Thursday, September 29, 2011

Wacky World Card Making Day Challenge!

How about some Flourishes Fun for World Card Making Day?



In honor of World Card Making Day on Saturday, October 1st, Flourishes is kicking things off one day early in a wild and wacky fashion! Have we got a challenge for you!  It's all about that inner kid and why we love card making in general - we get to be creative! So, think like a kid and share your favorite animated character.  Find a picture of that character and then, be inspired by the colors for one fun-filled color challenge! We'll take entries through next Thursday, October 6th at 5PM EST. The winner of this challenge gets a fun-filled prize pack with Flourishes stamp sets of our choice. Once you're done with your creation, simply link up on this post using our Inlinkz widget. If you upload to Splitcoaststampers, please use the keyword FLLCWCMD11. Th-th-tha-that's all folks!


Well, I love Calvin and Hobbes so that's who I picked :)  Those comics have given me many, many laughs over the years, and now those comics have given our kids many many laughs as they read through the collection of Calvin and Hobbes books we've collected.  I picked a very fall color palette from the picture too...red, orange and yellow.   And since those two buddies spent many an adventure outside I picked a fall leaves theme with the lovely Falling Leaves set.  



It's a little CAS design for me.  It took everything in me to resist adding MORE to the card.  But I love how beautifully these leaves from the set stamp.  Just straight ink - and the details are gorgeous.  I used Memento Lady Bug, and Cantaloupe ink plus SU! Pumpkin Pie ink on the background leaves, and sponged with Pumpkin Pie.  Then I added another of the leaves stamped with Stazon on watercolor paper, watercoloring it with reinkers and markers.  It's much more rich and vivid in real life, my camera never takes red/orange tones very well.  


I've added the beautiful Spellbinders Fancy Tag Two for the sentiment, do you see the little popped up heart in the middle of the sentiment label?  It's a left-over from the heart cut out of the die on each side.  Look closely and you'll see it - a TIP for -"don't waste anything!"  :)  Then some messy stitching and some pretty two tone textured ribbon (there are blue and pink still left in the store), folding it over on itself on some scor tape.  Then I used the cut border edge of the Classic Bracket Edgeabilities for the far right border.  

So we'd love for you to join us on our Wacky World Card Making Day Challenge at Flourishes....and here's some more wacky and wonderful inspiration:


Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Autumn Sky


When the new SU! Catalogue came out I purchased a few sets that I thought were cute and in almost all cases - colourable :)  Here's one of them!  It's called Little Friends, and I think it's adorable, I love the sweet whimsical designs, cute kids and open lines.  I was reading Marianne Walker's blog the other day and she focussed on how she colored up her new blog banner (which is gorgeous) - including the really cool streaky spotted sky - so I was playing around with the sky on this one.  I'm still not sure I achieved the effect I was going for - it's more spotted than streaky, but it was fun to play.  In essence you color up the sky (B21) in more of a streaky motion and then come back with a colorless blender to pull away the color and add more of the dotted feel.  My streaks weren't looking right so that's why it all became dotted.  Then THAT looked a little too dotty - so I just used a swirly motion with my colorless blender to smooth it out a little, and soften the effect.  

I pulled out an old sizzix embossing plate for the burgundy fish-tail pennant hanging down and embossed it in paisley to match the feel of the designer paper (also SU).  


Here's a list of the Copics:  B92, B95, B97 (jeans, flag, balloon), B21 (sky), YG93, YG95 (Grass), R39, R59, R89 (bows, flowers, shirt stripes), E13, E31, E97 (Wagon), YR02, E31, E97 (Bear), Y21, E31(Hair) E50, E00 (Skin).  

Back tomorrow with a sneak peek of something FUN for World Card Making Day!  


Monday, September 26, 2011

Hey Little Lady

One of our American nieces just had a birthday and I have her little birthday package ready to mail to her (late!)...so I had to put together a cutie card for her.  She is a little cutie.  So full of charm and silliness, serious one moment, totally playful the next.


In our neck of the woods right now ladybugs are EVERYWHERE!  I'm often finding them in the house having taken a trip in on someone who was outside.  I gently pick them up on a piece of paper and transport them back outside.  I love ladybugs :)

I pulled out this adorable little set from PTI, it's called Tiny Treats - Birthday  It has the most adorable little stamps in it for all sweet birthday occasions.  I stamped the frame from the set in black onto the Real Red cardstock and trimmed out the middle of the circle with a large 1 3/4 inch circle punch, leaving a window for the cute little ladybug.  Then I added the sentiment in a flag type style behind the window too.  


Spellbinders Labels Twenty frames out the bottom of the card in the black designer paper.  And who can resist the cute polka dot and frilly gingham ribbon?  Makes me smile :)

Hope you're having a lovely fall day in your neighbourhood, it's cooled off here from our 30 degree Celsius temperatures we've been having, so this week will definitely feel more like fall.  

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Ode To Nasturtiums

I've been very blessed to be able to work with some of the most fantastic images in stamping.  I love lots and lots of stamps from different places and companies, but if you know me, you know that I only use what I love.  What I stamp with also represents me too, so what you see here on the blog is what I love.  And I also love the privilege of representing the companies I have been able to in the past 3 1/2 years.  Creating is joy for me, and probably for you visiting too.

I've been with Flourishes for almost 3 years, so I also feel very grateful to have most every set we've ever made :)  And sometimes some of those older sets don't get the love they're entitled to!  So, I thought I'd bring out some of my older Flourishes sets on a more regular basis and give you an "Ode to" that set.  I'll create something new, and then show you some of my older creations from that set too, it will remind all of us of style changes or how I've changed as a designer :)


I pulled out my pretty Nasturtiums set from Flourishes.  When Marcy first illustrated it a few years ago I bought some seeds and planted my own nasturtiums outside too.  They came up beautifully, full of plentiful delicate looking blooms, varied warm colors, gorgeous green round leaves....and they're even edible!  Sort of a peppery taste to them.  

Coloring on this card is done with Copic Markers (R22, 27, 29; G40, 82, 85, G21, 24, 28, BV00, Y17, 35, 38), and I've used the Spellbinders Labels Twenty-Three Die to cut all the shapes.   This perfectly pretty paper is new in the store from My Minds Eye.  This one's called "Lost and Found - Rosy".  I am beside myself about all the new My Minds Eye line in the store :)  The pretty ribbon is a lovely puckered/pleated Satin Plisse.  The card is 5 1/4 x 5 1/4 in size.  


Because I set the sentiment overtop of the main image, I took a second stamped nasturtium and layered overtop to match what was underneath and popped it up, as well as popping up one of the leaves (lower left leaf close to you).  Full of cheer wouldn't you say?

Now how about some OLDIES with this set?  



This card was colored with Copics as well, and I added a few extra blooms with the other stamps in the set filling out the design a little more.  Sorry - the photo is a little over-exposed....but it's very white on white.  


This was a fun one, I made a little gift seed-box out of cardstock vellum to put in a package of nasturtium seeds to give away.  This one was watercolored.  And again I popped up the flowers.  I seem to love that :)


I love how dramatically this card turned out.  As you can see I've stamped the nasturtiums with a horizontal orientation.  I stamped the image in White Craft Ink, embossed it in white on the black cardstock, and then colored it in with Prismacolor and metallic pencils.  It's really iridescent and has a  cool effect.  
So there you have it, my first "Ode To".  Hope you enjoyed this beautiful set!  

Let me know what FLLC sets YOU'D love to see featured and I'll put them on the list!    

Have a great Monday friends!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

May Blessings Abound


Welcome to Flourishes Friday again gang!  Today the girls are pulling out all the stops on another round of the September New Releases for you.  Remember that today is the last day you can purchase the New Release Bundle at a Discount :)


What I just LOVE about this particular stamp in this set A Season of Thanks, is of course how fabulous the Indian Corn looks, but also how Marcy drew the corn stalks and the ribbon wrap in it.  I really thought I'd play off of that in the ribbon on my card here today.  



All the pretty-ness in this card comes from the 1 2 3 Kit of the Month from Flourishes - Garden Girl.  So these gorgeous ribbons, and gems, pearls and papers are ALL in the Kit.  It's awesome!  I wrapped the wrinkly ribbon around the pleated ribbon and added the rhinestone gems on top.  I love how it mimics the ribbon in the image.  

Colouring is done with Copic Markers, and I've added some purples into the corn to tie it all together.  


As you can see I've added some sewing into the design, and then just ran my copic marker over top of the sewing to match the thread more to the paper.  

Be sure to see what all the rest of the DT has in store for you today.  

and Jan Marie Caruso

Stamps:  Flourishes - A Season of Thanks; Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Memento Lilac, SU Rich Razzleberry;  Paper:  Rich Razzleberry, Early Espresso, Flourishes Classic White, Bo Bunny Garden Girl DP;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Labels Eight Nestabilities, Sewing Machine Copic Markers (V04, V05, V06, E50, E51, E43, E23, E25, E29, G82, G85, G94, YR12, Y11, Y21, Y23), Wrinkled Ribbon, Satin Pleated Ribbon, Bo Bunny Gems and Pearls, Sponge, Dimensionals. 

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Water You Up To?


Oh those last few days of summer....sigh.  I thought I'd celebrate by creating a very summery card and say Thanks for the Memories Summer of 2011 :) .  I actually coloured up this very fun image from the Flourishes set Wild for Watermelon while we were on vacation in the mountains.  Nothing like the joy of colouring for no other purpose than just FUN.  

I pulled out my Prismacolor Pencils and OMS to create the depth and lightness in the colouring, which I really love about Prismacolors.  You can really work highlight into your design as well as depth and shadow.  When I returned home I received this gorgeous pack of paper by Kaiser called Miss Nelly and some delicious gems called Sparklets to go with it (I fell in love with these gems at CHA).  I love them because they are multi-faceted and sparkly, and they come in tons of colors.  Then I added some crochet trim ribbon tied through the Lacy Oval Nestabilities to finish it off.  


A fun "thinking about you" sort of card.  It's also the SFYTT for the month of September. 


Thanks for dropping by friends!


Stamps:  Flourishes - Wild for Watermelon;  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black;  Paper:  Rose Red, Flourishes Classic White, Wild Wasabi, Kaiser Miss Nelly DP;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Lacy Squares Nestabilities, Lacy Ovals Nestabilities, Nested Pennants Die, Crochet Ribbon, Kaiser Sparklets in Fern, Dimensionals, Prismacolor Pencils, OMS, Blending Stumps, Sewing Machine, 

Monday, September 19, 2011

Hello Cameo

Weren't the Sneak Peeks last week at Flourishes AMAZING?  The girls always do such beautiful work and I love creating together with them.  :)  I thought I'd give you another peek at the gorgeous Medallion Motif set.  Last week I coloured in the image, today I'll show you lots of colour, but it all comes via an ink pad and sponge.


I really wanted to show off what you can do by embossing this image.  So I inked it up with VersaMark Ink, clear embossed it and then trimmed it out with my Grand Calibur and an Octagonal Nestabilities shape.  Then I started in the center with Bravo Burgundy ink, moving outward into Pumpkin Pie ink and then the edges with Kiwi Kiss ink.  On the bottom section I used the three inks to ink the stamp and random stamp the Grand Labels One for the card base.  I also used the Classic Bracket Edgeabilities along the bottom border too.  


And then...pretty pretty!  Look at that lovely cameo!  It's part of a variety pack of cameos from Webster's in the Flourishes store.  Gorgeous I tell ya!

So there you have it another way to use this beautiful set.  Remember the New Release Bundle with all three gorgeous sets is at a 10% discount ONLY this week!  

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving


In the mood for autumn yet?  It's sounds like we're going to have another week of beautiful summer weather here yet...which I'm still hanging on to with all my might - because I know what's coming.  BUT...I so love the coolness of the nights we're already and the leaves that are slowly starting to make their show of colour.  I hope fall lasts and lasts and lasts :)

There She Goes has a really beautiful Thanksgiving set called Bountiful Blessings (illustrated by the amazing Torico) that I really love.   I coloured up the main image with Copics and also stamped some of the corn stalk stamp onto the Cajun layer, then layered it onto the woodgrain texture layer of Soft Suede.


A little sewing and the Martha Stewart Rings punch, and accented with some rows of Mosaic Tiles.  Clean and simple really.  The strip of ribbon is a brown faux suede from Flourishes too - almost forgot about that :)  

Friday, September 16, 2011

Come Boldly

Whew.  These weeks of September are always a whirlwind for us as a family.  Our work calendar is full to the brim as we launch a new ministry year with students and then you add in all the newness of school for our kids, new schedules and schools and kick-off events and I'm one over-cooked mama.  I'm really grateful that its Saturday.  Though I have to finish off a short sermon for Sunday (a number of us as staff are team-preaching on our theme for the year).... and my husband is away with our HS students (I so wish I could be there).   At least for some of this weekend there is a respite.

I sort of stumbled upon the Get Your Diva On Challenge at Verve yesterday afternoon and thought... hmm, I have some great Verve stamps I haven't used yet and I needed a little creative time to decompress.   The challenge is for a monochromatic design.


I apologize for the not quite normal quality photo.  I had to use our daughter's camera as my husband had taken our normal camera with him.  And this is in pretty bright sunlight too.   I've used the very lovely New Mercies Set from Verve,  coloring up the little flowers with Copic Markers (Y21, Y23, YR24).  

I love the color yellow.  It's perfect in most every season depending on the tone, and it sends a hopeful and cheerful message.  Perfect for such an encouraging verse too.  Truth you can sink an anchor down deep in.  


I've added some texture to the layers, including the little flag, as well as pretty rhinestones to mimic the flower centers, and I rough-colored up my cotton linen ribbon with my copics to match the card.  And added lots of sponging with Wild Honey Distress Ink.  

This is this months SFYTT as well.  


Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great Saturday....

Stamps:  Verve - New Mercies;  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Distress Wild Honey;  Paper:  So Saffron Cardstock, 7 Gypsies Victoria DP, Memory Box Tinsel DP;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Lacy Circles Nestabilities, Copic Markers, Dimensionals, Cotton Linen Ribbon, Victorian Embossing Folder, Corner Rounder Punch, Kaiser Rhinestones - Gold

Thursday, September 15, 2011

For my Thanksgiving Table


Here we are on Day 3 of our beautiful September previews at Flourishes, and today's set is an absolutely gorgeous one for fall, called A Season of Thanks.  As you may already know, Thanksgiving comes for us Canadians a month earlier than it does for those in the USA, so I've already made some pretty plans for my Thanksgiving Table.  It's a long post with a lot of pictures because there is a lot to show off!


Above top left clockwise is:  A Thanksgiving Card, A Candle Wrap, A Menu card, A Place Card and a Napkin Ring.   All of the items are colored with Copic Markers.  


Here's the place card cut with a new Labels Twenty-Two Die, scored and folded in half.  I've added the name flag with the Nested Lacey Pennants die and a corduroy button with some Jute Twine through it.   The paper is some older Basic Grey - Indian Summer.  

Next up.... 


A napkin ring holder.  Easy to make with the Lacy Ovals die because the ribbon can thread through the die and the 2 inch wide ring I formed from paper behind it.  


Here is the candle wrap with the Indian Corn Bough image.  I LOVE this beautiful corn with the husks and the gorgeous tie!  I've accented it with Olive silk ribbon.  


Here is the card that will sit at each table setting with a note from us about what we are thankful for in each of our guests with us.  I've trimmed out the image carefully with a slight border and used the herringbone embossing folder, as well as the Lacy Squares as a border to the designer paper.  


This will list our menu items on the card - I'm not completely sure what we'll be serving yet...some possibilities are rotisserie chicken or turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, cheddar cheese perogies, some yummy salads, cabbage rolls, apple pie, or some pumpkin or pecan pie and ice cream... but until that week I'm not certain what it will be, but I know it will be bountiful and delicious.  Here I've cut out the urn image and placed it onto the card with some twine accent and some burgundy pearls.  


Here is a side view of the stand


And a close up of the coloring.  Aren't the images just stunning?  


And once again, the pieces all together.  

These gorgeous sets are all in the store now, and until September 23rd you can get the New Release Bundle at a discount!

I know you will find many beautiful things today on the Blog Hop with the Design Team so please go ahead and visit these lovely ladies...

and  Jan Marie Caruso  and Sharon Doolittle

Remember, you can win this set today by leaving a comment on the Flourishes Blog

Somewhere along the line of the DT members is the.....

.....and if you comment on their blog you could win this set!

AND You can play in our Noon-time Challenge from the past two days on the FLLC Blog, as well as the Fall Color Challenge.  

So many ways to win these great sets this month!


Tomorrow you can see all of the winners on the Winner's Circle Post at noon on the Flourishes Blog.  

