Verve Anniversary Release Challenge #1

 
My vacation time is messing with my opportunity to work on all the challenges in order to win some of the new Verve being released on August 24th.  Needless to say, that is causing me grief LOL!   Hello, my name is Marisa and I'm addicted to Verve....LOL!!

So, in order to pacify myself and double up on some challenges, I used the first Verve sketch for August and combined it with the the first challenge of the release.  Love this colour combo so it was a delight to work with!!

I skewed the sentiment panel layers (yes, you read right!) as they filled and softened the space a bit more than the straight panel, and used this wonderful verse in Zephaniah as my focal point on the card.

One challenge down and four to go.  Getting sooo excitement to see what Julee has created for the Verve Anniversary Release!!  I've saved my money from the LSS garage sale I was a part of along with some year end gifts from parents so I can shop, shop, shop.  Rumour has it I may even be counting sleeps LOL!

Thanks for popping by and I'll be back with the next challenge card tomorrow.

 

What's In It?
Stamps: Zephaniah 3:17 Plane Jane (Verve) 
Paper: Early Espresso, Rose Romance, Kraft, Certainly Celery, Starbucks Sleeve
Ink:  Black 
Accessories:  Circle Nesties, From the Heart Dies (A Cut Above by Verve), Stylized Flower Embossing Folder, Leaf Punch (Martha Stewart), Crimper, 5/8" Green Satin Ribbon, Button, Twine, Glue Dots, Dimensionals

Mojo Monday #254

This week's sketch was designed by Carol Burrage and it was a wonderful sketch to work with.

With the heat wave we have been having lately, I opted to go with a fall theme just to feel a bit cooler LOL!  Needless to say, when I create a fall card there is a very good chance some leaves will appear, and this time was no exception - grin :)  Just a little foretaste of several (many...wink, wink) of my September and October posts.


I hope you can play along with us this week!  Simply visit the Mojo Monday blog for all the details and a chance to view all the wonderful Mojo Makers samples!  Should you wish more details on their cards, you can also visit their individual blogs noted below.

Carol Burrage

Debbie Carriere

Julee Tilman (Owner)

Marisa Ritzen

Mary Fish

Sarah Biglow

Teresa Kline

Stephanie Kraft

Wanda Cullen

Kids and I are back from our week of camping with our friends and we had a fabulous time!  Many fun times together and memories made :)  Thankfully the site was by a lake as it was smoking hot there for quite a few days and we basically lived in the lake LOL!  My swimming marathon continues LOL!

Thanks for stopping by and sharing a bit of your day with me!   

 

What's In It?
Stamps:  Great Friend (Verve), Leaf Prints (PTI) 
Paper:  Mosaic Memories (Recollections Paper from Michael's), Kraft, Cream Linen, Mellow Moss, Only Orange 
Ink: Black, VersaMark 
Accessories:  Leaf Dies (PTI), 1" Orange Wide Striped Ribbon (SU),  5/8" Brown Satin Ribbon, Cream and Orange Half Pearls, Distressing Tool (SU), Buttons, Twine, Glue Dots, Dimensionals  

JUGS #149

 
This week's JUGS challenge is brought to us by Lisa and she is challenging us to use ribbon scraps.  Here is a link to the Gina K video describing the technique.

I had a piece of black and white polka dotted ribbon that I wish I had more of (it was a dollar store find and none of them in my area carry it any more) and since I love black and white cards, it was perfect for this week's challenge. 

Pulled out my favorite Flutterby butterfly die by Verve and this cute sentiment was perfect for the corner space.   A nice and simple card which was lots of fun to make :)  The rest of the Design Team and our August Guest Designer Jen, have created some wonderful samples of this technique to get you inspired.  You can see them all over on the JUGS blog.

So, if you want to use up some of your ribbon scraps, simply create a new card and post it to the JUGS challenge linky and you could be selected as Chick of the Week!

