CHANGE IS GOOD & DREAMS COME TRUE!

First of all, I couldn't decide which title to use for this post.  I have so much to write about today, mostly focusing on two different topics, and I want to address them both in one post, so you are getting double your pleasure & double your fun information!  HA!

CHANGE IS GOOD...

Ummm...notice anything different?  I'll come back to this in a minute.  ;)

DREAMS COME TRUE...

I did it.  Four years in the making, and I finally did it!  I FINALLY got to go to a stamp show and meet the woman whose designs and creativity profoundly changed my life four whole years ago.  I met THE amazingly wonderful NAMI NAKAMURA!  I'm sure those of you who read my blog know exactly who that is, but if not...get it?  NAMI...as in DENAMI...as in DENAMI DESIGN! AHHHHHHHHH!  This was a BIG DEAL for me.  This was HUGE!  And, I must say, she was more gracious, kind, and brilliant than I ever could have imagined.  WOW.  I am even more starstruck after meeting than I was before yesterday!  She is PHENOMENAL!  Oh, and seriously, she is STUNNINGLY GORGEOUS!  She just glows with vibrant energy and shines with inner beauty.  Don't believe me?  Check out the photos below!

Now, some of you may know my background story, but in case you don't, I'm gonna open up and share this again.  Back in 2009, I had to make the excruciating decision to leave New York City and return to the Midwest (Indiana, specifically).  Leaving NYC was something I didn't think I'd EVER do, but circumstances made it necessary.  I needed a break.  I needed to be closer to family. However, I ended up in Nashville, IN.  "Nashville...INDIANA?" you ask?  Yes, you read that correctly.  Nashville is a teeny, tiny little tourist town in southern central Indiana.  We used to vacation there when I was a kid, and that's where I ended up.  You can imagine, though, how hard it was to go from Manhattan (the city that never sleeps) to Nashville (the town with 3 stoplights, where shops are all closed by 5pm and restaurants by 7pm).  It was a HUGE culture shock.  I felt lost.  I felt overwhelmed.  I was floundering a bit.  My mom took me a local rubber stamp and papercrafting store to help inspire me, and it was at Papertrix that I found DeNami Design stamps. I saw sample cards from one of Wendy Elliot's Christmas card classes for DeNami, and I fell in love. They were the most beautiful, charming, elegant, and sweet cards I'd ever seen.  I knew that I wanted to make cards like that.  Now, don't get me wrong...I love other stamps, too, but there is something about DeNami's stamps that tug at my heartstrings and inspire me like CRAZY.  Now, to be honest, that year, I couldn't afford to take the classes.  *sniffles*  But, my love of those stamps just grew from there.  I discovered their website and blog.  The rest is pretty much history (and you can view it in my blog history! Ha!).  I was so inspired that I started entering the online challenges...and starting participating in blog hops...and I even started designing sample cards featuring DeNami's stamps as a member of Papertrix's Design Team.  When helping out in Papertrix, I was constantly showing the DeNami stamps to customers, and I loved to watch them fall in love just like I did.  It was wonderful...simply wonderful.  So, over the past four years, my love for this company has grown and deepened, and the Nakamura family has inspired in so many ways (do I even need to mention how insanely talented, wonderful, kind, and beautiful -inside and out- Nami's daughter Paulina is?  She's awesome!)  This blog was created originally for the sole purpose of entering DeNami blog challenges, and I have had so much for over the past few years posting here!  Not long after I started my blog, Wendy Harrell created her blog, Confessions of a DeNami Addict.  That was a moment where I thought, "Why didn't I think of THAT?" and also, "Oh, she and I are going to be friends."  LOL!  I realized that I was not the only stamper out there in the universe who was completely obsessed with DeNami Design!  There are more of us!  YAY! I just adore Wendy, and now Tina Milbourn has taken their blog to a whole new level of FABULOUS!  They are kindred spirits to me in this blog land, and I'm so grateful to know them, even if we haven't met in person (yet...I'm hopeful!)  Anyway...let's get back to this weekend, shall we?

Last year, I relocated again, ending up in Michigan (long story involving theatre, friends, loss, love, and Trader Joe's).  I am happily living in Wixom which just happens to be right next to Novi, where a FANTASTIC stamp show is held each year, and TADAA!  I was able to attend this year! Meeting Nami was surreal.  She is the sweetest woman, and her demonstrations boggled my mind! Here's a picture of her showing off some awesome pearl pen and glitter techniques:

See?  I told you she is gorgeous!

Side note: If you EVER get a chance to attend a stamp show and see the DeNami Design booth, DO IT!  Soooooo much inspiration!  LOVE LOVE LOVE!

Now, remember when I asked you if you noticed anything different?  Well, here's where we get to THAT part of the story!  I was telling Nami about how much I love DeNami Design and how inspired I am, and I realized how this blog really IS all about my love of their stamps.  I am so in awe of Tina and Wendy's blog, and I love how they so proudly show their love of DeNami.  I can't ever compete with their amazingness (I'm making up that word because it fits.  Just deal with that. HA!), but I realized that I also wanted to really represent WHY this blog exists.   Yes, I am still a performer, and if exciting performing things happen, I'll try to remember to blog about them.  Plus, I have been cooking a lot recently, and a lot of people have been telling me to blog about that, too, so you might see some recipes and ideas pop up.  BUT...the overwhelming reason I have this blog and use it on a semi-regular basis (my work schedule hasn't allowed as much crafty time as I wish recently) is because of my overwhelming love and devotion to DeNami Design's stamps.  So, without further ado, I am making my debut as...

THE DENAMI DIVA!

Yup, that's me posing with Nami!

I am officially dedicating the heart of this blog to the stamp company that has inspired 99% of my creations for the past 4 years.  

Thank you, Nami, for the inspiration!  Thank you, Paulina, for your encouragement and leadership in the blog world.  Thank you, Tina & Wendy, for paving the way for awesome fan blogs! Thank you, Dana, for making me feel so inadequate pushing me to be better and inspiring me with your creations.  Thank you to all the DeNami Design DT members, past and present, who have been supportive and blown my mind with all your gorgeous creations.  Thank you to my friends and family (especially my mother) who have loved me and supported my creative endeavors. Thank you to each and every one of you who read my blog and leave comments and feedback.  It means more than you could possibly know.

I am so lucky.

Life is good.

Happy Stamping!

Amy, The DeNami Diva

Disclaimer:  This is simply a fan blog.  I am not affiliated with DeNami Design.  I just want to share my love of their products.

UPDATE:  I can't believe I forgot to show a picture of my haul from the show!  I would have bought every DeNami stamp that I don't already own, but finances are tight right now.  However, I budgeted a bit for this show and couldn't resist the amazing deal on the cardstock, so TADAA!!! 

DeNami Designs July Blog Hop: SUMMER SPLASH

Hello, blog hoppers!  I just LOVE DeNami Design blog hop time!  YAY!  Did you see their new releases yet?  If not, check them out here!  I am freaking out with excitement because they are coming to Novi, MI next month, and the convention center is less than 10 minutes from where I live!  After years of being a self-professed "super fan," I will FINALLY get to meet the DeNami family!  YAY!!!  I'm soooooo excited!  I plan to pick up some of their new releases at the convention!

Anyway, let's get on with the show!   You should have hopped here from talented Leah's blog.   If you need to start from the beginning (and want to shop for some of the new stamps), head to the DeNami Design blog.

As for me, I created a card a few months ago using some awesome vintage postcard paper by Kaisercraft.  I loved that paper and that card, and when I saw the summer theme for this blog hop, I thought about using that great paper again, and that's when I got the idea for a bikini on a chickie. Who doesn't love that idea???  So, here ya go!

I drew the bikini onto the large chickie stamp, and then used DeNami's loose glitter (with a Quickie Glue Pen, of course).  If you're going to put a bikini on a chickie, you might as well make it a glittery one, right? 

Here's a close-up:

I hope you enjoyed my fun little card!  

Your next stop on the blog hop is super sweet Tenia's blog.

HAVE FUN & LEAVE COMMENTS FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A GIFT CERTIFICATE!

