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

Flourishes' January Release is HERE!

Well, it's the moment you have all been waiting for -- the Grand Finale of Flourishes' January Release! If you've been following the sneak peeks this week, they are no longer peeks! All three of their new sets are now live -- RIGHT HERE! As always, we have our special New Release Bundle as well -- which will give you 10% off all sets when you purchase them in a bundle.

The set the design team is showcasing today is part of a collection of sentiment sets aimed at giving you oh-so-many options for the insides and outsides of your cards!

 

Inside and Out You by Becky Fleck the perfect little sentiment set for all the different ways to tell that someone special so many different things! The mix and match sentiments are all packed on this 4″ by 3″ set! If you like this set, you might like our others called Inside & Out Just Because , Inside & Out Thank You or Inside & Out Happy! Be sure to check them out as well.

On to my creation!

I have to tell you, I have been having so much fun with this 123 Create Kit called Love Story. I just love, love, love pink and well, this paper pack has a ton of it! :-) This card was rather simple -- not a ton of layering, I just used the Silhouette Cut File for the Roses are Red set, cut, stamped and then grabbed my Copic markers. (Check below to see which collections I used!). Mat it on a doily and again on a piece of decorative paper that has been accented with a stitched strip of card stock, and accented with a little sentiment flag and... almost done! I had to bling it up a little bit with some little heart sparklets!

Here's a close up of the set we're showing off today -- I love how you can layer these sentiments however you like! I stamped the I Heart in Love Letters Memento Ink and then the word You in Memento Tuxedo Black. See?

Would you like to try 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 who is the…

 

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!

Before I get to the link list of talented ladies – we do have some fun news to share! First up, we have a brand new Silhouette cut file designed to coordinate with our new Roses are Red stamp set! You can find it right HERE in the Flourishes store. The SVG file will come along as well very soon! So, stay tuned for that! And so, without further ado --- hop on over to see our fabulous design team and the gorgeous creations they fashioned using our brand new and ever-so-versatile set that’s perfect for.... YOU!

• Christine Okken
• Cindy Lawrence
• Danielle Kennedy
• Heather Jensen
• Julie Koerber
• Silke Ledlow
• Stacy Morgan
• Tammy Hershberger

 

THE CLOCK IS TICKING TO WIN THE JANUARY RELEASE!

If you want a chance to win all three of Flourishes' brand new sets, you can still play in the  Love Letters Challenge – there will be multiple winners here! BUT, you have to act fast -- the deadline to enter is 5PM EST today! OR, play along with the gals for this week’s Timeless Tuesday Challenge! Check out the links for the official rules! I sure hope you had a blast with us this week! We had fun showing off these new designs and can't wait to see what YOU do with them as well!

~Julie

SUPPLIES USED:
 

IO: Day 5 of the New Spring Line Up!

Hi all! It's the grand finale for the CHA Sneak Peeks featuring Impression Obsession! I hope you've had fun seeing some of the new spring images and I hope it inspired some creativity -- that's what I aim for! Like I've been saying all week, all of the Impression Obsession design team is showcasing all of IO's newest stamps! You can click HERE if you want to see them all! And.... keep reading because you could actually WIN some too!

On to my creation!

Gosh, I love hydrangeas and when I saw these little numbers (Hydrangea Plant Small), I squealed. Aren't they darling? I colored them up with my Copic markers and used BV60, BV63 and BV66 plus YG21, YG23, and YG25 for the leaves. Now, the centers of these little blossoms were also fun. I decided to use some liquid pearls and add a little dimension! See?

The sentiment, also fun, is called Thanks Bunches. I literally used scraps from my scrap bin, add some die cuts, a button and some fun crinkled ribbon and... that.. my friends.. is it! Want to see some of the other new IO images for spring? Hop on over to see these ladies below and just know -- all the fun starts over on the Impression Obsession blog! 

• IO Blog 
• Daniela Dobson
• Dina Kowal
• Jeanne Streiff
• Jenny Gropp
• Julie Koerber
• Kittie Caracciolo
• Laura Fulcher
• Vicki Garrett

Here's some fun details about this week's hop -- if you comment on all DT blogs including the IO blog, you'll be in the running for a $25 Gift Certificate! If you comment each day, there will be an extra drawing just for those folks! So, hop on over to everyone and comment away. It could be your chance to get your hands on some of Impression Obsession's newest images!

