We have a WINNER!

First, I wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who entered my giveaway for the Bazzill Card Shoppe cardstock! I had so much fun reading everyone's comments--you got so creative using the secret ;) password!! You kept me in stitches. :D I wish I had enough blog candy to share with ALL of you!!

And the time has come to draw a winner. Using random.org, we have

commenter #23 as our winner, and that person was Mary-Anne V! Congratulations, Mary-Anne! I wasn't able to find a way to contact you via email, so please contact me (you'll find my email address on my Complete Profile page) with your shipping address by 10 p.m. EDT on Saturday, June 30, 2012, and I'll get that sent right out to you!!

Before I go, I wanted to share another recent pub card.

This card appeared in the digital/hybrid category of the March 2012 issue of CARDS magazine. 

Still lots to do before our company arrives tonight. A big grocery-shopping expedition is in the works for this afternoon! Which means I've got to start on my list.

Thanks for dropping by!

Emily

Just a few reminders

Hey, everybody! It's Wednesday!

I have a few reminders for you:

1. My GIVEAWAY for a 56-sheet multi-pack of Bazzill Card Shoppe cardstock ends tonight at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Check out this post for all the details.
2. The DeNami Design Fall/Winter Rubber Stamp Release Sneak Peeks continue today over on the DeNami Blog. Be sure to check it out for a chance to win this great prize package:      
   
   And you should also check out (and comment on!) the blogs of DT  members Deanna, Deb, and Wendy for chances to win a second copy of this prize!

OK, we've talked blog candy, so how about a little eye candy now? I've had projects published in several publications in the past few months, but I haven't had a chance to share those with you yet. I thought it was high time to git R done, so I'll be sharing a different pub project each day for the rest of the week.

Today's project is a treat container 

     

that appeared on page 42 in the March/April 2012 issue of Paper Crafts Magazine. I LOVE this Thank You noteblock stamp from Purple Onion Designs! And a HUGE thanks to my friend Jessi for that awesome May Arts ribbon. :D

We're cleaning the house today to prep for company this weekend. There's so much to be done! I keep telling myself, though, that if we wrap up early, then I can play with my stamps for a while. That should keep me going when I start to flag!

I'll be back tomorrow with a WINNER! Until then, may your day be filled with bliss!

Emily

DeNami Sneak Peeks: CHICKIES

Welcome to Day 1 of the DeNami Design Fall/Winter Release Sneak Peeks!! Today DT Member Lisa Petrella and I are giving you sneak peeks of brand-new DeNami stamps about to be released in the always-fun CHICKIES category! Be sure to read all the way to the end of this post for details on a great giveaway :D.

If you are a DeNami chickie lover, you will positively swoon over the chick-tastic new release! There are new chickies for Halloween, new chickies for Christmas, and some fun new chickies for everyday. I had SO much fun with my new chickie stamps getting ready for this fall/winter release! It was hard to decide where to start, but in the end I went with some of the new everyday chickies. Are ready to see them? OK, fasten your seat belts--here we go!!

What could be more fun than a racing chickie?!? For my first card I used the brand-new Race Car Chickie (CL-G154) and Make Way! It's Your Day! (CL-F224) stamps. My hubby is a huge car fanatic, so this will be for his birthday in September. I know he'll love it! I stamped the race car on watercolor paper in black Versafine ink and heat embossed the image with clear embossing powder. Then I watercolor-painted this fun little guy and his wheels with dye inks.

Up next I played with the new Swinging Chickie (CL-D146) on a pair of clean and simple cards. I wanted to make the swing ropes ultra long for this card design, so I extended them with a ruler and an ultra-fine tipped Sharpie. I paper-pieced the chickies on white cardstock so I could color them with Prismacolor pencils.  So, why two nearly identical cards? Well, I couldn't decide which I liked better: underlining my design with some scored lines, or tying on some baker's twine. This card was so quick and easy to make, that I did it both ways!

So are you starting to think that these new chickie stamps are just like potato chips? (You know, because you can't stop after just one--one card, that is!). Well, what I did with the new Business Chickie (CL-C92) would certainly make you think so! This little guy is SO cute! He made me think of some kind of bureaucrat or government agent--of the cutest, fluffiest kind, of course--that might come 'round to "chick" up on you. :D

And there you have it--my chickie sneak peeks for the new release!



