June 2014 Diva Dare - Day 4

A Man's World - June Diva Dare

Welcome to June's Diva Dare!  As the weather heats up, dads and grads and outdoor fun are foremost in our minds, so our June Dare is entitled A Man's World.

This month we're daring you to create a stamped card or project with a masculine theme.  It doesn't have to be a Father's Day card, just something masculine. However, if you need to get one done, we're here to help wink, wink. If just reading the theme gives you a creative block, take a deep breath and think clean lines, few embellishments, rugged or distressed edges and muted or earthy colors. Replace bling with wood or metal embellishments, and replace ribbon with twine, rope or twill and you'll be surprised how quickly a masculine card will come together!

It's getting close to that special man holiday and I'm here to share the one made for my man on his special day.

I made this card with the new Wonderful Marvelous Set for it's "trees" (a.k.a flags that are the genius idea of Julee from this card) and custom made sentiment. I love that you can put together a sentiment from all the different stamps in this set. The stars theme around this card come from Starry Die and Scalloped Trim Trio Die Set. I've used the latest Viva La Verve sketch by Julee.

Now here's where you jump in for the challenge!

Two ways to win prizes for double the fun!

Win a $40 gift voucher to Verve! Take our A Man's World dare and link up your card to be eligible to win.  Entries must be masculine in theme, posted 6/6 or later, include at least one Verve product and be linked up to the linky widget by 8pm Mountain on 6/25/14.  One participant will be randomly selected to win the gift voucher.  You can enter as many times as you like, but each card needs to be in a separate post.

Win a Verve set of your choice! For another chance to win some new Verve, leave a little comment love on our design team's A Man's World Diva Dare posts!  One lucky commenter will win a Verve stamp set of his or her choice, so be sure to tune in each day!  Comment deadline to be entered in our prize drawing is June 25, 2014.

Winners will be announced on June 26, 2014.

- Go forth and get inky! We DARE you! -

April 2014 Diva Dare - Day 8

"Little Things" - April Diva Dare

Welcome to April's Diva Dare!  Christyne here and today I'm bringing you a little inspiration for this month's challenge! In honor of Spring's arrival (in some parts of North America anyway!), this month's Dare is entitled "Little Things".    The challenge is to create a baby or kid themed card, how fun!  

To answer this month's Diva Dare, I just had to pull out my favorite Emery stamp!  I just love him done up in all pastels, so I went super sweetly-themed for my card.  I combined many of my favorite Verve elements with the To the Moon stamp set, including the Banner Bundle die set, the Scalloped Trim Trio die, and the Pastel Sequins mix.  These elements were just perfect with this week's Mojo Monday sketch (#341) so I couldn't resist pairing the two. 

Deadline to link your cards is 8PM Mountain on Wednesday, April 23rd.  Entries must be posted 4/4 or later, include at least one Verve product, be a baby or kids themed card, and be linked up to the linky widget by 8pm Mountain on 4/23/14.   

During this month's Diva Dare, there are 2 prizes up for grabs!

Win a $40 Gift voucher to Verve Stamps! Take our "Little Things" Dare and link up your card (created April 4th or later) to the linky widget below to be eligible to win.  One participant will be randomly selected to win the gift voucher.  You can enter as many times as you like, but each card needs to be in a separate post.

Win a set of your choice! For another chance to win some new Verve, leave a little comment love on our design team's "Little Things" Diva Dare posts!  One lucky commenter will win a Verve stamp set of his or her choice, so be sure to tune in each day!  Comment deadline to be entered in our prize drawing is April 23, 2014.

Winners will be announced on April 24, 2014.  

April 2014 Diva Dare - Day 6

Hello there! Amber here with my take on this month's Diva Dare!

"Little Things" - April Diva Dare

Welcome to April's Diva Dare!  In honor of Spring's arrival (in some parts of North America anyway!), this month's Dare is entitled "Little Things".    The challenge is to create a baby or kid themed card, how fun!

I wanted to make a super girly card so I pulled out pinks, aquas, greens, and yellows and went to town on this card! I pulled out my old trusty favorite, Bloom and Grow and stamped the different flowers and leaf images on the cream card base.

