Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge - Pin Cushion

We have a new sponsor, STAMPlorations, for the Curtain Call Inspiration: Pin Cushion!  A randomly selected participant in the Pin Cushion challenge will receive a $15 gift certificate to use at  STAMPlorations, while the LEAD will be invited as a Guest Designer in a future challenge!

I honed in on the red and teal colour combination as it was perfect for a Christmas Tag and it was a great way to play along with fellow Crew Member Tracey's 25 Days of Christmas Tags challenge.

I used Reverse Confetti`s Tag Die, WPlus9's "joy" die, Cuttlebug's Snowflake die, stamped some background dots using PTI's Polka Dot Basics and finished things off with a touch of bling.

Make sure you visit each of the designers' blogs for more inspiration!

Pin Cushion Designers

Guest Designer, Melody Rupple

Amy Sheffer

Amy Tsuruta

Gayatri Murali

Kim Singdahlsen

Lisa Henke

Marisa Ritzen

Monika Davis

Sarah Gough

Sheri Gilson

Stacey Schafer

Tenia Nelson

Tracey McNeely

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Stop by the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Pin Cushion for the challenge details and to play along with us!

What's In It?
Stamps:   Polka Dot Basics (PTI)
Paper:  Taken wtih Teal, Real Red, Going Grey (Stampin' Up)  
Ink:   VersaMark 
Accessories:   Tag Die (Reverse Confetti), Snowflake Die (Cuttlebug), Joy Die (WPlus9), 1/4" Red Satin Ribbon, 3/8" White Grosgrain Ribbon, Bling

Viva La Verve November Week 1 Sketch Recap

First and foremost, with today being Remembrance Day, I want to say a HUGE thank you to every person who has served, protecting their country, and the freedom of others.  Your sacrifice, as well as that of your family, is greatly appreciated and respected.  A personal shout out to my husband's nephew who has done two tours in Afghanistan and continues to serve our country today.  We love you, Andrew!    

Now back to the post.  It's time for a little Viva La Verve recap for November's Week 1 sketch.  I adore the optional colour combination Julee selected for this week - delicious, earthy colours and perfect for Christmas too :)


Speaking of Christmas, it's time to get going on a few more cards so I have enough to mail and hand out, and thus my Christmas themed card.

I had the perfect mix of papers for the colour combination and used Joyous Noel for my sentiment and poinsettias.  A few gold half pearls and a gold bow called it a card.

Want to see which cards I spotlighted for this week's sketch?  Then head on over to the Viva La Verve blog to find out!

 

What's In It?
Stamps:   Joyous Noel (Verve Stamps) 
Paper:  Cozy Christmas (Simple Stories), Candy Cane (Teresa Collins), Bravo Burgundy, Forrest Foliage, Kraft (Stampin' Up)  
Ink:  Black, VersaMark 
Accessories:   Scalloped Circle and Circle Nestabilities, Crimper (Fiskars), Gold Half Pearls, Gold Twine (Michael's), Button, Dimensionals

Mojo Monday #371

Time for another Mojo Monday sketch and today's has a big panel you can have lots of fun with.

I just "had" to use these fabulous 'Tis The Season papers by MME which I got on clearance after Christmas last year.  Nothing like having to wait 11 months to use something LOL!

I added a banner using one of the dies from the Banner Bundle Die Set and gleefully used this fabulous "joy" sentiment.  Couldn't wait to use this fabulous poinsettia die either and it was a perfect fit for the circle element on the sketch.

All the challenge details are over on the Mojo Monday blog and you can also view all the wonderful Mojo Makers samples.  Should you wish more details on the Mojo Maker's cards, you can also visit their individual blogs noted below.

Carole Burrage

Debbie Carriere

Julee Tilman (Owner)

Marisa Ritzen (you are here)

Mary Fish

Sarah Biglow

Teresa Kline

Wanda Cullen

Chipped away at my Christmas shopping this weekend and am just about done -- please don't be mad at me!!  Over the years, I have found getting it done early (mid-November) eases much of the stress surrounding the Season (this year all the more as I'm now working part time).  With less stress, I can fully focus and drink deeply of the glorious celebration and meaning of Christmas.

Wishing you a fabulous week, and thanks so much for stopping by today :)

What's In It?
Stamps:  Christmas Joy (Verve Stamps)   
Paper:  'Tis The Season (Echo Park), Black, Real Red (Stampin' Up)
Ink:  Black
Accessories:  Banner Bundle Die Set (A Cut Above by Verve), Poinsettia Die (Spellbinders), 5/8" Black Satin Ribbon, White Half Pearls, Glue Dot, Dimensioanls

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge - Boho Bright Reminder

Time for the Curtain Call Boho Bright reminder post.  Before you think I totally went off the deep end with this challenge, I decided one card out of my comfort zone with the main three colours of the inspiration photo was enough LOL.  That lead me to focus on the picture hanging on the wall and to go with that colour scheme instead - happy sigh wink, wink.

