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!
This first card has a gorgeous, somewhat fantastical galaxy, look to its background.
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-cutmade 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!
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.
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!
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.”
Halloween may look a bit different this year than what we’re used to, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still have some fun! To keep the tradition of offering treats where treats are due, we’ve designed a few tags in Cricut Design Space™ using our festive Got Candy? paper collection and we’re sharing our designer’s file with you free, here!
The spooky themes of the Got Candy? patterned papers and stickers paired with the versatile shapes of our Art Philosophy Cricut® collection are a scream-of-a-treat all on their own! To access our free file, you will need your own access to the shapes of the Art Philosophy collection. If you do not own this Cricut® collection and would like to make the tags from this project, contact your Close To My Heart Maker to learn how.
Four of the seven pieces are tags that come together quickly with a few cut shapes, stickers, and some ribbon. If you take a closer look at the remaining three, you’ll notice that there’s a little something extra about them.
These remaining few pieces also come together easily, but they do have some extra features! There’s a tag that has a pocket to carry a gift card, a tag that opens up to a card, and a hanging door tag that can hold a small treat (perfect for ding dong ditching!).
Whether you choose to make just one or all of these delectable handmade tags, we hope you continue to find ways to enjoy sharing the festive Halloween spirit this year. If you have any questions about these projects or would like to share ways that you’ve been using the Got Candy? paper collection, leave us a comment below!
For additional crafting fun with our Got Candy? collection, don’t forget to join us later this week, October 21 and 22, at 2 p.m. (MDT), on our Facebook page where we will be hosting a free live workshop, making scrapbook pages and treat toppers! (Visit our events page for more details.)
Christmas time is officially here, and in the midst of all the hustle and bustle, most of us still have some last-minute holiday prep to take care of. Everyone wants to have the perfect Christmas; whether you’re still trying to find a gift for your neighbors, come up with favors for a Christmas party, or searching for the perfect stocking stuffer, we want to help out with a few last-minute Christmas treat ideas!
To create these fun projects, we used shapes from our Cricut® Art Philosophy and Artiste collections. These collections include a wide variety of shapes for any project and are available for purchase through your local Consultant.
Before you start on these projects, make sure you have all the tools you need to complete them. A few of the Cricut® shapes will require a scoring tool. If you don’t have a scoring tool, you can add your own scoring lines with a bone folder after the shape has been cut.
The first treat idea we’ll be showing you today is an adorable Christmas mouse. This treat idea is great for all ages! After all, who wouldn’t love a cute little mouse with a candy tail?
To make your very own Christmas mice, cut out an egg shape (#M4462D) for the body and two droplet shapes (#M462B8) for the ear pieces, both from our Art Philosophy Cricut® collection. When cutting the body, be sure to include two small slits in the middle of each body piece. This allows you to easily attach and remove the candy cane tail. To form these slits, insert two small lines (#M369889) from the Basic Shapes tab to your design before cutting. (If you’re going to cut these pieces by hand, use a crafting knife to make these two cuts.)
Once you’ve got all your pieces cut, gently thread a candy cane through the slits on each mouse and attach the ears. For the finishing touch, add some black and white dots to create a nose and eyes. We colored our noses red with an alcohol marker.
With a few of these mice, you’ll have a gift or party favor that is sure to delight!
The next treat idea we have for you today is a mini gingerbread house treat box, made to hold all kinds of yummy surprises.
With white embossed “icing” on the roof and tiny stamped candies flanking the door, this gingerbread house looks good enough to eat, right along with the tasty treats inside!
Before you start making your gingerbread house, note that this particular cut includes score lines. You will need to adjust the cutting tools on your machine accordingly.
To create this too-cute gingerbread house, cut a pyramid box (#M440E0) from our Artiste collection using Kraft paper. Fold along the score lines included in the Cricut® shape and then, attach the sides of the box together with adhesive. Tie the top with some of your favorite ribbon and embellish it with layers of embossed icing and some stamped images from the My Acrylix® From Candyland stamp set.
The last treat we have for you today is a Santa-hat inspired box. This little box packs a whole lot of cheer and makes a fun and festive party favor or stocking stuffer. Just like the gingerbread house, this treat box includes a few score lines and will require you to adjust your cutting tools to create them.
