The Challenge #76 {A Sketch}

Hello and Welcome to Week One at The Challenge! We are back after a long, summer break! We are excited about this new year and we hope you are too! Before we get going, we have to say farewell to two designers...Jinny Newlin and Diane Jaquay! Best wishes to you ladies and thank you for being on our team!

We've decided to run the challenge on Saturdays this year! We hope you will join us!

Here is how it will work....

Saturdays 5am (PST)-Challenge Goes Live

Fridays 12pm (PST) Challenge Closes

Saturdays 4am (PST)-Winners Announced 

Each week we have a fun challenge for your to try!!! We do a different style of challenge each week! We like to mix things up and keep them fresh!

Here is the monthly rotation:

Week 1-Sketch

Week 2-Colours

Week 3-Photo Inspiration

Week 4-Christmas Photo Inspiration

Week 5-Wild Card (a surprise!)

For my card, I decided to use mix my other challenge...Inspired by All the Little Things with this sketch! Over at Inspired by, we have a bright and bold inspiration photo chosen by me! I couldn't resist mixing both challenges and I hope you are inspired to join us at both spots! I did some "unsual" watercolouring and I did NOT fill in the entire floral image! GASP! I tried to challenge myself to be free with my ink and let the inspiration guide me...it is not exactly what I had envisioned but I think the sentiment works well with this eclectic coloured card! The flowers and sentiment are from Verve called Surely Goodness. Then I added a vellum butterfly to tie it all together.

The design team have created some inspiration to get you in the crafting mood! Come and join us! Our weekly winner will be our next Guest Designer! So come and join the fun!

September's Featured Designer is Sharron Gregory from On Papillon Wings! 

Welcome, Sharon!

This week's Guest Designer is Bonnie Sharp from The Lucky Clucker

Anita Madden

Broni Holcombe

Claire Broadwater

Kim Heggins

Lee Ann Barrett

Lori Tecler

Nance Salkeld

Nina Forsyth

Rachel Bergfeld

An InLinkz Link-up

Verve Anni-VERVE-sary Hop {Day 4}-Designer Feature

Welcome back to Day 4 of our Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight Hops!  It's an exciting day as there's new Verve in the store this morning! 2 beautiful new sets, 3 die sets and a sequin mix just released and they're all available to order right now. To celebrate our new release, we're putting on another blog hop! I hope you will come along and visit each designer's blog!

Today I wanted to feature the gorgeous bloom and font of the Kindness Matters and Potter's Clay sets. I kept my design simple and clean and hopefully fresh! I love Aqua, White and Yellow together! I hope you do too.

Want to win some shiny new Verve? Today's prize is a BIG one. We'll be picking a random commenter on one of the hop spots below to win our ENTIRE new release! So be sure to leave a little comment on all the blogs below to increase your chances! Check out the Verve Blog today for the full hop list and all the prize info and deadlines!

1. Julee 7. Betty 2. Stacey 8. Charmaine 3. Maureen 9. Laurie 4. Lesley 10. Teresa 5. Marisa 11. Christyne 6. Hillary (Guest) 12. Autumn (Guest)

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Verve Product Release Hop Day 3 {Potter's Clay}

Welcome back to Day 3 of our Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight Hops!  The Verve Divas and special guests are back for another day of spotlighting our new release! Everything previewed this week will be available to order in the Verve online store on Friday, August 26. Today we're sharing our first projects featuring the Potter's Clay stamp set and coordinating, Pottery Die Set.

I decided to use some retired Stampin' Up paper for my card and used Blackberry Bliss, Smoky Slate and Hello Honey Ink. I just love the beautiful sentiments and fonts that Julee makes! I don't know why I chose to do the sentiment in yellow...maybe I should have used the slate colour and stamped the flowers in yellow? What do you think?

I found Cindy's great sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches and I thought it was perfect for this new stamp set and die!

Want to win some shiny new Verve? We'll be picking a random commenter on one of the hop spots below to win today's featured products! So be sure to leave a little comment on all the blogs below to increase your chances! Check out the Verve Blog today for the full hop list, a little more about our new products and all the prize info and deadlines!

1. Julee 7. Betty 2. Stacey 8. Charmaine 3. Maureen 9. Laurie 4. Lesley 10. Teresa 5. Marisa 11. Christyne 6. Hillary (Guest) 12. Autumn (Guest)

Verve Release Spotlight Hops {Day 2}-Kindness Matters

Welcome back to Day 2 of our Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight Hops!  The Verve Divas and special guests are back for another day of spotlighting our new release! Everything previewed this week will be available to order in the Verve online store on Friday, August 26. Today I am featuring two new sets! The first is the Scripture Medley 4 compilation set.  I paired it with another new set called  Kindness Matters stamp set and coordinating, Great Kindness Die Set. I stamped the flowers with Memento Black ink and coloured them with my Copics. 

Want to win some shiny new Verve? We'll be picking a random commenter on one of the hop spots below to win today's featured products! 

So be sure to leave a little comment on all the blogs below to increase your chances! Check out the Verve Blog today for the full hop list, a little more about our new products and all the prize info and deadlines!

1. Julee 7. Betty 2. Stacey 8. Charmaine 3. Maureen 9. Laurie 4. Lesley 10. Teresa 5. Marisa 11. Christyne 6. Hillary (Guest) 12. Autumn (Guest)

Verve "Diva Inspirations" Blog Hop {August 2016}

Welcome to our monthly Diva Inspirations Challenge and Blog Hop!

There are TWO $30 gift vouchers to the Verve store up for grabs this month and two ways to win! 

First, comment on the design team's blog hop posts (linked below) for an entry in the first giveaway.

Then to be entered into our challenge prize drawing, go get inky and link up your take on the challenge. Feel free to play along with the challenge as many times as you like. Verve stamps are not required to play, but we do smile a little brighter when see them!

Without further ado, here is our August challenge... 

I fell in love with this pretty colour palette and went to work right away using my "go-to" Verve flower stamp set called Joyful Blooms and the Plain Jane sentiment called Beautiful.

I cut a panel of watercolour paper into a 3"x 4" rectangle and stamped the flowers onto it. Then using a water pen, I used some distress ink to "watercolour" the flowers. Then I used some kraft ink to paint around the blooms, to give it a watercoloured "vintage" vibe. 

I stamped the sentiment in black Ranger ink...just perfect for watercolouring. I always stamp my sentiment and images all together before I begin watercolouring so I have a "map" of where to go with the ink.

I wanted this card to have a few layers. I added a doily, a die cut scallop circle, twine, gems and a vintage butterfly washi tape to the bottom of the card. 

I

Click here to link up your challenge entries
Challenge deadline: Monday, September 5.
Prize: $30 gift voucher to the Verve online store!

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're giving away a $30 gift voucher to Verve to one random commenter along the hop.  Just leave a little love as you hop about for a chance to win!

	1. Julee	7. Marisa
	2. Betty	8. Maureen
	3. Charmaine	9. Sankari
	4. Christyne	10. Stacey
	5. Laurie	11. Susan
	6. Lesley	12. Teresa