Bellalistona

My First Photo Tutorial!

2012-01-27T04:00:00.004-07:00

Hey there, blog friends! Looking for a FUN and CREATIVE Valentine's Day gift idea??? Hop on over to the DeNami Design Blog to check out my very first photo tutorial!!!

Here's a little sneaky peek:

Enjoy!

Have a FABULOUS weekend!

Hugs and Kisses

2012-01-26T12:38:00.000-07:00

Hi there! Popping in really quickly today to share another Valentine I made for Winter's "Cards for St. Jude" card drive!!! DeNami Design's sweet little chickies ALWAYS bring a BIG SMILE to my face, so I'm hoping this little guy will do the same for the recipient of this Valentine!

I also wanted to remind you to play along in DeNami Design's "Anything Goes" Challenge!!! (Click HERE for all of the details!) For this challenge you can make a card/project for any occasion! The only requirement is that you use at least ONE DeNami Design stamp! SO EASY!!! AND...you could win a gift certificate to DeNami's on-line store!!! They're getting ready to release some FABULOUS new images and products SOON, so that twenty bucks could come in handy!!! Just sayin'...

The challenge ends Monday, January 30, 2012 at 11:59PM PST, so there's still time to play along!!!!

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Supplies:

Stamps: All Stamped Images are from DeNami Design

Ink: Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko), Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko)

Copic Sketch Markers

Stamp-A-Ma-Jig Tool

Cardstock: Cream and Black (DeNami Design), Cherry Splash (Bazzill Basics), Harvest Gold (Papertrey Ink)

Dies: Labels One Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Medium Scallop Border (Papertrey Ink)

Love

2012-01-25T04:00:00.005-07:00

Hey there! It's Product Spotlight Day at DeNami Design! Today we're featuring the elegant Love Script image!

Here's my creation:

I also scored two lines above and below the strip of polka dots (although it didn't show up very well in the photograph). I think it's a nice detail. Here's another view:

Valentine's Day is right around the corner! Are you planning to make any special cards or treats for the people you love?

Be sure to check out the DeNami Design Blog for LOTS of incredible inspiration from my fellow DT gals!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Supplies:

Stamps: Love Script K38, Small Heart Outline E132, polka dot heart from Hearts Stamp Set PF43, Polka Dot Background N133 (DeNami Design)

Ink: Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko), Satin Red Versafine (Tsukineko)

Stamp-A-Ma-Jig Tool

Cardstock: Cream and Black (DeNami Design), Pure Poppy (Papertrey Ink)

Dies: Labels One Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Ribbon: Red Grosgrain 5/8" (DeNami Design)

Scoring Board: (Martha Stewart Crafts)

Adhesive Tape Gun: Scotch ATG 700 (purchased at DeNami Design)

Zots: Medium (Therm-o-web)

Pop Dots: (All Night Media)

Sweet Stamping Treats Blog Hop

2012-01-21T06:00:00.018-07:00

*** This is my second post for today! Scroll down to see my "BEE mine" valentine!

Hi there and welcome to Sweet Stamping Treats "Highlights" Blog Hop! This hop is all about highlighting some of our favorite images from Sweet Stamping Treats! If you've arrived here from Lawren's FABULOUS blog you're on track! If not...no worries, just go to http://sweetstampingtreats.blogspot.com to start at the beginning!

This hop is full of great projects and prizes!!! Sweet Stamping Treats is giving away THE ENTIRE January release to one lucky hopper who is a follower of Sweet Stamping Treats AND comments on all of the blogs in the hop! Plus, there are some single stamps "hidden" in a few of the blogs along the way! For a chance to win one of the singles you must comment on that participant's blog and become a follower of their blog as well!

My project uses the ADORABLE "Reading Owl" image!

As most of you know...I'm addicted to paper piecing!!! I printed the digital image several times onto various cardstocks/patterned papers, cut out the pieces and glued them into place! It was SUPER DUPER EASY and I LOVE the results!

Thanks for hopping along with us! And a GREAT BIG THANK YOU to Amber for inviting me to participate in this hop! I had SO MUCH FUN!!! Your next stop is Deborah's BEAUTIFUL blog! Enjoy!

Here's the entire line-up in case you get lost along the way:

1. http://sweetstampingtreats.blogspot.com

2. Amber - http://pixiperfectcreations.blogspot.com

3. Patty - http://creativediva98.blogspot.com

4. Liz - http://decadeofscrap.blogspot.com

5. Sandy S. - http://thecraftycreationspot.blogspot.com

6. Janet - http://www.ladyluvbug.blogspot.com

7. Lawren - http://ahobby-holic.blogspot.com

8. Lisa - http://bellalistona.blogspot.com

9. Deborah - http://www.scrappingmamma.net

10. Jodi - http://www.elamdesign33.blogspot.com

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Supplies:

Digital Image: Reading Owl (Sweet Stamping Treats)

Cardstock: Kraft, Stampers' Select White and Pure Poppy (Papertrey Ink); Natural and Black (The Paper Company)

Patterned Paper: Boarding Pass (October Afternoon), Dots and Stripes (Echo Park)

Copic Sketch Markers

Quickie Glue Pen: (Sakura)

Die: Labels Three Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Ribbon: (purchased at Michaels)

Brads: (from my stash)

Pop Dots: (Plaid Enterprises)

Adhesive Tape Gun: Scotch ATG 700

Glue Dots

Bee Mine!

2012-01-21T04:00:00.012-07:00

Hey there! Winter Simms is hosting a HUGE Valentine's Day card drive for St. Jude, Texas Children's Hospital, Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, and St. Louis Children's Hospital (Click HERE for all of the details)!!! This is such a wonderful event, and I always enjoy participating in it each year!!! Here's a cute little number I created using Jen Del Muro's January 2012 "Sketch For You To Try"!

Here's the sketch:

And here's my take:

Winter still needs LOTS of cards!! So, if you have some time to get inky, please consider making some sweet little Valentines for these brave little kiddos!!!! Just imagine the BIG SMILES on their faces when they receive all of this SUPER FUN snail mail!!! All cards must be received by Winter no later than January 31, 2012, so we need to act quickly!!!

Enjoy your weekend!

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Supplies:

Stamps: Giddy Bugs (Paper Smooches), Smitty's ABCs (Lawn Fawn), Teeny Heart A91 (DeNami Design)

Ink: Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko), Cherry (American Crafts)

Cardstock: Cream and Black (DeNami Design), Vintage Cream and Pure Poppy (Papertrey Ink)

Patterned Paper: Paper Reverie Noir (Making Memories), True Blue "Daydream" Paper from Fine and Dandy Collection (My Mind's Eye), Lost and Found Two: Rosy (My Mind's Eye)

Dies: Heart (Ellis---cut at Archiver's), Small Standard Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Quickie Glue Pen: (Sakura)

Pop Dots: (Plaid Enterprises)

Scor-Tape: (Scor-Pal)

Adhesive Tape Gun: Scotch ATG 700

For You With Love

2012-01-20T08:00:00.006-07:00

Happy Friday, blog friends! Popping in to share another card I whipped up while HAPPILY making a zillion little patterned paper hearts using the Small Heart Outline stamp from DeNami Design and the YUMMY Valentine's Day papers from the Love Me Collection by My Mind's Eye!!! I get a little carried away sometimes! HA!

For the focal point, I punched a Giga Scalloped Heart (Uchida), adhered a bunch of patterned paper hearts along the edge (popping up the polka dotty one), and stamped a sentiment in the center. Pretty cute, huh?!?!

I hope you like my creation for today!

QUICK REMINDER: DeNami Design has an "Anything Goes" Challenge going on right now! So...if you have some crafty time this weekend, break out your DeNami Design stamps!!! We'd LOVE to have you play along!!! AND, of course there's a FABULOUS prize up for grabs!! Check out the DEETS by clicking HERE! Can't wait to see what YOU create!!!

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Supplies:
Stamps: Small Heart Outline E132, "with love" from Love Sentiments Stamp Set PF42, Swirl N43, "for you" from Everyday Greetings Stamp Set PF29 (DeNami Design); Postmarks (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko), Smokey Gray Versafine (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Kraft (Papertrey Ink), Cream (DeNami Design)
Patterned Paper: Love Me (My Mind's Eye)
Punches: Giga Scalloped Heart (Uchida), Round Binding Edge (EK Success)
Die: Postage (Papertrey Ink)
Baker's Twine: Stone (The Twinery)
Stamp-A-Ma-Jig Tool
Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper: (We R Memory Keepers)
Pop Dots: (Plaid Enterprises)
Adhesive Tape Runner: (Tombow)

Love Bug

2012-01-19T11:26:00.000-07:00

Hey there! Today I'm sharing a card I made using the SUPER FUN layout at the most recent Card Patterns Sketch Challenge AND the GORGEOUS color combo at Jay Gee's Nook!

Here's my creation:

This cute little baby card features an ADORABLE image and sentiment from "Giddy Bugs" by Paper Smooches! I was SO EXCITED to find this stamp set in my prize box from the World Card Making Day Contest!!! And that beautiful border??? That's the Abstract Flower Edger Punch (EK Success)---also part of the same prize box!!! AND...the patterned papers I used to create the background are from the Farmhouse Collection by October Afternoon, which I was LUCKY enough to win from their blog!!! WOOHOO!!!!! A GREAT BIG THANK YOU to all of these AMAZING companies for their incredible generosity!!! I am having SO MUCH FUN crafting with your products!!

I hope you're having a GREAT week, blog friends!

Thanks for stopping by!!!

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Supplies:

Stamps: Giddy Bugs (Paper Smooches)

Ink: Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko)

Cardstock: Brown Kraft (DeNami Design), Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink), Yellow (?)

Patterned Paper: Farmhouse (October Afternoon), Lost and Found Two: Rosy (My Mind's Eye)

Die: Doily Details Collection (Papertrey Ink)

Punch: Abstract Flower Edger Punch (EK Success)

Buttons: Wood (Simplicity Creative Group)

Twine: Caramel (American Crafts)

Quickie Glue Pen: (Sakura)

Pop Dots: (Plaid Enterprises)

Glue: Scrap Fusion Adhesive (Ivy Scraps)

Adhesive Tape Runner: (Tombow)

Adhesive Tape Gun: Scotch ATG 700

Zots: (Therm-o-web)

Patterned Hearts

2012-01-17T11:36:00.000-07:00

Hi there! The most recent CAS-ual Fridays Challenge is to create a CAS card using scallops!!! SUPER FUN! Here's my little creation:

I absolutely ADORE these patterned papers from the "Love Me" collection by My Mind's Eye and couldn't wait to paper piece bunches of hearts with them! The Small Heart Outline from DeNami Design works PERFECTLY for this! It's the ideal size and simple to cut out!

Hope you like my card for today!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Supplies:

Stamps: Small Heart Outline E132, Mini Heart A94, With All My Heart F189 (DeNami Design)

Ink: Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko), Satin Red Versafine (Tsukineko)

Stamp-A-Ma-Jig

Cardstock: Cream (DeNami Design)

Patterned Paper: Love Me (My Mind's Eye), Mischievous (My Mind's Eye)

Punch: Apron Lace Border Punch (Fiskars)

Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper: (We R Memory Keepers)

Adhesive Tape Runner: (Tombow)

Pop Dots: (Plaid Enterprises)

XOXOXOXOXOXO

2012-01-11T04:00:00.013-07:00

Hello! It's Product Spotlight Day at DeNami Design! Today we're featuring the Small Heart Outline stamp!

