November 23, 2022Celebrate, Create, Inspiration

A Gift From Us to You

Close To My Heartall-purpose tags, bundles, christmas, clear sparkles, come let us adore him, cozy, cup of cheer, festive, From Me to You, funny, gift, gift tags, gifts, Holiday, holiday treat, i wanted to keep this, joyful, just for you, magic, magic of christmas, merry little chirstmas, o holy night, one-of-a-kind, religious, Shimmer Trim, snuggle, stamps, tags, unto us a child is born, you can't return it, you're impossible to shop for 5 Comments

Picture your favorite Christmas memories.We’re betting that the majority of these memories are centered around people you love and cherish! This holiday season, we want to help you make some new memories, not just for yourself, but for your friends and loved ones as well! Since gift giving constitutes a large part of many holiday preparations, today, we’re going to show you how to make your mark and show your love in a personal way beyond the things beneath the wrapping paper, boxes, and ribbons.

For a more personal touch on each gift, we recommend creating unique gift tags! A gift tag is one of the first things every gift recipient will notice when they receive their presents, and a hand-made one is just the ticket to add a little bit of extra love to the gifts you give this Christmas. With our From Me to You special, it’s easier than ever to create the personalized gift tags of your dreams, and today, we’re going to get into the ins and outs of how to design and craft a wide range of tags for every holiday gift-giving occasion!

The From Me to You gift tag offering is built upon a foundation of 12 individual stamps, each expressing their own unique sentiment. These stamps range in theme from a general festive motif and religious overtones, to cozy vibes and more playful options! These stamps are all designed to coordinate with the All-purpose Tags Thin Cuts; all you have to do to create your tags is cut out your preferred shape with the All-purpose Tags Thin Cuts dies, stamp your selected sentiment onto the cut tag, and voila! The tag is done, and ready to attach to a wrapped Christmas present, holiday neighborhood treat, or even a white elephant gift! No matter how they are used, the gift tags you create with the From Me to You stamp sets are sure to be a hit and will make any gift you give this holiday season more personal and memorable!

Because the From Me to You stamp sets are all designed to coordinate with the All-purpose Tags Thin Cuts, it’s a simple matter to select the sentiment and shape combination for your tags. The All-purpose Tags Thin Cuts set includes 11 dies in various shapes and sizes, ranging from ⅝” to 3½”.

This selection of die-cuts offers a wealth of possibility and potential when it comes to the types of tags you can create, and every one makes a gorgeous addition to your holiday offerings for friends and family! (While we worked exclusively with the All-purpose Tags Thin Cuts in the artwork on display today, we have additional sets of gift tags and accessories to create them, including the Tags & Tabs Thin Cuts, and the My Acrylix® Just for You stamp set. For more tag-making fun, be sure to check out these dies and stamps!) Now, back to our fabulous From Me to You stamp sets!

Because the From Me to You stamp sets range over a few different themes, we’ve organized them into 4 different groups to reflect the following themes—jolly, funny, festive, and joyful! Our jolly bundle includes options for a cozy vibe, to more of a sweet tooth sentiment, and cheery wishes.

The funny assortment features a variety of light-hearted jabs, the perfect way to gently tease your friends or family members and bring a smile to their faces!

For anyone looking to convey a more classic Christmas sentiment, the festive collection is the way to go, with options for a little Christmas magic, celebratory merriment, and reminders of how personal your loved ones are to you.

Looking for a way to bring a more spiritual touch to your gift tags? Then the joyful bundle of stamps is for you! This handful of stamps includes phrases like “O Holy Night” and “For Unto Us a Child is Born” to serve as reminders of the foundation of this beautiful and beloved holiday.

All the tags featured in today’s post have the common theme of being created with the All-purpose Tags Thin Cuts and From Me to You stamps, but many include their own unique design elements to really set them apart from other, more simple options. One of our absolute favorites is the inclusion of heat embossed details, as you can see in the examples below.

Heat embossing is an amazing art technique that adds dimension and even shine to your stamped images by applying embossing powder over the top of your stamped image and then melting the powder using a heat tool. Learn more about this technique in this video.

Another stunning detail we love in these tags is the inclusion of multiple layers. By simply cutting a few coordinating tag pieces out of different colors of cardstock and layering them together, these tags deliver a much more polished end result. Notice how the silver glitter paper shapes add to the layered look of this tag–feel free to mix in non-tag shapes cut from other Thin Cuts dies or even with your Cricut or other cutting machine to elevate the look of any tag!

Looking for some simple, yet powerful embellishment? Never count out the impact that a few Clear Sparkles can have! In this example, we’ve colored ours in with a Dark Red TriBlend™ Marker and used them to adorn the interior of the stamped floral shapes. They are the perfect fit!

This inclusion provides a color contrast, but also helps to break up the matte surface of the main tag with a little shine! For other tags, we’ve also turned to Shimmer Trims and White Gel Pens to add subtle detailing to our creations, and it’s evident that even the smallest of embellishments can have a big impact!

However you decorate your tags, and whatever gifts you attach them to, the From Me to You stamps, along with the All-purpose Tags Thin Cuts, are guaranteed to provide you with everything you need to start creating your own one-of-a-kind gift tags for your holiday gifts this year and for many years to come!

Of the tags featured in today’s post, which was your favorite, and whose gift would you attach it to? Leave a comment below and tell us all about it!

Recipes:

Have a Cup of Cheer Tag
CC102217 My Acrylix^® Have a Cup of Cheer Stamp Set, X6062 Harbour Cardstock, X6045 Sage Cardstock, X6049 Scarlet Cardstock, X5950 Toffee Cardstock, Z891 VersaMark^™ Ink Pad, Z4641 All-purpose Tags Thin Cuts, Z2066 Princess Gold Embossing Powder, Z4220 Anti-static Pouch, Z4252 Heat Tool, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine, Ribbon

The Snuggle Is Real Tag
CC102218 My Acrylix^® The Snuggle Is Real Stamp Set, X5947 Mink Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z6540 Pine Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z4641 All-purpose Tags Thin Cuts, Z3274 Clear Sparkles, Z2497 Dark Red TriBlend^™ Marker, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine, Ribbon

A Holiday Treat Tag
CC102219 My Acrylix^® A Holiday Treat Stamp Set, X7286B Christmas Story Paper Packet, X5947 Mink Cardstock, Z6526 Scarlet Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z4641 All-purpose Tags Thin Cuts, Z5015 Candy Apple Shimmer Trim, Z4659 Pine Shimmer Trim, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine, Ribbon

