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Are You Ready for Christmas?

 OK...so I'm not ready either, but between you and me, Flourishes has a way to get you off to an early start on your Christmas cards, and you could even win some of Flourishes fabulous Christmas stamps!  Flourishes is unwrapping a brand new monthly challenge, and Stacy Morgan will be your hostess each month on Flourishes Blog, unveiling a new challenge to inspire your Christmas creations.  This month we're featuring a sketch...have a peek!

Looks like fun...here's my take on it!

I love love love this Santa stamp.  I think it's incredibly done and so simple to use.  I stamped him in Rose Red on Classic Ivory, then I sponged some Antique Linen distress ink around the edges so the image was a better match to the My Minds Eye designer paper.  I ran a strip of the Classic Ivory paper through the Cuttlebug with the Snowflakes embossing folder, and sponged the edges before layering it on Rose Red.  I tied a bow with Rose Silk ribbon and sat for a few minutes trying to figure out how to add the sentiment.  The sketch has it in the corner, but the sentiments were a bit big and would have covered up too much of Santa.  Then a bell rang, and I thought I would try shrink plastic.

I stamped "Believe" in Blazing Red (which is a perfect match to Rose Red), then punched it out with the 1 3/4" circle punch and shrank it with my heat tool.  It shrunk to exactly 3/4" which I punched a circle of Classic Ivory to back it and tied it to the bow with some gold cord.  I'm lovin' it!

Need some more inspiration?  The design team has some very festive creations lined up for you, and I know you'll love seeing their take on the sketch.

Christine Okken
Dawn Burnworth

Julie Koerber

Leslie Miller

Stacy Morgan

Danielle Kennedy

Cindy Lawrence

Now it's your turn!  To play, just use this sketch to create a Christmas card using Flourishes stamps. When you wrap it up with a bow, just link up to this challenge thread and you'll be in the running to win a Flourishes Christmas stamp set of your choice! Just think, you'll get a jump start on your Christmas creations AND have a chance at winning stamps to make even more Christmas cards! Oh what fun it is!! Please use the Keyword FLLCNOEL1 if you upload to Splitcoast. You have until May 30th to submit your cards and Flourishes will announce the winner with next month's challenge!


We hope you play! 

Sweet Sunday Sketch ala Christmas!

 
You know I find my Sweet Sunday Sketches challenging and liberating, all at the same time.  Karen said "anything goes".  Well that's just fine, except, all those years with Stampin' Up! and then the last few on design teams, I have always tried to work with one stamp set.  In fact, I try my best to stay with one line of paper although I generally go crazy with embellishments.  It's a bit of a challenge to leave that "one stamp set" mode but liberating at the same time.  There's still that little part of me that says "no!", and the other part that says you go girl!  Use two different stamp sets!!  In fact go crazy...use two stamps sets by different manufacturers.  WOW!  Talk about livin' it up!

'Cus that's what I did...two stamps sets, by two different makers.  I know, I'm walking on the wild side now!  Actually, I'm all over the place on this one, and I love it!

The tree image is from Stampin' Up's "Patterned Pines", and the sentiment is from Flourishes "Holiday Greetings".  I stamped the tree in Crushed Curry (SU!) and the sentiment in Versafine Onyx Black.  The designer paper is My Mind's Eye's "Andrea Victoria" and the ledger paper is Jenni Bowlin.  The card stock is Prism's Candle Glow Dark and the ribbon and snowflake are SU! (both retired).  I used Fiskar's Apron Lace punch, a star brad and Kaiser pearls.  The last minute finishing touch was the row of piercing alongside the ledger paper, of which I had to rip off the entire panel  to add it, but hey, it was worth it!

A somewhat unique colour combo for a Christmas card, but even dd & her girlfriend liked it, so I say it's a go!  Wanna see what the rest of the Sweet Sunday Stampers did with the sketch?  Me too!

Jennifer Tapler

Karen Motz

Lynn Put

Vicki Burdick

and of course Karen

 

Happy Sweet Sunday!  I hope your's is truly sweet. Thanks so much for dropping by!  You know I truly appreciate every visit!

 

Recipe:  Stamps:  Patterned Pines (SU!), Holiday Greetings (Flourishes)  Paper:  White, Candle Glow Dark (Prism), Andrea Victoria DP(My Minds Eye), Ledger DP (Jenni Bowlin)  Ink:  Crushed Curry, Versafine Onyx Black  Accessories:  Apron Lace Punch (Fiskars), Champagne Pearls (Kaiser), star brad (?), felt snowflake & gold organdy ribbon (SU!), paper piercer, pop dots

Flourishes Friday; Quick and Cute Christmas card

  
It's Flourishes "Black" Friday!  I hope all my American friends enjoyed a day of feasting and family.  Now it's on to Black Friday, and Flourishes is having a Black Friday sale!  Everything...everything in the store is discounted 15%, just  by entering "JINGLE" in the promotional code box!  So if there was something on your list you had to forego, now's the time to snap it up! It's a one day sale only, so don't hesitate!  Oh, and if you're doing a little Christmas shopping, you'll find Gift Certificates now at Flourishes! 

