VLV Feb 2012 - Week 4

Here's my entry for the final VLV Sketch for February and this one is for my hubby who has a birthday today. The final sketch by Tosh was a CAS one and thank goodness. February came in like a storm and left like one too and good riddance is all I can say, LOL. Here's to hoping that March is more calm and that he has the best birthday ever!

I used dp's from Echo Park's Happy Days 6x6 paper pad and a black glaze pen helped me out with my faux stitching. It is relatively clean and simple but I am diggin' it, hope he does.

Have an awesome day and thanks for stopping by!
Lisa

Stamps: Party Time (Verve)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper: Happy Days (EP), cs
Accessories: Sprightly Sprockets (Spellbinders); black pearls (Kaisercraft); black glaze pen (Sakura); Buttercup Liquid Pearls (Ranger)

VLVFeb2012-Week 3

Hello again! It has been another hectic week around here with little crafting time but I do have a card to share today. Hooray! My mother recently celebrated her 76th birthday and this one is for her. She loves bright, fun colors and Pink Paislee's/House of Three Soiree designer papers and stickers were the perfect way to celebrate this special occasion. Here's a snap of the inside and the fun little trim is by Paper Studio from the Fibers Fuchsia/Turquoise Pack, love it!

and a close up of the Soiree Dimensional Sticker Medallion which I absolutely adore...

This was such a fun, happy card to make and I used Laurie's wonderful sketch which I found to be a personal fave of mine. Check it out here at SplitCoastStampers.

Gotta run, very busy day but wanted to drop by and say hello to everyone. Hope all of you have a wonderful day!
~Lisa

Stamps: Birthday Surprise & Big Wish (Verve)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper: Soiree (Pink Paislee/House of Three); Chablis cs (Bazzill)
Accessories: Spellbinders Std. Cl. Circles Lg. & Lacey Circles; Candles border punch (EK Success); Soiree Dimensional Sticker (Pink Paislee/House of Three); Flamingo Liquid Pearls (Ranger); black & hot pink gel pen (Sakura); pink burlap string (May Arts); button (Buttons Bonanza); Fiber trim (Paper Studio)



VLV Feb Sketch-Week 1

Hi there and no you are NOT seeing things, this is my second post today after an impromptu blog break. I am playing "catch up" and nearly passed out when I realized that Valentine's Day is tomorrow. I am feverishly making cards for my immediate family and the weekly Viva la Verve sketches are perfect for jump starting my mojo. Here's Amber's fabulous sketch and I love the horizontal layout with the three panels. It seemed the perfect fit for a masculine card and I'm including a snap of the inside of my card as well because I truly am *twitterpated* about the awesome stamps that Verve released in January (hubby too!).

I am partial to this card because it is for my main squeeze, my darling husband, and I can hardly believe we are approaching our 26th wedding anniversary in May. Our love has grown over the years and I cherish the commitment we made to one another the day we married, it is priceless. Over the years he has shown his love for me through the traditional gifts of flowers, romantic dinners and keepsake gifts but it is the past two years that have made me love him more. My parents have experienced some "hurdles" concerning their health, both mentally and physically and recently we had to move my Dad in with us. He never hesitated but supported me in this endeavor all the way. There's been some tough days but we've gotten through them together and if it is possible I truly love him more today than the day I married him. I'm a lucky girl!

I'll be back tomorrow with one more Valentine card and a fun project that I made for my husband and children. See ya soon!
~Lisa

Stamps: Twitterpated, Heart's Desire & Love Notes (Verve)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Antique Linen Distress Ink (T!m Holtz)
Paper: Circa 1934 (Cosmo Cricket), kraft, red and tan cs
Accessories: Jotted Heart Die & Wavy Hearts Die Set (Verve); Layering Doily Medium (Taylored Expressions); Nested Lacey Pennants-flag die (Spellbinders); Prima Musical Pebble; black crochet trim (Hobby Lobby); black pearls (Kaisercraft); 3D foam dots (Therm O'Web)

VLV Feb Sketch Week 2, Sankari Style!

