CTMH Cricut Artistry Collection - Gift With Purchase!

Happy August 1st!  Yes, this is my third and final post for today!  The first one has the links to the select new CTMH products that are available one month earlier than the launch date of the new catalog. You can find that post here.  

The second one showcases the new Zoe paper packet that I used for a cute Owl Mini-Album. 

You can find that post here. 

Which brings me to the really important part of this post....  How to receive free stuff when you order the new CTMH/Cricut Artistry Cartridge Collection! (Click here to see all the images.)

CTMH Artistry Cartridge Collection

The newest cartridge includes shapes spanning a wide variety of themes, holidays, and seasons to add some visual spice to any project you create. Get back to basics with the unique font, banners, layered shapes, borders, backgrounds, and other fun icons you'll find on this cartridge. All of the designs are a must for any crafter!

Collection includes:

1 – Cartridge (700 images: Shapes, Layers, Banners, Borders, Backgrounds, and Font)

3 – My Acrylix® D-size Stamp Sets

1 – Enchantment Cardstock Combo Pack

When you place your order through my website you will also receive FREE Stuff from me! You do not need to put these items in your shopping cart because they will be sent directly to you from me in Arizona. The Artistry Cricut Collection will be shipped from CTMH in Utah.  If you wish to purchase the August SOTM or any other items from my website, please do so!  They will be shipped from CTMH with your Cricut cartridge.

CTMH August SOTM $5 with qualifying purchase

With every CTMH/Cricut Cartridge Collection purchase I will automatically send the following items to you:

1 - 2015/2016 Idea Book and Catalog ($6 value)

1 - Holiday Expressions Supplement 2015 ($1 value)

1 - Owl #1 Chipboard Book kit (8 1/2" x 5 3/4") - this post has the photos of the unfinished book, which is how it will arrive.  It has 17 pieces of kraft chipboard die-cuts for pages, covers and an owl to decorate and bind as you desire. ($4.95 value plus the postage = $10.70 value)

And for those of you who would prefer to buy the Artistry Digital Collection, I am offering the same great gift!

Cricut Artistry Digital Collection

Contains the same shapes, stamp sets, and cardstock as the cartridge collection. The only difference is the 700 images are accessed using an online code rather than a physical cartridge.*

*Available only for use with Cricut® Explore™ and Cricut® Explore Air™.

With every CTMH/Cricut Cartridge Collection purchase from my CTMH website, I will automatically send the following items to you:

1 - 2015/2016 Idea Book and Catalog ($6 value)

1 - Holiday Expressions Supplement 2015 ($1 value)

1 - Owl #1 Chipboard Book kit - this post has the photos of the unfinished book, which is how it will arrive.  It consists of a 17 piece kraft chipboard die-cut kit - pages, covers and an owl to decorate. ($4.95 value plus the postage = $10.70 value)

Any of the CTMH/Cricut Collections purchased from my website will receive this special, limited time offer.

At the beginning of the check-out process, a "Join One of Beverly's Gatherings" prompt appears.  Please Join the "Artistry Celebration" Gathering.

Thank you very much for your business. I appreciate it.

Beverly

Cyber Monday - Just Announced! 20% Off 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.  Please visit my website here to take advantage of this ONE Day Only discount.

You will be able to take advantage of this special deal as long as it is submitted between 12:00 am and 11:59 pm (MST) on Monday, December 1. Enjoy extra savings on Close To My Heart's exclusive Cricut® collections this Cyber Monday!

Also, with any Cricut Collection purchase you will automatically qualify for the Deal of the Decade! C and D size stamps for $10 each!  Details about this promotion are posted below.

This year marks the 10-year anniversary of Close To My Heart’s revolutionary My Acrylix® clear polymer stamps—and we can’t wait for you to celebrate with us! With a qualifying purchase of $50 during the month of December, you will be eligible to purchase ANY C- or D-size stamps from the Annual Inspirations 2014–2015 idea book for only $10. That’s up to $7.95 USD/$9.75 CAD 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 you can purchase at this discounted price. A purchase of $50 will also qualify you to receive the December Stamp of the Month for only $5, so if you purchase both the discounted Stamp of the Month and additional stamps at this special campaign pricing your savings will compound! It is truly the deal of the decade.

