Verve Stamps February Diva Inspriations Hop

It's the 5th of the month and that means it is time for Verve's February Diva Inspirations Hop.   This month we've got a bloomin' good challenge for you along with our usual inspiration!  So in addition to a comment prize hidden along the hop, you can play along with the challenge and link up your creation over at the Verve blog for a chance to win another prize! 
  

February is the month of love and flowers are a popular gift
so add some petal power to your cards this month!

If you have come here from Teresa's blog you are right on track.  If you just happened on to the hop, you can start from the top and work your way through (see hop list below).

I loved the bright colours in the inspiration photo and had fun using them on my card.  A breath of spring in the middle of winter indeed :)   Pulled out two of my favorite Verve Flower sets:  Joyful Blooms and Great Friend.   Layered them up for some dimension and then added a sentiment tag.  After making this card I am definitely ready for Spring!

One lucky commenter along the hop will win a prize, so make sure to leave a comment on each of the participating Diva's posts to increase your chances of winning!  You can check out the Verve Blog today for all the prize info and deadlines. 

Below is the full hop list if you need it, otherwise just hop on over to Charmaine's blog.

	1. Julee	11. Tiffany
	2. Amy	12. Maureen
	3. Anya	13. Stacey
	4. Betty	14. Christyne
	5. Jessica	15. Teresa
	6. Karen	16. Marisa
	7. Sankari	17. Charmaine
	8. Sarah	18. Janelle
	9. Sony	19. Jen
	10. Susan

In addition, Julee has two sales going on over at the Verve Store right now!  One for 20% off the new set and ribbon package released this weekend, as well as 20% off selected Spring stamps and dies.

Enjoy the hop and hope you can play along and bring some Spring flowers to life :)

 

What's In It? 

Stamps:  Stronger Love (Verve Stamps)
Paper:   Red and Silver Sparkly Paper (Local Dollar Store), Black 
Ink:  Black
Accessories:  Wavy Hearts Die (A Cut Above by Verve), Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Black Beauty Seam Binding (Verve Stamps), Bling (Michael's), Glue Dot, Dimensionals 

Verve's More Than Love Release Hop

Welcome to Verve's More Than Love Release Hop!  Over the weekend, Verve Stamps released a brand new set and ribbon collection, and today we're hopping to share our first looks at these lovely new products!

If you have come here from Laurie's blog, you are right on track.  If happened to stumble across this hop, just refer to the hop list below so you can get caught up.



Sorry for the dark picture.  I didn't get home in time to use natural daylight like I usually do.  For my card I chose to use this wonderful sentiment from More Than Love as it is oh so true.  It's amazing how you come to life when you know you are loved, and how you can deal with what life throws your way much more easily when you have someone who is there for you.   Several other fabulous sentiments in a wonderful mix of Verve fonts along with two heart images complete is wonderful set.

Julee made a gorgeous card using last week's Tall and Skinny Mojo Monday sketch flipped it on its side, and I just loved the look of that orientation and wanted to try it myself.  Kept to clean lines and thanks to a dear friend, I gleefully used my new chicken wire embossing folder - love it!!  The heart is from the Wavy Hearts die set and I crimped it for a bit texture and added a button with a twine bow.

Want to win some shiny new Verve? We'll be picking TWO random commenters on one of the hop spots below to win prizes!  So be sure to leave a little comment on all the blogs below to increase your chances! Check out the Verve Blog today for all the prize info and deadlines!

	Hop List: 1. Julee 2. Amber 3. Andrea 4. Charmaine 5. Christyne 6. Janelle 7. Jen 8. Laurie 9. Marisa 10. Stacey 11. Teresa

Next in line is Stacey who is sure to have a fabulous creation for you!  Enjoy the hop!


 
What's In It?
Stamps:   More Than Love (Verve Stamps)
Paper:  Yours Truly (Echo Park), Basic Grey (Stampin' Up),  
Ink: Black  
Accessories:  Wavy Hearts Die Set (A Cut Above by Verve), Scalloped Circle and Circle Nestabilities, (Spellbinders), Chicken Wire Embossing Folder (Provo Craft), Corner Rounder, Crimper (Fiskars), Button, Twine, Glue Dots, Heart Sequins, Ribbon (Micheal's Dollar Bin), Dimensionals 

Mojo Monday #331

It's the first Monday of the month so that means it's contest week over at the Mojo Monday blog!  For every 50 entries (up to a maximum of seven) there will be a random winner drawn to win a Verve set of their choice.

