Mojo Monday 476 - Joyeux Noel

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I guess we're now officially into the Christmas season, so I have a holiday card for you this week for Mojo Monday.

Here's the sketch for this week's challenge:

And here's my card:

I know the sketch is a square, but I very rarely send square cards in the mail, so I just adapted the sketch!

I just received my Snowflakes Embossing Folder in the mail this past week, so I wanted to use it for today's card. I love how well it pairs with the beautiful papers from the Oh Deer! Paper Packet.

Overall, the card is pretty simple, but I think that helps the embossed snowflakes and the heat-embossed sentiment stand out even more. I added a little gold ribbon from the Uptown Ribbon Pack, but that's all the extra embellishing I did.

Here are the supplies that I used for this card:

• White Cards and Envelopes
• Oh Deer! Paper Packet
• White Daisy Cardstock
• Sea Glass Cardstock
• Uptown Ribbon Pack
• Snowflakes Embossing Folder
• Gold Embossing Powder
• VersaMark Ink Pad

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Bethany Rielage

rielage517@gmail.com

765-635-4884

bethanyrielage.closetomyheart.com

www.facebook.com/stampingathome

Mojo Monday 475 - Thankful!

Happy Monday! For my Mojo Monday card this week, I decided to stick with a fall/thankful theme since it is Thanksgiving week. I love Thanksgiving, and I'm so looking forward to time with family, good food, and also some paper crafting!

Here's the sketch for this week's challenge:

And here's my card:

My card this week features the Swan Lake paper packet and my current favorite stamp set - Woodland Critters. I just can't get enough of that little raccoon!

I stamped the raccoon in Slate ink, and then I stamped the speech balloon sentiment and the little heart in Poppy. I love that this stamp set coordinates with our Artistry Cricut cartridge, so I have lots of pre-cut speech balloons all ready to go!

The very back paper is actually one of the 4x6 cut-apart cards from the Swan Lake paper packet. Don't you just love the detailed leaves on it?

To finish off the card, I edged everything in Whisper ink and added a few Grey Enamel Gems. I think it turned out nicely!

If you have any questions about anything I talked about today or any of the products I used, please feel free to contact me.

Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving week!

Thanks,

Bethany Rielage

765-635-4884

rielage517@gmail.com

bethanyrielage.closetomyheart.com

www.facebook.com/stampingathome

Friday Favorites - Giveaways!

For this week's Friday Favorites post, I decided to have a giveaway! I love giveaways, and with all the holiday sales flyers starting to arrive, I figured I should do something to participate in the festivities!

This giveaway is open to anyone who places an order of $25 or more on my website from now until the end of November. When you go to my website, be sure to click "Join" next to the "November Orders" gathering at the bottom of the page. This will make sure that you are entered to win!

I'm actually giving away two different retired products, so more than one person can win!

The first is a Fundamental Assortment in the Peacock color:

This assortment includes 6 wooden stickers, 6 paper bows with gold or silver foil patterns, 8 plastic clips, and a sheet of glitter stickers. The retail value of this assortment is $9.95.

Peacock is one of the colors in the current City Sidewalks paper packet, so even though this assortment is retired, it would still match perfectly with current product!

The second giveaway is a Christmas product from last year:

These are the White Pines Complements from last year's Christmas line and some Poppy Thick Twine. The Complements include some assorted Kraft die-cuts, 2 sticker sheets, and some plastic die-cuts. The retail value for both of these items together is $9.90.

The Poppy twine is still available and goes great with the Swan Lake paper packet. The colors in the White Pines Complements are still available, and I think these stickers and die-cuts would match well with the Happy, Happy Christmas My Crush pages and the Happy, Happy Christmas Picture My Life cards.

So in order to be entered to win one of these prizes, remember to simply head on over to my website, join the November Orders gathering, and place an order of at least $25 or more.