This is such a versatile stamp! You can paper piece it and layer it with the Small Scallop Heart (like I did here)! Or...you can use it "as is," color it, stamp sentiments into its center, layer the images from the Hearts Stamp Set PF43 onto it, create sweet backgrounds and borders with it...and the list goes on and on and on!!!

And this week you can purchase this stamp for TEN PERCENT OFF!!! YAY!

Hop on over to the DeNami Design Blog to see the SUPER CREATIVE ways my fellow DT gals used the Small Heart Outline!

Hope you're having a FANTASTIC week!

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Supplies:

Stamps: Small Heart Outline E132, Small Scallop Heart E133, xoxo from Love Sentiments Stamp Set PF42 (DeNami Design)
Stamp-A-Ma-Jig Tool
Ink: Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: Church Social and Her Bureau (from the Farmhouse Collection by October Afternoon)
Button: Espresso Boutique Buttons (DeNami Design)
Twine: Caramel (American Crafts)
Punch: Scalloped Scallop Edger Punch (EK Success)
Adhesive Tape Runner: (Therm-o-web)
Pop Dots: (All Night Media)

Hey Gill-Friend

2012-01-10T16:12:00.000-07:00

Super duper quick post to share a card I made for the most recent Paper Smooches SPARKS Challenge!

Here's the inspiration photo (LOVE IT!!!):

And here's my creation:

I was inspired by the clean/graphic style and bright colors of the inspiration photo! The ADORABLE little fishy and sentiment are from "Surf and Turf" (Paper Smooches)!!! I simply stamped the fishy repeatedly to form a whole school of fish and then colored them with Copic Sketch Markers! FUN!

Thanks for stopping by!

Baby Congrats

2012-01-09T04:00:00.009-07:00

Hey there! It's time to kick off the first DeNami Design Challenge of 2012!!! WOOHOO!!!!! Are you ready? This time around it's "Anything Goes"---the hardest part will be deciding WHICH of your DeNami stamps you want to ink up *wink*!

Over the holidays I found out my good friend, Abby, is having a baby boy in May!!! That news was the inspiration for my creation!

If you visit my blog frequently, then you KNOW how much I LOVE making plaid patterns with the Three Line Border stamp! And those darling little elephants just melt my heart!

I hope I've inspired you to play along in this super fun challenge! There are FABULOUS prizes up for grabs!!! Click HERE to head to the DeNami Design Blog for all of the details and to see the FANTASTIC projects my fellow DT gals made!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Supplies:

Stamps: Polka Dot Elephant E141, Elephant G152, Three Line Border N128, "congrats" from Thoughtful Greetings Stamp Set PF48 (DeNami Design)

Ink: Aegean Blue VersaMagic (Tsukineko), Thatched Straw VersaMagic (Tsukineko), Rich Cocoa Memento (Tsukineko)

Cardstock: Brown Kraft and White (DeNami Design), Manilla Card Blue (The Paper Company), Harvest Gold (Papertrey Ink), Dotted Swiss Salt (Bazzill Basics)

Buttons: White Boutique Buttons (DeNami Design) and Sapphire Boutique Buttons (DeNami Design)

Embroidery Floss: White (Janlynn)

Punches: 3/4" Square (EK Success) and Scalloped Scallop Edger Punch (EK Success)

Adhesive Tape Runner: (Therm-o-web)

Zots: Medium (Therm-o-web)

Valentine Blog Hop With DeNami Design

2012-01-08T07:00:00.003-07:00

Hello and welcome to your next stop on DeNami Design's Valentine Blog Hop! If you're on track you've arrived here from Lisa Elton's FABULOUS blog! If not, no worries...just click HERE to start at the beginning!

DeNami Design has LOTS of TOTALLY ADORABLE images that are PERFECT for creating sweet Valentine's Day cards! I {heart} the DeNami chickies, so I couldn't resist using this little guy in my very first Valentine creation of 2012!

FUN!

I created the sentiment in Microsoft Word using the Lucida Handwriting font.

I hope you like my creation! Leave me a comment and let me know what you think! I'd LOVE to hear from you...PLUS...if you leave a comment on each participant's blog during the hop you have the most chances to win a prize!!! DeNami Design is giving away THREE gift certificates to their online store (TWO to random commenters and ONE to a random participant)! You have until 11:59PM PST on January 9, 2012 to comment! Good Luck!!!

Next Stop: The SUPER CREATIVE blog of my sweet inky friend, Michele Gross!

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Supplies:

Stamps: Chickie in Balloon E138, Teeny Heart A91, Mini Heart A94, Medium Polka Dots N136 (DeNami Design)

Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko), Rose Bud Memento (Tsukineko), Grass (Amuse Studio)

Copic Sketch Markers

Cardstock: White and Magenta (DeNami Design), Harvest Gold (Papertrey Ink)

Microsoft Word: Lucida Handwriting font

Buttons: Bubblegum Boutique Buttons (DeNami Design)

Embroidery Floss: White (Janlynn)

Zots: Medium (Therm-o-web)

Adhesive Tape Gun: Scotch ATG 700 (purchased at DeNami Design)

Pop Dots: (All Night Media)

Life Is Good!

2012-01-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

Hey there! I've been MIA from blogland for the past few weeks, so today I thought I'd share some photos of what I've been up to!

Skiing in Steamboat Springs!

Wine tour and picnic in Napa Valley!

Tailgating in San Francisco for the Steelers vs. 49'ers game!

Hiking with friends in San Francisco!

Giant gingerbread house in the Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco! Constructed of 7500 gingerbread bricks, 1200 pounds of icing, and 650 pounds of candy! WOAH!

Hiking with friends in San Diego!

Christmas morning snowshoe at the state park half a mile from our house!

Snowshoe hike with Abby and Mary!

Oliver James playing with his Christmas gifts from Grandma and Pap!

New Year's Eve at home by the fire! Cheers!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T06:00:00.003-07:00

Hello! Happy Holidays! Here's a peek at how my holiday cards turned out this year!!!

The trees, owl, and fox are from "Woodland Winter" by Taylored Expressions!!! Aren't they totally ADORABLE?!?!?! I colored them with Copic Sketch Markers and then added some touches of glitter for snow!

The blue and kraft panel was handstamped with DeNami Design's "Falling Snow E94"---(AKA Charlie Brown snow *wink*). The snowflake punch is by Martha Stewart and the patterned paper is Winter Twig by Little Yellow Bicycle.

Here's a close-up:

Hope you're having a wonderful, fun-filled holiday season!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Fleas Navidad

2011-12-16T16:37:00.000-07:00

Hey there! Super quick post to share the Christmas card I made for my six year-old nephew this year! He adopted a wiener dog not too long ago, so I thought this would be perfect!

Here's what it looks like when it's closed:

And here's a view of it opened up (HA!):

That ADORABLE wiener dog, his hat, the punny sentiment, and the bones are from "Santa Paws" by Paper Smooches! (Thanks to my inky buddy, Michele, for letting me borrow that set!!) I'm going to enter this card into the Paper Smooches January Guest Designer Contest!

Using the fold of the card as a guideline, I stamped the front of the dog (masking the tail end). Then I stamped the tail end and masked off the front. Then, I used a black Sharpie marker to connect the two and did some paper piecing to dress him up!

The strings of lights are from "Retro Christmas Backgrounds" by Practicing Creativity Designs and the patterned paper is "Dots and Stripes: Christmas Collection" by Echo Park!

I hope you like my creation!!! I had SO MUCH FUN making this card!! I hope my nephew gets a kick out of it!!!

Happy Holidays!!!

Thank You!

2011-12-14T04:00:00.003-07:00

Hello! It's Product Spotlight Day at DeNami Design, and today we're featuring the Upright Thank You stamp! It's super versatile and would be a GREAT addition to your stamp collection!

I was SO EXCITED to finally ink up the Ornamental Flowers Stamp Set, which is what I used to create the pattern on the left (with the help of my handy dandy Stamp-A-Ma-Jig, of course)!

I think it would be fun to make a four pack of these in different color combos to give as a little gift! (...adding that to the project list as we speak *wink*)

Hope you like my creation for today!

Be sure to stop by the DeNami Design Blog to see what my fellow DT gals and our Guest Designer, Danielle, made! And remember, the Upright Thank You stamp is ten percent off this week! YAY!

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Supplies:

Stamps: Upright Thank You K45, Ornamental Flowers Stamp Set PF50 (DeNami Design)

Ink: Curry, Grass, and Boysenberry from Color Box Queue: Chic (Clearsnap)

Cardstock: White (DeNami Design)

Stamp-A-Ma-Jig

Crystal Stickers: Lavender Elements (Mark Richards)

Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper: (We R Memory Keepers)

DeNami Blog Hop!

2011-12-11T07:00:00.058-07:00

Hello and welcome to your next stop on the DeNami Design Gift Wrapping Blog Hop! If you're on track, you've arrived here from the INCREDIBLY TALENTED Glenda Wyatt's blog! If not...no worries...just click HERE to start at the beginning!

I LOVE making my own packaging for gifts! It's so much fun and it really adds a special touch!!! For today's hop I decided to make a festive gift bag for the winter holiday season!

Those GORGEOUS snowflakes and the whimsical "Let it Snow" sentiment are from DeNami Design! I stamped two snowflake designs in Cherry Pigment Ink (American Crafts)----LOVE LOVE LOVE this rich red ink!!! And I embossed one of the snowflake designs and the sentiment strips with White Zing! Embossing Powder (American Crafts). The border punch at the top is a new one that I received in my WCMD prize box from Paper Crafts Magazine! It's called Argyle (EK Success)---isn't it FABULOUS?!?!? I LOVE IT!

Well, I know it's a big hop, so I won't keep you too long *wink*!

Next stop: Pam Wendt's GORGEOUS blog!!

And remember to leave a comment on each participant's blog in order to have the best chance of winning a gift certificate to DeNami Design's online store!!! They're giving away THREE gift certificates (TWO to random commenters and ONE to a random participant)! 'Tis the season for some shopping (AND gift wrapping)!!!! You have until 11:59PM PST on December 12, 2011 to comment!

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Supplies:
Stamps: Medium Bold Flake J48, Medium Lacy Flake J50,"Let it Snow" from Holiday Greetings Stamp Set TR07 (DeNami Design)
Ink: Cherry Pigment Ink (American Crafts), VersaMark (Tsukineko)
Embossing Powder: White Zing! Embossing Powder (American Crafts)
Cardstock: Brown Kraft, White (DeNami Design); Pure Poppy (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: Apple Cheddar Soup: Milk (Jillibean Soup)
Punch: Argyle Large Edger Punch (EK Success)
Dies: Small Standard Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Doily Details (Papertrey Ink)
Scallop-Edge Scissors
Buttons: Ruby Red Boutique Buttons, White Boutique Buttons, Espresso Boutique Buttons (DeNami Design)
Twine: Caramel (American Crafts)
Baker's Twine: Maraschino (The Twinery)
Gift Bag: upcycled shopping bag from Tattered Cover
Zots and Adhesive Foam Squares: (Therm-o-web)
Scor-Tape: (Scor-Pal)
Scotch ATG 700

Happy OWLidays!

