Fabric Basics

Here are some more beautiful ideas from CTMH using their new fabric collections.

Learn great tips and techniques for using fabric in your artwork—where to use it, how to adhere it, and how to create ruffles, flowers, and much more!

Glitter Glam

CTMH has produced several videos that provide viewers with tips and techniques for using their products in lots of great ways! I love the shimmer and bling on these projects.
It’s easy to add glitter glam to your projects with products like glitter paper, Shimmer trim, glitter gel, and more. Watch the video to learn how!

Such A Treat!

This video from Close To My Heart shows some of the fun new products that are available in the new Idea Book and Catalog.  The online version of the catalog is here if you would like to take a look.

Give someone the treat of a homemade gift from the heart, personalized down to the very container itself. Watch the video to learn how to use some of our new gift giving products for your special treats.

It's A Cricut Party!

Whether you use one Cricut®-cut piece or several, you can create cute party favors and decorations using your Artiste cartridge. Combine your Cricut® pieces with unique stamping techniques and you have projects that will knock your guests’ socks off! Want some recipes and tips for how to make this adorable artwork? Below are instructions for creating two pieces from the “Clearly the Best: How to kiss—with stamps” episode. Combine the Cricut®-cut pieces for these projects with the kissing stamping technique taught in the video, and you have a stellar 3-D item!  Want to learn more about the kissing stamping technique? Watch the video.

Recipes and Tips

Party Banner
Stamp set of your choice
X5668 Honey Cardstock
X5764 Pear Cardstock
1272 Cranberry Cardstock
Z2197 Pear Exclusive Inks® Pad
Z2163 White Daisy Exclusive Inks® Pad
Z1751 Baker’s Twine Harvest Assortment
Z1311 1¼" Circle Punch

Cricut® Shapes:
Artiste
1" Shift+3D Object (cut 56, p. 57)

Art Tip! This banner only uses one type of Cricut® shape, but the finished product is still stunning. Use stamp kissing to randomly stamp across the pieces using the stamp set of your choice. Score with the help of the Cricut®-cut score lines on the shape and piece together to create little globes. Tie together with baker’s twine and voila!

Owl Miss You Bag
1385 White Daisy Cardstock
1292 Crystal Blue Cardstock
X5668 Honey Cardstock
X5930 Slate Cardstock
Z2162 Honey Exclusive Inks® Pad
Z2117 Crystal Blue Exclusive Inks® Pad
Z1349 Shimmer Designer Brads
Z1752 Sparkles Clear Assortment
Z1311 1¼" Circle Punch
Twist Ties
Thread

Cricut® Shapes:
Artiste
4½" 3D Object (p. 77)
4½" Shift+3D Object (cut 2, p. 77)
1" Shift+Accent 2 (p. 51)

Art Tip! This project uses many Cricut® shapes and all the pieces coordinate so nicely for an adorable finished product. Use the Artiste assembly booklet to put the bag together and then add the embellishments. The feathers are created with punched circles that are stamped using the kissing technique; however, if you don’t have the circle punch, you can easily make these using the Cricut as well. The eyes were created using Shimmer designer brads, but you can use any large brad or button to create the same look. Finish with the “owl miss you sentiment” for a special touch.

This post was reproduced with permission from CTMH.

Fabulous Fabrics

CTMH now has fabric to coordinate with two of the new paper packs.

Discover how to dress up a layout with fabric! The fabulous fabric designs in the Chantilly and For Always textile collections are easy to include and really punch up the pizzazz in your papercrafting projects!

This video produced by CTMH will give you a couple of ideas to get your creative juices flowing!

Creating With Canvas

This is a great way to use wrapped canvas to display photographs. CTMH produced a short video tutorial for the process:




Click here to see the canvas that was used in the video.

Digital Delights!

February is sure to be a month of digital delights because you can purchase any Studio J® layout for only $5—that’s a savings of $1.95 per layout! This is a great opportunity to try Studio J for the first time. Create adorable baby layouts with the Wishes and Fishes kit (shown), or use the new Express Collections with collections of 10 ready-made layouts plus a front and back cover that are easy to use and professionally designed. Preserve your memories at a low price for a truly digital delight!

*Shipping/handling applies. Studio J credits must be redeemed before this promotion can be applied. Offer valid February 1–28, 2013.

