Let the fun begin!

Last weekend, I told you about my day of complete coloring. Well, some of you said -- "You have to show us the finished results!" Well, here I am! I've got one card set aside for my mom's Cards 4 Kids ministry with more to come!

I just LOVE these little monsters over at Birdie Brown's site! You can find them  HERE  in her Etsy Store-- and they are digital downloads, which is a new thing for me! I just loved grabbing bright colors of markers and going to town! I wish I could tell you which Copic markers I used - I didn't pay attention on my coloring spree but just kept grabbing different shades to fill in different areas. I know I used a ton in the BG range (BG000, BG01, BG05) the lighter YG (YG06, YG03, YG00 and YG0000) range and, of course, lighter shades in the V range (V0000, V01, V04, V06). The layout is rather simple -- a die cut oval paired up with a printed out sentiment, a large Stampin' Up button, some twine and a Martha Stewart border punch. Just that easy! 

Here's a close up of these cute as can be monsters! 

I have two more images colored of this trio, so the fun will be coming up with new layouts for these guys! Hope your Tuesday is going well! I'll see you back here soon!

~Julie

A weekend escape!

Last weekend I had such a fun little escape and I did it with some of the finest ladies around. I am so blessed to not only "work" with some of the best artists/designers in the world with Flourishes - they've become like sisters. And, nearly every summer for the past few years -- we've tried to meet up. We've done it mostly at CHA but this year, we wen't off the beaten trail. Since Christine was in the states already and was planning a trip to Yellowstone (which isn't far from my home), I suggested that the rest of the gals come too and make it a party. Well, sadly not everyone on the team could join us -- but these gals below said YES!

And here's who showed up for the party... (L to R) Tosha, Christine, Sharon, Stacy, Cindy and... yours truly! This was on a deck overlooking Lake Yellowstone.

And here are the family members who came with! Christine's family, my hubby and daughter, Stacy's hubby and their twin boys. Gosh, what a good lookin' group! ;-) I am a wee bit biased of course!

And here's some of what we saw -- the beautiful Hayden Valley in Yellowstone. While this pic doesn't show it -- it was home to hundreds of buffalo! 

Here are some of my peeps on our way to the Gallatin River for a whitewater rafting experience!

And.. here's a few of us ON the river! We had a blast!

Here's sweet Stacy and her twins. LOVE those smiles!

And here's a shot of the "shutterbugs!" These ladies were funny. You almost never saw them without their cameras. While on the trip they swapped lenses, talked about manual settings and were always on the hunt for the money shot! They got GORGEOUS pictures by the way!

I am so blessed to have these ladies in my life and it's so fun when you can enjoy more together than just card making. We are already thinking about where we'll go next summer! 

~Julie

My Coloring Marathon!

It's not every day that you can just set aside a whole day to do nothing but chill and color. Well, I declared Friday color 'til your fingers fall off day and I had such a blast just listening to music, sipping a little coffee --- just me, some darling images and, of course, my Copic markers! (My daughter joined in on the fun too and did up her own creations sitting next to me -- good times!)

Recently, I had the pleasure of getting together with some of the gals from Flourishes (photos coming soon) and Christine showed me some of the fun images she was working with -- an artist that I had never heard of! You can find Torico's images HERE at Birdie Brown. Her images are all digital, which my impulsive side loves and once a month, she even offers a free image or two with a challenge! How cool is that? Here's just a glimpse at what I colored up!

Isn't this robot guy darling???

I thought this little bear with a beret was sweet!

Love the whimsical feel of these tweeties!

This image was my darling daughter's fave....

I loved this monster image below so much, I did it up twice! On the purple one I colored mainly using dots in three different shades of purple....

Then, for the blue one, I colored it up with two shades of blue and then removed color with my Copic Blender Pen... 

I had to do a second one of the rockin' doggie too -- this image makes me SMILE!

And this image is just fun for birthdays!

So there you have it... my day of coloring til the fingers fall off (which they didn't -- still have all ten!) What will be fun now is finding ways to put cards together for all of these. I plan to do up most, if not all, for my mom's Cards 4 Kids ministry.   I figure the kiddos would love images like this!

