It's Christmas... in JULY!

Hi all! Hope you've had a great week. Boy, I have no idea where it went but -- while we soak in these fun summer days, Flourishes is trying to get everyone in the Christmas spirit -- with a Christmas in July Sale! For the next 24 hours, all Christmas sets are a whopping 20% off! What fun, right? Just click HERE to check it all out!

So, to get you in the spirit, I'm showing off a card I made with the Sweets of the Season set. I have to admit, every one of the images in this set brings a smile to my face!

When I picked up this set, I decided I wanted to use the little gingerbread people in this set to create a kind of garland draped over my card front. So... I stamped, colored with Copics (E31, E33, R27, R39, R35, RV00, RV02, YG13, YG03, YG00), cut out my couple and then strung baker's twine through holes I punched in their hands. The rest is just matting it up!

Here's a close up of my little couple, you can see I did add some sparkle thanks to some glitter glue. I also added some accents to their little eyes with an Inkssentials White gel pen.
And that, my friends is it! Be sure to stop on over to Stacy Morgan's blog today! She also is dishing up some Christmas delights!

Thanks for stopping by! See y'all back here soon!
~Julie

Supplies:
Stamp Set: Sweets of the Season
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic MarkersPaper: BasicGrey Eskimo Kisses
Extras: Stickles Glitter Glue in Diamond, Inkssentials Gel Pen, Red and White Baker's Twine, Red Kaiser Craft Rhinestone, Maya Road Red Gingham Ribbon, Spellbinders Ribbon Tag Trio

Believe!

Hi all! Another Impression Obsession's CHA Summer Preview for you today! All this week (18th through 24th of July), IO will be showing off it's new stamps at the CHA trade show in Chicago, and.... all this week different team members will be showcasing some of those new designs to you as well! Just for blog hopping and commenting, you could WIN a $25 gift certificate to the IO Store! How can you win? All you have to do is leave a comment on every team member's sneak peek blog post, and the I.O blog... every day! Just visit the I.O. blog each morning for links to the posts for the day!

On to my creation!
I think this new little Santa guy from Gail Green is just DARLING! He's got such a bit of whimsy about him and...don't you think Santa should be jumping and dancing and having a blast? This new stamp is called H7648 Santa 4. I stamped and colored him up with Copic markers using E0000 and E50 for the skin and accented his rosy cheeks with RV00 and RV02. Color up his suit with R27 and R29 and belt with a little Y25 and Y28 and last but not least, accent with some Flower Soft Polar White to give his cuffs and little fluff! Layer on some patterned paper cut thanks to a Spellbinders Oval and Big Scallop Oval LG (cut thanks to my Grand Calibur machine) -- add some sparkly ribbon, a die cut tag (Spellbinders Ribbon Tags Trio), some stitching and a sentiment and done! The sentiment is actually part of IO's old Word Windows clear set. I didn't realize it is no longer in production. Sorry!

Want to see what some of the other IO gals whipped up? Just click HERE to travel over to the IO blog to see who else is showing off some new creations today! And, if you want to see some of the other new IO images, just click HERE to see the entire new Fall/Winter release!

I'll be back tomorrow with another set of fun and new IO images! See you then!

~Julie

Hidden Cabin...

Hi all! Another Impression Obsession's CHA Summer Preview for you today! All this week (18th through 24th of July), IO will be showing off it's new stamps at the CHA trade show in Chicago, and.... all this week different team members will be showcasing some of those new designs to you as well! Just for blog hopping and commenting, you could WIN a $25 gift certificate to the IO Store! How can you win? All you have to do is leave a comment on every team member's sneak peek blog post, and the I.O blog... every day! Just visit the I.O. blog each morning for links to the posts for the day!

On to my creation!