Remember me? I'm back and happy to be here today to share a card I made for the current VLV Sketch Challenge. For my regular visitors please let me apologize for being away so long, two weeks is a long time in the blogosphere ;), and explain. I've been logging time at the hospital due to a family member's recent illness. All is well now and I'm sorry to leave you hanging like that. As my title indicates I'm here with a sketch and heavily inspired card by the lovely and talented Sankari Wegman, who happens to be one of my fave Verve Diva's. If you click the link you'll see that I not only love her sketch but I CASE'd her use of "hearts" on this card. I've long admired her work and this CASE is my way of letting her know that she inspires me in so many ways.

I used MME 'Love Me Do' dp's and a stamp from Verve's newly released Twitterpated set. The hearts were fussy cut from the 'Heart of the Matter' dp and the edges inked in black as well as the hand cut flags. I chose two sizes of black buttons and red burlap string to finish them off. The heart in the upper right corner is a die cut from Verve's Wavy Hearts die set (also a new release) and a black gel pen created the stitches while I stamped the sentiment onto a die cut banner by The Cat's Pajamas.

Thanks for stopping by today and with more Valentine cards to make it just might be a double post day,  who knows. Have an awesome day wherever you are!
~Lisa

Stamps: Twitterpated (Verve)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper: Love Me Do (MME)
Accessories: Wavy Hearts Die  (Verve); Easy Rosette 017-banner die (TCP); red burlap string & black silk ribbon (May Arts); black gingham ribbon (Offray); buttons (Buttons Galore); red rhinestone heart (PS)

Wedding Wishes

Hi everyone! I'm poppin' in to share my card for The Play Date Cafe Challenge #114 and for VLV's Week 1 Sketch Challenge over at SCS. This week we are playing with the main colors of burgundy, gold and plum and I love the richness they bring to this card. I had a hard time finding dp's with the required colors but I stumbled upon some MME's papers which I've had for awhile and it was nice to find a good use for them. It wasn't until I had this card 85% completed that I realized Andrea Ewen actually used two of the same dp's that I did. I decided to press forward and all I can say is great minds think alike, lol. Here's our color inspiration for this week and you can also check out Amber's fabulous sketch which my card is based on. 

This card was a lot of fun to make and it is going to a very special young man who is marrying soon, obviously. He is my dh's second cousin and was the ring bearer in our wedding, nearly 26 years ago. Yes, I do feel old but so very happy that he has found love with that someone special. The inside is stamped with another sentiment from Love Story by Verve which says, "Wishing you a lifetime of happiness" and we do. I pray you'll be as happy as we have been and that your love grows stronger every day, Brent & Monica.

Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by!
~Lisa

Stamps: Love Story & Tag Time (Verve)
Ink: Versa Color Burgundy & Boysenberry, gold (unknown)
Paper: So Sophie Graceful Collection (MME); French Vanilla cs (Bazzill); burgundy & plum cs
Accessories: Lovely Marquee Die & TinySweet Scallop Die Set (Verve); Spellbinders Cl. Standard Circles Lg.; gold rose (Prima); plum ribbon (Hobby Lobby); Copic's; rhinestones (Kaisercraft)

I'm back and a tad late...

Hi everybody, I'm back today with a card I made for the November VLV challenge featuring Week 3. I'm a tad late and I didn't get to use the fabulous sketch by Sankari Wegman for Week 4 but I plan to go back and use it in the future. :-) This awesome sketch by Tosha worked great with my Winter Park dp's from Echo Park. I was drawn to the colors and patterns and it provided an opportunity to use my new Snowflake Tidings die set by Verve, which I love. I stamped the small snowflake from Glad Tidings and die cut it with the newly released die set and I mixed and matched the stamped image panel. The mittens were paper  pieced and everything else is pretty self-explanatory. Here is Tosh's sketch which was our inspiration.

