10 Reasons to Make a Mini Album

Close To My Heart10, album, book, children, flash, hostess, kid, make, memory, mini, party, reasons, Recipe, sale 11 Comments

The fun thing about mini albums (besides the fact that they are mini!) is that they’re so versatile—you can tackle all different sizes of jobs with them! Today, we want to share with you 10 reasons to make a mini album that maybe you haven’t thought of before.

1. Thank a Hostess

After someone throws you a party, a shower, or invites you over for dinner, create a mini album with pictures of the event and give it to the hostess as a unique thank you gift.

2. Watch Your Love Grow

Put your wedding picture in the front of a mini album. Then, snap a photo each anniversary and add it to your mini album. Years down the road, you’ll be able to see how much you both change with each year of renewed love and commitment.

3. Entertain Your Kiddos

Have young children or grandchildren? Create an interactive “Quiet Book” for them to play with when you’re at the doctor’s office, at church, or anywhere else where they need to be quiet. Our hook & look dots, which feature Velcro-like material, are perfect for creating shapes that can be removed and attached.

4. Give Some Lovin’ to Your Pet

Create a mini album to celebrate your furry friends (and other pets!). You’ll love looking back on the many memories your pets have shared with your family.

5. Create a Personalized Recipe Book

You make homemade food—so why not make a homemade recipe book? Use our Cricut® Artbooking collection to create tabbed dividers. This would be a fun gift for a bridal shower, high school graduation, or for sharing family favorites with neighbors and friends.

6. Get Inspired

Create a mini album filled with things that inspire you: pictures of beautiful places, your favorite patterns, inspiring quotes, photos of loved ones, dried flowers, etc. Use it for creative inspiration or simply for relaxing when you’re stressed.

7. Remember a Loved One

Create a memory book to honor a loved one who has passed away. In addition to the peace this album can bring, it will also help your children and grandchildren get to know their family members who passed away before they were old enough to remember.

8. Thank a Teacher or Coach

Create an end of year album with pictures from class activities, recitals, or games from the past year. Give it as a gift to those who mentor your children or grandchildren.

9. Capture Kids’ Silly Phases

When it comes to scrapbooking, it’s easy to focus on events—we went here and did this. Some of the things you don’t want to forget though are the quirky phases your kids or grandkids go through, like the phase when they insist on wearing their Spiderman costume everyday! Create a book dedicated to capturing what makes them unique each year of their lives, such as their height, likes, dislikes, words they mispronounce, interests, and other silly quirks.

10. Help Your College Student Remember Home

Create a mini album filled with pictures of family, pets, and your home for your college students to take with them to school. That way, they never really leave their family behind!

Which mini album do you want to create? Tell us in the comments below!

Also, most of the mini albums pictured in today’s post are available at a discount though our Flash Sale! Head on over to your Consultant’s online business address (OBA)! The discount is only good until 3:00 pm today or while supplies last!

CC1136 My Creations™ Mini Album Bundle
CC1129 Mini Book Bundle (2-pack)
Recipes

Thank a Hostess Mini Album
CC1136 My Creations™ Mini Album Bundle, C1625 My Acrylix® A Thousand Thanks, X7210B Calypso Paper Packet, Z3076 Gold Glitter Paper, X5760 Cotton Candy Cardstock, X5773 Pixie Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, 44751 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, Z2068 Ranger™ White Super Fine Embossing Powder, Z1956 Hip Pics Album, Z2013 Sequins Silver Assortment, Cricut® Artistry Collection

Cricut® Shapes*:
Artistry
2 ½” and 2 ¼” Icon-1 <Travel> (p. 30)

Quiet Book
CC1136 My Creations™ Mini Album Bundle, X5929 Whisper Cardstock, 1386 Black Cardstock, X5762 Lagoon Cardstock, X5758 Sunset Cardstock, X5764 Pear Cardstock, X5668 Honey Cardstock, X5779 Poppy Cardstock, X5757 Gypsy Cardstock, X5773 Pixie Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z3086 Aqua Shimmer Trim, Z3087 Green Shimmer Trim, Z1985 Gold Shimmer Trim, Z1848 Red Shimmer Trim, Z3088 Coral Shimmer Trim, Z1919 Purple Shimmer Trim, Z1986 Pink Shimmer Trim, Z1809 Black Shimmer Trim, Z1805 Hook & Loop Dots, Z1979 Marvy® Uchida® LePen™ Journaling Pen, Z3171 Cricut® Art Philosophy Collection, Z3167 Cricut® Artistry Collection, Z3170 Cricut® Artiste Collection

Cricut® Shapes*:
Art Philosophy
1″ Shift “ MY QUIET BOOK”
¾” <Banner4> (p. 49)
¾” <Circle1> (p. 21)
¾” <Oval2> (p. 32)
¾” <Heart1> (p. 26)
¾” <Star5> (p. 40)
¾” square

