Anni-VERVE-sary Spotight, Day Three: Words of Wisdom

It's Day Three of Verve's Anni-VERVE-sary spotlights. Welcome! Hop along with the Divas all week long as we share our first looks at a few of the new products releasing from Verve on Friday night!  One lucky commenter from each day's hop will win the sets and dies featured that day, so be sure to leave a little love in the Divasphere! Check out the Verve Blog today for all the prize details and deadlines.
 

1. Julee 8. Sarah {Guest} 2. Charmaine 9. Marisa {Guest} 3. Tosha 10. Laurie 4. Andrea 11. Amy 5. Sankari 12. Shannan 6. Teresa 13. Betty 7. Jackie 14. Maureen

I'm absolutely smitten with today's featured set, Words of Wisdom -- so much so that it easily joins my short list of all-time favorite sentiment sets! It's not just that the sentiments are fantastic and thoughtful and empowering and uplifting, it's that the font combinations are so amazingly fresh and wonderful. This set is going to be very hard to put down!

For today's card, I decided to make a very pink and very girly breast cancer encouragement card using the "keep fighting" sentiment from Words of Wisdom and a sweet little pink ribbon from Believe. You could easily change the color combo and this would work with any of the awareness ribbon colors!

I took no fewer than 47 pictures of this card, trying to get one to come out just right. Alas, it proved tricky to photograph, so here's a close-up along with another full shot from a different angle:

Thanks for visiting!




Stamps: Words of Wisdom, Believe (Verve Stamps) 
Paper: Papertrey Stamper's Select White card stock, Melissa Frances dp 
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Stampin' Up Pink Pirouette 
Accessories: Martha Stewart paper doily and lace border punch, Recollections mini roses, crinkled seam binding, Prima pearl and crystal flourish, foam adhesive, May Arts crochet trim, sewing machin
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight, Day Two: You and I

Welcome to Day Two of our Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight Hops!  Hop along with the Divas all week long as we share our first looks at a few of the new products releasing from Verve on Friday night!  One lucky commenter from each day's hop will win the sets and dies featured that day, so be sure to leave a little love in the Divasphere! Check out the Verve Blog today for all the prize details and deadlines.

1. Julee 9. Laurie 2. Charmaine 10. Maureen 3. Tosha 11. Amy 4. Andrea 12. Jen d. 5. Teresa 13. Shannan 6. Jackie 14. Lynda 7. Sarah {Guest} 15. Jen T. 8. Marisa {Guest} 16. Betty

You and I and its coordinating die set I Heart U, are so much fun!!  Jumbo (but not too jumbo!), chunky letters "u" and "i" anchor this set. Then there are a whole host of little words that you can use to make all sorts of fun combos, like the "love u" on my card. One thing I really like is that some of the little words are done in a more chunky font and some are done in a more elegant, flowing font, which makes it easy to take this set in lots of different style directions. I'm loving the graphic vibe of this set, so today I've gone with a more clean, graphic look. No distressing, no stitching -- I know, what?!

Here's a close-up of the focal cluster:

I die-cut the "u" from Kraft card stock using the I Heart U die, then stamped it with one of the "you" stamps in You and I for a subtle word pattern (probably better to do it the other way around, so you're not trying to stamp across the uneven surface, fyi). I tucked a "love" flag into the "u" die-cut, topped it with a button and layered it over a red velvet Jotted Heart and a white punched doily (done with Martha Stewart's Swirling Lace corner punch).

The layout is {for the most part} Andrea's beautiful Viva La Verve sketch from this past Friday. I did nudge the focal panel up a bit :) You'll find all the sketch challenge info HERE in the Verve Forum on SCS.

Thanks for popping in today, and thanks for all the enthusiastic comments yesterday. See you tomorrow for Day Three!




Stamps: You and I (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Papertrey Dark Chocolate and Kraft card stock, Stampin' Up Whisper White card stock, Echo Park Walk in the Park dp
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: Verve I Heart U and Jotted Heart dies, Papertrey button and twine, Martha Stewart Swirling Lace corner punch, foam adhesive, Papertrey double-stitched ribbon, Maya Road Brown Satin Pleat Edging Ribbon, Tim Holtz Alterations Plaque and Postage die
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight Day One

Verve is celebrating its anniversary with a huge release this Friday, and we're kicking off our spotlights today -- welcome! Hop along with the Divas all week long as we share our first looks at a few of the new products!  One lucky commenter from each day's hop will win the sets and dies featured that day, so be sure and leave a little love in the Divasphere! Check out the Verve Blog today for all the prize details and deadlines.

