Simple Christmas and a Post Release Blog Hop

Hi friends! Happy Saturday! New Verve is here and today the Divas are putting on a Post-Release Blog Hop featuring the new sets and dies that released last night!  All of the new stamps and dies are available in the Verve store today.  One lucky commenter on today's hop will win our entire new release!  Check out the Verve Blog for all the prize details, deadlines and our new release collection specials.

For my hop project I chose to create a clean & simple card set using ornament images and sentiments from Bright Spirits.  This was the idea that was in my head when I was designing the set.  Since the holidays are such a busy time, I wanted simple images and elegant sentiments that could capture attention without a whole lot of extra bells and whistles.

Each card is an image and sentiment stamped on a 4" piece of cardstock, which I scored at 1/4" all around and distressed the edges.

The images are colored with Copic markers and Spica glitter pens, then I embellished both the image and some of the swooshes on the sentiments with rhinestones from Pizzazz Aplenty.

A big red polka dot bow finishes things off, and each card is glued to a 4.25" white card base.  Easy peasy and perfect for the holidays.

That's a whole lot of pictures, so I won't jabber away the day.  Here's today's hop list... happy hopping!

1. Julee 8. Sankari 2. Andrea 9. Teresa 3. Vickie {Guest} 10. Charmaine 4. Amy 11. Tosha 5. Maureen 12. Wanda {Guest} 6. Laurie 13. Jackie 7. Gretchen {Guest}

Enabler's List:
Stamps: Bright Spirits (Verve Stamps)
Paper: White
Ink: Black, Copic markers, Spica glitter pen, Stardust glitter pen, gold gel pen
Accessories: ribbon (SU!), rhinestones (Pizzazz Aplenty), diamond glaze, Scor-pal, paper distresser

Snowflake Tidings and a Spotlight Hop

Hi friends!  Tonight's the night!  It's almost time for new Verve to release.  I hope you'll join us as we count down to our release from 9-11pm Eastern in our SCS Forum.  Until then, the Divas have more eye candy previews for you to hop around to for Day 3 of our New Release Spotlight Hops.  One lucky commenter on one of today's hop spots will win the stamps and dies featured today.  Deadline for commenting is tonight at 5pm Mountain.  Winners will be announced during our release party tonight!

Today the Divas are showcasing a mini set called Santa's Helper, plus some dies that coordinate with previously released sets.  Snowflake Tidings Die Set (which I've used on today's card) coordinates with the snowflakes in Glad Tidings, one of my all-time favorite holiday sets.  Frosty Snowflakes Die Set coordinates with the snowflakes in Frosty Flakes and Christmas in the Air.  And last but not least, a die I've received the most requests for, the Lovely Marquee Die coordinates with the frame in Love Story.

My card today uses Glad Tidings, Love Story, the Snowflake Tidings Die Set and the Lovely Marquee Die.  I embossed the medium and small snowflakes from Glad Tidings in white onto Sage Shadow, then cut with the Snowflake Tidings Dies.  I loved the way Amy used the Lovely Marquee Die as a border on her card yesterday, so I decided to take her idea and run with it.  I embossed the frame from  Love Story in white on Early Espresso, then cut with the Lovely Marquee Die and trimmed in half to tuck under each side of my panel.  I used the snowflake stamps as a background on most of the panels, then added a sentiment flag with Peaceful Wishes embossed on it and tied some rusty jingle bells on with linen thread.

The layout for this card is Jackie's Viva la Verve! sketch for this week.  Play along with all of our November sketches for a chance to win a $100 gift certificate to Verve!  Now that's something worth stamping about!  (grin}


Enabler's List:
Stamps:  Glad Tidings, Love Story (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Sage Shadow, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso (SU!)
Ink: Sage Shadow, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso (SU!), VersaMark
Accessories:  Snowflake Tidings Die Set, Lovely Marquee Die (A Cut Above by VERVE), Lacey Circles and Fancy Tags 2 Nestabilities (Spellbinders), rusty jingle bells (Frost it Pink), linen thread (TCP), mini library clip (SU!), Copic markes (to recolor library clip), liquid pearls (Ranger), damask embossing folder (Sizzix), Swarovski Crystal Rhinestones (Pizzazz Aplenty), white and clear detail embossing powders (Judikins)

Okay, it's time to hop along to the next stop...

1. Julee 8. Sankari 2. Andrea 9. Teresa 3. Vickie {Guest} 10. Charmaine 4. Amy 11. Tosha 5. Maureen 12. Wanda {Guest} 6. Laurie 13. Jackie 7. Gretchen {Guest}

Winter Tree, SFYTT and a Spotlight Hop

Hi friends!  Did y'all have a blast hopping along with the Day 1 Hop?  It's a brand new day and time for the Day 2 Verve Spotlight Hop, where the Divas are shining their sneaky little spotlights on some new stamps and dies for the holidays.  Leave a little comment love as you hop around the Divasphere, and you just might win today's featured stamps and dies for your very own!  All the prize info, details and deadlines can be found over on the Verve blog.  Products previewed today will be available following our release party on Friday night, 11/11/11.

For my spotlight card, I'm highlighting the Winter Tree plain jane, Bright Spirits set and the Love Birds Die Set.  To start, I paper pieced the Winter Tree plain jane with different holiday prints.  The tree is an updated version of the tree from Christmas in the Air, adding in some branch segments.  Both trees coordinate with the new Winter Fun Die Set (although I didn't use the die on this card, I'm sure you'll see it featured during the hop).  I stamped the smaller snowflake from Bright Spirits in Antique Linen randomly on my lighter background, then accented each center with liquid pearls.  The little birds are from the Bright Spirits set and are outline images of the solid birds from Love Story.  They also have a coordinating die, Love Birds Die Set, which I've used here to cut the birds out and hang some tiny rusty jingle bells from.  The sentiment from Bright Spirits is embossed in Early Espresso.

The layout for this card is Jen's Sketch For You To Try sketch for November.  Verve is sponsoring the sketch this month, so I hope you'll play along.  And if you play along with Verve, you just might win a Verve set of your choosing!  Check out Jen's blog for all the details.


Enabler's List:
Stamps: Bright Spirits, Winter Tree Plain Jane (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Season's Greetings (Echo Park), Early Espresso (SU!), cream
Ink: Antique Linen, Shabby Shutters (Ranger Distress ink), Early Espresso (SU!)
Accessories: Love Birds Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), rusty jingle bells (Frost it Pink), linen thread, vanilla seam binding ribbon (SU!), paper distresser, bristle brush, bisque liquid pearls (Ranger), clear embossing powder

Okay, it's time to get hopping... have an awesome day!

1. Julee 8. Andrea 2. Jackie 9. Vickie {Guest} 3. Teresa 10. Amy 4. Charmaine 11. Laurie 5. Maureen 12. Gretchen {Guest} 6. Tosha 13. Sankari 7. Wanda {Guest}

Call to Me and a Spotlight Hop

Hi friends!  Welcome to the first day of Verve's New Release Spotlight Hops!  The Divas are posting their first looks at today's featured stamps and dies, so hop around and leave a little comment love for a chance to win!  All the details and prize deadlines can be found on the Verve Blog.

I have two cards for you today that feature three new plain janes and a new die set.  All the items we're previewing this week will be available for purchase following our release party on Friday night (11/11/11).

I chose a clean, masculine feel for this first card, which uses the Flared Cross plain jane and the Cross Die Set.  It also features the previously released Amazing Grace plain jane.  The cross images on both of these cards are solid stamps, but to achieve a wood feel, I simply inked them with Soft Suede ink, then swept a bristle brush over them before stamping.  Love the effect.  I tied a little twine around the center of the cross and added some twine across the main panel for some interest.

For the second card, I used the same bristle brush technique for the Curvy Cross plain jane, cutting it out with the coordinating cross from the Cross Die Set.  The Jeremiah 33:3 plain jane is embossed on cream, then cut out with Nestabilities.  I added some twine, stitching and some bling to finish things off.

The Cross Die Set also coordinates with the cross images in Richly Blessed and Blessed Christmas, giving you plenty of options this holiday (and throughout the year) to celebrate the reason for the season.

Now it's time to move along to the next stop on the hop.  Have fun!

1. Julee 7. Andrea 2. Teresa 8. Vickie {Guest} 3. Charmaine 9. Amy 4. Maureen 10. Laurie 5. Tosha 11. Gretchen {Guest} 6. Wanda {Guest} 12. Sankari

Enabler's List - Card 1:
Stamps: Flared Cross Plain Jane, Amazing Grace Plain Jane (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Picadilly (BasicGrey), Soft Suede (SU!), Cream
Ink: Soft Suede (SU!), VersaMark
Accessories: Cross Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), fine detail white embossing powder, linen thread (SU!), bristle brush

Enabler's List - Card 2:
Stamps: Curvy Cross Plain Jane, Jeremiah 33:3 Plain Jane (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Picadilly (BasicGrey), Cream
Ink: Soft Suede (SU!)
Accesories: Cross Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), Classic Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), peridot rhinestones (Pizzazz Aplenty), linen thread (SU!), sewing machine, bristle brush