Chic(a)s and Eggs and More

After a little airport drama at the start of yesterday morning, I can report that I'm now home safe and sound from my trip to Chicago. Chloe the cutie puppy is very happy to have me home--and I was very happy to see her, too. I'm planning on spending most of the weekend hanging out with her, resting and recovering (and doing laundry) so I'll be ready to go back to work on Monday. That should mean plenty of time for stamping. And, on that note, here are all four of my cards for this month's Viva la Verve challenges.

My card for the first sketch uses one of the cute chick images and a coordinating sentiment from Verve's Chicks Rule set. I colored the chick images with Copic markers, adding a tiny pearl to the center of the flower on each chick's head, then set the images inside yellow square frames. I did the same frame treatment for the "hola chick" sentiment.

The framed pieces are layered on a blue circle that's set on a bright pink scalloped circle. After machine stitching around the coordinating patterned paper panel, I layered the circle on top and set the piece on a yellow card base.

Materials Used:
Chicks Rule stamp set (Verve Stamps); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko); markers (Copic); Pixie Pink Classic ink, Daffodil Delight, Bashful Blue, and Pixie Pink cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Sweet Nectar designer paper (K & Company); 1 1/4" square punch (EK Success); circle and scallop circle dies (Spellbinders); self-adhesive pearls (Recollections); sewing machine

When I saw week 2's sketch, I thought it would be perfect for a sweet baby card using the fabulous 3d rolled nest die from The Cat's Pajamas along with a Verve sentiment. If you haven't seen the nest before, check out the video showing off how to use it here.

After using the die to cut the nest and some ink to add depth to the cut piece, I rolled it into shape and added a trio of clay eggs at the center. I used three coordinating patterned paper panels for the cardfront, edging the bottom with a kraft scalloped strip and a piece of green cardstock.

The "congrats" sentiment from Practically Perfect is stamped directly on the plaid patterned paper in blue ink. I added the nest above it and added a soft seam binding bow above it.

Materials Used: Practically Perfect stamp set (Verve Stamps); Baja Breeze and Crumb Cake Classic inks, Baja Breeze, Pear Pizzazz, and Crumb Cake cardstock, scallop edge punch (Stampin' Up!); Nana's Nursery-Baby Boy matstack (DCWV); nest die (The Cat's Pajamas); clay

My card for week 3's sketch is a bright and cheerful birthday card. I'm trying to use up some older supplies to make room for the new goodies previewed at that will soon be available at stores, so I used some older patterned paper here as the starting point for my card. I selected coordinating solids for the panel underneath the dotted panel and for the two strips along the left of the card, machine stitching things in place.

The balloon duo from the Birthday Bash set is stamped at the edge of a rectangle panel. I stamped the balloons a second time on a scrap of white cardstock, colored them, cut them out, and used foam tape to set them on the panel. The "celebrate good times" sentiment is stamped next to the balloons, accented with a trio of brads.

Materials Used:
Birthday Bash stamp set (Verve Stamps); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko); markers (Copic); Pumpkin Pie Classic ink, Pumpkin Pie cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Spring Moss, Aqua Mist, and Summer Sunrise cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Bloom & Grow designer paper (My Mind's Eye); circle and big scalloped circle dies (Spellbinders); silver brads (Making Memories); sewing machine; foam tape

And, here's my final card. I went with the same color scheme, but used die cuts to create my focal image instead of stamps.

I used a circle, embossed and layered on a pinking edge circle, to create a sun. The sun is set on an aqua die cut panel that's wrapped with some orange satin ribbon. The "hello sunshine" sentiment" from the Accent Notes set is stamped in orange and hung tag-style from the bow at the front of the die cut sun.

After machine stitching around the edge of a striped paper panel, I attached the aqua panel. The panel is set on a matching aqua card base.

Materials Used:
Accent Notes stamp set (Verve Stamps); Whisper White and Pumpkin Pie cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Aqua Mist and Summer Sunrise cardstock, Orange Zest satin ribbon, Summer Sunrise button (Papertrey Ink); Bloom & Grow designer paper (My Mind's Eye); Labels 1, circle and pinking circle dies (Spellbinders); circle punches (EK Success); orange twine (Divine Twine); sewing machine; foam tape