Wild Thing, I Think I Love You!

 Well, I know I love the February Stamp of the Month, Wild about Love, anyway!

I made this card for my open house a little while ago, and just can't get enough of these adorable foxes!  The striped paper is from the Babycakes Paper Packet.

This sentiment is super to use in a scrapbook page too!  I have a certain little "wild child" that it will be perfect for, lol!

The sentiment on the inside of the card is awesome with the woodgrain theme!  Do you have a Wild Thing in your life to make a card for?  ;)

This is a limited time stamp set, so don't wait to get your hands on it--when February disappears, so does the stamp!  :)  You can purchase Wild about Love at full retail price of $17.95, or you can get it at a huge discount for just $5 with a $50 purchase on my website!  Check it out HERE!  ALSO!  Check out the adorable My Acrylix set that I am giving away to one lucky winner in February...details below!

Babycakes and Mojo Monday Get Together for Thanksgiving

Hi everyone!  We have a super new challenge for you at Color My Heart this week!

Grab your Sunset and Buttercup Close to My Heart colors (or similar if you don't have them) and get creating with the Autumn hues of Babycakes!   The neutrals in this great paper packet are Chocolate, Slate, and Colonial White, so I went with those as well.

This color combo was particularly difficult for me at first, because I have been in Christmas creativity mode since Halloween!  I used a tried and true method of getting inspired by looking for a sketch...and chose this week's Mojo Monday 318.

I have wanted an excuse to use this gorgeous reindeer image from the Close to My Heart Artbooking Collection on a creation, and the time was NOW!  That not only helped me keep my Christmas connection, but also became a great way to highlight one of my favorite new products--the wood grain washi tape included in the Party Washi Tape 3-pack featured in our new Holidays from the Heart Brochure!  :)

I simply placed strip after strip of the washi over a piece of Colonial White CS and folded the ends over.  I then adhered it to my cardbase with my foam tape.  I now had the perfect foundation.

I pulled out a retired stamp set, Autumn Splendor, to make two leaves using Buttercup, Sunset, and Chocolate Inks.  That hauntingly barren tree in the background is a second generation Slate ink image from the Always Grateful My Acrylix.

Again, for a hint of Christmas coming, I added a silver jingle bell to the Verve Ribbon at the top of the tag feature.  I simply could not resist adding a sparkle star from the Sparkle Holiday Shapes.  These are a limited time item, so grab them soon if you want some!  My apologies in advance if I take them ALL!  ;)

Finally, I needed a sentiment.  The font from the Perfect Fit Thanksgiving My Acrylix is stunning to say the very least.  I thought it would be perfect to tie the Autumn/Winter themes together.  Thanksgiving has always meant Fall's last hurrah around here, ushering in the Winter holidays.

I am really pleased that I didn't freeze up when I was not sure which direction to go with this particular challenge.  Do you ever use sketches to get your creative juices flowing?  If not, give it a try!   It can take you from "huh?" to "YES!" in no time at all!  :)

Come and play along with us this week and link up with the Color My Heart Color Dare...you could win a badge to proudly display on your blog!  You can't win if you don't play!  ;)

You can read the rules HERE if you need a refresher.   :)

Want to earn FREE Close to My Heart products like these?  Join my Rewards Club today and get a chance to win your choice of our three Cricut Collections!  Click HERE for details!

Heart 2 Heart Shaped Card Challenge!

Here we go!  It is already time for the next Heart 2 Heart Challenge for October.  This month, we want you to show us your amazing shaped card creations!  No squares or rectangles, but something else, something different for a change!

What better thing to celebrate with a fun shaped card than an October birthday!?  My youngest just turned 10 last week, so I put on my thinking cap and went to work.  I decided on a party hat design with her favorite color from the Babycakes Paper Packet!

