Verve Release Celebration Hop ~ Day 2

Welcome back to Verve's October 2014 Release Celebration! Three new sets, three new dies and a sequin mix just released on Saturday and today we're back sharing our inspirations with a new set called Pink Power and the new Ribbon Die!
 

 

If you have come here from Stacey's blog, you are right on track.  If not, you can check the Hop List below.

I can't get enough of this fabulous silhouette image from Pink Power!  A dear friend of mine decided to be "bald and beautiful" during her chemo treatments and proudly displayed this exact image.

The papers from my last card where still out so I used them again (sorry...just loved them together) but this time round added a touch of lace and pearls, and then bookended the sentiment with the Ribbon Die.


Want to win some shiny new Verve? One random winner of a $30 gift voucher to the Verve store will be drawn from the comments on the blogs linked below. So be sure to leave a little shout out in the comment box at each stop along the way to increase your chances! Check out the Verve Blog today for the scoop on prizes and today's featured products.


Featured Products: Pink Power, Ribbon Die
Today's Prize: $30 gift voucher to Verve

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

Time to head on over to Chaitali's blog to see what she has created with this fabulous set!

Challenges:  The Pink Elephant

What's In It?
Stamps:  Pink Power (Verve Stamps) 
Paper:  Small Polka Dots (Making Memories), Recollections Paper, Rose Romance, Blush Blossom (Stampin' Up)
Ink:  Black
Accessories:  Ribbon Die (A Cut Above by Verve), Doily Die (Top Dog Dies), Scalloped Border Punch (Stampin' Up), Bling, Dimensionals 

Mojo Monday #366

 

It's the first Monday of the month and that means it is contest time over on the Mojo Monday blog and Julee has created this wonderful sketch to work with.

I needed a masculine card for a neighbour to say a HUGE thank you for the very special gift he gave my son and hubby.  He won a draw for two tickets to enjoy watching the Vancouver Canucks hockey team warm up before their game from their penalty box!  That is ice side and a once in a life time experience.  He and his wife were unable to go and knew my son would be over the moon to be able to go and he is indeed.  Game is not until the end of the month so the anticipation can build LOL!  We are blessed to have such amazing neighbours :)

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

Was soooo grateful for a much quieter weekend and a big sleep in Saturday morning after an insane week last week.  Mom is still in hospital as they continue to try to get her body to retain sodium so her levels are where they should be.  However, when you change one thing there is a chain reaction so it is finicky work to get everything to balance and work together again.  I'm ever so grateful for the fabulous, local hospital we have and the staff we have been blessed to interact with!  I sleep well knowing mom is in good hands :)

Make sure you come back in a few hours for Day 1 of the Divas showcasing one of the stamp sets from Verve's Saturday release and a chance to win a $30 Verve gift certificate!

What's In It?
Stamps:  Better Together (Verve Stamps)  
Paper:  Costco DP Package, Kraft and Night of Navy (Stampin' Up), Cream Linen
Ink:  Black
Accessories:  Stitched Rectangles (Lil' Inkers), Chicken Wire Embossing Folder (Cuttlebug), Brads, Spiral Clips (Michael's), Dimensionals

October Verve Diva Inspirations Hop

Welcome to Verve's October Diva Inspirations Hop. It's the 5th of the month and that means it's time for the Divas to serve up some fresh inspiration with their Verve stamps! Leave some comment love along the hop spots for a chance to win a prize, then grab some stamps and play along with our October inspiration challenge for another chance to win!

This month's challenge is entitled Fall Fancy:

The air is crisp and the colors are warm – celebrate fall with a spook-tacular creation or a thoughtful thank you using Fall as your inspiration!

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

I always enjoy making fall themed cards as it is my favorite colour pallet to work with.  I immediately thought of Bountiful Harvest as it has such a wonderful mix of pumpkin images!  I opted for the pumpkin trio and tried my best to colour them with my Twinkling H2Os.  Good thing pumpkins are forgiving LOL!  Added some hemp twine around the horizontal strip for some texture and promptly forgot to add my thank you tab.  Its been that kind of week... 

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. Sarah
	2. Amy	8.  Sony
	3. Anya	9.  Maureen
	4. Betty	10. Laurie
	5. Karen	11. Marisa
	6. Sankari	12. Jen

Time to head on over to Jen's blog to see her wonderful take on the inspiration photo!  Happy Hopping :)

What's In It?
Stamps:  Bountiful Harvest (Verve Stamps)  
Paper:  Stella and Rose (My Mind's Eye), Early Espresso, Kraft (Stampin' Up), Cream Linen
Ink:  Black 
Accessories:  Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Crimper (Fiskars), Twinkling H2Os, Hemp Twine, Twine, Button, Dimensionals

Verve Release Celebration!