Fabric and Frame

Reprinted with permission from CTMH -

One way to add texture, color, and pattern to a piece of home décor is with fabric. The new Chantilly textiles make it easy to embellish with fabrics that include the beautiful colors and patterns that are typical of Close To My Heart. In the frame décor featured on page 16 of the Spring/Summer 2013 Idea Book, pieces of Pear damask and Buttercup polka-dot fabric from the Chantilly textiles, as well as burlap ribbon, add a little something extra to a standard white frame. Follow these simple steps to incorporate fabric into an embellished frame that you can hang anywhere.

1. Determine how long you’d like the finished ribbon and bow. This is based on the size of your frame and if you’ll be hanging it. If you are hanging it on a wall or door, you’ll need enough ribbon to wrap around the top of the frame a couple of times and still have a long strip coming out the back of the frame.
2. Cut enough strips of fabric to equal your desired length, making sure the strips are about 3½" wide to wrap around the burlap ribbon.
3. Sew the short ends of the strips together to create one long strip that equals the finished size you need for the project.
4. Fold the long fabric strip around a piece of burlap ribbon of the same size and secure temporarily with a straight pin.
5. With a sewing machine, carefully sew four straight lines down the length of the fabric-wrapped burlap ribbon. This will keep the burlap from moving around or bunching up inside the fabric.



6. Loop and hot glue the fabric-wrapped burlap ribbon around the top of the frame a couple of times so that it is nice and sturdy for handling and hanging.



7. Tie the remaining fabric-wrapped burlap ribbon into a large bow. Fold the tails of the bow into a wave and hot glue to the frame to secure the shape.




8. Embellish frame with accessories, as desired.


Easy, isn’t it? Now you have a beautiful piece of fabric-embellished home décor that you can show off to friends, family, and especially your customers! Check out the Chantilly and For Always textiles in the Spring/Summer 2013 Idea Book to get your creative juices flowing for more project ideas with fabric.

National Papercrafting Month

Whooo’s Your Valentine!

Spend $35 and get the exclusive Whooo’s Your Valentine kit for only $10!

Celebrate National Papercrafting Month with an incredible deal—our Whooo’s Your Valentine kit (CC1022) for only $10! Combine your love of papercrafting with the contents of this kit to create personalized valentines—perfect for classrooms and other group settings. This darling kit, which retails for $40,
can be yours for only $10 when you spend $35 or more in Close To My Heart products from the Autumn/Winter 2012 Idea Book*. 

This kit offers you a sneak peek at two new Spring/Summer
2013 products: the treat tubes and the silver glitter
paper! Decorate the die-cut boxes with the stamp
images, cardstock, and glitter paper. Then attach the
clear tube and fill with treats for valentines in a cinch!

* Products purchased can include stamp sets from the Spring/
Summer 2012 Idea Book, or any products live on any Online
Business Address (OBA) site through January. 

Shipping/handling may apply. Offer valid December 13, 2012—
January 31, 2013. Maximum of one Whooo’s Your Valentine kit per
qualifying order.

Kit includes:

• 12—Die-Cut Boxes (3 each of 4 colors: Blush, Hollyhock, Ruby, White Daisy)

• 3—12" x 12" Cardstock Sheets (Blush, Hollyhock, White Daisy)

• 1—Sheet Silver Glitter Paper—new product for Spring/Summer 2013!

• 12—Treat Tubes with Lids—new product for Spring/Summer 2013!

• 1—My Acrylix®

Whooo’s Your Valentine Stamp Set (D-size)

Please shop here.

Capture the Date November Promotion from CTMH

Capture the Date, Capture the Savings!
November 2012 Constant Campaign

To show our support of Red Cross relief efforts for those areas of the US severely affected by Hurricane Sandy, Close To My Heart will donate $1 for every Stamp of the Month set sold as a part of this promotion during November.

In November, you’ll get something extra when you buy the Stamp of the Month—50% off another stamp set! When you qualify for and buy the November Stamp of the Month set, Capture the Date, you’ll receive another stamp set* of your choice for 50% off—it’s like two promotions in one! The versatile Capture the Date stamp set is great for any layout, card, invitation, or calendar, and now you can choose another stamp set at half-off for more wonderful papercrafting. Get Capture the Date and then capture the savings today!

* Offer valid for A-E and M size stamp sets only; K-size, Workshops on the Go^®, Cricut^® collection, and Stamp of the Month stamp sets are not eligible for this promotion. Maximum of one 50% off stamp set per order.

Dates: Offer valid November 1–30, 2012

To start shopping please click here.  Please join my Gathering on the website ending November 30th when you shop.  Thank you.

Beverly