Poetic Artistry

Love Always

2012-01-31T16:27:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! Happy Tuesday! I can't believe it's already the final day of January. I've been intending to play along with Jen's SFYTT challenge all month, and now I'm just barely squeaking it in with a little TCP goodness, making it a two-fer as I participate in the TCP Valentine Blog Hop.

I got this fun little Idols stamp set before the move and am just now getting a chance to ink it up. I thought it would be perfect for Mark's valentine card this year. I added three little hearts from the Ewe Complete Me set to the front of the drum.

Next up I pulled out the Love Letters set and its coordinating Stamps Trio CutUps to make the vertical panel. The Icing CutUps matched the sweet Be Loved paper I had selected, and I finished off with part of the Heart Trio CutUps and accented with some hand drawn dots.

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Idols, Ewe Complete Me, Love Letters (The Cat's Pajamas)
Paper: Be Loved (My Mind's Eye), Black, Cherry Cobbler, Pool Party (SU!)
Ink: Black, Cherry Cobbler, Pool Party (SU!), Antique Linen (Ranger), Copic markers
Accessories: Stamp Trio, Hearts Trio and Icing CutUps (TCP). Dotted Wave Border Punch (EK Success), stardust glitter pen, black marker, Classic and Pinking Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Stardust Stickles (Ranger)

Lucky YOU & a WINNER

2012-01-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! Welcome to another week... and that means it's time for another Mojo Monday sketch. This week is a round or square sketch option, and I hope you'll play along.

When I made this card I was thinking about Moe, who was born on St Patty's Day and is just a wee bit CRAZY for shamrocks! I stamped the shamrock background in Garden Green, using three sizes of the shamrocks from Lucky You, then colored with Pear Pizazz markers. The largest shamrock is cut with the Shamrock Die Set, then I hand cut a black border for it to make it pop. Each scallop on the large scallop card base is accented with a green frosted pearl from Pizzazz Aplenty. A little gingham ribbon and some hand drawn dotted borders finish things off.

Okay, there's something else lucky about this post... it's time for the winner's announcement from the Purge Hop!!! The lucky commenter and recipient of my box of loot is....

{Chrissie}

who said... Amazing card. You always inspire me!

Baby registry is overwhelming, I know. If you plan to nurse, make sure to register for a good pump - that is something that is generally overlooked! I used one by the First Years and it worked out really well. Also, people tend to buy whatever clothes they wan and ignore the registry, so don't even bother with clothes!!! But do put a high chair, stroller, car seat/carrier and diaper bag on there. Good luck!!!

Congrats Chrissie! I'll be emailing you to get your shipping address. And thanks everyone for the fabulous advice about what to register for. Armed with your great suggestions, I survived registering at Babies R Us, Target and Amazon, but I must say the amount of stuff that babies need is just crazy!

Okay, that's all from me today. Be sure to check out the Mojo Monday Blog to see the design team's fabulous inspirations using this week's sketch! Have a groovy start to your week!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Lucky You (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Enchanted Collection (BoBunny), Black, White
Ink: Black, Garden Green, Pear Pizazz (SU!)
Accessories: Shamrock Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), Grand Big Scallop Circles, Grand Circles, Classic Circles (Nestabilities by Spellbinder), Frosted pearls and 2mm flatback rhinestones (Pizzazz Aplenty), gingham ribbon (May Arts)

Be Mine

2012-01-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! Happy Friday! It's time for another Viva la Verve sketch, and this week Shannan's bringing a clean & simple sketch your way! Play along with all 4 of the January sketches for a chance to win a $100 gift certificate to Verve. But hurry, the deadline is Thursday, February 2. Check out the Viva la Verve! forum for all the details.

For my card, I pulled out the Enchanted Collection papers by Bo Bunny. It's a beautiful pad of black and white papers, which I then proceeded to ink up and color with a variety of Distress Stains for an artsy kind of look. Next I embossed the Valentine Be Mine sentiment from Heart's Desire in early espresso on a strip of vellum, which I cut with the Big Scallop Cutups from TCP. I stitched this panel onto my paper, layering a piece of lace trim which I dyed with distress stains below it.

Next up, I pulled out my Wavy Hearts die and cut one out in Blushing Bride, then stamped one of the heart clusters from Heart's Desire all over it in Tattered Rose, distressed and added a twine bow and a mini clothespin. I finished off with some pink pearls from Pizzazz Aplenty.

That's all from me today. I hope you have a fabulous weekend, and if you find a little time to create, be sure to play along with Viva la Verve!

Enabler's List:

Stamps: Heart's Desire (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Enchanted Collection (Bo Bunny), vellum, Blushing Bride (SU!), brown paper bag (Paper Accents)
Ink: Early Espresso (SU!), Tattered rose, antique linen, victorian velvet, shabby shutters, vintage photo, old paper distress inks and stains (Ranger)
Accessories: Wavy Hearts Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), Big Scallop CutUps (TCP), lace trim, linen thread, clothespin (SU!), flatback pearls (Pizzazz Aplenty), sewing machine

Be Mine Sampler

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! It's time for another Mojo Monday sketch, and this week we're getting a little blocky. Every once in a while I find it fun and a good creative challenge to work with several smaller spaces on one card, like a sampler. So that's what this week's Mojo 225 sketch is all about.

For my sample card, I started with the Love Me papers by My Mind's Eye and pulled out the new Twitterpated set from Verve. I wanted a shabby feel, so I distressed my layers and added some hand drawn framing and doodling in at the end with a basic gray marker. The sentiments and trio of hearts are from the Twitterpated set, and I added some layered From the Heart die cuts in the top corner. A metal heart and a valentine ticket from my stash, finished off the other corners and I was ready to add a little ribbon and and embossed base to finish things off.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you have a fabulous start to your week. If you've got a little time, be sure to head on over to the Mojo Monday blog to check out what the rest of the design team did with the sketch, then play along for a little creative fun!

Enabler's List:

Stamps: Twitterpated (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Love Me (My Mind's Eye), Basic Gray, Blushing Bride (SU!)
Ink: Basic Gray, Blushing Bride (SU!), Pumice Stone (Ranger Distress)
Accessories: From the Heart Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), metal heart and valentine tag (Je t'adore line by Making Memories), wrinkled ribbon, silver cording (Pizzazz Aplenty), tiny attacher, paper distresser (Tim Holtz), sewing machine, embossing folder (Sizzix)

Blog Candy Blog Hop

2012-01-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Saturday friends! A few of my crafty peeps were chatting about all the excess stuff we have in our studios so we decided to have a little blog hop and give away some of our treasures to new homes. Here's the scoop...

Hop around to the blogs below and if the loot makes your eyes all shiny with possibilities, leave a little comment on that post for a chance to win what you spy! The hop will stay open until January 28th, 5PM ET and each of us will post the winner of our individual blog candies on Monday, January 30th!

Julee {you're HERE!}

For my loot pile, I just started stuffing things into a Flat Rate Priority Box until it was full, so it's kind of random. {grin} Most everything is new or only used once.

Please note: Due to the weight of this package and cost of international shipping, my blog candy is only open to those who have a US shipping address. Apologies to all my international friends!

Here's a partial list of what's included:

9 - assorted 6x6 paper pads from Lily Bee Design, KaiserCraft and Stampin' Up!
6 Hero Hues Chalk ink pads (most are still in the shrink wrap)
11 VersaMagic chalk ink pads (used once, if at all)
Several darling unmounted rubber images from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps
Some random clear stamp sets from Gelatins, Flourishes and Inkadinkado
Several new packages of primas and paper flowers
Cuttlebug Fleur de Lis embossing folder (new)
Spellbinders Fleur de lis accents (new)
various bling, pearls, decorative brads and divine twine samples

And just so there's a little something stampy to share with you, here's a re-run of a card I made last year with my own copy of the Fleur de Lis Accents Spellbinders and the Fleur de Lis Cuttlebug folder (which are both part of the blog candy loot pile)!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Kindred Spirits (Verve)
Paper: Cream, Black
Ink: Onyx Black (Versafine)
Accessories: 3D Flowers Die (Sizzix), Fleur De Lis Accents, Fleur De Lis Squares (Spellbinders), Platinum Liquid Pearls (Ranger), Fleur de Lis embossing folder (Cuttlebug), felt (TCP, silver skeleton leaves (Pizzazz Aplenty)

So, I'm sure you know the drill... leave a comment for a chance to win. If you want something to chat about, I could use a little advice. We need to register soon for our baby shower and I'm feeling a little bit overwhelmed at the thought of it, since neither of us have ever been around babies much. Just wondering for those of you with more experience than us in the baby department, what things are must haves?

Shabby Love

2012-01-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! Happy Friday! Today I'm here with a little sample card for this week's Viva la Verve! sketch. The challenges are underway again, and we're now in week 3 of January. Play along with all 4 of the January sketches for your chance to win a $100 gift certificate to Verve! Woohoo!

I love Teresa's sketch this week, but as per usual I ended up moving things around a bit. I was totally in a skewed panel mode and after I made my little paper scroll piece I realized I stamped it the wrong direction, so I had to flip the panels to the other side from the sketch. But, everything turned out okay in the end. {grin}

The papers are from the Farmhouse line by October Afternoon and I've matted them on Sahara Sand with a bit of Pumice Stone distress ink to try to match the soft grey color in the papers. The heart is cut with the Wavy Hearts die and is designer paper layered over chipboard to make it thicker. I added a little sponging, stitching and doodling to give it some character and sprinkled a bit of silver glass glitter in the corners of everything to add a little sparkle.

The paper scroll is made from the margin of a dictionary page and I stamped the love. sentiment and heart duo from Wings of Love on it, then rolled up one side and clipped tails on the other side. That sweet little metal heart charm is from Pizzazz Aplenty, tied on with a little divine twine and I finished with a bit of lace trim stapled to the card.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you have a totally awesome weekend!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Wings of Love (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Farmhouse (October Afternoon), Sahara Sand (SU!), cream, dictionary paper
Ink: Pumice Stone, Tattered Rose (Ranger Distress), Basic Gray (SU!)
Accessories: Wavy Hearts Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), metal heart charm (Pizzazz Aplenty), silver glass glitter (SU!), lace trim, divine twine

Simple Love

2012-01-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! Happy Thursday! Yesterday we had our first real snow of the year and it's now a wintery wonderland around here. I spent a little time in the studio enjoying the snowy view, staring out the window and stamping. This clean & simple little card is what came out of that session.

I used two of the new sets for this card... the hearts & swirls frame from Twitterpated is stamped directly onto the kraft layer in Real Red, then I added the love sentiment from Wings of Love in black below it. Next I stamped the wavy heart from Wings of Love in Real Red, cut out and matted on a Wavy Hearts die cut, popping up over the frame with dimensionals. Then it was just a matter of a few scored lines, a little distressing and a pretty taffeta bow to finish off this 4.25" square card.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you have a fabulous day!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Wings of Love, Twitterpated (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Kraft, Cream, Real Red
Ink: Real Red, Basic Black (SU!), Vintage Photo (Ranger Distress)
Accessories: Wavy Hearts Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), taffeta ribbon (SU!), Scor-pal

Cherish

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! The weekend flew by and it's Monday again already. I hope you had a fantastic weekend. I enjoyed a little bit of downtime and am looking forward to relaxing my schedule a bit in the coming weeks as all work and no play has made Julee a very dull (and exhausted) girl. LOL

Since it's Monday, that means there's a new Mojo Monday sketch over on the Mojo blog. Be sure to check out what the rest of the team has created as inspiration with the sketch, then give it a go yourself to start your week off with a little creativity!

For my card I used the newly released Wings of Love set and the gorgeous Devotion papers from Creative Imaginations. The winged heart is stamped onto a Nestabilities Circle, then I paper pieced the heart and stamped a little cherish banner across it, before adding diamond stickles to the wings to make them sparkle. I used a little flourish die to mimic a little arrow, then finished off with an embossing folder on the bottom layer, a border punch and two types of ribbon. Pretty simple, but classy.

That's all from me today. Have a fantastic start to your week! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Wings of Love (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Devoted (Creative Imaginations), Black, Cream
Ink: Black, Antique Linen, Vintage Photo (Ranger Distress)
Accessories: Classic & Scallop Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Vintage Flourish Die-namics (MFT), striped ribbon (SU!), wrinkled ribbon (May Arts), dotted wave border punch (EK Success), embossing folder (Sizzix), Diamond Stickles (Ranger)

After Party Blog Hop - CAS love

2012-01-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! Happy Saturday! New Verve is here and today the Divas are celebrating with an After Party Blog Hop featuring the new sets and dies that released last night! All of the new stamps and dies are available in the Verve store today. Hooray!!! One lucky commenter on today's hop will win our entire new release! Check out the Verve Blog for all the prize details, deadlines and shopping links.

This week has been so crazy for me. After the move of Verve last weekend and year-end inventory, I was barely able to pull off all I needed to do to get the website ready for release. Needless to say there hasn't been much stamping time around here with the new sets (or any sets for that matter!). So I knew it was time for my CAS alter-egoto come out to play and make a sweet and simple card. This little card uses the new Wings of Love set and the Wavy Hearts Die Set. A border punch and swirly bling finish it off.

I hope you have a fabulous time hopping today! Here's today's hop list...

*January 14, 2012*

1. Amy	8. Tosha
2. Maureen	9. Laurie
3. Sankari	10. Julee
4. Andrea	11. Janelle
5. Teresa	12. Betty
6. Amber	13. Shannan
7. Charmaine	14. Jackie

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Wings of Love (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Cream, Black
Ink: Rose Red (SU!), Black, Copic markers
Accessories: Wavy Hearts Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), rhinestone bling, Doily Lace Punch (Martha Stewart)

Spotlighting Twitterpated

2012-01-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! It's the third day of our January New Release Spotlight Hops, and today the Divas are shining their sneaky little spotlights on some fun new love-themed products. Hop along and leave some comments for the Divas, and you just might be a random winner of the stamps & dies we're previewing today... Twitterpated, the coordinating All Aflutter Die Set and Hearts & Swirls Frame Die and the All Aflutter plain jane! Check out the Verve blog for all the prize details and deadlines.

When I first found out I was pregnant I was hoping for girls and drew the little girl in this set. Then once we found out they were boys, I had to make a little boy, too, and Twitterpated was born. They kind of remind me of the old Weebles I used to love to play with as a kid. This set also includes a fun little frame, which coordinates with the new Hearts & Swirls Frame Die. Also making a reappearance is a modified version of the small butterfly from Blue Skies, without the antennae. The All Aflutter Plain Jane is the larger butterfly without antennae and both coordinate with the new All Aflutter Die Set.

Here on my card, I stamped the little guy from Twitterpated, then colored with Copic markers, popping up his little bow tie. The frame is cut with the Hearts & Swirls Frame Die and then stamped in Riding Hood Red, adding one of my favorite new sentiments to the center. Next I cut out the All Aflutter Die and stamped the small butterfly, coloring with Copics and highlighting with some Stardust Stickles. The final touch was stamping the valentine sentiment on twill and I borrowed the pair of little hearts from the Wings of Love set to balance out the other side.

Okay, that's all from me today. The release party is tonight from 9-11pm Eastern in our forum. Hope to see you there!

Here's today's hop list...

*January 13, 2012*

1. Amber	7. Amy
2. Teresa	8. Laurie
3. Charmaine	9. Maureen
4. Andrea	10. Julee
5. Tosha	11. Sankari
6. Janelle

Enabler's List
Stamps: Twitterpated, Wings of Love (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Love Birds (Fancy Pants), Black Cream
Ink: Riding Hood Red (SU!), Jet Black Archival, Antique Linen Distress (Ranger), Copic markers
Accessories: Hearts & Swirls Frame Die, All Aflutter Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), hearts embossing folder (Sizzix), Stardust Stickles (Ranger), twill tape

Spotlighting Wings of Love

2012-01-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! It's the second day of our January New Release Spotlight Hops, and today the Divas are shining their sneaky little spotlights on some fun new love-themed products. Hop along and leave some comments for the Divas, and you just might be a random winner of the stamps & dies we're previewing today... Wings of Love, the coordinating Wavy Hearts Die Set, and the Valentine's Day plain jane! Check out the Verve blog for all the prize details and deadlines.

