This post was written by the talented Megan Hoeppner, who is the editor-in-chief for Scrapbook & Cards Today magazine, the weekly blogger and photographer for Gardner Village (a local shopping center), a writer for Brick Canvas (a local wellness center at Thanksgiving Point), a teacher for Creating Keepsakes Events, and contributor to Studio 5, a local lifestyle program in Utah. Give her some love in the comments, folks! 🙂
We have condensed the original blog post for brevity. To read the original, visit Megan’s blog.Â
This year I received a box of goodies from Close To My Heart, including a gorgeous assortment of paper offering a full spectrum of color, so I set to making paper chains.
Once complete, I threaded them on a yardstick, which I hung above my table. My paper rainbow makes a nice St. Patrick’s Day decor element and also a fun photo backdrop for this year’s pics.
Since I was feeling lucky and had some pretty new Close To My Heart products on hand to play with, I continued to set the stage with some table fun.
First, I covered my kitchen table in kraft packing paper. Then I set to decorating. I framed each spot at the table using Close To My Heart’s gold shimmer trim and stamped our names using their My Acrylix® Framework Alphabet stamp set.
Wanting our decorated table to serve two purposes—fun and memory keeping—I drew rainbows across each taped “place mat” so we could write what we feel lucky to have. I loved helping Maggie make her list. What a doll she is!
Time for the fun! I gave Mags some colored pencils and let her color her rainbow in.
I used Close To My Heart cardstock in three shades of green (Willow, Emerald, and Sweet Leaf) to create a little pop on my table. First, I cut cardstock hearts in small, medium, and large sizes, and folded the smaller two sizes in half to create a center crease.
I then stitched along the crease to create the pieces of my clover. I pieced three heart stacks together to create a shamrock. A little stamping along the hand-drawn stem, and I was ready to welcome the luck o’ the Irish.
I love the end result. I will definitely snap pics to save it in my scrapbook.
Since our sweet Lulu is too young to create a rainbow, she stamped a clover with her bitty thumb.
Time to add our St. Patrick’s Day treats to make the table time complete.
Oh, and I’ve found another way to use the 3-D clovers when our table is cleared. I’ll send a little luck on to others. I used the same Close To My Heart #lucky stamp, masking the outer frame around it.
I stitched a vellum bag on the inside, creating a pocket for some chocolate coins.
Speaking of gold coins, I created a few four leaf clover bowls from cardstock to hold my coins and other sweet treats.
To create these, I first cut larger paper hearts, cut a slit, pulled the heart onto itself, and stapled it in place to create each clover petal.
I then used a scrap of cardstock as a base and glued the petals in place.
Once all four petals were in place, my clover dish was ready for its pot o’ gold!
All in all, it was a fun crafternoon, making rainbows in our home. I look forward to pulling these pieces out year after year to make March a little more fun for my girls.
May the luck of the Irish be with YOU this spring.
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 ÂĽ” Icon-1 <Travel> (p. 30) Â
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
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.
We’re back with the final installment of the birthday series, and we’ve saved one of the most exciting parts for last—party favors!
Your favors are the finale for your party, the little piece that walks away with every guest. You want them to make a statement, but mostly you want them to be quick and easy!
Here we have a handful of ideas for favors that you can make quickly, but beautifully, with your Close To My Heart products. Have a blast experimenting with what favor is right for your party and then pick one to make!
Tuck your treat into a Designer Creations paper bag. Simply fold over the top and secure it with a mini staple, a mini clothespin, or a touch of adhesive, and you’ll have a secure package. Add a decorative touch with a Cricut® cut and a few of your favorite embellishments.
Enjoy the simplicity of a Cut Above™ treat bag kit. The kit comes with 10 different bags and all the necessary trimmings, so most of the work is already done for you; all you need to do is assemble it! You can personalize the bag with a few additional embellishments. Here we’ve switched things up by using the color-coordinated sticker from the kit as an accessory for the tag instead of its intended use as a candy topper.
Small or large, a Cricut® Artiste box is always a hit with friends and family! Wrap up a small treat in good style with a pillow box like this, or any of the other great boxes available on the cartridge. Decorate your little package to your liking until you’re sure you’ll delight your recipients. When cut from the Confetti Wishes papers, the boxes are already so cute you hardly need to add anything more!
We hope you enjoy planning every last detail of your birthday parties this coming year. If you have more ideas you wish to share with the rest of us, be sure to leave a comment below. Happy birthday-izing!
