Around the World with Close To My Heart

Around the World

Have you always longed to be a world traveler? Do you find international architecture, culture, clothing, and history fascinating?

Well, today is your lucky day because adventure is knocking! Close To My Heart is about to bring a bit of the world to you—right in your own home! Throughout the month of August, we’ll be sharing amazing artwork inspired by artistic traditions from four different countries across the world.

In each post we’ll give you some cultural background about the art form, and then we’ll go sightseeing to marvel at some truly exceptional papercrafting artwork. Each of these posts will be distinguished with the title “Around the World” followed by the name of the country the artistic tradition comes from.

But the adventure doesn’t stop there. With each “Around the World” post, we’re going to give away four travel-themed My Acrylix® stamp sets for a total of 16 stamp sets in one month! These blog posts will not only be your passport to the world, but also your passport to win some pretty awesome stamps. 🙂

How do you enter to win one of these stamp sets? Simply comment on an “Around the World” blog post. The more comments you make, the more you will increase your odds of winning! At the end of the month, we’ll randomly select 16 winners and announce them on the blog.

What do you say? Are you ready to soak in artistic inspiration from all around the world and win a stamp set while you’re at it? If the answer is yes, then be sure to check in frequently and prepare yourself for the journey of a lifetime! It’s time to get inspired.

Leave a comment

Brilliant Birthdays: Catching Their Eye with a Card

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.

Monster Birthday Card

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.

Tie your card together by repeatedly using the same color. Here we’ve used a piece of Topiary striped washi tape, Topiary mini chevron ribbon, a sheet of Topiary from the Paper Fundamentals Enchantment assortment, Topiary and Pear cardstock balloons, and a green epoxy Bubble as an eyeball. We’ve even added a touch of Topiary to the stamped sentiment using the super-trendy, eye-popping ombré stamping technique. Does your recipient have a favorite color? Use it!

Love Your Face Birthday Card

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.

Plane Birthday Card

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.

Happy Birthday 6 Card

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 ¼” 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 ¼” 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 ¼” 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 ¼” 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)

Leave a comment