Close to My Hearts new Stamp of the month is in plenty of
time to help us work our “Magic” for the Christmas Holidays!
This classic looking stamp set looks great with all the
holiday papers you have now, plus the stocking will work with the Art
Philosophy cartridge cut on page 67. How cute would that be??
Of course there’s also the new paper line “Believe” to
create seven more magical designs for cards, gifts and pages:
Of course Close To My Heart has another promotion for October:
ask me about joining my team!
I can't wait to create with some of the new Workshop Kits so stay tuned for some fun fall projects! :)
My oldest daughter's 13th Birthday was delayed to accommodate the busy sports season of her and her friends so even though she didn't want a terribly fancy party I wanted to make it somewhat special. One of her favorite things is the ocean so we decided to create an under the sea party theme.
This cake was a matching blue inside and sooo yummy! All the different creatures were chosen by my DD
It was a nice change from fondant to be able to ice this cake with a whipped topping. And it made it so easy to simply cut out these shapes all ahead of time suing my Cricut Cake cutting machine. It worked nicely with the Lettering Delights SVG's and Graphics set. I was able to coordinate everything from the invitations, the cake and the decorations. Even the cue cards for the scavenger hunt!
The seaweed here is made from a glittered fruit roll, the Target brand.
It was really fun coming up with ideas for the food. It struck me that the watermelon looked like a turtle and it matched the color scheme and is a teen favorite so I just took a stab at a basic sea turtle. He is simply some extras bits cut into shapes and held together with some toothpicks. The rounded shape helped create the curved flipper sand head.
Next is one of our families favorites.....Octopus hotdogs! Long ago I saw a show where these guys were featured and they were an instant hit. It is kinda magical how a hotdog will curl up in boiling water and creating an octopus is pretty simple. Just start by cutting the bottom portion in half. Then half each section again into fourths and then again for the eight tentacles. After making notches for the eyes, just drop them carefully into a large pot of boiling water. You'll have to do only one or two at a time but if you prepare the hotdogs ahead of time i goes very quickly. And it is so worth it isn't it?
Creatures of the deep LOL
For some fun the girls went on a scavenger hunt. It was a lifesaver to find a fun software on the internet that you can download! "Riddle me" creates a set of clues and the direction for placing them all around the house depending on a list you can create for inside, outside or both. It is completely customizable to accommodate lots of different situations and ages. It even allows you to place your art on the set of clues so everything matches!!! Love it! Get it here.
At the end of the hunt was some leis, and other goodies as well as a bucket of supplies to create their own flip flops. These were just simple plastic ones and the girls knotted various ribbons along the straps to create a fun effect. We even found some for my littlest so everyone was happy.
A fishing net from Oriental trading company was dressed up with some images and a "celebrate" banner of bubbles. My daughter really wanted to help out and I enjoyed working on this party with her. The little sea characters were printed out on card stock from the graphics set and my daughter wanted to cut them herself. And place them all around.
These lanterns from the dollar store and some balloons made the sleeping area in the family room a bit more festive. The girls watched "surfer girl" and chatted the evening away. I was so happy to give my oldest a special time to have fun and celebrate with her friends. And it was a pleasure to work with her and see how much she has grown into a young lady. Shh....don't tell anyone, but I actually enjoy her being a teen. :)
*Note: This is a rewrite of my original post which got accidentally
deleted. :( Sorry to say this isn't as good a tale as the original but I
still wanted to share this with my readers.
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.
In order to entertain my savages during the long car ride down to the beach this summer I was looking for some art projects. The Crayola color wonder sets coe with a cute little lap desk and some storage but it just didn't seem like enough space. Plus my oldest had moved onto "fine art" supplies....in order to replicate "My Little Pony" images for her sister I have to add.
The gears were turning in my brain and I recalled earlier seeing "project boxes" from the office supply store. Those places are number two after a craft store truly! I had no excuse to buy them the first time around but I knew that my other favorite all time products, command strips, made a special clip that secures papers. Bingo! I had project boxes!
I had lots of vinyl to decorate them for each girl and they each fit quiet a large stack of papers as well as pens and markers and whatever else you might want. Mine were simple ones with no dividers, and only about and inch and a half deep. They were plenty big to clip papers and small notebook to though.
Vinyl cut with the Give a Hoot cartridge and my Expression
A fancy one for G Cut from the Martha Stewart Cake cartridge.
Once Upon a Princess Cartridge for B, the Princess...with a cute frog
These pieces were simple designs that layered well. I vetoed the other choices that weren't ;)
The command strips secure right to the front of the case...
To make sure each clip was in the right place I made a stack of papers, put on the clips them put them onto the case. When I had it lined up the way I wanted it, I simply peeled off the backing strip and pressed it down firmly. I also prepared the surface by wiping with rubbing alcohol to be sure they would stick tight.
An initial went on the front so that it wouldn't get in the way of their drawing or coloring like the design might.
*Note: This is a rewrite of my original post which got accidentally
deleted. :( Sorry to say this isn't as good a tale as the original but I
still wanted to share this with my readers.