Recipes:
To You Pillow Box
X7189B Confetti Wishes Paper Packet, X5762 Lagoon Cardstock, Z2059 Cut Above™ Birthday Treat Bag Kit, Z1921 Baker’s Twine Neutral Metallic Assortment, Z1263 Bitty Sparkles
Cricut® Shapes: Art Philosophy
4″ Shift+Font Layer (p. 28)
Birthday Treat Bag
1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2059 Cut Above™ Birthday Treat Bag Kit, Z1989 Slate Diagonal Striped Ribbon, Z2027 Mini Stapler, Z2097 Mini Staples
4U Paper Bag
X7189B Confetti Wishes Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2059 Cut Above™ Birthday Treat Bag Kit, Z2036 Designer Creations Slate Paper Bags, Z1921 Baker’s Twine Neutral Metallic Assortment, Z1263 Bitty Sparkles, Z3028 Lovestruck Mini Clothespins
Onward we go with our birthday celebration this month—just because we can. (Hey, everyone needs a reason to celebrate in January!) We’ve discussed the important matter of capturing birthday memories in your scrapbook pages, so now we’ll delve into the other delights you’ll need for the day of the event. Today’s special: birthday cards!
Even after the cake is all gobbled up and the decorations torn down, a card can stick around for a long time. It can be a gift in itself, as deserving of a child’s attention as any of the others they open on their special day. Using some of the suggestions below you can really show your love by the thought and care you put into your cards.
The wacky Love Ya Silly stamp set is a definite crowd pleaser! These little fellas add a lot of personality. You can create all sorts of adorably hilarious scenes with them.
Try daring color combos—this card features the same stamp in a wide variety of colors.
Also, try mixing and matching stamp sets for variety. Could you tell that this card uses three different sets? The trail of slime the monster left behind didn’t come from the Love Ya Silly set at all; it was actually done with the Brushstrokes set, the same set used to create the colorful background.
Have you got a little one that’s ecstatic over anything with an engine? Try a stamp set like this!
Paper-piece your stamped images to compose a complete image that really stands out. Use your markers to shade in some details and to highlight others to give your card dimension.
Use repetition to make an appealing pattern. Here we’ve repeated the number six in a visual triangle to create lovely aesthetics.
Think outside the box with your embellishments. Using your Close To My Heart products in a wide range of ways—even with paper packets outside of their family—will lend exciting variety to your projects!
Cards are the right way to send a special greeting on that all-important day of the year. Make yours irresistible birthday gifts all in themselves for the kiddies in your life. Is there a better way to pull out their birthday smiles?
Recipes:
4 ÂĽ” x 5 ½” Monster Happy Birthday Card
B1419 My Acrylix® Joyful Birthday, B1470 My Acrylix® Love Ya Silly, D1522 My Acrylix® Glamour Lowercase Alphabet, D1635 My Acrylix® Assorted Edges, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2031 Paper Fundamentals Enchantment Assortment, Z2195 Lagoon Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z2172 Whisper Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z2502 Enchantment Exclusive Inks™ Mini Pigment Pads Set, Z2501 Adventure Exclusive Inks™ Mini Pigment Pads Set, Z1806 Green & Blue Epoxy Bubbles, Z1929 Topiary Mini Chevron Ribbon, Z2002 Topiary Striped Washi Tape, Z1767 Chalk Marker
4 ÂĽ” x 5 ½” Love Your Face Card
B1419 My Acrylix® Joyful Birthday, B1470 My Acrylix® Love Ya Silly, C1608 My Acrylix® Brushstrokes, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2033 Paper Fundamentals Whimsy Assortment, Z2195 Lagoon Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z2641 Glacier Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z2640 Thistle Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z2644 Pixie Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z2193 Cotton Candy Exclusive Inks™ Pad, 44751 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z1979 Marvy® Uchida® Le Pen™ Journaling Pen
5 ½” x 4 ÂĽ” Sending Birthday Wishes Card
C1605 My Acrylix® Happy to Be Friends, C1570 My Acrylix® Lifting Spirits, B1438 My Acrylix® Banner Wishes, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, 1272 Cranberry Cardstock, X5929 Whisper Cardstock, X5772 Canary Cardstock, X5759 Pacifica Cardstock, Z2116 Cranberry Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z2192 Pacifica Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z2641 Glacier Exclusive Inks™ Pad, 44751 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z2468 ShinHan™ Touch Twin™ Warm Grey 7 Marker, Z2467 ShinHan™ Touch Twin™ Warm Grey 4 Marker, Z3009 Chalk It Up Assortment, Z1848 Red Shimmer Trim
5 ½” x 4 ÂĽ” Happy Birthday 6 Card
C1603 My Acrylix® A Bunch of Thanks, D1522 My Acrylix® Glamour Lowercase, C1605 My Acrylix® Happy to Be Friends, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5759 Pacifica Cardstock, Z2192 Pacifica Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z2116 Cranberry Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z2643 Canary Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z2641 Glacier Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z3009 Chalk It Up Assortment, Z1806 Green & Blue Epoxy Bubbles, Z3017 Cricut® Artfully Sent Collection (stamp set)
Ah, childhood birthdays. The stuff dreams are made of! Aside from the fatigued cheek muscles you exercised to make every last photo your best, your life was pretty good when birthdays were strictly about cake, ice cream, and presents.
