Today I Celebrate You

I've done something today that I rarely do -- I've used purple (blech)! Not only that, but I like it! This beautiful crocus image is from A Year of Flowers Calendar Set 1 by Flourishes, and the sentiment is from the new Birthday Centers set by JustRite Stamps. Both sets, along with many of the supplies I used, are available at Stamper's Dream.

The layout is Jen's Sketch For You To Try for this week:



Check out the fabby SFYTT sisters for more inspiration using today's sketch:

Jen del Muro with guest designer Andrea Ewen
Amber Hight
Amy Rohl
Jenn Diercks
Jodi Collins
Kelly Lunceford
Leigh O'Brien
Megan Lock
Sonja Christoph
Susan Liles (sitting out this week)

To play along, upload your card to Jen's blog using the linking tool at the end of her post. Use keyword SFYTT when uploading to online galleries. Play along and you'll have a chance to be a future SFYTT guest designer! Want a head start? Look for the sketch Friday nights on Facebook!

Here's the inside:



Thanks for visiting!



Stamps: A Year of Flowers Calendar Set 1 (Flourishes); Birthday Centers (JustRite Stamps)
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White card stock, Papertrey Plum Pudding card stock, Memory Box Frond dp
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: Copic markers, Spellbinders circle nestabilities and Fleur-de-Lis Pendant dies, Tim Holtz Alterations Plaque & Postage die, May Arts white crochet trim, Papertrey Plum Pudding saddle stitch ribbon, bling ribbon slide (unknown), Kaisercraft Bliss adhesive pearls
Size: 5 1/2" square

Butterfly {W}ishes

I was putting things away and rearranging the other day when I rediscovered my Queen Bee paper pad by Pink Paislee. Boy, does this collection ever call my name! I just love the modern elegance of the colors and the trendy patterns. Today's card is my sample for Jen's Sketch For You To Try. Check out the sketch:



And visit the talented SFYTT sisters for more inspiration:

Jen del Muro with guest designer Iwona Palamountain
Amber Hight
Amy Rohl
Jenn Diercks
Jodi Collins
Kelly Lunceford
Leigh O'Brien
Megan Lock
Sonja Christoph
Susan Liles

I started out by stamping three different damask patterns (using Fanciful Flourishes by Flourishes) in black ink onto some of the more monochromatic patterns in the Queen Bee collection. I punched out 1 3/8" squares, arranged them into a vertical strip, then trimmed to fit my card front. The punched border along the vertical strip was punched with the Martha Stewart Optic Dots punch set.

Next, I added some Pink Paislee pleated twill for the horizontal strip and secured each end with a black button. The circle focal image panel is cut with Spellbinders dies. The butterfly is stamped, clear embossed, trimmed out, and adorned with Kaiser black adhesive pearls (the black ones are out of stock currently). Last, I added the sentiment circle, which was stamped with one of the sentiments in the Fanciful Flourishes set.

Have a super weekend!



Stamps: Fanciful Flourishes (Flourishes)
Paper: Pink Paislee Queen Bee 6x6 pad, Stampin' Up Basic Black card stock
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Old Paper Distres Ink
Accessories: Spellbinders classic and scalloped circle Nestabilities, Kaiser adhesive pearls, clear embossing powder, Papertrey buttons, May Arts ivory burlap string, Pink Paislee pleated twill, Swarovski mini crystals, Martha Stewart Optic Dots punch set
Size: 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" (A2)

Stamped Lace

I've had Flourishes' Lace Edges stamp set for a little while now and was so happy to ink it up and play around with it earlier this week. And play I did! I have two cards to share today and at least two more that I'll share another day, since I didn't quite get them all finished. For this first one, I used a single lace scallop image to create a dramatic black-on-ivory background. I began by placing a Spellbinders circle in the lower right, then repeatedly stamped the scallop around the circle. I stamped a few more lace scallops to fill in the gaps, then accented with some black Kaiser pearls.

For the focal point, I stamped the butterfly from Fanciful Flourishes, trimmed it out and placed it on the black circle. (It's hard to see in the photo, but the image comes in two parts, a solid background, which I stamped in Soft Sky, and the patterned butterfly, which I stamped in black). A little striped ribbon, some ivory seam binding, a strip of Swiss Dots embossed Soft Sky, and a punched bottom border finished this off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For this next one, I created a scored background using my Scor-Pal, then filled in each diamond with a lace circle image from Lace Edges. I dotted each score-line intersection with a white gel pen for a little pop. The two hearts are from Fanciful Flourishes. They've been stamped in two parts as well, the solid heart in Stampin' Up Soft Sky and the filigree heart in Papertrey Smoky Shadow. White satin ribbon, a lacy punched border and bling finish off the bottom, and at the top I placed a little sentiment cluster.

Speaking of Flourishes ... have you seen their awesome new release? Be still my heart - sooooo beautiful! (Yes, I'm aware that using Flourishes and beautiful in the same sentence is totally redundant and unneccessary - lol!)

The new release is now available at Stamper's Dream! Check them out:

Antique Map
A Guiding Light
Cherry Blossoms
Beauty Within

Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I wish you a fabulous Friday and a fun weekend!

In the Flourishes Limelight!

Hi friends, I'm so honored to be the Flourishes Limelight Designer today! Normally, Flourishes features a single designer for the month, but this month they're featuring three of the designers from the Stamper's Dream Team. I'm kicking off the series today. Some of my bestest stamping buddies, Laurie and Tosh, will take stage the next two Sundays.

Here's a teensy look at my project, which uses a brand-new, BEAUTIFUL set that will be releasing this Friday.



For the full project, head on over to the Flourishes blog. Hope to "see" you there!

Let's Hang Out

Happy Saturday, blog friends. The gorgeous, warm weather we had in my area earlier in the week has left me yearning for Spring even more than before. It was so nice to be outside in a t-shirt and flip-flops enjoying the warm(ish) sun and getting some yard work done. It's rain, rain and more rain today, but oh, that taste of Spring was divine!

Today's card is my sample for Jen's Sketch For You To Try for this week. I've used a brand-new Flourishes set, Friendly Reminders, now available at Stamper's Dream, along with some beautiful, bright papers from the Mary, Mary paper kit by My Mind's Eye. Is that a Spring combo or what?!

Have a look at this week's sketch:



For inspiration, visit:

Jen del Muro with guest designer Angie Tieman
Amber Hight
Amy Rohl
Jenn Diercks
Kelly Lunceford
Leigh O'Brien
Megan Lock
Susan Liles (Susan may or may not play this week, but please pay her a visit regardless. She's had some unsettling news this week and would surely appreciate your prayers and some big cyber hugs.)

To play along, just upload your creation to the slideshow on Jen's blog. Each weekly sketch has its own slideshow, so be sure to upload to the correct one. From now on, Jen will be picking the next month's guest designer from the current month's participants, so be sure to strut your stuff!

I stamped the hat image three times, the first time on watercolor paper, where I added a light blue color wash around the image using a Tombow Marker (#491) and a water brush. Next, I stamped twice on Neenah white, trimming out the whole image once and just the hat the next time. I colored both of these layers with Copic markers. I added some of Ranger's crackle medium to the green board, hoping to get the look of crackled paint. It turned out looking more like a ruler (really! lol!). I embellished with some flowers and a glittered Maya Road chipboard butterfly (soooo lovin' these! you'll be seeing a lot more of them, I'm sure!). For the semi-circle panel on the sketch, I went with vellum so that I wouldn't cover up too much of the bright, happy green and white polka-dot pattern.

Please do not examine my sewing today. Oh my goodness, it's horrific! I'll tell you what happened. I wanted to try mixing in some small stretches of zigzag stitching to break up the straight stretches. To get it to look right, I need to shorten the stitch length for the zigzags and then go back to a longer stitch for the straight parts. Well, I kept forgetting to change the length, so I ended up with a very random (and unappealing) mixture of stitch length. Lesson learned, but now I'm out of the paper needed for a re-make :/

Thanks for checking in today. Have a fantastic weekend!




Stamps: Friendly Reminders(Flourishes)
Paper: Papertrey Rustic Cream and Vellum card stock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White card stock, Prismatics Kiwi (Dark), Prismatics Intense Pink, My Mind's Eye Mary Mary 12x12 Paper Kit
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, VersaMagic Tea Leaves (used on chipboard butterfly)
Accessories: clear embossing powder, Tombow Marker #491, Copic markers, foam adhesive, Ranger Crackle Accents, Prima flower (green), Michael's floral stem (pink flowers), Michael's glittery brad, Maya Road chipboard butterfly, green glitter (unknown), Spellbinders Circle and Peony Nestabilities, EK Success scallop border punch, sewing machine
Size: 5 1/4" square

Hello Daffodil

Oh, the day I see these beauties pop up in my flower beds this year will be a good day indeed! Can't wait for Spring!

This lovely daffodil image is from A Year of Flowers Calendar Set 1 by Flourishes. I stamped on watercolor paper, watercolored with Tombow markers, and trimmed out the image. The middle daffodil is stamped and colored a second time and popped up over the first one. The sentiment is from Whiff of Joy's General Sayings set, and the patterned papers are from Basic Grey's Origins paper collection.

Last, but not least, the layout is Jen's Sketch For You To Try from yesterday. So sorry to be coming in late with my sample this week. If you didn't get to check out the sketch and other samples yesterday, take a peek today:



Jen del Muro with guest designer Mona Pendleton
Amy Rohl
Kelly Lunceford
Leigh O'Brien
Susan Liles

Don't forget the huge prize package that's up for grabs this month:



To play along, upload your project to the appropriate sketch slideshow at i{heart}2stamp.

Thanks so much for visiting, and Happy Stamping!



Stamps: A Year of Flowers Calendar Set 1 (Flourishes), General Sayings (Whiff of Joy)
Paper: Stampin' Up Basic Black, Canson 140-lb cold press watercolor paper, Basic Grey Origins 6x6 pad
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: Tombow Markers, water brush, Stampin' Up small oval punch, May Arts green burlap string and wide yellow ricrac, Offray black satin ribbon, button from stash, foam adhesive, Kaiser Kraft black self-adhesive pearls
Size: 5 1/2" square

New Flourishes: The Holly & The Ivy

The folks over at Flourishes have done it again! With every new release, I'm more and more amazed at the beauty of the artwork. Did you know Stamper's Dream carries Flourishes stamps now? Tonight's project uses a brand-new Flourishes set called The Holly & The Ivy. I stamped the main image from the set onto watercolor paper, and, get this, I watercolored! I used to watercolor all the time, but those were the B.C. days (before Copics). I took Jerri Jimenez's Tombow Marker class at CHA in January, and now currently, I'm taking Kim Teasdale's Watercoloring with Tombow Markers class via My Creative Classroom. Can those two ladies color or what?! I have to say, so far, I'm loving my Tombows, and I expect you'll be seeing a lot more watercoloring from me in the near future.

I'm giving you an early peek at Jen's Sketch For You To Try, too, which Jen will officially post on her blog tomorrow (Saturday) morning. If you're brave, you could start your own sketch card based on what you see here, but I'll warn you, there's a small bit of "interpretation" going on, so you might want to wait {grin}. Tomorrow (again, that's Saturday), be sure to have a look at the sketch team's creations: Amy Rohl, Kelly Lunceford, Leigh O'Brien, and Susan Liles. To play along, just link to your creation in a comment on Jen's SFYTT post and if you upload to SCS, remember to use keyword: SFYTT.

Last, here's a look at the finished inside, where I included the greeting:



Have a great weekend, and thanks for stopping by!



Stamps: The Holly & The Ivy (Flourishes)
Paper: Strathmore watercolor paper, Prismatics Blush Red (Dark) card stock, Graphic 45 dp, Stampin' Up Basic Black card stock
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Antique Linen and Vintage Photo Distress Ink
Accessories: Tombow Markers, Creative Memories circle cutting system, Spellbinders Scalloped circle and Labels 5 Nestabilities and Fancy Tags die, Papertrey buttons, May Arts black/ivory plaid 7/8" check ribbon and burlap string, paper piercer, Ornare piercing template, sewing machine, foam adhesive
Size: 5 1/2" square

Flourishes Peek

I have a peek today of a fabulous, soon-to-be released Flourishes set called Peaches and Cherries. You can find this absolutely delicious set at Stamper's Dream on Friday night!

I did my coloring with Copic markers, then added a few dollops of Diamond Glaze to the fruit and leaves to look like water drops. The frame of tiny squares around the main image is one of the patterns from Basic Grey's Marrakech line, the lime panel is from BG's Lemonade, and the yellowish-orange strips at the top and bottom are from K&Co's Que Sera Sera line. I cut the white scallop panels with Spellbinders Fancy Scalloped Border Piercabilities and then embellished the scallops with brown mini brads. Elsewhere I've added some machine stitching, paper piercing, brown twill, and dew drops.

Have a great day!



Stamps: Peaches and Cherries (Flourishes - available from Stamper's Dream Friday night {3/14})
Paper: Dark Suede Brown and Intense Kiwi Prismatics, Neenah Solar Crest White, Basic Grey Marrakech and Lemonade, K&Co Que Sera Sera
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Antique Linen Distress
Accessories: Copic markers, JudiKins Diamond Glaze, Stampin' Up oval punch, paper piercer, foam adhesive, Offray brown twill, Dew Drops, sewing machine, brown mini brads, Spellbinders Piercabilities
Size: 5 1/4" square

Flourishes Sneak Peek

I promised for today a peek at one of the new sets Flourishes will be releasing tonight. This set is called Signs of Spring, and it is gorgeous!! Look for all three new Flourishes sets at Stamper's Dream tonight at 9pm EST!

For me, the showpiece of the set is this large daffodil - love it! I stamped it five times on watercolor paper, heat embossed, watercolored with my water brush and re-inkers, then layered the flower using the paper tole technique. Here's a look from the side, so you can see all the dimension:




I put together this next card using the smaller flower in the set:



Again, I stamped on watercolor paper, heat embossed and watercolored. The freshness of the pale blue and yellow color combo always makes me think Spring.

Also previewing this set today are Stamper's Dream Team members Denise Marzec and Kimberly Crawford. I can't wait to see what they've done! In case you missed yesterday's preview, head to the Stamper's Dream blog for links to all the Stamper's Dream Team designers. A big thanks to Michelle, Stamper's Dream owner, for letting me play along with her awesome Dream Team!



For You:
Stamps: Signs of Spring (Flourishes)
Paper: watercolor paper, Basic Grey "Sugared" dp
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Barely Banana, So Saffron, More Mustard, Summer Sun, Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Always Arichoke re-inkers
Accessories: water brush, clear EP, sewing machine, SU Regal Rose 5/8" grosgrain, paper piercer, Martha Stewart cornice border punch
Size: 5 1/2" square

The Richness I Achieve:
Stamps: Signs of Spring (Flourishes)
Paper: watercolor paper, Basic Grey "Figgy Pudding" (I used the back side for the pale yellow horizontal strip); K&Co's Classic K Cardstock Pad (these are pre-scored, double-sided papers sized to be an A2 card base when folded. Instead of using them as card bases, I cut them apart and use them for layering. I find them in the pre-made card kit section at my local Michael's)
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Barely Banana, Certainly Celery, Old Olive re-inkers, Antique Linen Distress
Accessories: white polka-dot ribbon (May Arts), Spellbinders tag die, Martha Stewart lace border punch, sewing machine
Size: 5 1/2" square

Two-Sketch Saturday

I have two cards to share today. This first is for this week's challenge at Our Creative Corner. Lynda has put together a great sketch for us this week, along with an awesome giveaway from Lindsey at Jacksonbelle Embellishments. Be sure to check it out! You'll also see gorgeous samples from some of the Jacksonbelle Embellishments design team, along with samples from each of the OCC designers:

Cindy Haffner
Dawn Easton
Denise Marzec
Jennifer Meyer
Julee Tilman
Laurie Schmidlin
Lynda Benden

I've been itching to ink up Poppy Patch by Flourishes since before I even had it - I just LOVE these images! I stamped one of the poppy images onto watercolor paper first, then masked it and stamped one of the leaf images twice. I colored with an aqua painter and Stampin' Up reinkers, then trimmed out parts of the image to extend beyond the frame. The framed image panel is popped up on dimensionals. Except for the Riding Hood Red scalloped border along the bottom, all the papers are from Close to My Heart's Simple Pleasures pack. I adore this paper!!

