A Color Challenge and a SKetch Challenge!

Hi! I hope your weekend was great! Mine was really busy - my DD's Girl Scout troop had a fundraiser at a craft fair, then I tried to get as much Christmas shopping finished as possible. My DD and DH's birthdays are one day apart, right before Christmas, too. So there is also birthday shopping to be done, and my DH is the hardest person to shop for! And the DD's birthday party to plan for.....boy, I am whining a lot today! Sorry!! I am actually very excited about this time of the year, it just doesn't leave a lot of time for stamping! So I stayed up way too late last night watching my Tivo'd Cardinals game and stamping!!! And I am always in a great mood when the Cardinals win!!


My card today combines two challenges - last weeks FFF color challenge at The Greeting Farm to used Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip and White, and the sketch challenge from Viva la Verve at the Verve forum on Splitcoast!

The Details:
Stamps: Ava - The Greeting Farm, Sentiment from Birthday Surprise - Verve
Paper: Retired Baja Breeze paper pack - SU, Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, PTI White
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Chocolate Chip
Copics:
Skin: R00,E00,E11,R20
Hair: C3,C5,C7,C9,110
Clothes: B91 w/BG11 over it, BG72,BG75,E44,E47,E49
Frog: YG00 and YG03 both w/YG95 over them, YG97
Misc: Martha Stewart edge punch, Liquid Pearls, Stampin Up Ribbon, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Sakura Clear Stardust gel pen

Thanks for stopping by!!
:-)Traci

Vivaa la Verve With Purple and Brown

Hi! I just have a very quick post with my last Viva la Verve challenge card of this month. The twist for this one was a color challenge - Purple, Brown and Vanilla.


The Details:
Stamp: Christmas in the Air - Verve
Paper: Lavender Lace, Elegant Eggplant, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla
Misc: Ribbon - SU, Distress Stickles-Vintage Photo, Platinum Stickles, Adirondack Dimensional Pearls - Eggplant, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder.

Thanks for stopping by!
:-)Traci

A Late Viva La Verve Card!

Hi! I am so behind on everything!! This is for the Viva La Verve challenge from two weeks ago! The VLV challenges are always a sketch challenge with a twist and this weeks twist was to make it a Holiday themed card! Ok, I can do that!! I used all digital patterned papers from the Digichick. I just realized I seem to be on a pink Christmas card kick! Even the one I am working on right now for tomorrow has a lot of pink....


The Details:
Stamps: Snowflake Splendor, Christmas in the Air - Verve
Paper: Sugar Plum - Strawberry Cafe - The Digichick, Blush Red Dark - Prism
Misc: Ribbon - Offray (Red), SU (green and pink), buttons from stash

Thanks for visiting me today! I hope your week is great!!
:-)Traci

Cracked Glass Mittens

Hi! I feel like it's been forever since I posted! Not that long, I know....I am way behind on doing some of the challenges that I like to participate in - this one is for last weeks Viva la Verve sketch with a twist. The twist this time was to use the cracked glass technique. I thought I had my card all finished and ready to post last night and then I realized I forgot the cracked glass part so I had to take it apart and add that! I used a digi image that Verve offered free for a bit. I drew a pattern onto the mittens because I also knit and I LOVE a patterned mitten (I am adding a couple of pictures of mittens I have knit, after the card!)

The Details:
Stamp: Winter Mittens digi - Verve
Paper: Imaginisce, Real Red, Chocolate Chip - SU, PTI White
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark
Copics: R35,R37,R39,YG03,YG25,YG17,C0,C1
Misc: Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Ultra Thick Embossing Powder, Oval and Oval Scallop Nestabilities, Sakura White gel pen, JoAnn Craft Essentials Ribbon

This is the first pair of mittens I made and I still wear them:

This is my favorite pair that I made:

Thanks for visiting me today!
:-)Traci

Viva La Verve 1,2,3 Math Twist

Hi! I hope everyone had a great weekend and a fun Halloween if you celebrate it! On Friday my DD had a "Fall Bash" as she likes to call it. It was fun and went much faster than I expected. The kids only got to do about half the games I had planned, but I think they all had a good time. I was suprised that the biggest hit was bobbing for apples - I really didn't want them to do it because of the mess if done indoors and the cold if done outdoors (I am in Alaska!). Plus I thought it was kind of old fashioned and didn't think the kids would care about getting an apple, but my DD insisted and she was right! I have never seen so much laughing and excitement over getting an apple!

I did two cards today for the Viva La Verve November week 1 Sketch With a Twist. The twist was a 1-2-3 math twist! 1-Embellishment, 2- Cardstock colors, 3-stamps. My two cards are kind of variations of each other. When I finished the first one it didn't feel quite right to me , so I did the second. I think I am happier with the first one now, though!

