as I have in years past. However, every weekend has filled up and so, instead of hosting a workshop, I'm offering kits this year.

Here's how it works. Choose from one of the three cards shown below or select a combination of the three. Each kit includes the precut material for 15 cards with envelopes. If you don't specify the combination of cards upon checkout, you will receive five of each design.

 

Choose pre-stamped (you assemble) or choose from the stamp/card kit or the stamp/card/inks kit.  The stamp/card kit includes the 15 pre-cut cards and envelopes plus the Single Snowflake stamp and the Santa Claus stamp set--you stamp and assemble but provide your own inks. The stamp/card/inks kit includes all of the above plus a Ruby ink pad and a Whisper ink pad.

Need more than 15 cards? Additional pre-stamped cards can be purchased for $1.20 each (envelopes included). Additional pre-cut (you stamp) cards can be purchase for 80 cents each (envelopes included). Order yours today to make sure you get them done in time for Christmas! Pick up from me or select the ship option in the cart.

Happy Christmas Card Crafting!

Christmas Card Kits

15 Cards--Prestamped $18.00 USD 15 Cards with Stamps $30.00 USD 15 Cards with Stamps & Inks $40.00 USD Pickup for Free $0.00 USD Ship to me $5.95 USD Additional Pre-stamped cards $1.20 USD Additional Pre-cut cards $0.80 USD

Simply Inspired Blog Hop--Handcrafted Holidays

I am so excited to be a part of the Simply Inspired Blog Hop. This particular hop is all about Handcrafted Holidays. If you have been moving along the blog hop chain, you should have just arrived from Diana Veenendaal's blog. If you got lost along the way or just want to go back to the beginning and start from there, click here for a complete list of bloggers in this hop.

I am a big fan of vintage items. I am also a big fan of Christmas. Combine the two and I am one happy girl. Browsing on Pinterest recently, I was inspired by various samples of Putz Christmas Villages. I found a pattern and decided that I had to make one. Utilizing the Sparkle and Shine paper and the Sparkle and Shine Complements Dimensional Elements, I went to work.

I am so in love with this project. It's like a tiny little North Pole house. The base is 4x6" and the house only stands 6" high at the highest peak. You could get two houses out of one 12x12" sheet of paper.
                             

 

Can't you just picture a little elf stepping out of that door? The Noel flag is from the Sparkle and Shine Assortment and was a last minute addition. For a frosted window pane look, I used glitter paper.

 

I random stamped the base with the Single Snowflake in Whisper ink.  And I added some prisma glitter to give it some North Pole sparkle. There was a little incident when I was adding prisma glitter. Needless to say, I was pretty sparkly last night and so was my craft room.

I hope I've inspired you. I know I am definitely in the holiday spirit. Now, hop on over to Pamela O'Connor's blog to check out what she has created.

Picture Your Life part II

I promised a picture of what was offered in the Picture Your Life offer (see original post here) and here is one:

This is only one of the 8 programs that you will be able to choose from if you join CTMH between now and December 15th and achieve $300 in sales by March 31, 2014. I know this is a just a sneak peek. I don't get to see anything more than this either but I'm sure the others will all be equally darling.

So what are you waiting for? Click here to sign up or don't hesitate to contact me should you have any questions. I love being a part of this company. I'd love to have you join me in the adventure.

Picture Your Life with Close to My Heart

Have I ever told you how or why I joined Close to My Heart? Believe it or not, it was almost 19 years ago! I was invited to several DOTS (Dozens of Terrific Stamps) parties as Close to My Heart was known then. I always had a conflict until about my 4th invite. I was absolutely hooked! I hosted a party of my own and I bought item after item and I was making cards and praising these stamps up and down to everyone. As I was showing my mom my latest creation, she said to me, "Have you considered selling this?" Hmmm. No, I hadn't. But now I did. As soon as I got home from my parents' home, I called my consultant and said, "What do I need to do to sign up?" And that was all she wrote. I've been with this fabulous company ever since. I've had my ups and downs. I've been everything from a hobbyist in this company to a business builder and you know what? No matter what your goals are, it's okay. This company has room for everyone. And I got an added bonus. Besides amazing products, great ideas, good discounts, and some really fun trips, I've made some of my best friends through Close to My Heart. What an unexpected and blessed bonus!

Why am I telling you this? Because CTMH is offering an unprecedented Consultant opportunity. If you have ever considered becoming a consultant then this may just be the month for you. From November 1—December 15, new Consultants who enroll with Close to My Heart may also receive a brand-new exciting product from the Spring/Summer 2014 Idea Book. What's the new product? It's the gorgeous new Picture My Life™ scrapbooking program. There are 8 fresh and stunning design themes to choose from, each one featuring 122 double-sided, designed cards in a mix of 3" x 4" and 4" x 6", plus a 12"x12" cover page to bring your album together beautifully. You also get 10 Memory Protectors™ with new formats designed just for this program and lots of your photos. It's a retail value of $24.95 but it’s FREE to qualifying new Consultants! To be eligible for the free product, the new Consultant must remit $300 in commissionable personal sales by March 31, 2014. I haven't even seen the new product yet but I should have pictures to post soon. I am picturing a project life/Simple Stories type product with a Close to My Heart twist to make your memory keeping faster, simpler and easier.

