January 18, 2023Celebrate, Create, Inspiration

Cherish Your Love, Now and Forever!

Close To My Heartbutterfly, cards, embroidered embellishments, Family, floral, French-inspired, friends, heart doily die-cut, love, love in your life, Now & Forever, pink, red, scrapbook pages, Seabrook, valentine, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day 2023, white, workshop kits 7 Comments

At Close To My Heart, it’s no secret that we love LOVE! Love is one of the most amazing things on earth, and as we’re only about a month away from Valentine’s Day 2023, we want to take some time to share a few ideas about how you can celebrate the love in your life this year!

Whether you’re celebrating new love, old love, love for family members, friends, or any other relationship, there’s no better way to commemorate it than with handmade crafts from the heart. With that in mind, we want to introduce you to our love-themed collection, Now & Forever!

This collection is a callback to vintage floral patterns and is perfect for any design you can dream. The patterned paper is an adorable flurry of soft pinks and floral themes, with a dash of French-inspired flair, and a sticker sheet that kicks things up a notch with metallic gold accents.

Another stand-out feature of this collection is the accompanying assortment of embroidered floral and butterfly embellishments, which are a great way to dress up your cards and scrapbook pages!

Last but not least is the Now & Forever Stamp + Thin Cuts set, which includes an exclusive selection of stamps, floral and butterfly dies, and a very special heart doily die, complete with delicate lace edging! With so many spectacular products to work with, Now & Forever is an excellent collection for preserving cherished memories and celebrating relationships with people that you love!

To see the power of Now & Forever in action, we’re going to take a peek at the cards and scrapbook pages featured in the Now & Forever workshop kits!

Our first stop on our Now & Forever journey is to take a look at the pages included in the scrapbooking workshop kit. First on the list is this 12″ x 12″ “Cutie Pie” layout. This layout was designed with room for eight total photos, making it a wonderful way to tell a story!

With predominant themes of red, pink, and white, and splashes of Seabrook, this layout is a gorgeous backdrop for fond memories and journaling. One of our favorite parts of this layout is the selection of patterns and their flow across the page. The ledger pattern on the left page is balanced by the floral pattern on the right page, bridged by the red patterned paper that spans the center of the layout. Although not entirely symmetrical, these patterns flow nicely when grouped together this way—just another benefit of using coordinated papers in a Close To My Heart paper packet!

Our second piece on the hot seat today is this single “Timeless” page. Right away, our eyes are drawn through the page from the “Timeless” title in the upper left-hand corner down through the lower right-hand corner, which sports a delicate lace-edged heart doily.

This unique feature is created by using the die in the Now & Forever Stamp + Thin Cuts set.The rest of the accents and detailing in this page were created using stickers, zip strips, and the Now & Forever Embroidered Embellishments, and we love how it came together!

One of our favorite parts of the Now & Forever suite is the metallic gold detailing present on many of our stickers. These are on full display in this “Laugh Often…” layout. While this layout has a lot going on in terms of patterns, additional excitement is generated by the presence of multiple gold-accented stickers at various points around the pages.

This layout also includes another heart doily die-cut, this time repurposed as a journaling piece! Between the innovative journaling piece and the selection of sparkly stickers, this layout is a wonderful example of the impact a few well-placed embellishments can have!

Before we move on to our array of cards, we want to show off one last scrapbook layout, which brings together many of the stand-out elements discussed in the previous pages. The “Our Story” layout utilizes a beautiful blend of patterns from the paper pack, a couple of our embroidered embellishments, another heart doily journaling piece, and a large golden sticker serving as the title piece.

All of these elements taken together create a gorgeous backdrop for the photos and journaling shared in this layout, and we couldn’t have asked for a better way to showcase them! If any of these layouts caught your fancy, these designs are all available to create with the Now & Forever Scrapbooking Workshop Kit. Click here to check it out!

If cardmaking is more your forte, you can also find plenty of inspiration in the card selection available through the Now & Forever Cardmaking Workshop Kit! This workshop kit includes options to create eight standard size cards—two each of four designs—and three unique slimline cards, with downloadable instructions available on our website.

One of the major perks of crafting with the Now & Forever cardmaking kit is that while you have the materials to create two each of four standard size card designs, the coordination in the patterned papers makes it easy to switch out the colors and patterns used between cards. This means that even though you’re working with four standard size card designs, you can end up with eight unique cards!

As you can see in the photos above, each of the four card pairs were created using the same design, but the changes in paper colors and patterns, ink colors, and embellishment placement results in eight unique cards!

Along with our standard size cards, the Now & Forever Cardmaking Workshop Kit also offers options for three slimline card designs, pictured below:

These cards each have their own individual flair and are a perfect way to implement some more out-of-the-box card creativity into your crafts!

We have loved walking you through the incredible projects available through the Now & Forever Scrapbooking and Cardmaking Workshop Kits, and we can’t wait to see how else you celebrate the love in your life with the products included in this amazing love-inspired collection!

What stories and relationships will you commemorate with Now & Forever? Tell us all about it in the comments below!

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December 15, 2022Create, Inspiration, Memory Keeping

Year-round Crafting with Four Seasons!

Close To My Heartautumn, autumn air, cards, Chasing Sunshine, core catalog, crafting, crafting for all seasons, Four Seasons, Four Seasons—Autumn, Four Seasons—Spring, Four Seasons—Summer, Four Seasons—Winter, Holiday, Memory Keeping, scrapbooking, seasonal, seasonal haul, seasons, Smell the Flowers, special, spring, spring greetings, stamping, summer, Thin Cuts, winter, winter wishes, workshop, Workshop Wow, year-round Leave a comment

No matter what time of year you dive into the creative process, there are always plenty of memories to be captured, friendships to be celebrated, and art to be crafted. Embracing your creative side year-round can be quick and easy when you’re working with seasonal papers and stickers. Today, we’re going to give you a peek into the crafting potential offered by our Workshop Wow: Four Seasons workshop kits and showing off just how easy it is to create stunning artwork on theme!

All the pages and cards on display today were designed using the Four Seasons paper collections in our 2022–2023 Core Products catalog. (To view these collections and all the other amazing products available in this catalog, click here!) Now, let’s get started!

First up is our springtime cardmaking workshop, bursting with floral features and bright colors. These cards favor a variety of sentiments, from birthday wishes, to greetings, to “just because” options. One standout feature of these cards is the use of White Acrylic Hearts across all of the card designs. While the cards also share a commonality in paper patterns and sticker usage, the inclusion of the White Acrylic Hearts as a common element across all our springtime cards serves as a simple but effective way to tie them all together, working to further preserve a cohesive theme.

For additional cohesion, these cards all pull their sentiments and stamped accents from the Seasonal Haul Stamp + Thin Cuts set and the My Acrylix^® Spring Greetings stamp set. These elements, while allowing for differences from card to card, also serve to uphold the springy feel throughout the entire assortment!

This springtime theme continues with our Four Seasons—Spring scrapbooking workshop. This workshop kit includes a garden of floral patterns across the seven pages available through this kit design. Fun fact: All of our Four Seasons scrapbooking workshop kits follow a similar design pattern, making it easy to create each page from each seasonal theme! Even with the design similarities, though, the papers, stickers, and color palette used in each seasonal page set the individual pieces apart. One standout element of the spring pages is the use of Woodgrain Die-cut Flowers. Additional floral elements were added to these pages from the Smell the Flowers Stamp + Thin Cuts set.

These stamps and Thin Cuts dies are particularly prevalent in this 12” x 12” “Love You” single page. Flowers and leaves from this set were both stamped directly on the base page and stamped on die-cuts and attached to the base page with 3-D Foam Tape, leaving a gorgeous multi-dimensional effect!

