{You're in luck} TCP Tuesday

hi there,

I needed a break from working and learning so I decided to play along with this week's TCP Tuesday challenge, which is all about green and gold. Now if you're like me...I don't have a whole lot of gold laying around so I had to dig deep in my embellishment pile and ...like my card says "you're in luck" and I found some brads, gears and distress Stickles glitter. yay!! I also paired something old with something new and that's cute Sprinkle here, she's a retired rubber (!) stamp from the Cat's Pajamas...as well as the sentiment. The bingo card however is one of the newer TCP stamp sets so that one is still up for grabs.

Here's a little detail up close and personal shot:

oh and the sentiment on the inside (not pictured here) says "nothing is impossible". The papers I used are scraps from one of October Afternoon's older paper pads as well as Papertrey Inks Itty bitty square pad.

thanks so much for stopping by!!

Sony

{Note This...}

Hi there,

I needed a new notebook for work and I didn't really like any of the covers of the notebooks I saw so I decided to make my own. I just discovered this new paper pad series I'm absolutely in love with and it's called "Perfect Vacation" from the Imaginisce Series by American Crafts. It just goes perfectly with Alma's swanky designs from the Cat's Pajamas so cut to...my spacey, retro cover. :)

It features Sprinkle in her space mobile from the (I think now retired) set "It's a Mod, Mod World" and the sentiment from "What's Mew". That sentiment describes perfectly how I feel at work sometimes...you know being one of very few junior artists trying to keep up with all the amazing senior artists. Definitely lost at times! lol 

Oh and the "note this"....that one was assembled using the "Coolvetica" set and the Verve set "Remember this". Here's the backside of my new notebook:

thanks so much for stopping by and happy stamping!!

Sony

{Happy Day} March Diva Inspiration Blog Hop

Ahh can you believe it?? It's March already!!! This year is going by fast already!! Anyway it is a new month, and a new blog hop! So here are all the verve-y details:

 This month we've got a fabulous challenge that's sure to put a string in your step! So in addition to a comment prize hidden along the hop, you can play along with the challenge and link up your creation for a chance to win another prize!

Our March challenge is Spring Has Sprung:


It's time to ditch the winter blues! Create a card that sings Spring using inspirational quotes, pretty colors and florals or themes that celebrate new life. Whether you draw inspiration from the graphic or blaze your own trail, just show us what spring means to you!

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've got a prize for one lucky commenter along the hop! Check out the Verve Blog today for all the prize info and deadlines.

	1. Amy	11. Julee
	2. Anya	12. Teresa
	3. Betty	13. Stacey
	4. Jessica	14. Marisa
	5. Karen	15. Laurie
	6. Sankari	16. Maureen
	7. Sarah	17. Jen
	8. Sony	18. Christyne
	9. Susan	19. Charmaine
	10. Tiffany	20. Andrea

so what does Spring mean to me?

Prelude to summer. Going on a diet (that dreaded swimsuit season is coming up) and pedicures! :) Even though we're currently going through a rainy patch here in Cali but it's much needed and I enjoy the rain so it's all good. :) 

So I used stamps from the set "Happy Days". I just love the surfer cool vibe this set has...funny enough I was watching Hawaii 5-0 when I made this card. Fitting don't you think?oh and the little "day" sentiment is from "Remember This". I paired this with the cute little ticket from The Cat's Pajamas. 

thank you so much for stopping by, happy hopping and good luck!!!

Sony

{Hello There}

Hi everyone,

I'm just stopping in real quick to show you a new card I made yesterday. I got some new paper pads and felt inspired :).

Hope you're having a great week and see you back soon!

Sony

{Spring has Sprung) TCP Tuesday Stamp Medley

Hi everyone,

I'm a little late for the TCP Tuesday's challenge but it was really more about this idea I got than anything else so no biggie. I'm starting a little new series that I like to call "Stamp Medley", meaning I'll take a bunch of different stamp sets (they can be from different companies but don't necessarily have to) and combine them in one project. Not all the revolutionary you say? Well, then you're ten steps ahead of me because I've caught myself using only stamps from the same set and doing that I've realized I've missed out on a whole lot of other great things you can do soo stamp medley. A personal reminder to not be afraid to mix a little more and match a little less. :)

So in spirit of the stamp medley  I've combined a few different sets in my peekaboo card here:

Sprinkles is from the TCP set Spring Fling, the word spring was spelled out using TCPs Coolvetica, the has sprung is from the TCP set Blow and the flowers are stamped using the Verve Set Surely Goodness (and cut out using matching dies).

that's about it for now!!

