Birthday Wishes ~ Viva La Verve

Good afternoon!! Today's card is for the first Viva La Verve sketch for February...yes, it's a tad early but it's never too early to start the fun!! The inspiration photos were incredible! I couldn't help but pick this one...

I knew I wanted to use PTI's Autumn Abundance dp for the orange...I love that plaid pattern. I wasn't sure if the sentiment would show up on the plaid so I put it on a panel with some bling. This Martha Stewart punch hadn't seen paper for awhile...upstaged by Fiskars Apron Lace punch...so I brought her out and I think she did a great job!! LOL Adding ribbon at the end is always a great joy...I bring my cards over to my ribbon holder and test out different colours and textures. I originally thought I'd go with a turquoise satin ribbon, but once I put the celery grosgrain up to the card, I changed my mind :) This card is making me think of Spring!!

On another note...the Walk of Memories went really well :) Here are a couple of photos of this morning. It was held in our city's new indoor track because it's the middle of winter :) That's me on the far left, my very beautiful and tall niece, Catie, her dad, my BIL, Tom, is next who is married to my oldest sister who is next to him, and then my second oldest sister is on the far right.

I woke up at 4:30 this morning, which is unusual as I'm a very good sleeper, thinking we should wear something in honour of mom. So when I got up at 7:30 I rushed to the studio and printed out a picture of mom from my wedding. I thought the heart would be a nice touch :) Yes, mom is on a Raspberry Fizz background!! LOL So with a few tears and mom in our "hearts" we walked around the track with all the other participants. My final sponsored total after 2 weeks of fundraising was $1385.00!!! I was so excited and overwhelmed about it. Thanks to everyone who donated and who sent their thoughts and prayers my way :) And thanks as well if you donated in your own country (that was so sweet, Aimes!!)...it's all for the same cause...here or there. Big hugs and smiles to you all, thanks so much :D

Well, I'm off to make some more thank-you cards and maybe a few challenge cards...with the PTI and Verve releases coming up, no doubt there will be contests gallore. Have a wonderful Sunday :)

What's in it?
Stamps: Verve Wishful Elegance
Ink: SU choc chip
Paper: PTI kraft, vintage cream, dp; SU tempting turquoise, pumpkin pie; Chatterbox dp
Accessories: MS border punch, stitching, gemstones, SU grosgrain

Verve Project Parade ~ Tags, Tins and Treats

Good afternoon!!! Today's project is for Verve's January Project Parade. That can only mean a new Verve release is on its way :) The challenge this month is to make tags, alter a tin, or make something for treats. I was inspired by this week's Splitcoast Tutorial on Treat Bag Covers. Once the main template is cut and scored you can decorate any way you like. These two treats are for my dh and my son so I kept the embellishments low key...nothing too frou frou although there are a few pink hearts and sheer ribbon bows. But hey! It's for Valentines.

I made the tags out of kraft using the Slice :) and then decorated with some fun new paper. A couple of "sweet" sentiments from Verve, some bling and there you have two fun little treat boxes. Here's the last image of an opened one just to prove there were treats inside and I didn't eat them (hehe). I bought extra today so I could have my own!! LOL I hope you like today's project and I hope you join in all the Verve fun. The Divas are showing examples each week day so check them out and prepare to drool!! LOL We are having my bonus son over for dinner tonight and then it's the Walk for Memories tomorrow morning. I hope to share some photos of that :) Have a lovely evening...thanks for visiting :)

What's in it?
Stamps: Verve delightful and delicious; feeling groovy
Ink: SU choc chip
Paper: PTI pure poppy, kraft, vintage cream, SU real red dp; making memories love struck dp
Accessories: Slice, MS border punches; sheer ribbon, dimensional heart stickers, gemstones, SU circle punches, SU small cello bags, chocolate hearts from bulk candy, scorepal

Kiss Me!!

TGIF everyone!! This weekend will be a little more laid back than last weekend:) All that's really planned is card making (of course!!) and the Walk of Memories on Sunday in memory of my mom :) The fundraising has been fabulous!! Check out my sponsor page and see!! I thought I would only raise about $100.00, so this is overwhelming!! Anyways, today's card(s) is for Mojo Monday. What a fun sketch...a circle card!! I used my new paper from last Sunday's road trip as well as a Making Memories Love Struck glitter ticket...how fun are those? They came in an 8 pack...2 of each 4 designs. I altered the sketch a wee bit as the ticket looked best tilted. I also wanted to try out a heart shaped card. It actually does stand up on it's own as a made a little easel out of cardstock and stuck it on the back so it would stand up.

