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This is the best Stamping site and i love to come here and see what great creative people share with each other.
There are times when the stamping world seems so vast and so many people choose a path and often it is not always the right one.
with Three direct selling asssociation stamping and scrapbooking companies why do you feel CLOSE TO MY HEART is really close to your heart, i have tryed some of there products and have shed the Stampin UP love out of the window they hurt people but Close TO My Heart seem a nice company.
PLEASE could you share your Close to MY HEART experience and maybE your love and what you may like about there products .
Unless it's going to be a true business, or worth getting your discount, meaning you spend more than $100 per month at CTMH, I don't think it's worth signing up. I was a hobby demo, but after I got all the paper, ink pads, etc...it got boring having to make my minimums to stay active.
While I own all types of stamps, CTMH is one of the top quality providers in acrylic stamps.
I've been with CTMH for a short time, but I am absolutely happy with my decision to join. I was previously with another company that just wasn't my style, but CTMH is a perfect fit for me. I love the flexibility (I'm a RN with a full time career, but the two balance me well) and I LOVE the product line. I get it and I USE it. My studio is well organized thanks to the simple-to-store stamp envelopes and the paper comes in convenient ziplock storage clear bags, which keeps it clean and easy to grab & go! The clear blocks are fabulous and even my five year old can use them easily (not so with the others I have had). The best part...I don't have to "sell" the products...they truly sell themselves. The nurses at work really get excited when I bring in things I've made or a new Idea Book. It's actually FUN!
P.S. There are "mean and annoying" people everywhere. I have yet to encounter any with CTMH, but it wouldn't matter if I did because I'm really happy doing what I do. My only advice is to have a good time and make something pretty!
I LOVE CTMH! I used to be a consultant and loved every minute of it! The products are top notch too, I've noticed in the past year or two they've really stepped up and now offer some really great tools. I love the paper too and how easy they make it to scrap if you don't have alot of time! And let us not forget the most important, the STAMPS! They are great, love em and have a bunch! Again, the designs keep getting better and better! Okay, I've just talked MYSELF into placing another order, lol!
I love these stamps. Top quailty. Great storage plan. Cost efficient. I think they are geared to more to scrapbookers as a whole company. I'm not a rep and won't be. I don't want to be tied to just one company!!!!
I love their scrapbook kits and I LOVE the case that holds eyelets and brads! I am a SU! demo but I buy eyelets and brads from CTMH as well as the 13 x 13 clear zip-loc bags. The bags are SUPER for storing all the materials for one set of pages or one scrap project for workshops, crops, or other occasions.
__________________ ~Vee
It's not who you know-it's whom you know.
I like CTMH because, of all the companies out there for scrapbooking and/or stamping, I think they are the most balanced for both.
I am also very partial to some of their products like the event calendar and my favorite, the memory showcase! You can check out a completed memory showcase I did at this post from my blog.
I am not a CTMH demo but I love their products. I love their stamps and they stamp very very well. I have never had an issue.
I also really like their scrapbook papers. Very pretty.
I am in a monthly CTMH group and I always spend way more than the minimum.
And right now there are so many stamps I want from the catty!
I love that the catty changes 3 times a year.
Thanks for the posts so far are their many CTMH consultants on Splicoast Stampers and can they share their experiences and why they love close to my heart . Maybe why they like the company, the catalogue or the quality and the best advice on stamp choices . From what i saw on the Heart and Soul tv i think Janette Lynton comes across a sweet person who shows passion and not just a business lady like stampin Ups . They also seem fairer on price point and seem to have better offers than Stampin up too. i have noticed from clips on You tube they seem to have special months of cardmaking papercrafting and scrapbooking months with what look like great value kits. Has anyone tyed these and what do you think about them.
