A handmade, heartfelt card can brighten anyoneâs day no matter the occasion (or lack thereof đ) and we’ve got three for you today, all made from the same pattern!
Making its original debut in our Laughing Lola Workshops on the GoÂŽ cardmaking guide years ago, we paired this timeless pattern with several different paper designs and stamp sets to create multiple unique cards, each with their own distinct look and flair!
For our last card, we paired the flat pattern with the Candid Moments paper packet and Cardmaking stamp and Thin Cuts to create an “any occasion,” “any time,” card that will still dazzle its recipient. This card uses the same flat pattern as the previous two, we just changed it up a bit by rotated it 90 degrees!
With most card patterns, itâs possible to get an entirely different look simply by rotating them. When you throw different paper designs and color palettes in the mix, the possibilities for creativity increase exponentially!
Cards made from this Laughing Lola pattern are incredibly easy to put together, come together quickly, and still look great! Not only is this card pattern easy to put together and customize, but itâs also a great pattern to use if youâre looking to make a lot of cards in one sitting.
For even more timeless cardmaking patterns, check out our cardmaking how-to book, Make It from Your Heart⢠volume 4. If you love the free patterns on the blog, youâre sure to be blown away by the beautiful, one-of-a-kind, patterns in this book!
Whether itâs the tropical beach vacation of your dreams or a mini staycation, we all need a little getaway every once-in-a-while, even at Christmastime. With our newest Deck the Palms collection, we have cards and scrapbook layouts for you to create an island paradise of your own during your very next crafting session!
We have not one but TWO exclusive scrapbooking Deck the Palms workshops to share with you! Like a lot of our scrapbooking workshops, both workshops make one single page and three two-page coordinating 12″ x 12″ scrapbook layouts. The difference between them is that one is in a general tropical theme and the other is a tropical Christmas theme. The uniqueness about these workshops is that the pages between them are almost identical in design, only differing in which side of the pattern paper and embellishments you use. (Even the instruction guide is the same! Download the scrapbooking workshop guide, here.)
(Both sticker sheets have glossy UV-coated accents!)
All of these embellishments are available on their own or as part of their corresponding scrapbooking workshop, except for the tropical sticker sheet. This sticker sheet is only available for purchase with the Deck the Palms Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet. The paper packet patterned papers are also part of both Deck the Palms scrapbooking workshops. If you are not familiar with Close To My Heart pattern papers, they are each 12″ x 12″ plus an additional ½” accent paper along the top of each (we call those âzip stripsâ), and they all have double-sided designs, meaning thereâs one design on one side and a different design on the reverse side of each sheet of patterned paper.
Our Deck the Palms Paper Packet is no different! One side of the pattern papers are tropical themed, and the reverse are tropical Christmas themed with beautiful accent zip strips, providing even more patterns to craft with!
Also part of this collection, and included in part in all three workshop kits, is the specially designed coordinating Deck the Palms cardstock. Each sheet has one of our exclusive colors in its usual cardstock texture on one side and on the reverse side weâve added gorgeous UV-coated patterns to fit the collectionâs theme! (Stock up on these fast because they will not last long!)
This is only part of the holiday fun we have in store with this collection, so make sure to visit our website to see all the Deck the Palms products available and also join us as we make all of the artwork from these workshops on our Facebook page! We will be making all the workshop cards on December 3 at 2 p.m., MT, and then all the workshop scrapbook layouts (both themes!) on December 9 at 2 p.m., MT.
**A little insider tip: Be sure to like, comment, or share our FB Live while we are live on the event page and get entered to win some awesome prizes!
Thereâs a lot to love about getting VIP treatment, and itâs no different at Close To My Heart! Today, weâre going to give you an inside look at one of our new, exclusive productsâjust for VIP Customersâthe VIP Flower Shop card kit!
The VIP Flower Shop card kit is the ultimate easy cardmaking solution, and is so simple, you can even make your cards on the go! Each card box contains 15 pre-printed card bases, three exclusive banner die-cut sheets, a mini stamp block and ink pad, and the My AcrylixÂŽ Flower Shop stamp set, which is only available with the VIP Flower Shop card kit.
This kit comes not only with everything you need to make beautiful cards in minutes but is itself an eye-catching storage solution for cards youâve already made! Along with the card components, the VIP Flower Shop card kit includes tabbed dividers, making it easy to keep track of cards for all occasions.