Thanks for joining us! Mark your calendar, there will be another IO challenge coming your way next week on the 17th!

~Julie

Flourishes Sneaks Day 2: Roses Are Red!

Hi all and welcome to day 2 of Flourishes’ January Sneak Peeks featuring three of our newest sets! Today's sneak is all about love and a cute little poem we all seemed to learn when we were kids! Only now, it's paired with a few beautiful botanicals that are just screaming to be colored up! Are you ready?

 

Roses are Red by Marcella Hawley puts a new spin on that old, sweet poem! Roses are Red, Violets are Blue --- you finish the phrase with these mix and match sentiments! This set offers a bunch of roses and violets and a single flower bunch that is perfect to send to your sweetie. Use this set for Valentine's Day or any time you want to serve up some love in the form of a card! Set measures 4" by 6".

On to my creation! I just love the little rose that is in this set. I thought it was so sweet and when I looked at Flourishes Victorian Ovals, I knew that this stamp had a "home" right there in the center of this pierced die!

 So, I started with the die, and when it was still on, I sponged on some Angel Pink Memento Ink. I used my Silhouette to cut out the cut file -- the new one to match this set will be released Friday! From there, I grabbed my Copic markers. Be sure to check below to see the color collections I used! Add some lace, pearls and some fun bits of Candi and you're almost done! I used the paper and ribbon from the brand new 123 Create Kit called Love Story. LOVE this paper -- so classy! You might wonder how I got the shape of my card. Well, I played around with the Grand Labels One die and used it to cut and emboss my paper and then, I trimmed the edges to serve as a curve mat for the front of my card.

And... here's a close up of that darling little rose and violet combo!

Would you like to win this new set? Well, why don't you play our little blog comment game......

 

We don’t know which one of these ladies below will be the Mystery Blogger but one will, so leave comments on all of our designers’ blogs and you’ll be in the running to win today’s Roses Are Red set! Want to see all the fun things you can do with this little number? Head on over and see…..

• Christine Okken
• Cindy Lawrence
• Danielle Kennedy
• Heather Jensen
• Julie Koerber
• Silke Ledlow
• Stacy Morgan
• Tammy Hershberger

 

   

Another little tidbit for you? Have you "Liked" Flourishes on Facebook yet? They will have some giveaways there this week as well and you won't want to miss out on the fun! Just click HERE for more Release Week FUN!

DO YOU WANT TO WIN FLOURISHES' RELEASE?

If you want a chance to win all three of Flourishes' soon-to-be released sets, you can always play in our Love Letters Challenge – there will be multiple winners here! OR, play along with the gals for this week’s Timeless Tuesday Challenge! Check out the links for the official rules! Also, if you like what you see on our designers’ blogs today, you can pre-order this set (along with the other two sets as well). You can also take advantage our New Release Bundle and get 10% off when you purchase all three together in a bundle. All sets will be live first thing Friday morning along with the coordinating cut files for this release. So, be sure to stick with us this week as we unveil a whole new host of paper crafting goodies!

We’ll see you back here tomorrow for another new release sneak peek! This one is another way to add to your sentiment collection! It's a fun one so stay tuned!

~Julie

SUPPLIES USED:

IO Spring... Day 4!

Hi all! The fun continues here with MORE peeks of images that are just now being unveiled to get ready for next week's big CHA show! With the big event right around the corner, the Impression Obsession design team is busy showing off some of IO's new images ripe for spring! (Keep reading, because you could actually WIN some too!) 

On to my creation!

 

Gosh, when I first saw this stamp -- Party Pinwheels -- I just smiled. Doesn't this, in a way, remind you of just blowing and blowing to get those little pinwheels to spin as a kid? It's fun to remember back and that's what I did when I first set eyes on this stamp. It is actually just one stamp (a large and small pinwheel) that I stamped twice on my piece of white card stock. After that, I knew that I wanted to paper piece some of those wheels, so I took five different designs of decorative paper and just stamped it on all of them, adding contrast by cutting and piecing each piece to each wheel. It was a bit time consuming, but I like the result! After that, I added some decorative paper for my square card, added some stitching and accented around my pinwheels and their sticks with Copic Markers. Add a sentiment -- this was called Life Is Good, plus a little button and some twine and... ta da! All done

Here's a close up of the pinwheels, you can see that I also blinged up the centers with little red rhinestones!

