Happy November, everyone! We are so excited for the opportunity to pop in today and share with you how to put beautiful scrapbook pages and cards together in a snap using the Cut Above® kits that are available through our Craft with Heart™ program.
The excuse that we hear most often from people for not scrapbooking is that they simply don’t have the time to do it. Cut Above® layout kits are the response to that genuine concern. Each kit comes with all of the pieces you need to complete two coordinating two-page 12″ x 12″ scrapbook layouts, including pre-printed base pages, pre-cut paper pieces and die-cuts, complementing stickers, and simple assembly instructions. Essentially, all of the cutting has been taken out of the scrapbooking equation, saving you tons of time and allowing you to jump right into the artistic and creative side of memory keeping that we all enjoy and love so much.
Beautiful layouts like this one come together in minutes when you’re using a Cut Above® kit!
To get your hands on these amazing kits, you don’t have to go far. In fact, we’ll deliver them straight to your doorstep on a schedule you decide through the Craft with Heart™ program. Craft with Heart™ is a subscription featuring Cut Above® kits offered at monthly and 4-month intervals.
If you’re already a subscriber, share the opportunity with a friend! The Craft with Heart™ program is a fun and easy way to introduce the art of memory keeping and cardmaking to others. These kits make wonderful gifts!
Take a closer look at what we’ve got in store for the next couple of months:
Aren’t these gorgeous? You’d never guess that these layouts come together so quickly!
This is a great time of year to get started with the program if you haven’t already. September is when we introduced the last four scrapbooking kits for the year, which means if you sign up before January 1 for a four month or annual subscription you will not have missed out and will also receive the beautiful September and October scrapbooking kits!
This September, for the first time ever, we launched a subscription kit just for cards!
Just like the scrapbooking kits, the card subscription kit comes with all of the materials you need to create two each of the assortment of cards you see here, designed especially for the season ahead.
The kit includes card bases in varying sizes, pre-cut die-cuts, coordinating stickers, and an exclusive stamp set and mini black ink pad to customize each of your card sentiments to use for any occasion that arises.
Craft with Heart™ is the perfect solution for those who enjoy the art of scrapbooking and cardmaking but are looking for a quicker alternative. Even if you’re a die-hard decorative scrapper or card maker who loves to spend hours on a project, the Cut Above® kits are a great way to catch up on documenting your stories and celebrating relationships without sacrificing quality. They’re a win-win deal that you will absolutely love!
As part of our National Stamping Month celebration, we have two exclusive stamp sets that are only available through the end of the month, the My Acrylix® A Dash of Joy and My Acrylix® Giving Thanks. Both have over 30 individual stamps each. They are super cute, on trend, and just right for the upcoming fall and Christmas seasons. You may have noticed that most of the individual stamps within each set are also really small.
To get us all thinking outside of a one-inch square that most of these loveable little icons and sentiments were designed to fit into, we have a few simple ideas that showcase just how versatile a small stamp can be by also effectively being used in much bigger spaces.
First, let’s talk about backgrounds. This one seems to be a pretty common idea that we tend to easily forget. Take a look at how we used our small stamps to create the following three pieces of artwork:
On this So Thankful page we wanted to create a partial background. You can do this with sentiments, like we did here, or with clusters of small icons down the center, off-center, down one side of the page, or even just in a corner.
This card is an example of how to use small sentiments to create a full background. Turn the sentiment at an angle and stamp it over and over again until your background is completely covered. The trick is to start by stamping partially off your base to achieve the cutoff look.
Another way to use small icons in large spaces is in borders.
Combining three of the leaf stamps from the Giving Thanks set with two green stamp pads we were able to create this beautiful fall scene for the memories on this page.
This last idea, one of our favorites that really gets you thinking outside the norm, is to create your own shapes out of smaller ones.
The gorgeous wreath on this page was created using several of the small stamps from the A Dash of Joy set and nothing else.
We kept it simple by making a circle to illustrate the idea, but the truth is you can create many other shapes and designs using small stamps—a tree, a snowman, a pumpkin, a star, a house—whatever you dare try.
