Chicks Rule Basket for You for VLV challenge

This is for the Viva la Verve! April week 2 sketch challenge

I had so much fun playing with the little basket and chick from the new Verve's Chicks Rule set.  I stamped, masked, and cut out the basket and handle together.  Layered the basket, some die-cut grass via a My Favorite Things' die, the chick, more grass, and the basket, so that the Chick looks like he's nestled in the Easter grass in the basket.  I covered the ribbon on the basket with a sentiment from My Favorite Things' Basket O Flopsey set, cut out with Verve's Charming Oval die.  
The background is embossed with the houndstooth Cuttlebug embossing folder (it made me think of basket-weave); and the papers are (what else?) MME Stella and Rose.  
I tied some ribbon around the handle of the basket, and added some 2mm and 3mm soft blue pearls.
Thanks for looking!  Thanks even more for commenting!

Milk carton packaging using VLV challenge

I used the Viva La Verve! April week 1 sketch challenge to create this little panel for the front of a paper milk carton box I designed and cut with my Cricut to wrap a birthday gift (a Cricut cartridge!).  

The packaging (and panel) was intended to match my card here, for the same person.
I used the sentiment from Verve's Birthday Bash, MME Stella and Rose papers, ribbon, twine, a button, and bling, as well as a couple Spellbinders dies and the yummy rolled roses dies from My Favorite Things.

Because of You for VLV challenge

For the Viva la Verve! March week 5 challenge

I used a sentiment from Verve's Just for You set, cut with a Spellbinders label 2 die, sponged with some Antique Linen distress ink.  The flower stamp was a free "thanks for shopping" stamp that Julee included in one of my oh-so-beautifully-wrapped orders.  I stamped twice and popped one over the other, then stamped and cut just the center out of my yellow dot paper.  Papers are the new LilyBee Designs This and That.  Border punch, twine, and a button.  And then, in honor of Sankari, our sketch host this week and the Queen of Liquid Pearls, I included dots of Liquid Pearls around the main sentiment panel.
Hoping to get this in the mail to Operation Write Home in time for the troops to use to send home for mother's day.  I'm packaging up a few others that I have in my stash.  If you have time to make or send some, they are still in need and are accepting until March 31st.  Thanks!

Sweetest Things birthday card

I used a digital image by Mo Manning called "What's Cooking?" for this card...isn't she the cutest little baker you ever saw? I colored her with copics and paired her with a sentiment from My Favorite Things' Polka Dot Greetings Frame die and stamp set. MME Stella and Rose papers. Some orange shabby wrinkled ribbon and a blue polka dot ribbon by SEI. An orange button and natural colored twine finish it off. This is a spin on a sketch from Papercrafts Go-To-Sketches publication from a year or two ago.
She will be a birthday card for a dear family friend (my "other" mother), whose birthday cake I'll be making.  I'm sure I must have looked like this sometime in my {very} early years!  LOL

A Few Scrapbook Pages

Scrapbooking has taken a backseat to card making for a while now.  I just don't usually have the time to plan out my pages, and until recently, had NO pictures printed to scrap.  But thanks to hubby, I now have a nice pile waiting to make it into my son's book.  I completed two pages at a recent evening crop with my local scrapping friends, and then put together another that same week at home.  I also have one I completed a little while ago but never posted.  It formed in my mind for weeks, and then came together super quick, thanks to using the online collage service through our local pharmacy.  
Woohoo!  Maybe I'm back on a roll.  I mean, my blog is titled "A SCRAPPER Mom's World."  LOL.


Without further ado...

First time blueberry picking at the Keel and Curley Winery. My son was fixated on getting every single blueberry on the bush he selected. My husband caught this terrific, vibrant photo of him, sweaty head and all. 

Papers are BoBunny and SEI. Sticker is BoBunny, altered with an MME brad and twine.  And a bit of shabby wrinkled ribbon that I picked up on Etsy. 

 My son wanted to make gingerbread men cookies. Unfortunately, he is allergic to wheat and dairy...and I have no gingerbread men-shaped cookie cutters. So we improvised and made some GF/DF sugar cookies with a little bear cookie cutter I had. Still decorated them with icing and raisins and cherry mouths. He loved them. 
Papers are October Afternoon. 
Stickers are Karen Foster, mounted on popped up scalloped circles cut with my Spellbinders dies. 
That cute banner die is from Taylored Expressions. 
Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type stickers for "baking", letter stamps from My Favorite Things for "cookies." 
Sketch adapted from PageMaps.

