Timeless Tuesday!

It is time for Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge(FTTC13)!!!! Thanks so much to all of you who played along with us last week!!! WOW!!!! There were so many fabulous looking cards using the acetate!!!! Keep reading to find out who won!

For those of you who are new, the Friends of Flourishes blog team are bringing you exciting and different challenges each week. Everyone can PLAY and anyone can WIN! Make sure you continue reading to find out how.

This week Cindy Haffner is hosting. She is challenging us to a sketch she has designed. As far as sketches go, there is not much of an explanation necessary. You can turn it and modify the shapes to fit your size card, but in the end, it should still look like the sketch. Good Luck!!! We cannot wait to see what you do with it!

Let's go see what the blog team has created using this sketch!!!!

Up first is our sketch challenge host, Cindy Haffner. She is using the Mixed Greetings sets. I love how she interpreted the four squares behind the circle in the sketch with an interlocking loop frame die cut. I love the colors and patterns on this card and how they showcase beautifully the paper pieced vase and wonderfully colored flowers in this set. As always, Cindy accessorized this card gorgeous, too!!! Fabulous, Cindy!!!

Next, we move on to Kimberly Crawford. Kimberly is using the All Wrapped Up set for the lovely package and the newly released Sweet Violets set for her sentiment. I love these colors, patterns, and the beautifully colored Birthday package!!! Kim has chosen to created a more solid background behind the circle image, yet the dp gives the illusion that it is divided. Beautifully done, Kim!!! Love this striking Birthday card!!!






Next is Silke Ledlow . She is using the newly release Swing Set stamp set. I love how Silke interpreted the sketch. She embossed the four panels of the background. She watercolored the picturesque image and added some shimmerz to give it some extra sparkle. I love the beautiful pearl frame detailing around the circle. This card is just a breath of fresh air!!!! Gorgeous, Silke!!!!








Up last is Betty Wright. I am using the Siberian Iris set. With Mother's Day just a couple of weeks away, now is the time to order this beautiful set!!! I interpreted the squares behind the circle with more layers. I used the Spellbinders Label three diecuts to layer behind squares. I am also using some Memory Box dp. I reconfigure the sketch to fit my square card. I added some shimmerz to my iris to give it alittle sparkly sheen.

Be sure to check out each designer's blog links for more specific card details.

The Winner for Timeless Tuesday Challenge FTTC12

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers: 8
Timestamp: 2009-04-28 00:49:24 UTC

Lois is this week's winner!!!
Congratulations, Lois!!!!
You need to email: flourishesllccustomerservice@cox.net
for your coupon code!!!!

By the way, if you still do not have our lovely Timeless Tuesday
blog button for your blog, check here for the codes.

Now, it is your turn to play in our Flourishes Favorites challenge!!!!
Here are the rules!!!!

• Anyone can play whether you have Flourishes stamps or not. Of course, if you have Flourishes stamps, by all means, use them.
• Use code word FTTC13 when linking to SCS or public gallery.
• Leave a comment on this post with a link to your creation. Please give a direct link to your blog post so we can see the Flourishes challenge post and not just the generic page. To get the full link, click to read the comments. Another page will open that will have just the one card and your comments. Copy and paste that link here in the comments section.
• If you use either your blog link or online gallery, please give an active Flourishes Newsletter link.
• You can combine this challenge with as many others as you want.
• The challenge runs from Tuesday, 12:01 am until Monday at 8 pm EST
• Enjoy yourself!!!

We cannot wait to see what you create! As always, thanks so much for stopping by!

Your Friends of Flourishes!

To Answer Two Questions

Yesterday, Christine, an interested shopper, mentioned a few things in her comment and I will address them all.

First, she mentioned that she could not find a way to contact Flourishes, the addresses for Flourishes are:

flourishesllc@cox.net

flourishesllccustomerservice@cox.net

I will make sure that this is clearly visible on the blog.. sorry about that oversight.

The next question was about Nesties and the Cuttlebug...the answer is a loud yes! Nancy K did a great tutorial on this topic and you can find it here:http://flourishesnewsletter.blogspot.com/2007/12/using-nestabilities-in-your-cuttlebug.html

Another question wa about Sweet Peas. We are AGAIN out of SWEET PEAS . We are pleased that you like this set as much as we do. We are patiently awaiting our shipment of the set and will place it on the store as soon as it arrives. We will announce that here on the front page of the store, our SCS forum, and on the Flourishes forum on Papercraft Planet.

If you have questions, please don't hesitate to email them to either of the addresses.

Ciao,

Flourishes Focus: Flower Soft

Hello friends~

It's time for another Flourishes Friday Focus! It's Cindy Lawrence here, and I've got a fun product focus this week...Flower Soft.

I'm sure you've seen it around, after all Flourishes carries a lovely selection in the Flourishes store. Maybe you even have some...and maybe you aren't really sure what to do with it. Today, I have a quick tutorial for you that will hopefully give you a little inspiration, as well as some helpful tips.

