Amazing deal on Cricut.com!

If you have been on the fence or curious about the Cricut die-cutting system, the Cuttlebug or the Your story machine...the time to stop procrastinating is now!  Cricut.com has an amazing deal while supplies last.  Click on this link to learn more:  Cricut Ultimate Starter Bundle.  If you are in the Hampton Roads area, I will be holding technique classes for the cricut and the Cuttlebug embossing system.  Over time, I purchased all of the items in the bundle separately and can't even imagine how much I paid...it wasn't near $199.00!  Leave me a comment if you take advantage of the offer, because I'm still in disbelief!  Xoxoxo

Etsy Craft Party

I have truly enjoyed having an Etsy shop.  What is Etsy??  Etsy is www.etsy.com.  An internet site where YOU can "Buy unique handmade and vintage items directly from independent sellers around the world."  I sell my handcrafted paper items in my Etsy shop.  I also sell a few vintage items from time to time.  It is a super easy way for me to buy items that I LOVE and to sell the items that I make.  You can pay through PayPal or use your credit card directly on the Etsy site.  My shop is at http://www.kindnesspaper.etsy.com.  There is a link you can click on to the left of this post!  
Etsy has a "Craft Party" once a year for the sellers on Etsy.  A local shop chooses to organize the party for the area.  This year it was held at "Kitsch" in Norfolk.  They had a station where you could make and take an owl...see my cute little guy??  Yes, you guessed it!!  It's made out of a toilet paper roll!!  What an awesome craft to share with the kids in your life!!!  All you do is wrap the paper and tape it around the roll, punch or cut two circles for the eyes and a triangle for the nose and voila!  I might have to make a whole family of owls!!  HA!  You can check out Kitsch online at "Kitschva.com" or in person at 807 Shirley Avenue, Norfolk, VA  23517.  Thank you to Kitsch for your sponsorship of the Etsy Craft Party this year!  I enjoyed it!!!  

Thank You!!!

Thank you to all my new customers and blog readers!!! If I could reach out and give you a hug, I would!  Here's a little Kitty carnation for you instead!  xoxoxo  Sherry

Superhero Bonus!

In my last post I showed you a layout you could make from the Superhero paper packet.  I made 3 layouts so far out of that packet.  I still have some left over to make a one page layout, but I decided to get crafty (now there's a surprise!) and make a little note card for my honey.  On the new Artiste Cricut Cartridge only available through Close To My Heart (CTMH) there is a page dedicated to Father's Day.  There's the cutest little things on that page like argyle diamonds, an argyle border, a cupcake cup, a bow tie/shirt goody box, a Happy Father's Day title, and a #1 Dad sentiment.  There's also this cute little dress shirt/tie card that you can make.

It cuts out flat on the cricut and you fold it over to make a card.  I cut mine at 4 1/2 inches and it made a small card, a little bigger than gift size.  On the other side of the red Superhero paper is the side that has the "Superhero words" on it.  It has a moonstruck blue background, so if you were making a card, you would have to cut some lighter paper to go inside to write or stamp a sentiment.  I thought, hmmm....I'm going to make my honey a cute note for him to take to work and put in his desk.  

I cut a small strip of the chemistry table paper and wrote him a sweet note.  It tucked right up into the shirt!  Cute!!  You know, men really like to be reminded that they are your hero.  It feeds into their macho, caretaker/provider need.  He really liked it!  What a cute way to use some leftover paper!!!

Just a reminder that the Superhero paper packet is not in the new catalog.  It can still be ordered as long as supplies last.  The item number is X712B.  At $9.95 it is an incredible deal.  If you have a Cricut or have been thinking about buying one, you have to check out the cartridges that CTMH offers.  They are incredible deals that you won't find anywhere else!  

The Cricut^® Artiste collection helps you turn everyday events into magical celebrations! The unique cartridge takes creativity to a new level allowing you to cut themed projects and shapes using a single key. Color-coded images in the accompanying booklet indicate shapes that are linked and can be cut using the same size setting for hassle-free layering and assembly. Choosing a themed project is easy with the project reference pictures, and assembling 3-D items is a snap with the separate assembly and folding guide.

