Close to My Heart Convention and Becoming a Consultant

Every summer, I join hundreds of other Close to My Heart Consultants at the annual convention. It is one of the highlights of my year. This summer was no exception. We met at Disney Coronado Springs Resort at Walt Disney World.

Of course, my wonderful Artistic U partners and I went out early to play. If you've attended any of our Artistic U workshops, you know we like to have fun.

Fun times at Universal Studios (we only went for the Harry Potter attractions but they are the best!).

Oh, I guess we went for the butter beer as well. So fun to have Jen's mom join us.

And we of course visited the Magic Kingdom. Is it legal to go to Orlando and not go to the Magic Kingdom?

But the main purpose was convention. It was four days full of creativity, fun, and friendship. And this was my 22nd convention!

Why on earth would I stick around for 22 conventions? Because the friendships I have made, both with other consultants and my customers, and the creativity that I have enjoyed are well worth it.

Next year's convention will be much closer to home, Salt Lake City, Utah. I'd love to have you join me. Close to My Heart is offering a fantastic sign up special in July. You get extra free product from the new catalog coming out in August. You'll have new stuff before any customers can order.

Any questions? I'd love to answer them. And I'd love to have you on my team! For more info or to sign up, click here.

Happy Crafting!

Convention Highlights and a New Addition to the VW Series

The annual Close to My Heart Convention is one of the highlights of my year. The most recent one was held in July at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim. To gear up, I pulled out my Artfully Sent Cricut cartridge and make a new VW for the series. I LOVE this one. 

Close to My Heart gets so creative with their themes! This year the theme was UP.

One of the BEST parts of convention is getting to see so many friends I only get to see once or twice a year AND getting to hang out with these fabulous roomies of mine.

There is always some good creative stuff. We get to make wonderful stuff with brand new product.

There's always a few characters mixed in too.

And you never know. There might be an award in order if you work hard (I was surprised with one this year). There's always an awards banquet with great food and great entertainment.

And we all need a chance to dress up and sparkle!

Yes, I will be back at convention next year. I can't wait. It will be at Disneyworld in Florida! Anyone want to join me? It's easy to become a consultant and so much fun. Check it out here or contact me.  If you've been a consultant with Close to My Heart before, you can rejoin in August for just $49 (if you didn't get an email from CTMH, contact me as your instructions will be slightly different).

Just looking back at these pictures makes me so happy. And that is why I do this. I do this because it matters that I preserve those memories. It matters that I foster those friendships. It matters that I laugh until I almost wet my pants. And it matters that I help others to do the same. Make memories, people! And then preserve them! I'm happy to help.

Happy Creativity and Crafting!

Want to join CTMH? March is the month to do it.

I joined Close to My Heart (CTMH) over 20 years ago because I loved the stuff and because my mom suggested it to me. I never comprehended the opportunities, friends and fun it would provide over the next several years. 

When I joined, the kit was well over 300 dollars and full of lots of great stuff..., that didn't always work together so well. I learned a lot through trial and error and it was definitely an evolutionary process.

Not so today. Today, the CTMH kit is priced at only $99 and everything is coordinated to work together well. You can choose between a scrapbooker kit or a card kit so the kit is catered to your interests. And CTMH offers fabulous online training as well as national conventions and regional meetings to help you come up to speed. And I, as your upline, offer quarterly meetings and can work with you one on one to help you achieve whatever goals you set for yourself. We've come a long way!

New Consultant Scrapbooker Kit

New Consultant Cardmaker Kit

And, this month, CTMH is sweetening the deal. If you sign up in March, you get this beautiful shoulder tote. It's great to carry all that crafting stuff or use as a purse. 

AND, (it gets better), if you sell $300 in product in your first 40 days as a new consultant, you receive the matching rolling tote FREE! This thing is fabulous and it is worth $149.95! 

Look at all the stuff this can hold. I've been drooling over it for a couple of months because my current craft tote is beginning to wear out, my bag is boring (no pretty chevrons here), and look at all the stuff it can hold! Oh, wait, I said that already. 

