Sunny Birthday

Welcome to the final day of our Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight Hop series! We'll be revealing all the sets and dies, plus the Divas have EVEN more samples they'll be debuting.  With 20 products to reveal in 2 hours it's going to be one hopping party!  I sure hope you'll drop in and say hi and help us celebrate our 4th Anni-VERVE-sary of all things Verve!  The party starts at 9PM Eastern tonight (if you're like me and really bad at time conversion, here's a World Clock link to find the time in your area).

Okay, on with the hop at hand.  Remember, one lucky commenter along today's  hop will win today's featured sets and dies.  So be sure and leave a little comment love as you hop around the Divasphere!  Check the Verve Blog for prize details and deadlines.

Our spotlight for today is shining on a new set called Making a Statement and its coordinating dies...Rounded Scallop Frame Die, and the Loopy Blooms Die Set.

If you've been tuning into my blog this week you can see that I'm on a personal mission to make sure everyone knows that black is the new... black!  {grin} Seriously, I just couldn't stop reaching for it this week!  Here I've paired it with a little daffodil delight and some Authentique papers.  The bird, sentiment, ruled paper and graph paper backgrounds and the loopy blooms are all from the Making a Statement set.  The loopy blooms are cut out with the coordinating Loopy Blooms Die Set.  The loopy blooms die cuts are open in the interior.  So to get the black behind them, I simply ran both daffodil and basic black cardstock through the Big Shot together, then taped the back of the die to keep the  inner petals in place before taking them out of the die.  The leaf and leafy sprig are from the Sunny Days and cut with the Leafy Sprig Die.

The rectangle piece is made using both the Rounded Scallop Frame and Rounded Rectangle Dies.  These two dies are designed to coordinate together.  The scallop frame is open in the center and cuts a smaller rounded rectangle (which I've stamped with the graph background in white ink).  Then the Rounded Rectangle Die is the perfect mat for in between the two pieces so you can have a solid scallop rectangle.

The sentiment and birdie are stamped onto a Vintage Oval Die, which I had already stamped with the ruled paper background from Making a Statement.  Then I simply added some stickles, more of that luscious wide striped ribbon, some black pearls and a scrap of paper in the corner.  I don't think you can tell from the angle of the photo, but I ran the little corner piece through the paper crimper to give it a fun texture. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Be sure to check out what the rest of the Divas have to share today and leave a little comment love as you hop about for a chance to win!  Next up on the hop is ... Charmaine!

1. Julee 10. Laurie 2. Charmaine 11. Maureen 3. Tosha 12. Amber 4. Andrea 13. Amy 5. Sankari 14. Jen d. 6. Teresa 15. Betty 7. Jackie 16. Lynda 8. Sarah {Guest} 17. Susan 9. Marisa {Guest}

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Making a Statement, Sunny Days (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Black, Daffodil Delight, Lucky Limeade (SU!), Blissful DP (Authentique), Cream
Ink: Jet Black Archival, Pumice Stone Distress (Ranger), Daffodil Delight (SU!), White Dye Ink (Memories), Copic markers
Accessories: Leafy Sprigs Die Set ,Loopy Blooms Die Set, Vintage Oval Die, Rounded Scallop Frame Die, Rounded Rectangle Die (A Cut Above by VERVE), Classic Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), paper crimper (Fiskars), Lemon Peel Stickles (Ranger), button, black pearls, Wide Striped ribbon (SU)

Tag Time

Welcome to Day 5 of our Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight Hop series! Hop along with the Divas all week long as we share our first looks at a few of the new products releasing from Verve on Friday night! One lucky commenter along today's  hop will win today's featured sets and dies.  So be sure and leave a little comment love as you hop around the Divasphere!  Check the Verve Blog for prize details and deadlines.

Our spotlight for today is shining on a new set called Tag Time, and its coordinating dies...Tagged Rectangle, Curvy Bookplate and Tiny Sweet Scallop Die Set.  My card features the tagged rectangle die and coordinating stamp from Tag Time as well as a couple of other sets and dies we previewed earlier this week.

This set is built around a few different types of tags and some small words.  Lately I really like the look of words cut out and attached to a page, so I included several words in this set that you can do this with, or mix and match to make your own sentiments.  Here I stamped the dream, wish and hope words from Tag Time on Wild Wasabi, cut out and stapled to my card.

The focal point of the card started with the graph version of the Tagged Rectangle, which I distressed with ink a bit, trimmed by hand and then matted on the Tagged Rectangle Die cut in black.  Next I used the same tag stamp to stamp a background on the pennant nestability die cut, then trimmed off the end, hand cut a black mat for it and added the carpe diem sentiment from Words of Wisdom.  I tucked a couple leafy sprigs (stamped with stamps from Sunny Days and cut with the Leafy Sprigs Die Set) around the pennant and added some rhinestones and frosted pearls from Pizzazz Aplenty.  The background is made from strips of designer paper layered together to create a backdrop for my tag.  Here's a detail shot of the stamping...

