Once upon a time, in the not-so-faraway kingdom of Close To My Heart, there were some talented fairies diligently working on paper and stamp designs sure to enchant anyone who set eyes on them. Like a fairy tale come to life, they brought back a beautiful paper packet once beloved by all. With a few color updates, the results were a More Magical paper packet, the My Acrylix® Dream stamp set, and a workshop kit to help preserve all of your magical adventures!
The More Magical Workshop kit includes the More Magical paper packet and a selection of other products, which you can use to create four coordinating two-page scrapbook layouts and eight cards! (Download instructions to turn these crafting products into beautiful artwork right on your Consultant’s website!)
But just like your fairy godmother’s best efforts, this magic won’t last forever. Get all of your More Magical products, suited for all-purpose crafting, before the spell ends on September 30! May your memories live happily ever after with this charming collection! 😀
Whew! Can you believe that it’s almost been a whole week since we said goodbye to each other at the end of Convention? We’re still trying to recover from the whirlwind of papercrafting bliss that was Convention. Some bags are still unpacked, some Consultants are still sleeping sound in their beds, and others have visions of Disneyland® churros dancing in their heads. Having fun is a lot of work! But it’s worth every minute. 🙂 For all of you that attended, we hope you had fun because we sure did! Before life gets too busy again, let’s take a stroll down memory lane and revisit some of the highlights of our week spent next door to “The Happiest Place on Earth.” Shall we?
As usual, Sticky Boy was up to his usual shenanigans. This year Sticky Boy decided to be a little less sticky and a little more sweet by posting hints about his hiding places on his Facebook page. This sent more than one Consultant racing down the halls in hot pursuit of his latest revealed location. Some were victorious; others barely missed him. He frequented the nooks and crannies of the hotel, popping up on drinking fountains, flower vases, and elevator walls. It was quite the hunt! We can’t wait to see where Sticky Boy will travel this year with his newfound friends and his little heart balloon in tow.
We raised enough monetary wattage to light up a whole lot of smiles. Between the Base & Bling necklaces, the auction, and the 5K run, we raised over $40,000 for Operation Smile™! Thank you to everyone one who was generous enough to donate to this important cause. After listening to Monica share stories from her Operation Smile mission in Mexico and showing us a special video featuring celebrity Kate Walsh, who went on the same mission as Monica, each of our hearts beat a little faster for Operation Smile and its unique quest to change the lives of children by giving them back their smiles. And, as a special announcement, we unveiled the new Operation Smile™ t-shirts, which will be available for order July 23! We will donate $10 of every shirt purchase to Operation Smile.
Love was in the air. With the theme of “Make It from Your Heart” combined with motifs from the movie Up, we should’ve guessed that something truly magical was going to happen. During the dance on Saturday night, Monica’s husband Jody Wihongi took the stage and sang “Marry Me” by Train. That was our first clue. After he finished the song, Monica invited one lucky Consultant up to the stage who was then surprised by her boyfriend who came from behind the stage, got down on one knee, and proposed! We were thrilled to have the opportunity to play a part in this special moment.
We got to hang out with Jeanette Lynton. When Jeanette Lynton takes the stage, you know you’re in for a treat. It’s always inspiring to hear and simply be in the same room with the visionary who gave this company its wings. She chatted with us about future plans for the company, her favorite movie, and what her children and grandchildren have been up to lately. She also gave a bit of advice: “I wish you would stop saying ‘I can’t’,” she said. “Because you can!”
It was a paper feast for the eyes. In addition to unveiling loads of new products, we also hosted a number of artistic showcases where Convention attendees were able to feast their eyes on art made by fellow Consultants, as well as all the exclusive art from the new idea books. And if that wasn’t exciting enough, there was plenty more to be seen in business and Extravaganza classes.
Oh, yeah. We released new editions of these things called idea books. Ever heard of them? We’re sure this isn’t interesting to you, so that’s why we left it for last. Just kidding! The release of not one but TWO new idea books was met with quite the enthusiastic response at Convention. After we released the beautiful Annual Inspirations 2015–2016 idea book on the first day, there was one question left lingering in the air: What about Christmas? Well, the next day this question was answered in a magical way when, amongst flurries of snow and the jingle of bells in the ballroom, we unveiled the Holiday Expressions supplement!
*Both of these idea books will be available to all Consultants on August 1 and to customers on September 1.
Thank you for another wonderful Convention! All we have left to say is that we can’t wait until Convention next year at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Florida. We’ll see you then!
Sticky Boy here. I’ve come out of hiding today to personally invite you to the party you’ve been waiting for all year. You know, that beloved event when the world revolves around me: Convention!
I try to stay out of the spotlight because I don’t like making such a big deal of myself, but the way people fawn over me you’d think I was the only reason they came to Convention. So, I know I’m a pretty big deal, and I don’t blame them for wanting to hang out with me, but there are some other perks to attending Convention.
Let me name a few reasons why I love it so much.
I’ll start with one that’s very obvious: seeing my creator and friend Jeanette Lynton on stage is always inspiring for me. Her gifted hands crafted my perfect, round self, and I always enjoy seeing her smile beaming from the stage.
Next to seeing my favorite CEO, seeing the newest idea book, and seeing it FIRST, is definitely one of the highlights of my Convention experience every year. I obviously flip straight to the new stamp sets first and foremost, but maybe that’s just me.
To really nail down what I love most about Convention, you’ll have to experience firsthand the excitement that runs through the veins of every Consultant in attendance. The energy they feel for this company is contagious, even for little ol’ polymer me, and I’m pretty sure I don’t even have veins.
But excitement isn’t the only feeling you’ll experience at Convention. I may or may not have gotten a bit misty-eyed last year when I saw the lovely Dana Swadling receiving her surprise Spirit of Close To My Heart award—but who didn’t shed a few tears when they saw that? I love seeing hard-working people getting the recognition they deserve!
Okay, enough with the emotion. It’s time to talk business.
I’d be a liar if I said that my favorite part of Convention isn’t the thrill of the hunt—because it is! Oh, how I love the suspense and anticipation of watching so many of you walk right on by as I practically beg you to see me. Ba ha ha! My clever hiding places are just too good.
I admit that, after putting up some resistance, I do actually like to be found. If you never found me, how would you know how clever my hiding places are?
After you’ve found me (and bragged about me using #stickyboyctmh), your hospitality is always astounding. I love tagging along with you everywhere you go. On top of that, joining you at home broadens my worldview and gives me what my friends would call “culture” (which I’m happy to experience, as long as that “culture” doesn’t include being clamped between your dog’s teeth).
Folks, life doesn’t get much better than Close To My Heart Convention. If you haven’t signed up yet, you’d better hurry yourself on over to the Registration page to get started. You could be one of the lucky few to take me home this year, and that alone makes the trip worth it, right? I mean, come on. Just look at me!
Okay, that’s enough for now. I’ll see you there (even if you don’t see me, heh heh)!
Greetings from the land of sunshine, beaches, and tropical sunsets! Over the past several days, Monica and Brian have been partying it up with our Consultant incentive trip earners in Ko Olina, Hawaii, at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa. We wanted to share a few highlights, courtesy of Close To My Heart CCO Monica Wihongi, to relive the magic of the trip. Take it away, Monica! ^^^I brought Sticky Boy in my suitcase, and he was quite the hit! But that’s not surprising since he’s always been the life of the party. He had a great time splashing in the waves, drinking tropical drinks, and exploring Hawaiian culture. If it was up to him, we would’ve stayed there forever. (See more Sticky Boy adventures here.)
^^^What made this incentive trip extra special was that many people brought their families along with them! It made the experience that much more amazing. Having a bunch of kids running around Hawaii with you always makes things more fun. The kids even held a gift swap with each other. It was such a great opportunity for them to make friends from all over the world!
^^^Here are all of the incentive trip winners from Australia and New Zealand! It was so fun to have them with us on our first ever combined US, CA, AU, and NZ incentive trip.
^^^One of the highlights of the trip was our dinner cruise aboard the Star of Honolulu. The food was superb and the views were even better. It’s nice to feel like royalty every once in a while. 🙂
^^^For the first time in a long time, we brought back the tradition of holding a Create & Take! It was so rejuvenating to spend some time doing what we love and what ultimately brought us all to Hawaii in the first place.
^^^Look at all of these first-time incentive trip qualifiers! We are so proud of these hard working Consultants and the success they’re experiencing!
^^^COO Brian Holman had a little tumble in the ocean. A big wave took him by surprise and knocked him right off his feet! Can you say wipeout???
^^^Duuuuuddde! (Finding Nemo, anybody?) Isn’t this picture incredible? I took it with an underwater camera. We weren’t allowed to touch the sea turtles, but it was ok if they touched us. This one and a few others kept swimming around my legs!
^^^We had our closing dinner outside on Aulani’s lawn. It was an absolutely gorgeous evening.
^^^My family is always happy to see Mickey and Minnie! Disney® always knows how to make you feel special.
^^^We could never get enough of the Hawaiian sunsets. Each night was an entirely unique and spectacular performance of oranges and golds. P-A-R-A-D-I-S-E.
^^^Here’s the whole gang! Isn’t that a beautiful sight? I’ll always remember these moments we shared in Hawaii together—thanks for making it so wonderful. Hopefully next year we’ll all see each other again in the Caribbean or in Dubai!
Mahalo, Monica! Doesn’t that sound like a dream? Congratulations again to all the Close To My Heart Consultants who earned this fantastic opportunity! They worked hard so they got to play hard—it’s that simple. Next year the US/CA incentive trip earners will cruise through the Caribbean aboard the sparkling new Norwegian Escape, and the AU/NZ winners will set sail for Dubai aboard the Splendour of the Seas®. We’re pretty excited about it, and we’d love nothing more than for you to join us!
