Congratulatory Wedding Wishes

Hello there!  Is it hot in your part of the country?  It sure is warm here in Austin!  It was 104 yesterday!  Feels like we will have much of the same today.

I had some time to create a wedding card today using Verve's Love Story and the congratulations is from Papertrey Ink's Boards and Beams set.  This card is a try at the Papercrafts Gallery Idol.  I have only ever submitted 3 cards for anything "designer" like and I am trying to get better about this, so...

I used a sheet of K and CO that I thought was so perfect for a wedding card, classic pattern and neutral colours, my kind of comfortable :)

I stamped and coloured the heart image from Verve and then stamped the sentiment in the middle.  I popped this onto a beaded circle die cut that I made using PTI Vintage Linen card stock (I used this for the card base also).  I added a few yellow Prima roses that go so well with the paper and also punched out some MS fronds and leaves in the linen cs and a kraft cs.  The congratulations was stamped and trimmed off from the rest of the sentiment phrase and I sponged the edges in SU crumb cake ink (all of the edges on the card are sponged with this).  The last little detail is the seam binding as my ribbon and I placed a bronze brad with a pearl center through the bow center.  

Hope you have a great day and enjoy the summery weather!

Cheers,

Chriss

Happily Ever After Mojo188

Good morning everyone!  Hope your Easter weekend was filled with family and  fun.  I had to work a couple of the days, but managed to get in quite a bit of yard work, mostly mulch laying and some trimming...
I wanted to start this week off with Julee's Mojo188 sketch challenge and I love how this card turned out.  I used Lilybee Designs Picket Fence papers for this wedding card.  The little 6 X 6 pad is a treasure!  I made the square version of the sketch and cut the front of the card 3/4" shorter (more narrow) than the back of the card to show off the Memory Box border die that I adhered to the inside of the card, newly acquired from Ellen Hutson's shop.  I used the Happily ever After sentiment from the Verve set Love Story.  Lots of great sentiments in that set!  I layered it onto a polka dotted circle and then onto a white doily-like shape that I made with another new die from Memory Box, nice and crisp looking and I think it adds a nice contemporary look to this card.  The leaves are punched in the Lilybee paper with a MS leaf/frond punch and the resin flower is a Prima.  Some stitching on the front panel with a perfect match thread that I had.
Thanks for taking a peek today,
hugs
Chriss

Wedding Wishes~Circa 1934

Hello everyone!  Hope you weekend has been enjoyable so far.  I have been making some challenge cards today and here is one of them.  This one is for Card Patterns Sketch #92.  I think this is such an interesting sketch, right up my alley.
I am so in love with this Circa 1934 Cosmo Cricket paper pad...I used it again today and it probably won't be the last time that you see it here :)  I cut a couple of panels of this medallion pattern and placed on top of the pretty aqua polka dot paper and cut 4 strips of narrow silk ribbon that I have in my stash, sewed on and then added the multi colour teeny print to the top of the card and added a narrow strip of the tiny graph pattern and a length of lace.  For my sentiment, I stamped this Verve Wedding Wishes from the Love Story on vintage lace card stock from PTI.  I used the petite Spellbinders ovals to cut out and layered over a scalloped polka dotted one that I inked the edges with Memento Tuxedo black.  I then layered with a rectangle of the same graph pattern.  My flower is stamped directly onto the paper with Verve's flower from Great Friend and cut out.  If you look closely, I layered a Spellbinders Flower shape cut out again using the graph pattern.  The large button is from PTI and in the center I added a circle of the graph pattern paper and some black seed beads.  I like how the Cosmo colours and the silk ribbon make this look like a vintage-y wedding card.  This was such a fun sketch to work with!  I will be adapting for some other cards for sure!
Thanks for taking a peek today,
Cheers!
Chriss

Anni-VERVE-sary sketch challenges

Happy AnniVervesary!  I was able to make a card for each of the 5 sketches that Julee issued earlier this week so here goes,

This first one uses the Verve sentiment from Harvest Blessings and paper from MemoryBox "Blackbird".  The card stock is PTI Terra Cotta and the shaped edges were made with a Labels Spellbinder that I stamped with the Verve wheat.

