Best Job EVER!

Do you love your job? I DO! My job provides me with the opportunities to earn FREE incentive trips for 2!

Through Close to my Heart my husband & I have gone to Hawaii, Alaska (twice), Caribbean (both eastern & western) Mediterranean, New Zealand & the Mexican Riviera. I am also currently working on earning a Southern Caribbean cruise.

And the other day I got a box of GOODIES on my front porch! I love goodies, but they are even funner when you are not expecting them! I just figured it was an order. Once I opened it I went crazy! My goodie box for the Hawaiian Cruise we will be going on soon. It contained an album, 2 stamp sets (1 is exclusive to the cruise...the one on the left), our shirts, baker's twine, and other accessories! They even gave us a Studio J gift card for some free layouts! Oh and I can't forget...all the supplies to make layouts that we will use for our trip pictures! They gave us a head start! YIPPEE!

Then, on the cruise they give us a gift EACH day! We are out all day doing the tourist things and come back to our cabin and there is a gift from Close to my Heart! WOW!

It is so fun! If you would like to learn more about becoming a Close to my Heart consultant and earning your own free trips...give me a call or send me an email! I will be happy to show you just how to do it! Because I have the BEST JOB EVER and so can you!

Talents Passed Down

If you know me, you know I do a variety of crafts and today I wanted to pay tribute to the BEST GRANDMA EVER Grandma Lieske. She would ALWAYS do crafts with me. Every time we went over to visit, she had another craft to do. This is where I got my love for crafting. Here is a picture of her & my Grandpa on their 50th wedding anniversary.

And today I wanted to show you another craft I have (I don't just scrapbook...LOL). I also love to crochet! My Grandma knitted more then she crocheted, and trust me, if she were still alive today, she would be teaching me to be a better knitter! I am not that good at knitting...but I do love crocheting. Here is a picture of my Grandma crocheting and my cousin Carl put HIS sunglasses on her! LOL She was such a cool Grandma!

She was always doing some sort of craft (usually with yarn) and was bare foot a lot...hey...maybe that is where I get that from! LOL She would make afghans, sweaters, ponchos, scarves...you name it she did it and did it WELL! I am amazed at what she created! She had 8 Grandkids and we all got lots of

homemade stuff! Things we all treasure. But she also donated her creations too! She would donate afghans to her church or the senior center to raise money.

And here is how I am coming into the picture. I am making an afghan (nothing as amazing as hers) and donating it for a silent auction to raise money for Operation Smile!

But I have to say, it is pretty cool! Since it is a Close to my Heart function, I thought I would make this one with all the hearts on it! It's not done yet, but should be this week! I can't wait until it's done! My goal is to raise at least $240 (that is the cost to fix one smile of a child) with this afghan. I love that it is going to a good cause and I love the my Grandma's tradition will

continue through me!

Here's another afghan that she made. This one was for my son Cody. He was totally into Winnie the Pooh when he was little. She made the afghan and then crossed stitched on it.

I made one of these, but it had the Cubs logo on it and another one with the Sox's logo (can you tell I have baseball fans in my house) lol

Here's yet another one she made for me. This was for my 13th birthday. That is the age all the Grandkids gone one. WOW..that is an OLD afghan! LOL She was amazing!

If you have a Grandma or someone that is special to you that has a special talent that interests you, make sure you learn from them so you too can pass this talent down to your loved ones!

Heart Treat Box

This is a bonus post today! I just created this cute heart box. It is an image that is on our Cricut Cartridge (Close to my Heart's Art Philosophy Cartridge). Do you have it yet? If not...call me...if you do, get it out and use it! You will be glad you did!

I wanted it FAST AND EASY! So here it is. Oh wait...am I posting something with a piece of our NEW background and texture paper? LOL

I cut my box at 5 1/4" and the handle is 1/2 x 8. Very quick and easy. If you want to give a little something for Valentines day...give these a try.

Make the box out of any cardstock or pattern paper and fill with your favorite treat! I didn't fill mine...I JUST made this and wanted to get it posted!

Have a great day and I will see you Friday for my next post!

Close to my Heart Retired List

It's time once again to move out the old and bring in the new. Close to my Heart has announced our retired list. Look it over...if there is something on it that you would like, you can either order it off my website or email me. I will be putting my last order in on Monday, January 30th! So check it out!

