Special sale extended to include "Cyber Monday"

My daughters are telling me I need to get more linked in with everyone's use of the internet so I thought I'd join the Cyber Monday crowd and extend the very special Black Friday Weekend Sale one day!  See my previous post for all the details, ok?

See you in Cyberspace ...
~Debbie

R U Tired? Black Friday Weekend Sale from the comfort of home!

Black Friday shopping is great but it's tiring!  You have to be a very smart shopper in today's economy but all that walking and hunting up and down aisles of merchandise can be exhausting!  Well, let me offer you some help by offering you my special "Black Friday WEEKEND" Sale.  You can shop from home and take advantage of great products at a special discount.

Click on the flyer to see all the details but in case you can't see it here are the basics:

• All orders receive absolutely FREE shipping
• Orders of $25 and up receive an item valued at $2.95 or less for FREE
• Orders of $50 receive an item valued at $2.95 PLUS the Petite Perks stamp set for FREE
• Orders of $75 receive any item(s) valued at $4.95 PLUS the Petite Perks stamp set for FREE
• Orders of $100 receive any item(s)valued at $7.95 PLUS the Petite Perks stamp set PLUS the November Stamp of the Month PLUS another stamp set of their choice all for FREE

Do you need a gift for a crafter?  Try our CTMH 'how-to" books which include either a CD or DVD with special patterns!  Digital photographers may appreciate a membership in our Studio J online scrapbooking system. Members can purchase two 12x12  page layouts, beautifully designed and color coordinated with our classic scrpabooking products for just $6.50 - that's just $3.25 per page including photo processing!  Our new 12x12 albums in faux leather are sturdy and beautiful, functional and elegant and come in a variety of colors.

Well, I hope you will take advantage of this sale and give your feet a shopping break!  I am always available to answer questions and to give advice to help select the right products for your needs, whether now or in the future. Contact me here by leaving a comment or shop online 24/7 at debbietuggle.myctmh.com

Happy Thanksgiving weekend!

~Debbie~

Christmas Shopping Market

Just got back from participating a very neat event: a Christmas Shopping Market.  Those of you on my email list got the flyer about it but for those that did not here's what it consisted of. 

The event was hosted by a lady in her home and she invited several different companies besides Close To My Heart to show and demonstrate their products.  Pampered Chef was there, Usborne Books and others that I had not heard of before. I think it's really a good idea and I'm considering something similar.....
   hmmm .....  hmmm .....  "wheels in my head turning..." .... 
Does anyone have a nice ClubHouse that could maybe hold guests and a few display tables???  Just wondering!  :-) 

I did a Make-n-Take for this event plus some simple gifts that attendees could purchase. I'llpost some pictures later.  It was fun but tiring!

Talk to you later,
~Debbie~

Just in Time for Thanksgiving ...

I've posted below a cute project I made for a friend - the pictures are what makes it cute but before I do, let me tell you some good economic news: Close To My Heart has announced a great Customer Appreciation special for this month - "A Little MORE Thanks."!  

With every purchase of $100 you know that you get the Stamp of the Month for FREE, right? Well, this month you will ALSO receive another stamp set (size A, B, C or D) of YOUR choice for FREE - that's right, for FREE!  My friends, that is worth up to $45.90 in free stamps as a thank you for your $100 order - almost 50% of added value to your purchase.  I sense it's a great time to stock up on some gift giving before this month is gone!  You can  Click here to see the flyer for more info on this great promotion and here's a larger picture of the November Stamp of the Month.

And as promised, here's a picture the tri-shutter album I made for a dear friend of her "oh, so cute" grandchildren! 

Thanks for all your kind comments and for being a part of my CTMH family! May God bless you this day!

~ Debbie ~

Christmas Stamp of the Month available in October only

Hi again! I can't let any more time go by without reminding you to get your Stamp of the Month for October - it's Christmas style!! Isn't it cute! (Click on the images for larger view)

Remember it is only available through October 31, 2010 and you can get it for the full retail price by itself or with other purchases the price is discounted or even FREE!  Here's some artwork made with it:

Get a head start on Christmas ideas ... this set will definitely get you in the mood! Contact me or shop online by clicking the link on the left hand side for shopping 24/7 on my website.  Thanks and I'll "blog" again soon!