Hope your weekend is off to a great start -- see you back here soon!

~Julie

Hey Sweet Pea!

Hello Flourishes fans! Today the design team banded together and decided to show off an oldie but goodie -- a beloved set that literally flew off the shelves when it was released! Since this is still a gorgeous set, we thought it deserved a day for the design team to put it in the spotlight! We're talking about....

The set.......Sweet Peas! On to my creation!

I knew when I cut out my Sweet Pea shape with the Silhouette that my card layout would be rather simple. I wanted the cut and the coloring to stand out. So, after the cut file was ready, I stamped my image using Rich Cocoa ink. Then.... I let the fun begin with my Copic markers! (See list below for the colors that I used). After I was done, I added a little shading with the help of a BG000 marker, added some gold cording and a little sparkle thanks to a sparkle dust gel pen. Mat it up, emboss a panel, sponge on some Spun Sugar ink and add a little bling and... ta da! Done!

Here's a close up!

And that, my friends is it! Like I said, the whole DT got in on the Sweet Pea action, so you'll have to stop by and say hi to these lovely ladies below!

Christine Okken 
Cindy Lawrence
Heather Jensen
Julie Koerber
Maki Jones
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you have a restful weekend ahead. I'll be back here sharing more creative fun real soon!

~Julie

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Another fabulous year to FLIP over!

Hello all! This is an exciting day for Flourishes -- it's the first day folks can shop and qualify for the next fun-filled, money saving club we call.....

   

Otherwise known as the Flourishes Loyalty Incentive Program! How do you become a member? Starting TODAY, the next time you go shopping in the Flourishes online boutique and spend $100 on a single purchase (not including taxes or shipping), you will receive this beautiful stamp set called Happy Thoughts! It was penned by artist Sam Pickard and the fabulous sentiments were the creative genius of Dina Kowal! Keep in mind, you can't purchase this set -- the only way you can get your hands on this lovely floral spray of Hydrangeas and these beautifully scripted sentiments is to become a FLIP member! 

   

AND.... that beautiful stamp set is only just the beginning! When you become a FLIP member, it's your pass to BIG SAVINGS!

Member Benefits

On the first of every month, for one day only, we’ll have a sale you will FLIP over! ONLY members are able to cash in on this sale: 15% off nearly everything in the store! (Sale does not apply to gift certificates, Silhouette Cameo Machines or Copic Markers). A day or two before the sale, you’ll receive an email with a special “members only” coupon code to use on the first of the month. Just insert this code in the coupon code box at the time of check out, hit “apply” and 15% will automatically be taken off your entire order! This promotion expires July 31st, 2014. Customers receive benefits only from the time they qualify. So, unfortunately, you can’t make up for lost time. One more reason why you should become a FLIP member soon!

Now it wouldn't be fair if we showed you this gorgeous set and didn't show you a card or two? On to my creation!

Because this gorgeous image is so large, I decided to keep my layout sweet and simple! I stamped my image on Flourishes Classic White using Tuxedo Memento Black ink. After stamping, I did stamp the sentiment and then ran my image through my Grand Callibur with the die called Fancy Ribbon Threader. After I was done embossing, I did trim around the embossed edge so that this portion of my flower could set on the main part of the die cut frame. I colored my image with Copic Markers (see list below for what colors I used!) I added a little white seam binding ribbon, a crystal button, some silver cording and... ta da! Done! I did add a little razzle dazzle with the help of some glitter glue. See? 

And that, my friends, is it! If you want to see some amazing samples thanks to Flourishes' team of fabulous designers, hop on over and see what these ever-so-talented ladies created using this exclusive set!

• Dina Kowal
• Christine Okken -- check out her gorgeous tutorial on how to color these flowers!
• Cindy Lawrence
• Julie Koerber
• Heather Jensen
• Makiko Jones
• Stacy Morgan
• Tosha Leyendekker
• Allison Cope 
• Broni Holcombe
• Cheryl Lea
• Deborah Anton
• Jenny Gropp

Remember, the only way to get your hands on this beautiful new set called Happy Thoughts is to become a FLIP member. When you qualify, this stamp set is our gift to you! Coming soon, Flourishes will be adding a Silhouette Cut File to the store, just for this set! Fun stuff! I'll be back with another bit of Flourishes fun tomorrow so.... see you then!

~Julie

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What the Heck????

Ok, I have a card making confession to make. Sometimes, when I blog and take pictures, I am in a hurry. I am distracted. I love the card making process but sometimes the photos, editing and blogging is the extra bit that, at times, I struggle with! So, imagine my surprise when I come back to do another post, hit my blog and notice this from my last post....

After blogging, taking the photo and editing the photo, I never realized that I had a weird paper bit hanging from my card... HANGING FROM MY CARD! As I write this, I am honestly laughing and wanted to share to, in a way, poke fun. You are all the most polite group of folks out there, you didn't say....."Hey Julie, is that a new kind of embellishment there?" or "Julie, what's that little UFO on your dahlias?" Or, better yet, "Do you need glasses?" 

I promise, when I come back to blog Thursday, I will have checked and double checked my card to look for flying objects!  

See you back here soon!

~Julie

It's SIX for SIX!

 

Today the entire Flourishes Design Team is jumping on the birthday band wagon and helping Flourishes light the candles and roll the music to celebrate SIX fun-filled, creative years!  Today's challenge is all about the right recipe for your cards. So, all you need to do is check out our recipe card below and make sure you use all six. We're calling this challenge -- The SIX for SIX -- six items for six years! So, without further ado -- the recipe!

   

HOW TO PLAY: Like we said, simply use the six items as your recipe for your card or creation. Make sure to use the sketch and be inspired by the colors in the inspiration photo and then, use the other four items as well when you create. This Birthday Celebration Challenge is just that simple! When you are done with your card, don't forget to link up your creation HERE using the Inlinkz widget! For Birthday Celebration Challenge #5, enter as many times as you like. If you upload to Splitcoaststampers, use the keyword FLLCBC5. You have until 11:59 PM CST on July 31st to enter! Winners will be announced Saturday, August 3rd and winners will receive a goody bag from Flourishes valued at $30!

On to my creation!

So, you can see I followed the sketch pretty much to a tee. I had this Dahlia image stamped and ready on my desk and it was even partially colored -- BINGO! Since it was colored in peachy tones, perfect! But, if you look at the stamp, there is another little vase included in this image. I didn't want that one because it wouldn't fit with my sketch -- so thanks to my handy dandy detail scissors -- I cut that part of the image off! I stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black and then picked up my Copics (see below for the color collections that I used). So, with the sketch and color inspiration done --- I added bling in the form of some gold cording and a little rhinestone bling... See? The gold cording also counts as twine -- so cross off 3 and 4 on the "recipe!"

Now... you have to squint to see #5... but it's there if you look at the main photo for the card. On the tan little flag, I used a fancy fan embossing folder and then sanded down the embossed ridges for a little texture. And... for #6?  My favorite Flourishes stamp (for the time being) HAS to be Dahlias! Oh my, they are beauties!!!! 

And, to give the inside a little something, I stamped the other Dahlia image from the set using peach ink and then grabbed one of the sentiments from the set for the center.. Add a little paper piercing and... voila! Done!

And that, my friends is it! I should mention that there is a whole bunch of fun scheduled for Flourishes 6th Birthday — if you want a peek at all the challenges, just click HERE to see! Now just as I said, all of our fine and fabulous Flourishes designers are playing along in this one, so be sure to hop on over and see what these ladies have in store!

• Christine Okken 
• Cindy Lawrence
• Heather Jensen
• Julie Koerber
• Maki Jones
• Silke Ledlow
• Stacy Morgan
• Tosha Leyendekker

Thanks for stopping by! We can't wait to see what fun you whip up for this challenge! Remember, you only have until July 31st to play in any and all of our birthday challenges! Be sure to stop by tomorrow. To win tomorrow's goody bag, all you need to do is stop by and leave a comment sending Flourishes some birthday wishes! One lucky person will walk away with a goody bag valued at $30! See you back here then!

~Julie

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It's Christmas in July!

Hi all and welcome to a fun-filled little Saturday surprise! I'm helping Flourishes usher in its......

 

Are you ready for a little Christmas in July?