You Can’t Return It Tag
CC102220 My Acrylix^® You Can’t Return It Stamp Set, X6038 Candy Apple Cardstock, X6070 Pine Cardstock, Z891 VersaMark^™ Ink Pad, Z4641 All-purpose Tags Thin Cuts, Z2068 White Super Fine Embossing Powder, Z4220 Anti-static Pouch, Z4252 Heat Tool, Z1513 White Gel Pens, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine, Twine

I Wanted to Keep This Tag
CC102221 My Acrylix^® I Wanted To Keep This Stamp Set, X6058 Rosemary Cardstock, X6045 Sage Cardstock, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z4641 All-purpose Tags Thin Cuts, Z3274 Clear Sparkles, Z2490 Ice Blue TriBlend^™ Marker, Z1513 White Gel Pens, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine, Ribbon

You’re Impossible to Shop For Tag
CC102222 My Acrylix^® You’re Impossible to Shop For Stamp Set, X6038 Candy Apple Cardstock, X6049 Scarlet Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z4641 All-purpose Tags Thin Cuts, Z3274 Clear Sparkles, Z5015 Candy Apple Shimmer Trim, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine, Twine

Magic of Christmas Tag
CC102223 My Acrylix^® Magic of Christmas Stamp Set, X6062 Harbour Cardstock, Z891 VersaMark^™ Ink Pad, Z4641 All-purpose Tags Thin Cuts, Z2066 Princess Gold Embossing Powder, Z2068 White Super Fine Embossing Powder, Z4220 Anti-static Pouch, Z4252 Heat Tool, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine, Ribbon

A Merry Little Christmas Tag
CC102224 My Acrylix^® A Merry Little Christmas Stamp Set, X6058 Rosemary Cardstock, X6045 Sage Cardstock, Z6540 Pine Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z4641 All-purpose Tags Thin Cuts, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine, Ribbon

Just for You Tag
CC102225 My Acrylix^® Just For You Stamp Set, X6049 Scarlet Cardstock, X5950 Toffee Cardstock, Z891 VersaMark^™ Ink Pad, Z4641 All-purpose Tags Thin Cuts, Z2066 Princess Gold Embossing Powder, Z2068 White Super Fine Embossing Powder, Z4220 Anti-static Pouch, Z4252 Heat Tool, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine, Twine

O Holy Night Tag
CC102226 My Acrylix^® O Holy Night Stamp Set, X6064 Black Core Black Cardstock, X6038 Candy Apple Cardstock, Z891 VersaMark^™ Ink Pad, Z4641 All-purpose Tags Thin Cuts, Z2066 Princess Gold Embossing Powder, Z4220 Anti-static Pouch, Z4252 Heat Tool, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine, Ribbon

Oh Come Let Us Adore Him Tag
CC102227 My Acrylix® Oh Come Let Us Adore Him Stamp Set, X7286B Christmas Story Paper Packet, X6062 Harbour Cardstock, Z3239 Silver Glitter Paper, Z891 VersaMark^™ Ink Pad, Z4641 All-purpose Tags Thin Cuts, Z2067 Silver Super Fine Embossing Powder, Z4220 Anti-static Pouch, Z4252 Heat Tool, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine, Cricut^® Flower Market Collection

Cricut® Shape:
Flower Market
#MD6F435

Unto Us a Child is Born Tag
CC102228 My Acrylix^® Unto Us a Child is Born Stamp Set, X6047 Black Cardstock, X6058 Rosemary Cardstock, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z4641 All-purpose Tags Thin Cuts, Z3274 Clear Sparkles, Z4659 Pine Shimmer Trim, Z1513 White Gel Pens, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine

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June 29, 2022Inspiration

Making Your Mark on Memory Keeping

Close To My Heartart, artwork, make your mark, Memory Keeping, scrapbooking, stamping, stamps, Thin Cuts, unique 1 Comment

One of the great things about stamping is the way it lends itself to all types of crafting projects, from cardmaking and décor pieces to scrapbook pages and more! When it comes to memory keeping, there are certain elements where stamping can be especially useful. That’s why we design a range of stamp sets specifically with scrapbooking in mind. These stamps typically feature larger stamps than other sets to better fit the larger canvas of a 12″ x 12″ scrapbook page, and also include phrases and icons that come in handy as you create titles, accents, or journaling pieces.

Let’s take a closer look at a few examples that show different ways you can use stamping on your scrapbook pages.

One stamping technique that is especially effective on scrapbook pages is repeating a stamp image to create your own custom pattern or border. As you can see on the vibrant summertime layout above, we used a longer border piece and stamped it repeatedly, creating a refreshing background to provide a fun focal point for this layout!

You can see this technique used in a similar way with a single icon stamp on the fun roller derby page, pictured below. We’ve used a winged roller skate stamp to create a one-of-a-kind border and completed the look by coloring the skates with our watercolor pencils!

You can also use stamping on your base page to create intricate patterns, like this leafy tropical page. By switching up ink colors and layering stamped images, we created a lush jungle backdrop for these vacation photos.

Another way our stamps stand out is when they are used with our Thin Cuts metal dies. By using Thin Cuts shapes to create your own die-cuts, you can elevate your artwork with added dimension, making the stamped image pop! Many of our stamp sets have these dies designed to coordinate with them and using them together can save time and effort spent fussy cutting. Just send it through your die-cutting machine and you’re left with a perfect dimensional canvas for your stamped image!

Group stamped Thin Cuts images together to create clustered accents like the lemonade jar embellishment pictured above. By using these individual elements together, we were able to create a lemonade jar that looks so good you can almost taste it! Not only is it an adorable accent on its own, when it’s put into a scrapbook layout, it draws the page together and is an excellent addition to your photos and journaling!

On this next layout, you’ll see another great example of larger stamp images designed specifically for scrapbook pages:

The large library card accent provides a natural place for telling the story behind the pictures, making it an excellent addition to all kinds of pages.. Because the card is included as one single stamp, you only have to ink it once to get the entire library card effect.

