More Fun to Come

July was a busy month and the highlight was the Close To My Heart Convention. Attending the convention marked three firsts for me - 1st time in California, 1st time to any Disney property, and 1st convention. And I have to say, it was awesome fun! So, there is great news to share!

The new Annual Inspirations book launches September 1 and it is filled with incredible new products. The Holiday Expressions book launches at the same time, and it is now the location for Stamps of the Month! Sneak peaks at the end of the post!

August is providing  several new products to get you excited about what is to come. Meet Zoe, the newest paper design, and all the coordinating products. Explore the newest Cricut cartridge set, and for the first time ever the digital version for those of you who have the Cricut Explore. Check out the awesome specials available when you purchase the Accessory Roll-Up or the Marker Roll-Up which just happen to match the rolling tote and tote bag! Free items are included with purchase. Finally, there is also a great new Stamp of the Month.

A peak at the new Annual Inspirations Cover and the new Seasonal Inspirations Cover!

Zoe and her "friends."

Artistry Cricut Set

Get Organized Roll-Ups

 

 

 

August Stamp Of The Month

As always, visit my site for full details - http://shalpern.ctmh.com

Craft on!

 



Summer Celebrations

Well it has been nearly a year since retiring from teaching, and 10 months since I moved from NY to Colorado. Trying to restart my Close To My Heart business is a slow process, but I am meeting some great people and hopefully, I will be able to grow.

I wanted to share some of the news from CTMH.

First of all, a huge number of items are retiring and have been placed on a while supplies last status.  So getting them while they are available will mean ordering sooner rather than later to insure availability. You can view the retired list by choosing the shop now link above and go to "retiring" in menu bar, or you can go to http://shalpern.ctmh.com select shop, and then select "Retiring" from the side menu bar.

The new Annual Inspirations will go live online September 1, so get ready for some surprises! I'm sure there will be irresistible new products.

The biggest news is that I am going to Convention for the first time and I am really excited about it. Not only do I get to experience all the creative and business seminars, I get to stay at "the happiest place on earth." That's right, I am going to Disneyland! I'd say it's about time because I have never visited any Disney property. I know, it is hard to believe, but that is the truth. And what a time to visit! The 60th anniversary is happening now and special events are ongoing. I can't wait! While I am at convention, I will see a preview of some of the fabulousness Close To My Heart has planned for the next Annual Inspirations catalog. I'm sure it will be incredible!

June's special promotion is a great way to capture your Summer fun - with the purchase of a My Crush book and its assortment, you will get the coordinating stamp set (a $9.95 value) for FREE. These great little books are fantastic for trips, events, graduates, and any other fun memories you want to preserve.

The Stamp of the Month could not get any cuter! Just think of the fun you can have making cards or creating layouts with this set. As always, you can purchase it for $5 with a $50 purchase, or you can purchase it at the full retail price of $17.95. The choice is yours!



 

I haven't posted in a couple of weeks, so I thought I better get another post up before you decided I wasn't coming back. I have been making some projects that I have enjoyed creating. The ones pictured are thanks to the inspiration of Kimberly Deines, a CTMH consultant who has graciously invited me to attend her team meetings and events. These are seasonal pages I created at one of her workshops. Anyone interested in creating these of others in the future, just let me know! I also attended an all day crop with 450 other crafters. It was fun to see what others are doing and it gave me an opportunity to network. (This event was the spin off of one that used to be called the World's Largest Crop. It is now We Love Cropping 2) I've also been trying my best to re-establish my Close To My Heart business and I have had some success. I have a small group getting together once a month for a card class, but we're are trying a project in May. I'm looking forward to having more events in the future.

Spring has sprung here in Colorado, so I am enjoying my flowers and flowering trees. It is hard to stay inside when everything outside is so pretty. Despite that, I an getting ready to actually do my craft room. When I moved to Centennial, I had a table and a few storage cubes, but not nearly enough to store and organize my paper crafting stash. Needless to say, I have too much, but as a good friend used to tell me, "A girl's gotta have choices!" Fully subscribing to that theory, I have many choices and they continue to grow. My storage and organization dilemma is soon to be resolved. After visiting IKEA several times, I have decided upon and ordered the solutions to my problem. This week, IKEA will be delivering my new additions. The fun begins when I have to assemble all this! I'm up for the challenge, and I will soon have an organized craft room where I can actually find what I need and have a place to put everything. I am really excited to finally have a real craft room. Once it is all together, I'll post a picture or two.

Last but not least, I added a new member to my household. He is an eight or nine month old fur-baby that I adopted from the Foothills Animal Shelter. He is a very curious, active, and silly little kitty. Surprisingly, he is pretty well behaved. He comes to watch me work on my projects, but he usually hangs out without disturbing them unlike the cats I've had in the past who liked to lay upon the pieces or knock them on the floor. He too will eventually pictured here.

Stay tuned for more news!
Sue

Welcome Spring in Designed Décor Shadowbox Frame

Easter page fits frame above

 

Summertime page for frame above

 

All day crop April 11, 2015

Retired and Restarting

Scrapbooking, card making, and other paper crafts have been a passion of mine for many years, but now I actually have time to pursue these crafts. After 32 years teaching High School in upstate NY, I have retired to the sunshine state - Colorado (not Florida). I am an independent consultant with Close To My Heart, and I absolutely love working with their fabulous products.

As a new blogger, my posts will need some time to develop, but I hope to keep you informed about new products, specials, and ideas from Close To My Heart. Additionally, I would love to inspire your creativity. Contact me if you'd like to have a gathering, attend a class, or find out more about the great products and projects.

As I become more adept at blogging, pictures of cards and layouts will follow!
With a little patience, you may find some ideas you'd like to create!

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to check out the two great promotions going on throughout the month of April.