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

Thursday, May 29, 2014

My Embossed Elements Winner for May

Hey there, everyone! It's time to announce the winner of my embossing folder giveaway from earlier this week. So sorry I'm posting this a bit later than usual. It's been one of those kind of days!

This time around the lucky number via random.org was #13, which corresponds to the lovely Colleen Dietrich!! Congratulations, Colleen! I've emailed you :D.

Have a great rest of your Thursday, everyone!
Emily

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

DeNami Design Product Spotlight May Blog Hop

It's the fourth Wednesday of the month and that means it is time to show off another awesome DeNami Design stamp with a blog hop! This month we are featuring the very timely Diploma stamp.


What newly minted graduate does not need thank you notes after commencement? I can't think of a single one! So I put this big ol' diploma to work on a clean and simple thank you card suitable for any guy or girl graduate. Here's how it turned out:


In addition to our spotlight Diploma stamp, I used Thank You Script, Black Stripes washi tape, and Tuxedo Black Memento Ink from the DeNami Design store.

You can purchase this Diploma 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
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.

Thanks for stopping by today--have a super day!
Emily

Monday, May 26, 2014

Embossed Elements: Father's Day + a Giveaway


Greetings, friends! I'm here today with the May edition of my monthly Embossed Elements feature on the DeNami Design blog. Today I'm preparing for Father's Day with a pair of cards featuring the very cool Diamond Plate Embossing Folder from the DeNami store. It's perfect for those sometimes hard-to-create masculine cards!

My first card is a clean and simple one for Dad's Day. It uses just two DeNami stamps (Dad and Solid Block Border), two colors of ink (Habanero and Deep Lagoon), and two colors of cardstock. I used the Diamond Plate EF to emboss punched squares of cardstock. I love the bold, graphic look of this design. So easy to put together, too!


My second card is a little more involved, but really not too much more. And oddly enough, it has basically the same sketch as the first one! That was totally unplanned, but there you have it ;). For this one I used the Diamond Plate EF to emboss a panel of vellum as a background for my card. I diecut a few gear shapes (perfect for a guy card, right?) that go with that diamond plate background perfectly. Once again I used just two DeNami stamps in my design (Happy Father's Day and Stitched Rectangle) and two ink colors (Satin Red and Onyx Black). This design is perfect for any mechanically inclined dads!!


Thanks for taking a peek at my embossed Father's Day cards today. Be sure to take a peek below at my giveaway!


How would you like the chance to win this Diamond Plate Embossing Folder? I have one up for grabs in an Embossed Elements giveaway! Want to be in the running? Just leave me a comment on this post using the word "GUYS." 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 Wednesday, May 28, 2014, and will draw one commenter at random. The winner will be announced right here on my blog on Thursday, May 29, and if I'm able to find an email address, I'll be sure to contact the winner as well.

Thanks for joining me today!
Emily

Friday, May 23, 2014

Photo Tutorial: String Art Embellishments

It's my turn to share another photo tutorial over on the DeNami Design blog today. This time around I'm showing how to make your own string art embellishments using baker's twine. Be sure to check out the DeNami blog for all the details.


Thanks for stopping by today for this little peek of my photo tutorial. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Emily 

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

May DeNami Inspired By

Greetings, blog friends! Welcome to the May edition of DeNami Design's Inspired By feature! Each month we feature one talented DeNami customer's work, and then honor that wonderful artist with a host of DeNami DT projects inspired by it! This month we were inspired by Tina M.


You can read all about Tina's inspiring design right HERE.

I was inspired by five aspects of Tina's creation:
  1. the monochromatic color scheme
  2. the two-tone stamping on the focal image
  3. her use of an embossed background
  4. the layout of her design
  5. the little gemstones she used as an accent at the bottom right 
I tried to pick up all of these in my creation:


I went monochromatic, only with shades of blue {Pearlescent Sky Blue Brilliance ink} rather than black. I achieved her two-tone focal image by stamping off with the larger image in the Peacock Feathers stamp set.  I changed up the embossed background by using the funky Multi Circles embossing folder. I altered her sketch a bit by incorporating the sentiment (Medium Double Circle, Thank You Circle, and a heart from the Hearts stamp set) into the focal image panel. And finally, I riffed on Tina's trio of gemstones by embellishing the center of each circle in my embossed background with a pearl drawn on with a 3D Crystal Lacquer Pearl Pen.

Be sure to head over to the DeNami Design blog today to see how the rest of the team was inspired by Tina's lovely creation!

