October 2, 2019Celebrate, Create, Memory Keeping

Accessing All 13 Close To My Heart Cricut® Collections

Close To My HeartArt Philosophy, Artbooking, Artfully Sent, artiste, Artistry, cardmaking, cartridge, City Sidewalks, Complete Creativity, cricut, Design Space, digital, Explore, Flower Market, Hello AU/NZ, Hello Canada, Hello USA, Maker, Papercrafting, scrapbooking, Season of Joy, You Are Here 12 Comments

Have you heard the news? All 13 of the Close To My Heart Cricut^® collections, including the new Complete Creativity and some that have been retired for years, are now digitally available for purchase!

Close To My Heart Cricut^® Collections:

Complete Creativity (NEW)
Art Philosophy
Artbooking
Artfully Sent
Artiste
Artistry
City Sidewalks
Flower Market
Hello AU/NZ
Hello Canada
Hello USA
Season of Joy
You Are Here

There has been some confusion around how to access these collections, so we’ve put together a quick tutorial below to show you how. If you’ve already figured it out on your own, skip to the bottom half of this post to see sample shapes and an artwork example for each collection.

*The following tutorial currently applies to people residing in the United States or Canada, only. (For our Australian and New Zealand crafters, all 13 of these collections are also available through purchasing a digital code from your Consultant which unlocks the shapes in Cricut Design Space™.)

**You will need a Cricut^® machine that is Design Space compatible to digitally link your collections to your account. Any of the Explore models or the New Maker will do. If you already own some or all of the Close To My Heart collections in cartridge format, with the right cutting machine, you can link these collections digitally as well. Click here for a short video to learn how.

STEP 1

To start, go to your Close To My Heart Consultant’s website. (If you do not have a Close To My Heart Consultant, visit us here and click on Find a Consultant to find one near you.) Scroll all the way to the bottom of the home page and click on the green Cricut^® button.

Clicking on this button will take you to the 13 Close To My Heart Cricut^® collections, hosted on the Cricut^® website.

STEP 2

Choose the collection you want to purchase and click Add to Cart. Doing so will pull up a side bar with the items you’ve chosen to purchase. When you are ready to check out, you can either click on the small cart icon or the green Checkout button.

STEP 3

If you aren’t signed in to your Cricut^® account already, you will be prompted to do so.

Make sure to use your Design Space account information to sign in and then continue the checkout process.

After purchasing any of the CTMH Cricut^® collections, they will automatically populate in your Design Space account, along with your other shapes.

STEP 4

To view your CTMH shapes and collections, go to your Design Space account and click on either New Project or My Projects.

Next, click on Images in the side bar, on the left. If you are looking for a specific cartridge or shape, click on Cartridges to view all of your purchased collections or type in the collection’s name or shape number in the search bar, on the top right corner of the page.

ONE FINAL TIP

Each of the shapes in Design Space is given a name and assigned a number. If you click on a shape, for example the first shape of the collection shown above, this information will show up in place of the shape’s image.

If you are looking for one specific shape, and you know its Design Space name or number (including the “#” sign), you can use this information in the search bar to locate it. When we give out project “recipes” (a list of products used), either for our catalogs or on this blog, Cricut^® shapes are referenced by the collection from which it comes and its shape number.

The star shape above would then be:

Cricut^® Shape:
Art Philosophy
#M3EA7D

Now that you know how to access all of our Close To My Heart Cricut^® collections and shapes, let’s take a quick look at what each of them has to offer!

COMPLETE CREATIVITY

Sample Shapes:

(Not all shapes shown.)

Artwork Example:

As our newest Cricut^® collection, we cannot wait for you to get your hands on this one! The Complete Creativity 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!

ART PHILOSOPHY

Sample Shapes:

(Not all shapes shown.)

Example Artwork:

Featuring hundreds of basic, versatile shapes and fonts you’ll use every day, many of which coordinate with dozens of our My Acrylix® stamps, the Art Philosophy collection is a must-have for every crafter!

ARTBOOKING

Sample Shapes:

(Not all shapes shown.)

Example Artwork:

The Artbooking collection includes accents, borders, titles, overlays, photo mats, and more! You’ll love using these shapes for creating themed mini books to celebrate birthdays, holidays, and everyday life!

ARTFULLY SENT

Sample Shapes:

(Not all shapes shown.)

Example Artwork:

Featuring more than 25 different card themes and 5 different card formats, the Artfully Sent collection has a card for any and all occasions! Card styles include pop-ups, scenes, sentiments, sleeves, and pocket cards.

ARTISTE

Sample Shapes:

(Not all shapes shown.)

Example Artwork:

Take your creativity up a notch with the wonderful 3-D projects, party favors, interactive cards, awards, and more, found in the Artiste collection.

ARTISTRY

Sample Shapes:

(Not all shapes shown.)

