Thursday, October 22, 2009

Friday Focus - Fancy Folds

It's another Flourishes Friday Focus, and this week it's ME who's the Hostess focusing on something to tickle your creative fancy  :)  Over at the Flourishes Newsletter I have a full tutorial on my own Fancy Fold card design, so I invite you on over to take a look at how this was made.  Here's the finished project

Closed:



and open:



I call it a Christine Tri-Fold Book :)   The musical instruments and Holly and bows from the brand new Drummer Boy set were colored with Copic Markers, Evergreen, Fields and Water Collections, and then cut out with the Large Octagonal Nestabilities, and then adding the bows and holly popped up.  Kaiser Rhinestones as accent.  Lots more pictures at the Flourishes Newsletter too. 

For this card I took some great instruction from Valerie Stangle on how she made a vertical Z-Fold Card from World Cardmaking Day.  She's so creative with her Scor Pal!!


I love the different and classy look to this card!  I watercolored and sponged the doves scene from the new Dove and Holly set in deep colors, Soft Suede, Bravo Burgundy and Always Artichoke.  I did an-out-of-the-box cutting of the Doves with my Labels One Nestabilities.

Here is a picture of the card open:



The embossed layer is done with the Finial Press Embossing folder, and I bordered the bottom with the Fancy Scalloped Pierceabilities, and the background paper is 7Gypsies Savannah.  I LOVE how the Finishing Touches brads look on this card as the accents too.

And here is a picture all the way open so you can see the back panel:



The sentiment is from the new Christmas Music set. 

The Design Team Girls have used their own Fancy Folds today so here's their links to check them out too!


Recipe:  Christine Tri-Fold:  Stamps:  Flourishes Drummer Boy;  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Always Artichoke;  Paper:  Soft Sky, Always Artichoke, SU Wintergreen DSP, Flourishes Classic White;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Large Octagon Nestabilities, Corner Rounder, Scor It, SU Poly-twill Ribbon, Kaiser Pearls, Copic Markers, Dimensionals, Scor Tape

Z Fold Doves:  Stamps:  Flourishes Dove and Holly, Christmas Music;  Ink:  Black Stazon, Bravo Burgundy;  Paper:  Bravo Burgundy, Soft Suede, Flourishes European Watercolor Paper, 7Gypsies Savannah DSP, SU Thoroughly Modern DSP, Big Shot, Labels One Nesties, Finial Press Embossing Folder, Fancy Scallop Pierceabilities, Modern Label Punch, Oval Punch, Scalloped Oval Punch, Copper Finishing Touches Brads, Satin Ribbon, 1 3/8ths Circle Punch, Dimensionals.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

She's 13

Today is another Dirty Dozen and Alumni Challenge ...but before I get to the card.  It's a big day, and I just found that I have a lot to say about it.  Feel free to pass by my Mom story to the card if you need to :)

Today is our daughters' 13th Birthday.  Today at 6:20 AM she becomes a teenager.  We threatened to wake her to celebrate LOL!  I just can't believe it's been 13 years.   I had the shocking realization the other day that we probably only have about 5 more years with her at home.  And that realization really hit me.  Normally I'm not the kind of Mom that get's too wistful about passages.  Generally I just feel excited to enter into whatever is next for my kids, excited for them, and excited for us.  And yet today I find myself quite wistful about this passage. 

Where did 13 years go?  She is our eldest...the firstborn, the kid that broke us in as parents :)  There were times when it was a major breaking us in (I mean seriously 10 ear infections in her first 18 months???) and yet there have been many other times where she's let us off SO easy compared to her brothers.  She is an amazing young woman already.  Just an inch away from me in height, with bigger feet than me already.  Incredible intelligence.  True compassion for others, and an authentic walk with God.  Willing to help (most of the time!).  And much of the time really fun to be with :)

But just 5 short years till she's 18...if these past 13 years have flown by, oh my, where will the next 5 go?  Will I have taught her enough?  Will we have prepared her for the world she will enter?  Will she value the things that are most important?  Can I hand over the car keys to her in 3 years?  Is she ready for how to handle heartache and is she ready for how to manage celebration?  Can I teach her to love freely but to guard her heart?  That beauty comes most from the beautiful spirit God has given her inside, not outside.  Will she know that receiving really comes most profoundly from giving? 

