A Country Road Challenge!

Are you ready for a fun challenge inspired by your neck of the woods? That's right, this Flourishes noon time challenge is all about sharing your surroundings with the stamping world!

HOW TO PLAY: This one is fun because we get to share our OWN favorite country roads as inspiration! Share a photo, pick three colors in the photo and use them in your card or creation. Just that simple! If you upload to SCS, please use the keyword FLLCAUGRW2 and don't forget to link up your creation below using the Inlinkz Widget.

Need a little inspiration? I created a card that reminded me of a neck of woods near my house that my family uses to hike and bike on and I picked up Flourishes' brand new set called Country Road!

Here's my inspiration! This is a stretch of trail that sits right next to the Yellowstone River and it's just as peaceful as can be! I picked up on the blues and greens in this photo....

And... here is my creation! Creating was easy with Authentique Loyal Paper! It had all the right hues. Isn't this a great "guy" paper pack? I think so! I stamped using Memento Tuxedo black and added some highlights thanks to the Inkssentials White Gel Pen. Add some stitching, pinking and a fabby button and.. ta da! Done! 

You'll have to check out these fine ladie's creations as well! It will be fun to see a favorite spot of theirs as inspiration!

Cindy Lawrence
Julie Koerber
Stacy Morgan
Amanda Havon
Cindy Haffner  


The OFFICIAL Rules…..

• Simply create a card using a country road or scene near your home choosing colors from the photo for your creation!
• Entries need to be in by Friday, August 10 by 5 PM EST
• Those that use Flourishes stamps will be counted twice for their entry
• You must link your creation on this post using our inlinkz widget in order to qualify
• You must have a link to our challenge in your blog or gallery post
• Please DO NOT combine challenges.
• If you upload to SCS, please use the keyword FLLCAUGRW2
• We’ll announce the winners Saturday in our Winner’s Circle Post – check back Saturday, August 11 at noon CST to see if you’re one of the lucky winners!

Thanks for stopping by! I'll see you back here tomorrow to unveiil one final set that honors the flowers of fall! All of the stamp sets that I've been sneak peeking this week will be in the Flourishes store and I'll have news of another fun addition to Flourishes that you will want to check out! See you back here then!

 

Sneak Peaks Day 3: Country Road!

Hi all and welcome to DAY 3 of Flourishes August Release! The set we are unveiling today is as relaxing and serene as a Sunday afternoon. So, take a lazy drive with us on a ....

This set illustrated by Lauren Pope takes snapshots of the countryside and puts it onto polymer. It offers imagery that is perfect for all occasion cards and creations. Set measures 4 by 6" and offers three focal images plus three fancifully scripted sentiments to match. What's even better? These beautiful silhouettes are bound to create quick and easy cards! If you like what you see when you make the rounds today, you should know that you can pre-order this set HERE! We'll unveil all sets this Friday morning -- so stay tuned! We'll also have some other exciting announcements so you will want to stay tuned!

On to my creation!

This card is really easy peasy! I used a mix of papers, stamping using Tuxedo Black Memento on a piece of Picadilly BasicGrey pad and also the Authentique Genuine pad. The polka dot was just something I had in my scrap bin that I liked. I took a blue strip, used an embossing folder and then sanded the print. Add a sentiment flag, some paper piercing, a fun button and some twine and almost done! After stamping my image, I did use a white gel pen to add a few accents - I liked the punch it added!

Want a close up?

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! So what are you waiting for? Head on over and see…..

• Beate Johns
• Cindy Lawrence
• Christine Okken
• Danielle Kennedy
• Jan Marie Caruso
• Julie Koerber
• Silke Ledlow
• Stacy Morgan
• Tammy Hershberger

DID YOU KNOW YOU COULD WIN OUR ENTIRE AUGUST RELEASE? Have you checked out our Birthday Wishes Challenge? Just click HERE to find out how to play! You can also play in our Noon Time Challenges! Try Wednesay's challenge by clicking HERE to find out about the A Bit of Texture Challenge. Or.... come back today at noon for another fast paced way to win our full August release! 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 for more Flourishes FUN!

