Viva La Verve

Good Monday everyone! It's been snowing all day...not sure when it started since I got a late start thanks to jet lag from changing to Daylight Savings Time yesterday!  Looks like at least 4" has accumulated so far.  Thankful I worked the weekend and now have today off, so no driving needed and more stamping time can be accomplished!
I'm finally getting around to playing with the sketch for Verve's March Viva La Verve challenge.  

I wanted to build up my stash of graduation cards and this sentiment from Verve's Sparkly Dreams set was perfect for that! Inside the card, I added "Congratulations On Your Graduation". The butterflies were white embossed on heavy weight vellum, die cut with Verve's Butterfly Dreams die and adhered with a tiny glue dot.  I also used two die sets by Reverse Confetti: Lacy Scallop Circles and Edge Essentials. Patterned papers are from Papertrey Ink's Bitty Big series: Aqua Mist.  As I generally do when stamping sentiments, I used my MISTI to stamp it 3 times to get a really crisp and clear result!

Quote from 365 Days of Wonder: 

MAR 12 - "That Love is all there is, is all we know of Love."

                    --Emily Dickinson 

Color Throwdown & Viva la Verve

Another Wednesday means another Color Throwdown Challenge is up and running. Barbara is our hostess this week and was inspired by this great winter scene to use red, gray and black.  I used the new Viva la Verve sketch for December and wanted this sentiment to be the focal point.  I can't seem to get enough Christmas cards created this year (Note to self: start earlier next year!). 

I pretty much let the patterned papers do the talking and embellished with snowflakes die cut from silvery white glitter cardstock. Here is what I used:
STAMPS: Richly Blessed (Verve).
PAPER: Tis the Season 6x6 pad by Echo Park.
INK: Versafine Onxy Black.
DIES: Stitched circle, rectangle and scalloped border by Lil' Inker Designs; Stitched Fishtail Flags Die-Namics by My Favorite Things; Let it Snow (snowflakes) by Reverse Confetti.

We're happy to announce that the talented Debra James is our guest designer for December!  Welcome Debra!  (Edited to add...she has the most adorable card for today's challenge!).

I also want to give a shout out to our star stamper this week - Kathy Straw!  Stop by her blog HERE to say hello.

We'd love to have you join us in the challenge!  For more details on how to play along, head over to the Color Throwdown blog and you'll find the information on the right sidebar.  You can also visit the rest of the design team's creations for more inspiration by clicking on the links below:

Amy Rohl 
Amy Rysavy
Barbara Anders   
Broni Holcombe
Jodi Collins 
Lisa Henke
Lori Tecler
Lynn Put  
Vickie Zimmer 
Wanda Cullen (you are here)  
Debra James - December Guest Designer 

Viva La Verve Returns

It's a rainy Monday and I'm thrilled to see it! Grass is turning brown and flowers are looking rather pitiful, so I'm hoping this will revive everything a bit! To brighten things up in my crafty space, I've created a card for the returning Viva la Verve sketch challenge!  This sketch was perfect for a retirement card for our pastor and his wife!  I love these black and white prints in Bazzill's "Licorice" basics patterned paper pad and paired them with Reverse Confetti's Lime Green cardstock that is such a happy shade of green!  

STAMPS: Wonderfully Made (Verve).
DIES: Small Mariana Vine Background and Small Mariana Vine Outline by Poppystamps; Stitched Circle by Lil' Inker Designs; Edge Essentials by Reverse Confetti.

I need to dash off and get ready for work...have a great day friends!

Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

It's been a long while since I've played along with the Viva la Verve Challenge, so I used the second September sketch for my Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop entry.  Wow, there are more than 60 sponsors in this hop, so let's all get inky and try to break the previous record of entries!  A big thank you to each and every sponsor!  You are the best!

I had some digis printed out from last fall - freebies that Julee so generously donated!  I colored with Copics, fussy cut and popped with foam tape.  The base was stenciled using one of Tim Holtz' mini layering stencils and Baked Brown Sugar ink (SU).  I embossed it with a larger 5x7" Cuttlebug EF.  Patterned papers are from Lawn Fawn's Perfectly Plaid Fall 6x6" paper pack...LOVE the colors!  

Thanks for hopping by...now I'm off to check out some other blogs!

