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

Peaceful Wishes

Have you played along in November's Sketch For You To Try challenge? Here's what we're playing with this month:

I'm in love with the wintry tree pattern that I used in the background (from Prima's North Country 6x6 pad, a gift from Michelle at Stamper's Dream) and was a little reluctant to cover up a single square inch of it. But layers triumphed, which wasn't too surprising given all the fabulous new Verve I've been playing with lately. The snowflakes, from last year's Glad Tidings set, are stamped, then die-cut with the new Snowflake Tidings Die Set. I topped them with gorgeous mother-of-pearl buttons (from Pizzazz Aplenty), then layered them over a Lovely Marquee diecut and a Rounded Scallop Frame die-cut. Distressing, satin ribbon, and crochet trim add a little oomph.

 

All Verve's newly released stamps and dies are available in the Verve Stamps store. Be sure to note the savings when you purchase the bundles! See all the new releases HERE!

Also ... don't miss the Holiday Sale! Save 20% on select holiday stamps and dies!

---

Football season finished last Saturday with a championship win for my son's team -- woohoo!! They finished the season with an impressive 12-0 record, including five shutouts. Even more impressive, they never even trailed during a game and allowed their opponents only 50 total points all season (compared to their 256)! Definitely a season to remember -- Go Mustangs! I have to confess, I'm a little lost without a football game to anchor our Saturday. A little Breaking Dawn should fill the gap nicely, don't you think? ;) Stamping, too!

Here's my champion with his proud mama:

Enjoy your weekend!




Stamps: Glad Tidings (Verve Stamps) 
Paper: Papertrey Fine Linen, Dark Chocolate, Ocean Tides, and Vintage Cream card stock, Prima North Country 6x6 pad 
Ink: Ranger Walnut Stain and Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink, Stampin' Up Crumb Cake, Papertrey Ocean Tides 
Accessories: Verve Snowflake Tidings die set, Lovely Marquee die, Rounded Scallop Frame die; Pizzazz Aplenty mother of pearl buttons, foam adhesive, corner rounder, Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder, distressing tool, Papertrey Fine Linen satin ribbon, May Arts crochet trim, Lil' Inker Designs sentiment flag die
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Nuts About You

Thought I'd pop in and share a little treat that the staff at my children's elementary school are getting today from the PTO. I thought this adorable acorn idea that I found via Pinterest (thanks for pinning it, Laurie Schmidlin!) would work perfectly with Lil' Inker's equally adorable Acorn Die & Stamp Set.

I used mini nutter butters (found packaged in plastic cups at grocery and convenience stores) and Hershey Kisses to make the acorns. For the stems, I used a frosting bag and small round tip to squeeze out just a smidge of melted Wilton dark cocoa candy melts (available at craft stores). Mini chocolate chips (shown in the original idea) would work, too -- the candy melts were a bit more efficient for me. Hopefully you can kind of see the acorns in the above photo. I didn't think to photograph them before bagging them all up.

The tag dies are by Verve (Tabbed Rectangle for some and Sweet Scallop for the others). The acorn and sentiment flag dies are by Lil Inker Designs. The acorn bottom, cap, and (one) leaf are all part of the same die, so the fun part was cutting out a bunch and then mixing and matching colors and patterns. You know I would have stuck a button on there if I didn't have so many to make! Some combos turned out better than others, of course. Here are a few more:

And here's all 64, boxed up and ready to take over to the school!

Sorry I haven't had anything else to blog this week :)  Have a super weekend, my sweet, stampin' friends!