Our App Is Up!!!!

 I am so excited to FINALLY get to share this information!!! An app I have wanted for quite some time now exists and what do we want to do with the apps we love? SHARE THEM!!!

The Fast Facts:

• App name is Organize My Dies
• it's FREE
• available on iTunes App Store and on Google Play  
• works on iPhone and Android

What It Does:

• a convenient system that allows you to organize the dies you own, create a wish list for the dies you want and NEVER buy a duplicate die again! (I never thought it would happen to me either...and then it did) 

There will be updates coming in the future as we add more companies and more features and of course fix anything that needs fixing as there is always something that can be tweaked or improved upon.

What The Heck is a Die?:

• A die is a sharp, thin metal piece that cuts through paper and other materials when rolled through a die cutting machine (like a Big Kick, Cuttlebug, or Vagabond) thus creating whatever shape the die makes. (Think hearts, stars, flowers, circles etc.)  

In the world of card making, scrapbooking, and paper crafting they are very handy tools in creating whatever project you may be working on. Below is a picture of some of the dies I own.

my pile o' dies

my die machine

BACKSTORY:

  Over the last several years my collection of metal dies has been growing and with new releases coming every month it continues to grow. A few different scenarios kept coming up for me. I would be in a store and would walk up on a clearance sale and ended up not buying any of the dies that were at an AMAZING price because I didn't know off the top of my head what I already owned (and these clearanced items couldn't be returned). Not a life changing moment I will agree but frustrating nonetheless.  OR
I would be at a friends' house and we would be talking about a card series we wanted to do together and brainstorming, sharing ideas for cards and then the last step was to compare what we both owned and what we would need to share because only one of us owned said item. This conversation got put on hold until I could physically be at my house to check my stash. Again, not the end of the world I know, however if any of you have experienced that connection when an idea is coming together and you are feeding off of each others' ideas and then it all comes to a halt for whatever reason and you try to pick up later where you left off and it is NEVER the same energy...that frustrates me to no end!!!

After having this happen over and over for the last several years I thought "how great would it be if there was an app that I could carry with me on my phone (which I take with me everywhere like it's a body part -go ahead judge me) that I could check any time I needed to see what is in my stash and then I don't have to worry about buying duplicates or my inability to keep a running catalog in my mind of everything I own?" Well I thought it would be STINKING FANTASTIC but alas no apps of that sort existed. And then, light bulb moment,  I don't know how to build an app but my husband was currently in school becoming a software developer and mobile app developing was one of the skills he was in the processing of acquiring.

So I waited, and waited, and I am not a patient person, but I waited. Then the moment arrived when he was able to think about doing his own project and that is when I presented my idea one evening in between our TV time hanging out on the couch together. I thought he was just humoring me since I got the "I'll think about it" so we went back to TV time. We didn't make it through a full 30 minute episode before he was pausing the show to ask more questions about my idea and what exactly I was looking for and then I knew...he's gonna build it!

And now here it is! Ready to use, ready to share, ready to talk about and I am so excited because it will solve a problem for me and I cannot be the ONLY person who has experienced this frustration will the cataloging of my dies. The bonus of it all is that my husband created the app and I am over the moon proud of him!!! This app fills my heart with joy as I add my dies and I can filter by company name or die name it has even begun to make my blogging easier!

Thank you so much for listening and please check out the app if it would be a help to you and your creative needs. Feedback is absolutely welcome and desired so please if you are willing to leave a comment and a rating.

Wishing you Sunshine, Smiles & Cards,
Kim :)

April Showers:Dragonfly Journeys Challenge # 52

Hi and welcome!

Today is April 15th and I am wondering who out there at least in the United States is frantically getting their taxes together or filing for an extension. I am also thinking about how grateful I am to the creators of TurboTax and that my husband is so willing to do our taxes. Doing the taxes falls under the category of "I know HOW to do them but thanks be to GOD that I don't have to do them!

Anyhoo....(yes I know that's not a real word) back to the reason I am here. April! As I write this post I am looking out my front window at a tree across the street that is just beginning to get little vibrantly pink flowers on it and this is what happens in April. Those flowers will become more and more beautiful and abundant as we move into May. This brings me to the challenge I am entering over at Dragonfly Journeys, #52 the theme: April Showers/Umbrellas/Rain.

I went with umbrellas, the image I used is from The Greeting Farm and the little umbrellas paper is from a 6x6 pad I have in my stash. The letters I used to spell out spring was from a Doodlebug Design Icons sheet. I used Wink of Stella in yellow to bling up the buttons and in clear to bling up her boots and the umbrella. I also used Glossy Accents and added it to her eyes, the buttons, her boots, and the umbrella. I wish the photo would have picked up how shiny this makes the items look.

