No Time To Stamp?

… euphoria.  An utter and complete state of euphoria!!!  For your cards, that is!!!  I am just in love the the new Euphoria pad by Basic Grey and all the goodies that Flourishes has to go with them!!! I have SO MUCH to show you today, so let’s just get started.

Here’s my newest favorite pad by Basic  Grey.  It’s called Euphoria and these are 6 of the 18 designs in the pad.  There are 2 of each design for a total of 36 sheets per pad.  Aren’t those prints and colors just scrumptious!!!  I’ve paired them up with some of our fun and pretty May Arts ribbons.  Starting at the left we have Dotted Sheer Apple Green, 1″ Sheers in Apple Green and Pink, Dotted Lavender, 1″ Lavender Sheer, 3/8″ Lavender, Lavender/Purple Reversible Satin, Green Edged Purple, 3/8″ Bright Pink Satin, and 1″ Sheers in Steel Blue, Seafoam, and Dark Red.

Here we have 6 more of the prints in the Euphoria pad along with some more of our May Arts Ribbons.  And I’d like you all to see the pretty buttons and brads we have in stock, made by Basic Grey to coordinate perfectly with their paper.  It just doesn’t get any easier!  From the left our ribbons are Dark Red 1″ Sheer, 3/8″ Bright Pink Satin, 1″ Blue Satin, Blue Dotted Sheer, 1″ Apple Green Satin, 1″ Pink Sheer, Dotted Apple Green Sheer, 1″ Apple Green Sheer, and lastly a double sided Pink/Blue Satin.

And here we have the last 6 sheets in the Euphoria pad — love these rich reds!!!  And did you notice all the Glazed Brads in the back — so fun!!!  They coordinate with the Basic Grey papers, and we have brads to match Two Scoops, Sugared, Euphoria, Sultry and Boxer.  From left the ribbons are 1″ Sheers in Pink and Apple Green, Dotted Apple Green Sheer, 1″ Dark Red Sheer,  3/8″ Bright Pink Satin, Blue Dotted Sheer, 1″ Sheer in Steel Blue  and 1″ Satins in Blue, Apple Green and Burgundy.

And I also wanted to show you all these pretty new sticky back Pearls we have in the store — oh my — aren’t they lovely in all these colors!!!  OH, how these will dress up our cards!!!

And I wanted to also mention our H20’s by LuminArte.  They are amazing little pots of watercolors with lots of sparkle built right in.  Leslie Miller did a totally awesome tutorial earlier this week on watercoloring with these H20’s.  She makes it look SO easy and her results are totally spectacular!!! Check it out here, you won’t be sorry!!!

And for my project today, I’m going to show you what I call a *Cheater Box* — LOL!!! I love to make gift sets and boxes to present them in, but you know, we don’t always have time to make a box, as much as we might like to, so here’s a really quick idea for a gift box for cards.

OK, on the back right — I have my set of 3 cards and envelopes in a purchased plastic box — gotta love these.  I get mine from ClearBags.  Their site is not very user friendly, so I’ll tell you this box is item no. FB 17 and it is sized for A-2 cards and envelopes.  My cards usually have some thickness to them and I don’t like to squeeze them too tight, so I have 3 cards and envelopes in here, but it’ll hold quite a bit more if they are flatter cards.

OK, then I have a sheet of Textured Soft Sky (same as my cards are made of) cut to fit perfectly inside the box.  When my cards and envelopes are in my box, then I slip this cardstock sheet in front of them.  Then comes the fun part — I make a band to slip around the box, and once on, with the cardstock sheet inside the box - it actually looks like a box I made — thus, my *Cheater Box* - LOL!!!  Here’ a picture of it all put together.

How’s that for a quickie box?  I made the band pretty much the same as the card described in this post (using the sewing machine) or also in this post (using tape),  if you’d like more detailed instructions.  The only difference here is that  I added the *Friend* tag and button. The tiny button is from the Basic Grey button box shown above, and the Friend sentiment is from Flourished Words — a great sentiment set of 27 gorgeous, scripted words you can combine to form your own phrases.  It was cut and embossed with the Tag Trios by Spellbinders.  Just love these for making quick little tags to hang on a card — fun!!!

Here’s a side view of the box and a close up of the detail work.  Again, you can refer here for more instructions.  To make the band, cut a piece of paper 12 x 2.5 (or however wide you want it, and score it at 2.5, 3.5, 8 and 9.  It’ll then fold to fit this box perfectly with about an inch in the back for overlap where you can adhere it together.

And I think that about wraps it up for tonight — but to recap — what DID I suggest:

• Euphoria Designer Paper by Basic Grey
• Basic Grey Buttons,  Brads and fancy Glazed Brads
• Sticky back Pearls
• Luscious May Arts Ribbons
• Watercoloring with H20’s (see Leslie’s tutorial linked here)
• Making *Cheater Boxes* as above described
• Flourished Words for beautifully scripted small Sentiments
• Tag Trios for creating the perfect little hang tags for your cards
• And, of course, the JustRite Monogram Stampers to create these gorgeous Monograms

But before you leave, I’d like to recommend stopping in at these fun Blogs to see more creations using the fun products I’ve suggested for you today:

Julie Koerber - check out this absolutely darling little bird card — too cute for words!!!

Faith Hofrichter - check out her use of Pearls and her tutorial on how to change the color of your DP - yes, she did!!!!  Amazing!!!

Leslie Miller  - watercoloring with H20’s tutorial - she makes it so easy!!! A MUST READ!!!

Susan Roberts - check out this AMAZING 4th of July card made with Euphoria paper!!!!

Thanks so much for stopping in - I truly do appreciate it!!!  Hope you are all having a wonderful week!!!

My apologies – 10 Minute Tuesday just did not happen this week.  First I was a day behind schedule, then I lost internet service on Tuesday for 13 hours  — so I’m just moving on – and what fun I’ve had!!!  I had a chance to just play and try something I haven’t used before – and what fun!!! I created THE most gorgeous shimmer paper EVER!!!!  And it was soooooo easy!!!  Here’s the card I made:

I used Rock-a-Bye Baby which was released last week by Flourishes and Two Scoops DP by Basic Grey.   I just LOVE this vintage baby set — just darling!!! And can you see all the shimmer on my main image oval panel?  Here’s a close up so you can really see it sparkle and shimmer:

It almost looks as though it had been embossed with Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder, but it wasn’t - what I did was much, much easier!!!  I first stamped my image with Versa Fine Onyx Black (heat set) onto white cardstock and then colored with Copics.  Here’s the colors (much easier to photo the markers than to write down all those numbers — LOL!):

Then to make my *Shimmer* I used products by LuminArte — the Pure Mica Metallic in Luster Pearl and the Simple Solution #2.  This is what they look like:

Using the Miniature Spoon, take just a tad bit of the Mica from the jar and mix it with just a drop or two or three of the Medium from the bottle.  Stir it up with a paint brush and literally paint it on your card — I just painted it onto my oval.  It is wet, just like when you paint, and it took maybe 15 - 20 minutes for my oval to dry.  And I might add, this is very forgiving.  I had my first coat a bit too thick, so I just made a second batch much thinner, and painted over my first coat and thinned out the application — worked perfectly!!! When it was wet it looked a bit streaky, and I wondered, but it dried to a beautiful, even sparkle and sheen!!! This is the ULTIMATE SHIMMER PAPER!!!!  I am a happy camper!!!  So fun!!!!  I used the Luster Pearl here as I wanted a moonglow effect, but I can envision how fun using all the other colors available will be!!!

One thing I wish is that you could touch the oval I painted with the Mica and Solution.  It is totally smooth, nothing flakes off, it feels like a coated/protected surface.  This is a dream come true, especially if that glittery *fall-off* ever bothered you!!!  LOL!!!  I can’t wait to try this out in more colors and more applications!!!

Now, just so you realize,  this is the same jar of Pure Mica Metallic that I used when I did the Cuttlebug embossed background with the high sheen on this magnolia card.  You can read that post to see how I used it there.

This card is 5.5″ square, the yellowish DP sheet is Cuttlebug embossed with the Baby folder, the ovals are cut and embossed with the Oval Nestabilities by Spellbinders, the scalloped oval is paper pierced to give a lacey effect, the stick on pearls were in my stash and I just love using the 1″ Satin Ribbon by May Arts on baby cards — it is so soft and supple, it feels just like the satin binding on a baby’s blanket, and I think it just gives that satiny/babyish look to a card!!!  Mounting tape is used to pop the main image/pink ovals up above the scallop and over the ribbon.

• Stamps: Rock-a-Bye Baby by Flourishes
• Paper:  White and Two Scoops DP by Basic Grey
• Ink: Versa Fine Onyx Black and Copics to Color
• Accessories:  Satin Ribbon, Pure Metallic Mica and Simple Solution #2 by LuminArte, Cuttlebug, Baby Embossing Folder, Oval Nestabilities by Spellbinders, 1/2 Pearls, Mounting Tape, Paintbrush.