Moving on through the year, we get to our sunny summer layouts and cards! The gorgeous pieces in our summer selection feature a more vibrant color palette, making the scrapbook pages stand out in any album, and giving the cards an unforgettable foundation!

Our scrapbook pages take on even more floral accents, courtesy of the Chasing Sunshine Stamp + Thin Cuts set.

Our 12” x 12” “Go with the Flow” layout offers a great example of how these dies can be used to create custom embellishment clusters, perfectly tailored to the Four Seasons—Summer paper patterns and stickers!

The trick to making these embellishment clusters blend in so seamlessly with the paper and sticker designs is stamping them in complementary ink colors.

As with the scrapbook pages, each seasonal set of cards is designed following a similar pattern. Similarities can be seen from season to season, but each set has its own unique flair. Our summer cards sport the same bright hues as the scrapbooking pages, and are embellished with a handful of White Acrylic Flowers.

One theme that is seen throughout all of our Four Seasons cards is the usage of the truck die-cut from the Seasonal Haul Stamp + Thin Cuts. To get twice the cardmaking power, the Four Seasons—Summer cardmaking workshop kit includes two design options, both featuring the truck die-cut.

The summer truck cards have a relatively simple design, but are the perfect addition to the set, with truck beds full of acrylic flowers and an uplifting sentiment sticker! No matter which version of this card you choose to make, it’s sure to be a delight for any friend or family member you give it to!

Another great two-for-one card design can be found in the “Live a Little” and “Go With the Flow” cards. This dual design principle can be seen in various forms throughout the Four Seasons cards, and is a great way to create multiple cards quickly.

Next up are our selection of Autumnal cards and scrapbook pages. These leafy layouts and crisp cards are perfect for all kinds of festive occasions and the preservation of all kinds of memories. One of our favorite layouts from this set is the 12” x 12” “Crisp Air, Warm Hearts” layout, which includes a fun, striped panel section along the bottom of the pages. This layout really puts the power of the Four Seasons—Autumn paper on display, along with a handful of stickers.

The paper patterns can also be seen in the array of dovetailed pennants and paper layers in the upper half of the left page. By relying on the usage of patterned paper for the majority of these pages’ decoration, it makes the creative process quicker and easier to follow! With that being said, though, this page also benefits from the inclusion of Autumn Air Stamp + Thin Cuts set, as its stamps and dies have come together throughout the page to create embellishment clusters around the title pieces and photos.

Another beautiful piece that stands out in this collection is the 12” x 12” “Autumn Leaves & Pumpkins Please” layout! This photo-packed layout includes many of the elements seen in the “Crisp Air, Warm Hearts” layout, but this example embraces a more simple, white background toward the center, giving it a classic design. By going this route, we are left with optimal focus on the photos while at the same time, elegantly preserving the autumnal theme!

Last but not least are our winter cards and scrapbook pages, and each piece is packed with frosty wintery goodness! One of our absolute favorites in this selection is the “Thinking of You This Season” card. This card makes beautiful use of the Four Seasons—Winter woodgrain paper option for a secondary base, and a total of six other patterns that have been cut into strips of varying width and arranged side by side to form a stunning background.

To finish it off, we trimmed two pieces of paper—Scarlet and Mink, respectively—dovetailed and layered them, and stamped our festive sentiment and a handful of snowflakes in Pine ink. This, along with the aforementioned patterned paper strips, and a small constellation of White Acrylic Stars, make this card a real holiday treasure!

The final piece we’ll be looking at today is our “Winter Wishes” card, which shows off a simple but effective fold-over technique. A great feature of Close To My Heart patterned paper packs is that each page is double-sided, giving you twice the crafting capability with a single page. In this card, the base has been built out with a piece of Espresso cardstock, a white woodgrain piece on top of that, and a wintery foliage piece for the top layer. However, instead of leaving the top layer piece as-is, the top right corner has been folded down to reveal the woodgrain piece beneath it. This also shows off the plaid pattern on the back of the foliage piece, allowing both the patterns on this double-sided paper to work together at once!

This card has been finished off with stamps from both the My Acrylix^® Winter Wishes stamp set and a stamp and die-cut from the Seasonal Haul Stamp + Thin Cuts set, with the title piece popped up off the base with 3-D foam tape.

This beautiful card is perfect for friends, neighbors, and family members alike, and is a delight to receive, and to make!

We hope you’ve enjoyed today’s brief look at what’s in store with the Workshop Wow: Four Seasons special! We’ve only showed off a small portion of what’s available through these incredible seasonal workshop kits, and we can’t wait to hear about all the amazing things you’ll do with your Four Seasons artwork! What memories will you capture with the scrapbooking kits? Who’s on your card-giving list this year? Let us know in the comments below!

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November 2, 2022Celebrate, Inspiration, Memory Keeping

Holiday Creations with Seas & Greetings!

Close To My Heartbeach, cardmaking, cards, christmas, creativity, dual theme, Holiday, jingle shells, Memory Keeping, paper collection, sand, sandy, scrapbook pages, scrapbooking, Seas & Greetings, seasonal, snow, snowy, tropical, video, vip, VIP Customer Program, winter, workshops 2 Comments

Whether you’re playing in snow or sand, the 2022 holiday season is set to be merry and bright! It’s always a crafting party here at Close To My Heart, and we’ve got some major fun in store for this Christmas season! For us, Christmas means a big new selection of stamps, patterned papers, and embellishments to aid us in our cardmaking and memory keeping endeavors. We’ve got an incredible paper collection to introduce you to today, and we can’t wait to show it off!

We are extremely blessed to have our crafting community extend throughout the US, into Canada, across the Pacific to Japan, and down under to Australia and New Zealand. As such, the season for Christmas celebrations varies greatly depending on where you live—some celebrate in the winter time, with snow and cold weather, while others celebrate in the height of summer, with sunshine, high temperatures, and beautiful beach weather!The Seas & Greetings paper collection is an ideal solution for Christmas crafting from either end of that spectrum, as well as any place in between! Without any further ado, let’s get into all the amazing creative options that await with Seas & Greetings!

As you can see in the short video above, this amazing collection is an incredible example of the versatility that can be achieved with paper design. We not only have some first-rate artists here at CTMH, but we’ve got some of the best graphic designers around, too, and their skill is on full display with the Seas & Greetings paper collection! Because this suite is designed for holiday celebrations in both a beachside setting or a colder winter climate, each piece of paper sports a beach theme on one side, and a snowy winter theme on the other!

While all Close To My Heart paper packets feature double-sided designs, this collection is unique, as it essentially incorporates two themes into a single paper packet and enables crafters to pursue multiple ideas within a single suite. All the patterns you see in this collection have been purposefully designed to coordinate with both themes and the included sticker sheet.

Additionally, this paper packet includes 12 sheets instead of the usual 6, giving creators double the papers to work and craft with! Whether you’re commemorating a beautiful beachside holiday or capturing fun memories from a snow day, the Seas & Greetings Paper Packet & Sticker Sheet is an ideal starting point as you bring your crafting vision into reality!

Accompanying the paper packet in the Seas & Greetings collection are a selection of stamp and Thin Cuts metal dies, available in both the Beach and Winter themes. These stamps and dies pair beautifully with the patterns, icons, and sentiments featured on the papers and stickers, making this a winning combination for any crafting project!

Another essential included in the Seas & Greetings suite is the Seas & Greetings Coordinating Cardstock pack. This variety of colored cardstock has been selected to coordinate with the colors prominently featured in the paper packet and stickers, making it incredibly easy to create polished, balanced cards and scrapbook layouts!

