Thinking....

and thinking and thinking.... NOW it's really a good thing "to think" but, sometimes you can think a little too much (or at least I can, or at least my family can, or at least my friends can, or at least...) Anywho... KWIM... sometimes you need to take things as they come and move on!!!

This sketch was a big ole' thinking thing for me... I loved it but, dang, couldn't figure out how to "deal" with it and then, I let it go (actually went out with my youngest-18- and listened-and ate- and listened- and shopped-and listened-and relaxed- and listened- and had fun!!)

Once I relaxed, I was able to figure out a way to make those 4 rectangles at the bottom work for me, now that's not to say this is perfect but, I did it!! And I did it in a way that made me smile!! Yikes, I think I'm being a little too philosphical these days.

My card for the Waltzingmouse sketch challenge and used The Shabby Tea Room Colors...

Those perfect doilies at the bottom are from Waltzingmouse's Large Doily stamp set ( how clean and crisp is that??), sentiment from WMS Fancy Phrases, paper is Pink Paislee- Butterfly Garden, SU vanilla seam binding, SU 1" punch, light green pearls on the doilies from Pizzazzaplenty, linen twine from The Cats Pajamas, sparkler on the bow from Websters Pages!!

The sketch...

 
The Shabby Tea Room's inspiration pic... use yellow, green, and pink

My yellow is not as bright as my whole card is a "little" toned down but, the colors are there and I think I caught the shabby feel??!!

Thanks for stopping by, love to hear from you and appreciate any and all kind words. I'm a working girl so, sometimes I'm slow but, I do LOVE to stop by and see what everyone else is "up to" and how they interpreted the same inspiration/colors etc.!!

I have to say it, tomorrow's Friday, WhoooooHoooo!!

With All My Heart....

I love you (said to my DH in my most SINCERE voice)!! I do love that man but, (you always know the "but" is coming, right!!) He wanted to go antiquing today-- love it, no problem- taking my car- a convertible, black and black leather- even with the top down and air going full blast- with this heat it's like an inferno!!! Needless to say when I got home it was time to take another cold shower and change clothes- having a few hot flashes!! Did find a couple things while we were there. He found a "treasure" and bargained for a good price so, he's saying that makes up for heat exhaustion!! I'm thinking we could have taken the SUV and been happy??

Enough of the gab... this card is for the last weekly Verve sketch challenge.

Went with one of my fav color combos and used some SU Love Letters dp (hoarded this stuff) along with crumbcake and black. Those hearts were cut out with Verve's Jotted Heart die and layered on nesties. One of the hearts used a coffee cover- hospital trip, not, Starbucks. The flower was made using crinoline from Linda at the funkiejunkie (cut out with Verve's Floral Circles die) and sponged with TH antique distress linen ink, wet under the sink, scrunched, and dried- you can die the crinoline too. Behind the crinoline flower are several layers of black tissue paper cut out with a scalloped nestie die. Added button and twine. Finale.... Verve's Charming oval die cut out with the same coffee cover and sentiment stamped in memento tuxedo black. The sentiment is from Verve's Small Phrases- fits perfectly.... LOVE!!

Sketch this week by Laurie (lauraly onSCS) Schmidlin. How fabulous is this!!

TFL!! If you stop by, love to hear from you... by tomorrow I will be rested up from the heat and can come visit!!

ETA- more "true" to the Diva Dare challenge.

Life is Good!!

The other day I was posting a card and thinking "Life is Good" and stated that I needed get Verve's PJ inky. Well, here it is.



Sketch was made for using dp, at least that's what I thought, LOL!! Adhered Pink Paislee Sweetness dp onto vanilla cs and did some zigzag stitching. Added a scallop nestie with another PP pattern on top using the circle nestie. The leaves were die cut with Verve's Elegant Leaves die, topped off with a crochet butterfly, crinkled ribbon, looped ribbon, and some Prima flowers. Sentiment was stamped on Verve's Oval frame die after stamping the die with the oval frame stamp. 

Here's the sketch I used. Verve week 3 sketch by Maureen- you can find the sketches and more details about the weekly challenges on the SCS forum here.

I am having a "hot" but, very relaxing weekend here (who knows what the air-conditioning bill will be, LOL- actually when the bill comes I may not be laughing!!). Hope yours is good too!!

If you stop by, leave a comment, love hearing from you!! TFL!!

Ingredients
Stamps: Verve PJ Life is Good and Oval Frame
Paper: PP Sweetness, chocolate chip, vanilla
Ink: chocolate chip
Accessories: Verve's Oval Frame die, crinkled ribbon, looped ribbon, crochet butterfly (funkiejunkie on Etsy), Pizzazzaplenty rhinestones, nesties

Love Much

It is a hot, hot, hot Friday here in Charlotte. Step outside and guaranteed dripping sweat in, like, two minutes probably less!! I know, pretty picture, huh?? Anyway, I took off a little early from work today- intending to clean up my stamp room (really, really a mess!!) but, I'm a little behind on the weekly sketch challenges that Verve hosts on their SCS forum so, a card I made instead. Used Tosh's sketch from Week 2 and I think (cross your fingers here) it counts for the Verve Diva Dare challenge. There are Verve prizes to be won on both links so.... go check them out!!

