Wishing You Sunny Days

Yippee!!! TGIF everyone!!! And you know I really mean it!!  It’s the first Friday of my school year!!! Can’t get any sweeter than that unless you pair it with another fabulous Viva La Verve sketch, which I have!! Yippee!!  Diva Amy has put together a super fun sketch this week.  I know most of you have FALL on the brain, but not me…I’m still enjoying summer, right up until the official last day in a few weeks.  And the weather has been HOT here for September (33 C) most of this week!! So I went for some bright, bold colours on today’s card.  Head on over to the Verve Forum on Splitcoast and play along this week and every week this month. YOU might win the whole next Verve Release!!  Okay, THAT made today that much sweeter too :D  Have a fabulous day!!

what’s in it?

stamps: Hope Blooms, Sunny Days (Verve)

paper: white, lavender, plum (PTI), kiwi kiss (SU!), Lime Twist (My Mind’s Eye)

ink: onyx (Versafine)

accessories: Tiny Sweet Scallop Die, Rounded Rectangle Die (A Cut Above by Verve), limitless layers and blossom dies (PTI), felt, button & twine (PTI), gems (Kaisercraft), embossing folder (Cuttlebug)

August Diva Dare Project (in September!)

 

Good morning!! Today is my Diva Dare post over on the Verve Blog but I thought I’d share it here as well and add a bit more about who is getting this card and inspiring tag set.  The Dare this month is to make a card and actually SEND it to someone.  I knew exactly who I wanted to send a card to.  If you’ve been a regular blog reader, you know that my dear blog friend, Janelle, has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.  She is presently going through radiation and chemotherapy to help shrink the tumor.  She has been very open and frank about her journey on her blog, Show and Tell.  Janelle and I became good blog friends after her random act of kindness to me well over a year ago.  It was during a PTI Blog Hop.  She had used some lovely music sheet paper.  I had commented on how cool it was and she said she would send me some.  We have kept in touch through our blogs ever since.  The joke between us is that when we haven’t checked each other’s blogs for a few days, we don’t need to comment on every card…but dear Janelle usually does…and I get “mad” at her and remind her that it’s not necessary, just one general comment will do.  But that’s how sweet she is :)  I was inspired to make her set of uplifting Verve phrases totally CASEing her project she made back in March.  I thought it was the sweetest, most thoughtful little set of cards, easy to tuck into a purse or suitcase and ready to comfort in times of stress.  I am not going to list all the Plain Janes I used for this project…but you can see all the VERVE Plain Janes here :)  I’ve also used a stamp from both Hope Blooms and Serenity.

Here' they are all put together with a key chain and some coordinating ribbon.

After making the tag/card set, I made the card.  I added the “you inspire me,” because that is what Janelle has always done with her positive attitude and heartfelt craft projects and now with her great faith and strength during this very serious and difficult time.  Please keep her in your prayers.

Thanks so much for visiting today.  The Diva Dare continues until 9 PM MT on Sunday, September 11 to make your own card and post it HERE.  If you have any questions about this project, please feel free to contact me :) 

what’s in them?

{tags}

stamps: Plain Janes, Hope Blooms, Believe, Blessings, New Mercies, Serenity (Verve)

paper: rustic cream, white, kraft, aquamist (PTI)

ink: onyx (Versafine), sahara sand, white craft, cool caribbean (SU)

accessories: rounded rectangle and curvy bookplate dies (A Cut Above by Verve),  tag, doily, Mat 3 and filliable frame dies (PTI), large scallops (Spellbinders),  doily (Martha Stewart), ribbon (Michaels, PTI, and SU), key chain

 

{The Plans I Have for You}

stamps: Jeremiah 29:11, Dare to Be (Verve)

paper: kraft, rustic cream (PTI), ruby red (SU), Circa 1934 (Cosmo Cricket)

ink: onyx (Versafine), sahara sand (SU), tea dye duo (PTI)

accessories: labels 18, oval and scallope oval dies (Spellbinders), twine (PTI), flower (Prima), gems (Kasiercraft), stitching

You’re So Sweet

Good Wednesday morning!!  Well, I survived getting up early and the first day of school :D  Really, though, it was a pretty laid back day as the kids here just come for 1.5 hours so we can count noses. PLUS we had our last year’s class which was pretty sweet :) Then we configure the classrooms after that.  So today is actually the first FULL day with our new class…and LOTS of talking from me…explaining everything…really, it’s all the talking that is exhausting.  I’m sure they will be tired of hearing my voice as much as I will be by the end of the day :)  So last night I got a little inky with this week’s Waltzingmouse Sketch.  I have missed it a few times during the move so it was fun to play with my WMS stamps again :)  I just love their stamps that fit in the Spellbinder label dies.  Hope your week is going well :)  Come back tomorrow for a very special post and my Diva Dare project :)  {{HUGS}}

 

what’s in it?

stamps: waltzingmouse stamps vintage labels 18, large doilies

ink: versafine onyx, su soft sky

paper: pti kraft, cream, su sahara sand, my mind’s eye dp

accessories: labels 18 nestabilities, pti twine and banner die, prima flower, gems

Counting My Blessings…

Good morning!!  Well, I’m up early and looking forward to a new year as strange as it may sound.  Today’s card makes me realize that I truly have so many blessings in my life…too many to count actually.  So bring on the new year!!  Today’s card is for this week’s PTI Make It Monday.  The technique this week is to make your own background using a stamp that was not intended for backgrounds.  With school starting today, I was inspired to use the ruler image from It’s Official.  I stamped it repeatedly with my favourite colours on kraft.  I then made a ruler ribbon that Dawn showed us last year during the It’s Official reveal on her blog. I also used many of my new PTI goodies including Dawn’s Grateful set and the new tab and mum dies.  Thanks for stopping by and wish me luck!!

