{a Kite Congrats} June Diva Inspiration Hop

Hiii everyone,

I'm sorry I'm a bit late with my post but I got mixed up in my dates!!! Hate when that happens!!

So I took a little liberty with the theme of this month again but that's just how my brain works. It hops. :) So this was our theme: Winged Whimsy. Let your creation soar by featuring wings! Think butterflies, birds, feathers or related sentiments. Celebrate the beauty of flight! 

Well I got stuck on celebrating the beauty of flight and immediately I caught myself humming "let's go fly a kite" from Mary Poppins. And that's how I arrived at making a congrats card for one of my friends who just welcomed baby #3 to her family. :) Aand now I can't get that song out of my head!! Ahh!!!

Our June challenge is Winged Whimsy:

Let your creation soar by featuring wings! Think butterflies, birds, feathers or related sentiments. Celebrate the beauty of flight! Whether you draw inspiration from the graphic or fly a solo mission, let's see some winged beauties!

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. Julee	8. Sony
	2. Amy	9. Susan
	3. Anya	10. Stacey
	4. Betty	11. Maureen
	5. Karen	12. Marisa
	6. Sankari	13. Charmaine
	7. Sarah	14. Andrea

{Happy Mother's Day} May Diva Inspiration

Welcome to Verve's May Diva Inspirations Hop. It's the 5th of the month and that means it's hopping time! This month we've got a fabulous challenge that's sure to take you on a sentimental journey! 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 April challenge is Font Focus:

Fancy fonts are all the rage! Let your inner wordsmith shine and make a gorgeous sentiment (or two or three!) the focus of your card. Whether you draw inspiration from the graphic or take some poetic license of your own, just flash us some fonts!

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, and a little bit about our brand new Diva!

	1. Julee	9. Susan
	2. Amy	10. Chaitali
	3. Anya	11. Stacey
	4. Betty	12. Maureen
	5. Karen	13. Marisa
	6. Sankari	14. Andrea
	7. Sarah	14. Charmaine
	8. Sony	14. Christyne

Check out our May special...

Travis Air Force Base Air Show

I went to my very first air show today at Travis Air Force Base. It was so amazing to be able to see these planes up close and personal...especially for a girl who loves all these little bits and bites of machinery. I had an amazing time as you can hopefully see from some of the select pictures below!

Tragically one of the pilots lost his life when his plane crashed during his performance today. My heart and prayers go out to his family and friends. I hope they will be able to find a little comfort in knowing that he passed doing what he loved to do...fly. 

some personal photography

I ventured through Marin County today and came across this abandoned fishing dock which I just fell in love with. I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them.

{Just...because) April Diva Inspiration Hop

Hi everyone,

and happy April!! Have you ever been to Palm Springs in Cali? I went for the first time last weekend because friends of mine were having their wedding reception there and can I tell you....it was amazing!!! If you ever want to get away for a little mini weekend vacation Palm Springs is definitely worth the trip. The town is really pretty and they have some great shops there. The food is really good and the weather was perfect. Pair that with Pool, hot tub, friends and margaritas and you're in for one awesome weekend. :)
I did not want to go back to work but here we are.. and here's my card!!

This month we're being challenged to use Chevrons!!! So I used the chevrons from the set Borderline, my sentiment is from Take Note and the little calendar was done using Calendar Countdown. I used DP from two different MME's paper pads: Follow Your Heart and On the Bright Side. Add some glitter, some clips, button, twine and paperclip for the little extra special touch and that's about it. :)

Enough about me and more about you! Here's how you can win some fabulous Verve and it's as easy as leaving a comment or playing along...check out the details:

 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 April challenge is Chic Chevrons:


Chevrons are the new polka-dots! Get groovy and use this popular pattern somewhere on your creation. Whether you draw inspiration from the graphic or zig-zag off on your own, just show us some chic chevrons!

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

Thank you so much for stopping by!!!

Sony

{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!!!