Be strong in the Lord

For this week's Mojo Monday Sketch, I pulled out one of my favorite stamp sets: Each Day by Verve and a new to me die:  Gingko Leaf by Impression Obsession.  I had been hoarding the paper Watercolor Chevron by Recollections for a while - it was time to bite the bullet and cut it up!  

The gingko leaves were cut on yellow card stock and then lightly colored with some yellow-green Copics.  The verse was stamped in pigment Versafine ink and then clear embossed.

Challenges I am playing in:

MojoMonday 455

Scrapyland Challenge 45: Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday

Obtain Mercy and Find Grace

It's been a while since I stamped and inked up Hero Arts butterflies so I sat down and stamped and colored away.  You'll see several more cards featuring them in the near future! 

Today I used it on the Mojo Monday sketch with Verve's  New Mercies.  I also used a Momenta clock die cut in the background with some leftover DCWV Old World Stack paper.

Thank you so much for looking!

Challenges I am playing in:

Word Art Wednesday

MojoMonday 452

Simon Says Animal Magic 

and here's a picture of my one my furbabies:

I wait for the Lord

For this week's MojoMonday sketch challenge, I used Verve's New Mercies along with some Colobok paper.  I haven't used purple in a while and I look for any excuse to add butterflies to my card!  The butterfly is trimmed from Memory Box's Fairyland Butterflies.

Challenges I am playing in:

MojoMonday #451

Word Art Wednesday

Wait for the Lord

I haven't had a chance to play along with Mojo Monday lately - it's always great how the layouts inspire me and challenge me!  And after a week of winter weather, I'm done - I'm ready for spring, flowers, and butterflies again!  :)

For the background, I stamped the foliage with Versamark and sponged on some shimmering chalks (new to me!).  Instead of adding a square layer in the background, I opted instead to make a square cutout using the IO border cutout several times.  

Supplies:

Verve New Mercies

Hero Arts Butterflies

Impression Obsession Square Cutout Border 

Challenges I am playing in:

Mojo Monday 429

Word Art Wednesday

Simon Says Something New

His Peace

Happy Friday to you!  I haven't been able to play in the sketches for MojoMonday in a while.  This was the perfect chance to use the new release from ODBD's Miss You. I love silhouette images against colored backgrounds.  For mine, I made two panels with distress inks Brick Red, Spiced Marmalade, and Squeezed Lemonade.  I then used Versafine black ink and white gel pen with my image.  The verse is from Scripture Collection 13 and embossed in black fine detail and my fish tails are cream vellum.

Challenges I am playing in:

MojoMonday 383

Word Art Wednesday

The Magic of Christmas

I've loved this stamp ever since Verve came out with this a couple of years ago.  It's something I try to impress on my kids but it's pretty hard to see past wish lists!  Here I've combined this wonderful saying with the manger image from Weary World.  I colored this image with Copic markers but now for a confession.  I got some ink on my finger, didn't realize it and put a tiny part of my fingerprint on the corner of the card.  But not wanting to start over, I decided to sponge the edges of the layer with distress ink Tea Dye... which meant I had to ink up the edges of the other layers too!  Not as clean as crisp as I had originally planned but I kind of like it.  I'm just glad I was able to use some of my designer papers - always have a hard time with patterned paper.  What do you think of my card?   And let me know if you come up with any ideas to center Christmas around Christ and not just presents! We already do the Advent reading, deciding what to give to Jesus (cause He has a stocking on the mantel also)...

Recipes:

Stamps:  Verve Weary World and Peace On Earth

Ink:  Distress Ink Tea Dye and Colorbox black pigment ink

Dies:  MFT Blueprint 15, Poppy Stamps Small Blooming Poinsettia

Paper:  Recollections Botanical Noel, Rustic Luxe, DCWV Old World Stack

Accessories: Gold glitter, gold twine, MS branch punch, Copics

Challenges I am playing in:

MojoMonday 374
Virginia's View 10:  All things Distressed
Word Art Wednesday

Simon Says Christmas

Micah 6:8

I got the Verve Let It Be set because I really wanted this particular stamp... but I think I've inked up half of the others that came in the set before I got around to using this one.  Good thing I'm using most of the set, right? :)

