Day One of Close To My Heart's Boxing Week Sale

Today's sale items include embossing folders, Thin Cuts metal dies and Stamp & Dies bundles - 50% off.


These deals are only available from 3:00 pm (MST) December 26 to 2:59 pm (MST) December 27 while supplies last!

Santa Gift Card Holder by Jamie Lane Designs

My final gift card holder for this Holiday Season.   This gift card holder will be used to hold a card that is part of a larger gift and not just a stocking stuffer so I decided to make a small box and will tuck it into the branches of our Christmas Tree.

I found this design by Jamie Cripps in the Silhouette Design Store.  There is a tutorial on her blog that was helpful for putting it together.

I used Recollections cardstock and sponged the white cardstock with CTMH Whisper Exclusive Inks™to give it a bit of a shadow effect.  Then after threading the belt buckle onto the belly band I added some shine to it using my CTMH Clear Shimmer Brush.

My Scrap Chick has a gift card insert available as a freebie right now (Dec 23 & 24) that will fit in the bottom of the box to keep the card from sliding around.

Popcorn Gift Card Holder by Lori Whitlock

Here's another cute gift card holder using a file from the Silhouette store and designed by Lori Whitlock - perfect for movie passes.  I used Recollections cardstock and sponged the popcorn kernels with my CTMH Canary Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad.

These will go into my kid's Christmas Stockings, I like doing gift cards but they can be a bit boring so I wanted to dress them up and this file was perfect.

Christmas Kisses Gift Card Holder by Lori Whitlock

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.


Here's the first project I've made with my Silhouette Portrait using the Christmas Kisses Gift Card Holder by Lori Whitlock.

 

It fits a standard size gift card and five Kisses perfectly.

The sentiment is a print and cut and I had some Recollections cardstock with a holly print that I thought would be a great match. 

I folded all the tabs in then folded the card top-down and bottom-up and used double sided tape on the tabs. 

I adhered the gift card holder and sentiment pieces first.

Then folded the bottom box in towards the line created by the edge of the gift card holder. 

There is a solid piece at the back for writing on and a decorative strip to fill in the space below. 

The SVG file is available in Lori Whitlock's Store or in the Silhouette Design Store as a .studio file.

Cutting Stamped Images using Silhouette PixScan Mat

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

I'm always looking for ways to make crafting a little easier on my hands.   I haven't been doing much crafting for the past month or so but am hoping to do more now that I have the new We R Memories Keepers Precision Press and a Silhouette Portrait with PixScan Mat.

I love using my Cricut with the co-ordinating CTMH Stamp Sets and Cartridges but really struggle with the acrylic blocks and fussy cutting.

I'll be posting about the Precision Press soon but did post my FB Live Video on YouTube.  I tried to cover as much as possible about it (don't mind the flipping around at the beginning, I almost lost my wifi connection as I started recording) and tried out a few different types of stamps to see how it worked.

I used the Press to stamp out a bunch of images last weekend to test with the Silhouette Portrait and PixScan mat.  I decided to buy the smaller Portrait instead of a Cameo since I already had a larger machine.  I also upgraded the Silhouette Studio software to the Designer Edition since I have so many SVG files already.

I'd watched a bunch of YouTube videos while I was waiting for my machine to arrive so the software wasn't too difficult to figure out.  I'm used to the Cricut adjusting the settings for blade, speed and pressure so it will take some playing around with the Silhouette to get the best cuts.  But overall the cuts were pretty good once I adjusted my blade.

 After I uploaded my photo of the PixScan Mat and imported it into the software I selected Trace and highlighted the stamped images.

Then I turned off the high pass filter and bumped up the threshold until I had a nice solid line around the outside of each stamped image.

Here it shows the red outline which is the cut line after tracing.  

Then I created a border around them using the offset feature set at .04 so it would look similar to using metal dies with stamped images

Then I selected release compound path so I could see both the offset and original trace lines.

Then I removed the inner cut lines and deleted them so I was left with the stamped image with a border around it. 

Then I grouped the images so I wouldn't accidentally move any of the cut lines before sending to my Silhouette.

Here's a close up of my screen before cutting....

...and my stamped images after cutting. 

Love how it turned out and am looking forward to cutting more stamped images without scissors! 

I've bumped my blade up a notch since cutting these and didn't get any fuzzy edges on the other projects that I'm making for the holidays.   I think I may even end up using this little machine more than I first thought.  It is so convenient to have it sit under my desk in my office and then I can leave my Cricut in my craftroom with the bulk of my stamps and supplies.

Cricut 12 Days of Christmas: A Hello Kitty ® Holiday

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Celebrate with the cutest kitty this holiday season with the Sanrio® – A Hello Kitty Holiday Cartridge! This digital image set lets you create the prettiest scenes for cards, décor, and more. Use with Cricut® cutting machines.

