Merry Christmas ~ Festive Friday

Good morning friends!  I can’t believe I missed out on the last Festive Friday challenge!  That’s how time got away from me these past few weeks.  I’m not sure I’m back on track with anything, but I’m trying!  I had NO new layout ideas so went to my old standby.  I love the pop of red against the woodgrain background…stunning! 



This week will be a flurry of getting ready for our annual community garage sale, making Mother’s Day gifts at school, and starting my Literature Review for my Masters.  No rest for the wicked!  Thanks for stopping by and for all your kind comments :)

dies and stamps: PTI

Mom, I Love You

Hello friends!  It was a busy weekend on the blog so I thought I would save my Viva La Verve card for Monday!  My Mother’s Day stash is coming along!  Head over to the Viva La Verve sketch blog to see more lovely samples and read how you could win some BIG Verve bucks!  Thanks for stopping by {smile!}.

stamps: Verve Take Note, Because of You, Bloom and Grow

dies: Verve elegant leaves, jotted heart

Happy Big Day!

Hi friends!  Welcome to my second Pretty Pink Posh Blog Hop post!  Paulina is hosting her very first blog hop and I thought it would be fun to join in TWICE!  I was in Michaels today and WOW, they’ve finally gotten on the chalkboard wagon and had lots of fun chalkboard items.  You all know MY love for chalkboard (the teacher in me!) so it was easy to come home inspired by those black backgrounds.  As I entered the studio after my shopping trip, I noticed my SU Chalk Talk stamp set and dies that have been sitting sadly staring at me since last summer.  And the rest is inky history.  I’ve got lots of Mother’s Day cards ready to go, but need some cards that would work for Graduation.  Add in a shaker element and it’s a grad card made in heaven in my books!  Thanks for stopping by!  Head over to Paulina’s blog to see all the fun! 

 

stamps: SU Chalk Talk, Verve Peace on Earth (scroll image), Clearly Besotted Stamps Blooming Marvelous (congratulations)

paper: pti and studio calico printshop

Pretty Pink Posh Blog Hop

Hi friends!  Welcome to my Pretty Pink Posh Blog Hop post!  Paulina is hosting her very first blog hop and I thought it would be so fun to join in!  The theme is shaker cards and I’ve just adored the ones Paulina has made and shared with us.  I was especially inspired by the photo frame shakers so I made one myself!  Yes, the best part is shaking it when it’s all finished! LOL  To add the bakers twine, I just punched a hole in the acetate so I could feed the twine through and tie it into a bow.  Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of the hop!

dies and stamps: Papertrey Ink

Classic Verve Release Hop

Welcome to our Classic Verve {revisited} Release Hop! Along with two brand new plain janes, we've got two classic Verve compilation sets, a coordinating die set and some shiny new sequins releasing today! Hop along with us to see some classic Verve made new again!

 

Oh, what a cool new/old release! Julee has been busy putting all our favourite stamps into compilation sets!  I’m going to take full credit for saving the Hearts and Swirls stamp and die from an early retirement!  I told Julee that I just wasn’t done with that sweet frame image so she made room for it in the new Die Sidekicks set!  HIGH 5!! LOL  It’s also not a secret that I love the scroll die as well so I thought it would be fun to combine the two in this Mother’s Day card.  A sprinkle of the new Shine Bright Sequin Mix was just the right amount to make this sweet card sparkle :)

Want to win some shiny new Verve? We'll be picking a random commenter on one of the hop spots below to win a $40 gift voucher to the Verve store! So be sure to leave a little comment on all the blogs below to increase your chances! Check out the Verve Blog today for all the prize info and deadlines!

Hop List:

1. Julee            7. Jen

2. Amber          8. Laurie

3. Andrea         9. Marisa

4. Charmaine  10. Maureen

5. Christyne    11. Stacey

6. Janelle        12. Teresa

what’s in it?

stamps: Petals & Wings, Die Sidekicks, Joyful Blooms (Verve)

paper: rustic white, sweet blush (PTI), Fresh Cut (Basicgrey)

ink: onyx (Versafine), aquamist, raspberry fizz (PTI)

accessories: scroll, All Aflutter, Banner Bundle, and hearts and swirls dies (Verve), Shine Bright Sequin Mix (Verve), doily (Wilton), lace trim (Funky Junky), ribbon (PTI), stitching