 

Sneak Peeks Day 2: Garden Picks!

Are you ready for more Flourishes fun? If you missed yesterday's Timeless Tuesday post, you missed the kick start of Flourishes August release! (And a chance to win it!) So, click HERE to check that out! Today, our fabulous designers are showing off a set that is fresh picked. It's a bouquet of goodness fresh from the flower garden!

Introducing...

Freshly snipped from the garden, these herbs and florals are ready to be enjoyed. This set illustrated by Marcella Hawley features three different bouquets all designed to be set in an old fashioned mason jar for a down home feel. This 4" by 6" set also features two perfect all occasion sentiments as well. Wait until you see just how gorgesous this set is! If you like what you see on today’s designers’ posts, this set is available for pre-order now HERE!

On to my creation!

I stamped the cabbage rose in the set into the mason jar (a separate stamp!) using Tuxedo Black Memento ink onto Flourishes Classic White and then... let the fun begin with my Copic markers! I used these collections!

When it came to putting all the pieces together, I picked up My Mind's Eye Howdy Doody paper (it was once a part of a Flourishes 123 Create Kit!), a silver architectural brad  that I accented with a Prima Pastel Crysal, some crochet lace, and some ribbon from our Color Made Easy Collection called Baby Pink! Add some stitching and.. ta da! Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

Here's a closeup!

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! So what are you waiting for? Head on over and see…..

• Beate Johns
• Cindy Lawrence
• Christine Okken
• Danielle Kennedy
• Jan Marie Caruso
• Julie Koerber
• Silke Ledlow
• Stacy Morgan
• Tammy Hershberger

 

DID YOU KNOW YOU COULD WIN OUR ENTIRE AUGUST RELEASE? Have you checked out our Birthday Wishes Challenge? Just click HERE to find out how to play! You can also play in our Noon Time Challenges, which kick off today and continue noon tomorrow! Our noon time challenges are fast-paced chances to win our full August release! 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 for more Flourishes FUN!

Timeless Tuesday & A Sneak Peek!

Hi all! It's time to start kicking off the sneak peeks for Flourishes' August release and today's fun comes with a challenge as well as a sneak!

As a special treat today, the FTTC and senior design team are joining forces to show off a set that has been a favorite of some this past year but hasn't been available to the public until now! It's called....

The stamp is called With Gratitude! Coneflower and Bell Flower -- two beauties perfect for sending a note of gratitude. This set was released as an exclusive set for FLIP members and is now availble to the public. Before you had to be a FLIP member to get your hands on it, but now, you can buy it! Illustrated beautifully by Marcella Hawley, this set measures 4 by 6" and offers not only 2 beautiful focal flowers but 6 sentiments and a script border. The stamp set is available right now as a pre-order HERE. It’s a beauty!

On to today's challenge! All you need to do is use this sketch for your Timeless Tuesday creation...

And, here's my card....

To create my card, I stamped on Flourishes Classic White using Memento Tuxedo Black and then grabbed my Copic Markers! I used these collections...

I did use some retired paper from my scrap bin because the colors were perfect and I realized the hard way that my decorative paper is lacking purple right now! ;-) These are a mix of Memory Box and Bo Bunny. The ribbon is White Cotton Linen.  Add some stitching, a button and ta da! I should mention, before I stamped, I did cut out my image using the Silhouette Cameo. Stay tuned -- the machine, cut files, blades and accessories will SOON be in the Flourishes store!

We can’t wait to see your take on this fun filled sketch! Make sure to click HERE for all the challenge rules.  Need a little inspiration? Just hop on over and see what these fellow designers whipped up using the new With Gratitude set and this sketch!

Amanda Havon
Allison Cope
Broni Holcombe
Cindy Haffner
Heather Jensen
Makiko Jones
Denise Marzec
Sasha Holmes
Cindy Lawrence
Stacy Morgan
Jan Marie Caruso
Julie Koerber -- you are here!
Silke Ledlow

As you make the rounds in today’s Timeless Tuesday hop, you’ll notice that some of the designers are using a fresh picked 123 Creat Kit called Delightful!

These kits have everything you need to create color coordinated cards with paper, ribbons and embellishments – all in one kit! Travel HERE to see for yourself! 

The August sneaks continue tomorrow — so you’ll have to come back to see what other fun Flourishes has up its sleeve! See you back here soon!

It's a Birthday Celebration

Five years ago, a little company based out of Florida was started around the kitchen table with three stamping friends at the helm. They put their heads together, gathered up some concepts and forged ahead to create what we now know and love... FLOURISHES! So, let's light the candles and roll the music - we're ready for a birthday celebration! HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY FLOURISHES!!!

To get ready for next week's big August Stamp Release, the design team is ushering in a festive challenge! Not only will it celebrate Flourishes 5th birthday, but it will give YOU a chance to win their new release! So, put on your best party attire and get ready for the....

HOW TO PLAY: This challenge is going to be super duper easy peasy. Why? All you need to do is create a birthday creation. It could be a card, a tag, a 3-D object, ANYTHING! As long as it celebrates a birthday, you'll be in the running! Please remember, entries must be in by August 10th at 5PM EST to be eligible. If you upload to Splitcoaststampers, please use the key word FLLCAUG12. And, don’t forget to link up your creation over on the Birthday Wishes post on the Flourishes Blog using the Inlinkz link widget. Use Flourishes stamps if you have them — Flourishes entries will be counted twice! But, if you don’t have Flourishes, play along anyway, you could WIN some!

On to my creation! Recently, a special tool arrived on my doorstep -- the Silhouette Cameo. I never thought I would love an electronic cutter. Afterall, I have every die known to mankind and I love them. Well, I jumped in and downloaded not only a few 3-D files, but used some of the new, soon-to-be released cutting files from Flourishes that coordinate with their stamps! For this special birthday celebration, I decided to pick up the Enjoy the Ride set. I think it's a fun one for kid's birthdays! I ended up making a treat bag and a name card for the birthday guests! Both the place card and the box are downloads available at the Silhouette online store. Love them!

I cut using my Silhouette Cameo using Flourishes Classic White Card Stock, stamped using Tuxedo Black ink and then colored the carousel horse with a mix of Copic markers using these color collections...

Here's a peek at the place card - I matted the horse on an oval cut with my Grand Callibur - it's the Classic Ovals LG, cut, embossed and sanded (Paper in My Mind's Eye Howdy Doody). I added some Melon Ribbon from the Poppy Color Made Easy Collection. Add some bling and almost done! I did print off the name on my computer and cut in out using the Nested Lacey Pennants die.

And... here's a peek at the treat bag!

Need some inspiration? The design team created all kinds of birthday goodies - from decorations to cards to invites to treat boxes -- you name it, they have been inspired! So, hop on over and see….

• Beate Johns
• Julie Koerber
• Cindy Lawrence
• Danielle Kennedy
• Jan Marie Caruso
• Sharon Doolittle
• Silke Ledlow
• Stacy Morgan -- she has blog candy for the special day!
• Tammy Hershberger

Thanks for stopping by! And, mark your calendar — the Flourishes sneaks start next Tuesday with a fun-filled Timeless Tuesday challenge and another chance to win our entire release! Have a fabulous and creative weekend!

It's a Man's World!

Hi all... it's another Thursday when the Impression Obsession Design Team ushers in another fun filled challenge for you all to take part in! Today, it's all about the guys -- the men in our lives! So pick up your IO stamps and get crack-a-lacking on those "guy" cards! If you want to know more about the challenge, just click on over to the IO Blog for all the official details!

On to my creation!

