the creative closet by cindy lawrence

Summer's End...Sigh.

Hello Stampers~

As my baby girl begins her first day of 6th grade today, I am left with the realization that summer is over.  I am certainly sad to see it go; but I am also ready for the comfortable routine of fall.  We have had one of THE best summers I can remember.  My cup runneth over... :)

I thought I'd share one last summer-themed card.  I love this sweet Chelsea image from Whipper Snapper.  ...and y'all know I love these Black Orchid patterned papers from SEI!  I colored Chelsea in with Copic markers, cut her out, and popped her up with Dimensionals.  

We are so grateful to have been spared by hurricane Irene, while so many around us have suffered damages, great and small.  We continue to pray for all who have been affected in any way.

That's all from me today, friends!  I hope you have a terrific Tuesday!

 Hugs,
~Cindy 

Happy Birthday, Flourishes!

Hello Stampers~

This month Flourishes officially turned 4 YEARS OLD!  So, we are lighting the candles on the cake and throwing a party like no other!  The good news is — even though it’s our birthday – you could win one heck of a present yourself with some fabulous blog candy!  Our designers have lit up the creativity with some fabulous birthday cards and they are involved in just one way that you can get your hands on a great bag of goodies!

HOW CAN YOU WIN? THERE ARE THREE WAYS!

• Leave a comment on the Flourishes Blog post
• Leave a comment on the designers’ posts that are on the hop today
• Play in our Birthday Bash Challenge!
• Play in our Flourishes Favorite Card Challenge! 

HOW TO PLAY IN OUR BIRTHDAY BASH CHALLENGE!

• Simply make a birthday card using Flourishes stamps!
• Entries need to be in by Thursday, September 1st by 5 PM EST.
• You must link your creation on the Flourishes Blog using our inlinkz widget in order to qualify.
• You must have a link to our challenge in your blog or gallery post.
• Please DO NOT combine challenges, while we love challenge chasers, we want to give those that follow the rules a chance at a prize valued at more than $60.
• If you upload to SCS, please use the keyword FLLCBDAY2.
• We’ll announce the winners next Friday, September 2nd on the Flourishes Blog!

Speaking of candy, what do you win if you comment or play today? Take a peek!!!

Stop by the Flourishes Blog for all the details!

On to my card...

I chose to work with the new Hollyhocks stamp set.  I stamped it on some Sahara Sand cardstock using my favorite Memento Tuxedo Black stamp pad, and colored it in using markers from the following Copic marker collections:

I added some White Opaque Pen accents to the flower centers, as well as some faux stitching around the edges of the Spellbinders Labels Eighteen die-cut.  I sponged a bit of Ranger Pumice Stone Distress Ink around the edges.

I added Slate Gray Braided Trim, red crocheted trim, and black satin ribbon.  The finishing touches are Black Rhinestones, gray stacked pearl pins, and a Vintage Sparkler for the center of the bow.  The card size is 3-1/4" x 5-1/2".

Stop by and see the gorgeous birthday creations made by Barbara, Christine, Danielle, and Julie.

Thanks so much for visiting today!  The east coast is going to be hit with a hurricane this weekend, probably only heavy rain by the time it gets to NH; but it's enough to send everyone into a tizzy around here.  I hope you are safe and sound wherever you are, my friends!  Have a great weekend!

Hugs,

~Cindy

You Are In My Prayers

Hello Stampers~

I thought I'd share a quick card I made with Whipper Snapper's Chase image.  Isn't he a sweetheart?!  I often have need of cards like this, and this is the perfect image...plus there is a GIRL version too!  Coolness, huh?

I used some October Afternoon papers, a button, gingham ribbon, and twine to dress it up a bit.

Here's a close-up:

  

The image was colored in with Copic markers...shocker, huh? ;)

It's my baby's birthday today....she's 11, and I am in denial!  Here she is blowing out her candles last night at her grandparent's house:

...and here's one I love from a butterfly conservatory here in VA:

The kids & I begin our journey home from Virginia today.  We had so much fun at Hershey Park, PA on the way down here, that we're going back tonight and most of tomorrow...bring on the coasters! LOL

...only 6 hours in the car today, and another 7 tomorrow...yippeeeee! {grin}

Have a very happy Monday, friends!

Hugs,
~Cindy 

 

Sending Sunshine

Hello Stampers~

It's time for another Flourishes Friday.  Man, this week has gone by quickly!  Scratch that...this SUMMER has gone by quickly!  We are still in Virginia, squeezing out every last bit of summer fun that we can. :)

My sample today is made with Flourishes new Sweet Days of Summer stamp set.  I am SO in love with this fabulous set.  Have you seen it's sister set, Kids Play?  Too flippin' CUTE, right?!

I chose to emboss the image on Classic White using white embossing powder.  I then air-brushed the background with the BG11 & YG95 Copic markers from the Water and Evergreen collections. .  I cut out a couple of Lacey Circles with my Spellbinders Grand Calibur Die Cut Machine.

