My Divine Details and WINNERS

If you're looking for the Anni-VERVE-sary blog hop, CLICK HERE. We'll be announcing the lucky mystery jackpot winner on Wednesday, so you still have a little time to comment.

Okay, so did y'all enjoy this month's project parade as much as I did? What a treat to get to see a glimpse of the design process our talented Divas go through. I know I jotted down several tips to try myself. I'll be walking you through my process in a minute, but first it's time to announce the winners of our Divine Details Project Parade! So without further adieu, let's give it up for this month's winners...

1. Susan aka Crunchy
2. Kim Stewart
They win any stamp set of their choice from Verve.

Our mystery gift certificate for the Divine Details Project Parade was hidden in Laurie's post and our lucky commenter is...

Cheri Howard who said... What a stunning card! I love the bold, rich colors you chose!

Congrats girls! Email me at contests@vervestamps.com to claim your prize. If you won a stamp set, please include your shipping address and the name of the set you would like.

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Okay, now you'll want to grab a cup of joe and maybe a bit of chocolate (it never hurts) as I walk you through a bit of my design thought process. Before I get started, please forgive my messy workspace and my ink stained stamps. We're keeping it real here, and this is the usual state of things around my studio! :) I'll keep the photos small so this isn't a trillion pages long, but you can always click the photo to see it bigger. For those who like to read the last page of the book first, here's the finished project. :)



As I've been thinking about my process the last few weeks, I've noticed that I approach almost every project from a different angle. Sometimes I stamp first, sometimes last. Sometimes I free-form and sometimes I start with a sketch. Sometimes I have an embellishment in mind and sometimes the embellishments are after thoughts. But no matter where I start, at the heart of each project is some definite thought to the tastes and styles of the recipient. I almost always make my projects with a specific person in mind. The art of cardmaking is about giving, so I think things just flow better if I keep that at the center of my projects.

So for this project I started with Jen T.'s birthday in mind. I wanted clean lines - nothing too frilly - and a tropical feel because this girl lives in paradise! So I started with some papers from the Sunsplashed collection that I had picked out for her on my last shopping trip and one of my favorite Verve flowers.

The next step in the process was to decide whether or not to use a sketch. I had been struggling a little in the mojo department, so I decided to take some of the creative pressure off myself and work with one of Amber's fantastic Viva la Verve! sketches. This was one from July {VLVJUL01} (I know, I'm a whole month late, but I really wanted to play!) that really called my name, since I just love skewed panels. No matter whether I use a sketch or free-form my layout, I always cut all the pieces and shapes and lay them out to determine the best proportions. As a general rule, I always work with a 4" x 5.25" piece and keep the top focal panel to 2.25" x 3.25" or smaller, with 1/8" mats on every layer. Chocolate chip is a go-to accent color for me, especially when using cream. Black is my go-to accent color for white. And then since this sketch called for some ribbon, I laid out a few choices of ribbon to think about as the card progressed.

Once I have my basic layers decided, I'll layout my stamps (sometimes directly on my project to determine placement. This layout seemed kind of right heavy, so I chose to do some off the edge stamping to balance things out. So I embossed the flower from Meditations on the panel and then 2 more times on pearlized cream. {Tip: I always stamp an extra of anything I'm cutting out or coloring in case I mess up.} Next I colored with Copic markers and cut out my popped up flower. I always do a little coloring of the flower that's being covered up in case someone is looking from the side.

The twist for this sketch was distressing, and my favorite of all distressing methods is sponging. I add a little bit to almost all of my cards to add a little depth and interest. For this project I picked my two favorite inks for blending - Ranger Distress ink in Tea Dye and Vintage Photo. As you can see, my Cut-n-Dry foam square has been used quite a bit. I use it over and over for the same colors until it starts to crumble, then cut another square. One side I use for a lighter shade and then go over with the darker shade, always pulling from off the paper into the center of the piece. (That's why there's so much ink on my grid paper.)

After I have the focal image done, I choose my sentiment. Every once in a while I choose the sentiment first, but most of the time it's the last stamping choice I make on a card. Here I chose the You're the Best sentiment from the Kindred Spirits set, laying it out to make sure it would fit in the space I had. Once I've stamped my sentiment, it's just a process of gluing down mats, deciding what layers the ribbon should be under and which layers should be on dimensionals. Here's the usual time when I realize I haven't left myself much room for embellishing.

