Verve October Release Retrospective Hop

Welcome to Verve's October Release Retrospective!  It's been a wonderful week of release celebration and the Divas and Guest Divas are back with one last look at the brand new release! Everything spotlighted is available to order in the Verve Store and is currently 20% off! Plus, we've got a sweet hop prize in store, so read on for more!

If you have come here from Charmaine's blog you are right on track.  If  you just happened upon the Hop, today's hop list is a bit lower down or you can head over to Verve Blog for the full Hop List.

I can't put Verve's newly released Good Work set down!  So many uplifting verses and the images Wonderful too.  I chose this fabulous Romans 12:12 verse for my card, stamped the flourish and used a white gel pen to highlight it to tie in the white on the kraft tag.  A doily girlied things up a bit, and a  few butterflies and buttons added extra pops of colour.  Best part is the tag can be removed and used as a bookmark if you so choose.

Want to win some shiny new Verve? Julee will be picking a random commenter on one of the hop spots below to win a $50 gift voucher to Verve! So be sure to leave a little comment on all the blogs below to increase your chances! Check out the Verve Blog today for a little more about the new products and all the prize info and deadlines!

1. Julee 8.   Amber 2. Teresa 9.   Andrea 3. Charmaine 10. Laurie 4. Marisa 11. Christyne 5. Amy {Guest} 12. Rosemary {Guest} 5.  KellyJean {Guest) 13. Lori {Guest) 7. Maureen

Time to head on over to Guest Diva Amy's blog to see what kind of Verve eye candy she has created for your viewing pleasure today.  Happy hopping!

Challenge:  Simon Says




 

What's In It?
Stamps:   Good Work (Verve Stamps) 
Paper:  Hello Spring (Echo Park), Kraft, Pretty in Pink, Lovely Lilac (Stampin' Up) 
Ink:   Black  
Accessories:  Doily Die (Top Dog Dies), Tag and Button Dies (PTI), Butterfly Punch (Martha Stewart), White Half Pearls, White Gel Pen, Twine, Dimensionals 

VLV October Week 4 Sketch

It's recap time over on the Viva La Verve blog and this week Chrystine has provided the sketch.

I had a tough time with this one and though I got it done, I'm not sold on it.  Just one of those cards that not matter what I tried I wasn't sold on it.  But life happens and I like to keep things real so here is my take on the sketch.

Used the Romans 12:12 verse from Good Work for my card.  Such a powerful verse which so aptly outlines some key points to live by.  Framed the verse with the flowers from the set using the co-ordinating Good Work Flower die set and since things were quite unbalance on the card I used longer tails on the oragne bow to fill in the space.

Want some added inspiration for this sketch?  Head on over to the Viva La Verve blog and browse the gallery.  In addition, you can see who I spotlighted this week.

Enjoy your day!






What's In It?
Stamps:   Good Work (Verve Stamps)
Paper:  Capella (Basic Grey), Always Artichoke, Kraft, Creamy Caramel (Stampin' Up)  
Ink: Black
Accessories:   Good Work Dies, Sprightly Sprigs (A Cut Above by Verve Stamps), Orange Seam Binding (Summer Sailing Ribbon Collection Verve Stamps), Button, Twine, Brown Half Pearls, Glue Dot, Dimensionals

Mojo Monday #421

It's Tall and Skinny week over on the Mojo Monday blog and Julee has provided another fabulous sketch to work with.

I am totally smitten with Verve's recent release. So many fabulous sentiments, verses and font art by the Verve Master herself :)   Pulled out Just Breathe and made another card to encourage someone who is going through a tough time, be it physically or otherwise.

Created a subtle background by stamping the flowers from Good Work in VersaMark on the background, and added a secondary one along the bottom to depict a win :)   A few hearts, sequins and a button accent on the ribbon called it a card.

All the challenge details are over on the Mojo Monday blog and you can also view all the wonderful Mojo Makers samples.  Should you wish more details on the Mojo Maker's cards, you can also visit their individual blogs noted below.

Carole Burrage

Julee Tilman (Owner)

Marisa Ritzen (that's me)

Mary Fish

Sarah Biglow

Teresa Kline

Justin Krieger

Lori Tecler

Wanda Cullen

Enjoy the sketch and have a fabulous week! 




 

What's In It?
Stamps:   Just Breathe, Good Work (Verve Stamps) 
Paper:  Enchanted (American Crafts), Early Espresso (Stampin' Up),
Ink:   Black, Regal Rose, Creamy Caramel, VersaMark (Stampin' Up)
Accessories:  Doily Die (PTI), Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), 5/8" Regal Rose Grosgrain Ribbon (Stampin' Up), Sequins, Button, Twine, Glue Dots, Dimensionals

Verve October 2015 Release Spotlight Hop ~ Day 2

Welcome back to Day 2 of Verve's October 2015 Spotlight Hops!  The Verve Divas are back for another day of spotlighting the new release! It's release day and everything you've seen spotlighted yesterday and today is available to order in the Verve store!

