DeNami Design Product Spotlight June Blog Hop

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

I was looking ahead to the Fourth of July when I designed this card:

In addition to the Balloon Trio stamp, I put the Starry Burst stamp and Stars Embossing Folder to use in this design. I rather like how this design turned out. My daughter says it reminds her of fireworks! It's a little something different, that's for sure ;) .

You can purchase the Balloon Trio 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 day filled with bliss!
Emily

Embossed Elements: Cloudy Sky + a GIVEAWAY

Hi, everybody! I'm coming to you today with the June edition of my monthly Embossed Elements feature for the DeNami blog. Today I'm featuring a truly versatile item: the Cloudy Sky Embossing Folder from the DeNami store. There are just so many different ways to use this awesome design!

My first card is a sweet all-purpose card. It uses just one DeNami stamp (Noah's Ark), and two embossing folders: Cloudy Sky and Beach Waves. I think this would be so cute as a baby card, a baby's first birthday card, or even a thank you note for a Sunday School teacher!

My second card is perfect for the 4th of July! I again used the Cloudy Sky embossing folder as a backdrop, this time for an outdoor celebratory scene featuring Chickie in Balloon, Chickie w/ Sparkler, and Patriotic Chickie. The sentiment comes from the Everyday Greetings stamp set.

I hope this gives you some ideas you can use with the Cloudy Sky embossing folder! Thanks for taking a peek at my embossed projects today. Be sure to check out my giveaway!

How would you like the chance to win this Cloudy Sky 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 "CLOUDS." 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, June 25, 2014, and will draw one commenter at random. The winner will be announced right here on my blog on Thursday, June 26, 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

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

Ways With Washi: BANNERS + a Giveaway

Hello and happy first Monday of summer to you, DeNami Friends! It's Emily here today with my June edition of Ways With Washi! Today we are going to take a look at making banners, flags, and pennants from washi tape as a fun accent for cards and other projects. And since America's Independence Day, July 4th, is just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to take a patriotic approach to today's samples.

For my first project, I've made a pennant banner, or pennant bunting as some folks like to call it, from washi tape (Red Stripes and Blue/White Dots washi tapes from DeNami). This is so easy to make! Simply wrap strips of washi tape around a length of baker's twine, allowing it to adhere to itself. Then use scissors to clip the end of each piece into a traditional triangular pennant shape or a swallowtail shape. So festive!

DeNami Supplies: Patriotic Chickie, Celebrate Circle, Red Cardstock, White Cardstock, baker's twine, Tuxedo Black Memento ink, Majestic Blue Versafine ink

On my second card,  I've created long swallowtail banners from a variety of DeNami washi tapes (Blue Stripes, Red Graph,  Blue/White Dots, and Red Stripes). When making long banners like these, I like to adhere strips of washi tape to wax paper before clipping out the V-shaped swallowtails. It makes handling the sticky strips while cutting so much easier. Then simply peel off the wax paper backing and affix the newly cut banners to your project!

DeNami Supplies: God Bless America, Red Cardstock, White Cardstock, baker's twine, Tuxedo Black Memento ink

And finally for my last project for today, I used my trusty DeNami Red Stripes and Blue/White Dots washi tapes to make toothpick flags and pennants that would be perfect as cupcake toppers at an Independence Day barbecue. Or how about for holding together sandwiches or spearing fruit? And how cute would one of these little flags look decorating the garnish of a fruity 4th of July drink?

There are SO many ways to use washi tape to create fun banners, pennants, and flags! I hope that today's samples will give you a jumping-off point for your own projects.

