Love Getting Surprises!

My dear friend Kim surprised me by giving me two beautiful cards! Ahhh...it made my day! Thanks Kim...you are awesome! I will have to pay it forward and now send someone else two cards and keep the love going. :)

Bring on the New Year!!

Now that the holidays are over, I am really itching to stamp, scrapbook and create!!! The hectic (but fun!) holidays always seem to steal all the time we have and now that the kids are back in school and life is settling down it's time to get creative! I always get a crafty itch in January. :) So, bring on the new year and bring on the crafting time! :)

To get your creative juices going, take a peek at the beautiful January stamp of the month. The butterflies are my favorite! The paper featured in these projects is called Wings and is a sample of the beautiful papers coming up next month in our new Idea Book. But you can see them (and purchase them now!) in our sneak peek brochure!!! And you can great discounts on our sneak peek products this month. Check back for more details soon!

A Little MORE Thanks...for ordering in November!

During November we're expressing out gratitude to you by helping you earn two fabulous My Acrylix® stamp sets for FREE! When you place a minimum order of $100, you will not only receive the November Stamp of the Month set, A Little Thanks, for FREE, you will also receive one stamp set of your choosing from the 2010 Autumn/Winter Idea Book for FREE*! This means you can increase the value of your purchase by up to $45.90—that’s almost 50 percent more

in value! It’s just our way of imparting A Little MORE Thanks to you for being a great customer.

Place your order today to receive two My Acrylix®stamp sets for FREE by going to www.tracy.myctmh.com!

Halloween Sour Cream Containers

Here is how to make these fun and easy Halloween sour cream containers. Don't they look just like the shape of the containers of sour cream you get at Wendy's? :)

1. Start with a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 piece of paper or cardstock.

2. Put adhesive on the two long sides and one short side. Now put the short sides together to create a tube, just enough so that the adhesive overlaps the other side.

3. Now close one end together (your adhesive is already on the inside of the paper so you are all set!)

4. For an extra touch, you can crimp the end you just glued together, crimping about 1/2 to 1 inch. It's just a cute little touch to add, but totally optional so don't worry about it if you do not have a crimper handy.

5. Fill with candy and treats (Yum!). Now repeat steps 3 and 4, but this time, close the tube at 90 degrees from the other end. So, one end will close one direction, and the second end will close another direction, as shown in the photo.

6. Last of all, punch a small hole in one end and tie on a cute tag. That's it! You can make these in less than 3-5 minutes so they are perfect for making for party favors etc! Have fun!

Happy Halloween!

I never send Halloween cards to anyone (I'd love to hear if you all are the same!) but I LOVE to make Halloween treat and goodie gifts! They are so fun to make for Halloween parties, teachers at school, friends etc. Here is just a sampling of a few goodies I've made this year. The Coffin treat box was inspired by Jess Ballas. You've got a few more days until Halloween so there is still time to make some of these little goodies for yourself! :)

Happy Haunting!

October Stamp of the Month

Today here in Utah, the weather definite took a turn towards winter. Snow capped the mountains and there was a chill in the air (not to mention a ton of rain that will turn to snow before I know it!). It made me think of Christmas coming around the corner! I realized that I need to get started on making Christmas cards! :) So, for all of you who are realizing the same thing, the October stamp of the month is an ADORABLE Christmas stamp set called Share the Magic. Here is one fun idea you can do with this fun and festive stamp set!

Lovin' Studio J!

I took a few minutes this weekend and played with a few new layouts with our online scrapbooking program, Studio J. Oh man! It's so easy and so stinkin' fun!! I can't believe how quickly you can throw together an adorable layout! Choose a paper theme and layout design, drag on your photos, click on some embellishments and you're done! And check this out...it is free to use! You don't pay anything until you print out some layotus! So just go to www.tracy.myctmh.com and click on "Studio J Online Scrapbooking" and you too can play and create some beautiful layouts in just a few minutes! Have fun!

Silent Auction for Operation Smile

I am so excited about the Silent Auction and Crafting day for Operation Smile today. I can hardly stand it! It's going to be so much fun! Even if you cannot attend, you can still participate in the auction! I will post here pictures of many of the projects available at the auction. Email me the project you are interested in and your bid (your max bid and I will start at the lowest and work up to that bid...if that makes sense) and I will place your bids for you. Thanks for being generous and helping Operation Smile and children in need!

