August Beautiful Blossoms Challenge: Be Joyful

 Welcome back to another Beautiful Blossoms monthly challenge!! Are you having fun and getting inspired? I know I am!

This month's photo inspiration is so cheery! I love sunflowers! I also love the color of blue this vase has. So pretty!

I chose to use the sunflower colors as my inspiration and play off those cheery yellows they have.

I chose to use a stamp from Flourishes, a company that went out of business years ago, and colored it in with Copics. I matted that over some Kraft Cardstock and rounded the Kraft paper's corners. I paired my image with some yellow design paper (I cannot seem to find it anywhere or I'd name it), and used a corner punch to clip the corners into a decorative design. I added some peachy orange grosgrain ribbon and bow, and then added a sentiment from Simple Stories.

I rather like how it turned out. Clean, simple, and cute. Just the way I like them. I like my cards with minimal fuss so the images can take center stage. But every now and then, I'll fancy it up for fun.

Thank you for stopping by and I'll see you here for next month's Beautiful Blossoms Challenge photo!

June Beautiful Blossoms Challenge : A Little Hello

 Hi Friends! Welcome back to my little blog, I'm glad you're here!

It's actually June, can you believe it?! The year is half over! And it's time for another monthly blog challenge. This month's photo is my favorite so far. So patriotic :)

I was so inspired by the Red, White & Blue, I made so many card attempts. I just couldn't get the right shades of reds and blues for my card without it looking so strongly garish. I really wanted it to be soft but distinctly Red, White & Blue.

I chose a stamp that I picked up at a local scrapbook store's stamping Garage Sale event. After I stamped out my image and colored it in, I diecut out the image with the corresponding die. I cut out some light blue background paper with a stitched rectangle die from MFT, and put it on some white cardstock cut out with MFT's Mini Scalloped die. I put some popdots under the image and placed it over the design paper and base. I cut out an oval piece of white cardstock and stamped out the sentiment.

I like how the card lightly touches on the red, white, and blue color requirements, but without it being so strong. My favorite kind of cards are the clean and simple kind :)

Thank you for joining us at Beautiful Blossoms this month and we can't wait to see you next time for a new challenge!!

Beautiful Blossoms Blog Challenge : A Happy Hello

Welcome back to my little blog, I'm happy that you visited!

This month, the Beautiful Blossoms Challenge is another beautiful and inspiring bouquet photo.

Isn't it lovely? I know I'd love to receive a bouquet of those cheery, happy flowers!

I chose to use Flourishes Heartfelt Thanks stamp set, colored in with Copics. I stitched along the photos edge, and matted it with some leftover design paper. Then I cut a banner strip with MFT's Skinny Strips die, stamped with a sentiment from Flourishes Taglines stamp set.

I kept it very, very clean and simple so the colors stand out and speak for themselves. I love how it turned out, all colorful and cheery!

Thank you for visiting my blog and I hope you have some inspiration to join us in the BB challenge. I can't wait to see what you create!

Thinking of You

 Hello and welcome back, Friends! I'm back with another creation.

I created this card out of combining a few online challenges. And as always as of late, keeping it simple, choosing to focus on the image instead of accessories.

I stamped out my image and colored it in with Copics, and cut it down to my desired size. Then, I ran a metallic gold sharpie pen along my edges, just to make them pop a little off my background and stand out a bit. It's barely noticeable but it creates depth so the images stands out and the edges don't get lost in the background matting.
I chose my favorite MFT Dienamic matting die, Stitched Scalloped Rectangles and cut out some Bazzil cardstock in Pale Rose; offering a breath of color but still a neutral enough to be a subtle background note.
I placed some popdots under my floral image so it would pop off the scalloped edge Bazzil cardstock, and placed it in the center of the card.

I truly love how it turned out! So simple, clean and pretty! Love it!

I'm entering it in the following Blog Challenges :

Color Throwdown - Teal, Pink & Lime

Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

Inspired By... - Spring Colors

Just Add Ink - Pick Two (Colors & Thinking of You)

Bring Your Sunshine

 Have you ever met that someone somewhere in life that "Brings the Sunshine" wherever they go? That one person who's unflappable, always laughing, and full of joy? Yeah, those are my people. They're hard to find, but once you do you simply can't get enough time spent with them. I've met one or two in my life time. Until then, I like to live by the idea that I can be that sunshine to or for someone else I may meet.

That's why I love this stamp set. I love the sentiment and how the woman seems so relaxed, content to just simply enjoy the flowers and life.

Doesn't she just exude peace and sunshine? She looks like she Always brings her Sunshine anywhere she goes, with her.

