Happy Va-Va-Valentine's Day

Hello sweet peeps! Goodness, it has been AGES since I have posted here! I sure hope all of you are well and that you are staying warm in this winter we are having. Here in the north, the snow is falling, falling, falling and we are having a tough time digging out! We had freezing rain today on the heels of about a foot of snow. Not fun! It's like a little ice rink everywhere!

And that... my friends.. is why I had a little creating time last night! It's also why some of my pictures are a wee bit dark -- no natural light! I might take new photos and swap them out when the light returns. Until then, try to imagine these in full color! LOL!

What I am about to share uses Power Poppy's brand new SUPER fun digital stamp set called Va-Va-Valentines! Oh my gosh, this set is too cute for words and I know it will be one I print off and print off and print off with sheer joy! So, take a look at the trio of cards that I made. All were colored with various Copic markers and all measure 4" by 4". I had these little 4-1/4" envelopes that I never seem to use, so I thought these would be perfect cards to put those little envies to use!

Here's a peek at the first card, accented by silver foil paper and a few little domed rhinestones! Oh, and glitter glue, lots of glitter glue on those little hearts! This one, even though it looks a little girly will be sent to my son at college this weekend!

This next one was accented with a heart embossing folder, some twine and those darling little metal clips from Stampin' Up. The little "I Love You" sentiment is from Power Poppy's Lavender set. The size was perfect for my little punched heart. Don't you think? This one, I set aside for my hubby! ;-) 

And this last card was dolled up with some silver cording and some silver foil paper that was punched with a scalloped-edge punch. I did (on all of them actually) add a little doo-dads here and there thanks to a white gel pen. This one is going to be given to my darling daughter. I really am her biggest fan! So, it's perfect. 

And that, my friends, is it! Super cute images to deck out in minutes thanks to the fact that the sentiment and image are all included in one stamp. Don't you just love that? I do!

Well friends, we have a full house of designers joining in on the fun this Friday! So, be sure to hop on over and see these lovelies below!


Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Julie Koerber
Katie Sims
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

I hope you have an amazing weekend ahead! Thank you so much for stopping by and seeing a little bit of what I have been up to!

~Julie 

Change of Plans!

Well dear stamping friends, last week I colored up THIS image and promised to be back with it today to show you what I came up with. Sad to say, I had lost my mojo! If someone finds it can you please send it back to Montana for me? ;-) I am hoping that it isn't too obstinate and comes home soon!

Actually, I did create a card though. When I set my eyes on the new digital stamp from Power Poppy called Follow Your Heart, I had a color fest while watching TV and before I knew it the paper was flying and I was making a card out of it!

On to my creation!

After I was done printing and coloring with my Copic markers, I cut the image out and then, using foam tape, popped it up on a Spellinders Shapeabilities Lace Hearts Die. While the die was still on my paper, I sponged on some Spun Sugar Distress Ink for a soft glow. I mixed and matched up some decorative papers. Cut one snippet of paper out thanks to a fishtail style banner die. Added an arrow die cut. Popped on some sequins and... ta da! I had a lot of fun adding the different dies to get the end result!

Here's a close up for you! I did add some razzle dazzle thanks to some glitter glue as you can see....

And that, my friends, is it for me today! If you want to see what some of my fellow Bloomies whipped up using this new image, follow this link list below for Power Poppy's weekly Bloom Brigade Parade! 

Allison Cope

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Julie Koerber
Katie Sims

Leslie Miller

Tosha Leyendekker

Before I say so long and farewell, don't forget that there's one day left to play along in the Power & Spark Stretch Yourself Challenge! Entries will be taken through Sunday, so have some fun and play along with us Bloomies! :-)

~Julie

Howdy Ho There!

Hello there and Happy Monday! Just wanted to let you know that I am hosting.....

... over on the Power Poppy Blog!  This week, I am showing you how you can look at your digital stamps in a whole new way thanks to some simple photo editing software! I'm going to show you how to take this image.....La Vie En Rose... 

And alter it to create this below! 

So click HERE and see for yourself! Thanks for stopping by!

~Julie

Sneaks Day 2: Good Thinking Love Notes!

In just a few weeks, Cupid's arrow will strike causing feelings of love to burst all over the nation! So, in honor of this special day and for all those special days that require a lovey dovey sentiment, we offer......