I literally used the sketch for my card.  Still loving MME's Love Me papers and was giddy to use this brand new heart embossing folder a dear friend gave me.   The Wavy Hearts and Heart Quartet die sets provided the hearts, and the sentiment is from Love Notes.

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.  
 

Debbie Carriere

Julee Tilman (Owner)

Marisa Ritzen (you are here)

Mary Fish

Sarah Biglow

Teresa Kline

Wanda Cullen

We had a busy but wonderful weekend.  Got to see Captain Phillips with some friends and Tom Hanks did an absolutely amazing job in that movie!!  Very  intense movie, but so, so good.  Then a Superbowl party at a friend's house, and soooo happy Seattle won!!  Go Seahawks!!

Have a great day and can't wait to see your creations!

 
 
What's In It?
Stamps:   Love Notes (Verve Stamps)
Paper:  Love Me (My Mind's Eye), Real Red, Going Grey, Pretty in Pink (Stampin' Up),  
Ink: Black  
Accessories:  Wavy Hearts and Heart Quartet Dies (A Cut Above by Verve), Cross My Heart Embossing Folder (Cuttlebug),  Corner Rounder, Crimper (Fiskars), Buttons, Twine, Glue Dots, Bling and Silver Half Pearls (Micheal's), Dimensionals 

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge - Cuppa Cocoa

Time for a new Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge!  This challenge is entitled "Cuppa Cocoa" and our sponsor is My Favorite Things.  The LEAD for this challenge will receive a $20 gift certificate to their store!

Loved the blue and brown colour combo in the inspiration picture so that was my starting point.  Verve's Better With You set provided the hot chocolate mug, of which the bottom and handle are paper pieced.  A stamped heart image and a little red sequin heart provided a pop of colour and the twine bow balanced things off nicely.

You can check out all the challenge details over on the Curtain Call Inspirations Challenge and also get a chance to view all the wonderful Curtain Call Crew samples as well as our two guest designer samples!  Should you wish more details on the Curtain Call Crew's cards, you can also visit their individual blogs noted below.

Jody Morrow, MFT Designer

Heather Jensen, Guest Designer

Amber Kroening

Amy Kolling

Amy Tsuruta

Barb Murphy

Gayatri Murali

Kim Singdahlsen

Laurie Willison

Marisa Ritzen

Maureen Plut

Monika Davis

Sarah Gough

Sheri Gilson

Stacey Schafer

Tenia Nelson

Tracey McNeely

You have until February 10th at 8:00 a.m. CST to complete a new card/project using the inspiration picture and linking it up accordingly.  The Lead and Show Stoppers will be announced on February 14th.

 










 
 
What's In It? 
Stamps:   Better With you (Verve Stamps)
Paper:  Dots and Stripes (Echo Park), Bordering Blue, Night of Navy, Kraft (Stampin' Up) 
Ink:  Black, Bordering Blue, Close to Cocoa (Stampin' Up)
Accessories:  Circle Heart Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Scalloped Border Punch (Stampin' Up), Heart Blocks Embossing Folder (Provo Craft), Button, Twine, Brown Half Pearls, Glue Dots, Dimensionals

Just Us Girls #226 - Sketch Challenge

This week's challenge is brought to us by Maria and it is the perfect sketch for a Valentine's Day card.

I'm still enjoying my MME Love Me papers and used them on this card.  The number idea came from one of the papers I used (though it is covered up) and the sentiment is from Verve's Stronger Love and the crimped heart is one of the dies from Wavy Hearts.  Finished it off with some polka dotted ribbon for good measure :)

The rest of the  JUGS team, along with our January  Guest Designer Melissa Hubert, have some wonderful samples to get your inspiration going, so head on over to the Just Us Girls blog and check out what they've created.  Then put your creative genes to work and add your card/project to the challenge post on the JUGS blog for the chance to be chosen as the Chic of the Week.  Plus if you are chosen as Chic of the Week, you could be invited to be a Guest Designer. 