Since we're speaking of tags, after seeing all of today's inspiration with tags, don't you want to add one to a card?  Well, if so, we've got just the challenge for you...our Tag Your It! Get Your Diva On Challenge.  The challenge is to incorporate a tag on your card or project OR make a set of tags.  Easy peasy!  The winner of the challenge gets to be a Guest Diva for a future release.  It could be YOU posting sneak peeks next time around just like Marisa and Sarah have been this week, so be sure to play along!  But hurry, the deadline is this Sunday. Check out all the details on the challenge thread in our forum.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Be sure to check out what the rest of the Divas have to share today and leave a little comment love as you hop about for a chance to win!  Next up on the hop is ... Charmaine!

1. Julee 9. Marisa {Guest} 2. Charmaine 10. Laurie 3. Tosha 11. Amber 4. Andrea 12. Amy 5. Sankari 13. Lynda 6. Teresa 14. Susan 7. Jackie 15. Maureen 8. Sarah {Guest}

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Tag Time, Words of Wisdom, Sunny Days (Verve)
Paper: Newsprint, Pattern Prints DSP, Wild Wasabi, Basic Black (SU!), Cream
Ink: Emerald Green and Jet Black Archival, Antique Linen and Vintage Photo Distress (Ranger)
Accessories: Tagged Rectangle Die , Leafy Sprigs Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), Pennant Nestabilities (Spellbinders), tiny attacher (Tim Holtz), mini punch pack, mini library clips (SU!), ribbon, rhinestones and frosted pearl (Pizzazz Aplenty)

Perk Up

Welcome to Day 4 of our Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight Hop series! Hop along with the Divas all week long as we share our first looks at a few of the new products releasing from Verve on Friday night! One lucky commenter along the hop will win today's featured sets and dies.  So be sure and leave a little love as you hop around the Divasphere!  Check the Verve Blog for prize details and deadlines.

Our spotlight for today is shining on a new set called Better With You, and its companion set, Sip and Savor.  You'll also be seeing peeks of the From the Heart Die Set, which will be available exclusively as a free gift with a $35 minimum order through August 31, while supplies last.  {This promotion starts AFTER the sets go live on Friday night, August 12.}

Okay, on to the peeks!!! It will come as no surprise to many of you that I love coffee... and tea.  The aroma, the warmth, and all the pretty designer mugs just make me happy!  So I thought it was about time for some more coffee/tea themed sets!

For my card, I knew I wanted to play along with Jackie's Tag You're It! Get Your Diva On challenge.  So I pulled out the Sweet Scallop Tag stamp and coordinating die to make a tag using the new Better With You set.  I thought this perk up sentiment would be perfect for a little pick me up and decided to make a card and gift in one by adding a little Maya Road library pocket to house a gift card.  The background is stamped in crumb cake randomly with the coffee rings stamp from this set, then I stamped the coffee mug, the skinny oval for the coffee inside the mug, and a decorative flourish, then colored with copic markers and trimmed out with scissors and a hobby blade.  Here's a little detail of the stamping...

The java background stamp is stamped repeatedly on the library pocket, then I inked up the pocket and ran it through the paper crimper to give it the look of a java jacket.  Next, I added some wide striped ribbon, a bit of linen thread, a button and some rhinestones as accents.  I finished off by tucking a gift card to a local coffee shop in the pocket.  Here it is when everything was said and done...

There's still time to play along in our Get Your Diva On Challenge!  The challenge is to incorporate a tag on your card or project OR make a set of tags  The winner of the challenge gets to be a Guest Diva for a future release.  It could be you posting sneak peeks next time around, so be sure to play along! Check out all the details on the challenge thread in our forum.


Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Be sure to check out what the rest of the Divas have to share today and leave a little comment love as you hop about for a chance to win!  Next up on the hop is ... Charmaine!

1. Julee 7. Sarah {Guest} 2. Charmaine 8. Marisa {Guest} 3. Tosha 9. Laurie 4. Andrea 10. Maureen 5. Sankari 11. Amy 6. Teresa

Enabler's Lists:
Stamps: Better With You, Sweet Scallop Tag (stamp) (Verve)
Paper: Basics Manila (BasicGrey), Black, Cream
Ink: Jet Black Archival, Pumice Stone Distress (Ranger), Soft Suede, Crumb Cake (SU!), White Dye Ink (Memories)
Accessories: Sweet Scallop Tag Die (A Cut Above by VERVE), Library Pocket (Maya Road), striped ribbon (SU!), linen thread (TCP), button, rhinestones (Pizzazz Aplenty), paper crimper (Fiskars), gift card

Just Be

Welcome to Day 3 of our Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight Hop series! Hop along with the Divas all week long as we share our first looks at a few of the new products releasing from Verve on Friday night! One lucky commenter along the hop will win today's featured sets and dies.  So be sure and leave a little love as you hop around the Divasphere!  Check the Verve Blog for prize details and deadlines.

Okay, on to the sneaky peeks!!!  Our spotlight for today is shining on a new set called Words of Wisdom, plus the  Notebook and Graph Paper Plain Janes, as well as the coordinating Rounded Rectangle Die.

As many of you who read my blog know, I've recently started doing mixed-media and art journaling.  As I was creating, I realized that I wanted some large meaningful quotes and inspirational sayings to add to my pages.  So I started designing Words of Wisdom with that in mind, and it (and the graphic feel it evokes) became the basis for the entire release of stamps.  And while this is one of the first times I've designed a set based solely on what I wanted and not what I thought others might want, it's near and dear to my heart.  I had art journaling on my mind, but these sentiments are perfect encouraging quotes for cards, scrapbook pages and all types of creations.  I know the Divas will have some fabulous samples to inspire your papercrafting!

This is one of the first journal pages I made with this set.  The background of colors is made with a variety of paints, gelatos and watercolor crayons.  I've been fascinated with birds sitting on a wire or branches lately, and I think it's because they are so content to just be.  They aren't flitting around from thing to thing, just content with where they are in the moment.  Something I would so like to be.  So I designed this page around that thought, sketching in a branch for a chipboard bird that I painted over to sit on.  The simplicity word is part of an old Simplicity pattern and I wrote in the "of heart" to complete the thought.

Next I added the rolled sheet music in the corner with mod podge, adding some distress stain and paint to it, then stamping the "just be" sentiment from Words of Wisdom directly on the rolled paper and doodling a little heart with copic markers.  The flowers in the corner are a Crafter's Workshop Stencil that I used with light molding paste and then painted over once it was dry.  I finished adding some texture with rubons.

I think someone asked last time I posted a journal page what I created my journal pages on.  Here I'm using a spiral bound Strathmore Visual Journal  (Watercolor 140 lb) in the 5.5" x 8" size.  And yes, I do create right in the book.  Here's a look at it with its accompanying page, which uses the you matter sentiment and arrow from Words of Wisdom.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Be sure to check out what the rest of the Divas have to share today and leave a little comment love as you hop about for a chance to win!  Next up on the hop is ... Charmaine!

1. Julee 8. Sarah {Guest} 2. Charmaine 9. Marisa {Guest} 3. Tosha 10. Laurie 4. Andrea 11. Amy 5. Sankari 12. Shannan 6. Teresa 13. Betty 7. Jackie 14. Maureen

Enabler's Lists:
just be page
Stamps: Words of Wisdom (Verve)
Paper: Visual Journal Notebook (Strathmore), sheet music
Ink: Jet Black Archival, paints, Gelatos and PITT Pens (Faber-Castell), Distress Stains, Copic markers
Accessories: light molding paste, stencils (Crafter's Workshop), vintage pattern (Simplicity), modpodge, chipboard bird, Far East Rubons (SU!)

you matter page
Stamps: Words of Wisdom (Verve)
Paper: Visual Journal Notebook (Strathmore), dictionary paper
Ink: Jet Black Archival, paints, PanPastels, Gelatos, Pitt pens (Faber-Castell), Teal India Ink (Bombay), Distress Stains (Ranger)
Accessories: light molding paste, paper doily , Far East Rubons (SU!)

My Nicest Thoughts

Welcome to Day 2 of our Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight Hop series! Hop along with the Divas all week long as we share our first looks at a few of the new products releasing from Verve on Friday night! One lucky commenter along the hop will win today's featured sets and dies.  So be sure and leave a little love as you hop around the Divasphere!  Check the Verve Blog for prize details and deadlines.

And since today is Monday, I'm also sharing my weekly Mojo Monday card.  This week's sketch was designed by the fabulous Debbie Carriere.  Be sure to check the Mojo blog today for the DT samples with this sketch!

But for now, it's back to the sneaky peeks!!!  Our spotlight for today is shining on a new set called You and I, with its coordinating I Heart U Die Set and the Nicest Thoughts Plain Jane.  For my card, I chose to work with the Nicest Thoughts Plain Jane paired with the Sunny Days set and Leafy Sprigs die we showcased yesterday.

I just love this Georgia O'Keeffe quote in the same font treatment as last month's Words Cannot Express set and the Light Tomorrow plain jane.  And since you know how I like mixing and matching sets, I wanted to show how the small sun image from New Mercies works with the sun/flower images in Sunny Days.  To make my flower, I stamped the two sizes of flowers from Sunny Days and the small sun from New Mercies onto patterned paper and punched them out with a 1-3/8", 1-1/8" and 3/4" circle punch.  I sponged the edges lightly with ink to give a little depth, then snipped every few lines all around each circle to give that shabby feel and layered together on dimensionals.  A nice little edging of Stickles and a pearl center gives it some super sparkle. Here's a little closeup so you can see it better...

The leaves are cut from patterned paper with the Leafy Sprigs die and then stamped with the coordinating leaf stamps from Sunny Days.  I layered the whole thing on a scrap of white burlap that I inked with Antique linen Distress Stain and finished off with a bit of filmstrip and some real red taffeta in the corner.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Be sure to check out what the rest of the Divas have to share today and leave a little comment love as you hop about for a chance to win!  Next up on the hop is ... Charmaine!

1. Julee 9. Laurie 2. Charmaine 10. Maureen 3. Tosha 11. Amy 4. Andrea 12. Jen d. 5. Teresa 13. Shannan 6. Jackie 14. Lynda 7. Sarah {Guest} 15. Jen T. 8. Marisa {Guest} 16. Betty

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Sunny Days, New Mercies, Nicest Thoughts Plain Jane (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Odds & Ends (Cosmo Cricket), basic black, real red (SU!), cream
Ink: Jet Black Archival, Tumbled Glass and Antique Linen Distress (Ranger), Lucky Limeade (SU!)
Accessories: Leafy Sprigs Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), 1-3/8, 1-1/8 and 3/4" circle punches (EK Success), film strip (Advantus), ribbon (SU!), Stardust Stickles (Ranger), white burlap, pearl, lace doily border punch (Martha Stewart)

Where Flowers Bloom on Sunny Days

Welcome to our Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight Hops! Verve is celebrating four wonderful years with a HUGE release and today's the first day of spotlights!  Hop along with the Divas all week long as we share our first looks at a few of the new products releasing from Verve on Friday night! One lucky commenter along the hop will win today's featured sets and dies.  So be sure and leave a little love as you hop around the Divasphere!  Check the Verve Blog for prize details and deadlines.

Today the release team is joined by a few members of our Inspiration Team, plus our August Guest Divas... Marisa Ritzen and Sarah Gough.  Our spotlight for today is shining on a new set called Sunny Days, with its coordinating Leafy Sprigs Die Set and the Where Flowers Bloom Plain Jane.  I used all three on my card today and the layout is the Viva la Verve! August Week 2 sketch.

I know there's a lot of hopping to do, so hopefully I won't ramble too much.  I embossed a piece of vellum with the Square Lattice, then layered it over patterned paper and stitched them together with a sewing machine to achieve an aida cloth type of look.  I'd forgotten by this point that I intended to stamp the plain jane in the corner, or I might not have done the embossing.  But sometimes you just go with it, right?  So I stamped the sentiment in Archival black ink, then lightly filled in the missing parts with a permanent marker and dusted with a coat of clear embossing powder to make it stand out a bit.

The ribbon is scrunched Julee-style.  To achieve this look, I simply lay down a piece of tacky tape where I want the ribbon to go.  Then I squiggle Zip Dry glue over the area (because tacky tape alone doesn't seem to be strong enough to hold the shape for very long) and then just press my ribbon down as I like.  In this case, because the ribbon was so bulky, I went back and added a little zip dry behind each fold as well to keep things looking fine and dandy.  Then I finished off with a little Fray Check on the tail of the ribbon so there wouldn't be any frayed ends.  A bit of handstitching, some liquid pearls, some die cuts and I was done.

All righty.  That's all from me today... thanks so much for stopping by!  Be sure to check out what the rest of the Divas have to share today and leave a little comment love as you hop about for a chance to win!  Next up on the hop is ... Charmaine!

1. Julee 8. Marisa {Guest} 2. Charmaine 9. Laurie 3. Tosha 10. Maureen 4. Andrea 11. Amy 5. Teresa 12. Shannan 6. Jackie 13. Lynda 7. Sarah {Guest}

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Sunny Days, Where Flowers Bloom Plain Jane (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Victoria Gardens (Echo Park), Vellum, Black, Cream
Ink: Jet Black Archival, Antique Linen and Vintage Photo Distress (Ranger), Copic markers
Accessories: Leafy Sprigs Die (A Cut Above by VERVE), Square Lattice Texture Impressions folder, wide striped ribbon (SU!), black thread, paper piercer, black scrapper's floss (Karen Foster), Labels 10 Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Peacock Liquid Pearls (Ranger), Say it in pearls Go Green (Prima), sewing machine, paper distresser