Just for You

Hi friends!  It's Monday again, and that means it's time for another Mojo Monday sketch.  This week is round or square week and the sketch is designed by me.  I couldn't wait to try it out!

I started by picking a few scraps of paper from my box of scraps.  I recently thinned out my paper stash and discovered all sorts of scraps that needed using, so I'm challenging myself to pull from my box of scraps each time I stamp.  It actually makes the process a lot easier, since it narrows my selection quite a bit.  But it's fun to mix and match... I'm pretty sure there's Bo Bunny, BasicGrey and My Mind's Eye all just on this one little card!

The hearts are done with the From the Heart Die Set and the sentiment is from Purely Sentimental.  I did a bit of stitching, some liquid pearl accents and big shocker, here.... absolutely no distressing!  Simple and cute and perfect for the person I had in mind when I was making it.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you have a fabulously creative week and can find a little time to stretch your mojo making a round or square card.  And if you need a little inspiration to get the creative juices flowing, head on over to the Mojo Monday blog to see what the Mojo design team has created using this sketch!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Purely Sentimental (Verve Stamps)
Paper: random scraps, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake
Ink: Early Espresso (SU!)
Accessories:  From the Heart Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), eyelet border punch, circle punches, striped ribbon (SU!), Classic and Scallop Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinder), sewing machine, ribbon, liquid pearls (Ranger)

Celebrate Today

Hi friends! Happy Friday!  Thanks so much for all the super sweet birthday wishes this week.  I had a great time celebrating with Mark and the boys. I totally scored in the present department with some mixed media supplies and books, Hello Kitty loot, puzzles and some fun gift cards I can't wait to use!

I even snuck a little bit of time when the nanny was here yesterday to make a card using the July Week 5 Viva la Verve! sketch.  This week's sketch is from the creative mind of Andrea.  And if you're a bit behind, no worries!  There's still time to play along with all five of our July sketches for a chance to win a $100 gift certificate to Verve!  Woohoo!  There's a link to a PDF of all 5 sketches on this month's Sketch Champions entry thread.

On with the card... the flower and sentiment are both from the Small Celebrations set.  I wanted to layer the flower because I've been a little mojoless lately and I knew the time it took to cut and color each layer would be a nice warm-up for the rest of the card.  And that's just what it was.  As soon as the flower was finished I knew exactly what I wanted to do!  The papers are from my box of scraps and I added a little stitching and distressing to the base layers.  The main die cut is cut with the Fancy Tags Two Nestabilities and I layered a Petite Oval in the center for the sentiment and then accented with Dark Chocolate liquid pearls.  The leaf image is from Sunny Days and is cut with the coordinating Leafy Sprigs die.

That's all from me today.  Hope you have a fabulous weekend and find a little stampy time!  Thanks for stopping by!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Small Celebrations, Sunny Days (Verve Stamps)
Paper: designer scraps, Early Espresso, Pear Pizazz (SU!), Cream
Ink: Purely Pomegranate, Pear Pizazz (SU!), Coffee Archival, Peeled Paint Distress (Ranger), Chromatix markers (American Crafts)
Accessories: Leafy Sprigs Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), Fancy Tags Two and Petite Ovals Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Dark chocolate liquid pearls (Ranger), sewing machine, paper distresser, corner rounder

Finding Peace

Hi friends!  It's Tuesday and I'm a day late with my Mojo Monday 251 card sample.  Since the twins were born it's harder than I ever imagined it would be to find a few minutes to stamp even just one card a week.  I definitely miss the luxury of being able to stamp whenever I wanted to.

Anyhow, today's card is a sympathy card.  Never the fun ones to make, but I do find them comforting.  Each time I make one I remember the deep heartache I've had through losses of my own and realize how much less painful the loss is as the years go by.  The person is never forgotten, but the heartache does eventually let up and I hope that is the case for the recipient of this card.

The papers are all from my box of scraps and I pulled out the New Mercies set to stamp with.  I recently re-discovered a drawer of chipboard pieces and so I've used another glittered chipboard flourish here along with a Kaisercraft flower and some Maya Road rose lace.  Oh, and I just love those skeleton leaves from Pizzazz Aplenty I tucked behind the flower/chipboard accent.

Well, thanks so much for stopping by today. Have a fabulous day!

