Monday, January 30, 2012

Ode To...Life, Love and Lemons

Tough days in our house, I've got two boys down with the respiratory flu.  Fevers, scratchy throats, coughing, not so much fun on the kid front :(

But I am back with another Ode To....post, showing off some of the older Flourishes sets.  Today it's one of my all time favourites - Life, Love and Lemons.  It's just got everything you'd want in a fruit set, gorgeous artwork, fun and sassy sentiments, and a lot of the set is flexible to be lemons, limes, oranges, anything you'd like!

Here's my new creation:


I took the lemon tree from the set, paper pieced the pot and colored the tree with copics.  Then paired it up with this gorgeous Prima paper - Alla-Prima.  Fun tones of teal, sand yellow and green. 


Can you see how the light source is upper left and the bluer teal shading on the lower right?  I also added the shadow on the pot as well.  Accents are some pretty teal twill and some Sea Breeze Sparklets.  

Now how about some oldies with this set? 


 and in the same post....


A little watercoloring to make these pretty fruit limes :)




 A fun recipe card for Lemon Bars.  Stamped and masked background and Copic colored focal point.  


Soft and subtle watercoloring in some spring tones.  



And this last card was published in CardMaker last year with two other Life, Love and Lemon cards.  I LOVE the cute slices of orange, with the Crystal Effects and glitter "juice".  Coloring was done with Prismacolors.  

So there you have it!  A tour through Life, Love and Lemons.  A fantastic set!

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Sending You Warm Fuzzies

How's the weather in your neck of the woods this winter?  We've had a very mild winter, save for about 2 weeks of brutal cold.  Whatever your weather, all of us could use some warm fuzzies right?  So I'm sending you some in the form of this card!


Isn't she just darling???  It's brand new from the Cat's Pajamas, called Warm Fuzzies and I think this set is adorable, right down to the bird on her head.  I've paper pieced her up with MME - Breeze dp's and then added Prismacolors to give her some depth.  Then I used those same papers to create a fishtale flag background layer. 


Serious cuteness hey?

I don't know what it was, but my son thought the sentiment was hysterical.  It totally gave him the giggles.  Hopefully it makes you smile today too!

Stamps:  The Cat's Pajamas - Warm Fuzzies;  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black;  Paper:  Flourishes Classic Ivory, Soft Sky, Old Olive, My Mind's Eye - Breeze;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Labels Twenty One, Sewing Machine, Double Stitched Ribbon, Prismacolors, Breeze Buttons, Glue Dots, Dimensionals.  

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Project 365 - Week Four


Back for another week of Project 365.  I've been doing this for almost a month now :)  

January 22 (top left) - A very cool story.  When we were in Mexico City two summers ago with our High School Students on our Missions' Trip, one of the ladies we worked with came to show us some old Mexican money. Because of the many battles and revolutions through Mexico, people would hide money in boxes within their concrete walls.  This was one such box, and it contained many coins.  Many of them are decomissioned and she very kindly gave the team the box.  The Project 365 Theme from a week ago was "Antiquity" so I thought of these old coins.  I took them all out to find a little envelope hidden in the bottom of the box with old Mexican paper currency too.  Such a surprise.  This bill is from the 1914 I believe!

January 23 (left middle) - Our oldest son had a small surgery on Monday to remove a cyst from his ear line, by a plastic surgeon.  It really hurt him for a few days :(  I love the shadow in the picture and his sad little face!

January 24 - (Middle) - Our room.  I was spending a lot of time in that bed for a few days battling my second round of the stomach flu.  Blech.

January 25 - (bottom left) - A Park Bench at the elementary school.  That morning it had snowed and then warmed up beautifully to be above freezing, so the snow melted.  I captured the melting snow and the sunshine on the bench.  

January 26 - (top right) - Our Church Sanctuary.  I love this beautiful haven of faith, worship, hope and healing.  This was a day in the mid-week when no one was there and I could just snap a few pics of the quiet.  

January 27 - (middle right) - Dutch Blitz!  Woo Hoo, one of my favourite card games.  It was Games Night for our JH/HS girls ministry and this was one we played.  

January 28 - (bottom right) - Our sweet little one, on the couch and sick with a fever.  Armed with his favourite blankets and stuffed animals, Snippy and Sock Monkey.  Hope he's better quickly!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

I Love You


Today the Flourishes Design Team is going to focus on a lovely little set - and Oldie but Goodie, Angelic Love.   It has an adorable little cherub on a cloud, a locket and some wonderful little sentiments you can use in the locket or the banner the cherub is holding.  And guess what - JUST TODAY it's 15% off it's already perfect price of $8.50. Simply use the code ANGEL in the coupon code box at the time of checkout :)

It's great for Valentine's, New Years, babies, and friendship throughout the year.  I love it :)


I am also nutty about these MME papers, this is My Mind's Eye Blush, and I've used it in the 6 x 6 pack as well a the Blush buttons.  This was last weeks Mojo Sketch.  


Some pretty copic coloring on the angel and some sewing, plus these great Doily Heart Circles Spellbinders die.  

Be sure to check out the Design Team's creativity with this fantastic set....

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Tick, Tock...Love

I'm sort of in between DT Assignments this week and so I can stamp with whatever my little heart desires just for fun.  Plus I've had a lovely 2nd round of the stomach flu (blech), so I'm just sort of putzing around here and there when I have the energy, and crafting soooooths me :).  I pulled out some of my TSG sets looking for something Valentiney to do and found this adorable clock again from the set Good Times and played with this weeks' TSG Challenge to use love and hearts.  The sentiment is from another TSG set, Buckets of Love.



Isn't that the cutest little Cuckoo Clock?  Bunny Clock?  I love the hearts stringing down on the chimes/chains - or whatever they are called.  Sorry - I see in my picture the ribbon slipped up on the right side.  It isn't crooked now in person.

I've used Jen's Deconstructed Sketch this week.


And here's one last close-up.  MME papers - Blush as well as MME Blush buttons. 


Thanks for dropping by :)  

Stamps:  TSG - Good Times, Buckets of Love;  Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Memento Lilac Posies;  Paper:  Rose Red, Early Espresso, Kraft, Flourishes Classic Ivory, MME - Blush;  Accessories:  Copic Markers, Sewing Machine, MME - Blush Buttons, Heart Punch, Kraft Seam Binding, Twine, Glue Dots, Dimensionals.  

Monday, January 23, 2012

Love You Sweetie


Just doing a little Valentine's Day playing :)  I used the Greeting Card Kids and Little Friends sets for the cutie Valentine girl and the sentiment.  I colored with Copics and also paper pieced her dress with these great papers from Basic Grey - Indie Bloom.  This was last week's Sketch Challenge over at SCS. 


A doily heart punch along the bottom and the pretty SU Sizzlit buttons on top, a touch of skinny velvet ribbon and a few tiny rhinestones, make for one sweet little Valentine!

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Ode To Waterlilies

Last year I did a few "Ode To..." posts with some of my older Flourishes sets, reminding me (and you) why they're still wonderful.  I create something new, as well as remind you of some older cards I made with this set too.  Today I pulled out my Waterlilies set, penned beautifully by Marcella.  It contains some koi fish, lily pads, waterlilies and buds, and as always some lovely sentiments.

This card I created is a bit of a departure in style for me, it's a bit "scrappy".  I'm trying to stretch a little :)


I began with my Grand Calibur machine and the Grand Creative Book Pages Dies and Grand Creative Book Pages Two, creating this tall and narrow shaped card.  I took a few pieces of dp I had and sewed them on in a scrappy style.  

Now...for the waterlilies.  This set looks beautiful stamped on it's own, stamped and colored or layered like I have done - paper tole style. 


As you can see I colored up three layers of flowers with my Prismacolors and layered the waterlily up.  Waterlilies have this sort of vein-like coloring to them so you can see the sharper lines in the coloring.  


alright now for a trip down memory lane with this set:


A little water swirling in the koi pond with some copic markers....


Some reflection technique in the water with copics and metallic pencils.  


Some rich watercoloring and pretty piercing.  


Soft and romantic with Copics



And some more prismacoloring with a similar palette to the card today.  

So, you can see how I've changed, my styles and coloring have changed over time too, and hopefully you've seen all the potential in this lovely set!

Have a great Monday everyone!

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Project 365 - Week Three


It was a very cold week here.  We had -30's Celcius with windchills in the -40's C.  And then it snowed....and my parents and brother and sister-in-law left for a week in Mexico.  Equally a bummer!  :)  But we made the best of it here.    You can click on the photo to make it larger.  

January 15 - Right Side Middle - a beautiful sunny day though it was so cold, I took a picture of the newly fallen snow on our Adirondack chairs in the back yard.  

January 16 - Bottom Middle - the little guy very bundled up coming home from school.  I love his geometric coat and his orange scarf.  

January 17 - Top Left - on our day off my husband and I went for a lunch date to a restaurant called Milestones.  It has some fun decor with warm woods and deep colors.  This was a picture above our booth toward a really large mirror.  So lots of orange reflective light. 

January 18 - Bottom Right - Fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and milk.  After school snacks don't get any better!

January 19 - Bottom Left - our fireplace mantle.  My husband made this a few years ago for me. I love the decorative moulding, and the pretty tassle on the runner my mom made me.

January 20 - tiny Middle - My mom's sewing machine that she gave me.  It's a treasure to me.  She's sewed us hundreds of garments on it growing up.  And now I sew on paper with it :)  

January 21 - Top Right - ROYGBV numbers and hearts out of paper, using some PTI dies and some heart punches.  

Next week I hope to get in more of the other kids in the photos!  It's exam week for our daughter so she'll be around more and our middle son has his first Basketball game!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Love for Cookies and Cream


Good Friday to you all!  We actually have the night off tonight!  That rarely happens as Fridays are normally youth nights.

Today the Flourishes DT are showing you one more round of beautiful New Release creations.  Today is the last day to purchase the New Release Bundle at a 10% discount.  And you don't want to miss out on that right?  :)


Of COURSE you know I'd pull out this beautiful Love Sweet Love set right?  I mean seriously, look at all that beautiful sweetness to color!  I was inspired by these great papers from My Mind's Eye called A Happy Heart because I just loved the black, red, pink combinations, and thought it would be perfect for this confectionary scene.  


I wanted them to look like a chocolate or gingerbread cookie with lots of pretty icing on them.  So the coloring is with Copics.  Some pretty ribbon, rhinestones and buttons and there you have it!

Be sure to check out the DT Designs today!

Stamps:  Flourishes - Love Sweet Love;  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Memento Lilac Posies;  Paper: Flourishes Classic Ivory, Purely Pomegranate, MME - A Happy Heart, Basic Black;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Standard Circles Dies, Labels Twenty Nestabilities, Rhinestones, Two Toned Ribbon, Ruffled Ribbon, Copic Markers (YR20, YR24, E33, W3, W7, R14, R32, R35, R37, R39, RV04, RV14, RV63, RV17, RV25), Sewing Machine,  Bow Easy, Button, Glue Dots, Dimensionals. 

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Presents for You

I really like what Kim Hughes is doing with her stamp company Paper Smooches.  The designs have such CUTE factor, and nice clean lines.  I was perusing the Paper Smooches blog and found a couple of challenges to do...this one is an inspiration challenge with this pretty room:


and here is where I went with it....


I've used two cute digi images from PS, and they're free too!  Then I created the card to really have the same feel as the inspiration room, the tufted white headboard, the polka-dotted walls, the black borders on the lamp...all done in paper, with some scoring and some circle punches.  I did add a little detail to the image with my multi-liner (the stripes in one present, the polka-dots in the other). 


I dig how it turned out :)  

Thanks for taking a look!  We are still in the deep-freeze of winter here, and I hope it ends soon!  

Stamps:  Paper Smooches - free Digitals;  Paper:  Regal Rose, Flourishes Classic White, Basic Black;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Eyelet Circle Nestabilities, 3/4 inch circle punch, 1/2 inch circle punch, ruffled ribbon, Scor Tape, Dimensionals, black twine, Score Buddy, Copic Markers (RV04, RV14, RV17, RV, C1, C3, C5, C7, .005 multiliner), corner rounder. 

Monday, January 16, 2012

Dear Friends are Close to the Heart


Isn't that true? I have a friend from college, which seems like a lifetime ago.  Since college we both married, moved away, have had families, and she lives in the US Midwest.  But because of the quality of friendship we have had, I could call her at any time and we could pick up right where we left off.  She's a treasure.  Boy do I wish we lived closer.  

This lovely sentiment comes from the new Flourishes January Releases.  This set is called Heartlines and it's full of lovely sentiments perfect for people you care about.   I used an awesome Spellbinder's Die, Twisted Metal Tags and Accents to create the framing aournd the sentiment on lovely Kaiser Paper - Miss Nelly, and gave it a layout and sewing to feel a bit like a cozy quilt, finishing it with some hearts along the bottom.   I've also added some Spellbinders butterflies and little faceted hearts as accent.  

Thanks for stopping by today!  

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Perfect Adventure


Hello on this late Sunday night!  I made this card for someone I know who is turning 50.  I love the sentiment "every day is the perfect adventure", because you know what?  No matter what your age, you have the chance to look at each day ahead as a gift, and the perfect adventure.  I know she'll agree.  

This is a really lovely SU! Set called On the Grow.  The scooter sold me.  I just love the cute factor here, especially with the wire basket on back. Colored with Copic Markers (G21, G24, B0000, B02, B72, E43, W1, W3, W7, R14, R22, R27, R01).  And wait till you see the little puddle I put under the scooter....


I colored it up and then added Crystal Effects overtop to give it that shiny effect.  It's so cute!  Papers are Basic Grey Picadilly.  

I've used last week's Chupa's Sketchbook Saturday Sketch, I love the detail in it and the many layers.  


Okey-dokey....off for tonight.  Catch up with you later this week, and I hope that you find this day to be the perfect adventure :)

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Project 365 - Week 2


Back for week two of my Project 365 shots.  A busy week for us, and as you can see I've got a little nature and some hands and feet.   You can click on the picture and it will increase the size.

January 8 - Bottom right.   Our little guy after Church.  Grandma and Grandpa bought him the suit he had been longing for and he was so excited to wear it.  He looked so handsome.  But if you'll notice he quickly put on Daddy's shoes for the picture.  The size 13's are a tad big for the little guy.

January 9 - Top right.  On the way home after work that day I stopped at a park and took a few detail shots.  You can't see the whole photo here, but I was proud of how my apeture worked with the detail of the baby spruce and the fuzzy background.

January 10 - Middle.  Supper that night was a new Recipe from Skinnytaste, Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup.  We love anything Mexican and it was a great recipe.  Healthy too!

January 11 - Bottom left.  The little guy again doing something he loves, playing Wii :)

January 12 - Top left.  My lone plant because it survives my neglect :)  It's a lipstick plant and its just started blooming.  I can get such awesome detail with this camera, you can see the little hairs on the lipstick cups!

January 13 - Middle left.  The BIG feet of our older son.  This was a spectacular night.  We truck in 10 000 pounds of sand to our youth building, crank up the heat and have a beach party for our HSers and JHers.  Way too fun in the middle of winter!

January 14 - Top middle.  Our beautiful daughter's hands playing piano.  She really has a lot of musical ability, and beautiful hands, and beautiful long nails!

I'm learning, it's good to keep taking pictures because I think it helps develop your eye to see things differently.  And I'm slowly learning!  Thanks for joining me!

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Love Sweet Love


Sweet, Sweet Love....and a sweet, sweet set today gang!  I could've made 10 cards with this set because I like it so much! :)

  

Isn't it romantic, sweet and dreamy?  Sigh!  This little set celebrates all kinds of sweet Valentine and love ideas with lovely sentiments.  I colored this basket of tulips with Copic Markers, sponged the inside of the postage stamp Spellbinders Die, and then added some quilt-like papers from My Mind's Eye Blush Collection, buttons from the MME Blush card and also some pretty faceted Prima Crystals  too.  Dreamy I tell ya!  I love the little pennant banners cut from the Spellbinder's Pennant and Lacey Pennant Dies too.  Just wait till you see the other images too!


A closer look at the coloring.  


Today all the sets are available in the store, and for one week, the New Release Bundle of all 3 sets is at a discount.  These sets will set you up beautifully for Valentine's and love in the year ahead.  

Check out the rest of the Design Team Today.....they'll have beautiful things to show you...and remember we have one last day of....


One of the Design Team today is the Mystery Blogger, comment on her blog and you could be chosen to win the set today!  
Jan Marie Caruso

Thanks for joining us this week for the January Sneak Peeks.  I know I loved showing them to you!  

Don't forget you only have one week to be able to purchase the New Release Bundle at a discount!  

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Heartlines


Are you sentimental about love?  Then today's set will be perfect for you.  I think it's an outstanding little sentiment set perfect for those friends you love bunches, and it works not only for Valentine's but all year round.  


 I am really really loving all the Spellbinders Specialty collections,  this one is called Ornate Artisan Tags and Accents.    The unique shapes are really fun to play with.  I've paired the die with some My Mind's Eye papers, Vanity Fair.  Then I colored up the open letters with the Lenten Rose copics in a gradient fashion light to dark, dark to light.  




Some pretty ruffled textured two-toned ribbon and a bow as accent.  



Today in amoung the Design Team is the Mystery Blogger...if you find her and comment on her blog you could be chosen to win today's set!  
Heather Jensen
Beate Johns
Cindy Haffner
Mona Pendelton
Jan Marie Caruso

Don't forget to stop by the Flourishes Blog for Today's Noon Time Challenge (12 o'clock Central).

All of the sets are available for pre-order HERE.

Join us in the challenges this week to win!