Making memories with you,

~ Debbie ~

Been offline for a bit...

We're taking our summer break a little later than others so I've been a bit out of touch.  Hope your summer went well and are now looking forward to Fall.  That means different things to many people, most involving  a lot of work. So, before you do that, check out another great early Fall activity from CTMH - National Stamping Month and the Fall Idea Book!

On the left you'll see the announcement for the special triple album kit available in celebration of National Stamping Month - you can get it for as low as $5!  Click on it to view all the details.

On the right you can click to view the fabulous Fall Idea Book online - check out eight new colors, "pearl" embellishments, new "Flip Flaps" to add more space in your layouts for pictures, and a lot more! 


I hope you'll take advantage of these online features while I'm finishing my family summer - - - and to keep you inspired here's another project I made - a wedding card/gift card holder:

Be back with you soon!
Making memories with you,
~ Debbie ~

School is back - got lists?

Most students are back to school and with it come activities galore. Do you need a place to keep your to-do list without losing that paper? And, of course, the prettier it looks the better, right? Well, I've been gathering pictures of some of my creations that I had not posted and came across a memo dry-erase board I made for a friend. Here it is:

This is made from a regular 11x14 inch frame and papers from the "Sasparilla" packet.  You can write on the glass with a dry erase marker so you can get ready for each week.  Isn't that a neat idea?  By making it yourself youc an choose papers that match your decor and change it out when you feel like it or to match a season of the year.  If you need help putting one together let me know and I'll walk you through how I did mine.  Hope you are having a good day!

Making memories with you,

Debbie

Last Two (2) Days of $2, $4, $6 for 8

I'm so excited about this sale and I hope you've had the opportunity to check it out. The deals are fantastic! Let me show you how great these deals are:

**  Level 1 Kits:  For $4 you can make 4 easy, coordinating scrapbook layouts and

 still have some leftover paper to make cards, too! 

  **  Level 2 kits:  I have made 16 complete scrapbook pages AND

still had leftover papers and these kits with over 20 pages are available for $6!!

  **  What about Stickease?  For $2 you can get some beautiful, sturdy and

colorful embellishments for cards OR layouts!

These deals are only available for TWO more days and only through my website (click here).  Take advantage of this great opportunity to own great products at over 50% off!  If you have any questions, please call,  send me an email or post a comment here and I'll get back to you quickly.

Making memories with you,

~Debbie~

Quick - a great promotion but for only 8 days!

I just got word of a very special but very quick promotion Close To My Heart is featuring beginning THIS Wednesday, August 4th, for only 8 days! 

                      $2, $4, $6, for 8…It’s YOU We Appreciate! 

• 
  
  $2 for Stickease (regularly $4.95) - 60% off (very thick sticker-like products, 2 full sheets!)
• 
  
  $4 for Level 1 kits (regularly $9.95) - 60% off (Pre-printed 12x12 pages plus additional coordinating papers AND Stickease!)
• 
  
  $6 for Level 2 kits (regularly $12.95) - 54% off ( 6 different 12x12 B&T papers plus coordinating cardstock =24 sheets!) 

The products featured are a mix of newer and older paper kits, and are available while supplies last, I have a list that I can email to tell you what specifically is on sale so you can look at them ahead of time! You can look through current and older Idea Books to see the variety of patterns and colors that are being included in this special sale. You can also see them online by going to my website to the Shop Online area and entering the name of the kit (such as Moon Doggie).

This promotion is only available through my CTMH website, DebbieTuggle.myctmh.com, and one way to expedite your shopping is to go ahead and create a customer account. That way your name, shipping information, etc., is ready and filled out, and will make placing your orders that much faster, simpler and easier! Simply go to the website, click on the upper middle section where it says "create an account," fill out your info and save it. You'll be good to go anytime you want to shop on my site. Your username is simply your email address and then create a password you'll remember to shop with. Again, it's just a tip to expedite your shopping experience - not needed to browse, though!