With the right combination of stamps and inks, the possibilities are endless.
We really do love these little sentiments and icons and want everyone to have a chance to create with them, too. In the next 24 hours, we will be giving away 5 Share the Seasons Stamp Set Bundles, which include one My Acrylix® A Dash of Joy stamp set and one My Acrylix® Giving Thanks stamp set. If you want to be entered in the drawing, make sure you are subscribed to this blog and leave us a comment below sharing with us how you use small stamps in big ways. Winners will be chosen by 1 p.m. tomorrow (Sept. 18, MST) and will be notified via email, so keep your eyes on your inboxes friends!
Can’t wait to hear from you!
***THIS DRAWING IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED! <3 ***
It is officially National Stamping Month! Is anyone else as pumped about this time of year as we are? A little bit of history, for our friends who haven’t been with us for very long, Close To My Heart was originally called D.O.T.S. (Dozens of Terrific Stamps). Our first love was, and continues to be, stamps! We’ve come a long way since 1984 and wood mounted rubber stamp sets, and yet there are still some things that will never change.
Today we are going back to the basics of stamping, showing a few different ways we can use stamps in our projects. If you are new to stamping, this is a great place to start and learn just how versatile these creative tools can be. If you are a “pro,” then follow along anyway and remind yourself why you, too, love stamping and the versatility behind each design.
First, let’s talk about stamping on photos.
This is such an easy way to create personalized cards or add some additional touches to your scrapbook pages.
Stamping directly on a photo might seem a little scary at first, but we promise, it will be okay! For this project, we used the Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ stamp pad to stamp our sentiment. We opted for this ink choice because we used a matte photo. If you’re stamping on a glossy photo, consider using Black StazOn™ ink. StazOn™ ink is specifically formulated for use on non-porous surfaces, allowing you to confidently stamp on any photo.
Next, let’s revisit an oldie, but a goodie, technique—generational stamping. Generational stamping is a fairly simple stamping technique. Think of it as the “double-dip” action (or in this case, the “triple-dip”) of the stamping world. With generational stamping, you don’t re-ink your stamp before stamping the image or sentiment again. This leaves you with a slightly faded image that is otherwise identical to the first one.
For this example, we used the Candy Apple Exclusive Inks™ stamp pad to create a fun generational stamping effect. First, you thoroughly saturate your stamp with ink, and then press down firmly to transfer the image onto your paper. Then, without re-inking the stamp, press it to the paper again to create a second-generation stamped image or, like in this case, sentiment. In this example, we went a step farther and created a third-generation sentiment, which was accomplished the same way.
You can clearly see the second and third generational stamps. This effect, combined with the fun patterns in the Every Little Thing paper packet, makes for a beautiful card with a unique flair.
Another fun way to use your stamps is to fussy cut! Fussy cutting simply means that you cut out your stamped image by hand rather than using a metal die or a paper cutting machine. This lets you cut right down to the edges of the image for a crisp, clean cut. When you don’t have just the right sticker or are looking for a quick way to add dimension, fussy cut your stamped image or sentiment and attach it with some foam tape!
In our next example, we’ve got several different ideas that neatly come together in one beautiful 6″ x 8″ layout.
First, take a close look at the peach portion of the layout, in the lower right-hand corner of the left page. That’s not pattern paper—the pattern you see is achieved by continuous, random stamping. Stamps give you the ability to create your own unique patterns, adding a personal element to all of your projects.
Next, let’s talk about how to stamp white on black. For this, we’ll be breaking out our heat tool and embossing powder!
As you can see, this particular element has a dimensional appearance. Well, that’s thanks to the use of embossing powder!
The images in this example are stamped with VersaMark™ ink and heat embossed with white embossing powder. Stamp with VersaMark™ ink, add embossing powder, melt and seal together with a heat tool.
Did you know that you can also heat emboss with our pigment inks of our exclusive colors? All you need is the pigment ink in the color of your choice and clear embossing powder. Heat and seal like you would with the VersaMark™ ink, and that’s it!
If you want to heat emboss on vellum, there are a few small tricks to consider.
