Simple Roses...

Sometimes, just a simple image can make a card. It's an image that when you take a step back, you realize, "This card really doesn't need a lot of stuff. It can just "be" all on it's own!" And that, my friends, is what I decided when I picked up the Beauty Within set.

I stamped the stained glass roses and just cut along the line, added some beautiful silk ribbon, some pearls (added a little color to the pearls with my Copic markers), matted it with foam tape onto a Labels 8 die cut shape and then matted this all onto a piece of decorative paper adorned with a small zig zag stitch. Just that simple! I did stamp two of the stained glass roses and popped up part of the image in places just for a little extra pop. To color my image -- I grabbed my Copics and went to town with RV32, RV34, YG00, YG03 and YG63. The image was accented with the help of a B000 marker. Easy peasy lemon squeezy for this 'Flourishes Friday!'
Speaking of Flourishes Friday, Leslie Miller has a great tutorial over on the Flourishes blog today showcasing the wonderful world of background stamps! So, be sure to click HERE to check it out and... don't forget to stop by the other Flourishes gals spots on the web to see what they cooked up this week!

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

Thanks for stopping by! See you back here soon!

Timeless Tuesday... On Saturday!

It's a good thing Flourishes' Timeless Tuesday is just that -- Timeless! I wanted to play along with Cindy Haffner's sketch so badly that I had to make some time to play!

Here's a peek at the sketch....

Isn't that fun???? And, here's a peek at my card!

The paper is a mix of C'oredinations, Basic Grey, and My Mind's Eye. Color the image up (Strawberries) on Flourishes Classic White paper (I stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento first) with Copic Markers (a mix of Grass Green, and Dahlia Collections plus Y13 and Y17 and B0000) and then accented with some Cotton Linen Ribbon, a bow, a button and a little 1" circle sentiment (also from the Strawberry set!) From there, add some stitching and a little distressing around the square by scoring and sanding... and voila!!!

I can't tell you how much I LOVEEEEEE sketch challenges. It just takes so much out of the work out of card design. I know. I know. It's all supposed to be fun but there are just some days when I blow far too many brain cells trying to figure out what might look nice! LOL!

Hope you can take some time to play Timeless Tuesday too!! Remember... it's Timeless! ;-) See you back here soon!

The Peeks are Over!

Hi all and welcome to the final day of Flourishes Release Week! It's just been so much fun sharing the new offerings with all of you! Today, I'm wrapping up the week with a bow by showcasing a set that is not only beautiful but fresh in its design...

Introducing....

This set drawn and stippled by Marcella Hawley features different herbs that create just a beautiful "stamp and go" card. No coloring needed on this one, the flowers and herbs sing all on their own! Do you want to win this set? If so, please leave a comment here on this post.

On to my creation! It's super duper easy peasy! I love these stamp and go styles -- no coloring -- so you get an elegant and quick creation in record time!

Every now and then when I look at a creation -- I am stumped on layout. I decided I wanted this card to be a quick and easy one... so... I picked my decorative paper first and then, turned to a layout that you might have seen before HERE! I have to say when I created that sketch, it wasn't my typical sketch and that's why I had fun "recycling" it! It wasn't exact... but it was fun just the same. I inked up my scented geranium with two ink pads -- Rose Bud and Bamboo Leaves -- and stamped it on Classic White paper cut it with a circle die cut, add some chalk, and the rest is just matting it up! The decorative paper is from my scraps bin so... I couldn't figure out the maker... sorry! I did add some bling and some white cotton linen ribbon. And... done!

Here's a close up so you can see that beautiful flower!! After adding the chalk, you can see I added some paper piercing. I left my die cut shape on the image and used it as a guide to paper pierce!

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

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Danielle Kennedy

Dawn Burnworth

Laura Fredrickson

Leslie Miller

Stacy Morgan

And last... but not least! Some News!

Did you see the New Release Bundle? 10% off when you buy all three sets! This deal is only good through August 20th! So, click HERE to check it out! Flourishes also has a fabulous SALE page set up. All Spellbinders and select May Arts ribbons are 40% off! Click HERE to see!

If you would like a shot at winning all three of newly released sets, play along in our Kids Play Challenge! Just click HERE for all the details! You only have until 5 PM CST tonight! Winners for not only the daily drawings but this challenge will be announced TOMORROW on the Flourishes Blog at noon CST!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you all had as much fun as we did!!

Sneak Peaks Continue....

Hi all, and welcome to day 2 of our sneak peaks! This sneak is a fun one for me since it features my all-time favorite flower! Seeing it on polymer makes me say -- 'be still my heart!'

Introducing.....
This Sunflowers set amazingly drawn by Marcella Hawley, features not only a full sunflower but pieces that you can combine to create your own bouquet. Not to mention, she's added some fabulously casual sentiments that just remind me of a summer picnic -- laid back, relaxed and divine all rolled into one set! Do you want to win this set? If so, please leave a comment here on this post. The winner will be announced on the Flourishes blog on Saturday!

I have to say this set all started when I, on a whim, emailed Marcella and said -- what do you think of these flowers??? (hint, hint!) This is a photo I took in the field behind our house...

When Marcella saw them, she said that was just the inspiration she needed and now I am one happy stamper! :-)

Moving on to my project. I wanted to use this set to not only create a fun card but a cute matching notepad. I love these style of notepads that Michaels sells that has a pen included.They are perfect for purses when you just need something to jot a note down on!

Here's a peek at the card....

I stamped the sunflower using Rich Cocoa Memento ink onto Flourishes Classic White cardstock. And, then, I colored it with Copics using the Sunflower, Green Grass and Flesh Tones 2 collections adding a little B0000 around the image for a highlight. The lady bug was done with R24 and R29 from the Poppy Collection. After that, pretty easy peasy! Add a sentiment from the set with thehelp of a tag, add some stitching and a fun button and bow (avacado cotton linen ribbon) and.... done!

Now here's a peek at my journal....

I used basically the same elements for this -- (dp is from my scraps bin, not sure what it is!). The only difference is, I masked off the edges of my smaller sunflower piece, paper pierced and then sponged on some Scattered Straw and Wild Honey Distress Inks. After coloring it up (same colors as card) I added a button and some twine and... done!

Here's a close up! You can see I did add some glitter (Distress Glitter - Rock Candy) to the center.

The sentiment, is from the Tag Lines set -- which is perfect -- for just a note! And, what's also perfect is I have a little gift set ready to go for someone special! :-)

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

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

Other Flourishes Happenings this week!

• Want to order our new sets? Check out our web store’s home page to see how you can preorder all three fabulous sets now! Click HERE to check it out!
• Be sure to join us for our RELEASE PARTY TONIGHT over in our Splitcoast Member Company Forum -- it's set for 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 our soon-to-be released sets, play along in our Kids Play Challenge! Just click HERE for all the details! You only have until Friday at 5 PM CST!
• SALE! Right now Flourishes is having a house cleaning sale to make way for lots of new goodies! Click HERE to go right to the sale page. All Spellbinders and select May Arts ribbons are 40% off!

I'll see you back here tomorrow as we wrap up our peeks! Tomorrow's set about those sweet smelling bits of nature that are not only for beauty but can bring relief to the senses and give flavor to our favorite foods! Be sure to tun in tomorrow to see what I'm talking about! ;-)

Let's HOP!

Are you ready for some fun? The Impression Obsession and Flower Soft Design Teams are playing together in a fun-filled HOP! Aside from seeing a little bit of cardmaking eye candy, there are also fabulous prizes on the line!

HOW TO WIN: As you make your way through the hop, make sure you comment on each and every post. Four random winners will be picked from those blog comments! Two $25 gift certificates from Flower Soft and two $25 gift certificates from Impression Obsession will be given away!! Winners will be announced on the Flower Soft and IO blogs on Wednesday August 18th! Now, if you didn't start at the beginning of the hop, be sure to start hopping from the Flower Soft Blog!

Moving on to my creation! I just used a little big of Flower Soft on a brand spanking new IO image just released at CHA called Winter View.
After stamping the image, I colored it up with Copic markers and used R46, R59, Y21, Y23, C01, C03, C05, B000, E33, E31, E25 and YG63. After coloring, then the Flower Soft fun begins! Lining the window wells and the base of each tree with a bit of Flower Soft Glue, I used the Flower Soft Diamond Range in Polar White. This is just incredible because it really does look like snow! After it was done drying, I did add a little bit of glitter glue here and there for a little sparkle!

Here's a close up! It's fine and fluffy and just adds that little extra something! What's fun is -- a little goes a LONG way!
Want even more inspiration? Do you like video tutorials? How about Challenges? Make sure and check out both Flower Soft TV and the Impression Obsession blog!!

For the next hop on the IO-Flower Soft tour, click on over and see Linda Beeson!

Thanks for stopping by!

It's Almost Release Time for Flourishes!

Hi all and welcome to the challenge we use to heat up the fun around Flourishes! It’s Release Week Challenge time and that means a brand spanking new set of stamps is about to be unveiled! Since the summer is winding down, we thought we’d focus on the pint sized people in our lives that seem to have all the fun!

So, grab some creativity and take…

The Challenge:
With the dog days of summer winding down, kids far and wide are trying to squeeze in as much of the great outdoors as they can before fall rolls in. Remember those fun neighborhood games that your parents couldn't drag you away from as a child? Our challenge this month is to be isnpired by a kids game! For example, use a red and green combo that's inspired by a game of Red Light/Green Light. How about a tag on your card to tell some one "Tag... you're it!" Four square anyone? What about a little flag on your card to represent a game of capture the flag? Enter, and you could walk away with all three stamps in Flourishes’ August release! You have until Friday, August 13th 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 FLLCAUG10. 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 all the kids at heart!

For my creation, I decided to be inspired by a little "Hide & Seek!" A map is good for that... right??

This card isn't really what I'd call my normal style -- I wanted it to be a little rough around the edges and I wanted the Antique Map to really take center stage. Not much to share here in the way of details -- stamp the map on kraft card stock, crumple the page up, add some Antique Linen Distress ink to accent the creases, a sentiment from the A Guiding Light set, some twine, some antique brads and last but not least, I took the NEWS symbol from the map background, colored it up with markers and then set it on it's own as a kind of focal point for my card. That's it! Done!

Be sure to stop by the Flourishes Design Team’s homes on the web to see what childish fun they created! I know you won’t be disappointed!

Christine Okken
Dawn Burnworth
Laura Fredrickson
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan

Thanks for stopping by!

IO Challenge -- Feeling Like Home

Hi all... it's time for another Impression Obsession challenge and this one is all about "Your Home Sweet Home." It's kind of ironic that this is the theme because as we speak, I am rolling back into town (back home) with my mom trying to get her situated in her new home! It's been a whirlwind trip!!!

Moving on... (no pun intended), when I set out to create for this challenge, I knew I wanted to use a stamp that needed a little love. It's simply called Door. I think the art is just charming and would work well not only for all occassion cards but for "We've moved" or "Welcome to the Neighborhood" cards.

After stamping it up, I reached for my Copic markers (Y21,Y23, V04,V06,V01, YG00,YG03,YG63, Y35,Y38, E25, E27, C01,C05,C07) and colored this up. I shaded with the darker colors just a tad and then blended with the lighter markers in that color family. I kind of wanted a more watercolor look.

Here's a close up.... Because I wanted to let my image speak on this card, I tried to keep the layout low key. I used a Swiss Dots embossing folder and actually "debossed" instead of embossed. Add a pinked heart border, some fun purple dp and a couple buttons and... voila! Done!

You'll have to check out and see what some of the other IO gals created with this Your Home Sweet Home challenge!

Daniela
Dina
Deborah
Jeanne
Kathy
Laura

Remember, challenges are the first and third Thursdays of each month. Just use at least one Impression Obsession stamp and you'll be in the running for a $25 gift certificate to the IO store. You can click HERE for all the official details!

Thanks for stopping by! See you back here soon!

Bring Back Beautiful!

Hi all and welcome to the very first Flourishes Bring Back Beautiful Challenge! This team was started by Flourishes to truly showcase beauty in card making – whether it just be in a beautifully colored image, a fabulous way to incorporate an embellishment or a new twist on a card layout. Today kicks off the challenge team's first challenge with a look at one of the things that can evoke a lot of beauty in card making – COLOR!

FIRST Here’s your challenge: pick your favorite medium – watercolor, colored pencils, markers, Copics, alcohol inks… the sky is the limit! Show off your color and join us! Link up your Bring Back Beautiful Challenge creation here on the BBB post using the Inlinkz linky to enter. If you upload to SCS, please use the keyword BBB01. You have until August 31st to enter!

Now.. to my creation... I picked up my Copics for this one along with a brand new special edition stamp set just released yesterday by Flourishes called Fuschias in Bloom. This set is available now ONLY to FLIP members but will be released in mid-september during our September release.
I stamped using Tuxedo Black Memento ink and then picked up the Hollyhock, Peony and Petunia, and Evergreen Collections grouped by Flourishes. I just love these beautiful colors -- hot pink is one of my favorites in life!

After I colored it up, I added a sentiment from the Around the Arbor set, a punched border, some fun lace trim, cotton linen ribbon and, of course, bling! The paper is from the Green at Heart Collection from Basic Grey.

Here's a close up....

And, now to our "beauty" of a team! All of these women put their own personal and beautiful spin in their creations!! You can look for the challenge the first Monday of each month!

Beate Johns
Becca Feeken
Cindy Coutts
Kathy Jones
Michelle Woerner
Yvonne Hagane

So grab your favorite coloring medium and get those creative juices flowing! We'd love to see how you Bring Back Beautiful in your own creations!