Revamp Your Crafting Corner in Style!

When you love crafting as much as we do, you can never have too many supplies! Stamps, ink pads, papers, embellishments—we love it all! It’s harder to enjoy all your crafting supplies if you lose track of what you have, though, which is where top-notch organization comes in!

Our specialized organization solutions help bring order and balance to your crafting corner. Today, we’re going to take a look at some ways our organization and storage solutions can help you get the most out of your favorite papers, stamps, inks, and embellishments.

Forming the foundation of a well-ordered crafting station is paper storage. When you can easily see the papers you have at your disposal, it becomes much easier to create unique combinations and stretch your creativity. Our paper trays measure 12″ x 12½” x 2″ and are easy to stack for seamless and efficient storage. If paper trays aren’t quite the display you’re looking for, or you want to take some paper on the go, we also offer sturdy, plastic envelopes for storage and transportation.

Looking for more stackable storage? Your ink pads have never looked spiffier than they will in our five tier stamp pad stacks! With a vibrant array of stamp pads displayed on your desk, we guarantee that it will bring a smile to your face every time they catch your eye. Top your stacks with one of our tray options to add more storage for a variety of crafting tools that you want to keep handy, like the re-inker display on top of the stamp pad stacks above!

In addition to these stamp pad, tool, and paper storage solutions, we also offer a multitude of options for storing accessories, embellishments, and stamps! If you’re a ribbon or shimmer trim lover, our ribbon organizer has your name all over it! This tray provides an easy and accessible way to organize several spools while offering a gorgeous display at the same time!

And if you’re trying to figure out how to keep your sequins or other loose embellishments in line, you need look no further than our clear plastic craft jars! These jars allow you to easily view the contents without having to open them, minimizing spills, saving time, and adding even more eye candy to your crafting area.

A recent addition to our storage solutions are our 6″ x 8″ storage envelopes, which fit in a 6″ x 8″ Everyday Life™ Album for easy stamp and Thin Cuts storage! Storing Thin Cuts in a three-ring binder makes them much easier and convenient to look through to find just the right die.

You can also turn to the My Acrylix® stamp organizers, or our clear craft organizers for storing stamps and Thin Cuts. These clear plastic boxes make it easy to see what’s inside at a glance.

With so many exciting options for beautiful organization and display, revamping your crafting corner doesn’t have to be a chore—it can be a joy! Which organization tool do you love most? Leave a comment below and let us know!

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10 New Tools & Products to Add to Your Crafting Arsenal

2018 HE Cover

It’s an exciting time of year, folks! As promised, our Holiday Expressions idea book catalog was released just a few days ago and it is filled to the brim with new, cutting edge tools and products to add to your holiday and non-holiday crafting arsenal. We’ve gathered a few of our favorites for you below, but there just isn’t enough room to share “all the things,” so make sure to flip through the whole catalog so you don’t miss anything! 🙂

Love of Color

Never second-guess your color choices again with this new, inspirational color guide! Love of Color brings the exclusive Close To My Heart color palette to life with breathtaking artwork that illustrates how to create perfectly balanced color combinations. Organized by color, each spread focuses on an exclusive color shown in three different color schemes.

Pigment Pads

pigment

We now have pigment ink options available in our patented Exclusive Inks™ stamp pads! This acid-free, fade-resistant pigment ink dries quickly and permanently on most papers and porous surfaces after heat-setting. Available in our full-size ink pads, the new pigment pads feature raised pads that are approximately 3¾” x 2½”—larger than average and easier to use. Available in Candy Apple, Pixie, Sapphire, Clover, Espresso, Black, and White Daisy.

Texture Pastes

Build dimensional textures right on your artwork with texture pastes! Available in opaque matte, transparent matte, and transparent gloss, these pastes can be used alone with a palette knife or paired with stencil sheets to create more intricate patterns.

Shimmer Brushes

We loooove the effects created by our clear and gold shimmer brushes so much that we now have them in several additional colors—Sugarplum, red, black, and Mint. Take a look at the video below to see them in action!

Shaker Window Kits

hedgehugs-shaker-window-card

Assembling a shaker window has never been easier! With these trusty tools, you are sure to get hooked on this throw-back trend!

Thin Cuts—Shaker Window & Confetti

Thin Cuts—Shaker Window & Confetti

Cuts a window and confetti shapes to use for a 2½” shaker window.

Gold and Silver Loose Sequins

loose-sequins

Add some sparkle and shine to those shaker windows.

Shaker Window Foam & Acetate

foam & acetate

New Thin Cuts

Thin-Cuts-page

From decorative borders, to fancy tags, snowflakes, and merry sentiments, we are sure you will want these new sets in your crafting toolbox!

Season of Joy Cricut® Collection

Prepare to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with the dynamic shape designs in the new Season of Joy collection!

Season-of-Joy

This collection features over 45 images and projects, including several 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.

soj-sample-shapes

Holiday Kitchen

holiday-kitchen

Because food plays such an important role in so many of our favorite holiday traditions, we couldn’t help but make another Cut Above® recipe kit—this time with some holiday flair! The Holiday Kitchen Cut Above® recipe kit includes everything you need to get all those recipes in one place together with the stories and memories that make them so special!

All Things Sugarplum

Sugarplum

There’s a new kid in town and it goes by the name Sugarplum—our 2018 Color of the Year! This exclusive shade will only be available for a limited time, so make sure you get it in all of its available forms: stamp pad, pigment pad, re-inker, cardstock, glitter paper, shimmer brush, and more!

Beautiful Soul

We are on a mission to change the lives of as many children as possible by restoring something that no child should be without—their smile.

Operation-Smile

In recent years, Close To My Heart has annually dedicated the proceeds of one stamp set to the efforts of Operation Smile™, a non-profit organization that provides safe surgeries to repair cleft left lips and palates in children around the world. Starting with our new Holiday Expressions catalog, we are now dedicating one stamp set per catalog—that means three stamp sets a year—to this very worthy cause.

words and definitions_OL

Purchase this catalog’s Operation Smile™ stamp set, My Acrylix® Beautiful Soul, encourage others to do so, or simply get on our site and make a straight donation to Operation Smile™.

So what do you think of our 2018 Holiday Expressions line up? Which products are you just dying to get your hands on? Let us know in the comments below!

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Get the Chalk Look without the Chalk Mess!

Chalk Marker #ctmh #closetomyheart #ChalkMarker #chalk #marker #scrapbooking #scrapbook #papercrafting #cardmaking

Ever want to write or draw on a dark piece of paper without having to add a white paper mat? The trusty Chalk Marker is your answer! It works on paper and most non-porous surfaces, and, much like the name implies, the results are vibrant, opaque, and chalk-like.

Chalk Marker #ctmh #closetomyheart #ChalkMarker #chalk #marker #scrapbooking #scrapbook #papercrafting #cardmaking #ohtheplacesyou'llgo

Chalk Marker #ctmh #closetomyheart #ChalkMarker #chalk #marker #scrapbooking #scrapbook #papercrafting #cardmaking

As most of you know, we’re of the memory keeping variety at Close To My Heart and it is our aim to preserve things forever and always, therefore this Chalk Marker is permanent, archival, and lightfast. It is not filled with liquid chalk and will not wipe off (so do not use it on an actual chalkboard unless you want permanent results! 😉 ).

Chalk Marker #ctmh #closetomyheart #ChalkMarker #chalk #marker #scrapbooking #scrapbook #papercrafting #cardmaking #firstdayofschool

The intention of the Chalk Marker is for it to mimic the appearance of written chalk. It writes in a thin white line and the color of paper that the ink is being used on will show through a little bit, as you can see here:

Chalk Marker #ctmh #closetomyheart #ChalkMarker #chalk #marker #scrapbooking #scrapbook #papercrafting #cardmaking

The ink is also designed to build on itself as you layer it. The more coats you apply the more vivid and rich the ink will appear.

Chalk Marker #ctmh #closetomyheart #ChalkMarker #chalk #marker #scrapbooking #scrapbook #papercrafting #cardmaking

Unlike most other markers, the Chalk Marker needs to be stored horizontally for best results. The ink inside is a special blend that, if the marker is stored upright, will shift to the end pointing down and it will take a good while for it to shift back to where it needs to be. Storing this marker horizontally will help you get the steady flow of ink to the tip that is necessary to achieve a smooth application.

Chalk Marker #ctmh #closetomyheart #ChalkMarker #chalk #marker #scrapbooking #scrapbook #papercrafting #cardmaking

The Chalk Marker is very user friendly when you know what to expect from it and how to take care of it. It is an awesome (and inexpensive!) tool to add to your crafting arsenal. Keep in mind the tips that we’ve shared with you today and give it a try!


Recipes

12″ x 12″ Oh the Places You’ll Go Page
X7231B Central Park Paper Packet, X7234B Documented Paper Packet, X5962 Goldrush Cardstock, X5968 Lagoon Cardstock, X5959 New England Ivy Cardstock, X5966 Pansy Cardstock, X5963 Poppy Cardstock, X5957 Sapphire Cardstock, X5980 Sweet Leaf Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z1375 Kraft Paper, X7234C Documented Complements, Z4171 Documented Titles, Z4178 Central Park Sequins, Z3361 Whimsy Ribbon Pack, Z1767 Chalk Marker, Z4182 Thin Cuts—Stitched Hearts, Z3318 Thin Cuts—Basic Circles, Z1979 Marvy® Uchida® LePen Journaling Pen, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z3167 Cricut® Artistry Collection, Die-cutting Machine, Sewing Machine

Cricut Shape:
Artistry
9″ Icon-2 <h> ( p. 26, #M418F74)

12″ x 12″ First Day of School Page
X7231B Central Park Paper Packet, 1386 Black Cardstock, X5982 Canary Cardstock, X5962 Goldrush Cardstock, X5968 Lagoon Cardstock, X5957 Sapphire Cardstock, X5980 Sweet Leaf Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z3189 White & Gold Ribbon, Z1767 Chalk Marker, Z1979 Marvy® Uchida® LePen™ Journaling Pen, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Sewing Machine

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Tools Every Stamper Should Have

Stamping Tools #ctmh #closetomyheart #MyAcrylix® #stamping #acrylicstamp #MyAcrylix #stampset #acrylicblock #inkpad #stamppad #ExclusiveInks™ #spritzcleaner #stampscrubber

Stamping runs through our veins here at Close To My Heart and we just can’t get enough of it! For those who are new to stamping or maybe just new to our product line, we wanted to share some of the basics that will make stamping with Close To My Heart your new favorite!

