2018 Retiring Items

With the end of the year and the end of the Holiday Expressions catalog comes a whole new list of retired items. Remember December 31st is the last day to order items from the Holiday Expressions catalog, don't miss out on items you've had your eyes on! Some items from the catalog have already sold out and are now gone for good. Below is a list of the retiring items. Anything highlighted in grey are already sold out and unavailable!

Holiday Expressions 2018 Retiring List
Item #	Description	Catalog	Pg#
A1224	Just the Way You Are	HS 18-19	4
D1807	Junior Varisity Alphabet	HS 18-19	4
B1633	Craftermath	HS 18-19	5
C1734	A Thousand Words	HS 18-19	5
C1744	Dream Catcher	HS 18-19	6
D1795	Creative Soul	HS 18-19	7
Z9996	Everyday Life Album - Bashful	HS 18-19	15
X7235B	Boutique Paper Packet	HS 18-19	27
X7235C	Boutique Complements	HS 18-19	27
X7235D	Boutique Coordinating Cardstock	HS 18-19	27
Z4234	Boutique Puffy Stickers	HS 18-19	27
G1159	Boutique Scrapbooking Kit	HS 18-19	28
Z4500	Boutique Deluxe Bundle	HS 18-19	29
C1726	Boutique Cardmaking	HS 18-19	30
D1793	Boutique Scrapbooking	HS 18-19	31
D1815	Bunches of Love	HS 18-19	32
G1164	Hugs for You Cardmaking Kit	HS 18-19	33
X7236B	Hello Pumpkin Paper Packet	HS 18-19	37
X7236C	Hello Pumpkin Complements	HS 18-19	37
X7236D	Hello Pumpking Coordinating Cardstock	HS 18-19	37
Z4214	Hello Pumpkin Washi Tape	HS 18-19	37
Z4222	Hello Pumpkin Shapes	HS 18-19	37
G1160	Hello Pumpkin Scrapbooking Kit	HS 18-19	39
C1742	Hello Pumpkin Cardmaking	HS 18-19	40
Z4239	Hello Pumpkin Cardmaking Stamp + Thin Cuts	HS 18-19	40
D1806	Hello Pumpkin Scrapbooking	HS 18-19	41
G1165	Epic Birthday Cardmaking Kit	HS 18-19	42
X7236E	Picture My Life Cards Perfectly Imperfect	HS 18-19	43
X7237B	Grateful Heart Paper Packet	HS 18-19	47
X7237C	Grateful Heart Complements	HS 18-19	47
X7237D	Grateful Heart Coordinating Cardstock	HS 18-19	47
Z4215	Fern-stitched Ribbon	HS 18-19	47
Z4229	Grateful Heart Cork Shapes	HS 18-19	47
G1161	Grateful Heart Scrapbooking Kit	HS 18-19	49
C1727	Grateful Heart Cardmaking	HS 18-19	50
D1794	Grateful Heart Scrapbooking	HS 18-19	51
D1814	Living My Best Life	HS 18-19	52
G1166	You Got This Cardmaking Kit	HS 18-19	53
X7239B	Tis the Season Paper Packet	HS 18-19	57
X7239C	Tis the Season Complements	HS 18-19	57
X7239D	Tis the Season Coordinating Cardstock	HS 18-19	57
Z4226	Tis the Season Snowflakes	HS 18-19	57
Z4227	Tis the Season Buttons	HS 18-19	57
G1163	Tis the Season Scrapbooking Kit	HS 18-19	58
Z4501	Tis the Season Deluxe Bundle	HS 18-19	59
C1737	Tis the Season Cardmaking	HS 18-19	60
D1801	Tis the Season Scrapbooking	HS 18-19	61
G1168	Mistletoe Wishes Cardmaking Kit	HS 18-19	62
X7239E	Picture My Life Cards Christmas List	HS 18-19	63
X7238B	Oh What Fun Paper Packet	HS 18-19	67
X7238C	Oh What Fun Complements	HS 18-19	67
X7239D	Oh What Fun Coordinating Cardstock	HS 18-19	67
Z4216	Raspberry Baker's Twine	HS 18-19	67
Z4228	Oh What Fun Felt Shapes	HS 18-19	67
G1162	Oh What Fun Scrapbooking Kit	HS 18-19	69
C1746	Oh What Fun Cardmaking	HS 18-19	70
Z4240	Oh What Fun Cardmaking Stamp + Thin Cuts	HS 18-19	70
D1803	Oh What Fun Scrapbooking	HS 18-19	71
G1167	Bestie Therapy Cardmaking Kit	HS 18-19	72
X7238E	Picture My Life Holiday Style	HS 18-19	73
X9000	Seasons Mix-in Paper Packet	HS 18-19	74
X9001	Seasons Mix-in Coordinating Cardstock	HS 18-19	74
Z4300	Cut Above Recipe Kit Holiday Kitchen	HS 18-19	76
Z4301	Cut Above Recipe Kit Holiday Kitchen w/Memory Protectors	HS 18-19	76