The border is the branches from MS and I layered it with a trim that I bought at HL.  The ink that I used is SU basic brown. 

This second one was quite hard to photograph...

The textured card stock is a Bazzil that matches perfectly with the Basic Grey Indian Summer.  I stamped the beautiful Harvest Blessings in SU basic brown and used some Martha punches for the oak and fern punched shapes.  The flower is from a trim that I also got at HL.

This really is a nice card in person, not so much on this screen...

This next card was made for a friend's birthday.  She is a blue lover but I also threw in some rich yellow to go with the pretty geometric DCWV mat stack.  I stamped Julee's flower from Wishful Elegance three times on different papers and cut out.  I also punched out a small circle of the geometric and cut out a small flower from another sheet.

The Birthday Wishes sentiment is also from the Wishful Elegance set and I layered it onto two mega scalloped Nestability ovals.  The border punch is the MS hydrangeas.  I did a little stitching on the blue panel and added a delicate triangular white lace.

The square that the flower sits on was distressed with a T!m Holtz tool.

Here is a CAS with texture card for this sketch.  It is a simple thank you and the sentiment is a thank you from a Verve order.  Julee alway's includes a little something...sweet!

The sentiment is layered onto a Sissix die from the SU lots of labels set.  The half flowers are some crape myrtle bark from my backyard that I used a PTI flower die on.  I am really amazed at the natural aqua colour on this bark!  The patterned papers are from DCWV "Home" and the cs is PTI Aqua Mist.

This last card uses some more DCWV Home paper, SU River Rock and PTI Ocean that I put through a Damsk ef.  I layered two buttons at the top left corner of the solid panel and put a tiny silk ribbon through.  The flourishes are also Verve from the "One Person" set as is the sentiment and frame.

Thanks for taking a peek,

Have a great weekend and have fun tonight with the Verve release!

Sweet smelling buttons!

Hello everyone! Hope you have had a great Sunday. I started a new job today, after being unemployed for 4 months after the Smith and Hawken store (and the whole brand) came to an end, but it was a nice little break. The first day on the new job was really pleasant, friendly co-workers and I think I will really like it!

Onto the business of challenges, these cute "jars" are for the JustRite challenge to make a tag or label AND for the Verve RE-use challenge.

I was so excited when I saw back in January that JR was creating/releasing the Stitched with Love set and pre-ordered them because I had this exact project in mind...no kidding! As you know from my previous posts, I have had help with my stamp room make-over and I am enjoying it SO, so much (now that I can find everything) and I wanted to dress up my growing button collection. I have been burning these candles from Bath & Bodyworks and saving the jars. These are the smaller ones (they a larger size too) and when I first bought them, I thought they would be perfect for the buttons! I started making these last night and finished them up this evening, snapped a photo from my craft room desk top where I have an Ott light and, well, here they are!

I stamped in Memento Tux. black ink and coloured in the tiny leaves and then used some PTI cs and dots patterned black paper to make different sizes and shapes with my Nestabilities. I glued them all together and placed some dimensional foam behind the Just Rite tag, placed some co-ordinating buttons and that is it.

I love how these turned out and plan to do this for all of my buttons AND some of my JR stamps could fit into these too! Do you know what other bonus these jars have? They have a rubber seal on the lid, so every time I open for a button, I get a wonderful orange or pineapple or margarita aroma!

Thanks for peeking in,

Cheers! chriss

Vervey shapey card and treat box

Here is my Vervey treat box for VSJAN10B challenge! I started by covering the little tin I had with this 2 sided silver/red textured patterned paper. I made a topper from a scalloped circle and then a circle from the other side of the paper. I printed out Julee's digi heart and coloured with my red Copic and a silver marker. I added some little red rhinestones. The heart image is popped up on dimensional foam.

This next little card is for VSJAN10E to make a shaped card. I used my Octagon and Peony shaped Nestability dies for this challenge. I stamped a Verve flower and coloured with Copics and added a purple rhinestone and also placed 3 more rhinestones over the Verve Smile sentiment. The greenery is punched from Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday. Thanks for taking a peek! The new release from Verve is tonight!

