Operation Smile Crop Autumn 2018!

Operation Smile is a cause that is near and dear to my heart.  To see and hear about children, and yes, even adults, who have their lives changed for the better brings so much joy to my heart!  Close To My Heart is 100% committed to helping in the effort to make a difference.   My fellow consultants and I have joined in the cause by holding a semiannual crop solely to raise money for smiles.  This has been a fun day crop that we've been holding for the last year.

Our next crop is scheduled for Saturday, October 13, 9:00 am to 9:00 pm at the Hampton Inn in Dumfries, Virginia.  Here are the details:

• Location:  Hampton Inn Dumfries Quantico, 16959 Old Stage Road, Dumfries, VA  22025.
• Cost is $40 which includes lunch and snacks, 4' of crop space, and one raffle ticket.  Additional raffle tickets can be purchased for prizes awarded throughout the day.
• Space is limited, so please register at www.paypal.me/LindaTaylor to guarantee your seat. 
• We will have a tool table available with a Cricut Expression and Cuttlebug for your use.
• Due to fire regulations and limited space, please be mindful when packing.  Please, no side tables or wagons.
• If you cannot attend but would still like to donate to Operation Smile, you can still help!
• Purchase the Operation Smile stamp set (sample card shown below).
• Purchase an Operation Smile T-shirt.
• Make a donation to Operation Smile by going to my website, clicking on the shopping cart icon in the upper right-hand corner, and entering your donation.

Please consider helping us for this great cause!

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July 2018 Stamp of the Month - Highlight Reel!

Highlight Reel is a versatile stamp set that has some very cute images of varying sizes.  I really thought the "First Home" sentiment the most unique so had some fun creating a couple of cards with those stamps.

The first card was made by stamping the house image multiple times in Memento Black ink with one stamped in Poppy ink.  I then used a journaling pen to outline the Poppy colored house.  Next I stamped the airplane and car with the Memento Black ink, colored them with alcohol markers, and cut them out.  I then used a Chalk Marker and ruler to draw the dashed lines through the center of a piece of Black cardstock to make the "road".  The "First Home" sentiment was stamped in VersaMark ink on Black cardstock and embossed with white embossing powder.  (Note that I needed to mask the word "First" since it is part of the banner image.)  The sentiment, airplane, and car were applied onto the Poppy-matted card with foam tape.  Finally, I added some sparkle with a Clear Shimmer Brush onto the airplane, car, and Poppy colored house.

Here are a couple of close-up photos of this card:

The Circle Thin Cuts helped to highlight the elements of the second card.  Using a pencil I sketched in some light pencil lines on a piece of Black cardstock to ensure my circles would cut evenly across the card.  I then used the cut cardstock as a guide to stamp my house images on a white card base in Cranberry, Tangerine, Lemon, Willow, Pacifica, and Pansy.  The cut cardstock was then attached to the card base using foam tape.  The banner and sentiment was stamped in Memento Black ink, fussy cut, and attached with foam tape to the card.  The card was finished off with some Clear Sparkles.

Here is a couple of close-up photos of the finished card:

Each month you can purchase a new D-size stamp set, available for one month only, for just $5 - that's over 70% off retail!  When you place an order of $50 or more in Close To My Heart products, you qualify for this special Stamp of the Month pricing.  Otherwise, you can purchase this set outright for $17.95.

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