Artbooking Made Easy: Cross-Cartridge Collaboration

Collectively, the Close To My Heart Cricut® cartridges hold 2,100 images, and that means a whole lot of possibilities for some unique and masterful projects! Today’s Artbooking Made Easy episode is all about having a grand time mixing, matching, manipulating, and mastering these thousands of shapes for unparalleled masterpieces.

Take a look at this episode of Artbooking Made Easy to get an idea of what 3 very compatible cartridges can do:

The possibilities for unique layouts made with these 3 cartridges are, quite obviously, endless! So what happens when you combine the strategies of the 3 fabulous cartridges with even more tools of the trade? For you, master of the layout, orchestrating the tools, papers, embellishments of your papercrafting space to bring to life your landslide of ideas, I offer a few ideas of questions you can ask yourself to better harmonize all your instruments together into one scintillating symphony:

1) Where do I see this same design in my other products, and how can I combine them with or substitute them for one another?

Did you notice in the video that the woodgrain design of the stamp on the “Beach Baby” layout is also found on the washi tape of the “Hello World” layout? Did you know the Artbooking cartridge also has a woodgrain overlay (page 66)?

2) How would this piece look at a different size?

You saw in the video the transformation of the butterfly card into an adorable tag, and it was absolutely charming!

3) How can an added embellishment help this piece become a completely different shape?

Notice the yo-yos on the “Beach Baby” layout. Here they’ve been used as a fun, eye-catching accent, but could easily become flowers, balloons, or Christmas tree ornaments with the addition of leaf flourishes made of mini-medley accents, tails made of baker’s twine, and hooks made of Slate striped twist ties.

4) How will changing the color of this piece transform my project?

You saw in the video the boxes made from both White Daisy and Topiary cardstock. Same box, different color—and didn’t they look completely unique? See how this Topiary box has a completely different feel because of its unique color. Whether you’re looking to cater your project to a certain age group, gender, or occasion, you often make drastic changes with a simple color swap!

5) Can I replace any feature of this piece with stamping?

Take a look at the nice woodgrain background stamp taking the place of B&T paper on the “Beach Baby” layout: simple and subtle! Would you have thought to use this background on a layout focused on the beach? Its grain reminds me of wave-pressed sandy beaches, and I hadn’t realized it until I saw it here. How creative!

And a few more: How can this shape be adapted for journaling? For intricate cuts: How can I break this shape down to form a simpler shape? For simple cuts: How can I create a more intricate shape by combining this with other small shapes? Does this piece need a background? If so, should it be intricate, bold, subtle? Is there a stamp I can use that recreates a 3-D embellishment? What options, besides paper, do I have for filling my negative space? Ribbon, textiles, stamping?

Think outside the box—that dull, brown box—and you’re sure to find other, more exciting boxes that, when used in harmony, make your papercrafted symphony swell!

Recipes:
12" x 12" Beach Baby Page
Reflections: Front & Center—Focal™
Z1906 Cricut® Artbooking Collection
Z1790 Cricut® Artiste Collection
Z1686 Cricut® Art Philosophy Collection
D1558 My Acrylix® Washi Wonder
S1312 My Acrylix® Special Care
X7169B Tommy Paper Packet
Z1850 Lagoon Houndstooth Washi Tape
Z1754 Sparkles Black & Grey Assortment
Z1853 Aqua Dots
Colors: White Daisy, Honey, Laughing Lola Purple, Blush, Crystal Blue, Sweet Leaf, Chocolate, kraft

12" x 12" Hello World page
Reflections: Front & Center—Focal™
Z1906 Cricut® Artbooking Collection
Z1790 Cricut® Artiste Collection
Z1686 Cricut® Art Philosophy Collection
D1558 My Acrylix® Washi Wonder
S1312 My Acrylix® Special Care
X7171B Sarita Paper Packet
Z1701 Baker’s Twine Neutral Assortment
Z1853 Aqua Dots
Z1908 Party Washi Tape 3-Pack
Colors: White Daisy, Whisper, Lagoon, Crystal Blue, Sunset

4" Wish Gift Box (with 1 3/4" Butterfly Tag)
Z1906 Cricut® Artbooking Collection
Z1790 Cricut® Artiste Collection
Z1686 Cricut® Art Philosophy Collection
D1558 My Acrylix® Washi Wonder
Z1701 Baker’s Twine Neutral Assortment
Z1702 Baker’s Twine Paradise Assortment
Z1829 Black & Grey Glitter Paper
Z1263 Bitty Sparkles
Z1852 Stitch Guide
Colors: Whisper, Sky, White Daisy, Smoothie

5 1/2" An Original Gift Box
Z1906 Cricut® Artbooking Collection
Z1790 Cricut® Artiste Collection
Z1686 Cricut® Art Philosophy Collection
D1555 My Acrylix® All the Details
X7171B Sarita Paper Packet
Z1853 Aqua Dots
Z280 Natural Hemp
Z1863 Color-Ready Midtown Cork Shapes
Z697 Round Sponge
Colors: Topiary, Lagoon, Chocolate, kraft