Snowy Window Tutorial

Hi all and happy Friday!  It's a Flourishes Free for All Friday, which means all the Flourishes gals have some eye candy for you to see using some of Flourishes newly released sets! Hope you've had a wonderful week and are looking forward to the weekend ahead! I know I will be -- even though it's supposed to snow here... :-)

Speaking of snow, I have a fun tutorial to share today that's easy peasy to do and creates a fun and sparkly look --- just in time for winter! So, let's get started! This is what we are creating below, a snowy little window that's full of glitz!

It's hard to take a picture with glitter, let me tell you! You can actually see my stamped image through the snowy window a lot better in real life but you get the gist -this technique is perfect for Flourishes brand new set called Joy Is In the Air! 

So these are the supplies you start with, a piece of paper with a circle punched out, creating a window, some clear packing tape and some detail glitter. I used some that I've had in my stock for years but Flourishes actually has some new ultra fine glitter that's to die for HERE! 

Start by covering your cut out circle with some packing tape. 

Then, let the fun begin by sprinkling the tacky side with the glitter.

After you shake off the excess, this is what your card front will look like! 

From here, I used some fun snowflake style paper from Prima's North Country paper pack! I used a larger shape from Spellbinders Classic Circle Dies to create the window on that piece (cut thanks to my Grand Calibur)!

Before I attached this to my card front, I did cut a circle in my card front and then, using a pencil - I drew where the hole in my card front would hit. This way, I knew where to stamp my snow globe so that it would peek through the window. Keep in mind, I probably made my card a little more complicated than it needed to be. My card front is three layers and really, It could have been two - one hole through the front of my card, one hole through my layer on the front with the packing tape sandwiched between the two. 

I stamped the snowglobe smack dab in the middle of the penciled circle using Memento Tuxedo Black ink, added my snow scene, colored it up and then added a sentiment! I used Copics to color and used a mix of these collections! 

Here's a peek at the finished product, complete with even more glitter to accent the snow. This is the inside of my card. You can see, I used one of the sentiments from the new set called Sentimental Christmas below my snowy globe. 

This is what my card looks like unfolded a bit -- You can see I added some fun embellishments -  Sparklets, bright red crushed ribbon and some fun patterned red paper from my stash! 

And, here's one last peek at my image through the snowy window! 

I have to say, this was a blast to make -- however -- I have glitter everywhere! ;-) 

I hope you hop around and check out what some of the other Flourishes gals whipped up this week! Also, this is the last day to take advantage of Flourishes New Release Bundle -- 10% off all new release sets if you buy them in a bundle. You can check out that fabulous deal HERE! 

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

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a great weekend and I'll see you back here soon! 

~ Julie

No Pattern Paper Please!

Hi all! Today the Impression Obsession gals are ushering in another fun-filled challenge and this one was a rough one for me -- the challenge? You can't use patterned paper! Not one scrap, not one itty bitty piece, nothing! So, into my bag of tricks I reached! Before I get started, you can read up on this week's challenge by clicking HERE! Winner gets a $25 gift certificate to the IO store!

On to not one, but two creations! My first card uses a stamp set that I have been meaning to get inky. For those of you that know me, you KNOW I love my java! I love it too much probably! So, this Zenspirations set called Espresso Yourself was calling my name!

You can see, it's just a mix of brown, tan and ivory papers - on the long tan piece, I did stamp one of the background strips from this set called Reindeer Games because I really liked those swooshes and swirls! Add a strip from the set down the side in brown in, color up the hearts with red marker and the basics are there! The cup was stamped with Rich Cocoa Memento ink and colored with just a few Copic Markers, E27, Y21, R39, R35 and R30. Just that simple! Add a bow and a little sentiment from the set and.... ta da! 

My second card is literally a 10 minute or less card that I thought was fun for the holidays -- easy to mass produce! 

I used Brilliance Pearlescent Sky Blue and one of the Cover-A-Card stamps called Cover-a-Card Birch - mat it up on some pearl card stock, add some sparkly ribbon and bling and almost done! The sentiment -- All is Calm --  was cut thanks to a Spellbinders Labels Twenty Three (and my Grand Calibur). You can see that I also added some glitz to the areas of the image where snow was falling. I wanted it to sparkle! Pretty easy peasy!

And that, my friends, is it! You'll have to make the rounds to see what the other fabulous IO designers whipped up with this fun challenge!

Daniela Dobson
Deborah March
Dina Kowal
Jeanne Streiff
Jenny Gropp
Julie Koerber
Laura Fulcher
Vicki Garrett


Thanks for stopping by! I'll see you back here soon. Until then, have a good one!
~Julie

Flourishes Grand Finale!