Crafters can also look forward to top-notch embellishment potential with the Seas & Greetings Beach and Winter Embellishments! These embellishments include a variety of blue and white acrylic pieces, all finished with a frosty sheen for subtle shine.

As with the stamp and Thin Cuts options, the Seas & Greetings embellishments include shapes suitable for both the tropical beach theme and the chilly winter theme, making them perfect for inclusion in all your Seas & Greetings crafts! With so many fun products available through the Seas & Greetings collection, it’s a cinch to preserve your fondest holiday memories and stories!

The Seas & Greetings special has much in store for crafters of all types and experience levels, but we’ve got even more creative options for members of our VIP Customer program! Seas & Greetings includes three exclusive workshop kits—two for scrapbooking and one for cardmaking—just for members of this amazing program! (For those of you who may not be familiar with the perks available through the Close To My Heart VIP Customer program, either visit our website for more information, or reach out to your Maker for additional details!)

We guarantee you won’t want to miss out on the unique Seas & Greetings workshops available to our VIP Customers, and we can’t wait to show you what’s in store with these exclusive kits!

To start off this VIP crafting experience, we’ll get into all the ins and outs of two scrapbooking workshops—one created with the beach-inspired papers, and the other with the winter ones! These two workshops are identical in design, but vary in the colors used, and, of course, in the patterns featured.

As you can see, these scrapbook pages incorporate a wide variety of fun techniques and elements to set them apart, including two-tone rock n’ roll stamping, inking paper edges to add a subtle touch of color, cardstock ripping and distressing, strategic pigment splatters, and the inclusion of acrylic shapes!

These beautiful pages are a gorgeous way to preserve your favorite holiday memories, and with identical designs for both the winter and beach themes, it’s an ideal memory-keeping solution for crafters the world over!

Along with the scrapbook kits, the Seas & Greetings paper collection brings life to a selection of adorable holiday cards, perfect for all the special people in your life! With six card designs featured, the Seas & Greetings VIP Cardmaking kit allows crafters to create an array of personal, beachy cards for family and friends with ease!

Each of these cards was constructed using the Beach patterned papers from the Seas & Greetings paper collection, and stamps and Thin Cuts from our Seas & Greetings—Beach set! This card kit also keeps things interesting with card size and orientation, as it includes options for both standard-size and slimline cards, and a mix of horizontal and vertical designs.

We’ve loved going with you on this dive into the rich wealth of possibilities available through our Seas & Greetings collection! This playful and versatile collection is a wonderful way to commemorate your fondest Christmas memories, regardless of where they were made! From memory keeping to cardmaking and more, Seas & Greetings is sure to be a favorite you’ll turn to for all sorts of projects. With so much extra fun offered in our Seas & Greetings VIP Customer Program offer, be sure to talk to your Maker and learn how you can get the VIP treatment, too! We can’t wait to welcome you to the club!

What’s on your crafting agenda with Seas & Greetings? Leave a comment below to let us know what stories you’ll tell with this amazing collection, and whether you’ll be hitting the beach or braving the winter during your holiday celebrations this year!

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October 26, 2022Inspiration

Autumn Crafting Dreams Come True with Four Seasons Papers and Stamps!

Close To My Heart2022–2023 Core Products Catalog, autumn, autumn air, Autumn Blessings, cards, crafting, crisp, Crisp Air Warm Hearts, Distress Oxide™, fall, Four Seasons, Four Seasons—Autumn, It's Fall Y'all, leaf, leaf pile, leaves, Memory Keeping, mini page, Papercrafting, rock n' roll, scrapbooking, seasonal, stamping, Thankful Autumn, torn paper, video 5 Comments

You can never have too much “autumn” in your life, and at CTMH, we can definitely help with that! To fully immerse ourselves in the spirit of the autumn season, we’ll be showing off our fantastic Four Seasons—Autumn paper suite today, along with a few stamp sets from the 2022–2023 Core Products Catalog! With so much seasonal fun in store, we can’t wait to dive into this beautiful selection of patterned papers and stickers. We’ve got an awesome selection of art pieces to show you today to demonstrate all the amazing aspects of this collection, so without further ado, let’s take a look!

To start us off, we’re going to take a peek at a few first-rate cards, all of which were made with the Four Seasons—Autumn paper collection, and a few seasonal stamp sets from our 2022–2023 Core Products catalog. (Click here to view all the beautiful paper collections, stamps, and other exciting products included in this catalog!)

For our first card, we used a fun truck from the Seasonal Haul Stamp + Thin Cuts set. Along with the truck, this set also includes several adorable images to use to fill the bed of the truck. For our “Autumn Blessings” truck card, we chose a pile of pumpkins for the cargo, while also adding a fun “Happy Day!” sign in the front window. To add a splash of delicate color to our truck, its load of gourds, and the “Happy Day!” sign, we’ve used a light touch with our Watercolor Pencils. To preserve a more rustic feel, we chose not to use a waterbrush to activate the watercolor effect, leaving the slightly coarser penciled effect instead.

On the layer behind the truck, we’ve used patterned papers from the Four Seasons—Autumn paper packet to create a festive background and base for our card; in addition, we’ve also utilized a piece of White Daisy cardstock and added some subtle detailing by adding a dashed line with a Sepia LePen™. Once your card background has been established, we created some additional detail elements with a simple leaf stamp from the Seasonal Haul Stamp + Thin Cuts set, decorated with a bit of Copper Stickles™ Glitter Glue, plus a few pieces from the Orange & Yellow Dots collection.

To finish everything off, we’ve created our title piece with the Thankful Autumn stamp set. The sentiment was stamped on a dovetailed piece of White Daisy cardstock with Black and Toffee Exclusive Inks^™ stamp pads. Using two different colors of ink made it possible for us to layer the “blessings” image over the top of “Autumn,” for a unique, layered look. As a final touch, we gently sponged the edges of our dovetailed title piece with Toffee ink to increase dimension. We love our Autumn Blessings card, and it’s only the tip of the iceberg as we continue to delve into the creative possibilities available through the Four Seasons—Autumn paper packet!

Our next two cards really get into the autumnal spirit with their very own vibrant leaf piles! Both cards were constructed using our Autumn Air Stamp + Thin Cuts, and the My Acrylix^®Thankful Autumn and Seasonal Haul stamp sets. Using this stellar combination, we were able to coordinate seamlessly with the Four Seasons—Autumn paper packet to create a gorgeous patchwork of patterns to form our background, clustered leaf accent in the mid-ground, and a polished title on top of our leaf pile cluster!

The leaves on these cards showcase a combination of two techniques—basic solid stamping, and rock n’ roll stamping for subtle color change within a single stamped image. This pairing allows for a nice variation between the leaves while using a relatively small number of stamps!

Moving right along, our next piece on display today is a 6” x 6” mini scrapbook page! We absolutely love this smaller memory keeping piece, and its size lends itself particularly well to the Four Seasons—Autumn paper packet and the Autumn Air Stamp + Thin Cuts set, both of which were used to create this striking mini page. For our base page, we trimmed a 6” x 6” section from a dark wood grain patterned paper. On top of that, we layered a handful of other patterned paper and coordinating cardstock pieces from the Four Seasons—Autumn collection to further build this page.

From there, we used a variety of leaves from our Autumn Air Stamp + Thin Cuts set and the Thankful Autumn stamp set to create some slight layering around the corners and bottom edge of our photo. Tucking the leaves beneath layers is a beautiful way to embellish the page with our very own leaf pile clusters without becoming too busy or cluttered.

