My Acrylix® Stamps - Tips For Use & Care

Awesome information provided in this new video from the Close to my Heart home office!

Video On How to Set Up Your Cricut Explore Air™ 2 Machine from Close To My Heart

Have you recently purchased a Cricut Explore Air 2? 

Received one as a gift or are thinking about getting one? 

Here is a quick, helpful video to assist you in setting your new machine up. 

I have several Cricut machines to include the Explore Air 2, and I love mine. 

You will begin seeing me post more videos and tutorials on how to use the Cricut and Design Space. 

Did you know you can also receive a special deal on a Cricut Explore Air 2 when you host a Close to my Heart gathering? 

Learn more by clicking here. 

We also have a wide range of Cricut Cartridges that are exclusive to Close to my Heart, view our collection by clicking here.

 I do own nearly all of them, and would be happy to answer any questions you may have about them. 

Three Ways to Add Dimension to Your Scrapbook Layouts and Cards With Ink

Three Ways to Add Dimension to Your Scrapbook Layouts and Cards With Close to my Heart Ink


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Three great ways to add dimension to your scrapbooking layouts, cards and other paper crafts. 

These techniques are perfect for most types of cardstock layers and cricut die cuts.

The sponges, daubers (3 pack), daubers (12 pack) and ink pads can all be found on my Close to my Heart website.

Thin Cuts- Favor Box Assembly Video

Perfect for birthday, wedding or baby shower favors! 

Want to see more information? Click here.

Triple Stamped Card for a Few Challenges

This week I wanted to feature a card that was not only beautiful, but it doesn't include patterned paper, so it's the perfect technique for those that are just starting out in the stamping world and may only have a few supplies. 

This post will just feature the card itself, but I will have a tutorial posted in the next few days.

For this card, I used For You Darling stamp set by Close to my Heart, to create the floral pattern.

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink for all of the stamping and really thats about it. Very simple. 

I submitted this card to several challenges as well:

Pile It On Challenge Blog #134 No Patterned Paper 

Jo's Scrap Shack-Fun-day Friday Challenge #207 Anything Goes 

Classic Design Team Challenge Blog Challenge #17 Anything Goes 

Sweet Stampers Challenge Blog #11 Lots of Layers 

Colour Crazy Craft Challenge Week 38 Anything Goes

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #66 Anything Goes 

Creative Fingers Challenge Blog #137 Anything Goes 

Your Scrapbook Place Fall Into Fall Anything Goes 

A few older tutorial videos, but helpful for many...

Masking The Basics

Coloring with Copics Part 1

Coloring with Copics Part 2

Coloring with Copics Part 3

Slide-Out Panel Card for a Splitcoaststampers Swap

Hope you are enjoying this beautiful summer weather, especially here in the South. 

This week, I signed up for a few swaps, and decided to enter a few challenges. 

What better way to get the job done? Combine the tasks! 

So here is a tutorial on how I created my Slide-Out Panel Card. I'm sure there are other ways to create these, but this was the easiest for me. I needed to make 8 cards focusing on the color green for the Rainbow Swap on Splitcoaststampers. Typically unless it is a requirement, I try to make the cards all sightly different. So not all 8 follow this design. 

Shall we begin?

If you follow me on my Youtube Channel, you may have seen a green card I created using hand drawn doodling. The accent piece on the front of this card, was made using that technique. The doodling on white cardstock is a great way to create your own One-Sheet-Wonder. I simply cut the doodling, then matted that piece onto a piece of green cardstock. That rectangle was then layered onto a piece of patterned paper. Total it measured about 3 3/4 inches tall and about 3 inches wide. 

After adhering each piece, I added a Rhinestone Brad and a Fabric Flower for my embellishments.

Now for the card base, I started off with my 8 1/2 inches x 11 inches cardstock in the portrait position, scoring my green cardstock at 2 1/8 inches, flip to the opposite side and score again at 2 1/8 inches. I then turn the cardstock in the landscape position and cut at 5 1/2 inches. If you have ever created a Gatefold Card, this is pretty much the same measurements.

I now have two card bases, just as if I was creating a traditional 4 1/4 inch x 5 1/2 inch card. This completed card will measure roughly the same as well. Fold on the score lines.

Next I created the front panels for the card. These are cut at about 1 3/4 inches wide by 4 inches tall. I took a marker and adding some distressing ink around the edges just for a little character. A sponge would have been nice to use as well. 

I just used regular adhesive to mount the panels to the front of the card. 

Once I mounted the panels I then mounted the accent piece for the front. Normally with a Gatefold card you just add adhesive to one side of the backside of the accent piece. With this, I added it to both sides, so that the accent piece "closed" the card. 

Next I needed to create the inside Panel, for the sentiment and space to write. Now this piece I had to play with a bit to get the measurements close to the front of the card, yet still have space for the pull tab without making it too big to fit in a regular envelope. You may have to play with this as well to ensure a fit or make your own envelope. 

 It pretty much is three layers of cardstock, two white and one green. The larger white is about 4 inches x 5 1/4 inches. The green is just slightly smaller, and the top white piece, you could make just about any size that fits within the other two. The little pull tab is about 1/2 inch-3/4 inch wide and about 2 1/4 inches long. Really this could be just about any size. Just make sure when you adhere it, the part sticking out isn't so far that you can't get the entire card into an envelope.

So far, so good, now we just need the sentiment. 

I chose to use Memento Tuxedo Black Ink. The stamp is the "Thinking of you" stamp from the Close to my Heart, Petite Perks set "Just for You". This is a stamp set, I usually give all of my hostesses free and customers that shop with me regularly. It's a cute little set with 4 different greetings.

Once you finish stamping the sentiment on the panel. Simply slide it into the case we created. 

Here is the completed card. 

I hope this tutorial was helpful, please let me know if you have any questions at all. 

This card was created to also meet the guidelines for the following challenges:

Cute Card Thursday: Challenge 484

Jo's Scrap Shack Fun Day Friday: Challenge #195