Next, I stamped the sentiments from Practically Perfect on a circle die cut. The layout is loosely based on this week's Viva la Verve sketch, just on a smaller scale:)

The scallops on the right side is one of the borders from Scalloped Trim Trio, and the banners were all cut out with the Banner Bundle die collection

Deadline to link your cards is 8PM Mountain on Wednesday, April 23rd.  Entries must be posted 4/4 or later, include at least one Verve product, be a baby or kids themed card, and be linked up to the linky widget by 8pm Mountain on 4/23/14.   

During this month's Diva Dare, there are 2 prizes up for grabs!

Win a $40 Gift voucher to Verve Stamps! Take our "Little Things" Dare and link up your card (created April 4th or later) to the linky widget below to be eligible to win.  One participant will be randomly selected to win the gift voucher.  You can enter as many times as you like, but each card needs to be in a separate post.

Win a set of your choice! For another chance to win some new Verve, leave a little comment love on our design team's "Little Things" Diva Dare posts!  One lucky commenter will win a Verve stamp set of his or her choice, so be sure to tune in each day!  Comment deadline to be entered in our prize drawing is April 23, 2014.

Winners will be announced on April 24, 2014.  

February 2014 Diva Dare - Day 8

"Perk Up" - February Diva Dare

Welcome to February's Diva Dare!  It's Charmaine, and I'm exciting to bring you my take today!  This month's Dare is entitled "Perk Up."    

What we're daring you to do this month is make a card or project to perk someone up, whether it’s with a warm beverage or just a heartfelt sentiment to brighten someone’s day.  No shortage of options as Verve has some wonderful coffee and tea sets as well as a plethora of uplifting/heartfelt sentiments.

I decided to use an old favorite set of mine called Delightful & Delicious.  The papers are from the Fabulous Collection from Simple Stories.  I stamped the "coffee & friends" piece and cut it out.  I cut various hearts using the Jotted Heart Die and the Heart Quartet Die.  I added a border of hearts using the Scalloped Trim Trio.

To embellish a little, I added some ribbon from the Summer Sailing Ribbon Collection.  Finally I added some "pearls" using a pearl pen.   Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope you choose to accept the dare!  ;)

Deadline to link your cards is 8PM Mountain on Wednesday, February 26th.  Entries must be posted 2/7 or later, include at least one Verve product, a warm beverage or heartfelt sentiment, and be linked up to the linky widget by 8pm Mountain on 2/26/14.

During this month's Diva Dare, there are 2 prizes up for grabs!

Win a $40 Gift voucher to Verve Stamps! Take our "Perk Up" Dare and link up your card (created February 7th or later) to the linky widget below to be eligible to win.  One participant will be randomly selected to win the gift voucher.  You can enter as many times as you like, but each card needs to be in a separate post.

Win a set of your choice! For another chance to win some new Verve, leave a little comment love on our design team's "Perk Up" Diva Dare posts!  One lucky commenter will win a Verve stamp set of his or her choice, so be sure to tune in each day!  Comment deadline to be entered in our prize drawing is February 26, 2014.

Winners will be announced on February 27, 2014.

February 2014 Diva Dare - Day 6

"Perk Up" - February Diva Dare

Welcome to Day 6 of February's Diva Dare!  This month's Dare is entitled "Perk Up."    

What we're daring you to do this month is make a card or project to perk someone up, whether it’s with a warm beverage or just a heartfelt sentiment to brighten someone’s day.  No shortage of options as Verve has some wonderful coffee and tea sets as well as a plethora of uplifting/heartfelt sentiments.

For my card, I well all-out with the sunshine and blossoms!  Verve's Brighter Days set is so full of "Perk Up" sentiments that I had some trouble choosing one.  Once I settled on my sentiment, I used the beautiful blossoms from the set with their coordinating Scalloped Flowers dies and some Prismacolor Pencils in order to bring them to life.  The Dreamy Leaves, Arrow, Banner Bundle, and Scalloped Trim Trio dies were also put to use for this project, adding layers, life and embellishment.  Once all the layers were in place, I sprinkled the card with a few Pastel Sequins and, as usual, I just couldn't resist a giant seam binding bow using the Truly Madly Deeply Ribbon Collection.  

