Catch up Post

Catching up with some posting.  With the Thanksgiving holiday (especially cleaning to get ready for guests and painting my son's room over the week), I had to squeeze in time to craft, much less find time to post.

Viva la Verve! November week 4 challenge

Made this one for Viva la Verve! November Week 4 challenge.  I thought I might be able to work the second inspiration photo into a Christmas card using Basic Grey's Fruitcake line. 
That's the wreath from The Cat's Pajama's Elegant Christmas set, and a sentiment from Verve's Glad Tidings. 
I embossed the red scalloped piece with a holly berry folder from Sizzix. Some twill and red rhinestones from Pizzazz Aplenty.

MFT's WSC challenge AND Viva la Verve! November week 5 challenge

For the My Favorite Things WSC challenge, "What are you thankful for?"
I am most thankful for my Lord and His sacrifice for us.
I used Verve's VLV sketch this week, along with the Hebrews 11:1 scripture Plain Jane stamp by Verve. And if you look ever so closely to the center, you'll see the cross from the Jeremiah 29:11 set stamped lightly. Papers are Cosmo Cricket's Circa 1934.
I used MFT's Decorative Doily Die-namics and a Spellbinders Labels 10 die. Scrunched some black grosgrain on either side of the center panel. Some black rhinestones from Pizzazz Aplenty finish it off.

StampTV sketch challenge

Made this for the STVSKSP3 sketch challenge over on the StampTV site.
I mixed Nina's Lovely Labels 2 stamp (along with LL1, I use these so much) with a sentiment from the GKD Friends set and popped a lily from Melanie's Year of Flowers set. Paper is Basic Grey. Some shear wired ribbon and rhinestones from K&Co. to finish it off.

Thanks for bearing with me.  I am very thankful to have found a hobby I love so much and that finally lets me get the creative side of me out.  I'm also thankful for the ladies that I've met along the way that share my passion, and the companies that help support it with wonderful inspiration and challenges.

Winter Wishes for the Viva la Verve! November Week 3 challenge

For the Viva la Verve! November Week 3 challenge.
Julee selected some lovely inspiration photos of scarves, but I chose my own to use:

I thought the warm gold and purpley-red in this one looked like white and red wines. The soft pattern in the portion to the left, and the touches of black really appeal to me. Of course, I don't have over $200 to spend on a scarf, so inspiring is all that scarf is going to be doing for me. LOL.

I used the wreath and a sentiment from Verve's Glad Tidings, and the dashed square around my sentiment from Verve's Happy Hello. Embossed the background cardstock with a Sizzix folder and inked over the raised part with black ink. Basic Grey patterned paper, SU ribbon (red stitched), jumbo black rick rack, and 2mm rhinestones from Pizzazz Aplenty.

Silver White Winters that Melt into Spring...

For the My Favorite Things WSC challenge, "My Favorite Things" 

Using the lyrics from the Sound of Music song "My Favorite Things," I embraced what I consider the meaning behind the song. That even in the midst of winter in our lives ("when the dog bites, when the bee stings..."), we know that spring will come again. I guess if there's one lyric in particular that I tried to capture it's "silver white winters that melt into spring..."

I used MFT's Tea with Flopsey and created a fold up panel to reveal the tree in bloom and fluffy clouds cut with MFT's Die-namics floating by. Sentiment is from Verve's Beautiful You set, stamped and die cut using Verve's new Vintage Oval Frame stamp and matching die.

Festive Frame for StampTV challenge

For the StampTV sketch challenge:

I used Melanie Muenchinger's Festive Frame image and sentiments from GKD and whipped this up in no time! The cream dp is DCWV; red print is BG Jovial. The ribbon is SU riding hood red striped grosgrain (btw, it's on clearance on SU's website right now! great deal!!) I also used my first two copic markers (shades of red I got just to use on Mel's wonderful poinsettias for Christmas). A few orange and red rhinestones from Pizzazz Aplenty finishes it off.
Thanks for looking!

Pride and Prejudice themed card for the Cinema Saturday 100th Challenge

I made this for the Cinema Saturday's 100th Challenge.
They revisited the movie that inspired their first challenge, Pride and Prejudice.  I've seen both versions, but love the 1995 BBC mini-series version.  You can join in through November 18th, and some great prizes are being offered up.  
For my card, I chose to capture the theme of marriage.  All the women and younger girls were so interested in catching a husband, except Elizabeth.  And yet, in the end, she came to find her mate in Mr. Darcy.  I love that their relationship was not a flirty, love at first sight type of love, but one that was born out of mutual respect and knowledge of each other.  They are "true companions."  

I tried to capture the style of the time period in the subtle wallpaper and added a simple line at the waist of MFT's Girls Day In lady to mimic a simple dress.  Added a "diamond" to her hand as her engagement ring.  
Papers are Basic Grey.  Ribbon and lace from my stash.  A couple hat pins and a Martha Stewart doily stamped with a sentiment from Raisin Boat.
Thanks for looking!

Simply Wonderful Birthday card using Verve's Great Friend flower stamps

No special challenge behind this card.  I just REALLY wanted to use the flowers from Verve's Great Friend set.  