I have a little Christmas card to share using Christmas Borders.  It's such a fun set to work with  I was planning on cutting out the images and popping them up over the border, but geez, they looked so darn cute all cut out, I ended up taking another direction all together.

The images were stamped on Classic Ivory in Memento Tuxedo Black and coloured with Copic markers.  I punched 4 vanilla squares 1 1/4", and layered them on Real Red and Old Olive.  The designer paper is Dashing, (retired SU), as is the red grosgrain ribbon.

I added the sentiment from Holiday Greetings using the Double Ended Tag set by Spellbinders.  It's secured with two red brads and that's it!

Pretty darned cute I say!

Most of the Flourishes design team is taking this Friday off to enjoy Thanksgiving with their families.  However, if you are looking for some inspiration, be sure to check out Christine's and Leslie's blogs for some Flourishes Friday eye-candy!

Enjoy your day whether it be with friends and family or shopping if you're brave enough.  Actually just the thought of the crowds makes me want to shop on line! 

This is my second post today, so scroll down for more!! 

Thanks for dropping by!  See you on Sunday?  I'll be here!

Recipe:  Stamps:  Christmas Borders, Holiday Greetings (Flourishes)  Paper:  Classic Ivory, Very Vanilla, Real Red, Old Olive, Dashing DP (SU)  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black  Accessories:  Copic Markers, Double Ended Tags (Spellbinders), brads & ribbon (SU), pop dots

Christmas Bells

 
I was in the mood to color.  I picked up Hero Art's new Wreath with Bells Cling stamp a while back and had  let it sit long enough.   I just love this beautiful image and it's wonderful to colour.  I coloured it several times trying to get the shading right.  I still want to perfect it, but these two came out pretty nice.  Enough that I can share them!

I used my Copic markers, and lots of colours.  I see so many people take photographs of the markers they used, but I end up with so many markers on my table, half of which I don't use, that a photograph of the markers left on my table would probably be misleading.   

The ornament card is from a pack I picked up at my LSS on clearance.  I only used them this weekend, and do you think I can find them to tell you who makes them?  Hmm.... I used the new Winter Borders Cuttlebug folder to add a little interest to the card, and mounted the image on the largest scallop circle Nestability.   The ribbon is wired, and I picked that up at Dollarama last year.  Very simple, but so elegant with that gorgeous image.

I used a silver gel pen to pop out some of the dots on the bells, and also the ball chime.  What you can't see is that I added Diamond Glaze to them to add a little dimension.  The little red dots are coloured with a red Sakura Glaze pen, and they have dimension and shine in real life!

Here's another version in teals.  I used Fiskar's Apron Lace border punch on the bottom of the silver cardstock before running it through the Cuttlebug with the Swiss Dots folder.  The image is mounted on the large scallop nestability again, and that's it!

So pretty.  I know I will pull it out to colour again, it makes such beautiful Christmas cards.

Well I'm off to clean my house before I run to pick up dh from the airport.  Have a fabulous day and thanks for dropping in!

A Quick and Easy Gourmet Christmas gift!

I think you'll love this idea if you have a few people on your list that you want to give a sweet something to acknowledge their kindness and friendship this Christmas.  All the details are posted on the Stamp a Sweet Impression blog.  I hope you'll pop over and let me know what you think!

Thanks for dropping by!  I'll be back tomorrow, and I hope you'll be able to drop by again!

Sweet Sunday Christmas!

 
It's time for another Sweet Sunday Sketch!  This week's sketch was nicely balanced, making it so easy for me to work with, and I still messed it up LOL!  I had the whole card pieced togehter, and realized there was no way I had enough room for the sentiment at the bottom, so I improvised.  I think it turned out pretty nice anyway.  See for yourself.

I worked with Taylored Expressions Christmas Blessings set because I hadn't yet inked up this dove, and she makes me happy!  I chose SEI's Christmas Mint designer paper, and went to town.  I needed to create the upper portion of the sketch, so I decided to work with my yet unused Winter Borders Cuttlebug folder, and after it was done, there was no lifting the rest of the pieces upward for the sentiment.  So I cut it out in a circle and added it to the main circle.  It works!  I added some of Taylor's Tiny Twinkles to the embossed snowflakes and anchored the sentiment with a large Kaiser rhinestone.  The ribbon was from my stash, and it was just the perfect match!

I'm sure the rest of the Sweet Sunday Stampers were able to work within the sketch, so let's take a quick peek at their creations.

