August Project Parade ~ Day 6!!!

It's Monday and that means it is my turn, Lynda, to share with you my project for this month's project parade. The theme this month is Happiness for Hostesses. I had a few projects in mind and finally settled on this one. I had my heart set on using the Express Yourself set and for some reason when I see this set, I see pink and black!!

This set consists of a little purse, wallet & notecard that fits on top of a gift card. I found the instructions for the little purse HERE. I did change the top flap but the purse is as per her instructions. Here is a closer look at the purse ~


For the front and back panels I used some old shiny black paper I have had for quite some time, cut it out using my Top Note die and then ran it through my Cuttlebug using the Mosaic Squares embossing folder. The top flap is just Basic Black card stock that is 4" x 4 3/4". I rounded the corners, scored at 1 7/16ths and 2 9/16ths and then pierced around the entire flap. I adhered the back flap to the back of the purse using Sticky Strip. I stamped the Just for You sentiment, which is included in the A Cup of Life set, using Basic Black ink on Whisper White CS, cut it out using my circle Nesties, adhered it on a pink (Bo Bunny Alyssa DP) Nestie Dahlia and pierced along the right edge and added clear rhinestones. To hold the flap closed, I added half of a black Velcro dot. The inside box is Pretty in Pink CS. The handle, which is black ribbon with white flowers that I picked up at Micheal's, was tied on to pewter hangers using pink fiber.

Here is a picture of the thank you note~

The sentiment is from Verve's Thankful Blossoms set and was stamped on Whisper White using Basic Black ink. I then added the flourishes from A Cup of Life set using Pink Pirouette ink. The shoe, from the Express Yourself set, was stamped on the Bo Bunny Alyssa paper using my Versamark and then heat embossed using black EP. I then cut the shoe out, mounted it using dimensionals and rounded the edges of the card. This and the gift card fit perfectly inside the wallet that measures 3 1/2" x 5 1/4". The wallet was scored at 1 1/2" and 3 3/4" and was held closed using the other half of the black Velcro dot.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing this project. We can't wait to see what you come up with! To play along, just make a project or card that shows us your take on the Happiness for Hostesses theme. Verve Stamps are not required, but if you've got 'em we love to see 'em! Then just add a link to your creation to the Mr. Linky form in DAY ONE's POST before 8PM Mountain September 12. Two lucky participants will win a stamp set of their choice from the Verve Store. We've also hidden another $25 gift certificate somewhere along the parade for a random commenter. So if you like what you see, be sure and give a little shout out in the comments of each post! Have fun and good luck!

August Project Parade - Day 5

Happy Friday!! It's Tosh here, and I'm excited to share with you the idea I had for this month's project parade. Since the theme is Happiness for Hostesses, we were to come up with a gift idea for a hostess. Well, I have a dear friend who I'm visiting next week, and she's a coffeeaholic!!! Seriously. I won't say a name, but she lives in Montana and is quite the Verve Diva!! *grin*...guess she's seeing some of her gift early.
Anyway, I bought these fabulous Tin Buckets
quite awhile ago from a company called Wild Wings. They had little panels in the front already designed on them, so they were taylor-made for someone who likes to alter things!! Woot!! I used the Verve sets Delightful & Delicious, and Bountiful Backgrounds. I just stamped the images directly onto Happy Holidays dp (FancyPants) with Walnut Stain (Ranger Distress Ink). For the panels on the cans, I gave a bit more "texture" to the bg by stamping off the dots from the Bountiful Backgrounds set. Each panel is ink distressed with the Walnut Stain too.

For the card, I used Viva la Verve's Week 2 Sketch with the twist requiring us to use border punches. I used a EK Success scalloped border punch for the strip next to my cup, and added the "Fabulous" sentiment from the Bountiful Backgrounds set. I added some Candy Dots and ribbon for the final touch.

Now of course, the gift isn't just the cans. I had to fill them. Since Laurie (oops...did I say a name?) and I live 1000 miles apart, we can't get together for coffee as often as we'd like, so we're looking forward to just sitting in the kitchen with a good cup of java. The kitchen is the most used room in my house, so I thought some coffee themed kitchen hand towels, would fit fabulously rolled up in the larger can. For the smaller can, I added some YUMMY New Cappuccino Flavored Lindt Truffles. Not only are they delicious, but their packaging is so stylish.

The flowers on top were made with the Blossom Nestabilities die, buttons and Lace Ribbon.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing this project. We can't wait to see what you come up with! To play along, just make a project or card that shows us your take on the Happiness for Hostesses theme. Verve Stamps are not required, but if you've got 'em we love to see 'em! Then just add a link to your creation to the Mr. Linky form in DAY ONE's POST before 8PM Mountain September 12. Two lucky participants will win a stamp set of their choice from the Verve Store. We've also hidden another $25 gift certificate somewhere along the parade for a random commenter. So if you like what you see, be sure and give a little shout out in the comments of each post! Have fun and good luck!

