Saying thank you is easy to do with this great new set just release by Flourishes, called, well Thank You!  It contains a panel of thankful phrases and two sentiments done in beautiful calligraphy.  Along with those stamps are two elegant tulip images.  This card started with SU’s basic grey card stock.  A piece of pink paper from the Basic Grey Sultry line was stamped with the tulip image in grey.  I started the main image by stamping the tulip on a white panel, then masking just the blossom using Eclipse masking tape - which is one the the best products around if you do any kind of masking!.  Once the mask was in place, I stamped the word panel over it in grey.  Then I set out to color the flower.  I used Twinkling H2O’s - Pink Azelea, Sunflower and Moss Green - all from the Mini pot collection #1251.  The photo never shows the pretty shimmery look of the twinks - but IRL the colors just pop!  Here is a look at the close up, the twinkling H2O’s that were used and what the rest of the stamp set looks like.

Thanks for stopping by - happy stamping!

Today Flourishes issues three new summertime sets - and I want to take time over the next few days to show you them.  First is Poppy Patch - a wonderful set of poppy flowers, buds, leaves and sentiments created by Marcy Hawley.  I lived in California for many years and have wonderful memories of taking a drive on the weekends just to look at the poppies as they were in their height of bloom.  The vivid orange blossoms against a field of green always made me smile.  For my card, I wanted to go softer, so I started with Guava textured cardstock as the base card, mounted a panel of white on top.  I created the main piece on regular guava cardstock and stamped and embossed it in white, using Brilliance Moonlight White ink and Ranger Seafoam White embossing powder.  I have several white inks but  found that embossing in white gives a much more vivid white than merely stamping.  I sponged white around the edges.  Ribbon was wrapped around the corners - white satin with a guava looking ribbon on top of that.  Both ribbons were found in my stash and I don’t know where I got them, but I was thrilled when I found ribbon to match the paper!  The half pearls were just the right touch to finish off the card. 

Here is what the full set looks like.  Thanks for checking in and happy stamping!

It’s been such a fun month for me!  I’ve actually been able to do more stamping lately and wanted to pass on a few sneak peeks of the stamp sets that are being released by Flourishes on Wednesday!!

Now, I can’t tell you anything except that they are gorgeous images and so easy to use.  Here are just a couple of bits and pieces to get your curiosity going!!  Check back here or on the Flourishes Store on Wednesday for the full reveal!

Now - for those of you who like blog candy, be sure to visit Susan Roberts blog and check out what she is offering!

This week’s technique challenge at SCS provided the opportunity to break out my chalks, which had been gathering dust in the closet for so long!!   This is such an easy and forgiving technique I often wonder why I don’t do it more often. 

The main image for this card started on a piece of textured card stock from DCWV.  I started by rubbing light blue chalks around the edges.  Then I stamped the images, which are all from the Lilac set from Flourishes,  with versamark and lightly pounced green, pink and purple chalks over the versamark.  This technique almost always comes out great the first time!  This panel was mounted on a purple panel with corner punch pieces and a chocolate half pearl added for detail.  Oh yes, that pretty chocolate half pearl….is also available at Flourishes in lots of lucious colors!!

The base card of lavender was stamped with versarmark using the branch and small leaf images also from the Lilac set. SU’s chocolate grosgrain ribbon accents the base card.

Thanks for stopping by!!

This was supposed to be a card for Sharon Johnson’s Ten Minute Tuesday Challenge, but it took longer than ten minutes!!  Here it is Thursday and I am just getting around to finish it!!

I started with a base card of Lavendar and stamped SU’s canvas stamp with versamark. I then went to work on the main image.   The coffee mug, heart shaped steam,  and flourishy background are all from the Coffee With Friends set from Flourishes.  The set is a first in a series we call “Stamp Simply”, which was designed to provide stampers with easy to use images, yet enable them to add pretty paper, ribbons and other embellishments to create a beautiful card quickly.

The heart shaped steam was stamped on a white panel in lavender.  The coffee mug is stamped on designer paper from the Basic Grey Euphoria series, cut out and popped up just underneath the steam.  Lavender was sponged around the edges.  This panel was mounted on pink and purple designer paper all from the same Euphoria pad with the purple panel corners cut to make a tag.  I stamped little flourshed elements on the purple tag with lavender as well.   That glazed brad?  Yes, that is from a set of Basic Grey brads specifically designed to match the Euphoria paper!  The ribbon is from JoAnn’s.

Now take a closer look at the card.  I used a stardust gel pen and went over the little flourishes, steam and mug to add a little punch of sparkle.  I am convinced that whoever invented this little pen is a genius!  I have used this pen so much  - I never liked to use glitter because of the mess involved and often it was just was too strong for the cards I make.  This pen adds just enough sparkle and there is no mess involved!

Most stampers I know have at least some idea of what they want to create when they sit down at their craft table.  Today I wanted to use my Twinkling H2O’s and a silhouette stamp set, Spring Ephemerals.   The nature of this set,  solid images instead of detail or line images, meant that I could focus on creating a nice background and this is where the “twinks” come in. 

If you’ve never seen or used twinks, you are missing out!  These little pots of watercolor cakes are incredibly shimmery, come in dozens of colors, are semi transparent, non toxic archival safe and are about the easiest things to use.  If you can dip a paintbrush into water you can use these! 

The background for each card was created in the same manner, using different colors. I started with a piece of watercolor paper and wet it down.  Then I selected the colors I wanted to use and sprayed a little water in each of the pots to activate the color.  Starting with the lightest color, I loaded my brush up with color and just swished it on the paper.  I added the other colors in the same manner.  Once the color was on I then sprayed a little bit of water over the entire piece and let the colors blend and then set it aside to dry.

