Cricut 101...with Chocolate! Time is running out on the August Stamp of the Month!

Happy weekend everyone!  I just had the revelation that it is the LAST DAY OF AUGUST!  GASP!

That means it is the very last day to get the August Stamp of the Month for FREE!!!  Or even get it AT ALL since it will be gone when August is over!!!!  You don't want to miss this little beauty...

I used this set at my Cricut 101 class last night for the projects we made...and it was so much fun!!!

Here is a picture of the projects we made as we learned about the difference between REAL and RELATIVE dial size...the ladies who came cut out the white CS pieces for each project on their own Cricut machines and did a fantastic job!  :)

The corrugated star is not available on my website any more, but the almond glitter glitz gel we used to glam it up is on there!  I do have a couple of packages of the corrugated shapes left, so let me know if you need one! 

These cuts are almost all from the Close to My Heart Cricut Art Philosophy Collection.  The adorable cherry is the only one from Artiste.  This super-simple happy birthday sentiment from Holiday Tags My Acrylix was MADE to go on a banner like this...

This stamp we added to our envelope is from A Chocolate Affair!  Loved how easy it was to trim out each part of the stamped image to make a yummy cupcake with a Pink Glitter Gem on top!

How cute would this tag be attached to a mini package of Oreo's?  SO fun!  Again, we used the August Stamp of the Month--only available through today!!!!  I adore the bronze shimmer trim touch at the bottom of the banner and the twist tie added to the top...

We used the Babycakes Paper Packet for the pattern papers in each of the projects...and the retired Dotty for You yellow polka a dot paper for the icing on the card!

Don't wait until tomorrow to grab this stamp of the month for FREE with any $50 purchase from my website...it won't be there!!!  Click on the link above to order it today along with any of the products I used in the projects seen here, or email me at mimimyselfandi.outlook.com to place an order.

How to Hide Cuts in Cricut Craft Room

Hi everyone!  I finally edited a little video that I had taken showing you how to hide cuts in the Cricut Craft Room that I always talk about.  I also show you how to search for images and save your cut file for later use!  I apologize for my techie issues...I didn't have enough storage to upload the HD version, and this one is far from perfect.  I don't have the time to figure it out right now, so unfortunately this is as good as it gets right now.  Hope it is still helpful.  Enjoy!  If you are on your phone and can't see it go HERE!  ;)

Color Dare Time Again!

Welcome back for another Color Dare over at Color My Heart!  Let's just get down to the nitty gritty today with our colors for the week!

We have a splendidly similar line-up as two weeks ago for those of you who prefer the lighter side of things.  ;)  Our Close to My Heart colors are Sky, Sweet Leaf, and Buttercup.  Use these three colors (or similar if you don't have the exact Close to My Heart Colors) along with any neutrals of your choice!  I chose White Daisy and Black.

First I cut my White Daisy CS to size.  Then I gently rubbed the area I would be stamping on with my powder pouch.  This really works well to keep your embossing powder from sticking to the other parts of your card front.  I used my Versamark Ink Pad to stamp this little bunch of flowers on the CS where I had rubbed.  Then I dusted it with Clear Detail Embossing Powder and hit it with my craft heater.  This process forms a shiny, slightly raised image that will resist any ink that you sponge over it now.  You can see it in the picture below.  The whole technique is called Emboss Resist.

The next part is easy even though it looks tricky.  I started with the lightest color, Buttercup, and used my Sponge Dauber to apply the ink in a circular motion while the paper was lying flat on my Kraft sheet.  Then I did the same with the other colors and touched up where I needed to add more ink.

I let it dry REALLY well before I stamped the sentiment from Prefect Fit Thanksgiving so that it would not bleed.  I LOVE the contrast!

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed the little emboss resist lesson today, and I cannot wait to see what you make for the Color Dare this week!  Come and link up with us HERE!  :)

Throwback Thursday!

Hi everyone!  Do any of you guys remember this card I made a while back?

I had created it for Heart 2 Heart Challenges All That Glitters Challenge in January...and won Top Chic!  I had no idea then that I would be on the design team in another 6 months!  ;)

Well, I posted it up in my Etsy Shop, and made my first sale recently!  My customer wanted hers with a black ribbon, so I wanted to show you what it looked like!  :)

The beautiful For Always paper packet that I used is still available for purchase on my website if you like the looks of it...and the Close to My Heart Artiste Cartridge I created the sentiment with is still amazing!

I could make this one over and over again!  Thanks for stopping in today for a trip down memory lane with me!  :)

Babycakes Lunchbox Note

Time for that lunchbox note that I created with the sweet Close to My Heart Babycakes Paper Packet...

This Babycakes B&T Duos paper featuring the letters of the alphabet is perfect for school related projects, don't you think?

