Happy Birthday Renate'!!

Hello!!

Guess what?  Today's Ms. Renate's (aka Yumi) birthday and there is a big surprise for her over on the Yumi & Fumi Handmade blog.  Yep the team twisted my arm to keep me from saying anything and yes they wheedled and pleaded for me to give them some time to take over the blog ONE. LAST. TIME.  How could I say no?!  I'm so totally kidding, they asked and of course I said yes!  It's for a totally good reason.  All the fun starts HERE.

This card was inspired by some of the recent pictures she's been sharing on her FB page.  If you don't know, she loves all sorts of KAWAII things and one of them happens to be My Little Pony.  So I went searching on the internet for this kawaii Rainbow Dash colored image.  Yay! I'm half way done with my card!  I thought pairing him up with Yumicorn was perfect!  Colored her up to try to match him, all the way down to the rainbow colored tuft of hair.  I added some clouds in the background to give the card more depth.   The sentiment was computer generated and I fussy cut it in to the shape of a cloud.   Wanted to do something fun on the inside and found another perfect Rainbow Dash image, all I did was add another sentiment...

Perfect right?!  I hope she likes it.

Rena, I hope you have a beautiful day full of love, laughs, smiles and sunshine.  Happy Happy Birthday girlfren!! Enjoy your special surprises today! Love ya lots!!

Now head on over to the Yumi & Fumi blog to see what the two teams had up their sleeve and leave them some love, they schemed, I mean worked really hard to keep this a SECRET.  hahaha!  Then head on over to Renate's blog to wish her a happy birthday.  If you're her friend on FB then definitely leave a message there.

Have a fantastic day and if you're also celebrating... Happy Birthday!  You're in really good company. :)

Hugs,
Leanne

Happy Birthday Rena!!

Happy Wednesday everyone!!

Sorry I've been MIA.  I was missing my mojo and didn't really have the need to craft for a few days.  (GASP!) I know right?!!  What's wrong with me?  I don't know if any of you get that feeling like you just don't want to be around the crafty table, but sometimes I go through those phases and just looking at the craft table tires me out!  But I'm back and my mojo seems to be back for a bit so today I have something to share...  YAY!!  Hoping to share a few more cards for the rest of the week.


Today is a super special day.  My partner in crime Renate' Winter is celebrating her BIRTHDAY and the Yumi & Fumi Handmade Team and a few friends are helping with the celebration!!  Hop on over to the Yumi & Fumi Handmade blog to see the wonderful birthday cards and messages left by some of her friends.

Here's my card featuring Yumicorn.  I did a little alteration by adding stars and butterfly wings to her costume.  She already had wings, but I messed them up while coloring.  I decided to trim them off and used a butterfly die to create her wings.  I think it turned out almost as good as the original.  I went with a simple layout with lots of die cuts.  I used a balloon die, Spellbinder star circle die and star punches.  As you can see there is a lot of sparkle, if you can't see it believe me it's there.  I sparkled her horn, stars on her outfit, and of course her wings.  For fun I added pink & white twine to the balloons and I hope it looks like she's releasing them.  I handwrote the sentiment on the balloons and the star.   I hope she likes it.

Happy Birthday Rena!!  Wishing you the best birthday any girl can ask for.  Thanks for being a fantastic friend and partner in crime.  Cheers to many more occasions where we can hang out and do damage.  lol!  Enjoy this day and celebrate all month long!!  Margaritas!!!  hehehe... I Love ya girl!

Please stop by her blog and wish her a Happy Birthday.  Mahalo for stopping by, have a fabulous day!!

Hugs,
Leanne

A Dream Come True...

Hey everyone!

Remember when I mentioned the reason why I haven't been blogging consistantly?  Well here's the reason why... I have some amazing news to share.  Today a dream that was conceived almost a year ago comes to life for my crafting buddy, Renate' Winter and myself.  We are joining the stamping community as owners of a little shop called Yumi & Fumi Handmade. 

We partnered up with an amazing illustrator who totally gets us.  She's talented and super sweet.  So it's been late nights, long weekends, chats on FB, or Google chat trying to get everything completed for this week.  Why you ask?  Well we will be selling our own brand of chibi/anime style stamps named Yumi & Fumi at our big launch this weekend (July 14-15) at the Stamp in the Hand Rubber Stamp Convention in Carson, CA.  A fitting place for us to start I think. 

We are still working out the kinks on the website and the store, but our blog is up and running so head on over there to see it and let me know what you think.  Grab our kawaii badge that my awesome buddy Renate' created and add it to your blog.  Become a follower and help us spread the word. : )

We're having a mini blog hop (July 12-15) with our design team who you will get to meet tomorrow.  I posted snippets on the blog of some of the cards that will be show cased during the mini hop.  I know I'm such a stinker yea?  hahaha!!  I really didn't want to give too much away.  At that time you will get to see our first set of stamps.  We've gotten a lot of good reviews from family, friends and some unexpected husbands.  All really positive and that just makes this all worth it.