August Project Parade - Day 4

Hi! It's Charmaine and it's my turn to show you what I came up with for the Happiness For Hostesses Project Parade!

I know so many people who would LOVE coffee as a gift. What a simple and relatively inexpensive way to say thank you! By relatively inexpensive I mean that it would depend on your coffee taste, I guess. LOL I've heard of some VERY expensive coffees! I used some Morning Brew made by the Pittsburgh Coffee Company. I'm not a die hard coffee drinker, but my husband is and this coffee makes us both happy! All I did for my gift was get a coffee mug that fit the bag of coffee and I made a set of cards to go into the package. I wrapped the whole thing up with cellophane and added a tag! Simple and sweet!

I used the Delightful and Delicious set from Verve along with my new Labels Seven Nestabilities. I also used the Just My Type Cuttlebug folder for the embossed squiggly line across the top of the card. The whole package didn't take much time to create at all. I think any hostess would love this simple gift!

We can't wait to see what you come up with for this month's Project Parade! To play along, just make a project or card that shows us your take on the Happiness for Hostesses theme. Verve Stamps are not required, but if you've got 'em we love to see 'em! Then just add a link to your creation to the Mr. Linky form on THIS POST before 8PM Mountain September 12. Two lucky participants will win a stamp set of their choice from the Verve Store. We've also hidden another $25 gift certificate somewhere along the parade for a random commenter. So if you like what you see, be sure and give a little shout out in the comments of each post! Have fun and good luck!

August Project Parade: Day 3

Well, it's me, Susie here. I love little gifty things to just surprise someone with, especially if they are quick and easy to make. Even the simplest of things will bring a smile to someone's face and isn't that the end result we want? So when I found out about the August Project Parade and Jen's fun idea: HAPPINESS FOR HOSTESSES, I knew this would be a great way to showcase something easy to duplicate and not too complicated to make, even if massed produced. I even tried to set a time limit on how long I could spend on this project to show ya'll how fast it came together, so ya'll would not be intimidated if you want to make one or some of these on your own. This project literally took me about 30-40 minutes to make! (Much less time than I spend on just a card most times!) It could also easily be transformed into little Halloween gifts or sweet neighbor treats for the upcoming holidays (which I always love to give!).

I know a lot of you have the Top Note die from Sizzix/SU! (?), but I don't. I have Nestabilities, so I used my new Labels 8 die and cut two of them out of some thicker scrapbook paper (preferably double sided for extra umph). One for a front piece and one for the back. You could also use any other shape you like that would accomodate some sort of bag on the inside. Then I glued them to the front and back of a small (very small) lunch sack to create my little "box".

I stamped the image panel using one of my favorite new Verve sets called Enjoy, embellished it with clear butterflies that I stamped with the outline image and affixed them with brads. I then attached it to the front of my little treat bag/box with foam boosters.

All that was left was to make the closure. I attached the large black button by punching 2 small holes at the top of the front panel and tying it on semi-loosely with hemp twine strung up through the holes from the back. I then tied another longer piece of hemp through an eyelet I set through the top of the back panel. The longer twine, accentuated with some buttons for lack of beads (still cute!), just wraps around the button to hold it shut!

But before I closed it up, I couldn't forget to fill it with Raisinets--my favorite! (This may or may not make it to my friend I was planning on giving it to. Yep, too late--just ate the last one! Note to self: Buy more Raisinets.) So see how super easy and quick this was? And it's surely a smile bringer-onner! Try making one of your own just for grins!

So....have you decided what fabulous hostess gift you'd like to create? We can't wait to see it! To play along, just make a project or card that shows us your take on the Happiness for Hostesses theme. Verve Stamps are not required, but if you've got 'em we love to see 'em! Then just add a link to your creation to the Mr. Linky form in DAY ONE's POST before 8PM Mountain September 12. Two lucky participants will win a stamp set of their choice from the Verve Store. We've also hidden another $25 gift certificate somewhere along the parade for a random commenter. So if you like what you see, be sure and give a little shout out in the comments of each post! Have fun and good luck!

August Project Parade: Day TWO!

Hi, Verve Fans, it's Shannan here! I'm so excited to bring you my project for August's Project Parade. As Jen announced yesterday, this month's theme is HAPPINESS FOR HOSTESSES. I hate showing up anywhere with empty hands, so project ideas like this that are easy and simple is something I'm always after.

Today I decided to show you a little project for a chocolate lover. Now, I know you guys are wayyyy too health-conscious to eat chocolate *wink* but you never know when it might come in handy. I just emptied a jar of Cheese Whiz (ignore previous health reference) this week in a casserole, so I decided it would be perfect for a candy jar. The lid was red, and there's no changing that, so I added it to black, white, and kraft...one of my favorite combos.