I chose to use Sheena Douglas's "Wouldn't It Be Lovely?" stamp set that I bought from Crafters Companion. I watercolored it in with my Distress Inks from Tim Holtz because I wanted something soft and not harsh. I wanted the flowers to POP and everything else to be there but be more of a "background" to the floral colors shown. I sponged a "border" of color around the image using more Distress Inks, masking off a "colorless/free" border with painters tape. Then I mounted the watercolored image on an old scalloped precut card mat that I've had for years and years. I can't even remember where I got it, but I wish I bought more of them.

This scene just makes me smile and reminds me to always bring my own sunshine and stop waiting for people to bring it to me :)

Sunday Morning Flourishes

Hello again, I'm back with another Flourishes card that I kept very simple and sweet.

Remember those cool shaped cards that were all the rage a few years ago? Yep, I decided to go "retro" and make one and just have fun with it.

I picked Flourishes Garden Picks stamp set and stamped it on Flourishes Classic White cardstock. I colored the flowers in very softly with my Copics, then fussy cut it out and set it aside. I stamped Flourishes Love and Lace as my circular background, in Memento Desert Sand on Flourishes Classic Ivory cardstock I diecut out into a circle. I matted the diecut circle with Spellbinders Picot Circles die, using a very light and soft pink cardstock, to give it a lacy and feminine feel.
I attached my base to my top half and I cut out a scalloped circle shape in a soft pink cardstock, attaching it to my base for decoration. Then I added a fancy tag shape so that my top could have a "catch point" so my card wouldn't flop closed. Then I stamped the flower images in Memento Desert Sand on the fancy tag piece, adding my sentiment in the middle. I finished off my card with some pearls and swirl bling, keeping it very simple and not fussy.

I hope this card inspires you to try another retro card shape or style!

As promised I am also announcing my blog candy winner from Flourishes Release Week! The winner is: Liz Williams!!! Liz, please email me at : havonfamily@yahoo.com to claim your prize!!

Challenge Blog Link Up List For This Card:

Brown Sugar - Anything Goes
Colour Crazy - Anything Goes
Creative Corner - Favorite Color Combo - (Pink & Creams)
Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
Cut It Up! - Summer Time Memories - (Picked Flowers in a Jar)
Fussy and Fancy - Pink & Cream w/ Lots of Bling
Morgan's Art - Add 3 Of Something - (3 or more Pearls and Bling)
Pattie's Creations - Anything Goes


Thank you for joining me and I will see you soon with another Flourishes card!
~ Amanda

Flourishes Free For All Friday!

Hello and welcome to another Flourishes Free For All Friday! It's my turn to host the Flourishes blog and show off a creation using another Flourishes Image.

I am using another Flourishes retiring set called The Sweetness of Friendship.

I stamped out The Sweetness of Friendship on an acetate frame with some Memento ink so that it wouldn't smear after drying. Then I took an old back piece of Prima flower packaging and used that as my card background. After letting the stamped sentiment dry on the acetate, I placed popdots under the acetate to lift it off the card background to create depth. After placing the acetate image where I wanted it on the card, I added some flowers, leaves and some pearl swirls over the white popdots so that they couldn't be seen and also add some color and beauty to the card's overall look.

This was an experiment to see if I could find a way to place popdots under the acetate so I could lift it off the card to add some depth and interest. I really like how it all turned out and I may try this again, although working with acetate is tricky and it doesn't photograph easily. I'd like to encourage you to try it, if you haven't, you may find you like it!

Don't forget that Flourishes is having a huge blow out sale to retire old sets and make way for some of the new ones! Don't miss out, you only have a couple days left to buy your favorite sets. The sale ends July 31st.

Thank you for visiting and I will see you next Friday for another Free For All Friday!
~ Amanda

Flourishes Release Week : Garden Gate

After a few days of peeks and tons of eye candy courtesy of the Flourishes Design Team, we're happy to share that the April sneaks are over and all of the sets we've been showing off are LIVE in the Flourishes Store HERE! Today, we bring you one more hop and this one will have you hopping past the garden gate to see a bevy of beautiful roses!

Garden Gate, illustrated by Marcella Hawley, takes the beauty of a shrub rose and makes it a card maker's delight! The set features one beautiful arched shrub rose branch and a fun-filled,whimsical scene welcoming you beyond the garden's gate. This 4 by 6" set also offers 5 beautifully scripted sentiments. 

Would you like to win this set?  Well, just as we have done in past release weeks, we offer our little guessing game of….

We don’t know which one of these ladies below will be the Mystery Blogger but one will, so leave comments on all of our designers’ blogs and you’ll be in the running to win today’s Garden Gate Stamp set! Want to see all the beautiful things you can create with this gorgeous array of shrub roses? Head on over and see…..

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

And.... if you own a Silhouette Cameo, you should know that there are a number of new cut files available too! We have the Bees and Blooms Cut File both for the Silhouette Cameo and in a SVG version as well. We have the Spring Blossom Cut file for the Silhouette Cameo and we also have the Garden Gate in a Silhouette Cameo Cut File as well! What creative fun! You can click HERE to see all of our cut files in the Flourishes store! There are a ton!

I used the Garden Gate stamp, stamping it with a solvent ink onto a sheet of Clear Cover Cardstock and colored everything in with the following Copic Collections : Crocus Collection, Flesh Tones 2 Collection, Olive Green Collection and the Evergreen Collection. I made a frame with the lightest cardstock from each of the Color Made Easy lines in Rich Browns and Pistachio, adhering my acetate to it using popdots to lift my image off the background paper. For my embellishments, I added some Scalloped Guipure Ivory lace, some Iced Lime Color Made Easy ribbon, a single Cream Leaf Pin and some small flowers.

*Note: If you are planning on coloring items in on clear Acetate cardstock, I have just a tip or two. You can't blend on clear cardstock very well. I have had mixed results, mostly success, but the more color you lay down, the stickier the cardstock gets. Which leads me to my next tip, if you do decide to color an image in, notice my image is "reversed" from the actual stamp image. I did that on purpose, to show the versatility of stamping on a clear cover cardstock. But when you color your image in, besure to place the colored inside so it's not facing out because it can get sticky, by facing it forward it will be smooth.

And of course I couldn't help myself, so I made another card because I really missed fussy cutting out my images!

I used stamped the Garden Gate out in Versafine Onyx Black onto Classic White cardstock, and colored my image in with the following Copics: Poppy, Olive Green, Terra Cotta, Copper, Flesh Tones 2, Sunflower and Blue Jeans Collections. After fussy cutting out my image, I adhered it on a die cut shape I cut in half and mounted them onto popots. I sponged my background diecut in Broken Glass Distress Ink, then I used my ScorTape and adhered everything to my card base that I diecut out. I made a base from Clear Cover Cardstock, which holds all those delicate pieces of the card together for me. kept the embellishment simple, only adding some Snow White Kaiser Pearls.
Here is the back of the card.

DO YOU WANT TO WIN OUR ENTIRE RELEASE?

If you want a chance to win all three of our new sets, you can always play in our Summer Lovin' Challenge – there will be multiple winners here AND you only have until 5PM EST today to enter!!! OR, play along with the gals for this week’s Timeless Tuesday Challenge! Check out the links for the official rules! You can also take advantage our New Release Bundle and get 10% off when you purchase all three together in a bundle. And, while you're shopping, did you check out the WHAT'S NEW PAGE on the Flourishes Store? There is a WHOLE BUNCH of new stuff that you'll want to check out!

Just like we do each release, we offer you the Saturday Winner's Circle -- a day when you can find out if you were one of the lucky commenters or.... winners in our Release Week Challenge! We'll have that post up tomorrow at noon -- so be sure to check back and see if your name landed in our latest Winner's Circle!


Thanks for joining us this week!

Amaryllis

It's been too long since I have entered Flourishes Bring Back Beautiful challenge and I missed it! 
Flourishes Bring Back Beautiful Challenge this month is: The Beauty of Winter or a Holiday Themed Creation. 
I am combining it with Color Throwdowns Color Challenge for this week: 

Why not combine the two? :)


I decided to go rouge a bit and use a flower image used that you would see at Christmas. Does that count as a "Winter" themed image? :)

I used Flourishes " Calendar Set 3: September through December" stamp set that I colored in with Tombows, and cut out with a craft knife, then added Glossy Accents to it. I used a Spellbinders Labels 20 that I sponged in with Distress Inks. The paper is from My Mind's Eye and my CS is Prism Papers "Birchtone: Medium". I stamped the month on a piece of vellum that I sponged in with Distress Inks, then tied a bow on from Flourishes.


I know what your thinking, why is the bow on the bottom, it's getting all smooshed! I was going to used a punch and punch out a border on my top & bottom matting, but when it came time to put it all together, I totally forgot, and by the time I realized it, it was already on! You can't win em all, I tell you =)


I chose this particular set not only because it's my new set, but because December is my birthday month and I think it's a gorgeous flower! I have a few other favorite flowers that are closer to my heart but this is one amazing flower! When I looked up some images of it, I was so surprised at the variety of reds and red striations that they could have. It's such a unique and pretty flower to enjoy at Christmas :)