Monday, September 29, 2008

Flourishes Featured Stamper #19!

Happy Monday everyone! A new week - a new "Featured Stamper!" We had fabulous entries this week! It was hard - as usual- to pick. But, one card really struck me for the layout and design. And so... without further ado....


This week's Featured Stamper is......


Stacy Morgan!


I really loved what Stacy did with the Bird and Vine set. It's a cool monochromatic look with a very interesting layout!


Don't you love the patchwork effect and the way she tilted the image to the side? I also love the fancy ribbon woven underneath. It's a lovely card done up with one of my favorite sets!

Stacy's second entry was something that I thought was just a perfectly crisp and clean card with an interesting color scheme for the holidays. She used the Rejoice set. I love the accent row of stamps and pearls along the sides!

Congrats Stacy! Your name will be thrown into the hat for a stamp set of your choice. You won't have to wait long-- the drawing will be this Wednesday! Keep those submissions coming ladies! I think I have said this a time or two - but we love seeing all the wonderfully inspiring creations that you come up with!

Until next week!!!

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Help us reward our designers!!

We'd like to thank all of our customers who have been using the designer bonus code (see info on the right) to help us reward the Flourishes design team for the great samples and tutorials they do. Some of you have indicated that there was a problem using Faith's code. We've tested the code and had tech support test it out and it looks like it is working. So if any of you had problems with Faith's, or any of the other designer codes and would like to make sure the designer that gives you inspiration gets credit for your order this month, please send us an e-mail to flourishesllccustomerservice@cox.net.
Thank you so much for your help! This program in ongoing, so when you place an order, use the designer code in the promotion box at checkout and help us reward your favorite designer!

Friday, September 26, 2008

Flourishes Friday!

Need a little inspiration to get those creative juices flowing this weekend? Well, we have it here with the Friends of Flourishes team! These ladies are amazing and we just can't wait to see what they will come up with next! This week does not disappoint!

Let's start our showcase with what I consider a real showstopper! Becca Feeken used the Flourishes Birds and Vine Set to create some "Tussie Mussies" with a vintage Christmas feel. I honestly have never heard this name before, but in essence, it's the cone shaped piece that holds a bouquet or goodies. Oh my! Isn't it regal and perfect for the holidays? I love all the attention to detail! If you'd like to see additional photos and find out how Becca did this - visit her place HERE.

Next up is Cindy Haffner! She created a lovely silhouette card with one of my all time favorite Flourishes sets - Spring Ephemerals. Don't you love the pairing of the light blue and kraft colored paper with the black? I sure do! Cindy created a classy high contrast card - it's something she does best!
Coffee anyone? This card by Cindy Lawrence using the Coffee With Friends set has a table set for two! I love the rich colors - there's a touch of brown but it's completely set off by that vibrant red, green and blue. I love the little additions Cindy always perfectly adds embellishments to cards to give it a little something extra. In this case - the brads and the ribbon both add a bit of pop!Speaking of pop, Laura Fredrickson has plenty going on in her card also using the Spring Ephemerals set! I love how Laura isn't afraid to take a risk or two when it comes to color. I would never have thought to pair this baby blue with a hot pink, but doesn't it work?? You bet it does! I think her card is absolutely stunning! The sentiment Laura used is from the Fantasy Floral Garden set.

And last, but not least is the fabulous Joan Bardee. She actually did surgery on her stamp set to make sure it could line up like this as a border! She used the Poppy Patch set and cut off the stem from one of the flowers. She said, and I agree, that with clear stamps, it is so easy to ammend them. When you want to use the stem, just align it back on the flower on your acryllic block and you are good to go! That's not stinkin' thinkin'!! Not to mention, Joan's card turned out absolutely beautiful. I love how Joan watercolors her images. She is always able to keep a vibrant color - which takes just the right touch!
Thanks for stopping by and checking in to see what these ladies have been up to! Stay tuned, we'll be back Sunday with the latest Featured Stamper!
Have a good weekend!

Thursday, September 25, 2008

It's in the Details !

Yesterday I shared with you the elements of my gift package ensemble made with the JustRite Baking Ensemble. Today I want to share some of the details and how to-s that you may find helpful in making your own gift packages.

So here is my finished product:



Here are the elements that I started with to make the project. These very simple items were turned into Cinderella like articles once they were treated to a bit of TLC.

1-The candy box was a very nice one that last year I emptied onto a plate and put the box away for a future project.

2 The glass bottle was as I said yesterday generously and willing donated by my husband that will use any excuse to guzzle a Starbucks cold.

3.The bag is a new product that will soon be on the shelves at Flourishes. The generous bag is approximately 4" X 9" with a fold down reclosable top. It is lined and food safe and will prove to be a wonderful way to share your wonderful creations with family and friends.