I don't like it as much as the circle one...but it was an experiment. Perhaps one of you would like to make one and share :) Have a wonderful Friday :) YIPPEEEEEE!!

What's in it?
Paper: PTI vintage cream, polkadot dp; SU choc chip; Bo Bunny love bandit tweetheart dp
Accessories: circle and heart nestabilities; gemstones, Making Memories glitter tickets, SU silver hodge podge; gingham ribbon (craft supply)

I Love You

Good Thursday morning! One more day until the weekend and my Walk of Memories...I'm really excited about it...come see my sponsor page!! Today's card is for Karen's Sweet Sunday sketch. I'm using some new Making Memories Valentine paper...it's just yummy in real life. No bling or buttons or ribbon on this one...I tried a few buttons...but it just didn't seem to work...so I left it simple today. This would go through the mail well!! I hope you all have a wonderful day...Mojo card(s) up tomorrow with more of the new dp :)

What's in it?
Stamps: Craftsmart by Michaels
Ink: SU choc chip
Paper: PTI white, lavender moon, polkadot dp; SU regal rose, Making Memories Love Struck
Accessories: circle scallops, MS heart border punch, Heidi Swapp and $ store chipboard hearts,

All You Need is Love

Good morning! This card was in line to be posted Friday...but I couldn't wait...I just love the paper and sentiment and buttons and ribbon and border punch and everything :D {insert big, huge grin here!} After a very successful road trip, I couldn't wait to cut into my new paper. I also wanted to use my new Verve as Mercy is a Verve Diva :) As I was looking at the sketch, I really wanted to rotate it...and guess what I discovered? You can rotate pictures and they stay that way...now wait, before you roll your eyes...I know you can rotate pictures, I do it to mine all the time...but I never thought of doing it to a sketch. I usually draw it out on paper and then rotate it around until I like an orientation. I'm even posting it this way!! The sentiment on the card is only half of the original sentiment. I cut off the bottom as there is a typo (a new stamp is on its way) but just wanted this part anyways...I've done that to a few clear stamps whenever I just want to use part of it. Then they just stick back together on the acrylic block when I want the stamp intact. The first cut is always the hardest :) I also stamped the cream panel with a Giga Guide Lines stamp in Sweet Blush...love how it fills up the panel. Hope you all have a wonderful day...hugs!

What's in it?
Stamps: Verve Love's Flower, PTI Giga Guide Lines
Ink: PTI sweet blush; SU choc chip
Paper: PTI vintage cream, SU rose red, choc chip; Cloud Nine Be Mine dp
Accessories: stitching, buttons, twine, gemstones, MS heart border punch, SU corner rounder, PTI ribbon, Heidi Swapp and $ store chipboard hearts

Only as Much as I Dream ~ Cinema Saturday

Ah, a Cinema Saturday card for you today, sweet friends :) This week's movie is Australia...and I confess, I didn't see it, but wow, what great actors and background scenery!! I took the theme of dreams coming true, flipped through my Verve Stamp binder and came to this lovely quote. The challenge was to use kraft, but really, isn't "having" to use kraft a bonus? LOL I tried my hand at sponging, and really, be kind...I think I should do it in daylight and spend a little more time blending...I wasn't very patient...so let's call it "whimsical!" Or better yet, just focus on the beautiful leaves dp and that great stitch job!! LOL Or be dazzled by the gems!! Oh, and thanks to everyone for all the support for my Walk of Memories...I'm really excited about it :) You've really all touched my heart through your encouraging words and/or pledges :D Okay...off to use some new paper found on the road trip :)

What's in it?

Stamps: Verve Believe

Paper: PTI kraft, vintage cream, turning a new leaf dp; SU choc chip

Ink: SU choc chip; old olive

Accessories: nestabilities labels 3; fiskars apron lace punch; gemstones, PTI ribbon, stitching

Walk for Memories

Good morning!! Just a different kind of post today...I hope you all don't mind but I wanted to let people know what I'm doing. As many of you know, my mom passed away last month from Alzheimers Disease. She was 77 and was diagnosed when she was 67. So this year, in memory of my mom, I'm participating in the Walk for Memories...the annual fundraiser here in Canada for Alzheimers. It's this Sunday, January 31st. I have a sponsor page set up to receive donations from anywhere. An instant tax receipt is issued once you donate through the secure website. I know it's for Canada, but if you would like to donate, thanks!! Or maybe you would like to donate locally and that's great too. It all goes towards research and to help those affected. I'm hoping there will be a cure before I hit old age :) I just wanted to put it out there!! Thanks for reading!! I'll be back tomorrow with a card :) Click here to see my sponsor page or on the picture on the top right hand side of the blog :) Have a wonderful day :)

