November 12, 2019Celebrate, Create, Memory Keeping

Photo-a-Day Album for December

Close To My Heartalbum, christmas, Days of December, December, Holidays, Holly Jolly, kit, list, Memory Keeping, mini album, photo ideas, photo prompt, photo-a-day, workshop 2 Comments

Scrapbooking is more than just a hobby. It is the preservation of memories, a way to pass on a precious legacy to all you hold dear. Even the smallest, most simple moments can turn into powerful memories that can bring joy to you and your family for years to come. Whether you put it together for yourself or as a special gift for a loved one, the Days of December album is a must-have!

To help capture all the precious memories that the month of December has to offer, we recreated last year’s popular Days of December photo-a-day album with our new Holly Jolly paper packet and Holly Jolly—Scrapbooking stamp set!

The idea behind a photo-a-day project is to go about your regular activities and to then take a photo of what you consider is the highlight of your day. This 6″ x 8″ album is simply bursting with festive cheer! Each page provides plenty of room to tell your stories through your own photos and words.

Get ready to have some fun this Christmas season as you document your most treasured holiday moments each and every day in December! In case you need a little help getting started on this beautiful Days of December album, below you’ll find a list of 31 photo prompts and ideas, one for each day. For those of you who did this with us last year, you’ll remember that we provided a similar list of photo prompts then, too. (Click here to see last year’s list.) We intentionally made this list different from last year’s so that we can have both to reference—that’s a total of 62 photo ideas to pull from!

Download printable version, here. (Here for AU/NZ.)

Use these prompts in chronological order, switch them up, or pick and choose your favorites to use in conjunction with some of your own ideas. The important thing is to enjoy the moments, capture the memories as you make them, and then preserve them to treasure for years to come. We are memory keepers, after all!

The Days of December album kit is only available through the end of November, while supplies last. Make sure to grab yours while there is still time! ❤

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November 5, 2019Create, Memory Keeping

Beautiful Scrapbooking and Cardmaking Made Fast and Easy

Close To My Heartcardmaking, Craft with Heart, cut above, December, easy, fast, kit, november, October, scrapbooking, September, subscription Leave a comment

Happy November, everyone! We are so excited for the opportunity to pop in today and share with you how to put beautiful scrapbook pages and cards together in a snap using the Cut Above^® kits that are available through our Craft with Heart™ program.

The excuse that we hear most often from people for not scrapbooking is that they simply don’t have the time to do it. Cut Above^® layout kits are the response to that genuine concern. Each kit comes with all of the pieces you need to complete two coordinating two-page 12″ x 12″ scrapbook layouts, including pre-printed base pages, pre-cut paper pieces and die-cuts, complementing stickers, and simple assembly instructions. Essentially, all of the cutting has been taken out of the scrapbooking equation, saving you tons of time and allowing you to jump right into the artistic and creative side of memory keeping that we all enjoy and love so much.

Beautiful layouts like this one come together in minutes when you’re using a Cut Above^® kit!

To get your hands on these amazing kits, you don’t have to go far. In fact, we’ll deliver them straight to your doorstep on a schedule you decide through the Craft with Heart™ program. Craft with Heart™ is a subscription featuring Cut Above^® kits offered at monthly and 4-month intervals.

If you’re already a subscriber, share the opportunity with a friend! The Craft with Heart™ program is a fun and easy way to introduce the art of memory keeping and cardmaking to others. These kits make wonderful gifts!

Take a closer look at what we’ve got in store for the next couple of months:

Aren’t these gorgeous? You’d never guess that these layouts come together so quickly!

This is a great time of year to get started with the program if you haven’t already. September is when we introduced the last four scrapbooking kits for the year, which means if you sign up before January 1 for a four month or annual subscription you will not have missed out and will also receive the beautiful September and October scrapbooking kits!

This September, for the first time ever, we launched a subscription kit just for cards!

Just like the scrapbooking kits, the card subscription kit comes with all of the materials you need to create two each of the assortment of cards you see here, designed especially for the season ahead.

The kit includes card bases in varying sizes, pre-cut die-cuts, coordinating stickers, and an exclusive stamp set and mini black ink pad to customize each of your card sentiments to use for any occasion that arises.

Craft with Heart™ is the perfect solution for those who enjoy the art of scrapbooking and cardmaking but are looking for a quicker alternative. Even if you’re a die-hard decorative scrapper or card maker who loves to spend hours on a project, the Cut Above^® kits are a great way to catch up on documenting your stories and celebrating relationships without sacrificing quality. They’re a win-win deal that you will absolutely love!

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October 29, 2019Create, Learn, Memory Keeping

Scrapbooking with Actual Scraps

Close To My HeartEvery Little Thing, Hawthorn, scrapbooking, scraps, spooktacular, tips 8 Comments

Have you ever finished up a project and wondered what to do with those tiny bits of leftover paper? Do you throw it out? Do you let it sit on your desk for months waiting for a purpose? Don’t forget, though, that scrapbooking has “scrap” in it for a very good reason! Today, we’re going to show you how to use those extra little scraps in a big way!

Using your leftover paper remnants not only allows you to create some truly unique projects, but it also helps clean up your crafting area. (Let’s be honest, with all the great holiday products in the November–December Catalog, it couldn’t hurt to make some extra room!) 😉

To create the striking background elements in these layouts, we used some leftover paper pieces from the Every Little Thing, Hawthorn, and Spooktacular paper packets. As we get ready to say goodbye to these great collections, we couldn’t resist using them one last time, and we love how they turned out!

