Friday, October 27, 2017

Wendy's Birthdat Celebration Blog Hop


Hip, hip, hooray!! Today we're celebrating our dear friend, Wendy Ramlakhan's birthday. She's the founder and owner of SugarPea Designs and am so lucky that I get to call her my friend as well. We're throwing her this surprise birthday blog hop and I hope you will join us in wishing her a very happy birthday!!



I just have to go with this sweet li'l raccoon from SPD Indian Summer set, cause he's just so darn cute and also SugarPea equal cuteness in my book. Wendy, I hope you have an amazing birthday. Thank you for being a great friend and a great boss. :) Am grateful to be part of the SPD family. Here's to many happy moments and blessing as you celebrate your special day.

Am keeping my post short & sweet as there's quite a few people on the hop. Below is the complete list of the hop participants. Thank you for stopping by here and may your Friday be a fabulous one.

you are here -->Vera Yates <-- you are here

Thursday, October 26, 2017

The Ton October Release Blog Hop

Hi peeps! Happy Thursday and welcome to The Ton October release blog hop.

We have a mini release this month and let me just say, it's release filled with beauties! You can order all the new sets already as they're now available in store. For today, I played with the gorgeous Rose Bouquet and Country Rose Cluster.




I first stamped the Rose Bouquet a couple times on a cardstock panel and also one of the rose bud. Then colored them all with Copic markers. Once that done I stamped the sentiment from Country Rose Cluster . Adhere the panel to card base and finished by adding some Bellini sequins.

I love working with rose stamps, cause it always make me think of my mom. My mom's name is Rosina and many of her friends called her Rose. So, yep, roses have special place in my heart. :)

So, what do you think? Gorgeous sets, right? Now, giveaway time!

GIVEAWAY:

We're giving away one stamp of choice from our October Release to a commenter! To qualify, you must leave a comment on each blog on the hop. The comment period will close on Sunday, October 29 at 7pm EST. The winner will be announced on The Ton blog thereafter.

Well peeps, that's all from me for now. Thank you for stopping by here and I hope you enjoy the hop.

Here's a complete list for today's hop:
The Ton
Olga
Anna
Lisa
Janette
Brenda
Tae Eun
Jenny
Laura Jane
Vera <-- you are here
Eunji
Mayline

Friday, October 20, 2017

SugarPea Designs Sweet Peek Day 5


Hi peeps! Happy Friday. Today, we're showcasing the final sets from SugarPea Designs holiday release. These sets are perfect for your holiday gift giving. The Christmas Tag Greetings is simply fantastic. 

I was short on crafting time at the moment, so I chose to focus on the cute Tinsel On A Tangle set, cause it's super cute!!




Gah.... this penguin just makes me happy. He's happy, cheeky smile is imply adorable. You can bet that I will do more cards with this cutie pie.

Today, all the 12 NEW products will be available for purchase at 6PM EST in the SPD Store. Here's a peek at the sets.


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The SPD team has created some amazing and creative inspiration for you using these products. Please visit each of our designers blogs below for details on their projects. And while you’re there be sure to leave a sweet comment for them, giving you an extra entry to win today’s giveaway prize. Good luck & enjoy your Friday.


you are here --> Vera Yates <-- you are here

Thursday, October 19, 2017

SugarPea Designs Sweet Peek Day 4


Hi everyone! We are on day 4 of SugarPea Designs release week. Today we're introducing a super cute set called Mug & Kisses that we hope make you squealed with delight.



I mean seriously, this set with the cute marshmallow is just too cute! It makes me happy just looking at them. For my card, I combine it with the pretty patterned paper from Spot & Stripes Brights Patterned Paper collection. Then I simply stamped, die cut and colored all the images. Ahhh.... happy, yappy marshmallow.

Would you like to win this set? Please head over to SugarPea Designs blog and leave a comment there (and my teammates blog & here, too please for extra chance). Below is the link for all my teammates.



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Well peeps, that's all from me today. Come back tomorrow for the final day and hint... hint... it's another day of cuteness. :) See you tomorrow.