• For use with all Cricut Explore Family cutting machines only (will NOT work in Cricut Craft Room)
• Includes 24 standard images, including Hello Kitty and friends, ornaments, trees, and gifts, that can be layered to create adorable scenes
• Ideal for fun and festive cards and invitations, party décor, gift wrap, photo embellishments, and more

On sale today for just $14.99 for Day 2 of  Cricut's 12 Days of Christmas

Christmas Truck Freebie, Free Kaitlyn Font and Great Discounts on Silhouette Software and Images.

There are some really great deals out there this week - I love freebies and found a couple today that I just had to share.

The Kaitlyn Script font from FontBundles.net is free this week.  It includes the swashes and alternate letters, it is so pretty and will dress up any project.

Another great freebie is the Christmas Truck Kit from Creative Fabrica, customize your design with a variety of old pickup trucks and Christmas Trees.   A very popular design this year,  I've seen these done on ornaments, pillows and hand-painted signs.

If you own a Silhouette you can get a freebie each day from the Silhouette Design Store until December 5th and can purchase designs for 50% off also.   

I just got my Silhouette Portrait last week, as much as I love my Cricut, there are a few features in Silhouette Studio that Cricut doesn't have yet, so I opted for the smaller machine.  As I get started with it I'll be sharing some more freebies and projects.  

I did upgrade to the Silhouette Designer Software from the Basic that was included - I found it for a great price at Swing Design and you can save an extra 15% right now with the coupon code option that comes up when you go to the site.  I got my software for $25.50 and it included a $10 gift card for the Silhouette Store.  

CTMH Cyber Monday Cricut Craze

If you love Close To My Heart's Cricut® Collections, you are going to want to check out today's Cyber Monday Special!

When you spend $40 on retail-priced product*, you can buy one of CTMH Cricut® Collections at 30%-off—that’s a savings of up to $37.80 per Cricut® collection! There’s no limit to the number of collections you can get at a discount—you can get one for every $40 you spend! Offer only valid today, so get shopping!  See all the Cricut Collections here



*Discounted and clearance items do not count toward purchase requirement. Offer valid Monday, November 28, 2016 while supplies last. Shipping is assessed on the full retail value of products.

Mystery Boxes & Cricut Black Friday Sale Extended Through 11/27

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Great savings at Cricut this weekend, the Black Friday sale has been extended through 11/27.

If you are thinking about getting a new Explore Air or Explore Air 2 now is a great time to buy, there are some great deals on Machine Bundles this weekend.  And you get an extra 15% off everything but Cricut Access + free standard shipping with code BLACKFRIDAY.


And they have brought back three Mystery Boxes at lower prices than originally sold for.  These sell out quick - available while supplies last!


I bought the November Mystery Box earlier this month for $29.99 and it is now on for $19.99

Here's what I received in mine:

Roll of Gold Vinyl (12x48 inches)

Roll of Silver Vinyl (12x48 inches)

Cricut Scraper and Spatula set

1 package Cricut Washi (5 - 12x12 sheets)

1 package Cricut Metallic Poster Board (7 - 12x12 sheets)

1 package Cricut Faux Leather (3 - 12x12 sheets)

1 package Cricut Window Cling (6 - 12x12 sheets)

1 package Cricut Vinyl assorted colours (12 - 12x12 sheets)

1 package of Cricut Transfer tape (4 - 12x12 sheets)

There is also a Cuttlebug Mystery box for $19.99 ($194 value) and a Digital Mystery Box for $24.99 ($79.95 value) while supplies last.

Cricut Access subscribers also receive an extra 10% off all orders placed through the Cricut store & Design Space.  

Mojo Monday 475 with CTMH City Sidewalks

Like last week, I decided to use up some more of the CTMH City Sidewalks paper pack with the Woodland Wishes stamp and die bundle for the latest Mojo Monday Sketch.

Such a fun paper pack, and I love the word search pattern, if you look hard you will find holiday themed words on it.  I can see two toward the bottom right beside the banner.

Just a little bit of sparkle with the addition of some silver twine and a rhinestone in the centre of the snowflake.

Close To My Heart Products Used:

City Sidewalks Paper Packet

Lagoon Cardstock

White Daisy Cardstock

Woodland Wishes Thin Cuts Bundle

Thin 3-D Foam Tape

Cricut Thanksgiving/Black Friday Specials

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Cricut Thanksgiving Day Sale
All cartridge titles (physical and digital) lowest price of the season; special machine discounts, clearance items, deep discounts on supplies

Valid 11/24 only

Extra 15% off everything but Cricut Access + free standard shipping with code BLACKFRIDAY

Valid 11/24/16  - 11/27/16

October Mystery Box is Back!!

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.