Papertrey Ink April Blog Hop

Hi everyone!  Welcome to my PTI Blog Hop post!  This month we’ve been asked to be inspired by embroidery.  So off to Pinterest I went and found this adorable stitched felt flower.  I thought the white on white would be fun to recreate on my card.  The leaves were going to be felt as well, but I saw some natural burlap trim in my fabric drawer and decided to use it instead.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of the hop!

stamps, felt, and dies: Papertrey Ink

April Rewind

Hi friends!  With my last paper in the works, unexpected house guests, and hosting Easter dinner, it was a busy long weekend.  I managed to get some cards made for the end of this week, but didn’t want to get the blog all dusty with no use! So here’s another card from last April!  It was based on a Dawn McVey Make it Monday technique of layering stamp images.  I really love this one…especially the No. 29 for the birthday year! Wink, wink!  Hope your week is going well…I’ll have lots of cards on the weekend for you!  Hugs!

Curtain Call Reminder!

There is still time to join us for the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Confetti Crush!  You have until April 25th at 8:00 AM CDT to be inspired and share your project!

photo source: polkadotprintsstudio.blogspot.com

We have a fantastic sponsor this time, Reverse Confetti, for the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Confetti Crush!  The LEAD of this challenge will receive a gift certificate to the Reverse Confetti store!

I’ve used the Reverse Confetti Petals ‘n Posies set and matching dies again to make a card inspired by Maile Belles!  I love the way she works those tilted panels! A few of the Curtain Call Crew gals have even more fabulous takes on the Confetti Crush challenge for you! Check them out over on the Curtain Call Inspiration Blog and then play along with us!  Thanks for stopping by!

other stamps and dies: Clearly Besotted Tag Along

Mother’s Day Blessings

Well, it literally is Good Friday today!  Today’s card uses the brand new Viva La Verve sketch and inspiration photo.  I’m am focused on Mother’s Day cards now and hope to have a good stash to take into work in a couple of weeks. 

Head over to the Viva La Verve sketch blog for more gorgeous samples and all the details about how you could win some brand new Verve!  Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a blessed Easter weekend :)  We are hosting dinner on Sunday and I’ll be finishing off my last paper for this semester!  Wish me luck!

stamps: Verve On Occasion, Take Note, Scroll plain jane (rereleasing soon in a compilation set), Bloom and Grow

dies: Verve elegant leaves, Scroll, Occasion Frame

The Most Room in Your Heart ~ Diva Dare

Hi friends!  I’m the Diva Dare hostess today over on the Verve blog!  Head over there for more about today’s card AND how you can win some awesome Verve!  See you there!

Let’s Celebrate ~ Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge

We have a fantastic new sponsor, Reverse Confetti, for the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Confetti Crush!  The LEAD of this challenge will receive a gift certificate to the Reverse Confetti store!

 

I chose to take the challenge literally and create a fun shaker card by sewing an acetate sheet onto embossed cardstock.  I only sewed 3 sides first to make a pocket so I could pour in some colourful confetti before sewing the last side up.  I was inspired by this PIN and adorable card.

After that I used the Reverse Confetti Petals ‘n Posies set and matching dies to decorate the rest of the card.  The sentiment is from Clearly Besotted’s Many Messages and is stamped on a vellum banner with Stazon.

The Curtain Call is over the moon that the owner of Reverse Confetti, Jen del Muro, is joining us today for the Confetti Crush challenge.

Confetti Crush Designers
Jen del Muro, Reverse Confetti

Amber Kroening

Amy Tsuruta

Gayatri Murali

Kim Singdahlsen

Laurie Willison

Lisa Henke

Marisa Ritzen

Maureen Plut

Monika Davis

Sheri Gilson

Sarah Gough

Stacey Schafer

Tenia Nelson

Tracey McNeely

Stop by the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Confetti Crush and play along with us!  Thanks for visiting!

Let Us Be Grateful

Hi everyone!  Well, one class down and one more to finish up in 2 weeks :)  This is the card I made for our instructor this weekend.  He’s from Spokane and travels up every two weeks to teach us :)  He uses a maple leaf background for his power points in honour of being here in Canada, so I thought it only appropriate that I add maple leaves to his card so he can remember us :)  I hope you have a lovely Sunday…thanks for stopping by :)

stamps and dies: Papertrey Ink (doodled flourish by Verve in Peace on Earth set)

Mom, You are so Amazing

Oh, happy Friday friends!  I’m off to one of my last classes tonight and tomorrow!  Then only one more weekend of classes in two weeks.  Summer semester starts in May.  People told me these two years would go by quickly and indeed they are! It’s April now so I’m focusing on Mother’s Day cards as I know my staff will be in need of many.  I’m using the new Viva La Verve sketch.

Head over to the Viva la Verve challenge blog for all the details of how you could win some serious Verve dollars!  That would sure put a “spring” in anyone’s step (pun intended! LOL).  Have a great start to your weekend!

what’s in it?

stamps: Love Deepens (retired) and So Fluttery by Verve

To Love & To Hold

Hey everyone!  I was itching to play along with Dawn and her quilted technique for PTI’s Make it Monday.  I’m not new to the stitched quilted look, but Dawn used no stitching so it’s faster!  I have “baby girl” on my brain so I wanted to use a lot of pink with a splash of aqua for fun!  I have very few PTI baby sentiments so I made my own with Maile’s Grand Ampersand set.  I just cut the “to” from the “to have” and added it to “love!”  How cool is that?!  I think it’s the perfect promise to a sweet little baby :)  Thanks for stopping by!  Oh, I see Friday just around the corner!

dies and stamps: PTI except “sweet baby girl” stamp from Small Phrases by Verve

Awesome, Wonderful, Amazing

Hi friends!  Just popping in quickly with a card I made for one of my university instructors.  On the last day of classes, my cohort and I have been giving our instructors a little parting gift and since I make cards, well, you know, I make the cards!  This one is for our April 26th class…the last of this semester! Woohoo!  Our instructor is a former high school band teacher, just finished her doctorate, and plays in a band!  She’s really cool and artistic so I hope she likes the water colour background I created with some gelatos and an aqua pen.  I don’t really think she’s a doily kind of woman, but that’s for me ;)  LOL  Nothing wrong with giving her a little piece of my style is there?  Happy hump day!

stamps and dies: Papertrey Ink

Peace On Earth

Good morning!  I came straight home on Friday with no classes, no trip to the gym, just straight to the studio after making myself a latte :)  It felt so good to play that I didn’t even mind poking out the paper bits on this doily :)  LOL  I’m playing with the current Festive Friday challenge.

I didn’t know what to do for the pinecones and jar, so I just went with the colours and rustic feel.  I sure hope the chalkboard look is still around at Christmas! LOL  It’s been out for over a year.  Luckily I jumped on it when it first started to ride it for all it’s worth and then some!  Hope your week is grand :)  Thanks for stopping by :)

April Verve Diva Inspirations Hop

Welcome to Verve's April Diva Inspirations Hop. It's the 5th of the month and that means it's hopping time! This month we've got a fabulous challenge that's sure to put a string in your step! So in addition to a comment prize hidden along the hop, you can play along with the challenge and link up your creation for a chance to win another prize!

Our April challenge is Chic Chevrons:

Chevrons are the new polka-dots! Get groovy and use this popular pattern somewhere on your creation. Whether you draw inspiration from the graphic or zig-zag off on your own, just show us some chic chevrons!



I’m not sure if many of you know, but I’m going to be a bonus Grandma, actually, a GrandMoe, the name I came up for me  :)  My DH’s daughter is expecting her first baby in June.  As you can see by this card, we know it’s a girl so pink is in order.  I’ve been inspired by all the watercolouring going on out there so I thought I’d take a simple try.  I made a template from a chevron coverplate, used a SU watercolour crayon to draw the pattern, then went over them with my aquapen to soften the lines.  This sentiment is so sweet and was in my first release when I debuted as a Verve Diva in 2011.

Need a little more inspiration? Check out the blogs linked below to see what the other Divas did with the challenge! It's sure to be a treat, and speaking of treats, we've got a prize for one lucky commenter along the hop! Check out the Verve Blog today for all the prize info and deadlines.

1. Julee        9. Susan

2. Amy        10. Stacey

3. Anya       11. Teresa

4. Betty      12. Maureen

5. Karen     13. Marisa

6. Sankari  14. Charmaine

7. Sarah     15. Janelle

8. Sony      16. Christyne

what’s in it?

stamps: Smallest Thing plain jane (Verve)

paper: white, vellum (PTI), Head over Heels (BoBunny), gold foil cardstock (craft supply)

ink: onyx (Versafine)

accessories: Pastel Sequins Mix (Verve) watercolour crayon (SU), flags stax dies (MFT), button (PTI), bakers twine, baby word die (Simon Says Stamp), stitching