Mojo Monday 503

I'm baaaaaack.   After a very busy past six months, I think my card making hiatus is over.  Living the sandwich generation is not easy or for the faint of heart....with older teens in the house and aging parents with health issues on both sides, it has been a very, very busy and exhausting time.  I had very little time to myself and absolutely no energy to be creative so reading a good book always won out.  Withe the dust starting to settle the past few weeks, when I saw Julee bringing back the Mojo Monday sketches, I was very, very excited and it was the perfect impetus to create a card.  I have always loved her sketches and they were the perfect jump start I needed to get crafty again :)

With Christmas a month away, the timing was perfect to make a Christmas card.   I have always loved this Echo Park Winter Time paper and these Reverse Confetti trees were crying out to be used.  I paired them with some dark brown and avocado green paper, a pop of silver and topped things off with some silver cording and two silver bells.  Happy sigh... :) :)







What's In It?
Stamps: Verve (retired)
Paper: Winter Time (Echo Park), Early Espresso, Always Artichoke, Going Grey (Stampin' Up)
Ink: Black
Accessories: Lacy Circle and Circle Nestabilities, Branch Out Confetti Cuts (Reverse Confetti), Silver Twine, Silver Bells, Dimensionals

May Viva La Verve Sketch

It is May which means it is time for a new Viva La Verve sketch!  I have been so busy the past six weeks packing and moving my mom into a retirement home and then staging and trying to sell her townhouse that sitting and creating a card was wonderful therapy!

Julee has provided another fabulous sketch and I used it to create a Mother's Day card for my mom.  Love this verse from Proverbs from Scripture Medley 3, as it truly does describe my wonderful mother ♥  She is 84 and a real trooper.  We had a limited window of time to get things done before she moved and she rose to the challenge and then some.  Glad to say she is settled and loving her room and living at the retirement home which brings me great joy!!

Mixed a few papers for the sketch, and needed a pop of contrast so did some accents in black and added the butterfly from Butterfly Grace for good measure {grin}.  I apologize for the poor lighting.  Still very busy and being home for good lighting has been a bit of a challenge!

Come and join us over on the Viva La Verve blog!  Enter a card using the above sketch and you could win some new Verve!

Have a fabulous day!

 
What's In It?
Stamps:  Scripture Medley 3, Butterfly Grace (Verve Stamps)
Paper:   Gardinia (American Crafts), Essential Elements (Echo Park), Recollections (Michael's), Vellum (Stampin' Up)
Ink:  Black, VersaMark
Accessories:  Graceful Butterflies Die Set (A Cut Above by Verve), Scalloped and Circle Nestabilties (Spellbinders), Daisy Punch (Martha Stewart), White Embossing Powder, Sequins, Black Half Pearls, Twine,  Glue Dots, Dimensionals

Thinking of You

Love this Sentimental Wishes set!! So many fabulous sentiments and wonderful word fort art - Julee is the master at this!!  Had this card started for the recent release and ran out of time to complete it so posting it now.

I've had this MME Lime Twist paper forever and have had a hard time using it so this was the card to get it under control LOL.  I used the paper as the background flowers, the circle die from the Lacy Frames die set (adore this dainty lacy scallop!!), stamped a sentiment on it and added two hearts to fill in the panel and paired it with a pink frame and polka dotted pink middle using the Rounded Scalloped Frame die.  With Spring in the air, a flowered background and a Verve butterfly to use, it was a match made in heaven.  I embossed two of the butterflies from Hope Lifts on vellum (case from Diva Moe) for a soft, airy feel and used the matching die from the Lifted Hope die set to cut them out.  A few sequins and some grosgrain ribbon (remember that stuff....been a while since I used it but the twine didn't match so decided to bring it out of retirement ;) to finish things off.

Have a fabulous day and thanks for popping by today!