I have to say, living in Montana, you see these kinds of cabins all the time. This would be a perfect card for me to send to friends and family all over the world. Wouldn't you just love a hideaway where you could go inside, sit in front of the fire and watch the stillness around you? Ahhhh.... I would! This is one of Gary Robertson's new images called H1830 Cabin. Because Gary adds a lot of shading to his creations to begin with -- coloring is a snap! I colored this image up with Copic markers and actually just chose a light and a dark brown for the house, added some BG0000 for the snow, YG63 for the trees, accent with some glitter glue and.... done! The sentiment is an older one called Peace on Earth. I just punched it using a 1-1/2" circle, added some seam binding ribbon and... voila!

Here's a close up, you can kind of see the sparkle I've got going on here... thanks to some Crystal Stickles!

Want to see what some of the other IO gals whipped up? Just click HERE to travel over to the IO blog to see who else is showing off some new creations today! And, if you want to see some of the other new IO images, just click HERE to see the entire new Fall/Winter release!

I'll be back tomorrow with another set of fun and new IO images! See you then!

~Julie

Live, Laugh, Love!

Hi all! Another Impression Obsession's CHA Summer Preview for you today! All this week (18th through 24th of July), different team members will be showcasing some of IO's new designs that will soon be available... to YOU! And, you could WIN a $25 gift certificate to the IO Store! How can you win? All you have to do is leave a comment on every team member's sneak peek blog post, and the I.O blog... every day! Just visit the I.O. blog each morning for links to the posts for the day!

On to my creation!

I have to tell you, I love the charm in Gary Robert's images and this one is no exception. I am not sure if you can see this in the photo but aside from some of the fun flowers -- there are hidden images too! My daughter had a blast with this one trying to find the kitty, butterfly and turtle as I was coloring it up. This new stamp is called G1829 Mailboxes. The design here is super simple -- stamp, color with Copics (I think I used nearly every marker I had in green yellow and neutral shades), mat on decorative paper (a mix from my stash) add a vintage brad (Stampin' Up) and an embossed and sanded paper strip for a little something extra and.... done!

Want to see what some of the other IO gals whipped up? Just click HERE to travel over to the IO blog to see who else is showing off some new creations today! And, if you want to see some of the other new IO images, just click HERE to see the entire new Fall/Winter release!

I'll be back tomorrow with another set of fun and new IO images! See you then!

~Julie

A cup of cocoa for you!

Hi all! Another Impression Obsession's CHA Summer Preview for you today! All this week (18th through 24th of July), different team members will be showcasing some of IO's new designs that will soon be available... to YOU! And, you could WIN a $25 gift certificate to the IO Store! How can you win? All you have to do is leave a comment on every team member's sneak peek blog post, and the I.O blog... every day! Just visit the I.O. blog each morning for links to the posts for the day!

On to my creation!

Isn't this little cup of cocoa too yummy and cute? It's a new stamp and sentiment from Alesa Baker called E8612 Comfort Cocoa and B8613 Comforting Cocoa (sentiment). To make my card, I just stamped on white card stock, colored with Copic Markers (YG00, YG03, YG63, R27, R29, R24, E53, E0000, G21,G16, G19, E33, E37). After that, layer it up with some Bo Bunny paper (red decorative unknown), add a fun doily, some Stickles (Diamond) glitter glue, add some stitching and bling and almost done! The sentiment was put on a 1" strip that I just notched out the end with some trusty scissors. And... done!

Here's a close up of the cocoa cup so you can see a bit of the sparkle I added to the dots on my mug...
Want to see what some of the other IO gals whipped up? Just click HERE to travel over to the IO blog to see who else is showing off some new creations today! And, if you want to see some of the other new IO images, just click HERE to see the entire new Fall/Winter release!

I'll be back tomorrow with another set of fun and new IO images! See you then!

~Julie

Another Peek at New IO Stamps!

Hi all! This week (the 18th through the 24th of July) is Impression Obsession's CHA Summer Preview week of some of the New Images that will soon be available... to YOU! Each day, different team members will be showcasing new designs. And, you could WIN a $25 gift certificate to the IO Store! How can you win? All you have to do is leave a comment on every team member's sneak peek blog post, and the I.O blog... every day! Just visit the I.O. blog each morning for links to the posts for the day!

On to my creation!

I know that in many parts of the country, it's sweltering hot and dear ole Frosty here wouldn't last a minute, but isn't he the cutest thing? These are a few of the new images from Gail Green at Impression Obsession. Here's a look at the stamps I used:

G7640-Snowman with an Ornament
B5582-Believe. Wish Dream

There's not a ton to this card. I stamped the darling snowman, colored with Copic Markers (BG72, BG13, BG00, RV00, RV02, YR01, YR04, YR07, E25, E27, E33). After I was done coloring, I cut the snow guy out, matted it on decorative paper, added some stitching and then added my sentiment strip that I embellished with a button and silver cording. And... voila!

Want to see what some of the other IO gals whipped up? Just click HERE to travel over to the IO blog to see who else is showing off some new creations today! And, if you want to see some of the other new IO images, just click HERE to see the entire new Fall/Winter release!

I'll be back tomorrow with another set of fun and new IO images! See you then!

~Julie

IO Preview Week!

Hi all! This week (the 18th through the 24th of July) is Impression Obsession's CHA Summer Preview week of some of the New Images that will soon be available... to YOU! Each day, different team members will be showcasing new designs. And, you could WIN a $25 gift certificate to the IO Store! How can you win? All you have to do is leave a comment on every team member's sneak peek blog post, and the I.O blog... every day! Just visit the I.O. blog each morning for links to the posts for the day!

On to my creation!

I know this probably doesn't look like a fall card but -- the stamp I used is called D-8616 Fall's Flowers by Alesa Baker and-- I just chose to show you how versatile it is by doing it in a fun purple and teal motif! To make my creation, I simply stamped it on some white card stock using Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored it up with Copic Markers (YG13, YG03, YG00, V04, V01, BG10, BG000, BG0000, E33). I cut my flowers out using a Spellinders' Classic Oval and matted it onto a Classic Scalloped oval. The paper is a mix of scraps I found in my scrap bin. Add some scalloped edges thanks to a Grand Scalloped Circle Nestabilities die and.. almost done! I added a bow out of cotton linen ribbon, added a button and some stitching and voila!

Want to see what some of the other IO gals whipped up? Just click HERE to travel over to the IO blog to see who else is showing off some new creations today! And, if you want to see some of the other new IO images, just click HERE to see the entire new Fall/Winter release!

I'll be back tomorrow with another set of fun and new IO images! See you then!

~Julie

Birthday Box!

Hi all! I have some exciting news to share and I think this little logo above kind of gives it away! A few weeks ago, I was asked by Diana Crick (the inventor of the Scor-Pal) to join her design team!! It was an offer that I was really intrigued by! I love, love, love my Scor-pal and I think this position will really stretch me. No, I know it will!

Today, I'm going to show you a project that I whipped up for my daughter's birthday. She turned 8 on Friday and like most kids, she LOVES gift cards. It's like getting a present twice she tells me -- because you get the gift card and then.. you can shop! Here's a look below at the finished project. The box was stamped using Flourishes Make A Wish stamp set (perfect for the princesses in your life!)
Here's a peek at the box from the side so you can kind of see what it takes to make it!

To create the box, all you need to do is start with a piece of paper that measures 3-1/2" wide by 9-1/2" long. Laying this paper lengthwise on your Scor-Pal, you score at the 1-1/2"(mountain fold), 2-3/4" (valley fold), 3-1/2"(valley fold), 6"(valley fold), 6-3/4" (valley fold) and 8" (mountain fold) grooves. Take a second piece of paper cut to measure 4 by 4-7/8" and score 3/4" all around this piece. cut on one side of each cut line to create your inside box.

And, after you "line" the inside of your box and cover, this is what the inside looks like!

You can see I used an oval punch to create my "handles" on my box. I also have another trick that I used to keep the box closed.

Want to see? Before I covered the inside portion of my box with paper, I put down some BasicGrey magnets so that my box would automatically be clasped shut, protecting the gift card inside!

I also added some additional decorative paper on the outside, some stitching and also some decorative corner punces on my handle portion to finish it off! I tried to coordinate my box to THIS CARD that I had already made for my DD several weeks ago!
And here's a fun little tag that I created using an oval and scalloped oval punch!

And that, my friends is it! Hope you enjoyed this easy peasy little box that is super fun to make!! Thanks so much for stopping by! I'll see you back here soon! Tomorrow marks the beginning of Impression Obsession's sneak peeks to get ready for CHA. So.... you'll have to come on back and see what kind of fun stamps that they are about to release!

See you then!

~Julie

Project Supplies:

Stamp Set: Make A Wish, Flourishes

Scoring Tool: Scor-Pal
Paper, Flourishes Classic Ivory Card Stock, BasicGrey Sweet Threads
Copic Markers: RV32, RV02. RV00, RV0000, YG63, YG03, YG00, BG000, BG0000, C03, C00
Extras: May Arts Silver Cording, Ranger Stickles Glitter Glue in Diamond, Bo Bunny Aqua Rhinestone, Stampin Up Oval and Scalloped Oval Punch, BasicGrey Small Magnetic Snaps

Just in time!!!

Flourishes' sneek peek week always seems to fly by but today, you're just in "time" to see their FULL JULY LINE UP! That's right, all of Flourishes' stamp sets for July are now LIVE in the Flourishes store! You can CLICK HERE to see, but you'll want to hop on over to see what the rest of the Flourishes Design Team whipped up today -- these creations are truly "timeless!" Check out this new set......

This masculine, all occassion set is perfect for wishing the guys in your life a little cheer. This set penned by Lauren Pope features two beautiful main images plus a handful of accents and four elegantly scripted sentiments. It's great for birthdays, anniversaries, retirements, you name it!

On to my creation!

I have to tell you, I had fun with this one. Why? I just love the little extra elements in this set that add class. I love the damask, the Roman numerals, and the huge clock face. And so, that's what I wanted as the centerpiece. All of the elements I used to create my card are a part of a brand new 123 Create Kit called Timepiece. It features some great elements including Bo Bunny Timepiece paper, some fun sprockets, burplap string and the brown twill I used too! Here's a peek!

For my card details, I just stamped the clock face a few times (once on a dark brown and once on a medium brown paper) using Versamark ink and then embossing with detail copper embossing powder. I stamped the clock face on a lighter tan decorative paper and then paper pieced the clock together, layering as I went. I stamped the damask from the set as well as the Roman numerals for a little background drama, add some stitching and then comes the layering! The mat was created using Spellbinders Labels Thirteen (cut thanks to my Grand Calibur machine). After I was done embossing, I did sand the edges but didn't like the bright white, so I colored the white areas with Copic Marker E33 to tone it down. It almost looks like worn leather, which I thought was a fun look! Add a sentiment, and some brown twill tied with burlap string and adorned with a sprocket and... done!

Here's a close up of the clock face....
And, here's that fun sprocket!
Again, you can find all the elements HERE in the brand new 123 Create Kit called Timepiece!
Want to win this set? All you need to do is comment on all of these ladies' blogs below! Why? Because it's a little game! A game to find out.....

That means, one of these ladies will draw the lucky winner from the comments on their blog for Thursday's Sweet Nature post! So get hopping on over to see what they whipped up and leave them some love in the form of a comment -- you could win a free stamp set!

Barbara Anders
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Julie Koerber
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan
Sharon Doolittle
Jan Marie Caruso

Want a chance to win the ENTIRE FLOURISHES RELEASE FOR JULY? You have a FEW ways to win! Check out these challenges below. You have until 5PM Eastern tonight to enter..... so get creating!

Farm Fresh Challenge
Get Sketchy Challenge
Copy Cat Challenge

I should point out that ALL winners will be chosen and announced tomorrow (Saturday) in Flourishes' Winner's Circle post over on the Flourishes blog! With so many chances to win between all the challenges and our Mystery Blogger contest -- YOUR NAME could easily be on the winner's list! So, get creating!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I'll see you back here soon!
~Julie

Time for another Sneaky Peak!

Hi all and welcome to day 2 of Flourishes' fun-filled sneak peek week! If you love flowers, today's set that the Flourishes design team is showcasing is sure to make your heart skip a beat! It has beautiful elements to create even more beautiful cards! Want a peek?

Sweet Nature is a set that's actually patterned after Flourishes' ever-popular Thank You set. This gorgeous floral and script set penned by Marcella Hawley features the fizzy blossoms of Ranunculus paired with gorgeously scripted sentiments that are perfect for all occassions! As you'll see when you make the rounds to the designers' blogs, there's even a beautiful scripted accent strip to add to your stamped creations!

On to my creation!

This layout is pretty easy peasy. Not a ton to it -- just an oval cut thanks to a Classic Oval die from Spellbinders, and the Classic Scalloped Oval as well. (Both were cut thanks to my Grand Calibur machine! I love that you can cut and emboss both at the same time!) After I cut my scalloped oval, I did lightly sand the edges to reveal the paper's white core. However, the white was just a little too white. So, I went around the edges with a light rose Copic marker (R30). I liked this effect!

The beautiful Ranunculus were stamped on Flourishes Classic Ivory and colored with Copic markers. I used RV02, RV00, R35 and blended the flowers with RV0000. The stems were colored with YG63, YG03 and YG00. Then, my whole image was accented with RV00 and RV0000 and blended with a Colorless Blender. The rest is just matting it up! My paper is from the BasicGrey Sweet Threads line. And then, I added some Ivory Cotton Linen Ribbon and bling too. If you look at the right side of the card, you'll see the scripted background that is part of the stamp set. I stamped that using Memento Rich Cocoa. And...Viola! Done!

Here's a close up!

Want to win this set? All you need to do is comment on all of these ladies' blogs below! Why? Because it's a little game! A game to find out.....

That means, one of these ladies will draw the lucky winner from the comments on their blog for Thursday's Sweet Nature post! So get hopping on over to see what they whipped up and leave them some love in the form of a comment -- you could win a free stamp set!

• Barbara Anders



• Christine Okken



• Cindy Lawrence



• Danielle Kennedy



• Dawn Burnworth



• Julie Koerber -- you are here!



• Leslie Miller



• Stacy Morgan



• Sharon Doolittle



• Jan Marie Caruso

Want a chance to win the ENTIRE FLOURISHES RELEASE FOR JULY? Check back today right here on the Flourishes Blog at Noon CST for one of the daily challenges. This one will have you acting like a "Copy Cat!" So click back over at noon to see what’s in store!

FYI: All of this week’s sets will be live in the Flourishes store first thing Friday morning! If you like what you see on the designers' blogs and want the sets before they are fully released, you can pre-order! Just click HERE! We also have the New Release Bundle, which gives you all four of our stamp sets for 10% off!

Stay tuned, tomorrow’s set offers a little something for the men in your life! Who couldn't use a few more masculine images in their stamping stash? Check back tomorrow to see the next sneak peek!

~Julie

All a BUZZ!

 Flourishes is all a buzz today! Why? Well, today marks a brand new release and boy, are you going to love what they've got in store! Today all the Flourishes designers have peeks of two new sets -- one to make sweet creations and a beautiful background that is a perfect companion! Want a peek?



This beautiful and fanciful set offers a sweet look at a honey of a life as a bee. Illustrated by Marcella Hawley, this set features three main images plus little bees which serve as accents along with five fun-filled sentiments.

And, here's a look at the coordinating background!


While this whimsical background is perfect for any one of Flourishes botanicals, it was created with our new set, Bee My Honey, in mind. A gorgeously watercolored honeycomb background artistically drawn by Marcella Hawley has been put on polymer to add a beautiful accent to your stamped creations!

On to my creation!

I just love this new set. All, and I mean ALL of the images are just too darling for words. My favorite is image above -- some clover and wildflowers surrounding by buzzing bees. It's just to whimsical! To create my card, I stamped with Memento Black onto Flourishes Classic White and colored with Copics using the Crocus, Spring Greens, and Daffodil collections grouped by Flourishes. I then highlighted with marker numbers B000 and B0000. Add some glitter glue and... you're ready to mat it all up! My paper is a mix of My Mind's Eye and Sweet Threads by Basic Grey. My sentiment was matted on some punched layers and then again on a die cut shape from the Spellbinders Ribbon Tag Trio Three set. I also used the Spellbinders Labels One (both cut from my Grand Calibur!) Add some bling and ribbon and... done!

Here's a close up!

Want to win both of these sets? All you need to do is comment on all of these ladies' blogs below! One of them is our.....



That means, one of these ladies will draw the lucky winner from the comments on their blog for Wednesday's Bee My Honey/Honeycomb post! So get hopping on over to see what they whipped up and leave them some love in the form of a comment -- you could win some free stamps!

• Barbara Anders
• Christine Okken
• Cindy Lawrence
• Danielle Kennedy
• Dawn Burnworth
• Julie Koerber -- you are here!
• Leslie Miller
• Stacy Morgan
• Sharon Doolittle
• Jan Marie Caruso

Want a chance to win the ENTIRE FLOURISHES RELEASE FOR JULY?

Tune into the Flourishes Blog at Noon CST for one of the daily challenges. This one is a little sketchy! ;-) So, click back over at noon to see what’s in store!

FYI: All of this week’s sets will be live in the Flourishes store first thing Friday morning! If you like what you see on the designers' blogs and want the sets before they are fully released, you can pre-order! Just click HERE! We also have the New Release Bundle, which gives you all four of our stamp sets for 10% off!

Stay tuned, tomorrow’s set offers a gorgeous botanical that features some beautiful accents to give your cards some added drama! Be sure to stop by tomorrow to see what I have in store!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Julie

Time to "get fresh!"

Hi all! In a matter of days, (next Wednesday to be exact) the Flourishes DT and some special guests will be showing off a new crop of polymer fun fresh from Flourishes creative "garden". It's time for Flourishes July Release Sneak Peaks -- a time when Flourishes gives you a look at these new sets, and usher in some fun and games which give YOU a chance to win them! So, without further ado, check out.....

HOW TO PLAY: Not long from now, juicy and fresh produce will start to sprout and find its way to farmers' markets in every corner of America. Capture some of that farm freshness on your cards or creations. Use fruit or veggies as a focus! It's just that simple! If you upload to SCS, please use the keyword FLLCJUL11. The deadline to enter is July 15th at 5 PM Eastern. Just click HERE to find out how to enter!

On to my easy peasy creation!

Do you ever have those creative moments when you have a layout in mind. You go into your crafting space and start only to smudge ink all over, cut the only piece of decorative paper you really wanted to use crooked and then find out the layout in your head wasn't all that great? That was my experience with this creation! After fighting it for far too long, I took the whole design down to this simple layout and called it good! :-)

HERE ARE THE BASIC DETAILS: Sweet Threads and Basics Manila BasicGrey paper, some matching glazed manila brads, Copic Markers in the Green Grass, Sunflower and B0000 markers, sponged with a little Antique Linen and Vintage Photo Distress Inks, paper pierced and tied up with some fun cotton ribbon and a little sentiment tied onto my bow with some burlap string. The mat to my Sweet Pea Image (from the Garden Fresh set) is actually a Spellbinders Labels Three Nestabilities die that I cut using the Grand Calibur.

Here's a close up of the sentiment! And, it's just that easy peasy!  

If you need a little extra inspiration, be sure to hop on over and see what kind of Farm Fresh creations our DT whipped up!

Barbara Anders
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Julie Koerber
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan
Sharon Doolittle

Thanks for stopping by! I'll see you all back here soon! ;-)
~Julie