Saving Money in 2014

For those who have followed my blog a while, you may recognize the chart below. I blogged about it HERE last year and wanted to share it again for those new to my blog.

If you’re like me, you like to spend money. Online shopping has been my friend since the accident and while I save money by not driving often, I still have a knack for getting surprised when I look at my savings account. I did this challenge for almost six months last year with GREAT results, but with so many doctor bills coming in, I had to dip into the money I saved and that ended my go at this challenge. I will say I am SO thankful that I started it though and was consistent about putting money aside those six months, as it helped a lot with bills and such.

Now that the bills are all paid (except for that gigantic MRI bill that still hasn’t come and I’m praying magically disappears), I wanted to give this challenge a go again. After all, having an extra $1300+ in the savings account at the end of the year is hard to pass up.

savingschart2014We are on the fourth week in 2014, so I have $10 in my savings jar. Yes, I have a jar SEPARATE from my bank account for this challenge. I found that by doing this, I could visually see the money accumulating (which is exciting) and I instilled in myself that I couldn’t touch it.

Who wants to do this challenge with me? I personally a hoping to be able to stick with this the whole year because I’m in desperate need of a new computer. Imagine what YOU could get if you did it! *wink*

 

Join the Discussion: Coloring

Hi,  sweet blog friends!

I’m popping in with a quick post, actually it’s a question. Recently a friend and fellow blog reader started getting more involved in crafting and asked what kind of coloring option she should choose. I’m a big Copic fan, but if I’m being honest, I haven’t tried many of the options out there. However, I know that many of YOU have done your research, tried out different options and probably have some great thoughts….

coloring2Feel free to leave a comment here with your opinions or feedback. I’ll be asking this question on the Pretty Pink Posh Facebook page later on, so if you’re in the market for coloring options, stay tuned for my readers answers!

|

You’re A Deer

Do you ever feel like all of your cards look the same time and time again? I go through this quite often. (And no, it’s not because many of them feature sequins) I think it’s my layouts and colors that strike a familiar chord, so it makes me feel like they look the same. My remedy? Changing up colors and layouts periodically!

Today I have a card to share that features new DeNami stamps that I love so very much, along with a more subtle color palette. I love neutral colors and making a card using several different shades of neutrals is always refreshing. However, I still had to add a teeny bit of color in way of some aqua.

prettypinkposh_fawn1a

TIP: If you’re new to sequins, adding a trio of them to the corner of a card or tag is the PERFECT way to add some bling to your project, without going overboard. Also, this is a great way to add a little extra color to your projects.

prettypinkposh_fawn1b

I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again- I need a clone or an assistant to help me with my massive amount of to-do items. However, if we went with a clone, I would ask for a healthy one. These last few days have been “bad health days” and I did nothing but sleep and lay in bed for a good 36 hours. Thankfully, my new insurance kicked in and I can resume doctor visits again. Last year, I maxed out my visits really quickly and just about everything was out of pocket, which was not pleasant. Now that I have a whole new batch of visits, I’m hoping we can start narrowing down what’s wrong with me and resume the pursuit of getting me on the path to health again.

That’s going to wrap up today’s post. Thanks for stopping in and spending some time with me!

|

Favorite Free Fonts #3

Hello and Happy Friday!

I had hoped to do a new card post today, but my camera decided to be difficult and not save my photos to the memory card. Instead of going with my initial plan, I decided to do a Favorite Free Fonts feature. The last two were so popular and since it has been a few months, I thought it was time to bring you a new one.

fonts3

Alex Brush   •   KG Call Me Maybe   • Lobster

Veteran Typewriter   •   Frosting for Breakfast •  Dollie Script

   Pharmacy  •   Myriad Std  •  Sunshine In My Soul

If you download one or two of the fonts, I would love it if you pinned this feature on Pinterest, or somehow shared it with your friends. It was so heart warming to see the last one pinned many times on Pinterest- I’m curious to see if we can get this one spread even more!

If you haven’t already, head on over to the FREEBIE section on the site- this is where I’ll be adding the font feature, free templates and other goodies in the future. Have requests for future freebies? Let me know!

| |

Heart Shaped Valentine + VIDEO

As many of you know, I keep quite busy with life, so I rarely take on guest designer spots. However, occasionally one will come around and I just can’t resist. Today’s post is proof of this statement.

Recently I was introduced to Top Dog Dies and was so impressed with their wide range of dies. Not only do they have their own line, they also carry many other popular dies as well.

Top Dog Dies is a new online store that offers their own brand of wafer-thin and steel-rule dies, along with dies from brands you already know and trust, including My Favorite Things, Sizzix, Savvy Stamps and Cheery Lynn Designs. Top Dog Dies is also the leading U.S. retailer for Tattered Lace, a new line of intricate dies designed by U.K. designer Stephanie Weightman.

