10 is a BIG Deal!

10 years come and past- how can that be true??  Today was my daugther's 10th birthday- holy cow is all I can say.  It just cannot be!  First of all- I cannot be getting older(can't we just freeze time for everyone's sake????)  Second of all- I just cannot fathom it.  But it is the truth and it has been a beautiful, joyous journey with her- what a special treasure she is!!!  As I sit here reflecting on it I realize I am so thankful I scrapbook and we can look back on those memories together.  Life for us is really about all the small, special moments and trying to slow things down a bit.  We did that today with a fun family day and canoe ride threw the Tompsin Basin Watershed- so fun! 

But also as I reflect on the number 10 and how much I have to be thankful for and how Close To My Heart has enriched my life so much I thought it would be fun to revisit my Top 10 List of Why I LOVE MY FUN JOB!!!!!!  and I have a feeling you will love these reasons too and I would love to share this opportunity with you!

#10. I get a discount everytime I shop!
~never pay full price ☺

#9. Low Quarterly Minimums-
~only $300 in retail sales(get a discount off of that) compared to $500 from our competitors.

#8. Freedom to be ME!!!
~Work the hours I want, create what I want, share when I want and no Pressure ( only what I put on myself tee-hee!).

#7. Fabulous Art Inspiration
~Being a CTMH consultant has opened great doors to me Artistically and I love our Corporate Bulletin Boards where fellow CTMH consultants share their artwork and fab creations. I am never in a dry spell! We truly are the let me show you how company! ☺

#6. I get paid to PLAY!!!!
~I love scrapbooking, making cards, and paper crafts! It is so fun to share this with other and earn a paycheck at the same time! Woo-Hoo! I GET TO WORK FROM HOME AND BE THERE FOR MY KIDDOS!

#5. No Boundaries-
~my job moves with me! ☺ When I move I don’t have to worry about looking for a new place to work and going through that process over and over. I just take it with me wherever I go and I work with my team from whatever state I live in!


#4. Incredible Training
~Just want to be a hobbyist that is okay but ready to take the steps in working this as a business??? -CTMH has an incredible training academy that will give you the tools you need to succeed! PLUS I work with my team members making sure you achieve what you desire!


#3. You can Earn All Expense Paid Trips!
~WOWSA!!!! All from sharing my love of paper and stamps I earned an All expenses paid cruise to the Mediterranean!!!! Oh I love my fun job!

#2. AMAZING FRIENDSHIPS!
~This is a HUGE blessing in my life with the amount I move and have to reconnect. I have a great group of CTMH sisters and my amazing team- LOVE IT!

#1. Seriously this is the best decision I have made!
~After almost 5 years I am more in love with Close to My Heart and keep finding myself asking- how did they do it again??? They just keep getting better and better!  AND JUST WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THE NEW IDEA BOOK!!!!!
I cannot wait to see where it takes me next! Won’t you join me on this great adventure????


I am truly blessed and thankful for my wonderful family, friends, and CLOSE TO MY HEART!  I would love for you to find your spot in this wonderful company too- there truly is a place for us all!  You can click here to join and learn more, email me at craftingdivas@cox.net with questions or heck I love to chat....850-217-7034.

~Jennifer :)

Techniques Anyone???

For convention the Scattered Hearts Team had an 9x9 Page Swap.  We were to create a layout in the 9x9 size using the You Rock Paper Collection.  We were broken into groups and made 13 layouts each.  12 of them we would swap amongst our group and the 13th was collected to give to Jeanette Lynton as a gift.

I love creating and sharing as you learn so much from others work. Plus the BONUS is I will have 12 double layouts all set and ready for me to add photos from my time at Convention- Woo-HOO!!!

I had fun using a couple of techniques to make these pages.  For the white 9x9 cardstock I took our Texture Tools and used the Black Stubble Tool to create the swirled circles.  It is really simple- just load the black stubble tool in the ink color of your choice(I used pansy purple) and then with a forceful circular motion twist the color on your paper.  SO FUN!

Next I used the Puddle Pad Technique to create the tye-died look with the stamp images.  Have you tried this yet?  I love the great tutorial we have on Art and Soul TV.  If you are not checking these episodes out you really should add them to your must see tv!  The technique training and product knowledge ROCK!  Click here to watch this great episode and then try it for yourself!  YOU WILL LOVE it- promise!

And then I had to add some shimmer and sparkle to my pages and our new Glitz Stardust Glitter Glue was PERFECT!  In just one step I simply squeezed and applied the glue where I wanted, set it aside to dry(it does take a bit) and then enjoyed the fun sparkle and embellishment it created!  Easy Peasy!

and here is some sad news....The 9x9 format offered by Close To My Heart will be retiring.  So if you are like me and LOVE scrapping in this format be sure to stock up on page protectors and albums before they are gone!  The simply snapshots will be retiring as well and are discounted so snag those while you can!  I was secretly hoping that they would announce something at Convention to replace the Simply Snapshots but they let us know that the 9x9 and 6x6 sizes are retiring.  :-(  So here is your enabler telling you- gotta get them while you can!!!  I know I will be making an order ASAP!