Thanks for stopping by and til next time!

Sony

Did you know...

...that the Verve Inspiration Team now has a Pinterest board??

 How cool is that? 

I have to admit I've been slacking on all social media fronts since I started spending all my time in front of a computer for a living but I do like the simplicity and efficiency of Pinterest. Easiest way to quickly share  and organize pictures or ideas. So I'm extra excited that the Verve Inspiration team is venturing

into new territories there. :)

Hope you follow us!

http://www.pinterest.com/vervestamps/verve-inspiration-team/

{my umbrella} Stamp Medley

Hi everyone,

it's been raining almost this entire week here in San Francisco so no wonder I was inspired to make a rainy day umbrella card but here's the thing...I didn't necessarily have the perfect stamp for what I wanted to do so I decided to mix and match stamps from different sets. The cutie you see here is PJ from the Cat's Pajama's set "A Beary Good Year" ( I think this set is retired now sadly) and the umbrella and the sentiment are from the Verve set "Rain or Shine". I colored the bear using copic markers and added some frosted lace stickles to his belly and nose for added sparkle. I paper pieced the umbrella, colored over it and then added some crystal effect to get the shiny plastic look. The stitching behind the umbrella is the rain. 

thanks so much for stopping by and hope you stay dry!!

Sony

{When skies are gray...} February Diva Inspiration Blog Hop

Hi everyone,

Welcome to Verve's February Diva Inspirations Hop. Are you ready for another fabulous blog hop?? This month we've got a bloomin' good challenge for you along with our usual inspiration! So in addition to a comment prize hidden along the hop, you can play along with the challenge and link up your creation for a chance to win another prize!

Our February challenge is Floral Fantasy:

February is the month of love and flowers are a popular gift
so add some petal power to your cards this month!

Now I have to admit I sort of strew away a little from the challenge but it was raining outside and I had just gotten some new stamp sets I couldn't put away without using them soooo yeah...the result of that you can see above. :)

I did manage to squeeze in stamps from 4 different set...namely Rain or Shine, Surely Goodness, Notebook Paper Plain Jane and Take Note. I also used the matching dies Rounded Rectangle and Goodness Flowers . But enough about my card...

 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've got a prize for one lucky commenter along the hop! Check out the Verve Blog today for all the prize info and deadlines.

	1. Julee	11. Tiffany
	2. Amy	12. Maureen
	3. Anya	13. Stacey
	4. Betty	14. Christyne
	5. Jessica	15. Teresa
	6. Karen	16. Marisa
	7. Sankari	17. Charmaine
	8. Sarah	18. Janelle
	9. Sony	19. Jen
	10. Susan

Happy Hopping!!!!

til next time,

Sony

{the nicest place} TCP Tuesday

Hi everyone,

I dusted off some of my very favorite stamping sets and this happens to be one of them...it's called Happy Camper and is from the Cat's Pajamas. I love Alma's style and this one is just so cute...and I don't even like camping but anywho... I decided to play along with this weeks TCP Tuesday challenge which is the 3-2-1 challenge: 

Use 3 different patterned papers - check

, 2 different types of embellishments (die cuts, buttons, brads, gems, pearls, etc) - check

 and 1 type of twine, seam binding or ribbon - and check.

cool....what a fun and different challenge. My card is pretty straight forward...I used die cuts for the grass, clouds, the banner flag and the corner. I used a polka dot embossing folder for the clouds. I used Copics to color and blend...and then a sponge and some ink to darken down the edges. Some jute twine for accents and of course some stickles glitter for the spark. :) I've recently switched over to using hot glue for everything on my cards. Yes I do burn myself a bit more often these days but at least I know my cards won't fall apart in a week or two so it's worth it. :)

have a nice weekend everyone and see you back soon!!