...oh so much in store these next 5 years.  I'm so glad that God gave me this little glimpse into how short the time is - so I can appreciate it more, and so I can make the most of it.  It is our joy to be her parents.

Alright - what did I create for this brand-new Teen today? 

Well in our DD/DDA Challenge Jodi challenged us to use Paper Piecing and Fall or Christmas colors. 



I paper pieced this young lady to an inch of her life!  Her blouse, dress, shoes (yes those teeny tiny shoes!) and her shopping bags are paper pieced individually with different selections from the Indian Summer Basic Grey pack.  I colored her skin and hair with copics.   I really wanted the sentiment to run vertically so I used my computer to design a little Teenager sentiment and put it into the Fancy Label. 



Some gems and pearls and some gorgeous Satin ribbon seem to give it that grown up feel too. 

Be sure to check out the other DD/DDA Girls creations with the keywords DCPOM1009 on Splitcoaststampers! 

Recipe:  Stamps:  Flourishes Gigi and Chloe;  Ink:  Momento Tuxedo Black;  Paper:  Melon Mambo, Chocolate Chip, Dusty Durango, Flourishes Classic White, Basic Grey Indian Summer DSP;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Labels 6 Nestabilities, K & C Gems, Kaiser Pearls, Fancy Labels Nestabilities, Copic Markers, Scallop Punch, Piercer, May Arts Satin (Chocolate).

Monday, October 19, 2009

Simply Inviting

Our daughter's birthday is tomorrow and this past weekend we worked on her invitations for a party with her friends next weekend.  It was fun to design together.  She liked the idea of an embossing folder, we picked the colors together and planned out the layout, and then I put her to work!  She really did all the parts to the card.  So...this is really her craftsmanship here :)



We wanted a clean and simple design that could easily be done for a number of girls.  She did all the stamping and cutting out of the flowers, popping them up on the embossed layer and adding a simply sentiment.  I think they turned out really sweet!



So...sweet and simple for today!  Back tomorrow with something I made for her Birthday!

Recipe:  Stamps:  SU - For All You Do, Hugs and Wishes;  Ink:  Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, Old Olive;  Paper:  Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay, Whisper White;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Elegant Bouquet Embossing Folder, Scalloped Oval Punch, Dimensionals

Friday, October 16, 2009

My Best for Him, pa rum pa pum pum

"I'll play my best for Him"   I so love that Christmas song...the heart to honor the King of Kings, out of who we are....gives me goosebumps!

Whew!  How's that for an xtra large size picture!  :)  Too big???  








































I colored the Nutcracker/Drummer with copic markers to match this very fun Cosmo Cricket Early Bird Paper.  And I mirrored the long triangles from the drum onto my background with paper as well.  I wanted it to feel like the drumming sound is flowing from him with the addition of the piercing.


And above I detailed the sentiment carefully to look like the top of a drum in shape, with colored and cut out holly and rhinestones as accent.

Well, now the Flourishes Release for October is complete, wasn't it fun????  The store is open, so please drop by...Flourishes always releases the New Bundle of stamps at a discount.....so come take a look at all the sets in their glory! 


Recipe:  Stamps:  Flourishes Christmas Drummer;  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black;  Paper:  Prism Papers, Cosmo Cricket Early Bird DSP, Flourishes Classic White;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Labels 8 Nestabilities, Octagonal Nestabilities, Velvet Ribbon, Copic Markers, Kaiser Rhinestones, Pierceability Template, Dimensionals

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Christmas at my Door

There is just nothing like a beautiful pine wreath on your door at Christmas.  I absolutely love the smell of a real Christmas tree or wreath.  And Marcy has given it to us once again in this gorgeous Christmas Wreath set, the detail on it is just amazing! 



I watercolored the wreath on Flourishes European Watercolor paper with both reinkers and Stampin' Write Markers.  After coloring, I wanted to give the wreath ornaments some shimmer, so I took out my Lumiere and painted over top of the coloring on the ornaments.  I also added a White Gel pen to the tiny mistletoe berries. 

To give the card it's ornate feel I used the Lattice Borderabilities on some of my Memory Box Spiceberry paper and added the olive Scalloped Green ribbon.  This set also has beautiful fonts for the sentiments too.    Wouldn't you love to have a wreath like this in your home? 


Then I decided to go a little country by using the smaller wreath in the set and Wednesday's Sketch Challenge on SCS.  I just love the new Basic Grey Eskimo Kiss DSP so I used that as my color palette to color these wreaths with Copics. 