We visited Tennessee towards the tale-end of the winter season 2010 to show my son snow. There wasn't too much left on the ground, but he still had a ball. We scraped together enough to make two tiny snow people, and have a few snowball fights (you can see him throwing one in the top two photos). 
Papers are BG Fruitcake (still one of my favorite Christmas lines, and favorite BG line). I stitched a bit, and then die cut some snowflakes with my Cricut, the largest two of which house the title and date, out of Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type stickers.

This is the one from November.  I'd been cooking this one up in my mind for several months. I asked my son to pose for a first day of school picture, and this is what I got. He's such a ham! He was busting moves and striking poses: "pow, cha'." All that I could think of was the song by The Heavy, "How You Like Me Now." And a layout idea was hatched. The lighting in our house is poor, so none of the pictures was very clear or well-lit. So I had the photos printed as a collage. 

Papers and small square "tokens" are Extreme Boy by Junkitz. Title is Heidi Swap chipboard. I inked some chipboard stars and brackets. And there is a little pull-out card for journaling that peeks out along the right side of the layout (hard to see in the photo).

This may not be my best layout nor photography, but these pictures are priceless.  They capture the essence of my son so perfectly at this age.  He's even doing his famous "butt dance" in one.  ROF!  Love that boy.

Thanks for looking...

Card "Catch-up" (all my cards up-to-date)

I have gotten dreadfully behind on my posts again.  I'm crafting away, but between loading to two online galleries and posting to the various challenges I love to participate in, my blog, which no one frequents, gets neglected.  But I do like having a site for just me, and hopefully some day it will grow and my skills will improve enough to attract more attention.


Meanwhile, I thought I'd do a catch-up post to add the cards and layouts I've created since the last.  Bare with me...


Where Dreams May Go for VLV AND the Verve Get Your Diva On challenges
For the Viva la Verve! March week 4 sketch challenge
and my attempt at the Verve Get Your Diva On March color challenge: 

What a great sketch by Jackie Pedro!
The color challenge by Tosh was to use neutrals (I chose black and cream) with a pop of color (I chose an olivey-green that makes me think of the new growth of spring).
The frame is Verve's Framed Wishes, and the sentiment is from one of my two favorite Verve sets (so far), Blue Skies.
Papers are DCWV and MME Stella and Rose.
SU's scalloped edge punch and a rhinestone flourish by Recollections finishes it off. 

Butterfly Birthday

I made this for a dear family friend's birthday. Uses the Unity set for Webster's Pages, Dream Big, and a sentiment from GinaK Designs' Fanciful Tags by Nina Brackett. The papers are (again) MME Stella and Rose. 

I cut the large bracketed shape with my Cricut (because I don't have any of the Spellbinders large enough). The scalloped straight edge is by Fiskars. Stitched and added a few 3mm and 4mm rhinestones from Pizzazz Aplenty.
I used a sketch from Papercrafts' Go-To Sketches special issue from last year.
The panel with the butterflies is a pocket to fit a gift card.

Plant the Seeds of Love for MFT Sketch challenge

For the My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge #11

The rest of the sentiment inside reads, "& watch them grow" 

The image is one of the Pure Innocence stamps from My Favorite Things, Blooming Good Day. I paired it with one of the sentiments from MFT's Green Thumb Mini (all the sentiments in this set go perfectly with this sweet little flower-watering girl).
Papers are my new absolute favorite, My Minds Eye Stella and Rose-Mabel collection.
I used MFT's Flower Border Die-namics, and topped the centers of the exposed flowers with some frosted flatbacked pearls from Pizzazz Aplenty.

