Sunday, December 27, 2009

Spring Swaps


Here's my swap for the new catalog for January. It's a cover page for the new My Creations Journals. I love the new Topstitch papers. I can't wait to see wait to see what everyone else has made. It'll be Christmas all over again when the box gets here!

Monday, November 30, 2009

CTMH - Holiday Heyday Clearance Sale.

Close to My Heart is having a huge clearance sale! There are lots and lots of papers, stampsets, acessories, and cards kits for sale. Email me and I'll send you a copy of the list. The sale begins Wednesday morning 9am MT (which is 8 am for us on the west coast). Sale items are only available on my website http://kbgerlach.myctmh.com. Items not on clearance must be on a separate order.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009




The owner of the Red Coach Restaurant, arguably the best hamburger place in Portland, asked me to design a card for her to put together to send to her best customers. Her 300 best customers. She has a database of over 2000 customers that she sends birthday coupons to. She tracks those that use coupons and wants to send them a handmade Christmas card. So I came up with a simple design for her to do in stages. She loved it, handed me her credit card and said "just order whatever you need". I got over 600 tags cut since I got home at 5 tonight. I finished about a 1/2 hour ago. I managed to stop for dinner, kids homework, and mafia wars in between making tags. Gotta love a cuttlebug.
I deliver tags, card bases, envelopes, stamps, inks, and ribbon to her tomorrow. She has the tough job of stamping and assembling all 300 of them. Luckily I was able to keep her costs down and she's able to make the cards at a cost of about 35 cents a piece for consumable products. Once she adds postage she's still under $1 per card. Well worth it to get business in her door and hopefully a referral or two for me (oh and a free lunch for cutting all the tags - did I mention that they are the best hamburger place in Portland?).

Saturday, November 14, 2009

My very creative kids








Macie and Harrison took over the craft room this week. They stamped and colored and learned how to use liquid applique. Harrison may have stamped everywhere on his card, but he really took his time and colored the surfing santa very carefully. He also wrote a special note to his 1st grade teacher Mrs. Gahlen. Since his spelling still isn't so great, I hope he told her what it says! :)
Macie looked at lots of stampsets, ribbons, inks and asked "does this look good mom?" lots. To which my response was "honey, it's your card you can design whatever you like. If it looks good to you it will look good to everyone." She did a great job on her card to. She's made 2 other cards since. I have to get pictures of them to post. She also gave her card to her teacher. I think soon they will want to make cards for their classmates for Christmas.
It's nice to see them realize that it isn't always the fancy expensive things that you give people that mean the most. It's that you cared enough to take time, think about it, and make something from the heart.


Monday, November 9, 2009

Regional Celebration in Portland















I had the best time at the Portland Regional Celebration. It was so cool to meet Jeanette Lynton. She is an incredibly gracious lady with a huge heart. I'm amazed at all she has accomplished and all she still wants to do.


Regionals was cram-packed with news from HQ, business classes, a special project taught by Jeanette, a sneak peak at things to come, and lots of great techniques learned in the creative classes. I always thought I was a little bit of a pessimist - well after taking Christine Whitfeld's class I now know I'm really a determinist. I'm still trying to figure that one out.


I was horribly rude as I interupted my first business class to run to the front of the class and grab sticky boy! I'm so happy I finally have one all to myself. Who's that you ask? He's the first stamp by Jeanette from back in 1988. He was the first one made for testing of the clear My Acrylix stamps. As the legend goes, when they were brainstorming names for the clear stmaps David, Jeanette's husband, said to call them 'sticky boys'. Well sticky boy has shown up at every Close to My Heart consultant event ever since. He is left everywhere from door stops, to bathrooms, to under chairs for consultants to find. We had tons of fun searching for him over the 2 days we were there.


I have many more pictures to show of all the projects we made. I'll post those next. If you want to learn how to make any of these great projects email me!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009










I should be working on my swaps for the upcoming regionals, but instead I'm experimenting with my brayer and inks. The first set is my first attempt. It is based off of a tutorial shown on Michelle Zindorf's blog. http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com She does some amazing things with brayers, embossing and inks. After I figured out I could actually do what she was teaching, I changed it up a bit and I like the effect. I'm going to see if I can come up with my own idea using some of these techniques on a card that I could submit for the contest at regionals. Of course I still have some swaps to come up with as well. :)

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Memory Keeper Box & My Creations Binder