Shooting Star:  Papers used are rust, banana, and black.  The images on the base card are the leaves from the Bleeding Heart image from the same Spring Ephemerals set.  On the bottom portion I brushed on Twinkling H2O color on the image and then stamped it to the paper.  The Shooting Star was stamped with Palette Noir ink.  Twinkling H2O colors used are Sunflower from the 12 pot set #1251 and Dreamsicle and Deep Coral from the 12 pot set #1258.  The ribbon is black scallop satin.  The tiny rhinestones I found in my stash of “stuff” and I don’t know who the manufacturer is.  I wish the shimmery look of the twinks came out better on camera - it just does not do the colors justice.

Bleeding Heart:  Papers used are teal, burgundy (I think!) and black.  The Bleeding Heart image was stamped using Palette Noir.  The background image on the burgandy piece is the Forget Me Not image from the same stamp set.  Black scalloped ribbon was also used on this card on each side of the burgundy panel.  Twinkling H2O colors used are Navajo Pearl, Meridian Blue and Purple Sage, all from the 12 pot set #1262.

I finally sat down today and put together a few Thank You cards that I was in dire need of making.  This card uses some paper I picked up  during my recent vacation.  We stopped in a small card store (somewhere in Germany - I can’t remember where!) where they carried cards, journals and a small selection of decorative paper.  The paper is not card stock, but similar to heavy duty wrapping paper and is just gorgeous.  They had several different sheets and I selected this one for the soft pretty colors.  The store clerk carefully folded the paper and wrapped it in between two pieces of cardboard and I was able to place this on the bottom of my luggage - it made it home in one piece! 

 Now,  I used to  hoard paper, especially paper I just buy….I’m always thinking I should save it for something special, but I have since changed my ways and am determined to use what I buy.  These thank you cards (I’ll be making several)  are for some special people I want to thank and the paper is perfect! 

I started with a Barely Banana base and added a piece of Sahara Sand on top.  These colors were chosen because they matched nicely with the colors on the decorative paper. Since the paper is not cardstock, I took a piece of chipboard and wrapped the paper around it, to give it some weight.  I wrapped some ivory scalloped ribbon around this section.  Thank You, from the Many Sentiments set from Flourishes was stamped in Sahara on banana and Oval Nestabilities were used to cut this and  a slightely larger scalloped piece of Sahara   The paper has a touch of gold in the design and the Thank You looked a little dull, so I simply wrote over the stamped words with a stardust pen to add a little sparkle!  This is the fastest and easiest way to add just a touch of glitter. 

Stay tuned for more Thank You cards and other cards and I get back to stamping!!

We’re back from a good vacation, but still suffering from jet lag - Orvil and I were up at 3:15am because we just could not sleep - I know I will need to take a nap this afternoon! 

Now, there is so much to catch up on, but I wanted to post this card I made just before I left.  It is from the Rock A Bye Baby set released by Flourishes earlier this month.  This set of 4 stamps is perfect for baby announcements, birthday cards and scrapbook pages. 

The background paper is SU designer paper and I used Sky Blue for the base card, grey for the mat.  The moon image was stamped in Palette Noir, lightly colored with prismas but the sparkle was added with Twinkling H2O’s.    I love these little pots of color  - they are so easy to use and I’m happy to report that Flourishes is carrying these in our store!  I lightly sponged some blue around the edges.  “Baby” was die cut with Cuttlebug alpha’s and the ribbon is some old SU sheer I found in my ribbon stash!

Here is what the Rock A Bye Baby set looks like…

This easy card uses the latest tool in my stamping toolbox - a JustRite stamper!  Have you seen this great new product?  It’s a fast and easy way to do monograms, initials and short words, and uses a unique mounting system that is the perfect blend of unmounted stamps and wooden mounts - without using any cling foam, double stick tape or any adhesive.  Both unmounted stamps and the wood mount have “grooves” on the back that match up with each other - so the stamp and mount just click in place.  And if you are doing a big project where you have many impressions to stamp, they also have a device that allows you to ink and stamp in one step - something like those self inking tools, only MUCH better since the stamps and inks can be changed.  Flourishes is carrying many of the JustRite products and you can find a direct link HERE.

You can also find more information about this product on the Flourishes Newsletter.

Now for the card - it was oh so easy!!  I started with white shimmery card stock, then added these beautiful new Basic Grey papers from the Sultry line, just layering some of the solid colors with the print paper.  I use the Special Occasions Monogram Kit to stamp both the border and letters.  The ribbon is actually sheer red ribbon, but its sheer quality looks pink both in the photo and IRL.  Flourishes carries this Basic Grey paper and the sheer ribbons as well.

It feels so good to be stamping again!!  Although I am not caught up with work, I realized I needed to stamp to keep my sanity…and I need a Mother’s Day card, so there was no guilt in setting aside time to create.  This card is made with the Siberian Iris set released by Flourishes earlier this month and can you believe it, its the first time I’ve inked up the gorgeous image!  The inspriation came from Leslie Miller’s stunning card shown here.  I embossed the image in black on watercolor paper.  I watercolored using a set of Loew Cornell watercolors I picked up from Michael’s - they were not expensive at all, then carefully cut out the image.  I embossed a white panel with a cuttlebug folder (tapestry I think).  For the rest of the card I matched my watercolors with SU paper - orchid and gable green.  The ribbon is from JoAnn’s.