 
What's In It?
Stamps:  Sentimental Wishes, Hope Lifts (Verve Stamps)
Paper:   Lime Twist (My Mind's Eye), Burgundy, Pretty in Pink, Cool Caribbean, Vellum (Stampin' Up), Small Dots (Recollections)
Ink:  Black, VersaMark
Accessories:  Lacey Frames, Lifted Hope, Rounded Scalloped Frame Die Sets (A Cut Above by Verve), Crimper (Fiskars), White Embossing Powder, Sequins, Pink Grosgrain Ribbon, Twine,  Glue Dots, Dimensionals

Verve April 2018 Release Hop ~ Day 4

Welcome back to Day 4 of Verve's April Release Spotlight Hops!  This month we're combining our release hop with our monthly Diva Inspirations Hop Challenge.  We're stamping with a yellow color scheme this month and would love to see what you create. Hop along to see our takes on the challenge, then get inky and show us your take!

And since this is our April release hop, there's new Verve in the store this morning with a fabulous prize along our hop! Three beautiful new sets and coordinating die sets just released and the entire April collection is up for grabs to one lucky commenter on our hop today!

Today's featured focus is designer's choice combined with our April inspiration, so you might just sneak a peek at a whole bunch of must-haves! Check out all the challenge details on the Verve blog today.

If you have come here from Laurie's blog you are right on track.  If you just stumbled upon the hop, you can check the hop list below to get caught up.

I adore yellow and with the lack of sunshine and abundance of rainfall in our neck of the woods it was a sheer joy working with some wonderful yellow papers :)    I pulled in some orange from the balloons and green from the field of flowers as well.  The sentiment and butterfly are from Hope Lifts and butterfly die from Lifted Hope.  Added a touch of foliage using Sprightly Springs to ground my butterfly, and a few sequins and twine to finish things off nicely.  Can't wait to see yellow daffodils in my garden!!

Want to win some shiny new Verve? Today's prize is a BIG one. We'll be picking a random commenter on one of the hop spots below to win our ENTIRE new release! So be sure to leave a little comment on all the blogs below to increase your chances! Check out the Verve Blog today for the full hop list and all the prize info and deadlines!

*

1. Julee	5. Laurie
2. Michele (Guest)	6. Marisa
3. Betty	7. Maureen
4. Charmaine	8. Teresa

Time to head on over to Maureen's blog to see her wonderful creation which will be a feast for your eyes :)   

Have a wonderful day, and make sure to pop on over to the Verve Blog to check out the new sets or do a little Mother's Day shopping wink, wink :)   

 
What's In It?
Stamps:  Hope Lifts (Verve Stamps)
Paper:   Spring Time, Dots and Stripes (Echo Park), Certainly Celery, Only Orange (Stampin' Up)
Ink:  Black, Only Orange (Stampin' Up)`
Accessories:  Lifted Hope, Sprightly Springs (A Cut Above by Verve), Scalloped Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Stitched Circles (Lil' Inkers), Chicken wire Embossing Folder (Provo Craft), Sequins, Twine, Glue Dots, Dimensionals   

Verve April 2018 Release Hop ~ Day 3

Welcome back to Day 3 of Verve's April Release Spotlight Hops!  The Verve Divas and special guest are back for another day of spotlighting our new release! Everything previewed this week will be available to order in the Verve online shop on Tuesday, April 10.

Today we're sharing our first projects featuring the Sentimental Wishes stamp set. This set pairs beautifully with the new Lacey Frames and Lacey Trim Duo die sets.

If you have come here from Laurie's blog you are right on track.  If you just stumbled upon the hop, you can check the hop list below to get caught up.

Adore all the sentiments and word fonts in today's set!  Meep!  Use them individually or double them up on a card - endless possibilities!

I paired the "praying for you" sentiment with the "hope" die from the Lifted Hope die set.  I framed the sentiment with a flower cluster using one of my all time favorite Verve sets, Bloom and Grow and Dreamy Leaves.  Of course, where there are flowers there has to be a butterfly ;) and the small Lacy Trim Duo edge added the prefect soft touch.  Some twine and a scatter for sequins finished things off. Such a fabulous set of sentiments!! Will definitely be well used :)

Want to win some shiny new Verve? We'll be picking a random commenter on one of the hop spots below to win today's featured products! So be sure to leave a little comment on all the blogs below to increase your chances! Check out the Verve Blog today for the full hop list, a little more about our new products and all the prize info and deadlines!

1. Julee	5. Laurie
2. Michele (Guest)	6. Marisa
3. Betty	7. Maureen
4. Charmaine	8. Teresa

Time to head on over to Maureen's blog to see her wonderful creation which will be a feast for your eyes :)   

Have a wonderful day, and make sure to come back tomorrow for Day 4 of our hop and a chance to win some new Verve!  

