Two Timing

Happy Saturday! Today I have two cards for you. The first is for this week's Our Creative Corner Challenge. The challenge is to make snowmen or snowflake cards. Be sure to check out the Our Creative Corner blog for gorgeous creations from our guest designers, and my fellow OCC friends.

I pulled out Snow Wonderful and had Baja Breeze and Pink Pirouette on the brain, after drooling over Laura's Snow Wonderful card this week. I decided to take it shabby chic and add a little Kraft paper, some distressed edges, and use that SU! rope that I just HAD to have, and haven't figured out what to do with yet. :) I stamped the snowflake background in Whisper White Craft on Kraft and embossed with White Diamond embossing powder. The Baja Breeze and Pirouette Pink layers are stamped with the same background in the same color ink. I used some of my new Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge - isn't it scrumptious?, and then I took a Heidi Swapp acrylic snowflake, ran it through my Xyron, and then chunked it up with Prisma glitter. I added some Liquid Applique to the snowman's hats, then some Stardust Stickles accents and some Baja Breeze with one of the coordinating snowflakes from Snowflake Splendor.

The second card is a two-timer challenge card. The layout is this week's TCP Tuesday challenge, and it also falls in the Paper Craft Planet Two Turtle Doves Challenge sponsored by The Cat's Pajamas. The challenge was to make a card with a turtle, dove, or amphibians on it. Upload a card using keyword 12DAY2 to Paper Craft Planet today and you might win the Elegant Christmas set I've been going gaga for lately! I chose my frog royalty from the Loving Mew and Puppy Love sets and colored with Spica Glitter pens and Copics. The sentimen is from the Kitty Christmas set and I used the Labels 2 for the shape and mat. The background is Soft Sky, with the snow dots cuttlebug folder, and the strip of green is from the Memory Box Frost collection.

Super Simple

The holidays are the one time I'm totally on board with making simple cards. I think getting a simply elegant card amidst the frenzy of holiday preparations is calming and a reminder to stop and enjoy the moment.

Today's card is super simple and took about 10 minutes, including deciding on colors and layout! I cut a strip of Pearlized white cardstock, started by stamping the sentiment in Not Quite Navy and then surrounded it with four different snowflakes from the Snowflake Splendor set, stamped randomly in Not Quite Navy and Baja Breeze. This layer is matted on Not Quite Navy and I added a vanilla taffeta ribbon that I dyed with Copic markers. The base of the card is Baja Breeze that has been embossed with the Snowflakes Cuttlebug folder. I finished off with some Stardust Stickles on the flakes for a little sparkle.

Hope you're having a fabulous day! I'll be back tomorrow with this week's Our Creative Corner challenge.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers! Today's card uses this week's Mojo Monday sketch. I started by stamping the pumpkin critter from Hello Pumpkin on Paper Accents Pearlized Cream, then coloring with Copic markers. Next I cut and embossed with my new Labels Nestabilities, then used the Nestabilitie as a stencil to do the sponging in Creamy Caramel.

I stamped the Give Thanks sentiment from Tall Oaks in Chocolate Chip, then sponged with Creamy Caramel and matted with chocolate chip. The Kraft layer is embossed with the Textile Cuttlebug folder and the top and bottom borders are punched with the Martha Stewart Doily lace punch. I finished off the front with a pumpkin pie grosgrain knotted bow.

And since this card is being hand delivered today, I went ahead and finished the inside, too. I simply stamped the sentiment and pumpkin (both from Tall Oaks) in the corner and then colored with Copics. Finished off with a chocolate chip mat and voila!

Ornament Elegance

This is a really quick card I made the other night with Ornamental Christmas. There are three layers of stamping to the ornament. First layer is the solid ornament in Bordering Blue, the next layer is the patterned ornament, and the third layer is the outlined ornament with hook and swirlies stamped in Night of Navy. I used a blender pen to blend around the swirlies, then sponged the edges of the panel with first Bordering Blue and then Night of Navy. I added some tiny bling accents and stamped the Merry Christmas sentiment in the center. The scallops are cut with a Classic Rectangle Nestabilities die and the Night of Navy background is embossed with the Ornament Cuttlebug folder. I finished off with a white satin ribbon and a generous misting of Pearl Glimmer Mist.

