Running With Scissors…

Today the Flourishes team is coloring up the seasons.  I was feeling sorry for Fall, having been neglecting it, so I colored some Falling Leaves and dressed them up with ribbon and bling and autumn-hued papers.

The center panel is Classic Ivory which I stamped first with a few of the small solid image leaves in regular dye-based vanilla ink.  I stamped the outline leaves right on top of the solid leaves and colored with Prismacolor markers.  The main image panel is lightly edged with saffron ink, then layered onto four more mats.  The chocolate mat is embossed with the Cuttlebug Textile embossing folder.  The leaf bling is something I found last year on the button rack at Wal-Mart.  I adhered them with Crystal Effects and sprinkled rhinestones throughout.

There are more layers here than I usually put on a card, but I was in the mood for sculpting when I made this.  Whenever I thought I was done layering, I told myself, “no, just add one or two more layers”.  It was rather a matter of reverse discipline.  I also have a tendency to want to let more of the designer paper show, but even a little peeking around the edges is better than having it tucked away in the cupboard.  It’s not as though I don’t have designer paper to spare…  And the extra bling — well, gosh, I’ve got drawers full of fancies I could not resist… I’m very good at collecting… well, you see where I’m going with that.  Might as well have some fun with it, even if the darn thing has to be mailed in a box!

Latisha has written an article on the Newsletter with some beautiful Autumn samples and lovely ideas and coloring tips.  Oh, those wonderful colors of Autumn!  Let’s see what the rest of the team has colored today:   Cindy, Julie, Latisha, Laura, and Stacy

Oh, and by the way, TGIF!  I couldn’t be happier!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Stamps:  Falling Leaves  Paper:  Chocolate Chip, Ruby Red, More Mustard, Classic Ivory, 7 Gypsies Gypsy Market designer paper  Ink:  Memento Rich Cocoa, vanilla, saffron, chocolate, Prismacolor markers for coloring  Accessories:  Ribbon, copper cord, rhinestones & rhinestone leaves, Cuttlebug Textile embossing folder

We had one beautiful day over the weekend and it seemed like a good day for a swim. 

My camera battery promptly went dead after the first few photos — no warning, no red battery icon, simply dead.  Wally didn’t mind, though.  Just tuck that camera away and climb the sand dune, hike the trail, explore the woods.  This pretty little lake is near our home, off the beaten path.  You can’t see it from the highway and no signs point in its direction.  Nobody knows it’s there but a few locals, and even then it’s not a busy place.  We had it all to ourselves on Saturday.

Across the lake, not pictured here (dead battery) is a sandy beach and steep sand dune.  Climb to the top for a magnificent view of the dunes, the ocean, and everything else as far as the eye can see.  And not a soul in sight.  It was a very good day.

I wish I had some better photos, but just wanted to share something of Wally before he’s full grown.  It’s happening so fast!  He’s still such a puppy and so sweet and lovable, but, my, he’s getting to be a big boy.

It’s been wet and cold since Saturday, so thank goodness for that one good day.  Good weather for staying home stamping but, of course, I’ve been at work…sigh…  Wishing you a beautiful day, regardless of the weather.  See you again soon!

I recently borrowed this Stampin’ Up! Home for Christmas set from a friend, and stamped out two of these images — one on watercolor paper for watercoloring, and one on Whisper White for coloring with my Prismacolor markers.  When I decided this weekend to finally color it, I thought, oh, my goodness, look at the detail.  There’s no reason why it couldn’t be watercolored, but I wanted this time to bring out the detail so I could get a good look at the rustic, homey scene.

On the Creamy Caramel card base I stamped the Linen background in Creamy Caramel, and added some Hero Arts snowflakes in red, hunter, and chocolate.  The Happy Holidays sentiment circle is SU!’s retired Riveting, brown embossed and colored with Prismas.  A little holiday sparkle was brought to the scene with a touch of glitter here and there.

