January 25, 2023Inspiration, Learn, Memory Keeping

How to Organize Years of Photos without Getting Overwhelmed

Close To My Heartback up photos, consolidate, digital photos, eliminate, empowered, memories, Memory Keeping, online cloud, organization, overwhelmed, photo case, photo organizer, photo table, photos, pocket scrapbooking, printed photos, printing, process, scrapbooking, snap-close, tips 20 Comments

When it comes to scrapbooking, one of the biggest deterrents for people is feeling overwhelmed by their copious amounts of unorganized photos. If you have years of memories piled up in your phone’s photo gallery, or spread between multiple devices even, it’s easy to feel discouraged and to put off preserving these moments in a much more user-friendly format. The longer you wait to sort and organize your photos, the more memories you’ll collect, and the more overwhelming the task will get—so let’s not delay and start now. Let us show you how!

Follow the step-by-step outline we’ve created, below, as we walk you through how to efficiently organize your digital photos and get them into a scrapbook! This process may take some commitment, but the journey is worth it—especially when your memories are all in order and in an album where they can be relived and shared!

Step One: Consolidate Your Digital Photos

Upload all of your digital photos to one location—your computer. We recommend using a photo managing system, like Google Photos, Amazon Photos, or iCloud, to easily transfer photos from your phone and other devices onto your computer. Amazon Photos is free* for Amazon Prime members and iCloud is best for those with multiple Apple devices (it is included on iPhones, iPads, and Macs), where it automatically updates between the Apple devices. (*As of the date of this article, this information is correct but is subject to change without our knowledge.)

Step Two: Eliminate Unwanted Photos

Once all of your photos are in one place, go through and eliminate any that aren’t worth keeping: repeats, photos with a blurry finger covering half the lens, photos of your to-do lists, etc.

A few tips: Avoid future photo hoarding by cleansing your digital photo libraries every few weeks. (Set a reminder on your schedule if you have to!) On the same note, while it’s a good idea to get in the habit of deleting subpar photos soon after you take them, don’t consider every photo that isn’t “Instagram worthy” subpar. Pause before you hit delete and allow a photo to sit for a while—especially photos of yourself (we can be so harsh on ourselves!). You might be surprised at how much joy a picture can recall regardless of how unprofessional it may appear or how much you might have hated looking at yourself when you first snapped the photo.

Step Three: Organize Your Digital Photos

In your photo managing system, create folders for each year of photos you have. Then place the corresponding photos in these folders. Once you’ve sorted your photos by year, go into each folder and create subfolders. You can label and further sort your photos by month, event, vacation, etc.

Step Four: Back Up Your Digital Photos

Back up all the photos in your photo managing system onto an external hard drive and/or a safe permanent online cloud service. You may be using a safe online cloud storage solution to sort your photos. Just make sure you also have a backup!

Step Five: Create To-Print Folders

Once you have organized your photos in your photo managing system, you’re ready to start thinking about scrapbooking them—woohoo! Even though all the photos you have left are photos you have deemed worth keeping, you may not want to scrapbook all of them. A great way to figure out which photos you want to scrapbook is to copy and paste a given folder onto your desktop. (Copy and paste, don’t just drag. We don’t want to permanently delete photos in this step.) Go through and delete any photos from this folder you don’t want to print and put in an album. This is also a good time to edit any of the photos you’re going to print, if you want to take that extra step.

Step Six: Upload & Print Photos

Once you’ve gone through all the photos on your desktop folder, you’re ready to print! We recommend creating a table, like the one below, to track each folder’s progress. When you have printed your photos, you can delete the desktop folder you created (remember, you’ve already saved these photos elsewhere!).

Tip: Choose one day every month to do a print run. Some months you may be able to afford printing more photos than other months. Whatever the circumstance, try and get in the habit of printing your photos on the same day each month.

Step Seven: Organize Printed Photos

Option 1: Use our photo organizer to sort and keep your printed photos.

You can organize your photos by date, person, event…whatever you want! Think about the album you want to create with the photos, and sort them into each case that way.

The photo organizer comes with 16 removable snap-close cases that can each hold up to 100 4″ x 6″ photos, while the sturdy large exterior case snaps close and comes with a convenient handle for transport. There is plenty of room to get yourself organized!

Option 2: Create a work-in-progress album.

Use one of our D-ring albums and divided Memory Protectors™ to separate out all the photos you’ll want for an album. You can group like photos together so you know how to plan your layouts.

(Going this route may even help you decide whether pocket scrapbooking is the way to go rather than traditional scrapbook layouts!)

And that’s it! The next step is to start scrapbooking away! If the idea of making the scrapbook pages themselves overwhelms you, a great place to start is with our scrapbooking workshop kits. You can also talk to your Close To My Heart Maker (or find one online!) for additional guidance.

We hope this post helps empower you to start organizing your photos for scrapbooking. We know that when you take that leap of faith, you’ll find so much joy and satisfaction in preserving your family’s memories and stories.

Do you have any additional tips for organizing and printing your photos for scrapbooking? Share them in the comments below!