Sony

{Thanks a Latte} Diva Inspiration

Happy Monday everyone,

 here's the result of my paper crafting morning. I recently got hooked on honeymilk black tea thanks to this asian tea place that's right by my house. It's basically black tea with sweetened condensed milk and honey and it's soo good it inspired my card today (even though it says thanks a latte but you know...close enough. :)

So let's see...I used Copic markers to color in my coffee cups, I used some stickles glitter to add some sparkle...I used a mini paperclip and jute twine for embellishments and then distressed the paper edges. Pop-up dots added some dimension to the layers and some stamped coffee rings added the final touch (given they were a bit of an afterthought it was a bit tricky to get them to stamp properly. I had to do some masking for it to work). The paper I used is from October Afternoon Roadmap.

The stamps I used were all from Verve's set Better With You. 

thanks so much for stopping by and have a great rest of the week!!!

Sony

Stamps: Better With You (Verve)

Paper: Roadmap (OA), Kraft, White

Ink: Memento, Soft Suede (SU), Frayed Burlap (Distress Ink)

Accessories: Stickles Glitter, Jute Twine, Sponges, Crystal Effects, Mini Paperclip, Stamp Trio Die (TCP)

{XO} January Diva Inspiration Blog Hop

Happy new year everyone!!!

I'm back!! I had to take a few months off from stamping because I moved and apparently I'm the posterchild for how-not-to-move because my move took about 3 months. lol What a nightmare! But I'm finally fully moved and settled in...so now I can complain about the high rent prices here in San Francisco...just kidding lol...the prices are ridiculous though. Anyway...enough about me....I have a new card for you!!

So my card today was inspired by none other than the Queen Bey...yup you heard right...one of my favorite songs on Beyonce's new album happens to be XO so here's my take on it. :) I used stamps from the Verve set  'Remember This' to stamp the days and the banner on the top. I also used the matching Banner Bundle die set to cut out the banner. Then for final touches I just distressed the edges, added buttons and most importantly the "X"...which is also my shine. :)

Our January challenge is:

The year is shiny and new, so let's add shimmer and shine to our cards.
Think glitter, sequins, rhinestones, pearls, heat embossing - anything with some gloss.

Need a little inspiration? Check out the blogs linked below to see what our Divas did with the challenge! It's sure to be a treat, and speaking of treats, we've got a prize for one lucky commenter along the hop! Check out the Verve Blog today for all the prize info and deadlines.

	1. Sarah	10. Tiffany
	2. Amy	11. Maureen
	3. Anya	12. Stacey
	4. Betty	13. Amber
	5. Jessica	14. Teresa
	6. Karen	15. Marisa
	7. Sankari	16. Charmaine
	8. Sony	17. Verve Blog
	9. Susan

Thank you so much for stopping by!!

 I hope you had a wonderful start to the new year and happy hopping!!! 

August Diva Inspiration Blog Hop

Hi everyone!!!

I'm so sorry I only have a picture for you instead of a card today but I have a good reason: I was offered an amazing work opportunity so I'm out of town for two months...and without stamping supplies...aaaand without my car because it decided to break down on me, halfway on my trip. So now I'm in a rental car and have to figure out what to do with my dead, broken car that's now 250 miles away from where I'm at. ;) Happy times!!!! lol 

 But just because I'm taking a break from stamping this month that certainly does not mean that there is no Hop happening today so here's all the Verve info you need to get you going:

	1. Julee	9. Tiffany
	2. Amy	10. Teresa
	3. Anya	11. Charmaine
	4. Betty	12.Christyne
	5. Karen	13. Maureen
	6. Sankari	14.Marisa
	7. Sarah	15.Amber
	8. Susan

Be sure to leave a little shout out in the comment section of each blog as you hop about to be entered in a drawing for a $30 gift voucher to Verve Stamps! Check out all the details and prize info over at the Verve Blog.


We're celebrating 6 years of VERVE this month with a huge sale! Your favorites are bound to be marked down, since all stamps and dies are 10-50% off during the month of August! Now that's something to celebrate!