So do you want to learn more? First of all, here's a picture of the Essentials kit, just $49. You are essentially getting 70% off the products shown here! WOW!

Or, if you want more, go for the Master kit. It includes all of the Essentials kit plus the items shown here for just $99.00. Still a whopping deal!

Can you do this business? Yes, you can, whether you want to build a business or just get a discount on the product you love. Everyone is welcome here. Signing up is fast and easy. Just go to this link and follow the instructions. If you are at all hesitant or have questions, please contact me and we can talk through any questions, concerns, issues, etc. you may have before signing up. I had no idea what I was embarking on when I joined this company almost 19 years ago but I am so glad I did!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from me and my monsters! Okay, so there aren't any scary monsters. Just one lovable, blue, cookie loving one.

 Here's another Halloween monster for you!

And  here's a little Halloween treat and a joke to go with it (I've been texting my kids Halloween jokes all day and they all think I'm weird).

Who won the skeleton beauty contest?

No Body! Mwahahaha!

The darling Emily Anderson made both of these projects and I so appreciate her sharing them with me!

Have a spooky and safe Halloween!

Ghoul's Weekend

Saturday, we wrapped up our latest Artistic U Scrapbook Retreat. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN! And now I'm exhausted. But we had the best "Ghoul's Weekend" ever! If you missed it, never fear, we'll be doing another in the spring. Here's a few pics of the creative fun. Some are from Instagram.  If you have an Instagram account, check out #artisticu for more photos or follow me on Instagram, user name BlytheShupe.

The lodge was absolutely beautiful! We had plenty of space, a hot tub and heated pool, comfy sleeping arrangements, a theater room and gorgeous views! We even had a masseuse come up on Saturday to work out those knots from so much creative fun. We probably didn't take advantage of all the amenities like we should have because everyone was so busy scrapping!

My partner in creative crime, Jen Mahan. I couldn't have done this retreat without her and Diana Veenendaal. Diana cooked up a storm for us and we ate like royalty!

One of our pretty witches, Kristen. Anytime you finished a project, you got to wear the hat. The most projects completed over the weekend won a prize. Wish I looked as great in this witch hat as she does!

I'm taking a breather here. Enjoying some social time with my scrapping friends, Marielle and Sara.

   

One of the multiple projects provided to our participants. Jen Mahan is the creator of this beautiful page using the Close to My Heart Artbooking Cricut Cartridge and Cricut Craft Room to manipulate some of the images. 

 

Our pumpkin contest participants! They were all so creative. You had to decorate a pumpkin using scraps, etc. that you had on hand. I was very impressed with how clever they all were.

So if you missed it, make sure to sign up for next Spring! We plan on doing this twice a year, in the spring and fall. We'll be posting spring dates and details soon at ArtisticU.net. And now, I'm going to go take a nap. Got to rest up so I can start planning the next one.

It's a Blog Hop!

October 15th was a big day. Why you ask? Well, Close to My Heart's Holidays from the Heart Gift Guide went live. It's full of Christmas goodness as well as some non-festive goodies that will warm your heart. Now I know we are just gearing up for Halloween but we all need a little Christmas now and again. To get you excited for this gift guide and the special that accompanies it (spend $100 in product from the gift guide and/or the Close to My Heart catalog and receive a starred item from the gift guide FREE) I'm participating in a Blog Hop to give you lots of good ideas.

Now, we all know that while we have the best of intentions at Christmas time, sometimes reality gets in the way and we don't quite have enough time to do all those magical things that we wanted to. I had a similar experience creating projects for this hop. So instead, I decided to keep it simple. I love tiny gift cards, any time of year. And these were quick and easy!

Using the stamp set from the Seasons Tweetings Gift Bag Kit, it probably took me two minutes to create this little Happy Owlidays card.

And how about some Christmas kisses?

This card is my favorite though.

I love the Magical Days stamp set. I can't wait to play around with it some more. And I can't wait to see what some of my fellow bloggers did with it. Check out their posts below and see if you get some great inspiration.

This blog hop is open for members of the CTMH Blog Boosters. Please do not enter if you are not a member of the group.

A Little Pickled Toad

One of my favorite stamp sets for Halloween is Magic Potions. With "Commotion Potion, Guaranteed to Quiet the Voices Inside your Head", and "Bat Wing Brewing Powder", it is perfect for Halloween decor, parties, etc. My very talented friend, Diana Veenendaal, used Cricut Craft room and the Close to My Heart Cricut Cartridges to create this Pickled Toad candy holder. In Cricut Craft Room, she combined a web overlay and some shapes to create the base. The other shapes are from the Close to My Heart Artiste Cricut Cartridge and are sized for the Magic Potions stamps. If you don't know it already, many of the shapes in the stamp sets correspond with shapes on one of the three cartridges. The stamp carrier sheet will even tell you which cartridge, what page of the guidebook the image is on, and what size to set your Cricut to for perfect sizing. How's that for Faster, Simpler, and Easier?

