January Viva La Verve Week 1

Hi folks,

It's been a while since I played along with the Viva La Verve Sketch Challenges but I'm happy to say that I am back to playing along once again - just not very good about getting things posted!

I actually sat down on Friday as I had taken the day off from work and made cards for all five of this month's sketches so you will be seeing them on the blogarooni over the next few days. In fact, I actually decided to get a start on my CHRISTMAS cards for 2014 - since I was terrible last year and didn't mail out a single card.

For the Week 1 Sketch, I made these two cards:

I'm hoping to do better this year and stick to my promise to make ten Christmas cards per month. I totally didn't stick with it last year AT ALL.

card details:

• finished size: 4.25 x 5.5 inches, dark red card stock base
• patterned papers: Echo Park "Very Merry Christmas"
• stamps: Verve "Holiday Greetings", "Joyous Noel" (coloured with Copic Markers R37, R39, G94)
• Spellbinders Petite Circles, Labels One
• silver ric rac ribbon and brads from my stash

additional challenges for these cards:

• Christmas Card Challenges #10: tags (but any christmas card will do - so here's mine!)

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Yumi & Fumi Handmade - Christmas Tag Challenge

Hi folks,

It's Sunday so that means I am sharing my Team Fumi creation for Challenge #24 over at the Yumi and Fumi Handmade Challenge Blog.

For challenge #24 we would love for you to share your gorgeous Christmas Tags with us. You have until this coming Friday to link up your challenge entries at the Y&FH challenge post for a chance to win!

Here's my tag (of course, I went with something masculine)

I couldn't help it - when I see that smile on Winter Chuckles, I have to smile as well.

tag details:

• finished size: 3 x 6.5 inches, dark brown Bazzill card stock base, light green mat
• patterned paper: Echo Park Paper "Everybody Loves Christmas"
• stamped image: Yumi & Fumi Handmade "Winter Chuckles" coloured with Copic Markers (E000, E00, E01, E02, E93, E21, E31, E33, E23, E35, E27, E29, R29, YG91, YG61, YG63, YG67, YG01, YG03)
• Merry Christmas Sticker, twine and satin ribbons from my stash

Be sure to check out the challenge details and the creations from the rest of Team Fumi - you can find their posts by navigating to them from the main post over at the Yumi and Fumi Handmade Challenge Blog or you can follow the list below

Senior Designer, Denice Bartucci:  http://being-craft-de.blogspot.com/

Audrey Ernst: http://hippieaud.blogspot.com/

Sheena Brooks: http://kanatanewfpapercrafts.blogspot.com/

Kathy Dinh: http://ekboutique.blogspot.com/

Melissa Oeters: http://8ers.blogspot.com/

Annemieke Blanken aka Blankina:  http://blankinacreations.blogspot.com/

Remember you can now use ANY coloured images in your creations - with an extra entry if you use a Yumi & Fumi Handmade image! Sorry but sentiment only creations are not eligible to win the prizes up for grabs. And what CAN you win? The challenge winner gets a $10 gift certificate to the Yumi & Fumi Handmade store while the Top 3 get a 10% discount code for their next purchase! Be sure to check the challenge guidelines here for the most up to date information on how your entry can qualify to win!

challenges for this project:

• One Crazy Stamper September Challenge: Christmas
• Christmas Stampin' All Year Long #34: Anything Goes
• Crafty Ribbons Challenge #62: Anything Goes
• Melonheadz Friends: Tag It Challenge
• Designed to Color #25: Anything Goes 

Thanks for stopping by!

Sparkle Creations Rubbers Stamps Challenge #109

Hi folks,

I'm back today to share a fun card for the son of a friend of mine.

card details:

• finished size: 5x5 inches, white card stock base
• patterned paper: Echo Park Paper "A Boy's Life"
• stamped image: Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps "Video Game Oliver', coloured with Copic Markers (E000, E00, E01, E93, E50, E51, E53, E31, E33, B91, B93, B95, B97, C0, C1, R22, R24, R29). There's a big sale on over at SCRS until the end of July - 30% off so now is a great time to stock up!
• sentiment: Verve "Small Celebrations", stamped in CTMH Holiday Red
• large red star brads from my stash
• layout: Sunday Sketch and Stamp #165

challenges for this card:

• Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Challenge #109: Sets of three (I used three star brads)
• Here Come the Boys #56: Anything Goes
• Seize the Birthday: Anything Goes Birthday
• Through the Craft Room Door: Anything Goes
• Sister Act Card Challenge #16: Anything Goes

As always, thanks for visiting!

Yumi & Fumi #18 - Celebrate

Hi folks,

Taking a little break from posting this year's Father's Day cards to  share a birthday card I made for my cousin.

