Photo Tutorial: Stamped Notepad

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 stamped notepad. I love giving these little goodies as gifts! Be sure to check out the DeNami blog for all the details.

If you need a little non-caloric homemade goodie to stuff an Easter basket for someone special, one of these little hand-stamped notepads would be a great choice! Wouldn't something like this look super cute with DeNami's Solid Egg Border for Easter? And the "Just A Note" sentiment from the All-Occasion Sentiments set would make a great alternate sentiment for a little pad like this, too.

Oh, and before I forget--I mention in my tutorial that to make a little notepad like this you'll need some PVA bookbinding glue. I bought mine HERE.

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

My son has been busy . . .

So, our 14YO daughter is away this week on her 8th-grade class trip to Washington, D.C. She left early Monday morning and returns late Friday night. Our 10YO son has been kind of lost without her, so he's been asking to make cards with me. I'm tickled pink! It's keeping him busy (and taking his mind off his sister's absence) and giving us some fun stuff to do together.

We've been checking the daily challenge at SplitcoastStampers each morning and talking about what he'd like to make for it while we eat breakfast. And then if there's time, we'll start pulling out supplies before he heads off to school, and then he finishes up his project after school. He's doing a great job with everything! I have him cut and score his card bases (great math practice, as he needs to figure out where the halfway point is). And he's cut his panels and mats, too, figuring out the right sizes and margins along the way. He's a pro at stamping and punching, too!

I also showed him how to color with my Copic markers, which he loves! I'm not setting him loose on his own, mind you (they are just too expensive for that!), but sitting with him and giving him guidance on where to color light and dark, and showing him how to blend. The tendency of alcohol inks to bleed throws him off a bit, but he's doing a fabulous job.

He has been having soooooooooo much fun stamping with my DeNami stamps this week. I thought you might enjoy seeing what he's made so far:

A thank-you note for his band teacher (their last band practice will be tomorrow, so he'll hand-deliver his card with his hand-written message inside.) He made this for the SCS color challenge to use Old Olive, Pear Pizzazz, and Daffodil Delight. The band stamp is an old one from Inkadinkadoo, and the rest are from DeNami Design: Just a Note from All Occasion Sentiments set and Mini Music Notes. We also used some Musical Notes Washi Tape from DeNami.
 

A Father's Day card for his daddy! He made this for this week's SCS sketch challenge.  He used Business Chickie, Computer Chickie, and Happy Father's Day cling stamp from DeNami.

This morning he made a thank-you card for one of his teachers (his regular 4th grade teacher is out on maternity leave right now, so this one is for his long-term substitute that his class is finishing out the year with.) He made this for this week's SCS ways to use it challenge, which is to make a one-layer card. My son LOVES using my Stamp-a-majig! The frame is from an old Stampin' Up set (Sweet Dreams). He also used Back to School Chickie and Brushed Thank You stamps from DeNami.

For my son, part of the fun of making these cards has been uploading them to his account on Splitcoast and seeing if anyone makes any comments. He's having a blast being part of the stamping community there!

Well, that's all for now--thanks so much for stopping by today and sharing a little bit of my proud-mama bliss!
Emily

One-Layer Note Cards

A big "Happy Monday Morning" to all of you! I hope you had a great weekend. Ours was good! I took my 13YO daughter clothes shopping over the weekend--it was time to replace the clothes and shoes in her spring/summer wardrobe that she's outgrown. Man, those kids of ours are just growing like weeds!! But of course it's all good :). Anyway, it wasn't all shopping all weekend; we had some family hang-out time, too, watching some Mythbusters one evening and the 2011 Winnie the Pooh movie another. It's adorable! We all loved it, proving that you can never be too old for Winnie the Pooh ;).

Well, today I'm sharing a collection of one-layer note cards

that I made for the latest DeNami Design challenge: to use at least one DeNami Design stamp to make a one-layer card. You can check out all of the challenge details over on the DeNami blog today.

These were quick and easy and are perfect for mailing. I used a couple of borders from the new Modern Borders cling stamp set, the "Just a Note" sentiment from the All-Occasion Sentiments stamp set, and the Mini Music Notes stamp. And all of the Versafine inks I used can be found in the DeNami store, too: Crimson Red, Majestic Blue, Spanish Moss, and Smoky Grey.

I hope you'll take some time to play along with the DeNami Theme Challenge this month! You have until Monday, April 30, to enter. I can't wait to see what you create. :)

Thanks for stopping by,
Emily

PS I'm entering this in the Anything Goes Challenge over at Simon Says Stamp.

Guest Blogging on Do More With Less

Happy Tuesday! Today I am super excited to be guest blogging on Yvonne Yam's Do More With Less blog. YAY!! :DA HUGE THANKS goes to Yvonne for inviting me!! Yvonne always has the best papercrafting tips, the coolest projects (she ROCKS upcycling!), the most awesome embellishments, and the most fascinating guests. It's such an honor and a gigantic thrill to be featured there today! As part of my guest stint, Yvonne asked if I'd like to share a tutorial with her readers. I've been asked by many of my own readers about how I make the multi-loop twine bows (like this one) that I've been using on my projects for the past several months, so I decided to write a step-by-step photo tutorial on how I make them. You can find all the details in my tutorial over on Do More With Less today--so, if you've been wondering how to make a bow like this, I'd absolutely love it if you dropped by to take a look!

And, wait!! That's not all!! As Do More With Less guest blogger, I'm also sponsoring a challenge to go along with my tutorial. The challenge is to create your own project with a multi-loop bow made from baker's twine, string, embroidery floss, etc., and link it up over on Do More With Less. Here's the new multi-loop-bow project I created for my tutorial and challenge:


It's just a clean and simple little one-layer note card I made to thank a fabulous teenage pianist who shared his musical gifts at our church recently. That harlequin pattern comes from a brand-new DeNami Design cling stamp set, Modern Borders. I also used the Mini Music Notes stamp, All-Occasion Sentiments stamp set, baker's twine from the Spring Twine 3-pack, Deep Lagoon Versafine ink, and Onyx Black Versafine ink--all from the DeNami Design store.

And no challenge would be complete without a little prize, right? One challenge participant will be randomly selected to receive this lil ol' prize package from lil ol' me!


I hope you'll take some time to play along with my Do More With Less Guest Blogger challenge!! Be sure to link up your creation over on Do More With Less. I can't wait to see what you create!

Thanks so much for stopping by to see what's making me happy today!!
Emily

My First Photo Tutorial

Just wanted to invite you over to the DeNami Design blog today to check out my first-ever photo tutorial! I'm showing two different ink distressing techniques. Both are quite easy! Here's a little sneak peek at the CAS cards I made with my tutorial steps:

I'd love to hear your honest opinion about it, if you care to look. I am such a newbie at this!

I'm entering these cards in the Paper Sundaes Clean and Simple Challenge.

Also, two DeNami reminders:

• Our Product Spotlight stamp from this week, the Tweety Bird Border, is still on sale at 10% off the regular price (but only through next Tuesday, so don't delay placing your order if you were thinking about adding it to your collection!).

• This month's DeNami challenge, a sketch challenge, went live on Monday and is open through February 27. Be sure to play along with at least one DeNami stamp for a chance to win a $20 DeNami gift certificate!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Emily