Due to manufacturing delays the Good Work set is available as a pre-order only. The Just Breathe set has limited quantities with more on the way very soon. Stay tuned next week on the Verve Blog for four days of spotlights from some very special Guest Divas, then we'll wrap things up with a Release in Review Hop next Friday!

Today's spotlight is shining on the Good Work set, coordinating Good Work Flower Die Set and the Psalm 150:6 plain jane. Also releasing today is our beautiful Frosted Snowfall Sequin Mix.

If you have come here from Charmaine's blog you are right on track.  If  you just happened upon the Hop, today's hop list is a bit lower down or you can head over to Verve Blog for the full Hop List.

 

Absolutely LOVE the verses in Good Work!!  Squeee!!!  Will be using them a ton as they are such powerful and life breathing verses.  I chose to showcase this fabulous sentiment on my cared because it mirrors my life verse of Philippians 1:6 -- "for I am confident in this very thing, that He who has began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus".  Such  joy and freedom in knowing I am a work in progress :)   Pulled out some of my hoarded Simple Stories paper for this card as I just adore this pattern and colour combination, created a little tag for the sentiment, added a few leaves for a punch of colour and a bit of yummy olive seam binding ribbon from Spring Fling.  Can't wait to give this to my daughter as a little pick me surprise along with her favorite Starbucks drink. 

For my second card I used the new Psalm 150:6 Plain Jane.  Another fabulous verse indeed :)   A mix of Basic Grey and American Craft papers created the base of the card.  Used a tag for the verse and over stamped it with the wheat image from Good Work.  Added a few butterflies as the papers reminded me of spring.

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 a little more about our new products and all the prize info and deadlines!

1. Julee 6. Maureen 2. Teresa 7. Amber 3. Charmaine 8. Andrea 4. Marisa 9. Laurie 5. Stacey 10. Christyne

Time to head on over to Stacey's blog to see her wonderful creation for today's hop. 













What's In It?

First Card:
Stamps:  Good Work (Verve Stamps)
Paper:  The Story of Us (Simple Stories), Old Olive, Going Grey (Stampin' Up)
Ink:  Black, More Mustard (Stampin' Up)
Accessories:  Labels 8 Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Medium Scalloped Die and Edger Die (PTI), Crimper (Fiskars), 5/8"  Spring Fling Olive Seambinding (Verve Stamps), Black and White Half Pearls (Michael's), Button, Twine, Glue Dot, Dimensionals

Second Card:
Stamps:  Psalm 150:6 Plain Jane, Good Work (Verve Stamps)
Paper:  Procelain (Basic Grey), Letterbox (American Craft), Creamy Caramel, Rose Romance (Stampin' Up)  
Ink:  Black, Creamy Caramel (Stampin' Up)
Accessories:  Stitched Rectangle Dies (Lil' Inkers), Label and Doily Dies (PTI), Butterfly Die (My Favorite Things), 1" Green Grosgrain Ribbon (Michael's), Button, Twine, Black Half Pearls (Michael's), Dimensionals

Verve October 2015 Release Spotlight Hop ~ Day 1

Welcome to Verve's October 2015 Spotlight Hops!

It's almost time for some new Verve to hit the store, and the Verve Divas are hopping today to share our first looks at a brand new set filled to the brim with encouragement called Just Breathe.

If you have come here from Charmaine's blog you are right on track.  If  you just happened upon the Hop, today's hop list is a bit lower down or you can head over to Verve Blog for the full Hop List.

 

Just Breathe is another fabulous Breast Cancer set.  Loads of fabulous sentiments you can use not only for those fighting breast cancer but other illnesses as well.   I chose to create a shaker card using these adorable boxing gloves.  I added the "hope" sentiment from the set on to the glove and created a shaker using the Pink Sparkle sequin mix.  Wanted to girly it up a bit so added a doily and finished things off with a bit of 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 a little more about our new products and all the prize info and deadlines!

1. Julee	5. Maureen
2. Teresa	6. Amber
3. Charmaine	7. Andrea
4. Marisa	8. Christyne

Time to head on over to Maureen's blog to see her wonderful creation for today's hop.

