October 5, 2022Create, Inspiration, Memory Keeping

Creating Multiple Windows on a Scrapbook Page + FREE Cricut Design Space™ File!

Close To My Heartback to school, bubbles, christmas, Christmas story, cricut, Cricut Design Space, Cricut Design Space™, Design Space, free, free design space file, Halloween costumes, Holiday, Memory Keeping, Merry Christmas, new year's eve photos, October–December catalog, peekaboo, scrapbooking, shaker, shaker window, tropcial holiday, underwater pictures, window 12 Comments

We are down to the final months of the year, and that means we have some major holidays just around the corner! There is so much to celebrate, and with all of the memories you are bound to make, you’re going to need somewhere to preserve them. Follow along to learn how to recreate this beautiful scrapbook page, featured on the cover of our new October–December catalog, so you can use it for your memory keeping this coming season!

Cricut Design Space™ File:

To kick things off, click here for the free Design Space^™ file that will cut the circle shapes out of a 12″ x 12″ sheet of patterned paper to create the top layer of the base of the page. Since circles are part of Cricut’s “basic shapes,” you do not need to own any Close To My Heart collections to use the free download!

Materials Needed:

Our main focus today will be on creating and filling the multiple circle window spaces. Here’s what you’ll need:

· a 12″ x 12″ patterned paper sheet (for the cutout layer)
· a 12″ x 12″ base page, one that will hold all of the window elements in place (we used a sheet of White Daisy cardstock)
· 3-D foam tape
· small circle shaker window foam + acetate
· coordinating shaker window fillers (we used gold star confetti)
· glitter paper
· coordinating cardstock
· additional, coordinating patterned papers

Tip: The glitter paper, cardstock, and patterned papers will be used for the background of the circles, so it’s a great way to use up some of your scraps!

· coordinating embellishments (die-cuts, acrylic shapes, stickers, etc.)

(If you’d like to duplicate our page, exactly, see the recipe at the end of this post for a complete list of products that you will need.)

Instructions:

1. Pair the Design Space file provided above with the 12″ x 12″ patterned paper and cut the top layer for the base.

2. Place the cutout layer on top of the 12″ x 12″ White Daisy cardstock, or whatever you’re using for the base page, and with a pencil lightly trace all of the circles onto it. Remove the cut layer and now, with the marked up base page, you’re ready to start building the individual windows!

3. We will start with the “hardest” windows (they’re really not that hard), and those are the shaker windows. We chose to incorporate two shakers on our page, one at the top of the page and one at the bottom. Both bases for these shakers are 2″ circles, one cut from patterned paper and the other from cardstock.

Using the technique we shared a couple of months ago in A New Approach to Shaker Cards, Step-by-Step, we assembled the shaker windows on the back side of the cutout layer (rather than on top of it). On the back side of the cutout patterned paper, you will attach the acetate, then attach the circle foam tape, then add the filling, and finish by attaching the base.

Tip: For more detailed instructions on how to assemble these shakers from the back, visit the post mentioned in the step.

4. On the solid base page, cover the penciled circles that will not be shaker windows with patterned paper, cardstock, or glitter paper. You can cover all of them or leave a few blank. What you cover or don’t cover is what will show through on your final page.

Tips: You do not have to stay inside the lines. In fact, we encourage you to go over a bit, just outside the lines, so the edges of the circles won’t be visible when the top layer is attached later. You are also not confined to using circles to create these background spaces. All that matters is that you cover the spaces that were drawn on the base page in their entirety. As you cut your paper pieces, refer to the image below to know the size of each circle, if necessary.

5. Add more dimension to the page by embellishing a few of these circle spaces even further using acrylic shapes, die-cuts, stickers, stamped images, etc. You’ll notice that two of the circles on our page are embellished with acrylic stars and heart die-cuts. Unlike the confetti in our shaker windows, these stars and hearts were attached to the prepared base page because there will not be acetate keeping them from falling off the page. Plus, we preferred a more organized look for these spaces 🙂.

6. Once all of your circles are prepared, it’s time to do some additional prep work to attach the two base pieces together! Here’s where you pull out the trusty 3-D foam tape! Depending on where you chose to place your shaker windows and other three-dimensional embellishments is where you will need to add 3-D foam tape to your base page. There are some of us out there that will want to add foam tape all around the perimeter of the page and each of the circles, and possibly a few additional places. If that is you, by all means, go for it! If you’re in the camp of being more frugal with your use of foam tape, then add it where you see that the page will not be supported up by the parts that have already been prepared, including the four corners of the page.

7. With your base page prepared with foam tape, line up the cutout layer with the base, focusing on the edges and corners, and attach!

Tip: Add some regular adhesive to the backs of those shaker windows for a firmer grip in those areas.

And there you have it! It may seem like a lot of steps, but the idea behind this page is simple enough that you will find it comes together easier than you might think!

Mat a photo and add it to the page, along with a few more embellishments and journaling, and you’ve got a gorgeous page worthy of any scrapbook!

Whether you’re backlogged on memories that need a home or are wanting to get a leg up on what you know is to come in these next few months, this type of scrapbook page is versatile enough that it can be used for a variety of themes, not just Christmas. The circles on this page could be used to make constellations and planets for beautiful pictures that come with a night sky, bubbles for those adorable bath time photos or for underwater pictures from a tropical holiday. This type of effect could form the background for flashier New Year’s Eve photos, Halloween costumes, back to school, or any other theme you can think of!

However you decide to use this page, we hope you enjoy this time of year to the fullest and preserve the beautiful moments you are creating!