However, if you want to take things up a notch, you can stamp your image partially on one color of paper and then complete it on another color for a two-toned accent piece. While we’ve shown off two-toned images with different ink colors, it’s more rare to see a dual-toned stamp accent where the two shades come from differences in paper color. This makes this particular technique stand out even more and helps the stamp to really shine.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to stamping techniques that can be employed on your scrapbook pages! But, no matter which stamping techniques you choose to employ, incorporating them into your scrapbook pages is a wonderful way to make your own mark on your memory keeping projects! Do you have a favorite way to use our stamps in your scrapbook creations? Leave a comment below and let us know!

Recipes
12″ x 12″ Summer Love Layout
S2206 My Acrylix® I Heart Summer Stamp Set, X9040 Mix-in Paper Packet, X6036 Ballerina Cardstock, X6040 Clover Cardstock, X6031 Green Apple Cardstock, X6043 Nectarine Cardstock, X6033 Paprika Cardstock, X6051 Sundance Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z6520 Flamingo Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2848 Sapphire Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6521 Sundance Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3516 Black Journaling Pen (.03), Z3630 Watercolor Pencils, Z5016 Clover Shimmer Trim, Z3312 Gold Glitter Gems, Z679 Liquid Glass, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape

12″ x 12″ Down and Derby Layout
D2089 My Acrylix® Skate like a Girl Stamp Set, X7280B Fresh Paint Paper Packet, X9040 Mix-in Paper Packet, X6037 Bluebird Cardstock, X6030 Evergreen Cardstock, X6035 Lemonade Cardstock, X6042 Mint Cardstock, X6044 Peach Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3515 Black Journaling Pen (.01), Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z4191 Silver Glitter Gems, Z3225 Medium Round Waterbrush, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape

12″ x 12″ Tahiti Page
Z4447 Palm Fronds Stamp + Thin Cuts, B1799 My Acrylix® Brush Strokes Stamp Set, X9040 Mix-in Paper Packet, X6053 Avocado Cardstock, X6046 French Vanilla Cardstock, X6062 Harbour Cardstock, X5959 New England Ivy Cardstock, X6051 Sundance Cardstock, Z6523 Avocado Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6533 Harbour Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6503 Mint Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2835 New England Ivy Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6504 Sage Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3515 Black Journaling Pen (.01), Z6025 White Acrylic Flowers, Z4235 Gold Loose Sequins, Z4334 Slim Alphabet Thin Cuts, Z2089 Glue Dots® Micro Dots, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine

6″ x 8″ More Sunshine Layout with Pocket Scrapbooking
Z4446 Front Porch Sippin’ Stamp + Thin Cuts, X9040 Mix-in Paper Packet, X6053 Avocado Cardstock, X6062 Harbour Cardstock, X6035 Lemonade Cardstock, X6045 Sage Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z6533 Harbour Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6517 Lemonade Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6510 Nectarine Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2524 Aqua Blue TriBlend™ Marker, Z2482 Citrus TriBlend™ Marker, Z2483 Light Yellow TriBlend™ Marker, Z3515 Black Journaling Pen (.01), Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z3191 6″ x 8″ Memory Protectors™ Design 2, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine

12″ x 12″ School Is Out Layout
Z3991 Date Stamp Stamp + Thin Cuts, X8022S Smarty Pants Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X8024B Love Story Paper Packet (Toffee), X8022C Smarty Pants Coordinating Cardstock, X6053 Avocado Cardstock, X6038 Candy Apple Cardstock, X5978 Glacier Cardstock, X6044 Peach Cardstock, X6051 Sundance Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2848 Sapphire Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6521 Sundance Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4525 Primary Sprinkles, Z6015 Wood Stars, Hostess Rewards Acrylic Alphabet, Z3234 3″ x 3″ Flip Flaps™ Memory Protectors™, Z2482 Citrus TriBlend™ Marker, Z2518 Coral Shades TriBlend™ Marker, Z2526 True Blue Shades TriBlend™ Marker, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Typewriter

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June 1, 2022Inspiration

Spectacular Stamping!

Close To My Heartcardmaking, floral, patriotic, sale, scrapbooking, stamping, stamps, Stamptacular, Thin Cuts Leave a comment

At Close To My Heart, our bread and butter are our top-of-the-line stamp sets! There’s nothing quite like lifting a stamp block off of your project and seeing a flawless stamped image underneath. It’s definitely one of our favorite things, and we love sharing our incredible stamps with crafters everywhere! Our clear, unmounted stamps provide the highest level of crafting versatility, all while being reusable for years of creative fun!

All of our stamps are made of liquid photo polymer resin, a clear material that is sturdy, yet flexible, allowing for easy removal from stamp carrier sheets and placement on our acrylic stamping blocks. While some care is required, our stamps are durable enough to withstand repeated use over several years, so you can keep your favorites around for countless projects.

Because both the stamp and block are clear, it’s possible to see exactly where the stamped image will be on the project. Having this insider’s perspective on what your stamping will look like gives you greater control and confidence as you create! Whether you’re layering stamped images—as you can see in the card featured below—or incorporating fun color techniques, the ability to see what you’re doing takes the guesswork out of crafting and leaves you with the pure joy of creativity!

Along with simplifying your crafting, the fact that our stamps are clear and unmounted also cuts down on required storage space. Each stamp set comes on a plastic carrier sheet in a specialized envelope. Even after years of use, your stamps can still be stored on the same carrier sheets and in the same envelopes they arrived in!

Our incredible stamp sets come in six different sizes—A, B, C, D, E, and M (for mini)—and feature all kinds of sentiments, icons, and images. We have everything from classic florals and adorable animals to patriotic and summertime sets, so there is something for every crafter and every project!

Many of our stamps also come with coordinating Thin Cuts metal dies. Because these dies are designed in conjunction with specific stamp sets, they perfectly cut the outlines of stamped images for a polished end result without the need for delicate hand trimming. Thin Cuts metal dies are slim enough to fit in the same envelopes, so storage space for these dies is also minimized. Incorporating Thin Cuts dies into your artwork allows you to create accents with added dimension, like the sweet lemonade jar on the scrapbook layout below!

With so much to love about Close To My Heart stamps, it’s no wonder that crafters everywhere love to create with them. Right now, we’ve got an absolutely amazing sale on our stamps and Thin Cuts dies. Our Stamptacular sale offers deals on over 175 stamp + Thin Cuts bundles and nearly 300 standalone stamp sets!

Along with the savings available on this vast array of stamps and Thin Cuts, we’ve also created five exclusive stamp sets that were designed just for this Stamptacular sale! With four patriotic themed sets and a floral set, these exclusive stamps are the perfect companion for the deals available through Stamptacular!