In this first layout, we’ve taken scrap pieces of various sizes and dovetailed the ends to create a background element for the main photos and title. It’s a fairly simple layout other than the bright colors in these dovetailed pieces, so a few scraps can certainly go a long way!

Tip: If you only have small scrap pieces, you can still dovetail these and position them so they peek out on either side of your photo. That way, you still get the effect, even if you don’t have a ton of paper.

This effect can be achieved with many different sizes of scrap paper, and you can use them on much more than just a large main photo or title. Use this trick with smaller photos and to dress up your journaling boxes. There really is so much you can do with just a few small scraps!

In this second layout, we’ve taken a slightly different approach; while we kept a few of the dovetailed pieces we showed you in the previous example, we also trimmed some other remnant pieces into small diamond shapes for an entirely new look.

As we mentioned in the previous tip, you don’t ALWAYS have to have a large scrap piece to make it play a big role in the construction of your layout. If you don’t have a piece big enough to use as a background for a photo, you can use smaller strips to form a frame, while leaving the middle open. Once it’s covered by the photo, no one will be the wiser!

No matter how you use them, scrap pieces are a great way to add some truly unique flair to your layouts, cards, or papercrafts. We hope you’ve been able to take some inspiration from today’s post, and we can’t wait to see how you incorporate your leftover scraps into your own projects. Leave us a comment below and let us know how you’re using scraps in your own artwork.

Recipes

12″ x 12″ Fall Is in the Air Layout
X7248S Every Little Thing Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X7249B Hawthorn Paper Packet, CC10192 Spooktacular Paper Packet, X5955 Pebble Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z3543 Hawthorn Wood Shapes, Z4235 Gold Loose Sequins, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z3224 Small Round Waterbrush, Z3515 Black Journaling Pen (.01), Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z2089 Glue Dots® Micro Dots

12″ x 12″ The Good Life Layout
D1873 My Acrylix® Hawthorn—Scrapbooking Stamp Set, X7248S Every Little Thing Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X7249B Hawthorn Paper Packet, CC10192 Spooktacular Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2828 Toffee Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, X7248C Every Little Thing Complements, Z3552 Wooden Arrows, Z3274 Clear Sparkles, Z1263 Bitty Sparkles, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z3224 Small Round Waterbrush, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z2089 Glue Dots® Micro Dots

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October 22, 2019Celebrate, Create, Learn

Sparkle & Shine with Stickles™ Glitter Gels!

Close To My Heartembellish, glitter, glitter gel, Halloween, shine, sparkle, spooktacular, Stickles 4 Comments

One of the most exciting things about the onset of Autumn here in Utah is the first frost of the season. It’s magical to wake up to a thin layer of white, like the world’s been given a beautiful coat of shimmer! We wanted to show you a quick and easy way to capture some of that Autumnal sparkle in your projects using Stickles™ Glitter Gel!

Stickles™ Glitter Gel is easy to spread, but you can also build it on a smaller area to create a more 3-dimensional look. We carry ten different colors of gels, giving you a wide variety of hues to choose from. Each bottle of Stickles™ Glitter Gel has a fine tip so you can apply it with ease and precision.

This Halloween-themed layout features many eye-catching elements created by different applications of Stickles™ Glitter Gel. First of all, take a closer look at the cobwebs in each corner. We’ve spread the gel over the paper in a thin layer to make the spider webs glisten.

Tip: To apply a thin layer of glitter gel to your project, squeeze a small amount onto a VersaMat™ and use a flat waterbrush to spread the gel gently over the desired area. If you don’t have a waterbrush handy, quick dabs with your fingers will work, too!

We’ve used this same spreading technique to apply thin layers of glitter on the white alphabet foam stickers, the ends of the candy wrapper, and the various stars throughout the layout. These sparkle spots help draw the eye throughout the layout and help you make your project even more personal as you make the glitter gel work for you!

Stickles Glitter Gel #ctmh #closetomyheart #stickles #glittergel #spooktacular #halloween #scrapbooking #cardmaking #papercrafting

For a more 3-D feel, we’ve added multiple layers of glitter gel to build up dimension on the frog’s crown, the dog’s nose, and the bat’s wings, as well as a few dots throughout the page. If you’re hoping to capture this more 3-dimensional look, there are a couple different techniques you can try.

One is to apply it in a thick layer over a small area, as you can see with the dots throughout the layout. Stickles™ Glitter Gel will compact as it dries, so you won’t end up with the same height you had when you first applied it to your project. However, when it is applied over a smaller area, it retains more of its initial height and 3-dimensional feel.

When you want that same dimension over a larger area, you will want to apply multiple layers of the gel, keeping each layer thin, and allowing them to dry before adding a new layer. It’s important to allow the gel to fully dry before you apply another layer on top, otherwise it will take much longer to complete your project, and you may end up with smeared glitter gel.

Look at how the Stickles™ Glitter Gel really shines on this adorable Halloween card. You can see that we’ve used thicker applications on the witch owl’s hat and the crescent moon, with a thin border at the bottom of the Pebble piece.

Whether you’re using it as a 3-D element or some well-placed bling, Stickles™ Glitter Gels are a great tool for adding pizzazz to any project!

We love working with glitter gel, and we can’t wait to see how you incorporate it into your own creations! Do you have any ideas about how to use Stickles™? Comment below and tell us all about it!