2011-12-05T04:00:00.003-07:00

Hello there! It's time to kick off a brand new challenge at DeNami Design!!! This time around the theme is Christmas!!! PERFECT timing, right?!?! DeNami Design has SOOOO many TOTALLY ADORABLE Christmas stamps, but one of my favorites is this Happy OWLidays scene!!!

Aren't they SOOO stinkin' ca-ute?!?! I added some glitter to their hats and to the ornaments on the tree. You can see it a little better in the close-up photo below.

I also handstamped the snow in the background, which I LOVE (I call it Charlie Brown snow...HA!)!

My SIL works at the National Aviary and she's really dedicated to her job. She and my brother have had a number of rescued birds of prey at their house until they are allowed to mix with the other birds at the aviary. So, I thought this would be an ideal card to send to them. However...the pink and white polka dotty ribbon is a little girly for my brother! HA! So, I made a second version of the card for them (same images, just toned down the girliness a bit *wink*).

Are you ready to play along? I hope so!!! I can't wait to see what you create!

Be sure to check out the DeNami Design Blog for all of the challenge details, and to see LOTS of inspiration from my fellow DT gals and our Guest Designer!!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Supplies:

Stamps: Happy OWLidays Scene M75, Falling Snow E94 (DeNami Design)

Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko), Frost White Color Box (Clearsnap)

Copic Sketch Markers

Clear AtYou Spica Glitter Pen

Cardstock: White, Leaf Green, Magenta, Brown Kraft, Chocolate Brown (DeNami Design)

Patterned Paper: Peppermint Stripes and Gingerbread Stripes (DeNami Design)

Punches: Round Binding Edge Edger Punch (EK Success), Apron Lace Border Punch (Fiskars), Small Snowflakes (Tonic Studios), Artic Snowflake Punch (Martha Stewart)

Dies: Medium Scallop Border Die (Papertrey Ink)

Ribbon: Sheer Raspberry Ribbon (DeNami Design)

Quickie Glue Pen: (Sakura)

Adhesive Tape Runner: (Therm-o-web)

Pop Dots: (All Night Media)

Coloful Dots

2011-12-02T13:56:00.000-07:00

Hi there! Super quick post today to share a thank you card I made for our sweet neighbors!

I repeatedly stamped one of the panels from "For the Love of Dots" by Practicing Creativity Designs and then colored in a pattern with two Copic Sketch Markers. Super fun! The sentiment is from "Chatterbox" (also by PCD). And I finished the card off with some Mandarin baker's twine from The Twinery!!!

I know I've been MIA from blogland lately. Just super busy getting ready for the holidays and working ahead on DT stuff since we're going to be traveling quite a bit in December! Around the middle of the month I have a few days to catch my breath and promise to try to visit your blogs and leave you some love and holiday wishes!!!!

One more quick update: Today I attended my fourth Bar Method workout! YAY! It's really challenging, but I absolutely LOVE it!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a FABULOUS weekend!!!

JOY

2011-11-23T04:00:00.033-07:00

It's Product Spotlight Day at DeNami Design!!! HOORAY!!! Today we're featuring the Small Pine Sprig image---FeStIvE, FuN and SOOOO PERFECT for your holiday projects!

I used the Small Pine Sprig to create the borders at the top and bottom of my card and added some pearls for fun! I made some candycane striped patterned paper by stamping the Three Line Border repeatedly in red ink on white cardstock. Then, I used stencils to spell out J-O-Y and added some clear glitter with my handy dandy Quickie Glue Pen! And of course I couldn't resist placing a sweet little Santa chickie in the center of the "O"!

Inside, I stamped this BEAUTIFUL sentiment from DeNami Design:

So...what do you think? Are you feeling inspired to make some holiday cards/projects? I hope so!

Be sure to head on over to the DeNami Design Blog to see what my fellow DT gals and our Guest Designer, Glenda, have created with the Small Pine Sprig stamp! Talk about yummy creative eye candy!! WOW! And remember...this image is on sale this week for TEN PERCENT OFF!

Happy Stamping!!!

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Supplies:

Stamps: Small Pine Sprig D100, Three Line Border N128, Season's "Tweet"ings Chickie Scene N120, Wishing You Peace and Joy J142 (DeNami Design)

Ink: Grass (Amuse Studio), Blazing Red StazOn (Tsukineko), Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko)

Copic Sketch Markers

Cardstock: White, Brown Kraft, and Leaf Green (DeNami Design)

Punch: Pine (McGill)

White Uni-Ball Signo Pen

Quickie Glue Pen: (Sakura)

Extra Fine Sparklets Glitter: (DeNami Design)

Button: Ruby Red Boutique Buttons (DeNami Design)

Twine: Caramel (American Crafts)

Clear AtYou Spica Pen

Pearls: (Mark Richards)

Letter Stencils: 2" Whimsy (Deja Views)

Adhesive Tape Runner: (Therm-o-web)

Glue Dots

Thinking Of You

2011-11-17T06:00:00.003-07:00

Hello there! Today I'm sharing a card I made using the November sketch at Jen Del Muro's "Sketch For You To Try" Challenge. Here's the sketch:

And here's my take:

Our neighbor and good friend recently had extensive back surgery, so I made this card for him.

Short post today as I am heading off to try my very first Bar Method workout with my friend, Rosemarie!!! I'm so excited!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Supplies:

Stamps: Through the Trees (Papertrey Ink)

Ink: Frost White Color Box (Clearsnap), Prussian Blue Color Box (Clearsnap), Timber Brown StazOn (Tsukineko)

Cardstock: Rattan (The Paper Cut), Stampers' Select White (Papertrey Ink)

Patterned Paper: Winter Twig (Little Yellow Bicycle)

Woodgrain Embossing Folder: (Tim Holtz)

Rustic Twine: (Papertrey Ink)

Clear Star Gelly Roll Pen: (Sakura)

Brads: Mini Metallic Brads (Making Memories)

Adhesive Tape Runner: (Therm-o-web)

Pop Dots: (All Night Media)

Scor-Tape: (Scor-Pal)

Cowgirl Thanks

2011-11-16T09:00:00.025-07:00

Hello and welcome to your next stop on Taylored Expressions' November 2011 Blast From the Past Blog Hop!!! If you're on track, you've arrived here from Jules Romano's blog. If not...no worries...you can see the complete list of participants at the end of this post!

The theme this time around is "THANKFUL" (Thanksgiving cards, Thank You cards, etc.) I decided to make a Thank You card, so that I could ink up Moka Jane, Moka Jesse, and Wild West!!! (SOOO excited that these sets are finally old enough to qualify for this hop! YAY!!!)

Here's my creation:

Meet Moka Jane, the sweetest gal in the west!

I didn't have a Taylored Expressions "Thank You" sentiment, so I used the "Y'all" from the Moka Jesse set and paired it up with "Thanks" from DeNami Design! I can practically hear the twang in Moka Jane's voice!!!

Thanks for hopping along with us today!

Next stop: Jacquie Peifer. ENJOY!!!

------------------------------

Supplies:

Stamps: Moka Jane, Moka Jesse, Wild West (Taylored Expressions); "Thanks" from Everyday Greetings Stamp Set PF29 (DeNami Design)

Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento (Tsukineko), Timber Brown StazOn (Tsukineko)

Copic Sketch Markers

Cardstock: Kraft, Vintage Cream, and Stampers' Select White (Papertrey Ink); Rattan (The Paper Cut); Suede Brown (Bazzill Basics)

Patterned Paper: These Boots (Debbie Mumm/Creative Imaginations), Ocean Dot (BoBunny), Apple Cheddar Soup (Jillibean Soup)

Dies: Medium Scallop Border Die (Papertrey Ink), Petite Ovals Small Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Brads: Mini Metallic Brads (Making Memories)

Twine: (Jillibean Soup)

Brown Le Pen: (Marvy)

Adhesive Tape Runner: (Therm-o-web)

Pop Dots: (All Night Media)

NO peeking!

2011-11-14T16:43:00.000-07:00

Hi there! Popping in really quickly today to share a tag I made for the current CAS-ual Fridays Challenge!!!

My local Starbucks has a bunch of boxes lined up against their back wall that have "NO PEEKING!" stickers all over them! AND...I've been anxious to ink up the Making Frosty Friends stamp set from Lawn Fawn! Put those two things together, and the above tag is what you get!

I'm thinking I definitely need to make some more of these for the holiday season!

Hope you like my little creation for today! Thanks for stopping by!

------------------------------------
Supplies:
Stamps: Making Frosty Friends and Smitty's ABCs (Lawn Fawn)
Ink: Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko)
Copic Sketch Marker: (Chrome Orange)
Black Fine Tip Marker
Cardstock: Rattan (The Paper Cut), Stampers' Select White (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: 12 Days of Christmas (My Mind's Eye)
Die: Tag Sale #1 (Papertrey Ink)
Twine: Caramel (American Crafts)
Quickie Glue Pen: (Sakura)
Adhesive Tape Runner: (Therm-o-web)

"Anything But A Card" Blog Hop

2011-11-13T07:00:00.009-07:00

Hello and welcome to your next stop on DeNami Design's "Anything But A Card" Blog Hop! If you're on track you've arrived here from the SUPER CREATIVE blog of Dana Seymour! If not, no worries...just click HERE to head to the DeNami Design Blog so you can start at the beginning!!! And remember...you'll want to leave a comment on each participant's blog in order to have the best odds of winning a FABULOUS PRIZE!!

With Christmas right around the corner, I decided to make some holiday tags! I LOVE making tags because they're quick, easy and SUPER FUN!! And they're such a GREAT way to add a personalized touch to any gift!!!

The Large Stocking image from DeNami Design is SOOOOO PERFECT for paper piecing!!! And with all of the GORGEOUS holiday patterned papers available on the market, the possibilities are endless! Not to mention, you could also stamp out your own patterned paper and then use that on the stocking as well! OR...you could use regular cardstock (in several colors), shimmer cardstock, embossed cardstock, and the list goes on and ON!!! (If you're looking for me at any point between now and Christmas...I'm probably in my craft studio making TONS of stockings!!! HA!)

On the back, I stamped out To: and From: on a strip of cream cardstock and then drew in some faux stitches. And you can use the extra space for writing a special message to the recipient!

I hope you enjoyed my project for today and feel inspired to make some of your own holiday tags!!!

Next stop on the hop: Wendy Harrill's AWESOME blog!!!

Reminder: You have until November 14, 2011 at 11:59PM PST to leave comments in order to be eligible for a prize!

GOOD LUCK and HAPPY HOPPING!!!!!!