~Jennifer

My bag Runneth over!!!!

So besides all the great classes and reconnecting with my peeps(which is a true highlight), we come home with SO many NEW goodies!!!!!  AHHH I love my Fun Job!!!

Sneak Peak at the NEW Fall/Winter Catalog- LOVE IT!!!

This Catalog will go live to all my fabulous customers September 1, 2010!  Be sure to reserve your copy today!  Email me at craftingdivas@cox.net or better yet you know you are going to love it all- let's get your Party on the calendar today!!!!  :-)

Plus we received a ton of NEW product from the new catty!  Look at all these goodies!!!

Then we get to take fabulous art classes and they supply all the cut pieces to create those- I will be sharing my finished products soon!  Promise!  Truth be told I got a little overwhelmed and decided to finish up some of the projects at home.

Then they announced they were updating some of our Summer Palette colors and we received all 8 NEW colors.  THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

The Summer Carnival Palette is now Gypsy, Holiday Red, Pacifica, Sunny Yellow, Sunset, Topiary.  The Summer Celebration Palette is now Cotton Candy, Dutch Blue, Lagoon, Pear, Sky, Smoothie.

This means the colors being retired are: Hydrangea, Ocean, Orange, Star Spangled Blue, Clover Meadow, Watermelon, Bubblegum, Citrus Leaf.  Stock up on supplies now for any of these items you want to keep for your own personal stash.  I recommend having a reinker for any of these colors that you now own- that way you will always have it!

PLUS there are random drawings for even more FUN prizes and my name was one of the lucky ones drawn.  I received all the product to create artwork out of one of the pages in the new Idea Book.








Then I was SPOILED by my crafty friends with some very creative gifts- THANK YOU!!!!

Thank you- Kelly Shea, Dee Dee Griffin, Cherie Lynn Hagan, Tina Sutton, Tonya Sheridan, Beth Naumann, Elizabeth Chu, Marie Butler, Hanna Ahn, Christine Healy and Sherri Owens.  WOWSA!



So My house is getting back in order BUT my Creation Station is a disaster and now I need to find homes for all these fabuous new goodies!!!!  Cannot stop saying it BUT Life is GOOD!!!!!!!

~Jennifer :-)

Magical Moments!

 So many of my team members pour their hearts into their creations and business and I take great pride in watching them soar.  This year my friend and fellow Downline, Kara Hileman, had amazing successes with her start but the one thing that stands out to me and so many is Kara's electric personality that easily draws people in.  They want to be apart of the fun and love hanging out with Kara as she makes each person feel special- she is such a treasure!  I was so touched and moved that Close To My Heart chose to honor Kara with one of the 3 Rising Star Awards.  The look of surprise and amazement on her face and sharing that momemt with her is something I will never forget!

  I am so happy CTMH put the announcement on Youtube as it was hard to concentrate on everything in the moment!  Click here if you would like to see!

   Speaking of moving mountains- she moved and conquered them to come back to DC for Convention.  Kara talked with me about how important this was for her and how she did not want to miss out on all the fun and the FREE goodies we would be getting!  I am still blown away at how she has made it all work.  Most of us would have easily given up when you take in the fact that she would need to travel back to the states by herself with her 2 boys( think of the struggle of that emotionally and financially); then she would need to find someone willing to stay with her and take care of the boys so she could attend the convention.  Plus convince her husband that this event was worth it and what she needed!  Kara did it all and worked it all out so she could come share with all of us and learn and grow plus fill her spirit.  I am moved beyond words by the love and devotion of Kara's mother that was willing to fly from Kansas to DC to stay and watch the boys so she could do this plus to her husband for realizing this makes her happy and gives her a purpose and sense of joy that as military wives we sometimes struggle with from time to time.  I am honored to call Kara my friend and touched by her presence in my life.  A huge thanks to Close to My Heart for honoring her with this award- Kara is truly deserving and I know she has been touched beyond words!

What a whirlwind Convention was for us all!  I am so energized to read many messages from friends and team members that are jazzed and renewed just like me!  We are going to set our goals and hit them- and we support each other all the way!  I love you all and miss my crafty friends already BUT you know I am one email away, call away or facebook post away- just reach out and I am there for you.

For my friends and customers that have been thinking about joining- I can think of no better time than now.  We are such a fabulous community and sisterhood and my life is so full because of it! Would you like to chat more about it- give me a call or let's set a date to chat in person.  I am always here no matter what you need!

Sadly I am back in Planet Reality which means I am working the Domestic Diva duty today- how is it that your house can explode in just a few days without Momma?!?  But don't you worry I will be creating and planning lots of fun events VERY soon!!!!