Recipes:

12″ x 12″ Happy Haunting Layout
CC10192 Spooktacular Paper Packet, X6047 Black Cardstock, X6031 Green Apple Cardstock, X6035 Lemonade Cardstock, X6033 Paprika Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z4088 White Alphabet Foam Stickers, Z3561 Black Diamond Stickles™ Glitter Gel, Z3563 Diamond Stickles™ Glitter Gel, Z3560 Golden Rod Stickles™ Glitter Gel, Z3554 Pink Taffeta Stickles™ Glitter Gel, Z3562 Silver Stickles™ Glitter Gel, Z3515 Black Journaling Pen (.01), Z2060 3-D Foam Tape, Z2089 Glue Dots^® Micro Dots

4¼” x 5½” Happy Halloween Card (Vertical)
CC10192 Spooktacular Paper Packet, X6035 Lemonade Cardstock, X6043 Nectarine Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z6517 Lemonade Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3561 Black Diamond Stickles™ Glitter Gel, Z3560 Golden Rod Stickles™ Glitter Gel, Z3562 Silver Stickles™ Glitter Gel, Z697 Round Sponge, Z2060 3-D Foam Tape, Z2089 Glue Dots^® Micro Dots, Cricut Design Space™ Basic Shapes

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October 15, 2019Celebrate, Create, Learn

Easy Ways to Dress Up Halloween Treats!

Close To My Heartgift, gift tags, Halloween, spooktacular, treat bag, treat box, treats, trick or treat 3 Comments

Halloween is creeping up on us, and if you’re not ready for it, things could get scary fast! If you still have a few treats to prepare, perhaps for your friends, coworkers, or those special kiddos in your life, we have three quick and easy ways to help you dress them up!

Let’s begin with tags.

Large tags are an easy way to turn a treat into something even more special. This spooktacular 3″ x 4″ tag is one of six tags featured in our Spooktacular Halloween workshop. These simple but adorable tags come together with just a few pieces of paper, a little bit of stamping, and some markers. For complete step-by-step instructions, click here to view the Spooktacular Workshop Guide (no purchase necessary 🙂 ).

Some of us are a bit busier than others and want something that comes together even more quickly than a handcrafted tag. How does a ready-made container from one of our incredible Cricut^® collections sound?

Boo-tiful little treat boxes, like this one, take minutes to cut, assemble, and embellish. If you’re looking for that handcrafted experience—for yourself and the recipient of the treat—then the Artiste collection is a great place to get started. (Visit Accessing All 13 Close To My Heart Cricut^® Collections for information on how to gain access to this and other great shapes.)

This last treat dress-up we have to share with you is intended for those extra-special treats that you enjoy giving out. How many of you have special little trick-or-treaters that either start their evening or end their night with a knock at your door? It’s pretty common to make something with a little bit more love for these special little ones.

Whatever it is you’re giving-out as a treat, a decorated paper giftbag can usually carry it.

If you want to keep the treat concealed to add to the element of surprise, let us show you how to make a removable lid for a paper bag of any size.

First, determine the size of giftbag your treat(s) will require. Decorate the front of your bag as much as you like, but keep in mind that the top 2″ will be covered by the lid.

To make the lid….

Measure the size of the bag’s base. The bag pictured here has a 5¼” x 3″ base.
Using a piece of paper that is large enough, measure and cut a rectangle that is 3″ wider and 3″ longer than the base of your bag. For our bag, we cut an 8¼” x 6″ piece.
With a bonefolder, score your paper 1½” from the edges. Use the following image as a guide:
Insert your paper vertically into your paper trimmer, and cut along the score lines, leaving about ¾” uncut in all inside corners.
Fold along the score lines to create the lid shape and glue the corners.
Once your lid is assembled, add any embellishments that you’d like! We kept it simple and added nothing more than a zip strip along the bottom. When you’re done, fill your giftbag and slide the lid on.

Celebrate Halloween, and any other treat-worthy occasion, in style! Don’t settle for simple treats when you can make them Fa-BOO-lous! 😉

Recipes:

3″ x 4″ Pirate Bunny Tag
CC10191 Frightful Friends Stamp + Thin Cuts, CC10192 Spooktacular Paper Packet, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2480 Orange TriBlend™ Marker, Z2492 Purple TriBlend™ Marker, Z3516 Black Journaling Pen (.03), Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Die-cutting Machine, Hole Punch

3¼” x 4¼” x 1¾” Treat Box
CC10190 My Acrylix^® Frightful Friends Stamp Set, D1875 My Acrylix^® Fa-BOO-lous Halloween Stamp Set, CC10192 Spooktacular Paper Packet, X6047 Black Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, Z3568 Black Velvet Ribbon, Z4220 Anti-static Pouch, Z2068 White Super Fine Embossing Powder, Z4252 Heat Tool, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Cricut^® Artiste Collection

Cricut^® Shape:
Artiste
#M3CBB9

Gift Bag Lid
CC10191 Frightful Friends Stamp + Thin Cuts, CC10194 Spooktacular Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X6031 Green Apple Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z6513 Green Apple Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z4213 Silver Embellishing Thread, Z2483 Light Yellow TriBlend™ Marker, Z3561 Black Diamond Stickles™ Glitter Gel, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z341 Glue Dots^® Mini Dots, Die-cutting Machine, Gift Bag

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October 8, 2019Create, Learn

TriBlend™ Markers with a Printable Chart

Close To My Heartblend, cat, chart, dog, download, free, frightful friends, Halloween, marker, mummy, owl, printable, spooktacular, vampire, witch 4 Comments

One of our favorite new products from our Core Products Catalog are the TriBlend™ markers. Inside every marker is a perfect gradation of colors, from light to dark, delivered through three separate fine bullet nibs. The alcohol-based ink is designed to blend seamlessly for mixing and layering colors. What’s not to love?