This same layered leaf pile effect can also be seen at the bottom edge of our next piece, a 12” x 12” “Autumn Blessings” single page! This page started out with leaf patterned paper as the base, with a piece of dark wood-grain paper on top of that. We then used a few smaller pieces of patterned paper to frame the central photo. Calling back to an earlier favorite, we kicked things into gear with another fantastic fall truck! With a precious cargo of pumpkins, this classic pickup provides a colorful focal point, its rustic color coming from a light hand with our Watercolor Pencils. This truck also boasts a wood guard rail that is another fun way to customize your stamped truck accents.

Beneath our pickup harvest truck, we’ve finished things off with the leaf pile, made up of a handful of pieces from our Autumn Air Stamp + Thin Cuts. This pile forms a great embellishment cluster for our title at the bottom edge of the page. The stamped leaves fit right in with the leaf pattern on the base page, with the end result being a lush layer of leafy goodness!

Our final piece is a 2-page 12” x 12” “Autumn” layout. A standout feature of this layout is the artistically torn section of Four Seasons—Autumn papers, sweeping from the top left corner across the upper edge of the page. This element serves to draw the eye across the page, making sure that the photos, title, and journaling sections are at the forefront of the viewer’s attention. Further visual interest is generated by sponged sections behind the photo sections on both pages. This pop of color near the photo mats allows for additional emphasis to be placed on the photo in a relatively simple fashion, without overwhelming the design. For some extra fun, we’ve also added just a spritz of Gilt Gloss Spray over the sponged ink, adding a bit of shine!

These sponged accents were created using Vintage Photo and Spiced Marmalade Distress Oxide^™ inks for a vibrant and seamlessly blended effect. Along with these sponged sections, we used a handful of stickers from the Four Seasons—Autumn Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, and a few stamps from the Autumn Air Stamp + Thin Cuts set to further spice up the aesthetic of these pages. One amazing thing about the leaves in this stamp set is that they look fabulous whether they’re used with the accompanying Thin Cuts dies, or stamped directly on your base page!

To keep the party going, we utilized many of the fun patterns available through the Four Seasons—Autumn paper packet to create a layered effect that further serves to break up the stark background of our White Daisy cardstock base.

A final feature of this Autumn layout is the title section, created with the Thankful Autumn stamp set, with the letters carefully trimmed from the cardstock it was stamped on. This title utilizes an ombre blend of Distress Oxide^™ and Exclusive Inks^™ for a beautiful gradient color effect. By gently sponging Paprika ink at the base of the stamp, and gradually layering Spiced Marmalade Distress Oxide^™ ink up the length of the stamp, it’s quick and easy to achieve this polished look!
As you can see, there’s a wealth of creative opportunities available when you craft with the Four Seasons—Autumn paper collection and the autumn-inspired stamps featured in our 2022–2023 Core Products Catalog! To see even more of this creative power in action, check out this video, featuring the artwork we’ve showcased in this post!

We hope you’ve enjoyed this brief look into what can be accomplished with our autumn-inspired papers and stamps, and we can’t wait to hear what you plan to create with them! Leave a comment below to tell us about your autumnal crafting vision for 2022 and beyond!

Recipes:

12″ x 12″ Autumn Layout
Z4670 Autumn Air Stamp + Thin Cuts, A1290 My Acrylix^® Thankful Autumn Stamp Set, X8036S Four Seasons—Autumn Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z1375 Kraft Paper, Z6536 Honey Buter Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6531 Mocha Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6510 Nectarine Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6515 Paprika Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6521 Sundance Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z2828 Toffee Exclusive Inks^™Stamp Pad, Z3829 Spiced Marmalade Distress Oxide^™ Ink Pad, Z4522 Vintage Photo Distress Oxide^™Ink Pad, Z5009 Gilt Gloss Spray, Z3886 Mini Ink Blending Tool, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Thread

12″ x 12″ Autumn Single Page
Z4670 Autumn Air Stamp + Thin Cuts, A1290 My Acrylix^®Thankful Autumn Stamp Set, X8036S Four Seasons—Autumn Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X6059 Shortbread Cardstock, X5950 Toffee Cardstock, Z6531 Mocha Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6510 Nectarine Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6515 Paprika Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6526 Scarlet Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6530 Shortbread Exclusive Inks^™Stamp Pad, Z6521 Sundance Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z2828 Toffee Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z3630 Watercolor Pencils, Z3224 Small Round Waterbrush, Z4632 Orange & Yellow Dots, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape

6″ x 6″ Crisp Air Page
Z4670 Autumn Air Stamp + Thin Cuts, X8036S Four Seasons—Autumn Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X6046 French Vanilla Cardstock, X6066 Honey Butter Cardstock, X6059 Shortbread Cardstock, Z2829 Espresso Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6536 Honey Butter Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6515 Paprika Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6521 Sundance Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z2828 Toffee Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z3787 Platinum Stickles^™ Glitter Glue, Z4575 Black LePen^™, Z4632 Orange & Yellow Dots, Z1985 Gold Shimmer Trim, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine

4¼” x 5½” Autumn Blessings Card (Horizontal)
Z4655 Season Haul Stamp + Thin Cuts, A1290 My Acrylix^®Thankful Autumn Stamp Set, X8036B Four Seasons—Fall Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z6531 Mocha Exclusive Inks^™Stamp Pad, Z2828 Toffee Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z2805 Black Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z4604 Copper Stickles^™ Glitter Glue, Z3515 Black Journaling Pen (.01), Z3630 Watercolor Pencils, Z4632 Orange & Yellow Dots, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine

4¼” x 5½” It’s Fall Y’all Card (Vertical)
X8036S Four Seasons—Autumn Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z6510 Nectarine Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6515 Paprika Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6526 Scarlet Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6530 Shortbread Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z2828 Toffee Exclusive Inks^™Stamp Pad, Z3837 Pumice Stone Distress Oxide^™ Ink Pad, Z2517 Burnt Orange TriBlend^™ Marker, Z3312 Gold Glitter Gems, Z4572 Blending Brushes, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape

4¼” x 5½” Crisp Air Card (Vertical)
Z4670 Autumn Air Stamp + Thin Cuts, X8036S Four Seasons—Autumn Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z6531 Mocha Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6510 Nectarine Exclusive Inks^™Stamp Pad, Z6515 Paprika Exclusive Inks^™Stamp Pad, Z6526 Scarlet Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6530 Shortbread Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z2519 Gold Yellow TriBlend^™ Marker, Z3312 Gold Glitter Gems, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine, String

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October 12, 2022Celebrate, Create, Inspiration

Celebrating Your Legacy with Picture-perfect Christmas Cards!

Close To My Heartacetate, cardfront shaker, cards, Christmas cards, confetti, cut above, die-cuts, Family, friends, gold star, iridescent flower, legacy, love, photo cards, photo shaker cards, Picture This Christmas, sequins, shaker, shaker cards, shaker window, silver star 1 Comment

We don’t know about you, but we’re starting to hear Christmas bells ring here at Close To My Heart! (Yes, we know it’s still two months away…😬) In all seriousness, the holiday season is right around the corner, and if Christmas cards are your jam, it’s time to start planning for these festive creations! What we have to show you today is truly special, as it allows you to celebrate your dearest relationships and memories by showcasing your favorite photos, right on the front of each card! It also puts a brand-new twist on a favorite art technique—shaker cards! Picture This Christmas is a beautiful way not only to flex your creative muscles, but celebrate your relationships with the people closest to you.

Our Picture This Christmas special is built on the idea that your own personal photos have an incredible power to inspire joy in those you love most, and who doesn’t love to inspire joy and share their legacy? 😄 We are all about expressing and sharing the products of your creativity with those closest to you, and the holiday season is a prime time to do this! Let’s take a look at the amazing opportunities available through the Picture This Christmas special and how you can use these cards to spread a little extra Christmas cheer among friends and family.

