Thursday, January 30, 2014

Snow Days!




Hi there everybody!  Hope all is well with all of you!  I thought I would share a few photos of what has been going on around here....SNOW!  Now, I know that a lot of places have been seeing snow this winter, but you have to understand....here in the Deep South, not so much.  So, when it does snow here, it'a a really big deal.  I have to admit, when it does snow or if the weather man is even talking about the possibility of snow, I turn into a giddy child!  I just can't help myself.....maybe it's the memory of being out of school when it snowed, or the thought of being warm and snug at home....I don't know exactly what it is.  Now, if I had to deal with it as much as some of my blogging friends do, maybe it would not be so nostalgic for me....but it is such a rarity here, you'll just have to indulge me for a bit!  Let me set the scene.....the fireplace has a roaring fire in it, I have a pot of Perfect Potato Soup on the stove....recipe compliments of the lovely Pioneer Woman  Ree Drummond, and it looks like this outside....


This is the view off of our front porch....what you are looking at are a couple of dozen azaleas that are in shock!  Lol!  I hope this deep freeze is not going to affect the blooming that should be taking place in a couple of months...we'll see.  Now, I ask you....doesn't this look like the perfect snow day?  


Here is another shot of our azalea area and the lonely little frozen bird bath....even the birds don't know what to think right now!  Which reminds me, I have to go fill the feeder up again!  The temperatures have been positively frigid....we were in the single digits this morning when I took these!  Sheesh, again...we are not used to this here!  I have one more shot for you....this is my little guy that you may have heard me mention from time to time.  He has many nick names....Little B, The Little Prince, Bax-Man, Baxie Boy.....but officially, this is Baxter, our Longhaired Miniature Dachshund...


That is one cold dog....I had a hard time taking this photo!  As you can see, he is concentrating hard on the path to the front door!  LOL!  I managed to get this one photo and then he was done!  He is my stamping companion....my little "heartbeat at my feet" and constant shadow.  To say we pamper him around here would be an understatement!  Anyways, there he is belly deep in snow and ready to make a run for it!  Don't worry, his mama will dry him off good when he gets in the house and he will get all snuggled up in his blanket...seriously, he is one pampered boy!

Well, that is all for my little Snow Day photo shoot.  I hope all of you have a wonderful day...I plan on getting a little crafty time today.  I'll be seeing you soon...take care until next time.  Oh, and Baxie sends you a doxie kiss!  Thanks so much for stopping by today!  

~Katie

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Flourishes' Timeless Tuesday #256








Hello fellow Flourishes fans! It's Tuesday and we're here with another fantastic Timeless Tuesday Challenge for you! Have you checked out the latest and greatest Gambler's Sale this week? You don't want to miss this... it's 20% off everything in the store. Things go fast, so shop now to ensure you get all those stamps on your "must have" list! Click here for more details and your shopping code. This week Allison is our hostess and she is challenging you to create using the newest Pantone Color of the year... Radiant Orchid... but any shade of purple will do!

  FTTC256 Purple 

 According to the Pantone View, "Since 2000, the Pantone Color Institute™ has been designating a Color of the Year to express in color what is taking place in the global zeitgeist. A color that will resonate around the world, the PANTONE Color of the Year is a reflection of what people are looking for, what they feel they need that color can help to answer. Not necessarily the hot fashion color of the moment, but a color crossing all areas of design which is an expression of a mood, an attitude, on the part of the consumers."

Now that we have all of the details for our challenge, let me show you my card!  Purple is not a color that I normally work with so this was a great challenge to get me out of my color "box".  I thought the With Gratitude stamp set would be perfect....the cone flowers from this set are gorgeous and so are the beautifully scripted sentiments!

