A Little Update + Happy Boxes

Hi there, friends.

It’s rare these days for me to get real and personal on the blog. It’s not because I don’t want to, and it’s not for lack of time, but there’s a vulnerability that comes when you open yourself up. In my previous “my life” posts (and boy, I was looking through them and there’s a lot of them now!), I’ve shared different glimpses of my life- some have had tears streaming down my face while I wrote them, and some I felt a sense of relief when I shared the issues I faced. This blog has been a way for me to share from my little corner of the world- it’s how I started and truth be told, I feel like that’s why I have had the “success” I’ve had. Many of you shop because you know me; I’m a fellow crafter, blogger, dreamer and small business owner, and I share little snippets of my imperfect-yet-beautiful life.

So, what’s been going on with me? Well, for the last 25 days, I’ve completely changed the food I’ve been eating. My dear friend recently was put on the Whole30 diet by her doctor and I was really inspired by her new lifestyle. Ever since my car accident, I’ve dealt with a lot of health issues and my once super active lifestyle changed and you know what that means… weight gain. I decided to take on the Whole30 diet for 30 days and let me tell you, my relationship with food has definitely changed. I’m one to stress eat, pleasure eat, eat when I’m bored…. I just like to eat (which is my problem)! I’m a self proclaimed bad cook, but this whole process has made me a little better in the kitchen. At the beginning, I started taking pictures of my food creations, just because I hated being in the kitchen and figured I might as well document what I made. Now, it’s a great way for me to see the progress I’ve made and also an easy way to meal plan when I’m in a slump!

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In the past, I’ve had numerous readers pour their hearts and stories out to me. This, my friends, is the beauty of blogging. I love that you feel open and comfortable to share with me and I hope that our interactions have been meaningful to you as well. If you are going through a hard time or know of a friend that is, please leave me a comment, or send me an email. I’m going to put together two boxes of things I enjoy, along with a card and send them out to two of you! I’ve been wanting to do this for quite some time and even contemplated doing a sign-up program, but then I opened up the shop and things got crazy. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean I can’t keep it small and still send some of my own packages out! I’m going to try to make this a bi-monthly occurrence since I know so many are going through things and could use a little cheer in their life.

For those who want to participate on a smaller level, I challenge you to mail two cards or letters to friends or family today. Snail mail is such a rarity these days, but it’s SUCH a day brightener and is so easy!

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I am so excited to purchase items to fill these first two boxes and I’m already thinking ahead to boxes in the future. I know it’s hard to face challenges, especially when you feel alone, so I’m hoping these boxes go to those who truly need some encouragement and joy. We have one life to live- let’s bless those around us!

P.S. Anyone have a good name for these boxes? I’m not sure all the logistics of how I’ll let you know when I’m ready to send new boxes out, but I didn’t want to hold off on this any longer. (Goodness knows sitting on this idea for two years was long enough!)

 

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Snails, Presents, Oh My!

Hello, friends!

I wanted to pop in today with a card that I created recently. Remember when I had Easter Week and was playing with the Gleeful Gardens set? I just couldn’t get enough of the images that I made even more cards to share. As some of you know, crafty time nowadays is rare, so I try to make the most of the times I have to craft (and that usually means I create with just a few sets at a time).

I don’t know about you, but I tend to give birthday cards a couple days late. I’ll remember it’s someones birthday and if I forget to take it to the post office that day, it’s inevitably late. Well, my friends at Lawn Fawn must have known there are a lot of people like me- just look at this sentiment! Genius!

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Lately I’ve been starting off a lot of my cards with the rectangle from the Stitched Duo 2 set. It’s the perfect size and you just can’t go wrong with the stitching. I created my little scene with a variety of images from the Gleeful Gardens set, added in the Grassy Border and a couple of flowers from the Spring Flowers Mix.