I've just marked my 6 yr anniversary with CTMH, and I love it! The company has continued to grow and be a leader in many areas. We were the first company to go with 3 catalogs a year, which allows them to come out with many new items three times a year and keep current or set the trends. We were one of the first companies to come out with the clear acrylic stamps. Someone mentioned how friendly Jeanette Lynton appears on the Art & Soul episodes(something that no other direct sales co. is doing). She's all that and so much more. She cares about her consultants and listens to our many suggestions to make the company even better. We've been asking for more items to be added to our Hostess Rewards and it was just announced on Thursday that starting 12/1, all cardstock, reinkers and acrylic blocks will be available as hostess rewards! We're all waiting, not so patiently, to try the new FREE Studio J software. One will be able to use it from any computer as it will be web based. You can either order prints or if you are a traditionalist, you'll be able to design your pages using the software and then create them with your papers. Great way to get things like you want before having to make any cuts.
If one can't make their minimums at some point, they'll drop to a Jr. consultant and still be able to stay in the company and receive a 10% discount. To become active again, a Jr. just needs to have a $300 quarter and they are active again almost immediately. No consultant is dropped from the company unless they request to leave.
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Thanks suza for sharing all the previous that sounds great for comsultants and it great the company look after them so well which is more than i can say about Stampin UP do something wrong in their eyes and it feels like youve gone to court.
Thats brillliant a direct selling association company which have better ways than other dsa companies.
I am sure those Hostesses will be glad they can get the cardstock reinkers and the acrylic blocks as hostess rewards
I am so glad you are happy and i wish the company more successes and expantion for the future they seem nice and care about the products they sell.
I love CTMH. I really learned to love stamping when they went to the clear stamps. I didn't like the mounted rubber and I don't like the mounted rubber that SU has. Having said that, I don't mount my SU stamps. I like using the acrylic blocks. So I am beyond elated that SU is going offer the unmounted. I have a box of blocks now to give away. It was getting harder to get rid of them. I have found that CTMH fits my style a little more than SU also. I tend to order the floral and garden stamps more. I do use sstamps from both companies as well as from other companies.
And I also meant to add, that I like getting the catalogs more often. The only thing that I don't like is the new style of their ink pads. They are harder for me to store. I have a limited amount of space, so I started ordering blank spots and just order the re-inkers and make my own spots. Aside from the storage (made easier) they are also easier to take to crops or card making get togethers.
Thanks suza for sharing all the previous that sounds great for comsultants and it great the company look after them so well which is more than i can say about Stampin UP do something wrong in their eyes and it feels like youve gone to court.
Thats brillliant a direct selling association company which have better ways than other dsa companies.
I am sure those Hostesses will be glad they can get the cardstock reinkers and the acrylic blocks as hostess rewards
I am so glad you are happy and i wish the company more successes and expantion for the future they seem nice and care about the products they sell.
Welcome to SCS, Andrew. We are a huge, huge community here and generally support all kinds of stamping-related activities (and even a few non-stamping!).
I just want to point out that it is possible to laud the virtues of one company without maligning another. To many of us, SU does NOT "hurt people," and Shelli Gardner, the co-founder of the company, IS a wonderful, generous, open hearted woman.
If you like one product or company over another, that's great, really. CTMH makes great products...I even (gasp!) own a fair amount. But since there are many, many companies out there, try to remember that a little respect goes a long way.
Again, welcome to SCS...one of the few places for stamping on the web where there's something for EVERYONE, lol!
Europe, Suz! CONGRATULATIONS! That's quite an achievement....enjoy your trip!
msbetsyz thanks for your input BUT you have no idea what i am implying and i am entitled to my personal opinion SHELLI GARDNER allowed my best friend to get hurt WHO WAS A STAMPIN UP DEMO IN THE UK. she also allowed the UK manager Paule to ring up a stamping company which i was supposed tro be an agent for. I have no respect for companies which pry into peoples private affairs and places of Employement .
This section i started is to ask peoples opinions on CTMH and i am entiteled to give comparison.
Seing as you felt everyone should know your opinion and not PM me i now have told everyone what a cruel company Stampin up can be. I have been a member here a while now and PLEASE let this section relate now to CTMH, we dont see enpugh of this better company in my personal opinion and they have never rung up and pryed into my personal life.
Iam sorry the truth hurts Shelli Gardner may be nice to some but not to all, good businessmen or women dont allow others to spy and police and i now i will end this subject. SU i will give credit to They still make good cardstock inkpads and ribbon which i like. But their attitudes are wrong.
Last edited by andrew overton; 11-21-2009 at 10:34 AM..
Now onto a sweeter note what a great company CTMH is in respect to their ever continuing designs and flair i have just spoke to a fantastic consultant in America and what a wonderful caring greeting i had i am so happy we have stampers who share their advice freely thanks.
msbetsyz thanks for your input BUT you have no idea what i am implying and i am entitled to my personal opinion SHELLI GARDNER allowed my best friend to get hurt WHO WAS A STAMPIN UP DEMO IN THE UK. she also allowed the UK manager Paule to ring up a stamping company which i was supposed tro be an agent for. I have no respect for companies which pry into peoples private affairs and places of Employement .
This section i started is to ask peoples opinions on CTMH and i am entiteled to give comparison.
Seing as you felt everyone should know your opinion and not PM me i now have told everyone what a cruel company Stampin up can be. I have been a member here a while now and PLEASE let this section relate now to CTMH, we dont see enpugh of this better company in my personal opinion and they have never rung up and pryed into my personal life.
Iam sorry the truth hurts Shelli Gardner may be nice to some but not to all, good businessmen or women dont allow others to spy and police and i now i will end this subject. SU i will give credit to They still make good cardstock inkpads and ribbon which i like. But their attitudes are wrong.
While you are entitled to your opinion, Betsy has a point. She was simply stating that on this site we can all have civil conversations about products and companies without defamation. In addition, you brought SU into the discussion, which is why she responded about that particular company.
As for CTMH, I have used many of their products and they are good quality. Their paper is thinner than some other companies, which is great for scrapbooking, but not necessarily great for cardmaking. However, CTMH clearly has more of a focus on scrapbooking than cardmaking, so it makes sense that their paper is not as heavy as others. I can't think of a product that I've gotten from CTMH that I thought was not a good product. Their clear blocks are also the best I've used and my only regret was not getting them sooner. I also love their idea books and the details they offer in the samples in their catalogs. The fussy cutting though, does get to me as I'm not a fussy cutter so I tend to not want to make many of their fussy cutting samples. I do have one frustration with their catalog - that the stamp pictures are not full size. It's difficult to correctly visualize the actual size of the stamps, even taking the size comparison chart into consideration.
I can't say much about being a CTMH demo as I have never been one. I do have a good friend who is a new one and she told me that their internal website is well done and ordering is easy. Also, they give their consultants the ability to order some basic supplies (like paper sample packs) for very low prices, which is nice from a selling standpoint (as people buy what you show them). From her month in the company, she is impressed.
Good luck in your decision!
__________________ I'm a natural blonde. God just dyed my hair brown. -me My Blog
Thankyou for you comments too i suppose when i read my posts it looks like im complimenting one company and angry with the other yes angry so i guess i shall praise the one that is in Question Close to my Heart. And i am so grateful for the opinions of posts so far .
I think close to My Heart need more discusssion and i am not from America i am from the United Kingdom so again our loyality and opinions will differ. Once bitten twice shy so to speak.
I would like to no more about Close To My Heart i am very pleased with the products which i have managed to obtain i wont be able to be a consultant but i too can enjoy the product like the lucky crafters in Canada and America.
It is different how we all differ about catalogues i like the CTMH catalogue it might not be a thick strong catty but its full of good products great prices and i think this is an advantage.
The cardstock is also better than some companies because if a card is too thick iot weights the cards down so i think cardstocks thicker from other companies are great for the base card and CTMH is great for layering with their cardstock or lovely papers which again are not too heavy for cardmakers.