  

I stamped my image with Memento Tuxedo Black on to Flourishes Classic White card stock that I had die cut with a Spellbinder's rectangle die.  I then colored my image with Copics and stamped the adorable thank you sentiment across the bottom of my image using some Craft colored ink for a subtle horizontal line across the bottom. I then stamped my main sentiment with more Tuxedo Black ink on more white cardstock, cut out using Spellbinder's Labels Eighteen die and sponged some purple ink on it.  I added a few layers with some patterned papers from Paper Studio and some solid purple cardstock, did some stitching, added a ribbon and my sentiment and called it a wrap!  OH, I did add a little sparkle in the centers of my cone flowers with my Atyou Spica Clear glitter pen.  I don't think you will be able to see that in the photos, so just pretend- k?

 

I love, love, love the sweet sentiments in this set!!  The font is so delicate, don't you think?  And...drumroll please...not a speck of gold leafing anywhere....can you believe it?  :)

Well, that is pretty much all for my card today, but you know what's next....you have a ton of inspiration to see from my wonderful team mates...including our Senior Design team!  Yes, they are joining us this week for our challenge!  Have fun using purple in your creations this week! Take a moment and leave some lavender love on each one of our designers' blogs, then go create your own purple masterpiece, link up to our site and play along with us!  See you there and I am so glad you could stop by today for a visit!  :)

Supplies:
Stamps:  With Gratitude
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Antique Linen Distress Ink, Crumb Cake and Elegant Eggplant-SU!
Paper:  Flourishes Classic White card stock, Patterned papers from Paper Studio
Other:  ribbon, Atyou Spica Clear Glitter pen, foam dimensionals
Copics:  V01, V12, V15, V17, YG00, YG01, Y04, G40, G43, G46, G28, YG91

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Flourishes' Timeless Tuesday Challenge #255

Hello there!  Hope this finds you all well and rested from your weekend!  We have a really fun challenge for you this week at Flourishes...."In With the New"!  That sweet Cheryl is the hostess this week and she has challenged us to create a card that celebrates something new.  You can read all about it here.


What a fun challenge and very timely, indeed, as I needed a wedding card!  I started by stamping one of the floral swags from the Spring Blossoms set on to Flourishes Classic Ivory card stock with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored it with a few Copics.  Next, I die cut my card panels using Marianne CreaTables Square Frames set, Spellbinders Classic Squares Small set, and Spellbinders 5x7 Elegant Labels Four set with more Flourishes Classic Ivory card stock.  I used some of the lightest pink paper from the Color Made Easy Poppy Collection.  Then I used  Ranger Antique Linen Distress Ink and Ranger Worn Lipstick Distress Ink to sponge on a little color on my panels.  Next....I know you know...yep, I took out my trusty Krylon 18KT Gold Leafing pen and went to town.  I mean, if you can't use it on a wedding card, when can you use it....right?  I added a little ruffled ribbon trim to one of the layers and started assembling my card using a lot of foam dimensionals, saving my sentiment panel for last.  I stamped a sentiment from the retired set Happily Ever After in more Tuxedo Black ink.  A bit of pink satin ribbon threaded through one of the panels and some tiny accent pearls finish everything off.


Here you can see this sweet floral image a little better...just right for an almost Spring wedding.  Does it count if you are really looking forward to Spring...lol!    


Now that is one dainty wedding card with a whole lotta layers!  Well, that is all for my card today.  I hope you will go check out what the rest of my team mates have created for your inspiration today, leave them all a little blog love, and then create your own card celebrating something new!  And another little tid bit....you seriously need to check out the sale going on at Flourishes!  If you have a stamp set or two (or in my case dozens) on your "list" that you can't live without, now is the time to scarf them up before they are gone!  You can read all about this amazing sale here.  I hope you all have a wonderful day and I really thank you for stopping by for a visit!  Until next time, take care!  :)

~Katie~

Supplies
Stamps:  Spring Blossoms and Happily Ever After
Paper:  Flourishes Classic Ivory card stock and Color Made Easy Poppy Collection
Dies:  Marianne CreaTables Square Frames set, Spellbinders' 5x7 Decorative Labels Four and Classic Squares Small sets
And these Copic Colors:
RV 10, RV11, RV13, RV14, RV17, RV19, BV13, BV17, G40, G43, G46, E55, E57

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Flourishes' Timeless Tuesday Challenge #254



Hi again, everybody!  Are you all still reeling from last weeks' stamp release at Flourishes?  I know I am.....lots of beautiful images to admire and if you wish, make your own!  :)  I know I am going to enjoy playing with my new sets.  Today, the Friends of Flourishes Blog Team has a new challenge for you.  The incredibly talented Jenny is our hostess with the mostest and boy does she have a timely challenge for you....you will need to read all about it here!


Baby, it's cold outside so Jenny wants us to "Button Up"!  :)  I don't think there has been a corner of the US that hasn't been down right frigid this past week.  Sheesh...even here in Peach Country it was 5 degrees one day and the wind chill made it -12!  Now, there are some folks that may be used to that, but not here!  My poor little dachshund had a hard time with it...he definitely did not want to go outside.  Anyways, it has warmed up some now, so we are all good.  

For my card this week, I used two stamp sets....Warm Winter Wishes and Snow Scenes.  I was making this card for a dear friend as a thank you.  On the coldest day we had this past week, my friend drove to my little town to take me out to lunch.  Now, it's a good little drive for her, but she did it because that is just the way she is...sweet as can be...and she knew I needed a pick me up.  We had the best lunch and caught up on all the news and just had a great day.  This will be in the mail by the time this post is up because I know when she reads this....and she will read this, she will know I am talking about her!  :)  


Isn't that the perfect sentiment?  I added several stamped snowflakes in a couple of shades of blue around my sentiment. Then I colored up these adorable mittens with copics, fussy cut them out, and added them plus these cute die cut snowflakes and a button to my card.  I did some stitching before putting all of my layers together and I did use a sponge dauber and various Ranger Distress inks to age everything up a bit.  Some random pearls and a few touches with my Atyou Spica clear glitter pen finish this little card off.  


I can't get over that darling sentiment!  I decided to give you a little peek at the inside of this card....I don't usually add that to my posts but I just couldn't resist this time...


Isn't that little "Thank You" the cutest thing ever?!?  I just had to use it to finish off the inside of this card and I know that my friend is really going to get a kick out of it!  :)  Unfortunately, we did not get snow with our deep freeze (which I feel cheated about...I mean, really, if we are going to be in sub zero temps, couldn't we get just a little snow to pretty things up a bit....but noooo...a busted pipe, yes...but no snow!) but I had to use this anyway!  :)  I used a heart tag and another snowflake and more stamped snowflakes to decorate the inside.  

Well, that is all for my card today, but you know you just have to go check out what my team mates have created for your viewing pleasure and inspiration today!  After you leave them some blog love, why don't you make your own wintry button creation and play along?  You can win a prize and your chances go up if you use Flourishes stamps on your project! I am so glad you were able to stop by today and I'll be looking in the gallery for your awesome creations!  Hope you have a great day and keep warm!!  :)  Take care til next time....
~Katie

Supplies:
Stamps:  Warm Winter Wishes, Snow Scenes
Paper:  Flourishes Classic White card stock, Flourishes Classic Ivory card stock, Color Made Easy Tonal Neutrals. My Mind's Eye 6s6 pads "Lost and Found-Sunshine" and "The Sweetest Ting-Bluebell"
Dies:  Spellbinders A2 Fancy Postage Edge, and Mat Basics A and B sets; Snowflake die, Heart tag die
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Memento Espresso Truffle, Ranger Antique Linen Distress Ink,  Ranger Worn Lipstick Distress InkRanger Tea Dye Distress Ink, Stampin' Up! Baja Breeze and Bashful Blue
Other:  Button, twine, pearls, Atyou Spica Clear Glitter pen, foam dimensionals, Scor Tape
And these Copic Colors:  W1, W4, W5, Bg11, BG53, BG57, BG75

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Flourishes' Timeless Tuesday #253 AND a New Stamp Reveal...



