Wrapping Things Up, Clean and Simple Style

It’s almost the end of June, so it’s time to wrap up this month’s Viva la Verve sketches. Here are my clean and simple designs for this month's final two sketches.

This is my card for week 3’s sketch. I incorporated some elements from the inspiration photo, including the bold black and cream print seen in the rug and the minty green color, and some paint for Verve’s current Diva Dare challenge, Puddles of Colour.

To make my own version of a black and cream print, I used a foam brush to apply some cream acrylic paint to a piece of textured shelf liner, then pressed the painted liner onto a piece of black cardstock to make a print. The texture from the liner, along with my irregularly applied paint, creates an interesting contrasting pattern. I am not a mixed media style crafter, so just this little bit of paint was enough for me—LOL!

While the panel dried, I stamped the “you’re always on my mind” sentiment and dangling heart image from Verve’s Always on my Mind set on a cream panel. I covered the heart with a heart-shaped silver brad for a little shine and dimension. The stamped panel is set on the paint stamped panel. I used strips of mint chevron patterned decorative tape for the two strips that run across the cardfront.

Materials Used:
Always on my Mind stamp set (Verve Stamps); Very Vanilla and Basic Black cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Crème de Menthe cardstock (Gina K Designs); Desert Storm cardstock (Neenah); circle dies (Spellbinders); heart brad (Michaels); mint chevron decorative tape (Love My Tapes); cream acrylic paint; shelf liner

And, here’s my card for week 4’s sketch. I kept mine pretty simple, making an easy to mail birthday card with a sentiment from the Treasured Words stamp set.

To go with the birthday theme, I covered most of the kraft card base with a paper with a numeral print. I broke up the pattern with a strip of kraft cardstock along the center of the panel and topped it off with a piece of light blue twill. The “happy birthday” sentiment is stamped in navy ink on a white panel. I matted it on a blue oval before adhering it to the cardfront. I added a die cut cork star to the top of the panel and a piece of folded twill to the bottom as accents.

Materials Used:
Treasured Words stamp set (Verve Stamps); Memento Nautical Blue ink (Tsukineko); Marina Mist and Whisper White cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Desert Storm cardstock (Neenah); Scoot 6x6 paper pad (Echo Park); oval dies (Spellbinders); 3x3 Stars die (The Cat’s Pajamas); light blue twill (Michaels); cork sheet (Canvas Corp.)