Life...

Life sometimes gets 'in the way' of crafting. Lately there really does seem to be too much to do, and too little time. *sigh* I think I need to set aside some time for another crafting session, but first I need to get my craft room re-cleaned up (and really cleaned OUT). All the 'stuff' I've collected for this fabulous craft sometimes becomes a hindrance to creativity rather than a boost for it, KWIM? I think it's time for a clean sweep, and a bit of reorganization! *wink*

Alrighty, enough rambling...onto the card!
I absolutely love this set (Beautiful You) from Verve. It was a set for their 1-year anniversary, and each of the design team members picked a favorite quotation, so it is VERY versatile, and it has a beautiful floral image that is great as a focal or as a background image. Verve's stamps are clear polymer (aka 'acrylic'), and they are super high-quality...nice and thick, and give great detail and very clear stamping.

I stamped the 'Life' sentiment onto a scrap of Very Vanilla using Ruby Red ink, and mounted it to a scrap of Ruby Red CS, adding three self-adhesive rhinestones to accent the sentiment. Next, I stamped a panel of Kraft CS with the flower image using Ruby Red ink. The card base is a standard A2-sized card in Bashful Blue. I stamped a border along one edge using Versamark ink and Martha Stewart Crafts 'Clear Pattern Stamps' polka-dot border (it's actually stamped twice, and since the stamp is clear, aligning the pattern was EPLS). I tied a bit of satin vanilla ribbon around the base, then adhered the Kraft panel, and attached the matted sentiment to the top using foam tape.

This was a *very* quick card, and the layout is one that would be easily adapted for other cards (and it's a great way to use up scraps! *wink*)

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend! Thanks for stopping by!
~Michelle

Supplies used:
Paper: Bashful Blue, Ruby Red, Kraft, Very Vanilla CS (SU!)
Ink: Versamark (Tsukineko); Ruby Red (SU!)
Stamps: Beautiful You (Verve Stamps); Clear Pattern Stamps (Martha Stewart Crafts)
Other: foam mounting tape (3M); satin ribbon (Offray); rhinestones (Michael's)

Verve's Project Parade #2

I just had to do another project for the Verve January Project Parade 'Kid at Heart' theme this month! *grins*

This time, I went with a super quick covered lollipop...you could whip these up for a class room of kiddos in no time flat! (I might reserve the Prima embellished one for the teacher, or maybe give her a whole bouquet! *wink*)

I punched two scalloped circles of DP using my purple Marvy Uchida punch, and adhered them to both sides of the lollipop with glue dots. Then I created a layered flower with some Primas and a button, and attached it to one side:
Then on the other side, I attached a punched circle of Whisper White, which was stamped with the Winnie the Pooh sentiment from 'Beautiful You' and colored with a ZIG Writer:
Soooooooooo EPLS!!

Thanks for stopping by today!
~Michelle

Supplies used:
Paper: polka dot DP (Fancy Pants)
Ink: Stazon Jet Black (Tsukineko)
Stamps: Beautiful You (Verve Stamps)
Other: flowers (Prima Marketing); button (Foofala); ZIG Writer, Zots adhesive dots (ThermoWeb)

Growing pains

Don't get me wrong, I {love} how this card turned out. But it took me *so* long to finish this card! My word for this year is 'GROWTH'. I've been striving for growth in all areas of my life, and that includes card-making, so I've been trying to stretch myself in terms of colors, layouts, patterns, challenges, you name it. And I'm feeling the stretch, and in the end, it really, really is good. (But it can still be frustrating in the midst of the growth!)

Anyhoo, enough about me, and back to to the card. This one is for Julee's fabulous Mojo Monday Challenge #72. {Love} this sketch! The stretch for me on this one came with the mix of patterned papers. I started by pulling out some gorgeous Scenic Route 'Sonoma' line DP, and went from there...
The card base is an 11" x 4 1/4" piece of textured red CS, folded to a 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" card base. Next I layered on a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of DP, and used that for the rest of my colors. I cut a 1 1/2" by 4 1/4" strip of a coordinating DP, and a 2" x 4 1/4" strip of the textured CS, which I scalloped on one edge using my small corner rounder. I attached both to the base, tied on a vanilla satin ribbon, and continued with the main image panel. I cut a 1 1/2" x 3 3/4" piece of So Saffron CS, and layered it on top of a 2" x 4 1/4" panel of the textured CS, and scalloped the bottom edge with the small corner rounder again. The I stamped the butterfly sentiment onto a scrap of Very Vanilla CS, cut it to 1 7/8" width, and layered it onto a 2" wide strip of the red. I punched a scalloped circle from the red CS, and mounted it to the sentiment using foam tape. The butterfly was stamped onto a pink tag, trimmed closely, and attached using one layer of foam tape at the center, and two layers under the wings. To finish off the card, I added the 3 half-back pearls at the bottom right corner.

