Monday, March 29, 2010

Be Happy Boy

Both our sons had birthday parties to go to this weekend.  For one I had a card on hand, but for the other I had to do a quick card....so here it is.  Super simple, great for an 11 year old boy.


I took the Extreme Dirtbike set and did the dragging technique on it to give it the look of motion in black ink (looking at the catalogue I see he's supposed to be upside-down...oh well, I'll pretend he's just coming out of his crazy move!).  I added photo corners and some large brads for that "motor-cycle" look.  I used the rough texture wheel in Artichoke on the make card sort of a tire-tracks look.  A bit of ribbon and some piercing...that's all, not even patterned paper!  Great when you need a really quick card.  :) 

It's spring break for us here, so I'll be spending the week with my family.  Look for me again on the weekend with something creative to show you! 

Recipe:  Stamps:  SU - Extreme Motorbike, Rough Texture Jumbo Wheel, So Many Sayings;  Ink:  Basic Black, Always Artichoke;  Paper:  Whisper White, Always Artichoke, Basic Black;  Accessories:  Photo Corner Punch, Large Brads, Dimensionals, Piercer, Checked Ribbon, Tab Punch

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Yesterday, Today and Forever

Today at Our Daily Bread Designs the Shining the Light Challenge team is bringing you some beautiful creations for Easter.  It seems hard to believe it's just a week away! 

For me, Easter is the Cross, and how Jesus purchased my freedom in such a costly way;  I am incredibly grateful!  The truth that He is the same yesterday, today and forever holds me firmly with confidence.  He has shown me in the most ultimate way that I can depend on Him.  So I combined three sets from ODBD for this Easer themed card.  The cross and dove image is from Confirmation, the Verse is from Scripture Collection Four, and Ironworks Borders

I stamped the cross in Cameo Coral on Sahara Sand paper, and then embossed the verse in silver overtop.    I also embossed the Ironworks border onto some Cameo Coral paper, and then just trimmed out the corners placing them on the Floral Accent Shapeabilities. I paired this with this pretty metallic paper from SEI called Claire , sometimes when you look at it it shimmers silver, other times almost gold, so, I added some highlighting to the dove etc. with my Stardust glitter pen. 


Above you can see I added another Fancy Floral Shapeabilities with pearls, and below you can see the ribbon treatment more closely.


Some ruffled loops of silk ribbon adhered to the underside of the main image, and a small silk bow. 


So, we'd like to invite you in on the challenge, create a card with an Easter theme and link it to the ODBD Blog post.  Each week a $15 prize to the ODBD Store are awarded, and if you use ODBD stamps you can also earn the Shining the Light award too. 

To see some more inspired Easter Creations check out my team-mates links here:  America KuhnChris OlsenFrancie Gumprecht, Natalie Dever, Patter Cross, Sabrina Jackson

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Stained Glass Crocuses

Welcome to Friday!  For us it's the start of Spring Break tonight so my kids couldn't be more excited.  I have a very spring like card to show you today for Flourishes Friday too. 

Recently in my blog hopping I saw Laurie Wilson do a technique that I had done a long time ago but had forgotten about, and in my SU order I got a new container of Microbeads....so the timing was perfect. 


Doesn't it look like stained glass?  Ok.  I'm just smitten with this creation so I have lots of pictures of it to show you. 

How do you do it?  Well....I colored the crocuses from A Year in Flowers with the Hydrangea Copic Collection and the Fields Collection, and ran it through a Labels 12 Nestabilities.  Then I took red-line tape or sticky strip and lined the entire image in strips with the tape, cutting off the excess over the sides. (I was so sure I had taken a picture of this to show you, but my memory card must have been out of the camera!  Sorry!)  Then you place this in a tray of some sort and take off the top layer of the sticky strips and gently cover the entire image with microbeads (careful microbeads are SUPER bouncy)  Burnish the beads onto the image by turning upside down and pressing.  This will give you the effect you're looking for!  It's all glittery and shimmery. 


Completely cool isn't it? 

Here's another view  - each time you turn it, the light hits it a different way and the colors take on a different look too.


And here's a closeup of the ribbon treatment.  I took a length of sticky strip and then ruffled the silk ribbon on top of it bit by bit, then added the green gingham overtop.  Then cut the sentiment out and looped it through the ribbon with some linen thread. 


I like it so much I think I'm going to use it for one of our former students' Bridal Shower next month! 

Well, the other Flourishes girls have some great things to show you today too!

