Verve Anni-Verve-sary Sneak Peek Day 3

Featured Products: Coffee (illustrated by Chaitali Narla), 

Coffee Word Die, Cuppa Joe Die Set

Oh how we love Anni-Verve-sary week!

All week long the Divas will be spotlighting new stamps and dies and each day there's a chance to win a $50 gift code to Verve just for commenting on our posts! So tune in each day for a new spotlight and a fresh chance to win.

Everything previewed this week will be available for purchase in the Verve online store on Saturday 8/30.

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Diva Laurie was your last stop on the hop and you are on the home stretch!

Yep, this is me. Anything is possible as long as I smell my cup of coffee in the morning or afternoon... or in the late hours of the night. I decided to make a little chalkboard style card in a sweet little proper boutique style with pattern paper and all. This stamp set even comes with it's own little spoon! Swoon!

It's time to hop on over to Christyne's blog! Have a great day!

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Want to win some shiny new Verve? We'll be picking a random commenter on one of the hop spots below to win a $50 gift code to Verve! So be sure to leave a little comment on each blog on the list to increase your chances! Check out the Verve Blog today for full set reveals and all the prize info and deadlines!

1. Julee 8. Stacey 2. Teresa 9. Maureen 3. Chaitali 10. Laurie 4. Amber 11. Janelle 5. Charmaine 12. Christyne 6. Marisa 13. Jen 7. Monika {Guest}

Details:
Stamps: Coffee (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Bohemian Bamboo (Prima), Chocolate and White cardstock (Wausau), Metallic Silver cardstock
Ink: Cocoa (CTMH), Jet Black (StazOn, Tsukineko), Picket Fence marker (Ranger Distress Marker)
Accessories: Cuppa Joe Die Set and Classy Label Die (A Cut Above, Verve), Rust Ribbon (Autumn Elements Ribbon Collection, Verve)

Stampendous July 2014 Catalog Sneak Peek!

This week the design team at Stampendous is posting sneak peeks for the NEW July 2014 Catalog! Keep checking on the Stampendous blog daily for a hop list of designers.

Details:
Stamps: Scraggly Cat, Tricky Words and Damask Bats Background (Stampendous)
Paper: White cardstock (Neenah), colored cardstock (Bazzill Basics®)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark Watermark (Tsukineko), colored pencils (Prismacolor)
Accessories: Spoonful of Midnight Kit (Stampendous), Aged Wine Embossing Enamel (Stampendous),  Color Fragments in Ochre, Caramel and Purple (Stampendous), ribbon (MayArts), 3-in-1 Glue (Beacon Adhesives)

Congrats to the Grads using Stampendous

Stampendous has some great (and cute) graduation images and sentiments. This particular cutie is of House-Mouse Design® called Graduate.

I was a little nostalgic with this image as it was colored with all Prismacolor markers and colored pencils. I haven't done that in forever! It really colored up quickly and I was able to add some fun depth using both coloring mediums.

You can find a few more wonderful images from Stampendous by searching on their website under Congratulations.

Details:
Stamps: Graduate and Dreams Come True (Stampendous)
Paper: White (Neenah), Charcoal and Pewter (Wausau)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento, Tsukineko), Prismacolor markers and colored pencils
Accessories: Yellow Mica Fragments (Stampendous)

Dream It Up with Stampendous for my Inspirations

It's the fourth day of our Stampendous Stamps and Dreamweaver Stencils collaboration and I've just been thrilled to see so much inspiring ways to combine our talents and products. I hope you have also had a great time walking through the blogs each day and getting familiar with some new to you products as well as new ways to use them.

It's also the fourth week of my guest designing spot with the Dreamweaver Stencils Team and I'm so glad to have been a part of this fun group of designers. Thank you ever so much for YOU inspiring me through your designs.

Now are you ready for my collaboration card?

I've combined flowers from Cling Blossom Beauty, coordinating Blossom Beauty Die Cuts in  and the butterfly from Butterfly Tune Rubber Stamp with some splash of color using Prismacolor Pencils.

The textured background is something that I played around with and ended up loving and waiting for the right design to come along and include it. To my delight this combination just went so well together. Let me tell you how it was created.