Artistry
¾” Shape <6> (p. 6)
¾” Icon-2 <o> (p. 19)
¾” Shape (p. 20)
2″ Icon-1 <d> (p. 23)
1 ½” Shift+ Icon-1 <D> (p. 23)
¾” Shape <Winter> (p. 49)

Artiste
1″ Shift “RED”

Recipe Book
B1484 My Acrylix® Jennifer’s Hand, D1689 My Acrylix® Firework Fun, X7210B Calypso Paper Packet, X7209B Magical Paper Packet, X7208B Florence Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, 1386 Black Cardstock, 1301 Bamboo Cardstock, Z1375 Kraft Cardstock, Z2105 Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2116 Cranberry Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2103 Bamboo Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3215 Calypso Sequins, Z3104 Black Fundamental Assortment, Z3101 Cranberry Fundamental Assortment, Z1871 My Creations™ Kraft 3-Ring Album, Z1979 Marvy® Uchida® LePen™ Journaling Pen, Z3169 Cricut® Artbooking Collection, Z3167 Cricut® Artistry Collection, Z3170 Cricut® Artiste Collection

Cricut® Shapes*:
Artbooking
8″ Photo Mat 1 <7> (p. 44)
8″ Shift+Photo Mat 1 <&> (p. 44)
8″ Photo Mat 1 <8> (p. 45)
8″ Photo Mat 1 <1> (p. 38)
8″ Shift+Photo Mat 1 <@> (p. 39)

Artistry
1 ¾” Shift “R”
1 ¾” “ecipes”
1″ Icon-1 (p. 35)

Artiste
½” Shift “A, S, M, D, B, C”
½” “ain ishes, alads, reads, ookies, oup, ppetizers, essert”

Memory Book
CC1129 Mini Book Bundle (2-pack), E1029 My Acrylix® Marquee Uppercase Alphabet, X7208B Florence Paper Packet, X5770 Glacier Cardstock, Z3076 Gold Glitter Paper, Z2105 Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, X7208C Florence Complements, Z4014 White Twine, Z2012 Sequins Gold Assortment, Z1263 Bitty Sparkles, Z3162 Base & Bling Rhinestones—Faux Gold

Silly Phases Mini Album
CC1129 Mini Book Bundle (2-pack), D1686 My Acrylix® Noted, X7209B Magical Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, 44751 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp pad, Z3217 Picture My Life™ Watercolor Cards—Gold, Z3221 Picture My Life™ Watercolor Cards—Clear, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z3188 Paintbrush Set, Z2012 Sequins Gold Assortment, Z1979 Marvy® Uchida® LePen™ Journaling Pen, Z1797 Chalk Marker, Z3167 Cricut® Artistry Collection

Cricut® Shapes*:
Artistry
1 ¼” Shape <v> (p. 34)
¾” Banner <NewYears> (p. 50)
1 ½” Shift “H, N”
1 ½” “ere, ow”
(text created in Cricut Design Space™ and welded)

All these products are available through one of our Independent Consultants. To find a Consultant near you, visit closetomyheart.com and click on “Find a Consultant” in the top right corner of the page.

*Real Dial Size
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November 20, 2015Celebrate, Create

Dinner Is Served—In Style!

card, Close To My Heart, conversation, dinner, Family, gratitude, host, hostess, party, starter, thank, thanksgiving, you 9 Comments

Maybe you volunteered for it because you enjoy making everybody comfortable. Maybe you were stuck with it because your dining room is actually big enough. For whatever reason, you’ve got it: Hostess Duty. The big dinner is already too close for comfort, and it’s only getting closer.

No fear! Whether you’re in charge of your family’s Thanksgiving gathering or another large dinner party, Close To My Heart will help you get prepared. We want you to be able to focus on the most important part of any party—the people! With that in mind, we’ve created printable thank you cards and conversation starter cards that will help you create wonderful memories as you gather around the table. Take a look at this Thanksgiving place setting:
Beautiful, right? The thank you card and the conversation starter card add a personal touch to this elegant place setting. In this example, the thank you card was printed on kraft cardstock, trimmed out, matted on paper from the Urban paper packet, and topped off with a bow made from gold glitter paper—so simple!
And as you’ll notice at the bottom of the card, our printable thank you card includes a spot for you to type in your name or family name! This will make the cards personal yet ridiculously quick and easy to put together.

Now let’s take a closer look at the other piece of this place setting:
Conversation starter cards are a fun way to get people around the dinner table to put away their phones and enjoy the company right in front of them. We’ve created two different sets of conversation starters—one for children and one for adults. Simply print them out, cut them up, and attach them to a folded piece of paper as you see here. You could also cut them up and place them in a container to be passed around the table and have each person take their turn drawing a prompt.