 
What's In It?
Stamps:  Sentimental Wishes, Hope Lifts (Verve Stamps)
Paper:   Recollections (Michael's), Sage Shadow, Pretty in Pink (Stampin' Up)
Ink:  Perfect Plum, Passionate Pink, VersaMark, Black (Stampin' Up)
Accessories:  Lacy Trim Duo, Lifted Hope, Dreamy Leaves, Scalloped Flowers (A Cut Above by Verve), Doily Die (Top Dog Dies), Buttons, Black  Half  Pearls, Sequins, Glue Dots, Dimensionals

Verve April 2018 Release Hop ~ Day 2

Welcome back to Day 2 of Verve's April Release Spotlight Hops!  The Verve Divas and special guest are back for another day of spotlighting our new release! Everything previewed this week will be available to order in the Verve online shop on Tuesday, July 10.

Today we're sharing our first projects featuring the Hope Lifts stamp set and coordinating Lifted Hope Die Set.

If you have come here from Laurie's blog you are right on track.  If you just stumbled upon the hop, you can check the hop list below to get caught up.

Today's set has some wonderful sentiments and I paired one with the hot air balloon (love that there is a balloon die!) which I coloured bright yellow - I have spring on my mind {grin}!  I also used the small Lacy Trim die - love the two size options!  I added a few clouds for a "floating in the sky feeling" and finished things off with some twine.

Want to win some shiny new Verve? We'll be picking a random commenter on one of the hop spots below to win today's featured products! So be sure to leave a little comment on all the blogs below to increase your chances! Check out the Verve Blog today for the full hop list, a little more about our new products and all the prize info and deadlines!

1. Julee	5. Laurie
2. Michele (Guest)	6. Marisa
3. Betty	7. Maureen
4. Charmaine	8. Teresa

Time to head on over to Maureen's blog to see her wonderful creation which will be a feast for your eyes :)   

Have a wonderful day, and make sure to come back tomorrow for Day 3 of our hop and a chance to win some new Verve!  

 
What's In It?
Stamps:  Hope Lifts (Verve Stamps)
Paper:   Cool Caribbean, Night of Navy, Basic Grey, Going Grey, DSP (Stampin' Up)
Ink:  Black
Accessories:  Lacy Trim and Lifted Hope Die Sets, Scalloped Circle and Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Twinkling H2Os, Twine, Sequins, Glue Dots, Dimensionals

Verve April 2018 Release Hop ~ Day 1

Welcome to Verve's April Release Spotlight Hops! A new release is just around the corner and for the next few days we'll be shining our creative spotlights on the new Verve sets and dies releasing Tuesday, April 10.

Today the Divas and special guests are sharing inspiration featuring the new Risen Savior stamp set. Check out the Verve Blog post today for the full hop list, prize details, reveals and a little more on this fun new set.

If you have come here from Laurie's blog you are right on track.  If you just stumbled upon the hop, you can check the hop list below to get caught up.

I just couldn't put this wooden cross image down as I absolutely love it!  With Good Friday and Easter Monday still fresh on my mind,  I stamped and fussy cut three crosses and arranged them to resemble that heart wrenching Good Friday event.  The sentiment in the set gave me an idea to overlay it on a vellum heart (inspired by Diva Laurie who is the queen of using vellum!).  Grounded the scene with the black panel and balanced things off with some black twine.   The vellum heart was a bear to adhere and reminded me why I shy away from using it, but was well worth the struggle.

Best part:  the whole time I was creating this card I was humming "Because He Lives" as the sentiment is a line from that wonderful hymn.  My heart is indeed full in many ways, especially the fact this card represents deep gratitude and what I hold most near and dear to my heart ♥

Want to win some shiny new Verve? We'll be picking a random commenter on one of the hop spots below to win today's featured products! So be sure to leave a little comment on all the blogs below to increase your chances!

1. Julee	5. Laurie
2. Michele (Guest)	6. Marisa
3. Betty	7. Maureen
4. Charmaine	8. Teresa

Time to head on over to Maureen's blog to see her wonderful creation which will be a feast for your eyes :)   

Have a wonderful day, and make sure to come back tomorrow for Day 2 of our hop and a chance to win some new Verve!  

