Thursday, June 28, 2012

June SFYTT Reminder


Just a reminder that there are just a few days left to play along with the June Sketch For You To Try! And don't forget about our fabulous sponsor this month, Lil' Inker Designs Here's a final look at this month's sketch:


And a look back at my June SFYTT creations with links to my original blog posts for product details. First, this fun summery Pool Party hybrid card:

 

And next my Verve-y Patriotic card in honor of the 4th of July:


All details and upload information can be found on THIS POST on Jen's blog. I hope you find time to play along this month!

Saturday, June 16, 2012

June SFYTT Post #2


It's the 3rd Saturday of June and that means it's time for some more Sketch For You To Try Inspiration from a few of the SFYTT Sisters! Have you had a chance to play along with this month's sketch yet? You've got until June 30th at midnight, so there's still plenty of time to create something and it's a SUPER fun sketch this month! And don't forget we have another amazing sponsor this month - Lil' Inker Designs!

 

Today, half of the SFYTT Sisters are posting another sample on their blogs using this month's sketch. I decided to get a little Patriotic in honor of the upcoming 4th of July holiday and pulled out a few Verve Stamps sets and got to work.


So, OK. This card started out looking pretty good and then I decided to try adding some silver Mister Huey's Misters splatters to it because it felt like it was missing something. It looks a little better in person than it does in the picture, but not much. The splatters were probably a mistake - I think it just ended up making it look kind of dirty. But oh well. It's not bad enough to totally trash it. But I should have left well enough alone. One of these days I'll learn that. Anyway, The papers are all from the Let Freedom Ring (yes, seriously) line from Pebbles. I used my favorite label stamp from Verve's Love Notes set layered on top of the big circle and then added the appropriate "Let Freedom Ring" sentiment from American Hero. As for embellishments - I couldn't resist some glittery stars, ribbon, buttons, and baker's twine. I'm still practicing my splatter technique with the mister spray.

Be sure to stop by these other SFYTT Sisters' blogs to see what they're sharing today with this month's sketch!

Jen del Muro
Carole Burrage
Jodi Collins
Kerry Johnson
Megan Lock
Susan Liles

OK, that's it from me. Enjoy your weekend everyone! Aloha!

 


Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Verve Diva Inspirations June 2012 Blog Hop

It's June 5th and that means it's time for another Verve Divas Inspirations Blog Hop! On the 5th of each month, the Verve Divas Inspirations Team will be sharing creations using some of our favorite Verve sets from both past and present, and as always, there are PRIZES!!

You can start the hop at the beginning on the Verve Blog and continue on through each fabulous blog - be sure to leave a little comment love along the way and you just might win some Verve goodies of your own! If you arrived here from the talented Jen d's blog, then you're on the right track!

There are a couple of new Plain Janes releasing in the Verve Store today and several of the Divas have posted Peeks at those. However, I am in desperate need of several Father's Day cards, so I'll have to save those fabulous PJs for another day (but I'm definitely itching to get them inky!). Instead, I created the first of several Dad-themed cards. The hardest part about making this card was deciding which Verve stamps to use!!


If you've visited my blog at all in the last month, then you know I've been on a bit of an over-embellishing kick. I don't know what's up with that. For starters, I can't stay away from those wood veneer pieces from Studio Calico - and this time I played around with dabbing some of them with ink - so fun! As for stamps, I used my masculine card stand-by, the funky frame thing in the Dad's Day set, embossed in white on Kraft. Seriously loving the way that looks! The simple Happy Father's Day sentiment is from Happy Phrases. I added a trio of stitched on flag things at the top, anchored by the largest one which was cut using the Ribbon Banner Die. You might have noticed that my stitching looks a little sloppy with tails of thread left hanging - that's on purpose. I don't know why. When I was done and cut my card away from my sewing machine, I just kinda liked the way it looked so I left it! It just seemed like it went with the overall theme. Now, are you dying to know about all that fun patterned paper? It's printed digi paper from the Boardwalk Blues kit by Karen Lewis and Mari Koegelenberg (Scrapbook Graphics). Of course, no Jen Card is complete without some pom pom trim and I couldn't resist adding a glittered chipboard star - it's been way too long since I used one of those!