The quilted background effect was made by cutting Prima's Sweet Fairy papers into squares, adhering them to a square of Classic White cardstock, and running them through the Grand Cailbur machine with a fun embossing folder.  I added a punched border, some ZVA Pearl Swirls (dyed pink with a Copic marker), and a luscious Silk Ribbon bow finish things off nicely.

Here's a close-up:

 There is a lot going on at Flourishes right now.  Stop on by the Flourishes Blog for all the details!

Check out the rest of the design team's creations today:

• Barbara Anders
• Christine Okken
• Cindy Lawrence <---You are here!
• Danielle Kennedy
• Julie Koerber
• Leslie Miller
• Stacy Morgan
• Tammy Hershberger

Have a fantastic weekend, friends!

Hugs,

~Cindy

Sunshine, Freedom, and a Little Flower

Hello Stampers~

Today's sample is from Whipper Snapper Designs.  I used the Patriotic Flower single stamp & the Blooming Expressions stamp set.  I love the sweet, country feel of this image.  It pairs so nicely with the Stella & Rose Gertie patterned paper from My Mind's Eye.

I colored the image with the following Copic markers:  R24, R29, R59, YR21, YR24, YG01, YG02, YG17, E27, E29, B93, B95, B97, BG000, BG10, C00, C1

That's all from me today, friends!  Hope you have a FANTABULOUS Wednesday!

 Thanks so much for stopping by!

Hugs,
~Cindy 

CAS Class

Hello Stampers~

Today I thought I'd share the cards I made for a CAS class I recently taught.  In case you don't already know, "CAS" stands for Clean & Simple.  

This first one came from a cool idea I saw on Andrea Walford's blog...love that patterned paper bloom!  The only stamping on my card is from JustRite Stampers.

This next one has a bit of a shabby chic feel to it, but is still very simple.  I used Our Craft Lounge's Fabulous Florals & the Say It With Florals sentiment set.

You've seen the next one before (in my last post), with a little more "stuff" on it, and in a larger size.  I simply toned it down a bit for the class.  I used the Sweet Days of Summer stamp set for this one.

The final card is a 4-1/4" square card using Flourishes Country Charm Labels set, and a combination of papers from Penny Lane & Basic Grey.

That's all, friends!  We are off to the North Carolina Zoo to donate a kid or two. LOL

Have a fabulous, sunshiny day!

Hugs,
~Cindy 

Sweet Days of Summer!

Hello Stampers~

WooHoo!  Flourishes RELEASE DAY is here!  All of this month's new sets are now available for purchase in the Flourishes Store.  Oh happy day! :)

Today the design team is showcasing the awesome Sweet Days of Summer set.  This is a wonderful silhouette set drawn by the very-talented Lauren Pope.

 

 I wanted a clean and crisp look to my card, and I thought these awesome Black Orchid papers from SEI would do the trick quite nicely. :)  I love that top pattern, since it mimics the sprinkler in the image I used.

I embossed the image in black on Classic White cardstock.  I cut out both circles using Spellbinders Classic Circle Nestabilities, and air-brushed them with Copic markers from the following collections:

The wavy border was made with an EK Success border punch.  The ribbons are Turquoise Cotton Linen and Black Braided Trim.  The black button and rhinestones add the finishing touches.

The card itself is 5-1/4" square.

Here's a close-up:

  

 Fun, isn't it?  Wait until you see the rest of the images in the set!  Check 'em out on the rest of the design team blogs:

• Barbara Anders
• Christine Okken
• Cindy Lawrence <--- You are here!
• Danielle Kennedy
• Julie Koerber
• Leslie Miller
• Stacy Morgan
• Sharon Doolittle
• Maki Jones
• Tammy Hershberger

Don't forget that ONE of those links above is today's....

 
Stop by the Flourishes Blog for all the details!

There are several other challenges going on right now; so you have lots of chances to win FREE stamps!  Stop by the Flourishes Blog for all the details.

I am heading out on another adventure this morning...yup, on the road again!  This time myself and my two youngest children are off to visit my parents in Virginia. :)  We'll be spending tonight in Hershey, PA, and making the most of it by spending the afternoon/evening at Hershey Park .  I have fond memories of Hershey Park from my teen years...can't wait to experience it through the eyes of my own children!

Have an absolutely fabulous weekend, friends!  I'll have a few blog posts to share with you this week; so you won't even notice that I'm gone.

Thanks so much for stopping by! 

Hugs,

~Cindy

 

Italian Garden Challenge!

Hello Stampers~

Welcome to another Flourishes Challenge!  It’s safe to say our brand new set Italian Garden inspired this noon-time challenge.  Just look at the lush colors of tomatoes, olives and olive oil and you’ll see what colors you need to include in your card or creation – red, green and a neutral (white, tan or ivory).

HOW TO PLAY:
• Simply use these colors on your card or creation, and you’re in the running! 
When you are done creating, simply link up on the Flourishes blog!
• Entries need to be in by Friday, August 12th by 5 PM EST
• Those that use Flourishes stamps will be counted twice for their entries
• You must link your creation on this post using our inlinkz widget in order to qualify
• You must have a link to our challenge in your blog or gallery post
• Please DO NOT combine challenges, while we love challenge chasers, we want 
to give those that follow the rules a chance at a prize valued at more than $60
• If you upload to SCS, please use the keyword FLLCAUG11B
 

For my challenge card, I used the mouth-watering tomato image.  Doesn't that just look good enough to eat?!  "Taste and savor..." is RIGHT! ;)

I used the following Copic marker collections to color in the images:

I also used the Copic Air-Brush System to give a soft glow around the tomatoes.  The marker I chose for this is Y35 from...

