Color Theory: Using Split-Complementary Colors

Close To My Heartcolor combination, color scheme, color theory, color wheel, complementary, coordination, split-complementary 10 Comments

The first time we talked color on the blog, back in January, we reviewed complementary color schemes and how to use them. We defined complementary colors as two colors opposite the color wheel, such as Cranberry and Willow (red and green), and Goldrush and Pacifica (orange and blue).

Today we want to expand on this scheme. Split complementary colors are pretty much what the name implies. You take two colors opposite each other on the color wheel, like red and green, and split one of them into its two adjacent colors on the wheel.

Take for example red-orange and blue-green. They are opposite each other on the color wheel and therefore complementary. To add a third color using the split complementary scheme, split red-orange into two and use red and orange with the blue-green instead.

How does that translate into our exclusive colors? Take a look:

This card was made using Pomegranate (red), Goldrush (orange), and Lagoon (blue-green) patterned papers and cardstock.

As you know, our exclusive color palette is made up of more hues than the 12 basic colors you see in a color wheel. You can easily add a fourth (maybe dare a fifth and sixth!) color and still be in a split complementary scheme. If you look back at the card, we also incorporated Glacier cardstock, which works well since it also fits into the blue-green family.

In the page above, we used Canary (yellow). Since Canary fits into the yellow category, its complementary color would be violet. Instead of going with the complementary color, we split the complementary and went with hues that fell to either side: Pansy (blue-violet), and Bashful and Pixie (both in the red-violet). Adding different hues in the same color is an easy way to enhance an already winning color combination. Our two-toned cardstock, makes it especially easy to get more variety of the same color when you use both sides.

In case you’re wondering how to classify our exclusive colors in the range of blue-green or red-violet, use this color wheel to simplify your color selection process:

Download color wheel here.

Are you enjoying learning about color? Let us know what you think and what you want to know in the comments below!

Recipes

4¼” x 5½” You Make My Heart Happy Card (Horizontal)
Make It from Your Heart Vol. 1: Pattern 22
A1192 My Acrylix^® Happy Heart Stamp Set, Z3351 Adventure Fundamental Paper Packet, Z3352 Enchantment Fundamental Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5978 Glacier Cardstock, Z2826 Heather Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2854 Pomegranate Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3189 White & Gold Ribbon, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Sewing Machine

12″ x 12″ Shine Page
Make It from Your Heart Vol. 1: Pattern 18
D1757 My Acrylix^® Stargazer—Scrapbooking Stamp Set, X7230B Chelsea Gardens Paper Packet, Z3350 Whimsy Fundamental Paper Packet, X7227B Make Waves Paper Packet, X7229B Stargazer Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5984 Pixie Cardstock, Z2844 Pixie Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2843 Canary Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, X7227C Make Waves Complements, X7229C Stargazer Complements, Z4142 Make Waves Sequins & Gems, Z1297 Edge Distresser, Z1979 Marvy^® Uchida^® LePen™ Jouraling Pen, Sewing Machine

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March 13, 2018Create, Learn

Block Alphabet Thin Cuts Technique

Close To My Heartalphabet, bashful, block alphabet, cards, cricut cuttlebug, die cuts, die-cutting, dies, Thin Cuts 3 Comments

Our Die-namite! sale is in full swing, so why not share yet another way to use our Thin Cuts!

For those of you stumbling across our blog for the first time, Thin Cuts are our special line of metal dies that you can use to cut paper shapes by running them through a die-cutting machine, like the Cricut Cuttlebug™. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and some even coordinate with specific stamp sets. You can create exact shapes, over and over again, without using scissors! And the only thing better than that is that they are on sale through the end of the month at 25% off individual sets and 30% off select bundles! (For a complete list of our Thin Cuts, click here.)

Now let’s talk about that super cute card sending everyone out there HUGS. We made the card above using our Block Alphabet Thin Cuts and a partial die-cutting technique. The step-by-step instructions below will guide you through the process of re-creating this card, or one like it with a sentiment of your choice!