I started out with a monoprint page using the Creative Palette and acrylic paints. The embossed design is done with the LJ929 Pop Rectangles Stencil and Translucent Embossing Paste. Once that was dry a brown acrylic paint was brushed around the page and rubbed off in a circular motion to push the paint into the edge of the embossing. It turned out so well I'm going to be doing that more often. 

A classic sentiment is stamped from the Loving Messages Stamp Set and tucked in under a flower.

Here's close-up of the colored images and the embossed background paper.

This week there is another reason to come along with us in the blog list every day. It's going to be worth your while if you do! There are prizes for those who stop and comment on each blog every day this week. If you are just now getting in on the excitement, here are the blog post from Stampendous for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Today you can just start hopping at the beginning of this blog list or continue on to Louise Healy if you have already been hopping with us! Enjoy!

Stampendous Blog

Dream It Up! 

Rhea Weigand 

Laura Drahozal 

Janelle Stollfus

Louise Healy

Leadonna Kimmel

Pam Hornschu

Asia King (add on)

Cyndi Bundy (add on)

Suzanne Czosek (add on)

As part of the Dream It Up! Challenge this month my inspiration comes from the beautiful trellises that are starting to see color fade in on them (and as I watch our snap pea starters try to use the blinds as their trellis), here is a April Inspirations link of a Wedding Trellis on HGTV's website.

Details:

Stamps: Cling Blossom Beauty, Butterfly Tune, Loving Messages Clear Stamp Set (Stampendous)

Stencils and Paste: LJ929 Pop Rectangles Stencil, Translucent Embossing Paste (Dreamweaver Stencils)
Paper:  Natural (Wausau), Kraft (Hobby Lobby), white sulphite for monoprinting paper(Pacon)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento, Tsukineko), Colored Pencils (Prismacolor), Burnt Umber Acrylic Paint (Liquitex)

Accessories: Blossom Beauty Die Cuts (Stampendous), Creative Palette Monoprinting Plate (Stampendous)

Big Boots!

At Christmas time, I decided to take my kids out independently to shop for their gift exchange. While my youngest (son) needed some direction, my oldest (daughter) new exactly what to get for her brother. "BIG BOOTS!", she exclaimed when we turned the corner of the special toy display shelf. A dinosaur helicopter with three characters that had weighted big boots. A newer version of weeble wobbles, but regardless it was new and the most played toy on Christmas Day. She did good.

Here is another big boot wearer from Stampendous, Boots Kiddo. Isn't that cute? I really went with muted colors and I'm not sure that this girl in boots should be muted, know what I mean? I suppose I was inspired by something and that just wasn't going to be different.

Boots Kiddo is NEW! Look in your local stores and online stores for her and many other Kiddos, too. There is something else new from Stampendous and it's a fabulous array of colored Mica Fragments. I've used white on this card, yes muted, but there are also lively red, blue, yellow and green. Five in all and so much fun to add texture to any project.

To see all the new products from the January Catalog just go to the Stampendous online store and scroll to the bottom and look for January 2013 catalog (are make it easy on yourself and take my link here).

If you want directions on how I created this card you can also see them on the Stampendous website here. There are tons of projects to look through so it's a good idea to have a beverage in hand and some time to spend getting inspired.

And just one more thing, I feel like I'm talking your ear off today, this months challenge is Love is In the Air. Get all the details by taking that link!

Details:
Stamps: Boots Kiddo (Stampendous)
Paper: White, Green, Light Blue & Yellow Cardstock (Bazzill)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento, Tsukineko), alcohol markers (Copic), colored pencils (Prismacolor)
Accessories: White Mica Fragments (Stampendous), Odorless Mineral Spirits, Paper Stump, Cotton Swab, or Blending Pen / Pencil 
Ribbon By May Arts, Corner Rounder, Foam Adhesive Squares, 3-in-1 Glue by Beacon Adhesives

Why I love Kittens and Fishing Poles

because a feline's gotta fish! LOL Well, I really love them because Stampendous makes them adorable this summer with new images now available in stores near you or at their webstore! I'm sharing two cards today perfect for the trendy coloring style we all do for our homemade cards. Don't let that stop you if you're not of coloring mind, it's easy to use them on pattern paper for piecing or glitter and Fun Flock or... however you want!

