Celebrate your Creativity- - - - July Issue

Summer is in full swing with July's Perfect Pairs promotion!
Get Your Perfect Pairs Before They Run Out
Earn perfectly-paired products with your next purchase!

Like peanut butter and jelly, like lemonade and barbecues, like glitter and glue—some things are just made to go together. That’s the heart of July’s Perfect Pairs campaign: to celebrate how perfectly Close To My Heart products go together, because having papers, stamps, and accessories that were designed to work together makes embellishing your projects that much easier.

Throughout the month of July, we’ll have several different product pairings consisting of a favorite My Reflections^® paper pack with a corresponding Complement or accessory kit that you’ll be able to get for free! Each pair will be available for only a limited time, and only while supplies last, so when you see one that you want, act quickly! All you need to do is place an order of $75 or more in full-priced retail products on my shopping website, and you’ll be able to receive that day’s “perfect pair” for free!

You’ll love how easily these product pairs work together, making your crafting more fun and rewarding than ever! Treat yourself to some perfectly-paired products by participating in this month’s promotion.

Get more details and see which pairs will be available in July »

July Stamp of the Month:
Live Out Loud
Words you can live by

The Live Out Loud stamp set (S1207) of all-purpose sentiments will take the words right out of your mouth and put them on paper in new, creative ways. Each sentiment takes on new life with the artistic treatment it receives in July’s Stamp of the Month set. Use the phrases to adorn artwork, cards, and letters with your own unique, hand-stamped touch. Earn your set for just $5 with your next $50 purchase — but remember — this set is only available for the month of July, so order yours right away!

View the July Stamp of the Month set »

Make Summer Fun Last Year Round

Plan now how to save the fun

You can bottle your summer tomatoes and preserve berries in jams so that the tasty fruits of summer last all winter long, but sooner or later the slip ’n slide is going to be rolled up and put back in the shed, and the kids will go back to school. What can you do during the height of summer to keep these golden days with you all winter long? What’s the best recipe for preserving a memory?

You have several options open to you: scrapbook pages, layouts, and albums, or else mini-albums, showcase albums, or a vast array of home décor projects, such as the My Creations^® collage cubes or banner. Often, the hardest part can be turning your good intentions into actions. Here are some ideas for giving yourself a head start on making those summer moments endure:

1. When taking photos, capture at least 7–10 of the same event. Instead of just taking a single group shot at the family reunion, single out individuals too, and get some action shots of the all the fun activities. A typical two-page layout uses 4–8 photos, so if it’s an event you want to scrapbook, make sure you have the photos to support it.
2. While we’re on the subject, use a strategy when snapping your photos. Take photos to answer the who, what, when, where, and why of the event. Shots of signs marking the entrance to campgrounds, theme parks, or states supply great photographic context. You could also take photos of maps, play or recital programs, event tickets, or other types of memorabilia rather than trying to include the actual item in the layout.
3. As soon as you know what sort of project you want to preserve your photos in, get them printed — don’t wait for fall! Choose which photos you want to print (or, if you’re planning on using Studio J^®, copy them into a designated folder), and organize them by event. You can even go so far as buying the papers, stamps, and accessories you plan to use. Drop all the supplies into the paper pack’s resealable bag to make your own custom project kit for when you have a bit more time for crafting.

If you are too busy having fun, taking advantage of the long days and nice weather, you can at least start making your plan now, jotting down notes, printing out pictures, in order to find yourself ready to start in fresh when the summer begins to fade. You’ll love reliving your favorite summer memories through the creative process and again and again as you look back over your completed creations.

Stock up on supplies for crafting all your summer fun »