Tag Archives: My Crush

Memory Keeping

Dear Future Self . . .

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How are you doing on your New Year’s resolutions for 2016? If you could use some motivation now or think you might before the year is up, one thing to try is writing a letter to your future self, talking about the things that you hope to have done by the date of the letter! Have a look at this one:Get inspired to accomplish your goals by writing a letter to yourself! #closetomyheart #ctmh #everydaylife #mycrush

Our My Crush® Everyday Life pages are perfect for this job. Along with encouraging phrases and bold illustrations, the pages also include subtle patterns and colors, making them easy to write on and decorate!

So how exactly do you go about writing a letter to yourself? We have a few ideas. Start by jotting down a few lists about yourself—strengths, weaknesses, worries, past successes. Think about your past year and some challenges you’re likely to face this year. Then write your current self a note as if you were a kind and wise mentor trying to encourage a friend. As the year progresses and the hard times hit, you’ll be able to look back and get the help you need from you!

Once you’ve finished writing out your letter, feel free to dress it up with a few embellishments—may we recommend the Everyday Life™ Perfect Plan roller stamp and washi tape? They pair wonderfully with the My Crush pages. Then add the page to the front of your planner so you can reference it whenever you need a boost.

Your goals are worth working for, and you’re most likely to accomplish them if you have faith in yourself. Preserve that faith with a letter to yourself and shoot for the stars!

Recipe

My Crush® Letter To Self
44751 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3208 Everyday Life™ Album—Black, Z3210 My Crush® Everyday Life Pages, Z3212 Everyday Life™ Perfect Plan Roller Stamp, Z3211 Everyday Life™ Washi Tape, Z1979 Marvy® Uchida® LePen™ Journaling Pen, Z2462 ShinHan™ Touch Twin™ Peony Purple Marker

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Create

An Elegant Way to Put Your Memories On Display

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As the end of July draws near, some of you have probably started to place your summertime memories in albums. But have you ever thought about hanging them on the wall? Our Designed Décor products are perfect for preserving memories while still leaving all the creativity to you! What’s really fun about this line is that the products allow you to showcase your photos while using even more of your favorite paper packets, stamps, and embellishments at once. Of course, the Designed Décor line can also be used with minimal or no embellishments, and the products will still add simple elegance to any photos. That’s what’s great about Designed Décor—YOU get to determine how many details you want to add and the overall effect you want to create. We decided to try our hand at creating a very embellished Designed Décor item, just for fun. 🙂 Our artist started with our display tray, let her creative gears run wild, and produced stunning results!

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Isn’t that a gorgeous memento to hang on your wall? Right off the bat you can see that our display tray can be a great way to use up leftover scraps and embellishments you have lying around. Our artist cut the “Life” letters from the My Crush® For Her Book and used 3-D foam tape to make them pop. How creative is that? We also love the way the artist cut photos in half to share between two windows. And the journaling on the Picture My Life™ Jackson Scrapbooking Program card. And the landscape scenes created using the Seaside paper packet and fence stamp. Sorry, we’ll try to contain our excitement. This display tray’s just got us reeling!

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Like an intricate scrapbook page, the small details really make this display tray special. Embossed letters using the My Acrylix® Keyboard Uppercase stamp set provide a gritty texture similar to sand, and what better pictures to use with the Oceanside sequins than actual pictures of the ocean? The sequins tie the cool colors of the display board together wonderfully.

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Just look at all the details in this corner of the display tray. The Cricut®-cut wave, the layered seashells shaded with watercolor pencils, the perfectly placed sequins, the metal Seaside Assortment pieces. And what an inventive way to use Glacier thick twine! The net and starfish add such a unique, dimensional element to this piece.

Not only is our Designed Décor line perfect for creating seasonal décor with family memories, but it’s also great for showcasing everyday pictures—and in a way that will catch the eye of all your guests. Even if you don’t use as many embellishments as the piece above, Designed Décor provides a great medium for beautifully displaying photos and memories. So go ahead! Take a look at our Designed Décor line, and choose the perfect piece to add to your home. Then sit back, relax, and let the compliments roll in. 🙂

Recipe

Life Is Better in the Summer Display Tray
C1594 My Acrylix® Treasured Friendship, C1595 My Acrylix® Hello Summer, D1609 My Acrylix® Seaside Greetings, B1416 My Acrylix® Keyboard Uppercase, X7192B Seaside Paper Packet, X7185B Scaredy Cat Paper Packet, Z3068 Picture My Life™ Jackson Scrapbooking Program, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2114 Cocoa Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z2165 Juniper Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z1142 Brown StazOn™ Ink Pad, Z3081 My Crush® For Her Book, Z1750 Display Tray, Z3014 Seaside Assortment, Z3039 Glacier Thick Twine, Z3041 Oceanside Sequins, Z2068 Ranger™ White Super Fine Embossing Powder, 3505 Watercolor Pencils, Z1906 Cricut® Artbooking Collection, Pen, Hot Glue Gun

Cricut® Shape:
Artbooking
1 ¼” Border <y> (p. 53)

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Memory Keeping

Love Is in the Air

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Now that it’s officially June, something’s in the air. Can you feel it? That’s what we call love, people! L-O-V-E. And it’s all because of this month’s deal on My Crush® books.

