Art Philosophy!

Some quick projects

So, as you know scissors and I just don't get along. Shocking for a paper crafter I know! But I have never had much success with cutting stamped images so nice and neat even thought I love the look. So here comes Close To My Heart to the rescue...with an new Cricut Cartridge called "Art Philosophy". It is a cartridge set which coordinates with the stamp sets and chipboard shapes included as many of you know but I wanted to include some FAQ's and projects below. Enjoy!

*Edited to add a video and some info on CTMH's new offers for August!

August "Stamp of the Month"

What do I get when I order the Philosophy set?

The set comes with: 1 Cartridge with 700 images which includes: 50 images with layers, 50 basic shapes with layers, 50 combination images, 50 labels, 50 tags, 2 full fonts(that can be layered), 13 – 3D images(six flowers, various boxes and other shapes) and 17 borders and several accents! Also 3- 9X12 sheets of chipboard dimensional elements that coordinate with the cartridge and the stamps. The dimensional elements are available separately through the catalog as well.

In addition, according to the “Constant Campaign” program through Close To My Heart corporate office, you will be eligible for several special promotions through the year. August is an amazing Stamp of the month offer which includes two sets of stamps…more throughout the year.

Will I be able to purchase “refills” of the chipboard?

Yes, these shapes are available to everyone through the catalog as a “dimensional element” and can be used even without the Cricut or the stamps. Each sheet of chipboard shapes is only $3.25!

Will it be available through Cricut Craft Room?

Yes, judging from the booklet, there are plans to add it to the program now in BETA mode.

Does it work with all the Cricut machines?

Yes but you must do and update for the Imagine first and possibly the E2. It works fro the expression right out of the box!

How many stamps coordinate?

At my count, there were approximately  44 coordinating stamps available in the catalog besides the ones included in the 3 sets that come with the cartridge.…some others stamps will fit also that are simply different sizes or able to fit within a simple shape like a circle or oval.

How do I know how big to make the cuts?

The stamp that has a coordinating image has a small outline printed around it on the clear sheet. Then next to it, the size is printed out…There are also images that complement the stamp and shape and make it a really versatile cartridge.

Do I get Cricut Rewards?

Yes, a certificate for 90 points is included with the cartridge/ You must have a cricut rewards account to redeem it at www.cricutrewards.com .

Ok so here are some projects:

 These cute pillow boxes fit a gift card perfectly when cut at 5"! The coordinating stamped images have the sizes listed right next to the stamp on the acrylic sheet, so it was easy to create these.

Notice the "to and from"? Cute for tags huh? And they all come with the cartridge. The paper used is the "elemental" collection that is available starting August 1st.

My DD had to make a felt flower for her purse. Cut at 4.5 inches

 The Font! This is cut at 3" so you could see the detail. The top layer detailed letter might need to be cut at least 1.5"

Some of the fun flowers.

The "rose" cut at 3" and smashed a bit more.

 

The cuts as a group...

 I wanted to show how nice and neat all these cuts fit onto a half sheet of paper. All these are cut to the indicated size and just using "load last" in between cuts.

This was my very fist flower...ever!

 This gives a good perspective on how big you might want to cut your flowers. I just guessed and got lucky.

Felt flowers. Cut at 4.5 with some heat n bond for stiffness

This shows the difference in thickness between a 3 and 4.5 inch flower...

A second look and a perspective on the flowers sizes.

An art-full trip to the beach....project boxes for the car.

All cuts from Princess Party-Cricut Projects Cartridge

This owl is from Hoot-n-Holler -Cricut Lite

Of course my G is still in her "fancy" mode. :)

 We were so lucky to be able to spend a week at Emerald Isle this week, but I was needing something for the car ride down and hoping to enter a Cricut contest with a "road trip" theme. Well, you've heard of "a day late and a dollar short?" Well, I am several weeks late so many cricut dollars short. ;) 

This project is still worth sharing though since it was a big hit with all three girls...I was inspired by the small cases full of Crayola Color Wonder products bu thought they weren't quite what I wanted so off to the office supply store! There at Office Depot I found some "project boxes" for 6.99 and some clearanced color wonder sets. I jazzed them up with some vinyl and initials for each girl and fit them into another big bin to keep them together with a few snacks and movies.

The best part about it was the small clips I found for keeping the booklets and paper on top. I've used these command strip style clips for other things and thought they were just right for the boxes. It worked! I put the clips onto a piece of paper then onto the project box to be sure of spacing. The boxes are 10X13 and about 2 inches deep. Perfect for some paper crayons and markers and for my oldest, a  friendship bracelet making kit. You might not need the clips if you are looking to stack them in a neater pile, but the girls made good use of them.

For the vinyl, I was able to use Hoot-n-Holler, a lite from Walmart, and the new Princess Party Cartridge. It was great since those two layered so nicely with minimal small cuts. The lettering and Damasks are from the Martha Stewart Elegant Cakes cartridge since my G just had that at her party.

The vinyl was cut with my Expression on blade depth 2 and pressure 2, and then I used a small piece of transfer tape to line up the layers.

After removing the whole piece of vinyl and backing from my mat, cut around the image, but not too close, in order to work with one piece at a time. Then you'll have to remove the inner pieces and outside extra vinyl, but leave the cut on the backing for now. A toothpick of the pick tool in the Cricut works well.

Next place a piece of transfer tape on top of the vinyl and flip it all over to remove the paper backing... this works well for intricate cuts so you can make sure the edges adhere to the transfer tape while peeling it back, I use the pick tool to press it down. Then line it up carefully and layer all the pieces, leaving the base on the backing for the last step, transferring to the box!

If you don't want to invest in transfer tape, clear contact paper works fine. The vinyl is a bit bumpy so it's on the backs and very bottom corner of their boxes. Also, I used alcohol to clean the surface of the back of the bins before attempting to put on the vinyl...not sure it was necessary but it does seem really stuck on there.

The girls enjoyed picking out their images and colors, and like everything I make for them, I hope it was just a bit more special this way!