The NEW Rainy Day My Acrylix Set from Close to My Heart

Hey everyone!  Here is another simple project using the NEW products in the Annual Inspirations Idea Book!

That Blog Hop featuring the Chalk It Up Paper Packet really whet my appetite for paper piecing, so I wanted to try it again with another stamp set.  I decided to use the new Rainy Day My Acrylix.

I also used the Lifting Spirits My Acrylix set for the clouds and the Seaside Paper Packet...

It was tons of fun to play with the ShinHan Touch Twin Markers again...I used them to make one of the clouds a bit stormy...

Perfect for this sentiment, don't you think?  :)

I simply trimmed off a bit of the card front and lined the side with the reverse pattern of the paper...

Here is another way to use the stamps with the ShinHan Markers...

I posted this today because I am having a bit of a "storm" in my life right now.  Today we leave my oldest at college for the first time ever--and not even in the same state.  I am ever so grateful for the many friends who have helped pull me through this big change for my family!  We have a bit of adjusting to do over the course of the next few days, so bear with me.  Don't let me lose my sparkle, my crafty peeps!

Pick a Posey with Ivy Lane

I love making cards to bring a bit of sparkle to someone's day.  Here is a recent card I made for a friend that features the Ivy Lane Paper Packet and the Pick a Posey My Acrylix Stamp set.

I don't know what it is about a script-style patterned paper, but I just love them.  I matted this paper with a bit of Sweet Leaf Cardstock.  The sentiment I used is from the Lifting Spirits My Acrylix.  The shape behind the flower is a leftover cut from the Cricut Artiste Collection.  I save lots of extra cuts for occasions just like this! 

The beautiful Posey is stamped in Smokey Plum Exclusive Ink on the same color CS.  I LOVE that Close to My Heart has matching inks and cardstock!  I used the Mini Pigment Ink in Sweet Leaf found on the Whimsey Ink Tower to stamp the leaves directly on the Ivy Lane PP in the background.  The strip of paper through the middle of the background is a Zip Strip cut from the edge of the Ivy Lane Paper.  All of Close to My Heart's pattern papers have this feature, and they add a lot of "zip" to your projects, so are very aptly named!  ;) 

 I hand cut another flower stamped on Colonial White CS and placed it on the inside of the card...

I had originally tried it on the front this way, but opted for the darker flower...

I think the darker flower gave it more pop.  What about you?

Special February Offer JUST From ME!

Hey everyone! 

Happy weekend!  Want to make it even happier?  Have you noticed the special offer that I have for my customers in February?  In case you missed it, here are all the details! 

This month ONLY!  When you place a $50 order on my website, or through me directly, AND add the adorable Wild About Love Stamp of the Month for only $5 more, you qualify to be entered into a drawing to win this size C My Acrylix stamp set worth $13.95!  I wanted to share the love this month, and so far I have only four qualifying orders--so your chances of winning are pretty good indeed!  ;)  This offer is only through me at mimimyselfandi.ctmh.com and only this month!

Here is just one example of what you can do with the Lifting Spirits My Acrylix...

Don't miss this chance to win it from me this month! 

Here is that adorable Stamp of the Month...

 

PLUS!!!  Don't forget that with every two bulk packs of cardstock either in single colors or combo packs you buy this month (except white and colonial white,) you can chose one of Close to My Hearts new embossing folders for FREE!!!!

Here is your link to some hot February deals!  mimimyselfandi.ctmh.com

Introducing the Close to My Heart Spring and Summer 2014 Idea Book!

The time is finally here!

Today, we proudly unveil the 2014 Spring and Summer Idea Book!  Everyone is ready for warmer weather and longer days, and this is the perfect little step into Spring!  (Unfortunately for those of us in the midwest, we are getting HAMMERED with snow again!!!  Go away, Winter!)

There are SEVEN brand new paper packets in this issue!   Not only that, but GUESS WHAT!?  Close to My Heart now carries a variety of EMBOSSING FOLDERS!!!  I am so excited to get my hands on these!  (More about them below!)  Let me think...oh yes, PINK GLITTER PAPER, three new colors of shimmer trim:  teal and PURPLE sold individually and a beautiful gold sold in the Ivy Lane Cardmaking WOTG!!!!  I am just crazy excited about these new products, and cannot wait to show you more easy ways to use them.  You can view it on my website now!

If you would like a copy of the new Idea Book and are not local to me, NO PROBLEM!  Just place an order of at least $50 on my website and I will send you one completely FREE.  They are actually quite expensive to mail, as they have to go priority, so this would help cover the shipping for me.