I popped the middle of the red flower. I turned under the edges of the petals slightly to give some depth, and added flat-backed pearls in 2mm, 3mm, and 4mm. The papers are BG's Curio line. Aren't those colors gorgeous together?  The sentiment and dotted scallop line, as well as the ribbon, are from My Favorite Things. 


And here's the inside, with the end of the sentiment and a few more of the leaves stamped.

MFT Cupcake for the WSC challenge

For the WSC-Cooking Up Some Love challenge 11/10/10: 

I'm afraid I don't have much in the way of cooking/baking stamps.  I used Sweet as Pie Flopsey for the last challenge, and as much as I love him, thought something else was in order for this week.  But I thought I could stretch it a bit with one of my very first MFT sets, "It's a Cupcake Kind of Day."  Let's imagine I baked this yummy little frosting and cherry-topped cupcake, ok?  LOL


I used the Mojo Monday Sketch 164.
Paper pieced the cupcake, colored the cherry with a Copic marker, added some Spica glitter pen to the top layer of frosting, and a white Sharpie poster paint pen as the shine on the cherry.
That's the new MFT Decorative Doily Die-namics, and a Spellbinders Labels 1 die, as well as the Fancy Tags die for the sentiment (although I cut the tag down the middle and overlapped the two ends to make it shorter).  The sentiment is from Gina K Designs' "Sweetest Blessings" set.
Papers are the fabulous new MME Fine and Dandy line.  Cardstock and ribbon is Papertrey Ink.


Thanks for looking!

Poinsettias and Berries for StampTV Thursday Sketch Challenge 11/4/10

For the Thursday Sketch Challenge on StampTV: 


Used Melanie's Year of Flowers poinsettia (again...I know, I'm addicted). Stamped it several times on cream cardstock and colored in with chalk. Popped a second image over the red poinsettia for depth and added some topaz rhinestones to the center. It's cut with a Spellbinders Label 1 die. 
The sentiment is from Fanciful Tags, on a Spellbinders die and a bobbin ribbon from Joann's threaded through. 
I debossed the round panel with a Sizzix holiday embossing folder and colored in the vines with chalk. Added red flat-backed pearls where the berries should be (rhinestones and pearls from Pizzazz Aplenty). 
DP on the back panel is Basic Grey Jovial. 
All the shine and different depths of color made this one tough to photograph. 
Thanks for looking!

Glad Tidings (VLV November week 2 challenge)

For the Viva la Verve! November Week 2 sketch challenge:

This one took me a lot longer than I thought it should have. It just wasn't coming together, and I went through several different shapes for the front panels. I knew I wanted to pull in that awesome color combo and even the red dots from the first inspiration photo. And I really liked the poinsettias and snowflakes in the second (notice the snowflakes didn't make it onto my card...maybe I'll try another).
The poinsettia is from TCP's Elegant Christmas.
The sentiment is from Verve's Glad Tidings set (my favorite set from the Winter release).
The blue with red dots paper is October Afternoon, and the red with blue dots paper is MME. Prima shimmer cardstock (teal) and SU Riding Hood red.
Several Spellbinders dies.
Ribbon is my all-time favorite SU ribbon, the past in-color Riding Hood Red taffeta.
Center rhinestone with gold trim is from Pizzazz Aplenty.

Baked with Love Flopsey, for MFT WSC November Sketch challenge

For My Favorite Things' Wednesday Stamp Club --November Sketch

I know those Pure Innocence girls (and a couple boys...I would really love more of the boys!) are so sweet, and everyone is scooping them up right now. But my first MFT love will always be Flopsey. I have all of them except the new Snowflake one so far (and he'll make it into my cart soon). Whether he's pulling up carrots, reading a good book, trimming the tree, or here...baking a pie, he just melts my heart. Hopefully the recipient of this card will melt, too.

I stamped, colored and silhouette cut Sweet as Pie Flopsey. 
Papers are DCWV The Crafty Stack, and BG Pyrus. 
Ribbon is from Heidi Grace. 
The small heart embellishment is from the BG Mellow chipboard pack. I inked it with Weathered Wood Distress ink, punched two tiny holes in it, and tied a piece of jute through it. 
The steam from the pie was inked with Weathered Wood, also, then tapped in Platinum ink before stamping to give a two-tone look and shimmer to the steam. 
Nesties, Antique Linen and Tea Dye Distress inks, and some faux stitching finish it off.

Thanks So Much--Verve Style

For the Viva la Verve! November Week 1 challenge:

I used the flower/medallion from Beautiful You and the frame from Framed Wishes.
Papers are Basic Grey Boxer. Martha Stewart punch around the page punches, 2mm and 3mm flat backed pearls from Pizzazz Aplenty, and some jute twine.

I worked mostly from the first inspiration photo, but maybe a bit of the flourish from the third...

Here's a close up of the medallion and all those tiny pearls:

Hang in There (in red dot)

For Mojo Monday Sketch 163:

Uses Verve's Always On My Mind set, and October Afternoon dp. Some shiny black ribbon from MFT and red flat backed pearls from Pizzazz Aplenty. A little Sakura glitter pen on the hearts for shine. The front panel is popped.