Introducing... Under the Big Top!

 

Welcome to Day Two of our January New Releases at Flourishes! We have your ticket to fun in this great set called, Under the Big Top! You’ll find our own company of trained animals, circus elements and a clown to give you a wonderful performance on your next celebration. This silhouette-style set illustrated by Lauren Pope measure 4 x 6 inches and includes 9 whimsical circus images and 3 sentiments for occasions far and wide.

The whimsical silhouetted images included in this new stamp set, "Under the Big Top" said to me "fun and colourful" so I set out to make a super simple yet almost child-like type card!

I used Flourishes' Classic White Cardstock to stamp all of my cute images on.  For my little banner, I used the "Hello" stamp sentiment from the "Bee My Honey" collection.  I used some "Peach Glow" cardstock form the Terra Cotta Color Made Easy Paper Collection for my card base.

For my elephant, I stamped my image 3 times using 3 different colours of ink: first in grey, then orange and red where I fussy cut the hat and saddle elements out and adhered them over top of the grey image.

I kept my colour bold and bright and my design pretty simple.  I actually used this week's card sketch for Splitcoaststampers for my design this week!

Click to see the sketch!

Have fun taking a trip through our Senior Design Team’s Blog to see their creativity with this set, and while you’re enjoying their designs don’t forget to look for our: 

Hidden among the Design Team’s blogs today is a Mystery Blogger. 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!
• Christine Okken  
• Cindy Lawrence 
• Heather Jensen 
• Julie Koerber  
• Silke Ledlow  
• Stacy Morgan 
• Tosha Leyendekker

Do you want to win Flourishes’ January Release?

• If you would like a chance at winning all three of our new January Release sets…you can play in our Timeless Tuesday Get in Shape Challenge – we will have multiple winners there! Deadline for entries is January 13th. Check out the link for the official rules!
• All three of our January sets are available for pre-order. You can take advantage our New Release Bundle and get 10% off when you purchase all three sets together in a bundle. This discount will only be available through January 17th, so you have to act fast!
• And, don’t forget to come back to the Flourishes Blog Saturday, January 11th for the Winner’s Circle where we’ll announce all of our winners of this weeks’ Mystery Blogger Challenges!

Come back tomorrow when we show off a beautiful set that’s full of love.

~ Ally ~

Sponsored by:  Flourishes LLC

Supplies:
stamps: Flourishes (Under the Big Top, Bee My Honey)
cardstock:  Flourishes Classic White, Terra Cotta Collection, Bazzill
patterned papers: Grephic Digital Circus Papers
die cut shapes: Spellbinders
ink: Memento, Stampin' Up!
brad: Making Memories
other: thread.

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.

Sending Sunshine for 2014

Hello 2014!  Happy New Year Everyone! I thought I'd start the new year off with a sunny creation for you today!

For my card creation today, I began with a simple yellow cardstock base and some simple layers of fun and whimsical patterned papers from My Mind's Eye.

I stamped my 3 sunflower images from the "Lots of Thought" stamp set   using some "Espresso Truffle" Memento ink.  Then I coloured them using the following Copic Collection:

(plus E70, E71, E74, E77, Y13, Y19, Y38, YG21, YG93 & YG95)

For the design of my card I used the latest card sketch from Splitcoaststampers, SC469:

I hope you'll join us over at Splitcoast for our latest sketch!

~ Ally ~

Sponsored by:  Flourishes LLC

Supplies:
stamps:  Flourishes (Lots of Thought)
cardstock:  Flourishes
patterned papers: My Mind's Eye
die cut shapes: Spellbinders
ink: Memento, Copic, Ranger Distress
other: pen.