Stamp Simply-- Gotta share the LOVE!

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, this week's Stamp Simply challenge courtesy of the fabulous Sharon Johnson is all about love!


Make any love themed card you'd like - it could be for Valentine's Day or for a wedding or anniversary, or even a LOVING birthday or thinking of you card - just show the LOVE!

For my card, I tried to challenge myself not to use hearts but find other ways to spread a bit of affection....

I stamped one of my newly released Impression Obsession stamps in Palette Noir ink and then colored with watercolor pencils and blended with a blender pen. Chalk around the outside of the image and then mat it up on an oval and scalloped oval Nestie! Add some paper piercing a strip of dp with a button and you're almost done! This stamp is part of a clear set designed by Sarah Phelps and the saying is also a part of that set. All of the papers are Crate Paper.

I did add a little razzle dazzle on the flowers with the help of some Stickles Diamond glitter glue.... And that, my friends is it! Be sure to check out what the rest of the gals on the Stamp Simply team did to feel the love! Click over to see Deb, Becky, Dee, Tammy, Janine, AJ, and Jennifer

Hope you make time for play time! Have a great weekend!

Can you tell I need spring?

I have to be honest- I've joked with my friends who live in Florida that I might just pack a bag and head their way! January in Montana means a bit of this -- bitter cold and a bit of that -- not as cold. I think I am a snow bird at heart!

So, when the Impression Obsession gals said - let's do a "spring" challenge - I was all over it! In fact, I didn't just want a springy look, I thought little umbrella drinks in exotic places! LOL! These are some of the brand new Leigh Hannan images from Impression Obsession that were just released this week at CHA! I colored these babies with my Copic markers in a light pink, two shades of yellow, and two shades of green for the leaves and then I went back over the umbrella and drink with some Pixie Dust Shimmerz to give it a little pop of glitz! Add some bling to the "berries" and the top of the umbrella and... you're almost done! I did cut out and pop up one of the lemon hearts just for fun. Add some scalloped ribbon and grab a fun decorative paper from your scrap stash and you're fini! The tag was just done using the SU scalloped circle and 1-1/2" circle punches.

Here's a close up.... Want to see some other signs of spring here in blog land? Just check out what the other fab IO gals have cooked up!

Dina
Daniela
Kelli
Laura
Michelle

Thanks for stopping by! I'll see you back here tomorrow!

Spring Blooms....

Well friends, for the second time in my life -- I made an ATC! There's a swap going on over in the Flourishes Forum on SCS (HERE). I saw the thread and while I am not an expert on ATCs- I said, "Oh, what the heck! I'll give 'er the old college try!"


So.... here goes!

I used the Spring Ephemerals set and colored it with a mix of ink pads and markers. I basically inked up the green stems and then went back over the flowers with a blue marker. You see that sparkle at the center? That's just a pop of shimmer with the help of a Gelly Roll Stardust pen. Add a vellum tag thanks to a Spellbinders tag die and... you're almost done! Grab some Memory Box and Basic Grey papers, a fancy corner punch, some ribbon and bling and -- now you're done! I thought this was fun -- who knows maybe more ATCs are in store!

Before I go, I have to share a funny story thanks to my little girl Ellie. I was working a bit today, tapping away on the computer and I hear this clickety clackety coming down the hall. I look up and start to giggle at the sight of my 5 year old in my high heel boots. OH MY!! I said, 'Ellie girl - what are you doing?' She looks at me very seriously and says, "My teacher told us we needed to learn how to walk in someone elses' shoes." Now, I am trying to keep a straight face. "Really? Was this part of a lesson today?" And she says, "Yep. She was trying to teach us about epiphany." Now I giggle. "You mean empathy?" "No mom.. epiphany." I gave up --we'll review that lesson again later! I have to admit-- it was cute!!

Have a great day everyone!

A Hint Of Spring!

As we speak, these stamps are being released at CHA along with some of my cards done with these fun stamps. I laugh because my cards get to travel more than I do! LOL!

Leigh Hannan has been an illustrator for Impression Obsession for a few years now and her release this spring is just as amazing as stamps gone by!