We put these trusty markers to work with our Spooktacular collection and just love the results! Take a look!

Can you spot all the different ways markers were used in this page?

Let’s start with the title.

Using all three shades of the Purple TriBlend™ Marker we triple blended on a White Daisy cardstock Cricut^® cut title. The pieces were colored first and then attached to the page.

To avoid getting ink on your hands as you apply color, we recommend you begin at the top of a piece and work your way down. Start with the top color, then add the second, slightly overlapping with the first, and then apply the third color, slightly overlapping with the second.

To achieve a more blended and seamless look, apply the layered portions of the ink while they are still wet. Let the ink sit for a few minutes after coloring to give it a chance to move and blend together. If you allow the ink to set before layering for a blend, or if you apply more ink in the layered parts, there will be visible lines between the shades of color. If this lined look is what you’re hoping to achieve, allow your ink to dry before layering.

While we’re looking at the title, did you notice the orange glitter gems?

If you’re in need of gems that match your artwork, look no further! Color the top of Silver Glitter Gems with any TriBlend™ marker to customize them to your needs.

Let’s move down the page now, to our spooky cat and dog friends.

TriBlend Markers #ctmh #closetomyheart #triblendmarkers #colorblending #ctmhspooktacular #halloween #scrapbooking #cardmaking #frightfulfriends

You can see that the vampire cat was blended, and the dog was simply outlined. Knowing how to apply even just a small amount of color can make a big difference.

Let’s take a quick look at this “happy Halloween” card.

This cute witchy owl was colored with two of the three shades of the Purple TriBlend™ Marker. His broom, made up of just a few lines, was colored with the Tan TriBlend™ Marker. All three shades of the purple marker were used to create a striped background.

Get creative as you color your art, and experiment with the different shades each of the TriBlend™ markers has to offer.

To help you do that, we’ve put together the following color reference chart:

Download and print a free blank chart, here (here for AU/NZ), and add the three shades of each available marker color to its corresponding rectangle. You’ll notice that the Black marker does not have shade options, but we’ve added it to the list in order to have all the color options available for reference in one place.

**Make your chart last longer by printing it on cardstock rather than regular printer paper, and keep it handy as you’re making color and shade choices for your artwork. **

We love creating with our new TriBlend™ markers, and hope you do, too!

Recipes:

12″ x 12″ Happy Halloween Page
CC10191 Frightful Friends Stamp + Thin Cuts, CC10192 Spooktacular Paper Packet, X9007 Mix-in Paper Packet, X6047 Black Cardstock, X5954 Pewter Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4191 Silver Glitter Gems, Z2474 Ice Grey TriBlend™ Marker, Z2492 Purple TriBlend™ Marker, Z2480 Orange TriBlend™ Marker, Z2498 True Black Marker, Z3516 Black Journaling Pen (.03), Z3513 Pewter Journaling Pen (.03), Cricut^® Complete Creativity Collection, Die-cutting Machine

Cricut^® Shapes:
Complete Creativity
#MEE76591

3″ x 4″ Happy Halloween Card
CC10191 Frightful Friends Stamp + Thin Cuts, CC10192 Spooktacular Paper Packet, X9007 Mix-in Paper Packet, X5954 Pewter Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2482 Citrus TriBlend™ Marker, Z2486 Dull Green TriBlend™ Marker, Z2474 Ice Grey TriBlend™ Marker, Z2492 Purple TriBlend™ Marker, Z2477 Tan TriBlend™ Marker, Z4181 Stitched Circle Thin Cuts, Die-cutting Machine

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October 2, 2019Celebrate, Create, Memory Keeping

Accessing All 13 Close To My Heart Cricut® Collections

Close To My HeartArt Philosophy, Artbooking, Artfully Sent, artiste, Artistry, cardmaking, cartridge, City Sidewalks, Complete Creativity, cricut, Design Space, digital, Explore, Flower Market, Hello AU/NZ, Hello Canada, Hello USA, Maker, Papercrafting, scrapbooking, Season of Joy, You Are Here 12 Comments

Have you heard the news? All 13 of the Close To My Heart Cricut^® collections, including the new Complete Creativity and some that have been retired for years, are now digitally available for purchase!

Close To My Heart Cricut^® Collections:

Complete Creativity (NEW)
Art Philosophy
Artbooking
Artfully Sent
Artiste
Artistry
City Sidewalks
Flower Market
Hello AU/NZ
Hello Canada
Hello USA
Season of Joy
You Are Here

There has been some confusion around how to access these collections, so we’ve put together a quick tutorial below to show you how. If you’ve already figured it out on your own, skip to the bottom half of this post to see sample shapes and an artwork example for each collection.

*The following tutorial currently applies to people residing in the United States or Canada, only. (For our Australian and New Zealand crafters, all 13 of these collections are also available through purchasing a digital code from your Consultant which unlocks the shapes in Cricut Design Space™.)

