Sweet Little Baby Emery

All that new Verve the Divas have been showing off this week? It's now available in the Verve store!!! We had a super fun time at the Release Party last night -- so nice to see so many new and familiar faces chattin' it up. If you missed the party, be sure to check out the winners list. For gorgeous projects using the new stamps, visit the Verve Stamps Gallery. And last, take note of the January Stamp Collection sale! Save 15% through January 31 when you purchase the full collection.

Today's card features a few of the new sets ... the elephant is the Emery Plain Jane (a partial Emery {head and arms} makes an appearance in To the Moon as well, by the way), the swirly light pink label behind him is from Sweet Treats and has been die-cut with the coordinating Classy Label Die, and the kites and sentiment are from To the Moon. I used Charmaine's Viva La Verve, Week 2 sketch again, too - such an awesome sketch!!

Have a fantastic weekend!





Stamps: Sweet Treats, To the Moon, Emery Plain Jane
Paper: Bazzill white card stock, Stampin' Up Whisper White card stock, My Mind's Eye Fine & Dandy Tickled Pink dp
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Versamagic Pixie Dust
Accessories: Verve Classy Label Die, foam adhesive, The Twinery baker's twine, May Arts burlap string, Papertrey buttons, Spellbinders tag die, My Favorite Things Open Scallop Border die, Cuttlebug Seeing Spots embossing folder, Martha Stewart border punch

The Smallest Things

In addition to being release day at Verve, it's also time for the Viva La Verve Week 2 sketch challenge! This year, different Divas are joining Amber in hosting these challenges. We've also changed the challenge to a sketch challenge only (so, no inspiration pictures this year). As with last year, if you complete all of the Viva la Verve sketches for the month, you can enter into a "sketch champions" giveaway for a chance to win the entire next release. The sketch challenges are posted on Fridays, but you have all month to get them done. So pace yourself or cram them all in at the end -- it's all good!

Here's Charmaine's awesome Week 2 sketch:

For my sample, I've combined Verve's two new Plain Janes, Emery and Smallest Things. If you were sitting here with me, you'd hear the pitter patter of my heart for sweet Emery. He's just sooooo adorable - even in pink! And I love how his curled up trunk looks just like a pacifier! I colored him a very light pink with Copic markers, then popped his head and arms up once and his head up a second time. The sentiment (Smallest Things Plain Jane) fit perfectly in the upper right corner of that pink panel. The papers are all from My Mind's Eye Fine & Dandy Tickled Pink 6x6 pad.

Thank you for your super sweet comments yesterday and the day before. I appreciate each and every one so very much! And I love that you all love the new Verve just as much as I do! Hope to see you tonight at 9 pm EST for Verve's Release Party!

Have a happy, happy day!




Stamps: Emery Plain Jane, Smallest Things Plain Jane
Paper: Papertrey Kraft and Rustic White card stock, My Mind's Eye Fine & Dandy Tickled Pink dp
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: Copic markers, foam adhesive, Spellbinders lacy and classic circle dies, May Arts ribbon, Papertrey button and twine, My Favorite Things Open Scallop Border die, paper piercer/needle/thread 
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Look Out, World!

Welcome to Day Three of Verve's New Release Spotlights! Today, we're featuring a baby-themed set, To the Moon, and two Plain Janes, Emery and Smallest Things. And because a new release is something to celebrate, we've hidden a prize on one of the participating blogs each day! Just leave a little comment love as you hop around, and you'll be entered into a drawing to win that day's featured stamps! Deadline for comment entries is 6 pm MT tomorrow (Friday, January 7). Winners will be announced during our release party tomorrow night (which begins at 9 pm EST).

My project features images from the unbelievably cute To The Moon set. You are going to flip when you see these adorable animals and fabulous sentiments! As soon as I saw this set, I knew I'd be making a window frame for one of the sweet animals to be hanging out of. I love the "Look out world" sentiment, too!

The elephant, colored with Copics, has a popped up head for dimension.

 The papers are all from My Mind's Eye's Fine & Dandy True Blue 6x6 pad. I embellished with some different types of stitching (blanket, zigzag, straight), a scallop border, and my newest love affair - baker's twine.

Want more peeks?

1. Julee	8. Debbie
2. Charmaine	9. Sankari
3. Amber	10. Andrea
4 .Amy	11. Tosh
5. Laurie	12. Piali
6. Teresa	13. Maureen
7. Jackie

If you have any catching up to do, you'll find each day's blog hop roster on the Verve blog. Here are the direct links:

Day One Spotlights 

{Swirling Hearts, Sweet Treats

Classy Label Die, Jotted Heart Die, Embossed Oval Die}

Day Two Spotlights 

{Love Notes}

Day Three Spotights 

{To the Moon, Emery PJ, Smallest Things PJ}

Thanks so much for stopping by!