One amazing thing about Picture This Christmas cards is the ease with which they come together. Picture This Christmas cards were designed with the Close To My Heart Cut Above® format, which means that the creative process takes just a few minutes from start to finish, and you’re left with an absolutely stunning card at the end of it! With Cut Above® projects, each workshop kit contains pre-cut paper pieces, die-cuts, stickers, and even pre-printed card bases, so all you need to create your cards apart from the Cut Above® kit itself are your choice of adhesive, and a journaling pen to inscribe your personal message on the inside of the cards. Cut Above® projects are a great option for crafters of all types and experience levels.hey can serve as an easy starting point for crafters just discovering this mode of creativity. For more experienced crafters, they make a quick project that they can do in a short amount of time, with minimal effort, whether to wind down or just to catch up on a few crafting goals! With Cut Above®, there are a wealth of creative possibilities to help you realize your crafting vision, whatever it may be!

To showcase just how easy it can be to create with the Picture This Christmas Cut Above® card kits, we’re going to go through each step of how these cards came together. For our Picture This Christmas cards, we start off with a pre-printed, pre-cut card base, measuring 5” x 7”. These cards are larger than our standard 4¼” x 5½” cards for a very special reason. As we mentioned at the beginning of this post, the cards in a Picture This Christmas kit are designed to feature your own personal photos, and by providing a 5” x 7” card base, your cards can comfortably accommodate a 4” x 6” photo!

With card base in hand as a starting place, we next attached a photo to it, taking care to center it, and then continued by attaching the provided frame die-cut. As with the photo in the previous step, make sure to take care when placing your frame, aligning the corners of the die-cut with the corners of your photo. By taking extra care when placing your photo and die-cut frame, you will be left with a more polished card at the end.

After placing the photo and attaching the frame die-cut over it, we used the provided evergreen branch and pennant sentiment die-cuts to add some extra flair and pizazz to the corners of the photo. The addition of these die-cuts helps to add some depth to the photo, and definitely ups the visual interest of the overall card.

And just like that, with only a few simple steps, we created a beautiful, polished card with a one-of-a-kind personal touch! This card, while simple, is an excellent example of how a Cut Above® kit can be used to incredible effect as a quick and easy crafting solution.

If you’re wanting to take the creative process a little further with your own Picture This Christmas cards, we have an outstanding option for that as well! Let’s take a look at how you can really shake things up and take this card design to the next level by adding a full cardfront shaker window!

To create Picture This Christmas cards with shaker windows, we started out by centering the photo on the base, and then attached a perimeter of 3-D Foam Tape and added a few pinches of sequins or other shaker window fill pieces to the center, directly over the photo. To make this a quick and easy process, we offer three different Picture This Christmas Shaker Window Card kits with Gold, Silver, and Iridescent Flower Sequin options.

Once we made our shaker element selection and added it to the center of the photo, we carefully trimmed a 5” x 7” piece of clear acetate from the 12” x 12” sheets included with the Picture This Christmas Shaker Window Card kits and centered it over the photo and base, making sure to line up the corners. Once the acetate was secured, we centered the die-cut frame over the acetate and base and embellished it at the corners with the provided die-cuts. After this final step, our shaker card is complete, and we’re left with a stunning and uniquely personal card, perfect to send to a loved one or friend!

As a fun, final touch, Picture This Christmas also includes the 5” x 7” Envelope Flap Thin Cuts to decorate the flaps of your card envelopes, as well as an exclusive stamp set to add sentiments to the interior of your cards! These stamps and Thin Cuts can be used to further personalize and set your cards apart!

No matter who you choose to send your cards to, or which photos you decide to feature on them, your Picture This Christmas cards are a beautiful reflection of your memories and identity, and are certain to be treasures for years to come! What photos will you showcase on your Picture This Christmas cards? Tell us all about it in the comments below!

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September 14, 2022Celebrate, Community, Create

Create to Your Heart’s Content with Card Creativity!

Close To My Heartanimals, background thin cuts, balloons, bugs, Card Creativity, cardmaking, cards, cardstock, Circle Lattice Background, clear sparkles, Cloud Background, D.O.T.S., distress oxide, Dragonfly Wishes, Floating By, guide, Hello Fabulous, Jeanette, National Stamping Month, party, sentiments, sponge, sponging, Stamp + Thin Cuts, stamping, stencils, stitched, Stitched Swirl Background, techniques, Thin Cuts, TriBlend™ markers 1 Comment

It’s time to celebrate, because National Stamping Month is officially underway! Around here, September is all about stamping! The art of stamping is one that is extremely close to our hearts. (Yes, pun INTENDED!) When Founder & CEO Jeanette Lynton first started this business under the name D.O.T.S. (Dozens of Terrific Stamps), the entire business was based on this wonderful art form. A lot has changed over the years; we’ve expanded our stamp offering, pioneered the use of transparent stamps and clear, interchangeable stamping blocks, and diversified our interests to include materials for memory keeping, cardmaking, and papercrafting projects. While we have become known as one of the premier providers of top-quality papers, cardstock, and embellishments, stamps will always be at the center of what we do. To this day, we continue to innovate and push the boundaries of stamping, whether it be in memory keeping, cardmaking, or papercrafting projects, while also building a strong presence within the worldwide crafting community.

With this in mind, it’s no wonder that National Stamping Month is one our favorite months and reasons to celebrate over the course of each year. To help us get into the stamping festivities, we have designed a brand-new selection of stamps and stamping-related projects, allowing everyone from our long-time crafting buddies to our newest friends the option to celebrate this amazing artistic medium and create along with us! You are going to love what we have to show you today, as we take you on a journey through this year’s National Stamping Month exclusive offer, Card Creativity. Let’s dive straight in!

Card Creativity is all about expressing your artistic vision through the cardmaking medium, which allows you to more readily share your creations with friends and family! With this central purpose at the heart of Card Creativity, we’ve created three stamp sets with coordinating Thin Cuts metal dies and stencils, and one set made up entirely of sentiments for the interior of your cards.

Each stamp set has its own unique feel and can be incorporated into countless designs for maximum creative output, and with so many interior sentiments to choose from, your cards are always sure to be a delight, not only for the recipients, but for you as you make them, as well!

Today, we’ll be focusing on the ins and outs of six particular designs, pictured below; all of these cards can be created by following the instructions in the Card Creativity Cardmaking Workshop Kit. (To download these instructions, click here! For our friends in Australia and New Zealand, click here!)

A hallmark of the Card Creativity cardmaking experience is the inclusion of coordinating background stencils, a method which can be seen in all six of the cards we’ll look at today. As crafters familiar with Close To My Heart will know, many of our stamp sets come with coordinating Thin Cuts metal dies, designed to cut die-cuts from plain paper that can then accommodate a stamped image from its coordinating set. Incorporating Thin Cuts into your stamp-based crafts can be a great way to bring additional dimension into your project. For Card Creativity, we’ve created three coordinating stamps and Thin Cuts, but we’ve also designed special stencils to layer in with the stamps and Thin Cuts. As you will see later on, these stencils can be used to create background patterns or to add color to accent elements more at the forefront.

Another standout feature of this cardmaking extravaganza is the inclusion of the Cloud, Stitched Swirl, and Circle Lattice Background Thin Cuts metal dies. These metal dies are each designed to fit a standard 4¼” x 5½” card, and they are a great way to create engaging backgrounds, card bases, or decorative overlays. These die-cuts are designed specifically to coordinate with our Card Creativity stamps, Thin Cuts, and stencils—to achieve some pretty impressive effects!—but they can be used as standalone Thin Cuts in a variety of other projects. The only limit is your imagination! Each one of these metal dies has been used to create the cards we’ll be looking at today, and we can’t wait to show them off!