I think that’ll do it for this card!!!  Thanks so much for stopping in, and I’m trying real hard to get back on track!!!  Hope you are all having a great week!!!

Flourishes had 2 new sets released yesterday — Lilac (oh my, HOW gorgeous) and Rock-a-Bye Baby (the sweetest vintage baby set EVER).  On yesterday’s post I made a magnolia branch, using the magnolia blossoms, from the Lilac Set.  You may see it here.  Today I’m going to show you a baby girl card I made using Rock-a-Bye Baby.  Here it is:

This card is done in the tent topper style, but in a non-traditional size.  The card base is 3 7/8″ x 5 1/2″.  The scalloped oval extends another 2″ above the card, making it 7 1/2″ tall.  This will fit in a standard business sized envelope.   Sometimes it’s just fun to do something in a non-traditional size or shape!!!

My main image (isn’t it darling!) is colored with my Twinkling H20’s by LuminArte, available at Flourishes.  To keep things simple, all the colors I used came from the same package, which is #1259.  They are listed in the supplies below.  Twinkling H20’s are sparkly, shimmery watercolors and I’m finding them extremely easy to work with.  For this card I used my waterbrush and merely dipped my dampened pen into the H20 pot (it is in solid cake form).  It is very easy to control the intensity of the color with the amount of water you use.  I wish I could have captured all of the sparkle and glimmer in the photo, but, so sorry, I couldn’t, so you’ll just have to take my word for it!!!  I am truly loving working with my H20’s!!!

Once colored, the image was cut and embossed with an oval Nestabilities die by Spellbinders, matted in one size larger, and then matted again with the scallop oval.  I love the multi-layers you can so easily make with the Nestabilities. Again, if someone doesn’t know what Nestabilites are, you can click here to see a prior post explaining them.

My card base is Cuttlebug embossed with the Swiss Dots folder — so perfect for a baby card!!!  The 1″ Wide Satin Ribbon is also just perfect for a baby card — it reminds me of the binding on a soft and cuddly baby blanket!!!  The ribbon wraps completely around the card front.  The sentiment is also from Rock-a-Bye-Baby and it is adhered tight to the card on top and popped up on dimensionals on the bottom.   It was cut and embossed with the circle Nestabilities.

• Stamps: Rock-a-Bye Baby by Flourishes.
• Paper:  White.  Prism:  Razzleberry Light, Frosted Pink, Frosted Teal.
• Ink:  Versa Fine Onyx Black.
• Accessories:  Waterbrush, Cuttlebug, Swiss Dots Folder, Nestabilities, Satin Ribbon, Glue Dots, Dimensionals, and H20’s in:  Lemondrop, Apple Blossom, Guatemalen Green, Pewter, Honey Amber, all from set #1259.

That’s it — this was a relatively simple card!!!  Hope you enjoy it!!!  Thursday night’s post will be our weekly Stamp Simply Challenge, and again, it’s an easy one that anyone can play!!!  Thanks so much for stopping in again — truly appreciate it!!!

Good Wednesday morning, everyone.   I write to you today officially as a Flourish.  Yes, I am a Flourish!!!  Flourish #4 to be exact!!!    I have joined forces with Jan Marie Caruso, Nancy Kirk and Sharon Doolittle and share partnership with them in Flourishes, LLC.  I am so excited about this new venture and can’t wait to share with you all the fun and exciting things we have planned.

I was lucky enough to be chosen for the Charter Design Team when Flourishes (FLLC) opened its doors last year, and I have served as one of their designers since.  My *connection* with the style of the Flourishes images was instantly apparent to me – I just loved their timeless and elegant designs and felt so totally at ease working with them.  I truly felt that these flourishy images were made just for me — LOL!!!   Likewise, the 3 Flourishes (Jan Marie, Nancy and Sharon) and I also share so many similar thoughts, likes, desires and goals, that it just seemed to be the perfect match, and I am truly honored that they accepted me into their partnership!!! 

One of the aspects about FLLC that I admire so much and feel very strongly about, is that FLLC images are, for the most part, drawn by artists from concepts of the FLLC team, and many of the sentiments are hand done by a calligrapher.  The personal touch that this gives the FLLC images can not be replaced and is so evident in each and every set offered.  FLLC images are truly works of art, as well as works of the heart!!!

And I am super excited about the Stamp Simply line of stamps that will be debuting in June!!!  I think you are going to really like our first offering, and I just can’t wait to be able to show it to you!!!!  But, that’s a month away, so let’s concentrate on this month’s new releases, which are super fabulous!!!

The first set offered this month is a baby set called Rock-a-Bye Baby.  And do you remember when I just said FLLC sets are not only works of art, but works of the heart?  Well, this set was developed by Jan Marie, I guess you could say many, many years ago.   Jan Marie had painted these beautiful Moons and Babies on the walls of a child’s bedroom in her home, and this set is a miniature reproduction of that child’s bedroom she had painted so long ago.  Now, is that cool, or what!!!  I think it is amazingly cool!!!  And WHAT a gorgeous set – truly timeless and elegant!!!  My sample using Rock-a-Bye Baby will be posted tomorrow, so today I would like to show you some of the samples made by the Fabulous Flourishes Design Team (all links will be completed in the morning as the posts pop up):

Sharon Harnist, Leslie Miller, Tracy Durcan, Natasha Trupp

And now on to the sample that I have prepared for you today.  My card is made from the newly released set called Lilac, drawn by artist Marcy Hawley, whose work we have all come to know and love.  This set features the most gorgeous lilacs, but for today’s card I chose to use the magnolia blossoms that are also included in the set — talk about a bonus!!!

The magnolia blossoms are separate stamps and I stamped them individually into this branch formation — lots of options with these beautiful blossoms!!!

My magnolias are first colored with Copic markers (colors listed below), and then highlighted and gone over partially with a waterbrush and my new Twinkling H20’s by LuminArte.  The H20’s are sparkly, beautiful watercolors that you paint on your project, and do they sparkle!!!!  Just wonderful!!!  They are available at Flourishes and they come in sets of 12 pots of color to a set.  To use as I have done here, merely spray some water into the pot to moisten the color to your desired thickness, and paint away!!!!  The more water you add, the softer the color becomes — when you are finished, just cap it up, put it away, and it’ll be back to normal (a cake) for your next use — amazing little things!!!  Adding sparkle in a variety of colors has NEVER been easier!!!

After I colored and highlighted my stamped image, I then stamped on the word *Magnolia*, and cut and embossed my image with an Oval Nestabilities by Spellbinders, also available at Flourishes.  I then created a mat in black with another of the Oval Nestabilities — love the classy look black always seems to add!!!  (And if anyone is not familiar with what Nestabilities are, just click here to get to my last post which offers an explanation and some links.)  I then punched a small hole in the left portion of the oval with my Cropadile so I could run the ribbon under the panel and up and through the hole to tie the ribbon.  The ribbon I used is the 1″ Black Sheer by May Arts.  I always refer to this type of ribbon as organdy, but this Sheer is truly so much finer and more soft and supple than any organdy I have ever seen — I LOVE the way it ties up into a pretty, fluffy bow!!!  Flourishes carries many wonderful lines of ribbon by May Arts.

The background panel (SU Blush Blossom) was first run through my Cuttlebug with the Textile embossing folder.  I then ran my Versa Mark pad across the top of the entire panel, and then I brushed on another of the LuminArte products that are now being carried by Flourishes.  This is Pure Mica Metallic in Luster Pearl.  After brushing on just a tad bit, I wiped off the excess with a Swiffer cloth, and then sealed it all with a light spraying of Krylon Fixatif that I purchase at Wal-Mart.  It might sound like a lot of steps, but it truly only takes a couple minutes to create a background panel with such luster and sheen!!! It is truly captivating and worth every minute it takes!!!

• Stamps:  Lilac by Flourishes
• Paper:  Blush Blossom, Black, White
• Ink:  Versa Fine Onyx Black.  Versa Mark.
• Copics:  Pinks:  R20, RV11.   Greens:  G21, G40, YG63.  Brown:  E09.  Gray:  C1.  Colorless Blender:  0.
• Accessories:  Twinkling H20’s in Cherry Sorbet and Sea Glass, both from set #1256.  Pure Mica Metallic in Luster Pearl.  Oval Nestabilities. Cropadile.  Black Sheer Ribbon.  Cuttlebug with Textile embossing folder.  Swiffer.  Waterbrush.

Thank you so much for stopping in today and sharing my big news with me.  I hope you head over to the FLLC forum at SCS and take part in the challenge we are offering there, with a great prize for the randomly selected winner on Saturday night!!!!  I’ll be back tomorrow with more offerings from our newest sets!!!

Thank you so much and I hope you have a wonderful day!