Thanks for popping by today and have a great weekend.  Kids and I are just returning from a week of camping with some friends which was beyond delightful :)  Trailer camping is the only way to go as far as I'm concerned LOL!

Have a great weekend :)



What's In It?
Stamps: Fabulous You (Verve) 
Paper: Black and White 
Ink: Black 
Accessories:  Branching Out Embossing Folder, Polka Dotted Ribbon, Flutterby Die (Verve),  Button, Twine, Glue Dot, Half Pearls, Dimensionals

Some Exciting News!!

So glad I can finally spill the beans as I have been vibrating with joy and excitement since I got an e-mail from Julee asking yours truly if  I would like to become a member of the Mojo Makers team over on the Mojo Monday Blog!!!   Eeeek!!!  I squealed with excitement, so loudly in fact, that my family came upstairs to see what all the commotion was about LOL!

I have always loved Julee's sketches and have played along with Mojo Monday for years.  In fact, one of my secret bucket list items was to one day be part of the Mojo Makers and today, that wish has become a reality.  In addition, my deep love for all things Verve makes this a match made in heaven :)  Thank you again, Julee!!!!

Adding to the excitement, is the fact my blogging friend Wanda Cullen has also been asked to become a member of the team :)  I am truly blessed to be in the company of such amazingly talented ladies, many of whose blogs I have followed for years.  My cup runneth over :)

Okay...enough babbling and on to the card :)  I literally laughed out loud when I got this week's sketch as it had my arch nemesis "the skewed panel" on it!!  Those of you who have been around my blog for any length of time know about my "issue" with skewed panels.  I think it was my "hazing" LOL!

So....with a high level of determination to make my very first Mojo Makers card one that "embraced the skewed panel and made it my friend", I used two of my favorite Verve dies, Elegant Leaves and Flutterby, to ease me into the sketch.  Some great papers helped things flow from there and my mission was accomplished - phew!

I hope you can squeeze a little time in to play along with us this week!  Simply visit the Mojo Monday blog for all the details and a chance to view all the wonderful Mojo Makers samples!  Should you wish more details on their cards, you can also visit their individual blogs noted below.

 

Carol Burrage

Debbie Carriere

Julee Tilman (Owner)

Marisa Ritzen

Mary Fish

Sarah Biglow

Teresa Kline

Stephanie Kraft

Wanda Cullen

Thanks for for popping by today and sharing in my excitement! 

 

What's In It?
Stamps:  Bloom and Grow, Celebration of Thanks (Verve) 
Paper:  Mosaic Memories (Recollections Paper from Michael's), Real Red 
Ink: Old Olive 
Accessories:  Scalloped Circle and Circle Nesties, Elegant Leaves and Flutteby Dies (A Cut Above Dies by Verve), 5/8" Brown Satin Ribbon, Button, Twine, Glue Dot, Dimensional  

JUGS #148

 
Welcome to sketch week over on the Just Us Girls (JUGS) blog.  Today's sketch is brought to us by Elise.  I took the sketch quite literally as there is no need to ask me if I want to use flowers on a card LOL!

I dug into my Micheal's paper pack, found this lovely paper and went to work.   Had great fun with some Verve goodies and finished it off with a red butterfly.

The rest of the JUGS Team and our August Guest Designer Jen have created wonderful cards for your inspiration, so head on over to the JUGS blog and check them out.

It's a wonderful sketch and I'd love to see your take on it.  Simply create a new card using the sketch and link it up to the JUGS challenge post here.  Who knows! You could be selected as Chick of the week :)

Swimming lessons are finally over and I have to admit I will miss the pool.  It has become a routine which not only filled a month of our summer vacation but also got me well on my way to being back in shape :)  My son passed his level and my daughter would have if she had not been sick today :(   She just needed to show the instructor she would fix one thing on her back stroke and do it consistently for four laps and she would have passed.  But alas, she was feeling quite nauseous this morning, had a bit of a fever, and did not sleep well last night so she bowed out of going to lessons today.  Good news is she will pass with flying colours next summer :) 

Thanks for dropping by and have a fabulous weekend!