And I forced myself to use buttons on these double row of ribbons  :)  (I know - we're both shocked) But buttons seemed to suit this card.  This close-up gives you a little more detail on the wreath too. 


The Design Team really has some gorgeous samples with this set today!


You can win this set by entering today at the Flourishes Newsletter

And please join us tonight 8 - 9 pm MTN time for the Release Party at the SCS Flourishes Forum!

Recipe:  Stamps:  Flourishes Christmas Wreath;  Ink:  Stazon, Riding Hood Red;  Paper:  Confetti Cream, Always Artichoke, Memory Box Spiceberry DSP, Accessories:  Big Shot, Lattice Borderabilities, Oval Punches, SW Markers, Reinkers, Aqua Painter, Dimensionals, Bronze Kaiser Pearls, Scalloped Ribbon. 

Country Christmas Wreath:  Stamps:  Flourishes Christmas Wreath;  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black;  Paper:  Pink Pirouette, Cool Caribbean, Flourishes Classic White, Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses DSP;  Accessories:  1 3/4 Circle Punch, Copic Markers, Kaiser Pearls, Corduroy Brad, SU Buttons, Glue Dots, Dimensionals, Scalloped Ribbon, Velvet Ribbon, White Silk Ribbon

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Twinkling

Well, you're going to love today's sets from Flourishes.  One is a lovely background, and one a must have vintage set that's going to blow you away!

I call this one Twinkle in His Eye!

Isn't this Santa amazing? 

I think he is drawn so beautifully!  Flourishes has another Rock Star illustrator in the house, her name is Becky Fleck, and you'll have to check out Julie's blog for more info about her.  We have the best illustrators!

I decided to give him some subtle coloring with my Prismacolor Pencils, and then overtop of his beard, mustache, his eyes and the white of his hat I added Spica atyou pen for total glitter.  I gave his glasses gold frames with my Zig Painty pen too.


I layered Santa on some fabulous Flourishes Glittery paper (currently out of stock - but should be back soon).  This paper is gorgeous with its sparkly pattern.  And the white layer is the debossed Petals a Plenty embossing folder from SU.  Finishing it off with some special piercing, red rhinestones and the beautiful double layered satin and he's very Twinkling!

Then I took the beautiful Holly background and did a 180 in design style... for some Silverberry Merry.



I used this beautiful Holly Background set to create different layers of impact.  It's stamped in Silver Encore ink on the back Sage Shadow layer, then embossed in Silver on the Silver metallic paper layer, and then overstamped over the sentiment from Santa, I Believe in Sage.  A little silver faux stitching on the piercing and some silver cording over the vintage crochet ribbon, and the beautiful Memory Box Dewfrost paper and it's complete in soft sweet simplicity!

The Design Team has gorgeous samples again for you today.  Be sure to check them out and leave a little love :)


And to win this set today see the Flourishes Newsletter....

And...join us in the Season that Sparkles Challenge - you could win the whole new release!

And be sure to join us for the Release Party this Friday over at Splitcoaststampers 8 - 9 PM Mountain Time.  So much fun, and lots of prizes to be given away!

Recipe:  Twinkle in His Eye:  Stamps:  Flourishes - Santa, I Believe;  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Real Red;  Paper:  Real Red, Whisper White, Flourishes Designer Paper, Flourishes Classic White;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Petals a Plenty Embossing Folder, Labels Eight Nestability, Pierceabilities, Piercer, Dimensionals, Double Sided Satin ribbon, Red Kaiser Rhinestones, Spica atyou Glitter Pens, Prismacolor Pencils, Zig Painty, Key Tab Punch. 

Silverberry Merry:  Stamps:  Flourishes - Holly Background, Santa, I Believe;  Ink:  Silver Encore, VersaMark, Sage Shadow;  Paper:  Sage Shadow, Silver Metallic, Memory Box Dewfrost;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Labels 8, Silver Embossing Powder, White Crochet Ribbon, Silver Metallic Cording, Silver Brads, Dimensionals, Zig Painty, Piercer.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

The Holly and the Ivy

I don't know if any of you have this experience, but there are times when I open up a Flourishes set that I just GASP outloud with delight!  This set today is one of those gaspy in a good way sets!  Marcella just draws such beautiful detail that if you love to stamp....if you love to color you can't help but appreciate all the potential in a set. 

