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 :)