April 14, 2021Create, Inspiration, Learn

Tips for Creating Embellishment Clusters!

Close To My Heartaccent, cluster, embellishment, ideas, inspiration, mini envelope, shaker window, tips 3 Comments

Embellishment Clusters #closetomyheart #ctmh #embellishmentclusters #paperaccents #cardmaking #scrapbooking #papercrafting

Follow along with us, today, as we give you an inside scoop into our creative process for designing and creating embellishment clusters of your own!

Embellishment clusters are large, sometimes intricate, paper accent pieces that are capable of standing on their own but can also be incorporated into larger projects, like scrapbook layouts, cards, or gift bags. We call these accents embellishment clusters because we are essentially putting several individual embellishments together, in a cluster.

While there are no set rules on where to begin creating these clusters, and there is no right or wrong way to proceed, we do have a few guidelines and tips to get you get you started on a successful creative experience!

1. Stick to a Color Scheme

When you first start designing an embellishment cluster, we recommend that you stick to a specific color scheme and spice it up with a complementary color or more neutral shade here and there. When you work off of a set color palette, it’s easier to focus your creative energy more effectively, and you’re more likely to end up with an embellishment cluster you really love!

Embellishment Clusters #closetomyheart #ctmh #embellishmentclusters #paperaccents #cardmaking #scrapbooking #papercrafting #shakerwindow

This shaker window cluster is a great example of how to create around a color scheme. By focusing on cool shades of blue, throwing in a couple of green hues, and incorporating a few neutral tones, the elements of this embellishment cluster effectively harmonize with each other for a beautifully coordinated result!

2. Use a Variety of Paper and Cardstock Options

Incorporating different types of paper not only brings variety in patterns but in texture as well. Using our unique patterned papers next to our heavier, solid-colored cardstock helps to bring a nice variance to embellishment clusters.

If you’re looking to keep things a little simpler with the embellishment cluster itself, you can also consider saving more textured elements for the background.

With the card shown above, we kept things a little simpler overall and created exclusively with cardstock. Rather than featuring textured elements on the embellishment cluster itself, we used a large Thin Cuts die and two coordinating cardstock colors to create a gorgeous textured backdrop for this simple embellishment cluster!

3. Layer, Layer, Layer!

A great embellishment cluster often includes a few layers and dimension. Even a simple embellishment cluster should have at least one layered element to make sure it stands out from whatever background you may end up putting it on.

Embellishment Clusters #closetomyheart #ctmh #embellishmentclusters #paperaccents #cardmaking #scrapbooking #papercrafting #youmakemesmile

With this embellishment cluster, we made sure to create multiple layers so it will have some extra pop once it’s placed on a scrapbook page. (Using dimensional adhesives, like 3-D foam tape, are a great way to ensure that your embellishment clusters have added dimension, as well!)

4. Follow the Rule of Thirds

Incorporating this photography technique into your embellishment clusters is a great way to ensure that they remain balanced and can even help to simplify your design process. If you’re unfamiliar with what the rule of thirds entails, it’s basically the process of dividing your subject or scene into three distinct sections, making sure that each one is visually balanced with the others.

Embellishment Clusters #closetomyheart #ctmh #embellishmentclusters #paperaccents #cardmaking #scrapbooking #papercrafting #bloomandgrow #bloom&grow

With this embellishment cluster, imagine that there’s a 3″ x 3″ grid over it. With this imaginary grid applied, you’ll notice that the butterfly and floral accents are fairly close to intersection points on the grid, while the stamped “Bloom & GROW” title occupies the center square. By distributing the butterfly accent, stamped title, and floral accent in this way, it ensures that the entire cluster remains balanced. (Check out our photo composition blog post for a more in-depth explanation about the rule of thirds.)

5. Be Flexible

When it comes to crafting, you don’t always have to use crafting materials for their intended purpose. Take a look at this cute little cluster, for instance:

Embellishment Clusters #closetomyheart #ctmh #embellishmentclusters #paperaccents #cardmaking #scrapbooking #papercrafting #ohhappyday

The envelope you see here was actually created using a stitched hexagon Thin Cuts die, folding the sides of the cut hexagon shape into its center! Re-purposing die-cut shapes, incorporating paper scraps, and even trimming patterns or icons from other patterned papers for use in an embellishment cluster is an excellent way to make sure your work stays fresh, fun, and completely unique!

6. Work Smarter, Not Harder

Once you find a design, color combination, or shape pairing you love, stick with it for a few more embellishment clusters! This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to re-make the same identical embellishment cluster over and over again. Simply switching out a single element can make a huge difference!

Embellishment Clusters #closetomyheart #ctmh #embellishmentclusters #paperaccents #cardmaking #scrapbooking #papercrafting #Easteregghunt #Easter #welcomespring

If a single, simple change isn’t doing enough, you can do a more drastic re-design while retaining the overall shape and combination of elements. These two shaker window clusters are a prime example of how different colors, patterns, and stamped images can be incorporated into a pre-existing design for a beautiful, brand-new result!

Embellishment Clusters #closetomyheart #ctmh #embellishmentclusters #paperaccents #cardmaking #scrapbooking #papercrafting #shakerwindow #sunnydaysahead #youaremyluckycharm

Another way to work smarter is to think about future crafts and prepare for them while you’re in your creative zone! If you use a Thin Cuts metal die to cut an element for an embellishment cluster, cut a few more for future use! If you use a Cricut Design Space™ file to create your cluster, make sure to save it so you can return to it the next time you want to create a beautiful embellishment cluster!