Stamps: To the Moon (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Stampin' Up! Soft Suede card stock, Papertrey Rustic White and White card stock, My Mind's Eye Fine & Dandy True Blue dp
Ink: Ranger Walnut Stain Distress Ink, VersaMagic Aquatic Splash
Accessories: Spellbinders classic squares and Labels Fourteen dies, Copic markers, foam adhesive, The Twinery baker's twine, Papertrey button, paper piercer/needle/thread, 1/4" hold punch, Spellbinders Fancy Scalloped Border die
Size: 5 1/4" square

Love, Love Me Do

This Friday, Verve is releasing some fabulous new sets and dies! To countdown to the release, we’re putting on a series of mini blog hops to preview the new sets! And because a new release is something to celebrate, we’ve hidden a prize on one of the participating blogs each day! Just leave a little comment love as you hop around to be entered into a drawing to win that day’s featured stamps!  Deadline for comment entries is 6PM Mountain Friday, January 7. Winners will be announced at our release party on Friday night!

Hopefully, you had a chance to hop along with the Divas yesterday, but if not, you can get all caught up by visiting yesterday's January New Release Spotlights - Day 1 post on the Verve blog. 

Today, Day 2 (of 3), we're featuring Love Notes, an amazing collection of 26 love-themed sentiments and images. And, yippee skippy, two of the images have coordinating dies!! You will love the mixture of fonts used in these sentiments, too!

Here's my card ...

I fell in love with Amber's Viva La Verve sketch challenge from last Friday and couldn't wait to give it a go! Click on that link for all the challenge deets -- you know it could play to play! Here's the sketch:

I combined different Webster's Pages patterns to create the four-panel background. For the banner/sentiment cluster, I combined stamping, chipboard, some cool Webster's Pages netting, a Pink Paislee Artisan Element, trinket pins, and mini roses. The large heart in the background is from Love Notes. It has been stamped in Antique Linen onto a Webster's Pages paper, then die-cut with the brand-new Jotted Heart die. I stamped the "LOVE love me do" sentiment onto a banner strip, sponged the edges and colored the heart a light peach. The punching along the bottom is two rows of Martha Stewart Swirling Lace borders.

Here's a detail shot:

Ready for more peeks?

1. Laurie	7. Charmaine
2. Tosh	8. Amber
3. Piali	9. Sankari
4.Teresa	10. Debbie
5 .Amy	11. Jackie
6. Julee	12. Andrea

Thanks so much for visiting!



Stamps: Love Notes (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Papertrey Rustic White card stock, Websters Pages Hollywood Vogue/Wonderfall Petite Papers
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Antique Linen and Vintage Photo Distress Inks
Accessories: Verve Jotted Heart Die, Prima roses, Papertrey button, May Arts burlap string, Melissa Frances glittered chipboard heart, Webster's Pages netting, Pink Paislee Artisan Elements, Maya Road trinket pins, lace (unknown), paper piecer/needle/thread, Blush KaiserCraft pearls
Size: 6 1/2" wide x 3 1/4" high

Another Gray Hare

I promised a fun announcement yesterday, but before I get to that, just wanted to let you know that Verve's New Release Spotlights have begun! Head to the Verve blog for a list of all the Divas offering peeks today, and mark your calendar for Friday's release party, at 9 pm EST in the Verve Forum! I can't wait to share my peeks tomorrow and Thursday (truth be told, I can't wait to make them -- how's that for last-minute?).

Today, I'm thrilled to be guest designing for Skipping Stones Design and more specifically guest sketch designing. SSD posts sketch challenges every Tuesday. I encourage you to check them out and play along! I'll be there all month long! For lots more sketch inspiration, head over to Skipping Stones Design to check out what the SSD design team and guests have put together. Plus, there are chances to win goodies! In fact, I have a set to give away today... more on that in a minute.

But first, here's sketch #58:

And here's my card, featuring the super cute and humorous Gray Hares stamp set.

(outside)

(inside)

Awwww, isn't that cute? One of my very best friends is celebrating her birthday today, so I made this with her in mind. Happy Birthday Becky! I did my coloring with Copics, and the papers are all from Basic Grey's Marjolaine 6x6 pad. For the grass, I used the grass Die-namics die by My Favorite Things, and the clouds on the inside were also cut with a Die-namics die. Lots of stitching on this one. I am soooooo over hand-stitching and will be taking my ailing machine in for repair this week! I've been meaning to since before Thanksgiving!!

Would you like to win Gray Hares???

Just leave a comment here on this post for a chance to win! Deadline is Thursday at 11:59 pm EST. I'll do a random drawing and announce a winner on Friday! Good luck!!

