...Crazy 4 Treat Containers

Happy Saturday, everyone! It's time for another challenge from our Crazy Girls! We are simply loving the challenges that have been posted this month by our fellow team member, Joanne Grzelak...and this week's is no different! Our submissions today will be utilizing Treat Containers of all kinds...wanna see mine?

I created a sweet and simple treat bag for my Homemade Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies! I started with a Glassine Bag, then stamped the small snowflake from Verve's "Christmas in the Air" set in Bermuda Bay Ink. I folded the top of the bag over once, then used my Janome Sewing Machine to seal the fold. The sentiment (from the same Verve set) was stamped in Jet Black Staz-On Ink onto a piece of Bermuda Bay Cardstock.

I created the snowflake accent by cutting some Whisper White Cardstock with my Spellbinders' Create A Flake One Nestabilities Dies and my Big Shot. I left the papers in the dies after they were cut, then sponged some Bermuda Bay Ink onto the exposed surfaces using a Sponge Dauber. The pieces were removed from the dies, Mono Multi Liquid Glue was added to the sponged portions, then some Chunky Glitter was added for some sparkle.

I layered the snowflake using several Dimensionals, then added a Button and Silver Cording to the top using Mini Glue Dots. A piece of Bermuda Bay Dotted Ribbon was tied around the top of the bag, and the snowflake was attached to it using more Mini Glue Dots.

Now let's see what the rest of the ladies have in store for you today:

• Barbara Anders
• Cindy Haffner
• Frances Byrne
• Jessica Diedrich
• Jessie Rone
• Joanne Grzelak
• Joycelyn Turner
• Lori Boyd
• Lynda Benden
• Robin Willis
• Vicki Garrett

That's it for today...thanks for stopping by! It's your turn to create your very own treat container, and share it with us. Be sure to add your creation to Mister Linky back at the Crazy 4 Challenges Blog post...we can't wait to see what you come up with! Until later...

Supplies

Stamps: Christmas in the Air (Verve)

Papers: Whisper White, Bermuda Bay

Inks: Jet Black Staz-On, Bermuda Bay

Accessories: homemade cookies, treat bags, create a flake one nesties, big shot, sponge dauber, multi liquid glue, glitter, silver cording, button, ribbon, sewing machine, mini glue dots, dimensionals, mono adhesive

...Home For The Holidays

Please scroll down to see my Farm Fresh Friday post!

I'm back again with another post, but this time I am showcasing my October 2009 Verve Project Parade entitled "Home For The Holidays". The Divas have been rocking the Verve Blog by creating inexpensive and beautiful handmade gifts, decor, and more. Today is my day to share a holiday gift idea...


I was able to make a stamped candle with a coordinating 3X3 card and envelope for under $5! I purchased a vanilla-scented candle and a pack of white tissue paper from an "everything is a dollar" store for $2. Then I used leftover bits and pieces of patterned paper, cardstock, and satin ribbon. The cost of papers couldn't be more that $1, and I actually got the ribbon from the end of a huge roll of satin ribbon for FREE. The candle and card were both stamped with the ornament shapes and sentiment from the "Holly Jolly Christmas" set, then the candle was placed into a large cello bag that cost only 10 cents...yes, I said it...10 CENTS!!! The envelope was actually from a gift card that I had received with one of my Christmas presents last year, so I thought I would reuse it instead of paying for a whole pack of new 3 X3 vanilla envelopes...especially since I only needed one!

That's it for me! So, now it's your turn! We'd love for you to play along with us and show us your homemade goodies for the upcoming giving season! Verve stamps are not required, but if you've got 'em, why not show 'em a little love?

And, as with all of our project parades, we've got prizes! To enter, just link up your Home for the Holidays creation to the Mr. Linky widget at Day One's post before midnight MST on Thursday, November 26. One lucky stamper will win a $30 gift certificate to the Verve Store. And for another chance to win, be sure to give the Divas a little shout out in the comments as they parade their fabulous creations inspired by this month's theme. One lucky commenter during the course of the parade (Nov 11 - 25) will win their choice of any Verve set.

