Friday's Free For All

It is time for Flourishes design team to focus of another of those fabulous floral images. This week it is the Gerbera Daisy set. One of those flowers that comes in just about every color imaginable.

I have had trouble coloring with yellow in the past, I have come to the conclusion that I was trying to use too little yellow!   For my card today I stamped with Palette ink in Charcoal then colored with Copic markers using the these collections. 

I used several Spellbiner dies with Classic white card stock, and Sizzix embossing folder for the background. I tired to not use any color paper for my card but it just did not work out that way.  This is a fun image to work with and lends itself to endless possibilities Finishing touches are a few rhinetones and a sheer scalloped edge ribbon.  Just take a look at what the dt have done today. 

Just as the saying goes, April showers bring May flowers and at Flourishes -- we are watching the daisies sprout! Just take a trip to see all of our designers today and you're sure to be inspired as they show off their creations using our set Gerber Daisies! And, if you like what you see on their blogs, you should know that today and tomorrow only - you can add this set to your collection for 20% off! Just use the code DAISY at the time of check out!

    Barbara Anders

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Danielle Kennedy

Dawn Burnworth

Jan Marie Caruso

Julie Koerber – D.T. Coordinator

Sharon Doolittle

Stacy Morgan

Tammy Hershberger

Stamp; Gerber Daisy Ink; Copic,  Palette ink, Antiue Linen Distress Paper; Classic white, Authentique delightful Spellbinder dies; Classic Oval, Floral Ovals, Fleur De Lis Rectangles, a die that I never have looked up to find out the name. Ribbon Tag. Sizzix left folder embossing. Misc; sheer scallop edge ribbon  rhinestone.

Fridays Free For All

Welcome back after a week of hard work and play. I have been doing so many fun things this week, the most rewarding is learning how to use my new Gypsy that helps me design with my Cricut.  It justify the purchase when the product is used often.  I wanted to show my DH the first scrap book title I made using the Gypsy. I was going to say "Look, this title only cost me $250.00, the next one I make will cut that cost in half! Just think of the savings by the end of the year !"  I figured why start an argument that I could not win and besides he would not see the humor in it!! I will just keep my glee to myself.

One of the other things going on this week is the 450 make and take card samples that Jackie is putting together over at Flourishes.  Jan Marie is headed off to Australia next month were she is going to be doing make & takes at a craft convention using Flourishes images.

My card today is roughly based on the sketch used for the make n takes. I took some of the elements from Mays 1 2 3 Create Kit to make my card today. The image is from the Fathers Day stamp set and the sentiment is from Life Lines.

The card base is 4x4 from classic white card stock, the same for the top oval die cut.  The panel and lacy oval and sentiment oval are Authentique's masculine looking Genuine papers. A few pearls and ribbon bow finish off this easy card.

As I was finishing my card yesterday, my grand daughter was using my computer to play games. I needed to take a quick peek at the graphics for the 1 2 3 kit to see what embelishments were in it. Since I could not get on my PC and I wanted to get it done, I used pearls in the corner.  The brads that are in the kit would have been a better choice, but oh well......... next time.

Today is the last day of 10%  off the May Release bundle and there is a limited supply of the Genuine kits.

Barbara Anders

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Danielle Kennedy

Dawn Burnworth

Jan Marie Caruso

Julie Koerber – D.T. Coordinator

Sharon Doolittle - Thats me

Stacy Morgan

Tammy Hershberger

Welcome To - On The Porch

Today we have another stamp set designed by Marcella Hawley that depicts one of my favorite activities, sitting in a comfortable chair reading! When my brain needs to take a break from daily activities, I read. What better place to read than On The Porch.

I used Classic White card stock, memento black in to stamp with, and Copic Markers to color. A variety of circle dies to cut with and Authentique papers for all the dp. I love the cottage look of this floral paper, one of the reasons I used it.

I changed the sentiment slightly. I masked the O in home when I stamped, then used one of the images from Tiny Tags in place of the O.  I thought it gave the card a much more homey feel.  The bow is light blue wrinkled ribbon with a vintage brad that glued to the top of a bead cap then wrapped around the knot. The mustard colored pearl in the brad was colored with R24 Copic to coordinate with the pillow and other colors on my card.

    Barbara Anders

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Danielle Kennedy

Dawn Burnworth

Jan Marie Caruso

Julie Koerber – D.T. Coordinator

Sharon Doolittle

Stacy Morgan

Tammy Hershberger

Who IS the mystery blogger today??  We're not telling (because they don't tell us) so leave a comment to be in the running for today's sneak stamp.

There is a noon challenge, a Spring Cleaning sale, a Pretty in Purple challenge from Wednesday, Lets Hear it For the Boys yesterday, and a pre release challenge. Now if you are able to participate in all of those just think of what your changes will be to win a stamp set or the whole release!! You can be sure to save on your purchases at any rate. Flourishes.org will take you to all the challenges as well as shopping savings.

Have fun! And thank you for stopping by.

Flourishes May Release

Fathers Day is just around the corner and what better way to honor the Fathers in our life than with this charming stamp.     

I stamped one of the sentiments from Fathers Day onto white card stock, it was cut with Spellbinders Persian Motifs and popped up over Authentique paper called Genuine. The paper, ruffle, and brad all come in the 1 2 3 Create kit this month as shown below.  An easy peasy card for the dad in your life

Such a pretty kit with a  masculine feel.

There is another mystery blogger today. I would probably hint at who it is. Good thing they don't tell us.

Barbara Anders

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Danielle Kennedy

Dawn Burnworth

Jan Marie Caruso

Julie Koerber – D.T. Coordinator

Sharon Doolittle

Stacy Morgan

Tammy Hershberger

Happy Birthday Brian!!!      Love mom

Pretty in Purple Challenge

Welcome, glad you could join Flourishes noon time challenge today "Pretty In Purple"!  

At first I was wondering how I was going to get purple on my card. After all purple is not my favorite color nor do I have any embellishments (that I know of) that are purple!  The next thought was, duh...... Copic's come in every color and Hydrangeas come in many colors including a deep blue that looks purple plus the paper I used has purple in it.

The paper is classic white, Prima Meadow Lark. The Copic color collection I used for the Hydrangea is  New Violet with one color of green G63.  Sheer ribbon with satin scallop edge, a crystal stick pin to finish.

Come join our challenge and there is more inspiration for the color purple. Link your card to Flourishes blog.

Barbara

Dawn

Danielle

Maki

May Release (already?) At Flourishes

Where has the month gone??  Can you believe it has been a month since Flourishes last release?  Flourishes is working hard to bring you the best images 12 times a year.

 We have another wonderful floral from Marcella Hawlley called Hydrangea to show you today. Now this is one flower that we can grown in semi tropical northern Florida!!

I have come to the conclusion that I do not have an identifiable style when it comes to paper crafting unless it is the adage that "more is better" as I try to add lots of elements to a card.  I try as many different techniques as I can find that inspire me. For my first card today (come back for the noon challenge to see the second one) I have used a simple technique with little color but lots of added highlights using Ranger's Picket Fence marker.

I cut kraft card stock with Spellbinder Lacy square.  That is layered on a square of black which in turn is layered on an embossed kraft panel using Courture Creations folder called Swept Away.  I scoring line added along the edges of my panel.

Be sure to check back at noon to see another card using Hydrangea with a totally different look!

In the meantime, check out all the talent

Barbara Anders

Julie Koerber
Christine Okken
Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Stacy Morgan
Tammy Hershberger
Sharon Doolittle
Jan Marie Caruso

Did you get the word?  Flourishes is having a spring cleaning sale on Embellishments, Spellbinders, Embossing Folders, Tools and Paper. All 15% off using the code SPRINGCLEAN at the time of checkout!

There is a mystery blogger today, leave a comment on her blog (we don't even know who it is) and you could be in the running to win a stamp set.  AND, don't forget to come back on Saturday to see who wins during release week, it may be YOU!

See you at 12 noon!

Welcome to Friday!

Well here it is Friday again, and welcome to Flourishes Friday Focus. Today we are starting our  countdown to Flourishes release week with a challenge. Home Sweet Home!  Just choose something round your home that inspires you. 

FLLCMAY12: Let your creativity shine by being inspired by something in your home - it could be the color scheme of a room, a painting, vase or floral arrangement - the sky is the limit on this Home Sweet Home Challenge! Please take a picture and show the inspiration piece in your post. Entries must be in by May 11th at 5PM EST in order to be in the running for the entire May Release!

What inspired me to use this Garden Girl paper was the Wisteria bush in the front yard. With Spring well past in Florida the Wisteria flowers are gone, in their place are the seed pods.

