Tips for Trimming Photos

Close To My Heartphoto trimmer, photos, pictures, Short Story, Story by Stacy, story telling, trimming 4 Comments

Any time you scrapbook, what’s one thing you almost always have to do? Trim your photos! We’d guess you usually have a stack of photos that you have to cut and crop to fit on your layouts. This is also true in our newest Story by Stacy™ workshop kit, Short Story, where you work with a large group of photos to create a 6″ x 6″ album. What makes Short Story special is the approach it takes for creating a visual story with your photos. Using this workshop kit, you learn how to trust your own intuition and take some of the decision-making out of how to use your photos. The secret is … trimming your photos FIRST!

Before you create a page or a layout, you’re going to trim your photos. This might seem a little strange or even feel uncomfortable, but it’s so worth it in the process. Here’s how it works. You take your stack of photos and start trimming off the pieces that aren’t necessary. When you’re working with a stack of 4″ x 6″ photos, the photo trimmer is the perfect tool to help you. Trimming your photos before making pages will help you create visual impact in your album, and it keeps the focus of your album on the elements of your photos that are the most meaningful to you.

We know it’s hard to try to trim and resize photos BEFORE you know what your layout looks like, but that’s part of what makes this process so exciting and a great reboot for your creativity. Try these tips to get started.

Begin by trimming just a little bit, then trim a little more.

If the thought of taking several inches off a photo is too much, baby steps are a great way to start. Try removing just a small piece off one side and then the other. Take a look at what you have left, and BEFORE you move on to your next photo, try to trim just a little bit more.

Trim to focus on the most important part of the photo.

If the photo, for example, is of your kids playing together, think about what the most important part of that photo actually is. Do you have to see all the background, or is the point of the photo that they are enjoying being together? You can trim parts of people’s legs or arms, too. Don’t feel like you need to keep the entire person in the photo. Maybe there is someone you don’t know on the edge of the photo. It’s not necessary to keep them, either. Get rid of all the extra things that can distract from the focus of the photo.

Trim some of the landscape out of the photo.

You don’t need several inches of water, grass, or sky. These things can usually always be trimmed.

Trim your photos into sizes that are easy to use on a 6″ x 6″ page.

When you’re working with Short Short, try to trim your photos into sizes that fit nicely together on a 6″ x 6″ page. Use sizes like 3″ x 4″, 2″ x 6″, or 2″ and 3″ squares. This makes it just a little bit easier when you assemble your pages. If you are scrapbooking in a different format, you can apply this same concept. Consider how much space you have to work with and how many photos you’d like on the page. Then trim away!

Not every single photo needs to be trimmed!

You could have two or three photos that you really love in their original 4″ x 6″ size. That’s perfectly okay! This is your album and your story. Keep in mind, the more photos you trim, the more photos you can include in your album. For a Short Story album, just remember if you leave every photo in the normal 4″ x 6″ size, you won’t be able to fit many on the 6″ x 6″ pages.

Now that you have some ideas for getting started, here are a couple examples for you of how the concept of trimming your photos first works.

We trimmed these two photos using some of the tips we’ve given you. In these examples, strangers in the background or the car they are sitting in isn’t really the most important part of the photo. Plus, as you can see in the layout below, we already had one photo that showed more of the car. It wasn’t necessary to have two photos with the same car. What makes these photos interesting and special are those facial expressions.

By trimming photos, we were able to combine five photos on this one Short Story layout. Using this process takes some of the time and energy out of deciding how to resize photos and how to attach them to your pages. With the Short Story workshop kit, you will use your trimmed photos to create one page at a time, adding as many photos as you can to each page. Then you’ll pull it all together with patterned paper and embellishments.

If you haven’t tried the Short Story workshop kit yet, check out our Visual Storytelling with Short Story blog post for more details about this new Story by Stacy™ product. Then, grab a friend, and give this workshop kit a try! Whether you are scrapbooking your story with Short Story, an Everyday Life™ album, or a 12″ x 12″ page, these tips can help you focus on what’s important in the photos you take and the memories they represent. Do you have tips for trimming photos? We’d love to hear them in the comments below!

