So Happy For You - DS67

It's Deconstructed Sketch day, and I just had to do some more playing with Verve's amazing new release. Today's card features a sentiment from Treasured Words -- love the sentiments and font treatments in this set! I've also used the new Pennant Trim die, and "old" favorites, the Sweet Scallop  and a darling heart from From The Heart.

Here's the sketch:

And here's the crew, with some gorgeous sketch inspiration:

• Amber Hight
• Arielle Gordon
• Donna Wardle
• Jen Shults
• Jessica Diedrich
• Judy Rozema, Guest Designer
• Kadie Ensley
• Lori Boyd
• Sheri Gilson
• Tracey Pickersgill

To play along, link up to Jen's blog. Thanks for stopping by!

Whale of A Friend - TCPTues225

Whale of a Time was one of the very first Cat's Pajamas stamp sets I just had to have. The whale image is so cute and puts a smile on my face every time I see it. Crazy thing is, other than one of the sentiments in the set, it hasn't been inked. Until today! Lucky for me, the whale was a perfect fit for this week's TCP Tuesday Challenge #225, which I'm hosting in TCP's forum. Let's have a look at the sketch:

I envisioned more of a CAS (clean and simple) card when I designed this sketch, but you could also go crazy with layers and embellishments. I kind of did both with today's card - a plain card base, but lots of details within that focal panel. I also moved the pair of embellishments from the lower left of the focal panel over to the accent strip to the right - it just worked better that way! Those washers are jumbo eyelets that I flattened first, then tied on with hemp cord.

The papers are from My Mind's Eye's The Sweetest Thing 6x6 collections (primarily Bluebell). The clouds are die-cut with TCP's Cloud CutUps die. The waves were done with the Waves CutUps die, and the white scallop along the bottom was done with the Big Scallop CutUps die.

I combined this TCPTues225 sample with last week's challenge, TCP Tuesday Challenge #224, hosted by Susan. Her theme was "Water, Water Everywhere," and the challenge is to use an image that implies water (including snow or ice), and combine that image with either the Wave Border  or Snowflake CutUps die. Her challenges are always so fun!

Here are all the swanky details on how YOU can play along:

1. Each Tuesday we will give you a challenge.
2. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge.
3. Add your entry to the guestbook on Alma's blog and/or upload to the SCS Gallery, using the keyword TCPTUES225 for this week's challenge.
4. TCP stamps/dies are not required, but highly encouraged if you have them.
5. There will be one randomly chosen weekly winner, announced on Tuesdays.
6. There will be one winner, The Swanky Stamper, announced the 1st of each month. That lucky stamper will win several sets from an upcoming release and get to play along with us at our Pajama Party and Blog Hop.


Thanks for visiting!

New Verve + SFYTT Reminder

In case you missed Verve's big Anni-Verve-sary release party last night, just wanted to let you know all of the new stamps and dies we've been spotlighting the past nine days are now available in the Verve store. Pick up your individual favorites, or, if you're a gotta-have-it-all girl, there are discounts on the full Anni-Verve-sary collections. I'd love to hear which things were your favorites!

If you left comments on the spotlight posts and/or participated in the challenges or card carnival, be sure to check out the winners post, too -- maybe your name is on there!

Today I'm sharing one of my personal favorites that I created for this release (and that haven't shared already). I just adore this sentiment from Stronger Love and the way Julee mixed up the fonts for a casual look and feel. In the midst of all the awesome sentiments, including some single words that you can build into your own sentiment, there lives the sweetest little butterfly that I nearly overlooked entirely. Stamped in white onto the kraft background, this little image added just the right touch of doodled whimsy and sweetness.

Also, just a quick reminder about the August SFYTT, sponsored by Verve. You have until the end o the month to link up your entry HERE.

Here's the sketch again:

And here are two samples I made with the sketch:

(Click HERE for the original post)

(Click HERE for the original post)

Thanks for stopping by!

Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight - Day 9

Welcome to our final day of Anni-VERVE-sary spotlight hops! It's been a super fun week, and I know for many of you, tonight's Release Party can't come soon enough!

Today we're focusing on Treasured Words, which includes a framed rectangle, a few images, and some of Verve's signature mixed-font greetings. I especially love these sentiments because of the casual font combo. Check out all of today's spotlights, and remember to leave comments along the way to win today's featured stamp set.

1. Julee 9. Charmaine 2. Laurie S. 10. Janelle 3. Maureen 11. Betty 4. Teresa 12. Christyne {Guest} 5. Tosh 13. Laurie W. {Guest} 6. Amber 14. Jen S. {Guest} 7. Amy 15. Susan 8. Andrea

My card is doubling as a peek and as my sample for the new Viva La Verve Sketch challenge, which I'm hosting in the Verve Forum. It's the last of the month, so we have a CAS (clean-and-simple) sketch for you. Hope you'll play along. Now would certainly be a great time to complete all of the August sketches and possibly win some of this new release!

Here's the sketch:

Well ... today wraps up the Anni-Verve-sary spotlight hops. Hope you've enjoyed all the peeks and challenges and festivities, and that you'll be able to join us tonight in the Verve forum from 9-11 pm EST. I found out earlier this week that my husband and I have play tickets tonight, but I hope I'll be back home in time to catch the last half of the party! It's gonna be BIG!

Thank you for all the comment love this week! Hugs!

Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight - Day 8

Welcome to Day 8 of our Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight Hops. Today, we're taking a look at Borderline, a sensational set of both borders and labels, plus Verve's usual array of awesome sentiments. AND, are you ready? Verve is coming out with mini versions (squeal) of the popular label dies: the Mini Classy Label, Mini Vintage Oval, and Mini Bookplate. Today's peeks are going to be fabulous! Here's the full hop list:

1. Julee 9. Charmaine 2. Laurie S. 10. Janelle 3. Maureen 11. Betty 4. Teresa 12. Christyne {Guest} 5. Tosh 13. Laurie W. {Guest} 6. Amber 14. Jen S. {Guest} 7. Amy 15. Susan 8. Andrea

For my card, I picked out one of the new borders (the row of hearts) and a super sweet sentiment, "hugs from afar." The two hearts were die-cut using one of the hearts in Verve's Wavy Hearts Die Set. The layout is based {for the most part} on today's new Deconstructed Sketch, #66:

I switched to a rectangular card, and replaced the banner with some jute string. The papers are from Prima's lovely Nature Garden 6x6 collection.

For more sketch inspiration, visit the Deconstructed Sketch girls:

• Amber Hight
• Arielle Gordon
• Donna Wardle
• Jen Shults
• Jessica Diedrich
• Judy Rozema, Guest Designer
• Kadie Ensley
• Lori Boyd
• Sheri Gilson

And to play along, link up your creation HERE.

For a little more info on Borderlines and the new label/frame dies, plus a re-cap of current Anni-Verve-sary festivities, visit the Verve blog.

Thanks for stopping by!

Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight - Day 7

Welcome to Day 7 of our Anni-Verve-sary Spotlight Hops! Today we're featuring a very sweet set, Learning to Sail, along with another new border die (yay!), the Flourished Trim die. My anemic masculine card stash is in dire need of replenishment, and I thought the darling boat image from Learning to Sail, paired up with some Simple Stories Awesome papers, would make for a fun masculine combo. The boat is entirely paper pieced onto a graph background. "Life Is But A Dream" is stamped onto a ledger pattern and slipped, tab-style, behind a vertical strip of stars.

I can't wait for you to see the amazing sentiments in this set, so if you haven't already done so, hop around to see all of today's spotlights. Leave comments along the way for a chance to win today's featured products.

1. Julee 8. Andrea 2. Laurie S. 9. Charmaine 3. Maureen 10. Janelle 4. Teresa 11. Betty 5. Tosh 12. Christyne {Guest} 6. Amber 13. Laurie W. {Guest} 7. Amy 14. Jen S. {Guest}

Make plans to join us Friday night for our Release Party. Can't wait!

Thanks for stopping by!

Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight - Day 6

Welcome to Day 6 of our Anni-Verve-sary  Spotlight Hops! Are you having fun?!

You're in for a real treat today! Granted, I could say that about each of our nine days of spotlight hops, but it's especially true today. We're taking a look at the stamp set Stronger Love, Scroll Plain Jane, and the companion Scroll Die. Three definite must-haves, IMHO. The sentiments in Stronger Love are all amazing (Shakespeare and Tennyson even make an appearance!), and I love the fresh combination of handwriting-style fonts. A handful of doodle-type images round out the set beautifully.