Auction Items

Adventure Chipboard Album

Tag Friends Album

Set of Cocoa Cafe Layouts

Set of 6 Thank you cards and envelopes

Photo Cube

Set of 6 Circle Cards and Envelopes

Washer Necklaces

Set of 4 Scrapbook Layouts

Time of Your Life Journal

Set of Winter Scrapbook Pages

Recipe Binder

Tag Family Album

Set of 6 Birthday cards with Envelopes

Washer Pendants

Ever thought of making jewelry out of scrapbooking supplies? Well you can! And it’s both fun and easy! I made these Washer Pendant Necklaces for my upcoming Operation Smile Auction! Shhhh....but it's a secret! LOL! Here is what you need to make them:

· Washers (this is the only non-scrapbooking supply you need. I use Fender washers from the hardware store that are 3/8” by 1 ½”)

· Paper – great way to use up scraps!

· Accents – I used bitty paper flowers, bitty sparkles and our Rub-ons.

· Liquid glass – LOVE this!

· Hemp – Our thin hemp is great for completing the necklace with.

Watch later this week for a step-by-step tutorial!! You will love it!

$2, $4, $6, for 8…IT’S YOU WE APPRECIATE!!!

2, 4, 6, 8, who do we appreciate? It’s YOU, of course! We are shouting from the rooftops how much we love and appreciate you! It only makes sense to pass along our appreciation with amazing deals at more than 50% off to show our thanks to you! So for 8 days, August 4 through August 11 (while supplies last), you can purchase select My Stickease® Assortments for only $2, My Reflections® Level 1 kits for only $4, and My Reflections® Level 2 paper packets for only $6 online. Visit my online shopping site (www.tracy.myctmh.com) today to see these amazing deals for yourself. You’ll want to shout for joy, too!

Here is a list of items that will be on sale (while supplies last). Happy saving!

