Live, Laugh, Love for VLV

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

I used the three phrases and varying height flower stems from Verve's Dream Big set, along with the tiny butterfly that is part of a sentiment in the Beautiful You set to create a little garden scene.  The grass across the bottom was cut with an MFT Die-namics, and the pennant border under that was cut with Verve's Pennant Trim Border.
Papers are MME and EP, and the circle and scalloped circle with cut with Spellbinder dies.  Some orange twine, 2mm orange rhinestones, and 3mm blue rhinestones finish it off.

A Set of Cards for a Special Purpose

I was asked to make some cards for a silent auction at work that will benefit the Making Strides Walk for breast cancer.  I thought a small boxed collection of encouragement and support-themed cards would be appropriate.


Using the MOJO Monday Sketch 258:

I like the sentiments in Verve's Here for You set, but how to choose?  I was going back and forth between three of them, started thinking of ways to incorporate all three, and came up with this view master card.  You spin the white part that sticks out of the small circular notch at the bottom, and you can change out the sentiment to the other two pictured below the card in my photo.
I used two layered flowers in Verve's Joyful Blooms set, embossed in white and cut out with the coordinating dies, and leaves from the Dream Big set, again cut with their dies.  The fishtail banners are from MFT Die-namics, and the circle and scalloped circle are Spellbinders.
A bit of Viva Pearl Pen to finish it off.
Papers are MME.


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

The sentiment and frame around it are from Verve's Borderline set, cut with one of the coordinating dies in the Mini Classy Label Die Set.
The large fishtailed strip was cut with the Ribbon Banner Die.  I folded my paper in half before cutting, laying the folded edge just inside the edge of the die to make it longer.  I also cut some from each side to make it more narrow.
The tiny flower was created with the smallest of MFT's Rolled Rose Die-namics.
Papers are by Glitz.  Rhinestones in three sizes and a touch of Copic on the border of the frame.


For the Mojo Monday #257 Sketch Challenge:

I used this quote from Verve's Beautiful You set, with some tiny Martha Stewart punched butterflies.  I love the uplifting promise that it holds: what we see as being the end or a door closing, may very well just be God opening a window to something much better for us.
The sentiment is on a Spellbinders circle and scalloped circle, then layered on top of a fishtail banner cut with an MFT Die-namics, layered on a stamped frame from Verve's Treasured Words.  Tucked under some additional layers are those tiny fishtails, cut with their new Pennant Trim Die (LOVE THIS...you must get it!)
A little stitching to mimic the Treasured Words frame and some pearls in two sizes finish it off.


Broke out my brand new 5th Anniversary release Verve for this one.

Featured is a sentiment from the (appropriately named) Brighter Days stamp set, surrounded with a frame from Treasured Words, and cut out with the coordinating Rounded Rectangle Die (not as new).  Both rectangle panels are nestled by the new Scroll Plain Jane and coordinating die, and topped with a flower also in Brighter Days, and cut with (yes, you guessed it), its coordinating die in the  Scalloped Flowers Die set.  Lastly, the border at the top and bottom was cut using the new Flourished Trim Die.
Papers are MME and Echo Park.  A black rimmed brad in the center of the flower and Viva Pearl Pen finish it off.


For the Viva la Verve! September week 1 sketch challenge:

I'm afraid I deviated quite a bit from the sketch this month.  I just could not make the symmetrical circles work for me.  I kept seeing two big alien eyeballs staring back.  LOL!
Anyway, I mixed some older and brand new Verve for this challenge.  The sentiment is from Words of Wisdom (older) cut out with the Mini Bookplate Die (new), and the edges embossed with Platinum powder from SU.  The flowers are from the Hope Blooms set, cut out with the Floral Circles Dies (both older), the petals fringed along the lines, and layered.  The bottom layer center panel is cut with the Ribbon Banner Die (older) and stamped with the Thatched Banner Plain Jane (new).
Papers are MME and Basic Grey, and I used a bit of dotted American Crafts ribbon, an antique silver button, and a bit of grey twine from Lawn Fawn.

