Introducing... Flowers for Jan!

Hello all and welcome to a very special kick off to Flourishes' January Release! Not only are we ushering the new release in with a fun-filled Timeless Tuesday Challenge but we are showcasing a set designed to honor Flourishes' owner and founder.

INTRODUCING....

Wisteria, Peonies and Bearded Iris -- all three of these flowers are favorites of Flourishes' founder and owner Jan Marie Caruso. Sentimentally illustrated by Marcella Hawley, these beautiful blooms honor the lady at the helm at Flourishes. Three breathtaking flowers paired with three beautifully scripted words and five accent words. This 4" by 6" set is sure to be one you reach for just to send creations to friends far and wide for any and all occasions!

Would you like to win this set along with the other two sets being released this month? All you need to do is play along with us!!!

Katie Sims, our lovely challenge hostess this week has got a fabulous challenge for everyone this week...

There nothing better than a non-traditional shaped card!  There are so many cool shapes that you go with but today, I decided to go simply with a round card.

I began by cutting my card base using Flourishes' Classic Black Cardstock using a Silhouette file I found.  I cut a matching mat using some dark grey cardstock and some fun diamond patterned paper which I stitch on with red thread.  Then I created a simple heart pocket, stitched the edges of the front panel and flipped back the front heart shape.

I tied a simple bow using "Sky Blue" Seam Binding Ribbon and added a fun little charm from the "Simply Charming" stamp set.  I added the simple word "Peony" from the new "Flowers for Jan" stamp set in both Memento "Lady Bug" and "Summer Sky" inks.

Then I began to create my pocket tag.  First I stamped and masked my floral images from the new "Flowers for Jan" stamp set using Memento "Black Tuxedo" ink onto Classic White Cardstock. Then I took one of my smaller heart dies and traced the outside to get a heart bottom to fit in my pocket.

I then fussy cut my blossoms and the heart base out and coloured them using the following Copic Markers:

 

(Plus: B000, R14, R17, R22, Y13, Y15, Y23, YG21, YG23, YG25, YR0000 & YR000)

I hope you enjoy all of the beautiful creations today!  Make sure to check out the Friends of Flourishes and the Senior Design Team creations today!

We have a special treat for you today -- two actually! First, in honor of Jan Marie and this very special set, Flourishes' Senior Design Team is joining along in this challenge to give you double the inspiration! As you hop around getting inspired on ways to "Get In Shape", don’t forget to try to figure out….

Hidden among the Design Team’s blogs today is our Mystery Blogger of the day.  Comment on her blog and you could be chosen to win today’s set! The more you comment, the better your chances of winning.

• Allison Cope - you are here!
• Cheryl Lea 
• Christine Okken
• Cindy Lawrence
• Deborah Anton
• Heather Jensen
• Jenny Gropp
• Julie Koerber
• Katie Sims
• Silke Ledlow
• Stacy Morgan
• Tosha Leyendekker

Thanks for joining us today!  Don't forget to comment on all the DT blogs as you hop along for a chance to WIN this beautiful stamp set for your very own...

~ Ally ~

Sponsored by:  Flourishes LLC

Supplies:
stamps: Flourishes (Flowers for Jan, Simply Charming)
cardstock: Flourishes
patterned papers:  Echo Park
die cut shapes:Spellbinders
ink: Memento, Copic Markers
ribbon:Flourishes
tools:  Silhouette
other: thread.

PageMaps & an Up-Lifting Birthday!

Happy first Friday in 2014!! We want to extend our best wishes to each of you for the New Year!

Since this is the Friday before Flourishes new release, you are probably wondering where our Pre-Release Challenge is? Well, we decided to let the Friends of Flourishes gals run this month's challenge! Be sure to tune in next Tuesday and play along with the Release Week Timeless Tuesday Challenge! We'll have three winners that week for the FULL release! Play along as many times as you want for multiple chances to win!

Now for some fun today, the Flourishes Senior Design Team has a bit of beautiful variety to show off. Some of the team got to play with Becky Fleck’s new round of January Sketches at PageMaps and others on the team are going to surprise you with some of their own creativity.

I was one of the lucky ladies to receive a fabulous sketch from Becky and here is the amazing sketch I was given...

Click the image above to proceed to the PageMaps™ site 
for more fabulous sketches to be revealed on Saturday!

I just loved the sketch that Becky sent me!  I decided to create a simple boy birthday card.  I think I'll end up using it as a birthday card for my husband and send it to him at work so he has something on his desk from Spencer and I this year.

I started my 5x7 card by creating a card base using Classic White Cardstock.  I also cut 4 identical rectangles from the same cardstock and stamped my sweet images from the new "Lots of Thought" stamp collection in navy ink.  I coloured each image using Copic Markers and matted them with red cardstock.

For my sky back ground, I stamped the sun/cloud image from the now retired "April Showers" stamp set. I used my Copic airbrush and colouring in between the clouds.  My large "Happy Birthday" sentiment is is from the "Sentimental Favorites" stamp set.

Such a simple card but super cute!

Join these lovely ladies for some fabulous inspiration to kick-off your New Year! 

• Allison Cope - you are here!
  
• Christine Okken
• Cindy Lawrence
• Heather Jensen
• Julie Koerber
• Silke Ledlow
• Stacy Morgan
• Tosha Leyendekker

I'm also entering this card for the CASology challenge for this past 2 weeks... #76: Party:

Happy stamping everyone!


~ Ally ~

Sponsored by:  Flourishes LLC

Supplies:
stamps: Flourishes  (Lots of Thought, Sentimental Favorites, retired ~ April Showers)
cardstock: Flourishes
patterned papers: Echo Park
ink:  Stampin' Up!, Copic
other: thread.

Flip It Sketch Challenge!

Welcome to the kick-off of our December releases! Today two of the Flourishes Design Teams are ushering in a challenge and YOU could walk away winning all of our new sets for December! Here’s how to get in on the fun. All you need to do is play in the…..Flip it Sketch Challenge! 

    

Next week we’ll be bringing you our December edition of new Flourishes Stamps, that we know you’ll love! Because we know you want a chance to win these great sets, We have two fantastic angled sketches for you to play with. All you need to do is pick one of them and create! Play in the challenge and you could win our whole December Release!  

Well, if you know me at all, sketches are my FAVOURITE!!  So this month's pre-release challenge is right up my alley!

I chose to use sketch A for my card and a LOT of fabulous retiring holiday themed stamps!  Here is my card...

I started creating my card by using a scrap of "Spring Breeze" cardstock from the Pistachio Paper collection.  It just happen to have a circle already cut into it!  It was like fate!! 

I took some Memento "Olive Grove" ink and the small paperwhites floral stamp from the retiring "Paperwhites" stamp set and stamped it all over my cardstock.  I used my paper piercer and added some pierce marks along two of my edges as well. (Sorry for the poor colour & quality of this photo!  It's so much prettier in person!)

Then I took some "Patch" cardstock, again from the  Pistachio Paper collection and stamped the "star of wonder..." sentiment from the retiring "The First Noel" stamp collection using Memento "Rich Cocoa" ink.  I added some Distress Ink to my edges.  On this panel for my final card front, I added some pretty "Iced Lime" Seam Binding Ribbon that I pleated using some Scor-Tape.

I built the base panel of my card using Classic Ivory Cardstock, along with my A2 card base.  For the greeting inside my circular window, I used a sentiment from the retiring "Paperwhites" stamp set.  And for the music aspect, I used the retiring "Christmas Music" background stamp all stamped using Memento "Rich Cocoa" ink.

To add one final flourish to the front of my card, I added some Gold Metallic String below my poinsettia and evergreen boughs.

I added a touch of green shading using Copic markers and some Ranger Distress Ink.

I hope you have a blast with either one of our fabulous sketches.  Good luck!  Here's how to play along...

THE OFFICIAL RULES:

• Simply create a card or project inspired by either of the sketches shown above.
• Entries need to be in by Friday December 13 at 5 PM EST
• Those entries using Flourishes Stamps will be counted twice!
• You must link your creation on our InLinkz Widgit HERE to be counted
• You must have a link to our challenge in your blog post or gallery post
• Please DO NOT combine challenges from other sites or locations. Only those entries that don’t combine will be in the running. Because this challenge means winning new Flourishes sets we want to see your beautiful creations made specifically for this challenge.
• If you upload to SCS please use the keyword FLLCDEC13A or FLLCDEC13B
• We’ll announce the winners on Saturday in our Winner’s Circle Post here on the blog on Saturday December 14th, so check back then to find out if you are a winner!

Thanks for stopping by today and we look forward to seeing what you create! We’ll see you here on Wednesday December 11th when our beautiful December Sneak Peeks start! Have fun creating! And now for some wonderful Sketchy Inspiration, our Design Teams have some great angles to show off to you:

• Allison Cope
• Christine Okken
• Cindy Lawrence
• Heather Jensen
• Julie Koerber
• Silke Ledlow
• Stacy Morgan
• Tosha Leyendekker
• Deborah Anton
• Cheryl Lea

Thanks for stopping by!  Hope you'll join us for our challenge this week!  Don't forget to stop by my GIVEAWAY!!!  Click here for details.

~ Ally ~

Sponsored by:  Flourishes LLC

Supplies:
stamps: Flourishes (Christmas Music, The First Noel, Paperwhites, retired - Poinsettia & Boxwood, retired - All That Glitters)
cardstock:  Flourishes Classic Ivory, Pistachio Collection
ink: Memento, Copic, Ranger Distress Inks
metallic string: Flourishes
tools:  paper piercer
gems:  Recollections
ribbon:  Flourishes.

Grab a Cup!! ~ Our November Release Challenge is Here!

November brings crisp, cool days that might find you heading into your favourite coffee shop to grab a cup of warmth, and dwell in that inviting aroma that only a cozy cafe can bring.

This month we’re inviting you to “Grab A Cup” with us on the Flourishes Senior Design Team and be inspired by this fantastic photo as you create something equally warm and inviting.

Next week we’ll be bringing you our November edition of new Flourishes stamps, and we can’t wait! They’re absolutely fabulous!  Because we know you want a chance to win these great sets, “Grab A Cup” and be inspired by this great coffee and treats photo as you create.    Play in the challenge and you could WIN our whole November Release!

Hey stamp lovers! I tell ya, if I could find those exact mugs and plates I'd be all over them!  They would match my kitchen and dining room perfectly!!!  I hope you've grabbed your own cuppa joe this morning because I know you're going to hopping along and gawking at all the amazing creations my fellow designers have created for you today!

For today's card, I used a variety of aspects from the challenge photo... but especially the colour of the dishware.  Here's my creation using our inspirational photo...

I began by die cutting an oval of Classic Ivory cardstock and stamping & masking the three mugs from the fabulous "Mix n'Mugs" stamp set using Memento "Rich Cocoa" ink.  I then coloured them using the following Copic Collections:

I also masked off my 3 mugs and splattered them with some Copic brown tones using my Copic Airbrush to get that spotted, pottery look.  I also added some super fine white paint dots using some watered down white acrylic paint and a toothbrush.

Next I matted my oval with a scalloped oval of "Rain" cardstock from the Emerald Coast Color Made Easy cardstock collection.  If you super closely at my oval, you can see a couple of pies too... they were stamped using Memento's "Desert Sand" ink from the "Fresh Baked" stamp set.

I cut another piece of Classic Ivory cardstock and stamped some subtle snowflakes from the "Handmade Snowflakes" stamp set in a blue ink and Memento's "Desert Sand" ink.  I distressed the edges and inked them up with "Desert Sand"  and Ranger's "Vintage Photo" Distress ink.  I then matted it with a piece of "Calypso" cardstock from the Emerald Coast Color Made Easy cardstock collection.

I decorated the front with a piece of May Arts' Turquoise Striped Twill, a bow of "Argentina" Seam Binding ribbon and a cut snowflake using the Handmade Snowflake Silhouette Cut File with an Emerald Coast Button & some jute.

I finished off the inside of my card using the same subtle snowflakes from the "Handmade Snowflakes" stamp set in a blue ink and Memento's "Desert Sand" ink as on the front of the card.  I also stamped my "Let It Snow" from the "Sentimental Christmas" stamp set using Memento "Rich Cocoa" ink.

I hope you like my little coffee inspired card today!  Come along and join in the fun!  Here are the official rules...

THE OFFICIAL RULES:

Simply create a card or project inspired by the photo above.

Entries need to be in by Friday November 15 at 5 PM EST.

Those entries using Flourishes Stamps will be counted twice.

You must link your creation on our InLinkz Widgit to be counted

You must have a link to our challenge in your blog post or gallery post

Please DO NOT combine challenges from other sites or locations.  Only those entries that don’t combine will be in the running.  Because this challenge means winning new Flourishes sets we want to see your beautiful creations made specifically for this challenge.

If you upload to SCS please use the keyword FLLCNOV13 .

We’ll announce the winners on Saturday in our Winner’s Circle Post here on the blog on Saturday November 16th, so check back then to find out if you are a winner!

Thanks for stopping by today and we look forward to seeing what you create!  We’ll see you here on Wednesday November 13th when our delicious November Sneak Peeks start!

Enjoy the inspiration and creating!

And now for some wonderful Grab a Cup Inspiration, our Design Team has some beauties to show off to you:

Allison Cope -- you are here!

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Heather Jensen

Julie Koerber

Silke Ledlow

Stacy Morgan

Tosha Leyendekker

Happy hopping everyone!

~ Ally ~

Sponsored by:  Flourishes LLC

Supplies:
stamps:  Flourishes (Sentimental Christmas, Handmade Snowflakes, Mix n'Mugs, Fresh Baked)
cardstock:  Flourishes (Classic Ivory, Emerald Coast Collection)
Silhouette cut files, button, twill, ribbon:  Flourishes
woodgrain cardstock:  Elle
patterned papers: My Mind's Eye
die cut shapes: Spellbinders
ink: Memento, Copics, Stampin' Up!, Ranger
tools:  Silhouette Cameo, Copic Airbrush, paper piercer
white paint:  Delta
jute:  Darice
other: thread.