Materials Needed:
X7228B Gimme Some Sugar Paper Packet
Z3350 Whimsy Fundamentals
X5941 Bashful Cardstock
1385 White Daisy Cardstock
Z3386 Thin Cuts—Block Alphabet
Z3274 Clear Sparkles
Z1263 Bitty Sparkles
Z4014 White & Gold Twine
Z3372 Adhesive Runner
Washi Tape
Die-cutting Machine

Prepare and Cut.

To replicate our card exactly, you will need the following pieces:

1 standard card base
2″ x 4¼” White Daisy cardstock
2¾” x 4¼” light Bashful cardstock (our cardstock is 2-toned and we used the light side for this piece)
3½” x 4¼” Bashful cardstock
4¼” x 4¼” white flowers on Pixie paper from Gimme Some Sugar paper packet

Step 1. Planning your letter placement.

With a pencil, lightly draw a line 1″ from the right edge on all four cardstock pieces.

Step 2. Attaching the alphabet Thin Cuts.

Again, with a pencil, lightly mark 1 3/8″ from the top of the cardstock. Align the top of the alphabet Thin Cuts with this mark and the left edge slightly over the line you drew in step 1. You should be able to see the pencil line on the inner edge of the die. Once your dies are aligned, secure them with washi tape.

Tip: make sure your letters are in the correct order. The first letter should be on the shortest paper and the last letter on the longest.

Step 3. Partially cutting the letters.

As our preferred die-cutting machine, we used a Cricut Cuttlebug™ for this step. If your machine is something different, adjust as needed.

Layer a platform and a C-size plate and align the edges. Place the White Daisy cardstock on top of this combination so that the line you have drawn is about 1/8″ below the bottom of the plate. This will put the right half of the cardstock on the plate and leave the left half of the cardstock hanging off the plate. Adhere the piece in place with washi tape so it will not move when it’s run through the die-cutting machine. Anything below the plate will not cut through.

Layer a B-size plate on top and run the paper through your die-cutting machine. You should end up with a partially cut letter, still attached on the left.

Repeat this step with all of your letters.

Step 4. Trim off the excess.

To get a clean, straight edge, trim along the pencil line with a paper trimmer. DO NOT CUT ALL THE WAY THROUGH! Leave the part of the letters that are supposed to be attached uncut.

Tip: for the center line of the S, trim with scissors.

Step 5. Assemble your card!

Erase any remaining pencil lines and build your card. Attach your letters to the white flower Pixie paper starting one inch from the left with the S on the bottom, followed by the G, then U, and then the H.

Tip: embellish with twine before attaching this front to the card base.

That’s all, folks! Use this technique to make a standard-sized card with any custom sentiment, anything between 4 to 6 letters long, using our Block Alphabet Thin Cuts!

Share any comments or questions regarding this technique in the comments below!

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March 8, 2018Celebrate, Create

Hello Spring!

Close To My Heartalphabet, banner, easter, free, printable, printables, season, seasonal, spring, Thin Cuts, wreath 14 Comments

Even though we knew it was coming, as it does every year, spring is sneaking up on us fast! Technically it won’t be spring for another couple weeks, so there’s still time to pull out and sort through all of those brightly colored decorations. (Phew!)

And because spring is all about new beginnings, we have a few fun things in store for you to add to your stash! Just keep reading! 😉

First, we want to show you how to dress up a wreath you may already have with a fun pennant banner made using our Block Alphabet Thin Cuts dies (which are 25% off through the end of the month as part of our Die-namite! sale).

If you look closely, you’ll see that we layered each of our letters with silver foil. Using our Thin Cuts, we cut our sentiment out twice, once out of White Daisy cardstock and then again out of silver foil paper. The silver foil letters were cut in half and then attached to the White Daisy using an adhesive runner. Then, we attached the letters with thin 3-D foam tape onto individual pennants that would later form our banner. To make the pennants, we simply cut 1½” x 3¾” rectangles and dovetailed one of the ends.

Attach the pennants to white twine using a hot glue gun to spell out your words—one word per strand of twine. Make sure to leave enough twine on the ends to tie the banners to the wreath.