 

And that, my friends, is it! Want to see some of the other new IO images for spring? Hop on over to see these ladies below and just know -- all the fun starts over on the Impression Obsession blog! 

• IO Blog 
• Daniela Dobson
• Dina Kowal
• Jeanne Streiff
• Jenny Gropp
• Julie Koerber
• Kittie Caracciolo
• Laura Fulcher
• Vicki Garrett

Here's some fun details about this week's hop -- if you comment on all DT blogs including the IO blog, you'll be in the running for a $25 Gift Certificate! If you comment each day, there will be an extra drawing just for those folks! So, hop on over to everyone and comment away. It could be your chance to get your hands on some of Impression Obsession's newest images!

See you back here tomorrow for more fun! 

~Julie

Let the Flourishes Sneaks Begin!

Hi all and welcome to the first day of Flourishes' January Sneak Peeks featuring three of the newest sets to hit the Flourishes shelves! We know at this time of year you are looking for love when it comes to new stamps and we have a little bit of that! We also have some trendy words to jazz up the fronts of your cards! So, let's get on with the show! First up, a set that packs a visual punch with inspiring and thoughtful words, perfect for cards of all kinds!

Just My Type by Marcella Hawley provides spunky sentiments that take the trend of fun typography and put it into words that you can use on your cards or creations. We're only showing you 2 out of the four in this fun-filled set! 

On to my creation!

 

This card honestly couldn't get any easier because it has a couple super easy things going for it. For starters, I decided to use the ever-so-trendy chalkboard technique that has taken the stamping world by storm. I stamped my sentiment onto black card stock, embossed with white embossing powder and then accented my image with colored pencils. Second thing that made it easy was I used the brand new kit from Flourishes called 123 Create Love Story! You can click HERE to see this kit in its full glory. I love, love, love the papers, embellishments, ribbons and trims in this kit. Here's a sneak peek at all this kit has to offer...

And, you can see up close how my sentiment was accented -- I just love this look, don't you? It's completely fun! I could see using dark green for a background as well to create another kind of "chalkboard" look!

Would you like to win this stamp set? Well, just as we have done in past release weeks, we offer our little guessing game of....

We don't know which one of these ladies below will be the Mystery Blogger but one will, so leave comments on all of our designers' blogs and you'll be in the running to win today's Just My Type set! Want to see all the fun things you can do with this little number? Head on over and see.....

• Christine Okken
• Cindy Lawrence
• Danielle Kennedy
• Heather Jensen
• Julie Koerber
• Silke Ledlow
• Stacy Morgan
• Tammy Hershberger

DO YOU WANT TO WIN OUR ENTIRE RELEASE?

If you want a chance to win all three of our soon-to-be released sets, you can always play in  the  Love Letters Challenge - there will be multiple winners here! OR, play along with the gals for this week's Timeless Tuesday Challenge! Check out the links for the official rules! Also, if you like what you see on our designers’ blogs today, you can pre-order this set (along with the other two sets as well). You can also take advantage our New Release Bundle and get 10% off when you purchase all three together in a bundle. All sets will be live first thing Friday morning along with the coordinating cut files for this release. So, be sure to stick with us this week as we unveil a whole new host of paper crafting goodies!

We’ll see you back here tomorrow for another new release sneak peek! This one is blossoming with love for those romantic paper crafters out there!

~Julie

IO Sneaks Day 3!

Hi all! The fun continues here with MORE peeks of images that are just now being unveiled to get ready for next week's big CHA show! With the big event right around the corner, the Impression Obsession design team is busy showing off some of IO's new images ripe for spring! (Keep reading, because you could actually WIN some too!) 

On to my creation!

I have to say, I am a huge fan of Alesa Baker's illustrations and this one above is no exception - just such a lovely line drawing that we crafters can bring to life with a little color! The stamp is called Beauty Roses. I stamped using Tuxedo Black Memento Ink and then colored up my flower using Copic Markers. (I used R81, R81, R85, G20, G40, G43, G46, BV02, BV00, and BV0000) The paper is from Prima and is called Meadowlark. Add some sheer ribbon, a shape cut, embossed and sanded thanks to the Spellbinders Beaded Ovals, and a little crystal button and... ta da!