Wings of Love is another set influenced by my recent love affair with mixed media and art journaling. As I was creating a canvas a while back, I was wishing for some wings and sentiments related to flying, but didn't really have anything in my stamping arsenal. So that was the start of Wings of Love, a set that's close to my heart... filled with trendy hearts, wings, a few big sentiments and several individual words that are perfect for cutting out and adding to your cards, projects or journaling.

Most of my art journaling supplies are still packed away, so I was fairly limited in supplies when I started in on this project. Instead of the art journal page I've been envisioning since I designed this set, I decided to alter the cover of a little notepad. I've been blessed with a great memory for most of my life and have rarely needed to write anything down to remember it. However, since I've been pregnant my brain is on hiatus and I'm constantly needing to jot down ideas and to dos just to make it through my day! So this little project was made just for me!

I started with some cream cardstock, using Tattered Rose and Picket Fence distress inks to give it a little background, then added the sentiment from Wings of Love and stamped the wings separately, cut out and popped up on either side. The to fly sentiment is stamped separately, cut out and I sketched a little frame for it and clipped on with a mini library clip. Up top I added one of the wavy hearts from the set, colored with Copics, cut out and then matted using the coordinating Wavy Hearts Die. The background is a scrap of dictionary paper glued to a piece of kraft cardstock and distressed with stains, then run through the paper corrugator for that fun crimped look. Some frosted lace stickles highlights the wings and heart for extra sparkle and I finished off with some chunky glitter and some twine, before gluing to my notebook.

Okay, that's all from me today. Here's today's hop list...

*January 12, 2012*

1. Janelle	7. Teresa
2. Julee	8. Andrea
3. Laurie	9. Sankari
4. Tosha	10. Maureen
5. Charmaine	11. Amy
6. Amber

Enabler's List
Stamps: Wings of Love (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Kraft, Cream, dictionary paper
Ink: Tattered Rose, Picket Fence Distress Stains, Antique Linen, Vintage Photo Distress Inks, Archival Black (Ranger), Copics
Accessories: Wavy Hearts Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), mini library clip, glass glitter, linen thread (SU!), paper corrugator (Fiskars), notebook ($1 spot at Michael's), flatback pearl (Pizzazz Aplenty), Frosted Lace Stickles (Ranger)

Spotlighting Lucky You

2012-01-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! It's the first day of our January New Release Spotlight Hops, and today the Divas are shining their sneaky little spotlights on a few new products. Hop along and leave some comments for the Divas, and you just might be a random winner of the stamps & dies we're previewing today... Lucky You, the coordinating Shamrock Die Set, and the Psalm 63:3-4 and Zephaniah 3:17 plain janes! Check out the Verve blog for all the prize details and deadlines.

I've been wanting to design a St. Patrick's Day set since Verve first opened, but every year it sneaks up on me. So 2012 is the year! Here on my card I used the Lucky You set and cut out the shamrock with the Shamrock Die Set. To get the black mat, I simply traced around the die with pencil and hand cut. A smaller shamrock stamp is stamped around the circle for a fun little background and I finished with the Happy St. Patrick's Day sentiment, some bling from Pizzazz Aplenty and a big black bow.

That's it from me. I'm keeping it short and sweet so you can get on with the hopping! Here's today's hop list...

*January 11, 2012*

1. Amy	7. Charmaine
2. Maureen	8. Tosha
3. Sankari	9. Laurie
4. Andrea	10. Julee
5. Teresa	11. Janelle
6. Amber

Enabler's List
Stamps: Lucky You (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Lucky Me (Little Yellow Bicycle), Black, White
Ink: Lucky Limeade (SU!), Black
Accessories: Shamrock Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), Scallop Border punch (SU!), wrinkled ribbon (May Arts), Classic & Scallop Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), peridot flatback rhinestones (Pizzazz Aplenty), Stardust Stickles (Ranger)

Mojo Monday on Tuesday and a WINNER!

2012-01-10T11:25:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! Happy Tuesday! Oh my word, I've been busy! I spent the ENTIRE weekend finishing year-end inventory, packing up Verve, moving Verve and then unpacking Verve. I thought we'd never finish - it's CRAZY how much space this little side business I started in my office closet takes up now. But everything is all lined up in its pretty aqua packaging and I'm now moving on to the next crisis... finishing up some tax reports that are due and then on to everything behind the scenes and on the web for our release this Friday!

So all that work means I didn't have a Mojo Monday sample ready yesterday. This morning I decided to remedy that first thing, and here's the sunny little card I came up with using the new to me Sidewalks paper from October Afternoon and Enjoy, one of my favorite little sets from Verve.

Okay, it's time to announce the winner of my blog candy. Thanks to everyone who left a comment - I so enjoyed reading what y'all are thankful for! Here's my answer to the question...

Going into 2012 I am so amazingly thankful for my husband, Mark. He has been a rock for me these past 14 years, but especially these past 6 months as I have emotionally disintegrated on a daily, sometimes hourly basis. He just patiently listens and waits for my tears to subside and tells me I'm loved. He's picked up the broken pieces of my heart time and time again, and taken on all sorts of extra duties around the house and at Verve that I normally do, but just can't accomplish right now. All while holding down a full-time job. He's amazing and he makes me believe that somehow everything is going to be okay.

And the winner of the blog candy is....

Cheryl who said...

What a great card! Wow, there are so many things I'm thankful for in the new year. #1 on the list has to be God. Just last night I was telling my husband that I don't know how we could make it without our faith and God to depend on, during good times and bad.

Cheryl
January 4, 2012 9:31 AM

Congrats, Cheryl! I'll be in touch with you to find out where to ship your goodies! Thanks again to all of you for reading my ramblings each day. It's always a blessing to read your comments. Have an awesome 2012!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Enjoy (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Sidewalks (October Afternoon), Island Indigo (SU!), cream
Ink: Island Indigo (SU!), Antique Linen (Ranger Distress)
Accessories: Classic and Scallop Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Mini Tabs Quarter Die-namics (MFT), Bisque Liquid Pearls (Ranger), taffeta ribbon (SU!)

January Diva Inspirations Hop

2012-01-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! Today I'm hopping along with the Diva Inspirations team showing off some fresh ideas with some of our previously released sets. Hop along with us for a little inspiration and leave a little comment love as you hop about for a chance to win a $30 gift certificate from Verve.

So, if you've already been hopping along, you've arrived here from Jen Tapler's blog. If not, you can view the full hop list and start from the beginning over on the Verve Stamps blog. For my card, I took a little break from making thank you cards to test out some of the new My Mind's Eye Love Me papers. I just love this plaid design.

I started by stamping the chick and basket from Chicks Rule, then paper piecing the ribbon and bow on the basket and coloring with a mixture of stampin' pastels and prismacolor pencils. The heart balloon is made from layering three From the Heart die cuts on dimensionals and I hand drew the balloon string. The valentine's day sentiment is from Heart's Desire and I embellished with some more of the die cut hearts and a bow adhered with a hot glue gun. A scallop border, some Stardust Stickles, liquid pearls and a little bling finish this tall & skinny card off in style. Finished card dimensions are 3.25" x 5.75" to fit in a normal letter-size envelope.

Okay, that's all from me today. If you're looking for my blog candy post, click here.

Now it's time to hop on over to Lynda's blog to see what bit of Verve inspiration she has in store for you. Happy hopping!

Enabler's List:

Stamps: Chicks Rule, Heart's Desire (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Love Me (My Mind's Eye), Early Espresso (SU!), cream
Ink: Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy (Ranger Distress), Stampin' Pastels (SU!), Prismacolor pencils
Accessories: From the Heart Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), Mix & Match Banner Die-namics (MFT), Stardust Stickles, liquid pearls (Ranger), ribbon, scallop border punch (SU!), bling (Pizzazz Aplenty)

Simple Thanks and Blog Candy!

2012-01-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! As I was unpacking a few more boxes last night I came across a shoe box that had a bunch of items that were intended for blog candy many moons ago, but never got posted because of some family matters that came up and took over life as we knew it. Anyhow, the lost has been found and it's time for a little blog candy from a few of my favorite companies.

But before I get to it, I've got a very simple card to share with you. So simple! It uses the Mariposa stack from DCWV, a scrap of La Creme paper, a sentiment stamp from Celebration of Thanks, a circle punch and a border punch. That's it! Really simple, but I just loved these papers and wanted them to take center stage!

Okay, on with the blog candy. Just leave a comment here on this post telling me one thing you're thankful for as this new year begins. The comment deadline to be eligible for the random drawing is Monday, January 9 at 8pm Mountain. The winner will receive everything listed below (a $140+ value), all brand new and just waiting to be played with!

First up, a few fabulous CutUps dies from The Cat's Pajamas.

Heart Trio
Apron Strings
Cloud Border

And a couple of my favorite stamp sets from Waltzingmouse Stamps

A host of goodies from Pizzazz Aplenty

Organza Jeweled Butterflies in white, pink & red
Flatback Pearls in Ivory, Cranberry and Dark Chocolate (2-3 sizes of each color)
Frosted Pearls in green, pink, red and turquoise
Glitter Rhinestones
Clear Teardrop Rhinestones
Acrylic Sunbursts
Iridescent Leaves
Gel picker - one of the best things EVER for picking up and placing pearls & rhinestones

And two Spellbinders dies that have been hanging around since I ended up with duplicates

Thank U

2012-01-03T13:39:00.001-07:00

Hi friends! Mark's long holiday vacation is officially over and so that means it's back to work for me, too. And oh boy, is it a busy week. We're still finishing up shipping orders from our end of year sale, then we need to pack everything in preparation for this weekend's move of Verve to its new space in our new house. And then it's a fast paced sprint to finish everything behind the scenes for next week's release!

Needless to say, I was a bit overwhelmed this morning when I sat down to see how much has piled up in my inbox and to do list over the past few weeks. I quickly decided that nothing on the list was going to get done until I had a little creative time. So I moved to the other side of my desk (my office and studio are now one and the same) to make a quick little card to refresh my soul before I dove into the business of being back from vacation. Definitely a good idea, and I feel so much more prepared to start tackling that to do list now. {grin}

I've got quite a few special little thank you notes I want to send to peeps who gave me some fabulously thoughtful Christmas gifts, so I'm sure you'll be seeing thank you cards here on the blog for a while. Well, at least until next week's Verve Spotlight Hops start! :) For this card, I wanted a shabby feel, so I pulled out some 7 Gypsies Victoria papers, a scrap of burlap and some fun coordinating trims and got to work.

The tag is cut with the Tagged Rectangle Die and I stamped the thank and the U from the You and I set on the tag, then added some crinkled ribbon and a little pom pom trim. I finished off with a paper flower that I glitzed up with some Champagne glass glitter, then added a little to the edge of my card as well.

I'm sure I've prolonged working on that to do list long enough, so I better get back to it. Thanks so much for stopping by - have a fabulous day!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: You and I (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Victoria (7 Gypsies), Early Espresso (SU!), cream
Ink: Island Indigo (SU!), Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy (Ranger Distress)
Accessories: Tagged Rectangle Die, burlap, paper flower, shabby wrinkled ribbon, pom pom trim, circle punch, Champagne Glass Glitter (SU!), hot glue gun, Quickie Glue Pen

Make the World Special

2012-01-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! Thanks to everyone who wrote such sweet comments on yesterday's post. You moved me to tears - thanks so much for taking the time to read my words - it means so much to me.

Well, it's Monday and that means we're kicking 2012 off with a new Mojo Monday sketch. And since it's the first Monday of the month, there are Verve prizes up for grabs. The more entries we get, the more prizes we give away, so I hope you can find a little time to play along this week!

This is the first card I've made in my new studio. Not everything is unpacked, but I found enough goodies to make this simple card using the Feel the Sun set. For Christmas, Mark got me the complete set of 150 prismacolor pencils and I couldn't wait to test them out! So fun to have all the colors at my fingertips! The papers are from the Baby Steps pad by Simple Stories and I added some rhinestone and ribbon embellishments to finish things off.

Be sure to check out the Mojo Monday blog to see what the design team came up with for this week's sketch. Then play along for a chance to win a Verve set of your choice!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Feel the Sun (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Baby Steps (Simple Stories), Early Espresso (SU!), White
Ink: Coffee Archival Ink, Antique Linen Distress Ink (Ranger), Prismacolor colored pencils & Gamsol
Accessories: Classic Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), striped ribbon (SU!), rhinestones (KaiserCraft), Rock Candy Stickles (Ranger), paper distresser, blending stump

Linger

2012-01-01T13:46:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! Happy New Year! Nothing too crafty to show you today, just sharing a little bit of what's on my heart as we begin this new year and a few photos I took on our trip to the Oregon coast this fall. Some of you are familiar with Ali Edwards' One Little Word. Last year, the word I chose was passion. I wanted to renew a passion for art and for life itself. Perhaps I took the word a little too much to heart, since we've now got twins on the way! {LOL}

Anyhow, this year as I pondered over what word I should choose, the word linger just kept popping into my head. I let it rustle around in there for a few days, thinking about how much I'd like to just slow everything down and cherish the little moments in life. To enjoy breathing in and breathing out, to savor the aroma of fresh coffee in the morning, to take time each day to bask in the sun and take in our beautiful new view of the Boise foothills. To just drench my soul in the small but meaningful things in life. And I thought the word was {good}.

Then, I decided to go online and check out the definition of linger, to see how it really fit. The first and third definitions were pretty much what I was expecting...

"to remain or stay on in a place longer than is usual or expected, as if from reluctance to leave" and "to dwell in contemplation, thought or enjoyment".

And then I saw the second definition, and I knew the word was {perfect}. It was exactly what my heart has been feeling as I've tried to prepare myself for this next step in our lives.

"to remain alive; continue or persist, although gradually dying, ceasing or disappearing"

As I spent the holidays surrounded by people, feeling increasingly alone as they only seemed interested in talking about the babies and the pregnancy, I just wanted to shout that I'm still a person. I felt myself disappearing, fading into nothingness, feeling an increasing desperation that in just a few short months my life will change forever. So to me, this word, linger, gives me hope that I can stay alive and soldier on despite these feelings. That I can take the time to savor our last moments as a twosome and then make the transition to enjoy what being a foursome has in store for us. To run the race that is set before us and to appreciate the smallest moments of each day that in themselves are what makes this grand life meaningful.

So with that said, I hope that you find a little time to linger this year. Dwell in enjoyment... bask in the little things... take your time when the world tells you you must rush about... linger.

"Our memories of the ocean will linger on, long after our footprints in the sand are gone." - Anonymous

A Year in Review - Part 2

2011-12-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

I hope you enjoyed part one of my year in review! Today I'm back sharing my favorites from July to December. Enjoy and have a safe and happy new year!

July - Much Appreciated
Verve products: Words Cannot Express

August - Perk Up
Verve products: Better With You, Sweet Scallop Tag (stamp), Sweet Scallop Tag Die

September - Happiness
Verve products: Happiness Found

October - Hometown Thanks
Verve products: Bloom & Grow, Tag Time, Curvy Bookplate Die, Floral Circles Die Set, Elegant Leaves Die

November - Snowflake Tidings
Verve products: Glad Tidings, Love Story, Snowflake Tidings Die Set, Lovely Marquee Die

December - Just Because
Verve products: Fluttering By

Thanks so much for following along this year! As a little reminder, Verve's Good Buy 2011 Sale ends tonight (12/31), so it's your last chance to get some seriously good buys! All of the Verve stamps & dies you've seen today are on sale!

A Year in Review - Part 1

2011-12-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd pop in and take a little trip down memory lane to a few of my favorite cards from 2011. Today I'm sharing my favorites from January to June and tomorrow I'll be back with the last half of the year. Enjoy!

January - Luxe Thanks
Verve products: Sweet Treats, Classy Label Die and Embossed Oval Die

February - Courage
Verve products: Blue Skies

March - For the Birthday Girl
Verve products: Great Friend, Birthday Bash

April - Feel Better
Verve products: Wild Flower Plain Jane, Hope Blooms, Bloom & Grow, Elegant Leaves Die, Floral Circles Die Set, Classy Label Die

May - Corrugated Love
Verve products: Text Objects, Charming Oval Die Set

June - Let Freedom Ring
Verve products: American Hero

I'll be back tomorrow with part two. Our Good Buy 2011 Sale ends Saturday, so be sure to check it out if you haven't yet! All of the Verve stamps & dies you've seen today are on sale!

