Verve- November Release Retrospective Blog Hop

Hello Everyone and Welcome to the Verve Retrospective Blog Hop!

Everything in the Verve shop is on sale 25% off right now, so it's a great time to stock up. Come take a tour of our blogs to see these fun stamps in action, then leave a comment  as you hop about for a chance to win today's prize!
This month's stamps have been so much fun to play with.  I have been saving my favorite image for last- these darling stockings in the Jolly Jingles Stamp Set!

I had so much fun with this card- from the colors to the coloring to the watercolor background.
The stockings were colored with Copics and then die cut out with the matching dies.  Tiny sequins adorn the tips of the stockings and I have added glitter to the fringe at the top of the stockings.
The background was made using the  Stencil Monoprint technique on watercolor paper.
I am linking up to Happy Little Stampers November Christmas Challenge- 'Watercolor'.

Want to win some Verve?  

One lucky comment from all of the stops along today's hop will be randomly selected to win a $40 gift voucher to Verve! To be entered in the giveaway, comment on each of the stops below. Comment deadline for the prize drawing is Monday, November 28.

1. Julee	6. Laurie
2. Lee Ann (Guest)	7. Charmaine
3. Lynn (Guest)	8. Betty
4. Tenia (Guest)	9. Maureen
5. Marisa	10. Teresa

Thanks for stopping by!

Lee Ann  :)

A little Mixed Media Verve

Hello and Happy Friday, Everyone! 

I just had to use the new Jolly Jingles Stamp Set from Verve again.  So many possibilities...

Went the mixed media route this time.  Alcohol inks were dripped on glossy cardstock.  silver metallic alcohol ink was added as well, but oddly, did not show up on the photo.  The image was heat embossed on the colored glossy cardstock and fussy cut out. 
I used distress inks on the smaller panel; they were actually left over on my craft mat and I rubbed the white cs over it.  The panel was them dry embossed with SU's Softly Falling ef.  The larger background panel was dry brushed with white acrylic paint.  It seemed lacking in something, so I added snowflakes from the Jolly Jingles Stamp Set in both Versamark ink and white ink. 
The sentiment is from the new set, Beyond Measure.  To finish it all off, I added white acrylic paint spatters, clear sequins, cheese cloth and some silver cording. 
I used the sketch at MOJO Monday. 

I am also linking up to Happy Little Stampers November Mixed Media Challenge- 'alcohol inks'.

Thanks for stopping by and hope your weekend is crafty and relaxing!

Lee Ann  :)

Some Verve Inspiration on Release Day!

Hello and Happy New Release Friday!
Yep, today's the day!  It's an exciting day as there's new Verve in the store this morning! Two beautiful new sets and coordinating die sets just released and they're all available in the Verve shop right now. To celebrate the new release, we're putting on another blog hop with a fabulous giveaway!
If you are hopping along, you should have arrived here from Julee's blog~

For this card I used the Beyond Measure Stamp Set.   I used my MISTI to place my berry images, coloring various parts of the image with one distress marker/ink, stamping, and then repeating with another color.  I spritzed with water as I went along.  The background is lightly watercolored with distress ink.  When all was dry, I stamped the sentiment. 
I got a little sketch inspiration from Sketch Saturday. 

Want to win some shiny new Verve? Today's prize is a BIG one. We'll be picking a random commenter on one of the hop spots below to win our ENTIRE new release! So be sure to leave a little comment on all the blogs below to increase your chances! Check out the Verve Blog today for the full hop list and all the prize info and deadlines!

Thanks so much for stopping by and enjoy all of the amazing inspiration along the way!  Your next stop is the oh so talented Lynn! 

Day 2 of Verve's November Inspirational Blog Hop!

Hello and Welcome! 

It is Day 2 of Verve's November Release Spotlight Hops!  Everything previewed this week will be available to order in the Verve online shop on Friday, November 4. 

Today we're sharing our first projects featuring the Beyond Measure stamp set and coordinating Christmas Spirit Die Set.  You should have come her from Julee's blog.  If not, you may want to head there to start from the beginning~

What a fabulous set!  Gorgeous sentiments and fonts plus elegant images make for stunning cards!

I started by heat embossing the small pine image on water color paper.  I added my color using Distress inks- I believe this is Candy Apple Red.  

I stamped several of the foliage images and die cut them with the matching dies.  I played around with various layouts and then decided that what I needed to finish it off was the dove image. It is stamped in a blue grey from Memento and sparkly goodness is added with the Wink of Stella Brush.

For even more sparkly goodness, I added a layer of gold behind a couple of layers.  I won't share my secret that this gold paper is actually gold wrapping paper.  Shhhh!  

The sentiment is heat embossed in gold and clear sequins are added to finish it off!  

From here, you are headed to the amazing Lynn Mangan's Blog!  

Want to win some shiny new Verve? We'll be picking a random commenter on one of the hop spots below to win today's featured products! So be sure to leave a little comment on all the blogs to increase your chances! Check out the Verve Blog today for the full hop list, a little more about our new products and all the prize info and deadlines!

  

I am linking up to the Mod Squad Challenge- Go for the Gold!  

Thanks so much for stopping by and enjoy the hop!  

Lee Ann  :)

Christmas and Verve and Guesting, On My!

Hello, Hello!
Welcome to my blog and Day 1 of Verve's New Release Spotlight Hops for November.  That's right- Verve!  I have the honor of guesting for Julee, the owner of Verve, for the month or November!
I have been a Verve fan for a long time; Verve was one of the first companies I discovered and shopped from when I looked beyond SU.  :)  I absolutely love the fonts and wonderful scripture stamps in the Verve collection.
Enough of that!  Back to the release! You should have arrived here from Julee's inspiring blog, Poetic Artistry.  Today we're sharing inspiration featuring the new Jolly Jingles stamp set and coordinating Winter Friends Die Set.

 This set is amazing!  There are so many options here- snowman, reindeer, trees and stockings! 

And those sentiments with their fabulous fonts!  Just became my new fave Christmas set.  :)
Mr Snowman was stamped on kraft cs and colored with Prismacolor Pencils.  I used the Winter Friends Dies to cut him out. The snowflake background is stamped with an oldie but very goodie set, Glad Tidings.  The sentiment panel is also an oldie but very goodie, the Vintage Oval Stamp and matching die, which is a part of the Die Side Kicks Set.  The image is stamped and heat embossed on that panel.  Some gold thread and clear sequins add some shine and elegance.

I switched from elegant to CAS for this fun card, which uses Rudolph from the Jolly Jingles Set.  I stamped and colored him 3 different times so I could fussy cut parts out to make a dimensional reindeer.  He has a red pearl for a nose. I am linking this up to Merry Monday's Challenge, 'How Will You Decorate Your Door', and Fab 'n Funky- 'Animals'.

The wreath is from the Glad Tidings Stamp Set.

Check out the giveaway details then head over to your next stop, another guest designer, the fabulous Lynn Mangan! 

Want to win some shiny new Verve? We'll be picking a random commenter on one of the hop spots below to win today's featured products! So be sure to leave a little comment on all the blogs to increase your chances!

Gorgeous Colors and a Sketch

Good Morning All!

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend!  Many of us in the US have a 3 day weekend thanks to President's Day- Yippee!
I played last night with one of my favorite color combos~

Love, love, love these colors together!  Thanks, ColourQ!

I used the sketch at Viva La Verve~

My butterfly panel is made with vellum, alcohol inks, and alcohol.  I added the colors to the vellum and then stamped the Verve butterflies and embossed them in gold.  I embossed an additional butterfly in gold and fussy cut it out to embellish. 
I am also linking up to Just Add Ink's 'Just Add V' Challenge.  

Thanks fo stopping by and have a blessed weekend!

Lee Ann  :)

Going Red with a Few Challenges

Hi Everyone and Happy Saturday!

Tried to rejuvenate the mojo today by playing in a few challenges.  I love this week's MOJO Monday sketch, so used that along with Colour Q's colors.

The sketch~

And the colors~

I stamped the floral image from Verve's Happy Place stamp set several times, using a mask.  Used Copic markers on the background and then added texture with alcohol, a sponge and some burlap.  The flowers where then colored with Copics.  I added texture to the flower heads with Crystal Effects, then added clear seed beads to the still wet Crystal Effects.

I love how this turned out.
I am also linking up to The Mixed Media Card Challenge, where this month's challenge is 'Red'.

Thanks so much for popping by and have a blessed weekend!

Lee Ann  :)

Baby Blues

Hello All and Happy Monday!
 It is quite the happy Monday for me and I imagine many of you as it is a holiday- Martin Luther King Day- and we have the day off!  Good day to be off too, as it is bitter cold outside.  Winter has finally arrived; all we are missing is snow!
I played in a few challenges this weekend~

The sketch is from Viva La Verve and the colors are from both The Friday Mashup and  Just Us Girls.

The sentiment, image and dies are all Verve.  I have been eyeing those sweet blue bells for quite some time and finally broke down and bought them.

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a blessed week!

Lee Ann  :) 

Wintry Thanks

Happy Friday! 

There are a few challenges out there that I decided to play in that were perfect for the Thank You card I needed for a sweet little girl at school.

I used the Viva La Verve sketch~

and the inspiration from Curtain Call~

The background is done using Stampin' Up stamps and Peerless Watercolors with the resist technique.  It is on a kraft base die cut with a SugarPea Designs Zig Zag Rectangle Die.  Next, two snowflakes were heat embossed on vellum, fussy cut out and colored with Copics on the back side.  I embellished with die cut sprigs cut with the Verve Leafy Sprigs dies. 
Finished up with a banner sentiment from WPlus9 and SSS sequins. 

Thanks so much and have a fabulous weekend! 

Lee Ann :)

Worked in a Little Verve and MOJO Monday

Hey Everyone!

Just a quick post this rainy evening in St Louis.  I have been busy all weekend trying to get my house back in order since I have been doing some significant remodeling.  Took a wee break to play in the MOJO Monday Challenge, which I have been neglecting lately.
Of course, this sketch gave my fits as I have not been working with a lot of layers lately.

Here is the sketch; I used negative space for the 4 small panels~

I also turned the sketch 180 degrees.  I just received new Verve goodies and could not wait to play.  Using this sketch was the puzzle.  I ended up creating a wreath with the small sprig from the new Happy Place stamp set. 
So sorry for the poor quality picture.  I remembered last minute that I needed to blog this card and of course it is now night time and not the best of lighting for pictures.

Thanks for popping by,

Lee Ann  :) 

A New Sketch to Roll in the Holiday Season

Hello and Happy Monday Everyone!

We have a new sketch for the start of the month of November at The Challenge.

My version is Christmas elegance, but this sketch can be interpreted many ways!

I simply embossed my Verve wreath and sentiment in gold and added a bit more shine with some glimmer mist.  Designer paper is SU and my banner dies are Top Dog Dies Banners #1 Die Set.

I am linking up to Merry Monday~

Ready for some more Ah-Mazing inspiration for the talented team?

Anita Madden
Claire Broadwater
Diane Jaquay

Kim Heggins

Kimberly Wiener
Lee Ann Barrett

Lesley Croghan

Lori Tecler
Michele Ferguson

Nance Salkeld

Can't wait to see what you create!  You can link up HERE!

Thanks for stopping by!

Lee Ann  :)

A Little Bit of Verve

Hi Everyone and Welcome to the last week of July (insert tears here)! 

I had a chance to play last evening and gave this sketch at Viva La Verve a shot. 

The Rock and Roll technique was perfect for the Bloom and Grow Stamp Set.  I also used the coordinating die; that was one of my first 'must haves'!  Pretty self explanatory, eh?!

Have a wonderful week! 

Lee Ann :)