3 Ideas for Scrapbook Cover Pages

Close To My Heartcover, engagement, Family, graduation, idea, keeping, memory, page, scrapbook, scrapbooking, vacation, wedding 9 Comments

Every scrapbook album needs a front cover page and a back cover page…but sometimes it’s hard to know how to summarize your album! After all, you only have two pages, one at the front and one at the back, to explain what the entire album holds!

If cover pages have you stumped, don’t worry—we’ve got you covered! 😉 Here are three fail-proof ideas for creating amazing cover pages!

In Great Shape

Attach a large shape to the center of your base page. Then position your title and photos over this shape. Even if you have multiple photos (we have five here!), your page will still feel like a cover page because the large shape in the background creates a central focus. Pretty neat trick, right? 🙂

Easy As 1-2-3!

Simply attach three photos horizontally across the center of your page. Then add your title directly above or below these photos. Three is the key here! It’s a balanced number that draws the eye in.

Keep It Simple, Silly!

When all else fails, find a photo that sums up your album, and center it on your page along with a prominent title.

One fun spin on this approach is to center your photo but then place the title on the left side of your page, either vertically or horizontally!

Overall, the secret to creating a strong cover page is to draw the eye in to a central point with your pictures and title. If you keep that in mind, then you’re off to a great start!

And while you’re working on your cover pages, be sure to grab some albums because they’re on a great sale! For the month of June, you can buy one album and then get a second one at half price!

What album are you currently working on? Tell us in the comments below! 🙂

Recipes

12″ x 12″ The Woods Page
B1484 My Acrylix® Jennifer’s Hand Stamp Set, D1702 My Acrylix® Capture This Stamp Set, X7221B Prickly Pear Paper Packet, Z3254 Enchantment Fundamentals Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5789 Sea Glass Cardstock, X5788 Raspberry Cardstock, Z2848 Sapphire Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, X7221C Prickly Pear Complements, Z3324 Prickly Pear Sequins, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z3188 Paintbrush Set, Z3167 Cricut® Artistry Collection, Sewing Machine, Thread

Cricut® Shapes:
Artistry
1 1/4″ <font> “Woods”

12″ x 12″ Let’s Go Back Page
B1484 My Acrylix® Jennifer’s Hand Stamp Set, X7221B Prickly Pear Paper Packet, Z3254 Enchantment Fundamentals Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5789 Sea Glass Cardstock, X7221C Prickly Pear Complements, Z3167 Cricut® Artistry Collection

Cricut® Shapes:
Artistry
1″ <font> “Let’s Back”

12″ x 12″ Dallin & Sarah Page
X7221 Prickly Pear Paper Packet, Z3254 Enchantment Fundamentals Paper Packet, X7219B Little Dreamer Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5788 Raspberry Cardstock, X7221C Prickly Pear Complements, Z3314 Black & White Dots, Z3167 Cricut® Artistry Collection, Sewing Machine, Thread

Cricut® Shapes:
Artistry
1 1/4″ <font> “Dallin & Sarah 2017”

12″ x 12″ Hello World Page
B1484 My Acrylix® Jennifer’s Hand Stamp Set, X7221B Prickly Pear Paper Packet, X7219B Little Dreamer Paper Packet, Z3263 Uptown Fundamentals Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5788 Raspberry Cardstock, X5763 Smoothie Cardstock, X7221C Prickly Pear Complements, Z3257 Thin Cuts—Love, Z3167 Cricut® Artistry Collection, Sewing Machine, Thread

Cricut® Shapes:
Artistry
1/2″, 3/4″, 1″, 1 1/4″, 1 1/2″, and 1 3/4″ Icon-1 <k> (cut 5 of each, p. 28)
1 1/2″ <font> “Class of 2017”

Leave a comment

April 4, 2017Create, Learn

4 Reasons Why Our Cut Above® Layout Kits Will Make Your Life Easier

Close To My Heartabove, always, baby, beginner, cut, forever, kit, little, one, quick, scrapbooking, wedding, workshop 12 Comments

If you haven’t heard about our Cut Above® layout kits before, now is the perfect time to learn about them—because this month they’re 50% off! That means they’re just $7.48 USD each!