Item # Name Price
X7045A My Reflections Vintage Travel Level 1 $4.00
X7045C VintageTravel My Stickease $2.00
X7056A My Reflections Discovery Level 1 $4.00
X7060A My Reflections Heirloom Level 1 $4.00
X7060B My Reflections Heirloom Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7061A My Reflections Floral Impressions Level 1 $4.00
X7061B My Reflections Floral Impressions Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7061C Floral Impressions My Stickease $2.00
X7062A My Reflections Laid Back Level 1 $4.00
X7069A My Reflections Just Chillin Level 1 $4.00
X7069C Just Chillin My Stickease $2.00
X7070A My Reflections Simple Pleasure Level 1 $4.00
X7070B My Reflections Simple Pleasure Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7070C Simple Pleasure My Stickease $2.00
X7071A My Reflections Best Friends Forever Level 1 $4.00
X7072A My Reflections School Zone Level 1 $4.00
X7072C School Zone My Stickease $2.00
X7073A My Reflections Abundance Level 1 $4.00
X7073B My Reflections Abundance Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7073C Abundance My Stickease $2.00
X7075A My Reflections More To Adore Level 1 $4.00
X7075B My Reflections More To Adore Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7075C More To Adore My Stickease $2.00
X7076A My Reflections Sonata Level 1 $4.00
X7076C Sonata My Stickease $2.00
X7077C Sweet Harmony My Stickease $2.00
X7078A My Reflections Cutie Pie Level 1 $4.00
X7078C Cutie Pie My Stickease $2.00
X7079B My Reflections Rough n Tumble Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7079C Rough n Tumble My Stickease $2.00
X7080A My Reflections Route 66 Level 1 $4.00
X7080C Route 66 My Stickease $2.00
X7081A My Reflections Majestic Blue Level 1 $4.00
X7081B My Reflections Majestic Blue Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7081C Majestic Blue My Stickease $2.00
X7082A My Reflections Expedition Level 1 $4.00
X7082C Expedition My Stickease $2.00
X7083A My Reflections Let's Get Together Level 1 $4.00
X7084A My Reflections Floral Tapestry Level 1 $4.00
X7085A My Reflections Everlasting Level 1 $4.00
X7085B My Reflections Everlasting Paper Packet $6.00
X7085C Everlasting My Stickease $2.00
X7086A My Reflections Caprice Level 1 $4.00
X7086B My Reflections Caprice Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7086C Caprice My Stickease $2.00
X7087A My Reflections Enchanted Level 1 $4.00
X7087B My Reflections Enchanted Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7087C Enchanted My Stickease $2.00
X7088A My Reflections Free Spirit Level 1 $4.00
X7088B My Reflections Free Spirit Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7088C Free Spirit My Stickease $2.00
X7089A My Reflections Lifes Delights Level 1 $4.00
X7089C Life Delights My Stickease $2.00
X7090A My Reflections Silhouette Level 1 $4.00
X7090B My Reflections Silhouette Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7090C Silhouette My Stickease $2.00
X7091A My Reflections it’s a Guy Thing Level 1 $4.00
X7091B My Reflections it’s a Guy Thing Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7091C it’s a Guy Thing My Stickease $2.00
X7092A My Reflections Good Times Level 1 $4.00
X7092B My Reflections Good Times Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7092C Good Times My Stickease $2.00
X7093A My Reflections Sweet Pea Level 1 $4.00
X7093C Sweet Pea My Stickease $2.00
X7094A My Reflections Paper Garden Level 1 $4.00
X7094C Paper Garden My Stickease $2.00
X7095A My Reflections Boom-Di-Ada Level 1 $4.00
X7095B My Reflections Boom-Di-Ada Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7095C Boom-Di-Ada My Stickease $2.00
X7096A My Reflections Blue Ribbon Level 1 $4.00
X7096B My Reflections Blue Ribbon Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7096C Blue Ribbon My Stickease $2.00
X7097A My Reflections Game On Level 1 Kit $4.00
X7097B My Reflections Game On Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7097C Game On My Stickease $2.00
X7098A My Reflections Sarsaparilla Level 1 Kit $4.00
X7098B My Reflections Sarsaparilla Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7098C Sarsaparilla My Stickease $2.00
X7100A My Reflections Perfect Day Level 1 $4.00
X7100B My Reflections Perfect Day Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7100C Perfect Day My Stickease $2.00
X7101A My Reflections Magic Moments Level 1 $4.00
X7101B My Reflections Magic Moments Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7101C Magic Moments My Stickease $2.00
X7102A My Reflections Notebook Level 1 $4.00
X7102B My Reflections Notebook Paper Packet $6.00
X7102C Notebook My Stickease $2.00
X7103A My Reflections Aspen Level 1 $4.00
X7103B My Reflections Aspen Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7103C Aspen My Stickease $2.00
X7104A My Reflections Evensong Level 1 $4.00
X7104B My Reflections Evensong Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7104C Evensong My Stickease $2.00
X7105A My Reflection sEmporium Level 1 $4.00
X7105B My Reflections Emporium Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7105C Emporium My Stickease $2.00
X7106A My Reflections Unforgettable Level 1 $4.00
X7106B My Reflections Unforgettable Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7106C Unforgettable My Stickease $2.00
X7107A My Reflections That’s Amore Level 1 $4.00
X7107B My Reflections That’s Amore Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7107C That’s Amore My Stickease $2.00
X7108A My Reflections Daydream Level 1 $4.00
X7108B My Reflections Daydream Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7108C Daydream My Stickease $2.00
X7109A My Reflections Stardust Level 1 $4.00
X7109B My Reflections Stardust Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7109C Stardust My Stickease $2.00
X7110A My Reflections Back Country Level 1 $4.00
X7110B My Reflections Back Country Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7110C Back Country My Stickease $2.00
X7111A My Reflections Moon Doggie Level 1 $4.00
X7111B My Reflections Moon Doggie Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7111C Moon Doggie My Stickease $2.00
X7112A My Reflections Animal Cookies Level 1 $4.00
X7112B My Reflections Animal Cookies Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7112C Animal Cookies My Stickease $2.00
X7113A My Reflections Tinkerin Level 1 $4.00
X7113B My Reflections Tinkerin Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7113C Tinkerin My Stickease $2.00
X7114A My Reflections Bella Level 1 $4.00
X7114B My Reflections Bella Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7114C Bella My Stickease $2.00
X7115A My Reflections Jingle Level 1 $4.00
X7115B My Reflections Jingle Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7115C Jingle My Stickease $2.00
X7116A My Reflections Sweet Home Level 1 $4.00
X7116B My Reflections Sweet Home Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7116C Sweet Home My Stickease $2.00
X7117A My Reflections Grace Level 1 $4.00
X7117B My Reflections Grace Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7117C Grace My Stickease $2.00
X7118A My Reflections Twitterpated Level 1 $4.00
X7118B My Reflections Twitterpated Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7118C Twitterpated My Stickease $2.00

*Available August 4-11, 2010; while supplies last

Stamping For a Cause!

< Join me for a day of fun, all to raise money for a good cause…Operation Smile!! Operation Smile is a non-profit organization that helps children all throughout the world as volunteers repair childhood facial deformities such as cleft lip and cleft palate. For as little as $240 we can give a child a life-changing surgery that a child desperately needs to live a normal life! Together we create smiles, change lives, and heal humanity. So join me in an event benefitting Operation Smile!