Viva la Verve

A quick CAS creation for the Viva la Verve Challenge for Week 3 posted yesterday by Chaitali. She has a clean, simple layout with a wonderful inspiration photo that inspired me to use some metallic elements (brads and flower).  The tablecloth pattern inspired me to use this basketweave embossing folder by Lifestyle Crafts.  The curved border was cut with an A2 Curved Borders One by Spellbinders.  The sentiment is from Verve's Poppy Birthday stamp set and the leaves are their new Sprightly Sprigs die set.

Thanks for stopping by...

#1 Dad

I created this Father's Day card for the current Viva la Verve challenge which has both a sketch and a color challenge combined.  I thought it would be fun to have a shaker element for the largest circle and filled it with Avery Elle

Lemonade Blend sequins.  I tweaked the layout a bit and kept the horizontal stripe above the rectangle panel rather than below.  These papers from MME's Now and Then 6x6 pad worked perfectly!

Here is the inside of my card using a newly released Plain Jane.

STAMPS: Dad's Day, Seeing Stars, Jeremiah 17:7 Plain Jane - all by Verve.
PAPER: Night of Navy, White, Now and Then pad by MME.
INK: Night of Navy
ACCESSORIES: Wood veneer stars by Studio Calico, Corner chomper, RickRack Die-Namics by MFT, Circle Nestabilities, Avery Elle sequins, Clear acetate sheet and shaker frame by SU.

Viva la Verve

Laurie has a really great sketch and inspiration photo for this week's Viva la Verve challenge!  The pillow and ottoman basically led me to choose the large polka dotted DP from Echo Park's Splendid Sunshine pad...I just can't seem to put these papers down.  They are so perfect for summertime cards!  The embossed felt flower has been in my embellishment stash for a really long time and it fit perfectly.  The leaves were stamped with Lucky Limeade ink on Old Olive cardstock then die cut with Verve's Elegant Leaves die.  The sentiment was stamped after cutting the ribbon banner die by Spellbinders.  I stamped the heart using Night of Navy ink on the hot pink dotted swiss paper from the same EP pad then die cut it with Verve's Jotted Heart die.  Some white SU thread and Avery Elle sequins finished it off.

I want to wish all of my blogger friends a very happy and blessed Easter!  I'm looking forward to having all 3 of our children plus our two daughters-in-law  come to the house for a chicken BBQ dinner on Sunday afternoon! 

Viva la Verve

It's been awhile since I've played along with the Viva la Verve sketch challenge, so decided to remedy that when I saw Stacy's fabulous sketch!
I already had this gray panel made with modeling paste applied over a hexagon stencil, so that was my starting point.  I love the colors in MME's Breeze 6x6 pad and thought it would coordinate well with the gray.  The leaves were stamped in Certainly Celery ink and die cut with Verve's Elegant Leaves die.  A tiny library clip and enamel dot added the finishing touch.

STAMPS: Notebook Paper Plain Jane (Verve), Hope Blooms (Verve)
PAPER: MME Breeze pad; So Saffron, Smoky Slate, White
DIES: Elegant Leaves and Rounded Scallop Frame - both by Verve

Viva la Verve

The new Viva la Verve challenge is posted with both a new sketch and an inspiration photo to get the mojo flowing!  I needed a birthday card and knew the recipient wouldn't be a fan of purple, so only pulled the yellow and gray color tones from the photo.  That fabulous table inspired me to choose this charm and to go with stars for embellishments.  All the reflection from lights in the photo inspired me to add a small border of silver glitter cardstock.  I heat embossed the sentiment with clear EP to give it more definition.

STAMPS: Chevron Love (Verve); Notebook Paper Plain Jane (Verve).
PAPER: Breeze 6x6 pad by My Mind's Eye, Going Gray, Basic Gray, So Saffron, Glitter CS (SU), White.
INK: Versafine Onyx Black
ACCESSORIES: Paper doily by Wilton, Scallop frame die by Verve, Postage stamp Die-Namics by MFT, Jute twine, Charm, Wood veneer stars by Studio Calico, Stitched square dies by Lil Inker Designs.

