Let it Snow ~ Make it Monday

Hello!  I've been happily creating in the studio this morning.  I didn't think I would participate in this week's Make it Monday challenge because I didn't have a good tree stamp...WAIT!  I do!  Does anyone else have the classic Lovely as a Tree by Stampin' Up?  Oh, my...I still have it!  One of those sets you never get rid of.  It was perfect for my project.  I added a sweet sentiment from Snowfall Style :)  Thanks for visiting!
 
what's in it?
stamps: Snowfall Style (PTI), Lovely as a Tree (SU)

Done in Love

 Hi friends!  I had some good inky time in the studio today and was able to finish some projects I had started during Spring Break.  I had gold embossed this sentiment on a couple of bristol panels ready to water colour but never got around to it until today.  So happens that I was able to be inspired by Laurie and use it for the  PTI's Create Along with Us challenge.  Laurie's card is so gorgeous, I can't stop looking at it! Thanks for stopping by!

Congrats! PTI Make it Monday

Hi friends!  I'm sneaking this card in before the PTI Make it Monday challenge ends.  This week we can pick from any Make it Monday challenge from last year.  I wanted something stunning and relatively easy.  Dawn's gorgeous watercolour card from Challenge #251 really stood out and I CASEd it almost EXACTLY except I changed my sentiment and moved the tag down. Why mess with perfection, right?  I used Bristol paper instead of watercolour paper as I find the Zig markers blend easier on the Bristol paper (idea via Kristina Werner). Thanks for stopping by!

God's Love ~ Diva Inspiration Hop

It's time for the Verve Divas to bring you our monthly Diva Inspirations Challenge and Blog Hop!

There are TWO $30 gift vouchers to the Verve store up for grabs this month and two ways to win! First, comment on the design team's blog hop posts (linked below) for an entry in the first giveaway. Then to be entered into our challenge prize drawing, go get inky and link up your take on the challenge. You have until December 5 to link up. Feel free to play along with the challenge as many times as you like. Verve stamps aren't required to play, but we do smile a little brighter when we see them!

These rustic trees in blues and greens bring images of Old World Christmas to mind. Add in some baubles and finery, or keep it simple and rustic.  Either way, it's sure to inspire.  There are no rules... follow our colour pattern or head off in whatever direction these pretty trees take you.  We can't wait to see what you create!

I just love these colours for a non traditional Christmas palette.  I used versamark with a Heidi Swapp stencil and then white embossing powder on top of watercolour paper.  Then I took some Zig markers in the challenge colours and smooshed them onto the watercolour paper using water and a sheet of acetate. I finished the card off with some seam binding ribbon and this beautiful quote from Beyond Measure.

Click here to link up your challenge entries
Challenge deadline: Monday, December 5.
Prize: $30 gift voucher to the Verve online store!

Need a little 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're giving away a $30 gift voucher to Verve to one random commenter along the hop.  Just leave a little love as you hop about for a chance to win!

1. Julee	6. Marisa
2. Betty	7. Maureen
3. Charmaine	8. Susan
4. Christyne	9. Teresa
5. Laurie

what's in it?
stamps:  Beyond Measure, Jolly Jingles (Verve)
paper: vintage violet (SU), watercolour paper, white (PTI)
ink: onyx (Versafine), parakeet (PTI)
accessories: Shine Bright Sequin Mix (Verve), Zig watercolour pens, white emossing powder, Heidi Swapp stencil, seam binding ribbon, wood heart button (dollar store), stitched circle die (MFT), Wink of Stella pen

What is Done in Love ~ Curtain Call Inspiration

 Happy Thursday everyone!  I'm back with the newest challenge over on the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge blog.  This time we’re inspired by this photo…

I'm getting my Fall on by embossing this gorgeous sentiment in white and doing a smoosh water colour technique using rich autumn colours.   Want to play along?  Head over to the Curtain Call blog for more inspiration and then join in the fun! Thanks for stopping by!

 

Sending Hugs and Sunshine

Hello friends!  It's the 25th and I'm participating in PTI's Blog Hop.  Here's our inspiration photo...

I created a water colour background with my light carmine and ochre Zig pens then stenciled some embossing paste over top.  I stamped the sentiment directly onto the watercolour paper using my mini Misti and created a couple of butterflies with vellum overlays.  Thanks for stopping by and see you on the hop!

Your Day to Celebrate

Hello, hello everyone!  My card today is for this week's PTI Make it Monday.  The lovely Ms Dawn is treating us to her watercolouring talents and challenging us to use gradient watercolour die cuts.  I haven't used my lighthouse set for ages so thought it would be fun to create some watercolour waves for the challenge.  I used the 3 different blues in my Zig Clean Colour Real Brush set (I have the 24 pack).  The real magic happened once I dried the paper then cut it out with the Waves coverplate.  Aren't those waves and the colour cool?  Dawn promised it would work out and it did!  The design of the card was totally inspired by Maile's card last June when these stamps and dies were released.  Thanks for stopping by!