There is quite a bit going on here, so I will hit the high points, lol.  My favorite parts are the Striped Slate Twist Ties and the free printable download of a chevron flag/banner!  You can get them free on my Close to My Heart website until the end of October right HERE!  I just printed them out on white CS, cut it out, and folded it around this stick pin from the For Always Assortment.  Easy as cake!  ;) 

I added a glittered up #10 from the Glamor Glitter Alphabet that I easily trimmed the middle out of to fit the flag.  ;)

The pom-pom atop the hat is made by cutting two of the little burst shape from the Artiste Cartridge, one in Lagoon and one in Pear.  Then I layered over top those with pieces of twine tied in the middle.  It is topped off with another piece from the For Always Assortment.

The wonderful sentiment is stamped with my clear acrylic Joyful Birthday stamp.  I just can't get enough of this font!

Some Lagoon Houndstooth Washi, Aqua Dots, and Black Sequins dot the corners, and a strip of green glitter paper is all it took to ground the bottom of the hat.

I lined the inside with two smaller White Daisy CS triangles than I used to make the card in the Cricut Craft Room.

Have you played in CCR yet?  It is amazing what you can do in there!  You can make a shaped card, for instance!  I chose the pennant banner shape on the Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge to start and sized it to fit in a standard size A2 envelope.

Then I copied that triangle, and flipped it using the little clicky below...

After lining it up the triangles, just slightly overlap them so that you can choose to WELD them together!  SO easy! 

Now that you know how to make a shaped card--it's YOUR turn!  Link your creation up with us to play along over at the H2H Challenge Blog!  :)

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.

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?  :)

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

Freshly Made Sketches with Chantilly 4 u

Hi everyone!  Welcome to my blog!  I am back from a long weekend of Festivals and Weddings.  I am jumping right back into the saddle by linking up last minute with Freshly Made Sketch #98.

Here is the sketch...

I had everything out and ready to go already for this one, just had to look up the sketch.  I love that I don't always clean up really well in between projects because you just don't know when you might use a paper piece ore embellishment that didn't make the cut for the last one!  ;)

I stamped the happy birthday sentiment in Pear Pigment Ink from the Adventure Pigment Ink set.  Then I sprinkled it with a bit of clear embossing powder and hit it with my heating tool.  This gave me a nice smear-proof image to color in with my Buttercup Alcohol Ink Marker. 

The Framework Alphabet My Acrylix allowed me to match my sentiment, and add a bit to it as well!  I love this new set!  I used Outdoor Denim Dye ink for these letters since I was not going to color them.

I also took a strip of the lightest green glitter paper and trimmed it with the brand new Scallop Border Punch.  It lays nicely next to a strip of Babycakes B&T Duo.  It just matches beautifully with the Chantilly Paper, doesn't it?  I love mixing up new and older patterns.  These are BOTH available now!  ;)

That just about rounds it out, so I am off to start a busy last week before school starts!  I register my SENIOR tomorrow!  Yikes...wish me luck!

Babycakes Take Two!

It was all I could do to put this paper packet DOWN, so I decided to show you the softer side of Babycakes with this adorable card for a baby girl.

These banner stamps are in the Babycakes Scrapbook Workshop on the Go Kit that is available starting TODAY on my website!  :)

I used a pattern from the brand new Make It From Your Heart Volume 2 also available today!  This how to book contains 16 two-page layout patterns, 2 single patterns, and 12 card patterns all inspired by Jeanette Lynton's "let me show you how" philosophy.

This cluster in the bottom corner includes several different embellies.  The super, sparkly silver flourish is from the Slate Mini-Medley Assortment.  I adore the Babycakes Assortment!  This great packet of embellishments comes with the Workshop on the Go Kit as well.  The Slate Satin Polka Dot Ribbon is perfect to soften it up.

Don't forget the inside of your card!  Just a little patterned paper in the bottom corner can add a lot of punch!  A little bit of shimmer trim doesn't hurt either!  ;)

Babycakes is great for either boys or girls!  :)

If you have been patiently waiting for the new Autumn/Winter Idea Book release from Close to My Heart, wait no more!  Head on over to my website and have a look at all the great new products!  If you place an order of $75 or more, not only will you receive the August Stamp of the Month absolutely free, but I will also send you your very own copy of the Idea Book!  Happy shopping!