Also, you are not limited to just these products when you shop! All your purchases count towards the August Stamp of the Month, "Something Splendid." With the large variety of products to choose from, there's something sure to fit into your scrapbooking or cardmaking needs so I hope you can take advantage of this fantastic sale. Please email me to get your own copy of the PDF files and contact me if you have any questions!

Making memories with you,
~Debbie~

I'm back from Convention ...

Wow! What a busy few days I had at Close To My Heart's annual convention. It was packed with fun, friends, learning, new products (which I cannot share just yet), new techniques, and just fun! While I can't share the new stuff just yet, let me share with you a little bit of the fun we had.  My daughters and I love the piano and we've known of pianist John Schmidt for a few years so imagine my excitement knowing I would get to hear him play live! Here's a YouTube clip of a song he played for us; he and his cellist, Stephen Nelson, are really worth listening to!

A great comedienne, Anita Renfroe, entertained us at our closing banquet.

Here's a picture of her and a couple of  links to her newest "spoof" songs, the one John Schmidt is playing above, "Love Story," especially for younger moms, and one that's, well, for the ones beyond preschoolers: "All the Wrinkled Ladies."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaruNs_7okY

Well, I'm still recovering but thought I'd share little with you.  Talk to you soon!

Making memories with you,
Debbie

I am so excited!

This coming week a lot of Close To My Heart Consultants (including little ol' me) will be enjoying the annual CTMH Convention in ...

Washington, DC!  Three days of non-stop art, fun, friends, cropping, cards, swaps, NEW CTMH products coming for the Fall, and so much more!  I can hardly wait! Later in the month of July I hope to have at least one card workshop so I will post about that but, for now, I'm just excited about my trip!!  I may post from there and let you in on some of the fun if I can. Prayers for a safe trip are appreciated!

As always ...
Making memories with you,
~Debbie~

Last Day of June Jackpot and it's the BIG one!

Yes, indeed, it's the BIG Box!

Today is the last day of "June Jackpot" and Close To My Heart is offering a "goodie box" filled with popular products worth over $300 for just $125 - that's more than 50% off! Last year I got this value and it had paper packets, stamps, embellishments and it was great! I hope some of you can take advantage of this value and there's even more - discounted shipping as well! So it's a great time to buy and stock up! Because the offer is only valid through my website, http://debbietuggle.myctmh.com, you will actually have until midnight Mountain Time tonight (2 am Eastern!) to place your order (but only while supplies last!).
I will also be placing a regular order in late tonight so if there's something you need, big or small, and would like to be added to the order please let me know.

Making memories with you,

Debbie

Another Mini-Album workshop

By popular request, I will be teaching the tri-shutter mini-album again on MONDAY (yes, tomorrow) and there are only 3 spots open for this one.  Since I've not had time to take a picture of mine, here's a link to a picture of one made by a fellow CTMH consultant, Lorrinda:

and we will be using the "Bella" papers:  I hope you can make it! Since there is no pre-cutting for me to do, you can call or email me to reserve your spot as late as tomorrow afternoon.  You will need to bring your favorite adhesive and scissors and if you can, bring your trimmer and an embossing stylus.

Making memories with you,
~ Debbie ~

Saturday's "Manly" Cards and Gift Day

Last call for tomorrow's TWO crafting opportunities:

   10 am - Noon  :: Drop in anytime to make a "handsome" Father's Day
                  (or any occasion guy) Card; cost $1.50

   2-4 p.m. ::   Make 2 Manly cards and a mini-album suitable for desktop/table viewing; cost $8.00

We'll be making the origami shirt fold for one card and using the heat embossing tool for the other card plus learn to use your trimmers in a way you had maybe not tried before!

Hope to see you then ....

~Debbie~

Jackpot June and Father's Day "Manly" cards and gift

I know, I know ... June's half over and I haven't posted once!  Well, there are things going on everywhere because that's what happens in summer, right? 