We’re thrilled to be able to share so many of our stamps with you, and we want to hear about your favorite experiences with this crafting staple! Do you have any special memories associated with stamping, a favorite technique, or even a favorite stamp set? Leave a comment below and tell us all about it!

Recipes

4¼” x 5½” Meet Me On the Slopes Card (Vertical)
CC6226 My Acrylix® True Blue Stamp Set, X5978 Glacier Cardstock, X6062 Harbour Cardstock, X5950 Toffee Cardstock, X6058 Rosemary Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z6531 Mocha Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6529 Rosemary Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, Z2088 Clear Super Fine Embossing Powder, Z2068 White Super Fine Embossing Powder, Z4220 Anti-static Pouch, Z4252 Heat Tool, Z3515 Black Journaling Pen (.01), Z3224 Small Round Waterbrush, Z1985 Gold Shimmer Trim, Z4054 Gold Embellishing Thread

12″ x 12″ Okinawa is Home Page
CC6223 My Acrylix® Culture & Tradition Stamp Set, X6047 Black Cardstock, X6038 Candy Apple Cardstock, X6054 Grape Cardstock, Z6509 Candy Apple Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6524 Grape Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6517 Lemonade Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6521 Sundance Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z1985 Gold Shimmer Trim, Z3312 Gold Glitter Gems, Z3630 Watercolor Pencils, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z3225 Medium Round Waterbrush, Z3560 Golden Rod Stickles™ Glitter Glue, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape

12″ x 12″ Fourth of July Page
CC6224 My Acrylix® Fourth of July Stamp Set, X7281B Tutti Frutti Paper Packet, X6038 Candy Apple Cardstock, X5978 Glacier Cardstock, X6057 Capri Cardstock, X5957 Sapphire Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z6509 Candy Apple Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6528 Capri Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2841 Capri Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2841 Glacier Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2848 Sapphire Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2895 Lagoon Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4223 Red Shimmer Brush, Z3274 Clear Sparkles, Z1263 Bitty Sparkles, Z1799 Silver Shimmer Trim, Cricut® Artbooking Collection

Cricut® Shape:
Artbooking
#M3D292

12″ x 12″ Canada Day Page
CC6225 My Acrylix® Home and Native Land Stamp Set, X5947 Mink Cardstock, X6049 Scarlet Cardstock, X6051 Sundance Cardstock, X5950 Toffee Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2841 Glacier Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2832 Pewter Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6526 Scarlet Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2828 Toffee Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4339 Stencil Pack 2, Z4340 Stencil 3, Z3686 Stitched Fancy Brackets Thin Cuts, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z2089 Glue Dots® Micro Dots, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape

6″ x 8″ More Sunshine Layout with Pocket Scrapbooking
Z4446 Front Porch Sippin’ Stamp + Thin Cuts, X9040 Mix-in Paper Packet, X6053 Avocado Cardstock, X6062 Harbour Cardstock, X6035 Lemonade Cardstock, X6045 Sage Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z6533 Harbour Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6517 Lemonade Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6513 Nectarine Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2524 Aqua Blue TriBlend™ Marker, Z2482 Citrus TriBlend™ Marker, Z2483 Light Yellow TriBlend™ Marker, Z3515 Black Journaling Pen (.01), Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z3191 6″ x 8″ Memory Protectors™ Design 2, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine

4¼” x 5½” Thinking of You Card (Horizontal)
Make It from Your Heart, Volume 4, page 36–37
CC6222 My Acrylix® Floral Wishes Stamp Set, X8024B Love Story Paper Packet (Toffee), X5957 Sapphire Cardstock, X5950 Toffee Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2828 Toffee Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2848 Sapphire Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2481 Coral Marker TriBlend™ Marker, Z2486 Dull Green TriBlend™ Marker, Z2491 True Blue TriBlend™ Marker, Z3787 Platinum Stickles™ Glitter Glue, Z3312 Gold Glitter Gems

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March 16, 2022Inspiration

A Birthday Bash You DON’T Want to Miss!

Close To My Heartbirthday, birthday bash, Cake Day, cardmaking, cards, Celebrate, celebration, giveaway, Jeanette, party, scrapbook, scrapbooking, Stamp + Thin Cuts, stamping, stamps, Thin Cuts 322 Comments

Can you believe that we are already halfway through March? That means that there’s still another half left, and we plan on wrapping it up in Close To My Heart style with a celebratory giveaway!

What are we celebrating? (Do we have to have a reason? 😉) One of our most dear relations has a birthday coming up in the next couple of weeks, and this simply cannot go without notice! We are talking of none other than the heart of Close To My Heart, Founder and CEO Jeanette Lynton!

Please join us in celebrating this inspiring pillar of our creative community by leaving her a birthday message in our comments, below. Jeanette loves this company and all of us who comprise it with all of her heart! If you’re one of our readers who’s been fortunate enough to meet her, you know that this is true. ❤️

To get the party started, we are giving away the Cake Day stamp and Thin Cuts sets! Not only are these two sets ideal for a variety of artwork projects celebrating birthdays and other occasions, but they both feature a variety of fun, stacking images that are easy to achieve and customize thanks to the versatility of stamping!

CAKE DAY—CARDMAKING STAMP + THIN CUTS

CAKE DAY—SCRAPBOOKING STAMP + THIN CUTS

Let’s take a closer look at how some of the different layers of this stamp set build on each other. For the presents, you have three different shapes to choose from, and you can add details to each of them with bows, wrapping paper designs, or both!

This little triangle is especially versatile because you can mix and match the different stripe patterns with each other, or stamp either stripe pattern on a solid stamped triangle to create a variety of colorful pennants for a banner.

Turn a pennant upside down and stamp one of the two included accents on top and you have a party hat!

We are giving away a total of five stamp + Thin Cuts sets, winners’ choice! If you’re one of our winners, let us know which set you prefer, the Cake Day—Cardmaking or Cake Day—Scrapbooking stamp + Thin Cuts!

To qualify for the drawing, it’s the easy two-step entry it always is. First, make sure you are subscribed! (So many leave comments and are not subscribed—we look!) If you are not subscribed, simply click on the blue “Subscribe to list” button found on the sidebar, if you’re on a computer, or at the very bottom of this post, if you’re on a phone or tablet. Second, and this is a must and just as important, if not more so, leave a birthday message for Jeanette in our comments section below. That’s it! All entries must be submitted by 5 pm, March 28, MDT (that’s 10:00 am 29 March, AEDT for our Aussie friends.) Winners will be notified via the e-mail address connected to their subscriptions.

Be sure to also check out Facebook and Instagram feeds for even MORE Cake Day giveaway opportunities that we will be running there in honor of Jeanette’s birthday month!

All of you that are part of our crafting community, you mean so much to us and especially to Jeanette. We are grateful for the years of friendship we’ve all shared and the many years of friendship to come. We love celebrating our relationship every opportunity we get! Today, please join us in celebrating Jeanette and leave her a birthday message below! Happy birthday Jeanette!!

Recipes:

4¼” x 5½” Cake Card (Vertical)
Z4417 Cake Day—Cardmaking Stamp Set + Thin Cuts, X7278S Cake Day Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X5978 Glacier Cardstock, X6031 Green Apple Cardstock, X6035 Lemonade Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X6056 Wild Berry Cardstock, X7278D Cake Day Picture My Life^™ Cards, Z2841 Glacier Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6513 Green Apple Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6521 Sundance Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6527 Wild Berry Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z1513 White Gel Pens, X7278E Cake Day Dots, Z1263 Bitty Sparkles, Z697 Round Sponge, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine

4¼” x 5½” Happy Birthday to You Card (Horizontal)
Z4417 Cake Day Cardmaking Stamp + Thin Cuts, X7278S Cake Day Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X5978 Glacier Cardstock, X6031 Green Apple Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2841 Glacier Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6513 Green Apple Exclusive Inks^™Stamp Pad, Z6517 Lemonade Exclusive Inks^™Stamp Pad, Z6521 Sundance Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6527 Wild Berry Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, X7278E Cake Day Dots, Z4525 Primary Sprinkles, Z3515 Black Journaling Pen (.01), Z1513 White Gel Pens, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z2089 Glue Dots^®Micro Dots, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine

12″ x 12″ Hip Hip Hooray Layout
Z4416 Cake Day—Scrapbooking Stamp + Thin Cuts, X7278S Cake Day Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X5978 Glacier Cardstock, X6051 Sundance Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2841 Glacier Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z6513 Green Apple Exclusive Inks^™Stamp Pad, Z6521 Sundance Exclusive Inks^™Stamp Pad, Z6527 Wild Berry Exclusive Inks^™ Stamp Pad, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks^™Stamp Pad, Z3787 Platinum Stickles^™ Glitter Glue, X7278E Cake Day Dots, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine, Cricut^® Basic Shapes

Cricut^® Shape:
Basic Shapes
#M2AAB3EFD

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April 7, 2021Celebrate

Celebrating Our Spectacular Stamps!

Close To My Heartblocks, corona, covid, doctor, everyday heroes, forever grateful, Let's Stay Home, my acrylix, nurse, on repeat, paper pal, quarantine, sale, stamps, Stamptacular, the great indoors, through thick and thin, toilet paper, virus 3 Comments

Stamptacular #closetomyheart #ctmh #stamptacular #myacrylix #everydayheroes #let'sstayhome #thegreatindoors #onrepeat #throughthickandthin #forevergrateful #stamping #cardmaking #scrapbooking #papercrafting

For this entire month of April, we’re celebrating our love for stamping with a Stamptacular sale! This unbelievable sale includes over 225 stamps sets and over 125 Stamp + Thin Cuts bundles! With savings up to 50%-off, we know you won’t want to miss out on the incredible opportunity to save big on your favorite Close To My Heart stamps and Thin Cuts metal dies!

If you’re already familiar with our top-quality stamps, then the Stamptacular sale is the perfect time to build off of what you already have and expand your creative options even further! If you’re a new crafter, or have yet to explore the wonderful world of stamps, this is an excellent opportunity to start off your journey with the best-quality stamps on the market at unbeatable prices!

At Close To My Heart, stamping is a huge part of who we are, and it’s been that way right from the beginning. Over our 35+ years in the crafting industry, we’ve become a forerunner in the world of stamping and pioneered the use of clear stamps and transparent, reusable stamping blocks. All of our stamps are made with a clear material that is flexible, yet sturdy, allowing for easy transfer from the carrier sheet they come on to one of our acrylic blocks. They are unmounted, which gives crafters more freedom to make our stamps work for them, as well as reducing the storage accommodations required for traditional mounted stamps.

Because our stamps and stamping blocks are completely transparent, it’s easier to achieve greater accuracy when it comes to stamp placement. Whether you’re adding stamped accents to a larger project, like the sections of a 12″ x 12″ scrapbook page you see above, or a smaller section like the accent shown below, having a clearer perspective on what your stamped image will look like is an excellent way to gain greater control over your creativity and produce more polished artwork!

Along with an amazing variety of stamps, many of our sets also come with specially designed Thin Cuts metal dies, which are coordinated with their respective sets to yield a perfect outline for your stamped image without the need for hand trimming. These Thin Cuts are super-slim and fit inside the envelope that our stamp sets come in, so storage is a breeze!

It’s easy to see why we’re so excited to share the all the incredible savings in the Stamptacular sale with you! To sweeten the deal even more, we’ve also brought back five exclusive stamp sets from the past, just for this sale! These five sets—Let’s Stay Home, The Great Indoors, On Repeat, Through Thick and Thin, and Forever Grateful— feature fun sentiments, icons, and accents to help you create all sorts of artwork, from fun and whimsical pieces to more elegant, polished designs.

In addition to these five exclusive sets, we’d also recommend that you check out the exclusive Everyday Heroes SVG file, which was featured on one of our blog posts last April! Click here to visit that post and download this adorable SVG file, free!

Everyday Heroes SVG #ctmh #closetomyheart #paperpal #everydayheroes #helpersareheroes #svg #free #nursehero #doctorhero #medicalhero #coronavirushero #covid19hero #pandemichero

These exclusive stamp sets, along with the Everyday Heroes SVG file, are specifically designed to inspire reflection on the events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and help you document all the memorable moments—both happy and challenging—you’ve experienced over the past year. These exclusive stamp sets will only be available through April 30, 2021, so don’t miss out on this opportunity to get these too-cute sets for yourself!

We love anything and everything to do with stamping, and we want to hear about your experiences with this versatile medium! Do you have a favorite stamping memory? What about your favorite way to craft using Close To My Heart stamps? Leave a comment below to let us know!