I love collecting all sorts of embellishments, but usually stick with glitter, pearls, ribbon and photo corners. Most of the time I try to make the artwork be the embellishment with dimension and glitter. I also LOVE photo corners. They're perfect for hiding fingerprint smudges and for helping focus the eye on where you want the attention drawn. Here I chose a ridged metal photo corner that seemed to work well with the clean layers. I also added a fallback of mine - a mixture of Diamond Glaze and glitter for just a little shine and sparkle to the flower. Another favorite detail I usually add to my cards is a trio or quintet of pearls, rhinestones or brads. I always stick with odd numbers, because groupings that aren't symmetrical are more pleasing to the eye.

Okay, that's a little peek into my design process. I hope you've enjoyed our series of Divine Details. Thanks for stopping by!

Project Parade Day 12 - Divine Details

Hi Verve Fans. It's Tosh here bringing up the rear with the final Parade project. I hope you've enjoyed reading about the thought process that each Diva goes through while creating, and seeing their fabulous creations!! It was encouraging to me to know that there is a bit of trial and error with some of the gals, cause that's how I work. I admit, when I found out about the "Divine Detail" theme for this month, I thought it was creative and clever, but at the same time it worried me. I have a hard enough time not getting lost in my own thought process. How do I explain it so I don't lose ya'll!! Yikes!!

Well, here goes....

I usually start with an image that I want to use, and for this one I wanted to use the Kindred Spirits set with the Plain Jane Hebrews 11:1 sentiment. Then I either design a sketch or choose a recent one from either the Mojo or SCS sketch challenge. (This time I used the Mojo96 sketch) After I have an idea of what direction I want to go with the sketch, I try to pick out dp, or cs colors that will compliment the image and sketch I've chosen to work with. Notice I used the word "try". That's because the colors, dp and cs can change many times until I get the look I'm going for. I also peruse my Nestabilities to see what shape will best compliment my image. They are my "go to" for almost every card. I'm a huge Nestabilities and Punches freak. I rarely make a card without one or both.

I was inspired the other day by Kimberly Crawford to haul out my Fun Flock again. I love working with that stuff, and I thought the solid Fleur de lis image would look great black on black. I just stamped my image with my Essential Glue Pad and patted the fun flock on it. I then cut my pieces into 3 1 1/4" x 5" strips, and framed them with the EK success Fleur de lis border punch.

After I have my pieces all cut to size, matted (I'm a framer...I rarely put a piece on a card without a frame), and laid out, I then play around with different embellishments and ribbon. Add, take away, add some more, etc. I NEVER attach anything until I have everything laid out the way I want it, including embellishments.

Finally, I either ink distress the pieces, and or sew around their edges, and attach all the pieces with double stick tape, or dimensional tape. I'm pretty big on dimension too. I'm a sucker for depth.

I got a little carried away with this one. *grin* I usually ask one of my kids (depending on who's closest) if the card is okay, or if it needs something. After finishing this one, I asked my son what he thought...to my horror, he said it looked like Lingerie!!! No way!! I was going for elegant, and it has scripture on it. He said, it's elegant, but the pink on the bottom is a bit understated, and all the frills make it look like black lingerie. My stomach shrank. I asked him if I should make a different one for the parade, but he said it was beautiful and that I should go with it. So here's my Faith and Hope lingerie card. LOL I hope I haven't offended anyone.

I also have to add that I'm really inconsistent with card size; Whatever it takes to accomplish the design I'm going for. I usually put my more detailed cards in a padded envelope anyway. This particular card is 5 1/2" x 6 1/4". Odd size. I know. Mostly my cards are either 5 1/4" x 5 1/4", 5" x 7", or A2.

One last thing. I thought I'd share really quick where I get my inspiration from: West Elm catalog and Pottery Barn have fabulous color combos, and wonderful shapes and designs. I also peruse many blogs, and am constantly inspired to use different color combos, shapes, textures, etc. As well as to try different techniques. I always have my eye out while shopping too, whether it be an art piece, frame, or just a design on some dinner plates.

That's it. Hope I didn't lose ya along the way.

You still have time to participate, and we'd love to see...and read...about how you get from point "A" to point "B". To play along, just make a project or card that shows us your Divine Details. 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 this post before 8PM Mountain on Saturday, August 1. 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!

Project Parade Day 11 - Divine Details

Hi! It's Charmaine and today it's my turn to share my "Divine Details" with you!

Like most of the other Verve Divas, when I had to sit down and think of what exactly my creative process was, I got really nervous because I didn't think I had any earth-shattering secrets to share with you. Then I just told myself all I had to do was tell you what exactly I do and even though it wasn't earth-shattering to me, you might find something useful or even information that helps make your own creative process less intimidating.