This lovely paper in shades of lavender, green, and brown has lavender pods along the top of the dp that drape just like the Wisteria pods. Of course I covered it up with the lacy square.

I used Orchids for the floral image and sentiment. I colored with Distress inks and nibs as well at Copic Marker C1 on the background. I cut a square and fussy cut the one Orchid bloom to extend over the edge.  The white square was adhered to another square of Garden Girl card stock and it in turn is adhered to a Lacy Square from the same paper pack.

All of the Spellbinder dies I used are at my LSS were I am attending a 4 day scrapbook crop. I did not make a note of the names of the dies nor did I bring them home with me tonight.  I did use three different circle dies and some of the left over paper for the sentiment.

Come join the design team for the May challenge. If you need more inspiration take a peek at all the cards from the team. Also stop by Flourishes blog for all of the latest details

Barbara Anders

Julie Koerber
Christine Okken
Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Stacy Morgan
Tammy Hershberger
Sharon Doolittle
Jan Marie Caruso

Friendly Reminders

Welcome to Flourishes Friday with the focus on From The Garden. What does that have to do with Friendly Reminders, absolutly nothing.  I had a senior moment, OK?  It happens! Now it is way too late to make another card tonight.

For my card I stamped on a canvas triangle with Staz On ink and colored with Copic Markers.  I have had a love affair with canvas and pictures for a long time. The first time I used my printer to copy a photo of my grand daughter onto canvas. This time I used a stamp and ink because the texture of canvas has so many possibilities. I am not saying that I have mastered the technique but it is sure fun trying. 

All paper is from Howdy Doody, if you are not able to snag one of the paper pads then a kit is avilible with the paper as well as all the embellishments needed to made a number of cards. The only other item I used from the kit is the ribbon for my bow. The brad started out another color but it did not match so I colored with YR09 Copic. 

Stamp: Friendly Reminders

Ink: Copic, Staz On

Paper: Howdy Doody, Canvas

Misc: Spellbinder Nested Lacey Pennants,  Vintage Marble Brad, Satin/Grograin ribbon

Take a bit of time to check out what the rest of the design team has done with From The Garden, unlike me.

Barbara Anders

Julie Koerber
Christine Okken
Dawn Burnworth
Tammy Hershberger
Sharon Doolittle
Jan Marie Caruso

Flourishes Friday Free For All

It seems as though I can still publish a post even though I can not see the but half of the symbols along the top of my publish page. (What the heck are those called anyway??)  I think I will be extremely happy with the new version of Blogger if or to be more optimistic, when I get my setting corrected.  In the mean time.......... There are more interesting things to see and read than my blogger problems!

Welcome to Flourishes Free For All!

Not only do I have a card using one of the new sets released last week, I also used the products in the new 1 2 3 Create Kit released at the same time as the stamp sets. Plus I have added a ribbon that is not in the kit, it just came in this week and I could not resist adding it on.

I just love the kits as it takes half of the process of starting a card off my mind. All I have to chose is the stamp to use, in this case Love & Lace, and the sketch or layout for my card.  Most of the time my card sketch just kind of plays out as I work. I may have something in mind when I start but it could end up looking a whole lot different than I imagined by the time I am finished.  

I started with classic ivory cs, cut with Spellbinder standard circles, stamped the floral wreath onto the circle with Versa Mark and heat embossed with super fine clear embossing powder. I sponged with a

blending tool and Antique Linen distress ink over the whole thing, then stamped the mother and baby image also using Antique Linen.

I cut another circle using Splendid Circles (largest) and Howdy Doody designer paper, I adhered the stamped circle onto it.  I cut a piece of  Baja Breeze 5.5x5.5 and adhered to my card base of ivory cs, the dp is cut to 5.25x5.25 and sponged the edges with Antique Linen distress ink. I took the striped lace paper from the pad, I used Spellbinder Cassic Edges Two and Classic Decorative Insert Five to cut a strip, then adhered it to the left side of my card with a piece of satin/grosgrain ribbon along one edge.

After I adhered my circle layer over the ribbon and cut strip, I added a row of latte pearls around the Splendid circle. I make a bow on the peg bow board with sheer scalloped edge ribbon and stuck a pearl stick pin in it. The ribbon that I made the bow from is not part of the kit but you can add it to your order of the 1 2 3 Create kit.

As you know, today is the last day that April's new release bundle can be purchased for 10% off the single set price.

The design team has made some fantasic samples using the new stamp sets!

Barbara Anders

Julie Koerber
Christine Okken
Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Stacy Morgan
Tammy Hershberger
Sharon Doolittle
Jan Marie Caruso

Trial Of Updating Blogger!

I think I made a big boo boo!!  I have, for weeks, seen the notice that Blogger was going to be changing or adding new "stuff" to their site and did I want to try it NOW??  I have been avoiding doing anything about the notice but at the end of last week I figured, "What the heck, what can it hurt to click the button, after all I can always undo it, or can I??  Big mistake hitting that!!!  As soon as I tried the changes I had a noticed popped up at the top of my page saying.  "Your Browser is no longer supported by Blogger. Some parts of Blogger will not work and you may experience problems.  Ya Think!!  
I can not longer can see the that information bar at the top of my post when writing. Fortunately I have been using blogger long enough that I know where the "buttons" are located when I can see only the top 1/3 of the icon.  So this post is a bit of trial and error with great hopes that it will work properly or at least get it worked out before Friday when my Flourishes post is due. 
It says to try google chrome if I am having problems!! I downloaded Google Chrome and there is no change in what I see. Oh well, someone will get it worked out.

I have been getting caught up on my scrapping over the week end. Caught up is not exactly the word I need to use as I will never be caught up because I take so many pictures that there is just not time in the day to get them all done.

I have a number of pictures from a birthday party of one of my grand daughters when she was three years old. Everyone that attended had a great time and what child would not! There were horses, hayrides, animals to pet and food to eat. 

I used a few sheets of  the vast horde of solid card stock that I have on hand.  After the designer papers I usually use these pages are a change of pace for me.

Back to work on my card for Friday.  Thank you for stopping by and hope figure my way around with the new look to Blogger.

Day 3: Flourishes Release

There should be a new baby at Flourishes today. Rachael had her baby girl born yesterday and what better way to celebrate the new arrival than with a new Hello Baby stamp. 

I made my card using card stock. I spent over an hour sorting by color all of my plain paper and decided that I love to buy paper, designer paper as well as plain card stock! Now it is time to start using some of that plain paper.

I started with the while classic card stock and a  letterpress printing plate called Baby. I inked the large plate with pink, then very carefully put my sandwich together and ran it through my Big Shot. I did the same with the smaller border plate but with green ink, then stamped the sentiment in the center of the oval.

I stamped the onesie image, colored with Copic. I cut it out and popped the image up on the letterpressed layer.

 A fluffy figure eight bow and a few pearl swirls finish the layers of card stock.

Stamp set; Hello Baby

Paper; classic white, lucky limeade, pink passion    Ink; Copic Candy Pink collection, pink passion, Bamboo

Misc; pearl swirls,  pink seam binding (that was a birthday gift last year, thank you Bar)

Flourishes has all the information for the challenges with a short time left to enter for a change to win all of the stamps from this release. Or if you are not one of the winners, then the release bundle will be on sale at 10% off until Friday of next week. 

In the mean time, look at these creations.

SENIOR DESIGN TEAM

Barbara Anders
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Jan Marie Caruso
Julie Koerber
Sharon Doolittle
Stacy Morgan
Tammy Hershberger

FRIENDS OF FLOURISHES TEAM

Beate Johns
Amanda Havon
Mona Pendelton

Thank you all for visiting this week.

Book Worm Challenge!

I signed up as soon as I saw what this challenge was going to be.  I had been wanting to make one of these corner bookmarks and this challenge was just the push I needed! I was directed to the resoursce page at SCS for the directions on how to make a corner bookmark.  How about you? Want to make one?  Be sure to link your creation back to Flourishes for a change to win this stamp set.

These are so much fun and they make a wonderful gift for anyone that loves to read. I have plans to make a few for Birthday or Christmas gifts. What a great stocking stuffer!!  Is it too early to think about Christmas?

I choose the book plate Pansy image to stamp twice then cut with a book plate die. I colored with Copic makers, the Hydrangea collection and Y17 with E50 along the edge. The paper is from Prima Meadow Lark paper pad. I used Spellbinders Classic Edges two and Decorative Edges five along the bottom edge of my papers. The lavender edge was cut using a Fiskars decorative border punch that cuts and embosses.  

 You will find more inspiration with, Tammy, Barbara, Dawn.