If you haven't guessed already there's a bit of a theme in some of the sets this month....the music of Christmas.   Have you heard the Christmas Carol "The Holly and the Ivy"?  And the 12 Days of Christmas...? 

I have two cards here and a bit of a tutorial on sponging too, so read on :)  This on is my Two Turtle Doves...



This gorgeous pair of doves is watercolored on Flourishes watercolor paper with a combination of Stampin Write Markers (an SU waterbased marker), and reinkers.  I actually got my color palette from this pretty 7Gypsies Nottinghill paper.  After coloring I decided to give it some depth by sponging.   I've received a few questions recently on how I sponge, so here's a quick tutorial.   Below is the image just watercolored.  Pretty, but missing something. 





Beside, you can see that I ran the colored image through my Labels 5 Nestabilities, then stamped and cut out a mask with Eclipse tape and taped it over the image.   I sponge with my SU round sponges cut into quarters.  I dab my sponge onto my ink pad then test how much ink I have on it onto a scrap piece of paper.  If I have the right level of ink (not too much- you can always add more layers), then I dab onto the paper.  I LOVE how watercolor paper takes sponging.  Because the paper has tooth, it grabs the ink so beautifully.  Then once I have a dabbed look I like I use more squishing or sweeping motions to get deeper color.    The mask holds tight and you have the perfect color around the image.  Because I also used my Nestability template around the edges, it gives me a border that doesn't get sponged either. 

Here is the image close up with the sponging.  I love the glow it gives the doves. 




For the second card think of the Christmas Carol, "The Holly and the Ivy". 



I used the small holly and ivy stamp from the set and stamped it down a horizontal row and then watercolored.  I cut it with my Borderabilities, and then added the Blossom Two Nestie to accent the shapes, with gorgeous velvet ribbon too.   It just looked like it needed something else so I added the pretty piercing and then when the card was all done, added Crystal effects to the berries.  The sentiment is just a part of the entire sentiment inked for this card. 

There are so many stunning samples of this set over at the other Design Team members' blogs, you'll have to check them out. 

Cindy Lawrence, Julie Koerber, Latisha Yoast, Laura Fredrickson, Leslie Miller, Stacy Morgan,  Sharon Doolittle

And to win this amazing set today:  The Flourishes Newsletter


 
Recipes:  Two Turtle Doves:  Stamps:  Flourishes - The Holly and the Ivy;  Ink:  Black Stazon, Night of Navy;  Paper:  Night of Navy, Baja Breeze, Flourishes Watercolor Paper, 7Gypsies Nottingham Designer Paper; Accessories:  Big Shot, Labels 5 Nestabilities, Fancy Tags Nestabilities, Silk Ribbon, Kaiser Rhinestones, Sponge, Eclipse Tape, Dimensionals, Reinkers, Stampin Write Markers
 
The Holly and the Ivy:  Stamps:  Flourishes - The Holly and the Ivy;  Ink:  Black Stazon, Always Artichoke;  Paper:  Bravo Burgundy, Memory Box Spiceberry DSP, Always Artichoke;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Borderabilities, Blossom Two Nestabilities, Velvent Ribbon, Kaiser Pearls, Piercer, Dimensionals, Reinkers, Crystal Effects.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Angels We Have Heard on High

It's SUCH a big New Release week at Flourishes (can you believe SIX new sets are coming???),  so we had to add an extra DAY of Sneak Peeks!  The Design Team Girls are joining with the Friends of Flourishes Blog Team today to show you 2 of the sets being unveiled later this week. 

The Friends of Flourishes have issued us a Sketch Challenge, and I combined the brand new Musical Score background set, with the beautiful Angel from the Rejoice set.  I love that the background is the music and words to the Christmas Carol - "Angels We have Heard on High", so I thought they were a perfect match. 



I used different combinations of purple to make this card look very regal, along with a very collage style of layering of the elements. 

The octagonal nestie shape is sponged with White Craft ink using the Impressabilties Flourishes template.  It gives it a lovely soft almost bleached look.  I've also cut this layer along the bottom with the Lattice Borderabilties template, sponged and gave it pearl accents. 

The white layer of the musical score is sponged, and then I added the embossed Angel that had been stamped on cardstock vellum and colored from behind (stained glass window style), with Copic Markers, and then over top with Spica atyou pens, to give it pretty sparkle.