Now that everything is finally out I am planning to get back in to blogging and visiting more.  I am also behind on a few projects for some really important people and it's about time I get back on track.  Apologies to you folks! 

Hoping you all will take some time to visit the blog over the next couple of days and let me know what you think and help spread the word...  And if you are in town, come visit us at the Carson Rubber Stamp Show.

Mahalo for your patience and for coming here to leave me wonderful comments.  I read each one and get all tingly inside.

Have a lovely day!!
Hugs,
Leanne

Hey you!

Hello!! 
Yes today is my second post, please scroll down to see my Lollipop Crafts challenge post.

As you are reading this, I should be celebrating Renate's birthday with her, Zach and a few of our close friends at Gyu-Kaku in Old Town Pasadena.  I made her a card using one of her favorite stamp lines, Gorjuss Girls.  I used Rose, who I purchased along with a few others, from All That Scraps.  The dp was from the same paper pad stack (DCWV - The Rustic stack).  I love this paper pad and have been waiting to cut into it.  This was the perfect occasion.  I used a sketch from my blogging friend, Kim Yu to help me bring some fun elements to the card.

I am really pleased with how it turned out.  I wanted to go with a warm color palette and I think I achieved it with the yellows, blues, browns and oranges and touches of white.  What do you think? 

I paper pieced her dress and did some fun affects to it.  Yes, I used a couple Copic markers to add the folds but if you look closely you might be able to see that I added dimension to the dress.  No?  Well here are a couple side views...

Where the folds are drawn in I used a hockey stick embossing tool
to create the folds on the paper to make the dress look and feel
more pronounced.

Here's a better angle.  See how the paper dips where the "folds"
lay?  I also layered it twice (only because I ripped the first one
while trying to work the paper)  because it gave it more
dimension and poof once I added the second layer.  :) 

Side view of the finished card

Here is a close up of the other side of the card.  Thought you'd like to see the details.  :)

I used several Spellbinder dies for this card.  Love how handy they are and how clean they can make a card look.  My first time making those circle flowers.  I used a couple SB circles and my hockey stick again.  Added a nice big half pearl to the center of each.  Love how it turned out.  I wonder if this is what is called shabby chic?  If so then it's my first time and I'm so pleased with the result.  woo hoo!  Alrighty, time for me to scoot.  Hopefully we are enjoying our meal and Renate is enjoying her birthday dinner.  :)

The Voice and Hawaii 5-O are on my lists to watch tonight.  Hoping to get home to watch at least H5O.  On a sad note, just wanted to say RIP Whitney Houston.  You are going to be missed, but never forgotten.

Challenges:
ATS Wednesday Challenges: Anything Goes

Hugs,
Leanne

Supplies not listed above:
White cs (Neenah solar crest, Xpress It); Light blue cs (Bazzil); Square/scalloped square & circle dies (Spellbinders); doily (Joann's); lace (May Arts scrap from CHA);  butterflies (MS punch); half pearls (Recollections)
Copics:

Watcha doin' this weekend?

Hello Friends!
This is my second post today.  For my Fun Friday post please scroll down. :)

Stamp show announcement!!

My buddy Renate and I are happy to be joining our friends, Kathy & Elise of Pixie Boutique at The Original Rubber Stamp Convention this weekend in Carson, California.  If you are in the area we would love for you to stop by and visit us.  

November 12 & 13

Saturday, 9am - 4pm

Sunday, 10am - 3pm

Carson Community Center

3 Civic Plaza Drive

Carson, CA. 90745

$6/day

$8/ 2-day pass

Children under 12 free

Free parking

If you're looking for that perfect gift for Christmas or want to add to your La-La Land Crafts collection we will have a nice selection of recent and past collections, including the October & November releases.  Plus we plan to have a bargain bin full of crafty deals.

We have three fun Make & Takes featuring Sunny Christmas Marci, Sunny Christmas Luka and the beautiful Angel Marci for a minimal fee, but sooo worth it. 

Angel Marci Christmas card

Sunny Christmas Luka ornament/pin

Summer Christmas Marci Tag

Schedule of Make & Takes:

Saturday: Sunny Christmas Luka ornament & Angel Marci Christmas card

Sunday: Sunny Christmas Marci tag

Our booth will be one of the six sorry souls left out in the cold garden area so we would love some company to heat us up and if you bring us some Coffee Bean we'll give you big giant squeezes.  (hehe)

For all the information on the convention please visit A Stamp in the Hand website. 

 If you can't make it please send us lots of sunshine and well wishes.  It's supposed to rain, but I think with all of our crafty friends sending us lots of sunshiney thoughts the sun will have to come out!  :)

Mahalo!!
Leanne & Renate