For this technique, allow your heat tool to heat up before you use it. Once it’s hot, blow on the ink intermittently from behind the paper (which means you would need to do this step before attaching a piece like this to your project). If you blow directly onto the ink and vellum without pulling the heater away, the ink will move and the paper will warp. Another approach, if from behind is too difficult, is to move the heat tool in slow circles over the stamped area.
The last three examples of artwork we have showcase how to add color to your stamped images.
In a recent blog post, we discussed different types of black ink and which ones work best with certain types of projects. For this card, we used the Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad to stamp the pumpkins so that we could add color with our new TriBlend™ markers.
Once you’ve got your image stamped, take your TriBlend™ Marker and color around the outer edges of the stamped image using one of the darker shades. Then, color in the center with one of the lighter shades.
Using TriBlend™ Markers to color in your stamped images allows you to color with confidence, since the shades are already matched for you, and as you can see, they deliver beautiful results!
For this card, you’ll want to grab your watercolor pencils. To avoid getting harsh lines in your project, move your pencil in gentle, circular strokes, or use a lighter hand as you color; think of it as light shading as opposed to coloring in your stamp.
Once you’ve got your stamped image colored in, you can leave it as is for a slightly more rustic, rough feel, like in our example, or blend with a waterbrush.
Our last example is a bit deceptive, and it looks a bit more complicated than it actually is.
To create the beautiful, multicolored effect happening in the leaves of this page, we used a technique is called rock & roll.
First, you thoroughly ink your stamp in the base color of your choice. Then, gently rock and roll the edges of your stamp in your secondary color. It’s that easy. Your stamp is ready to leave a gorgeous impression!
No matter how you use them, you can’t go wrong with great stamps! Happy stamping!
With the launch of two new Close To My Heart catalogs this week, does anyone else feel like a kid on Christmas morning? Since September 1, hundreds of new Close To My Heart products, including stamp sets, patterned papers, embellishments, and much, much more, have been readily available at our fingertips!
In case you missed the exciting announcement after our North American Convention, we have moved to a new catalog release schedule. Close To My Heart will no longer only publish three catalogs a year, but SEVEN—an annual Core Products catalog and six, bi-monthly, supplemental catalogs. The goal is to get fresh designs and up-to-the-minute products into your hands when you need them and want them most!
Let’s take a closer look at some of the new goodies in our Core and September–October catalogs. (It may be time to make some room in your craft room—your stash may be getting a bit bigger! 🙂 )
Paper Packet + Sticker Sheets
Each of our supplement catalogs will feature two paper suites. Within each suite you will have the choice between two paper packet options, one including a new 12″ x 12″ sticker sheet, and one without. The new sticker sheet will come with titles, accents, and more, that coordinate perfectly with the designs of its accompanying paper packet. Both paper packets will come with six sheets of three double-sided designs of patterned paper, rather than the 12 we’ve done in the recent past, so you only purchase what you need and avoid having too much left over!
Custom Cardstock Packs
When you visit our cardstock menu on our website, you will find two very exciting additions. As a continuation of the theme of getting you just what you need, we now offer custom cardstock packs! Choose between a 12-sheet or 24-sheet pack and then decide which of our current exclusive colors you want in it. We’ll package up your selection and send your customized pack along with the rest of your order. It’s that simple!
Scrapbooking Workshop Kits
Our scrapbooking workshops got a makeover! Each workshop continues to come with easy-to-follow instructions to make six complete pages however only some are paired into layouts. Both, the Every Little Thing and Hawthorn scrapbooking workshops make two individual pages and two two-page layouts.
Even more exciting, we’ve trimmed a lot of the paper cutting right out of the workshops! Each new kit includes large, exclusive die-cut sheets and accessories that coordinate effortlessly with a handful of additional products for fast and seriously gorgeous pages. In the page above, the only thing you’ll cut when you make your own are the two photo mats. <3 <3 <3 !
