Stronger Together

Let's make a difference together. As always, relationships and personal connections are the most important part of mine and Close to My Heart's philosophies. The unfortunate events being caused by natural disasters leave my heart aching. I am praying for all those impacted.

I am proud to say that Close to My Heart has designed a stamp set to provide assistance to those in need. The Stronger Together (C1716) stamp set is now available. ALL proceeds (including consultant commissions) will be donated to the Red Cross to help with these natural disasters. This set has motivational and comforting sayings to bring us together during this devastating time. 

Please let me know if you have any questions and remember, you're never in this fight alone. God Bless.

National Stamping Month - From the Heart

It’s a time to celebrate! National Stamping Month is being celebrated at Close to My Heart with an exclusive From the Heart card kit. This interactive kit comes with everything you need for 12 interactive cards.

There’s three ways to get your hands on this amazing kit:
1. Purchase from my website kraftykank.ctmh.com
2. Become a Close to My Heart consultant in September
3. Host a qualifying party in September

Post your creations below! Do you have a crafty blog? I'd love to follow you, comment below.

Tip Tuesday – Using Cricut Cuttlebug

Happy Tip Tuesday! Here are 5 tips for using the Cricut Cuttlebug:

1. Use all types of manufacturer’s dyes or embossing folders including: Close to my Heart, Quickutz, Sizzix, and Spellbinders.

2. Extend the life of your plates by periodically flipping them over.

3. Don’t force items through the Cuttlebug, instead, check placement of your items.

4. Prevent paper cracking/ripping by rolling the plates through slowly.

5. Experiment with the placement and “sandwich” of your plates for each brand.

I am still new to my machine, do you have any tips?

2017-2018 Color of the Year - Bashful

Have you seen the new color of the year yet? It's the beautiful and soft color Bashful! Perfect for so many projects. It is now available in ink, ink refills, cardstock, albums, pearls, and glitter paper. Click the image below to shop today.

Link up to the pages you have created using the new color in the comments below!

August Warehouse Sales

Have you had a chance to check out the Warehouse Sales?! Updated every Tuesday in August, retired items are brought back at 50% off! Get yours while supplies last and remember these items are only available for the week. Another bonus, shipping is based on the discount price instead of the full retail price. Win-Win right?

This weeks sale items:

Scrapbooking Supplies 101

So, you’ve decided to start scrapbooking or cardmaking. Welcome to the world of paper crafting! It might be overwhelming at first, but you don’t need to buy everything available to get started. Here are a few items I recommend when starting your scrapbooking and cardmaking stash.

1. Paper

• Cardstock – There are many options available for cardstock. Personally I like a thick card stock to use for card bases, background colors, frames, and more. The CTMH cardstock is my favorite, but I might be biased.
• Pattern Paper – This isn’t a necessity, but pattern paper really makes your projects stand out. You can use pattern paper for embellishing, backgrounds, and decorative accents. There are a ton of options for pattern paper from CTMH that change frequently.
  
  

2. Scissors/Paper Trimmer

• Scissors – Scissors are a key tool for any paper crafter. You can always tear your paper, but I prefer a more finished look. My favorite scissors are the Non-Stick Micro-tip Scissors from CTMH. It gives me the sharpness I need and the fine tip allows for fussy cutting small shapes.
• Paper Trimmer – This isn’t a necessity, but a paper trimmer will give you a straight cut that you might not be able to get with your scissors. At least I know I can’t cut a straight line (didn’t I learn that in elementary school)!

3. Adhesive

• Glue – You can use the old fashioned glue stick to adhere your photos and paper.
• Tape Runner – I prefer a tape runner for my adhesive. It is much easier, cleaner, and doesn’t crinkle the paper.

4. Album

• When all is said and done, you will want an album to put your scrapbooking pages in for you and others to enjoy viewing. CTMH has many album options including post and D-ring.

5. Embellishments/Stickers

• Embellishments aren’t a necessity, but really bring your projects to life. CTMH offers embellishment kits as well as pre-determined kits for cards and scrapbook pages.

I hope this small list gets you started on your paper crafting journey. If you need any assistance or have any questions feel free to contact me. What are some of your must have items for beginners?

Upcoming Craft Show

Hey crafty friends! I am so excited to announce that I will be at my very first craft show on July 29th in Blackduck, MN! I will be selling cards, bookmarks, card making kits, and more. Come check it out from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Wayside Rest Area!

Here are some of the cards that will be for sale. 

If you have any craft show tips and suggestions, please leave them in the comments below. I hope to see you there!