There’s no hard-fast way to create embellishment clusters, but by holding yourself to a few basic guidelines like these, you can fast-track your creativity and make absolutely gorgeous embellishments that are completely unique to you!

How have you been using embellishment clusters? If this a brand-new concept to you, what’s the first thing you want to create with an embellishment cluster?

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April 7, 2021Celebrate

Celebrating Our Spectacular Stamps!

Close To My Heartblocks, corona, covid, doctor, everyday heroes, forever grateful, Let's Stay Home, my acrylix, nurse, on repeat, paper pal, quarantine, sale, stamps, Stamptacular, the great indoors, through thick and thin, toilet paper, virus 2 Comments

Stamptacular #closetomyheart #ctmh #stamptacular #myacrylix #everydayheroes #let'sstayhome #thegreatindoors #onrepeat #throughthickandthin #forevergrateful #stamping #cardmaking #scrapbooking #papercrafting

For this entire month of April, we’re celebrating our love for stamping with a Stamptacular sale! This unbelievable sale includes over 225 stamps sets and over 125 Stamp + Thin Cuts bundles! With savings up to 50%-off, we know you won’t want to miss out on the incredible opportunity to save big on your favorite Close To My Heart stamps and Thin Cuts metal dies!

If you’re already familiar with our top-quality stamps, then the Stamptacular sale is the perfect time to build off of what you already have and expand your creative options even further! If you’re a new crafter, or have yet to explore the wonderful world of stamps, this is an excellent opportunity to start off your journey with the best-quality stamps on the market at unbeatable prices!

At Close To My Heart, stamping is a huge part of who we are, and it’s been that way right from the beginning. Over our 35+ years in the crafting industry, we’ve become a forerunner in the world of stamping and pioneered the use of clear stamps and transparent, reusable stamping blocks. All of our stamps are made with a clear material that is flexible, yet sturdy, allowing for easy transfer from the carrier sheet they come on to one of our acrylic blocks. They are unmounted, which gives crafters more freedom to make our stamps work for them, as well as reducing the storage accommodations required for traditional mounted stamps.

Because our stamps and stamping blocks are completely transparent, it’s easier to achieve greater accuracy when it comes to stamp placement. Whether you’re adding stamped accents to a larger project, like the sections of a 12″ x 12″ scrapbook page you see above, or a smaller section like the accent shown below, having a clearer perspective on what your stamped image will look like is an excellent way to gain greater control over your creativity and produce more polished artwork!

Along with an amazing variety of stamps, many of our sets also come with specially designed Thin Cuts metal dies, which are coordinated with their respective sets to yield a perfect outline for your stamped image without the need for hand trimming. These Thin Cuts are super-slim and fit inside the envelope that our stamp sets come in, so storage is a breeze!

It’s easy to see why we’re so excited to share the all the incredible savings in the Stamptacular sale with you! To sweeten the deal even more, we’ve also brought back five exclusive stamp sets from the past, just for this sale! These five sets—Let’s Stay Home, The Great Indoors, On Repeat, Through Thick and Thin, and Forever Grateful— feature fun sentiments, icons, and accents to help you create all sorts of artwork, from fun and whimsical pieces to more elegant, polished designs.

In addition to these five exclusive sets, we’d also recommend that you check out the exclusive Everyday Heroes SVG file, which was featured on one of our blog posts last April! Click here to visit that post and download this adorable SVG file, free!

Everyday Heroes SVG #ctmh #closetomyheart #paperpal #everydayheroes #helpersareheroes #svg #free #nursehero #doctorhero #medicalhero #coronavirushero #covid19hero #pandemichero

These exclusive stamp sets, along with the Everyday Heroes SVG file, are specifically designed to inspire reflection on the events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and help you document all the memorable moments—both happy and challenging—you’ve experienced over the past year. These exclusive stamp sets will only be available through April 30, 2021, so don’t miss out on this opportunity to get these too-cute sets for yourself!

We love anything and everything to do with stamping, and we want to hear about your experiences with this versatile medium! Do you have a favorite stamping memory? What about your favorite way to craft using Close To My Heart stamps? Leave a comment below to let us know!

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March 31, 2021Celebrate, Create, Inspiration, Learn

New Color Combinations, an Updated Color Wheel, and TWO downloadable Watercolor Guides!

Close To My Heartcolor, color wheel, colour, Colour Wheel, Love of Color, love of colour, Sundance, watercolor, watercolour 8 Comments

Love of Color #closetomyheart #ctmh #loveofcolor #ctmhcolorwheel #loveofcolour #ctmhcolourwheel #colorwheel #colourwheel #watercolor #watercolour

It’s no secret that we love color at Close To My Heart. Color breathes life and feeling into the world around us. With an unspoken language all its own, color has the power to calm, to energize, and to inspire. As spring slowly creeps its way into this year, the world is brightening up its color palette bringing with it a rejuvenation we all could use right about now—and we are all for it!