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Supplies:

Stamps: Large Stocking P94, Medium Polka Dots N136, To/From D122 (DeNami Design)

Ink: Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko), Wheat (Amuse Studio)

Cardstock: Kraft and Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)

Patterned Paper: 12 Days of Christmas (My Mind's Eye)

Tag Die: Ellis (I used the die cutting tool in Archiver's workroom)

Ribbon: Hot Pink 5/8" Grosgrain, Emerald 5/8" Grosgrain, and Ivory 5/8" Grosgrain (DeNami Design)

Buttons: Espresso Boutique Buttons and Ruby Red Boutique Buttons (DeNami Design)

Twine: Caramel (American Crafts)

Embroidery Floss: (Janlynn)

Baker's Twine: Aqua and White Divine Twine (Whisker Graphics)

Black Copic Multiliner

Adhesive Tape Runner: (Therm-o-web)

PDCC #107

2011-11-12T12:55:00.000-07:00

Hi there! Quick post today to share a card I made for the most recent Play Date Cafe Challenge!

I just LOVE the warmth of a steaming mug of hot cocoa or tea. I find it so soothing and relaxing.

All of the images on this card are from DeNami Design. Don't you just ADORE that sweet little mug?!?! And it's super fun to pair up with the steam curl!

After making the above card for the Play Date Cafe Challenge, I couldn't resist whipping up a few more of these to create a little notecard set:

Thanks for stopping by today!

Hope you're having a FANTASTIC weekend!

-------------------------------

Supplies:

Stamps: Small Latte E96, Everyday Greetings Stamp Set PF29, Polka Dot Background N133, Steam Curl D87 (DeNami Design)

Ink: Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko)

Cardstock: Stampers' Select White (Papertrey Ink)

Copic Sketch Marker E31

Patterned Paper: Apple Cheddar Soup (Jillibean Soup), Raspberry Small Dots (Making Memories), Yellow Gingham (Making Memories), Kitch (The Girls' Paperie)

Quickie Glue Pen: (Sakura)

Baker's Twine: Mandarin, Pink Sorbet, Lemondrop, Denim (The Twinery)

Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper: (We R Memory Keepers)

Stamp-A-Ma-Jig

Congrats, Dad!

2011-11-11T06:00:00.028-07:00

Hi there! Happy Veterans Day and a BIG THANK YOU to our military and their families (those currently serving and those who have served in the past)! We appreciate you and all of your sacrifices!!

Today I'm sharing a card I made using the most recent sketch over at Card Positioning Systems! Here's the sketch:

And since I decided to create a masculine card, I'm also entering this into the Young Crafters Unite challenge!

Here's my take on both of these challenges:

After many MANY years in the workforce, holding down at least one job full of LONG HOURS and HARD WORK and sometimes TWO JOBS, my Dad has officially RETIRED!!! WOOHOOO!!! So, this card is for him and will be included in a special little package that Tony and I have assembled for him! (Hopefully he's not reading this right now...HA!) My mom and dad plan to hook up the RV to the pickup and travel all around the U.S.! I am SOOOO excited for them as they embark on this next phase of life!

WAY TO GO, Dad!!! We're SO PROUD of you!!! (Oh...and if you happen to read this post before your package arrives, just pretend you didn't already see the card, okay?!?! LOVE YOU!!!)

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Supplies:

Stamps: Pickup Truck (Deadbeat Designs), You're Dandy (Practicing Creativity Designs), Tiny Alphabet (Stampendous!)

Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko), Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko)

Copic Sketch Markers

Cardstock: Vintage Cream and Ocean Tides (Papertrey Ink), Charcoal (DeNami Design), Jet Black (Archivers)

Patterned Paper: Boarding Pass (October Afternoon)

Clear Star Gelly Roll Pen: (Sakura)

Quickie Glue Pen: (Sakura)

Adhesive Tape Runner: (Therm-o-web)

Pop Dots: (All Night Media)

Baby Girl Congrats

2011-11-10T05:00:00.005-07:00

Hey there! Today I'm sharing a card I made for the most recent Card Patterns Sketch Challenge! Here's the sketch:

And here's my creation:

My cousin recently had a baby girl, so I made this card for her!!! I wanted it to be as sweet as the photos I've seen of her little peanut, and I thought using this ADORABLE elephant image from DeNami Design would do just the trick!

I made the buttons at the top using a combination of a Martha Stewart button punch, and PTI's Buttoned Up #1 dies that I won from my friend Erin's blog AGES ago!!! (Thanks, Erin!)

Thanks for stopping by!

-------------------------------------

Supplies:

Stamps: Elephant G152, "Congrats" from Thoughtful Greetings Stamp Set PF48 (DeNami Design)

Ink: Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko)

Cardstock: White and Charcoal (DeNami Design), Stampers' Select White (Papertrey Ink)

Patterned Papers: Get Around (Amy Tangerine/American Crafts), Bitty Box Basics (Papertrey Ink), Pink Gingham (Making Memories), Cornmeal Embossed Dots (Bazzill Basics), Fresh Print Clothesline: Cora Damask (Little Yellow Bicycle), Pink Small Dots (Making Memories), Yes Peas (Amy Tangerine/American Crafts)

Dies: Buttoned Up #1 (Papertrey Ink), Standard Circles Small Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Punches: Button Medium Double Embossed Punch (Martha Stewart), Lace Heart Edge Punch (Martha Stewart)

Scallop Edge Scissors

Baker's Twine: Blossom (The Twinery)

Scor-Tape: Scor-Pal

Adhesive Tape Runner: (Therm-o-web)

Pop Dots: (All Night Media)

DeNami Product Spotlight: Mitten

2011-11-09T04:00:00.003-07:00

WOOOHOOOO!!! It's Product Spotlight Day at DeNami Design! Today we're featuring the COMFY COZY "Large Mitten" image!!! SOOOO perfect for the snowy weather we've been having here in the mountains (more about THAT at the end of this post).

Here's a little gift box I created using this ADORABLE mitten:

This mitten is super duper fun to paper piece, and I can totally see myself making a HUGE collection of these with bunches of different combinations of patterned papers!!! This time around I used some SUPER FESTIVE papers from DeNami Design's "Peppermint" collection! LOVE the bright pink, green and white combo!!!

The box is also from DeNami Design! It's the Square Gift Box template! I embossed it with polka dots before cutting and scoring it----worked like a charm!!! Here's a closer look at that:

So...what do you think??? I hope you like my creation for today and feel inspired to get crafty!!!

Be sure to stop by the DeNami Design Blog to see the FABULOUS cards/projects my fellow DT gals and our Guest Designer, Glenda, made!!! And as a reminder...the "Large Mitten" is on sale this week for ten percent off!!!

To get you into the mitten mood, here's a little peek at the gorgeous, snowy weather we've been enjoying!

This is the view (to the south) from our back deck the day after our most recent snowfall. Doesn't that ridgeline look just like the blog header Karen Baker designed for me?!?! So cool!!!

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Supplies:

Stamps: Large Mitten P95, Christmas Wishes F209 (DeNami Design)

Ink: Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko)

Cardstock: White (DeNami Design)

Patterned Paper: Peppermint Sampler Pack (DeNami Design)

Quickie Glue Pen: (Sakura)

Template: Square Gift Box Template (DeNami Design)

Square Punch

Polka Dot Embossing Folder

Ribbon: Hot Pink Grosgrain 5/8" (DeNami Design)

Button: White Boutique Buttons (DeNami Design)

Twine: Caramel (American Crafts)

DeNami Sketch Challenge #10

2011-11-07T04:00:00.002-07:00

Hey there! Today we're kicking off a brand new challenge at DeNami Design! This time around it's a sketch challenge! Check out this SUPER FUN layout by the ultra talented Amber!!!

And here's my creation:

Now that Halloween has come and gone I definitely have Thanksgiving on the brain! Those sweet little Thanksgiving Chickies totally melt my heart!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE them! (Top secret note: Even my husband adores these little chickies. HA!) So, I couldn't resist making them the focal point for a Thanksgiving card!

I created the background panel by repeatedly stamping the Wheat Stalks image (DeNami Design)---one of my FAVORITES from the most recent release!

So...are you ready to ink up your DeNami Design stamps and play along??? There are FABULOUS prizes to be had!!! Be sure to check out the DeNami Design Blog for all of the challenge details and to see some more INCREDIBLE inspiration from my fellow DT gals and our Guest Designer, Glenda!!!

Can't wait to see what you create!!!

------------------------------------------

Supplies:

Stamps: Wheat Stalks D136, Thanksgiving Chickies Stamp Set PF49 (DeNami Design)

Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento (Tsukineko), Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko)

Cardstock: Brown Kraft and Chocolate Brown (DeNami Design), Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink), Buttercream Embossed Dots (Bazzill Basics)

Copic Sketch Markers

Twine: Caramel (American Crafts)

Button: Espresso Boutique Buttons (DeNami Design)

Brown Le Pen

Photos From Our Ghastly Cocktail Hour

2011-11-03T12:48:00.000-06:00

Hello! As promised, I'm back today to share some photos from our Ghastly Cocktail Hour! It was LOTS and LOTS of FUN!!! I posted the invitation on my blog a few weeks ago. You can see that HERE (in case you missed it).

I made this flower bouquet by creating tissue paper pom-poms (following instructions from the Martha Stewart website), and then attaching the pom-poms to pipe cleaners. I added some twigs that I gathered from our property to boost the spooky factor!

Here's what it looked like on our decorated coffee table:

(Note: The label by the bowls of nuts says "Guests From the Psyche Ward")

Next up...a lantern I created using Halloween images from DeNami Design, orange vellum, black cardstock, and a lantern template from the Martha Stewart website.

I was really excited about how this turned out! And it was SO EASY to create!!! I'm thinking I need to make some of these in a winter theme!!! Wouldn't that be pretty?!?!

Here's what the lantern looked like when illuminated with a flameless tealight candle. (Note: You can buy these battery operated flameless candles at Michaels for two dollars.)

Here's a shot of our main dining table and the light fixture above it:

Moving on to the REALLY GOOD stuff...the yummy food!!! Tony and I had a super fun time making up names for each of the dishes at the party! And I made little labels for each using a selection of papers, buttons, dies, and stamps from Hero Arts, There She Goes Clear Stamps, DeNami Design, and Papertrey Ink. Here's just a selection of the items we served up:

(Homemade Spinach Dip. Label says "Hannibal's Brain Matter: pair with a nice Chianti perhaps???")

(I tied the ends of the breadsticks in knots so they looked like bones. My husband is a Biomechanical Engineering Professor, thus the reference on the food label...HA! The "bloody good sauce" was a homemade tomato vodka sauce...YUM!)

The label above was for our mini meatballs. We made them from ground venison (from a deer my husband got while hunting last season) and ground elk (from an elk that a friend harvested last season). We served them up hot in a crockpot covered in a creamy mushroom sauce.

I made these little pumpkins from cheese (an idea that I saw in a magazine). You roll cheddar cheese spread into balls and use a toothpick to draw the lines. Then, you coat the bottoms in crushed walnuts, add a pretzel stick for the stem and some parsley for the leaves. Aren't they CUTE?!?!

This was our giant pot of homemade chicken noodle soup. (Label says: "Bubbling Hogwart Soup: trust us...tastes like chicken")

These are stuffed jalapenos----one of Tony's specialties. They are SOOOO DELISH!! We called them "Fingers of Evil-Doers (i.e. litterbugs, tailgaters, etc.)"