I used something new to me to help maintain some of the detail in the image, and that is Prismacolor Premier Illustration markers.  They’re not something you can use for blending and shading, because they most certainly do not blend.  They’re wonderful, though, for tiny lines and dots, and for restoring some of the detail which can become obscured with coloring.  They may not blend, but they also don’t bleed, so you can work in that detail with confidence, right over top of your other coloring.

I used a spruce green for the door garland, and brown and blue for the twig wreath.  I also used the green for the narrow strap on the sled, and brown for the runners and nail heads.  They worked beautifully for those details.  If only they came in more colors… 

They do come in several different tip sizes and styles, from the tiniest fine point, to a small chisel tip, but my absolute favorite is the small brush tip.  Very pointy and firm, it’s great for brushing on a tiny stroke of color — brush and lift — without getting that little blob at the end of the stroke which tends to show up with ball tips.  I’ve pictured it here next to Prismacolor’s regular tip and Copic’s brush tip just for a frame of reference.

It would make me very happy if Prismacolor would put this small brush tip on one end of their blendable alcohol markers, with a larger brush tip on the other end, but that’s just from my stamper’s coloring point of view.  As for these non-blendable finer tipped illustration markers in their limited color palette, if you’re interested in illustrating, journaling, or doodling, they’re just the ticket.

Well, there’s another Christmas card done, and it’s an easy mailer, too.  I’m making good progress, but I seem to be skipping right over Fall.  This always happens, and it’s my favorite season… sigh…  During my favorite season, I spend more time outside enjoying it than I do stamping cards for it, though, so I guess it’s not all bad.  A whole weekend just went by and I managed to make one card, tsk, tsk.  Back to work, now.  Hopefully, I’ll have more to share later.  Enjoy your Monday!

Stamps:  Home for Christmas, Linen, Riveting (all Stampin’ Up!), Hero Arts snowflakes  Paper:  Creamy Caramel, Handsome Hunter, Real Red, Whisper White  Ink:  Ranger Distress Walnut Stain, Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip, Handsome Hunter, Real Red, Versamark, Prismacolor markers for coloring  Accessories:  Ribbon, eyelet border punch, double rectangle punch, glitter, embossing powder, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

What a fun idea Christine had when she suggested the Flourishes team focus on cards with fancy folds this week!  You’ll see two different folds when you visit Christine on the Newsletter where she shares her very pretty cards, with a tutorial for one and a linked tutorial for the other.  Each team member is sharing a different fold idea today:  Christine, Cindy, Julie, Latisha, and Stacy.  Great stuff!

I’ve made a double accordian gatefold card that stays closed without tying.  I found the basic instructions for this fold on my Score-Pal packaging, then modified it a bit and wrote a tutorial a while back, which can be seen –> here.

The card, itself, is made entirely of double-sided designer paper.  With the folds, and with additional paper layered on for decoration, it’s quite sturdy as well as being pretty inside, out, and backwards.  The main image on this card, as you can see, of course, is one of my Seasonal Wreath stamps, colored for Autumn and cut with a Spellbinders Labels One die.  I sponged a little Caramel ink around the edges, then pressed the panel into my Versamark pad and embossed with ultra thick embossing powder.  I repeated the embossing once to create a nice, smooth finish.  The embossing process curled the image panel a bit so, to sturdy it up, I cut another Spellbinders shape from lightweight cardboard and adhered the two panels together.

The photo turn, placed just so, holds the card in the closed position.  All the brad prongs are hidden under paper layers.  The next picture shows how the card opens and gives just a teensy glimpse at the inside.

I made this into a birthday card for my husband, so I used rather masculine colors and papers.  He didn’t mind the bow one bit and was very appreciative of the construction…shhhhhhhh…I didn’t tell him how really easy it was.

Between the tutorial and the recipe, below, I think I’ve got everything covered, so I’ll leave you with that and a wish for a wonderful weekend.  Happy everything to all!