Poinsettia Joy

Happy Tuesday, everyone! This week is a super busy one, so I'm gonna keep the chatter to a minimum and just show you the cards. :)

I am absolutely in love with this Elegant Christmas set from The Cat's Pajamas. Here's another card that kind of just made itself, using the poinsettias from this set. I started by stamping the large and small poinsettias in Crimson Red Versafine ink and cutting them out. Next I decided I wanted them to look kind of frosted over, so I painted them with Pearlescent Watercolors. I used my new Labels 1 Nestabilities, and then sponged the edges of the cream panel with Rich Cocoa Memento ink. The papers are from the Cosmo Cricket Wonderland paper pad, and the ribbon is some dark chocolate satin from the Target Wedding section. The sentiment is stamped in Vintage Cream acrylic paint.

Mojo Monday Week #62

Happy Monday Everyone! Sorry I'm a little late posting the sketch this morning.

To play along, just make a card using the provided sketch and leave a comment on this post with a link to a photo of your creation. There is no time limit - you can play any week at any time. If you happen to upload to SCS or Papercraft Planet, please use keyword Mojo62 so we can see everyone's mojoliciousness all in one happy place.

Thanks to everyone who played along last week! Happy stamping! :)

Wishing You Peace

Happy Saturday! Today's Our Creative Corner is a really fun sketch challenge. Check out the OCC Blog for the sketch and all the details on how to play along. You'll also see some super fabulous creations by the OCC Regulars and this week's guest designer, Jami Bova (sgtstamper).


My sample card uses the new Elegant Christmas set from The Cat's Pajamas. I literally sucked in all the air in the room when I first saw this set in it's entirety! Absolute gorgeousness! Now, I love all of Alma's swanky designs, but this set is TOTALLY my style - it just calls my name. *contented sigh* :)

So I couldn't wait to get this graceful reindeer inky! I stamped him in Versafine Sepia Brown, then stamped the swirly snowflakes in soft blue around the edges and embossed the Sentimen in Silver Detail powder. This layer is matted with fudge cardstock. I stamped the swirly snowflakes again on the two corner rectangles and also matted with fudge cardsotck. The patterned paper is from Imaginisce and the silver ribbon is from Michael's.

Okay, that's it for today, peeps. See ya on Monday! :)

Let Them Eat Cake

Hi everyone! Happy Friday! Today's card is for this week's TCP Tuesday Challenge to use an image with cake on it. Well, I immediately thought of Marie Antoinette - specifically Sofia Coppolla's vision of Marie Antoinette and the fabulous and decadent pastel color scheme of the movie. My card isn't quite as decadent, but I really do love this color combination I normally wouldn't have put together - especially on a cold day in November!

The Cake No Plate image is from The Cat's Pajamas. I stamped in Tuxedo Black Memento, colored with Copic Markers, then cut and embossed with my new Labels 2 Nestabilities. I then used the die as a stencil, to mask off the outer edge and inked the inner edges with Barely Banana. I cut a coordinating mat from some Ocean Breeze Paper Accents cardstock and then used my white gel pen to add dots all around the frame. The designer paper is from one of the SU! retired Prints Packs. I added some American Crafts swiss dot ribbon and three clear dew drops on the side. I embossed the top part of the Barely Banana card base with the Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder, then stamped the Happy Birthday sentiment from the Smells Like Cake set in the corner. I finished off with teeny tiny bling on each of the flowers on the cake.

Okay, hope y'all have a fantastic day. If you love TCP stamps as much as I do and haven't already joined their Paper Craft Planet group, don't miss this chance... Alma's giving away a goodie pack with free stamps and stuff to a random new member. These gals know how to have a swinging good time, so come join the fun! Check out the details for the giveaway HERE.

You'll see some more TCP from me tomorrow for this week's Our Creative Corner challenge! See ya then! Oh, and the laptop is now working again....for now. I see a new computer in the works, though, since this blue screen of death/not being able to turn on thing has happened several times in the past month or so.

