Joy to You and Me

I finally made a decision!  I know you feel me on this one...sometimes making a decision is the step that hangs you up, you know.  I have been stalling for weeks about how to start making the good old "change of address" cards to stick in my Christmas cards this year.  AAAAAAAnd I was hoping to get them out Dec. 1st.  Ooooops.

Well, I ended up asking my kids to help make a template for the 4 x 4 cards and then chose a fun font to use.  I printed them out, stamped them using my Misty, and here they are!!!

I used the Joy to You and Me My Acrylix stamp set from Close to My Heart.  Then I used a 3/4 scallop punch to get the individual wreathes from a pattern paper in the City Sidewalks Collection.   The Black, Whisper, Peacock, and Willow Exclusive Inks coordinated just beautifully.  This is the last month to grab these two seasonal Close to My Heart products, so get a MOVE on if you are interested!  ;)

Now I need to get these babies in the mail!  But first--some stamps.  OY!!!!!

Only available in December!

Tuesday Tip and LAST Day to Enter My Giveaway!

Warning!!!  Today, April 7th, is the LAST day to place an order and qualify for my March Madness Mystery Hostess Giveaway!  You get one entry for every $25 in products you purchase on my website.  Right now, you could win $60 of inks, paper, stamps, and other hostess rewards!  Enter HERE today!

Now here is your Tip on Tuesday!

Do you ever get ink where you didn't QUITE mean to when stamping images?  Yeah, me too!  It really can be frustrating, but I have learned that mistakes are often just opportunities to add more bling!  Lol, ok, or just add more of anything...

Take this oops I made, for instance...

I used a Hostess ONLY My Acrylix stamp set for this card--see it here, and enter to win!

I had Black Exclusive Ink on my fingers that of course ended up on my very LAST cloud cut.  Instead of firing up the Explore and cutting out another one, I just added my other embellishments to hide the out of place ink.  :)

What are some of your favorite fixes for misplaced ink?

Just $5 with a $50 purchase!  :)

Close to My Heart 12 Days of Christmas Sale!!!

It is TIME!  Each day of the sale will have a new opportunity to earn something free with your purchase!  Each freebie will be sent to you separate from your purchase to the same address as your purchase because it is from ME!  What a great opportunity to treat yourself while you do some shopping for a crafty friend or family member!

Also, each purchase will earn you a chance to win an AMAZING mystery box filled with new and retired Close to My Heart products valued at over $50!!!

Are you ready for day one?  Remember, each sale is for 24 hours and while there are a couple of repeats, most of them are different!  Here we go!

Contact me after your purchase to choose your FREE Exclusive Ink Pad (Dye Ink) from our 40 different colors!  Thank you so much for your business, and I hope you have as great a time as I am having during my sale!  :)  This sale is ONLY through me!  Shop HERE!

Also!  Meet the December Stamp of the Month--Special Care.  It coordinates with the Art Philosophy Collection, and is super-cute indeed! Yours for the regular price of $17.95 OR get it for only $5 with a $50 purchase!  You can combine this deal with any of my 12 Days sales, so don't miss out on all your discounts!  ;)

How to Open Close to My Heart Exclusive Ink Pads

Happy Sunday, everyone!

I happened to come across some discussion this week about what the trick was to opening our Close to My Heart Exclusive Ink Pads.  Let me tell you, I had the SAME problem when I first opened one attempted to pry one open almost a year ago.  I ended up with ink all over myself!  All I wanted was for someone to pleeeease show me how.  Well, now that I have some experience under my belt, I don't feel quite as flustered anymore and can generally get them open without inking myself instead of the paper!  I decided to make a quick video tutorial to show you how I open them just in case you find yourself in the same boat I was in back then.  Hope this helps!  :)

Well, I can assure you that these ink pads are well worth the frustration of learning to open them at first.  I love how they swivel and nest inside the lid while you are using them saving some valuable workspace.  That swivel feature also allows the ink pad to be stored upside-down so that the ink sits right near the surface of the pad when you are ready to use it!  Genius!  Finally, I realized that because they close so snugly, they stay nice and juicy for a long time.  If you find yourself needing extra help to get them open, don't hesitate to contact me, or your own CTMH Independent consultant if you already have one.  :)