I won "Fanciest Cookies" title!

My new friend, Katie, invited me to her annual cookie exchange this year.  I like this one because I only had to make 3 dozen cookies.  I've made as many as 12 dozen in the past.  Katie gives out prizes and my cookies won Fanciest Cookies. Wahoo!!  They are not hard at all, especially when you decorate them while watching reruns of Downton Abby Season 2 (can hardly wait for January 6th - season 3). You can find the cookie recipe at OurBestBites.Com.
Tip: I made the white icing a little thicker than the colored icing so it would hold it's shape better.

Here's another tip for making cut-out sugar cookies.  After mixing the dough, put a portion in a gallon size zipper bag and press dough around filling the space in the bag until you reach your desired thickness. Don't zip the bag shut until you have the dough flattened inside the bag.  Then you can refrigerate or freeze your dough.  When you're ready to cut shapes simply cut the sides of the bag and lay it open. Cut right from the bag.  You can roll any excess dough out again by scrunching it in a ball and putting the top layer of the bag over the ball, then roll with your rolling pin...ready for more cookie cutting. Pretty nifty.  And rather than dip your cookie cutter in flour, use powdered sugar.

   

Happy Holidays,

Sheila

Holiday Home Decor

I love this little holiday sign. It works for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Create this dual holiday home decor item using the Mix & Mingle mini album - it's availalble for $5 when you shop online.  Go to the shopping link of my website and click "While Supplies Last."  You'll see some other killer deals while you're there.  Please join the December Gathering when you check out.

Read on for a supply list to make this project.

One side for Thanksgiving...

Flip it over for Christmas.

Here's what you'll need:

• Mix & Mingle Mini Album (Z1334)
• Chipboard letters - Notable Dimensional Elements (Z1682)
• Themed patterned paper and cardstock of your choice
• Your favorite embellishments and stamped images
• Adhesive. I used Liquid Glass (Z679) because it dries super fast.

Happy Holidays,

Sheila 

2012 Retiring Products Announced

The end of the Autumn / Winter 2012 Idea Book is drawing near—January 31, 2013 to be exact! We must reluctantly retire some of the old items as we look forward to the release of the new.

Effective immediately, the items on this list are available only while supplies last.

Be sure to shop my website for many other clearance priced items available December 1st - While Supplies Last.  Every $50 order will receive a free Bonding Memories Glue Pen ($4.50 value). And you will be eligible for the December Stamp of the Month - Year Round Cheer for just $5 ($17.95 value).

Start shopping here.