Recipe:

12″ x 12″ Merry Christmas Page
Z8009 Admit One Stamp + Thin Cuts, X7286S Christmas Story Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X7287S Cherish Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X9044 Mix-in Paper Packet, X6047 Black Cardstock, X6060 Mocha Cardstock, X6045 Sage Cardstock, X6059 Shortbread Cardstock, X5950 Toffee Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z4611 Seabrook Glitter Paper, Z3239 Silver Glitter Paper, Z6523 Avocado Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6515 Paprika Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z4575 Black LePen^™, Z5010 White Gloss Spray, X7286E Christmas Story Embellishments, Z4626 Red Dots, Z3677 Gold Star Confetti, Z6047 White Acrylic Stars, Z6044 Woodgrain Die-cut Hearts, Z8052 Merry Christmas Layers Thin Cuts , Z4620 Small Circle Window Thin Cuts, Z4569 Small Circle Shaker Window Foam + Acetate, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape, Z2089 Glue Dots^® Micro Dots, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine, Cricut^® Basic Shapes

Cricut^® Shapes:
Basic Shapes
#M2AAB3EFD
#M5C38547
#M5C3851C

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November 3, 2021Create

FREE Design Space File to Create Your Own Gratitude Tree!

Close To My Heartcraft, cricut, Design Space, download, file, free, grateful, gratitude, leaf, leaves, papercraft, thanksgiving, tree, trunk 9 Comments

Gratitude Paper Craft #closetomyheart #ctmh #cricut #gratitude #grateful #thanksgiving #gratitudetree #fallcraft #autumncraft #thanksgivingcraft #cricutdesignspace #free #freefile #freedownload #papercraft #papercrafting

The things we’re grateful for—relationships, homes, lifestyle comforts, financial success, etc.—may not grow on trees, but in today’s post they will! We’re going to walk you through the steps of creating your very own gratitude tree!

To get you started, we’re providing a FREE Cricut Design Space™ file for the shapes of the tree trunk and leaves! These tree shapes come from a variety of our Cricut^® collections, including Art Philosophy, Artbooking, Flower Shop, and more! Click here to download this file!

Once you’ve downloaded our free file, or have selected Cricut^® shapes or metal dies of your own, select a variety of colored cardstock to cut your leaves. For our tree, we chose to incorporate vibrant autumnal colors, but color choice is completely up to you! Just make sure to select shades that will allow your journaling to show. (As a reminder, all Close To My Heart colored cardstock is two-toned, so you can use a single color and still end up with two shades!)

After your leaves and trunk are cut, it’s time to create your base page and attach the trunk. We kept our base page simple with a denim patterned paper from our Textures Paper Packet, featured in the 2021–2022 Core Products Catalog. We also decided to add a little more dimension to our tree trunk by cutting two trunk layers and positioning them slightly off set from each other. For even more artistic fun, we chose to use a wood grain patterned paper from our Wood Grains Paper Packet for our top layer and a solid Mocha cardstock layer on the bottom. (Attaching your top layer with thin 3-D foam tape can be another great way to bring dimension to your tree!)

When your base is ready, put it in a 12″ x 12″ frame and set it in high traffic area of your home. Place the cut, leaves along with a few colorful pens and adhesive, in a handy bowl. Allow everyone who passes by to write something they are grateful for on a leaf and have them attach it to the tree! Another way to use this project is to bring it to your Thanksgiving Day table for a fun family activity! Pass the leaves around the table and invite your guests to write what they are grateful for. When everyone’s finished, collect all the leaves, and watch your gratitude tree spring to life as you share the thoughtful contributions of your loved ones!

For our tree, we used 3-D foam tape, thin 3-D foam tape, and a gl u e pen to attach the leaves to the base tree, resulting in a nice variation in dimension from leaf to leaf. Once you’ve attached all the gratitude leaves to the tree branches, you can use any extras to create a small leaf pile at the base of your tree trunk, helping to fill out your page and give it a little extra flair. One of the best parts about this project is that it’s sized to fit inside a standard size scrapbook album! Add a bit of journaling to bring some context to the project, dress it up with a few embellishments, and you’re ready to put it into your scrapbook to cherish for years to come!

Recollections of days, meals, and even gifts may fade over time, but creating a lasting memory of gratitude and family is a sure-fire way to make this year’s Thanksgiving holiday unforgettable! Do you have a favorite Thanksgiving tradition? Tell us about it in the comments, below!

November Gratitude Projects: These 5 crafts will keep thankful thoughts top of mind

Recipe

12″ x 12″ Gratitude Tree Page
Cricut Design Space™ File, X6060 Mocha Cardstock, X6043 Nectarine Cardstock, X6033 Paprika Cardstock, X6051 Sundance Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X8031 Textures Paper Packet, X8028 Wood Grain Paper Packet, Z1500 Red LePen™, Z1509 Sepia LePen™, Z1513 White Gel Pens, Z4054 Gold Embellishing Thread, Z3312 Gold Glitter Gems, Z5317 Saddle Brown My Legacy™ D-ring Album, 4110 Top-load 12″ x 12″ Memory Protectors™, 12″ x 12″ Frame

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August 11, 2021Celebrate, Community, Create, Inspiration

Back to School Teacher Gifts!

Close To My Heartapple, appreciation, back to school, cricut, Design Space, DIY, gift, gift box, note pad, school, sticky note, teacher 13 Comments

How is it the middle of August already? Bells will ring, announcing the start of a new school year, and students and teachers, alike, will be back in the thick of it all before we know it!

