From the Garden Blog Hop!

With garden time almost here for most of the U.S., we thought we’d share a little flavor of the season by showing off one of our “oldie but goodie” sets that honors this time of year! The set is called From the Garden and the entire design team used this set for their fun-filled Friday creations!  

On to my creations! I have to say I was inspired by two Flourishes gals this week! First, Cindy's Tutorial HERE on how to use the new Letraset Aqua markers made me want to give them a try! And Jan's tutorial HERE made me see the value in taking a simple design, and mass producing. 

So, I started with a VERY simple sketch. I wanted something that wouldn't take that long to create but still have some flair. So, this is what I came up with!

And here's a peek at card number 1! I used the petunias in the From the Garden set and some of the Bo Bunny Garden Girl paper. While this paper was from a kit, Flourishes still has some of that spunky card stock in the store that is perfect for this time of year - it's in bright and bold colors perfect for spring and summer! You can check it out HERE! After stamping my flowers (on all cards) with Versafine Sepia ink and heat setting, I let the watercolor fun begin! 

For the card above, I used Mahogany for the flower pot (being careful not to be too heavy handed and then blend with a water brush), the leaves were a mix of Spring Green and Fern Green and then the petals were done with Mauve and Royal Purple. 

For card 2, I used Rose Carmine for the petals, Mahogany for the pot and Bamboo for the greenery. On this creation, I used the Garden Girl paper with some Memory Box Valise and an older discontinued Memory Box paper that Flourishes used to carry. 

And for card three... I used Mahogany on the pot, Spring and Fern Green on the leaves and a mix of Cherry Blossom and Flamingo Pink for the petals. The paper on this last card was a bit from my stash, so I am not 100% certain what it is. :-(

And here's a peek at all three! They are ready to go -- to give for all occasions or to group and give as a set!  

The fun news? To honor gardens far and wide, you can get your green thumbs on our From the Garden set for 10% off through the weekend! So, hop on over to see what the Design Team created, be inspired, and then pick up your own set to create with at a discount!!  Sounds like a great idea to me! So, what are you waiting for! Head on over and see…….

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

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

IO DT Thursday

Hi all and Happy Thursday! Yours truly is hosting DT Thursday over on the Impression Obsession blog and so... I'm sharing one of my creations and if you stick around til the end of this post --- there is some fun blog candy on the line! 

For Winter CHA, IO released a darling dog stamp that resonated with my family. Why? The pup in the stamp looked just like our family dog, Maggie! So... check out my creation!

I wanted to create a card with country charm and really make this old cow dog sing! So, after stamping, I colored with grey tone Copic markers and then highlighted with some light blue to make my pup stand out a bit more. This stamp is called Border Collie Herding. I thought it would be fun to pair this image up with a fun sentiment and so I used Every Day With You.  If I did this card all over again, it might have been fun to add a small dog treat to the card-- LOL! Just kidding! My dog would end up eating it off the card. ;-) I added some gingham style paper that I edged with pinking shears, and some distressed looking designer paper, a star button and some twine and.. ta da! Done! 

Funny and true story - after my 8-year-old daughter saw this stamp she asked to borrow it one day. I didn't really know what she was up to but thought I'd give her some space. Well, the next day when I went to feed our dog, this is what I found! I cracked up! 

And... just to give you a peek at our pup, here she is. I have to say, she HATES getting her picture taken and always looks terrified and has her ears down as if to say - "What are you doing to me???"

Funny dog! Ok.. moving on to some fun! Would you like to win some fun candy courtesy of Impression Obsession???

Just leave a comment on this post and I'll draw a winner next Thursday when I will be back with another IO DT Challenge! The winner gets all four of these fun sets! 

I'll be back tomorrow with some more fun -- so be sure to tune back in! I'll see you then!

~Julie

Hello Baby!

Hi all! Since it's the Friday after Flourishes' release - the DT loves to show off another creation with the new sets and we just have a bit of a free for all! And, today is no exception! It's also the last day for the New Release Bundle - a time when you can pick up all four new sets at 10% off when you purchase them together in a bundle.

So... moving on to my creation! This card really couldn't get much simpler and I love that because it seems we always need to make those special occassion cards in a jiffy! All I did was pick up the My Mind's Eye Howdy Doody paper pack (it's in this month's 123 Create Kit!).