This week's MojoMonday sketch has a perfectly sized panel for this stamp.  I used MFT Color Palette Challenge in conjunction with the sketch and came up with this:

Recipe:

Stamps:  Verve Let It Be

Paper:  DCWV Old World Stack and scraps

Accessories:  Twine and fleur de lis charm

Challenges I am playing in:

MojoMonday #362

MFT Color Palette Challenge #9

Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes

Virginia's View Challenge #7 Patterned Paper

Happy Birthday wishes

With the end of the school year coming, I haven't had much chance to play in my craft room... even though I'm having a hard time making sure homework is done and my goodness, so much stuff is coming home.  So lots to do yet nothing seems to be done!  But I got my package from Verve yesterday and that means I MUST play.  :)

My favorite thing to do with tall and skinny cards is to have something hang over the edge because I know it will still fit in a standard A2 envelope.  I shaded my leaves with some Copics and also the larger circle.  I love the bright and clean colors here but the card wasn't quite done until I added some pearls. 

Then I also traced the edges of my poppy and circle with my stardust pen.  It never photographs well but I love the touch of shimmer it always add.  Thanks for looking!

Recipe:

Stamps:  Verve Poppy Birthday

Dies:  Verve Sprightly Sprigs and SB Standard Circles

Accessories:  Copics, Baby pearls and Sakura Stardust Pen

Challenges I am Playing In:

MojoMonday  #347

CCNS Challenge 34 Happy Birthday

Simon Says Anything Goes 

Word Art Wednesday

Praying for you

Quick post - gotta go pick up the youngest in a few.  I got some Copics for Mother's Day (big smile) so had to play with them today. I picked these images because they're great for coloring and perfect for today's Mojo sketch!

Recipe:

Stamps:   Verve Let It Be and Verve Each Day

Paper:  K&Company Light Essential Hues

Dies: Cheery Lynn Foliage Flourish

Accessories:  Copics, ribbons, rhinestones, and wire

Challenges I am Playing in:

Verve Petals and Wings May Diva Dare

Word Art Wednesday

Simon Says Spring Flowers

Mojo Monday 345

Really Reasonable Ribbon Bright Summer Colors

This Hope

I'm in need of some masculine cards so you might be seeing more of these nautical themed cards.  I kept this pretty simple and stuck to the layout from Mojo Monday #337.  Instead of patterned paper, I went with textures and the colors are from SCS Color Challenge this week.  Thanks so much for looking!

Recipe:

Stamps:  Verve Strong Anchor

Dies:  Verve Nautical Die Cuts

Accessories:  Chevron embossing folder, twine

Challenges I am Playing in:

Mojo Monday #337

Verve March 2014 Diva Dare "Do the Polka"

Word Art Wednesday

SCS Color Challenge 470

For you

I love silhouette stamps and butterflies so they came together in this card using this week's MojoMonday's sketch and the inspiration photo from Verve below.  The image of the butterfly on that branch is so serene, don't you think?  For the silohuette, I stamped first in Sage Shadow and then again slightly offset in Gable Green... I think I should have offset it a little more though.  Thank you so much for looking!

         

Recipe:  

Stamps:  Sweet ‘n Sassy Nature Silhouettes and Verve You and I

Dies:  SB Splendid Circles and Standard Circles, SU! Beautiful Wings Embosslit

Ink:  SU! Gable Green, SU! Sage Shadow, Personal Sentiment (no name)

Accessories:  Ribbon, button, twine, Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder, Martha Stewart Tiny Tag Punch

Challenges I am Playing in:

MojoMonday #336

Verve Spring Has Sprung March Inspiration Challenge

Simon Says Tag It

Verve March 2014 Diva Dare "Do the Polka"

SCS Color Challenge 469

Really Reasonable Ribbon - Show me the Green

Be Still

I have the hardest time using the smaller dies in the sets I buy.  I usually use the two largest ones and wonder what to do with the other 3 or 4 smaller pieces - which is really not a good use of my budget.  So I was determined to not only use my scraps but also those smaller dies.  The smaller square is framed by the corner pieces from the Marvelous Squares set... didn't even realize they were corner pieces until I cut them out and discovered they weren't attached to each other!  Lol!  My card was based on this week's MojoMonday's sketch and Verve Spring Has Sprung March Inspiration photo.  I moved my bow over and used a butterfly in lieu of the smaller square panel.