Exploring San Francisco - Day I

**PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE **

Hi Everyone,

I'm in San Francisco!! And I'm going to be here for a little bit.  I was offered a great work opportunity which I'm very excited about so I packed my car and went. Oh did I mention my car decided to break down on the way up here? Yeeah...in the middle of nowhere...smoking engine and everything...fun times! 

But thankfully there were a lot of very helpful and friendly people that helped me out and got my mom and I back on the road...in a rental. My car...turns out...is officially dead. :(

Anywho...today I went for a drive to get a vibe for the city. It is so vastly different from LA. It reminds me a little of home as in Germany home. Not the architecture or anything but the weather and the city just...feels like Germany. lol I don't know how else to describe it. Perhaps it's the narrow streets and older buildings and definitely the weather. 

So at first I decided to drive through the Presidio. After a few wrong turns I landed right in front of the Walt Disney Family museum. Since I had nothing else really planned for the day I decided to check it out.

I had a great time there. It was really well put together and I was thoroughly inspired by Walt Disney's life as well as the amazing original artwork on display.

the original Studio Floorplan!!! Amazing how big it's gotten now!

I love this!!!

Here's a view of San Francisco Bay from the Presidio.

and then I made another wrong turn and then I missed a turn aaaand before I knew it I was going over the Golden Gate Bridge! Well came to find out there is a beautiful Vista Point right on the other side of the bridge. :) So here's a view of San Francisco - covered in a blanket of fog.

after my little detours I headed to Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf.

view of the city from the Pier

and then my final stop for the day: Ghirardelli Square where I ended my eventful day with of course...a Nobhill Chill. What is a Nobhill Chill?

Well...let me tell you: It's more than a milkshake, it's the sundae you can sip! Two scops of vanilla ice cream blended with our freshly homemade hot fudge and topped with semi sweet chocolate chips.

Nobhill Chill

{Life} July Diva Inspiration Hop & Mojo Monday 300

Hi Everyone and a very special July Diva Inspiration Hop to you!!!

I say very special because this month we're joining the Mojo Monday crew in celebrating their 300th sketch!!!! Isn't that awesome?! So in honor of the big 3-0-0 there are 30 prizes for you to win!!! As long as you play along of course. For all the details, a list of prizes from over 20 different companies and some fabulous samples using the Mojo 300 sketch head on over to the Mojo Monday blog. 

Oh and don't forget...there's a PRIZE up for grabs right here too, so be sure to leave a little shout out in the comment section of each blog as you hop about to be entered in a drawing for a $30 gift voucher to Verve Stamps! Check out all the details and prize info over at the Verve Blog.

And here's the 300th sketch:

uh hum you may notice I took some creative liberties with the sketch but lol that's just what I do. :) 

Life has been particularly turbulent for me lately so when I saw the little sentiment {life}...that was exactly how I felt. Couldn't have said it any better...don't you feel that way sometimes? Where all you can say is...this is life. All the ups and downs, so much happening...good and bad....but sometimes you don't even know what's happening, so many things are happening so fast. 

That's how it's been for me lately so I really enjoyed making this card because it gave me a moment to relax and just focus on one thing at a time. It was great!!

Now to the ingredients of my card...I used the flowers from the Verve Set Surely Goodness. The sentiment is from the set Remember This. I used a lot of Dies for this one...so here's that list: Banner Bundle Die, Flat It Die, Goodness Flowers Die, Notebook Die. And that's about it...

thanks so much for stopping by!!! 

Next up on your hop is the amazingly fabulous Susan Liles!!!!