It is no secret to anyone who knows me or reads my blog, that I LOVE sketch challenges. They are my favorite simply because they give me a starting point for a card. For this card, I chose the Viva la Verve Sketch July Week 5 Sketch with a Twist. What I LOVE about these challenges is that not only do I get a starting point for my card with the sketch, but I get some extra parameters to work within. The "twist" for this sketch was texture. I love adding texture to cards. I used the Finial Press embossing folder from Stampin' Up for my "texture". Since my cardmaking style is usually pretty clean and simple, one of the ways that I add that extra something is through Cuttlebug embossing, paper piercing or scoring. Also, since my cardmaking style is usually pretty simple, sketches like this with lots of layers help me to add extra details that I might not normally add.

As far as how I choose papers, that changes all of the time. If I have a collection of patterned papers, I'll use different patterns within that collection with coordinating solid cardstock. Sometimes, I'll just go through my scrap bin and choose some coordinating papers to use for a card. Other times, the stamps I'm using make me think of certain colors.

For embellishments, I don't heavily embellish my cards so a few brads or Dew Drops, maybe some ribbon are what you'll see on my cards. One of my favorite embellishments to use is paper piercing or faux stitching. I love the extra touch they add without making the card too busy.

I adore creations of the other Verve Divas who use lots of embellishments and layers on their cards, but my brain just doesn't work that way. When I try to imitate their creations, my cards look too busy or cluttered and nowhere near as beautiful as their cards. That used to frustrate me so much, but I've learned (and I'm still learning LOL) to go with what looks good to me and makes me happy! After all, that's why we all stamp, right? Because we ENJOY it!

So, as you can see, I don't have any big secrets to share with you. Honestly, the less I "think" about a card, the easier it is to create! I hope you've found some valuable information in my creative process.

Wanna play along with us? We'd love it if you did! Just make a project or card that shows us your Divine Details. 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 the Project Parade Day 1 post before 8PM Mountain on Saturday, August 1. 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!

Project Parade Day 9--Divine Details

I'm a little nervous coming so close to the end of all the talented Diva's process descriptions, lol! I doubt my process will have anything earth shattering or even anything that you haven't seen yet, but I hope you may get some ideas or insight into how I do that thang I do, lol:)


There are a few things I think you'll notice on almost every card I create and they are *in no particular order* Ribbon, Brads, Bling, and scallops. Those are my no kidding GOTTA HAVE EM's! Even my husband has commented on this. I showed him a couple cards I made and he says "Babe, they all have the same stuff on them, you need to change it up" BWAHAHAHA! What a guy, he just doesn't know!

So, those are the things I need on most cards. How do I start? Well, my process isn't much unlike what you've seen so far! I LOVE me some challenges, so most likely I start out by looking at the SCS daily challenges or surf some of my favorite challenge blogs (Mojo Monday, CPS, 2sketches4you, etc). I am not one of those super awesome stampers that sees a challenge and tackles it, I only tackle the ones that truly inspire me, otherwise it feels like a job, kwim?

If you know me at all, you know that I LOVE sketches! However, I almost always make my cards first and then create a sketch from the layout of my cards. That's how most of my sketches come to be, but not all:)

Once I choose a challenge or decide what kind of card I'm going to make, I'll choose a stamp set. The layout of my cards depends completely on the stamp set I choose.
To come up with an original layout, I take scraps of cardstock and just layer them on the card base. I keep moving stuff around until it all falls into place, literally, lol!

Once I know my layout, I'll decide on papers. I choose a piece of patterned paper first and then pick colors that coordinate; however, for this card I created here, there is no dp! Sometimes I'm in the mood to create my own, or just use solid colored cardstock instead of patterned paper. For this card, I stamped the long border stamp from Kindred Spirits in Rich Cocoa ink (by Momento). I knew that was what I wanted for my base. After that, I just played around with my papers until I had something I liked. I almost always add scallops to my cards, as I mentioned before, but for this card I used my Fleur de lis punch by EK Success. The last thing I do is to add last minute details/embellishments. The row of three rhinestones is something I do ALOT! I read that "Rule of Threes" article on a website once and it stuck. An even number number of embellishments doesn't sit right with me so I always have three. Hey, it's a RULE! I'm an Air Force girl, Rules are my life! LMBO! The little button on the bow, the cuttlebug corner die, and the stickles glitter are just a few of the last minute details I added on this card. I don't have any secret to how I choose embellies, it just has to feel right, and not overdone. And once I've added these details, I'm all done!

See, I told ya it's no earth-shattering secret, lol! It just is what it is:)

Wanna play along with us? We'd love it if you did! Just make a project or card that shows us your Divine Details. 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 the Project Parade Day 1 post before 8PM Mountain on Saturday, August 1. 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!

