October 28, 2013

A BD celebration and a review

Hi there:) Did you know that this past week was Casual Fridays Stamps one year BIRTHDAY? Yep, and I created a few simple cards to celebrate. One is a birthday card of course, the other is a Thanksgiving card. 
I used Amber Waves for the Thanksgiving card above. It's such a beautiful set. *happy sigh*  

This one uses Zigs & Zags for the card base, Mums The Word for the main panel and a tiny leaf image from Casual Elegance

No big fancy bows, no ribbon or buttons. Just a tiny piece of hemp for a bow on the wheat stalks of the first card and 3 tiny drops of pearl pen on the flower centers of the second card. 

Be sure to check out the CasualFridaysStamps blog every few days because you never know what kind of goodness might be posted there:) Sometimes it's fabulous samples from the DT, other times it's a coupon or a sale spectacular for stamps and dies! 

Now for a review: 
A while ago I was contacted by Vanessa of YesComUSA. She offered to send me some photography equipment of my choice if I would give an honest review on my blog after receiving it. I frequently get asked to review products by companies but I usually decline because they have nothing to do with the things I like to blog about (papercrafts/food/homedecor)! 
This however, was an opportunity to provide insight on the best studio light tents. We all want to take great photos of our cards and crafts, right? I get asked all the time how I take such good pictures, but I knew that could be improved upon.
After choosing this Pop up Photography light tent, it was mailed to me.
When I received it, the first thing I noticed was how well it was packed! This was not cheaply made and tossed into a box with some bubble wrap. Each item was individually boxed and everything was snugly packed. 

The actual light tent comes in a nice zippered carrying pouch, and came with four different colored background screens all with Velcro tabs that are easily interchangeable, two heavy duty light tripods with two light reflectors and two 26W daylight bulbs, and a strong aluminum and steel camera tripod. What a deal!
Right away I set it all up and LOVED how the large light tent was made with strong yet flexible nylon material. I chose the white BG panel first but because of how it was folded, the wrinkle lines showed when I took a photo.
I decided to wet it and hang it to dry to see of that would get rid of the creases. It didn't:(
I contacted Vanessa to ask if I could iron it and she replied right away saying she wasn't sure but she would find out. Long story short, I ended up laying a towel over it and then ironing it and the creases were gone! *yay*

Now, let me show you what a difference it makes when I take pictures...
First, the photos below are COMPLETELY un-edited except for cropping. 
That's it. 
*cross my heart*
This first one is how I normally take my pictures. In a south facing picture window in my front room with no additional lights, using two pieces of cardstock for a backdrop. I can get nice light provided the photo is taken during the day. If I have to take a picture at night, forget it! *grumble*
(I always have to edit my pictures in Photoshop to get the quality I prefer.)

This second one is how the same card looked when taken inside the studio tent. I used the tripod lights, the tripod for my camera, and took this photo at NIGHT!! *squeal*
 You can see the difference immediately. 
(Again, this photo has only been cropped, not edited in any other way.)
Honestly, if I were in a hurry, this photo would be perfectly acceptable to me to insert in a blog post. Because I had time, I did end up editing it a bit, as you can see in the top photo of the post:)

This was before I ironed the background panel, so you can see the crease lines in the backdrop, but I wanted to show you how big this tent is! It folds up nice and small though for storage:)
In short, if you are looking to take better photos, this Pop Up Photography Light Studio Tent Kit is a must have. I would not endorse something that didn't work for me, rest assured:)
I'm just so excited that I can take photos at night now! This makes my life easier for sure. 
If you don't want such a big one, they also carry other sizes (bigger AND smaller) for all your picture taking needs. And their customer service was fast and very nice to work with when I wanted to know if I could iron the nylon/velour backdrop panel. 

Thanks for stopping by,
Have a great day!

October 23, 2013

Boo!

Hi there. 
Halloween stamps are some of my very favorite to work with! There is just something so magical, fun and mysterious about them:)
The Denami DT is showcasing this adorable (but mischievous) Halloween Kitty because it is on sale all week for 10% off!


I had lots of fun creating this card!
After coloring and cutting the brushed pumpkin and small jack o lantern out, I stamped the witch hat from the Trick or Treat set and cut a slit so it would fit over the Halloween Kitty's ears:) Fussy cutting that kitty's whiskers was not exactly fun, but I managed anyway *grin*.



 I layered my images into a scene with pop dots and added the grass border to ground it and the sentiment from the Halloween Stamp Set. The BG paper is from Basic Grey, the fence die is PTI, and the twine and button pulled it all together!

Denami supplies used:

If you would like a chance to WIN this darling Halloween Kitty stamp, peruse through this mini hop of the Denami DT and leave a comment for each of us. There will be one winner based on all the comments, so don't skip anyone:)

Dana Seymour  <====you are here


Thanks for stopping by, and good luck!
XOXO

October 13, 2013

I love Halloween!


I'm so excited to be a part of this month's blog hop with Denami
You all know how much I love Halloween stamps in general, and Denami has some really fun ones
I decided to make cute tags and toppers for some goodies at my son's school. I made tons of each, but just wanted to show you a sampling. 

Did you just come from my stupendous pal Amy's blog? That girl can not only put a smile on anyone's face, but she is kind, talented, has a beautiful voice, and is funny to boot! (And although I shouldn't be spilling the beans, she gave me a special sneak peek of her blog hop card and I fell in LOVE!) Isn't she a creative genius too?!

For a full list of participants, check out the Denami Blog.


Halloween S'mores kits with toppers. 


Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treats cut out with cookie cutters in leaf, acorn, and pumpkin shapes (Acorn and pumpkin not shown), drizzled with white chocolateRecipe here. Stamps used: Autumn Stamp Set.

Candy corn flower cookies. Recipe adapted from here (I used a homemade sugar cookie and frosting recipe) Stamps used: Happy Halloween, Garden Accents set.

My card above uses the Halloween Chickie Scene, A grey colored washi tape very similar to this, twine, and rhinestones

Your next stop on the hop is the incredible Tina! Not only is she sweet and creative, but she is Denami Design's biggest fan (IMHO). Have you SEEN her collection of Denami stamps? Holey Moses. Seriously, go check out what she has done for this hop. You will not be disappointed! 

If you are interested in winning one of two $20 GC to use on anything in the Denami store, be sure to leave a comment on each stop along the way!

Thanks for hopping by, hope you are inspired!
XOXO

October 10, 2013

Funky Square Tags FriDies...



Okay, ONE last sneak peek before the full reveal tonight! *squeal*
Introducing Funky Square Tags

This die set is similar to yesterday's in that it comes with a tag, a smaller "inside" tag, and a die that perfect fits the funky flower from Bold Wishes. The only difference is the flower image die and that the tags are square instead of round!

I chose to make placecard table setting tags for Thanksgiving. I die cut the outer tag on a folded sheet of cardstock, being sure to leave just a tiny bit of the fold uncut. Once opened, it stands up perfectly, even with a ribbon at the top:) Stamps used are from the new Amber Waves set that will be released tonight at midnight EST!!

Be sure to see what my fellow DT members did with this set at the CFS blog
Man, they are crazy talented that group! If you leave a comment you will be entered to win a stamp set or FriDie set of your choice!!

Thanks for stopping by today,
XOXO

October 09, 2013

Halloween spiderweb


 This is my second post of the day! Doesn't happen too often:) For my CFS sneak peek, scroll down.

The Denami DT is showcasing this fabulous Halloween Spider Web stamp because it's on sale all week for 10% off! I also used the Halloween stamp set to add one more spider and a few subtle BG images with Versamark ink. 

Be sure to stop by the Denami blog to see all the creative ways the DT used this stamp. You won't be disappointed. 

Thanks for stopping by,
XOXO

Funky Round Tags FriDies...


Hi all! Did you like yesterday's peek at the gorgeous Petal FriDies that will be released this week?
Well hold on to your hats because you are in for even more FriDie goodness!
Today's sneak peaks are of the new Funky Round Tags die set.


The set has two circles, one with a tag top and the other to fit inside. It also has an asterisk die to match the Exclamations stamp set! Woohoo!

I used both circle tag dies and the 8 Happy Nights set for my Hanukkah tags.
I used the asterisk die and Exclamations, Casual Elegance, Shenanigans, WTF, and Woot Woot for my card. 

Be sure to check out the CFS blog right now for lots of fun sneak peek samples by the DT!

Thanks for stopping by,
XOXO

October 08, 2013

Petal FriDies...


Its time for a sneak peek at one of the new die sets releasing at Casual Fridays Stamps!

I know this card is pretty CAS for me, but sometimes the product really does stand on it's own, ya know? These Petal FriDies are a perfect fit for the flowers in the Christmas Carols set, but can be so pretty all alone as well, no stamping needed. *shock* 

I die cut three white squares using both the small and large flower dies, then tore the edges for a "gritty" feel, popped out the white flowers and replaced them with new flower die-cuts in pretty colors. A white gel pen center finished it off after I heat embossed the sentiment.

