To Welcome a New Baby

Hi folks,

Well today I get to share both a card AND a quilt that were just gifted this weekend to welcome a new baby.

This quilt - for those of you in the know about quilts this is the tried and true "Yellow Brick Road" from quilt pattern from Atkinson Designs done in a baby size. The fabrics are from the Wilmington Prints collection "Sweet Dreams Little One". I actually bought enough of this fabric to make three of these quilts so....I'll be making a couple more of these.

Of course, I had to make a card to go with ....

card details:

• finished size: 5 x 5 inches, white cardstock base
• patterned paper: CTMH Georgie (retired) - it's my go to paper collection for baby cards these days.
• stamps: CTMH Georgie Scrapbooking WOTG (retired)
• layout: Viva La Verve September sketch

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Hope your day is as AWESOME as you!

Hi folks,

And I'm back - sharing another birthday card - this time for a nephew who will be 16 in October. Wow! Where has the time gone?

card details:

• finished size: 6 x 6 inches, black card stock base
• patterned paper: CTMH Magical (retired)
• stamps: CTMH "Wise Guy Birthday". Did you know? This stamp set is one of the sets that CTMH offers in three languages - English, French, and Spanish. How fantastic is that?
• colour accents made using Shinhan Touch Twin Markers - R11 Carmine and Y222 Golden Yellow
• layout: Viva La Verve Sept 2016 - Sketch #2

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

Hi folks,

Just popping in to share a birthday card for my sweetie. He got his other one (the lemon squeeze card) yesterday - just before we went out to dinner and a show in celebration.

card details:

• finished size: 6 x 6 inches, white card stock base
• patterned paper: Teresa Collins Everyday Moments
• stamps: Unity Stamp Company "no remedy for love" - January 2015 Sentiment Kit
• layout: Viva La Verve March 2016 Week 1 Sketch

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Viva La Verve - July 2015 Week 2

Hi folks,

Well, I have taken a long break from playing along with the Viva La Verve Sketches but I'm hoping to get back to playing along more regularly.

Here's a card I made using the July 2015 Week 2 Sketch for a dear friend celebrating her birthday. She's heading off to Jamaica shortly and I though this card would match perfectly her birthday present for me (which she is taking with her).

I had a lot of fun with this card, pulling out a bunch of embellishments from my stash.

card details:

• finished size: 6 x 6 inches, kraft cardstock base, CTMH Colonial White mat
• patterned paper: CTMH Seaside
• stamp: CTMH Blossom Cardmaking Workshop
• embellishments: paper doily, jute bow, burlap ribbon, pom pom ribbon all from my stash

challenges for this card:

• Crafty Gals Challenges #31: Let's Celebrate - Birthday

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Birthday Wishes - Viva La Verve July Week 2

Hi folks!!

So...do you remember this card I made for my niece? Well, I decided to make a masculine version as I needed a birthday card for a friend of my dearly beloved. He is quite the traveller and I REALLY wanted to make a card for him using these papers.

card details:

• finished size : 4.25 x 5.5 inches, black card stock base
• patterned papers: My Mind's Eye "Traveler"
• stamps: Verve "Borderline"
• dies: Verve "Mini Classy Label"
• black satin ribbon from my stash
• layout: Viva La Verve July 2014 Week 2

challenges for this card:

• Seize the Birthday: Anything Goes Birthday

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Simply Fabulous - Viva La Verve July Week 2

Hi folks,

Here's another recent card! Not much to say about it - I like how it came together.

card details:

• finished size: 4.25 x 5.5 inches, black card stock base
• patterned papers: Carta Bella "Beautiful Moments"
• stamps: Verve "Beautiful Kindness", stamped in CTMH Vineyard Berry
• satin ribbon and paper flowers from my stash
• layout: Viva La Verve July Week 2

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Summer Fun with Fumi - Viva La Verve July Week 1

Hi folks,


So! How's your summer going so far? Has it been filled with fun? I made this card for one of my nieces to wish her a fun-filled summer.