Congratulations for making it to the end of this looooooooooooooong post :). I mentioned a giveaway way back at the beginning, and here's what's up for grabs: 

Paulina is giving away TWO of these Chickie-themed prize packages today, one on the DeNami blog and one from today's featured blogs (that would be my blog here and Lisa Petrella's blog). The winners will be randomly selected from the comments left on the three blogs, so be sure to comment in all three places to maximize your chance of winning!


I'm so glad that you dropped in to check out some of the new chickie stamps in the DeNami Design Fall/Winter Release! Be sure to tune into the DeNami blog tomorrow for more sneak peeks and another giveaway.


Have a day filled with bliss!
Emily


Race Car Chickie card:
Stamps: Race Car Chickie, Make Way It's Your Day, Steam Curl, Stitched Rectangle, Holiday stamp set--all from DeNami Design
Paper: Canson watercolor paper, patterned paper from BasicGrey's Wander collection
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Versafine Vintage Sepia, Versafine Crimson Red, various dye inks for watercolor painting
Accessories: sewing machine, foam tape
Techniques: watercolor painting, machine stitching


Swinging Chickie cards:
Stamps: Swinging Chickie, Hang In There--from DeNami Design
Paper: DeNami Iridescent Aquamarine cardstock, white cardstock from PTI
Ink: Noir Black Palette
Accessories: ruler, ultra-fine tip Sharpie, scoring board, Prismacolor pencils, odorless mineral spirits, paper blending stumps, baker's twine from DeNami's Summer Twine 3-pk
Techniques: scoring, Gamsol Magic


Business Chickie card #1:
Stamps: Business Chickie, Just Chickin' Up On You--from DeNami Design
Paper: DeNami Lime cardstock, patterned paper from BasicGrey's Green at Heart collection, white cardstock from PTI
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Noir Black Palette
Accessories: sewing machine, scalloped border punch, Prismacolor pencils, odorless mineral spirits, paper blending stumps
Techniques: Gamsol Magic, machine stitching

Business Chickie cards #2 and #3:
Stamps: Business Chickie, Just Chickin' Up On You, Retro Borders 1 Set (cling)--from DeNami Design
Paper: white cardstock from PTI
Ink: Versafine Deep Lagoon, Versafine Crimson Red, Noir Black Palette
Accessories: Prismacolor pencils, odorless mineral spirits, paper blending stumps
Techniques: Gamsol Magic

Sending My Love

* * * * *

Blog Candy Alert!

Be sure to check out my giveaway for

a multipack of Bazzill Card Shoppe cardstock!

Click HERE for details.

* * * * * 

Happy Friday! And welcome, Friends With Flair hoppers! I'm joining in with FWF (check the Unity blog for a full list of today's participants) a little later than I like to, but I'm here nonetheless! Busy, busy day with work, work, work, but I rewarded myself with a little inky time this afternoon once I got through today's quota ;). Gotta have something to look forward to!

 

Today I've got a clean and simple and summery card to share with you.

I used a digital envelope template to make a little cardstock envelope that I decorated with summery butterflies and flowers from the How YOU Doin' {ippity} kit and A Bit of Burlap, another {ippity} stamp. The sentiment also comes from How You Doin'. I had to add some stitching along the edge of the envelope flap to help set it off from the rest of the {busy} envelope, and then added a machine-stitched border on the card base. I "sealed" the envelope with a square of foam tape for a bit of dimension.

 See those tiny hearts beside the sentiment? Those are bits of Martha Stewart heart-shaped confetti that I picked up on clearance after Valentine's Day. In real life, they are nice and shiny, but they didn't photograph very well. Sorry!

My colors were inspired by the current Get Hippity With Ippity challenge (#22):

My layout was inspired by this cool sketch from Chick Challenges #36:

I'm also playing along with the current Unity challenge (summertime) and the current {ippity} challenge (bright colors).

Well, it's homemade pizza night at our house! My hubby is spinning the dough for his secret-recipe pizza crust right now, so I've got to wrap this up. After supper we're all going to chill with some ice cream in front of the TV and watch Mythbusters with the kids. Fun! After three-straight days of hitting 97F here, we sure are looking forward to cooler temperatures over the weekend.

