Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Hitting the Road

Hi All,

Though I've been silent, I've been silently working behind the scenes. We were on the road for a whole month and when we got home, there was loads to catch up on at home and business. It was great to cook in my own kitchen and sleep in my own bed. I think I might be considered an expert in road travel by now, considering our shows take us away over 30 weekends a year.

We will be heading to Boise, ID for our first show there. Mechelle and Darrin have been working hard to make it a successful show for vendors and attendees alike. You will enjoy the more intimate setting and the chance to rub elbows with many out of town vendors.

We will then make a tour through St Paul, MN, Ft Wayne, IN, Milwaukee, WI, Las Vegas, NV, Mesa, AZ and Carson, CA. You will enjoy the fresh samples there and the lots of inspiration. It's time to start thinking fall projects in order to warm up to Christmas cards.

We have new videos being loaded onto YouTube. We will have the updates on the website.

Thanks for visiting.

Nami

Monday, June 28, 2010

Hello out there

Hello All,

I've been absent from blogging for some time. I guess mainly because the DeNami Blog has been doing such a fabulous job that now I am coasting a bit.

We are winding down our four show tour stint. We will be flying home to enjoy the Fourth of July at home and my daughter's graduation party.

Our string of shows kicked off with the first one being in West Springfield, MA, then Collinsville, IL, Orlando, FL and finally Chantilly, VA. We got to meet Ayana in Orlando. She was kind enough to help us out while coming out there. She was as sweet as can be. She did her bestest to introduce DeNami to all who came by. It was so much fun having her and having my daughter Paulina there. Paulina is the nice and sweet voice that you will most likely hear when you call in a to DeNami. She has an amazing blog here.
This is a pic of me, Ayana and Paulina.

I must say it rained a lot. Keep in mind that I am from WA. So to have a Washingtonian say it rained a lot, that says something.

We spent this last weekend in Chantilly, VA at the Great American Scrapbook Show. We had the wonderful opportunity to work with Ashley Cannon-Newell, editor and founder of Embellish Magazine. We have sponsored her mag and find it to be top notch. Check it out here.

Here is Ashley and me.

During the show I was delighted and surprised to see Eileen Hull. We first met in NY, but this show was in her backyard. She designs for Sizzix and has her own blog here.

Here is my son, Eileen and me. (Great to have seen you, Eileen!)

Our next show is in Tinley Park, IL. Hope to see some of you there!

Nami


Tuesday, April 27, 2010

April Ramblings

Hi All,

I was reading Paulina's April Ramblings and wanted to join in on the fun. You can read hers here. Ayana, from DeNami's design team also did hers. Find it here.

Keep in mind there is no rhyme or reason to these, just some random thoughts.

* I love spring. When the sun in shining and the sky is blue. Not too hot or too cold.
* I love to cuddle up with each of my boys. They are growing up too quickly. I think they might like it too:)
* In my mind I like being organized, but the reality contradicts this ideal.
* There aren't enough hours in the day to put on paper all the ideas I have in my head.
* I love to eat. My enjoyment for cooking and baking is only the means to that end. Eating in our family is a sport. Buffets are the best thing since sliced bread.
* I eat according to texture (crunchy and soft) and also salty/sour to sweet. I guess I like balance:)
* My latest favorite chips are PopChips. The BBQ ones are the bomb. Have you had any yet?
* I enjoying early mornings. Waking up at 4:30AM is something I love to do. I know, I'm one of those "rare" people.
* Action movies with a good story line are fun for me to watch. Can't wait for the next Iron Man to come out. I do love Italian Job, Ocean's Eleven and Mission Impossible.
* I like movies with a satisfying ending. I am one of those who don't like to still be wondering "why" or "what" after a movie. Unless, of course, it's supposed to be a cliff hanger. Batman Begins and Star Trek (the recent one) were very good and satifying movies for me.
* I'm not one to see a movie more than once. That's why I don't like buying movies. I feel like they would just be wasted sitting on the shelf. My husband, on the other hand, could start a movie lending library with all he owns. The times I've watched a movie twice was when he's sitting next to me on the plane and I happen to glance over in at his DVD player. Even then, I only see the images and have no sound.
* I like the idea of wearing great looking shoes, but in reality, I go purely for comfort. You will find me wearing my Saucony running shoes 95% of the time. I will wear dress shoes for church and weddings, but once home, they come off. My daughter officially announced to me that I own the most shoes in our family, after cleaning out the family shoe shelves. Remember, there's seven of us, so that translates to lots of shoes. Lots.
* I love being a wife and mom. Caring for them via cooking for them, hanging out with them, watching them and just being near them brings peace and joy to my heart.
* I love Jesus. I may not always reflect that when I am tired, stressed or irritated, but in my heart of heart, I love Him because I know He loves me. He's my BFF. Do you know Him?
* I love meeting people. I love it when people trust me enough to open up their lives to me. Y'all have a story to tell.
* I love garage sale-ing. Wheeling and dealing is a favorite past time for me. Too bad I'll be gone so much this summer, otherwise that's where I would be. I am quite choosy when I think of hauling something new into the house. I do have some 'splaining to my hubby when I drag something home, so it better be good.
* Hot fudge over vanilla ice cream and nuts is the best invention since sliced bread, buffets...
* White chocolate is a new favorite of mine. I recently ate a bag of Flipz. Yum!
* I enjoy running. Outdoors in the spring is so nice. Treadmill running is second best. Running in the rain is bunk.
* I need to get a new day planner. It will be a place to "catch" all my thoughts, events planned and just my priorities. I get too side tracked if I don't have a plan. Franklin Covey is my favorite planner. Great system, if you use it:)
* I love to read. I haven't done it recently, but when I have, I love it.
* I love reading biographies with my boys. We've spanned many generations, continents and lives by reading about the heroes of old. I love telling them about the sacrifices many have made for the cause of Jesus. Also, that living with integrity and character is the right thing to do, even at the cost of comfort and personal sacrifice.
* I love to create. I love to also make something ordinary into something extraordinary. I guess that's why I like watching make-overs, Biggest Loser, What Not to Wear, etc.
* I like seeing my family happy. It makes me happy.
* I would like to take up the guitar again. I haven't done it in years. In my mind, I would like to write a song. It's in my mind still...
* I don't like it when I lose something. I just recently lost a good water bottle, my worst is losing my IPod. It was so sad. The saddest part was that I had no idea where I lost it. At least I knew where I left my water bottle.
* Computer problems drive me batty. I stopped doing YouTube videos because my computer kept freezing up on me. It froze ten times while I edited it. I got so frustrated, that I had to turn it off and take a breather. I haven't gone back to it since. Sigh... Do have any video editing software you would recommend?

Well, I could go on and on. I better stop. Leave me a comment to tell me you stopped by. Bloggers loooooove comments, in fact, they blog for comments:)

Nami

Back at Home

Hi All,

We had a grand ol' time on the road with our boys. We just finished our Akron, OH stop and enjoyed the folks there. I love all you stampers. You bring such richness and joy into my life with your personalities, encouragement, stories and love. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. We love what we do and give glory to God for being able to share our passion with you. Without you, we'd be stamping all alone with no one to share it with... (tear)... sigh... Fortunately, that's not the case and we can keep on truckin' as long as you keep liking what we do.

Thank you to all who came up to us telling us how much you enjoyed our boys' help. They are boys and get bored, so you kept them busy. We loved having them near and sharing them with you loving ladies. Every once in a while, one of you gives the boys a tip and they really get excited to help;)

Right now I will be putting my nose to the grindstone to design our new collection. Here's your chance to share your wish list. Leave it in the comments section. I would like to have some "pun-ny" ones for our fun characters. Corny ones are OK, too!

Nami

Monday, April 19, 2010

DeNami Theme Challenge #1


On The Road

Hi All,

We just finished a show in Albany, NY. Though it was our first time there, we saw a lot of customers from the West Springfield, MA show. We look forward to seeing them in MA this June.

We had our two sons with us and we'll be doing a short road trip from Albany to our show in Akron, OH. We are still firming up help for Saturday in Akron, so if you would like to be considered, contact us with a little bio. We look for energetic, friendly, sales people to help with the customer sales and set-up/take down. No stamping experience necessary, just good people skills.

It was quite chilly in NY, since the grounds didn't have heat. I was bundled up and enjoyed the warm hearts of the ladies there. We had a couple of dynamic helpers named Shannon and Joey. We look forward to seeing them at a future show.

(not a great pic of me, but my helpers look fab!)

I have some great cards I made this weekend that I will prep soon. I hope you bloggers have been enjoying DeNami's dynamic blog http://denami.blogspot.com We have fun contests, features and just plain good projects. Come meet the design team and see all their creative projects. It's a real treat to see how creative they can be.

I hope you are all having a great start to your week.

Blessings,




Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Birthday Card

Hi All,

A dear friend had a birthday and with all my travels, I finally had the time to make a special card for her. It was a surprise birthday, considering her birthday was back in February:), she wasn't expecting it, at this point.

I loved the vibrant colors and design mix. The stripes and paisley pattern worked well together since the greens complemented each other. I added the grosgrain ribbon to add texture and detail. You can double click the picture to see an upclose view.

We are getting ready for the stamp show in Allentown, PA. Be sure to visit and see the latest and greatest stuff we have.










Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Birdie Bag

Hello All,

Here is another Easter idea that can be used beyond the holiday. It can be used as a little springtime goodie. I used the Purse Template to create this little bag. I just trimmed off the flap to make this an open bag. I punched holes on the sides and threaded grosgrain ribbon and knotted the ends. I stuffed it with the Shredds and added the Boutiques buttons using the ATG gun to make glue dots. All supplies available from http://www.denamidesign.com

I filled it with decorated Hershey Nugget chocolates. If you click on the photos, you will see the enlarged details of the project.

Thanks for visiting!








Saturday, March 27, 2010

Bunny Card

Hi All,

I hope you had a great spring day today.

Easter is nearing, so I thought I would add to the Easter card collection. I made my own background with the stitch stamp, Mini Swiss Dot and Mini Daisy from the Rosette Petit Fours stamp set. I stamped with the Versafine and colored with Tombow Markers.

I liked the little bows and the buttons to finish off the card. A simple and sweet card.

If you click on the card, you can see the detail on the bunnies. I used the 3D Lacquer and Fun Fluff to add fuzzy texture to the bunnies. I also used the lacquer and glitter for the dimension on the ears, basket and eggs.

Enjoy!



















Thursday, March 25, 2010

Easter Card

Hi All,

Spring has finally come to the Northwest. Though today is rainy, yesterday was a perfect spring day. I have the memory of it to carry me through today. With Easter next weekend. I thought I would share an Easter card idea. This is the same card from different angles. It love the dimension, cheery colors and layers. If you look closely, you'll see a glitter swirl background.

I stamped it in Onyx Black Versafine and colored with Tombow markers. I used the Quickie glue pen and Sparkletts glitter for the shimmery touch. The glue pad I used was the Essential Glue pad. You can find those items here: http://denamidesign.com/cart.php?m=product_list&c=54

The Eggs were a feature on DeNami. Here is the post: http://denami.blogspot.com/2010/03/product-spotlight-easter-eggs.html

We are enjoying our blog community and encourage to join in on the fun. We will have contests, features and more. Visit DeNami's Blog often to get great stamping ideas.

Thanks for visiting. Leave a comment so I know you came to visit!








Wednesday, March 24, 2010

show help

Hi All,

We are getting ready for some shows coming up after Easter. I love spring! It's nice to see the sun come out again. It's a reminder of good things to come. Easter reminds me of God's love for us. It's nice to be home during this time.

We are looking to add help for our Albany, NY show and Akron, OH shows. We also still need someone to help us set up in Allentown, PA and for take down. Let us know that you are interested.

I am working on new designs. It will cover the fall/winter seasons. Now is the time for you to give your input. We took past requests and it was born into rubber.

We did a show in Portland. I loved being able to see all you ladies that I have known for so long. We had Patsy and Sherrill help us during the show and in addition to that, Julie helped set up.
Can't believe we have known Patsy for 20 years. Yikes!

I have a fun graduation project I made in Portland. I will have to post it real soon...

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Show Help Wanted- Glendale, AZ show

Hi All,

Just thought I would put the word out there that we are looking for help for the Glendale, AZ show. We are looking for energetic, enthusiastic, friendly, people-oriented sales help for the show for Saturday.

You can email me at nami@denamidesign.com and let me know you are interested. Tell me a little about yourself and please include your phone number.

See you there!

Filigree Cards

Hi All,

We just launched a new DeNami Design blog page. It is still located at http://denami.blogspot.com, but the old contents will be located here. Since this will become my blog, I may venture out beyond card making to fun posts.

The card below showcased our new stamp positioner called Stamp Align. You can request it via email, since it's not uploaded on the shopping cart at the website.

The card looks like it has several layers, but it is all stamped on the White Cardstock using the Onyx Black VersaFine pad. I used the stamp positioner to place each of the nesting circle stamps including the central crest image. It was especially useful stamping the stripe across the middle of the card in order to make sure it was straight. I did mask off the nesting stamps before stamping the stripe in order to not stamp on it. I then used the stripe stamp to stamp diagonally across the bottom of the card. I masked the rest of the card so I could stamp the plaid.

After stamping the first stripe, I just lined up the next stripe along the wood block and kept stamping all the way across the card. I then did the same going the other direction and stamping it back across to create the plaid pattern.

I used the mini Swiss dot for the upper polka dots and added the 3D Lacquer on the dots and the crest and sprinkled the Onyx Sparkletts glitter for a deep sparkle.


This card was stamped with our new flourish. I used the Essential Glue pad and sprinkled the Silver Sparkletts glitter. I then made a waistband with layers of Pearlescent paper, Black Cardstock and Black Glitter Ribbon.


I added the 3D Lacquer to the filigree and added the Onyx Sparkletts glitter to it. I then used the Quickie Glue Pen to the ring and added the Xtra Fine glitter to it for a delicate shine.




Monday, February 22, 2010

Catalog Giveaway Winners

Thank you to all who participated in our catalog giveaways! We thoroughly enjoyed reading what you love about our company.



Without further ado, here are the THREE winners of our new catalog:

1) Stephenie from Kentucky. "I would love a catalog! Your stamps are ADORABLE and whimsical, I just love them!"

2) Christine The "chickies" are the bomb!! They are so cute all flocked up. Your customer service is awesome too. Keep up the great work. Thanks for the chance."

3) Patti I would love a catalog! Your designs are so feminine and elegant. You are also a very people friendly vendor at the conventions! I am a follower. "


If you lovely ladies would email us with your address and name, we will get your prize off to you! Please email us at office@denamidesign.com

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Show Help Wanted in Tucson, AZ

We're looking for energetic, friendly and happy people to help us at the show in Tucson, AZ this weekend. If you fit the bill, contact me at nami@denamidesign.com to let me know you are interested. http://www.denamidesign.com/shows.html Please leave a phone number so we can talk.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Gift box and Decorative Card

Hi All,

Here is a look at a gift bag you can make from the gift box. It is a pack you can buy from www.denamidesign.com You cut it out and stamp it. Once assembled, you can punch holes for the handle. I put candies in this one. It is sweet.

This card was stamped in the Platinum Brilliance and decorated with the 3D Lacquer and Aqua glitter. I also used the matching Jade Pearlescent paper to coordinate with it. When you stamp on the pearlescent paper, you need to use the Brilliance pad, since it is coated. I used the Black Brilliance and stamped the Medium Filigree across the waistband on the Silver pearlescent paper.




Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Umbrella Cards

Hi All,
Believe it or not, I have another post. I have some more umbrella cards to add to the one I posted yesterday. We have three new umbrellas in our DeNami Design collection. They are versatile because they can be used for baby showers, bridal showers, thinking of you, or any occasion. We have a great sentiment that says, "Heard you're under the weather".

My daughter made this card. It is adorable. If you look closely, you can see the brown stitch stamp on the top and bottom of the card. The umbrella is dimensional like the one yesterday and coveredin glitter. Tiny bows decorate the card that are made up of knots.

This is a Vellum card. The background was stamped first and then the Vellum overlay softened the background. I then stamped the umbrella layer and did the dimensional detail on it. This is such a cheerful card.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Accordion Card and Big Chickie Card

Hi All,

It's about time I blogged again. I guess sometimes it depends on what's on my plate. We went to Lawrenceville, GA, Anaheim, CA and Grapevine, TX since the beginning of the year. Surprisingly, they could all be described as cold, cold, cold. With heavy rains. It sounds all too familiar to the climate here in Seattle. This weekend we head out to Tucson, AZ where it should be warmer. Here's to hoping...:)

Here are a couple of projects I had up my sleeve.

This is an accordion card. It measured about 4.5x4.5 inches square. You can adjust based on the size you want. I used the new stems. You can stamp hearts, flowers, stars, or anything to make your own flower. I used the ATG adhesive to attach these buttons. I also love, love, love the Swiss dot. It looks so decorative and sweet with it.


Here is a fun one I experimented. We asked for stamp design requests and one was for a big chickie. Sooooo..... your wish is our command. Here is the Giant Chickie, all decked out! I had fun "dressing" her with the sunglasses and new umbrella. You can add hats, and props to her for any and all occasions. Notice the dimensional umbrella. It was done by stamping a second umbrella and cutting it out and folding it in half and attaching it to the other umbrella for a dimensional touch. It's a great look.

It's hard to see the other dimensional parts. I stamped the back row of flowers on the card, but then stamped a picket fence on a separated card stock, cut it out and folded it in two places on each end to create a box fold so it would "stick out" from the card. I then attached the additional rosettes to the front of the picket fence.



Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Catalog Giveaways



We are so excited to present our new 2010 catalog to you, our customers. To share in our excitement, we wanted to give away 3 brand new copies to 3 of our blog readers.

In closing, we want to thank all who follow us on Facebook and our blog- we always love hearing from you. We are currently working on a new and improved blog- be looking for the launch in a few short weeks!


_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

The details on the giveaway:

One comment per person.

1) Leave a comment ON THIS POST stating why you love DeNami Design.

2) Leave a link on your blog to the giveaway! (If you don't have a blog, that's alright, be sure you let your friends know another way! )

3) Leave a way for us to contact you. (ie: blog or email address)

...:::If you become a (public) follower, or already one, you get to leave an additional comment! Just let us know you became/ are a follower!:::...

...:::If you become a follower on Facebook, or already one, you get to leave an additional comment! (Yes, you can potentially leave 3 comments!):::...

You have until Sunday, February 21, 2010 to enter. We will post the winners on February 22nd!

**For those who don't know how to leave a comment, please visit us here. We put together a little tutorial- we don't want you to miss out on the fun!**

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Show help

Hi All,

We returned from a wonderful show in Anaheim called the CHA Supershow. The energy was so great that the time flew by. I have some pics that I plan to upload.

We will be headed towards Lawrenceville, GA for a stamp show Feb 6-7. We are looking for energetic, helpful, cheerful, good-at-sales people to help at the show with mainly sales, but set up, tear down and customer help as well. Stamping experience is not necessary, but if you are great with people, we would love to hear from you. Please include a short bio about yourself, including your strengths, interests, why you want to help, etc. A picture would also be splendid. Please also include your phone number so we can ask you further questions. You can email me at nami@denamidesign.com to tell me you are excited to help.

Even if you are not in that area, chances are we will be coming near you. Submit your info for the upcoming shows so we can line up our help for them.

Nami

Saturday, January 16, 2010

New Card Ideas


Hi All,

Have you seen the downloadable PDF of the new DeNami Stamps. Just click the picture to go to the PDF and you can print from that page. They are great for the spring season.

We are planning designs for the fall and winter, so this is your chance to add your input. Put it in the comments section. You may have noticed some of the new designs were based on your suggestions!

At the last show, some of you mentioned how you enjoyed the youtube videos. I have a couple recorded, but had some troubles with the computer shutting down. I didn't have the same issues when I first began. I got a little discouraged and put it on the back burner, just so you know. I haven't forgotten.


Update

Hi All,

I have been absent from blogging for a while. With the extra busy year, I was enjoying time off for family and Christmas. It went by too fast.

I was able to do some things around the house, make Christmas cards, catch up on bookkeeping, and just plain enjoy being home.

We just did our first show in Grapevine, TX. I had to get warmed up again.

We will be in Anaheim, CA for the CHA Supershow. Are any of you going to be there? Hey, stop by and say hello!

We don't normally do make and takes, but will actually have 3 different ones every couple of hours starting at 1, 3 and 5 on Friday and 11, 1 and 3 on Saturday. They are super cute. I will post pics when I have them ready.

I have projects from the Grapevine that I will get ready to share, so stay tuned!

Have a wonderful 2010. Blessings to you.

Nami