I simply filled the jar with Hershey's Kisses, stamped a little tag using stamps from A Cup of Life for the top, and punched out a few circle shapes with my Marvy punches to decorate the lid. Black ribbon fit around the edge of the lid perfectly (to hide the array of foods Cheese Whiz should be used on). This gingham fabric was in my stash, so I tied it in a knot around the jar and added some twine just for fun.


The card measures 4 1/4" square, and I stamped the bottom half with the lined image from Bountiful Backgrounds in white pigment ink. I used tape to mask the word "coffee" from the sentiment from Delightful & Delicious, then stamped the rest of the sentiment in Real Red on white cardstock. Then I wrote the word "chocolate" with a black marker, cut it out, and adhered it to the circle to finish the sentiment. More gingham fabric is wrapped around the card base, then the scalloped circle & sentiment were mounted on top with dimensionals. The little flower was a last minute addition, but it just looked like it belonged there.

This was a really quick and easy project...one that will come in handy next time I go to a friend's house to stamp (or thank a girlfriend for watching my kiddos)! I think some more Cheese Whiz may be in order...*grin*

So....have you decided what fabulous hostess gift you'd like to create? We can't wait to see it! To play along, just make a project or card that shows us your take on the Happiness for Hostesses theme. Verve Stamps are not required, but if you've got 'em we love to see 'em! Then just add a link to your creation to the Mr. Linky form in DAY ONE's POST before 8PM Mountain September 12. Two lucky participants will win a stamp set of their choice from the Verve Store. We've also hidden another $25 gift certificate somewhere along the parade for a random commenter. So if you like what you see, be sure and give a little shout out in the comments of each post! Have fun and good luck!

August Project Parade: Day One

Welcome to the August Project Parade, which will actually run well into September. More fun stuff to look at and more time to play along to win! Not to mention, there will be creations from some brand NEW Design Team members! This month's theme is:

HAPPINESS FOR HOSTESSES

The idea behind this Project Parade was that you never want to go to a party somewhere empty handed. So what do you bring? You know half of the other people attending will be bringing wine, and you want to make it more personal...and creative. Well, starting today and every weekday through September 11 the Verve Design Team hopes to inspire you to create great hostess gifts and cards.

Today, I am bringing you a hostess gift for the coffee lover. I have had this "design your own" coffee mug in my cabinet for what seems like **forever**! I am glad that I saved it for this project! You just never know when you **might** need something :) I paired it with a glassine bag filled with some chocolate goodies. I used 2 of the new sets, Delightful & Delicious and A Cup of Life. I think this is a great gifty for the coffee lover hostess...

Close up of the mug, which was originally purchased at Target and the tag attached to the chocolate goodies...

We can't wait to see what you come up with for this month's Project Parade! To play along, just make a project or card that shows us your take on the Happiness for Hostesses theme. Verve Stamps are not required, but if you've got 'em we love to see 'em! Then just add a link to your creation to the Mr. Linky form below before 8PM Mountain September 12. Two lucky participants will win a stamp set of their choice from the Verve Store. We've also hidden another $25 gift certificate somewhere along the parade for a random commenter. So if you like what you see, be sure and give a little shout out in the comments of each post! Have fun and good luck!

Spotlight on Sankari Wegman

Hi Everyone! I'm back again to shine our little Verve spotlight on Guest Diva Sankari Wegman.

Sankari caught my eye shortly after she submitted her first mojo challenge card. Her designs are always intricate and rich in inspiring and unusual color combinations and accents. Each project she makes looks like it got the royal treatment, and it's always such a treat to check out Sankari's latest creations.

Before I get to her VERVE-iview, I'll start things off with this absolutley fabulous card using the new Express Yourself set. Is that not just totally awesome??? I just love the richness of it - a total treat for the eyes!

When/how did you get hooked on stamping? Last year around Valentine’s day, I thought I would make some homemade cards for my son’s class and so I looked online and saw some cute cards that looked like so much fun to create. So I headed on down to my local craft store and bought 1 stamp, 1 ink pad and some color pencils and the stamp addiction began!! It’s hard to believe that all my stamping stuff used to fit into a drawer in my desk! Around June of 2008, I thought maybe to start a blog and try new things with all the different challenges that are out there – and that began my love affair with blogland ! :)

How often do you stamp? I wish the answer to that question was ALL DAY!!! But I work 2 jobs part time and have 2 young children and so the work week really adds up. I love having craft time because it’s a luxury to have some “me” time after everyone is tucked into bed and the house is quiet. :) I try to stamp something every other day or so after the kids go to bed – but that can be a hit or a miss depending on the kids schedules. I look forward to anytime spent in my craft nook .