If I do say so myself, I am quite happy with how I coloured up Fumi. She looks like she is already having a very good summer!


card details:

• finished size: 5x5 inches, white card stock base
• patterned papers: Echo Park "Summer Days"
• stamped image: Yumi & Fumi Handmade "Summer Fumi", coloured with Copic Markers (E000, E11, E01, E00, E02, R21, E30, E35, E37, E39, E31, E33, Y00, Y02, Y04)
• layout: Viva La Verve July Week 1
• Spellbinders: Petite Circles

Challenges for this card:

• The Sisterhood of Crafters: Die Cuts or Punches (I used my Spellbinders Circles for the cut-out)
• Loves Rubber Stamps #113: Summer Fun
• Crafty Creations Challenges #268: Just for fun

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Viva La Verve May 2014 Week 4

Hi folks,

I'm back today to share a couple more cards that I have made with the Close To My Heart "Free to Be Me" paper pack that is a special promotion available only during the May National Scrapbooking Month.

For these two cards, I used different papers from the pack than I used on yesterday's featured cards.

Check out the gold cardstock. Notice the embossed pattern? Groovy, huh?

And of course the feathers and arrows are totally on trend.

I wanted these cards to be not so bulky for mailing so I omitted the embellishment that is included in the sketch on the sentiment panel.


card details:

• finished size: 4.25 x 5.5 inches, white card stock base
• patterned paper: Close to My Heart "Free to be Me"
• stamps: Close to My Heart Cricut Art Philosophy D1497
• Spellbinders Petite Ovals
• embellishments: white brads from my stash
• layout: Viva La Verve May 2014 Week 4

challenges for this card

• Simon Says: Anything Goes

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Viva La Verve May 2014 Week 3

Hi folks,

Well, after running my first 10km road race on Saturday, I rewarded myself with some play time in my craft room with some new Close To My Heart goodies!

Since the "Free to Be Me" paper pack is a special promotion that is available only during the May National Scrapbooking Month, I thought I would create a few cards showcasing the pack in case anyone was interested in placing a qualifying order and snagging this bright, dynamic collection of papers.

Without even planning it, these particular cards feature the three different types of specialty papers that are included in the pack. Can you spot them?

You got it! Both of these cards feature the red AND teal UV coated card stock (you NEED to feel the embossed texture of these papers), the white feather vellum and CTMH's signature high quality patterned paper.

I don't know about you but these papers just give me such a retro vibe. What can I say? I was born at the end of the 60s so I grew up with the fashion and colours of the 70s - gold, orange, avocado. Bold patterns. LOVING IT!

Be sure to pop back tomorrow when I'll be sharing two more cards I made with this paper pack!

card details:

• finished size: 4.25 x 5.5, white card stock base
• patterned papers: CTMH "Free To Be Me"
• stamps: Verve "Birthday Bash", "Remember This", CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy stamp set (D1497), stamped in CTMH Lagoon Ink
• dies: Your Next Stamp "Whimsy Star Layered Die Set", Verve "Banner Bundle Die Set"
• Embellishments: red jute twine, CTMH Lagoon brads (from a retired Mini-Medley pack)
• layout: Viva La Verve May 2014 Week 3

additional challenges for these cards:

• Seize the Birthday: Anything Goes Birthday (with the Tag option!)

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Sister Act Card Challenge #58 with Eureka Stamps

Hi folks!

It's Friday so that means it is time for me to share my latest creation for our weekly "Anything Goes" card challenge over at the Sister Act Card Challenge!

As you probably know by now, the rules for joining in our weekly challenge are pretty simple - anything goes as long as it is a new card of your own creation! Just join in the fun by linking up to your blog post featuring your lovely creation and you will be in the running for the prize offered by this week's sponsor - Eureka Stamps! I can't wait to check our your fabulous creations!

The design team members were given the opportunity to choose a digi with which to work this week and I chose this cute Baby Animals digi.

Friends of ours are expecting their first child in June - a baby boy - and I thought this image would be perfect to celebrate his arrival.

card details:

• finished size: 5 x 5 inches, white card stock base
• patterned papers: My Mind's Eye "Handsome Boy", distressed edges
• digital image: Eureka Stamps "Baby Animals", coloured with Copic Markers (E15, E17, E18, YR21, R83, C00, C0, C1, C2, C3, C5, C6, C7)
• Spellbinders Classic Rectangles
• EK Success Scalloped Scallops Border Punch
• embellishments: Hug Snug Seam binding, baby carriage charm, embroidery floss, CTMH Lagoon buttons
• layout: Viva La Verve May 2014 Week 2 Sketch

Challenges for this card:

• Love to Scrap #30: Anything Goes

As always, thanks for stopping by! I look forward to checking out your creations this week!