Thanks so much for visiting today. May your day be filled with bliss!
Emily

Sunday, May 18, 2014

DeNami Design Sky's the Limit Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to the May DeNami Design Blog Hop! The theme of this month's hop is The Sky's the Limit!!


Hopefully, you've arrived here by way of Greta Hess's blog, GG Creations. 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, May 19, 2014, 11:59 pm PST, to leave comments on all the blogs to be eligible for a prize. 


Here's how I interpreted this month's theme:


I went with a high-flying patriotic kite that's perfect for Memorial Day or the 4th of July! A few other sky-themed DeNami products, the Small Cloud stamp and Cloudy Sky embossing folder, were perfect for rounding out my Sky's the Limit design. I also used the God Bless America stamp and two patterns of washi tape from the DeNami store: Blue/White Dots and Red Stripes.

Well, that does it for my creation! It's time for me to send you along on your way. But before you leave for more DeNami inspiration, be sure to leave a comment to be eligible for the randomly drawn prizes.  Then you can head out to see the next blog hop participant on today's list: Stacy M.    
 
Thanks so much for stopping by today! Enjoy the blog hop,
Emily

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

A Little Message for You . . .

Greetings, my friends! Today the DeNami Design Team is sharing designs over on the DeNami Design blog that show off the stamp in this week's Product Spotlight: Little Fawn. And boy, what a cutie this one is!


I pulled out an old Basic Grey 6x6 pad of patterned paper (PB&J collection) and picked out a bunch of fun patterns to use together. With all that pattern and color going on, I figured it would be best to leave my stamped images uncolored, so I stamped Little Fawn and the log from Woodland Logs Set on kraft cardstock and then fussy cut each for my design. Here's what I came up with:


My sentiment is DeNami's A Little Message for You stamp. I added a boutique button and some orange rhinestones, along with a chevron arrow trimmed from one of my selected sheets of patterned paper.

Be sure to check out the rest of the team's lovely creations today on the DeNami blog. Like what you see? Then you can score a great deal on this sweet woodland critter--as our Spotlight Product, it's on sale at 10% off for the next week!!

Thanks for stopping by today!
Emily

Monday, May 5, 2014

A Happy Hello

Sending out a Happy Hello to all my blog friends this sunny May morning!

I hope you had a great weekend. It was a busy, busy one here at our house. On my personal agenda for the weekend was making a card to send to my aunt for Aunts' Week. She doesn't have any kids of her own, so when my sister and I were growing up, she and some of her fellow teachers declared the week before Mothers' Day as "Aunt's Week." All their nieces and nephews (which included my big sis and me!) were encouraged to send letters and cards that all the aunties could pin up and share on a bulletin board in the teachers' lounge. We still mark Aunt's Week each year! I wanted to make something really special for her, and I think I succeeded. But I'll tell ya, I kept getting interrupted by one or the other of my kids with questions and help requests in regards to special school projects they are both working on, so it took me all weekend just to make this card! But I guess the wait was worth it--I really like how it turned out. Plus, I'm so proud of myself for digging deep into my stash and finally using some trims and papers I bought from Webster's Pages a few years ago. Gotta stop hoarding all that and use it to spread some sunshine to the folks I love!! Anyway, here it is:


I love the fresh look of that red, bright blue, and chartreuse color combo! So cheery, don't you think? The sentiment and dotted circle are both stamps from the Medallion Motif stamp set by Flourishes. The papers and trims are from Webster's Pages All About Me collection.

I've got to run off now and tackle my monster to-do list, so I'll catch you later. Thanks for stopping by for a little slice of bliss with me today!
Emily

Thursday, May 1, 2014

My Embossed Elements Winner!

Hello and Happy Thursday! I'm announcing my Embossed Elements giveaway winner today. The brand-new Graduation Hat Embossing Folder goes to lucky #21, which is Carol Hartery! Congratulations, Carol! I've emailed you to get your mailing information ;).

I had so much fun playing with this grad embossing folder! I wanted to share one more creation I made with it:





For this card, I created a chevron pattern with Black Curly Loops washi tape and Yellow/White Dots washi tape (in the school colors of the recipient!) on a cardstock panel before embossing the taped panel with the Graduation Hat embossing folder. Then I stamped and fussy cut a Diploma to use as my focal point! A fun design with lots of impact, I thought.

Thanks so much for dropping by for a little slice of bliss with me today!
Emily

DeNami Design ~ Card for Mom

Greetings, friends! It's my turn to share a project over on the DeNami Design blog today. I made a colorful Mother's Day card using just two stamps and a handmade flower embellishment. I hope you'll head over to take a peek and tell me what you think! Here's a little preview:


Thanks for dropping by! Have a super day!
Emily