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February 23, 2022Inspiration

10 Tips and Ideas for Using TriBlend™ Markers

Close To My Heartblending, color, coloring, markers, shades, shading, techniques, tips, TriBlend™ 4 Comments

One of our favorite ways to add color to our art projects is with trusty TriBlend™ markers . We recently picked our artists’ brains and put together a list of 10 practical tips, tricks, and ideas for using these colorful tools!

10 Tips and Ideas for Using TriBlend™ Markers #markers #coloring #color #closetomyheart #ctmh #triblend #blend #colors

If you are not familiar with TriBlend™ markers, inside every marker there is a gradation of colors, from light to dark, delivered through three separate fine bullet nibs. You basically get three markers in one! The alcohol-based ink is especially designed to blend seamlessly for mixing and layering the shades.

When blending alcohol-based inks, there are a few things to keep in mind.

1. The surface onto which you are applying the inks will make a difference in how to layer or mix them. If you are using a porous surface, like paper, and are hoping to create a seamless blend, don’t allow the ink to dry between color applications. Start with the lightest color, then add a darker shade, overlapping some of the color in the middle of the two. While the ink is still wet, it will move and spread through the fibers of the paper. When two colors of ink are wet on top of each other, they will spread into each other, creating a more seamless blend.

The same is true in the opposite scenario. If you want to create a seam in between colors, allow the first color to dry. When applying the second color, don’t overlap too much, because this second color will continue to spread into the first color until it dries.

2. This second tip is more of a trick that we use when we color our stamped images with TriBlend™ markers. Like we mentioned above, alcohol ink will spread through the fibers of a piece of paper when it’s still wet. Keep that in mind as you color a stamped image, and avoid coloring up to the edges, leaving a tiny space for the ink to move into on its own. If you apply too much ink to a stamped image, even though you may have colored in the lines, it may not look that way by the time the ink is absorbed and dries.

3. Alcohol ink doesn’t just absorb into paper and cardstock, but it usually also soaks through it. When coloring parts of a project, we recommend using scratch paper underneath it. If you are going to color directly onto your project, remember that you will see the bleed-through on the other side. If you are working on a card, for example, you will see bleed-through of colored images on the inside of your card if you color directly on the card front. There are two ways you can address this: You can either create separate pieces for coloring that will get attached to the card front afterward, or, you can add a piece of cardstock on the inside of the card to cover up the spots where the ink has soaked through. (In the cards above, the elements that were colored with TriBlend™ markers are on separate pieces of paper from the card base).

4. If you’d like to color on vellum with TriBlend™ markers, go for it! Vellum is less porous than regular paper, therefore it does not absorb the ink. Since the ink does not absorb into vellum, it also doesn’t spread the way it would on paper. You can still move and blend the ink, but in this case, you will do so yourself with the nib of your marker. The ink will dry on the surface, and it will dry well since it is alcohol-based.

You can create a softer “stained glass” effect by coloring stamped images on vellum from behind!

5. Our fifth tip is to use the Blender Marker. Though technically not a “TriBlend” marker, since it only has two nibs, this marker contains a colorless alcohol-based ink and is intended to be used as a blender with other alcohol-based color markers. What we’ve discovered is our use is that this marker works well to lift and lighten other colors. Our artists love to use it to create sheens or light reflections on things like balloons, sunglasses, or fruit.

One of the perks of blending different shades of one color in alcohol inks is that creating shadows has never been easier!

6. This tip applies to all coloring projects, not just ones using TriBlend™ markers! Before you begin coloring, consider your “light source.” If you are hoping to achieve a more dimensional look by coloring your images with shadows, you will need to decide where the fictional “light” is coming from to determine where the darker, shaded areas of our images will be. Where the “light” hits your images, these areas will be lighter.

7. Once you know where your “light” is coming from, you can begin shading your image. Start with the lightest shades and gradually work out to the darkest shades. Blend these different shades by going over the intersections with the lighter shade. Also, remember to shade while the ink is wet. Break larger images into sections in order to blend while the ink is still wet. If you color all of the lighter areas first, by the time you get to the next shade your first one will be dry.

8. If you want to create an actual shadow behind an image, the lightest Brown Grey blend marker is the way to go! Color outside the lines of a stamped image, only along the parts where a shadow would fall. Consider your light source to figure out where that should be. this shadow outline will create a dimensional effect, as if your picture were propped on foam tape even though it’s not!

TriBlend™ markers can be used for so much more than just coloring a stamped image!

9. Alcohol markers are a great tool for coloring embellishments! They dry very well on non-porous surfaces, like those of gems and acrylic shapes. (Revisit this post from a few weeks ago to see more!)

10. Use TriBlend™ markers to color the white core of a ripped piece of cardstock or paper, create a “wash” behind titles and sentiments, freestyle additional design elements for your projects, or even use them with a stencil!

To create a wash with your marker, it’s easiest to hold your marker horizontally to the paper and use the side of the nib rather than the tip. Also, be aware that alcohol-markers will stain any stencil that you color through. These stains will not ruin your stencil, they will simply make it more colorful!

We truly love creating with these markers, and hope you do, too! Get creative as you color your art, and experiment with the different shades each of the TriBlend™ markers has to offer.

To help you do that, we’ve put together the following color reference chart:

Download and print a free blank chart, here (here for AU/NZ), and add the three shades of each available marker color to its corresponding rectangle. (You’ll notice that the downloadable chart is two pages long, and that is because we’ve added to our color options since this top chart was created!) We’ve also added the True Black marker to the list, although it doesn’t have different shade options, in order to have all the color options available for reference in one place.

**Make your chart last longer by printing it on cardstock rather than regular printer paper, and keep it handy as you’re making color and shade choices for your artwork.**

Thanks for joining us on this colorful journey today! In the comments below, let us know how you’re using these markers and what you love about them!

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September 29, 2021Create, Inspiration, Learn, Memory Keeping

Quick Tips for Taking Better Photos with Your Phone

Close To My Heartcell, chari, Chari Pack, mobile, persnickety, phone, photo, photographer, photography, picture, prints, tips 13 Comments

Today’s post is an extra special treat! We’ve asked the talented Chari Pack, founder & CEO of Persnickety Prints, to share with you some tips for taking better photos on our phones. Whether we’re promoting our businesses, taking photos for our scrapbooks, or just posting to social media, these tips are sure to take our phone photography to the next level!

Whether you’re digitizing photos with your phone or snapping pictures of your latest project, these tips will make a big difference for taking lay-flat photos.

1. Find Natural Light (no flash)

Lighting is everything! Find natural light next to a window. Avoid direct light, and use curtains to soften the photo when necessary.

2. Avoid Distracting Backgrounds

Avoid wood tables with grain, do not use the carpet or a distracting counter top. Use a clean background to focus on the subject and make it pop! Use a plain white poster board or colorful paper as the background.

3. Take Advantage of Grid Mode

Use the grid tool on your smart phone to level a lay-flat photo! Align the cross hairs to level the phone, and snap!

For iPhone: settings > camera > grid > on

For Android: settings > varies by phone

A few more….

4. Remove Unwanted Glare
Scrapbook pages in page protectors may result in a distracting glare. Remove the layout from the page protectors and set them on top to take the photo.

5. Do a Quick Edit!
After taking a photo, take 30 seconds to edit it! A quick auto enhance makes all the difference.

6. Try Different Angles

Capture fine details by changing your angle. In this photo I focused on the butterfly to show the dimension of the page. Tap the screen to focus and slide up and down to adjust exposure.

Now, get your projects off the shelf and take photos of them to share and inspire others. You’re creating art, we want to see it!

XO, Chari

Thanks, Chari, for the great tips!

Close To My Heart is proud to recommend Persnickety Prints as a trusted photo lab for quality photo prints. Our commitment to memory keeping means we strive to provide products of the highest quality that will last. Persnickety Prints shares that same mission with all their photo processing and with their new Persnickety Box app. Every order is assessed, optimized, hand-printed, and quality checked. You already use the best products to tell your story—be sure that you have the best quality photos, too!

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April 14, 2021Create, Inspiration, Learn

Tips for Creating Embellishment Clusters!

Close To My Heartaccent, cluster, embellishment, ideas, inspiration, mini envelope, shaker window, tips 6 Comments

Embellishment Clusters #closetomyheart #ctmh #embellishmentclusters #paperaccents #cardmaking #scrapbooking #papercrafting

Follow along with us, today, as we give you an inside scoop into our creative process for designing and creating embellishment clusters of your own!

Embellishment clusters are large, sometimes intricate, paper accent pieces that are capable of standing on their own but can also be incorporated into larger projects, like scrapbook layouts, cards, or gift bags. We call these accents embellishment clusters because we are essentially putting several individual embellishments together, in a cluster.

While there are no set rules on where to begin creating these clusters, and there is no right or wrong way to proceed, we do have a few guidelines and tips to get you get you started on a successful creative experience!

1. Stick to a Color Scheme

When you first start designing an embellishment cluster, we recommend that you stick to a specific color scheme and spice it up with a complementary color or more neutral shade here and there. When you work off of a set color palette, it’s easier to focus your creative energy more effectively, and you’re more likely to end up with an embellishment cluster you really love!

Embellishment Clusters #closetomyheart #ctmh #embellishmentclusters #paperaccents #cardmaking #scrapbooking #papercrafting #shakerwindow

This shaker window cluster is a great example of how to create around a color scheme. By focusing on cool shades of blue, throwing in a couple of green hues, and incorporating a few neutral tones, the elements of this embellishment cluster effectively harmonize with each other for a beautifully coordinated result!

2. Use a Variety of Paper and Cardstock Options

Incorporating different types of paper not only brings variety in patterns but in texture as well. Using our unique patterned papers next to our heavier, solid-colored cardstock helps to bring a nice variance to embellishment clusters.

If you’re looking to keep things a little simpler with the embellishment cluster itself, you can also consider saving more textured elements for the background.

