It's a Free For All Friday!

Hi all! It's Friday after Flourishes release, which means it's another...

It's when all the Flourishes designers pick up one of the new release stamp sets and use it to give you all some extra inspiration!

Well, recently, my darling mother had her birthday -- I won't tell you which one -- but as my grandpa always used to do he'd use math to share someone's age. She turned 25 times 3 plus 1. He he! So, I thought a fun and fabulous creation using Flourishes' new Glamour Girls set was in order!

On to my creation!

I stamped the image using Versafine Sepia and stamped it on Spellbinders Labels Fourteen. While the die was still on after cutting and embossing, I did sponge on some Memento Toffee Crunch ink. I also decided to leave the die on and then paper pierce around my image. I used the Sunflower Copic Collection to add a little color to the little lady's hair and feathers. I added RV00 for her cheeks and R27 for her lips. And, you can see I added a little razzle dazzle thanks to a glitter pen! 

Add a die cut border, some sheer ribbon, a pearl, some lace and.... ta da! Done! Here's a close up!

I also added the word "Mwah!" to the corner as well. And, while I wanted to say on the inside "Happy Birthday to one of my favorite antiques"... I didn't! I told her to stay classy and enjoy her day! ;-)

Before I tell you to hop on over to see the other Flourishes designers, I do want to let you know that today is the very last day to take advantage of Flourishes New Release Bundle for May! It's when you can get all of Flourishes newest stamp sets for 10% off when you purchase these sets in a bundle!

Now.. it's time to hop on over and see......


Amanda Havon
Christine Okken – DT Coordinator
Cindy Lawrence
Danielle Kennedy
Heather Jensen
Jan Marie Caruso
Julie Koerber
Silke Ledlow
Stacy Morgan

Thanks for stopping by everyone -- hope you have some fun weekend plans! See you back here soon!

~Julie

SUPPLIES:

It's Up in the Air!

Hi all and happy Thursday! It's time for another Impression Obsession challenge and this one? It's up in the air! That's right -- all you need to do is use a stamp that represents something that is literally up in the air! Think butterflies, birds, airplanes..... you name it! So dig through those Impression Obsession stamps or dies and join us. You could win a $25 gift certificate to the Impression Obsession store!

On to my creation!

I have had this stamp for a while and only used it once (eek!) so when this challenge came up, I knew I could have some fun with this one! I paired the Fireflies stamp with a sentiment that I think is a perfect match! It's called You Light Up.  I started by stamping my image on white card stock and coloring up my fireflies with Copic Markers to match my decorative paper (My Mind's Eye). I stamped the top of the jar onto decorative paper so that I could paper piece that for some extra color. After I created my sentiment flag, I did add THIS die cut border called Border Duo 1 Die Set. And... don't forget the bling on those little bugs! See?

Add a die cut circle, a button with some baker's twine and that, my friends, is it! Need some extra inspiration for this Up In The Air challenge? Well, head on over and see these lovely ladies below!

• IO Blog 
• Dina Kowal
• Jeanne Streiff
• Jenny Gropp
• Julie Koerber  – You are Here!
• Kittie Caracciolo
• Laura Fulcher
• Vicki Garrett

You have until May 22nd at 10 PM EST to play! So click on over HERE for the official rules and to link up your creation when you're done! Get those fingers inky and I'll see you back here real soon! 

~Julie

Let's HOP!

  

 Today the CardMaker Magazine Blog Team is pairing up with the Flourishes Design Team to bring you some fabulous inspiration with our most recent Flourishes May Release sets! It’s a taste of creativity you’re sure to love!

Flourishes loves CardMaker Magazine and its endless source of inspiration in each edition. You’ll find gorgeous photography, beautiful creations, step-by-step instructions and card and paper-crafting designs from the simple to the elaborate! We also love the fact that a number of our Flourishes designers have been published on its pages!  So hop along today and be doubly inspired by two great teams, and you'll want to be sure to comment because we're giving away our entire May Stamp release valued at more than $70...one prize over at the Flourishes Blog and one prize hidden along the blog hop! So comment on all the designers' blogs and increase your chances to win!