1. Julee 8. Marisa {Guest} 2. Charmaine 9. Laurie 3. Tosha 10. Maureen 4. Andrea 11. Amy 5. Teresa 12. Shannan 6. Jackie 13. Lynda 7. Sarah {Guest}

I chose to focus today on one of the many bold, graphic flower styles in today's featured set, Sunny Days. I stamped onto different patterns from Prima's Reflections paper collection, then trimmed and layered for dimension.

See those leafy sprigs? They come in two sizes (both images are in Sunny Days) and coordinating dies are available, making it a breeze to get the trimmed out look.

I used a few other Verve dies here, too ...

 ... the blue text shape in the background is the Classy Label Die, and the butterfly was done with Flutterby.

Enjoy today's spotlights! It's going to be a fantastic release week! I can't begin to convey how excited I am!! See you tomorrow!





Stamps: Sunny Days (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Stampin' Up Soft Suede and Whisper White card stock, Papertrey Kraft card stock, Prima Reflections designer paper
Ink: Ranger Walnut Stain and Brushed Corduroy Distress
Accessories: Verve Leafy Sprigs, Classy Label and Flutterby dies, Stampin' Up circle punch, Prima trim, Kaiser adhesive pearls, May Arts burlap string, foam adhesive, distressing tool, paper piercer/needle/thread
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

August Sketch For You To Try - Kraftin' Kimmie

It's the first Saturday in August, which means, yay ... it's time for a brand-new sketch for you to try! I don't know about you, but I've really enjoyed having the sketches posted monthly this year (as opposed to weekly in the past). Jen is already planning next year's SFYTT, so take a minute to give her your feedback!

I've also enjoyed the sponsor companies we've had this year -- this month's sponsor, Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps, being no exception!

The Moonlight Whispers line is especially fun, which is where this sweet little bookworm, Lucy, can be found.

Here's your August sketch:

And here are links to some fabulous sketchy interpretation from the SFYTT Sisters and special August guest, Tenia Nelson. Welcome, Tenia!!

Jen del Muro with August guest designer Tenia Nelson 

Amber Hight (on vacation)
Carole Burrage
Jen Tapler
Jodi Collins
Kerry Johnson
Megan Lock
Susan Liles
Terri Moore

---

1. The SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY {SFYTT} will be posted on the first Saturday of each month on www.iheart2stamp.com at 8am EST and will stay open to participants until the last day of the month, unless otherwise noted.
2. This is for fun! Interpret the sketch as you wish and embellish as desired. There are no vendor restrictions, but we would love to see you use the sponsor’s stamps!
3. Each month we will have a Designer of the Month that will be chosen from past month’s participants.
4. Come and play with us on each and every sketch! On Christmas Day 2011 a prize package worth over $200 will be given away to one very lucky and loyal SFYTT stamper that participates in EVERY sketch for the year.
5. To be eligible for the prize package, you must complete ALL of the sketches by each of the deadlines AND link your creation to the link system on that month’s sketch post (the first Saturday of the month). Everyone except for SFYTT Sisters are eligible for the prize package, including Designer of the Month and international players.
6. When posting your sketch creation on your blog, please post the sketch and link back to the sketch post on www.iheart2stamp.com. When posting to online galleries, please use the keyword “SFYTT.”

Have a great weekend! Happy stamping!!



Stamps: Lucy (Kraftin Kimmie Stamps)
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Papertrey Ink Dark Chocolate card stock, Jillibean Soup Dutch Mustard dp
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamagic Thatched Straw, Ranger Brushed Corduroy
Accessories: Copic markers, Prismacolor pencils, Papertrey buttons, May Arts burlap string, MFT Stacking Stars Die-namics, Spellbinders Classic Square and Labels Four Nestabilities, Stampin' Up Old Olive ribbon, paper piercer/needle/thread, distressing tool, foam adhesive, 1/4" circle punch, EK Success scallop border punch
Size: 5 1/2" square

Over the Hill

I'm honored to be guest designing for Hambo Stamps today. When the sweet and talented Libby Hickson emailed asking if I'd be interested, I couldn't type YES fast enough! I mean, have you seen the Hambo Stamps images and sentiments? Clever, funny, irreverant, or just plain silly, they make stamping fun. Consider them a customized insurance policy against taking life too seriously! Check 'em out at their store, Hambo Stamps, or their blog, Talk to the Ham. Thank you, Libby and Monica, for the opportunity!

I picked out the adorable Floating Pig digi image and paired it with a fun sentiment, Over the Hill, to create a birthday card.