With the card shown above, we kept things a little simpler overall and created exclusively with cardstock. Rather than featuring textured elements on the embellishment cluster itself, we used a large Thin Cuts die and two coordinating cardstock colors to create a gorgeous textured backdrop for this simple embellishment cluster!

3. Layer, Layer, Layer!

A great embellishment cluster often includes a few layers and dimension. Even a simple embellishment cluster should have at least one layered element to make sure it stands out from whatever background you may end up putting it on.

Embellishment Clusters #closetomyheart #ctmh #embellishmentclusters #paperaccents #cardmaking #scrapbooking #papercrafting #youmakemesmile

With this embellishment cluster, we made sure to create multiple layers so it will have some extra pop once it’s placed on a scrapbook page. (Using dimensional adhesives, like 3-D foam tape, are a great way to ensure that your embellishment clusters have added dimension, as well!)

4. Follow the Rule of Thirds

Incorporating this photography technique into your embellishment clusters is a great way to ensure that they remain balanced and can even help to simplify your design process. If you’re unfamiliar with what the rule of thirds entails, it’s basically the process of dividing your subject or scene into three distinct sections, making sure that each one is visually balanced with the others.

Embellishment Clusters #closetomyheart #ctmh #embellishmentclusters #paperaccents #cardmaking #scrapbooking #papercrafting #bloomandgrow #bloom&grow

With this embellishment cluster, imagine that there’s a 3″ x 3″ grid over it. With this imaginary grid applied, you’ll notice that the butterfly and floral accents are fairly close to intersection points on the grid, while the stamped “Bloom & GROW” title occupies the center square. By distributing the butterfly accent, stamped title, and floral accent in this way, it ensures that the entire cluster remains balanced. (Check out our photo composition blog post for a more in-depth explanation about the rule of thirds.)

5. Be Flexible

When it comes to crafting, you don’t always have to use crafting materials for their intended purpose. Take a look at this cute little cluster, for instance:

Embellishment Clusters #closetomyheart #ctmh #embellishmentclusters #paperaccents #cardmaking #scrapbooking #papercrafting #ohhappyday

The envelope you see here was actually created using a stitched hexagon Thin Cuts die, folding the sides of the cut hexagon shape into its center! Re-purposing die-cut shapes, incorporating paper scraps, and even trimming patterns or icons from other patterned papers for use in an embellishment cluster is an excellent way to make sure your work stays fresh, fun, and completely unique!

6. Work Smarter, Not Harder

Once you find a design, color combination, or shape pairing you love, stick with it for a few more embellishment clusters! This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to re-make the same identical embellishment cluster over and over again. Simply switching out a single element can make a huge difference!

Embellishment Clusters #closetomyheart #ctmh #embellishmentclusters #paperaccents #cardmaking #scrapbooking #papercrafting #Easteregghunt #Easter #welcomespring

If a single, simple change isn’t doing enough, you can do a more drastic re-design while retaining the overall shape and combination of elements. These two shaker window clusters are a prime example of how different colors, patterns, and stamped images can be incorporated into a pre-existing design for a beautiful, brand-new result!

Embellishment Clusters #closetomyheart #ctmh #embellishmentclusters #paperaccents #cardmaking #scrapbooking #papercrafting #shakerwindow #sunnydaysahead #youaremyluckycharm

Another way to work smarter is to think about future crafts and prepare for them while you’re in your creative zone! If you use a Thin Cuts metal die to cut an element for an embellishment cluster, cut a few more for future use! If you use a Cricut Design Space™ file to create your cluster, make sure to save it so you can return to it the next time you want to create a beautiful embellishment cluster!

There’s no hard-fast way to create embellishment clusters, but by holding yourself to a few basic guidelines like these, you can fast-track your creativity and make absolutely gorgeous embellishments that are completely unique to you!

How have you been using embellishment clusters? If this a brand-new concept to you, what’s the first thing you want to create with an embellishment cluster?

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September 2, 2020Create, Inspiration, Learn, Memory Keeping

20 Pocket Scrapbooking Tips & Ideas

Close To My Heartcards, how-to, ideas, list, Picture My Life, PML, pocket, pocket scrapbooking, summer vibes, timber, tips 7 Comments

Pocket Scrapbooking #ctmh #closetomyheart #picturemylife #pocketscrapbooking #ctmhsummervibes #ctmhtimber #memorykeeping #storytelling #scrapbooking

For a lot of us, September marks the beginning of one of the busier times of the year. The “-ber” months. With the start of a new and unique school year, followed by the most celebrated family centered seasonal time, including fall festivities, then Thanksgiving, and eventually Hanukah and Christmas, during which we try to cram as much jubilee as possible into our already busy lives—we all have so much going on, and it may feel like there is just no time to dedicate to preserving all of these fond, albeit sometimes somewhat hectic, memories.

What if we told you that scrapbooking can be fast, simple, and easy! It is a perfect time to discover, or rediscover, the simplicity of scrapbooking in pockets! By using Memory Protectors™ with multiple pockets, you can quickly catch up on your scrapbooking or just add photos, art, and journaling (and any other keepsake that you can fit into a pocket) to your albums.