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One more way to save!
I received information yesterday that Close To My Heart will be having a Black Friday special sale! They will be offering themed mystery boxes of retired products at deep discounts! You will be able to choose from a variety of boxes designated for scrapbooking, cardmaking, or both! There will be five different price points ranging from $35 to $150. Some of these boxes will be offered at 50% off the retail value! This special offer will only be available for 24 hours (starting at 12:00 am MST on Friday, November 25) and only while supplies last!

So if you want to wait until Black Friday, you could get a great deal AND be entered to win my giveaway!

Have fun shopping!

Thanks,
Bethany Rielage

765-635-4884
rielage517@gmail.com

bethanyrielage.closetomyheart.com
www.facebook.com/stampingathome

City Sidewalks Cardmaking Workshop

I'm having another Christmas cardmaking workshop! There are two times and locations, and I'm also offering a kit option for those of you who aren't local or aren't able to attend in person. Scroll to the bottom of this post for all the details!

Local Workshops:

• Thursday, December 1; 6:30-8:30; Eller House in Fishers
• Friday, December 2; 6:30-8:30; My house in Fishers
• $20

During this workshop you will make ten cards, two each of five designs. We will be using the City Sidewalks paper packet from Close To My Heart and two different stamp sets - Joy to You & Me and Cozy Christmas.

Here are pictures of the cards we'll be making:

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I will have everything pre-cut and designed for you, and I will provide all the tools, embellishments, stamps, inks, and adhesive. All you have to do is show up!

The cost of the workshop is $20.00, which covers all of your materials and my instruction. I accept cash or PayPal (payable to rielage517@gmail.com).

Space is limited, so sign up soon! You can email, call, or text me to sign up. You can also RSVP by going to my Facebook page and clicking on the event there (www.facebook.com/stampingathome).

You must sign up no later than Wednesday, November 30.

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Purchase a Cardmaking Kit To Go!

If you aren't local or can't attend the workshop, I have a new option for you! You can purchase a City Sidewalks Cardmaking Kit, and I will mail it to you! There are two options depending on what products you may already have.

Option One - $25

This kit includes all the pre-cut papers, card bases, envelopes, embellishments; and the kit will be shipped directly to you. I will also supply directions for assembling the cards. You will need to complete the stamping on your own. Depending on what you already own, you may need to purchase additional supplies from the list below:

• Joy to You and Me stamp set
• Cozy Christmas stamp set or Cozy Christmas Thin Cuts Bundle
• Stamp pads: Peacock, Cranberry, Willow, Lagoon, Black, Goldrush, Chocolate
• VersaMark ink pad
• White embossing powder

Option Two - $30

This kit includes all the pre-cut papers, card bases, envelopes, and embellishments - and the stamping will all be done for you! I will also supply directions for assembling the cards, and your kit will be shipped directly to you. You will simply need adhesive to complete your cards.

If you are interested in purchasing a kit, please contact me and I will get it sent out!

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Again, if you are interested in signing up for one of my City Sidewalks Cardmaking Workshops next month, please contact me soon!

Thanks,

Bethany Rielage

765-635-4884

rielage517@gmail.com

bethanyrielage.closetomyheart.com

www.facebook.com/stampingathome

Mojo Monday 474 - New Year's Cheer

I'm really starting to look forward to making my Mojo Monday card every week! I love working from a sketch, especially when it helps me try something new.

Here's the sketch for this week's challenge:

And here's my card:

The stamp set I used today is the November stamp of the month - New Year's Cheer.

Even though the stamp set has a New Year's theme, I always try to find ways to use the stamps for other occasions. By using the "Cheers" stamp and masking part of another stamp to just show the "to you" words, I created a potential birthday or congratulations card!

The green background patterned paper and the blue zip strip come from the City Sidewalks paper packet - see, it's not just for Christmas! The blue dot patterned paper is actually from one of the 4x6 cut-apart cards from the Swan Lake paper packet. I love mixing paper packets!