For my card today, I stamped the Shakespeare quote onto Kraft, rounded one corner, gave the right side a notebook edge, and added a tiny bit of bling to the center of the stamped sun. Along the bottom I tucked in a snippet of the new Pennant Trim die in black. The turquoise jumbo ricrac is from my stash (I think it's by May Arts), the clouds were done with a Lil' Inker Designs die, and the sun was cut on my cameo.

1. Julee 8. Andrea 2. Laurie S. 9. Charmaine 3. Maureen 10. Janelle 4. Teresa 11. Betty 5. Tosh 12. Christyne {Guest} 6. Amber 13. Laurie W. {Guest} 7. Amy

Reminders:

1. Leave comments throughout each day's blog hop posts for a chance to win that day's featured sets and dies.

2. Participate in any or all of the Anni-VERVE-sary challenges. All five are posted in the Verve Forum on SCS. Each challenge will have a random winner, AND, if you complete all five, you're eligible to win the complete release (valued at more than $300)!

3. Customer Card Carnival: Unlimited chances to win the full release. Just create with Verve, post to a blog or gallery (including a link to the Verve store), then link up your creation HERE. Enter as many times as you'd like! "Rules" are HERE.

4. Save 10-50% during our Anni-VERVE-sary Sale.



5. Mark your calendars, so you can come par-tay with us on Friday!

Enjoy today's hop!

Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight - Day 5

Welcome to Day Five of our Anni-Verve-sary Spotlight hops!

All the fab new Verve stamps and dies shown so far are only *half* of this amazing 5th anniversary release! Can you believe?! Peeks continue all week long, right up until release day this Friday, August 24. Today we're spotlighting a new set, Brighter Days, and its companion dies, the Scalloped Flowers Die Set and the most darling little Arrow Die.

For my peek, I've used one of my favorite sentiments in Brighter Days, along with the arrow image (also in Brighter Days) and the Arrow Die. I wasn't kidding about all my projects having the new Pennant Trim, either. I just love it!

1. Julee 8. Andrea 2. Laurie S. 9. Charmaine 3. Maureen 10. Janelle 4. Teresa 11. Betty 5. Tosh 12. Christyne {Guest} 6. Amber 13. Laurie W. {Guest} 7. Amy

Enjoy today's hop! Remember to leave comments throughout the hop for your chance to win today's featured stamp set and dies.

Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight - Day 4

Welcome to our fourth day of Verve's new release spotlights. We're inching closer and closer to Friday's release, and it just keeps getting better! Today we're taking a look at Wonderfully Made and a new Plain Jane, Praying For You. 

I chose to feature one of the beautiful sentiments in Wonderfully Made. Oh, what Julee can do with just a little type and a few fonts! Incredible. The sentiment has been stamped in blue, die-cut with Verve's Curvy Bookplate die, then layered onto a blue Classy Label die-cut. I've worked in a Spellbinders Twisted Metal Accents die-cut in Kraft and Verve's new Pennant Trim die (again). The papers are from a Stampin' Up collection.

1. Julee	8. Andrea
2. Laurie S.	9. Charmaine
3. Maureen	10. Janelle
4. Teresa	11. Betty
5. Tosh	12. Sony
6. Amber	13. Christyne {Guest}
7. Amy	14. Laurie W. {Guest}

Have you played along with any of our Anni-VERVE-sary challenges? And how about the Card Carnival? And are you leaving comments on all the Divas' Spotlight posts? You won't want to miss out on any of these chances to win some or all of this new release!

And last, is our release party on your calendar? I can't wait!!

Enjoy today's hop!

Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight - Day 3

Welcome to Day 3 of Verve's new release spotlights! Today we're featuring an adorable set called Doodled Occasions. I just love the sweet, charming feel of this set -- especially the darling sun! You'll see I've also worked in my new love, the Pennant Trim die. Hmmm, wonder if you'll be seeing that on all my spotlight projects? {wink}. Here's today's hop list:

1. Julee 9. Charmaine 2. Laurie S. 10. Janelle 3. Maureen 11. Betty 4. Teresa 12. Jen d. 5. Tosh 13. Christyne {Guest} 6. Amber 14. Laurie W. {Guest} 7. Amy 15. Jen S. {Guest} 8. Andrea 16. Susan

And here's a quick re-cap of our big celebration events and opportunities:

1. Leave comments throughout each day's blog hop posts for a chance to win that day's featured sets and dies.

2. Participate in any or all of the Anni-VERVE-sary challenges. All five are posted in the Verve Forum on SCS. Each challenge will have a random winner, AND, if you complete all five, you're eligible to win the complete release (valued at more than $300)!

3. Customer Card Carnival: Unlimited chances to win the full release. Just create with Verve, post to a blog or gallery (including a link to the Verve store), then link up your creation HERE. Enter as many times as you'd like! "Rules" are HERE.

4. A new Viva La Verve sketch was posted yesterday. If you're not familiar with this ongoing Verve feature, here's an overview: Sketches are posted weekly, but you have all month to work. Play along in all five by the last Thursday of the month (that's the 30th this month) and you're eligible for a $100 gift certificate drawing!

5. Verve is sponsoring this month's Sketch For You To Try. We'd love to see you play along!


I'm off to check out all the wonderful challenge and carnival creations so far. We're so happy to have you join our celebration!




Stamps: Doodled Occasions (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Papertrey Kraft card stock, Echo Park Everyday Eclectic dp
Ink: Stampin' Up Yo Yo Yellow, Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: Verve Pennant Trim die, Martha Stewart doily, May Arts crochet trim, black Divine Twine, Pink Paislee artisan tape, Pizzazz Aplenty clear rhinestones, distressing tool, foam boosters
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight - Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of our Anni-VERVE-sary spotlight hops!

Heya, Verve fans, what did you think of yesterday's first Anni-VERVE-sary spotlight? I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am about the peeks we have in store for you over the next week!

In addition to being another new release spotlight, today's project is also my sample for Verve's final Anni-VERVE-sary challenge, hosted by Janelle and by me. The task: an ABC project (Anything But a Card).

My project also handily fits Charmaine and Tosh's CAS challenge from yesterday. For all five Anni-VERVE-sary challenges, as well as prize details, visit the Verve Forum on SCS.

I have served on the Teacher Appreciation Committee at my kids' elementary school for many years, so I'm always looking for and thinking up ideas for little gifties to give the teachers throughout the year. The gifts have to be budget-friendly and reasonably duplicatable (we usually have 62-64 staff in total). These little notebook and graph mini bags are just the sweetest. They're sized perfectly for a gift card or a small treat. Think Ghirardelli chocolate squares, for example, or maybe a couple of Hershey Nuggets. (I got my mini bags from i{heart}papers.) I did some clean-and-simple embellishing on these ... a stacked flower done with a flower image from the new Lean on Me set, some leaves that I stamped with images from Dream Big and die-cut with one of the new Dreamy Leaves dies, and a snippet of the Pennant Trim die that we spotlighted yesterday (which I am in LOVE with!)

For lots more peeks, check out today's master hop list -- enjoy!

1. Julee 8. Charmaine 2. Laurie S. 9. Janelle 3. Maureen 10. Betty 4. Teresa 11. Christyne {Guest} 5. Tosh 12. Laurie W. {Guest} 6. Amy 13. Jen S. {Guest} 7. Andrea

Don't forget to leave comments along the way for a chance to win today's featured sets and dies: Lean on Me, Thatched Banner Plain Jane, Pointed Flowers Die Set, Dreamy Leaves Die Set.

We have SO much going on at Verve with this release! Don't want you to miss this one either:

1. Create a new card using Verve Stamps
2. Post your card to your blog or gallery
3. Include a link to the Verve store in your write up
4. Link your card using the entry form HERE

One lucky participant from all the entries will win our ENTIRE new release of products! That's over $300 worth of stamps and dies! You may enter as many times as you like, but each entry must be a different card, in a separate post, and include a link to Verve. Only new cards posted August 16 through August 24, 2012 will be eligible.

Deadline to link your cards is 5PM Eastern on Friday, August 24. The winner will be announced at our release party that night (you don't need to be present to win)!

Thanks for visiting!