**You will need a Cricut^® machine that is Design Space compatible to digitally link your collections to your account. Any of the Explore models or the New Maker will do. If you already own some or all of the Close To My Heart collections in cartridge format, with the right cutting machine, you can link these collections digitally as well. Click here for a short video to learn how.

STEP 1

To start, go to your Close To My Heart Consultant’s website. (If you do not have a Close To My Heart Consultant, visit us here and click on Find a Consultant to find one near you.) Scroll all the way to the bottom of the home page and click on the green Cricut^® button.

Clicking on this button will take you to the 13 Close To My Heart Cricut^® collections, hosted on the Cricut^® website.

STEP 2

Choose the collection you want to purchase and click Add to Cart. Doing so will pull up a side bar with the items you’ve chosen to purchase. When you are ready to check out, you can either click on the small cart icon or the green Checkout button.

STEP 3

If you aren’t signed in to your Cricut^® account already, you will be prompted to do so.

Make sure to use your Design Space account information to sign in and then continue the checkout process.

After purchasing any of the CTMH Cricut^® collections, they will automatically populate in your Design Space account, along with your other shapes.

STEP 4

To view your CTMH shapes and collections, go to your Design Space account and click on either New Project or My Projects.

Next, click on Images in the side bar, on the left. If you are looking for a specific cartridge or shape, click on Cartridges to view all of your purchased collections or type in the collection’s name or shape number in the search bar, on the top right corner of the page.

ONE FINAL TIP

Each of the shapes in Design Space is given a name and assigned a number. If you click on a shape, for example the first shape of the collection shown above, this information will show up in place of the shape’s image.

If you are looking for one specific shape, and you know its Design Space name or number (including the “#” sign), you can use this information in the search bar to locate it. When we give out project “recipes” (a list of products used), either for our catalogs or on this blog, Cricut^® shapes are referenced by the collection from which it comes and its shape number.

The star shape above would then be:

Cricut^® Shape:
Art Philosophy
#M3EA7D

Now that you know how to access all of our Close To My Heart Cricut^® collections and shapes, let’s take a quick look at what each of them has to offer!

COMPLETE CREATIVITY

Sample Shapes:

(Not all shapes shown.)

Artwork Example:

As our newest Cricut^® collection, we cannot wait for you to get your hands on this one! The Complete Creativity collection is divided up by whole card and scrapbook projects, providing all the shapes you need to create complete cards and scrapbook pages for a variety of themes and occasions!

ART PHILOSOPHY

Sample Shapes:

(Not all shapes shown.)

Example Artwork:

Featuring hundreds of basic, versatile shapes and fonts you’ll use every day, many of which coordinate with dozens of our My Acrylix® stamps, the Art Philosophy collection is a must-have for every crafter!

ARTBOOKING

Sample Shapes:

(Not all shapes shown.)

Example Artwork:

The Artbooking collection includes accents, borders, titles, overlays, photo mats, and more! You’ll love using these shapes for creating themed mini books to celebrate birthdays, holidays, and everyday life!

ARTFULLY SENT

Sample Shapes:

(Not all shapes shown.)

Example Artwork:

Featuring more than 25 different card themes and 5 different card formats, the Artfully Sent collection has a card for any and all occasions! Card styles include pop-ups, scenes, sentiments, sleeves, and pocket cards.

ARTISTE

Sample Shapes:

(Not all shapes shown.)

Example Artwork:

Take your creativity up a notch with the wonderful 3-D projects, party favors, interactive cards, awards, and more, found in the Artiste collection.

ARTISTRY

Sample Shapes:

(Not all shapes shown.)

Example Artwork:

The designs in the Artistry collection are staples for any crafter, spanning a wide variety of themes, holidays, and seasons. Get back to the basics with font, banners, layered shapes, borders, backgrounds, and other fun icons that can be used for any and every occasion.

CITY SIDEWALKS

Sample Shapes:

(Not all shapes shown.)

Example Artwork:

Dress up your artwork in holiday style with the festive images from this mini Cricut® collection! The City Sidewalks collection comes with 30 complete images, including titles, photo frames, borders, card sentiments, card overlays, and other cheery Christmas designs.

FLOWER MARKET

Sample Shapes:

(Not all shapes shown.)

Example Artwork:

With blooms and blossoms for every season of life, we know the Flower Market collection will really grow on you (if it hasn’t already)! All of the designs feature some type of botanical detail, from flowers and leaves to branches and wreaths. Designed to span an entire year’s worth of themes and occasions, you’ll have beautiful designs and sentiments for holidays, cardmaking, and everyday scrapbooking.

HELLO AU/NZ

Sample Shapes:

(Not all shapes shown.)

Example Artwork:

Featuring 20 layered images, the Hello AU/NZ collection has shapes, overlays, and names for Australian and New Zealand states and territories, as well as a local flower, slogan, and coordinating icon. The collection also includes extra images about Australia and New Zealand, including each country’s flag.

HELLO CANADA

Sample Shapes:

(Not all shapes shown.)

Example Artwork:

Also featuring 20 layered images, the Hello Canada collection has shapes, overlays, and names for all Canadian provinces and territories, as well as a local flower, slogan, and coordinating icon. The collection also includes extra images about Canada, including the Canadian flag.

HELLO USA

Sample Shapes:

(Not all shapes shown.)

Example Artwork:

Featuring 60 layered images, the Hello USA collection has shapes, overlays, and names for all 50 states, as well as a local flower, slogan, and state-specific icon. The collection also includes 10 extra images about the US, including regions and the US flag.

