Quick Scrapbook layout

by CraftyAmanda in Artwork, Close to My Heart, Pattern, Scrapbook, Video, Workshop On the Go | 2 Comments

For today’s offering, I give you one of the pattern’s from an older CTMH scrapbook layout book, Cherish. These books have really helped me jumpstart my creativity and crank out some layouts. If you haven’t tried any of Jeannett Lynton’s how to books, you can see them here.

I rotated the pages and tilted the photos to make it speak more to me. How will you make it your own.

Here’s the video where I walk through cutting out the pieces for this layout, and assemble it.

Would love to see what you create.

Happy Crafting!

Product review – Fiskars Cut Rail paper trimmer

by CraftyAmanda in Artwork, Close to My Heart, CTMH | 3 Comments

I like to use cardstock in my quilling projects, so that means I have to cut my own strips. For best results, this has required me to plan ahead and use my big Carl rotary paper cutter. It’s a great cutter, but big, heavy, and not at all transport friendly. I have tried other cutters, mostly fiskar brands, and have had some success, but they were more for making a few strips to finish a flower or shape, but not good enough for lots of strip cutting. This has now changed!

Close to my Heart is now offering this cutter by Fiskars. It uses a “rail” for the blade to run on giving much more stability and consistency in cuts. It’s size is the same as my, now old to me, cutter, so it will fit and travel the same. Yeah!

Pros: (as I see them)

Can cut over 6″ pieces for scrapbook & cards without opening the arm.

Cuts 3 sheets of Cardstock with little effort (will cut 4 but you must press hard)

Small 1/8″ or 3/16″ cuts are consistent and repeatable quickly.

I can see exactly where the cut is going to be without a wire distorting the view. (This was wonderful when I was cutting some journal labels for a scrapbook project.)

Blade has a nice size tab to hold on to for moving the knife through the paper.

Cons:

Doesn’t use the blades I have purchased for my other cutters so I have to wait for them to go on sale.

I will probably learn of some more pros and cons as I continue to use the cutter, but for today I am thrilled with the accuracy and ease of cutting multiple sheets of cardstock! I haven’t used it much for card making or scrapbooking yet, but I am truly looking forward starting!

Happy Crafting!

Card Set Pattern Video Week #4

by CraftyAmanda in Artwork, Cards, Close to My Heart, Pattern, Stamping, Video, Workshop On the Go | 2 Comments

I wasn’t feeling the La Vie En Rose Card Workshop until I paired it with the L8r Skater paper pack. Now I can see these cards for everything from boy birthday cards, father’s day cards to even a sympathy card. It’s not the best for using up scraps, but I have several partial paper packs with full sheets just waiting to be made into happy mail.

Here’s the video link if you want some help cutting a set of papers to create these cards, or want to have some “company” while you create!

After you make these cards, I would love to see them!

Happy Crafting!

Annual Inspirations – Live Now

by CraftyAmanda in Close to My Heart, Cricut, CTMH, Offer, Scrapbook, Stamping | 2 Comments

The Brand New Annual Inspirations is now LIVE! If you’ve missed some of the posts last month, Here’s a quick tour of highlights. (Which will not include stamps as there are just too many cute ones to choose.)

New Basics pallet: (See more details here.)
Great two sided, two toned Card stock & new designs for compliments: (See more details here.)

TWO new Cricut Cartridges: (Learn more here)

New Thin Cuts: (Learn more here)

New Workspace wonder components: (Learn more here)

New Thin Cut Dies & Matching Stamps

by CraftyAmanda in Cards, Close to My Heart, CTMH, Scrapbook, Stamping | 3 Comments

It is so easy to stamp an image and then line it up perfectly with our thin cut dies. If you haven’t tried them, now would be a great time to start. So many cute and versatile images will be available August 1st!

So excited about a FULL alphabet thin cut. There isn’t a “matching” stamp, but it’s easy to cut out the letters you want, then stamp them with other images to bring them to life and personalize your project!

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