It's not too late for you to join as well! What a great way to unwind from the work week right?
Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :) 

Scrapbook Blessings Club Monthly Challenge: April

Hi! Today I am entering a challenge from Scrapbook Blessings Club for April. This type of challenge is a great way to give your creativity a direction especially if you find yourself a little stumped for what to do next. The challenges I have been participating in have truly made an impact on how often I am creating. Sometimes with too many choices I get overwhelmed and then don't do anything but with the help of the challenges I have some direction. I love that the challenge for this month is to make a card or a layout with a BIRTHDAY THEME, you can never have too many birthday cards!

Supplies:

• image is C.C. Designs "Birthday Twila"
• the background paper is Birthday Extravaganza with Glitter from The Paper Studio
• sequins are from my stash
• ribbon is from my stash (which I have had for over three years now-gasp!)
• colored image with Copic Sketch markers
• used Wink of Stella in clear to add some sparkle
• used Glossy Accents on her shoes
• used Signo White Pen to create the polka dots on her bows and dress

This challenge has a bit of a twist as they aren't asking you to link it up to their blog but add it to their FaceBook group which I think is a great idea and a fun way to let friends and family possibly see your creation as well if you choose to share it with them. The challenge doesn't end until the end of the month so you have plenty of time to play along, so go get your creativity on!!! You can click on Scrapbook Blessings Club and you will be taken to their FaceBook group to enter.

Thank you so much for joining me today and I invite you to come back whenever you can!

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :)

Fruits!!!

Welcome!

The other day I pulled into my driveway and was getting ready to bring the groceries inside when I looked over to our pineapple plant and realized we had a flower growing out of the top. Now that flower will become a pineapple (I have no idea how much longer hat will take though). I am always surprised how happy it makes me to see these things happening before my eyes. A few days after I discovered that  the pineapple was making progress I was in my office (still haven't come up with a clever name for it) I looked out the window that faces the backyard and realized that the flower on the banana tree had bloomed and there is a bunch of bananas coming in!

Watching these fruits come to fruition (ha ha ha) I am made aware of how much goes in to growing food for all of us to consume. Every week I buy bananas, strawberries, and veggies and often don't think about all that goes into getting that wonderful food from seed to my table. The pineapple could easily take another year before it is ready to be picked and eaten. The bananas that I discovered the beginning of April will not be ready to be taken until around the 4th of July! When I think about this the enormity of what it means to feed people consistently truly hits me and I am so grateful for growers, farmers etc. 

Right now I think it looks like a pine cone growing out of the center, looks so exotic!

These are called Ice Cream Social because they are so small and sweet, unlike the store bought bananas these are best when the skin is mostly black...

So beautiful AND edible, just amazing! Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :)

Glitter N' Sparkle Challenge #182

Hello!

Hope you are having a relaxing and inspiration filled Sunday. Today's post is a bit of an unexpected bonus because of the challenge in the title. It closed in the wee hours of the morning and I didn't want to miss out on getting it entered. I am stepping into the challenge world and in doing so have had so much fun this last week! PLUS I made more cards than I typically make as well!

I am still getting the hang of my timing and was disappointed when I realized that just a few hours after I get this up the challenge will be closing. That being said...who knows maybe by reading this post you too will find out about Glitter N' Sparkle and their challenges thus increasing your fun too and then my mission is still complete. (I'm a creative optimist!) The link will take you straight to this challenge where you will also find their current challenge so you can join in the fun.

Here's my entry and I will include a supply list under the picture. As always all of my supplies were purchased from Scrapping For Less, head on over there for great prices on new products!!!

 Supplies:

• image is from The Greeting Farm "Anya Celebrates"
• stamped image on a tag cut with MFT Traditional Tags STAX
• paper used is from Echo Park Lori Whitlock "Sweet Girl" collection
• little tag is from La La Land Crafts "Stitched Elements" 
• sentiment is from Amy R stamps "HB2U" 
• stamped the sentiment with Versa Mark ink 
• embossed with Wow White embossing powder
• colored with Copic Sketch markers
• used Wink of Stella in clear to color the bow on the package
• used Glossy Accents on her eyes, barrette, shoes, and heart on the package
• used a yellow sprinkle from Doodlebug Designs summer glitter assortment
• border punch from Martha Stewart 
• stamped the inside of the card with MFT hybrid ink in Bubblegum

Thank you for taking the time to stop by!

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :)

PP289 The Paper Players Western Challenge

Howdy Y'all!