What you need to get started:

• A stamped image of anything you'd like to give some soft texture to.
• A jar or two of Flower Soft - I've used the Summer mix here.
• A large container to dump your Flower Soft into. It needs room to expand!
  
• Flower Soft Glue - a quick-drying tacky glue with a fine tip for precision.

Prepare your Flower Soft by dumping some out into the large container. You will find that those little jars hold a lot! It is very tightly packed, and you will need to pinch it to get some out of the jar. I like to then "fluff" up my Flower Soft by sifting it through my fingers, to break up any clumps.

After you've stamped your image, you will apply Flower Soft Glue to the area to be covered in Flower Soft. If you'll be covering a large area, you may need to do it in sections to prevent it from drying out before you're ready.

Now you're ready to apply the Flower Soft to your glued image. Hold the image over the large container and sprinkle FS onto it until it is completely covered. Then, gently press the FS into the image until it is fully adhered.



Next, tap off any excess, and complete your project. How easy is that?!



I used the Pale Green Flower Soft for the grass. I just love the texture and dimension this wonderful, fuzzy stuff gives to my card! Other ideas for Flower Soft are moss, snow, fuzzy animals, flowers and flower centers, teddy bears, baby blankets, and so much more.

What is it made of, you ask? Well, that is apparently a trade secret; but what I do know is that it is acid-free, non-toxic, man-made fiber...and it has a spongy texture that springs right back when you squish it. It is virtually indestructible...really cooool stuff!

I hope you've enjoyed the tutorial, and are inspired to make some fun Flower Soft samples of your own!

Check out the fabulous Flower Soft creations of the rest of the design team:

Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Julie Koerber
Latisha Yoast
Laura Fredrickson
Leslie Miller

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! Thanks for dropping in on us! :)

A fun afternoon project!

If you've been searching for just the right gift for your mom or grandma this Mother's Day, I (Julie) thought I'd share an easy project that makes an artist out of anyone!

All you need is a unfinished wood frame (I bought mine for $1 at Michael's), your favorite stamp set (I picked up my Sweet Pea set ), StazOn ink, some acrylic paint, a fine and a fine line black permanent paint.

I started by giving my frame a white wash - which is just painting it with watered down white paint. After it dried, I stamped my Sweet Peas in each corner. With StazOn, you want to make sure that you clean your stamp right away! This is a solvent based ink. It's ok in short spurts, but leave the ink on your polymer stamp and over time, it could damage the polymer!

Here's a look so far!
And, here's a close up....
These are the colors of paint that I picked - two shades of green, two shades of pink and some white....(they are all "well loved" bottles of paint!)

Then, I started to paint with a fine tip paint brush, making sure to darken the areas I wanted shadows and lightening highlighted areas with dabs of white.

While the look above is "OK," I knew I wanted to see the definition in my flowers. So, I grabbed a permanent file line black pen and started to outline the stamped image - like this....

Now I was in a quandary because I thought it didn't look soft enough! So, I let the permanent black pen ink dry and then I took my white wash paint (watered down paint) and I took a foam sponge and sponged the white wash over my entire frame. When this was done, I took a large dry brush and dipped it a bit into ivory paint and added some antique streaks. Its a great way to get a hand painted look without being an artist!! :-)

When it was done it looked like this....

I just love that picture of my daughter and her Nana! So did my daughter! It now sits on the shelf in her room.

Hope you enjoyed this little project. Like I said - all you need is a fun stamp, some paint, a picture frame.... and an afternoon!

Timeless Tuesday!

It is time for Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge(FTTC12)!!!! Thanks so much to all of you who played along with us last week. I love all the many piercing cards and ideas you all shared.

Keep reading to find out who won!

For those of you who are new, the Friends of Flourishes blog team are bringing you exciting and different challenges each week. Everyone can PLAY and anyone can WIN! Make sure you continue reading to find out how.

Kimberly Crawford is our challenge hostess this week. She clearly has a challenge that will make you see things in a whole new way. She is challenging us to use acetate or clear cardstock. You can use clear acetate in many ways. Whether it is for the card base, a frame, windows, or embellishments, or some unique way you have to showcase acetate, we cannot wait to see what you can create.

Let's go see what the blog team created for you this week and how we each used clear cardstock on our cards. All of us designers are using the clear cardstock sold in the Flourishes store. I will tell you in a bit how you can get this cardstock at a special price.

Up first is Silke Ledlow . She is using the Sweet Pea and Many Sentiments set. She has an acetate card base that she has lined with cardstock on the inside of the front cover. She has torn , frayed, and layered the edges of the focal Sweet Pea image for added texture and dimension. She finished her card with some satin ribbon with hardware detail framed sentiment. Beautifully done, Silke!!!!

Next is Becca Feeken. She is using Damask and Timeless Quotes for her card. She has stamped the damask image in the background and created a double multi-layered frame. The inside of the center frame she uses one of the sentiments in the Timeless Quotes set. She stamped this onto the clear acetate creating a very ornate sentiment window frame. The textural bow finishes this card off beautifully. Wonderfully done, Becca!!!!

Up next is Betty Wright. I am using one of this month's new releases Sweet Violets . I colored the image and used the Spellbinders Label three diecuts to layer my main image. I am also using Memory Box dp. For the acetate challenge, I ran the clear cardstock through a cuttlebug embossing folder and punched out a couple of butterflies to add textured acetate embellishments to my card. I topped each butterfly with a halfback pearl.

Next we move on to Cindy Haffner. She is using the Sweet Pea set. She is using a clear cardstock base. Cindy has focused on using the image with a few layers as her focal image allowing more of the clear cardstock to show. She has colored, cut out, and popped up portions of the sweet pea flowers. Love how she sponged the inside of the framed flowers for added detail. She finished off her card with a green sprig die cut. Beautifully done, Cindy!!!!

Last up this week is Dee Jackson. Dee is using the I Love Roses set. Love the beautifully colored purple rose. Dee is using a clear cardstock base that she has backed with some Basicgrey Euphoria dp. She cut out a mega curved rectangle and used a smaller die cut to create for the sentiment that is smaller than the initial cut out frame. The final look is a floating sentiment or clear framed look. Beautifully done, Dee.

Be sure to check out each designer's blog links for more specific card details.

I mentioned earlier that the clear cardstock can be purchased for a special price. However, it is for today only. Click here to get to the store for this special buy.

The Winner for Timeless Tuesday Challenge FTTC11

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:14
Timestamp: 2009-04-21 03:26:49 UTC

Adela (Adela Rossol) is this week's winner!!!

Congratulations, Adela !!!!

You need to email: flourishesllccustomerservice@cox.net

for your coupon code!!!!

By the way, if you still do not have our lovely Timeless Tuesday

blog button for your blog, check here for the codes.

Now, it is your turn to play in our Flourishes Favorites challenge!!!!

Here are the rules!!!!

• Anyone can play whether you have Flourishes stamps or not. Of course, if you have Flourishes stamps, by all means, use them.
  Use code word FTTC12 when linking to SCS or public gallery.
• Leave a comment on this post with a link to your creation. Please give a direct link to your blog post so we can see the Flourishes challenge post and not just the generic page. To get the full link, click to read the comments. Another page will open that will have just the one card and your comments. Copy and paste that link here in the comments section.
• If you use either your blog link or online gallery, please give an active Flourishes Newsletter link. You can combine this challenge with as many others as you want.
• The challenge runs from Tuesday, 12:01 am until Monday at 8 pm EST
• Enjoy yourself!!!
  
  

We cannot wait to see what you create!!!! As always, thanks so much for stopping by!!!!

Your Friends of Flourishes!

Friday Focus ...knot what you think!

Happy Friday! Today's Friday Focus is being shown by me Stacy.

I bet you think its on satin ribbon! Well, surprise! It's not. Its actually on ribbon knots themselves. I have a few different ways I like to tie my ribbon. I have used the same elements on each card to show you how the ribbon can add a different look for each one depending on how its tied.


For the main image, I inked it up and then stamped it on scrap paper. I then colored the flowers that I wanted darker with markers and then huffed on the stamp before I stamped the image. This gives a softer look to the image. The ribbon and pearls are all from Flourishes.

This one is my all fancied up versions, right out the gates. I love big ribbon bows like this on cards. I think it just adds to the flair! Usually these type of cards I send out with a package so the fancy bow doesn't get all smooshed in the envelope.










This knot uses a smaller version of fancy but still adds a special touch to the card to dress it up a little. This is great for smaller pieces of ribbon or even smaller areas on the card front.



I use this type of knot pretty much for any scraps of ribbon I have. I won't throw away any ribbon bits. It's also a great way to cut the ends a little fancier as well. This knot I usaually do to fill a space at the top or bottom of a card. If I can't seem to find something to fill that spot, I put the ribbon there! It gives the space something and it adds a touch of fancy without having to think about it.

I hope you enjoyed my idea on knots for cards. There are so many I am sure I haven't even tried yet. These are just my "go to" knots. If you have a ribbon tip/trick, be sure to leave a comment here. I am sure we'd all love to know your ribbon tying secrets!


FYI: The design team has put together their favorite ribbon tying techniques, so be sure to hop on over to their blogs to check out their fancy creations!

Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Faith Hofrichter
Julie Koerber
Latisha Yoast
Laura Fredrickson
Leslie Miller
Sharon Doolittle

Have a wonderful day!
~ Stacy

Two for the Show

Hello Friends,

My grandmother taught me this verse, "One for the Money, two for the show"......Did you learn the verse when you were young? I just love these kinds of things and they pop into my mind from time to time. Last week when I was working at Flourishes this just popped in and stayed for several days and now I have found a good way to put it to use. My focus for this post is the Two Scoops papers and two yummy new silk ribbons from the store.