*Deal of the Decade Offer valid December 1, 2014 (9:00 am MST)–December 31, 2014 (11:59 pm MST). Shipping/handling is calculated based on the full retail price of the discounted items (C-size stamp set: $13.95 USD/$15.25 CAD; D-size stamp set: $17.95 USD/$19.75 CAD).

Just a reminder that today is the last day of the Lucky Five Studio J Sale.

Thank you for your business.  I hope you are able to take advantage of some of the amazing discounts that CTMH is offering this holiday season.

Beverly

Art Philosophy for Quilting Motifs and a Free Quilt Pattern

77 x 93 Quilt Designed in EQ7

Hello!  I finally finished the quilt that my (now) 9 year old daughter wanted for her bed.  She and I designed it last year, using EQ7 to lay it out.  She loves the textural aspect of quilts and therefore wanted to have some large blocks for quilted butterflies and flowers to touch.

Finished size 77 x 88 after quilting and washing

This is a very easy quilt to piece; though there are some triangles where the bias edge is exposed until a border is added - so stretching can be an issue. I like to cut my borders from the length of the fabric, to minimize seams, so I end up purchasing a wee bit more fabric than is probably necessary.

Setting Triangle with Art Philosophy Stenciled Butterfly

For this quilt, EQ7 recommends purchasing the following amounts of fabric:

Outside border and sashing: 2 7/8 yard - Amy Butler Soul Peacock Feathers Rose (I bought 3 yards)
Inside border and 4-patches: 1 yard - Solid Orange (I bought 2 yards)
Sashing: 1 1/8 yard - Solid Bright Pink ( I bought 2 yards - used this for binding fabric, also)
4-patches: 3/8 yard - Solid Marigold (I bought 1 yard)
Setting triangles and 18 solid blocks: 1 3/4 yard - Solid Maize (I bought 2 yards)
14 solid blocks: 1 yard - Solid Light Pink

Butterfly cut with Cricut from cardstock  makes a great stencil

Backing fabric is 6 yards Riley Blake Willow Organic Large Medallion Yellow (not pictured)

The scrunchy look of a washed quilt

I wanted to use organic fabrics and found them online at Fabric.com.  It seemed like a good idea to buy a little extra of some of the colors in case we changed our minds about their placement.  Also, when practicing quilting motifs, I like to use the same fabric as the real quilt, so I knew it wouldn't go to waste. (That is kind of a funny statement. I don't know any quilter who thinks having extra fabric is ever a "waste"!)

Art Philosophy Heart Stencil

I almost always cut or tear my border fabrics first.  The outer (print)  border is made of 6 1/2" strips. Two are 96" long and two are 80" long.  The inner (orange)  border is made of 2" strips cut at 63" and 78" - two of each. (The longer orange ones had to be pieced.)  These are for mitered borders and there will be excess because it is easier to cut away, than to add. :-)


There are 31 four patch blocks made with 2" strips of orange and marigold fabrics.  These finish at 3" blocks.

In addition, the outer 4-patch halves are made with 8 - 2" marigold squares and 8 - 2 3/8" orange squares cut in half, on the diagonal, to place on the end of the sashing strips that abut the inside border.
The other 4-patch halves are made with 10 - 2" orange squares and 10 2 3/8" marigold squares cut in half, diagonally.

The bright pink and print fabric sashing pieces are cut 2" x the width of the fabric. Then sewn together with 1/4" seams and then cut down to 8 1/2".  There are 80 sashing units.

The solid blocks are 8 1/2" squares. There are 14 light pink and 18 light yellow (Maize).  For the setting triangles, there are 4 - 12 1/2" Maize squares cut diagonally across both ways so that there will be 16 small triangles.  Only 14 are used, though. The corner triangles are made from 2 - 6 1/2" squares cut in half diagonally (one cut).  This nets 4 small triangles.