I am so excited to participate in the challenge over at The Paper Players! The theme is western and it gave me the opportunity to use a little gal from La La Land Crafts "Cowgirl Marci". (I've owned this stamp for over a year and this is the first time I've used her, hangs head in shame.) So here is my girl and the supplies I used to get her all gussied up. (I couldn't help myself.)

Supplies: (all supplies purchased from Scrapping For Less)

• Cowgirl Marci from La La Land Crafts
• colored with Copic sketch markers
• Spell Binders die Labels One on patterned paper
• circle created with Martha Stewart circle maker
• Avery Elle dotted die for the flag sentiment
• cardstock and patterned paper is from my stash
• little flowers are from Prima "Debutante" collection
• used MFT Hybrid Ink pad in Red Hot to stamp the inside of the card 
• added Wink of Stella to her kerchief, belt buckle, and boots
• added Glossy Accents to her eyes, lips, and belt buckle

You still have time to get in on the challenge, click here to enter, challenges are being accepts until Friday April 8th at NOON (PST). Head on over, check out the rules, and whip something up. Good luck!
Thank you so much for stopping by have a great weekend!

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :)

 

Extending Easter 2016

Happy Belated Easter!

I hope you spent the day exactly where you wanted to be. Whether it was at church, at an Easter egg hunt, at a family dinner or all of the above, wherever you spent it I hope it was where you wanted to be! I had big plans for Easter cards this year, I wanted to do a series and make several cards using several stamps that I haven't gotten to use (I bought a few of them over two years ago!) but alas that was not to be. I promise all I did was go outside and hose down our front porch because we had company coming over and it hadn't been done since before last summer. I started sneezing that afternoon and two days after although I never ran a fever or anything I felt poopy!

Turns out that here in Florida we have an excess of pollen, our car even seems to keep a dusting of yellow on it and I am figuring that was the culprit. It was weird because I felt bad enough to not want to do anything but good enough that not doing anything was driving me crazy! I did end up making a couple of Easter cards finally, one of them using my Silhouette Cameo but I forgot to take a picture of that one and it would figure that one was the only one I mailed.

I do have one to share with you though, this image is so sweet and it reminds me of when I was little and participated in egg hunts. The stamp itself is from Stampendous and the image created by Mo Manning, she has an incredible talent for drawing people especially children.

Supplies:

• background paper is from my stash
• image from Stampendous
• washi tape from Echo Park (sorry can't remember the name)
• colored with Copic markers
• added a little shimmer with clear Wink of Stella pen
• covered shoes with Glossy Accents
• sentiment is a clear stamp from my stash
• colored the eggs with Smooch accent ink

 I hope you enjoy this card. Thank you for stopping by and please come back soon!

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :)

Revising 2016's Goals Already?

Hello! I hope you are having a fine day!!!

As I write this the world is only three days into the month of April and I am re-evaluating the goals I have set forth for myself in this year. Why? Well, I was looking at my goals (I realized I had written them down for a post but not for myself where I could see them easily) and I realized that there are a few things on my goals list that I have already abandoned. At least for the time being.

So today I am going to go through each goal, decide whether or not to keep pursuing that goal or to let it go and why.

-Meet step goal 5 days a week-KEEP

-Keep food diary-KEEP

-Do something active each weekend-LET IT GO: living in FL I am finding that the heat is unbearable! Also I do not enjoy hiking in the heat so that is off the table as far as I am concerned. I would rather walk my own neighborhood early in the mornings so that it is still cool out and I can see a lot of flowers. (Not many flowers on the hikes in Florida anyway.)

-Blog Consistently-KEEP

-Be Consistent with skin care routine-KEEP

-Learn how to make intros for videos with iMovie and Windows movie maker-Keep

-Learn how to edit videos and add music-KEEP with caveat, I also want to learn how to voice over on top of a video because I am moving toward making card making videos.

-Read more-KEEP

-Make card videos-KEEP

-Put extra cards up on FaceBook-KEEP

-See and visit more places in FL-KEEP

-Stick to cardmaking schedule-KEEP

I am surprised I didn't realize that I would not be removing more than one of my goals. I was thinking that I would be removing both the goals about learning how to use video editing software and adding music to videos but in reviewing it I realize that because I want to create card making videos I still need those skills as well. (My friend and I had been talking about starting a YouTube channel and doing videos together but that has been put on the back burner as we focus on other goals we wish to master first.)

I admit this is not a rather exciting post but I as I looked at my goals and thought that I had abandoned several of them I thought it was important to review my goals and re-evaluate their worth. If you have set your goals for the year it might be a good idea to review where you are in pursuing those goals or if like me one or two should be removed. Hope this helps!

Thank you for stopping by and please come and visit again soon!

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :)