Call the Orthodontist!!!

Oh, my goodness, I know, what a strange title for a blog post about crafting!  I HAD to remind myself to call today though so I don't forget AGAIN, and my post will show up in my emails in the morning, lol!  Hope this tactic works!  ;)

On to the crafts!

OK, so really this is my post for the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge this week!

When I saw this perfect little sketch by Narelle, I IMMEDIATELY thought of a donut for that circle image.  WHY?  I have no idea--it just took over my senses from there and I was stamping a pink frosted donut using the Treats of Friendship My Acrylix in no time flat...that's what I get for creating during coffee hour!  ;)  (AND I seriously had no idea yet that it was National Donut Day yesterday!)

The pink frosting isn't real.  I KNOW it looks real, but it is really Pixie CS from Close to My Heart!  Uncanny, isn't it?  ;)

This time, I created a tag for some extra fun.  I started with a tag shape from the oldie but goodie, CTMH Art Philosophy Collection for the Cricut Machine.

I LOVE vellum, and this sketch was PERFECT for it...along with the Silver Embossing Powder of course!  The Ranger Super Fine Embossing Powder is a DREAM!  Melts like BUTTAH on Versamark Ink!

What better way to attach the vellum than with the new(ish) CTMH Mini Stapler!

Sequins are all from Studio Calico, Topiary Chevron Ribbon and Dots Embossing Folder from CTMH, and sparkle sprinkles by Wink of Stella!

TWO FMS sketches in a row for me!  Now that's what I call, SUMMER!  ;)

Only in June!

I Mustache You if You Remember this Throwback Thursday

I am still all about the whole mustache craze...especially at Christmas time!   Remember this super-cute gift card holder?

I used the Cricut Artiste Collection to cut out this amazingly easy to assemble card...AND the mustache!  

I couldn't wait to use the mustache again this year, and I found my inspiration on Pinterest again for this adorable gift card holder...and changed it up to use a mustache! 

You won't believe how easy this really is to make.  Just cut out a 5 inch square piece of red CS ( I used Close to My Heart Cranberry) and use the We R Memory Keepers Envelope Scoreboard to make the perfect size envelope.  I cut the mustache on White Daisy CS at .75 inches with the Artiste Cartridge on my Cricut Expression.  I used the same machine to cut the white border from Art Philosophy at 1 inch--the perfect length to wrap around the envelope and seal with two glue dots so it slides off easily for the recipient to open!  :)

Santa's eyes and nose are made using the Grey and Black Epoxy Bubbles and the Carmine ShinHan TouchTwin Alcohol Ink Marker.  Perfect!

Place any size order this month on my website, and I will send you one!  :)

Don't forget about these awesome deals in December only...

FREE Cricut Collection Starting Today! This is NOT an April Fool's Joke! :)

Seriously!!!!  April 1st is finally here, so head on over to my website to join my team (Been There, Blinged That) as either a hobbyist OR a business leader and when you do, you can choose a FREE Cricut Collection to arrive with your NEW CONSULTANT Kit!  Such an amazing deal! For only $99 plus $15 shipping, you get EVERYTHING in the kit, PLUS you can pick any of our three collections:  Art Philosophy, Artiste, or Artbooking...but they will not be back-ordered or re-stocked for this promotion, so do it as soon as you KNOW you are ready.

If you have any questions, please head over to my "Join My Team" Tab at the top where you will find lots of helpful information.  If you have any other questions don't hesitate to contact me at mimimyselfandi@outlook.com.  I would be happy to help you get your business up off the ground with a running start with lots of incentives along the way!  :)  JOIN HERE to make a GREAT investment in YOUR creativity!  :)

You will never pay full price for your CTMH goodies like the April 2014 Stamp of the Month, Balloon Talk again!  ;)

New Close to My Heart Idea Book Sneak Peeks!

Happy Friday!  I am so completely excited that I just completed three challenges in one sitting!  Do you even know how crazy that sounds?!  Let's get right down to it because this one has some going ON!  ;)

The first thing you might have noticed is that I used the awesome sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches this week.  Yes, I did flip it on it's side...the card is kinda wild like that.  ;)

OK, the SECOND thing you might have noticed is that I used a technique that is totally NEW to me! (Since the codeword over at Addicted to CAS is NEW, I am linking up over there with this one, too!)

I have never used a stencil before...or spritzed my paper with anything except water.  It was SO much fun that I just might try it more often!  You won't believe what I used for the stencil...

This is the remnant left after I punched out all the chipboard hearts from the Close to My Heart Dimensional Elements Hearts that coordinate with the cuts from the Art Philosophy Collection!  I cannot believe we have to say good-bye to these at the end of the month!  And to think I JUST figured out to do THIS with it!  Sigh...

Really, it was super-easy to combine just a bit of Isopropyl Alcohol with my Ruby Re-Inker in one of my Spray Pens.  I sprayed it just three times so it would not cover it completely...and I love the result!

Alright, moving along...the My Acrylix Stamp set that I used for this card is actually a sneak peek of the Stamp of the Month for February!  Since that is NEW as well, I am also linking up over at Heart to Heart Challenges for their New Year, New Beginnings Challenge.

I adore this sentiment!  It coordinates with the Cricut Art Philosophy Collection, so matching up the stamp was easy-peasy.  I cut the little heart out of Ruby CS and added a touch of Liquid Glass to make it look like a little enamel sticker!  Super-cute!  A little once-over with my Wink of Stella glitter brush never hurt anyone either.  ;)

Behind the sentiment, you can see the retiring Dark Chocolate Striped Grosgrain Ribbon which I love and will miss.  Better pick some up while you can.  Also, some sequins seem to have gotten away from me and somehow flung themselves onto the card!  I guess they wanted to bling it up a bit!  The large ones are new from Teresa Collins' You are My Happy Collection (totally adorbs!) and the littler brownish ones are also a sneak peek at some of the new embellies coming in the CTMH Spring and Summer Idea Book!  I sure cannot wait!

Thanks for stopping in today, and come back anytime!  :)

My Creations Box for the Birthday Girl

Happy birthday to my sweet middle girlie today!

I used one of Close to My Heart's fantastic My Creations 3D items to make the perfect gift box for her present...the Ring Box.  Can you spot the sneak peek of two brand new products coming out in the 2014 Spring/Summer Idea Book?  ;)

This sturdy little ring box is perfect for a small gift--like the necklace I am giving!  I made a rosette cut from the Artiste Cricut Cartridge with Crystal Blue CS and placed a hand trimmed Single Snowflake stamped in Lagoon on top.  See those shiny silver triangles?  They are a BRAND NEW product in the new Idea Book called Triangles Durable Studs.  I adore how they accent the corners of the box top.  I also added a sprinkling of Bitty Sparkles.

The sides of the box were a lot simpler.  I just used strips of Silver Washi Tape, Surf's Up Zip Strip, and Teal Shimmer Trim.  Wait a minute!  TEAL shimmer trim???  Yep, another BRAND NEW product in the 2014 Spring and Summer Idea Book from Close to My Heart!

The little tag in the shape of a mitten is cut with the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge on the sweet chevron pattern in the Frosted Paper Packet.  Just a leftover cut from a past project--save those scraps, I tell you!  ;)  I added a bow of white baker's twine and attached it with a Slate Striped Twist Tie! 

Stay tuned to my blog to find out how YOU can get your hands on these two new products, plus another one, before they are released in the 2014 Spring and Summer Idea Book!

Now, off to celebrate the birthday girl!  :)

Stars and Stripes, of Course!

Are you ready to get patriotic with this week's Color Dare!  I sure was!  This week's challenge colors are the Close to My Heart shades of Cranberry, White Daisy, and Pacifica.  For my inspiration, what better better source than Operation Write Home and their amazing selection of sketches.  You can see them HERE.

I immediately fell in love with this one...

I dug into my stash of cricut cuts and got to work!  

If you had a chance to browse the OWH blog hop on Memorial Day weekend, then you saw my original card with this awesome sentiment tag created with the Art Philosophy Collection.  I still love it, and had plenty left over to create new designs.  :)

The top row stars are popped up for dimension.  I have a bit of a hard time keeping up with which embossing folders I use for each project, so I wrote the name of this striped one down right away--it is in the Cuttlebug James' Set.  It was THE perfect match for the stars/stripes theme!  :)

Operation Write Home is such a fantastic organization.  I encourage you to use this challenge as a springboard to participating!  Visit their website in the link above to read up on their guidelines before you get all crafty, though!  Their rules are very important!  Did you know that you must not use glitter on your donated cards?  Yep--even one tiny stray sparkle could endanger the life of a soldier because it could be seen with night-vision capabilities!  While it is tricky for me to not bling up every card I get my hands on, it is a small sacrifice compared to the ones these brave men and women make each day!

Now, are you going to go patriotic in your interpretation of this week's Color Dare?  Perhaps you will translate these colors in an entirely different direction?  Either one is FINE, just as long as you play along and link up your project with us over at the Color My Heart Color Dare!  Each week, a winner is selected to display the coveted Color Dare Diamond badge on their own blog!  It could be you this week, so give it a shot!  :)

I'll have more red, white, and blue to share with you in the days to come, so stay tuned!  :)