Deadline to link your cards is 8PM Mountain on Wednesday, February 26th.  Entries must be posted 2/7 or later, include at least one Verve product, a warm beverage or heartfelt sentiment, and be linked up to the linky widget by 8pm Mountain on 2/26/14.   

During this month's Diva Dare, there are 2 prizes up for grabs!

Win a $40 Gift voucher to Verve Stamps! Take our "Perk Up" Dare and link up your card (created February 7th or later) to the linky widget below to be eligible to win.  One participant will be randomly selected to win the gift voucher.  You can enter as many times as you like, but each card needs to be in a separate post.

Win a set of your choice! For another chance to win some new Verve, leave a little comment love on our design team's "Perk Up" Diva Dare posts!  One lucky commenter will win a Verve stamp set of his or her choice, so be sure to tune in each day!  Comment deadline to be entered in our prize drawing is February 26, 2014.

Winners will be announced on February 27, 2014. 

February 2014 Diva Dare ~ Day 1

"Perk Up", February Diva Dare

Welcome to February's Diva Dare!  This month's Dare is entitled "Perk Up".    

What we're daring you to do this month is make a card or project to perk someone up, whether it’s with a warm beverage or just a heartfelt sentiment to brighten someone’s day.  No shortage of options as Verve has some wonderful coffee and tea sets as well as a plethora of uplifting/heartfelt sentiments.

As fate would have it, Julee has a "perk up" sentiment in the Better With You set so I just "had" to use it as it fit the challenge title to a tee.  The papers are from the All Spice paper pack by My Mind's Eye and I used the heart die from the Scalloped Trim Trio die set.  Love paper piecing this coffee cup, and as usual, doing so had me craving a latte - bad!!!   May have to remedy that today wink, wink!

Deadline to link your cards is 8PM Mountain on Wednesday, February 26th.  Entries must be posted 2/7 or later, include at least one Verve product, a warm beverage or heartfelt sentiment, and be linked up to the linky widget by 8pm Mountain on 2/26/14.   

During this month's Diva Dare, there are 2 prizes up for grabs!

Win a $40 Gift voucher to Verve Stamps! Take our "Perk Up" Dare and link up your card (created February 7th or later) to the linky widget below to be eligible to win.  One participant will be randomly selected to win the gift voucher.  You can enter as many times as you like, but each card needs to be in a separate post.

Win a set of your choice! For another chance to win some new Verve, leave a little comment love on our design team's "Perk Up" Diva Dare posts!  One lucky commenter will win a Verve stamp set of his or her choice, so be sure to tune in each day!  Comment deadline to be entered in our prize drawing is February 26, 2014.

Winners will be announced on February 27, 2014. 

- Go forth and get inky! We DARE you! -

December Diva Dare - Day 5

"Playing Favorites", December Diva Dare

Welcome to the last Diva Dare of 2013!  This month's Dare is entitled "Playing Favorites" and it is a fun one indeed!

What we're daring you to do this month is to post your favorite Verve Stamps 2013 creation OR make a new card using your favorite Verve stamp set.  

Hello Verve Fans, Christyne here answering this month's Diva Dare!  This month's dare involves your favorite Verve set, and well, that's so hard to choose.  If I had to choose, it'd be a holiday set as these were the first stamps that caught my eye from Verve.  In honor of Verve's amazing holiday sets, I created a card for you today with Holiday Greetings and a couple of my favorite colors and embellishments including the Scalloped Trim Trio Die, Verve ribbon, the pastel sequins mix, and the Borderline stamp set for accents and borders.  The sketch inspiration for this card was this week's Mojo Monday sketch (#323).  

I had trouble highlighting just one favorite set or card, so here are a few other favorite Verve projects that I've created this year!