Time to blossom

Hello everyone!  Hope everyone has had a good week and a good Saturday.  I have been busy crafting cards for a craft show I will be a vendor at in less than 2 weeks!  I have to get quicker at making cards and gifties.  I did take time out yesterday to make this card for Julee's Mojo 107 sketch challenge and contest.  I chose the Plain Jane quote as the focal point and stamped it in Memento London Fog ink onto white.  I used my Nestabilitiy circles and scallops to cut and emboss.  I also used the Verve image from Budding Blossoms in the left hand panel that I stamped in Always Artichoke and coloured with Copic makers to match the dp that I used from PaperTrey Ink (Tiny Vines) and a dp from Memory Box for the side rectangular panels (Rhubarb Tart) that I think is a very nice compliment to the vines dp.  I backed everything in PTI Ocean Tides card stock (this is my favourite colour ever!) and also punched out a new MS loop border that I think has an elegant style and matches with the overall feel I wanted for this card. (Thanks Yvonne for finding these oh so hard to get new border punches!)  Over the border, I placed a length of PTI ribbon too.  Thanks for looking and hope you have a great evening!

Cheers, Chriss

recipe

stamps ~  Verve PJ sentiment and Budding Blossoms

ink ~ Memento London Fog

paper ~ PTI Little Vines, PTI Ocean Tides cs, MemoryBox Rhubarb

access. ~ Copic markers, circle, oval Nestabilities, MS loop border punch, K & Co. half pearls, PTI Ocean tides ribbon

Trees of Thanks

Hi there! Hope that everyone has had a good week and I know that I am ready for the week-end!

I was able to work on my Mojo 98 sketch this morning and here is what I came up with.  I really wanted to use these Verve trees from a couple of releases ago "Up, up and Away" and decided to use this cute dp from K & Co.  Love the green and brown together.  For the "flower", I stamped the little tree from the set in SU close to cocoa craft ink directly onto the dp 7 times, clear embossed them and cut out.  I then used my Spellbinder Blossom dies and cut out the shapes you see in the different papers and arranged and layered the little trees to make up the "flower"  I added this pretty lime button from the BG Lemonade series and made a couple of French knots in the two buttonholes.  The white square is embossed with my swirls CB folder.  The card front is covered in a Bazzil textured card stock (similar to close to cocoa) and the side panel is a piece of the same Bazzil CS and layered with  
another strip of the dp that I used the MS lattice edge border punch on both sides.  I then wrapped that strip with a wide satin ribbon and glued down.  The tree is a larger version from the same Verve release but you can buy this one as a single stamp.  The sentiment is also Verve (and a gift from Julie when I placed a previous order) that I stamped in the same ink and clear embossed.  I used a SU oval punch and then layered onto the dp and trimmed around that.  The buttons all have embroidery floss in them and the brown buttons are from PTI.  Hope you like this one.    Here's a close-up .  Thanks for taking a peek today, chriss

            ~recipe~

stamps Verve Up, up and Away , Verve sentiment too

paper         Bazzil textured, K & Co dp

access.      embroidery floss, buttons, oval punch, Spellbinder blossom dies, PTI vintage buttons, BG lemonade buttons, MS lattice edge border punch, CB swirls folder, wide satin ribbon.

VSJUN01 & MojoMonday92 Special Edition

Here it is, finally a post ;)  It's my Mojo Monday sketch from Julee, owner of Verve stamps.

I chose a Lockhart image (this fun hen) for the main panel and stamped it in Memento black Tuxedo ink and then coloured with my Copics.  Cut the image out with the label 4 die and layered it onto another larger panel.  The blue panel is SU' Not Quite navy and I used the ticket corner punch on the corners.  The white base of the card was put through the CB folder and I did the same for another 1/2 panel in Riding Hood Red and added some ribbon of the same colour and 3 tiny rhinestones at the top and bottom of the sentiment.  The Heartfelt Thanks is from Verve.  This is the first in a series of special sketches from Verve for the next release.  Thanks for taking a peek!

Chriss

VERVE Project parade for April & WT218

Here is my project for Julee's Verve May parade and it also qualifies for Julia S. WT challenge over at SCS, that never happens!