Hi all and welcome to the Grand Finale of Flourishes' November Release! The good  news? All four of their brand new sets are now LIVE in the store! So you can click HERE to see them all in their full glory! Today’s last hop involves a set that brings reverence to our holidays, with the birth of a tiny child...

Introducing....

   

The First Noel offers a peaceful look at the birth of a Savior in a beautiful silhouette form. Illustrated by Lauren Pope, this 4 by 6" set offers one main image, plus three sentiments that are coordinate perfectly.

On to my creation! I have to say, I love how easy you can create cards with Lauren's silhouette sets. You just stamp, and let the layout and the image do the talking!

To create this card, all I did was stamp my image on some decorative paper, cut it out, add some accents with the help of a white gel pen and I was almost done! I love the tag sentiment since it picks up the same feel as the star on the image. I used the Spellbinders Holiday Tags and the sentiment from Flourishes' Paperwhites set. Add some silver cording and a Sparklet (that I colored to match my paper thanks to some Copic markers) and... done! 

Here's a peek at the sentiment on the inside that is also a part of The First Noel set! 

And that, my friends, is it!


Would you like to win this set? Well, it’s as easy as leaving a comment on one of these fine ladies’ blogs below! Why? Well, you have to guess….

   

 One of the ladies on our link list below will be picking a name from the comments on her blog post today. We don’t know which one it is… so the more blogs you leave comments on, the more chances you have to win! So, head on over and see how our fabulously talented DT used this beautifully serene set to honor the true meaning of Christmas!

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

Did you see Flourishes just released a brand new kit? It's a 123 Create Kit called December 25th and it's a kit with rich hues of red, amber and green. It's a classic that would surely made lovely Christmas cards. Take a peek below or click HERE to check it out in the store!

And, one last note! Time is running out to win FLOURISHES ENTIRE RELEASE! Check out the Flourishes blog HERE for all the details in today's post!

I hope you’ve had as much fun as I have this week and that seeing some new goodies sparked some creative inspiration in your own stamping space! Take care all and have a fun-filled and creative weekend!

Another Sneaky Peek!

Hi all and welcome to day three of Flourishes ever-so-festive sneak peek week -- one full of Christmas joy and wonder!  Today offers a look at one of the season's favorites. Don't we all have memories of shaking up this little beauty below and watch the sparkly snow fly?

Introducing....

This new set, Joy Is In The Air, penned by Marcella Hawley is the perfect winter and Christmastime scene setter. It's full of whimsy and you have got to love Marcella's take on these images! They are so sweetly drawn, not to mention, each of the vignettes set perfectly into the classic snow globe for mix and match, creative fun! This 4 by 6" set offers four main images and one beautifully scripted sentiment to match.

On to my creation!

I just loved Marcella's version of Santa, right there up on the rooftop! I stamped him in the snowglobe with Tuxedo Black Memento on Flourishes Classic White and then colored up the image with bunches of Copic markers! Here's a peek at the Copic Collections that I used...

And here's a peek... you can see how all those colors worked into this image. I added some sparkle with the help of some glitter glue. Add some gold stitching, some green seam binding and of course, the sentiment from the set adorned with a fun little red rhinestone! The paper is a mix of BasicGrey and Webster's Pages. 

And that, my friends, is it! Want to win this set? Be sure to hop on over to the blogs below. Why? Because it is one big guessing game and you need to figure out….

 

One of the lovely ladies on our blog list below will be picking a name from the comments on her blog post today. We don’t know which one it is… so the more blogs you leave comments on, the more chances you have to win! So, head on over and see how our fabulously talented DT used this whimsical set that captures a bit of the joy and wonder of the holiday season!

Barbara Anders
Julie Koerber
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Stacy Morgan
Tammy Hershberger
Sharon Doolittle
Jan Marie Caruso 
Heather Jensen 
Beate Johns 
Cindy Haffner

Did you know there are a handful of ways that you could win OUR ENTIRE NOVEMBER RELEASE? Be sure to check out our Snowy Delights challenge HERE. You can also play in our Noon Time Challenges. Did you see the Tag You're It Challenge we posted yesterday at noon? Click HERE to check it out! And, be sure to click back today at noon when Flourishes has another fun-filled challenge heading your way!

Can’t wait until all of Flourishes' sets are revealed Friday morning? Well, you can pre-order them now if you like what you see on our designers’ blogs! Just click HERE. You’ll also see that we are offering our special New Release Bundle again – 10% off if you purchase all four sets in one bundle!

Thanks all for stopping by! I'll see you back here tomorrow for another peek at what's new at Flourishes!

It's Flourishes Sneak Peek Week!

Hi all! It's sneak peek week at Flourishes! Yesterday, the Timeless Tuesday gals kicked off the first sneak peek of the new set Sentimental Christmas and a fun-filled challenge. Today, the Flourishes DT is showing off a brand new set and a super exciting addition to the Flourishes line up!! Are you ready? Flourishes now has custom dies! We are sure you'll love the elegant feel of what's on tap today!

  

Flourishes' newest set Petals and Peace  offers an elegant window into the holidays with a classic and beautiful collage of images ready to take center stage on your cards or creations -- an Amaryllis paired with a musical score and jingle bells or a bouquet of winter roses surrounded by pine boughs. Just beautiful!  Use these images with Flourishes' Tailor-made Classic Keyhole Template Die for a perfectly cut and embossed image every time! This set's sentiments even fit perfectly in the die set's word window!

   

These custom dies are manufactured by Spellbinders Paper Arts -- the best in the industry! Keep in mind, the new Classic Keyhole Template Die coordinates perfectly with our Petals and Peace set, but that's not the only stamp set we have planned to match this one-of-a-kind die! You'll have to stay tuned!

On to my creation! Since the Tailor-made die is something new, I wanted to show you all how easy it is to use! I stamped my image first on Classic White and then.... see how perfectly this shape fits inside the die? It's so easy to line up your art!

 From there, I embossed and picked up my Copic Markers to color my image up!

I used these Copic collections...

On the bells, I did add Y25 and Y28 to make the jingle bells look gold. 

After coloring up my image, I stamped, colored and cut out some of the holly leaves from the Doves In Holly set, added some metallic ribbon and secured it to my image with a glue dot. 

Add a sentiment stamped inside the die's word window, attach with some glue dots and add some sparkle with the help of some red rhinestones and.... ta da!!!

And that, my friends,is it! a nice wine tag adorning a bottle of wine that hubby and I can take to a friends' house for a holiday dinner! 

Want to win this set and matching die? All you need to do is leave some love in the form of a comment on the blogs below! Why? You need to try to figure out.....

 

One of the ladies on our link list below will be picking a name from the comments on her blog post today. We don’t know which one it is… so the more blogs you leave comments on, the more chances you have to win! So, head on over and see how our fabulously talented DT used this beautiful new set and matching die combo that is sure to be a holiday fave for years to come!

Barbara Anders
Julie Koerber
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Stacy Morgan
Tammy Hershberger
Sharon Doolittle 
Heather Jensen
Beate Johns
Cindy Haffner
Jan Marie Caruso

DID YOU KNOW YOU COULD WIN FLOURISHES ENTIRE NOVEMBER RELEASE?   Just click HERE for Flourishes Snowy Delights Challenge! You can also play in Flourishes' Noon Time Challenges. Today and tomorrow at noon, Flourishes will have special, fast-paced challenges designed to spark creativity and give you a few more chances to win some wonderful goodies! (My creation today is actually a hint for today's challenge!) Just click on the Flourishes blog after noon CST to see for yourself!

AND... If you like what you see on the designers’ blogs... just click HERE!  You can actually pre-order these sets now! You’ll also see that Flourishes is offering our special New Release Bundle again – 10% off if you purchase all four stamp sets in one bundle!

Stop back by tomorrow for the next big peek! It's a great mix and match set that is full of joy and wonder!

See you back here soon!
~Julie

Let it Snow!

It's hard to believe, but it's that time again... time for another Flourishes release full of creative fun! To get ready, the Flourishes Design Team is offering up a fun-filled challenge and the winner walks away with the entire November Release! So, without further ado....

HOW TO PLAY: It sparkles, shines and glistens on the landscape. Let's capture some of that snowy sparkle on our cards or creations! Use glitter, Flower Soft, or any kind of bling that offers up a snowy feel! If you use a gallery with a keyword, please use FLLCNOV11. And remember to link up HERE over on the Flourishes blog using the inlinkz widget in order to be in the running! You have until November 11th at 5PM EST to enter -- so let's get creative and make up some snowy delights!

On to my creation! I have to say, I used last week's Mojo Monday sketch as a starting point for my creation! Love those sketches....

I needed to get a thank you card made and so I took this opportunity to think a little bit out of the box and focus on the color and glitz instead of trying to use a "snowy" image! I hadn't picked up my Butterflies and Blossoms stamp set lately and that is honestly one of my favorite Flourishes sets! I stamped using a discontinued ink color from Close to My Heart (Sorry, it was the only one that matched my paper!) and mixed and matched some paper. Some dp is from my stash, other is a part of the My Mind's Eye Breeze paper pack. Add some silver leaf pen, some stitching, some paper piercing and you're almost there! I added some glitter glue to my butterflies and popped them up by stamping twice, cutting and then using glue dots to attach. Add in some Crystal Sparklets, some iridescent ribbon and... ta da!! 

