Cup of Comfort....

Hi all and TGIF!!! Hope you had a fabulous week and are ready for a little rest and relaxation this weekend! I'm off now to the Motor City and am spending a little time with my mom. We're packing her up, closing on her house and I'm kidnapping her (not really!) to bring her to her new home in MONTANA! It will be so much fun to have her with us and I know my kids are going to go crazy having grandma literally down the street. So, if you are the praying kind, say a prayer for safe travels -- we're going to be making the trek back early next week.

Anywhoo, moving on to some crafty fun! This week Impression Obsession unveiled all its new fall and winter stamps at CHA and this card below -- features a few of IO's new stamps!

This is a new one from Alesa Baker called Cup of Comfort. There's not a ton of coloring on this one but I did reach for my Copc markers to give it a little bit of color. I used Y21, Y23, E31, RV32, RV34, RV00, YG93, YG95, Y35, and Y38. After I colored it up, I cut out my main image, matted it onto a die cut oval and then again on a distressed die cut shape (Spellbinders Labels 8). I added a fun new Christmas sentiment called Peace on Earth. Pair this all up with some Basic Grey decorative paper, some lace trim, linen ribbon and a littl ebit of stitching and.... done!

My fellow DT member, Daniela Dobson, also has a sneak peek to share, so hop on over and pay her a visit!

See you back here soon!

How's about a BOO!

Hi all and Happy Monday! As you read this, I'm in the windy city of Chicago with some of my stamping friends taking in a bit of CHA. This is my first trip --- so I'm sure I'll have to try to keep my jaw from dropping at all the new goodies! I'll try to share some pics when I get back! :-)
Speaking of new goodies, I have another sneak peek from Impression Obsession -- these new stamps are being unveiled this week at CHA.

This card uses a new stamp from Leigh Hannan called Witches Vanity Table and a new sentiment called Boo Eyes. I colored it up with a mix of Copics and Copic Spica Pens: C05, C07, Y35, Y38, YR04, YR09, YG00, YG03, Y21, Y23, B0000, E33, and E31. I used the glitter pens just to add some sparkle to a few of the fun things on the table. Mat it up with some fun decorative paper, a velvet edged trim, some satin ribbon and... almost done! I stamped the Boo Eyes onto a piece of scrap paper and then punched it with an oval punch after I colored up the "eyes!" And that, is all there is to it!

My fellow DT member, Daniela Dobson also has a sneak peek today so be sure to hop on over and see what kind of eye candy she's got for you!

See you back here soon!

Let the IO Sneak Peeks Begin!

A week-long party is kicking off today to give you a peek at some of the new Fall and Winter stamps for Impression Obsession! These stamps are literally hot off the presses and will be fully unveiled at CHA next week in Chicago.

So, bear with me -- it may be 90 degrees and sunny in your neck of the woods but my blog will be all about fall, Halloween and Christmas! :-)
This card not only features a new stamp from Gary Robertson called Peeking Pumpkin, but a new Cover-A-Card as well! If you look on the brown section of my card-- you'll see I stamped this fun new background called Newsprint on the distressed brown patterned paper with Memento Rich Cocoa ink. For the main image, I colored it up with Copic markers and I used -- Y21, Y23, C00. C01. C05, E08, E97, E31, E33, R46, R59, G82, and G85. I also accented the apple with a little white gel pen. After that, mat it up, add some stitching, twine and a button and... done!

Dina Kowal, one of my fellow DT members also has a fun sneak peek today too -- so head on over to her place and see what she's cooked up!

I'll be back tomorrow with another peek...so stay tuned!

Berry Sweet!

Hi all and happy Friday! Hope you had a fantastic week and are looking forward to a bit of R and R this weekend! I know I am! It's kind of been a doozy of a week! :-)

I've got a card to share that I made with one of the recent releases from Flourishes called Berry Sweet. I just love these lush blueberries -- which come to find out -- look a lot like huckleberries which are all over the place in Montana! (huckleberries are just a little more purple than blue).

So... moving on to my card! Just a "sweet and simple" creation and here's a little "how-to!" Stamp my berries with Tuxedo black ink and color with Copics - I used primarily the Delphinium and Green Grass Collections grouped by Flourishes. Add an embossed punched border with a little sanded effect, cut and mat with Nestabilities (Circle and Blossom die templates) some fun linen ribbon, a button and my sentiment (Denim Adirondack Ink) and your almost done! I added a little stitching and... voila!

