Fun things for SALE!

Hi all! In an effort to make room in my teeny weeny stamp room. I have to get rid of some STUFF (a.k.a. stamps!!!) It's good stuff and I am hoping it finds a good home! Just click HERE to take a peek. All things are priced to sell and all are in good condition! Thanks for looking!

It's a Special Day!!!

That's right - it's a special day for a special lady! Let’s light the candles and strike up the music!! The owner of Flourishes – Jan Marie Caruso – is celebrating a birthday! And... she told me it's a BIG one! She's a street legal senior citizen! LOL!

Jan Marie is one of those women that once you meet, you swear you've known her a lifetime. She's warm, gracious, creative and kind. And, her giving spirit is never outdone. I laugh because if folks knew just how much Flourishes and Jan Marie were one in the same, they'd be shocked. This lady hardly sleeps, her mind races with new ideas constantly for this company and it's always with all of YOU, her customers and friends in mind! She'll ask... "How could folks be inspired by this idea? Or this stamp set? Or this kit?" So, when we knew her birthday was coming up -- how could we not rally around this woman who rallies around others all the time? It was a no brainer!

Want to see what I cooked up?

I have to admit, I left my comfort zone a bit on this one. I hardly ever use these pearls and swirls from Zva. I have no idea why, but I can never seem to make them look like they belong on a card. I picked it up though, because when I think of Jan, I think lace, ruffles, pearls-- she loves to embellish. So... I tried to be inspired by her creative spirit even though I'm not the best at embellishing! Card Tidbits: I used one of my favorite florals -- Lenten Rose. Then, I colored this beauty with Copics and picked up these collections...

I also did something a little different with this one. Typically, when I shade an image, I used shades of grey or light blue. Well, this time, I took the lead from the Spun Sugar Distress Ink that I had sponged around my image and used the Copic Marker color R20. I liked it because it was subtle and just molded into the background instead of clashing with it. I also used the Classic Keyhole Die to cut my main panel and while the die was still on, I stamped my flowers and then sponged. I love that little ring of white left as a mask. I did some paper piercing and then... matted it all up! 

Good news... all of the items that I used to create my card, with the exception of the pearl swirls are in this month's 123 Create Kit called Bonjour! How easy is that? Want a close up? 

Oh, I almost forgot... the sentiment (which I thought was perfect for Jan's special day) is actually from Flourishes' Around the Arbor set! 

One quick note!!!In honor of Jan’s special day, the worker bees behind the scenes decided to have a COLORFUL sale to help celebrate! TODAY and TOMORROW only – all Copic Markers will be on sale 15% off. Just use the code COPIC15 in the coupon code box at the time of check out to get this fun discount!

So... help us celebrate and leave some love on Jan's blog HERE and while you are hopping around, pay a visit to the Flourishes team members who are honoring her special day! They've been very busy creating....

Barbara Anders
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Julie Koerber
Sharon Doolittle
Stacy Morgan
Tammy Hershberger
Beate Johns
Cindy Haffner
Heather Jensen
Maki Jones
Mona Pendleton
Silke Ledlow
Betty Wright
Kathy Jones
Yvonne Hagane
Pat Adam

Happy Birthday Jan! We hope your day is the absolute BEST and cheers to an even better year ahead!

One last chance!

 

Hi all and welcome to the grand finale of Flourishes' February Release! Just a note!! You have 24 hours (or less) to take advantage of our their ever-so-special New Release Bundle -- a time when you can get all three of the new sets for February at 10% off, if you purchase them in a bundle. Just click HERE to check it out!

On to my creation! I needed to create a sympathy card so naturally, I reached for Flourishes' new set Calla Lilies....

This card is pretty easy peasy! Card tidbits: I stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink on Flourishes Classic White and then reached for a few Copic Markers. Since my lilies are white - the only real coloring is on the leaves! I picked up these collections...