Wednesday, October 18, 2017

SugarPea Designs Sweet Peeks Day 3


Hi everyone and welcome to day 3 of SugarPea Designs sweet peeks. Today we're introducing 2 beautiful set, Flurry of Warm Wishes and Pinecone Greetings.

I have to say that the snowflake on Flurry of Warm Wishes is my favorite snowflake so far, because it's delicate and simply stunning. Here's my card that I hope capture the beauty of the snowflakes.




I started with watercolor cardstock and brushing them with wet brush before dropping some colors on it. Once that done and the cardstock dry, I simply stamped and heat embossed the snowflakes. I know, this is not your typical Christmas or winter color, but hey that's the beauty of card making, right? Just like art, you can make it any way you like it. :)

I love this color combo. I hope you love it, too. As always, we have giveaway for today as well. Check out SugarPea Designs blog for detail. Thank you for stopping by here and below is a peek at the new sets. See you tomorrow for more goodness. xx


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Tuesday, October 17, 2017

SugarPea Designs Sweet Peeks Day 2


Hi peeps. Today, we are introducing a fun set called Off The Charts. What's so cool about this set is that you can use it for holidays or birthday. Multi use!

Let's get on to it, shall we?




For my card I went with rainbow chart and made a birthday card. This set is so perfect for clean & simple design. I just love the graphic look.

So, how do you like this set? Want to win it? Easy. Check out SugarPea Designs blog for detail.


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My teammates has some amazing and creative inspiration for you using this set. Please visit each of their blogs below for details on their projects. And while you’re there be sure to leave a sweet comment for them, giving you an extra entry to win today’s giveaway prize.

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Monday, October 16, 2017

SugarPea Designs Sweet Peeks Day 1




Hi peeps! Welcome to day 1 of SugarPea Designs Sweet Peeks. I am so excited for this release because we have loads of cute & beautiful sets that I just  love. For today, we are introducing the super adorable Eskimo Kisses set. Dude.... this set is filled with cuteness.



For my card, I had to go with the cute penguins couple. I adore penguins and as a matter of fact I have quite a few penguins stuff animal in the glass cabinet of craft room. And, in case you're wondering about the fantastic border  I used on my card... psst.... you get an exclusive sneak peek of border dies that will be coming out on the next release. Sorry to make you wait, but it's worth it. ;)

Now, my teammates have created some amazing sample for today. Please head on over to SugarPea Designs blog for more inspiration and for giveaway detail. Thank you for stopping by here and come back tomorrow for more fun goodies. Cheers....


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SWEET INCENTIVE - FREE WITH $60 PURCHASE

Friday, October 13, 2017

Chrysanthemum Thank You

Hi there. Just poppin' in to share this card that I made just for fun. It's one of the newest floral set from The Ton called Thankful Chrysanthemum and I finally get the chance to play with it and am pretty darn excited with the way it turned out.




I simply stamped & heat embossed the flower and then color it with Zig Kuretake watercolor marker. Finished by sprinkling some sequins from Princess Glam Couture Mix. Clean and simple with a sprinkle of fun.

Just a quick one. Hope you have an enjoyable Friday.

Saturday, October 7, 2017

Honey Bee Stamps & Chibitronics Blog Hop

* For Caring Hearts Card Drive post please scroll down or click HERE *



Hi peeps!! Happy World Card Making Day! To celebrate this special day, Honey Bee Stamps is teaming up with Chibitronics for a fun blog hop. Welcome and enjoy your visit. If you've been following the hop list, you should have arrived here from Vanessa Amann blog. In case you miss any link, below I have a complete list of all the blog.

I am pretty excited at the way my card turned out, cause it actually work! LOL. It's been a while since I made my last Chibitronic card. I had to watch how to do it all over again on YouTube. Of course, there's the manual,but as usual, am not the most patient when it comes to reading manual. I'd rather watch. 

So, here's my card using Honey Bee Stamps Gather Together set (I super duper love the critters in this set).




To start, I stamped and colored the critter image with Copic markers. Granted this set comes with coordinating dies. But, I really want the cut to be right on the line, so I went with fussy cutting the whole image with scissors and x-acto knife. 