The Best Things

All Right

Seize the Cupcake

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday

Birthday Wishes

As a fun extra this month, the Divas are answering "The Diva Fab Five Questionnaire."  Here goes!

What are your three favorite Verve products?

This is such a tough question, but if I have to choose, I don't think that I could live without the Banner Bundle Die Set.  It's constantly out on my stamp desk and as you can tell from the cards above, it makes an appearance on my cards more than it doesn't.  The second Verve product that I couldn't live without is the new Seam binding collections.  It's hard to choose a favorite among them, so I'll have to pick the whole ribbon collections line!  My final favorite Verve product is the Scalloped Trim Trio die set, I specifically love the simple rounded lace border as it works so well as a subtle accent.  

What is your current go-to color combo?
My absolute favorite color combo is black and white with a bold accent color, as I'm sure you can tell from the above cards.  I simple think that you can't go wrong with simple.  However, if I'm working with a bunch of patterns and colors, I like to extract a bolder color in the pattern for accent purposes!

What is your current go-to embellishment?
My current go-to embellishment is jingle bells for the holiday season. However, sequins are really becoming a favorite of mine as well, I only wish I had more colors!  

What is your favorite stamping or organizational tool?

My favorite organizational tool is probably DVD cases for my Spellbinders dies.  I like to put a little double stick or magnetic tape on the insides to hold the dies in place.

What is your favorite treat to eat while stamping? 

My favorite treat while stamping is definitely Gevalia's Pumpkin Spice coffee with a touch of cinnamon while brewing and some French Vanilla creamer!  While I'm normally a dark roast fan, this light roast has a subtle flavor and isn't so strong that I can't set those rhinestones!!

Deadline to link your cards is 8PM Mountain on Thursday, December 26th.  Entries must be posted 12/6 or later, include at least one Verve product, be your favorite Verve Stamps creation of 2013 or a new creation using your favorite Verve Stamps set, and be linked up to the linky widget by 8pm Mountain on 12/26/13.   As an reminder, last month's $40 gift certificate winner did not use any Verve stamps on her card so she was not eligible to win and we had to draw another winner.

During this month's Diva Dare, there are 2 prizes up for grabs!

Win a $40 Gift voucher to Verve Stamps! Take our "Playing Favorites" Dare and link up your card (created December 6th or later) to the linky widget below to be eligible to win.  One participant will be randomly selected to win the gift voucher.  You can enter as many times as you like, but each card needs to be in a separate post.

Win a set of your choice! For another chance to win some new Verve, leave a little comment love on our design team's "Playing Favorites" Diva Dare posts!  One lucky commenter will win a Verve stamp set of his or her choice, so be sure to tune in each day!  Comment deadline to be entered in our prize drawing is December 26, 2013.

Winners will be announced on December 27, 2013.

- Go forth and get inky! We DARE you! -

July Diva Dare - Day 9

Hi, it's Janelle here and time for another sample to this month's dare. We have two pretty amazing Diva's to inspire us for the dare with lots of fun in their style and their uplifting personalities. If you're just coming in to see the Diva Dare today, we are so glad to see you here, join in on the fun!

This month's dare pays tribute to Julee (Poetic Artistry), owner and creator of Verve Stamps and Diva Teresa (Paperie Blooms).  Julee has created countless, uplifting sentiments which have become one of Verve's trademarks, and Teresa knows how to rock distressing and "shabbiness" on her cards.  So what we're daring you to create this month is a card using an uplifting sentiment and some distressing and/or shabby element to it.  Kind of like an encouraging card you have received which you have read so many times the edges are a bit tattered.  Just remember to use at least one Verve product on your creation!

My sample takes the style elements of both of our Divas this month. Twine with swirling ends. Flowers. Sewing. Tattered edges. Since flowers aren't usually my embellishment staple I created one with Verve's Joyful Blooms Die Set and a half pearl for the center with a little liquid pearls. I surrounded the flower with a banner from Banner Bundle Set, bow made with ribbon (grapefruit seam binding ribbon in the Truly Madly Deeply Ribbon Collection) and twine. I even added the Scalloped Trim Trio Die Set tucked in beside a panel. A few distressed edges and sponging with Ranger's Old Paper and Worn Lipstick. Aren't those perfect ink names for this challenge!