Cindy Lawrence, Dawn Burnworth, Danielle Kennedy, Julie Koerber, Laura Fredrickson, Leslie Miller, Stacy Morgan

Recipe:  Stamps - Flourishes - A Year in Flowers II, Tag Lines;  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black;  Paper:  Certainly Celery, Lavendar Lace, Certainly Celery Prints DSP, Flourishes Classic Ivory;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Ribbon Tags Trio Shapeability, Labels 12 Nestability, Fleur De Lis Pendant Die, Silk Ribbon, Gingham Ribbon, Sticky Strip, Microbeads, Copic Markers, Dimensionals, Linen Thread, Basic Grey 1/2 Pearls.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Some Laura Ingalls Spring

As a little girl I remember being fascinated with Laura Ingalls and Little House on the Prairie....I read the books, and I watched the TVshow faithfully (and I had the biggest crush on Almanzo too!).  Now my kids love the book series too.  There's something so fun reading about the *old* days. 

I just couldn't put down my new SU set from yesterday, and to me it had a really Laura Ingalls feel to it, especially after I colored it and paired it with this Cosmo Cricket Early Bird paper (I've really gotten good use out of this pad of paper!).  This is Mercy's Sketch this week too. 


This little girl looks just like another of my nieces, so it will be for her, and I know she loves Little House on the Prairie too.  She is colored with Copic markers, and then I antiqued the main image and some of the paper with Ranger Distress Ink - Tea Stain for a better match to the DP. 

See my multiple types of stitch sewing?  Sort of an accident actually, but I like it!  It goes from straight stitch, to large zig zag to small zig zag to straight stitch again. 


And that's it for today!  I'll be back Friday with something Flourishes! 

Recipe:  Stamps - SU A Kind Word;  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Real Red, Ranger Distress Ink - Tea Stain;  Paper:  Blue Bayou, Confetti Cream, Cosmo Cricket Early Bird DSP, Gina K Pure Luxury;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Oval Deckled Nestabilities, Kaiser 1/2 Pearls, Flourishes Sheer Dotted Ribbon in Red, Flourishes Cream Crochet Ribbon, Glue Dots, Nestabilities, Copic Markers, Sewing Machine, Pinked Heart Border Punch, Sponge

A Spring Day

How I wouldn't love a spring day today!  But ever since my parents and my brother and sister-in-law left for a tropical vacation....it's snowed every day!  Oh but we need the moisture I guess so I'll have to create spring in card form. 

I received MY hostess order from the last SU club night I went to because I was the hostess this month!  :)  Gotta love that...so I have some new stamps to give some love to. Here's today's


Isn't she just darling????  Sorry the colors are much better and richer IRL, but with the snow day and all my pictures suffer, even under an OTT light....

She's colored with copic markers, and I used the Sketch today from SCS....

When I was an SU Demo I used to feel so guilty about using anything that wasn't SU Only, like Nestabilities, ribbon...whatever.  But, I have a new found freedom to just use whatever strikes my fancy!  This is My Mind's Eye At Home paper deck which has wonderful colors and patterns, Mixed in with two retired colors, Baja Breeze and Blue Bayou.....and a little Marigold morning for sponging on the main image.   I think I'll give this to one of my nieces :)

Alrighty...it's a day of laundry and hopefully some more creating today!  Thanks for stopping by friends! 

Recipe:  Stamps - SU - A Kind Word;  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Blue Bayou;  Paper:  Baja Breeze, Blue Bayou, Gina K Pure Luxury, My Minds Eye - At Home Blue DSP;  Accessories:  Copic Markers, Sponge, Big Shot, Pinked Circles Nestabilities, Blue Bayout DS Ribbon, Glue Dots, Bow Easy, Pinked Hearts Border Punch, Sewing Machine, Basic Grey Bling It Gems, Dimensionals.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

A Taste of Spring Snowdrops

It's another Saturday with the Shining the Light Challenges at Our Daily Bread Designs!  Did you know it's the first day of Spring today?  So that's our theme...create something with the theme of spring. 

I wanted to create something that shows what Spring looks like here!  Though we've had a very mild winter and the snow is about 2/3 melted, we're still in that stage of mostly soft colors, not too much spring color yet, that sort of grey blue phase.  So I took this beautiful Lily of the Valley from the Easter Blessings set, and colored it softly with my Copic Markers, adding a soft blue around the plant too, then after I was done I added Dazzling Diamonds glitter on the flowers to make them look like shimmering Snowdrops. 