Prepare yourself for the twitterpation: For the whole month of June, when you purchase any My Crush book and its accompanying assortment pictured in the Annual Inspirations 2014–2015 idea book, you will receive the coordinating stamp set FREE!

Just admit it, you’re totally crushing on this deal.

Okay, so maybe you haven’t struck up a romance with a My Crush book before. (Gasp!) Take a look at these heartthrobs and consider the possibilities they could bring to your summer.

First, this blushing beauty: the My Crush In the Pink book. The designed pages are prime real estate for your photos and notes, and the coordinating assortments open your creative options even wider. You start with this:

My Crush™ Book

And end up with this:

My Crush™ Book

Feeling a little more adventurous than that? Try the Wildwood book and all its trimmings.

My Crush™ Book

Now, don’t be getting all swoony on us just yet; there’s still more to go. Dare we mention there are even more options beyond those we have pictured here? Because there are: five books, seven assortments, and four truly terrific stamp sets. Stamps that you can get for FREE. Oh, the love we feel for FREE—it’s inexpressible.

It’s time to stop dreaming of what could be and show the world how you really feel. Get your family reunions, summer vacations, and birthday parties into a My Crush book right away. It’s not too late to fall in love!

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Community, Create

Extravaganza Is Back

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Convention is coming! Convention is coming!

One of everyone’s favorite things about Convention is having the chance to see the newest products in an up-close and personal setting. Nowhere does this happen like it does at Extravaganza.

At this fast and furious (but super fun) session, everyone gets to see almost every new product used in artwork created by Consultants. These Consultant artists take 20 minutes to teach ideas and techniques they used to create their mini museums of amazing artwork, filling attendees’ heads with an incredible amount of ideas for what to do with all that is new in the annual idea book. It is one of the BEST parts of Convention!

At last year’s Extravaganza in Anaheim, some very talented artists showed off their work. Though the products featured here have been around for several months now, the ideas are so fresh, they’ll have you seeing things in a brand new light. Enjoy this little sampling of the awesomeness we saw then, and get excited for the awesomeness we’re going to see again in just a few weeks!

Tresa Black created these incredible projects with the pages from My Crush® books, both on and off the page.

Sara Batkin took the Base & Bling line by storm by introducing this array of beautiful goodies—some for wearing, others for sharing.

Michelle Snyder reminded us of the joy of not only keeping memories, but also of making them with her collection of clever party creations.

Exciting? Most definitely! Convention is an event just for Consultants, so sign up to be one yourself! Then YOU will be among the first to see this level of gorgeous artwork and gather inspiring ideas when you attend Convention this year.

Not quite sure what to expect at your first Convention? Here’s a look at the fun and creativity that takes place.

Can’t wait to see you there!

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Community

My Crush® For Her Book Giveaway Winners

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Congratulations to the 10 winners of the My Crush® For Her book giveaway! If your name is on the list below, email ctmhblog@closetomyheart.com with your name and mailing address so we can send you TWO For Her books. Use “For Her book giveaway” as your subject line.

Our winners:

1. Renee Resetar (posted May 22 at 12:21 pm)
2. Kelly Massman (posted May 22 at 1:52 pm)
3. Nicola Blight (posted May 22 at 3:20 pm)
4. Regina Furman (posted May 22 at 4:21 pm)
5. Lois Lemkay (posted May 22 at 7:46 pm)
6. Simona MacAngus (posted May 22 at 10:16 pm)
7. Kelly Burt (posted May 23 at 1:17 pm)
8. Val Wood (posted May 24 at 3:06 pm)
9. Darlys (posted May 25 at 1:44 am)
10. Karma Wood (posted May 26 at 8:21 am)

Congratulations once again! And to EVERYONE out there, don’t forget about this week’s creative challenge. Can’t wait to see what you come up with!

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Community

My Crush® For Her and For Him Bundle Winners!

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Surprise! We were so overjoyed with your positive responses toward the My Crush® For Her and For Him books that we decided to choose TEN winners instead of one! More love for everyone!

  • Brenda Dale Beasley (April 8, 2015 at 6:56 am)
  • Joyce Beenes (April 8, 2015 at 11:10 am)
  • Emily Thomas (April 8, 2015 at 6:26 am)
  • Audrey Clark (April 7, 2015 at 5:01 pm)
  • Joyce Vos (April 7, 2015 at 10:26 pm)
  • Diena Riddle (April 7, 2015 at 5:29 pm)
  • Kerryghl (April 7, 2015 at 6:17 pm)
  • RaVonna Johnson (April 7, 2015 at 2:02 pm)
  • Kelsey Jessop (April 7, 2015 at 2:34 pm)
  • Alex Garino (April 7, 2015 at 11:22 am)

Each of you lucky winners will receive your own My Crush® bundle, which includes both a For Her and For Him book! To claim your prize, send an email to ctmhblog@closetomyheart.com with “My Crush bundle winner” in the subject line and your mailing address in the body copy.

