Wintry Cross

Hi friends!  It's the last Monday of the month and time for a tall & skinny sketch over at Mojo Monday.  I used a 3.5" x 5.5" base for my card so it will still fit in a regular A2 envelope.

The current Diva Dare over on the Verve Blog is Vellum Visions, and I've been wanting to play along.  So I pulled out some vellum and the new Weary World set and got started.

My original vision for the card was that all the panels would be white.  I first cut the white panels and embossed them with a snowflake embossing folder.  The cross is embossed in silver on pearlized card stock, then cut with the coordinating Starry Stable Die Set.  Next I took a strip of vellum for my diagonal banner.  I wanted silver, but didn't have any, so I decided to make my own by covering the vellum with brushed pewter distress stain, spritzing it with some white linen Dylusions spray and then embossing it with the snowflakes folder before attaching it to my white layer.

Next I embossed the "Christ is the Lord O Praise His name forever" stamp onto vellum, cut it into a banner and embossed just the top of it with that same embossing folder.  I found a scrap of red vellum in the pile, and decided it would make just the right splash behind the cross image, so embossed it with that snowflake embossing folder (are you sensing a theme?  LOL), then brushed it with some of the pewter distress stain.  Liked how it looked, so I decided to lightly brush the distress stain on all my panel edges.  Finished with a bit of silver cording and two silver jingle bells.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving week. Our family will be having twice the pumpkin pie as we're doubly blessed to have both of our families nearby. A busy time for sure, since the twins are a bit squirrely at meal times in general, and turn on the drama when their off their routine.

If you're shopping this week, Verve started it's Thanksgiving Sale a little early with our new release last Thursday.  20% off all stamps, dies and embellishments (INCLUDING the brand new release)!   Gobble up the savings before November 30!

Mojo Monday 373

Enabler's List
Stamps: Weary World (Verve Stamps)
Paper: pearlized white (Paper Accents), regular vellum, red vellum
Ink: Versamark, Brushed Pewter Distress Stain, White Linen Dylusions Spray (Ranger)
Accessories:  Starry Stable Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), snowflake embossing folder (Tim Holtz Alterations), jingle bells, silver cording

Baby Bots

Hi friends! I'm excited that Verve is in the spotlight on the Paper Crafter's Library blog today! 

Here's a sneak peek of my featured project using Birthday Bots...

Head on over to the Paper Crafter's Library blog for the full feature, plus a chance to win a Verve prize package!

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While I was making the card for this feature, I made another with the same set that I posted over on the Verve Blog the other day for the Little Things Diva Dare that ends tonight. Here's the replay for those who missed it over there.

When I was very young I had a patchwork pillow and quilt my great grandmother made me that was so dear to my heart.  It was a rainbow of fun colors and patterns and my most favorite sections were made from a bright pink and green fabric.  So when I sat down to make a card for a friend's little bundle who will be arriving this summer, I just couldn't resist throwing in some 1970's pinks & greens!

The baby bot from Birthday Bots is paper pieced onto a pre-made tag from JoAnn's.   I layered two tags back to back so I could slip that star pin with the sentiment flag in between through a pop dot so there wouldn't be any sharp edges poking around.  The stars on the green polka dot "blanket" are cut with the Starry Die and I added a bit of glossy glaze and glitter to them.  A bit of seam binding and my favorite embossing folder finish things off.

Supply List

Stamps:  Birthday Bots (Verve Stamps)

Paper: Bundle of Joy Dots & Stripes (Echo Park), pretty in pink (SU!)

Ink: Black, copics

Accessories: Starry Die (A Cut Above by VERVE), Truly Madly Deeply Ribbon Collection (Verve), pre-made tag (JoAnn), stick pin, glossy glaze, glitter, bling, Stars & Swirls embossing folder (Sizzix), corner rounder 

Litle Things X 2

Hi friends!  The current Diva Dare is entitled Little Things and is to make a baby or kids themed card using at least one Verve product.  We'd love for you to play along, and don't forget to stop by the Verve Blog as the Divas post their answers to the dare.  (We had a little scheduling break, but should be back on track later today with the next installment.)

So, I've had this idea in my head for quite some time to make a twins card using the "enjoy the little things" sentiment from Let it Be and the animals from To the Moon.  And since I had a pocket of time yesterday afternoon, I decided to really quickly turn the idea into a card.  I started with the photo frame from To the Moon, stamping it on white, then cutting a square of soft sky (which I stamped with the polka dot background from Better Together) for the inside, then stamped the giraffe twice on the soft sky and then four times on barely banana.  I colored the spots with a crumb cake marker and then paper pieced the bodies and then cut out just their little heads and popped them up for some dimension.  My photo frame "edging" is a square of crumb cake and I stamped the picture hanging wire directly on the card base and layered the frame below it.