The VIP Flower Shop card kit is only available to Close To My Heart VIP Customers and will only be around through the end of October, so if youâre not already a member of our VIP Customer Program, consider signing up today! Signing up is quick and easy, and with a small annual fee of $35 USD*, new VIPs get an immediate sign-up bonus of $15 in VIP Credit! If youâre already a VIP Customer, youâll be delighted to know that youâll also be receiving a renewal bonus of $15 USD* in VIP Credits when you continue your membership for a second year!
As a member of the VIP Customer Program, you can earn 15% of the retail amount of your order back in VIP Credit. This benefit rewards you each time you place an order with your Close To My Heart Maker! You can also gain access to exclusive productsâlike the VIP Flower Shop card kitâand virtual events throughout the year, just for VIP customers!
VIP Customer Program members also have the opportunity to earn the Stamp of the MonthFREE when they place an order of $50 USD* or more. These stamp sets are typically available for $18.95 USD* retail price, so itâs an amazing perk for our VIP customers to be able to get these sets for free!
We canât wait for you to discover all the amazing perks available to you as a VIP! Sign up today to be a part of this amazing crafting community and start earning your own VIP perks, including the exclusive VIP Flower Shop Card Kit!
*All monetary values are reflected in USD. If you live outside the United States, please contact your Close To My Heart Maker for prices specific to your market.
Slimline cards are a fun change from the standard, 4Âź” x 5½”, size cards. Theyâre 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 JanuaryâFebruary 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, itâs easy to create a wide variety of looks with this eye-catching pattern.
We hope that once youâre 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 weâve 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 canât 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 Âź” 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 CricutÂŽ Art Philosophy collection and Design Spaceâs 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 âFind a Maker.â
We have an early Valentine for all our loyal readersâa free card pattern! Celebrate along with us and share the love this Valentine’s Day, and anytime, with a personalized handmade card!
Making its original debut in our Blossom Workshops on the GoÂŽ cardmaking guide years ago, we paired this timeless pattern with our lovely Perfect Match collection to create four cards, two that are romantic themed and two that are not.
This classic pattern can be used for every celebration and occasion with the right combination of papers, embellishments, and sentiments. If youâre not sure how to mix and match these products, weâve taken the guesswork out of the equation for you! For effortless coordination, simply choose any one of our creative collections and stick to just those products within the suite. Another option is to pick a color combination from either of our Love of Color volumes, and to strictly work with products within that color palette. (Making cards can be that easy! đĽł)
The flower card above was made using one of the Ballerina color combinations: Ballerina, Pewter, Carolina, and Sugarplum. If you look closely, you’ll notice that even though we picked this combination, we left Sugarplum (one of our retired colors) off and added White Daisy. It still works!
The Hello card on the right was made from one of the Candy Apple combination options: Candy Apple, White Daisy, Lagoon, Sapphire, and Black.
Download the free pattern below and share some love this Valentineâs Day, and beyond, with a handmade card from the heart. â¤ď¸
Just in time for the holiday season, weâve paired the exclusive products from our Seasons in Motion special with a couple of FREE card patterns to add a little animated spice to our holidays!
In order to achieve the animated effect, layer the stamped images with either an animation sheetor a paper piece you can now cut using the new animation window Thin Cuts die!
Also part of the Seasons in Motion special, which we used to create our example cards, is the Holiday Stack! The Holiday Stack is a pack of 48 6″ x 6″ patterned papers with designs from some of our past favorite 12″ x 12″ patterns.
These are not the original 12″ x 12″ papers cut into quarters, keeping the patterns the same size, but, rather, shrunken down versions of the classic favorites made to fit a 6″ x 6″ square!
Download our two free animated cardmaking patterns, here, and delight your loved ones with animated cards this coming holiday season!
We’ve got a FREE card pattern for you today to get you thinking outside the theme park as you craft with our magical Happiest Place collection!
With so many unique elements and designs, the Happiest Place collection is simply bursting with creative potential. When you combine that with a versatile card pattern, itâs easier than ever to create the cards of your dreams!
The pattern weâre sharing today made its original debut years ago with the Pear & Partridge cardmaking Workshops on the GoÂŽ. This classic pattern helps you take the Happiest Place collection to new heights and provides the perfect starting point for truly great cards.
Pattern and color combinations like the ones in this âYouâre the Koalaestâ card are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what can be done with the Happiest Place collection and the Pear & Partridge card pattern.