Viva la Verve

My good friend, Teresa Kline, is hosting the current Viva la Verve challenge in the Verve forum over on SCS!  I went with a snowy Christmas theme in red, white and blue papers from MME's Winter Wonderland pad.  I die cut 3 snowflakes using Verve's new Reindeer Fun die set, then stamped the image using Baja Breeze ink. I added Dazzling Diamonds glitter which also means I'm dressed in glitter as well!  The pale blue jingle bells seemed like the perfect touch for the card.

STAMPS: Unto Us (snowflakes) and Bright Spirits (sentiment) - both by Verve.

Color Throwdown Meets Viva la Verve

Hi everyone!  Vicki is hosting this week's Color Throwdown Challenge and she has chosen some happy colors! I immediately knew I wanted to use these Pebbles' papers and decided to pair it up with the Viva la Verve sketch challenge on SCS.  Check out this fun sketch by Charmaine!

I recently acquired a freebie toy at stamp club - thanks to one of the gals purging her crafting space.  It's a mini library pocket punch by McGill which is an ironic name for it as it's anything but mini!  The punch itself is one huge punch (3 3/4" x 4 1/2"), but the punched result creates an adorable little pocket - perfect to have my little peep peeping out!

I colored with Copics (Y13, Y15, Y17, B05, B04) then fussy cut, and added a rhinestone and some Wink of Stella clear glitter pen to the flower.

Here's hoping you will join us... and remember - you don't have to have exact colors.  Use something close and then link it up on the Color Throwdown blog using the linking tool at the bottom of the post.  If you post to an online gallery, please use the keyword, CTD 261.

For more inspiration, you'll want to check out the rest of the design team's wonderful creations!
                                                       Barbara Anders - Paper Pursuits
                                              Broni Holcombe - Splashes of Watercolor
                                                   Joan Ervin - Stamping With Passion

Lori Tecler - Inking Aloud 
Melody Rupple - A Paper Melody 

Tammy Hershberger - Stamp Happy

Vickie Zimmer -  Smitten

                                    Wanda Cullen - Cullen-ary Creations (you are here)

Susan Roberts - Rainy Day Creations 

It's been great having Susan join us this month as a guest designer!  This will be her last week with us, so be sure and stop by her blog and leave her some love!  We are also sadly saying goodbye to Lynn as a design team member.  She is needing more time freed up for other demands. 

STAMPS: Chicks Rule (Verve)
PAPER:  Family Ties by Pebbles, Pacific Point, White, X-Press It Blending Card
INK: Pacific Point, Memento Tuxedo Black
ACCESSORIES: Classy Label Die (Verve), Scroll Die (Verve), Wood veneer stars by Studio Calico, Baker's twine, McGill mini library pocket punch.

Viva la Verve

I'm on a nautical roll and am playing along with the week 5 sketch for the Viva la Verve Challenge in the Verve forum on SCS! Bold, sunny colors on board, so get your shades on! Today's Free 4 All Challenge on SCS has to do with a girl's best friend - DIAMONDS!  So...I dusted off my neglected diamond EF for the BG and added some sparkly bling accents!   Thanks for stopping by...I always enjoy your comments!

STAMPS: Strong Anchor (Verve), Blue Skies (Verve)
PAPER: Key Lime 6x6 pad by Bo Bunny, Real Red, White
INK: Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Blue Bayou
ACCESSORIES: Rick Rack Die-Namics by MFT, Nautical dies by Verve, Brad by Recollections, Rhinestones by Recollections.

CAS Viva la Verve

I needed an encouragement card for our pastor who is recovering from a fractured back injury in an auto accident. The CAS sketch for this week's Viva la Verve challenge was perfect to highlight this Psalm 46:10 Plain Jane sentiment!  I used Fishtail Flags STAX and Postage Stamp Border Die-Namics (MFT) along with Verve's Curvy Bookplate die.  Designer Naturals buttons by SU were added.  Papers include To the Nines Specialty papers by SU, Chocolate Chip and Vintage Cream (PTI).  Easy peasy card!

Viva la Verve

Charmaine has a great sketch in the Verve forum so I combined the Viva la Verve challenge with the Free 4 All challenge to use happy colors. Blues with yellows...along with other springtime shades always speak happy to me!  Pretty straight forward with this one...here's what I used:

Stamps: Up, Up and Away (Verve), Let It Shine (Verve)
Paper: Sunshine and Sprinkles DP by SU, Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight, White
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: Cloud dies by Lil Inker Designs, Rickrack Die-Namic by MFT