What's your favorite embellishment or finishing detail? I have to say that I love Liquid Pearls – simply LOVE them – but I am trying to step away from the LP scene because otherwise I don’t know how to stop – they would end up all over the card. :) I also love a corner rounder and these days have been enjoying adding a photo corner and bling to my card.

How long does it take you to create a project that you're happy with? Well, I am a very slow crafter (mostly because I am watching a movie while I am crafting. :) so it takes me a long time just to make anything --- so to make something that I am happy with would probably maybe take 2 movies worth.

Tell me about your creative space. I wish I was Martha Stewart while crafting – but unfortunately I am a very messy crafter. I am constantly forgetting where I put things and am surrounded by piles of scraps and papers. The reason my blog is called: Sankari’s Sunshine Corner is because it is literally in a corner! LOL! We don’t have much space in our house – so I have a little corner in the bedroom with a desk and some shelves for crafting (you can imagine how excited my DH is about that !) I try to keep things as organized as I can but usually after a card is done I am always amazed how crazy the floor and desk look with little scraps lying around. :) My dream is to have my own Martha Stewart room someday – but until then – I am glad that I have a space at all in a corner ;) and am constantly getting ideas for things that I would love to add into my dream space. Now that I think about it – I should create a scrapbook page about my dream craft space!!! LOL

What is your usual starting point for a project? Hmmmm… I think that usually it starts with a sketch – having a sketch in mind then helps me figure out which stamps would work and which sentiment would work better for that stamp. But sometimes it is also the papers and figuring out what stamp would work with those colors. I think that’s why I love color and sketch challenges because they help to order my non-organized mind.

What is your biggest source of inspiration? I think my biggest source of inspiration for crafting is creating something for somebody in mind. I love making something for someone in particular. Making something for someone else, inspires me to make something as special as I can – which is a way for me to show them how important they are to me. When I am making something for someone particular – then I pick out colors, etc. that I think they would like and try to make it kind tailored to them. The best part is watching someone open a present/card that you have made and seeing their smile! I am so grateful for my wonderful friends and family and love being able to show them how grateful I am with a little token of my love!

Who in the crafting world do you most admire and why? I got into the whole blog challenges by way of Kristina Werner and met so many wonderful friends playing her lovely color challenges. And then I found Julee’s Mojo sketch challenge last summer and was in AWE when she commented on my blog entry!!! I couldn’t believe that she took the time to leave a comment! Julee is a huge inspiration just the way she creates these fantabulous creations and is so sweet with all of those who play along. I totally admire Taylor VanBruggen and her sweet fabulous style and feel beyond lucky that I get to work with her and her awesome DT. I am totally in awe of Susanna Boyd who runs the blog: Card of the Week and among her busy work and family schedule also manages to go through TON of blogs and then put it all together in her blog so that you can see all the wonderful things that everyone has made. The DT that she has assembled are awe-mazing and inspiring. Laura Davis and Kazan Clark have give me so much inspiration from their wonderful sketches and beautiful cards and their imagination. I also admire Gina K. because of her sweet encouragement and amazing craft genius and more than anything else - I admire anyone and everyone who is scared to try something different and then tries it, or is shy to enter a challenge and then does it – its hard to put yourself out there in blogland before everyone. I remember being so shy to start a blog and now I am sooo grateful that I did because I have made some wonderful blog buddies, am always meeting new blog friends and am constantly inspired by all those around me! I feel so grateful to be surrounded by such amazing artists!

What is your favorite set from this release? I have to say that I am in love with all of them! They are so beyond fun and elegant and lovely all in one release! I guess I am a little partial to the Delightful & Delicious and A Cup of Life sets because there are so many different cards that can be made from that!! Julee has such an amazing way with each stamp set, creating such a different variety of images and sentiments that are flexible with others and make creating a card a joyful and easy process!!! Can’t wait to get all Verved out and ink them all up!!!

So, you see what I mean? Absolutly gorgeous stuff. Be sure to check out Sankari's blog for her newest creations as well as the Cinema Saturday Challenge she co-hosts each Saturday. Thanks for stopping by!

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Spotlight on Mercy Kerin

Hello All! Today I get to shine our little Verve spotlight on Guest Diva Mercy Kerin.

An awesome cardmaker and a fabulous sketch artist, I've been a fan of Mercy's for quite some time. Her cards are always detailed, colorful and have the coolest layouts. I was overjoyed when she agreed to be a guest designer for us this month, and she definitely did NOT disappoint! If you haven't been checking out her projects the last week or so, you're in for a real treat.

Before I get to Mercy's VERVE-iview, I'll start things off with this adorable girly girl card using the new Express Yourself set. I just love the flirty bold pink & black combo and the very interesting circle frame. Such a beautiful card!