Here's a close up!

Just a reminder too! Today marks the last day that you can take advantage of Flourishes' New Release Bundle. That gives you all three new sets for 10% off. Just click HERE for the details!

I know some of the other gals on the Flourishes DT have some fun things to show off today, so be sure to hop on over and see......

Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Laura Fredrickson
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan

Thanks for stopping by! See you back here soon!

Flourishes Release Day is HERE!

Hope you've enjoyed seeing all the new offerings from Flourishes! I sure had fun showing them off! Today brings a sweet set that is sure to be perfect for those little pick-me-ups or for those kiddos in your life.

Remember the days when the highlight of the fair was a final spin on the carousel? When you had the wind in your hair as you reached for the golden pole with one hand and waved to your mom or dad with the other? This is the feeling that's wrapped around this new set called Enjoy the Ride by Lauren Pope. This beautiful 4 by 3" set features not only this vintage inspired carousel but six sentiments perfect for all occassions.

Now a peek at what I whipped up....
After stamping the carousel on some Flourishes Classic White, I colored with Copics and used the Water, Sweet Pea, Dahlia, Flesh Tones 2 and the Cool Neutrals Collections grouped by Flourishes. I then cut it out and mounted it on a circle that was accented with pearlized blue chalk and then matted it again on a pinked circle die cut shape (This one is on sale!). Add a punched border, some bling and a sentiment from the set stamped on a small oval punch and you're almost done! I also added some stitching too. The paper, just in case you wondered, is the new Memory Box Jubilee paper!

Want to win this set? Simply leave a comment on today's post over on the Flourishes Blog and you'll be in the running! Now it’s time to see what Flourishes’ talented Design Team whipped up? Hop on over and see….

Christine Okken

Danielle Kennedy

Dawn Burnworth

Laura Fredrickson

Leslie Miller

Stacy Morgan

Don't forget, you still have a shot at winning all three of the newly released sets! All you need to do is play along in Flourishes' What’s Cookin’ challenge! Just click HERE for all the details! You have until today at 5 PM Eastern! Winners will be announced on the Flourishes blog at noon central standard time on Saturday!

Also, did you know that you can save a bundle on all of the new releases? They are being offered at 10% off if you buy all three! Just click HERE for the details! And, one last note, Flourishes is having a Christmas in July sale! It runs through the 18th of July! It’s a time when you can get 25% off all of Flourishes fine Christmas stamp sets!

Thanks again for joining me this week... it's been a blast!

Flourishes July Sets are ripe for the picking!

Boy, did I have a blast this week sneak peeking all the fun new stamp sets being released for July from Flourishes! I have good news! After tonight's release party, all of the sets are now LIVE in the Flourishes store! Click HERE to see!

If you want a quick peek before you head over, here's a look at....

Berry Sweet

Seeds of Friendship Enjoy the RideThanks so much for joining me this week! Be sure to check back... I'll have a wrap up tomorrow and will showcase Flourishes new Enjoy the Ride set! Don't forget about their New Release Bundle -- if you order all three sets before July 23rd, you can snatch them up for 10% off! Click HERE for the details! Flourishes also is having a Christmas in July sale that runs through July 18th! All Christmas stamps are 25% off!

Thanks again for stopping by! Hope you like our July release!

Seeds of Friendship Sneak Peek!

Remember the days when you just couldn't wait to help your grandmother or mom plant summer seeds? When the best part was just getting your hands in the dirt to help a beautiful flower or veggie get its start? Well then, we have just the stamp set for you!

Introducing...

The Seeds of Friendship set features not only a customizable seed packet design but 10 sentiments and 9 accent pieces. Can you imagine all the wonderful things you can do with this set and all the fun stamps -- the fun florals or fruits that you could stick inside the frame? When I heard the concept for this one I immediately thought -- how original!

Now, to my creation!

For my card, I immediately picked up the Gerber Daisy set -- this is one of my faves and I thought it's a perfect pick to be used with this new set! I stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento onto Flourishes Classic White and then picked up the Dahlia, Sunflower, Fields and Cool Neutrals Copic Collections grouped by Flourishes. I also paper pieced a bit to get the darker color on the top of my packet and then edged pieces of it with gold leaf pen for a real vintage flair! Add a little stitching, a little wood button with some twine and a flag style sentiment and... voila!

Would you like to win this set? Simply leave a comment over on today's blog post at Flourishes! The winner will be announced in the winner's circle on Saturday at noon central time!

You're going to have to hop on over and see what the rest of the Flourishes’ Design Team whipped up! I got a preview of some of the cards and.. gasped!

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Danielle Kennedy

Dawn Burnworth

Laura Fredrickson

Leslie Miller

Stacy Morgan

There's lots of fun stuff happening this week, including our Release Party set for Thursday night at 9 PM Central over on the Flourishes Member Company Forum on Splitcoast! So, click HERE and read up on all the fun!

Tomorrow's set might also have you taking a trip -- no make that a ride -- back in time! Flourishes has not really done a set yet for the kids in our life and this one, well, it's just perfect! So, be sure to check back!

Let the Flourishes Sneak Peeks Begin!

What's more luscious in the summer than fresh fruit! Well Flourishes has some ripe for the picking and you won't even have to worry about calories with these sweet picks! As the DT unveils the July release with a handful of sneak peeks let's begin with......

This beautiful set artfully drawn by the ever-so-talented Marcella Hawley features not only raspberries and blueberries but a total of three focal stamps, two accent pieces and a whopping nine words and sentiments! When I first saw this set, I thought it had a kind of vintage feel to it with sweet, old fashioned images! So, that's the look I went for with my card...

Aside from fun gingham ribbon and a sweet crochet lace trim, I added some distressed polka dots with the help of an embossing folder. My berries were just stamped on Flourishes Classic White and colored with Copic markers. I used a mix of the Green Grass, Dahlia and Sweet Pea collections grouped by Flourishes and then highlighted with a B000 marker just around the edges of the berries and the leaves. Mat it up and add some paper piercing and... done!

Do you want to win this set? If so, please leave a comment here on today's post! A winner will be randomly drawn and will be announced in a post on Saturday called Flourishes' Winner Circle!

Now it's time to see the fresh picked creations from Flourishes' talented Design Team!

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

Here are some other fun Flourishes facts for the week!

Don’t want to wait until the official release to order the new sets? Check out Flourishes' shopping home page to see how you can pre-order all three fabulous sets! Click HERE to check it out!

Be sure to join the DT for the Release Party over in Flourishes' Splitcoast Member Company Forum -- it's set for Thursday night at 9 PM central! We'll have games and giveaways plus-- all the chatter you would want and more!

If you would like a shot at winning all three of the soon-to-be released sets, play along in the What's Cookin' challenge! Just click HERE for all the details!

Did you know Flourishes is having a Christmas in July sale? It runs through the 18th. It's a time when you can get 25% off all of Flourishes fine Christmas stamp sets!

I'll see you back here tomorrow for more sneak peeks! Tomorrow's set is sure to tug on the heartstrings of not only gardeners, but those who love a vintage look in their cards! You'll have to check back! :-)

In All Things of Nature....

Hi all and happy Sunday! Hope you've been enjoying some relaxing time outdoors! We have. I just love summer when the temperatures rise and we can do fun things like ride bikes or take family walks. Ahhh... nothing like it!

Being that I am kind of stuck on the outdoors, I decided to use the set Swan Lake from Flourishes to create a little outdoor scene. You'll notice I didn't use the swan, but I like the fact that you can create a bit of a "frame" using nature as your art!

I stamped the water hydrangeas and the foliage on Flourishes Classic White using Memento Tuxedo Black to create a kind of frame so that when I stamped my sentiment -- it had a pretty background! I used Copic markers to color but I hate to say this -- I was just grabbing markers left and right and I was bad -- I didn't pay attention to which ones! Sorry! I know I used the Water Collection grouped by Flourishes and if I had to venture a guess, I chose the Green Grass and Dahlia Collections as well! After that, I cut out my sentiment and my background using the Labels 8 die. Add some fun decorative paper (Memory Box and Basic Grey) add some stitching and a fun ribbon slide and you are almost done. My ribbon wasn't exactly the right color. I used the Satin finish Cotton that Flourishes sells and to make it match the rest of my card, I actually colored it with one of the Copic makers that I used for my greenery. Just that simple!

Here's a close up above.... you can see I added some sparkle on my flowers thanks to some Crystal Glitter Glue. I also left my die shape on my paper and used it as a mask so that I could sponge some blue ink on my background. Fun stuff!

Well, enjoy the rest of your weekend and I'll see you back here soon! Wednesday marks the beginning of Flourishes sneak peeks for it's July release... so tune back in! :-)

What's Cookin'?

It's that time, when Flourishes gets ready for it's big reveal of it's newest stamp sets! And, to get ready for the big day, the DT loves to usher in a little challenge that could have you walking away with all of the new sets!

So, without further ado.....

THE CHALLENGE:
The summer months bring out a bevy of cook outs and pot luck dinners. What’s your favorite recipe? Share it in a stamped creation and you’ll be in the running for our July Release Week Challenge! Enter and you could walk away with all three stamps in Flourishes’ June release! You have until Friday, July 16th at 5 PM EST to enter for your chance to win. Use Flourishes stamps if you have them but if you don’t, please play along anyway. If you upload to SCS, please use the keyword FLLCJUL10. Keep in mind, in order to be eligible, you need to link your creation HERE in this post using the inlinkz linky. We can’t wait to see what’s cookin’ in your kitchen this summer!

Now, to my creation! A couple years back, my mom gave me a fabulous recipe for a Strawberry Salad -- it features a tasty salad with spinach, strawberries and toasted walnuts! The Vinaigrette is delish! (Not exactly low cal, but delish!) So, I made up a card to have handy for the next BBQ. I figure I can bring the salad, put the dressing in this decked out jar and have the recipe for the hostess! EDITED TO ADD: Looks like I'm going to need to remake this recipe card.. I forgot 1/2 c. Red Wine Vinegar to the recipe!!! So, if you want to give this recipe a try -- don't forget the vinegar! :-)

I also combined challenges to include the colors for the 100th Color Throwdown celebration! You can check out the challenge HERE. Trust me, you'll want to -- there are 30 some companies doling out prizes to help Color Throwdown celebrate! :-) (including Flourishes)

Now to the deets! This one was super duper easy peasy! I just printed my recipe off on Flourishes Classic White card stock, used a circle Nestabilities die to cut it out, matted it up on a scalloped Nesties shape and then again on a larger circle shape. The strawberries were colored using the Poppy Copic collection plus a mix of greens to try to capture the "certainly celery" shade in the color challenge (G82, YG11, G12), I added B000 and BG10 to serve as my hint of "baja breeze". Add some gingham ribbon and a button and... almost done! The jar was just decked out with some gingham ruffle and a button with twine. Voila!

Want to see what the rest of the DT cooked up? Stop by and see.....
Christine Okken
Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Laura Fredrickson
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan


Thanks for stopping by! See you back here soon! :-)

Flourishes Focus!!

Hi all! I'm the hostess over on the Flourishes blog for Flourishes Friday. So, if you want to see what's up with this little project above, all you need to do is hop over to the blog by clicking HERE!

Thanks for stopping by! I'll be back with a post soon!

Lazy Days of Summer....

Hi all! It's time for another Impression Obsession challenge and this one is all about those lazy days of summer. Well, I struggled because after digging through my IO stamps, I didn't have one that really screamed summer. So, I winged it (no pun intended)! I thought flowers and butterflies are pretty peaceful and lazy! :-)

And.. here you go!

When I picked up this Sassafrass decorative paper, I just KNEW I had the perfect stamp for it. The little flowers on the paper are almost a perfect match to the flowers on this fun stamp by Alesa Baker called Hydrangea Tag.

Now to the card mechanics! After stamping my image on watercolor paper, I used Ranger Distress Inks and a water brush to add color to my image. I used Tea Dye, Peeled Paint, Broken China, and Tattered Rose. To get the varying degrees of color, I just kept adding more ink where I wanted shadows or darker color. I cut out the tag, added some twine and then -- just matted it up with a scalloped strip, some stitching and some pearls! Done!

Want to see what the other DT members did to celebrate the lazy days of summer?

Daniela
Dina
Jenny
Jeanne
Kathy
Shirley
Rosemary

If you want to read up to see how you can participate, just click HERE. There's a $25 gift certificate on the line to the IO store! You have until Saturday at 9 PM Eastern to enter!

Thanks for stopping by... see you back here soon!