Z4302	Cut Above Recipe Kit Holiday Kitchen Bundle	HS 18-19	76
D1810	From the Kitchen	HS 18-19	77
D1802	Dates to Remember	HS 18-19	81
B1630	Quit Being Awesome	HS 18-19	82
B1642	Colorful Hooray	HS 18-19	82
D1808	You're My Top Pick	HS 18-19	83
B1628	Cheeky Thank You	HS 18-19	84
B1629	So Proud of You	HS 18-19	84
C1731	Birthday Party Hat	HS 18-19	85
M1210	Mini Birthday Party Hat	HS 18-19	85
C1747	Fabulous Birthday	HS 18-19	86
C1739	New Little One	HS 18-19	87
C1740	Baby Animal Doodles	HS 18-19	88
Z4237	Baby Animal Doodles Stamp + Thin Cuts	HS 18-19	88
B1634	Snug Backgrounds	HS 18-19	89
B1639	The Smallest things	HS 18-19	89
D1797	Watercolor Impressions	HS 18-19	90
B1626	Old-school Text	HS 18-19	91
B1631	My Type of Note	HS 18-19	91
C1748	Stitched Borders	HS 18-19	92
C1732	Good Friends Are like Stars	HS 18-19	93
C1733	Contagious Courage	HS 18-19	93
B1636	Thank You Balloons	HS 18-19	94
B1641	Hedge-hugs	HS 18-19	94
B1624	Colorful Thank You	HS 18-19	95
B1637	With Sympathy	HS 18-19	95
B1625	A Little Sunshine	HS 18-19	96
B1640	Better with Tacos	HS 18-19	96
D1805	Repeatable Backgrounds	HS 18-19	97
C1730	Just a Little Something	HS 18-19	98
D1809	Love Note	HS 18-19	99
A1225	I Kind of Life You	HS 18-19	100
B1635	We Are We	HS 18-19	100
D1796	You Have My Heart	HS 18-19	101
C1743	Meant to Be	HS 18-19	102
M1207	Heap of Congrats	HS 18-19	102
M1208	Happy New Year	HS 18-19	102
D1804	Your Special Day	HS 18-19	103
C1729	Ugly Sweater	HS 18-19	104
M1209	Christmas Script	HS 18-19	104
A1223	Falling Flakes	HS 18-19	105
C1745	Merry Trimmings	HS 18-19	105
B1627	Making Spirits Bright	HS 18-19	106
B1632	Wonder of the Season	HS 18-19	106
Z4238	Wonder of the Season Stamp + Thin Cuts	HS 18-19	106
C1741	Holiday Borders	HS 18-19	107
D1800	Christmas Bingo	HS 18-19	108
D1799	Christmas Countdown	HS 18-19	109
B1619	Temporada Navidena	HS 18-19	115
B1620	Feliz Navidad	HS 18-19	115
B1621	Happy Christmas	HS 18-19	115
B1622	Saison de Noel	HS 18-19	115
B1623	Joyeux Noel	HS 18-19	115
B1643	Aussie Christmas	HS 18-19	115
C1728	Fair Dinkum Christmas	HS 18-19	115
Z3296	Cricut Season of Joy Digital Collection	HS 18-19	117
Z3299	Cricut Artbooking Physical Cartridge Collection	HS 18-19	123
Z4306	Merry Christmas Thin Cuts	HS 18-19	124
Z4307	Falala Thin Cuts	HS 18-19	124
Z4308	Seasons Greetings Thin Cuts	HS 18-19	124
Z4236	Winter Flurries Thin Cuts	HS 18-19	125
Z4174	A Big Thank You Thin Cuts	HS 18-19	126
Z4175	It's Your Day Thin Cuts	HS 18-19	126
Z3089	Grey Gems	HS 18-19	136
Z3090	Red Gems	HS 18-19	136
Z3371	Gold Pearls	HS 18-19	136
Z3024	White Shimmer Trim	HS 18-19	137
Z3197	Black & Gold Ribbon	HS 18-19	137
Z3325	Blue Burlap Ribbon	HS 18-19	137
Z4170	New England Ivy Burlap Ribbon	HS 18-19	137
Z3188	Paintbrush Set	HS 18-19	138
Z1767	Chalk Marker	HS 18-19	139
Z1768	Metallics Markers	HS 18-19	139
1779	My Acrylix Spritz Cleaner Refill	HS 18-19	140
Z1297	Edge Distresser	HS 18-19	141
Z1382	Tweezers	HS 18-19	141
Z1795	Quilling Tool	HS 18-19	141
Z1805	Hook & Loop Dots	HS 18-19	143
Z5205	My Legacy D-ring Album Red	HS 18-19	146
Z5208	My Legacy D-ring Album Pink	HS 18-19	147
Z5305	My Legacy Post Bound Album Red	HS 18-19	147
Z5308	My Legacy Post Bound Album Pink	HS 18-19	147
Z329	Resealable Bags	HS 18-19	154
S1809	Just Treats - September Stamp of the Month	HS 18-19	156
S1810	Thanks & Giving - October Stamp of the Month	HS 18-19	157
S1811	Seasonal Trees - November Stamp of the Month	HS 18-19	158
S1812	Candy Cane Alphabet - December Stamp of the Month	HS 18-19	159