Now doesn't that look soft and feminine, yet so today and for this spring season we are all so glad to see.

The Basic Grey Two Scoops Collection is a 6" x 6" pad of 36 wonderful creations of pinks and blues in wonderful combinations with touches of yellows and greens. Here are some of the great papers from the Blues in the collection with the Silk May Arts ribbon laid in for you.

And the Pinks are just as pretty; here see for yourself.

Aren't they just all wonderful? Pair them as you like with the really fun Chairs For You stamp set and you have a great combination to get you on your mark and ready to go!

The package is all done in a careful selection of papers, ribbons, and stamp set,. Now let's see you put it to work. The price for this deal is $27.75, that's a sweet deal!

So..."One for the Money, Two for the Show., Three to Get Ready, and Four to Go"...as in Go Shopping!!! Now that's something that Gigi, Chloe and I love to do....Shop!

Kisses on each cheek,

The Copic Collection

Last February, the wheels started spinning for those of us at Flourishes. Looking at our store full of gorgeous floral images, we figured why not teach our stamp lovers how to use our images with those fabulous Copic markers.

This was the result.....
We welcomed in some of the best cardmakers in stamp land for a Copic Certification Class to learn from the best - Copic Instructor Marianne Walker.

After the last class wrapped up and we waved our final goodbyes to the wonderful ladies who spent the weekend with us, we got out the Copic color chart and literally spent hours studying it, trying to figure out ways that we could make Copics easy for everyone to use! We scribbled and colored and crafted own special color collections. We call it "Copics made easy!" So often, we hear complaints from stampers that they didn't get the right color combinations to be able to use their markers with success. Others gave up before they even really gave it a try!

These groupings are in natural color blending families. They are done so that the levels of color blend perfectly when shaded together. Each one of our collections will take the guesswork out of trying to figure out which colors will blend perfectly.

So, without further ado, we introduce you to the Copic Collection! Edited To Add: Somehow,when we loaded all our Copic collections to our Newsletter, we forgot our collections with shades of pink! So, don't worry, we have you covered there too!

Aren't those combinations delicious? We personally love how we've named them after florals and foliage. We are as equally excited about the depth of color and our customers' ability to pick up a collection here and there to add to their base of Copic markers. It makes it more affordable! And, to underscore just how easy it will be to use these collections straight out of the box, we'll give you a tip sheet with each purchase.

These markers are not yet in the store, but once we get a shipping order from Copic,we'll open these up for pre-order so that once they arrive, they can immediately be shipped right out to you! As always, our pricing will be very competitive to what is now on the market.

We are excited about this venture! We know anything we can do to make it more fun to color up all our fabulous Flourishes images is worth it!

Caio!

Timeless Tuesday!

It is time for Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge(FTTC11)!!!! Thanks so much to all of you who played along with us last week. Keep reading to find out who won with our favorites challenge last week.

For those of you who are new to the site, the Friends of Flourishes blog team are bringing you exciting and different challenges each week. Everyone can PLAY and anyone can WIN! Make sure you continue reading to find out how.

Becca Feeken is our challenge hostess this week. She is challenging us to paper piercing. Paper piercing is the art of piercing holes through the cardstock for decoration. Paper piercing has evolved so much in the past couple of years with the invention of some highly detailed piercing templates. There are all kinds of piercing ideas to use. Whether it is just a pierced frame or border, some pierced corner accents, a few pierced dots here and there, or you go all out with ornate piercing template patterns, we would love to see what you create.

Come along with me and let's see what the blog team created for you this week and how they used the piercing challenge!!!!

Up first is our challenge hostess Becca Feeken. She is using the newly released
Vintage Wallpaper background and the Sweet Pea set for the sentiment. She colored the background image with two colors to create this beautiful look. She is using a circular ornare template to create a piercing focal point for her card. She has finished it off with a gorgeous organdy with satin piping bow and touches of pearls. Beautifully done, Becca!!!!







Betty Wright is next. I am using two newly released sets Vintage Wallpaper background and Swing Set . I stamped the background image using versamark. I colored and layered the focal image with the new release Spellbinders Label three diecuts. I added a few pierced details at the corners and along the design points in the background. I finished with a few pearls. I thought the pierced scallops in the border punch looked paper pierced, so I added it as a faux paper pierced edging.

Cindy Haffner is next. She is using the Summer on the Patio set to create a springtime invitation!!! I love the colors and all the wonderful border punch detailing. I love how she colored the image and created a sidewalk scene for the patio and chair. She is using some Memory Box dp which coordinates beautifully with this set, too. Cindy has added some corner pierce detailing in the focal image and on the tag. Just beautiful, Cindy!!!!