Ilike the way in the catalogue how the colours of card ink and papers are used and that helps the inexperienced crafters.
Hope more consultants will post and any one else who loves this companies offerings.
I am going to say my peace.
On threads that are pertaining to SU recently someone posted about CTMH on an SU thread and a demos jumped on her pretty badly. They did not like this that a CTMH demo posted a comment on an SU topic thread.
I also posted on that thread then the SU demos should NOT come onto a TAC or CTMH thread and post their comments either.
I am an EX SU demo and I now am basically done with SU for their business practices.
SU is not the best business in the industry. NO comapany is. Some though have more faults than others.
I am going to say my peace.
On threads that are pertaining to SU recently someone posted about CTMH on an SU thread and a demos jumped on her pretty badly. They did not like this that a CTMH demo posted a comment on an SU topic thread.
I also posted on that thread then the SU demos should NOT come onto a TAC or CTMH thread and post their comments either.
I am an EX SU demo and I now am basically done with SU for their business practices.
SU is not the best business in the industry. NO comapany is. Some though have more faults than others.
I suspect that this is part of the idea recently posted about how the SU people should "take back these boards".
Being "politically correct" around here is becoming an issue. It is perfectly ok- apparently- to slam a company if it is NOT SU, or a member company, or one of the "anointed", but dare to say anything negative about one of them and you are virtually always either attacked or chastised.
PS- I guess I am sensitive. I prefer CTMH clear stamps over SU, prefer my Crafter's Companion tools over my Scorpal, prefer my Glue Glider Pro to an atg, prefer my store bought paper over SU paper, think there are several better brands of ink pads compared to SU, prefer my rubber stamps unmounted, etc. So, as you can guess, I've been on the receiving end too many times
I guess from what i mentioned about SU others may feel the same but i really would like to ask CTMH creative crafters to PLEASE post on this thread it seems many companies get mentioned here and yes their are some threads on CTMH but not enough.
I think if encouragement is their maybe creative minded people can post on here but please no more about SU i feel i recieved the bullet i only mentioned it to compare the warmth and care ability which CTMH have with the world.
the CTMH Heart And soul tv is great fro people like me i look forward to watching whats new and demos by the employees at CTMH.
CTMH dont sell into Europe so i find their products special and i look forward to recieving any i purchase from America its like Christmas for me when i recieve my goodies .
Last week I just got my CTMH ALL DECKED OUT set! I LOVE IT!
This is the best build-a-snowman set I have ever seen. It is so easy to use also as you can see exactly where to place the stamps for building. I love all the different things you can add to your snowman also.
I personally have a lso been thinking of joining CTMH. I love their products.
Hopefully there will be something new and exciting from CTMH soon. Their Spring Idea Book will be "live" January 1 - and consultants will receive our preview copy the 1st of December. That's not a very long time to wait. lol
I love the paper packs at CTMH. I love that they come with cardstock to match the patterned paper. I am excited to see the new papers in the spring catalog.
I just placed my very first order with CTMH!! I can't wait for it to arrive! I ordered MS HOLIDAY CHEER, TREASURE LIFE, & MAKE IT COUNT! I also ordered the foam tools, with the handles on them, so I can have bigger daubers than just the little ones that fit on your fingers!! I think I'm in trouble...(oh, yeah, I also am a demo for the Angel Co!!)Hahaha...hey, nothing like spreading the wealth around!! Hahaha. I have NOT tried their ink pads though.
I am not a CTMH demo (will probably never be a demo for any company), and I don't scrapbook, but I love the high quality photopolymer clear stamps of CTMH. Last year I bought a bunch of CTMH stamp sets at a stamping convention, and I love them! CTMH stamps were the only thing I bought at that convention! I had no money left to buy anything else!
I mainly scrapbook although I do make some cards and I really like my CTMH stamps & papers for my scrapbooks! Really like the clear, unmounted stamps and how easy they are to store. I always enjoy new catalogs and all the fun stuff they come out with! My gallery is full of CTMH scrap pages! I am working on Christmas cards and plan to use "Jingle" paper. My favorite card idea book is "Wishes"! :mrgreen:
__________________ Lela -- Scrap Blog -- Come Scrap With Us ---- YTD 87 / 300 Pages 2023 -- 64 / 252 Cards 2023
I love the paper packs at CTMH. I love that they come with cardstock to match the patterned paper. I am excited to see the new papers in the spring catalog.
oh yes, I forgot to say this too! I really like that I can buy a paperpack and know that the papers / cardstock are going to work together. Some of my favorite pages are my son's Prom Picts and I think all of the pages went so nicely together!
__________________ Lela -- Scrap Blog -- Come Scrap With Us ---- YTD 87 / 300 Pages 2023 -- 64 / 252 Cards 2023
I have been a consultant (really more of a hobbiest) for 3 years now. I love many things about CTMH!!
As a consultant, the bulletin boards, the training, and all the monthly activities are easily incorporated into your life.. if you choose to use them. As a hobbiest, I don't have a monthly club or anything, I just get around to making my minumums.
The products I love the most would have to be the stamps and inks. Second would be the co ordinating paper packs. Its awesome to have everything match, and not be in the middle of a project and realize that your paper really doesn't go together! OY!
I have most of the "how to" books. Reflections and Originals are my favorites.
When are Stampin Up lovers going to stop shooting the bullet I Am NOT BASHING ANYONE, if you would care to read through my posts more clearly i asked for this to stop if you like i could post on Stampin UP Issues and spoil that thread so PLEASE if you need to post about this THREAD stop bringing up old ground i have tryed to carry this thread WHICH BY THE WAY I AM TRYING MY DAM HARDEST TO GET CTMH PEOPLE TO POST ON HERE .I Aam now aware how protective some SU people are but PLEASE stop it i have been hurt by SU and i dont care for the COMPANY ANYMORE OK.
Now back to some intelligent kind of posting CTMH which by the way they are not my company i am not even a consultant but love the warmth they try to share in the crafting industry.
Last edited by andrew overton; 11-23-2009 at 07:29 AM..
Seen as GTW JUNKIE had to say her flutter now please can i continue tying to get some interest on here at Splitcoast on CTMH. Thankyou so much everyone for your posting apart from the posts that dont show interest on CTMH only digging. Its great to see there are people out there who do really LOVE CTMH i think they are a really interesting company who believe in the word they speak and share with crafters.
PLEASE everyone if you dont want to speak about CTMH dont post choose a thread and bash or dig if thats your FORTE.iIf you love CLOSE To MY HEART post freely would love to know lots of continual sharing on ideas what you like about their stamps inkpads papers etc. LIVING IN ANOTHER COUNTRY FROM THE UK we dont have the priveledge like the American People and also Canadian people.
Once again thankyou for the ones who posted.
You CAN be positive about CMTH without bashing ANY other company... please consider your future posts very carefully before you hit "send."
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Yikes- sounds like an old-time teacher reprimanding an 8 year old third grader- an order, bordering on a threat!
So, SU is to praised only, and never to be criticized even when the poster, as in this case, has good reason for her animosity to the company????
Seems more than a little unreasonable.
The OP has stated, repeatedly, that she feels justified for her sentiments but ALSO has stated that she doesn't wish to discuss them anymore. Yet, the SU cheerleaders continue to chastise her.
Now who are the bashers????
To the OP- I am getting ready to put in my Stampaganza Order tonight- buy 2 sets of stamps, get a stamp set FREE! Top of my list is the "Childhood Portrait" set of silhouette stamps- gorgeous!- but I cannot decide on what else I want. I try to space my orders out so that I put in an order every month- now just to decide which I want this month and which ones I can wait for a little longer! Decisions, decisions!
Who loves close to My Heart and why
Me too!