This sentiment "Love Much" comes from one of my fav Verve stamps- Dream Big"---LOL! Actually I have many fav Verve stamps. Sketch was perfect for using DP which happens to be the Diva Dare challenge- dp and sentiments. Leaves were stamped in sage shadow on sage shadow cs and cut out with Verve's leaf die and the vellum buttefly was stamped in Versamark with text from Verve's Text Objects, embossed with white, and cut out with Verve's flutterby die. The "fingers crossed" part comes from the fact that I did use the outline image on Verve's Classy Label die from Verve's Love Notes (you can see it beneath my collage) and the leaf outline image (Bloom and Grow) on Verve's leaf die. Verve Diva police.... I really think it looks good on my card and it's not a "true, true" image!!

Here's Tosh's sketch

It's Friday... working girls LOVE this day all over the world!! If you stop by, leave a comment, love to read

them and appreciate all the KIND (Verve Divas) words!!

Ingredients
Stamps: Verve Love Notes, Dream Big, Text Objects, and Bloom & Grow
Paper: early espresso, white, vellum, MME Stella & Rose Mabel
Ink: early espresso
Accessories: clear embossing powder, white embossing powder, Websters bloom, Wild Orchid crafts flower, twine, stickpin from local fabric store, Jenni Bowlin stickpin, Jody Morrow's sticky and foam dots (blog= confessionsofaribbonaddict), MS arches punch, Verve dies- classy label, leaf, and flutterby

Best Wishes

Yikes... I'm early (for me anyway) for Waltzingmouse (WMS) sketch challenge this week. Lately I have fiddled and fiddled with cards over a couple days but, tonight it all came together! Well, truth be told- I finished the card and then realized a needed 3 little "somethings" in the upper right corner but, added them in and I was done. Still play with Gingham & Co. ( bg melon mambo gingham stamped with versamark), gorgeous image on the Nesties Labels 18 is from WMS Vintage Labels 18 and sentiment from WMS Fancy Phrases. Colors are courtesy of the CR84FN color challenge (bright pink, light pink, and yellow). You can find all the WMS stamps I used here.

Julia Aston's skecth (WMS)- one to put in the archives and use again.

and the colors....

Today's Wednesday... "hump" day!! Tomorrow's an early am meeting for me so I better "hit the sack"! Hope you're having a wonderful week!!

If you stop by and leave comments, appreciate every one!!
Ingredients
Stamps: WMS Vintage Labels 18 (nestie compatible), Fancy Phrases, Gingham & Co.
Paper: SU melon mambo and white, Pink Paislee Sweetness and Butterfly Gardens
Ink: SU Melon Mambo and So Saffron, versamark
Accessories: Websters Pages bloomer and stickpin, Wild Orchid Crafts flower, funkiejunkie on Etsy- crochet heart, nesties, Kasiercraft pearls

Spread Your Wings...

Finally getting to play with the MFT (My Favorite Things) sketch this week. Used to be my Monday post? Used an adorable PI Butterfly Kisses (bought a while back and never inked... shameful I know!). Used Graphic 45 Once Upon a Springtime... have lots of patterned paper stash right now and this was perfect for this little cutie!!

Paper pieced her romper after coloring with copics and adding MS and SU glitter to the wings. Rhinestone for the barrette and crystal effects, crystal effects on the shoes, also. MFT die-namics butterflies using the Graphic 45 dp, a couple SU buttons,  foam dots to pop it all up!!

The sketch

If you stop by, Thanks for looking, and appreciate all the kind words!!

Ingredients
Stamps: MFT PI Butterfly Kisses
Paper: SU early espresso, whisper white, Graphic 45 Once Upon a Springtime
Ink: copics, adirondack chocolate
Accessories: SU buttons and glitter, MS Glitter, MFT butterfly die-namics, rhinestones

All you Need is LOVE....

and a "little chocolat"!! Started on this card Friday eve' after going out to dinner with DH, DD, and fiance'. It is for the Verve Get Your Diva On challenge hosted by Diva Maureen (Moe) posted on SCS... Pretty Purse Plastic. She gave us inspiration pics of three gift cards or we could find our own...in our purse??!!

One of those cards was from Michaels AND it was red/black/white... one of my fav color combos but, I got to piddling and started using chocolate instead of black. So, I have fiddled and fiddled and fiddled with this thing... and finally decided this is it.

My card...

And... the gift cards I found to match (LOL!!). 