You're So Sweet for MOJO 256

For the Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge #256:

This little size of this card, 4.25"x4.25", card makes it even sweeter.
The sentiment is from Verve's Love Notes, surrounded by a scalloped frame in the Sweet on You set, and cut out by hand.  The flower is the Fringe Flower Plain Jane, which I colored with Copic markers and again cut out by hand.  The sentiment, frame and flower are highlighted with a Sakura Glaze pen for shine and depth.
The largest fish tail banner is cut with Verve's Ribbon Banner Die and cut in half, with each half tucked under the vertical banners to elongate it.  The smaller banners are cut with MFT Die-namics.
Papers are Echo Park So Happy Together.  Some rhinestones and a swirl of twine as the flower center finish it off.
I made this for a work friend, and left it on her desk with a Godiva strawberry filled chocolate bar.

May Memories Comfort You for VLV

For the Viva la Verve! August Week 4 sketch challenge:

When I saw the sketch for this week, I was drawn to using one of the longer sentiment/quote stamps in my Verve collection. I looked through my stash, hovering over a couple different ones.  But this set that I recently purchased during Verve's 5th Anniversary sale, Forever In Our Hearts, was gently pushing itself to the forefront.  I certainly hope I don't need to use this sympathy card anytime soon, but I've found that they are one of the hardest to make on-demand when you need them.
I wanted to keep the color palette muted, but also wanted to stay away from black.  The dark grey of PTI's Smokey Shadow cardstock served as a perfect base.  I used papers from MME and Cosmo Cricket.  My favorite part was stamping the leaves from Verve's Sunny Days in Versamark and embossing with SU's pewter embossing powder on vellum, then cutting with the matching Leafy Sprigs Dies.  The vellum kind of disappears into the background, and you are left with these so very elegant dark antique silver looking embellishments.  The sentiment is embossed with the same, but on the patterned paper.
The small cream border peeking out from under the main panel was cut with the edge of Verve's Classy Label Die.  A string of tiny pearls and two larger ones in the top corner keep it understated but elegant.
TFL!

Twinkle, Twinkle Baby Card for MOJO 255

I used the MOJO Monday Sketch 255 from Verve to make this sweet baby card for a friend.  She was scheduled to find out whether she is having a boy or girl, but I used rather neutral colors (peach, yellow and green) to welcome baby either way!  {By the way, I've since found out she's having a BOY.  Just in case you were wondering.  ;) }

The sentiment is Verve's Little Star Plain Jane.  Did you know that Verve's Plain Janes (single stamps)  are usually only $3.00, and Julee runs sales and specials all the time.  I think this one is the sweetest.
Papers are a mix of MME.
The teddy bear is a button that I cut the shank off of, with a couple old Making Memories buttons and some Twinery twine.

Special Birthday for VLV

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

I turned the sketch on its head. The sentiment and balloons are from Verve's Birthday Surprise, another older set but new-to-me!  I really need some additional birthday stamps.  I tend to make everyday inspirational-type cards rather than for specific holidays or events. But let's face it, you can't be a card maker, make bunches of cards, and then not make someone a birthday card!!  LOL.
Anyway, I used bright colorful papers from BG, colored the balloons with Copics, added some seam binding, Liquid Pearls and a tiny paper clip.
I thought the birthday theme was particularly appropriate as it's Verve's 5th Birthday this month.  See the post below about all the fun challenges, hop, and release party.  And check out Verve Stamps...you are really missing out on some great stamps and dies if you haven't already!

Verve Stamps Turns 5!

