Verve Stamps - Diva Inspiration & Challenge Blog Hop

Hey there, Verve Stamps fans!

It's time for the Verve Divas to bring you our monthly Diva Inspirations Challenge and Blog Hop!

There are TWO $30 gift vouchers to the Verve store up for grabs this month and two ways to win! First, comment on the design team's blog hop posts (linked below) for an entry in the first giveaway. Then to be entered into our challenge prize drawing, go get inky and link up your take on the challenge. You have until June 5 to link up. Feel free to play along with the challenge as many times as you like. Verve stamps aren't required to play, but we do smile a little brighter when we see them!

The end of spring always brings a touch of wanderlust.  This collection of bracelets has me wishing for a sun drenched road trip filled with gypsy wonder and delight. There's no script for this inspiration... channel your inner gypsy, go floral, follow our color pattern or forge your own path. We can't wait to see what you create!

Click here to link up your challenge entries
Challenge deadline: Sunday, June 5.
Prize: $30 gift voucher to the Verve online store!

Need a little inspiration? Check out the blogs linked below to see what the other Divas did with the challenge! It's sure to be a treat, and speaking of treats, we're giving away a $30 gift voucher to Verve to one random commenter along the hop.  Just leave a little love as you hop about for a chance to win!

	1. Julee	7. Marisa
	2. Betty	8. Maureen
	3. Charmaine	9. Sankari
	4. Christyne	10. Stacey
	5. Laurie	11. Susan
	6. Lesley	12. Teresa

I was inspired by the colors and the shiny gold bracelets...reminded me a bit of a beachy theme, too.  

After stamping the Psalms sentiment from Verve's Good Work stamp set, added a little flag from Flag It Die Set, then added three of the Harvest Gold Sequin Mix for some sparkle.

Thanks so much for stopping by the stage!

Curtain Call - Sachet & SugarPea Designs

Hey there, stamping friends!
Who's in the mood for love?!  Valentine's Day is right around the corner, but there's still time to grab new heart-themed goodies for your "heart day" creations!  If you're looking for some SUPER CUTE and SWEET stash, check out SugarPea Designs!

I inked up that sweet little elephant and coordinating sentiment from SugarPea Designs along with TONS of layered SugarCuts, too!

Tons of Fun

SugarCuts - Woodgrain

SugarCuts - Special Deliver Accents

SugarCuts - Notebook Journal Card

SugarCuts - Stitched Flags

 It's time for a new Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge!

flamingotoes.com

Make sure you visit each of the designers' blogs for more Curtain Call inspiration!

Tricia Traxler, Guest

Betty Wright

Kim Singdahlsen

Leigh Penner
Lisa Henke

Lori Tecler
Lynn Mangan
Marisa Ritzen
Maureen Plut

Melody Rupple
Monika Davis
Sheri Gilson

Silke Ledlow 
Stacey Schafer
Tara Godfrey

Follow us!

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge Facebook Page

Curtain Call Pinterest Boards

Stop by the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge:  Sachet for the challenge details and to play along with us!

Thanks for stopping by the stage!

Viva la Verve - i {heart} u

Good morning, Verve Stamps fans!

There's still time to join in on this week's sketch by Charmaine over at Viva la Verve!  

It's a great one!  I love the trio of panels with offset focal image and movement elements on the sketch!  

I've had the Verve i {heart} u dies on my wish list for quite some time so I'm SO excited to get to use them for this week's sketch!  Aren't they F-U-N?!  I paired them up with the Hearts and Swirls Frame die .... and GUESS WHAT?!  These two dies and MANY other Valentine-themed products are on sale right now!  Go check it out and stock up on your favorite Verve Stamps!

 Thanks so much for stopping by the stage!

Carta Bella - Journey Together

Hello, Carta Bella Paper fans!
I'm up on the Carta Bella Blog today with another greeting card using the new Travel Stories Collection!

Journal Together Card

The Carta Bella Travel Stories Collection is awesome...it has wonderful patterns including sky, land, and sea patterns...perfect to create some "travel" scenes on your paper projects!

Designer Tip:  Creating a Scene

1. Choose a subtle and muted pattern for the background.  Here I chose the road/railroad pattern.
2.  Choose the land/sea pattern and trim to add at the bottom area of your card or layout.  
3.  The orange airmail pattern serves as a header, of sorts, and in a "pop" of sunshine color.
4.  Next, cut a fun hot air ballon from another contrasting color, like red and kraft.
5.  Finally, add a couple of sentiment stickers and twine to finish your card off.

Here is the supply list that I used to create the  greeting cards!

Carta Bella Travel Stories Collection
Carta Bella Natural White Linen & Kraft Card Stock

Paper Trimmer
Scoring Tool

Tape Adhesive
Foam Adhesive
Liquid Glue
Baker's Twine

Directions:

1.  Cut apart Carta Bella Natural White Linen Card Stock to 4.25" by 11" and score at at 5", fold and score to create the card base.

