Custom Back Ground Paper in a Snap

Have you ever needed some back ground paper but didn't have the right thing in your collection? Want a certain color combo or pattern? You can create your back ground paper yourself in a flash.

I love, love, love our new stamp set 'HIT THE SPOT". It's so versatile and I know it's going to be one of those stamp sets I find myself reaching for all the time. Plus with our clear acrylix stamps it's so easy to line everything up for perfection. I stamped the outline of the polka dots first with chocolate ink and then went back with the solid polka dots and added the sweet leaf green centers. It's such a perfect back drop for the vintage looking vegetable stamp...another one of my favorites from our new idea book.

Just think you can use any of your stamps for background papers. Use various colors inks, rotate your images or use second or third generation stamping for a subtle look. Really your options are limitless. Have fun and enjoy and I'd love to see some of your inspired background papers.

Are you Ready for JACKPOT JUNE DEALS?

Get ready for some super fun and great deals starting June 1st. Jackpot June is going to blow your socks off with great deals on Close To My Heart products. Everyday in June you can go to my website (CLICK HERE ) and find out what the bargains will be for that day. Each day either a Jackpot or a Goodie box will be offered. What's a Jackpot you ask? Five items will be offered at amazing discounts, you can buy one or multiples of any or all of the items, shipping will only be .99 per item (WOW) then the following day you can check out www.closetomyheart.com and see what was the Jackpot deal for the previous day...if you purchased one or multiples of the Jackpot you'll get a surprise gift for free...or if you bought multiples you'll get multiple freebies. What to be sure you get in on the Free Jackpot...just buy one of each of the discounted items and you'll be assured to WIN! On the goodie box days you'll get surprise goodie boxes stuffed with current and retired products for at least 50% off or MORE! Shipping will also be discounted for the goodie boxes. Oh and Close To My Heart has made sure that the various goodie boxes have different items in them, so don't worry about getting the same thing if you have already purchased one through out the month...each box will be a surprise in an of itself.

This is such a wonderful way to stock up on the products that you have come to adore from Close To My Heart, or find new things you've never used before but could become your new favorites. Everyday the deals will change at 9am MST...all items will be offered for 23 hours or until supplies last...so I always tell everyone don't delay. I know last years Goodie Boxes sold out, so check daily and check early to see what great items and steals are offered.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE AND ADD TO YOUR FAVORITES

Stickease Stickers...Did you know?

Our Close To My Heart kits are wonderful...you get so much bang for your buck. With the base kit you designs for two layouts and six cards, but did you know....If you get the stickease stickers from the same collection on the back of the stickease stickers are two more layouts. Yeap, that's right, you can actually get up to four layouts and six cards per collection.

This month's kit is the Cherry-O collection and I just adore it. I'll be posting some cards from the kit later in the week, but this is a simple, quick layout I did using the stickease stickers, the layout from the back of the package and some wacky wonderful pictures of my family from our Christmas party. Can you believe how great this layout is, and I didn't have to stamp a thing. I love how our stickers have such a classic feel to them and don't look like stickers at all...really beautiful.

So next time your getting that monthly kit be sure to pick up a accompanying package of the stickease stickers for more design inspiration.

A Button Challenge from Sassy Cheryl's

I adore the images of Sassy Cheryl. They are so retro innocent...just love um. This week on her challenge site it was easy peasy, BUTTONS!

I used the Cherry-O paper pack from Close To My Heart and lots of CTMH's dimensional tape...I wish you could tell how many layers this card actually has. The clear button on the side of the card is filled in with brads instead of thread or ribbon...something new I'm finding I do a lot. The overall card just seems to be bursting with summer, something I'm ready to do!

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Thanks for the Jump Start!

I really have been so busy as of late and have just let my artwork get put on the back burner...so I was really happy to jump in to Karen's Doodles Challenge this week to jump start my creative juices. This week was a sketch challenge and a really good one to boot. I hope you enjoy the card and stay tuned as I have more artwork finished and coming this week.