Besides the paper, I used the same products as I did before in THIS POST.   I substituted the Tan glitter paper to match as well and stamped in Honey Ink for a darker yellow pop.  I like it in both color schemes.  How about you?  :)

Sympathy Card Quilt with Close to My Heart Background Stamps

Hi everyone!  It is the last Peachy Keen Challenge of the month, so let's get to it!

This week we are making sympathy cards.  I don't have a big collection of Peachy Stamps, so I had to make do with a sympathy card for someone who might be down in the dumps.  I probably would not use the characters or faces for any condolence cards.

I have been wanting to make a quilted card for a while now after seeing different versions around the internet.  A quilt seems to say, "comfort," so I thought it would pair up nicely with this little bear and sentiment from the PK Thinking of You Bear Stamp set.

I used Kraft, Chocolate, Desert Sand, Colonial White, Twilight and Crystal Blue CS for the 1.25 inch squares of the quilt.  Then I used various patterns from the Close to My Heart In the Background, Distressed Backgrounds, and Geometric Backgrounds My Acrylix sets to stamp in Twilight, Chocolate, and Desert Sand Ink.  Wow, that was a mouthful!  ;)

I am super-pleased with the way the faux stitching turned out!  I just used a .5 tip My Legacy Writer (in my clearance section!) to draw in the x's.  Writing on the different layers of the papers was tricky, but I got the hang of it after a minute or two.

I forgot to show you the inside!!!

Can't wait to try this card again with a different sentiment to make it less cutsie.  Not that there is anything wrong with cutsie!  ;) 

Lunchbox Notes with Laughing Lola for Back to School Sparkle

Hi everyone!  Like I said on Monday, my kiddos started back to school last week.  A new school year calls for new lunchbox love, so I made some cute little cards with my Laughing Lola Paper Packet to put in their lunches.

I am linking these cutie pie lunchbox notes up with My Creative Time's newest challenge to make something for back-to-school time!  :)

These 3x3 cards didn't take long at all to put together, but the payoff was huge!  My daughter loved this one on the right that I sent in her lunch.  I was afraid she was too old for this, but I think the pattern paper and bling combined to make her day a little less stressed with some love from home. 

Unfortunately there was one snag...she asked me what the chocolate chip meant, lol!  I had to tell her it was a Hershey's Kiss!  Can you tell which one my kids see more of at home, lol?

I used one of my all time favorite stamp and die sets from MCT for the kiss and the little tag.  I had just discovered not too long ago that the wafer dies will actually cut through the glitter paper like butter with my Big Shot!  SOOOO easy.  I used the perfect stamp for the sentiment from a new Close to My Heart My Acrylix stamp set called School Years.  In a moment of pure inspiration, I also spied the stamp with the glasses...and realized they fit the Kiss perfectly!  :)

 

Here is the inside of the card...

I used a retired Classmate Alphabet for this sentiment, but you can use practically any that is the right size!  I recommend this CTMH Pennant Alphabet which has a simple font very similar to the one I used.

Why not send some sparkle in YOUR child's lunchbox tomorrow?  You never know when a loving word from home will hit the spot! ;)

I will share my version of this lunchbox note with the Babycakes Paper Packet later this week, so be sure to sign up for email updates! Thanks for stopping by!  :)

Freshly Frosted Sketches #100 ;)

I have been loving the new challenges that I found lately, and realize there must be so many more out there!  Freshly Made Sketches is on their 100th challenge sketch already and I just found them, lol!

Here is my creation for their latest challenge that I made with the Close to My Heart Frosted Paper Packet!

This is the sweet sketch (which is also their first!)

I have seen many creations with this paper packet, most of them with a wintery theme since some of the patterns feature snowflakes.  I wanted to see if I could use it for something else.  I love the beautiful blues in this paper, Frosted Grey and Frosted Turquoise.

I used a brand new Fall stamp set called Happy Autumn to make this lovely flower.  I stamped each part using two colors--the lighter color on the entire image, and the darker color rolling ink only on the edges.  I really like the effect.  The stem is stamped in Sweet Leaf and then Olive, and the flower petals are inked in Blush followed by Hollyhock.  I used Close to My Heart's fantastic Micro-Tip Scissors to hand cut each one.  If you don't think you could ever pull this off, you are not alone!  I didn't think I possessed any scissor skills and had NO intentions of ever paper-piecing until I tried a pair of these!  I am a believer now!  :) 

The sentiment is from one of my favorite new Close to My Heart My Acrylix, Look to the Light.  It features several comforting bible verses that I will certainly get a lot of use from.  I stamped this beautiful image of Psalm 46:1 in Champagne Ink.