We are starting today’s color celebration with our Love of Color how-to series. Through its pages, the exclusive Close To My Heart color palette, made up of 44 unique colors, comes to life. Breathtaking artwork illustrates how to create perfectly balanced color combinations without any guesswork. Each spread in these volumes starts out with one exclusive color that is then combined with two, three, and four other exclusive colors, shown in beautifully crafted inspirational artwork.

Since we hope for sunny days in the upcoming season, let’s take a closer look at the color combinations offered for Sundance, one of our newer colors, in Love of Color Vol. 2, pages 26 and 27.

In this example, Sundance was paired with Avocado and Glacier. Sundance is the dominant color, and the others were used to complement it and to create accents throughout. (White is a neutral and doesn’t really count, so feel free to include as much or as little as you’d like!)

This perfectly spring-themed card was created by following another color combination featured in the guide, combining Sundance with Cinnamon, Blue Belle, New England Ivy, and Charcoal.

The third color mashup for Sundance in our Love of Color Vol. 2 includes pairing it with Peach, Desert Rose, and Peacock.

These inspirational color guides really make it so simple to combine colors that some of us probably wouldn’t even consider. Its pages explore the unique qualities of each color and help you see their beauty and versatility.

We’ve also talked about color theory on this blog, before. If you’re interested in creating your own color combinations, we encourage you to revisit those posts for a quick refresher on techniques for pairing colors. (Find links below.) Once you’ve got those basic rules down, we also encourage you to break them as you see fit!

Monochromatic and Analogous Colors

Complementary Colors and How to Use Them

Using Split-complementary Colors

Triadic Color Combinations

Double Complementary Color Schemes

To continue this colorful celebration, we’ve updated our Close To My Heart color wheel by removing the colors that retired from our palette just a few short months ago and adding the new colors that were introduced.

Download the updated Close To My Heart color wheel, here.

***Keep in mind that our exclusive colors are made up of much more complex tones, shades, and hues than how they are categorized on the simplified color wheel offered above. As you reference and use this source, know that it is not 100% confining. Especially as you become more familiar with what makes colors work together visually, you’ll find that this color wheel is very flexible.***

Lastly, we have a couple of bonus downloads for you today! Working with our amazing art studio, we put together two watercolor guides featuring techniques, tips, and all-around useful information—one for watercolor paints and another for watercolor pencils. In these guides you will find how to blend our exclusive colors using watercolor paints, the variety of ways a watercolor pencil can be used, and so much more! Enjoy exploring these watercolor guides, below!

Watercolor Paints Guide

Watercolor Pencils Guide

(Watercolour Paints Guide for AU/NZ)

(Watercolour Pencils Guide for AU/NZ)

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March 24, 2021Celebrate, Community

Party Time: Jeanette’s Birthday Giveaway!

Close To My Heartbirthday, Celebrate, Jeanette, lynton, par-tay, party time, pocket card perfection 524 Comments

One of our all-time favorite humans is celebrating her birthday this month, and we simply cannot let the occasion pass without inviting you to celebrate her along with us! We are talking about none other than our dear founder, CEO, and, most especially, lovely friend Jeanette Lynton!

Through her exemplary work and dedication for over 35 years, Jeanette has taught us the importance of memory keeping, where we celebrate our lives and relationships through beautiful stamps, papers, and inks.

If you’ve been following this blog, you know that memory keeping is at the heart of everything we do. We’ve made it our mission to help others realize the importance of preserving memories and celebrating relationships—and to show them how to do it in a fun and fulfilling way!

The Party Time paper collection in our current Core Products Catalog, featuring bright and festive colors and designs, helps us do just that! And, because it is Jeanette’s birthday, we are keeping the party going by giving some of it away!

We are giving away five bundles of product here on the blog, another five on our Facebook page, and another five on Instagram! (Follow us on those other platforms to learn how to increase your chances to win!)

Each bundle will include one Party Time Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, one Party Time Coordinating Cardstock, one My Acrylix^® Par-tay stamp set, and one set of our limited-time offer Party Time Picture My Life™ Cards that are available for just one more week!

To qualify for the drawing on the blog, it’s an easy two-step entry. First, make sure you are subscribed! If you are not, simply push the blue “Subscribe to list” button found on the sidebar, if you’re on a computer, or at the very bottom of this post, if you’re on a phone or tablet. Second, and this is a must and just as important, leave a comment below with a birthday message for Jeanette. That’s it! All entries must be submitted by 5 p.m. tomorrow, March 25, MDT (that’s 10:00 a.m., 26 March, AEDT for our Aussie friends). Blog winners will be notified via the e-mail address connected to their subscriptions.

All of you that are part of our crafting community, you mean so much to us and especially to Jeanette. We are so grateful for the years of friendship we’ve all shared and the many years of friendship to come, and we love celebrating our relationship! Today, please join us in celebrating Jeanette and leave her a birthday message below! Happy birthday Jeanette!!

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March 17, 2021Create, Inspiration, Learn

Quick & Easy Watercolor Techniques!

Close To My HeartDaisy Meadows, easter, paint, pencil, spring, stencil, technique, waterbrush, watercolor, watercolour 5 Comments

Watercolor Techniques #closetomyheart #ctmh #ctmhdaisymeadows #watercolor #watercolour #waterbrush #watercolorpencils #watercolourpencils #watercolortechniques #watercolourtechniques #scrapbooking #cardmaking

Great artwork is built on the inclusion of many small elements, all coming together for a stunning end result! Watercolor is an incredibly easy and effective way to boost the overall aesthetic of your artwork, resulting in a truly professional appearance while still keeping it uniquely “you.”

When most people hear “watercolor,” they may picture intricate images painted free-hand by a skilled and experienced artist. Today, however, we’re going to show you a variety of different ways you can easily apply watercolor techniques to your artwork, some of which may even surprise you! Watercolor is a skill anyone can practice and use to up the ante in their own artwork, and the techniques we’re sharing with you are great for beginners and experts alike!

All of the artwork we’ll be showing you today was made using papers, stickers, and embellishments from our beautiful Daisy Meadows collection.

This bright paper suite lends itself well to watercolor and is a great starting point for anyone who may be new to this beautiful medium!

Artistic splattering is a great way to break up a plain background, and it’s incredibly quick and easy to add to any artistic project!

To create these fun splatters, take a wet waterbrush, pick up some paint from your watercolor paint palette, and gently tap the brush on top of your index finger, holding it over the general area where you’d like the splatters to land.

(Tip: Use a piece of scratch paper to cover any parts of the page you don’t want to be splattered.)

You can also see this technique reflected in this Easter-themed layout from the Daisy Meadows Scrapbooking Workshop Kit.

Here, we’ve combined the splattering technique with some light stamping and complemented it all with a few small stickers and Daisy Meadows Dots. When these elements are combined, you go from a plain white background to a multi-textured one!

Another way to incorporate watercolor into your artwork is to create a painted border around the perimeter of your scrapbook pages.

To create a painted border like this one, lightly make a few long strokes around the edges of the page, taking care to not let your hand wander toward the center. A simple watercolor element like this is a wonderful way to brighten up a modest background!

The next technique on our list shows you how to use watercolor paints to create eye-catching elements and accents in the foreground of your projects. In the page pictured below, we used watercolor paints to add soft color not only to the floral accents by the photos, but also for the bright swash in the title.

This vibrant addition draws the eye to the title, allowing for a natural, flowing progression as viewers take in the rest of the page.

(Tip: To achieve a flawless swash effect, add the watercolor paint and let it dry completely before stamping. This way, you can adjust the color to get it just right, and you’ll avoid smearing the ink on the stamped image.)

For the delicate floral accents, you can easily achieve a gentle fade by concentrating the paintbrush along the outer edges of the stamped image, creating an outline. Then, clean the brush, wet it, and softly brush the color toward the center of the image. If watercolor paints aren’t your preferred watercolor medium, this effect can also be achieved using watercolor pencils.

Another fun way to up your watercolor game is to play around with various color saturations and pigment shades.

For a more pigmented effect on your initial coat, consider using a dry brush to pick up your wet paint. Wet bristles will pick up less paint, resulting in a lighter pigment, so starting with a wet paint well and a dry brush will allow you to achieve a darker color right from the get-go!

You can also adjust the color saturation as needed, but this process takes a bit of patience. To get the best results, wait for the first layer of paint to dry fully before going in for a second coat.

For a more abstract approach to watercolor painting, consider using a smooshing technique!

Like you’d do with a swash, you’ll want to apply your watercolor pigments to the paper before stamping. To add a smushed watercolor element, apply your watercolor paint to the page or accent in a more abstract form.

Once you’ve applied your color, you’ll take a plastic bag and smoosh it on top of the paper where the paint has been applied, mixing the colors together. This results in a beautifully blended texture, which will be ready for you to stamp on top of once it’s fully dry.

(Tip: You can save the acetate wrapping from a new stamp pad, or any other new product, and use that for your smooshing!)

One last technique we’ll share with you today is stencil painting. This technique is one of the easiest things you can do to add watercolor to your scrapbooking pages or cards.

This technique is also a fantastic way to express your own unique creativity, as you can cut your own stencil patterns for this watercolor element! To create your own stencil, cut a design into cardstock using your favorite cutting machine. If you’d like to reuse your stencil, cut your design on Stencil Sheets, so you can design and create your own stencils and use them for multiple projects! (For pre-designed stencils, check these out!)

When you use a stencil to add watercolor to your artwork, use strips of washi tape to hold it in place while you paint over it. This will ensure a more uniform appearance with fewer unwanted smears.

Once your stencil is secured in place with washi tape, use your waterbrush to gently wash over the stencil. This technique may result in some light bleeding, rougher edges, or blotching, which gives it a beautiful, perfectly imperfect look!

Did you see any techniques today that you can’t wait to try? Leave a comment below to tell us about your favorite watercolor technique and how you incorporate it into your own artwork!

Recipes:

12″ x 12″ New Beginnings Page
Z3932 Daisy Meadows—Scrapbooking Stamp + Thin Cuts, X7266S Daisy Meadows Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X5978 Glacier Cardstock, X6044 Peach Cardstock, X5958 Peacock Cardstock, X5985 Smoothie Cardstock, Z3885 Distress Watercolor Cardstock, Z2850 Fern Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2849 Peacock Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z3224 Small Round Waterbrush , Z2089 Glue Dots® Micro Dots, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape, Die-cutting & Embossing Machine

4¼” x 5½” Spring Is in the Air Card (Horizontal)
Z3932 Daisy Meadows—Scrapbooking Stamp + Thin Cuts, X7266S Daisy Meadows Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X6044 Peach Cardstock, X5985 Smoothie Cardstock, Z3885 Distress Watercolor Cardstock, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, Z1263 Bitty Sparkles, Z3274 Clear Sparkles, Z2068 White Super Fine Embossing Powder, Z4220 Anti-static Pouch, Z4252 Heat Tool, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z3224 Small Round Waterbrush, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape, Die-cutting & Embossing Machine

4¼” x 5½” Sweet Spring Card (Vertical)
Z3932 Daisy Meadows—Scrapbooking Stamp + Thin Cuts, X7266S Daisy Meadows Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X5960 Fern Cardstock, X6044 Peach Cardstock, Z3885 Distress Watercolor Cardstock, Z2850 Fern Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, Z1263 Bitty Sparkles, Z3274 Clear Sparkles, Z2068 White Super Fine Embossing Powder, Z4220 Anti-static Pouch, Z4252 Heat Tool, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z3224 Small Round Waterbrush, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape, Die-cutting & Embossing Machine

March 9, 2021Celebrate, Create, Memory Keeping

Scrapbooking Pockets for More Memory Space

Close To My Heartfirst birthday, flip flap, Flip Flaps, Picture My Life, PML, pocket, pocket card perfection, Pocket Cards, pocket plus 10 Comments

Scrapbooking with Pockets #closetomyheart #ctmh #ctmhpocketcardperfection #scrapbooking #pocketscrapbooking #picturemylife #pocketplus #flipflaps #birthdaypartyscrapbook

Are you the kind of person who loves taking photos? If you already know that you have more photos than you know what to do with for a traditional scrapbook layout (most of us are this person), take a look at these surprisingly easy ways to include all of them in your albums and tell your whole story!

Sometimes we have too many photos for one particular layout but, for whatever the reason—not enough time, not enough variety, not enough paper (heaven forbid!)—we can’t make a second layout from what we do have. If you’re anything like many of us, the thought of tossing any of these “extra” photos makes you cringe—😱! This is where we can help!

Have you ever given Pocket Plus™ Memory Protectors™ a try? Wondering what we’re even talking about?

Pocket Plus protectors are exactly what they sound like—additional pockets to add to a layout, creating space for more photos, journaling, mementos, etc. You fill the pockets of these protectors with your memories, then slip them right into your layouts!

They’re fast and simple and add a fun interactive element to your layouts!

Pocket Plus is a great solution for adding those stowed away photos to your already existing albums. If you’re planning ahead, however, you can take your designing a step further and purposefully create your layouts so that the Pocket Plus protectors lay on top of the 12″ x 12″ pages in such a way that titles, photos, or other elements of the page aren’t partially covered.

Pocket Plus Memory Protectors come in two widths, 6″ and 4″. So, for instance, if you are planning on using a 6″ wide protector on top of your 12″ x 12″ page, design your base page with this in mind. Create a visual line at the 6″ mark that none of your photos, sentiments, journaling, or titles can straddle.

If you are planning on using a 4″ wide protector on top of your 12″ x 12″ page, design the base page with a visual line at 4″ from the inside margin.

Scrapbooking with Pockets #closetomyheart #ctmh #ctmhpockercardperfection #scrapbooking #pocketscrapbooking #picturemylife #pocketplus #flipflaps #weddingscrapbook

This way, your Pocket Plus is working with the visual elements of your layout rather than interrupting them.

If you’ve only got a few additional photos or need just a small amount of extra room for some journaling, or whatever, then Flip Flaps™ are the way to go!

Flip Flaps are individual protective pockets that you attach to a page and flip to reveal additional photos, sentiments, or designs—and they’re something you can only get with Close To My Heart! Available in eight different size options, Flip Flaps can be attached to pretty much any size or style of scrapbook page!

If you haven’t already, today is also a good day to discover the simplicity of scrapbooking in pockets. Using Memory Protectors with multiple pockets is another great way to display all of those photos you have of that one birthday party, camping trip, or girls’ night out in a trendy blocked style. (See all of our different style and size options, here.)

Looking to fill those none-photo pockets? Picture My Life™ pocket cards are beautifully and purposefully designed for you to use for exactly that, and they effortlessly coordinate with our paper collections and products.

We are especially excited about two brand-new sets of Picture My Life pocket cards, Lovely and Party Time. These two sets were recently designed to coordinate with the Lovely and Party Time paper collections in our 2020–2021 Core Products Catalog, and are only available until March 31, while supplies last. (Snag these gorgeous cards for yourself, while you still can!)

With a wide assortment of pocket protectors and pocket cards at your disposal, you always have that extra space for all of your photos, journaling, and memories! Do you use any of these types of pockets in your scrapbooking? If so, please share with us how you do in the comments below!

