Timeless Tuesday Challenge

It's Tuesday!! It's time for a Timeless Tuesday Challenge and this week Maki is challenging us to create an Easter Card or Project! 
I haven't used my Flourishes "He Is Risen" set, and here is my chance! But I wanted to use it creatively and this is what I came up with.

My card is a little Spellbinder heavy, but if you have these dies, but they create such a beautiful card! I started out with Flourishes "Classic White" cardstock and used Spellbinders Classic Squares to create a frame by using the larger two dies, placing them on my cutting pad, evenly spacing the smaller one inside the largest square and cutting it out. I adhered the Spellbinders Fleur de Lis diecut, to the square frame, then placed a Spellbinders Labels #18 on top of it, popped up on popdots. Then I used two of Spellbinders Fancy Tags #3 dies with a couple of Spellbinders Cross Collection diecuts on top. I added my sentiment from Flourishes "He Is Risen" on top of a Spellbinders Scalloped Oval and Small Oval, finishing it all off with pearls.

I love how the card turned out so much that I am sure this will be the design for our Christmas cards, this year. Now I just need to make 19 more :)

Love Is Like A Butterfly

It is time for my weekly attempt at Flourishes Timeless Tuesday challenge!! This week Silke is inspiring us all with a sketch. You can join in for some fun and possibly win a Flourishes Gift Certificate to their online store. Every week they draw a winning card! You can find more details HERE on their blog.  Here is Silke's Sketch:

This is my take on the sketch. I wanted a more horizontal rectangular shape so I flipped it, if you will.

I used Flourishes "Clematis and Butterflies" stamp set. I colored it in with Distress Inks and separately stamped the butterfly, colored it in, cut it out, then popped it up on popdots. I used a Square Spellbinder to cut out my main image and a Scalloped Square die to mat it. The papers used were My Mind's Eye and Flourishes "Classic White" CS. The decorative border was created with the Spellbinders "Classic Lace" die and the silk ribbon is from Flourishes online store.

As you can see, I used popdots under every layer, to keep everything from looking too flat and uninteresting.

Yesterday, on the Flourishes blog, Beate posted a great tutorial on using Distress Inks to watercolor in images. I started out using Distress Inks, so using them wasn't new to me, but I haven't touched them in almost 3 years, since I bought my Tombows. Even though they are the same medium, you don't use the same techniques. So I took Beate's tips from the tutorial, and challenged myself to an all Distress Ink card. I love how the card turned out!! I think I will start mixing Distress Inks and Tombows, from now on, to intensify the colors on my images. It's all about learning as you go and finding out what you like and what works best for you :)

Sweet Delights

This is my submission for Flourishes Noon Time Challenge : The Round Challenge. We are being challenged to use a circle as the base of our cards and the rest of the design is up to us. If you would like to join us and be in the running to win some of Flourishes great stamps, you can find out all the details HERE.


Strangely enough, I actually had a hard time trying to figure out how and what I wanted to do for my card. But after some thought I decided to make it neutral so it wouldn't look too busy, focusing on the image and sentiment. 

I used Flourishes "Let's Have Tea" teapot and stamped a sentiment from "Lenten Rose" over it, then sponged in "Antique Linen" around the edges. I'm using Flourishes "Classic Ivory" cardstock and a piece of Basic Grey paper that I cut with a Tim Holtz Rosette die to create the scalloped rosette under the image. I used Spellbinders Scalloped and Classic Circles to cut out my image and give the base the scalloped circle shape.

Bring Back Beautiful Springtime

I have been waiting for the absolutely fun, Bring Back Beautiful Challenge, from Flourishes. I love that I get a month to work on a card, since I have been battling a pinched back and nerves painfully zinging down to my right elbow. The right is my dominant hand, and it's hard on me not being able to paint or create cards. I want to thank all of you, who offered me well wishes, they are truly appreciated!! Sometimes I have realize that I need to be more careful. I was "over enthusiatically" exercising, lifting some small weights along with a workout video, when I pinched everything badly. True story :)


This month's BBB theme is: The Beauty of Spring or Autumn. And as much as Autumn is my favorite season, I choose Spring as my theme.

I used Flourishes "Spring Has Sprung" stamps set for the foreground and the "Bee My Honey" stamp set for the beehive and the "buzzing" bees flying around. I colored it all in with my Tombow watercolor markers, and cut them all out with my craft knife. The lacy frame is from Cheery Lynn Designs called "Dutch Scallop Square Frame" that I used to cut out some Flourishes "Classic White" CS. I made the "awning" out of a strip of paper that I ran over with my Tim Holtz Rosette Die, so it gave me the scallops I wanted and gave me some dimension. I sponged the cloud background on with "Tumbled Glass" Distress Ink. To hang the buzzing bees, I colored, then cut them out with my craft knife. Then I added some glitter to their wings, and after that I added some glue to the backs and laid some fishing line over it. After they were dry, I hung them up under the awning.

I have had the idea for this card, swimming around in my head for a year, just trying to figure out how to pull it off. I think it could have been tweaked a bit, but all in all, it turned out great. There were so many small parts and things I needed to figure out, that I thought it would take all month, but it only took my 2 nights! I really thought my arm would keep me from being able to make much progress, but my wonderful husband came through. He applied some Icy Hot on my shoulders and I completed all the cut aways within 2 hours - really quick, trust me :) I even learned how to sponge on clouds, for my background, which took a little practice, but I love it :)

I really had so much fun and love how it all looks. Thank you Flourishes for challenging me, yet again :)

Scallops and Lace

Ah, my two favorite words!! Scallops and Lace. They sound so dainty and pretty. Cindy from Flourishes Design Team is challenging us to use Scallops & Lace in out Timeless Tuesday weekly challenge. The winner of this weeks challenge will win the Entire Flourishes March Stamp Release sets!! You can find all the details HERE on their blog post.