Enabler's List:
Stamps:  New Mercies (Verve Stamps)
Paper: black, cream, dp scraps
Ink: Lucky Limeade, Basic Black (SU!)
Accessories:  Classic Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), chipboard flourish (Making Memories), flower (KaiserCraft), lace (Maya Road), Stardust Stickles (Ranger), Skeleton leaves (Pizzazz Aplenty), air art tool (SU!)

Life

Hi friends! It's Friday and that means it's time for a new Viva la Verve! sketch over in the Verve forum. This week's sketch is designed by Moe and it inspired this tall & skinny card using the Text Objects set. I started by cutting the Classy Label Die, then stamping the Gandhi background strip repeatedly in Sahara Sand for a subtle background, then stamping the coordinating sentiment in black and lightly dusting the edges with Pan Pastels.

The double line stamp is stamped on the top and bottom edge of the pink designer paper, then the dusted with Pan Pastels, to blend the color a little. I did a similar background treatment for the banner shape, then matted it on black cardstock run through the paper crimper for some texture.

The hearts were stamped in Sahara Sand, then the love and life scripts were stamped over them and I hand trimmed them and colored with Pan Pastels and a blender pen. To finish things off, I added some pre-glittered black chipboard flourishes and a black bow. My finished card size is 3.25" x 6.5".

Okay, that's all on the card front.  Here are the two little monkeys that have been taking up all my time lately.  We finally captured them both smiling in the same photo.  Kellan's in stripes and Trevor's in his 4th of July outfit.

Enabler's List: 
Stamps: Text Objects (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Howdy Doody (MME), Black, Cream
Ink: Sahara Sand (SU!), Black Archival (Ranger), PanPastels
Accessories: Classy Label Die (A Cut Above by VERVE), Glitter chipboard (Making Memories), black wrinkled ribbon (May Arts), dots embossing folder (Cuttlebug), paper crimper (Fiskars), Rock Candy Stickles (Ranger)

Polka Dot Birthday

Hi friends!  I can't believe it's already Thursday.  I've been wanting to play with this week's Mojo Monday 250 sketch since I designed it several weeks back and life has just been so busy that it didn't happen until last night.
 

I've been admiring white on kraft lately, so I decided to play around with a white, black & kraft color combo.  The flowers are from the Kind Words set and are embossed in white several times.  I did a little spotlight stamping on a smaller circle and lined it up on dimensionals to match the original image.  The sentiment is from an oldie but goodie set that we recently brought back from retirement... Wonderful Wishes.  The polka dot background is embossed with a Cuttlebug folder, then I swiped a white dye ink pad over it and did a little doodling around the edges.  I accented things with some teardrop rhinestones from Pizzazz Aplenty and a couple types of polka dot ribbon.  A girl can never have too many polka dots, right?

Well, that's the scoop on the card.  Along with being this week's Mojo Monday sketch, it's also for Verve's July Diva Dare.  Yep, that's right, it's Diva Dare time over on the Verve Blog and our challenge is an easy one... create a birthday card or project!  And if you don't know anyone with a birthday coming up, I just happen to know a few someone's born in July!  Head on over to the Day 1 post for all the details, then check out the delicious daily birthday inspiration from the Divas.  You just might win a little Verve, so hop to it!  {grin}

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Enabler's List:
Stamps: Kind Words, Wonderful Wishes (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Crumb Cake, Black, White (SU!)
Ink: VersaMark, Black
Accessories:  Classic Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), circe punches (SU!), flag die (L'il Inkers Design), ribbon (May Arts), teardrop rhinestones (Pizzazz Aplenty), dots embossing folder (Cuttlebug)

Coming Your Way

Hi friends!  Another weekend flew by and that means it's time for another Mojo Monday sketch!  This one is another one designed by Carole Burrage (who happens to be taking a little summer break).  I love a tilted panel, so this sketch was right up my alley!

A few weeks ago I was having a conversation with a young girl and a butterfly flew by.  The girl lit up and said, "Oh that's my favorite... the yellow monarch".  I remember thinking to myself that it was a pretty boring butterfly to be a favorite with all the exotic colors and markings out there, but she then started talking about yellow monarchs and the lights danced in her eyes and now I can't seem to get yellow butterflies out of my head! It was a great reminder of how passion and enthusiasm for something is so contagious.  So here I am today with a yellow butterfly card!