Recipes:

12″ x 12″ Party Layout with Pocket Plus™
Z3779 Wishing You Everything Stamp + Thin Cuts, X8016S Party Time Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X6036 Ballerina Cardstock, X5957 Sapphire Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z6520 Flamingo Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2848 Sapphire Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, CC2220 Party Time Picture My Life™ Cards, Z4235 Gold Loose Sequins, Z2481 Coral TriBlend™ Marker, Z2518 Coral Shades TriBlend™ Marker, Z2488 Green Turquoise TriBlend™ Marker, Z2483 Light Yellow TriBlend™ Marker, Z2526 True Blue Shades TriBlend™ Marker, Z3515 Black Journaling Pen (.01), Z2089 Glue Dots® Micro Dots, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape, Z3244 Pocket Plus™ Memory Protectors™ Design 3, Cricut® Basic Shapes, Die-cutting & Embossing Machine

12″ x 12″ You Make Me So HAPPY Layout with Pocket Plus™
D1954 My Acrylix® So Happy Together Stamp Set, X8015S Lovely Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X6048 Blue Belle Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z6519 Blue Belle Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, CC2219 Lovely Picture My Life™ Cards, Z7000 Blue Belle Pearls, Z3515 Black Journaling Pen (.01), Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape, Z3243 Pocket Plus™ Memory Protectors™ Design 2

12″ x 12″ Celebrate Page
X8015B Lovely Paper Packet, X8016S Party Time Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, CC2220 Party Time Picture My Life™ Cards, Z3676 Blue Belle Loose Sequins, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape, Z3231 4″ x 6″ Flip Flaps™ Memory Protectors™, Cricut® Basic Shapes

12″ x 12″ Living the Sweet Life Page
Z3865 Simple Serif Bundle, A1243 My Acrylix® Teeny Tiny Type Stamp Set, C1862 My Acrylix® Pennant Banner Alphabet Stamp Set, X8015S Lovely Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, Z6504 Sage Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2848 Sapphire Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, CC2219 Lovely Picture My Life™ Cards, CC2220 Party Time Picture My Life™ Cards, Z3676 Blue Belle Loose Sequins, Z1951 12″ x 12″ Memory Protectors™ Design 4, Z3230 3″ x 4″ Flip Flaps™ Memory Protectors™, Die-cutting & Embossing Machine

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March 3, 2021Celebrate, Inspiration

Cardstock You’ve Gotta Have! (and It’s on Sale!!)

Close To My Heartcardstock, cardstock carnival, carousel, fair, love you with my whole heart, rainbow 3 Comments

Cardstock Carnival #closetomyheart #ctmh #ctmhcardstockcarnival #cardstockcarnival #exclusivecolorpalette #exclusivecolourpalette #scrapbooking #cardmaking #papercrafting #memorykeeping

Cardstock is a crafting essential for any avid crafter, and at Close To My Heart, we’re pretty proud of the cardstock selection we have to offer! Join us as we show you all the ways our cardstock stands apart and share some exciting offers from our new Cardstock Carnival sale!

Whether you’re making a scrapbook layout, a card, or another papercrafting project, cardstock is likely one of the first things you’ll reach for to make sure your artwork not only looks beautiful but stands the test of time. With a higher weight (or thickness) than paper, cardstock is often more durable than regular paper and can add a more professional and expert look to your crafts.

Our cardstock is designed along the exclusive Close To My Heart color palette, which means that each and every sheet coordinates precisely with all our inks, patterned paper collections, and quite a few of our embellishments as well! With this perfect coordination, you never have to spend time fussing over color matches, and you can count on our cardstock to integrate seamlessly into any project, as you can see with this card!

Along with perfect color coordination, each sheet of our cardstock also has a unique white core. This core allows for greater color saturation and more accurate matches. It also provides a striking contrast when you artistically tear or distress your cardstock!

(Tip: To distress cardstock, you can run a pair of scissors along the edges or gently rub the surface with some sandpaper. Make sure to start out with a light hand so you don’t rub away too much color all at once!)

For greater versatility, each sheet is also two-toned, with the true exclusive color on one side and a lighter version on the other, as you can see here with this two-tone scrapbook page.

This dual-tone effect allows you to maximize your cardstock usage while also expanding your range of colors. When you craft with two-toned cardstock, it’s like having two sheets in one!

There’s a TON to love about Close To My Heart cardstock, and during the month of March we are sharing that love through our Cardstock Carnival sale.

During this awesome month-long sale, save 15% on all individual color cardstock packs, 20% on exclusive color combo packs (shown above), and 30% on the exclusive Cardstock Carnival Bundle, made up of one each of the cardstock color bundles—that’s 288 cardstock sheets of white core, two-toned goodness!

This Cardstock Carnival is only available until the the end of March. Get in on the savings and don’t miss the opportunity to stock up on this essential crafting staple at a great deal!

Recipes:

12″ x 12″ Memories Made Here Page
X8016S Party Time Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X6053 Avocado Cardstock, X6036 Ballerina Cardstock, X6047 Black Cardstock, X6037 Bluebird Cardstock, X6050 Flamingo Cardstock, X6054 Grape Cardstock, X5968 Lagoon Cardstock, X6035 Lemonade Cardstock, X6043 Nectarine Cardstock, X5974 Raspberry Cardstock, X5957 Sapphire Cardstock, X6051 Sundance Cardstock, Z3800 Blue Belle Shimmer Trim, Z3801 Flamingo Shimmer Trim, Z3803 Lemonade Shimmer Trim, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z3686 Stitched Fancy Brackets Thin Cuts, Z3515 Black Journaling Pen (.01), Z1151 3-D Foam Tape, Z2089 Glue Dots^® Micro Dots, Cricut^® Artiste Collection, Die-cutting & Embossing Machine