Then I work on  the background. I watercolor a panel of watercolor cardstock with distress ink, let it dry. Then I stamped the sentiment from the limited edition STAMPtember Remarkable You set and heat embossed it with white embossing powder.



On the picture above, ifyou look closely, you can see I punched out 3 small holes. This is where I want the Chibitronics light to shine through. I marked  the location of these holes on my card base and adhere the copper tape from Chbitronics kit following the holes location.

Before I adhere the panel to the card base, I tested the lights to make sure they work and also to make sure I adhere them on the right position.




The pic above shows the card without the lights on and below with the lights on.




Cute critters, bright colors and light up card, perfect combination, right? Since I didn't put a sentiment push here directly on the card, when I mail the card I will simply include a note for the recipient to press on the squirrel for fun surprise. :)

Now, how about some fun giveaway? Honey Bee Stamps is giving away a $25 gift card & Chibitronics will be giving away a starter pack. Simply leave a comments on each blog and winners will be picked randomly. The winners will be posted on Monday 10/09 on both blogs.

Also, you want to stock up on some Honey Bee Stamps? Perfect timing. There's special offer going on right now for limited time only.




Wednesday, October 4, 2017

A Couple Floral Beauty

* For Caring Hearts Card Drive please click HERE


Hi peeps! How's thing going? Phew, this past few months really been quite a whirlwind for me. Lots of stuff going on. Moving to our new place, getting our old house ready for sale & doing all the necessary repair, hurricane Harvey, meeting with my family halfway in Tokyo as I haven't seen my brothers for 3 years, the craziness of work, let just say things been quite overwhelming.

Luckily we finally settling in. Cross fingers everything goes smoothly and we'll be closing on our old house and things calm down & I can take a breather.

Often, card making is my way of calming myself down. So, I made a couple cards to take my mind off the craziness of life. ;)

My first card is using The Ton Anemone Wishes  set and its coordinating dies.



I stamped, heat embossed and color the flower and then die cut the image. I could just adhere the die cut part just like that, but I want the pink panel to also showing the shape of the flower line. So, I die cut the pink panel and adhere that to the card base and then adhere the flower on top of it using pop-dots.




Finished by stamping & heat embossed the sentiment from Fresh Cut Anemones (Coord. Outlines) set.

Next, is a sympathy card that I hope whoever received it will know that I am thinking of them with love.



I stamped and heat embossed the image from Summer Blooms set on a piece of gray cardstock panel. Colored with Copic and then did the partial die cut on the lower part of the panel using Summer Blooms dies. As you can see, I almost die cut it the wrong way, but I decided to keep it the way it is as I think it added a little extra texture to the card. A project doesn't have to be perfect all the time in my book. Sometime little error can add to the beauty. Finished the panel by stamping the sentiment from Penned Sentiment set and then I adhere the panel with foam tape to the card base. Added some dew drops for finishing touch.

I know I don't get to blog randomly very often nowadays, but I hope when I do, you enjoy your stop here. Have a blessed Wednesday!

Monday, October 2, 2017

Caring Hearts Card Drive 2017



Hi all and welcome to the 8th annual Caring Hearts Card Drive. The purpose of our card drive is to collect holiday cards for the elderly that lives in nursing homes. I started this card in 2010 in honor of my mom's request. The first year, we collected 750 cards. And each year it continue to grow bigger. Last year we received over 66,000 cards and distribute the cards to various nursing homes throughout the US, Canada, Australia and United Kingdom.

The Caring Hearts team are excited to continue bringing holiday cheers to many nursing homes.

The holidays are about family, kindness, and joy. During this time many of the elderly who lives in nursing homes would really feel the loneliness or missing their family. Wouldn't it be so awesome if we can bring a smile to their face & brighten their holiday season simply by sharing our love of card making? A simple gesture to let them know that they are not forgotten. That someone still thinking of them.

We all love making cards and what’s better than knowing our creations can bring a smile to others, right? Some helpful people already agree to help us deliver the cards to selected nursing homes.