HAPPY STAMPING!

Amy

Tool Talk on the DeNami Addict Blog

Hey, fabulous crafty readers!   I'm a guest on the Confessions of a DeNami Addict blog this week for their Tool Talk feature!   Check it out!  I get to tell you all about one of my personal favorite crafting tools!  

READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE!

DeNami Design's June Blog Hop: PATTERNED PAPER!

HAPPY BLOG HOP DAY!

I'm so excited about this month's theme:  Patterned Paper!  DeNami Design's stamps are so versatile that you can make your own patterned paper or you can easily pair up their images with patterned scrapbook papers!

You should have arrived here from Diana's blog.  I can't wait to see what she creates for us today!

To start from the beginning of the hop or to see a list of all the blogs, go to DeNami Design's blog.

Now, here is MY creation for today:

My apologies for the weird stripes across the photograph.  My camera isn't working, so I'm having to use my phone, and it just doesn't take the best photos.  *sigh*  Anyway...my wonderful niece just had surgery, and I wanted to create a happy and fun card to send her.  I saw this ADORABLE patterned paper by Carta Bella at a local store yesterday and fell in love with it!  I just LOVE those patterned clouds!  I instantly saw a chickie parachuting through those clouds in my mind.  I also used some buttercup yellow gingham cardstock from Memory Box and some hot pink swiss dot cardstock from Bazzil.  Lastly, I wanted some ribbon, but I couldn't decide which.  Then, I realized that I love how the clouds on the paper are all different patterns, so why not layer the checkerboard ribbon (from American Crafts) on top of the chevron ribbon (from May Arts)?!  

Next on the hop is Wendy Elliot's blog.  UGH, is there anything this woman can't do!?  She's incredible.  She is one of the main reasons I am addicted to DeNami stamps!  She's amazing.  I could stay here all day and ramble on about how awesome she is, but why don't we just go see what she's made, eh?

HAPPY STAMPING!

Amy

DeNami Design's May Blog Hop: FRESH FLORALS!

BLOG HOP TIME!

YIPPEE SKIPPY!

One of the things I love so much about DeNami Design stamps is how versatile they are!  They've got such fun and adorable stamps, but they also have many that are just downright GORGEOUS.  Their floral images are stunning and elegant!  So, this blog hop theme THRILLS me because it is all about highlighting their fabulous floral images!  YAY!

You should have arrived here from Greta's Blog!  Isn't she awesome?  Her creations are always fantastic!

If you are lost or just want to start the blog hop from the beginning, go to DeNami Design's Blog.

Now, on to my card!   YAY!   My favorite colors in the universe are green and blue, and I just felt like rocking out those colors.   Plus, I LOOOOOOOVE patterned backgrounds.  I'm obsessed with houndstooth, so you can imagine how much I freaked out when I saw that DeNami Design now has a Houndstooth Background stamp.  LOVE IT!  Then, I used this Water Lily stamp to create some blossoms.  I stamped the water lily several times onto white cardstock, colored them all with Copic markers, fussy cut them out, and layered them to create these full blossoms.  I thought I would finish them off with a pearl center and glitter pen outlined petals.

I also used the Decorative Flourish stamp to add some more flair behind the blossoms.  You can see it better in the close-up (and you can see how much the glitter pen adds to the card).  

Side note, if you don't already own this Decorative Flourish stamp, what are you waiting for?!  It is one of my faves!  It creates a perfect, stunning, elegant background every time.  It's great paired with embellishments like glitter, rhinestones, pearls, and even sequins (Paulina, I'm looking at you!  You're the QUEEN of Sequins!  I can only imagine how fabulous sequins could be with this stamp!!). 

I choose to use the "Just a note" sentiment from the All Occasions Trifle Stamp Set, but you could use pretty much ANY sentiment with this card.

Next stop on the blog hop is Emily's blog.  I can't wait to see what she's made for us today!  She is a true talent!  Cute, elegant, adorable, sophisticated...she can do it all!

Make sure to leave a comment on all the blogs for your chance to win a gift certificate to DeNami Design!  

Happy Stamping!