Uplifting? Verve has so many wonderful uplifting sentiments it was really hard to pick from my selection of them, but I'm in need of a few Thank You cards and the stamps in Words Cannot Express set were just right for this card giving it that handwritten vintage look.

This card is finished off with an embossing on the card base, sewing around the edges and random dots of liquid pearls next to some knotted grapefruit ribbon.

My card layout is from this week's Mojo Monday sketch #303.

Now for all the details to get your Dare creation into the gallery and what you might win if you do....

Deadline to link your cards is 8PM Mountain on Wednesday, July 31st.  Entries must be new (posted 7/12 or later), include at least one Verve product, an uplifting sentiment, and some distressing or shabbiness and be linked up to the linky widget by 8pm Mountain on 7/31/13.

During this month's Diva Dare, there are 2 prizes up for grabs!

Win a $40 Gift voucher to Verve Stamps! Take our Tattered Pages Dare and link up your card (created July 12th or later) to the linky widget on the day one postto be eligible to win.  One participant will be randomly selected to win the gift voucher.  You can enter as many times as you like, but each card needs to be in a separate post.

Win a set of your choice! For another chance to win some new Verve, leave a little comment love on our design team's "Tattered Pages" Diva Dare posts!  One lucky commenter will win a Verve stamp set of his or her choice, so be sure to tune in each day!  Comment deadline to be entered in our prize drawing is July 31, 2013.

Winners will be announced on August 1, 2013.

- Go forth and get inky! We DARE you! -

July Diva Dare - Day 3

Tattered Pages, July Diva Dare

Hello Verve fans!! It's Charmaine bringing you Day 3 of this month's Diva Dare entitled "Tattered Pages".

This month's dare pays tribute to Julee (Poetic Artistry), owner and creator of Verve Stamps and Diva Teresa (Paperie Blooms).  Julee has created countless, uplifting sentiments which have become one of Verve's trademarks, and Teresa knows how to rock distressing and "shabbiness" on her cards.  So what we're daring you to create this month is a card using an uplifting sentiment and some distressing and/or shabby element to it.  Kind of like an encouraging card you have received which you have read so many times the edges are a bit tattered.  Just remember to use at least one Verve product on your creation!

Here is my take on this month's dare:

I used the Hundred Hearts set for my card along with the frame from Twitterpated.  The frame was die cut using the Hearts & Swirls Frame Die.  The papers are from the Blossom Soup Collection from Jillibean Soup.  The heart doily was something I found in the Target Dollar Bin long ago.  :)  The ribbon is from the Spring Fling Ribbon Collection.   You can see a little peek of the heart border from the Scalloped Trim Trio Die Set. I sponged a little ink around the edges of the card, the frame and doily to give a little more of that distressed look.  The patterned papers were "roughed up" with the edge of my scissors.  This isn't a style that I normally "do", but I had a lot of fun creating today's card!

Deadline to link your cards is 8PM Mountain on Wednesday, July 31st.  Entries must be new (posted 7/12 or later), include at least one Verve product, an uplifting sentiment, and some distressing or shabbiness and be linked up to the linky widget by 8pm Mountain on 7/31/13.

During this month's Diva Dare, there are 2 prizes up for grabs!

Win a $40 Gift voucher to Verve Stamps! Take our Tattered Pages Dare and link up your card (created July 12th or later) to the linky widget on the Day One post to be eligible to win.  One participant will be randomly selected to win the gift voucher.  You can enter as many times as you like, but each card needs to be in a separate post.

Win a set of your choice! For another chance to win some new Verve, leave a little comment love on our design team's "Tattered Pages" Diva Dare posts!  One lucky commenter will win a Verve stamp set of his or her choice, so be sure to tune in each day!  Comment deadline to be entered in our prize drawing is July 31, 2013.

Winners will be announced on August 1, 2013.

- Go forth and get inky! We DARE you! -