When/how did you get hooked on stamping? I was introduced to stamping in 2004 when I attended a 24-hour crop at a local church. The hostess had arranged for a demonstrator to come and show us how to use stamping in our scrapbook layouts. Until then I was strictly a scrapbooker, but once I had made a card I WAS HOOKED! I am so many years behind in my scrapbooking now! :)

How often do you stamp? I try to stamp at least once a day, but with a hard-working husband, two teenage boys, two dogs, and one cat it can get crazy quick at the Kerin house! LOL! I like to stamp at least every other day...I sure do miss it when I don't get a chance to do it.

What's your favorite embellishment or finishing detail? It's definitely a tie for my favorite embellishment... ribbon and/or buttons (for now), but my favorite finishing touch would be piercing...LOVE IT!

I love this card Mercy made with the quirky little teapot from A Cup of Life. Her color choices and embellishments really give this teapot personality.



How long does it take you to create a project that you're happy with? It really depends. There are some days that I can crank out several cards in a matter of a couple of hours, then there are days that it takes the majority of the day to complete one card that I am happy with.

Tell me about your creative space. I am totally OCD when it comes to organization and accessibility. I like to have everything within an arm's length when I am creating, so I have a compact and well-organized workspace...I always tell my friends that I have a label maker, and I'm not afraid to use it! LOL! I am a pretty messy stamper in the process of creating, but I like to clean up and re-organize between cards/projects...that's just how I roll! :)

What is your usual starting point for a project? As of late, I really like having a sketch to go by. I use Photoshop to resize them to exact card size, print them off, and then take exact measurements for each layer...I told you that I was OCD! I can always work in a color challenge, stamp set, inspiration, or embellishments with a sketch as they are needed.



What is your biggest source of inspiration? I love SCS, but I find that I am spending more time at sketch and other challenge blogs/threads. I also love cardmaking magazines!

Who in the crafting world do you most admire and why? Honestly, there are so many wonderful ladies out there that have touched my life at one time or another, so it isn't really fair to pick only one. There are some that I adore simply for their creativity, but then there are others that have been kind and encouraging when they didn't have to be. But if you are going to make me choose one....then it would have to be the-one-and-only Shannan Teubner! She has been such a wonderful and funny friend!

What is your favorite set from this release? I love them all, but if I had to pick one favorite, it would have to be Enjoy. I love the fact that you can create either a gorgeous flower or stunning butterfly with it. It is such an elegant and versatile set...I love using it!

So, you see what I mean? Beautiful designs and a fresh take on colors -- every one of Mercy's creations just captures your eye. I hope you've enjoyed learning a little more about this fabulous stamper as much as I have! Mercy's been crafting up a storm lately with her new Verve, so be sure to check out her blog for her newest creations as well as her Tuesday Sketch Challenge. Thanks for stopping by!

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Verve's New Release!

Well, we had a fabulous release party and the website is now live with 7 new sets! Be sure to check out {this thread} on our forum to see if you were one of the winners from our Sneak Preview Giveaways.



Thanks for a fabulous week of celebration! When I started Verve two years ago, I had no idea that it would grow into the company it is today. Developed from a desire to have sentiments that spoke from the heart and find a little part-time income to be able to work from home, Verve premiered August 1, 2007 with just one tiny sentiment set and a handful of my favorite paper crafting accessories. Two years later, this Anni-VERVE-sary release marks Verve's 100th stamp offering!

As our Anni-VERVE-sary gift to you, the To Risk plain jane is available exclusively as a free gift with $35 purchase through the end of the month (while supplies last). No need to do anything extra. If your order total is at least $35 (after any discounts), we'll automatically ship this stamp with your order! Thanks again for all your support and for making this first two years absolutely wonderful!

Happy Stamping!

Sneak Peek Preview - Day 4: Delightful and Delicious and A Cup of Life

Hi everyone, it's Michelle bringing you Day 4 of the Sneak Peeks and RELEASE DAY! Please join us at the Verve Release Party tonight 8pm Eastern time. Today Tosh, Amy, Sankari and I are sharing projects using Delightful and Delicious and A Cup of Life!

First up the lovely Diva Tosh:

I can't tell you how excited I am for this months Verve releases. They are all fabulous as you've seen already with the previous sneak peeks. Well, I have one more to show you and it's my favorite!! I love coffee and tea, and I love shabby and elegant. So when I saw these two sets, I was in love. Coffee and tea!! Woo-Hoo!!

I chose to make a 3 x 3 Notecard set of 4 with a matching box. The box template was designed by Andrea Walford. You can find the template HERE. I framed the images with a Rectangle Nestabilities die, and used a very favorite paper of mine; Periphery (Basicgrey), matted with Birchtone Light and Dark (Prismatics). I also added some Spring Rain Twill (PTI), SU! Buttons, and stitching. All the edges were ink distressed with Frayed Burlap (Ranger Distress) and my trusty fingernail. *grin*

From the fabulous Diva Amy:

I've been secretly hoping for Verve-style coffee and tea sets, so I'm thrilled to see both A Cup of Life and Delightful & Delicious as part of this month's release. The images in these sets are such a delightful blend (no pun intended) of whimsy and elegance. I love my new photopolymer coffee and tea almost as much as my real-life drinkable versions, and that's saying something!