Jennifer Tapler

Karen Motz

Lynn Put

Nancy Riley

Sarah-Jane Kale'

Vicki Burdick

and of course Karen!

 

Come play along!  Create your project and link it up to Karen's post here, so we can all see your wonderful creations!

 

Well that's it for me today!  I am looking forward to a fabulous day of laundry and housework.  How's your day shaping up?  I hope it's wonderful no matter how you use it.  Thanks so much for dropping by!  I truly appreciate that you included me in your day!

 

Recipe:  Stamps:  Christmas Blessings (Taylored Expressions)  Paper:  Blush Red Dark & Classic Yellow Green (Prism), Choice Buttercream, Christmas Mint DP (SEI)  Ink:  Real Red, Wild Wasabi (SU)  Accessories:  grosgrain ribbon (?), Taylor's Tiny Twinkles, Kaiser rhinestones, scallop border punch, paper piercer & template, Winter Borders embossing folder

Flourishes Friday; Focus on Tags!

 

Are you ready for Christmas?  I must confess I haven't bought one single present.  But when I do, I'll be ready with gift tags for them!  This week for Flourishes Friday, our Focus is on tags, and with Christmas just around the corner, I decided to get a few more gift tags done up and ready, for you know, when I finally have some gifts to wrap!

I decided to give "Fancy Labels" a bit of a work out, and I really had so much fun making these.  I pulled out my Nestabilities Labels 4 and 8, along with the ovals and circles.  They really came together so quickly, one almost making the next.  Here they are, and then I have some bonus tags to show you at the end!!

I chose Rich Razzleberry paper, and for these two I embossed the gorgeous detail images from Fancy Labels.  They are so pretty in real life.  They get a little washed out with my poor photography skills.

These two I paired with Basic Grey's Eskimo Kisses! I think it's such a perfect fit with Fancy Labels with the gorgeous flourishes in this paper.  Well, it would be a perfect fit with any elegant paper, but not all papers are as perfect with Rich Razzleberry colours!!  I used the fine line gold border stickers again.  Oh, I just can't get enough of them!  I find uses for them every time I turn around!

For this pair, I simply added some oval punches and the "to and from" stamps from Fancy Labels.  Easy peasy as Julie would say!!

Here are some more, but I'll make you click on the photos for bigger pictures or you'll be scrolling all day!   

OK, there's more tag ideas coming your way!  Stop in at Flourishes' Blog, and Julie has some fabulous eye candy for you there.  Next, pop in for a quick hello at the Design Teams' blogs.  I know you'll be glad you did!

Julie Koerber

Christine Okken

Leslie Miller

Latisha Yoast
Stacy Morgan

I will be back later this morning with another post so I hope you'll have a minute to pop back!!  Have a wonderful day, and thanks for stopping by!

Recipe:  Stamps: Fancy Labels (Flourishes)  Paper:  Classic White, Rich Razzleberry (SU), Eskimo Kisses DP (Basic Grey)  Ink: Rich Razzleberry (SU), Versamark  Accessories: Oval, Circle, Labels 4 & 8 Nestabilities (Spellbinders),  Gold detail ep, Gold border line stickers, felt snowflakes (SU), brad, gem, embroidery floss, gold cord

Christmas Tea; Flourishes Release Day!

  
Edited to correct the time of the Release party!!

We're almost there!  All five fabulous sets will be released tonight after Flourishes Release Party which runs 9:00pm to 10:00pm Central!  I won't be there, since I'm on my way to Calgary.  We have a friend who is retiring and we will be attending his retirement party.  Gosh, what does that say about our age when our friends are retiring?  Gosh, I wish it was me!!

Anyway, today we are featuring Christmas Tea, a sweet, elegant and fun set to add to your Christmas repetoire.  We are still focusing on gifts and giving, so I decided to make a gift card holder!  I know that a large part of the gifts I buy these days are gift cards.  I love to give them (and receive them too!) so why not package them nicely?

 Since we're coffee drinkers, I decided on a little twist for a Christmas Tea set, and worked it into a coffee gift card holder!  I started by stamping the little cups along the top and bottom of the Classic White cardstock in Memento Tuxedo Black, and coloured them in with Copic markers.  I added one of the gold border line strips above and below them to add a little interest.  Funny thing, I've had these little babies for months and never used them, and now I've used them twice in a row! 

The little gift bag I designed myself using Basic Grey's "Eskimo Kisses", to fit the gift card.  I added a border of Riding Hood Red and threaded some red hemp through for handles.  The sentiment is anchored with two gold pearls and it's just so perfect for the gift card holder!!  I finished it off with a little tissue to really add to that gift bag look.  Here's what it looks like after the gift card is stashed in the wallet.  A totally cute Christmas card to display on the mantle!