You can make a banner like this one for pretty much any occasion just by changing the sentiment. From welcoming a new season, to holidays, or birthdays—the Block Alphabet Thin Cuts give you the tools for spelling out whatever it is you want to celebrate in style!

And since we are talking seasonal décor, we have a special treat for those of you who’ve made it this far: two FREE printables for the upcoming Easter season.

hello spring #ctmh #closetomyheart #hello #spring #pennant #banner #wreath #thin #cuts #diecuts #thincuts #dies #alpha #block #letters #alphabet #home #decor #decoration #decorating #diy #easter #hesirisen #myredeemerlives #printable #redeemer #lives #matthew28 #risen #resurrection #floral #flower #watercolor #free #printable #printables

Download your 8″ x 10″ printable here:

He is Risen
My Redeemer Lives

As we celebrate this season of new beginnings, we thank you for reading and sharing this blog. Our hope is that the inspirational artwork ideas and tips we present here help crafters of all types to discover their creativity and to exercise their creative muscles in new, exciting ways. Happy Easter!

Recipe:

Z3351 Adventure Fundamental Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z3366 Silver Foil Paper, Z3386 Thin Cuts—Block Alphabet, Z3216 White Twine, Z3372 Adhesive Runner, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, 12″ Wreath, Hot Glue Gun

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March 6, 2018Create, Learn

Stacking Die-cuts In Your Favor

Close To My HeartBasic Stars, Stargazer, stars, technique, Thin Cuts 12 Comments

Thin Cuts come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Stars, hearts, circles, flowers, ovals, banners, tags, numbers, letters—just to name a few 😉 . Our goal this month is to remind you just how handy these tools can be in creating beautiful artwork that is versatile and, dare we say it—Die-namite!

Stacking Die-cuts #ctmh #closetomyheart #dies #diecuts #thincuts #thin #stars #basic #shapes #primary #colors #red #yellow #blue #sapphire #canary #lemon #stargazer #gazer #SE1 #pacifica #pewter #poppy #scrapping #scrapbooking #memory #keeping #technique #3D #dimension

All of our basic shapes Thin Cuts come in a set of four dies ranging in size, from 1″ to 2½”. In the page above we used our Basic Stars Thin Cuts to create something that literally pops off the page.

First we attached the largest stars to the page. You can use glue dots, thin 3-D foam tape, or both—which is what we did. Add the adhesive only to the center of the shape to keep it from going completely flat.

The smaller stars were stacked on top and then attached with a mini staple—not only functioning as an adhesive but as an added design element. You’ll notice that we only used three out of the four star sizes per stack. We found that doing more than three looked too bulky and didn’t visually work with our page. (If you remember from one of our previous posts, details in odd numbers look better than even!) Lastly, using nothing more than a finger, we lifted the corners up starting with the top layer.

Replicate this user-friendly technique with any of our basic shape Thin Cuts. If you want to achieve a similar effect with a Thin Cut that doesn’t come in a variety of sizes, follow the same steps and stack the same sized shapes on top of each other.

And don’t forget, our Thin Cuts are on sale this month! Save 25% on individual sets and 30% on select bundles! Click here to shop!

Recipe

12″ x 12″ #cool Champion Page
X7229B Stargazer Paper Packet, Z3351 Adventure Fundamental Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5957 Sapphire Cardstock, X7229C Stargazer Complements, Z3356 All-Star Complements, Z4143 Stargazer Dots, Z3329 Thin Cuts—Basic Stars, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z3188 Paintbrush Set, Z2027 Mini Stapler, Sewing Machine

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March 1, 2018Create, Learn

Shape Your Photos with Thin Cuts!

Close To My Heartbanners, die cuts, Hearts, photos, Thin Cuts 10 Comments

Shaping Your Photos w Thin Cuts #ctmh #closetomyheart #ThinCuts #thin #cuts #die #dies #cutting #cuttlebug #cuddlebug #diecutting #shape #photo #banner #heart #basic #easy #diy #doityourself #scrapping #scrapbook #scrapbooking #idea #dienamite #dynamite #family #love #pennant #banner

Who ever said that Thin Cuts are just for paper? Shape your photos and make them part of your designs by cutting them from pretty much any Thin Cuts that work for you! Our Thin Cuts are just the right size to run through most die-cutting machines, so why not give them a try!? You are going to love the results!