For my peek project, I've used A Cup of Life to make a gift set that includes a tea box and matching card. I used a box I had on hand as a template, which ended up being more or less a modified 2-5-7-10 box. For the matching card, I created a large tea cup using Spellbinders dies (a large circle cut in half for the cup, the very tip of a Labels 4 for the pedestal, and a flourish die for the handle). The tea bag tag and the steam are done with images from A Cup of Life. Hope you're enjoying our week of Anni-VERVE-sary fun and the peeks at all these wonderful new sets. Hope to see you at the release party tonight!

From the amazing Guest Diva Sankari:

Hi Everyone!! I am so excited to be part of this fantabulous release!!! I literally jumped up and down and clapped my hands in delight when Julee asked me to if I wanted to be a guest designer for this month's release!!! And as soon as I saw all of these stamps - one word: THUD!!! WOWie!!! They are each gorgeous! I have to say that my heart did a little pitter patter as soon as I saw the A Cup of Life/Delightful & Delicious sets - my head was just swimming in possibilities!

I wanted to make something fun and happy so I created a little scallop border with the different color teacups and a "bright copper kettle" :) on the side. The tea pot is stamped on a sheet of copper with some Stazon black and then popped up on dimensionals. It was so much fun to create this little card and I can't wait to create more with these delicious sets - there are so many possiblites for every occaision! I am so glad that Julee has created this set because it is simply the cutest teapot/cup stamps with the most delicious sayings and sentiments that can be so easily interchanged with each other. I love how Julee creates stamp sets that all work together and separately.

Its been an absolute joy to be a part of this wonderful release!! A huge heartfelt thank you to Julee and the Diva-licious Verve DT for this lovely chance to be with such lovely artistes!!!

And from me, Diva Michelle:

It's no secret that I love coffee and coffee sets! I about fell out of my chair when I saw the amazing coffee and tea sets Julee designed! Seriously, they have a bit of everything -great sentiments, cups, teapots and various steam/swirl images. Sheer perfection I tell ya.

I used the Delightful and Delicious set for this card. I kept this one pretty simple and allowed the sentiment, gorgeous cups and ribbon do all the work! The steam is stamped in VersaMark for a subtle effect. The dreamy green striped May Arts ribbon with a large purple button really help show off the stripes in the cups.

Don't forget about all the Diva Giveaways going on in the Verve Forums on SCS there's lots of chances to win Verve prizes! There is STILL time!!

AND, one lucky commenter today will be put in a drawing to win more Verve Goodies! So be sure to tell us what you like about today's sets before 6pm Eastern to qualify! All the winners will be announced during our release party tonight! Thanks for stopping by and we'll see you there!

Sneak Preview-Day 3: Enjoy and Budding Blossoms

Good morning fellow Verve-fans! It's me, Amber! I'm happy to bring you day 3 of the Verve Sneak Peeks today! Each day is more and more exciting here on the blog as we unveil Julee's newest works of art! Today, Shannan, Jackie, and I are bring you sneak peeks of a couple Vervalicious sets that you will NEEEED!

I know when I saw the sets Julee was going to release, there were two that I had to get inky as soon as I got them, Bountiful Backgrounds and Budding Blossoms!

I started with a card base of Melon Berry (PTI) and stamped the background stamp from Bountiful Backgrounds in Melon Berry. The lighter cardstock is Apricot Appeal (SU!) and the white is Rustic Cream (PTI). I just love that flower image! It's my favorite from the whole set, but really who can pick a favorite? You'll see what I mean when you see what the Shannan and Jackie have done!

From Diva Shannan:

When I first laid eyes on Budding Blossoms, it was love at first sight. It is one of my favorite sets from the August Release (I think I've said that about all of the sets - lol). The flowers Julee designed for this set are so fresh and original...every time I look at them I see something different. I also love how the stems and flowers are separate, so the combinations are endless! This card was the first one I created when my stamps arrived...I just couldn't help but ink it up right away! I stamped the stems in a repeated pattern across the white panel in Versamagic Spanish Olive, then stamped the flowers in Purple Hydrangea. My Kraft card base was stamped with a pattern from Bountiful Backgrounds in Versamark, then I matted the white flower strip with black cardstock with a scalloped bottom. Once I chose my sentiment (also from Bountiful Backgrounds), I thought the perfect finishing touch was a Turquoise flower, which I then cut out and popped up over one of the purple flowers. Super easy and fun!

