EEEEKKK!! Back 2 Skool!!!!!

check out my Verve blog candy here...

Good morning!!!  Well, today is the day that I go back to unpack my new classroom.  Though my summer is not officially "over,"  I will spend the next two weeks preparing my class and attending professional development (big words for "teacher school!" hehe).  The first day back is the hardest, but I know I will soon get excited about a new school, new grade, and new kids :)  As a new teacher to this school, I'm sure I will be "checked out" by the parents but I'll break the ice telling them my last name "rhymes with cute" and my Starbucks order ;)  Today's card was firstly for the Card Positioning Sketch, but once I finished it, I noticed that it also "almost" fits Stacy's Curtain Call Colour Challenge!!!  Well, there's a bit of black...that's a neutral :)  Oh, did you notice that cool ruler ribbon?  Dawn McVey showed this on her blog during the July PTI release of her set It's Official...I have been loving this set since I first started using it yesterday....I really love stationery and pens and clips and anything like that...so this is the set for me :)  Okay, I had to type out this sentiment on the computer as I don't have a stamp that says this...also, the circle was looking a little too plain, but more buttons or gemstones didn't look right...nothing!!  I even thought of zigzag stitching, but that would've looked like real "stitches!!"  LOL  So I thought of a thumb print...as a teacher (and cardmaker!), I am forever getting thumb prints over everything...so I thought this was a neat twist :)  Hmmm, maybe I should've just used a black mat underneath...oh well, next time :)  This card is going to a very special person I used to work with...(she reads my blog sometimes, so I'm hoping she's been too busy lately to drop by...she'll be getting this next week!).  This is the rack I use for my ribbon (see this POST for a picture...scroll down the post).  This past Spring, when I went to buy another one from Home Depot here in town, they didn't have them anymore and no one knew what I was talking about!!!! Fast forward to last weekend in the States.  The dh wanted to check out tool prices at Home Depot...so I went to the storage aisle and guess what!!!!  The mother load!!!  I bought 3 out of the 5 that were there (the other 2 were bent).  I felt like I had found buried treasure I was so excited!!! LOL  Here's a picture of the rack and the little tag I made for it :) Whew!!  As always, thanks for visiting and for all your sweet comments...you sure put a cherry on my icecream :D

What's in it?
Stamps: pti it's official, library ledger
Ink: versafine onyx, su real red, going gray (thumbprint)
Paper: su real red, marina mist, black, PTI white, scenic route dp
Accessories: circle nestabilities, cork, button, twine, cuttlebug ef, su birds and blooms die & large eyelets, corner chomper, pti ribbon, notepage die, clip,

Best Wishes

check out my Verve blog candy here....

 Good morning, friends.  Today is the last unofficial day of "do nothing" for the summer.  I head back a few days early to unpack my new classroom tomorrow and Tuesday then am off to a 3 day teaching conference.....then back to set up my class the week after that ....then.....I know, it's been hard having the summer off but I really have recharged...so that's a good thing :)  Today's card uses the just released Verve set Love Story and is for the last week of Viva La Verve sketches this month.  I took inspiration from this photo.  It reminds me of the Amy Butler paper pad I have.  A bow, some buttons and a bit of bling...:)  Hope you are having a lovely day...I intend to do some stamping and sifting through teaching boxes...wish me luck!!

What's in it?
stamps: verve love story
ink: versafine onyx
paper: su really rust; pti ocean tides, kraft, cream; Amy Butler dp
accessories: pti ribbon, buttons and twine, stitching, labels 11 nestabilities, seeing spot ef, gemstones

Classy and Fabulous!!

check out my Verve Blog Candy here!!

 

click on photo to see a larger image!!

Whew!!! What a week of Verve scrumptiousness!!!  I have been putting off all other challenges and stamping to enjoy my time as Verve Guest Diva...my biggest honour ever.  So this is the first challenge that I couldn't get out of my head.  It's for the latest Embellish Challenge.  I don't have many "cutsy" stamps, but I do have a small collection of Bellas :) Two of my favourites are latte Bella (of course!) and this cosmo Bella...the dh and I love our martini date nights :)  I also have this sentiment on a stamp, but it was too big for this card so I typed it out in Word, then stamped Bella beside it...love the way it turned out.  I don't colour, but I paper piece and Bella needed a bit of colour to draw your eye to her.  Hmm, I really like this...notice that martini?  It's a Hypnotic Heaven!! LOL...I love martini drink names!! LOL  Thanks for visiting and check out my blog candy!! I'm giving away all the cards I've posted this week for the Verve Spotlights PLUS a $25.00 Verve gift certificate!!! 

What'e in it?
Stamps: cosmo Bella
Ink: versafine onyx, su teal
Paper: su kraft, groovy guava, really rust, su and basic grey dps
Accessories: stitching, PTI medium scallop die and grosgrain ribbon; gemstones, seeing spots ef, blender pen, sentiment typed out in Word (cool dots font), corner chomper

Verve Release Party Tonight!!! (and some Blog Candy!!)

Good morning everyone!!!! Ah, there are no more official Verve Sneak Peeks...but here is a peek at the Plain Jane :)  I just love the plain jane stamps...fabulous verses and you only have to order one (or ten) at a time!!  I haven't been using any sketches or challenges this week...just free stylin' it...so I thought it would be fun to use Mercy's sketch :)  Now I know you may be thinking, "Hey, there's no ribbon at the top of this sketch!! LOL  Well, I used an embossing folder on the card base and there's a little line that needed to be covered up...LOL  Don't tell me you've never done that!!  Oh, and I broke open some delicious Memory Box paper I picked up at Impress in Bellevue last weekend :)  It is soooo yummy...I've made another card with it for the Release tonight...

This next card is a complete 180 from all the pink and frills.  I wanted to show how Verve stamps are perfect for masculine cards too :)  As many of my regular followers know, my son Jake is my "Greatest Joy," so this card was made with him in mind :) 

Here's a picture of us last weekend in Bellevue :)  He starts his last year of his undergrad degree in Engineering this September but will come home in a week and a bit for another quick visit :)  He likes to help me set up my classroom for the new year...how sweet is that?

Okay, ready for some BLOG CANDY?  As I was working out Wednesday, I came up with a super fun idea...how about put all the cards I posted this week for the Verve Release Week Spotlights into one Blog Candy prize?!!?  I really wanted to celebrate this amazing honour, hanging out with the Divas and Julee and being a part of this fabulous  Anni-VERVE-sary release.  As well, I wanted to say thanks to all of you who have been so supportive and sweet with your comments and well wishes :D  So what do you think?  ALL the cards I've posted this week including today's cards AND a $25.00 Verve Gift Certificate to help with that long shopping list!!! LOL  Now, I do have to make some adjustments to a couple of the projects...I will include one of the treat bags minus the chocolate bar (would melt in the heat of the mail) and will include a little notebook, but it will be a new, almost identical one (I've already started using mine, so can't include the original).  Yes, the first card with my wedding photo will be included...you can always take my photo off and add your own or just use as a sample :) Oh, and I will make another card for Jake, so I will include today's Great Joy card :)  Here are the deets in order to win all 13 cards and projects plus $25 worth of Verve Bucks:

1)  Leave a comment here on this post by Friday, August 27th @ midnight (PST) ,telling me what you enjoyed most about this Verve Release...

2) Become a follower if you haven't already....if you are not on Blogger, just say you are a Typepadder...tell me you'll visit often ;)

3) Winner will be posted on Saturday, August 28th and must contact me within 5 days with their mailing address  and email for the Vere GC (I will send it anywhere in the world!!)...

Lastly, are you ready to PARRRR-TTAAYYYYY?  I'll be there with bells on so stop by and say hi.  Click HERE for the Splitcoast Forum....

