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Verve Retrospective Blog Hop

Hi friends!  I'm the designated party starter for today's Anni-VERVE-sary Release Retrospective Hop.  It's our new fun time to play with the new release and give you a bit more inspiration now that you've had a chance to get the stamps in your inky little hands!  And we're giving a $40 gift voucher to the Verve store to a lucky commenter along today's hop, so get comfy and let's take a ride!



I'm a last minuter.  Yep, that's me.  Totally squeak by in the nick of time most days.  Although since I've had the boys, I'm not always in control of WHEN the last minute is.  Sometimes I leave my stamp room, thinking I'll be right back and it's a week later before I get to enter again.  It's the new "normal", I guess. So as I was busy with my kiddos all week long and not feeling very creative after 12 hour marathons with two 2.5 year old energizer bunnies, I told myself, I'd stamp on Friday night after the boys go to bed.  But wouldn't you know it, the migraines kicked in last night right as I was reading Go Go Gorillas (the boys' new obsession, favorite book, which we MUST. READ. EVERY. NIGHT).

So, instead of stamping a new card, I'm sharing with you something I finished earlier in the week, but didn't want to use for the hop, since it featured some freehand sketching for the greenery, instead of stamping.  But here goes, anyway.  I guess it's all inspiration, right?  Maybe you like to sketch or doodle, too?  :)

The play by play:  Stamped the flower duo from Framed Lilies on cream cardstock, Sketched in the leaves and grass with a copic multiliner and colored with watercolor pencils. Muddied the colored flowers by being to impatient with the watercolors, so decided to stamp them again with early espresso, then color by stamping with the solid 2-step stamp in blushing bride, then hand cut and paper piece onto the image.  Cut the image with a Petite Oval nestability.  There was a notch missing near the top when I cut it, so decided to distress and grunge things up.  Stamped the sentiment from  Framed Lilies in the corner of a crumb cake square, tied on some taffeta ribbon.  Used a 4.25" square card base of blushing bride, inked with some walnut stain distress ink and embossed with chicken wire embossing folder.  Finished off with some paintbrush splatters using a mix of walnut stain distress ink and water.

Want to win some shiny new Verve? We're giving away a $40 gift voucher to one lucky commenter along the hop, so be sure to leave a shout out in the comments as you hop about.  Here's the full hop list.

Next up on the hop is Teresa!

1. Julee9. Janelle
2. Teresa10. Christyne
3. Amber11. Jen
4. Charmaine12. Andrea
5. Marisa 13. Betty
6. Monika {Guest} 14. Karen
7. Stacey 15. Amy
8. Maureen


Want another chance to win? Now it's your turn! We'd LOVE to see what you've done with the August release. Link up your cards using at least one product from our August release and you'll be entered in a drawing to win our entire next release! All the details and the linkup widget are on the Verve Blog today. The deadline is October 3, so there's still plenty of time to get the August release if you haven't already.


Enabler's List
Stamps:  Framed Lilies (Verve Stamps)
Paper: blushing bride, crumb cake, early espresso (SU!), cream (Neenah)
Ink: walnut stain, antique linen (Ranger Distress), blushing bride, early espresso (SU!), aquarelle watercolor pencils (Faber-Castell), Copic multiliner
Accessories:  chicken wire embossing folder (Cuttlebug), taffeta ribbon (SU!), petite and scallop petite ovals nestabilities (Spellbinders)

32 comments

Tricia T said...

It's perfect, Julee! Hope the migraine has settled down now. :( Hugs!

~amy~ said...

Your card is gorgeous and love the freehanding :) Sorry to hear about your migraine :(

Love this month's release and looking forward to all of the inspiration from the hop!

Lynn said...

Your sketching is amazing Julee! I love the end result. Hope you are feeling better soon! xx

JoAnn said...

Love your pretty card.
Sorry about your migraine. Hope you are feeling better REAL SOON.

Kris B said...

I am smiling to myself reading the first part of your blog, I remember those days. Cherish them, my youngest is almost 17; haven't read them a bedtime story in years! Miss those days. They too would get obsessed with a book, Cat in the Hat and Good Night Moon. I used to be able to recite the whole book by heart! Your card is lovely, the distressing is great, wonderful shabby chic look!

Maria said...

Beautiful card!! Love it!

MackieMade Paper Creations said...

I can only imagine how busy you must be! I am impressed how you handle it all so well! And then you still manage to create such beauty! A true inspiration!

Iris said...

Very pretty card - love the distressed look and the muted colors.
isoscia at aol dot com

Marisa said...

Gorgeous cards. Love the rose and brown combo and your free hand leaves are amazing!! Lovely touch with the distressing (glad someone else gets notches or other issues when die cutting - way to improvise!) and yes, that fabulous EF which I LOVE using too :)

Can't say I have read Go, Go Gorillas but it sure sounds like the perfect boy book :) Good Night Moon, The Hungry Caterpipllar and I'll Love You Forever were two favorites at our house.

Sari said...

Pretty card and pretty colours Julee. Hope you get some time to relax this weekend:)

Darlene Gabriel said...

Julee, this is gorgeous. I LOVE this colour combo. The bits of distressing look wonderful. The lilies and your freehand sketching are so pretty.
I hope your migraine is gone now.

Jean Bullock said...

This card is absolutely charming. I love the color scheme, layout and your wonderful coloring and sketching. Well done.

Wanda Cullen said...

Your grungy, distressing details are great! Love this!

Lyn said...

Oh what joys those two young ones must bring :) love your card <3

Christine said...

Love the pink and brown color scheme and the antique look of your card. So sweet!

Sheri Gilson said...

Beautiful card, Julee! Love the colors and distressing!

Diana Nguyen said...

Oh, loving this take on the pink and brown color combo! Enjoy reading to your boys - it gets really painful to hear them read to you! Haha!

Sue Crease said...

Julee, this is such a lovely card. Love the chicken wire background and those Lilly's a glorious.
Sue

nattyboots said...

Such a lovely card and colors used x

D- said...

Julee thanks for sharing your BEAUTIFUL card. LOVE the colors, doodles and distressing.
Crafty hugs,
D~
DesignsByDragonfly.blogspot

Anonymous said...

Julee, for such a busy lady, you do a fantastic job. Get well quick! Love the antic feel of this pretty card, dearie!

Mary-Anne V said...

The life of a Mom... no worries family comes first. Very pretty card and lovely free hand drawing of the leaves.

Monika/Buzsy said...

Oh, I am so glad you shared this card. I love it especially with the free-hand drawing! Love the distressed edges and the dry embossed background. Just fantastic all around Julee. Hope you get some YOU time soon!

Unknown said...

Beautiful card and I love the chicken wire embossing folder you used. The Framed Lilies is a wonderful image and I love how you layered it. Thanks for sharing!

Anneleise said...

Love the dusty rose colors you chose. Lovely!

Anonymous said...

Breath-taking!

Unknown said...

Love the distressed look and the color combo. Beautiful card! And enjoy every moment that your boys are young, mine are teenagers now and there are many days that I long for them to be toddlers again.

Miriam Prantner said...

Beautiful! Love the embossing and distressing and layers behind the stamped image.

Sue D said...

Beautiful card--love the soft colors and the chicken wire background.

Amy C. said...

Beautiful...the embossed background is great!

loulou said...

Great card I love the colours and the distressing and your doodled leaves.

Janis said...

Lovely and peaceful card. Perfect for this hop.
<3 J

jwoolbright at gmail dot com
HerPeacefulGarden.blogspot.com