I Thought of You

2011-12-29T10:02:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends! Happy Thursday! Today I'm popping in with another card I made a while back, but never shared. This one I made for a guest designer spot I was doing, but at the time I thought it wasn't "fancy" enough, so made a different card for the post and this card got forgotten.

The leafy background image is from New Mercies (30% during this week's sale) is stamped in Pear Pizzazz, and then I over-stamped the two sizes of flowers from the same set, then stamped the flowers again onto designer paper and pieced them over the stamped stems. The sentiment is from Small Phrases (also 30% off) and is stamped onto newsprint paper, then punched out with a circle punch and layered onto a petite scallop circle. I used a little border punch along the bottom panel, and highlighted with liquid pearls. A little distressing, a black bow and some rhinestones from Pizzazz Aplenty finished it off.

Thanks for all your kind comments throughout the year and during my blogging break. Mark and I are enjoying putting everything in its place in our new home. So far our holiday break has been exhausting and very emotional. I'm having a tough time processing all the change that's coming our way in 2012 and am so very sad to see this childless chapter in my life coming to an end. And so very guilty to have these feelings when so many friends and family are struggling so hard to have a baby. I'm sure the pregnancy hormones are magnifying this whirlwind of emotions, but please say a little prayer of peace and comfort for me if you think about it.

Enabler's List:
Stamps: New Mercies, Small Phrases (Verve Stamps)
Paper: designer paper (SU!), Black, Cream
Ink: Pear Pizzazz, Black, Antique Linen
Accessories: border & circle punch, triple punch pack (SU!), ribbon (May Arts), Petite Scallop Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), rhinestones (Pizzazz Aplenty), distressing tool

Love BIG

2011-12-26T09:53:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! I hope you all had a very merry Christmas! The past couple weeks have just flown by for us with the move to our new house and all the holiday festivities. We've got our main living areas (kitchen, living room, master bedroom & bath) unpacked, but are still surrounded by boxes for the rest of the house, including my studio. Hopefully someday I'll stamp again. {grin}

In the meantime, I thought I'd pop in and share this card I made a while ago, but never posted because I wanted to take a new photo of it. That new photo never happened, but hopefully you can imagine that all the pinks match on this little card.

We're having our annual end of year sale over at Verve, so all the stamps you see here are on sale 10 - 50% off through December 31! Plus use the SHOPHOP gift code in your cart at checkout to receive an additional 10% off your order! Woohoo! Here I used Tag Time (which is currently a whopping 50% off!) for the graph lined tag, the circle background on the primitive heart and the love and big sentiments. The small heart from Sip & Savor (also 50% off) is used around the leafy sprig from Sunny Days (30% off) and also as a little background inside the circles on the primitive heart. I used the coordinating Tagged Rectangle Die (10% off) to cut out my tag and the From the Heart Die Set (30% off) to frame my stamped heart from Better With You (30% off). I accented with stickles, some rhinestones and a bit of twine to finish it off.

That's all from my little corner of the world. We're spending the day with my brother and his wife who are visiting from California, so I better wrap things up and get ready. Hope you have a fabulous day and thanks so much for stopping by! Since I haven't stamped recently, I don't have a new Mojo Monday card for you, but be sure to check out the Mojo Monday blog for this week's sketch and samples from the design team!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Tag Time, Sip & Savor, Sunny Days, Better With You (Verve Stamps)
Paper: DCWV, Black, Melon Mambo
Ink: Melon Mambo, Black, Antique Linen, Vintage Photo
Accessories: Tagged Rectangle Die, From the Heart Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), Primitive Hearts die (Sizzix), small circle punch (SU!), rhinestones, twine, embossing folder

Christmas Mojo

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! Boy, do I have a super busy week ahead. This afternoon we close on our new house and we're scheduled to move in this Friday, so I'm typing this surrounded by boxes and packing supplies! My studio is completely packed, so this is probably the last card you'll see around here for quite a while. This will be our 10th move in 14 years together, so I should be a pro, but I must say it's been difficult trying to find the energy to pack being pregnant with twins. It seems like I need a nap after every single box - even if I'm just supervising! LOL

Anyhow, it's Mojo Monday, and this week's sketch is a fun one from Debbie Carriere. Be sure to check out the Mojo blog to see the other designer's takes on this sketch. My take is actually a card and gift in one. The main circle panel is actually a handmade detachable magnet. To make it, I simply cut a circle from music sheet paper and from chipboard and glued together. I inked the edges of the music sheet with Antique Linen distress ink, then adhered an exotic butterfly diecut in black to the center of the piece. I colored the insides of the die cut with a Copic marker then covered the entire surface with a coat of Diamond Glaze. While it was still wet, I sprinkled champagne glass glitter over the top, then set it out to dry for a couple hours. I came back and did a second coat of Diamond Glaze, to make it thicker and make the glitter appear to float, then let it dry overnight and matted with a black scallop circle and attached a magnet to the back.

Here's what the card looks like when the magnet is taken away. I completed it with an image from Bright Spirits so it wouldn't look blank once the magnet was removed. The opposing magnet is hidden underneath the image panel, so it all looks like magic. {grin} The fancy tag piece is embossed in black with the same heart image and the patterned papers are from the World Traveler collection.

Okay, that's all from me! If you don't hear from me before then, have a very merry Christmas and a happy new year! Thanks so much for reading my blog!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Bright Spirits (Verve Stamps)
Paper: World Traveler (Teresa Collins), Black, Cream, chipboard
Ink: Black, Antique Linen (Ranger Distress), Copic markers
Accessories: Mini Exotic Butterflies (TCP), Fleur de lis Squares, Classic Circles, Scallop Circles and Fancy Tags Two Nestabilities (Spellbinders), embossing folder (Sizzix), Champagne glass glitter (SU!), black embossing powder, Diamond Glaze (JudiKins), magnets (BasicGrey)

Gift Cards Galore

2011-12-07T12:41:00.001-07:00

Hi friends! Happy Wednesday! Today I've got a little gift packaging to share with you. When I saw Alma's new Gift Card Envie CutUps, I immediately had to order one. After all, it's the purrrrrfect size to fit a gift card, and the die both cuts and scores in one pass through the die cut machine, so they're a breeze to put together! I love giving (and receiving... grin!) gift cards, as well as dressing them up a bit, so the recipient still knows I was thinking of them.

The front two envelopes are done with double-sided designer paper and the back two are done with regular cardstock. All stamps are from the J*lly H*liday set by The Cat's Pajamas. The sentiment flags are all hand cut to custom fit the stamps.

For this first envelope, I stamped the sentiment, added the ornament (colored with Copics), then used the Snowflake CutUps as a wreath. The holly is cut with circle punches then layered onto the die cut and accented with a little Stickles and some Bubble Pearls from Pizzazz Aplenty.

The next envelope is pretty similar, but I used some rusty jingle bells and some chocolate toffee metallic dream string to accent the snowflake die and colored the jingle bell stamp to look a little rusty as well. A little stardust stickles on the snowflake gives it just the right amount of sparkle.

Next up, I used some cherry cobbler cardstock for this one. To dry emboss the envelope, I simply folded the two side flaps underneath to fit the envelope in my embossing folder, then ran it through the Cuttlebug. This will end up with the two flaps de-bossed, but they are almost entirely covered up by the other flaps when you finish assembling your envelope, so it's not noticeable at all. Here I layered two of the snowflake cutups together for a nice fluffy wreath, then accented with red flatback pearls and stardust stickles.

For this final envelope, I embossed the cream card stock with a Tim Holtz snowflake embossing folder, then lightly inked with Antique Linen distress ink. The snowflake cutups is cut out in cream, then I swiped my Versamark pad over the whole die cut and embossed with Iridescent Ice embossing powder. The snowflake stamps are stamped in Early Espresso, and then stamped again with Versamark and embossed with Iridescent Ice. I accented each with a smoked topaz Czech rhinestone for some extra sparkle.

Last, but not least, a few of my gift cards were generic and didn't have the amount on them, so I pulled out the Nightie alphabet set from The Cat's Pajamas and made some little tags for the gift cards. I then just used circle punches to cut them out in coordinating colors and attached with mini paper clips from Tim Holtz.

Whew! That was a long post. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed making these little gift card holders. I know the recipients are going to love them! Have a fantastic day and thanks so much for stopping by!

Enabler's List:

Stamps: J*lly H*liday, Nightie alphabet set (The Cat's Pajamas)
Paper: DP from My Mind's Eye, Early Espresso, Wild Wasabi, Sage Shadow, Cherry Cobbler (SU!), Natural White Classic Crest (TCP)
Ink: Antique Linen, Vintage Photo (Ranger Distress), Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler (SU!), VersaMark, Copic markers
Accessories: Gift Card Envie CutUps and Snowflake CutUps (TCP), rusty jingle bells (Frost It Pink), embossing folders (Sizzix), Stardust Stickles (Ranger), Bubble Pearls, smoked topaz Czech rhinestone, red flatback pearls, chocolate toffee metallic dream string (Pizzazz Aplenty), Iridescent Ice embossing powder (SU!)

Unto Us

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! Happy Monday! It's time for another Mojo sketch to jumpstart your week and since it's the first Monday of the month it's CONTEST time! Woohoo! We've got some Verve prizes up for grab, so be sure to sneak a little stamping time in this week to play along with our challenge!

I just love this Lost & Found Christmas paper and decided to go with an elegant feel for this traditional Christmas card. A little gold embossing always seems to up the elegance factor, so I embossed both the sentiment from Richly Blessed and the Curvy Cross plain jane in gold detail embossing powder. The cross is cut out with the Cross Die Set and I added some layers of shimmer gold cardstock cut with scallop Nestabilities for even more shimmery goodness. The background is embossed with a Snowflakes embossing folder and I finished off with a seam binding bow and some shiny gold pearls. All in all, it was a super quick card to make, and I know my parents (who I had in mind when I made it) will love it.

Hope you have a fabulous start to your week. Be sure to check out the Mojo Monday blog to see what the rest of the design team came up with for the sketch, then play along for a chance to win some prizes!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Richly Blessed, Curvy Cross Plain Jane (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Lost & Found Christmas (My Mind's Eye), Shimmer Gold Cardstock (Pizzazz Aplenty), Cream
Ink: VersaMark, Antique Linen (Ranger)
Accessories: Cross Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), Classic & Scallop Ovals & Rectangles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Snowflakes Alterations embossing folder (Tim Holtz), Detail Gold embossing powder (Judikins), Dove seam binding ribbon (TCP), shiny gold flatback pearls (Pizzazz Aplenty)

Just Because

2011-12-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! Happy Friday! I've been feeling a bit under the weather this week, but it's still flown by. Seems like there are just too many things to do with our new house nearing completion. Our final walkthrough is a week from today, so we're getting close! Yay!

Today I'm sharing a card I made using the December Stamp of the Month, Fluttering By. This little set is one of my all-time favorites, and it's 40% off during the month of December! As I was sorting through my studio earlier this week, I set aside a few scraps that caught my eye, so when I sat down to stamp, these papers were at the ready. The background is actually made from three different script and ledger paper scraps that I pieced together with tape, then sponged and embossed to give a cohesive look to them.

The butterfly from Fluttering By is embossed onto ledger paper, and also onto the floral paper and then cut out and popped up. I accented its body with some dark chocolate flatback pearls and then added some resin butterflies above the sentiment. A few die cuts, a scrap of ribbon and a triple pearl stick pin finish things off.

And since many of you have been asking, here's a photo from our new house. Please ignore the dust - construction is such a messy process! LOL

This is our kitchen/island area, complete with alder stained cabinets and granite countertops. I just love the blacksplash and tile we chose. Here's a little close-up...

Okay, that's all from me. I hope you have a fantastic weekend! If you're looking for a little something small for a gift, don't miss Verve's Stocking Stuffer Sale...

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Fluttering By (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Early Espresso (SU!), cream, scraps from Crate Paper and K & Co
Ink: Early Espresso (SU!), Antique Linen, Walnut Stain (Ranger Distress)
Accessories: Fishtail Banner and Vintage Flourish Die-namics (MFT), ribbon, triple pearl stick pin, dark chocolate flatback pearls and resin butterflies (Pizzazz Aplenty), Corner Chomper, Sizzix embossing folder, fine detail clear embossing powder (JudiKins), mat pack and paper piercer (SU!)

Hi There!

2011-11-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hi there, friends! It's Monday again and time for another Mojo Monday sketch. This week is a round or square option, which are my personal favorite shape of cards to make. For this sketch, I went with the round option, since during my reorganizing for the move, I reclaimed my Grand Nestabilities which had fallen behind a bookshelf.

Actually, most everything on this card was reclaimed while re-organizing. It's amazing the treasures you find when you take the time to look through everything. First off the papers are from the La Creme stack by DCWV and were tucked away in the closet with a bunch of other 8x8 pads. The label shape dies and the ribbon were purchased on my trip to Missoula and I've been so busy since then they just got stuffed in the closet and never put away. And the hearts were cut with the From the Heart Die Set for a different project a few months ago and I rediscovered them in the "save for later" pile this weekend. They seemed like the perfect splash of red to accent the card.

The stamping here uses a sentiment and flourish accent from the Fabulous You set. I stamped them in black, using the flourishes on opposing corners and lightly sponged the edges of the label with Antique Linen to not look so stark against the creme dp. My last little "find" was a Viva decor black pearl pen that had fallen behind my desk, still in it's packaging. I've been wanting black liquid pearls forever and totally forgot about this purchase. So I added a little "pearl" to each scallop on my card base and called it done. {grin}

Okay, that's all from me today! Be sure to check out what the rest of the Mojo team did with this sketch. And if you're wanting a little something new to inspire you, Verve's Black Friday sale has been extended through today! Hooray! One more day of huge savings on 60+ stamps and sets!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Fabulous You (Verve Stamps)
Paper: La Creme (DCWV), Black, Cream
Ink: Black, Antique Linen (Ranger Distress)
Accessories: From the Heart Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), Grand Circles and Scallop Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), French Flair and French Scalloped Flair Nesting Dies (Cheery Lynn Designs), polka dot ribbon, Black Pearl Pen (Viva Decor)

Simple Sentiment Gift Card

2011-11-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! I just love a long weekend, and am looking forward to a day of relaxing at home with Mark. Hooray for holiday weekends! Today I'm sharing a simple card/gift I made for my sister's birthday.

I started by making a little gift card holder out of Labels 14 Nestabilities. I cut two of the largest size from the Simple Stories Happy days paper, cutting one piece in half for the front pocket. I used the largest die as a stencil to trace a larger mat and hand cut the Pear Pizazz layer. A fun little circus border across the top of the pocket, plus a pop up of one of the balloons gives a whimsical feel to it.

The birthday blessings sentiment is from the Blessings set, which is one of over 60 products marked 35% off this weekend during Verve's Black Friday weekend sale! Woohoo! It's on a sentiment flag die cut and clipped over the top with a mini library clip, so you can still pull the gift card out. I finished with some rhinestone accents from Pizzazz Aplenty, then a little taffeta bow and a sizzix embossed background.

That's all from my little corner of the world today! Have a fabulous weekend!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Blessings (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Happy Days (Simple Stories), Pear Pizazz (SU!), cream
Ink: Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy (Ranger Distress), Early Espresso (SU!)
Accessories: Labels 14 Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Circus Border CutUps (TCP), Sentiment Flag Die (Lil' Inker Designs), peridot flatback rhinestones (Pizzazz Aplenty), mini library clip, espresso taffeta (SU!), textured impressions embossing folder (Sizzix), paper distresser

Time to Blossom

2011-11-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! Happy Wednesday! Time is flying and I can't believe that tomorrow is Thanksgiving already. Wasn't it just October? LOL Anyhow, my studio is in a state of chaos as I'm starting to pack things up for our December move. So I thought I'd pop in with this card I made for the last release but haven't shared yet.

