PLEASANT GROVE, UT – December 9, 2008 – Close To My Heart, the scrapbooking and stamping innovator and industry-leading direct sales company, has designated January as National Papercrafting Month.

National Papercrafting Month is a celebration that reaches beyond traditional scrapbooking and cardmaking into the wider realm of crafting projects with paper. This might include alternative memory books, storage boxes, ornaments, frames, CD books, calendars, and more—the possibilities are endless.

To kick off the new annual observance, the company is offering a number of activities to celebrate this exciting form of artistic expression, including:

• A contest during National Papercrafting Month for the best small, medium, or large papercrafted item using any of Close To My Heart’s paper packets. The winner in each category will receive $300 in Close To My Heart product. Photos of entries should be emailed to CTMHOffice@closetomyheart.com with “National Papercrafting Month Contest” in the subject line.  Additional details about the contest will be available at www.closetomyheart.com.
  
• The Key To My Heart My Acrylix® stamp set and paper packet will be available exclusively during the month of January. The stamp set includes grand flourishes, heart shapes, a large key and keyhole, and more, with complementing papers in Close To My Heart’s newest exclusive colors. Customers can purchase the kit for $47.90 ($59.95 CAN). With a $130 purchase ($160 CAN) they can receive the kit for free, or with a $75 purchase ($90 CAN) they can get the kit for $20 ($25 CAN).

“Close To My Heart is proud to launch National Papercrafting Month to celebrate this fine art that often brings friends together,” said Jeanette Lynton, Close To My Heart founder and CEO. “We are also pleased to donate a portion of every sale of our My Acrylix stamp sets to Operation Smile, a charitable organization that funds life-changing surgeries for children with facial deformities. By purchasing My Acrylix stamp sets and enjoying this great hobby, you are helping ensure a better life for children throughout the world.”

Close To My Heart is an industry leader in innovative scrapbooking and stamping products, including the My Acrylix line of clear stamps, My Reflections® scrapbooking kits, and several top-selling how-to programs including the newest volume, Originals Card Confidence Program™. Headquartered in Pleasant Grove, Utah, the company distributes its products at home gatherings through thousands of independent consultants across the U.S. and Canada. For more information about ordering exclusive Close To My Heart products or becoming a consultant, visit www.closetomyheart.com.

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*Photos available upon request.