Card Recipe:
Stamps-Kindred Spirits (Verve)
Paper-Rustic Cream, Scarlet Jewel (PTI), Chocolate Chip (SU!)
Ink-Scarlet Jewel (PTI), Rich Cocoa (Momento)
Accessories-Fleur de lis punch (EK Success), Rhinestones (unk), Cuttlebug Vintage Corner die, swiss dots folder (Provocraft), Scarlett Jewel button, ribbon (PTI), Stickles (Ranger)

Project Parade Day 8--Divine Details

Well, hi ya'll! It's me, Susan. Are ya'll liking the "divine design" tips and details all the Divas are sharing? What an insightful Project Parade!! Here's how I make a mess of my stamping studio:

I don't really know if I have a set "process" when I go to make a card that I do every time. I DO know that I usually find either a sketch or a stamp I want to use first. If I want to use a particular stamp, I look for a sketch (or think of one) that will fit the positioning of the stamp. If I start with the sketch, I then pick a stamp for the positioning of the main panel of the sketch. Today, I'll carry you through my process for my "Little bit of YOU in Me" card shown here (I thought it was a fitting sentiment, since we're all trying to draw inspiration and learn from all the Divas--including me!).

Whenever I start a Verve card especially, I first go to either Splitcoast and check out Amber's Viva la Verve sketches for the week or month or I check out Julee's always perfect Mojo Monday sketches on that blog. This one happens to be one of the release week challenges that I went back to all the way from June. I really liked this sketch and never got to use it. So since I started with the sketch, I needed an image that was fitting for the sketch's main panel which for the most part is a circle. (Ope!! I heard ya'll saying, "Thank you, Captain Obvious!" Watch it!)



When that's all decided, I usually go ahead and stamp my images onto whatever cardstock, so it can get good and dry while I pick out other stuff.

Then I start thinking about color. A lot of times I will look through my patterned paper for a particular look or feel I'm going for. I love my patterned paper and usually don't make a card without it! However, for today's card, I wanted to make some of my own patterned paper with another image from the Just for You set for a masculine look. So I did that to use for one of the layers and chose my color scheme from some colors that just happened to be close together in my scrap basket. I usually decide on my solid card base at that time, too. Then I can color my images to match my papers. (This image obviously has no coloring involved, but I used the colors in my stamping!)

At this point, I'll usually start cutting my pieces and lay them out for the "jist" of what the card will look like, but without glueing down ANYTHING. This is when I may make color changes or paper changes or start all over--wink!! For this card, I decided to tweak the sketch and make it square and add just a little sumpin' sumpin' by adding the Nestabilities shaped layer and its tiny hand-cut mat behind the circle, because scallops? Not so manly.

I start to think about embellishments and details now, once I have it all laid out. This is the really fun part where you can really add just the right thing or touches for that "wow" factor we all strive for! Add ribbon?, Sentiment placement?, Machine stitching?, Prima flower?, Brads?, Piercing?, Buttons?, and so forth. I envision what it would look like if I did "such and such" and where. It's important to figure all this stuff out before you actually glue it together. Since this was a more masculine card, no flowers were necessary, but brads, piercing and a little touch of ribbon was in order. Sometimes you have to have the embellishments and little treatments in mind all along in the cardmaking process, but I seem to actually "do" them last.

I admit I am addicted to foam boosters (SU! Dimensionals, etc.). I ALWAYS use them in some way to pop a layer or two! I will never play in a challenge where I can't use them. EEK!! Here, the white circle is popped up on the green and the Nestie shape is popped up on the blue square. I finally get to glue everything down without gluing my top layer to the card base. In other words, for this card, I built it all on top of the navy blue mat.

The very LAST thing I do is glue the top entire layer onto the card base (or sometimes pop it up on foam boosters, too!). This way, if I decide to add anything last minute, I still can without it showing through to the inside of the card (think brads here.) I like the inside of my card base to be "clean".

So I'm not sure if it always works out this way. Sometimes certain steps in the process take longer to brew than others (color placement, ribbon placement, etc.)! If I'm following a color challenge, it's a little easier, I guess, but they aren't my favorite. I don't want to feel limited!!

Everybody has their own way of making a card or project. This is just my way. You have to decide and do whatever works for you! I hope you enjoyed this little "walk through"!!!

As always, we'd love for you to play along with us!
Just make a project or card that shows us your Divine Details. 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 the Project Parade Day 1 post before 8PM Mountain on Saturday, August 1. 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!

Project Parade Day 6 - Divine Details

Hi everyone, it's Michelle! What a fantastic Project Parade so far! Lots of really great stuff from my fellow Divas, huh?!? If you are just joining us today, the theme for this month is Divine Details. Each Diva will share a bit of our cardmaking "process".

My process? Well, I am a VERY visual person. So, along those lines I thought I would share some pictures.

