Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight Hop 2014 / Mojo Monday #360

Good morning :)   Today I'm sharing my take on today's Mojo Monday Tall and Skinny sketch as well as a sneak peek of the new Verve Stamps that will be released this Saturday!! Be sure to stop by the Mojo Monday Blog and play along with us...enjoy!

Welcome to our Anni-VERVE-sary 2014 Spotlight Hops!  This month Verve is celebrating 7 wonderful years and our release is filled with all sorts of treats!  All week long the Divas, along with our fabulous Guest Diva Monika Davis, will be will be spotlighting new stamps and dies.  Plus, each day there's a chance to win a $50 gift code to Verve just for commenting on our posts!  So tune in each day for a new spotlight and a fresh chance to win. Everything previewed this week will be available for purchase in the Verve online store on Saturday 8/30.

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

Today we are featuring a set by Chaitali called Cupcakes.  This set has many wonderful cupcake sentiments and a variety of cupcake images you can mix and match.  I had to giggle when I made this card because my daughter loves to bake, so I know where this card will be going sooner than later LOL! 



Want to win some shiny new Verve? We'll be picking a random commenter on one of the hop spots below to win a $50 gift code to Verve! So be sure to leave a little comment on each blog on the list to increase your chances! Check out the Verve Blog today for full set reveals and all the prize info and deadlines!

Monday, 8/25/14
Featured Products: Cupcakes (illustrated by Chaitali Narla), Signature Sequin Mix
Today's Prize: $50 gift code to Verve

1. Julee 7. Monika {Guest} 2. Teresa 8. Stacey 3. Chaitali 9. Maureen 4. Amber 10. Laurie 5. Charmaine 11. Janelle 6. Marisa 12. Christyne

Time to head on over to our Guest Diva Monika's blog to see what she has created with today's set.  Make sure to come back tomorrow for Day 2 of our Spotlight Hop and another chance to win a $50 gift code to Verve Stamps!

What's In It?
Stamps:   Cupcakes (Verve Stamps) 
Paper:   Happy Day (My Mind's Eye), Pretty in Pink, So Saffron (Stampin' Up) 
Ink:  Real Red,Black (Stampin' Up), SeaGlass (Colorbox)
Accessories:   Flag It Die Set (A Cut Above by Verve), Scalloped Oval and Oval Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Twine, Button, Shine Bright Sequin Mix (Verve Stamps), Stickles, Glue Dot, Dimensionals 

Just Us Girls #255 - Photo Inspiration Week

Love this inspiration photo for this week's Just Us Girls challenge.  So wished I had a truck stamp but no such luck so I honed in on the sunflowers and the chalk board behind them.

Out came Clearly Besotted's sunflower stamp and matching die and it was great fun making the chalkboard :)   A stitched outline and some twine for a country feel and my card was done.

The rest of the  JUGS team along with our August Guest Designer, Kristie, 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.  Simply create a card using the sketch and link it up to the JUGS blog for a chance to be chosen as the Chic of the Week.  Remember, if you are chosen as Chic of the Week, you could be invited to be a Guest.

First soccer tournament of the season for my son this weekend and needless to say, I am one very happy mama that the weather for the weekend will be fabulous :)  Have a good one!


 
What's In It?
Stamps:  Blooming Marvelous (Clearly Besotted Stamps)
Paper:   Black, Real Red (Stampin' Up)  
Ink:  Summer Sun, More Mustard, Old Olive (Stampin' Up), VersaMark
Accessories:  Blooming Marvelous Die Set (Clearly Besotted Stamps),  Chicken Wire Embossing Folder (Provo Craft), Lattice Embossing Folder (Stampin' Up), Stitched Rectangle Die (Lil' Inkers), Twine, Dimensionals

Mojo Monday #359

Welcome to another Mojo Monday sketch created by Julee.  A great opportunity to pull out some patterned papers and mix and match.

When I first started using patterned paper, the intimidation factor was very high and my skill level was quite low LOL!  However, like most things, with lots of practice (and many wonderful six by six paper pads that make it easy) you too will grow to love using it if you don't already.

The floral paper is from Echo Park's This and That collection and I pulled the other two colours from it using some old Stampin' Up DSP papers I have had forever.  I am desperately trying to work though what I have and curb buying to much more new stuff, but it's hard!  But I regress...  The sentiment stamps are from Verve's Treasured Words and Hope Blooms and the flower is the Pretty Posies Dynamic from MFT.

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

Another busy weekend, the weather continues to be amazing (will be sooo hard having to deal with rain again when it starts falling LOL!) and I can't believe summer is drawing to an end!!