Have a great weekend, everyone! And thanks for dropping by,

Emily

Stamps: How YOU Doin', A Bit of Burlap from {ippity} by Unity Stamp Co.

Paper: gold CS from The Paper Company, white CS from Taylored Expressions

Ink: SU not quite navy, rose red, melon mambo; Versafine onyx black

Accessories: scoring board, sewing machine, Martha Stewart heart confetti, foam tape

It's time for a GIVEAWAY!

Happy Thursday, everybody!

If you've visited my blog in the past two weeks, chances are you've stumbled across one of my cards test-driving the new Bazzill Card Shoppe cardstock collection by Bazzill Basics Paper. The new Card Shoppe line was created specifically with card makers (like me!) in mind. Here are some specs on this premium cardstock:

• comes in 8-1/2" x 11" sheets
• 100 lb. weight
• solid core
• acid-free, lignin-free
• scores and creases like a dream
• won't warp when used with markers, inks, or mists
• comes in 28 colors with fun candy shoppe names like Cotton Candy, Circus Peanuts, Gumdrop, Jelly Bean, and Taffy

So why am I telling you all of this? Well, the good folks at Bazzill asked me earlier this year if I'd like to test-drive the new Card Shoppe line. I enthusiastically agreed, and they sent me not one, but two 56-sheet sample packs of the Card Shoppe collection (two sheets of each color). One was for me to keep and play with, and the other is to give away here on my blog! I've had a wonderful time using my Card Shoppe cardstock, and now it's time to give the other away!

But first, let's recap the projects I've made with this collection thus far:

For details, please see this blog post.

For details, please see this blog post.

For details, please see this blog post.

For details, please see this blog post.

And here's a little peek at what I'm giving away!

Would you like to have this package of sweet cardstock come to live with you at your house? All you need to do to be in the running is leave me a comment on this post using the word "CANDY" before 11:59 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 27, 2012. I'll draw one "candy"-using commenter at random to win this Card Shoppe multipack, and I'll post the winner here on my blog on June 28. If I can find the winner's email address, I'll email her as well!

Questions? Well, I'm glad you asked. Nope, you don't need to be a follower of my blog to enter the giveaway. And yes, I'd love it if you do become one!

That should do it!! Just let me know if you have any questions about the cardstock. I'd be happy to answer them. I've really enjoyed using it!!

Good luck!

Emily

Surfboard Trio

How about a little something bright and summery today?

I'm sharing this card to show off the DeNami Design Product Spotlight stamp for this week, the fabulous Surfboard Trio!

Like, cowabunga, dude! You can snag this totally rad stamp on sale this week. Just add it to your cart. That's so sick, right?

(OK, I can do surfer speak for only so long. I do believe I've just timed out!)

I stamped the surfboards on four different colors of DeNami cardstock (Golden Tangerine, Iridescent Emerald Green, Magenta, and Desert Orange) and cut them out to form a tropical frame for that sweet little Hula Chickie, which I colored with Prismacolor pencils and blended with odorless mineral spirits and a paper blending stump (you can find a tutorial on this method HERE). I just couldn't resist jazzing up the corners of my chickie frame with a few sparkly Robin's Egg Blue Rhinestones.

Be sure to paddle on over to the DeNami blog to check out what the rest of the DeNami dudettes cooked up with this surfin' safari stamp!

So glad you could catch a wave over to visit my blissful beach today! Mahalo!

Emily

PS This is also another entry for Kim Kesti's Crafty Month challenge--to create a card that combines at least one new item and one item from your stash (at least one year old). For this card, my new items are the Hula Chickie and Surfboard Trio stamps, and my old item is the scalloped square punch. I do believe that is the oldest punch I own!

Stamps: Surfboard Trio and Hula Chickie by DeNami Design

Paper: Golden Tangerine, Iridescent Emerald Green, Magenta, Desert Orange, Amethyst, and Sky Blue cardstocks from DeNami Design

Ink: Palette Noir Black hybrid

Accessories: Prismacolor pencils, odorless mineral spirits, paper blending stumps, Kaisercraft rhinestones, square punch, scalloped square punch, Corner Chomper

Technique: gamsol magic

Wherever You Go

I needed a card for some friends who are moving away. I had such a hard time deciding what kind of sentiment to use. Goodbye? Farewell? We'll miss you? Thanks for sharing your lives with us? Wishing you all the best? Don't go? I kept waffling. Nothing seemed quite right. So I started cruising through my {ippity} and Unity stamps sets, which can always be counted on for insightful quotes and sayings. I knew I'd found my "it" quote as soon as I opened up my Quotes a'la HAPPY set from {ippity}. Then it all came together!

