Flourishes Tutorial – Chalkboard Technique

Hello friends!  I’m sharing a Create with Me Monday tutorial over on the Flourishes blog today, demonstrating how to do the wildly popular Chalkboard Technique!

I’d love it if you hop on over to the Flourishes blog today and check it out! 
And to whet your appetite, here’s another card I made using the technique…

This card uses a sentiment from the darling Heartlines mini stamp set.  I liked this sentiment because of the open letters within it that gave me space to add a little color with a Prismacolor pencil.  I was also able to add the little row of hearts at the top, also from the stamp set.  To create this look, you need some Flourishes Classic Black cardstock,
Versamark ink, Versamagic Cloud White ink, an embossing buddy, and white embossing powder.  Items also used on my card today include new Valentine papers I just picked up from Pink Paislee, a red felt heart die-cut with the Classic Heart Nestabilities, some Kaisercraft black rhinestones and a cream leaf stick pin.  The layout for my card comes from an old Mojo Monday sketch.
Want to give this technique a try?  Please stop over at the Flourishes blog today and check out my tutorial!  Then…. get inky!
Happy stamping!

Take Time to Celebrate

It’s time again for Flourishes Free-for-All Friday and today I decided to pull out a favorite set, Moments in Time.  I knew it was the perfect set to use when I saw the Deconstructed Sketch #86 for this week, with all those circles… perfect for a big clock face!  I used some Versafine Onyx Black ink (*new* in the Flourishes online store!) to stamp the clock face, then embossed with clear embossing powder.  The Versafine ink is SO nice for images with fine detail like this clock, and embossed so nicely… if you’ve never tried it, pick it up with your next order.  I promise you’ll love it!  The papers I used on my card are Bo Bunny’s “Serenity” collection, and I embellished my card front with some black Kaisercraft rhinestones, and also embossed the one little black circle with a Houndstooth embossing folder.

On the inside of the card, I stamped the hourglass from the Moments in Time set with Versafine Smoky Gray ink (again, GREAT ink…. I highly recommend!) and then stamped the sentiment with the Onyx Black.
Need some inspiration?  Stop and see what the other Sr. Design Team members have cooked up for you today….

• Christine Okken   —She is taking the week off. Her hubby had surgery and could use some prayers!
• Cindy Lawrence
• Danielle Kennedy
• Heather Jensen
• Julie Koerber
• Silke Ledlow
• Stacy Morgan
• Tammy Hershberger

Also, we have some BIG news for you if you are a bargain hunter! We had put our Gambler’s Sale on hold over the holidays because there were so many different sales. Well, we’ve resumed it to try to further clear the shelves at Flourishes’ home base. So now, many of our items on the Sale Page HERE are….

That’s right — 55% off! You will see some additional items on sale. As a limited time special, all Aquamarkers are 20% off. These water-based markers are fabulous to have on hand for coloring and water coloring – so if you need a water-based marker, now is the time to stock up!
Thanks for stopping by today!

Happy Birthday

Hello there!  I’ve got a clean and simple card to share with you today using a few supplies from the eclectic Paperie online store!

Have you checked out the wonderful Spellbinders D’Lites that Kim has in stock?  These are beautiful dies… so intricate and detailed!  I used the Whimsical Tree today to create this simple birthday card, pairing it with a sentiment from Flourishes.  The tree and banner behind the tree were cut out with Echo Park “For the Record 2” papers, and I embellished the tree with some lavender Kaisercraft rhinestones (I don’t think these are in stock anymore in the eP store, but just ask Kim if you’re interested!)  Then I added a little Orchid baker’s twine to finish my card.  Just a little something, sweet and simple.
I’m finding a lot of inspiration in Chupa’s Sketchbook Saturday sketch #87 this week… this card was also based on the sketch!
Thanks for stopping by today!

Scatter Kindness

Hi there, and happy Monday!  I’m feeling very maudlin today, because I have to go back to work after being off for five days, so I’m going to try to put on a smile and scatter some kindness by sharing this card with you!
I created this card last year for the Dirty Dozen at Splitcoaststampers, using this classic image from the stamp set Sweet Days of Summer from Flourishes.  The image was stamped with Versafine Onyx Black ink and embossed.  I cut out the image with the Nestabilities Large Classic Ovals, and matted with the Lacey Oval.  The cardstock base and a few of the layers are Tangy Taffy cardstock from the Candy Pink Color Made Easy collection, and the seam binding is Emerald Coast.  I also added a zig-zag border on the left edge using the Classic Ric-Rac Edgeabilities die.
Just a note, too…. if you’re so inclined, please keep a young man named Oscar in your prayers for me!  We met Oscar this past weekend (if you follow me on Facebook, you will know a little bit of the story) and Oscar is currently on a bus bound for Florida to hopefully meet up with his mom.  Please keep him in prayer for this journey and for it to have a successful outcome!  The “mom” in me is worried for him!
Thanks for stopping by, and happy stamping!

Completely In Love

Hey there!  I pulled out some new Wplus9 Design Studio stamps and dies from eclectic Paperie earlier this week to create this sweet Valentine!  The stamps are the new Cupid’s Arrow set, and I also used the matching companion die to cut out the cupid on the upper left.  I saw this sample card made by W+9 design team member Jean Martin, and loved how she cut out the little banner at the bottom of the sentiment so it still fit the die-cut heart, so I stole her idea!  :)  I also added a little border at the bottom using the XO Border die… I just think that thing is SO cute!  The papers I used are Echo Park “Love Story”, and my pink ink is Ranger Picked Raspberry distress ink.  The large die cut hearts are from Spellbinders.  (Kim doesn’t currently have these in the eP store, but I’ll bet she could order them if you ask!)
Hope this makes you feel all lovey-dovey!

Flourishes January Release Day 1

Hi all, and welcome to the first day of Flourishes’ January Sneak Peeks featuring three of the newest sets to hit the shelves. We know at this time of year you are looking for love when it comes to new stamps and we have a little bit of that! We also have some new sentiments and trendy words to jazz up the fronts of your cards! So, let’s get on with the show! First up, a set that packs a visual punch with inspiring and thoughtful words, perfect for cards of all kinds!

Just My Type by Marcella Hawley provides spunky sentiments that take the trend of fun typography and put it into words that you can use on your cards or creations.  And personally, I think this set screams “chalkboard technique!” so that’s what I did!

My sentiment from the set was stamped on black cardstock and I used an Inkssentials Ink Blending Tool to sponge some additional white ink around the cardstock edges, to give it that dusty, chalky look.  I embellished with a Classic and Classic Scallop Heart and tied on a Poppy button with some jute twine.  A few black Kaisercraft rhinestones on the upper left finished off my card.
Want to win this set?  All you need to do is figure out…

We don’t know which one of these ladies below will be the Mystery Blogger but one will, so leave comments on all of our designers’ blogs and you’ll be in the running to win today’s Just My Type set!
Want to see all the fun things you can do with this little number? Head on over and see…..

• Christine Okken
• Cindy Lawrence
• Danielle Kennedy
• Heather Jensen
• Julie Koerber
• Silke Ledlow
• Stacy Morgan
• Tammy Hershberger

As you make your way around blog land to visit Flourishes’ designers, you might notice that some of them are using a brand new 123 Create Kit called… Love Story! Check out the lovelies in this kit!

To find out all the goodies in this color-coordinated, fun and feminine kit, just click HERE!

DO YOU WANT TO WIN OUR ENTIRE RELEASE?

If you want a chance to win all three of our soon-to-be released sets, you can always play in our Love Letters Challenge – there will be multiple winners here! OR, play along with the gals for this week’s Timeless Tuesday Challenge! Check out the links for the official rules! Also, if you like what you see on our designers’ blogs today, you can pre-order this set (along with the other two sets as well) by taking advantage of our New Release Bundle and get 10% off when you purchase all three together. All sets will be live first thing Friday morning along with the coordinating cut files for this release. So, be sure to stick with us this week as we unveil a whole new host of paper crafting goodies!
The next sneak peek is tomorrow, and you’ll find us blossoming with love!

Flourishes Pre-Release Week

It’s almost time for Flourishes to take the lid off its January Release and like always, we want to give you a chance to win our newest sets as well! With the season of love fast approaching, we thought we better spice our challenge up with a little bit of amore! So, we are ushering in the….

HOW TO PLAY: This challenge is a broad one that’s all about LOVE — use love as your theme, use letters as a focal point, or use the colors of love in shades of pink and red. The choice is yours! If you upload to Splitcoaststampers, please use the keyword FLLCJAN13. Enter as many times as you like, but know that if you use Flourishes stamps, your entry counts twice! You have until January 11th, 5PM EST to enter. Just make sure you link your creation using our Inlinkz widget on the Flourishes blog. As we said, winner gets our full January stamp set release. So get those fingers inky!
Here’s my love creation…

I used a sentiment from the Love Sweet Love stamp set, stamping it on Flourishes Classic Ivory cardstock,
and cut it out with a Nestabilities Nested Pennant die.  The layout for my design is from the Cardabilities sketch #66 for this week.  I added the hearts to my design with the Classic and Classic Scallop Heart Nestabilities found in the Flourishes online store, and added a few rolled roses, too.  Finally, I embellished with a Prima pearl spray, some hot pink Kaisercraft rhinestones, a crystal trinket pin, some raspberry crocheted trim, and some metallic white curling ribbon.  The base of my card is the Lacey Circles Nestabilities, and to make it a “card” I added the back shown below…

Just cut out an extra, plain circle, score it at about 1-1 1/2 inches, and glue to the back!  This way you don’t have to compromise part of your design to incorporate the fold!
If you need a little inspiration, it’s never far away with our design team’s creations! Hop on over and see…

• Christine Okken
• Cindy Lawrence
• Danielle Kennedy
• Heather Jensen
• Julie Koerber
• Sharon Doolittle
• Silke Ledlow
• Stacy Morgan

The OFFICIAL Rules…..

• Simply create a card using LOVE or letters as your focus!
• Entries need to be in by Friday, January 11th at 5 PM EST
• Those that use Flourishes stamps will be counted twice for their entry
• You must link your creation on this post using our Inlinkz widget in order to qualify
• You must have a link to our challenge in your blog or gallery post
• Please DO NOT combine challenges. Only those that don’t combine will be in the running.
• If you upload to SCS, please use the keyword FLLCJAN13
• We’ll announce the winners Saturday in our Winner’s Circle Post  on Saturday, January 12 so check back then to see if you’re one of the lucky winners!

Remember, our release week sneaks start next Wednesday — so mark your calendar! We’ll also have all of our releases available for pre-order at that time as well! So, check back some fun is brewing and we’d love for you to join in!

A Flourishes Sale

Hello all!  I hope you had a blessed holiday – however you celebrate! I  know some of you probably have some Christmas money that you’d love to spend and guess what? Flourishes needs to reduce what is on our shelves before our year-end inventory count. So, a sale is in order!  And, it’s a win-win for everyone!

Simply use the code MERRY12 in the coupon code box. (All codes are case sensitive, so please use all caps, just like shown above.) We should point out that this 25% off does not include Copic Markers due to Copic’s price mapping requirements for retailers like us. It also does not include gift certificates. Everything else is fair game  – even our Sale Page, which is already 50% off retail prices! So, check it out! This sale runs through the 30th of December. Another note to shoppers, we will be closing down the Flourishes store for a few hours on the 31st in order to do inventory. For about a 4 hour period, we will not be able to take or process orders. We will try to be as quick as possible!
Now… for another fun surprise!

We also have a REALLY fun way to be surprised this season and it is one heck of a deal. We have put together some Flourishes Mystery Bags! These goodie bags have wonderful things in them like papers, ribbons, embellishments AND… get this… an unpackaged Flourishes stamp set. Since these sets are not in their packaging, they can’t be sold. However, they stamp just the same — beautifully! Unfortunately, all sales will be final and it really is the luck of the draw. Here’s the good news — the price on these goody bags are $15. The value is well over $30. What a bargain! Just click HERE to see this little Mystery Bag of fun in the store!
And, to inspire you today I have this card to share using the Friendly Reminders stamp set.  This was a card I created last year during my term on the Splitcoast Dirty Dozen…

My birdhouse was stamped on Flourishes Classic Ivory cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, and colored with Copics from the Rich Browns, Pistachio, Iced Aqua and Cool Neutrals collections.  Then I cut out the image with a Spellbinders Oval Nestabilities, and sponged inside the die with a little Antique Linen distress ink.  I embellished with some hand-dyed seam binding, and an Emerald Coast button.
Have a fabulous weekend, and thanks for stopping by!

Take Care

It’s time again for Flourishes Friday Free for All — a time when our designers can pick up some of our new release sets and… create!

For my card today, I chose to work with the gorgeous Garden Dreams stamp set that was released last week, and also used the matching Silhouette cut file in my design.  The image was cut from Flourishes Classic Ivory cardstock and stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  I colored with Copics from the Peony, Hollyhock, Pistachio, Walnut and Warm Neutrals collections.  I matted my image on pink cardstock cut with the new Perfectly Pierced Classic Hourglass die, and sponged a little Antique Linen ink on the cardstock while it was still in the die.  I embellished with some black Kaisercraft rhinestones, ribbon, a black button, and a Tailor-Made Classic Tags die stamped with a sentiment from the Tag Lines stamp set.
  The papers I used are from the My Mind’s Eye “Rosy” collection.

For more inspiration, stop and see what the other Flourishes Sr. Designers have created today using the newest releases….
Ok… are you ready to hop? Let’s  get on with the show and see what our ever-so-fabulous designers whipped up using our newest release!

• Christine Okken
• Cindy Lawrence
• Danielle Kennedy
• Heather Jensen
• Julie Koerber
• Sharon Doolittle
• Silke Ledlow
• Stacy Morgan

Ready to shop?  Remember that today is the last day to take advantage of the December New Release Bundle. It’s a savings of 10% when you purchase all three of Flourishes’ new sets in a bundle. If you want to check it out in the Flourishes store, just click HERE!
Also, while you’re shopping, have you checked out our Gambler’s Sale? Prices dropped another 5%, which means your discount is now….

That’s right! 50% OFF retail prices! That’s a fabulous deal and the perfect way to stock up on some fun goodies to use in your crafting spaces! So, click HERE to check out our Sale Page!
Happy stamping… thanks for stopping by!

Flourishes New Release Day

Welcome to the grand finale of Flourishes’ December release! If you’ve been following our sneaks this week, we are happy to report, they are no longer sneaks! All three of our new sets are now live RIGHT HERE in the Flourishes store! We even have our New Release Bundle – it’s a deal where you get 10% off all our new sets when you purchase it in the bundle. What fun! The set we are unveiling today is part of a continuing collection of sentiments aimed at being a “go to” when it comes to offering someone a bit of thanks! It’s the latest set in our “Inside & Out” collection!

Give the inside and outside of your cards a dash of pizazz with this fun new set from Becky Fleck! Inside and Out Thank You is the perfect little sentiment set for all the different ways to tell someone Thank You! There are so many mix and match sentiments packed in this 4″ by 3″ set! If you like this set, you might like our others called Inside & Out Just Because or Inside & Out Happy! Be sure to check them out as well.

For my card today, I decided to make a Christmas thank you card… this may go to the couple who teach our Sunday School class because we truly do appreciate all that they do, and don’t say it often enough.  I paired the new sentiments up with the Christmas Candles stamp set from last year, coloring with Copics from the Evergreen, Pistachio, Iced Aqua, Dusty Rose and Dahlia collections.  The images are stamped on Flourishes Classic Ivory cardstock with
Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  I embellished with some Blush Kaisercraft pearls, this sheer ribbon and a little Ivory Lace Trim. 
Would you like to try to win this set? All  you need to do is leave some love in the form of a comment on the blogs below! Why? You need to try to figure out who is the…

One of the ladies on our link list below will be picking a name from the comments on her blog post today. We don’t know which one it is… so the more blogs you leave comments on, the more chances you have to win!

• Cindy Lawrence
• Christine Okken
• Danielle Kennedy
• Heather Jensen
• Silke Ledlow
• Stacy Morgan
• Tammy Hershberger

And a few more things to remember…
First up, we have two new Silhouette and SVG cut files that coordinate with our new Garden Dreams and Winter Blossoms stamp sets! See?

Some of the ladies on our line up will be creating with out brand new 123 Create Kit called Vintage Finds. It’s a gorgeous pack of paper and trinkets designed to bring that dash of shabby chic to your cards and creations! Here’s a peek at what’s inside our latest kit!

Just click HERE to check out this beauty in the Flourishes store! And… while you’re hopping over to the store, if you’ve been following our Gambler’s Sale – you should know that ALL items on our Sale Page are now listed at….

That’s 45% off retail! These bargains are too good to pass up! Stock up on papers, embellishments or ribbon because you won’t be able to get these goodies for prices much lower! Be sure to visit our SALE PAGE!
DID YOU KNOW YOU COULD WIN OUR ENTIRE DECEMBER RELEASE? Have you checked out our Let’s Hop Challenge? Just click HERE  to find out how to play! You have until THIS AFTERNOON — Friday, December 14th at 5 PM EST — to play along! Winners will be announced Saturday(tomorrow) in our Winner’s Circle blog post! Word on the street is, there might be more than one winner chosen for the Let’s Hop Challenge!  So get those fingers inky and good luck! Be sure to stop by the Flourishes blog
tomorrow to see if YOUR NAME lands in our Winner’s Circle! See you then!