Let me know if you have any questions as I'd be happy to help!

Create a Life You Love, 
Amanda

October SOTM: Thanks & Giving

Have you gotten your Stamp of the Month yet? The Thanks & Giving (S1810) stamp is only available through the end of October. This stamp is so precious with great stamps for cards, scrapbooking, and other paper crafts all year round. You can get the stamp set for just $5 with a qualifying purchase of $50 or more. 

Create a Life you Love, 

Amanda

October Special: Holiday Sparkle

I know that we have had a TON of new products and changes over the past 3 months that I took a break from CTMH and I am excited to share them all with you. First, let’s talk about this month’s special the Cut Above © Holiday Sparkle Card Kit (CC10189). This special is only available from October 1 – October 31, 2018.

This kit contains the materials to create 12 festive shaker cards, including: the printed bases, envelopes, die-cut pieces, stickers, shaker window foam and acetate, and sequins. Full instructions to create the cards are included. Get a 20% discount when you get the stamp set with the kit in the Holiday Sparkle Bundle (CC101810).

Don’t want to purchase the full kit? You can get the My Acrylix © Love with All the Trimmings (CC10188) stamp set separately. This d-size stamp set includes 25 stamps with sentiments and icons for the holiday season. Create some wonderful cards or layouts with this stamp set.

