Verve Diva Inspirations March Blog Hop

First off - WHAT!? March already? ugh. This year is going by way too fast! And second off, Welcome to the March Verve Diva Inspirations Blog Hop!! The Inspiration Team is getting together today to start your month off with a ton of fabulous Verve Inspiration! You'll find the Master Hop List & Links below my project photos and blah blah blah - be sure to stop by and leave some lovin' on each of the blogs - We've hidden a little mystery prize on one of today's hop spots, so be sure to leave a little comment love as you hop around. One lucky commenter on the mystery hop spot will win a $30 gift certificate to the Verve Store! The deadline for comment entries is Saturday, March 5. If you're on the right track, you should have made it here from Jen d's blog.

Now, about my project...I have to tell you that I finished this LATE last night. That's not like me. I normally like to work ahead, but March just snuck up on me. February was an absolutely CRAZY month for us and when I sat down last night to create something for this hop I have to admit I had NO mojo! I mean, I was freaking out. I don't know. Maybe it was the pressure of a looming deadline, but I e-mailed my friend Michelle around 8:00, having a mini meltdown, complaining that whatever I came up with was probably gonna look like crap anyway. And then I told her I was just going to go with my old Verve stand-by, Happy Days, and probably drive Julee crazy because I was using it AGAIN (it's probably my most over-used stamp set in my possession) and make a boy card for my son Dean (something that for some reason usually comes easy for me). And ya know what? Julee's just gonna have to deal with yet another Happy Days card in my Verve Gallery, because that darn set did the trick (and some new MME Stella Rose Hattie papers didn't hurt)!! I somehow managed to create one of my favorite cards I've EVER made!!


Seriously, I love this thing! And I don't say that very often about my own work. But this card is PERFECT for Dean. I've started this little tradition with him (he just made 4 yrs old in December) where I create a special card for him every few months and fill the inside with all of my thoughts and feelings and hopes and love for him at the moment - they're little keepsakes that I hope he'll someday treasure. (now I just need to make a cute little box to store them in). So anyway, this card is for him. And that "dare to be different" sentiment from Bountiful Backgrounds is perfect for Dean right now - like lately he's really into taping a feather (torn out of a cat toy) into his hair with scotch tape while he dances hula and wrapping a shell lei (the free ones you get every time you walk into a Hilo Hattie's store) around his head like a haku lei while he paints and each time I ask him a simple yes / no question he insists on answering it with "if I hold up 2 fingers the answer is yes, if I hold up 1 finger the answer is no" and then holding up either 1 or 2 fingers, but sometimes deciding to throw me for a loop and holding up 3 fingers for no apparent reason. These are just a few reasons this sentiment is so perfect.


But I also love all the other little details on this card - the zig-zag stitching and the buttons are pretty standard for me, and I've been know to bust out the pom pom trim from my stash. But do you see all that fun sparkly splatter? That is TOTALLY new for me. I don't usually mess with time-consuming techniques like that - something I have to sit and wait for it to dry. But I couldn't resist. I've had that shimmery paint from Tsukineko for like 2 years and the seal hadn't even been broken! I used an old toothbrush to splatter it on. I cut out the cool retro surf-style frame from Happy Days (stamped in So Saffron on cream cardstock) with my hobby blade and popped it up on dimensionals so it slightly overlapped my flagged sentiment strip, then added that glittery chipboard star I purchased on Etsy (MemrieMare) and called it good. What do you think? Pretty cool boy card, huh? Or is it just me?


So anyway, that was quite a bit of blah blah (sorry)! I wonder how many people actually read all that!? Here's that Hop List you've been waiting for.

1. Julee	6. Michelle
2. Betty	7. Lynda
3. Dawn	8.Shannan
4. Jen d.	9. Sony
5. Jen T.	10.Susan

And that's not all! There are actually a few other opportunities to win some fabulous Verve prizes this week as well, including participating in a Verve Fan Blog Hop with another $50 and $30 gift certificate up for grabs!! All of the participation and entry details can be found on the Verve Blog. We've got some new Verve coming later this month that's sure to put a spring in your step and a gift certificate just might come in handy! *wink*

Also, since it's a new month, that means Verve's got a new Stamp of the Month to reveal. This month we're featuring Blessings, an elegant set of flourishes and Irish proverbs perfect for St. Patrick's Day, but also versatile enough to be used throughout the year! Blessings is 30% off during the month of March, while supplies last.

Now, head on over to Michelle's blog to check out her fabulous Verve creation!!