 

What's In It?
Stamps: Wishing You and Bloom and Grow (Verve)
Paper: Garden Florals Paper Pad (Michael's), Kraft, Handsome Hunter, Cameo Coral, Real Red
Ink:  Sage Shadow, Black
Accessories:  Lacy Square Nesties, Elegant Leaf Die (Verve), Crimper, Butterfly Punch (Martha Stewart), Buttons, Bling, Glue Dots, Half Pearls, Dimensionals

Retro Sketch #22

Another fun Retro Sketch this week.  Used one of my favorite colour combos (pink, brown and green) as well as a few scraps from my "to use later" pile which is always a bonus!  

Quick and easy card as I have 50 pounds of blueberries to wash, dry,  put on cookie sheets and stick in the freezer.  After a day in the freezer, into freezer bags they go so we can enjoy them all winter long :)

Fingers crossed for the kids as today is their evaluation day and we find out whether they will pass this swimming level or not.  They are on the bubble right now, so hopefully they can pull it off.  Would be really nice if my son passed as it is his birthday today and what a nice gift that would be :)

Thanks for popping by today!



What's In It?
Stamps:  Fluttering By (Verve)
Paper:  Dots and Stripes (Echo Park), Rose Romance, Early Espresso
Ink: Black
Accessories:Flutterby and Elegant Leaf Die (Verve), Corner Rounder, 5/8" Brown Satin Ribbon, Buttons, Twine, Glue Dots, Dimensionals

Thanks A Bunch Mojo Monday and ColourQ

LOVE round or square week over on the Mojo Monday blog as I just love making round cards, and I combined this week's sketch with the ColourQ challenge.


The fun polka dotted paper is from Love Echo Park's Dots and Stripes collection - love that collection...happy sigh... :)

Took a bit of fiddling to get the pink in, but finally figured it out.  It was so close to being a wonderful fall colour combination that my maple leaf die just about came out to play.  Just a few more weeks....or maybe a bit early to celebrate Canada's medals in the Olympics!  Will just have to see how long I can resist LOL!

The glorious weather continues here on the West Coast and will thankfully hold for the next week and more as my  kids and I head off to join some friends for week of camping in Kelowna (so close Moe, but yet so far!).  Thankfully, they have a trailer as that is the only way I come close to camping!  Good times, swimming, campfires, smores and lots of memories to be built - can't wait!  Only down side is having to miss five days of the Olympics, but at least we'll be back before they are over so I can top up my Olympic fix :)

 

What's In It?
Stamps: Bloom and Grow (Verve), French Script (Stampin' Up) 
Paper: Dots and Stripes (Echo Park), Only Orange, Real Red, Pretty in Pink 
Ink:  Black, VersaMark 
Accessories: Lacy Circle Nesties, Butterfly Punch (Martha Stewart), 5/8" White Satin Ribbon, Half Pearls, Button, Twine, Glue Dot, Dimensinoals  

Celebrate Today

This is the last Verve sketch of July and I combined it with this week's Dynamic Duo challenge of Kraft and Early Espresso for a bit of fun :)

Just "had" to pull out PTI's Autumn Acorns set as I love these cute little acorns and the the colour combo just seemed to fit them perfectly.   A bit of wood grain embossing for the "tree" and I managed to sneak in a few polka dots too :)

Back for week two of swimming lessons - phew!  We will have to wait until Wednesday or Thursday to see if the kids are going to pass their level but regardless of the outcome, it has been great fun for all of us :)

Rest of the day will be spent watching as much of the Olympics as possible.  After having competed in track and field, volleyball and diving, as well as being very involved in sports all my life, I am definitely an Olympic junkie :)  However, I am very saddened by the rampant use of steroids and wish they could be eliminated.  IMHO, any athlete who tests positive for steroid use should be stripped of any medals/records they achieved - even if they admit to the use of it years afterwards (i.e. Marion Jones).  Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now.

