Divine Details...

well, not so much for me. Yes, for the Verve Divas, but I don't pretend to so talented. Instead, I just have a good time!

This month's Verve Project Parade is about sharing the details of your creative process. So....I took notes as I made this card. It was really interesting, like most of the Divas, I didn't really think I had much of a process. Here is a little insight into how I came up with my card:)

First, I started with a sketch - this week's Mojo Monday sketch. It looked good to me and I had been looking for a sketch with a circle focal image to use with the "Fun Is Good" stamp from Beautiful You. Next, I picked out some "fun" patterned papers to go with my stamp. I went with a piece of striped Cherry Hill from October Afternoon and a distressed solid from Basic Grey's Urban Prairie.

After I got that all settled, I decided how I would change the elements of the card that didn't work well for me from the sketch. I traded the circles for the punched stars with self-adhesive metal stars on top. I changed the rectangle for a knotted ribbon to fill the space and separate the patterns. Finally, I swapped the photo corner punch (because I don't have one) to rounded corners.

I stamped my image in Basic Gray on Whisper White paper and then cut it out with my Nesties. Then I hand cut a slightly larger circle on Basic Gray paper with the help of a circle template and my paper snips. Then I decided I would make my card base white with a gray mat for my patterned paper.

I rounded the corners and colored my image with a blender pen, picking up my ink out of the lid. Here is where I goofed first. I meant to grab Pumpkin Pie ink, but I grabbed More Mustard. Never fear, I just colored with Pumpkin Pie over it. After I looked at my colored image, I decided it needed more red. So, I sponged Riding Hood Red around the edge of the circle with my sponge dauber.

Then I laid it all out. It looked fine, so I glued it down and tied my ribbon. I popped my focal image up on Stampin' Dimensionals and glued my stars down with glue dots. All Done! Oops, not quite. My ribbon knot moved, so back to my craft desk I went. I got my knot in place and took half of a mini glue dot on my craft knife and slipped it under the knot to hold it there. Now, I'm done!

Here are the details:

Stamps: Beautiful You (Verve)
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Gray, OA Cherry Hill, BG Urban Prairie
Ink: Basic Gray, Not Quite Navy, Pumpkin Pie, Riding Hood Red, Kiwi Kiss
Accessories: Nestabilities, circle template, kiwi kiss satin ribbon, star punch, self-adhesive metal stars, glue dots, stampin' dimensionals, corner rounder

Playing with my new In-Colors

One evening, I just got this itch to play in my craft room. I had my new In-Color markers and some new rubber from Unity, so I went for it! I didn't use a sketch or have a really good plan, I just starting stamping and this is what I came up with! I wanted to separate the bottom half of my card from the top, so I put in the two thin strips of Rich Razzleberry and then sponged Bordering Blue ink on the bottom. It's quite subtle, but I think it does the trick. I finished it by rounding the corners. Let me tell you, I am in desparate need of new corner rounders!!!

Here are the details for this card:

Stamps: Hodge Podge of Happiness (Unity)
Paper: Bordering Blue, Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry
Ink: Basic Black, Bordering Blue, Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry, Melon Mambo
Accessories: Nestabilities, Large oval punch, blender pen, stampin' dimensionals, stampin' sponge
Techniques: sponging

All products are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise posted.

Fun SCS Challenges with Unity

I used my Unity stamps this week in the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday SCS challenges. This card is the Sketch Challenge and one of the Hip Hop Thursday challenges. Since this week is CHA, Christi challenged crafters to use the acronym, CHA, to make their card. On this card, C = Coloring, H = Holes and A = Adore (make the card for someone you love).


I doubled up of this challenge too! I used the CAS sketch challenge and this week's color challenge. I like the way this one turned out. I used an ancient Simply Scrappin' Kit that had been collecting dust. I used a Unity sentiment set called Simply Said (not to be confused with the SU Simply Said set!) Thank goodness that the paper was marbled because I goofed and was able to fix it.



This last card was for the CAS sketch challenge. I really like the way this one turned out with the double-sided ribbon that matched my color scheme. Of course, this one is flawed too because Sweet Pea kept coming into my craft room and distracting me. I pressed too hard with the adhesive on the back of the main panel and tore the paper a bit! Argh, 3 yo's!

Here are the details for the cards:

Owl card -
Stamps: Hodge Podge of Happiness (Unity)
Paper: Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Cosmo Cricket Mr. Campy
Ink: StazOn Timber Brown, Chocolate Chip, Soft Suede, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze, Old Olive, River Rock
Accessories: Blender pen, paper piercer, mat pack, stampin ' dimensionals
Techniques: paper piercing

Flower trio card -
Stamps: Simply Said (Unity)
Paper: Whisper White, Pixie Pink, Island Blossoms Simply Scrappin' Kit
Ink: Certainly Celery
Accessories: Apricot grosgrain ribbon, stampin' dimensionals
Techniques: CAS

Cupcake card -
Stamps: Mix Up of Cuteness (Unity)
Paper: Pink Pirouette, Chocolate Chip, Candy Lane dp
Ink: StazOn Timber Brown, Pink Pirouette, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: M's double-sided satin ribbon, MAMBI bling, Red Sharpie
Techniques: CAS

All products are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise posted.

I {heart} Verve in July!

I finished all 5 Viva La Verve sketches with a little time left over! This is not my normal pattern. Usually, I procrastinate like crazy. I'm glad to be done with couple days to spare. The sketches are in order and the "twist" on this sketch is a twist of distressing. I sponged for my distressing. Normally, I would use browns, but here I used gray and black.








The second sketch called for a twist of technique, either poppin' pastels or burnt batik. I had never done burnt batik, so I went with poppin' pastels. This isn't my favorite card, but it will do! Too much green I think.







The third sketch called for a twist of scoring. Another technique that is not my friend. I did the best I could and like the result better here than above!













The fourth sketch called for a twist of vellum. I really struggled with how to incorporate the vellum until I sat down to pick out some dp. I found the flowered dp and the whole card fell together for me!












This last sketch called for a twist of texture and I probably failed. The only things that I could remotely call texture were the ribbon and the stampin' dimensionals. Now how many cards don't use those. It wasn't very original, but I went for it! I also busted into some Memory Box dp that I have been hoarding. It's so pretty, it is hard to cut into and then cover up!








Here are the specifics for each card:

Sketch 1 -
Stamps: Beautiful You (Verve)
Paper: Unknown sand, Basic Black, Bo Bunny (a gift of love)
Ink: Sahara Sand, Going Gray, Basic Gray, Basic Black
Accessories: sponge daubers, M's black satin ribbon
Techniques: distressing, vintage values

Sketch 2 -
Stamps: Floral Symphony (Verve), Circular Sayings (Verve)
Paper: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, SEI Mimosa
Ink: Versamark, Craft White
Accessories: pastels, Nestabilities, white gel pen
Techniques: poppin' pastels

Sketch 3 -
Stamps: Leaves (Verve), Beautiful You (Verve)
Paper: Whisper White, Night of Navy, Certainly Celery, Certainly Celery dp
Ink: Certainly Celery, Night of Navy
Accessories: Bazzill mini brads, scoring blade, word window punch, M's white satin ribbon, mini glue dots
Techniques: sponging

Sketch 4 -
Stamps: Beautiful You (Verve)
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, BG Mellow, Vellum
Ink: Basic black, Versamark, Riding Hood Red, Certainly Celery
Accessories: Black ep, heat tool, paper snips, celery grosgrain ribbon, mat pack, piercing tool
Techniques: paper piercing

Sketch 5 -
Stamps: Beautiful You (Verve)
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Memory Box Raspberry Tart
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: Nestabilities, scallop edge punch, M's black self-adhesive pearls, black organdy ribbon, stampin' dimensionals, mini glue dots

Limelight's Sketch Challenge

Every other week, Mandy at Limelight Papercraft's hosts a sketch challenge and includes a product focus. This week's sketch was difficult for me (& I'm not sure why???) The product focus this week was on sentiments (stamps, rub-on's, stickers). I made three attempts before I really followed the sketch. This card turned out really CAS and I like it, but I couldn't really find the sketch in it!
This card was my first attempt, late Friday night, in my roasting hot upstairs craft room. Maybe the heat warped my senses as I could not really follow the sketch. I measured out panels for my next idea before heading downstairs to the cooler temps!

So this was my second attempt! It's closer to the sketch, but still wrong! This card I would use for a masculine birthday. The only embellishment I used was the Chocolate Pearls. I love them and I don't think they would be too overpowering and turn a man off! More retired stuff here! I just can't get rid of the It's Your Birthday set. I think it is a classic!
This was my final attempt and it follows the sketch exactly. I was browsing through my stash and I found some sentiment stickers (bonus!!!). This one fit the center panel exactly. I don't know if you can see it in the photo, but I used all black pearls, except for one little butterfly who has a silver pearl for its body! I really like how this one turned out!

Here are the details for each card -

Bamboo -
Stamps: Gratitude = Joy (Unity)
Paper: Whisper White
Ink: River Rock, Old Olive, Soft Suede
Accessories: none

Happy Birthday -
Stamps: It's Your Birthday
Paper: Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip, Parisian Breeze dsp
Ink: StazOn Timber Brown
Accessories: Kaisercraft Chocolate Pearls

Butterflies -
Paper: Unknown Sand, Unknown Ivory, Basic Black
Accessories: Cloud9Design Love Quote Sticker, MS butterfly punch, scallop edge punch, M's adhesive silver pearls, M's adhesive black pearls

All products are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise posted.

Hip Hop Thursday Strikes Again

I made this card for Jeanne's Stamp and Go challenge for Hip Hop Thursday! The challenge that was issued here was to use a line art image and not color it in or paper piece it. I was trying to do something creative with the challenge, so I stamped the image in craft white on vellum and stitched it to the same size piece of black card stock. I call that my chalkboard effect. I couldn't just leave it alone, so I added 4 little pink rhinestones to the center of each flower on the coffee cup!

I was running out of time, or so I thought, so I just added my buttons with mini glue dots. Next time, I will leave myself enough time and time some thread or floss through the button holes! I think my button look a little naked!

Here are the details:
Stamps: Hodge Podge of Happiness (Unity)
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Pretty in Pink, vellum
Ink: Craft White
Accessories: mat pack, paper piercing tool, needle and thread, random buttons, mini glue dots, white organdy ribbon, M's self adhesive pink rhinestones
Techniques: sewing

All products are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise posted.

Absent no longer...

computer problems stink!!! I have a new computer now so the kind of problems that I will experience now should be a bit easier to overcome.

I made this card for this week's Clean and Simple challenge on SCS. The gist of the challenge was to incorporate turquoise, orange and yellow on your card. I busted out some new Unity stamps for this one!

Here are the details for my card:

Stamps: Hodge Podge of Happiness (Unity)
Paper: Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise
Ink: Tempting Turquoise, YoYo Yellow, Only Orange, Real Red, Glorious Green, StazOn Jet Black
Accessories: Versamark pen, clear ep, heat tool, aquapainter, Tangerine grosgrain ribbon, scallop edge punch, 1/8" circle punch, two way glue pen, stampin' dimensionals
Techniques: cas, embossing

All products are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted.

Something other than cards!

Most of the time I make cards because it is quick, easy and rewarding! Then along comes a challenge to knock me out of my comfort zone. I learned to make these Jr. Legal pad folios via a VSN challenge. VSN is a periodic event at SCS designed to get people stamping, out of their comfort zone, and for entertainment. Anyway, I learned to make these notepads and took them to school. Some of the women I work with really liked them and asked me to make them some to use as gifts. So, I made them. I was very busy crafting these the last two weeks of school. Some of these I made for sketch challenges or inspiration challenges. Others I made based on previous cards that I had made and liked. This one is based on a former card.

This one I just made from some designer paper I had recently ordered. The set I used coordinates with the paper. I wanted to have my bird coming off of the top panel. I embossed it on vellum and then colored the back side of the vellum. It was hard to get the images embossed well on the vellum. I don't know if it was the Versamark pad that news re-inking or the embossing gun which died a few weeks later!
If I had it to do over again, I would stamp the sentiment a bit lower, so that the branch didn't overlap it. Maybe later! I also really like how the branches turned out when I added Crystal Effects to the berries. Fun stuff, but really hard for me to wait for it to dry!



This folio wasn't made for any particular challenge. I just really like the paper. I used a technique called paper tole where I cut out about three different flowers from the designer paper and layered them (various pieces of the flower) to achieve some dimension. I mimicked the background paper on my focal image with some pink polka dots and jazzed up the dp by using my Sakura Clear Star gel pen on it!








This folio was created for an inspiration challenge on SCS and used a sketch that I used on a wedding card that is just one of my favorites!!! I altered my own sketch this time to use up all of that space on the front of a folio by moving my flower to the left. I painted it with Angel Wings Shimmerz. This stuff is fabulous. I made my flower a little more stiff, fine by me. I also had to add a circle to the center to keep the rhinestone brad from getting lost in all that flower!






I used a sketch from the ladies at Our Creative Corner to flesh this one out. I also dug into some ancient papers I have laying around. I used my old Simply Scrappin' kit for the flower, bee, vine border and background paper. I love this one so much, I think I will have to make an extra, just to have one around!

The self-adhesive silver pearls are really fun, but on the next one I might just add some colored bling. One of my favorite things to do these days is custom color clear rhinestones with Sharpies. I love that I can really match things up. And instead of wasting the bling, if the color is not right, I wipe it off with some StazOn Cleaner!


Here is the original that I made for VSN! I used my Uhity on this one a) because it worked so well and b) because I wanted to be able to submit it for SCS challenges that week. Who knew how big this was going to get for me? I took it to work and got a couple of orders out of it! Love that! I made a couple others that I just didn't get photos of. That is alright though, I'm sure that you have seen enough!

Too many photos here to list the details, but they are all in my SCS gallery! As always, products used are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise posted!

A couple of SCS challenges this week

I really do love the look of CAS (clean and simple)!! I usually try to keep embellishments to a minimum, but this card just called for more. I embossed with my Swiss dots folder. I added the hot pink bling to the corners. I glued on the pink ribbon tabs and glittered up the cake with some glitter glue. By the way, the CAS challenge was to "Make It Sparkle". I took to the glitter part of the challenge.
This second card was done for the Featured Stamper challenge. I chose to case this CAS card (I think a theme is developing here???). If I did it over again, I would used darker colors of my Water Color Crayons. The pinks and greens that I used were so faint. It turned out all right. I like the double punched border. Fun stuff, I tell you!
I also are fairly certain that that celery colored ribbon is the last bit leftover from my wedding reception over 7 years ago. I really got my money out of that purchase. I am scared to look through the closet for fear of what else I may find. I guess the good news is that I still like the color as much now as I did then!


Here are the specifics for these cards:

Cake card -
Stamps: Sentiments O' Simple (unity)
Paper: Pink Passion, Whisper White, Lovely Lilac
Ink: Pink Passion
Accessories: Orange and Purple glitter glue, MM fuchsia ribbon, M's self-adhesive pink rhinestones, Swiss dots embossing folder, mini glue dots, stampin' dimensionals
Techniques: embossing

Watercolor card -
Stamps: Linden Branch (Unity), Mix Up of Cuteness (Unity)
Paper: Very Vanilla, Pretty in Pink
Ink: Regal Rose
Accessories: WCC, water mister, Stardust Stickles, Eyelet Border, mini glue dot, JoAnn's celery ribbon

All products are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise posted.