Lend an autumn feel to your Thanksgiving place setting by attaching stamped images to your cards. This colorful leaf comes from the My Acrylix^® Thankful Heart stamp set and has been colored with watercolor paints and attached the card with 3-D foam tape. Slightly curling the edges of the leaf upward makes it look ready to blow right off the card, doesn’t it?

Because we know you host special dinner parties throughout the year, we’ve designed both the thank you card and the conversation starters to work year-round—they’re not Thanksgiving-specific. Take a look at another place setting to see what we mean:
Whatever the reason is for holding your special dinner party, we hope you get to enjoy the food, people, and the feelings of gratitude. Your guests certainly will! And remember—snap some photos of those special memories!

Printables

Dinner Party Thank You Card
Dinner Party Children Conversation Starters
Dinner Party Adult Conversation Starters

Recipes

Thanksgiving Thank You Card
X7204B Urban Paper Packet, Z1375 Kraft Cardstock, Z3076 Gold Glitter Paper, Z2027 Mini Stapler

Thanksgiving Conversation Starter Card
B1463 My Acrylix® Thankful Heart, 44751 Archival Black Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z3188 Paintbrush Set, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape

Generic Thank You Card
X7200B White Pines Paper Packet, Z1375 Kraft Cardstock, Z3076 Gold Glitter Paper, Z1997 Triangle Border Punch

Generic Conversation Card
1388 Colonial White Cardstock, Z1375 Kraft Cardstock, Z3076 Gold Glitter Paper, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas . . . in July!

Close To My Heartchristmas, hostess, Hostess Rewards, July, Jump on It July, Stamp Sets, stamps 2 Comments

With all the new idea book sneak peeks posted throughout Convention (and all the goodies the attendees took home), doesn’t it sort of feel like Christmas? Yes, maybe you’re reading this post while you’re lounging in your air-conditioned home or soaking up some sun at the pool, but honestly, don’t all these new products and surprises create the same excitement you feel during the holiday season? And for those lucky Convention attendees who already have your idea books in hand, we know you’ve made a wish list of all the products you want Santa to give you—and you’ve probably even checked it twice!

To make you feel even more of this Christmas-like cheer, we’ve got a pretty jolly July deal that’s so good you’ll just have to jump on it. For this month only, you can get your hands on one of our exclusive Hostess Rewards stamp sets featured in either Annual Inspirations 2014–2015 or Seasonal Expressions 2 even if you aren’t a hostess! Simply make a qualifying purchase of current, retail priced stamps during the month of July, and you can receive any Hostess Rewards stamp set of your choice for a discounted price. We’re tellin’ ya, right now really is the most wonderful time of the year!

We just love the My Acrylix® Sing Glory Hostess Rewards stamp set on this beautiful card. The masking done with the complementary shades of ink and the touch of gold embossing make the card feel warm and cozy, just like a glowing hearth next to the Christmas tree.

And take a look at this My Acrylix^® Be Jolly Hostess Rewards stamp set. The bitty sparkles enhance the delicacy of the wreath, and the stamp is tied to the card in such a way that it looks like a tag on a present. What a beautiful gift to receive—a heartfelt card from someone you love!

Have we got you singing “Joy to the World” yet? Well, start singing because these are only two of the many Hostess Rewards stamp sets you can choose from when you make a qualifying purchase. Go ahead, peruse through Annual Inspirations 2014–2015 or Seasonal Expressions 2 and pick your favorite set!

To see even more beautiful artwork featuring our Hostess Reward stamp sets, visit our Facebook page and Instagram throughout July. Even Sticky Boy will be joining in on the fun, so tune in! To learn more about how to qualify for this great deal, click on the Promotions tab on your Consultant’s online business address.

Happy early Christmas! May your July be merry and bright.

Recipes

5 ½”x 4 ¼” Hark the Herald Angels Sing Card
Make It from Your Heart™ Vol. 2: Pattern 22
C1587 My Acrylix^® Sing Glory, X7187B Yuletide Carol Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2135 New England Ivy Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z2137 Olive Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z2642 Flaxen Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, Z2012 Sequins Gold Assortment, Z1985 Gold Shimmer Trim, Z2066 Ranger™ Princess Gold Embossing Powder, Thread

5 ½” x 4 ¼” Let It Snow Card
Wishes: Designer Tag™
B1455 My Acrylix^® Be Jolly, Z1375 Kraft Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2155 Topiary Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z2116 Cranberry Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z2032 Paper Fundamentals Adventure Assortment, X7187C Yuletide Carol Complements, Z3036 Flaxen Extra Thick Twine, Z1263 Bitty Sparkles, Z1852 Stitch Guide, Thread

Cricut^® Shape:
Art Philosophy
2 ½” <Tag1> (p. 30)

Make It from Your Heart

Tag Archives: hostess

10 Reasons to Make a Mini Album

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Dinner Is Served—In Style!

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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas . . . in July!

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