Joyful Make it Monday

Check out my updated Papertrey Ink For Sale page! 

Hey everyone!  I just got a PTI haul in the mail and couldn't wait to get this gorgeous Choose Joy sentiment set inky.  Melissa also used it in this week's Make it Monday video, BONUS!  I didn't have any PTI watercolour pages so I made my own.  This was the first card in the set.  Thanks for  stopping by!

 

stamps: Let it Be, Sunny Days (Verve), Choose Joy (PTI)

embellishments: Pink Sparkle Sequin Mix (Verve)

Clearly Besotted Release Day!

 Hi everyone!  I’m back with my last card for the Clearly Besotted Stamps April Release.  All the stamps and dies are on sale later today (10:00 BST) over in the CBS shop so be sure to go and check everything out!

I've been waiting to try this distress ink technique by Jennifer McGuire.  This set, A Better You, was perfect to get started.  I stamped the outline in black Archival Ink, then stamped the solid image in distress ink.  The fun began when I spritzed water on the solid image!  I LOVE the way it took on a watercolour effect. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Head over to Stephanie’s blog for some more inspiration and peeks!

Verve New Release Spotlight Hop ~ Day 4

Welcome back to Day 4 of Verve's March Spotlight Hops!  The Verve Divas and special guests are back for another day of spotlighting our new release! Everything previewed this week is available to order in the Verve online store. So come hop along and take a closer look at Simply Amazing, and the Simply Daisies and Amazing Adjectives die sets.

I had made a few watercolour backgrounds on the weekend and picked this Verve Blue and grey one for today's card.  I love the Simply Amazing set with all it's fun words and sentiments.  Really, I could spend a whole day playing around with all the possibilities!   After deciding on a sentiment, I embossed the words in white on black cardstock, then cut them out and arranged them around a gold "amazing" die cut. I love the way the words don't cover up too much of the lovely background.

Want to win some shiny new Verve? We'll be picking a random commenter on one of the hop spots below to win today's featured products! So be sure to leave a little comment on all the blogs below to increase your chances! Check out the Verve Blog today for the full hop list, a little more about our new products and all the prize info and deadlines!

1. Julee 8. Mackie 2. Amber 9. Marisa 3. Betty 10. Maureen 4. Charmaine 11. Stacey 5. Christyne 12. Teresa 6. Laurie 13. Vicki 7. Lee-Anne

Clearly Besotted Release Day!

 Hi everyone!  I’m back with my last card for the Clearly Besotted Stamps March Release.  All the stamps and dies are on sale later today (10:00 BST) over in the CBS shop so be sure to go and check everything out!

I've saved my favourite card for today's release!  I stamped the bluebell image from From All of Us onto a watercolour bookmark diecut with Ranger Archival ink so I could paint the image with my water colours.  I'm no painting expert, but I do love how the blue around the flowers turned out...even the bits of splash marks I added.  This will be a perfect card for the end of the school year when we inevitably will have to say goodbye to some coworkers.

Thanks for stopping by and for all your lovely comments on this Clearly Besotted Release :)  Head over to Stephanie’s blog for some more inspiration and the Release Reveal contest!

Happy Birthday ~ Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge

Hi everyone!  I'm back with the newest challenge over on the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge blog.  This time we’re inspired by this photo…




Can we all say an almighty "YUM!"?  This delightful cupcake is the perfect kick off to my 3 week birthday celebration!  I am a St. Patrick's Day baby so March is full of fun, fun, and more fun!  Add in I teach Grade One and there's nothing but celebrating going on in my class!  I created an equally yummy watercolour background with some distress inks, grabbed this delicious cupcake from Verve's Small Packages set, and then created the sentiment panel with Die Sidekicks and Be Blessed.

Want to play along?  Head over to the Curtain Call blog for more inspiration and then join in the fun! Thanks for stopping by!
 

40 and Fabulous!

Check out my Papertrey Ink For Sale page 

- just updated!

Happy Hump Day!  I'm excited about today's card because it's for a dear colleague's special birthday tomorrow.  I wanted a pink, gold, and white colour combo and to highlight the "40."  I've got a bottle of wine and some cheeky wine napkins (below) to leave on her desk in the morning!  Have a lovely day and thanks for stopping by!

You Shine Brightly

Hello dear friends!  It's been quite a week...long hours and no down time :(  However, tonight at 8:30...all my work was done and I headed straight to the studio to make sure I didn't miss out on this week's PTI Create Along With Us challenge.  You see, Amy Sheffer created this STUNNING card...

I have been mesmerized by it and just had to use what I could to CASE it.  I used the Beautiful butterfly die and the Shine enclosed die.  Pretty close?  Well, it's not perfect...only God and Amy Sheffer are, but it's not bad, right?  Truth:  Amy's blog was one of the first blogs I started following when I discovered card blogs YEARS ago.  She continues to amaze and inspire me :)  Thanks for stopping by!