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!