Running With Scissors...

Wild for this Watermelon Set

Hello, friends!  Today I’m sharing a card made with one of Flourishes new releases called Wild for Watermelon.  I didn’t get a chance to use it last week so it was the first set I picked up to play with over the weekend.  These images are so darn fun!  It really doesn’t matter to me what the season is.  I love it, so I’ll be using it even in the middle of winter!

I colored with Copics on Flourishes Classic Ivory and sponged all the ivory cardstock with Adirondack Sandal ink.  The rhinestones were clear, but I used Copic marker RV09 to color them bright pink, though they appear dark in the photo.

The Copics I used for coloring the watermelon image are from these Flourishes Collections:

I also used the paper and natural linen ribbon from the current 1, 2, 3 Create Kit called Trendsetter.

The colors in this paper collection are so pretty!  And how about those tulle flowers and crochet trim?  Delicious!

Hmmm… I wonder what the rest of the team is sharing today?  Let’s have a look:

Barbara Anders

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Danielle Kennedy

Julie Koerber

Stacy Morgan

Tammy Hershberger

The availability of the New Release Bundle has been extended through Saturday, the 20th, this month.  When you purchase the bundle you’ll be getting all four of this month’s stamp sets at a 10% discount.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!  I can’t believe it’s here again already.  Come Monday I’ll be saying I can’t believe it’s over already.  Let’s make it a good one!

Stamps:  Wild for Watermelon  Paper:  Melon Mambo (Stampin’ Up!), Flourishes Classic Ivory, Webster’s Pages Trendsetter and Ladies & Gents Combo Pack designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Linen ribbon, rhinestones, tag punch, Cuttlebug Swiss Dot embossing folder, Spellbinders Curved Rectangle Nestabilities, Classic Ovals Large, Big Scalloped Ovals Large, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Flourishes Preview: Sweet Days of Summer … Plus Introducing a New 1, 2, 3 Create Kit

One last preview this week, and I think you’re going to love this one as much as I do for quick but beautiful cards.  Our set today is called Sweet Days of Summer – more of Lauren Pope’s beloved silhouettes.

I stamped this sweet little girl in Versafine Onyx Black on Flourishes Classic White cardstock and embossed with detail clear embossing powder.  I saved the sentiment for the inside and stamped the butterflies for an accent instead.  The ribbon and, oh, so pretty designer paper are from Flourishes brand new 1, 2, 3 Create Kit called Trendsetter.

Does it look delicious?  I love the papers and embellishments included in these kits.  Just look at those pretty flowers, brads, and pearls!  This kit features two different ribbons and some fabulous crocheted trim, too.  You know how I love my designer papers, and Webster’s Pages… well, I’ll take one of everything they make!  I focused on the blues today as I really wanted to use the butterfly paper with this little girl.  The button is from the collection I inherited from my Mom.  The color was so perfect I just had to use it.

• Again, we’re playing Mystery Blogger, so you may want to leave a comment on each designer’s Sweet Days of Summer post for a chance to win this set.  A random winner will be drawn from among the comments on one of our posts.
• Check the Newsletter for the Shades of Sunset Challenge.  Time is running short, but you may still be able to squeeze in a card and take a chance on winning the entire August release – four stamp sets!
• Noontime challenges were posted on the Newsletter both Wednesday and Thursday.  Pick one, or do all the challenges.  You have until tonight at 5 pm EST to link your creation.  Each challenge could win you the entire release.
• All winners will be announced in the Winner’s Circle on the Newsletter Saturday at noon CST
• All the stamp sets and the Trendsetter Kit are available in the store now.  If you love the whole release and want it all, take advantage of the New Release Bundle until August 20th.  All four sets are bundled at a 10% discount.

Let’s wrap this up with a tour of fabulous samples from the rest of the team:

Barbara Anders

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Danielle Kennedy

Julie Koerber

Stacy Morgan  (Stacy has blog candy, too!)

Makiko Jones

Sharon Doolittle

Tammy Hershberger

It’s been a fun week and I’m so glad we could share it.  Next week I’ll have a lot more samples.  You’ll get tired of hearing from me!  Honestly, I have cards made but haven’t had time to write the posts.  Nor have I had time to get out and visit with you much, but I’ll be coming around shortly, I hope.  Have a great weekend!

Stamps:  Sweet Days of Summer  Paper:  Blue textured, apricot, Flourishes Classic White, Webster’s Pages Trendsetter and Ladies & Gents designer paper pack  Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black  Accessories:  Ribbon, linen thread, button, doily, scallop edge punch, Spellbinders Standard Circles Small and Standard Circles Large, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Flourishes Preview: Italian Garden

Another day, another Flourishes preview!  Today we’re showing Italian Garden – beautiful images and coordinating sentiments.  I’ve used the still life for my card today, but there’s so much more to this set.  I think you’ll love it!

Warm, rich colors from the BasicGrey Curio designer paper collection assisted with the earthy, Italian kitchen look I was feeling for this card.  But, what do I know?  I’ve never been in an Italian kitchen, so my imagination dreamed up something on its own.  I colored with Copic markers, using several of the collections Flourishes has put together to make it easier for us.  The vine ribbon and crocheted trim came from Flourishes’ Boutique ribbon collection here.

• Leave a comment on this post as well as the other designer’s Italian Garden posts today for a chance to win this set.
• Participate in the Shades of Sunset Challenge for a chance to win all four sets in this month’s release.
• Check out the Timeless Tuesday Be Fruitful Challenge and the Scavenger Hop Challenge for more chances to win.  Another challenge will be up at noon today on the Newsletter.
• You can preorder any or all of the new sets here.  You can also preorder the New Release Bundle.  All four new sets can be purchased in a bundle at a 10% discount.  That offer is good through August 20.

I know you’d like to continue on to the rest of the team's samples, so let’s do that now:

Barbara Anders

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Danielle Kennedy

Julie Koerber

Makiko Jones

Stacy Morgan

Sharon Doolittle

Tammy Hershberger

Thank you for stopping here to visit.  I hope to see you again tomorrow with another new sample!

Stamps:  Italian Garden  Paper:  Chocolate textured, Summer Sun, Flourishes Classic White, BasicGrey Curio designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Chocolate Chip, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Ribbon, crocheted trim,  brads, Spellbinders Standard Circles Small and Standard Circles Large, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

A Butterfly Moment

Hello, friends!  It’s Flourishes Friday and, along with the rest of the team, I’m sharing some free-for-all-anything-goes-as-long-as-it’s-Flourishes kind of stamping today.  Well, that suits me just fine!  I’ve got piles and rows and boxes of Flourishes stamps.  Image upon beautiful image waiting to be colored, and several sets designated to be “next in line”.  But where is the time?  I know I put it here somewhere… I saw a glimpse of it when I was shuffling through the gardening, housework, shopping, job, gym, Wally, Wally, Wally… oh, and hubby, too.  Okay… skidding to a halt… I need to make like a butterfly and live in the moment.

This was an easy card for several reasons:  I copied one of my own layouts from long ago, I did very little coloring, and I used Flourishes’ July Kit of the Month – Timepiece.  The designer paper, ribbon, burlap string, and decorative copper brad are all from the kit.  It’s sold out now and never to return, but a new kit will be coming along in August.  Can’t wait to see that one!

With this card I set out to make something feminine from a kit which may be considered masculine, but it just depends on how you look at it.  Lighter colors, polka dots, butterfly, flower, bow – I don’t think I’d give this card to a man.  I added some Double Dot Timepiece cardstock which is, happily, still available.  I love polka dots! 

Stamps used are Life Lines (sentiment) and Butterflies & Blossoms (butterfly).  I probably made up a new species of butterfly when I colored this one, but rather than Googling it for accuracy, I threw caution to the wind and did my own thing.  I used the Sunflower, Falling Leaves, and Sky Copic collections for coloring.  The Spellbinders shapes are listed in the recipe below.  The two cut from Classic Ivory cardstock were sponged with Adirondack Sandal ink while the dies were still in place.  The flowers were purchased locally.

That’s about enough from me today, isn’t it?  Let’s take a look at what the rest of the team is sharing:

Barbara Anders

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Danielle Kennedy

Dawn Burnworth

Julie Koerber

Stacy Morgan

Jan Marie Caruso

Sharon Doolittle

Thanks for dropping by!  Have a great day!

Stamps:  Life Lines, Butterflies & Blossoms  Paper:  Bazzill textured cream, Bo Bunny Timepiece cardstock and designer paper, Flourishes Classic Ivory  Ink:  Chocolate Chip, Adirondack Sandal, Memento Rich Cocoa, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Ribbon, burlap string, decorative brad, flowers, Spellbinders Labels Four, Classic Ovals Large, Ribbon Tags Trio Two

Christmas in July

 

Here we are in the last week of July already… my, my, my!  Well, we just can’t let it pass without having a little Christmas in July celebration at Flourishes.  From now until July 31st all Flourishes’ Christmas stamps are on sale for 20% off.  No code necessary.  Flourishes will automatically discount the stamps for you.

Have you started your Christmas cards yet?  This one brings me up to a grand total of two.  I’d better get busy!

I’ve used Winter Bouquet, colored with Copics, and layered on these Spellbinders shapes:

• Lacey Squares
• Classic Squares Large
• Labels Sixteen

The sentiment was cut with one of the Ribbon Banners dies.  I curved the stamp ever so slightly for a perfect fit.  One of the things I like best about this set, aside from the gorgeous floral image in two sizes, is the sentiments that come with it.  I’ve used them on many of my Christmas cards, inside and out.  Love that it includes a thank you sentiment, too.

All week, the Flourishes team will take turns sharing Christmas cards.  It’s just me today, but be sure and check the Newsletter to see what’s coming up on the schedule.  Have a great week!

Stamps:  Winter Bouquet  Paper:  Red Bazzill textured, wasabi, Flourishes Classic Ivory, Webster’s Pages Waiting for Santa designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Ruby Red  Accessories:  Rhinestones, Spellbinders Lacey Squares, Classic Squares Large, and Labels Sixteen Nestabilities, Spellbinders Ribbon Banners, Scotch brand foam mounting tape (to pop up banner)

Another Moment in Time

Hello, and happy Friday!  If I may have a moment of your time, I’d like to share another Moments In Time card today.  I’ve used the Timepiece kit for this one again, too – you know, those fabulous paper/ribbon/embellishment kits Flourishes has been releasing recently.  Today’s card features some of the designer paper, brads, and burlap string that come in this month’s Timepiece kit – great companions for the stamp set (sold separately).

I’ve also used some Double Dot Timepiece cardstock, one of the kit add-ons.  That’s the curved piece at the lower edge.  There are some very cool add-ons for this kit – jewels, trinkets, dimensional stickers – in addition to the double dot cardstock.  You can see all the add-ons here.

I did no coloring today, just stamped the hour glass and the clock face image on the background panel.  I cut and embossed the curved border with a Spellbinders Ric Rac Scalloped Border Pierceabilities die (no longer in production?), then pierced and sponged with the die still in place. The sentiment is cut with one of the Grommet Tags Shapeabilities, and the edges sponged for definition.  Pretty simple, really!

Today is your last chance to take advantage of the New Release Bundle for this month.  When you purchase all four stamp sets in a bundle, you will automatically receive a 10% discount.  The bundle includes Moments In Time, Bee My Honey, Honeycomb, and Sweet Nature.

The ;Flourishes team has more samples to share with you today, all from our latest release. Keep an eye out for the Timepiece kit in use, too:

Barbara Anders

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Danielle Kennedy

Dawn Burnworth

Julie Koerber

Stacy Morgan

Jan Marie Caruso

Sharon Doolittle

Thanks so much for joining me today!  Enjoy your weekend!

Stamps:  Moments In Time  Paper:  Naturals White, tan, Bo Bunny Double Dot Timepiece cardstock and Bo Bunny Timepiece designer paper  Ink:  Burgundy, Ranger Distress Vintage Photo and Tea Dye  Accessories:  Burgundy burlap string, decorative brads, Spellbinders Ric Rac Scalloped Border Pierceabilities and Grommet Tags Shapeabilities

A JustRite Kind of Day

I love summer weekends just hanging around home.  Grilling on the patio, neighborhood walks with Wally, a little gardening, a little stamping.  We had no sun this weekend, odd summer that it is, but it was warm and I felt I had the option to be in or out, whereas when the sun shines I’m outside, and that’s all there is to it.   Sunday was a day for taking care of a few household chores, but I also made time to stamp just for fun.  You know what they say about all work and no play…

The stamp set I chose to play with is called Butterfly Gardens, by JustRite.  I love the perfect balance of whimsy and beauty in these images.  So fun to color and design with.  I watercolored this one with Tombow Markers on 140 lb hot press watercolor paper.  I layered the image on Spellbinders Standard and Scalloped Circles, large and small, and then onto a doily. 

 

I brayered celery ink onto the doily and was pleased to see how it highlighted the raised pattern and left the debossed areas untouched.  I’m thinking it might have been prettier in pink, but there’s always a next time, and I have lots of doilies.

I’ve also used one of the diminutive sentiments from JustRite’s Just Because sentiment set and hung it like a tag after cutting out with Nested Frame Custom Dies which were created specially for JustRite sentiments, but which, of course, have many other uses, as well.

So, I guess you could say it was a JustRite kind of day – a nice way to wrap up the weekend.  Now, back to the work week…  Hope it’s a good one for you!

Stamps:  JustRite Butterfly Gardens and Just Because Mini Sentiment Set  Paper:  Celery textured, pink, white, Arches 140 lb hot press watercolor, Prima Fairy Flora designer paper  Ink:  Palette Noir, Pomegranate  Accessories:  Ribbon, rhinestones, Spellbinders Standard and Scalloped Large and Small Circle Nestabilities, Nested Frame Custom Dies, doily, Cuttlebug Swiss Dot embossing folder, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Flourishes Preview, Day 3: Moments in Time

Now, here’s a set, illustrated by Lauren Pope, that works great for the guys, but you can make some mighty pretty vintage feminine cards with it, too.  I love how the team has interpreted the images in Moments in Time.  I’ve chosen to make a masculine birthday card today.

The clock face and sentiment are both embossed in black for a little extra texture, and mounted on these Spellbinder’s dies:

• Standard Circles Small
• Standard Circles Large
• Fancy Tags

Flourishes is introducing a brand new 1,2,3 Create Kit today, too!  This one is called Timepiece, and will be available for one month, only, or until supplies last, whichever comes first.  I must say, I do love getting these kits in the mail and, even better, I love sitting down to create with them.

I’ve used the designer paper and some of the twill ribbon, burlap string, and embellishments on my card.  Very manly and all so beautifully matched up for you.  When you visit the rest of the team you’ll see this kit in use by some of the gals.  You’ll surely want to hop around and check in with everyone because one of us is the Mystery Blogger.

A winner of Moments in Time will be chosen from among the comments.  See all their fabulous creations here:

Barbara Anders

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Danielle Kennedy

Dawn Burnworth

Julie Koerber

Stacy Morgan

Jan Marie Caruso

Sharon Doolittle

Check the Newsletter for today’s noontime challenge – another chance to win stamps.  I’ll refer you to the Newsletter, also, for all the release week info in a nutshell.  There are several chances to win, so I hope you can give one of our challenges a try.

Thank you so much for helping me wrap up a busy week today!  Let’s all have ourselves a super summer weekend now.  We deserve it, don’t we?  Take care!

Stamps:  Moments in Time  Paper:  Brown, black cardstock, Bo Bunny Timepiece designer paper  Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black  Accessories:  Twill ribbon, burlap string, Tim Holtz sprocket gears, Spellbinders Standard Circles Small, Standard Circles Large, Fancy Tags, detail clear embossing powder, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Flourishes Preview, Day 1: Bee My Honey and Honeycomb

               

Flourishes previews begin today and we’re starting off with two real sweet sets.  Bee My Honey is buzzing with cute images to color and sentiments to match, and there’s a Honeycomb background to make the hive complete.

These stamps are just about as cute as they can be and I loved them at first sight.  The main image is colored with Copics, and the honeycomb is stamped in mustard ink on white.  I have lots and lots of Spellbinders dies in my collection, but so frequently I fall back on these old familiars:

• Standard Circles Small
• Standard Circles Large
• Classic Scalloped Circles Large

Still loving how I can cut all three of these dies at once in my Grand Calibur die cutting machine, too.

Would you like to win today’s set?  Well…

Someone on the design team is the Mystery Blogger, but we don’t know who, so leave a comment on each team member’s post today and your comment may be the random winner.

The Flourishes Newsletter is our release week headquarters, so please check there for full details on all the prize winning opportunities.  There will be a challenge up later today, and the Farm Fresh Challenge is still running as well.  More to come tomorrow and Friday.

Now for the link list to the rest of the team which could be your ticket to win, but which will also lead you to some absolutely delightful finds… enjoy!

Barbara Anders

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Danielle Kennedy

Dawn Burnworth

Julie Koerber

Stacy Morgan

 

Jan Marie Caruso

Sharon Doolittle

All sets will be available in the Flourishes store first thing Friday morning. 

Thanks for joining me today, and I hope to see you again tomorrow!

Stamps:  Bee My Honey, Honeycomb  Paper:  Rich Razzleberry, Flourishes Classic White, BasicGrey Green at Heart designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, mustard, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Daisy flowers, Spellbinders dies as listed above, Martha Stewart edge punch, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Pretty in Purple

It’s Flourishes Friday and anything goes with the team today.  No focus or challenge, we’re just stamping what our hearts desire, and that’s my favorite kind of stamping.  I thought I’d bring out a set I haven’t used in a while – Seasonal Wreaths.

Might as well use one of those somewhat neglected colors, too.  As soon as I saw this wreath colored up in violet and green, I wondered why I don’t choose this combination more often.  Searching through designer papers, I found not many that worked with this and still gave the card the soft and feminine appearance I was hoping for, so I fell back on these gentle greens which do not compete or overpower.  I can always rely on green.

I colored with Copics on Flourishes Classic Ivory and trimmed with satin, lace, and velvet over a scalloped paper border.  I colored some additional roses and cut them from the wreath for a little accent arrangement.  The sentiment is included in the set.

Spellbinders dies used are Nested Lacey Pennants, Blossom Nestabilities, and Classic Circles Small.  A full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe below.

You’re sure to enjoy what the rest of the team is sharing with their Flourishes stamps today.  Have a look:

Barbara Anders

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Danielle Kennedy

Dawn Burnworth

Julie Koerber

Stacy Morgan

Thank you so much for your time today.  My posts have been scant this week… just going with the flow.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Stamps:  Seasonal Wreaths  Paper:  Memory Box Bamboo cardstock, Flourishes Classic Ivory, Webster’s Pages Lullaby Lane & Life’s Portraits designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Chocolate Chip, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Velvet and satin ribbon, lace, pearls, Spellbinders Nested Lacey Pennants, Blossom Nestablities, and Classic Circles Small, Martha Stewart edge punch, Scotch brand foam mounting tape