Below you can see a better picture of the shimmer.   I sewed and distressed all the layers of designer paper (Memory Box Dewfrost), adding some teeny tiny pearls, diagonal ribbon and a punched row behind it with the sheer ribbon in a pretty double bow. 


So join us on this Spring Challenge today.  You can link at the ODBD Blog, and your keywords for SCS are ODBDSLC6

For more springlike inspiration see these great ladies today:  America Kuhn, Chris Olsen,  Francie Gumprecht, Natalie Dever, Patter Cross, Sabrina Jackson

Recipe:  Stamps:  ODBD - Easter Blessings;  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Soft Sage;  Paper:  Sage Shadow, Soft Sky, Memory Box - Dewfrost DSP, Gina K Pure Luxury White;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Labels Three Nestabilities, Fancy Tags Labels, Sewing Machine, Organza Ribbon, Basic Grey 1/2 Pearls, Crystal Effects, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Dimensionals, Copic Markers, Pinked Heart Punch, Soft Sky Double Stitched Ribbon. 

Thursday, March 18, 2010

A Little Taste of Easter

Just a few short weeks till Easter!  Where has this year gone already?

With Easter fast approaching, the gals at Flourishes thought we’d have a little ‘Easter Parade’ to showcase some fun creations perfect for this time of year. You should know, some of the gals used a set that is on its way to retirement. With a very limited supply, Easter Bunnies is being offered right now at 40% off! So hop on down the bunny trail and take a peek at our Easter offerings!


I really love this Easter Lily from the Lily of Hope set, and seriously, it's only $8!  It has the perfect size for cards, and the perfect amount of detail for coloring.  I pulled out my watercolors today and gave it the color of my daylilies that bloom, not at Easter, but later in the summer. 

I cut my Labels 13 Spellbinders in half to accent the sides of the main image and matched the polkadots to my ribbon as well.   I added some brand new Ultrafine Flower Soft too in the stamens (thank you Cindy Lawrence for the idea :)  )   This new ultrafine texture is super easy to work with. 


Alright - would you like some more spring-time and Easter inspiration?  Head on over to my team mates - new and old (drop a warm welcome over to Danielle, it's her first Flourishes creating day!) 


Recipe:  Stamps:  Lily of Hope;  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black;  Paper:  Certainly Celery, Flourishes European Watercolor Paper, Cosmo Cricket - Early Bird DSP;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Labels 13, SW Markers, Waterbrush, Sheer Dot Ribbon, Cream Crochet Ribbon, Oval Punch, Basic Grey 1/2 pearls, Dimensionals, Ultrafine Flower Soft - Sage, Sewing Machine

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

ODBD Second Anniversary Celebration

Guess what!  Yesterday I was one of the spots that had yummy secret Blog Candy!  :)  So the winner of this beautiful ODBD Stamp Set,  He Watches Me is:  Commenter # 42, who is Miriam! 

Miriam, please contact me at my email by Friday March 19th by midnight MTN time, by clicking on the link below my picture on the right sidebar with your snail mail address so I can mail this to you!


Today is the Second Anniversary of Our Daily Bread Designs!  Congratulations Kelley and crew....!

So as a part of this weeks' celebrations, today we are going to be unveiling brand new Scripture Stamps chosen by each of the Design Team Members in a Blog Hop!  These verses are wonderful!  And equally special, Kelley designed two sets to go with the Scripture stamps one called Ironworks Borders and one called Vine Borders, perfectly suited for framing the verses.  Here I've used Vine Borders and Scripture Collection 4.  I added some color to my vine border with copic markers and then added some gorgeous shimmer with some Irridescent Gold Glimmer Mist, which gives you gorgeous shimmer!  Wow, why didn't I have this before!  The frame is popped up from the verse. 


I really love this verse, and have laid my anchor down many times here in the Word.  And there are so many of us that need to be reminded of this inviting truth.  We are such independent people and think we always have to go it on our own.  But it just leaves us weary and worn.  That's not how He wants us to live, He offers us so much more! 


So, would you like to do some winning along this blog hop???  To be eligible to win, you must:
  • Hop from first to last on the list, (so if you've come here from SANDEE's blog you're on the right track) then collect the secret LETTER each designer will have, keeping them in order, because they will spell out a special message.
  • Leave a comment for the designer on their blog.
  • Return to the ODBD blog, leaving a comment to tell us that they visited all the blogs.
  • Email Grace at: gnywening@yahoo.com, giving me the secret message the letters spell.
You have until 8:00 PM EST on Mar 18th to complete the hop and email Grace the message.