Amy

My Very First 10 Minute Craft Dash!

Well, well, well....I was in a crafty mood today.  Felt like making a card...or earrings...or something.  That's when, as I was getting caught up on emails, I found the current 10 Minute Craft Dash.  For those of you who don't know, this is a challenge where you have to make a card/project in 10 minutes or less.  I don't know about you, but I can barely decide which stamps I want to use in 10 minutes, let alone create an entire card!  Anyway, the great thing about this challenge is that you CAN have a plan in place before you start.  You can set up all your supplies, but then you start the timer as soon as you start crafting.   Here is a picture of my pre-set area:

Well...I like to think that I have many skills....crafting under time constraints?  That may not be one of them.  My plan of attack was to stamp and color my image first and get that out of the way.  Rookie Mistake #1:  picking an image with lots to color.  Oops.  I figured I could allow myself one minute to stamp and color.  TRY 3.5 minutes!  I looked up, and WHAM!  Three and a half minutes...GONE!  ACK!  PANIC MODE!  I quickly punched my image and set it aside, but then realized I needed some other plan.  I wanted to use some Wondertape and glitter to create some awesome diagonal stripes, but...Rookie Mistake #2: don't attempt techniques you've never tried before.  This requires a little more time and precision than I had.  So, I had to settle for a couple quick horizontal stripes instead.  At this point, I had almost no time left, so I adhered the stamped circle and TADAA!  9 minutes 48 seconds....and one highly disappointed Amy.  This was NOT the card I envisioned in my head.  And, my craft area was a disaster!

But, here is the finished card:

Well, I have to remind myself that it WAS my very first attempt, and I learned some very valuable lessons.  BUT, being OCD, I still had a vision of a card in my head, and I was desperate to see it completed.  So, I decided to set the stopwatch again and see how long it would take me to finish the card as I wanted.  The result?  40 minutes and 23 seconds.  LOL!  BUT, I'm quite pleased with the result.  

Please note that only the card completed in less than 10 minutes is eligible for the challenge, but I wanted to share this card with you, too.

A little side by side comparison:

9:48          vs         40:23

All in all, this was a fun little challenge, and I am bound and determined to master the 10 Minute Craft Dash...but I'll have to save that for another day.  ;)

Happy Stamping!

Amy

DeNami Design's April Blog Hop: FANCY FAVORS!

Ok, this is going to be REALLY FAST!  It is almost 4am, and I had to work late, and it is REALLY down to the wire with this post so here goes...

You should have arrived here from Lisa Elton's blog.  Not only is Lisa incredibly talented, but she is also super sweet and awesome!  She hosted a blog giveaway last month, and I won the world's cutest jar of DeNami Design boutique buttons!  You can see one of those buttons on my project today!  THANK YOU, LISA!!!

If you're lost on the hop and/or need to start from the beginning, go to DeNami Design's blog.

So, the theme this month is FANCY FAVORS, so we were to make some sort of gift/party favor.  One of my all-time favorite gifts was my Keurig coffee maker, so I thought it would be cute to make a little gift bag for a Keurig K-cup!  It just so happens that THIS TEMPLATE from DeNami Design totally works!  The K-cup stretches the bag a bit so it's more rounded than flat on the sides, but it still works.  See?

I used glittery paper and my Sakura Glitter Pens to add lots of glittery touches.  Here's a close-up of the adorable little chickie!

FYI:  I printed this template directly onto cardstock so I could just stamp and cut!  Voila!  However, may I suggest that you do your stamping on the opposite side of the paper that the guidelines were printed on.  Oops. Silly errors happen at 3am!

The stamps I used for this project were PF09 Espresso Stamp Set and CL-C91 Coffee Cup Chickie.  I also layered some glitter ribbon on top of some grosgrain ribbon to make the bow extra special.  I was on a roll with glittery sparkle!

Next stop on the blog hop is Ruza Rebel's blog!  She's so creative!  I can't wait to see what she's made!  Let's go check it out!

Thanks for stopping by!  Make sure to leave comments on all the blogs for your chance to win a gift certificate to DeNami Design!

Happy Stamping!

Amy