Since it is March and it is St. Patricks Day soon, I decided to use my very much beloved, but little used "Irish Blessings" stamp set for my card, this week :)

I used Flourishes "Classic Ivory" CS for my image that I stamped the Clover image in VersaMagic "Tea Leaves" then the blessing sentiment in Anna Griffin "Green" ink. I cut them out with Spellbinders Labels #18 and Labels #21. The bottom border was punched from a Martha Stewart punch. The pins are from Maya Road, the lace is from my LSS, and the rolled roses are created from MFT Rolled Rose Die.


I wanted a nice "soft" St. Patricks Day card that didn't look like one immediately :) I really love how it turned out, especially since I was stumped for a bit trying to make a St. Patricks card with lace and scallops. It took a bit of thought but I love how soft it turned out. 

It's Flourishes Release Week!!

It's that exciting week of the month that I look forward to: Flourishes Release Week! I love this week, although I do struggle with the "Stamp Greed" that inevitably happens when I see their new stamp sets..But can you blame me???
Right now Flourishes is having a week long Challenge that we can all play along with and the winner will win the Entire Flourishes Release!! You can read all about the details HERE on their blog. I won Flourishes February Release, so I'm excited to see who will win this month :)

I have so much to talk about, so let's get started, shall we? Here is the Pintrest Inspired Color Challenge for the Release Week:

I have never thought to put these colors together! I was really inspired by them so I was able to create two different cards from the Pin-Inspiration photo.

I used Flourishes "April Showers" Tulip image and the sentiment from their "Spring Has Sprung" stamp set. I used my Fiskars border punch along the sides and some My Mind's Eye paper with some ribbon,  and a few flowers from Prima.


My next card, I wanted to try a completely new direction. I tried my hand at a CAS. I mean this is as CAS as I can get :)

On this card I used Flourishes "April Showers" using Flourishes "Classic White" cardstock. I used vellum cut out with a Scalloped Circle die from Spellbinders, as my "matting" behind my image. 



As you might have noticed, my photobooth backdrop is different. I have been struggling in the photo imagery department, feeling frustrated with the inadequate lighting and how my colors would look "muddy" and "drowned out" when I would have to sharpen or add light (so you could see the colors and card shapes). All that changed when Flourishes had Lea Lawson in their  March Limelight. I got really excited, because she has such beautiful cards and a fresh, clean approach when it comes to stamping. You can take a peak at her wonderful blog Lea's Cupcakes & Sunshine, so you can see why I was so excited :) So I mentioned to Julie Korber (Flourishes Design Team Coordinator ) that I would love to hear some photography tips from Lea, along with her card ideas. Julie promised to pass on the questions (really, they were pleas for help!). This past Sunday Lea Posted the BEST tutorial I have read on taking great photos, the gear and tips, on photographing your creations. (You can read it HERE). I have a broken Point & Shoot camera (lens was dropped & scratched) with horrid lighting everywhere, to work with, and I needed help. So I took the tutorial to heart and set about to make the best of my photography situation. I am so excited and so, so happy with the tips and the patterned paper background idea, that I am literally kinda weepy.  Everything looks better and so professional now. I mean I used to take pictures outside in my photobooth, have only 15 minutes of the "best light" of the day, and all of this right in the middle of dinner time... Her tips truly make a Huge difference for me...I'm so grateful and weepy.  I know, I know, scrapbookers are tough and never cry, but I do :)

Christmas Caroling in March

I know, it sounds crazy, but I still have Christmas on the brain... in March. I love Christmas songs, and our youngest was just starting to learn them, when Christmas break ended. As with young children, times and dates have no meaning, so she continues to sing "Jingle Bells" and "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" all the time :) So when I saw this stamp set on Yardsellr, I knew I had to have it since we are  still in the Christmas mood, here :)

I used a new stamp from a company called Motivet, called "Children Caroling". I colored that in with my Tombows and cut out my image with my Spellbinders Label #8. I cut a border from Spellbinders Renaissance Hearts and placed flourishes from a Quickutz die on top, and pearls and a  flower from Prima. The tag is from a Martha Stewart punch and the "Joyeux Noel" is from Flourishes "Alleluia Angel" set. The paper is My Mind's Eye Lost & Found 2 Christmas collection, and my matting papers are Medium and Dark Birch Tones from Prismatics papers.

I love how the card turned out. I mean it all came together pretty quickly! And although I was worried about the details and the shading, this stamp made it all so easy! I had heard of Motivet but never saw any of their stamps. Now that I have one, I do want a few more. But isn't that the way it works... ;)
Now I just need to make a few more of these for Christmas ;)

Where's Amanda??

I know it's been a while since I have posted, and for good reason. I am slowly recovering from a badly pinched muscle and nerve. Every time I sat down to create a card, my whole back and right side couldn't move. I couldn't even turn my head and my nerve pain went down through to my elbow. It has taken me three weeks to be able to sit here and be able to enjoy my craft room..*Sigh* I really missed it badly!!

I hope to be back in a couple of days and be able to post another card! Again, I am so glad to be back, I missed you all :)