When I got the new release in my hands, I just had to color this beautiful dragonfly! I grabbed my Copic markers and went to down! I picked shades of green, mauve and blue....

And then, once it was all colored and blended, I took my Gelly Roll Stardust gel pen and colored just sections of the wing to give it some pizazz!

Mat it up on some pearlized lavendar paper, then mat it on mauve cardstock and a dp base with a fun sheer ribbon and blingy ribbon slide! That's it! It really is mostly coloring - which is nice. You can create an elegant card in a breeze with this fun stamp!

Well, my friends -- that's it for now! Hope you are enjoying your week! I'll be back with more soon!

Thinking of you!

Hi all! Just a quick card this Sunday! It's been a kind of lazy weekend at the Koerber house and we've been doing a bunch of family stuff, so -- just a quick trip to the stamp room!


I made this card with the Chairs To You! set by Flourishes to show you just how easy it is to use the elements in this set to create a really neat, simple card! If you click on the link, you'll see this vase of ivy, a book, a cute 'lil dog-- fun stuff to make easy cards with!

I stamped my potted ivy in black using the Palette Noir ink. Have you tried this ink? It creates a very fine line image and works BEAUTIFULLY with Copic markers. No smudging, no smearing - just a beautiful image to color! I had been struggling to find that ink pad that worked really well with Copic markers. I have found it!

After stamping my image, I used cool grey 3 for the base, warm grey 3 for the urn style vase and willow green and yellowish green for the leaves. I also outlined and then blended a light blue around the right edge of my vase to give it some definition.

Mat it up, add some sheer ribbon, gold self stick pearls, pick some coordinating dp and add a saying and... you're done! This is truly a 10 minute card! Great to have on hand -- just in case!

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend! Until next time-- take care!

Stamp Simply - A Modern Edge!

Hi all! It's Friday! Where did this week go by the way?? I'm glad it's the weekend because that means it's time for another Stamp Simply challenge!! This one, has a modern edge to it! The mission -- is to create a "modern" card! What is modern? A clean, crisp look; a simple layout; minimal embellishments; relaxing; refreshing color scheme with a bit of POP!!!


So, with that in mind, I let the creative juices flow! And, I used some of the new Leigh Hannan images from Impression Obsession that will be released in just a few days at CHA!! So, what did I think was modern about this card? Well, first of all the crisp images! I chose cool colors and I purposely made this card off center so that it had a different layout. How did I color it? With Copic markers and then I added a little bling to the center of the flowers! Just that simple!

Here's a close up.... So, as you contemplate contemporary - I searched through my blog to try to find some other cards that I thought was "modern." I also think THIS card has a splash of modern in it. What will you come up with? Check out Sharon's blog for the official details HERE and then visit these gals to see what they cooked up!! Janine, Jennifer, Tammy, Dee, Becky, AJ, and Deb!

So, make time for play time and have a great weekend!

Happy Birthday Challenge!

Well, the countdown to CHA is on! To get ready my teammates on the Impression Obsession DT have been watching the paper fly and getting our fingers inky to make sure the CHA booth was decked out with color!


To get ready, our DT coordinator, Kelli, challenged us to show off some of the birthday images. I picked some from IO's new artist - Sarah Phelps! So... here goes!


I just love the whimsy of this new set! Actually, this card is super duper easy! I stamped my birthday cake image with black and then just added some faint color with watercolor pencils, add some stickles on the "flames" and bam... done! The string of candles is actually a border stamp that I stamped with turquoise ink. Stamp the sentiment in black ink, layer it up with some fun Kaleidescope papers, add a loopy brad,some ribbon and bling and you're done!

Here's a close up to show the cake! I think this image is so fun!
So, keep a look out for these fun stamps at your LSS! I am told they'll be on the web soon too!


Want to see some of the other creations with a festive birthday flair? Check out what these gals came up with!




Dina
Daniela
Deborah
Kelli
Laura
Michelle
Tina

I'll be back tomorrow with another Stamp Simply challenge and this one -- has a modern edge to it!! (Yep, that was your hint!)

Until then!

And the winner is....