SEASON OF JOY

Sample Shapes:

(Not all shapes shown.)

Example Artwork:

Celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with the dynamic cut designs in the Season of Joy collection. This collection features over 45 images and projects, including seasonal icons, titles, and sentiments, as well as a collection of 3-D projects that you can create after a few simple cuts on your Cricut^® machine.

Whether you’re traveling abroad, taking a road trip, or enjoying a relaxing staycation, the You Are Here collection is sure to have everything you need to document your journey. From outdoor escapades and family reunions to spa retreats and holiday outings, you’ll find shapes and sentiments for every pit stop along the road of life!

Recipes

12″ x 12″ Spooktacular Page
CC10194 Spooktacular Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X6047 Black Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z341 Glue Dots^® Mini Dots, Cricut^® Complete Creativity Collection

Cricut^® Shape:
Complete Creativity
#MEE7655E

4¼” x 5½” Love You Card (Vertical)
C1801 My Acrylix^® Every Little Thing—Cardmaking Stamp Set, X7248S Every Little Thing Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X6047 Black Cardstock, X5957 Sapphire Cardstock, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, Z3521 Every Little Thing Vellum Die-cuts, Z4213 Silver Embellishing Thread, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z341 Glue Dots^® Mini Dots, Z2068 White Super Fine Embossing Powder, Z4220 Anti-static Pouch, Z4252 Heat Tool, Z4181 Stitched Circles Thin Cuts, Z1912 Corner Rounder, Cricut^® Art Philosophy Collection, Die-cutting Machine

Cricut^® Shape:
Art Philosophy
#M4139D

5″ Trick-or-Treat Mini Album
CC10194 Spooktacular Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X6047 Black Cardstock, X6035 Lemonade Cardstock, X5955 Pebble Cardstock, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z4196 White Ribbon, Z4181 Stitched Circles Thin Cuts, Cricut^® Artbooking Collection, Die-cutting Machine

Cricut^® Shapes:
Artbooking
#MAB71C
#M3E1B0
#M40EAA
#M46C7D
#M3CDA5

3″ x 4¼” You’re a Classic Card (Horizontal)
X7249S Hawthorn Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X6046 French Vanilla Cardstock, X6034 Sangria Cardstock, Z3543 Hawthorn Wood Shapes, Z341 Glue Dots^® Mini Dots, Cricut^® Artfully Sent Collection

Cricut^® Shapes:
Artfully Sent
#M1067B4

2½” x 3¾” Trick-or-Treat Treat Bag
CC10190 My Acrylix® Frightful Friends Stamp Set, CC10192 Spooktacular Paper Packet, X6047 Black Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z3271 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4221 Mink Twine, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z341 Glue Dots^® Mini Dots, Z3630 Watercolor Pencils, Z3224 Small Round Waterbrush, Z3516 Black Journaling Pen (.03), Cricut^® Artiste Collection

Cricut^® Shapes:
Artiste
#M3DEF8
#M3E22F

5″ x 7″ Happy Birthday Card (Vertical)
X5953 Charcoal Cardstock, X6031 Green Apple Cardstock, X5968 Lagoon Cardstock, X6042 Mint Cardstock, X5984 Pixie Cardstock, X5974 Raspberry Cardstock, X5980 Sweet Leaf Cardstock, X5976 Thistle Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z3553 Acrylic Hearts, Z3557 Cool Mint Stickles™ Glitter Gel, Z3563 Diamond Stickles™ Glitter Gel, Z341 Glue Dots^® Mini Dots, Cricut^® Artistry Collection, Sewing Machine

Cricut^® Shapes:
Artistry
#M4187BA
#M40FD89
#M41669B
#M4132AC, cut 2
#M412A0C
#M58A2E4
#M410335, cut 2
#M4169DA
#M411DD6
#M58A48E, cut 2
#M410487
#M418C08
#M418B30
#M412151
#M413170
#M40FF13

Basic Shapes
#M369879 (circle)

4¼” x 5½” Season’s Greetings Card (Vertical)
X6047 Black Cardstock, X6038 Candy Apple Cardstock, X6030 Evergreen Cardstock, X6029 Julep Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z4235 Gold Loose Sequins, Z341 Glue Dots^® Mini Dots, Z3555 Christmas Red Stickles™ Glitter Gel, Cricut^® City Sidewalks Collection

Cricut^® Shapes:
City Sidewalks
#MF6456F
#MF647BC
#MF645F0

Basic Shapes
#M369879 (circle)

Today, I Choose Joy Tag
C1799 My Acrylix^® Perk Up Stamp Set, D1868 My Acrylix^® Joy by Melissa Esplin Stamp Set, X7248B Every Little Thing Paper Packet, X6036 Ballerina Cardstock, X6029 Julep Cardstock, X5984 Pixie Cardstock, X5974 Raspberry Cardstock, X5961 Saffron Cardstock, Z3271 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2844 Pixie Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Cricut^® Flower Market Collection

Cricut^® Shapes:
Flower Market
#MFADCF2
#MD37FB8

12″ x 12″ Beautiful New Zealand/Australia Pocket Scrapbooking Layout
X5949 Almond Cardstock, X6029 Julep Cardstock, X5955 Pebble Cardstock, X5961 Saffron Cardstock, X5957 Sapphire Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X7249E Hawthorn Picture My Life Cards, X7248E Every Little Thing Picture My Life Cards, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z341 Glue Dots® Mini Dots, Cricut^® Hello AU/NZ Collection

