JUST BECAUSE

 Have you ever done something or blessed someone "Just Because"? I have and it's such a joy and blessing when I am able to! So I translated that message and sentiment into a card.

I chose Power Poppy's "Everything's Even Rosier" set that I stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and colored in with Copics. I lightly sponged "Antique Linen" Distress Ink around the edges of the image and patterned paper, and added half a white, paper lace doily, white and gold polka dot washi tape, and some light gold pearls.

I wanted the image to pop, and everything else to have a calming influence in the background, keeping it super simple so the message and the image would shine. Sometimes less is absolutely more, as it is in this case.

YOU Are Special

Hello friends and welcome back to another fabulous Flourishes card. This such a special and pretty card, I just love how it turned out!

I used Flourishes You Sentiments that I stamped and framed in a metal frame and I painted over with white paint to "shabby it up", adding some pretty pearls under the sentiment. After that, I added some Prima flowers, a half a doily, and some Flourishes May Arts Mauve Ribbon. Then I matted everything in Flourishes Classic Ivory cardstock cutout into a frame using the Spellbinders Regal Frame die.

I wanted to go for a mixed media shabby chic look, so I decided to use something's I usually never use on my cards, such as Prima flowers and a metal frame to frame my sentiment. I am not comfortable in the mixed media realm, but I like to push myself creatively just to see where it goes.

I have created all of maybe 3 mixed media items or projects and I always over analyze each embellishment or accessory thinking it looks like too much or looks too "heavy". This time I just rolled with it and decided not to look at the in-process card too critically. After it came together I realized because I wasn't used to it, it was all "too much" before I even gave it a chance to evolve. So next time you're creating your next card, try using something you don't normally use or like to use, keep an open mind and see where it goes!

Thank you for stopping by and I'll see you next week with some new inspiration!

~ Amanda Havon

Flourishes May Release Challenge!

We're excited to welcome you to May's Release Challenge at Flourishes! May brings most of us to those warmer sunny days anticipating summer, and in some cultures May Day is celebrated by presenting loved ones with flowers or ringing the doorbell at someone's home and leaving behind a basket of flowers and treats....today we're bringing you flowers of our own,  asking you to be inspired by the colors in this beautiful illustration...

HOW TO PLAY:  There are so many beautiful combinations you can be inspired by!  Choose all of the colors in the illustration - or pick three that work together for you and create!  If you play along with us, you could win Flourishes entire May Stamp Release!  If you upload to SCS please use the keyword FLLCMAY13.  You can enter as many times as you like, but we want you to know if you use Flourishes stamps, your entry counts twice!  You have until Friday May 10, 2013 at 5 PM EST to enter.  Just make sure you enter your creation below using our InLinkz Widgit.  Have fun getting inky!

With this challenge, we also want to let you in on a little secret! Do you like the image above? Well, next week you will see this very flower in its full glory as our designers sneak peak the work of a brand new artist at Flourishes -- Sam Pickard! Sam hails from England and many folks have seen her work on her blog - Planet Sam. We are so excited to share this artist's work on polymer! We know you will love what we have in store!

Don't you just love the Release Week colors for the challenge? They're my ultimate favorite colors to work with!! I'm keeping the challenge color graphics for my personal inspirational file!
After I looked at the inspiration photo, I was inspired to create a Teabag Purse with the colors.

I used Flourishes Garden Gate stamp set that I stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and fussy cut it out. I chose to color my image in with Poppy, Sweat Pea, Beehive, Evergreen and Olive Green Copic Collections. I used Flourishes Kraft cardstock for my purse and stamped out a background with the Flourishes Vintage Wallpaper in Memento Toffee Crunch ink. After that, I sponged the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink, and made faux stitching with the Picket Fence Distress Marker. I sponged Tattered Rose Distress Ink on a doily that I folded over the purse and added a few accents with some Spellbinders Fancy Tags dies that I sponged over, with the Tattered Rose and Vintage Photo ink. Then I stamped the sentiment from Tulips for Friends in Rich Cocoa ink. I added some Blush Pearls, and some Baby Pink Ribbon from the Color Made Easy line for the handle, and I hand dyed the ribbon bow on the handle with a Tea Dye Distress Ink re-inker.

Here is the inside of the Teabag Purse.

Here, you can see the teabags tucked in the pockets snugly, and the Vintage Wall Paper stamped design on the inside flaps in Memento Toffee Crunch ink, with Vintage Photo sponged around the edges for accent and emphasis. 


We know you'll also be inspired by our Senior Design Teams Creations so go ahead and visit:

 Amanda Havon
  Christine Okken
  Cindy Lawrence
  Danielle Kennedy
  Heather Jensen
  Julie Koerber 
  Maki Jones
  Silke Ledlow
  Stacy Morgan

THE OFFICIAL RULES:

Simply create a card using 3 or more of the colors of the inspiration photo above
Entries need to be in by Friday May 10th, 5 PM EST
Those entries using Flourishes Stamps will be counted twice
You must link your creation on our InLinkz Widgit to be counted
You must have a link to our challenge in your blog post or gallery post
Please DO NOT combine challenges.  Only those entries that don't combine will be in the running
If you upload to SCS please use the keyword FLLCMAY13
We'll announce the winners on Saturday in our Winner's Circle Post here on the blog on Saturday May 11th, so check back then to find out if you are a winner!

Thanks for stopping by and we look forward to seeing what you create!

Page Maps

Good Morning fellow crafters!! Have you ever just wanted to find a good sketch when your in a crafting slump? Well, Flourishes, Becky Fleck and Page Maps are teaming up to offer you a nice challenging sketch to kick start your creative juices, again! 

When I saw this sketch I got excited to try something I had been wanting to do; incorporate a pleated banner. It's been an idea I've been playing around with and wanted to see if it would work.

I chose to feature Flourishes "Life Lines" on a machine stitched paper from My Mind's Eye, to which I added a lace doily that I placed a Spellbinders "Damask Motifs" diecut in Kraft cardstock. I placed a Prima flower on top of the diecut, then placed some bling on it. I punched a decorative border on some cardstock and used my scoring board to score it. After that I punched some holes in it and threaded a ribbon through it then attached it to my card.


I hope you are enjoying the Flourishes and PageMaps team up and are re-inspired to create something beautiful this weekend! I can't wait to see what everyone else has created! :)
Have a great weekend and have fun creating!!