The two banners at the top are stamps from the New Year's Cheer stamp set, and I just stamped them in Peacock on scraps of white paper and cut them out. I stamped the other images in Peacock and Willow. To finish it off, I added a few Bitty Sparkles.

I'd love to see what you create with today's sketch or with the November stamp of the month!

Thanks for stopping by!

Bethany Rielage

765-635-4884
rielage517@gmail.com

bethanyrielage.closetomyheart.com
www.facebook.com/stampingathome

Friday Favorites - Workshops

One of my absolute favorite things to do as a Close To My Heart consultant is having workshops! I love meeting new people, and I love helping people use their supplies. Too many times I have heard people talk about having lots of supplies but either not having the time to use them or not knowing what to do with them. I try to help solve those problems by having times every month when people can set aside time to actually create.

My goal every month is to have at least one craft night, one scrapbooking workshop, and one cardmaking workshop.

Craft Nights
Craft nights are simply times when I open up my house for people to come over and bring anything they want to work on. There's no set schedule, and normally everyone's working on something different. I have my stamp sets and inks available to use, but there's no pressure to use them or to do anything related to Close To My Heart. I've had friends bring over knitting, watercoloring, and many other things. It's mostly just a time to hang out, get some crafting done, and have fun together!

Scrapbooking Workshop
For my scrapbooking workshops, I have been using the Workshops Your Way kits from Close To My Heart. They are beautiful, and everything has already been figured out for me! Close To My Heart provides a cutting guide and shows how to put the layouts together. Even though I do like to make my own layouts from time to time, I like to use the workshops because they're simple, they go together quickly, and I love the designs!

City Sidewalks Workshops Your Way Kit

Cardmaking Workshops
My cardmaking workshops are a little different from month to month. I usually try to offer a night where I focus on the cardmaking workshop kits provided by Close To My Heart. But I have also created my own cardmaking workshops. Some people like to receive a stamp set and extra supplies to make more cards at home, and some people just want to take home a finished product and not have to worry about what to do with scraps or extra supplies. I try to provide both types of workshops!

Upcoming Workshops!
Here are some dates for my upcoming craft nights, scrapbooking workshops, and cardmaking workshops. More details can be found on my Upcoming Events page.

Craft Nights

• Friday, November 11
• Friday, December 2

Scrapbooking Workshops

• Saturday, November 26 - City Sidewalks
• Thursday, December 29 - Oh Deer!

Cardmaking Workshops

• Saturday, November 12 - Happy Holidays Cardmaking Kit
• Thursday, December 1 - City Sidewalks Cards (Christmas)
• Friday, December 2 - City Sidewalks Cards (Christmas)
• Sunday, December 11 - Card Buffet
• Saturday, December 17 - Thinking of You Cardmaking Kit

I'd love to have you join me for one of my workshops! Contact me with any questions or to sign up!

Thanks,
Bethany Rielage

765-635-4884
rielage517@gmail.com

bethanyrielage.closetomyheart.com
www.facebook.com/stampingathome

City Sidewalks Scrapbooking Workshop

• Saturday, November 26
• 1:00-4:00
• $35

For my November scrapbooking workshop, we will be using the Workshops Your Way City Sidewalks Scrapbooking Kit.

This workshop kit retails for $26.95 and provides you with enough materials to create three 12x12 two-page layouts. It also provides you with the paper and embellishments for 9 cards!

Here's what you receive with this kit:

• 1 City Sidewalks paper packet
• 1 pack of City Sidewalks Complements
• 1 pack of Red Enamel Gems
• 1 City Sidewalks washi pack
• 4 sheets of cardstock (1 Lagoon and 3 White Daisy).

Here are the three layouts I created with this kit; I don't have any pictures on them yet as I'm planning on using them for this year's pictures! On my Upcoming Events page, you can see the layouts as they were originally designed by Close To My Heart. I made a few changes on my layouts, but you're welcome to do them however you like!