Next up is Dee Jackson. Dee is using the newly released Sweet Violets set. Dee has colored the violets with prisma colored pencils and baby oil. I love the colors and the shadowing effect. Dee used the paper piercing mat to add piercing to the tag and to create a frame around the focal image. Love how she backed the piercing in white cardstock so the color shows through. Wonderfully done, Dee!!!!

Next, we move on to Kimberly Crawford. Kimberly is using the newly released Sweet Violets set, too. Kim chose to watercolor her violets. She is using some of the fabulous European Watercolor paper . I love the coloring and the touches of little violets with leaves on either side of the sentiment. The outside scalloped circle is pierced to offer a subtle detail. Just gorgeous, Kimberly!!!!

Last, but certainly not least this week is Silke Ledlow . She, too, is using the newly released Sweet Violets set. She has colored the violets with copics and cut out a few and popped them up on dimension for added height and interest. She is also using a border ornare piercing template and create very ornate pierced borders on either side of the focal image. Beautifully done, Silke!!!!

Be sure to check out each designer's blog links for more specific card details.

The Flourishes newly released stamp sets are still available in a bundle set with discount until this Friday, April 16! Here is the link to the two bundles available this month.

The Winner for Timeless Tuesday Challenge FTTC10

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:15
Timestamp: 2009-04-14 03:05:12 UTC

Liz Williams (Liz or Lazylizard at SCS) is this week's winner!!!

Congratulations, Liz!!!! WooHoo!!!!

You need to email: flourishesllccustomerservice@cox.net

for your coupon code!!!!

By the way, if you still do not have our lovely Timeless Tuesday

blog button for your blog, check here for the codes.

Now, it is your turn to play in our Flourishes Favorites challenge!!!!
Here are the rules!!!!

• Anyone can play whether you have Flourishes stamps or not. Of course, if you have Flourishes stamps, by all means, use them.


• Use code word FTTC11 when linking to SCS or public gallery.


• Leave a comment on this post with a link to your creation. Please give a direct link to your blog post so we can see the Flourishes challenge post and not just the generic page. To get the full link, click to read the comments. Another page will open that will have just the one card and your comments. Copy and paste that link here in the comments section.


• If you use either your blog link or online gallery, please give an active Flourishes Newsletter link. You can combine this challenge with as many others as you want.


• The challenge runs from Tuesday, 12:01 am until Monday at 8 pm EST.


• Enjoy yourself!!!
  
  

We cannot wait to see what you create!!!! As always, thanks so much for stopping by!!!!

Your Flourishes Friends!!!

The final winners!!!

We hope you enjoyed watching our designers create their sneaks this week! We told you yesterday that we'd be drawing for the final bit of blog candy and would be giving away our Vintage Wallpaper backgrounder!

Well, random.org drew the number 32, which means......MaryAnn is the winner! She wrote:

what a gorgeous set. so soft and so feminine. Kudos to the design team. This looks to be a must have. MaryAnn

Friday, April 10, 2009 8:53:00 AM

MaryAnn, just email us at flourishesllccustomerservice@cox.net with your contact information and "Vintage Wallpaper" in the subject line and we'll go ahead and send your stamp right out to you!

Also, the winner of the Swing into Spring Challenge is Abbey's Garden on SCS! Abbey just shoot us an email at flourishesllccustomerservice@cox.net and you will have all THREE new stamp sets sent to you!

Thanks everyone for stopping by! It was a lot of fun!

The Sets Are LIVE!

Gosh, we had such a great time tonight at our release party and while we are sad it's over, we're happy to be able to show you all of our April sets -- in full glory!

Sweet Violets

Swing Set
Vintage Wallpaper

And... back by popular demand is our New Release Bundle -- 10% off when you purchase all three NEW RELEASES! There are actually two bundles -- one includes the Thinking of You set. Yes. We know it's been previously released - but here's your chance to get the perfect companion to Vintage Wallpaper for 10% off!

Click HERE to head on over to the Flourishes store!

Happy shopping!

Swing Into Spring - Day 3!

There are times in your cardmaking when you just need to reach for a stamp that oozes sophistication and class. Nothing does that better than a beautiful background that you can play off of with some elegant words. Thanks to the talented artistry of Marcella Hawley.... we have just that stamp!


Introducing.....


This stamp with its dainty design is a perfect companion to our Thinking of You set that was released late last year. All of the elements are designed to mix and mingle for those times when a simple background and heartfelt sentiment will do.


You'll have to see what the Senior Design Team did with this fabulous new background! A lot of them did pull out their Thinking of You set to show you just what you can do with the whole collection!


Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Faith Hofrichter
Julie Koerber
Latisha Yoast
Laura Fredrickson
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan
Jan Marie Caruso
Sharon Doolittle


FYI: If you have loved the Thinking of You set and haven't added it to your "stamp collection" - don't worry! We are going to be offering Thinking of You in a bundle with the other three new sets at 10% off! We'll also have our new release bundle, which will offer all three sets at 10% off as well. All of the sets will be live in the store as our release party wraps up tomorrow night! So... get ready to shop! It's only a matter of time before you can have these beauties in your inky little hands!