The Details:
Stamp: Forever In Our Hearts - Verve
Paper: Upsy Daisy Designs, Baja Breeze, Night of Navy, PTI White
Copics: YG21,YG23,YG25 all w/ W0 over them, B000,B01 w/W0 and W1 over them
Misc: Circle Nestabilities, Heart Brads - JoAnn Scrap Essentials


The Details:
Stamps: Forever In Our Hearts - Verve
Paper: Baja Breeze, Night of Navy, PTI White
Copics: YG11, G21,G24, B000 w/ W0 over, B01 w/ W1 over
Misc: Circle Nestabilities, Heart Brads - JoAnn Scrap Essentials

I hope this is the beginning of a fabulous week for you!
:-)Traci

Viva La Verve Hanging Snowflakes

Hi! I'm sorry I haven't been around much the last day or so. My DD talked me into letting her have a Halloween party and I've been crazy busy getting ready for it. It's really funny (NOT) how all of her promises to help clean and get ready for it go out the window once the invitations are all handed out!! I'm in a really good mood about it now, though, because I just downloaded a bunch of MP3's to make my own Halloween party mix! That was FUN!!


My card today is for the fourth October Viva La Verve challenge. These are posted in the Verve forum on Splitcoast, and they are a sketch with a twist. The twist this time was "There is no twist". But the sketch really had me stumped! I kept turning it different ways and trying to get an idea....I finally decided to make the two circles into holes (or windows) and dangle snowflakes in them. I cut the circles through all of the layers of the front of the card with my circle Nestabilities, then attached a length of clear sewing thread between the layers when I was assembling them. I had punched the snowflake 4 times using a Martha Stewart punch, then put stickles on them. For each "window" the clear string was sandwiched between 2 snowflakes. They were then finished off with a blue Darice snowflake rhinestone.

I thought this picture might show a little more of how the snowflakes dangle.

The Details:
Stamp: Snowflake Splendor - Verve
Paper: My Mind's Eye, Whisper White
Ink: Either Tea Dye or Vintage Photo Distress (I'm sorry, I forgot which one I finally decided on!)
Misc: Martha Stewart Snowflake Punch, Stardust Stickles, Darice Snowflake Gems, Gold pen, Clear Thread

Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope your weekend is Fabulous! (And for those of you celebrating, Happy Haunting!)
:-)Traci

2 of My Hobbies Collide

...And I think it turned out pretty alright!! I know I have mentioned before that I am now trying to do all of the Viva La Verve challenges. In case you are not familiar with them, they are posted in the Verve forum on SplitCoastStampers and they are always a sketch challenge with a twist. This weeks twist was to use fabric. Well, do I have fabric!! All of my other hobbies have kind of taken a backseat to stamping this past year, but I have been sewing since I was a teenager and it will probably always be my first craft love. I ended up using this scrap piece of silk that I had been saving for years. I made a pillow with most of it but it was so pretty I had a hard time letting go of the leftovers!! (I really wish there were enough left to make a bodice or a corset!) I also used some trim that I bought for who-knows what project ages ago!


The Details:
Stamp: Beautiful You - Verve
Paper: Crushed Curry, Basic Black, Whisper White, Fabric
Ink: Antique Linen Distress Ink, Basic Black Craft
Misc: Offray Ribbon, Darice Black Gems, Fiskars Corner punch, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Nestabilities Circle

Thanks for visiting me!
:-)Traci

No Brown or Orange??

When I saw the second Viva la Verve challenge for October (a sketch challenge with the twist of no brown or orange on the card) I thought, "How hard can it be to not use those 2 colors?" HaHa! It took me 2 days of looking through my papers to settle on something appropriate! Every time I got excited about the stamp set and papers I had chosen I realized there was either brown or orange (or both!) on those papers! I finally realized I could easily stay away form brown and orange if I stamped a Peacock!! (I love brown and orange so I probably easily could have added them too if allowed!!) Actually, my lovely daughter, reading over my shoulder has just pointed out that there is brown on this card. I am going to pretend that there is NOT!

I have been admiring The Dark Mermaid's work with Twinkling H2O's and was telling her I have not been happy with my work when I paint with them. I feel a little guilty because of the money I spent so I decided to paint my cardstock with some this time so that I get some use out of them. The cardstock base and mats are Night of Navy with some T H2O's over it and the embossed panel is Not Quite Navy that has also been painted with T H2O's.

The Details:
Stamps: Swan Song and Wishing You - Verve
Paper: My Mind's Eye, Night of Navy, Not Quite Navy, PTI White
Copics: B28,B39,B02,BG05,BG09,YG95
Misc: Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Twinkling H2O's, Darice Gems

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope this is the beginning of a fabulous week for you!
:-)Traci

2 Cards Today!

WooHoo it's Friday! Yeah! And I have 2 cards to show today! The first is a Halloween card using Gingerbell the cat from The Greeting Farm and the Jack-o-Lantern head from the Spooktacular set (also from TGF!)