To make your own Santa hat treat box, cut out a pinwheel (#M38DAA) from our Artiste Cricut® collection and fold along the score lines provided in the shape. Once you’ve made your folds, tuck the pinwheel arms behind each other to form the box.
Once you’ve got your treats inside and the box is fully formed, stick a pom-pom on top for a festive finishing touch. This treat box is the perfect size to slip into a stocking and cute enough to give out all on its own. No matter how you gift it, or to whom, it’s sure to be a hit! 🙂
We hope you’ve enjoyed these quick Christmas treat ideas and wish you the sweetest holidays!
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.
YOU ARE HERE
Sample Shapes: (Not all shapes shown.)
Artwork Example:
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!
When you see them on the cover of Seasonal Expressions 2 you will immediately fall in love. They have yet to sprout in your garden, but they can be popping up all over your craft room. Oh, the sweet, sweet flavor of STRAWBERRIES!
If you’ve got a green thumb and want the secrets of our papercrafted berry bliss, read on to satisfy your craving with these simple instructions:
1. Cut out the pieces.
Our adorable Paper Fundamentals make a great start for this project. The UV-coated patterns add a lifelike glossy sheen to the finished berries, making them look like they’ve just been picked from your strawberry patch.
The shapes are simple to cut and assemble using our Cricut® cartridges. For all the specifics, see the handy recipe below. We started with the strawberry box and topper from the Artiste cartridge, and then added a little extra greenery from the Art Philosophy cartridge to complete our fresh-off-the-vine look.
2. Ink the edges.
Our white-core cardstock is just the look we want . . . most of the time. In this case, we want nothing but bright, red juiciness. Ink up those edges with a color that matches your paper of choice. Here we’ve capitalized on Cranberry with a sponge dauber. We’ve also taken our Topiary leaves to the next level with some inking on the edges—it’s more magical than Miracle-Gro®!
3. Fold the panels.
You’ll find in your Cricut® Artiste carrying case some handy assembly instructions to guide you as you put together many of our Artiste projects. Our strawberries are found on page 53.
Fold along the helpful tic marks to make individual panels. There’s no need to score beforehand—in fact, doing so would take away from the curvaceous shape of the fruit. Steer clear of sharp creases.
4. Assemble the strawberries.
To construct that succulent strawberry shape, first secure the side tab with Glue Dots™ to create the “point” of the berry. Once that’s in place, pull up all other panels one by one, rounding rather than folding over, and secure on top with Glue Dots™.
5. Ink the remaining white space.
There’s that white core again, peeking through your tic marks! Take an inky sponge dauber to those remaining white spaces to make this berry extra convincing.
6. Assemble leafy top and attach.
Shape some of your inked leaves by hand to give them dimension, then layer them on top of each other to your liking, attaching with Glue Dots™. Attach your blossom (a beautiful touch, don’t you think?) to your leaf cluster, then attach the entire topper to your little red beauty with (yep, you got it) Glue Dots™.
Ta-da! There you have a summertime favorite so realistic it’ll make mouths water. If these aren’t a sweet idea, we don’t know what is.
Enjoy your harvest!
Recipe
Basket of Cricut® Strawberries
1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2033 Paper Fundamentals Whimsy Assortment, Z2031 Paper Fundamentals Enchantment Assortment, Z2032 Paper Fundamentals Adventure Assortment, Z2642 Flaxen Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z2170 Ruby Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z2197 Pear Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z2116 Cranberry Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z2155 Topiary Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z1790 Cricut® Artiste Collection, Z1686 Cricut® Art Philosophy Collection
Cricut® Shapes: Artiste
½”and ¾” Shift+Accent 2 ‹R› (cut several, p. 44)
1½”, 2″, and 2½” 3D Object ‹VlntnDay› (cut several, p. 72)
1¼”, 1½”, and 2″ Shift+3D Object ‹Valentne› (cut several, p. 72)
¾” and 1″ Shift+Accent 3 ‹F› (cut several, p. 54)
Art Philosophy
1″, 1¼”, and 1½” Shift+‹Leaf4› (cut several, p. 56)