Here's to a little bit more growth! *cheers* Thanks for stopping by!
~Michelle

Supplies used:
Paper: red textured CS (Bazzill); patterned papers ('Sonoma' by Scenic Route)
Ink: Distress Fired Brick (Ranger)
Stamps: Beautiful You (Verve); September KOTM (Unity Stamp Co.)
Other: foam tape (3M); 2" scalloped circle punch (Marvy Uchida); pearls (Michael's); satin ribbon (unknown)

Kid at {Heart}

As soon as I saw that the theme for this month's Verve Project Parade was 'Kid at Heart', I immediately had this idea (it just took me almost two weeks to get around to making it!). Who didn't love conversation hearts as a kid?? I get nostalgic when I see them in the store around Valentine's Day, so, that's what I based my project on!

I took a box of conversation hearts, and first covered them with red CS (cut 4" x 8", and scored at 2 1/2", 3/4", 2 1/2", and 3/4", with the left over amount for taping at the back), then a piece of pink CS, cut to the same dimensions, but punched on each long edge with my Martha Stewart scalloped punch. I cut a 1" strip of red CS as a 'belly band', and tied on some black gingham ribbon for a little 'punch'. I took a scrap of the pink CS, stamped the 'Fun is Good' from Verve's Beautiful You set, and punched it out with my blue Marvy scalloped punch. After coloring in the letters with a ZIG Writer, I attached it using foam tape, and then added a little layered Prima flower to the corner. It was fast and easy, and you can still open the end to get to the candy inside! *wink*
Hope you have a great day! Thanks for stopping by!
~Michelle

Supplies used:
Paper: red and pink CS (Valentine pack from Michael's ...not sure of the brand)
Ink: Stazon Jet Black (Tsukineko)
Stamps: Beautiful You (Verve Stamps)
Other: ZIG Writers; black gingham ribbon (JoAnn's); flowers (Prima); brad (Making Memories); foam tape (3M); Sweethearts (Necco)

HHH and Verve Looking for Love

Happy HHH!

(To see all the participants in today's blog hop, head over to the Unity blog) Now, on to the card! *grins*

This is the last of the Verve 'Looking For Love' release challenges (VSLFL4), and it was another sketch challenge (Julee always has *amazing* sketches!). I also made it to fit two other challenges, yesterday's HHT 'Unity Dazzle' challenge to create a card using rhinestones, and Joy (aka Daiseyfreak)'s challenge to make a love-themed card using ShortCuts products if you have 'em (and I do, so I did!).
I started with a ShortCuts frosted acetate card blank, and then built up my layers based on the sketch. The textured CS is by Bazzill, but I'm not sure of the color...I bought it at the same time that I bought this DP, and never noted the name (sorry!). Might be Papaya?

I stamped the Distressed Dot Butterfly from Unity's September KOTM, and reverse-masked it so that I could sponge on the Apricot Appeal and Regal Rose ink. THEN, I GOT TO USE MY NEW NESTABILITES DIES FOR THE FIRST TIME!!! Seriously excited about that...they really are all that everyone says that they are! I even did the embossing with the die, and used it as a stencil for sponging more Apricot Appeal ink around the edge...SO COOL! I attached the die-cut parts using some foam mounting tape. Check it out:
Of course, I added the obligatory bling *wink*, and a lovey sentiment from the July KOTM (which was inked with Apricot Appeal and then sponged on some Regal Rose before stamping...you can see that better if you click on the image to see the bigger version).

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to check out the other HHH bloggers! Have a great weekend!
~Michelle

Supplies used:
Paper: Frosted acetate card blank (ShortCuts); textured CS (Bazzill); patterned paper (Scenic Route)
Ink: Apricot Appeal, Regal Rose, Close to Cocoa (SU!)
Stamps: butterfly from September KOTM, sentiment from July KOTM (Unity Stamp Co.)
Other: Nestabilities 'Labels Two' dies (Spellbinders); foam mounting tape (3M); makeup sponge; rhinestones (Michael's)

Feelin' the Verve...

Yesterday was a *very* productive day for me, stamping-wise (can't say the same about my house...). I even managed to keep my desk in the same state of near-cleanness by putting things back in their home after I used them, and depleted a bit more of my humongous paper stash!

So, Verve is having a set of 4 challenges for its newest release (which will be tomorrow), and completing them gives you the chance to win the new releases! Isn't that cool? Yesterday, I managed to finish the first three:

VSLFL1:
The first challenge is a color challenge...Kraft, Riding Hood Red, and Blush Blossom. Unfortunately, I don't have a Blush Blossom stamp pad, and could only find a small scrap of Blush Blossom CS, so this is what I came up with:
The card is an 11" x 4 1/4" Kraft CS base (folded in half to make the A2 size), with a strip of Riding Hood Red that I stamped with Versamark and punched one edge using my new Martha Stewart border punch. I attached a butterfly punched from Blush Blossom CS (lifting the wings a bit for dimension), and tied on some $1 bin ribbon that matched the Kraft *exactly*. Super CAS (clean and simple), and so fast!


VSLFL2:

The second challenge is a sketch challenge...and the sketch had scallops on one side, but I wanted to make a 'masculine' card and use up some of the paper from a kit I bought from Cocoa Daisy awhile back, so I substituted some orange lazer-cut paper.
Seriously LOVING this card. I love the colors, love that I used some more of that fab Tinkering Ink paper, and love that I finally found a color match for those Pebbles candy dots! *wink* The panel with the sentiment is popped up on my beloved foam mounting tape (naturally), and that brown 'ribbon' is actually paper curling ribbon I bought at Ikea last year!


VSLFL3:

This challenge was a sketch also. And I had more issues than I would have thought...those two stripes kinda threw me for a loop, but I powered through!
I used my new border punch again, and the Chloe's Closet paper and blossoms that I used on my Unity challenge card yesterday. I just love the colors, and I finally figured out why when I made this card: they're *exactly* the colors I used in the boys' nursery (I didn't find out the sex of either of my kids before they were born, so I did 'neutral' baby colors). Makes me love this paper just that much more! *grins*

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget that HIP HOP returns today!! *doing the happy dance!*
~Michelle

Supplies used (VSLFL1):
Paper: Kraft, Riding Hood Red, Blush Blossom CS (SU!)
Ink: Versamark (Tsukineko)
Stamps: Beautiful You (Verve Stamps)
Other: Butterfly punch, scalloped border punch (Martha Stewart Crafts)

Supplies used (VSLFL2):
Paper: Kraft CS (SU!); blue CS (Bazzill); 'Peavy' DP from the Gibson collection (Tinkering Ink); 'Gossip Hazard' lace paper (KI Memories)
Ink: Chocolate Chip (SU!)
Stamps: Beautiful You (Verve Stamps)
Other: I*Kan*Dee candy dots (Pebbles, Inc.); paper ribbon (Ikea); foam mounting tape (3M)

Supplies used (VSLFL3):
Paper: So Saffron and Whisper White CS, Wild Wasabi textured CS (SU!); Chloe's Closet DP (Making Memories)
Ink: Wild Wasabi (SU!)
Stamps: Beautiful You (Verve Stamps)
Other: Apricot seam binding and scalloped border punch (Martha Stewart Crafts); Paper Blossoms and Buttons (Making Memories); foam mounting tape (3M)

5 cards in one night!

Yes, you read that correctly...I made 5 (five...FIVE!) cards last night! They're all for the Verve Holiday Release Sketch Blitz, and I'm going to show you all 5 of them right now! (I know, I'm spoiling you. Just remember this doesn't happen often!) However, because of the number of pictures and projects, I'm not going to give a step-by-step for these...please forgive me! If you have a question, *please* leave a comment or shoot me an email, and I'll answer in a future post! *smiles*
VSHR1 - No Small Miracles
Supplies used: Paper: Kraft, Whisper White, and Chocolate Chip CS (SU!)
Ink: Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip (SU!)
Stamps: Beautiful You (Verve Stamps)
Other: satin ribbon (Club Wedd by Target); foam tape (3M)

VSHR2 - Fun is Good.
Supplies used:
Paper: Basic Black textured CS, Very Vanilla CS (SU!); green textured CS (Bazzill); 'Hello Sunshine' DP (Cosmo Cricket)
Ink: Stazon Jet Black (Tsukineko); Peeled Paint, Spiced Marmalade Distress inks (Ranger Industries); Summer Sun, Real Red, Ruby Red (SU!)
Stamps: Beautiful You (Verve Stamps); 'Remember Happiness' August KOTM (Unity Stamp Co.)
Other: corner rounder (EK Success); Coluzzle circle cutting system; brads (Bazzill); blender pens (SU!)

VSHR3 - Dance, sing, live.
Supplies used:
Paper: Wild Wasabi, Blush Blossom, and Very Vanilla CS (SU!); Two Scoops DP (Basic Grey)
Ink: Wild Wasabi (SU!); Versamark (Tsukineko)
Stamps: Beautiful You (Verve Stamps)
Other: Swiss Dot embossing folder (Cuttlebug); corner rounder (EK Success); embossing powder, Wild Wasabi striped grosgrain (SU!)

VSHR4 - It's the little things...
Supplies used:
Paper: Old Olive, So Saffron, Very Vanilla CS (SU!); Butterfly Polka Dot DP (Daisy D's)
Ink: Stazon Jet Black (Tsukineko); Real Red, Not Quite Navy, Summer Sun, Apricot Appeal, Old Olive (SU!)
Stamps: July KOTM, October KOTM (Unity Stamp Co.)
Other: satin ribbon (Club Wedd by Target); foam tape (3M); blender pens (SU!)

VSHR5 - What's Cookin'?
Supplies used:
Paper: Very Vanilla regular and textured CS (SU!); red textured CS (Bazzill); floral DP (Bo Bunny)
Ink: Stazon Jet Black (Tsukineko); Bordering Blue, Real Red, Summer Sun, Going Gray, Wild Wasabi, Close to Cocoa (SU!)
Stamps: Lovin' from the Oven (Unity Stamp Co.)
Other: gingham ribbon (JoAnn's); foam tape (3M); blending sponge

Thanks for stopping by today! Have a fantastic weekend!
~Michelle