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September 10, 2019Celebrate, Create

National Stamping Month: Stamping Basics

Close To My Heartideas, National Stamping Month, nsm, September, stamping, stamps, techniques 2 Comments

It is officially National Stamping Month! Is anyone else as pumped about this time of year as we are? A little bit of history, for our friends who haven’t been with us for very long, Close To My Heart was originally called D.O.T.S. (Dozens of Terrific Stamps). Our first love was, and continues to be, stamps! We’ve come a long way since 1984 and wood mounted rubber stamp sets, and yet there are still some things that will never change.

Today we are going back to the basics of stamping, showing a few different ways we can use stamps in our projects. If you are new to stamping, this is a great place to start and learn just how versatile these creative tools can be. If you are a “pro,” then follow along anyway and remind yourself why you, too, love stamping and the versatility behind each design.

First, let’s talk about stamping on photos.

This is such an easy way to create personalized cards or add some additional touches to your scrapbook pages.

Stamping directly on a photo might seem a little scary at first, but we promise, it will be okay! For this project, we used the Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ stamp pad to stamp our sentiment. We opted for this ink choice because we used a matte photo. If you’re stamping on a glossy photo, consider using Black StazOn™ ink. StazOn™ ink is specifically formulated for use on non-porous surfaces, allowing you to confidently stamp on any photo.

Next, let’s revisit an oldie, but a goodie, technique—generational stamping. Generational stamping is a fairly simple stamping technique. Think of it as the “double-dip” action (or in this case, the “triple-dip”) of the stamping world. With generational stamping, you don’t re-ink your stamp before stamping the image or sentiment again. This leaves you with a slightly faded image that is otherwise identical to the first one.

For this example, we used the Candy Apple Exclusive Inks™ stamp pad to create a fun generational stamping effect. First, you thoroughly saturate your stamp with ink, and then press down firmly to transfer the image onto your paper. Then, without re-inking the stamp, press it to the paper again to create a second-generation stamped image or, like in this case, sentiment. In this example, we went a step farther and created a third-generation sentiment, which was accomplished the same way.

You can clearly see the second and third generational stamps. This effect, combined with the fun patterns in the Every Little Thing paper packet, makes for a beautiful card with a unique flair.

Another fun way to use your stamps is to fussy cut! Fussy cutting simply means that you cut out your stamped image by hand rather than using a metal die or a paper cutting machine. This lets you cut right down to the edges of the image for a crisp, clean cut. When you don’t have just the right sticker or are looking for a quick way to add dimension, fussy cut your stamped image or sentiment and attach it with some foam tape!

In our next example, we’ve got several different ideas that neatly come together in one beautiful 6″ x 8″ layout.

First, take a close look at the peach portion of the layout, in the lower right-hand corner of the left page. That’s not pattern paper—the pattern you see is achieved by continuous, random stamping. Stamps give you the ability to create your own unique patterns, adding a personal element to all of your projects.

Next, let’s talk about how to stamp white on black. For this, we’ll be breaking out our heat tool and embossing powder!

As you can see, this particular element has a dimensional appearance. Well, that’s thanks to the use of embossing powder!

The images in this example are stamped with VersaMark™ ink and heat embossed with white embossing powder. Stamp with VersaMark™ ink, add embossing powder, melt and seal together with a heat tool.

Did you know that you can also heat emboss with our pigment inks of our exclusive colors? All you need is the pigment ink in the color of your choice and clear embossing powder. Heat and seal like you would with the VersaMark™ ink, and that’s it!

If you want to heat emboss on vellum, there are a few small tricks to consider.

For this technique, allow your heat tool to heat up before you use it. Once it’s hot, blow on the ink intermittently from behind the paper (which means you would need to do this step before attaching a piece like this to your project). If you blow directly onto the ink and vellum without pulling the heater away, the ink will move and the paper will warp. Another approach, if from behind is too difficult, is to move the heat tool in slow circles over the stamped area.

The last three examples of artwork we have showcase how to add color to your stamped images.

In a recent blog post, we discussed different types of black ink and which ones work best with certain types of projects. For this card, we used the Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad to stamp the pumpkins so that we could add color with our new TriBlend™ markers.

Once you’ve got your image stamped, take your TriBlend™ Marker and color around the outer edges of the stamped image using one of the darker shades. Then, color in the center with one of the lighter shades.

Using TriBlend™ Markers to color in your stamped images allows you to color with confidence, since the shades are already matched for you, and as you can see, they deliver beautiful results!

For this card, you’ll want to grab your watercolor pencils. To avoid getting harsh lines in your project, move your pencil in gentle, circular strokes, or use a lighter hand as you color; think of it as light shading as opposed to coloring in your stamp.

Once you’ve got your stamped image colored in, you can leave it as is for a slightly more rustic, rough feel, like in our example, or blend with a waterbrush.

Our last example is a bit deceptive, and it looks a bit more complicated than it actually is.

To create the beautiful, multicolored effect happening in the leaves of this page, we used a technique is called rock & roll.

First, you thoroughly ink your stamp in the base color of your choice. Then, gently rock and roll the edges of your stamp in your secondary color. It’s that easy. Your stamp is ready to leave a gorgeous impression!

No matter how you use them, you can’t go wrong with great stamps! Happy stamping!

Recipes

5″ x 7″ Merry Christmas Photo Card
CC9191 My Acrylix^® A Dash of Joy Stamp Set, X6047 Black Cardstock, Z3271 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad

3″ x 3″ Merry Merry Merry Card
CC9191 My Acrylix^® A Dash of Joy Stamp Set, X7248B Every Little Thing Paper Packet, X6030 Evergreen Cardstock, X6046 French Vanilla Cardstock, X6044 Peach Cardstock, Z6509 Candy Apple Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3312 Gold Glitter Gems, Z4242 Watercolor Pencils, Z3224 Small Round Waterbrush

6″ x 8″ Christmas Wishes Layout
CC9195 Share the Seasons Stamps + Thin Cuts, X9007 Mix-in Paper Packet, X6047 Black Cardstock, X6038 Candy Apple Cardstock, X6030 Evergreen Cardstock, X6042 Mint Cardstock, X6044 Peach Cardstock, X6045 Sage Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z6509 Candy Apple Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6512 Evergreen Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6502 Peach Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, Z3312 Gold Glitter Gems, Z4054 Gold Embellishing Thread, Z341 Glue Dots^® Mini Dots, Z2068 White Super Fine Embossing Powder, Z4220 Anti-static Pouch, Z4252 Heat Tool, Die-cutting Machine