Example Artwork:

The designs in the Artistry collection are staples for any crafter, spanning a wide variety of themes, holidays, and seasons. Get back to the basics with font, banners, layered shapes, borders, backgrounds, and other fun icons that can be used for any and every occasion.

CITY SIDEWALKS

Sample Shapes:

(Not all shapes shown.)

Example Artwork:

Dress up your artwork in holiday style with the festive images from this mini Cricut® collection! The City Sidewalks collection comes with 30 complete images, including titles, photo frames, borders, card sentiments, card overlays, and other cheery Christmas designs.

FLOWER MARKET

Sample Shapes:

(Not all shapes shown.)

Example Artwork:

With blooms and blossoms for every season of life, we know the Flower Market collection will really grow on you (if it hasn’t already)! All of the designs feature some type of botanical detail, from flowers and leaves to branches and wreaths. Designed to span an entire year’s worth of themes and occasions, you’ll have beautiful designs and sentiments for holidays, cardmaking, and everyday scrapbooking.

HELLO AU/NZ

Sample Shapes:

(Not all shapes shown.)

Example Artwork:

Featuring 20 layered images, the Hello AU/NZ collection has shapes, overlays, and names for Australian and New Zealand states and territories, as well as a local flower, slogan, and coordinating icon. The collection also includes extra images about Australia and New Zealand, including each country’s flag.

HELLO CANADA

Sample Shapes:

(Not all shapes shown.)

Example Artwork:

Also featuring 20 layered images, the Hello Canada collection has shapes, overlays, and names for all Canadian provinces and territories, as well as a local flower, slogan, and coordinating icon. The collection also includes extra images about Canada, including the Canadian flag.

HELLO USA

Sample Shapes:

(Not all shapes shown.)

Example Artwork:

Featuring 60 layered images, the Hello USA collection has shapes, overlays, and names for all 50 states, as well as a local flower, slogan, and state-specific icon. The collection also includes 10 extra images about the US, including regions and the US flag.

SEASON OF JOY

Sample Shapes:

(Not all shapes shown.)

Example Artwork:

Celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with the dynamic cut designs in the Season of Joy collection. This collection features over 45 images and projects, including seasonal icons, titles, and sentiments, as well as a collection of 3-D projects that you can create after a few simple cuts on your Cricut^® machine.

Whether you’re traveling abroad, taking a road trip, or enjoying a relaxing staycation, the You Are Here collection is sure to have everything you need to document your journey. From outdoor escapades and family reunions to spa retreats and holiday outings, you’ll find shapes and sentiments for every pit stop along the road of life!

Recipes

12″ x 12″ Spooktacular Page
CC10194 Spooktacular Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X6047 Black Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z341 Glue Dots^® Mini Dots, Cricut^® Complete Creativity Collection

Cricut^® Shape:
Complete Creativity
#MEE7655E

4¼” x 5½” Love You Card (Vertical)
C1801 My Acrylix^® Every Little Thing—Cardmaking Stamp Set, X7248S Every Little Thing Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X6047 Black Cardstock, X5957 Sapphire Cardstock, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, Z3521 Every Little Thing Vellum Die-cuts, Z4213 Silver Embellishing Thread, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z341 Glue Dots^® Mini Dots, Z2068 White Super Fine Embossing Powder, Z4220 Anti-static Pouch, Z4252 Heat Tool, Z4181 Stitched Circles Thin Cuts, Z1912 Corner Rounder, Cricut^® Art Philosophy Collection, Die-cutting Machine

Cricut^® Shape:
Art Philosophy
#M4139D

5″ Trick-or-Treat Mini Album
CC10194 Spooktacular Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X6047 Black Cardstock, X6035 Lemonade Cardstock, X5955 Pebble Cardstock, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z4196 White Ribbon, Z4181 Stitched Circles Thin Cuts, Cricut^® Artbooking Collection, Die-cutting Machine

Cricut^® Shapes:
Artbooking
#MAB71C
#M3E1B0
#M40EAA
#M46C7D
#M3CDA5

3″ x 4¼” You’re a Classic Card (Horizontal)
X7249S Hawthorn Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X6046 French Vanilla Cardstock, X6034 Sangria Cardstock, Z3543 Hawthorn Wood Shapes, Z341 Glue Dots^® Mini Dots, Cricut^® Artfully Sent Collection

Cricut^® Shapes:
Artfully Sent
#M1067B4

2½” x 3¾” Trick-or-Treat Treat Bag
CC10190 My Acrylix® Frightful Friends Stamp Set, CC10192 Spooktacular Paper Packet, X6047 Black Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z3271 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4221 Mink Twine, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z341 Glue Dots^® Mini Dots, Z3630 Watercolor Pencils, Z3224 Small Round Waterbrush, Z3516 Black Journaling Pen (.03), Cricut^® Artiste Collection