I realize on it's face, this image doesn't look super masculine, but look at those specs-- a man was clearly sitting there reading his favorite book! I decided to make this card more manly with the shades of brown and a more masculine ("less is more") layout! I even used a chunky brad that I think looks less dainty, more manly! The image is called Rocking Chair. I stamped and colored it with a mix of Copic Markers (nearly every marker I owned in shades or orange, purple, green and red!) shaded with some brown and grey tones and... ta da! After I was finished coloring, I did stamp on some craft paper using THIS Cover-A-Card background called Herringbone. Don't you love the almost patterned paper look it created? It sure dolls up a solid paper! Add some stitching, some May Arts Twill ribbon and a Stampin Up' brad and... done! That's all there is to it!

Want to see how some of the other IO designers created with a man in mind? Hop on over and see....

Daniela Dobson

Dina Kowal

Jeanne Streiff

Jenny Gropp

Julie Koerber -- you are here!

Laura Fulcher

Vicki Garrett

So, get creating! This challenge ends next Wednesday at 10PM EST... you could win a $25 gift certificate to the IO store! Well, tomorrow I am helping another one of my favorite companies celebrate a VERY special day -- it's fifth birthday! Check back for a fun-filled and festive hop!

It's Christmas in July!

With Flourishes' Christmas in July sale well underway (you only have 4 more days!), the senior design team thought it would be fun to show off some Christmas looks to help spark inspiration and help you get those cards started, long before the snow starts to fly!

On to my creation! I don't know about you -- but I am a sucker for snowmen. I just love, love, love them! And, when it comes to snow guys - I also love those cool blue tones. So... ta da.. .I used both for my creation!

I stamped the snow guy from Warm Winter Wishes onto Flourishes Classic White using Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored it up with a mix of Copic markers. I used these collections!

After I colored up my snow guy, I cut it out, added some piercing, a mix of decorative paper with some pinked edges, a Seabreeze Sparklet, and a punched snowflake and border (Martha Stewart) and... done! I should mention, on the big circles on the decorative paper -- I did stamp the snowflake from this set using aqua ink. And that, my friends, is it!

Remember -- between now and the 31st of July -- all Christmas stamp sets are 25% off -- what a deal! No codes needed, prices have been marked down to keep it simple for you! Just click HERE to see all the good things that are on sale now!

Thanks for stopping by! I'll see you back here soon. Hope you have a fun weekend ahead! :-)

~Julie

IO DT Thursday!

Hi all! Happy Thursday - hope the sun is shining in your neck of the woods! Today, I'm hosting IO DT Thursday and so, I wanted to show off one of the cards I made for Impression Obsession's booth at CHA but haven't shown here yet....

On to my creation! I decided on a black and white look with lost of pattern to add a wee bit of drama. I picked up a few of Dina Kowal's new stamps to create!

There really isn't a ton to explain on this card. I stamped all images on patterend paper using Versafine Black Onyx and stuck to the cream shades for my main image and my sentiment flag and then added a pop with two black and cream patterned looks for layering. I used Bird Collage 2 for my main image and the sentiment is called Let Your Soul. After layering it all up, I added a bow with ivory linen ribbon and a little Webster's Pages epoxy rose in a deep grey tone. I just love Dina's new line -- very classy! You can check out her designs HERE. And that, my friends, is it!

Hope your week is going well! I'll be back soon with some other fun & creative happenings. See you back here soon!

~Julie

I'm hosting... 10 Minute Thursday!

That's right -- if you need some 10 minute Christmas in July inspiration, just head on over to the Flourishes blog HERE to see what I have up my sleeve! This card is so easy it's shameful but I think we all need easy when it comes to Christmas creations, right? Here's a peek...

Don't forget - now through the 31st of July, Flourishes is having it's...

All Christmas stamp sets are 25% off -- what a deal! No codes needed, prices have been marked down to keep it simple for you! Just click HERE to see all the good things that are on sale now!

Thanks for stopping by!