Cricut^® Shape:
Artiste
#M44976

3½” x 8½” Love You Slimline Card (Vertical)
X8016S Party Time Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X6050 Flamingo Cardstock, X6043 Nectarine Cardstock, X5974 Raspberry Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z3825 Abandoned Coral Distress Oxide™ Ink Pad, Z3830 Mustard Seed Distress Oxide™ Ink Pad, Z3827 Picked Raspberry Distress Oxide™ Ink Pad, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z3683 My Whole Heart Thin Cuts, Z3886 Mini Ink Blending Tool, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape, Z2089 Glue Dots^® Micro Dots, Die-cutting & Embossing Machine

4¼” x 5½” Happy Birthday Card (Vertical)
D1974 My Acrylix^® Par-tay Stamp Set, X6053 Avocado Cardstock, X5968 Lagoon Cardstock, X6035 Lemonade Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z6523 Avocado Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2895 Lagoon Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6517 Lemonade Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z3800 Blue Belle Shimmer Trim, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z2089 Glue Dots^® Micro Dots

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February 24, 2021Create, Inspiration, Learn

Slimline Cards with a New Thin Cuts Die and Shaker Windows!

Close To My HeartArt Philosophy, card, cardmaking, congrats card, Design Space, diagonal stripe, free file, hugs card, idea, penguin, shaker, slimline, sweet safari, technique, tiger card, window 7 Comments

Slimline Cards #closetomyheart #ctmh #slimlinecards #shakecard #shakerwindowcard #distressoxideinks #thincuts #myacrylix #ctmhsweetsafari #penguincard #hugscard #congratscard #pinkacrylichearts

We are getting crafty with slimline cards today!

Slimline cards are a fun change from the standard, 4¼” x 5½”, size cards. They’re long and narrow, typically measuring 3½” x 8½”, providing a much larger surface area on which to create a design.

One of our favorite Thin Cuts currently available from our January–February Catalog is the Diagonal Stripe Slimline die that cuts a beautiful diagonal stripe pattern, sized especially for the front of a slimline card. Paired with a few simple techniques, it’s easy to create a wide variety of looks with this eye-catching pattern.

We hope that once you’re done visiting with us today, you will leave here feeling inspired and ready to create some of these beauties of your own!

Slimline Cards #closetomyheart #ctmh #slimlinecards #distressoxideinks #thincuts #myacrylix #hugscard #pinkacrylichearts

This first card has a gorgeous, somewhat fantastical galaxy, look to its background.

Slimline Cards #closetomyheart #ctmh #slimlinecards #distressoxideinks #thincuts #hugscard

The card base was sponged with Distress Oxide™ inks and a Mini Ink Blending Tool, creating an exaggerated version of the colors that are most often associated with the northern lights (pink, green, yellow, blue, and violet). The small, star-like spots are the oxidizing effect of the ink when we splattered it with water. When we finally layered the die-cut made using the Diagonal Stripe Slimline Thin Cuts, our out-of-this-world look was complete! The White Daisy lines from the die-cut look like a meteor shower!

These next two cards take two additional approaches to using the Diagonal Stripe Slimline die.

The top card, even though it is more adorable than most store-bought cards, came together in a matter of minutes! We first covered the front of the card base with a solid piece of patterned paper, then layered the diagonal stripe die-cut, also cut from patterned paper, on top. From there, it was a simple matter of weaving in stickers (from our Sweet Safari collection) through the diagonal paper strips. Complete the card with a stamped sentiment on a solid color cardstock and embellish with more cardstock, gems, or stickers.

Slimline Cards #closetomyheart #ctmh #slimlinecards #thincuts #myacrylix #ctmhsweetsafari #hugscard #congratscard #pinkacrylichearts

The background of this third, Congrats, card is a little more involved than the first two we’ve shown you so far, but it is still not difficult to achieve!

Slimline Cards #closetomyheart #ctmh #slimlinecards #thincuts #congratscard

We decided to back 10 of the open spaces of the die-cut with patterned pieces of paper, leaving the remaining spaces free for stamping later. You know those scraps you just can’t seem to throw away? Well, pull them out because this is a great way to use them! All you need are strips of paper that are large enough to cover the gaps. We used 5″ long strips of patterned papers, between ¼” to a smidgen over a ½” wide, and attached them to the die-cut using adhesive only along the top and bottom border. Then, we just trimmed any excess that was hanging over and attached the prepared die-cut, front side up, to a blank card base.

This last card we are sharing with you today is a show-stopping, slimline shaker window card!

Follow along with our Creative Arts Manager, Karen Pedersen, in the video below to see how this endearing card comes together.

Several of the pieces, including the two top frames, were cut using our Cricut^® Art Philosophy collection and Design Space’s Basic Shapes. If you do not have access to our Art Philosophy collection, contact your Close To My Heart Maker or find one near you, here, by clicking on “Find a Maker.”

