Mother’s Day is on Sunday and I was scrambling to find the energy to create a special card for my mom. With my mom being the owner of a stamp company, I always find the need to “top” the last card I gave to her. Let me tell you, this is not an easy feat and sometimes I fail miserably. However, thanks to my infatuation with sequins {and shakers}, I think she’ll be pleasantly surprised with this card. She’s seen my recent creations and now she gets her very own shaker!
Okay, truth be told, I have already given her this card. I knew she would see it on the blog {since she reads daily}, so I gave her the card a little early. ‘Tis the life of a crafter and blogger!
My mom has a love for pinks and greens, so I definitely made an effort to include them in this card. You would think that after making her cards for all these years I wouldn’t get nervous about doing them, but I still do! I think it’s the desire to want to make her proud that gets to me…. thankfully, despite many flops over the years, she still likes my cards and also has something sweet to say about them.
Some of my readers have been able to meet my mom over the years, and I’m sure you’ll agree she’s a special woman. It’s not easy raising five kids, homeschooling all of them and also running a business. If I ever have the privilege of being a mother, I hope that I’m able to be the amazing example and role model she has been able to be for me.
I wanted to pay a little homage to my mom, so I have a list of five things my mother has taught and passed along to me over the years. {Why five? Because she has five kids!}…..
A love for creating cards {especially those with pinks and green and lots of bling} all stem from watching my mom do it when I was younger.
A heart to encourage others with small acts of kindness or words were brought on by seeing her do this for numerous people over my lifetime.
An unbreakable bond with family stems from those moments when we had many special family gatherings and holidays growing up. While sometimes we drive each other crazy, we love each other so much and would do anything for one another.
A hunger to keep learning and growing as a person. I can recall many times while going to the library as a kid, seeing her checkout different how-to books. Even now, she continues to have a passion for learning new things– I want to be like that when I’m her age!
A desire to share Christ’s love and hope with people around me from listening and watching her do this countless time with strangers and acquaintances. If you have something so special, why keep it to yourself?
For all of the mothers out there, I hope that you all have a truly blessed Mother’s Day weekend. Each of you has such a special role in a child’s life and I hope that you feel the love and know impact you make on our lives. For all of us kiddos, let’s be sure to shower our moms with love and kindness and share how much they truly mean to us.
Big, big hugs to all of you today. I’m off to a doctors appointment in just a bit and hopefully this one will provide some answers and physical relief! I hope you’ll come back on Monday- Hilari will be here with her very first feature as a contributor to Pretty Pink Posh!
I’m back with another sequin shaker card! When I created my original shaker card {post here}, I was so taken with all the fun sequins shakin’ about, I could resist making a few cards with this technique. Today we’re going under the sea and swimming with some adorable little critters who seem to enjoy the sequins, too!
Since I went girly for the last card, I wanted to go the opposite direction and go bright & bold for this one. Thanks to my large rainbow of sequin colors, I had many colors that would work in this shaker. While I would love to hoard all of these beauties, it’s just so hard to resist adding them to all of my cards!
Oh yes, I pulled out some more chevron twill ribbon for this card. If you’ve been eying these ribbons, be sure to check out Little Free Radical on Etsy! They are a sponsor on my blog this month and their service/ prices are fabulous!
Just in case you missed the video from my earlier post, here’s how I create my sequin shaker cards. Switch out the patterned papers/ stamps and you can create shakers for any occasion!
It warms my heart when you all share that you liked a card or technique I did and tried it out yourself. As a designer who spends quite a bit of time creating, knowing that that hard work is appreciated and well received is such a joy. I already had two gals share their sequin shaker card creations with me and I feel like a proud mama. :) If you give this tutorial a whirl, I’d love to see your creations!
Thanks for spending some time with me today, I hope you were inspired!
Have I mentioned how much I love the 10 Minute Craft Dash #17 colors? These colors make my swoon. My craft room has many aqua elements in it and if I end up finding some perfect coral pieces, I would add them in a heartbeat. Sadly, it doesn’t seem like many decor designers have perfected this perfect color. If you’ve found some items that you think would qualify as coral, I’d love to see pictures or links!
