Wanted: Peace on Earth

Today's card features a new holiday image from Impression Obsession - Stockings. As soon as I saw this image, I knew I wanted to go with a rustic look. The monochromatic stockings are watercolored with various brown/neutral Tim Holtz Distress Inks (Antique Linen, Old Paper, Frayed Burlap, Brushed Corduroy, Vintage Photo, and Walnut Stain), and the colorful fruit is done with Tombow markers. The fabric strip behind the image is something from my stash (once upon a long time ago, something, maybe a gift basket, was tied with yards and yards of this stuff - of course I saved it!). On top of that is a length of brown twill, and last is a button/burlap ribbon/twine accent. Love all the texture these materials add! The sage green woodgrain patterned paper is from Cosmo Cricket's Wanted Mini-Deck. Vintage brads, zigzag stitching on the image panel, and lots of distressing complete the look. Stockings and tons of other Impression Obsession holiday images are available at Stamper's Dream.

One small detail: I hand-stitched around the patches on the stockings with some ivory heavyweight thread.

Thanks for visiting!



Stamps: Stockings (Impression Obsession)
Paper: Prismatics Ivory Simply Smooth card stock, Strathmore Series 400 watercolor paper, Cosmo Cricket Wanted Mini-Deck
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Tim Holtz Distress Inks by Ranger
Accessories: clear embossing powder, Tombow markers, water brush, distressing tool, needle and thread, SU vintage brads, fabric strip, Offray brown twill, SEI burlap ribbon, Papertrey button, May Arts burlap string, foam adhesive
Size: 5 1/2" square

Happy Birthday Matilda

I am loving all the awesome new Cosmo Cricket 6x6 Mini Decks! The Halloween prints in Matilda are completely adorable, and I can't wait to cut into them, but for today, I've used some of the non-Halloween-specific patterns to create a birthday card. The cake, cupcake, sentiment, and star accents are all from Birthday Bash by Verve. I colored the image with Copics and accented with clear glitter. The focal panel is cut with the new Lacey Circles Nestabilities (I'm giving these things a real workout!). I added some hand-stitching around the circle panels and the background layer as well. The sentiment tag also includes a circle frame stamp from Happy Hello (another thing that's getting quite the workout - I think I've used that little circle on almost all of my Verve projects lately!).

The layout is from Julee's Mojo 155 sketch.

It's a contest this week, too, which means if you play along and link your creation to the Mojo Monday blog, you have a chance to win a Verve set of your choice. Do you know I acquired my very first Verve stamps by winning a Mojo contest? I bet it was two and half years ago at least, and oh, how my collection has grown!

Here's a little detail shot:

As always, thanks so much for stopping by. Your visits are a highlight of my day!



Stamps: Birthday Bash, Happy Hello (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Papertrey Vintage Cream and Plum Pudding card stock, Cosmo Cricket Matilda 6x6 Mini Deck
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Spun Sugar Distress, Stampin' Up So Saffron
Accessories: Spellbinders Lacey Circle Nestabilities, Copic markers, Sakura Quickie glue pen, Art Institute clear ultrafine glitter, Papertrey ribbon, Stampin' Up binder clip, Creative Memories 1" circle punch, My Favorite Things Die-namics Scalloped Scallops border die, needle and thread, SU dimensionals
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" (A2)

For a Berry Special Friend

The slightest hint of crispness in the air, a schoolbus rumbling down the hill this morning, late summer's garden bounty ... Fall is on the way! Before I get knee-deep into all things Halloween and Christmas here on the bog, I just had to give summer a farewell with this sweet Strawberry Girl digi image from Mo's Digital Pencil. I printed onto Neenah card stock and colored with Copics and Prismacolor pencils. The papers are from October Afternoon's Fly A Kite 8x8 pad. I stamped the sentiment (from Feelin' Fruity by My Favorite Things) onto a cloud that I die-cut with MFT's Cloud Trio Dienamics. Finished with the usual suspects -- sponging, twine, ribbon, stitching, a button....

Have a great week, friends!



Stamps: Strawberry Girl (Mo's Digital Pencil), Feelin' Fruity (My Favorite Things)
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White card stock, October Afternoon Fly A Kite, Papertrey Rustic Cream, Stampin' Up Riding Hood Red and Chocolate Chip
Ink: Stampin' Up So Saffron, Ranger Old Paper, Vintage Cream, Walnut Stain Distress Inks
Accessories: Labels Ten Nestabilities, MFT Cloud Trio Die-namics, Copic markers, Prismacolor pencils/Gamsol/blending stumps, Martha Stewart butterfly punch, Stampin' Up ribbon, May Arts burlap string, Papertrey button, needle and thread, foam adhesive
Size: 6" square

Cheers Throughout the Years SFYTT

Today's Sketch For You To Try is one that I can see myself coming back to again and again - hope you'll play along! My sample uses Winter View by Impression Obsession. I stamped the focal image in Forest Moss Distress Ink, then added a hint of blue color to the ornament using Copic Markers (BG0000 and BG000). (And I learned something new in the process ... I was able to color over the distress ink with the Copics without any bleeding. Didn't realize that about the distress inks - wonder if all of them hold up to Copics?) See the pine garland peeking out from under the ribbon/label treatment? It's part of the Winter View set, too. I stamped it in Ranger Forest Moss Distress ink, fussy cut around the branches, and sponged the edges.

The papers are from the new Cosmo Cricket Mitten Weather designer paper. Loving the wintry colors included in this collection, but I will say, I had a beastly time photographing this one. It really looks quite different in real life. Have another look in different lighting:

Still doesn't do it justice, but hopefully you'll get the idea :)

Here's the sketch for the week:

And here's the gang of sample-makers:

Jen del Muro with a brand-new guest designer, Tori Wild (welcome, Tori!!)
Amber Hight
Amy Rohl
Carole Burrage
Jenn Diercks
Jodi Collins
Kelly Lunceford
Leigh O'Brien
Megan Lock
Sonja Christoph
Susan Liles

To play along, just link up your sketch creation to Jen's blog using the linky widget. Remember to use keyword SFYTT in online galleries, too - makes it easier to find each other!

Hope you have a great weekend!



Stamps: Winter View by Impression Obsession
Paper: Prismatics Island Mist Light card stock, Neenah Classic Crest Natural White card stock, Papertrey Rustic Cream card stock, Cosmo Cricket Mitten Weather designer paper
Ink: Ranger Forest Moss, Old Paper, Pumice Stone Distress Inks
Accessories: Copic markers; Spellbinders lacey circle Nestabilities, classic circle Nestabilities, and label die; Kaisercraft pearls (Bliss Blue); foam adhesive; May Arts ivory burlap string; natural 5/8" twill
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" (A2)

Taylored Expressions Birthday Bash!

Guess who's turning TWO? Taylored Expressions! I'm thrilled to join in with a group of fabulous stampers to help celebrate with a Birthday Bash Blog Hop. If you arrived here from Laurie, you're right on track. When you're finished here, your next stop will be Ana. And if you just happened to stop by, swing by Taylor's blog to get started!

TE has just released a host of new stamps, which are all available in the TE store. Check out these awesome specials, too:

- Purchase ANY 4 full-size stamp sets and receive a free Binder Box
- Purchase ANY 8 A la Carte stamps and receive a free set of Stamp Storage Panels
- FOUR orders will be selected at random (one each day from Friday - Monday) to win a $25 TE gift certificate.

Among the new releases is an adorable A La Carte belated series. Every single one of these is right up my alley! I especially couldn't resist Belated Birthday - Stand Out. The birds are just way too cute!

The sentiment comes in two parts - perfect for finishing the inside:

I did my coloring with Copics and Prismacolor pencils. The papers are from Cosmo Cricket's new Togetherness mini deck, and the various die-cuts were cut with MFT's Die-namics.

Congratulations to Taylor on two years in business! Can't wait to see what's coming this next year!!

Thanks, everyone, for visiting, and don't forget to hop on over to Ana next!

Hugs,




Stamps: Belated Birthday - Stand Out (Taylored Expressions)
Paper: Papertrey Harvest Gold, White, and Kraft card stock, Cosmo Cricket Togetherness Mini Deck
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Up So Saffron, Ranger Frayed Burlap Distress Ink
Accessories: Copics, Prismacolor pencils/Gamsol/blending stumps, foam adhesive, Papertrey buttons, May Arts burlap string, 5/8" natural twill, MFT Die-namics, white liquid applique
Size: 5 1/2 x 4 1/4" (A2)

Verve Project Parade: Something Old, Something New

It's Project Parade time at Verve, and today is my day to post. Our challenge this month is to use a previously released Verve stamp set with one of the new sets that was just released on August 20th. Hope you'll visit me over at the Verve blog today for more info on my Something Old, Something New project:

There are two chances to win Verve goodies:

1. Play along with us and link up your new SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW creation (posted August 25th or later) to the linky widget on the DAY 1 PARADE POST before midnight on Wednesday, September 15th. One lucky stamper will win a $30.00 gift certificate to the Verve Store. (By the way, if you don't have the newest Verve sets, no worries, just mix an older set from your stash with a "new to you" stamp set and join the fun!)

2. For another chance to win, be sure to give the Divas a little shout-out in the comments section of the Verve blog as we parade our SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW creations. One lucky commenter during the course of the parade will win the Verve stamp set of his or her choosing!


Thanks for stopping by!





Stamps: Love Story, Grateful Elegance, Swan Song, One Person (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Papertrey Rustic Cream card stock, Basic Grey Cappella designer paper
Ink: Ranger Pumice Stone, Old Paper, and Bundled Sage Distress inks
Accessories: Spellbinders scalloped circle and label dies, R0000 and R000 Copic markers, Clear Spica pen, foam adhesive, Kaiser pearls, sponge daubers, Offray ivory ribbon, trim (unknown), clear embossing powder, May Arts ivory burlap string, Tim Holtz "Ornate" Alterations die, Webster's Pages sparkler
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" (A2)

Just Because

Sorry I've been so quiet. My older two kids go back to school next week, so I'm trying to spend as much time with them as I can. I'm ready for them to go back, and yet, at the same time, I'm not ready. I'm sure all you moms can relate!

Today's card is one that I made for Verve's most recent release and haven't yet shared here. It's another out-of-character clean and simple one. I must have been in a CAS mood, because I made it the same day I made this one, using the same set. It was fun doing something different! The white flower outline and the sentiment are from Great Friend. I used a circle image from Happy Hello to make the scalloped border along the left. The same circle stamp is also behind the sentiment.

Have you checked out Verve's current project parade yet? It started last week, so if you haven't tuned in yet, you've got six amazing Diva projects to check out! Play along and/or leave comment love for chances to win Verve goodies! Check out the Verve blog for our current theme and all the details. I'll be posting on Friday - can't wait!



p.s. I cannot even believe it's September already!

Stamps: Great Friend, Happy Hello
Paper: Papertrey Hawaiian Shores, Prism Simply Smooth white, Stampin' Up black
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Stampin' Up white
Accessories: clear embossing powder, Stampin' up circle and label punches, Martha Stewart butterfly punch, Papertrey ribbon