2012 RETIRING PRODUCTS

Item #	Item Description	Page # Autumn/Winter 2012 Idea Book
A1104	A Tweet	90
A1111	A Tulip	68
A1116	A Melody	94
A1122	Bravo	92
A1128	Quick Cards—Shell	80
A1129	A Rainbow	85
B1365	Spring Up	71
B1369	Rosy Regards	67
B1374	Bee Happy	83
B1397	He Is Risen	74
B1402	My Peeps	72
C1439	Enjoy Life	95
C1440	Take a Picture	93
C1442	Tailor-Made	94
C1450	Eclectic Edges	99
C1452	Delight	71
C1455	Aspire	96
C1456	Heartfelt Treasures	68
C1457	Happy Camper	84
C1458	Paper Lantern	90
C1473	Remarkable Wreath	70
C1474	10 Things	105
C1485	Super Powers	47
C1498	Country Life	82
C1499	Perfect Day	80
D1195	The Works Alphabet	117
D1222	Tiny Typewriter Alphabet	117
D1296	Chocolate Alphabet Small	114
D1301	Hodge Podge Alphabet	114
D1303	Classmate Alphabet	114
D1462	Splendid Day	77
D1464	Card Chatter—Love	106
D1467	Trees & Things	76
D1472	Simple Memories	66
D1478	Bingo Alphabet	113
D1505	Roar!	89
D1508	Diverse Backgrounds	102
D1509	Magic Adventures	78
D1511	Kick Back	81
E1013	Field Trip Alphabet	114
G1040	Workshops on the Go® Spellbound Cricut® Kit	14
G1041	Workshops on the Go® Avonlea Cardmaking Kit	22
G1042	Workshops on the Go® Scroll Album Kit	23
G1043	Workshops on the Go® Pear & Partridge Cardmaking Kit	66
G1044	Workshops on the Go® Advent Calendar Kit	67
G1045	Workshops on the Go® Avonlea Scrapbooking Kit	21
G1046	Workshops on the Go® Clementine Scrapbooking Kit	29
G1047	Workshops on the Go® Dakota Scrapbooking Kit	35
G1048	Workshops on the Go® La Belle Vie Scrapbooking Kit	41
G1049	Workshops on the Go® Scholastic Scrapbooking Kit	47
G1050	Workshops on the Go® Flirty Scrapbooking Kit	53
G1051	Workshops on the Go® Moonlight Scrapbooking Kit	59
G1052	Workshops on the Go® Pear & Partridge Scrapbooking Kit	65
X7147B	My Reflections® Stella Paper Packet	68
X7147C	Stella Complements Canvas Shapes	68
X7148B	My Reflections® Pemberley Paper Packet	68
X7148C	My Stickease® Pemberley Assortment	68
X7150B	My Reflections® Victory Paper Packet	69
X7150C	My Stickease® Victory Assortment	69
X7153B	My Reflections® Florentine Paper Packet	69
X7153C	My Stickease® Florentine Assortment	69
X7158B	La Belle Vie Paper Packet	38
X7158C	La Belle Vie My Stickease® Assortment	38
X7160B	Flirty Paper Packet	50
X7160C	Flirty Complements Dimensional Elements	50
X7161B	Moonlight Paper Packet	56
X7161C	Moonlight Complements Dimensional Elements	56
X7162B	Pear & Partridge Paper Packet	62
X7162C	Pear & Partridge Complements Glittery Rub-Ons	62
Z1054	My Creations® Display Album	132
Z1252	Cutting Knife	135
Z1316	Designer Ribbon Cocoa Collection	124
Z1349	Shimmer Designer Brads	127
Z1352	4 1/2" Colonial White Circle Cards	123
Z1353	4 1/2" White Daisy Circle Cards	123
Z1360	Rhinestone Designer Brads	127
Z1361	Brads Red Assortment	127
Z1362	Brads Pink Assortment	127
Z1363	Brads Blue Assortment	127
Z1364	Brads Green Assortment	127
Z1365	Brads Basic Assortment	127
Z1378	My Creations® Banner	132
Z1385	Designer Ribbon Blue Collection	124
Z1387	Wooden Designer Buttons	125
Z1388	Newsprint Rub-Ons	130
Z1391	Buttons Clear Assortment	125
Z1393	Mini-Medley Accents Black Collection	126
Z1395	Irresistibles™ Eclectic Chipboard Die-Cuts (the alphabet)	130
Z1407	6" x 6" Olive Quick Pic™ Album	122
Z1408	6" x 6" Pansy Purple Quick Pic™ Album	122
Z1460	Foundry® Ribbon Slides	126
Z1461	Décor Journaling Spots	129
Z1464	Milepost Shapes	128
Z1465	Irresistibles™ Make-It-Count Numbers	130
Z1466	Bling Assortment	128
Z1614	My Creations® Memory Game	132
Z1615	Designer Ribbon Red Collection	124
Z1616	Designer Ribbon Green Collection	124
Z1681	Dimensional Elements  Numbers	131
Z1687	Bohemian Assortment	128
Z1689	Timeless Charms	128
Z1692	Tough Tags	128
Z1694	Bouquet Assortment	128
Z1695	Urban Felt Alphabet	130
Z1696	Keepsake Felt Alphabet	130
Z1700	Dark Chocolate Tapestry Velvet Rub-Ons	126
Z1709	Just Blooms® Petals Paper Flowers	129
Z1711	Foundry® Binder Clips	126
Z1712	Foundry® Number Plates	126
Z1731	My Originals® Sweet Surprises Card Kit	123
Z1733	Black Tapestry Velvet Rub-Ons	126
Z1741	Haunted Assortment	128
Z1742	Parlor Velvet Rub-Ons	126
Z1743	Festive Velvet Rub-Ons	126
Z1749	Autumn Lane Assortment	128
Z1761	Dimensional Elements Ornaments	131
Z1762	Dimensional Elements Snowflakes	131
Z1763	Boutique Assortment	128
Z1765	Color-Ready Arbor Wooden Shapes	130
Z1772	Dimensional Elements In Color—Holiday	128
Z188	Craft Jars	120

Bonus Workshop - Calendar Gift Ideas

Are you in need of a gift idea for a teacher, family member or friend?  Why not give a hand made calendar? They"ll think of you everyday! =)  Join me Thursday December 13th at 7:00 p.m. or Friday December 14th at 9:30 a.m. to create one or both calendars shown below.  You will need to order no later than December 2nd to ensure delivery of supplies needed for the projects.

Event Calendar $3 class fee plus supplies -
I immediately thought of Close To My Heart's unique Event Calender - a perpetual calendar to record annual events like birthdays and anniversaries - when I saw the December Stamp of the Month "Year Round Cheer" in the Idea Book.  Each of the 12 images is perfect for the months of the year.  They also look adorable on their own for a 3x3 note card, or to embellish a scrapbook page.

