July Technique Blog Hop - Simple Shadows

Welcome to our Technique Blog Hop this month where we are featuring the "Simple Shadows" technique located on page 102 of the current Annual Inspirations.  Here is a summary of the technique as found in the idea book.

If you are coming from Debi's Blog, you are on the right track.  She happens to be the start of the hop where you can also find a complete list of participants.

I decided to use one our Design Creations Lagoon Paper Bags to make a holder for some photos I am giving to a friend.  I used the Artbooking Cricut cartridge, exclusive to Close To My Heart, for both the camera and sentiment images.

The camera image was cut out at 2 1/2" - both the Black and Cranberry pieces.  Smile was cut at 2" out of Black and Canary cardstock and staggered a bit as shown in the technique.  (I just realized I used the same image as the sample.  LOL)  The original sentiment says "Smiles" but I did cut off the "s" to just have "Smile".  I added some Light Gray Epoxy Bubbles, Pixie Extra Thick Twine, and a Bubbly Enamel Shape.

Here are the pages for the two keys I used - page 40 and 51:

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave a comment, if you choose.  Now head on over to Wendy's Blog to see her fabulous incorporation of this technique.

Happy Hoppin'!

Artbooking Convention Book

Isn't this mini book too fun?  Besides being a mini book, it was created for a unique purpose!  My Mom made these gifts for her Convention roommates for our Close To My Heart Annual Convention that was held in June.  Thankfully I was one of her roomies so I got one too!  :)

She cut the book, using some of our retired paper, using our exclusive Cricut Artbooking Cartridge.  She printed our Convention logo for the front and then made pages to follow to hold our Convention receipts.  Did you know we can write off our business expenses?  So...YES...I can spend money on scrapbooking products, create with them, show them off at my business events and write them off at the end of the year.  Too awesome, right?!

You can see the way the inside pockets are created and then the cute labels.  Yes, I love this!

For some reason this photo keeps coming in sideways and I can't figure out why.

The Artbooking Cricut Cartridge is perfect for making these kind of mini albums and they are super easy to assemble.  Let me know if you would like to order one!

Thanks for stopping by!

Artbooking Made Easy: Artbooking My Life

Surely you have seen the wonderful campaign being offered this month, through Close To My Heart, if you join the company or better yet, MY TEAM, during this month!  You get to choose one of our exclusive Cricut cartridges for FREE!  If you want further details on the campaign check out this post.

Now, check out this video for another reason you'll want not only our Artbooking Cricut cartridge but products from our Picture My Life Scrapbooking Program.  Check out the video and then continue reading this post.  ENJOY!



WOW!  How did you like that?!  So many possibilities and so many fun products to create with!

I  have these product items in my possession and have seen some wonderful creations, like what was shared in the video, using this new product line.  I am going to play this weekend, creating some pages using Artbooking and various lines of Pictures My Life!  As Monica states on the video, you gotta love coordinating products that work so well together!  It is also refreshing to preserve memories with ease using this different style of scrapbooking, providing an alternative to your projects!

Check out the blog post from our President & CEO, Jeanette Lynton, with still photos of the artwork featured in the video.

Let me know if you like what you saw or if you have any questions.

The weekend is on the horizon!

It's a Scrapbooking Pajama Party!

Close To My Heart is teaming up with Big Picture Classes to bring you a live webcast about the Cricut® Artbooking collection - our newest Cricut cartridge. Purchase the collection beginning August 1, 2013 and revolutionize the way you scrapbook!

The Artbooking Collection comes with an exclusive Cricut cartridge (over 700 images), three coordinating stamp sets and three sheets of Dimensional Elements (aka chipboard) to coordinate with the stamp images.  This all for just $99!  Host a party and submit orders totaling $250 or more and you can purchase it for half off (just $50)!

Tune in for the FREE webcast on Wednesday, July 31 at 7:00 pm (MDT) at BigPictureClasses.com. During the presentation, you’ll learn to make several projects from a variety of sponsors, including Close To My Heart’s Artbooking “2 of a Kind” layout.

If you would like to interact on the message board, participate in live chat, post to the gallery, download handouts, or enter any contests, you will need to log in to the Pajama Party “classroom” by creating a FREE account on the Big Picture Classes website.

I hope you enjoy this sneak peek of the new Artbooking collection as Kristine Widtfeldt and the Big Picture Classes crew make the featured project and share their tips and tricks. I know you will be chomping at the bit to make the Artbooking layout, so take this opportunity to sit back, relax, and drool over the items, then be ready to spring into action August 1 when you can buy the collection. Then tune in to the archived event for step-by-step details on how to make the project.

To make the project, you will need the following items—or similar products—on hand:
Z1906 Cricut® Artbooking Collection*
1301 Bamboo Cardstock
1388 Colonial White Cardstock
X5668 Honey Cardstock
X5762 Lagoon Cardstock
X5930 Slate Cardstock
X5639 Sweet Leaf Cardstock
X5666 Twilight Cardstock
Z2160 Twilight Exclusive Inks® Pad
Z2173 Slate Exclusive Inks® Pad
Z1853 Aqua Dots*
Z1799 Silver Shimmer Trim
Z1151 3-D Foam Tape
Z1294 Sanding Kit

*Items are not available for order until August 1, 2013 but on that day...SHOP MY WEBSITE from the comfort of your own home and let me know if you have any questions!

One of the big sells in the new cartridge is the ability to make a variety of mini albums.  There is a lot of potential for great artwork using this new tool!

Looking forward to the Pajama Party on the 31st and I hope to "see" you there!