…Anni-VERVE-sary Blog Hop

Verve is celebrating their 3rd anniversary, and the Divas are celebrating along with you!  We invited everyone to join us in this spectacular event, so we have quite a Blog Hop in store for you!  If you’ve come here from WANDA’s BLOG, then you’re in the right place!  If not, then you will definitely want to start back at The Verve Forum for the complete hop list.  So grab a cup of coffee, kick your feet up, and settle in for an astounding hop! :)

Prizes?  Did someone say prizes?  Of course there are going to be some spectacular prizes!  One lucky person who signs up and participates in our official blog hop will win a $100 Verve gift certificate!  We'll also be giving some prizes away to lucky commenters in the hop, so if you participate as well as comment on the hop spots you'll have more chances to win!

Now here’s the card I made for this wonderful occasion:

I created this card using the Verve set “Blue Skies”.  I stamped the notebook paper image in Sahara Sand Ink, then added the flourish in Groovy Guava Ink.  The sentiment and butterfly were stamped in Memento’s Tuxedo Black Ink, then the butterfly was colored with Copic Sketch Markers.  I used some patterned paper from Cosmo Cricket’s Earth Day paper pad.  I added some Black Cardstock mats and accents, and also added some Black Stitched Ribbon around the Kraft Cardstock background panel.  After adding some Paper Piercing, Black Stitching, and a ton of Dimensionals the card was complete.

That’s it for now!  Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to leave a comment by 11:59 pm on Wednesday, August 4th for a chance to win the “BLUE SKIES” stamp set!  I’ll see you back here later on for the TGF Blog Hop!  Until then, your next stop on the hop is EMILY’S BLOG.  See you in a few…

…Verve Day Project Parade

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO THE NEXT POST FOR MY THERE SHE GOES’ PREVIEW AND BLOG HOP

Hello…and happy Thursday, everyone!  I am bringing you the “My Hero Verve Project Parade”!  I knew exactly what I wanted to do when the announcement was made regarding the theme of this month's parade.  As many of you know, I LOVE to cook!  I feel very “at home” in the kitchen, and I enjoy trying new and different recipes several times a week.  But I must admit that my favorite foods tend to be the “everyday Italian” kind, and I absolutely LOVE the recipes written by my culinary hero, Giada DeLaurentiis.  So in honor of the cooking queen I created a special recipe book specifically for her recipes!

I created the cover of the Chipboard Book by using a color photo of Giada (courtesy of the website Home Sweet Homme.net), patterned paper from My Mind’s Eye’s Ooh La La For Her Kit, Vellum Cardstock, Photoshop Elements 8.0, and the “hero” sentiment along with some stars from Verve’s set “American Hero” (as a matter of fact, all the stamped images are from this set).  I added a piece of Saddle Stitched Black Ribbon around the entire front cover to finish it off and to hold the vellum in place.  Is she not the prettiest little thing you’ve ever seen?  Don’t you just hate her?  LOL…just kidding, Giada! :)

The index above was handwritten, then embellished with more patterned paper and another sentiment from the same set that was used on the cover.  The first recipe was also handwritten, and I stitched the tabs (which was part of a border that was included in the patterned paper kit) directly onto the 4X6 index cards to indicate the different sections of the book.  I used the small stars swag image to indicate how much I liked the dish after I made it…the White Bean Dip & Pita Chips received 3 stars out of 4.  I punched the score out with a Circle Punch, then attached it to the index card with some Mono Adhesive.  This next recipe, Roasted Chicken With Balsamic Vinaigrette, received 4 stars out of 4.  I punched the rating out with a Square Punch, and attached it to the index card with more adhesive.  This specific recipe is my favorite chicken recipe of all-time…IT IS OUTSTANDING!  Thanks, Giada!!! :)

That’s it for me!  You all know that I’m in Chicago now, and I can’t wait to get back and blog about it!  But until then, I’ve prescheduled all of my posts for the next few days so you all still have something to look at…doncha just LOVE me?  LOL!  Thanks for stopping by, and I will see you back here tomorrow with another TGF Farm Fresh Challenge and Preview card…you DO NOT want to miss it!  Until then…

P.S.  You can head over to the Verve Blog to see the individual pictures of my project, too, if you’d like a closer look.

…Julee’s Happy Birthday Hop

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO SEE MERCY’S MAGNIFICENT MUSINGS FOR THIS WEEK.

Today is a very special day!  The Verve Divas and other Verve Friends are here to celebrate Julee Tilman’s birthday with a surprise BLOG HOP!  If you’ve come here from SHANNAN’S BLOG, then you’re in the right place! :)

Happy Birthday, Julee!  We hope that you have a day as wonderful and as special as you are!  {{{HUGS}}}  Here’s the card that I made for Julee:

I created this card using the Verve set “Always On My Mind”.  I wanted to use a simple layout, so I only used two pieces of patterned paper from My Mind’s Eye’s Be Loved paper pack.  I added Riding Hood Red mats, and some White Stitching along the edge of the Apron Lace Punch/patterned paper panel.  I stamped the sentiment and star streamers from the set in Tuxedo Black onto PTI White Cardstock, then colored each of them with Copic Sketch Markers.   I added some sparkle to the stars using Crystal Stickles, and also added a piece of Coral Ribbon around the dry embossed Kraft Cardstock background layer.  After adding some Paper Piercing and a ton of Dimensionals the card was complete.