The sentiment from Let it Be is stamped directly below it.  As I was creating the card, I thought this was just the reminder I need on a daily basis to enjoy my little guys, who as 2 year olds can be a bit overwhelming (to put it in rose colored words).  So I pulled out my new Numbers Plate from TCP and cut the number 2 out four times and glued them together to make a thicker embellishment.  I stamped the 2 with the distressed polka dot back ground, too.

So there you have it... could be a card for someone expecting twins, a pick me up for a mom of a 2 year old, or even a 2 year birthday card for a little one who loves giraffes.  Right now, I think I'll just put it on my mantle as a reminder.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Enabler's List
Stamps:  To the Moon, Let it Be, Better Together (Verve Stamps)
Paper: soft sky, barely banana, crumb cake (SU!), white
Ink: soft sky, barely banana, crumb cake (SU!), black
Accessories:  Numbers Plate CutUps (TCP), rhinestone

Be Mine

Hi friends!  It's Monday again and time for another Mojo Monday sketch!  This week's sketch is by Teresa and has some nice clean lines that make for a super easy card.  I was feeling a bit off kilter from my inner + outer ear infection, so I decided to skew a couple panels in honor of the dizziness that seems to be hanging on.  {wink}

This month's Diva Dare is Smitten and the challenge is to add a heart and a Verve product to your card.  For my card, I pulled out an old favorite of mine, Heart's Desire and went with a just paper & ink approach (no pattern paper).  I really love stamped backgrounds, so I used the big heart on the red layer and the small heart clusters on the strawberry layer.  I've been seeing some masked circles lately, so decided to mask off a circle and stamp the LOVE sentiment in it, then stamp the double heart arrows over the top.  A little sentiment flag is a cozy home for the be mine sentiment and I used the Heart Quartet Die for my layered heart.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you have a fabulous start to your week.  If you're in the mood for some new stamps, Verve has love-themed stamps & dies 30% off right now!

Enabler's List
Stamps:  Heart's Desire (Verve)
Paper: strawberry slush, real red, basic black (SU!), white
Ink: strawberry slush, real red (SU!), black, copic marker
Accessories: Flourished Trim Die, Heart Quartet Die (A Cut Above by VERVE), glitter, hearts embossing folder (Sizzix), liquid pearls, seam binding, rhinestone, glossy accents

A Hopeful Diva Dare

Hi friends!  Happy Christmas Eve!  This holiday season has flown by for me.  Not a minute to spare any day of the week.  The boys are climbing the walls, scaling the furniture and generally showing me just how old I am every waking moment (and that's a lot of moments).  A 30 second bathroom break usually means that every pot in the house is pulled out of the cupboards, while someone has scaled the baby gate and lined up all the snacks in front of it so they can "hide" on the second pantry shelf.  Never a dull moment!  But they're pretty cute, and it's pretty hard to stay upset with these adorable little grins, don't ya think?

Photo credit: Memory Lane Photography

Anyhow, that's what I've been up to.  Raising little people is hard work.  Speaking of work, I'm over on the Verve Blog today with my take on this month's Playing Favorites Diva Dare. Head on over there for my write-up about this card and a question & answer session about my crafting faves.

Supply List
Stamps: Hope Blooms, Bloom & Grow (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Bundle of Joy Girl (Echo Park), soft sky (SU!), white
Ink: strawberry slush, soft sky (SU!), white pencil (prismacolor)
Accessories: Elegant Leaves Die (A Cut Above by VERVE), sponge, pink pearls

Season's Circles

Hi friends!  It's Monday again and time for another Mojo Monday sketch!  This week's our round or square option, so I hope you have fun with those shapes.  Speaking of shapes, I'm also wrapping up the Shape Up Diva Dare over on the Verve Blog today.  Head on over there for all the deets on my card and a chance to win some Verve!

Enabler's List
Stamps: Holiday Treats (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Christmas Basics (DCWV), white
Ink: wild wasabi (SU!), 
Accessories:  wild wasabi ribbon (SU!), white scrapper's floss (Karen Foster), glittered jingle bells (Michael's), rhinestones (Pizzazz Aplenty), Classic & Scallop Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), doily lace border punch (Martha Stewart)

Boys Rock Diva Dare

Hi friends!  It's my turn to wrap up the Tag You're It October Diva Dare over on the Verve Blog today.  This month's dare is to make a tag, use a tag on a card, or be inspired by a tag!  For my take on the dare, I did all three!