IMPORTANT DETAILS:

This card drive will be going on from October 2 to November 17, 2017. We need to receive your card by November 17, 2017.
Please make the cards for Christmas or Holiday Wishes only.
All cards need to have a message inside (can be stamped or hand written).
Sign your name and where you are from inside the card.
Please include an envelope for each card and please don't seal the envelope.
Please stick to standard size A2 or 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" card as this will help us in packing more efficiently
Please don't use any pins (safety reason).
This is totally optional. But, if you'd like to include $2 or $3 to help with shipping, it'll be much appreciated. We cover the shipping cost ourselves, so any donation toward shipping would help tremendously.

For US, you can mail the cards to:
  • Vera Yates, 1314 Roy St., Houston, TX 77007 
  • Christy Wilkerson, 8057 Hunters Ridge Drive, West Chester, OH 45069 
  • Jana Millen, 1047 Valley Wood Dr, Batavia, OH 45103

For Australia:
  • Deb McCleary, CHCDrive, PO Box 213, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia 

For Canada:
  • Caroline Bredeson, 7 Brown Street, Ottawa, ON K1S 1L9, Canada 
  • Rita Andrews, 28 West Gissing Rd, Cochrane, Alberta T4C 1L6, Canada 

In each package, PLEASE include THIS SUBMISSION FORM. This helps us in keeping track for prizes! For each card you send, you will get a chance. So the more cards you send, the better your chances.

To thank you for your generosity in supporting this drive, we have several PRIZES ready for several winners. There will be many winners. :)

Also, if you 'd like to help us promote the card drive, whenever you're sharing your projects for Caring Hearts on social media, please use the hashtag #caringheartscarddrive. Part of my life goal is to spread kindness and make kindness a trend. :)

The nursing homes that we supported are based on what people suggested to us. If you want your local nursing homes to receive cards from the card drive, please email me or Jennifer the name of the nursing homes and the number of residents, so we can make sure that we send enough cards. Each year, we never know how many nursing homes we can support as the number are totally based on how many cards we received. To keep things organized, we assigned the 6 collecting addresses above.

I'll update the prize list as more prizes coming in. And huge thank you to all the fabulous, generous companies who support this card drive by donating awesome prizes.


PLATINUM PRIZES (everyone sending 100+ cards will be entered for these prizes)

                                                                Hero Arts - $100 GC



Gina K. Designs - $100 GC


Jennifer McGuire Ink - $100 in craft supplies



Organize More - $75 GC





GOLD PRIZE (everyone who send cards will be entered for these prizes)


Altenew - Two $30 GC





Avery Elle - $30GC


a2z Scrapbooking Supplies - $25 GC to the store,
$25 in Hero Arts Digital Stamp

Bossy Joscie - Christian Greeting & Planner set






Catherine Pooler - $50 GC

Clearly Besotted - approx $50 GC



Concord & 9th - $25 GC






Ellen Hutson - $25 GC






Honey Bee Stamps - Two $50 GC


Jane's Doodle - $50 GC



Kat Scrappiness - $50 GC

Lawn Fawn - Two $50 GC




Lil' Inker Designs - $35 GC


Mama Elephant - $25 GC





Neat & Tangled - $50 GC






Online Card Classes - Three free class spots for 3 winner



Paper Smooches - $50 GC




Pink & Main - $30 GC



Pretty Pink Posh - Two $25 GC



Reverse Confetti - $30 GC


Right At Home - $20 GC



Simon Says Stamp - $50 GC




Studio Katia - Canada $50 CG






Taylored Expressions - Two $25 GC


The Ton Stamps - $20 GC for The Ton stamps



Winnie & Walter - $50 GC


Wplus9 - $25 GC



I will update the prize list as I get more. :) Please feel free to share about this card drive. We really appreciate your support & generosity. Let's rock this card drive and bring Christmas joy to as many nursing homes as we can!! Thank you. 

PS: Thank you to Chaitali Narla for designing the badge. :)

Edited to add: Caring Hearts results & winners announcement can be found HERE and all winners already been notified.

Spellbinders' March Stitched Die

Hi there creative peeps. Happy March. I want to pop in today to share my Spellbinders' March Stitching Die Club card. Spellbinders has l...