On the side of the focal point, I once again layered some border dies together. I used the straight line from the Stitched Borders 2 and the scallop from Stitched Borders 1. I love the way these look together and how you can bring more colors to a card depending on the cardstock you use.

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In closing, I wanted to let you all know that Ellen Hutson has a coupon for all in-stock die cuts. Woohoo! You’ve seen me use a lot of die cuts recently and if you’ve been keeping a wish list, this is a great time to cross some of them off your list.
spring2015_smThanks for stopping in and spending some time with me. In my next post, I’ll share some PPP news and also an update on what I’ve been working on.

Until next time..

 

April Craft Haul + Giveaway

It’s April and I’m so happy to be fairly caught up on things here. Today I spent the day cleaning the studio and prepping room for the May release that’s coming in a few weeks. In addition, there are three brand new designers joining the PPP team and I cannot wait to reveal them to you the last week in April. Enough of the teasers… let’s get back into today’s haul!

This month, I got a couple of the new ones from Mama Elephant and some older stamps sets from Lawn Fawn. Thanks to the coupon that Ellen Hutson had recently, I didn’t feel *too* guilty getting some of the sets I’ve been eying for a while. I also had to stock up on some of my go-to cardstocks and ribbons, which you’ll see in the video.

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CLICK HERE to watch the video on YouTube

In case any of the items in the video look like something you might want to purchase, I have linked them below.

*You can find the gorgeous felt I got at Crafty Wool Felt.

borderRecently, I got a bunch of goodies from my friends at Imagine Crafts. You may know them (they recently changed their name from Tsukineko) and are the company behind the beloved Memento, Versafine, Delicata inks and much, much more. They sent me their brand new Delicata 4 ink cub set for me to try out and they also gave me an extra to giveaway!

I always try to host my various giveaways on my different social media accounts, just so everyone who follows me has a chance to win. For this particular giveaway, I’m doing it on the Pretty Pink Posh Facebook page. Directions are on the very first picture on my page, or you can click the picture below.

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I hope that you have a fabulous weekend. I plan on getting some designing and crafting done and maybe even take a couple much needed days off. We’ll see how that goes. Thanks for spending some time with me today.

 

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Birthday Elephant + Sale

Hello and Happy April!

Today I have a card to share that I created a little while ago that I’ve been dying to share with you. In the March release, I created quite a few samples using purple and I have been on this purple kick ever since. There’s something about this color that is so fresh and Spring-like!

For this card, I used the super adorable WPlus9 set called Unforgettable. There are all sorts of cute elephant stamps coming out lately, but this one is still my very favorite. From the variety of elephant poses to the little elements and sentiments, this set is hands down a “MUST HAVE” in my book.

*Find Unforgettable at Ellen Hutson here/ Simon Says Stamp here

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You know what I realized when I created this card? I truly love how a shaker card can change a humpty dumpty card and make it extra special. Have you ever been there when someone opened up their envelope to reveal a shaker? The way their eyes light up is worth all the extra effort!  Shaker cards, you and I are still going strong in 2015.


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If you subscribe to the Pretty Pink Posh Shop newsletter, you probably already saw the news. I’m having a flash sale, which means YOU get savings! Lots have already taken advantage of the sale, but I wanted to make sure that my blog readers also got in on the savings. Items are going quick, so be sure to fill your cart and checkout soon!

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In my last post I mentioned I’ll be having a new video soon. Don’t worry, it’s still coming, along with some more videos. I have a long to-do list of videos, so I’ll be tackling them one by one as long as the sunshine peeks out. Stay tuned!

Well, that’s going to wrap up this post. I’m off to go start on the orders that came in from the flash sale. Until next time….

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Easter Week Day #5

Pretty Pink Posh

Happy Friday!