Love is the Flower ~ Viva La Verve

Good morning dear friends :) I am off to get ready for our day road trip to another city a couple of hours away...for shopping!! Our first stop will be Lululemon (Canadian workout wear that is also in some States), then the new Scrapbooking store, the mall, lunch...etc...you get the picture!! Today's card is for the 4th January Viva La Verve sketch. My new Verve set, Love's Flower, arrived Friday and I just had to use it. Isn't that a great sentiment? The flower is also in the set and is cut out from old olive with a smaller flower on top cut out of PTI spring moss. Kept it simple with no layering today...I think I'm going through a layerless phase. Hope you have a wonderful day {big smiles!}


What's in it?
Stamps: Verve Love's Flower
Ink: Versafine onyx, SU soft sky
Paper: PTI vintage cream, spring moss, SU old olive, bayou bay, watercolour paper, Cosmo Cricket Early Bird
Accessories: oval nestabilities, gem, PTI ribbon

Grateful Heart ~ Embellish Take 2

Hi everyone!! A quick morning post to share my second take on the Embellish Colour Challenge. Earlier this week I posted this card, and although I liked it...I wanted to do something a little more "edgier." I used the same Guidelines paper, attached a large scalloped border using my SU slit punch, wrapped some twine around it and added the sentiment. This is one of my favourite sentiments from Papertrey Ink. It is all brown and worn, because I love it so much and have used it soooo many times. And how cute is that little purple heart? The stamped chocolate stripes were added to ground the purple panel. It was fun to play around with the panel and orientation of the card until deciding on this layout. Rounded corners give it a little added visual texture...all that white (cream!!LOL) space needed something!! Are you making a card for this challenge? It's fun, you should try :) Have a lovely Saturday...hugs to you :)

What's in it?
Stamps: PTI background basics retro, heart prints sentiments
Ink: SU choc chip
Paper: PTI vintage cream, kraft, plum pudding, guidelines dp
Accessories: SU corner rounder and slit punch, twine, dimensional heart sticker;

Wings to the Heart ~ EBTKS Sketch

Yay!! It's Friday! My favourite day of the week!! Today's card is for the sweet ladies over at Everything But the Kitchen Sink blog :) Their sketches are based on items around their houses!! How fun is that? Makes you look at everything around you for inspiration. I made this card on Sunday when I got to work in the studio all day :) I had dug out my PTI Turning a New Leaf dp that I hadn't used at all and made a Mojo Monday card and this card. Paper collections make it so easy to work with 2 or more patterns on a single card. I felt there was so much brown and green that I needed some POP...enter Raspberry Fizz!! Three pops of pink and let's call it a day :) The butterfly was punched out of a punched flower I had in my scrap/stash bowl. It had been stamped and embossed with a damask image. Have a lovely day!! I've got a busy and fun weekend planned...drinks after work with a dear friend, then off to The Lovely Bones movie with some other friends (we have all read the book!), lunch tomorrow with the family for January birthdays, and then day road trip with my dh :) I laugh because he always knows what stores we will hit!! Scrapbooking, Lululemon, Gap, shoes...etc. :) Can't wait!!


What's in it?
Stamps: PTI heartprints sentiments
Ink: SU choc chip
Paper: PTI springmoss, vintage cream, turning a new leaf dp
Accessories: nestabilities labels 9, stitching, PTI ribbon, MS butterfly punch, gemstones, distressor

You're on my Mind ~ Mercy's Tuesday Sketch

Good morning!! It's Thursday...so that means I'm probably posting Mercy's Tuesday sketch :) Not that I keep track of what day I post her sketches...I'm just trying out different post starters!! LOL I bought these heart stickers a couple of weeks ago with the intention of using them as blossoms for my Blooming Button Bits stems. You don't have to use buttons, the sky's the limit for those sweet dotted stems :) It was fun going through the collection of hearts to pick out the right sizes and colours...not unlike going through a button jar!! The grass is made from 3 layers of scalloped cardstock. And to give this card a POP, I added some yummy satin ribbon. I hope you're all having a fabulous week...one more day till TGIF!! Yay!!