Stamps:  Seasonal Wreaths, Flourished Words (both outside), Flourished Elements, Many Sentiments (inside)  Paper:  Cosmo Cricket Wanted designer paper, Classic Ivory  Ink:  Palette Umber, Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, Sage Shadow, Pumpkin Pie marker for coloring  Accessories:  Ribbon, copper cord, brads, photo turn, 1/2″ and 5/8″ circle punches, small oval punch, Martha Stewart border punch, Spellbinders Labels One Nesties, ultra-thick embossing powder

I have a thank you card today which somewhat resembles the gift it was made for.  I’ve used Stampin’ Up!’s Floral background in Pink Pirouette, and Illuminations embossed in gold.  My pink is a lighter shade than the soap packaging, but since Pink Pirouette is my most favorite of all pinks… close enough!

Illuminations is a set that didn’t last long in the catalog.  I must have been one of very few people who liked it (still do).  Too fancy, maybe?  But it’s so pretty!  It fits this Spellbinders Labels Four shape perfectly, and would easily make such a nice gift set…hmmmm…thinking…

To go along with the pretty stamps, I made a Cuttlebug embossed panel with the Diamonds in the Rough folder and sponged the pattern with Craft White (pigment ink).  The layered flower is one of my Wal-Mart beauties I wrote about here, and the center embellishment is from Flourishes Finishing Touches Beautiful Brads collection.  The ribbon is a delicious crushed velvet I’ve been hoarding long enough, and it’s now going to a very special friend.

Thank you for visiting with me on this lovely Fall day!  Take good care!

Stamps:  Illuminations, Floral (both Stampin’ Up!)  Paper:  Pink Pirouette, Whisper White  Ink:  Pink Pirouette, Versamark, Craft White  Accessories:  Crushed velvet ribbon, silk flowers, gold flower brad, gold detail embossing powder, Spellbinders Labels Four die, Cuttlebug Diamonds in the Rough embossing folder, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

I’m making an abrupt switch from Christmas to Halloween today.  My friend asked if I would make Halloween cards for her grandchildren, so this was the next project on my list.  I have nothing new that would be entirely appropriate for very small children, and I didn’t want to use the same stamps as last year, so I pulled out some old DJ Inker stamps.

I’ve always liked these two stamps — the ghosts and the sentiment — and I think I’ll keep them a while longer.  I did the coloring with Prismacolor markers and used non-Halloween papers for a bright and cheery card, playful in nature.  The following recipe gives all the ingredients of this card:

Stamps:  DJ Inkers  Paper:  Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White, My Mind’s Eye Kaleidoscope designer paper  Ink:  Adirondack Pitch Black, Prismacolor markers for coloring  Accessories:  Ribbon, brads, Spellbinders oval Nestabilities, Cuttlebug Spots & Dots embossing folder, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

For the next card I reached back…back…far into the depths of my Halloween drawer for more DJ Inkers, which are now on the give-away pile.  I really need some new child-appropriate Halloween stamps.  This card is a little more involved, and I didn’t intend it to be so, but it just grew and grew…

The happy little witch is just a head and shoulders image, so I decided to put her behind a fence which I constructed from a Martha Stewart punch.  I punched a border along the designer paper, then cut it apart and glued each “board” to two horizontal strips of cardstock.  Can you tell that’s supposed to be grass growing along the base of the fence?  I hope so.  It’s frayed grosgrain ribbon — trim off one finished edge, then pull threads.

The background is brayered, with a little bit of sponging, then the trees (old CTMH) stamped over top.  The moon was added as an afterthought, which is why it’s overlapping the tree top ever so slightly.  To make the moon, I punched a 1 3/8″ circle, then trimmed away part of it to create a crescent.  The bat and the fence and witch are on dimensional foam mounting tape.  The Happy Halloween sign was made from my Whipper Snapper Hocus Pocus set.

I’d like to do a couple more Halloween cards, time willing.  They certainly are fun!  We’ll just have to see how it goes.  Thanks for dropping in today!  Take care!

Recipe for second card:

Stamps:  DJ Inkers witch and bat, CTMH trees, Whipper Snapper Halloween sign  Paper:  Lovely Lilac, Green Galore, Whisper White, My Mind’s Eye Kaleidoscope DP  Ink:  Adirondack Pitch Black, Ranger Big & Juicy rainbow ink pad (probably no longer available), Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Prismacolor markers for coloring  Accessories:  Ribbon, Martha Stewart border punch, 1 3/8″ circle punch, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

And now we’ve come to the final day of Flourishes’ October previews and one of the most beautiful Christmas wreaths that has ever graced my home.  What fun to color one little bit at a time and watch this glorious image emerge!

I used a combination of Prismacolor markers and Copics to make it nice and colorful, then added glitter for that frosty morning look.  The sentiment is from the new Musical Score & Words set.  I just realized…wouldn’t this sentiment also be great with Santa?  The wreath also comes in a smaller size if you feel like just a tad less coloring but, oh, this larger one shows the exquisite detail so beautifully.

I’ve listed details in the recipe below, so I’ll finish up with the tidbits of information I wouldn’t want you to miss out on:

• Try your luck at winning the Christmas Wreath set here with a simple comment.
• Stamp a card today and share it in the Season That Sparkles challenge and you may win all six of Flourishes’ October releases.
• Join us at the release party Friday night, 9 pm central for more prizes and fun.
• See the stunning Christmas Wreath samples the rest of the team is sharing today:  Christine, Cindy, Julie, Latisha, Laura, Stacy, and Sharon. 

Whew!  This has been some release!  Six sets, and all just wonderful.  I hope you’ve enjoyed the samples we’ve shared this week.  At midnight Friday the sets will be available in the store.  Have a great day!

Stamps:  Christmas Wreath, Musical Score & Words  Paper:  Chocolate Chip, More Mustard, Classic White, BasicGrey June Bug  Ink:  Ranger Distress Walnut Stain, Chocolate Chip, Prismacolor and Copic markers for coloring  Accessories:  Rhinestones, Spellbinders Double Ended Tags (for sentiment), glitter, Cuttlebug Swiss Dot embossing folder, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

The Holly part of today’s preview is a new background stamp, and together with this wonderful Santa marks the debut of Flourishes’ newest illustrator, Becky Fleck.  Oh, I see amazing things in Flourishes’ future as Becky joins Marcella Hawley and Lauren Pope on the Flourishes team, each of them creating some of the most beautiful designs to be found in the world of stamp images!

I had such fun creating this card!  Many of the details are lost in the photo but, perhaps, once I mention it, you can notice the flocking (with a bit of sparkle) on Santa’s beard, eyebrows, and hat trim.  His spectacle rims are colored with a Sakura gold glitter pen, and the lenses are made glassy with Crystal Effects.  The rest of the Santa image was colored with soft chalks, except the holly sprig which was colored with Copics from the Evergreen Collection, and the berries are a cluster of pearls.

To make the Holly background, I sponged vanilla ink on Classic Ivory cardstock, then stamped the Musical Score background (previewed earlier this week) in caramel.  The Holly background was stamped over top of that, then layered on Memory Box Winterberry, Mellow Moss, and Riding Hood Red.  The card is 5 1/4″ square.  I hesitated to add the bow but, gosh, Santa puts all those pretty bows on his packages, so I thought he probably wouldn’t mind.

• Take a chance on winning the Holly Background and the Santa, I Believe set –> here.
• To play the challenge which may win you all six October releases, visit –> here.
• To celebrate the release with games, chat, and prizes, let’s meet at the release party Friday night, 9:00 pm central –> here.
• Some utterly fabulous cards with today’s preview sets can be seen by visiting:   Christine, Cindy, Julie, Latisha, Laura, Stacy, and Sharon.

One more preview tomorrow will wrap things up.  Take care, and have a wonderful day!

Stamps:  Holly Background; Santa, I Believe  Paper:  Riding Hood Red, Mellow Moss, Memory Box Winterberry, Flourishes Classic Ivory  Ink:  Ranger Distress Walnut Stain, Riding Hood Red, Creamy Caramel, vanilla, Always Artichoke, Copics for coloring holly sprig  Accessories:  Ribbon, pearls, soft chalks, Sakura gold glitter pen, Crystal Effects, Sparkle Fluff (flocking), Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Welcome to our second preview of Flourishes‘ October releases.  I could tell you how beautiful I find this set, but I believe the images the team is previewing today will speak for themselves.

