It's a Floral Frenzy!!

Hi all! TGIF!! Today, it's Dawn's turn to host the Flourishes Focus over on the Flourishes Blog and I thought I'd play along today. It's all about flowers! She has an amazing project and fun tutorial, so you'll have to check it out HERE!

Because the "focus" is a floral frenzy, I decided to pick up some of the new Prima flowers that Flourishes has in stock. I think these flowers are just too pretty for words and when you put one on a card, you almost don't need anything else!

To create my card, I used a circle cutter to cut a half circle in pink paper and then I grabbed one of the new Flourishes sets called Fanciful Flourishes to emboss the damask image using white detail embossing powder. Stitch around the edge with a zigzag stitch and add some crocheted lace. I used some in my stash, but Flourishes has a brand new trim that is a crocheted lace that is so delicate and pretty! You can find it HERE if you're curious! :-) After that, add some ivory satin ribbon and a Prima and... you're almost done! I stitched up some kraft card stock, added the damask in the lower right corner using some Versamark Ink and then a sentiment in Rich Cocoa and.... voila!!!!

Here's a close up of that purty flower!

I think these flowers are so soft and feminine! I am not a "flower girl" other than stamps and so this was a fun little adventure. I love this layout so much I might make up a few color coordinated cards to give as a set! What do you think??

Don't forget to check out Dawn's tutorial HERE! And, some of the other gals on the DT have some fun to share as well, so be sure to stop by and see.....

Christine Okken
Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Laura Fredrickson
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan

Have a fabulous weekend and I'll see you back here soon!!

Diamonds are a girls best friend.....

Hi all! Hope you are having a fantabulous week! It's my busy work week, so I have a quickie of a card for you today. I used the new Fanciful Flourishes from Flourishes that was released a couple weeks ago. When I look at it this card, I think of Marilyn Monroe in her pink satin dress with long black gloves and lots of diamonds singing Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend! I have no idea why! I wasn't from that era -- didn't even see the movie! LOL!

This card is really quite simple! I used several elements from the Fanciful Flourishes set. I used the Damask stamp from the set with some Versamark ink for a nice watermark effect. Then, I used the border stamp, a sentiment from the set, the shadow heart and the flourishy heart. You can check out the set HERE. And, the rest --- is just matting it up, adding LOTS of bling, some black satin ribbon, a border punch (EK Success) and bam... done! I did use some silver mirror paper as a secondary mat because I wanted this baby to be glam! ;-)

And that, my friends, is it - a quick and easy card with a super feminine flair! Since it's one that could only be given to my hubby, I am thinking I need to add this to my stash for when he has those out of town trips. I like to slip little love notes in his suitcase. I know. I know -- pretty "schmoopy!"

Hope you are all having great week! See you back here soon!

Soft and Simple Background...

How many times have you wanted a quick and easy yet elegant card. Well, I am going to show you a super duper quick background that brings soft and sophisticated results. All you need is a dye based ink and a blender pen!

So, let's get started! Here's a peek at what I used....



After stamping the Spring Bouquet all over my card front in Flourishes Classic White card stock, I took a Blender Pen and literally went over each and every line on the stamped image. What this did was create a super soft shadow in parts of the image...



And, since I wanted my background to "sing", I just let it be. I added a stitched edge, some crochet lace and some of the brand new ribbon that's a part of Flourishes Boutique Cuts collection. This ribbon is a cotton sateen and it's to die for! I also used the Sky Blue Memento to stamp my sentiment on a knotched out tag. Adhere and voila!



So, there you have it! A quick and easy card that you can whip up in a jiffy. Not to mention, it might have you looking at your stamps (that aren't backgrounds) in a whole new way!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great start to your week and I'll see you back here soon!

Christmas Doves

I know what you are all thinking... how on God's green earth could you be showing a Christmas card in April? Well, bear with me, it's for a fun challenge! Starting May 1st Flourishes will be doing a once-a-month challenge to get you in gear for your Christmas cards long before Christmas bells start ringing!

Since it's April, I know this is going to sound funny, but I just couldn't bear to do a traditional green and red card. So, I chose a more muted, antique look and I picked up the Doves and Holly set.
You can see too, I also used the Christmas Music set for the background. I stamped the doves and then masked and stamped the music over top. Afterward, I colored it up with a mix of Copic Markers. I used a few from the Dahlia and Fields collections and then I highlighted the doves with the lighter shades of the Warm Neutrals. I also sponged ink around the circle using Old Paper Distress Ink. The next step is just matting it up. I did use the Spellbinders Labels One for my mat. I embossed and then sanded to continue that distressed look. Add some stitching and a bow and.... ta da! The Celebrate the Season sentiment is also from the Christmas Music set.