I also colored the Webster's Pages Vintage Sparkler Button at the top of the card using my R27 Copic marker from the Poppy Collection.  That Sparkler was pale orange before I got my little hands on it! :)

Okay, friends, that's all from me today!  Remember to leave a comment on each designers blog for your chance to win this YUMMMMY stamp set!

• Christine Okken
• Cindy Lawrence <--- You are here!
• Danielle Kennedy
• Stacy Morgan
• Beate Johns
• Heather Jensen
• Maki Jones

Thanks again for stopping by!

See you tomorrow! 

Hugs,

~Cindy

Season Everything With Joy

Hello Stampers~

 It's Flourishes release week, and this month's sets are better than ever!  Today the design team is showcasing the Italian Garden set...yum, yum, and YUMM!  I've had so much fun playing with this set!

 

I chose to go a bit vintage on this one, using Basic Grey's Origins patterned papers combined with black cardstock.  I stamped the herbs on Classic Ivory cardstock, cut the out with Spellbinders Petite Oval Nestabilities, and colored them in with Copic markers.

The background of my card was embossed using a Cuttlebug Embossing Folder.  I then sponged on some gold pigment ink to make the pattern really pop!

Here's a close-up: 

I used the following Copic marker collections to color the images:

Remember that you can WIN this set simply by playing along with...

It's true!  One of the designers on the link list below is the Mystery Blogger for today!  So be sure to leave a comment on each blog!  YOU could be today’s lucky winner!

Check out what the design team created for you today:

• Barbara Anders
• Christine Okken
• Cindy Lawrence <--- You are here!
• Danielle Kennedy
• Julie Koerber
• Leslie Miller
• Stacy Morgan
• Sharon Doolittle
• Maki Jones
• Tammy Hershberger

OTHER WAYS TO WIN!
Do you love a good challenge? If so, you’ll have to stop by the Flourishes blog at noon CST for today's Noon Time Challenge!  This one promises to be tasty (that’s a bit of a hint) and if you play along, you could win Flourishes ENTIRE AUGUST RELEASE!

Did you check out our Shades of Sunset Challenge yet? You could also win our release that way too! Click HERE for all the details! We’ll announce ALL of the winners Saturday in our Winner’s Circle Post – check back Saturday, August 13th at noon CST to see if you’re one of the lucky names chosen!

Have a fabulous morning, my friends!  I'll be back at noon CST today with another Italian Garden sample, and today's challenge.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs,
~Cindy

Oh My Heavenly Hollyhocks!

 
Hello Stampers~

I am SO excited about today's release from Flourishes!  It's called Hollyhocks, and is just crazy-fun to color.  We haven't had hollyhocks in our gardens in a few years, and now I think I must have them.  That Marcella...her illustrations are just so good.  It's enough to make you weep, but in a good way. ;)
 

For my card, I went with a Classic White cardstock base, which I cut in a fun shape using my Spellbinders Grand Calibur die-cut machine, and the Spellbinders Labels Twenty dies.  For the border on the left edge of the card, I used the Spellbinders Fair Isle Borderabilities die.  The pretty papers are from Basic Grey's Sweet Threads paper pack.  I also added hot pink satin ribbon and White Braided Trim.  The main image was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black, cut out using Spellbinders Classic Oval Nestabilities dies, layered using a Spellbinders Grand Ovals die, and colored in with the following Copic marker collections:

Here's a close-up of the image:

...so much fun to color!

Check out what the rest of the design team has done with this fabulous set:

• Barbara Anders
• Christine Okken
• Cindy Lawrence <---You are here!
• Danielle Kennedy
• Julie Koerber
• Leslie Miller
• Stacy Morgan
• Sharon Doolittle
• Maki Jones
• Tammy Hershberger

Don't forget that ONE of those links above is today's....

What does that mean, you ask?  It simply means that you will most definitely want to leave a comment on every one of those blogs, because one lucky person who does just that will win the fabulous Hollyhocks stamp set for FREE!  How cool is that?!

You'll want to stop by the Flourishes Blog today at 12 noon CST today as well, for another fun challenge complete with fabulous prizes!

Thanks for visiting with me today, friends!
Have yourselves a fabulous day! 

Hugs,
~Cindy

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Stamps:  Hollyhocks
Papers:  Classic White, Sweet Threads Patterned Papers (Basic Grey)
Inks:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic Markers
Accessories:  Prima Embellishment, Hot Pink Ribbon, White Braided Cord, Spellbinders Grand Calibur Machine, Spellbinders Grand Oval Die, Spellbinders Classic Oval Dies, Spellbinders Fair Isle Borderabilities Die,  Spellbinders Labels Twenty Die