  

Recipe:

Stamps:  Verve Be Still Plain Jane

Dies:  Marvelous Squares, Beautiful Wings Embosslits

Accessories:  Crushed silk ribbon, twine, button, pearls

Challenges I am playing in:

MojoMonday 335

Word Art Wednesday

Verve Spring Has Sprung March Inspiration Challenge

Edited to add:  I'm linking this up to December Diva Dare Favorite Things.  This is still one of my favorite cards and verse.

The Woods Would Be Silent

I made a tall and skinny card using MojoMonday's Sketch #334.  I like it that the skinny portion let the circle hang over the edge.  Instead of layers on the bottom of my card, I did score lines which were really really hard to photograph!  I also added a line of dark red pearls  down my panel for some contrast.  I do love that pop of red on a black and white card.

Here's a closeup of the score lines:

Recipe:  

Stamps:  Quiet Fire Designs Gentle Thoughts

Paper:  Recollections Feathers

Dies:  Spellbinders Standard Circles

Accessories:  Cardinal Red Pearls

Challenges I am playing in:

SCS LOVE FEST challenge 2014

MojoMonday #334

Simon Says Anything Goes With Pearls

Word Art Wednesday

New Mercies

After all this winter weather, I am really looking forward to spring.  At least I can have a bit of spring in my craft room.  I love this set of paper from Colorbok called Pastel Breeze; it has beautiful pastels and butterfly images.  I used the MojoMonday #331 sketch; I changed one of the layers into a circle and moved my embellishments around.  

Recipe:

Stamps:  Verve New Mercies

Paper:  Colorbok Pastel Breeze, Recollection

Dies:  SU Beautiful Wings Embosslits, Little Leaves

Accesories:  Sweetheart Blossoms, Pink Grosgrain, Pearls

Challenges I am playing in:

MojoMonday #331

Word Art Wednesday

Verve Floral Fantasy February Diva

You Make Me Smile

I made a thank you card for a friend who loves purple using this week's Mojo Monday Sketch.  I love just how crisp the sentiments on this stamp from Verve are.  I added a butterfly and some twine for interest.  Thanks for looking!

Recipe:

Stamps: Verve Smile PJ, Each Day

Dies:  Spellbinders Label Two

Paper:  K&Company Essentials Light Hue, Bazzill Wild Pansy

Accessories:  White Satin Ribbon, Yellow twine, Corner punch, Stickles

Challenges I am playing in:

Word Art Wednesday

Ribbon Carousel 89 - Love, Birthdays, and Chicken Soup

Mojo Monday 328

Grace

Just dropping in to show you a card I made last night with some new papers my neighbor gave me for Christmas.  Also my DH would like to take credit for the color of the blossoms.  :)  This verse is also appropriate for my family as we end up our lessons in Grace-based Parenting.

Recipe:

Stamps:  Verve New Mercies

Paper:  K&Company

Accessories:  Wild Orchid Craft Sweetheart Blossoms, White Satin Ribbon, EK Success Trellis punch , SU Little Leaves

Challenges I am playing in:

Mojo327

Really Reasonable Ribbon - Pink & Ribbon

Word Art Wednesday

Coffee gift box

So I finished up my little gift box for a coffee lover using my current favorite Verve products.  I made a couple more cards to put in there and added a packet of Starbucks Via Instant Coffee.  

based on the December Viva la Verve 2013 Week 4 Sketch

As soon as I saw the little banner on the sketch, I wanted to do a little swag of mugs.  This was based on the Mojo324 Sketch.  I flipped and rotated the sketch.

Here's the box everything is going in.

And everything fits in quite nicely.  Thank you for looking and have a great weekend!

Recipe:

Stamps:  Verve Sip and Savor, Verve Better With You

Paper: Recollection Passion Fruit, SU Cherry Cobbler

Dies:  Verve From the Heart

Accessories:  White Embossing, Black Satin Ribbon, Twine

Challenges I am entering this in:

Mojo324

December Viva la Verve 2013

Verve December Diva Dare