I don't create in the abstract, I need a plan. So I ALWAYS start out with a sketch, I am completely lost without one. I don't have the ability to sketch my own, and fortunately it's not a problem as there are MORE than enough sketches out there to chose from. I start the week by printing out a page of some of my favorite sketches. I work throughout the week using these. For this card, I chose Julee's Mojo Monday sketch -see it? It's in the bottom row in the pink.

Once my sketch is chosen, I find a stamp that works with the layout. I chose to go with one of my favorite sentiments from the set Forever in Our Hearts. Next, I find some pattern paper I want to work with. I knew it was a sympathy card and I wanted to use some of my new Zva Sweet Blossoms peach flowers. So I pulled out some papers from Basic Grey's Mellow and Sultry pack that I thought would work.

Once I get things stamped and cut out, it's time to start embellishing! The sketch called for a "bow", so using my Bow Easy, I tied bows in some ribbons to help me with a visual and make a decision. Sometimes this process can take forever. I love to play around and find the perfect ribbon for my cards. I have been known to have a pile of over 15 ribbons before making my choice!

Once I am done with the basics of the card, I do the final touches. I love to add BLING to my cards. I have a little trick that helps me visualize the rhinestones on the card. I keep them on the clear acetate sheet and arrange them, then lay it down on the card. In this pic, I arranged both pink and clear rhinestones in a corner shape and moved them around until I found a place I liked. Using this technique, I don't damage my DP moving around the adhesive backed jewels AND don't ruin the sticky on their backs. I should also mention that another "go-to" finishing touch for me is to pierce my scallops and highlight with a white gel pen. I think it adds the extra little something and isn't hard to do last minute.

So here is a close up of the floral embellishment. You can see I decided on using my Martha Stewart Branch punch, some Zva flowers, and pearl stamens colored lavendar with a copic marker. You should have seen all the other colors I tried before settling on lavendar, thank heavens these come with ALOT of stamens in a package! LOL!

And now, here is the finished card...

So, that was a small peek into my cardmaking process, I hope you enjoyed it! LOL!! Hey, we'd love to have you join us this month. To play along, just make a project or card that shows us YOUR Divine Details. Verve Stamps are not required, but if you've got 'em why not use 'em? Then link to your creation to Mr. Linky in this post before 8PM Mountain on Saturday, August 1st. Two lucky participants will win a stamp set of their choice from the Verve Store. AND, we've 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, good luck and thanks for stopping by!

Project Parade Day 5 ~ Divine Details!!!

Hi all you Verve lovers, it's Lynda!!! Have you been enjoying the amazing cards the Diva's have made so far??? When Jen told us the theme for this month's project parade, I must say I was a bit concerned about what my "Divine Details" would be since my stamping "process" is pretty much an unorganized mess!!! LOL!!!

Actually, as I moved along to find my "process" the theme became really easy!! For the project I am showing you today, I tailored EVERY detail around Verve's beautiful Kindred Spirits stamp set. When I saw this set, I immediately thought of a nice wine ensemble. I have no idea why but that is what stuck in my mind (I know, it's scary) and then it evolved from there.

Since I knew the stamps I would be using, the next step was patterned paper. I initially was going to use K&Co's Blue Awning paper but then I went to my LSS and found the PERFECT paper for my project, Graphic 45's Botanicabella Collection! Between the perfect stamps and perfect paper, the rest was easy!!!

When I make a card, having a sketch makes it so much easier and the process much quicker! My card today is based on this weeks sketch at CPS. The sketch worked perfectly with the stamps!


The card is pretty self explanatory although I will tell you that I don't own the Classic Nestabilities so I had to use my oval Colluzzle and it work perfectly for the black oval mat. I have issues with leaving open spaces so usually I try to add ribbon or rhinestones to the open spaces but since the side strip was pretty busy already I didn't add anything to the strip but I did add a few Kaiser Craft rhinestones to the bottom right corner to tie in with the rhinestone in the center of the Fleur de Lis.

Besides having issues with open spaces (I am currently in therapy for that and it is working!!!), I also tend to go a little overboard as far as details. I am sure this is why it takes me so long to get anything done. Since I ONLY had a month to work on this project, I kept the details to a minimum!!! LOL!!!

The second part of my ensemble is an altered Bare Elements bottle holder. I got this at Micheal's and it was on clearance for $5!! I love when things work out that way!!!

Covering the holder was really simple. I used to use Mod Podge when covering any alterables but discovered Martha Stewart decoupage and it rocks! It comes with a brush and works wonderfully. I had painted the holder with first light brown acrylic paint and then sponged black paint on top of it to distress it. The way I did the top border was to punch the houndstooth DP using my EK Success Fleur de Lis border punch and adhered it using the MS decoupage. Here comes the "tending to go overboard" part!!! I used the same Fleur de Lis border punch and punched the black Fleur de Lis' (is that a word???) and then glued EACH ONE on top of the houndstooth border using my Quickie glue pen.

