Hidden Inlay Die Cutting with Close To My Heart Thin Cuts

Well I have another fab idea & technique to share with you so that when you go & get your 25%  saving on the Close To My Heart Thin Cuts you will have lots of ideas on how to use them and this technique shows you how to create hidden inlay die cuts which are almost invisible – until you take a closer look.

Die cut inlay is where you die cut shapes and glue the pieces back together like a puzzle for a smooth look.

Material:
– Close To My Heart Thin Cuts I used the the Thanks out of the Hello & Thanks Thin Cut Set
– Die Cutting Machine of your Choice
– And  multiple colours of Cardstock

How To
1. Stamp your image & colour in with your choice of colour. I used the In Bloom stamp set and Watercolours
2. Cut your Close To My Heart Thin cut as you normally would & save the little negative cut out left over pieces.

3. Re-cut the same die out of another colour of cardstock – this is optional & if you want to build your word up into a 3D look. I started to do this look but changed it right at the end for a more flush look.
4. Attach your card to a base and stick in in the left over negative cut out pieces into place.

5. Stick the word into place

6. Optional: To make sure that the word is flush you can run your card through your embossing machine – just protect your card from the marks that could be on your plate – I got some lovely marks that had to be hidden!

What I love
How the word looks just fab by itself with the stamped, coloured background – I could use it like that if I really wanted too! In fact I am very tempted to make another to do just that!

I hope you try this technique and have fun with it and thanks so much for taking the time to find out more about the Hidden Inlay Die Cutting technique…see you soon.

Maz

Partial Die Cutting with Close To My Heart Thin Cuts

This month you can Save 25% on all Close To My Heart Thin Cuts, so I thought I would share some great tutorials, tips & ideas on how you can use the Thin Cuts.

Today I am showing you how to do partial die cutting with the Close To My Heart Thin Cuts which allows you to extend a portion of a die cut shape past the fold for a unique card or place marker or in one case of my cards incorporate the rest of the background into the die.

Material:

– Close To My Heart Thin Cuts I used the Hello Lovely Cardmaking Thin Cuts Bundle and the Thin Cuts – Happy Birthday for the two card designs.
– Die Cutting Machine of your Choice
– And Cardstock

How To
1. Mark with a pencil the halfway mark that you are going to fold your card, if you want your image to extend past a folded card line.
2. Place a shaped die so that one part of the die is above the centre pencil line and the rest is below.
3. Line up die cutting plates along the pencil line so that only the protruding portion is cut when run through the die cutting machine. I used washi tape to guide me exactly where I wanted the plate to line up

4. Score along the pencil line, outside the die cut area. Erase pencil markings.
5. With the Happy Birthday card cut away any excess cardstock so the only the letter appear above the cut area.
6. Decorate the card as desired.

I hope you try this technique and have fun with it and thanks so much for taking the time to find out more about the Partial Die Cutting technique…see you soon.

Maz

Fun Friday Technique: Coordinating Thin Cuts Masking & Stencils

Close To My Heart now offer some Coordinating Thin Cuts with some of their stamps. When you get the matching Thin Cut normally you would use it to cut out your image, so today I am showing you how you can use the Coordinating Thin Cuts as a mask to create a halo effect when you add your background to your image and why we are at it why not use the negative of one of the shapes as a stencil, like I have with this circle.

This means you can use your thin cuts for more techniques not just cutting out your stamped image.

What you need
– Your choice of Stamps with Matching Thin Cuts I used the Some Kinda Wonderful Cardmaking Thin Cuts Bundle which includes both the Stamp Set and the matching Thin Cuts and the Basic Circle Thin Cuts
– Close To My Heart Cardstock
– Close To My Heart Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pads

Technique Process
– Stamp your image in Black Memento™ Ink
– Colour the image in. I used the ShinHan™ Touch Twin™ Markers
– Cut out your matching Thin cut from a post it.
– Place the negative cut out over your image so you can be sure to align your mask, pop your mask in & remove the negative. Now you can be sure that the mask is in the correct position.
– Place the negative of the shape you want the sponged colour to be, I used the Basic Circle Thin Cuts.
– Sponge lightly with your lightest colour starting from your mask out to the background of your paper. Apply more ink if you want the colour darker. Always start lighter & re-apply to make the colour darker.
– Now put your card together.

Cut out a mask with coordinating thin cut & cover stamped image. Place the negative cut shape in place to form a stencil

Tape down your negative cut with some washi tape to keep in place and Sponge lightly over the masked image.

You can even stamp over a pattern background while the mask and stencil is in place.

That’s it! It is easy & very effective.

I hope you enjoyed this Friday Fun Technique and I hope you give it a try over this weekend.

Till next time Maz

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Want to See More Friday Fun Techniques?

Then you will love these
– Sanding over Dry Embossing

Double Embossing with Close To My Heart Thin Cuts

Today I want to share with you super fun double embossing technique which is something that I done with my old dies a long time ago, but haven’t really re-visited the technique.

It is a great way to stretch some of your Close To My Heart Thin Cuts & is sort of a stamping technique as you stamp with your Close To My Heart Thin Cuts – yes you read that correctly, you can stamp the outline with your die. It takes a bit of practice & I have not perfected it by a long shot. But hey that is half the fun of crafting, learning & sharing what works for you.

FYI: I found a blog post from Jennifer McGuire who does this soooooo much better, than me. She calls the technique something different to what I was first shown many years ago, but it is still the same idea.

Now this technique I found looks better with the word Thin Cuts & the snowflakes, but you can try it on others or any other die cut you own. Let me show you how.