Our teachers give so much of themselves, year after year. As our children prepare to return to fill their classrooms, let’s add to their supply lists a small gift of appreciation and encouragement!

We’ve got three simple projects for you and your kiddos to work on and bring to your teachers on that momentous first day.

First, we have a fun twist on the traditional school apple.

Did you know that, back in the 1700s, some families would give teachers a basket full of apples as payment for their child’s education? Now-a-days, the gifting of apples (or an apple) shifted from attempted compensation to a kind gesture of appreciation.

We’ve got a delicious variation of this popular gift with these gorgeous paper apples.

You will need three different color/pattern papers for the body of the apples, another paper for the leaf, and another for the tag (if you choose to add a tag). You will also need a pencil (cut down to 6″), adhesive, and twine.

We used a combination of shapes from our Art Philosophy Cricut® collection and free shapes available through Cricut Design Space™ to cut the pieces you see here. (School Apple Cricut Design Space™ file.) If you don’t have a cutting machine, we kept the shapes fairly simple so they could be recreated by hand. We recommend making the apple shape first, on a scratch piece of paper, and then using this as a template to trace and hand trim the six apples needed for the 3-D apple shape.

Once you have all of your shapes cut, fold the apple pieces along the score lines and attach them to each other, as shown above. (For those of you who cut these shapes by hand, there should be two score lines in the middle of each, approx. ⅜” apart.) Before attaching the last two wedges together, closing the circle, glue the pencil inside the “core.”

Embellish the apple with a leaf and a tag and then it’s ready for school!

Dressed up sticky notes is another fun way to show your teachers a little love. You know they will use sticky notes throughout the school year, so why not add a little flair and present them as gift?

To make one of these, you will need a 3″ x 3″ sticky note pad, one sheet of cardstock for the base of the holder, hook and loop dots (aka velcro dots), adhesive, and any type of embellishment you wish to add to the inside or outside of the base.

Use this Design Space file to cut the long, scalloped and scored rectangle cardstock piece you see here. (If you are cutting it by hand, the rectangle is 3¼” x 8½” and has score lines at 2⅛”, 2⅝”, 5⅞”, 6⅜” from the bottom.) Once you’ve cut and scored the cardstock, this project is pretty intuitive. First, attach the note pad to the center of the cardstock. Next, fold the pieces up and around the note pad. Then, embellish the top of the holder however you’d like, and finish by adding a hook and loop pair for the closing.

The last diy gift of appreciation we’re showing you today is actually a gift box for you to make and then fill with small goodies.

To make one of these boxes you will need two sheets of cardstock or pattern paper (that’s if you’d like for the box insert and sleeve to be different colors or designs), adhesive, and embellishments of your choice.

Use this Design Space file to cut the necessary shapes. (If you don’t have a cutting machine and would like to make a gift box, use this link to learn how to make one similar to the one shown here.)

Fold the cut paper along the score lines and attach them with adhesive to create the sleeve and box insert. Decorate the top of the box with additional papers, the teacher’s name, and other embellishments, and then fill it with goodies you know your teacher would like (tissues, lotion, hand sanitizer, a gift card, candies, etc.). That’s it!

Now, let’s show our teachers some love and encouragement this upcoming school year by letting them know, even in small ways, that we see and recognize their hard work and dedication.

In the comments below, we’d love to hear what you’re doing to show your teachers how much you appreciate them. ❤️

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February 24, 2021Create, Inspiration, Learn

Slimline Cards with a New Thin Cuts Die and Shaker Windows!

Close To My HeartArt Philosophy, card, cardmaking, congrats card, Design Space, diagonal stripe, free file, hugs card, idea, penguin, shaker, slimline, sweet safari, technique, tiger card, window 7 Comments

Slimline Cards #closetomyheart #ctmh #slimlinecards #shakecard #shakerwindowcard #distressoxideinks #thincuts #myacrylix #ctmhsweetsafari #penguincard #hugscard #congratscard #pinkacrylichearts

We are getting crafty with slimline cards today!

Slimline cards are a fun change from the standard, 4¼” x 5½”, size cards. They’re long and narrow, typically measuring 3½” x 8½”, providing a much larger surface area on which to create a design.

One of our favorite Thin Cuts currently available from our January–February Catalog is the Diagonal Stripe Slimline die that cuts a beautiful diagonal stripe pattern, sized especially for the front of a slimline card. Paired with a few simple techniques, it’s easy to create a wide variety of looks with this eye-catching pattern.

We hope that once you’re done visiting with us today, you will leave here feeling inspired and ready to create some of these beauties of your own!

Slimline Cards #closetomyheart #ctmh #slimlinecards #distressoxideinks #thincuts #myacrylix #hugscard #pinkacrylichearts

This first card has a gorgeous, somewhat fantastical galaxy, look to its background.

Slimline Cards #closetomyheart #ctmh #slimlinecards #distressoxideinks #thincuts #hugscard

The card base was sponged with Distress Oxide™ inks and a Mini Ink Blending Tool, creating an exaggerated version of the colors that are most often associated with the northern lights (pink, green, yellow, blue, and violet). The small, star-like spots are the oxidizing effect of the ink when we splattered it with water. When we finally layered the die-cut made using the Diagonal Stripe Slimline Thin Cuts, our out-of-this-world look was complete! The White Daisy lines from the die-cut look like a meteor shower!

These next two cards take two additional approaches to using the Diagonal Stripe Slimline die.