Have a great weekend and hope you can play along.


 
What's In It?
Stamps:   Stronger Love (Verve Stamps)
Paper:  Love Me (My Mind's Eye), Going Grey, Real Red (Stampin' Up), 
Ink:  Black   
Accessories:  Wavy Hearts Dies (A Cut Above by Verve), Scalloped Heart and Heart Nestabilities (Spellbinders) Swiss Dots  Embossing Folder (Provo Kraft), Crimper (Fiskars), Polka Dotted Ribbon (Dollar Store), Buttons, Twine, Heart Sequins, Black Half Pearls (Michael's), Glue Dots, Dimensionals     

Viva La Verve With Psalm 94:18

Five Friday's in January means five VLV sketches for this month - whoo hoo!  This week's sketch is brought to us by Diva Charmaine and there is lots of room for interpretation.

I wanted to make a card for a friend whose husband has cancer in his sinus cavity (thankfully it is not in his brain!) and this Psalm 94:18 Plain Jane was perfect for the situation.  The surgery was successful and now it is on to chemo etc. so they have a bit to go yet, but I know this verse will encourage them.

Since my In Bloom MME paper pack was at the top of my stack, it provided the papers for my card along with some pops of red to add a bit of colour.  Used some seam binding from the Spring Fling Ribbon Collection and two of my favorite dies: Flutterby and Elegant Leaves.        

You don't have to complete all the sketches to entered to win the $100 Verve Stamps gift certificate, but the more you enter the more chances you have of winning, and having been a past winner, let me tell you it is a whole lot of fun spending it :) 

Enjoy the sketch and good luck to those how have entered!

 
 
 
What's In It?
Stamps:   Psalm 94:18 Plain Jane, In Bloom (Verve Stamps)
Paper:  In Bloom  (My Mind's Eye), Going Grey, Cameo Coral, Real Red (Stampin' Up)   
Ink:  Black, Going Grey (Stampin' Up)
Accessories:  Flutterby and Elegant Leaves (A Cut Above by Verve), Scalloped Circle and Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Crimper (Fiskars), Spring Fling Seam Binding (Verve Stamps), Button, Twine, Bling, Glue Dot, Dimensionals

Mojo Monday #330

 

The ever creative Julee has come up with a new concept for the fourth week of Mojo Monday and I just love it!!  Sketches will be for "tall and skinny" cards  That means your card can be 3 1/2" x 5 1/2" so you can still use an A2 envelope, or your you could go with a 3 1/2" x 6" size (12 x12 cut in half) which fits a regular, business envelope.  Too much fun!

For my card, I pulled out my life verse Plain Jane: Phil 1:6. I was doing cartwheels when I saw Julee had put it in stamp form and still get teary eyed knowing that I can forever produce this fabulous verse on cards.  Thank you again, Julee!

The papers are from MME's In Bloom and I used red accents for pops of colour and a touch of bling to finish things off.

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

Debbie Carriere

Julee Tilman (Owner)

Marisa Ritzen (you are here)

Mary Fish

Sarah Biglow

Teresa Kline

Wanda Cullen

Thanks for popping by today.  Hope you enjoy the new tall and skinny sketch as much as I did :)

 
 
What's In It?
Stamps:   Philippians 1:6 Plain Jane (Verve Stamps), French Script (Stampin' Up)
Paper:  In Bloom (My Mind's Eye), Real Red (Stampin' Up),  
Ink: Black  
Accessories:  Flutterby Die (A Cut Above by Verve), Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Border Punch (Martha Stewart), Corner Rounder (Marvy), 5/8" Red Satin Ribbon (Michael's), Button, Twine, Glue Dots, Bling (Micheal's), Dimensionals 

 

Just Us Girls #225 - Photo Inspiration

I was so excited when I found this inspiration collage to use for this week's Just Us Girls challenge.  Love the colour combination and of course, all the hearts :)  Just click on the image if you want to get a better view or head on over to the JUGS blog where a larger picture is posted.

