Thursday, December 29, 2011

From the Heart - MFT January Teaser, Day Two



My main bunny Flopsey is back in Bunch of Hearts Flopsey!!! Oh, I do love that rabbit! This time he's bringing us a bunch of love :) I'm also using the new Rolled Scallop Flower Die-namics die for this card. I love this flower!!! It's super easy to assemble and as you can see, I couldn't stop with one ;-) My girl Jody Morrow has put together a little video to show you how simple it is and you can see it HERE. I tried it with hot glue like Jody did and it's simply amazing how well it works! I confess to have been a little rolled flower (especially the roses) challenged so I'm going to try it on one of them to see if I get better results than glue dots. I'll let you know :)

OK, back to Flopsey. He's colored with Copic markers and I stamped one of the sentiments on the front, overstamping "Heart" with an open heart image, also from the set. Then I added a Simply Scallops Die-namics border some baker's twine, and the rolled flowers. I must have leaves for my flowers so I added some cut with the Upsy Daisy Die-namics set.

Here's the inside with another sentiment and all of the open heart images in the set.
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Here are the Die-namics dies I used on this card:




Here are the details about the upcoming release on January 3rd at 10 PM EST:
  • You can attend the New Release Party on January 3rd from 8-10 PM EST HERE in the MFT forum, where you can enjoy fun, games, and PRIZES!
  • The MFT release, including all new stamp sets and Die-namics, is on January 3rd at 10 PM EST.  You'll find all the newest products HERE at release time.
  • The guest designer contest is ON!  Check out the forum for details on how YOU can win $200 in stamp sets and Die-namics, and play along with the MFT Design Team for a month.
  • If you'd like to see all the teasers for today, please click on over to the MFT Blog NOW.  Be sure to leave comments as you go for the chance to win one of 2, $10 gift certificates given away daily.  The winners will be posted on January 3rd just before the release party, on the MFT blog.
Thanks SO much for stopping by! See you back tomorrow for Day Three January Teaser!

~Supplies~
Stamps: Bunch Of Hearts Flopsey (MFT)
Paper: Black Licorice, Wild Cherry, Sweet Tooth; Smokey Shadow (PTI); Yours Truly 6 x 6 (Echo Park)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Lady Bug
Accessories/tools: Vagabond (Tim Holtz); Upsy Daisy, Simply Scallops, Rolled Scallop Flower Die-namics dies; baker's twine, Copic markers, sewing machine, glue gun; foam dots



Wednesday, December 28, 2011

...because it has a song - MFTWSC #52


Are you ready for this week's MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge? Here’s this week’s sketch. You can find the sketch on the MFT blog and also in the MFT forum on SCS, as well as in the weekly newsletter. The Design Team will be on hand to provide plenty of inspiration to get you started.

I brought out the very first set in the Inspired by line - Inspired by Caged Bird. That set started my love affair with the Inspired by line and it's never wavered. 

I pretty much kept the sketch intact this week for a change ;-) I stamped the cage, matted it, and popped it up on foam. I added a Little Open Scallops Strip Die-namics to the vertical element and used wide striped ribbon for the fishtail element. I stamped the bird in flight, cut it out, and popped it up, as well. Everything was sponged with some Antique Linen Distress Ink to keep the Vintage feel going.

Here's the inside with another stamped bird and a well-loved sentiment from the set.



Thanks SO much for stopping by! See you back tomorrow for another January teaser!

~Supplies~
Stamps: Inspired by Caged Bird (MFT)
Paper: Fossil, Whip Cream, Black Licorice; Times & Seasons (Echo Park)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Antique Linen Distress Ink (Ranger)
Accessories/tools: Vagabond (Tim Holtz); Little Open Scallop Strip Die-namics die (MFT); ribbon, pearls, foam dots



Je t'aime - MFT January Teaser, Day One






Ooo-la-la! WTG has gone international! Who's That Parisian Girl will WOW you with the images and sentiments that work so well with the new Eiffel Tower Die-namics die. How cool is THAT?! 

I stamped WTG, paper pieced her skirt and colored her very very chic sweater with Copic markers. Then I matted it and popped it up on foam, adding the Eiffel Tower die cut, some Flat Bottom Clouds, and a new Mini Wavy Pennant Die-namics die cut. These pennants work with the pole from the previously released Mini Pennant Die-namics set and give you added versatility with that set. I'm also using the new Jumbo Monarch Border Die-namics, embellished with some hot pink gem stones and some matching gingham ribbon. I like the contrast between that ribbon and the sophistication of the gems and the image.

Here's the inside of my card, with more images from the set.


And here are the Die-namics dies I used on this card.





Here are the details about the upcoming release on January 3rd at 10 PM EST:
  • You can attend the New Release Party on January 3rd from 8-10 PM EST HERE in the MFT forum, where you can enjoy fun, games, and PRIZES!
  • The MFT release, including all new stamp sets and Die-namics, is on January 3rd at 10 PM EST.  You'll find all the newest products HERE at release time.
  • The guest designer contest is ON!  Check out the forum for details on how YOU can win $200 in stamp sets and Die-namics, and play along with the MFT Design Team for a month.
  • If you'd like to see all the teasers for today, please click on over to the MFT Blog NOW.  Be sure to leave comments as you go for the chance to win one of 2, $10 gift certificates given away daily.  The winners will be posted on January 3rd just before the release party, on the MFT blog.

