Just Because

Happy Friday!  It is time to kick off another month of weekly Viva La Verve Sketches.   Julee Tilman is kicking off the first week of August with a sketch and a color challenge!   Check out the VLV Blog for more details and inspiration!



 


For my card I am using Verve's newly released Peaceful Medallions with Petals and Wings and Beautiful Kindness stamp sets.   I also used Verve's Cut Above Wings & Petals and Flag Its dies.  I  finished my card with Verve's Shine Bright Sequin Mix. 

 I am playing along with this week's Simon Wednesday Challenge:  Anything Goes!  Shopping Our Stash:  Choose 3(I chose die cut, rhinestones, stamped doily), Simon Monday Challenge:   Inspired by letter J.  Just Because card and Jewels!

As always thanks so much for stopping by!

Betty

Thanks So Much! MIM and MORE!

I am playing along with this week's PTI Make It Monday Challenge.  This week we are to create a diamond wallpaper pattern.   I am also playing along with this week's Just Us Girls Inspiration Photo Challenge.

For my card I chose to use PTI Lovely Layers set to create my background image. I was playing off the many colors I see in the inspiration picture.  I thought this image looked like the different colored pinwheels.   For the centers,  I stamped the solid small floral image from Basic Backgrounds: Venice.  

I added the sentiment to the hello sunshine die cut from kraft card stock.  I stamped with true black ink the sentiment from  Mini Blooms stamp set.  I added some stitching.  I just had to add the larger of the new scribble dies cut from vellum.  I just love these dies to create a whimsical detail  element.  I finished with some homemade enamel dots.

I mounted my card to a kraft background to resemble the beige background wall in the photo.  I think my camera is on its last leg.  Boo Hoo!  It is not working right.   I will try to take a better photo in the morning and see if that will help.  


As always thanks so much for stopping by!

Betty

Verve's July Release Retrospective Blog Hop!

Welcome to Verve's July Release Retrospective Blog Hop! The Verve Divas and guests are hopping today and serving up some more inspiration using the July release stamps & dies! Besides a peek at some really cool cards, there are also a couple of prizes up for grabs! 

If you got here from Anya's blog you are in the right place!  


For my card I am using Deconstructed Sketch 161 and Carta Bella So Noted designer papers.  I thought these papers worked beautifully with the inspiration photo. I chose the scripted background pattern and stamped two of the larger images from Peaceful Medallions.   I used a smokey shadow ink.  I used the smaller flower from Button Best  stamp set to stamp inside of the medallions using lavender moon ink.  I love how the medallions are subtle yet create a look of texture.  They blend in, but are noticeable.  I bet if I had not mentioned that I stamped them you would have thought they were part of the papers.  That is what is so amazing about these images.  From focal point to backgrounds they help create or build a look.      

Next, I die cut a background panel using Verve's Cut Above Classy Label die  for the background element in the sketch.  I decided to use a smokey gray card stock for this.  I stamped two  sentiments from Happy Place stamp set.  I embossed one in white and one in black.  Love the contrast.  Then, I die cut the flower  from the Happy Doodles die set and stamped it with coordinating flower from Happy Place.  I just love this flower.   I colored it with copics.  I added some vellum embossed banners using the Verve's Cut Above Banner Bundle dies.  I finished my card using Verve's Shine Bright and Pastels Sequin Mix.  I am using the inspiration photo from the Fusion Challenge for my card.  I have been doing so many bold colors lately, it was nice to use some soft muted tones.  I am also Guest Designer for the Catered Crop Recipe Swap:  Vellum!


 

1. Julee	10. Jen
2. Stacey	11. Sheri {Guest}
3. Maureen	12. Laurie
4. Chaitali	13. Andrea
5. Marisa	14. Amber
6. Teresa	15. Christyne
7. Kay {Guest}	16. Sarah
8. Janelle	17. Anya
9. Charmaine	18. Betty

 
Want to win some shiny new Verve? We're giving away a $40 gift voucher to one lucky commenter along the hop, so be sure to leave a shout out in the comments as you hop about.

Want another chance to win? Now it's your turn! We'd LOVE to see what you've done with the July release. Link up your cards using at least one product from our July release and you'll be entered in a drawing to win our entire next release! All the details and the linkup widget are on the Verve Blog today. The deadline is August 23, so there's still plenty of time to get the July release if you haven't already.



Don't miss this weekend only discount offer in honor of Julee's birthday:

I am last on the hop so you are all done!  However,  if you got here first or started midway,  make sure you start from the beginning and work your way through.  You are not going to want to miss out on your chance to win!

As always thanks so much for hopping by!

Betty

Pursuit of Happiness!

 
Happy Friday!   I am popping in with a second card for today!  For this card, I am playing along with a few blog challenges today.  I am using the sketch from MFT Weekly Sketch Challenge.   This combination of colors is from Colour Me!  I just love these bold colors with gold metallic accenting.  I am Simon Wednesday Challenge:  Emboss It!   Simon Monday Challenge:  Mid-Summer's Theme (summer colors and HEAT embossing).

For my card I started with MFT Card Stock Sampler.  I combined Black Licorice, Razzle Berry, and Lemon Drop card stocks.  I die cut the Lemon Drop card stock with the background panel from Blueprints 15.  I then stamped the whole panel with the word happy from the Happy Everything stamp set using Ranger Watermark ink and clear embossed it.  I then die cut the Razzle Panel with Pierced Square Stax, and stamped the BG Diagonal Stripes Background stamp in black ink.   I white embossed the sentiment from Chalkboard Greetings stamp set to the black licorice that I die cut using the Pierced Circle Stax.   I sponged some white pigment ink for shadowing and effect.  I added little tags from Blueprints 1 and Blueprints 2 cut to size using mirror gold card stock.   I finished the card with gold accenting from Sequins dienamics.  I used the same mirror gold card stock for the sequins.  Love this look!



As always thanks so much for stopping by!

Betty 

PTI July 2014 Blog Hop!

Happy Friday!  Today I am playing along with PTI July Blog Hop Challenge.  This month's challenge is an inspiration piece.  

 I took inspiration from the colors, the button cards, the gingham pattern, the distressed background, and the thread.  I inked distressed everything with the PTI chamomile vintage ink.  I used rustic white card stock for the base.  I used the more rustic side to the  linen & canvas impression plate to play on the more vintage rustic feel of the inspiration piece.

I die cut the Phrase Play in kraft, rustic white, aqua mist, and pure poppy.  I layered and placed all the letters making sure to ink distress the edges of all the little pieces as well.  For the bottom sentiment panel I used the rustic white and stamped in red the basic background: gingham.  I used the larger of the patterns.  I thought the pattern was too vibrant so I cut a vellum piece to lay over to mute the gingham a bit.  I stamped the sentiment from the Phrase Play #1 in Palette noir black ink.   I decided to use some Tombow Aqua liquid glue to adhere this piece.  The water glue and red ink created almost a red highlighted effect behind the sentiment.  I actually liked this look so kept it.   I finished my card with some aqua and red thread and a few clear sequins for accenting.

As always thanks so much for hopping by!

Betty