Everyday Life™ Albums
Our Everyday Life™ album line just got bigger…and smaller! Providing the greatest versatility in size (and color options), these are now available in 6″ x 6″, 6″ x 8″, 8½” x 11″, and 12″ x 12″. Perfect for preserving vacations, weddings, highlights from the football season, or backyard adventures, the Everyday Life™ line is designed to accommodate any occasion or memory!
Heat Transfer Vinyl & Digital Art
You already take pride in filling your scrapbooks with beautiful artwork on the inside, so why not add some flair to their outsides? With our new line of heat transfer vinyl and digital SVG files designed specifically with album covers in mind, you can easily do just that!
After downloading the digital images, cut them out of the heat transfer vinyl using your favorite cutting machine, and then apply them to your album. For a complete list of available heat transfer vinyl colors and digital art designs, click here.
Penmanship with Melissa Esplin
Renowned calligraphy and lettering expert Melissa Esplin joined forces with Close To My Heart to create an easy, step-by-step penmanship program. Penmanship with Melissa Esplin introduces stroke sequences, letter forms, and techniques to improve and develop your personal, individual style. Equipped with exercise worksheets and practice pages, as you see can see above, this program provides the necessary tools to share your stories through your own creative handwriting!
Journaling Pens
Get ready to pour your hearts out with our gorgeous new Close To My Heart journaling pens!
These journaling pens are available in Black and Pewter inks and in .05, .03, and .01 tips. Easily take your handwriting up a notch by simply using the right tool!
TriBlend™ Markers
Color and blend like and expert with our new markers! Inside every TriBlend™ marker is a perfect gradation of colors, from light to dark, delivered through three separate fine bullet nibs. The alcohol-based ink blends seamlessly for mixing or layering colors.
Stickles™ Glitter Gel
Another newcomer to the Close To My Heart line-up are the Stickle™ glitter gels! Available in the ten colors you see here, use these fun gels to add dimension and a bit of sparkle to your projects.
Stamp Shammy
This spongy soft, reusable sheet is just what you need for lint-free stamp cleaning. Just add water and watch the ink come right off your My Acrylix® stamps as you wipe them with a Stamp Shammy. Yes, the photo above is staged to look pretty, but we really did just wipe that stamp clean with the wet Stamp Shammy to the right of it. And, because you can’t really have too much of a good thing, these come in a two-pack. J
New Colors
We’ve added several new colors to our exclusive color palate this week! Our favorite, and Color of the Year, is this beautiful trendy green hue, Julep! Keep a sharp eye out for it throughout the coming year, and you’ll find hints of Julep in a wide variety of our new products. (To see what other fun new colors we have in store, talk to your Consultant or take a look at our exclusive color palette in our Core Products catalog.)
Cricut® Complete Creativity Collection
Our newest Cricut® collection, Complete Creativity, provides you with all the pieces you need to create complete cards and scrapbook pages for a variety of themes and occasions.
This remarkable new collection is available for purchase on Cricut.com, through a special link you can get from your Close To My Heart Consultant. Ask your Consultant for more details about our extensive collection of Cricut® designs!
Rather than unwrapping all of the new goodies here for you this Christmas-like morning, take some time to carefully peruse both of our new catalogs on your own. The few items that we covered today are only just a sampling of the hundreds of new products available now!
Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary day, we give you a fairy tale that looks like a free scrapbook pattern!
This timeless pattern made its original debut years ago with our You Rock collection. Without the need of any pixie dust, the instructions have been revamped so they can be used with any papers and for any occasion!
We created a truly enchanting spread by pairing this pattern with the More Magical paper packet, coordinating cardstock, and stamp set. Our current More Magical workshop kit makes 4 coordinating two-page layouts to preserve all of your magical adventures. Download the pattern and cutting diagrams below and use them to make a fifth coordinating layout to add to your album!
As usual, we encourage you to make this, and any, pattern your own by being flexible with its parts. Take a close look at our completed layout for some examples. Instead of using a small photo at the top of 2D, we filled the space with a stamp. Then, we added another 4 x 4 photo to the layout by splitting it down the middle and attaching half of it on each page to complete the row of photos across the top.
