The little things that make me happy here on Bliss Road~~Emily Keaton

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

A winner!!

(This is my second post for today. Please scroll down or click HERE for my DeNami Design Product Spotlight Blog Hop post.)

Just popping in to announce the winner of my washi tape giveaway from my Ways With Washi post on Monday! I used random.org to draw my lucky winner:


And that is the very sweet Greta of GG Creations!!

Greta, please email me with your address so I can mail out your new roll of washi tape to you!! (You'll find my email address by clicking on the "View my Complete Profile" link just under the "About Me" section in the right-hand sidebar of my blog; look for the "Contact Me" section.)

Have a great day!
Emily

DeNami Design Product Spotlight July Blog Hop

Thanks for stopping by today! The DeNami Design team is featuring a super sweet rubber stamp in our Product Spotlight today:  it's the Sand Castle stamp! And we're showing it off with a BLOG HOP!


Here's the one-layer card I made with this fun stamp:


I paired it with the perfectly complementary Seashells stamp and oh-so-appropriate Sending You Sunshine stamp. I stamped everything in Tuxedo Black Memento ink and colored with Copic markers.

You can purchase this fun sand castle stamp for 10% off the regular price for the next week. You also have the chance to WIN this fabulous product in today's spotlight blog hop! All you need to do is hop along to each stop in the lineup, leaving comments along the way. Here is the blog hop lineup:

DeNami blog 
Lisa Petrella
Deb Wabbe
Wendy Elliot
Emily Keaton  <==== you are here!
Lisa Elton
Pattie Goldman
Dana Seymour
Tammy Hobbs

One commenter will be selected at random to win this month's prize! Just check out the DeNami blog for all the details.

I hope you have a day filled with bliss!!
Emily

Monday, July 22, 2013

Ways With Washi: GIFT CARDS + a Giveaway


Greetings, friends! I'm here today with my July edition of Ways With Washi, developed for the DeNami Design blog. Today I'm exploring another practical side of washi tape:  I love using it to tape down gift cards and cash in birthday cards and gift enclosures! Not only does the washi tape add a cute pop of color, it keeps those small gift cards (and not to mention easily misplaced cash!) in place when you enclose them in a card. Plus, most washi tape is easily removed, so it won't damage the cash or card.

I've created a few samples to give you a better idea of what I mean. To get us started, I made a fun birthday card with an interior sentiment on the right-hand panel. That blank interior panel on the left is the perfect place to tape in a $20 bill as a birthday gift with some punchy Pink Chevron washi tape from DeNami. 

Additional products from the DeNami Design store: Celebrate Circle stamp, Chickie with Balloons stamp, Happy Birthday from All Occasion Sentiments stamp set, lime cardstock, Tuxedo Black Memento ink

Now how about an easy way to say thank you? Giving a gift card along with a handmade card is one of my favorite ways to do so. I can easily keep the gift card secure by taping it next to a "thank you" sentiment inside the card with some washi tape, like this fun Blue Stripes washi tape from DeNami. See? Simple! But it has loads of impact.

Additional products from the DeNami Design store: Thank You Script stamp, red cardstock, Tuxedo Black Memento ink

For my last project for today, I wanted to show you how easy it is to make your own gift card holder from a glassine bag with the help of some washi tape.

Additional products from the DeNami Design store: glassine bag, Fancy Flutters set, Elegant Oval Frame stamp, Decorative Flourish stamp, lavender cardstock, Opaque Cotton White StazOn ink, Tuxedo Black Memento ink

You can decorate the exterior of the glassine bag however you'd like. I did a bit of background stamping directly on the glassine bag with white StazOn ink and kept my focal point on the smaller side so you can catch a tantalizing glimpse of what's inside!


Then I simply cut a cardstock tag and taped on a colorful gift card with some equally colorful Purple/White Dots washi tape from DeNami. I even used some washi tape to create a pull tab to help slide out the gift! Simple and quick.



GIVEAWAY

How would you like to win a roll of washi tape? I have a brand-new roll of Purple/White Dots washi tape from DeNami Design--the same tape that I used on my last project for today--that I'd love to give away to a reader of this post. Want to be in the running? Just leave me a comment on this post using the word "GIFT." There's no need to be a follower of my blog to enter, but if you are a follower (or become a new follower!), you can have a second entry in the drawing--just leave me a second comment telling me that you are a follower and how you follow. :)

I'll leave commenting open until 11:59 p.m. EST on Tuesday, July 23, 2013, and will draw one commenter at random. The winner will be announced right here on my blog on Wednesday, July 24, and if I'm able to find an email address, I'll be sure to contact the winner as well.

I'm so glad you dropped by for a little slice of bliss today!
Emily

Friday, July 19, 2013

Photo Tutorial: Coloring DeNami Chickies with Copics

Today over on the DeNami Design blog I'm sharing a quick little tutorial on coloring DeNami chickies with Copics. This is the card I created after showing the chickie coloring step by step:


Feel free to go take a peek!

Have a super day!
Emily

Sunday, July 14, 2013

DeNami Summer Splash Blog Hop

Welcome to the DeNami Design Summer Splash Blog Hop! Today the DeNami Design Team and customers alike are featuring projects that are all about summer.


Hopefully, you've arrived here by way of Jennifer Loftfield's blog, Caffeinated Papercuts. 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 some super-fun DeNami prizes to be won! Two lucky commenters 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, July 15, 2013, 11:59 pm PST, to leave comments on all the blogs to be eligible for a prize. 


Let's get on with my project! What could be a better fit for a "summer splash" theme than a sunglasses-clad chickie floating along in an innertube (quite literally) on a "sunny day?"


There you have it!! I took a one-layer approach to this theme, dressing up my clean and simple design with some ombré waves drawn in with the chisel-tip ends of a few BG Copic markers. I used these DeNami stamps for my creation: B114 Inner Tube Chickie and K50 Sunny Days

It's short and sweet for me today :D. 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 blog of Deb Fischer

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

Emily

Monday, July 8, 2013

DeNami Design Create-Your-Own Collection Sneak Peeks


Welcome to Day 3 of the DeNami Design Fall/Winter Release Sneak Peeks!! Today DT Members Deb Wabbe and Tammy Hobbs are giving you sneak peeks of brand-new DeNami stamps about to be released in a category that's totally new to DeNami: Create Your Own! Be sure to visit each of these  DT gals for lots of inspiration, leave comments on each sneak peek blog post, and then head over to the DeNami Design blog to leave another comment to be eligible for a great DeNami gift certificate giveaway!
 

All the winners from all of the DeNami gift certificate giveaways will be announced on the DeNami blog tomorrow. You'll want to be sure to check that out! And all of the new stamps in this relelase will go live in the DeNami online store on July 10 at 9am PST.  

Thanks for stopping by,  
Emily

Sunday, July 7, 2013

DeNami Design Elegant Sneak Peeks


Welcome to Day 2 of the DeNami Design Fall/Winter Release Sneak Peeks!! Today DT Members Lisa Elton, Dana Seymour, and Wendy Elliot are giving you sneak peeks of brand-new DeNami stamps about to be released in a classic DeNami category: Elegant! Be sure to visit each of these three DT gals for lots of inspiration, leave comments on each sneak peek blog post, and then head over to the DeNami Design blog to leave another comment to be eligible for a great DeNami gift certificate giveaway!

 
Be sure to come back tomorrow for the last day of DeNami sneak peeks for the new release. We'll be featuring a category of stamps that is brand new to DeNami!

Thanks for stopping by,
Emily

Saturday, July 6, 2013

DeNami Design Chickies Sneak Peeks

Welcome to Day 1 of the DeNami Design Fall/Winter Release Sneak Peeks!! Today brand-new DT Member Pattie Goldman, veteran DeNami 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.