HOW TO PLAY: It's Christmas in July! For this challenge, dig out those Christmas stamps and get those fingers inky with a Christmas creation! This Birthday Celebration Challenge is just that simple! When you are done with your creation, don't forget to link up your creation using the Inlinkz widget HERE! For Birthday Celebration Challenge #3, enter as many times as you like. If you upload to Splitcoaststampers, use the keyword FLLCBC3. You have until 11:59 PM CST on July 31st to enter! Winners will be announced Saturday, August 3rd over on the Flourishes Blog and winners will receive a goody bag from Flourishes valued at $30!

On to my creation!

   

I started by picking up one of my favorite Christmas sets -- Christmas Classics! I love all the images in this set and the variety of sentiments too! I should mention, I started with Classic White Card Stock and I used the Christmas Classics Silhouette Cut File. I stamped my image using Memento Tuxedo Black and then let the fun begin,coloring my image up with Copic Markers! I used these collections.....

  

     

 Here's a closeup of my cut and colored image!   

    

From there, it really was just matting it all up! I used some leftover paper that I had from last year from a Teresa Collins Christmas Collection, added some Basque Red Ribbon tied with gold cording and embellished with a little blingy button! Stamp the sentiment on a little sentiment flag created with a strip of decorative paper and... ta da! Done!

Need a little more inspiration? My fellow Flourishes DT teammate Stacy Morgan also has a fabulous sample to share, so check it out on her blog HERE! 

Here's the fun part....

If you need a few Christmas stamps to get creating, now is the time to buy! Between now (July 20th) and July 31st, Flourishes is hosting our annual Christmas in July Sale! ALL of Flourishes Christmas sets are now 25% off! Simply use the code MERRYJULY in the coupon code box at the time of check out. Make sure to hit "Apply" for your code to take effect. Keep in mind, this code will only be valid on Christmas stamp sets.

Also, because this sale is such a popular sale at Flourishes - they do expect to run out of stamp sets! Unfortunately, Flourishes cannot issue any rain checks for any of their Christmas designs. So, shop often and early! We can't wait to see all the Christmas beauties you create!

~Julie

It's a Free For All Friday

We know you loved our July Releases and all the fun summer ideas you now have for them...but we thought we'd show you one more round of creative projects today with our favorites, because that's always so fun for us! And so, the design team ushers in another Free For All Friday! 

For my creation, I decided to pick up the beautiful Anemones stamp set AND, I was dying to try a new technique. I saw this on SCS but did this one with a friend who is a Stampin' Up Demo. It's called Magical Masking Tape and I have to say -- I LOVE the fact that you can do this quickly and add a bold splash of color.  HERE'S a great tutorial the ever so talented Beate Johns did not too long ago. 

So, just like the tutorial suggests, I picked five colors of ink, laid my masking tape down on the ink and then used the masking tape as a kind of stamp! Because of the sticky portion of the tape, you naturally get voids in the ink transfer, which makes this look so very cool! After I was done, I stamped the Anemones in Versafine Black Onyx, added a sentiment, punched a hole for my ribbon tied up with a bow, added some bling and then matted it on Classic Black and then a lighter teal from the Emerald Coast Collection (you can hardly see the blue but trust me -- it's there!

Here's a close up so that you can see the fun effect!

And that, my friends, is it! This is really a 10 minute creation. The hardest part was picking out the colors and I didn't even have to do that since my friend who showed me this technique did that for me! ;-)

Before I let you go --- remember -- today is the last day you can purchase the July New Release Bundle at a discount... you get 10% off all of the sets when you purchase them in the bundle. Now for the fun part, a time when you can hop around and see all the other gorgeous creations from the Flourishes Design Team! Make sure to stop by.......

• Christine Okken 
• Cindy Lawrence
• Heather Jensen
• Julie Koerber
• Maki Jones
• Silke Ledlow
• Stacy Morgan
• Tosha Leyendekker

And, while you are hopping, check out the Flourishes Blog HERE for a fun little designer focus on the talented Heather Jensen! See you back here tomorrow! I'm helping usher in one of the Birthday Celebration Challenges for Flourishes and this one will be a fun one! So, stay tuned!

~Julie

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