Had this ATC type card that I purchased on Etsy (at a shop that Teresa Kline mentioned, can't remember which one...sorry!) and this Verve sentiment is perfect for it. Added some SU chocolate chip ribbon with Wild Orchid Krafts lace and a bunch of buttons with divine twine (linen and chocolate). The background paper is Waltzingmouse Stamps Gingham & Co stamped in early espresso and Verve's heart from Hearts on Fire stamped in real red. Sentiment is from Verve's Love's Flower.

TFL!! Love when you stop by and leave a comment...hope you have had a wonderful weekend!! After the last couple of months I have to tell ya'... Life is Good (Verve Plain Jane with this sentiment just arrived at my house and I think I NEED to ink it up to celebrate!!

And the final answer is....

I believe that is the question they ask on Jeopardy (honestly I could be quoting the wrong show as I am not a big TV watcher... love to read!!). How does that fit in.... well, I was working on the Waltzingmouse sketch this week and made one card and it just didn't "jive" ---you know, when you get ready to photograph and you think "it's just not working" so.... I made another card... my FINAL answer. It is very different than my normal style (i.e. no ribbon, stickpins, lace, many layers etc. etc.). Pretty much a CAS card... definitely stretched my wings and I'm sure there are many options I didn't think of but, here it is...

Used some new stamps from WMS... doily stamped in pirouette pink (WMS Large Doily set) underneath a cameo from WMS Cameo Maker (outline and image from this set) stamped and cut out with an oval nestie and popped on top. Added some score lines along the top and sides with my ScorBuddy, a sentiment from WMS Fancy Phrases, and some buttons with Divine Twine from the The Cats Pajamas for good measure. All layers popped up with foam dots from Jody Morrow (texasjodylynn on SCS).

Used the colors from the CR84FN33 challenge of red, pink, and a neutral. 

 

The sketch...

The absolute fun of this was.... new goodies!! Just got my order from WMS and I used their new Cameo Maker set, Large Doily set (previous release), and one of my favs Fancy Phrases!! Oh Joy, Oh Joy!!! The first card used the Vintage labels 18 (been around but, new to me and let me just tell you--- they are gorgeous--borders that are compatible with the Spellbinders Label 18 dies... definitely addictive!!)

Blogger or my computer are getting "cranky", LOL!! Have been trying to add/fix a little and no cooperation... KWIM (could apply to kids, jobs, etc....)

If you stop by, leave a comment. Greatly appreciated and most welcome!! Tomorrow's Friday!!!!

With Love....

From WMS. For WMS sketch 54 by Belinda. Used one of my fav sets from Waltzingmouse Stamps--Victorian Frippery. Love the sentiments and gorgeous detail images (fleurs, borders, outlines, leaves) in this set.

Took a little liberty with the circles on the right and sentiment isn't "exactly" in the lower left corner but, minus the definite probs taking a pic... I liked the card. Honestly, even with the Ott lights... it was NOT my night for pic taking. Used the border in Victorian Frippery, added some Wild Orchid crafts flowers, some crinkled ribbon from Etsy and a sentiment from Victorian Frippery.

Belinda's sketch....

Hope you're having a wonderful week... I'm still catching up at work and home from my recent unexpected trips to Indiana, but I DID manage to make 2 cards this week. No Holiday weekend coming up so, maybe... I get to play a little (my stamp room is a mess... a month or so of grabbing a moment here or there does not make a tidy housekeeper!! LOL!!)

TFL!!

Where Flowers Bloom....

so does Hope....Hope that I can still make a card.... Ahhh... I "think" I can...?? It's been so long. This last month has been very difficult.... my father-in-law passed away and life has been a whirlwind. Actually, he got sick the last of May... and my DH and I made a trip to Indiana (that's a 12 hour drive from here so definitely a loooong weekend", pacemaker was placed, and he said he was going to live to "100"... dang, I have to tell you if anyone could, it would have been him!!!

Doing very well at the transitional  care facility... thought he was close to going home, and things changed. Just a couple weeks later. Sent DH home on a plane. Paul (my father-in-law) was a WWII veteran... had a military burial. I am definitely a patriotic person, but, that really touched my "heart". Honor guard, 21 gun salute, presentation of the flag....

Anywho... I did finally manage to create a little...had high hopes to finish Verve's (link to the store) challenges (on SCS) last month and needless to say... didn't happen... so trying to "turn over a new leaf" and... get them done!!

First week of July... used Amber's sketch...

Close up of the adorable Crate Paper buttons..

And  the sketch...

Have a whole bunch of stuff that hasn't been touched... lots of stuff (new to me anyways) to play with. DP and the buttons are Crate Paper and those wonderful flowers are Verve from the last release!! Definitely haven't played with these as much as I should have!!

Still with me? If you've left... I understand!!

Hope you are having a wonderful holiday weekend (Canada Day for my friends up north or Independence Day for those from my country!!)

TFL!!