Using our basic banner Thin Cuts, we were able to create the incredibly fun page you see above. It came together quickly and easily, no fussy cutting required!

With Thin Cuts, you can see where to place the die on your photo to make sure you cut the shape exactly how you want it. The die is an outline of the shape it will cut. There’s no wondering if you’re going to accidentally trim someone or something important out of your photo. Place the die on your photo, check to make sure your subject displays how you want it to, and run the die and photo through your die-cutting machine to get a perfectly shaped photo.

This also lets you make sure you choose the right size shape for your photo. Basic shape Thin Cuts come in shapes like hearts, stars, circles, or ovals in four different sizes for a variety of options.

Here’s another darling example, this time using the basic hearts Thin Cuts. Using Thin Cuts on your photos is a simple, creative way to add visual interest to your layout. It’s fun to break out of the rectangle or square mold to give the photos you love a new look.

From scrapbook pages and cards to wall hangings and any other papercraft you can imagine up—the possibilities are endless when using Thin Cuts!

And if that’s not incentive enough, our Thin Cuts are on sale this month! Save 25% on individual sets of Thin Cuts, including some that we have brought out of retirement specifically for this sale, and 30% on select bundles! Check this Die-namite sale out, here.

What do you guys think? Let us know in the comments below!

Recipes:

12″ x 12″ Pennant Thin Cuts Page
X7229B Stargazer Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5955 Pebble Cardstock, X5953 Charcoal Cardstock, X7230C Chelsea Gardens Complements, Z1263 Bitty Sparkles, Z3274 Clear Sparkles, Z3345 Thin Cuts—Basic Banners, Z3132 Watercolor Paints

12″ x 12″ Heart Thin Cuts Page
X7229B Stargazer Paper Packet, X7230B Chelsea Gardens Paper Packet, Z3351 Adventure Fundamental Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X7230C Chelsea Gardens Complements, Bitty Sparkles, Z3274 Clear Sparkles, Z3317 Thin Cuts—Basic Hearts, Z3132 Watercolor Paints

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February 27, 2018Create, Learn

Taking Your Artwork up a Notch

Close To My Heartart, artwork, design, elevate, tips, tricks Leave a comment

We’re rolling up our sleeves today and sharing a few of our “tricks” to add that little something extra to create artwork that looks polished and complete. Check it out!

There are several things to learn from this layout, alone.

Embellishment Clusters.

Embellishments are a great way to add intricate details to any paper project. When putting clusters together, do so in odd numbers—consider three or five. (Any more than five may start to look too crowded and can take away from the project as a whole, so proceed with caution.)

Soft and Sharp Edges.

As you’re laying down your pieces, Complements or any other type of embellishment, mix your edges up. What does that mean? If you have pieces that have pointed or sharp edges, add something with a rounded edge next to it. This creates balance in the art and avoids making it look too harsh (or too soft, in contrast).

Plan Your Stamping.

Before you start stamping away all over your beautiful (and sometimes hard!) work, come up with a plan. One of the perks of My Acrylix^® stamps is that they are transparent. Before sticking them to a block and inking, lay your stamps out on your project to help you find just the right placement.

Raise Some Edges.

This is an especially easy way to add texture and interest to your artwork. After adhering a pattern piece, or Complement, lift the edges with your finger. It doesn’t have to be sewn on for it to work, either.

This last “trick” is cardmaking specific.

Ever wonder how we pull cards off that have twine or ribbon wrapped around them?

Use a False Front!