I also used BG0000 to highlight the shading on the lilies and after I was done, I did add some glitter glue to the centers of my flowers to add a little more pizazz! Afterward, I paired this all up with some My Mind's Eye Paper. I used the Breeze Collection. I added some nice white cotton linen ribbon, a little bling and then I matted it all up on a Classic Oval Spellbinders Nestabilities Die Cut shape and matted that onto a shape cut from a Spellbinders Labels Eighteen,  (cut thanks to my Grand Calibur). And that, my friends, is it! 

To get ready for this big finale, the design team whipped up some beautiful samples with the newly released sets! You'll have to stop on over and see.....

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

Thanks so much for stopping by! TGIF! Kids have the day off so fun is likely to be had here in my neck of the woods -- hope the same for you! :-) I'll see y'all back here soon!

~Julie

Hey there! Hi! Hello!

If you can't tell by the title, giving a little hey there or hello is the topic for one of this month's challenges for Impression Obsession! The fun starts now and runs through next Wednesday, February 22nd! Play along and you could win $25 in the Impression Obsession store! Want to find out how to play -- just visit the IO Blog! 

On to my creation!

One of the new stamp sets just released at CHA features this little lady named "Sarah!" I just love the fact that you have one main image in this clear set plus a handful of different sentiments you can use as well! You can click HERE to see for yourself! I know my card doesn't really say.. "Hello!" but come on -- this little gal is on a bike and she's ready to come for a happy little visit! :-) I think it works! 

Card tidbits: I stamped her with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and then colored my scene up with Copic markers. I used these colors - BG11, BG000, BG0000, R27, YG00, YG03, YG06, YR07, YR09, E33, E37, RV32, RV34, C00, C03 and C05.  

After I colored her up, I did add some paper piercing and some glitter on the wings of the little butterflies and on the little flowers. See? 

And I added the sentiment on a punched circle and then matted it on a Spellbinders Blossom die, added a little twine, some decorative paper from my stash, a little blue ribbon band and... voila! 

Want to see how the rest of the IO Design Team is sharing a little Hey There, Hi and Hello? Just click on over and see....
Daniela Dobson
Dina Kowal
Jeanne Streiff
Jenny Gropp
Julie Koerber -- you are here!
Laura Fulcher
Vicki Garrett

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Thursday everyone and I'll see y'all back here real soon! :-)

~Julie

Sneak Peek Day 3: He Is Risen!

Hi all and welcome to the final day of Flourishes’ Release Week! And, guess what? If you like what you’ve seen, there's good news! All three of Flourishes’ new sets for February are in the Flourishes store!! Just click HERE to see for yourself! 

Today's final set, in my humble opinion, was definitely worth the wait. If you've been searching for beautiful images and sentiments to celebrate the Easter season, look no further. Marcella Hawley has got you covered. 

Introducing.....

    

He Is Risen features a lily draped cross - a perfect image to celebrate Christ's resurrection each Easter. This illustration gorgeously drawn by Marcella Hawley not only features a beautiful cross but a single Easter Lily as well. This 4 by 6" set also features 5 beautiful sentiments perfect for this joyous religious holiday. 

On to my creation! When I first set sights on this set, I knew that I wanted to create a card that was rather simple in layout to make that cross take center stage. And so, this is what I came up with!

I stamped my image on Flourishes Classic White Card Stock using Rich Cocoa Memento Ink not once, not twice, but three times and then started to color up the main image - focusing on the leaves and cross. I used Copic markers in these collections! 

I added B60, B63 and B66 to color up the Forget-Me-Knots and also added some BG0000 to give the petals of my lilies a little extra pop. After I was done coloring, I did layer the flowers so that there are actually three layers here to give it a little extra dimension..... see? I also added some glitter glue to the flower's stamens. 

From there, matted it all up with some Basic Grey Paper, some beautiful crushed silk ribbon, and gold cording. you can see that I cut out my image using a Spellbinders Classic Oval and Grand Oval, sponging on some Scattered Straw Distress Ink while the die was still on. I also used the die as a guide for some paper piercing as well. Add a sentiment from the set on a notched tag and that, my friends, is it! 

Would you like to win the He Is Risen set? 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! The design team truly created some stunning creations with this new set...

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

DID YOU KNOW YOU COULD WIN FLOURISHES' ENTIRE FEBRUARY RELEASE?  Have you checked out the Black and White Plus 1 Challenge? Just click HERE to find out how to play! You can also play in their Noon Time Challenges! Wednesday, they unveiled their Pinter-Inspiration Challenge HERE. And, yesterday they shared the FRAMED challenge HERE!  All challenges will close TODAY at 5 PM EST! 

And, don't forget Flourishes' New Release Bundle! If you buy all three sets in a bundle, you save 10% off the price. But, this offer only lasts through next Friday, February 17th. So... you have to act fast! Just click HERE to see!

I hope you’ve enjoyed sharing a bit of creativity with the Flourishes gals this week! I sure had fun! I'll see you all back here soon. Until then, happy stamping and have a GREAT weekend! ;-)

You've been Framed! A Noon Time Challenge

It's the second day of Flourishes' sneaks and with it comes another way to win our entire February release! What fun! This time, they plan to "frame you!" Not in a CSI way, but using a frame in some way, shape or form in your card or creation! :-)

    

HOW TO PLAY: Simply use a frame - whether it be stamped or with a die cut - on your card or creation. Just that simple! Let's see that creativity flow!  If you upload to a gallery, please use the keyword FLLCFEBRW2. Entries must be in before Friday, February 10th at 5PM EST. You can click HERE for all the official rules!

Yours truly took the challenge and used one of the sets we are sneaking today called Tiny Flowers and Tags. I had an absolute blast using one of the little cherry blossoms in this set to create my framed sentiment.

This creation really was easy peasy. I used a Spellbinders Classic Oval - traced an oval on my Flourishes Classic White Card stock (using the inner frame and a pencil) and then started stamping my cherry blossoms along that line. FYI: Be sure, if you do trace the oval, to erase your pencil marks before you start coloring. You might need to heat set your ink to prevent it from smearing. I learned the hard way that pencil does not erase after you've colored over it with Copic markers! This image above is actually my second try! ;-)

When coloring, I used these collections...

Add my oval to a Spellbinders Classic Scalloped Oval (cut thanks to my Grand Calibur), mat it using some pretty decorative paper (a mix of My Mind's Eye), some beautiful May Arts velvet crochet trim, crochet lace, a crystal and... tada!!! Easy peasy lemon squeezy! 

Want to see how some of the other Flourishes Designers were "FRAMED"??? Head on over and see…

• Danielle Kennedy
• Dawn Burnworth
• Julie Koerber  -- you are here! 
• Sharon Doolittle
• Stacy Morgan

Thanks everyone for stopping by! Flourishes has one final set to sneak tomorrow that's perfect for Easter. It's a beautiful image with a religious flair that just made my jaw drop the first time I set sights on it! So, be sure to check back! Until then.... enjoy your day! Oh, and while you're hopping around seeing the other DT member's creations, please be sure to tell Dawn Burnworth Happy Birthday!!! :-)

Sneak Peek Day 2: Tiny Tags & More!

Hi all and welcome to day 2 of the Sneak Peek fun that Flourishes is ushering in for February! Wasn't yesterday's Calla Lilies set a stunner? I think so! Today's set is one that you can use for so many things. So many, that Flourishes knows there will surely be creative surprises down the road!


Introducing...

Tiny Flowers and Tags is a fun set with endless opportunities! Create Borders, frames, corners and more! This set offers -- get ready for this --  28 little images and 15 sentiments perfect to send along mini messages to anyone and everyone! And, what's better? Flourishes has a fun addition that makes this set even more well rounded. They've added another die set to their Tailor-Made Die Collection. Want to see?

These Flourishes Tailor-made Dies-- called Classic Tags -- are custom creations that measure 1-1/2" square or less and are manufactured by Spellbinders Paper Arts. What does that mean? A quality die set that not only cuts but embosses as well! Each and every image in Tiny Flowers and Tags fits inside these little tags allowing you to create floral adornments or pint-sized greetings in a jiffy!

On to my creation! When I saw these tiny flowers and sentiments, I knew that I wanted to create a smaller card to truly focus on these little beauties! So, I picked a 4" by 4" square card and some old Jenni Bowlin paper that was still in my stash....

To create my floral frame, I stamped a rose and a leaf  from the set on a post-it note and then used that multiple times as a mask. To make sure my image was indeed a circle, I did trace (with pencil) the internal frame from a Spellbinders Classic Circle die. After I was done, I colored up my image with Copic Markers and used these collections...

I also highlighted around my flowers with the marker BG0000. I cut out my image using a Spellbinders Classic Circle Die (cut thanks to my Grand Calibur). While the die was still on, I sponged on some Antique Linen Distress Ink and then paper pierced around the frame. I matted my image on a doily, added some pretty May Arts ribbon and a little bling and... almost done! I used the new Classic Tags die to create my little floral tag! I think these little tag dies are toooooo cute! I know I will get a ton of use out of them because I absolutely love mini messages!

Here's a close up!

And that, my friends, is it!  Would you like to win the Tiny Flowers and Tags AND our new Classic Tags Die Set? 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! I have to say that the Design Team was on overdrive with this brand new set, so you'll have to hop over and see for yourself!

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

DID YOU KNOW YOU COULD WIN FLOURISHES ENTIRE FEBRUARY RELEASE? 
Have you checked out the Black and White Plus 1 Challenge? Just click HERE to find out how to play! You can also play in theNoon Time Challenges! Yesterday Flourishes unveiled their Pinter-Inspiration Challenge HERE. And, you can tune in today -- over on the Flourishes Blog -- for another fast-paced noon time challenge that will give you yet one more chance to win!  All challenges will close this Friday at 5 PM EST and winners will be announced Saturday in our Winner’s Circle blog post! So get those fingers inky and good luck! See you back here at Noon!

Sneak Peak Day 1:Lilies in Bloom!

Gosh, it's hard to believe that I am here again with a brand new Flourishes release! But, how exciting! This month, I will be sharing a mix of new stamp sets that are sure to be welcome additions to any stamper's stash! This first set that the ever-so-talented design team is showing off is one that is long overdue for Flourishes. They've gotten request after request for a set to send condolences and notes of sympathy. And this set not only delivers some beautiful sentiments, but some beautiful images as well.

Introducing....

Calla lilies in bloom and a trio of fresh cut blossoms draped with an elegant ribbon - those images take center stage in this beautifully illustrated set from Marcella Hawley. Pair these images up with seven beautifully scripted sentiments for those times when you want to let a friend or loved one know you care.

On to my creation!

I have to say that to create my card, all of the items used are a part of a brand new 123 Create Kit called Bonjour! This kit offers botanical bliss with a french flair. It features a 6 by 6" Kaisercraft Bonjour paper pack, a pack of coordinating jewels, 1 pack of jeweled vintage brads, 1 yard of 5/8" wide green crochet lace, 1 yard of crushed silk ribbon in champagne color, and 1 yard of pink sheer ruffled ribbon. 

Here's a look!

Card tidbits: I stamped on Flourishes Classic White using Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and then let the fun begin by picking up my Copic Markers. I used these collections...

Few more tidbits! I stamped my sentiment (from the set) in the lower right corner, I embossed the edges of my main polka dot panel using my Scor-Buddy and then sanded the raised edges.After I was done coloring, I did cut using a Spellbinders Petite Ovals Nestabilites and Labels Eighteen die, (cut thanks to my Grand Calibur).  After I was done cutting and embossing, I did sponge some Spun Sugar Distress Ink on my oval panel and then sanded the embossed edges of my mat. I also added a bit of razzle dazzle with some glitter glue. See?  

And that, my friends, is it! 

Would you like to win the Calla Lilies  set? 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, what are you waiting for? Hop on over and see.....

