Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains...Can you paint with all the colors of the wind...

Happy Wednesday, y'all! How's your week going? Mine is fast and furious! Back to school time is super busy for us at work, so I've just been running crazy. I did have a little stamp time tonight, so I thought I'd show you another preview of Bountiful Backgrounds...possibly my favorite set of this release from Verve. If I do say so myself...this is one of my favorite cards I've made in quite a while. I hope you like it!

Fun, huh? I stamped each of the backgrounds in a different color on coordinating cardstock, and cut them down to 1" x 1 3/4" rectangles. Then I cut each rectangle corner to corner and sponged the edges. Then I matched up different colors and patterns back into rectangles, and stitched them onto a white panel, giving it a nice quilted look. Boy, was that a lot of stitching! But I think it was worth it. *wink*

This sentiment is one of four in the Bountiful Backgrounds set, and I stamped it in Versafine Onyx Black on white cardstock. Then I added a scalloped trim with my Dotted Scallop edger punch and punched a hole in each end with my Cropadile. I threaded some pink taffeta ribbon through, and mounted the sentiment onto my card with dimensionals. To finish it off, I added a bow/flower/button combo on the left side, and VOILA! I didn't think it needed anything else...I really wanted the colors and patterns to be the focus of the card.

I really hope you like this one...I love what Julee has cooked up for this release! If you want to see more, check out the Verve Blog for more eye candy. I'm sure you won't be disappointed! There's also lots of fun & games (with PRIZES!) going on every day this week in the Verve Forum, all leading up to the big Release Party on Friday night. I hope to see you there!

I gotta run for now...hope you have a fabulous day!

Well, she always knows her place...she's got style, she's got grace, she's a winner...

Hey, y'all, Happy Tuesday! How's your week going so far? Mine is fun, but busy with all Verve release stuff going on. I've added more details at the bottom of this post in case you're interested!

So, it's Tuesday, which means it's time for Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge! Mercy cooked up another fabulous sketch for us this week, so check it out:

Fun, huh? I decided to combine it with Dawn's Raspberry Suite Color Challenge #14, and throw in a little Verve Sneak Preview just for fun. See whatcha think:

This card uses a new set from Verve called Express Yourself, which is so totally fun. The colors were just a smidge out of my comfort zone...I was cool until she threw in the Scarlet, which I don't have from Papertrey, so I substituted Bravo Burgundy, which I don't love. I cut and embossed a Cream panel with my Labels One Nestabilities, then added a mat of Elegant Eggplant. The sentiment was stamped in Versafine Onyx Black, and the two flourishes were stamped in Raspberry Fizz. Then I stamped the polka dots (from Bountiful Backgrounds...shhh!!) in Bravo Burgundy on Cream cardstock, matted it with Raspberry Fizz, and added a Burgundy scalloped edge along the bottom.

A strip of Raspberry Fizz stitched grosgrain was wrapped around my polka dot panel, with the full intention of doing a bow/button combo. But then I found this fabulous Burgundy felt flower in my stash from Creative Cafe and decided to use it instead. I adhered that with Zip Dry, then added a cream button tied with crochet thread. The final touch was rounding the corners of my Kraft card base.

Don't forget to check out Mercy's Blog, as well as the rest of the Muses for more inspiration using this sketch:

Pam Speidel

Cindy Haffner

Pam Varnell

Julie Lacey

Crystal Birr

Jackie Pedro

Jessica Diedrich

If you decide to play along, don't forget to use the keyword MTSC33 when uploading to a public gallery so we can all see your fabulous creations!

I know I mentioned some of this the other day, but I just wanted to remind you of all the fun things going on for Verve's 2nd Birthday.

Anni-VERVE-sary Sketch Challenges: Check them out on this thread!
Diva Giveaways: Each day from now until Thursday each of the Diva's are hosting a Giveaway Challenge/Game/Activity in the Verve Forum! You can check out all of the details on this thread.
Sneak Peeks: Start TODAY on the Verve Blog! You won't want to miss it!
It all wraps up on Friday Night, August 14th,at the Verve 2nd Anni-VERVE-sary Release Party beginning at 8PM EST in the Verve Forum! I hope to see you there!!

