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.