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October 9, 2018Community

Everyone Deserves a Smile

Close To My HeartBeautiful Soul, Charity, Non-profit, operation smile 2 Comments

In honor of world smile day last Friday, we shared the story of a young man named Enok on our Facebook page. For 25 years, Enok lived in pain and isolation. He was tormented and mocked because of his severe cleft lip. With the help of Operation Smile™, it’s partners, and volunteers, Enok received the gift of a smile.

This is his story.

We share Enok’s smile with you today to bring awareness to the critical situation faced by billions worldwide who continue to suffer from a cleft lip or palate due to a lack of access to safe surgical care. Every three minutes another child is born with this condition, resulting in malnourishment, speech impediments, and social stigma.

The majority of people who lack access to safe surgical care are often the poorest in their countries, excluded from care due to economic and social barriers and residing in remote locations far from surgical sites. The truth is, more people die each year from the lack of access to safe surgery than from AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. Through Operation Smile™, safe surgeries are provided to patients with the highest quality of care, based on the highest medical standards, no matter where they live.

Did you know that it only takes $240 USD to perform a single life-changing surgery? (Most of us reading this spend a lot more than that on a regular basis to support our papercrafting hobby!)

Since 2008, Close To My Heart has partnered with Operation Smile™, repairing smiles and reshaping lives, one person at a time. Because we support the mission of this amazing organization, with each new catalog, we design a special stamp set and donate $7 USD of the proceeds from its sales to the efforts of Operation Smile™. By purchasing the My Acrylix^® Beautiful Soul stamp set, you can help give a child the gift of a smile.

Additionally, any time you place an order with Close To My Heart you have the option of rounding your order up to the nearest dollar, giving the extra as a donation to Operation Smile™. No matter the size of your contribution, you are making a difference!

There is an overwhelming need for these surgeries. Families will travel together hundreds of miles to an Operation Smile™ mission site, in some cases by foot, and in other cases to multiple sites, to give their child the opportunity to have a surgery. Unfortunately, not everyone who comes to the mission site will get surgery. Surgeries can only be provided to those out of the hundreds of people present who need it most. Most of these people will require multiple surgeries, which means returning the next time Operation Smile™ can fund a mission in their area. Even with medical team volunteers from around the world who donate their time and skills, supplies to perform these surgeries are limited.

With your help, we can remove these financial, geographic, and cultural barriers that are impeding access to safe and well-timed surgeries. Purchase the My Acrylix^® Beautiful Soul stamp set, round up your next order for crafting supplies, encourage others to do the same, or simply get on our site and make a donation directly to Operation Smile™.

Together we can continue blessing the lives of these children who need it so much!

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October 4, 2018Celebrate, Create, Learn

Halloween Treats with Hello Pumpkin

Close To My Heartconsultant, Halloween, Hello Pumpkin, October, treat bags, trick or treat, workshop 2 Comments

It’s finally October, and you know what that means—Halloween will be here before we know it! And what better way to capture the fun of this delightful holiday than with the light-hearted Hello Pumpkin collection! Just take a peek at these scrapbook layouts to see the brighter side of this spooky night.

In addition to the overflowing assortment of bright colors, there is so much dimension found on every single page of these layouts! Photos are matted and framed with cardstock, glitter paper, and pocket cards. Some photos are layered with stickers. Complements are stacked, customized, and mixed with acrylic shapes. The magic is in the details!

Halloween Treats with Hello Pumpkin #CTMH #CloseToMyHeart #CTMHHelloPumpkin #HelloPumpkin #Halloween #treats #treatbags #diy #scrapbooking #pumpkin #spooky #toocutetospook #toocutetobescary #Halloweennight #happyHalloween #witchinghour #October

And since everyone knows that Halloween is all about the goodies, take a look at these irresistible treat wrappers that you can make with this same collection:

The trick to making these treats is to start them out flat; add stickers and stamped icons to your heart’s content and then wrap them around something tasty. Can you think of anyone who wouldn’t want one of these “too-cute-to-be-scary” treat bags?

For a complete list of materials, cutting diagrams, and assembly instructions for all of these projects, contact your Close To My Heart Consultant. If you don’t have one, let us help you find one! Simply click here, go to the What We Do menu and select Find a Consultant.

These Hello Pumpkin Halloween goodies are guaranteed to bring an extra touch of sweetness to your holiday celebrations!