There are so many wonderful things for you to see between the FOF Blog Team, the DT and the other wonderful new set ....

Flourishes Newsletter ....to win the Sneak Peek sets today! 



Recipe:  Stamps:  Musical Score, Rejoice;  Ink:  White Craft, Elegant Eggplant, Perfect Plum;  Paper:  Elegant Eggplant, Perfect Plum, Whisper White, Cardstock Vellum;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Large Rectangles Nestabilities, Large Scalloped Rectangles Nestabilities, Octagonal Nestabilities,  Curly Label Punch, Lattice Border Borderabilities, Impressabilities Flourishes, Sponge, White Embossing Powder, Copic Markers, Spica atyou pens, White Kaiser Pearls, Silver Finishing Touches Ribbon Slides, Silk Ribbon, Dimensionals.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Sparkling Journal

It's another Flourishes Friday...and today is a Pre-Release challenge looking foward to a wonderful Flourishes Release in the week ahead.

So...put your thinking caps on because we're inviting you!   Glitzy packages, the new fallen snow, a Christmas ornament shimmering from the lights on the tree - all of these things equal magic during the holiday season! Capture that sparkle on a card and share your creativity for our A Season That Sparkles Challenge! KEYWORD: FLLCOCT. This contest will close Friday, Oct. 16th at 4PM CST. Winner gets our entire release for October!

Want to see something sparkly from me?  It was about time for a new journal for me (I finished the last page on my old one last week).  It's the place where I write what I'm learning, what God is teaching me, my prayers, my thoughts...even sketches and project ideas.  So I thought why not combine something sparkly with something useful and important to me that I'll use all year long.


I colored these beautiful cherries with Copic Markers (a number of different reds on the cherries and the Evergreen Collection on the leaves.)  After coloring I masked the cherries and leaves with Eclipse Tape and then sponged with Olive ink.    I framed the piece with a Frameabilities Foliage Frame that I also sponged to give it highlight, then a Labels 8 shape and Olive Silk Ribbon

Now for the sparkle.  To give the leaves some subtle sparkle I colored them over with the Spica atyou pens.  These pens have super sparkle because they have teeny tiny glass elements that reflect light in them. 



For the cherries ...after the whole journal was put together (and I mean every part :) )  I added Crystal Effects to parts of the cherries, laid the whole journal in my large embossing tray and poured those crazy bouncy little Microbeads overtop.  You have to let this dry a good while so it sets up well.  It gives a nice sparkle, but also a 3D look.  Below you can get more of the effect. 



Lastly...some Kaiser Rhinestones ....and it's a Sparkling Journal!  I'm looking foward to using it in the next year. 

Come and see what the other Design Team Girls of Fabulousness have created with sparkle today!

 
Recipe: Stamps: Flourishes Cherries and Peaches; Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Old Olive,  Very Vanilla Craft; Paper: Bella Rose DSP (SU), Old Olive Patterned Paper (SU), Flourishes Classic White, Old Olive;  Accessories:  SU Board Book Art Journal, Scalloped Eyelet Punch, Spiral Punch, Big Shot, Frameabilties Foliage Frame, Labels 8 Nestabilities, Copic Markers, Sponge, Eclipse Masking Tape, Kaiser Pearls, Olive Silk Ribbon, Spica atyou Glitter pens, Crystal Effects, Microbeads.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Mellow Friends

Hello Stampers!

It's a brisk and chilly day here, apparently Autumn has found us. 

I have a pretty card for you today combining the Color Challenge colors of Mellow Moss, Kraft and White as well as a really nice sketch from SCS today too.  I think I'll be using this one again. 



Isn't it lovely?  Sometimes I get stuck in a non-creative mode, I'm just not feelin' it.  So I just have to stop stamping for a couple of days.  Then eventually the creativity comes back.  I like how this one turned out.  I stamped the flowers 2 x (one to cut out), and then colored them with Prismacolor Pencils.  White coloring on Kraft paper is just about the prettiest thing ever.  It has such a delicate but warm feel. 

I have significant issues with buttons,  I think I've mentioned that fact before.  But I was going through my embellishment drawer the other day going "holy cow girl!  You have way too many buttons!".  I keep thinking, "these are pretty, I should buy them, I should use them!"  But then I don't!  I'm really more of a pearl girl, but I can't stand to see things go wasted in my drawer.  Help me people!  I need bravery for these buttons!