I decided to use the Color Ready Seam Binding Ribbon without altering the color for a more clean, crisp feel.  I'm not sure if it shows really well, but the strip of Kraft CS behind it is embossed with the Quaterfoil Folder from the Paper Studio.  I added a strip of Bronze Shimmer Trim and Tan Glitter Paper to the bottom for some needed sparkle.  I am absolutely loving the new Scallop Border Punch, I have to tell you!  Now, I just have to add a little aside here about the CTMH Glitter Paper.  I have only purchased one pack of each color in the past year since it was introduced...and still have sooooo much left!  If you follow my blog, then you know how I like to add glitter, so believe me when I say this stuff goes a long way!  :)

 A little bit of bling from the Sparkles Assortment Brown and Tan to round out the sketch...

Thanks so much for popping in to see what I had to share today!  Click on any of the links to learn more about these super Close to My Heart products I used on my website!  :)

Happy Birthday, Daddy! Bazinga!

Hi there!  I have a fun and trendy birthday card to share with you today!  I apologize profusely for not knowing any better, but my father LOVES the show Big Bang Theory.  I, however, have never even seen it!  Oooops!  I googled his favorite character, Sheldon, and all I could find was this word-- BAZINGA!

Well, there was only one thing to do!  Phone a friend!  Hahaha, I did, and thankfully she is a fan of the show too, so sent me the link to a great little Bazinga-fest on YouTube.  Thank you, Beth!

I decided I had only one choice....go BAZINGAS!  ;)  Here is the final crazy card I made for my daddi-o's birthday...

Lots of hip and happening stuff going on here!  Arrows are hot right now, so I had to use them.  One of the trendsetting new My Acrylix in the Autumn/Winter Close to My Heart Idea Book is One Way Borders.  I stamped one of the arrow themed borders in Whisper in both on the front of the card and on the inside to tie them together.  Also, I had recently invested in some sequins to expand my sparkle inventory--SO excited to use them!!!

Here is a quick tip for lining up your lettering...use a sticky note!  This totally works, trust me!

There is a pretty nifty "dirty" stamp in the Laughing Lola Workshop on the Go Cardmaking Kit.  I really like the added grunge to this card when I stamped it in Whisper Ink.

How do you like my Twist Tie lightning zig-zags?  I loved combining all the different elements into a totally new look for me!  The cork shapes are in the Color Ready Midtown Cork Shapes.   I just left them cork color.  ;)

  Just as I did on the front of the card, I used the Kraft Keyboard Alphabet to make the sentiment on the inside.

I hope he had one BAZINGA of a day!  :)

Halloween Puppy Treats!

Hello my sparkly friends!  It is a double post kind of day again...what can I say, I am a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants type of crafter.  You just never know when I will be inspired or find a great challenge to try!  ;)

This project is for the Peachy Keen Stamps Challenge that ends tonight.  Egads!  We are to create a 3D project with a pet theme.  Before I started, I found out that My Craft Spot's Monday Challenge 109 was a 3D challenge as well!  I was super-excited since I JUST received some stamps from Kimberly to play with!  Woot-woot a two-fer! 

Most of my Peachy stamps are faces, so I knew I wouldn't be stamping a pet.  I browsed my Cricut handbooks for a change instead...and saw a bone!  Inspiration struck, and here is what I put together...

It is a treat pouch for canine trick-or-treaters!  I used the Sarita Paper Packet from Close to My Heart for the background paper.  The black CS scalloped trim is made with the NEW Scallop Border Punch. 

How cute is that little doggie bone wearing a witch hat?  One of my favorite things about Peachy faces is that you can bring any item to life instantly.  :)  I cut this bone at 1.25 inches on Champagne CS from the Create a Critter Cartridge.  Then I used face parts from both Everyday Character Face Parts and Basic Paper Doll Faces to bring it to life.  To accentuate the Halloween theme, I added this adorable witch's hat!

The hat is from a retired Close to My Heart My Acrylix called Wicked.  It usually looks like this:

I changed it up a bit to be more simple and cheery (read: no spider, lol.)  My favorite addition is the green glitter paper band!  Save your scraps--you never know WHAT you might use them for!

Anyhow, I really wanted to play with my new Stampin' Around Fall stamps and the dies that go along with it.  I used my White Daisy, Black, and Sunset CS to add this little sentiment to the pouch. I added the white circle after tying on the button with twine and popped it up with foam squares.  :)

See that doggie bone pattern paper behind it?  I don't own a single piece of dog themed paper (no dog!), but I made it all my myself with the retired A Bowwow from CTMH.  It is SO easy to make your own pattern paper!  Have you ever tried it?

Thanks for stopping in to see my latest creation!   If you know some pooches that would like a treat pouch like this one, email me at mimimyselfandi@outlook.com and I will hook you up!

Babycakes Birthday Card and a New Twist on Washi!

