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Thinking of You

Hi friends!  I'm popping in with a card I actually made last weekend as a sample for Mojo Monday 238, but today was the first little bit of time I had to take a photograph.  And, even at that, I didn't have time to set up my photo studio (which has been relegated to a closet as the guest room has seen much more use the past few weeks), so I apologize for the dark background.


As I mentioned, the inspiration for the card was from this week's Mojo sketch, although the tag called for in the sketch moved a bit on my card.  {grin}  The designer paper is from the French Kiss line from Glitz and I distressed each square with some ink and roughed up one edge.  The flower is made using the Joyful Blooms Die Set cut out of the designer paper, distressed with ink and layered on pop dots, with a button and twine center.  The sentiment is from the Joyful Blooms set and cut with the Ribbon Banner Die.  I used the same process Amber outlined in her Diva Dare post, to cut a thinner banner and coordinating mat, then clipped it on with a mini library clip.

Okay, as is the case pretty much 24/7 around here, I hear a boy screaming for attention, so I'm off to take care of that.  Hope you have a fabulous weekend and I'll see you next time!

Enabler's List:
Stamps:  Joyful Blooms (Verve Stamps)
Paper: French Kiss (Glitz), Crumb Cake (SU!), Cream
Ink: Antique Linen, Burshed Corduroy, Black (Ranger Distress)
Accessories: Joyful Blooms Die Set, Ribbon Banner Die (A Cut Above by VERVE), vintage lace trim, mini library clip, button, linen thread, paper distresser


Joyful Birthday

Hi friends!  I'm back with another card I made with the recent Verve release.  This one uses the Joyful Blooms set and coordinating die.  I was in a bit of a mixed media mood, so I pulled out my Gelatos to play a little.


The confetti tag is stamped randomly with the flowers from Joyful Blooms and I lightly blended the centers with a silver Gelato, then accented with Stardust Stickles.  The popped up flowers are colored with a Tattered Rose distress marker, then accented with glass glitter and more stardust stickles.  I also edged the tag with a black gelato, then added some glass glitter around the edges.

The background is a Sizzix embossing folder, which I lightly colored over the embossing with a black Gelato and blended with my finger.  Love the look of this.  I finished off with a black and white polka dot bow and some black pearls to highlight some of the flourishes.

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Joyful Blooms (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Blushing Bride (SU!), confetti tag (Paper Accents)
Ink: Worn Lipstick, Black Soot (Ranger Distress), Gelatos (Faber Castell)
Accessories: Joyful Blooms Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), black pearls (Pizzazz Aplenty), champagne glass glitter (SU!), embossing folder (Sizzix), Stardust Stickles (Ranger), ribbon

Mother's Day Mojo

Hi friends!  Since the grandparents were over this weekend, I found a little time to sneak into my studio and make a card for this week's Mojo Monday sketch.  I pulled out the new Joyful Blooms and coordinating die that just released on Friday and did a little therapeutic Copic coloring.  {grin}


The Mother's Day sentiment is stamped onto a Charming Oval die cut.  I love having some new sentiments to fit my favorite small dies and punches.  The little leaf is half of the Elegant Leaves die (stamped with the coordinating stamp from Bloom & Grow) and I added a little vine border punch to keep things from looking too boxy.

The center of each flower is accented with a melon dew drop and some Onyx Pearl liquid pearls.  And I finished things off with some classy black & white polka dot ribbon.

That's all from me today.  If you haven't already, be sure to check out the new Verve release, and then hop on over to the Mojo Monday blog to see what the design team came up with using this week's sketch.


Enabler's List:
Stamps: Joyful Blooms, Bloom & Grow
Ink: Black, Pear Pizzazz (SU!), Copic markers
Paper: Pear Pizzazz, Basic Black (SU!), Be Happy (My Mind's Eye)
Accessories:  Joyful Blooms Die Set, Charming Oval Die Set, Elegant Leaves Die (A Cut Above by VERVE), Vine border punch (EK Success), melon dew drops (Pink Hedgehog), Onyx Pearl liquid pearls (Ranger), ribbon, paper distresser

Oh Joy.... a Verve Release!

Hi friends!  Today is release day over at Verve and the Divas are putting on another hop.  I wasn't sure I'd be able to make something, so I'm not officially on the hop, but I couldn't let the day go by without posting a little something!


I designed this release during one of those final spurts of creative energy when I was pregnant and thought I'd still have a few more weeks to prepare everything before the babies came.  As fate would have it, the samples for the release arrived hours before I left for my OB visit that turned into an emergency C-section.  And if you've read the saga of the recovery, NICU stay for the twins and then my emergency return to the hospital 2 weeks later for more surgeries, you'll understand there hasn't been much time to prepare for this release.  We had to arrange for my mother-in-law to come help out with the babies just so I could get the website ready for the release.  While she was here I snuck a little time in the studio to make a sample or two and to prove to myself that I haven't forgotten how to stamp.  {grin}


This little trio of round cards was so fun to make.  I just love the pop of black and white with pastels and am so happy they turned out like I had imagined them in my head!

I used the Joyful Blooms Die Set to cut out the outer flower, then hand trimmed the inner flower to pop up for some dimension.  The leaves are from the previously released Leafy Sprigs Die Set and don't you just love that Ribbon Banner Die?  It's exactly the size I've been looking for.   Here I've cut the colored cardstock with the die and hand trimmed the black mat to make it pop.

Okay, I'm totally exhausted and I hear my two colicky babies giving Mark a very hard time, so I'm just going to leave you with the final close-up and the enabler's list.  Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Be sure to check out the New Release Hop on the Verve Blog for a chance to win the entire release.



Enabler's List:
Stamps: Joyful Blooms, Purely Sentimental, Sunny Days (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Basic Black, Pool Party, Blushing Bride, Barely Banana (SU!)
Ink: Basic Black, Pool Party, Blushing Bride, Barely Banana (SU!), White (Memories)
Accessories: Joyful Blooms Die Set, Ribbon Banner Die, Leafy Sprigs Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), Classic and Scallop Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), clear embossing powder (Judikins), Stardust Stickles, Onyx Liquid Pearls (Ranger)

Live Well and a HOP

Hi friends!  Long time no post!  Life has been crazy busy.  First off I want to say a big thanks to all of you who sent such sweet cards for Trevor & Kellan. They boys are home now and making all sorts of mischief!  {grin}

I can't believe it's already April and time for the Diva Inspirations Hop.  Be sure to hop around to the list below to see what inspirations the girls have for you this month.  One lucky commenter on one of the posts will win a $30 gift certificate to Verve.

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

The card I'm sharing today was one I made a couple weeks ago and just haven't had a chance to upload.  I just love the phrase, live well from the Dream Big set.  It's such a reminder to me that even though days don't go perfectly or as planned, to just keep trying my best.


The flowers from Dream Big were embossed in Cherry Cobbler onto cream cardstock and then I sponged Spiced Marmalade ink over them to bring in some of the colors from the BasicGrey papers I chose.  The stem is stamped onto a wavy rectangle and the sentiment in the corner, before sponging with some Antique Linen distress ink.  The flower layers are hand trimmed and I coated them with a mixture of diamond glaze and glitter before adding a center button.  A twine bow, some cherry cobbler seam binding and liquid pearls accents finish things off.

Okay, if you're hopping along, next up on the hop list is Lynda Benden.

Personal Update:

A few days after my last post, I became very ill and ended up being rushed to the emergency room at 4 in the morning with a severe case of pancreatitis.  Apparenly my skin had turned yellow (I was too sick to notice) and my lipase levels were at an alarming 20,000 when I was admitted (150 is the normal level).  After an endoscopic procedure to remove a gall stone from my common bile duct I spent a couple days on an IV with no food or water until my levels could come down enough (to 300) to be able to perform a gall bladder removal.  During the surgery, they also found a hernia in the back of my c-section incision that had to be fixed, so needless to say I've been through the ringer and am so ready to be done with hospitals!  The boys were released from the NICU the same day I was discharged, and I've been slowly trying to get back on my feet while attempting to get the hang of taking care of two screaming newborns.  Some days are much harder than others, but we're all managing to survive so far.  {grin}  Thanks to all of you for your prayers and the beautiful cards you showered on the boys!

Enabler's List:
Stamps:  Dream Big (Verve Stamps)
Paper:  Cherry Cobbler (SU!), Cream, Picadilly (BasicGrey)
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Wild Wasabi (SU!), Antique Linen, Spiced Marmale (Ranger Distress)
Accessories:  Wavy Rectangles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), cherry cobbler seam binding, linen thread (SU!), buttons, liquid pearls, diamond glaze, glitter, clear embossing powder