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

  DID YOU KNOW YOU COULD WIN FLOURISHES' ENTIRE FEBRUARY RELEASE?  Have you checked out their Black and White Plus 1 Challenge? Just click HERE to find out how to play! You can also play in the Noon Time Challenges! Be sure to tune in today and tomorrow at noon over on the Flourishes' Blog for two more fast paced ways to win!  All challenges will close this Friday at 5 PM EST! So get those fingers inky and good luck!

  
  

  I'll be back tomorrow with another sneaky peek and this one is downright fun with sooooo many options for creativity! So... be sure to check back and see what I have in store! ;-)

A little pop of color!

Hi all! If you're anything like me, the countdown for spring has officially begun! But, I have some good news for you! You won't have to wait that long for some new images from Flourishes that are fresh for spring. The fun starts next Wednesday with a brand new release! The DT will have tons of peaks from Wednesday through Friday that are sure to inspire!

To get ready, the DT is ushering in a little challenge to not only get your creative juices flowing, but to give you a chance to WIN Flourishes' entire February release! On to the challenge.... 

HOW TO PLAY:  To play, the challenge is as simple as it sounds -- use black and white with a pop of just one color. Just that simple! You have until February 10th at 5PM EST to get in the running! Use Flourishes stamps if you have them, but if you don't, play along anyway, you could win some! The winner will receive all three sets that are a part of Flourishes' newest release! If you upload to Splitcoaststampers, don't forget to use the keyword FLLCFEB12. Click HERE for all the official rules! ;-)


On to my creation....

Pin It

When I heard the challenge was black and white with a pop of color, I knew I wanted to color everything but my flowers in grey tones. I thought it would really help things POP! So, after stamping my flower from the Sweet Nature set in Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Flourishes Classic White, I colored with just a few Copic Markers! I used the Poppy and Cool Neutrals collections grouped by Flourishes. 

After I was finished stamping and coloring, I paper pierced and decided my image needed a little more "oomph!" So, I decided to run my image through my Grand Calibur with one of Flourishes brand new embossing folders. This one is called Brocade.  Afterward, I did sponge on some London Fog ink on it to make the embossed areas stand out a bit more. Matting it all up was easy with the help of some BasicGrey Basic White (I stamped the background strip from the Sweet Nature set on this piece). The rest is from BasicGrey's Little Black Dress collection. The ribbon is THIS fun wrinkled black ribbon. The sentiment is actually from Flourishes Zinnia set. And.... here's a close up! 

And that, my friends, is it! Need some inspiration? Be sure to hop on over to our DT member's blogs to see what fun they whipped up using B and W plus 1!

• 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 some fun plans set for this weekend! See you back here soon!

~Julie

Want to win some IO goodies?

Hi all and welcome to the FINAL day of Impression Obsession's DT and FAN BLOG HOP! It started Monday and wraps today as a way to show off some of the new goodies that are now on the Impression Obsession store!  So, what is this hop all about? Well, each day the IO DT shows off some new stamps and you could win a $25 gift certificate each and every day!! All you need to do is leave some love in the form of a comment on each of the designers' blogs! You can click here to head on over to the IO Blog to find out all the details!

On to my creation! 

This beauty of a stamp is called Five Roses from Leigh Hannan. I love the clean lines and the way these little flowers are reaching in different directions! Card Tidbits: I stamped using Memento Tuxedo Black ink and then colored my image up with Copic Markers. I used YG00, YG03, YG06, R81, R83 and R85. The sentiment is simply called Hugs and I really think it's perfect for so many occasions. The paper is My Mind's Eye Vanity Fair. The ribbon is from Michaels. I did use Spellbinders Grand Oval Nestabilities and Grand Scalloped Oval Nestabilities dies for my image and mat (cut thanks to my Grand Calibur). And that, my friends, is it!

Want to try to get your hands on some fun new images? Just hop on over and see these ladies and be sure to leave some love in the form of a comment!

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

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you had fun seeing some of the new goodies this week! Have a fun and fabulous weekend!
~Julie