And don’t forget about those pocket cards that are part of the paper packet! Use them whole, cut up, or even torn to incorporate additional patterns, sentiments, and accents. Adding a pocket card with a lighter design to a page made up of darker patterns is also an easy way to create space for stamping.
No matter where your happiest place on earth is, take advantage of the bright patterns and motifs available in the More Magical collection and use them to preserve all of your fairy tale adventures. Remember, this collection is only available through the end of the month while supplies last, so make sure to grab yours while you still can!
For even more timeless scrapbook patterns, check out our Make It from Your Heart™ pattern books! If you love the free scrapbook patterns we share on the blog, you’re sure to be blown away by the patterns and inspirational artwork in all of our how-to books.
Want to know what we love about September?? It’s National Stamping Month! To get in the mood to celebrate all things stamping, we have two new exclusive stamp sets as part of our National Stamping month special, Memories in the Making.
The Memories in the Making special, and National Stamping Month for that matter, is all about highlighting the ways you can use stamping in your papercrafting and memory keeping. This year is no exception! 🙂
As you can see, these stamp sets can be a fun addition to a variety of projects. Memories in the Making—Months comes with all twelve months of the year in a lovely, scripted font, making it easy to add a large title to any layout. Memories in the Making—Days gives you a variety of smaller images to stamp numbers, lists, words, and other icons on your projects. Can you spot all of the ways we’ve used this stamp set on this birthday scrapbook page, anniversary card, and frame?
If you aren’t already sold on how you can use these exclusive stamp sets, we’re sure you can guess the other way we are using them this month—in a handmade calendar!!
As part of National Stamping month, we’ve created a Cut Above® layout kit that coordinates with these Memories in the Making stamp sets! The Memories in the Making Cut Above® layout kit comes with pre-printed base pages, pre-cut paper, die-cuts, stickers, and instructions to create 13 single-page layouts. Combine this kit with a My Creations™ calendar, your Memories in the Making—Days and Memories in the Making—Months stamp sets, and a few other basic supplies to turn these single pages into a beautiful personalized calendar for the upcoming year.
Once the year is over, trim the pages off the calendar and slip them into Memory Protectors™ to preserve. The great thing about this Cut Above® kit, is that you can choose to just skip the calendar all together and make the individual pages straight for your scrapbook album! (To see all 13 completed pages, click here.)
These exclusive stamp sets, the layout kit, and several discounted bundle options, are only available during September, while supplies last. Make sure you get yours soon and join us as we celebrate National Stamping Month all month long with Memories in the Making!
September is National Stamping Month, and we’ve designed an incredible card kit with elegant, layered stamping to celebrate!
It’s called the From the Heart card kit, and if you love stamping, you’ll love all the ways you can play with the interchangeable stamp designs to achieve a variety of looks for your cards.
If the thought of creating cards like these feels a bit daunting, don’t worry! The kit comes with helpful instructions to walk you through the assembly—just take a look!
Here are the pieces you get in your kit. You get enough to create 12 cards, plus the beautiful From the Heart stamp set and 12 envelopes. Once you punch out these pieces, follow the instructions below to create your cards.
Step 1
All the folds come pre-scored, so all you have to do is fold along the score lines. Starting with your card base (A), turn the gold foil side down and sharply fold the two outside flaps inward. Add adhesive to the top of these flaps.
Step 2
Fold your card base in half along the score line, attaching the front of the card base to the top of the flaps. This will form a pocket.
Step 3
Starting with the detached end of the large flap, make sharp folds along the score lines, accordion style, as shown.
Step 4
Add adhesive to the bottom of first fold (the white side).
Step 5
Insert the pull insert (B) into the pocket in your card base (A), keeping B centered. Attach that first fold from step 5 to the edge of the pull insert, keeping the edges flush. Now when you pull on the insert piece in and out, the large flap should pop up and down!
Step 6
Slide your card closed and then add adhesive to top of first fold (over gold foil).
Step 7
Attach supporting piece (D) to the top of first fold. This supporting piece is a little bit larger than the area where you added the adhesive, so keep the top edge flush with the crease and center it on the flap. When it’s in place, the edges of the supporting piece should overlap the gold foil around the edges of your card.
