Close to My Heart

Close To My Heart began with one person and a stamp line. Jeanette Lynton started her first direct selling decorative stamp business in 1984, and that business became D.O.T.S. In 1996 she introduced an exclusive line of scrapbooking products under the name Close To My Heart. In 2000 the stamping and scrapbooking lines were combined under that one name.

The company grew into a well-known name in scrapbooking. It expanded into Canada in 2003 and later ran a Japanese website as well. Its home office was in Pleasant Grove, Utah. Lynton stayed in charge as founder and CEO for the company's whole life, and the company described her as a leader in the industry for more than 30 years.

Its stated mission stayed the same to the end: to show people how to celebrate relationships through creativity, and to preserve and share the moments that matter most.

“It has been an honor to be able to serve this amazing community for the past 40 years.”

Jeanette R. Lynton, Founder & CEO — closure letter to the Close To My Heart community, February 2024

Close To My Heart sold supplies for scrapbooks, cards and other paper projects. Products were released in seasonal catalogs and designed as coordinating collections, so papers, inks and stamps matched.

• My Acrylix stamps: clear polymer stamps that the company called pioneering, because a crafter could see exactly where the image would print.
• Inks: Exclusive Inks ink pads in the company's own named colors.
• Papers and cardstock: patterned paper packs and solid cardstock in coordinating colors.
• Embellishments: stickers, die-cuts, ribbon, sequins and other accents.
• Albums and kits: scrapbook albums, page protectors, project kits, workshop guides and how-to pattern books.

Customers also used the products for greeting cards, invitations, tags and gifts. Seasonal specials and a monthly featured stamp set kept the line changing through the year.

Close To My Heart sold only through its independent sellers. For most of its life they were called Consultants; by 2023 the company called them Makers. They sold at home workshops, through a free personal website the company provided, and at events such as album retreats.

Getting started

In 2019 the New Consultant Kit cost $70 plus tax and shipping. The company said it had a retail value of $205 and included business tools plus $50 in CTMH Cash for products. By 2023 the join page offered new Makers $25 in CTMH Cash on sign-up and an e-commerce website.

Earnings

• 2019: a base commission of 22%, rising to 35% with monthly sales, plus up to $75 a month in CTMH Cash.
• 2023: the company advertised 25% to 45% commission on all orders, based on performance, plus product and cash bonuses.
• Team building: sellers could also build a team and earn on its sales.
• Incentives: a 90-day Straight To The Top program for new sellers, an annual Convention and an annual incentive trip.

To stay active, a Consultant had to submit at least $300 in sales per calendar quarter, according to the 2019 FAQ. The company did not require sellers to keep inventory. Hosts earned free products through a Hostess Rewards program.

On February 27, 2024, Jeanette R. Lynton sent a letter to the Close To My Heart community. It said the company would cease operations effective June 30, 2024. Lynton wrote that her health was a major factor, and that the company had not seen the growth it needed for long-term stability. She said she was choosing to close on her own terms.

The wind-down followed a fixed timeline. Makers earned commissions through April 30, 2024, and the final commission payment was sent in mid-May. Maker websites shut down on April 30. In June the company held a final in-person liquidation sale at its Pleasant Grove home office, from June 19 to 22.

Lynton's letter said the company was in conversations with Stampin' Up! to help Makers continue their businesses. Many former Makers did move there; their Stampin' Up! pages say the company welcomed them in 2024 and expanded its scrapbooking range. Close To My Heart's site told visitors that after June 30 it would redirect to stampinup.com, and archived captures from early 2025 show that redirect in place. The closetomyheart.com site no longer loads. Close To My Heart products are no longer made, and only leftover stock turns up from individual sellers.