THE FUDGE BOX TAG:

Here is a close up of the tag and box.

THE DETAIL MAKE IT SPECIAL!

This Picture shows a lot of the detains in the box. After convering the box. I added some extra details to make it even more special...I'm just a detail kind of girl..LOL. If you look closely at the bottom part of the box you will notice that where the DP and box come together I added a 1/4" red satin ribbon to finish the edges. I really think that our mechanics in a project need to be hidden and this is a easy way to do this. I simply used the double stick tape in the 1/8" size along the joining edge then removed the paper side one side at a time and was very careful to kept a straight line. The is really and easy task with the Sookwang tape. I got this from Diana at Scor Pal and just LOVE the stuff......I have it in most of the sizes. Living in Florida where the humidity is a problem I really want my project to stay together and this tape is the answer. Next I added red and white gingham ribbon to the top where the edges of the paper came together.

The TAG: Using the Baking set and and additional 2 5/8" wood mount for this set I was ready for the task at hand:



...I wanted a very rich luscious look so I choose to ink up the JustRite image and wording ring with my encore gold ink and then added SU Gold Glory embossing powder. To cut the image, I used my Nestabilities in both the plain circle and scallops.



This picture shows you the cuts I made, with the exception of the Chocolate Chip circle used for the box. I used the very same sizes on each of the the tags just varying the colors, theme, and styles of tags....but each one has a circle tag from which I proceeded.

After embossing the image I layered it on to the Chocolate Chip and now doesn't it look quite professional?

I added a 1" red satin ribbon and tied it all together with the red and white gingham. I was pleased so far.

THE GOURMET COCOA MIX TAG

This was oh so easy

I used these Copic markers to color the tag which had been stamped onto Very Vanilla using Hybrid Palette Burnt Umber.

As you can see very little was done to enhance this tag. Simple coloring with the Copics and blender, a dab of the Liquid Pearls to make the whipped dream stand tall with peaks and this part of the tag was done. Because this was going to hang on the bottle it needed a little umph. With that in mind I added two layers, one in Chocolate Chip cardstock and a slightly smaller in the DP, both were cut with the rectangle Nesties. The pieces were all attached and I punched a small hole in the corner and ran a small red satin ribbon thru and placed it on the bottle.

THE COOKIE BAG:



How to impress your Family & Friends! This will be an easy way using the new soon to be available bag at Flourishes. It is an undiscoverd beauty just sitting there ready to be dressed up and given away. It is a food safe bag, but don't limit yourself to food with this great little treasure. To dress up this bag--a soon to be Cinderella, I measured the bag for length and width and cut two strips of DP paper to fit. These were attached to the bag with Sookwang tape. Before attaching the back strip I made my front flap on which the cookie detail was adhered. Now for a little deception, the bottom striped" flap" is made from the striped paper that was left over from covering the top of the fudge box. I simply trimmed it to size and attached it to the front of the bag. It will not move. The dotted flap/tag (this does actually flap from the back to the front of the bag) was cut using a square scallop Nesties in Very Vanilla and just a little over half of the actual size of the square. The scallop tag was attached to the back of the bag, then the second brown dotted strip was taped and attached to cover the mechanics on the back of the bag. The front of the flap of vanilla dotted DP was finished off using the same edge treatment as I used in the entire process. I made my tag stamping on Real Red using SU Craft Vanilla ink...still not a good photo. The scallop next layer has a simple dot in each scallop, then a second scallop, this time in Chocolate Chip was layered. Between the layers I hid my two streamers of the red and white gingham.

VIOLA! There are the details of this fun set. Now I am going to challenge you to make some of your own and share them with me. I want to see your version of these packages. Don't have the new JustRite items....no problem, just click HERE , you will be at the Stampers Toys, in the Flourishes store. There we have a great selection of JustRite products.

Thanks for looking over my shoulder today. I really appreciate it that you took the time from your busy schedule to share the moments and projects of today. I hope you enjoyed the details in these projects.

Ciao,

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

JustRite Baking Ensemble

The last part of the much awaited JustRite shipment arrived here at Flourishes. So now the store has great stock of all the items, including the Baking Ensemble and the Birthday Ensemble and ALL of the wood block work with all of the items.

Today I have made up a ensemble of gift packages using the Baking Ensemble. I hope that you will be inspired to start making creative packaging for your holiday goodies that you will shower on your family and friends.

Today I am sharing the general view of the ensemble and tomorrow I will share with you the particulars for making these cute packages.

Here is the group photo of the entire ensemble. VIOLA!

Here are some individual shots of each of these cuties:


The Box for Fudge!


Doesn't that make you want to open the box and savor the morsels of fudge? I will have more photos and instructions in tomorrow's post.

This is my bottle of Gourmet Cocoa Mix.





You are right, I reused a Starbucks bottle. My hubby is more that eager to drink the contents as he say s"If I must!" and "For a Good Cause" LOL. The coloring on this label is the most I did on any of the items. I used liquid pearls to make the whipped cream on the top of the mug and IRL it looks real and good enough to eat!

For my third piece of the ensemble I made a Cookie Bag.



It is really cute and functional. The base is made from a food safe bag soon to be available at Flourishes! It is lined and will be the source of many creative options. Watch for the bags to show up any day now. I will have more details of these tomorrow.

The actual label is stamped in SU Vanilla Craft ink, but I was having a hard time with the color showing up correctly. Maybe I can get a better shot tomorrow using morning outdoor light.


Viola!

This was a great deal of fun. I love the colors of chocolate, vanilla, and red. The papers are ones I have had from Stampin' Up! and were just right (no punster here...hehe) for this project.

I hope you have enjoyed the visit to the Atelier today. I certainly appreciate you taking your precious time to spend a few moments with me. I hope you will come back tomorrow. If you have not subscribed, please do, so we have a chance to get better acquainted.

Ciao,










Monday, September 22, 2008

Flourishes Featured Stamper!

Hi all! Mondays mean a whole new week and another featured stamper for Flourishes! This week, I actually gasped at one of the entries. It was feminine, it had gorgeous sheer ribbon and had plenty of sparkle. It was downright dazzling!

Before I show you the card that took my breath away... let me tell you who made it!

This week's featured stamper is.......

Latisha Yoast!

Congrats Latisha! You really rocked it this week! Here is the card that sealed the deal!

This card sparkles on-line. Can you imagine what it looks like IRL? OH MY! I love the way Latisha colored the tulip from the Thank You set and I love how there is just a crisp look with the accents of black. Add the dazzling glitter, some sheer ribbon and there you have the formula for a beauty of a card!

Latisha, you'll be entered into the monthly drawing on October 1st for a free set of your choice. Keep those cards coming people! As I have said before, you inspire! You show us how to use Flourishes stamps in a way we might not have thought of before!

Sunday, September 21, 2008

A World Without Alzheimer's

During Gina K’s last release, Carolyn King illustrated a stamp set called Whimsical Autumn as a touching way to remember her grandma who just passed away from Alzheimer’s disease. Hearing the story of how much her grandma meant to her tugged on our heart strings here at Flourishes. So many of our design team members have a personal tie to this hideous disease. And, we know we are not unique. Right now, more than 5 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s. Every 71 seconds, someone will develop it. It’s the sixth leading cause of death. As a team here at Flourishes, we got to thinking. We should buy Carolyn’s set knowing that 100% of Carolyn’s proceeds will go toward the Alzheimer’s Association in honor of her grandmother. We decided to put our arms around Carolyn in a way we know best – to stamp our hearts out in honor of her cause. We hope you travel from blog to blog and read our stories. If you can, buy Carolyn’s set knowing you will be helping other families who are working through this as well.

To see how our team is helping in the cause - visit:

Julie Koerber
Cindy Haffner
Cindy Lawrence
Leslie Miller
Susan Roberts
Faith Hofrichter
Barb Schram
Laura Fredrickson
Jan Marie Caruso
Sharon Doolittle
Nancy Kirk

And... don't forget to stop by Carolyn's blog, she has major blog candy that she is giving away in honor of Alzheimer's Awareness day!

Friday, September 19, 2008

Flourishes Friday

Friday is almost over and here we are just now sharing Flourishes Friday! But, just think- here's a bunch of beautiful inspiration to jump start some creativity over the weekend!

When I first saw this card by Laura Fredrickson, don't laugh, but I thought "sexy!" It's got flowers, drama, velvet, black with a pop of red -- that's ooooo la la! I love the layout, the slant with the velvet ribbon and blinged up buckle hanging down the side. It's a very unique layout and uses one of my favorite stamp sets of all time - the Stamp Simply Thank You set! This next card using the Bird And Vine set by Joan Bardee reminds me of a brilliant sunset. Joan says the card IS brilliant IRL because the base, while it looks like chocolate brown, it is actually a metallic bronze. The ribbon is a perfect sparkly match. If you want to read up on how she did her background - click HERE. That vibrant sunset like color is none other than Twinkling H20's!
Next up? Cindy Lawrence! She pairs the perfect Euphoria Basic Grey paper with the fabulous images in Fantasy Floral Garden set. Even the lucious ribbon came straight from the Flourishes store. Don't you love that scalloped edge ribbon underneath the light pink ribbon? I also like the pearls and gems that give this card so much sophistication. To finish this off, she used Crystal Effects to give the vase a lifelike feel! This next card by Cindy Haffner is one that offers up a bit of bold contrast! The Forget-me-nots from the Spring Ephemerals set take on a more striking look instead of sweet and simple. I love how the white dots are carried through all the card's layers and even top off all the flowers! When you're done, you have a bold card with a feminine feel. I love the extras like the ribbon, brads and flower!
This last one by Becca Feeken using Flourishes Damask could be called Part Two of last week's Flourishes Friday. Last week Becca served up a place setting and menu that had a real Flourishes flair! Today, the ambiance for your Thanksgiving table continues with a set of coasters. She used a 3X3 picture frame! Want to find out how she did these one-of-a-kind creations? Click HERE. Hope you enjoy this week's dose of inspiration! We are so thankful for the the talented artists who really make Flourishes shine! Thank you ladies. You do inspire!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Things are JustRite at Flourishes!