Have a fabulous day, and thanks for stopping by to see me!

Then every head turned with eyes that dreamed of being the one...who will dance on the floor in the round...

Happy Friday, y'all! I don't know about you, but this has been a busy week. Whew! Today is the day of the newest release from Verve Stamps, and you won't want to miss this!

This is the card I posted on the Verve Blog for a Sneak Preview of a new set called Forever in Our Hearts. Check out the posts over there for chances to win the new sets as well!


Isn't that a gorgeous image? I wanted to try a different approach than normal, so I misted my watercolor paper with water first, then colored my image with Chocolate Chip, Always Artichoke, and Real Red markers and stamped it on the wet paper. Once the paper was dry, I colored the image again and re-stamped a clearer image over the top of the softened one. This technique is an old favorite, and it worked perfectly for the look I was going for. I finished the card off with the large branch image and a sentiment from this set. I think this would be a great encouragement card in addition to a sympathy card...the beauty of Julee's wonderfully thoughtful stamps.

We'd love you to join us tonight in the Verve Forum for the Release Party. We'll start hanging out at 8 PM Central, and I'm sure there will be some prizes too! I'd love to see you there!

Have a wonderful day!

Like rain, tax...weeds grow up through the pavement cracks...(it's inevitable)...

Happy Tax Day, peeps! How's your day going so far? Mine is great, except I ran out of Peanut Brittle yesterday (my work snack) and I have nothing to nibble on! Yeah, yeah, poor me. *wink*

I totally forgot to tell you that the Verve Sneak Previews started on the Verve Blog yesterday! There are 2 posts (yesterday and today) with the chance to win some free Verve Stamps goodness, so check it out! The release is this Friday night, and there are some fabulous stamps coming! This is a card I made for the preview of Wishful Elegance.

When I first saw this set, I was so excited to see another background! Fresh, elegant, and versatile are all things that you have come to expect from Verve, and this set is no exception.

I knew I wanted to use this ribbon from Jacksonbelle Embellishments, so that's where I picked up my color combo. The black and kraft just popped with the blue and red. I stamped the background in Versamark on Kraft cardstock and embossed it with white embossing powder. I then stamped the flower image three times on the main panel, and added the sentiment. I masked the sentiment with a piece of scrap paper and stamped some stems with the stem image from Thankful Blossoms. I then stamped the flower three more times on white cardstock and colored them with Copics, cut them out, and popped them up with dimensionals. Some buttons with twine and a few black accent layers finished off my bright, fun birthday card.

Don't forget to check the Verve Blog tomorrow for peeks of the last set...it's AMAZING!!! In the meantime, if you'd like another chance to win some new Verve Stamps, check out the challenges that Julee is having for release week HERE!

I'm a thousand miles away but girl, tonight you look so pretty...yes you do...

Hey yall, how's it going? I just wanted to post real quick and assure you that I'm still alive! *wink* I will be posting my Jacksonbelle Tuesday Challenge soon, but for your patience, I have a sneak preview of some new Verve for ya. Sound good?

This card previews images from two new sets to be released by Verve on March 8th...Beautiful Kindness and Circular Sayings. This is Verve's biggest release to date...can you say EIGHT sets and FIVE Plain Janes? WOWEE!

For this card, I decided to paper piece the butterflies from Beautiful Kindness with one of the solid (ish) pages from my Basic Grey  Porcelain 6x6 pad and then pop them up over the Cream panel. The background paper is from the same collection. Lots of sponging and stitching gave me the shabby chic look I was going for, and since I don't have any Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon, I decided to color my white ribbon with a Copic Marker. The sentiment is from Circular Sayings.