Now remember this is a blog hop....and you need to collect something here!  My secret letter is R and now you need to head over to FRANCIE'S Blog to see what she's showing off! 

Recipe:  Stamps - ODBD Vine Borders, Scripture Collection Four;  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black;  Paper:  River Rock, Elegant Eggplant, SU DSP;  Accessories:  Copic Markers, Irridescent Gold Glimmer Mist, Dimensionals, Big Shot, Long Deckled Nestabilities, Bow Easy, Silk Ribbon, Glue Dots, Gold Brads, Floral Screen Cuttlebug Folder

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Our Daily Bread Designs - Favourite Set

Well, it's day four of the week long Anniversary Celebrations at Our Daily Bread Designs, and today it's all about the Design Teams' Favourite stamp sets. 

I had a hard time choosing!  One of my favourites is Sing to the Lord...but I also really like Grow in Grace because of the beautiful verses, and the flower is so unique and great to color.  So I decided to go with this design...

There's something so cheerful about yellows, and this Basic Grey Origins paper is full of fun rich colors.  I colored the flowers and leaves with copic markers, and cut them out with my brand new, way cool Nestability shape (Labels 13).   I added the wavy border punch on the top section offsetting the black and designer paper to make it feel more wavy.  A little ornare piercing finishes off the bottom too. 



Please be sure to visit all the blogs linked below, and leave a comment for each designer, because there is hidden candy on some of the blogs! You will not know where it is, but if your name is chosen and you have left a comment for the designers... you will win it!!!

If for instance I have blog candy on a day, I'll announce it, and the winner and what they've won the next day on my blog.   There will also be a big announcement on March 19th on the ODBD Blog recapping ALL the winners... the challenges, the blog candy, and the blog hop winners!

So now, go visit, leave some love and then go create something fun and link it to Mr Linky by 8:00 pm EST tonight for your chance to win!!! * If you are uploading to SCS or other online gallery, please use the keyword ODBD2AC4.

See ya tomorrow with another ODBD Celebration Creation!

Debi Southard, Grace Nywening, Sandee Shanabrough, Dawn Lusk, Chris Olson, Sabrina Jackson, Angella Crockett, Connie McCotter, Julie Warner, Francie Gumprecht, America Kuhn, Lorelie Kim, Natalie Dever, and Kelley!

Recipe:  Stamps:  ODBD - Grow in Grace;  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black;  Paper:  Basic Black, Basic Grey Origins, Garden Green, Gina K Pure Luxury;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Nestabilities Labels 13, Basic Grey Square Gems - colored with copic markers, Copic Markers, Ornare Piercer, Wavy Border Punch, Black Taffeta Stitched Ribbon.  Glue Dots, Dimensionals

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Shining the Light - Cotton Anniversary

This week at ODBD we have a special challenge in store for you! Unlike past weeks, the Challenge and Design team will be hosting a daily challenge in honor of Our Daily Bread Designs 2nd Anniversary!! You will have one day to link your challenge creations and not one week.

Since we are celebrating the Anniversary of Our Daily Bread Designs, we will be focusing on gifts for Anniversaries. Cotton is the traditional gift for the second anniversary. Today’s challenge will be to use Cotton in some way…. stamp on cotton, use cotton ribbon, make a cotton flower… get creative.


I have a Cotton Celebration here for you with this card.  I chose to use my cotton items as the twil tape, and the sewing with my machine around the designer paper layer (SEI First Kiss).  The flowers from the Violet set called The Lord Has Risen, are colored with copic markers, and I added two of the blooms popped up.  And also sponged around the image too to really make it glow.  Now for the pretty part, I added some Stardust Glitter pen to the blooms and to the sentiment to really make it special.   Below you can see the sparkle and the popped blooms much better.  I added the color to my cotton twill ribbon by coloring it with my Copic marker lightly (it's such thick ribbon it could really suck up your ink if you'd let it). 


I cut apart my Lattice Pendant Die and tucked it around each side of the main image for a pretty focal point. 

We hope you have had the chance to play along with us! The only stipulation is that it must be new work, no back links please! The winner will be chosen by random and will receive a $15.00 Gift Certificate for stamps from the ODBD Store! The winner will be announced on the ODBD Blog post tomorrow when we issue the next challenge!

