Anni-VERVE-sary PARADE

Okay bear with me as I show you the glorious cards I made this weekend for the Anni-VERVE-sary challenges at VERVE.  I was able to get up bright and early on Sunday, the kids were playing well together and I decided to do some fun stamping.  I combined a few of my favorite challenges with the Verve challenges.  I have to say I had a really fun time and was surprised at how many cards I was able to get completed.

I also threw my "hat" in the ring for the CAS-DT over at SCS and so I created an additional card this week for that using some Verve stamps.

So here goes, hope you enjoy.  Would love to hear which one is your favorite.

First card uses the OWH134 sketch and is the VSAVS12A to use green, pink and brown.

Stamps: Blessings from Verve Stamps Paper: My Mind's Eye-Dwell, Crumb Cake Ink: Dish All the Dirt Brown, copic markers Accessories: Stickles

This is probably one of my favorite cards using the MOJO254 sketch and the VSAVS12B challenge of an anniversary theme and the VSAVS12E challenge of anything but a card.  I used a pillow box and created a belly band to go over it.  Unfortunately I didn't follow directions very well and may need to go back and re-vise my card to include wood or silver on it :-(

Stamps: Text Objects from Verve Stamps Paper: My Mind's Eye Blush, Mauved by the Paprazzi, Dish All the Dirt Brown Ink: Dish All the Dirt Brown Accessories: Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon, Melissa Frances Vintage Attic Treasure Jewels, Pillow Box from Clear & Simple Stamps

Okay, I lied...I think this is my favorite card!  This uses the CR84FN61 colors of aqua, brown and cream along with the VSAVS12C sketch.

Stamps: Great Friend from Verve Stamps Paper: My Mind's Eye Breeze, Aqua Mist, Crumb Cake Ink: Versamark, Cool Carribean, Dish All the Dirt Brown Accessories: Clear Embossing Powder, Candy Dots, Dots embossing folder, twine

This card is a little bit different for me, I don't always do bright colored cards.  I was kind of stumped as to what to create for my clean & simple card, so hoping this is good.  This combines the VSAVS12D for a Clean & Simple card and for the CAS-ual Friday challenge to create something you might see at or in the ocean.  Since I just finished watching a full week of Shark Week and seeing many surfers and their shark stories I pulled out the RELAX set.    This is also for the Repetition Challenge in the Moxie Fab World.

Stamps: Relax from Verve Stamps Paper: Creamsicle Cardigan, Spring Rain, Gina K. Luxury White Ink: Perfect Little Black Dress, copic markers, Pumpkin Piet Accessories: Wavy Border Die from The {Stamps} of Life

If you are still with me, thank you!!!  Here is my last card which was one I did for the CAS-DT call over at SCS using "team colors".  My colors reflect one of our favorite baseball teams, the Atlanta Braves.

Stamps: Feel The Sun Paper: Gina K. Luxury White, You're Style Blue me Away, Cherry Cobbler Ink: You're Style Blue Me Away, copic Accessories: Lemondrop Twine from The Twinery

Dots, Dots and More Dots

Over the Monday blues and onto Tuesday where I got inky for Going Grey with Scrap-Creations.  Today our theme is the letter "D" in which you can use anything you like starting with "D" such as digital images, dots, design paper, doodles).

For today's card, I used a new set being released from The {Stamps}of Life called Dots2Love along with some old favorites of mine, Mums2Stamp and MoreMums2Love.  The color combination is the current one over at CR84FN and the sketch is OWH132.

I with with DOTS for my "D" today.

Join us over at Going Grey with Scrap-Creations & show us how you can get creative with your "D".

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Card details:

Stamps: Dots2Love, MoreMums2Love, Mums2Stamp from The {Stamps}of Life

Cardstock: Party Teal Dawn, Purpilicious, Old Olive, Kraft Like a Rockstar Ivory 

Inks: Purpilicious, Party Teal Dawn, Always Artichoke, Colorbox by Stephanie Barnard-Grape and Artichoke

Embellishments: Rhinestones from SU

Happy Birthday Botanical Beauty!

 **Congratulations to the winner of the Allstars4you was #2 commenter**

 Ashley Nguyen Newell said...