Happy World Cardmaking Day and welcome to Verve's October 2014 Release Celebration! Three new sets, three new dies and a sequin mix just released this morning and the Divas are here to share some of our first looks at the new goodies with you!

Today I am showcasing a wonderful new set called Pink Power, in honor of breast cancer awareness month.  Over the past five years, I have had two very close friends battle and win their wars against breast cancer, so this set is very near and dear to my heart.

If you have come here from Stacey's blog, you are right on track.  If not, you can check the Hop List below.

When I saw this silhouette I fell in love with it!!  Such a fabulous image of strength and courage!  I wanted a girly card, so used a doily for the image, added lots of bling, and topped things off by using the fabulous breast cancer Ribbon Die symbol.  Go, pink power, go!!



Want to win some shiny new Verve? One random winner will be drawn from the comments on the blogs linked below! So be sure to leave a little shout out in the comment box at each stop along the way to increase your chances! Check out the Verve Blog today for the prize details and the scoop on all the new releases!

Featured Products: Entire Release
Today's Prize: October 2014 Release Collection

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

Time to head on over to Chaitali's blog where she is sure to have some wonderful card candy for you.  Oh! And make sure to come back on Monday for the beginning of our three day hop showcasing the individual sets and dies that are being released today -- not to mention a chance to win a Verve gift certificate!

What's In It?
Stamps:  Pink Power(Verve Stamps)  
Paper:  Lovey (Bella Boulevard), Recollections (Michael's), Blush Blossom, Rose Romance (Stampin' Up)
Ink:  Black
Accessories:  Ribbon Die (A Cut Above by Verve), Scalloped Circle and Circle Nestabilities, Lace, White Half Pearls, Bling, Dimensionals

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge - Smooches

It's time for another Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge.  This week our sponsor for the Curtain Call Inspiration: Smooch is Paper Smooches!  A randomly selected participant in the Smooch challenge will be awarded their choice of a Paper Smooches stamp set and the LEAD of the challenge will be invited as Guest Designer of a future challenge!
 

For my card, I used Paper Smooches' Sentiment Sampler.  So many wonderful sentiments for a wide variety of occasions in this set - love it!

I went with a pink and red colour combination and added an embossed chevron background.  Used two of the sentiments from the set and added a blinged out heart and pink bow.  It will be a fun card to give to a girl friend.

Smooch Designers

Wanda Guess, Guest Designer
Amy Kolling
Amy Sheffer
Amy Tsuruta
Gayatri Murali
Kim Singdahlsen
Laurie Willison
Lisa Henke
Marisa Ritzen
Maureen Plut
Monika Davis
Sarah Gough
Sheri Gilson
Stacey Schafer
Tenia Nelson
Tracey McNeely 

Follow us!

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge Facebook Page

Curtain Call Pinterest Boards

Stop by the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge:  Smooch for the challenge details and to play along with us!

Thanks for popping by and look forward to seeing your creations.

 

What's In It?
Stamps:  Sentiment Sampler (Paper Smooches) 
Paper:  Dots and Stripes (Echo Park), Pretty in Pink  (Stampin' Up)
Ink:  Black 
Accessories:  Lacy Circle, Circle, and Scalloped Heart Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Chevron Embossing Folder (Provo Kraft), 3/8" Pink Grosgrain Ribbon, Bling, Dimensionals 

Mojo Monday #365

It's tall and skinny week over on the Mojo Monday blog and Julee has created this fabulous sketch for us to work with.

Love banners on cards and I jumped at the chance to use some of my hoarded Stella and Rose MME papers.  Just adore this paper pack with all the wonderful fall colours and am quite stingy with using them LOL!

Another favorite of mine is this wonderful flower/leaf combination from Dream Big.  I never tire of using either of them.  Added a some twine and a bow along with a small sentiment tag from PTI 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

We survived our first week of school after the teachers strike and an extended summer vacation, and are all tired to prove it LOL!!  It's been an adjustment to early mornings for everyone again, as well as adding my two days of work into the mix.  I have never had to leave the house for work since the kids were born (ran a daycare out of my house for ten years), but they are at the perfect age for this to occur and am feeling very blessed all round.

Challenges - The Pink Elephant

                   Simon Says

What's In It?
Stamps:  Dream Big (Verve Stamps), Tiny Tags (PTI) 
Paper:  Stella and Rose (My Mind's Eye), Early Espresso, Kraft, Old Olive (Stampin' Up)
Ink:  Black, VersaMark
Accessories:  Elegant Leaves and Scalloped Flowers Die Set (A Cut Above by Verve), Tiny Tags Die (PTI), Border Punch (Stampin' Up), Twine, Button, Twine, Glue Dots, Dimensionals

Masculine Sympathy Card

Masculine sympathy cards are not easy to make...  I used this week's Viva La Verve sketch by Stacey, and the 1 Peter 5:7 verse from Faith Medley.  After humming and hawing for a while, I finally decided to go non-traditional with the colours and added some spiral clips I found in my stash.

My friend lost his father, who he was very close to, and though there is great sorrow at losing his presence here on earth, I know he takes comfort in the fact he will one day see him again in Heaven.   Yet amidst the comfort of that knowledge, there are always times of deep, emotional, heart ache when one misses having your parent to walk through life with, call for advice etc.  My prayer is that this verse will comfort him during those times.

A busy weekend ahead as we celebrate all the September family birthdays, along with a soccer game and my son reffing two games too.  Our schedules are in full swing now, and I think we will have a very low key Sunday to enjoy some down time!

Wishing you a fabulous day!

Challenges:  Simon Says - Anything Goes

 
 
What's In It?
Stamps:  Faith Medley (Verve Stamps)
Paper:   Kraft, Real Red, Night of Navy, Cool Caribbean (Stampin' Up), Cream Linen, Costco DP Pack
Ink:  Black    
Accessories:  Starry Die (A Cut Above by Verve), Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Crimper (Fiskars), Chicken Wire Embossing Folder (Provo Craft), Black Half Pearls, Spiral Clips, Dimensionals

Viva La Verve September 2014 Week 3 Recap

I get to host this week's Viva La Verve sketch recap and this was my take on the sketch.  Loved the inspiration photo and pulled the colours from it. 

I was a bit stumped by the two smaller circles in the sketch, so I decided to use a little artistic impression and go with some embossing paste polka dots.  The sentiment panel was screaming for me to use the fabulous Coffee Word Die, so I did LOL!  The green coffee mug was die cut using the Cuppa Joe Die Set and inspired by the green flower stems.  Finished things off by adding a few coffee beans around the cup to ground it.

Want to see whose card I spotlighted this week?  Head on over to the Viva La Verve blog and find out! 

What's In It?
Stamps:   Coffee (Verve Stamps) 
Paper:  Kraft, Cameo Coral, So Saffron, Early Espresso, Old Olive, Blush Blossom (Stampin' Up)  
Ink:   Black, Close to Cocoa (Stampin' Up)
Accessories:   Cuppa Joe and Coffee Word Dies (A Cut Above by Verve), Tag and Doily Die (PTI), Embossing Paste, Heidi Swap Polka Dot Stencil, 5/8" Brown Satin Ribbon, Twine, Dimensionals

Mojo Monday #364

It's Mojo Monday time and this week's sketch is great for mixing up some patterned paper.

I used The Sweetest Thing by My Mind's Eye for my papers along with this wonderful flower image from Happy Place and its matching die from the Happy Doodles Die Set.  The sentiment is from Take Note and a touch of yellow, satin ribbon finished 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

First day back at school for the kids now that the teachers strike is over - yeah!  Getting back into the school routine after three months of summer vacation will be interesting LOL!  But we are all glad to be back on track and in a regular schedule.

What's In It?
Stamps:   Happy Place, Take Note (Verve Stamps) 
Paper:   The Sweetest Thing (My Mind's Eye), Kraft, Real Red (Stampin' Up) 
Ink:  Black
Accessories:  Happy Doodles Die Set (A Cut Above by Verve),5/8" Saffron Satin Ribbon, Button, Twine, Glue Dot, Dimensionals

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge - Wishing Well Reminder

We are half way through the Curtain Call Inspiration Wishing Well challenge sponsored by Whimsy Stamps.

This time round, I used this adorable bird house image from In The Garden.  I fussy cut the grass, birdhouse and cute little bird to create my scene and added some clouds for depth.

We'd love to have you play along if you haven't already.  You have until September 10th to link your card to the Curtain Call Blog. The LEAD and Show Stoppers for this challenge will be announced on September 14th, and our next challenge will begin on September 15th.

Celebrating my daughters sixteenth birthday this weekend.  How did she get so grown up?!!  A house full of teenage girls, hubby BBQing burgers for them and lots of laughter as they worked their way through trying to answer as many of the 40 questions about her as they could for a prize! A wonderful weekend of celebration :)

Challenges:  CASology - Grass
                    AAA Cards - Fussy Cutting

 
 
What's In It?  
Stamps:   In The Garden (Whimsy Stamps)
Ink:  Black, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, More Mustard, Real Red, Old Olive (Stampin' Up)
Accessories:  Stitched Rectangle Dies (Lil' Inkers), Dimensionals