With 700 images, you’ll find a themed project for any event, large or small, from Valentine’s Day, Christmas, and Halloween, to occasions like birthdays and baby showers, plus clever motifs like signage, game night, gears, timepieces, awards, and more. Use the three coordinating My Acrylix^® D-size stamp sets to jazz up your Cricut accents, then splash in some Dimensional Elements shapes from the three included sets for added flair! The Cricut^® Artiste cartridge makes it easy to create a charming, cohesive project, taking you from crafter to awesome artiste in a flash.

Cricut^® Artiste Collection (Z1790)

$99 (retail value of nearly $125)
1 – Cartridge (700 images: themed projects, cards, font, shapes, 3-D items)
3 – My Acrylix^® D-size Stamp Sets*
3 – 12" × 9" Dimensional Elements in coordinating shapes

SUPERHERO and Best Friends

Have a son or grandson?  (Of course, Superhero could apply to a Dad or Grandpa too!) Have you seen the Superhero paper from Close To My Heart?  I have made 3 different fun layouts with the paper packet.  The packet comes with 6 sheets of patterned paper (CTMH calls them B&T duos), and 6 sheets of coordinating cardstock. All for $9.95!  The item number is 'X7152B'.  If you like my layout, you can either buy the layout in my Etsy store or purchase the paper packet on my ctmh store.  Click the box to the right that says, "Shop with me".

I chose this two page Best Friends layout to share with you:

All of the items I used came in the paper packet except black hemp to tie on the "chemistry paper" tags.  That is item #Z282.  I also used the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge to cut the tags and the NEW Artiste Cricut Cartridge for the title "Best Friends".  The photo spot on the first page is cut at 4 1/4" x 6 1/4" so that you can add a 4 x 6 photo of the friends!  The sentiment on the side is "Dynamic Duo".  What do you think of the "torn" paper look?  It adds texture to your page.  I also took my black pen and added dots at the top of the letters to make them stand out more.  It's the little things that really make your page look polished!

On the second page, the white space at the top is for journaling about the best friends.  The two smaller photo spots to the right are for individual pics of the two friends.  Add a white sticker alphabet (CTMH used to carry one..can't find it at the moment...) at the bottom right corner of each pic that spells out the boys' names and you will LOVE IT!  The two larger photo spots are 3 1/2 x 5 to add some comical pics of the boys.  Think superhero stuff if you want to do a photo shoot with the two friends.  :)

Leave me a comment to let me know what you think of this layout!  Now, let me see if I can go feed some hungry superhero's in my household!  xoxoxo  Sherry

August Specials

Hey Ya'all I have $5.00 specials for my FIRST MONTH as a CTMH Consultant!!! To celebrate National Stamping Month in September, CTMH is offering a double stamp set! You can get the exclusive My Acrylix® It’s Your Day double stamp set for just $5 when you place a minimum order of $35 in full retail products from August 15 through September 30, 2012. Visit my business page at: http://kindnesspaper.myctmh.com/

You’ll love this double set — two D-size sets in one envelope — which includes nearly 50 trendy images that makes it easy to capture the everyday moments in your life. With a retail value of $35.90, this set drastically increases the value of your qualifying purchase. Have twice the fun stamping during National Stamping Month with your new It’s Your Day double stamp set!

This is my SECOND Exclusive special to customers who book a gathering or on-line party with ME!! Anyone booking an in-home gathering from me can order the FLIRTY workshop ($29.95) for $15.00!! You can make 4-5 layouts from that workshop, but you must place your order through me. Just let me know and I'll order it for you! I will be hosting TWO different workshops at NO CHARGE to anyone purchasing FLIRTY here in the Va Beach area. LET ME SHOW YOU HOW.... is my MOTTO!! xoxoxo Workshops on the Go® Flirty Kit Contents
Flirty Paper Packet
My Acrylix® Flirty Workshop Stamp Set (C-size)
Colonial White Cardstock Sheets (2)
Sparkles Clear Assortment
Flirty Complements Dimensional Elements
Instructional Guide
Featured Colors: Flirty Raspberry, Flirty Yellow, Goldrush, New England Ivy

Follow the included step-by-step instructions to create the two-page layout featured in the workshop guide. The layout pattern is a Jeanette Lynton original created exclusively for this workshop. Then use your remaining materials and online tips to create an additional layout and a bonus project, shown in the guide.