Super fun cards, Kim! :) I love the stars!

Ashley-please e-mail me your mailing address and I will have the set sent to you.

I splurged a few weeks ago and went in on an order with my new friend, Vanessa Middleton from some MFT goodies.  I've been eyeing these Botanical Beauty dies from MFT for a bit and finally decided to get them, along with a few others.

The CAS-ual Friday challenge this week is use pink and the CR84FN challenge is bright pink, tan and neutral.  Love this color combination so I used some of My Mind's Eye Blush paper.  I inked and distressed the edges of it.

Card details:

Stamps: Sweet Pea from There She Goes

Cardstock: Melon Mambo, My Mind's Eye Blush

Inks: Dish All the Dirt Brown

Embellishments: Botanical Beauty and Mix & Match Banner Dies from MFT, Pearl from SU

Sweet Friend

Yesterday was a bit rainy and dreary so I snuck down into the studio while the two little ones were occupied with a movie and created a quick card.

I had been thinking about this set all weekend long-I made a trip to my local stamp store and found this adorable set from There She Goes and had to have it.  I proudly refrained from buying ALL the cute ones I saw and picked out 2 sets I knew I would use a lot and of course threw 2 new pads of design paper in my bag too :-)

I combined a few of my favorite challenges with this card.  CAS-ual Friday challenge this week is to use Polka Dots (on my patterned paper), the new Sketch for You to Try was posted this weekend so I wanted to get that in under my belt while it was fresh in my mind.  The last challenge is a color challenge which I haven't played with in awhile, the CR84FN challenge to use grey, yellow and neutral.  It also is good for the Circles challenge over at There She Goes.

Hope you love my card as much as I do-I'm going to have a hard time putting this one in the mail tomorrow.

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Card details:

Stamps: Sweet Pea from There She Goes

Cardstock: Perfect Little Black Dress, Golden Tiara, Teresa Collins Carolina Breeze, Gina K. white

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, copics

Embellishments: Circle punches, SU pearls (colored with copic), dimensionals

Birthday Fishes

Happy Monday!  Hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!  I know I did.  I slept in late, got up, ate some Shari's Berries for breakfast, read a little, laid on the couch and took a nap and then was treated to dinner out.  It was a fabulous day!

Everyone was tuckered out and went to bed early so I took advantage of it and stamped a few cards while I watched the disappointing and predictable finale of Survivor.  I think if anyone else but Jeff Probst were hosting this reality show, I'd give up on it.  I seem to only watch it as I love Jeff's commentary.

I came across a really cute sketch this weekend over at Gourmet Rubber Stamps that I wanted to use.  I love the banner cards I see, but never seem to make them.  This time, I wanted to try it and I love how it turned out.  I originally had another idea with the banner but I couldn't figure out a way to make it work so I settled for this instead.

I also love the color combination that CR84FN had this week with mint, blue and a neutral.  These are my office colors so of course I had to create with it!

Hope you have a good Monday and we'll see you all tomorrow!

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Card details:

Stamps: Birthday Buddies from Paper Smooches

Cardstock: Crumb Cake, My Mind's Eye Paris & Co.

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, copic markers

Embellishments: twine, Kaiser Craft Silly Season Jewels

Happy Mother's Day

I had a few minutes last night to get a card together for the current Retro Sketches #9 Challenge and combined it with the CR84FN53 color challenge.  I had the sketch opened in my browser for a few days and knew I wanted to make a Mother's Day card.

I really love this sketch and the possibilities for it.  I pulled out a favorite stamp set to color-the One Person set from Verve Stamps.  Love coloring these flowers and am thinking of making a set of these cards with various sentiments.  

For my twine I used my Teal & White twine and pulled the white & teal apart and then colored the white with my R83 twine to get it the color I wanted.  Hoping the jewels look ok on this card, I like them but wishing I had a few more sizes to work with in that color as my little one is itty bitty.  

Happy Hump Day!  Hope your week is going well and you are finding some crafty time.  Thanks for stopping by and saying "hi"!

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Card details:

Stamps: One Person from Verve Stamps

Cardstock: On the Catwalk Cream from Clear & Simple Stamps, Cool Carribean from SU!