Cricut^® Shapes:
Artiste
#M3DEF8
#M3E22F

5″ x 7″ Happy Birthday Card (Vertical)
X5953 Charcoal Cardstock, X6031 Green Apple Cardstock, X5968 Lagoon Cardstock, X6042 Mint Cardstock, X5984 Pixie Cardstock, X5974 Raspberry Cardstock, X5980 Sweet Leaf Cardstock, X5976 Thistle Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z3553 Acrylic Hearts, Z3557 Cool Mint Stickles™ Glitter Gel, Z3563 Diamond Stickles™ Glitter Gel, Z341 Glue Dots^® Mini Dots, Cricut^® Artistry Collection, Sewing Machine

Cricut^® Shapes:
Artistry
#M4187BA
#M40FD89
#M41669B
#M4132AC, cut 2
#M412A0C
#M58A2E4
#M410335, cut 2
#M4169DA
#M411DD6
#M58A48E, cut 2
#M410487
#M418C08
#M418B30
#M412151
#M413170
#M40FF13

Basic Shapes
#M369879 (circle)

4¼” x 5½” Season’s Greetings Card (Vertical)
X6047 Black Cardstock, X6038 Candy Apple Cardstock, X6030 Evergreen Cardstock, X6029 Julep Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z4235 Gold Loose Sequins, Z341 Glue Dots^® Mini Dots, Z3555 Christmas Red Stickles™ Glitter Gel, Cricut^® City Sidewalks Collection

Cricut^® Shapes:
City Sidewalks
#MF6456F
#MF647BC
#MF645F0

Basic Shapes
#M369879 (circle)

Today, I Choose Joy Tag
C1799 My Acrylix^® Perk Up Stamp Set, D1868 My Acrylix^® Joy by Melissa Esplin Stamp Set, X7248B Every Little Thing Paper Packet, X6036 Ballerina Cardstock, X6029 Julep Cardstock, X5984 Pixie Cardstock, X5974 Raspberry Cardstock, X5961 Saffron Cardstock, Z3271 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2844 Pixie Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Cricut^® Flower Market Collection

Cricut^® Shapes:
Flower Market
#MFADCF2
#MD37FB8

12″ x 12″ Beautiful New Zealand/Australia Pocket Scrapbooking Layout
X5949 Almond Cardstock, X6029 Julep Cardstock, X5955 Pebble Cardstock, X5961 Saffron Cardstock, X5957 Sapphire Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X7249E Hawthorn Picture My Life Cards, X7248E Every Little Thing Picture My Life Cards, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z341 Glue Dots® Mini Dots, Cricut^® Hello AU/NZ Collection

Cricut^® Shapes:
Hello AU/NZ
#M2EDE0BE
#M2EDE203
#M2EDE37F

6″ x 8″ Quebec Layout with Pocket Scrapbooking
X7249B Hawthorn Paper Packet, X5951 Espresso Cardstock, X6046 French Vanilla Cardstock, X5962 Goldrush Cardstock, X5947 Mink Cardstock, X5961 Saffron Cardstock, Z3543 Hawthorn Wood Shapes, Z4054 Gold Embellishing Thread, Z341 Glue Dots^® Mini Dots, Z4181 Stitched Circles Thin Cuts, Cricut^® Hello Canada Collection, Die-cutting Machine

Cricut^® Shapes:
Hello Canada
#M2DB6B68
#M2DB6CAA

12″ x 12″ California Has My Heart Page
B1638 My Acrylix® Modern Typewriter Alphabet Stamp Set, C1725 My Acrylix® Simply Said Alphabet Stamp Set, X7248B Every Little Thing Paper Packet, X6047 Black Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z3271 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3521 Every Little Thing Vellum Die-cuts, Z3553 Acrylic Hearts, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z341 Glue Dots® Mini Dots, Cricut^® Hello USA Collection, Sewing Machine

Cricut^® Shape:
Hello USA
#M2CCF890

Santa & Elf Boxes
X5949 Almond Cardstock, X6047 Black Cardstock, X5982 Canary Cardstock, X6038 Candy Apple Cardstock, X6031 Green Apple Cardstock, X6044 Peach Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Cricut^® Season of Joy Collection

Cricut^® Shapes:
Season of Joy
#M629BBF2
#M629BA03

6″ x 8″ Grand Canyon Album Cover
X7249S Hawthorn Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X6047 Black Cardstock, X6046 French Vanilla Cardstock, X5962 Goldrush Cardstock, X6033 Paprika Cardstock, X5955 Pebble Cardstock, Z1375 Kraft Paper, Z2828 Toffee Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4054 Gold Embellishing Thread, Z697 Round Sponge, Cricut^® You Are Here Collection

Cricut^® Shape:
You Are Here
#M276272D

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June 11, 2019Celebrate, Create, Learn

Easy DIY Patriotic Wreath

Close To My Heart4th, Decor, decoration, fourth of July, July, Memorial Day, papercraft, Papercrafting, patriotic, summer, summertime, wall art, wall hanging, wreath 4 Comments

What better way is there to kick off the summer months than with a beautiful patriotic wreath? Display it on your porch or mantel, hang it on a wall, or place it on a shelf to be admired. It will become that conversation piece in your space that you can proudly say, “Yep, I made that!”