For starters, I stamped the onsie three times on different coordinating card stock using Tuxedo Black Memento Ink. This set is called Hello Baby! and I just think the images in this set are really.... the sweetest! Ok, moving on... I picked three sentiments from the set and stamped them on each of the onsies. Cut them out and attach them with foam tape to the front panel of a card that's been decked out in different punched and stitched layers of the same paper. Add a fun cotton linen pink ribbon and of course ... a button.. and voila! Quick and easy baby card in a flash! 

Here's a close up!

You'll have to check and see what the other gals created this Friday! So, head on over and see....

Barbara Anders  

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Danielle Kennedy

Dawn Burnworth

Jan Marie Caruso

Julie Koerber

Sharon Doolittle

Stacy Morgan

Tammy Hershberger  

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you all have fun weekend plans and can steal away for some fun creativity yourself! TGIF!

How about a little Flower Power!

Being that it is spring and the flowers are about to sprout left and right, Impression Obsession is capturing this time of year by ushering in a fun-filled Flower Power Challenge! So, grab those IO stamps and join us! You can click HERE for all the official details. I do know there is a $25 gift certificate on the line if your name is the lucky one that's drawn! 

On to my creation! 

I used Poppy Love and Poppy Love 2 for the main images on my card front and the stamp Bloom for the sentiment. I hoped that by masking and stamping, it would look like a group of poppies just reaching their "faces" to the sun! To color, I just stamped using Memento Tuxedo Black, then grabbed my Copic Markers and used R14, R24, R35, R01, G40, G43, and G46. I used Spellbinders Labels Twenty Three  (cut thanks to my Grand Calibur) to cut out my image and then, while the die was still on, sponged some Distress Scattered Straw ink over top. Add a black ribbon, some bling and some fun BasicGrey paper (Little Black Dress) and... ta da! Just that simple!

The whole design team decided to take the Flower Power Challenge so you'll have to head on over and see...

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

Thanks folks for stopping by! Hope your week is shaping up nicely! Mine has been a blur... haven't even had tons of time to create. I know. I know -- that's tragic!! :-) See you back here soon! 

Stamping on Canvas Tutorial

Hi all! I have a fun tutorial today over on the Flourishes Blog HERE showing how to stamp successfully on canvas. Below is the finished result -- so hop on over by clicking on the link and see what I whipped up!

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Monday! :-)

~Julie

The Flourishes Sneak Peek Wrap Up!

Hi all and welcome to the final day of Flourishes’ Release Week! And, guess what? If you like what you’ve seen this week, I’m happy to report that all four new sets for April are in the Flourishes store!! Just click HERE to see for yourself!

Are you ready to see the last set being revealed today? It’s a sweet set that's perfect for any new bundle of joy in your life.

A baby is a blessing! So, why not use this darling called Hello Baby to welcome that new little person in your life! This set features three main images plus  a series of mix and match sentiments. What's even more fun is -- some of the sentiments are designed to be stamped on the baby onsie, allowing you to create a customized card for a newborn boy or girl!

On to my creation!

To create this card was simple. I actually liked the layout of the card I made yesterday HERE and without even realizing it - I basically made the same layout - only I flipped it! Isn't our subconscious a funny thing? 

I stamped using Tuxedo Black Memento and then picked up my Copics to color. You can see in the background that I did sponge some Summer Sky Memento ink to create my blue sky! I used these Copic Collections:

And, here's a closeup....

Other card details... I used some pleated ivory trim, ivory cotton ribbon, some Miss Nelly and Happy Travels decorative paper packs.  The center image was created using Spellbinders Classic Oval and Labels Ten dies, cut thanks to my Grand Calibur. And that, my friends, is it!

Would you like to win the Hello Baby 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! What are you waiting for? Hope on over to their blogs now! :-)

SENIOR DESIGN TEAM

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

FRIENDS OF FLOURISHES TEAM

• Beate Johns
• Amanda Havon
• Mona Pendleton

DID YOU KNOW YOU COULD WIN FLOURISHES' ENTIRE APRIL RELEASE? 
Have you checked out our Motherly Love Challenge? Just click HERE to find out how to play! You can also play in our Noon Time Challenges! Wednesday, we brought you the Lovely in Lace Challenge HERE. And, yesterday we ushered in the Bookworm Challenge! All challenges will close TODAY at 5 PM EST!  