Elevate Your Artwork #ctmh #closetomyheart #elevate #art #artwork #make #waves #mermaid #little #girl #be #strong #you #brave #fearless #beach #clusters #stamping #lifted #edges #soft #hard #tips #diy #howto #doityourself #cardmaking #card #making #super #girl #boy #wonder #kids #superhero #heroes #hero #card #front

This simple, yet mind blowing, trick will make all the difference in your cardmaking game. Cut a 5½” x 4¼” piece of White Daisy cardstock and decorate it as if it were the card. Wrap your ribbons and twine around it and adhere the ends on the back before attaching the cardstock to the card base. The ugly, glued ends are now hidden from sight giving your card a finished look.

There you have it, folks! Five of our tricks to elevate your artwork for picture perfect quality!

Recipes:

12″ x 12″ Be You Layout
Make It from Your Heart Vol. 3: Pattern 23
D1764 My Acrylix^® Make Waves—Scrapbooking Stamp Set, X7227B Make Waves Paper Packet, Z3350 Whimsy Fundamental Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2841 Glacier Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2895 Lagoon Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, X7227C Make Waves Complements, Z4142 Make Waves Sequins & Gems, Z1979 Marvy^® Uchida^® LePen™ Journaling Pen, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Sewing Machine

4¼” × 5½” Boy Wonder Card (Horizontal)
Z4162 Super Boy Stamp + Thin Cuts, X7229B Stargazer Paper Packet, X7230B Chelsea Gardens Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5957 Sapphire Cardstock, Z3146 Watercolor Paper, Z2816 Cranberry Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3271 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, X7229C Stargazer Complements, Z4155 Chelsea Gardens Dots & Gems, Z3216 White Twine, Z4145 Light Grey Ribbon, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z3188 Paintbrush Set, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Die-cutting Machine

4¼” × 5½” This Girl Can Card (Vertical)
Z4163 Super Girl Stamp + Thin Cuts, X7229B Stargazer Paper Packet, X7230B Chelsea Gardens Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5978 Glacier Cardstock, Z3146 Watercolor Paper, Z2831 Charcoal Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3271 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, X7229C Stargazer Complements, Z4143 Stargazer Dots, Z3216 White Twine, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z3188 Paintbrush Set, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Die-cutting Machine

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February 22, 2018Create, Learn

Mermaid Tails & Fish Scales, Oh My!

Close To My Heartbeach, fish scales, getaway, girl, girly, little girl, Make Waves, mermaid, mermaid tails, ocean, Sea, technique, vacation 4 Comments

Every girl wants to be a princess mermaid! Everywhere we look, we are inundated with a sea of little girls (and some not so little girls 🙂 ) donning some sort of tribute to the beautiful mythical creatures. Mermaids are so popular that they have incorporated themselves into everyday, useful items: from mermaid tail blankets to mermaid tail swimwear, dressing up as a mermaid is no longer just for costume. And at Close To My Heart we love them too! (Have you seen our Make Waves collection?!)

Because we’re sure you’ll have plenty of reasons to scrapbook memories surrounding this trend, including a trip to the beach or a tropical getaway, we want to share with you how to duplicate the fish scale pattern we created in this layout from our Seasonal Expressions catalog.

Mermaids and Fish Scales #ctmh #closetomyheart #mermaid #magic #magical #stardust #mythological #fishscale #fishtail #fish #tail #scale #girl #girly #sea #ocean #beach #water #getaway #vacation #technique #cricut

The technique is quite simple, but the end result will be stunning!

STEP 1—Consider the space you will be covering up with scales and decide what size circles you want to use.

Once you know the size of circles you will be using, a little basic math comes in handy in figuring out how many you will need to cut in order to fill your space. In our example layout we have a 12-inch piece of cardstock and 1¼-inch circles. So, 12 divided by 1.25 equals 9.6, which means we roughly needed 9½ circles per row. To cover the bottom four inches of our paper with this pattern, we needed 7 rows (of 9½) circles. That made 67 circles, which we cut with our trusty Cricut^®. (If you don’t have a Cricut^®, a hole punch will work, too!)

Of course, math isn’t for everyone so if you’d rather wing it, go for it! 😉

STEP 2—Lay your circles down starting with the top row.

STEP 3—Add a second row.

You’ll want to attach these circles off-center, covering up the lower half of the circles in the row above.

STEP 4—Continue adding all of your rows, one by one.

step 5—Trim your edges, and you’re done!

Told you it was easy! Now go make some mermaid tails of your own and let us know how they worked out for you in the comments below!

Recipe:

12″ x 12″ Mermaid Page
D1764 My Acrylix^® Make Waves—Scrapbooking Stamp Set, X7227B Make Waves Paper Packet, X5941 Bashful Cardstock, Z3146 Watercolor Paper, Z2841 Glacier Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3271 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, X7227C Make Waves Complements, Z4142 Make Waves Sequins & Gems, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z3188 Paintbrush Set, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z3389 Cricut^® You Are Here Collection

Cricut^® Shape:
You Are Here
1¼” Title <RandR> (cut 67, p. 42, #M46F6E)

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February 20, 2018Create, Learn

Color Theory: Monochromatic and Analogous Colors

Close To My Heartanalogous, bashful, Blossom, color scheme, color theory, color wheel, monochromatic, Pixie, Pretty in Pink, Raspberry 12 Comments

A lot of us know, or at least think we know, what a monochromatic color scheme is. Monochromatic color designs make use of a single color that varies in lightness and saturation. This type of color “combination,” if you will, is easy to achieve with some of our favorite Close To My Heart products. Take our two-toned Bashful cardstock, for example. We have Bashful on one side and light Bashful on the other. Because they are two tones of the same color, when used together they are considered monochromatic. Second generation stamping, where you stamp an image a second time without applying more ink to get a lighter image, is another way to play with monochromatic colors in your art.

Color Theory #ctmh #closetomyheart #monochromatic #analogous #color #colour #wheel #bashful #pixie #blossom #raspberry #combination #coordinating #coordinate #coordination #theory #pink #shades #variant #variation #pretty #prettyinpink #girl #girly #family #ombre #home #love #share

Sometimes, a piece of artwork that we may think is monochromatic is actually following an analogous scheme, which is just a fancy way of saying that the featured colors are next to each other on the color wheel. One color is typically dominant while neighboring colors are used to enhance the design. In our example layout above, we make use of both monochromatic and analogous colors.

If we visit our CTMH color wheel, you can see that the four colors we used throughout our layout, Bashful, Pixie, Blossom, and Raspberry, are all adjacent to each other. (As a reminder, we have our Pretty in Pink sale going on through the end of the month where you can find products in these colors at a discount!) This layout would’ve worked in much the same way with Sapphire, Pacifica, Crystal Blue, and Peacock.

The ideas that we discuss in this series of posts are what really matter—not the technical names or scientific reasons why they all work. The end goal is to know how to, time and time again, choose colors that will work well together as you create beautiful art worthy of preserving your memories.

So, here’s what you need from this post for your color scheme toolbox: when you’re choosing colors for your artwork, start at the color wheel. Pick a dominant color and then look at the colors around it. Make use of these colors with your papers, inks, Complements, and accessories and you can’t go wrong! 🙂

For more color combination ideas revisit last month’s color theory post:
Complementary Colors and How to Use Them

Recipe:

12″ x 12″ What I Love About My Home Layout
C1709 My Acrylix^® Chelsea Gardens—Cardmaking Stamp Set, D1728 My Acrylix^® What Matters Most Stamp Set, B1572 My Acrylix^® Banner Love Stamp Set, A1182 My Acrylix^® Etched Alphabet Stamp Set, D1733 My Acrylix^®Splash of Color Stamp Set, Z3350 Whimsy Fundamental Paper Packet, Z3351 Adventure Fundamental Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5941 Bashful Cardstock, X5984 Pixie Cardstock, Z5973 Blossom Cardstock, X5974 Raspberry Cardstock, Z3360 Bashful Glitter Paper, Z3238 Gold Glitter Paper, Z2819 Bashful Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2844 Pixie Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2810 Blossom Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2812 Raspberry Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, Z3388 Picture My Life™ Cards—The Story Begins (Baby Girl), X7227C Make Waves Complements, Z3369 Bashful Pearls, Z3381 Heart Clips, Z2066 Ranger™ Princess Gold Embossing Powder, Z555 Craft Heater

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February 15, 2018Create, Memory Keeping, organization

Vision Boards: Organizing Your Creative Dreams

Close To My Heart 4 Comments

Because we whole heartedly believe in getting your creative dreams in order, here’s a rerun of one of our favorite organization posts. Enjoy!

Typically when we decide it’s time to organize our lives, we think about things like paper stashes, overflowing closets, garages, or the plastic containers stacked precariously in the kitchen. But are all of these things really life? Sure, they play roles in our life, but they’re hopefully not what drives us to get up in the morning.

In the spirit of organization, we decided to tackle a project that’s a little more elusive than cupboards and drawers: organizing your creative intentions through a vision board!

So, what’s a vision board? It’s a place to display images, words, or objects that represent what you want to be and do with your life in one beautiful, central location. Our hope is that this fun project will help you design your vision for your art and your life, all while keeping your thoughts and actions organized enough to accomplish it.

Organizing Your Creative Dreams #ctmh #closetomyheart #vision #board #organize #organizing #organise #organising #creative #create #dreams #design #cork #bulletin #pins #craft #crafting #diy #doityourself #frame #framing

Your vision board can become your light at the end of the tunnel during creative blocks. It will keep you motivated to continue heading toward your personal creative oasis!

Now let’s dive into what you’ll need to do to create your vision board! As with all art projects on this blog, we encourage you to use this example as a jumping off point to inspire you in your own creative pursuits. With this project in particular it is especially important for you to take your own, individual spin.

Start by spending some time seriously considering what you want this vision board to accomplish. What do you need to remember most in your life? Find a few words or phrases that speak to where you are in life right now. Once you’ve decided what these are, use stamps, Cricut^® cuts, Picture My Life™ cards, or simply your own handwriting to express them.

Include lists of your creative dreams and goals. Whether that includes a list of techniques you want to learn, albums you want to finish, places you want to visit, or dreams you have for your family, writing it down and reading it every day will help you make the choices necessary to bring it from your imagination into reality.

Always stay on the lookout for bits and pieces of your life to add to your vision board. Surrounding yourself with bits and pieces of what you love in this world will be your sunlight on cloudy days. One simple way to do this is through your regular crafting routine. Keep your eyes open for scraps of embellishments such as ribbon, washi tape, or Complements. Cut a little more Shimmer Trim than you ended up needing for your layout? Save it and recycle it for your vision board!

Remember that this board is an organization tool. When your to-do list looks as cute as this, you won’t be able to resist taking care of everything on it. Even weekly schedules take on a new light when you dress them up. It’s also a great place to include other items you need to attend to, such as invitations to weddings that you’re planning on making cards or gifts for.

Make sure the things you include on your vision board are what you’re naturally drawn to, not what you think you should be drawn to. Remember this process needs to be fun! Let your creativity get playful and choose things out of the ordinary. Dare to do things like stamp and emboss a photo or include random scraps of doodling. The most important thing is not to overthink it; just follow your creative heart!

There you have it: the beginner’s guide to streamlining your creative life. Although our craft rooms may never stay organized, at least our creative visions can stay on track. 😉

For even more vision boards ideas, check out these other blog posts:

5 Tips for Creating a Vision Board
3 Ways to Create a Vision Board

Now go create your vision!

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Prepare and Cut.

Step 1. Planning your letter placement.

Step 2. Attaching the alphabet Thin Cuts.

Step 3. Partially cutting the letters.

Step 4. Trim off the excess.

Step 5. Assemble your card!

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Embellishment Clusters.

Soft and Sharp Edges.

Plan Your Stamping.

Raise Some Edges.

Use a False Front!

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STEP 1—Consider the space you will be covering up with scales and decide what size circles you want to use.

STEP 2—Lay your circles down starting with the top row.

STEP 3—Add a second row.

STEP 4—Continue adding all of your rows, one by one.

step 5—Trim your edges, and you’re done!

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