Time Flies

This week I have been working on Close To My Heart's "Avonlea" workshop. The workshop features a two page layout entitled "Time Flies". YES IT DOES. Last night I had a date with my husband. We went to the Poison/Def Leppard concert here in Virginia Beach. The songs took me right back to my high school years. Poison has been performing for 25 years; Def Leppard for 34 years. I remember watching their videos premier on MTV! It was a great break to go and get my wiggle on at the concert; I didn't sit down the whole time the bands were on!

As I was working on the "Time Flies" layout, I was able to see how quickly my son, Bryan has grown!

I love the color combination in Avonlea. When you have boys, you don't always want to go with typical BOY papers. The colors in the kit (teal, olive, chocolate, slate) are masculine in my opinion. It was nice to mix-up the image colors with this kit.

LOVED the velour rub-ons! Not only did they add great texture to the layout, they were super easy to apply!!

This is the first time I have used my acrylic stamps reverse side! You use the back of the stamp in "second-generation" stamping, and then stamp the correct side with "first-generation" stamping! I know you are saying, ?WHAT? Second-generation means that you ink your stamp, stamp it on a scrap paper, and then stamp it a "second" time on your layout. It comes out lighter and gives an "aged" look. Then you can put your "first" and regular stamp on top of it and have a light outline to it. See the picture to clarify my words.

I will be sharing the additional layout from the Avonlea workshop and the additional project later this week! Let me know what you think of Avonlea! I am getting really excited for my FIRST gathering that I am hosting at my home this Saturday!! Can't wait to share my excitement, passion and knowledge of CTMH with my friends!! Wish me luck!!!

Brothers Layout using "Dotty For You" Paper Packet

Close To My Heart has a lot of cool specials every month.  Recently I was able to take advantage of one of them and purchased 3 packages of paper called "Dotty For You".  The colors are really great, so I thought I would use some black and white photos from when the boys were young.  What do you think??

When you are building a page, having a strategy for contrasting papers works well. In this instance, I used coordinating papers (thanks CTMH!) in a small dot, stripe, and a large pattern. This would also work with a small check (or small pattern), a stripe, and a large floral. The contrast of the different papers is very appealing to the eye.

The colors in this project were so bright, that adding Black and White images really works well to bring the attention to your photos. All items used in this project are CTMH except for the "Brothers" alphabet is from ColorBok and I'm not sure about the round wooden circle.

I AM NOW AN OFFICIAL CLOSE TO MY HEART CONSULTANT!!!!

I have been waiting for MONTHS to become a CTMH consultant! I have been a CTMH customer for YEARS! I LOVE their products. They are high quality, very affordable and they carry a great selection of items! I returned from our 3 1/2 years in Japan (My hubby recently retired from the NAVY!); and started planning for my business. I finally took the plunge on August 1st so that I could take advantage of the Bonus Free Exclusive Tote Bag!

When a new Consultant joins Close To My Heart in August they will receive an exclusive Damask Tote Bag for FREE (retail value $50)! This offer has limited availability, so if you have been thinking about becoming a scrapbook consultant act quickly to ensure you score this darling tote bag. This offer is good for both the $49 and $99 New Consultant Kits (while supplies last). This is the same cute bag we gave to Consultants who attended Convention 2012 in Dallas. Bag offer is valid August 1, 2012 (9:00 am MDT) – August 31, 2012 (11:59 pm MDT)

I love paper crafting from card-making to scrapbooking and many other things in between. I have a shop on Etsy.com to sell some of my creations. You can find it at

I will be using this blog to share techniques, tips, and how-to's about my creations. I will also share current CTMH information. Please contact me if you have any questions regarding CTMH products.

Over the next week I will finalize planning my first home-gathering in my home. I will also be taking on-line courses learning about Close To My Heart!