Verve Stamps is celebrating their 5th Anniversary (Birthday?).  During August, they had a site-wide sale, hosted creative challenges, had a terrific blog hop over 9 days with creations using their new release products by the Design Team (AKA "Divas"), and wrapped it all up with a phenomenal release party on Splitcoaststampers.  There were tons of prizes and giveaways for participating in the challenges, commenting on the blog hop, and posting on the party thread (I scored a $25 gift code to the store!!)
Truly amazing products, wonderful service and creativity, and the best, kindest design team AND customers/fans around.

These are my creations for the Anniversary Challenges.
DAY 1: Color Challenge (Use pink, brown, and green)


 I had a great time making this card.  I had some new 6x6 paper pads with beautiful choices in pinks, greens, and browns (the hard part was choosing which to use).  AND I had some lovely new-to-me Verve stamps and dies in hand from their Anniversary sale.
I used this long Irish Blessing stamp from Verve's Blessings set.  The leaves are cut with the Elegant Leaves die (I stamped with Versamark and clear embossing powder first, so they have a bit of shimmer and depth IRL).  The little butterfly is from one of my all-time favorite Verve sets, Blue Skies, and is cut out with the coordinating All Aflutter die.
I folded the brown dotted paper and cut within the edges of the Ribbon Banner Die to make it longer.
The long ticket-edged pink panels were cut with an MFT Die-namics in the Layered Label set.
And I used a little twist on Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try for August.

DAY 2: Anniversary Themed Card (Using silver or wood)

The challenge was to create an anniversary card with silver or wood (the modern and traditional gifts given for 5th anniversaries).  I opted for silver.  It's much more shiny and elegant in person. I embossed the frame and sentiment from Verve's Love Story set in silver embossing powder, used silver sparkly ribbon, and dangled a silver charm that says "love."
The camera doesn't like photographing silver, I have to tell you.  But imagine that the sentiment is shiny and the card overall sparkly, OK?  I added a bit of red Copic to the frame, a thin red mat, and a red Recollections paper rose. I also stamped the leaves from Verve's Bloom & Grow set in Weathered Wood Distress ink, first stamping off with varying degrees of pressure to make the stamps lighter and darker for depth.

DAY 3: Sketch Challenge


Day 3's challenge for Verve's 5th Anniversary celebration was a sketch challenge (my favorite).
I did add one extra long thin panel, slightly offset from the one in the sketch.  I liked the darker blue, but the whole piece showing was too overpowering.  And yet, just the bird and hexagon pattern got a bit lost by itself.  So I used them both.  ;)
The sentiment is from Verve's Here for You set, a new purchase for me, and on sale during the Verve Anniversary Sale.  It's cut out with the Embossed Oval Die, which is layered on a Spellbinders die.
Papers are MME, including some of the new The Sweetest Thing in Bluebell (love them).
I have to dedicate this one to the lovely Verve Diva, Teresa, for her use of such yummy trims.  I threaded some stringed pearls through this beautiful trim in place of the scallop edge in the sketch.  Twill wrapped with twine to form a bow, and some larger pearls finish it off.

DAY 4: CAS (Clean and Simple) Card

Believe it not, Verve's Anniversary Day 4 challenge was the most challenging to me: A CAS (Clean and Simple) card.  By nature, I unfortunately keep very few things simple in my life, and papercrafting is no exception.  So I had to reach deep to not add layers of patterned papers.  I did bring in a beautifully colored, subtle pattern in the flower, from Echo Park's So Happy Together 6x6 pad.  And the leaves are MME.
The stamps, my absolute favorite flower from Verve's Great Friend set, are cut out by hand and layered with dimensionals between, then topped with black rhinestones.  The leaves are from the Sunny Days set and cut with the coordinating Leafy Sprigs dies.
The simple sentiment (maybe that was my further attempt to keep the card CAS??) is also from Great Friend.
I scored a few lines on the edges of the front of the card.
And that's it!  I know, seems kind of a lot for being CAS, but hopefully the finished card comes across that way.

DAY 5: ABC (Anything But a Card) Challenge

You got it...make anything except a card.  Easier said than done.
I was puzzling over what to make.  I have some great cutting files...little boxes or bags or 3D items.  But while browsing Joann's at an impromptu stop in (dh wanted to go to Sports Authority next door), I found these adorable tiny 3x3 canvases.  I absolutely love the inspirational quotes in the Words of Wisdom stamp set by Verve.  I decided to decorate three of the little canvases with some of my favorite quotes in the set.  I colored the backgrounds with Copics (actually much more difficult than I thought.  The ink didn't want to stay).  Then stamped with Staz-On, and added a few stamped and cut out elements from other Verve sets and added my signature bling (nothing's finished until it has some bling) in the form of alternating colors of flat backed pearls around the edges.
Very simple, but with the coordinating colors and designs, and the wonderful uplifting quotes, I like my little art pieces.  I plan to hang them up in my craft room, unless I find someone who needs the inspiration even more than I do.

Life Doesn't Have to Be Perfect

For the Viva la Verve! August Week 2 Sketch Challenge:

I noticed this terrific sentiment in Verve's Words of Wisdom set still hadn't gotten inky, and it seemed to fit the front panel sizing just right for this sketch.  I used several papers from Echo Park's So Happy Together. and quite a few punches and dies (SU's scallop border punch, TCP's Easy Rosette die, and the fishtail banners from MFT's 1st Place Awards Die-namics).
A bit of the new Ocean twine from The Twinery, a button from SEI, and rhinestones from Pizzazz Aplenty top it off.
I actually left out the half oval shape from the sketch.  Just too many colors and shapes going on for my card already.

Cast Your Cares for MOJO 253

For the Mojo Monday Sketch #253:

This card was a bit out of my normal paradigm.  First, this is a bright one.  But then, hopefully the verse from Verve's I Peter 5:7 set brings a bit of hope and joy and calls for some bright, sunshine-y papers.
These are the new MME The Sweetest Thing-Tangerine papers.
The panels are skewed.  But then, the sketch calls for it.  And I've followed sketches with skewed panels before.
Also, a bit different for me, I distressed and inked the edges.  You have no idea how much I wanted to back each layer with cardstock to make them stand out.  I love that clean look.  But I decided to go out of my comfort zone and try something a bit different.
Notice, thought, that my seam binding and bling make their usual appearance, as well as the fishtail banner (this one from MFT's 1st Place Award Die-namics).  I can't depart from all my norms...it wouldn't be MY card.

August SFYTT

For Jen del Muro's August Sketch for You to Try (SFYTT) challenge:

This month's sponsor is one of my very favorite companies, Verve.  And with a brand new 6x6 pad of the bright and sunny Echo Park "On the Sunny Side" papers in hand, I had to pull out this sentiment from Verve's Happy Hello, and the tiny sun and cloud from New Mercies.  The center panel took the form of the Sweet Scallop tag and coordinating die.
Lots of stitching, yummy orange ribbon from Raisin Boat, and a matching brad to EP's On the Sunny Side papers.

Aircraft on the Brain?

I think I must have aircraft on the brain lately.  Both my cards for sketch challenges this weekend star some for of aircraft.


MFTWSC #83
I used the MFT WSC#83 sketch challenge with the super cute Airplane Greetings Die-namics and a sentiment from PTI for this card:

I had an idea in my mind, but I'm afraid it didn't translate well.  None of my friends who saw my card in person could figure out what I was going for.  The graduated round circles, separated with foam tape, and topped with embossed vellum is supposed to represent the moon (you know, the craters and all?) in the dark night sky with wispy vellum clouds (also cut with MFT Die-namics) floating by.  Hmmm...No one gets my moon.  My husband asked, "How are they supposed to see the plane's banner in the dark?"  LOL.  That's being too practical.  Oh well.  I love the little plane.  I cut the propeller out of aluminum foil backed with heavy cardstock, and it spins on the brad.


Viva la Verve
For the Viva la Verve! August week 1 sketch challenge

I stamped one of the balloons from Verve's Up, Up & Away set (and stamped again on patterned paper to paper piece just the main central balloon portion) and a sentiment from Blue Skies for the main panel of this card.
Papers are an eclectic mix of BG's What's Up, EP's Sweet Day, and MME Paris & Co.
I used two new Twinery colors of twine, Ocean and Seaweed, as the twine made me think of the ropes tying off the hot air balloons.  A tiny clothespin finishes it off.

You Make the World a Better Place for MFTWSC

I had hoped to enter this in the MFT Weekly Sketch Challenge #82, but didn't quite finish and get it photographed, edited, and posted in time.  But I love the color combo, and again, what a great sketch from the MFT lovelies.

I used a sentiment from MFT's Vertical Greetings set, cut with the first Vertical Greetings Die-namics.  Lots of other MFT dies play a roll in this card, too.  A Mini Tab Die-namics diecut peeks out from beside the sentiment.  That  yummy paper rose is cut with the second largest of their Rolled Rose Die-namics.  And the Jumbo Scallop and Scalloped Scallop are Die-namics, also!  (The leaves, however, are Sizzix.  LOL).

Papers are Vintage Vogue by Pink Paislee.

Birthday Set for Verve's July Diva Dare

I made this matching purse gift holder and card for Verve's July Diva Dare:

The challenge was to create a project with a birthday theme.  I used sentiments from Verve's Birthday Bash set, and one of the flowers (in two sizes) from Sunny Days.  The leaf die shapes are from their Leafy Sprigs dies.
The gift bag/purse was cut using SCAL and a great set of svg files from SVGCuts, called Amelie's Accessories.  I sized it wide enough to fit a gift card, and a few candies or lip gloss, etc, could fit in there, too.
I stamped and handcut two smaller and one larger of the flowers, snipped between the petals and shaped the flowers by rolling a pen cap in the center and pinching and curling the petal tips with my fingers and the pen.  Then they are layered with some foam adhesive to give dimension and height, and a beautiful MME brad poked through the middle.
Papers are MME Lime Twist (and some pearlized cardstock from Prima).
Brads and Liquid Pearls finish it off.

I also used the Viva la Verve! July week 5 sketch challenge for my card (here are close ups of both):

 

Thanks for looking!

You Rock! Card for VLV

For the Viva la Verve! July week 4 sketch challenge:

Wanted to tell an awesome coworker how much I appreciate her "can do" attitude.  The "You Rock" sentiment from Verve's Sweet Treats set with the bold, bright colors of MME Lime Twist seemed to fit the bill.  I stamped the sentiment and Verve's Vintage Oval Frame around it, and cut out with the coordinating die (by the same name).  Added a die cut flower made with MFT's Prima Donna Die-namics and some rhinestones in the center, and wrapped a bit of dotted green ribbon and bow around the front panel.

Missing You for MFT WSC

For the MFT Weekly Sketch Challenge #81:

I used one of the PI girls, Picture Perfect, from the new VIP collection.  She's actually full height, holding a frame in front of her.  But I selectively stamped and paper pieced parts of the stamp to make it look like she's looking out a window (at least, I hope that's what I accomplished).  I fashioned some paper curtains for her, sliding one part under her and popping the other so she looks nestled between them.  The sentiment is from the older MFT Flopsey Flowers set, cut out with one of the Sentiment Strip Die-namics.  A small Rolled Rose (MFT Die-namics) with rhinestone, and lots of bright cheery papers from Basic Grey.

The MFT VIP releases are monthly, limited in quantity, and bundle a mixture of a few stamps and Die-namics for a great price.  You can purchase the stamps and Die-namics a couple weeks later (at the release), but there's usually one extra set of sentiments that are never available again.  I thought this collection was too cute.  I LOVE, LOVE the arrow Die-namics, and am so glad I snapped up the extra bonus sentiments.

Other MFT products used: