Flourishes Focus Friday- Oldies But Goodies!!

Today's Friday focus is on Angelic Love. A small thirteen piece set with two main images and 11 sentiments.

Here at Flourishes, the design team is picking up one of our older sets to give it a little attention! With the season of love upon us, we thought Angelic Love should be in the spotlight! So, in addition to getting some fantastic ideas today from the design team on how to use this stamp set, we're having a one day only sale! Buy today and you get 15% off! Simply use the code ANGEL in the coupon code box at the time of checkout.

I have always loved the locket image that comes with this set, it reminds me of a locket I've had for years. Mine does not have any ingraving on it but it does have a place for pictures inside. I colored the locket as close to gold as I can with my Copic markers.

I have to admit, when I made my card I used several die cut pieces of card stock left from other projects. I used Spellbinder dies a lot and try out different combinations of shapes and colors. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. If they don't work I put them in a box for another day. 

 I found one of the sheets of designer paper from MME Blush paper pad that matched the cranberry crisp shade of the Stampin Up papers. That small strip of striped paper is the reverse side of the dot paper.

The more I use the papers from My Mindes Eye the more I like them. Each pad has a coordinating design on the reverse side which sometimes it is hard to decide which side of the paper to use as the main design.

 Barbara Anders

Julie Koerber
Cindy Lawrence
Christine Okken
Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Stacy Morgan
Tammy Hershberger
Sharon Doolittle

Paper: Classic Ivory, Cranberry Crisp, MME blush

Ink: Ranger Distress ink walnut stain, Copic Y23, Y28, E23, E28, cranberry crisp

Embellishments: crystal hearts, key charm, ribbon, Spellbinder dies

Hearts Wide Open

This is the card I was suppose to have posted early today, BUT......the cord to my computer finally bit the dust! It has been a little iffy for the last few weeks and I knew I would have to splurge soon by replacing the cord. Little did I know that most stores do not carry cords for computers, they have to order them.

I told the salespeople that I could do that myself. So I will.........sometime. For right now I am "borrowing" my DH's cord from his laptop!  I just wish I had thought of that last night.

I spend more time thinking about the design of my cards than I do making them. This card started very early one morning while I was still in bed and not wanting to get out. I was picturing an image in a see through window with a frame around it.  What could be more appropriate for this time of year than a heart of flowers.

In response to some of the comments on Flourishes blog post I started out with a simple card. One image, one layer over the base card, and one frame. I liked the simple look.........but

Then I added the lace trim along the left side and liked that too so.......

 I added a small sentiment on the outside with rhinestones along the edge of the lace as well as at the corners of the frame. I didn't like the looks of that as well, so I took off the rhinestones. Sometimes you can go too far!

For the first time in ages I stamped a sentiment on the inside of my card. You can see it just a little when the card is closed.  I place the stamped floral image between two rectangles of clear card stock then adhered them to the inside portion of the window.

Stamps: Hearts and Blossoms

Paper: Classic White, Romantique, clear card stock

Ink: Black Memento, Copic  Y02, Y04, Y06 and E25, E27,

Accessories: Spellbinder Parisian rectangle, Vinese Lace

Just for argument sake which of the three looks do you like the best?? 

Day Three With Love Sweet Love

Love is in the air with these incredible stamp sets designed by Marcella Hawley and Becky Fleck, here is the last one for this month and the most delicious by far. 

Day three brings the design that I could not show you yesterday. Isn't this basket of my favorite flowers gorgeous?? How did she know?? My two favorites together, tulips and lilacs. Just imagine all of the stunning colors you could use on this basket of  Valentines flowers.

I love how you can make these flowers jump right off of the paper with color. I can smell Spring right around the corner........in a couple of months for us Floridians. For now you can enjoy the sights of these flowers or better yet own the set to enjoy year round.

 Today's set is called Love Sweet Love and I wanted to make a bright fun card for my box of chocolates today, what could be more bright than shades of pink, after all pink just screams VALENTINES DAY.  And what screams Valentines more than flowers and chocolate, unless you combine the two in one image.

I pulled out a few papers, pearls, lace, trim, with the classic Spellbinder dies octagon and scalloped octagon then I used the same pink color of Copic Markers (Linten Rose) that I used on the vintage heart card a couple of days ago.

I hope you saw some things that inspire you to make a card using one or all of the sets being offered this month. There is still time to make a card for any of the challenges this week and win one or all of the release stamps featured.

Barbara Anders

Julie Koerber
Christine Okken
Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Stacy Morgan
Tammy Hershberger
Sharon Doolittle
Heather Jensen
Beate Johns
Cindy Haffner
Mona Pendleton
Jan Marie Caruso

I thank you for coming by to take a peek at the cards we made this week, the images are truly a joy to work with. Hope to see you soon.

2012 Challenge! Limited Supply

Lets start the New Year off with a limited supply challenge!  As we ring in the new year, let's be inspired by the numbers we'll use for the next 300 plus days! It's a limited supply challenge that revolves around 2012! So, here's your recipe:
 Do you know how hard that is?? For someone that takes More the Merrier seriously. Think simplicity! 2 colors, 0 bling, at least 1 embellishment, 2 layers, not counting the base. Do I see an "way out" in the guide lines??  At least 1 embellishment!?! Does that mean you can use more than 1? YES, but I did not.

 Let's see that creativity shine! If you upload to a gallery, please use the key word FLLCJAN12. Entries must be in before Friday, January 13th at 5PM EST.

When it says two layers, does the base card count as a layer??  Now it does not, my first card uses two layers with the base being the first.  But the two colors, does grey/sliver and black count as two colors or is it just a different hue of the same color?? What ever your definition is, mine was to use metallic black, grey, with  silver trim. I am happy to say that challenges usually give you a bit of leeway in the creative process.

I used those colors because that was what was used in the graphic image, that and I wanted to use the iron work Spellbinder die and the silver trim with dark metallic reminds me of iron. Following the exact letter of the challenge I made a very simple design. 

Here is a card in red and kraft/brown with a little more pazzaz and still following the challenge as written, or real close, maybe.

With a new embossing folder and my old Scor Pal I designed this card in a flash.  All of the embossing comes from one folder called Debonair Edges. New embossing folder made in Australia and new to Flourishes store this last week.

Tomorrow you will see the inside of my card as it is not suppose to be shown till then and I will have another card to go along with it.  For today, check back at 12 noon CST to see what we have cooked up as a challenge for you to win the sentiment set shown today, and don't forget that there is time to do the other challenges listed on Flourishes blog too.

These ladies have more impiration to get you started today.

Julie Koerber
Cindy Lawrence
Danielle Kennedy
Stacy Morgan
Sharon Doolittle

Release Day 2 - Heart Lines

Heart Lines with the 1 2 3 Create Kit

 Hello,welcome to day two of Flourishes' fabulous sneak peeks for January!

My card to day is all about the paper, with a stamped simply sentiment. This set is for those of you that do not like to color but still want an elegant card. It was an easy combination with the designer paper from the Sweet Nothing collection by Kaiser.

The only pieces of paper I added to the dp was the Classic White cs that I stamped the sentiment on, and some mirrored card stock behind the butterfly panel. I tired to play up the mirrored gold that is prevalent in the Sweet Nothings pad.

Of course I used a few Spellbinder dies like Classic Heart, Scalloped Hearts (this is the first time I have used the smallest dies that come in nesting set of dies), and Labels Seventeen. 

Beautiful silk bows, Kaiser pearls (both included in the kit), and embossing folder completes the card

I like how the pearls look in this close up, they look like they have vintage elements around them, but no, this is one of several paper borders that comes in the designer pad from Kaiser. 

I used very little ink and for once I did not use Copic Markers, just SU soft sky and Ranger Antique Linen distress ink. 

Oh yes, there is a Mystery blogger again today, what an easy way to win the stamp set of the day called Heart Lines.

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!

Barbara Anders
Julie Koerber
Christine Okken
Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Stacy Morgan
Tammy Hershberger
Sharon Doolittle
Heather Jensen
Beate Johns
Cindy Haffner

Mona Pendleton

Jan Marie Caruso

New Year Release Time At Flourishes

From The Heart

Hello and welcome to day one of Flourishes' fabulous sneak peeks for January! We have three new sets coming your way designed to deliver a little love to someone else's life! The calendar might say winter but we're sure these Valentine sets will WARM your heart!

This classic set -- called From the Heart -- penned by Becky Fleck offers an antique flavor for Valentine's Day! An ornate heart stands as a focal point and is a perfect companion to Spellbinders Classic Heart Nestabilities die (S4-136) and Spellbinders Classic Scalloped Heart Nestabilities Dies (S4-137). A curled banner is the perfect accent -- allowing a few of the sentiments to be stamped inside!

The first time I saw the design for the Acanthus heart I freaked thinking it would be hard to color. Boy was I mistaken!! Not only was it easy but it was tons of fun making my card. Then once I finished I set the finished card on my desk so every time I look up from my chair I see what looks like a vintage valentine.

Stamp set is From The Heart, with paper in the 1 2 3 create kit Sweet Nothing (limited supply so don't wait), Spellbinder Classic Heart and Scallop Classic Heart die. Copic colors R81, R83, R85, and touch of R89. Range distress ink Antique Linen was used on both hearts. After this picture was taken I darkened the ink on the scalloped heart, that gave it an even more vintage feel to the card.  The lace comes in the Create Kit.

Would you like 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 which DT is the...........

Each day there is a Mystery Blogger on the design team. To win today's stamp set, leave a comment on the mystery bloggers blog and you will be in the running. How easy!! It does take time to leave a comment, I know and trust me, I am very appreciative of each and everyone of the heart felt messages.

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!

Barbara Anders
Julie Koerber
Cindy Lawrence
Christine Okken
Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Stacy Morgan
Tammy Hershberger
Sharon Doolittle
Heather Jensen
Mona Pendleton
Cindy Haffner
Jan Marie

 DID YOU KNOW YOU COULD WIN OUR ENTIRE JANUARY RELEASE? Have you checked out our A New Year Challenge? Just click HERE to find out how to play!

 You can also play in our Noon Time Challenges this week! To do that, all you need to do is check in -- right here on the Flourishes blog Wednesday and Thursday at noon! These fast-paced challenges are designed to spark creativity and give you another chance to win some wonderful goodies! 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!

Can’t wait until all of our sets are revealed Friday morning? Well, you can pre-order them now if you like what you see on our designers’ blogs! Just click HERE. You’ll also see that we are offering our special New Release Bundle again – 10% off if you purchase all four stamp sets in one bundle!


Thanks all for stopping by! We’ll see you back here (Flourishes blog) at noon!

New Year Challenge, Father Time VS Baby New Year.

It is Friday Focus at Flourishes today, as well as a New Year Challenge (FLLCJANRW2)

Ring in the new year with “Father Time” or “Baby New Year” – this challenge is a fight between new and old! To be in the running, simply use a card that showcases an image of time (i.e. one of our calendars, the Moments in Time set) or one that showcases little baby new year i.e. a baby card. Either will get you in the running.

AND with the release of the January 1 2 3 Create Kit!!  All kinds of exciting things going on and I almost forgot.  Imagine that, I have been working on my card all week, (it took me an extraordinary amount of time to come up with the finished card) I took pictures earlier before the sun went down, then the TV and knitting called my name.  Here it is late in the day.............  Here is the sweetest kit ever, and

Here is the card I made using Sweet Nothing.  Well darn, I forgot I have not downloaded  the pictures yet. I think all the fats and sugars I eat has rotten my brain.  I will be right back!!

Here is the card I made using  Angelic Love and Moments In Time and 1 2 3 Create Kit Sweet Nothing and the SCS technique Six Fold Card.

I love dies! They make it easy to add distictive touches to any card. I also love kits, they put things together that takes all of the quess work out to creating. All you need is a little imagination and stamps.

You can find the directions for a six fold card Here. Over all is was very easy to score, cut, and fold. I can see more of these little cards in my future. See http://www.flourishes.org/  blog for all the details on the challenge.

Plus all the design team has made a card for our viewing pleasure.

Cindy Lawrence

Dawn Burnworth

Danielle Kennedy

Julie Koerber

Stacy Morgan

Christine Okken

Tammy Hershberger

 Barbara Anders - newly retired

Sharon Doolittle - retired three years (almost) and still wake up with a silly grin on my face.

Paper, Ribbon, Prima hearts are all in the 1 2 3 Create Kit (limited edition).

I added stamps, Angelic Love and Moments In Time. Copic Markers and Die, Lace Doily Accents

black and White With A Touch Of CHA!

Fresh from CHA with a card designed with one of Spellbinders cut and fold dies in white on black and a touch of".....

Tin Tins On Friday Focus

Here is a quick and easy way to present a small gift. All I did was make a paper cover from one sheet of Lost & Found Blush designer card stock and a 8.5x3.75 strip of  rose card stock from my scrap bin. The tin slips in and out with ease.

Don't you just love those designer papers with the coordinating designs on the flip side. I started with a 8.5x3.75 inch strip scored at 1 7/8-7/8-2.5-7/8-2 3/8.  You will find that the back flaps will overlap to the edge at one side, if that makes sense.  Second layer will be slightly more narrow, mine is 3 inches wide with a strips of rose that are 3/4 inch wide with only 1/8 inch showing.

The sentiment is from Medallion set.

I am sure you can find many fine examples of how to use and decorate these sweet little tins and at a great price of only 75 cents.

Julie Koerber
Tammy Hershberger
Stacy Morgan
Christine Okken
Dawn Burnworth
Barabra Anders
Danielle Kennedy

Don't forget, this is the last day of Flourishes after Christmas sale with 25% off your total order.

Perfect Light!

Many Blessing to you and your family this night!

From My Neighborhood to Yours!

Merry Christmas Eve!

 It has been a long standing tradition of travel the neighborhoods close to home looking at all the festive lights. First with our kids then in later years with our grand kids.

 Some years we deck out our house with tons of lights with the more recent times it becomes fewer and fewer (as we age it gets more dangerous climbing up on the roof). Thankfully we have sons that will do it for us.

Instead  of snow we have lots of green!

Have a Merry Christmas Eve with many Blessing in the coming year!

Friday Free For All

From the looks of my last few posts I must be on a striped kick!! I love the look of strips with the paper I have been using and this one is no exception.  I have made my card today using the new Pear set that Flourishes has just released, I also combined it with the Timeless Tuesday Challenge of making a telescoping card.  I have tired this technique before without much success but thanks to Beate's easy to follow instructions I have succeeded. Now all I have to do is work on the coloring from layer to layer, or maybe it is just my camera and taking pictures late at night.

I made the layers using different widths apart as well as different styles. I am not sure how I like the effect, it think it would have a little more cohesiveness if I had made all the layers the same width apart.

I concentrated mostly on cutting and coloring the telescoping image that I did not give much thought to the rest of my card, well it could be because there is so much activity going on at my house right now with the holidays (no, I did not make my card ahead) that I had to finish between hands of the card game I was playing with my BIL, DH, and niece. I have always found fruit, especially pears, hard for me to color so this is a challenge on my part.

The paper is from MME Breeze collection and Sweet Nothing from Kaiser (sh, don't tell anyone I use that paper) that will come out next month. The green strip was a perfect match for the YG Copic markers I used to color the pear leaves.

Don't forget that today is the last day you are able to purchase Flourishes Dec  release bundle of Pears and Snow Wonderful at 10% off.

If you find a spare minute or two during this season stop and hop a bit to everyone blog and see what we have cooked up.

Stacy Morgan
Bar Anders
Tammy Hershberger
Christine Okken
Julie Koerber
Dawn Burnworth
Danielle Kennedy
Sharon Doolittle (you are here)
Jan Marie