I loved Jen's Deconstructed Sketch so used it for my card after finding some papers that worked perfectly.  Out came Verve's Stronger Love set for the sentiment and I used a mix of the Heart Quartet and Wavy Hearts die sets.   Picked up the polka dots via the paper and the embossed background and the pink stripes on the pillow on one of my hearts.  Had so much fun making this card and can't wait to give it to my daughter for Valentine's Day.

The rest of the  JUGS team, along with our January  Guest Designer Geraldine Bailly, have some wonderful samples to get your inspiration going, so head on over to the Just Us Girls blog and check out what they've created.  Then put your creative genes to work and add your card/project to the challenge post on the JUGS blog for the chance to be chosen as the Chic of the Week.  Plus if you are chosen as Chic of the Week, you could be invited to be a Guest Designer.
 
Busy week coming up.  My daughter has three provincial exams to write next week and my son will be home as he doesn't have any yet.  That means I have to find things to keep him busy and not sitting in front of the TV or computer so I think we will go round two on the basement and make a few Sally Ann runs with what we no longer need.   Sure he will love hearing what I have in store for him NOT!  Definitely going to have to come up with a nice treat for him once we are all done.

Have a great weekend and I'll be back on Monday with my Mojo Monday sample.

Challenge:  The Pink Elephant



 
What's In It?
Stamps:   Stronger Love (Verve Stamps), By Definition (Stampin' Up)
Paper:  Pink Strips, Pink Small Dots (Making Memories),  Red Hearts (Recollections), Real Red, Kraft (Stampin' Up), 
Ink:  Black   
Accessories:  Wavy Hearts and Heart Quartet Dies (A Cut Above by Verve), Scalloped Circle and Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders) Seeing Spots Embossing Folder (Provo Kraft), Pink 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon (Michael's Ribbon Bin), Buttons, Twine, Bling, Glue Dots, Dimensionals   

Thanks for Guiding Me

It's week four of our January Viva La Verve sketches and this week's sketch is brought to us by Diva Anya.

My mind went on a nautical bent when I was trying to decided what to do with the two horizontal strips on the sketch.  I created waves using the MFT wave die, and then used Strong Anchor and the matching Nautical Die set to follow through on the theme (love this set!).

The papers are from Down by the Shore by Fancy Pants and I used the star die from the Scalloped Trim Trio set for a little something between the two papers.  My finishing touch as adding a hemp sailor's knot. 

Can't wait to see your take on the sketch.  Remember, you don't need to use Verve stamps (though use them if you have them), and you don't have to complete all the sketches in a given month to be entered into the draw to win the $100 Verve gift certificate. However, the more times you enter, the greater your chances of winning become :)

Have a fabulous weekend!


 
 
What's In It?
Stamps:   Strong Anchor (Verve Stamps)
Paper:  Down By The Shore (Fancy Pants), Night of Navy, Bordering Blue (Stampin' Up),  
Ink: Black  
Accessories:  Nautical Die Set and Scalloped Trim Trio Dies (A Cut Above by Verve), Wave Die (My Favorite Things), Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Button, Twine, Glue Dot, Dimensionals 

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge - Love Letter Reminder

 

We are half way through the current Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge entitled Love Letter and Denami Designs is our sponsor.

I'm venturing on the CAS side again as the stamps I recevied lend themselves to that style.  Not an easy thing for me to do, but I gave it a go.  I stamped the clean lined heart to red paper, cut them out and then crimped then (though it doesn't show in the photo too well).  Then I matted the chevron washi on to white card stock so the clear chevrons would look white and help make the orange ones stand out a bit more as well.  Since there was red twine on the package, I pulled it in by adding a little bow on the top heart.

You can check out all the challenge details over on the Curtain Call Inspirations Challenge.  You have until January 25th at 8:00 a.m. CST to complete a new card/project using the inspiration picture and linking it up accordingly.

Thanks for popping by and hope you can find some time to play along with us!

 
 
What's In It?
Stamps:   With All my Heart, Small Heart Outline (Denami Designs) 
Paper:   Kraft, Real Red (Stampin' Up),  
Ink: Black  
Accessories:  Stitched Rectangles (Lil' Inkers), Washi Tape, Crimper (Fiskars), Twine, Dimensionals