I should mention, if I am the first place you've hopped, you'll want to travel HERE to the CardMaker blog to make sure you don't miss out on any of the fun! There are giveaways! :-)

On to my creation!

This card started out easy because for starters, I grabbed Flourishes new set Old Tea Rose and then cut out the shape for the Old Tea Rose Silhouette Cut File from Classic White card stock. I stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink and then went to town using my Copic Markers (see below to check out what color collections I used!). The other easy part of this card was the fact that I used Flourishes new 123 Create Kit called Prairie Chic. The ribbon, lace, decorative paper and bling are ALL a part of that kit. What fun, right?

After I was done coloring it all up, I made a sentiment flag and used one of the sentiments from the set. The mat was cut thanks to the Spellbinders Labels Seventeen. I cut and then, after embossing, I did use a sanding block to reveal the paper's white core. Add some paper piercing and that, my friends, is it!

Here's a close up for you.....

As you can see, I also used the Silhouette Cut File for my little butterfly too! And... when I added the little guy to my card, I used some foam tape to pop him up! Ta da! Are you ready to hop on over to the next ever-so-talented designer? You'll have to go see....

Latisha Yoast 

Latisha used to be a senior design team member at Flourishes. I love her clean, fresh, creative and colorful design style. I know you will to so hop on over and pay her a visit! And, don't forget to leave her a comment -- you could win Flourishes brand new release! You have until Friday, May 17th at 5PM EST to comment and winners will be announced Saturday on the Flourishes Blog! So... good luck!

~Julie

Supplies:

A challenge that's easy as 1-2-3-4!

Hi all, I have some fun for you today! PageMaps.com, Becky Fleck's fun-filled challenge hot spot just turned 7 and she has challenges and giveaways all month long!

Today, yours truly ushered in a challenge and this one is sponsored by Penny Black Stamps! This is your chance to win not one, not two, not three but SIX of Becky's new Penny Black stamps! Take a peek at the loot that is up for grabs!

 

So let's get things started with this 1-2-3-4 Challenge!

 

Here is a card I created for this challenge, following the recipe card above. Those pretty tulips are from one of the stamp sets in the prize package for this challenge called A Bunch! And below is the card. I took the color scheme straight from Pantone's hot colors for spring - red, teal, linen (which is a little like french vanilla) and lime green. And while it's subtle, you can see all of those colors below!

 

I stamped the tulips on kraft card stock using Versamark and then, embossed with white detail embossing powder. After that, I colored them jup with colored pencils and accented my flowers with a very light brown Tombow marker. Add a little paper piercing, a die cut edge, some white seam binding ribbon and a fun My Mind's Eye button and... ta da! All done! 

Here's a close up of those fun flowers! 

I also used not only the recipe above but.... this fun sketch below! To enter the challenge, all you need to do is create a card based on the card sketch below. Using the recipe card above, your card should include 1 button or brad, 2 patterned papers, at least 3 layers and the 4 colors shown. That's it, pretty easy! This contest starts today and ends at midnight MST on Sunday, June 2, 2013. Post a comment on THIS THREAD HERE with a link to your entry. This contest is open to everyone, everywhere! :)

Have fun everyone and GOOD LUCK! See you back here soon! I'll have some more fun headed your way on Wednesday. It's a hop that involves one of your favorite card making magazines! So..... stay tuned and I'll see you back here then!

~Julie

Ready for some fun new images????

Guess what? Penny Black just released some new stamps and one of them is one my friend Becky Fleck designed... just for them! Check it out - isn't this a fun and versatile set? It's called Life's Messages!

I just love the trendy "signs" that have made their way into home decorating, fabrics and now... stamps! Love all the little extras in this set too that are fun additions to cards! You can see below.... I had fun creating!

For my card I used some fun Studio Calico paper, some seam binding ribbon and items from THIS fun kit from the Montana Misfits called Hope Chest -- it's out of stock now but.. hopefully Becky will get these goodies back in! :-)

Here's a close up for you.... if you know me, I love my bling!

And, here's the second card I made. I started by stamping my image on decorative paper, cutting it out with a Spellbinders Labels Fourteen die. After I took the die off, I did sponge some coordinating ink around the outside and again.... added my bling! I added some seam binding ribbon, a wee bit of lace trim and a fun Prima rose. The banner edge is actually a sticker from BasicGrey that I LOVE! 

Here's a close up!

Want to win this set? HURRY up and head on over to Becky's blog HERE and leave a comment telling her which sentiment you like the best. She's drawing a winner Sunday! Thanks so much for stopping by! 

~Julie

The Sneaks are OVER! And it's Simply Charming!

It's our last day of May Releases at Flourishes!  We know you've enjoyed all the Sneak Peeks this week of these fabulous new sets!  And we've enjoyed showing them to you!  All of the sets in our May Release are now LIVE HERE!  But first, how about showing you one more? A very popular trend in jewelry right now is creating personalized charm-bracelets, and today we've made it possible in a stylish paper-crafting form.  Here's...

   

Use this set when nothing but a "Simply Charming" card will do! With more than a dozen mix-and-match sentiments and six charms that you can mask and add to the "Tiffany's" style charm bracelet, this set is one of a kind! The options are endless and the uses are downright fun! Let's see what kind of "charming" cards you can whip up with this one!  Plus, with a Sihouette Cut File there's no problem combining the bracelet links and charms.  All of our Silhouette Cut Files are available now HERE.  They are a perfect addition to these sets!

On to my creation!

I have to tell you -- I had so much fun making this creation! I love my bling i.e. jewelry and to think I could create a card with jewelry on it? Um... yes please!

I started by using some of the elements from the 123 Create Kit Stationery Noted. The kit is sold out but gosh, I thought the elements here were right on target with the shades of grey and red. I stamped the bracelet onto Classic White Card Stock with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink. I should mention, the bracelet is actually a straight line but I curved it around to look like it had just been unclasped. Then, I colored it all up with Copic Markers -- see the supply list below for the color collections that I used. I cut the bracelet portion out using a Spellbinders Classic Oval, matted it on a Spellbinders Beaded Oval die and then, thanks to the brand new Silhouette Simply Charming Cut file, my charms were all cut for me! Love that! Add some grey plaid ribbon, a little bit of Candi (metallic paper dot) and... ta da! Done! The strip of decorative paper is from one of the My Mind's Eye collections and I did emboss it using a chevron emboss folder and sanded it after I was finished.

Here's a close up of the fun charms!

And here's a close up of my bow and metallic Candi!

And that, my friends, is it!!!  Come and be inspired by the Design Team's creativity with this set on their blogs, And today is your  last chance to find the...

   

Hidden among the Design Team is one person who's today's Mystery Blogger, comment on her blog and you could win today's set!  How easy and wonderful is that?!

• Allison Cope
• Christine Okken
• Cindy Lawrence
• Danielle Kennedy
• Heather Jensen
• Julie Koerber
• Maki Jones
• Silke Ledlow
• Stacy Morgan

Don't forget about the other ways you can win this week, you still have time to play in our Colorful Creations Challenge - the deadline for entries is tonight at 5 PM Eastern. This week's Timeless Tuesday Challenge is another way to win.  Click HERE to find out more. And all our winner's will be announced tomorrow on the Flourishes Blog in our Winner's Circle.  Be sure to tune in to see if your name is chosen! Thanks for joining us in a fun and creative week Flourishes Fans!  

~Julie

supplies:

Flourishes Sneaks Day 3: Call Me!

We're back for Day 3 of Flourishes May New Releases to show off for you!  It feels so good to connect with an old friend doesn't it?  We have the perfect set for you today that brings in some fun vintage-style that celebrates friendship.

 Introducing....

What's the 4-1-1 on this set? It's a darling, vintage feel set that helps you stay connected with friends far and wide. This set, whimsically illustrated by Marcella Hawley, offers three main images plus six spunky sentiments you can use to catch up with friends. This set measures 4 by 6".  We think it's very charming and so much fun!  And for even more fun, we've got Silhouette Cut Files for this set that you will see along the way too.

On to my creation! 

I absolutely adore the images in this set! So fun. So cute. So charming! And when I saw the sentiment, What's the 4-1-1? I thought -- how cute is that to use for a card to catch up with a friend? 

So, here are the deets on my creation! I stamped my image on Flourishes Classic White, used a circle die to cut out my image and then let the coloring fun begin! You can see below in my supply list what colors I used. I matted my image up on a die cut shape cut thanks to Flourishes Perfectly Pierced Classic Frames. After I was done cutting and embossing, I did sand the edges to reveal the paper's white core. Add a little ribbon, a sentiment flag and a glam button that was threaded with some gold cording and that's almost it! The paper I used is from Flourishes 123 Create Kit called Vintage Finds. 

And... here's a close up! 

Need a little more creative inspiration? Take a trip on over to visit the Design Team today to see their 4-1-1 on this sweet set, and don't forget about today's...

One of the Design Team Members is today's Mystery Blogger.  If you comment on her blog you could be chosen to win today's great set!  The more you comment the better your chances!

• Allison Cope
• Christine Okken
• Cindy Lawrence
• Danielle Kennedy
• Heather Jensen
• Julie Koerber
• Maki Jones
• Silke Ledlow
• Stacy Morgan

 

Do You Want To Win Flourishes' Entire Release?

If you want a chance to win all four of our soon-to-be released May sets, you can always play in Flourishes' Colorful Creations Challenge – there will be multiple winners there! Deadline for entries is Friday at 5 PM EST.  OR, play along with the gals for this week’s Timeless Tuesday Challenge! Check out the links for the official rules!

Also, if you like what you see on our designers’ blogs today, you can pre-order this set (along with the other three sets as well). You can also take advantage our New Release Bundle and get 10% off when you purchase all four together in a bundle. All sets will be live first thing Friday morning along with the coordinating cut files for this release. So, be sure to stick with us this week as we unveil a whole new host of paper crafting fun! See you back here tomorrow!

~Julie

SUPPLIES:

Sneak Peeks Day 2: Old Tea Rose!

Welcome to Day 2 of Flourishes Sneak Peeks for May!   Those April showers have brought May flowers and we're bringing a beautiful flower to you today too, it's a brand new set from a brand new illustrator for Flourishes!  We'd like to introduce...

It's a gorgeous new set that celebrates the majestic rose.  Artistically drawn by our new artist Sam Pickard, this old tea rose just begs to be colored with style!This elegant floral features three accent images, including a stately looking butterfly and five beautifully scripted sentiments - all on a 4 by 6" set. This set will also have a Silhouette Cut file available as well for wonderful creative options!  You can find out more about our new Illustrator Sam Pickard HERE.

On to my creation!

When I saw this set, I knew that I wanted to watercolor, and I knew that my card would be rather simple in nature because of it! So.... I stamped the rose, butterfly and sentiment on a 4" square of watercolor paper using Versafine Black Onyx ink. And then, I grabbed my watercolor pencils and literally scribbled on color. After I was done laying down the color, I grabbed a water brush and started about an inch away from my image and kept drawing the color out away from my flower. It has been so long since I used watercolors -- it was fun! I see more of this in my future! 

And here's a close up!  

One thing I did use was some elements from Flourishes brand new 123 Create Kit called Prairie Chic! You'd never know it looking at the colors below but -- there is a nice yellow in the pack and I love the ivory crochet lace too! I need to use some of the vibrant colors so you can see the versatility of this kit! Stay tuned -- I'll be using this kit a lot this month! :-) Here's a peek at what's inside!

When it comes to the Old Tea Rose set, you'll want to see all beautiful inspiration that the Design Team has for you with this set, and you'll want to be sure to comment because...

One of our Design Team Members is the Mystery Blogger of the day!  That means commenting on her blog puts you in the running to win you today's Old Tea Rose Stamp Set!   You'll have to comment to find out who it is!

Want to see all the beautiful things you can create with this gorgeous flower? We love it so much we've invited some extra friends to the party.  Head on over and see…..

• Friends of Flourishes Team Coordinator Allison Cope
• Christine Okken
• Cindy Lawrence
• Danielle Kennedy
• Heather Jensen
• Julie Koerber
• Maki Jones
• Silke Ledlow
• Stacy Morgan
• and BBB Team Member Dina Kowal

Do you want to win Flourishes' May Release? 

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

Tomorrow's set will have you asking "What's the 4-1-1?" Yep, that's your hint! So be sure to swing back by tomorrow to see what our DT has in store! :-)

~Julie

supplies:

Sneak Peeks Day 1: Glamour Girls!

Hello Flourishes Fans!  I've got a special treat for you today because not only is it day one of the Flourishes' sneak peeks -- The Timeless Tuesday gals have a fun-filled challenge and it's one where YOU could win Flourishes entire May release! So, stay tuned!

Are you ready for the first sneak? This one is all about the girls and this set has an elegant ring to it!

Introducing....

  

Put a little glam on your cards and creations with this super posh, vintage-inspired set all about girls -- Glamour Girls that is! Featuring two main images, a pearl border and more than a half dozen beautifully scripted sentiments. This set, illustrated by Lauren Pope, measures 4 by 6" and is perfect for all of your "gal pal" creations! What fun! You should know that just like in releases past, all of our new sets are available for pre-order -- if you like what you see on our designer's blogs today! And, you can also take advantage of our New Release Bundle for May as well! It's a deal where you can get all of our new sets HERE for 10% off if you purchase as a bundle!

Want a chance to win this stamp set and all the others in the May release? All you need to do is play along with the Timeless Tuesday Challenge this week - FTTC291. HOW DO YOU PLAY? All you need to do is create and use black accents!That's it -- a black mat, black die cut image, black ribbon, you name it! After you are done, just link up your creation over on THIS post! 

On to my creation!

Oh my.. isn't she the cutest thing EVER? I sure think so and I think this little lady creates the most spunky cards to send to your gal pals! I started by using some of the elements from the 123 Create Kit called Love Story. This kit may have been for Valentine's Day but gosh, the papers are fun patterns in red, pink and black that can honestly be used all year long! I added a doily, some splashes of Flourishes black card stock, some black lace from the kit that I accented with sparkly rhinestones! I added a clear button threaded with some silver cording and then came the fun -- coloring up the little lady! I used Copic markers (see the supplies list below for the colors that I used). I also sponged on some Spun Sugar Distress Ink as well while my die cut shape was still on. 

Here's a close up! You can see that I curved one of the sentiments in the set and added that below! I also added a few little rhinestones around her wrist and some glitter glue to her flower and earrings. FUN! 

And that, my friends is it! I simply adore this set and I know you'll love to see what the rest of the Flourishes designers created with it as well! I'm joined not only by the senior design team but the Friends of Flourishes team as well! So, click on over and see what they have in store!

• Allison Cope
• Broni Holcombe
• Christine Okken
• Cindy Haffner
• Danielle Kennedy
• Deborah Anton
• Denise Marzec
• Heather Jensen
• Julie Koerber -- You are here!
• Makiko  Jones
• Silke Ledlow
• Stacy Morgan
• Iulia Pasca, our May guest designer

You'll have to swing back by tomorrow when we unveil not only a brand new stamp set but a brand new artist as well that is joining the Flourishes team! It is sure to be fun, so be sure to swing back by!

~Julie

Supplies:

Colorful Creations Challenge!

I'm excited to welcome you to May's Release Challenge at Flourishes! May brings most of us to those warmer sunny days anticipating summer, and-- of course -- May flowers! Well, today the Flourishes design team is bringing you a gorgeous flower... and... asking you to be inspired by its colors!