Mama said...

there'll be days like this, there'll be days like this, my Mama said. :)

So now that I've got y'all singing that song for the rest of the day, I just wanted to let you know that my computer is having a bad day. I got the blue screen of death when I tried to reboot and now it won't even turn on. GRRR! Doesn't it know I have important things to do? So I'm being forced to play hooky today and surf the Internet on hubby's old dog of a computer, without access to email or the million and one to-do tasks set up in my Outlook! LOL ;) And since both my photo editing software and the photos that I was going to show you today are being held hostage by Mr. Gateway until hubby gets home from work and attempts his computer fix-it magic, I'll show you this project I uploaded over on PCP a while ago, but never showed here.

This month's Verve Project Parade challenge is to make anything but a card, otherwise known as ABC Projects. Be sure to check out the blog to see all the wonderful creations from the Verve Divas. And if you play along with us, you could win $15 in Verve Bucks for use at the Verve Stamps store.

Now, I normally stick to what I know best... cards, but when the holidays come around I always try to make a few little homemade somethings. For this project, I followed the tutorial for the Tiny Treat Basket over on SCS. The main base of the basket is So Saffron, and I cut pieces of red and green paper from the BasicGrey Wassail Collection to cover each of the sides. For the peppermint patty covers, I stamped the snowflake from Winter Wonder on several 1 3/8" circles, then sponged with creamy caramel, close to cocoa and chocolate chip ink. I matted with chocolate chip scallop circle punches and then added some Cinnamon Stickles to each of the dots on each snowflake. The box is held together with copper brads on either side, which also attach the chocolate chip grosgrain ribbon handle. This little project only took about 15 minutes from start to finish. And I'm sure it would take even less time now that I've done it once and understand the folds better.

Hopefully my computer will be all better tomorrow and I can show you some of my recent projects. :)

Getting Sketchy

Today's card is a cute little square card using this week's sketch challenge over on Papercraft Planet. I must say, this sketch almost beat me. I printed it out because I really liked the sample card, but then once I got to my desk, I realized that the front panel was supposed to be a sentiment. I had my heart set on using the pumpkin trio from Tall Oaks, but had to settle for the sentiment and cute little acorns.

I pulled out some Kraft paper and stamped the acorn in Chocolate Chip Kraft ink up and down the two sides of the square, then embossed with Clear EP. I colored them in with Copic markers and then stamped over the panel with the Linen background from SU! in Close to Cocoa. I finished the background by sponging the edges with Close to Cocoa.

For the sentiment panel, I cut and embossed a long rectangle with Nestabilities, then stamped the sentiment and embossed. I replaced the Nestabilities die over the panel, so it masked off the edges and I stamped the Linen background over the sentiment. The vertical strip of paper is from Daisy D's and I pierced holes down both sides. Everything is matted with chocolate chip. For the embellishment, I stamped, colored and cut out an acorn shape, then layered on top of two Prima velvety leaves. The card base is so saffron, and is 4.25" square.

Hello Pumpkin

I'm back with my sample for this week's mojo sketch. I actually was able to start the day off with a card, and it felt great!

I hadn't had a chance to use this adorable Hello Pumpkin set, so I stamped him in Tuxedo Black Memento ink and colored with Copic markers. After a year of playing with Copics, I've just recently started to finally "get it" in regards to shading, and I'm so pleased by how much better my coloring is turning out. It's nothing to write home about, but I see improvement and it makes me happy! :)

The papers are from my scrap pile. I think the yellow is from a Daisy D's pad and the orange is from Paper Salon. I matted both my image and the designer papers with Chocolate Chip, using the SU! scallop edge punch for the bottoms of both mats. I added three Karen Foster brads to the image panel and some chocolate chip grosgrain in a knotted bow. The card base is stamped with the background from Grateful Elegance in So Saffron on the same colored cardstock. I finished with the Hello pumpkin sentiment, stamped in Chocolate Chip craft ink and embossed with clear EP.

Mojo Monday Week #61

Happy Monday Everyone! I'm ready to start a new week fresh, and I've got just the sketch for you - I hope you'll give it a try!

To play along, just make a card using the provided sketch and leave a comment on this post with a link to a photo of your creation. There is no time limit - you can play any week at any time. If you happen to upload to SCS or Papercraft Planet, please use keyword Mojo61 so we can see everyone's mojoliciousness all in one happy place.

Thanks to everyone who played along last week! I had so much fun checking out your creations. I don't do slideshows (except on contest weeks) anymore because I'm just too busy *sigh*, but I wanted to point out two REALLY cool projects that were submitted last week. They both went beyond the norm to use the sketch for some cool gift packaging. Check 'em out!