On a personal note, some of you may know my Dad was in MICU for a couple of days this week but he's  home and recuperating. I will be busy with follow-up appointments for him but hope to share my calendar pages with you and some additional altered projects soon. A big thank you to everyone who remembered him in your prayers!! Maybe this month I will stay caught up with the weekly sketches at Viva la Verve, hope so. :-)

God Bless,
~Lisa

Supplies: Winter Mittens & Holiday Phrases (Verve)
Paper: Winter Park by Lori Whitlock (Echo Park), Pomegranate (Bazzill), Choice Snow White (TE store)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versa Color Burgundy
Accessories: Snowflake Tidings Die Set (Verve); Standard Circles Lg. (Spellbinders); Snowflake Trim deep edger punch (MS); blue rhinestones (daisyd's); seam binding (Prairie Bird Boutique)

A Tale of Two Challenges

Good morning! It's a rainy Monday morning in my corner of the world and I wish I could stay inside but appointments await so off I go. Before I head out I wanted to post this card which I am entering in two challenges, CR84FN Color Challenge and Viva la Verve Nov 2011-Week 2. The color palette was chosen by the main colors in the CR84FN43 Color Challenge which are brown, tan and green with the sketch being provided by Verve Diva, Jackie Pedro, which you can see here. Without further ado here is my card. 

I used a Spellbinders Lattice Pendant, which I cut down the middle, for the decorative edge the sketch called for and the color brown as my base and accent color. A green silk ribbon and bow brings the third color into play in a bold way and I also used it to stamp my sentiment from Bright Spirits by Verve which I popped up on foam squares for dimension. A Copic marker colors my clear rhinestones in a matching green hue to add a little sparkle and tan dp's bring in the second color and add some visual interest. This was a great sketch to work and the first by Jackie for me. To check out all of the beautiful entries visit the CR84FN blog and if you'd like to enter this color challenge you have 4 days and 16 hours as of this posting so get going and good luck. ;)

Thanks for stopping by and hope your day is sunny and fantastic!
~Lisa

Stamps: Bright Spirits (Verve)
Paper: Lost & Found dp's (MME), polka dot dp-5&Dime (October Afternoon), Choice Buttercream (TE store); brown cardstock
Ink: Olive (Michael's)
Accessories: Standard Circles Large & Lattice Pendant (Spellbinders); green silk ribbon (TE store); clear rhinestones (PS); foam squares (Therm O Web)

Viva la Verve Week 1

Hi everyone, hope all of those in the US had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with their families. So glad to be back in my craft room and today I'd like to share my card for the monthly VLV Sketch Challenge going on over at SCS. My head is held low, in total shame, for waiting until now to make my 1st card for this challenge but this month has been a blur. I am going with the "better late than never" attitude and pressing on. Here's Amy's fun sketch for the first week of November.

As I was choosing paper for my card I came across this Jillibean Soup-Homemade 6 Bean dp that actually coordinates brilliantly with the snowflakes in the Bright Spirits set. I decided to stamp the two smaller circles using the snowflakes and colored the smaller one with Copics YG03 & YG21 while the larger circle was randomly stamped with the large snowflake image. Julee designed Santa's Helper (aka Rudy) with a snowflake on the hat which coordinates perfectly and I stamped the smaller snowflake in a matching shade, cut it out and glued it to my main stamped image panel. The ribbon looked lonely so I placed three green dew drops at the top and I should note that I used a Copic marker to color the rhinestones to match the outlined snowflakes. Love this little trick! 

This card is serving as one of my "thank-you" cards for Christmas gifts we'll receive from friends and family. Just in case you are wondering why Rudy's nose is pink that's because this is Mrs. Rudy. ;) I have more "thank-yous" to make so might use the remaining sketches to do that, we'll just have to see where the mojo leads me.

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day!

~Lisa

Stamps: Bright Spirits & Santa's Helper (Verve)

Paper: Homemade 6 Bean (Jillibean Soup), Maraschino & Parakeet cardstock (Bazzill Basics), Choice Buttercream (TE store)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black & Pear Tart

Accessories: Classic Scalloped Circles Lg. dies (Spellbinders); Fresh Mowed Grass Dew Drops (The Robin's Nest); Fruit Punch & Black Diamond Stickles, Rouge & Lettuce Liquid Pearls (Ranger); Copics; rhinestones (PS); ribbon (TE store)

Bountiful Harvest

Good morning! I wanted to pop in and share my Week 4 card for the VLV September Challenge. Laurie's sketch below is the final one for this month and I kept it very CAS (clean & simple). 

The sweet pumpkin is from Verve's Bountiful Harvest stamp set which is an all-time favorite of mine! I colored it with Copic markers and added yellow stickles to the stars to make them sparkle. Julee has another awesome stamp set, Autumn Splendor, on sale through the 30th so check it out here for 30% off.

Thanks for stopping by today, it means alot and I hope your day is a very happy one indeed!

~Lisa

Stamps: Bountiful Harvest (Verve)
Paper: Jeepers Creepers pad (PS), Bittersweet Chocolate, Navel cs (Bazzill), Choice Buttercream (TE)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Embossed Oval Die (Verve); ribbon (HOTP); stickles, Copics-Y18, Y35, Y17, Y23, Y38,YR07, YR16, YR18, YG95, YG63, 0

Welcome Baby Girl

It's not too often that I get to make a new baby card but a friend and co-worker of my DH is expecting a little girl in October. I used the Week 2 VLV September Sketch Challenge below as my inspiration.

 

Echo Park is one of my favorite paper companies and I used three of the Springtime DP's on this card. Even though it is not baby girl pink I think Mom & Dad will approve of it, hope so!

 That's it for today, three cards down for the September Viva la Verve Challenge and one to go. See ya tomorrow :-) BTW, isn't Amy Sheffer's sketch awesome. I think so too!

~Lisa

Stamps: To the Moon (Verve)

Paper: Springtime (Echo Park), Avalanche (Bazzill), Sassy and Sunrise Orchid (core'dinations), cardstock from stash

Ink: Victorian Velvet Distress Ink (T!m Holtz), Memento Tuxedo Black

Accessories: Sweet Scallop Die and Elegant Leaves Die (Verve); Standard Circles Lg., Lacey Circles (Spellbinders); flower (Prima); ribbon (Hobby Lobby); Polka Dot embossing folder (C'bug)

So Proud of You

Today I am sharing a card I made for the VLV Week 3 Sketch Challenge. I really liked this sketch a lot and the fall colors of the DP are so warm and comforting. I don't know about you but fall is definitely a favorite season of mine and it did not arrive a moment too soon for me. It has been very HOT and dry here in west Tennessee and I am loving the cool, crisp air.

This card is one of those that will go in my stash for a future purpose, perhaps when a moment of encouragement is needed for that someone special. I followed Tosha Leyendekker's sketch closely and I can see so many "future" cards based on this sketch. It is awesome in my book and loved the little details, it was a lot of fun to create.

I hope to be back tomorrow with my card for the Week 2 VLV Sketch Challenge, sorta jumped ahead because I liked this sketch so much. Hope the rest of your day is wonderful :-) and thanks for stopping by, you are always welcome!

~Lisa



Stamps: Small Phrases (Verve)

Paper: Mabel Papers (MME), cardstock

Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa

Accessories: Standard Circles Lg., Classic Scalloped Circles Lg., Lacey Pennants (Spellbinders); Iron Gate Punch (MS); chocolate pearls (Kaisercraft); ribbon, twine, brad

Words of Wisdom

This stamp set is from Verve's August release and I love it! There are so many ways to use these sentiments and the fonts make it super fun too. So when my son celebrated his birthday recently  I wanted to use them for his card as words of wisdom (and encouragement.) The color palette was inspired by his favorite colors and the papers were distressd to give it the "aged" look. No bows on this card but I did tuck in a little ribbon and I added a "U" to personalize it. He loved it and that made my day :-)

I based my card on the VLV Sep 2011 Week 1 Sketch by Amber Hight below which was a little daunting at first. Most likely due to my mindset when I sat down to make this card. I did eventually pull it together and ended up loving this sketch and will definitely use it again.



Thanks for stopping by and check out all of the great entries in the Viva la Verve September Challenge at Splitcoaststampers for some awesome inspiration!

~Lisa

Stamps: Words of Wisdom (Verve)

Paper: Laced with Grace (Glitz), cardstock

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Accessories: Classy Label Die (Verve), Standard Circles Lg. & Lacey Circles (Spellbinders), pearls (Kaisercraft), ribbon (Offray), marquee letters (Paper Studio)