That's it from me today. Julee is next up on the hop, so head on over to see what kind of fabulousness she's created and then keep on hopping along! Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to stop by the Verve Blog as well to check out the new specials going on this month!! There are some really amazing deals! 

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #160

Well, here we are again - time for another fabulous Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge! This week is a really fun sketch - check it out:

 

Sadly, this is my final week as a member of the Sweet Sunday Stampers Design Team. With Summer Break in full swing, several home improvement projects on the horizon, and feeling like I just need to take another little step back from so much time spent in my craft room - it's time to let a few things go. I've been on this team since September of 2009 and it's really hard for me to leave. I consider each of these DT girls a close friend - they've seen me through some pretty serious ups and down in my life and we've had some HILARIOUS e-mail exchanges. I'm going to miss those crazy e-mails! Anyway, enough blah blah about all that. Let's move on to my final sample card (and then I'm going to take a trip down memory lane and share 5 of my favorite-ist Sweet Sunday Sketch cards with you at the end of this post)...


Yep, it's another no-stamping hybrid card and you're right. I got a little scrap-happy again with the over-embellished vibe. I used the new Play Ball Like a Girl digi kit by Libby Pritchett (Sweet Shoppe) for all of the paper and those fun digital elements and I added all kinds of extra crap. It's so unlike me. I can't seem to stop using those wood veneer stars from Studio Calico, and well I guess that pom pom trim is totally like me, and for some reason I tried to do some glitter splatter again, but I just can't seem to get that right. How do people do that splattered look? Anyway, I think the card as a whole works. I added a few extra layers that aren't on the sketch but overall I think the sketch is there.

Be sure to stop by the other Sweet Sunday Stampers' blogs to see what they've done with the sketch:

AND...we have another fabulous Guest Sweet Sunday Stamper, Tracy Clemente! Be sure to stop by and see what she's created with this week's sketch too!

Then play along with us and post your own creation using InLinkz over on today's post on Karen's Blog!

And now, just because I'm feeling all sentimental, here's a look at 5 of my favorite cards I ever created for the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge (and no, I'm not including links to the sketch. This post is already late enough as it is. You'll just have to figure that out for yourself. Or, if you really want to know, e-mail me and I'll figure it out for you). 



 


 

And that's it. Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

June 2012 SFYTT

 

Well, it's that time again already - first Saturday of the month and time for another fabulous Sketch For You to Try!! I hope you all had a chance to play along with us last month - Lots of exciting things in store for participants of the monthly SFYTT this year, including a chance to win another fabulous huge prize package at the end of the year!! All of the details can be found on today's post over on Jen's blog, with some of the details outlined in the "In a Nutshell" graphic at the end of this post. We have another amazing sponsor this month  - Lil' Inker Designs!

First, here's a look at this month's awesome sketch:

 

Unfortunately I was on vacation and didn't have a chance to get my order placed in time to play along with any Lil' Inker stamps for my sample card today, but I definitely have several sets on my wish list! Instead, I created a very out-of-my-comfort-zone overly-embellished hybrid card. Check it out:

 

I used the new Cannon Ball digi kit by Traci Reed (Sweet Shoppe Designs) for all of the printed digi papers and lots of the embellishments - the slippers (or "flip flops" as you folks on the mainland call them), the fish, the sentiment strip. I kept pulling out lots of neglected stuff from my embellishment stash and just kept adding crap to this card until I forced myself to stop. I think I need a little practice with the Mister Huey's sprays to make it look less messy, but other than that I was happy with the way it turned out. I added some old American Crafts flair, some of my beloved pom pom trim, some chunky glass glitter in random splatters, and some Studio Calico wood veneer stars. It's a very scrappy card.


Be sure to stop by the rest of the SFYTT Sisters' blogs to see what they've done with this month's sketch! And a very warm welcome to our Designer of the Month, Julie Elak! Don't forget to stop by her blog to see what she's created as well.

Jen del Muro
Amber Hight
Amy Sheffer
Becky Carafa
Carole Burrage
Jodi Collins
Kerry Johnson
Megan Lock
Susan Liles
Tracy Schultz