 
What's In It?
Stamps:  Risen Savior (Verve Stamps)
Paper:   Blushing Bride, Wedding (Making Memories), Vellum 
Ink:  Black, Creamy Caramel
Accessories:  Heart Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Stitched Rectangles (Lil' Inkers), Glue Dots, Twine, Dimensionals    

VLV April 2018 Sketch

April means it is time for a new Viva La Verve sketch created by none other than Julee Tilman herself - happy sigh!  I just love her sketches!

I'm giving you a little sneak peek of one of the new sets being released tomorrow - Risen Savior.  I am swooning over this set, and absolutely adore the wooden cross image, which has in turn had me singing the Old Wooden Cross all day long :)  I grounded the cross by adding a bit of grass to the base and then paired it with two of the sentiments.

The sketch challenge will be up for the month of April, so pop on over and link your card up for a chance to win some brand spanking new Verve ♥

Make sure you come back tomorrow for our New Release Hop and a chance to win a set or the entire release!  Some fabulous new goodies coming your way and I can't wait to show you :)

Have a wonderful day and thanks for popping by!




  

What's In It?
Stamps:  Risen Savior (Verve Stamps)
Paper:   Bundle of Joy (Echo Park), Cut and Paste (MME)
Ink:  Close to Cocoa, Black (Stampin' Up)
Accessories:  Lacy Frames (A Cut Above by Verve), Stitched Rectangles and Circles (Lil' Inkers),  Corner Rounder (Marvy), Twine, Button, Glue Dots, Dimensionals

Verve Inspiration Challenge Hop

Welcome to Verve's March Diva Inspirations Challenge Hop! We're bringing back our monthly inspiration challenge and would love for you to play along! On the 10th of each month we'll bring you a blog hop, sharing our takes on the challenge. After that, we'd love for you to try your hand at the challenge and link up on the Verve Blog for a chance to win.

PRIZE ALERT: Our challenge comes with a prize drawing for a $30 gift voucher to the Verve shop. To be eligible, be sure to hop around and leave a comment on each of the Diva blog posts, then play along and link up before April 5. Verve stamps are NOT required, but we do love to see 'em!

There are no rules.. just have fun creating!
This month we'd love for us to show us your green. Feel free to take inspiration from this drippy, weathered gate photo or just pull out some green toys from your stash and start to play. We can't wait to see what you create! 

Click here to link up your challenge entries
Challenge deadline: Thursday, April 5.
Prize: $30 gift voucher to the Verve online store!

If you have come here from Laurie's blog you are right on track.  If not, check out the Hop List below and get caught up!

I was almost giddy when I read the challenge was to use green as it is my favorite colour ♥   Being March, it is a perfect opportunity to combine green with Verve's newest digi Irish Coffee, just in time for St. Patrick's Day!  I have several Irish friends, so I always love the fact I create a special, hand made card for them.

I combined two green papers (happy sigh....), coloured and fussy cut the cloverleaf digis so I could create a "clover patch" down the side of the sentiment panel.  Of course, gold came to mind too, so I added a gold sequin to the middle of each shamrocks to bring a bit of sparkle to the card and finished things off with some green twine.  Can't wait to deliver this to my Irish friend on St. Patrick's Day :) 

Need a little inspiration? Check out the blogs linked below to see what the other Divas did with the challenge! It's sure to be a treat, and speaking of treats, we're giving away a $30 gift voucher to Verve.  Just leave a little love as you hop about, then come back and link up your green creations for a chance to win!

1. Julee	5. Marisa
2. Betty	6. Maureen
3. Christyne	7. Teresa
4. Laurie

Time to head on over to our Irish Diva Maureen's blog to see her wonderful creation which is sure to toast her heritage :)   Thanks for popping by today and I look forward to seeing your creations in the gallery! 

 
What's In It?
Stamps:  Irish Coffee Digi Set (Verve Stamps)
Paper:   Recollections (Michael's)
Ink:  Black
Accessories:  Stitched Rectangles (Lil Inker), Twinkling H2Os, Twine, Glue Dots, Gold and Green Sequins, Dimensionals