Verve January Spotlight: Day One

Welcome to our January 2012 Spotlight Hops!  Hop along with the Divas over the next few days as we share our first looks at a few of the new products releasing from Verve this Friday night! 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 this week! Check out the Verve Blog today for all the prize details and deadlines.

You'll see a new face in the Diva line-up today ... a huge welcome to our newest Diva, Janelle Stollfus!

January 11, 2012 1. Amy 7. Charmaine 2. Maureen 8. Tosha 3. Sankari 9. Laurie 4. Andrea 10. Julee 5. Teresa 11. Janelle 6. Amber

Nothing like some new Verve to kick off the new year in style! Today the Divas are showing peeks of a new St. Patrick's Day set called Lucky You, a coordinating Shamrock Die Set, and two new Scripture Plain Janes, Psalm 63:3-4 and Zephaniah 3:17. I couldn't wait to play around with this sweet "You're My Lucky Charm" sentiment in Lucky You. I stamped one of the shamrocks in light green first, then stamped the sentiment over it in black.

I cut apart a Rounded Scallop Frame die-cut to get the little mini scallop border pieces. The patterned papers and all from Echo Park's Times and Seasons. And the layout is from Amber's current Viva La Verve sketch challenge. You can find all the sketch challenge details HERE. We'd love for you to play along!!

I also stamped up a little something to decorate the inside of the card, too:

The shamrock is die-cut with the Shamrock Die Set and the sentiment, once again, is from Lucky You.

Thanks so much for visiting!

 


Stamps: Lucky You (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Echo Park Times & Seasons 6x6 pad, Papertrey Smoky Shadow, Fine Linen, Kraft and Vintage Cream card stock
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Versamagic light green ink, Ranger Old Paper and Brushed Corduroy ink
Accessories: Verve Shamrock Die Set and Rounded Scallop Frame die, Spellbinders classic circle Nestabilities, May Arts burlap string, Papertrey buttons, sanding block, corner rounder, distresing tool, foam adhesive, ivory acrylic paint
Size: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2

January SFYTT - Let's Take Off

Hello, dear blog friends. It's awfully late to be sending out Happy New Year wishes, but I will anyway since I haven't blogged since last year.

Happy New Year! 

As much as I've enjoyed a nice long blog break, I'm anxious to get back into a more regular stamping/papercrafting habit, and what better way than to kick off a brand-new year of Sketch For You To Try challenges!

In addition to the awesomeness we've all come to expect with Jen's sketches, Jen has also lined up some fabulous sponsors and giveaways for the upcoming year. Also, in response to player feedback, she has tweaked things as far as the whole weekly/monthly sketch format. It truly will be the best of both worlds. Visit with Jen at i{heart}2stamp for all the details. I personally am looking forward to another great year of SFYTT challenges, and I hope many of you are too!

We're starting off the new year in swanky style ... you guessed it, our sponsor is The Cat's Pajamas! I adore this company, their incredible designers, and the adorable, fresh, hip images. Just plain fun all the way around!

Ready for our sketch this month?

Update ... I forgot to link the SFYTT Sisters! Gasp!


Jen del Muro and Designer of the Month, Christyne Kane
Amber Hight
Becky Carafa
Carole Burrage
Iwona Palamountain
Jen Tapler
Jodi Collins
Kerry Johnson
Megan Lock
Susan Liles

... more SFYTT inspiration from some of the TCP Design Team:
Julie Masse
Lori Tecler
Amy Rohl {posting Sunday}


And here's my sample featuring TCP's Up, Up and Away, as well as their Cloud Border Cut-Ups die.

I hate to deviate from the sketch right out of the gate, but I did move forward that horizontal panel, so that my felt cloud border wouldn't be hidden by the circle. You'd have done it, too :) And you know what? It's okay. You can tweak, flip, rotate, or otherwise make the sketch your own, as long as we can still see the basic sketch. In fact, here are the "official" rules (click to enlarge, and see #2):

I'll be back with more during the upcoming week. Verve fans, mark your calendars. We're having a new release on Friday, January 13. Peeks begin on Wednesday, the 11th. Also, not sure when I'll actually have something to share because I'm waiting for some supplies to be re-stocked, but, I will be doing Project Life 2012! More on that system HERE. I can't tell you how excited I am about this project -- it's giving me just the creative spark I've been needing!

Love to all,




Stamps: Up, Up and Away (The Cat's Pajamas) 
Paper: Echo Park Times & Seasons, Stampin' Up Whisper White, Natural White, and Night of Navy
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink
Accessories: My Favorite Things felt, The Cat's Pajamas Clouds Border Cut-Ups die, Spellbinders Lacey Circles Nestabilities, May Arts burlap string, Papertrey button, sewing machine, foam adhesive, distressing tool
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

CASE Study #70 - Let It Snow

Ready for a new CASE Study challenge? Have a look at this week's inspiration piece:

And here's my CASE:

 

I stuck with the same color combo: light aqua, black, and ivory. I was also inspired by the lace background pattern of the original, specifically taking a smaller image and building it up into a larger pattern. For the new card, I took small and medium snowflake images from Verve's Glad Tidings, die-cut them with the corresponding Snowflake Tidings Die Set, and arranged them into a larger snowflake. Each individual snowflake is glittered and very lightly distressed with Antique Linen Distress Ink, then layered and popped up for dimension. The five points are cut with the smaller die in the Charming Banner Die Set, and the sentiment, from Holiday Phrases, is die-cut with one of the dies from the Charming Ovals Die Set.