Today I have a card showcasing some of my favorite WPlus9 stamps and the colors for the challenge. How awesome is this sentiment? I’ve never used it before this card, but I know that I’ll definitely be pulling it out for more cards soon.
Time it took to create: 9 minutes 50 seconds
I filmed a video on my mad dash to create this card. Oh boy, this one was a close one- I almost didn’t think I was going to finish in time! Thank goodness for embellishments that already have adhesive on them!
If you haven’t already, I hope that you’ll join in the fun for the 10 Minute Craft Dash #17. There have been so many beautiful entries thus far- I hope you’ll add yours to the list!
At the beginning of the year, I shared that 2013 was going to filled with new and exciting things here on the blog. I’ve had new sponsors, giveaways, hit some record breaking numbers and added my sister, Krista, as a contributor to the blog. As some of you know, she got an amazing job offer in San Francisco a couple months ago and has been living there ever since. She was optimistic that she would still be able to join me occasionally for posts, but alas, her schedule it quite busy. She gave me her blessing to start looking for a new contributor and that led me in the direction of my good friend, Tawsha {the ultimate networking person }. A rundown of information, a couple emails and I became connected with the amazing lady I’m featuring today.
I’m thrilled to be announcing that Hilari from Be Sweet will be joining me as a contributor here at Pretty Pink Posh. The moment I saw her blog, I fell in love. You can tell she’s passionate about what she does, and her recipes all sound so delish {and relatively easy}! I wanted to take the time to allow you all to get to know her and also share a few of her recipes that caught my eye.
Tell us about your blog. When and why did you start it?
My blog is called Be Sweet, and its essentially a compilation of everything that makes me smile… which is a lot of things! I used to have a smaller, personal blog, and so many people told me I should make it bigger, better! So that’s what I’m trying to do. My goal is to fill life with joy through all of the things that make me happy. I blog about sweet treats, simplified entertaining, and tips and tricks for adding joy to everyday living! On my site, you will find creative ideas that add joy to my life… and I hope yours, too! Ranging from kitchen to friends, from family to home, and travel to photography, I will share what makes me smile each day. It is my dream to spread joy to others, and by stopping by, I hope Be Sweet can put a smile on your face, if only for a few minutes out of your busy day! I’ve been officially blogging on Be Sweet since January, and I’ve learned so, so much along the way, and continue to learn and soak up as much as I can throughout this adventure!
When you first started your blog, did you have any specific goals or dreams for the future of your blog? If so, what were they?
I still feel like I’m first starting! I think my goals were (and still are) to simply make people happy. I’d love to see where this takes me, book writing, photo styling, magazine editing… the possibilities are limitless. But, I do want to stay true to me, my core, and what fires me up when choosing which future ventures to embark on- I want wherever this might take me to make me and others happy!
You bake so many delicious looking items….is there a specific recipe that’s your favorite?
Without a doubt, my favorite recipe is for Mrs. Schae bars {Here, they’re called Be Sweet Bars}! Growing up, my mom made these for skating competitions, school parties, lunch treats, and so many other wonderful activities. It’s these fabulous memories combined with the sweet and salty flavors that make this hands down, my favorite recipe!
Do you visit other blogs? If so, what are a few of your favorites?
I love to blog-hop, and so value the time, effort, and dedication blogging takes! A few of my favorites are The Be Present Project {Jessica provides such an honest and hopeful view of parenting, raising a family, and staying true to values}, Pomp & Circumstance {a gem I’ve recently discovered!}, and Amber Housley {one of my favorite lifestyle blogs that is incredibly well done!}, just to name a few!
How much time each week to you dedicate to your blog {approximately}?
Weekly, I spend anywhere from 15-20 hours a week dedicated to my blog. This varies depending on if I’m baking, recipe testing, or actively working on a craft or DIY project. All of this, combined with the writing, editing, and photography aspects can really add up! Oh, and social media… enough said :)
What has been your favorite part about blogging?
Definitely connecting with other bloggers! I have been fortunate enough to meet some of my favorite bloggers in person, form wonderful friendships, and really connect on a personal level that is more than just “screen deep.” It’s amazing to me the talent and skills so many women {and men!} have, and I feel lucky to be part of a community surrounded by all of this positivity.
Okay, now onto some fun questions that are non-relevant to blogging…..
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Well, I love to bake. But I think you got that message! My family means the world to me, so we love spending time together, playing games, cooking, and going on adventures. I love to travel and explore the world. I love to run, and am starting to get really into half marathons {thank goodness, otherwise all of those desserts are going to catch up with me!}. I also love just the simplicities of daily life, which include cleaning, laundry, and all of the “boring” things. To me, being organized and ready for the day ahead is one of the things I enjoy most!
You have a free Friday night, how would you spend it?
I’d head to my favorite restaurant, Local Taco, sit outside and enjoy a margarita, chips and salsa, and fish tacos. Then, Grant {the most incredible person in the world} and I would go for a walk, try a new dessert spot, and head home to watch a movie or catch up on our endless TiVo-ed shows! Not too exciting, but so wonderful!
If you could be a celebrity for a day, who would it be? Why?
Reese Witherspoon. I have always considered her a role model of mine {classy, put together, and always cheery!}, and her wardrobe… FAB!
You get to spend an unlimited amount at three stores, which stores would you pick?
1: Nordstrom. My goodness I could {and usually do} go crazy there! 2: Michael’s. I love to craft, use ribbon and glitter, and bake. The perfect store. 3: Sur la Table. Fortunately, there isn’t one in Nashville, otherwise I really would be in trouble! I love their cooking utensils, linens, and fun bakeware!
Name 5 things that you are most passionate about:
Relationships
Healthy Living
Organization
Exploring and seeing all the world has to offer
Positivity and making the most out of each day!
As promised, I have some Be Sweet recipes links to share with you. Beware: you shouldn’t look at her site on an empty stomach. It’s dangerous! :)
As soon as I got connected with Hilari, I followed her everywhere and have loved every single thing I’ve seen. She’s super sweet and I know you all will really enjoy getting to know her.
In addition to all of this, Hilari is part of a great link-up party each week and has many more recipes that I couldn’t include in this post. Stay tuned, her very first contributing post will go live NEXT Monday. In the meantime, be sure to visit her blog and other social media sites!
It’s always an exciting day when you get to spill news that you’ve been holding onto for a while. It’s even more exciting when the news has to do with sequins!
I’m the guest designer over on the Neat & Tangled blog today for the last part of the sequin series. For those who don’t follow that blog, each day this week they have showcased different ideas on how you can incorporate sequins onto a variety of projects. With all of those creative ideas, there was so much pressure to create something amazing. While my idea isn’t something super original, it IS something new and a technique I’ve never tried.
I present my take on a shaker card….with sequins, of course!
I’m sure that many of my readers have created shaker cards before. For some reason, I’ve always been intimidated by the thought of them and never took the time to create one myself. Well, I can cross this off my list- it has now been accomplished!
I hope that you enjoyed today’s card and video and give this technique a try. If you do, feel free to leave your blog link in a comment and I’ll take a peek at your post!
I just love introducing my readers to new {to me} companies and today I get to do just that. I recently stumbled across the company Clearly Besotted Stamps and was in awe of the vast variety of stamps and dies they design. While I had wanted many of their sets, the Full Steam Ahead set and dies caught my eye first. How cute is that little train?!
Truth be told, I actually received this set before, or right around, the time I first got my first batch of sequins. With my excitement of the sequins taking over my craft life, I didn’t immediately pull out this set. Once I got a little more time and was sparked with some creativity, I decided I was going to try to use the train with my sequins and patterned paper.
I had one of those “I can’t believe I made this” moments when I finished this card. It was exactly how I envisioned and I have to rave about these little dies- they work SO well! I have many more ideas for this train, so don’t be surprised if you see it again in the near future. *wink*
I don’t often work with companies that are outside the United States, mostly due to me being so impatient and wanting the products NOW. With that being said, I was SO impressed with how quickly my order was shipped, the great customer service, the quality of items and the fact that they arrived pretty quickly! It’s a win all the way around!