Paper Collections

Typeset Workshop On The Go (WOTG) Kit – G1024 - $29.95

Roxie WOTG Kit – G1025 - $29.95

Elemental WOTG Kit – G1026 - $29.95

Dreamin’ L2 Paper – X7142B - $9.95

Dreamin’ My Stickease – X7142C - $4.95

Dreamin’ WOTG Kit – G1027 - $29.95

Sonoma WOTG Kit – G1028 - $29.95

Mischief L2 Paper – X7144B - $9.95

Mischief Compliment Rub-Ons – X7144C - $4.95

Mischief WOTG Kit – G1029 - $29.95

Believe L2 Paper – X7145B - $9.95

Believe My Stickease – X7145C - $4.95

Believe WOTG Kit – G1030 - $29.95

Wonderland L2 Paper – X7146B - $9.95

Wonderland My Stickease – X7146C - $4.95

Wonderland WOTG Kit – G1031 - $29.95

Sophia L2 Paper – X7131B - $12.95

Sophia My Stickease – X7131C - $4.95

Mayberry L2 Paper – X7136B - $12.95

Mayberry My Stickease – X7136C - $4.95

Lucky L2 Paper – X7137B - $12.95

Lucky My Stickease – X7137C - $4.95

Fanfare L2 Paper – X7138B - $12.95

Fanfare My Stickease – X7138C - $4.95

Ribbon

Colonial White Ribbon collection - Z1126 - $7.95

Cranberry grosgrain ribbon - Z1103 - $6.95

Cocoa grosgrain ribbon - Z1100 - $6.95

Colonial White grosgrain ribbon - Z1102 - $6.95

White Daisy grosgrain ribbon - Z270 - $6.95

Wings Level 2 Assortment - Z1398 - $4.95

Floss & Waxy Flax

Embroidery Floss - Red/Pink - Z1092 - $3.25

Embroidery Floss - Green - Z1094 - $3.25

Embroidery Floss - Blue/Purple - Z1093 - $3.25

Waxy Flax - Cranberry - Z1086 - $3.95

Waxy Flax - Sorbet - Z1249 - $3.95

Waxy Flax - Juniper - Z1248 - $3.95

Waxy Flax - Crystal Blue - Z1247 - $3.95

Brads

Designer Brads - Colonial White - Z1274 - $3.95

Designer Brads - Pewter - Z1146 - $3.95

Mini-Medley & Eyelets

Mini Medley - Antiqued Copper - Z1275 - $4.95

Mini Medley - Colonial White - Z1276 - $4.95

Foundry Metal - Bookplates - Z1147 - $3.50

Soft Set Eyelet Tool - Z1208 - $14.95

Soft Set Eyelets - Black and White Daisy - Z1228 - $3.95

Soft Set Eyelets - Chocolate and Colonial White - Z1229 - $3.95

Coordinating Collection Embellishments

Midnight Felt Shapes - Z1462 - $3.95

Harvest Charms - Z1633 - $4.95

Holiday Packets - Z1486 - $4.95

Top Coats Icing Overlays - Z1468 - $4.95

Lucky Level 2 Assortment - Z1356 - $4.95

Lucky Level 2 Journaling Spots - Z1359 - $3.95

Bliss Level 2 Assortment - Z1355 - $5.95

Sweetheart Level 2 Assortment - Z1386 - $4.95

Fanfare Level 2 Assortment - Z1400 - $4.95

Just Blooms Spring Blossom - Z1266 - $7.95

Just Blooms White Daisy Variety Pack - Z1300 - $5.95

Color Ready Alphabets

Color Ready Alphabets - Oxford - X5749 - $3.95

Color Ready Alphabets - Hodge Podge - X1406 - $3.95

Dimensional Elements

Dimensional Elements - On Target - Z1226 - $5.95

Dimensional Elements - Flurry - Z1225 - $4.95

My Creations Items

My Creations - Board Book - Z1310 - $6.95

My Creations - Journal - Z1268 - $7.95

My Creations - Memory Showcase 9x9 - Z1198 - $5.95

Tools

Rubber Brayer - Z616 - $12.95

Soft Set Eyelet Tool - Z1208 - $14.95

Eyelet Tool Replacement Punches - Z1245 - $2.95

Stamp Sets

A Hop A1112

A Little Buzz B1353

A Little Everything D1408

A Love A1103

A Paisley A1105

A Posy A1102

Adoption A1098

Adorning Corners D1322

Always in My Heart A1101

Ambiance C1349

Around the Block D1377

Baby Love B1368

Backgrounds & Borders D1463

Beary Best C1363

Beary Busy C1409

Beautiful Butterflies B1373

Beautiful Things D1298

Believe in Your Dream B1322

Beloved B1343

Birthday Blast C1436

Birthday Boy C1411

Bless This Nest C1445

Blooming Layers C1449

Bon Appetite D1367

Boom! B1354

Bunny Love B1324

Camping Fever D1353

Carefree C1447

Catching Waves D1466

Charmed C1385

Cherished Flourishes D1413

Ciao D1461

Circle Around D1300

Circle of Love D1438

Circle Together B1372

Connections D1330

Crusin' D1471

Cupcake Sprinkles D1336

Daydream D1297

Down by the Sea C1451

Dream Big D1399

Dreams Come True D1470

Headlines Large E1011

Enjoy Every Moment C1395

Extreme Happiness C1356

Family C1305

Family Ties - Adults C1346

Family Ties - Children C1345

Family Ties - Pets B1350

Fill in the Blanks D1465

Flower Pot D1409

For Every Occasion D1187

Friendship Blessings D1191

From My Heart C1443

Fun Times B1309

Happy Holidays D1431

Happy Moments C1437

Hero D1474

His and Hers C1460

Horizon C1454

Hot Diggity C1407

Howdy D1435

In the Month of April C1405

In the Month of February C1403

In the Month of July C1417

In the Month of June C1416

In the Month of March C1404

In the Month of May C1415

It''s a Zoo C1360

Just for Boys C1338

Just for Girls C1337

Just the Ticket B1323

Kanji Phrases C1339

Let's Go Camping C1355

Little Princess C1414

Love Always D1337

Love Birds C1396

Love Ya! D1460

Magic Tabs C1448

Makin' Waves C1365

Ms. Chillin' D1404

Ms. Scrapbook B1352

Notice the Details D1378

On the Edge C1399

On This Day D1468

One of a Kind D1410

Over the Rainbow D1426

Paisley Praise D1414

Piece of Cake D1407

Post Card D1357

Precious Love C1444

Priceless Love D1348

Recipie Box D1364

Retro Tech C1446

Royal Birth D1441

Salutation Seals C1461

Shining Star D1320

Smiles C1397

So Lucky C1390

Soul Mates Word Puzzle D1254

Springtime D1415

Star Power D1403

Summer Breeze C1453

Summer Days B1375

Sweet Baby C1359

Take Luck B1364

Tasty Treats D1427

Tea Time C1438

Thank You D1361

Thank You French D1392

Thank You Spanish D1396

Thrill Ride D1425

TLC C1364

Togetherness D1402

Treetops C1368

Trellis D1451

True Happiness D1365

Two-Step Backgrounds D1473

Unity C1422

X-treme D1432

You Did It C1351

You Rock D1346

You're Great D1434

You're Sweet B1351

Studio J Layouts

Here is a You Tube Video that Close to my Heart created showing how to create a layout in no time at all. Click on it to watch it. You can also go to my website, click Studio J and view that art gallery to give you even more ideas.

Want to learn even more? Then click on the Video tab to watch our videos on how to use Studio J. It is so easy! AND, if you create layouts in January, you can get free layouts. For each 9 you purchase, you get 1 free!

If you have questions, you can contact me! I will be happy to help you with getting your layouts DONE!

Studio J Layouts

Are you feeling a little Goofy? We were! Our convention last July was in Disneyland. We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel and had a BLAST!

When I go on trips...well...you know, I take a TON of pictures, then I get stressed because I have "a ton of pictures" to scrapbook. But I have found a cure for too many pictures!

STUDIO J!

I created about 12 2 page layouts in about 1 hour. It was amazing! I felt the stress just slide off! In my quest to "Git R Done", this was on top of the pile. And now...it's done! YIPPEE!

If you would like to catch up on some of your larger projects and feel the stress just lift off of you, then you will want to visit my website and click on the Studio J link. You can play for FREE! So get out there and play!

THEN, here is the great part...in the month of February if you purchase 9 layouts, you get the 10th FREE! AND, if you are a Studio J member (which I HIGHLY recommend by the way) you will also get free shipping, free page protectors AND free jpeg files so you can post them to your blog, facebook or even email them to family and friends.

So hurry...February is coming to an end!!

Winter Card

Here is a fun card I made the other day. It is using our Wonderland paper and our Bundled Buddies (C1472 $13.95) This little beaver was just too fun not to use! In that set there are also an owl, fox, dear, raccoon, trees and words too. It is a great set!

In the close up picture you can see the glittery parts. I used our Glitter Glitz Gel Stardust

($2.75). I just LOVE this stuff! It goes on so easy with no left over glitter to get all over the place!

I even made sure his snowball had lots of glitter glitz gel on it too.

So if you have some winter cards or layouts that need some glitter...you will want to check out our Glitter Glitz Gel. It comes in 4 colors, stardust (featured here), silver, red and bronze!

January Group Layouts

Here are the layouts that my monthly groups will be making in January. We are using our Wonderland kit. THIS IS A GREAT KIT! Even though we don't have any snow yet, we will soon OR you can use your photos from the last 2 years when we had nothing but snow! LOL

The first 2 layouts are from our workshop guide and the second 2 layouts are from our Magic How to Book and the layout is Secret.

I also cut the snowflakes out using our Cricut Cartridge and our Snowflakes stamp set (D1480 $17.95).

If you would like to make these layouts, check out my upcoming events tab for dates of my groups. See what works for your schedule and give me a call to reserve your space.

And, if you don't have time to join us, you can order our Wonderland workshop kit with instructions, stamps and accessories to make these. You will find it on page 61 of our Autumn/Winter 2011 catalog.

I also made a baby layout using this kit. That is what I really love about CTMH paper packs...they are so versatile.

January Stamp of the Month

Here is our January Stamp of the Month. It is called Little Reminder. It is a fun set. The circle has all the months on it and you can circle the month in which you want the date to be. Then stamp the date in the middle.

On the pink card I stamped the 26th and circled January. That represents Brooke's birthday.

It also has 4 sentiments...Let's celebrate, a little reminder, you're invited, and welcome little one. It also has all the days of the week too.

There is so much you can do with this stamp set...but make sure you get it in the month of January, because after January you will not be able to get it!