Diana was kind enough to let me make one. Here it is from assembly to finish.

Did I say already that Magic Potions is one of my favorite Halloween sets? Well, I'm saying it again. Make sure to sponge around the green glitter paper in black ink It's a great finishing touch.

Don't you want to share a little Pickled Toad with someone you love?

A Halloween Layout

In October, I usually try to do at least one Halloween layout for my Cherish Your Memories scrapbooking group. However, this year, Close to My Heart didn't have a Halloween themed paper packet. So I looked at the colors of the various paper packets and toyed around with which paper could be most easily manipulated to work for Halloween (we are nothing if not versatile in the scrapbooking business). And then I saw a layout by my friend, Launi Layton utilizing the Sarita paper packet. And then I saw that layout as manipulated by my friend, Jen Mahan. So what did I do? I scraplifted the idea from both of them and manipulated the layout even more to make it my own. So here it is--my twist on a Sarita/Halloween layout for this month's Cherish Your Memories Class.

The Cricut Artbooking Cartridge was a must for this one. Use real dial size for some of the images and Cricut craft room to create the outline of the Haunted House. 

If you've never come to a Cherish Your Memories Class, you really should. We meet once a month in Salt Lake City and once a month in Provo and we have a great time. You get to have a fun with a group of people that love scrapbooking and you go home with four finished scrapbook pages (you just add the pictures). Contact me for time, place and cost. Here is the second layout we'll be doing on a non-Halloween theme.

We'd love to have you join us!

Happy World Card Making Day!

To celebrate the day, here is a card for all of you! Make something fun!

Happy October!

I love October. Time for cooler weather, sweaters, fall leaves and Halloween.

For my first Halloween share of the year, I share with you not my work but that of a friend. The wonderfully talented Jen Mahan made the cutest little desk banner and was kind enough to share her idea with me. Using Cricut Craft Room and all three Close to My Heart Cricut cartridges (which are so much easier to use all at once with Cricut Craft Room), Jen put together a file that includes all the cuts needed for this spooky banner. You can actually make between five and ten of this darling project from one packet of Laughing Lola paper, two to three sheets of black cardstock and a sheet of crystal blue cardstock. LOVE it!

And for more ghoulish ideas, check back periodically as the month progresses for more fall/Halloween inspiration. And if you want a fun "Ghoul's Weekend" don't forget to join us at ArtisticU October 24th to 26th. We'll have Halloween, fall and even Christmas fun planned for you there. The deadline for registration has been extended to October 10th. Hop on over here to register.

Artistic U Scrapbook Retreat

Today, I realized that the upcoming Fall Artistic U Retreat is just a month away! If you haven't gotten my invites, seen my posts on Facebook or attended any of my classes where I have talked about it, please know you are invited to attend my Fall 2013 Artistic U Scrapbook Retreat, October 24 at 4:00 pm to October 26th at 4:00 pm in Heber, UT. It's going to be fabulous! This is all inclusive--all meals (and they will be yummy), lodging complete with hot tub and theater room for breaks from scrapping, four fabulous projects, a goodie bag worth $75.00 and an Artistic U shirt. Oh yes, and plenty of room and time to relax and create to your heart's content. So hop on over to ArtisticU.net and click on the Fall 2013 tab to register. I'd love to have you there!

Since this is close to Halloween, we have a little holiday fun planned for your "Ghouls' Weekend". More details to come. Please join us for some scrapbooking and pampering!

Back To School

My kids have actually been back in school for two weeks now. Thank heaven they're still willing to pose for a first day back to school photo.

In honor of back to school, I created a back to school layout. It was a flashback on my eldest son's K through 12 experience.

And you know what I discovered? That I have no idea where I have put his 4th grade pictures! More importantly, that 13 years of public school for this one went by in a flash. Everyone tells you that. And you laugh and think, "Yea, right." And then you create a layout like this and go, "Oh".

If you have little ones, hug them tight. If they're close to flying the coop, hug them tight. If they're gone, send them a note to remind them you still love and think of them. And make sure you know where you've put all those years of school photos. It is making me crazy that I can't find those 4th grade photos!

You are My Happy...

It's National Stamping Month! And those of you who have been around for a while know that means a Close to My Heart Special. And this month's is a good one.

This month's special is a You are My Happy Stamp Set Trio! Valued at $47.90, you can get these three adorable stamp sets for just $10 with a $50 purchase. So if you've been thinking about picking up the Cricut Artbooking Cartridge or if you have some items on your wish list, this is a great month to get them to qualify you for the stamp set. Shop on my website or contact me to place your order. And while you're at it, add the September stamp of the month for just $5.00. It's one of my favorites! That's $115.85 in product for just $65.00.

I hope to have some artwork for you soon! I'm anxiously awaiting mine in the mail.