2.  Cut Travel Stories Collection patterned paper to desired sizes for layering on your card front.  My background piece is 4" by 5.25".

3.  Adhere the scene layers and balloon die cuts together to accentuate the contrasting patterns of papers that were selected.

4.  Next, include some of your favorite Travel Stories Collection stickers, and add a bit of twine for texture and movement.

I hope you are inspired to create a fun scene on your paper projects today!

Thanks so much for stopping by the stage!

Carta Bella - Life is a Journey

Hello, Carta Bella Paper fans!
I'm up on the Carta Bella Blog today with a two greeting cards using the new Travel Stories Collection!

Life is a Journey Card

The Carta Bella Travel Stories Collection is awesome...perfect for summer and travel projects, both masculine and feminine-themed!

Designer Tip:  Mixing Patterns

The thing I mostly LOVE about Carta Bella collections is the patterns of the paper!  The patterns ALL work great together, but I do follow a couple of simple rules when I put patterns together on a card.

1. Choose a subtle and muted pattern for the background.
2.  Choose a contrasting next layer.  Here it is a deep blue with a larger scale pattern.  
3.  The green arrow pattern serves as a header, of sorts, and in a "pop" of color, green.

Keep in mind, for patterns to compliment, they almost need to have contrasting color and varied scale patterns

Here is the supply list that I used to create the  greeting cards!

Carta Bella Travel Stories Collection
Carta Bella Natural White Linen Card Stock

Paper Trimmer
Scoring Tool

Tape Adhesive
Foam Adhesive
Liquid Glue
Baker's Twine

Directions:

1.  Cut apart Carta Bella Natural White Linen Card Stock to 4.25" by 11" and score at at 5", fold and score to create the card base.

2.  Cut Travel Stories Collection patterned paper to desired sizes for layering on your card front.  My background piece is 4" by 5.25", and the main focal panel is 3" by 4.25".

3.  Adhere the layers together to accentuate the contrasting patterns of paper that were selected.

4.  Next, include some of your favorite Travel Stories Collection stickers, and add a bit of twine for texture and movement.

I hope you are inspired to mix some patterns and create a fun card today using your Carta Bella collections!

Thanks so much for stopping by the stage!

SugarPea Designs - Bundle of Joy

Hi there, stamping friends!

There is a teacher that I work with that is expecting and she is not finding out if the baby is a boy or girl until he/she arrives!  So, that put me in need of a neutral baby card, no pink or blue here:)  

I used the adorable new SugarPea Designs stamp set, Bundle of Joy with the tag from Sugar Cuts - Gift Tag.

I LOVE this stork with baby bundle image!  When I was a kid, I remember my parents telling me that babies arrived this way and this exactly what I pictured it looking like:)  So fun!

Thanks so much for stopping by the stage!

Carta Bella - Soak Up the Sun

Hello, Carta Bella Paper fans!
I'm up on the Carta Bella Blog today with a two greeting cards using the new Soak Up the Sun Collection!

Say Hello to Summer Card

The Carta Bella Soak Up the Sun Collection is totally FUN...maybe I'll call it Soak Up the Fun!  This collection couldn't be more PERFECT for your summer projects!  Who's ready for summer....THIS GIRL!  There are some awesome new Carta Bella Embossing Folders that I wanted to show off today, especially!  Check out the Pinwheels and Clouds Embossing Folders...love them!

The sturdy texture of Carta Bella Paper Collections is second to none!  The papers have such rich color and a fabulous texture that is irresistible.  I also LOVE the selection of patterns in each collection, with small/medium/large scale patterns along with muted monochromatic ones, too.

Designer Tip:  Create with Texture & Movement

To create texture and movement to your creations, follow these simple tips!

1. Add baker's twine bows or loose circular swirls under tags/sentiment panels.
2. Angle your background panels slightly.
3. Use embossing, either heat embossing or with embossing folders.


Happy-Go-Lucky Card

Here is the supply list that I used to create the  greeting cards!

Carta Bella Soak Up the Sun Collection
Carta Bella Natural White Linen Card Stock

Paper Trimmer
Scoring Tool

Tape Adhesive
Foam Adhesive
Liquid Glue
Baker's Twine

Directions:

1.  Cut apart Carta Bella Natural White Linen Card Stock to 4.25" by 11" and score at at 5", fold and score to create the card base.

2.  After embossing a 4" by 5.25" piece of the same Carta Bella Natural White Linen Card Stock using the Carta Bella Embossing Folder, adhere to the card front.

3.  Cut apart the 3" by 4" journal cards in the Soak Up the Sun Collection to use as layer panels on your card front.  Adhere them in a tilted angle fashion to create movement.

4.  Next, adhere some of your favorite Soak Up the Sun Collection stickers and Chipboard Accents, adding texture with bits of baker's twine here and there.