         JACKPOT JUNE
 See the great promotion here on the right - Jackpot June!  I hope you'll check it out - only through my website can you access these great deals! Like today, where a "Mystery Goodie Box" is being offered full of $250 worth of CTMH products for ONLY $100!!  I got some during last year's clearance and they really are great values!!  Check every day to see what the special is and it could be your Jackpot Day!!

   FATHER'S DAY "Manly" Cards and Mini-Album
This Saturday, June 19th, I will have a double crafting opportunity for you.  If you just want to come by and make a Father's Day card, drop by anytime between 10 am and Noon and make a "manly" card for only $1.50  If you have more time, from 2-4 pm I will be having my "Manly" Workshop where we will make 2 cards suitable for Father's Day and other occasions, PLUS a mini album that can be displayed on a table/desk!  Cost for the workshop is $8.00.  Just bring your adhesive, paper trimmer and, optionally, an embossing stylus if you have one.  Try to call so I can have adequate amount of supplies cut out.

As always, call me with any questions, ok?

Making memories with you,
~Debbie~

May is here and so is the new book and online scrapboking with Studio J!

It's here, it's here!  The new Summer Idea Book is ready for viewing - whether you like it online or in print.  For online viewing, please click on the  icon on the right hand side. To get your own printed version, please send me an email and we'll make arrangements!  There are new products, of course, but in an effort to serve us better Close To My Heart has lowered the prices on many items as well - saving money is always a good thing!  But the biggest news has got to be Studio J - CTMH's online digital scrapbook studio tool! Click on the Studio J image to view it and try it out! Here is a copy of the first one I made. Yes, it was ALL DONE online! Isn't it amazing! I hope you will try it out and see how fast you can create a layout!

Making memories with you,
~Debbie~

And the winner is ...

My first ever "Mystery Hostess" contest is now over and the winner is ... Gloria Hile! She is right now looking through the Idea Book and making her selections which is always exciting!  Thank you to all who participated and I will contact you soon about your delivery dates.  Good night!

~Debbie

Down to Day 3 ... and a little easy gift project

We are approaching the end of our March game and I hope you are enjoying the tips and ideas I've been posting!  While the weekend may be filled with chores and "honey-do" lists, I thought I'd give you another project - a fun, crafty one that can be used as a practical yet thoughtful gift! 

We all are always writing notes and if it's not the pen we've misplaced it's something to write on, right? (pun intended!)  Why not make a pretty holder for our ever-useful post-it notes?  Here's my creation that I made as a thank you for someone who likes frogs:

Isn't that cute?  The frog and mushroom come from a stamp set called "Happy Endings" and the paper is called "Daydream" AND they were designed to go together which is another one of the details that I like about Close To My Heart's products!  This little "easel" is one of those $1 acrylic frames for a 4x6 that have a kind of "L" shape to them.  Look at this picture of other similar ones by another consultant to see the side details:

All you need to do is cut a piece of your patterned paper to fit inside the frame (approx. 4x6), choose a location for your 3x3 post-it note cube and adhere it to the frame.  I'd use some strong adhesive or double sided tape.  Then embellish the front with flowers, stamped images, etc., and you're done!  In mine I placed a small "thank You" sentiment stamped image on a piece of black cardstock and attached it my patterned paper before sliding it into the frame.  The frog and mushroom are adhered to the frame on the outside with foam tape (love that stuff) to make it "pop" out 3-D style.  Fast and easy and sure to please!

Well, don't forget our game! Remember that the only rule is that you place any size order by Sunday evening, March 28th.  Maybe you will be crowned "Mystery Hostess" and win $25 in your choice of Close To My Heart products!! Leave a comment her or send me an email.  Good night and God bless!

Making memories with you,
~Debbie

Countdown to Crown Mystery Hostess (5 Days) & Tip of the day

We're coming down the home stretch with only 5 days to go in our fun Mystery Hostess game.  Now, I haven't had many to play with me but that simply increases your chances to win!  Again, the prize for our Mystery Hostess is $25 to spend on her choice of CTMH products - who wouldn't want that freebie?  Remember to get your order, of any size, in to me by Sunday, March 28th, to be entered in the drawing and it could be you who gets crowned as the March Mystery Hostess!!

You know, especially on busy days, we say, "Oh, I'd really like to make a card for so--n-so but I just don't have time."  Then we rush out, spend and hour between driving, shopping and purchase a flat card that's nice but doesn't have that little extra we would like it to.  You know, a handmade item doesn't have to be elaborate!  It can be beautiful in its simplicity and also much more cost and time effective than buying a card.  Here are a couple of cards showcasing that idea from a fellow CTMH consultant, Lisa Stenz:

Thefirst one is a favorite of mine because of the flowers.  They can nest one into the other and give a 3-D look so easily! They are actually made out of paper so you can take a little sponge and color them whatever you like to match your project.  The next one is also easy because you can take one flower image, stamp it at different heights and voilá you have a bouquet!  Well, I hope you enjoy this tip.  If I can ever be of assistance just let me know!

Making memories with you,

~Debbie~

March Madness continues... Random Stamping tip

Okay, ladies!   I have one order in the pool (who will receive the "Bee Mine" Petite Perks stamp set) but we need a few more so that we can crown a winner of the March Mystery Hostess contest and $25 in CTMH products of her choice!  Don't forget to get your order in by Sunday, March 28th, in order to qualify for the special stamp set and extra chances for the grand prize (see the previous post for details).

I'd like to share another tip with you that I really enjoy - random stamping!  You can create your very own, one-of-a-kind paper with your stamps and inks!  Because the CTMH stamps are clear and stamp so well, you can place a variety of images on your blank paper and create a beautifully patterned paper yourself.  Here's a sample of one of my first attempts, only using 3 stamp images and one color of ink on white cardstock:

While I have gotten better at it, it was pretty simple and fast to make it.  Select your biggest stamp image and use a "triangle pattern" to stamp the image around your paper: stamp once and then go up or down to the left and then to the right.  It is easier to show than to explain but I hope you can deduce it from the picture.  Remember to stamp off your paper to give it that look of a printed pattern.  Then follow with the other images in descending size order.  Here's a picture of how I used a piece of that paper in a layout:

Here's a picture (from another consultant) showing a layout with multi-color random stamping - gorgeous and I love that stamp set for a beach layout!

I really enjoy that technique and I hope you do, too.  If you need more info on random stamping, call or email me and we'll talk.  That's all for now - good night and God bless you!

Making memories with you,

~Debbie

March Madness - a CTMH version

I decided that I wanted to enjoy a little March Madness game time like my husband enjoys with his college basketball TV viewing, but do it the Close To My Heart way! I invite all of you to join me in this contest, where you can earn FREE product if you are chosen as the March Madness Mystery Hostess plus a bonus prize for your purchase. Email me and I will send you the complete details!

For the next couple of weeks, I will posting some ideas for crafting that I hope you will enjoy so stay tuned!  To get us started I thought I'd post a card I made as a "thank you" for my daughter's physical therapist.  It's a design called an "easel card" because the open flap of the card sits like an easel on the back side of the card.  Here's a link to a wonderful step-by-step tutorial on how to make it and a picture of my card:

Making memories with you,

My Acrylix Stamps funny videos

You know when I found out about CLose To My Heart about 3 years ago, I was totally impressed by the clear stamps: how easy they were to use, how beautifully they delivered the image and how easy it would be to store them.  I wondered about their long-range ability to stay sticky on a block and overall durability - I thought only time could tell.  Well, CTMH had already intensely tested this product - it is a patented process and STILL made in the USA! And they put together a cute video of the prototype stamp, "Sticky Boy," to show its true "toughness."  See it here in thisYouTube clip:



Now, I hope you don't subject your stamps to quite all those conditions but you can be assured that your CTMH My Acrylix stamps are up to almost anything that comes their way!
We just had a contest among CTMH Consultants to see who could produce the best video about the My Acrylix stamps.Tresa Black, who has a blog I like to follow called "Fabulously Artsy" and who is simply a "fabulous" crafter, won the category for both the best video and the most views on YouTube.  She really showed the great qualities of our stamps in really funny parody of the "Sham Wow" commercial.  Here it is and I hope you enjoy!



~Debbie

Pictures of Valentine Cards

Here are the pictures of the 4 designs for Valentine cards.  What do you think?

I hope you can make one of the Open House time slots!  Also, my days are right but the "dates" were wrong - sorry! 

Open House

Friday Feb. 12  2:30-4:30 p.m. or 7-9 p.m.

and

Sat. Feb 13 from 10 am - Noon

Making memories with you,

~Debbie
P.S.  I wanted to thank the consultants who inspired me in these cards.  Paige Dolecki designed the last card and inspired the 1st one, while Jeannette Lynton and anothe CTMH Consultant "Amy" inspired the cute kids cards and Tracie Brown helped me with the black, red and beige card.  Thanks to them for the great ideas!

Valentine Card Open House

    Good Morning!  Brrrrr it's cold today!  But would a Valentine Card making event make it feel a little warmer?  I hope so because tommorrow and Saturday, I will be hosting my 3rd Annual Valentine Card Open house.  If you still need a Valentine card for your "sweetie" or a friend (or two), come on over and make one!  Each card you make would only be $1.00, with 4 designs to choose from, and all are easy and quick to complete. Here are the times I'll be "open":

Friday, Feb. 11, from 2:30-4:30 p.m. and from 7-9 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 12, from 10am - Noon. 

     I hope one of those times will work for you.  No RSVP is necessary, just come on by.  NOTE:  I will be postng sample pictures by this evening so check back, ok?
    Making memories with you,

Don't miss "Felicity"

The new "Felicity" Collection is such a great paper pack!  You can make your projects using this set from frilly to simple, all the while making beautiful crafts that coordinate so well!  Here's a card and a recipe binder:

If you go to the special "National Papercrafting Month" (NPM) blog you will also get some tips and recipes for making projects!  Do you see the pretty flowers on the card above?  Go to the January 3 blog entry and you are given step-by-step instructions (with pictures!) on how to do it - paper piecing that's as easy as can be!  To see how to make the recipe binder go to the January 6th entry; there's lots more to view and learn at the blog which is updated every day.  Here's a picture of the kit, including the "D" size stamp set complete with the alphabet used for the projects in the pictures:

If you are already loving this, let me tell you the 6 ways to get the collection and only one of them is buying the kit itself!

• Option 1: Buy it outright for $34.95 US/$40.95 CAN.
• Option 2: Get it for FREE by buying $60/$70 of stamps*
• Option 3: Get it for FREE when you order $125/$145 on (almost) any Close To My Heart products* 
• Option 4: Get it for FREE by hosting an event (gathering) at your home and having sales of $400
• Option5:  Get it for FREE when you join my team as a consultant in the month of January!
• Option 6: Win a kit by posting a comment on the NPM blog everyday and enter a chance to win one of the daily drawings!                (*Some restrictions apply)

Well, I hope you visit the blog and enjoy all it has to offer.  Remember you can call me to place an order (if you live locally since it saves a little on shipping charges) or order from my CTMH website, debbietuggle.myctmh.com to have it shipped to you directly.  Please feel free to call, email or leave me a comment here ...

Making memories with you,

Happy New Year!

"So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom." - - - Psalm 90:12

The older I get the faster time seems to travel; does it seem that way to you?  As usual, the Bible has wisdom to impart if only we would read it!  I pray that 2010 may be a year where I take time for the important things and not waste it on the trivial things that seem to eat up my days.  Preserving my family's memories does matter and hopefully I can make better gains in that department in the coming year!  May your year be full of blessings and joy!

Take a look at all the new items featured here for Close To My Heart and let me know if I can help you in any way!