Cricut® Artfully Sent: The Basics

If you love to make cards, the new Artfully Sent Cricut cartridge from Close To My Heart is a must have! In a previous post I've shared some of the many card and envelope projects that this one cartridge can make.  Below is a great overview video for you see many more examples.

Thanks for watching!

CTMH Valentines with Artfully Sent, Hopscotch, and Heartstrings

I really love the new Artfully Sent Cricut Cartridge from Close To My Heart!  This makes even a novice card maker an instant expert.  There are literally hundreds of different card and envelope projects on this one cartridge!  Let me tell you about the types of cards that you can put together...

• Pop Up Cards
• Scene Cards
• Swing Cards
• Tri-Panel Cards
• Border Cards
• Sleeve Cards
• Overlay Cards
• Pocket Cards (perfect for Picture My Life scrapbooking)
• Envelopes
• Envelope Liners

For our Create & Take at this weekends Scrapbook, Stamp & Socialize crop I designed this adorable mini pop up Valentine.  Instead of the 7" size recommended in the accompanying booklet, I shrunk it down to 4", thus making them reminiscent of the adorable Valentines that I used to exchange in elementary school!

I wanted the outside to also pop, but with color!  So I used pieces from both the Heartstrings and Hopscotch paper collections and then added a large heart in a coordinating cardstock from the same key on the cartridge.  I used 2 mini stamps (only $2.95 each) for my sentiments.  As I know that some might wish to express friendship instead of romance, I made sure I covered both aspects of this special holiday.

Pop-Up Valentine

Just look at how cute that they are when opened!  An intricately cut heart pops up to great the recipient!  

SURPRISE!!

Lovely 3-D Heart Inside!

These Valentines were so simple to cut out and put together!  If you don't yet have this cartridge, order it now and make 2015 the year of the card by creating and sending lovely handmade cards to your friends and family.  

New Rolling Tote and Shoulder Tote Paper Crafting Organizers from CTMH!

Is Santa in a quandary about what to get you for Christmas?  Close To My Heart has the perfect solution!  Just announced today...brand new storage and crop organizers!  A beautiful rolling tote that will both store your paper crafting supplies at home and easily transport to any crop or event, plus a gorgeous shoulder bag perfect for 12x12 projects on the go!

Watch the video below to see just how much you can fit into these amazing organizers!

Order your SHOULDER TOTE or ROLLING TOTE right away!  These links will take you directly to my website to order.

To arrange your rolling tote just like on the video, take a look at the optional ORGANIZERS!

If you want these for Christmas, order right away as per this message from our corporate office:

"We have received our first batch of rolling totes and shoulder totes and have now made them available to order! We have more on the way, but it is possible that this first batch of totes could run out before more arrive. If that happens, we will not be back-ordering any of the totes, but will instead make them unavailable to order until we receive more in stock."

Don't forget to let me know ahead of time if your personal order will be over $150 as I can set you up as your own "gathering" so you receive a minimum of $25.00 in Hostess Rewards (free product).  You can email me ahead of time at createwithcare@att.net.

Happy Holidays,

Karen

Close To My Heart CYBER MONDAY Deal!!!

I'm so excited!!  This has never happened before!!  CTMH has a Cyber Monday promotion!!  Whoo Hoo!

Are you ready....???

20% off any CTMH Cricut Collection!!!!!

Check it out....

Cyber Monday Only: 20% Off All Cricut®Collections! For the first time ever, Close To My Heart is offering a Cyber Monday Sale on Monday, December 1, 2014. There has never been a better time to buy Close To My Heart’s exclusive Cricut® Collections for 20% off the retail price. Whether you love scrapbooking, cardmaking, or creating 3-D projects, our four exclusive Cricut® collections make the perfect addition to any craft room! Sale starts at midnight (MST) on December 1 and ends at 11:59 pm Monday night. Make sure you share the news about this sale with all your customers, friends, and family memebers, too! Orders must be submitted between 12:00 am and 11:59 pm (MST) on Monday, December 1 in order to get the discount on your selected Cricut® collections. Enjoy extra savings on Close To My Heart's exclusive Cricut® collections this Cyber Monday! What are you waiting for???  Get this deal now!!!! Click HERE to choose your CTMH Cricut Collection!

Close To My Heart's Deal of the Decade December Promo - $10.00 Stamp Sets!!!

STOCK UP ON STAMPS NOW!