Here's a close up of the tag. Honestly, it's not blank! I just chose a really faint ink and man, was it hard to photograph! It says... Thank You.



And that, my friends, is it! Need a little inspiration to get you started? You'll have to hop on over and see what our DT whipped up! I know you won't be sorry you visited! :-)

Barbara Anders
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Dawn Burnworth
Danielle Kennedy
Julie Koerber -- you are here!
Stacy Morgan
Tammy Hershberger
Sharon Doolittle

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a fun and restful weekend ahead! I'll be back soon with some new inspiration to share..... so stay tuned. ;-)

~Julie

Snow Much Fun

Hi all and welcome to another fun-filled IODT challenge and this one is Snow Much FUN! Did you get your clue? That's right, you need to make SNOW your focus! The challenge starts now and runs through next Wednesday, November the 9th. All you need to do is pick up your Impression Obsession stamps and get creative! Want to read up on the challenge? Just click HERE to learn all about it!

On to my creation!

I just think this image is so fun. A snowflake covered cupcake? Looks delish to me! I used the stamp Snowflake Cupcake (love how that rhymes!) and I colored it up with Copic markers. I used the colors B000, B000) to highlight around my image and color the flakes. I used C00, C03, and C05 for the base of my cupcake, E27, E25 and E33 for the cake and the frosting was colored with E50 and E53. Add some sparkle with the help of a gel pen and you're almost done! I did a patchwork effect with some decorative paper and then some paper piercing, add some shimmery ribbon, some bling, and a Spellbinders Classic Oval die shape and Spellbinders Scalloped Oval for my image (cut thanks to my Grand Calibur machine). I also used the die as a guide and paper pierced around that as well.  The sentiment is called Celebrate Joyfully. Easy peasy lemon squeezy, right? I think so!

You'll have to hop on over to see what the rest of the IO DT whipped up for this challenge. I am absolutely sure that there is eye candy and inspiration galore!

Deborah March
Dina Kowal
Jeanne Streiff
Jenny Gropp
Julie Koerber -- you are here!
Laura Fulcher
Vicki Garrett
Daniela Dobson

Thanks so much for stopping by! Sorry so short, kiddos are home from school and fun is to be had! I will be back tomorrow with some more snowy delights, so be sure to tune back in! Have a fabulous Thursday!

~Julie

A little Bo Bunny/Scor-Pal Treat!

Hi all! This week Scor-Pal is teaming up with Bo-Bunny to share some projects using these two fabulous products together! Since I am using Bo Bunny's paper line Father Christmas, I thought I'd whip up a project that would be perfect as a little hostess gift or accent for your home!

So, let's get started! I wanted to create some Christmas coasters and a little coaster stand to hold them in. I started with these round coasters that I found in the dollar bin at Michaels.

I'll admit, they are pretty as is -- but mine will take on more of a Christmas flair! I started by making my holder. Take a piece of paper (Bo Bunny Wine Dot) that measures 5-1/2" by 10-1/2" and score 1/2" on each side lengthwise.

Flip your paper 90 degrees and then score at 2-1/2", 4-1/2", 5-1/2" and 8". 

Fold each side in, and fold along all lines (valley folds). You can see below that I added some 1/4" Scor-Tape so that the two outside sections could be folded in. 

After you fold both of those sections in, flip your polka dot paper over and add some Scor-Tape to the 1" base section. To create my coaster holder, I also created a cummerbund and base. The cummerbund section was created with a 1-1/2" by 11-1/2" strip of green polka dot paper. It was scored at 1/2", 5" and 6" and 1o-1/2".  I secured on the side with some Scor-Tape. I also created a base for my coaster holder to sit on by covering a 4-1/2" by 2" piece of chipboard with this beautiful striped decorative paper (Bo Bunny Father Christmas Stripe).

 And, this is what it looks like when you put it all together!

Add a Layered Chipboard sticker from the collection to spruce up the front and this part of the project is done! I have to say, I love how the rhinestones are already attached to these stickers -- makes it so easy!

The next part was making my coasters more festive! I covered each with a different paper from the Father Christmas collection and secured to my round coasters with the help of some Modge Podge. 

And, here's a peek at all five done! You can see that I layered pieces and parts from different papers to give it more pizazz and really give it that decoupaged look. I just love the classic lines of these papers -- it creates a truly vintage look, don't you think?

Add the coasters to the cute little holder and.... voila! 

Be sure to join the rest of the Scor-Pal DT this week as they share more inspiring projects with the Scor-Pal and some really pretty Bo-Bunny papers and embellishments! All you need to do is just click HERE to check out all the creative inspiration!

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


~Julie