So, let's put this in perspective. During March, you purchase the consultant kit at $99 and get over $300 in products and supplies. In addition, you get a darling shoulder tote that is valued at $26. You sell $300 to family and friends (or even yourself--yes, we're all honest here) and you earn a commission of $66 from that sale. And then you get a $149.95 rolling tote for free. That's a pretty sweet deal. 

So what are you waiting for? I'd love to have you on my team. And you know you want that tote. I know I do. Just go here to start your CTMH journey! 

I'm happy to answer any questions so don't hesitate to ask!

Picture My Life: A Look Back at My Close to My Heart Career

One advantage of being a part of Close to My Heart for almost 20 years has been the friendships I have made. I have met so many wonderful people and so many of them have had a positive influence on my life. I was feeling very nostalgic recently and started going through some of my photos from various events over the last several years. It was so much fun to look back and remember.

Here is my first convention. I had only been a consultant for five months--my three lovely downline less than that. We were so overwhelmed and so excited to be starting out on this big adventure. And we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. 

This is my third convention. I don't know where pictures of my second went. That's my sister--yes, I roped her in and she's still a part of this adventure as well. 

Ahh, San Antonio, TX! We had so much fun, even if Jodi and I were both pregnant and miserable in the heat. 

My team, titled Kindred Spirits (yes, it is a play on Anne of Green Gables), was growing and the memories and friendships were multiplying. 

We've been blessed to know those who are no longer with us (love you, Cindy!). 

Lots of fun and games going on with these folks!

So much talent in our team! And so much generosity to share ideas! Many of us taught at conventions and other events. The lovely Kim, pictured above, was an album contest winner, a huge honor!

Why yes, we did have a pageant! These lovely ladies competed in creativity, artful knowledge and technique. 

So much fun with friends from far and near! I feel very blessed to know these women (and yes, a few men consultants too). 

I still have a few more years to cover and I still have to go back and journal. But honestly, this project was the result of a few hours on a Sunday afternoon and a Picture My Life Skylark kit. This month's special is all about the Picture My Life kits and the pocketed sheet protectors. Check it out here. I will need some extra sheet protectors to finish out this project so it is a timely special for me. If you're swamped for time but have pictures that need to be pulled together quickly, check out Picture My Life. It truly is fast and easy and a perfect way to pull together an album. 

And if you've ever thought about doing what I do, check it out and contact me. I wouldn't trade the last 19+ years and the friendships I've made for anything. 

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!

Close to My Heart Convention

Those of you who know me know I love Close to My Heart. And those of you who know me also know I love anything Disney. Well, then what could be better than the annual Close to My Heart Convention in Walt Disney World?!

I taught at this year's convention so I had a hectic few weeks of creating. My patient family didn't see much of me for about three weeks. But oh, the glorious new stuff that is coming out! And I got a sneak peek at some of it because of my class. Yep, there is a new catalog that will be effective August 1st and with it a NEW CTMH Artbooking Cricut Cartridge. Uh huh. It's a good one. It's geared towards mini-albums, big albums, cards, photo mats, and other wonderfulness.

And there are beautiful new papers and stamps and accessories! I was assigned the ProPlayer packet. If you have gamers in your family, this paper is for you. But even if you don't, it's pretty darn versatile so you really must try it. All of these samples utilize the new Artbooking Cricut Cartridge.

 

 My fabulous friend, Colette, took the wonderful pictures I used for these. Isn't it good to have fabulous friends?

  

This is my new favorite stamp set. 

Or maybe it's this one?

I haven't even played with many of the others yet so there is still time to establish a favorite.

I have so much more creative goodness to share but I think I will spread it out over a few days and keep you coming back for more. Besides, I just spent several hours cleaning up my craft room after those three weeks of creating and I can't quite bring myself to bury it again just yet.

But lest you forget that I was in Disney World and I do so love Disney, here's a few pics of that fun.

And did I fail to mention I love Harry Potter too? I got to visit him too at Universal Studios Orlando. Broom flying is not for me though as I discovered on the Forbidden Journey ride. But oh, the Butter Beer was yummy (thankfully, I drank this after the Forbidden Journey ride).

You know, next year's Close to My Heart Convention is in Disneyland in Anaheim, CA. Ever thought about being a consultant? If so, let's chat. Some of my best friends have come through my associations with this company. And that is even better than any Disney or Harry Potter ride.