Click here for the free Cricut Design Space™ file

If you’d like to duplicate our example card exactly, you will need the following materials:

1 – slimline card base
1 – 8½” x 3½” Party Time pattern paper
1 – 8½” x 2″ Flamingo cardstock
1 – 7¾” x 2¾” Distress Watercolor Cardstock (on Design Space file)
1 – 8¼” x 3¼” scalloped Ballerina cardstock rectangle with cutout squares (on Design Space file)
1 – 8″ x 3″ scalloped Flamingo cardstock rectangle (on Design Space file)
1 – 2″ White Daisy cardstock circle (on Design Space file)
Additional White Daisy cardstock for penguins
Winter Penguins Stamp + Thin Cuts
My Acrylix^® Little Miss Message Stamp Set
My Acrylix^® Doodled Borders Stamp Set
Flamingo Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad
Nectarine Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad
Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad
Peacock Feathers Distress Oxide™ Ink Pad
Sweet Safari Puffy Stickers
Pink Acrylic Hearts
Iridescent Flower Confetti
Silver Embellishing Thread
Aqua Blue TriBlend™ Marker
Orange TriBlend™ Marker
Ice Grey TriBlend™ Marker
Dull Green TriBlend™ Marker
Black Journaling Pen (.01)
Square Shaker Window Foam + Acetate
Mini Ink Blending Tool
3-D Foam Tape
Thin 3-D Foam Tape
Die-cutting & Embossing Machine

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February 17, 2021Inspiration, Memory Keeping

A New Months of the Year Stamp Set Series!

Close To My Heartback to school, bbq, calendar, february, january, Months of the Year, perpetual, series, snow, valentine 3 Comments

Months of the Year Stamp Sets #closetomyheart #ctmh #monthsoftheyear #calendar #perpetualcalendar #diy #scrapbooking #january #february #march #april #monthlystampsets

There’s something to love about each month and season, so we’re rolling out an entire years’ worth of stamping fun with a Months of the Year stamp series! With sentiments, icons, and borders for a variety of crafting projects, the stamp sets in the Months of the Year series provide a way to create beautiful artwork for any time of year. Today, we’re going to show off a few of the ways that the January and February sets can be used, and we have a feeling that once you’ve seen these two, you won’t be able to wait for the rest!

With every new set comes new opportunities to craft calendar pages, layouts, and so much more! Each Months of the Year set comes with a variety of different stamps to aid you as you create seasonally specific artwork all though the year. Throughout 2021, these stamps sets will be released, two at a time, with each of our bi-monthly catalogs, so you can look forward to the release of new sets through the end of the year!

Because Close To My Heart serves a global market, we’ve created two stamp sets for each month—one for crafters in the northern hemisphere, and another for artists in the southern hemisphere!

(🤓Fun Fact: Seasons are reversed between the northern and southern hemispheres! When someone in the US might be sledding or skiing, it would be a great time to hit the beach in Australia!)

These stamp sets are not only great to use individually but can also be used to create your own series of artwork along a theme! One of the most challenging parts of memory keeping can trying to decide which stories to tell, and where they should be placed. With a separate set designed for each month of the year, it’s easy to put together monthly scrapbook pages and in no time, you’ll have an entire album telling the story of the past year! This adorable Valentine layout is a wonderful example of how the stamps from the February stamp set can be used as perfect accents for the page design.

In this example, it’s easy to see how well the stamps and the paper we used complement each other, even though they weren’t specifically designed to coordinate with each other. Each Months of the Year set is easy to integrate into your artwork and includes enough variety to mix well with all our paper collections!

In addition to scrapbook layouts, the Months of the Year stamp sets are also a great tool to use when creating calendar pages! As you can see here, we’ve used these stamps to add decoration to full-size calendars and smaller perpetual calendars as well!

The Months of the Year stamp sets will all be available through the end of 2021, so you can order them at a time that works for you, pick and choose your favorites from the series, or get them regularly as they’re released. No matter when or where you use these stamps, we know you’ll love the beautiful designs and gorgeous artwork you can create with them! Did you have a favorite stamp or an idea of how you’d use the Months of the Year stamp sets? Leave a comment below and let us know!

6¼” x 11¼” February Perpetual Calendar
D1997 My Acrylix^® Months of the Year—February Stamp Set, X6038 Candy Apple Cardstock, X6055 Desert Rose Cardstock, X6044 Peach Cardstock, X5985 Smoothie Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z6525 Desert Rose Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6502 Peach Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2896 Smoothie Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3888 Perpetual Calendar, Z3680 Hearts Background Thin Cuts, Z2089 Glue Dots^® Micro Dots, Die-cutting & Embossing Machine

12″ x 12″ Be My Valentine Page
D1997 My Acrylix^® Months of the Year—February Stamp Set, X7265B Sweet Safari Paper Packet, X9023 Mix-in Paper Packet, X6047 Black Cardstock, X6038 Candy Apple Cardstock, X6055 Desert Rose Cardstock, X6044 Peach Cardstock, X5985 Smoothie Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z6525 Desert Rose Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3825 Abandoned Coral Distress Oxide™ Ink Pad™, Z3826 Candied Apple Distress Oxide™ Ink Pad, Z3828 Tattered Rose Distress Oxide™ Ink Pad™, Z4213 Silver Embellishing Thread, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z3886 Mini Ink Blending Tool, Z2089 Glue Dots^® Micro Dots

12″ x 12″ February Calendar Page
D1997E My Acrylix^® Months of the Year—February Stamp Set, X7265S Sweet Safari Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X9023 Mix-in Paper Packet, X5946 Linen Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z3271 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6523 Avocado Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6509 Candy Apple Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2829 Espresso Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6521 Sundance Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3846 Wood Stars, X7265E Sweet Safari Puffy Stickers, Z3581 Base Calendar, Z3515 Black Journaling Pen (.01), Z2089 Glue Dots^® Micro Dots, ½” Hole Punch

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