I made this Memory Keeper Box with the Animal Cookies Level 2 paper pack. To go with it I made a My Creations 3-ring binder as a mommy brag book using an Animal Cookies Level 1 pack. I had enough paper left over to make 20 thank you cards and cover a composition note book for notes. Amazingly, I still have a lot of paper left after all that. I decorated using buttons, the My Stickease from the Level 1 and dimensinal elements.
I gave this to my good friend at her baby shower this week. She was so funny. She pulled it out and said for those who don't know Karen has a Close to My Heart scrapbooking business and she made all of this. Her husband chimes in and there's a website. I was cracking up. But I also have 2 new people that want to come to my Halloween card workshop now too! LOL
If you are interested in this kind of project here's what you will need:
Level 1 paper pack - $ 9.95
Level 2 paper pack - $12.95
My Creations 3-ring Binder - $5.95
My Creations Memory Keeper - $6.95
Neutral Cardstock 8.5 x 11 - $6.75 (for card bases)
Embellishments $3.95 - 7.95
You will have enough paper left after to make a couple 12x12 layouts for yourself or some birthday cards! Let everyone else buy the mother to be cute clothes. Make something that they'll have forever to keep that first outfit, a lock of hair, the baby teeth, whatever they want to keep to give to the child when they're older.
If you want to make any or all of this project contact me for an appointment and we'll make it together.



Thursday, September 24, 2009

Christmas Card Workshop!











Here it is! Loads of Christmas cards. 32 Cards - 4 each of 8 patterns in 2 different papers. I will have all the papers cut and ready for you to put together. You can add your own style to the cards stamping images and greetings. Cost for the workshop is $25. I have 2 dates on the calendar for this workshop. November 1st from 11-5 and November 15th from 11-5. Call today to sign up for the date that works best for you. Need more cards? Feel free to sign up twice!


Thursday, September 17, 2009

Halloween and Fall Cards






So these are cards we will make for a fall card workshop I'm holding at work. We're doing 3 cards for $5. I will also hold this card workshop at my home on October 11th from 1-3. If anyone is interested please email me to reserve a spot.

Last 2 Christmas Cards









Here are the last 2 cards for the workshop for the auction winner. It took me a bit to get these figured out but I finally did. I love this paper.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Christmas Cards (yes I know it's only September)




Here are the cards I'm working on for the winner of the school auction basket. I had some scrapbooking supplies in the basket along with a gift certificate for a 6 person card workshop. The basket earned over $100 for my kids' school.
Carol, the basket winner, requested Christmas themed cards. I am using Wishes card program to come up with the designs. The standard card is "Sun Dial" and the circle card is "Timeless Trio". Both use the Jingle Creative Basics paper, twinkle brads, liquid glass, and prisma glitter. The stampsets are Feathery Flakes, Snow Flurries, Holiday Warmth and Christmas Scripts.
I have 2 more cards to come up with for this workshop. I'll post them when I get them together.
If you would like to send handmade Christmas cards this year, I will be holding a workshop in October to make cards. The workshop fee will be $20 and will make at least 25 cards. I haven't finalized it yet but I will have it for you shortly. Check back for details.

A couple new pages...











This layout is "Abstract" from Cherish.
I used the heartfelt die cuts, dimensional elements letters, a dimensional element framed fun, a metal rimmed tag, and Just Blooms paper flowers to embelish the pages. The colors are topiary, hollyhock, and buttercup. Of course that's my cute little girl when she was 3 and still unafraid of the Lorakeets at the Oregon Zoo. Now that she's 10 everything freaks her out. :)

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Autumn/Winter Catalog Swaps!

3 times a year when the new catalog comes out I get the privilege of participating in a catalog swap. Our director Julie organizes the swap and everyone makes 42 of one item and sends it to her. She 'swaps' them and sends them back. The consultants that participate are truly creative and make some gorgeous artwork.

For all her hard work Julie gets to keep one of each item, plus she sends one to the corporate offices to be entered into the 'From the Heart' contest. At the last convention I found artwork from each person in my unit up on the art wall. It was really cool to see my card on that wall.

Below are pictures of the items I received made out of the newest papers from Close to my Heart using the latest embellishments.

Twitterpated!





I just love fall when everything turns colors. This is great paper for you pumpkin patch pictures or just to make some fun cards.

Jingle



This maybe non-traditional colors for Christmas but after working with it I really like it.! That little 4x4 card with the sparkly tag is mine.

Jingle Creative Basics



The creative basic kit is Christmas themed with candy caned striped paper that is printed in the diagonal pattern. It comes with grograin ribbon and is perfect for making all your Christmas cards. I will be holding a Christmas card workshop in October featuring this paper. 25 cards for $25. Check back for more information and to sign up!
Grace



Fall just has a grace about and this paper at first seemed very overwhelming with its large print dalias and sunflowers but it has grown on me after seeing the stunning artwork from other consultants. The catalog truly does not do this (or any) paper justice.

Sweet Home
Finally Sweet Home - these warm colors are perfect for cards or layouts that can be masculine or feminine. The stamp sets featured with this paper definitely give you all the comforts of home.
I'd like to thank everyone that participated in this swap. I have emailed several of them to tell them how much I appreciate their brilliant artwork. I gain so much more than card examples to show - I gain an appreciation for some truly great artists.