So often I have people ask what kind of ink to use with clear stamps. I own a ton of different brands, and most of them work great with my high quality photopolymer stamps like Verve, MFT, and The Cats Pajamas (to name a few). Although my Brilliance inks are my favorite for coloring, pigment inks are not really my favorite for solid image stamping since they do require heat setting and don't tend to dry very quickly. But what stinks about that is pigment inks give you the best coverage. I have several Colorbox Chalk Cat's Eyes, and while I don't mind them, they leave a strange whitish finish to the image. My very favorite by far is my Versamagic Dew Drops by Tsukineko. The colors are rich and vibrant, they dry quickly, give great coverage, and are very affordable. They also don't "spit" when you lift your stamp off the cardstock. Has anyone noticed that with some juicy inks and clear stamps? You ink it up all good, press the stamp down, and if the stamp sticks a little, the ink will kind of splatter on your cardstock when you raise the stamp off the paper. Anywho, these don't do that. I just thought I'd give you that little tidbit...just for fun! Have a fabulous day!

My hope is in the Name of the Lord, Where my help comes from...You're my strength, my song...

Hey yall! I hope you're enjoying your Tuesday. My kiddos are back to school, and I have a million things to to! I do have a little preview of a new Verve set...wanna see? Hmmm, I thought you might! *wink* This is a little set of 2 called Jeremiah 29:11. I was soooo excited that Julee created this...I have been looking and looking for a good stamp of this verse. Love it! What do you think?

I created this card based on the colors in the October Afternoon paper. After stamping the verse in Versamark and embossing it with black detail embossing powder, I cut the panel with my Scalloped Rectangle Nestabilities and sponged the edges with Old Olive ink. Stamping the cross over the verse was a last minute touch, but I really like it. A few brads, some ribbon, and I was done! I hope you like it!

ETA: There's a challenge going on in the Verve Forum, and a stamp giveaway on the Verve Blog. Check 'em out!

Now if you feel like it, there's a video below of a song that I just adore. The lyrics from it are today's title, and I thought you might want to hear it. Check it out if you want! (But don't hold me responsible when you have to buy the CD!)

ETA: Sorry, that video was removed. Here's another version for ya. :)

Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, cause I'm only dreaming...

Happy Saturday, yall! It's starting to feel like the holidays around here, even though it's 80 degrees outside. *sigh*

Okay so I have been writing this blog post for almost an hour...the kiddos are grouchy today! We're gonna make it short and sweek, k?

Here's my card for this week's Sketch for You to Try.

I used one of the new Verve Releases called Snow Wonderful. This little guy is sooo super cute! Check out samples from my friends Jen (and our guest Becca), Amy R, Amy S, Carole, and Susan.

And here is the card I made for Julee's Holiday Release Sketch Blitz Day 5.

This card uses images from Snowflake Splendor and a sentiment from Ornamental Christmas. I went shabby chic on this one with lots of sponging, sewing, and some lace trim.

For more previews of the sets to be released on November 10th, check out the Verve Blog. I hope you can join us on Sunday night at 7:00 PM Central in the Verve Forum for the release party. All the info is HERE.

Here they come, every night the same...silent stars, light from a distant flame...

Happy Friday, yall! Today I have a Sneak Preview of new Verve sets to be released on Sunday night...Poinsettia Christmas and Ornamental Christmas. You will love these sets!

I ran across this paper mache' house on sale on a recent trip to Hobby Lobby, and I knew I had to pick it up. Turns out, it was perfect for this sentiment from Poinsettia Christmas!
Cute, huh? I covered the house with Cosmo Cricket's Oh Joy paper, then added some ribbon and a sentiment from Poinsettia Christmas. I stamped the flower on Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, then colored it with Copic markers and cut it out. The sentiment was stamped on Very Vanilla and matted with Chocolate Chip cardstock. After applying Crackle Accents, I cut out the flower and popped it up on the sentiment. Inside the box is a gift card to Pottery Barn. (Is it sad that I want to keep it for myself? *grin*)

The card is fairly simple, and uses the Verve Holiday Release Sketch Blitz #1. Finish these sketches and you'll have a chance to win FREE STAMPS!! Woo hooo!!!!

Anywho, instead of the image, I added a piece of a Cinnamon stick...it smells yummy! Thought it would be the perfect addition.

For more previews of the sets to be released on November 10th, visit the Verve Blog. The divas and guests have outdone themselves...plenty of inspiration here! I hope you enjoy all the eye candy, and join us on Sunday night at 7:00 PM Central in the Verve Forum for the release party. All the info is HERE.

Have a fabulous day!

I'm walking on sunshine, woooah...and don't it feel good!!

Happy Monday guys! Sorry this is a late post...I am home sick and have been in bed. I do have some Verve to show you since the sneak previews have begun! Today we're giving you some peeks of 2 new sets - Abundant Blessings and So Happy. You'll be able to purchase these sets in the Verve Store on Wednesday, September 10th.


When I first saw these flowers from Abundant Blessings, I thought it would be fun to create some sort of background with them. After stamping the two smaller flowers onto Kraft cardstock in Versafine Black ink, I colored them in with Prismacolor Pencils. I didn't blend with Odorless Mineral Spirits because I wanted kind of a natural texture. Once I was done, I filled in the blank spots with the fern image stamped in Versamagic Spanish Olive.

I originally wanted to create an acetate card and use this as my front, but it didn't look quite right. So I cut a strip of acetate, stamped the sentiment from Thankful Blossoms in White Stazon, and sewed it onto my card front. I added a layer of black, then my white card base, and that finished it off! Totally simple and organic I think.

For more previews and a chance to win today's preview sets, check out the Verve Blog. We hope that you will join us for the release party tomorrow evening in our SCS Member Company Forum HERE. We'll kick off the party at 10pm EST and you'll get to see set reveals, more sneak peeks and it wouldn't be a Verve party without some PRIZES!! Right now you have a chance to win the ENTIRE RELEASE by participating in the OSW (One Sheet Wonder) challenge. You can see all the details HERE.

Have a great day!

Our love affair, may it always be a flame to burn through eternity....

Happy Tuesday! It's Verve Party Day!! We'll be chatting it up HERE, so make sure you join us tonight!

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was to hear that Julee was creating a cupcake set. Not just ANY cupcake set...a VERVE cupcake set. Seriously! And I love the name of it...

Cupcake Affair! Who knew cupcakes could be elegant? I made this one a little over the top with Liquid Appliqué colored to look like Vanilla Icing. Dontcha just want to lick it? In all seriousness, these stamps are so fun to play with, and who could resist that sentiment? Because we all know it's true... Cupcakes really DO make everything better.

Here's a detail shot:
Ok, that's all for now...I'm off to dig through my new Stampin' Up Catalog! *grin*

For more peeks, check out the Verve Blog! See you tonight!

I'm strong the the finish 'cause I eat me spinach, I'm Popeye the sailor man...

I know, I know. Where did that song come from? It's simple really. This card uses Old Olive cardstock. Olive, hmmm...do I know a song about Olives? What about Olive Oyl? Popeye! That's it!!! And there you have my thought process. Maybe more than you wanted to know...*grin*

I have another day of Verve fun for you. If you haven't been playing along with the AnniVERVEsary Sketches, you should! You can check them all out HERE. One lucky player who completes and uploads all 12 sketches gets the entire release!

Anywho, I used Julee's sketch #9 along with the set the Divas are previewing today on the Verve Blog called Artful Elegance. Here you go!

 

I really love how this one turned out! As you might have noticed from yesterday's post, I'm getting into deep, rich colors lately and lots of sponging! I used the square patterned stamp from Grateful Elegance (another new one!) to create the focal square panel, stamping it in Dark Brown Chalk ink on Pearlized Vanilla Cardstock. I sponged around the edges, then added the square/diamond element from Artful Elegance, popped up on top. I stamped the swirl off once, then stamped onto the diamond, and added the sentiment over that. The celery panel on the left is a large stamp from the set, and it makes excellent backgrounds or edge elements! Added some sponging, layers, and finished it off with some ribbon and Bella Pearl Flatbacks...love those things!

You may have noticed that I've started finishing off the insides of my cards as well as the outside. That's because I have decided to start selling my cards on Etsy, and I think people will want a fancy card inside and out! My store isn't up yet, but I will keep you posted.  

Ok, I'm off to bed now...make sure you check the Verve Blog for peeks of this set and one more today, then the last one tomorrow before the big reveal. We will be partying Tuesday night on the Verve Forum at 9:00 PM Central...I'd love to see you there!! Have a great Monday!

You don't bring me flowers...You don't sing me love songs...

Happy Saturday, guys! I hope you had a fabulous week, and are enjoying your weekend. I have a Sketch for You to Try sample for you today...as well as a peek at one of the new Verve sets being released on Wednesday. YAY!

When I showed this card to my hubby, he said, "Sweetie, did the Isle of Capri Casino throw up on your card?" Yes. As a matter of fact it did. Marched right into my stamp room. HMPH. What does he know?? Take a look.

I know! I love it! I'm really happy with how it turned out. The grass is from Floral Whimsy, and the stems are from Thankful Blossoms. The rest are from the new set called Grateful Elegance...I love it. You can see a couple more projects made with this set on the Verve Blog today.

Not a whole lot to say tonight...or this morning (it's super late!!), so I'll leave you with links to check out more spiffy stuff with this sketch:

Amy R
Amy S
Carole
Jen
Susan

Also, don't forget to check out the Verve Forum for chances to win some new stamps! Have a happy day!

My life is brilliant, my love is pure...I saw an angel of that I'm sure

Happy Friday, guys! I hope your day is fantastic so far. I have such a fun thing to show you today...I have been waiting and waiting...seems like forever.

A couple of months ago, Julee announced that she was going to make a super special commemorative set to celebrate Verve turning one. She asked all the Verve Divas to pick out a quote that meant something to them, and then she compiled all the quotes into one AMAZING set!! Cool, huh??

So here's my quote...it's one of my very favorites of ALL TIME. You ready?

 

Whatcha think? It's totally me, right? At first glance it reminds me of the movie Amadeus, when the opera big wigs tell Mozart that he cannot have the dancers dancing while music is playing because they think it's vulgar. So he has them continue to dance with no music, and they look ridiculous. (And he wins in the end...they let him play the music with the dancing.) 

Silliness aside, once you look a little deeper, you see that it means so much more. Those of you who don't know me very well may not know that I live and breathe music. I am constantly singing, sometimes crazy songs. This quote reminds me that no matter how crazy a situation or a person seems, you may never know the circumstances behind it or what that person is going through. If you don't hear the music, it seems crazy...so try to stop and listen!

Ok, enough sappy stuff. If you want a chance to win this set...check out -->THIS POST<-- . Have a wonderful weekend!!!

Stamps: Beautiful You (Verve)

Paper: Acetate, Basic Black, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White

Ink: White Stazon, Versafine Black

Accessories: Marvy Punches, Corner Rounder, Stickles, May Arts Ribbon, Making Memories Slot Punch, Pop Dots

In your eyes, I see the doorway to a thousand churches, in your eyes the resolution of all the fruitless searches...

It's almost that time....for the Unity Release Party! Ok, well not almost. But it's closer than it was yesterday! *grin* It starts at 8 PM Central tonight, so be there or be square!

I can show you the full card (since I finished it) that I gave you a peek at yesterday.
I used the ice cream cone stamp from the new release called Mix Up of Cuteness. This is such a fun kit! It's not all ice cream themed, but I promise you will love it. All the images can be colored (or paper pieced, if you prefer), and they're a little smaller in size than Unity's normal stamps. This card measures 4" square, so that will give you some idea of the size.

I stamped the ice cream cone 3 times on hot press watercolor paper (it's sooooo smooth!!). One is the base image, one layer for the cone, and the last for the ice cream, fudge, and cherry on top! Lots of dimensionals gave their lives for this card. I think it was worth it in the end, though. *wink*

The sentiment is from another new kit called Jolly Little Winter, and is actually part of the word "Chilly." The word "just" is handwritten. I thought it was a fun little sentiment for the ice cream.

The next project I did used some of the images from Jolly Little Winter. I used the dancing penguin (doesn't he remind you of Happy Feet? so cute!), masked him, and then stamped the rolling hills on both sides of him.
Inside this little tin is a pair of warm, fuzzy socks to keep warm. I thought it would be a cute gift for a stocking or something like that. This is a nugget tin, so again that will give you an idea of the stamp size.

The sentiment is also from the Jolly Little Winter kit, I just stamped it separately. Penguin dude is colored with Copic markers, and then I added some White Liquid Applique for snow.

So, what do you think? I hope you like what you've seen! I'll have a few more projects to share tonight, along with the rest of the Rockin' Design Team. Angela will also be giving away prizes, and the first 25 orders will receive 25% off! Cool, huh? Hope to see you tonight!

A teardrop rolled down Bubba's nose...from the pain the song was inflicting...

I told you this week would be full of sneak peeks, didn't I? Here's one from Unity, which will be released on Wednesday. Angela is releasing 11 new sets, and they are all TOTALLY AWESOME!! Here's a tiny peek at a project that I'll show tomorrow.

Make sure you check out all the Design Team members blogs for some more peeks. There is even some free rubber to be had, so go check it out! Links are on the right sidebar.

We will be hosting a Release Party in the Unity Forum on SCS on Wednesday the 25th, from 8-10 pm Central. There will be challenges and giveaways, so we'd love you to join us if you can!

Also, don't forget the giveaways on the Verve Blog...you have until tonight to throw your hat in the ring to win some free stamps! Have a great day!

Something whispers in my ear and says, that you are not alone....

Yay for more stamping time! I hope you guys had an awesome weekend. What did you do? I'd love to hear about it!

I finally got some play time with my new Verve sets. Here's a preview of the new (yet to be released) set called Here for You, which will be available on Wednesday. I love this one!!

The color combo (I know, it's "Carole-inspired" aka BRIGHT!) came from the Copics I picked to color in the flower. For the sentiment to have an impact, I wanted a big, bold flower wish softer ones in the background. You like? I hope so!

Make sure you check out the Verve blog for a chance to win this set and another sentiment set. You won't be disappointed! Have a wonderful Monday!

Stamps: Here for You, Thankful Blossoms (Verve)

Paper: Basic Black, Regal Rose, Marigold Morning, PTI White, Robin's Egg Blue (Recollections)

Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, Marigold Morning

Accessories: Pop Dots, Sewing Machine, Thread, Paisley Embossing Folder, Bella's Dots (Stamping Bella)

I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow, and each road leads you where you want to go...

My sister and I took my dad last night to see Rascal Flatts...we had so much fun! We were out late, and I'm still too pooped to pop! Before we left though, I did get a chance to make a Sneak Preview card for the Verve release on Wednesday. Priorities, right?

I used Emily's awesome color challenge from this week, which was to use Kraft, Soft Sky, and Black. Love it!! The set I'm previewing today is called Asian Flair, and will be available to purchase on Wednesday. Whatcha think?

Cool, huh?! I stamped the geometric square pattern on the Sky card base in Soft Sky ink, then sponged and embossed it with the Swiss Dots embossing folder. To get the squares perfectly centered on the white strip, I cut a 2" strip and drew pencil lines (with my ruler, of course) 1/2" in from the top and bottom. This gave me a good 1" path to stamp my squares. The rest came together on its own...which is just what I needed since I was griping that my mojo was lost! I guess it was just hiding under the mess on my desk. *grin*

For more projects using the Asian Flair set and a chance to win it, check out the Verve Blog today. Make sure you check back Monday and Tuesday for more samples and giveaways, and then Wednesday for the big reveal! Have a fabulous Sunday!

Stamps: Asian Flair (Verve Visual)

Paper: Papertrey White, Basic Black, Soft Sky, Kraft

Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, Soft Sky

Accessories: We R Memory Keepers Hardware, SU Gingham Ribbon, Pop Dots, Stickles, Swiss Dots Embossing Folder

Sounds of the rude world, heard in the day....lulled by the moonlight have all passed away

See, whoever wrote "Beautiful Dreamer" had loud tweeting birds outside their window too! *grin*

I have been waiting and waiting to share this card with you...it seems like forever! This is a little preview of one of the sets Verve is releasing on Friday. It's called Floral Whimsy, and I love it because of this quote! Yall know how I'm a sucker for quotes, and good fonts...and this set has both, plus a butterfly and some flowers to boot! Could it get any better?

I made this card the day this set landed on my doorstep...I just couldn't wait. It kind of took on a life of its own and came together, which is how most of my favorite cards are made.

The butterflies were stamped onto white cardstock and colored with my Copic markers. Then I cut them out and adhered them to the white strip (on which I stamped another row of butterflies) with dimensionals. The bottom of the black panel is pierced with my paper piercer and mat pack, and then I added a little strip of Pomegranate cardstock and some Wasabi ribbon to finish it off. I like the soft look that the rounded corners add.

To see more projects with this set, check out the Verve Blog. We will also be drawing from the comments to win this set (and the other releases!) so make sure you check back every day this week! Have a good one!

Stamps: Floral Whimsy (Verve Visual)

Paper: Papertrey White, Basic Black, Purely Pomegranate

Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, Sage Shadow

Accessories: Copic Markers, Wasabi Stitched ribbon, Dimensionals, Corner Rounder, Mat Pack, Paper Piercer

My father would lift me high and dance with my mother and me and then spin me around 'til I fell asleep...

Another day, another Verve Sneak Peek! And yet another chance to win this set here on the Verve Blog, so go check it out!

I have been in a simple mood lately with my cards, and this one is no different. My dad isn't a big fan of doo-dads and ribbon, so I kept this one doo-dad free. *wink* This new set from Verve (available tomorrow) is called Father Figure. It's perfect for Dads and Husbands, and can be used in so many ways.

Julee's Mojo Monday #32 sketch a few weeks ago was my starting point for this card. I'm not sure where my color combo came from (probably scraps that were on my desk), but I really like it.
My favorite part of this stamp set is the paragraph stamp that reads, "There are so many words that define you. You're a man of integrity, a role model, provider, protector, teacher and friend." How cool is that?! Perfect for my dad, anyway.

Don't forget, you can still use the code SHANNANROCKS until tonight at midnight to get 15% off your Verve order. Have a happy Thursday!

Stamps: Father Figure (Verve Visual), Biased Stripe Backgrounder (Cornish Heritage Farms)
Paper: Barely Banana, Basic Black, Bordering Blue (Stampin' Up!), Stampers Select White (Papertrey)
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko), Buckaroo Blue, So Saffron (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: Sponges, Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!)

I am the walrus, goo goo g'joob, goo goo goo g'joob.

Sorry, I heard that song the other day for the first time and it cracked me up. So I had to use it for a post. *grin*

Just to let you guys know, the previously out of stock sets Anniversary Birds and Thankful Blossoms are back in the Verve Store!! Since she's awesome, Julee has re-activated the code SHANNANROCKS for today and tomorrow for 15% off your order. For those that missed out on those sets, you can get them -->HERE<--.

Today is the first day of Verve Sneak Peeks, and you can see more samples on the Verve Blog from the rockin design team. The set we're featuring today is called Great Expectations, and it's one of my favorites. Included are 13 sentiments that are fabulous for encouragement or congratulating a job well done (like graduation!). Here's my sample:

I created the background by stamping the Biased Stripe Backgrounder from CHF on my blue panel, then stamping the word "Superstar" in between the lines repeatedly. I love how it turned out (if I do say so myself!). I sponged the edges and added some white polka dots for something extra.

The main focal point is the awesome sentiment, and I added a star from the Polka Stars set as a little embellishment. You can't see it very well in the picture, but the polka dots are all glittery, and the star is outlined with Diamond Stickles as well as the white sentiment panel.

Make sure you comment on the Verve Blog today and tomorrow for a chance to win each of the new releases! I will also be doing Blog Candy very soon to celebrate my (just past) blogaversary, and 80K hits. Whodathunk anyone would want to read what I have to say? *grin*


Stamps: Great Expectations, Polka Stars (Verve Visual), Biased Stripe Backgrounder (Cornish Heritage Farms)
Paper: Brocade Blue, Basic Black (Stampin' Up!), Stampers Select White (Papertrey)
Ink: Buckaroo Blue (Stampin' Up!), Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Large Star Punch, Dimensionals, Ticket Corner Punch (Stampin' Up!), Distressor Tool, Stickles (Ranger), White Brads (Making Memories), White Glaze Pen (Sakura)