My first card has Punkin Kitty and Autumn Words stamps. I colored with the popular Copic Markers and added some Prismacolor Pencils for some precise shading. I mean, when you mess up and want to cover it up, use colored pencils, right? lol I switched lids on my markers and picked up the darker YR for Punkin's head, so I lightened up with some colored pencils.

Fishing Kiddo is THE sweetest scene stamp for a masculine card! I'm usually hard pressed to finish off a card when it's just a character image, but this one makes it EASY to cover the whole card because it's already got a background included.

Now remember this week there are PRIZES, PRIZES, PRIZES! Comment on all the blogger's post today to win this fabby duo. The winner will be announced on the Stampendous blog tomorrow morning.

Making a comment on any or all of these blogs will provide you multiple chances to win the random drawing for today's prize

Stampendous Impressions	Susie Moore
Jennifer Ingle	Lea Kimmel
Kristine Reynolds	Rhea Weigand
Jennifer Dove	Wendy Price
Lynn Mercurio	Janelle Stollfus (blog candy)
Taylor Usry (blog candy)	Suzanne Czosek
Jan Garber	Tenia Nelson

I've got a blog candy going on this week to celebrate the Stampendous catalog! Just comment on each of my STAMPENDOUS posts (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) and I'll draw a winner and announce on Monday morning.

Punkin Kitty Card Details:
Stamps: Punkin Kitty (Stampendous) Autumn Words (Stampendous)
Paper: White (Mohawk), Kraft (Mohawk), Panzy (Bazzill Basics)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento, Tsukineko), Versamark Watermark Stamp Pad (Tsukineko), Alcohol Markers (Copic)
Accessories: Aged Spice Embossing Enamel (Stampendous), Aged Wine Embossing Enamel (Stampendous), ribbon (May Arts), 

Fishing Kiddo Details:
Stamps: Fishing Kiddo (Stampendous)
Paper: White (Mohawk), Candle and Tangelo (Bazzill), Black cardstocks
Ink: Tuxedo Black Ink Pad (Memento, Tsukineko), Alcohol Markers (Copic)
Accessories: Black Gingham Ribbon, Corner rounder, Glue (Tombo Liquid)

New Mercies on Friday

Good morning and a grand finale to our week, right?  Aren't we glad there are new mercies every day and not just on Fridays?  Whew!

I've got a few cherished friends that have been brought to my mind more and more this week.  So when I went to create a card for this week's Viva La Verve challenge, this wonderful set was one of the first that showed up on the work table.  It beat out the others because it worked with the wonderful sketch Andrea has for us this week, but it also works for the thoughts and prayers for my friends.

I hope you'll come and finish out the fabulous month of Viva La Verve with us Divas. They have been a blast and so worth it! There is a prize for one of you that finish all 4 of this months sketches. Have all of your creations finished and uploaded into the Viva La Verve gallery on Splitcoast Stampers by March 29th. Remember, the tag is VLVMar2012.

This is a clean and simple sketch, so I'm going to keep my post that way too.

Blessings on your weekend!

Details:
Stamps: New Mercies (Verve Stamps)
Paper: pattern paper (Watercolor, K and Company), cream (Wausau)
Ink: Black (Memento, Tsukineko), Prismacolor Markers
Accessories: scallop die, red embroidery floss (We R Memory Makers)

More Lunchbox Tags

I’ve decided I love coloring! Yes, again. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve had a desire to get the markers and digi images out every night, but it’s started up again while making "notes" for my daughter's lunchbox meals. Two of the tags have already been sent in her lunchbox, but the last one she'll find today.

I’ve colored up some DigiStamp Boutique images that were already printed and ready to color. I love these images and can’t believe how long it’s taken me to get back to them. Sally-Ann has a release today so it’s a perfect time for me to plug in a linky to go see what’s new!!!!!!

There’s Jasper doing the happy dance.




and Barney and heart

then my favorite monkey Valentine Marvin.

I can’t wait to see what’s new for September!

I’ll be back tomorrow with some more tags using Paper Smooches!

Where's the details? Just send me an email (found on my About Me section) if you have any questions or in the comments for this post. The names of the images are links to the DigiStamp Boutique store.

A CASE Study Challenge Anniversary Card

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I've thoroughly enjoyed visiting the design teams CASE on themselves over at the CASE Study's Anniversary Blog Hop. They are an amazingly talented and sweet group who inspire and encourage the best I've seen in awhile. To see the details about the hop go to the post on Thursday at the CASE Study Challenge blog.... here.

At the end of the hop list there is a time for us who have finished drooling to join in on the anniversary fun. Pick any past or present design team member to CASE!!! I glanced over to the sidebar and immediately saw Mercy Kerin. I enjoyed looking at all of her creations every week and for some reason missed that she was a muse at one time for CASE. I'm sure that's not part of the rules, but I was drawn to this long card design here.

And here is my CASE...

The flowers are from the Stampendous Ranunculus set and I used my Prismacolor markers on them after masking and stamping them out with Memento Ink.

Details:
Stamps: Stampendous Ranunculus Perfectly Clear Set
Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, Neenah White
Ink: Memento Ink, Prismacolor Markers
Accessories: Michael's Black Gingham ribbon, Queen and Co. Rhinestones

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Here's the Scoop: A New Sketch!

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I've got another card I squeaked in this weekend! I made this on Saturday and have let the blogger elves post it for me today, because I'm most likely watching the Women's World Cup Soccer match from our DVR!

I wanted to play in a challenge that didn't have any pressure, hah! I can't believe all the sister's samples for the SFYTT challenge. I'm just inspired beyond anything. The sponsor is My Favorite Things Stamps so I started with my only stamp set from MFT, Here's the Scoop, and colored with Prismacolor markers. I did an MFT trio on this card with the Scoop girl, newer Notched Tag Die and Stamp Set and the Jumbo Scallop Die (Hey, I guess I've got two stamp sets if you include all the cute sentiments and tag texture stamps that come with the notched tag die).

Just head on over to this post to look at the sketch details and list of sister's blogs for some eye candy. Hope your as inspired as I was looking through the SFYTT sisters gallery!

Have a wonderful day!

Details:
Stamps: Here's the Scoop, Notched tag die and stamp set
Paper: Fresh Paint Textured paper (Pinks), Basic Grey Nuetrals (carpet), Provocraft Slab Pack (Green Polka Dot), Neenah Smooth White
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Memento Black, Prismacolor markers
Accessories: MFT notched tag die and jumbo scallop die, SU chocolate chip double-stitched ribbon, Papertrey Ink rick rack die, Sew Easy Tool, DMC embroidery floss (3 strands)

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It's Your Birthday!!!!!

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I've pulled together a card for my sweet daughter whom turns 6 today! Just can't say enough goodness about that girl. Love her completely!

I'd be lost without sketches. I had Viva La Verve PDF printout and used the sketch from week 1 by Amber. The pattern paper is from Petal Press called Everyday Glitter, WHICH it is all glitter and nothing but glitter. I scored some green cardstock with a criss-cross pattern and then spritzed it with Marshmallow Tattered Angels spray for glitz and glimmer. The deep layers were just a fun experiment with Mono Liquid Glue and... It sticks faster than I thought it would so the pleated blue cardstock is more accordion-like. LOL 

I stamped Chloe from Verve's stamp set Chicks Rule and accessorized with a crown and hair flower in the same set for some princess touches. She got framed from a stamp in Verve's To the Moon set. And then I went to town with the Black Diamond Stickles Glitter Glue, but I'm sure that my daughter is going to love it all.

Have a happy day! Thanks for stopping by my blog

Details:
Stamps: Chicks Rule, To the Moon
Paper: Everyday Glitter (Petal Press), Scraps of green and blue, Neenah White
Ink: Prismacolor Markers, Graphite Black (Brilliance Tsukineko)
Accessories: Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Stickles Black Diamond

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At the Gate

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I have another bit of Verve to show today from the Verve Spring release last week. It's cute little Chaz from the Chicks Rule set. He is downright the coolest around, hanging out at the farm gate.

 

Open the gate and there's a coop ramp to fold down and add a personal message.

Chaz is colored with Prismacolor markers in a few striking colors. I stamped the sentiment and then traced around an oval Nestabilities die to create the callout with a little talk tail (is that what its called?)

I'm thinking this gate card should be a cutting file? What do you think? Any testers out there?

Details:
Stamps: Chicks Rule
Paper: Smooth White (Neenah), Kraft (?), Haute Red (Wausau)
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black inkpad (Tsukineko), Cream, Jasmine, Light Peach, Peach, Chartreuse, Spring Green markers (Prismacolor), PITT Artist Pen (Faber-Castell)
Accessories: Woodgrain Texture Fades embossing folder (Tim Holtz - Sissix)

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Just Poppin' In to say...

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CELEBRATE!

It's Wednesday for me and I'm half way through the week, not exhausted yet, and I believe I still have some crafting mojo left for this week and into the weekend! Woohoo!

I'm sharing a card with you today using a brand new stamp set and company that I came across in Splitcoast Stampers forum.  The Ways to Use It Challenge moderator is Kim Hughes. I used that challenge a few weeks ago on this card, and well, I just went snooping around for inspiration and found out she has a new company. She has an enormous amount of talent and history in the paper crafting industry, as if most of us didn't already know her by name, but she's opened up her own online store called Paper Smooches! She is the creator of all the stamps too! These darling stamps are so perfect for CAS cards because they give you enough character on your project to do more with less.

A close-up of this cutie pa-tootie!

Oh yeah, this little card is going into the "Be Our Guest" invitation too!


Details:
Stamps: Pretty Phrases, Birthday Buddies
Paper: Neenah Smooth White, Kraft
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, Prismacolor Markers and Pencils, PITT artist brush tip pen
Accessories: paper cutter, scissors, ruler, pencil, oh yeah a Stamp-a-majig.

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A little RAK birthday goodness

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Hello? I really am still around. I have been trying to get caught up on some projects of the non-paper variety for over a week! I'm craving to get back into the craft room and start in on some delicious new stamps. I can't wait to show you what I make, but I will wait because I need to and I haven't finished anything yet.

I made this card a few weeks back for a FB call from Tiddly Inks. Christy asked if anyone would like to create a card to be mailed on to her college friend for a special birthday year. Well, I like RAK, but had never done a papercrafting one so I'm happy to say my RAK card is for someone I don't even know. Now that is a lot of fun!

Have a wonderful Friday and I'll be back next week with something from Paper Smooches (maybe).

Details:
Stamps: Tiddly Inks Wild Thing, TCP A Beary Good Year
Paper: Making Memories Pattern Paper, Real Red, Basic Black, AB red, More Mustard, Neenah White
Ink: Basic Black, Prismacolor Markers, PITT Black Ink Pen
Accessories: More Mustard Grosgrain Ribbon, Red Center Stitch ribbon, standard hole punch, Nestabilities Label 17, Stampin Up Decorative Label Punch

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A Coco Heart

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I've got an all time favorite digital stamp image to share today. Coco with Big Heart from DigiStamp Boutique cannot get any more cute! When I first saw this bear a year ago it reminded me of my own stuffed bear named Mocha (for it's fur color) and every time I color Coco those are the Prismacolors I pull off my shelf. I'm hooked.

The card was very easy to pull together... once I had the time. I used some oval nestabilities to cut out my prismacolor marker colored Coco. Then a scalloped oval nestie to frame it up nicely. It's been forever and one day since I've used my Stickles and what better time than when hearts are the theme, so I dotted the scallop mat with Xmas Red. I matted some Love paper from Me and My Big Ideas with kraft text weight paper, then began to pair up some ribbon to criss cross around the bottom of the card. I ended up with some gingham ribbon I bought at JoAnn's $1 display at Christmas and red satin from my 19 penny bag from Hancock Fabrics.

The card base still looked a bit bare so I grabbed a new stamp set from CTMH called Simple Stitches and carefully stamped a narrow zigzag stitch around the Love paper border. I say carefully, because I had already adhered the ribbon AND the mats to the card base.

The sentiment is a fabby ticket Sally-Ann designed and I love that she's got them already colored for a simple addition to any sweet card. You can find the tickets in the Valentine Sentiments collection.

I hope you are all having a sweet and cuddly weekend and hopefully rested for you week ahead.



Details:
Stamps: Coco with Big Heart, Valentine Sentiments, CTMH Simple Stitches
Paper: M&ME Love DP, kraft text, Wausau Cream CS, Neenah Smooth Solar White
Ink: LaserJet, Prismacolor Markers, CTMH Brown Bag
Accessories: Nestabilities Oval and Scallop Oval, perforating blade (ticket), Misc. ribbon, Xmas Red Stickles

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