Leave Fussy Cutting Aside and Enter an Era of Perfectly Cut Stamped Images

Using correlating stamps and dies is big right now and a must-technique for any stamper and allows for perfectly cut images. With just a few turns of a lever, you can make your cards look super professional.

Luckily Close To My Heart have a bunch of Dies called Thin Cuts that come packaged with matching stamps – there are also a couple of Thin Cuts that are stand alone – allowing you to stamp or decorate the die cut image any way you like!

What I love about Stamps with the matching Thin Cuts

It is that you can recreate the same images over and over again in different colours, papers, textures- you name it, just by purchasing stamps with coordinating dies, you basically have the equivalent of endless stickers! All you need is a Die Cutting machine like a Cuttlebug or a Bigshoot to name a few. Basically -Thin Cuts are an easy way to add shapes, titles, and sentiments to any project — no scissors required!

Some Cards using Stamps with the matching Thin Cuts

There are a bunch of amazing Thin Cuts with matching stamps in the Seasonal Expressions Idea Book and here are a few cards to show how easy it is to turn a perfectly cut image into an amazing card, plus a few ideas to get you started.

 

Special Offer

Ok just when you thought it could not get any better, than making it easy for you to cut out your images – Thin Cuts dies are on sale all month!

Save 25% on a wide selection of Thin Cuts dies and 30% on select Thin Cuts bundles!

During March, you can purchase individual Thin Cuts at 25% off the retail price and select bundles of Thin Cuts at 30% off the retail price. This special includes both current and retired Thin Cuts.

Anyway I hope you enjoy my thoughts & ideas about Thin Cuts & you get a chance to look at what we have on offer for you.

Till Next Time
Maz

1 March 2018 (12:01 am AEDT) – 31 March 2018 (11:59 pm AEDT) or while supplies last

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Create 12 Heartfelt Interactive Cards with the Exclusive From the Heart Kit

See how easy these Brilliant & gorgeous cards come together.

Playing with Jack the Close To My Heart featured Paper Pack

Have you had a chance to play with the Jack the Close To My Heart Paper Pack?

Well let me tell you it is a fab fun & a little bit manly.

Into Scrapbooking 

You will love the Jack the Close To My Heart Paper Pack to scrapbook your camping trips & if you have a little wild child this paper pack if perfect.

Into Pocket Scrapbooking 
If Traditional Scrapbooking is not your thing – Jack as with all Close To My Heart Paper Packs includes some cut apart Pocket Scrapbooking pages that you can cut up & create your pocket scrapbook layout in a flash.

Into Card Making 
I can Bearly Stand this cute Bear Stamp from the Jack Cardmaking Stamp + Thin Cuts Bundle & you can use this cutie for any occasion.

 

And I could not resist making a Popup Box card with the Bear.

Of course there is also the always fab Father’s Day Cardmaking Kit which allows you to create 12 Brilliant cards

Into Paper Crafting 
If you love to create something a little different how about decorating up a Photo Frame like this Jack Handsome Frame

Whatever Your Into
Whatever form of crafting Jack has something for everyone.
Make sure you get your pack today before it is all gone by the end of this month.

Thanks for checking out what I had to say about Jack the Close To My Heart featured Paper Pack
Till Next Time Maz

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