Sites of the week

Can you believe it??? I have passed 220K hits!! That’s just CRAZY!! To thank you for your support I have not just one, but TWO Verve Visual sets to give away today.

Here’s what ya gotta do to win…

1) Tell me what you are wishing for this Christmas/Holiday Season. It can be something on your gift wish list or just something in general {world peace or any other Miss America wish you may have }.

A couple details…
1) US and Canadian residents only, please.
2) You may enter only once (If it doesn’t show up right away it’s because I need to moderate the comments.)
3) You may get a BONUS entry by linking your card that you did for this past Saturday’s Sketch For You To Try. If you have already linked it to the SFYTT post, be sure to link it here!!
4) The winners will be picked through random.org on Friday morning
GOOD LUCK!!

What’s up for grabs…
{FYI…these are unmounted rubber stamps}

Here are a couple samples that I have created with the latest releases, Starlight Starbright and Wonderful Wishes. You can read more about them on the VERVE BLOG where I have posted today. You can see more samples of all the Verve sets in the VERVE GALLERY.

I am in the process of getting Ellie’s teacher gifts ready…slowly, but surely. This container is the first thing that I have checked off my list. I have another one in the works, and then all the stuff that is going inside. I figured if I at least got the containers done I would be in good shape because I can always fill them with cookies if I don’t have time to make all the other stuff that I have planned for the ensemble. I got this container at Hobby Lobby for a whopping $2.33. I painted the inside and then got to work on the outside. The DP that I used here is from American Crafts {my fave paper!!}. The flowers were purchased at Recollections individually {how cool is that!?!} and then layered and put together with a pearl brad. Finally, the letter is from the Cuttlebug Red Tag Alphabet and the ribbon is SU! Olive 5/8″ grosgrain.
Ellie is in school today {yay!}. My phone is turned off. I am going to check some more stuff off my to do list and maybe get some cleaning done, too. Have a great day!!

Before…

After:

When I first started making this card I knew that I wanted to use The Cat’s Pajama’s Skating Kitty image and the “Think Snow” sentiment {the sentiment is the whole reason I got that clear set!!}. I had no idea how it would come out, but I have to say…I flippin’ LOVE this card! Maybe that sounds like I’m tooting my horn, but I don’t care right now {and that’s ok, really!}. It’s been a long time since I finished a project that I was super happy with and I am just breathing a little sigh of relief that I still have it in me to do this. Do you know what I mean??? I’m not saying I had no mojo, but I was about to start running on ‘E’ if something like this didn’t come along.
Anyways and anywhooooooo…let me get to telling you about the card and details. The kitty is stamped in black Staz-On on PaperTrey white cardstock and then colored with Copic markers. Her jacket ‘fur’ is white puffy paint {Tulip brand from Michael’s}. I love the dimension it gives! The swirly trail is also stamped in Staz-On. I then took my Bashful Blue marker and colored over it and then used my aqua painter and softened the lines. I topped the swirly off with my Sakura Stardust pen {available HERE}. The sentiment is also stamped with the same ink and then I placed Swarovski crystals on either side. I reeeeeaaaallly prefer these crystals over the cheapy rhinestones. They are SO much more sparkly!! The stitching was done with my Janome Sew Mini {a must have!} and the white plastic snowflakes are from Hobby Lobby.
I hope you all had a wonderful long weekend with family and friends. We’re in the home stretch to Christmas now…yikes!!

Detail shots…



Dimensions: Standard
Stamps: The Cat’s Pajamas
Ink: Black Staz-On, Bashful Blue Marker, Copic Markers
Paper: Basic Black, Regal Rose {SU!}, White CS {PaperTrey}, American Crafts {DP}
Other: Plastic Snowflakes, Swarovski Crystals, Ribbon, Dimensionals, Puffy Paint, Janome Sew Mini, Sakura Stardust Pen

Before I get started on the Sketch stuff, I thought you should know of a *little* sale going on at Verve Visual…

10% off all Verve Visual stamp sets and acrylic blocks
15% off all Ribbon, Embellishments, Inks and Adhesives
15% off all Pearlized Cardstock
20% off all Bind-it-All Coils
25% off all designer paper

The sale is only through the end of the weekend, so hop on over for the specials soon!
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Welcome back for another edition of Sketch For You To Try! I hope you all survived your shopping adventures on Black Friday!! I have a fun sketch for you today. I hope you will have lots of fun with it. Have a great weekend!!
***When uploading to SCS, please use the keyword SFYTT so we can check them out all in one place.*** I am looking forward to seeing what you come up with…and hearing any fun Black Friday adventure stories!

Here’s the sketch…

Here’s my sample…

For more samples, you can check out the blogs of Carole Burrage and Susan Liles {just click their names}. Shannan wasn’t sure if she would have internet access today, so she sent me the pic of her card. Here it is…

Tony actually did it…he got up at the crack of dawn and went shopping. Wal-Mart is only about 2 miles from our house and they had some wonderful advertised deals. We each got a little something as an early Christmas present. He got the Madden game for Play Station. Ellie got some Mega Blocks {and slippers and jammies}. Now for the drumroll…I got a CRICUT!!! I had NO intention of purchasing this when it was priced at $300. Slowly the price has come down a little, but not enough for me to purchase it. Today is was on super sale and Tony got the last one. Apparently there was someone there looking at it {from a few feet back}. Tony came right up and grabbed it. Nice, eh? He came home saying that all is fair in love and war on Black Friday. I guess if you don’t have it in your hands, it’s not yours yet. So, at 6:20am, they were officially out of Cricuts at our local Wally World.
I have yet to make something with this wonderful piece of crafting machinery, so today I am sharing with you a card I made with my other machine…the Cuttlebug. I love my bug!! This card uses the Red Tag Alpha…my FAVORITE alpha!!
Be sure to check back tomorrow for the SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY. I have a feeling you are going to like what I have in store for you! Happy shopping and if you want it, be sure it’s in your hands or people like my husband will come take it out from under your nose. I laugh only because I have the Cricut at my house now. Shame on him tho, right? Nah!

Dimensions: 5″ square
Stamps: Rough Edges Alpha (SU!), Diaper Pins (A Muse)
Ink: Brocade Blue, Basic Black (SU!)
Paper: Brocade Blue, Whisper White (SU!); Polka Dot DP (American Crafts)
Other: Sakura Stardust Pen, Crystal Effects, Brads, Paper Piercer