Hello all and welcome to a very special kick off to Flourishes' January Release! Not only are we ushering the new release in with a fun-filled Timeless Tuesday Challenge but we are showcasing a set designed to honor Flourishes' owner and founder.  For our challenge today, yours truly is your hostess and I am challenging you to Get in Shape!


That's right....let's celebrate one of the most popular New Year's Resolutions in a new way....make a shaped card!  I know you can do it.....and to make things even more interesting, you are going to be able to feast your eyes on this gorgeous new stamp set that we are all featuring today!  And when I say all, I mean ALL because the Senior Design team is joining in on the fun!  So without further ado....

INTRODUCING....

FlowersForJanGraphic Wisteria, Peonies and Bearded Iris -- all three of these flowers are favorites of Flourishes' founder and owner Jan Marie Caruso. Sentimentally illustrated by Marcella Hawley, these beautiful blooms honor the lady at the helm at Flourishes. Three breathtaking flowers paired with three beautifully scripted words and five accent words. This 4" by 6" set is sure to be one you reach for just to send creations to friends far and wide for any and all occasions! Would you like to win this set along with the other two sets being released this month? All you need to do is play along with us!!! We have a special treat for you today -- two actually! First, in honor of Jan Marie and this very special set, Flourishes' Senior Design Team is joining along in this challenge to give you double the inspiration! As you hop around getting inspired on ways to "Get In Shape", don’t forget to try to figure out….
Mystery-Blogger-Graphic
Hidden among the Design Team’s blogs today is our Mystery Blogger of the day. Comment on her blog and you could be chosen to win today’s set! The more you comment, the better your chances of winning.

Have you got all of that now?  I know...it's a lot to take in!  Since this stamp set is all of Jan Marie's favorite flowers, I really wanted to pay special tribute to this amazing lady.  Although we have never met, I am eternally grateful to her for the opportunity to work with her incredible product line and represent her company.  I just know she has got to be one of the most amazing people!

 For this special card I wanted to make something unique.  I took my cue from these beautifully drawn images....they reminded me of vintage prints and then I decided make it resemble a vintage jewelry piece.  For my card, I used the wonderful Iris image.  I colored this beauty up with Copics and then I used a few Spellbinders dies for my card...Classic Ovals Small, Floral Ovals, and for my card base Labels 28.   



 I stamped my image and sentiment with Memento Tuxedo Black onto Flourishes Classic Ivory card stock while it was still in the oval die.  Next, I colored my image with copics, put it back in the oval die, and sponged Ranger Antique Linen Distress Ink around to give it an aged look.  I wanted to make this look like a vintage cameo or one of those vintage resin pins, so next I added a few layers of Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel and heat set each layer. Versamark ink is perfect for this to adhere your UTEE. After 3 layers, I let it cool, and then cracked it to make it look like cracked glass!  This is such a fun technique and it really gives your project that vintage feel.  I finished off my image by edging it out with a Krylon Gold Leafing pen, layering it with a few papers, then adhering it to my gold leafed Floral Oval die cut and layered Labels 28 card base. I left this free from any other embellishment so the beautiful image and cracked glass finish could be center stage.   


I am always amazed at the tremendous detail these stamps deliver....the sentiments in this set are so delicate and will be some you will reach for again and again.  Well, I hope you enjoyed my little card, but you really must see what all of the Flourishes designers have for your inspiration....I am sure you will not be disappointed!  Remember, leave a little blog love for everybody and then link up your own "Get in Shape" creation!  I can't wait to see what you come up with....thanks so much for stopping by!  And a very special thank you to Jan Marie for allowing me to be a part of such a special group of ladies....I hope you enjoy all of the flowers in your beautiful garden today!  
~Katie

Supplies
Stamps:  Flowers for Jan
Paper:  Flourishes Classic Ivory card stock, Navy paper, patterned paper 
Dies:  Spellbinders Classic Oval Small, Floral Ovals, Labels 28
Other: UTEE, Heat Gun, Krylon Gold Leafing Pen
And these Copic colors:  B21, B23, B24, B26, B29, Y13, Y17, G40, G43, G46, G85, YG91