Thank you for falling in love with these books with us! Here’s to many romantic papercrafting escapades to come. 🙂

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Community

Crafting Celebrities: My Crush® Books on Studio 5!

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The My Crush® For Her and For Him books had their spot in the limelight today when Close To My Heart Chief Communications Officer Monica Wihongi brought them in to show the folks on the KSL Studio 5 show. While they were filming the segment, our Creative Communications Manager Jill Broadbent snapped a few behind-the-scenes shots of Monica on set! Doesn’t she look like a natural? Some people are just made for the lights. 🙂

As Monica mentioned in the show, we’re offering a special My Crush® bundle giveaway in this post! Scroll down to the bottom to get more details on what’s inside and how to enter.

For those of you living outside of Utah (and for those in Utah who just missed the show), watch the full segment below.

Watched the show and still left craving to know more? For intense crafting scholars like you, we’ve provided a breakdown analysis of a few highlights from each of the books below.

My Crush® For Her Book

Start Here

Who wouldn’t want to open a book with this masterpiece on the cover? There is definitely something magical about a beginning as beautiful as this one.

All the Extras


Gold Shimmer Trim and Coral Reef sequins are your best friends when it comes to dressing things up. All you’ve got to do is peel and stick, and they’ll take care of the sparkling and dazzling. And can we just say how much we love these vellum overlays? Drop. Dead. Gorgeous.

Breathing Room
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There’s room for your creativity to exhale on the open, designed pages that are perfect for adding your own journaling blocks, photos, or anything else your heart desires.

Goodbye, Writer’s Block

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The journaling prompts scattered throughout the book help you document new insights into your relationships and share the things you might not have found a way to say otherwise.

Pinterest-Worthy

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Designed quotes make lovely companions to your treasured photos. They add drama, sentiment, feeling, power, and beauty—the whole shebang.

 My Crush® For Him Book

 To Boldly Go

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We will gladly follow these bold, authentic shapes to the end of this book and back again.

Be Brave

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Add a touch of bold dimension and color using the Brave enamel shapes! They’re self-adhesive, handsome, and prepared to fight the battle of visual appeal until the end of time.

Outdoors Inside

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What better way to say how you feel than with backgrounds of majestic pictures of the wilderness? Words take on new meaning when they’ve got nature on their side.

Say What You Need to Say
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Know how you feel but can’t find the words? Don’t worry—this book has got you covered. Just like the For Her book, the creative journaling prompts inside will help you find the words you know you want to say but just aren’t quite sure how to say.

Feeling satisfied yet? If not, then you know there’s only one thing left to do: Get your own My Crush® book today! Enter the giveaway below or order one from a Close To My Heart Consultant.

If you’re feeling all sorts of twitterpated, then take a chance on love! Tell us what you love most about these books by leaving a comment below, and you’ll be entered in our My Crush® bundle giveaway. This bundle includes both a For Her and For Him book! We’ll randomly select one lucky winner on Thursday, April 9. 

So don’t be shy about sharing your love! Remember, fortune favors the brave. 😉

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Celebrate

We’re in love, we’re in love—and we don’t care who knows it!

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December is well underway and we are now officially justified to be completely and unashamedly obsessed with Christmas. Is there a better time to get extra creative and crafty? We don’t think so. With our hearts turned toward holiday crafts and projects, we’re finding ourselves crushing more than ever on our favorite My Crush™ Holiday Happenings book and assortment. The possibilities with this book are magically endless!

If you look beyond the obvious uses of the book, you’ll notice that what’s inside can be used in a multitude of ways that extend well beyond the original purpose. Think of this book as a Russian nesting doll: The pieces work great together AND individually. The 30 pages of whimsical designs and textured finishes are the perfect ingredients for baking up some crafty Christmas masterpieces. So go ahead, rebel against every librarian in history and take the pages out of the book! Only then can your creativity be set free to create something wonderful with all the festive bits and pieces.

To get your cogs of inspiration turning, we’ve picked three of our favorite ideas to highlight below.

First up is a new spin on a classic form of memory keeping. Enhance your traditional 12″ x 12″ pages by using the beautiful patterned papers in this mini album. They provide a lovely finishing touch of Christmas and the holidays to precious memories.

The envelopes that come in the assortment are just the right size for holding gift cards! Stick an envelope onto one of these simple cards, made from a mix of papers from the book and the assortment, and then add a little ribbon and trim. You’ll have everything you need to create a unique stash of holiday cards ready for gift giving.

How about a one-of-a-kind beautiful banner to adorn your mantle for the holidays? This banner came together in minutes by simply using Cranberry striped twill ribbon to string together the papers and vellum pages of the book along with a few cards and embellishments from the assortment. It’s so simple, but it lights up the entire room!

With decorations and gifts as cute as these, your home is sure to have an extra dose of the Christmas spirit this year. You might want to add a few extra cookies to Santa’s plate because when he comes to your house, he’s definitely going to want to sit and stay awhile.

For more inspiration on how to use the My Crush Holiday Happenings book to capture your holiday season, read our earlier post.

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