And, here's a close up of a little border that adds some zing called Rose Text Border. I stamped in London Fog Memento and then trimmed along the scallops to serve as a little accent.

And, here's a close up of my finished flower - kind of soft and romantic, don't you think?

 

And that, my friends, is it! Want to see some of the other new IO images for spring? Hop on over to see these ladies below and just know -- all the fun starts over on the Impression Obsession blog! 

• IO Blog 
• Daniela Dobson
• Dina Kowal
• Jeanne Streiff
• Jenny Gropp
• Julie Koerber
• Kittie Caracciolo
• Laura Fulcher
• Vicki Garrett

Here's some fun details about this week's hop -- if you comment on all DT blogs including the IO blog, you'll be in the running for a $25 Gift Certificate! If you comment each day, there will be an extra drawing just for those folks! So, hop on over to everyone and comment away. It could be your chance to get your hands on some of Impression Obsession's newest images!

See you back here tomorrow for more fun! 

~Julie

IO Sneaks -- day 2!

Hi all! If you missed yesterday, you should know -- this week is full of fun here at Out to Impress! With CHA just around the corner, the Impression Obsession design team is going to take some time this week to show off some of IO's new images ripe for spring! 

On to my creation!

 

When I see daisies, I have no idea why, but I always think fresh colors and gingham! So, I kind of overloaded on fresh colors and... gingham! :-) I stamped my image using Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and then, grabbed my Copic markers to color up the Double Daisies Large. (I used YG21, YG23, YG35, YG38, BG0000, YG21, YG23, YG25, R20 and R0000) The sentiment is actually an oldie but goodie called Happy Birthday. It actually reads Happy Birthday to You but I only inked up the Happy Birthday portion so that it would fit on the little punched tab. Add some white ribbon, gingham ruffle, some stitching, a button and twine and... ta da! Done!

Here's a close up so that you can see these lovely daisies!

And... here's the sentiment! I loved how it fit perfectly on this little punched tab!

And that, my friends, is it! Want to see some of the other new IO images for spring? Hop on over to see these ladies below and just know -- all the fun starts over on the Impression Obsession blog! 

• IO Blog 
• Daniela Dobson
• Dina Kowal
• Jeanne Streiff
• Jenny Gropp
• Julie Koerber
• Kittie Caracciolo
• Laura Fulcher
• Vicki Garrett

Here's some fun details about this week's hop -- if you comment on all DT blogs including the IO blog, you'll be in the running for a $25 Gift Certificate! If you comment each day, there will be an extra drawing just for those folks! So, hop on over to everyone and comment away. It could be your chance to get your hands on some of Impression Obsession's newest images!

See you back here tomorrow for more fun!  

~Julie

Impression Obsession's Sneaks!

Hi all! In just a matter of days, CHA will be underway and crafters from far and wide will get to see the latest and greatest in the craft and hobby industry! It's a blast and one company you'll find there is... Impression Obsession! To get ready for the unveil of all of their new stamps for spring, the IO design team is taking this week to share some sneak peeks from IO's brand new spring catalog!

On to my creation! I just love this image called Dogwood Dress Form - so pretty and feminine!

I picked that up, stamped it in Rich Cocoa ink and then colored it up with Copic Markers. I used R81,R83,R85, BG000, BG0000, YG63, YG61, and YG0000. I used some really old Basic Grey Paper called Porcelain. I just love the shades and thought the colors were perfect.

I used Spellbinders Labels Twenty for my background shape. Add in some seam binding ribbon, some bling and... ta da!

I have to say that I love this little accent stamp from Dina K Designs -- too cute don't you think? It is called Thread Spool. I stamped it using Vivid's Taupe ink. Add some stitching and that's the icing on the cake!

If you want to see more of the latest offerings from IO, just hop on over and see these fine ladies below. The fun begins over on the IO Blog, so be sure to make a stop there too! 

• IO Blog 
• Dina Kowal
• Jeanne Streiff
• Jenny Gropp
• Julie Koerber
• Kittie Caracciolo
• Laura Fulcher
• Vicki Garrett

Here's some fun details about this week's hop -- if you comment on all DT blogs including the IO blog, you'll be in the running for a $25 Gift Certificate! If you comment each day, there will be an extra drawing just for those folks! So, hop on over to everyone and comment away. It could be your chance to get your hands on some of Impression Obsession's newest images!