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Medallion Motif


What a gorgeous set we have for you today everyone!  It's a perfect set for anyone who likes to stamp.  You can stamp it simply and go really Clean and Simple, you can color it up and make it bold or soft, you can emboss it and give it elegance, you can make it for everyday, or Christmas....it's got so much potential!  Designed by Becky Fleck, it's got the WOW factor for sure!


As soon as I saw this set I wondered how it would look colored up :)  so I tried it and I really love how it turned out.  Coloring is done with Copic Markers, (Spruce Collection, Fuchsia Collection, and E81 and 87 from the New Copic Sketch Collection colors)  and to me it has a really gorgeous ethnic and regal feel to it.  Then I took the dotted circle image that is separate from the main medallion and stamped it in my three colors around the medallion to tie it all together.  (LOVE that).  Rather than place the sentiment into the center of the medallion I stamped it separately on a Octagonal Nestability shape and added slightly off-center of the main image.  


And I used a NEW and wonderful product in the store called Spellbinders Edgeabilities which we first saw demo-ed at CHA....wow-weeeee these are awesome!!!  I've created the bottom border on the card with them...


They're so cool because you can layer them different ways to get different cuts and textures.  This set is called Classic Bracket Edgeabilities

The girls have wonderful things to show you again today that you won't want to miss!

and
Jan Marie Caruso
Sharon Doolittle

Remember, you can win this set today by leaving a comment on the Flourishes Blog

Somewhere along the line of the DT members is the.....


.....and if you comment on their blog you could win this set!

AND You can play in our Noon-time Challenge today (or yesterday) listed at noon Central time on the FLLC Blog, as well as the Fall Color Challenge.  So many ways to win these great sets this month!

Sole Mates Sketch

Hello again friends!  I'm glad to see you back for the noon-time challenge at Flourishes.  Today it's a fun sketch that we're inviting you to play with... and the fun part - it's a 2nd peek at the Feminine Charm set...


I love the sketch...but flipped it to work for this great image in the set...and I also used some of the colors from our Fall Color Challenge Pantone Palette too...


Isn't that a fun sentiment to pair with this beautiful shoe?  I colored the shoe with Prismacolor pencils but no blending solution, just straight coloring on the kraft cardstock, it always pops so nicely on kraft. The papers are Valise from Memory Box which I embossed, and also some older 7 Gypsies paper for the background layer.    I pulled out my pretty charms from my little stash and found this sweet gem...a little bejewelled bird.... I think it's such a cute addition!  


I've also highlighted the Sole Mates part of the sentiment with the Prismacolor Pencils which I think works perfectly!  

Alright Gang...it's late when I'm writing this and I have a long day at work tomorrow so I'll close for now... be sure to check out these DT members extraordinaire for their Sketch cards...

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

A Little Feminine Charm


Welcome to a beautiful few days ahead of September New Releases at Flourishes!  I think you will love today's set called Feminine Charm.  It's full of classic lady images with some fantastic sentiments.  

I don't do shabby chic very often.  It's a style that I think is so pretty, but I'm not really sure I'm really good at it; but given the style of this gorgeous set, I thought I'd give it another try because I knew it would suit the stamps so well.  Shabby Chic makes use of a lot of layering, textures, ribbons, and often distressing.  So I tried it all on this card!  Take a look and see what you think...


The dress form is colored with Copic Markers, and then I added a lot of texture behind the Spellbinders Labels Twenty Three dies, with an embossing folder that I sponged with Ranger Distress Ink, and then also adding diagonal intersecting lines with my Scor Buddy Mini tool.  


Lots of different styles of ribbon - including silk, seam binding, satin, jute twine and crochet and then Prima Arco flowery accents and swirly pearls to give this a very rich and shabby feel.   I love the sentiments in this set too. "Hey Lady" is something I often say to my friends, or to my students so it's just perfect for me!  


I LOVE how the dimension of the popped up flowers on the dress form turned out.  It's one of my favourite things about this whole card!  


Stunning and very chic set people.  And there's much more in store with the Design Team so be sure to drop by their blogs today and see....
And join us back at noon Central time for the daily challenge, I'll be back with MORE fun with this awesome set!  

...Ways to Win this Week...

Play in our Flourishes Colors of Fall Challenge!


Each day the Design Team will have a Mystery Blogger and whoever comments on the Mystery Blogger’s blog could be chosen to win the set of the day!


Comment on the Flourishes Blog for another chance to win this set.  


And...play in our Noon-time Challenges today and tomorrow!