What's in them?
{God is our Refuge}
stamp: verve plain jane psalm 46:1
ink: versafine onyx
paper: pti cream, plum pudding, lavender moon, spring moss; Memory Box dp
accessories: circle nestabilities, stitching, gemstones, pti buttons, twine, May Arts twill ribbon, su embossing folder
{You are Such a Joy to Me}
stamps: verve dream big; kind words
ink: su choc chip; versafine onyx
paper: pti kraft, cream, su espresso; pti dotty biscotti and library ledger dp
accessories: circle nestabilities; pti matte 1 die, pti woodgrain impression plate; stitching, gemstones, pti buttons, twine,

Great Friend ~ Verve Release Spotlight, Day 6

Good morning, my great blog friends!!!  Today is that last official Verve Sneak Peek day.  And Julee has saved the best for last (well, they have all been the best...I just like saying that!!!)  Now, I don't like to play favourites (what am I talking about?  I have a new favourite every week! lol), but this Great Friend set has not left my side all week :)  It's very brown which means it has been well loved and inked :)  I'm sure it's those curvy petals and leaf images.  This first card is one of the first ones I made last week...I could not NOT stamp that flower and layer it on some yummy patterned paper:)  This set has 3 different sized floral images...3 outlines and 3 solid.  I've used the outlined ones, stamped and cut them, and then layered them.  I also used 2 of the 3 leaf images.  I stamped in brown as green just didn't go with this card.  But that's the beauty of stamping...and art...it doesn't have to be the "real" colours.  Next up is a little booklet I made for myself!!  I picked up this fabulous kraft paper on my solo road trip a couple of weeks ago and thought it would be fun to cover one of these little notebooks from the Dollar Store (a 4 pack for $1.00 !!). 

I made another sweet flower and used a sentiment from Fabulous You....okay, how do you like my little Diva charm!!  ACK!!! I saw this in a charm pack in the clearance bin at Michaels and couldn't resist!!! LOL  I wanted this booklet to be a little souvenir of my time as Guest Diva...a tangible reminder that I was once a (guest) Diva!  I like the play on this sentiment...read..."You are Diva Fabulous!" 

I want you also to notice that I made these leaves by cutting out my own leaves and stamping them with one of the leaf images from this set.  Then I distressed the edges and crumbled them up a bit.  This notebook will stay by my desk and hold all my usernames and passwords (not the super important ones...i.e. bank...that's in my head forever!) for all the sites I visit and shop at ;) (Etsy, eBay, SCS, different forums, etc)

Whew!!! Six fabulous days of Sneaks!  How long is your shopping list?  LOL  Visit these Divas for some more amazing peeks and remember to leave comments for the chance to win this set!!  I have a couple more cards tomorrow (plus a little fun...wink, wink) to share and then it's the Release Party tomorrow night...a fast paced fun 2 hours of chatting and giggling with the Divas and Verve lovers :)  See all the details HERE on the Verve SCS forum.  You can also check out the Verve Blog for all details and information about Release Week.  Thanks for visiting and a special, heartfelt thank you for all your sweet, thoughtful comments...you've made me smile all week :)
 1. Laurie     7. Teresa

2. Amy       8. Jen T.

3. Michelle  9. Tosh

4. Mercy    10. Julee

5. Susan     11. Jackie

6. Sankari  12. Lynda

                  13. Amber

What's in them?
{you're a friend}
stamps: verve great friend
ink: su choc chip
paper: pti cream, berry sorbet, basicgrey dp, dcwv dp, papertrey ink dp
accessories: prima pearl, pti button, twine, seam binding ribbon, stitching, ek success punch; gemstones
{you are DIVA fabulous}
stamps: verve great friend, fabulous you
ink: su choc chip
paper: su kiwi, espresso; jillibean dp, crate paper dp
accessories: pti button, twine, gemstones, baker's twine, corner chomper; Diva charm (Michaels); dollar store notebook, distressor

Verve New Release Spotlight ~ Day 5

Greetings Verve fans!!!  Are you ready for another feast?  Today we're looking at 2 more fabulous sets being released this Friday, Kind Words and Happy Hello.  My first card uses the beautiful Mother Teresa quote, "Kind Words."  Can this font be anymore delicious?  I think one of the main reasons I love Julee's stamps is I love a good quote.  We make cards to convey messages to the people we care about...words are powerful and Verve always has just the right sentiment or greeting for any occasion.  This set is FULL of gorgeous sentiments and a flower silhouette.  Up next is Happy Hello. 