   

HOW TO PLAY: There are so many beautiful combinations you can be inspired by! Choose all of the colors in the illustration - or pick three that work together for you and create! If you play along with us, you could win Flourishes entire May Stamp Release! If you upload to SCS please use the keyword FLLCMAY13. You can enter as many times as you like, but we want you to know if you use Flourishes stamps, your entry counts twice! You have until Friday May 10, 2013 at 5 PM EST to enter. Make sure you link up your creation over on the Flourishes blog HERE!  When you head over there, you can also read up on how that image above is pretty special! You'll have to click on over to find out!

On to my creation! I started out being inspired by THIS layout over on Mojo Monday! I love a good sketch when my mojo is running low!

Here's the sketch....you could do round... or square!

And, here's my card!

I picked some scrap papers to match the color inspiration and used a mix of Glitz, Carta Bella True Friends and Teresa Collins Designs Memories. Add a honeycomb embossing folder and sand it for a little extra pop. Add some Green Cotton Stripes ribbon a wooden button and that's pretty much the layout. For the image, I used the Garden Dreams stamp set and then cut it out with a circle die cut shape. While the die was still on, I sponged on some Antique Linen Distress Ink and colored it all up with Copic Markers (you can see my supply list below for all the colors I used). 

Here's a close up....

I honestly can't believe I made a card without bling! No rhinestones, no pearls, no sparkly buttons, no glitter glue. I feel a bit naked, I tell you! :-)

Before you create, do you need a little extra inspiraiton? We know you'll also be inspired by our Senior Design Teams Creations so go ahead and visit:

• Amanda Havon
• Christine Okken
• Cindy Lawrence
• Danielle Kennedy
• Heather Jensen
• Julie Koerber  ---- you are here! 
• Maki Jones
• Silke Ledlow
• Stacy Morgan

 If you want to know the official rules for the challenge, all you need to do is click HERE!  Thanks for stopping by! Can't wait to see what you create!

~Julie

supplies:

I'm thankful for.......

Hi all and happy Thursday! Being the first Thursday of the month, it's time for the Impression Obsession  gals to usher in another DT challenge -- one where YOU can WIN! So.... stay tuned for more on that!! Today's challenge is one that can be interpreted any old way you like and here goes -- it's the "I'm Thankful For..." challenge.

So, without further ado, on to my creation!

You might look at this card and say... Oh, she's thankful for spring flowers! And, you'd be right. But, actually, there's more to this card than that! It was actually inspired by a couple designers in blog land. So, you can say I'm thankful for the coffee I brewed before I sat down at my computer to be inspired by all the art out in the blog-o-sphere! 

When I saw THIS card by Jill Foster, I gasped. It had been so long since I had used watercolors and so after seeing her beautiful daisies, I knew I needed to get out IO's Double Daisies Large and get to stamping. Keep in mind, I am no where near as talented as Jill is. Her water coloring skills are amazing. I know now where to find her however, and so... she might actually get me to "practice" thanks to her fabulous creations!!  I stamped the daisies using Versamark Black Onyx Ink and then went to town using watercolor markers, and a water brush to spread on the color. While my daisies didn't look anything like  hers, I did keep the orientation and color scheme somewhat like hers! 

Before I was done, I was influenced by another fabulous designer -- the one and only Dina Kowal -- I loved the way she colored and then embossed her main image in THIS card. After I embossed using a honey comb embossing folder, I did go back over some of the image to let the blue watercolor sink into the "holes"... see?  

Once I was done laying on the color, I decided to keep my card clean and simple! Wrap it with some yellow gingham ribbon, tie a bow, add a button, squeeze on some glitter glue and put it all on a white card stock card! And that, my friends is it! I'm thankful for flowers, coffee and ever so talented card makers!

Speaking of talented card makers, you should hop on over to these fine ladies to see what they whipped up in this "I'm Thankful For..." challenge!

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


And, if you play along, you should know that there is a $25 gift certificate on the line to the IO store! Just click HERE for all the official details!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I'll see you back here real soon! 

~Julie