Anita Goodesign Quilting Design

I used Quilter's Dream 100% Cotton Select Queen-sized batting.  For the setting triangles, I used some leftover negative space cuts from the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge. This made perfect stencils for marking the quilt.  After quilting on the traced designs, I did a mini-stipple around the hearts and small butterflies.  The larger blocks were quilted using the machine embroidery attachment for my sewing machine with Anita Goodesign patterns.  The rest of the quilt was filled in with an easy meander.  If I were to do this type of quilt again, I think I would skip the machine embroidered part and use larger Art Philosophy-made stencils.

My next Art Philosophy Quilting Project will be cutting shapes for applique.  If you have done any applique or other types of quilting with your Cricut, I would love to hear about your projects!

Thank you for visiting today!
Beverly

Free CTMH Cricut Collection for New Consultants in April

Join Close To My Heart as an Independent Consultant April 1–30, 2014, and receive your favorite "art-full" Close To My Heart Cricut^® collection FREE! Our New Consultant Kit is just $99 and comes packed with nearly triple the retail value in products and supplies to help you succeed. 
Plus, when you qualify for the Straight To The Top program, you will be refunded the price of your New Consultant Kit. Select your FREE Cricut^® collection—retail priced at $99—when you order your New Consultant Kit and watch your new business soar!

Art Philosophy

Artbooking

Artiste

If you have thought about becoming a consultant, April is the month to do it!

Please email me at Stampinbev@msn.com if you have any questions.
Beverly

Easy Cards Made With Paper Fundamentals

 

The first card is made with the Paper Fundamental paper as the base. The resist side is shown on the front. The inside and layered front is the reverse side. Above the layered sentiment is a piece of Slate Polka-dot Washi tape. The solid colors of cardstock are Outdoor Denim and White Daisy.

 

CTMH's Paper Fundamentals Basics Assortment Includes 2 Each of 10 Colors

The new Paper Fundamentals Basics Assortment from Close To My Heart contains 20 double-sided 12 x 12 pieces of cardstock. One side has a fun glossy resist pattern and the other side has the same design in a two-tone colorway.

Washi Tape Card Base

I had a scrap of the black chevron left over. Not liking anything to go to waste... this card was designed around that one small piece.  The card base is White Daisy covered with Gold Polka-dot Washi tape. This is a very flat, standard-sized card so it doesn't require additional postage.  The sentiment is from the Workshops on the Go Balloon Ride Scrapbooking kit. It is stamped on a die cut from the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge.

The other two black and white cards are also very flat and easily mailable.  And they were super fast to make!  The "thank you" sentiment is from a retired stamp set.

The accent piece on the card above is the resist side of the paper pictured below, colored with a Ruby alcohol marker. "Hello" is a cut from the Artiste cartridge.  Actually, it is on the same page (pg. 65) as the "Thank You", pictured below.

Thank you for visiting today!
Beverly

Comparison of the Three Close To My Heart Cricut Cartridge Collections

Close to My Heart produced a video to help explain the unique offerings of each of the Cricut Cartridges.  If you have any questions, please email me at StampinBev@msn.com


 Thanks for stopping by today!
Beverly

Cricut Craft Room Video

Last Autumn, I posted a tutorial that was produced by CTMH that showed pictures using the Cricut Craft Room.  CTMH recently made a video tutorial which shows this easy process using your cartridges with the Cricut Craft Room.

Discover how to use Cricut® Craft Room—the free online design software that makes it easier to create projects with your Cricut®machine—in this step-by-step tutorial.

Cricut Foldables

This week I am continuing sharing the CTMH video series that showcases ways to use the Cricut collections from CTMH.  At the end of this video there is a great tip showing how to easily align the petals of the 3-d flower.

Learn how to create foldable Cricut®-cut pieces that you can add to a scrapbook page, card, or home décor item for extra dimension!
From yo-yos to bows, embellishments cut with the Cricut® Art Philosophy and Artiste cartridges add something special to your artwork.

