As we continue to celebrate National Papercrafting Month with our adorable Home Sweet Home frames, we want to share a few more ideas of how you can use elements of this versatile kit in other crafting projects! A top-notch accent or background can be the crowning jewel in a scrapbook page, card, or 3-D art piece, and we know you’ll love creating projects of your own with the beautiful pieces from our Home Sweet Home special!
The Home Sweet Home special features the Home Sweet Home Frame Kit, which includes a wide variety of exclusive patterned papers and die-cuts, along with large wood circles. These elements are not only beautiful when used to create a Home Sweet Home frame but make charming additions to other projects as well!
Adding a pre-cut accent or background to a scrapbook page or card is an excellent way to simplify your crafts, while still yielding beautiful results. As you can see with this gorgeous layout, the inclusion of these vibrant floral die-cuts placed over the corner of a photo add dimension and pops of color, and when paired with other small embellishments, tie the whole thing together with a stylish flourish!
The Home Sweet Home die-cuts can also be placed partially behind photos to add some flare to your backgrounds. These sunflower and silver sprig accents are the perfect touch to not only complement the bright colors in the photograph, but also serve to dress up the background of the page.
It doesn’t matter which die-cut shape you decide to use—each one can produce fantastic results. Just look at how these rainbow and silver glitter die-cuts are placed over a piece of grey polka dot patterned paper for a simple, yet stunning card!
For this adorable get-well card, the scalloped piece at the center makes a perfect backdrop for the simple sentiment piece and is offset beautifully by the die-cut bow.
To help round out your inclusion of Home Sweet Home pieces in your own cards or layouts, you can include them alongside other embellishments, as you can see with this adorable slimline card. The cupcake die-cut and silver glitter stars are offset beautifully by the large, iridescent sequins and Thin Cuts border at the top!
Along with the die-cuts, the Home Sweet Home wood circles can also be used in scrapbook layouts. While the circles themselves are relatively flat, they can be used to add dimension and blend well into backgrounds, lending additional texture. Here, you can see how a wood circle has been covered with pinstripe patterned paper and offers an ideal platform for the journaling on this page!
As you can see, there’s a wealth of creative opportunity included in the Home Sweet Home special, far beyond the creation of a Home Sweet Home frame! Each piece is full of possibility and can be used to boost the aesthetic of any art project, from scrapbook pages, to cards, to 3-D pieces. No matter how you choose to repurpose these gorgeous pieces, they’re sure to dazzle wherever they’re placed. Have you used any of the Home Sweet Home die-cuts and wood circles for other art projects, or do you have some ideas? Leave a comment below to tell us what you’ve used them for, or how you’d like to!
Just in time for the holiday season, we’ve 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, it’s easier than ever to create the cards of your dreams!
The pattern we’re sharing today made its original debut years ago with the Pear & Partridge cardmaking Workshops on the Go®. 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 “You’re the Koalaest” 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 Acrylix® A Koala-ty Day stamp set with the fun abstract designs and eye-catching silver foil stars on the Happiest Place papers, you’re left with an absolutely adorable card! Part of this card’s 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 “Gnome-body Loves You Like I Do” 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 Acrylix® Gnome Matter stamp set paired with some brighter colors. Even though the Gnome Matter stamp set isn’t part of the Happiest Place collection, they fit together like two peas in a pod!
All it takes to create a card that’s all your own is a great pattern and a little imagination.
Using the exact same pattern from above, we created this sweet “Celebrating You” 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 Celebration—August Stamp of the Month (available August 1–31), 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!
ATTENTION card lovers! Our new Craft with Heart™ cardmaking kit is out so we’ve got some beautiful new cards to show off today! These fantastic cards are here just in time for summer, and they’re just the thing to get your creative wheels turning. With fun, fresh designs, these cards will even come together in a matter of minutes!