Happy Hello for VLV challenge

For the Viva la Verve! March week 3 sketch challenge

I was fixated on that tilted panel, and kept envisioning the wonderful notebook paper stamp in Verve's Blue Skies set. But it's kind of small to fill the card front like in the sketch. So...I made a mini card! I love it. Have you noticed how perfectly sized the Happy Hello sentiments are for fitting on the notebook paper stamp? Like they were made for each other. I used the remaining MME Stella and Rose paper from my week 2 card. Zig-zag stitched around the outer edge and made a few "X" stitches on the side of the tilted panel by hand. I wrapped a bit of multi-colored yarn around the panel and added a few 2mm rhinestones from Pizzazz Aplenty. Last, I created a rolled rose from My Favorite Things' medium-sized Die-namic, and punched a couple "leaves" with a Martha Stewart punch.
I told Maureen (who created the sketch) that I could see using this sketch again and again, and I actually think I'm going to make a set of these mini cards using the different sentiments in the Happy Hello set!

The Rainbows of Life...for Mojo Monday #181 

For the Mojo Monday Sketch 181 challenge

I used a sentiment from My Favorite Things' The Great Outdoors set, along with the cloud Dienamics. The rainbow is from Unity's Could I Be Any Cuter? set, colored in with Copics and colored pencils/mineral spirits.
The papers are all MME, from the new Stella and Rose papers or the Fine and Dandy line.
The open pinking die is from TCP (Inside Pinking), and I used the negative side on the straight panel.
Aside from stitching, there is no embellishment. There are so many layers and such fun lovely papers, I thought it had enough without adding too much more.

Surprisingly to me, this card didn't get many views or comments on my galleries.  I really love how it came out.  It makes me happy.  I hope you like it, too.

Dance Everyday for VLV challenge

For the Viva la Verve March week 2 sketch challenge

This looked so much better in my head. But I'm not sure what isn't working for me. I LOVE the new MME papers. (I had to get all the 12x12 AND the 6x6. They have to be my favorite papers ever.)
And I love the sentiments in Verve's Beautiful You set; this one is no exception.
And I wanted to bring in the embossed musical notes to go with the dancing theme in the sentiment. Love my various Spellbinders dies. And what's not to love about bling from Pizzazz Aplenty?
It just had so much more Uumph! in my imagination. Ah, well, great sketch, and always enjoyable to participate in the Verve challenges. Check them out!

40th Birthday card for VLV challenge

For the Viva la Verve! March week 1 sketch challenge

Love this sketch! It was perfect for a 40th birthday card for my hubby.
I used part of a sentiment from Verve's Birthday Bash set.
And I loved mixing some new favorite papers, Bo Bunny's Blast Off and MME's Stella Rose, with some old favorite October Afternoon.
The stars are die cut with MFT's Die-namics.
Some Glossy Accents on the small circles under the sentiment and on the blue star, and some star-shaped eyelets finish it off. 

Wedding Wishes for VLV challenge

For the Viva la Verve! February week 4 challenge

I used the little frame from Verve's Sweet Treats set, with a sentiment from Love Story to create a wedding card for my brother-in-law.
Papers are from the DCWV La Creme stack.
Some shabby wrinkled ribbon and rhinestones.
The rectangular cream panel is embossed with Cuttlebug's swiss dots folder. And the frame is colored with copics. 

Happy Birthday for VLV challenge

For the Viva la Verve! February week 3 challenge

I used Verve's Birthday Bash set and Basic Grey papers, with scraps of October Afternoon and DCWV to paper piece the balloons. The balloons are silhouette-cut and popped up. I stamped the tiny stars twice each, then traced around the edge of the opposite side on one each and sandwiched the baker's twine between the two matching ones to dangle. A Spellbinders lacey circle die, some shabby wrinkled ribbon from Bluebird Lane on Etsy, and rhinestones from Pizzazz Aplenty.

To the Moon for VLV challenge

For the Viva la Verve! February week 2 challenge

I used the Little Star Plain Jane by Verve, but only stamped the outer ring of dots and stars. Then I used a sentiment from the Verve Love Notes set.
The papers are some old Inque Boutique Out of this World. The star border was cut with a die by My Favorite Things. Stitching, Liquid Peals on the small yellow stars and Glossy Accents on the tiny hearts. The large star brads were actually gold, but I colored them with a Copic marker (I still think that's so cool!)
This was a Valentine for my son.

Butterfly Border You are Fabulous card for Mojo Monday, and a gift for Melanie Muenchinger

For the Mojo Monday Sketch #176 challenge 

I just loved the embellished curve in this sketch. And the round option was calling to me. I won Melanie Muenchinger's A Year of Borders set (by Gina K Designs) as blog candy from Melanie herself, and have been itching to ink it up. I thought a thank you card to her was in order (this isn't the first time I've been the grateful recipient of her generosity). So I used the butterfly border as my curve. I stamped twice, and cut around the rows, separating segments here and there to make my curve. The butterflies are colored with Copics and then "Stickled" (can I make that a verb? LOL) for a glittery shine. I popped them over some black shabby wrinkled ribbon.
The sentiment is from Verve's Fabulous You set.
Papers are Basic Grey Curio.
And the fun shape and die cut little butterflies in the paper were cut by my Cricut using a wonderful free svg file from Images by Heather M http://imagesbyheatherm.wordpress.com/.
A few 2mm black rhinestones from Pizzazz Aplenty finishes it off. 

Some Bunny Valentine for VLV challenge

For the Viva la Verve! February Week 1 sketch challenge

I paired Verve's Some Bunny with the heart and sentiment from Verve's Love Notes. The heart is silhouette cut, and then the red outline for the heart is cut with the coordinating Jotted Heart Die.
I loved this sketch, especially getting to use my scraps. There's some newer BoBunny with some old Making Memories and DCWV. The beautiful ribbon was part of the packaging on a recent purchase I made from Bluebird Lane on Etsy (isn't it great? And that was just the packaging!). A few 3 and 4mm cranberry rhinestones from Pizzazz Aplenty and some glossy accents on the heart in the sentiment finish it off.

A Box of Treats for SFYTT January Challenge

For the January SFYTT challenge 

I used MFT's A Box of Love PTI girl with a sentiment and that sweet swirly oval from Verve's Sweet Treat set. I stamped the oval directly onto the card front, then stamped again on white cardstock and cut out the middle with Verve's Embossed Oval die and popped it over the first stamp. 

Papers are BG and BoBunny, as well as dotted swiss cardstock by Bazzill.
The large scallop die is from MFT.
The main image panel and mat are Spellbinders.
Liquid pearls on the hearts and rhinestones from Pizzazz Aplenty finish it off. 

My Heart Belongs to You for VLV challenge

For the Viva la Verve! January week 4 sketch challenge

I used a sentiment from Verve's Love Notes and the little heart flourishes in the corners of the main panel from Verve's Sweet Treats. 
Dies are by Papertrey Ink. 
Wrinkled shabby ribbon from Bluebird Lane on Etsy. 
Flat-backed pearls from Pizzazz Aplenty. 
Liquid Pearls on the heart within the sentiment. 
Papers are Basic Grey and Making Memories.


And if you have made it all the way here, thank you so much for spending a bit of your time looking at my work!
I'll add the few scrapbook pages I finally got time to work on next.  And try my best to keep up with posting after this.
Thanks again!

MFT Valentine Flopsey for VLV challenge

This is for my 6 year old son to give his valentine from school (which he's already lined up, mind you!  LOL)
Using the Viva la Verve! January week 3 sketch challenge:

I used Valentine Flopsey by My Favorite Things, paper piecing and popping up the heart he's holding.  I used some of the tiny heart stamps from Verve's Love Notes set around him with red flat-backed pearls in the centers, as well as Verve's Jotted Heart Die (the black heart peeking out from behind the main panel) with liquid pearls.  Some wrinkled shabby ribbon from Bluebird Lane on Etsy.  Papers are BoBunny Crazy Love.

Valentine, Be Mine for VLV challenge

I've had to slack off a bit.  School this semester is KICKING MY BUTT!  But I worked hard this week, and so treated myself to a few hours to work on this card the other evening.


For the Viva la Verve! January week 2 sketch challenge:  

Used the fabulous label stamp from Verve's Sweet Treats and cut out with the Classy Label Die, with a sentiment from Verve's Love Notes.
Papers are BoBunny's Crazy Love.
Shabby wrinkled ribbon from PrairieBird Boutique on Etsy, rhinestones from Pizzazz Aplenty.
The tiny rose was cut using MFT's new mini rolled roses die.

Love Story for VLV challenge

For the Viva la Verve January week 1 sketch challenge:

In addition to Valentine's Day, my anniversary is in February.  So I'm not sure which one this will be for, but with my husband's birthday in February, too, I thought I'd get started!
I love this sentiment from Verve's Love Story, and the frame (which  I silhouette cut, along with the tiny bird).  {BTW, I would LOVE Julee to make a die to cut this frame!!  hint, hint!}
I used BoBunny's Crush papers.
Some ribbon by MFT and black brads.
Simple and quick.  To fit in a regular envelope, I made my card 3"x5.5"

Happy Holiday for VLV Challenge

A few final holiday cards for the Viva la Verve Week 4 challenge:

Used some old Chatterbox Gingerbread paper, the Vintage Oval Frame Stamp and die from Verve, and a sentiment from My Favorite Things Sassy Sayings.  
Some stitching, ribbon and rhinestones.

Christmas Blessings for VLV Challenge

For the Viva la Verve! December week 3 sketch challenge:

This came perfectly timed, as I needed one more card for a last minute addition to my Christmas dinner guest list.  The sketch is lovely, while still being simple to whip together.
I used the wreath and sentiment from Verve's Glad Tidings, (on sale through Dec 31st...scoop it up!!)  and added the small holly from Holly Jolly in the bottom right.
Papers are Basic Grey Jovial.
Colored with Copics and added some thin black grosgrain ribbon, a few flat backed pearls on just the holly in the sprig...and that's it folks! 
The papers, especially adding my first medallion, really did the work.

Wyatt and Friend for MFT WSC challenge

The My Favorite Things WSC challenge this week was to create a "last minute" Christmas card using one of the Pure Innocence images.  
Well, I am not one to make anything last minute.  Not because I'm so organized and get everything done beforehand, but because I take forever to make anything!  LOL.  I am a perfectionist and slow as molasses.  My friends tease me that I may complete two layouts at an all day crop (if I'm lucky).
However, my recipe for completing a card as quickly as I can is to use a great sketch (letting someone else do the design planning) and picking some great paper and an image that fills the card nicely (such as many of MFT's stamps).
Mojo Monday's sketches are among my favorites, and sketch 169 seemed perfect for using my MFT Pure Innocence Wyatt Just Chillin' stamp that I won during one of the release parties. 
I've fallen in love with the BoBunny Midnight Frost collection and used it on three of my last few cards!  The blues and purples are perfect for wintery images without having to resort to traditional Christmas colors.
The sentiment is from Unity's super cute Jolly Good Fun set.
I have a little boy turning 6 shortly.  This will be his card to Mimi and Pop-pop. Thanks for looking!

My Favorite Things Snowmen for Card Patterns challenge

For the Card Patterns Sketch 94 challenge:

Uses My Favorite Things "A Scarf for Three" set by Stephanie Fizer, colored with Copics. The beautiful frame around them is from the GinaK Desings "Labels 2" collection by Nina Brackett.
BoBunny Midnight Frost paper.
Faux Crochet border die by My Favorite Things.  
Snowflake die by Sizzix.
Some snowflake buttons I found at Walmart.
Ribbon by Making Memories.
Liquid Applique applied to the puffs on the hat and earmuffs.

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

Our extra requirement this month is to use inspiration from holiday decor.
I used a couple of the ornaments and the holly from my Verve Holly Jolly set that I won from Julee's generosity just before the last release party, the Sweet Scallop Tag stamp and die and Vintage Oval Frame stamp and die, as well as a sentiment from the Glad Tidings set (this set truly has the best Christmas sentiments...a must have).
Basic Grey Fruitcake papers (to this day, I think one of the prettiest and most extensive paper packs by BG), SU stitched ribbon, some wired tri-colored twine from Michael's, rhinestones from Pizzazz Aplenty.  And I made the wire hangers for the ornaments with some jewelry wire.

Ice Skating Flopsey for the MFT WSC Challenge

For the MFT WSC Winter Wonderland challenge, and using Card Patterns Sketch 93 for their challenge:

Uses MFT's Ice Skating Flopsey and alpha.  BoBunny Midnight Frost papers.  Papertrey Ink Banner Building Collection dies and Fiskars Threading Water punch. Stitched ribbon by GKD.  Silver cording from Pizzazz Aplenty.


And here's the inside of the card.  I love how Flopsey skates the words.