Discover the Possibilities of Cricut® Craft Room

This post is reprinted with permission from Close To My Heart

If you love your Cricut^® machine, then you are going to adore all of the fabulous things you can do with Close To My Heart Cricut^®cartridges in the Cricut^® Craft Room. Create layers, cut negative space in the shape of your choice, make borders, and link elements together for a connected look. It’s easy! We’ll show you how.
Here is how to get started with Cricut^® Craft Room:

1. Create a FREE account in a few easy steps.
2. Download and run the application for PC or MAC, depending on the type of computer you use.
3. Connect your Cricut^® machine to your computer using a Type B USB cable. (Note: For more info on this type of cable, see your Cricut^® user’s guide or your local electronics store.) Once you have connected your computer to your Cricut^® machine, the “Load Mat” button is the only button you will ever need to push on your machine in the entire process. Cricut^® Craft Room will do everything else for you.
4. Once inside the application, choose the type of Cricut^® machine you own.
5. Insert your Close To My Heart Art Philosophy or Artiste cartridge into your Cricut^® machine.
6. In the lower left portion of the application there is a tab that is labeled “Images/Cartridges.” Select “All Cartridges” from the dropdown menu. (Note: You must choose a cartridge that you own. You can also purchase individual images from the Cricut^®store.)
7. Scroll to find the Close To My Heart Art Philosophy or Close To My Heart Artiste cartridges you own.
8. The virtual mat in Cricut^® Craft Room is just like the mat you’ll load into your machine. And, it is oriented the same way that you will load your mat into the machine, with the arrow at the top.
9. To drag an image to the mat, simply click on the image in the image selection tool box and move it to the mat.
10. Once the image is on the virtual mat, you can adjust the placement by clicking on the image and moving it to any location on the mat.
11. Now that you know the basics, you can start creating and exploring the possibilities!

Follow these steps to create the negative space on a card base, like you see on this Cheer Up card, featuring images from the Art Philosophy cartridge:

1. Select the “Card” tab in the Art Philosophy images. Find the card base you prefer and drag it onto the mat. (We used Square 1 for the Cheer Up card.) The image will be cut in the exact direction and location that you place it on the virtual mat. At the top of the screen, or at the left under the “Shape Properties” tab, you’ll see size boxes. Enter the width and height for your shape. This is the size it will be cut on the machine, regardless of what size your machine indicates on the flip screen.

2. Choose an image to cut out of your card front. We have chosen a butterfly by going to the Basics tab, clicking the “Show Shift/Lock Images” at the bottom, and then selecting the butterfly. Drag the image to the right side of the card base, position it, and alter the size, as desired. Once the image is in place, you will see a cut-out image in its place. This Weld feature is automatically on unless you disable it, and allows you to see how the card base will look with your images cut out.

3. Select another image, drag it to the card base, and position it how you’d like it. Continue adding images to the card base, if desired.

4. To cut your finished artwork, load the mat into your Cricut^®machine and insert the corresponding cartridge. Next, press the green Cut button at the top of the computer screen and follow the prompts. The machine will cut the shapes as you have prepared them in Craft Room. If more than one cartridge shape has been added to the project, the machine and screen will prompt you with instructions.

Here are so more artwork examples that have been made using Cricut^® Craft Room software. Follow the instructions below to learn some more fun tricks we used in creating this artwork.

Birthday Greetings card

Here’s how to create the bracket frame as shown in this Birthday Greetings card:

1. Drag a card base from Art Philosophy cartridge and size it to be 9" wide and 4½" high.
2. Add a 1½" bracket frame (from the Basic tab) to the center of the right side of the card. So far, all of the shapes have been placed in Layer 1. You can add additional layers using the Layer feature located toward the top of the screen, directly above the mat. Each Layer will be cut from a separate sheet of paper and is indicated by a different color on the screen. Using the Layer feature allows you to fully design your Cricut^® shapes before cutting any pieces.
3. Add a second Layer by clicking the plus sign. Click and hold the Layer 2 tab and drag the tab to the left so it is first in the row. This allows you to see the second Layer on top of the first so you can visualize your finished project. Drag a 3" bracket frame to the card base and position it over the 1½" frame. Then, still using Layer 2, add a 1½" bracket frame in the center of the 3" frame.
4. Maneuver the Layer 2 frames so that they perfectly line up with the Layer 1 frame. Use your keyboard arrows for exactness.
5. Cut the pieces following the prompts on the computer screen and Cricut^® machine. Layer 2 will be cut first, so be sure to load that paper first. Then load a new sheet of paper for the Layer 1 pieces.
6. Embellish the card as desired.

