All About Cut Above...

Did you see the Pages for All Ages special? It runs through March (while supplies last) and there's a Facebook Live event on March 30. The virtual class may be hosted by a 9 year old, but as the name implies, Cut Above kits are for ALL Ages, and skill levels!

Cut Above mean NO cutting, or cutting tools, required!! All you need is adhesive and a journaling pen. This IS Faster, Simpler, and Easier scrapbooking!  Both the card and scrapbooking Craft with Heart Subscriptions feature Cut Above kits. Sometimes specials will include a Cut Above option. 

Who should consider Cut Above an a crafting option?

• new crafters
• experienced crafters
• younger folkds
• older folks
• crafters with limited supplies and space
• crafters with unlimited supplies and large spaces
• busy people
• retired people
• parents
• grandparents
• customers
• Makers
• scrapbookers
• cardmakers

Yes, Cut Above kits are for EVERYONE!! I used my card kit subscription when we were homeless, moving, and most of my supplies were packed (or in another state). It was easy-peasy having everything in one box! I even used the block and mini ink pad a time or two. It was easier than digging out my regular supplies. And the size was also convenient for crafting in a vehicle!

Here's a link to a video I made with a previous Cut Above Kit. WATCH

I will be offering a FREE in-person and/or vitual Cut Above class on Saturday, April 10 @ 1 pm EST.  Anyone who purchases a Cut Above product from me between March 1 and April 10 is welcome to attend. Make sure you have adhesive if you are attending virtually. I have some in stock for in-person attendees who need it.

Close To My Heart has two Cut Above Scrapbooking kits available especially for this promotion: 

• Every Little Thing 
• Hawthorn

You can also order either of the Craft with Heart Subscription kits.

Other Cut Above items currently available are:

• Holiday Sparkle cards (5x7 shakers)
• Moments Like These layouts (or add the calendar) 12x12
• The Story Begins - Baby Boy or Girl (12x12)
• Best Friends Forever (6x8)
• These Are My People (6x8)
• Blue Skies (12x12)
• Happiest Place (8.5x11)

And, I have the following in stock:

• The World is Yours (makes two 12x12 double page layouts) $17.95

It's Faux - Technique Blog Hop

 

Welcome to the February 2021 Technique Blog Hop!  If you get lost, or find a broken link, you can get the list of participants on Melissa's page (which also happens to be your next stop).  You may have arrived from Haley's blog. Complete the hop by following the links from blog to blog so you don't miss any of the artwork.

This month we are featuring faux techniques. Yes, I did look it up via Webster's online, so if you didn't know...

\ ˈfō \

Definition of faux

: not real or genuine: such as

a: made to look like something else that is usually more valuable : IMITATION, FAKEfaux leather/fura string of faux pearls… faux is the French word for fake, but it's a very chic fake. Faux marble, for example, is found in the best of homes.— Sylvia Sachs

Plus, faux sounds much nicer than fake. Don't you agree? 

I was playing around with scraps and thinking about this months blog hop. (I was inspired by a card by former CTMH Consultant Laurel Seabrook.) Somewhere in between “that works” and “which technique should I do?” it occurred to me that several Faux techniques can be done with the February Stamp Of The Month, Doodled Borders.

Here’s my card:

How many Faux techniques can you name? After I see what amazing things the other consultants share, I’ll come back and note if there are techniques on my cards that no one mentioned. By the way, the gingham border is designed as a border, so you'll need to mask if you want to make it taller, vs. wider. So after making four 1x1 squares and throwing out more than four, I switched to a different stamp. I also played with moving the colors.

One of the 36 stamps in Doodled Borders (faux doodling!!) is a short dashed or stitched line. It may be Faster, Simpler and Easier to use a longer stamp such as the one in Counting My Blessings. However, here are some ideas for keeping this shorter stamp lined up when stamping across a larger area:

1. Start in the middle. This is a good tip for letter stamping too! If you start at one end, you tend to go up or down as you move across the paper. Starting in the middle gives you a chance to start over when you finish one side.

2. Use the line. See that little line on the block? Every Close To My Heart My Acrylix Block has that line. It’s great for getting stamps onto you block straight, or to line up letters. But I often use it as a guide for where to stamp. By lining up your stamp just a bit away from the line, you can match the line to the edge or your paper which will give you even spacing.  Look straight down through the clear block. Placing your paper on a VersaMat not only provides a cushion for stamping, but also makes it easy to see the edge of a white card base.

Side Note: Be sure to wipe your VersaMat off with the Stamp Shammy if you stamp  anything off the edge, or you'll get extra "embellishments" on the back of your card, or sometimes the inside [gasp!].

3. Use a ruler. Place a ruler on your project as if you were going to draw a guide line (yet another option). Line up you stamp next to the ruler, right on your imaginary line. 

Here's one of the final card bases:

On some of the first cards I made, I didn't worry much about how straight the elements were; I was going for a scrappy quilt look. If you want to see the original cards I was making, you can find them on Pinterest. I had a bunch of leftover pieces from using the Heart Background and Multi-Square Windows Thin Cuts dies. How do you use your scraps? Usually I wait and see if I have a need for the specific size & color but this time I went backwards to see what I could make with the leftovers. It was also one of those times when a messy desk lead to ideas, Doodled Borders happened to be nearby.

Thanks for stopping by! If you need supplies, check out my website.  Please leave a comment then head to Melissa's page.

UPDATE:  Here are the faux techniques on my card:

• faux stitching (Did you realize how many ways this can be done?)
• faux printed paper
• faux embossing
• faux washi tape
• and maybe faux doodling if you count the stamp set! ;-)