That’s it for me today!  Thanks for stopping by, and I’ll see you back here again tomorrow with another TSG Monday Challenge!  In the meantime, your next stop on the hop is WANDA CULLEN’S BLOG!  If you get lost along the way, you can stop by the Verve Blog for the complete Blog Hop List.  Until tomorrow…

…Mercy’s Tuesday Sketch Challenge #83 (MTSC83)

Happy Tuesday, everyone!  Gotta LOVE summer, right?  We’ve been fortunate enough to receive some gorgeous and tasty garden tomatoes over the last few weeks from some fabulous friends, so I’ve busy freezing them and making homemade salsa.  I’m also getting all of my DT work completed for the rest of the month before I head to Chicago for CHA.  Needless to say, it is going to be a crazy week…but I am SO EXCITED to be going to CHA and meeting some of my beautiful and talented cyber buddies! :)  I’m not even going to mention all of the stuff that needs to be done around the house before leaving!  LOL!

Enough of the blah-blah-blah…let’s get to this week’s Tuesday Sketch Challenge #83:

My Sample (using “Blue Skies”, “Up, Up, and Away”, and “Let It Shine” from Verve Stamps):

 

Peggy McCurry’s Sample:

Now let’s see what the Muses have in store for us today:

• Pam Speidel
• Cindy Haffner
• Pam Varnell
• Julie Lacey
• Jackie Pedro
• Jessica Diedrich
• Peggy McCurry (July 2010 Guest Muse)

Now it's your turn! Create a card or scrapbook layout using the sketch above, and add your creation using the InLinkz linking system below.  Be sure to use the keyword MTSC83 when uploading to a public gallery.  Be sure that your link works before you leave the sketch post, and I will post “Mercy’s Magnificent Musings” on Sunday!

Happy Stamping!

…Verve Day Worship

Today's Verve Day Thursday is all about worship!  I created this card using one of Verve’s June Release (collection price available through tomorrow, July 16th) sets called “Psalm 3:3 Plain Jane”.  I kept the layout pretty clean, and only used two pieces of patterned paper from BasicGrey’s Bittersweet paper pad.  I added Black Cardstock mats and accents, then diverted from using White Cardstock and chose to use Melon Mambo Cardstock for my focal panel.  I also created my flower accents from the same Mambo Cardstock, and added Pewter Brads to the centers of each one.  The circle element was created using two Classic Circle Nesties Dies, and I stitched on another piece of Black Cardstock to the striped patterned paper after punching it out with a Martha Stewart Border Punch.  After adding some Paper Piercing, and tons of Dimensionals the card was complete.

That’s it for me today!  Thanks for stopping by, and I’ll see you back here again tomorrow with another Farm Fresh Friday Challenge!  Until then…

…Verve Day Courage

Today's Verve Day Thursday is all about courage.  Courage to do what is right in the face of everything that is wrong.  Courage to stand up and stand your ground for your beliefs.  Courage to fight a ravaging disease with all of your strength while still encouraging and uplifting others in the same battle.  Courage to say “no” when the rest of the world seems to be saying “yes”.  Courage to continue living life one day at a time after devastating loss.  Courage to protect and serve your country in hostile and terror-filled lands far away from home.  Courage comes in many shapes and forms, and I think it should be celebrated and commended when shown.

I had a very special friend in mind when I made this card, and she will be receiving it shortly.  She has been such an inspiration to me even at a time when her life has been turned upside-down.  I made this card using one of Verve’s June Release (collection price available through July 16th) sets called “Blue Skies”.  I stamped one of the flourishes from the set in Melon Mambo Ink, then stamped the sentiment over it in Memento Tuxedo Black Ink.  I paired the focal panel with some patterned paper from BasicGrey’s Bittersweet paper pad.  After adding some Stitching, Pink Ribbon, Silver Flower Brads, Piercing, and a Border Punch…the card was complete! :)

That’s it for me today!  Thanks for stopping by, and I’ll see you back here again tomorrow with another Farm Fresh Friday Challenge!  Until then…

…Color Throwdown #100

Happy Wednesday, everyone!  Verve is sponsoring this week’s Color Throwdown challenge (along with several other companies) to celebrate their 100th challenge!

Here is my card for their spectacular color combo:

I wanted to create a clean and simple layout to draw all of your attention to the focal panel.  I used the butterflies from Verve’s “Blue Skies” stamp set and the sentiment from “Always On My Mind”.  They were all stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black Ink, then colored with Copic Sketch Markers.  I also added some sparkle to each one with Crystal Stickles, and pierced around the edges of the focal panel with a Mat Pack and Paper Piercer.  To complete the card, I attached a Rhinestone in each of the challenge colors above the sentiment. 

That’s it for me today!  Be sure to stop over at the Color Throwdown blog to show your support and participate in this wonderful challenge!  Thanks for stopping by, and I will see you back here tomorrow with a Verve Day Thursday creation.  Until then…

…Verve Day Freedom

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO SEE NEW TGF RELEASES & RELEASE INFO!

Today's Verve Day Thursday is all about freedom!  With July 4th only days away I wanted to share a card that I made using one of Verve’s June Release (collection price available through July 16th)sets called “American Hero”.  I kept the layout pretty clean and simple, and only used solid cardstock colors to draw your attention to the images.  I added a blue and white cardstock border at the top for a little flair, then paper pierced and distressed the edges of the Kraft Cardstock background panel.  I stamped the outlined star four times, and colored them with Copic Sketch Markers.  A coating of Crystal Stickles adds some sparkle to the stars, and I stamped the sentiment on a piece of Red Cardstock that was cut into a flag.  Some Red Ribbon, Silver Pearls, and a handful of Dimensionals later…the card was complete! :)

That’s it for me today!  Thanks for stopping by, and I’ll see you back here again tomorrow with another Farm Fresh Friday Challenge!  Until then…