The DT has a dose of Christmas inspiration for you today as well. So hop on over and see:

Christine Okken

Danielle Kennedy

Leslie Miller

Stacy Morgan has a beautiful display of Christmas cards over on the Flourishes Blog PLUS she has more news on the new monthly challenges that she'll be hosting. So be sure to click HERE!

Before we go, we wanted to share that the other fabulous DT members have some extra Flourishes eye candy for you -- that's good all year round!

Cindy Lawrence
Dawn Burnworth
Laura Fredrickson

Thanks for stopping by! See you back here soon!

Joy is a Flower....

Hi all and happy Thursday! Whew, did this week fly by! Hope life is good in your neck of the woods. It's starting to really feel like spring here. The grass is greening up, the birds are singing and the temperature is climbing. Love it!

And, that's why my card was super fun to create. My hubby and I have our favorite bench when we take our walks - granted it doesn't have a basket of fresh picked flowers on it.. but still! This card uses the new Around the Arbor set from Flourishes that was just released last Friday....

Not much to explain with this one! I stamped my flowers first, masked it and then stamped the bench overtop so that it looked like the basket was just set there. I used Copic markers to color it up and picked up the Dahlia, Spring Greens, Cool Neutrals and Sunflower Copic Collections grouped by Flourishes.
After I colored it up, I used the Spellbinders Labels 10 to cut out my shapes for my main image and also my sentiment. I love, love, love that sentiment -- what a neat little saying to help bring a smile to a friend! I picked out some blue decorative paper from my stash, added some pearls and some polka dot sheer ribbon and some crocheted lace and... done!

FYI: If you like this set, today is the last day to take advantage of Flourishes' New Release Bundle. You can get all four new releases for 10% off. You can check it out HERE.

Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you have nothing but blue, sunny skies in your neck of the woods! :-)

See you back here soon!

Ways to use a border... 2!

Yesterday, I posted a card that I created using a set Flourishes released last January called Lace Edges and then, I pointed you all to the Flourishes Blog for a tutorial. Well, I also promised to at least show the cards I made here too! So.... here goes! Call this the grand finale of how I used the same stamp set -- three ways!

For the second card, I used the border that looks a lot like Battenburg lace. I used Sky Blue Memento Ink and just alternated the direction that I stamped this border...

And this, is what it turned into..

I used some of the new lace trim that Flourishes just got into stock on this card as well along with some white pearls and a sentiment from the new Fanciful Flourishes set.

And, for the last card, I wanted to create a kind of impact panel - not a full background - but bigger than a border as well. A little tip for you, I did use a ruler to draw a pencil line so that I could line my image up to make sure it stamped straight.

And, this below was my card. I have to say that it was greatly influenced by THIS card from Laura Fredrickson. I just loved how she used the Ornamental Elements set as a frame for her flowers. So, I had to give it a try!

I used Prisma Pencils to color up my tulip, added some bling and a sentiment from the new Fanciful Flourishes Set in the corner. Add some black silk ribbon and a large scallop oval and -- voila!

There you have it - between yesterday and today you see one set - and three background/border possibilities!

I'm surprised I'm even on a stamping kick -it's been so absolutely beautiful here in Big Sky Country weather wise - feels like spring! Hope that you are seeing some sunny skies and warm weather too! Thanks for stopping by & I'll see you back here soon!

Ways to use a border set...

I had a chance to play over the weekend and decided to pull out an older Flourishes set - Lace Edges - and added a new spin. After a cup of java and an afternoon in my stamp room, here's a peek!

I actually put together a tutorial over on the Flourishes Blog HERE with a few more samples showing what you can do with these great lace borders! So, if you have a few minutes and want to check it out, I'd love to know what you think! I'll probably end up posting those cards here later in the week! ;-)

See you back here soon!

Time to go shopping! :-)

Gosh did the Flourishes DT have some serious fun this week showing off the new sets and chatting it up tonight over on SCS! Now, the wait is over and the time to shop is now! You can see each of the four sets in their full glory!

Around the Arbor

Hats off to You!

Fanciful Flourishes

Spring Bouquet

We love this release and hope you do too! Thanks for hanging out with me this week to catch all the Flourishes action! I'll see you back here soon!

Sneak Peeks... the final day!

If you love your garden in the spring, with its wealth of perennials sprouting and reaching for the sun, then you'll love this beautiful bouquet created by Marcella Hawley, just for you!

Introducing.....

Look closely and you'll find Lilac, Forget-me-not, Parrot Tulips, Peony and a few other goodies tucked inside! It's a divine image just begging to be colored! This set, that will be released by Flourishes tonight also comes with 10 different sentiments perfect for all the special women in your life!

Would you like to win this set? Simply leave a comment HERE on today's post telling us your favorite flower. We'd love to hear it and I'm thinking Marcella might too before she grabs her sketch book!

On to my creation! When I saw this stamp, I thought of my grandma. I imagined fresh cut flowers straight from the garden situated on the dinner table with a hand crocheted table cloth underneath. And so, when I started creating that is the look I went for! I stamped my image on Flourishes European Watercolor paper using permanent black ink and then watercolored using a water brush and Ranger Distress Inks. I used Dusty Concord, Worn Lipstick, Fired Brick, Shabby Shutters, and Sugared Pink. Add some stitching, a sentiment from the set, some crocheted lace and some pearls and you're almost done! You can see I also added an embossed background.

And that, my friends, is it! Our ever-so-talented Design Team has been busy whipping up their own spring bouquets using this set, so head on over and see....

Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Laura Fredrickson
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan

Some quick notes for you! Don't forget to check out Flourishes' Twinchie Release Week Challenge? Time is running out so be sure to click HERE for the details! You have until tonight at 5 PM Eastern to play for a chance at winning all four stamp sets that we have unveiled this week! And, we'd love it if you joined us for Flourishes' POWER HOUR Release Party! It's 60 minutes of fun, games, chatter and giveaways! The party kicks off HERE in the Flourishes Forum over on SCS at 9 PM Central Standard Time!

Hope you had some fun with me this week! See you back here soon!

Sneak Peek... day 2!

Hi all! Hope you enjoyed yesterday's sneak peeks! Today promises to be fanciful and fun with a dash of whimsy mixed in.

Introducing....


When artist Becky Fleck pitched the concept for this stamp set, I knew I would be doing the happy dance when I saw it in real life! :-)This set features 3 different design elements with some offering some two-step stamping solids as backgrounds. It just exudes elegance! We know this could easily be your "go to" set for those beautiful all occasion cards!

And, that's exactly what I thought of -- all occassion cards when I whipped up this 10 minute creation!
This card honestly took no time whatsoever. The damask stamp in this set is designed to align perfectly from the top to bottom. It's just the one damask that you can then use for borders or backgrounds or just on it's own! Sweet... huh? After I made my background, I added a punched border, a ribbon tag, a sentiment from the set, some 1/2" black satin ribbon and some bling! Just that easy!

I really love the simple and elegant sentiments in this set..... And that, my friends, is it! Would you like a shot at winning this set? Simply leave a comment on today's post HERE telling what image you would love to see in polymer!

Our ever-so-talented Design Team has been busy whipping up their own fanciful creations using this set, so head on over and see....

Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Laura Fredrickson
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan

Some quick notes for you! Don't forget to check out Flourishes' Twinchie Release Week Challenge? Click HERE for the details! If you play, you could walk away with all 4 stamp sets being released this Friday! Speaking of Friday, the DT would love it if you joined us for Flourishes' POWER HOUR Release Party! It's 60 minutes of fun, games, chatter and giveaways! The party kicks off HERE in the Flourishes Forum over on SCS at 9 PM Central Standard Time!

Be sure to come back tomorrow! I'll have a final peek at Flourishes' April Release with one beautiful set perfect for those special women in your life! See you back here soon!

The April Sneak Peeks are Here!

With April here, so is a new line up of beautiful stamp sets from Flourishes. This release has a little something for everyone and the DT can't be more excited to take the lid off and show you it all!

Introducing.....

This set offers a handful of gorgeous floral and garden images that - just looking at them - gives you that peaceful, easy feeling! Not to mention, the beautiful sentiments included in this set.

With the summer months come a bevy of parties to wish graduates good luck in their next big life adventure. This next set is one that is perfect for this special occasion and even has some images that you could reach for year round!

and also......
When you look at this set -- you think about passing along the "keys" to success! It's a classy and timeless set perfect to tell the grads in your life congratulations!

Now, onto my creations!

This first card I wanted to keep clean and simple after stamping and watercoloring it up. I just love the lattice in this set and how you can repeat it to create super classy borders or backgrounds! I started by stamping onto Flourishes European Watercolor Paper with permanent black ink and then coloring it up by watercoloring with Ranger Distress Inks: I used Worn Lipstick, Shabby Shutters, Antique Linen and Broken China. From here... mat it up, add a sentiment with the help of Labels 8 Nestabilities die, some black silk ribbon, black pearls and some paper piercing! To create the lattice embossed background, I just scored the pattern on my Scor-It board.