I used Jen's Deconstructed Sketch and papers from MME's Stella and Rose (loved this paper line) as they were the perfect match for what I needed.  The sentiment is from Verve's Treasured Words - one of my favorite sentiment sets as there is one for all sorts of occasions.

I couldn't totally disregard the bright, magenta curtain that takes up half the inspiration picture, so in honor of it, I added a few touches of purple which I found in the hanging picture on the wall.

Love for you to come and play along with us!

What's In It?
Stamps:   Treasured Words (Verve Stamps)   
Paper:  Stella and Rose (My Mind's Eye)
Ink:  Black
Accessories:  Stitched Rectangles (Lil' Inkers), Tag Die (PTI), Scalloped Punch (Stampin' Up), 5/8" Purple Grosgrain Ribbon, Twine, Button, Purple Half Pearl, Glue Dot, Dimensionals

Diva Dare - November 2014

This month's Diva Dare is entitled "Vellum Visions".  Soft and classy, vellum always makes a big impression.  This months we are daring you to add some vellum to your card or project.

I love white on white cards and had a winter wonderland concept in my mind for this month's Diva Dare.  I hand cut my "snow banks" and used both the embossed and debossed side of my Swiss Dots embossing folder to create some texture difference between the two snow banks.  Next, I used the Christmas tree die from the Winter Fun set to cut out five vellum trees and arranged them on my hills, making one a 3D tree for some dimension and interest.

My brilliant idea of making vellum trees was not so brilliant when I realized I had to glue the trees on without it showing - ugh!  I ended up using mini, bling glue dots I got at Michael's and cutting them a small as possible while still retaining some adhesion.  Think they are pretty invisible unless you look reeeeally closely (okay, you can stop looking for them any time LOL).  A few bling centered snowflakes and silver cording along the bottom added a touch of colour and sparkle to my winter wonderland, and I added a small tag using "joy" from Inspire Hope as it is my favorite Christmas word.

In true Verve fashion, where there is a dare, there are prizes, and this month's dare provides two prizes: one for a randomly selected participant and one for a randomly selected commenter! 

Want to get all the details on how you can win some Verve Stamps - particularly timely as Verve just has it's big Anniversary Release!  Simply head on over to the Verve Blog to get all the challenge details!

What's In It?
Stamps:  Inspire Hope (Verve Stamps)
Paper:   White, Vellum   
Ink:  Silver
Accessories:   Winter Fun Die Set (A Cut Above by Verve), Tiny Tags (PTI), Swiss Dots Embossing Folder (Provo Craft), Snowflake Punch (Martha Stewart), Bling, Silver Cording and Bling Glue Dots (Michael's), Dimensionals 

Verve October 2014 Inspiration Hop

Welcome to Verve's November Diva Inspirations Hop. It's the 5th of the month and that means it's time for the Divas to serve up some fresh inspiration with their Verve stamps!  If you have come here from Stacey's blog you are right on track.  If you just happened upon the hop, you can see the hop list below to get caught up.

Leave some comment love along the hop spots for a chance to win a prize, then grab some stamps and play along with our November inspiration challenge for another chance to win!

This month's challenge is entitled Naturally Navy:

Classic, bold, timeless...navy is naturally elegant! Go nautical or pair with neutrals for a creation sure to impress.

I was thrilled to trip across this wide, striped paper as it was perfect for the inspiration photo.  Verve's Strong Anchor set and matching Nautical Die Set did the rest of the work for me LOL!

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've got a prize for one lucky commenter along the hop! Check out the Verve Blog today for all the prize info and deadlines!

	1. Amy	7. Sarah
	2. Anya	8. Sony
	3. Betty	9. Maureen
	4. Jen	10. Stacey
	5. Karen	11. Marisa
	6. Sankari

Trust you enjoyed all the fabulous inspiration by the Divas and it got your mojo a hummin' and ready to play along with us.

What's In It?
Stamps:   Strong Anchor (Verve Stamps)  
Paper:  Down by the Shore (Fancy Pants), Kraft (Stampin' Up), Cream Linen
Ink:  Black, VersaMark 
Accessories:  Anchor Die (A Cut Above by Verve), Twine, Dimensionals

Mojo Monday #370

It's the first Monday of the month and that means it's  contest time over on the Mojo Monday blog.   With two recent releases and Christmas coming, the timing could not be better wink, wink!

I am continuing on my quest to use up old papers and thus Lime Twist has come out to play today.  The sentiment is the Psalm 34:8 Plain Jane and the cupcake is from Small Packages.  A fun pop of colour and a tasty treat in the midst of a dreary day here.

All the challenge details are over on the Mojo Monday blog and you can also view all the wonderful Mojo Makers samples.  Should you wish more details on the Mojo Maker's cards, you can also visit their individual blogs noted below.

Carole Burrage

Debbie Carriere

Julee Tilman (Owner)

Marisa Ritzen (you are here)

Mary Fish

Sarah Biglow

Teresa Kline

Wanda Cullen

This past weekend was one of my favorite of the year. Why you ask?  Mostly because I got an extra hour of sleep LOL!  My body functions best on eight hours of sleep a night, and it is tough to get those sleep hours in more times than not, so when I can catch up a bit, I am one happy camper!  What can I say?  Its' the small things in life that give me great joy :)   Hoping you enjoyed your extra hour of sleep too! 
 