I fell in love with these Boys Rock clothing tags as soon as some super cute fuzzy hoodies for the boys arrived and immediately rescued them for a future project.  I made a little tag shaped robot card to go along with the clothing tags, then decorated a couple white lunch sacks to hang them from for some super cute gift packaging for my boys!

Head on over to the Verve Blog today to see my whole write-up and closeup photos, as well as a chance to win a little Verve!

Supply List
Stamps: Birthday Bots, Geared Up, Holiday Treats (Verve Stamps)
Paper: brushed silver, basic black (SU!), white lunch sack, clothing tags
Ink: black, pewter (Mix'd Media Inx)
Accessories:  Metal Mix Sequins (Verve), Decorative Card Hanger Die (Soapbox Creations), Pinking Circles Nestabilites (Spellbinders), liquid pearls (Ranger)

Diva Dare Wedding Style

Hi friends!  It's my day over on the Verve Blog to wrap up this month's Pile on the Sweetness August Diva Dare. Be sure to head on over there and leave some comments on the Diva posts for a chance to win. And you have until Wednesday to get you Dare creation in for another chance to win! 

This month's dare pays tribute to Diva Andrea (Ewen Style), and Diva Christyne (Stampin' with Sugar).  Both Divas are known for the wonderful way they can add layer upon layer on a card.  So what we're daring you to create this month is a card using lots of layers.   

My take on layering included a whole lot of handcut flowers.  I know, I'm a little weird, but I actually love to cut out stamped images by hand.  It's really stress relieving, so when our power went out for 6 hours last week I had to pull out a favorite Verve set, Great Friend, and stamp and cut to my heart's content!

I just loved how the flowers looked on their own when I layered them together, so decided to heck with the card layers, there was plenty of dimension just with my flower cluster.  {grin}  So I kept the layout clean (if not simple) with a smoky slate background, a wedding wishes sentiment from  Love Story and accents of seam binding from the  Stormy Skies Collection and a big bling flourish and some liquid pearls.  A classy and elegant card for some friends of ours who got married over the weekend.

Supply List
Stamps: Great Friend, Love Story (Verve Stamps)
Paper: smoky slate, basic black (SU!), white (Neenah)
Ink: black
Accessories:  Stormy Skies Collection (Verve), Zva Creative rhinestone swirls, Onyx liquid Pearls (Ranger)

Mojo Dare

Hi friends!  It's Monday again and time for a round or square Mojo Monday sketch!  I'm also wrapping up the July Diva Dare  over on the Verve Blog so my card today is a 2 for 1.

This month's Diva Dare is a mash-up of the styles Teresa and I are known for... uplifting, distressed, shabby creations.  For me, shabby always turns a bit to mixed-media and I had so much fun getting my fingers all painty for this card.

For all the details on how I made this card, head on over to the Verve Blog.  There's a comment prize as well as a prize up for grabs for playing along with the Dare.  Deadline is Wednesday, August 31, for prize eligibility.

Hope you have a fabulous start to your week!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Enabler's List
Stamps: Be Okay Plain Jane, On Occasion (Verve Stamps)
Paper: soft sky, brown paper bag, vellum, paper doily
Ink: VersaMark, blank canvas paint, surf paint
Accessories:  Occasion Frame Die (A Cut Above by VERVE), Grand Circles and Scalloped Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), soft sky ribbon (SU!), flower, rhinestones, punchinella, dry wall tape, liquid pearls, champagne glass glitter, bead, stick pin, hot glue

So Shine

Hi friends!  I'm wrapping up the Puddles of Color June Diva Dare over on the Verve Blog today with this little mixed-media card.  This should have been an easy challenge for me, since both Janelle and Jen have styles that mix well with my own.  But it's kind of like on the reality competition shows when the judges are harder on the people doing their own style.  That's how I felt when I sat down to stamp.... and sat and stared ... and procrastinated... and then finally just decided to DO IT.  Interestingly enough I started with flowers embossed in white on kraft cardstock, then colored with pencils.  I love how those flowers turned out, so I'm sure they'll make it onto another card.  But as the card progressed and I got my fingers all painty, this was the card that emerged.  And I love how it all came together.  I guess sometimes to get the mojo flowing you just have to sit down and be open to where your creativity leads.