From how to tell a story to the creating of the artwork that goes along with it, pocket scrapbooking is a memory keeping style all its own. If you are new to this style of scrapbooking or are simply looking for inspiration for your pages, we’ve compiled a list of artwork tips and ideas for you below!

Pocket Scrapbooking Tips & Ideas:

1. Fill no more than half your pockets on a page with non-photo elements.

2. Stick to a color palette, pulling color ideas from your photos.

3. Use Picture My Life™ pocket cards (designed to coordinate with each other in theme and color).

Pocket Scrapbooking #ctmh #closetomyheart #picturemylife #pocketscrapbooking #ctmhtimber #memorykeeping #storytelling #scrapbooking

4. Design and make your own pocket cards from papers, Thin Cuts, stickers, and stamps. (This is a great way to use up some of your scraps, too!)

5. Fill pockets with other things, besides cards or photos (ticket stubs, loose Cricut^® shapes, sequins, etc.).
Tip: We sealed the sequins pocket you see in our example so the sequins wouldn’t fall out.

6. Make a statement and split large titles or photos into multiple squares.
Tip: Consider printing a large 6 x 8 photo and split it up into several pockets!

7. Use the negative space of a Cricut^® shape to create a pocket card. If the space is large enough, back it with a light color cardstock and use the space for journaling. If you are cutting several small shapes (like our 2019 below), back it with cardstock or any other paper that will add interest to your layout.

Pocket Scrapbooking #ctmh #closetomyheart #picturemylife #pocketscrapbooking #memorykeeping #storytelling #scrapbooking

8. Add a sentiment to your photos by stamping directly on them
Tip: If your photo has any sort of finish on them, we recommend you use StazOn™ ink. If it is a truly matte photo, Archival Black is a good choice.

9. Don’t want to stamp on your photos but want a similar effect? Stamp directly onto the pocket Memory Protector™ with StazOn™ ink, instead.

10. Add embellishments to the outside of the Memory Protectors™.

11. Use Flip Flaps™! If you have too many photos or things that you want to work into a page but not enough pockets (or enough to fill whole other page) add these stick on pockets that flip up (or in any direction that you attach them) to reveal whatever is underneath!

12. Similarly, if you have too many photos for a traditional scrapbook layout, and don’t want to create another layout with all of the remaining photos, use pocket pages to display these.

Pocket Scrapbooking #ctmh #closetomyheart #picturemylife #pocketscrapbooking #ctmhsummervibes #memorykeeping #storytelling #scrapbooking

13. If you have a piece of memorabilia to display that is too small for a pocket, mount it onto a piece of paper that will fit.

14. Create a window to the next page in your album by partially filling a pocket (use a smaller photo, half a pocket card, etc.).

15. Number your photos to give your page or layout a more narrative direction. Take this a step further by adding numbered journaling to a pocket card that corresponds with the numbered photos.

16. Create color visual triangles. This means to purposefully place the same color in three different places that, when connected, form a triangle.

17. Don’t have time, or care for, writing in full paragraphs? Use bullet journaling to keep track of the details of a memory!

18. If one of your pockets is holding a card that you want to remember to pull out when you revisit the page, add a tab along the edge of the card on the open side of the pocket.

19. Easily add some visual interest to your photos by trimming them down ¼” and mounting them on a piece of paper that fits the pockets exactly, creating a border around your photos.

20. Sometimes things don’t fit in pockets—like notes, journal pages, your grandma’s favorite clock—take photos of these things to include them in your stories.

21. We said 20, so this one is a bonus: plan ahead. If you know you will be going on a tropical vacation, or camping, or pumpkin picking—there are activities that you know for certain you will be participating in (playing on the beach, sitting around a camp fire, walking through a pumpkin patch, etc.). When you are scrapbooking with pockets, it’s easy to lay out some pages really quickly for these types of events without having the photos yet. Once you have them, add them. If you don’t like the way it’s laid out, rearrange! Easy-peasy!

If you just went through our list and still find yourself at a loss for how to begin, or otherwise feel that your finished pocket layouts didn’t turn out quite right, try revisiting one of our previous posts, 5 Approaches to Pocket Scrapbooking, where we share additional ideas to get you thinking about how to create a pocket page or layout, and to get you up to speed on this popular style of scrapbooking.

Whether you’re cutting things up, attaching them to a pocket card, or creating a pocket for a group of items—there is no wrong way to tell your story. In the comments below, share with all of us how you are using pocket scrapbooking in your memory keeping.

