A Cheerful Friend

I have one more Verve card from last week's release that I haven't shared here yet. This one uses a sentiment from the new set, Text Objects. The cloud and sun paper, along with the yellow pompom trim, are from My Mind's Eye's True Blue Fine & Dandy collection. The dry embossing was done with the "Rays" folder from Tim Holtz's Alterations line.

The sun accent is die-cut from thin cork using My Favorite Things' Sunshine Die-namics. The swirl is just a piece of coiled yellow embroidery floss that I stitched onto the cork using taupe thread.

Thanks so much for stopping by!




Stamps: Text Objects
Paper: Papertrey Kraft, My Mind's Eye True Blue Fine and Dandy dp
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Stampin' Up White craft
Accessories: My Mind's Eye pom pom trim, black velvet ricrac (unknown), black polka-dot ribbon (unknown), Stampin' Up Top Note die, paper piercer, Papertrey buttons and twine, My Favorite Things Sunshine Die-namics die, DMC floss, foam tape, Tim Holtz "Rays" Texture Fades embossing folder

Happy Thoughts

How about a look at another of Verve's fabulous new releases? Today's card uses Amazing Wishes, a set of mostly sentiments in fonts and styles that coordinate with some of your favorite Verve sets. I stamped the flower image onto text paper, trimmed it out and gave it a yellow polka-dot center. I love the "happy thoughts" sentiment in Amazing Wishes! You could use it for someone who needs a word of encouragement and hope (a stay positive type of message), as another way to say "congrats," or just to let someone know you're thinking of him or her. The little piece of music paper peeking out on the left was die-cut from old sheet music using Stampin' Up's Top Note die. The designer papers are all October Afternoon - Modern Homemaker for the yellow and green, Thrift Shop for the blue. Details include lace, twine, bling, dry embossing, and adhesive pearls.

A little bit about this set ...

Amazing Wishes is a 4x6" set of 15 clear stamps. If you placed an order during one of Verve's new release weekends in 2010, you may have found one of these stamps tucked in with your order. This set is a compilation of all the customer appreciation stamps given out this past year and is packed full of encouraging and thankful sentiments, a fun little tag and two whimsical flowers.

If you go to Amazing Wishes in the Verve store and scroll down to the Product Info section, you'll see a list of the individual sentiments in this set and which Verve sets they coordinate with - a nifty little resource!

Best of all, Amazing Wishes and all the stamps from last week's release are available at 15% off during December. Happy Holidays from Verve!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Merry Christmas, Dear Friend

Changes are coming to the Sketch For You To Try challenge! The biggest will begin in January (to be announced soon), but for December, here's what's up:

- no official sketch, just pick out one of your favorite past SFYTT sketches and make a new card with it
- same format next week, which will be the last challenge for the year
- no guest designer in December, but Jen has invited two SFYTT friends to play along, Joanne and Ana

Can't wait to see which sketches were favorites, starting with my fellow sample-makers ...


Jen del Muro
Susan Liles
Amy Rohl
Megan Lock
Amber Hight
Sony Christoph
Jodi Collins
Jenn Diercks
Kelly Lunceford
Leigh O’Brien

I chose to work with this one from September of this year - love it!!

That cutie-pie snowman image (and the sentiment, too) are from JustRite's *cling* set Sparky the Snowman. And once again, I'm enjoying repurposing papers from My Mind's Eye's Alphabet Soup Boy collection for my wintry holiday cards - the red and aquas are perfect!

Here's a detail shot of the snowman:

I colored with Copics on Copic X-Press It card stock, added Frosted Lace Stickles to the snowy ground, accented Sparky's face and body with some Art Institute ultrafine clear glitter, and gave his nose and buttons a little shine with Judikins Diamond Glaze. The circles are cut with Spellbinders Classic and Lacy Circles Nestabilities dies. I've accented the lacey circle panel with tiny Bliss adhesive pearls by KaiserCraft. For the horizontal strip along the bottom, I've used red and white baker's twine and a My Favorite Things Open Scallop Border border die-cut.

And just for kicks, here's the original card I did with this sketch:

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you have a terrific weekend!

Verve New Relase Spotlight: Text Objects

It's Day Two of Verve's new release spotlights. The new sets will be available in the store tonight immediately following our Release Party in the Verve Forum. Stop by the party and visit a while - anytime between 9 and 11 EST! You won't find a friendlier bunch of stamp enthusiasts!

Today we're featuring a fun, unique and highly versatile set called Text Objects. This set is filled with  a wide variety of large sentiments that are positively gorgeous on their own. Then there are images that compliment the quotes beautifully. And last, here's the unique part, there are also background stamps with teeny, tiny text that coordinates with the larger quote stamps.

For my peek card, I've created a scene using some of the Text Objects elements, along with the Wordy Birds pair from yesterday's peeks. I've stamped the green rolling hill with one of the text background stamps.

Then I've pulled in a larger sentiment stamp for the banner. The stamp comes as the full word "LOVE" in a beautiful, timeless, classy, all-cap font. I just stamped each letter individually in order to make the banner.

 
Be sure to see the rest of today's spotlights:

1. Julee

2. Laurie

3. Susan

4. Tosh

5. Jen d. 

6. Charmaine

7. Jen T.

8. Shannan

9. Lynda

10. Michelle

11. Amy (you're here)

12. Teresa

13. Jackie

14. Sankari

15. Mercy

A random commenter on one of the spotlight posts will receive Text Objects. Be sure to comment on each of the Divas' blogs for a better chance at winning!

Thanks so much for stopping by!



Stamp: Text Objects, Wordy Birds
Paper: Stampin' Up Baja Breeze card stock, Colorbok Woodhaven dp
Ink: Ranger Peeled Paint Distress Ink, Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Making Memories blue buttons, hemp cord, May Arts burlap string, Papertrey neutral button and eyelet lace border die, distressing tool, Li'l Inker Designs flag die, My Favorite Things Clouds Trio Die-namics die, foam adhesive

Verve New Release Spotlight: Wordy Birds

Hi friends, it's almost time for another fabulous Verve release! Join the Divas today and tomorrow for new release spotlights on our blogs, and then join us in the Verve Forum tomorrow night, 9-11 pm EST, for the official reveals and fun chitchat. After the party (beginning at 11 pm), the sets will be available for purchase in the Verve store.

Today I'm featuring a new set called Wordy Birds. Isn't that a darling set name? Included are two birds and five wonderful all-occasion sentiments. I've created a collage-y little number using the two birds, one of the sentiments, and some bright, fun papers I found in a K&Co mat pad at Michael's. The design, a little different for me, is influenced by Zarah Peterson's gorgeous work - torn edges, distressing, a sprinkling of bling, cardboard and/or crimped Kraft, etc. I had a lot of fun with this one!

You can find lots more peeks of Wordy Birds, as well as peeks of another set (Amazing Wishes), and a new Plain Jane (Wild Flower), at the following Diva blogs:

1. Julee

2. Mercy

3. Sankari

4. Teresa

5. Amy (you're here)

6. Michelle

7. Lynda

8. Shannan

9. Charmaine

10. Jen d.

11. Tosh

12. Susan

13. Laurie

We've hidden a prize for a random commenter on one of today's blogs, so be sure to leave lots of love along the way for a chance to win!

Also, don't forget, the Triple Play Project Parade continues on the Verve blog. Check out the Divas' projects each day and play along with us for a shot at receiving the entire January release and joining us as a guest designer! Can't wait to see all the entries -- the ones in there so far are AMAZING. All the details and entry form can be found HERE.

Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Wordy Birds
Paper: Papertrey White card stock, K&Co Poppy Seed Mat Pad dp, corrugated cardboard
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: distressing tool, Prima flowers, Stampin' Up small oval punch, Papertrey buttons and twine, KaiserCraft pearls, foam adhesive, velvet ricrac (source unknown), black polka-dot ribbon (source unknown), Martha Stewart Double Hearts border punch

Gifts For You

Today's card features an adorable Stampavie Penny Johnson image, Gifts For You. I colored the image with Copics and Prismacolor pencils. The scarves and stockings are paper pieced. The patterned papers are all from Crate Paper's Snow Day collection. Other details include snowflake accents (Martha Stewart punch and MFT Let It Snowflake Die-namics) that have been glittered with Frosted Lace Stickles, liquid applique on the furry parts of Santa's suit, an open scallop border (another MFT Die-namics die), and a random sprinkling of bling.



The layout bears some resemblance {wink} to Jen's Sketch For You To Try for this week:

I modified that main circle panel to suit my image and adjusted the placement of the circle accents just a bit.

More sketch inspiration ...

Jen del Muro with guest designer Stepanie Muzzulin
Amber Hight
Amy Rohl
Carole Burrage
Jenn Diercks
Jodi Collins
Kelly Lunceford
Leigh O'Brien
Megan Lock
Sonja Christoph
Susan Liles

To play along with the sketch, just link up your creation to Jen's post. Remember to use keyword SFYTT when you upload to online galleries. This is the last weekend of the month, which means next weekend we'll have a brand-new guest designer getting sketchy with us. Will it be you? Play along and it could be!

Thanks for stopping by!

Indie Girl PI

I seem to be on a bit of a Pure Innocence kick lately! This one is called Being Cute Is What I Do. Most of this card is just the result of playing around with some Sassafras Lass Indie Girl border stickers and 6x6 papers. For the stamped image, I colored the skin and hair with Copics, then paper-pieced her outfit. The Kraft mystery mound (maybe a rock? a hill? a mountain in the distance?) was die-cut with a Spellbinders Labels Fourteen Nestabilities die and dry embossed with Cuttlebug's Seeing Spots embossing folder. In front of that is some green felt grass cut with My Favorite Things' Fresh Cut Grass Die-namics die. The clouds were also done with an MFT Die-namics die, Clouds Trio. The banner is from an Indie Girl flag banners 12x12 sticker sheet.

On the inside ... more of those pretty Indie Girl papers, a blank space to write a message (die-cut with a Spellbinders Lacey Circles Nestabilities die), and another piece of a flag banner sticker.

My daughter *loves* these Pure Innocence girls, so I can't wait to tuck this into her lunch box one day next week!

Have a fantastic day, and thanks for checking in!




Stamps: Being Cute is What I Do Pure Innocence (My Favorite Things)
Paper: Sassafras Lass Indie Girl, Papertrey Kraft and Enchanted Evening card stock, Neenah Classic Crest Natural White card stock
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Antique Linen and Brushed Corduroy Distress Inks
Accessories: Copic markers, Spellbinders Labels Fourteen and Lacey Circles Nestabilities, My Favorite Things Fresh Cut Grass and Clouds Trio Die-namics, Papertrey ribbon and button, May Arts burlap string, corner rounder, paper piercer/needle/thread, foam adhesive