Materials you will need:

6 Sapphire cardstock sheets (12″ x 12″)
2 Candy Apple cardstock sheets (12″ x 12″)
3 White Daisy cardstock sheets (12″ x 12″)
4 cardstock sheets (12″ x 12″) of any color (these will be used to form the base)
1 gold foil paper sheet (optional)
Gold sequins (optional)
Glue Dots^® (optional)
Liquid Glass or hot glue gun
Paper trimmer or scissors
1 standard paper baking cup
Pencil (optional)
Cricut^® Flower Market Digital Collection
Cricut^® Artbooking Digital Collection (optional)

Once you’ve gathered all of your materials, follow these easy steps and begin assembling your wreath.

Step 1—Cut your paper into the following shapes and sizes:

46 – 4″ x 4″ Sapphire cardstock squares
16 – 3½” x 3½” Candy Apple cardstock squares
12 – 3″ x 3″ White Daisy cardstock squares
3 – 9½” cardstock circles, any color*
1 – 2¼”, 2½”, 2¾”, 3″, 4¼”, 4½”, 4¾”, 5″ White Daisy sunburst*
1 – 5¾” cardstock circle, any color (optional template)*
8 –1¼” gold foil stars (optional embellishment)**
2 – 1½” and 2″ gold foil stars (optional embellishment)**
4 – 1¾” gold foil stars (optional embellishment)**

*These shapes can be cut using this Cricut Design Space™ file. If you own a Cricut^® machine but do not have access to Design Space, see the recipe at the end of this post for additional cutting information.

**These shapes can be cut using the Cricut^® Flower Market collection, Shift + Background <p> or #MD431D.

Step 2—Build your base.

Stack and attach all three 9½” cardstock circles on top of one another to create your base. Use the optional smaller 5¾” cardstock circle and, with a pencil, trace a guideline onto your base. If you did not cut this piece, draw a guideline by hand approximately 2″ from the edge.

Step 3—Form your petals.

Once your paper is all cut, roll each square piece like a cone, leaving it open on the top and closed at the bottom; seal the seam with Liquid Glass or hot glue. Roll up each petal keeping the same color intensity of our two-toned cardstock on the outside of each.

Step 4—Assemble the Outer Wreath.

Using the penciled circle as your guide, start building your wreath starting with the outside layer. Attach your largest petals onto the base, seam down, leaving about a finger width between each. (Tip: pinch the bottom tip of the cone flat when adding adhesive).

When building your second row, place the petals in the spaces created in the first layer, and so on.

Use the large Sapphire petals for the first two layers, then create one layer using the medium-sized Candy Apple petals, and complete the final third layer using the small White Daisy petals.

(Depending on how tightly you roll your petals and how close you attach them, you may end up using a different number than you originally cut.)

Step 5—Build the Center Wreath. Gather your remaining pieces.

First, gently bend the “rays” of each sunburst paper piece up with your fingers. Stack and attach all of these pieces together from largest to smallest, with the largest piece on the bottom. Next, glue the paper baking cup, open end down, to the center of the wreath. The baking cup will act as a stand for the sunburst flower you just created so it won’t get buried in the middle of all the wreath’s petals. Glue the bottom of the sunburst flower to the baking cup.

Finally, embellish the center of your wreath with the optional gold foil stars and sequins. For our center, we sandwiched two stars of the same size around a toothpick and then attached the toothpick to the white center by wrapping the bottom of it with a glue dot.

Step 6—Display your completed wreath with pride!

What are some ways you’re using papercrafts to decorate your space this next season? Share with us in the comments below. We love hearing from you!

Recipe:

15½” Patriotic Wreath
X5992 Candy Apple Cardstock, X6021 Sapphire Cardstock, X6027 White Daisy Cardstock, Z3365 Gold Foil Paper, Z4235 Loose Sequins—Gold, 1772 Glue Dots™ Ultra-thin Dots, Z679 Liquid Glass, Z3503 Cricut^® Artbooking Digital Collection, Z3501 Cricut^® Flower Market Digital Collection, standard paper baking cup, pencil

Cricut^® Shapes:
Artbooking
5¾”, 9½” Shift + Border <TeamWork> (p. 83, #M46F6E)
1¼”, 1½”, 1¾”, 2″ Icon <m> (p. 74, #M3E9BD)

Flower Market
2¼”, 2½”, 2¾”, 3″, 4¼”, 4½”, 4¾”, 5″ Shift + Background <P> (p. 20, #MD4313D)

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January 8, 2019Celebrate, Create

Get Papercrafty and Frame It Up!

