You Rock!

Happy Friday!  Are you ready to rock?  Are you ready to hop? I hope you are because Tami Mayberry is hosting a fabulous customer blog hop today as part of her Blast From The Past month.  She has sweetened the deal too, you could win FIVE of her stamp sets simply by leaving comments on any blast from the past post.  You'll want to check it out for sure!

When I first saw this set (called Live Life Loud), I knew it was for me.  You see, my hubby is in a band and pretty much lives for his music.  It's a lot like the way I enjoy stamping!
I tried to stay simple on my card here.  I broke out the sponges and the acrylic paint for a little background distressing and added a few rhinestones for just a touch of glam!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!  If you are looking for something to do tonight, you might want to consider stopping by the VSN forum for the Pirate Party mini-VSN!  It's a great way to show off your fave stamps!

Time Flies

Seriously, I guess it has been a week since I posted.  Yikes!  Well...I guess taxes and life and a closed daycare caught up to me.  I'm sure everyone has had weeks like this, so I'll get on with it!

I played along with Limelight Papercraft's sketch challenge.  This week the focus is on scallops and I just kept straight with the sketch.  You might want to play along as Mandy has extended the deadline until this Thursday and is giving away a stamp set.  I think part of the reason that the challenge was extended is that Mandy had a baby boy on Friday.  Congratulations Mandy!

And because we live in a world of balance I suppose, I have made this card for a Stamp 2 Spend friend, Soni, who has recently lost her husband.  What a terrible tragedy to lose your spouse.  I pray for her in her time of sorrow.  So, this card will go in the mail to Soni and hope that it brings her a brief moment of respite from her grief.

Thanks for stopping by!

Details - Stamps: Kind Words (Verve); Paper: Sahara Sand, Pink Pirouette, Always Artichoke, Whisper White, Bella Rose dsp; Ink: Mellow Moss, Always Artichoke, Pink Pirouette; Accessories: Sakura clear star gel pen, M's rhinestones, Bigz XL Tasteful Trim, Pink gingham ribbon, glue dot.

Lesa's Gift Card Holder

I tried my hand at vintage/shabby here for a gift card holder for one of my girlfriends.  No challenges here, just love for Lesa and an attempt at something different.  I distressed most of my edges and inked them up too.  I scrunched my seam binding, spritzed it with water and scrunched it again. 

I tried some glitter glass like I have seen on Teresa Kline's blog and on Julee Tilman's blog.  I hope those ladies feel flattered by my imitation, as I really do love their gorgeous work.

I also used one of my all time favorite gift card holders.  I first saw Jennifer McGuire use it via this video.  I have included a photo of the inside, as I so often forget to do.  The gift card slips in behind the attached circle. 

Details - Stamps: Notably Ornate, Watercolor Trio; Paper: Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Springtime Vintage dsp; Ink: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Creamy Caramel, Early Espresso, Versamark, Baja Breeze; Accessories: Vanilla Seam Binging, champagne glass glitter, crystal effects, paper snips, MM edge distresser, 1 3/8" circle punch, glue dots, stampin' dimensionals, Vintage flower adornments.

Mojo Eggs

I created this card for this week's Mojo Monday sketch.  I took my color inspiration from this new to me designer paper.  Bright colors equal Easter colors to me, so I went with it!

Love this new basket that Julee put out in the latest release.  I couldn't help but fill it with some Easter eggs.  It's just too cute!  I had a hard time deciding on a sentiment and hope that this matches well enough.  I'm not sure whimsical eggs and blessings are appropriately matched, but it worked well in my short timeline to get my card made!

It was a busy weekend here with birthday parties and such!   I almost hate to say it...but I am ready to head back to work.  I just never accomplish all I set out to do on school breaks!

Thanks for stopping by!

Details - Stamps: Chicks Rule (Verve), Egg-stra Special (Verve); Paper: Whisper White, Early Espresso, Ice Cream Parlor dsp?, Pacific Point, Peach Parfait, Daffodil Delight, Creamy Caramel; Ink: Versamark, Early Espresso, Pixie Pink; Accessories: paper snips, M's self adhesive rhinestones, white taffeta ribbon, stampin' dimensionals, embossed scallop edge punch (EK Success), white ep, heat tool.

A Dash of Color

I really thought that I would post quite a bit more during my spring break, but I have found myself to be quite busy.  It's really been nuts.  We have had swimming lessons and dentist appointments, birthday parties and clam digging.  Whew!  I'm ready to go back to school.

I made this card this morning for a couple of challenges.  Today is the nicest it has been all week.  It was frosty and foggy earlier, but it has all burned off now.  The sun is shining and the birds are singing and I am about to go hang some laundry on the clothesline. 

Before I head out with my clothespins, I share this little number with you.  I made it for Verve's Color Me Spring Diva Dare and an S2S challenge to use color on your card.  Recently, we have had exhausting bouts of rain which resulted in some very minor local flooding and some amazing rainbows.  One night at dinner we saw a fabulous double rainbow (it was really bright) that arched over the neighbors farmhouse!  A bit of joy in the dreary gray...a desperately needed reprieve!

Thanks for stopping by!

Details - Stamps: Egg-stra Special (Verve), Blue Skies (Verve); Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Real Red, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Green Galore, Tempting Turquoise; Ink: Versamark, Basic Black; Accessories: Nestabilities, white ep, heat tool, papersnips, M's self-adhesive rhinestones, glue dots stampin' dimensionals, corner chomper.

Blessed Butterflies

Late this afternoon, I decided to play along with Papercraft's 3rd Color Inspiration challenge.  I don't know why, but I did.  The colors were Bazzill colors that I don't have (Hot Pink, Pansy, Lily White and Beetle Black).  I got as close as I could tell and I am hoping that my computer showed the colors accurately.  I used some SU colors that I thought matched up well! 

Today, I finally tried using the stamps and Verve A Cut Above dies together.  I don't know what I was waiting for, but it worked like magic!  I love how it looks and will be doing that again soon!

I popped up my purple butterflies and lifted their wings.  They support the wings of my pink butterfly too!

Today is the first day of my spring break and I hope it isn't quite so rainy during the rest of the week!  Thanks for stopping by.

Details - Stamps: Chicks Rule (Verve), Egg-stra Special (Verve), Because of You (Verve); Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Elegant Eggplant, Melon Mambo, vellum; Ink: Versamark, Basic Black; Accessories: white ep, black ep, heat tool, Flutterby die (Verve), paper snips, M's self-adhesive rhinestones, needle and thread, glue dots, stampin' dimensionals.

Chloe's Easter Flowers

I just got some new Verve and couldn't wait to play with them!  I decided to use Sarah's sketch from her birthday and blogoversary hop for this card! 

I had to alter the sketch a bit to get it to work for me.  It originally called for three circles on either side of the sentiment panel.  When I opted to use the flowers in the circle place, I ran out of room for three and only used two.

I embossed Chloe's flowers in white and then applied a little gold smooch in the center of each flower.  Since I embossed six, I went ahead and cut a fifth one out and popped it up on Chloe's head.  After I finished the card, it looked a little plain so I added the faux stitching all around!

It's Saturday and around these parts that means chores and fun and chores and fun and chores and fun!  Right now we are having fun because hubby has a friend over fixing our ice machine!  I get to entertain his son.  You know, swapping some services!

Thanks for stopping by!

Details - Stamps: Chicks Rule (Verve), Egg-stra Special (Verve); Paper: Whisper White, Rob and Bob studios dp; Ink: Basic Gray, Perfect Plum, Versamark; Accessories: WCC, blender pen, white ep, heat tool, gold lame smooch, paper snips, white grosgrain, stampin' dimensionals, mini glue dot.

Emery and the Moon

Another Viva La Verve card here.  I took a few liberties with this sketch too!  Diva Sankari drafted this sketch and while I deeply admire her work, I find it hard to work with her sketches sometimes.  Maybe I over complicate it or maybe it is too many layers and elements for me. 

I do love how this one turned out with the moon!  So fun!

I made sure that the colors on this one worked for the color challenge that my past VSN buddy and current VSN coordinator is hostessing for Shannon's Sentiments.  Michelle chose pink, green and yellow and about double-dog dared me to play along with her challenge when I shared that color challenges are hard for me!

I am super excited for this weekend and the following week.  I'm off work for our spring break and I am hoping to get some crafty time in!  I have spent the last few weekends dedicated to spring cleaning around the rest of the house and it is about time my craft room got some attention too!  Thanks for stopping by!

Details - Stamps: To The Moon (Verve), Love Notes (Verve); Paper: Whisper White, Soft Suede, Pink Pirouette, So Saffron, Parisian Summer dsp, Bella Rose dsp, Certainly Celery dsp; Ink: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Pink Pirouette, So Saffron; Accessories: MS Arch Lattice punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, heart punch, Classy Label die (Verve), white organdy ribbon, Sakura Clear Star gel pen, white wcc, stampin' dimensionals, sponge dauber.