CTMH & Cricut - introducing Art Philosophy Cricut® Collection

Last week, Close To My Heart held their annual Convention at the Disneyland Hotel.  And I was fortunate enough to be selected to teach an Extravaganza class featuring the BIG announcement for the year - it is the Art Philosophy Cricut® Collection.  It is a bit difficult to see in the photo, but there is an exclusive Cricut cartridge along with his spiral companion book, three stamp sets with images that can be cut using the Cricut cartridge, and three Dimensional Elements shaped chipboard sheets which also coordinate with the Art Philosophy cartridge.  This entire bundle is only $99, and is available beginning August 1.

As an Extravaganza teacher, I received the new Art Philosophy cartridge along with new papers and other products being introduced about two months in advance so that I could create display boards and prepare for the seven classes that I would teach.  

The Art Philosophy cartridge is incredible - it includes 700 shapes.  There are 50 basic shapes (shown on this button overlay).  But the most amazing part is that all six Feature buttons of the Cricut are utilized.  

The Feature buttons are fabulous.  For each of the basic shapes, you have the following Features:

• Layer:  frames, outline shapes
• Decorative Layer: tags and frames with cut-outs
• Tag:  shaped tags with cut-outs, and ribbon slides
• Card:  shaped cards, and cards with cut-out image windows
• Font:  26 letters, numbers, special characters, photo corners, borders, spiral flowers
• Decorative Font:  26 letters with decorative stems, 3D boxes, envelopes, flourishes, doilies, more borders

You simply have to see the booklet to appreciate the potential of this Cricut cartridge.  Considering that all of the Feature buttons are utilized, and in such unique ways, this cartridge seems to be the equivalent of at least three 'regular' Cricut cartridges.

For a sneak peek at some of the possibilities, here are the three display boards that I created for Extravaganza.

Board #1:  Features images that be cut using the last button on the overlay, which includes a tag and a cupcake.  The cupcake stamp is in one of the stamp sets that is bundled with the Art Philosophy cartridge.  New papers featured are from the Elemental and the Roxie kits.

Board #2:  Features the new Sonoma paper pack along with some shaped cards, letters, and other images cut using the Art Philosophy cartridge. The stamps on the three cards are also included in the bundle with the Cricut cartridge. 

Board #3:  Includes papers from Wonderland and Believe paper kits.  Notice the variety of different card shapes that can be cut using the Art Philosophy cartridge as well as the large flowers that are from the Hooray Bouquet stamp set, and the holly leaves that are from the new A Holiday stamp set.  Both of these stamp sets, along with many others in the Idea Book include coordinating images that can be cut using the Cricut cartridge.  These coordinating stamp set shapes are in addition to the stamp shapes in the three stamp sets that are included with the purchase of the Art Philosophy cartridge.

And for even more information, CTMH has prepared a short video introducing the Art Philosophy Cricut® Collection.