Wishing you a glorious day :)

 

What's In It?
Stamps: Autumn Acorns (PTI) 
Paper: Kraft, Early Espresso 
Ink: Sahara Sand, Chocolate Chip, Black 
Accessories:  Wood Grain Embossing Folder (Tim Holtz), Scalloped Oval and Oval Nesties, Acorn and Leaf Dies (PTI), 5/8" Brown Satin Ribbon, Button, Twine, Glue Dot, Dimensionals

Just Us Girls Challenge #147

 
This week's JUGS inspiration challenge is brought to us by Vicki. I am just loving this colour combination!  So bold, dramatic and in your face type of combo.  Well, at least it is for me since I normally tend to stick to softer colours.  But then, that's what a challenge is for, right?!  Stretching us out of our comfort zone :)


My card is a based on Card Patterns last sketch they posted before their sketches will be no more.  I did change it up a bit but kept most of the elements.  The big circle was perfect for a focal sentiment, and I was happy to use my Stampin' Up butterfly die which hasn't seen some love in a while.  

The verse is one of my favorite verses, and I try to reflect on it often.  It is so easy to get caught up in the busyness of life and the world we live in, neglecting the importance of just sitting still and grounding myself in the knowledge of who I am and what I believe in.  Making room this summer to just be still :)

The rest of the Design Team and our guest Designer Jen have some wonderful inspiration for you. Just head on over the the JUGS Blog to check them out.  Then, once you have created your card, simply add it to Mr. Linky and you could be the lucky winner of this week's JUGS badge :)  If you are using a public gallery, use keyword JUGS147.

Thanks so much for giving me a few minutes of your summer.  Trust you are enjoying yours as much as I am enjoying mine :)

 

What's In It?
Stamps: Psalm 46:10 Plain Jane (Verve)
Paper: Black, White, Real Red, Wild Wasabi
Ink: Black
Accessories:  Lacy Circle and Circle Nesties, Swiss Dots Embossing Folder, Flourish Die (MFT), Butterfly Die (Stampin' Up), 5/8" Black Satin Ribbon, Button, Twine, Glue Dot, Dimensionals

Retro Sketch #21

 
This week's Retro Sketch was a fun one - love tags on cards :)  I combined it with CR84FN's challenge as the colour combo was delicious and wanted to play around with it (needless to say it had me thinking about using a maple leaf but I refrained as we are enjoying summer too much!).

A wonderful scrap of SEI paper was my starting point for the card along with MFT's tag die.  I used a few few dies from my discard/use on another card basket and that always brings a smile to my face. The little pile has grown in to a small basket and seems to continue growing exponentially compliments of my having to actually place an element on a card before I know if I like it/it works on the card  (never mind the colour options of that element LOL).  Unfortunately, the same goes for furniture placement in the house...ugh...yes, I am visually challenged which makes me have to work harder to get things set up but the satisfaction I get once it works out is worth the hassle - most of the time anyway!

We are off to our Nexus interview today and then to the pool.  Love being able to see the progress in the lap swimming.  Stamina is growing and it is fun to push myself to see how much more I can do.  Mind you, it does make for one tired mommy in the middle of the afternoon LOL!

Chlorinated hugs to you all :)

 

What's In It?
Stamps: Accent Notes, Bloom and Grow (Verve)
Paper: Tan, Cameo Coral, Early Espresso, SEI DP
Ink: Black, Creamy Caramel
Accessories: Lacy Heart Circles and Labels 10 Nesties,, Elegant Leaves Die (Verve) MFT Tag Die, Flower Die (PTI), Crimper, 5/8" Tan Grosgrain Ribbon, Half Pearls, Buttons, Twine, Glue Dots, Dimensionals