I LOVE Dies!!!!

Hi Again!

Sooo....let's talk about dies. Do you use them? Do you love them? Do you know what they are? Just in case you are new to the world of dies they are thin metal that are in a specific shape and when you run them through a die cutting machine (like a Big Kick, Cuttlebug, or Vagabond) with paper under the die the metal die cuts out the image. You will see what I am talking about in the picture of the card because the bench that I use on the card is a die that I have.

I do own a Silhouette Cameo and I like it although I am still learning how to use it so I may grow to love it but the jury is still out on that. I do know that I LOVE dies, they are beautiful, quick, and easy to use!!! My collection keeps growing and growing and growing and I look forward to growing it even more! If you haven't used dies before I implore you to give them a try I would be surprised if you don't end up loving them too. Oh and did I mention they cut through several different types of material? Cardstock, felt, vinyl and others.

For this card I used two different dies. The white bench (I wish I had taken a picture of it so you could better see the intricacy of the bench) and the grass at the bottom. I colored the sky with distress ink in Tumbled Glass and China Blue. I colored the bottom with Mowed Lawn. I went over the die cut out of grass with a Wink of Stella brush pen in light green. The sentiment stamp is from Technique Tuesday and I embossed it using white embossing powder over Versa Mark ink. I colored the image with Copic markers, used a white pen to color in the whites of her eyes and then added Glossy Accents to her eyes and lips as well to make them shiny.

As I was gathering information for the writing of this entry I came across a give away. One that will allow you a chance to enter and allow me a chance to gain extra entries as well! Click here and it will take you to the site so you can enter to win. Good luck!!!

All the items I used to create this card I purchased from Scrapping For Less. If you are in the market for the most current cardmaking, paper crafting, or scrapbooking products I promise you will have a hard time finding better prices or products anywhere else!

Thank you so much for joining me today, have a wonderful weekend!!!

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :)

The Best Mistake We Ever Made!!!

Our dog Cookie

 In my description on this blog and every other social media outlet I am on I mention my dog Cookie. I figure I am well overdue in introducing her on here since she is such a major part of my life. So here she is! She is currently eight years old and will be nine on St. Patrick's Day.

Now my hubby and I constantly refer to her as "the best mistake we ever made" and here is why. Jamie and I had gone out to dinner to Red Lobster and I ordered one of their huge lobsterita drinks (oh and I'm a light weight like a full beer in and I'm ready for bed) and I finished mine all by myself so I was quite giggly. My husband was driving us home when we somehow got to talking about puppies and the pet store (yes, I know go ahead and gasp, we both hate to admit this) in the mall. Next thing I know we are pulling a u-turn and heading for the mall. This is how we met Cookie. She was the cutest little bundle of fur and when we were playing with her she kept untying Jamie's shoe laces.

We were smitten and everybody who worked there got in line to hug her goodbye and they were all so sad but glad she was getting a good home. Ever since we have blamed our decision to buy a dog from a pet store on my lobsterita. Turns out she has been the sweetest dog we have ever known! One of her favorite things to do is have my husband pick her up and hold her on her back like a baby. She has been known to fall asleep like this. Another absolutely endearing thing she does is when you are holding her she will bury her head against your chest. It is just so sweet, one of her veterinarians was so smitten with her I was a little relieved when he gave her back to me.

I don't know what it is about dogs that is so entertaining but this little gal takes the cake! After she eats her breakfast or dinner she will often be found squirming around on her back making the kind of noises I associate with a great massage or really delicious food. It is hilarious! She also likes to get e

very single toy she has and put them in a circle (as well a dog can form a circle anyway) and then lay in the middle of them.