We have two different kits: Forever & Always and Little One. They come with instructions, base pages, pre-cut pieces, and stickers to complete a two-page scrapbooking layout—no cutting required! You also get two Memory Protectors™ for storing your finished pages.

As an added bonus, the kits also come with coordinating pocket scrapbooking cards and two divided Memory Protectors for any leftover photos you may have.

Here’s what the Forever & Always layout kit looks like when it’s all completed—and remember, you make all of these pages for $7.48!

Quick scrapbooking kits—no cutting required! #closetomyheart #ctmh #cutabove #wedding #anniversary #love #baby

If saving big on an easy scrapbooking project isn’t enough to send you racing to your shopping cart, here are four more reasons why our Cut Above® layout kits will make your life easier:

1. You’ll save time.

And that means you’ll have more time to spend on other scrapbooking projects, learning new crafting techniques, or doing something else entirely! Check out this video to see how quickly the Little One kit comes together—you’ll be done in 15 minutes or less!

2. There is NO cutting . . . except cutting corners. 😉

No trimming, no fussy cutting, no cranking your die-cutting machine, no programming your Cricut®—aka less hassle for you! We know you love detailed paper accents though, so we just include those right in your kit! For example, take a look at the circle on the Little One layout with those pie-shaped pieces—creating something like that by hand takes a protractor… and a lot of time… and patience. And then you have the doilies on the Forever & Always layout. Sure, you can get that look with a Cricut®, but getting it in a kit saves you the time and hassle of cutting and cleaning up!

3. They work for multiple occasions.

You might take a look at these kits and think “Well, I’m not getting married or having a baby anytime soon, so I don’t know what I’d do with them.”

Well stop that silliness, and open your mind to the world of possibilities! 😉 These kits can be used for more than just two occasions. Ready for some inspiration?

Quick scrapbooking kits—no cutting required! #closetomyheart #ctmh #cutabove #wedding #anniversary #love #baby

How about using the Forever & Always kit for anniversary photos?

Quick scrapbooking kits—no cutting required! #closetomyheart #ctmh #cutabove #wedding #anniversary #love #baby

Or using it for anybody you want to spend forever & always with, like family? We especially love these generational photos of grandma, daughter, and granddaughter.

Quick scrapbooking kits—no cutting required! #closetomyheart #ctmh #cutabove #wedding #anniversary #love #baby

And even though YOU may not be the one having a baby, the Little One kit is perfect for pictures of any little one (including toddlers and little kiddos!) in your life, be it niece, grandson, cousin, goddaughter—you name it!

Quick scrapbooking kits—no cutting required! #closetomyheart #ctmh #cutabove #wedding #anniversary #love #baby

It’s even good for fur babies!

4. They make handmade easy.

Even though the base pages are printed and all the loose pieces are pre-cut, these layouts are still handmade—and you can tell! One thing that sets these pages apart from any store-bought, pre-designed scrapbooks is that they have dimension. To start off, you are attaching loose pieces and stickers to the pages, which already gives them dimension—but then you can also pop up any pieces you want with 3-D foam tape for even more personality!

Quick scrapbooking kits—no cutting required! #closetomyheart #ctmh #cutabove #wedding #anniversary #love #baby

Whether you’re new to scrapbooking or just looking for something new to try, these kits are sure to make your life a little bit easier. And at 50% off this month, they’re a total steal!

Have questions about our Cut Above® kits? Leave them in the comments below, and we’ll give you answers!

Leave a comment

February 28, 2017Create

Shading Flowers with Watercolors

Close To My Heartbridal, how, instructions, invitation, painting, shading, shower, stamping, technique, to, watercolor, wedding 8 Comments

Today is National Floral Design Day, and to celebrate, we want to share with you a fun watercolor technique for getting beautifully shaded flowers, like those on this card from our Seasonal Expressions 1 idea book.

Step One

Mix your favorite watercolor paints with water to create a mixture that has roughly the same consistency as milk. Then, using an ink color of your choice, stamp your flowers. We stamped ours with Whisper ink.

Step Two

Paint a light coat of your watercolor mixture onto your first flower, covering the entire surface.

Step Three

Mix a darker shade of the same color, and start adding it to just the “shaded” areas of the flower. You want to add it as a thick line. It won’t look pretty and blended yet, but that’s the look you want for this step!

Not sure where to add shading? A good general rule is to shade the edges of the petals that are closest to the center of the flower. If you prefer, you can also look at real photos of flowers online and follow the shading you see there. Continue to step four before the paint has dried.

Step Four

Rinse out your brush. Using a small amount of clean water, gently blend the color out toward each petal’s edge without going all the way to the edge. Allow to dry.

That’s the gist of the technique! Repeat for any additional flowers and leaves that you want!

Here are a few general tips to keep in mind when painting with your watercolors:

You’ll notice we didn’t use our waterproof Archival Black ink to stamp this image. You can use dye-based inks when coloring with watercolors, but you’ll want to be careful not to touch the edges of the stamp image with your brush or else it will make the ink bleed.

If using dye-based ink, we recommend using a lighter color. That way if there is any slight bleeding, it will not be too noticeable. A lighter color also draws the eye to the watercoloring of the flowers rather than the outline of the flowers.

If you want a “no line” look, you can use a light ink color and carefully color the lines completely. If you like to see the lines though, you can reinforce the stamp image by stamping the image again after the paint is completely dry. Both methods have their own beauty.

Happy painting!

Recipe

4¼” × 5½” You’re Invited Card (Vertical)
X7216B Hello Lovely Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z3146 Watercolor Paper, Z2872 Whisper Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2864 Sorbet Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3313 Blush Shimmer Ribbon, Z3312 Gold Glitter Gems, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z3188 Paintbrush Set, Z3301 Hello Lovely Cardmaking Thin Cuts Bundle (includes stamp set C1670), Z2046 Piercing & Embossing Tool Kit, Z1852 Stitch Guide, Z3247 Simple Chevron Embossing Folder, Embossing/Die-cutting Machine, Thread

Leave a comment

January 24, 2017Create

Beginner Crafting Kits

Close To My Heartbaby, beginner, bridal, crafting, gift, ideas, kits, layout, newlywed, nursery, paper, projects, scrapbooking, succulent, wedding, wreath 5 Comments

If you’d love to craft but think you’re just not the “crafting type,” think again! There are so many resources that make learning to craft easy, including online tutorials and Consultants that can walk you through projects right in your own home!

Among these great resources are beginner crafting kits, like our limited-time Welcome Home wreath kit or our new Cut Above™ scrapbooking layout kits.

The Welcome Home wreath kit helps you create a beautiful paper succulent wreath. With pre-cut pieces you simply punch out, curl, layer, and attach, this is a wonderful place for beginners to start if they’re interested in trying out DIY home décor.

It’s a great project for your first home as a married couple—or give it as a unique bridal shower or wedding present to a friend! The new bride is sure to love creating something herself for her new home—especially with her new last name 😉 !

Our Cut Above™ Forever & Always layout kit is also a great beginner crafting kit for the bride. Those first few years together go by lightning fast, so start the habit of preserving your love story by doing something with all those wedding photos! Trust us, you won’t want to forget those sweet newlywed moments.

This affordable kit comes with pre-cut pieces and instructions for assembling the two pages you see in this album, as well as Memory Protectors™ to keep your pages safe.

It also comes with pocket cards and two divided Memory Protectors™ to create even more pages, which fit in between your main pages for preserving additional pictures and moments from your special day!

We also have a beginner Cut Above™ scrapbooking layout kit for baby photos—it’s called Little One, and it’s totally gender neutral.

The birth of your first child is definitely the time to start thinking about preserving memories—if you haven’t already (and not in that black hole of a phone or computer, either!).

In addition to being affordable (which is a must with a new babe around!), all the pages in this kit come together in less than 15 minutes—really! So complete your kit, and then take a nice long nap with all that time you save. 🙂 Get a feel for how easily these kits come together by watching this quick video:

And while you’re at it…

Why not add a Welcome Home wreath to baby’s nursery? Once again, this is a super affordable and unique baby shower gift, perfect for a new mama who will be nesting like crazy soon. 😉

Whether you’re a newlywed, young mom, or a friend looking for a unique shower gift, the Welcome Home wreath kit and the Cut Above™ layout kits are the perfect go-to projects for beginners. With affordable price tags and easy-to-follow instructions, these kits are sure to light a smile on anyone’s face as she discovers she can craft and make something beautiful for her family.

Leave a comment

August 25, 2016Celebrate, Create

Paper Succulents Made Easy

Close To My Heartbouquet, cricut, favor, flower, gift, market, monogram, paper, succulents, wedding 6 Comments

As you’ve probably noticed, succulents are IN! From wedding bouquets and hanging planters to wreaths and mini terrariums, these plants are popping up all over the place! The only problem is that succulents can be tricky plants to keep alive.

If you don’t have a green thumb, try your hand at paper succulents instead! With our brand new Cricut® Flower Market collection, you can create all the trendy succulent projects you see on Pinterest without any of the maintenance.

For example, here is a simple centerpiece and favor for a wedding:

By using different colors of cardstock and daubing a bit of ink around the edges of the succulents for shading, they look even more realistic.

You can also use these succulents in a wide array of home décor projects, like this cute succulent monogram.

If you love these paper succulents, you’re going to love the rest of the flowers and plants you can make with our Cricut® Flower Market collection. Here’s the 411:

The collection features 700 images, including a brand new font!
Each key of the collection contains all the cuts you’ll need for a coordinated card, scrapbook layout, or 3-D project. These cuts include layers to create a flower, a container for the flower, accents and a background, and a title piece, all of which tie into the same theme.
We’ve made layering your flowers easy! All you have to do is enter the size of the finished flower you want for each layer of the flower, and it will cut the layer accordingly (so long as you have Real Dial Size off).
When you purchase the collection, you also get the Adventure cardstock combo pack, featuring our brand new colors, and three exclusive D-size stamp sets.

We’ve designed this collection with scrapbookers and cardmakers in mind, but as you’ve seen from today’s artwork, it definitely lends itself to some wowie 3-D projects as well—just take a look at one more amazing bouquet:

Get your hands on this Cricut® collection, and have fun creating paper succulents and more for your scrapbooks, cards, and home.

Happy crafting!

Recipes

Wedding Centerpiece & Favor
B1536 My Acrylix® All the Thanks, Z3262 Rustic Home Fundamentals, Z3255 Whimsy Fundamentals, 1288 Colonial White Cardstock, Z1375 Kraft Cardstock, X5777 Fern Cardstock, X5639 Sweet Leaf Cardstock, X5780 Pomegranate Cardstock, Z2105 Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2653 Pomegranate Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2644 Pixie Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3289 Uptown Ribbon Pack, Z1938 Sponge Daubers Value Pack, Z3285 Cricut® Flower Market Collection, Thread

Cricut® Shapes:
Flower Market
2″, 2 ½”, and 3″ <Succulnt> (cut multiples of each, p. 40)

Succulent Monogram
Z3255 Whimsy Fundamentals, Z1375 Kraft Cardstock, X5777 Fern Cardstock, X5639 Sweet Leaf Cardstock, X5780 Pomegranate Cardstock, Z2644 Pixie Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2653 Pomegranate Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z1938 Sponge Daubers Value Pack, Z3285 Cricut® Flower Market Collection

Cricut® Shapes:
Flower Market
2″, 2 ½”, 2 ¾”, and 3″ <Succulnt> (cut multiples of each, p. 40)
2″, 2 ½”, 2 ¾”, and 3″ Shift <Succulnt> (cut multiples of each, p. 40)
Leave a comment

March 1, 2016Community

Stampaganza Is Back!

Close To My Heartboy, diamond, latte, Stampaganza, stamping, stamps, sticky, wedding 119 Comments

It’s me, Sticky Boy, and I’m here to officially announce that Stampaganza is back! In case you don’t know what that is, let me explain. For every two stamp sets you purchase, you can get one of equal or lesser value for free—free, my friends, FREE!

Now, everyone loves free, but when it comes to Close To My Heart’s My Acrylix® stamps, you’re getting an exceptionally good deal, if I do say so myself. My Acrylix stamps, like moi, are one of a kind. We’re made with special, high-quality materials, which means you can’t find anything like us on the shelves of your local craft store. When it comes to affordable, easy-to-use, and versatile stamp sets, we’re the clear winner. (Ah ha? See what I did there? 🙂 )

Now on to my favorite stamp sets!

As you know, I’m a pretty energetic little stamp. That’s because I guzzle the good stuff. I love the My Acrylix Treats of Friendship stamp set because it just gets me. I mean, it has a donut in it! Donuts are round, sticky, and sweet, like me!

And just like me, these diamond stamps are one of a kind. If you like the ba-BLING like I do, make sure to get your My Acrylix Diamonds Are Forever stamp set. It’s a real gem! 🙂

Now I’m going to share with you something I haven’t shared before—I’m a bit of a romantic. I think the lovey-doveyness of the My Acrylix I Do stamp set is just awesome. I hope that someday I’ll find a Sticky Girl to be my sweetie forever.

Okay, okay, enough with the mushiness.

Because taking over the blog today was so fun, I think I’m going to stick around a bit more. How about a good ol’ game of Spot Sticky? Here’s what I’m thinking: I’m going to sneak into a few blog photos during the month of March. The first person to leave a comment saying where I am will get a Sticky Boy stamp! In order to win, you’ll need to be specific!

In the meantime, tell me below what your favorite stamp set is. I want to hear your opinions! Then stay tuned for later blog posts and try to spot me in the photos.

Good luck!

Recipes

5½” x 4¼” I Like You a Latte Card
Make It from Your Heart™ Vol. 2: Pattern 20
C1616 My Acrylix® Treats of Friendship X7199B Sangria Paper Packet 1385 White Daisy Cardstock X5643 Chocolate Cardstock Z3127 Paper Fundamentals Whimsy Z3126 Paper Fundamentals Enchantment Z2165 Juniper Exclusive Inks™ Pad Z2111 Chocolate Exclusive Inks™ Pad Z888 Black StazOn™ Ink Pad Z2012 Sequins Gold Assortment Z3132 Watercolor Paints Z3188 Paintbrush Set Z1979 Marvy® Uchida® L

5½” x 4¼” You’re One of a Kind Card
Make It from Your Heart™ Vol. 1: Pattern 25
C1629 My Acrylix® Diamonds Are Forever X7202B Kaleidoscope Paper Packet X5930 Slate Cardstock X5929 Whisper Cardstock Z3146 Watercolor Paper Z2641 Glacier Exclusive Inks™ Pad Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad Z3130 Silver Foil Tape Z2068 Ranger™ White Super Fine Embossing Powder Z3132 Watercolor Paints Z3188 Paintbrush Set Z3167 Cricut® Artistry Collection

Cricut® Shape:
Artistry
1½” Icon-1 (p. 13)

5½” x 4¼” Bride and Groom Card
D1636 My Acrylix® I Do X5776 Peacock Cardstock 1385 White Daisy Cardstock X5763 Smoothie Cardstock Z2649 Peacock Exclusive Inks™ Pad Z2172 Whisper Exclusive Inks™ Pad Z2105 Black Exclusive Inks™ Pad Z2196 Smoothie Exclusive Inks™ Pad Thread

To learn more about Stampaganza, talk to your Independent Consultant or find an Independent Consultant by going to closetomyheart.com and clicking on “Find a Consultant” in the top right corner.

Leave a comment

In Great Shape

Easy As 1-2-3!

Keep It Simple, Silly!

Share this:

1. You’ll save time.

2. There is NO cutting . . . except cutting corners. 😉

3. They work for multiple occasions.

4. They make handmade easy.

Share this:

Step One

Step Two

Step Three

Step Four

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: