Pretty Packaging - A Banner of Joy

It's time for a fantastic week ahead with more Pretty Packaging ideas!  I have all kinds of festive decorations, gift ideas and packaging ideas for the week ahead...this week with the fabulous Flourishes November Release Sneak Peeks.  Are you ready for a week full of all things wrapped up nice and pretty? 

This is the first year that we have a mantle at this house, and I'm so excited to have it decorated!   When we first moved to this house 11 years ago the mantle was an ugly railroad-like tie.  I really disliked it and asked my husband to take it down....and we said we'd replace it...well it took 10 years (lol!), but this summer my husband made a new mantle, and I love it!  He really did a beautiful job crafting it. 

I used this stunning new set illustrated by Marcy called Christmas Bouquet, it contains beautiful Amaryllis flowers, figs, pinecones, leaves and berries.  I watercolored 3 of the arrangements and created a banner celebrating the JOY of Christmas for our new mantle.  This probably won't be how I decorate the top of the mantle once I really take out all the Christmas decorations...but I wanted to show you a Christmassy feel (I even cut up some of the pine tree in the yard to use as garland!).  Just in case you're wondering, yes I did paint the painting above the mantle, it was way back when I used to draw and watercolor, I did it for my husband because it's one of his favourite Bible verses. 

Because our living room has chocolate browns and "Kiwi Kiss" looking accents right now,  I used the SU Christmas paper from last year called Holiday Treasures.  I thought it would really give it a festive feel. 
 
Here are some closer pictures....
 

It's really such a lovely stamp!

And here is a detail of the coloring.  I used about 6 different greens to achieve the definition between the different leaves. 

 
Well, all week the Flourishes girls Design Team and Friends of Flourishes Blog Team are going to bring you wonderful gift ideas with the New Release Sneak Peeks, so please visit often!  Here's who's up for today!
 
Cindy Lawrence,  Julie Koerber, Latisha Yoast,  Laura Fredrickson,  Leslie Miller,  Stacy Morgan
 
And to win this fantastic set today please see the Flourishes Newsletter

Recipe:  Stamps:  Flourishes - Christmas Bouquet;  Ink:  Black Stazon, Ruby Red Craft;  Paper:  Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red, Kiwi Kiss, European Watercolor Paper, SU Holiday Treasures DSP, Whisper White;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Pennants Die, Labels One Nestabilities, Blossom Nestabilities, Scallop Edge Punch, Kaiser Pearls (Pewter), Fancy Label Punch, Chipboard Letters, Striped Ribbon (SU), K&Co Button Brads, Sticky Strip, Slit Punch, Dimensionals. Reinkers, SW Markers, Aqua Painter.