Challenge: Colour Q

What's In It?
Stamps:  Just Breathe (Verve Stamps)
Paper:  Style Essentials (Echo Park), Going Grey, Bravo Burgundy (Stampin' Up)
Ink:  Black
Accessories:  Pink Sparkle Sequin Mix (Verve Stamps), Doily Die (Top Dog Dies), Stitched Circles (Lil' Inkers), Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Seambinding (Verve Stamps), Black and White Half Pearls (Michael's), Button, Twine, Glue Dot, Dimensionals

Viva La Verve October Week 3 Sketch

Loved this fabulous sketch by Stacey and the timing was perfect as I needed to make a masculine birthday card.

Combined some yummy Basic Grey paper with Echo Park's polka dots and some neutrals.  The kraft panel is crimped for some "manly" texture lol, and the sentiment is the Birthday to You Plain Jane.  The Pennant Trim die provided the four banners, and I added some brads (remember those!) for a bit of hardware.  Couldn't resist using a maple leaf as it is great masculine accent and I have been a bit negligent in using them this fall.

You can check out the Viva La Verve blog for more inspiration as well as this week's gallery spotlights.

Have a fabulous day and thank for sharing a bit of yours with me today :)






What's In It?
Stamps:   Birthday To You Plain Jane (Verve Stamps), Leaf Prints (PTI)
Paper:  Origins (Basic Grey), Dots and Stripes (Echo Park), Kraft, Mellow Moss (Stampin' Up)  
Ink: Black, VersaMark
Accessories:   Pennant Trim Die (A Cut Above by Verve Stamps), Scalloped Circle and Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Leaf Prints and Button Dies (PTI), Crimper (Fiskars), Twine, Dimensionals

Mojo Monday #420

It's Mojo Monday time and I love using tags on cards so this one was great fun to make!

With the fabulous weather we have been having here, it still feels like summer so I pulled out this delightful Garden Party paper by My little Shoebox.  Flowers and polka dots make me happy {grin}.

Added a couple of hearts and sequins to the sentiment tag and a stitched border for a little something.

All the challenge details are over on the Mojo Monday blog and you can also view all the wonderful Mojo Makers samples.  Should you wish more details on the Mojo Maker's cards, you can also visit their individual blogs noted below.

Carole Burrage

Julee Tilman (Owner)

Marisa Ritzen (that's me)

Mary Fish

Sarah Biglow

Teresa Kline

Justin Krieger

Lori Tecler

Wanda Cullen

Enjoy the sketch and have a fabulous week! 




 

What's In It?
Stamps:   Happy Birthday Plain Jane (Verve Stamps) 
Paper:  Garden Party (My Little Shoebox), Going Grey, So Saffron, Rose Romance (Stampin' Up),
Ink:   Black  
Accessories:  Stitched Rectangle Die (Lil' Inker), Tag Die (PTI), Heart Die (The Cat's Pajamas), Sequins, 5/8" Teal Grosgrain Ribbon (Michael's), Button, Twine, Black Half Pearls, Glue Dots, Dimensionals

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge - Pretty Pumpkins

Welcome back to our second inspiration challenge of the month.  This time round we are celebrating the season with this fabulous pumpkin inspiration photo.  The LEAD for this challenge will be invited to be a Guest Designer in an upcoming challenge.

In addition, we wish Tenia Nelson all the best as she leaves our team, and offer a warm welcome to Leigh Penner, our newest Crew member! 

I adored this inpsiration photo and took it quite literally!  Pulled out papers that matched the colours and patterns on the photo and paper pieced a trio of pumpkins using Verve's Bountiful Harvest.

Since I am on a bit of a square card binge at the moment, I used this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge for my card, arranged my pumpkins and added a die cut "thanks" using PTI's word die.

  Pretty Pumpkins

Amy Kolling
 Amy Sheffer

Amy Tsuruta

Betty Wright

 Kim Singdahlsen

Laurie Willison

Leigh Penner

Lisa Henke
Lori Tecler

Marisa Ritzen

Maureen Plut

Melody Rupple

Monika Davis

Sheri Gilson

Stacey Schafer

Tracey McNeely

Have fun with the challenge and I look forward to seeing your creations.






What's In It?
Stamps:   Bountiful Harvest (Verve Stamps) 
Paper:  Designer Paper Scraps
Ink: Black
Accessories: Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Word Die (PTI), Twine, Button, Glue Dot, Dimensionals

Viva la Verve October Week 2 Sketch

It's recap time for Viva La Verve's October Week 2 sketch by Maureen.

Since I still had Kind Words out on my desk, I decided to use it again.  This is one of my all time favorite quotes and it fit perfectly on the Tagged Rectangle Die which I stamped in VersaMark with one of the stamps from Tag Time for a subtle grid pattern.  Added a butterfly and some leaves and then a double banner to balance the diagonal flow.