Stephanie's Warm Wishes Cocoa Packet
Sankari's Thank You Box With Notecards

Okay, so I spent the entire weekend shipping orders and fighting Quickbooks preparing my October tax filing, so I don't have a sample card for you yet. I hope to get up to my stamp room this morning for some quality time. I've got new TCP stamps, new Stamping Bella stamps, new Stampin' Up! stamps and some others still waiting patiently to be inked up! Such possibilities!!! :)

And just a little reminder that the Verve Project Parade starts on Wednesday and I know y'all are gonna love what the girls are cookin' up with this month's challenge. It's a fun one, and our rockin' November Guest Divas will be playing along too, so be sure to check out the Verve Blog starting Wednesday!

Silhouette Thoughts

Welcome to the weekend! This week's Our Creative Corner challenge is one of my favorites so far. Our November hostess, Denise Marzec, challenged us to use silhouette stamps on our projects, and as an added bonus to add a little sparkle in honor of this week's Guest Designer, Silke Ledlow aka Sparklegirl! For all the challenge details and to see the gorgeous creations by Silke and the OCC regulars, head on over to Our Creative Corner.

As soon as I saw the challenge, I knew I wanted to use Abundant Blessings. And since I've been dying to try the SCS Sketch challenge layout all week, I pulled out my supplies and got to work. I started with white cardstock cut to size, then started stamping across the panel with various silhouettes in Chocolate Chip Craft ink. Next I embossed in clear embossing powder and then sponged the edges with creamy caramel, close to cocoa and chocolate chip ink. Next I pieced two Nestabilities Long Scallop Rectangles together in both Sage Shadow and Chocolate Chip to make coordinating mats. I used a paper piercer to poke a hole in each scallop, then wrapped some chocolate taffeta ribbon around the stamped panel and secured with some We R Memory Keepers hardware.

The sentiment is from the Artful Elegance set and is stamped with Chocolate Chip craft and embossed with clear EP. It's a tag shape from Nestabilities and I hand cut a thin mat for it with chocolate chip, then glued it under the hardware. The squares at the bottom are 1" squares of sage shadow, stamped with the SU! Linen background in sage, then inked softly with chocolate chip ink. They're matted on SU! scallop square punches. The base of the card is Kraft, stamped randomly with the silhouette leaves in chocolate chip. I finished off by lightly sponging the edges of the card base and then adding some Stardust Stickles accents to the silhouettes and bottom scallops.

It's Friday!

Happy Friday! I still haven't had anymore stamping time, so I thought I'd share this card I made for a Verve swap last month. I paired the Birthday Surprise set with paper from the Urban Garden collection. The balloons are stamped in Not Quite Navy and then colored with Copic markers. I painted them with a mixture of Dazzling Diamonds and Diamond Glaze. I used my SU! circle punches for the cream and Not Quite Navy circles, and the inner Kiwi Kiss mat is cut with Classic Circles Nestabilities. The Soft Sky layer is embossed with the Swiss Dots embossing folder and the card base is Kiwi Kiss. I added some liquid pearl accents to the scallops and finished off with a Soft Sky double stitched ribbon knotted bow.

For those of you who asked where I got the vinyl sleeves for the bookmark in yesterday's post, I ordered them from Clear Bags. Apparently now that I look at the website, they're not vinyl, they're thick polypropolene. I ordered the 2 1/2" x 7 1/8" ones.

Plain Jane Bookmark

Hi everyone! I've been busy shipping orders this week, so there hasn't been much creative time. I did sneak into my studio for 15 minutes yesterday and made this quickie bookmark with Psalm 46:10 and Poinsettia Christmas. I got some vinyl bookmark sleeves the other day and thought some handmade bookmarks would make for an easy little stocking stuffer or gift.

I started with a Kraft base, which I cuttlebugged with the Textile embossing folder and then sponged lightly with Ranger Tea Dye distress ink. Next I stamped the Psalm 46:10 verse and the solid Poinsettia in Versafine Crimson Red ink. I cut out the flower, colored in the center with a gold spica glitter pen, then on a whim, decided to cover it with Versamark ink and emboss with Holographic embossing powder. The patterned paper was a scrap of Wild Asparagus paper sitting on my desk, and I matted it and the sentiment panel with Cranberry Crisp cardstock.