The top card, even though it is more adorable than most store-bought cards, came together in a matter of minutes! We first covered the front of the card base with a solid piece of patterned paper, then layered the diagonal stripe die-cut, also cut from patterned paper, on top. From there, it was a simple matter of weaving in stickers (from our Sweet Safari collection) through the diagonal paper strips. Complete the card with a stamped sentiment on a solid color cardstock and embellish with more cardstock, gems, or stickers.

Slimline Cards #closetomyheart #ctmh #slimlinecards #thincuts #myacrylix #ctmhsweetsafari #hugscard #congratscard #pinkacrylichearts

The background of this third, Congrats, card is a little more involved than the first two we’ve shown you so far, but it is still not difficult to achieve!

Slimline Cards #closetomyheart #ctmh #slimlinecards #thincuts #congratscard

We decided to back 10 of the open spaces of the die-cut with patterned pieces of paper, leaving the remaining spaces free for stamping later. You know those scraps you just can’t seem to throw away? Well, pull them out because this is a great way to use them! All you need are strips of paper that are large enough to cover the gaps. We used 5″ long strips of patterned papers, between ¼” to a smidgen over a ½” wide, and attached them to the die-cut using adhesive only along the top and bottom border. Then, we just trimmed any excess that was hanging over and attached the prepared die-cut, front side up, to a blank card base.

This last card we are sharing with you today is a show-stopping, slimline shaker window card!

Follow along with our Creative Arts Manager, Karen Pedersen, in the video below to see how this endearing card comes together.

Several of the pieces, including the two top frames, were cut using our Cricut^® Art Philosophy collection and Design Space’s Basic Shapes. If you do not have access to our Art Philosophy collection, contact your Close To My Heart Maker or find one near you, here, by clicking on “Find a Maker.”

Click here for the free Cricut Design Space™ file

If you’d like to duplicate our example card exactly, you will need the following materials:

1 – slimline card base
1 – 8½” x 3½” Party Time pattern paper
1 – 8½” x 2″ Flamingo cardstock
1 – 7¾” x 2¾” Distress Watercolor Cardstock (on Design Space file)
1 – 8¼” x 3¼” scalloped Ballerina cardstock rectangle with cutout squares (on Design Space file)
1 – 8″ x 3″ scalloped Flamingo cardstock rectangle (on Design Space file)
1 – 2″ White Daisy cardstock circle (on Design Space file)
Additional White Daisy cardstock for penguins
Winter Penguins Stamp + Thin Cuts
My Acrylix^® Little Miss Message Stamp Set
My Acrylix^® Doodled Borders Stamp Set
Flamingo Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad
Nectarine Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad
Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad
Peacock Feathers Distress Oxide™ Ink Pad
Sweet Safari Puffy Stickers
Pink Acrylic Hearts
Iridescent Flower Confetti
Silver Embellishing Thread
Aqua Blue TriBlend™ Marker
Orange TriBlend™ Marker
Ice Grey TriBlend™ Marker
Dull Green TriBlend™ Marker
Black Journaling Pen (.01)
Square Shaker Window Foam + Acetate
Mini Ink Blending Tool
3-D Foam Tape
Thin 3-D Foam Tape
Die-cutting & Embossing Machine

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October 20, 2020Celebrate, Community, Inspiration

Free Cricut Design Space™ File for Halloween Treat Tags

Close To My HeartArt Philosophy, cricut, Design Space, file, free, Got Candy, Halloween, tag, treat, trick or treat 4 Comments

Free Design Space Tags File #ctmh #closetomyheart #ctmhgotcandy #free #cricut #designspace #halloweentags #tags #diytags #trickortreat #artphilosophy

Halloween may look a bit different this year than what we’re used to, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still have some fun! To keep the tradition of offering treats where treats are due, we’ve designed a few tags in Cricut Design Space™ using our festive Got Candy? paper collection and we’re sharing our designer’s file with you free, here!

The spooky themes of the Got Candy? patterned papers and stickers paired with the versatile shapes of our Art Philosophy Cricut^® collection are a scream-of-a-treat all on their own! To access our free file, you will need your own access to the shapes of the Art Philosophy collection. If you do not own this Cricut^® collection and would like to make the tags from this project, contact your Close To My Heart Maker to learn how.

Four of the seven pieces are tags that come together quickly with a few cut shapes, stickers, and some ribbon. If you take a closer look at the remaining three, you’ll notice that there’s a little something extra about them.

These remaining few pieces also come together easily, but they do have some extra features! There’s a tag that has a pocket to carry a gift card, a tag that opens up to a card, and a hanging door tag that can hold a small treat (perfect for ding dong ditching!).

Whether you choose to make just one or all of these delectable handmade tags, we hope you continue to find ways to enjoy sharing the festive Halloween spirit this year. If you have any questions about these projects or would like to share ways that you’ve been using the Got Candy? paper collection, leave us a comment below!

For additional crafting fun with our Got Candy? collection, don’t forget to join us later this week, October 21 and 22, at 2 p.m. (MDT), on our Facebook page where we will be hosting a free live workshop, making scrapbook pages and treat toppers! (Visit our events page for more details.)

Free Design Space Tags File #ctmh #closetomyheart #ctmhgotcandy #freeworkshop

Recipes:

Boo Tag
CC8202 Got Candy? Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X6047 Black Cardstock, X6042 Mint Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, CC8205 Got Candy? Loose Sequins, Z2900 Silver Star Confetti, Z1799 Silver Shimmer Trim, Z4213 Silver Embellishing Thread, Cricut^® Art Philosophy Collection

Cricut^® Shapes:
Art Philosophy
#M3ED68
#M40EED
#M4232A

Hey Pumpkin Tag
CC8204 My Acrylix^® Got Candy? Stamp Set, CC8201 Got Candy? Paper Packet, CC8203 Got Candy? Coordinating Cardstock, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, CC8205 Got Candy? Loose Sequins, Z1809 Black Shimmer Trim, Z3515 Black Journaling Pen (.01), Z2482 Citrus TriBlend™ Marker, Z2486 Dull Green TriBlend™ Marker, Z2517 Burnt Orange TriBlend™ Marker, Z2068 White Super Fine Embossing Powder, Z4220 Anti-static Pouch, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Cricut^® Art Philosophy Collection

Cricut^® Shapes:
Art Philosophy
#M42475
#M4411C

Trick-or-Treat Tag
CC8204 My Acrylix^® Got Candy? Stamp Set, CC8202 Got Candy? Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, CC8203 Got Candy? Coordinating Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, CC8205 Got Candy? Loose Sequins, Z3568 Black Velvet Ribbon, Z4213 Silver Embellishing Thread, Z2536 Precious Metals Metallic Markers, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Cricut^® Art Philosophy Collection

Cricut^® Shapes:
Art Philosophy
#M4106A
#M462B2

Spooky Tag (or Candy Holder)
CC8202 Got Candy? Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X6042 Mint Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, CC8205 Got Candy? Loose Sequins, Z3568 Black Velvet Ribbon, Z3515 Black Journaling Pen (.01), Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Cricut^® Art Philosophy Collection

Cricut^® Shapes:
Art Philosophy
#M3EBEF
#M44D3F

Ghost House Gift Card Holder Tag
CC8202 Got Candy? Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X6032 Wisteria Cardstock, CC8205 Got Candy? Loose Sequins, Z3570 Wisteria Ribbon, Z2474 Ice Grey TriBlend™ Marker, Z3515 Black Journaling Pen (.01), Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape, Cricut^® Art Philosophy Collection, Sewing Machine

Cricut^® Shapes:
#M449A8
#M443DA

Happy Halloween Door Hanger Tag
CC8202 Got Candy? Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, CC8203 Got Candy? Coordinating Cardstock, CC8205 Got Candy? Loose Sequins, Cricut^® Art Philosophy Collection

Cricut^® Shapes:
Art Philosophy
#M42B1F
#M3F7D5

Spider Card Tag
CC8204 My Acrylix^® Got Candy? Stamp Set, CC8202 Got Candy? Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, CC8203 Got Candy? Coordinating Cardstock, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, CC8205 Got Candy? Loose Sequins, Z4213 Silver Embellishing Thread, Z3568 Black Velvet Ribbon, Z3767 Mini Envelope Thin Cuts, Z3274 Clear Sparkles, Z2498 True Black Marker, Z3515 Black Journaling Pen (.01), Z2068 White Super Fine Embossing Powder, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Cricut^® Art Philosophy Collection

Cricut^® Shape:
Art Philosophy
#M42810

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July 15, 2020Create, Memory Keeping

Patterned Paper Coordinating Cricut® Collections!

Close To My Heartaurora, collection, cricut, cut, Design Space, shapes, stitched together, summer vibes, timber 4 Comments

There’s nothing like a well-placed Cricut^® cut to give your projects that extra pop! When you bring Cricut into the mix, your crafting possibilities are endless. In order to offer even more creative options, we’ve partnered with Cricut to create coordinating mini collections for the paper collections featured in our bi-monthly catalogs!

Although we recently said goodbye to our May–June catalog, along with the Aurora and Stitched Together suites, you can still access their coordinating Cricut^® collections. These mini Cricut collections, will be available exclusively through your Close To My Heart Consultant for a whole year!

Today, we’re giving you an exclusive look at the Aurora and Stitched Together Cricut^® collections and introducing you to the new Summer Vibes and Timber collections from our July–August catalog. These collections are designed to coordinate seamlessly with the patterns, stamps, stickers, and embellishments included in their corresponding paper suites. However, these versatile Cricut shapes can also be used on their own as you branch out and open the door to new avenues of creative possibility!

AURORA

With rugged designs and a rustic feel, you’ll be ready to embrace the call of the wilderness with the Cricut^® Aurora Collection.

Just look at how these simple pine tree and wolf shapes coordinate with the Aurora paper patterns and stamps to create beautifully unique background elements, while this adorable airplane creates a perfect focal point for this fun card!

STITCHED TOGETHER

Good times are made even more memorable when paired with the delightful Stitched Together Cricut^® collection!

When the shapes in this collections are combined with the vibrant designs and color palette of the Stitched Together suite, you’ll be amazed at the artistic possibilities you’ll find!

You can use the Stitched Together Cricut shapes to create eye-catching accents like the miniature floral bunches, fun butterflies, and cute title banner you see below!

SUMMER VIBES

Sunglasses and sandals set the tone for the exuberant Summer Vibes Cricut^® collection! With so many fun, summertime shapes to choose from, you can create the perfect title, accent, or background piece to coordinate with your Summer Vibes artwork.

Using Cricut shapes in your artwork is a great way to cultivate a unique, polished look. Because these shapes coordinate flawlessly with the other elements in the Summer Vibes paper collection, you can create stunning page elements, like this innovative combination of a Cricut shape, Thin Cuts die-cuts, and a Summer Vibes acrylic shape! (Can you tell which is which?)

TIMBER

Prepare to get lost in a rich and rewarding crafting adventure as you explore new territory with the Timber Cricut^® collection! Let your creativity run free as you discover all the fun options the Timber Cricut collection has to offer and blaze new trails as you create your own stunning combinations with the Timber Cricut shapes!

By using the Timber Cricut shapes in conjunction with the exclusive stamps in the Timber collection, you can create stunning textures and movement within the shape itself. These pine trees are a great example of how a simple pattern and a simple Cricut shape can come together to make something great!

Feeling inspired? Great! All of these collection-coordinated Cricut^® shapes can be yours today! For our readers in North America, you can add these fun collections to your Cricut account by visiting your Close To My Heart Consultant’s website and clicking on the Cricut icon at the bottom of the page. From there, you’ll be able to view and purchase any of the four collections we’ve shown you today. Once you’ve completed your purchase, you’ll be able to go into your Cricut Design Space™ account and search for these shapes in the “Image Sets” section on the “Images” tab.

Our readers in Australia and New Zealand may view and purchase these collections through your Consultant’s website. You will then be emailed a redeemable code.

We can’t wait to see how you use these awesome Cricut^® shapes in your own creations! Leave a comment below to tell us about your favorite collection and how you’re using these designs in your own artwork!

Recipes:

12″ x 12″ Wide Open Spaces Layout
X7265S Aurora Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X7256C Aurora Coordinating Cardstock, X6030 Evergreen Cardstock, X5946 Linen Cardstock, X7256E Aurora Acrylic Shapes, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z2089 Glue Dots® Micro Dots, Cricut^® Aurora Collection

4¼” x 5½” Escape Card (Vertical)
X7256S Aurora Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X7256 Aurora Coordinating Cardstock, X5946 Linen Cardstock, X5954 Pewter Cardstock, X7256E Aurora Acrylic Shapes, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z2089 Glue Dots® Micro Dots, Cricut^® Aurora Collection

6″ x 8″ Count Your Blessings Layout
X7257S Stitched Together Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X7257C Stitched Together Coordinating Cardstock, X6047 Black Cardstock, X5985 Smoothie Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z2089 Glue Dots® Micro Dots,Cricut^® Stitched Together Collection

4¼” x 5½” Happy Everything Card (Vertical)
C1842 My Acrylix® Stitched Together—Cardmaking Stamp Set, C1847 My Acrylix® Celebrating You Stamp Set, X7257S Stitched Together Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X7257C Stitched Together Coordinating Cardstock, X6047 Black Cardstock, X6035 Lemonade Cardstock, X5985 Smoothie Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z3370 White Pearls, Z3341 Thin 3-D Foam Dots, Cricut^® Stitched Together Collection

12″ x 12″ Summer Page
Z3745 Summer Vibes Scrapbooking Stamp + Thin Cuts, X7258S Summer Vibes Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X5960 Fern Cardstock, X5978 Glacier Cardstock, X6035 Lemonade Cardstock, X6043 Nectarine Cardstock, X6044 Peach Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2850 Fern Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2841 Glacier Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, X7258E Summer Vibes Acrylic Shapes, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z4213 Silver Embellishing Thread, Z1799 Silver Shimmer Trim, Z3515 Black Journaling Pen (.01), Z1151 3-D Foam Tape, Z2089 Glue Dots® Micro Dots, Cricut^® Summer Vibes Collection, Die-cutting Machine

12″ x 12″ Summer Sunshine Layout
Z3745 Summer Vibes Scrapbooking Stamp + Thin Cuts, X7258S Summer Vibes Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X5960 Fern Cardstock, X5978 Glacier Cardstock, X6035 Lemonade Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2850 Fern Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2841 Glacier Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6517 Lemonade Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2896 Smoothie Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, X7258E Summer Vibes Acrylic Shapes, Z2482 Citrus TriBlend™ Marker, Z2481 Coral TriBlend™ Marker, Z2479 Gold Brown TriBlend™ Marker, Z697 Round Sponge, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape, Z2089 Glue Dots® Micro Dots, Cricut^® Summer Vibes Collection, Cricut^® Artistry Collection, Cricut^® Basic Shapes, Die-cutting Machine, Sewing Machine

Cricut^® Shapes:
Artistry #M418DFA
Basic Shapes #M369896

12″ x 12″ The Mountains Are Calling Page
C1858 My Acrylix® Timber—Cardmaking Stamp Set, D1941 My Acrylix® Timber—Scrapbooking Stamp Set, X7259S Timber Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X7259E Timber Die-cuts, X7259D Timber Picture My Life™ Cards, X6047 Black Cardstock, X5951 Espresso Cardstock, X6046 French Vanilla Cardstock, X5959 New England Ivy Cardstock, Z2835 New England Ivy Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4235 Gold Loose Sequins, Z3515 Black Journaling Pen (.01), Z1151 3-D Foam Tape, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z2089 Glue Dots® Micro Dots, Cricut^® Timber Collection, Cricut^® Basic Shapes, Die-cutting Machine

Cricut^® Shapes:
Basic Shapes #M3699879

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June 17, 2020Celebrate, Create

Mixed Media, a Stencil, and a Free Cricut Design Space™ File—Oh My!

Close To My Heart4th of july, America, americana, blue, Chipboard, cricut, Decor, Design Space, fourth of July, independence, monograph, red, white, wreath 4 Comments

Just in time for the fourth of July, follow along with us in this DIY décor session and whip up some red, white, and blue Americana, and celebrate all patriotic holidays using a little bit of texture paste, a stencil, and a free Cricut Design Space™ file!

Materials Needed:
Candy Apple Cardstock (1 sheet)
White Daisy Cardstock (1 sheet)
Sapphire Cardstock (1 sheet)
Silver Glitter Paper (1 sheet)
Stencil Sheet (1 sheet)
Espresso Exclusive Inks™ Pigment Pad
Opaque Matte Texture Paste
Palette Knife
Chipboard Monogram—4
Adhesive Runner
Silver Glitter Gems
White Ribbon
Glue Gun
12″ Wreath
Pencil
Scissors
Fine Sandpaper

This tutorial uses shapes from the Close To My Heart Cricut^®Artistry collection. The necessary shapes needed to complete the wreath exactly as shown are available as a project file in Cricut Design Space, here. If you do not have this Cricut^® collection and would like to purchase it, contact your Close To My Heart Consultant (or find one here).

Step 1: Cut Your Paper

From the provided Design Space file, cut the shapes shown above first. Once you’ve cut these shapes, lightly trace the chipboard four with a pencil onto the remainder of your Sapphire cardstock sheet. Cut the shape out with scissors and then, to age the appearance of your project, distress the edges with a fine grit sandpaper.

Step 2: Add Mixed Media

One of the Cricut^® shapes that you will cut using the provided file is a star patterned stencil sheet. Before attaching the Sapphire cardstock layer to the chipboard four, use this stencil with texture paste to create a raised star patterned on the cardstock.

Once the paste is dry, use an adhesive runner to attach the cardstock to the chipboard.

Step 3: Assembling the Tags

Most of the pieces you will need to assemble the tags are included in the Design Space file provided. What you will have to cut on your own are the Sapphire, silver glitter, and Candy Apple pieces used behind the “USA” cutouts in the first tag and four 5½” x ⅜” white stripes to attach to the second, red tag. The third tag is simply the Sapphire tag with the cutout stars attached on top of the solid White Daisy cardstock tag.

If you prefer a more vintage look, use the sandpaper again and also the Espresso pigment pad to lightly rub along the edges of the tags to achieve a distressed, weathered appearance. Add as little or as much pigment as you’d like to make this look just how you want it.

Step 4: Put It All Together!

Using your handy dandy glue gun, attach all of the pieces to the wreath. (Even though our tags may look like they are attached to the chipboard four, they are not. These are glued to each other and to the wreath.) Embellish with some ribbon and glitter gems, and you are all set to proudly display your Americana décor!

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December 17, 2019Celebrate, Create

Quick Holiday Favors for a Party, the Office, or School Class!

Close To My HeartArt Philosophy, artiste, box, candy, christmas, cricut, Design Space, easy, fast, gift, gingerbread house, hat, Holiday, mouse, party favor, present, quick, Santa, school treat 7 Comments

Christmas time is officially here, and in the midst of all the hustle and bustle, most of us still have some last-minute holiday prep to take care of. Everyone wants to have the perfect Christmas; whether you’re still trying to find a gift for your neighbors, come up with favors for a Christmas party, or searching for the perfect stocking stuffer, we want to help out with a few last-minute Christmas treat ideas!

To create these fun projects, we used shapes from our Cricut^® Art Philosophy and Artiste collections. These collections include a wide variety of shapes for any project and are available for purchase through your local Consultant.

Before you start on these projects, make sure you have all the tools you need to complete them. A few of the Cricut^® shapes will require a scoring tool. If you don’t have a scoring tool, you can add your own scoring lines with a bone folder after the shape has been cut.

The first treat idea we’ll be showing you today is an adorable Christmas mouse. This treat idea is great for all ages! After all, who wouldn’t love a cute little mouse with a candy tail?

To make your very own Christmas mice, cut out an egg shape (#M4462D) for the body and two droplet shapes (#M462B8) for the ear pieces, both from our Art Philosophy Cricut^® collection. When cutting the body, be sure to include two small slits in the middle of each body piece. This allows you to easily attach and remove the candy cane tail. To form these slits, insert two small lines (#M369889) from the Basic Shapes tab to your design before cutting. (If you’re going to cut these pieces by hand, use a crafting knife to make these two cuts.)

Once you’ve got all your pieces cut, gently thread a candy cane through the slits on each mouse and attach the ears. For the finishing touch, add some black and white dots to create a nose and eyes. We colored our noses red with an alcohol marker.

With a few of these mice, you’ll have a gift or party favor that is sure to delight!

The next treat idea we have for you today is a mini gingerbread house treat box, made to hold all kinds of yummy surprises.

With white embossed “icing” on the roof and tiny stamped candies flanking the door, this gingerbread house looks good enough to eat, right along with the tasty treats inside!

Before you start making your gingerbread house, note that this particular cut includes score lines. You will need to adjust the cutting tools on your machine accordingly.

To create this too-cute gingerbread house, cut a pyramid box (#M440E0) from our Artiste collection using Kraft paper. Fold along the score lines included in the Cricut® shape and then, attach the sides of the box together with adhesive. Tie the top with some of your favorite ribbon and embellish it with layers of embossed icing and some stamped images from the My Acrylix^® From Candyland stamp set.

The last treat we have for you today is a Santa-hat inspired box. This little box packs a whole lot of cheer and makes a fun and festive party favor or stocking stuffer. Just like the gingerbread house, this treat box includes a few score lines and will require you to adjust your cutting tools to create them.

To make your own Santa hat treat box, cut out a pinwheel (#M38DAA) from our Artiste Cricut^® collection and fold along the score lines provided in the shape. Once you’ve made your folds, tuck the pinwheel arms behind each other to form the box.