I’m really excited to share today’s card with you- hence me saving the best for last. Do you remember Easter egg hunts? I wanted to create an egg hunt for my card so I thought it would be cute to put some eggs on top of the flower. It’ll be hard for me to part with this card… (maybe I’ll just need to re-create another one)

For this card, I pulled out the Gleeful Gardens set and the Happy Easter set from Lawn Fawn. These sets go so well together and honestly, you can use a lot of the elements from the Easter set on everyday card.

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Since this was the last card in the theme week, I wanted to go bolder and brighter. A lot of my older cards used these bolder colors and now that I pulled them out, I miss using them on a regular basis. You just might see them more often….

On this card, I used the Stitched Duo 2 as my main panel and used both the Stitched Borders 1 & 2 for the bottom of the card.

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Thank you all for your sweet comments and likes on the cards from Easter week. I had a lot of fun creating these cards and I’m already trying to schedule a time when I can craft in preparation for another theme week.

I’ll be back next week with my March Craft Favorites video and hopefully, I can prep for the next tutorial video. Have a great weekend!

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Easter Week Day #4

Pretty Pink Posh

Wow, this week has been going by so quickly. It’s already Day 4 of Easter Week and I’m getting sad that tomorrow is the last day. I’m hoping that my cards have been able to inspire you to create some fun Easter cards- whether it be for this year or pinned for next year!

I have to apologize that the last couple of posts haven’t had the greatest pictures- it’s been so gloomy and rainy here. Today I tried something different and I like the way the photos turned out better. I dragged out all my props and brought them outside to snap today’s pictures and re-take yesterday’s. I’m hoping that it’s less fuzzy and the resolution is a bit clearer. Definitely not a fan of these icky Seattle days….

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As I mentioned in Tuesday’s post, I’m loving pastels with pops of brighter colors. The yellow base is actually a light yellow, but when I stamp the Teeny Star Background in the Lawn Fawn Sunflower ink, it makes the whole card appear brighter.

The duck in the Hello Baby set is so darling. I actually have yet to use it for a baby card, but I sure have used it on Easter, Spring and everyday cards. As I’ve said before, I’m all about getting sets that are versatile- you HAVE to get the most out of your hard earned money!


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What is one of your current favorite sets that is super versatile? I’d love to hear your answers! I was going to write mine here, but then I realized I mention some of them in an upcoming video. Stay tuned for that! (How’s that for a teaser?!)

See you tomorrow for the last post of Easter Week.

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Easter Week Day #3

Pretty Pink Posh

Happy Wednesday!

Oh goodness, it’s been an eventful week for me- I’m just now getting back home from a surprise bridal shower and some time with relatives. We had the surprise bridal shower for my assistant (who also happens to be like a sister), which brought her sister and one of my “nephews” from the east coast. I spent a couple unplanned days with them, which was lovely, but I’m now playing catch up on orders and getting back into the groove of things. Thank goodness for wi-fi and my laptop so I could still keep up with Easter week!

Today I have a card that showcases the new Stitched Banner Duo dies, along with the Picket Fence and Stitched Duo 1. This card just might be one of my favorites that I’ve created this year- the colors and all the details came together effortlessly.

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I once again pulled out the Grassy Border die from Lawn Fawn (because it’s the best). Right now I’m gathering ideas for more videos and I think a strong contender is “My Favorite Dies”- what do you think of that idea? I own a decent amount of dies, but there are just a handful that I go to over and over again and I want to share those with you. Let me know your thoughts!

In my March Craft Haul video, I showed off the large amount of Avery Elle papers I recently purchased. Their paper packs are so great for my style of cardmaking and I love the variety of colors they offer. I like subtle prints on my papers and their chevron, striped and polka dot papers are totally up my alley. My favorite? The Sorbet Collection.

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Have you been enjoying Easter week so far? I’m debating on whether I want to do another theme week in the near future. If I do, what kind of theme or products would you like to see?

Well, it’s back to orders for me. I’ll be sharing soon about a new retailer that has been in the works for a bit. This company is well loved and big in the stamp community, so this is a big deal for my small business- I can’t wait to spill the news once I get their latest order shipped. It’s still surreal to have these things happen to me and PPP!