By combining the My AcrylixÂŽ A Koala-ty Day stamp set with the fun abstract designs and eye-catching silver foil stars on the Happiest Place papers, youâre left with an absolutely adorable card! Part of this cardâs charm is the simple Glacier on Glacier color scheme, relying on the variation in patterns to set them apart.
If you want to get a bit more adventurous with your color combinations, then cards like this âGnome-body Loves You Like I Doâ card are a great way to go!
This card was also made using the Pear & Partridge pattern but with a completely different effect than the Koala card. By using the same pattern and simply switching up the color combinations and stamped images, you can easily create a countless number of unique cards. For this example, we chose the delightful My AcrylixÂŽ Gnome Matter stamp set paired with some brighter colors. Even though the Gnome Matter stamp set isnât part of the Happiest Place collection, they fit together like two peas in a pod!
All it takes to create a card thatâs all your own is a great pattern and a little imagination.
Using the exact same pattern from above, we created this sweet âCelebrating Youâ card. In order to get some added milage from your card patterns, consider turning them on their sides, changing the orientation from landscape to portrait.
With simple color combinations from the Happiest Place collection, the Pear & Partridge card pattern, and our Floral CelebrationâAugust Stamp of the Month (available August 1â31), this adorable card has it all!
Proof that less is more, the timeless Pear & Partridge pattern is a great starting point for any card maker, regardless of experience. Click on the link below to download this free pattern and gear up for some serious crafting fun!
Let mom know just how much she means to you this Mother’s Day with personalized, hand-made cards (we have a free pattern below!) and scrapbook pages using any or all of three exclusive stamp sets designed specifically for her from our Love for Mother special!
A heartfelt card or fun scrapbook layout using these stamp sets from our Love for Mother sale is the perfect way to show a little extra love on her special day.
Not sure where to start? No worries, we’ve got you covered! Use the free card patterned below to duplicate one of our examples.
We used this pattern, which made it’s original debut with the Lollydoodle cardmaking Workshops on the Goâ˘, and created a card using our Mix-in and Yesterday & Today papers (for a full list of products used, see the recipe provided at the end of this post).
Our timeless card patterns can be used for every celebration and any occasion with the right combination of papers, Complements, and sentiments. If youâre not sure how to mix and match these products, weâve taken the guesswork out of the equation for you! For effortless coordination, simply choose one of our creative collections from our idea books and stick to just those products within the suite when making your cards. It really is that easy!
Download the pattern above, and share some love this Mother’s Day with a handmade card from the heart!
For even more timeless cardmaking patterns, check out our cardmaking how-to book, Make It from Your Heart⢠volume 4. If you love the free patterns on the blog, youâre sure to be blown away by the beautiful, one-of-a-kind, patterns in this book!
Weâre going to shake things up a bit today by taking a closer look at some innovative ways to use the shaker windows we all know and love!
For the most basic shaker windows (which are still so much fun!), sequins and paper confetti are placed over a plain or stamped background. However, you can take a shaker window to new heights by switching up your base and adding a few fun embellishments to the exterior of the window.
In this card, a few adhesive-backed dots from our Seas the Day collection turned a plain white overlay into a shipâs porthole. Looking into the window, you can see how artistically torn cardstock has formed white-cap waves by exposing the paperâs white core. When these elements come together, it creates a whimsical card any ocean lover will be thrilled with!
Another way to dress up your shaker windows is to fill them with unique elements. Replacing sequins or paper with a few unexpected parts is a great way to turn the tables on familiar shaker windows.
By bringing some sand home from a fun day at the beach, you can preserve a bit of the actual setting along with the memories you made there.
Any mocha enthusiast will love these fun coffee bean cards!
If you plan to include larger shaker elements in your windows, you should plan to double-stack your 3-D foam tape to leave enough room for the shaker elements inside to move around.
If you really want to add a unique flair to your shaker windows, you can try adding some small die-cut shapes to the interior of your shaker.
By combining these miniature stamped shapes with a few sequins pieces, itâs easy to put your own mark on your cards!
One last example to shake things up your windows is to use them in creative places. In this post, weâve shown you how to incorporate shaker windows into cards and even scrapbook layouts, but in this example, you can see how a basic shaker window also makes an unforgettable gift tag.
How are you using windows in your paper crafts? Do you use them in cards, scrapbook pages, or in a unique way? Share your fun and innovative ideas with all of us, below!