The first two cards we’ll examine today are an adorable and light-hearted pair of birthday and greeting cards. Both cards were made using the Floating By Stamp + Thin Cuts + Stencil set (CC9225) and are a delightful blend of whimsy and good old-fashioned animal cuteness. (After all, what’s cuter than animals and colorful balloons? 🥰)

In our sweet little mouse birthday card, you can see the Cloud Background Thin Cuts (CC9228) used to great effect; not only has the main component of the metal die been used to create a simple, yet beautiful base, but the interior shapes from the initial cut have been incorporated as well. This inclusion gives the card an additional level of dimension befitting an expansive, cloudy sky for our mouse to float in. The mouse and its balloons top everything off, along with a hand-trimmed pennant for our sentiment, and a few Clear Sparkles!

For our “Floating By to Say Hi” greeting card, we begin to see how the stencils and Thin Cuts can work together for seamless coordination and application. Rather than using the Cloud Background Thin Cuts die as a base, we used the cloud stencil, Peacock Feathers Distress Oxide™ ink, and a sponge to apply light blue clouds to a plain white cardstock base. Over that, we layered a few of the interior cloud cut-outs, some strategically ripped cardstock, and of course, our animal friend and balloon! (For a fun twist, we stamped our sentiment on the balloon die-cut itself!) We’ve also added a few Clear Sparkles for a fun bit of shine, and with that, our “Floating By to Say Hi” greeting card is complete!

Our next set of cards was created with our Hello Fabulous Stamp + Thin Cuts + Stencil grouping, and we are loving the way the stencils came into play with our first card!

The “Hello Fabulous” motivational card showcases the use of not one pass with the stencil, but two! To create our multi-colored base, we sponged one color of ink with the stencil on one side, then flipped the stencil around and sponged a different color of ink onto the card base, perpendicular to the first round of color! This technique allows you to enjoy the dual-color effect while also enjoying the convenience of only needing one tool! (Just make sure to wipe the stencil off before going in for your second round of color to avoid smudging your card!)

After applying our stenciled colors to the card base, we cut an overlay piece using the Circle Lattice Background Thin Cuts metal die, and then sponged it with coordinating colors to match the stencil work we did on the card base. Once our colors were applied, we finished this card off with our stamped, die-cut sentiment, a few pieces of black and white cardstock to accent it, and a handful of our trusty clear sparkles for some subtle shine. When it all comes together, this vibrant card is a beautiful way to not only express and exercise your creativity, but is a great way to show someone special that you care!

Our other Hello Fabulous card doesn’t incorporate our background stencil, but does sport some pretty snazzy colors with blended Distress Oxide™ ink on the Circle Lattice Background die-cut piece. We love adding all sorts of bright coloring with Distress Oxide, and it’s always a treat to see what can be done with it!

For this card in particular, we used a Mini Ink Blending Tool to blend our selected ink colors into an awesome ombre effect. (For more inspiration on how to incorporate Distress Oxide inks into your own creations, check out our “Distress Oxide™ Ink Techniques and Ideas” blog post!)

The last two cards we’ll be looking at today were created with our Dragonfly Wishes Stamp + Thin Cuts + Stencil set, and we love the way these gorgeous cards came together!

With our “Thank You” card, we’ve gone for a more minimalistic approach when it comes to the base design, selecting a clean White Daisy base. To give it some extra pop, we’ve taken the Stitched Swirl Background Thin Cuts and used it to cut the distinctive stitched swirl patterns into our base. Once the base is in place, we added a 3¼” x 4″ piece of black cardstock, topped with an additional 3″ x 3¾” White Daisy piece, which has also been treated with the Stitched Swirl Background Thin Cuts die. This die is a great tool for adding subtle pattern and texture that contributes visual interest to your background without becoming too distracting. Once the base has been created, we get to the more involved, colorful parts of this creation process!

To add hues to our stamped die-cut flower patch, we went in with Blue Turquoise and Alpine Green TriBlend™ Markers and used the trio of shades in each to add some delicate color. However, it’s in our dragonfly’s wings where we really get into some coloring fun! For this elegant insect, we used our coordinating Dragonfly Wishes stencil to add color to the wings sections. This delicate blend of colors not only makes the dragonfly stand out but brings a more realistic touch to the overall aesthetic of the card. With the addition of our sentiment and a neat row of sparkles, this gorgeous dragonfly “Thank You” card is complete!

Our last piece we have to show you today is a fun dragonfly birthday card, complete with another stitched swirl background and a fun twist on the blended Distress Oxide™ ink blending techniques we’ve showcased in a few of our previous cards. Our “Wishing You a Wonderful Birthday” card starts off by running our base piece through our Die-cutting & Embossing Machine with the Stitched Swirl Background Thin Cuts. Next, we applied a pink and blue ink blend, adding a few water splatters for a watercolor effect.

Once the ink colors have been applied to our card base, we layered a small stamped image of cattails, matted with black cardstock, over the colored section and also popped our sentiment onto the card base, trimmed to a pennant shape for some additional flair. We’ve topped everything off with a pair of beautiful, iridescent dragonflies with delicately colored wings. Once again, we’ve used Distress Oxide™ ink pads and the Dragonfly Wishes stencil to achieve this appearance, and added a few Clear Sparkles to finish the look. (It’s amazing to see what a difference even a small embellishment can make!)

With so much crafting potential packed in, Card Creativity is the ultimate cardmaking experience and a great way to express your own love for stamping! We’ve loved showing you these incredible cards to give you an idea of the artwork that can be made with this amazing collection of products, and we’re looking forward to seeing all the awesome things you create with it, both for Card Creativity and beyond!

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April 13, 2022Inspiration

Springtime Crafting for Easter!

Close To My Heart8 1/2" x 11", bunny, cards, crafting, easter, eggs, faith, Family, friends, Memory Keeping, religious, scrapbooking, tradition 2 Comments

With Easter right around the corner, it’s time for some of our favorite springtime traditions! From egg decoration and hunts to leaving out a basket for the bunny and spending treasured time with family and friends, it’s a perfect time to get crafting and preserve those delightful memories when they come along.

Today, we’ve got some fantastic Easter-themed cards and a two-page 8½” x 11″ scrapbook layout to help you get your creative wheels turning as you think of ways to spread your Easter joy and commemorate your sweet experiences during this beautiful time of year. Let’s dive in!

For all our card makers out there, it’s a prime time to make gorgeous cards for the dear ones in your life. Our selection of adorable stamp + Thin Cuts designed specifically for your Easter crafting needs ranges from celebratory religious sentiments to fun bunnies, eggs, flowers, and birds.

The Easter season can also be an ideal time to express your love for those around you with a heartfelt scrapbook layout. To maximize both your time and stories, consider creating 8½” x 11″ pages to record your special Easter memories. Creating a smaller layout like this one can be a great way to ensure that your stories are told without cutting into time spent with loved ones.

As you can see here, a layout doesn’t have to be intricate or over the top to provide a memorable backdrop for your favorite photos and stories. layout requires relatively few steps when it comes to cutting, stamping, and embellishing.

For instance, the border and background pattern seen here can be created in minutes with just a few pen strokes and some quick tone-on-tone stamping. These elements come together to create a finished look while saving you time and effort.

Looking for something a bit more challenging to stretch your creative abilities? Consider creating a fun title accent like this one, using a sponge dauber and a few of your favorite ink pads to selectively apply color to your stamp, resulting in a multi–hued single stamp image! You can then add more color and shading as desired using watercolor pencils.

With a wealth of creative possibilities available for Easter crafts, we hope you’ll find these tips and techniques helpful as you celebrate this wonderful time of year!

What Easter traditions do you celebrate, and how would you scrapbook them? Leave a comment below to let us know!