My Acrylix® Stamp Sets

The very first thing that you need is a good quality stamp. There’s no getting around this one. You want stamp sets that will stand the test of time in both structure and design. (Some have had to learn the hard way, not all clear stamp sets are created equal. 🙂 )

Stamping Tools #ctmh #closetomyheart #MyAcrylix® #stamping #acrylicstamp #MyAcrylix #stampset #acrylicblock #inkpad #stamppad #ExclusiveInks™ #spritzcleaner #stampscrubber

At Close To My Heart we put a lot of thought and effort into making the best stamps for our customers. The process begins about nine months to a year before a stamp set is even available for purchase. From trend and customer preference research all the way through the final label placed on the packaging, there isn’t a detail left unturned.

All of our My Acrylix® stamps are made of a liquid photo polymer resin. (What does that mean?) They are a clear, rubbery, very high quality material that creates clean and crisp prints time and time again. They are also flexible! Because they come packaged on a carrier sheet and are not permanently mounted on a block, you can manipulate them to fit inside shapes and banners, or simply to achieve a slightly different look than the original. (Some people will go as far as cutting their polymer stamps in order to rearrange words and sentiments!)

My Acrylix® Blocks

We mentioned earlier that our stamps are not permanently mounted on blocks, and if you watched the video above you can see what a world of difference that makes.

Once you have your stamp sets, you will need blocks to use them. Our My Acrylix® blocks are your best bet!

Stamping Tools #ctmh #closetomyheart #MyAcrylix® #stamping #acrylicstamp #MyAcrylix #stampset #acrylicblock #inkpad #stamppad #ExclusiveInks™ #spritzcleaner #stampscrubber

All of our My Acrylix® blocks have a small white horizontal line on them to help with stamp alignment, which is especially helpful to keep words and borders straight. Their crystal clear acrylic design not only lets you see where you are stamping but it is also hard and sturdy, making them very durable and difficult to break. With rounded edges providing a safe and comfortable grip, be prepared for hours of stamping fun!

Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad

When creativity strikes, enjoy a full spectrum of color with our Exclusive Inks™ color palette.

Stamping Tools #ctmh #closetomyheart #MyAcrylix® #stamping #acrylicstamp #MyAcrylix #stampset #acrylicblock #inkpad #stamppad #ExclusiveInks™ #spritzcleaner #stampscrubber

Our patented Exclusive Inks™ stamp pads feature an innovative lid pad (where the larger than average ink pad is stored in the lid) keeping the ink always at the surface and ready to use.

Stamping Tools #ctmh #closetomyheart #MyAcrylix® #stamping #acrylicstamp #MyAcrylix #stampset #acrylicblock #inkpad #stamppad #ExclusiveInks™ #spritzcleaner #stampscrubber

The sleek magnetic closure design makes it easy to open and close (and also helps to keep your fingers clean!).

Available in every one of our beautiful exclusive colors, the ink is an acid free water-based dye and formulated from scratch.

My Acrylix® Spritz Cleaner & Stamp Scrubber

As stampers, we naturally want to take care of our beloved stamps. For a lint-free clean, the My Acrylix® Spritz Cleaner and Stamp Scrubber will be your new besties.

Like you saw in the video above, just spray your stamp while it’s still on the block and scrub away. This cleaner and scrubber duo will also remove stubborn pigment inks from My Acrylix® stamps.

That’s it! With a few quality basics you’re set to take on stamping like a pro!

Are there any products you absolutely must have for your stamping? Let us know in the comments below!

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Workspace Wonder™ Organization

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.

Workspace Wonder™ Organization #ctmh #closetomyheart #workspacewonder #work #space #wonder #organization #organisation #system #storage #solution #stacking #declutter #papercrafting #paper #craft #crafting #diy #cardmaking #scrapbooking

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!

Workspace Wonder™ Organization #ctmh #closetomyheart #workspacewonder #work #space #wonder #organization #organisation #system #storage #solution #stacking #declutter #papertray #paper #tray #largetray #stamppad #stamp #pad #inkpad #marker #tool #cubby #stack #smalltray

(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.

Workspace Wonder™ Organization #ctmh #closetomyheart #workspacewonder #work #space #wonder #organization #organisation #system #storage #solution #stacking #declutter #carousel #ribbon #stack #paper #crafting #craft #papercrafting #diy #scrapbooking #cardmaking(medium tray, ribbon organizer, medium stack, paper tray)

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.

Workspace Wonder™ Organization #ctmh #closetomyheart #workspacewonder #work #space #wonder #organization #organisation #system #storage #solution #stacking #declutter #carousel #paper #crafting #papercrafting #craft #diy #scrapbooking #cardmaking

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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