The vinyl sleeve actually had one lip that extended taller than the other and a hanging hole, but I wanted it to be even, so I trimmed the taller side to match the other, then used a 1/4" circle punch to punch through both sides of the sleeve. Next I punched a 1/4" whole in some Cranberry Crisp, then used my 1/2" punch to punch around the whole for a little "washer". I glued it to the card so that it lined up with the punch on the vinyl sleeve, then punched through the washer so there was a whole in the Kraft bookmark base. Next I stuffed the bookmark in the sleeve and looped some Cranberry Crisp stitched ribbon through for the tassel.

Mojo Madness #59 Winners and Slideshow

Congrats to November's Mojo Madness winners:

Hannah aka girlzclubstampers with this mojolicious card. I just love this festive card. It's a beautiful use of black to ground a bright color combination, and the white stars just pop. Such a lovely card!



Wendy of Bond Girl Bliss
with this fabulous little Bella card. I love how the triple matting on each layer really draws the eye in and complements the cheerful paper and image she chose. Just try not to smile when looking at this card! :)





Congrats Hannah and Wendy!
Email me your mailing address and your choice of any Verve stamp set and I'll get your prizes in the mail.

The judging was CRAZY hard this week! Y'all brought your A game with so many fabulous entries! Thanks everyone for playing along. Before you go, be sure to check out all of this week's mojo-riffic entries in the slideshow below.


NOTE: If you get a message that says no photos found, please hit the refresh button on your browser or the F5 function key on your keyboard, and hopefully it will reload with the pictures!

Pacific Winter Wishes

Hi everyone! I couldn't sleep last night, so after laying in bed for several hours, I finally gave up and headed to my craft room at 4 in the morning and made a sample for this week's mojo sketch. The color combination is this week's SCS Color Challenge of Pacific Point, Certainly Celery and Basic Gray. I haven't been much of a fan of Pacific Point, but somewhere about 4:30 AM, I started liking it more. LOL!

For the card, I used the newly released Snow Wonderful set, as well as one coordinating little star from Snowflake Splendor. I started by stamping the Snow Wonderful background on Pacific Point in the same color ink, then on Celery with Certainly Celery ink. I cut a circle from the celery cardstock and a matching scallop mat from Basic Gray using the Classic Circles Nestabilities. I stamped Mr. Snowman twic on heavy white cardstock, then cut out and popped up his head and scarf separately for a little dimension. He's colored and shaded with Copic markers, and a I added a little snowy ground for him with the C1 grey marker. I stamped the small snowflakes around him, then added the Winter Wishes sentiment in black to the celery circle. Then it was time to add all the fun details. I used a white gel pen for some stitching accents on the scallops, then added some Frosted Lace Stickles to the snow beneath Mr. Snowman and to the center of a bunch of the snowflakes. All of the straight edges are distressed with a paper distressing tool, and then I added a Basic Gray taffeta knotted bow across the middle because I realized I'd forgotten about the band across the sketch. The trio of buttons on the bottom are coated with a mixture of Diamond Glaze and Angels Wings Shimmerz, then dusted with glitter for some sparkle. The clear Heidi Swapp ghost snowflake is tied to a button with linen thread, then I painted on some Angels Wings Shimmerz, dusted on some glitter and let dry over night.

Mojo Monday Week #60

Happy Monday Everyone! Are you ready to kickstart another week of creativity? I've got a new sketch for you - I hope you'll give it a try!

To play along, just make a card using the provided sketch and leave a comment on this post with a link to a photo of your creation. There is no time limit - you can play any week at any time. If you happen to upload to SCS, please use keyword Mojo60 so we can see everyone's mojoliciousness all in one happy place.

You still have until Noon today (Nov. 10) to get your entries from last week's Mojo Madness sketch in. Tune in on Wednesday for the winners announcement plus a slideshow of all the mojolicious entries.

I don't have a sample card for you today, but if you're looking for eye candy be sure to check out the Verve Diva Gallery! It's been stocked fresh with samples from all six new releases and three Plain Janes, and I'm sure you're just going to drool over the wonderful creations these gals have come up with! Our holiday sets are all now available to purchase, and we've got some great DEALS going on! So head on over to Verve and check it all out! And if you missed our rockin' release party last night, be sure to check out this thread to see if you were one of the lucky winners from our various giveaways!