Thanks so much for stopping by!!







Stamps: Gray Hares (Skipping Stones Design)
Paper: Papertrey white and Aqua Mist card stock; Basic Grey Marjolaine designer paper
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Papertrey Aqua Mist
Accessories: Spellbinders Lacy Circles Nestabilities, Papertrey button, May Arts white burlap string, green satin ribbon (source unknown), Kaiser black adhesive pearls, My Favorite Things grass and clouds Die-namics dies, Cuttlebug Seeing Spots embossing folder, paper piercer, needle, and thread
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

2010 - A Look Back

... Jumping on the Year of Favorites bandwagon. I hope you enjoy this look back ...

From January 2010

My Little Love Monkey

... my first (and only?) circle card ...

From February 2010

Hop(e) For Haiti

... made for a Skipping Stones Design fundraiser to help Haiti earthquake victims ...

March 2010

Live the Sweet Life

... such a FUN image to color! ...

April 2010

Introducing ... Die-Namics!

... had fun using a clouds die for tree foliage instead...

May 2010

MFTeaser: A Little Loveosaurus

... fun with the Copic colorless blender ...

 

June 2010

Today I Celebrate You

... PURPLE in my favorites? ...

July 2010

Shindig

... LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this Penny Black image ...

August 2010

Verve New Release Spotlight: Great Friend

... WAY out of character for me ...

September 2010

Follow The Star

... incredible image ...

October 2010

Pile of Penguins

... cute, cute, cute image! ...

November 2010

Indie Girl PI

... you know my list wouldn't be complete without a Pure Innocence girl ...

December 2010

Backyard Cardinal

... I surprised myself with this one a little bit. You know, one of those "I can't believe I made this" moments ...

I don't do nearly as many non-card projects as I'd like, but here's a handful from 2010:

MFT Blog Hop: Lovin' From the Oven

 

MFTeaser: You Make the Grade

Impression Obsession Week: Day Three

 

Tiki Hut Treat Box

 

Teacher Gift Card Tin: Take Two

Verve's Triple Play Project Parade 

 Stop in tomorrow for a fun announcement!

There's No Bunny Like You

Happy New Year, blog friends! My wish for you is your best year yet!

Today is an exciting day for the Sketch For You To Try girls, as we kick off the New Year with a brand-new monthly format and an awesome January sponsor -- The Cat's Pajamas. New sketches and design team samples will be posted the first Saturday of the month. Look for additional samples throughout each month, too. Play once a month or as many times as you like. Those who enter at least once every single month will be eligible for a year-end grand prize valued at more than $200. Head over to Jen's blog for all the details on that! And when you've got your card made, just link it up to Jen's post to be "officially" entered. And remember to use keyword SFYTT if you upload to online galleries.

Without further ado, here's the January sketch:

And here's my sample:

I chose to work with the adorable Skating Bunny from The Cat's Pajamas. I had so much fun coloring him up (or should I say not coloring, since I kept him mostly white?) to match some fun Merry January papers by We R Memory Keepers. I stamped the image on both white and Papertrey's Rustic Cream card stock. The rustic cream matched the papers best, but I still wanted a white bunny. I just trimmed out the white one and popped it upon the cream one. Some of the details include: ivory acrylic paint lightly brushed onto the edges of the designer papers, stitching around the background perimeter, some ivory trim peeking out below that plaid horizontal band, an Open Scallop border die-cut along the right (die by My Favorite Things), some black adhesive pearls, and some glitter around the skate. I love how the sentiment is tucked in between the bunny's ears. I thought about flipping the sketch mirror-image, so the sentiment circle would be on the other side, but this way was much more fun!

Have a look at these gorgeous sketch samples ...

Jen del Muro
Amber Hight
Amy Rohl
Carole Burrage (out this week)
Jodi Collins
Kelly Lunceford
Kerry Johnson
Leigh O’Brien
Megan Lock
Sony Christoph (out this week)
Susan Liles
and guest designer Kim Teasdale (also a brand-spankin' new member of the Dream Team. Congrats, Kim!)

Thanks so much for stopping by, and once again, HAPPY NEW YEAR to all!




Stamps: Skating Bunny (The Cat's Pajamas)
Paper: Papertrey Black, Ripe Avocado, Rustic Cream, and White card stock; We R Memory Keepers Merry January designer paper
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Old Paper Distress Inks
Accessories: ivory acrylic paint; paper piercer, needle, and thread; Papertrey Ripe Avocado Stitched ribbon and black button, Maya Road ivory trim, May Arts burlap string, Spellbinders Label die, My Favorite Things Open Scallop Border Die-namics, Copic markers, quickie glue pen, ultrafine clear glitter