Please be sure to visit all the blogs linked below, and leave a comment for each designer, because there is hidden candy on some of the blogs! You will not know where it is, but if your name is chosen and you have left a comment for the designers… you will win it!!! You won’t know how many have candy each day… so be sure to visit them all and leave some love!



Recipe:  Stamps:  ODBD - The Lord Has Risen;  Ink:   Memento Tuxedo Black, Pink Pirouette, Blush Blossom;  Paper:  Blush Blossom, Pink Pirouette, Gina K Pure Luxure Paper, SEI - First Kiss Shimmered Paper;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Labels One Nestabilities, Lattice Pendant Die, 1/2 Pearls, Copic Markers, Sponge, Sewing Machine, Stardust Glitter Pen, Dimensionals, Twill Ribbon. 

Friday, March 12, 2010

A Special Delivery

This week was full of fun as Flourishes unveiled not only it's brand new webstore but a whole host of challenges! Keep in mind, you have until Monday, March 15th at 6 PM to enter these challenges and there are some fantastic goody bags on the line with free stamp sets, decorative paper and ribbon! So, we hope you play!!!

Here's my last card from this release.  I just LOVE this birdhouse!   The way the leaves vine around it and that cute little bird just make my little heart flutter. :)


Here's a bit closer pic showing off the coloring with Copics, piercing and netted ribbon.  Total yumminess!



So, now would you like to see these beautiful sets and run to the new store and buy them????  The sets we've been peeking are now officially in the store! Take a gander at.............

Easter Basket


Lily of Hope

Friendly Reminders

Recipe:  Stamps - Flourishes Friendly Reminders;  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black;  Paper:  Flourishes Classic White, 7 Gypsies DSP, Ruby Red, Old Olive, Kraft;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Labels Four Nesties, Labels Three Nesties, Label Punch, Ornare Piercing Template, Copic Markers, Olive Wired Ribbon, Finishing Touches Ribbon Slide, Dimensionals, Floral Accent Die .

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Color Me Flourishes

We hope you've enjoyed this week of fun and games as much as we have!   One of the things all of us Flourishes girls really loved about the new website was how it incorporated color, it has a really fresh and pretty feel with its pinks and greens.  So this last challenge today is:  Our new home on the web is awash in pink and green. So, that's your challenge! Create a card that captures our new colorful site! 

And talking about CUTE, how about a Sneak Peek of today's very adorable Easter set, full of sweetness I tell ya!  Illustrated by Marcy, it's a child's dream when it comes to an Easter Celebration (ok, it's my dream too, I LOVE chocolate! OH those foil covered little solid chocolate eggs just do me in!)

To me the colors for Flourishes are more of this corally pink and a celery green, along with a little grey to pull it all together.  So I took this new set and some of the very sweet pieces and colored them with Prismacolor pencils, a nice soft shading.  Isn't that paper drawn bow gorgeous????  It's a little Easter egg hunt in the grass with this one. 

And I had a lot of fun doing the ruffled ribbon too, I added a length of sticky strip behind the main panel and then gradually folded and puckered the ribbon and stuck it down to the sticky strip. 


Delightfully fun!

Haven't you had a great time this week?  Going to join us one more day in the challenges?  Today's keywords are FLLCCEL5.  Be sure to check in at the Flourishes Blog for all the winning potential, and then come on and join us TONIGHT in the SCS Flourishes Forum for our Release Party!  9 PM Central Time, 8 PM if you're like me in Mountain Time. 

Alrighty....these wonderful girls have some wonderful things to show you!

Julie Koerber, Cindy Lawrence, Dawn Burnworth, Laura Fredrickson, Leslie Miller, Stacy Morgan, Barb Anders, Maki Jones, Betty Wright.

Recipe:  Stamps - Easter Basket;  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black;  Paper:  Certainly Celery, Cameo Coral, Basic Grey, Certainly Celery Prints DSP, Raspberry Tart DSP, Flourishes Classic White;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Deckled Mega Rectangles Small, Scallop Edge Punch, Piercer, Silk Ribbon, Dimensionals, Prismacolor pencils, Basic Grey Corduroy Brad.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Celebrate with Sparkle!

How about another day of Sneak Peeks and a new challenge?  Woo Hoo this is fun!  Here's your challenge theme for today:  Bring on the sparkle! We think the new store shines with fun, make a card or creation that shows off the glitz!

