Looking for a Great Scrapbook Album? We’ve Got You Covered!

Close To My Heart scrapbook albums #ctmh #closetomyheart #scrapbook #album #memorykeeping

Here at Close To My Heart, we’re serious about helping you preserve your memories with style. That’s why, throughout the month of June, you can buy one My Legacy™ album and get a second one at 50% off! For those of you who are new to Close To My Heart or who would just like to learn a little bit more about our unique scrapbook albums, this is the post for you! We’re going to cover all our bases today and tell you everything about our albums—and some of the awesome products we have to go with them!

We have two different styles of My Legacy™ albums. The photos above show our post-bound style. This style minimizes the gap in between your pages, so your scrapbook album looks professionally bound. The ends of the posts are hidden by the binding, and they feature easy-to-use handles for twisting open the posts and adding pages.

Here’s our other style: D-ring! These albums are a great fit for those who want to be able to add pages quickly and easily. Some people like to use D-ring albums for storing their pages until they finish an album’s worth, and then they move all the pages into a post-bound album for permanent storage—and with our buy-one-get-one-half-off sale, it’s a great time to try this approach!

Above are all the colors that are currently available in the post-bound style.

And here are all the colors that are currently available in the D-ring style.

Now the best part of any scrapbook album is what you keep inside, of course. 🙂 And since we know the memories you want to preserve are precious, we offer high-quality top-load and side-load Memory Protectors™ to keep them safe. We also have some specialty Memory Protectors that can add a lot of variety to your layouts.

Close To My Heart scrapbook albums #ctmh #closetomyheart #scrapbook #album #memorykeeping

Up first are our divided Memory Protectors for pocket scrapbooking. We have five different styles to choose from—you can check them all out here. These make great additions to your layouts, like you can see above, or you can create an entire pocket scrapbooking album. We recommend using our D-ring album style with these Memory Protectors.

Close To My Heart scrapbook albums #ctmh #closetomyheart #scrapbook #album #memorykeeping

Close To My Heart scrapbook albums #ctmh #closetomyheart #scrapbook #album #memorykeeping

While we’re on the topic of divided Memory Protectors, we have to mention our Pocket Plus™ Memory Protectors. These only cover part of a page, so they are great for adding a few additional photos to your layouts. You can see how they really enhance a traditional layout in the before and after pictures above. For more information about these protectors and for tips on how to design you layouts to incorporate them, check out this blog post.

Close To My Heart scrapbook albums #ctmh #closetomyheart #scrapbook #album #memorykeeping

We also have Flip Flaps™, which are little individual pockets that come with an adhesive strip. You can attach them to both your pocket or traditional scrapbooking layouts. These come in a variety of sizes and create fun, interactive elements on your pages. For more information about these protectors and for tips on how to use them, check out this blog post.

Close To My Heart scrapbook albums #ctmh #closetomyheart #scrapbook #album #memorykeeping

A few other noteworthy accessories….These are our spine expanders. When you have layouts with lots of dimension in a post-bound album, you can get an album that looks like this: <. That’s because the part of your protector that holds your page onto the post is thinner than your dimensional page. Placing spine expanders between the pages of your album helps to even out the space so that your album will look more like this: =. It’s a quick fix that makes a world of a difference!

Close To My Heart scrapbook albums #ctmh #closetomyheart #scrapbook #album #memorykeeping

For post-bound albums with fewer pages, we recommend these 1″ posts. These posts will slim down the spine and allow your pages to be held more snugly between the covers of your album.

Close To My Heart scrapbook albums #ctmh #closetomyheart #scrapbook #album #memorykeeping

Finally, add an identifier to the spine of your album with one of our label holders. These fit both album styles and are a great way to distinguish your albums from one another—especially if you have a lot together on a shelf!

Do you see what we mean about taking memory keeping seriously? 🙂 We want to give you lots of options for preserving your memories! If you have any more questions about our albums, please leave a comment below. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have!


GIVEAWAY!!!!!!

Want to win a bunch of products to fill your albums with? Then listen up! We are giving 3 lucky winners the following:

  • 1 Fundamentals paper packet of your choice
  • 1 Fundamentals Complements pack of your choice
  • 1 Fundamentals ribbon pack of your choice
  • 1 value pack of Memory Protectors of your choice (top-load or side-load!)

How do you enter to win this awesome prize? Simply subscribe to our blog! To do so, click on the blue “Subscribe to list” button on the right-hand side of the page. That’s it! If you are already subscribed to our blog, you’re already entered to win!

The contest will run for 48 hours, and we will contact the winners via email.