Until next time…

Easter Week Day #2

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Good morning, sweet friends.

It’s day 2 of Easter week and today I’m going to one of my go-to card layout. I love creating two (smaller) tags and adding cute images or sentiments to them and top them with a pretty bow.

For this card, I started out using one of my new favorite Lawn Fawn sets- Gleeful Gardens. Oh my goodness, I cannot stop using this set. It’s great for everyday cards, but you can also use it to create cards for specific holidays (like Easter). I’m all about making the most of your sets, so I’m always trying to pair different stamps sets together.

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Have you noticed that I’ve been loving the small flowers from the Spring Flowers Mix lately? These little flowers are so easy to incorporate onto your cards and they really add something different than regular sequins.

It’s funny, I go through phases of using my Copic markers a lot and recently, I’ve been using them on every single card. While I’m by no means a great Copic user, I love the look of them and the variety of colors is every crafters dream.


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What colors do you tend to use for your Easter cards? This year I noticed I’ve been using a lot of pastel elements and then pops of colors from markers or sequins. Isn’t it funny how you style changes and evolves?

Thanks for spending time with me today. See you tomorrow!

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Easter Week Day #1

Pretty Pink PoshHello, hello!

I’m excited to share that this week, I’ll be doing a theme week here on blog. It’s been quite a while since I’ve done one, but I recently had some time to create and I asked on my social media whether or not I should do one and I heard an adamant yes. I whipped up a few more cards, so I’ll be sharing a brand new Easter card everyday this week.

On today’s card, I used the cute duck from the Hello Baby set and the adorable eggs from the Happy Easter set. You know that I love creating scene cards, so I thought I would create a fun little Easter scene.

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I am totally loving how my new Picket Fence die makes scene cards more complete. Instead of a white fence, I thought I would make it light blue so it would add a little extra color. I added some grassy hills using the Stitched Borders 1 die and then the cute pink flowers from the Spring Flowers Mix.

Tip: if you’re curious what to use to adhere sequins, my recommendation is Studio Multi Medium Matte. It’s super strong adhesive and it dries relatively clear. To add dimension to my cards, I like to use the 3M foam mounting tape. It’s THE BEST!


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Do you like to create scene cards? Lately I’ve been creating a lot of Spring ones, but I want to create others. Are there particular themes you want to see?

If you have friends who might enjoy this theme week, be sure to share with them! I’ll see you tomorrow for day 2 of Easter week.

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You’re My Favorite

As I’m looking back on the last few card posts, I’m realizing that I haven’t posted one of my go-to color combos in a while. I’ve been trying to stretch myself with new and unique colors that I’ve been straying away from the pinks, purples and greens. Don’t worry, they’ll be back soon. I actually got to craft recently and I created quite a few cards that I’m excited to share with you.

In today’s card, I’m pulling out the adorable superhero stamps from Mama Elephant again. There is just something about these stamps that has me a little nostalgic. Does anyone remember the animated movie The Incredibles? I loved that movie when it came out and these remind me of those characters!

*Purchase the Tiny Heroes set at Simon Says Stamp OR Ellen Hutson.

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Can you believe I pulled out FIVE of my die sets on this card? I think that just might be a record for me. I used the Stitched Film Strip for the focal point, the Stitched Labels 1 for the sentiment, the Stitched Duo 2 for the main white panel and the Stitched Borders 1 & 2 for the bottom of the card. I can’t even imagine crafting without die cuts now- I’m utterly addicted to them!

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Do you have a request for future videos? Lately I’ve been getting lots of requests for more videos, which is very flattering. There are so many talented crafters out there- I’m still in awe that people like to watch ME craft and film!  I have a growing list of requested videos, but I’m always open to hearing what you might like to see!

That’s a wrap for this post. Thanks for spending some time with me today!