All Boy page

Want to create a border that spans the entire length of your 12" page? It’s easy!

1. In Craft Room, change the mat size to 12" x 24" under Machine & Mat tab on the left of the screen.
2. Drag your selected border to the mat and rotate it so it is vertical.
3. Change the height of the border to 12". It will automatically change the width proportionally unless you click the aspect ratio button between the width and height measurements.
4. Whether you have a 12" × 24" mat or a 12" × 12" mat, you can use this function with a 12" × 12" piece of paper. Simply place the border as close to the top of the Craft Room mat as possible, but not exactly flush with the top.

5. Cut the piece following the prompts on the computer screen and Cricut^® machine.

To create the title with the letters joined together to form one piece instead of individually cut letters…

1. Drag your letters to the mat
2. Overlap portions of each letter to connect them
3. Use the Weld feature to join the letters together seamlessly.
4. Cut the piece following the prompts on the computer screen and Cricut^® machine.

There are so many possibilities to explore in the Cricut^® Craft Room using the versatile Art Philosophy and Artiste cartridges from Close To My Heart! If you have any questions about using Cricut^® Craft Room, visit www.cricut.com where a Cricut^® employee will be glad to help you. Be sure to get your Art Philosophy and Artiste Cricut^®cartridges today in order to create with them in this new and exciting environment!

Frosted Designs Office Supplies Challenge

Reminder Board For Child

Office supply stores are one of my favorite places to visit; on the list just under bookstores.  Back-to-School-Time is also one of my favorites because all of the school supplies are on sale.  I think a lot of paper-crafters share similar feelings.  Which brings me to the challenge from Frosted Designs this week: Office Supplies. Whoo hoo!  I love it!

Three Pieces of Cardboard Packaging To Be Glued Together For Base

For the challenge, I knew I wanted to use shipping tags and binder clips.  I also knew that I was becoming weary of reminding my dd every single day to do some simple things.  It seemed a Reminder Chart was in order.  

The greatest thing about this project is that I used things on hand and things that would normally have been thrown into the recycling bin.

Cricut Art Philosophy Negative Cut Sheet 

After painting the cardboard base with acrylic paint, I adhered a piece of cardstock that was a leftover from a Cricut heart-cutting project that had been misted with pearl paint and water.

Binder Clips To Be Covered With Washi and Tissue Tape

On each side of the chart there are cute tape covered binder clips to hold the decorated shipping tags with the various reminders printed on them.  

Painted Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Shipping Tag

The tags are regular manilla painted with Tattered Angels Tutti Fruiti Glimmer Mist.  After they dried I ran them through the printer and added washi/tissue tape to both ends.

Close-Up of Painted Chipboard Letters With Liquid Pearls

My seven year old is the princess of re-purposing. She noticed that the double-sided tape dispenser was empty and that some of the washi tape was the same size as the used-up tape.  She suggested that I re-use the dispenser.  What a great idea! See it pictured below.

Reusing Tape Dispenser For Washi Tape

The last addition to the board was ribbon.  The one used for hanging came from a gift and the other little ones are from my stash.

Bow Tucked Through Binder Clip

She has had this in her room for a couple of days and it has helped a little bit.  Now instead of asking her if she did each of the individual things, I ask her if she did the things on the board.  It is progress!  Once these items are habits, we can change the tags to new things.

Hanging In DD's Room

This is my last Frosted Designs Challenge as a Design Team member.  When the card challenges ceased, I opted to remain for my term as a Friday team member.  I love the women who are part of Frosted Designs.  They are talented, kind and very sharing.  I will miss being a part of this amazing group, but am excited to continue working on other projects.  Speaking of which, if you get a chance, please visit Faithbooking For All for this week's Faithbooking Friday post.

Thank you for visiting! Have an amazing weekend!
Beverly