Now... to the winner of yesterday's Swing Set giveaway! Random.org drew the number 26, which means Crystal is our lucky winner!


Crystal said...
Oh, so cute ... would love to win that !


Crystal simply email us at flourishesllccustomerservice@cox.net with "Swing Set" in the subject line. Be sure to include your contact information and we will go ahead and get your stamp set sent right to you!


We hope to see you TONIGHT at our RELEASE PARTY! It will run from 8 to 10 CST in the Flourishes Forum over on SCS! We have games, giveaways and more peeks at these new releases! Can't wait to see you there!


And, the clock is ticking! If you'd like to try your hand at WINNING all three of our new releases -- don't forget our "Swing Into Spring"challenge! All you need to do is give paper piecing a try! Use Flourishes stamps if you have them, but if you don't -- play anyway! We'd love to see what you create! See the end of THIS post for all the details! This contest closes at 5 PM Eastern! So, get those cards in!


Thanks for stopping by!

Swing Into Spring - Day 2!

Remember those days as a child running outside with not a care in the world? Today's sneak peek brings back those memories - when an old swing tied to a beautiful tree just called your name and didn't care how long you spent going back and forth beneath the tree's branches.


Introducing.....



This fanciful set drawn by the talented Lauren Pope is really like nothing else on the stamp market today! There are different elements aimed at creating scenes to help you get in the 'swing' of things. There's a beautiful child waiting for someone to give her a push and a grown woman who isn't afraid to be a kid at heart! All the images in this set are sure to bring a smile to your face!


Want to win this set? All you need to do is leave a comment on this post. It's just that simple! We'll announce the winner in tomorrow's post!


As you swing your way out of here, be sure to check out the fabulous samples our design team put together!


Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Faith Hofrichter
Julie Koerber
Latisha Yoast
Laura Fredrickson
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan
Jan Marie Caruso
Sharon Doolittle



Now, drum roll please! Thanks to random.org, the winner of yesterday's Sweet Violets giveaway is number 34. Which means, the winner is....

Janet L. said...
I have always loved violets! Would love to have the stamp set. Thanks for the chance to win! Wednesday, April 08, 2009 7:25:00 AM



Janet simply email us at flourishesllccustomerservice@cox.net with "Sweet Violets" in the subject line. Be sure to include all of your contact information, and we'll get your set sent right out to you!



The energy is building for our RELEASE PARTY set for FRIDAY, April 10th from 8 to 10 CST in the Flourishes Forum over on SCS! We have games, giveaways and more peeks at these new releases! Can't wait to see you there!


And, if you'd like to try your hand at WINNING all three of our new releases -- don't forget our "Swing Into Spring"challenge! All you need to do is give paper piecing a try! Use Flourishes stamps if you have them, but if you don't -- play anyway! We'd love to see what you create! See the end of THIS post for all the details!Thanks for stopping by! We'll see you back here tomorrow for the final day --DAY 3 of our sneak peeks!


Thanks for stopping by!

Swing Into Spring - Day 1!

They say April showers bring May flowers. At Flourishes, we say... 'Why wait?' We need flowers now - especially, when you have beautiful buds drawn by the talented Marcella Hawley.

Introducing.....

This set is a gorgeous bouquet of violets complete with lovely little sentiments perfect for all types of card occasions. If you loved Sweet Peas, this set is a perfect companion! This set features sweet little flowers illustrated in such a delicate way.

Would you like to win this set? Please, just leave us a comment on this post! That's all you need to do! We'll announce the winner tomorrow when we unveil the second set in our release. Trust me, this set will truly get you in the swing of things! (Yes, that was your hint!)

Before you go, you'll need to hop a long to the rest of our talented design team to see their sneak peeks!

Julie Koerber
Leslie Miller
Faith Hofrichter
Cindy Lawrence
Latisha Yoast
Stacy Morgan
Jan Marie Caruso
Sharon Doolittle

One last note! Mark your calendars, our release party that promises to be chocked full of games, prizes, and more fabulous samples from our designers is set for Friday, April 10th from 8 to 10 PM CST in the Flourishes Forum over on SCS!!

And, if you'd like to try your hand at WINNING all three of our new releases -- don't forget our "Swing Into Spring"challenge! All you need to do is give paper piecing a try! Use Flourishes stamps if you have them, but if you don't -- play anyway! We'd love to see what you create! See the end of THIS post for all the details!

Thanks for stopping by! We'll see you back here tomorrow for DAY 2 of our sneak peeks!

Timeless Tuesday!

It is time for Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge(FTTC10)!!!! Thanks so much to all of you who played along with us last week. Keep reading to find out who won last week as well as our March Monthly winner!!!!

For those of you who are new to the site, the Friends of Flourishes blog team are bringing you exciting and different challenges each week. Everyone can PLAY and anyone can WIN! Make sure you continue reading to find out how.