Hi everyone!  I am so excited to share this with you!  I was making a card to show off our amazing Liquid Glass when I ran full speed into a wall.  Oooops.

BUT...I am happy to report that I not only overcame, I blew that wall into smithereens!!!  Oh, yeah!

I discovered a brand new way to use our Lagoon Houndstooth Washi Tape, which is, by the way, one of my FAVORITE new products this month!  :)

Here is the idea...wrap it around the new Slate Striped Twist Ties!

I just LOVE the new look and color it adds!  What about you?  Suddenly your Twist Ties can be any color washi you have!  :)  They still twist up nicely and hold their shape.

If you linked over from the Damask Divas Blog, then you read about how I used my liquid glass to make faux enamel dots.  They are still drying in this picture, and a bit "foggy" still...

...but here they are completely dry and clear!  LOVE!

Here is a list of the Close to My Heart products I used with links to my website.  Remember, the August Stamp of the Month is FREE this month with a $50 order!  Don't wait until August is over or it will be too late!

Babycakes Paper Packet
Chocolate CS
Colonial White Card Base
Lagoon Dye Ink
D1560 Holiday Tags
Baker's Twine Neutral Assortment
Slate Striped Twist Ties
Lagoon Houndstooth Washi Tape
Aqua Dots
Liquid Glass

Baby You A Song...Cruise Meets Artbooking for Heart 2 Heart Challenges

Welcome back to another Heart 2 Heart Challenge for the month of August!  My kiddos head back to school today, and I am torn between pushing them out the door and hanging on to them for dear life.  Sigh.  Anyone feel me there?

Anyhow, this new challenge is an amazing one!  We are calling it With a Song in My Heart.  What is the song in YOUR heart right now?  We want you to be inspired by it for this challenge and use that song, along with your Close to My Heart products, to create a project of your own!

MY song is one that I have heard two versions of over and over and over, and over, do you catch my drift here???  It is called Cruise, and my country heart prefers the original version by Florida Georgia Line.  My teenager, on the other hand, is rockin' out to the remix featuring Nelly, lol.  I have grown accustomed to both this summer, and it has sort of become our theme song around here.  :)  If you haven't heard it before, take a peek HERE (G country version) and HERE (PG remix.) 

Anyhow, let me tell you about the PROJECT now!  My teen finally got her driver's licsense (am I the ONLY one who misspells that word every time I write it???) license this summer.  To celebrate the fact that she gets to drive to school instead of riding the bus, I made her a little folder to hold her insurance card and registration papers in her car!  :)

I used the new Close to My Heart Artbooking Cartridge to simply cut out the folder shape on page 43 of the handbook with my Laughing Lola Paper Packet.  This is what it looked like before and after simply folding along the score lines and applying a bit of adhesive.

This is my daughter's little white Toyota!  :)  It is a cute little car stamped in White Daisy Pigment Ink from the Fast and Furious My Acrylix.  I know she doesn't drive with the music too loud, so it is a bit of an exaggeration, lol.  I could not find any musical embellishments, so I made my own with these little black sequins from the Mini Medley Accents Black collection.  I just drew the lines on with a black marker.  :)  The puffs of dust behind her car are so cute with these Striped Slate Twist Ties!

I love this little word bubble stamp from the Laughing Lola Workshop on the Go Scrapbooking Kit.

I blinged it up with some tiny sparkles of all colors present and past.  The large black swoosh of sparkles is from the Sparkles Flourishes Black.  The purple bow on the paper clip is from the Laughing Lola Assortment--isn't that brilliant!  Little fish-tail flags from the zip strip and tan glitter paper finish it off.

Inside the folder, I added some cute details as well with the Lola workshop My Acrylix and All the Details.

The adorable file folder is on page 42 of the Artbooking handbook.  I cut it out of Laughing Lola Gold...it has a bit more of a greenish tinge than the pictures show...ah, lighting how you taunt me!  ;)
The cute stoplight is from the Cricut Artiste Cartridge, and the keys are from the Cricut Art Philosophy Collection (I didn't want them to feel left out!)  ;)

Can you guess the three kinds of glittery products I used in this stoplight?  :)  I'll reveal it at the bottom of my post, so hang with me a sec!

Well, the folder was an absolute hit, complete with squeals of glee, so I am one happy Momma right now!

You know the drill by now, right?  It is YOUR turn to listen to the song in YOUR heart to join in our fun!  Come and link up with us over at Heart 2 Heart Challenge Blog and you could be the top chick this month!  I can't wait to see you sparkle and shine!  Hey, is there a song about that???  :)

Speaking of sparkle....those three kinds of sparkle I used on the stop light are RED shimmer trim, green glitter paper, and tan glitter paper!  You just can't have too much glitter!