Cricut^® Shapes:
Hello AU/NZ
#M2EDE0BE
#M2EDE203
#M2EDE37F

6″ x 8″ Quebec Layout with Pocket Scrapbooking
X7249B Hawthorn Paper Packet, X5951 Espresso Cardstock, X6046 French Vanilla Cardstock, X5962 Goldrush Cardstock, X5947 Mink Cardstock, X5961 Saffron Cardstock, Z3543 Hawthorn Wood Shapes, Z4054 Gold Embellishing Thread, Z341 Glue Dots^® Mini Dots, Z4181 Stitched Circles Thin Cuts, Cricut^® Hello Canada Collection, Die-cutting Machine

Cricut^® Shapes:
Hello Canada
#M2DB6B68
#M2DB6CAA

12″ x 12″ California Has My Heart Page
B1638 My Acrylix® Modern Typewriter Alphabet Stamp Set, C1725 My Acrylix® Simply Said Alphabet Stamp Set, X7248B Every Little Thing Paper Packet, X6047 Black Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z3271 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3521 Every Little Thing Vellum Die-cuts, Z3553 Acrylic Hearts, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z341 Glue Dots® Mini Dots, Cricut^® Hello USA Collection, Sewing Machine

Cricut^® Shape:
Hello USA
#M2CCF890

Santa & Elf Boxes
X5949 Almond Cardstock, X6047 Black Cardstock, X5982 Canary Cardstock, X6038 Candy Apple Cardstock, X6031 Green Apple Cardstock, X6044 Peach Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Cricut^® Season of Joy Collection

Cricut^® Shapes:
Season of Joy
#M629BBF2
#M629BA03

6″ x 8″ Grand Canyon Album Cover
X7249S Hawthorn Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X6047 Black Cardstock, X6046 French Vanilla Cardstock, X5962 Goldrush Cardstock, X6033 Paprika Cardstock, X5955 Pebble Cardstock, Z1375 Kraft Paper, Z2828 Toffee Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4054 Gold Embellishing Thread, Z697 Round Sponge, Cricut^® You Are Here Collection

Cricut^® Shape:
You Are Here
#M276272D

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September 24, 2019Create, Learn, Memory Keeping

From Melissa Esplin: Intro to Penmanship

Close To My Heartcalligraphy, cursivie, handwriting, how-to, lettering, Melissa Esplin, penmanship 2 Comments

Today’s blog post comes from our friend and calligraphy expert, Melissa Esplin! Melissa has been teaching calligraphy for nearly a decade and is a recognized industry expert. In today’s post, Melissa will tell you all about our new collaborative how-to program: Penmanship with Melissa Esplin!

Hey friends! It’s Melissa Esplin, from MelissaEsplin.com and Calligraphy.org. I’m so excited for the launch of my new collaboration program with Close To My Heart! As an introduction, I’ll tell you a little bit about myself: I am a calligrapher and artist, and I’ve been teaching calligraphy since 2010. I love empowering people with the ability to write beautifully, all while embracing the nuances that make their penmanship unique.

The Penmanship with Melissa Esplin program is meant to get you excited about hand lettering and to help you build confidence in your own penmanship. No matter what it looks like, your penmanship is a beautiful and unique part of who you are, and far too many people are afraid to use their own handwriting in projects. This program provides exercises and instruction to help you get more comfortable with your own penmanship, and to educate you on how to use your own handwriting in specific projects. With instruction in both upper and lowercase print as well as upper and lowercase cursive, the Penmanship with Melissa Esplin program helps you learn not only how to embrace your own unique handwriting, but also when to use specific lettering styles to complement each project.

This program doesn’t follow traditional penmanship methods. It isn’t conventional calligraphy either. By pulling bits and pieces from various methodologies, the program will guide you in increasing legibility, gracefulness, and consistency of your work, all while staying true to your own penmanship style. You’ll also learn more about the construction of each letter, which helps you to be aware of your personal preferences as you continue to develop your own style.

In addition to the how-to book, I’ve been working with Close To My Heart on a variety of materials to help support your own creativity! We have designed 4 stamp sets for journaling, scrapbooking, and cardmaking.

While they are intended for traditional stamping, they can also be used as a great way to get more practice in. The sentiments can be stamped with a light pigment ink on practice paper and then traced using tracing paper. No matter how you use these stamps, I know you’re going to love them!

We also have a set of multicolor small brush pens to accompany the Penmanship with Melissa Esplin how-to book. Each color in this set is designed to work well with the exclusive Close To My Heart color palette, and the tips are constructed to support both thin, light strokes, and strong, thick ones.

The ink in these pens is water soluble and can be blended and mixed to create new colors as well. The Multicolor Small Brush Pen Set comes with 7 colors and 3 black pens.

I’m thrilled to have partnered with Close To My Heart to help inspire you to record your stories with confidence. Happy lettering, friends!

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September 17, 2019Celebrate, Create, Learn

National Stamping Month: Using Small Stamps in BIG Places

Close To My HeartA Dash of Joy, christmas, Giving Thanks, ideas, National Stamping Month, nsm, September, Share the Seasons, stamping, thanksgiving 110 Comments

As part of our National Stamping Month celebration, we have two exclusive stamp sets that are only available through the end of the month, the My Acrylix^® A Dash of Joy and My Acrylix^® Giving Thanks. Both have over 30 individual stamps each. They are super cute, on trend, and just right for the upcoming fall and Christmas seasons. You may have noticed that most of the individual stamps within each set are also really small.