I paired the new Time to Blossom plain jane with the Rounded Rectangle Die, coloring with Copics and distress inks before adding hints of greenery around the edges. The background of the card is stamped with the same greenery from the New Mercies set. I added a little black suede ribbon, some swirly bling and a mini library clip for embellishment, then finished off with a single rounded corner and a wavy border along the bottom. Simple stamping, but very fun!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Time to Blossom Plain Jane, New Mercies (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Picadilly (BasicGrey), Black, White
Ink: Peeled Paint, Shabby Shutters, Tumbled Glass and Broken China Distress Ink, Jet Black Archival (Ranger), Copic markers
Accessories: Rounded Rectangle Die (A Cut Above by VERVE), mini library clip (SU!), black suede ribbon (May Arts), rhinestone flourish (Prima), round-it-all

Holiday Snowflakes

2011-11-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! It's Monday again already (doesn't it seem like the weekends just fly by?!) and that means it's time for another Mojo Monday sketch. This week's sketch was designed by Debbie Carriere. I have more than a little addiction to Christmas paper (two 12 x 24" drawers filled to the brim with it) and even though I told myself I wasn't going to buy any new Christmas paper this year, I still ended up buying several 6 x 6 pads that called my name. {Sigh} So for today's card I dug into my as yet untouched 25 Days of Christmas pad from Simple Stories.

I did a little tilting of the main panels of the sketch to accommodate the gingham bow, and also added little tails to each of the horizontal panels. The snowflakes are stamped onto Snowflake Tidings die cuts, then I layered a black die cut, offset behind each snowflake and accented with shiny gold pearls and red rhinestones from Pizzazz Aplenty. The sentiment is stamped onto cream and then made into a sentiment flag to finish things off.

That's all from me this cold November Monday. We're getting much closer to our house completion date and I'm starting to think about packing up the studio. When we checked in on things this weekend, we had cabinet doors, appliances, tile, stained hardwood and plumbing and lighting fixtures! Hooray! Just three more weeks until our closing date... can't wait! Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you have a fantastic week.

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Glad Tidings (Verve Stamps)
Paper: 25 Days of Christmas (Simple Stories), Black, Cream
Ink: Black Soot, Old Paper (SU!)
Accessories: Snowflake Tidings Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), gingham ribbon (May Arts), red rhinestones, shiny gold pearls (Pizzazz Aplenty)

Holiday Joy

2011-11-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! It's finally Friday and that means it's time for another Viva la Verve! sketch. Woohoo! This week's hostess is Tosh. I hope you'll play along with us! For my sample, I broke out the new Frosty Snowflakes Die Set that coordinates with Frosty Flakes and Christmas in the Air. I wanted a modern, wintery feel, so chose a palette of pool party, black and silver. I just love this combo!

Santa's Helper

2011-11-16T05:00:00.003-07:00

Hi friends! Happy Wednesday! Today I've got a fun little holiday card to share using some new stamps and dies from Verve. This one features Santa's Helper, Bright Spirits and a couple of the new dies.

Christmas in the Heart

2011-11-15T08:44:00.001-07:00

Hi friends! Happy Tuesday! Today I'm back with a fun little treat project for the November Get Your Diva On challenge. Teresa's the hostess this month and she's challenging you to Celebrate the Season and get inspired by the gorgeous inspiration photo. Play along by this Sunday {Nov. 20} and you could be the winner of a $100 gift certificate to Verve! Woohoo! All the deadlines and details are on the challenge thread in our SCS forum. I hope you'll play along... I can't wait to see what everyone creates!

As I was looking through my stash, I ran across some library pockets I ordered from the Scarlet Lime a while back. They seemed like the perfect size to hold a candy bar, and an idea was born! I created a background of color using Peeled Paint, Scattered Straw, Fired Brick and Brushed Corduroy distress inks, then embossed the Ellis quote from the Christmas in the Air set in gold directly onto the library pocket. I used a Quickie glue pen to add some adhesive to the rim of the pocket and one corner, then applied some champagne glass glitter for shabby sparkle.

My heart piece is made from a Jotted Heart Die, which I embossed the hanging heart ornament from Bright Spirits onto, then colored with Copics and sponged with Scattered Straw Ink. I added a little flower from the Bright Spirits set, then accented with a gold pen and some shiny gold pearls. To make the cherry cobbler mat, I simply traced around the die's plastic alignment tool, then hand cut with scissors. Then it was simply a matter of adding some vintage lace and tying some gold jingle bells on with gold cording. I added a mini library clip to the side to make sure the cording didn't slip, then tied a bow on a candy cane and tucked in some Turtles.

I did a little testing at the store and most of the normal sized candy bars fit the pocket with ease, and even some of the larger specialty bars. I thought these would be great to have on hand for neighbors and friends who show up with home baked goods, since I won't be making any this year with the move and all the other things going on in my life.

As you can see, I was pretty loose with my interpretation of the inspiration photo. Actually, I was going from memory, and I remembered the tree as being red and gold! LOL But the beautiful photo did immediately make me think of the "It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air" quote, which inspired the project.

Okay, that's all from me today. Hope you have a wonder-filled day!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Bright Spirits, Christmas in the Air (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Cherry Cobbler (SU!), White, Manila library pocket (Scarlet Lime)
Ink: Fired Brick, Scattered Straw, Peeled Paint, Brushed Corduroy (Ranger Distress), Versamark, Copic Markers, gold gel pen
Accessories: Jotted Heart Die (A Cut Above by VERVE), jingle bells, gold cord and shiny gold pearls (Pizzazz Aplenty), ribbon, mini library clip and champagne glass glitter (SU!), quickie glue pen, dimensionals, Gold Detail Embossing powder (Judikins), candy, vintage lace trim

Hope Perches

2011-11-14T06:00:00.022-07:00

Hi friends! Happy Monday! It's time for a new Mojo Monday sketch and this week's sweet sketch was designed by the even sweeter Debbie Carriere. I love the simplicity of it and couldn't wait to give it a go with some of the newly released stamps and dies from Verve. This card is also featured on the Verve Blog today, along with some fabulous favorites from our design team. be sure to check it out for a little inspiration with the newly released stamps!

The new Love Birds Die Set made me think of one of my favorite plain janes... Hope Perches. I just love this verse by Emily Dickinson and it was repeating over and over in my mind as I created this card. I think the idea of hope perching in my soul and just singing and singing and never stopping is just so cool.

"Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,"

So that was the inspiration for the card. The coordinating bird stamp from Bright Spirits is stamped in Early Espresso, then I cut it with the Love Birds Die Set, filled in with glue and sprinkled some ultrafine flower soft on it to give it some fluffy texture. For my floral spray, I chose the star/snowflake/flower images from Bright Spirits (I so love when a stamp can have many uses) and stamped them in Baja Breeze onto the coordinating dies in the Winter Fun Die Set. Then it was just a matter of coloring each with Copics, outlining with a little Stardust glitter pen and blending with a blender pen for a bit of frosty sparkle. Each flower is accented with a pearly dew drop. The main background for the card is embossed with a stars & swirls embossing folder, then lightly sponged with distress ink.

So that's it.. easy peasy, but so much fun. I hope you'll play along with Mojo this week. Be sure to head on over to the Mojo Monday blog to see what the Mojo designers came up with for this week's sketch! Thanks for stopping by. I hope a bit of hope perches in your soul today.

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Bright Spirits, Hope Perches Plain Jane (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Pool Party, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake (SU!), Cream
Ink: Pool Party, Baja Breeze, Early Espresso (SU!), Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy (Ranger Distress), Copic markers
Accessories: Winter Fun Die Set, Love Birds Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), swirls & stars embossing folder (Sizzix), pearl dew drops, dimensionals, Stardust glitter pen, Ultrafine Sand Flower Soft

Simple Christmas and a Post Release Blog Hop

2011-11-12T07:00:00.041-07:00

Hi friends! Happy Saturday! New Verve is here and today the Divas are putting on a Post-Release Blog Hop featuring the new sets and dies that released last night! All of the new stamps and dies are available in the Verve store today. One lucky commenter on today's hop will win our entire new release! Check out the Verve Blog for all the prize details, deadlines and our new release collection specials.

For my hop project I chose to create a clean & simple card set using ornament images and sentiments from Bright Spirits. This was the idea that was in my head when I was designing the set. Since the holidays are such a busy time, I wanted simple images and elegant sentiments that could capture attention without a whole lot of extra bells and whistles.

Each card is an image and sentiment stamped on a 4" piece of cardstock, which I scored at 1/4" all around and distressed the edges.

The images are colored with Copic markers and Spica glitter pens, then I embellished both the image and some of the swooshes on the sentiments with rhinestones from Pizzazz Aplenty.

A big red polka dot bow finishes things off, and each card is glued to a 4.25" white card base. Easy peasy and perfect for the holidays.

That's a whole lot of pictures, so I won't jabber away the day. Here's today's hop list... happy hopping!

1. Julee	8. Sankari
2. Andrea	9. Teresa
3. Vickie {Guest}	10. Charmaine
4. Amy	11. Tosha
5. Maureen	12. Wanda {Guest}
6. Laurie	13. Jackie
7. Gretchen {Guest}

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Bright Spirits (Verve Stamps)
Paper: White
Ink: Black, Copic markers, Spica glitter pen, Stardust glitter pen, gold gel pen
Accessories: ribbon (SU!), rhinestones (Pizzazz Aplenty), diamond glaze, Scor-pal, paper distresser

Snowflake Tidings and a Spotlight Hop

2011-11-11T07:00:00.011-07:00

Hi friends! Tonight's the night! It's almost time for new Verve to release. I hope you'll join us as we count down to our release from 9-11pm Eastern in our SCS Forum. Until then, the Divas have more eye candy previews for you to hop around to for Day 3 of our New Release Spotlight Hops. One lucky commenter on one of today's hop spots will win the stamps and dies featured today. Deadline for commenting is tonight at 5pm Mountain. Winners will be announced during our release party tonight!

Today the Divas are showcasing a mini set called Santa's Helper, plus some dies that coordinate with previously released sets. Snowflake Tidings Die Set (which I've used on today's card) coordinates with the snowflakes in Glad Tidings, one of my all-time favorite holiday sets. Frosty Snowflakes Die Set coordinates with the snowflakes in Frosty Flakes and Christmas in the Air. And last but not least, a die I've received the most requests for, the Lovely Marquee Die coordinates with the frame in Love Story.

My card today uses Glad Tidings, Love Story, the Snowflake Tidings Die Set and the Lovely Marquee Die. I embossed the medium and small snowflakes from Glad Tidings in white onto Sage Shadow, then cut with the Snowflake Tidings Dies. I loved the way Amy used the Lovely Marquee Die as a border on her card yesterday, so I decided to take her idea and run with it. I embossed the frame from Love Story in white on Early Espresso, then cut with the Lovely Marquee Die and trimmed in half to tuck under each side of my panel. I used the snowflake stamps as a background on most of the panels, then added a sentiment flag with Peaceful Wishes embossed on it and tied some rusty jingle bells on with linen thread.

The layout for this card is Jackie's Viva la Verve! sketch for this week. Play along with all of our November sketches for a chance to win a $100 gift certificate to Verve! Now that's something worth stamping about! (grin}

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Glad Tidings, Love Story (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Sage Shadow, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso (SU!)
Ink: Sage Shadow, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso (SU!), VersaMark
Accessories: Snowflake Tidings Die Set, Lovely Marquee Die (A Cut Above by VERVE), Lacey Circles and Fancy Tags 2 Nestabilities (Spellbinders), rusty jingle bells (Frost it Pink), linen thread (TCP), mini library clip (SU!), Copic markes (to recolor library clip), liquid pearls (Ranger), damask embossing folder (Sizzix), Swarovski Crystal Rhinestones (Pizzazz Aplenty), white and clear detail embossing powders (Judikins)

Okay, it's time to hop along to the next stop...

1. Julee	8. Sankari
2. Andrea	9. Teresa
3. Vickie {Guest}	10. Charmaine
4. Amy	11. Tosha
5. Maureen	12. Wanda {Guest}
6. Laurie	13. Jackie
7. Gretchen {Guest}

Winter Tree, SFYTT and a Spotlight Hop

2011-11-10T07:00:00.073-07:00

Hi friends! Did y'all have a blast hopping along with the Day 1 Hop? It's a brand new day and time for the Day 2 Verve Spotlight Hop, where the Divas are shining their sneaky little spotlights on some new stamps and dies for the holidays. Leave a little comment love as you hop around the Divasphere, and you just might win today's featured stamps and dies for your very own! All the prize info, details and deadlines can be found over on the Verve blog. Products previewed today will be available following our release party on Friday night, 11/11/11.

For my spotlight card, I'm highlighting the Winter Tree plain jane, Bright Spirits set and the Love Birds Die Set. To start, I paper pieced the Winter Tree plain jane with different holiday prints. The tree is an updated version of the tree from Christmas in the Air, adding in some branch segments. Both trees coordinate with the new Winter Fun Die Set (although I didn't use the die on this card, I'm sure you'll see it featured during the hop). I stamped the smaller snowflake from Bright Spirits in Antique Linen randomly on my lighter background, then accented each center with liquid pearls. The little birds are from the Bright Spirits set and are outline images of the solid birds from Love Story. They also have a coordinating die, Love Birds Die Set, which I've used here to cut the birds out and hang some tiny rusty jingle bells from. The sentiment from Bright Spirits is embossed in Early Espresso.

The layout for this card is Jen's Sketch For You To Try sketch for November. Verve is sponsoring the sketch this month, so I hope you'll play along. And if you play along with Verve, you just might win a Verve set of your choosing! Check out Jen's blog for all the details.

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Bright Spirits, Winter Tree Plain Jane (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Season's Greetings (Echo Park), Early Espresso (SU!), cream
Ink: Antique Linen, Shabby Shutters (Ranger Distress ink), Early Espresso (SU!)
Accessories: Love Birds Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), rusty jingle bells (Frost it Pink), linen thread, vanilla seam binding ribbon (SU!), paper distresser, bristle brush, bisque liquid pearls (Ranger), clear embossing powder

Okay, it's time to get hopping... have an awesome day!

1. Julee	8. Andrea
2. Jackie	9. Vickie {Guest}
3. Teresa	10. Amy
4. Charmaine	11. Laurie
5. Maureen	12. Gretchen {Guest}
6. Tosha	13. Sankari
7. Wanda {Guest}

Call to Me and a Spotlight Hop

2011-11-09T07:00:00.072-07:00

Hi friends! Welcome to the first day of Verve's New Release Spotlight Hops! The Divas are posting their first looks at today's featured stamps and dies, so hop around and leave a little comment love for a chance to win! All the details and prize deadlines can be found on the Verve Blog.

I have two cards for you today that feature three new plain janes and a new die set. All the items we're previewing this week will be available for purchase following our release party on Friday night (11/11/11).

I chose a clean, masculine feel for this first card, which uses the Flared Cross plain jane and the Cross Die Set. It also features the previously released Amazing Grace plain jane. The cross images on both of these cards are solid stamps, but to achieve a wood feel, I simply inked them with Soft Suede ink, then swept a bristle brush over them before stamping. Love the effect. I tied a little twine around the center of the cross and added some twine across the main panel for some interest.

For the second card, I used the same bristle brush technique for the Curvy Cross plain jane, cutting it out with the coordinating cross from the Cross Die Set. The Jeremiah 33:3 plain jane is embossed on cream, then cut out with Nestabilities. I added some twine, stitching and some bling to finish things off.

The Cross Die Set also coordinates with the cross images in Richly Blessed and Blessed Christmas, giving you plenty of options this holiday (and throughout the year) to celebrate the reason for the season.

Now it's time to move along to the next stop on the hop. Have fun!

1. Julee	7. Andrea
2. Teresa	8. Vickie {Guest}
3. Charmaine	9. Amy
4. Maureen	10. Laurie
5. Tosha	11. Gretchen {Guest}
6. Wanda {Guest}	12. Sankari

Enabler's List - Card 1:
Stamps: Flared Cross Plain Jane, Amazing Grace Plain Jane (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Picadilly (BasicGrey), Soft Suede (SU!), Cream
Ink: Soft Suede (SU!), VersaMark
Accessories: Cross Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), fine detail white embossing powder, linen thread (SU!), bristle brush

Enabler's List - Card 2:
Stamps: Curvy Cross Plain Jane, Jeremiah 33:3 Plain Jane (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Picadilly (BasicGrey), Cream
Ink: Soft Suede (SU!)
Accesories: Cross Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), Classic Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), peridot rhinestones (Pizzazz Aplenty), linen thread (SU!), sewing machine, bristle brush

One Love One Lifetime

2011-11-07T06:00:00.009-07:00

Hi friends! It's Monday again and that means it's time for another Mojo Monday sketch challenge. It's also a contest week, so play along for a chance to win a Verve set of your choosing. For my sample card I made an anniversary card for my in-laws who celebrated their 46th anniversary this weekend. I love the clean but trendy feel to this sketch and can see myself using it again and again, especially since it came together so quickly.

We've got a new Verve release coming this Friday, November 11 and on this card I've got a sneaky peek of a much requested new die... the Lovely Marquee die, which coordinates with the frame from Love Story. Here I've colored the frame with Copics and embossed the One Love One Lifetime sentiment in Cherry Cobbler for a really classy look. The gorgeous flower is from the Red & Black Mulberry Gardenia Pack from Pizzazz Aplenty and I added a little metal word charm that's been in the stash for a while, inking it lightly with some gold ink to match the shiny gold pearls.

Well, that's all from me today. Lot's to do to prepare for this week's release. I'll be back Wednesday through Saturday of this week for some New Release Spotlight Hopping! Hooray for new stamps and dies! I hope you'll get a chance this week to play along with the Mojo sketch, and be sure to hop on over to the Mojo Monday blog to see the design team inspirations for the week!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Love Story (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Wonder (Authentique), Attic Treasures (Melissa Frances), Basic Black, Cream
Ink: Cherry cobbler (SU!), Black, Copic Markers), Galaxy Gold (Brilliance), Antique Linen, Tea Dye (Ranger Distress)
Accessories: Lovely Marquee Die (A Cut Above by VERVE), Classic Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Metal word (Making memories), shiny gold pearls and Red & Black Mulberry Gardenia Pack (Pizzazz Aplenty)

The Best Ship

2011-11-04T05:00:00.007-06:00

Happy Friday, friends! As always, I'm super excited for the weekend. Nothing much planned other than checking in on the progress on our house and making samples for the new Verve release that's only a week away! Should be a fun, relaxing weekend. But right now, it's Friday and that means it's time for a new Viva la Verve! sketch. Amy Sheffer is kicking the November sketches off with a super fun layout and I couldn't wait to play along!

The other day as I was wandering aimlessly through the craft store these Picadilly papers from BasicGrey just took a flying leap into my basket. BasicGrey was my gateway into designer papers, but I haven't really fallen in love with any of their designs lately.... until this line. I just adore the color palette of aqua, orange, yellow, red, green and lots of floral prints. Beautiful stuff, I tell you.

So my colors were inspired by my two favorite papers in the Picadilly pad, which I paired with a greyish/white pattern from the Basicgrey White Basics line. For the trio of circles, I immediately thought of the Text Objects set, which allowed me to use a small image, a larger sentiment, a sentiment flag and a background. So matchy-matchy it makes me smile! The background sentiment strip is stamped in Pumice Stone distress ink and the rest of the sentiments and images were stamped with Early Espresso ink. I paper pieced the ship, adding a little dimension to the orange sail, then accented with a mixture of diamond glaze and glitter for a little sparkle. A border punch, some photo corner punches, a library clip and a bunch of orange bling from Pizzazz Aplenty finished things off.

Q & A Time:
Someone asked what punchinella was on one of my recent mixed-media posts. Punchinella is also called sequin waste, and it's the left over part in the sequin making process. It makes a great inexpensive stencil for adding dots to your mixed media projects and comes in all shapes and sizes.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and if you find a little time to create, be sure to give the VLV sketch a try. One lucky winner who participates in all 4 of the November sketches will win a $100 gift certificate to Verve!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Text Objects (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Picadilly, White Basics (BasicGrey), Early Espresso (SU!), Bundled Sage (Tim Holtz)
Ink: Wild Honey, Pumice Stone, Tumbled Glass (Ranger Distress), Early Espresso (SU!)
Accessories: Classic Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Bracket border punch, mini photo corner punch (EK Success), mini library clip (SU!), orange flatback rhinestones (Pizzazz Aplenty), glitter, diamond glaze, dimensionals, clear embossing powder

Anything is Possible

2011-11-03T05:00:00.150-06:00

Hi friends! I've got another mixed-media project to share with you today. This one is a page in my 9x12 art journal. When I first started doing art journaling, I was really intimidated by this large of a page, but I actually really prefer it now. It's so fun to get to use multiple large elements and create a fun backdrop for it all.

Merry Christmas and a Blog Hop

2011-11-01T05:00:00.007-06:00

Hi friends! Happy November! It's the first of a new month and that means it's time for the November Diva Inspirations Hop. Take a little peek at each of the fabulous blogs on the hop list below and leave a little comment love for their Verve-alicious eye candy and you just might win some Vervey goodness of your very own!

For my card I used this month's stamp of the month, Poinsettia Christmas, which is 40% off during the month of November. The sketch is this week's Mojo Monday sketch with the circle card option.

I'll just leave you with the enabler's list and the hop list, so you can be on your way. All the hop details, deadlines and November Verve news can be found over on the Verve blog. Enjoy your start to November!

1. Julee	6. Lynda
2. Betty	7. Shannan
3. Dawn	8. Sony
4. Jen d.	9. Susan
5. Jen T.

We've hidden a little mystery prize on one of today's hop spots, so be sure to leave a little comment love as you hop around for a chance to win!

Comment Deadline: 11:59pm Mountain, November 7
Prize: $30 gift certificate to Verve

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Poinsettia Christmas, Sunny Days, Love Notes (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Wonder (Authentique), Early Espresso, Cream
Ink: Cherry Cobbler (SU!), Antique Linen, Vintage Photo, Brushed Corduroy (Ranger Distress)
Accessories: Rounded Rectangle Die, Classy Label Die, Leafy Sprigs Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), Classic and Grand Classic and Big Scallop Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Rusty jingle bells (Frost it Pink), vanilla seam binding (SU!), embossing folder (Cuttlebug), Liquid Pearls (Ranger)

Birthday Mojo

2011-10-31T06:00:00.005-06:00

Happy Halloween! It's time for another Mojo Monday sketch and this week is a round or square option. I've been so busy lately and didn't have time to make a new sample for the sketch, so I thought I'd re-share the card that inspired this week's sketch. Be sure to head on over to the Mojo Monday blog to see what the rest of the Mojo designers have done with the sketch.

Enabler's List:

Stamps: Making a Statement, Sunny Days (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Black, Daffodil Delight, Lucky Limeade (SU!), Blissful DP (Authentique), Cream
Ink: Jet Black Archival, Pumice Stone Distress (Ranger), Daffodil Delight (SU!), White Dye Ink (Memories), Copic markers
Accessories: Leafy Sprigs Die Set ,Loopy Blooms Die Set, Vintage Oval Die, Rounded Scallop Frame Die, Rounded Rectangle Die (A Cut Above by VERVE), Classic Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), paper crimper (Fiskars), Lemon Peel Stickles (Ranger), button, black pearls, Wide Striped ribbon (SU)

Love Gave Her Wings to Fly

2011-10-28T05:00:00.026-06:00

Hi friends! I'm back with another mixed-media project to share. This one is an 8x10 canvas I made for an art journaling challenge, but missed the deadline so I never posted it. The challenge was to incorporate a hand drawn girl on your project. I am definitely better with a mouse than with a pen or pencil when it comes to drawing, so this challenge scared me just a bit.

The concept for this piece came from thinking about my awesome husband. He has truly given me wings to fly, and helped encourage and support me to achieve things I never even dreamed possible. In times when I feel so desperately alone, he always knows just what to say to make me feel like I matter. I am so blessed to have him in my life and I created this piece as a reminder of that. I plan to frame it and hang it in my studio.

The girl was hand drawn on book paper, then I paper pieced a dress for her from some Glitz patterned paper. You can't really tell in the photo, but there's actual black lace on the bottom of her dress, and I hand drew some scallops for a dainty little edging at the top and bottom of the dress. I layered some hand drawn wings cut from a doily behind her, so that she could be flying, then cut some clouds from book paper using the TCP Cloud border CutUps.

The background of the canvas is done with Neo Watercolor II Crayons that I blended with a finger instead of using a wet paint brush. I printed the Love gave her wings to fly words on copy paper, then sketched a heart around the love, colored with Gelatos and mod podged onto the canvas, placing some baker's twine under it for the balloon string.

I added a few sentiments from the Words of Wisdom sentiment to the clouds and background of the canvas. A little texture was added using the scalloped frame and grid stamps from Making a Statement, the polka dots from Bountiful Backgrounds and a rub-on from Stampin' Up.

Okay, that's all for today. I hope you've enjoyed the mixed-media projects I've shared this week. Have a fabulous weekend!

Halloween Et Cetera

2011-10-27T07:07:00.000-06:00

Hi friends! Happy Thursday! Today I've got a card to share using the new Boo to You set. Before I left for Montana, I was straightening up my craft room and found some black Tiny Sweet Scallop cutouts hanging out on my desk next to the Boo to You set. I thought they could work as little gravestones, so quickly sketched out my idea so I could return to it when I got home.

Last night, I finally found a little stamping time, and was happily surprised to see I already had an idea sketched out using the gravestones on a hill. So I just went with it, pulling out some of the new paper and ribbon goodies I got on my trip.

The ghost image is stamped onto Et Cetera book print, then sponged with Brushed Corduroy ink and I highlighted their eyes with black Stickles. The gravestones are cut with the Tiny Sweet Scallop Die Set and embossed in clear using the background from Wishful Elegance. I tucked them behind a half circle to look like they're on a hill, then lined the circle with some gold cording. The sentiment from Boo to You is stamped onto the frame from Tag Time, which I sponged around the edges, then lined with glue and Champagne glass glitter before matting with a black Curvy Bookplate die cut. I finished with a little ribbon and a black heart spray, then aged the edges and turned down the top corner.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a fabulous day! I'll be back tomorrow with another mixed-media project.

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Boo to You, Tag Time, Wishful Elegance (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Et Cetera (BoBunny), Black, Cream
Ink: Black, Brushed Corduroy (Ranger)
Accessories: Curvy Bookplate Die, Tiny Sweet Scallop Die Set (A Cut Above by Verve), Classic Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), ribbon, heart vine, chunky glass glitter, clear embossing powder, gold cording, black Stickles, black flatback pearls (Pizzazz Aplenty)

Everything Beautiful

2011-10-26T06:00:00.073-06:00

Since I was off gallivanting with Tosh & Laurie last week, I am a bit behind on the stamping front, so I figured this week would be a good time to show a few mixed-media projects I've created over the past few months but haven't shared here. I had intended to do more journaling and more posts with writing on the blog, but my life has been so overwhelming the past few months that I can't seem to find the energy to post anything but cards here. Hopefully that will change, but for now that's what I've got to give. {grin}

Today I'm sharing an altered project I made as a gift for a friend. I bought the paper mache book box at Michael's, thinking I'd cover it with paper and tie it with a bow. Something easy, ya know? Then once I got it home, I just had this undeniable urge to paint, so paint I did... and I LOVE how it turned out!

I created this back in July, so I don't remember everything that went into it. I started by covering the whole box with white Gesso, then adding paints in greens, aquas and blacks. The butterfly with swirls up top is a Crafter's Workshop stencil, and I used a stampin' up wheel stamp for that bottom butterfly and the swirly stamping in the bottom left. The sentiment is the Ecclesiastes 3:11 Plain Jane and is stamped in Archival Ink onto a tag, then mod podged on and painted over, addint a little texture by stencilling paint over some puncinella for the polka dots. I added some rhinestone bling to set things off.

For the spine of the book I added more polka dots with black gesso, then added the Follow your heart rubon to the center. However the heart portion of the text got smudged, so I painted over it and added a heart punch and some doodles. The back is painted in similar colors.

Here's a side view of the box. The cover pulls up to reveal a little box area to store stuff. Love that it's pretty... and useful. I left the inner portion just painted with white Gesso. Most of the surface of the project is coated with a glossy Mod Podge to seal the paint in.

Okay, that's all for today! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Flower Garden Mojo

2011-10-24T06:00:00.011-06:00

Welcome to another Mojo Monday, friends! This week's Mojo 212 sketch is a simple little CAS sketch. Most of you know that clean & simple isn't usually my style (although I really admire those who can pull it off). However, every once in a while I like to create something a little understated, and this seems like a perfect sketch for that.

The only stamping here is the sentiment from Small Phrases. My main image is from the SU! Flower Garden embossing folder, which I colored with Distress Stains, then added a bit of glue and some pink glass glitter to the flower centers to make them pop. The papers are from Authentique and I added a polka dot Cuttlebug folder to the whole base of the card front. The sentiment is stamped on an SU! word window punch and matted with the modern label punch, then tied on with some divine twine and accented with a resin rose, which I colored pink with Copics to match the card.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you'll take some time to check out the designer samples over at Mojo Monday, then play along with this week's sketch!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Small Phrases (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Uncommon (Authentique), Crumb Cake (SU!), white
Ink: Vintage Photo, Antique Linen, Worn Lipstick, Spun Sugar distress ink and stains (Ranger), Copics
Accessories: Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Flower Garden Textured Impressions folder (SU!), baker's twine (Divine Twine), resin rose (Recollections), pink glass glitter (Melissa Frances)

Happy Haunting

2011-10-21T05:00:00.004-06:00

Happy Friday! I'm still on my little getaway with Tosh & Laurie, but I do have a little sample for this week's Viva la Verve! sketch to share with you. Charmaine is this week's hostess and designer of this fun sketch, which I turned on its side. I again used the new Boo to You set and some Halloween papers from years gone by.

I stamped the twin ghosties on a classic circle, then outlined with a stardust glitter pen and a blender pen. You can't see the sparkle in the photo, but it's so super shiny in real life! {grin} I then masked off just the Boo portion of the boo to you sentiment and stamped it between the two ghosties. The happy haunting sentiment is stamped onto copy paper, then run through the crimper and added to the card as a little sentiment flag. A few little Candi paper embellishments are used for the circles and I covered them with orange peel stickles to make them shimmer. I finished off with a curled corner and more polka dotted ribbon.

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Boo to You (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Halloween dp (Making Memories), Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie (SU!)
Ink: Jet Black Archival (Ranger)
Accessories: Classic Circles & Lacy Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Candi paper embellishments, Orange Peel Stickles (Ranger), paper crimper (Fiskars), ribbon, liquid pearls (Ranger)

Trick or Treat

2011-10-19T05:00:00.001-06:00

Hi friends! Happy Wednesday! I'm so excited to be headed off bright & early this morning to meet up with Tosh & Laurie for a fun little getaway! I actually got a little extra stamping time last weekend, so I'll still have a few things to share with you while I'm gone. {grin} This little number is another example using the Boo to You set.

I went for a simple layout, stamping the pumpkin from Boo to You on a rectangle, then doodling a little frame for it and adding a torn piece of dp for a photo corner. The sentiment is stamped on a cream circle, then matted with a lacy circle and accented with silver liquid pearls and an orange rhinestone. My curvy border is made using the Big Scallop CutUps from TCP, then I finished off with a double bow of polka dotted ribbon and a border punch for the bottom of the card.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a fabulous day!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Boo to You (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Toil & Trouble (The Girls Paperie), Pumpkin Pie, Black (SU!)
Ink: Jet Black Archival (Ranger), Copic markers, Spica glitter pens
Accessories: Classic & Lacy Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Big Scallop CutUps (TCP), ribbon, rhinestones, silver liquid pearls (Ranger), border punch (SU!), Cuttlebug embossing folder

Boo to You

2011-10-18T05:00:00.032-06:00

Hi friends! Today I've got a brand new Verve set to share with you, called Boo to You. I'm not typically a Halloween person, but I have several friends that really get into this holiday, so I finally gave in and designed a not-too-creepy Halloween set. Unfortunately, design and manufacturing delays have pushed the release of this set late in the season. We will be having a November release, but since this set is so late already, I decided to release it by itself. We have a limited supply of Boo to You available on the website today with more arriving in the coming weeks, but we can't guarantee the re-stocking will be here in time for Halloween. So if you've got to have it, grab it fast! {grin}

For my card design, I went with the title sentiment and the twin ghosties image hanging over a tent card. I {LOVED} this Toil & Trouble designer paper from The Girls' Paperie that came out last year, and even though I rarely make Halloween cards, I just had to have it! I made a 1/2 accordian by cutting a strip of paper, punching one end with a decorative border, then scoring every 1/4". For the sentiment piece I matted several sizes of circles on a lacy circles nestability, then added some liquid pearls to each connecting point. The card is finished off with some of that wide striped ribbon from SU! that I just can't get enough of.

That's all on the card front today. I'm getting ready to head out of town tomorrow to meet up with Tosh & Laurie for a fun-filled weekend. But I've got some cards and posts pre-scheduled, so as long as blogger cooperates, there should still be some new eye candy over the next few days. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Boo to You (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Toil & Trouble (The Girls Paperie), Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black (SU!)
Ink: Jet Black Archival (Ranger), Spica glitter pen
Accessories: Classic Circles & Lacy Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), liquid pearls (Ranger), Scor-pal, wide ribbon (SU!)

Always On My Mind

2011-10-17T06:00:00.011-06:00

Hi friend! Happy Monday. It's time for another Mojo Monday sketch and for my card I decided to participate in the Pink Critters Hope You Can Cling To challenge on SCS.

I thought it would be fun to put the bird from Making a Statement, on the head of the elephant from To the Moon and pair it with the sentiment "you're always on my mind" from the Always on My Mind set. It just makes me giggle thinking about that little birdie sitting on his head - always on his mind! {grin} I embossed the scallop frame from Making a Statement in metallic bronze on black cardstock and cut with the Rounded Scallop Frame Die. Some patterned paper and some ruffled ribbon finish things off.

I hope you have a fantastic day. Be sure to stop by the Mojo Monday blog to check out the design team samples using this week's sketch.

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Making a Statement, To the Moon, Always on My Mind (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Uncommon (Authentique), Hometown Summer (Pink Paislee), black, white
Ink: Pink Pirouette (SU!), Black
Accessories: Rounded Scallop Frame Die (A Cut Above by VERVE), circle and photo corner punches (SU!), rhinestone, liquid pearls, ribbon

Dropping By

2011-10-15T05:00:00.003-06:00

Happy Saturday, friends! Today I've got a fun little card using some new goodies from The Cat's Pajamas. This little bunny just called my name as soon as I saw him, and so when my order arrived I couldn't wait to ink him up and use this week's TCP Tuesday 180 sketch.

I started with the Away We Go papers from My Mind's Eye, Then decided it would be fun to have the parachute on the Big Ticket CutUps with the bunny hanging off. I used the coordinating ticket frame from Admit One, then sponged the edges with Vintage Photo ink. I then stamped the parachute image from Oh Chute, paper piecing the parachute the bow and the bunny, which I colored with Copic markers. The sentiment is stamped onto the sentiment flag from the Easy Rosettes CutUps and I added some stars, rhinestones and a bit of linen thread to finish things off.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Admit One, Oh Chute (The Cat's Pajamas)
Paper: Away We Go (My Mind's Eye), BasicGray (SU!), Natural White Classic Crest (Neenah)
Ink: Black Dye Ink (A Muse), Vintage Photo Distress (Ranger)
Accessories: Big Ticket CutUps, Easy Rosettes CutUps (The Cat's Pajamas), Star Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Small Star Punch (SU!), rhinestones, Ivory Linen Thread (The Cat's Pajamas)

Handmade Love

2011-10-14T05:00:00.005-06:00

Hi friends! It's Friday! Woohoo! That means it's time for another Viva la Verve! sketch. This week's sketch is hosted by Maureen Plut. I haven't had as much time to stamp as usual, so I decided to combine a few challenges into my VLV card as well. First off, the Handmade Happiness Get Your Diva On challenge is going on and a $100 Gift Certificate to Verve is up for grabs, so you best get stamping! Deadline is Sunday night! The challenge is to use a handmade embellishment. Here I chose a handmade rosette with a chipboard heart covered in glass glitter. And that heart also makes this card work for the Brave Heart Hope You Can Clint To Challenge Teresa Kline is hosting to have at least one heart on your project.

I knew I wanted to make a rosette for my handmade embellishment, so I started using the Tim Holtz Paper Rosettes die, then cut a circle from a paper doily, inked with Victorian Velvet ink and made a little scroll strip to layer under my heart. The heart is cut using the From the Heart Die Set and I ran it upside down through the Xyron, then covered with glass glitter for a fabulously shabby embellishment. I thought this sentiment from Text Objects fit perfectly with the heart, so I added it to a circle die cut, then sponged with Victorian Velvet. To tie things together, I stamped part of the coordinating sentiment background strip on the cream panel and distressed with inks and stains. I used the wide ribbon for the two little tabs up top, then cut the ribbon in 1/2 to make a bow small enough to fit in the corner. I finished off with a whole lot of distressed edges, using my Distrezz-it-all.

That's it from my stamping corner today. I hope you have a fabulous weekend. Here's a little updated photo of our new house... with exterior paint and stonework. The garage doors still need to be painted, but things are starting to taking shape on the outside. We've made all the interior selections, so now we're just waiting on things to happen. {grin}

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Text Objects (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Shabby Chic Paper Stash (Tim Holtz), Early Espresso (SU!), Cream
Ink: Victorian Velvet and Vintage Photo Distress Inks, Antique Linen Distress Stain, Coffee Archival Ink (Ranger)
Accessories: From the Heart Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), Paper Rosette Die, Damask Texture Fades (Tim Holtz), Classic Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), wide striped ribbon (SU!), Distrezz-it-all (Zutter), Pink glass glitter (Melissa Frances)

Hometown Thanks

2011-10-10T06:00:00.013-06:00

Hi friends! I hope you had a fabulous weekend! It's Monday again, and that means it's time for a new Mojo Monday sketch. Today's sketch is based on this card I posted about a month ago. I loved the way it turned out, and thought it would be fun to try again, so I turned it into a sketch and made a new card with it.

The Making Of:
I started by stamping the bookplate frame from Tag Time, cutting by hand and matting on a black Curvy Bookplate diecut. The flowers are cut with the Floral Circles die set and then stamped with flower images from Bloom & Grow and sponged with blushing bride ink. The leaves were cut with the Elegant Leaves die, then stamped with the coordinating leaves from Bloom & Grow. A little patterned paper, a border punch, and ribbon and twine finished it off.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you'll take some time to check out the designer samples over at Mojo Monday, then play along with us this week!

And before I go, just a little reminder about the Think Pink Sale going on at Verve through October 16. 10% of proceeds from the sale will be donated to the Susan G Komen For the Cure Foundation.

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Bloom & Grow, Tag Time (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Hometown Summer (Pink Paislee), Black, Cream
Ink: Regal Rose, Blushing Bride (SU!), Scattered Straw Distress, Jet Black Archival (Ranger), Copic marker
Accessories: Curvy Bookplate Die, Floral Circles Die Set, Elegant Leaves Die (A Cut Above by VERVE), Embossed Curve Border Punch (EK Success), pink Divine Twine (TCP), button, pink frosted flatback pearls (Pizzazz Aplenty)

Sunny Days

2011-10-08T05:00:00.039-06:00

Hi friends! Happy Saturday! Yesterday afternoon I got to sneak in a little stamping time. I love stamping in the afternoons with the sun streaming in my window and was so excited to see that a little patch of sunshine had popped up amidst all the dreary rain we've been having. Since I had sunshine on the brain, I thought this week's Color Throwdown #162 challenge was the perfect starting point.

The Making Of:
I began by arranging the cardstock colors: pool party, barely banana, early espresso and crumb cake (I couldn't find any creamy caramel in my stash). Then I knew I wanted to do the Have Only Paper Embellishments challenge in the Hope You Can Cling To forum. I was in a coloring mood, so pulled out Maisy Ketto, stamped her in Stazon ink and then colored her. The sparkly parts are painted with a mixture of re-inker, diamond glaze and glitter. Hopefully that's not cheating... I consider it a type of ink since you paint it on. {grin} Either way, I'm sure whoever receives it at the MD Anderson Cancer Center will appreciate the bit of sparkle, so it's all good! I added in some shadows around the image with a prismacolor pencil and gamsol, then matted on an oval and added the sentiment from Sunny Days.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a bright, bright, sunshiny day!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Maisy Ketto (Stamping Bella), Sunny Days (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Barely Banana, Pool Party, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake (SU!), Cream
Ink: Black Stazon, pool party, barely banana (SU!), Vintage Photo (Ranger), Copic markers, re-inker/glitter glaze mixture, prismacolors & gamsol, liquid pearls
Accessories: Classic & scallop ovals nestabilities (Spellbinders), Dotted Wave border punch (EK Success), swirl textured impressions (Sizzix), Scor-pal

Love is Long

2011-10-07T05:00:00.011-06:00

Happy Friday! Another Friday means it's time for another Viva la Verve sketch, and this week's fun circle in a square sketch is hostessed by Teresa Kline. If you participate in all five of our VLV sketches for October, you'll be in a drawing to win a $100 gift certificate. Pretty sweet!

The Making Of:
I had stamped and colored this flower from Abundant Blessings last week and it didn't fit my project, so I started with it in mind for the heart shape in the sketch. For the sentiment, I masked off a portion of one of the text strips from Text Objects, so that just the Tennyson quote appeared, "Brief is life but love is long". LOVE that. The leaves from Sunny Days are stamped on patterned paper in Weathered Wood and then cut with the Leafy Sprigs Die Set. All of the papers are from the original version of Lost and Found and I accented with a bit of lace, some Stickles for my flower center and a fun border punch for the bottom, highlighted with some bisque liquid pearls.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Abundant Blessings, Sunny Days, Text Objects (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Lost & Found (MME), Cream
Ink: Early Espresso (SU!), Vintage Photo (Ranger Distress), Copic markers
Accessories: Leafy Sprigs Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), Classic Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Loopy border punch (Martha Stewart), Red Stickles, Bisque Liquid Pearls (Ranger), vintage lace trim

Cute as a Button

2011-10-05T16:22:00.000-06:00

Hi friends! It's Julee popping in on a very rainy Wednesday afternoon. We've had crazy weather this week, with 90 degree heat over the weekend and now it's wet and 50 degrees! So much for those sunny October afternoons I was bragging about earlier this week! LOL Anyhow, I was clearing off my desk for the first time in a while and I ran across this cute graphic-style card I made a while back and had never shared here. It uses the Sunny Days set from our last release and a bit of washi tape.

The Making Of:
This was a really quick and simple card to make. I stamped the leaves from Sunny Days on a square of white cardstock, drew a line for the stem and then stamped, hand trimmed and popped up the flower over the top. The flower and leaves are colored with Copics and I accented with a button and some black scrapper's floss. The sentiment from the same set is cut out with the Charming Banner Die Set. Then it was just a matter of a few strips of washi tape, a couple buttons, some scored lines and a border punch and I was done.

That's it on the card front for today. I haven't had a lot of stamping time lately because I've had a little something that looks like this on my mind.... meet our new house that should be finished up by early December. The picture was taken on one of those fabulous sunny days this weekend. We're sooooo looking forward to a bigger space for us and Verve! I've been spending most waking minutes thinking about our interior selections and furniture arrangements. I can't wait to see the finished house!

Just a little reminder that the Verve sets and dies used today are part of our Think Pink Sale. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness, all in-stock stamps and dies are 20% off through October 16 - plus we're donating 10% of the sale proceeds to the Susan G Komen For the Cure foundation.

And speaking of breast cancer awareness, Verve is also a proud sponsor of the Hope You Can Cling To challenges going on over on Splitcoast this month. There's some serious prizes to be won if you play their daily challenges and send cards to the MD Anderson Cancer Center. The cards will then be used by visitors on the breast cancer ward for patients and their families.

Enabler's List:

Stamps: Sunny Days (Verve)
Paper: Lime Twist (My Mind's Eye)
Ink: Black, Copic markers, Stardust Glitter pen (Sakura)
Accessories: Charming Banner Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), Smash Tape, buttons, black scrapper's floss (Karen Foster), Scor-pal, Wavy Edge punch (EK Success)

Believe, Mojo, and a Blog Hop

2011-10-03T06:00:00.056-06:00

Happy Monday! It's October, which is my absolute favorite month of the year! I like the warm afternoon sun and the chilly mornings and evenings... not to mention the glorious smells of pumpkin spice and apple cider in all the stores and eateries. Such a heavenly time of year! Anyway, it's the first Monday of the month and that means it's a Mojo Monday contest week! Play along for a chance to win some Verve. It's also time for our October Diva Inspirations Hop, so hop around and leave a little love on the Diva's beautiful inspirations (the full link list is below) for a chance to win some more VERVE! Then pop over to the Verve website to check out our Think Pink sale. In honor of breast cancer awareness month, we've got a 20% off sale, plus we're donating 10% of the proceeds from our sale to the Susan G Komen fund. A little something for you... a little something for the cure! Sale ends October 16.

The Making Of:
I just love this simple layout, which you can keep fairly simple, or dress up with texture and embellishments. Here I've kept the focus on some beautiful new patterned paper and a sentiment from the Believe set. I dressed things up with a bit of sponging, an embossing folder, border punch and a bit of bling. A few people asked how I made my double bows in my last post, and I'll let you in on my poser secret. I usually just tie two bows separately, then glue down with a strong glue like Zip Dry to a flat piece of ribbon already adhered to the card. It gives you the flexibility to get each bow just like you want it, without worrying about messing up the first one as you tie the second one on. A ribbon like SU!'s seam binding ribbon ties beautifully, and is less bulky for gluing, so I prefer it for this type of ribbon treatment.

And here's the Diva Inspiration Master Hop List! Happy Hopping!

1. Julee	10. Sankari
2. Betty	11. Teresa
3. Dawn	12. Andrea
4. Jen d.	13. Tosh
5. Lynda	14. Maureen
6. Shannan	15. Amy
7. Sony	16. Laurie
8. Susan	17. Jen T.
9. Charmaine

We've hidden a little mystery prize on one of today's hop spots, so be sure to leave a little comment love as you hop around for a chance to win!

Comment Deadline: 11:59pm Mountain, October 10
Prize: $30 gift certificate to Verve

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Believe (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Generations (Simple Stories), Early Espresso (SU!), Cream
Ink: Early Espresso (SU!), Vintage Photo, Antique Linen (Ranger Distress)
Accessories: Classic & Scallop Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), seam binding ribbon, eyelet lace border punch (SU!), rhinestones, Herringbone embossing folder (Cuttlebug)

Happy World Card Making Day

2011-10-01T05:00:00.002-06:00

Hi friends! Happy Saturday! It's World Card Making Day, which makes it the official start to the holiday card making season. For my first holiday card of the year, I decided to pull out my favorite set from last year's winter release... Merry Wishes.

The Making Of:
I started off with the Viva La Verve October Week 1 sketch in mind. The prize up for grabs this month for participating in all of the October sketches is a $100 gift certificate to Verve! Woohoo! I've been wanting to use this gorgeous Lost & Found Christmas paper for a while, so I went with a classic Christmas design and tried to keep things pretty simple. The berry sprigs are stamped around the circle, then colored with Copics and highlighted with a white gel pen. A little shadow stamping along the right side with the solid berries completes the theme and I finished off with a double bow of seam binding.

I hope you're having a wonderful World Card Making Day and get a chance to ink something up! Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Merry Wishes (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Lost & Found Christmas (MME), brown paper bag (Paper Accents)
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso (SU!), Antique Linen, Vintage Photo (Ranger Distress), Copic Markers, Signo white gel pen
Accessories: Classic & Scallop Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Wavy edge punch (EK Success), seam binding ribbon (SU!)

Blooming Hope

2011-09-30T05:00:00.002-06:00

Hi friends! Happy Friday! I'm so glad the weekend is almost here! I've been feeling so much better and getting caught up on everything so I think I'm actually going to get to just relax and unwind this weekend. Sounds heavenly, don't ya think? {grin} My mojo seems to be kicking back in and when I saw the SCS SC352 sketch challenge this week I couldn't wait to give it a go. Here's my elegant take on the sketch...

The Making Of:
When I sat down to stamp, a bag of these pretty flowers caught my eye and right then I decided to use it as my inspiration for the card. So I picked some coordinating papers out, then chose ink colors of Groovy Guava and Calypso Color to try to capture the feel of the flower with some sponging around my sentiment circle. The sentiment is one of my favorites from the Hope Blooms set, then I cut leaves using the Leafy Sprigs die set and stamped the coordinating leaf stamps from Sunny Days in Basic Gray. Some pearl and liquid pearl accents, a bit of stitching and a couple strips of twill and the card was done.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you have a FABULOUS weekend!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Hope Blooms, Sunny Days (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Lost & Found Two Rosy (MME), Basic Gray (SU!), Cream
Ink: Groovy Guava, Calypso Coral, Basic Gray (SU!), Antique Linen (Ranger Distress)
Accessories: Leafy Sprigs Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), Classic & Scallop Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), textured impressions folder (Sizzix), sewing machine, twill, pearls, liquid pearls

Happiness

2011-09-28T00:01:00.002-06:00

Hi friends! Happy Wednesday! I've so enjoyed my time as Guest Designer for the Color Throwdown and the final throwdown of the month is upon us. Thanks to the whole CTD team for letting me play along with y'all this month! This week's colors, chosen by hostess Kristin, perfectly match the autumn chill in the air around here.

Here's this week's color palette...

The Making Of:
I've had a crazy week, which means clean & simple was definitely my first choice when I sat down to stamp last night. These fall colors made me think of the Happiness Found set, so I pulled it out, stamped the smaller leaves tone on tone on each of the four color strips, then glued to a cream panel and wonky stitched across the top and bottom edges. The nestabilities label is sponged with Chocolate Chip ink and I added the sentiment from Happiness Found and a couple of the leaves in Poppy Parade. I finished off with some Poppy Parade ribbon and three little rhinestones. Finished size is 3.75" x 6.25".

That's all from my little crafting world today. Head on over to the Color Throwdown Blog where you can read up on the challenge details. Then be sure to check out the blogs of the CTD Design Team to see their colorful creations for this week:

Kristin Eberline

Broni Holcombe

Barbara Anders

Danielle Kennedy

Tammy Hershberger

Carole Burrage

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Happiness Found (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Poppy Parade, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, Chocolate Chip (SU!), Cream
Ink: Poppy Parade, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, Chocolate Chip (SU!)
Accessories: Poppy Parade ribbon (SU!), Labels Nestabilities (Spellbinders), flatback black rhinestones (Pizzazz Aplenty),sewing machine

Where Flowers Bloom

2011-09-26T06:00:00.023-06:00

Happy Monday, friends! It's time for another Mojo Monday sketch, and this week is my favorite kind of sketch... round or square. I went with the square option of this fun colorblocking sketch from Carole Burrage.

The Making Of:
I hadn't made anything shabby chic for a while, and I thought this Blush paper from the Lost and Found Two collection would be perfect for a bit of shabbiness. I started by cutting the four panels from designer paper. {Clockwise the dimensions are 1.5"x1.25", 1.5 x 2.25", 2 x 2.25" and 2 x 1.25" and the finished card size is 4.25" square.} Next up, I distressed the edges and sponged with antique linen and vintage photo ink, then stitched little frames around each piece and stamped the Where Flowers Bloom Plain Jane on the largest panel. For the ribbon treatment, I stapled a length of seam binding ribbon around my main panel, then just tied four pieces of the same ribbon on and cut the tails really short to give a shabby look. The main flower is created using two of the flowers from the Sunny Days set, distressed and clipped every couple of lines for extra shabbiness, then accented with some coordinating pearls and layered on dimensionals. The leaves are also from Sunny Days and cut with the coordinating Leafy Sprigs Die.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you have a fabulously creative Monday! Be sure to head on over to the Mojo Monday blog to see the sketch and give the design team a little love for the awesome samples they share each week.

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Sunny Days, Where Flowers Bloom Plain Jane (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Blush Lost & Found Two (My Mind's Eye), Crumb Cake (SU!), Cream
Ink: Pool Party, Rose Red (SU!), Vintage Photo, Antique Linen, Walnut stain (Ranger Distress)
Accessories: Leafy Sprigs Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), Victorian Wallpaper textured impressions (SU!), pearls (Kaisercraft), Stardust Stickles (Ranger), Clear Detail Embossing Powder (JudiKins), sewing machine, paper distresser and tiny attacher (Tim Holtz), seam binding ribbon (Prairie Bird Boutique)

Hello Pumpkin

2011-09-23T10:20:00.000-06:00

Hi friends! Happy Friday! Thanks so much for all the emails and well wishes recently. I'm totally okay, so no need to worry and the doc gave me some meds that are starting to make me feel almost human again. {grin} Anyway, let's get on with the crafty goodness. It's Friday and that means a new Viva la Verve! sketch is posted. This week's VLV is the fabulous Laurie.

The Making Of:
I took a fairly simple approach to the sketch. I'd planned to gussy it up after the fact with some little doodads all along the diagonals, but I really like the simplicity of the finished card, so decided to leave it at the less is more stage. The diagonals might look a little tricky, but they're really quite easy. For mine I just cut three 3/4" strips from a 6x6 paper. I then stitched each strip along both sides, distressed with a little Vintage Photo ink, then glued down to my main panel (3.5" x 4.75"), starting with the longest diagonal and then cut off the excess. The stamps used are from Bountiful Harvest and the Sweet Scallop Tag stamp and coordinating Sweet Scallop Die. I paper pieced the pumpkin and leaves separately, then finished off with a cherry cobbler seam binding bow.

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Bountiful Harvest, Sweet Scallop Tag (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Lost and Found Two: Rosy (My Mind's Eye), Early Espresso (SU!), cream
Ink: Early Espresso, Pumpkin Pie (SU!), Vintage Photo Distress (Ranger)
Accessories: Sweet Scallop Die (A Cut Above by VERVE), Cherry Cobber Seam Binding Ribbon (SU!), sewing machine

Dream Big

2011-09-21T00:01:00.010-06:00

Hi friends! Happy Wednesday! I'm enjoying my time as Guest Designer for the Color Throwdown and it's that time again...time for a new throwdown. This week's colors, chosen by hostess Danielle Kennedy, are absolutely dreamy. I hope you'll play along with us this week!

Here's this week's color palette...

The Making Of:
I started with the Dream Big set (which is on sale through the end of the month), stamping the three sizes of flowers in Regal Rose on cream cardstock, then hand trimming. To get them to curl a little, I ran each through my paper crimper both directions to break the fibers a bit, then flattened them back out, layered on dimensionals and curled the edges inward with my fingers. The leaf branch is stamped in Early Espresso and hand trimmed. The herringbone embossing folder adds some texture to the background and I finished off with some seam binding ribbon and pearls.

That's all from my little crafting world today. Head on over to the Color Throwdown Blog where you can read up on the challenge details. Then be sure to check out the blogs of the CTD Design Team to see their colorful creations for this week:

Kristin Eberline

Broni Holcombe

Barbara Anders

Danielle Kennedy

Tammy Hershberger

Carole Burrage

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Dream Big (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Regal Rose, Early Espresso (SU!), Cream
Ink: Early Espresso, Regal Rose (SU!)
Accessories: Vanilla seam binding ribbon (SU!), paper distresser (Tonic), Doily Lace border punch (Martha Stewart), Herringbone embossing folder (Cuttlebug), flatback black pearls (Pizzazz Aplenty), clear detail embossing powder (JudiKins)

Treat Yourself Mojo

2011-09-19T06:00:00.004-06:00

Hi friends! It's Monday and I've got another Mojo Monday sketch for you. For my sample card I used the Sip & Savor and Tag Time sets, along with the coordinating Curvy Bookplate Die.

I've been feeling under the weather, so I'm keeping this short and sweet. Be sure to head on over to the Mojo Monday blog and check out the design team's creations with this week's sketch!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Tag Time, Sip & Savor (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Lost & Found Two Sunshine (My Mind's Eye), Early Espresso, Crumb Cake (SU!), cream
Ink: Early Espresso (SU!), Copic Markers
Accessories: Curvy Bookplate Die (A Cut Above by VERVE), Sentiments Flag die (L'il Inkers Design), Square Lattice Textured Impressions folder, Wide striped ribbon, Mat Pack & Paper Piercer (SU!), flatback pearls (Pizzazz Aplenty)

Learning to Dance

2011-09-16T13:07:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday, friends! There's a Get Your Diva On challenge going on this week and the prize is a Guest Diva spot for a future Verve release, so if you haven't played along... you totally should! The deadline is this Sunday night, so it's the perfect excuse to sneak away for a little stamping time this weekend! {grin} Sankari's our hostess, and her challenge is to make a monochromatic card. That could be a bunch of neutrals and one color, or different shades of the same color, or just one color... whatever you choose. I've fallen in love with green recently, so decided to use different shades of green (with a hint of gray and cream for my neutrals).

I picked out the Blue Skies set because this sentiment really spoke to me. "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain." It seems like the storm clouds have been rolling in a bit here lately, and I thought this sentiment was the perfect reminder that we are in control of our own happiness. We're given the race that's set before us, and our job is to finish it well. The goal isn't to finish first, or with the most toys, or to wish we were running a different race, but to finish the race we're in and to do our best to make sure that at the end of the race we deserve to hear two precious words.. well done. So, I don't know what tomorrow brings, but today I'm going to dance in the rain and enjoy the life I've been given.

The Making Of:
I paired the sentiment from Blue Skies with the new Graph Paper Plain Jane. I matted with a basic grey Rounded Rectangle die cut, then layered onto a Rounded Scallop Frame die cut, stamped with the flourish from the Blue Skies set. I did the same random flourish stamping for the card background. A few different patterned papers, ribbons and green embellishments kept the monochromatic march going, then I finished off with the butterfly, who always seems ready to dance!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Blue Skies, Graph Paper Plain Jane (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Lost & Found Two (MME), Lucky Limeade, Basic Gray (SU!)
Ink: Lucky Limeade, Basic Gray (SU!)
Accessories: Rounded Scallop Frame Die, Rounded Rectangle Die (A Cut Above by VERVE), ribbon (SU!), lace trim (Webster's Pages), flatback rhinestones (Pizzazz Aplenty), flower embellishment (Jesse James Dress it Up Flats), Leaf trinket pins (Maya Road), Tiny Attacher (Tim Holtz), Corner Chomper (WRMK)

Coffee Talk

2011-09-14T00:01:00.132-06:00

Hi friends! Happy Wednesday! I'm back from vacation and have already hit the studio with a little color throwdown for my stint as Guest Designer over on the Color Throwdown blog! I hope you'll play along with us this week!

Our hostess this week is the fabulously creative master of color herself, Carole Burrage. And the color palette she's throwing down is a real mild one...

I just love this sentiment... life happens over coffee. For many years, Mark and I have periodically gone out to a coffee shop just to talk and plan and dream. I think it started early in our marriage when we were struggling financially just to make ends meet. We'd always pick a place that had rich surroundings, filled with fine art and good coffee... a place that made us feel successful and then we'd talk and dream and plan about the future. The things we wanted to do, what our dream house would be like, the places we wanted to travel, the places we wanted our careers to go. I look back at all of those talks and I see so much goodness and hope that came out of our little coffee talks. They're like little seeds we planted that are now starting to bear fruit. During some of those first sessions I don't think I could have even dreamed up where we are today. Life is far from perfect, but we are blessed beyond measure and I feel so lucky that we can continue to dream up new directions we'd like our paths to go. Sort of reminds me of a quote I came across recently...

"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you have now was once among the things you only hoped for." - Epicurus

The Making Of:
Since I hadn't stamped in a while, I just let the card take itself wherever it wanted to go while I played with whatever tickled my fancy. The layout is a slight variation on Amy's Viva la Verve! September Week 2 sketch. I just skewed the panels a bit, but all the major elements are there. The mug from Better With You is paper pieced with coordinating designer papers and I popped up a heart die cut from the From the Heart die set. The tags use the Tiny Sweet Scallop Tag dies and are stamped with the java text background. For the sentiment circle, I lightly stamped the coffee stain stamp in Antique Linen in the background then, inked up the sentiment with two inks and stamped.

Okay, I've probably rambled on long enough for today. Head on over to the Color Throwdown Blog where you can read up on the challenge details. Then be sure to check out the blogs of the CTD Design Team to see their colorful creations for this week:

Kristin Eberline

Broni Holcombe

Barbara Anders

Danielle Kennedy

Tammy Hershberger

Carole Burrage

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Better With You (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Journey (Authentique), Lime Twist Fly a Kite (My Mind's Eye), Newsprint, Basic Black (SU!)
Ink: Jet Black & Vermillion Archival, Antique Linen Distress (Ranger)
Accessories: Tiny Sweet Scallop Die Set, From the Heart Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), Classic Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Mat stack & paper piercer, Cherry Cobbler seam binding (SU!), lace trim (Webster's Pages), licorice divine twine (TCP), flatback black pearls (Pizzazz Aplenty), Tiny Attacher (Tim Holtz), crystal effects, zip dry paper glue, dimensionals

Throwing Down

2011-09-07T00:01:00.029-06:00

Hi friends! Happy Wednesday! I'm currently enjoying a relaxing vacation on the coast away from email, internet and blogging, but through the marvels of modern technology this post is hopefully posting for your enjoyment today.

I'm so honored to be a guest over on the Color Throwdown Blog this month. Y'all know how much I love color, so I'm excited for a month of challenges with these talented ladies. Here's the list of this week's colors...

Peach Parfait, Light Gray, Basic Gray and Island Indigo

I used the new Making a Statement set and threw in one of the leaf images from this month's Stamp of the Month, Autumn Splendor. A bit of Diamond Stickles on the leaves, gives it just the right amount of sparkle. The flowers and frame from Making a Statement are stamped then cut out with the coordinating Loopy Blooms Die Set and Rounded Scallop Frame Die. The flower centers are silver nailheads from Pizzazz Aplenty.

Head on over to the Color Throwdown Blog where you can read up on the participation details. Then be sure to check out the blogs of the CTD Design Team to see their colorful creations for this week:

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Making a Statement, Autumn Splendor
Paper: Island Indigo, Peach Parfait, Basic Gray (SU!), cream, light grey (Paper Accents), pattern prints DSP (SU!)
Ink: Island Indigo, Basic Gray, Peach Parfait (SU!), Pumice Stone (Ranger Distress)
Accessories: Loopy Blooms Die Set, Rounded Scallop Frame Die (A Cut Above by VERVE), Diamond Stickles (Ranger), Tiny Attacher (Tim Holtz), Island Indigo ribbon, photo corner punch (SU!), paper distresser, silver nailheads (Pizzazz Aplenty)

Happy Birthday Sankari!

2011-09-03T05:00:00.008-06:00

Happy Saturday! We're getting ready to leave on our much anticipated week long vacation to the coast! I'm so excited for time away, completely unplugged. But before I go, I wanted to wish a happy birthday to my sweet friend, Sankari! Happy, happy birthday Sankari! I hope it's filled with big dreams and wishes come true!

Sankari's cards are always filled to the brim with color, liquid pearls and meaning, so I tried to capture those things in my card for her. I used this week's Viva la Verve! September Week 1 sketch and stamps and coordinating dies from Tag Time, Making a Statement and Sunny Days.

I hope y'all have a fabulous week! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Words of Wisdom, Making a Statement, Tag Time, Sunny Days (Verve)
Paper: Odds & Ends (Cosmo Cricket), Basic Black, Cream
Ink: Lucky Limeade, Barely Banana, Soft Sky, Riding Hood Red (SU!), Jet Black Archival (Ranger), White dye ink (Memories)
Accessories: Curvy Bookplate Die, Loopy Blooms Die Set, Leafy Sprigs Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), cloud border Cut-Ups (TCP), Classic Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), liquid pearls, diamond glaze, resin flower, ribbon

Splendiferous Diva Inspirations Hop

2011-09-01T05:00:00.028-06:00

Hi Everyone! Happy September! Today the Diva Inspirations team and a few of our release Divas are starting your month off with a hop filled with Verve-alicious inspiration! Leave a little shout-out in the comments as you hop around and you might win yourself some brand new Verve. All the prize details and deadlines are on the Verve blog.

Since it's a brand new month, we've got a new featured Stamp of the Month for you! During September, Autumn Splendor is 30% off. Here I paired some of the leaves and the title sentiment from this set with the new Tag Time set and coordinating Curvy Bookplate Die. These yummy papers are all from the Lost & Found Two Sunshine pad and I stamped the leaves in crumb cake, so saffron and peach parfait, before cutting them out with scissors. Some smoked topaz czech rhinestones from Pizzazz Aplenty finish it off.

I'm keeping it short so you have time to hop around. Thanks for stopping by and happy hopping!!!