Each card in a Craft with Heart™ subscription box is part of our Cut Above® program, which means that all of its parts and pieces come pre-cut and ready to go as you get to crafting. Some of the paper is also pre-printed, so it’s quick and easy to create a polished handmade card in no time!
The May–August 2020 kit comes with everything you need to make 24 cards (2 each of the 12 gorgeous designs you’ll see here). Along with the pre-cut and printed card pieces, each Craft with Heart™ cardmaking box comes with an exclusive stamp set, a mini ink pad, and even a specialized ultra-thin stamping block. We also provide an easy-to-follow instructional/inspirational guide to help you put your cards together. However, to really help you make these cards your own, the guide also shows a few different options on how to use the stamps included in the kit.Whether it’s a birthday card, a thank you card, or a “just because” card, these cards are the perfect way to show your care for friends and family, all while letting flexing those creative muscles when you thought you didn’t have the time to.
Not only will you love making the cards, they’ll be a special handmade treat that anyone would be delighted to receive! The Craft with Heart™ program truly has creative options for everyone, including two payment options, so you can tailor your Craft with Heart™ experience to what’s best for you.
The cards in this subscription box will only be available until the end of August, so be sure to sign up for your own Craft with Heart™ cardmaking subscription and get started on making these adorable cards yourself! Happy crafting!
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 Go™, 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 you’re not sure how to mix and match these products, we’ve 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, you’re sure to be blown away by the beautiful, one-of-a-kind, patterns in this book!
Calling all card makers (and want to be card makers)! Our new Craft with Heart™ cardmaking kit is out and ready to ship to your door! This DIY subscription box is bursting with beautiful pre-printed card bases, die-cuts, and stickers, as well as silver star-shaped confetti, shaker window foam and acetate pieces, a stamp block, a mini ink pad, and an exclusive My Acrylix® stamp set! ~Swoon!~
The January–April 2020 subscription box comes with all of the materials you need to create a set of 24 gorgeous handmade cards, 2 each of the 12 unique designs shown below. An inspirational guide included in this crafty box not only shows you how to assemble each of the cards but also offers ideas on which stamp sentiments to use with each card.
If you’re a busy seasoned card maker or someone who’s been hesitant to give this personalized craft a try, the Craft with Heart program is especially wonderful because anyone who puts just a teensy bit of effort can successfully create stunning artwork quickly and with ease.
Keep up with all the occasions life brings your way with one of our Craft with Heart™ subscriptions. You choose whether you’d like your subscription to renew every 4 months or, for a better value, once a year. For a closer look at all of our Craft with Heart™ options, visit our website, HERE. Remember, this cardmaking subscription box is only available through the end of April. A new box, with a new set of cards and designs, will be available beginning May 1st!
Vellum paper is a great addition to any project, but it can sometimes get a bit tricky figuring out how to incorporate it in fun and different ways. Somewhere between transparent and opaque, using vellum paper in your projects is an easy way add a touch of sophistication. From markers and ink pads to re-inkers and shimmer brushes, today we’re walking through a few ideas for adding a dash of color to vellum paper.
In this first example, we sponged the edges with the Mint and Lagoon Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pads using a round sponge. By gently dabbing the ink onto the page with the sponge, you can create the perfect blend of gentle color on the vellum for a fantastic colored overlay! While it may not look like much on its own, this technique is a great way to finish off the vellum work in your projects for a subtle flair.
This sponging technique is also great for larger surface areas, as you can see in this next card. Here, we used a sponge dauber to spread the ink over the entirety of each present overlay piece. We still concentrated more color at the edges, but we also spread the ink over the rest of the overlay to put more pigment in the finished piece.
In our next example, we’ve used TriBlend™ markers to add a few pops of color to this cheery birthday card. First, we created the fun candles on the front side of the vellum paper with silver embossing powder. Then, we flipped the vellum paper over and colored in the gaps with the Citrus, Bright Pink, Blue Turquoise, and Hydrangea markers on the back side of the vellum piece. This way, you get the illusion of soft candlelight on varicolored birthday candles that look so good, you almost want to blow them out!