Check out all the inspiring Design Team samples over on the CASE Study blog. That's where you'll link up your creation, too.

Case Study Challenge 
Chupa 
Amy Wanford
Andrea Ewen
Clare Buswell
Cristina Kowalczyk
Debby Hughes
Jean Martin
Julie Lacey 
Maureen Plut 
Teresa Kline
Teneale Williams 

Hope you play along! Oh -- this challenge stays up for TWO weeks instead of one. We'll resume on December 29 :)

Cheers,


 

December SFYTT - Year-End Finale!

I know it's horribly cliche, but it is, after all, the time of year for these words ...

Where has the time gone?! 

I can remember kicking off the 2011 Sketch For You To Try challenges and here we are already wrapping up another year! That best part about that, other than a super cool new sketch, of course, is the super prize pack drawing for those who completed all twelve sketches (during the months they were posted). To see all details on how to enter, visit Jen at iheart2stamp.com.

Here's what we're playing with this month ...

And here's what I created, using stamps from our most recent sponsor, one very near and dear to my heart ... Verve Stamps.

Those cute butterflies are some of my all-time favorite Verve stamps, from the set Fluttering By, which is the December Stamp of the Month. Pick up this little gem of a set anytime in December for 40% off! At only $7.50 regularly, the December price is an amazing $4.50! How about that?!

For more sketch inspiration, visit the SFYTT Sisters:

Jen del Muro 

Amber Hight (out of commission while her stamping supplies make their way across the ocean!)
Becky Carafa
Carole Burrage
Iwona Palamountain (Chupa)
Jen Tapler
Jodi Collins
Kerry Johnson
Megan Lock
Susan Liles
Terri Moore

I'm keeping this short today, since I'm running a wee bit late with my post. Have a great weekend! Hope you get your holiday to-dos done and have time left for stamping.

Cheers!

Verve Holiday Diva Dare

Hello, sweet blog friends! I hope my fellow Americans enjoyed a blessed Thanksgiving last week!

Have you been following Verve's current Holiday Diva Dare challenge? If not, hop on over to the Verve blog to catch up. We're on Day Six already and today happens to be my lucky day to share how I answered the dare!

Our theme this month is A Handmade Christmas. The theme is pretty broad and can be interpreted in so many different ways...from a lovingly made card, to heartfelt gifts and homemade decorations! With the Holidays right around the corner, this will be the perfect time to get a jump start on your card and gift making! So ... will you take the DARE? Visit the Verve blog for details on TWO ways you could win a fabby Verve prize.


After quite a bit of productive playtime in my studio, I decided to answer the dare with this rustic tree ornament created with the tree die in Verve's new Winter Fun Die set. It's a fairly quick project to create. I started with a decorative oval chipboard frame, then layered on a Classy Label diecut, then an accordian-fold paper rosette, and then a stacked felt tree with a sentiment flag tucked behind (the sentiment from Verve's Glad Tidings set). At the bottom is a rusty jingle bell, and at the top are some vintage ivory buttons. For the tree, I die-cut three felt trees, stacked them and then stitched vertically through the middle. You could press open the seams for more of a 3D effect, if desired.

I'm planning to incorporate these into my gift packaging this year. Kraft bags and wrapping paper will be the perfect backdrop for the rustic look and feel of these ornaments.

Have a happy day!

Black Friday with VERVE

 

You'll find all the details about Verve's Black Friday Weekend Sale on the Verve blog and at the Verve Store.

I promise to be back soon with something crafty to share! Just enjoying a little blog break right now. Miss you guys!

Stamper's Dream Store Closing -- FINAL WEEK - 60% Off

Well, this is it {sniff, sniff} ...

Take an additional 60% Off the lowest marked price on EVERYTHING in stock at Stamper's Dream! Final Week...everything must go! Use coupon code SDClosing60 on the checkout page to receive your discount.

Minimum purchase of $25 BEFORE the discount is required to activate the coupon. Please be aware that there may be a slight delay in shipping due to the volume.

Please note the 60% off code is not yet published on the Stamper's Dream store page, but it DOES work, so be sure to use it at checkout!!

I'll try to be back soon with something crafty to share!

In the meantime, some re-runs using stamps that are currently 60% off in the Stamper's Dream store (as of this post time).

Love Song by Penny Black
Originally posted HERE

Call Me by Webster's Pages/Unity
Originally posted HERE

  Star Noel by Penny Black

Originally posted HERE

Star Noel by Penny Black

Originally posted HERE

Tree Limb by Stampendous 

Originally posted HERE

Speckled Ornaments by Hero Arts

Originally posted HERE

Speckled Ornaments by Hero Arts

Originally posted HERE

 Dare to Dream by JustRite Stamps

Originally posted HERE