The Details:
Stamps: Gingerbell and Spooktacular - The Greeting Farm
Paper: American Crafts, Elegant Eggplant, Basic Black, PTI White
Copics:
Cat: C5,C7,C9,R20,R22
Pumpkin: Y35,Y38,E08
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Dew Drop Brilliance Lightning Black (distressing on the fence)

My second card has a completely different feel and is for the first October Viva La Verve challenge. This was a sketch challenge with the twist of "make it shabby chic". That does not come naturally to me, so I hope this is acceptably shabby chic!


The Details:
Stamps: Wishing You, Because of You - Verve
Paper: Retired Baja Breeze paper pack, Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla
Ink: Distress Inks in Tea Dye and Vintage Photo, Baja Breeze
Misc: Prima Flowers, Darice jewels, Martha Stewart border punch, Choc Chip Grosgrain ribbon

Thanks so much for visiting me today! I hope your day is wonderful!
:-)Traci

A Get Well Viva la Verve Card

Hello! Just a quick post today with a card I made for a former co-worker who is having surgery on her foot today. I used the Viva la Verve September Sketch #5 and the twist (because there is always a twist with these!) was to use Specialty paper. I don't have a lot of specialty paper, but I have had this lilac flocked paper for close to 10 years, so I was thrilled to finally use it!! I know I got it at Micheals, but it doesn't have any brand name on it, just a barcode...

The Details:
Stamps: Swan Song and Wishing You - Verve
Paper: Lilac?, Black and White prints - GCD Studios, Basic Black, Whisper White, PTI White
Copics: BV000, BV01,BV02
Misc: SU Scallop Border Punch, Nestabilities, Stardust Stickles, Pearls -?

Thanks for stopping by today - I hope your day is Great!
:-)Traci

There's Something "Familiar" About This Witch!

Hi! How are you today?I had a weird-weather-at-work day yesterday. I watch the kids at recess at my daughter's school, so I am outside for 2 hours a day (yes, even in the winter, in Alaska!) Yesterday, in that 2 hour time frame we had a light, very cold drizzle that turned into freezing rain and hail. After hurrying to get the kids inside, everything stopped and the sun came out. So we were back outside for the next recess, only to have it all start over again 30 minutes later!!

On to my card! I loved turning one of the Dressy Miss Anya'a into a witch a while back, so I decided to do it again and give her a Familiar this time! This is also for the color challenge over at SCS - Crushed Black Razzelberries (I love how that sounds!) and I used Mercy's Sketch #40. I masked the flower in her hair so it wouldn't stamp and drew her witches hat separately, cut it out and glued it on. I also drew her little broom, cut it out and glued it behind her back.

The Details:
Stamps: Miss Anya Dressy, Ginger Bell (cat) - The Greeting Farm, Sentiment - Taylored Expressions
Paper: Crushed Curry, Rich Razzelberry, Basic Black, Whisper White, PTI White
Copics:
Skin:R00,E00,E11,R20
Hair:V01+R43,V04+R46,V06+R59
Clothes:Y23,Y35,Y26,C0,C1,C3,C5,C7,C9
Cat:C3,C5,C7,C9,R20,R22
Misc: Cuttlebug Embossing folders, EK Success Bat Punch, Black Stickles


This card is for week 4 of the Viva la Verve challenges at SCS. This week's has a sketch and the added challenge of "black and white". I am not sure how much I love this - I may try it again if I have the time. My brain has a harder time thinking of cards without coloring, but I am trying to get better at it! The stamp is from Verve, the paper is K&Co, and I used a CB embossing folder for the black background piece.

I hope your Wednesday is wonderful!
:-)Traci

A Couple of Viva la Verve Challenges

I have been trying to participate in more challenges lately and it is my goal to do each of the Viva la Verve challenges over at Splitcoast. I really like the Verve stamps and they really challenge me because there is little to no coloring. The two projects I am showing you today are for the VLV September Week 2 (make a Scrapling or smaller than usual card or project) and Week 3 (which has a sketch, and the added challenge of make it for a girl friend.)

For the Week 2 Challenge I made a bookmark for my good friend Stacy who was the first person to tell me about Twilight. The background is stamped with Verve's bountiful backgrounds, once in red and then offset and stamped again in black. I got the idea for doing this from the Fabulous Betty Wright (thank you so much for all of your amazing inspiration!). She makes the most gorgeous cards and sometimes stamps ALL of her background paper! And I have to thank Sandra at Paper Funtastics for the idea I used on the ribbon treatment. It looked so amazing on her card HERE that I had to try it. Mine didn't show up in the photo very well (the camera didn't love the black on black velvet!) but it is so cool on her card! The sentiment is from Fictionally Inspired by Artful Inkables.