Recipes:12″ x 12″ Hooray for Today Pocket Scrapbooking Layout
D1938 My Acrylix^® Love Lives Here Stamp Set, D1926 My Acrylix^® Simple Florals Stamp Set, X9017 Mix-in Paper Packet, X6047 Black Cardstock, X6044 Peach Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z6047 Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2841 Glacier Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6502 Peach Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2851 Saffron Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2896 Smoothie Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, X7258D Summer Vibes Picture My Life™ Cards, Z4235 Gold Loose Sequins, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z1950 12″ x 12″ Memory Protectors™ Design 3, Z1951 12″ x 12″ Memory Protectors™ Design 4

6″ x 8″ On this Day Pocket Scrapbooking Layout
D1929 My Acrylix^® Paper Pal Beach Day Stamp Set, D1932 My Acrylix^® Joyful Sunflower Stamp Set, CC7203 Happiest Place Coordinating Cardstock, X5978 Glacier Cardstock, Z1375 Kraft Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2841 Glacier Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, X7258D Summer Vibes Picture My Life™ Cards, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z3191 6″ x 8″ Memory Protectors™ Design 2, Z3192 6″ x 8″ Memory Protectors™ Design 1

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October 29, 2019Create, Learn, Memory Keeping

Scrapbooking with Actual Scraps

Close To My HeartEvery Little Thing, Hawthorn, scrapbooking, scraps, spooktacular, tips 10 Comments

Have you ever finished up a project and wondered what to do with those tiny bits of leftover paper? Do you throw it out? Do you let it sit on your desk for months waiting for a purpose? Don’t forget, though, that scrapbooking has “scrap” in it for a very good reason! Today, we’re going to show you how to use those extra little scraps in a big way!

Using your leftover paper remnants not only allows you to create some truly unique projects, but it also helps clean up your crafting area. (Let’s be honest, with all the great holiday products in the November–December Catalog, it couldn’t hurt to make some extra room!) 😉

To create the striking background elements in these layouts, we used some leftover paper pieces from the Every Little Thing, Hawthorn, and Spooktacular paper packets. As we get ready to say goodbye to these great collections, we couldn’t resist using them one last time, and we love how they turned out!

In this first layout, we’ve taken scrap pieces of various sizes and dovetailed the ends to create a background element for the main photos and title. It’s a fairly simple layout other than the bright colors in these dovetailed pieces, so a few scraps can certainly go a long way!

Tip: If you only have small scrap pieces, you can still dovetail these and position them so they peek out on either side of your photo. That way, you still get the effect, even if you don’t have a ton of paper.

This effect can be achieved with many different sizes of scrap paper, and you can use them on much more than just a large main photo or title. Use this trick with smaller photos and to dress up your journaling boxes. There really is so much you can do with just a few small scraps!

In this second layout, we’ve taken a slightly different approach; while we kept a few of the dovetailed pieces we showed you in the previous example, we also trimmed some other remnant pieces into small diamond shapes for an entirely new look.

As we mentioned in the previous tip, you don’t ALWAYS have to have a large scrap piece to make it play a big role in the construction of your layout. If you don’t have a piece big enough to use as a background for a photo, you can use smaller strips to form a frame, while leaving the middle open. Once it’s covered by the photo, no one will be the wiser!

No matter how you use them, scrap pieces are a great way to add some truly unique flair to your layouts, cards, or papercrafts. We hope you’ve been able to take some inspiration from today’s post, and we can’t wait to see how you incorporate your leftover scraps into your own projects. Leave us a comment below and let us know how you’re using scraps in your own artwork.

Recipes

12″ x 12″ Fall Is in the Air Layout
X7248S Every Little Thing Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X7249B Hawthorn Paper Packet, CC10192 Spooktacular Paper Packet, X5955 Pebble Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z3543 Hawthorn Wood Shapes, Z4235 Gold Loose Sequins, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z3224 Small Round Waterbrush, Z3515 Black Journaling Pen (.01), Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z2089 Glue Dots® Micro Dots

12″ x 12″ The Good Life Layout
D1873 My Acrylix® Hawthorn—Scrapbooking Stamp Set, X7248S Every Little Thing Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X7249B Hawthorn Paper Packet, CC10192 Spooktacular Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2828 Toffee Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, X7248C Every Little Thing Complements, Z3552 Wooden Arrows, Z3274 Clear Sparkles, Z1263 Bitty Sparkles, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z3224 Small Round Waterbrush, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z2089 Glue Dots® Micro Dots

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May 31, 2018Create, Learn

25 Scrapbooking Hacks

Close To My Heartdesign tips, hacks, national scrapbooking month, scrapbooking, tips, tricks 13 Comments

We talked to the pros in our art studio and came up with a list of easy, yet very effective, tips and tricks to take your scrapbooking artwork from good to great! (A few of these tips were shared in previous blog posts, but a lot of them are new. We’ve put them all together for you to have as a resource in one great list!)

Ready to step up your scrapbooking game? Take a look!

1. Try attaching embellishments with mini staples. Mini staples can give your page a different feel without any extra work.

2. Use a ruler and pencil to draw in journaling lines. Write your journaling and then either erase the lines or go over them with a black journaling pen.

3. To change up the look of your title, cut letters from patterned paper or even the background of extra photos using Block Alphabet Thin Cuts.

4. Place embellishments in odd numbers on your layouts. Odd numbers are visually more appealing.

5. Cut shimmer trim into smaller strips by lightly attaching it to your paper trimmer. This will keep it in place while you trim, giving you a nice straight cut. Plus, it pulls off easily when you’re done!