Your chance to win this set is a blog hop away to Flourishes blog! And time is running out for you to get your Favorite Things challenge entry posted!  The winner will be drawn at our Release Party tonight, so get on it!

Now have a quick peak at the fabulous designs the rest of the team created.  You're going to love this set...I just know it!

Julie Koerber

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Leslie Miller

Latisha Yoast
Stacy Morgan

 

The party starts at 9:00pm Central with the final reveal of all the sets just before the store opens!  I hope you'll join the rest of the team for games, prizes, lots of chat and lots of fun!

 

Have a wonderful day and a fabulous weekend!  I'll see you again on Sunday!

 

Recipe:  Stamps:  Christmas Tea (Flourishes),  Paper:  Classic White, Wild Wasabi, Riding Hood Red, Basic Grey's "Eskimo Kisses" DP  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black  Accessories:  Copic Markers, Gold Border Line stickers, gold pearls, red hemp,  tissue

Christmas Borders; Flourishes Preview Day 3

  
We're on our third day of previews with Flourishes November release.  Today we are sharing our creations made with Christmas Borders.  This is a beautiful set that will stand alone, or will add a fabulous border to your Christmas creations.  Keeping with the theme of gifts and giving, I decided these borders would make a perfect wrap for a candle, so that's what I set out to do!

  
I love these images and coloured them bright and fun as they would suggest.  I used Copic markers along with some Sakura Glaze pens to add a little pop!  The gold border strips added the perfect finishing touch, and you'll find them in Flourishes store! A border punch and taffeta ribbon finish them off, and the entire project could be completed in under an hour!  That's perfect when you're in need of a quick little hostess gift!

Here's a look at them individually.  (you can click on the pictures to make them larger)

 We are fast approaching release day on Friday, Nov 13.  You can celebrate with us in Flourishes Member Forum on Splitcoast Stampers at the release party which starts at 8:00pm Central.  There are always lots of games and prizes, plus the full reveal just before the store opens.

Want to win this set?  Leave a comment here on Flourishes blog, but do it quickly, the draw will be made tomorrow!  And lastly, a quick reminder to get your Favorite Things challenge creation done and linked back to Flourishes...all the details are here.  

I know you're curious as to what the rest of the design team created, so I will send you off for a quick tour!

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Leslie Miller

Latisha Yoast
Stacy Morgan

I'll be back tomorrow with another preview and I hope you'll join me.  Thanks so much for stopping by.  I always love it when you do!

Recipe:  Stamps:  Christmas Borders (Flourishes)  Paper:  Classic Ivory, Real Red, Certainly Celery  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black  Accessories:  Copic Markers, Gold Border strips, Celery taffeta ribbon, border punch (MS), tacky tape, Sakura Glaze pens

Christmas Bouquet; Flourishes Preview Day 1

  
I know what you're thinking...it's Monday...how can it be a Flourishes Preview?  Well, you're in for a real treat, as we will be previewing five fabulous sets this week, one a day until release day on Friday, November 13!  This time we're focusing on gift ideas and packaging, so you'll be inspired to get going on all those handmade gifts you promised yourself you would make this year. 

Today, we're previewing "Christmas Bouquet", and you probably guessed it's another amazing illustration by Flourishes Marcella Hawley.  I love working with her images, they are drawn so beautifully and have wonderful and crisp details.  They just call to me to bring them to life, and this time I decided to frame it!

The square nature of the image made it perfect for framing.  I stamped it in Memento Tuxedo Black on Classic White and coloured it with my Copic Markers.  I also used my Sakura Glaze pens to add some depth to the white and red berries.  They really pop.

The sentiment is the quote from the old song "The Holly and the Ivy", which is part of Doves in Holly set released last month.  I think this might be a great gift for my daughter's Choral teacher.  DD loves her and I think she would appreciate the reference to the song.

The rest of the design team has some amazing gift and packaging creations to inspire  you this season.  Have a peek!

Julie Koerber

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Leslie Miller

Latisha Yoast
Stacy Morgan

 

I hope you will be playing in our pre release challenge, creating something inspired by the lyrics to the song "My Favorite Things".  You'll find all the details here.

 

Of course you know your opportunity to win this set is as simple as leaving a comment on Flourishes blog post here.  And don't forget to mark your calendar for Friday evening to be a part of Flourishes Release party, starting at 8:00pm Central.  It's always so much fun, and you are the first to see all the sets revealed!

 

Tomorrow the Friends of Flourishes will be treating you to a preview of one of the new sets this month.  So be sure to drop into Flourishes blog to check it all out!  I'll be back on Wednesday with more previews!  I hope you will be too!

 

Recipe:  Stamps: Christmas Bouquet (Flourishes)  Paper: Classic White  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black  Accessories: Copic Markers, Sakura Glaze pens, ticket corner punch (SU), gold brads, frame (Dollarama)