But I did manage to use 2 buttons here, I was trying for 3 but I just couldn't make it work! 

The bottom Mellow Moss layer is heavily sponged, and I made my sentiment "smaller" (it's the scalloped oval punch) by punching once, then sliding one end into the punch again, lining it up and punching one side again to decrease the oval size. 

Gotta go, I have a very messy house that needs some attention!

Recipe:  Stamps:  SU Friends 24-7, Friendly Words Wheel, Ink:  Black Stazon, Mellow Moss, VersaMark;  Paper:  Kraft, Mellow Moss, Whisper White, Kraft Prints;  Accessories:  Prismacolor Pencils, Mellow Moss & Kraft Taffeta Ribbon, Kraft Corduroy Button, Soft Subtles buttons, Glue Dots, Dimensionals, Sponge, Scalloped Oval Punch. Hemp



Monday, October 5, 2009

Around the World

How did you spend World Card Making Day this past weekend?  Well, as I was perusing through the net I came to Nichole Heady's PTI challenge for WCMD and thought it was really fun.  She "travelled" the world and challeged her readers to create based on inspiration from four wonderful world spots:  Japan, Mexico, India and Australia. 

I thought it was such a fun idea I wanted to join in, so I have four country inspired creations for you in this post. 

Japan

Known for it's crisp simplicity of design and bold colors I created a very clean and simple card. 



The stems and blossoms are stamped in Craft Ink and clear embossed.  I've used the Texturz plate that to me looks like a shoji screen.  Crisp clean piercing and ribbon. 

Mexico

Our family has such a deep love for Mexican culture.  They are such warm people, embrace others so readily and live life with great zest and gratitude.  Mexico is also known for it's silver jewelry and pieces so I tried to incorporate that warmth and the silver into the design, as well as a hint of a Mexican blanket color scheme as a border.


The flowers and the border are colored with copics. 

India

Rich colors, dazzling jewelry, beading and fabrics give lots of inspiration in India



I used the Damask set embossed in Irridescent Ice embossing powder to give that feel of shimmer, that changes color as you move.  I also added rows of sparkly beads along the bottom (microbeads and scattered sead and bugle beads adhered with sticky strip). The ribbon is one I picked up a long time ago for a Dirty Dozen project and thought it's intricate feel would work well here.  I also created the feeling of some of the Indian architecture with the Lattice border used to cut the color block strips into shape. 

And lastly .....down under to Australia 

Nichole had some great inspiration on the Australia post with artistic styles that are indigineous to the area, one being dotted outlines and the other being masking.  I thought I'd try to incorporate the feeling of both styles.


I clear embossed the silhouette image from Life and then sponged over it with Vanilla Craft, then used my Labels 8 Nestie as a template to sponge the edges with Dusty Durango.  After this dried I added dotted outlines in black, Dusty Durango and White, as well as adding a gorgeous double stitched ribbon to anchor it. 

Whew!  It was a fun trip for me.  Hopefully you enjoyed it too! 

Stamps:  PaperTrey Ink:  Life, Friends Til the End, Damask

Saturday, October 3, 2009

World Card Making Day with Flourishes

Second post for today :)  Scroll down for more! 

The first Saturday of October is a time when card makers worldwide kick the holiday card making season into high gear. It's World Card Making Day! And this year, Flourishes is teaming up with other Splitcoast Member Companies to help inspire YOU! Better yet? If you get in on the action, you might just win some goodies courtesy of Flourishes. Click HERE and join us in our sketch challenge that kicked off tonight at 7 PM Eastern. You have until Midnight EST on Sunday to upload your cards. All of those that played will have their names thrown into a hat and three lucky people will win a goody bag courtesy of Flourishes with paper, a ribbon grab bag and a stamp set inside! :-)

Here's what I created with this great sketch. 



I think that the new Indian Summer paper by Basic Grey is fantastic, and it looks perfect with the new Seasonal Wreaths set.  I colored the wreath really vibrantly with copics to really bring it to life.  I layered it on a debossed (Finial Press Embossing Folder) piece of Dusty Durango, and added a Floral Accent, and gems from K & Co, as well as a half bow as accents.  The rest is all pretty papers. 