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black

Embellishments: Teal & White twine from The Twinery, Rhinestones from Doodle Bug Designs & Amuse jewels, Frosted Lace Stickles, Polka Dots from Quick Kutz

Fly away Butterfly

I am back to reality today-well, actually I'm off today but back at home after sending off all my friends last night.  We had a great time this weekend, a little drama with the tornado warnings, but other than that, a LOT of laughs.

One GREAT thing I find about this annual get togethers with friends is how I feel rejuvenated mojo wise.  I got a few cards created while I was there, and I love being able to go ask my friends for suggestions...even if they don't like the new techniques I try :-)

I borrowed this set I think from Sheryl and pulled up the new Sketch for You to Try-my goal is to do them ALL this year so what better way then doing them as soon as they are posted.  I didn't have my Copics so I borrowed Chera's watercolor crayons and used those.  Chera also suggested that I use a coffee filter for my butterfly as I wasn't happy with the first 3 I tried (different colors).  See, how would this card have turned out if I had not had friends there???  Buttons were borrowed from Heather and Lisa gave me input on the design.  I borrowed the ribbon from Mary Jo and the designer paper...well that was my new purchase from Archiver's.

The colors came from the current CR84FN challenge to use yellow, grey and kraft.

Hope you enjoy your Monday!

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Card details:

Stamps: Summer Solistice from Stampin' Up!

Cardstock: Georgia Pacific White, Basic Grey, Crumb Cake, Teresa Collins Carolina Breeze patterned paper

Inks: Ranger Archival, blender pen

Embellishments: Basic Grey ribbon, buttons, twine, coffee filter, watercolor crayons

I'm thankful for...

Happy New Year!  Hope you all had a great ringing in of the new year and weren't asleep before midnight.  We just barely made it, but we heard the fireworks around the neighborhood for awhile after midnight.

Last year I was very thankful for the creative endeavors I was able to explore and the wonderful opportunities I was given to design.  I've enjoyed being on great teams and making great friends, and for that I'm very thankful!

The new release, list2write from The {Stamps} of Life is one I can see myself using a lot this year as I try to complete my 2nd year of Project Life.  I have not been doing a week layout like it's meant to, but more used it as a guide to keep up with some scrapbooking.  I plan to continue it this way in 2012 along with integrating some digital and regular scrapbooking pages.  This page fits the CR84FN color challenge this week, the yellow is subtle but there is some in the designer papers.  I'm definitely going to be using this color combo again.

Above is a cute pic I took of my youngest earlier in the year at a baseball game.  I love his many faces and thought this would make a great scrapbook page.  I also used the boxes4abc for my banner along with the rounded tags framelits from Sizzix.

My second cards I was inspired by a card I saw online with this color combination.  I thought these would make a cute notecard set.  My goal for 2012 is to use more bright yellow, which I rarely use now.

I for one always have a "honey-do" list going for the hubby.  Right now as I type this up, he is busy hanging a new t.v. from the wall...something that has been taking him 1/2 the day to do, but he's getting there.  That's after he helped take down decorations, built a desk for our oldest son, etc.  So this notepad that hangs on the fridge will come in handy.  It has a perforated top so I can just tear the pages out when done.

For my last card I decided to use a size I don't create much with, it's a 2.75 x 4.75" card.  I used the Mojo Monday sketch #221 for this.  My petals are created using the creations2fill set and I added some stickles to my center flower.  I adore this color combination and it's one I will be using more frequently.

Hope you enjoyed these cards/creations and if you want to see some more spectacular creations with this set, visit The {Stamps} of Life gallery where there are hundreds of samples.

