19 Things You May Not Know About Our My Acrylix® Stamps

Close To My Heart19, about, acrylix, information, know, Learn, made, May, my, not, process, set, stamp, things, you 19 Comments

It’s STAMPAGANZA TIME!!! What does that mean exactly? Well, for every two stamp sets you purchase during the month of July at full retail price, you get a third stamp set of equal or lesser value for FREE! Basically it’s like Christmas in July, folks!

Since we’ve got stamps on the brain, we thought we’d revive this blog post from last year. It’s a fun way to test your knowledge about our exclusive line of clear stamps.

Think you know everything about our exclusive My Acrylix® stamps? Put your knowledge to the test by reading the list below! 🙂

1. We have French and Spanish stamp sets.

2. If you see a stamp image outlined in red, that means it coordinates with one of the shapes from our Cricut® collections. If it’s outlined in blue, that means it coordinates with one of our Thin Cuts dies.

3. We put A LOT of thought and effort into making the best stamps for our customers. See the entire process in this infographic:

4. After we design each paper packet, we create two coordinating stamp sets, one for scrapbooking and one for cardmaking, to be paired with that specific paper. These two stamp sets can be found in the idea book right behind the coordinating Workshops Your Way™ scrapbooking kits.

5. Our stamps are made right here at the Home Office, in a top-secret room.

6. It takes about one hour to make one sheet of stamps from start to finish.

7. New stamps work best when you “season” them. To do so, rub the stamp across a stamp pad, and then stamp onto scrap paper until the image is even.

8. Our stamps can be used with all sorts of inks, including dye, pigment, solvent, and alcohol inks.

9. Rather than attaching your stamps to your blocks, try using your blocks to pick up your stamps from a flat surface. This way, the stamp will hold its natural shape.

10. Our My Acrylix® blocks have a small white horizontal line on them to help you with stamp placement, which is especially helpful for keeping words and borders straight.

11. Some people cut apart their stamps in order to rearrange words in a sentiment when sticking them to their blocks.

12. Our stamps are flexible! Manipulate them so they fit inside shapes and banners, or just to get a different look!

13. If some of your ink doesn’t transfer when stamping, quickly breathe over the stamp to re-moisten the remaining ink and then stamp over the image again. The missing portion usually blends into the existing image if the ink isn’t too dry. This is called the Huffing or Stamp Over Technique.

14. Because our stamps and blocks are clear, you can easily stamp over the image again to get a richer, deeper image.

15. If you’re looking to remove that stubborn pigment ink, try our Spritz Cleaner and Stamp Scrubber. It makes it easy!

16. Our stamps don’t need to tan—they like being transparent, so keep them out of the sun!

17. Our stamps come in handy envelopes, which fit into our My Acrylix® organizer. You can also use our large organizer and tabs to store even more stamps. We also have a mini organizer for those mini stamp envelopes.

18. If your stamps ever start to lose their stickiness, all you need to do is rinse them with warm water and soap, and the stickiness will come right back. You can also use StazOn™ cleaner on the smooth side of the stamp.

19. Some stamps make great friends, like our good ol’ friend, Sticky Boy!

What things did you not know? Tell us in the comments! 🙂

To the Person Who Says She Isn’t “Crafty”…

Close To My Heartcrafting, crafty, not, reasons, to, try 9 Comments

We get it. It’s easy to write yourself off as “not crafty” when it seems like others turn anything they touch into crafting magic. We’re talking about the mom in your kid’s class who somehow turned packaged brownies into reindeer, and even came up with a pun to tie the whole ensemble together; the neighbor who has 20 scrapbooks for each kid, grandkid, and pet; the Facebook friend who spontaneously refinished her kitchen table and chairs over the weekend. We all know the type. 🙂

Whether you see these “crafting queens” and envy them for their talents or just think to yourself, “ain’t nobody got time for that,” we want to help you see crafting in a new light…because it’s really so much more than what you see (and it really doesn’t have to be that hard!).

We’ve come up with 11 reasons you should give crafting a second chance in 2017.

1. You don’t have to go all out. Forget the Joneses, and do your own thing!

Lots of us get our crafting ideas from Pinterest, but it can be pretty intimidating to try to replicate those picture-perfect projects. Just remember your project doesn’t have to be perfect—or even that fancy! Crafting is all about making something your own and finding out what works for you!

2. You don’t have to be the jack of all trades.

Even though Suzy Scrapbooker is also Suzy Sews-A-Lot, it doesn’t mean YOU have to do it all, too. Just take that leap of faith and try ONE type of crafting you might like. If you fall head over heels, don’t forget crafting monogamy is perfectly fine. 😉

3. It’s more about the purpose behind the craft than the actual craft.

Crafting is about so much more than just, well, crafting. It’s about tapping into your creativity, preserving and making memories, showing someone you care—and taking care of yourself! It’s a great way to lower your stress levels, along with a bunch of other health benefits. That’s why it doesn’t really matter if what you make is perfect or not—perfection is not the point!

4. You might discover more about yourself.

Trying a new hobby, like crafting, is a great way to learn more about yourself. As you think critically about how you want to approach a project and research ideas online, you learn more about what you like and don’t like—and you may even discover your own niche!

5. You can strengthen your relationships, old and new!

The great thing about crafting is that you can do it with people. If you’re always looking to meet new people, try attending a local workshop, crop, or class. You could also create your own crafting support group by inviting family members, friends, and neighbors to join you—whether that is your mom, sister, the widow next door, or your high school bestie that you’ve been meaning to spend more time with lately. Crafting can become more enjoyable and meaningful when you do it with those you love.

6. You can save money.

Now don’t get us wrong, you can certainly spend lots of money on crafting if it’s your passion (though your husband certainly doesn’t need to know that 😉 ). But you can also save a lot of money by making things yourself! From home décor to handmade cards, you can make something your own AND save some moolah in the process.

7. It can help you slow down.

Is it just us, or is life just getting busier and busier? With the fast-paced nature of our lives, it’s nice to take some time to unplug and make something with your hands. It forces you to slow down and think about something else besides your never-ending to-do list.

8. It’s a great way to “treat yo self.”

Is there a project you’ve seen on Pinterest that seems really cool? Give it a go! You deserve a little “me” time. 😉 And again, just because you do one type of crafting doesn’t mean you have to instantly become “the crafty mom.” Keep your kids’ school projects and parties simple if that’s your style, but maybe try making something for yourself or home instead.

9. There is more help than you think.

From YouTube to blogs, there is basically an online tutorial for anything you want to learn! However, if you prefer learning in-person, there are lots of companies, including ours, with Consultants who can give you the one-on-one help you like. Also, don’t forget how helpful how-to books, pre-made kits, and coordinating products can be!

10. You can carry on family traditions, or start your own!

Be it quilting, stamping, or baking, there’s probably a crafting tradition your mother carried on from her mother, and so on. Why not try it out (with your own spin, of course) and continue the family tradition? If you prefer to be the trailblazer, start a new crafting tradition with your own family!

11. It’s a great way to preserve (and create) memories!

We already know that memory keeping is one of our favorite crafting activities because we love the process of telling stories and making them beautiful, too. But we realize that at the same time we are preserving memories, we are making new ones, and that is true of ALL crafts. You never know when the project you undertake on a whim will become a family treasure ten, twenty, or thirty years down the road.

So go ahead and get started! No matter which creative project is calling your name, there is no better way to explore your creative side than by diving right in and trying something new.

You’ve got this! 🙂

19 Things You May Not Know About Our My Acrylix® Stamps

Close To My Heart19, about, acrylix, clear, facts, help, how-to, information, know, May, my, not, stamping, stamps, techniques, things, you 47 Comments