To get us all thinking outside of a one-inch square that most of these loveable little icons and sentiments were designed to fit into, we have a few simple ideas that showcase just how versatile a small stamp can be by also effectively being used in much bigger spaces.

First, let’s talk about backgrounds. This one seems to be a pretty common idea that we tend to easily forget. Take a look at how we used our small stamps to create the following three pieces of artwork:

On this Christmas page, we created subtle tone-on-tone patterns on the photo mats and all three colors of the background cardstock. (In this example, we paired the Mink stamp pad with French Vanilla cardstock, the Peach stamp pad with Peach cardstock, the Pewter stamp pad with Pewter cardstock, and the Green Apple stamp pad with Green Apple cardstock.)

On this So Thankful page we wanted to create a partial background. You can do this with sentiments, like we did here, or with clusters of small icons down the center, off-center, down one side of the page, or even just in a corner.

This card is an example of how to use small sentiments to create a full background. Turn the sentiment at an angle and stamp it over and over again until your background is completely covered. The trick is to start by stamping partially off your base to achieve the cutoff look.

Another way to use small icons in large spaces is in borders.

Combining three of the leaf stamps from the Giving Thanks set with two green stamp pads we were able to create this beautiful fall scene for the memories on this page.

This last idea, one of our favorites that really gets you thinking outside the norm, is to create your own shapes out of smaller ones.

The gorgeous wreath on this page was created using several of the small stamps from the A Dash of Joy set and nothing else.

We kept it simple by making a circle to illustrate the idea, but the truth is you can create many other shapes and designs using small stamps—a tree, a snowman, a pumpkin, a star, a house—whatever you dare try.

With the right combination of stamps and inks, the possibilities are endless.

We really do love these little sentiments and icons and want everyone to have a chance to create with them, too. In the next 24 hours, we will be giving away 5 Share the Seasons Stamp Set Bundles, which include one My Acrylix^® A Dash of Joy stamp set and one My Acrylix^® Giving Thanks stamp set. If you want to be entered in the drawing, make sure you are subscribed to this blog and leave us a comment below sharing with us how you use small stamps in big ways. Winners will be chosen by 1 p.m. tomorrow (Sept. 18, MST) and will be notified via email, so keep your eyes on your inboxes friends!

Can’t wait to hear from you!

***THIS DRAWING IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED! ❤ ***

Recipes:

12″ x 12″ Dash of Cheer Page
CC9191 My Acrylix® A Dash of Joy Stamp Set, X6047 Black Cardstock, X6038 Candy Apple Cardstock, X6030 Evergreen Cardstock, X6046 French Vanilla Cardstock, X6031 Green Apple Cardstock, X6044 Peach Cardstock, X5954 Pewter Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z3271 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3513 Green Apple Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2825 Mink Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6502 Peach Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2832 Pewter Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, Z3563 Diamond Stickles™ Glitter Gel, Z3554 Pink Taffeta Stickles™ Glitter Gel, Z3562 Silver Stickles™ Glitter Gel, Z4220 Anti-static Pouch, Z2068 White Super Fine Embossing Powder, Z4252 Heat Tool, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z3516 Black Journaling Pen (.01)

12″ x 12″ So Thankful Page
CC9192 My Acrylix® Giving Thanks Stamp Set, X6047 Black Cardstock, X5953 Charcoal Cardstock, X6046 French Vanilla Cardstock, X6033 Paprika Cardstock, X9007 Min-in Paper Packet, Z3271 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2843 Canary Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2850 Fern Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2825 Mink Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6515 Paprika Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2832 Pewter Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z8000 Black Exclusive Inks™ Pigment Pad, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z2088 Clear Embossing Powder, Z4220 Anti-static Pouch, Z4252 Heat Tool, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape, Z3516 Black Journaling Pen (.01)

4¼” x 5½” Grateful for You Card (Horizontal)
CC9192 My Acrylix® Giving Thanks Stamp Set, X6047 Black Cardstock, X6046 French Vanilla Cardstock, X5950 Toffee Cardstock, Z2850 Fern Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4221 Mink Twine, Z4242 Watercolor Pencils, Z3224 Small Round Waterbrush, Z2089 Glue Dots® Micro Dots

6″ x 8″ Grateful Page
CC9192 My Acrylix® Giving Thanks Stamp Set, X5949 Almond Cardstock, X6046 French Vanilla Cardstock, Z3271 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2850 Fern Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2835 New England Ivy Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z3569 Sangria Ribbon, Z341 Glue Dots® Mini Dots, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z3516 Black Journaling Pen (.01)

12″ x 12″ Merry Christmas Page
CC9191 My Acrylix® A Dash of Joy Stamp Set, X6047 Black Cardstock, X6038 Candy Apple Cardstock, X5978 Glacier Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z3271 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6509 Candy Apple Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6512 Evergreen Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2850 Fern Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2841 Glacier Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2835 New England Ivy Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2853 Sweet Leaf Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z3568 Black Velvet Ribbon, Z3557 Cool Mint Stickles™ Glitter Gel, Z4220 Anti-static Pouch, Z2068 White Super Fine Embossing Powder, Z4252 Heat Tool, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z3226 Medium Flat Waterbrush, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, 1772 Glue Dots® Ultra-thin Dots, Z3516 Black Journaling Pen (.1)

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