Whew! We spent the day unpacking boxes and boxes of more JustRite Products - we received the bulk of our order, and although we are waiting for just a few more items, look at what we have in store for you!!









The new Sonnet Stamper kit - don't you just love the new color?









More centers and borders - when you order these, please read the description and sizes. There are new sizes for some of these and some come with a wood mount, some without.



Harmony Classic Circle II Ensemble













Sonnet Designer Borders and Centers














Harmony Classic Oval II Ensemble














Harmony Classic Circle III Ensemble














Christmas Ensemble










Baby Ensemble












Finally we have rectangle, circle and oval wood mounts!



Ovals come in two sizes

Small
Large

















Circles come in three sizes, but we only have two at this time:

Small
Large
















The rectangle set contains two wood mounts.









All our JustRite products can be found in our Stampers Toy's section!

And - to make room for these new products, some of the other JustRite will be on sale for 15% off until they are gone, so check out the store for specials!

Flourishes Featured Stamper!

I know I have been a bad blogger. My hubby and I's anniversary had to go and get in the way of a great announcement!! We had a great time, and now the time is more than overdue to share some of this past week's projects and, of course, the Featured Stamper!

This week's Featured Stamper is.........



When I saw her creations, I was amazed at how she jumped right in with some of the brand new releases! She wasn't the only one either. Before we are through, I'll show you some other very striking creations... stay tuned.

Lois used the new Forest of Trees set to create this breathtaking scene. I just could smell the fresh country air looking at her card. I also love her simple and elegant creation using the brand new set, Mixed Greetings. Do you see the postage inspired paper she used! So fabulous!
And finally, look at this creation using the Bird And Vine set. It is so elegant with the sheer ribbon, the dangling charm and the bling. Did you notice she stamped her images directly on decorative paper? That was part of Faith's weekly challenge and in this case -- it's brilliant!
Thanks Lois for some fabulous creations!

Before I sign off, I did want to share the rest of the Flourishes fashions I loved from this past week!

This one is so stunning from Stacy Morgan using the Bird And Vine set! That pop of red is just striking with that lucious red satin ribbon! I also love the embossed frame!
This creation from Latisha Yoast is a real "Wow!" card using the Mixed Greetings set. She used tissue paper to streak on distress ink to give this card a real antiqued look! Love the reddish tones with brown! It's a yummy color combo!


This next creation from Lisa Zappa just screams spring. With winter on the horizon, don't we need some fresh, colorful and creative cards to keep a little spring in our hearts? I love how each creation using the Peony set is just a tad bit different and how she matched up the decorative paper to her whole card set scheme. Fabu!
And our final creation is simply elegant using the Siberian Iris set. I love the shades of purple Michelle Woerner used to make this iris sing! It's just a beauty!
Thanks ladies for all the wonderful, wonderful submissions. I swear it gets better each and every week! You all inspire us beyond words! Lois, your name will be put into the hat for the drawing for one free stamp set on October 1st! I can't wait to see what you all come up with this week!

Saturday, September 13, 2008

JustRite at Flourishes!

We've just received some of our new JustRite product in yesterday! This represents about half of the new JustRite products that we will be carrying and we wanted to make them available to you right away!
There are updated Monogram Stamper Kits: Damask, Special Occasions and Curlz are updated and contain three font sets with symbols (one 95 point and two 50 point) with a stackable type storage container, three interchangeable designer borders and centers and a 1 5/8" circle wooden mount.





Are you in need of a wedding set? The Wedding Stamp Ensemble is a versatile set that contains 6 Borders and 6 Sentiments and gives you so many possibilities for invitations, gift cards and thank you notes.




Fonts, fonts and more fonts!! Four different font sets: Trompe Script, Times New Roman, Special Occasions and Curlz. Each set contains five sets of letters, numbers and symbols with a stackable type storage case - one 95 point, two 50 point and two 25 point sets.









These are great products and very popular. Place your order now get in on the fun!