After a few weeks of the Ultimate Valentine Challenge, the day is here to deliver the candy! I clicked on Random.org and .... this was the winning number!

Random Integer Generator
Here is your random number:

67

Timestamp: 2009-01-20 16:28:06 UTC

So that means, the winner of three stamp sets, two bundles of ribbon and some bling is......

Rina said...
I've emailed your mom and my cards are done and are off in the mail tomorrow.Thanks for your generousity! God Bless~

Rina, please email me at juliekoerber@bresnan.net to claim your prizes! If I don't hear from you in 48 hours, I'll pick another number!

Thanks so much everyone!! My mom thanks you too!!

Shimmer & Shine in 09!

Hi all! Want a chance to work with some amazing products that will really give your cards some razzle dazzle??

Well, Shimmerz is looking for several talented designers to join their team! If you enjoy making projects that sparkle and can capture the sparkle in a photograph, please apply today! The applicants for this call will be considered not only for current openings the DT, but also for future openings and for guest spots throughout 2009. Shimmerz does not plan to have another call until 2010!

Shimmerz seeks:

* Active, enthusiastic team members who enjoy using and talking about our products
* A nice mix of seasoned designers and talented rookies
* A variety of artists represented on the team: rubber stampers, scrapbookers, altered artists, painters, etc.

Deadline for submissions is February 15, 2009. Details available on the blog HERE!

Good luck!

Ultimate Valentine Update!

Hi all! I cannot tell you just how this past month has warmed my heart. When I put up the news about my mom's Ultimate Valentine Challenge, I have literally heard from all corners of the world! It's been marvelous! My mom now has in hand roughly 1,600 Valentines! If you have no idea what I am talking about---you can read up -- HERE. Today is the last day for my blog candy so click on the link HERE and, if you want to take part -- I'll pick a name tonight at 10 PM M.S.T. and announce a winner sometime on the 21st. The clock is ticking! Melanie Muenchinger is also offering up candy HERE. And, so is Carolina Buchting HERE!

If you would like to help with this project -- keep in mind, this ministry is ongoing and my mom is also is in need of birthday, thinking of you, get well soon, and sympathy cards!

Well, with the February deadline approaching, I realized that I can't procrastinate-- my mom would know if I didn't make this deadline! :-) So, I spent the day making some quick and cute Valentines for the kiddos at Children's Hospital of Michigan.

I managed to pick up THIS darling set from H and M when Heather had her garage sale. It was an offer that was too good to pass up and I just knew these images would be perfect for my mom's Valentine's challenge!


I wanted to make the design pretty simple so that I could mass produce them in an afternoon. So, I used my classic hearts and scalloped hearts Nestabilities dies for the main image and my large and small oval punches for my sentiments. My images were all colored with Copic markers and then I added a little razzle dazzle with some Stickles and rhinestones.

Here's the giraffee....
Here's the owl... I love the way this one turned out! I actually ended up layering my owl and the heart for some extra pop...

Here's a close up!

And... last but not least -- the puppy! I just think that little dog is such a cute image!!!

Well friends, that's it for now! I hope you have a fabulous week! See you back here soon!

New Impression Obsession

Well the count down to CHA is on and Impression Obsession is giving you all a sneak peek at what is to come! It's been a blast playing with the new Leigh Hannan images. I love coloring -- and these are so whimsical! I'm told they'll be available on-line soon!
I loved these little cakes and thought -- how fun this image would be for so many different occassions! The sentiment -- Celebrate The Day is also new!

Here's a close up! I colored the image with Copic markers and then added some razze dazzle to the forks with my Copic Spica glitter pens.

If you're curious to see more sneak peeks from I.O., check out these other team members' blogs - we'll be posting lots of 'new stuff' over the next few weeks!

Dina Kowal
Daniela Dobson
Deborah March
Kelli Richardson
Laura Fulcher
Michelle Giraud--our new guest designer!

Thanks for stopping by!

We're finally Celebrating Home!!!

If you've been following my blog this week, you know that I've been busy giving you sneak peeks of Flourishes' January release! Well, I am happy to report that the sets are live! Which means, if you'd like to --- you can get your little inky hands on them now! YIPPEE! If you want to see the full sets -- click HERE. And, if anything I did inspired you this week - don't forget to use my code - juliek in the promo code box if you order! Forever grateful!

