Hey, man I'm alive...I'm takin' each day and night at a time...I'm feelin' like a Monday, but someday I'll be Saturday night...

Happy Sunday, y'all! I hope you all are having a great weekend and enjoying today. It's getting close to the Anni-VERVE-sary release...this Friday is the day! We're gearing up with sneak previews all week...be sure to check out the full list of who has peeks to share at the bottom of this post and leave a little love as you hop around the blogosphere for a chance to win today's sets!

Here's the card I created using Fabulous You and Basic Grey Capella papers:


I wanted to go with a more subdued color combination with this card, and the Cappella line fit the bill perfectly. Can you believe that this is the first time I've cut into my 6x6 paper pad?? *eek*

Instructions:
1. Cut and fold cream card base to 5 1/4" x 5 1/4" square.
2. Stamp frame with brown ink & sentiment in green ink.
3. Trim around frame and set aside.
4. Spray cream silk ribbon with brown Glimmer Mist to stain. Set with heat gun & set aside to dry.
5. Cut patterned base layer and mat with cream cardstock.
6. Add strip of another pattern, punched with scalloped edger punch.
7. Wrap strip of brown silk ribbon around scalloped strip and base layer. Adhere ends to back.
8. Add pearl/bling flourish to bottom right corner.
9. Mat main focal image with another layer of cream cardstock and adhere to card base with foam dimensionals.
10. Tie bow with remaining brown silk ribbon, above focal panel.
11. Adhere small flower to center of bow.
12. Adhere card layers to base with foam dimensionals.

And here's a close-up of the frame and sentiment:


I hope you've enjoyed my card today. I'm headed to take an eensie nap...gearing up for another HOT week of football practice! Just to give you an idea, it was 92* last night when I went to bed at 11:30. NO JOKE! Last I heard, we were at about 19 days in a row over 100 degrees. August in Texas is brutal for sure! I think I should visit Colorado...*sigh*

Anyway, on to the fun stuff! We've hidden a prize on one of the participating blogs each day, so leave a little comment love as you hop around to be entered into a drawing to win that day's featured stamps! Deadline for comment entries is 6PM Eastern Friday, August 20. Winners will be announced at our Anni-VERVE-sary Bash Release Party that night. And for even more chances to win new stamps, play along with our Anni-VERVE-sary sketch challenges, going on this week in our forum! Here's the link list of today's spotlight hops featuring Framed Wishes and Fabulous You:

1. Shannan	5. Jackie
2. Amy	6. Teresa
3. Amber	7. Maureen
4. Tosh	8. Julee

See ya later this week with some more goodies...have a great day!

Card Ingredients
Stamps: Fabulous You (Verve)
Paper: Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink), Basic Grey Cappella 6x6 Paper Pad
Ink: Versamagic Spanish Olive (Tsukineko), Dark Chocolate (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories: Cream Silk Ribbon (May Arts), Prima Flower & Say it in Crystals, Double Embossed Dotted Lace Edger Punch (EK Success), Coffee Shop Glimmer Mist (Tattered Angels)

Happy Birthday, Julee!!

Happy Sunday, y'all! Today is a very special day...it's Julee Tilman's birthday! If you don't know Julee, she is the owner and creative genius behind Verve Stamps. A few friends have joined together to throw her a little party...WOOHOO! So to quote Susan, "put your party pants on" and let's boogie! *wink* You might want to start at the Verve Blog to celebrate all proper like...


Here's the birthday card I created for Julee:



I pulled together my favorite Verve sets and based my card loosely on this card, which I made for Julee back before Verve was a twinkle in her eye. *wink* It was one of her favorites, so I hope she enjoys the updated version.

Julee, you are an amazing friend, and I'm so thankful to have you in my life. Love ya, girl!!


Now...on to your next stop....my girl Mercy. I know she'll have something fabulous for you! Have a great Sunday!

Stamps: Bountiful Backgrounds, Abundant Blessings, Believe, Because of You (Verve)
Paper: Vintage Cream, Dark Chocolate, Berry Sorbet
Ink: Close to Cocoa, Memento Rich Cocoa, Versamagic Spanish Olive
Accessories: Dimensionals, Copic Markers, Tracing Wheel, Silk Ribbon, Glimmer Mist, Jumbo Sponge Dauber

Let it slide...let your troubles fall behind you, let it shine until you feel it all around you...and I don't mind if it's me you need to turn to...

Hi y'all! Happy Wednesday! The previews have begun on the Verve Blog for this month's release, and I have to say that this set, Blue Skies, is my favorite of this release. It's a set full of encouraging quotes and sentiments, as well as some gorgeous flourishes and butterfly images. This particular quote was a request from yours truly, and I'm so excited that Julee decided to create it for me in stamp form! So of course, I had to use it for my preview. *wink*


Aren't those fonts fabulous? Love them! Here are the step by step instructions for this project:

1. Emboss 4" x 5 1/4" Kraft piece with Seeing Spots embossing folder.
2. Sponge edges with Tea Dye & Vintage Photo Distress Inks.
3. Mat with Dark Chocolate cardstock.
4. Layer pieces of patterned paper (Fly a Kite - October Afternoon) onto Kraft base, edges sponged with Distress Inks and bottom edge punched with EK Success Double Embossed Dotted Lace Punch.
5. Tie green silk ribbon in a bow around card. Fiddle with bow for 15 minutes, then give up.
6. Stamp sentiment in Versamagic Jumbo Java ink onto Vintage Cream cardstock.
7. Stamp flourish over sentiment in Antique Linen Distress Ink.
8. Cut and emboss sentiment with Circle Nestabilities.
9. Mat with more patterned paper cut with Big Scalloped Circle Nestabilities.
10. Sponge edges with Distress Inks & layer with foam dimensionals.
11. Adhere circle to card base with foam dimensionals.
12. Stamp small butterfly in Vintage Photo ink on Vintage Cream cardstock.
13. Color butterfly with Copic markers and cut out.
14. Stamp butterfly on Kraft panel in Vintage Photo ink (too lazy to cut out antennae).
15. Adhere center of butterfly to Kraft panel & lift up wings. Cover butterfly with Diamond Stickles.
16. Adhere entire front to A2 Vintage Cream card base.
17. Fluff bow and butterfly wings!



To celebrate this new release, there are some Release Week Challenges going on over at the Verve Forum! Not only are they a fun way to jump start your creativity, but if you complete all of them, you will be entered for a chance to win the ENTIRE VERVE JUNE RELEASE!So go check it out and get those stamps inky!

Speaking of the new release, we would love for you to join us for the Release Party over at the Verve Forum this Friday (June 25th) at 9 p.m. ET!! We will be there chatting it up, sharing projects made with the new stamps, announcing all the contest winners, and of course revealing the new sets!

Have a fabulous day!