The stamps are all from the Blue Skies set.  I stamped the notebook paper image and then masked it to do a little wash with sprays and watered down paint in the background.  The butterflies were stamped, then stamped again, colored with Copic markers, then hand cut and popped up on dimensionals.  The papers were all scraps from recent cards I've made and I did a little border punch and some scrunched up ribbon for embellishment.  A sparkly coat of dazzling diamonds and crystal effects gives the butterflies some shine and I finished off with some black pearls from Pizzazz Aplenty.
Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you'll find some crafty time this week to play along with us at Mojo Monday!
 
Enabler's List:
Stamps: Blue Skies (Verve Stamps)
Paper: scraps from My Mind's Eye, Cream, Black
Ink: Black, Copic Markers, Antique Linen & Broken China Ranger Distress Stains, Mister Hueys Watercooler spray ink (Studio Calico), white Studio paint (Claudine Hellmuth)
Accessories:  gingham ribbon (May Arts), mini library clip, dazzling diamonds (SU!), border punch (Martha Stewart), paper distresser, crystal effects, flatback pearls (Pizzazz Aplenty)

A Day to Remember and a HOP

Hi friends!  Welcome to the July Diva Inspirations Blog Hop! Today the Verve Divas are posting a little Verve inspiration for you!  If you've been hopping along in order you just left Jen Tapler's blog.  If not, no worries, you can jump in right now... just hop on over to the Verve Blog for the full hop list and prize details.  Then continue through the list to comment on each fabulous blog and you just might win some Vervey goodness of your very own!

For my card I pulled out the Sunny Days set and coordinating Leafy Sprigs Die Set to make a little birthday card.  July is birthday month at Verve, with myself and a few of the other Divas celebrating their special days this month, I thought it was a great time to have a sale!  Plus, we need to clear out a little space in the back room for all the new Anni-VERVE-sary inventory that will be arriving next month.  So all Verve stamps are 20% off this month!  Woohoo!  A great chance to stock up on anything you've missed.

Anyhow, back to the card.  The layout is this week's Viva la Verve July Week 1 sketch.  The two fringey flowers are embossed in white onto designer paper then punched out with a circle punch and cut between each petal grouping, then layered together for a fun look.  The leaves and coordinating dies are layered behind and I accented the center with some clear glass glitter and a white flower embellishment.  The sentiment panel uses a little masking from two different sentiments to add the Wishing You in.  Then I randomly stamped the flowers around the edges and matted on a scallop oval.  A little ribbon treatment and a few scored lines and my card was done.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  It's time to hop on over to the amazing Sankari's blog to see what jaw dropping creation she came up with for today!  Happy hopping!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Sunny Days (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Howdy Doody (My Mind's Eye)
Ink: Calypso Coral, Groovy Guava, Sage Shadow (SU!)
Accessories:  Leafy Sprigs Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), Classic and Scallop Oval Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Glitzy glass glitter (TCP), Scor-pal, Liquid Pearls (Ranger), metal embellishment (Making Memories), ribbon, circle punches (SU!)

Rustic Birthday

Hi friends!  Welcome to another month of Mojo Monday!  Since it's the first Mojo Monday sketch of the month that means it's contest week!  Play along for your chance at a set of your choice from Verve!

I've been using my nanny time the past week or two to really zone in on getting some sets designed for our upcoming FIVE year Anni-VERVE-sary in August.   It's going to be a HUGE release, (I've apparently been storing up the inspiration while I've been on maternity leave and the ideas are flowing freely!)  so if you're a fan and craving some new Verve, start saving your pennies now.  {grin}  Anyhow, I stole just a few minutes at the end of my last twin reprieve to make this card with this week's Mojo Monday sketch.  The sketch is designed by Carole Burrage and I just love it!

I pulled out an older set... Wishful Elegance for this rustic birthday card.  Lots of distressing with distress inks, a little whitewashed paint to make my birthday sentiment stand out against the dark background and some hand cut and watercolored flowers finish things off.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you have a fantastic week and find a little time to play along with this week's Mojo Monday challenge!  Happy July!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Wishful Elegance (Verve Stamps)
Paper: On the Bright Side - Two (MME), Sahara Sand (SU!), Cream
Ink: Antique Linen, Vintage Photo, Brushed Corduroy (Ranger Distress)
Accessories: tag (Jolee's Boutique), Labels Nestabilities (Spellbinders), jute, wrinkled ribbon (Prairie Bird Boutique on Etsy), rhinestone brad, paper distresser