Thanks SO much for stopping by! Hope to see you back later today for this week's MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge and I'll be back again tomorrow with another teaser!

~Supplies~
Stamps: Who's That Parisian Girl (MFT)
Paper: Black Licorice, Whip Cream, Razzleberry, Perfect Paper Panel; Smokey Shadow (PTI); Be Mine 6 x 6 (Echo Park) 
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Rose Bud
Accessories/tools: Vagabond (Tim Holtz); Eiffel Tower, Jumbo Monarch Border, Mini Pennant, Mini Wavy Pennant, Flat Bottom Clouds Die-namics dies (MFT); bling, ribbon, foam dots; Copic markers

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

It's An After Christmas Sale at Flourishes!!!



We hope you enjoyed the holidays and we hope you felt the blessings we wished upon you and your family! We’ve been busy at home base trying to go through all of our shelves to prep for our end of year inventory. After walking through the warehouse, it was clear…. FLOURISHES NEEDS A SALE! 

So, if you have Christmas money to spend, we’ve got a great deal you won’t want to miss! From now through Friday, everything in the store is 25% off. Even the goodies on our sale page that have already been reduced for quick sale are 25% off the sale price!

TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SALE….. Simply use XMAS11 in the coupon code box at the time of checkout.

 Be sure to hit the recalculate button on the page so that your total adjusts to the sale price. Keep in mind, there are no rain checks or back orders. Once some of these items are gone, they will be gone for good! So, shop early for the best selection!




December MFT Creative Chat - Embellishments




It's time for the MFT Creative Chat. The My Favorite Things Design Team Creative Chat is a monthly feature, where we are challenged to explore our creative spaces and share valuable organizational methods, tools, and shopping strategies with you. You'll be able to peek into our creative spaces, ask questions, and share your own ideas in the MFT forum.  This month, we were asked the following questions:  


Show us how you store your embellishments.
What are your absolute favorite embellishments?
Any tips or tricks on how to use embellishments on stamped creations?


Visit Kim's Blog for a full list of designers that have taken up the challenge and get ready to delve into the minds of our creative team.


OK, are you ready for the tour? Let's go! I keep flat things like chipboard letters in a drawer in a Sterlite cabinet.



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I love canning jars and use them for all kinds of storage. I use them for canisters in my kitchen and buttons in my stamp room. These are the little pint jelly jars and I use the replacement white plastic tops instead of the lids and rings. Each of these jars contains one color of buttons. A little further back you'll see pint jars with color collections.


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The little 4 oz jars are perfect for brads. I don't use brads a lot, but I want them handy when I do. You'll also see some smaller button collections in these little jars. I keep all the jars on lazy Susans so I can see everything easily, at the touch of a finger.



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Here I have some Prima flowers, sorted by color, and all of my stick pins in one pint jar. I probably should sort them out into smaller jars.


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In this set of medium Sterlite drawers you'll see...Big Brads, LOL! It's even labeled! These are larger brads and Basic Gray Brads.



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In this set of medium Sterlite drawers I keep my bling.



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Bottom drawer has all my pearls.



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Middle drawer is gem stones.


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And top drawer is for my flourishes, gems and pearls.



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I also love Dew Drops. I keep my little bottles of them on a turntable handy to my stamping area. and...



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...also close by I have this nifty box of dispensers that I got on eBay. Lots of colors, conveniently packaged and also handy on my table.



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OK, that's it for storage. As for my favorite embellishment...well, it's a toss up between buttons and Dew Drops/pearls. I love buttons on ribbons, on twine, or simply by themselves--always with twine, never naked, LOL. I love them because you can use them with ANY style project--from CAS, to Vintage, to primitive, to, well, anything!

I love Dew Drops/pearls because they give the look of brads without the hassle. I never seem to be able to line brads up straight and then you've got the problem with the "legs" between layers. With Dew Drops or pearls, aligning them is much easier than brads for me. I did figure out a way around the "leggy" problem, though, and it also helps with lining them up. Sometimes nothing will do except a brad, KWIM? I'll show you how I manage them with a few pictures.

First, cut the legs off your brads as close as you can down inside the cap. I keep some wire cutters hand for this purpose.


Then, push the "stumps" down into the cap as far as possible. I use a hemostat but small needle nosed pliers or jewelry pliers would work. And sometimes I just smack it with the flat side of my wire cutters ;-)


Next, fill up the cap with liquid glue or Crystal Effects (my preference).


Don't overfill or it will leak out around your brad when you adhere it into place. Voila! No legs to deal with and you can move them a tiny bit if necessary for neatness.



And that's it for embellishments from me--thanks so much for stopping by! I hope I gave you a few things to think about when organizing your embellishments.

January teasers start tomorrow, so I'll be back with Day One and then later on with this week's MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge! Hope to see you back!