See you back here tomorrow for more fun!  

~Julie

 

Flourishes Release Week Challenge!

Hi all! It's almost time for Flourishes to take the lid off its January Release and like always, the design team is here to give you a chance to win our newest sets as well! With the season of love fast approaching, we thought we better spice our challenge up with a little bit of amore! So, we are ushering in the....

HOW TO PLAY: This challenge is a broad one that's all about LOVE -- use love as your theme, use letters as a focal point, or use the colors of love in shades of pink and red. The choice is yours! If you upload to SCS, please use the keyword FLLCJAN13. Enter as many times as you like, but know that if you use Flourishes stamps, your entry counts twice! You have until January 11th, 5PM EST to enter. Just make sure you link your creation up below using our Inlinkz widget. As we said, winner gets Flourishes' full January stamp set release. So get those fingers inky!

On to my creation!

 

When I first started to simmer about this challenge, I saw a monochromatic and soft creation -- one that used Flourishes new Victorian Ovals die. I prayed we had a sentiment that fit that oval and wouldn't you know it -- we do! I used the set called Hearts & Flowers and that long sentiment is just perfect for this. I stamped the rose hearts all over a piece of Flourishes Classic White Card Stock and using Memento Angel Pink ink. I also cut a shape out of classic white and while the Victorian Ovals die was still on the paper, I sponged some Angel Pink ink on the center of the die. I stamped the sentiment in Tea Rose Vivid ink (which is just one shade darker than the Angel Pink for a soft look). Add a heart shaped hat pin, some pearls, lace and seam binding ribbon and... done! Easy peasy! 

Here's a close up of the sentiment panel....

If you need a little inspiration, it's never far away with our design team's creations! Hop on over and see...

• Christine Okken
• Cindy Lawrence
• Danielle Kennedy
• Heather Jensen
• Julie Koerber
• Sharon Doolittle
• Silke Ledlow
• Stacy Morgan
• Tammy Hershberger

  The OFFICIAL Rules…..

• Simply create a card using LOVE or letters as your focus!
• Entries need to be in by Friday, January 11th at 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. Only those that don’t combine will be in the running.
• If you upload to SCS, please use the keyword FLLCJAN13
• We’ll announce the winners Saturday in our Winner’s Circle Post on Saturday, January 12 so check back then to see if you’re one of the lucky winners!

Remember, Flourishes' release week sneaks start next Wednesday -- so mark your calendar! We'll also have all of our releases available for pre-order at that time as well! So, check back some fun is brewing and we'd love for you to join in!

SUPPLIES USED:

With IO.... Anything goes!

Hi all! I hope you had a wonderful holiday! As you can see, I have been a little M.I.A. I decided to take a little time off for Christmas and I have to say the downtime was wonderful! But, the creativity bug hit and now I'm back! Today is a fun one because the Impression Obsession gals have another challenge and with this one.. anything goes! Literally! How fun is that?

On to my creation! Today, I am showing off some fun images that will be released soon at CHA!

For starters, I stamped the Poppy Bouquet (J8955) and then colored them up with a mix of Copic markers. You can see I tried to use some fun shading with grey tones and I just love the vibrant look that created! There are three new stamps here -- not only the poppy cluster but the sentiment - Heartfelt Thanks (B3928) and that lovely black lace border called Crochet Border1(E13096) along the bottom as well. Add in some decorative paper, some rounded corners and a blinged up brad and... ta da! That's all there is to it!  A little birdie told me that these stamps will be live on the Impression Obsession store coming up this weekend-- so if you like what you see, you'll be able to find them then in the store!

Here's a close up to show you not only the new sentie but the detail on that border as well. I just love that lacey edge stamp!

If you want to know more about this week's Anything Goes Challenge, just head on over to the Impression Obsession Blog to find out more! You have until Wednesday, January 9th at 9 PM EST to  enter and there is a $25 gift certificate on the line! :-)

Need a little extra inspiration? Just head on over to see what the other Impression Obsession designers whipped up this week! You won't be sorry you paid them a visit!

• Daniela Dobson
• Dina Kowal
• Jeanne Streiff
• Jenny Gropp
• Laura Fulcher
• Vicki Garrett
• Kittie Caracciolo

Thanks so much for stopping by for a little visit! I'll be back tomorrow with even more fun. So, I'll see you then! :-)