Good luck! 🙂
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4 Reasons Why Our Cut Above® Layout Kits Will Make Your Life Easier

If you haven’t heard about our Cut Above® layout kits before, now is the perfect time to learn about them—because this month they’re 50% off! That means they’re just $7.48 USD each!

We have two different kits: Forever & Always and Little One. They come with instructions, base pages, pre-cut pieces, and stickers to complete a two-page scrapbooking layout—no cutting required! You also get two Memory Protectors™ for storing your finished pages.

As an added bonus, the kits also come with coordinating pocket scrapbooking cards and two divided Memory Protectors for any leftover photos you may have.

Here’s what the Forever & Always layout kit looks like when it’s all completed—and remember, you make all of these pages for $7.48!

Quick scrapbooking kits—no cutting required! #closetomyheart #ctmh #cutabove #wedding #anniversary #love #baby

If saving big on an easy scrapbooking project isn’t enough to send you racing to your shopping cart, here are four more reasons why our Cut Above® layout kits will make your life easier:

1. You’ll save time.

And that means you’ll have more time to spend on other scrapbooking projects, learning new crafting techniques, or doing something else entirely! Check out this video to see how quickly the Little One kit comes together—you’ll be done in 15 minutes or less!

2. There is NO cutting . . . except cutting corners. 😉

No trimming, no fussy cutting, no cranking your die-cutting machine, no programming your Cricut®—aka less hassle for you! We know you love detailed paper accents though, so we just include those right in your kit! For example, take a look at the circle on the Little One layout with those pie-shaped pieces—creating something like that by hand takes a protractor… and a lot of time… and patience. And then you have the doilies on the Forever & Always layout. Sure, you can get that look with a Cricut®, but getting it in a kit saves you the time and hassle of cutting and cleaning up!

Quick scrapbooking kits—no cutting required! #closetomyheart #ctmh #cutabove #wedding #anniversary #love #baby3. They work for multiple occasions.

You might take a look at these kits and think “Well, I’m not getting married or having a baby anytime soon, so I don’t know what I’d do with them.”

Well stop that silliness, and open your mind to the world of possibilities! 😉 These kits can be used for more than just two occasions. Ready for some inspiration?

Quick scrapbooking kits—no cutting required! #closetomyheart #ctmh #cutabove #wedding #anniversary #love #baby

How about using the Forever & Always kit for anniversary photos?

Quick scrapbooking kits—no cutting required! #closetomyheart #ctmh #cutabove #wedding #anniversary #love #baby

Or using it for anybody you want to spend forever & always with, like family? We especially love these generational photos of grandma, daughter, and granddaughter.

Quick scrapbooking kits—no cutting required! #closetomyheart #ctmh #cutabove #wedding #anniversary #love #baby

And even though YOU may not be the one having a baby, the Little One kit is perfect for pictures of any little one (including toddlers and little kiddos!) in your life, be it niece, grandson, cousin, goddaughter—you name it!

Quick scrapbooking kits—no cutting required! #closetomyheart #ctmh #cutabove #wedding #anniversary #love #baby

It’s even good for fur babies!

4. They make handmade easy.

Even though the base pages are printed and all the loose pieces are pre-cut, these layouts are still handmade—and you can tell! One thing that sets these pages apart from any store-bought, pre-designed scrapbooks is that they have dimension. To start off, you are attaching loose pieces and stickers to the pages, which already gives them dimension—but then you can also pop up any pieces you want with 3-D foam tape for even more personality!

Quick scrapbooking kits—no cutting required! #closetomyheart #ctmh #cutabove #wedding #anniversary #love #baby

Whether you’re new to scrapbooking or just looking for something new to try, these kits are sure to make your life a little bit easier. And at 50% off this month, they’re a total steal!

Have questions about our Cut Above® kits? Leave them in the comments below, and we’ll give you answers!

 

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Rainbows & Pots of Gold

When you think “St. Patrick’s Day,” chances are you think about the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. In the spirit of this Irish holiday, today’s post features gold and rainbow-colored artwork along with tips on how to create both monochromatic artwork and artwork that uses all the colors in the rainbow!

Learn how to create beautiful monochromatic and rainbow-colored scrapbook pages on the blog! #ctmh #closetomyheart #scrapbooking #cardmaking #paperaddict #craft #stpatricksday #goldglitter

Gold is the perfect color for this little princess—just look at that adorable crown! The key to pulling off a monochromatic color theme is using lots of variety in the other elements. For example, even though this page uses almost exclusively gold, the variety of shapes and products make it anything but plain: The solid gold glitter paper contrasts the fine details of the embossed stamp images, gold sequins, and gold glitter hearts. The white and gold bow from the Basics Fundamentals assortment also adds a bit of dimension to the page.