Supplies

Stamps: Holly Jolly Christmas (Verve)

Papers: Purely Pomegranate, Very Vanilla, Watercolor, Holiday Harmony DSP

Inks: Basic Black Craft, Purely Pomegranate, Wild Wasabi

Accessories: mat pack, paper piercer, dimensionals, clear embossing powder, aquapainter, scissors, sewing machine, tissue paper, wax paper, heat gun, candle, cello bag, ribbon, envelope

Technique: Stamping On Candles

...Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge #48 (MTSC48)

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It's time for another sketch challenge, but I wanted to take a moment to thank you all for faithfully participating in my weekly challenges...it's because of you that my Tuesday sketches have been such a success...you guys are THE BEST!

Now for this week's Tuesday Sketch #48 :

Viv Holden's Sample :

My Sample:

Now let's see what the Muses have in store for us today:

• Pam Speidel
• Cindy Haffner
• Pam Varnell
• Julie Lacey
• Crystal Birr
• Jackie Pedro
• Jessica Diedrich
• Shannan Teubner : will not be with us again until after the New Year
• Viv Holden (November Guest Muse)

Now it's your turn! Create a card or scrapbook layout using the sketch above, and link your creation below in Mister Linky. Be sure to use the keyword MTSC48 when uploading to a public gallery!

Happy Stamping!

...Cracked Glass Mojo

This is my submission for this week's Mojo Monday Sketch #112. I usually shy away from layouts with small focal panels, but this one actually motivated to stamp! I loved the bright color combinations in some My Mind's Eye patterned paper that I found not too long ago, and I knew I had to use it for this sketch! You can't really see it well, but the papers have glitter running throughout them...and they are so beautiful up close. I used one of the snowflakes and the sentiment from the Verve set, "Christmas In The Air", since the focal panel was so small. I used the Cracked Glass Technique on the embossed portion of the circular panel after watercoloring it. I left the white edges on the focal panel for contrast against the Regal Rose scalloped panel. So...what do you think?

I also wanted to let you all know that the Divas have started sharing some "Home For The Holidays: Gifts, Decor, and More!" over at the Verve Blog. It started yesterday, and will run until November 25th. And, as with all of our project parades, we've got prizes! To enter, just link up your Home for the Holidays creation to the Mr. Linky widget posted on Day One before midnight MST on Thursday, November 26. One lucky stamper will win a $30 gift certificate to the Verve Store. For another chance to win, be sure to give the Divas a little shout out in the comments as they parade their fabulous creations inspired by this month's theme. One lucky commenter during the course of the parade (Nov 11 - 25) will win their choice of any Verve set.

That's it for me today! I have some packing and cleaning to do, but I will see you back here tomorrow with a Farm Fresh Friday post! Until then...

Supplies

Stamps: Christmas In The Air (Verve)

Papers: Regal Rose, Creamy Caramel, Watercolor, My Mind's Eye DP

Inks: Basic Black Craft, Jet Black Staz-on, Regal Rose, Creamy Caramel

Accessories: dimensionals, mat pack, paper piercer, jumbo eyelet, crop-a-dile, ribbon, linen thread, aquapainter, versamarker, glassy glaze, heat gun, clear embossing powder, scissors, nesties, big shot

...Clean & Simple Christmas

I had created this card a few weeks ago for the Verve October Release, and I realized that I had never actually posted it! I hate it when that happens! It worked out pretty good today, though...I didn't stamped this weekend, but I still had a card to post! This clean and simple Christmas card was stamped with the "Star of Wonder" set, and embossed in Silver Embossing Powder. I only used Night of Navy and So Saffron for my color combination, but I did stamp the large focal star on Watercolor Paper.

That's it for me today! Thanks for stopping by! I will see you all again tomorrow with another installment of the Tuesday Sketch Challenge, and I will also be announcing the winner of the Whimsie Doodles Stamps set, "Muffin For Christmas". Until then...

Supplies

Stamps: Star of Wonder (Verve)

Papers: Night of Navy, So Saffron, Watercolor

Inks: VersaMark, So Saffron, Night of Navy

Accessories: mat pack, paper piercer, embossing buddy, silver embossing powder, heat gun, aquapainter, scissors, dimensionals, sponge dauber

...Verve-day Wednesday

Here are a couple of other cards that I made using two of the October Verve release sets, Frosty Flakes and Christmas In The Air. Instead of using patterned papers, I created my own using the stamps in the sets and solid cardstock to show how versatile and wonderful they are! Enjoy!

That's it for me today! Sorry for the short post, but it is busy, busy, busy at the Kerin household! I have another hectic day ahead, but I wanted to make sure you had some eye candy to tie you over until tomorrow. I will see you back here then with a special project that I have been working on. Until then...

Supplies for the "Winter Wonderland" Card:

Stamps: Christmas in the Air (Verve)

Papers: Real Red, Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Watercolor

Inks: Real Red, Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze

Accessories: sewing machine, clear embossing powder, heat gun, aquapainter, ribbon, sponge dauber, dimensionals, distressing tool, stickles

Supplies for the "Happy Holidays" Card:

Stamps: Frosty Flakes (Verve)

Papers: Not Quite Navy, Certainly Celery, Whisper White

Inks: Not Quite Navy, Certainly Celery

Accessories: mat pack, paper piercer, dimensionals, sponge dauber, brads, button, ribbon, linen thread

...A Merry Little Christmas

Happy Monday, everyone! I don't know about you, but Daylight Savings always messes with my internal clock! LOL! I was up later than I should have been last night, then woke earlier than I should have...gotta love it! I spent the day with my friend, Pam Varnell, doing a little stamping...so I got a little bit ahead as far as my stamping schedule goes (and that's always a good thing!). With last week's sneak peeks from TGF I didn't get a chance to showcase some of the Verve cards that I had created a while back, so I thought today would be a great time to do so.

I had this multi-teared ornament in mind as soon as I received the new sets, but Betty Wright beat me to the punch! LOL! I stamped two of the ornaments from the "Holly Jolly" set, and added one of the smaller stars from the "Star of Wonder" set. They were stamped in Black Craft Ink on Watercolor Paper, embossed with Clear Embossing Powder, then colored in Rich Razzleberry with an Aquapainter. I carefully cut the ornament out, and added some Pink Stickles to the darker edges for a bit of sparkle. I stamped the pine bough and sentiment from the "Ornamental Christmas" set, and used some of my Cottage Wall Designer Series Papers to add some more color. A piece of Rich Razzleberry Dotted Ribbon was added along with a Celery Button and some Linen Thread.

That's it for me today! Thanks for stopping by to see me! I have some bills to pay, laundry to wash/dry/fold/put away, dogs to bathe, clothes to sort, and a JV football game to get ready for...so I'd better get a shower and get moving if I am going to get everything finished by 5:00! LOL! I'll see you all back here tomorrow with another Tuesday Sketch...you will NOT want to miss this one! Until then...

Supplies

Stamps: Holly Jolly, Star of Wonder, Ornamental Christmas (Verve)

Papers: Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White, Watercolor, Cottage Wall DSP

Inks: Basic Black, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive

Accessories:mat pack, paper piercer, dimensionals, clear embossing powder, aquapainter, stickles, scissors, ribbon, button, linen thread

...It's a Verve Christmas

I am loving these new stamps from Verve! Christmas is my favorite time of year, and these sets are my favorite seasonal sets so far! This first card showcases "Holly Jolly". I usually go for non-traditional colors when it comes to color combinations, but I leaned toward a more traditional look for this one. I combined Real Red, Old Olive, and Kraft to create this fun and festive card. How do you like my custom patterned paper on the olive panel? I think I used every stamp in the set to make it! LOL!


This second card focuses on my favorite set from this last release...O Christmas Tree. Another clean and simple card that immediately draws your eye to the watercolored wreath...gotta love those poinsettias! No custom patterned paper, but who needs it with that gorgeous wreath, right? {wink}

That's it for me today! Thanks for stopping by, and I will see you back here tomorrow with another TGF sneak peek. Until then...

Supplies for the "Holly Jolly Christmas" Card

Stamps: Holly Jolly (Verve)

Papers: Kraft, Real Red, Old Olive, Very Vanilla

Inks: Old Olive, Real Red, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa

Accessories: dimensionals, sponge dauber, mat pack, paper piercer, chocolate marker, ribbon, linen thread, hodgepodge hardware

Supplies for the "Merry Christmas" Card

Stamps: O Christmas Tree

Papers: Night of Navy, Bravo Burgundy, Whisper White, Watercolor, Patterns Pack III

Inks: Garden Green Craft, Bravo Burgundy (Craft & Classic), Night of Navy (Craft & Classic)

Accessories: nesties, big shot, clear embossing powder, heat gun, aquapainter, scissors, dimensionals, ribbon, hodgepodge hardware, mat pack, paper piercer

...You Give Me Strength

This is my submission for a couple of challenges this past week at SCS; the Ways To Use It Challenge #241 (Patched Up!), and the Inspiration Challenge #203 (Anthropologie). I chose to use the colors in these Blush Grove Tights as my starting point, then added stitching between my pieces of patterned paper to create a patchwork look. The patterned papers were from K & Company, and the bird was from the Birds and Blossoms Diecut set. The sentiment was from the Verve set, "Believe", and was stamped in Soft Suede Ink. I added some paper piercing to the focal panel and the large Sage Shadow Cardstock panel, then added some Rhinestones above the sentiment and in place of the bird's eye. I used the Scallop Edge Border Punch on the horizontal Melon Mambo Cardstock panel, then tied some So Saffron Grosgrain Ribbon around it. All of the panels were attached to each other and the So Saffron Cardstock base using Dimensionals.

That's it for me today! Thanks for stopping by, and I will see you again tomorrow with another creation! Until then...

Supplies

Stamps: Believe (Verve)

Papers: So Saffron, Melon Mambo, Sage Shadow, K & Company

Inks: Melon Mambo, Soft Suede

Accessories: mat pack, paper piercer, ribbon, scallop edge border punch, birds and blooms die, big shot, sponge dauber, sewing machine, rhinestones, dimensionals

...Believe Blog Hop

Be sure to scroll down to the next post to see my Crazy 4 Challenges card!

Welcome to the Verve Believe Blog Hop. If you’ve just happened across my blog, you’ll want to start back at the beginning (http://poeticartistry.blogspot.com/) and hop your way along. Today we’re hopping for the Cure, sharing projects from a new set Verve just released called Believe. This set was designed in honor of breast cancer awareness, and Verve is donating $10 from the sale of every Believe set to the Susan G Komen For the Cure Foundation. We believe that we can make a difference. We believe that each day should be celebrated, each moment cherished, and that every little thing we can do in the fight to find a cure matters.

I decided to keep it sweet and simple with my "Believe" card...I wanted to showcase this beautiful set, not some sort of patterned paper or embellishment. I sponged and pierced the edges of the Pretty In Pink Cardstock base, then stamped the sentiment in Jet Black Staz-On Ink. For the focal panel, I collage-stamped the two ribbons and the smallest flower from the set in Pretty In Pink Classic Ink onto a Whisper White Cardstock. I then cut the panel into 1" squares, sponged the edges, and rearranged them randomly on the Basic Black Cardstock mat. The only embellishments I added were a piece of Black Grosgrain Ribbon and three Black Brads.

Thanks for hopping by! Next up on the hop is…JEN TAPLER. Oh, and we’ve got a special gift hidden along our hop for one lucky commenter, so if you see something you really love, give a little shout out and you just might win a $30 gift certificate to Verve!

Supplies

Stamps: Believe (Verve)

Papers: Pretty in Pink, Basic Black, Whisper White

Inks: Pretty in Pink, Jet Black Staz-On

Accessories: mat pack, paper piercer, sponge dauber, ribbon, brads

...Crazy 4 Geometric Shapes

This is my sample for the C4C8 challenge at the Crazy 4 Challenges Blog, and geometric shapes are the order of the day! I've included an oval, a square, and a rectangle in my creation for today. The beautiful poinsettia and sentiment were from the new Verve set "Blessed Christmas", and the patterned papers were from Fancy Pants Designs. I added piercing along the edges of the patterned paper panels, then tied some Riding Hood Striped Ribbon around the long, horizontal panel. The layered poinsettia was stamped three times on Watercolor Paper, embossed, then colored with ink pads and an Aquapainter. Each layer was cut out and attached to the next using Dimensionals, while the sentiment was stamped and embossed directly onto the Whisper White Cardstock focal panel. After adding three Silver Brads below the sentiment, each panel was attached to the Baja Breeze Cardstock base using Dimensionals.

Now let's check out what the other C4C design team members have to share today (I'm sure you will not be disappointed!):

• Barbara Anders
• Cindy Haffner
• Frances Byrne
• Jessica Diedrich
• Jessie Rone
• Joanne Grzelak
• Joycelynn Turner
• Lori Boyd
• Lynda Benden
• Robin Willis
• Vicki Garrett

Thanks for stopping by today, and I will see you again tomorrow! Until then...

Supplies

Stamps: Blessed Christmas (Verve)

Papers: Baja Breeze, Riding Hood Red, Whisper White, Watercolor, Fancy Pants Designs DP

Inks: Basic Black Craft, Riding Hood Red, Always Artichoke

Accessories: clear embossing powder, heat gun, aquapainter, mat pack, paper piercer, ribbon, brads, scissors, dimensionals, nesties, big shot

...October Verve Sneak Peeks : Day Four

It's Friday, and Day Four of the Verve October Sneak Peeks...so are you in the Christmas mood yet? You should be! But just in case you aren't, I am showcasing TWO more sets that will be available to purchase tonight! Ready to take a look?

O Christmas Tree

For this first peek, I used two of the sentiments and the small poinsettia to create my very own coordinating patterned paper on the Garden Green Cardstock panel. The sentiments and bloom were stamped in Chocolate Chip Ink in a random pattern using a Stamp-a-ma-jig and Image Sheet. The edges were pierced with a Mat Pack and Paper Piercer, then they were sponged in Chocolate Chip Ink with a Sponge Dauber. A piece of Chocolate Felt Ribbon was added, then the panel was attached to the Kraft card base using Dimensionals.

I stamped the tree three times on the Very Vanilla focal panel using the Masking Technique, then sponged the edges of that as well. I created the sentiment panel by stamping the sentiment on chocolate on vanilla cardstock, and cutting it out with my Big Shot and Classic Circle Nesties. A couple of Brown Brads were added above the focal panel to complete the card.

Frosty Flakes

This is one of my favorite cards for the week. This is the smallest set to be released this month, and contains three various-sized snowflakes and a sentiment. The sentiment was stamped in Always Artichoke Ink in the lower right-hand corner of the Kraft card base, and all three of the snowflakes were stamped on the Baja Breeze focal panel. I stamped and embossed all three flakes in white, then went back and added more of the smallest in baja ink to fill in some of the holes. The focal panel was matted with Always Artichoke Cardstock, then the top edge was pierced with a Mat Pack and Paper Piercer. A piece of Baja Breeze Striped Ribbon was added, then I created my own "icicles" to use at the bottom of the panel as a border punch substitute. So what do you think?

That's it for me today! Don't forget that the Divas are sharing more sneak peeks at the Verve Blog. You will not want to miss the release of the 7 new sets, so join me and the other Divas at the Release Party tonight at 9:00 p.m. EST! You can win FREE stamps by playing along with the Release Week Challenges, and you can also download the Winter Mittens Digi Set for FREE. Until later...

O Christmas Tree Card Supplies

Stamps: O Christmas Tree (Verve)

Papers: Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Garden Green, Very Vanilla

Inks: Chocolate Chip, Garden Green

Accessories: mat pack, paper piercer, sponge dauber, stamp-a-ma-jig, image sheet, ribbon, dimensionals, circle nesties, big shot, brads

Frosty Flakes Card Supplies

Stamps: Frosty Flakes (Verve)

Papers: Kraft, Always Artichoke, Baja Breeze

Inks: VersaMark, Baja Breeze, Always Artichoke

Accessories: embossing buddy, white embossing powder, heat gun, dimensionals, stickles, mat pack, paper piercer, ribbon, sponge dauber, crystal effects, dazzling diamonds, wax paper

...October Verve Sneak Peeks : Day Three

Happy Thursday, and welcome to Day Three of the October Release Sneak Peeks for Verve Stamps! We're still celebrating Christmas, and I have TWO more samples to share with you today...so let's get started!

Christmas In The Air

I simply adore this sentiment that accompanied this fun and whimsical set. I also loved the one-of-a-kind snowflakes...and there are several sizes to choose from included in the set. I used the smallest of the flakes on the Baja Breeze focal panel, then the next size up on the Old Olive panel. The sentiment was stamped first with Chocolate Chip Ink, then I used Baja Breeze Ink to create a shadowed or embossed effect (you can see it better by clicking on the picture to get a larger view). I added some faux-stitching around the focal panel using a Mat Pack, a Paper Piercer, and a Chocolate Chip Marker. The edges of the olive panel were distressed using a Heidi Swapp Distressing Tool, Old Olive Ink, and a Sponge Dauber. The striped patterned paper was from Bo Bunny, and was matted with Old Olive Cardstock. The only embellishments used on this were Aged Copper Hodgepodge Hardware and Chocolate Felt Ribbon.

Holly Jolly Christmas

How can you not love Christmas ornaments? And these are simply phenomenal...great designs and several to choose from! You all know how much I love non-traditional colors used for Christmas cards, and this card is no different! I stamped this fabulous striped ornament on Watercolor Paper with Basic Black Craft Ink, then embossed it with Clear Embossing Powder and a Heat Gun. I used an Aquapainter along with Bermuda Bay and Melon Mambo Inks to color and shade it. The holly was stamped, embossed, and colored in the same manner, but it was cut out and attached to the ornament using Dimensionals. The edges of all the panels were pierced using a Mat Pack and Paper Piercer, but I used a Black Marker to create faux-stitching on the bottom two panels. The sentiment, "happy holly-days", was stamped in Staz-On Black Ink, then a piece of Melon Mambo Dotted Ribbon and Black Brads were added to complete the card.

That's it for me today! Don't forget that there will be 7 new sets released immediately following the Release Party @ 9:00 p.m Eastern this Friday, October 23rd. All the Divas are sharing sneak peeks each day this week at the Verve Blog, too. There are some Release Week Challenges at the Verve forum that you can play along with for a chance to win some FREE STAMPS. There is even a Winter Mittens Digi Set that you can download for FREE...so go check it all out! Until later...

Christmas In The Air Card Supplies

Stamps: Christmas In The Air (Verve)

Papers: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Baja Breeze, Bo Bunny Patterned Paper

Inks: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Baja Breeze

Accessories: aged copper hodgepodge hardware, mat pack, paper piercer, chocolate marker, sponge daubers, dimensionals, distressing tool, felt ribbon

Holly Jolly Christmas Card Supplies
Stamps: Holly Jolly Christmas

Papers: Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, Watercolor Paper

Inks: Basic Black Craft, Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, Going Gray

Accessories: dimensionals, mat pack, paper piercer, black marker, brads, ribbon, clear embossing powder, heat gun, aquapainter, scissors, sponge dauber

...October Verve Sneak Peeks : Day Two

Happy Wednesday, everyone...and welcome to Day Two of my sneaky peeks at the new October releases from Verve! I know you all are going to love the gorgeous new images that debut this Friday, October 23rd! There will be 7 new sets released immediately following the Release Party @ 9:00 p.m Eastern. All the Divas will be sharing sneak peeks each day this week at the Verve Blog, and also on their individual blogs. There are some Release Week Challenges at the Verve forum that you can play along with for a chance to win some FREE STAMPS, and there is even a Winter Mittens Digi Set that you can download for FREE...so check it all out!

Today I have the pleasure of peeking TWO new set for you...Star of Wonder and Blessed Christmas! Yep, you guessed it...it's Christmas time in the neigh-Verve-hood! LOL! Now on to the sneaky peeky!

Star of Wonder

This first card showcases one of the gorgeous sentiment fonts that is included in this month's release. I embossed it in Black Embossing Powder, then sponged around it to create a twilight landscape. I stamped one of the smaller stars in the set onto the bottom portion of the Old Olive panel to create my very own coordinating patterned paper. I wanted to keep the card pretty simple, so I went sparingly on the embellishments: Silver Brads, Old Olive Ribbon, and an Olive Button tied with Linen Thread.

Blessed Christmas

This is one of my other favorite sets this month, so I was ecstatic to find out that the sneak peeks for both sets were going to be on the same day! Yet another extraordinary sentiment that was embossed in Black Embossing Powder, and a simple-yet-striking cross that was also embossed in black. I stamped off the cross twice to create the two shadowed crosses in the background, then watercolored the third to feature on this clean and simple card. The flower in the center was created by punching out So Saffron Cardstock using the Trio Flower Punch, then the edges were sponged before being attached to the cross. I added piercing around the focal panel and three Silver Brads to complete the card.

That's it for me today! Thanks for stopping by, and I will see you all again tomorrow with another look at some of the new and delicious sets for the October Verve Release. Until then...

Star of Wonder Card Supplies

Stamps: Star of Wonder (Verve)

Papers: Elegant Eggplant, Old Olive, Whisper White

Inks: Old Olive, Basic Black Craft, Elegant Eggplant

Accessories: dimensionals, mat pack, paper piercer, clear embossing powder, heat gun, brads, ribbon, button, linen thread, sponge daubers, nesties, big shot

Blessed Christmas Card Supplies

Stamps: Blessed Christmas (Verve)

Papers: Sage Shadow, Basic Black, Whisper White

Inks: Basic Black Craft, So Saffron, Sage Shadow

Accessories: dimensionals, mat pack, paper piercer, clear embossing powder, heat gun, aquapainter, scissors, trio flower punch, brads

...Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge #44 (MTSC44)

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Sorry I have been MIA lately, but I have been fighting off a horrible case of bronchitis since last Thursday. I had been coughing so hard that I actually pulled a couple of muscles in my back and neck But thanks to muscle relaxers and lot of rest, I am well on the road to recovery. So...not only is it time for another sketch challenge, but it is also October Release Week at Verve! We are having a blast with the gorgeous new images that debut this Friday, October 23rd! Verve will be releasing 7 new sets immediately following the Release Party @ 9:00 p.m Eastern. The Divas will also be sharing sneak peeks starting today at the Verve Blog, and also on their individual blogs. There are some Release Week Challenges at the forum that you can play along with for a chance to win some FREE STAMPS, and a Winter Mittens Digi that you can download for FREE...so check it all out!

Now for this week's Tuesday Sketch #44:


Silke Ledlow's Gorgeous Sample:

My Sample:

This is my sneak peek for Verve's new set called "Believe". I wanted to stay with a pink theme since this set was for Breast Cancer Awareness, so I combined Pixie Pink and Chocolate Chip. The patterned paper was actually created using the large flower image from the set, while the two smaller blooms were watercolored to create the layered flowers on the focal panel. I added some faux-stitching and sponging to the large background panel, and used a White Gel Pen to highlight the centers of some of the large blossoms. The card was finished off with Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon, Chocolate Chip Gingham Ribbon, a White Button, and Linen Thread.

Now let's see what the other Muses have created for our viewing pleasure today:

• Pam Speidel
• Cindy Haffner
• Pam Varnell
• Julie Lacey
• Crystal Birr
• Jackie Pedro
• Jessica Diedrich
• Shannan Teubner
• Silke Ledlow (October Guest Muse)

Now it's your turn! Create a card or scrapbook layout using the sketch above, and link your creation below in Mister Linky. Be sure to use the keyword MTSC44 when uploading to a public gallery. Happy Stamping!