Material:

• Close To My Heart Thin Cuts preferably one of the words or the snowflakes..
• VersaMark™ Ink Pad
• Super Fine Embossing Powders – any choice of colour
• Die Cutting machine (Big Shot or Cuttlebug)
• Rubber Embossing Mat – I used the Tan Rubber Mat, but you can try Rubber Gasket or a Silicon Baking try.
• Cardstock your choice of colour.

How To

1. Set up your Die cutting machine for embossing with die, for me it is a B plates & the Rubber Embossing Mat, cardstock, die & final B Plate. There are lots of fab instructions out there if you are not sure how to set up your machine.
2. Ink over only the cutting edges (the raised parts) of your chosen Close To My Heart Thin Cuts with the VersaMark™ Ink Pad & place carefully onto your cardstock that you set up already. Be careful not to move your die or you will get ink where you do not want it.
3. Run the dies through your Die Cutting machine &carefully remove the die & quickly cover with your chosen Super Fine Embossing Powder. Brush away any excess & heat emboss.
4. You will see that the heat embossing with appear in the outline of your die.

For my first card I tried the Snowflake Thin Cuts with Ranger™ White Super Fine Embossing Powder. I did accidently slightly moved the die before embossing, but for the first go in a long time, I loved the result. I also added some Clear Shimmer Brush to the raised parts of the snowflake.

For my Second card I tried the technique again with one of the hello word thin cuts, I loved the combo of the White Daisy Cardstock with the Ranger™ Princess Gold Embossing Powder. I did find I needed to use a small dry paint brush to wipe off any excess embossing powder, but it worked out ok. Again I added some Clear Shimmer Brush to the raised parts of the hello word.

And for my final card I decided to try the Gift Thin Cut – now this example showed what happened when I wasn’t careful about applying the ink only to the raised areas – in this case the circles & outline. But you know what I embraced the mistake – it was an opportunity to be a bit more creative & well I didn’t place the image very straight on the card & it was too close to the edge to cut the cardstock smaller, so I cut this one out. I make these mistakes all the time & then the card goes into a totally different direction to what I had envisioned.

And while I am on the subject of Close To My Heart Thin Cuts did you know that they have released four new Thin Cuts that match existing stamps in the Annual Catalogue? The new ones are

• School Kids
• Swirly Seashells
• Sweet Birthday
• Wreath

I cannot wait to get mine & try some new ideas that I have. While these new thin cuts are not the best for this technique, you never know what you could create with them?

I hope you try this technique and have fun with it and thanks so much for taking the time to find out more about the double embossing technique…see you soon.

Maz

True Love can make a difference & help Operation Smile

Introducing the newest stamp set that Close To My Heart has release in support of Operation Smile.

This sweet adorable stamp set has taken the hearts of many Close To My Heart’s Consultants & what is even better is that by purchasing this adorable True Love stamp set, you are helping a great cause.

Close To My Heart is partnered with Operation Smile™, an organization that provides free, life-changing surgery that repairs smiles and reshapes lives, one child at a time.

Since 2008, Close To My Heart has provided support to change the lives of over 1,500 children and their families.

Buy with pride. Your business with Close To My Heart makes a big difference in the life of a child and believe me when you see the difference you can make it will make a difference to your life too.

These are a couple of cards that I have already created using the wonderful True Love stamp set

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are other ways you can help this great cause too, just by shopping on my website.

Operation Smile™ T-Shirts
You can buy an Operation Smile™ T-Shirt. They come in two colours Heathered Nickel (grey) or Classic Red in both women & men’s sizes.

> Order Operation Smile™ T-Shirts

So you can wear your support to the cause. For every t-shirt you purchase, CTMH will donate $10* of the proceeds to Operation Smile™.
*Donation is $10 USD.

 

 

 

Add a donation to to your online order

 

You can add any amount, to any order you do on my online business address – www.maz.closetomyheart.com.au You can even round up your order & donate some money. So if your order is $17.50, you can make it a nice round $20 & $2.50 will be donated – it might be small but every bit counts.

Remember to order using the Maz Gathering: Mystery Hostess Link so that your name will be entered to win the Hostess rewards for August.

You could win FREE product & possibly up to 50% off product. Names will be drawn Aug  31, 2016 – Good Luck

Need to know more about Operation Smile™?
Check out www.operationsmile.org to see all the amazing work that they do.

Thanks so much for taking the time to find out more about Operation Smile™ & how you could make a big difference with True Love…see you soon.

Maz

Taking the Long Way Home

How cute is this Stamp of the Month The Long way Home?

The Long way Home is available exclusively throughout June for $27 or for just $7.50 when you spend $75 or more on Close to My Heart Product.

Can you see the fab potential with this stamp set? There is just so much you could do with it.

 

 

This Classic/Clean & Simple scrapbook layout gives these photos stories with the help of this month’s stamp of the month The Long Way Home which make simple embellishments & I just love the use of the Paper fundamentals. A fun layout.

Or create a cute mini album, a special keepsake of your holiday memories

Add this month’s Stamp of the Month – The Long way Home stamp set to your cart at full retail price of $27 OR, with your qualifying order of $75, add it at checkout for the promotional price of $7.50. You only have until Jun 30th, to own it.

Remember to order using the Maz Gathering: Mystery Hostess Link so that your name will be entered to win the Hostess rewards for June.

You could win FREE product & possibly up to 50% off product. Names will be drawn Jul  1, 2016 – Good Luck

Make sure you take the time to round up your order & donate some money to Operation Smile™, an organization that provides free, life-changing surgery that repairs smiles and reshapes lives, one child at a time.

Thanks so much for taking the time to check out these ideas with this month’s Stamp of the Month…see you soon.

Maz