She likes to curl up in the crook of your legs if you are laying down on the couch

She loves so many things and I do mean LOVES! She loves her crate and often times if she isn't right with us or in her little beds (yes beds we have them all around the house because she likes to be close to us no matter what we are doing) she is in her crate. She is so easily excitable as well. She is excited every morning when we let her out of her crate to go out, she is excited every evening when we say "go to bed" and she runs into her crate (and if she thinks you weren't looking she will leave her crate and go back in making sure that you are watching) so excited for bedtime. She excitedly runs to the mailbox to sniff the pole and then when you call her back into the house she runs like the wind (sooo flippin funny to see!)

She alone has brought us so much joy and taught us that bottom line, we should all just be excited for each new day!

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :)

Valentine Series 2016 #5

Hello Everyone!!!

I bring a new cutie your way today and he was as much fun to color as he was to use on a card! While I was coloring this image I was thinking about musicians and how they have a reputation for people popular with the ladies. I find that to be true for me too...but to an extent. There are certain instruments that I find more attractive than others for example a saxophone is hot as is a guitar or even a piano but...the bongos? Bongos just don't do it for me. This image while not sexy in any way is stinkin' adorable!

Ingredients: 

• card base from my stash
• "lover boy" background paper from DCWV scrapbook kit in a stack Love & Wedding
• grid paper from my stash (I think it was from a collection called Lost & Found from My Mind's Eye but not 100%)
• image from La La Land Crafts Saxophone Luka
• I cut out the wonky frame with My Favorite Things Blueprint 15
• the wooden LOVE is from my stash and I used Smooches to color the wood
• I had also used Smooches to color accents on the saxophone
• I colored in the hearts with clear Wink of Stella to add some shimmer
• Glossy Accents on his eyes 

Everything I used to make this card can be purchased from Scrapping For Less (keep in mind all items depend on availability such as paper packs etc.)

Valentine Series 2016 Card #3

Happy Hump Day!!! 

 When I was a kid but old enough that Valentine's Day at school did not include bringing the little cards with a sucker attached to them for everyone in your class I wanted a real Valentine. I had fantasies of being the girl in school who instead of getting one of the candy grams that were being pushed by the cheerleaders I would get a real gift. I would be in the middle of a really boring class (preferably science or math, I loved english) and the office secretary would loudly stumble in interrupting the class so that all eyes were on her and her arms full of a dozen red roses, a box of heart shaped chocolates (the ones that taste terrible but it's the thought right?) and the cutest stuffed teddy bear holding an "I Love You" heart. As all the girls were holding their breath hoping that it was for them she would call my name and I would timidly raise my hand because I didn't have a boyfriend but it would all be for me and the note would be sweet and charming and signed, "you're secret admirer."  

Yeah well, none of that ever happened. What did happen every year, every Valentine's Day no matter how much I kind of rolled my eyes and said things like "Mooom it's not a real Valentine's gift" my mom would come home with a card, chocolates, and usually a stuffed animal. The card would tell me what a great kid I was and how much I was loved and would be signed by my mom and dad. Not both names by my mom but each one would sign their own. I haven't thought about this in years! Looking back on it I always loved it and it made me feel special. Looking back now I am super grateful that they did this for me. 

Long road to say that I think it is important to let the people you love know they are important to you not just your girlfriend, boyfriend or spouse. So I like to make Valentine's cards that don't necessarily scream about love and being mine forever but are just cute and a great way to say "I am thinking about you, I love you and hope you have a Happy Valentine's Day!" 

Today's card is just that type of card. I am a coffee lover and it was so much fun coloring this image, using the coffee cup paper, and even the embellishment. I will probably give this to a fellow coffee lover so that they know I love coffee but I love them more (at least after my first cup of coffee when I can think straight).  

Ingredients:

• Latte Anya stamp from The Greeting Farm (sorry couldn't find it on their site to link to it)
• paper is from my stash
• Hello sentiment is a dienamic die from My Favorite Things
• the sprinkles are from Doodlebug Designs as is the little coffee cup
• I used glossy accents on the button on the hat and her boots

Well I appreciate you stopping by and I sure hope someone makes you feel special this Valentine's Day! 

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,

Kim  :)