And finally, our little wine bar. We covered the bar with webs and then adhered these Martha Stewart labels to the wine bottles! FUN!

Thanks for stopping by and for allowing me to share some photos from our Ghastly Cocktail Hour! My husband and I LOVE to cook, eat, drink, and spend time with good friends, and this get together gave us the chance to enjoy ALL of these things! We're looking forward to doing it all again VERY SOON!!!!

Have a FANTASTIC weekend!

{Belated} Bugs and Hisses

2011-11-02T15:43:00.000-06:00

Hey there! Due to my computer troubles, I was unable to post this card in time for Halloween, but I still wanted to share it with you! It's the card I sent to my little nephew! I put a Barnes and Noble gift card inside and wrote "Thought you'd like some new BooOOooOooks for Halloween!" HA!

The image, sentiment, and spider web die are from a prize package that I won from There She Goes Clear Stamps! The stamp set is called "Bugs and Hisses" and it's TOTALLY ADORABLE! And I LOVE how detailed the spider web die is!! AWESOME!

I added some sparkle to the spiders with a clear "at you" spica pen. They really shimmer in real life! And all of the patterned papers are from the Mischievous collection by My Mind's Eye, which ended up being one of my absolute favorite Halloween lines this year!

ADDITIONAL NOTE: I used the October 2011 "Sketch For You To Try" by Jen Del Muro. Missed the deadline, but LOVE the sketch! Jen will be posting a new sketch for November this Saturday! YAY!

Thanks for stopping by!

Tomorrow I'll share some photos from our Ghastly Cocktail Hour! It was LOTS of FUN!

-----------------------------------

Supplies:

Stamps: Bugs and Hisses (There She Goes Clear Stamps)

Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko), Pumpkin (Amuse Studio), Charcoal Color Box Fluid Chalk Inkpad (Clearsnap)

Cardstock: Black (The Paper Company), Kraft (Papertrey Ink)

Patterned Paper: Mischievous (My Mind's Eye)

Spider Web Die: (There She Goes Clear Stamps)

Crystal Stickers: Orange Elements (Mark Richards)

Clear "At You" Spica Pen

Ribbon: "Halloween" (Michaels)

Quickie Glue Pen: (Sakura)

Adhesive Tape Runner: (Therm-o-web)

Pop Dots: (All Night Media)

Warm Wishes

2011-11-01T17:19:00.000-06:00

Hey there! Just popping in for a quick post to share a card I created for the most recent CAS-ual Fridays Challenge! I always LOVE Laura's sketches!!! Check this one out:

And here's my take on it:

I couldn't resist paper piecing the sweet little cup of cocoa from "Hot Concoctions" by Paper Smooches! And I found that adorable flower button in my bag of Harvest Boutique Buttons from DeNami Design! How lucky was that?!?! YAY!

The inside of the card says "Warm Wishes." CUTE! I'm going to send this to one of my Pittsburgh friends for her birthday! Hope she likes it!

***THANK YOU to all of you for your congratulatory comments and e-mails about my card being chosen as one of Paper Crafts Magazine's WCMD winners!!! You are SOOOO super sweet! I still can't believe the news! I keep going back and checking the Paper Crafts blog post to make sure it's for real! HA!

I am a bit behind in blogland because my computer died on Saturday morning. Lovely...right?!?! So, I'm in limbo right now working from a borrowed computer. I promise to get back into the swing of things and catch up with you all as soon as possible!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a FABULOUS day!

------------------------------

Supplies:

Stamps: Hot Concoctions (Paper Smooches)

Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento (Tsukineko)

Cardstock: Brown Kraft (DeNami Design), Fudge Cover (The Paper Company), Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink), Embossed Dots (Bazzill Basics)

Patterned Paper: Apple Cheddar Soup: Apple Cider, Apple Cheddar Soup: Milk (Jillibean Soup)

Twine: (Jillibean Soup)

Buttons: Espresso Boutique Buttons and Harvest Boutique Buttons (DeNami Design)

Copic Sketch Marker Y21

White Uni-Ball Signo Gel Pen

Clear "At You" Spica Pen

Quickie Glue Pen: (Sakura)

Adhesive Tape Runner and Zots: (Therm-o-web)

Pop Dots: (All Night Media)

Festive Place Cards

2011-10-26T04:00:00.005-06:00

Hello! It's Product Spotlight Day at DeNami Design, and today we're featuring the festive and whimsical cornucopia image! SOOOO perfect for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday!!!! And...it's on sale for TEN PERCENT OFF this week! YAY!!!

I decided to use this image as the focal point on some place cards:

I stamped the image with Rich Cocoa Memento ink, colored it in with Copic Sketch Markers, and cut it out. I paper pieced the little apple with patterned paper and added bling to the grapes. I then mounted the embellished image onto a die-cut circle and a die-cut doily and adhered the entire focal point to a 4"x5" piece of kraft cardstock that was folded in half. I tied some twine around the place card, added a button, and wrote the names in a brown fine tip marker.

These were so easy and fun to create! And I think they would make a beautiful addition to any Thanksgiving table setting!

You could also use this same layout and change up the stamped image and color combo to fit any holiday or special occasion!

Thanks for stopping by today! Be sure to check out the DeNami Design Blog for more inspiration from my fellow DT gals and our Guest Designer, Tammy!!!

------------------------------------

Supplies:

Stamps: Cornucopia F210 (DeNami Design)

Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento (Tsukineko)

Cardstock: Brown Kraft, Cream, Chocolate Brown (DeNami Design); Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)

Copic Sketch Markers

Patterned Paper: Picket Fence (Lily Bee Design), Yes Peas by Amy Tangerine (American Crafts)

Dies: Doily Details (Papertrey Ink), Small Standard Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Twine: Caramel (American Crafts)

Button: Espresso Boutique Buttons (DeNami Design)

Crystal Stickers: Lavender Elements (Mark Richards)

Pop Dots: (All Night Media)

Zots: (Therm-o-web)

Scor-Tape: (Scor-Pal)

Trick or Sweet Blog Hop

2011-10-19T09:00:00.022-06:00

Hi there and welcome to your next stop on Taylored Expressions' October Blog Hop!!! As you know, the theme for this hop is "Trick or Sweet" (CUTE, right?!?!) Since Halloween is right around the corner, I was REALLY in the mood to make a Halloween-themed card! The problem is...I don't happen to own any TE Halloween images (yet). EEEK! Will definitely have to remedy that situation at some point! Hmmmm...so I decided to get a little creative with the "Make a Wish" set to see if I could make something festive out of images that aren't typically used for Halloween. Here's what I came up with:

I used the banner, balloon strings, and balloons from "Make A Wish" to create this fun little party scene!!! The face is from DeNami Design. And the patterned papers are from My Mind's Eye, Papertrey Ink, and Lily Bee Design.

What do you think??? It didn't turn out exactly the way I envisioned it, but not too shabby *wink*!

Thanks for hopping along!!

Next stop: Corinna's BEAUTIFUL blog!

A Virtual Birthday Party!

2011-10-18T03:00:00.008-06:00

Hey there! Welcome to the party!!! Today a bunch of us are getting together in blogland to celebrate!!! What's the occasion, you ask? It's Karen Baker's birthday!!!! WOOOHOOO!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Karen!!!

It's a hop-style party, so if you're on track you've arrived here from Jen R's AWESOME blog! If not...no worries...click HERE to start at the beginning!

Each person along the hop is "bringing" something to the party! I decided to bring the loot bags!

These were really simple to make and are perfect little gifts for your crafty friends! I put three mini bundles of different colored twines (from The Twinery) into each glassine favor bag! Then I used stamped images from Practicing Creativity Designs, a sentiment and border die from Papertrey Ink, and some additional twine from The Twinery to create decorated tops! I made four different designs.

Here's a closer look at each one:

Karen was one of my very first friends in the blogging community!!! She's so SUPER DUPER SWEET and INCREDIBLY TALENTED!!! I'm so grateful to have her as a crafty friend!

(((HUGS))), Karen!!! Hope you have a FABULOUS birthday!!!

Next stop: Lynn's blog! She's bringing something SUPER FUN to the party!!!

And...be sure to stop by Karen's blog and leave her some sweet birthday wishes!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

-----------------------------------

Supplies:

Stamps: Look Up! Additions (Practicing Creativity Designs), sentiment from Fillable Frames #9 (Papertrey Ink)

Ink: Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko)

Cardstock: Rattan (The Paper Cut), Red Pepper Linen and Seaside paper pack (The Paper Company)

Patterned Paper: Indie Bloom (Basic Grey), Picket Fence (Lily Bee Design)

Die: Medium Scallop Border (Papertrey Ink)

Baker's Twine: (The Twinery)

Glassine Favor Bags: (Wilton)

Adhesive Tape Runner: (Therm-o-web)

Stapler

Ghastly Cocktail Hour Invitations

2011-10-16T15:57:00.000-06:00

My husband and I are planning a fun Halloween-themed get together, and I wanted to pop in really quickly to show you the invitations I made for the occasion!

I used Microsoft Word's "Chiller" font to type out the details and printed them on gray cardstock. Then, I added images from Hero Arts, DeNami Design and Village Arts Press and patterned paper from My Mind's Eye (see complete supply list below). So super FUN to make!

Here are a couple of close-ups:

I made 28 of these and was so happy with the results!!! I hope you like them, too, and are inspired to make something CRAFTY and FUN for Halloween!!!

Now, it's time to get busy working on some BOO-TIFUL decorations, SPOOKTACULAR treat bags, and the MUMMY-licious menu items!!! YAY!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a FANTASTIC day!

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Supplies:

Stamps: Martini Glass (Village Arts Press), Friendly Ghost (DeNami Design), Web from "Happy Halloween" clear stamp set (Hero Arts)

Ink: Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko), Charcoal Color Box Fluid Chalk Inkpad (Clearsnap)

Copic Sketch Markers

Cardstock: Gray (The Paper Company), Ocean Breeze (Bazzill Basics), Lime Crush (Bazzill Basics)

Patterned Paper: Mischievous (My Mind's Eye)

Microsoft Word: Chiller Font

Quickie Glue Pen: (Sakura)

Edge Distresser Tool: (Heidi Swapp)

Double Sided Adhesive: ATG 700 Adhesive Applicator (Scotch)

DeNami Design Product Spotlight: Wheat Stalks

2011-10-12T04:00:00.003-06:00

Hi there! It's Product Spotlight Day at DeNami Design! YAY!!! Today we're featuring the GORGEOUS "Wheat Stalks" image! It's the PERFECT stamp for creating BEAUTIFUL Autumn-themed cards/projects!

Here's my creation:

This image makes FABULOUS backgrounds and borders, but today I decided to pair it up with the ADORABLE little turkey and the "Thankful for You" sentiment to create my focal panel!

And...of course I couldn't resist adding some polka dots! I used the Medium Polka Dots image (SO SUPER HANDY) to create the polka dotty strip! FUN! And how about that cute little wooden button?!?! My sweet inky friend, Laura, gave me bag of those the last time we stamped together! She bought them at Michaels! (THANKS, Laura!!!!)

