Brown, Black, and Ivory for StampinB Challenge

It's been a busy week, but I really enjoyed making my sample card for this week's Stampin' B's DT challenge. It was an excellent excuse to sit down and create! I'm not sure anything would have been made otherwise. ;) Yup, that busy.

So, this week our Stampin' B's challenge is hosted by Vicky Gould, who is challenging us to use brown, black, and ivory. This combo had me stumped for a while. But while I was flipping through a Pottery Barn Teen catalog during breakfast earlier in the week, I stumbled across this photo and had an "aha!" moment:
I'm sure it's easy to see how these "Style Tiles" inspired my card:

This will be going to my dear, dear friend who, along with her family, is embarking on a job-dictated move to a different state in a few weeks. Boo hoo! I am going to miss her desperately. Oh, sure. We'll still keep in touch by phone and email. But it just won't be the same as getting together in person. I have quite selfishly hoped for months that the move could be averted somehow. And as much as I have hoped this, I think that she has hoped and wished for it 100 times more. She does not want to move. Normally, I would make a congratulatory "new house" card for a friend who is moving, but that just didn't seem appropriate in this situation. So I wanted to make a card of support for what has been and continues to be a difficult situation, and I think that this sentiment ("Where there is love, there is a home") is perfect.
My friend has been packing over the past several months, and she has been trying to down-size her family's belongings as she goes. She recently gave me a bag of craft supplies that she no longer needed. All of my embellishments for this card, including that precious little key, came from the stash that I inherited. I hope she'll recognize some of them!
Thanks for dropping by today. If you'd like to try your hand at this week's Stampin' B's Challenge, post your project on your blog or SCS gallery, and link it up to the Inlinkz tool on the Stampin' B's blog. We'd love to see what you create!! :)

See you soon!
Emily

Card Recipe:
Stamps: SU Good Neighbors
Paper: Neenah natural CS, Paper Maniac kraft CS, brown CS from The Paper Company, black/ivory patterned paper from Recollections, Gertie patterned paper from Stella and Rose Collection by My Mind's Eye
Ink: Versamark, Versafine onyx, Versafine vintage sepia
Accessories: EK Success 1.5" square punch, white embossing powder, heat tool, twill tape, dimensionals, rescued buttons, satin ribbon rose, embroidery floss, key embellishment
Techniques: embossing

A Shaped Card Flashback

Just a quick post to share my entry for this month's Flashback Friday Challenge 13.0: your first non-traditional shaped card.

I haven't made very many cards with non-traditional shapes, mainly because I don't have dies to help with that kind of thing. But last year my good friend Colleen sent me a packet of Stampin' Up! paper scraps that her SU demo sells for $1, and included with those things was a beautifully die cut scalloped circle card which I turned into this:


This card is coming to you from August 15, 2010.

I hope that you are having a great weekend! We aren't doing much of anything exciting this weekend, just getting caught up with laundry and yard work and such.

See you soon!
Emily

DeNami Lovely Layers Blog Hop

Welcome to the DeNami Design Lovely Layers Blog Hop!



Hopefully, you've arrived here by way of Karen Larkin's blog, My Life. If so, you are on the right track! If not, you'll want to head over to the DeNami blog to start the blog hop at the beginning. (And remember, if you get lost along the way, you can always head over to the DeNami blog to get pointed in the right direction.)

This month's blog hop is all about LAYERS!! Hop along for some great inspiration and comment along the way for a chance at some free DeNami products! Here are the details:

When: The blog hop starts on July 10 at 6 AM, PST. However, you have until July 11, 2011, 11:59 pm PST, to leave comments on all the blogs (to be eligible for a prize).

Why: To be inspired by beautiful frame creations featuring DeNami Design stamps and also the chance to win mini shopping sprees on the DeNami Design website!

Prizes: DeNami is giving away THREE $20 gift certificates to their website! They'll be giving away one gift certificate to a random blog hop participant (DT members not eligible) and then they'll also be giving away TWO gift certificates to TWO people who comment along the hop!

Well, without further ado, here is my layer-full card (7 in all) for today's hop:

My DeNami Owls Petit Four set plays a starring role. I had such fun watercolor painting these little guys and then layering them up. And the pennant banner was a hoot to put together!

Before you hop off to your next stop on the blog hop, be sure to leave a comment here for a chance at some free DeNami products. Now head on over to visit DeNami Design Team member Wendy Elliot at her Created by Wendy blog for some fabulous DeNami layering inspiration!

Thanks for stopping by today for a little slice of bliss!
Emily

Card Recipe:
Stamps: DeNami Owls Petit Four set; alphabet set by Studio G
Paper: Mark's Finest Papers natural vanilla bean fleck CS, Canson watercolor paper, Garden patterned paper from the Fly a Kite collection by October Afternoon, Stampin' Up! cardstock: bashful blue, chocolate chip, old olive
Ink: Versafine vintage sepia
Accessories: 1", 1.25", 1.5" circle punches, scalloped circle punch, scallop trim border punch, sewing machine, foam tape, mulberry paper roses, baker's twine from The Twinery
Techniques: machine stitching, watercolor painting

Friends with Flair: a Card for Summer

Happy Friday, and welcome to Unity Stamp Company's Friends with Flair blog hop! Anyone with a project made with Unity stamps can join in! You can find details, prize information, and a full list of players on the Unity Stamp Company blog.

Today I'm playing along with several challenges:

• Unity Challenge: Summer Sun & Fun
• All Things Unity #34: Using Butterflies
• {ippity} Challenge: use Ippity/Unity quotes or encouraging sentiments
• Clear It Out Challenge: Wings

And here's what you get when you mix all of these up:

I used all {ippity} stamps for this creation, including images from The Best and Now & Always (my fave {ippity} set!). The patterned papers and ribbon came from the Target Dollar Spot last year. I think they are so much fun!!

I must confess that the wild zig-zag stitching along the side was an experiment. I'm not really sure how I feel about it except that it certainly is different! Well, regardless, it was good for me to try something out of the ordinary. Yup, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it!!

Thanks for dropping by today to check out my little slice of bliss. Have a great weekend!
Emily

Card Recipe:
Stamps: {ippity} The Best, {ippity} Now & Always
Paper: cardstock from The Paper Company, DP from the Target Dollar Spot
Ink: Versafine onyx, Palette orangerie
Accessories: MS butterfly punch, sewing machine, ribbon from the Target Dollar Spot, sun charm from Mark's Finest Papers, dimensionals, Queen & Co. rhinestones

A Sand-sational StampinB Challenge

We've been working on getting ready for weekend company (arriving tonight), so it's been a jam-packed week so far. The kids have been a huge help with the housecleaning. It's above and beyond what they are normally expected to do, so I told them I'd contribute to their vacation souvenir funds if they pitched in with the extra. It's amazing what a little incentive will do!! I'm actually hearing things like "Mom, can I clean the little windows around the front door?" and "Is it OK if we scrub the toilets?" How can you turn down offers like those? I'm teaching our 8YO to vacuum (not that it's a tricky job or anything, but his 8YO mind doesn't find it intuitive to move the vacuum in an overlapping stripe pattern to cover the entire floor!). So far he is super enthusiastic about vacuuming, and the fact that we have a cool, kinda techie Dyson vac (with some definite 8YO appeal!) doesn't hurt. ;)

I've still got lots to do to get the house ready, and I'm trying to get ready for next week's July Stamp Release for Mark's Finest Papers, too. So this will be short!

Today I'm sharing my card for the new Stampin' B's DT Challenge hosted this week by Anne. Her challenge is to make a beach scene that includes sand, either real or stamped. I was thrilled to have an opportunity to use the new It's a Shore Thing stamp set that I won from The Craft's Meow last month. I stamped the sand hill images directly onto a sheet of cheap sandpaper from a pack that I picked up from Dollar Tree. So, there's my real sand, Anne!! And I'll warn you now, go get your sunglasses. This is a bright one!

I thought I'd enter this over at Moxie Fab World for the Stamp It! Cards Week Challenge--to create a card in which stamping is the predominant element. I'm also entering this in the The Craft's Meow July Card Sketch Challenge. Here's the sketch:
Thanks for dropping by today! Be sure to stop back in tomorrow for my last Blogoversary Celebration post for another chance at some blog candy. (Be sure to check out the Day 1 and Day 2 celebrations for additional chances. You can enter all three drawings through Sunday, July 10.)
Emily

Card Recipe:
Stamps: The Craft's Meow "It's a Shore Thing" set
Paper: various cardstock from The Paper Company, DP from the Target Dollar Spot, sandpaper from Dollar Tree
Ink: Palette L'Amore Red, Versafine Onyx, Palette Reflection Blue
Accessories: SU 3" scalloped circle punch, SU 2.5" circle punch, SU scalloped border punch, CM corner rounder, Prismacolor pencils, brads, baker's twine from The Twinery

BLOGOVERSARY Celebration, Day 2!

Welcome back to the continuation of my BLOGOVERSARY celebration!! Monday (July 4) was my very first Blogoversary, and we got the party started with a party game featuring some Pink Paislee Sweetness as a blog candy prize. If you haven't already played along, be sure you do so HERE. The game runs until July 10.

Let's kick off my Day 2 celebration with a few statistics. (I'm a real mathypi*, so numbers are another thing that make me happy!!) A summary of my first year of blogging:

Number of posts: 268
Number of comments received: 5840
Number of visitors: 19,800
Number of page views: 35,700
Number of Blog Followers: 115
Number of email subscribers: 22

Whee!! Now those are some totally happy numbers. :)

Still having fun? I'm glad you're still bearing with me, because now it's time for another party game!! Let's meet today's blog candy prize:

Cuttlebug 3" x 3" Cat Die

How to play? You gals are positively slaying me with your wit at working that magical word into your comments for Monday's blog candy!!! So, let's see how you do with this one: Just leave me a comment on this post using the word "SLICE"(as in my little SLICE of bliss!!) in some way, and you'll be entered in a random drawing for that sweet kitty Cuttlebug die. Only comments containing "slice" will be considered for the drawing. So if you want to leave me a comment today but aren't interested in the blog candy, whatever you do--don't include the word "slice!"

Here are the easy rules:

1. Only one comment per person.
2. No need to be or become a follower (but if you aren't already and would like to be, I won't stop you!!!)
3. Just make sure I can contact you after the drawing if you are a winner. (If you have a blog and your email contact info is included there, we're cool! But if not, be sure to include an email address--using {dot} and {at} is fine--just in case.)

Comments/entries will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, July 10, 2011. I'll draw the winners on the 11th, and post them here on my blog. I'll try to contact the winners as well (I hate having to remember to check back for the winners after a contest, don't you?).

Thanks for continuing my Blogoversary party this week! Check back on Friday, July 8, for another Blogoversary party installment with another party game prize!

Thanks for checking out my little slice of bliss for today,
Emily

* A few months ago I was commenting on someone's blog where word verification was enabled. The random "word" that I had to type was "MATHYPI." As someone with a degree in math, I found this extremely funny and was soon rolling on the floor laughing!! I made note of it and have been on a mission ever since to use this "word" as often as possible as a step toward general acceptance. I mean, really: what better word could be used to describe a math lover, especially a girlie one or one who's a real cutie pie or sweetie pie?? And now you know the rest of the story. :)

Erin's Birthday Blog Hop

Welcome to Erin's Birthday Blog Hop!!

Hopefully, you've arrived here by way of Lynn's blog, Millers-Ink. If so, you are on the right track! (If not, you'll want to head over to the start of the blog hop at Karen Baker's blog, The Bald Dragonfly.)

Wondering what's up? Well, today I am joining forces with eight other paper/ink fanatics to help celebrate the birthday of one super sweet and ultra crafty blogger, Erin Thiem, the self-proclaimed card-making junkie behind Homemade Cards by Erin!

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday, dear ERIN!
Happy Birthday to you!

Our theme for this birthday blog hop is, not surprisingly, birthday cards! Not only birthday cards, but birthday cards featuring the colors red and kraft. And not only that, but red & kraft birthday cards based on a personalized sketch provided to each of us by hop organizer Karen Baker. Karen had the fabulous idea of each of us using the same basic sketch but with a "hopping" sentiment placement. So if you hop the entire way through, you'll see nine twists on the same basic sketch--all designed by Karen (along with that super cute blog hop badge, too. Isn't she talented?!?!!!) So, here's the "Emily Keaton" version of Karen's sketch:
And, now: SURPRISE, ERIN!!! Here's the card I made for you:
I thought this card would be perfect for Erin since her family owns a "canned ham" style vintage 1957 camping trailer, and she has made some of the most adorable cards featuring little campers (see here and here). My own family acquired a used camping trailer last year--although ours isn't quaintly vintage (rather a 1993 "pre-loved" model) and isn't a cute canned ham (it's a pop-up tent trailer instead). But still, Erin's cute camper cards really caught my eye, and when I spotted this Road Trip set of clear stamps by Inkadinkado in the clearance bin at Michael's earlier this year, I knew:

1. thanks to Erin's outstanding examples, that I could make some incredibly cute cards (not to mention fun scrapbook pages of our camping adventures) with these fun camping stamps, and
2. that these must follow me home and become mine forever and ever!
   

And when it was time to consider what stamps to use for Erin's birthday card, I knew that these were really my only choice. How could I consider anything else??

So, there you have it! I am stop nine on Erin's Birthday Blog Hop. You'll be off to the tenth and final stop next at the blog of the birthday girl herself: Erin! I believe that Erin is hosting a fun birthday party on her blog today and has some birthday party favors up for grabs. You'd better keep hopping so you don't miss out on all the fun!

And before I go, I just want to wish Erin a "Happy Birthday" one last time. I hope you've had a blast hopping along with your friends on this birthday blog hop! It was certainly fun to participate and have the chance to contribute to your special day.

Thanks for stopping hopping by today!
Emily

Erin's Birthday Blog Hop Participants
Karen ~ The Bald Dragonfly
Jen ~ Jen Shears Designs
Sav ~ Savannaland2
Emily L ~ Art from the Heart
Yvonne ~ Do More With Less
Michele ~ Studio MSG
Lora ~ Fleur de Lo
Lynn ~ Miller's Ink
Emily K ~ My Little Slice of Bliss <== you are here!
Erin ~ Homemade Cards by Erin

PS I'm entering this card over at Moxie Fab World for the Stamp It! Cards Week Challenge--to create a card in which stamping is the predominant element. I'd say that because the background is stamped, the sentiment is stamped, and the border element is stamped, I've got some predominant stamping going on here!

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Road Trip by Inkadinkado, Punch Bunch by Stampin' Up!
Digital element: sentiment computer printed in CK Brownie font (www.creatingkeepsakes.com)
Paper: SU whisper white CS, Mark's Finest Paper kraft CS, red CS by The Paper Company
Ink: Palette L'Amore Red
Accessories: SU scalloped square punch, SU real red dotted/stitched grosgrain ribbon, foam tape, sewing machine
Techniques: machine stitching

It's my BLOGOVERSARY!!

So, how about a little BLOG CANDY?? Keep reading for details . . .

Yes, it is official. Today is my first BLOGOVERSARY! Happy Blogoversary to me!! It was one year ago today that I made my very first blog post. I wasn't sure where I was heading with this blog, but I figured it would be a good place to write about the things that make me happy, thus my blog title "My Little Slice of Bliss" (which is also a play on where we live, as our address is Bliss Road!!). In my first post I mentioned that I love spending time with my family and that making things--all kinds of things, from sewing with fabric to preparing delicious food to creating art with paper to making memories with my family--truly makes me happy. And I thought those might be the kinds of things I'd write about on this blog, but I wasn't really positive at the time. Looking back over the past year, I notice that blogging about my adventures in papercrafting has been my most frequent topic, but there's been a nice smattering of reporting on my other sources of bliss, so I'd say that I was pretty much on target!

During this past year of blogging I've also re-discovered how happy writing can make me. Sure, it can be frustrating and time-consuming at times, but there's nothing quite like the feeling of accomplishment that comes from finally putting together just the right words in just the right order to say what I want to say. Writing is another creative medium, and being creative is what makes me tick.

I also can't tell you how happy it makes me to have met so many of you through my blog! I had no idea I'd find such a friendly and supportive community of like-minded crafty and blogging folks out there! Your comments, encouragement, and support truly make me happy, and I so enjoy having the opportunity to do the same for you. Thank you so very much for caring!
Now, let's celebrate! I have some BLOG CANDY I'd like to share to say thank you to all of you wonderful folks. I wish I had a little something to give to each of you, but that's just not feasible. So let's play a little party game to find a lucky winner!

First, here's what you'll be playing for:

a 6 x 6 petite paper pad (30 sheets total)
from the Sweetness collection by Pink Paislee

How to play? Just leave me a comment on this post using the word "BLISS" in some way, and you'll be entered in a random drawing for some Pink Paislee Sweetness. Only comments containing "bliss" will be considered for the drawing. So if you aren't interested in the blog candy but want to leave me a comment (you know, maybe wishing me a Happy Blogoversary???), go ahead and just avoid typing "bliss" like the plague!!

What's the catch? None, except let's keep this to one comment per person. You don't have to be a follower to play (although if you aren't and think you'd enjoy reading about my adventures, I'd love for you to become one. But there's no pressure!!). Comments/entries will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, July 10, 2011. I'll draw the winners on the 11th, and post them here on my blog. I'll try to contact the winners as well (I hate having to remember to check back for the winners after a contest, don't you?). If you don't have a blog (or don't post your email contact info on it), be sure to include your email address so I can reach you, 'K?

Oh, did you catch that I said "winnerS" in the paragraph just above? Well, I only have one Sweetness Petite Pad to give away, but I'll have a new Blogoversary party game--with a new blog candy prize--to debut on Wednesday, July 6, and on Friday, July 8. So if today's Pink Paislee prize just isn't your thing, check back for something completely different on those days. You can enter any and all of the drawings--that's fine with me!!

OK, any questions?? Just drop me a line!!

Thanks for stopping by on my Blogoversary!
Emily

Card Recipe:
Paper: Cherry Slush CS by Mark’s Finest Papers, white CS by The Paper Company, star DP from Target Dollar Spot
Stamps: Thank You Noteblock by Purple Onion Designs
Ink: Ranger Antique Linen distress ink, Versamark
Accessories: red embossing powder, metallic star brad, SU circle punch, SU large star punch, Fiskars medium star punch, small star punch (unknown)
Techniques: ink distressing, embossing

Our Anniversary

Today my sweet hubby and I are celebrating our wedding anniversary. Our 18th! It's not a major milestone or anything, but it's incredible to think that we've already been married for 18 years. Already!! WOW! Time flies when you are having fun!!! I am so blessed to be married to my very best friend. I have no idea where I'd be without him. Of course I'm a bit biased, but I think we make an awesome team, supportive partners in this life we share. Aristotle never met us, but I'm pretty sure he had us in mind when he said, "The whole is more than the sum of its parts." So true!

At lunch today, we reminisced about our wedding day and honeymoon trip, and had fun amazing our kids with some of our stories. ("Really, Mama? You had no idea where you were going on your honeymoon? Daddy planned it all himself and kept it a secret?") And I just finished flipping through our wedding album, too. It's amazing to me now how young we looked then. Who let these babes in arms get married?? We were definitely, as my mom likes to say, still wet behind the ears. :) I scanned one of my favorite photos from our wedding day to share with you today.
Now fast-forward 18 years to the portrait we had taken last month. We realized that it had been far too long since our last family portrait and decided we should have one taken (especially before our daughter's braces were to be put on last week). At the studio, the photographer asked if we wanted any other shots taken after the family ones: "Some of just the kids? Mom with the kids? Dad with the kids?" It suddenly hit me then that my hubby and I hadn't had a formal portrait taken of just us since, well, our wedding! So we had the photographer take a few of just the two of us, and this was our favorite. Just love how it turned out. :) So far we are having a super day. We celebrated with a round of mini-golf with the kids before lunch, and splurged on some of the best (bourbon) marinated steak tips {ever!} from a local specialty butcher shop to grill for supper. Yum! My mouth is watering already. And next on my list for today is to make a from-scratch cherry pie, my hubby's favorite dessert. The kids don't care for pie (I know, what happened there??), so they can celebrate along with us with ice cream. Hopefully there will be time for a few games together before the kids head off to bed. And after they're all tucked in, we're planning our favorite date night: popcorn and a movie here at home.

Now, how about a peek at the card I'll be giving my hubby later today?? It isn't a new one (I made it last fall), but I've been saving it for our anniversary because it's so perfect for my car-loving hubby, and I just love this sentiment from Unity.
After all that celebrating today, I'm just thrilled that there's STILL a day left to our holiday weekend. Yippee!!

I hope you are having a wonderful time on this holiday weekend! What have you been up to?

I plan to be back tomorrow for my very first Blogoversary. I can hardly believe that I've been blogging for nearly a full year now!! I'll have some blog candy to share this week, so please come back to help me celebrate. :)

Thanks for joining me for my little slice of bliss today!!!
Emily