 

what’s in it?

stamps: pti it’s official, gratitude journal

ink: versafine onyx, su pumpkin, bermuda, kiwi, pti raspberry fizz

paper: pti hawaiian shores, white, rustic cream, kraft, bitty box basics dp

accessories: pti  mum, spiral notepaper, tab, double ended border, scallop border dies, staple, pti button & twine, Michaels ribbon, brad, stitching

Birthday Wishes and a few House Pix

Hello, dear friends!!  Happy Labour Day to those of you who get this lovely day off :)  It is officially my LAST day of vacation…it’s back at it tomorrow after a whirlwind of a summer :)  I have had lots of inky time this weekend and thought it would be fun to work with the CR84FN colours :)  I’ve used some of the last little bit of this fabulous aqua Webster’s Pages bloomer trim.  I think I have 2 little blossoms left on the desk waiting for a very special card ;)  The pin was part of the amazing blog candy I won from Clare Buswell last month (thanks again, Clare!). 

How about some more house pictures?  I was up there yesterday to check the process of the dry wall mud.  They’ve finished 2 coats and think they will be done Thursday…can’t wait…because then the painter comes in to prime everything :D  THEN the fun begins with installations (trim, fireplace, floor, kitchen, etc).  First up is the great room.  The fireplace will be to the right of this window.

Here’s the stairwell as seen from the great room. The doorway at the top is the laundry room :)

Here’s another street view…the outside has been black sheeted and wired for stone and stucco.  I have added these photos and a few more on The New House page if you want to see more :)

Thanks for popping by and for those of you starting work again tomorrow…all the best!! 

what’s in it?

stamps: verve making a statement

ink: versafine onyx

paper: pti rustic cream, blue, white, k and company dp

accessories: su scallop punch, webster’s pages bloomers, pti buttons, thread, pin

Ever So Grateful

 

TGIF everyone!! This is my last Friday of summer vacation so you know that next Friday, I will really mean “TGIF!!”  It’s no surprise that I wanted to participate in this week’s colourQ challenge…I’m officially and happily addicted to this colour challenge.  This week is special, they are celebrating 100 fabulous colour combinations.  The challenge this week is to pick a favourite past colour combination (which is a challenge in itself!) and pair it with the given sketch.  I don’t usually do well combining both a sketch and colour palette, but I’m happy with the outcome.  As I looked through all 99 colour combinations, I picked out the 2 that really spoke to me at that moment.  Then I decided on this one….yummy and #77!! (I was married on 7-7-7!) LOL  I first had a baby blue ribbon on the card, but then I tried a hawaiian shores one and fell in LOVE with the contrast :)  If something other than the sentiment looks black, it’s really the deep purple for the challenge…just very difficult to photograph.  I stamped the floral pattern with Verve’s new Sunny Days stamp set.  The sentiment is from the new PTI Autumn Acorns…oh, I just love the fonts in this set :)  Okay, I’m off to finish setting up my classroom and spend the last quiet hours thinking about the upcoming year.  Have a wonderful (long) weekend and thanks so much for popping by :)

 

what’s in it?

stamps: verve sunny days, pti autumn acorns

ink: versafine onyx, su bashful blue, vintage violet, bermuda bay, kiwi kiss

paper: pti royal velvet, white

accessories: pti ribbon, buttons, thread, gems

Verve September Inspiration Blog Hop

Welcome to the September Diva Inspirations Blog Hop! Once again a few of us Release Team Divas are joining the fun with our fabulous Diva Inspirations team to start your month off right with a little Verve inspiration! Take a little peek at each of the fabulous blogs below and leave a little comment love for their Verve-alicious eye candy and you just might win some Vervey goodness of your very own!

Now, truth be told, many of you know that Fall is not my most favourite month…as much as I love my job, I love the lazy days of summer and the obscene amount of time I get to spend in the studio ;)  However, I do love all the rich colours of Fall and the amazing Fall stamps that Julee put out last October.  First I cut out the tagged rectangle from some canvas, then stamped the matching image from Tag Time (new last month).  Then I stamped some leaf images from Autumn Splendor and this fabulous plain jane sentiment with StazOn on top of everything.  Isn’t it true?  Each season has its own beauty…I think this will get me through the next 2 seasons.  I am thankful I live in a place with all 4 seasons :)  Thanks for visiting!!  Here’s the master list of hoppers today :)

1. Julee       9. Susan

2. Betty     10. Andrea

3. Dawn     11. Sankari

4. Jen d.    12. Teresa

5. Jen T.    13. Tosh

6. Lynda     14. Charmaine

7. Shannan  15. Maureen

8. Sony

We've hidden a little mystery prize on one of today's hop spots, so be sure to leave a little comment love as you hop around for a chance to win!
Comment Deadline: 11:59pm Mountain, September 12
Prize: $30 gift certificate to Verve  

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Autumn SALE!

Fall is in the air and we're in the mood for a SALE! During September, enjoy 25% savings on all of our autumn themed stamps!

Plus, don't miss our September Stamp of the Month special on Autumn Splendor...

At 30% off during the month of September, Autumn Splendor is one splendid deal!

What’s in it?

stamps: Autumn Splendor, Tag Time, Every Season plain jane (Verve)

paper: rustic cream (PTI), espresso (SU!), Papyrus (Basicgrey)

ink: Stazon, pumpkin, rust, olive, sand (SU!)

accessories: Tagged Rectangle Die (A Cut Above Dies by Verve), labels 18 (Spellbinders), doily die (PTI), ribbon, button and twine (PTI), canvas (art supply), stitching, embossing folder (Cuttlebug)