Introducing... Always Blooming

It’s Day Two of our delightful December Releases at Flourishes! Today we have another stunner for you that combines beautiful botanicals with very meaningful sentiments.

Introducing….

      

Send some strength to those you care about with this touching set penned by Sam Pickard and embellished with beautiful sentiments courtesy of Dina Kowal. It's a set that's perfect for those times when a friend needs to know that you care. It features five scripted sentiments with heart warming messages as well as a group of beautifully drawn winter roses. Set measures 4" by 6".

This beautiful stamp set has a variety very powerful and uplifting sentiments.  When I read the sentiment now on my card front, I knew it was perfect for a family friend who was recently diagnosed with cancer.  She lives in Ontario, 3000km away from me and is a very dear friend of my Mom (and myself)... and basically a part of my extended family.  So I made this for her...

I began by cutting 3 panels of Classic Black Cardstock.  I brushed each panel using my Perfect Printing Pouch (to decrease the oils and static on my paper). Then I stamped my large floral image from the "Always Blooming" stamp collection using some Versamark ink on my two largest panels. I sprinkled them with bright green embossing powder, tapped off the excess and heat set them.  I created my greeting panel in the same manner.

Then I took my Versamark ink again and stamped slightly to the bottom right of all my embossed images.  I brushed on some 'Green Patina' Perfect Pearls using a small paint brush.  Sadly, my camera couldn't catch this sparkly effect on my card front! 

To finish off the inside of my card, I stamped another greeting from the "Always Blooming" collection in Memento black ink onto a piece of Flourishes Classic Ivory Cardstock and then I also added another large flower image using Memento "Pear Tart" ink.

(Click to enlarge.)

I sure hope my Mom's friend likes it. She's a teacher and an artist so I think she'll appreciate something made especially for her and by hand.

Ideas are blooming plentifully in our design team creations with this gorgeous set. And, while you’re hopping and looking at their creations, 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!
• Christine Okken 
• Cindy Lawrence  
• Heather Jensen 
• Julie Koerber 
• Silke Ledlow  
• Stacy Morgan 
• Tosha Leyendekker

Do you want to win Flourishes’ December Release?

• If you would like a chance at winning all three of our soon-to-be released December sets…you can play in our Flip it Challenge – we will have multiple winners there! Deadline for entries is FRIDAY December 13th at 5 PM EST. Check out the link for the official rules!
• All three of our December sets can be pre-ordered now, even before you see them all! 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 December 20th, so you have to act fast!
• Keep in mind, all of these sets will be live first thing Friday morning in the Flourishes store along with the coordinating cut files for this release.
• And, don’t forget to come back to the Flourishes Blog Saturday, December 14th for the Winner’s Circle where we’ll announce all of our winners of this weeks’ challenges!

Be sure to stop on by tomorrow when we share a cover all the happy thoughts you have for others throughout the year!

~ Ally ~

Sponsored by:  Flourishes LLC

Supplies:
stamps: Flourishes (Always Blooming)
cardstock: Flourishes Classic Ivory & Black, Bazzill 
ink:  Versamark, Memento
embossing powder:  Ranger
tools:  Tim Holtz Paper Piercer.

Introducing... Numbers in Blossom

Hello Flourishes friends! Welcome to our December Sneak Peeks! Once again we’re proud to begin our New Release Sneak Peeks to you, they have a wonderful theme of “blossoming". Today’s set joins a gorgeous family of sets and many of you have been looking for it to complete the collection.

Introducing….

    

Part of the special Flourishes Blossoms Collection, numbers never looked so pretty! This 4 by 6" set featuring hand-drawn numerals by Marcella Hawley that have been embellished with beautiful florals. This set offers a one-of-a-kind way to create gorgeous correspondence, birthday or anniversary items or even home decor. This stamp set is the perfect companion to its sister sets: Happily Ever After, Letters in Blossom and Summer Blossoms.

The minute I saw this set, I knew I had to feature a New Year's card!  So I decided to make a wintry version with lots of dimension...

I began making my card by first die cutting an oval out of Flourishes' Classic White Cardstock.  Then I stamped my "Happy 2014" from the new "Numbers in Blossom" stamp collection using Memento "Tuxedo Black" ink and then I masked off all of my numbers and stamped the sweater pattern (I can't get enough of this tiny little stamp!) from the "Snow Days" stamp set using Memento "Desert Sand" ink.

I coloured my numbers in using the following Copic Collections:

The card oval actually acts like part of an easel card.  Here it is, all popped up!

For my bow, I used a piece of Teal Blue Seam Binding Ribbon and a simple brad glued to a snowflake cut from Classic Ivory Cardstock.

And I decorated the inside using the same paper collection.  I wasn't sure what I wanted to put inside, so I left it unstamped for the moment...

I love the end result of this New Year's inspired card!

I also have a second card to share with you today.  Today is my sister's 35th birthday and I saw it quite fitting to use this beautiful new stamp set, Numbers in Blossom, on her birthday card this year.  Since I still had all of my wintry paper collection out, and it is December after all, I decided to continue on creating with the same paper line and the same Copic Collections.

For my bow and wrapped ribbon, I used a piece of May Arts Twill Striped Turquoise ribbon. 

For my card design today, I used this week's Splitcoaststamper's Sketch Challenge design, SC466:

I added a bit of sparkle to my card front too!  I used a Sakura stardust pen and traced around the numbers a bit and again, I used the cute little sweater pattern from the "Snow Days" stamp set using Memento "Desert Sand" ink just like my first card.

To finish off my card, I used the letter "C" from the accompanying stamp collection, "Letters in Blossom" on the inside.  I used a "C" because I'm going to write my sister's first name at the top, "Christie".  I also added a simple "Sending Love" sentiment from the "Spring Blossoms" stamp set because the font of the sentiment matches the font on my card front.  I love that all the Blossom Collections fonts match!

I hope I've inspired you to create using some of our gorgeous new number stamps today.  I can see this stamp set being VERY useful in the future!

Blossoming inspiration is yours along the way today with our talented design team and this set.  And, while you’re hopping and looking at their creations, 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!
• Christine Okken 
• Cindy Lawrence  
• Heather Jensen 
• Julie Koerber 
• Silke Ledlow  
• Stacy Morgan 
• Tosha Leyendekker

Do you want to win Flourishes’ December Release?

• If you would like a chance at winning all three of our soon-to-be released December sets…you can play in our Flip it Challenge – we will have multiple winners there! Deadline for entries is FRIDAY December 13th at 5 PM EST. Check out the link for the official rules!
• All three of our December sets can be pre-ordered now, even before you see them all! 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 December 20th, so you have to act fast!
• Keep in mind, all of these sets will be live first thing Friday morning in the Flourishes store along with the coordinating cut files for this release.
• And, don’t forget to come back to the Flourishes Blog Saturday, December 14th for the Winner’s Circle where we’ll announce all of our winners of this weeks’ challenges!

Be sure to stop on by tomorrow when we share a lovely set that will inspire beauty, strength and courage blooming even on the coldest of days!

 
~ Ally ~

Sponsored by:  Flourishes LLC

Supplies:
Happy 2014 Card:

stamps: Flourishes (Numbers in Blossom, Snow Days)
cardstock:  Flourishes Classic White & Ivory, Bazzill
patterned papers: Bo Bunny (Woodland Winter)
die cut shapes: Spellbinders
ink: Memento, Copic Markers
ribbon: Flourishes
crystal brad:  Making Memories
silver gems: Hero Arts
other: thread.

Happy 35th Birthday Card:
stamps: Flourishes (Numbers in Blossom, Snow Days)
cardstock:  Flourishes Classic White, Bazzill
patterned papers: Bo Bunny (Woodland Winter)
die cut shapes: Spellbinders
ink: Memento, Copic Markers
ribbon: Flourishes
stardust pen:  Sakura
gem: Misc.
other: thread.

Flourishes Classic White Card Stock

Numbers In Blossom

Classic Black

InLinkz.com

Timeless Tuesday ~ Words To Inspire

Howdy everyone!  Welcome to another fabulous "Timeless Tuesday Challenge" at Flourishes!

The new year is fast approaching us and our guest Designer this week, Tricia Traxler, has got a fabulous challenge for you inspired by 2014!

So my goal for 2014 is to communicate better!  Yup... I need to communicate better; with my husband, my son, my Mom, my sister and everyone else I love and care about.  I am not the kind of person to pick up the phone and call you out of the blue!  (I don't like talking on the phone! I know... strange right?) So for the new year, that's my goal, to communicate better!

So to follow the role of communicating better, I decided to incorporate a telephone into my card this week.  And Flourishes has the cutest stamp set featuring not one, not two but THREE different phone images and handful of fabulous sentiments to go with them... it's the "Call Me" stamp set!

So here's my card...

I first cut my piece of patterned paper (a Silhouette paper printed on Classic White Cardstock) to a mat-able A2 card size and die cut a circle out of it.  I matted it with some "Painted Desert" cardstock from the Tiger Lily Color Made Easy paper collection.   Then I grabbed a scrap of Classic White Cardstock and stamped the phone image on it twice with black ink.

I coloured my images using the following Copic Collections:

I fussy cut one phone out and popped the pieces up on foam tape...

And a card isn't a card until you decorate the inside!  LOL!  Well I went to town on this one!  Lots of steps and levels...

On the inside I stamped the "Call Me, Maybe" greeting also from the "Call Me" stamp set in Memento "Black Tuxedo" ink and then I stamped the distressed mini dots from the "So Distressed" stamp set using some Memento "Summer Sky" ink.  I love the hint of colour in my circular journaling area...

I also used the "So Distressed" stamp set on the front of my card - I used the chevron image with some Memento "Potter's Clay" ink and added my greeting and a tiny bow using some "Sky Blue" Seaming Binding Ribbon.

Before you get too far, be sure to visit the rest of the DT's blogs, as well as our Guest Designer this week and leave them a little blog love...

• Allison Cope
• Cheryl Lea
• Deborah Anton
• Jenny Gropp
• Katie Sims
• Tricia Traxler, this week's guest designer

Happy hopping!
~ Ally ~

Sponsored by:  Flourishes LLC

Supplies:
stamps: Flourishes (Call Me, So Distressed)
cardstock: Flourishes Classic White, Tiger Lily Collection, Bazzill
patterned papers: Silhouette, BasicGrey
die cut shapes: Spellbinders
ink:  Memento, Copic Markers
ribbon: Flourishes
tools: Scor-Buddy
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.