What's In It?
Stamps: Treasured Words and Hope Blooms (Verve Stamps) 
Paper:  This and That (Echo Park), Designer Series Papers, Cameo Coral, Kraft (Stampin' Up)
Ink:  Black 
Accessories:  Pretty Posies Dynamic (My Favorite Things), Scalloped Circle and Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), 3/8" White Grosgrain Ribbon (Michael's $1.50 Ribbon Bin), Button, Twine, White Half Pearls, Glue Dots, Dimensionals 

Just Us Girls #254 - Colour Challenge

Today, Sue V. has a wonderful colour challenge for us to work with.  I must admit, I'm not much of a navy girl, but I'm definitely a green girl so things balanced off LOL!  Actually, this is a fabulous colour combination to work with and I enjoyed working with it quite a bit.  I did cheat just a tad by adding a light blue to the mix...sorry Sue....just couldn't go with a Sahara Sand flower!

My card is based on this week's Viva La Verve sketch by Stacey, tweaked just a bit - must have been in a rebellious mood when I made this card LOL.  Haven't used the heart die from the Scalloped Trim Trio die set for a long time so out it came, along with the Rounded Scalloped Frame die, Petal Points die, and Sprightly Sprigs die.  The sentiment is from Be Blessed, and I wanted to squeeze in a flower/butterfly combo as summer is on the waning side and soon my beloved maple leaf dies will be front and center.

The rest of the  JUGS team along with our August Guest Designer, Kristie, 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.  Simply create a card using the sketch and link it up to the JUGS blog for a chance to be chosen as the Chic of the Week.  Remember, if you are chosen as Chic of the Week, you could be invited to be a Guest.

Have a fabulous weekend!


 
What's In It?
Stamps:  Be Blessed (Verve Stamps) 
Paper:   For The Record 2 (Echo Park), Night of Navy, Early Espresso, Cool Caribbean, Old Olive (Stampin' Up)  
Ink:  Black
Accessories:  Scalloped Trim Trio Set, Petal Points, Sprightly Springs, Rounded Scalloped Rectangle (A Cut Above by Verve), Butterfly Punch (Martha Stewart), Buttons, Twine, Black Half Pearls, Glue Dots, Dimensionals

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge - Tropical Trip

It's time for another Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge!  This time our challenge is entitled "Tropical Trip".

I am still revelling in the memories of our trip to Hawaii earlier this year, and this inspiration photo immediately made me think of the beautiful, tropical fish we saw while snorkeling there.  Having no fish stamps meant checking Pinterest for ideas, and there I found some great punch art fish. In the end, I decided to case this card.  Wanted to use a larger googly eye, but didn't have any in my stash so had to settle for this smaller one.

Tropical Trip Designers

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: Tropical Trip for the challenge details and to play along with us!

 
 
What's In It?  
Stamps:  Happy Birthday (Memory Box), Moments Remembered (Stampin' Up) 
Paper:  Real Red, So Saffron, Brilliant Blue, Tempting Turquoise (Stampin' Up) 
Ink: Old Olive, Black (Stampin' Up)  
Accessories:  Catch a Wave Die (My Favorite Things), 1 3/8", 1/2" and 1/4" Circle Punches, Five Point Flower and Scalloped Border Punch (Stampin' Up), Heart Punch (Michael's $1.50 Bin), Stitched Rectangle Die (Lil' Inkers), Twine Dimensionals 

VLV Recap and Viewfinder

It's my turn to do the Viva La Verve recap for this week's sketch provided by Diva Maureen.

I was in need of a sympathy card this week after hearing of the unexpected drowning of the husband of a mom whose kids attended the same elementary school mine did.  It is heartbreaking as they have three children, the oldest being fourteen and the youngest nine.  The autopsy found he had a brain tumor at the base of his skull which most likely caused a seizure when he was in the water, causing him to drown.  So thankful for the wonderful school community that has rallied around the family and many close friends that will walk along side them during this difficult time.

I used this wonderful verse from New Mercies and over stamped it with the foliage image in the same set for some dimension.  Added a secondary "praying for you" sentiment, along with a bow and some butterflies to finish things off.

Thanks for popping by and if you want to see which cards I chose to highlight for this week's VLV sketch and Inspiration Photo, head on over to the Viva La Verve blog and check it out.

Wishing you a fabulous day!


 
What's In It?
Stamps:   New Mercies (Verve Stamps)
Paper:  So Saffron, Kraft (Stampin' Up)  
Ink:  Black, Certainly Celery (Stampin' Up)   
Accessories:  Flag It Die Set (A Cut Above by Verve), Swiss Dots and Heart Blocks Embossing Folders (Provo Craft), Butterfly Punch (Martha Stewart), 5/8" Satin Saffron Ribbon, Button, Black Half Pearls, Twine, Glue Dot, Dimensionals

Mojo Monday #358

Had a desire to make a baby card when I tripped across this fun paper I found at one of my local dollar stores.  Unfortunately, it is pretty well covered up, which is a shame as it has the cutest zebras and butterflies with glitter on them.  

To the Moon is my go to baby set, as it has so many wonderful images and sentiments.  Decided on the cute bear image was a good mix with the zebras and butterflies, so I stamped the image and then fussy cut it out.  Punched a trio of hearts to pull in some of the colours in the background paper and added a button for balance.

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

Got some fabulous, organic blueberries this weekend and it took two days to freeze them all on cookies sheets and then bag them because I got 50 pounds - my standard quota each year.  Our small freezer is now full and it is like playing Tetras if you need to get anything in or out of it LOL!  

Another hot, humid day expected today - ugh!  At least we had a week's reprieve before the humidex hit us again.  Let the frizzy hair begin LOL!  Have a fabulous day :) 

What's In It?
Stamps: To The Moon (Verve Stamps) 
Paper:   Small Dots (Making Memories), So Saffron, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, More Mustard (Stampin' Up), Dollar Store Paper
Ink:  Black 
Accessories:  Heart Quartet Die (A Cut Above by Verve), Heart Punch (Marvy), Crimper (Fiskars), Martha Stewart Punch, Bling, Button, Twine, Glue Dot, Dimensionals

Just Us Girls #253 - Trend Week

Sorry I've been out of the loop for a few weeks....I've been training for my new PT job the past two weeks, and this Wednesday and Thursday were my first days "flying solo".  Enjoying it immensely, and once I learn about 500 patients' names, it will be even better as I won't have to ask them their name every time they come in :)  Plus still helping mom out quite a bit now that she is home from the hospital, but the good news is she is slowly healing and  progressing in a positive direction :)

Fun challenge this week!  I don't own a ton of washi as I do not use it a lot, but it was fun to dig it out and play with it a bit.  Kept things rather  simple as I haven't stamped in some time, but loving the mix of colours and of course, the hearts :)

The rest of the  JUGS team along with our August Guest Designer, Kristie, 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.  Simply create a card using the sketch and link it up to the JUGS blog for a chance to be chosen as the Chic of the Week.  Remember, if you are chosen as Chic of the Week, you could be invited to be a Guest


 
What's In It?
Paper:   Basic Black, Real Red (Stampin' Up)  
Accessories:  Heart Dies (The Cat's Pajamas), Washi, 5/8" Black Satin Ribbon (Michael's), Black Half Pearls, Dimensionals 

Verve Diva Dare August 2014

This month's Verve Diva Dare is entitled "Celebrate Good Times".  Verve is turning 7 this month and we’d love to see your celebration cards.  Think wedding, birthday, anniversary… anything that brings the confetti out!

Hubby and I will be attending a wedding at the end of August so this was the perfect opportunity to get a card done.  I used last week's Viva La Verve sketch for my layout and this fabulous, large font, "Celebrate" sentiment from Moments Remembered.  I adore this stamp as it can be used for so many occasions and you definitely can't miss the fact there is something to celebrate!  The Lovely Marquee die provided the shape for my secondarily sentiment from Love Story.  A touch of seam binding from the Signature Series Ribbon Collection and I had to add some bling because the bride looooves bling :)

Of course, where there is a Verve Diva Dare, there are prizes, and this month's dare provides two prizes: one for a randomly selected participant and one for a randomly selected commenter! 

Want to get all the details on how you can win some Verve Stamps?  Simply head on over to the Verve Blog to get all the challenge details!

What's In It?
Stamps:   Moments Remembered, Love Story (Verve Stamps) 
Paper:  Wedding Words and Brocade Tie The Knot (Making Memories), Black, Going Grey (Stampin' Up) 
Ink: Black, Silver
Accessories:   Lovely Marquee Die (A Cut Above Verve), White Seam Binding (Signature Series Ribbon Collection by Verve Stamps), Heart Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Bling, Glue Dot, Dimensionals

Mojo Monday #357

It's the first Monday of the month which means it is contest week over on the Mojo Monday blog, and Julee has this great sketch for us to work with.

The sketch made me smile because a few short years ago, skewed panels on sketches sent me into a tail spin LOL.  Practice makes perfect, and now they are a welcome addition to any sketch.  Love how you can continually grow and evolve in this wonderful hobby (aka: addiction)!

I just "had" to use this wonderful flower image from Happy Place again - sorry!  Just can't help myself!  The sentiment is from the same set and the fabulous monarch butterfly is from Each Day.

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

I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact we are now in August and my son just turned fourteen!  I was seven months pregnant with him when we moved into our home and it feels like yesterday when I gave birth to him - well, not exactly yesterday, but you know what I mean LOL! Mom is home from hospital now, but struggling a bit so we are monitoring her closely.  Hoping it is temporary and she just needs time to heal, otherwise, we may have to make some hard decisions regarding her need for assisted living....been quite a month! 
 

What's In It?
Stamps: Happy Place and Each Day (Verve Stamps) 
Paper:   The Sweetest Thing (My Mind's Eye), Kraft, Real Red, So Saffron (Stampin' Up) 
Ink:  Black 
Accessories:  Happy Doodles Die Set (A Cut Above by Verve), Chicken Wire Embossing Folder (Provo Craft), Crimper (Fiskars), Corner Rounder, Twine, Black Half Pearls, Dimensionals