And of course, you want the same joys for your kids. When it comes to birthdays, we, too, take too many pictures and want to get the decorations just right. We love them so much that we’re going to devote the entire month of January to the topic, and you are cordially invited to the celebration!
We adore birthdays for the fun opportunities they bring to dream up, create, and share exciting decorations and favors. We’ll be chatting about all that good stuff later in the month.
Today, however, we want to focus on a very unique opportunity a birthday lends a parent. A birthday is an excellent time to account for the changes that have accrued in your child’s life over those past 365 days. Here are some creative ideas on using birthdays to preserve the memory of your little ones while they are still little.
Can you think of a better paper fit for the birthdays you’ll celebrate this year than the festive Confetti Wishes paper packet? This paper packet is spot on for such celebrations and will coordinate with your photos perfectly.
This page uses some of our favorite Picture My Life™ cards in creative ways. The mini album in the top right corner is cleverly concealed until you take a closer look—isn’t that cool?
Have your child respond to the prompts on these Picture My Life cards in their own handwriting, then turn them into your scrapbooked artwork. What a keepsake for the both of you in years to come!
Use stamps, washi tape, and other embellishments to ornament the pages of your mini album. Use pieces that will help tell the story of your child’s year and current favorites. You could use their favorite colors, stamp sentiments that fit them just right, or even tidbits of their school projects.
Did you notice that not all the other cards on the page are from the Picture My Life line? That’s right, folks: many of these are handmade 3″ x 4″ cards, done with the simple punch of a corner rounder and decorated to contribute to the theme of the page. If you love the idea of creating your own Picture My Life cards, there are also dozens of adorable design options you can cut using the Cricut® Artfully Sent cartridge.
Here are some more ideas for documenting your child’s birthday with a little extra depth and personality:
• Have each guest at your child’s birthday party write a short note or memory about your child. Include these notes in a pocket on your child’s birthday page or use them to make a Picture My Life page.
• Have your child write a list of the presents they were given. Include a photo of your child with their presents as well as the thank-you cards they’ll be sending out.
• Create an extra birthday party invitation to include in your scrapbook.
• Take pictures of the cake, the food, and the decorations at your child’s birthday party. It may not seem like it now, but in a few years they will love looking back to remember the party theme!
Years from now, you and your kids will look back with delight at the memories you made and captured together. In the meantime, enjoy a slice of cake and pat yourself on the back for a job well done!
Recipe:
C1595 My Acrylix® Hello Summer, B1464 My Acrylix® Puppy Party, D1630 My Acrylix® Curlicue Alphabet, B1465 My Acrylix® Glitter Glam, X7189B Confetti Wishes Paper Packet, Z1944 Picture My Life™ Laughing Lola Scrapbooking Program, Z2018 Picture My Life™ Chalk It Up Scrapbooking Program, Z1945 Picture My Life™ Later Sk8r Scrapbooking Program, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5929 Whisper Cardstock, Z2033 Paper Fundamentals Whimsy Assortment, Z2105 Black Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z2173 Slate Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z2640 Thistle Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, X7189C Confetti Wishes Complements, Z2044 Confetti Wishes Assortment, X7184C Chalk It Up Complements, Z3010 Wanderful Assortment, Z1931 Honey Triangles Washi Tape, Z2004 Lagoon Hearts Washi Tape, Z1932 Silver Geometric Washi Tape, Z1799 Silver Shimmer Trim, Z1936 Purple Glitter Gems, Z2067 Ranger™ Silver Super Fine Embossing Powder, Z1912 Corner Rounder
