How Sweet It Is

Hi friends! Happy February! Today I'm sharing a sweet little card I made for the Inspired By All The Little Things challenge. The fun photograph made me think of the how sweet it is to be loved by you sentiment in the Love Everlasting set, so I pulled that out to get started.

I stamped the sentiment several times in Sage Shadow with my MISTI for full coverage and then once in Versamark and embossed with clear embossing powder. Next I wanted to add in some of the texture I was drawn to on the cookies, so pulled out a couple embossing folders. I embossed just the side of the sentiment panel with one, then embossed the larger background piece with another.

Then it was just a matter of pulling together some flowers, lace and a little seam binding bow to finish things off.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you have a fabulous start to the month!

Enabler's List
Stamps: Love Everlasting (Verve Stamps)
Paper: julie nutting (Prima), white
Ink: sage shadow (SU!), versamark
Accessories: rectangle from Falling Leaves Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), flowers (Prima), lace, seam binding, embossing folders (Cuttlebug)

Anniversary Hearts

Hi friends! It's time for a new challenge over at The Card Concept. As soon as I saw the heart in the photo, I knew I wanted to make some primitive hearts with shabby papers and golden touches.

The glitter really caught the camera in the photo, but is a bit more subdued in real life. My card is mostly vintage/shabby with a bit of mixed-media thrown in for good measure. I started by cutting the Primitive Hearts die (pretty sure this is my all time favorite Sizzix die) from chipboard and from a couple of coordinating papers in the Archivist line.  I collaged the papers onto the chipboard, then distressed with antique linen and ground espresso inks.  I wanted a little something more, so I pulled out some Mica flakes and a glue stick and added them to the hearts.  Next I smudged on some antique bronze distress paint and then added a little more definition to the outer edges with a stabilo brown pencil and smudged with my fingers.

I used one of the same papers as the vertical panel, inking with the same colors of distress ink and embossing the anniversary sentiment from  Love Everlasting in copper in the corner.  I distressed the edges just a bit and layered on a piece of espresso cardstock that I accented with a column of liquid pearls.  The card base is kraft cardstock which I stenciled first with a Prima stencil in ground espresso, then with a doily stencil in antique brass distress paint.  I love the look it gave, really tying in with the papers I had chosen.  The cheesecloth gives an extra little punch of shabby and also softens things up a bit.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  For more inspiration, head on over to The Card Concept blog to see what the other designers are sharing today.

Enabler's List
Stamps: Love Everlasting (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Archivist (Prima), early espresso, crumb cake (SU!), chipboard
Ink: antique linen, tattered rose, ground espresso distress ink, antiqued bronze distress paint (Ranger), versamark
Accessories: Primitive Hearts Bigz Die (Sizzix), Frantage Copper Lux Mix (Stampendous), liquid pearls (Ranger), copper embossing powder, cheesecloth,

Forever My Always

Hi friends!  It's the start of a new challenge over at The Card Concept and this one is all about love and romance.  It's uch a beautiful inspiration photo to get your creativity jump started. And as you can see mine definitely jumped into lovey dovey romantic mode.  {grin}

My card is a fusion of the shabby chic and mixed media styles. I started with the card base, stamping the heart from Love Everlasting in sand dunes lightly all over the panel.  The inspiration photo reminded me of the flowery heart. Next I scraped a layer of gesso over the stamping to lighten things up, then watercolored the flowers and leaves with Prima Metallic Accents. Another layer of gesso and then some distress inks sponged on.  I layered some Tim Holtz tissue tape over this and then scribbled some crackle accents all over the panel and heat set.  I dripped on some tattered rose and antique linen distress paints and scraped around until I was happy with the look.  I finished off the background with some distress inks in tattered rose, antique linen and vintage photo.

The heart is stamped in coral berry ink and cut with the coordinating Everlasting Heart Die Set.  I stamped the sentiment on a vellum piece cut with the Stitched Pennants Die Set, then layered up some shabby flowers, vintage lace, some glass hearts and a bit of twine to finish this lovey dovey card off.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you have a fabulous start to your month. For a little more inspiration for this challenge, be sure to head on over to The Card Concept blog to see what the other designers are sharing.

Enabler's List
Stamps: Love Everlasting (Verve Stamps)
Paper: cream (Neenah), vellum
Ink: coral berry, sand dunes, chocolate, espresso (Altenew), tattered rose, antique linen, vintage photo distress inks (Ranger), Metallic Accents watercolors (Prima)
Accessories: Everlasting Heart Die Set, Stitched Pennants Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), flowers (Prima), glass hearts, linen thread, rhinestone, gesso (Prima), crackle accents (Ranger), tissue tape (Tim Holtz), tattered rose and antique linen distress paints (Ranger)

Valentine Mojo

Hi friends! It's Monday again and time for a new Mojo Monday sketch.  This week we have a fun square sketch for you to play with.

I used the heart from Love Everlasting and the coordinating Everlasting Heart Die Set for my card, embossing the sentiment from No Matter What on a vellum die cut overlay.  A bit of ribbon and some liquid pearls are my accent choices and I embossed the back panel with a heart embossing folder and then sponged with distress inks.

Short and sweet today as I'm still suffering from bronchitis and a sinus infection. Hoping this round of antibiotics does the trick.