Here is a picture of the inside ~

The butterflies were cut out from another pattern of the Graphic 45 Botanicabella Collection and adhered using glue dots. Here is a closer look at the Kindred Spirits sentiment I added to the bottle ~

The sentiment and the small Fleur de Lis image was embossed using black embossing powder and then I lightly sponged the edge of the top oval to give a little more dimension. I adhered the entire piece on the bottle using sticky strip.

Here are the matching wine glass charms ~

The charms were made using silver hoop earrings and then I added different colored beads & a little charm which is the large scrolled image included in the Kindred Spirits set. I made them by stamping the image using black Stazon on clear Polyshrink which I purchased at Lucky Squirrel. I then heated and added a jump ring to add them to the charm.

The band is the butterfly patterned paper and was punched on both sides using the same Fleur de Lis border punch. I then added some black ribbon and the sentiment (which is from the Just for You set). I made the lid from a piece of transparency.

Here is a closer look at the charm ~

I must say that this project was one of the easiest, process wise, that I have done in a long time. I have included more details as far as dimensions, etc... on my blog in case you are interested.

So that's it!! I hope you have enjoyed this peek in to my "Creative Process"!!! LOL!!! We'd love to have you play along with us this month! To play along, just make a project or card that shows us your Divine Details. 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 this post before 8PM Mountain on Saturday, August 1. 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!

Project Parade - Day 4: Divine Details

Hey There! Jen Tapler here with the fourth day of this Project Parade of "Divine Details". OK, I have to admit...when the Divas were told what the theme for this month's Project Parade was, I freaked out a little. Mostly because I felt like my designs are pretty straight-forward, clean and simple projects that just aren't very DETAILED!! But when I sat down and started really thinking about my creative process, I realized that I actually DO have a process!! Especially when I'm in panic mode and therefore my MoJo is nowhere to be found!! LOL!

So today I'm sharing with you a little secret of mine...I have a very basic, simple "Go-To layout" that I tend to fall back on time and time again. Now, don't get me wrong - I think I'm easily able to fool most of you by moving things around slightly, adding different embellishments here and there or even sometimes (like today) throwing in an extra layer!! But when I started browsing through my Verve Gallery, I realized I use this basic layout quite a bit (so I'm thinking that says I either lose my MoJo more often than I care to admit OR I'm not as creative as I thought!! HA!).

Anyway, here's a look at the card I made using Verve's Just for You and Abundant Blessings stamp sets, then I'll break things down for you:

When I sat down to create this card, I started out like I almost always do - with a few pieces of coordinating patterned paper (in this case I chose some of the Sonoma line from Scenic Route) and a handful of stamp sets that might work well with those papers. Next I gathered up other coordinating cardstock and embellishments that might make their way onto the card as well as any tools I might use. At this point, I still typically have no plans for a layout or sketch, but I do usually know what elements I want to include on my card.

The next step is usually where I get stuck - coming up with an original sketch or layout for my card. When I'm feeling stuck I fall back on this basic plan: Go with a vertically oriented card and divide it into 2 parts (one part being approximately 1/3 and the other 2/3 the height of the card). Two of my coordinating patterned papers will make up those 2 sections. And voila! There's my standard layout. There are lots of variations on this layout, as you can see in my Verve Gallery HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

After I've decided to use my standard "Go To Layout", the other steps are pretty straight forward - decide what goes where and add the details!! And it usually goes a little something like this:
1. Can I use Kraft on this card? (the answer to this question for me is almost always YES!!)

2. What papers look best where - this is usually a matter of trial and error for me. I usually try to lay my pieces of DP next to each other in various positions to determine what works best, then I start cutting. LOTS of times I end up deciding my original idea just doesn't look good and I have to re-cut and play around a bit before finding something that works.

3. Stamp. I usually stamp a few different combinations of ink colors. For example, for this card I stamped the circle once in Kiwi Kiss and once in Versafine Vintage Sepia and then stamped the sentiment inside each circle in the OTHER color. I knew I wanted to mat the stamped circle with a Chocolate Chip scalloped circle, but wasn't sure which ink combo would look best. So I cut both out and just tried them. At this point I could see that the circle was gonna need something else, and I thought flowers, so I dug through my Verve stamps and decided the flowers in Abundant Blessings looked good with the DP I had chosen, so I stamped them a few times on several coordinating pieces of cardstock (Dusty Durango, Kiwi Kiss, Very Vanilla, Close to Cocoa, and Kraft) before deciding which would look best.