Today's sneak peek set is absolutely delighfully, beautifully Easter to me.  I love the sweet parts of Easter, the Easter Bunny and my children hunting for chocolate Easter eggs and all that.  But to us all as a family,   Easter is precious because we celebrate what Jesus did for me, and the hope and power in the Resurrection.  This set illustrated by Marcy captures the beauty and hope of Easter, with some beautiful sentiments as well. 

I was inspired by the Stargazer Lily for this card, and tried to recreate the feel of this picture:

Stunning isn't it?  Sigh.  It's one of my mom's favourite lilies too. 

Here's my sparkly Easter Stargazer Lily.  I know my extra large picture may have cut off a corner of the card in your view, but I wanted you to see the beauty to this flower.


I captured the sense of sparkle in three ways, lines of Sticky Strip covered with Dazzling Diamonds Glitter on three horizontal planes, rhinestone accents, and then some additional sparkle in the lily itself with the AMAZING Stardust glitter pen.  Seriously it's the BEST for adding sparkle to your creations. 



I'm really happy with how I was able to re-create the dotted feel to the flower petals I used the Petunia Collection without the RV99  and added RV17 from the Tea Rose Collection and also RV02 from the Hollyhock collection for the lightest base color.  The leaves are done with the Meadow Collection with the addition of YG00 from the Spring Greens Collection for a more yellow base tone.  And with all the white space on the card, and the meaning of Easter, I had to go with white silk ribbon for the richness and beauty too.   

Such a beautiful set!  To join us in the challenge use the keyword FLLCCEL4, and be sure to stop by the Flourishes Blog for more det's on the winnings!

So, you'll see some beautiful creations with the Design Team and Friends of Flourishes with this set today:  Julie Koerber, Cindy Lawrence, Dawn Burnworth, Laura Fredrickson, Leslie Miller and Stacy Morgan, Barb Anders, Silke Ledlow, Maki Jones.


Recipe:  Stamps - Lily of Hope;  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black;  Paper:  Flourishes Classic White, Melon Mambo Textured.  Accessories:  Big Shot, Rectangle Nesties, Scalloped Rectangle Nesties, Sticky Strip, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Rhinestones, Copic Markers, Silk Ribbon, Dimensionals, Bow Easy, Finial Press Embossing Folder


Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Celebrate by Casing the FLLCDT!

Today's Flourishes Celebration Challenge?  Case an FLLC designer! Without our talented designers, Flourishes wouldn't be what it is today! (ok Julie said to say that :)  ).  Hop around our FFLC designer blog roll, pick a card and case it,   just make sure to link up to the original.  You can also go to SCS and use the keywords FLLCDT and find all of our Design Team creations there.  Here's a link you can click to get there:  http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=all&si=FLLCDT&what=keywords

How would you like to see my case.....AND some New Release Sneak Peeks!?  Today's set is a really lovely one.  I'm so taken by it!  It's called Friendly Reminders and it's illustrated by Lauren Pope.  It will be live in the Flourishes Store right after our Power Hour Release Party which begins Friday night at 9 PM CST in our SCS Member Company Forum!


I decided to case my friend and fellow Albertan Laura Fredrickson.  Laura does such beautiful work, and I chose THIS CARD.    I loved how she made her layout and papers work, and the sense of vintage to it. 


I used beautiful Memory Box papers called Gossamer, I thought it had the feeling of an old country house wallpaper, which was just the look I was going for.  This coat rack and straw hat looked so pretty for me, I wanted to create a whole scene for them with Laura's style of card.  Take a closer look these pictures show the color a little better. 


You can see I tried to create a chair rail border with the white and beadboard for the bottom half of the wall.  The hat and coat rack are colored with copic markers (Hollyhock, Crocus and Spring Green Collections), and I've used the same idea with the crochet ribbon as Laura did. 


So which FLLCDT'er will you case?  Today's challenge keywords are FLLCCEL3, and you can learn more at the Flourishes Blog especially the good stuff...prizes!  Leave me a note if you've cased me, I want to be sure not to miss it!

Stop by the rest of the Design Team and FOF Team to see how they used Friendly Reminders and who they cased. :)




Recipe:  Stamps:  - Friendly Reminders;  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Pale Plum;  Paper:  Pale Plum, Kiwi Kiss, Flourishes Classic White, Memory Box - Gossamer DSP;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Labels Three Nestabilities, Pinked Circles Nestabilities, Crochet Ribbon, Lime Organza Ribbon, 1/2 pearls, Copic Markers, Sponge, Bow Easy.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Celebrate Cupcake!