Mojo Monday 482

Enabler's List
Stamps: Love Everlasting, No Matter What (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Amour collection (Carta Bella), script paper (7 gypsies), early espresso (SU!), cream (Neenah)
Ink: ground espresso, antique linen (Ranger Distress), Versamark, pink (Altenew)
Accessories: Everlasting Heart Die Set (A Ctua Bove by VERVE), stitched circles stax (MFT), taffeta and grosgrain ribbon (SU!), embossing folder (Sizzix), pink liquid pearls (Ranger), paper distresser

Happily Ever After

Hi friends! It's the first Friday of a new month and that means it's my turn to host the sketch over at Viva la Verve. I hope you'll come and play along!

My card started with papers from the DIY Home collection.  It's no secret I love aqua and these polka dots totally called my name!  I cut down one of the designer papers to use just the love and flower squares, then matted with smokey slate.

The stamped panel is created using the Love Everlasting set (sorry it's currently out of stock, but should be back soon). I stamped the sentiment in blushing bride and calypso coral, then cut out the square, masked off the outer edge and sponged with blushing bride and stamped portions of the floral heart in the corners.  This is matted on a smokey slate scalloped square and accented with a bow.  I finished off with some liquid pearl accents and a mini library clip for this quick and easy card.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you have a wonderful start to your weekend.

Viva la Verve June Sketch 1

Enabler's List
Stamps: Love Everlasting (Verve Stamps)
Paper: DIY Home (Pebbles), smokey slate (SU!), white
Ink: blushing bride, calypso coral (SU!)
Accessories: classic and scallop square nestabilities (Spellbinders), ribbon, mini library clip (SU!), liquid pearls (Ranger)

An Everlasting Love Mojo

Hi friends! It's the last Monday of the month and that means it's time for a non-traditional card sketch over at Mojo Monday.  The tall & skinny sketch this week was inspired by this card I made for the latest Verve release.

I've been having a lot of fun using multiple inks on the same image lately.  Just love the look, and it's so much easier to get it just the way I want it with the MISTI.  For both stamps from theLove Everlasting set I inked them up with pool party first and stamped, then inked the bottom half with pacific point and stamped again.  The heart is cut with the coordinating Everlasting Heart Die Set and the sentiment is cut with the Stitched Pennants Die Set.

The background is just a variegated designer paper, which I added a mat of pacific point to and then finished off with a seam binding bow.  Super easy and quick, but packs a big punch.  My kinda card! {grin}

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you have a fabulous start to your week.  If you have a little time, be sure to head on over to Mojo Monday and see what the other designers did with this week's sketch.  And if you're in the mood for a little Monday shopping, Verve has 25% off all stamps and dies, plus free US shipping for orders over $35.  Sale ends May 31.

Mojo Monday 450 Sketch

Enabler's List
Stamps: Love Everlasting (Verve Stamps)
Paper: dp (Recollections), pacific point (SU!), white (Neenah)
Ink: pool party, pacific point (SU!)
Accessories: Everlasting Heart Die Set, Stitched Pennants Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), Summer Sailing Ribbon Collection (Verve)

Love Everlasting Spotlight Hop

Welcome to Day 2 of Verve's May Spotlight Hops! There's a new Verve release just around the corner and for the next couple of days we'll be shining our creative spotlights on the new Verve sets and dies releasing this Friday, May 20!  I'm the first stop on today's hop, so why not settle in for a fresh little dose of inspiration?

Today we're sharing our first projects featuring the Love Everlasting stamp set, Everlasting Heart Die Set and the Copper Blush Sequin Mix.  Check out the Verve Blog post today for the full product reveals!

For my card today, I was feeling a bit shabby chic, so I just went with it.  The sequin mix colors inspired me, so I pulled out a bit of groovy guava cardstock and stamped around the edges in calypso coral with a portion of the big flowery heart stamp.  Next I embossed the heart with copper embossing powder, colored with Copics and cut with the coordinating Everlasting Heart die. I sponged lightly around the edges with antique linen to give a hint of an aged look, then added a bit of glossy glaze and glitter to each of the flowers.

Next I pulled out the Stitched Pennants Die Set and cut the larger one from vellum, then embossed the sentiment in copper.  (Side note: this bottle of copper embossing powder is the first embossing powder I ever bought way back in 1997 and it's still going strong!  Can't believe I haven't spilled the whole bottle by now.  LOL)  I sewed the pennant directly onto the guava layer, then added some Copper Blush Sequins, some copper mica flakes and a bit of shabby white embossing powder to the corners.  Dry embossing for the base layers and a bit of lace trim finishes things off.

Okay, that's all from me today.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Next up on today's hop is the fabulous Lori!

Want to win some shiny new Verve? We'll be picking a random comment winner on one of the hop spots below to win today's featured products! So be sure to leave a little comment on all the blogs below to increase your chances! Check out the Verve Blog today for the full hop list, a little more about our new products and all the prize info and deadlines!

1. Julee 7. Lesley 2. Lori {guest} 8. LauraJane {guest} 3. Betty 9. Marisa 4. Charmaine 10. Maureen 5. Christyne 11. Stacey 6. Laurie 12. Teresa

Enabler's List 
Stamps:  Love Everlasting (Verve Stamps)
Paper: groovy guava (SU!), vellum, white (Neenah)
Ink: calypso coral, VersaMark, Copic markers
Accessories: Everlasting Heart Die Set, Stitched Pennants Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), Copper Blush Sequin Mix (Verve), copper embossing powder (PSX), mica flakes, shabby white embossing powder (Stampendous), glossy glaze, glitter, lace trim, embossing folder (Darice)