GIVEAWAY

How would you like to win a roll of washi tape to try making some pennants and banners for yourself? I have a brand-new roll of Red Stripes Washi Tape from DeNami Design--the same tape that I used on each of today's projects--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 "CELEBRATE." 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, June 26, 2013, and will draw one commenter at random. The winner will be announced right here on my blog on Thursday, June 27, and if I'm able to find an email address (SEE BELOW!!!), 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

PS  Dear, dear readers: have you included a way to contact you by email on your Google Blogger profile page? If you don't have a blog of your own (where I could leave you a comment to alert you to your winnings) and haven't included an email contact on your profile page, I may not be able to contact you if you've won. Especially if you are a "No-Reply Blogger." Check HERE to find out if you are. Even though you enter your email address in order to leave a comment on my blog, Blogger will keep that private (in which case you become a "No-Reply Blogger") unless you've specifically chosen to share. You can read all about correcting this HERE. Of course, you can always just be sure to drop in here on my blog on winner day to find out if you've won ;) .

Don't Forget to Vote!

OK, my American friends, it's the first Tuesday in November, and you know what that means: it's Election Day! So I made this card as a little reminder:

That old-fashioned pointing hand is a stamp from Purple Onion Designs, and the sentiment is computer-generated. I layered lots of punched borders in red and blue, stamped with white stars, for a little patriotic flair.

I'm playing along with a few challenges with this card:

• A Blog Named Hero: use a punched or die cut element
• Simon Says Stamp Challenge:  no square cards

Because it's a presidential year, I know that polls are going to be busy, folks, but please, PLEASE: don't forget to get out there and vote!!

Thanks for stopping by!
Emily

PS  You all know about the little GIVEAWAY I have going on until Thursday night (11/8/12), right? If not, you can check it out HERE.

Cardstock:  (white) Papertrey Ink; (red, blue, white) The Paper Company
Rubber stamp: (Pointing Finger) Purple Onion Designs
Clear stamp: (star from Boughs) Schlosser Designs
Pigment ink: (Frost White) Clearsnap
Specialty ink: (Noir hybrid) Stewart Superior Corp.
Fibers: (red/white string) The Twinery
Tools:  (border punch, decorative label punch) Stampin’ Up!
Font:  (Latin Wide) www.fonts.com
 

God Bless America

Today I have a patriotic card to share with you, and boy, did I have fun making this card!

Isn't that God Bless America stamp fabulous? It's by DeNami Design, and it just happens to be our Product Spotlight stamp this week, which means it's also on sale.

I really like how fancy and star-studded this is! Wouldn't this stamp be fabulous for Operation Write Home creations? I also used the ultra-cute DeNami Sparkles stamp to add "fireworks" to my design and DeNami's Teeny Star Background on my blue stripes.

I think this stamp has soooooooooooooo many possibilities! Be sure to swing by the DeNami Design blog today to see what the rest of the design team has whipped up with this stamp!

Thanks for dropping by to check out my little slice of bliss for today,

Emily

Stamps: God Bless America, Sparkles, and Teeny Star Background by DeNami Design

Cardstock: DeNami Red, PTI white, The Paper Company blue

Ink: Satin Red Versafine, Majestic Blue Versafine

Accessories: oval cutting system, Sakura Stardust pen, red rhinestones, red/white/blue grosgrain ribbon from Target's Dollar Spot

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

Red, White, and Blue Thank You

Still working on those thank-you gifts and cards. I needed one more small giftie for my kids' gymnastics coaches. All three coaches are teenage boys, so I figured what better way to say thank you for their hard work this year than with chocolate bars? I've already put aside these two bars for them, and added this one to the collection today:
I used the Flourishes Tag Lines set to stamp the sentiment for the little red, white, and blue tag. After wrapping a milk chocolate caramel bar with some patriotic patterned paper, I tied on my tag with red and white baker's twine. Done!! A quick and easy gift. :)

I'm playing along with the June Flourishes Release Week Challenge, the Star-Spangled Challenge, which is to let your patriotism shine and use red, white, and blue if you hail from the United States {check!}.

Thanks for dropping by!
Emily

Recipe:
Stamps: Flourishes Tag Lines
Paper: MFP kraft CS, SU cherry cobbler CS, MFP snow storm CS, DP from the Target Dollar Spot
Ink: SU night of navy
Accessories: SU tag corner punch, SU oval/scallop oval punches, white eyelet, Crop-A-Dile, foam tape, red/white baker’s twine, chocolate bar