3″ x 3″ Thankful Grateful Blessed Card
CC9192 My Acrylix^® Giving Thanks Stamp Set, X5962 Goldrush Cardstock, X6046 French Vanilla Cardstock, X6033 Paprika Cardstock, Z3367 Vellum Paper, Z2823 Goldrush Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2851 Saffron Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, Z4054 Gold Embellishing Thread, Z2066 Princess Gold Embossing Powder, Z4220 Anti-static Pouch, Z4252 Heat Tool, Z4181 Stitched Circles Thin Cuts, Z341 Glue Dots^® Mini Dots, Die-cutting Machine

4¼” x 5½” Happy Fall Card (Vertical)
Z3532 Autumn Blessings Stamp + Thin Cuts, X7249B Hawthorn Paper Packet, X6047 Black Cardstock, X6030 Evergreen Cardstock, X6046 French Vanilla Cardstock, X6045 Sage Cardstock, Z3271 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4235 Gold Loose Sequins, Z4054 Gold Embellishing Thread, Z1809 Black Shimmer Trim, Z3568 Black Velvet Ribbon, Z2480 Orange TriBlend™ Marker, Z2478 Earth Brown TriBlend™ Marker, Z341 Glue Dots^® Mini Dots, Die-cutting Machine

4¼” x 5½” Thinking of You Card (Horizontal)
Z3544 Sunflower Sympathy Stamp + Thin Cuts, X7249B Hawthorn Paper Packet, X6046 French Vanilla Cardstock, X6005 Goldrush Cardstock, X6033 Paprika Cardstock, Z2829 Espresso Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6512 Evergreen Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2823 Goldrush Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2851 Saffron Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, Z3312 Gold Glitter Gems, Z4054 Gold Embellishing Thread, Z4242 Watercolor Pencils, Z341 Glue Dots^® Mini Dots, Z2066 Princess Gold Embossing Powder, Z4220 Anti-static Pouch, Z4252 Heat Tool, Die-cutting Machine, Sewing Machine

6″ x 8″ Grateful for You Page
Z3527 Hawthorn—Scrapbooking Stamp + Thin Cuts, CC9192 My Acrylix^® Giving Thanks Stamp Set, X7249B Hawthorn Paper Packet, X6046 French Vanilla Cardstock, X6033 Paprika Cardstock, X6044 Peach Cardstock, Z2843 Canary Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6509 Candy Apple Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2829 Espresso Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2823 Goldrush Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6515 Paprika Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2851 Saffron Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4235 Gold Loose Sequins, Z4054 Gold Embellishing Thread, Z3552 Wooden Arrows, Z341 Glue Dots^® Mini Dots, Die-cutting Machine

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July 24, 2018Learn

Tools Every Stamper Should Have

Close To My Heartblocks, inks, my acrylix, stamp pads, Stamp Sets, stamping, stamps, tools 5 Comments

Stamping runs through our veins here at Close To My Heart and we just can’t get enough of it! For those who are new to stamping or maybe just new to our product line, we wanted to share some of the basics that will make stamping with Close To My Heart your new favorite!

My Acrylix® Stamp Sets

The very first thing that you need is a good quality stamp. There’s no getting around this one. You want stamp sets that will stand the test of time in both structure and design. (Some have had to learn the hard way, not all clear stamp sets are created equal. 🙂 )

At Close To My Heart we put a lot of thought and effort into making the best stamps for our customers. The process begins about nine months to a year before a stamp set is even available for purchase. From trend and customer preference research all the way through the final label placed on the packaging, there isn’t a detail left unturned.

All of our My Acrylix® stamps are made of a liquid photo polymer resin. (What does that mean?) They are a clear, rubbery, very high quality material that creates clean and crisp prints time and time again. They are also flexible! Because they come packaged on a carrier sheet and are not permanently mounted on a block, you can manipulate them to fit inside shapes and banners, or simply to achieve a slightly different look than the original. (Some people will go as far as cutting their polymer stamps in order to rearrange words and sentiments!)

My Acrylix® Blocks

We mentioned earlier that our stamps are not permanently mounted on blocks, and if you watched the video above you can see what a world of difference that makes.

: 1″ x 1″ (Y1000)

: 2″ x 2″ (Y1003)

: 3″ x 3″ (Y1006)

: 2″ x 3 1/2″ (Y1009)

: 1″ x 3 1/2″ (Y1002)

: 1″ x 6 1/2″ (Y1005)

: 2″ x 6 1/2″ (Y1010)

: Coming Soon! 5″ x 6″ (Y1015)

Once you have your stamp sets, you will need blocks to use them. Our My Acrylix® blocks are your best bet!

All of our My Acrylix® blocks have a small white horizontal line on them to help with stamp alignment, which is especially helpful to keep words and borders straight. Their crystal clear acrylic design not only lets you see where you are stamping but it is also hard and sturdy, making them very durable and difficult to break. With rounded edges providing a safe and comfortable grip, be prepared for hours of stamping fun!

Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad

When creativity strikes, enjoy a full spectrum of color with our Exclusive Inks™ color palette.

Our patented Exclusive Inks™ stamp pads feature an innovative lid pad (where the larger than average ink pad is stored in the lid) keeping the ink always at the surface and ready to use.

The sleek magnetic closure design makes it easy to open and close (and also helps to keep your fingers clean!).

Available in every one of our beautiful exclusive colors, the ink is an acid free water-based dye and formulated from scratch.

My Acrylix® Spritz Cleaner & Stamp Scrubber

As stampers, we naturally want to take care of our beloved stamps. For a lint-free clean, the My Acrylix® Spritz Cleaner and Stamp Scrubber will be your new besties.

Stamping Tools #ctmh #closetomyheart #MyAcrylix® #stamping #acrylicstamp #MyAcrylix #stampset #acrylicblock #inkpad #stamppad #ExclusiveInks™ #spritzcleaner #stampscrubber

Like you saw in the video above, just spray your stamp while it’s still on the block and scrub away. This cleaner and scrubber duo will also remove stubborn pigment inks from My Acrylix® stamps.

That’s it! With a few quality basics you’re set to take on stamping like a pro!

Are there any products you absolutely must have for your stamping? Let us know in the comments below!