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October 2, 2018Celebrate, Create

Assembling a Holiday Sparkle Shaker Card

Close To My Heartcard, cardmaking, christmas, cut above, DIY, easy, Holiday, Holiday Sparkle, kit, workshop 5 Comments

Were any of you able to catch our Facebook live yesterday? If you did, you know that it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around these parts. Yep, you heard right! For the month of October we have an impressive set of holiday shaker cards for you to make and send to all of your favorite people this coming season! The best part—they are so easy to make that you can probably assemble all 12 that come in one kit in less than an hour!

These bright and festive Holiday Sparkle cards are part of our Cut Above^® program, which means you get everything you need to assemble them in one convenient kit: printed card bases, die-cuts, stickers, loose sequins, window foam and acetate, envelopes, and easy-to-follow instructions—absolutely no cutting required! The detailed paper accents that we all love for our handmade cards are included right in your kit!

A shaker card, for those new to the idea, is a card that has a window compartment built into it that holds loose pieces, adding a little extra whimsy to the card design and a lot of fun for the recipient!

So how do the Holiday Sparkle cards come together? Take a look at the steps below to see just how easy it truly is to assemble these festive cards with their glistening windows!

The very first thing you’re going to do is lay one of the printed card bases flat on your working space. Do not fold the card base in half just yet. This will give you a flat surface to work with, which is especially helpful later when you’re adding the loose sequins.
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Next, carefully remove the outer foam ring from one of the window foam circles and attach it to your card front, on top of the printed circle.

Holiday Sparkle Shaker Card #CTMH #CloseToMyHeart #CTMHHolidaySparkle #shakercard #shakerwindowcard #shakerwindow #cardwindow #cardmaking #holiday #Christmas #sentiments #CutAbove® #CutAbove #diy #warmwishes #holidaymagic #sequins #comfortandjoy #believe

Keeping your card base flat, add some of the loose sequins inside the circle frame you just created.

If you haven’t done so already, peel off the protective layer from the top of the foam tape ring to expose the adhesive.

Remove the protective film from one of the window acetate circles and lay it on top of the foam tape ring.

The last step in assembling the shaker window is to hide the foam frame by layering a faux-stitched circle sticker on top of it.

Now that your window is complete, all that is left is to embellish the card front as well as the envelopes using the included die-cuts, stickers, and any leftover sequins.

You’ll notice that we give you a solid circle of foam tape, not just the outer ring to use in the making of the window. The inside pieces are purposefully included, and pre-cut for your convenience. Use these pieces to attach some of your embellishments for even more dimension.

To add some holiday cheer to the inside of your cards, the My Acrylix^® Love with All the Trimmings stamp set (CC10188) is a perfect companion to this card kit with its many classic seasonal sentiments and designs.

So, what do you think?

With all of the time you’re saving using the Holiday Sparkle Cut Above^® kit for your holiday cards this year, you’ll have more time to spend on some of your other holiday projects! But you better act fast! These kits and its supporting stamp set (Love with All the Trimmings) are only available until the end of the month, while supplies last. We’ve got a feeling that they are going to be flying off the shelf, so make sure to get yourself at least one kit while you still can!

Your loved ones will surely be impressed when they receive a Holiday Sparkle card and find out that it is handmade! They don’t have to know how easily it comes together—that can be our little secret!

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September 27, 2018Create

A Look Inside Deluxe Workshops Your Way®

Close To My Heart'Tis the Season, boutique, deluxe, elevated art, Holiday Expressions, mixed media, texture paste, workshop, workshops Your Way 1 Comment

One of our favorite things on the blog is getting to share new ideas and products with you, and today is no exception. Drum roll please … let’s talk about the new Deluxe Workshops Your Way^® scrapbooking kits!

Deluxe Workshops Your Way^® scrapbook layouts are designed especially for those of you looking to include more artistic techniques in your scrapbooking. With a Workshops Your Way scrapbooking kit and the Deluxe workshop guide, you can make three 12″ x 12″ layouts using additional tools or techniques. This means we could introduce you to products or techniques you might never have used before, and that’s exactly what we’ve done with the Boutique Deluxe Workshops Your Way^® for scrapbooking. You’ll use mixed media, stencils, and the Sugarplum shimmer brush to add extra sparkle and texture to your layouts!

Deluxe Scrapbooking Workshop #CTMH #CloseToMyHeart #WorkshopsYourWay® #scrapbooking #scrapbook #deluxe #elevatedscrapbooking #texturepaste #shimmerbrush #CTMHBoutique

Boutique Deluxe Layout 1

Boutique Deluxe Layout 2

Boutique Deluxe Layout 3

To make these layouts, simply purchase a Boutique Workshops Your Way scrapbooking kit and some additional items. Each scrapbooking kit includes instructions for two different sets of layouts, either the classic Workshops Your Way layouts or the Deluxe layouts that feature the Sugarplum shimmer brush and opaque matte texture paste. Just pick the set of layouts that works best for you, or get two kits, plus the additional supplies, and make all six!

Some of the additional materials for the Deluxe pages are included in a discounted product bundle. With Boutique, you can purchase the Sugarplum shimmer brush, opaque matte texture paste, palette knives set, and stencil sheets pack in the Boutique Deluxe Bundle at 10% off the retail price!

For a taste of what you’ll find in this workshop kit, take a closer look at the third deluxe layout. To make this this layout, first cut out a stencil from the stencil sheets using your Cricut^® machine and an image from the Cricut^® Artistry collection. Then position the stencil on the base page and smooth a thin layer of texture paste over it with a palette knife. The more texture paste you use, the more dimension you’ll have on your page.

Deluxe Scrapbooking Workshop #CTMH #CloseToMyHeart #WorkshopsYourWay® #scrapbooking #scrapbook #deluxe #elevatedscrapbooking #texturepaste #mixedmedia #stencil #CricutArtistryCollection #CTMHBoutique

If this is your first time using texture paste, try experimenting with how much to use on a scrap piece of paper before applying it to your layout’s base page. The texture paste is much thicker than it looks when you apply it over a stencil. A small amount smoothed on top of a stencil will still give you great dimension and texture.

Once you’ve applied your texture paste, don’t forget to set your page aside to dry before continuing to assemble your layout. You can easily clean your stencil sheet with water and a paper towel, or even with a baby wipe, to use again later. (Make sure, as you finish, to close the lid to your texture paste to prevent it from drying out.)

Your final result will look like what you see above from each of the three deluxe Boutique layouts. With this kit, you’ll also experiment with using just the shimmer brush behind the “Love” title. Then you’ll try adding color to the texture paste by mixing in some of the ink from the shimmer brush and applying the paste over a stencil.

If you love the elevated look of these deluxe Boutique layouts, take a peek at the other deluxe Workshop Your Way layouts from Holiday Expressions using the ‘Tis the Season paper collection. The ‘Tis the Season deluxe workshop guide shows you how to include stitched circles Thin Cuts and stamping techniques on three layouts, perfect for preserving the special memories you’re sure to make during the holiday season.

Deluxe Scrapbooking Workshop #CTMH #CloseToMyHeart #WorkshopsYourWay® #scrapbooking #scrapbook #deluxe #elevatedscrapbooking #snow #December #Christmas #holiday #CTMHTistheSeason

‘Tis the Season Deluxe Layout 1

‘Tis the Season Deluxe Layout 2

‘Tis the Season Deluxe Layout 3

For those of you new to memory keeping, you always have the option to use the Boutique or ‘Tis the Seasons Workshops Your Way scrapbooking kits to make three beautiful layouts, but we know that some of you are looking to spend a litle more time and apply some additional tools and techniques to your art. Deluxe Workshops Your Way^® give you the option to do just that, and to learn some new artistic memory keeping skills as you go.

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September 25, 2018Celebrate

National Stamping Month Giveaway!

Close To My Heartblock, border, giveaway, Holiday, National Stamping Month 503 Comments

The party is not over yet, friends! There are still a few days left of National Stamping Month, and what better way to celebrate this creative outlet than with a giveaway that is sure to get you stamping your art out! ❤

First, and foremost, you can’t get your stamping started without a stamp—so we’re going to give you one! Five lucky winners will receive a set of our My Acrylix^® Holiday Borders, free!!

Whatever the occasion, mix and match these versatile, holiday-inspired borders with patterned papers, Complements, embellishments, or even each other, to create delightful borders, backgrounds, and textures.

To go along with this stamp set, those same five winners will also receive the recommended 1″ x 6½” My Acrylix^® block on which to mount their new borders! (Lucky stampers! 🙂 )

Now lets, see…we’ve got a stamp set, a block to mount the stamps on….what else is there?

How about a Stamping Starter Kit that includes a Black Exclusive Inks™ stamp pad, one My Acrylix^® spritz cleaner and stamp scrubber, and the popular 2″ x 2″ My Acrylix^® block?

Only one of the five winners, the luckiest of the lucky, will also receive this kit along with the stamp set and acrylic block.

To enter the giveaway, make sure you’re subscribed to this blog and then tell us in the comments below what you’re looking forward to creating this upcoming holiday season, even if it’s not with paper. Our five winners will be selected tomorrow, September 26, at 3:00 p.m. MDT, and notified via e-mail (they will not get posted here).

But, wait—there’s more! Make sure to also follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see how else we’re celebrating National Stamping Month!

May the stamps be ever in your favor!

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September 20, 2018Create, Learn, Memory Keeping

Visual Storytelling with Short Story

Close To My Heart6" x 6", album, Memory Keeping, mini album, Short Story, Story by Stacy, storytelling 4 Comments

When we scrapbook, sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in planning our pages. We spend lots of time deciding where to put the photos, what paper to use, and how to add the perfect embellishments. Never fear! Stacy Julian and Close To My Heart have a new Story by Stacy™ program to help you overcome those hurdles to scrapbook a large amount of photos in a short amount of time. The Short Story workshop kits will teach you a new way to tell your stories. With Short Story, you will re-energize your creativity and learn to trust your intuition as you go.

The Story by Stacy™ product line is all about building stronger storytellers. Through Story Starter, you learned how to access detailed memories and then write them down as small, quick stories with a photo illustration. Now we’re building on that to teach you a new process for working with your photos and memories. Through Short Story, you’ll create an entire album about a person, place, thing, or experience that you love. Short Story focuses on a visual storytelling process with a written summary at the end. Included in each workshop kit is a workbook to walk you through how to do this.

The video above gives you a small peak into what you’ll do using the Short Story workshop kit. First, you’ll consider the surface information related to your photos like where you are or the people you’re with. You’ll also think about questions that will help you interact with your photos. Then it’s time to move on to the creative part and make pages with your photos. This is where you’ll discover how to really let go and allow your creativity to flow. You’ll learn how to trim your photos BEFORE making pages, then attach photos and add patterned paper to each page, and top it all off with embellishments. By the end of the creative process, you’ll be ready to write a story summary to give your unique, authentic point of view at the end of the album.

Short Story workshop kits come with everything you need to complete a 6″ x 6″ album. Each kit has Memory Protectors™, colorful patterned paper, White Daisy cardstock, black and white embellishments, and a workbook to guide you through the process. Just pick the kit with the album you like best, Lagoon or black and white gingham. All you need is a photo trimmer, journaling pen, adhesive, scissors, and, of course, a stack of photos about your subject.

The colorful patterned paper included in your kit will make your photos stand out in a Short Story album. These double-sided papers are designed to work well with any photos with a variety of solid color prints, multi-color prints, and even a few black and white designs.

Storytelling with Short Story #CTMH #CloseToMyHeart #CTMHxStorybyStacy #StorybyStacy #ShortStory #storytelling #scrapbooking #memorykeeping #scrapbook #miniscrapbook #minialbum #album #photoalbum #photos #stories

Short Story workshop kits also come with lots of options for embellishing your pages, like you see in the photos above. Each kit includes die-cuts, stickers, gingham ribbon, dots, and white twine. You’ll notice that all of the Short Story embellishments are black and white. Black and white embellishments will help you tie your layouts together and create visual flow without distracting from the story your photos are telling.

To make personalizing your pages even more fun, there is also a special stamp set designed to use in a Short Story album. The My Acrylix^® Simply Said stamp set includes letters, numbers, symbols, and icons that are just the right size for the Short Story format.

There are so many stories you can tell with Short Story. It could be a specific event or vacation. You could use Short Story to document a relationship over time with a family member or friend, or it could be about something else you just really love. Whatever subject you choose, this process allows you to scrapbook a large amount of photos in a fun, colorful way. Just like Story Starter, this is a project you can start and FINISH. You don’t have to plan ahead or worry about making decisions as you go. Trust your own creative intuition and see where it takes you!

What kinds of stories do you plan to tell with Short Story? Share your ideas with us in the comments below.

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September 18, 2018Create, Memory Keeping

FREE More Magical Scrapbook Pattern!

Close To My Heartadventure, Bring Back My Pack, campaign, constant campaign, dreams, fairy tale, free, free pattern, layout, magical, More Magical, pattern, sale, Scrapbook Pattern, scrapbooking, September 2 Comments

Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary day, we give you a fairy tale that looks like a free scrapbook pattern!

This timeless pattern made its original debut years ago with our You Rock collection. Without the need of any pixie dust, the instructions have been revamped so they can be used with any papers and for any occasion!

We created a truly enchanting spread by pairing this pattern with the More Magical paper packet, coordinating cardstock, and stamp set. Our current More Magical workshop kit makes 4 coordinating two-page layouts to preserve all of your magical adventures. Download the pattern and cutting diagrams below and use them to make a fifth coordinating layout to add to your album!

Download Pattern

As usual, we encourage you to make this, and any, pattern your own by being flexible with its parts. Take a close look at our completed layout for some examples. Instead of using a small photo at the top of 2D, we filled the space with a stamp. Then, we added another 4 x 4 photo to the layout by splitting it down the middle and attaching half of it on each page to complete the row of photos across the top.

Free Scrapbook Pattern #CTMH #CloseToMyHeart #CTMHMoreMagical #MoreMagical #freepattern #freescrapbookpattern #scrapbooking #free #download #scrapbooklayout #magical #adventure #dreamscometrue

And don’t forget about those pocket cards that are part of the paper packet! Use them whole, cut up, or even torn to incorporate additional patterns, sentiments, and accents. Adding a pocket card with a lighter design to a page made up of darker patterns is also an easy way to create space for stamping.

No matter where your happiest place on earth is, take advantage of the bright patterns and motifs available in the More Magical collection and use them to preserve all of your fairy tale adventures. Remember, this collection is only available through the end of the month while supplies last, so make sure to grab yours while you still can!

For even more timeless scrapbook patterns, check out our Make It from Your Heart™ pattern books! If you love the free scrapbook patterns we share on the blog, you’re sure to be blown away by the patterns and inspirational artwork in all of our how-to books.

Recipe

12″ x 12″ Dreams Come True Layout
CC8183 My Acrylix^® Dreams Stamp Set, CC8181 More Magical Paper Packet, CC8182 More Magical Coordinating Cardstock, Z6505 Carolina Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6509 Candy Apple Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3314 Black & White Dots, Z4194 White & Gold Skinny Ribbon, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape

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September 13, 2018Create, Learn

8 Ways to Add Color to Your Stamping

Close To My Heartcolor, coloring, colour, emboss, embossing, Exclusive Inks, heat tool, ink, marker, National Stamping Month, paint, pencil, pigment, stamp, stamping, VersaMark™, watercolor, watercolour 4 Comments

September is National Stamping Month and, as you know, we live and breathe stamps here at Close To My Heart. They are where we got our start many years ago, and to this day just simply can’t get enough of them! And from what we can gather, we are not alone in this obsession hobby! 😉

With care, you place your stamp on your block, prudently ink it with a color that you carefully selected just minutes (if not days) before, then press it to your paper and upon removing the block your image looks as perfectly crisp as you planned for. The next step in the creation process of this new image is to breathe life into it with some color.

We’ve taken one of our many (many) favorite stamp sets, My Acrylix^® Bunches of Love, from the Holiday Expressions catalog to illustrate some stamp coloring options. Each is unique in it’s own way and, depending on what you’re looking to achieve, has a place in your coloring spectrum. For comparison purposes, we’ve kept the mediums separate, but by all means do combine them in your artwork to make your images look exactly how you envision them!

First up, the original.

Some of our stamp sets already come with the parts to fill in the white space of a larger image, and the My Acrylix^® Bunches of Love set does just that.

To keep things quick and easy, use the corresponding filler pieces to complete the image.

In cases where the stamp set is not designed this way or you’re wanting to showcase a stamp differently so it’s not the exact same every time, continue scrolling through our list.

A Watercolor Look:

watercolor paint

watercolor pencils

For a soft look, watercolors are the way to go!

If you’re still working on mastering the art of using watercolor paints, try watercolor pencils. By applying color with pencils, shading and color blending is easier to control than with paint. Once you’ve penciled the color in, gently brush water over it with a damp fine tip paintbrush or waterbrush to spread the pigment. For best results, follow the pencil lines using smooth strokes. Keep in mind as you decide which watercolor medium is right for your project, that the direction of your pencil lines will still show through, unlike with paint.

Exclusive Inks™

For a more vivid “watercolor” look that doesn’t require layers of watercolor paint to achieve, give “painting” with our Exclusive Inks™ a try!

Squeeze your stamp pad in the middle to get some of the ink to rub onto the lid. Remove the inked lid, and from there decide how strong or light you want your color to appear. If you want the saturation to match the ink color exactly, use the ink as is. For a lighter variation of this same color, mix some water in with it (straight on the lid). The more water you add to the ink, the lighter the color will be. Pick the color up with a brush and ink-paint your stamped image.

Our Exclusive Inks™ are available in every one of our 41 exclusive colors (plus White Daisy and several black options). Enjoy effortless color coordination with our patterned papers, cardstock, and embellishments by using this method for coloring in your stamped images.

Pens:

ShinHan™ Touch Twin markers

When going for a saturated, vibrant look, especially in small details, ShinHan™ Touch Twin markers are an excellent choice. They are bright, smudge-proof, and, because they are alcohol-based, they are easy to blend. The fine tip on each marker is ideal for coloring and adding intricate details.

shimmer brushes

Until recently, the shimmer brush was considered mostly an accenting tool because it only came in clear and gold. Well, those days are over friends! Now also available in Sugarplum, red, black, and Mint, these new hues carry enough weight to be used on their own to add a little bit more than shimmer. When you use these, prep your brush before you do. You will want to squeeze your brush over scrap paper until the shimmery liquid comes out. Brush it on your scrap paper until you get the consistency you want on your brush before coloring in those details.

Heat Embossing:

Give your stamps a little lift and texture with the right inks and embossing powders. (For those of you who are new to this technique, embossing powder is a special powder that, when heated, melts to form a raised surface.)

VersaMark™ ink and embossing powder

Sometimes a flat image just isn’t the way to go. That’s when heat embossing comes to the rescue. To start, stamp your image with the VersaMark™ ink pad (embossing ink), which will create a clear, wet-looking print of your stamp. While the ink is still wet, cover it with embossing powder and carefully shake off any excess. Use a heat tool to dry and seal your design. The heat tool blows extremely hot air with a low air current, which keeps the powder from blowing right off—hair dryers are not a good substitute! We have several new embossing powders in our new Holiday Expressions catalog to choose from (for a complete list click here).

Pigment Exclusive Inks™

Okay, so we’ve shared this last idea on here before, but with our new large stamp pad-sized pigment inks added to our coloring repertoire, we just have to share again.

Did you know that you can pair any of our Exclusive Inks™ pigment pads with clear embossing powder to emboss in that exact color? Yes, really! Stamp an image with your choice pigment ink, cover it with clear embossing powder, and then set it with your heat tool! It’s that easy! Match our exclusive colors perfectly using this last technique!

Whether you use these stamp coloring ideas alone or mix and match them, we hope you enjoy a full spectrum of color in all of your stamping projects!

Happy stamping! 🙂

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Begin by trimming just a little bit, then trim a little more.

Trim to focus on the most important part of the photo.

Trim some of the landscape out of the photo.

Trim your photos into sizes that are easy to use on a 6″ x 6″ page.

Not every single photo needs to be trimmed!

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First up, the original.

A Watercolor Look:

watercolor paint

watercolor pencils

Exclusive Inks™

Pens:

ShinHan™ Touch Twin markers

shimmer brushes

Heat Embossing:

VersaMark™ ink and embossing powder

Pigment Exclusive Inks™

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