Here's a close up of the watercoloring....

I think I am addicted to watercoloring with distress inks! :-)

Now, to my graduation card. I wanted to make a punchy card that would be useful -- so I whipped up this graphical style money card!

The keys in the background were created by just stamping the key image multiple times using Antique Linen Distress Ink. Then, I stamped my gal grad over top using Memento Tuxedo Black.

And, here is the inside! I just folded in the sides of a piece of paper to create my "money folder" and then cut it on the diagonal. I added the same keys on the inside to tie it all together and then, added the year thanks to THIS set! I knew those years would come in handy! ;-)


And that, my friends, is it!

Would you like to win these sets we are sneak peeking today? All you need to do is leave a comment HERE telling your favorite things about Spring! The winner will be announced this Saturday.

Now, don't forget to hop on over and visit our Design Team members. They've been busy whipping up samples with these soon-to-be-released sets!

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Danielle Kennedy

Dawn Burnworth

Laura Fredrickson

Leslie Miller

Stacy Morgan

Before we go, have you checked out our Twinchie Release Week Challenge? Click HERE for the details! If you play, you could walk away with all 4 stamp sets that we are releasing this Friday!

Speaking of Friday, we'd love it if you joined us for our POWER HOUR Release Party! It's 60 minutes of fun, games, chatter and giveaways! The party kicks off HERE in our Flourishes Forum over on SCS at 9 PM Central Standard Time!

Tomorrow's peek is so fanciful and fun, we just know it will be your "go to" set to create gorgeous "all occassion" cards! Thanks for stopping by!!!

A wee bit busy lately!

Hey all! Hope you all had a nice weekend. I'll have a card to show off in just a few but first... I have been kind of laying low in blog land this past week because we've been in the middle of a mini remodel project. We have been renovating an unfinished part of our basement into a home office. It's been a FAST project.

This is what it looked like a week ago... we were in the middle of painting....

Pretty rough around the edges....

And, just 7 days later, this is what the room looks like!

Thanks for bearing with me -- after all that hard work, I had to post pics! :-) The furniture arrives tomorrow, so I'll probably have to show another once my hubby's office is all together. It was tough because I wanted to pick a floral rug and fun accessories but -- he's a guy -- so I had to keep it more manly! LOL!

Ok... I have had a wee bit of time to create so.... without further ado... I just love watercoloring with distress inks. So, when I picked up this Alesa Baker image from Impression Obsession (Single Rose and Lavendar), I just knew I had to paint it up! I used Milled Lavendar, Worn Lipstick, Antique Linen and Peeled Paint inks. The paper is a mix of scraps from my decorative paper bins. I literally went "fishing" for the right colors after I was done. Then, I added some pearls, some stitching and... voila! Done! I love the fact that this card could be a real "any occassion" card. Perfect to keep in my stash!

Well, my friends, there you have it! Hope you have a wonderful start to your week! I'm going to have a BUNCH more for you starting Wednesday. Flourishes begins its sneak peeks for its April release! So.... stay tuned!

See you back here soon!

Are you ready for.....

I am! This Release Week Challenge is all about.... TWINCHIES! What's a twinchie you ask? It's a 2 by 2" little work of art that loves to take center stage on your card! And that is what Flourishes' Release Week Challenge is all about. To take part, all you need to do is make a 2 by 2" segment the focal point on your card. Play in the challenge and you have a chance at winning all 4 new stamp sets that will be released on April 16th! You have until next Friday at 5 PM EST to enter. Use Flourishes stamps if you have them, but if you don't, please play along anyway! If you upload to SCS, please use the keywork FLLCAPR10. Keep in mind, in order to be eligible, you need to link your creation HERE using the Inlinkz linky!

Ok... now to my creation! I call this my... TEN MINUTE TWINCHIE! With the help of Flourishes Lace Edges set and some paper my mother gifted me -- I had a flocked and flourished thank you note to add to my stash!
This paper is a flocked decorative paper my mom picked up for me. When I saw it, I just knew it was a perfect fit for Flourishes Lace Edges. I stamped the image on a 2 by 2-inch square and then matted it onto a scalloped square. The rest is matting it up, adding a sentiment (Tag Lines) onto a large oval punch that was matted on a scalloped oval. Add some black pearls and.... voila! Done! A Twinchie in 10!

If you need a little creative inspiration, please hop over and see what kind of Twinchies our ever so talented Design Team created!

Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Laura Fredrickson
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you can make time to play in the challenge. See you back here soon!