Recipes

8½” x 11″ Happy Easter Layout
Z4426 Some Bunny Loves You Stamp + Thin Cuts, X9038 Mix-in Paper Packet, X6036 Ballerina Cardstock, X6039 Carolina Cardstock, X6035 Lemonade Cardstock, X6042 Mint Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z6523 Avocado Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6505 Carolina Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6527 Wild Berry Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z3515 Black Journaling Pen (.01), Z3517 Black Journaling Pen (.05), Z1513 White Gel Pens, Z3630 Watercolor Pencils, Z5012 Wild Berry Shimmer Trim, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z6012 Wood Hearts, Z2089 Glue Dots^® Micro Dots, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine, Cricut^® Art Philosophy Collection

Cricut^® Shape:
Art Philosophy
#M4620A

4¼” x 5½” Easter Eggs Card (Vertical)
Z4428 Easter Egg Stamp + Thin Cuts, X9038 Mix-in Paper Packet, X6063 Papaya Cardstock, X6058 Rosemary Cardstock, X6059 Shortbread Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z6505 Carolina Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6534 Papaya Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6530 Shortbread Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6514 Wisteria Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z891 VersaMark^™ Ink Pad, Z2476 Fair Skin TriBlend^™ Marker, Z3563 Diamond Stickles^™ Glitter Glue, Z3792 Bisque Liquid Pearls^™, Z3796 Lavender Lace Liquid Pearls^™, Z3795 Robin’s Egg Liquid Pearls^™, Z3312 Gold Glitter Gems, Z6025 White Acrylic Flowers, Z2089 Glue Dots^® Micro Dots, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine, Sewing Machine

4¼” x 5½” Snuggle Bunnies Card (Horizontal)
Z4431 Snuggle Bunnies Stamp + Thin Cuts, D2052 My Acrylix^® For All Occasions Stamp Set, B1791 My Acrylix® Easter Egg Stamp Set, X6039 Carolina Cardstock, X5947 Mink Cardstock, X6063 Papaya Cardstock, X6059 Shortbread Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z6505 Carolina Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6534 Papaya Exclusive Inks^™Stamp Pad, Z3271 Archival Black Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks^™Stamp Pad, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z5014 Papaya Shimmer Trim, Z6012 Wood Hearts, Z4095 Botanical Embossing Folder, Z3224 Small Round Waterbrush, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine, Sandpaper, Sewing Machine

4¼” x 5½” Faith Card (Horizontal)
Z4432 Easter Cross Stamp + Thin Cuts, X6061 Mulberry Cardstock, X6045 Sage Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z6531 Mocha Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6532 Mulberry Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6504 Sage Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z2066 Princess Gold Embossing Powder, Z1985 Gold Shimmer Trim, Z4235 Gold Loose Sequins, Z697 Round Sponge, Z4252 Heat Tool, Z4220 Anti-static Pouch, Z2089 Glue Dots^® Micro Dots, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape

4¼” x 5½” He Is Risen Card (Vertical)
Z4432 Easter Cross Stamp + Thin Cuts, X8028 Wood Grain Paper Packet, X5978 Glacier Cardstock, X6045 Sage Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z6503 Mint Exclusive Inks^™Stamp Pad, Z6532 Mulberry Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z891 VersaMark^™ Ink Pad, Z2066 Princess Gold Embossing Powder, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z4235 Gold Loose Sequins, Z1985 Gold Shimmer Trim, Z3224 Small Round Waterbrush, Z697 Round Sponge, Z4252 Heat Tool, Z4220 Anti-static Pouch, Z2089 Glue Dots^® Micro Dots, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine, Cricut^® Art Philosophy Collection

Cricut^® Shape:
Art Philosophy
#M45BEB

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March 16, 2022Inspiration

A Birthday Bash You DON’T Want to Miss!

Close To My Heartbirthday, birthday bash, Cake Day, cardmaking, cards, Celebrate, celebration, giveaway, Jeanette, party, scrapbook, scrapbooking, Stamp + Thin Cuts, stamping, stamps, Thin Cuts 322 Comments

Can you believe that we are already halfway through March? That means that there’s still another half left, and we plan on wrapping it up in Close To My Heart style with a celebratory giveaway!

What are we celebrating? (Do we have to have a reason? 😉) One of our most dear relations has a birthday coming up in the next couple of weeks, and this simply cannot go without notice! We are talking of none other than the heart of Close To My Heart, Founder and CEO Jeanette Lynton!

Please join us in celebrating this inspiring pillar of our creative community by leaving her a birthday message in our comments, below. Jeanette loves this company and all of us who comprise it with all of her heart! If you’re one of our readers who’s been fortunate enough to meet her, you know that this is true. ❤️

To get the party started, we are giving away the Cake Day stamp and Thin Cuts sets! Not only are these two sets ideal for a variety of artwork projects celebrating birthdays and other occasions, but they both feature a variety of fun, stacking images that are easy to achieve and customize thanks to the versatility of stamping!

CAKE DAY—CARDMAKING STAMP + THIN CUTS

CAKE DAY—SCRAPBOOKING STAMP + THIN CUTS

Let’s take a closer look at how some of the different layers of this stamp set build on each other. For the presents, you have three different shapes to choose from, and you can add details to each of them with bows, wrapping paper designs, or both!

This little triangle is especially versatile because you can mix and match the different stripe patterns with each other, or stamp either stripe pattern on a solid stamped triangle to create a variety of colorful pennants for a banner.

Turn a pennant upside down and stamp one of the two included accents on top and you have a party hat!

We are giving away a total of five stamp + Thin Cuts sets, winners’ choice! If you’re one of our winners, let us know which set you prefer, the Cake Day—Cardmaking or Cake Day—Scrapbooking stamp + Thin Cuts!

To qualify for the drawing, it’s the easy two-step entry it always is. First, make sure you are subscribed! (So many leave comments and are not subscribed—we look!) If you are not subscribed, simply click on the blue “Subscribe to list” button found on the sidebar, if you’re on a computer, or at the very bottom of this post, if you’re on a phone or tablet. Second, and this is a must and just as important, if not more so, leave a birthday message for Jeanette in our comments section below. That’s it! All entries must be submitted by 5 pm, March 28, MDT (that’s 10:00 am 29 March, AEDT for our Aussie friends.) Winners will be notified via the e-mail address connected to their subscriptions.

Be sure to also check out Facebook and Instagram feeds for even MORE Cake Day giveaway opportunities that we will be running there in honor of Jeanette’s birthday month!

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

Recipes:

4¼” x 5½” Cake Card (Vertical)
Z4417 Cake Day—Cardmaking Stamp Set + Thin Cuts, X7278S Cake Day Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X5978 Glacier Cardstock, X6031 Green Apple Cardstock, X6035 Lemonade Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X6056 Wild Berry Cardstock, X7278D Cake Day Picture My Life^™ Cards, Z2841 Glacier Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6513 Green Apple Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6521 Sundance Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6527 Wild Berry Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z1513 White Gel Pens, X7278E Cake Day Dots, Z1263 Bitty Sparkles, Z697 Round Sponge, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine

4¼” x 5½” Happy Birthday to You Card (Horizontal)
Z4417 Cake Day Cardmaking Stamp + Thin Cuts, X7278S Cake Day Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X5978 Glacier Cardstock, X6031 Green Apple Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2841 Glacier Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6513 Green Apple Exclusive Inks^™Stamp Pad, Z6517 Lemonade Exclusive Inks^™Stamp Pad, Z6521 Sundance Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6527 Wild Berry Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, X7278E Cake Day Dots, Z4525 Primary Sprinkles, Z3515 Black Journaling Pen (.01), Z1513 White Gel Pens, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z2089 Glue Dots^®Micro Dots, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine

12″ x 12″ Hip Hip Hooray Layout
Z4416 Cake Day—Scrapbooking Stamp + Thin Cuts, X7278S Cake Day Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X5978 Glacier Cardstock, X6051 Sundance Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2841 Glacier Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6513 Green Apple Exclusive Inks^™Stamp Pad, Z6521 Sundance Exclusive Inks^™Stamp Pad, Z6527 Wild Berry Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks^™Stamp Pad, Z3787 Platinum Stickles^™ Glitter Glue, X7278E Cake Day Dots, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine, Cricut^® Basic Shapes

Cricut^® Shape:
Basic Shapes
#M2AAB3EFD

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March 2, 2022Inspiration

Papercrafting Party Time!