I love this Chuckles image from Yumi & Fumi Handmade. There are at least four people (friends and family) who look an awful lot like Chuckles so you can bet that he will be cropping up on a few cards! I see that there was a new release last week at Yumi & Fumi and there was another Chuckles which I am definitely putting on my must have list!

card details:

• finished size: 5.5 x 5.5 inches, white card stock base, green card stock mats
• patterned paper: Echo Park Paper "A Boy's Life", My Mind's Eye Dilly Dally (the woodgrain paper for the fence)
• stamped image: Yumi & Fumi Handmade "Chuckles with Gecko", coloured with Copic Markers (E000, E00, E01, E93, Y35, E25, YG63, YG97, G94, G99) with some paper piecing for Chuckles' shirt and for the fence.
• sentiment: Verve "Birthday Bash"
• CTMH Heavenly Blue ink for the sponged sky.
• layout: Sunday Sketch & Stamp #161

additional challenges for this card:

• Yumi & Fumi Handmade #18: Time to Celebrate
• There She Goes #212: Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door: Anything Goes
• Here Come the Boys #54: Let's go Dotty (big polka dots on one of the panels behind the image)
• Hiding in My Craft Room #102: Die Cuts
• Love to Create #70: Paper Piecing
• Clear it Out: Paper Piecing & Scrap Papers

As always - thanks for visiting!

Seize the Birthday with Time for Tea

Hi folks,

well, you should be seeing more crafty posts from me over the next few weeks. I have decided I need a "mental health break" and am taking the next 3 weeks off work. Well, minus tomorrow since I have to switch off on-call duty tomorrow and turn over the pager. I have already started a to-do list of things I have been putting off and am hoping to tackle some of them during those three weeks. One of those to-dos is MORE CRAFTY TIME!

For now, here's a card I made for this weekend's 7th birthday of the eldest daughter of dear friends of ours. I was inspired by one of the crafty projects her Mom planned for the party attendees - their own potted fairy gardens - complete with toadstools!

card details:

• finished size: 6x6 inches, CTMH White Daisy card stock base
• patterned papers: Echo Park "Summer Days"
• digital image: Time for Tea Designs "Butterfly Fairy & Toadstool", coloured with Copic markers (E000, E00, E01, E93, E21, E23, E25, E27, YG01, YG05, YG06, YG0000, RV000, RV17, RV19, RV13, W00, W0, W1, C7). Since the butterfly didn't fit into my oval die cut of the image, I fussy cut it and added it to my sentiment panel....and drew in the extended butterfly trail with a marker.
• sentiment: Verve "Doodled Occasions"
• Spellbinders: Petite Ovals, Petite Circles
• EK Success Scalloped Scallops border punch
• layout: Seize the Birthday #12 (feminine version)

additional challenges for this card:

• One Stitch At A Time #158: Anything Goes
• One Stop Craft Challenge #223: Birthdays
• Crafty Creations Challenges #216: Flowers or Fairies
• Simon Says: Happy Birthday
• CCEE1314: Things with Wings
• Sister Act Card Challenge #1: Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Hearts Galore

Hi folks!

(ETA: if you are looking for my Use it Tuesday post for March 12, please click through here)
You will have to forgive me and my flurry of Valentine's day cards that are about to be posted. I spent two nights this week making cards - four each night (a record for me) and I figure I will just go ahead and post them as time permits rather than drag them out over the next week.

This little cutie is for my youngest niece for Valentine's day.

card details:

• finished size: 5x5 inches, white card stock base, CTMH Cocoa card stock mats
• patterned paper: Echo Park Paper "Little Girl"
• stamped image: The Greeting Farm Wild Sprout "Daisy", coloured with Copic Markers (E000, E00, E01, E93, E30, E31, E33, E35, Y11, Y17, Y18, Y19)
• sentiment: Verve "Love Notes"
• Verve Charming Ovals dies
• yellow daisy flower brads from my stash
• layout: Sketch n Stash Challenge #107 (I dug through my paper stash and found this sweet heart print from Echo Park. I also raided my brad stash for those cute yellow flower brads - perfect for Daisy!)

challenges for this card:

• The Greeting Farm Retro-Fresh: Hearts Galore!
• Crazy 4 Challenges 172: Hearts but no red or pink
• One Crazy Stamper February Challenge: Love
• Corrosive Challenge #167: Hearts and Flowers
• Come and Get it Challenges: Show us your Heart
• Anyone for Anya: Hearts Hearts Hearts
• Use it Tuesday #49: Fasteners

Thanks for stopping by!

Daisy, Daisy ....

Hi folks,

back with a quick post with the card I made for dearly beloved's youngest niece for her third birthday.

Doesn't little Daisy from TGF look adorable? Almost as cute as the little birthday girl!

card details:

• finished size: 5 x 5 inches, white card stock base, CTMH Blush card stock for mats.
• patterned paper: Echo Park Paper Little Girl
• stamped image: Wild Sprout Daisy from The Greeting Farm (first time inking this little cutie!). Coloured with Copic Markers (E000, E00, E01, E93, E30, E31, E50, E51, R81, R83, R85, I'll have to come back with the Blues.....)
• CTMH White Daisy button from my stash
• Pink & White and Blue & White twine from Divine Twinery.
• layout: Sketch Saturday #245 (with a few minor layer changes)

challenges for this card:

• TGF Double-Take Tuesday: Pink, Blue and White
• TGF Farm Fresh Friday: Buttons & Twine