1. Julee	9. Andrea
2. Betty	10. Sankari
3. Dawn	11. Teresa
4. Jen d.	12. Tosh
5. Lynda	13. Charmaine
6. Shannan	14. Maureen
7. Sony	15. Jen T.
8. Susan

We've hidden a little mystery prize on one of today's hop spots, so be sure to leave a little comment love as you hop around for a chance to win!
Comment Deadline: 11:59pm Mountain, September 12
Prize: $30 gift certificate to Verve

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Autumn Splendor, Tag Time (Verve)
Paper: Lost & Found Two Sunshine (My Mind's Eye), Early Espresso (SU!), cream
Ink: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Peach Parfait, So Saffron (SU!)
Accessories: Curvy Bookplate Die (A Cut Above by VERVE), smoked topaz czech rhinestones (Pizzazz Aplenty), Dotted Wave border punch (EK Success), linen thread, striped ribbon (SU!), paper distresser, clear detail embossing powder (JudiKins)

Calypso Poppy Love

2011-08-30T09:11:00.000-06:00

Hi friends! Happy Tuesday! I'm here changing up the scenery again with this card I made for the last release but hadn't shared here yet. It features the new You and I set and the coordinating I Heart U Die Set.

I wanted a graphic look to go with the big bold letters, so I pulled out some texty designer papers, then added some distressing around the edges. For that worn look, I took a piece of washi tape and stuck it down, then pulled it off repeatedly to reveal the white core of the pattern paper. The heart, and the letters i and u from the You and I set were stamped, then cut out with the I Heart U Die Set. I stamped the words love and You in the heart and on the letter u respectively, then added some bling to the i, some ruffled ribbon and a scallop border.

I can't believe August is almost over! Our Anni-VERVE-sary sale ends tomorrow, so if you haven't had a chance to pick up our new releases or any of our older sets during the sale, time is ticking away.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you have a fabulously creative day.

Enabler's List:
Stamps: You and I (Verve Stamps)
Paper: White Basics (BasicGrey), In Color Patterns DSP, Basic Black (SU!), White
Ink: Jet Black Archival (Ranger), Poppy Parade, Calypso Coral (SU!)
Accessories: I Heart U Die Set, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, Scallop Edge Border punch, Poppy Parade ribbon (SU!), rhinestones (Pizzazz Aplenty)

Pillow Box Thoughfulness

2011-08-24T13:41:00.000-06:00

Hi friends! It's been a while. I haven't been feeling very well the past few weeks, so my studio hasn't seen much of me lately. I thought I'd pop in and share this project I made a while back for The Daily Digi. Kelleigh Ratzlaff is a featured designer there this month and this sweet little Standing Box Template is available in this month's Digi Files. Check out Kelleigh's featured article to read more about her, see the new template and get a 30% off code for her store (through 8/31)!

For my box, I used Photoshop to clip these digi papers from the Thrifty Finds kit to the template, adding the digi stamp of the Eiffel tower from the same kit to the front, before printing it out. Next I cut out the template, scored according to the directions, adding some inked edges with Vintage Photo ink. Since I printed on an inkjet and didn't wait for the ink to set up, the sponging removed bits of the printed page, leaving a distressed look that I totally love. I used PanPastels to color in the Eiffel tower, then cut a Primitive Heart die cut and the sentiment tag from some already printed Thrifty Finds paper. The sentiment is from the Words Cannot Express set and I used PanPastels to color the heart and add a bit of shading to the sentiment as well. I finished off by punching a whole in my heart tag and attaching it to the box with shabby wrinkled ribbon, then adding a glitzy star attached to a hat pin for accent.

That's all from me today! Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you have a fabulous week.

Enabler's List:

Template: Standing Pillow Box by Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs

Digi Papers & Elements: Thrifty Finds The Kit by Mari Koegelenberg

Stamps: Words Cannot Express by Verve Stamps

Inks: Antique Linen Distress Stain, Vintage Photo Distress Ink by Ranger, Pan Pastels

Accessories: Primitive Hearts Die by Sizzix, Glass Glitter Star, beaded pin, shabby wrinkled ribbon, Ultra Premium Presentation Paper Matte (Epson)

Wishing You Sunny Days

2011-08-19T05:00:00.006-06:00

Happy Friday! Another week is almost through and it's time to celebrate with a Viva la Verve sketch! This week's sketch is hosted by sweet Charmaine. I used the new Sunny Days set for my sample along with the xoxo stamp from Tag Time.

The pennant shape was a chipboard shape I covered with dp, inked the edges, stamped on and added a tiny scallop border along the top. The flower centers from Sunny Days are stamped onto Authentique Uncommon Paper cut out with the Floral Circles dies and then layered together. The buttons are stamped in black, then punched with a 1/2" circle punch and accented with some liquid pearls. And there are those leafy sprigs again. I just can't stop adding them in black.

Short and sweet again. I'm hoping to get some much needed rest this weekend, as it feels I've been running the past few weeks on empty. Time to refuel! :) Have a great weekend!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Sunny Days, Tag Time (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Uncommon (Authentique), Bella Armoire (DCWV), Black, Cream
Ink: Jet Black Archival, Pumice Stone Distress (Ranger), Regal Rose (SU!)
Accessories: Leafy Sprigs Die Set, Floral Circles Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), Liquid Pearls, Stickles (Ranger), black lace, mini pennants chipboard (Paper Accents), mini scallop border punch (EK Success), 1/2" circle punch (SU!), Tiny Attacher (Tim Holtz), paper crimper (Fiskars)

It's a Wonderful Life

2011-08-17T05:00:00.008-06:00

Hi friends! Today I'm sharing a card featuring one of my favorite quotes from the new Words of Wisdom set, "Life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful." Isn't that so true? Sometimes I get super stressed and feel like I'm jumping through hoops trying to be all things to all people. That if I was just this way or that way, then life would be perfect. But truthfully, life is pretty wonderful just as it is... imperfections and all. It's a gift and I intend to enjoy mine just as it is. That's my wish for you as well.

That's all from me today. Short and sweet as I'm still crazy busy trying to get orders out the door from the amazing response to our Anni-VERVE-sary release and sale! Hope you have a wonderful day!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Graph Paper Plain Jane, Sunny Days, Making a Statement, Words of Wisdom (Verve)
Paper: Lucky Limeade, Basic Black (SU!), Cream
Ink: Jet Black Archival, Pumice Stone Distress (Ranger), Cherry Cobbler, Basic Gray (SU!), Neocolor II Watercolor Crayons, Copic markers
Accessories: Rounded Scallop Frame Die, Rounded Rectangle Die (A Cut Above by VERVE), Doily Lace punch (Martha Stewart), mini library clips (SU!), White Opal Liquid Pearls (Ranger)

A Day to Remember

2011-08-15T06:00:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone! Happy Monday! I've been crazy busy with Verve's latest release, so I'm actually sitting this week's Mojo Monday sketch out, but you can see the sketch and fabulous samples from the DT over on the Mojo Blog today. So instead of a mojo card today, I thought I'd post an art journal page I made with the new Sunny Days set.

As I mentioned before, I've been using a lot of black lately, and this page was my first attempt at using black gesso. I love the contrast of pastels against black, so I chose soft pink, aqua and green paints to work with. The pink butterfly area was done with a crafter's workshop stencil and in the bottom corner I added three flowers from Sunny Days. I stamped the larger flower twice on dictionary paper, then cut them with two different sizes of circle punches and then added the small flower stamp to get a range of three different sized flowers. They're colored with watercolor pastels and gelatos and then modpodged onto the page. I sketched in the stems and leaves and doodled around them for a little accent, then blinged them out with some coordinating rhinestones.

The scroll is made from dictionary paper that I lightly gessoed, then stamped the Life is Beautiful sentiment repeatedly on and rolled the top and bottom edges. I added a rub-on in the corner and then added a Lacey Butterfly die cut from Black cardstock, which I painted over with coordinating paints and then added some black rhinestones and a little rub-on for the butterfly trail.

Up in the corner, I made a sun from book paper, then layered the piece of paper with the a day to remember sentiment over the top of it, to make it a sunset page looking back on how beautiful a day in this life can be. A few doodles, some more rub-ons and some texture with stencils and gelatos finished off the page.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you have a fabulously creative day today. And if you want to see a bit more eye candy, head on over to the Verve blog to see what the Verve Divas cooked up for the Verve After Party!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Sunny Days (Verve)
Paper: 9 x 12 Windpower Sketchbook (Strathmore), dictionary pages, sheet music, black cardstock
Ink: Jet Black Archival, paints (Golden, Basics and Kaisercraft), gelatos, pitt pens (Faber Castell)
Accessories: Black Gesso, stencils (Crafter's Workshop), rhinestones (Pizzazz Aplenty), Lacey Butterfly Die (TCP), rub-ons, puncinella

Thank U

2011-08-14T05:00:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone! I hope you're having a great weekend! We had a fabulous release party on Friday night and I spent yesterday reorganizing our inventory, finally finagling enough room to store the 20 new sets and dies! Hooray! Anyhow, I thought I'd jump online this morning and change up the scenery with this thank you card I made with the new You and I set. It's also a masculine take on this week's Mojo Monday 203 sketch.

Thank you cards are one of my favorite things to make. It seems like I never have enough, because there are so many wonderful people out there that do such amazing things for me and bless my life each and every day. My life has completely transformed over the past 4 years since starting Verve. Starting my own business has stretched me in ways I never thought possible and I've grown in confidence, character and perseverance and met so many wonderful people along the way! Thanks to all of you who have shared such kind comments and put your support behind both Verve and myself these past few years. You've made me believe in myself and I hope I can do the same for you. Have a fabulous Sunday!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: You and I (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Paddington (7 Gypsies), Lucky Limeade (SU!)
Ink: Jet Black Archival, Pumice Stone Distress (Ranger), Lucky Limeade (SU!)
Accessories: Classic and Scallop Square Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Sprockets (Tim Holtz), White Opal liquid pearls (Ranger), Scallop Edge punch (SU!), paper crimper (Fiskars)

Sunny Birthday

2011-08-12T07:00:00.072-06:00

Welcome to the final day of our Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight Hop series! We'll be revealing all the sets and dies, plus the Divas have EVEN more samples they'll be debuting. With 20 products to reveal in 2 hours it's going to be one hopping party! I sure hope you'll drop in and say hi and help us celebrate our 4th Anni-VERVE-sary of all things Verve! The party starts at 9PM Eastern tonight (if you're like me and really bad at time conversion, here's a World Clock link to find the time in your area).

Okay, on with the hop at hand. Remember, one lucky commenter along today's hop will win today's featured sets and dies. So be sure and leave a little comment love as you hop around the Divasphere! Check the Verve Blog for prize details and deadlines.

Our spotlight for today is shining on a new set called Making a Statement and its coordinating dies...Rounded Scallop Frame Die, and the Loopy Blooms Die Set.

If you've been tuning into my blog this week you can see that I'm on a personal mission to make sure everyone knows that black is the new... black! {grin} Seriously, I just couldn't stop reaching for it this week! Here I've paired it with a little daffodil delight and some Authentique papers. The bird, sentiment, ruled paper and graph paper backgrounds and the loopy blooms are all from the Making a Statement set. The loopy blooms are cut out with the coordinating Loopy Blooms Die Set. The loopy blooms die cuts are open in the interior. So to get the black behind them, I simply ran both daffodil and basic black cardstock through the Big Shot together, then taped the back of the die to keep the inner petals in place before taking them out of the die. The leaf and leafy sprig are from the Sunny Days and cut with the Leafy Sprig Die.

The rectangle piece is made using both the Rounded Scallop Frame and Rounded Rectangle Dies. These two dies are designed to coordinate together. The scallop frame is open in the center and cuts a smaller rounded rectangle (which I've stamped with the graph background in white ink). Then the Rounded Rectangle Die is the perfect mat for in between the two pieces so you can have a solid scallop rectangle.

The sentiment and birdie are stamped onto a Vintage Oval Die, which I had already stamped with the ruled paper background from Making a Statement. Then I simply added some stickles, more of that luscious wide striped ribbon, some black pearls and a scrap of paper in the corner. I don't think you can tell from the angle of the photo, but I ran the little corner piece through the paper crimper to give it a fun texture.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Be sure to check out what the rest of the Divas have to share today and leave a little comment love as you hop about for a chance to win! Next up on the hop is ... Charmaine!

1. Julee	10. Laurie
2. Charmaine	11. Maureen
3. Tosha	12. Amber
4. Andrea	13. Amy
5. Sankari	14. Jen d.
6. Teresa	15. Betty
7. Jackie	16. Lynda
8. Sarah {Guest}	17. Susan
9. Marisa {Guest}

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Making a Statement, Sunny Days (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Black, Daffodil Delight, Lucky Limeade (SU!), Blissful DP (Authentique), Cream
Ink: Jet Black Archival, Pumice Stone Distress (Ranger), Daffodil Delight (SU!), White Dye Ink (Memories), Copic markers
Accessories: Leafy Sprigs Die Set ,Loopy Blooms Die Set, Vintage Oval Die, Rounded Scallop Frame Die, Rounded Rectangle Die (A Cut Above by VERVE), Classic Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), paper crimper (Fiskars), Lemon Peel Stickles (Ranger), button, black pearls, Wide Striped ribbon (SU)

Tag Time

2011-08-11T07:00:00.075-06:00

Welcome to Day 5 of our Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight Hop series! Hop along with the Divas all week long as we share our first looks at a few of the new products releasing from Verve on Friday night! One lucky commenter along today's hop will win today's featured sets and dies. So be sure and leave a little comment love as you hop around the Divasphere! Check the Verve Blog for prize details and deadlines.

Our spotlight for today is shining on a new set called Tag Time, and its coordinating dies...Tagged Rectangle, Curvy Bookplate and Tiny Sweet Scallop Die Set. My card features the tagged rectangle die and coordinating stamp from Tag Time as well as a couple of other sets and dies we previewed earlier this week.

This set is built around a few different types of tags and some small words. Lately I really like the look of words cut out and attached to a page, so I included several words in this set that you can do this with, or mix and match to make your own sentiments. Here I stamped the dream, wish and hope words from Tag Time on Wild Wasabi, cut out and stapled to my card.

The focal point of the card started with the graph version of the Tagged Rectangle, which I distressed with ink a bit, trimmed by hand and then matted on the Tagged Rectangle Die cut in black. Next I used the same tag stamp to stamp a background on the pennant nestability die cut, then trimmed off the end, hand cut a black mat for it and added the carpe diem sentiment from Words of Wisdom. I tucked a couple leafy sprigs (stamped with stamps from Sunny Days and cut with the Leafy Sprigs Die Set) around the pennant and added some rhinestones and frosted pearls from Pizzazz Aplenty. The background is made from strips of designer paper layered together to create a backdrop for my tag. Here's a detail shot of the stamping...

Since we're speaking of tags, after seeing all of today's inspiration with tags, don't you want to add one to a card? Well, if so, we've got just the challenge for you...our Tag Your It! Get Your Diva On Challenge. The challenge is to incorporate a tag on your card or project OR make a set of tags. Easy peasy! The winner of the challenge gets to be a Guest Diva for a future release. It could be YOU posting sneak peeks next time around just like Marisa and Sarah have been this week, so be sure to play along! But hurry, the deadline is this Sunday. Check out all the details on the challenge thread in our forum.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Be sure to check out what the rest of the Divas have to share today and leave a little comment love as you hop about for a chance to win! Next up on the hop is ... Charmaine!

1. Julee	9. Marisa {Guest}
2. Charmaine	10. Laurie
3. Tosha	11. Amber
4. Andrea	12. Amy
5. Sankari	13. Lynda
6. Teresa	14. Susan
7. Jackie	15. Maureen
8. Sarah {Guest}

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Tag Time, Words of Wisdom, Sunny Days (Verve)
Paper: Newsprint, Pattern Prints DSP, Wild Wasabi, Basic Black (SU!), Cream
Ink: Emerald Green and Jet Black Archival, Antique Linen and Vintage Photo Distress (Ranger)
Accessories: Tagged Rectangle Die , Leafy Sprigs Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), Pennant Nestabilities (Spellbinders), tiny attacher (Tim Holtz), mini punch pack, mini library clips (SU!), ribbon, rhinestones and frosted pearl (Pizzazz Aplenty)