This is perfect! It's just what I wanted to say. And inside I can write something like "thanks for sharing your sunshine with us these last 8 1/2 years. Wishing you all the best!" Yup, couldn't have said it better myself.

I finally got to put my Bazzill Card Shoppe cardstock (see HERE for more) through my last tests for it: heat embossing and stitching. I give it high marks on both! I stamped the ric-rac element in red Versafine ink and then heat embossed it with red embossing powder. The cardstock did warp a bit from the heat, but nothing that couldn't be tamed with some edge stitching :). And I must admit that this cardstock holds up ever so nicely to machine stitching! The yummy colors I used on today's card are Peppermint, Banana Split, and Gumball. So fun! I can thoroughly recommend this new line of cardstock formulated specifically for card makers, and can't wait to give away a 56-sheet sample pack of it to one lucky My Little Slice of Bliss reader. Check back Thursday for my giveaway post!

I've been itching to play in a few challenges, but haven't had much time, so I crammed them all in here. This is for Chick Challenges #33, the new summer-themed Unity Challenge, the new "bright colors" {ippity} challenge, and Kim Kesti's Crafty Month challenge--to create a card that combines at least one new item and one item from your stash (at least one year old). My new item is my new Bazzill Card Shoppe cardstock, and my old items are the buttons and black crochet thread from my stash.

Thanks so much for sharing a little slice of bliss with me today! And don't forget--my giveaway starts on Thursday, June 21.

See you soon!

Emily

Stamps:  Quotes a'la HAPPY from {ippity}, Homemade 6-Bean Soup from Unity

Paper:  Peppermint, Banana Split, Gumball cardstock from Bazzill Card Shoppe collection; PTI white

Ink:  Versafine black and red, Colorbox Frost White, SU So Saffron

Accessories:  red EP, heat tool, foam tape, American Crafts button (yellow), We R Memory Keepers buttons (red, blue), black crochet thread, sewing machine

Techniques:  machine stitching, paper piecing, heat embossing

Cool Dad

Today I'm sharing one last Father's Day card. This is the one that my kids and I will sign for my husband. We think he's pretty cool!

This is another hybrid card that I made completely from digital elements. All of the elements--patterned background paper, man, letters of "cool," and orange border--are digital components from Cosmo Cricket's Social Club collection that I printed on white cardstock, trimmed, and layered to create this card. One of the things that I love about working with digital elements (besides the facts that I can print my favorite elements again and again without fear of "using them up!" and can recolor elements easily) is that you can print elements in any size. To create my line of men, I simply resized the same man digital element several times and then printed and cut them out. I like how it looks like they are receding into the distance!

I made this card for a couple of Father's Day challenges: Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge #173 and Papercraft Star's Challenge #101. 

I hope you are having a good weekend! School is finally out (so there's no homework to wrangle with this weekend), and we are ready to have some fun.

Thanks for checking out my little slice of bliss today!

Emily

Paper:  PTI white; Blue Eyes digital paper; man, cool, border digital elements from Social Club Collection by Cosmo Cricket

Accessories:  Doodlebug brads

Neckties for Dad on FWF day

Are you here for Friends With Flair? I'm so glad you stopped by!

The kids and I are gearing up to celebrate Dad on Sunday. They have plans to make him a pitcher of hand-squeezed lemonade, and we'll end one of his favorite home-cooked meals with a layer cake for him. I thought it would be fun to make a trio of cake toppers so the kids can decorate it up a little bit:

Go ahead and click on the photo for a better, up-close view!

These would also be fun decorations on cupcakes!

I used a bunch of {ippity} stamps: sentiments from The Best, ties from Authentic Man, background from A Bit of Burlap. I upcycled some natural tissue paper from somewhere to make pleated medallion backing for each topper. Otherwise these are pretty straightforward!

Don't forget to see the list of all of today's FWF participants over on the Unity blog. I'm also linking this up to a couple of Father's Day challenges: Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge #173 and Papercraft Star's Challenge #101.

Thanks for checking out today's little slice of bliss!

Emily

Stamps: The Best, Authentic Man, A Bit of Burlap from {ippity} by Unity

Paper: Wild Wasabi, So Saffron, Tangerine Tango, Marina Mist cardstock from Stampin' Up!

Ink: Vintage Sepia Versafine

Accessories: circle punches, tissue paper, craft sticks

Fabric Flower Photo Tutorial

Happy Friday, everyone!

I just wanted to let you know that I have a brand-new photo tutorial debuting over on the DeNami Design blog today. In it I show how to make fabric flowers just like the one on this card:

I hope you'll swing by the DeNami blog to take a look. Have fun creating!

Emily

Stamps: Thoughtful Greetings stamp set, Medium Solid Filigree stamp, Polka Dot Background stamp from DeNami Design

Paper:  Sky Blue cardstock, Chocolate Brown cardstock from DeNami Design

Ink:  Vintage Sepia Versafine, Colorbox Frost White

Accessories: white EP, heat tool, fabric, 2” circle paper punch, Strong double-sided adhesive, Wax paper, scissors, button, embroidery floss, sewing machine

Hip Card for Dad

Just a quick post to share the card I made for my hubby to send to his dad for Father's Day:

No stamps were harmed in the making of this card! All of the patterned paper and elements came from the digital Social Club collection by Cosmo Cricket. Even though I didn't use any stamps, I did use some ink to distress the edges :).

I made this card for Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge #173, to make a Father's Day card. I would have used Flourishes stamps for it if I could--but I don't own any masculine Flourishes stamps! I'm also entering this in Papercraft Star's Challenge #101, Father's Day.

Thanks for dropping in!

Emily

Paper: Whisper White CS Stampin’ Up!, natural CS; Digital elements: Swingin’ digital paper; letters, hat, sunglasses digital elements from Social Club collection by Cosmo Cricket

Ink: Tea Dye Distress by Ranger Industries

Accessories: circle punch, sewing machine

One-layer Sympathy

It's been a jam-packed week, so to get in any crafty time at all, I've been keeping it simple with 10-minute and one-layer cards. Today I'm adding this one-layer sympathy card to my stash:

I won the Calla Lilies set from Flourishes when it was released earlier this year. Now, calla lilies are far from my favorite flowers. I have always associated them with funerals (for which I think they are fine!) and was mortified when, in the 80s, they became a popular decorating motif. Back then, I was appalled when the high school prom decorating committee adopted the calla lily as the "official prom flower" my junior year! But I do love this stamp set from Flourishes, which is filled with much-needed sentiments of sympathy and this beautiful (and large!) floral image. The image itself is shaded perfectly, so it was easy to do a 10-minute colored pencil coloring job on this card without it looking horrible (although I readily admit it's also not prize-winning!). One note: I learned the hard way that if you plan to use white colored pencil on solid colored cardstock, don't try to blend it with odorless mineral spirits. That takes away all of the white pigment and you're left back where you started!

This card is one last entry for Flourishes' Gimme Ten challenge.

Thanks for swinging by!

Emily

Stamps: Calla Lilies by Flourishes
Paper: Spring Moss CS by Papertrey Ink
Ink: Palette Noir Black
Accessories: scoring board, colored pencils

10-Minute Nurture Yourself

So, I mentioned on Sunday that I was waiting to pick up my daughter from her Girl Scout camping trip. Well, she returned safely and had a great time, but came home with a few hitchhikers. Three to be exact:  deer ticks. You know, the tiny kind that can carry Lyme disease, and we live in--you guessed it--prime Lyme territory. We removed them successfully (with tweezers, the best method according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are a lot of folklore removal methods out there, but some can actually increase the likelihood of disease transmission {something to do with increased salivation; I know, ewwwwwwwww!}. Our motto: when in doubt, yank it out!). Anyway, I consulted with our pediatrician yesterday, and because we have no way of knowing if the ticks were attached for less than 24 hours, we'll have her tested for Lyme disease in four to six weeks. (Yeah, it takes that long for it to show up in tests!) In the meantime, we'll keep our eyes peeled for that telltale bullseye rash, which apparently presents in only 60% of Lyme disease cases, so testing will be crucial. Our pediatrician mentioned that the practice has been seeing a lot of Lyme disease recently, most likely due to our very mild winter. Darn, and I was kind of liking that! I guess I'd better hope for lots of cold, snow, and ice next year!

Enough of the yucky stuff, let's get on with a card!

Today I am sharing, appropriately enough, a get well card! I realized last week that my supply of such cards has been depleted, so it was time to re-stock. Because I've been so time-crunched, I decided to play along with Flourishes' Gimme Ten challenge again, to make a 10-minute card.

I used three sets from Flourishes to put together this card: Sunflowers, Tiny Flowers and Tags, and From the Garden. I made a super-quick background by scoring a 3.75" x 3.75" piece of cardstock in a grid and stamping a tiny daisy in each square. I already had that handmade spiral fabric flower in my stash, and all that was left to do was quickly stamp and trim a few leaves. Done! I'm linking this up as my final entry in Julie Koerber's Celebrate Five challenge.

I also used some more Bazzill Card Shoppe cardstock to make this card. Today's colors are Peanut Cluster (for the card base), Gumball (for the blue scored panel), and Easter Grass (for the leaves). I am so impressed with how will this cardstock scores: nice crisp lines and no danger of accidentally perforating the paper. And even though this is nice heavyweight cardstock (100 lb.), I had no trouble fussy-cutting those leaves, although I admit I wasn't going for precision here. It is, after all, a 10-minute card!

Well, I already have dinner in the crockpot, and the kids are off to school,  so it's time to get cranking on my freelance work for the day. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Emily

Stamps:  Sunflowers, Tiny Flowers and Tags, and From the Garden by Flourishes

Paper: Peanut Cluster, Gumball, and Easter Grass from the Bazzill Card Shoppe collection; white from Papertrey Ink

Ink: Versafine Spanish Moss, SU Bashful Blue

Accessories: handmade rolled fabric flower, pearl, SU label punch, scoring board, baker's twine from the DeNami Design Spring Twine 3-pack, Corner Chomper

Techniques: scoring, rolled ribbon flower

10-Minute Thinking of You

Hi and Happy Monday, everybody! We're gearing up for the LAST week of school here. I just sent my third-grader off to school for his field day today. Ahhhhh, there's nothing like the smell of sunscreen first thing in the morning! (It's waterproof/sweatproof stuff, so I have a feeling the scent is going to be with me for several more handwashings today!) Hat? Check. Sunglasses? Check. Water bottle? Check. Awesome weather forecast? Check. I think he's all set for a super fun day. :D

It's been far too long since I've been able to play along with the Flourishes release week festivities. The DT will start revealing the new sets on Wednesday, and there's a pre-release challenge to play while we wait: Gimme Ten. The challenge is all about 10-minute creations. Boy, do I love quick and easy cards! So easy to jot a quick note in and pop in the mail without the hassle of bubble mailers or extra postage.

Here's my 10-minute creation for today:

Super easy! And making monochromatic cards is so much fun. I used three Flourishes stamp sets to make this card: A Year in Flowers Set 2, Calla Lilies, and Country Charm Labels.

I'm also entering this 10-minute creation over at Julie Koerber's Celebrate Five challenge.

I also enjoyed playing around some more with my sample pack of Bazzill Card Shoppe cardstock that I mentioned yesterday (click HERE for details). Today's card features Circus Peanuts (the lighter orange shade) and Candy Corn (the darker orange shade) cardstock. I do like the smooth surface of this cardstock--it takes ink very nicely. I also love having coordinating color shades within the same color family! Makes for effortless monochromatic projects. Anyway, I'll have more on Card Shoppe as the week goes on!

Thanks for stopping by to check out my 10-minute creation. I hope that wherever you are, today brings you your own little slice of bliss!

Emily

Stamps: A Year in Flowers Set 2, Calla Lilies, and Country Charm Labels by Flourishes

Paper: Circus Peanuts CS and Candy Corn CS from the Bazzill Card Shoppe collection; white CS from Papertrey Ink

Ink: Habanero Versafine, Vintage Sepia Versafine

Accessories: EK Success Dotted Scallop border punch, orange grosgrain ribbon, Corner Chomper

DeNami Cards for Guys Blog Hop

Welcome to the DeNami Design Cards for Guys Blog Hop! Today the DeNami Design Team and customers alike are showcasing some of those often-hard-to-create masculine cards made with DeNami stamps.

 
Hopefully, you've arrived here by way of Stacy M.'s blog, Sweethearts & Sweet Tarts. 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.)

Don't forget, there are delightful DeNami prizes to be won! Two luckies will be drawn at random from among the comments left along the blog hop to win a $20 DeNami Design gift certificate! You have until Monday, June 11, 2012, 11:59 pm PST, to leave comments on all the blogs to be eligible for a prize. 

Now, I don't know about you, but sometimes when I'm not sure how to approach a card for a guy, I just go with humor! Guys are always up for a laugh, right? And I'm sure most would take something funny over something mushy any day. So for my card for a guy today, I paired this punny You're a Hoot! stamp with the bespectacled owl from the Owls Petit Four stamp set. 

 
I chose some My Mind's Eye patterned paper in guy-ish colors to stitch down for the background of my card. I stamped the owl in Versafine Vintage Sepia ink on watercolor paper and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder. Then I watercolor painted that fun little owl with various dye inks to match the colors of the patterned paper. 

DeNami Design has a fabulous assortment of boy and masculine-themed stamps. Not familiar with them? Be sure to click HERE to see the entire collection!

Well, I'm sure you can't wait to see more guy-card inspiration! Before you leave, be sure to leave a comment to be eligible for the randomly drawn prizes and then you can be on your way to the next stop on the hop, the very sweet DeNami addict, Tina Milbourn, at her blog, A Timeless Treasure.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Enjoy the blog hop,

Emily

Stamps: You're a Hoot, Owls stamp set by DeNami Design
Paper: white byPapertrey Ink; Mudpie by Bazzill Basics; Baja Breeze by Stampin’ Up!; bubbles patterned paper from Fine and Dandy Boy collection by My Mind’s Eye; watercolor paper by Canson
Ink: Antique Linen distress ink by Ranger Industries; Baja Breeze, So Saffron, and Pumpkin Pie by Stampin’ Up!; Versafine Vintage Sepia by Tsukineko
Accessories: clear embossing powder by DeNami Design; brown buttons from my stash; brown burlap string by May Arts; wonky rectangles dies by Spellbinders
Techniques: machine stitching, heat embossing, watercolor painting

Houndstooth Greetings

I'm waiting for the call that my daughter is on the way home from her Girl Scout camping trip so I can go to pick her (and her gear) up. I've been working on a card (for fun!) while I wait. Here it is:

I really wanted to play in this month's Market Street Stamps Block Party, so I inked up my MSS Houndstooth background stamp so I could make a graphic design with a girl's best friend! Here's a closeup of all that fabulous houndstooth goodness.

My card base is also stamped with the houndstooth background. The (partially inked) sentiment comes from MSS Prancer.

I took my colors from this week's Play Date Cafe challenge.

I also finally had time to play with some new products today. A while back I was contacted by Bazzill Basics Paper to see if I'd like to try out their brand new line of Card Shoppe cardstock, a collection of smooth heavy-weight cardstock developed specifically for cardmakers. They sent me a sample pack of 56 sheets of gorgeous cardstock (2 sheets each of 28 different colors with fun candy-themed color names). I have been soooooooo busy with so many things recently that I haven't had time to try them--until today! Today's creation features Candy Necklace (a beautiful aquamarine color) and Whirlypop (a deep blue color). They both took ink and punched beautifully! My Candy Necklace card base also scored and creased perfectly. I'm looking forward to playing with more colors from this pack throughout the week and will definitely report back on my findings. Bazzill was kind enough to send along a second sample pack of Card Shoppe cardstock, so look for a giveaway here on my blog soon!!

Thanks so much for dropping by to check out my little slice of bliss for today!

Emily

Stamps: Houndstooth and Prancer from Market Street Stamps

Paper: Candy Necklace and Whirlypop cardstock from the Bazzill Card Shoppe line; white and Melon Berry from Papertrey Ink

Ink: Versamark and Onyx Black Versafine

Accessories: diamond punch, sewing machine

Techniques: machine stitching