Tuesday, August 10th

Anytime between 6-10pm

Tracy Liu’s home (288 Gold River Circle, Orem)

There will be a both a free project and a free gift just for stopping by! Plus, bring a friend and you will be entered into a drawing for a free collection of stamps and papers! Then check out 3 ways to join in the fundraising fun:

1. Silent Auction! There will be a plethora of hand-stamped items I have created that will be auctioned off in a silent auction. From scrapbook layouts and card collections to hand-crafted home décor and jewelry, you will find a variety of items for auction. 100% of the proceeds will go to Operation Smile. I am so excited about this and hope you are too! Here is just a sample of some of the many auction items!

2. Crop. Come and bring any unfinished projects you have at home. Dig out those papers & photos that you have been on your to do list. For only $5 you can crop, use inks and stamps I have on hand for you and enjoy homemade treats while 100% of the money goes to Operation Smile!

3. Cherry-O workshop projects. Sign up for one of the adorable workshop projects below and a portion of the proceeds from each project you sign up for will go to Operation Smile! You will stamp, have fun, and make kids smile all at the same time! Please RSVP for these projects by August 5^th.

Cherry-O Recipe Box $25

No stamping is neded to make this yummy recipe box! Create this cute box and dividers in less than 20 minutes! Includes 32 adorable recipe cards to tuck inside. It makes a great gift for weddings, bridal showers, and birthdays!

2) Cherry-O Card Box $20

This cheery cherry card box is filled with dividers and 12 easy cards and envelopes for all occasions. You'll want one for yourself and one for a friend!

I hope you join me in Stamping for a Cause!!

Happy July!

Happy July! This month is always filled with Good Times...picnics, vacations, fireworks, parades and much more. So I thought this "Good Times" layout would be a perfect way to kick off the month! It's created with Zippidee paper, buttons, waxy flax, and fun tickets! Enjoy!

Join me for a Delicious Cherry-O Workshop

Summer time is here, filled with yummy summer fruits and fun in the sun. To celebrate a delectable summer, join me for a delicious stamping workshop! You can choose from 2 scrumptious projects to create!

1) Cherry-O Recipe Box $25

No stamping is neded to make this yummy recipe box! Create this cute box and dividers in less than 20 minutes! Includes 32 adorable recipe cards to tuck inside. It makes a great gift for weddings, bridal showers, and birthdays!

2) Cherry-O Card Box $20

This cheery cherry card box is filled with dividers and 12 easy cards and envelopes for all occasions. You'll want one for yourself and one for a friend!

The workshop is Tuesday, June 29th with two sessions to choose from: 1-3 pm or 7-9 pm. Want a different day? No problem! Just gather a couple of friends and I'll do a custom workshop just for you!

RSVP to save your spot by Thursday, June 24th! Bring a friend and you will receive a free goodie bag filled with $10 worth of scrumptious goodies. Enjoy!

Happy stamping!
Tracy

June Jackpot gets even better!

Today's jackpot special is a FABULOUS Goodie Box offer!! You get over $250 worth of CURRENT & recently retired Close To My Heart products for only $100! It's a killer deal! Go to my website at www.tracy.myctmh.com and snag a deal before they are all gone! Today is one deal you won't want to miss out on! You have until 8am MST on the 17th! :)

June Jackpot Day 2!!!

Woohoo!! Today's June Jackpot special is a Goodie Box! Get a box filled with assorted popular products valued at $200 for only $80!!! WOW! Just go to www.tracy.myctmh.com to get yours before it sells out! (Today's special is good until 8am MST on the 3rd or until supplies last). The goodies boxes are my favorite deals!

June Jackpot! Day 1!

Everyday in June you can hit the jackpot with a fabulous deals! Enjoy two kinds of deals every day of the month!

On goodie box days… you can purchase one box filled with popular products at 50% or more off retail value! Each goodie box day will feature different surprise items, so you can score a wide variety of current and recently retired products.

On jackpot days… 5 products will be offered for sale at discounted prices. One of the 5 products is the mystery jackpot item for that day, but we’re not telling which—exciting, isn’t it! If you happen to order the mystery jackpot item, we’ll reward you with one or more FREE Close To My Heart products, with shipping included on the free items! If you purchase all 5 products, you’re guaranteed to hit the jackpot! There’s no purchase limit—if you order multiple secret jackpot items, we’ll send you the same number of free items.

Today is Day 1 and it's a fabulous jackpot day! You can choose one of 5 fabulous Level 1 scrapbook kits for only $7! And one of these fabulous will earn you two beautiful ribbon rounds FREE (retail value $16)!!! Woohoo!!! Check back tomorrow for a new special!