For the Week 3 challenge I used the Verve set Beautiful You, which has just the best quotes and sentiments! I cut the sentiment out with my circle Nesties then sponged Certainly Celery on while the Nestie was still there as a mask. The paper is from a DCWV stack and the butterflies, flowers and leaves are all Martha Stewart punches. The leaves and the butterflies also have lots of stickles!


Thank you so much for visiting today!
:-)Traci

Viva la Verve MIL Birthday!

Hi! I'm going to make this a really quick post and then it's off to bed for me! This is a birthday card for my Mother-in-Law, using the first September sketch challenge from Viva la Verve over at Splitcoast. The extra twist (cuz there's always a twist!) is to use "little round things" - you know, like brads, jewels, dots and so on!


The Details:
Stamps: Bountiful Backgrounds, Party Time - Verve
Paper: Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, Bravo Burgundy, Whisper White - SU, PTI White
Copics: R46,R59,R89, R35,R37,R39, R30,R32,R35, C0,C1,C3
Misc: EK Success Punch, Martha Stewart pearls, Clear embossing powder, VersMark, Satin Ribbon, Swiss Dots embossing folder

Before I go, if you haven't been by The Greeting Farm Blog and the Club Anya Blog you should go take a look! The new DT members were announced and there are some very talented ladies there! Congratulations, and I hope they have as much fun as I did (I DO still have 2 more weeks though!!)

:-)Traci

Happy Friday!

Bring on the weekend!! Ha! This week has actually kind of flown by....I have two more cards to show you today and once again there is NO coloring. I don't know what has gotten into me....I'm sure I'll color some this weekend!

My first card is the final card I did for the Viva la Verve challenge on SCS. This one was also a sketch challenge, but the twist was to use your favorite color combo. (There is ALWAYS a twist with the VLV challenges!) My current favorite color is orange, orange, orange! I really love it with brown and light blue (like Baja Breeze) but since one of my other VLV cards used that combo (plus some Kiwi) I changed the Baja to Taken With Teal.

Details:
Stamp: Beautiful You - Verve
Paper: My Minds Eye, Pumpkin Pie, Choc Chip, Taken With Teal, Whisper White-SU
Ink:Choc Chip Craft, Creamy Caramel Craft, Close to Cocoa Craft
Misc: Brads-Basic Grey, EK Success Border Punch


My second card is another card that I made for my Father-in-Law to give to his friends as thank you cards. I used one of the MojoMonday sketches from last week when they were doing their week long celebration of turning 100! They have some of THE Best sketches!

The Details:
Stamps: Upsy Daisy - SU
Paper: Enchante' (Retired SU), Mellow Moss, Choc Chip, Very Vanilla
Ink: Mellow Moss, Always Artichoke, Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Choc Chip Craft
Misc: Clear Embossing Powder, SU Scallop Border Punch, SU Ribbon, Large Eyelet

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
:-)Traci

Viva la Verve!

Hi! I have 3 cards to show you today! I am a pretty slow card maker and I usually only manage pne a day (if that!) so I am thrilled I finished 3 today! I know I am coming late to the party but I am just discovering Verve stamps! I have recently been just drooling over several bloggers cards who used Verve images and decided I had to try a few.(And boy, is their shipping fast!) Then I discovered the Verve challenge Viva La Verve on SCS, and I had to give it a try, too! I guess once a week a new challenge is issued and you have until the end of the month to finish all four cards and enter to win the next months releases.....Tomorrow is the deadline, and like I said I got 3 done today! Hopefully I can make the last one tomorrow!

So, the first challenge was to pick a card by one of the Verve Diva's and CASE it. The twist was if they used patterned paper you had to use card stock and vice-versa. I picked THIS CARD by Susan Liles. I really liked how she had used the balloon image 3 times and the bright happy colors she picked. I decided to go the opposite way with the color scheme and make mine black and white (and shades of gray). The balloons and sentiment are from the set Party Time. Susan used patterned paper for her background so I used card stock but stamped the dots with Verve's Bountiful Backgrounds. The other background panels are dry embossed, then I put silver stickles on for emphasis. I did used Copics on the balloons - C0,C1,C3,C5,C7,C9.

The second challenge was a sketch challenge with the added twist that you had to use a border punch in some way. I have to admit I feel a bit guilty that I didn't do anything more creative with the edge punch, but I had a lot of fun making the latte! I used liquid applique for hte foam - that is SO fun to watch it puff up! the stamp set is Delightful & Delicious and the DP is all Cosmo Cricket.


The third challenge was another sketch challenge with the added twist of "Use a Tag". I did a lot of piercing and a little embossing - pretty straightforward. The tag sentiment is from the Bountiful Backgrounds set and the main sentiment is from Beautiful You. The DP is SU - Pink Flamingo. I think I may end up giving this to my daughter's Principal on his birthday.

Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope your day is fantastic!!
:-)Traci