Be sure to head on over to the DeNami Design Blog to check out all of the FESTIVE creations my fellow DT gals and our talented Guest Designer, Tammy, have made! LOTS of FANTASTIC inspiration over there!!!!

Thanks for stopping by! Have an AMAZING day!!!

------------------------------

Supplies:

Stamps: Wheat Stalks D136, Turkey D125, Thankful For You E144, Medium Polka Dots N136 (DeNami Design)

Ink: Toffee Versafine (Tsukineko), Rich Cocoa Memento (Tsukineko)

Copic Sketch Markers

Cardstock: Stampers' Select White, Kraft, Terracotta Tile, Summer Sunrise (Papertrey Ink), Dark Chocolate (from my scraps stash)

Embossing Folder: Plaid (Sizzix)

Die: Large Classic Rectangles Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Punch: Apron Lace Border Punch (Fiskars)

Twine: Caramel (American Crafts)

Button: Wooden Buttons (purchased at Michaels)

FALL Blog Hop with DeNami Design!

2011-10-09T07:00:00.004-06:00

Hello and welcome to your next stop on DeNami Design's FALL Blog Hop!!! If you're on track you've arrived here from Wendy Harrill's SUPER FUN blog! If not, no worries...just click HERE to head to the DeNami Design Blog and start at the beginning!

Our Autumn colors have been SO FANTASTIC in Colorado this year thanks to the snow holding off until AFTER the official first day of Fall! HA! Tony and I have been hiking and enjoying the crisp air and the AMAZING leaves! Thus, my inspiration for today's card:

My original idea was to stencil the letters and then cover them with the fussy-cut colorful leaves. Once I started laying it out, though, I could see it wasn't going the way I wanted it to. So I decided to create the stenciled letter windows instead. I'm REALLY pleased with the results! I'll show you a close-up if you promise to not be too tough on my craft knife skills! HA!

I hope you like my creation! I'd LOVE for you to leave a comment and let me know what you think! And remember...DeNami Design is giving away THREE gift certificates to their on-line store (TWO to random commenters and ONE to a random participant)!!! WOOOHOOOO!!!! Excellent opportunity to get some of those items on your DeNami Design wish list!!! You have until 11:59PM PST on October 10, 2011 to comment for a chance to win!

Next stop on the hop: Tina Milbourn's blog!!! I'm sure she has something ULTRA CREATIVE to share!!!!

Happy FESTIVE Hopping!!!!!

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Supplies:

Stamps: Leaves and Swirls from Leaf Accents Stamp Set PF51, Autumn Stamp Set PF21, "Happy" from "Happy Birthday in the All Occasion Sentiments Stamp Set TR16 (DeNami Design)

Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento (Tsukineko), VersaMark (Tsukineko)

Cardstock: Kraft, Terracotta Tile, Summer Sunrise, Orange Zest, Pure Poppy (Papertrey Ink), Chocolate Brown (from my scraps stash)

Better Letter Stencils: 2" Whimsy (Deja Views)

Ribbon: Chocolate Brown 3/8" Grosgrain (DeNami Design)

Cutter Bee Craft Knife: (EK Success)

Cutter Bee Scissors: (EK Success)

Quickie Glue Pen: (Sakura)

Adhesive Tape Runner and Zots: (Therm-o-web)

Eeek!...a matching envelope!

2011-10-06T12:34:00.000-06:00

Hi there! Just popping in really quickly to share a card and matching envelope I created for the most recent challenge at Young Crafters Unite!

I rarely create a coordinating envelope for my cards, but this challenge really got me excited about the idea again!!! It's such an easy thing to do and it adds that extra little something special to a project!!! FUN!

We have a few "bat friends" who like to fly in figure 8 patterns just beyond our back deck each night right around dusk. It's fun to watch them dive after flying insects and listen to their little "eeeks"! So, this card was inspired by them! I drew the eeek trail with a black Copic Multiliner pen. That idea was inspired by THIS card by Chari where she made a heart-shaped trail (THANKS, Chari!!!).

Thanks for stopping by today! Have a FABULOUS weekend!

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Supplies:

Stamps: Friendly Bat D126, Large Winter Tree P93 (DeNami Design)

Ink: Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko)

Cardstock: Kraft (Papertrey Ink), Black (DeNami Design), Gray (from my scraps stash)

Patterned Paper: Mischievous (My Mind's Eye), Midnight Moon (American Crafts)

Black Copic Multiliner Pen

Button: Harvest Boutique Buttons (DeNami Design)

Embroidery Floss: Black (Janlynn)

Punch: Rounded Binding Edge (EK Success)

Twine: Caramel (American Crafts)

Scallop-Edge Scissors

Quickie Glue Pen: (Sakura)

Glue Dots

Edge Distresser Tool: (Heidi Swapp)

Pop Dots: (All Night Media)

Adhesive Tape Runner: (Therm-o-web)

New Blog Header!

2011-10-05T14:00:00.004-06:00

Hey there! Thanks so much for all of your sweet comments about my brand new blog header!!!!! It was designed by the AMAZINGLY TALENTED Karen Baker, and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!! I think she totally captured my style and my love of nature and the mountains!!!

If you're looking to add a special customized look to your blog, I would HIGHLY recommend working with Karen! She's not only an incredibly creative and fantastic graphic designer, but she's also sweet as can be!!!

Click HERE to check out Karen's totally inspiring blog and click HERE to take a peek at some of the other blog headers Karen has designed for our fellow bloggers!!!

Thanks for stopping by today! Have a FABULOUS Wednesday!

Fun With Paper Smooches!

2011-10-04T18:07:00.000-06:00

Hi there! Today I'm sharing a couple of cards I made for the most recent SPARKS Challenge over at Paper Smooches!!! Here's the DARLING inspiration photo:

Here's card #1 using Chubby Chums (Paper Smooches):

I LOVE that ADORABLE little birdie and couldn't resist paper piecing her in the challenge colors! The banner was created using the Banner Builder Collection Dies from Papertrey Ink, some fun patterned paper, and letters from Smitty's ABCs (Lawn Fawn). Here's a closer look:

Here's card #2 using Perpetual Bliss (Paper Smooches) and a tiny piece of one of the sentiments from Surf and Turf (Paper Smooches):

I ruffled my ribbon to capture the ruffles in the inspiration photo. Super easy---just lay down a strip of adhesive (I used Scor-Tape). Then, starting at the left edge, stick down bits of the ribbon making loops in between! The buttons were added to the clothespin at the last minute----just felt like it needed a "little something"...what do you think????

Here's a close-up:

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope your week is off to a FABULOUS start! The SPARKS Challenge ends tomorrow, so there's still time to play along! Click HERE for all of the deets!!!

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Supplies:

"Baby" Card:

Stamps: Chubby Chums (Paper Smooches), Smitty's ABCs (Lawn Fawn)

Ink: Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko)

Copic Black Multiliner Pen

Copic Sketch Markers

Cardstock: Stampers' Select White, Harvest Gold, New Leaf (Papertrey Ink)

Patterned Paper: Indie Bloom (Basic Grey), Picket Fence (Lily Bee Design)

Dies: Banner Builder Collection (Papertrey Ink)

Punches: Grass Border Punch (Fiskars)

Embroidery Floss: (Janlynn)

Buttons: White Boutique Buttons (DeNami Design)

Clothespins: (Canvas Corp)

Quickie Glue Pen: (Sakura)

Adhesive Tape Runner: (Therm-o-web)

Pop Dots: (All Night Media)

"Love You" Card:

Stamps: Perpetual Bliss (Paper Smooches), "You" from "You're Swell" in Surf and Turf set (Paper Smooches)

Ink: Rose Bud Memento (Tsukineko), Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko)

Cardstock: Kraft, Stampers' Select White (Papertrey Ink)

Patterned Paper: Picket Fence (Lily Bee Design), Dots and Stripes (Echo Park)

Dies: Doily Details, Fillable Frames #9, Medium Scallop Border (Papertrey Ink); Large Classic Rectangles Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Ribbon: Hot Pink 3/8" Grosgrain (DeNami Design)

Clothespin: (Amuse)

Buttons: Green and White (SEI), Pink (Papertrey Ink)

Black Copic Multiliner Pen

Scor-Tape: (Scor-Pal)

Pop Dots: (All Night Media)

Adhesive Tape Runner: (Therm-o-web)

DeNami Color Challenge #8

2011-10-03T04:00:00.004-06:00

Hi there, blog friends! It's time for a brand new challenge at DeNami Design!!! This time around it's a COLOR challenge! Check out this BEAUTIFUL combo:

Here's my take:

The aspen leaves in the mountains are absolutely GORGEOUS right now---AMAZING shades of gold and orange (and still a few hints of green here and there), so I couldn't resist using a tree image on my card for today! The Round Leafy Tree is one of my very favorite DeNami Design images! It's so whimsical and perfect for ANY season! I stamped the tree in Rich Cocoa Memento ink and outlined the trunk and branches with an E31 Copic Sketch Marker! Then, I colored the leaves with green and gold Copic Sketch Markers and outlined each one with a Clear Spica Glitter Pen. (The sparkle didn't show up very well in the photo, but it's really pretty in person.)

Here are a couple of photos I took during a walk around our neighborhood last weekend. Sometimes the snow arrives in the mountains before we have actually had a chance to enjoy the colors of the season, so it's really exciting to have some time to appreciate Autumn this year! What a beautiful world we live in!

I hope you'll join us for our Color Challenge this month! Can't wait to see what you create! And...be sure to check out the DeNami Design Blog for all of the challenge details and to see the FABULOUS projects my fellow DT gals and our Guest Designer have created!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Supplies:

Stamps: Round Leafy Tree F182, Thinking of You from All Occasion Sentiments Stamp Set TR16 (DeNami Design)

Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento (Tsukineko), Smokey Gray Versafine (Tsukineko)

Copic Sketch Markers

Clear Spica Glitter Pen

Cardstock: Cream, Charcoal, Lime (DeNami Design)

Button: Harvest Boutique Buttons (DeNami Design)

Embroidery Floss: Cream (Janlynn)

Dies: Medium Scallop Border Die (Papertrey Ink)

Many Thanks

2011-10-02T07:00:00.003-06:00

Hello! Our friends/neighbors recently had a party to celebrate the completion of the main floor of their mountain home! They've been working on the house for five years and have done a lot of the finishing work themselves. It's an absolutely gorgeous home! You can definitely tell that a TON of heart and soul was put into every detail!

I wanted to send them a special thank you note for their hospitality and thought this was the perfect opportunity for me to ink up a stamp that I bought back in May when we traveled to Santa Fe, NM. The image is totally reminiscent of the southwestern style my friends have incorporated into their home!

I hope they like it! What do you think???

