V (Five) from Verve

I’ve been hard at work completing the 5 sketch challenges from Verve’s upcoming release challenge. Here's a look at the results of my efforts.

Here’s card #1. I went for a masculine look on this one. The card started with a piece of designer paper from Cosmo Cricket that I used for the color inspiration. I used both patterns from the paper to make the panel that covers most of the cardfront. I used a wide piece of grosgrain ribbon to divide the two patterns.

I stamped two of the star images from Verve’s Polka Stars set in Riding Hood Red ink on kraft cardstock. I layered the panel on a piece of moss cardstock to coordinate with the color in the patterned paper. The sentiment panel, also stamped in red on kraft, overlaps the right edge of the large star panel. I combined images from the So Happy and Happy Thoughts sets to get this combo. The empty space under the words is filled with a trio of copper brads. I added a narrow brown ribbon loop, embellished with a wooden button, as the final embellishment.

Materials Used:
Polka Stars, So Happy, and Happy Thoughts stamp sets (Verve Stamps); Riding Hood Red Classic ink, Riding Hood Red, Mellow Moss, and Kraft cardstock, 5/8” and ¼” Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, 1 ¼” and 1 3/8” square punches, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); patterned paper (Cosmo Cricket-Lil’ Man line); wooden button, twine (Papertrey Ink)

This is card #2. It’s actually the first one I made. I had a really clear idea in mind for this one, so it’s where I started. I placed one of the hot air balloon images from the Up, Up and Away set in a cloud patterned paper sky. The balloon is paper pieced from the same pattern that I used for the four square panels on the cardfront.

The sentiment comes from the Great Expectations set. It’s stamped in Pumpkin Pie ink and layered on a circle embellished with a tab made from coordinating seam binding tape.

Materials Used:
Up, Up and Away and Great Expectations stamp sets (Verve Stamps); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Pumpkin Pie Classic ink, Pumpkin Pie and Bashful Blue cardstock, 1 3/8” circle punch, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); 1 ½” circle punch (EK Success); patterned paper (DCWV-Citrus Mat Stack, K & Company-Actopus to Zelephant Mat Pad); seam binding tape (Martha Stewart)

For card #3, I used the Sweet on You set. To match the “you color my world” sentiment that I chose for the focal image, I found some multicolored patterned paper for the wide band across the card. The sentiment is stamped in coordinating Rose Red ink on a soft gray panel and layered on a Baja Breeze scalloped oval. I added a button-embellished bow to the top of the sentiment panel.

To continue the dotted elements from the patterned paper, I used a dotted border embossing folder along the top and bottom edges of the card base. Unfortunately, the bumps made it hard to get the patterned paper to lie flat on my card when I went to attach it . . .

Materials Used:
Sweet on You stamp set (Verve Stamps); Rose Red Classic ink, Rose Red and Baja Breeze cardstock, Baja Breeze stitched grosgrain ribbon, mat pack and paper piercing tool, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); Soft Stone cardstock, Scarlet Jewel button, twine (Papertrey Ink); oval and scalloped oval dies (Nestabilities); patterned paper (We R Memory Keepers-Nonsense line); dotted border embossing folder (Cuttlebug)

Card #4 features the Little Star Plain Jane stamp. The circle panel in the sketch was a perfect fit for this image.

To get the two different colors on the image, I inked the stamp with a pair of Memento Dew Drops. The size and shape of these inkpads made it easy to get the colors where I wanted them. I used a series of Nestabilities dies to cut out the image and create contrasting mats.

I used some star patterned paper in coordinating colors for the panel in the lower left corner of the cardfront. The light blue panel is embossed with the Lines & Circles embossing folder for texture and interest. I added a trio of yellow rhinestones as a sparkly embellishment to match the star sentiment.

Materials Used:
Little Star Plain Jane image (Verve Stamps); Dandelion and Summer Sky inks (Memento); Bashful Blue, Brocade Blue, and Whisper White cardstock, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); Lemon Tart cardstock, Lemon Tart satin ribbon (Papertrey Ink); circle and petite scalloped circle dies (Nestabilities); patterned paper (K & Company-Itsy Bitsy); Lines & Circles embossing folder (Sizzix); yellow self-adhesive rhinestones (Studio 18)

And, finally, if you're still with me, here's card #5. I went floral on this one since none of my other cards used any floral images. The focal image is from the Floral Symphony set. I stamped the flowers in Rose Red ink, then used a blender pen and Pink Pirouette reinker to fill in the flowers. There's a tiny dot of Pink Petal Liquid Pearls at the center of each flower.

I used a panel of Cosmo Cricket patterned paper along the left side of the card and a scrap from the retired SU! Fall Flowers set along the bottom of the card. No ribbon here--that's unusual for me!

Materials Used:
Floral Symphony and Circular Sayings stamp sets (Verve Stamps); Kiwi Kiss, Rose Red, and Pink Pirouette Classic inks, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Pink Pirouette, and Whisper White cardstock, blender pen, Fall Flowers designer paper, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches (Stampin' Up!); patterned paper (Cosmo Cricket-Girl Friday line)