From Diva Jackie:

Nobody does flowers like Verve does flowers....Nobody! When I saw the new Budding Blossoms set, I thought the flowers were so unusual and special that I couldn't wait to start playing. With so many different stem and flower combinations, the possibilties are endless! I paired this set with one of the Anni-VERVE-sary sketches, AVS205, to make this fun bright card. The butterfly and sentiment come from the other set being peeked today, Enjoy, which is another fantastic set. The butterfly can be turned upside down and used as a flower...so cool! I hope you enjoyed my peek today!

Did these ladies blow your minds today or what? Such talent, I'm lovin' it:)

Don't forget about all the fun stuff going on in the Verve Forums on SCS with lots of chances to win Verve prizes! Be sure to head on over to those links to find out how you can win!

We have one more little surprise up our sleeve for you today! Just leave a comment here on this post before 6PM Eastern on Friday, August 14 and you'll be put in a drawing to win more Verve Goodies! Winners will be announced during our release party!

We hope you enjoyed the sneak peek today. Check back each day this week for peeks of the other sets! You definitely don't want to miss them. . . and we look forward to chatting with you on Friday!

Sneak Preview - Day 2: Party Time & Bountiful Backgrounds

Hey Verve Fans!! Jen Tapler here. How'd you like those peeks yesterday of Express Yourself? Pretty awesome, huh? Well, we've got more awesomeness in store for you today with two more fabulous Verve sets that will be available immediately following the Verve Release Party this Friday night!! Today some of the other divas and I are sharing projects using Party Time and Bountiful Backgrounds!

I am so excited about these 2 sets! I love the fun, happy balloons in Party Time and I have to say that Bountiful Backgrounds just might be my new fave Verve set (Ok, Ok - that changes by the day, but still...). When I saw the Party Time set I knew immediately that I wanted to make some sort of gift box and matching card. I came up with this fun little hybrid set using printed digi papers from the Little Mr. Big Man kit by Traci Reed (Sweet Shoppe Designs), filling the box with some citrus See's candies. I stamped one of the FOUR new background stamps onto some Real Red CS for the bottom portion of the gift box (isn't that such a COOL and unique background image!?!?). Both sentiments and the balloons (paper-pieced with more digi papers here) are from Party Time. I love how versatile the Bountiful Backgrounds are and can picture having to force myself NOT to use them on every card from now on!! And Party Time is such a great celebration set that's perfect for cards and gifts for recipients of any age!!

Now check out what some of my fellow Divas have done with these sets...

From Diva Susan Liles:
Hello Verve fans! It's Day 2 of the Sneak Peeks! I'm sure you'll be lovin' this new set called Party Time. I know I do. I immediately thought of this paper that I had from Basic Grey with the balloons and numbers on it when I saw this set. I couldn't wait to pair the balloon image up with it. I stamped it three times, colored all the balloons with my Copics, and then cut them out. (Yes, I left the little white spaces between the strings because I'm terrible at using an X-acto knife! So it's OK if you do the same.) I put the card together and at the last minute decided to tie the little twine strings onto the balloon strings. Here's a tip: a little dab of glue behind them keeps the bows from coming undone. Anyway, I hope you like what you've seen so far...there lot's more to come!

From Diva Jen del Muro:
Are you all loving all the Verve sneak peeks so far? I am always amazed at what Julee can dream up with all these images. I am loving the new Party Time set. It's a set that can be as simple or as intricate as you wish. I decided to do a fairly simple card and then pop up the balloons on multiple levels to give the card a little bit more of a "wow factor". Have fun looking at all the other sneak peeks and good luck if you are playing along too!






From Guest Diva Mercy Kerin:
I am so thrilled to be taking part in this month's release! I was ecstatic when Julee e-mailed me to be one of the guest designers and even more excited when my stamp sets arrived. As soon as I saw this set I knew what I wanted to do with it...Chinese Lanterns! They were meant to be used as balloons, but I absolutely love nighttime parties...and what better decoration for such an event!?! I stamped the image on watercolor paper in Basic Black craft ink, then embossed it with clear embossing powder. I used an aquapainter and Classic Ink Pads to color the lanterns, then went over them with a Gold Sakura Glaze Pen for some sparkle. I also sponged the background to create an evening sky, then embellished with some Real Red Ribbon and Jumbo Silver Brads. You can find additional details and pictures on my blog.

Don't forget about all the fun stuff going on in the Verve Forums on SCS with lots of chances to win Verve prizes! Be sure to head on over to those links to find out how you can win!

We have one more little surprise up our sleeve for you today! Just leave a comment here on this post before 6PM Eastern on Friday, August 14 and you'll be put in a drawing to win more Verve Goodies! Winners will be announced during our release party.

Sneak Preview: Express Yourself

Welcome to Day 1 of our Sneak Previews! We've got some fabulous new sets to share with you this week, so let's jump right in. Today we're featuring cards made with Express Yourself, a set designed with girly pizazz and polka dot flair. Express Yourself will be available immediately following our Release Party this Friday night. Be sure to read all the way to the end of this post to find out how you can have a chance at winning this set!