Silke Ledlow is our challenge hostess this week. She is bringing us a fun challenge that I am sure will be one of your favorites!!!! We are to use our favorite Flourishes stamp set!!!! There are so many fabulous choices to choose from it will be a challenge just to choose. However, never fear, if you do not yet own any Flourishes stamps, you can still play!!!! Just choose your favorite stamp set ever.

Each designer chose one of their favorite Flourishes sets today to showcase for our Favorites challenge. Make sure you continue reading to find out how you can save today on the Designer Picks!!!

Up first this week is our challenge host, Silke Ledlow . She chose the Spring Ephemerals set as her favorite set. She is using some Basicgrey Euphoria dp. Love the colors and patterns she chose. The ribbon with slide along with the piercing detail just compliment the image so wonderfully. Beautifully done, Silke!!!!

Becca Feeken is using the Birds and Vine set. She has stamped the image on vellum. She embossed the image and colored it. Love these colors and the depth of coloring Becca achieved with the vellum. The lace punch detailing along with the touches of pearls and lush satin ribbon just make this card so stunning. Gorgeous work, Becca!!!

Betty Wright is next on our tour of favorites. I am using the Thank You set. This set has always been one of my favorite Flourishes sets. For my card I am using some of the marbled sheets of the Basic Gray Porcelain dp. I chose to paper piece my tulip and stem with these pieces of watercolored looking patterns. I love the finish look!!!

Cindy Haffner is next on our tour designer favorites. She is using the I Love Roses set. She complimented the rose with the Basic Gray Sultry dp. Love the coloring and colors Cindy has chosen for her rose. The layered punched edges and the sheer organdy ribbon make for one beautiful card. Gorgeous, Cindy!!!!

Next up is Dee Jackson. Dee is using one of her all time favorite Flourishes set called the Poppy Patch. Here, she has layered scalloped red and black circles with the center poppy colored and cut out for some added dimension. Lovely card, Dee. Love the pop of the black organdy ribbon.

Finally, we are finishing up our designer favorites with Kimberly Crawford. Kimberly is using the beautiful Lilacs set. She is using the larger of the two different sized lilacs that come in the set. She is using some European Watercolor paper . Love the corner details with the lovely rich chocolate pearls and butterflies with pearl accents. So Beautiful, Kimberly!!!!

Be sure to check out each designer's blog links for more specific card details.

Our Flourishes sale this week focuses on the designer picks. You can get 10% off the sets that we all used in our cards this week. You must hurry as the Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge SALE only last for 24 hours!!!!

Spring Ephemerals

Birds and Vine

Thank You

I Love Roses

Poppy Patch

Lilacs

The Winner for Timeless Tuesday Challenge FTTC9

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:16
Timestamp: 2009-04-07 03:29:52 UTC

Linda's Lovlies aka Backroads Girl (Linda Dixon) is this week's winner!!!

Congratulations, Linda Dixon!!!!

You need to email: flourishesllccustomerservice@cox.net

for your coupon code!!!!

The March Monthly Winner !!!!

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:94
Timestamp: 2009-04-07 03:36:57 UTC

Michelle Giraud (Michelle) is the March Monthly Winner!!!! Congratulations, Michelle!!! You need to email: flourishesllccustomerservice@cox.net for your coupon code!!!

By the way, if you still do not have our lovely Timeless Tuesday blog button for your blog, check here for the codes.

Now, it is your turn to play in our Flourishes Favorites challenge!!!!
Here are the rules!!!!

• Anyone can play whether you have Flourishes stamps or not. Of course, if you have Flourishes stamps, by all means, use them.


• Use code word FTTC10 when linking to SCS or public gallery.


• Leave a comment on this post with a link to your creation. Please give a direct link to your blog post so we can see the Flourishes challenge post and not just the generic page. To get the full link, click to read the comments. Another page will open that will have just the one card and your comments. Copy and paste that link here in the comments section.


• If you use either your blog link or online gallery, please give an active Flourishes Newsletter link. You can combine this challenge with as many others as you want.


• The challenge runs from Tuesday, 12:01 am until Monday at 8 pm EST.


• Enjoy yourself!!!
  
  

We cannot wait to see what you create!!!!

As always, thanks so much for stopping by!!!!

Your Flourishes Friends!!!

Ribbon - BUY THE ROLL!!

Papercrafters LOVE ribbon and here at Flourishes we love it too! We've received feedback from many of our customers that they tend to reach for one style or color of ribbon all the time and have expressed interest in buying ribbon by the roll, instead of in 5 or 3 yard increments.

Well, you've asked and we've listened! We now have available a selection of our most popular ribbons and are offering them to you by the roll - at a price lower than buying the same yardage in smaller increments! And we've added some new string styles by the roll as well!

Here is what we have:

Satin: Beautiful 1" satin ribbon in either chocolate, ivory or white. 25 yards per roll at $18 per roll - a 20% savings!