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Supplies:

Stamps: Framed Doors (Stamp A Mania), "many thanks" (Lawn Fawn)

Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento (Tsukineko), Timber Brown StazOn (Tsukineko)

Copic Sketch Markers

Sand atyou Spica Pen

Cardstock: Stampers' Select White (Papertrey Ink), Chocolate Truffle (The Paper Company)

Twine: (Jillibean Soup)

Adhesive Tape Runner: (Therm-o-web)

Pop Dots: (All Night Media)

WCMD

2011-10-01T07:00:00.007-06:00

Happy World Card Making Day, blog friends!!! I hope you're having a super creative and crafty day!!! In honor of this very special occasion, DeNami Design is hosting a contest with an AMAZING prize!!!

DETAILS:

Use the picture below as inspiration for your card(s)/project(s). It can be the theme, colors, layout... YOU can interpret this picture, just be sure your projects somehow reflect the photo inspiration.

To enter your DeNami card creations (limit 3 per person), send your card/ project picture(s) to office@denamidesign.com with the subject line "World Card Making Day 2011". (Deadline to submit: October 4th) In your email, please include your first and last name and the link to your blog, if applicable. Please note: by sending this email, you are giving us permission to publish your submitted card(s) in the upcoming DeNami InTouch newsletter.

THE PRIZE:

We will be picking a few submissions to spotlight in an upcoming DeNami InTouch newsletter! Our newsletter is sent to thousands and thousands of people worldwide, so you have the opportunity to be famous! And...not only will the lucky winners be see by thousands of people, they'll also win a $25.00 gift certificate to the DeNami Design website!

WOWZERS!!! How cool is this?!?! Are you in??? I hope so! I can't wait to see what you create!

Before I go I thought I'd share a card I made today while getting inky with my sweet friends, Laura, Michele, and Tenia! I used some of my favorite DeNami Design Halloween images and the above inspiration photo!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE paper piecing (Did you know that?!?! HA!!), and these images are perfect for it! And aren't those little ghosts ADORABLE?!?! Talk about too cute to spook!

Thanks for stopping by today! Have a FABULOUS weekend!

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Supplies:

Stamps: Friendly Ghost E145, Brushed Pumpkin H85, Happy Halloween F206 (DeNami Design)

Ink: Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko)

Cardstock: Kraft (Papertrey Ink)

Patterned Paper: Mischievous (My Mind's Eye)

Button: Aqua Boutique Buttons (DeNami Design)

Twine: Caramel (American Crafts)

Quickie Glue Pen: (Sakura)

Glue Dots

Adhesive Tape Runner: (Therm-o-web)

Pop Dots: (All Night Media)

Thanks

2011-09-30T13:00:00.003-06:00

Hi there! Quick post today to share a card I made for a couple of our guy friends/neighbors who recently hosted an AWESOME picnic in our neighborhood!

Thanks for stopping by today! Have a FABULOUS weekend!

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Supplies:

Stamps: houndstooth from Retro Christmas Backgrounds (Practicing Creativity Designs), "Thanks" from Look Up! Additions (Practicing Creativity Designs), Fillable Frames #4 (Papertrey Ink)

Ink: Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko)

Cardstock: Kraft (Papertrey Ink)

Patterned Paper: Chiffon Journal (BoBunny)

Sprocket Gears: (Tim Holtz)

Mini Metallic Brad: (Making Memories)

Pop Dots: (All Night Media)

Party Invitations

2011-09-29T14:30:00.000-06:00

Hey there! My friend's little guy is turning two in October, and she asked me to make the invitations for his birthday party! They're having the party at a farm/orchard with lots of super fun activities including a hay bale maze, tractor-pulled wagon rides, apple picking, visits with the farm animals, etc.

Here's the final product:

I used LOTS of ADORABLE DeNami Design stamps (see supply list at the end of this post) to create the little scene and used Harold's ABCs from Lawn Fawn to stamp out the animal sounds! As you can see, the outside says, "oink, baa, neigh, moo" and on the inside it says, "Jonathan is turning TWO!" followed by all of the party details! Just a FUN little rhyme I made up especially for Jonathan!

I stamped the barns once on each invitation itself and again on a separate sheet of white cardstock. I colored the barns on the separate sheet, cut them out, cut/scored the barn doors and then adhered them over the barn images stamped on the invitations. This way, the door on the barn opens to reveal a little sheep hiding in there!

I made 16 of these, and it was a total blast!!! My friend is absolutely thrilled with the invitations, and I hope you like them too!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Supplies:

Stamps: Farm Animals Stamp Set PF25, Barn H81, Small Cloud E137, Simple Tree I65, apple from Apples and Pears Stamp Set PF31, leaves from Elegant Floral Stamp Set PF 37, grass from Easter Stamp Set PF15 (DeNami Design) and Harold's ABCs (Lawn Fawn)

Cardstock: Stampers' Select White (Papertrey Ink)

Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko), Timber Brown StazOn (Tsukineko), Prussian Blue Color Box (Clearsnap), Grass (Amuse)

Copic Sketch Markers

Patterned Paper: Picket Fence (Lily Bee Design)

Twine: Caramel (American Crafts)

Happy Halloween!

2011-09-28T04:00:00.017-06:00

Hello, blog friends! It's Product Spotlight Day at DeNami Design and today we're featuring the SPOOKTACULAR Jack O'Lantern!!!

Doesn't his happy little grin just melt your heart?!?!! And he's the perfect size for creating Halloween cards, treat packages, tags, etc!

I am LOVING this kraft, black and orange color combo for Halloween! So classic!!! I handstamped the Harlequin Border several times across the center of the kraft panel to create a fun backdrop for my layered up Mr. Jack O'Lantern! And when I saw that button (My Mind's Eye) I couldn't resist it! (Yep...bought an entire package of buttons for this ONE! HA!) I just knew it would be a perfect fit for the center of that yummy orange bow!

And how about that sentiment??? LOVE LOVE LOVE the font!!

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you like my creation and feel inspired to make some Halloween goodies! Be sure to visit the DeNami Design Blog to check out all of the BOO-TIFUL cards/projects my fellow DT gals and our Guest Designer, Emily, have created!!!

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Supplies:

Stamps: Small Jack O'Lantern E130, Happy Halloween F206, Harlequin Border N112 (DeNami Design)

Ink: Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko)

Cardstock: Kraft (The Paper Cut), Black (DeNami Design), Orange (from my scraps stash)

Ribbon: Orange Grosgrain (DeNami Design)

Dies: Labels One Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Button: Lost and Found Buttons (My Mind's Eye)

Rustic Twine: (Papertrey Ink)

Edge Distresser Tool: (Heidi Swapp)

Adhesive Tape Runner: (Therm-o-web)

Pop Dots: (All Night Media)

Glue Dots

September Blast From The Past Blog Hop with Taylored Expressions

2011-09-21T09:00:00.009-06:00

***This is my second post for today! Please scroll down to see my card for Nami's Birthday Blog Hop!!!***

Hi there and welcome to your next stop on the Taylored Expressions Blast From The Past Blog Hop! The theme for this month's hop is "Birthday/Birth Day" in honor of Taylor's new little bundle of joy!

I combined this AWESOME sketch by Sankari Wegman:

and the "Make a Wish" stamp set from Taylored Expressions, which is perfect for creating birthday cards!! Here's what I came up with:

Thanks for hopping along!! Next stop: Alison H's FABULOUS blog!!! Enjoy!!!

Nami's Birthday Blog Hop

2011-09-21T07:00:00.018-06:00

Hi there and welcome to Nami's Birthday Blog Hop! Today's celebration is in honor of Nami, one of the owners of DeNami Design and the artist behind all of their FABULOUS and OH SO ADORABLE images! I've had the pleasure of working with Nami and her family at several stamp shows and she is one of THE MOST talented, energetic, sweet, and generous people I've ever met!

Happy Birthday, Nami!!! I hope you have an absolutely AMAZING day!!! (((HUGS)))

And to spice up the party even more, DeNami Design is giving away TWO prize packages of Nami's favorite things!!! Check this out:

WOWZERS!!! To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on each blog during the hop! You have until September 23, 2011 at 11:59PM PST to comment!

And a quick reminder: There's still time to play along in DeNami Design's Animal Theme Challenge!!! Click HERE for all of the details!!

Thanks for hopping along with us today! Be sure to stop by the DeNami Design Blog to wish Nami a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Next stop on the hop: Wendy Elliot!!! I'm sure she has something SUPER DUPER CUTE to share!!!

I also need to point out that I used THIS AWESOME sketch by Jen Del Muro (Sketch For You To Try Challenge) for the layout of today's creation:

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Supplies:

Stamps: Kitty In Present E149, Medium Polka Dots N136, Three Line Border N128, "Happy Birthday" from All Occasion Sentiments Stamp Set TR16, Swirls and Curlies from Leaf Accents Stamp Set PF51 (DeNami Design)

Cardstock: White, Leaf Green, Magenta, Golden Tangerine (DeNami Design), Kraft (The Paper Cut)

Copic Sketch Markers

Quickie Glue Pen: (Sakura)

Glitter: Extra Fine Sparklets Glitter (DeNami Design)

Button: Tutti Fruitti Boutique Buttons (DeNami Design)

Punch: Apron Lace Border Punch (Fiskars)

Dies: Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Embroidery Floss: White (Janlynn)

An Apple A Day...

2011-09-14T04:00:00.008-06:00

Hi there! It's Product Spotlight day at DeNami Design, and today we're featuring the Small Apple! I LOVE this image! It's the ideal size to color or paper piece! And it's so perfect for teacher gifts and autumn-themed projects!

You're probably thinking...there she goes again with that paper piecing...but I couldn't resist!!! A gingham apple...c'mon...so cute!!! And, do you like the apple background panel??? I handstamped that using the solid and outline apples from the Apples and Pears Stamp Set! It was really fun and I LOVE the results!

Thanks for stopping by today! Be sure to head on over to the DeNami Design Blog to check out what my fellow DT gals and our Guest Designer, Emily, have created!

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Supplies:
Stamps: Small Apple D137, Apples and Pears Stamp Set PF31 (DeNami Design)
Ink: Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko), Squash (Amuse), Grass (Amuse), Rhubarb Stalk Memento (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Kraft (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Papers: Lost and Found Two: Rosy (My Mind's Eye), Chiffon Journal (Bo Bunny), Dots and Stripes (Echo Park)
Punch: Round Binding Edge Border Punch (EK Success), Fancy Square (McGill)
Quickie Glue Pen: (Sakura)
Ribbon: Red Grosgrain (DeNami Design)
Button: Espresso Boutique Buttons (DeNami Design)
Rustic Twine: (Papertrey Ink)
Adhesive Tape Runner: (Therm-o-web)
Pop Dots: (All Night Media)
Zots: (Therm-o-web)

One Layer Baby Card

2011-09-13T18:02:00.000-06:00

Hi there! A super quick post to share a one-layer card that I made for the most recent One-Layer Wednesday Challenge! The theme was baby cards! I inked up some of my favorite DeNami Design stamps, and here's what I came up with:

Thanks for stopping by!

Tasty Treats Blog Hop!

2011-09-11T07:00:00.002-06:00

Hello there and welcome to your next stop on the Tasty Treats Blog Hop!!! If you're on track you've arrived here from Jennifer Lobdell's fabulous blog! If not...no worries...just click HERE to start at the beginning!

Since Halloween is right around the corner, I decided to create a sweet little tasty treats package!