When Close To My Heart celebrates, they give you the presents!  This year marks the 10-year Anniversary of Close To My Heart's revolutionary My Acrylix clear polymer stamps and we want you to celebrate right along with us!  With a qualifying purchase of $50.00 during the month of December 2014, you will be eligible to purchase any C- or D-size stamps from the Annual Inspirations 2014-2015 Idea Book for only $10.00!!  That's up to a $7.95 USD of savings on a single stamp set!  Plus once you achieve the qualifying order total, there is no limit to the number of eligible stamp sets that you can purchase at this discounted price.  

That's right, I said NO LIMIT!!!

Remember, a purchase of $50.00 will also qualify you to receive the December Stamp of the Month for only $5.00.  So if you purchase both the discounted stamp of the Month and additional stamps at this special campaign pricing your additional stamps at this special campaign pricing your savings will compound! It is truly the deal of the decade!!

Make your qualifying $50 purchase from either the Seasonal Expressions or Annual Inspirations Idea Books and purchase  an unlimited amount of C- or D-size stamps for $10.00 each from the Annual Inspirations Idea Book.  To know if your stamp set is a C- or D-size, look for the item number of the set.  Any item number that starts with a C or D (i.e. C1613 or D1627) will qualify!  

Shop NOW!

CTMH Seasonal Expressions 1 (Dec 2014-Mar 2015) SNEAK PEEK!!!

I love Close To My heart because they know that paper crafters just can't get enough paper!!  

In addition to the Annual Inspirations Idea Book (valid Aug 2014-Jul 2015), CTMH will have 2 supplemental catalogs called Seasonal Expressions.  The first one will be valid from 01Dec2014 - 31Mar2015 and I'm here to give you a little preview of the 2 new gorgeous paper packs called HEARTSTRINGS and HOPSCOTCH!!

Heartstrings is going to be perfect for anything love!  An anniversary, Valentine's Day, an engagement, a wedding or the telling of a love story; this is the paper you want to have.  The featured shades are Cranberry, Whisper, Hollyhock, and Lagoon.  Whether you are making scrapbook layouts or cards, this paper collections many possibilities will inspire your creativity!

CTMH Heartstrings Scrapbook Layout

CTMH Heartstrings Cards

Hopscotch is going to be a fabulous all occasion paper pack that you could use all throughout a scrapbook.  It is bright, cheery and happy!  It's not too girly and can be easily used for layouts with boy themes.  Show off your family photos to the beach, fair, forest, park, soccer game, theme park…wherever!  They all "go" with this paper!  The gorgeous colors of Flaxen, Glacier, Smoothie, and Sunset take center stage on these papers.

CTMH Hopscotch Scrapbook Layout

CTMH Hopscotch Scrapbook Layout

These papers will most certainly be featured as both Create & Takes at upcoming crops as well as workshops to create beautiful cards and layouts. Check out my upcoming calendar of events HERE!  Let me show you how to make your paper crafting projects faster, simpler, and easier!

CTMH Pathfinding Gift Boxes using Artiste Cricut Cartridge

Pathfinding Gift Boxes

Due to my love of Autumn, I naturally gravitated towards the Pathfinding paper pack from Close To My Heart!  The warmth of the Olive, Autumn Terracotta, and Chocolate tones used in this paper collection really spoke to me.  I think of crackling fires, hot chocolate with lots of whipped cream and a big bowl of soup while snuggling under a blanket on a comfy sofa!  So cozy!!

Instead of a scrapbook page or card, I wanted to literally gift this paper to friends.  Using the CTMH Cricut Artiste cartridge, I made these super easy boxes out of this gorgeous paper.  Wouldn't this be a special touch to your Thanksgiving table?  Put one of these at each guests plate with a small favor or bag of candy tucked inside!  An easy to make takeaway shows that you pay attention to all the details!

Here's what you need:

• Pathfinding Paper Pack
• For A Friend stamp set
• CTMH Cricut Artiste Cartridge
• CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge (or an 2" oval punch)
• Chocolate and/or Olive Ink
• Sparkles Brown and Tan Assortment

The box can be found on page 44 of the Artiste booklet.  It is a 3D object that I cut at 4".  I used the Art Philosophy just for the Scalloped Oval (pg 52, Oval 4, 2 1/4") and Oval (pg 42, Oval 3, 2").  The stamp "A Little Something For You" coordinates with the 2" Oval.  Top off with a piece of ribbon from your stash!  I used two retired ribbons that coordinated well.

Pathfinding Artiste Box with Olive Ink

Pathfinding Artiste Box with Chocolate Ink