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Cutie Pie Scrapbook page:

Stamps: list2write and boxes4abc from The {Stamps} of Life

Cardstock: Ballet Blue, Pumpkin Pie, Barefoot & Bliss from Bo Bunny, Neenah White

Inks: Blueberry, Tangerine and Licorice from Color Box by Stephanie Barnard

Embellishments: Janome sewing, rounded tags framelits from Sizzix

Just a Note:

Stamps: list2write from The {Stamps} of Life

Cardstock: Yo Yo Yellow, Spring Rain, Kraft Like a Rockstar,  Neenah White

Inks: Chocolate from Color Box by Stephanie Barnard, copic markers

Embellishments:Yo Yo Yellow grosgrain ribbon, stapler

"Honey-do" List:

Stamps: list2write from The {Stamps} of Life

Cardstock: Taken with Teal, Neenah White

Inks: Chocolate from Color Box by Stephanie Barnard, Taken with Teal

Embellishments: dimensionals

I'm Thankful For:

Stamps: list2write and creations2fill from The {Stamps} of Life

Cardstock: Kraft Like a Rockstar, Always Artichoke, Old Olive, Rose Red, Neenah White

Inks: Chocolate from Color Box by Stephanie Barnard, Rose Red and Old Olive

Embellishments: Fruit Punch stickles, dimensionals

Be Joyful Always

Happy Sunday!  Today is bittersweet here for us as our season of football ended yesterday with a tough loss in the semi-finals so we are now free the rest of the winter from practices and long weekends at the football field.  We will begin basketball practice this week, but it won't be as grueling as football.  We are thankful for the successful season we did have and for the determination of the boys on the team, it was definitely a memorable season.

I'm looking forward to maybe stamping a little today in between loads of laundry and some cleaning.  I haven't been stamping a whole lot lately but instead been reading and realizing how much I've missed it.  I made a trip to the used book store yesterday and bought about 5 new books for myself, a few for the kids and a few for hubby.  Thinking maybe one night we need to institute a no t.v. night so that we can all read after dinner.

This card was created for the Card Positioning Sketch which The{Stamps}of Life is sponsoring this week.  It's one of those cards that I had fun making and really like how it turned out.  I used the colors of the CR84FN challenge this week...my 2nd one, can't tell I like this color combination can you?  I'll apologize now if I pepper you with more of this color combo this week.

I stamped my background and then it through with the dots embossing folder, sponging it with black after to give it more of a greyish look.  I know my flower isn't the "perfect" pink to go with it, but think it works.

Why don't you join over at Card Positioning Systems this week for your chance to win some goodies from The{Stamps}of Life?

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Card details:

Stamps: Praises4Him and Type4Background from The{Stamps}of Life

Cardstock: I'm a Princess Pink, Perfect Little Black Dress, Neenah White, My Mind's Eye Blush

Inks: Perfect Little Black Dress

Embellishments: Spellbinders Oval, flowers unknown, Quickcutz Dots

See the Flowers Smiling

It's Tag Time over at Going Grey with Scrap-Creations.  I decided this week to make a tag card instead of just a plain tag.  

This tag is based off the FTL162 sketch this week along with the CR84FN40 which is to use Brown, Kraft and Red this week.  I used an image from Verve Stamps and layered it several times to give it some dimension.  For the middle of the flower I used the Viva Pearl Pen in gold.

Join us over at Going Grey with your tag creations here.  If you need some more inspiration, make sure to check out the design team creations:

• Frances Rodriguez
• Jackie Randolph
• Jovita Torres
• Kristen Catalano- Going Grey Hostess
• Mary Castonquay
• Peggy Regan
• Tonya Sarnowski

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Tag Details:

Stamps: Great Friends from Verve Stamps, Sentiment from Hero Arts

Cardstock: Kraft Like a Rockstar, Dish all the Dirt Brown, Neenah White

Inks: Dish All the Dirt Brown, Perfect Little Black Dress, copic markers

Embellishments: dimensionals, rivet, Kaiser Craft December 25th Jewels, dimensionals, Polka Dots embossing folder from QuicKutz

"Fall"ing with Colors

Yeah for stamping time!  In between football and a baseball tournament I was able to get some stamping in here and there.  Had fun doing some challenges and just stamping in general.

This first card was a very easy card for me.  I had the background already inked up sitting in my pile to use.  I had just swiped some Wild Honey & Antique Linen distress stains across my watercolor paper several times go give a multi-colored effect.  I stamped my image from the Bluebird set directly on the background.  Loved how this turned out!

This card is for the CR84FN challenge to use orange, yellow and brown.  Hard to identify the yellow but is on my background and I layered my focal image on some summer sun cardstock.