No more sneak peeks of this Stamp of the Month!  HERE it is!!!!  It is called Wild about Love and here for February ONLY!  You can get it at full price at $17.95, OR for JUST $5 with a $50 order on my website!  

ALSO, February is a month of LOVE, so I am spreading the LOVE to my customers with a special offer JUST from me!!!

THIS month, when you place a $50 order and add this Adorable Stamp of the Month for just $5 through me or on my website, I will enter your name into a drawing and choose one winner to receive THIS Size C My Acrylix stamp set, Lifting Spirits, with a $13.95 value! 

Lifting Spirits

I am so excited about this month!  Embossing is BOSS, and Close to My Heart KNOWS that you will adore the embossing folders, so they are offering a special DEAL on them this month, too!  During the month of February, you can qualify to receive a free embossing folder for EVERY 2 packs of bulk single color or combo cardstock you purchase. Pick from our 5 new embossing folder designs—dot, chevron, quatrefoil, damask, or stripe—with your qualifying order. EVERY 2 packs of cardstock you purchase qualifies you for an additional embossing folder. Make sure you act fast—designs are available only while supplies last!

OK, go ahead and breathe!  :)  Reread if you need to because there is a lot going on this month!  Then get on over to see the new stuff HERE!!!!  Enjoy!

I {heart} Cricut Artbooking for Valentines!

TGIF!  Yes!  The weekend is almost here!!! 

I have a super-quick Valentine's Day card to show you today!  WHY is it so fast you ask?

Let me show you!

Part of the reason this came together lickety-split was because I used this leftover cut from the Close to My Heart Cricut Artbooking Collection.  Did you know this was my FIRST ever cut from the cartridge over six months ago?  You can see my very first project with it HERE that uses the positive cut from the hears image.  I kept the negative in a drawer of unused and cuts...and just pulled it out!  I trimmed it up to fit this polaroid style mat for my card. 

I used my Scallop Border Punch to quickly detail the end of the little tag.  LOVE it!  The little Pink Glitter Gem went on faster than you can say, "sparkle!"  ;)

My heart and "love you" sentiment are from the Lifting Spirits My Acrylix.  I used a super-fast and easy masking technique to use the words and letters I wanted while leaving the rest out.  I love using these old markers to color my stamps.  :)

Finally, I used our Alcohol Ink Markers to turn this soon to be retired (cry) Color Ready Seam Binding Ribbon into a shade of Ruby to match the Cardstock.  The ink dries super-fast, so I was finished with my card in NO time!  :)

Thanks for popping in to my blog today and leaving a little sparkle!  :)

A Christmas Village Valentine?

First, I just have to say...

Yeah!  I love these guys.

Alright, so now on with my post!  I don't think I can quite tell you how much I adore this card.  I used the gorgeous example from our Autumn/Winter Idea Book on page 50 to create my own version.  Did you know that is what our Idea Book is for?  IDEAS!!!!  It truly is!  If you need inspiration, you can be sure to find it there...trust me!

I wanted to try to use this awesome stamp set called Christmas Village in a new way for a non-Christmas card.  It was really easier than I thought! 

Another good place to find inspiration are the two volumes of Close to My Heart's Make it From the Heart Pattern Books.  I chose a pattern from the second volume for this card.

This particular sentiment is from Flakey Friends, and I added the heart over the "o" in love from the Lifting Spirits Stamp set.  Any little heart stamp will do, really, if you didn't pick this one up last month.  Of course, if you tune in to my blog in February, you just might win it for yourself!  ;)

Ok, where was I?  Oh, yes...the sentiment.  I added a couple of Pink Glitter Gems to each side of the banner for a bit-o-bling.  ;)

This sweet shoppe was just too much fun to color in with my NEW CTMH Watercolor Pencils.  I just got these awesome pencils to try out, and so I am linking this up with the first challenge over at Heart 2 Heart Challenges in January:  New Beginnings!  :)  I "knew" I couldn't stay away from there for long! *eyeroll*

I adore this paper packet that I used from Carta Bella...

It happens to match perfectly with my CTMH Cranberry CS.  Score!

You probably wouldn't have noticed this heart on my card was upside down, but I did...

Of course, my papers were already all attached nice and stuck-like, lol, so I improvised.

Presto, change-O!

I hope you like how I re-purposed the Christmas Village My Acrylix.  I love to get the most out of my Close to My Heart stamps, and this is just one way to do that.  :)

Hey!  Did you see the January Stamp of the Month?  It is SEW adorable!!!

Did you know you can get it only THIS MONTH!?  You can even get it for just $5 with a $50 purchase on my website!  Yep, you can...that is a huge discount from the regular price of $17.95!  Check it out this month...or it will be too late...mimimyselfandi.ctmh.com