These special offers include discounted shipping/handling and are available at www.tracy.myctmh.com. Check back every day for the latest offer.

Winter in May?

This is a picture of my backyard...not in January, but yesterday! May 24th! Can you believe we had that much snow? I just can't believe how crazy this weather is that we've been having. Global warming? Not here in Utah! :) The one bright side to yucky weather is that it makes me want to stay inside and stamp! Here is one card that I created (thanks Chris for the inspiration) to drive away the "winter" blues! I love these clear acrylic cards and the May Stamp of the Month. May is almost over so order yours before time is up! :)

More May Stamp of the Month

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our new acrylic cards! And when you match them up with our cute new Cherry-O papers and May stamp of the month you have a winning combination! This cute card was inspired by my friend Chris Green. Thanks for the card idea!

Cherish the Moment

I love the May Stamp of the Month! The adorable boxes that you can "check" for whichever occasion the card is for makes the cards you create very versatile! For example, you can create a set of cards and then when you go to use them add a brad or check mark to the appropriate sentiment. No more thinking "If only that were a wedding card instead of a birthday card!" Here is one card idea created with the Cherry-O papers! Enjoy!

You Can Create with Studio J!!

What is Studio J? Well, it is an innovative, new, easy to use online scrapbooking program from Close to My Heart! If you love to scrapbook, you will love Studio J! Love the feel of creating with paper, and yet don’t have time to create all the layouts you imagine, then Studio J is for you! The papers and products match our beautiful digital layouts so they look fabulous side-by-side in an album. Love to take digital pictures and just want to scrapbook them digitally too? Then Studio J is for you too! You will love the photo editing possibilities! Want to make duplicate copies of pages or albums and don’t have time to recreate them each the traditional way? Then Studio J is for you too! With a click you can create pages for family reunion albums, albums for several children, and gift albums with no extra time! I love it! So no matter what your scrapbooking goals are, Studio J is for you!

Seeing is believing so play with it for FREE!! Just go to www.tracy.myctmh.com or studioj.com and get started! You can try it out and design layouts to your heart’s content…no charge until you print them out! Here is just few questions and answers that might help. But, if you need any assistance with Studio J, let me know at: tracy@myctmh.com and I’d be happy to help anytime!

Questions and Answers:

• What is Studio J™ Design Software?
  Studio J™ is free online scrapbooking design software brought to you by Close To My Heart. Studio J helps you easily create custom-printed two-page layouts using our foundational scrapbook patterns, exclusive color palette, and themed designs all delivered in 12" × 12" custom prints ready for your albums. It’s a snap!

• Is Studio J easy to use?
  Studio J software is extremely intuitive and easy to use. The program walks you through five steps that include:
1. uploading your photos;
2. choosing your desired themed kit;
3. selecting an exclusive layout pattern;
4. adding photos, embellishments, titles, and journaling;
5. and purchasing custom-printed layouts ready for a cherished album.

• I love Close To My Heart products. Will Studio J use the same great papers, patterns, colors, and embellishments?
  Of course! If you love Close To My Heart’s scrapbooking philosophy, then you will love Studio J.

• Do I need to download any software to my computer to use Studio J?
  Not at all! You only need an Internet connection, and then you simply log in to www.tracy.myctmh.com to get started. Feel free to design to your heart’s content—you are not required to buy anything or provide any personal information to get started!

• Can I save what I am working on and come back to it later?
  You bet! You can create a customer profile that allows you to save and return to a project in progress at a later time. Your active projects will be saved for up to 90 days, giving you plenty of time to work on them. You extend that timeline for your active projects by 90 days each time you make a purchase, and your purchased projects will remain archived for one full year after purchase.

• Do I need a printer that can print 12" × 12" pages to use Studio J?
  No. Your Studio J layouts are not available for you to print from a home computer. In fact, we take care of the printing for you. When you purchase your designed layouts, we print and ship them quickly and directly to you using only top quality printing technology and archival-quality papers.

• What is the price?
  You are not charged a thing until you order your custom prints. The price per printed two-page layout is $12.95. We also offer some fantastic rewards for larger orders. You can receive FREE Memory Protectors® to protect your layouts in your albums, and FREE shipping/handling based on the number of layout prints you purchase in a single order as follows:
• For 5–9 layout purchases: You’ll receive a pack of 5 Memory Protectors FREE!
• For 10–20 layout purchases: You’ll receive FREE shipping/handling PLUS a FREE pack of 5 Memory Protectors for every 5 layouts in your single order.