Simple, easy to mass produce, and pretty no matter the colors.

Check out lots of other ideas from the DT at the CFS blog! And don't forget to comment for a chance to win!!

Thanks  for stopping by,
XOXO

October 07, 2013

Amber Waves...


I'm back with yet another Casual Fridays Stamps sneak peek at a GORGEOUS new stamp set called Amber Waves.
I could honestly ink this up forever. Beautiful sentiments, pretty images, and a few background stamps as well, all in ONE set!


This set can be used as simple or elegant, and it works either way.

Be sure to check out the CFS blog for lots of sneaks by the DT and leave a comment for a chance to win!!!

Thanks for stopping by,
XOXO

October 06, 2013

Spooky...


Woohoo! It's time for sneak peeks of the new Casual Fridays Stamps! Today we are showcasing the new set called SPOOKY! This set will release TONIGHT at 6 PM EST, so you have plenty of time to create your Halloween cards:)

Isn't that ghost so stinkin cute? Shhh, don't tell that he's not quite spooky:)

I also created a simple invite for a Halloween Party.

See the faint BG behind the Ghost? I LOVE that BG stamp!!!
And the cute sentiment too. Oh and the spider and web too! Gosh, I think I like this set *wink*

Go check out all the samples by the rest of the DT over on the Casual Fridays Stamps blog. And be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win too!!

This set will appeal to the kids in all of us:)

Thanks for stopping by,
XOXO

October 05, 2013

WCMD!


It's World Card Making Day!
I hope all of my paper-crafty friends have a chance to create a card or two today:)
I'm playing along with Denami today because I love this style of challenge!



And whatdaya know...my card's colors perfect match the WCMD graphic! Serendipity!
I went with Buttons, Green, and Stripes.
If you feel like joining in, choose a row, any row, in the challenge below and post it to your blog (being sure to link back to  the challenge on the Denami blog) for a chance to win a $40 GC to Denami!


Supplies used:


Happy World Card Making Day!
Thanks for stopping by,

October 04, 2013

Lifting you up!


Hey there!  How are things with you?
I'm going to share some personal stuff, so if you are only here for the details on the card above, scroll down!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bad things come in threes or so I've heard.
 Monday night, (in a moment of pure stupidity) I agreed to take my two boys and their two friends out for pizza/bowling/arcade games. It was insanity at it's best. But the real trouble came when I was trying to teach my youngest how to play Skee Ball and I whacked my fingernail so hard against the lane that a big, painful blood blister formed instantly underneath the center of my nail and I swore so loudly that everyone in the arcade stopped and stared at me. Yep. I blushed and apologized, while my 8 YO gaped at me with wide eyed horror. It still throbs even now. 
Then, Tuesday morning I get to work only to discover that I'm officially furloughed but considered "essential" and still required to work. *sigh* As a single mom, I can't continue this way for long and still pay my bills. This US government shutdown is frustrating to say the least. I don't mind doing my civic duty, but working for no pay just isn't cool man. Not cool at all. 
And the piece de resistance happened yesterday... a car smashed into me and messed up my front end considerably. I was behind someone at a stop sign, when suddenly they threw it into reverse and floored the gas! I was laying on my horn but it clearly didn't help. *grumble* 

So Universe, I'm good now. Be on your merry way and take your troubles elsewhere, please!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Did you see that all stamps and Fri-dies are on sale at Casual Fridays Stamps?


I love inking up multiple sentiments and making them work for one card. It's kind of a personal challenge sometimes:) After stamping the link style BG, I grabbed colorful inks for the focus panel and went to town. In retrospect, I wouldn't paper pierce the white panel, but I did and it's done, and I'm not changing it! The plum ribbon is May Arts,

Stamps used:

Oh, and don't forget that new release sneak peeks start October 6 on the Casual Fridays Stamps Blog! You won't want to miss your chance to win these awesome new goodies!!



Thanks for stopping by today, XOXO

October 02, 2013

Pinterest inspired


It's time for another Pin-Spired post with Denami. Look at this amazing bouquet found on Pinterest! So many colors and shapes and textures, right?


Clearly I based my card on the colors, but also on the specific shapes of the flowers as well. I love those tiny kraft colored cat-tails and the gold colored statice. And the green buttons pop right out!

Be sure to check out a few other cards based on this same Pinterest photo on the Denami blog:)

Supplies used:


Thanks for stopping by,
XOXO