Once you’ve got your treats inside and the box is fully formed, stick a pom-pom on top for a festive finishing touch. This treat box is the perfect size to slip into a stocking and cute enough to give out all on its own. No matter how you gift it, or to whom, it’s sure to be a hit! 🙂

We hope you’ve enjoyed these quick Christmas treat ideas and wish you the sweetest holidays!

Recipes:

Candy Cane Mouse
X7251B Cedar & Pine Paper Packet, X6036 Ballerina Cardstock, X6031 Green Apple Cardstock, X6044 Peach Cardstock, Z3314 Black & White Dots, Z2497 Dark Red TriBlend™ Marker, Cricut^® Art Philosophy Collection

Cricut^® Shapes:
Art Philosophy
#M4462D
#M462B8

Basic Shapes
#M369889

Gingerbread House Box
D1884 My Acrylix^® From Candyland Stamp Set, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5974 Raspberry Cardstock, Z1375 Kraft Paper, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4194 White & Gold Skinny Ribbon, Z2495 Bright Pink TriBlend™ Marker, Z2497 Dark Red TriBlend™ Marker, Z2487 Jade Green TriBlend™ Marker, Z2485 Light Green TriBlend™ Marker, Z2496 Pale Pink TriBlend™ Marker, Z3555 Christmas Red Stickles™ Glitter Gel, Z3563 Diamond Stickles™ Glitter Gel, Z3556 Green Stickles™ Glitter Gel, Cricut^® Artiste Collection

Cricut^® Shape:
Artiste Collection
#M440E0

Santa Hat Box
X6038 Candy Apple Cardstock, Z679 Liquid Glass, Cricut^® Artiste Collection, Pom-pom

Cricut^® Shape:
Artiste Collection
#M38DAA

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December 10, 2019Celebrate, Create

Free Cricut Design Space™ File for Holiday Gift Tags

Close To My Heart'Tis the Season, Cedar & Pine, Cedar and Pine, Cheers, christmas, Complete Creativity, cricut, Design Space, file, gift, give, giving, Holiday, Holly Jolly, Holy Night, Merry Christmas, No Peekin', present, tags 28 Comments

There are only 15 days between now and Christmas day…EEK! Is anyone else bursting with anticipation? By now (crossing our fingers), all if not most of the gift shopping is done and taken care of, and it’s time to start thinking of gift wrapping and accessorizing these sought after treasures into the decorative masterpieces that we’ll place under our trees or personally hand deliver.

With our love for paper, ribbon, and celebrating anything that allows us to apply both in a meaningful way, we could not help but create some beautiful gift tags using shapes from our newest Cricut^® collection, Complete Creativity.

If you’re not familiar with the Complete Creativity Cricut^® collection, this 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. Each project is made up of components that can also be used independent of the layout or card they were designed for.

To illustrate the flexibility of this collection, we pulled individual icons, shapes, and sentiments from several of the projects, manipulated their orientation and size, and then grouped them to create the 15 delightful tags you see here!

All of the shapes, including the tag bases, come from separate projects in the Complete Creativity collection. As a special Christmas treat from us to you, we’re giving you our design space file so you, too, can create these little beauties and can use them in your holiday gift decorating!

To give you an idea of their size, the “Merry Christmas” tags are approximately 5¼” x 3⅛” and the “tis the season” tags are 4½” x 1¾”. If you look closely at each of the pictures above, you will see that there is a total of five tag designs created with three different sets of patterned papers and cardstock. The Design Space file provided will recreate all 15 tags, so you will see 19 different paper requests from your machine as you go through the “Make It” process. (Take a look at our “recipe” below for a complete list of the papers we used in our tags.)

In the provided file, you may also notice a green stand-alone T-shape only in the middle set of tags. This shape is the background ribbon for the small present in the tag next to it. Both, the “Merry Christmas” tag and the T-shape are cut from the same patterned paper in all three sets of tags. Since the patterned paper used for these two shapes in the middle set of tags is a plaid pattern, we wanted to cut it straight in the tag base but not in the ribbon, because we liked the effect of cutting the pattern at an angle better. Therefore, we straightened the tag shape out on the Design Space Canvas Grid and removed the T-shape from the present at the angle shown. This way, the ribbon will be cut with the pattern at the preferred angle as well.

We hope you enjoy putting this fun Christmas project together and sharing it with friends. As always, make sure you let us know if you have any questions in the comment section below! Happy Holidays!

Recipe

Complete Creativity Cricut^® Tags
D1898 My Acrylix^® No Peekin’ Stamp Set, X7251B Cedar & Pine Paper Packet, X7250B Holly Jolly Paper Packet, X9009 Mix-in Paper Packet, X6047 Black Cardstock, X6040 Clover Cardstock, X5978 Glacier Cardstock, X6031 Green Apple Cardstock, X6044 Peach Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z3238 Gold Glitter Paper, Z3239 Silver Glitter Paper, Z3271 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6509 Candy Apple Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6512 Evergreen Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6502 Peach Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2896 Smoothie Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3549 Holly Jolly Dots, Z3568 Black Velvet Ribbon, Z4196 White Ribbon, Z4194 White & Gold Skinny Ribbon, Z4221 Mink Twine, Z3565 Holiday Loose Sequins, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z3561 Black Diamond Stickles™ Glitter Gel, Z3555 Christmas Red Stickles™ Glitter Gel, Z3563 Diamond Stickles™ Glitter Gel, Z341 Glue Dots^® Mini Dots, Cricut^® Complete Creativity Collection

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Make It from Your Heart

Tag Archives: Design Space

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Free Cricut Design Space™ File for Halloween Treat Tags