The image, a digi, is illustrated with a single balloon. It was easy to add a few more -- after all, forty birthday's worth of balloons would make any pig float. I colored the pig with Copics. The balloons are printed onto patterned paper and trimmed out. The sentiment is split between the card front and the finished inside, which looks like this: 

The tree is die-cut with MFT's Sheltering Tree Die-namics, the grass and clouds (on the front, too) are done with The Cat's Pajamas Cut-Ups dies. I drew the little tombstone, and yes, I'll be sticking with stamping and leaving the illustrating to the pros! The "happy birthday" is from my stash of rub-ons. The flowers ... part of the Floating Pig image:

If you're a Splitcoast Fan Club member and are playing along with Dare to Get Dirty 2011, you'll see this card over there as my sample for a challenge I'm hosting today. The last of the challenges posted today -- Fan Club members have until Monday to complete challenges for a chance to win prizes. DTGD details are HERE. All challenges and chatter threads are posted HERE. Hope to see you on SCS!

Thanks for popping in today!

Corner Bookmark

I always enjoy the corner bookmarks that my friend Denise Marzec makes. She uses a tutorial Beate Johns put together for Splitcoast. In case the above photo looks wonky because of the angled sentiment, here's how the bookmark looks in action ...

... which makes the sentiment exactly right-side-up when you're holding the book :)

The sentiment is one that I just adore, although some days I feel more like a mosquito! It's from JustRite's Butterfly Gardens, available at Stamper's Dream, along with a whole host of other JustRite sets. The papers are from Jillibean Soup's Dutch Mustard and Echo Park's A Walk In the Park. Beate's tutorial is excellent, making this project a complete breeze to assemble.

This is also my sample for Kerri Michaud's Dare to Get Dirty challenge, which SCS Fan Club members can find in the DTGD thread on SCS.

Thanks so much for visiting today!

You're One of My Nicest Thoughts

The Dare to Get Dirty challenges are in full swing over at Splitcoast. Here's another challenge sample I put together, this time for AndreaEwen's challenge that posted this morning. (The link with challenge details is available only to SCS Fan Club members -- sign up today and join in all the fun!)

I could spend the rest of this post gushing over Andrea and her beautiful work, so I was thrilled (and a little nervous) to make a sample for her! I'm always inspired by the elegance of her cards, her creative embellishing and her punching prowess -- today's card is my tribute to her.

The sentiment, from Verve's Small Phrases, is the BEST! I die-cut it with Verve's Charming Oval die set -- a perfect fit!

The medallion at the top was fun to make -- here's a break-down of the layers:

• In the back is a hand-made doily, punched with the Martha Stewart's Swirling Lace corner punch. I used Becca Feeken's tutorial, beginning with a circle that I die-cut using the second-largest circle die from Spellbinders Small Classic Circles Nestabilities set and punching eight times
• Then comes an accordian-fold rosette -- no dies for this one, just old-fashioned scoring (love my Scor-Pal) and folding. I sanded the edges for some contrast against the Kraft doily
• Next is a layered flower created with Verve's Floral Circles die set and some of the neutral patterns from the Reflections paper pad
• At the very top is a blingy flower center from a Prima pack that I found during my Hobby Lobby shopping trip with Kristin Eberline.

I used the Swirling Lace corner and edger punches do the border around the perimeter of the card. I started with two pieces of 5" x 6.75" Kraft, punched around the page on both, and adhered them together easel-style with a strip of Scor-Tape along the very top, just below the punched border.

Disclaimer: One punch was seriously stressed , but not permanently injured, during the making of this card {grin}. The kraft card stock that I so, so love, by Papertrey, is a little too heavy for this border punch.  Even though I'm not a fan of the Stampin' Up kraft I've had on hand since my demonstrator days (the color seems dull and grayer), it IS slightly lighter and works beautifully with this punch. To warm up the color, I inked the edges with Brushed Corduroy distress ink.

Happy hump day!




Stamps: Small Phrases (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Prima Reflections dp, Papertrey Kraft, Stampin' Up Early Espresso
Ink: Ranger Old Paper, Brushed Corduroy, and Walnut Stain Distress Inks
Accessories: Prima flower center bling, Verve Floral Circles and Charming Ovals dies, Scor-Pal, sanding block, Pizazz Aplenty chocolate pearls, foam adhesive, Martha Stewart punch, corner rounder, Spellbinders border die, Papertrey buttons, MFT Jumbo Scallop border die, burlap string, distressing tool, Scor-Tape
Size: 5" x 6 3/4"