When creating with Carta Bella collections, it is easy and fun to whip up handmade cards and gifts!  I hope you are inspired to create some fun cards today using your Carta Bella collections!

Thanks so much for stopping by the stage!

Carta Bella Warm & Cozy Collection

Hello, Carta Bella Paper fans!
I'm up on the Carta Bella Blog today with a two greeting cards using the fabulous Warm & Cozy Collection!

In the Stillness Card

The Carta Bella Warm & Cozy Collection is so fun...and perfect for the men in your life!  Even though I can't wait for spring, I'm still embracing the winter days...this fun collection makes it a little easier to remember the things we love about winter!  The Warm & Cozy patterns remind me of my favorite wool sweater!

Designer Tip:  Masculine-themed 

Masculine-themed cards can still be embellished and maintain their manly appeal!  Instead of a twine bow, staple on a piece of loose twine or add a wooden clip.  Adding elements like this takes your project to the next level, but keeps your man happy, too:)

Build a Snowman Card

Here is the supply list that I used to create the Warm & Cozy greeting cards!

Carta Bella Warm & Cozy Collection
Carta Bella Kraft Vellum Card Stock

Paper Trimmer
Scoring Tool

Tape Adhesive
Foam Adhesive
Liquid Glue
Wooden Clip
Baker's Twine

Directions:

1.  Cut apart Carta Bella Kraft Vellum Card Stock to 4.25" by 11" and score at at 5", fold and score to create the card base.

2.  Cut Warm & Cozy paper background panel to 4" by 5.25" and adhere.  Cut apart the 3" x 4" journal cards in the collection and adhere as a coordinating panels over the background panel.

3.  Choose stickers from the Warm & Cozy Collection to create a sentiment banners and image elements on each card, adhering with foam adhesive.

4.  To embellish, add loose twine with a stapler and a wooden clip for extra interest to your masculine-themed cards.

When creating with Carta Bella collections, it is easy and fun to whip up handmade cards and gifts!  I hope you are inspired to create something for the men in your life today using your Carta Bella collections!

Thanks so much for stopping by the stage!

Carta Bella Words of Love Collection - Greeting Cards

Hello, Carta Bella Paper fans!
I'm up on the Carta Bella Blog today with a two greeting cards using the fabulous Words of Love Collection!

Love at First Sight Card

The Carta Bella Words of Love Collection is absolutely amazing...and not just for Valentine's Day projects!  It is also perfect for anniversary and wedding projects, or just LOVE, in general!
The sturdy texture of this collection is second to none!

Designer Tip:  Simple Embellishing

I love to add a few sprinkles of sequins, enamel dots or buttons and baker's twine my projects for texture and to create movement!  I keep my twine bows to one or a double bow and the sprinkles scattered in odd numbers...here as a trio!

Enchanted Card

Here is the supply list that I used to create the Words of Love greeting cards!

Carta Bella Words of Love Collection
Carta Bella Natural White Linen Card Stock

Paper Trimmer
Scoring Tool

Tape Adhesive
Foam Adhesive
Liquid Glue
Sequins
Baker's Twine

Directions:

1.  Cut apart Carta Bella Natural White Linen Card Stock to 4.25" by 11" and score at at 5", fold and score to create the card base.

2.  Cut Words of Love paper background panel to 4" by 5.25" and adhere.  Cut a second pattern to 4" by 4" and adhere as a coordinating panel over the background panel.

3.  Next, add a couple of long banner flags for more layer and texture.

3.  Choose stickers from the Words of Love Collection to create a sentiment cluster on each card, adhering with foam adhesive.

4.  To embellish, add a twine bow and some sequin sprinkles with liquid glue.

When creating with Carta Bella collections, it is easy and fun to whip up handmade cards and gifts!  I hope you are inspired to create some loving cards today using your Carta Bella collections!

Thanks so much for stopping by the stage!

Reverse Confetti February SFYTT Recap

Hey there, stamping friends!

There are lots of family members who have spring birthdays, so you'll be seeing quite a few birthday greetings from me in the coming weeks!  Today's card is for my sweet hubby's March birthday...I went for a masculine look with some twinkling blue to match is amazing eyes!

 There's still time to play along with Reverse Confetti's February Sketch For You To Try!

Here's the Story

Celebrate Cake

Documented Confetti Cuts

For starters, the Carta Bella Wildflower patterned paper was selected for a trendy and masculine look.  I layered up a the Documented Confetti Cuts panel and embellished with the geo tag, then added a Here's the Story and Celebrate Cake sentiments tag stamped in a couple of shades of blue.  A few Pretty Pink Posh sequin sprinkles add just the right amount of movement to this hubby birthday card.

Thanks so much for stopping by the stage!

Reverse Confetti Stamps & Confetti Cuts

Pretty Pink Posh 8mm Sparkling Clear and 4mm Charcoal Sequins

Carta Bella Wildflower

Simon Says Stamp Ink