Heart Shaped Valentine

I was so inspired by the lovely heart shaped dies at Top Dog, I thought I would just one of the many ways you can use their Heart Mini Album die, along with their Heart Mini Album Finishers die set. You may have noticed that these dies have the word “album” in them, but don’t let that stop you from using it for cards! I was easily able to adapt the album die and create a heart shaped card.

Here’s a quick visual of the supplies and steps of how I made this card….

Heart Shaped Valentine

1) Gather Heart Mini Album Die and Heart Mini Album Finishers die set. (Note I only pictured the dies I used for this card. There’s LOTS more dies included in the finishers set)

2) Score one (of your two) white die cut hearts from the album die at 1/4″. Glue together hearts where the scored line is- this will create the heart shaped cart. Cut off excess from the other white heart.

3) Die cut other shapes, gather embellishments and decorate.

4) Add in last minute embellishment (doily, twine, confetti hearts) and admire what you just created!

Heart Shaped ValentineIf you want to see how I created this card, I filmed a video! It’s a little longer than my normal videos, but I wanted to share exactly what the Top Dog Dies look like, along with the process of the card.

Watch the video above   I    Watch on YouTube
 

Top Dog Dies wants to give YOU a chance to win a shopping spree and try out their fabulous dies. Click the graphic below for your chance to win! Giveaway-$50eGiftCard

Thank you for joining me for this special post- I hope you were inspired. Have a fabulous Monday!

| |

DeNami Valentine Blog Hop

Today is the DeNami blog hop and the theme for this month is VALENTINE. After doing a whole week of Valentine cards filled with pinks and reds, I wanted to change things up a bit and do a card with lots of purple. However, you know me and pink….I had to sneak in just a bit of it in this card, too!

If you started the blog hop from the beginning, you should be arriving from Lyndal’s blog. It’s been so fun seeing Lyndal use DeNami recently and I’m sure she’s created something fun to share today. If you get lost on the hop, head on over to the DeNami blog for the complete list of participants.

My card today is fairly simple, but I really wanted to let the new sentiment, Day Filled With Happiness, take the spotlight. Seriously, how lovely is this combination of fonts?

valentine3aSince this card was going to be really simple, I added in some sequins to make a quick shaker card. This is the perfect way to dress up a card and make it feel more special. For this particular shaker, I used the Orchid, Amethyst and Sparkling Clear sequins– a perfect trio of colors!

valentine3bIt’s off to your next stop on the hop- Stacy’s blog! The gal is very talented and always has creative ideas. It’s always fun to see what new ideas she’s whipped up.

In closing, just a little reminder to leave comments on each stop, there’s DeNami gift certificates up for grabs for two lucky people. With the release that released on Friday packed full of cute stamps, you definitely will want a chance at that prize.

Good luck and happy hopping!

A Fond Farewell to the Craft Dash….

If I’m being honest, I was putting off this post as long as possible. What came to mind everytime I thought about writing it was a parent saying goodbye to their child who is going off to college. It’s not a permanent goodbye, but it’s a sad one nonetheless. Seeing your “baby” grow up and then go away…. I can only assume that my feelings of saying goodbye to the 10 Minute Craft Dash is a little similar.

I started the Craft Dash back in August 2012 and little did I know that just after it my life would change because of my accident. There were moments I didn’t know if I would be able to continue with it (because of my physical issues and pain), but I’m glad I did. Despite the hard work that went into it, it also brought so much joy and normalcy into my life. Honestly, this was like my baby. Seeing you all get excited about the challenge was thrilling, the buzz around the birthday bash was exciting and getting to meet/ work with sponsors and designers was a great experience. I am very sad to have to close the doors, but I’m also excited about the new doors I’m walking through. Also, I might be able to host a challenge here or there…

Since this post is long overdue, I’ll get to the winner and favorites for this post.

Congratulations to Helen Gullett!

CD_32_Winner

Helen, please contact me with your email information and I’ll pass along your information to Michele at CAS-ual Fridays Stamps. Also, feel free to grab the badge below and proudly display it on your blog!

CD_winner

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!}

CD_favorite

Grá O’Neill 

Heidi H.

Sylvia Blum

Amy Kolling

Laura Sterckx

Heather- housesbuiltofcards

border

From the very bottom of my heart, thank you to the design team members who have been a part of this journey, the amazing sponsors and designers who have helped make this challenge a success and YOU, my amazing readers and 10 Minute Craft Dash participants. You have filled my heart with joy by your creations, loving words and encouragement.

I hope that many, if not all, of you will continue to visit the blog- I still plan on posting regularly! In addition, with the extra time I’ll have on my hands, I’ll be focusing more on the Pretty Pink Posh Shop and adding new products and coordinating some neat things in the future. This year is just getting started and I’m hopeful it’ll be fun of beautiful creations, wonderful memories and lots and lots of blog posts. :)

Much Love,

Valentine Week: Sequin Jar

Hello, sweet readers!