Last, can I just chuck modesty aside for a minute and tell you I love this card??!!

While I'm being honest, I'll also tell you I'm not so wild about my sample for Jen's Sketch for You to Try. I can't really put my finger on it - maybe it's just not "me." Maybe it's missing about 7 or 8 layers (there are only THREE!)? LOL! Here it is:



Again, I stamped on watercolor paper and colored with a water brush and Stampin' Up reinkers. I embellished with some Riding Hood Red ribbon, paper piercing, and two white snowflake brads. Pretty straightforward.

Be sure to visit Jen at i{heart}2stamp, where you'll find the sketch, her sample, and guest designer Nancy Riley's sample. Then, as usual, more eye candy awaits! Check out what Amy, Carole, Shannan, and Susan have done with the sketch. When you're ready to play, link your creation in a comment on Jen's blog, and if you upload to SCS, remember to use keyword: SFYTT. We hope you play!!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful weekend!



Poppy:
Stamps: Poppy Patch (Flourishes)
Paper: Riding Hood Red (SU!); watercolor paper (Canson); Simple Pleasures designer paper pack (Close to My Heart)
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko); Riding Hood Red, Tangerine Tango, Bravo Burgundy, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Always Artichoke, Old Olive, Garden Green, Bashful Blue (SU)
Accessories: classic square Nestabilities (Spellbinders); aqua painter, scallop border punch, sponge daubers, linen thread, paper piercer (SU!); "Vintage" die and "Floral Screen embossing folder for Cuttlebug (Provo Craft); ribbon (Michael's); brad (K&Co); sewing machine

Snowmen:
Stamps: Scarf for Three (My Favorite Things)
Paper: Night of Navy card stock (SU), watercolor paper (Canson), designer paper (Carolee's Creations)
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko); Kiwi Kiss, Old Olive, Riding Hood Red, Tangerine Tango, Going Gray, Night of Navy, Bashful Blue, Brocade Blue reinkers (SU)
Accessories: aqua painter, Riding Hood Red double-striped ribbon, dimensionals, paper piercer (SU!); snowflake brads (Oriental Trading Co, I think)
Size: 5" square

Bring on the Bling!

Happy World Cardmaking Day!!

Today's challenge over at Our Creative Corner is to add bling to your card - anything shiny counts! As always, we'd love to have you play along! All the details are on the Our Creative Corner blog, where you'll also find samples from guest designer Michele Boyer, as well as the regular OCC team:

Cindy Haffner
Dawn Easton
Denise Marzec
Jennifer Meyer
Julee Tilman
Laurie Schmidlin
Lynda Benden

I still had "The Story of Us" paper pad on my craft table from a few days ago - it just begs for bling! The silhouette stamp is from Summer Botanicals by Flourishes. I stamped directly onto the blue designer paper in Versafine Onyx Black and added Martha Stewart Onyx glitter to it using heat-and-stick powder. There are also clear gemstones on the four corners of the main panel.

I've been getting quite a chuckle out of the guesses that have come in for this mystery photo. You still have a chance to win the card plus a little goody bag of fun papercrafting stuff. Deadline is Sunday, 9 am EST :)

My "Sketch For You To Try" sample is HERE!



Stamps: Summer Botanicals (Flourishes)
Paper: Basic Black, Ivory Naturals, Buckaroo Blue, Sahara Sand (SU!); "The Story of Us" dp (ATD/Momenta)
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: heat and stick powder, paper piercer, ticket corner punch, scalloped border punch (SU!); Onyx glitter (Martha Stewart); black satin ribbon (Offray); clear adhesive gemstone (Heidi Swapp)