We'd love for you to play along with the Viva La Verve sketches.   Verve stamps are not required, but we love to see them.  The more times you enter the greater your chances of winning a $100 gift certificate to the Verve store :)

Thanks for popping by and if you want to get more inspiration for this wonderful sketch, hop on over to the Viva La Verve blog and check out the gallery.



 
What's In It?
Stamps:  Kind Words, Tag Time (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Blooming (Studio 8), Almost Amethyst, Perfect Plum, Sage Shadow, Bordering Blue (Stampin' Up)
Ink:  Black, VersaMark
Accessories: Dreamy Leaves, Flutterby Dies and Tagged Rectangle Die (A Cut Above by Verve), Doily Die (Top Dog Dies),  Button, Twine, White Half Pearls, Glue Dot, Dimensionals

Mojo Monday #419

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian followers!! 

This is one of my favorite weekends of the year -- a time to give thanks in abundance :)  Thankfulness is something I do on a daily basis all year round, for things great and small that occur, but it always brings me great joy to be able to share with and listen to what each family member is thankful for over the past year.

Ann Voskamp's book A Thousand Gifts is a fabulous read and a great way to keep a journal of what you are thankful for on a daily basis.  Nothing better than reviewing your written thanks at the end of the year as it is a powerful reminder of how much one truly has to be thankful for, especially when the world we live in very much wants you to focuses on what you don't have instead of what you do.

For my card today, I used my life verse of Philippians 1:6 found in Scripture Medley 3.  I framed it with a doily and added a few leaves from the Sprightly Sprigs die set.  I needed a punch of colour so I added a red button and some "berries" to my leaf sprigs.

All the challenge details are over on the Mojo Monday blog and you can also view all the wonderful Mojo Makers samples.  Should you wish more details on the Mojo Maker's cards, you can also visit their individual blogs noted below.

Carole Burrage

Julee Tilman (Owner)

Marisa Ritzen (that's me)

Mary Fish

Sarah Biglow

Teresa Kline

Justin Krieger

Lori Tecler

Wanda Cullen

Have a great day, enjoy the sketch, and take a few moments to reflect on all you have to be thankful for - it's good for the soul :)




 

What's In It?
Stamps:   Scripture Medley 3 (Verve Stamps) 
Paper:  Sweetest Thing (My Mind's Eye), Going Grey, Mellow Moss (Stampin' Up)
Ink:   Black  
Accessories:  Sprightly Sprigs Die Set (A Cut Above by Verve), Doily Die (Top Dog Dies), Corner Rounder (Marvy), Glass Beads (Dollar Store), Button, Twine, Glue Dots

October Verve Inspirations Hop

It's time for the Verve Divas to bring you our monthly Diva Inspirations Challenge and Blog Hop! There are two ways to win Verve prizes: comment on the design team's blog hop posts (linked below) to see their take on the inspiration, then go get inky and link up your take on the challenge to be eligible in our prize drawings! You have the until November 5 to link up, so feel free to play as often as you like.

Our October challenge is Black, White and Glam

October always has a bit of glamour and intrigue to it. A stroll through the craft store this time of year brings visions of glitzy pumpkins, gilded candelabras and rhinestones galore. So this month we’re challenging you to to get glamorous with black, white and metallics. Use the inspiration graphic or go off on your own tangent, just share a little bit of glam with us!

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

If you have come here from Amber's blog you are right on track. If you just happened upon the Hop you can check the Hop List below to catch up.

Love making black and white cards, and since I haven't made one for a while, it was great fun creating this card, especially with the added glam requirement :)  I found this delightful shimmer paper at my local dollar store and knew it would be the focal aspect of my card.  With Christmas quickly approaching (sorry, had to throw that out there LOL), it was the perfect opportunity to make a some sparkly trees and create a snowy scene.   The trees are from the Winter Fun die set, I used the smallest star from the Starry die set for the start studded sky.  Added sparkly snow and then outlined it with some bling.  Couldn't quite capture the glitter and glam in my photo, but trust me, those trees sparkle up a storm as does the "snow" and the row of bling.

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've got a prize for one lucky commenter along the hop! Check out the Verve Blog today for all the prize info and deadlines!

	1. Julee	7. Maureen
	2. Amy	8. Stacey
	3. Betty	9. Charmaine
	4. Sankari	10. Amber
	5. Sarah	11. Marisa
	6. Susan

Look forward to seeing your black, white and glam cards!






What's In It?
Paper:  Silver Shimmer Paper (Dollar Store)
Accessories:  Winter Fun and Starry Die Sets (A Cut Above by Verve), Scalloped Circle and Circle Nestabitlities (Spellbinders), Glue Pen, Glitter, Bling, Dimensionals