Did you know you can earn this set free by hosting a qualifying party or becoming a new consultant in October? I will be hosting a workshop to assemble the cards with some extra ideas near the end of October or beginning of November. Please email me if you are interested in the card workshop either in Bemidji, MN or virtually at kraftykank@gmail.com.

Create a Life you Love, 
Amanda

Ribbon Warrior Returns

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, CTMH has brought back the Ribbon Warrior Stamp set and Thin Cut bundle at a 20% discount. This set will be available now until the end of October, until supplies last. This set is so much more than a stamp set, it's hope, courage, and encouragement. Make cards, scrapbook pages, and more. 

Create a life you love, 

Amanda

New Consultant Kit Unboxing

It's here! It's here! I am so excited to share my new consultant kit un-boxing with you all! The kit includes over $200 worth of products and I received a $50 CTMH cash to order what best suits me! Need to get this kit and start the career of your dreams? Click here to sign up or email me with any questions: kraftykank@gmail.com. Now on to the kit!!

Here is a full listing of items included:

• Tombow® Permanent Adhesive (Z3326)
• 2″ × 2″ My Acrylix® Block (Y1003)
• Charcoal Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad (Z2831)
• Custom Cardstock Combo Pack 
• Everyday Life™ Album — Black (Z4219)
• Non-stick Micro-tip Scissors (Z1836)
• Make It from Your Heart™ Volume 4 (9044)
• Customer Order Forms (pack of 25)
• Holiday Expressions Idea Book (WCS1191)
• Cardstock Sampler 
• Holiday Expressions Paper Packets Sampler 
• Petite Perks™ Your Kind Heart Stamp Set (qty. 3)
• Desk Pad (pack of 50)
• Let Me Show You How Stamp Set 

I am so excited to jump right in! 

Create a life you love,

Amanda

Where I've Been

Hello Crafty Friends! Oh have I missed you all! I took a much needed break from Close to my Heart and really crafting all together to get MARRIED! It was a very long, stressful, but fun road to wedding day. We were officially hitched last weekend, September 29, 2018. It was an honor to have my brother officiate our wedding, that we held on our farmland. Although it was beyond chilly, at a cool 32 degrees,we had a blast! Here are a few wedding shots for you:

Now that all that is said and done, I am back with CTMH and ready to have a grand ole time crafting, sharing ideas, and memory keeping with you all. I look forward to restructuring my blog and social media pages. There are so many new and exciting products available with CTMH, so keep a look out for updates later this week!

Create a Life You Love, 
Amanda

Wisdom Wednesday #1: Memory Keeping - Where to Start

Good morning to all of my crafty friends! I have decided to restructure my blog and my week. If you haven't noticed the change, I am sure you will now 😋. So from now on, I plan to do a Wisdom Wednesday post. This will include many different topics, from how to's, insight into design, and just a way to share my wisdom I have gathered in my crafting journey. I hope you play along and share your wisdom with all of us too. 

So for my very first Wisdom Wednesday, I want to start with Memory Keeping - Where to Start. I know many of you have been scrapbooking and memory keeping for years and may know all sorts of tips and tricks, but I also know there are those of you that have never preserved your memories and have no idea where to start. There are loads of products and options available, and these can be extremely over whelming, so let me give you a simple list of a few things to start.

1. First and foremost, when deciding to begin your memory keeping journey, you need to find your why. Why are you wanting to keep these memories? Why do you take pictures in general? My why is because I want to preserve the memories with both photos and stories. I don't know about you, but my memory is pretty terrible. Having the scrapbooks full of memories allows me to hold onto those moments.
   
2. Next, you need to begin sorting the memories. This can be a very daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. Start by sorting into larger categories such as year. Then break it down. I like to sort my photos by month and year. I know what months the events fall in, so it allows me to easily find what I am looking for.
   
3. Choose your format. There are many formats available these days. If you knew about the scrapbooking scene years ago, you may know the classic format. This includes photos and some extra photo matting with some different scissors for decoration. Scrapbooking has come a long way in the past 10 years and there are so many options available. You can use the Cut Above layout kits from CTMH that give full instructions and have everything ready for you to assemble. You can do Picture My Life scrapbooking. This is essentially choosing photos and cards and placing them in a slotted page protector. Personally this is my favorite as I can choose how detailed or simple I want to be. Another option is our Workshop Your Way kits. These also provide detailed instructions with cut measurements and extra embellishments that coordinate.
   
4. Then, you need to make the time to do the memory keeping. So often we get into the routine of our days and forget about those things that make us happy. You need to schedule the time to do your hobbies and preserve your memories. This could be 20 minutes a day or an hour on Saturdays. Whatever time you allow, just make sure you are making it.
   
5. Lastly, but certainly not least, HAVE FUN. Life is way too short to do anything not worth enjoying. Love the process, reminisce in the moments, and enjoy telling your story. 

If you would like further detail on any one of these steps, please let me know and I'd be happy to expand. Have a crafty rest of the week! 

Motivation Monday

Happy Monday! I know many people don't believe in good morning on an early Monday, but here's to having a fantastic day!

April 2018 CTMH Specials

Can you believe it is already the middle of April! I have fallen off the wagon, but I am going to do my best to jump back on and take off! I am excited to get back on this adventure with my Close to My Heart business and hope you are too. So, the reason you're really here... those specials! Let's take a look at what April has to offer.

Stamp of the Month

The April SOTM is Color Your Life. It's perfect for any occasion to encourage and celebrate. I love the color in stamps that allow for some uniqueness and individualized stamping. Remember you can get the SOTM for only $5 with a qualifying order of $50 or more. Also, see the Hostess Specials and Fab Four - Join Me sections below to see two more ways to get this stamp set!

Fab Faves Sale (Every Friday)

Every week in April from 1 p.m. Friday - 1 p.m. Saturday there will be select favorites on sale. These are only available for 24 hours as supplies last, so get over there as quick as you can. Remember you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or join my Facebook group to get notified of sales. 

Hostess Specials

April is a great month to host your own party or gathering with your friends. As always, we can host the party online from the comfort of your own homes or in person. When hosting an in person party, I love to hold a small class to allow for some take home crafts. This month if you reach the 3rd level of hostess rewards, you earn a Cut Above kit FREE in addition to the standard rewards. Contact me today to book your party!

Fab Four - Join Me (Become a Consultant)

When you become a consultant in April, you will receive the next four Stamp of the Month stamp sets FREE in your kit! The new consultant kit is only $75 with over $200 worth of free products. Ask me for more information or check out the opportunity on my website.

March 2018 CTMH Specials

It's another new month! Can you believe it's already March 1st? Time is flying by and I need to make more time for crafting. Do you schedule crafting time? Anyways, onto the reason for the post today. I want to share the CTMH specials for the month of March. 

Stamp of the Month (SOTM)

First we have the Birthday Time SOTM. There never seems to be enough birthday cards ready and this set makes it so easy to create some wonderful unique birthday cards. It is also great for scrapbooking pages. Numbers are always a great way to decorate and title your pages.  

DIE-NAMITE

Next, we have the thin cuts dies special. Who doesn't love a great discount on some of the most popular products? All month long get thin cuts 25-30% off, while supplies last.

Step Right Up! Bundle

Lastly, don't forget the Step Right Up! bundle is available until the March 31, 2018! You can see more details on my earlier blog post. 

CTMH Fundamentals

Hey crafty friends! It's Sunday, NASCAR day, and almost time for a new week. I wanted to stop in and see if you have checked out our Fundamentals yet. They match with all of the specialty papers and are so versatile. The cardstock is double sided with one side light and the other dark. The Close to my Heart cardstock is 65lb and can be used for many different projects. I love cutting mine down for card fronts and mating my photos. Below are the four different color palettes we have right now.

Let me see your awesome projects using CTMH paper. I hope you all have a fabulous and creative week!