Do the sweet DeNami chickies totally tickle your fancy? If so, you are positively in luck! The new release includes brand-new chickie stamps for summer activities, various sports, girlfriends, camping, gardening, Halloween, and Christmas. Whew!! That's quite a few! 

Are you ready to take a peek at what's in store for the chickie category? Let's get started!


The new chickie stamps I was most excited about are the camping ones! Not only do I have my very own Girl Scout and Cub Scout in my family, but our family loves to go on camping road trips. This card uses the brand-new Campfire Chickies stamp and Chickie in Tent stamp. I thought this would make a perfect thank-you card for my daughter to give to her Girl Scout leader! Her troop LOVES to go camping. :) I also used the ultra versatile Small Cloud and Thanks A Bunch sentiment, and threw in a couple of Sand Boutique Buttons. (All of the patterned papers are digital prints from the digital Campout collection by Design by Dani, available from JessicaSprague.com.)

Now how about taking a gander at a pair of stamps that are perfect for the rockers in your life?


This card shows off the new Rock Band Chickies stamp and the fun You Rock! sentiment. I added some chipboard alphabet stickers to spell out "dude," the perfect touch for a teenager-bound card. A bit of Black Curly Loops washi tape and some red DeNami cardstock round out my design.

Next I'm shifting gears to autumn and Halloween!



For this creation, I paired the brand-new Pumpkin Patch Chickies stamp with the cling-style Trick or Treat sentiment stamp. Aren't those chickies sweet? I made my background from an assortment of DeNami washi tapes: Lime/White Dots, Black Curly Loops, and Orange Stripes. I also used some Desert Orange cardstock and black baker's twine from the DeNami store.

And finally, let's have a little Christmas in July!



Don't you just love those sweet little Caroling Chickies? And I am completely captivated by the tiny sentiments in the brand-new Christmas Greetings petit four stamp sets!!! This is a set that I have been waiting ever so patiently for :D. They are just the perfect size for Christmas tags, and that's exactly how I put them to use.


The DeNami To and From stamps are perfect for completing these festive tags. I also used some red DeNami cardstock and red baker's twine from the DeNami store. 

All of the new stamps I used today in my sneak peek projects will go live in the DeNami online store on July 10 at 9am PST.

OK, are you still with me? Thanks for hanging in there through this long post. :-) I mentioned a giveaway way back at the beginning of this post.


DeNami Design is giving away two gift certificates today! Be sure to leave a comment here on my blog post, Pattie's chickie sneak peek blog post, and Lisa's sneak peek blog post, too. Then head over to the DeNami Design blog and leave a comment there, too, for another way to win today!

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 giveaways.

Until then, have a day filled with bliss,
Emily 

Friday, July 5, 2013

A Blue Ribbon Birthday for FWF

Just a quick post to share a card I made for an aunt's 80th birthday tomorrow. Her family is having a card shower for her, so this card is already in the mail and on its way to her.


I used a pair of great Unity rubberstamp sets for this card: Summer's Best and Just Wanted to Say. I'm linking up to today's Friends With Flair hop.

I printed up a custom sentiment for the inside of the card:


That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by!
Emily

Thursday, July 4, 2013

A Western HOWDY for Independence Day

Happy Birthday, USA!! I hope that my American friends are enjoying a safe and festive Independence Day today, wherever you may be!

I'm popping in very quickly to share a card appearing over on the DeNami Design blog today.


I made this for my horse-loving daughter's half birthday recently. She is a Christmas-season baby, so for years now we've celebrated her half birthday in the summer with cake and presents (rather than on her actual birthday in December) to avoid overload at an already tending-toward-excess time of year. I teamed up the ultra-adorable Cowboy Chickie, Howdy sentiment, and a Ruby Red Boutique Button with some delightful digital elements from the Giddy Up {Boy} collection from Carta Bella (available at JessicaSprague.com).

Thanks for dropping by today!
Emily