It’s the last day of Valentine Week here on the blog and I must say it was both fun and exhausting. I absolutely love doing posts, but doing them back-to-back in the midst of a crazy time of year at work wasn’t my smartest idea. I’m proud that I stuck it out though and I’m *almost* finished with all my major deadlines for both work and design wise. The next thing on the list? Finishing up my shopping cart, restocking my inventory and then lots and lots of crafting. I’ll confess, I’m especially excited for the last item.

I know that this card may look familiar to some- I did a similar one HERE. That particular card was pinned more times than I can count on Pinterest and I thought I’d bring you a fresh take on it with Valentine colors and PPP products.

Valentine Week I Pretty Pink Posh #5

For quite a while now, I’ve been sharing my love of the yummy chevron twill ribbons here on the blog. Honestly, it’s a ribbon that works well with so many projects AND it’s incredibly easy to tie bows with it. My only complaint? There aren’t enough colors of it! I’m crossing  my fingers that more colors will be released in the future.

This week I’ve filmed multiple orders with these ribbons in it- you have no idea how happy that makes me! I hope that each of you love it as much as I do. For those who noticed that a couple of colors are sold out: fear not, they’re expected to arrive on Monday!

Click here to purchase some chevron twill ribbon!

Valentine Week I Pretty Pink Posh #5

I must say, it was so fun to see all of the different answers of what caught your eye in the shop. The most popular answer was the Valentine Kit (yay!), but I also got all sorts of other answers. I’m so happy that I’ve been able to expand the products in the shop- it looks/ sounds like the items I have added are ones you all like!

Okay, now onto the giveaway winner…winnerLindsey, please email me with your shipping information and I’ll send off a prize pack full of products!

I hope that you’ve enjoyed the Valentine theme week. I’ll definitely be posting more Valentine cards and projects in the upcoming weeks and I’m hoping to also film at least one Valentine video. Stay tuned for that!

I’ll be back tomorrow with the winner of the 10 Minute Craft Dash #32. Have a great rest of your Friday!

|

Valentine Week: Love Shaker

It was bound to happen….a shaker card for Valentine Week. If you watched the new products video (HERE), you’ll recognize this card. For this shaker, I changed things up a bit and added some of the Red Confetti Hearts in with the Sweetheart Sequins Mix. I love how these add a bit of shine, but it also adds a little more visual interest. Plus, who can resist some red hearts?

Recently I’ve been getting quite a few emails regarding what kind of acetate I use for my shaker cards. In a video coming soon, I’ll share exactly what I’ve been using…you’ll be surprised at what it is and how inexpensive it is, too!

prettypinkposh_valentine5a

Did you happen to notice this ribbon? I’m happy to say it’s one that can be found in the Pretty Pink Posh Shop! I fell in love with this beautiful tinsel ribbon and it makes your Valentine cards and projects that much more festive. Plus, with the extra width, you can use it for gift wrapping as well!

prettypinkposh_valentine5b

Well, friends, there’s just one more day to enter the giveaway I’m hosting. If you have already entered, be sure to tell your friends about it. Who knows, they just might share some of their winnings! *wink*

giveaway3

|

Valentine Week: Hugs & Kisses

As I was looking at this card photo, I realized that this card truly highlights all of the products in the Pretty Pink Posh Shop right now. Sequins, ribbon, confetti, twine, pom pom trim…this card pretty much sums up my shop (and my studio) at the moment.

I wanted to shake things up a bit and bring you some brighter colors for today’s Valentine card. I have to confess that after I created this card, I made several more cards in this color palette. Be warned: you will definitely be seeing more of these colors in the near future.

Valentine Week I Pretty Pink Posh #3

I recently purchased this fun tag die set from Reverse Confetti and have been having all sorts of fun with it. I love how it works as a tag, but it also looks great on cards. There are so many different die cuts out there, but they add up really quickly. Being a girl on a budget, I typically go for ones that are versatile (like this one). I was eying this one for a few weeks and finally caved….I’m so happy I did!

Do you spy the white pom pom trim again? I’m tell you, I just can’t get enough of it! I love how it adds just a little bit of texture and dimension, but there’s hardly any extra bulk to it. See THIS VIDEO for a closer peek at just how flat it lays.

Valentine Week I Pretty Pink Posh #3

I hope you enjoyed this unique take on a Valentine card. If you’re interested in any of the embellishments on this card, be sure to head on over to the Pretty Pink Posh Shop!

In closing, just a little reminder about the giveaway I still have going on. Hurry over and leave your comment- the winner will be announced on Friday!

giveaway3