This stamp set and die set are currently out of stock, but I believe they’re being restocked in the future. I’ll see about getting an ETA and I’ll update this post when I do. :)
*The stamps and dies are scheduled to be restocked on Monday, May 6th!
That’s a wrap for today’s post. I will see you tomorrow for some more sequins AND a video!
It’s time for a brand new challenge and I hope you’re ready for some pretty colors. When I had first picked these colors a while back, I had no idea they would be one of the “it” color combos. Whoever chooses these trendy colors knows what they’re doing- they colors are swoon worthy!
Before I showcase this card, I wanted to let you all know that our beloved Jess had to step down from her DT position. Since we’re getting close to the end of the term for the current DT, I won’t be looking to replace this spot. However, there has been some talk that there just might be an upcoming DT call in the future. Stay tuned!
Today we have a returning sponsor, along with some of their talented DT. Please join me in welcoming WPlus9! Many of our beloved Craft Dash participants are fans of this company and I’m so thrilled it worked out for them to sponsor once again. With their growing collection of stamp sets, dies and accessories, I know the winner will enjoy spending this gift certificate!
We have five of the WPlus9 girls joining us for this challenge as special guests. Be sure to visit their blogs and see their beautiful creations using this color palette!
You can pull out your supplies before your timer starts!
* If you aren’t able to stay within the 10 minutes, you can still link up your item! While it won’t quality for the winner spot, it still might be featured in the favorites section!
It’s time to announce the 10 Minute Craft Dash #16 Highlights! Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who joined along in this challenge. Due to personal reasons, I wasn’t able to comment on each entry like I usually do. {I’m sorry!} Thankfully I was still able to take a peek at all of your beautiful entries and with the help of my best friend, we chose a winner!
Congratulations to Wendy Elliot
Please email me (click the contact on the top right) with your contact info to claim your prize. Also, you get to grab the badge below and proudly display it on your blog!
Here are my favorites picks from this last challenge. If you haven’t already, be sure to stop by each of the blogs to take a look at the beautiful cards! {Ladies, feel free to grab the badge below and put it on your blogs!}
If you are interested in getting a head start on the next Craft Dash, I have the colors that will be featured on the Pretty Pink Posh Facebook page. This is EXCLUSIVE to those who like my page. If you go there and go to “exclusives”, you get to see the next 10 Minute Craft Dash challenge a day early!
We have a returning sponsor that I know many of you love sponsoring the new challenge tomorrow. I hope that you’ll be able to join the DT and I for the fun! I shall see some of you on the Pretty Pink Posh Facebook page later. Thanks for stopping by!
Oh goodness, this week has been so rough. I debated on whether I wanted to do a post about everything that’s been going on, but I decided to refrain and keep with my scheduled Random Loves post. However, I will let you all know that I had to go to urgent care and my health hasn’t been doing very well lately. I’ve been a little slower in responding to emails, comments and may not be able to schedule as many posts in advance as usual, but I’m going to try my best to keep things running as smoothly as possible. Just a little heads up.
If you have followed my blog for some time, you know that each month I host a Random Loves feature. I always enjoy getting to share what I’ve been using and the new products I’m eying. It’s been so much fun to see YOUR lists over these months and check out the items you are listing. I’ve been introduced to many new things thanks to your suggestions!
You all know I’m a huge fan of the items in the Re.Served Etsy shop. Each month it seems like Victoria comes out with even cuter items {which I’m not sure is even possible} and this new plate is one of my absolute favorites. It highlights a few of the iconic Seattle locations and who could resist those adorable colors?!
Can you believe that I haven’t spotlighted sequins in a Random Loves feature yet? There really aren’t any words to describe how happy these small sparkly embellishments make me. I will admit that I have pulled out all of my sequin packets and spent hours playing with the color combos and different ideas on multiple occasions. Speaking of which, there just might be another sequin card coming to the blog later this week. *wink*
I try hard not to feature more than one craft product in a feature, but I couldn’t resist on this one. I am IN LOVE with this Echo Park Dots & Stripes paper pack. I ordered this one a few weeks back and have been carefully rationing out the sheets. The colors in this pack are divine and definitely can be used outside of baby cards.