4. Add some ribbon across the Printed Paper dividing line - I almost ALWAYS use ribbon and grosgrain is my weakness (probably because I find it easiest to tie). And I NEVER tie a bow. Because I suck at bows. I keep it simple and just tie a knot!

5. Add the finishing touches - in this case, I added an extra layer consisting of a 3rd coordinating DP, a few corduroy brads, and some stitching around the entire thing.

6. The last thing I do is glue it all down. I always finish each layer individually and then "assemble" it without adhesive first to make sure it looks OK. Once it's all good to go, I add my adhesive. And I'm a sucker for some dimensionals!! As some of the other divas before me have mentioned - just adding some depth to your cards really gives them that extra "oomph"!

Here's a closer look at some of the details and dimension on this card (and trust me, this is pretty darn detailed for me!!)

So that's it. Like I said, nothing too fancy about my design process. We'd love to have you play along with us this month! To play along, just make a project or card that shows us your Divine Details. 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 this post before 8PM Mountain on Saturday, August 1. 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!

Project Parade Day Three ~ Divine Details

Hi everyone! It's Jackie here and it's my turn on this super fun Project Parade! To be perfectly honest, when I saw this month's project parade theme, Divine Design, I sort of panicked! I honestly did not think I had a "process" to my card making, but when I sat down and actually made my card I made a wonderful discovery....I DO HAVE A PROCESS!! LOL!



When I sit down to stamp I usually have a stamp set in mind that I want to use, in this case I knew I wanted to use the new set, Just For You, and the flowers from Grateful Elegance, so I set off on the hardest part of creating a card, the sketch! I RARELY use my own sketches. I am a huge fan of sketch challenges because the hardest part is already done for you! I'm not lazy, just sketch challenged! (wink) For this card I chose Amy Rysavy's sketch from this past Friday, AMYRS72.


Once I find the sketch and have the stamping portion worked out in my head I search for colors. I keep a little notebook on my desk with different color combos I have either tried or have seen and want to try. Other times, like on my card here, I may choose colors from patterned paper that I want to use. I really love this new DP from Stampin' Up called Thoroughly Modern, so I pulled my colors from the DP. I tend to rely HEAVILY on patterned paper. I just love collections of patterned paper because it makes it much easier to combine different patterns as they are made to coordinate with each other!


Once I have the basic parts of my card done, the fun for me begins....embellishing!! I always look at my cards at this point and think "how can I make this more interesting?" There are two items I turn to almost every time to "step it up" and that is my Spellbinders Nestabilities and my Janome Sew Mini. For instance, on this card I decided to frame the sentiment circle with a Blossom Nestability. It really made the sentiment the focal point of the card and it adds such a beautiful look instead of a plain old circle. And stitching, well, stitching is subtle but adds so much to a card! The last embellishment on this card is the ribbon. Now ribbon and I have a love/hate relationship! I don't always use ribbon because I have a hard time tying it. If it doesn't look perfect to me, I just don't use it. It worked on this card, but sometimes I find it overwhelms a card, but that's just me!
Other embellishments I love to use, but did not use on this card are punches, border punches, brads, and rhinestones.

Now, before I actually commit to my layout (aka: glue it down) I put it all together to see how it looks. This is the time that I add my MOST USED product in my craft room.....DIMENSIONALS! Every card, IMO, needs dimension. This is where I decide what layers need dimesion. On this card I popped the main image/sentiment and the entire panel from Bermuda Bay up, on dimensionals.

Well I hope you enjoyed taking a peek into my Divine Design Process as much as I had fun discovering it!!




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 Divine Details. 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 this post before 8PM Mountain on Saturday, August 1. 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!

Project Parade Day 2: Divine Details

Hi everyone, it's Amy here today with Day 2 of our Divine Details Project Parade. I get to give you a peek into my design process today {gulp!}. Let's see, where do I usually start? I'd love to be one of those free-spirited, spontaneous crafters who sits down with a pile of mismatched scraps and no plan and still manages to whip up a masterpiece, but the truth is I am waaaaay too Type A for that. I almost always follow a sketch. Sometimes I'll sketch a layout with particular stamps in mind, and other times I'll pick a sketch from my collection or from a challenge and then choose stamps to fit. Even when I begin with a color combo, inspiration piece, product focus, or the like, my next step is to create or choose a sketch. It is my roadmap.

The card I'm sharing today is pretty typical for me. I pulled the layout from my sketch collection, tweaked it a bit, then chose the image and sentiments (the second one is on the inside). I wanted to create a vintage look and feel, so my next step was to choose some papers. I tend to stick with a single collection when mixing papers, especially if I'm using a lot of different patterns (this card has five).