It's another day of celebration with Flourishes!  Today, for the Timeless Tuesday challenge, the Friends of Flourishes are challenging you all to get in the spirit and create a card full of celebration. Help us celebrate our new spot on the web at www.flourishes.org by creating a card that's full of celebration today. 

Want to see what I've created?  Well, my sweet niece turned the big 1 year old last week and I wanted to give her a sweet card to celebrate the special occasion.  I pulled out the new set Let Them Eat Cake created by Becky Fleck and made something fun and vibrant for her.  I also used yesterday's FLLCCEL1 Sketch from Becky for my design today.


I love the new Valentine paper by Basic Grey, it's called Sugar Rush, and there are some really sweet and fun patterns and colors in the pages.  I picked up the orange and red in this paper and the theme of love for the card.  I embossed the cupcake and stand with white embossing powder on watercolor paper and then watercolored overtop with reinkers to resist the embossing.  I popped up the red embossed cherry and added a little bling for fun.  I added some sponging for warmth too.  I love the little "Hey Cupcake!" sentiment too.  So sweet.


Now, all you have to do is create something that's full of celebration.  Today's keywords for the Celebration cards at SCS are FLLCCEL2, and you can link up your creation to the Flourishes Blog with Mr. Linky. 

Who's also ready to inspire you today? 


Recipe:  Stamps:  Flourishes - Let Them Eat Cake;  Ink; White Craft, Only Orange, Real Red Craft;  Paper:  Only Orange, Riding Hood Red, Flourishes European Watercolor paper, Basic Grey Sugar Rush DSP;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Deckled Mega Rectangles, White Embossing Powder, Clear Embossing Powder, Basic Grey Gems, May Arts Chenille Dots Ribbon, Dimensionals, Sewing Machine, Reinkers, Aqua Painter, Piercer, Dotted Embossing Folder, SW markers.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Flourishes Celebration Week!


It's Celebration week at Flourishes!  We've opened our new store and we're so excited about it we thought we'd throw a whole celebration week for the occasion!  There are prizes, challenges and fun for everyone. 

Today it's a fantastic sketch challenge created by the very talented  www.PageMaps.com Hostess Becky
Fleck, queen of sketches!  For more details see the new Flourishes Blog for info and a picture of the sketch, and see these fantastic DT and Friends Of Flourishes girls up today with their sketch creativity!  Be sure you plan on joining us all week long!  If you upload to Splitcoast, please use the keyword FLLCCEL1. You have until Monday, March 15th at 6 PM EST to link up your cards!

Stacy, Dawn, Julie, Leslie, Maki, Barb, Dee, Betty, Cindy H

I'll be back tomorrow with some Flourishes Celebration!

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Shining the Light Sketch Day

Here we are at Saturday again!  And it's time for another Challenge from the Our Daily Bread Challenge Team.  This week we have a sketch for you.  I think you'll enjoy it very much!
I have to admit, circles and I don't always get along in design.  I think it's the symmetry component.  I'm sort of an off-center-design kind of person...and circles need this sense of balance for them to work, so this was a good challenge for me. 


I wanted this to be a masculine feeling design, and I hadn't yet had a chance to ink up this beautiful cardinal from the Sing for Joy set yet.  I thought this cardinal looked regal and wise and great for a masculine card.  I colored him with Copic Markers, and then sponged a lot of Tim Holtz Distress Ink, Vintage Photo overtop to really go with these very warm paper I chose.   Doesn't this cardinal look fluffed up with the feathers on his head?  Must be chilly!  :)

Along the bottom strip I added some fancy piercing with my Spellbinders Borderabilities, and swiped my Distress Ink pad over the strip and sentiment too.  I added a touch of velvet ribbon and some pretty fancy flourishes from Spellbinders to highlight the corners as well. 

We'd like to invite you to jump in on the sketch too, all you need to do is link your creation on the Our Daily Bread Designs Blog with Mr. Linky, and then you'll be eligible for prizes to the ODBD store!  Woo Hoo!  AND if you have ODBD stamps and use them for the challenge, you might be showcased next week on the blog with the Shining the Light Award. 

Don't forget too that NEXT Saturday begins our week long Anniversary Celebrations with Our Daily Bread Designs, wonderful things in store!

For more lovely sketch inspiration, please head over to my team-mates creative spots:  Chris Olsen, America Kuhn, Francie Gumprecht, Natalie Dever, Patter Cross and Sabrina Jackson

Recipe:  Stamps:  ODBD - Sing for Joy, Confirmation;  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Vintage Photo;  Paper:  Chocolate Chip, Ruby Red, Gypsy Market - 7 Gypsies Designer Paper, Gina K Pure Luxury White;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Pinked Circles Nesties, Fancy Label Die, Borderabilities, Piercer, Copic Markers, Dimensionals, Sponge, Velvet Ribbon.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Flourishes Friday Get Well

Well, I'm sure all of know someone in our lives who has been under the weather.  We Flourishes girls decided that today would be a good day to design  - just for that theme, Get Well Wishes. 


I took this lovely Irish Blessings set and created a lovely shamrock vined frame with some of the shamrock stamps, on European Watercolor paper.  I watercolored these and then added a few of the shamrocks popped up.   I cut out the center with a Nestie Oval shape and trimmed out the outside outline. 

Inside the oval I added the pretty Claddagh image embossed in gold.  Did you know the meaning of the Claddagh?  Often you see it made into rings, and it stands for Friendship, Love and Loyalty.  A perfect image for friendship, and a word of encouragement for someone.  The center heart is popped up as well. 

The sentiment "Nurture Yourself" is actually from the new From the Garden Set


These pretty papers are new Basic Grey Origins paper, which really works well with an Irish themed card.   You can also see I added a little atyou Spica pen to the inside of the heart and the sleeves of the hands too, a big silk bow to finish it off which to me really adds to the card. 


Be sure to tune back in here Monday! Flourishes is celebrating the Grand Opening of its new web store and there is so much in the way of fun planned! 

Look for daily challenges with prizes on the line - you won't want to miss it! Then on Wednesday, the DT kicks off the sneaks for our March release. This release is full of spring time fun! So come back and join us for all the festivities!  I'm really excited about it! 

Now you can head over to my DT partners who are creating some more Get Well Wishes today:

Julie Koerber, Cindy Lawrence, Dawn Burnworth, Leslie Miller, Stacy Morgan. 

Recipe:  Stamps:  Flourishes - Irish Blessings, From the Garden;  Ink:  VersaMark, Black Stazon;  Paper:  Certainly Celery, Garden Green, Basic Grey Origins, European Watercolor paper;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Oval Nestabilities, Pinked Hearts Border Punch, Silk Ribbon, Dimensionals, Reinkers, SW Markers, Aqua Painter, Gold Embossing Powder, Basic Grey 1/2 Pearls, atyou Spica pens.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

One Style - Two Designs

Busy couple of days around here, and not too much time for stamping! 

On Tuesday night I hosted our long running SU 10 for 10 group, and we did a great card designed by my upline.  It has a really great youthful, masculine, grungy sort of look.  I just loved it's style so much I recreated the style with a different feel. 

Here's the card we did with Susan my SU demo...

Isn't it cool?  What I really love about it are the side triangles popped up, yet still part of the base card design.  And don't you love the dragging technique on the skater?  It was fun to do.


So I took this style and gave it a completely different look with a brand new released set from Our Daily Bread Designs.  These March sets are just STUNNING, and mine just arrived.  This one is called The Lord has Risen.

I stamped the side trianges in Memento Tuxedo Black ink with the violet stamp so I could color it in, and then added the verse in Melon Mambo ink.  I sponged the triangles heavily with Always Apricot and lightly with Melon Mambo.  I wanted it to look like a real flower garden.  On the apricot panel I stamped the violets in Apricot and added some sponging and separated the verse into two sections.


I also tooked some cream looped ribbon and colored with both the apricot shade and the deep pink shade to tie it all in.  I also jazzed up the triangles by adding the pinked hearts punch and I like how it sets them off. 

So - two designs with the same style of card!

I'll be back Friday with something new again!

Recipe: Sk8ter:  Stamps:  SU - Extreme Skateborad, Extreme Elements;  Ink:  Bermuda Bay, Old Olive, Basic Black;  Paper:  Bermuda Bay, Old Olive, Basic Black;  Accessories:  Word Window Punch, Star Punch

Season of Singing:  Stamps:  ODBD - The Lord has Risen;  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Melon Mambo, Always Apricot;  Paper:  Melon Mambo, Melon Mambo Textured, Always Apricot, Gina K Pure Luxury White;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Labels Two Spellbinders, Sponge, Pinked Heart Border Punch, Dimensionals, Looped Ribbon, Copic Markers.