Viva La Verve April 2012 - Week Two

Hi folks,

well I better check the calendar and see if there was a blue moon last night. I actually ventured into my craft room on a "work night" and made a card. For those who know me well, you know I rarely craft during the week as there just aren't enough hours left at the end of my day to get crafty. But, I needed a card to put into the post to mail to a cousin for her birthday next week and didn't find one in my stash that I felt was suitable.

So, I grabbed the Week 2 sketch for the April Viva La Verve challenge (shown below) to make a card.

And here's my card:

card details:

• finished size: 4.25 x 5.5 inches, CTMH Chocolate card stock
• patterned papers: Jillibean Soup Dutch Mustard
• stamps: Verve "Tag Time", "Birthday Surprise" (balloons coloured with Copics YR15, YR16)
• dies: Verve Tiny Sweet Scallop Die, Spellbinders Petite Ovals (sponged with CTMH Buttercup ink)
• white satin ribbon from my stash. I can't tell you how old this is...but it is pretty darn old!

additional challenges for this card:

• Paper Pretties Monday Challenge: Three or more layers
• Use it Tuesday #29: Anything Goes! (my white ribbon!)

Viva La Verve March 2012 - Week 2

Hi folks,

doing my best to play along with the Viva La Verve Sketches again this month. The week 2 sketch was posted last Friday, just in time for me to use it for a birthday card for my sweetie.

And here is the card - dimensions slightly modified to make a square 6x6 inch card

card details:

• finished size: 6x6 inches, CTMH Cocoa cardstock base
• patterned paper: Basic Grey Marjolaine, edges are distressed with my scissors
• stamps: Verve
• Spellbinders: Petite Circles

additional challenges for this card:

• The Sisterhood of Crafters: Let's Celebrate

Hope you are all having a wonderful day! Thanks for taking the time to stop by!

March Shoebox Second Card

Hi folks,

so for my second card for our March Shoebox gathering I  used the Week 1 Sketch for the March Viva La Verve Challenge over on SCS.

Here's the sketch

and here are my cards.

For the first I stuck with the sketch - the sentiment panel is centred on the card. This is the one we actually made for the shoebox gathering.

The rest of these cards I just made up to have on hand (or to gift as a set) - I played around with the layout so they would all be different. Making sure to keep the elements the same.

For this one, I decided to line up the centre of the sentiment panel with the split between the two backing papers.

For this one I changed the orientation to landscape and changed the sentiment stamp

back to the portrait orientation, different papers.

Just switched up the colour of the sentiment panel on this one

and went with landscape for this one with the smaller panel on the bottom this time.

and with the sentiment panel in a slightly different position.

Some of these might wind up being gifted as part of card gift set for a friend, we shall see.

card details:

• finished size: 4.25 x 5.5 inches, kraft cardstock base
• patterned papers: Basic Grey Marjolaine
• stamps: Verve
• die cug: Verve Classy Label Die
• brads from my stash

challenges for these cards:

• Craft your passion #100: Anything goes!

Hope you are having a wonderful day! Thanks for stopping by!

November Viva La Verve - Week 4

Hi folks,

Well, I have to say that I found the week 4 sketch for the November Viva La Verve Challenges to be QUITE the challenge! Here's the sketch:

See what I mean about being a challenge? Lots of elements - a bit busy for my taste but, I decided to go outside my comfort zone and tackle it with these four cards.

On the first one I pretty much stuck with the sketch, though I did change the shape of one element as I wanted to use one of the tags that was in the Bo Bunny Gabrielle kit I was using for these cards.

For this second card, I switched that same element to an oval shape and moved the banner element up just a little.

for the third and forth cards, I stuck with the circle shape this time but omitted the banner as I didn't want to cover the butterfly images that I was using from the kit.

I thought about stamping sentiments in the lower left corner of the last two cards but I decided not to so that they can be used for any occasion. I'm sending these to my Mom as part of the package of thank you cards for the recent fundraiser held in her honour. I figure if she has enough thank you cards, she can use these for some other occasion.