Close To My Heartcampaign, crafting, frame, Frame It Up, frame kit, Magnolia, Magnolia Frame Kit, national papercrafting month, Papercrafting, promo, special 70 Comments

Happy National Papercrafting Month, everyone! It’s that time of year where we have the perfect excuse to celebrate all things paper and we absolutely loooove what we’ve got for you and your friends to celebrate right along with us. Crafters of all kinds can join in and start the new year full of creative possibilities with our Frame It Up special!

This special features the beautiful Magnolia Frame Kit, designed to create customizable décor for your home, office, or any other space you’d like to brighten up.

Each kit comes with a 16″ x 16″ chipboard frame and backing, one double sided frame overlay that lets you choose what kind of finish you want for your frame, two decorative words, die-cut flowers, leaves, and rose gold foil accents. Use the included step-by-step instructions to get the basic frame and flowers assembled, and then let your creativity guide you through designing the rest!

Frame It Up #ctmh #closetomyheart #ctmhmagnoliaframe #ctmhnpm #nationalpapercraftingmonth #papercrafting #diyframe

There are so many different ways to use this versatile frame that you are sure to want more than one, which is precisely why you get 15% off each kit when you buy two, or 30% off when you buy three or more!

And, because it’s a new year and we think everyone should have at least one of these gorgeous frames, we are giving away FIVE Magnolia Frame Kits right here, on our blog! You have 24 hours, that’s until 4 pm (MST) tomorrow (January 9), to leave us a comment below telling us how or where you would use this frame and become a subscriber, if you aren’t already.

National Papercrafting Day is coming up, fast. Celebrated on the fourth Saturday of every January, this year it falls on January 26. Get together with your friends and celebrate by crafting your new Magnolia Frame!

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December 4, 2018Create

DIY Christmas Ornament

Close To My Heartchristmas, crafting, DIY, favor box, ornaments, Papercrafting, Thin Cuts, tradition 2 Comments

If you’re looking to make some personalized ornaments for your Christmas tree this year, you’ve come to the right place! By combining a few photos with the Favor Box Thin Cuts (die), our Oh What Fun papers, and a couple embellishments, we were able to create a memorable (and sturdy!) paper ornament to hang on the tree.

To make a single box ornament:

1. Use your die-cutting machine and cut a base shape out of white cardstock with the Favor Box Thin Cuts.

2. Cut 1¾” squares out of pattern paper to cover the sides of your box. Cut any photos you will be using to the same size. You will need a total of 6 squares, pattern paper and photos.

3. With adhesive, attach loose squares to the sides and bottom of your base before folding it into a box. (Do not attempt to attach the top piece at this time.)

For the top paper, punch holes where the two outer holes are on the base. The easiest way to do this would be to lay the top flap of your base on top of the square pattern paper and punch out the holes.

DIY Paper Christmas Ornament #ctmh #closetomyheart #ctmhohwhatfun #ohwhatfun #diy #diypaperornament #paperornament #diychristmasornament #papercrafting #diychristmas #chrismtasornament

4. Next, fold your base into a box. The video below will walk you through the process of assembling a favor box, from start to finish. For this ornament tutorial, disregard how the ribbon is attached in the video. We will be doing something a little bit different.

5. With your box folded, we are ready to add the ribbon. Because we will be covering the top of the box with another piece of paper, simply string the ribbon through the two outer holes and ignore the one in the middle.

6. Once the ribbon is in, add the top paper to your box.

Tie a knot at the top of your ribbon and you’re all done!

A single box makes a wonderful ornament on its own, but you can double your fun by stringing two boxes together! To make a double box ornament, follow all the steps above to assemble your bottom box, but before tying the ribbon together, you’ll want to assemble a second box, this time punching holes on the bottom flap of the base, too.

The easiest way to do this is to punch the holes out before folding the base to the box shape. With the holes punched, fold your box up. Before closing the top, take the ribbon from your first box and string it through the holes you punched at the bottom of your second box and tie the ribbon inside. Finish the ornament top the same way as described in steps 5 and 6 above.

These ornaments are the perfect way to get crafty this season with the kids, grandkids, and friends! With the right photos and embellishments, these could quite possibly become a holiday favorite!

Recipe:

Favor Box Ornaments
B1638 My Acrylix^® Modern Typewriter Alphabet Stamp Set, X7238B Oh What Fun Paper Packet, X6027 White Daisy Cardstock, Z6509 Candy Apple Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4230 Candy Apple Striped Ribbon, Z4190 Red Pearls, Z4173 Thin Cuts—Favor Box

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November 9, 2018Create, Learn

Rolled Paper Monogram Project

Close To My HeartChipboard, DIY, F, Grateful Heart, home decor, Initial, letter, monogram, Monogram Letters, papercraft, Papercrafting, rolled, rolled paper, Rolling Paper 6 Comments

From nurseries and dorm rooms to wedding gifts and everyday gifts, or even your own photo gallery, a rolled paper monogram is a fun way to personalize any given space. For today’s tutorial, we paired one of our chipboard monograms with the beautiful Grateful Heart paper collection.

Step One: What are you making and in what colors?

The very first thing to do is to figure out what you want to spell out, if not just a monogram, and in what color motif. For color coordination made easy, stick within one of our paper collections where the papers and accessories are purposefully designed using the same color palette. If you’re looking to mix things up—say you have some older papers from previous collections that you want to combine with some of your newer stash—the new Love of Color book is a great place to look for color combination ideas.

Step Two: Gathering your supplies.

For this project, other than paper and chipboard letters (and some basics like a ruler, paper trimmer, and hot glue gun), you will need a small dowel pin to wrap your paper around. The larger the dowel, the larger the paper rolls will be. As you are choosing a size, consider that tight rolls are not only harder to achieve but will also create smaller straws, meaning you will need more paper to cover your letter(s). In our example F, we achieved those tight rolls you see using a 3/16″ dowel. It took a total of 40 straws to cover the entire letter.

Step Three: Cutting your paper.

To know what size to cut your paper, measure the width of the letter(s) you are covering and then add 1/8″. Our F has three different widths at three different points. The long side is 2 3/8″, so those papers were cut 2½” wide. The top rung is 4 7/8″ wide, so those papers were cut 5″ wide. And the pieces for the bottom rung were cut at 4¾” because the letter itself measures 4 5/8″ wide. You don’t need very much paper to roll, lengthwise, so be conservative and stick around 2″. Our final pieces measure 2½” x 2″, 5″ x 2″, and 4¾” x 2″. A little tip for when you are cutting your paper, think about the pattern orientation. Make sure that when it’s time to roll your paper the pattern will face in the direction you want it to.

Step 4: Rolling your Paper.

We’re up to the fun part! Grab your pieces of paper and roll away, one by one. Start by wrapping your paper around the dowel and then, while holding the ends with your fingers, rolling it into a straw. If you are using a small dowel, you will want to have a misting pen handy. When the roll is too tight you run the risk of cracking the paper and exposing the white core. If you see this happening, and it’s not the look you are going for, lightly (lightly!) mist your paper with a little bit of water to give it some flexibility.

Rolled Paper Monogram #ctmh #closetomyheart #ctmhgratefulheart #fall #autumn #monogram #papercraft #rolledpaper

When you get to the end of your roll, secure the paper in place with hot glue. Hold it for a few seconds as it bonds and then carefully remove the dowel.

Repeat until all of your paper is rolled into a bunch of colorful gorgeous straws.

Step 5: Attaching your rolled paper.

With a hot glue gun, attach each of your rolled paper straws, one at a time, starting at the top and work your way down.

Your straws don’t have to be perfectly rolled or exactly the same size for the end product to still look awesome. Take a look at this side view of our perfectly imperfect F.

Have we got your creative juices flowing with this one? We’d love to hear your ideas in the comments below!

Recipe

Monogram F
X7237B Grateful Heart Paper Packet, X6027 White Daisy Cardstock, X6002 Espresso Cardstock, Z3238 Gold Glitter Paper, X7237C Grateful Heart Complements, Z3418 Chipboard Monogram—F, Z3386 Thin Cuts—Block Alphabet, 3/16″ Dowel, Hot Glue Gun

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October 16, 2018Celebrate, Create

A Christmas Advent Calendar to Make Now

Close To My Heartadvent calendar, calendar, christmas, Countdown, cricut, papercraft, Papercrafting, Season of Joy 2 Comments

It’s not too early to begin planning for the holidays! To get your Christmas season off to a delightful start, we’ve created an advent calendar papercrafting project using images from our new Cricut^® collection, Season of Joy.Make an advent calendar just like this one for your home, office, or wherever your crafting takes you, using this advent calendar workshop guide and our Cricut Design Space™ project files included right in the instructions! In this guide, we walk you through each step of the process to make sure you successfully complete this beautiful project just in time for the holidays.

First, you cut all of the pieces on your Cricut^® machine using the Design Space project files provided. Then, you assemble the outer and inner boxes. This part is pretty repetitive with lots of folding and gluing for all 25 outer boxes and 25 inner boxes. That means during this step you can break out some Christmas music or a favorite holiday movie to have in the background as you work. Next, you stamp the paper embellishments using the My Acrylix^® Snug Backgrounds stamp set, for a little extra color and texture. Then, attach your paper embellishments to each box. Finish off the project with some clear sparkles and a New England Ivy burlap ribbon bow on top. And there you have it! A calendar counting down to one of the most celebrated times of the year, measuring 16½” tall (not including the bow) with a 14″ wide base.

There are a few places where you will need to pay closer attention, especially when you’re using Design Space to cut and score your paper and cardstock. These tips are noted in the instructions, but we wanted to point them out again so you can keep them in mind as you’re creating your calendar.

We’ve made one project file to cut the outer boxes in New England Ivy cardsock. Design Space will display an alert that the project is larger than 11.5″ in height and requires a larger mat, like you see below. Click “OK” and cut the outer boxes using the cardstock on your 12″ x 12″ mat. It will cut close to the edges of your paper, but this way you only use 12 sheets of cardstock with two boxes on each sheet.

You might wonder why the Outer Boxes project file only cuts 24 boxes. It is not a mistake! You will still end up cutting 25 outer boxes, promise. The 25^th box, however, is cut from the Advent Calendar – Boxes and Embellishments (New England Ivy) project file. This way just saves you some paper. 🙂

There are individual project files to cut the paper embellishments for the box fronts and the last few inner boxes. They look something like this one below that uses the Candy Apple cardstock. Notice that some of the numbers are backwards. This lets you cut with the light side of the cardstock facing up, and then you flip the numbers over to use the dark side of the cardstock on the box fronts.

Cut all your paper, put everything together, and add some embellishments, and you’ll have a lovely home décor piece to accent your holiday. After you’ve finished your own advent calendar, all you need to do is fill each box with a special treat for every day leading up to Christmas. There are many, many ways you can fill the boxes. Here are just a few ideas:

Candy or chocolate (of-course!)
Activity ideas (like going to see Christmas lights, making hot chocolate, or reading a Christmas book)
Christmas ornaments
Little girl “pretties” (hair accessories, nail polish, lip balm)
Small toys (Lego^® figures, cars, marbles)
Ideas for random acts of kindness
Scripture verses

So, what do you think? Are you ready to make your own advent calendar? To keep things easy, we put together a bundle of all the paper and cardstock you will need to cut this project (click here). You will also need a few additional items, including the Cricut^® Season of Joy collection and the My Acrylix^® Snug Backgrounds stamp set. For a complete list of additional required and optional products needed, as well as step-by-step instructions, make sure you download or print the Advent Calendar Workshop guide, here.

Do you know how you will be filling your advent calendar this year? Let’s share ideas in the comments below!

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February 6, 2018Create, Learn

Pretty in Pink Butterfly Mobile

Close To My Heartbaby, bashful, Blossom, butterfly, Decor, girl, mobile, nursery, Papercrafting, Pixie, Pretty in Pink, Raspberry 8 Comments

We’re thinking PINK all month long at Close To My Heart with our Pretty in Pink special, featuring a select group of pink and gold items at 25% off as well as three exclusive product bundles at 30% off! These bundles include the Bashful—Color of the Year bundle (which you can also get FREE by signing up as a Consultant or hosting a qualifying party this month!) and two bundles with supplies to make this beautiful butterfly mobile:
We’ve taken the guesswork out of this project by putting together step-by-step instructions and even providing a Cricut Design Space™ project file for you to cut your butterflies and flowers. That means, all you have to do to replicate this gorgeous décor piece is assemble it!

For a full set of instructions to make this mobile, click here. Follow along with Monica in the video below to see how it all comes together!

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January 16, 2018Create, Learn

Workspace Wonder™ Organization

Close To My Heartcarousel, Crafting Space, crafts, DIY, ink pads, marker stack, markers, organisation, organise, organization, organize, paper, Papercrafting, stacks, stamp pads, storage, tools, tray, work space, Workspace Wonder™ 3 Comments

January is a great time to start fresh, clean things out, and work on new goals. As you’ve been thinking about New Year’s resolutions, did anything on your list include adding more organization into your life? Maybe your closet or your pantry need some love, but don’t forget about your crafting space, too! Clear the clutter and make your space work for you with Workspace Wonder™, our customizable organization storage solution.

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The individual components of the Workspace Wonder line stack on top of each other in a variety of combinations, so you can mix and match the pieces to create a storage solution that’s perfectly tailored to your crafting style and space. And if your needs change, you can easily rearrange the pieces again to get the right fit for you. There are so many possibilities for stacking and storing—you’ll want to discover them all!

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(small tray, stamp pad stack, marker stack, tool cubby, large tray, paper tray)

Making sure everything has a place is so important. When things are put away and organized, it lets your mind relax, allowing your mental and physical space to be creative. Just having a room that is organized can help you be more creative while crafting (and who doesn’t want that!).

Tools, ribbon, ink pads, markers, and embellishments can all have the perfect home with the Workspace Wonder system. Do you have stacks of 12″ x 12″ cardstock that need to be put away? Stacked Workspace Wonder paper trays will help with exactly that. Top them off with a large tray and a marker stack or tool cubby for additional organization space.

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Keeping your craft room organized can also be a huge time-saver, making your time more efficient. What happens when you can’t find that one ink pad or marker you need to finish a project? You spend time frantically searching your craft room, and sometimes even the rest of your house. Keeping supplies like ink pads organized with Workspace Wonder is easy! You can use stamp pad stacks on the carousel base and top. One swivel, and you have exactly what you need, no frustrating search required.

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Workspace Wonder™ Organization #ctmh #closetomyheart #workspacewonder #work #space #wonder #organization #organisation #system #storage #solution #stacking #declutter #carousel #paper #craft #crafting #papercrafting #diy #cardmaking #scrapbooking (carousel base & top, stamp pad stack (8))

Staying organized can be a challenge, especially when it comes to scrapbooking, cardmaking, and papercrafting, but it helps you be more productive and more creative. Organized space saves time when working on projects and reduces stress. Embrace the joy of an organized crafting space this year by using Workspace Wonder to keep all of your creative supplies in the perfect place.

Let us know how you use Workspace Wonder to craft your workspace in the comments below!

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January 2, 2018Celebrate, Create

Love Letters Giveaway!

Close To My Heartcampaign, Foil, free, giveaway, january, letter, Love Letters, monogram, national papercrafting month, Papercrafting, Rose Gold 275 Comments

As we welcome a new year, we are also celebrating National Papercrafting Month! And, to help you celebrate with us, we created a beautiful letter kit for you to assemble, customize, and display using your own personal flair. What’s more, WE ARE GIVING AWAY THREE OF THESE LOVE LETTERS KITS in the next 72 hours!

All you have to do to enter into the drawing is subscribe to our blog, if you aren’t already, and leave a comment below letting us know how you would display your Love Letter(s). It’s that easy! Three lucky winners will be chosen by 11:00 a.m. (MST) Friday, January 5^th, and will be notified by email to choose their letter.

Now, let us tell you a little more about these Love Letters!
Each kit comes with one sturdy chipboard letter base, one paper and rose gold overlay piece, die-cut banners and floral embellishments, and rose gold foil alphabet stickers to create the word or name of your choice.

As you assemble these letters, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

1. The first thing is that you don’t have to use all of the pieces included in the letter kit. Depending on how you plan to use the letter, you might opt out of the banner or some of the flowers and succulents. The number of die-cuts you want to use will depend on the shape of your letter and the length of the word you’ve chosen. Remember, sometimes less is more.

2. If you are using the banner for a word or a name, add the alphabet stickers to the banner before attaching it to the letter. It’s also easier if you begin your word in the middle and work your way out. This way, you can make sure your word is centered and you have enough room for all of your letters prior to attaching any additional embellishments.

3. As you assemble the flowers, consider using your finger, a pencil, or any soft round edge to help shape some of the petals. (Not all of your flowers have to have curved petals). Also, when arranging them on your letter, do so before attaching them. Try arranging your flowers in triangles of color. If you’re not quite sure how to do that, look at the instructions insert including in your kit. There, you will find a completed example for each letter and the ampersand. (It’s okay to copy. We won’t tell!)

4. For those of you who want to take this project up a notch, there’s always some wiggle room. Look how we used a handful of additional products (not included in the kit) to quickly and easily embellish the flowers. The petals edges were given a pop of color with a sponge and some ink. We added sparkles and pearls to the flowers’ centers, and used the brand-new Bashful shimmer brush for a touch of extra shine on the green succulent petals.

These Love Letters are so versatile. Put them in frame, a wreath, or hang them on their own. Create words, names, or initials. They work in your living room, a bedroom, a nursery—really anywhere!

We hope you are as excited about National Papercrafting Month as we are. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a comment below telling us how you would use your Love Letter for a chance to win one letter of your choice FREE!!

For even MORE CHANCES TO WIN, visit us on Instagram and Facebook where we are giving even more of these away! (What?!) Make sure to follow us for details on how to enter these separate drawings!!

Can’t wait to hear from you!

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Make It from Your Heart

Tag Archives: Papercrafting

Accessing All 13 Close To My Heart Cricut® Collections

Close To My Heart Cricut^® Collections:

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

ONE FINAL TIP

COMPLETE CREATIVITY

ART PHILOSOPHY

ARTBOOKING

ARTFULLY SENT

ARTISTE

ARTISTRY

CITY SIDEWALKS

FLOWER MARKET

HELLO AU/NZ

HELLO CANADA

HELLO USA

SEASON OF JOY

YOU ARE HERE

Easy DIY Patriotic Wreath

DIY Christmas Ornament

Rolled Paper Monogram Project

A Christmas Advent Calendar to Make Now

Pretty in Pink Butterfly Mobile

Workspace Wonder™ Organization

Love Letters Giveaway!

Close To My Heart Cricut® Collections:

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

ONE FINAL TIP

COMPLETE CREATIVITY

ART PHILOSOPHY

ARTBOOKING

ARTFULLY SENT

ARTISTE

ARTISTRY

CITY SIDEWALKS

FLOWER MARKET

HELLO AU/NZ

HELLO CANADA

HELLO USA

SEASON OF JOY

YOU ARE HERE

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Close To My Heart Cricut^® Collections: