Vintage Bookmark

Today is my day to share my creation for Verve's Project Parade. Our theme is It's A Girl Thing: Celebrating the Women in Our Lives. If you haven't been to the Verve blog yet this week, it's worth catching up. The projects so far have been fantastic!

I decided to make a bookmark for my mom highlighting one of the quotes from Because of You. My mom is an avid reader, and I love the thought that every time she picks up her book, she'll be reminded of the influence she's had in my life.

This was a super easy and quick project to make. I posted some basic how-to information on the Verve blog. Also be sure to head over there to see how you can play along for a chance to win a $25 Verve gift certificate!

Thanks for visiting,



Stamps: Because of You (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Basic Grey Porcelain dp, Papertrey Vintage Cream card stock
Ink: Stampin' Up Always Artichoke craft, Ranger Vintage Photo Distress Ink
Accessories: Papertrey Sweet Blush vintage buttons; May Arts burlap string, Spellbinders Labels 4 and Mega Curved Rectangle Nestabilities, ribbon (source unknown), foam tape

Damask Designs

It's all Susan's fault. One Saturday in a Sketch For You To Try post, she was gushing and obsessing over Papertrey's then-new Damask Designs set and anxiously awaiting for it to be back in stock. Of course, I had to see what the fuss was all about. And you know how it is with Papertrey ... I couldn't stop at just one set, or just one new paper color, or just one style of ribbon. It had been a long while since my last Papertrey purchase, so I was overdue. (That's what I'm telling myself, anyway.)

Anyhoo, the beautiful Damask Designs, designed by Dawn McVey, finally saw some ink this past weekend. I created the background using Guide Lines Two, also by Papertrey. The grid is stamped in SU's white craft ink on kraft card stock, then the circles are filled with white craft and one of SU's pinks (I think Regal Rose craft?). Last I added in the tiny black images. The final touch was to dot the circle centers with a tiny dab of Stardust Stickles. The focal image is from Damask Designs, and is stamped in Versafine Onyx black and then heat embossed with black detail embossing powder. The ribbon is by Papertrey, and the punched border was done with the Fiskars A-Fleur punch. I trimmed down the background panel by 1/8" on both sides, then edged it in white ink before adhering it to a Kraft card base.

Have an awesome day!



Stamps: Damask Designs (I just noticed it's out of stock again - see? it's a HOT one!) and Guide Lines Two (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Papertrey Kraft and White card stock
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, SU Whisper White craft and Regal Rose (?) craft
Accessories: circle Nesties, Papertrey ribbon, Fiskars A-Fleur punch, Stardust Stickles

Cheers, Chick!

Cheers everyone! It's a happenin' day at My Favorite Things today. To start, we're down to only FIVE contestants in the MFT Idol competition. Voting for this week's challenge closes tonight (Wednesday, April 29) at 10pm EST. Go HERE to see the entries, and HERE to cast your vote. Feel like playing along? You can! There is a Judges' Challenge each week as well, where you can play along with the same theme as the finalists. This week's theme: Frame It! An MFT Panel of three serves as judges, and each picks a winner and describes what she likes best about the chosen card. Each winner gets $10 in MFT Stamp bucks. Doesn't that sound like fun?! You can read all the details HERE.

Next is this week's Weekly Spotlight, the May VIP bundle, which includes some awesome not-yet-released MFT goodies. Check out all the details on the MFT blog. Michele has a GORGEOUS peek at the bundle contents posted on her blog today, too. Hurry, the VIP package is available today only, and quantities are limited.

Since it's Wednesday, you'll also find the regular What's Up Wednesday tutorial and challenge, too. Christina demonstrates cutting out of the box in this week's How'd They Do That tutorial (and she has some peeks of a not-yet-released Flopsey, too!). When you're ready to give it a try, play along in the What's Up Wednesday "Out of the Box" Challenge.

Wanna find out all the fun MFT news as soon as it's announced? Sign up for MFT's Brand Spankin' News newsletter. The sign-up box is at the bottom of the store's home page.

Now, about today's card ... I used Girls Night Out, one of the new April sets. I stamped the image in Versafine Onyx Black, clear embossed, and then colored with a combo of Prismacolor pencils and Copic markers. The papers are from my beloved K&Co Retro Florals Cardstock Pad. The die-cut shape behind the stamped image was cut with Spellbinders Labels 4 Nestabilities. I love the curvy, feminine feel this shape adds to cards. I finished off with Dew Drops, some piercing, and a ribbon/button accent.

Thanks for stopping by today!



Stamps: Girls Night Out (My Favorite Things)
Paper: Papertrey Vintage Cream, K&Co Retro Florals Cardstock Pad
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Vintage Photo Distress
Accessories: Prismacolors, gamsol, blending stump, Copic markers, SU large oval punch, corner rounder, paper piercer, and clear embossing powder, Dew Drops, Labels 4 Nestabilities, ribbon (unknown); Papertrey button, burlap string

Viva La Verve Butterfly Birthday

If you have not been playing along with this month's Viva La Verve sketches, there's still time before the deadline on Thursday (April 30). But hurry, there are FIVE sketches this month! What are Viva La Verve sketches? Each week, Verve Diva Amber Hight posts a new sketch (with a twist) in the Verve Forum on SCS, and if you complete all of the month's sketches, you can be entered into a drawing for the entire next Verve release. How's that for a prize?

I used the VLVAPR05 sketch (with a few extra layers and a misplaced sentiment - ooops!) for this birthday card. This week's twist is an easy one - make a spring card. The butterflies are from last month's Beautiful Kindness set, and the background pattern and sentiment are from this month's Wishful Elegance. The designer papers are from K&Co's Retro Florals Cardstock Pad.

Guess what?! It's also time for the next Verve Project Parade! Head over to the Verve Stamps blog to see what line leader Jen del Muro has cooked up for today. Our theme this month is "It's a Girl Thing - Celebrating the Women in Our Lives, and the parade will be going on through May 13. You're warmly invited to play along with us. Two random participants will receive $25 gift certificates to the Verve store.

Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!



Stamps: Beautiful Kindness and Wishful Elegance (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Papertrey Vintage Cream, Prismatics Desert Coral Light, Stampin' Up Mellow Moss
Ink: Tsukineko VersaMark, Stampin' Up Always Artichoke craft
Accessories: Offray ribbon, Spellbinders tag die and circle Nestabilities, clear embossing powder, paper piercer, sewing machine
Size: 5 1/2" square

Cheep Cheep

Happy Saturday! I've had Stampin' Up's adorable Cheep Talk set my possession for months, but this is the first time I've used it -- such a fun set to work with! Today's layout comes from Jen's Sketch For You To Try. I took a few liberties with the sketch and changed one of the rectangle panels to a rectangle-shaped grouping of stars, branch, and bird, but I think you'll still see the sketch foundations there. Check out what all the SFYTT gang has put together this week:

Jen del Muro and guest designer Kimberly Crawford
Amy Rohl
Carole Burrage
Kelly Lunceford
Susan Liles

To play along, use Mr. Linky to add your creation over on Jen's blog. If you upload to SCS, use keyword: SFYTT.

I'm keeping it short today so I can get back to my family and the grandparents who are visiting this weekend to help us celebrate my youngest's second birthday. Whew - where does the time go??

How about a proud mama moment? (I haven't done one of those in a while)





Stamps: Cheep Talk (Stampin' Up)
Paper: Papertrey Kraft, SU Kiwi Kiss, My Mind's Eye Bloom & Grow "Bloom" collection
Ink: SU Tangerine Tango, Kiwi Kiss, White craft
Accessories: SU button and ribbon, large and small star punches, and paper piercer; burlap string

Scrappy Birthday

In the broad cardmaking categories of "stampy" and "scrappy," I've long fallen squarely into the stampy camp. Lately though, for fun, I've been experimenting a little bit with the more scrappy look. It takes a long time to teach this old dog new tricks, so most of it is ending up in the trash. But sometimes, like today, I find something that works.

The layered flower and sentiment are from Verve's new Wishful Elegance set, and the die-cut leaves and journaling box are from the Bloom & Grow "Grow" papercrafting kit by My Mind's Eye. I punched some larger circles out of coordinating paper, distressed them and placed them behind the stamped flower to give it a little extra weight. For the stem, I used the pinking border Piercabilities by Spellbinders and then clipped off the points, making it look a little more like ric rac. There it is again ... that Aqua Mist satin ribbon by Papertrey {sigh}... I think I'm in love!



Stamps: Wishful Elegance (Verve Stamps)
Paper: My Mind's Eye Bloom & Grow "Grow" papercrafting kit, Papertrey Aqua Mist card stock
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, SU Garden Green craft, Ranger Antique Linen Distress
Accessories: clear embossing powder, Copic markers, Spellbinders circle Nestabilities, Papertrey Aqua Mist ribbon, distressing tool, sewing machine, foam adhesive
Size: 5 1/2" square

Welcome Little Baby

I am seriously having way too much fun with the papers from My Mind's Eye Bloom and Grow "Grow" collection (that's a mouthful, huh?). Today's card uses an image and sentiment from Children of God by Our Daily Bread Designs. I stamped the image of Jesus with the children (the full image shows a full-length Jesus and also has a young child standing to Jesus's right) in Versafine Onyx Black, clear embossed, and then cut out just the part of the image with Jesus holding the baby. Coloring is done with Copic markers.

All the ivory parts are cut with Spellbinders dies (circle Nestabilities, Labels 4 Nestabilities, and Double Ended Tags) and sponged with Old Paper Distress Ink for an aged look. I popped up the circles for some dimension. The beautiful ribbon is my latest addiction - Papertrey's Aqua Mist satin ribbon. Scrumptious! I colored white brads with a Copic marker to get the aqua color. The die-cut orange border along the bottom was done with the Fancy Scalloped Border Piercabilities, also by Spellbinders.

Hope you're having an awesome week so far!



Stamps: Children of God (Our Daily Bread Designs)
Paper: Papertrey Aqua Mist and Vintage Cream, Prismatics Desert Coral Medium, My Mind's Eye Bloom & Grow "Grow" dp
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Old Paper Distress
Accessories: clear embossing powder; Copic markers; Spellbinders Circle Nestabilities, Labels 4 Nestabilities, Fancy Scalloped Border Piercabilities and Double-Ended Tags; paper piercer; sewing machine; white brads; Papertrey Aqua Mist Luxe Satin Ribbon