Snowy Cupcakes

Welcome to the weekend! It's always fun to start it off with another challenge from Our Creative Corner. This week we have a super sweet inspiration challenge, plus having the very talented Taylor VanBruggen as our guest designer makes this week's challenge even sweeter!

Here's the inspiration photo. Doesn't it just look scrumptious? I took my inspiration from the polka dots and the yummy cupcake. I've had these two polka dot papers in my stash for quite some time. It's from Wild Asparagus, and I've been hoarding it because I just love the look of it. And since the subject was cupcakes, I decided to break in my new Stamp A Sweet Impression (SASI) stamps. The stamps are from the Home Sweet Home set. And since I was using Taylor's stamps, I decided to use Taylor's Cupcake Sketch from this week too! Be sure to check out the Our Creative Corner blog to see what Taylor and the rest of the OCC regulars have cooked up this week! We'd love to have you play along with us! If you upload to SCS, be sure to add OCCC to your keywords!

I started by stamping the little snowdude, the sentiment and the snowflakes in Tuxedo Black Memento ink. Next I colored with Copics, paper pieced the scarf and hat ribbon with some of the red DP. Next I painted the ground below him with a mixture of Diamond Glaze and glitter, also adding a little of the mixture to his face and each of the little circles on the aqua patterned paper as well as the circles on the snowflakes. A girl can never have too much glitter, right? After the mixture dried, I sponged around the edges with Soft Sky ink and then matted on black cardstock with an SU! scallop border punch bottom edge. I used the double hole punch on the corner to add a flat vanilla taffeta bow, and then colored it with my BG10 Copic to match.

Check out the Verve Blog today for another card from me and some previews of the Plain Janes we'll be releasing on Sunday night. I don't have sample made for the Holiday Release Sketch #5, but Shannan made a really cool one, so check out the forum for that. Thanks Shannan! :) Today's the last day of the sketches. Get your cards in by midnight to be eligible for the drawings. If you want to print all 5 sketches in one document, download the pdf over on the Verve Papercraft Planet Group. There's also a chance to win a Verve set on this thread, so don't miss that.

Holiday Sketch Blitz - Day 4

Today is day 4 in our 5 day Holiday Release Sketch Challenge Blitz over on the Verve SCS Forum.

My sample features a sneaky peek at the new Ornamental Christmas set (releasing this Sunday night). The Verve Divas are showing sneak peeks of this set and another set called Poinsettia Christmas over on the Verve Blog today, so be sure to hop on over there for some more eye candy.

I started by stamping the ornament in Tuxedo Black Memento ink and then stamping the pine branch stamp a few times above the ornament. I used Copic markers to color and shade the ornament, as well as highlight the swirls and the pine needles. Next I sponged the outer edges of the stamped panel with first Creamy Caramel and then Close to Cocoa ink. The panel is matted with Chocolate Chip cardstock and then I used my sewing machine to sew a zigzag stitch down both sides.

The Christmas Wishes sentiment is also matted on Chocolate Chip and sponged with creamy caramel and close to cocoa. The papers are from the BasicGrey Wassail collection. I finished off with a Kraft card base, sponged with Close to Cocoa ink and some riding hood red taffeta ribbon.

So what do you think? This beautiful set could be yours if you participate in today's sketch challenge. Plus, two lucky winners who complete all 5 sketches in our Holiday Release Sketch Blitz will each win all 6 of the new sets plus the three new plain jane stamps - a $99 value! To view today's sketch and the challenge details, head on over to the Verve Forum. You can also download and print a handy dandy pdf of all 5 sketches if you join the Verve group over on Papercraft Planet.

Holiday Release Sketch Blitz - Day 3

Today is day 3 in our 5 day Holiday Release Sketch Challenge Blitz over on the Verve SCS Forum.

Today's sample features a sneaky peek at one of the new flakey friends in the Snow Wonderful set (releasing this Sunday night). The Verve Divas are showing sneak peeks of this set and another set called Snowflake Splendor over on the Verve Blog today, so be sure to go check out all their beauties.

