Weeeee Are the Champ-ions, My Fri-end...

Hello friends & followers!  I am happy to share the four cards I created for the Viva la Verve! sketch challenges for the month of April.  You may be shocked to learn that I completed all four without rotating or flipping a single one - rare for me!  Without further ado, here is the first one, based on Week 1's sketch created by Amber Hight:

The sentiment is from Verve's 'Grateful Elegance' set.  My original intention was to put red rhinestones in the centers of those punched out 1/4" black circles, but the two sizes I had were either too large or two small, so I placed them around the edge of the big black circle and under the sentiment instead.  Card one, clap clap done! 

My second card is based on week 2's sketch by Andrea Ewen, I loved the balance of this sketch:

The elegant filigree butterfly is from Verve's 'Thankful Blossoms' set.  I embossed the top & bottom real red panels, added some tiny red rhinestones to various parts of the butterfly, and found this shiny red & black ribbon from Michael's that was perfect to complete the card.  Here I did decide to place the bigger red rhinestones inside of the punched out black circles - notice how you can barely see the black behind them?  Card two, clap clap done! 

Here is my card based on the sketch for week 3 designed by Teresa Klein:

I was originally planning to stay with the kraft-red-black color combination and make a set of cards but for some reason Verve's 'Cupcake Affair' spoke to me on this layout and that color combo. just didn't fit.  Of the four cards this is my least favorite, the cupcake and flower I used to replace the 2 circles in the sketch just look crooked or something.  Love the chocolate velvet ribbon though and this pretty paper from Basic Grey, and the yummy 'chocolate and butter' color combination.  Card three, clap clap done!

Here is my card for week 4 based on a sketch by Shannan Teubner; it is my favorite of the four:

The portion where I fanned five different colors of yummy twine was actually five different sections on Shannan's original sketch, but I got frustrated trying to cut the pieces just right and thought this looked like rays of a sunshine rainbow streaming from the sun I created using a Nesties' classic & pinking circles.  'Hello sunshine' seemed like the perfect sentiment to complete the card - it is from Verve's 'Accent notes'.  I am also submitting this card for Paper Sundaes Challenge 66: a toppings bar where you have to use at least two of the following toppings: sparkle, pearls, die cuts and the color yellow - I only used the last two: die cuts (I created the sun using Nesties circles & pinking circles dies) and the color yellow (in the sun and the twine).  Card four, clap clap done.  So, which one is your favorite?

Alrightie, time to go upload these cards to my SCS gallery and post them on the Verve Champions thread - you can be a Verve Champion too - all you have to do is complete all the Viva la Verve sketches for the month posted every Friday.  Alrightie, I am off to take my victory lap (hypothetical of course, I still can't run).  I might have something else crafty for you to see later if you wish to check back.  Happy Thursday everyone!!
~Crafty Math Chick