And, don’t forget the New Release Bundle! If you buy all four sets in a bundle, you save 10% off the price. But, this offer only lasts through next Friday, April 30. So… you have to act fast! Just click HERE to see!

I hope you’ve enjoyed sharing a bit of creativity with me this week! I have some fun brewing in my craft room so -- I'm sure I'll see y'all back here real soon! ;-) Have a fabulous weekend!!

Flourishes Sneaks Day 2: Botanical Bookplates 2!

Hi all! It's day two of  Flourishes' April release and I have some news for those of you that fell in love with their Botanical Blossoms 1 set released last month! That set has a "sister!" Wait until you meet....

Pansies and Lily of the Valley as beautiful as those in real life! That's what you get when you ink up this new set Botanical Bookplates 2, illustrated by Marcella Hawley. Another fun fact? Botanical Bookplates Vol. 2 was designed to match Flourishes' Tailor-made Classic Bookplate Die for a perfectly cut and embossed image each and every time! 

   

On to my creation! I have to say, I adore Marcella's style of drawing and when I first laid eyes on her version of a Lily of the Valley, I just swooned. Lily of the Valley grew all behind my house when I was growing up and if I close my eyes, I can not only see these beautiful flowers again but I can smell their sweet fragrance!

To create my card was rather easy, thanks to Flourishes brand new 123 Create Kit called Howdy Doody. Here's a peek! Isn't this full of country charm? I think so! You can see all this kit has to offer HERE! 

For my main image, I stamped using Tuxedo Black Memento ink and then, reached for my Copic Markers to color. I used these collections:

You can see I added a hint of blue to the flowers just to add a wee bit of depth. The pink was to highlight around my image and match my paper and I only used the lightest shades of the Sweet Pea Collection.  For my die cut main panel, I used Spellbinders Classic Oval and Big Scalloped Ovals, cut thanks to my Grand Calibur. 

And one more shout out for the kit. I just love the ribbon in the kit - so classy! And, you can also get a glimpse of the little crystals as well. You can't tell but they are faceted and have a wonderful shimmer to them!  

And that, my friends, is it!  Would you like to win their new Botanical Bookplates 2 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! If all of that didn't entice you, I am sure you're going to want to stop by and see the handiwork of Flourishes finest designers!

SENIOR DESIGN TEAM

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

FRIENDS OF FLOURISHES TEAM

• Beate Johns
• Heather Jensen
• Amanda Havon
• Mona Pendleton

DID YOU KNOW YOU COULD WIN FLOURISHES' ENTIRE APRIL RELEASE?  Have you checked out their Motherly Love Challenge? Just click HERE to find out how to play! You can also play in the Noon Time Challenges! Yesterday they brought you the Lovely in Lace Challenge HERE. And, be sure to tune in today over at the Flourishes Blog at noon for one more fast paced way to win!  All challenges will close this Friday at 5 PM EST! So get those fingers inky and good luck! See you back here soon!

Flourishes Sneaks Day 1: Love & Lace

Hello all and welcome to Flourishes' April Release week! One thing you'll notice, right off the bat, is that this release has a very feminine feel! It's that time of year when we start to think about honoring the moms in our lives and watching parts of the world turn to spring! So, without further ado, let's get to the sneak of Flourishes' first set!

What's more beautiful than an antique cameo? This set illustrated by Lauren Pope showcases that feel. Stamp the silhouette in the center of this circle antique lace frame or use one of the six beautifully scripted sentiments inside. It's a timeless and classic image that can honor your mom or any new mom in your life! This set measures 4" by 6". This set is a perfect companion to our Antique Lace background stamp. It's another brand new stamp! See?

On to my creation! When I first saw this set, I knew that it would create beautiful cards in a jiffy - no coloring needed for this one!

This card is super simple because it's basically Flourishes Classic White Card Stock with some pink accents thanks to Angel Pink Memento Ink, some pink cotton linen ribbon and a fun Want2Scrap pearl pink circle embellishment. Right now Flourishes doesn't carry the circles but click HERE to see all the fun shapes they do have! You can see I used the new Antique Lace background for the bottom of my creation to add a little pattern. The die at the center of my card is the Spellbinders Heart Circles die that was cut thanks to my Grand Calibur.  I added a little embossed strip and using my Scor-Buddy, I did add an embossed line around the top of my card. The sentiment was added thanks to a 1" circle punch and tied on with Blossom Twinery. 

Here's a close up of my bow and tag!

And that, my friends, is it! Want to win this 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! With that bit of eye candy, you’ll surely want to see the design team’s cards and creations in full color when you take a trip over to their blogs!

SENIOR DESIGN TEAM

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

FRIENDS OF FLOURISHES TEAM

• Beate Johns
• Heather Jensen
• Amanda Havon

DID YOU KNOW YOU COULD WIN FLOURISHES' ENTIRE APRIL RELEASE?  Have you checked out the Motherly Love Challenge? Just click HERE to find out how to play! You can also play in their Noon Time Challenges, which start today at noon with another one ushered in tomorrow at noon!  Both are fast-paced and fun challenges that will give you yet one more chance to win the full April release!   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 one of Flourishes newest stamp sets, so be sure to stop back and see what I've got cooking! ;-)

Window Treat Bag Tutorial

Hi all! For those of you celebrating the holiday this weekend, I hope you had a joyous and restful one! It's back to business and to jump start your creativity, I thought I'd share a little project that I featured on my blog a few weeks back, only this time - with step-by-step instructions! It's a little window treat box that could be decked out for all occasions!

To get started you need:
Flourishes Classic White Paper
Decorative Paper
Decorative Edge Punch or  Border Die
Flourishes Clear Card Stock 
Mother's Words of Wisdom Stamp Set and Tiny Flowers and Tags Set
Copic Markers
Tuxedo Black Ink 
Ribbon & Silver Cording
Small die cut shape for tag
Scor-Tape   

Here's a peek at what we're going to be making....

    

We'll start with two sheets of Classic White Card Stock - measuring 8" by 8-1/2". On both pieces, you will score 2" around the two longest sides and only one of the shortest sides. As you can see by my example below, score down the 1" line on the two longest sides ONLY to the bottom score line and then stop. On one piece, you will cut along the bottom score lines creating flaps  - you can see that in the picture below.

   

On the second piece follow the same instructions, except instead of cutting flaps, you will actually notch out both 2" by 2" segments on the bottom on both sides, like this....

   

 I wanted the front of my bag to be somewhat more colorful than just plain white - so I trimmed a piece of decorative paper to measure 4-1/2" by 6", added some decorative stitching and secured it to the front of my box like this...

   

 Now, the fun begins because we get to start to build our "window!" I took a circle die (Spellbinders Classic Circle Lg.), lined it up and used a post-it note to keep my die secure...

   

 Here's what it looks like after I've run it through my Grand Calibur...

   

 From here, flip this panel over, trim a piece of Flourishes Clear Card Stock down to fit over your circle window and secure using Scor-Tape.

   

 Next, stamp the wreath from the Mother's Words of Wisdom stamp set onto Flourishes Classic White and color using Copic Markers. I used these collections for my creation!

After coloring, I used a mix of detail scissors and a craft knife to trim the opening on the inside of my wreath like so....

And afterward, I used detail scissors to trim along the outside as well, creating the window for my window box! I secured with Scor-Tape and here's a peek at the work in progress!

Next, it's time to assemble the box.... you'll need some more Scor-Tape and you'll want to add tape just like I did below...

From here, you'll undo the tape on the bottom and on the two flaps and secure so that the finished front looks like this...

Then, securing tape to the bottom of the flap on the other part of the box, you are going to connect both pieces like below. You can also see from the photo below that I trimmed 1" off each side of this other part of the box - basically cutting along the score line.

From here, add some Scor-Tape to the flaps on the part of the box above that is laying down and connect both sides. The next part is adding all the little extras! To create the top of my box, I took a 4" by 4-1/2" piece of decorative paper, scored it in the middle at the 2" line and then added a punched decorative border....

You'll secure this to the back of your window box using Scor-Tape...

Add the wreath to the front, a little band of ribbon that's tied up in a bow and a sentiment tag made with the help of a die cut circle and sentiment from the Tiny Flowers and Tags set (added with a snippet of silver cording).

Here's a peek at the box from the side.....

And... a close up of the tag!

Now all this little bag needs are some goodies to stick inside. A certain friend of mine hinted that she might like some cookies in this little window bag -- so we'll see what we can do! ;-)  Hope you enjoyed today's tutorial and if you make one of these boxes, be sure to link it up here, I would love to see what YOU create!

Happy Creating and happy Monday!

~Julie