I fell in love with this nail polish color the moment I saw it online. The sad thing? Every store that I have gone to has sold out of this color! It’s such a pretty shade of aqua/ seafoam green and all of the photos I have seen on Pinterest with people wearing it has made me in desperate need of owning this color. Hoping I can somehow track one down before it’s out of season!
What are a few of YOUR random loves at the moment? It can be drinks, shows, clothing, movies, etc…. whatever products you’re loving, or have on your wish list, I’d love to read about them!
I’ll see you all tomorrow for the 10 Minute Craft Dash #16 Highlights and info on how you can get an exclusive peek at the upcoming challenge!
“All good things must come to an end.” This isn’t a quote that I exactly enjoy, but it’s so very true. After five weeks of doing the Blogging 101 series, today is the last installment. We’ve covered a whole gambit of topics and I hope that you have learned things along the way. As I’ve mentioned in earlier posts, it’s been neat to hear the stories of how this series has inspired my readers– if you feel like sharing your story, I’d love to hear it!
Disclaimer: I am NOT an expert on blogging- I have so much more to learn myself. Throughout the years that I’ve been blogging, I have learned a lot, seen so many things and gained a lot from this world. I’ll share the good, bad and ugly {okay, there really isn’t too much ugly, but just thought I’d throw that in}.
Today’s topics: following trends and staying connected.
If you missed the earlier posts, here are the topics I have covered previously.
This topic may be controversial for some, but it’s one that is important to me. I will confess, I’m not always the most trendy crafter or blogger around. It took me ages to jump aboard the washi tape bandwagon and I was SUPER hesitant about the sequin trend in the beginning. Whether you’re a fashion blogger, or a crafter, being aware of the trends {ie following other blogs/ websites that are up-to-date & trendy}, is a must for those who want to be a relevant blogger.
I don’t partake in every single trend, but I think it’s important to know what the trends are and as much as possible, incorporate them into your creations and posts. You can pull inspiration from trends in a variety of ways– colors, layouts and/ or products. You may notice that I stay current on many trends, but at the end of the day, I also remain true to my style. I’ll be the first to admit that there are many trends that I love, but they don’t work for ME and my crafting aesthetics. It may take a little while for you to find the right balance of being true to your style and going outside your comfort zone, but you CAN find it. Trust me.
This is going to piggy-back on the being a friendly blog neighbor point from Blogging 101 Pt. 2 a little bit. As I mentioned before, it’s important to be a good blog neighbor, especially when you’re a beginner blogger. Once a blogger achieves as sense of “popularity” or “fame”, I’m sure it can be easy to disconnect and become submersed in your own little world and focus solely on what you are doing. Notice, I am saying this in somewhat uncertain terms.
I personally haven’t achieved hundreds of thousands of followers, reached my dream monthly page view number or had a post go viral on Pinterest {yet}. However, I WILL say that if these things did happen down the road, I would absolutely still stay plugged in and connected to the blog community. Am I trying to stir the pot here? No, not at all. I believe it to be extremely important to start and maintain relationships and friendships, no matter what stage you’re in as a blogger. Not only could these relationships develop into future collaborations and be a spring-board to take your blog to the next level, it could also bring you an even greater reward: true friendships. That, blog friends, by far the greatest thing I have gained during my 4 1/2 years of blogging.
This going to conclude the Blogging 101 series. I believe I have covered all of the topics that I wish I had known when I first started this world of blogging. Granted, there are several smaller topics I could have covered, but honestly if I did this, the series could continue on for a year. *wink* If there are more intermediate blogging topics you would like me to cover, I just might start a Blogging 102 feature down the road. I know many of my readers are in the beginning blogging stages, so I’m not sure if there would be enough interest….
Thank you to those who have followed along and shared this series with others. I can’t wait to see how you incorporate what you’ve learned onto your beautiful blogs!