  My friend Alma at work has a birthday coming up next month and she and I share a lot of laughs at work.  I have known her for 5 years now and will be adding this to her birthday gift.  She loves this Aveda product and never allows herself to buy it, so I think she will like it!  It is a tin that I covered with BG Lime Rickey dp.  The tin formerly held mint tea and although I do love iced mint tea, I really bought it for the tin!  I loved this window it had in it.  The flowers from Grateful Elegance really dress up this gift I think and I tucked in a half flower under the HPH and ribbon sliders from SU.

Thanks for taking a peek today, cheers!

chriss

~recipe~

stamps VERVE Grateful Elegance

paper BG Lime Rickey, SU old olive

ink SU pumpkin pie, Mem. Tux. blk

access SU HPH for the sentiment frame & ribbon sliders, Copics, Spellbinders rectangle nestabilities, orange ribbon fron Smith & Hawken

  

Forget-me-not wedding cupcake

Here is my Mojo85 sketch challenge card.  This week's challenge is for a prize over on the Mojo blog (you can click on the Mojo icon on my sidebar and it should take you there.)  The design was in my head for a couple of days before I could sit down this afternoon and finally put it together.  I started by stamping in Sahara Sand on white card stock and colouring my beloved cupcake stamp from Karen Lockhart that I purchased from Ellen Hutson's store.  I just love it!  I decided to make it into forget-me-nots as I am missing that flower this time of year up in the great white north.  I had hundreds of them on one side of our property mixed in with lilly of the valley clumps and they were so pretty together in bloom, but Austin does not have these little pretties, so I had to indulge on this card.  Julee's Wishful Elegance set is truly beautiful and I used the sentiment and the background stamp that reminds me of elegant enameled tiles.  I stamped this in white craft ink and clear embossed.  The lace edge is also from Ellen's store and to my surprise, it is a perfect match to sahara sand!  Hope you like it.

ch{{rs!....chriss ~recipe~

paper SU sahara sand&marigold morning, Papertrey itty bitty dots paper pack

stamps Verve Wishful Elegance, Lockhart flower cupcake

access. trim from E. Hutson, champagne dew drops, SU white taffeta, copics, Sakura clear sparkly pen (a gift from my friend Yvonne)

Mojo81 ~ Bloom where you are planted ~

Julie's mojo sketch made me a little nervous this morning, but here is my take on it.  I really loved the colours of these dp's AND had Copic markers that I thought complimented the paper, so here goes!  I chose these rich dp's from K & Co. (the big classic box) and went from there.  I stamped the flowers (Julee's Floral Symphony VERVE set) in SU pumpkin pie and coloured in with my Copic markers.  The panels on the card are layered onto the beautiful pumpkin coloured dp (same as the one the sentiment is stamped onto) and the two main panels are layered onto the floral teal and orange dp.  I had some special Primas that were the same rich colours and added a K & Co. teal jewel to the center of one at the top left corner and the center of the other flower has a special little floral button that I bought at Michael's last week.  Thanks for taking a peek!

cheers, chriss

Violet cupcake

This is my card for the Verve sketch challenges...w/a twist.  This is last week's challenge (we have until the end of the month)and the twist was to use buttons with the sketch.  This is my 1st time to use buttons, and I could not find my button container that I have been squirreling away for years now, but like a good crafter, I had a little SU set of pastel coloured buttons.  I opened these up and found some dp that I thought the buttons would be complimentary to, so...here it is!

Here is the close up of the beautiful little violet cupcake that I have really fallen hard for.  It has become one of my very favourite stamps.  So many possibilities!

The stamp is from Lockhart Co. and I purchased it from Ellen Hutson's shop.  I stamped the image in Memento tuxedo black and used my Copic markers.  I also stamped again on velum with craft white and embossed and cut the top off and glued right onto the stamped image.  I wanted it to resemble the paper cupcake liner. 

Thanks for taking a p{{k! Ch{{rs chriss

*recipe for this card*

Stamp  - violet cupcake Lockhart Stamp Co.

paper  - Sweet Peas from Paper Adventures, SU mellow moss & perfect plum

access.-SU buttons, oval punches, Copic markers, CB textile embossing folder for PP frame, Spellbinders Nestabilities