Here are some fun pics of me with the gals!  It was so FUN!

~Jennifer :-)

2 Much FUN!!!!!

oHhhhhh  My what a whirlwind the past 4 1/2 days have been for me!  I just LOVE having the best job on earth- being a Mom and sharing Close To My Heart with all my crafty friends- LIFE IS GOOD!  Warning you are going to get a big post from me today!  :-)

Pictured to the left are 6 of the 7 Crafting Divas that attended Convention(Hannah missed our team meeting that night but enjoyed the Convention with us).  It was so great to meet some of them for the 1st time in person, although I felt like I already knew them for our frequent emails and training phone calls, and share this incredible time together.  I hope their spirits are as renewed and energized as mine is after such an incredible event filled with announcements of new product(yes I said NEW), new business tools to make my life even easier, and amazing artwork and technique training.  To say my head is spinning and full is a MAJOR understatement!!!

      I had so much fun giving gifts to my hardworking team members( see previous blog for more details) and I love the tradition of showering your roomies with gifts.  I have been on a level one kick for a little bit lately and I had fun taking 3 different level one kits to make my Roomie Gifts!  I made two My Creations Display Albums and One My Creations Binder- they are really so simple to create.  A few cuts and voila you have a fun altered item!  The great thing about Level One kits are the fun MyStickease that are included in the package- makes embellishing quick!  (remember you can always click on a picture to see it bigger...

   Seeing all my Close to My Heart Friends over the past 4 days has truly been uplifting and motivating.  I love these special gals dearly and wish we could see each other more but there is no doubt we more than make up for it when we all get together!!!!

     I also wanted to thank my special friends who gave me little "happy's" from out of the blue!  Your generosity and gifts mean the world to me- it truly touched my heart!  Here are a few of the special happy's I received!

As you can tell I am just bubbling with excitement and lots to share!!!!  I better close before I just ramble on forever!

     It was truly a blast and I hope more will join me next year in Annaheim, CA for more CTMH Magic and FUN!!!!!!!


~Jennifer :-)

team gifts!

Like I mentioned last night so SUPER Pumped that 6 of my Crafting Diva Team Members are coming to convention!  I have had fun thinking of team gifts and putting some cute things together!  I will be seeing my gals tomorrow night at 8:15pm and cannot wait to give each one a BIG HUG!!!!!!!

I have fun things to share that I have made- roomie gifts and team gifts but I have to keep it under wraps to keep the surprise.  I am so bad with keeping surprises- so hard!!!  So here is a sneak peak- I made some cute monogrammed bag tags for my girls!  I hope they like them!  My daughter came in and saw what I was working on this morning and screamed- I WANT ONE TOO!!!!!!!!  So I think they pass the test!

Let the countdown begin!!!!!!!!!!

~Jennifer :-)

Convention Here I come!

I am counting down the hours until I get to see my Close To My Heart Sisters!!!!  I cannot believe Convention time is here and I FINALLY get to go!!!!  I have always wanted to attend the BIG show but the timing and the military life always seemed to get in the way but with it coming to DC there was no way I was going to miss it!!!!!  Even if we had to juggle some care for a couple of days(long story there) but I was going to be there and wanted my team to join me too.  I am so happy- 6 Crafting Divas are joining me in DC for the major event traveling from Florida, Virginia, and all the way from SPAIN!  Kara YOU ROCK!!!!!!

So much to look forward to- the new Fall Idea Book(yep we get the first peak), awesome art classes, inspiring business classes, spending time with my Girlfriends, and sharing our Passion of all things crafty and paper!!!!!  LIFE IS GOOD!!!!!

and you can be sure I will have lots to share with you soon!!!!!!

mmm...Strawberry....

Pie.  I love to make fresh strawberry pie during the summer!  This recipe comes from a friend of mine- Shirley Bailey(she is an amazing cook and has her own cookbook-YUM!).

Her recipe is simple and hits the spot!

5 C. strawberries, cleaned and hulled
3 T cornstarch
1 C sugar
2 T lemon juice
1 baked 9inch pie shell
1 c whipping cream
2 T. confectioner's sugar

Divide the strawberries into 2 piles.  Slice in half the berries in one pile and set aside.  Crush the remaining berries with a fork.  Put the crushed strawberries in a heavy saucepan and stir in the cornstarch, sugar, and lemon juice.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture looks clear or translucent and is thickened.  Remove from heat and cool.  Gently stir in the sliced strawberries.  Put the strawberry mixture into the baked crust and place in refrigerator until serving.  Just before serving, whip the cream with the sugar(or be like me and use Cool Whip) and spread over the pie.  Refrigerate any leftover pie.

YUMMY!!!!!!!!!

ENJOY and wishing you all a very happy and blessed 4th of July!!!!!!