What's In It?
Stamps:  Psalm 34:8 Plain Jane, Small Packages (Verve Stamps)   
Paper:  Lime Twist (My Mind's Eye), Basic Grey (Stampin' Up)
Ink:  Black
Accessories:  Banner Bundle Die Set (A Cut Above by Verve), Scalloped Border Punch (Stampin' Up), Crimper (Fiskars), Twinkling H2Os, Twine, Button, Glue Dot, Dimensioanls

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge - Boho Bright

It's time for another Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge.  This week our sponsor for the Curtain Call Inspiration: Boho Bright is Verve Stamps - a perfect match wink, wink :) A randomly selected participant in the Boho Bright challenge will receive a $30 Gift Certificate from Verve Stamps, while the LEAD will be invited as a Guest Designer in a future challenge!

These colours are far from my "norm" but they were great fun to work with, especially with Verve's newly released Masquerade set.  Just adore the fun masks and matching dies!  I immediately think of Mardis Gras, bright colours, beads and feathers when I see them so that is the theme I went with.

I cut two masks in magenta, stamped the one with the matching die in black and then layered them to get a bit of depth to the mask.  Added two sets of feathers with some Stickles on them and some beads.  The background was created by stamping the star image in VersaMark.

Boho Bright Designers

Guest Designer, Hannelie Bester 

Amy Kolling
Amy Sheffer
Amy Tsuruta
Gayatri Murali
Kim Singdahlsen
Laurie Willison
Lisa Henke
Marisa Ritzen
Maureen Plut
Monika Davis
Sarah Gough
Sheri Gilson
Stacey Schafer
Tenia Nelson
Tracey McNeely

Stop by the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Boho Bright for the challenge details and to play along with us!

Thanks for popping by and hope you can play along with us!

Challenges:  The Pink Elephant
 

 

What's In It?
Stamps:  Masquerade (Verve Stamps) 
Paper:  Brilliant Blue, Marvelous Magenta, Yoyo Yellow, Basic Black (Stampin' Up)
Ink:  Black, Marvelous Magenta, VersaMark (Stampin' Up) 
Accessories:  Mask Die (A Cut Above by Verve), Crimper (Fiskars), Black Half Pearls, Stickles, Dimensionals

Viva La Verve October 2014 Sketch Recap

It's time to recap this week's Viva La Verve sketch created by Diva Charmaine.

Love the focal cluster of elements she had on her sketch - especially the heart, wink wink :)

Lots of elements and panels so it was perfect for working my way through more of my Stella and Rose MME paper stash.  The sentiment is from the newly released Inspire Hope, a wonderful set with great sentiments and the option to build your own too! 

Want to see whose card I spotlighted this week?  Head on over to the Viva La Verve blog and find out! 

Challenges:The Pink Elephant

What's In It?
Stamps:   Inspire Hope (Verve Stamps) 
Paper:  Stella and Rose (My Mind's Eye), Real Red, So Saffron (Stampin' Up)  
Ink:  Black 

Accessories:   Wavy Hearts Die (A Cut Above by Verve), Scalloped Circle, Circle and Oval Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Scalloped Punch (Stampin' Up), Crimper (Fiskars), Buttons, Twine, Glue Dots, Dimensionals 

Mojo Monday #369

It's tall and skinny week over at the Mojo Monday blog!  Love making these cards with a narrower canvas as it mean you can hang things off the side and still get them to fit in a regular A2 sized envelope.

I'm still smitten with Pink Power!  I apologise for the plethora of cards using it this month, but I wanted one more card to go in my gift pack to the lingerie store who helps fit ladies with beautiful, prosthetic bras after their mastectomies.  

The small squares were a perfect fit for the Ribbon die (love this die!!).  Lots of pink, polka dots and a touch of bling to glitz things up a bit.  Just "had" to add the sentiment banner with the life giving word "hope".

All the challenge details are over on the Mojo Monday blog and you can also view all the wonderful Mojo Makers samples.  Should you wish more details on the Mojo Maker's cards, you can also visit their individual blogs noted below.

Carole Burrage

Debbie Carriere

Julee Tilman (Owner)

Marisa Ritzen (you are here)

Mary Fish

Sarah Biglow

Teresa Kline

Wanda Cullen

Can't believe it is almost the end of October! Yikes!  Time to switch over to making Christmas cards - one of my favorites to make :) 

Hoping your weekend was a good one!

Challenges: The Pink Elephant

What's In It?
Stamps:  Pink Power  (Verve Stamps)   
Paper:  Making Memories, Pretty in Pink, Rose Romance (Stampin' Up)  
Ink:  Black
Accessories:  Ribbon Die (A Cut Above by Verve), 5/8" White Satin Ribbon (Michael's), Bling, Dimensionals