Here's an added bonus! We're partnering with Operation Write Home (formerly Cards for Heroes)to help spead the love around. If you'd like to send your challenge cards on to this fine cause that sends cards to our troops serving overseas,all you need to do is click on this link for details on how to send some cards their way!  OWH link is: http://operationwritehome.org/

Have fun and Happy World Cardmaking Day!

 
 
Recipe:  Stamps:  Flourishes Seasonal Wreaths;  Paper:  Dusty Durango, Bravo Burgundy, Flourishes Classic White, Indian Summer Basic Grey;  Accessories:  Copic Markers, Big Shot, Finial Press Embossing Folder (SU), Ticket Corner Punch, Circle Punches, Dimensionals, Purely Pomegranate Satin Ribbon, Glue Dots, K & Co Gems. 

Whoos 6?

Happy World Card Making Day!  How great is it that we can have a day to celebrate this wonderful craft! 

I'll have two posts for you today, one later with the Flourishes WCMD Challenge on SCS and this first one, a card I had to make this morning for our 6 year old son's friend's Birthday Party.  Whew that's a mouthful.  It needed to be a quick card.  It's loosely based on Beate's 100th Weekend Sketch, but the 6 is really much larger than what she designed as the sketch.  It's a 4.25 x 4.25 inch card. 




Fun hey?  So not my style, but it's always good to stretch.  I took out my chipboard that I so rarely use, and found this massive number!  (LOL), I inked it with Night of Navy Craft and clear embossed it, then added polka-dots to match the owl from Animal Stories with my white gel pen. 



What is hard to see is that I used the Textures plate in the "bark" style on the white and then stamped the letters around the 6.  Super simple but kinda fun! 

Back here about 5 pm MTN time for the Flourishes Challenge, it's a GREAT one! 

Recipe:  Animal Stories (SU!), Ink:  Night of Navy Craft, Dusty Durango;  Paper:  Night of Navy, Dusty Durango, Whisper White;  Accessories:  Chipboard, Clear EP, White Gel Pen, Big Shot, Texturz plate, Dimensionals, Mini Clip, Navy Grosgrain.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

It's all about the Finishing Touches

What do you think takes a card from good to great? 

Sometimes I believe it's the special finishing touches you add that take a card up that extra notch, becoming a showpiece.  It can be something special, or simple.  But the right accent can really make a difference.

Today the Flourishes Design Team wants to show you ways to take your card from good to great with our very own Finishing Touches.  These accent pieces are fantastic!  They come in three finishes, gold, copper and silver, and in a variety of styles, fancy brads, pins, ribbon slides....all in gorgeously done.  What I really love about Flourishes Finishing Touches they are high quality, yet light weight.  So they don't bulk up the weight on your card. 

Today I wanted to show you the very classy Finishing Florals. They are beautiful enough that honestly they could be the showpiece/focal image on the whole card.  but I chose to make a dramatic statement with them as an accent. 


I colored these leaves with Copic Markers in several selections (Evergreen, Tiger Lily, Delphinium...Neutrals...etc), to match with my starting point...the great 7Gypsies paper Savannah.  It has pretty dusty blues, golden yellows, burgundies and greens, all on a muted neutral palette.  So, I colored the leaves and then sponged some Sahara Sand on the main image, weighting the sponging on the bottom to give it a glow on the top. 

I folded my other paper selection (Basic Grey Indian Summer to have the look of paper ribbon.  Then I added the pretty ribbon in a tailored treatment with the gorgeous Flourishes Flower brad in the center. 



Gives it such an elegant and finished effect don't you think? 

Come see all the other beauties by the Design Team today: 

Cindy Lawrence Faith Hofrichter Julie KoerberLatisha Yoast,  Laura FredricksonLeslie Miller

Be sure to stop by tomorrow...Flourishes is participating in the World Cardmaking Day festivities at Splitcoaststampers.com.  LOTS of fun going on with the Member Companies including giveaways for you! 

Recipe:  Stamps:  Flourishes Falling Leaves;  Ink:  Tuxedo Black Memento, Sahara Sand; Paper;  Buckaroo Blue, Soft Suede, Classic Ivory Paper (Flourishes),  7Gypsies Savannah DSP, Basic Grey Indian Summer DSP;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Labels Six Nestabilities, Corner Rounder Punch, Dimensionals, Flourishes Ribbon, Flourishes Finishing Touches Fancy Flowers Brad (copper), Copic Markers, Sponge.