I started by stamping the snowman in Memento Tuxedo Black and then coloring with Copic markers. I used B00 ink and the colorless blender to add the shading around the edges of the snowman for a more realistic glow. I painted on a mixture of Diamond Glaze and glitter to make his hat all sparkly, then added some to the ground around him. The snowman paper is from the Figgy collection and the striped and red papers are from the Wassail collection (both by BasicGrey). I used the SU! scallop border punch for the scallops, then dressed them up with some tiny hero arts pearls.

The sentiment is stamped in Versamark and then embossed with white embossing powder. I finished off with some black matting, a black grosgrain bow and a Martha Stewart snowflake punch which I covered with the glittery glaze mixture.

So what do you think of my flakey friend? Cute, no? He could be yours if you participate in today's challenge. Plus, two lucky winners who complete all 5 sketches in our Holiday Release Sketch Blitz will each win all 6 of the new sets plus the three new plain jane stamps - a $99 value! To view today's sketch and the challenge details, head on over to the Verve Forum. You can also download and print a handy dandy pdf of all 5 sketches if you join the Verve group over on Papercraft Planet.

Holiday Release Sketch Blitz - Day 2

Today is day 2 in our 5 day Holiday Release Sketch Challenge Blitz over on the Verve SCS Forum.

Today I'm giving you a little taste of one of my favorite images from the new release. I actually squealed a little the first time I stamped this trio of pumpkins! It's from a set called Tall Oaks, and the Verve Divas have some fabulous sneaks of this set, as well as another set called Hello Pumpkin for you over on the Verve Blog.

I started by stamping the pumpkin trio in VersaMark and then embossing with detail Copper embossing powder. To color the pumpkins, I used a paintbrush and a mixture of Diamond Glaze, pumpkin pie re-inker and a hint of Martha Stewart glitter.

The sentiment is stamped in Memento Rich Cocoa and then cut with the Nestabilities Classic Circles. I sponged both stamped panels with first Creamy Caramel and then Close to Cocoa ink, then matted on Chocolate Chip. Both panels are pierced with a little border, then I used a horizontal slot punch to make an opening to slide the ribbon through. I embossed a piece of Pumpkin Pie cardstock with the Textile embossing folder and then added a trio of beads on opposite corners of the panel. The DP is from the Bali Breeze collection by SU! Then it was just a matter of putting everything together and tying my chocolate taffeta knotted bow.

So there's my take on today's layout. To view the sketch and the challenge details, head on over to the Verve Forum. Or you can get a handy dandy advance pdf of all 5 sketches if you join the Verve group over on Papercraft Planet.

I was also recently in a Verve Swap, organized by my friend, Lisa aka crazycatstamper. I took part in 3 groups and all of the cards I received are amazing! Lisa put together this little slideshow of everyone's cards (and was so kind to even send me the code to add it here), so be sure to check it out! And please send out a little prayer for Lisa today - her husband, Russ, has been in the hospital.

Holiday Release Sketch Blitz - Day 1

Today starts our 5 day Holiday Release Sketch Challenge Blitz over on the Verve SCS Forum. This first sketch I designed specifically for easy to mass-produce holiday cards. it uses a 4" square of patterned paper (mine is actually 3 7/8" and the mat is 4"). I chose this size so I could get 9 cards out of a single piece of 12 x 12" paper.

The stamps are a sneak peek from one of six new Verve releases available next Sunday night (November 9). This one is called Poinsettia Christmas. The poinsettia is stamped in Riding Hood Red and then matted with Riding Hood Red cardstock cut with the Classic Square Nestabilities dies. I added a little Gold Glitz Stickles to the center and some Riding Hood Red taffeta ribbon tied around the white card base. The paper is from the Oh Joy! collection by Cosmo Cricket. The sentiment, Merry Christmas from our house to yours, is stamped directly on the card base in Riding Hood Red.

So there's a super easy holiday card, and an easy to mass produce sketch that could be used for all sorts of different occasions. To view the sketch and the challenge details, head on over to the Verve Forum.

Oh, and if you haven't heard about PaperCraft Planet yet, you should head on over and take a look-see. It's a brand new paper crafting online community that's tons of fun. We've just started a Verve group over there, and I'll be posting all 5 sketches in one deliciously printable pdf on our group page, exclusively for members of the Verve group. So, if you want a head start on the sketches, head on over and join our group. It's free to join and oh-so-fun!