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July 5, 2018Celebrate, Learn

Stampaganza 2018!

Close To My Heartabcs, album, alphabet, campaign, letters, mini album, my acrylix, numbers, sale, set, Stampaganza, stamping, stamps, summer 8 Comments

We did it again! Stampaganza is back! For every two stamp sets you purchase at full retail price during the month of July you get a third of equal or lesser value FREE! Any of our current stamp sets found in our Annual Inspirations and Seasonal Expressions 2 catalogs are up for grabs. AND, to make things even more exciting, we brought back our popular alphabet and number Solos stamp sets just for this sale!

Celebrate this Stampaganza with us as we highlight some of the Solos sets in a fun summer album, below!

stampaganza #ctmh #closetomyheart #ctmhstampaganza #stampaganzaxctmh #solos #solosstampsets #stamping #stamps #free #July #sale #summeralbum #marveloussummer #summer #album #numbers #alphabet #abc #letters #numerical #MyAcrylix® #MyAcrylix

Features: Solos “a”, Solos “e”, Solos “h”, Solos “i”, Solos “l”, Solos “y”

These first two pages are the title and subject introduction of this album, where we get invited into a little girl’s “marvelous summer” adventures. In the pages that follow, we recount 10 of Ali’s favorite summer memories doing all of our stamping using only the number and alphabet Solos. Can you spot your favorite?

Features: Solos “1”, Solos “2”, Solos “e”, Solos “i”, Solos “m”, Solos “p”, Solos “s”, Solos “w”

Features: Solos “3”, Solos “4”, Solos “b”, Solos “c”, Solos “e”, Solos “g”, Solos “i”, Solos “k”, Solos “n”, Solos “o”

Features: Solos “5”, Solos “6”, Solos “a”, Solos “c”, Solos “e”, Solos “f”, Solos “i”, Solos “k”, Solos “m”, Solos “r”, Solos “s”, Solos “t”

Features: Solos “7”, Solos “8”, Solos “a”, Solos “d”, Solos “e”, Solos “g”, Solos “m”, Solos “r”

Features: Solos “0”, Solos “1”, Solos “2”, Solos “9”, Solos “a”, Solos “c”, Solos “f”, Solos “l”, Solos “r”, Solos “t”

Just remember, these stamp sets are only back until the end of July, so make sure to snatch up your favorites before they are gone! (You really can’t ever have too many fonts 😉 )

Which stamp set is calling your name this Stampaganza? Tell us in the comments below!

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July 18, 2017Create, Learn

Stamping ABC’s

Close To My Heartabc, alphabet, ideas, stamps, technique, tips, tricks 3 Comments

Here we are, in the middle of Stampaganaza 2017, with more stamping tips and tricks for you to carry up your sleeve and share with your friends! Today we’re giving you the ABC’s of working with alphabet stamps. Most of us have at least one font that is our go to, so go grab it and try the following out! (If you’re looking for a new favorite, check out our new Storybook Alphabet—July Stamp of the Month!)
Counting Sheep #closetomyheart #ctmh #layout #countingsheep #sleeping #alphabetstamp #alphabet #scrapbooking
A is for Alignment
For our first trick, we will tell you to stamp your letters one at a time instead of spelling out entire words on a stamping block. A lot of people do this (and we do too, sometimes!) but we find it easier to pull off crisper and cleaner letters when they are stamped individually. If you’re afraid that your letters won’t line up straight, use a ruler and a pencil to lightly draw a line to act as a guide for where you will be stamping. As for spacing between the letters, just eyeball it! Artists are definitely not perfectionists!
Love Card #closetomyheart #ctmh #cardmaking #lovecard #love #alphabetstamp #stamping B is for Background
Never underestimate the power of a strong backdrop! Alphabet stamps make great backgrounds and can send subtle messages through artwork. Align your letters using the tips we’ve already mentioned, but throw them in the back for a fun and easy way to personalize your crafts.
Gift Tag #closetomyheart #ctmh #tag #alphabet #alphabetstamp #stamping C is for Center (Sorry Cookie Monster, maybe next time)
Our final tip is about centering your words in your artwork without having to pull out a ruler. If you are trying to center a word on a piece of paper, like in our Hello tag above, start stamping from the middle letter of the word. We started with the first L in “HELLO” and then worked our way out from there, playfully staggering the letters slightly up and down.

Remember your ABC’s—they can make a world of difference when you stamp! If you’ve got some alphabet tips of your own that you would like to share, please do so in the comments below!

Recipes

12″ x 12″ Counting Sheep Page
S1707 My Acrylix^® Storybook Alphabet—Stamp of the Month, E1034 My Acrylix^® Marker Alphabet Stamp Set, B1484 My Acrylix^® Jennifer’s Hand Stamp Set, Z3254 Enchantment Fundamentals Paper Packet, Z3255 Whimsy Fundamentals Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5752 Juniper Cardstock, X5777 Fern Cardstock, X5789 Sea Glass Cardstock, Z3271 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2813 Sea Glass Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2841 Glacier Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2849 Peacock Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2865 Juniper Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3273 Baby Boy Complements, Z3274 Clear Sparkles, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape

4¼” x 5½” Love Card
E1027 My Acrylix^® Framework Alphabet Stamp Set, X7221B Prickly Pear Paper Packet, X7219B Little Dreamer Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5788 Raspberry Cardstock, Z2841 Glacier Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2865 Juniper Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2806 Emerald Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3216 White Twine, Z1263 Bitty Sparkles, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape, Z3285 Cricut^® Flower Market Collection

Cricut^® Shape:
Flower Market
1¾” Background <c> (p. 33)

2¾” x 1¾” Hello Tag
B1484 My Acrylix^® Jennifer’s Hand Stamp Set, X7221B Prickly Pear Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5777 Fern Cardstock, Z2896 Smoothie Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3272 Baby Girl Complements, Z3189 White & Gold Ribbon, Z3169 Cricut^® Artbooking Collection, Glassine Bag

Cricut^® Shape:
Artbooking Collection
1¾” Photo Mat 1 <AllStar> (p. 83)

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Make It from Your Heart

Tag Archives: stamps

A Gift From Us to You

Making Your Mark on Memory Keeping

Spectacular Stamping!

A Birthday Bash You DON’T Want to Miss!

Celebrating Our Spectacular Stamps!

National Stamping Month: Stamping Basics