DZ Doodle's Challenge for the Week

It's time for our DZ Doodles challenge and this week is a great sketch from my fellow team member Rosalien. It's so simple and can be rotated and used any way as long as the base sketch is still able to be seen.

For my card I used Close to My Heart's paper pack "YOU ROCK". It was perfect for this cute little digi "Song for You"

Remember to participate in this weeks challenge and you could win two free images of your choice. Just head on over to our blog DZ Doodle and enter your artwork today.

Don't Worry, I'm Still Here!

I realized it had been a week since my last post...not my norm! So I thought I better let everyone know what was going on...I'm on vacation. My Mother and I have taken my boys to the beach for a week so there won't be any new artwork until next week, but don't worry it's coming. Now before you go getting to jealous of my get away I'll let you know how it's going so far....it rained all the way down here (love driving in the rain on I-95) , rained all day yesterday, which was actually OK as it's always nice to snuggle in at least one day and relax, but then last night my Mother got sick and now Cole (my four year old) is sick with a horrible tummy bug. So to look on the bright side....I'm catching up on a ton of reading and computer work, LOL. We did get to see a beautiful rainbow last night as the rain started to dissipate and I thought I would share it with you. See you next week and pray my family gets over this stomach bug mess.....nothing worse than being sick away from home.

So this week's challenge was to sew on a card and leave it to me to push the envelope. I love to sew with my sewing machine on my projects, but I just didn't seem to be inspired by the sewing machine this week. So I did a little faux stitching on my card. Just used my handy dandy paper piercer and a white gel pen to make the stitching and done. I love this effect, it's easy and really cute.

Be sure to hop on over to DZ Blog and join in the challenge for the week. You could win two DZ images of your choice, so heck, why not? Don't have a DZ image...no problem, just go to Paper Craft Planet and pick up a free one. Have a great week.

STUDIO J....ARE YOU READY?

I've been so excited about this program since I first saw it last summer in California. It's going to change the way people do digital scrapbooking...it's so much more than that. I know all of you want to know when you can actually start playing with this amazing program. Well wait no longer. RELEASE DATE is this TUESDAY, APRIL 27th 8PM MST.

All you'll need to do is go to my website http://lorileng.myctmh.com/ and you'll see a link that will connect you to the STUDIO J program. You'll be able to choose from some of our most loved paper packs and even some STUDIO J exclusives, pick from tons of our designer layouts, add our exclusive mini medleys accents, distress your pages, even add our stickease stickers and more ...you are so going to be addicted to this program once you start playing with it. Now here's the kicker....IT'S ALL FREE! You can upload your pictures and create your layouts free of charge. Our software is not something we charge for like other companies.

When you're ready to make an album you can purchase your layouts for an introductory price of only $12.95 for a double layout

Better Yet
order five-nine layouts and get five free memory protectors

Best of All
order 10 layouts and get 1o page protectors FREE and FREE SHIPPING.

I don't know about you, but I'm one of those that always looks for the deals with the FREE shipping so I really think you should go for all 10 layouts. I know that you'll be amazed at quality of our printed layouts, the ease of our program and the creative aspects only Close To My Heart could provide. I've never know Jeanette Lynton to create anything that isn't the best on the market and STUDIO J is for sure the BEST!

Acrylic Albums Are Easy Peasy!

I wanted to share with you all an acrylic album I did a while back at a convention I attended. I love this little album, even though I haven't filled it with my pictures or thoughts yet...one rainy day I promise I'll get to it. I know that sometimes the acrylic can seem a bit intimidating but don't let it...it's such a fun and creative medium to make little books with.

Close To My Heart has an adorable My Creations Acrylic Album that is ready to go...but better yet, mix it up. Our My Creations All Sorts Mini Album is a standard chipboard album that blends perfectly with the Acrylic...so you can have the best of both worlds. Get one of each, mix them up and you'll have two unique albums.