Step 8
Stamp your choice of sentiment and flowers onto your card front (C). When stamping the layers of your flowers, add extra depth by using different colors for each layer.
Step 9
Stamp leaves and twigs in between flowers. Again, add depth by stamping all of the layers in different colors. This stamp set allows you to get incredible detail in your stamp images for a beautiful finished card.
Step 10
Set aside your card front and go back to the base for a moment. Slide your card open, and then stamp your choice of inside sentiment onto the card base. The From the Heart stamp set includes four large sentiments designed especially to fit this space.
Step 11
Once your stamping is dry, slide the card closed and add adhesive to second fold of large flap. This is the section right next to the supporting strip (D) that you attached, and it is where you will attach your card front.
Step 12
Attach your card front (C) to the second fold, lining up the edges with the supporting strip (D).
Make your own beautiful, interactive cards using this card kit, available only during September! If you have any questions about how to assemble these cards or about the card kit itself, tell us in the comments below!
As some of you may know, September is a very sentiment-al month here at Close To My Heart, and each year it really leaves an imprint on us. Why? Because September is National Stamping Month! And for a company that adores their stamps like we do, it’s basically a really big deal.
One of the things we love most about stamping is the many artistic effects you can achieve with these versatile and beautiful tools. That’s why, to celebrate National Stamping Month, we’ll be showcasing a number of stamping techniques right here on the blog throughout the month.
But of course, that’s only one part of our celebration this month! We’ve also created not one, not two, but THREE new stamp sets that will only be available this month. These special stamp sets are called My Acrylix® Hello, Life!, and each set is tailored to a particular type of crafting: scrapbooking, pocket scrapbooking, and cardmaking. Though the stamp sets are tailored to different projects, they all coordinate wonderfully with one another, working together as one giant stamp set rather than three separate ones. And perhaps the best part of all—if you purchase all three together, you get a discount!
Today, let’s spotlight just one of these awesome sets, the Hello, Life! scrapbooking stamp set. Here she is!
Scrapbooking is all about telling stories, celebrating relationships, cherishing the today, and preserving beautiful photographs for tomorrow. That’s why we designed this stamp set to include sentiments ideal for highlighting those very things. Here is a lively layout that shows how this stamp set contributes to the story of this family’s trip to the petting zoo:
We love the way these stamps work with our scrapbook pages, but, as is the case with many of our stamp sets, this set could be used for almost any project! The possibilities are endless!
We love the variety in our Close To My Heart family, and we think that these three National Stamping Month Hello, Life! stamp sets reflect us perfectly: We all love different types of crafting, but regardless of our preferences, we’re all united by a passion for creating beautiful artwork and preserving memories.
As the rest of September unfolds, be sure to give your My Acrylix® stamps plenty of lovin’. Use your favorite sets—or maybe a new set you haven’t tried yet—to experiment with the techniques we’ll be highlighting through the month, and watch for more artwork featuring our other National Stamping Month stamp sets, too. It’s time to celebrate the impression these beautiful stamps have made on your life.
Recipe
12″ x 12″ Happy Family Layout Make It from Your Heart™ Vol. 1: Pattern 13
CC1040 My Acrylix® Hello, Life—Scrapbooking, X7201B La Vie En Rose Paper Packet, X5775 Sapphire Cardstock, X5929 Whisper Cardstock, Z2191 Sunset Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z2648 Sapphire Exclusive Inks™ Pad, Z2291 Sunset Exclusive Inks™ Re-inker, Z3079 Urban Assortment, Z3122 Enamel & Glitter Duos Blue Dots, Z3163 Fundamentals Stickers Adventure Pack, Z3164 Fundamentals Stickers Enchantment Pack, Z3115 Instalife™ Roller Stamp Day-to-Day, Z3114 Instalife™ Roller Stamp This Happened, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z1979 Marvy® Uchida® LePen™ Journaling Pen, Z3188 Paintbrush Set, Z3167 Cricut® Artistry Collection
