Planner happy!

Do you know a planner?  Someone who likes to be organized?  What about someone who likes to journal or color?  

The Close to My Heart Planner is a wonderful gift

You can add it to your Black Friday Shopping List and be eligible for a Bag O' Joy.  (See this post for Bag O' Joy info.)

Discover your inner artist while staying on top of your schedule with our new 2017 planner system. Featuring seasonal designs you can color by hand, this exclusive planner system combines the worlds of work and play to give you a planner you can truly make your own.

The planner comes in three different bundles.

Just the insides

If you have a favorite cover and just want to update to 2017, you can purchase the Planner Pages.  Includes monthly and weekly calendars, designs you can color, pages for notes, a clear pencil bag, and three gold paperclips.  CC2017

Need a cover

that is versatile and goes with everything?  Choose the Striped Everyday Life planner bundle.   Includes the Everyday Life™ stripes album and the 2017 planner pages, which come with a clear pencil bag and three gold paperclips.  CC1178
 

 Color of the Year: Sea Glass 

So fresh and cool looking! Includes the Everyday Life™ Sea Glass album and the 2017 planner pages, which come with a clear pencil bag and three gold paperclips.  CC1177

Get your planner today because this planner system is only available while supplies last!

And here's a sneak peek of some coloring I have already started in my planner.

Enjoy your planner whether it is for organization or play!  The beautiful, neutral colors of this planner allow for you to design and add your favorite themes and colors to each page.

Need coloring tools to add to your gift?  Check out our Shin Han Markers, watercolors and watercolor pencils. 

Shop here today. 

Happy planning,

Michele

Color and Be Happy

As the color club continues, Close to My Heart continues to bring us stamps that are so much fun!  Seashells...take me away to the beach, sound of the waves, sand in my toes, and yes, Puerto Vallarta is in my future.

C1664  $13.95

And you know what is even better?  This stamp set now has thin cuts that coordinate with the Swirly Seashells.  No more fussy cutting!

CC1155  $18.95

What is so much fun is to see how different the seashells turned out with the same set of markers.  These are the cards created by the color club last month.  Sorry girls, you had to fussy cut since I didn't have the thin cuts yet. 

If you are interested in color club, here or to go, let me know.  I can set you up with some beautiful stamp images that are fun to color...and make into cards.

Be Happy,
Michele

Can you color too much?

I started a new coloring group this past weekend.  It is so relaxing to sit around with a group of ladies and just color! 

Because of the season, we started with leaves and fall colors.  The trick is, CTMH doesn't carry a lot of fall colors in the Shin Han set but what they did do, was provide a color recipe for all 40 exclusive colors. 

I choose Poppy, Goldrush, Desert Sand and Canary for my fall color selection (and to coordinate with Swan Lake paper packet).  Creating those 4 colors required layering of different colors to create the desired color.

• Poppy= clay, lt orange, carmine, and pastel green
• Goldrush= clay and marigold yellow
• Desert Sand= pastel green and clay
• Canary= Lt. orange and Pastel green 3x's

When you layer the inks in the order above, you do get the colors you are looking for!  It really is magic!  If you would like the "recipe" for the CTMH colors made from our 25 Shin Han markers, contact me and I will email you the file. 

Another technique I shared with my coloring groups is creating your own coloring pages (which you can then turn into beautiful cards).

For this month I used the Lovely Leaves stamp set. 

One of the benefits of My Acrylix stamps is that multiple stamps can be added to a single block to create "one" stamp.  I arranged the leaves on the block below, using a "triangle" pattern to use for random stamping.  You can see the idea of "triangle" random stamp here. 

Then using Memento Black ink, which, when dry, resists bleeding with alcohol markers, I stamped on White Daisy cardstock, nesting the leaves together.  When you look closely, you can see a pattern but when colored and then cut up for cards, the pattern becomes random.  (My sheet of paper is 5.5 x 12, easy to cut into 5.5 x 3 pieces to create 4 cards.)

Finally, after coloring my leaves and cutting, I added a touch of Swan Lake paper and coordinating cardstock to create this card. 

"Happy Fall" is from the Woodland Critters stamp set.  

If you are local and would like to join my coloring club, we meet the first Saturday of the month.  Each month, for 6 months, you receive 4 Shin Han markers and supplies to create 3 cards.  If you are not local, but would like a kit, these are also available. 

Enjoy the fall colors,
Michele

August Stamp of the Month Blog Hop: Purr-fect Halloween

Welcome to the stamp of the month blog hop.  I missed you last month!  I hope you were able to enjoy the hop without me but I was just too busy with the CTMH convention and travel.

But I am back and I am so excited to share this fun, silly, and maybe scary, crazy cat with you.

If you have arrived here from Michelle Stewart's Blog,  then you are following right along.  After you have visited, you are welcome to hop on over to Haley Dyer's blog and see what she has done with her crazy cat.

This cat reminded of me a book I used to read to my girls called Puppy Hide and Seek.  The cute little kitty would hide from the puppy in fun, unexpected places.  So, I was inspired to hide this kitty in some cherry blossoms from the new Flower Market Cricut cartridge.

 The cat is stamped on one of the papers from the Rustic Home collection and the flower centers and blanket in the basket are cut from our new Raspberry color.

This card brings on the Halloween feel that I had when I first saw the stamp set.  The background is embossed with our new Happy Thoughts folder, the "hello" is cut with the new Thin Cuts and tangerine paper color.  The stamped images are colored with the Shin Han markers.  This kitty was a lot of fun to play with and he didn't even make me sneeze (yes, I am allergic to cats).  And the color scheme that is featured is a hint of what's to come in our "Halloween" paper pack!

Remember that this stamp set is only available during the month of August.  You can purchase it for $17.95 or $5 with a minimum order.  Shop with your consultant for this stamp set and new products or if you do not have a consultant, you can shop on my website here.

Now remember to move on to Haley's blog and see how her kitty comes to life in her artwork.

Enjoy.
Michele

Color Club: First Meet Up

Adult coloring has become a new trend and the relaxing benefits of coloring have found many out buying a coloring book and markers or colored pencils to partake.

What do you do with those coloring pages when you are finished?  I decided that if I was going to spend time coloring, I want to use what I have colored to share joy with someone else.  I also know that I have too many beautiful stamps sets to justify purchasing a coloring book.

After random stamping with my acrylic stamps, coloring with my Shin Han markers, discovering the relaxation, and creativity and then creating a card that I can send to someone else I had to share! Thus, the coloring club was born.

Our first meet up was in April and I had provided each participant a random stamped 12 x 12 sheet (using Memento Ink and the You've got a Friend stamp set from CTMH).  I shared with them the benefits and care of the Shin Han markers and then we spent the evening coloring together.

We started with the following colors:

Here's a bit of what I covered.

• The markers perform best when they are stored horizontally.
• CTMH provides a great storage solution in the marker roll up.
• The colorless blender helps remove color, blending two colors together or repairs coloring outside the lines.
• Memento Black ink provides a stamped image that does not run when using alcohol markers.

Here are the cards we made during our first meeting.  Fast, easy and simple.  Bright colors will bring a smile to any recipient.  (For some reason the exposure of this photo is not bright but trust me, it is in person!)And the time spent together was relaxing and therapeutic.  We made 6 cards for the win!

The next month, we will play with shading and light source direction.  I can't wait to show you how.

If you like video instruction like me, here's the video by Kathy Skipper that I watched to get me started.



If you would like to join the color club, we would love to have you join us either locally, through skype or via mail order kits.  Contact me to start your coloring craze!

Happy coloring to you!

Michele

Keep calm and color on!

Many of you have seen the adult coloring books on shelves in the craft stores.  Adult coloring is a newer trend but it can take you back to calm, peaceful place.  I found this article, 10 Therapeutic Benefits of Coloring and I thought it summed up what I have been feeling, seeing and hearing as I have enjoyed time to color.

I have always found paper crafting therapeutic and want to share some calm relaxing color time with you so I am starting a "coloring club".  Coloring with the Shin Han markers creates vibrant pieces of artwork that you can use to create cards, postcards, or even elements for a scrapbook page or home decor.

You can join the club and collect all the Shin Han markers sold by CTMH or you can just join us for an evening of coloring.

For $30 per month, you will receive:

• 4 Shin Han markers
• Archival or Momento black ink will be included one month
• Pre-stamped coloring pages
• Card bases and envelopes to create 4-6 cards
• Use of my stamp sets at the club time
• Instruction on fun techniques to try including shading, blending, pointillism, and layering
• After completion of the club, $25 in free CTMH products.  

You can join us here locally OR you can start your own coloring club.  I will supply you with the materials and Skype in with techniques and instructions.

If you already own the Shin Han Markers and want to join us, RSVP and for $5, I will provide the pre-stamped coloring pages, card bases and instruction techniques.

Our first coloring night will be in my home in Bothell, on Thursday April 7th.  We will then meet every first Thursday of the month through September.  I will recommend a marker selection for each meet up and through out the times, you will collect them all.

RSVP by March 28th so I can have your supplies for you!

Keep calm and color on!
Michele

Shin Han Markers are a great tool for your holiday crafting

Close to My Heart has been selling these markers for a year now and if you have not tried them, you should!  I love how they color smoothly and easily and use them to brighten my artwork.

Here's a container that I covered with cardstock and then used a PML card as the focal point.  This particular card was very simple with an outlined design in green.  I wanted to add a simple bit of color so I used the Carmine, Golden Yellow and Sap Green.

Here's a video showing you the benefits of the Shin Han markers and some techniques you can use to add color to your artwork!  Green in the hair?  Sounds like the days of pool chlorine damaged hair...so watch closely how it works with the Shin Han Markers.



These markers are $5.95 each but can be free with your hostess rewards.

Close to My Heart also has a perfect way to store your markers, keeping them in the horizontal position so the ink is equally distributed in both pen tips.

If you are interested in learning more about the markers, watch for my upcoming classes or contact me to schedule a mini class. 

Thanks for stopping by.
Michele

Stamp of the Month Blog Hop: Ice Cream Dream

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?  You will surely love the flavor that CTMH offers this month!

This adorable stamp set, Ice Cream Dream, sets up a fun summer mood with sweet treats and happy statements.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting my blog.  If you have come here from Lillian's Blog, you are hopping right along.  When you have finished your visit here, move on to Michelle's Blog to view her work with this sweet set. 

These ice cream cones look scrumptious, if I say so myself!  For both cards, I stamped the images in Black Archival ink and colored them with Shin Han markers.  I also used the Paper Fundamentals Whimsy assortment paper packet.  These packets feature 20 double sided sheets, one with a color and white design, and the other side with a same glossy pattern. 

Here's a tip with the markers:  you can color sparkles, sequins, shimmer trim and other embellishments to get the coordinating color you want!  You can see the heart in the second card is colored with the same marker that I used to outline the ice cream scoop with.

You can order this set from your consultant for $5 with a $50 order or for $17.95.  If you do not have a CTMH consultant, you can order from my website here.  

Now continue hopping along to see more creations.   Michelle's Blog 

Here's to a sweet summer!
Michele

And then this happened!

On May 1st, Close to My Heart came to town!  I love Close to My Heart events.  They inspire and energize me AND I get to share CTMH with some of my closest friends who also happen to be my team members. 

Prior to the CTMH event, my upline, Naomi had a meeting.  Part of the meetings are rewards and I was the happy recipient of three awards...and I owe two of them to my team! 

First of all, the Evergreen Memories team placed second in team sales for the first quarter!  Way to go ladies. 

Second, my team grew by 8 members in the first quarter!  I love sharing this wonderful company and all the benefits with people!  I am so happy that 8 new people joined us!  Welcome to Lorene, Mary, Cat, Jen, Jennifer, Cheryl, Mindi, and Nicole. 

Finally, I got first place in the artwork contest.  Many consultants participated with absolutely beautiful artwork.  What an honor to be chosen. 

Here's the card I made for the contest. 

Aren't the awards Naomi made just gorgeous and multipurpose?  Yes, they are great inspiration for cards and they fit in the Picture My Life page protectors so my keepsakes are ready to safely store in my album.  Thanks again to my team for all the support!

Now if you want to join this fast growing, award winning, fun loving group, you are welcome here! 
For the most recent information on becoming a consultant, visit my website here.  If you have questions about other details, please feel free to contact me. 

Have a great day!
Michele

Blog Hop: Shin Han Alcohol Markers

Let me take you back to kindergarten.  Do remember those days of new, sharp pointed crayons?  Coloring, and trying to stay inside the lines?  As an adult, when I have had the opportunity to color with children, I have found it to be relaxing and even therapeutic.  Welcome to coloring with Shin Han markers!

Close to My Heart now sells 24 colors of markers that complement the colors of our exclusive color palette.  The rich, deep color you get with these markers will enhance your creative juices and artistic outcome.  Enjoy the beautiful artwork you see on this blog hop using these markers.

If you have come here from Heather's Blog, you are on the right track.  After viewing my projects, you will head on over to Catherine's Blog.

And here's what I made.  Fall leaves seem like an easy place to start.  The colors are blended well and you can't make any mistakes...right.  Leaves are so forgiving.  I started by filling in the image with the lightest color, then adding highlights of the additional colors, and then I went back with the lightest color and did small circles where each color met, blending them together and adding a richer tone.  Super easy and fun!

 These are the products I used to create this card.  I did add other colors to the leaves but the Marigold Yellow and Golden Yellow were the primary colors I used.

 Then I moved on to a technique I saw in my endeavor to learn more about coloring.  This technique is called Pointillism and is a "technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of pure color are applied in patterns to form an image. Georges Seurat and Paul Signac developed the technique in 1886, branching from Impressionism."  I love the look!  So here's my attempt.  If you click on the photo you can see it larger and see the dots.  I did start by coloring the image in with the lightest color as a base. 

Give it a try!  If you want more information about Shin Han markers, coloring techniques or stamping in general, contact your consultant click here to connect with me. 

Michele

#30 years of Happy! More reasons to celebrate!

September is National stamping month and I am glad you are here to hop along through some great artwork using the #30yearsofhappy.  If you have come here from Kelly's Blog, you are on the right track.  This is a big loop of 40 consultants.  When you are done viewing my page, hop on over toTerry Ann's Blog to see her creative talent shine!  Now, on with the show!

This month we are celebrating with a set of 30 cute little stamps that you receive FREE with a purchase of $30 in stamps.  Isn't this adorable?  Perfect for small gift cards, tags, mini albums, Picture My Life and even classic scrapbooking! 

Here's what I created with this set as I got started...and come back frequently and your will see more artwork throughout the month!

The fun part was using the scraps I had on my desk.  Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some other fun ideas! Remember, the Nat'l Stamping Month Special is only available until September 30th!  Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount!

Want to see more before you go?  In a google search, I found this idea.  Like I said...come back for more ideas throughout this month. 

Can't wait to send this off to my girl at college! 

Enjoy hopping along and seeing all the creative artwork!

Michele