Scrapbooking Hacks #ctmh #closetomyheart #scrappingtips #scrapbookingtips ##scrapping #scrapbooking #hacks #ideas #25scrapbookinghacks

6. Stamp outline shapes on patterned paper. Then, you don’t have to color the shapes in yourself.

7. Don’t be afraid to mix and match the patterned paper from several paper collections to have more options for your layouts. We spy three different paper collections on this page. Can you find them all, too?

8. Missing a photo for your layout? You can put wax paper under a Complement sticker that might go over a photo. This lets you finish assembling your layout and add the missing photo later.

9. Stamp words with alphabet stamp sets to create personalized backgrounds.

10. Before you throw your paper scraps away, see if you have pieces that you can use to cut small shapes like circles, squares, or rectangles. Even these little pieces can be used for layering, backgrounds, or as journaling strips. You can even tear the edges to use as washi tape.

11. When adding paint splatters after your page is put together, make sure to mask the layout and photos with scratch paper.

12. Didn’t get your title perfectly straight? Use a small tool like a Cricut^® spatula to gently move something already attached to your page.

13. Bend up the edges of layers to add dimension. This could be a simple banner or photo mat, just to give an extra touch of depth.

14. When sewing on your layouts, avoid putting adhesive where you plan to sew. The adhesive will get stuck on the needle. Use adhesive to attach paper in the center and then sew the edges like we did below.

15. Experiment with a ⅛” photo mat on your layouts. This gives you slight definition around your photo without distracting from other elements on your page.

16. Trim Complements from the 6″ x 6″ sheet and lay them on your artwork to preview their placement before attaching them. It’s much easier to find the perfect spot and see how they will look on your page.

17. When layering several patterned papers, staple them together first, then cover with a photo. This will keep your layers arranged how you’d like them while you are gluing down your page. Here is an example. A small staple holds the three layers in place behind the photo.

18. Before attaching your paper, embellishments, and photos, lay everything out on your page and snap a quick photo with your phone. This gives you something to reference as you attach each piece, making sure you get it exactly how you want it.

19. Use the smallest possible My Acrylix^® block when stamping on a layout. A smaller block can help you avoid rocking your stamp back and forth and ending up with a wobbly image.

20. Mix patterned paper with small, medium, and large patterns. Here you can see how we used a tiny floral pattern combined with the medium-sized triangle pattern, and finally the large polka dots.

21. Move the paper not the scissors when hand trimming embellishments, stamped images, and other shapes.

22. If a color feels too bright for a layout, use vellum to tone it down. We added a small strip of vellum, sewn over the Charcoal cardstock, to create a softer edge.

23. Hold on to extra Thin Cuts or Cricut^® shapes to use for other projects. You never know when an extra tag, banner, or circle could come in handy while you’re crafting!

24. Need a different color or patterned paper for your layout? Remember your pocket cards! Pocket cards from paper packets or from Picture My Life™ cards can be trimmed and used as accents or titles.

25. Use tweezers, a piercing tool, or even the tip of your micro-tip scissors to help you gently place small embellishments like bitty sparkles.

Now it’s your turn! Do you have any tips or tricks that you use while you’re scrapbooking? Share in the comments.

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February 27, 2018Create, Learn

Taking Your Artwork up a Notch

Close To My Heartart, artwork, design, elevate, tips, tricks 1 Comment

We’re rolling up our sleeves today and sharing a few of our “tricks” to add that little something extra to create artwork that looks polished and complete. Check it out!

There are several things to learn from this layout, alone.

Embellishment Clusters.

Embellishments are a great way to add intricate details to any paper project. When putting clusters together, do so in odd numbers—consider three or five. (Any more than five may start to look too crowded and can take away from the project as a whole, so proceed with caution.)

Soft and Sharp Edges.

As you’re laying down your pieces, Complements or any other type of embellishment, mix your edges up. What does that mean? If you have pieces that have pointed or sharp edges, add something with a rounded edge next to it. This creates balance in the art and avoids making it look too harsh (or too soft, in contrast).

Plan Your Stamping.

Before you start stamping away all over your beautiful (and sometimes hard!) work, come up with a plan. One of the perks of My Acrylix^® stamps is that they are transparent. Before sticking them to a block and inking, lay your stamps out on your project to help you find just the right placement.

Raise Some Edges.

This is an especially easy way to add texture and interest to your artwork. After adhering a pattern piece, or Complement, lift the edges with your finger. It doesn’t have to be sewn on for it to work, either.

This last “trick” is cardmaking specific.

Ever wonder how we pull cards off that have twine or ribbon wrapped around them?

Use a False Front!

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This simple, yet mind blowing, trick will make all the difference in your cardmaking game. Cut a 5½” x 4¼” piece of White Daisy cardstock and decorate it as if it were the card. Wrap your ribbons and twine around it and adhere the ends on the back before attaching the cardstock to the card base. The ugly, glued ends are now hidden from sight giving your card a finished look.

There you have it, folks! Five of our tricks to elevate your artwork for picture perfect quality!