Many of you know that I'm changing schools this September.  I always like to make a good first impression with my staff...especially the secretary and custodians (really, don't they run the school?).  I also want to give my grade colleagues a little treat to start the year.  I made these cute little treat bags with tags, using the little "Hello" sentiments in this set.

There are 3 cute little phrases you can use with the "hello..."  I used each one for each of the tags.  The tags are the Labels 11 die and I've punched holes in the scallops for some added interest.  

So what's in the bags?  Well, some of my favourite treats...hot chocolate, VIA coffee packs, flavoured water packs, a chocolate bar, Sharpies, post-it notes in bright colours, funky clips, stickers, and a little bag of licorice all sorts (I eat those while writing report cards!! LOL).  I think I need to make myself one of these bags!!! LOL   Okay, how about some more treats?  Hop over and see what these Divas have in store today...everyone is pulling out all the stops on this release....I LOVE IT!!!!  Be sure to leave a comment for the chance to win these sets and come back tomorrow for the last set spotlight...then it's Friday...PARTY NIGHT!!!  Check out the deets HERE on the Forum.

1. Sankari        7. Julee   

2. Lynda          8. Teresa

3. Charmaine    9. Michelle

4. Amber        10. Amy

5. Jen d.          11. Jackie

6. Sony           12. Mercy

What's in them?
{Kind Words}
stamps: verve kind words
ink: su choc chip, bordering blue
paper: su bliss blue, espresso, pti cream, darker blue (craft supply); fancy pants dp
accessories: circle nestabilities, satin ribbon, recollections flower, gemstones, stitching
{Hello tags}
stamps: verve happy hello
ink: versafine onyx
paper: pti cream, pure poppy, raspberry fizz; su curry, teal; cosmo cricket and MME dps, PTI library ledger dp
accessories: labels 11, circle, pinking circle nestabilities, cropodile, stitching, prima flowers, silver brads, gemstones, baker's twine

Verve Release Spotlight ~ Day 4

Hello friends!!! Today we are taking a sneak peek at the soon-to-be-released Verve set Dream Big.  It is loaded with beautiful sentiments in mixed fonts...I love these!!!  This card was inspired by one I saw in the latest Paper Crafts magazine on Style.  I've always loved scallops but have never used them for the actual card base...so here we are :)  I made my own flower using my poinsetta dies (not just for Christmas!), hoping it would look like a dahlia or other pointy-petalled flower.  The leaves are also from Dream Big.  I've used 2 of the 3 different sizes  included in the set.  I thought green leaves would throw off the feel of the card, so chose to ink them in aqua and brown.  How elegant is that sentiment?  ACK!!! I just love those swirly letters!!!  Okay, now onto a more fun and cute card using this same set.

There are 3 flower and three stems in this set as well.  I thought I'd ink and cut these flowers out to add more dimension.  The grass was more of an experiment...I wanted to make it a bit different with felt rick rack and ribbon.  I've also distressed the edges of the white panel and brushed them a bit with tea dye ink.  Oh, there's that fabulous font again  {insert swoon here}!!

Ready for some more amazing creations with Dream Big?  Here's a list of the Divas sneak peeking today or start over at the Verve Blog.  Remember to leave comments along the way for a chance to win this set :)  Also, there is a Sketch Challenge over on the Splitcoast Verve Forum with even MORE chances to win prizes!!  Julee really knows how to throw a party!!!  See you tomorrow with another sneak peek!!!

1. Sankari         7. Sony

2. Shannan       8. Laurie

3. Lynda          9. Teresa

4. Mercy         10. Amber

5. Charmaine  11. Julee

6. Jen T.        12. Michelle

What's in them?
{Leave No Words Unspoken}
stamps: verve dream big
ink: su groovy guava, choc chip; PTI aquamist
paper: pti cream, aquamist, websters pages dp
accessories: poinsettia nestabilities, pti button, ribbon and twine, stitching, gemstones, ek success border punch
{If Friends Were Flowers}
stamps: verve dream big
ink: su choc chip, pumpkin pie, more mustard; pti tea dye duo
paper: pti cream, su pumpkin pie, more mustard, kiwi kiss
accessories: pti buttons, su linen thread, pti felt & rick rack die, stitching, gemstones, distressor, satin ribbon (craft supply)