DeNami Blog Hop - Lovely Layers

Welcome to the July DeNami Blog Hop. This month's theme is Lovely Layers, a favorite technique for all stampers. Layering is a wonderful way to add depth and texture to any piece and with the world of punches and dies, it's easier than ever.

The purpose of the hop is to inspire the use of DeNami's fabulous rubber art stamps. You should have arrived from Kristy Smith's blog. If you have any trouble connecting to a participant's page, head back to the DeNami blog and you will be able to find the link to the

next stop on the hop.

You have a chance to win one of two gift certificates from DeNami just for leaving comments on the participant blogs. With the new release, how easy would it be to use that gift certificate??? So please comment often to increase your chance to win. And please, please, please leave me a comment. I love reading your feedback.

I'm posting early again this month as I'll be attending a mixed media class Sunday at 9 AM. This card is a take off on something I saw at Captured Moments which featured this cute owl paper from a scrapbook kit. When I made the kit I immediately thought it would be great to add the DeNami owls and 'You're a hoot' stamp. I stamped them to basically make a background paper which could be layered with the other papers. It's a great way to use scraps from these luscious scrapbook papers.

Each square is cut 1x1 inch and then layered on a 1 1/8 x 1 1/8 square of textured brown paper. Both squares are distressed along the edges and the pieces are adhered side by side on a kraft card. The phrase uses the same layering and distressing and is topped with a ribbon bow. The stamps included are the owl set, you're a hoot (a phrase I say all the time), and hello friend.

Your next stop in the hop is Laurie Willison. Her card is beautiful. I've fixed this link to the next stop on the hop. Sorry for the initial error. Enjoy the rest of the hop and be sure to leave comments along the way.

Thanks to all those who left me good wishes during last month's hop while I was walking a half marathon for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Here I am at the start with my friend April. We walked in honor of her 8 year son Will.

We walked around Mirror Lake in Lake Placid and past the Olympic ski jump site. I ended with four miles in the pouring rain and got some big old blisters but it's nothing compared to what Will went through. I was in the last group to cross the finish line but my goal was to finish and I did. Soon I'll be picking another athletic event for charity. It's a wonderful way to try to stay healthy while helping others.

Stepping out of my comfort zone

Over the twenty years that I've been in love with rubber stamping, I've extended my addiction to other forms of paper crafting. I dabbled with scrapbooking but I feel like a fish out of water without a kit, sample layout, or instructor by my side.

Since Stampassion closed (which was like a family death to me), I've filled my need to be at a creative place by going to Captured Moments which is a wonderful and happy place to be. The store is owned by two sisters who are clever, creative and so pleasant to be around. I've purchased left over kits from their monthly club which each make 4-5 pages, premade pages from their page express events, and ready to make page express ensembles. Of course I've also purchased all kinds of papers and embellishments to use with my card making and mixed media projects.

Recently while cleaning my studio I decided to get to work on these scrapbook pages and frankly became a little obsessed about them. I'm working my way through the past club kits and stressing out less when the supplies in the sample aren't available. I know that somewhere in my studio chocked with paper and 'stuff' I can come up with something. Add to that my introduction to Stampin' Up!'s My Digital Studio. I'm having a blast. Mara and I are signed up to go the Christmas in July all day crop to work on the Lady Gaga concert album.

I've spent hours searching through the Captured Moments website for past page layouts and events I've missed and am now drooling over the samples. Front and center here are some of the papers from their recent Garden Club crop. Too late to get the full array of supplies I was left to use my brain, with a little help from Tiffany and fellow croppers, to come up with my own pages. I must say that I was pleased with the outcome. I believe I can actually scrapbook on my own more that I thought I could.

Thanks to Tara and Tiffany for living through my obsession on the past kits. Check out their wonderful work on their blog or past kits available on their on line store.