Recipes:

12″ x 12″ Be You Layout
Make It from Your Heart Vol. 3: Pattern 23
D1764 My Acrylix^® Make Waves—Scrapbooking Stamp Set, X7227B Make Waves Paper Packet, Z3350 Whimsy Fundamental Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2841 Glacier Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2895 Lagoon Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, X7227C Make Waves Complements, Z4142 Make Waves Sequins & Gems, Z1979 Marvy^® Uchida^® LePen™ Journaling Pen, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Sewing Machine

4¼” × 5½” Boy Wonder Card (Horizontal)
Z4162 Super Boy Stamp + Thin Cuts, X7229B Stargazer Paper Packet, X7230B Chelsea Gardens Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5957 Sapphire Cardstock, Z3146 Watercolor Paper, Z2816 Cranberry Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3271 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, X7229C Stargazer Complements, Z4155 Chelsea Gardens Dots & Gems, Z3216 White Twine, Z4145 Light Grey Ribbon, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z3188 Paintbrush Set, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Die-cutting Machine

4¼” × 5½” This Girl Can Card (Vertical)
Z4163 Super Girl Stamp + Thin Cuts, X7229B Stargazer Paper Packet, X7230B Chelsea Gardens Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5978 Glacier Cardstock, Z3146 Watercolor Paper, Z2831 Charcoal Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3271 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, X7229C Stargazer Complements, Z4143 Stargazer Dots, Z3216 White Twine, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z3188 Paintbrush Set, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Die-cutting Machine

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August 15, 2017Learn

10 Tips for Taking Better Photos on Your Phone

Close To My Heartbetter, chari, how, Learn, pack, persnickety, phone, photo, photography, prints, tips, to 14 Comments

Today’s post is an extra special treat! We’ve asked the talented Chari Pack, founder & CEO of Persnickety Prints, to share with you some tips for taking better photos on your phone. Whether you’re promoting your Close To My Heart business, taking photos for your scrapbooking, or just posting to social media, these tips are sure to take your phone photography to the next level!

The way you present yourself, your artwork, and the products you offer has a huge impact on your business. Online sales will increase with improved product images.

Here’s how to get the best shot every time…

1. Natural Light (no flash)

When shooting with flash, the subject can be blown out and shadows disappear. With product shots, a soft shadow adds depth. Keep your flash off and set products under a window using natural light.

2. Focus (tap screen)

On iPhones (and some Androids), tap the screen to focus on the subject. With the new iPhone 7S, use the portrait mode to blur out the background. With a short focal length, you’ll get that fancy dSLR camera result without the fancy camera.

3. Hold Steady & Level

“Camera shake” can cause your photo to be blurry. Use steady hands or prop up your phone and use the self-timer for best results.

4. Staging (simple & clean)

Invest in a white poster board—it’s the perfect solution for a DIY backdrop! Wrapping paper or other fun colors can be added for dimension. Be sure your CTMH projects, cards, and layouts stand out. “Busy” photos tend to get lost in the crowd.

5. Get up close and personal!

Don’t be afraid to get up close to show details of the project. Shoot from different angles to focus on specific elements.

6. Pay attention to shadows

Be sure the shadow of your hand or camera is not in the frame. When shooting scrapbooking layouts, take the pages or photos out of the Memory Protectors™ and set the pages or photos on top. Your reader won’t notice they’re not inside, but they’ll notice the plastic glare when they are.

7. Use negative space to add text

10 Tips for Taking Better Photos on Your Phone #ctmh #closetomyheart #persnicketyprints #scrapbooking #memorykeeping #photography #tips Use the rule of thirds and push the subject to one side, leaving empty space to add a text overlay. We love using Rhonna Designs (iPhone and Android) and Adobe Post (iPhone and Desktop) to add text or a message to your photos.

8. Scale size with objects or pretty hands

Use objects to show the actual size of your product so the viewer isn’t misled. Well manicured hands holding a product works, too!

9. Keep your phone/camera level

When shooting from above your product, be sure your camera is flat and level. Use the Snapseed App (free on iTunes and Android) to adjust horizons if needed.

10. Take 1 minute to Edit & Enhance before sharing

Even a quick click of the enhance button in your native camera will give your photo just enough pop! We love Snapseed (free on iTunes and Android) for enhancements.

The Rhonna Designs App is not only great for text overlays: We also use it to journal and design prints for our scrapbooks!

We can’t wait to see you put these tools into action! Additional photo tips and tricks can be found on the Persnickety Prints blog.

XOXO,

Chari

Thanks, Chari, for the great tips! Let’s show her some love in the comments, folks!

Also, remember that Persnickety Prints created a discount code for you, our readers! Aren’t they the best? 🙂 Use this discount code to save 20% on your entire Persnickety Prints order: CTMH20

This code expires August 30, cannot be combined with other discount codes, and is limited to one use per customer.

Now go print those fabulous photos on your phone! 🙂

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Make It from Your Heart

Tag Archives: tips

How to Organize Years of Photos without Getting Overwhelmed

10 Tips and Ideas for Using TriBlend™ Markers

Quick Tips for Taking Better Photos with Your Phone

Tips for Creating Embellishment Clusters!

Scrapbooking with Actual Scraps

25 Scrapbooking Hacks

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