After I have a sketch and some stamps and papers chosen, I'm guessing my process looks a lot like anyone else's - a series of decisions. Am I going to mat this layer? How many times? What color? Should I leave room for piercing? Will I sponge, distress, stitch the edges? Do the patterns look better arranged this way or that way? Will I die-cut the image panel into a decorative shape or go with a plain rectangle? What color ink will look best? Should I color the image or paper piece? What type of embellishments do I want to use? Where? And so on. Even when you're following a sketch, there are still lots of choices!

When it comes to designing, I definitely lean toward the more-is-more end of things. I love looking for interesting details to add: layers, texture, dimension, and embellishments of all varieties. Some of the divine details I incorporated into this card are:

• Sponging with distress ink ~ I love all of my distress inks - and not just for the vintage look. It's amazing to me how much depth a light sponging can give.


• Stitching ~ I love adding machine-stitching to my projects. So much so that my cards now feel naked without it. Not only did I stitch the perimeter of one of the background mats, but I added just a small stretch of zigzag stitching to the circle image panel. Both the image and layout were heavily weighted to the left, and I just felt like I needed to add some balance. Various embellishments were too heavy, but the subtle stitching felt just right.


• Die-cut shapes and a decorative punched border strip ~ Can't get enough of these :)


• Button/ribbon/string/tag combo ~ Group different embellishments into a bigger cluster for more impact.


• Hardware and burlap string ~ Here again I was solving a design problem. Before I added the little hardware fasteners and burlap string along the left, your eye just wanted to veer left and keep going. The hardware and vertical length of string are kind of like a guardrail that says "Stay over here - there's more to look at."


• Sentiment tag stamped onto dp instead of plain card stock ~ Just a subtle way to bring a little more pattern into the card.


• Paper piercing on the punched border ~ You almost don't even see this, but I like the idea that the recipient will keep finding new things to look at.


• Decorated inside ~ What a wonderful surprise to open the card to a coordinating, decorated inside. I think it makes the card just that much more special to its recipient.

The only other thing I'll share is how much I enjoy the creative process for its own sake. Of course a finished project is a wonderful end result, but it's definitely the act of creative expression and then sharing that piece of me with someone else that I find most rewarding.

Thanks for the chance to share a bit about my process! As always, we'd love for you to play along with us. Just make a project or card that shows us your Divine Details. 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 the Project Parade Day 1 post before 8PM Mountain on Saturday, August 1. 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!

Project Parade Day 1: Divine Details

Welcome to the Verve Stamps July Project Parade. This is Day 1 of "Divine Details," a theme that is a little different than those in the past. The idea for this theme came from being asked "How do you come up with your designs?" and various other "How did you do that?" type questions. This month the Verve Divas are going to break down their design processes and ideas, using Verve stamps. We hope that you will come back each day and play along with us, too.

For me, the start of a project is in the layout. That's not to say that what I start with is what I end up with, but I generally use this as my starting point. From there, I move on to which stamps I am going to use and then what paper(s) will best match those stamps. I like to mix and match stamp sets. Usually I stick with the same company's stamps, as these are most often the same style of stamps and will coordinate very easily. As for the papers, I like to mix and match all different brands and styles. Many times combos come from circumstance. I will pull out a few scraps and see what might work together. I know that a lot of people dislike 2-sided papers because they feel it is a waste of one side, but I love them. They are perfect for cardmakers that only uses small pieces at a time, and more often than not, they coordinate perfectly.

For this card, I flipped through my sketch book and combined a few elements from some of my favorite sketches. I try (emphasis on TRY) to switch up shapes, especially for main panels. I combined 2 of my favorite stamp sets from Verve, Up, Up & Away and Circular Sayings. Finally, my paper choices came from the colors that I wanted to use: Blue, Green and Kraft. The designer paper is from October Afternoon's Ducks in a Row collection, and is double sided.

Divine Details I used on this card:
-Paper piecing and popping up the balloon. I always think that dimension helps to make a "Wow" card. Detail pic of the dimension on this card...

-Using various shapes on my panels, and popping them up. I used Nestabilities on the main panels, as well as using the scalloped scallop punch on the thinner horizontal panel.
-Adding coordinating embellishments without overwhelming the rest of the card.
-Layering and matting panels. This is a very simple way to add interest to your card. Just think of how different this card would look if the main image panel was not matted with the white circle!
-Sponging and stitching. Neither of these is terribly obvious on this card, which also means that I did not overdo it. The stitching is done on the long vertical panel that the ribbon is attached to. I sponged the Kraft main image panel's edges, just to give it a little more definition.

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 Divine Details. 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 on Saturday, August 1. 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!