For all the nitty gritty deets on how this card was made and a chance to win a comment prize, head on over to the Verve Blog and leave a comment.  Then be sure to play along with the challenge for another chance to win some Verve!  Challenge and comment drawing deadline is June 27.

Enabler's List
Stamps: Let it Be (Verve Stamps)
Paper: soft sky, crumb cake (SU!), white (Neenah)
Ink: Embossing ink (Ranger), Surf Satin acrylic paint (Martha Stewart), white gesso, prismacolor pencils
Accessories: Starry Die, Scalloped Trim Trio Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), paper crimper (Fiskars), stippling brush (Martha Stewart), paper distresser (Tonic), pearl stars (Recollections)

A Brighter World

Hi friends!  I'm,wrapping up the design team posts for our Stars & Stripes Diva Dare over on the Verve Blog today.  Have you been following along?  There's a chance at one of 3 prizes for leaving comments along the Dare, as well as the possibility of winning Verve's ENTIRE May release for playing along with our Stars & Stripes challenge!!!  So what ya waitin' for?  The deadline is this Thursday, May 30!!!  Check out all the details on the Verve Blog.

For my answer to the dare, I went with a traditional take on Stars & Stripes.  I absolutely love Americana and so I kept my look a bit shabby with the idea of making a card suitable for sending to someone in the military.  I thought this sentiment from Let it Be was just perfect for that.  I kept things pretty simple,  using the Viva la Verve! May Week 4 sketch. (Are you playing along with VLV???  There's a chance to win a $100 gift voucher to Verve if you participate in all 4 of this month's sketches.) I used the Starry Die to cut through my two layers of paper, then popped the panel up on dimensionals to really make the background under the stars shine through.  The little border is made with the Scallop Trim Trio Die Set and I finished off with some cluster stars and stripey blue ribbon.

Okay, that's all from me today.  Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you have a fabulous day and can find a little time to play along in our challenge!

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Let it Be (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Glory (Authentique), Brown Paper Bag (Paper Accents), Cream
Ink: Cherry Cobbler (SU!), Vintage Photo Distress (Ranger)
Accessories: Starry Die, Scallop Trim Trio Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), star cluster pearls (Recollections), ribbon (SU!), paper distresser (Tonic)

Love This Wonderful Life

Hi friends!  It's the final Monday of the month and that means it's time to bring on my favorite kind of Mojo sketch... round or square.  This month's Mojo 291 sketch is so trendy and fun with layered banners.  I can't wait to see what everyone makes!

For my card, I chose these gorgeous papers from Authentique.  Mark got them as part of my Easter basket and I seriously have just flipped through the pad over and over again!  It just makes me happy, happy, happy!  I cut all of the banners by hand, just laying strips of paper in a pile, then marking a place in the center 1/2" from the bottom and cutting to that mark from each end on all the papers at once.  Then I cut the black mat strips and layered the papers on and eyeballed the cut.

The this wonderful life sentiment is from the Remember This and is stamped into the mini curvy bookplate stamp from Borderline and cut and matted with the coordinating Mini Bookplate Die Set.  The LOVE sentiment is from Text Objects and I stamped it onto a die cut from the Flag It Die Set and hand cut the mat.  The ribbon is some super fun crinkly crepe ribbon that we'll be introducing in the Verve Store with our May 10 release.  I also pulled out the From the Heart Die Set and layered them on for some fun accents.  The base is embossed with a polka dot embossing folder, then I rounded the bottom corners and this 5" square card was finished.  Oh, and I added two little heart rhinestones for a bit of bling (even though they don't look too heart shaped in the pic)!

Okay, that's all for this card.  I'm also wrapping up the April Diva Dare over on the Verve blog with a super colorful creation drawing on Marisa and Charmaine's styles today.  So be sure to head over there to see my full card and leave some comments on our series of posts for a chance to win!  Then play along with the challenge before Wednesday for another chance at some shiny new Verve!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Have a fabulous start to your week!  I'm starting my week off with coffee and a little crafty shopping with a friend this morning.  Woohoo!

Enabler's List
Stamps:  Remember This, Text Objects, Borderline (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Renew (Authentique), Black, White
Ink: Black, Copic
Accessories:  Flag It Die Set, Mini Bookplate Die Set, From the Heart Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), Black Beauty Ribbon Collection (releasing soon from VERVE), polka dot embossing folder (Cuttlebug), corner chomper, heart rhinestones

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)