When you ink up Good Thinking: Love Notes, think weddings, anniversaries, and those special days when you just need to share the love! It's a fabulous set that features more than 20 loved-themed sentiment combinations plus some cute little love inspired doo-dads! 

On to my creation! 

When I saw these darling little arrows and that fun little distressed heart, I envisioned a high impact creation that would be perfect for Valentine's Day! I started with a 3" piece of white card stock that I scored every inch to create a kind of tic, tac, toe looking grid. Then, in the grid, I stamped the hearts using Red and Pink Vivid! inks. After I was done, I stamped the arrows over top using Versafine Black Onyx. Then, on a 1-1/4" punched circle, I stamped the word LOVE, also from the set. I mat it all up on a 4-5/8" square of red card stock. I stapled a little snippet of ribbon and then, using foam tape, matted it all on top of a square of decorative paper from the Carta Bella Words of Love paper pack. Oh yeah, I also added some small little rhinestones to add a little razzle dazzle to my card front. And that, my friends, is it! 

It's so fun to see all the different "takes" on this fabulous word set! The Bloom Brigades' creativity was on overdrive with this one. So, drop on in to these ladies' blogs to see what whimsy they whipped up!

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Julie Koerber >>> you are here!
Katie Sims
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

Tomorrow's set that the Bloom Brigade will be sneaky peeking is as cute as the dickens! Think sweet as can be vignettes that stack up the fun! Swing back and see for yourself! 

~Julie

Welcome La Vie En Rose!

Are you ready for something NEW & EXCITING? How about a beautiful image from Power Poppy that can be bought, downloaded and colored up with wreckless abandon --- in an instant? Introducing a new line of digital stamps affectionately called The Instant Garden Collection! And, here's the newest addition!

La Vie en Rose is a beautiful rose with an oh-so-sweet little love note tucked underneath. There are two ways to buy this image -- one with a couple of cute sentiments already stuck inside the note and one that is more of a DIY (blank tag that you can drag and drop sentiments into or stamp inside)! So, click on the link and see for yourself! In addition to this fabby image, did you see the news about the brand new digital team a.k.a. the Instant Gardeners that will be helping us show off these digital sets each month? You can click  HERE to learn more! And, mark your calendar too! The 15th of each month, we'll be adding a new plant to our Instant Garden! Woo Hoo!

On to my creation! When I first saw this image, I decided I wanted to make my card look a little more edgy. I wanted it to have the feel that I just dug in the junk drawer, grabbed a Post-It,  and some crumpled up scrap paper to scribble out a little love note. That's kind of how it's done in my world! ;-) Well, what do you think?

I started by printing off my image not once, but twice. You can't really tell, but there are portions of my image that are layered over the base image. I colored it up using Copic markers and I used R81, R83, R85, E40, E42, E0000,W00, W01, G20, G21 and G24.The decorative paper is Carta Bella Words of Love. 

On the base image, I stamped a few different background stamps using Distress Antique Linen Ink and then, afterward I sponged and used a ripped notebook paper die cut to serve as an edge. Add a little twine, a brad and a few staples and... ta da!

Here's a close up! 

And that, my friends, is it! If you want a little eye candy from the Bloom Brigade showcasing what they created with this beautiful digi, click on this fabulous link list and pay them a visit!

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Dawn Burnworth
Julie Koerber >>>> you are here!
Katie Sims
Kathy Jones
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

And don't forget to visit this link HERE to see our new digi design team and all the fun creations they whipped up as well! Thanks so much for stopping by! See you back here soon!

~Julie

Savings and inspiration you'll LOVE!!!

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!  What a great day set aside to tell people you love them!  And on that note today we bring you another round of inspiration from our amazing Design Team in our Gambler’s Sale...this week we’re at 40% off!  In just a few days the prices will drop again to 50% off...the gamble is how long you wait before those items you love are gone!

Ok.. on to my creation! I had to do a Valentine's Day Creation today to not only wish you all a day of warm fuzzies but to share the card I made for my sweetie! If you read this post HERE, you know how special this set Tokens of Affection is to me! So.... my card!

For my creation, I had it in my head that I wanted to do a gate fold card with the hearts overlapping... and so.. that's where my creation led me! I used Spellbinders Classic Hearts and Classic Scalloped Hearts to cut out my shapes from Flourishes Classic White. While the die was still on, I did sponge on some Spun Sugar Distress Ink for a soft look. I stamped the robot in Tuxedo Black ink and the sentiment as well, adding the hearts from the Love Notes stamp set. From there -- I colored with Copics and used a range of reds, and pinks and cool greys. I tried to stick to color collections grouped by Flourishes but then, lost track! I used every red and pink marker I had! :-) Most of the paper is from the Alphabet Junction paper pack. The strip on the right is actually some old BasicGrey. 

I have to say those loopy brads have been in a drawer FOREVER and I love pulling them out in times like these when you just need a dash of whimsy! I used some red grosgrain and pink gingham ribbon to thread through for extra flair! You can also see in the other photo I added a screw head brad -- I thought that was fun. I have had those in my embellishment drawer forever too! I literally got those 5 years ago! ;-) 

And, here's a peek at the inside -- more hearts and -- a little note for my lovey to have a Happy Valentine's Day! 

And that, my friends, is it! The Flourishes girls are picking out sets and goodies they love to show to you, so head on over to visit and leave them some love:

• Allison Cope
• Christine Okken
• Cindy Lawrence
• Julie Koerber -- you are here!
• Silke Ledlow
• Stacy Morgan
• Tosha Leyendekker

And here’s all those SALE details in case you need a reminder... This week, prices are dropping again in our six-week Gambler's Sale. Starting now, all prices STOREWIDE are 40% off! With prices this low, your favorite sets won't be on our store shelves for long! In fact, many are already gone for good!

Why is this sale a gamble? Well, ALL of the items now in the store will be going, going, gone -- never to return again. So, if you see something you really want -- buy it now or take a gamble to see how low the price will go! Like we said, this week everything is 40% off with the code GAMBLERS40. Just use that code in the coupon box at the time of check out to get 40% off your entire order, even on already reduced sale prices! Each Monday, between now and February 24th, we'll be adding another 10% off!  What an amazing opportunity to save on these fantastic Flourishes stamps and supplies!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoy the inspiration from the team today!

~Julie

A CardMaps Remix!

Well, it's the first of the month and the start of a new quarter.... which means it's also time for a new batch of CardMaps! This one is actually what Becky Fleck, operator extraordinaire of Pagemaps, likes to call a CardMaps re-mix! The PageMaps DT took some of our favorite sketches of the year and, put a new spin on them! 

So... here's a peek at one of the sketches I used.....

And.... here's a peek at my card!

For my card I used Flourishes set called Fanciful Flourishes, designed by Becky Fleck. I love the damask heart in this set -- so pretty! I stamped in Angel Pink Memento Ink onto some Flourishes Classic White Card Stock and then stamped the damask overtop using Memento Love Letters Ink. From there, I layered two dies from the Majestic Labels Twenty Five die from Spellbinders and ran it through my Grand Calibur. I LOVE all the infinite possibilities with this die set! While the die was still on, I did sponge on some Angel pink Ink. The sentiment strip was just a 3/4" strip of paper that I notched out the ends to create a pennant style banner. I stamped the "With Love" sentiment using Tuxedo Black Memento Ink. Add in some fun decorative paper and ... ta da! Done!

Here's a peek at the heart and sentiment...

 And here's a look so you can see a bit of the dimension added with some foam tape...

And that, my friends is it! If you want to see all the Cardmaps for this month along with the fabulous cards the DT and guest Pagemaps designers created, just head on over to the Pagemaps site and check them out! The fun thing? You can now "click to enlarge" all of the sketches and artwork!

Thanks for stopping by -- have a fabulous week and I'll see you back here soon!

~Julie

Valentine Drive for Kids in Need!

 

Hi all! I have a special little favor to ask of my friends in blog land! A number of years ago, my mom started a charity that serves the children staying at Children's Hospital of Michigan. She makes cards and Valentines for those kids who are staying in the hospital -- to brighten their spirits when they are facing some difficult times. Right now, my mom is hosting a card drive to make sure that all of the 250 kids being treated there get at least a handful of Valentines to share. My mom is offering up some REALLY nice mystery blog candy for those who donate and you can find out more about the drive by clicking HERE.

So, what did I do this weekend? Well, make Valentines of course! I was at JoAnn Fabrics and stumbled upon these darling stickers below. I thought they would be perfect! Afterall, kids love stickers and this would make them cute... and fast!   

I did have helpers! My darling daughter and I camped out and literally overtook my mom's dining room table! Oh my gosh was the paper flying!

Speaking of paper, this is pretty much were my mom sat to cut card after card after card!

We decided to make ATC sized creations. We stamped some and printed off sentiments thanks to the good ole computer. Here's just a small sampling! By the end of the afternoon, we had a couple hundred done!

Again, the more the merrier with this heart touching campaign. I can tell you from personal experience, there is NOTHING like seeing the smiles on these kids faces when they see something that was created just for them! The hospital has even set up mail boxes so the kids can have their Valentine's delivered to their door. The doctors and nurses, from what I am told, even get in on the action playing post man. It's quite a sight to see and is so amazing to be a part of. So... please... if you have some time and can make a few cards for some kids in need, I know my mom, and more importantly the KIDS would love it! :-)

Thanks for stopping by!

~Julie

Hearts and Flowers!

Hi all! Hope your week is shaping up nicely! It was back to the daily grind for me and I tell you -- getting some time to create this week was a wonderful thing! Today, I'm here with a fun-filled challenge ushered in by the gals at Impression Obsession. This theme is for the honey in your life because it's all about Hearts & Flowers!  


On to my creation! One of my favorite stamps of all time is THIS one called Hydrangea Ribbon. When the ideas started flowing about hearts and flowers, I thought of a heart -- tied up with flowers! And, from there, I just knew which stamp I had to use!

This card is rather simple - I stamped my image, colored it up with Copic Markers and used these colors - RV85, RV83, RV81, YG21, YG23, YG25, E53, and E51. From there, I cut my gingham heart thanks to a Classic Heart Nestabilities Die. Then, I figured out where I wanted my ribbon to be on my heart, and situated the die so that it would cut it to fit on my heart. Afterward, I cut out my image, adhered it and the rest is just matting it up! I added a doily, some pearls, some My Mind's Eye Paper (Blush), and... ta da! I did score around the edge of my darker pink paper and sand it a bit to give it a little bit of a distressed look. 

Now, the sentiment was tricky. After looking at my IO sentiments, I didn't have one I felt would fit this image perfectly --- that is -- until I found THIS one. It's called Mother's Day. I know what you're thinking... Mother's Day? For Valentine's Day? Well, I only inked up the With Love and I think it works perfectly! I then cut it out using Spellbinders Pennants Die. 

Here's a close up....  

So, grab your IO stamps and get them inky! There's a $25 gift certificate on the line. You have until January 11th at 10PM to enter! :-) Just be sure to link up on the challenge post over on the Impression Obsession Blog! In the meantime, if you are looking for some creative inspiration, look no further! These ladies on the list down below are sure to get those creative juices flowing! 

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

Jenny Gropp

Happy Thursday! I'll see you back here real soon! 
~Julie

The final day of Flourishes' Release

Want to play and link up to the Flourishes Timeless Tuesday 100th Challenge Blog Hop! Please hop on over to THIS POST to get in on the action! The challenge is an easy one.. just use one or more of your favorites on your card! I did on my creation below... so stay tuned!

It's the final day of Flourishes' January Release Week! We saved today's set for last simply because we knew it would melt some hearts! Wanna see why?

Introducing...

Have you ever wondered what a token of affection looked like? How about a love tank... or a love machine? Well, wonder no more because Marcella Hawley has put these little pet names and terms of affection onto polymer so that we can all create whimsical and wonderful Valentines for folks of all ages! This set offers 4 darling main images plus 7 perfectly suited sentiments! Want to win this set? Just leave a comment on this post and you'll be in the running!


Moving on to my creation! I absolutely LOVE the little robot in this set. Not to share too much information, but when my hubby and I were first married, he used to sing to me... "I'm just a love Ma-Cheen... and I done work for na-buddy but chooo!" It was hysterical. So, when Marcella wanted to draw an actual love machine.. I was completely on board! :-)


I played along with Flourishes Timeless Tuesday's challenge to use some of my favorites. So, I picked one of my favorite border punches. I added one of my favorite edges -- a sewn edge -- and who could forget BLING! One of my favorite colors to create with is also RED!