This elegant and gentle set is called The Holly and the Ivy.  For the best fit with my card design I chose a sentiment from the Musical Score Background which was previewed yesterday.  I decided to keep my card cool and wintery with blue, white and silver.  The doves are stamped with Versamark and embossed with silver embossing powder, then the image painted with Twinkling H20’s.  The last step was to sponge blue shading around the image.  The card size is standard A2 — 5 1/2″ x 4 1/4″.

It’s layered on silver mirrored cardstock and framed with Spellbinders Frameabilities — Classic Frame.  Cool blue rhinestones and a silver organdy bow provide the final ornamentation and, best of all, I’m one card closer to getting my Christmas cards done.  I love these early days of stamping Christmas cards, when I can give them special attention… before I go into mass production mode. 

You can win this set, or you can win all six of Flourishes’ October releases.  Still more fun and prizes will be part of the festivities at Friday night’s release party in the Flourishes Forum on SCS.

For some beauties that will make your heart flutter, please visit the rest of the team:   Christine, Cindy, Julie, Latisha, Laura, and Stacy.  I believe Sharon has a card to share today, too.

Thank you for spending a part of your day with me.  There’s more to come tomorrow.  Hope to see you then!

Stamps:  The Holly and the Ivy, Musical Score & Words (soon to be released by Flourishes)  Paper:  Bashful Blue, Flourishes Classic White, silver mirror metallic  Ink:  Versamark, Bashful Blue, Twinkling H20’s for coloring  Accessories:  Ribbon, rhinestones, Spellbinders Frameabilities Classic Frames, 1 3/8″ circle punch, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Happy Tuesday, all!  I didn’t think I was going to have a card to share today, but I came home from work Monday night and stamped and colored this as quickly as I possibly could.  You see, today the Friends of Flourishes team has a challenge for you –> Timeless Tuesday.  You have your choice of four sketches — similar, but not exactly alike.  It’s actually one sketch turned four different ways.  This is not one of them!  I have another reason for making this card, and that is to share with you two of Flourishes’ soon to be released sets — Christmas Drummer, and Musical Score & Words (I hope I have the names right).  I was just so excited about coloring some of the images in this set, I couldn’t wait to make a card!  The Friends of Flourishes have some gorgeous cards to share with you, and there’s a prize for the challenge winner.  Follow the Timeless Tuesday link to read all about it.

In my haste to complete this card, I did all my stamping on a single white panel and simply added the sentiment, ribbon, and rhinestone accents for dimension.  After I stamped and colored the border of instruments and holly sprigs, I masked the border and overstamped the Musical Score background in a very soft gray ink.  For those of you who sometimes wonder, this is a standard A2 size card, 5 1/2″ x 4 1/4″.

To mask the border I placed a panel of Crystal Clear Cardstock over the card front — with a clear view of my stamped images — and traced along the upper edge of the border, directly onto the clear cardstock, with a black fine-tip Sharpie.   I then cut along the traced line on the clear cardstock to create my mask.  Just in case that doesn’t make any sense at all, here’s a photo of my clear mask:

The rest of the design team girls have cards to share today, too:   Christine, Cindy, Julie, Latisha, Laura, and Stacy.

The Christmas Drummer set includes nutcrackers, which are just wonderful, and both of today’s sets have several useful sentiments, as well.  Very nice!  This Friday at midnight, all the new sets are scheduled for release.  I think you’ll like them!  We’ll be previewing one or more new sets each day the rest of the week.  I hope you’ll have time to check in for a peek.  Have a great day!

Stamps:  Christmas Drummer, Musical Score & Words (soon to be released by Flourishes)  Paper:  Real Red, Flourishes Classic White, Wild Wasabi textured  Ink:  Ranger Distress Walnut Stain, Ruby Red, Prismacolor markers for coloring  Accessories:  Ribbon, rhinestones, Spellbinders oval and Labels One Nestabilities, Scotch brand foam mounting tape