So, are you all ready for another Verve release? I know I say this with all of them, but you will seriously LOVE what Julee has in store for you this time around! :)

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From Diva Laurie Schmidlin:
Oh my gosh, I am loving this set!! It has just the right mixture of fun and elegance...all done in Julee's classic Verve style! I chose a bold color combo (Raspberry, Chocolate, & White) and softened it a bit with some bows, and a little flower. Some of the extra details I added are: embossed polka dot background, embossed border (around the card base), scalloped border, three bows, and a rhinestone in the flower center.

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From Diva Lynda Benden:

Hello! Are you ready for the sneak peek kick off?!? I hope so as you will be AMAZED at the awesome sets being released Friday!! When I saw the new sets, the first one that jumped out at me was the Express Yourself set. I have had such a great time playing with this set!! It is no secret that I LOVE bling and this set is perfect for me to use that bling!!! For the layout of my card I chose to use Julee’s Anni-VERVE-sary sketch 202. I did flip it so my oval would be horizontal. For this card I used Pink Pirouette, Whisper White and Basic Black CS and the pink DP is from SU!’s Bella Birds Collection. I stamped the heels 2 times on the decorative pink paper using Black Craft ink and then heat embossed using clear embossing powder. I cut the heels out and mounted one directly on the Whisper White oval and the second next to it using dimensionals. I used my Spellbinders Pierceabilities to pierce along the bottom as well as a little design next to the heels. I then added some small black glitter flowers with clear Martha Stewart rhinestones in the centers. Instead of strips of paper at the top, I added some black & white May Arts ribbon. I finished the inside as well using a sentiment from another set which will be released on Friday! You can find additional details and photos on my blog. In case you didn’t know, there are LOTS of fun things going on at Verve to celebrate the 2 year Anni-VERVE-sary AND I might add, LOTS of chances to win prizes!!! The Anni-VERVE-sary sketches can be found HERE and the Diva’s will be posting fun giveaways each day as well and those can be found HERE!!

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From Diva Charmaine Ikach:

When I first saw this set, I just fell in love! Girly things and polka dots. . .who wouldn't love this set? LOL I decided to create a girly little purse box for my peek. This would be great filled with candy, a gift card or even an invitation to a girl's night out! We know you're going to find all sorts of girly things to create with this set!

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As Lynda mentioned in her blurb, there is LOTS going on in the Verve Forums on SCS with lots of chances to win Verve prizes! Be sure to head on over to those links to find out how you can win!

We have one more little surprise up our sleeve for you today! Just leave a comment here on this post before 6PM Eastern on Friday, August 14 and you'll be put in a drawing to win Express Yourself! Winners will be announced during our release party.

We hope you enjoyed the sneak peek today. Check back each day this week for peeks of the other sets! You definitely don't want to miss them. . . and we look forward to chatting with you on Friday!

Anni-VERVE-sary Release Week!

Hey everyone! It's Julee here to officially kick off our 2 year Anni-VERVE-sary release celebration! I thought you'd all like to know the skinny on giveaways, challenges, sneak peeks and release party info, so here goes. OH! And I get to announce this month's very special Guest Divas!!!

I picked a couple gals as our guests this month that have totally impressed me with not only their gorgeous stamping, but also with their graciousness and totally upbeat attitudes. Their skills speak for themselves with intricate details and fabulous layout and color choices. Please give it up for Mercy Kerin and Sankari Wegman! Yay! We're all delighted to be working with these fabulous gals for this release. You'll be seeing sneak peeks from them along with the rest of the Divahood this week, so stay tuned.

Okay, on with all the info.

Anni-VERVE-sary Sketch Challenges
I've designed five brand new sketches for this release. Play along by this Friday, August 14 at 6PM Eastern for your chance to win our ENTIRE release! Check out all the sketches and the deets on this thread in our SCS forum.

Diva Giveaways
Throughout the week, our Divas will be posting giveaway threads in our SCS forum. Participate along with them (it might be a challenge, a game, a question or some other activity) and you might win $25 in Verve Bucks, good for anything in the Verve Store. A few Divas are scheduled to post each day Monday - Thursday, so there's 13 chances to win!

Sneak Previews
Sneak previews officially start right here on the blog tomorrow. Each day this week, the Divas will be bringing you some Verve-alicious peeks at the sets releasing this weekend! Plus there'll be more chances to win some stamps!

Anni-VERVE-sary Release Party
Last, but not least, our release party will be this Friday night (August 14) at 8PM Eastern. We'll be revealing the 7 new sets and 2 plain jane singles, as well as chatting and announcing all of our release week winners. Be there or be square! Oh, WHERE you ask? Over on the Release Party thread in our forum!

See y'all tomorrow! :)