What's in it?
Stamps: PTI blooming button bits
Ink: SU old olive, choc chip
Paper: PTI vintage cream, springmoss, polkadot bits, cosmo cricket girl friday
Accessories: SU corner rounder and scallop border punch, satin ribbon, fiskars upper crest punch, EK success heart dimensional stickers (@ Michaels)

Sweet Baby ~ Mojo Monday

Hi blog friends!! Today's card makes me smile :D I went to Michaels on Monday after the staff meeting and bought a large pad of DCWV paper...Nursery: Baby Girl. It has my favourite paper from last summer. Ah, I know it's old news...but I love it :) So the paper dictated today's card...a baby card. I don't have many baby image stamps so I used this cute little stork...I love how you can use it for both genders...just colour the baby blanket blue or pink :) Oh, and that luscious pink PTI satin ribbon...I just want to eat it!! My husband got a little nervous when I showed him this card...he was wondering if I was trying to tell him something!! LOL No, no...it will only be grandchildren next for us...all in good time, though. I told my son that I'm too young to be a Grandma!! Hope your day is fabulous!!

What's in it?
Stamps: PTI mega mixed messages; Rubber Stampede
Ink: SU black, rose romance, pretty in pink, pumpkin, caramel
Paper: PTI white, sweet blush, SU wasabi green; DCWV dp
Accessories: oval nestabilities; PTI ribbon, fiskars apron lace punch; gemstones

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy ~ Karen's Sweet Sketch

Good morning, dear friends. How do you like that for a title? I thought it would be more fun to start with that than "Birthdays are the Best." (see card below). Although, I love birthdays...and according to my blog countdown...mine is in 56 days!! But I digress...Today's card is for Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch. I tried out my new Blooming Button Bits. I discovered that it was best to cut out the flowers and pop them up for more dimension and to give the leaves a place to rest under. I'm trying to use up some dp that's been around for awhile. And that blue ribbon...m-m-mm!! It's from Michaels and is so soft and wonderful to tie :) Here's the second version of the card...

I hope to play some more with this set soon...it's a great way to use up the million buttons I have AND there are so many great sentiments included with the images. Have a wonderful day!!

What's in it?
Stamps: PTI blooming button bits
Ink: SU choc chip; SU kiwi kiss
Paper: SU choc chip, old olive, razzleberry; PTI vintage cream, lavender moon, plum pudding, springmoss; Michaels dp
Accessories: stitching, satin ribbon, buttons, fiskars apron lace punch

Give Thanks ~ Embellish Colour Challenge

Good morning!! Today's card is for the new Embellish Challenge...kraft, chocolate brown and purple with stripes. I have been dying to use this Verve plain jane stamp and this card seemed like the perfect place. I cut the large scalloped heart with PTI 's guideline dp with my Slice machine and then made the smaller heart with my nestabilities. The kraft panel has a dotted diamond/striped treatment made with my ScorePal scorebug...you have to look closely, but it's there. It gives the card a subtle texture. Have a wonderful day...it's actually staff meeting today. I thought it was last Monday :( Oh well, if it's too bad I'll start sketching cards in my head!! LOL Hugs and smiles,

What's in it?
Stamps: Verve plain jane
Ink: SU choc chip
Paper: PTI vintage cream, kraft, plum pudding, guidelines and polka dots dps
Accessories: Slice (basic 1 card); heart nestabilities, button, floss, SU scallop border punch, satin ribbon, scorepal and scorebug, stitching

Loving Memories ~ Mojo Monday cards

Hi everyone!! I've had a glorious day in the studio :) My dh made a lovely brunch for us and then went off to do the food shopping so I could spend time catching up on some challenges and restocking my card supply. I had to get into my new PTI Turning a New Leaf paper. It had been sadly neglected since I got it before Christmas. My blog friend, Kristina, has been using it and I was determined to put it on a card this weekend :) I used the Mojo Monday sketch for this week and made two cards!!

Each use the same supplies except the bottom one has a different sentiment, border punch and rhinestone placement. MMMMmmmm, I love this paper :) We didn't get to see Avatar last night...sold out STILL so we saw Sherlock Holmes which was very good ;) Hope you've had a fun weekend :) Thanks for stopping by :)

What's in it?
Stamps: Verve Plain Jane, Forever in Our Hearts
Ink: SU choc chip
Paper: PTI spring moss, vintage cream, dp; SU choc chip, old olive
Accessories: PTI ribbon, gemstones, fiskars border punches,