Overall, even though the cards are a bit busy for my liking, I do like how they came out. The paper kit that I was using made it really easy to coordinate all the bits and pieces.

card details:

• finished size: 4.25 x 5.5 inches
• patterned papers: Bo Bunny Gabrielle (from a kit I picked up from Tina's Scrapbooking Creations at the Crop for the Cure back in May and have been hoarding ever since)
• stamped sentiments: Verve Big Wish, Words Cannot Express
• lace and half-back pearls from my stash. I even made the little flowery embellies myself from the lace.Very easy to do...just hand sew some thread through the edge of the lace and gather it up until you have a flowery shape the size and fullness you want.
• Spellbinders: Petite Circles

Challenges for these cards:

• Use it Tuesday #20: Giving Thanks (for the gratitude card)
• Raise the bar #85: Thank you/Grateful (for the gratitude card)

Hope you are all having a lovely day! Thanks for stopping by!

November Viva La Verve - Week 3

Hi folks,

well, I had originally planned to do more thank you cards with the week 3 sketch for the November Viva La Verve challenges, but when I checked my calendar I saw that there were a LOT of male birthdays among our family and friends this coming week so I switched gears and made four birthday cards instead.

First up, the sketch:

And here are the cards:

card details:

• finished size: 4.25 x 5.5 inches, kraft cardstock base
• patterned papers: Bo Bunny Timepiece (6x6 paper pad I picked up from Tracy of The Embellished Connection at Emily's Crop last weekend).
• Stamps: Verve Big Wish (sentiments), CTMH Wonderful Friend (pocket watch image)
• Spellbinders: Petite Circles

Challenges for these cards:

• Birthday Sundaes #37: Birthday Card

Hope you are all having a lovely day, thanks for taking the time to stop by!

November Viva La Verve - Week 2

Hi folks,

time for me to show you my take on the Week 2 sketch for the November Viva la Verve challenge shown below

Once again I made another batch of Thank You cards to thank the folks that helped out with the fundraiser held last weekend for my Mom. Warning, lots of photos as I made ten cards, all just slightly different by mixing up the sentiments and the die cuts. Note that I DID omit the bow element - to make the card more mailing friendly.

card details:

• finished size: 4.25 x 5.5 inches, kraft cardstock
• patterned papers: 7 Gypsies "Savannah". I've had these papers for a while now and am FINALLY getting around to using them.
• stamps: Verve "Beautiful You", "Thanks So Much" single, "Dream Big", "Beautiful Kindness", "Words Cannot Express"
• Spellbinders: Petite Circles, Labels Four, Labels Eighteen

Challenges for these cards:

• Use it Tuesday #20: Giving Thanks
• Lollipop Crafts #58: Anything Goes
• Frosted Designs Fabulous Friday Challenge: Die Cuts
• CCEE1146: 2 Die cuts (each card has the petite circles paired with either labels four or labels eighteen)
• Simon Says Stamp: Giving Thanks

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you are all having a lovely day!

Back in the craft room again

Hi folks,

long time, no crafty! My mojo seems to have gone off on summer vacation recently and is taking it's sweet time coming back from holiday.

I did FINALLY make it back into the craft room on Monday night to make four cards - two masculine, two feminine - with the Week 2 August Viva La Verve Sketch over on SCS.

Here they are:

The masculine version, using Graphic 45 "A Proper Gentleman"

The feminine version, using Graphic 45 "Domestic Goddess"

card details:

• finished size: 4.25 x 5.5 inches, kraft cardstock base
• patterned papers: Graphic 45 "A Proper Gentleman" and "Domestic Goddess"
• stamps: Verve Big Wish (note that Verve has it's annual anniversary sale on right now and this set is 20% off)
• Spellbinders: Petite Ovals
• Border Punches: Martha Stewart and EK Success
• accessories: black gems for the feminine cards, black brads for the masculine cards

challenges for these cards:

• Corrosive Challenge #130: Girlie (obviously, just the feminine cards, not the masculine cards. Girlie papers, gems...girlie to me!)
• Sentimental Sundays #69: Birthday. Any of these would do since they are all birthday cards!