Vintage Telephone

When I was a wee little tot, staying with my Aunt Lucille was a treat beyond all others. Whether it was the seemingly endless costume jewelry drawer or the Matchbox car collection her older son had outgrown or the not-so-secret stash of soft peppermint candy, my sister and I were in heaven. Our very favorite thing to do there was play with her telephones. Maybe it was because she had been an operator for the telephone company in her younger years, but she had phones in every room of her house, and even two in her hallway! I'm certain at least a few of them looked exactly like this vintage phone image from Webster's Pages' Call Me.

I went with a soft, shabby look today, with lots of distressing, paint, stitching, and some crinkled seam binding. The woodgrain paper is from Crate Paper (it's in both Restoration and Emma's Shoppe), and the other papers are all from the Melissa Frances 5th Avenue collection.

The layout is this month's Sketch For You To Try. Visit this post for all the participation details and to link up your entry. You have until the end of the month to play along!

Have a great weekend!





Stamps: Call Me (Webster's Pages)
Paper: Papertrey Aqua Mist card stock, Melissa Frances 5th Avenue dp, Crate Paper Emma's Shoppe
Ink: Ranger Pumice Stone, Brushed Corduroy and Walnut Stain Distress ink
Accessories: My Favorite Things Rolled Flower Die-namics die, Recollections mini roses, MemrieMare seam binding, Spellbinders Labels Fourteen Nestabilities, Seeing Spots embossing folder, pinking scissor, paper piercer/needle/thread, foam tape, white acrylic paint

Sip and Savor

I have a few more cards to share from last week's big Verve anniversary release, starting with this sweet one today using  the new Sip and Savor. I was inspired by a local tea room and antique shop -- the historic home it's in, the beautiful, worn, creaky floors, all the lace and china everywhere, and its wonderful, warm, cozy atmosphere.  I tried to capture all of that with the wood paper background (Crate Paper), lace trim and a doily, and lots of distressing. The focal point stack starts with a Verve Curvy Bookplate die-cut, then a Spellbinders Fancy Tags Two swirly piece. Behind that is a Spellbinders Labels Sixteen die-cut accented with blue pearls, and at the very back is a paper doily. Zigzag stitching, lace trim,  and crinkled and dyed seam binding (from MemrieMare) complete the look.

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We've just released 7 new sets, 4 plain janes and 8 new dies!

Now through August 31, while supplies last:

Buy the Anni-VERVE-sary 2011 Stamp Collection and save15%

Buy the August 2011 Die Collection and save 15%

Anni-VERVE-sary Special: Since orders have far exceeded our expecations, we have run out of our supply of free dies. We appreciate you all, so through August 31, we will substitute a free item of our choice as the free gift with a $35 order!And to make it easy, there's no need to do anything extra... if your order totals $35 or more, we'll automatically include a free gift when your order ships.

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And did you see this?

We're celebrating four wonderful years of Verve with a SALE! Now through August 31, save 10 - 40% on all stamps & dies, including new releases.

Thanks for checking in today!


 


Stamps: Sip and Savor (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Crate Paper Restoration dp, Melissa Frances 5th Avenue dp, Papertrey Rustic White card stock
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Tea Dye and Walnut Stain Distress inks
Accessories: Verve Curvy Bookplate Die, crinkled seam binding, Papertrey button, May Arts twine, Spellbinders Labels Sixteen and Fancy Tags Two dies, Wilton paper doily, lace trim (source unknown), sewing machine
Size: 5 1/2" x 4 1/4"

Thinking of You

I planted my vegetable garden about six weeks late this year, so my harvest is also quite late. While I anxiously await the bounty, I'll keep myself entertained with garden-themed stamps! This one is Hello Dear from Penny Black. If mice really did look this sweet and wear overalls, they'd be welcome at my home anytime. The real field mice that we see from time to time .... well, a different story altogether!

Coloring is with Copic markers, papers are from the My Mind's Eye Out of the Blue 6x6 pad. The layout, especially the torn strips, is inspired by the amazing Inge Groot. I've long admired her coloring skills and her savvy with combining color and pattern. I embellished with some Divine Twine, a rolled rose that was made using a My Favorite Things Die-namics die, leaves done with Spellbinders Foliage Shapeabilities dies, and some zigzag stitching.

Wishing you a happy day! Back-to-school clothes shopping is at the top of my to-do list. Better not keep my 7-year-old shopaholic waiting any longer!!

Verve After Party: Be You

What a spectacular release Verve had last week to celebrate its fourth anniversary! I had so much fun with all the spotlight hops and then the chitchat and excitement of the release party. The release party may be over, but we're still celebrating! Every Monday after a release, over on the Verve blog, each Diva chooses a favorite card to post. Loads of gorgeous eye candy awaits, so take a moment and check it out!

Here's the card I chose as my favorite from this release:

I just adore the new Words of Wisdom set. Here, I've put together a relatively clean-and-simple design that shows off both the simplicity of the sentiment and a really cute piece of bicycle paper (from Jillibean Soup's Blossom Soup collection). The pink polka-dot butterfly was diecut with Verve's Flutterby die.

Warning ... change of scenery ahead ... promise not to judge? ...

Just for kicks, I thought I'd show you my personal "after party," which began on Saturday morning, as I faced the daunting task of cleaning up this ...

and this...

and this ...

What can I say? I'm a messy crafter! Besides, when the mojo shows up, who am I to ask it to wait while I clean up?

Have an awesome day and an awesome week, friends!

Indescribable Gift

JustRite has some beautiful new holiday stamp sets, including Rejoice, which I had the opportunity to design with for today's card. I absolutely love the beautiful cross image in this set! I wanted something kind of serene and elegant, and thought the different blue patterns from Cosmo Cricket's Odds & Ends line would be perfect. I usually have trouble with monochromatic cards, but these papers were super easy to work with!


Here's a look at the layered focal point:

The vertical striped piece in the background was cut with Spellbinders Labels Eighteen Nestabilities, and the open scallop oval border was cut with Spellbinders Lacey Ovals Nestabilities. I colored the cross with Copic markers. Embellishments include Kaisercraft Bliss pearls and May Arts crochet trim.

Have a blessed Sunday!




Stamps: Rejoice (JustRite)
Paper: Papertrey Smokey Shadow, Ocean Tides and Rustic White card stock; Cosmo Cricket Odds and Ends 6x6 Mini-Deck
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Stampin' Up Soft Sky, Ranger Antique Linen Distress
Accessories: Kaisercraft Bliss pearls, foam adhesive, Spellbinders Classic Oval, Lacey Ovals and Labels Eighteen Nestabilities, May Arts crochet trim, paper piercer/needle/thread
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight, Day Six: Making A Statement

Welcome to the sixth and final Anni-VERVE-sary spotlight hop! What a week it's been!! All of the sets and dies we've peeked this week will be available in the store tonight at 11 pm ET. Join us in the Verve Forum for our release party, beginning at 9 pm.

Also, another bit of Verve news ... Get Your Diva On, our monthly guest designer contest, is going on now. Jackie is hosting this month and has chosen a tag theme. Read all about it HERE.

Remember, one lucky commenter from today's hop will win the sets and dies featured today, so be sure and leave a little love in the Divasphere! Check out the Verve Blog today for all the prize details and deadlines.

Today, the Divas are featuring a sweet set called Making a Statement as well as two more dies, the Rounded Scallop Frame and Loopy Blooms. I've put together a friendship card using this week's Mojo Monday sketch and some Authentique Splendid papers. The Loopy Blooms die-cuts are stacked on top of an accordian-fold rosette, the sweet birds in this set are paper pieced, and I've split the sentiment in half -- the first part is stamped onto a Curvy Bookplate die-cut peeking out from the horizontal panel, and the second part is on a sentiment flag tucked behind the accordian-fold rosette.

Here's the Mojo Monday #203 sketch I used:

And here's the full hop list for loads of inspiration:

1. Julee 10. Laurie 2. Charmaine 11. Maureen 3. Tosha 12. Amber 4. Andrea 13. Amy 5. Sankari 14. Jen d. 6. Teresa 15. Betty 7. Jackie 16. Lynda 8. Sarah {Guest} 17. Susan 9. Marisa {Guest}

Enjoy the rest of the hop, and thanks for visiting today!





Stamps: Making A Statement (Verve Stamps) 
Paper: Papertrey Rustic Cream and Kraft card stock, Authentique Splendid dp 
Ink: Versamagic Wheat, Ranger Peeled Paint Distress 
Accessories: Verve Loopy Blooms and Curvy Bookplate dies, Scor-Pal, hemp, MFT scallop die, Papertrey buttons, Kaisercraft pearl, paper piercer/needle/thread 
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight: Day Five

 Welcome to Day Five of Verve's Anni-Verve-sary Spotlight hops. Remember, 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.

Today, we're featuring a wonderful workhorse of a set, Tag Time, along with three more dies. Actually, four dies, because Tiny Sweet Scallop, is a set of two. If you love making tags, you're going to love this set and all of it's shapely tag components!

For my spotlight, I went with a delightfully out-of-character, clean-and-simple (CAS) design. I stamped the large rounded rectangle tag from Tag Time in light blue onto white, die cut it using the Tagged Rectangle die and stamped "xoxo" in black. The stitched grouping of colorful hearts was die-cut with the new From the Heart die set (featured yesterday) using paper from Jillibean Soup's Blossom soup collection. I added two rhinestone gems to the heart grouping and some random, messy, horizontal stitching to the card base for a little extra pizzazz. I deliberately left the stitched ends untidy, which helped give this exactly the homespun, yet graphic, feel I was hoping for!

For a look at even more Tag Time possibilities and all the coordinating dies, here's the list of Divas posting spotlights today:

1. Julee 9. Marisa {Guest} 2. Charmaine 10. Laurie 3. Tosha 11. Amber 4. Andrea 12. Amy 5. Sankari 13. Lynda 6. Teresa 14. Susan 7. Jackie 15. Maureen 8. Sarah {Guest}

Hope you're enjoying all of this week's eye candy! I've been blown away by the creativity from the Divas this week. It all starts with great stamps, and Julee has really outdone herself with this release! Join the Divas tomorrow night at 9 pm for our Release Party over in the Verve Forum on SCS. It's always a fun time chatting with each other and showing off even more projects. Julee posts the full set reveals throughout the party, and then the store is open for business at 11 pm Eastern. Hope to see you there!





Stamps: Tag Time (Verve Stamps) 
Paper: Papertrey Kraft and Stamper's Select White, Jillibean Soup Blossom Soup dp 
Ink: Stampin' Up Soft Sky, Versafine Onyx Black 
Accessories: Verve Tagged Rectangle and From the Heart dies, Heidi Swapp bling, Papertrey button and twine, sewing machine, foam adhesive
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"