Layout 1:

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Layout 2:

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Layout 3:

For the second and third layouts, I actually switched the background papers from the original designs. That's one of the wonderful things about working with paper packets from Close To My Heart. All the designs coordinate so well with each other that you can switch things up and they still look great!

Sign-up Deadline:

The deadline to sign up for this workshop is Wednesday, November 16. The deadline allows me to order the kits in time.

Optional Additional Services:
$5 - I will provide any adhesive you need, including foam tape.
$5 - I will cut all of your paper ahead of time so you can just assemble and decorate the layouts the day of the workshop.

Cards:
When you follow the cutting guide for cutting your kit, along with all the pieces for your layouts, you will also end up with pieces for nine cards (three each of three designs). There are additional supplies needed to complete these cards, but if you would like to complete them during the workshop, I will provide card bases and envelopes and the use of my stamps and inks for $6.00. Just let me know when you RSVP if you'll be wanting to complete the cards as well!

Upgrade Option!
If you would like to upgrade your workshop by purchasing the Joy to You & Me stamp set and the four stamp pads needed to make the cards, you can add them on to the workshop for $50. If you choose this option, there is no additional cost to make the cards, and you will also be eligible to purchase the stamp of the month set, New Year's Cheer, for only $5.00! If you are interested in this option, please let me know when you sign up.

Joy to You & Me stamp set

New Year's Cheer stamp set

What do you need to bring?
Please bring adhesive (I suggest a regular paper adhesive, glue dots, and foam tape) and basic tools (a paper cutter and scissors).

If you need my address or directions, please contact me.

Let me know if you have any questions, and I hope to see you later this month!

Thanks,

Bethany Rielage

765-635-4884

rielage517@gmail.com

bethanyrielage.closetomyheart.com

www.facebook.com/stampingathome

Mojo Monday 473 - A Child Is Born

I'm back with another card for the Mojo Monday sketch challenge. I've really been enjoying these challenges over the past few weeks, and they're forcing me to try some new designs other than my old standbys!

Here's the sketch for this week's challenge:

And here's my card:

I really like the simplicity of the card; it makes the image and sentiment the immediate focus.

I'm using the City Sidewalks paper packet this week since it's the featured paper for the month of November, and I decided to use the A Child Is Born stamp set. I really love this set, and it's the first time I've actually gotten around to using it!

City Sidewalks Paper Packet

A Child Is Born

I stamped the star image and the Baby Jesus image in Tuxedo Black Memento Ink, and then I colored them with ShinHan markers. I stamped the sentiment in Peacock ink. I also edged all the paper pieces with Whisper ink.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I'm always happy to help!

Thanks,
Bethany Rielage

765-635-4884
rielage517@gmail.com

bethanyrielage.closetomyheart.com
www.facebook.com/stampingathome

Friday Favorites - Using Up Scraps!

For my Friday Favorites blog post this week, I want to share with you my go-to design for using up scraps. I'm not sure when I first discovered this design, but I've been using it for a few years now and I still love it!

The design is simply 12 pieces of paper cut into 1-1/4 inch squares and laid out on a card base. I used to try and line up the squares, but making them a little crooked looks just fine and is much easier!

It's pretty easy to use your paper trimmer and cut the squares, but I recently purchased a 1-1/4 inch square punch, and it's awesome! If you find yourself using this design frequently, I would recommend buying a punch and saving yourself some time.

I've used this design for both horizontal and vertical cards, and you can use patterned paper or cardstock. In the example above, I embossed and sanded the Sorbet cardstock to give it a little pattern.

You can even use circles with this design!

Here are a few more examples:

And here's a card I just made a few days ago using up some Swan Lake scraps:

Normally I use four squares of three designs, but on the card above I used three squares of four designs. Either way works! And I love how easy the card came together using the "Hello" Thin Cut and some Black Shimmer Ribbon.

I hope you'll try out this design next time you have some scraps to use up!

Thanks,
Bethany Rielage

765-635-4884
rielage517@gmail.com

bethanyrielage.closetomyheart.com
www.facebook.com/stampingathome