I'll have a few more cards with these fabulous sets coming up this week! Stay tuned!


p.s. Don't forget the chance to enter my big blog candy ends January 20th -- so click HERE and find out how you can sign up!

Flourishes Sneak Peek 3!

Hi all! It's day three of Flourishes Sneak Peek and.. you're going to want to sit down for this one! It's also Stamp Simply Friday. So, get ready for a double dose of fun!

Today, Sharon's Stamp Simply Challenge is -- Senior Citizens RULE! (ssnotime70 on SCS) You see, she is turning the big 55 today! So, by AARP's standards -- she can get her 10% discount now! LOL! So, her challenge was for us to make a card that is suitable for a senior! You could go vintage, put a splash of humor in it -- whatever strikes your fancy! If you need some more inspiration after you check out my card -- be sure to travel over to see - Janine, Jennifer, Tammy, Dee, Becky, AJ, and Deb! And, don't forget to wish Sharon a happy birthday!!! :-)

When I got the challenge and looked at the Flourishes set that was going to be "peeked" today, it was fate! Doesn't this chair remind you of the kind you'd find at grandma's house? It does me! Those antique, upholstered chairs that were fit for a study!

This is part of the new "Chairs To You" set. It's such a fun set that has a bunch of sayings perfect to deliver a dose of fun! What's cool is, this set all began on my blog! Yep. A few months back, I offered up some blog candy and asked those that stopped by to give me some ideas for stamp sets that they would love to see on polymer or rubber. Well, I got more than 100 ideas and -- one -- I had to sit down for! Literally! I immediately went to the ladies at Flourishes and they were all ears! You'll have to read more about the concept designer HERE. Thanks Jessica for coming up with one heck of an idea!!! I love how it turned out!

To make my card it's pretty easy! I stamped my chair twice with Palette Noir ink - once on my base and other on my Basic Grey Eva patterned paper. I colored my main image with shades of brown Copic markers, shaded the floor with cool grey and then cut out the second chair so that I only had the upholstery in the patterned paper. Add a mat with some fancy corner edges. And, then add the saying on a punched oval with a ribbon accent! That's it! I also added some fun bling to my punched corners. I love the vintage flair of this card!

Want to take a seat and see what the rest of the DT has in store?

Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Faith Hofrichter
Latisha Yoast
Laura Fredrickson
Dee Jackson
Nancy Kirk
Jan Marie Caruso
Kimberly Crawford
Cindy Haffner
Becca Feeken
Silke Ledlow

Before you go blog hopping - be sure to check out the Flourishes Newsletter for a chance at winning this set! And, don't forget to join us tonight for our release party from 7 pm - 9 pm Eastern time over at the Flourishes Forum on Splitcoast. That's where we'll reveal all the new sets and give you an opportunity for more prizes!

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Flourishes Sneak Peak ---2!

Day two of the Flourishes sneak peeks is here -- and today-- our "Celebrating Home" theme reaches out to our fine feathered friends! This new set from Marcella Hawley is called Home Tweet Home and it just has a very whismical feel to it!

I made my card a 4-1/4" by 4-1/4" card and really went backwards when I designed it. I had this idea that I wanted the branch to drape along the front and have just an itty bitty part of the birdhouse peeking through! So, that's exactly what I did and I used my circle Nestabilities die to frame up my birdhouse and place my circle --"just so!"

Here's a peek at the inside! I inked up my stamp with Olive and Brown Vivid inks and stamped the branch on Strathmore Watercolor Paper (130 lb). Then, I washed over it with a damp watercolor brush to, in essence, paint my image with the ink already on the paper. I stamped my bird house with brown and then colored it with red re-inkers and a watercolor brush. I added some greys and rusty browns to the roof to make my birdhouse look like it had a rusty tin roof. And, did you see what I hung my birdhouse to the branch with?? I stole the ornament hanger from the All That Glitters set!

Hope you liked my sneaky peek today! Be sure to visit these other fabulous designers! I have seen a lot of their cards and I have to tell you-- WOW! You will have to pick your jaw up off the floor!

Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Faith Hofrichter
Latisha Yoast
Laura Fredrickson
Dee Jackson
Nancy Kirk
Jan Marie Caruso
Kimberly Crawford
Silke Ledlow
Betty Wright

Before you go blog hopping, here’s your chance to win this set! Just post a comment HERE on the Flourishes blog! One person will be randomly selected to win! The candy will move quickly - the ladies at Flourishes will announce the winner for the Home Sweet Home set tomorrow. But, don't worry, more chances to win are on the way. We'll be giving away the sets revealed during our Friday sneak peek as well! So, be sure to stop by to comment!

Have you checked out our Celebrating Home challenge? (Details on that challenge can be found HERE) Take part in this challenge and you can win all three of our new sets this month. The winner will be announced at our release party Friday night from 7pm - 9 pm Eastern time over at the Flourishes Forum on Splitcoast. That's where we'll reveal all the new sets and give you an opportunity for more prizes!

Be sure to come back tomorrow for day three of the Sneak Peek! Tomorrow's set is so darling, you're going to want to sit down to see what we've cooked up! You'll also meet the concept designer for this set and hear how she came to be a part of this new release! It's a great story!!

Flourishes Sneak Peek Day One!

The gang at Flourishes is itching to show the new designs hot off the polymer presses! This release has a real home spun charm. Three stamp sets -- all unique-- all designed to celebrate the events in life that matter!

So.... here we go with day 1 and the new set called Birthday Celebrations!

It's a brand new set perfect for CELEBRATING!! And, we are celebrating because this set was drawn by a brand new artist for Flourishes -- Lauren Pope! She's joining the talented team with the artist you know and love -- Marcella Hawley!

For my card, I stamped my birthday image in Palette Noir ink and went to town coloring it with watercolor pencils. After I blended it, I stamped it again on scrap and cut out the birthday banner. The image was then cut out with my Labels One Nestabilities die from Spellbinders. Use a ribbon punch and weave in some ribbon, add some bling and then.... for the final touches - add some Crystal Lacquer to the balloons and Stickles and bling to the fun little cupcakes! So festive! Don't you think?

That was my sneak peek, but you'll have to travel to the rest of the DT's blogs to see more of Lauren's work in living color...

Sharon Doolittle
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Faith Hofrichter
Latisha Yoast
Laura Fredrickson
Dee Jackson
Nancy Kirk
Jan Marie Caruso


And be sure to check in on the Flourishes Newsletter for details on how you can win this set and all three new sets being released Friday! Don't forget to mark your calendar for the first ever Flourishes Release Party!It's set for Friday night from 7pm - 9 pm Eastern time over at the Flourishes Forum on Splitcoast. That's where we'll reveal all the new sets and give you an opportunity for more prizes!


I'll be back tomorrow with another fun-filled sneak peek!

Case-ing Judy!

When I saw this week's Featured Stamper over on Splitcoast was Judy AKA Jaydekay, I knew I had to play along! I've admired her work for some time now! She is so talented with coloring and I always love the creativity in her layouts! So, THIS is the card that I decided to case!

Just like Judy, I grabbed my Flourishes I Love Roses set!
To change it up for the challenge, I tweaked the layout a bit to use what I had on hand. I used polka dot paper instead of using the polka dot embossing folder. I used an oval instead of a circle for my sentiment and I changed up the stamped background to patterned paper! I also did something a bit different when I colored the rose. I colored the entire base of the rose with a R29 Copic marker and then highlighted and shaded using Poppy Red, Hot Pink, Pink, and Scarlet Lake Prismacolor Pencils. I love the way it turned out! The leaves were done with 2 shades of Koh-i-noor pencils and blended with odorless mineral spirits.

Well, off to catch up on my day!! Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget tomorrow begins the sneak peeks for Flourishes January release! :-)

We've got a few winners!

Just over a week ago, Regina Easter -- a very talented card maker and owner of The Cutting Cafe offered up some of her fabulous Valentine's printables to help my mom in her mission to gather up 1,000 Valentines for the kids at Children's Hospital of Michigan. Well, the entries are in and TWO winners have been picked!