Sheer Black/White Dot: 50 yards per roll at $21.60 per roll - a 20% savings!

Sheer 1": In chocolate or black. A whopping 100 yards per roll at only $22 per roll, a 20% savings!

New: String: A 400 yard roll for only $14!! Colors are black, ivory or burlap
Metallic Cord: A 300 yard roll for only $32 - in gold or silver

See the entire ribbon selection HERE!

The Sneak Peeks Are Coming!

Swing Into Spring.....

It is downright electric at Flourishes! Why? We can't wait to share our April release with all of YOU! We have three wonderful sets, each with their own distinct style. Each are sets that you could grab for a variety of creations! So, as we prep the warehouse with new things, mark your calendar for this week's events!

• Sneak Peeks start this Wednesday!
• Daily giveaways (Weds. - Fri.) of the day's featured set
• Release party is set for Friday, April 10th from 8 to 10 PM CST in the Flourishes Forum over on SCS!!
• Don't forget our "Swing Into Spring"challenge - you could walk away with all three new release stamp sets! All you need to do is give paper piecing a try! Use Flourishes stamps if you have them, but if you don't -- play anyway! We'd love to see what you create! See the end of THIS post for all the details!

The countdown is on!

BIG NEWS about a Designer With A Big Heart....

When Stacy Morgan stepped in to the Flourishes family as a guest designer, I knew I would love to watch her create with her clean and classy style. I also knew that I admired her enthusiasm! Come to find out, there was a lot under the surface that I didn't know.

She has a huge heart.....

We were chatting one day via email and in the note she tells me (in passing) that a lot of her creations end up going overseas to troops. I email back. 'Oh really? How many do you think you've sent?' She emails back, 'Oh about 860, but that is only since I started counting about a year ago.' I was in awe.

Stacy went on to say, "I started sending them to a close friend of ours that we have known since high school when he was on his first tour. When he came home the first time, I started sending them to another friend who is still currently on active duty." Now, she's getting ready to send cards to her brother-in-law who was just shipped out for his second tour last week.

When I asked her if she ever hears back from any of the soldiers, she told me, "The friend I send them to now actually is moved around a lot. He is a private contrator for the Army and he goes into a lot of the 'unique areas.' So, there is no place to go and shop. Cards are a wonderful luxury as he calls them. And much needed for the encouragment and spirit he tells me."
What a great way to share her time and talents! I'm glad that she let us tell you all a little bit more about her and why she has a passion for card making!

She wanted to make sure we included this link - Cards for Soldiers. It's a link to Keri Sereika's mission to send cards overseas. She's been taking this on for more than four years -- and this program is still going strong!

NOW FOR THE BIG NEWS!

Now that I told you all a little bit more about a designer we've grown pretty fond of - it probably goes without saying that we just couldn't watch her go when her guest designer position came to an end.

So, LET'S ALL GIVE STACY A BIG FLOURISHES WELCOME! We asked her to stay on as a member of our Senior Design Team...... and she said YES! So, look for more of Stacy's work this week as we unveil three new sets, offer up a handful of giveaways, watch the challenge entries come in and wrap it up with a big bow during the release party!

Congrats Stacy! We're so glad you decided to stick with us!

~Julie

Friday Focus....Paper Piecing Challenge!

Hello! It's Faith here! With it being just days away from our April Release, our Friday Focus shares a tip and will give you a chance to win all three of the sets to be released next week! Stay tuned for the details at the end of this post!

Today's Friday Focus is Paper Piecing. I love to paper piece and have made a simple tutorial for you.

For this technique you will need:
I Love Roses Stamp Set
Noir Black Palette Hybrid Ink
Patterned paper (I used Basic Grey's Urban Praire)
Scissors
Markers to coordinated with papers

Stamp the images in the Noir Black Palette Hybrid Ink onto the designer papers.

Highlight areas on the image with marker.

Cut out the darker image.

Cut out the colored image, cutting away some of the outter layers of the rose.

Use pop dot to RAISE the smaller image.

Here you can see the raised area.

Color in ONE side of each of the leaves.

Cut out leaves and layer under the rose.

Swing Into Spring Challenge!

Do you want to use a little of your creativity to get your hands on all three newly released sets? All you have to do is make a card with a little paper piecing on it! Upload to SCS with the keyword FLLCAPR or leave a comment here on this post. We can't wait to see what you piece together! We'll accept entries until Friday, April 10th at 5PM CST. A winner will be drawn from all the entries during our RELEASE PARTY which is set for April 10th from 8 to 10 PM CST!! WOO-HOO!!!!!! Can't wait for that!

Please visit the other DT blogs to see their Paper Piecing Masterpieces!

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Faith Hofrichter

Latisha Yoast

Laura Fredrickson

Leslie Miller

Stacy Morgan

Julie Koerber

Jan Marie

Nancy Kirk

Have a GREAT DAY!

Happy Stampin'!

Faith