Did you know that DeNami Design carries a great selection of "Gifts and Favors Templates"? I created this package using their new "Small Pillow Box" template! It was SUPER EASY! The templates come pre-printed on white cardstock in packages of ten (or you can order a downloadable version). I just took the pre-printed template, flipped it over, and stamped my plaid pattern all over it. I cut on the solid lines, scored on the dotted lines and voila!...a cute little pillow box that can be filled with a Reese's Cup (my favorite) or various other Halloween treats! Then, I used some of my other DeNami goodies to decorate the box! Here's a closer look:

I LOVE that you can easily use this same pillow box template to create adorable packages for any occasion by simply changing up the color combos and stamped images you choose for decorating it! It's also the perfect size for holding a gift card!! I can't wait to make a bunch more of these for the upcoming holidays!!!

I hope you like my project and found lots of creative inspiration during today's hop! Be sure to leave a comment on my blog AND all of the other participants' blogs for a chance to win some AMAZING prizes!! You have until 11:59pm PST on September 12, 2011 to comment!

Now it's time to head on back to the DeNami Design Blog and let us know what you thought of the Tasty Treats Blog Hop!!! Thanks for joining us!!!

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Supplies:

Stamps: Three Line Border N128, Zig Zag Stitch Border N111, Medium Polka Dots N136, Friendly Bat D126, Happy Halloween F206 (DeNami Design)

Ink: Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko), Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko), Lavender Color Box (Clearsnap)

Copic Sketch Markers

Gifts and Favors Templates: Small Pillow Box (DeNami Design)

Cardstock: Charcoal, White, Black (DeNami Design), Purple (from my scraps stash)

Ribbon: Lime Grosgrain (DeNami Design)

Terrifically Tacky Tape: (Provo Craft)

Zots: (Therm-o-web)

Pop Dots: (All Night Media)

MOOchas Gracias

2011-09-07T11:53:00.000-06:00

***This is my second post for today. For the winners of my blog candy giveaway, please scroll down to my earlier post. Thanks!

Hello! Dropping by to share a card I made for the most recent CAS-ual Fridays Challenge! Their challenges always have a SUPER FUN twist to them and this one was no exception! In honor of International Literacy Day the challenge was to create a card using a BOOK as your inspiration and the color combo: black, white and red! CLEVER,right?!?!

I'm a licensed elementary school teacher and one of my favorite children's books is Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type! It's a HILARIOUS story, the illustrations are AWESOME, and kids LOVE IT!!

And here's my creation:

That DARLING cow is from the set, For All It's Worth, by Market Street Stamps!! I JUST LOVE HER!!! I created the "note" using Smitty's ABCs (Lawn Fawn) and then tacked it up to the woodgrain embossed (Tim Holtz) panel with a little thumbtack image from Just My Type (Lawn Fawn)! The patterned papers are from Echo Park!

SIDE NOTE: My husband turned in his application for tenure at the university. Now we just have to wait until April for the committee to announce their decision. Keep your fingers (and toes) crossed for us! He's been working REALLY hard, so I wanted to do something special for him to celebrate this first hurdle. I made him his favorite dinner, chicken marsala with mashed potatoes and peas. And we opened a bottle of almond champagne that our sweet friends from San Diego had given to us in anticipation of this occasion.

Thanks for stopping by!

Giveaway Winners!!!

2011-09-07T11:06:00.000-06:00

Hey there! It's September 7th and as promised here are the winners of my BLOG CANDY GIVEAWAY!!!

Prize Package #1: Ornamental Vine G153 and Water Lily E150 goes to Lindsey Wood!

Prize Package #2: Three Houses H84 and Friendly Ghost E145 goes to Cyndi Stephenson!

Prize Package #3: Thanksgiving Chickies Stamp Set PF49 and Wheat Stalks D136 goes to Renee VanEpps!

Prize #4: Happy OWLidays Scene M75 goes to Billie Dee!

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Please send your snail mail info to me at petrellas@hotmail.com and I'll send your goodies to you!!! YAY!!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH to EVERYONE who entered my giveaway! It was lots of fun reading about what each of you loves most about this hobby! And a WARM WELCOME to my new followers! I am working on making my rounds to visit each of your blogs and see what you've been creating!!!

I'll be back later today with a card for the most recent CAS-ual Fridays Challenge!!!

See you then!

Stomping by...

2011-09-05T04:00:00.006-06:00

to say "hi!" It's time for a brand new challenge at DeNami Design! This time around it's a theme challenge!

DeNami Design has SO MANY ADORABLE animal stamps! I decided to ink up the UBER CUTE Safari Animals Stamp Set for my focal point!

And here's a close-up:

I hope you like my card and are inspired to play along with this super FUN challenge! Visit the DeNami Design Blog for more yummy eye candy from my fellow DT gals and our fabulous Guest Designer!

I can't wait to see your animal themed creations!!! Happy stamping!!

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Supplies:

Stamps: Safari Animals Stamp Set TR29, Bamboo Shoot K49, Medium Polka Dots N136, Stomping By E142 (DeNami Design)

Ink: Tea Leaves VersaMagic (Tsukineko), Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko), VersaMark (Tsukineko), Timber Brown StazOn (Tsukineko)

Copic Sketch Markers

Cardstock: Cream (DeNami Design), Fine Linen, Harvest Gold, and Spring Moss (Papertrey Ink)

Button: Espresso Boutique Buttons (DeNami Design)

Rustic Twine: (Papertrey Ink)

Adhesive Tape Runner: (Therm-o-web)

Glue Dots

Pop Dots: (All Night Media)

Tuesday Morning Sketches 109

2011-09-02T08:00:00.003-06:00

Happy Friday! Just popping in really quickly to share a card I made for the most recent Tuesday Morning Sketches challenge!

Here's the SUPER FUN sketch:

And here's my take using the DARLING little owl image from Critters in the Forest (Lawn Fawn) and some yummy FALL-themed papers by Imaginisce!

I just LOVE this color combo---a hip and trendy spin on the traditional Autumn color palette!

Do you have anything FUN planned for the holiday weekend?!?! I hope you have a chance to relax, unwind, and do something you truly enjoy!!! My husband's university actually has class on Monday, so it's just a normal weekend for us. A visit to the farmers' market and a GOOD hike are definitely on our agenda!! Looking forward to it!!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to enter for a chance to win my BLOG CANDY GIVEAWAY!!! Click HERE for all of the details!

Hey Chickie!

2011-09-01T11:27:00.000-06:00

Hey there! I had some time to get inky yesterday, so I created another entry for the Paper Smooches SPARKS Challenge!!!

Here's the inspiration photo:

And here's my creation:

I LOVE that little birdie from Chubby Chums!! Isn't she ADORABLE?? And of course I just HAD to paper piece her!

I embossed some kraft cardstock with a woodgrain embossing folder, cut it into strips and attached the strips to a piece of woodgrain patterned paper to "build" a little birdhouse! FUN! Then I die cut some circles and added some raffia and my paper pieced birdie inside!

Have you played along in the SPARKS Challenge yet?? Head on over to the Paper Smooches Blog for all of the details!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

***REMINDER***

Don't forget to enter my BLOG CANDY GIVEAWAY!!! Click HERE for the deets!

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Supplies:

Stamps: Chubby Chums (Paper Smooches)

Ink: Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko)

Cardstock: Stampers' Select White, Harvest Gold, Kraft (Papertrey Ink)

Patterned Paper: Indie Bloom (Basic Grey), Picket Fence (Lily Bee Design)

Quickie Glue Pen: (Sakura)

Embossing Folder: Woodgrain (Tim Holtz)

Circle Nestabilities: (Spellbinders)

Ribbon: (DeNami Design)

Rustic Twine: (Papertrey Ink)

Raffia: (from a package I received in the mail)

BOO!

2011-08-31T14:32:00.000-06:00

I have A BUNCH of stickers in my craft studio that have been neglected for WAAYYYYY TOO LONG! So, the most recent challenge at CAS-ual Fridays was the perfect opportunity to bust into the stash and put some of those stickers to work!

The temperatures are starting to cool off here in the mountains (especially in the evenings) and the aspen leaves are just beginning to turn. So, I've got Halloween on the brain (not to mention some serious cravings for Reese cups...mmmmmm!)

The spider web is a sticker that I believe was part of some blog candy that I won from my sweet friend, Paulina, well over a year ago!!! SOOOOO happy that this challenge forced me to give stickers another try!!!

So...what do you think?

There's still time to play along in CAS-ual Fridays Challenge 17! The challenge ends tonight (Aug 31st) at 11:59PM EST! Click HERE for all of the details and for LOTS of inspiration from their DT and the other participants!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

****REMINDER****

Don't forget to enter for a chance to win my BLOG CANDY! Click HERE for the deets!!!

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Supplies:

Stamps: spider and BOO! from Halloween Stamp Set PF36 (DeNami Design), paperclip from Just My Type (Lawn Fawn)

Ink: Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko), Habanero Versafine (Tsukineko), Chamomile (Papertrey Ink)

Cardstock: Stampers' Select White and Fine Linen (Papertrey Ink), Gray (from my scraps stash)

Patterned Paper: Text-Style Halloween Prints (Papertrey Ink), Basics White Paper Pad (Basic Grey)

Sticker: web from "Spellbound" Line Art Stickers (Making Memories)

Punch: Round Binding Edge Edger Punch (EK Success)

Embroidery Floss: Black (Janlynn)

Black Copic Multiliner

Quickie Glue Pen: (Sakura)

Adhesiver Tape Runner: (Therm-o-web)

Pop Dots: (All Night Media)

Glue Dots

Summer Recap

2011-08-27T14:00:00.004-06:00

Hey there! It's hard to believe that summer is just about over. I have to admit though that I LOVE Autumn, so I'm getting anxious for the chilly weather; the turning of the leaves; Steeler...I mean, football season; comfort foods like soups and casseroles; and all of the festiveness of Fall!

Today I thought I'd share some photos---kind of a recap of what the Petrellas have been up to this summer. Here goes:

In May we traveled to Santa Fe, NM. During that trip we hiked Santa Fe Baldy (13 miles round trip, but worth every step).

We also camped at Great Sand Dunes National Park. This was our first time visiting the dunes, and it was AMAZING!

We trecked all over the dunes. I think the above photo puts the size of the dunes into better perspective.

In June we went to Aalborg, Denmark.

In early July we discovered that the high mountain trails were still covered in snow.

Also in July, our friends from San Diego came to visit and we went on a long weekend adventure to Steamboat Springs.

And now that the trails are pretty much clear, we've been hiking every chance we get!

Crystal Lake:

North Table Mountain:

Diamond Lake:

Chasm Lake:

It's been a busy and fun-filled summer, and I can't wait to see what adventures our future holds!!! Before I go I have to share one final photo of Oliver James (this is his way of enjoying the great outdoors)! HA!

I know this was a long post, so thank you for sticking with me and allowing me the opportunity to share some of my other passions (traveling, hiking, spending time with my husband/friends/cat, and enjoying this GORGEOUS and AMAZING world we live in)!

Hope you are spending your weekend doing something you LOVE!