The Sweetest Birthday Treat Ever

Do you ever have “one of those days,” where you just need a little lift, or encouragement, or a listening ear from a friend? I was having one of those days earlier this week. Now, typically, I’m a gal who carries her own sunshine, so a cloudy day is rare. And on this day, it didn’t last long: in one of my first meetings of the day, our entire art studio surprised me with an early birthday gift—and to call it a “gift” is a huge understatement! Our team of talented artists had created literally dozens of cupcakes of every variety, small to humongous, creamy to meringue, with chocolate swirls, ornate frostings, even sprinkles and candles. Only one thing—they weren’t made with sugar and flour, they were made entirely using Close To My Heart products. The best surprise of all was that each cupcake held a hidden note, a birthday greeting from the artists and other employees to me. I honestly screamed with delight when they paraded in, showcasing these amazing paper confections. (It’s true! Ask the employees next door who could hear my yells of happiness right through the walls.)

Whatever somberness I had that morning immediately vanished. I felt so loved and appreciated—and what’s better than feeling loved by the people who matter? It reminded me how essential it is to reach out to others, with simple gestures, kind words, or even a homemade cupcake, and to let them know that they’re loved. They might be having a rocky day and that little something from you will make all the difference. It did for me, and I’m forever grateful. This really was one of the sweetest birthday treats I’ve ever received!

Each cupcake is too good to eat, and impossible to resist. Check out the photos I’ve posted of several of the cupcakes, along with some of their amazing standout features. The first cupcake I call the Botanicals Cupcake uses our Fancy Cuts Botanicals as a topper, with each layer stacked and separated by foam squares to give it some great dimension. The base is a nut tin covered by accordion-folded papers, and it’s ideal for filling with little treats.

The Meringue Cupcake uses a really cool technique to achieve that special “meringue” look. The artist used sculpting foam as “frosting” to cover the lid of the empty sculpting foam container. Then, she blended pearl paint with standard kitchen cornstarch and painted the dried frosting. Add a little glitter, and you have a yummy meringue! I also love her candle: notice that the flame is actually a stamped heart shape turned upside down (from the D1194 Birthday Love stamp set).

I love the delicious Party Top Cupcake. It also uses sculpting foam, around a styrofoam ball, with designer icing made of Liquid Applique. While the appliqué was still wet, she added glitter, then used a heat tool to add some “puff.” I can’t believe how realistic it looks! And speaking of realistic, check out the fabulous Chocolate Mousse Cupcake. Look at the frosting! Here, the artist mixed sculpting foam with chocolate re-inker, then put it into a cake-decorating bag with a star-shaped tip. The result is good enough to eat. You’ll see that the next few cupcakes also used liberal amounts of sculpting foam, clever paper liners, and the just-right use of embellishments to bring them to life. I also love the innovative “cupcake purse,” which is just right for holding a treat, gift card, or a love letter. My artists are the most creative ladies I have ever met. I want to thank my sweet friends. I love these ladies. They know that my favorite part of my day is looking at their art up close. It is truly amazing. And if you’re like me, you just can’t get enough of these cupcakes, and you probably wish you could see these in even greater detail. Am I right? Then I invite you to stay tuned to our online “Art & Soul” show. In one of our summer episodes, I plan to feature my “birthday surprise” and you’ll be able to see all the cupcakes and their amazing techniques up close and personal. I will also include a link with the exact instructions so you too can have these sweet treats. And for those of you wondering about my birthday: it’s today! I plan to start celebrating by taking our entire management team to lunch—we call it “everybody’s birthday lunch”. It’s another fun tradition of ours. My birthday wouldn’t be a party without such great employees, whom I’m also privileged to call my friends. May your day, whether it’s your birthday or just an ordinary day, be filled with sunshine, cupcakes, and the kind words from those who matter most.

Breakfast of Champions

Yesterday marked one of my favorite traditions at Close To My Heart: the annual employee appreciation breakfast. You see, I think we have the best employees on earth—they work so hard, whether shipping boxes in the warehouse, producing stamps in manufacturing, building databases in IT, designing catalogs in marketing, balancing books in finance, or answering the phones in Consultant Services. Whatever their role, each individual does it with pride, commitment, and real talent. After many years in this industry, I have learned that I’m not in the scrapbooking or stamping business, I’m in the PEOPLE business, and yesterday, I was able to thank the wonderful people who work behind the scenes to make Close To My Heart a world-class enterprise. They deserve it!



We start with a hot griddle and gallons of pancake batter—David has long mastered the post of “senior flapjack flipper.” I think he has way too much fun with this role, but he sure knows how to cook up the perfect cake. Our VPs dispense the trimmings, from bacon to strawberries, and the entire management team is on hand to ladle out syrup, pour juice, and squirt just enough whipped cream over it all to make it divine. Our team is so large that we need to eat in shifts, one department at a time—the whole event runs nearly until lunchtime, but everybody gets their fill! It’s my job—and my joy—to thank each employee personally and present them with a gift. It’s a morning of hugs and handshakes, and my heart is full every year! Thank you, thank you, to my dear friends for also being such wonderful employees: this really was “the breakfast of champions!”

Recipe Mania!

Wow! My mouth has been watering all week as I’ve read your many delicious Faster, Simpler, Easier recipe postings! Thank you for participating! I’ve already decided to create a “fabulous friends recipe book” from the many submissions, so that I can begin whipping up your tasty desserts and sumptuous entrees in my own kitchen. I’m sure you’ll be trying these recipes, too.

As promised, I’ve selected 10 lucky posters randomly to receive the “Recipe Box” stamp set from our new Summer catalog. The idea book hasn’t even been released yet, so no one has seen the set… and it’s adorable! I’m going to give you a sneak peek of some of the set by sharing some great art you can create using this set. It’s perfect for creating homemade recipe cards, or creations for the cook in your life! Enjoy it with my compliments. If you are one of the winners listed below, please send your contact information/mailing address to me@jeanettelynton.com and I’ll get your stamp set in the mail right away!

1. Lorie - March 24, 2009 9:58PM
2. Bren Yule - March 23, 2009 5:31PM
3. Trinka - March 18, 2009 6:48AM
4. Tammy Lea Pinchard March 19, 2009 1:55PM
5. Tiffany Cheney-March 17, 2009 5:34PM
6. AaronB - March 20, 2009 2:16 PM
7. Singer4life - March 21, 2009 7:32AM
8. Beth Elmore - March 18, 2009 6:16 PM
9. Sassy Lewis - March 17, 2009 5:19PM
10. Simple Inspiration - March 19, 2009 4:50PM

And if you weren’t chosen as a winner, don’t fret, because I’ve got another surprise up my sleeve! As I mentioned, I’m going to start experimenting at home with your recipes. When I create your recipe as thanks I’ll send you an EXCLUSIVE stamp set. From time to time, I create a new mini-set, and the only way to receive it is as a gift from me. Keep watching this blog to see what the set looks like, and when I’ve sampled your recipe… your special stamp set will be headed your way!

Insights and Inspiration: The High Road Is the One with the View

Sheila (not her real name) gave me the “hairy eyeball” one Sunday at church. You know the look—the scowl with the eyebrows touching. I was in my early twenties, a young mom, happy as a lark, and excited about my life—except on that Sunday, when I could see Sheila from my peripheral vision, glaring at me a few pews away. She was probably scowling at somebody else, I figured, as I really didn’t know her. The following Sunday, though, the scowl was unmistakable: it was definitely aimed in my direction. I chalked it up to Sheila having a bad day. But as the weeks wore on, Shelia’s snares and glares expanded into whispered gossip, or sighs uttered just loud enough for me to overhear.

What would you have done if you were me? Ignore Sheila completely? Start a hairy eyeball campaign of your own? I chose to apply the three rules I’ve learned to dealing with miscommunication, offenses, and “hurts.” (I didn’t know there were three rules at the time, but after years of working with people, they’ve definitely emerged as rules!)

For me, the choice was easy and it starts with the first rule: If you have offended someone, go to that person and ask two simple questions, “Have I done something to offend you? And if I have, what can I do to make it right?” Or if you have been offended, go to that person and let them know what they have done and how it has affected you. Either way you are in control of your own situation. I have found that confronting the situation in a loving way astonishes most people, but it can also work wonders. In Sheila’s case, she stammered out a response, working hard not to meet my eyes, then she admitted, “You’re just SO bubbly and happy all the time. Happy, happy, happy! And it bothers me. I’m just NOT that way.”

Wait a second. Sheila didn’t like me because I was too happy? This is where the second rule of learning to deal with “hurts” comes into play: Come to peace with the fact that you won’t be able to make everyone like you. After you’ve been as fair, open, and honest as possible, and given people an opportunity to air a difference, sometimes they’ll still choose to hold a grudge. But make that their choice, not yours!

And finally, rule three—this one’s the trickiest to implement, but the simplest to grasp (and we all know it): if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all. It’s true! Though I’m not perfect, I’ve learned over 25 years of working with thousands of people that taking the high road delivers the most beautiful view. It’s often the most challenging hike to take, but the high road means forgoing gossip or speculation, or tossing barbs even when you feel completely justified. The view you’ll be rewarded with for your discretion is one of peace, strength, and true friendships based on trust.

I’ve been thinking a lot about these three rules lately and how well they’ve served me over the years. I don’t know where Sheila is today, but I’m glad I asked her if I had offended her because she felt heard and even though we didn’t become best friends, and I‘m at peace—even if she chose to dislike me. And I’m grateful I sealed my lips when tempted to toss off a hurt of my own. Taking the low road is easy, but taking the high road is right; I’ve faced it again and again over the years when I’ve seen pettiness, competition, or insecurity. I wish you the same as you work with the three rules: forgive, forget, and enjoy the view!