Close To My Heartbadge, birthday, Cake Day, cardmaking, cards, catalog, Celebrate, DIY, March–April 2022, Papercrafting, party 7 Comments

When March rolls around, it’s party time at Close To My Heart! Not only is it our Founder and CEO Jeanette Lynton’s birthday month, it’s also a time to celebrate all the things you love about crafting! Today, we’ll be taking you on a step-by-step journey through the process of creating an adorable celebratory card and a handful of festive badge decorations to help you get into party mode!

If the artwork we’re showing off today looks familiar, that’s because it is featured on the cover of our new March–April catalog, which we just released! This artwork is geared toward a birthday celebration, but you can easily switch out sentiments and embellishments to suit a variety of occasions. We’ll be looking at two party crafting essentials: cards and décor!

Papercrafting Party Time!#ctmh #closetomyheart #party #celebration #crafting #papercrafting #cardmaking #decor #DIY

When creating a birthday card, a standout design is key for creating a fun and memorable card! For this Happy Birthday Cake card, we used papers and coordinating colors from the new Cake Day collection.

A prominent feature of this design is the diagonal slit through the center of the card. This slit is only 1/8″ wide, but it makes a big impression! To achieve this look, you’ll want to first apply any detailing to the top piece of paper, like we’ve done with the stamped details and colorful splatters shown here. Then, you cut the piece diagonally from the top-left to the bottom-right corner.

Once the cut has been made, take each piece of paper, and along the cut line you just made, slice off half the width of the slit. Because we created this card with a 1/8″ slit, we cut off 1/16″ from each individual piece after the initial diagonal cut has been made. If the thought of cutting a 1/16″ strip makes you break into a sweat, consider recreating this look using a wider slit in the middle.

The thing that makes the slit work is choosing a fun paper to peek through it! For our card, we used Wild Berry Glitter paper and cut it to not only peep through the slit but also to provide a nice border around the top piece.

After selecting our papers, we created an embellishment cluster to place at the center of the card, comprised of a Cricut®-cut circle, a few stickers from the Cake Day sticker selection, some Gold Embellishing Thread, and a “Happy Birthday” sentiment and balloon die-cuts from the Cake Day—Cardmaking Stamp + Thin Cuts set.

Finishing up with a few Primary Sprinkles and Bitty Sparkles, this vibrant birthday card is sure to be an unforgettable part of any birthday celebration!

For the décor part of our art feature today, we’ll be going through the creation process for a selection of party badges that are sure to be a hit anywhere! For these badges, we’ve provided a downloadable Cricut Design Space™ file, which uses some basic element shapes to construct a few of these badges.

These badges feature patterned papers from the Cake Day paper collection as well as some of the coordinating cardstock colors. You can easily customize these badges by choosing a paper collection or cardstock colors that fit the theme of whatever you are celebrating. Cardstock is a great option for this kind of project because of how versatile it makes the final piece—and now is a great time to stock up on cardstock because our exclusive cardstock is on sale all month long during our Cardstock Carnival! Talk about reasons to celebrate!

You’ll need to attach a scoring tool to your machine to achieve the final, pleated look for the badge bases. Once you’ve cut all the pieces, gently remove them from your Cricut® mat to avoid tearing, and fold accordion-style along the scored lines. Create the badge shape by compressing the piece, holding the center section, and gathering the accordion fold into a circle shape. Secure the center of the circle and both ends with adhesive.

Once you’ve secured the ends and center of your badge base, you can attach any other embellishment pieces, like the dovetailed ribbon pieces on the “Party” and “Cake Time”, sentiments or stickers. You can even stack smaller pleated badge pieces on larger ones, like you see on the “Cake Time” and Wild Berry bow badges. Because these badges require relatively few process steps, it’s easy to cut and construct several at once, making them a project that not only is fun and simple to create, but is sure to wow wherever it’s used!

Don’t have a Cricut^® machine? No problem! These badges can also be made by hand by using a hand-held scoring tool. (In fact, four of the seven badges shown below were created using this method!)

To create badges by hand, cut a piece of paper with a width of half the desired diameter of your finished badges (e.g. For a 2″ finished badge, trim paper to a width of 1″). Once you’ve cut your paper to the desired width, you can either use a scoring attachment with a paper cutter, or you can use a papercrafting tool and a ruler to create your own score lines by hand. We’ve created our score lines 1/4″ apart, but you can use different measurements for larger or smaller pleats.

From there, you simply fold your paper accordion-style along the scored lines, compress the piece, holding the center section, gather the accordion fold into a circle shape, and secure the center of the circle and both ends with adhesive. Once you’ve constructed your badge, add a few embellishments, and you’re left with a beautiful, handmade decor piece!

We hope you’ve enjoyed this artwork showcase featuring some of our newest items from the new March–April catalog. Click here to view the catalog and all the exciting new products available through March and April. Happy March, and happy crafting!

Recipes

4¼” x 5½” Happy Birthday Card (Vertical)
Z4417 Cake Day—Cardmaking Stamp + Thin Cuts, X7278S Cake Day Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X9038 Mix-in Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2538 Wild Berry Glitter Paper, Z6513 Green Apple Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6527 Wild Berry Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z2805 Black Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z3821 Fuchsia Gloss Spray, Z5009 Gilt Gloss Spray, Z3823 Turquoise Gloss Spray, Z2498 True Black Marker, Z4525 Primary Sprinkles, Z1263 Bitty Sparkles, Z4054 Gold Embellishing Thread, Z2089 Glue Dots^® Micro Dots, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine

3″ Cake Time Badge
X7278S Cake Day Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X9038 Mix-in Paper Packet, X2089 Glue Dots^® Micro Dots, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Cricut^®Artiste Collection
Cricut^® Shape:

Artiste
#M467DF
#M3D95F

2¾” Party Badge
X7278B Cake Day Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X6056 Wild Berry Cardstock, Z5021 Wild Berry Loose Sequins, Z2089 Glue Dots^® Micro Dots, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Cricut^® Artistry Collection, Cricut^® Artiste Collection
Cricut^® Shapes:
Artistry
#M41686E

Artiste
#M467DF
#M3D95F

2½” Wild Berry Bow Badge
X5978 Glacier Cardstock, X6056 Wild Berry Cardstock, Z5011 Wild Berry Stitched Ribbon, Z3342 3-D Foam Dots, Cricut^®Artiste Digital Collection, Scoring Tool

Cricut^® Shape:
Artiste
#M467D

2″ Glacier Cupcake Badge
X7278S Cake Day Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X5978 Glacier Cardstock, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Scoring Tool

2″ Wild Berry Polka Dot Badge
X9038 Mix-in Paper Packet, X6056 Wild Berry Cardstock, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Cricut^® Basic Shapes, Scoring Tool

Cricut^® Shape:
Basic Shapes
#M2AAB3EFD

3″ OMG Badge
X7278S Cake Day Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Scoring Tool

2½” YAY Badge
X7278S Cake Day Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Scoring Tool

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Tag Archives: cards

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