Viva la Verve--July Week 4

Well, it seems like I just started on this card, but apparently it took me a while to get it together. It's my Viva la Verve card from last Friday (July Week 4). I LOVED the sketch that Laurie came up with and it did sit on my desk for a couple of days, and then it took me a couple more days to actually make the card! I did a little here and a little there in between taking the fam to see Harry Potter, grocery shopping, getting the A/C fixed and watching America's Got Talent (GO Landau!). I need to work on getting my priorities straight, right?


Anyway, I mentioned I LOVE this sketch, and I can see myself using it again for other upcoming projects (maybe a card kit?). HERE'S the SCS thread about this sketch and HERE'S today's NEW sketch (that I plan to start this afternoon...and finish hopefully BEFORE next Friday--LOL!)


Sooooo, can you tell I used a Thanksgiving stamp from the Bountiful Harvest set that came out last year? I just love that sentiment and it fit perfectly in the spot I had desingated in my head for it with this sketch. The flourishes are from the set, Blue Skies which I thought really complemented the SU Sizzix embossing folder I used for the Ripe Avacado green.


The Jotted Heart die from Verve played nicely with some Die-namics from MFT for the rolled roses, not to mention the Seam Binding Ribbon from TCP--all so puurrty! It had been a while since I used those roses and I will continue to do so as pretty as the result is! So much cheaper than buying them and Very Verve-alicious!

SUSIE Q-TIP: The metal button in the center of the bow is actually a brad. I just hammered the legs down to make it flat (you could also cut them off) and hot glued it in place after the bow was tied.

Stamps: Bountiful Harvest, Blue Skies (Verve)
Paper: Ripe Avacado, Fine Linen (PTI), Stella and Rose (My Mind's Eye)
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Not Quite Navy (SU!)
Accessories: Jotted Heart Die (Verve), Mini Rolled Roses and Dizzy Border (MFT), Scallop Die (PTI), Labels One Nestabilities, Sizzix Embossing Folder (SU!), Metal Button Brad, Sewing Machine/Thread, Gray Flatback Pearls (Pizzazz Aplenty), Seam Binding Ribbon (TCP), Glue Dots, Hot Glue, Jody Boosters
Finished Size: 5" Square

TCP Tuesday 169--Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Well, this past weekend was a busy one. We did a little cleaning out in the garage, starting to make room for an added room that we will be building in there for my mom (hence the sale of that stuff from my blog post Sunday). Then yesterday, the girls and I did a bunch of running around, only to come home to our air conditioner saying it was 79 degrees in the house. In the hour afterward, it climbed to 84. That may not sound that bad, but when it's 106 outside, it's terribly uncomfortable! We called a friend in the A/C business and he came right over and got it back under control. Until it cooled off though, I had a better time sitting outside (in the heat that had come down to about 100, but at least there was a little breeze) with my neighbors last night, so no stamping got done.


Therefore, today my card for this week's TCP Tuesday Challenge 169 from The Cat's Pajamas is a little bit of a stretch since I didn't get to stamp anything fresh for this challenge...


I'm your Hostess with the Mostess and as always, I deliver a swanky STAMP challenge, so this week, we are hitting the road, taking to the sky, or heading out of space---in other words, getting the HECK OUT OF DODGE to escape the heat...


Use any form of TRANSPORTATION stamp from The Cat's Pajamas for this week's challenge! The bear from Catch My Drift here is being "transported" by these balloons off to a cooler climate! Not my first choice for a mode of transportation, but whatever gets you from Point A to Point B, right?

We "wheely" hope you get to play along with us this week in this challenge--there are LOTS of TCP stamps that will work for it, including several older sets. There are a few things to "steer through" while you play with us in this STAMP challenge, so be sure and visit ALMA'S blog HERE for all the details to get you headed in the right direction.

SUSIE Q-TIP: Don't forget to shine up those tires (or balloons in this case) with some Ranger Glossy Accents or Crystal Effects.

Stamps: Catch My Drift (The Cat's Pajamas)
Paper: White, Aqua, Magenta (American Crafts), Lime Twist (My Mind's Eye)
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Heart Trio and Pinking Border CutUps Dies (The Cat's Pajamas), Oval and Scallop Oval Nestabilities, Copic Markers, Glossy Accents (Ranger), Ribbon, Adhesive Rhinestones (My Mind's Eye), Flower Punch, Jody Boosters
Finished Size: A2

These Things are in My Way

EDITED TO ADD: Thanks for everyone's inquiries and interest in this FOR SALE post! All I have left are the Chalks, Star Spangled Day stamp set and the two Creative Memories Cutting Template sets. If you commented about any items but have not heard back from me, it's because you left no return email address for me to get back to you with. Thanks again, and I'll have more to sell very soon~ sus



Well, it's time to start purging and selling some stuff that I no longer have/will have room for. We are about to embark on a new "season of life" that will include having my mom move in with us within the next few months as a result of her stroke. So in order to make some room to "absorb" some of her household into ours, I will be periodically going through craft stuff--mine AND hers--and putting it here on the blog for sale! She owns A LOT of Stampin' Up stamp sets, so if there is anything you are looking for, let me know and I'll see if she has it.

But for today, here's what's coming out of my stash, priced CHEAPLY to move! Each stamp set/background stamp is $3 and I'll use flat-rate shipping (U.S. only) depending on the number of sets you want. The background stamps DO come with the clam-shell boxes, but for photo taking's sake, I took them out to get them all in one picture.


Backgrounds include: Fontastic, Cheesecloth, Print Pattern, Polka Dot, Linograph, Canvas and Paisley.


The stamp sets are: Star-Spangled Day (my very first stamp set that got me hooked on all this stuff!), Noteworthy, and Star of Wonder

Those plastic shape things are shapes for the Creative Memories Cutting System. I'll sell each set also for $3.


Lastly I have a set of Chalks (some are cracked) and a small set of Pearl Ex Watercolors (maybe used once). They are $3 each as well.

Ok, now ya'll don't all bombard me at once, wanting it ALL! (But if you do, I'll make you an offer you can't refuse.) Email me at susanliles@sbcglobal.net to let me know!

What else do ya'll want me to get rid of?

TCP Tuesday 168--I'm Melting

Well, are ya'll about as done with this heat as I am? It seems like the whole U.S. of A. is sweltering with record heat and we could all use a lot of rain. Why does this year seem hotter than normal to me here in North Texas? (It's something like the 20th day in a row of 100+ temps here.) Maybe it's the constant reminders that come up--like the HUGE crack in the ground in my backyard that you can see at least a foot into, or that my itty house's air conditioner is a gazillion years old and just can't keep up. It says it's 75 in here, but I could swear it's more like 85. And poor Sage, the minute she steps outside, she's panting! Ok, onward and upward, it could be worse...


I've got a sweet little card I made for this week's TCP Tuesday Challenge from The Cat's Pajamas. Tori Wild is our HWTM (Hostess with the Mostess) and she's come up with a cool and refreshing color combo. Take a look:


To get the mojo going I paired it up with Jen's July Sketch For You To Try. It took me a little while to get this one all fanagled the way I wanted it, but I LOVE the end result!


The Cat's Pajamas is famous for it's fun penguins and this one I believe is my favorite so far. Up, Up and Away has a larger penguin and some cute sentiments that work in all sorts of shapes. (It's so hard NOT to do sentiment flags all the time, because they are so swanky, but I resisted and did a circle here!)


That kite is fun and easy to paper piece (and then pop up on a foam booster) and hopefully it's a little cooler where he's at floating in the clouds...he's finding his happy place. That's what I need to do...like maybe Alaska.


Be sure and play along with us in this week's TCP Tuesday Challenge. Alma has all the details on her blog HERE on what's at stake...Cat Cash, Pick of the Litter, and the coveted Swanky Stamper of the Month Title!

SUSIE Q-TIP: Even if you want a white background for your main image, still stamp it on white, cut it out and pop it up on another panel of white cardstock. Add texture by dry embossing it first.

Stamps: Up, Up & Away (The Cat's Pajamas)
Paper: White, Chartreuse, Orange Zest (PTI), Melon (AC), Little Girls (Echo Park), White Flute Board
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Cloud Border and Big Pinking Border CutUps (The Cat's Pajamas), Scallop Rectangle Nestabilities, Seeing Spots Embossing Folder, Circle and Scallop Circle Punches, Copic Markers, Silver Brads, Cherry Divine Twine, Buttons, Jody Boosters
Finished Size: A2

Viva la Verve--Bottomless Thanks

Well, I think I'm finally recovered from my strep last week. Still a little dry in the throat, but that makes for a more sexy voice. (Hey, baby.--Say it really low and you can sound like me.) I did a little stamping last week, but didn't really have the energy. However, yesterday between watching the FIFA Women's World Soccer Cup (man, what a lot of missed shots!), I was able to make a couple of cards--one for the current Viva la Verve sketch and one for the Card of the Week kit up at Scrapper's Boutique (so you'll have to wait a bit to see that one, but it's CUTE, I "gay-rone-tee"!)


So Maureen came up with Friday's Viva la Verve sketch. I have to admit, I wasn't a big fan of it at first, but as I got to working on it, I really like it! I've had the idea to use the Jotted Heart Die from Verve with this sentiment from the new Words Cannot Express set (that Julee was inspired by me to make--hooray!) since I got it and this sketch provided a great opportunity to do that.


I also used Hope Blooms for the flower, cutting the top layer out with the Floral Circles Die, Love Notes allowed me to stamp and handcut the little "love" tag along with the stamped "frame" inside the Classy Label Die. Oh and how about that polkadot heart? Remember the Bountiful Backgrounds set? Homemade polkadot paper right there, my friends. Gotta.Love.It.

Ok, I'll let ya'll in on a little secret. I made this card in honor of all of ya'll. Yes, I'm getting a little mushy here. Thanks to everyone who reads my blog. I'm feeling so grateful for all the friendships, love, and support ya'll show me when I post projects and share my trials and tribulations here and I don't plan on stopping any time soon, even with how crazy my life has been lately. And those of you who I've come to know at Scrapper's Boutique who also "read me", you know where to find me and I appreciate all your personal complements. I know it's just a blog, but ya'll are all important to me!

Have ya'll been playing along in the Viva la Verve challenges? Should you? Why, YES, yes you should.
HERE'S where to find them.

SUSIE Q-TIP: When stamping almost any flowers, go ahead and stamp two or three. Then cut out the extras, snip the petals from the outside to the centers, layer them and push the petals up for dimension. In this case, I snipped some of the petals completely off, so there were spaces between them on the top layer.

Stamps: Words Cannot Express, Hope Blooms, Love Notes, Bountiful Backgrounds (Verve)
Paper: White, Pure Poppy (PTI), Regal Rose (SU!), Sweet Summertime (Echo Park), City Park (American Crafts)
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Real Red, So Saffron (SU!)
Accessories: Classy Label, Jotted Heart, and Floral Circles A Cut Above Dies (Verve), Hole Punches, Circle and Scallop Circle Nestabilities, Pinking Border CutUps (The Cat's Pajamas), Tiny Flower Punch, Red Pearl Flatbacks (Pizzazz Aplenty), Large Dots Embossing Folder, Button/Twine (PTI)
Finished Size: A2

TCP Tuesday 167--Julie's Watercoloring Challenge

Well, I sat down to do a little stamping last night. I got the movie, "The Kids are All Right" and loaded it into the laptop to watch while I worked. OH MY WORD! I had to take it out...I didn't realize what kind of "action" would be taking place in that one. The girls were still awake and could come in at any minute, so I had to turn it off before they weren't all right! It wasn't that interesting anyway, so I "got busy" making this card for this week's TCP Tuesday Challenge.


Julie Masse is this week's Hostess with the Mostess and she has issued a technique challenge to use watercolors that had some of the Cat Packers stumped, as most of us are a little addicted to our Copic Markers. But a challenge is a challenge, right?


I used one of my favorite sets from this past Spring's release called Catch My Drift on some watercolor paper and went to town with a bunch of SU! ink and an aquapainter. (Squish the inkpad while still shut. It will put some ink into the lid of the pad which then becomes your "palette" for your brush.)


I sprayed the main panel and the heart with Marshmallow Glimmer Mist so it's super sparkly. Unfortunately, I couldn't capture that in the picture very well, but trust me, it looks as good as Edward Cullen in the sunlight.


We hope you want to play along with us this week for some swanky fame and fortune. Alma has all the details on her blog HERE.

SUSIE Q-TIP: It had been a little while since I had used my Marshmallow Glimmer Mist on anything. So I guess the sprayer had gotten a little clogged. To get it unclogged, you have to text your friend, Lynn. She will then tell you to unscrew it and clean it out with hot water. It worked! (Thanks, Lynn!)

Stamps: Catch My Drift (The Cat's Pajamas)
Paper: Watercolor Paper (Canson), Cotton Candy (MFT), White, Springtime (American Crafts, Lime Twist (My Mind's Eye)
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), So Saffron, Pink Passion, Creamy Caramel, Close To Cocoa, Pumpkin Pie, Tempting Turquoise, Lovely Lilac (SU!)
Accessories: Heart Trio CutUps (The Cat's Pajamas), Nestabilities, Sewing Machine/Thread, Aquapainter Brush, Marshmallow Glimmer Mist, Tiny Flower Punch, Glitter Rhinestones (Pizzazz Aplenty), Rose Seam Binding (The Cat's Pajamas), Jody Boosters
Finished Size: A2

A Pause for the Cause

Well, I know I kind of dropped off the face of the earth there for a bit. It's been a little crazy since returning from our little "getaway" to Camp Grady Spruce. I came down with a migraine on our way home, so that meant no fireworks for me Monday night for the 4th. Good thing I stayed home, as my mom overdosed herself on her insulin. So I had to go over there, and make sure she was ok (she's fine now, but that was a close one!). Headache finally went away late last week. My throat has been scratchy for a couple of days and now my doctor says I have strep. So I am starting a Z-pack today and getting those antibiotics to kick in. Oh and did I mention Eric is out of town until Saturday? Fun times. Needless to say, I haven't been stamping for the past week and a half, but I hope to get in there and make something today. I've seen so much inspiration on facebook and the like...ya'll are amazing!


Anyway, I just thought I'd share a couple of pics from our Camp Grady trip. They are of Audrie, Lindsie, Shelbie (our oldest) and Eric. And of course the fireworks. The reflection from the lake made them SPECTACULAR!


It was THE BEST Fourth of July I have EVER had and we definitely want to go again next year!


OH and someone left me a comment a few days ago about THIS little mini book, asking what ink I used to ink all the edges. However, whoever you are, you commented anonymously so I had no way to get back to you, so I hope you are reading this for your answer. It's the famous Chestnut Roan Cat's Eye Ink pad from Colorbox. All of you NEED at least ONE of these. I suggest when you find them, get two or three as they are a little hard to come by. A black and a white are also quite handy to have on hand as well.


SUSIE Q-TIP: Thanks for letting me whine. Trust me, you'll be glad you did. I'll put something fun on my blog soon as my thanks to you.

July Sketch For You To Try

Well, I can't believe it's July already and time for another Sketch For You To Try from Jen. This month, we have a new sponsor, My Favorite Things, so ya'll know I was excited about that! Since resigning from the MFT design team due to my mom's stroke and the time I needed to free up to take care of her, I haven't had a chance to play with my MFT stuff!



This set, Just My Type came out just around the time I stepped down, but I have loved it and the concept of putting a sentiment on the "paper", since I first saw it! It's actually a stamp set/Die-namics set that comes together, but for some reason, I never got the die. (?) So I just cut the typewriter out by hand. The "click clack" is from another set that's kind of matchy-matchy called Own Your Story, and I just had to include it!


I think out of all the sentiments that come with the Just My Type set, I love this one the best and it is so fitting for the kind of week I've had! I got in trouble at the grocery store for doing a little "self-peeling off" of some coupons attached to some hamburger meat, an 18-wheeler decided he needed to merge into my lane without regard for my Expedition (how can you not see THE BEAST?) so I was almost smushed, and above all else, I had to cancel a hair appointment and the next available isn't until 3 weeks from now. My hair will be a BEAST by then!


Anyway, I'm working today at Scrapper's of course but then, I am off to meet up with the rest of my family at Camp Grady Spruce on Possum Kingdom Lake about
2 hours from here for a little fishing, grilling, an overnight stay in a cabin (it's air-conditioned) and fireworks over the lake. I can't wait! I'll be sure and share pictures next week! Happy Fourth of July ya'll!

Be sure and "shift" on over to the other SFYTT sisters' blogs to see what they've typed up and then play along with us. Debbie Carriere is our new Guest Designer of the month and she's terrific! Get all the details on how you can be next month's Guest Designer over on Jen's blog HERE.

Amy Sheffer
Megan Lock
Amber Hight
Carole Burrage
Jodi Collins
Kerry Johnson
Terri Moore
Jen Tapler

We have a couple of typos to clear up:

1. Kelly is stepping down from the SFYTT team to make time for her family's new addition arriving soon.

2. Sony is finally crawling out from under all her schoolwork and has joined us this month. YAY!

SUSIE Q-TIP: Partially fan-fold a strip of paper as an embellishment on your card or project. Just make sure you cut your strip longer than needed, as the fan-folding will "use up" some length.

Stamps: Just My Type (My Favorite Things)
Paper: Black, White, Vintage Cream (PTI), Stella and Rose (My Mind's Eye)
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Antique Linen (Ranger), Real Red (SU!)
Accessories: Flower and Leaf Trio Die-namics (MFT), Corner Rounder, Circle Punch, Buttons (PTI), Divine Twine (TCP), Silver Brads, Glue Dots, Jody Boosters
Finished Size: A2

July Diva Inspirations Blog Hop

Well, welcome to the July Diva Inspirations Blog Hop! Our Diva Inspirations team and several special guests from the Release team are here to start your month off right with a little Verve inspiration! Take a little peek at each of the fabulous blogs below for some Verve-alicious eye candy and you just might win some Vervey goodness of your very own!


I decided to put a "scrappy" spin onto the newest Viva la Verve sketch for July (find all the details HERE). I used an older set, just for the fun little sentiment from the Happy Hello set and centered a Flutterby Butterfly from the Verve die (ha! I rhymed!) square in the middle of the little card.



Ok, so here's a few things to keep in mind:

1. We've hidden a little mystery prize on one of today's hop spots, so be sure to leave a little comment love as you hop around for a chance to win!
Comment Deadline: 11:59pm Mountain, July 5
Prize: $30 gift certificate to Verve

2. July is birthday time here at Verve, with five Diva birthdays, including my own! To start the celebration in style, our July Stamp of the Month is one of my absolute favorites... Carpe Cupcake! And at 40% off during the month of July, Carpe Cupcake is one SWEET deal!

3. A brand new month also brings along a new sale here at Verve! During the month of July, save 20% on all of our birthday stamps! Check out all the birthday goodness on our SALE page.

4. Our Gift to YOU! And what's a birthday party without goody bags? We've gathered together some of our favorite things... doilies, My Mind's Eye paper, tags, ribbon, plus a few other goodies and put them in brown paper packages! And during the month of July, if your order is $75 or more, you'll receive one of these goody bags free! There's nothing to add to your cart, we'll just be sure to include it when your order ships! Celebrate good times, c'mon!

Ok, now here's the master list of all the hoppers so you can stay on track with all the celebrating going on!

1. Julee
2. Betty
3. Dawn
4. Jen d.
5. Jen T.
6. Lynda
7. Shannan
8. Sony
9. ME
10. Andrea
11. Charmaine
12. Teresa
13. Maureen
14. Amber
15. Amy

Party on, dudes.