Supplies:
1 Event Calender 4" x 18" (Z126) $8.50 each
1 December Stamp of the Month: Year Round Cheer (S1212) optional $17.95 or $5 with a $50 purchase
 Each month has a 3.5" x 3.5" white space to decorate with random scraps of paper and embellishments to your liking.

close up view

All 12 squares. You can design your own, or copy mine

Desk Calendar $5 class fee plus supplies - 
This ingenious creation comes from the very talented Lisa Stenz.  I've created my version with Scholastic paper that I think is ideal for teachers.

Supplies:
2 My Creations Blocks (Z1746) $3.95 each
1 My Creations Card Box (Z1647) $4.95 each
1 Hook & Loop Dots (Z1805) $3.95 each
1 Bonding Memories Glue (1512) $6.95 each, recommended adhesive
If you don't want to use the Scholastic Paper shown, bring 4 sheets of 12" x 12" paper to the workshop
*Optional stamp sets:
Glamour Lowercase (D1522) $17.95
Casual Expressions (D1525) $17.95

side view

Feel free to order supplies directly from my website or contact me to join my order.

Happy holidays,

Sheila

Gobble Gobble Gift Bag

Here's a cute gift bag you can make for a teacher or special friend for Thanksgiving using the Close To My Heart Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge.  I filled the bag with candy corn and yummy chocolate popcorn I found in the candy aisle at Walmart.  I really want to make these pumpkin snickerdoodles for the next one.

Here are the dimensions, supplies and assembly instructions:

·        Chocolate Bag – 6 ½” Gift Bag  [font layer + shift < 3 >]

·        Chocolate Body* – 4” Scalloped Oval [fourth row, second from left]

·        Desert Sand Collar* – 2 ¾” Scalloped Oval [fourth row, second from left]

·        Chocolate Head* – 3” Egg [fourth row, fourth from right]

·        White Daisy Eyes – cut 2, ½” Ovals [second row, second from left]

·        Goldrush Beak – 1” Banner [third row, second from right]

·        Cranberry Waddle – 1 ½” Uneven Heart [bottom row, second from right + Shift]

·        Honey Feet – cut 2, 1” Skinny Heart [second row, fourth from right + Shift]

·        Feathers – One in each color, 1 ¾” Skinny Oval [top row, second from left]                                            Suggestions: Barn Red, Smokey Plum, New England Ivy, Honey, Autumn Terracota.

Also need

·        2 black Bigger Brads

·        6” Baker’s Twine

·        Liquid Glass, or other adhesive (I like this because it dries quickly)

·        Piercing Tool

·        Chocolate Ink

·        Sponge

Assembly: 

Sponge (*) pieces in Chocolate Ink.  Assemble turkey using Liquid Glass or similar adhesive.  Cut about 1/2" off bottom of Turkey body before attaching to the assembled gift bag, otherwise he won't sit up.

 

 

Enjoy,
Sheila

Save The Date, Capture The Savings

In November, you’ll get something extra when you buy the stamp of the month—50% off another stamp set!

When you place an order of $50 or more in full retail products and buy the November Stamp of the Month set, Capture the Date, for just $5, you can pick any stamp set at 50% off! Get Capture the Date and then capture the savings today!

To show our support of Red Cross relief efforts for those areas of the US severely affected by Hurricane Sandy, Close To My Heart will donate $1 for every Stamp of the Month set sold as a part of this promotion during November.

*Shipping/handling may apply. Offer valid November 1–30, 2012. Offer valid for A–E and M size
stamp sets only; K size, Workshops on the Go® , Cricut® collections, and Stamp of the Month stamp
sets are not eligible for this promotion. Maximum of one 50% off stamp set per order.

Click here to start shopping.

Avonlea Scrapbook Layouts

Aren't these layouts gorgeous?  Perfect for those cherished heirloom photos.  I can't take much credit for these other than I can follow directions.  They were created by a very talented and generous CTMH consultant, Karen Pedersen.  Thanks Karen!

I will share with you how to make these beautiful pages at my scrapbook playgroup January 11th.
 

 

 

 

 

Items Needed:
Avonlea Workshop On The Go (G1045)
Avonlea Complements canvas shapres (X7155C)
Antique Gold mini medley accents (Z1786)
Slate & Chocolate exclusive inks stamp pads (Z2173 and Z2111)
VersaMark Ink and White Daisy embossing powder (Z891 and Z673)

Have a memorable day,
Sheila

Fall Harvest

Halloween...check. The Fall festivities are in full swing.  I love the cooler nights and crisp mornings this time of year in Arizona.  Today I'm taking down all the gobblins, ghosts and pumpkin decorations and replacing them with cozier items like this Harvest banner I made with Close To My Heart products.  When I saw this on page 86 of the Idea Book I knew I had to make one for my home. I've included a tutorial video showing our new alcohol based markers which I used to make these beautiful blended fall leaves.  Now, how many days till Christmas?  :\

 I used  the Cricut Artiste cartridge (Z1790) to create the banner (4"), border (1.25") and title (2"). 



These leaves are made from paper.  I stamped the images from the Fall Harvest stamp set (item C1504) on colonial white cardstock and then colored them using our new markers.  Finish off with some brads, hemp and new burlap ribbon (item Z1760).  Now I need to get to the craft store and purchase some garland to finish off the mantle.

Have a memorable day,
Sheila

Pear & Partridge Holiday Scrapbook Layouts

Join me in November to make these festive scrapbook pages.  I love the patterns and colors of the Pear & Partridge collection, including the charming dimensional elements.

 



Tip: Print titles and journaling using a word processing program and print on cardstock.



Here's a sample of those coordinating dimensional elements I mentioned. 

And this is a combination of the complementary rub-ons and stamped images.

Items used:
G1052 Pear & Partridge Scrapbooking Kit
Includes X7162C Glittery Rub-Ons and Z1326 Assorted Sparkles
Z1772 Dimensional Elements In Color - Holiday
Click here to order yours.

Have a memorable day,
Sheila

Owl-o-ween is Coming

I love using up scraps. I get to be creative and clean up at the same time.  If you saw my craft room right now, you might think I need to use up more scraps in a hurry.  It's a mess in here, but I've been busy organizing albums and scrapbook layouts.  Anyway, I want to share these Halloween cards I created using up scraps from the Moonlight workshop kit.

Have a memorable day,
Sheila

Studio J - Buy 9, Get 1 Free!

A few of my favorite things about Studio J - 

• No cropping of photos, just click and drag to a photo well. The program sizes it for me.
• Use paper kits that are no longer available for purchase.
• Resize My Stickease to be large or small, and use the same image multiple times.
• Tombow adhesive never runs out since I don't need it for online scrapbooking.
• Accessories and ribbon are available in a wide variety of colors.
• Can change the color of patterned paper to fit my needs.
• Pay nothing until I purchase completed layouts.
• Free layouts in October!

October is the month to save on Studio J^® layouts. In this special promotion, when you buy 9 Studio J layouts, you’ll get another custom-printed layout for free! It’s the perfect opportunity to try this fast and easy online software for the first time. The discount is automatically applied to your cart when you order 10 or more layouts. You can get up to 4 free layouts with this fantastic promotion! So what are you waiting for? Start your online scrapbooking today!

Visit Studio J to place a qualifying order and get your free layout—only in October!

*Taxes and shipping/handling may apply. Offer good during above-specified dates, while supplies last.

Here are a few Studio J Layouts from my collection:

This Zippidee paper is no longer available for purchase but it's available in Studio J, and it's perfect for my 2011 Convention photos taken at the Disneyland Resort.

This Wonderland paper is no longer available for purchase, but I was able to use it Studio J for our snowmobiling vacation.

This is an exclusive paper kit available only in Studio J.  The cupcake print and banner are very hip.

Visit Studio J and give it a try.  It's free to play,  You don't pay for a thing until you purchase completed layouts.

Have a memorable day,

Sheila

Halloween Countdown

Aren't these blocks adorable?  It's the bonus project for the Moonlight Workshop On The Go shown on page 59 of the Fall/Winter 2012 Idea Book from Close To My Heart.  These countdown blocks are easy to make and don't require much in the way of paper.  You'll need two 3" blocks (Z1746), one set of dimensional elements Number (Z1681) and coordinating Haunted Assortment doo-dads (Z1741).  Click here to see assembly instructions.  The stamped images and paper are from the Moonlight Workshop kit (G1051).

October Stamp of the Month: Very Merry Christmas

I know, it's October 1st and the high in Phoenix is 102 degrees today!  But it's time to start gearing up for the holidays.  Christmas is 12 weeks away.  The October Stamp of the Month is loaded with holiday images to help you create cards, gifts, and scrapbook pages. 

Here's a quick card I made this weekend. I made my own patterned paper using the image of the tree and presents. That little added shimmer is Shimmer Trim self-adhesive ribbon (Item #Z1799). I love it!

Have a memorable day,

Sheila