Card details:

Stamps: Blue Bird from Artistic Outpost

Cardstock: Watercolor paper, Chocolate Chip from SU!, Orange Zest from PTI, Golden Tiara from Clear & Simple Stamps
Inks: Wild Honey & Antique Linen from Tim Holtz Distress Stains, Stephanie Barnard ColorBox Chocolate

Embellishments: Lattice Rectangles from Spellbinders nestabilities, Natural Twine String, button from PTI

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Since I had been working with these colors I also chose to do The Play Date Cafe's 100th Challenge- congrats ladies!   I combined this with Mish's Sketch from 9/13/11 and used the Color Bleed Grid Technique from The Classroom.  Granted mine definitely is not as pretty as Julia's- I have some more playing to do with this technique using a variety of colors.

I used the Feathers set from Clear & Simple Stamps as a more masculine card with these colors.  I swear that is NOT a fingerprint in one of my grids, should have stamped one of the leaves over that.  

Card details:

Stamps: Feathers from Clear & Simple Stamps

Cardstock: Dish All the Dirt Brown, Kraft Like a Rockstar Cream from CSS, Pumpkin Pie from SU!, Mellow patterned paper from Basic Grey

Inks: Dish All the Dirt Brown, Always Artichoke, Copic markers YR14, Y15, G99, Copic Blending Solution

Embellishments: Natural Twine String,Designer Mix Button from CSS

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Hope everyone had a good weekend and your Monday is starting off just right!

branches4flower Release

Hope you don't mind another post of multiple creations?  I love this new set from The {Stamps}of Life called Branches4Flowers . There are a variety of branches & flowers to this set, but I love the different fonts used for the sentiments the most.  I always love having sentiments on hand to mix with different images.

This first card was one of the favorites I made, it was just clean & simple and my bow actually turned out how I always set out to tie them :-)  I used the FTL123 sketch and the CR84FN34 color challenge for this card, but didn't get them posted in time.

Card details:

Stamps: branches4flowers by The{Stamps}of Life

Cardstock: Paint the Town Pink, Princess Pink, Kraft Like a Rockstar and So Saffron

Inks: Dish All the Dirt Brown and Paint the Town Pink

Embellishments: Paint the Town Pink ribbon and pearls

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I'm very excited as this card was featured over on Stephanie's blog video for the monthly release. If you haven't ever seen one of Stephanie's videos, she's a hoot and shares a lot of ideas for the new sets here.

I used the branches in this set to create grass for the dragonfly to fly around in.  I paper pieced the wings and scribbled a border on.

Card details:

Stamps: branches4flowers and creations2fill by The{Stamps}of Life

Cardstock: Coral Necklace, A Clean Slate, Basic Grey Kioshi

Inks: Sage Shadow, Little Black Dress

Embellishments: black marker

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I'm not sure I'll be able to give this one away...not sure why but I love how it turned out.  I adore these colors together and these little ring of flowers are darling.

Card details:

Stamps: branches4flowers by The{Stamps}of Life

Cardstock: Dare to be a Diva Red, Not Quite Navy, Very Vanilla, October Afternoon Fly a Kite

Inks: Dare to be a Diva Red, Certainly Celery, Not Quite Navy, Golden Tiara

Embellishments: brads from SU!, Spellbinders Nestabilities labels eighteen, Amuse creative candy twinkle stickers

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And last but not least, this was actually the first card I made with this set.  I thought it would look pretty cool as stems for flowers.  Instead of using the flowers in the set, I wanted something that would be larger and really stand out so I decided to roll some flowers instead.  I added some Viva Pearl Pens in the middle of the flowers.

Card details:

Stamps: branches4flowers by The{Stamps}of Life

Cardstock: Creamsicle Cardigan, Baja Breeze, Brown Leather Satchel, Very Vanilla, Echo Park Life is Good (small strip at bottom of card)

Inks: Baja Breeze, Brown Leather Satchel, Certainly Celery

Embellishments: Viva Pearl Pen, Rolled Die from My Favorite Things

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Thanks so much for stopping by and checking out my cards using the branches4flowers set which are available to club members now and will be available to all tomorrow.