Tip: To prevent warping or curling in your vellum paper, move your heat tool in small circles as you set the embossing powder and avoid focusing the stream of the heat tool in one spot for too long.
For this next card, you’ll want to make sure you have your re-inker stash handy. To create this adorable sentiment and wreath on our vellum circle, we used gold embossing powder for the center and Black StazOn™ Ink for the wreath. Once the ink was dry, we flipped the vellum circle over and colored in the leaves on the wreath with re-inkers, again on the back side, using a regular paintbrush as an application tool. This technique gives you a rich saturation level on your color for consistency and vibrancy.
Our last example today features the Julep Shimmer Brush. To start, we cut our vellum piece out with a bone folder and a paper trimmer to create the rough edges you see. (Instead of running the blade down the paper, run the bone folder in the crease of the trimmer to cut the paper.) Once we cut this large vellum piece, we heat-embossed oak leaves on it with gold embossing powder and colored them in with a Julep Shimmer Brush.
Tip: When using a shimmer brush to add color to vellum, be sure to keep the coloration consistent throughout. Otherwise, you may end up with some blotchy patches.
With the subtle shine of the shimmer brush, these leaves are the perfect finishing touch for this card!
Impress your friends and loved ones this season with beautiful handmade cards that include some color treated vellum. The subtle sophistication that a little dash of color adds goes a long way!
Happy November, everyone! We are so excited for the opportunity to pop in today and share with you how to put beautiful scrapbook pages and cards together in a snap using the Cut Above® kits that are available through our Craft with Heart™ program.
The excuse that we hear most often from people for not scrapbooking is that they simply don’t have the time to do it. Cut Above® layout kits are the response to that genuine concern. Each kit comes with all of the pieces you need to complete two coordinating two-page 12″ x 12″ scrapbook layouts, including pre-printed base pages, pre-cut paper pieces and die-cuts, complementing stickers, and simple assembly instructions. Essentially, all of the cutting has been taken out of the scrapbooking equation, saving you tons of time and allowing you to jump right into the artistic and creative side of memory keeping that we all enjoy and love so much.
Beautiful layouts like this one come together in minutes when you’re using a Cut Above® kit!
To get your hands on these amazing kits, you don’t have to go far. In fact, we’ll deliver them straight to your doorstep on a schedule you decide through the Craft with Heart™ program. Craft with Heart™ is a subscription featuring Cut Above® kits offered at monthly and 4-month intervals.
If you’re already a subscriber, share the opportunity with a friend! The Craft with Heart™ program is a fun and easy way to introduce the art of memory keeping and cardmaking to others. These kits make wonderful gifts!
Take a closer look at what we’ve got in store for the next couple of months:
Aren’t these gorgeous? You’d never guess that these layouts come together so quickly!
This is a great time of year to get started with the program if you haven’t already. September is when we introduced the last four scrapbooking kits for the year, which means if you sign up before January 1 for a four month or annual subscription you will not have missed out and will also receive the beautiful September and October scrapbooking kits!
This September, for the first time ever, we launched a subscription kit just for cards!
Just like the scrapbooking kits, the card subscription kit comes with all of the materials you need to create two each of the assortment of cards you see here, designed especially for the season ahead.
The kit includes card bases in varying sizes, pre-cut die-cuts, coordinating stickers, and an exclusive stamp set and mini black ink pad to customize each of your card sentiments to use for any occasion that arises.
Craft with Heart™ is the perfect solution for those who enjoy the art of scrapbooking and cardmaking but are looking for a quicker alternative. Even if you’re a die-hard decorative scrapper or card maker who loves to spend hours on a project, the Cut Above® kits are a great way to catch up on documenting your stories and celebrating relationships without sacrificing quality. They’re a win-win deal that you will absolutely love!
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!