Rubber Romance Blessings

Hi everyone! I'm back with my sample for this week's mojo sketch. When I was searching through my stash to find Teddybella for my OCC coloring challenge card, I ran across this gorgeous diva from Rubber Romance that I had forgot I had. Isn't it such a sweet image? I think the artist beautifully captured all the hope and tenderness of a mother-to-be. I'm not sure of her name, because my stamp is unmounted rubber and I can't seem to find it on the Rubber Romance site. Does anyone know her name?

I started by stamping her in Memento Tuxedo Black and then coloring with Copic markers. She's tall - my image panel is 5" tall, so I decided to go with a 5.25" square card, so I could put a little more than just the image on the card. The sentiment is stamped on So Saffron cardstock with one of the sentiments from the soon to be released Hello Pumpkin set by Verve. I added a Basic Gray mat and then tied a little Basic Gray taffeta bow around the sentiment panel instead of the trio of doo-dads in the sketch. The stars are punched with the SU! small star punch and then I used beading wire for the strings and tucked them behind the sentiment panel. I finished off with some stardust stickles on the stars and a Riding Hood Red panel that was embossed with the Diamond in the Rough Cuttlebug folder.

Mojo Madness Contest - Week #59

Happy Mojo Monday!
It's late and I just got home from the most amazing Alanis Morissette concert, so I'm just going to post the sketch and head to bed to dream of a life as a rock star! LOL! I've got a sample mojo card made, but I still have to take a photo, so I'll post it later today. The concert was amazing! We only bought our tickets about 2 weeks ago, but we somehow lucked out and ended up with tickets front and center. I was literally 5 feet from the microphone with a full view of Alanis the whole concert! I've been a fan since her first album debuted, and it was such an awesome experience to see her live!

Okay, on with the sketch, since that's what you're here for! :)
To play along, just make a card using this sketch and leave a comment on this post with a link to your project by Monday, November 10 at Noon Mountain Time (There's a clock on the sidebar with the official Poetic Artistry time). Once all the entries are in, I'll pick the TWO entries that I think are the mojo-est of them all. The winners will be announced on Wednesday, November 11 (since I'll probably be busy with the new release, I'm giving myself an extra day to finish the judging) and each will receive their choice of ANY Verve stamp set! Verve will be releasing 6 new sets next Sunday night, so you'll have even more sets to choose from!

Sound like fun? Well, let's get started! If you upload your cards to SCS, please use keyword Mojo59 (no space between Mojo and 59) so we can see them in one place. As always, you can use any stamps or products your heart desires. The star shapes can be any type of embellishment you would like. Just have fun. I can't wait to see everyone's entries! :)

And starting tomorrow (Tuesday, Nov 4) I'll be posting sketches each day this week over on the Verve Forum, so be ready for a week of mojolicious fun!

Teddybella Times Two

Welcome to November! Wow, I can't believe how fast the months are going by! It's time for a new host over on the OCC and this month, Denise Marzec is the hostess with the mostest. For Denise's first challenge, it's All About the Coloring. Check out the Our Creative Corner Blog for all the fabulous samples from the OCC gals. We'd love to have you play along with us, so click here for all the details!

Today you get two cards from me, because I couldn't decide which one was better. The first one I colored with Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol using the Gamsol Magic technique. I was going for a rattle made from punches and thought I'd be clever and color it with a stripe through the middle for the sentiment. Now that I've finished it looks a little like a pastel version of the Pepsi logo, though. LOL! I just cut a 1/4" strip for the rattle stem, punched a 3/4" circle and then a 1" circle around it for the hollow handle, and the top of the rattle is made using a 1.25" and 1 3/8" circle punch. The congrats sentiment is from the Great Expectations set. Although, my photo doesn't really show it, I used a Stardust glitter pen on the rattle and images, then blended with a blender pen for a lot of extra shimmer. Then I finished off with some bling and some American Crafts ribbon.

The second card uses the same Teddybella image from Stamping Bella, but I colored it with Copic markers. I doodled a frame around the panel and used a marker to color it in for a nice little frame. I did the same for the sentiment panel, which I made using stamps from the So Happy set. The mat is Riding Hood Red and I pieced together parts of a couple long rectangles to make a scallop mat large enough for the panel. I finished off with some white dots on the scallops and a gingham bow in the corner.