Learn how to create beautiful monochromatic and rainbow-colored scrapbook pages on the blog! #ctmh #closetomyheart #scrapbooking #cardmaking #paperaddict #craft #stpatricksday #goldglitter

This card follows the same principles: It uses a variety of shapes and products that all fit into the same color family. Glitter paper, gold embossed stamping, and white & gold ribbon are the perfect trio! (If you recognize those gem stamp images on the page and card, that’s because they’re from the My Acrylix® Diamonds Are Forever stamp set Sticky Boy highlighted a few posts back when he was talking about Stampaganza—if you haven’t gotten it yet, right now is the best time because for every two stamp sets you purchase, you get one free!)

On the other side of the spectrum, how about incorporating all the colors of the rainbow?

Learn how to create beautiful monochromatic and rainbow-colored scrapbook pages on the blog! #ctmh #closetomyheart #scrapbooking #cardmaking #paperaddict #craft #stpatricksday #goldglitter

The Penelope paper packet is an obvious starting place—it’s springtime colors make the perfect companion to a rainbow color scheme. We used this paper packet for the base page and for many of the strips in the rainbow stretching across the page.

Here’s how to incorporate lots of colors into your artwork without going all Willy Wonka: Keep your rainbows controlled and well defined. You can see that our rainbows are in two controlled areas of the page: the rainbow strips behind the title and the rainbow embellishing extending diagonally across the page. Having the rest of the page be more subtle helps to mellow out the rainbow so it’s not too overwhelming.

Learn how to create beautiful monochromatic and rainbow-colored scrapbook pages on the blog! #ctmh #closetomyheart #scrapbooking #cardmaking #paperaddict #craft #stpatricksday #goldglitter

This fun rainbow card featured in our Annual Inspirations idea book shows off another way to get a shimmering rainbow look: using shimmer trim of course! This card is very colorful, but the neutral White Daisy cardstock that lays over the sparkly rainbow trim keeps the colors at bay so the card is composed and intentional.

We hope you have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day filled with smiles, laughter, and no pinches! And we hope you enjoy trying out these two approaches yourself.

Which one are you most excited to try? 🙂 Tell us in the comments below!

Recipes

12″ x 12″ Shine Bright Page
C1629 My Acrylix® Diamonds Are Forever, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z3076 Gold Glitter Paper, Z2164 Sorbet Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, Z2012 Sequins Gold Assortment, Z3105 Fundamental Assortment—Gold, Z2066 Ranger™ Princess Gold Embossing Powder, Thread

Cricut® Shapes:
Artistry
¾” Shift <Font> “SHINE BRIGHT”

5 ½” X 4 ¼” You’re One of a Kind Card
C1629 My Acrylix® Diamonds Are Forever, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z3076 Gold Glitter Paper, Z2172 Whisper Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z891 Versamark™ Ink Pad, Z3189 White & Gold Ribbon, Z2088 Gold Embossing Powder

12″ x 12″ Hello World Page
Make It from Your Heart™ Vol. 2: Pattern 7
D1574 My Acrylix® Take Note (comes with Cricut® Artbooking collection), X7207B Penelope Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, 1386 Black Cardstock, X5929 Whisper Cardstock, 1246 Hollyhock Cardstock, 1243 Goldrush Cardstock, X5668 Honey Cardstock, X5762 Lagoon Cardstock, Z2128 Hollyhock Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2162 Honey Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2197 Pear Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2195 Lagoon Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2640 Thistle Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z1934 Flamingo Dots, Z1263 Bitty Sparkles, Z2012 Sequins Gold Assortment, Z3123 Enamel & Glitter Duos Green Triangles, Z3122 Enamel & Glitter Duos Blue Dots, Z3124 Enamel & Glitter Duos Purple Hearts, Thread

Cricut® Shapes:
Artbooking
2 ½” <HeloWrld> (p. 84)

Artistry
3 ¾” Shape <e> (p. 13)

5½” x 4¼” Don’t Dull Your Sparkle Card
C1629 My Acrylix® Diamonds Are Forever, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z1848 Red Shimmer Trim, Z3088 Coral Shimmer Trim, Z1985 Gold Shimmer Trim, Z3087 Green Shimmer Trim, Z3086 Aqua Shimmer Trim, Z1918 Teal Shimmer Trim, Z3025 Blue Shimmer Trim, Z1919 Purple Shimmer Trim, Z1986 Pink Shimmer Trim, Z3129 Gold Foil Tape, Z3167 Cricut® Artistry Collection

Cricut® Shape:
Artistry
4 ¼” x 5¼” Background (p. 18, created in Cricut® Design Space)

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