So, after stamping my love machine on Flourishes Classic White Card Stock, I colored "her" up with Copic markers using the Cool Neutrals, Poppy and Sweet Pea Collections grouped by Flourishes. I added some glitter (although you can't see it) with the help of a Stardust Glitter Pen. Add some fun decorative paper, a silver leaf edge, a fun brad, some perky ribbon and a rhinestone and... done! Oh, I almost forgot, I used my Spellbinders Heart Die for my little sentiment (also a part of the set), sanding the embossed edges to reveal the paper's white core. Voila!

And, here's a peek at the inside of my card... love this combo! 



Wait until you see the design team's take on this set... trust me....their creations are too cute for words! Hop on over and see for yourself!

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

Thanks for joining me this week! Hope you hop with the Timeless Tuesday gals! OR, if you still want a chance at winning our The Colors of Love challenge (you win all of Flourishes New Releases!), click HERE to check it out! You have until 5 PM Eastern today to submit! Can't wait? Check out our New Release Bundle HERE to save a bundle on our new sets!

See you back here soon!

~Julie

How about a little Love Note?

What do you get when you mix a fun musical flair with Valentine's day? You get this punny set from Flourishes that is perfect for the music lovers in your life, or great for those cards that just need to spark a smile! Here's a sneak peek at the second set in their release!

This set has such a whimsical feel to it. It's drawn by Marcella Hawley and offers up so many fun sentiments and accents! Would you like to win our Love Notes set? Simply leave a comment on this post and you'll be in the running!

Now a peek at my creation!

I just wanted a simple card that really had a dash of whimsy with those Spellbinders Wonky Squares! I realized after I cut and tilted -- that I didn't need a ton more on my card. I stamped the guitar from the set on to Flourishes Classic White, colored it up with some Copic markers -- (Flesh Tones 2, and Water Collections). With the die still on, I did sponge on some turquoise blue ink (old discontinued color!), add a sentiment from the set on a punched oval and string with some silver cording. I also added some bling and a fun little star clip up in the corner. Just that easy peasy!

Let's fire up the band and see how our design team put this creative set to use! Hop on over and see....

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

Before I go...

Other Flourishes FUN this week!

• Did you see our The Color of Love Challenge that we kicked off last Friday? You could win our ENTIRE January release! Check it out HERE.
• Just like in releases past, you can save a BUNDLE with our new release bundle! Purchase all three sets for 10% off! You can check it out HERE!

See you back here tomorrow for our final "peek!" This one is soooo sweet, it might just give you a cavity! ;-)

Hearts & Flowers for YOU!

Love is in the air and you can tell when you look at Flourishes January stamp set release! Each and every set puts a different spin on Valentine's Day creations! Let's start with the most elegant set, penned by Marcella Hawley!

Introducing....

This gorgeous set mixes some of the loveliest florals shaped for the season of love. We have hydrangea, roses and daisies. This set also features some gorgeously scripted sentiments that all ramp up the romantic feel! Would you like to win this set? Simply leave a comment on this post.

On to my creation! I just absolutely love the rose heart in this set and so, of course, I reached for it for my card today!

Here are the deets! After stamping with Tuxedo Black Memento, I colored it up with a mix of Copics in shades of pink - RV32, RV34, RV02, RV00. Mat it onto a piece of Flourishes Classic White card stock that was cut in a Labels 14 shape and sponged with Angel Pink Memento. Add a circle tag with one of the sentiments from the set and attach it to your silk ribbon with some silver cording. The rest is just adding a decorative border, a stitched edge and some fun little rhinestones! the paper I used is a mix from my scaps. Part of it is from the BasicGrey Junebug collection.

Be sure to stop by and say hi to the rest of the DT to see what they created with this beautiful set!

• Christine Okken
• Cindy Lawrence
• Danielle Kennedy
• Dawn Burnworth
• Laura Fredrickson
• Leslie Miller
• Stacy Morgan
• Jan Marie Caruso

Other Flourishes FUN this week!

• Did you see Flourishes' The Color of Love Challenge that kicked off last Friday? You could win Flourishes' ENTIRE January release! Check it out HERE.
• Want to join our DT with some chatter, fun, games and giveaways! Mark your calendar for our Power Hour Release Party! It's set for tomorrow (Thursday) at 9 PM Central time! You'll find the party HERE in Flourishes' SCS forum!
• Just like in releases past, you can save a BUNDLE with Flourishes new release bundle! Purchase all three sets for 10% off! You can check it out HERE!

Be sure to stop by tomorrow... the sneak peek of the day just might make your heart skip a beat! :-) See you then!