	1. Julee	7. Sankari
	2. Amy	8. Sarah
	3. Anya	9. Sony
	4. Betty	10. Susan
	5. Jessica	11. Tiffany
	6. Karen

Sony

Stamps: Surely Goodness (Verve), Remember This (Verve)

Paper: Lost and Found (MME), Kraft, Black

Ink: Memento

Accessories: Banner Bundle Die (Verve), Flag It Die (Verve), Goodness Flowers Die (Verve), Notebook Die (Verve), Mini Paperclip, White Thread and Sewing Machine

{Go Confidently...} June Diva Inspiration Blog Hop

Hi everyone, 

It's the 5th of the month and that means it's time for the Verve Inspirations Team to breathe new life into some much-loved stamps and dies. And there's a PRIZE up for grabs, so be sure to leave a little shout out in the comment section of each blog as you hop about to be entered in a drawing for a $30 gift certificate to Verve Stamps! Check out all the details and prize info over at the Verve Blog.

sooo this card is a bit of a hodge podge of several different stamp sets...let me see if I can get it all worked out: the main sentiment is from Words of Wisdom , the sun is from Let It Shine, the Enjoy Today is from Amazing Wishes and the background stamp is from Accent Notes.

	1. Julee	7. Sankari
	2. Amy	8. Sarah
	3. Anya	9. Sony
	4. Betty	10. Susan
	5. Jessica	11. Tiffany
	6. Karen

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Be sure to say hi to Susan for me....she's up next! :)

Sony

Stamps: Words of Wisdom (Verve), Let It Shine (Verve), Amazing Wishes (Verve), Accent Notes (Verve)

Papers:  Kraft, Aqua Mist (PTI), Ocean Tides (PTI) 

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, White

Accessories: Copics, Cloud Die-Namics (MFT), Mini Tags, Twill Tape, Jute Twine, Stickles Glitter, Nesties, white embossing powder, heat gun, hot glue gun

{Always} May Diva Inspiration Blog Hop

Hi everyone!!!

It's the 5th of the month and that means it's time for a little Verve Inspiration!!!! And...even better...there is a new release coming up on Friday, May 10th!!! Mark your calendars!! We got a sneak peak and I know you're gonna love what Verve has in store for you!!! Ok but first remember you can win a little prize today just by leaving a comment on each blog hop spot. Check out all the details and prize info over at the Verve Blog.

A little about my card today...a dear sister in my church passed away so I was yet again in need of a sympathy card. I wanted to do something a little bit different so I did my version of a shadowbox card with Julee's beautiful flowers from the Surely Goodness set and the corresponding die set.
For the sentiment I used the Flag from the Flag it Die set and paired it with the sentiment from the Borderline set. Then I got a little crafty with it and used a combination of white and grey ink for the flowers, sprinkled that with iridescent embossing powder and applied heat.

Here's another closer look:

ok I don't want to keep you any longer...here's the master Blog Hop list...in case you got lost ;)

	1. Julee	7. Sankari
	2. Amy	8. Sarah
	3. Anya	9. Sony
	4. Betty	10. Susan
	5. Jessica	11. Tiffany
	6. Karen

Next up is  Susan!!!! Don't have too much fun over there!!! lol

til next time,

Sony :)

{Hope and a Future} April Diva Inspiration Hop

Welcome to our Diva Inspirations Hop!

It's the 5th of the month and that means it's time for the Verve Inspirations Team to breathe new life into some much-loved stamps and dies. And there's a PRIZE up for grabs! So be sure to leave a little shout out in the comment section of each blog as you hop about to be entered in a drawing for a $30 gift certificate to Verve Stamps! Check out all the details and prize info over at the Verve Blog.

I have a christening to go to on April 28th and I wanted to make a card that my friend could put in a scrapbook for her son if she wanted to so what better verse than Jeremiah 29:11. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." I paired that with the new Calendar Countdown stamp set, which I stamped on top of a Banner I cut out using the new Banner Bundle Die Set. Oh and the ribbon is from Julee's new Ribbon collection! :)

We're also saying good bye to Jen del Muro!! This is her last hop as a Verve Diva. She's been a part of the Verve team almost from the very beginning and although we're sad to see her go, we're so excited to see the things she has up her sleeve for the stamping world! All the best Jen!!!!

	1. Julee	7. Sankari
	2. Amy	8. Sarah
	3. Anya	9. Sony
	4. Jen d.	10. Susan
	5. Jessica	11. Tiffany
	6. Karen

have a great day everyone and Happy Hopping!!!

Next up is the one and only Susan Liles!!!