Lisa 808 was the first winner who wrote:
"The downloads look great.My three cards will be in the mail tomorrow."

Lisa also had a link to her darling creations! Click HERE to see!

And, the second winner was Norine, who wrote:
"very cute. Hugs, Norine"

So, ladies, all you need to do is email Regina at fabriccutups@prodigy.net to get your printable stamps sent your way! If you'd like to see the printable sets-- click HERE and HERE! Thanks so much Regina!

Here's an update on the 1,000 Valentine Challenge! My mom has more than 500 so far! YIPPEE! And, if you want to get involved there is still time! All you need to do is email her at mrsmiley6@aol.com. FYI: If you don't want to contribute Valentines, my mom needs cards for birthdays and sympathy cards as well!

Now- keep in mind-- I also have another blog candy giveaway HERE. This is separate! And, I'm extending this candy one week! I'll now pick a winner on January 20th and announce on the 21st! This candy includes three stamp sets, some pearls, some bling and two bundles of lush sheer ribbon in Valentine colors!

That's it for now! I have been busy prepping for this week's release from Flourishes (sneak peeks start Wednesday!) as well as some CHA samples for Impression Obsession's new line for spring! So, stick around for some fun new things here later this week!

Until then!

Bring on the BLINGZ!

What do Flashee Fuchsia, Hottie Pink, Hi-Ho Silver and Pixie Dust all have in common? They are the new Valentine inspired Blingz from Shimmerz! And.... they are being released-- today!

To get ready for the release, I picked up one of my new favorite images - the large rose from Flourishes I Love Roses set and went to town with Flashee Fuchsia and Hottie Pink.

I started with pink and then used the fuchsia to shade in the rose. I can't tell you just much this baby sparkles! Many have asked - how much different are the Blingz from Shimmerz? Well, for starters it is a slightly thicker paint with a whole range of iridescent color packed inside the sparkle!

Take a look! Here's a close up!
To make the card, I used my Labels Two Nesties by Spellbinders to cut the shapes. I added some Antique Linen distress ink around the edge on the main ivory piece and then cut out and layered my rose on top. The leaves were painted with Key Lime, Olive and Sagebrush Shimmerz.

And... voila, a perfect card for your honey this Valentine's Day that is sure to sing.... with the Blingz! Want more inspiration? Head on over to the Shimmerz Blog!

I have so much brewing for my blog this week...so stay tuned! Flourishes will start the sneak peeks on their three new sets on Wednesday and YOU will have a chance to win the entire release!!! Click HERE for those details. I'll also have the winner of Regina Easter's Valentine's Printables soon! And... don't forget the rest of my blog candy HERE!

See you back here soon!

Celebrating Home!

We are 4 days away from the first Flourishes release of 2009 and these three stamp sets focus on all the things that matter most to us - celebrating a new home, another year, important annoucements and friends. And, when you see these three new sets, we are sure you'll fall in love with all the ways you can use them!

To get ready, we thought we'd usher in a challenge. An "inspired by" challenge. All you need to do is find something in our home as a point of inspiration for a card creation or altered project and let those creative juices flow! Post a comment with a link here on this post, or upload to Splitcoast using the key word - FLLCJAN. Use Flourishes stamps if you have them, or...if you don't...join us anyway! We'd love to see what you cook up! Afterall, if your name is drawn- you'll win all three of the stamp sets being released this month!

So... want to see how I was inspired?? I was getting ready for my day when I just started to stare at the comforter in my bedroom and a vase we have on our dresser. Here's the comforter...

Here's the vase....
And, here's my card! I wanted to use the twiggy elements to create a vase. So, I used my Summer Blossoms stamp set and punched out a vase. Then, I used the same gold and brown swirly pattern to bring in some pop!

I have to admit, not the best card I have ever done - but I used the inspiration!! :-) So, take a trip around your own home and find a little inspiration! You can click HERE for all the official details! The contest will close Friday, January 16th at 5 p.m. eastern and the winner will be revealed in our first ever RELEASE PARTY on Splitcoast on Friday evening! Stay tuned for all the details!

Have fun!