Cricut has just re-released the Cuttlebug Mystery Box that was available last month.
It is full of Cuttlebug supplies and is only available while supplies last.

Worth over $190, you can grab it for just $29.99 and if you use the code HOLIDAYDEALS you get an extra 10% off and free shipping.  Cricut Access subscribers will also get an additional 10% off.

Mojo Monday 474 with CTMH City Sidewalks

For this week's sketch challenge over at Mojo Monday, I made a card using the CTMH City Sidewalks Paper Pack & Woodland Wishes Thin Cuts Bundle.

I had bought the Woodland Wishes Bundle with the intention of using it with my Oh, Deer WYW Kit and thought the Snowflake stamp and matching die would work well above the banner where the flower is in the sketch.  I added a bit of sparkle with White Shimmer Trim, Bitty Sparkles, and the new Shimmer Brush.

Close To My Heart Products Used:

Woodland Wishes Thin Cuts Bundle

City Sidewalks Paper Packet

White Daisy Cardstock

White Shimmer Trim

Bitty Sparkles

Shimmer Brush—Clear

Lagoon Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad

Peacock Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad

Early Black Friday Sale at Cricut

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.


Don't miss out on the great deals on Cricut images, supplies and machine bundles during the Early Black Friday Sale!

Cartridges Starting at $9.99

Save on physical and digital titles. 

33% Off Supplies & Materials 

Cricut Explore One™ Coral Deluxe Bundle Clearance!

Get the coral machine and everything you need to get started for only $169.99. 

Explore Machine + Cuttlebug Machine - color coordinated bundle

Don't forget to use the code HOLIDAYDEALS to get an extra 10% off and FREE shipping

(excludes Cricut Access and Explore Air 2)

or

Free Shipping - No Order Minimum with code FREESHIPNOV

US FedEx Home Delivery and Canadian flat-rate economy only

(good towards Explore Air 2 purchase)

Don't forget if you are a Cricut Access Subscriber you also save an additional 10% off all orders on Cricut website and in Design Space.  Great savings if you also apply one of the coupon codes above to your purchase.

Halloween Layout with CTMH Jeepers Creepers

Here's a layout I finished using pictures from October 2000 using cardstock and embellishments from the new CTMH Jeepers Creepers Workshops Your Way Scrapbooking Kit.

I used two free sketches that I downloaded from Scrapbook Generation to plan out my layout, changed just a little to include the Beware pocket card instead of a 4x4 piece of cardstock.  On the RAWR layout, I switched the photo to the opposite corner from what was suggested but kept all the cardstock and photos the recommended sizes.

After inking the edges in Goldrush Ink, I dressed up the Beware Pocket Card with a strip of Black Shimmer Trim, and the embellishments and Washi Tape are from the Jeepers Creepers Kit.  The Willow patterned cardstock that I used to mat the smaller photos is from the Adventure Fundamentals paper pack.

This is one of the cutest Halloween Kits I've seen, there is also a patterned cardstock with adorable little monsters on it.

Close To My Heart Products Used:

Jeepers Creepers WYW Scrapbooking Kit

Black Shimmer Trim

Willow Cardstock - Adventure Fundamentals

Goldrush Exclusive Inks

CTMH Everyday Life™ 2017 Planner Pages Now Available

Close To My Heart has just released the 2017 Planner Pages, available in a bundle with your choice of Albums, Stripes or Sea Glass, or just buy the refill set and re-use your 2016 Everyday Life album.

This years' set includes a zip top pencil case and 3 gold paperclips, 

the monthly dividers have great designs ready for you to color.  

 Available in a bundle with the black and white album or in Sea Glass (colour of the year).

Available for a limited time, order yours today!

Use as a planner or expand it as a memory keeper by adding in page protectors (Z3192, Z3191, Z3252) and Picture My Life pocket scrapbooking cards or My Crush pages (Z4020, Z9978).

New Autumn Decor SVG Bundle from Dreaming Tree

Have you seen the latest from Dreaming Tree?

This Autumn Decor Svg Bundle is free with $9.98 purchase.

What a fun set - I love the lantern.  Don't forget to check the Freebies section - lots of great files to download for your cutting machine.

Coffee Card Using Tim Holtz Set With Distress Inks

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

A month ago I picked up this great Tim Holtz coffee set at Michaels, it included coordinating stamps, dies and the On The Go embossing folder.  

I went back last week after taking a class in distress inks, to use a 50% off coupon and picked up a Distress Ink Kit that had neutral colour mini distress ink pads in it.   Using one of the tags from the kit, I followed the instructions for blending then decided to use the coffee stamp & die set to make a card.

I stamped the coffee cup onto the tag, then I stamped it again on a scrap of cardstock and used Distress Inks to shade the cup,  then I stamped a third time for the coffee sleeve and used more distress inks for slightly different colours.   I used the included coffee cup and sleeve dies to cut out the stamped images then used foam tape to layer them over the original stamped image.    

The tag was really long so I cut an inch off the bottom then stamped the sentiment from the Tim Holtz set on the scrap piece and cut it out with the coordinating die.   I topped the tag with some twine from my stash and frayed the top.

I embossed my  Early Espresso card base with the On The Go embossing folder then used some Walnut Stain Distress Ink on the cups closest to the outside edges.  

I used my CTMH Shimmer Brush on the Coffee Sleeve to add a little bit of shimmer to the logo area.

Distress Inks Used:

Walnut Stain

Vintage Photo

Antique Linen

Faded Jeans

Tumbled Glass

Shaded Lilac

Hickory Smoke

Butterfly Cards Using Distress Inks

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.


I took a class at a local scrapbook store this week and learned how to use Distress Ink.  I've seen them around for years but didn't know what the difference was between this and regular dye based ink.

I was curious and loved the preview pictures for the class so I decided it give it a try - I'm so glad I did because I absolutely loved it.   So much that I placed an order through Scrapbook.com yesterday for a few of the mini kits and some stencils that were on sale.

Here are the finished cards that we made in class using different techniques including blending, dry embossing, heat embossing and stenciling:

I added a bit of shimmer to the butterfly wings after I got home using the new 

CTMH Shimmer Brush - I love that extra bit of sparkle. 

Inks Used:

Dusty Concord

Faded Jeans

Hickory Smoke

Peacock Feathers

Shaded Lilac

Tumbled Glass

Redesigned Close To My Heart Ink Pads Now Available

I'm happy to announce that the redesigned Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pads are now available in the new colours that were introduced with the Annual Inspirations Idea Book at the beginning of this month:

• Raspberry
• Blossom
• Tangerine
• Lemon
• Willow
• Emerald
• Pansy
• plus Colour of the Year, Sea Glass

I'm so happy that these have been redesigned - I have issues with the tendons in my thumb and have had problems opening a few different types of ink pads.  These are easy to open, and have a convenient magnetic closure - so they will stay shut when not in use.  The lid also acts a palette for picking up ink with a water brush or blender pen.  

I will definitely be replacing my current stock with this new design as soon as the rest of the colours become available.

The new Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pads are $10.25 CAD or free with Hostess Rewards.  

Cricut August Digital Mystery Box

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

For use in Design Space with Cricut Explore, this Digital Mystery Box contains 4 unreleased digital cartridges and will be ready to use right after purchase.  No waiting around for package delivery - doesn't get much better than this!

Valued at $79.96, get the Digital Mystery Box now for only $29.99 and if you click through this link you can get an extra 10% off anything at Cricut.com (excludes Access) + free shipping.

Masculine Birthday Card using New CTMH Products

It's what I refer to as Birthday Week in our household.  Three birthday's in less than a week just in my immediate family, plus a few more in our extended family.

Here's the first card, a masculine card using some products from the new CTMH Annual Inspirations Idea Book with a few tiny scraps from my Urban paper packet from last year.

I used Sapphire Ink on Sapphire Cardstock using my Ink Blot stamp set on the strip of cardstock on the left.  I embossed the Whisper Cardstock (and sponged the edges) with the new Simple Chevron embossing folder,  the star is from our new Thin-Cuts Stars Die.   The Saffron pieces are also sponged with Saffron Ink

The patterned pieces are all leftover from the CTMH Urban pack - I stretched that pack so far that all I have left right now are some pieces that are about an inch or so wide and the zip-strips that I cut off the top of the 12x12 sheets.

I also used my Mini Stapler and add some staples to the edge of the Whisper Twine and the Pennants at the top.  I really love using the mini-staples when doing masculine cards or layouts. 

It was hard to get a good photo, but the sparkle that you see on the star die cut is from the new Clear Shimmer Brush, it leaves just a little shine and I love that I didn't have to pull out the glue and glitter. 

Close To My Heart Products Used:

12" × 12" Whisper Cardstock

12" × 12" Sapphire Cardstock

12" × 12" Saffron Cardstock

12" × 12" Colonial White Cardstock

Urban Paper Pack (retired)

Sapphire Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad

Whisper Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad

Saffron Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad

Shimmer Brush—Clear

Thin Cuts—Stars

Simple Chevron Embossing Folder

Mini Stapler

Mini Staples

Round Sponge

Whisper Thick Twine

5 1/2" × 4 1/4" White Cards & Envelopes, Value Pack

Hello, Life - Scrapbooking stamp set (retired)

Hello, Life - Cardmaking stamp set (retired)

Ink Blot

In Canada? You can purchase CTMH products on my website:

http://nancyhelmer.closetomyheart.ca

Or start your own CTMH business for just $95. 

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