the creative closet by cindy lawrence

project {365} week 8

Hello friends~

I'm back with another week of {365} photos.  It was a good week for scenery shots! :-)

Day 50:  As we traveled around hurricane-battered VT on this day, we stumbled upon this beautiful old church on one of our detours.  I just *had* to capture it on film... ♥

Day 51:  The Keene Pumpkin Fest was today...how could I NOT make that my photo of the day? ;-)

Day 52:  We spent Sunday at Six Flags, and the only photos I was able to get were taken with my cell phone. I was really pleased with how they came out!  This one is my fave of the day.

Day 53:   I've been wanting to get an "under the tree" shot. So, when I saw the vibrant red foliage of this maple tree, I knew it was the one. ...even if I did lie down in a church parking lot to get it! 

Day 54:  This is the steeple on the church at the head of the Keene common. I have always loved the beautiful detail on it...a real labor of love.  The angle I took the shot at makes you feel a little dizzy when you look at it (or maybe that's just me...lol).

Day 55:   I swung by hubby's office today to do a little work for him, and this lovely stand of trees was shouting at me to hurry up and snap a picture before their beautiful foliage is all gone. ...and so I did.

Day 56:  This shot wasn't actually taken on this day.  I just ran out of time; so I used one of the bazillion shots from our Vt vacation last week.  This is some beautiful Vt farmland along the Connecticut River, one of many beautiful sites from our train ride through the country-side.

As always, if you'd like to see my photos in all their full glory, you can check them out HERE (365project) or HERE (flickr). 

Hubby and I are at the Cape for the weekend...minus children! :-)

Hope you have yourselves a fantastic weekend!  

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs,

~Cindy 

Flourishes Friday/Hope You Can Cling To

Hello Stampers~

Today's Flourishes Friday post is a Free For All; so I chose to combine it with the Hope You Can Cling To challenges over on Splitcoaststampers.  Have you been playing along?  You haven't?  Well, it's time you got started, don't ya think?!  I had the privilege of hosting one of those challenges this week.  Click HERE for all the details about my challenge, as well as all the rest.

My card was made using Flourishes stunning Orchids stamp set, along with some Basic Gray Indie Bloom patterned paper.

I also used the following Copic marker collections:

Here's a close-up:

The card size is 6" x 5".  I used a Spellbinders Ornate Artisan Tag to provide some visual interest, as well as Spellbinders Classic Oval Nestabilities dies.  The ribbon is May Arts Solid Iridescent Fuchsia/Lavender...sooo beautiful!

Check out what the rest of the design team created today:

Barbara Anders

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence <---You are here!

Danielle Kennedy

Dawn Burnworth

Julie Koerber

Stacy Morgan

Tammy Hershberger

Sharon Doolittle

Thanks for stopping by today, friends!

Hugs,
~Cindy

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Stamps: Orchids

Paper: Classic White (Flourishes), Basic Grey Indie Bloom patterned papers

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Memento Lilac Posies, Ranger Shabby Shutters Distress Ink, Copic Markers

Accessories: Spellbinders Classic Oval Nestabilities, Spellbinders Ornate Artisan Tags and Accents, Butterfly Pin, Iridescent Pink Ribbon (Flourishes), Sponge Dauber, Pearls (colored with RV66 Copic marker), Dimensionals

 

Splitcoaststampers Tutorial!

Hello Stampers~

 I am so excited to have another tutorial over on Splitcoaststampers!  It's a super-easy one on how to make the Tailored Envelopes I make to go with 4-1/4" square cards, like the one above.  Hop on over to SCS and check it out HERE.

My card is made with Whipper Snapper Designs Fox Friends and All Things With Love stamp sets.   The pink gingham paper is from the Lost and Found Blush pack from My Mind's Eye.  That gorgeous Spellbinders die is the Fancy Tags Two Die.

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

Thanks so much for visiting with me today!

Hugs,

~Cindy

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Stamps: Fox Friends, All Things With Love (both from Whippersnapper)

Paper: Pink Pirouette, Classic White, Lost & Found Blush Patterned Papers (My Mind's Eye)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic Markers

Accessories: Pink Sheer Satin Ribbon, Pink Rhinestone, Spellbinders Fancy Tags Two Die, Spellbinders Petite Ovals Die, Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll Pen, SU Embossing Folder, Dimensionals

 

project {365} week 7

Hello friends~

My family & I spent this past week on vacation in Vermont.  I managed to snap a bazillion photos while we were there, most of which can be viewed on my FaceBook page.  I will stick to my photo-a-day here on the blog. 

Day 43:  My son brought me this lovely pile of acorns.  He's collecting them to catch a squirrel. {grin}

Day 44:  This was THE craziest day I've had in a long time!  It was the day we left for our vacation; but I had a big ol' stack of work to do before we left.  I didn't get a chance to snap a picture until very late that night.  I love the clean lines and soft lighting of this light fixture.  Kinda cool, huh? 

Day 45:  We stopped to get coffee on our travels today, and I spotted this beautiful flower blooming by an old fence. It was just begging to be photographed.

Day 46:   I will smile about this picture for years to come!  This is a Scottish Highlander, badly in need of both a haircut and an attitude adjustment. ;-)

Day 47:  Such a friendly little chippy...posed for me so sweetly.  Wasn't that nice of him?

Day 48:  Mama said there'd be days like this!  It is so funny how turtles will climb right over each other for their shot at the best basking spot.  Greedy little buggers, aren't they?

Day 49:  It was tough to pick just one photo on this day; but I loved the ladybug hiding under the blossom on this one...didn't even notice when I took the shot.

As always, if you'd like to see my photos in all their full glory, you can check them out HERE (365project) or HERE (flickr). 

That's all, friends!  I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend immensely!  We are spending our Sunday at Six Flags New England...yippee!  

Thanks for visiting today!

Hugs,
~Cindy 

Flourishes Friday

Hello Stampers~

Today's sample is made with Flourishes brand-new Christmas Candles set.  I am so in love with this simply elegant stamp set!  My card size is 5-1/4" square.  That gorgeous patterned paper is from Prima's North Country 6x6 pad.  I am so enjoying the rich color combo in this pad of papers!  That gorgeous ribbon is brand-new in the Flourishes store as well.  It's May Arts Textured Two-Tone Light Blue ribbon, which I have already run OUT of.  I need to order more asap!  The pretty brad embellishment in the center of the bow is a Vintage Marble Brad that I colored in with my R29 Copic marker (from the Poppy Collection).  I also added three red pearls at the bottom corner of the card.

The image itself was stamped with Memento's Tuxedo Black ink on Classic White cardstock using the following Copic marker collections:

 Stop by the rest of the design team blogs to see their fabulous creations.

• Barbara Anders
• Christine Okken
• Cindy Lawrence
• Danielle Kennedy
• Dawn Burnworth
• Julie Koerber
• Sharon Doolittle
• Stacy Morgan
• Tammy Hershberger

Don't forget that TODAY is the last day you can order this month's new release bundle at a 10% discount!  Check it out HERE!

Have a FANTASTIC Friday, friends!

Thanks for visiting! :-) 

Hugs,

~Cindy

You Make Me Smile!

Hello Stampers~

I've got a quick post for you today.  I made this sample for a class I recently taught.  This one uses Whipper Snapper's Blossoms & Butterflies stamp set, which was illustrated by the fabulous Anna Wight.  I used the Houndstooth Cuttlebug Embossing Folder for the background layer, and sponged on lots of Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distress Ink.  The image was stamped using Memento Tuxedo Black ink, and colored in with Copic Markers.  Some wide twill ribbon, a green button, and a bit of twine finish things off.  The card size is 5-1/2" x 3-1/4".

Have yourselves a FABULOUS Wednesday, friends!

Thanks, as always, for spending a little bit of your day with me!

Hugs,

~Cindy 

project {365} week 6

Hello friends~

Happy weekend to you! :-)  We are taking off for a week in Vermont.  Ready for some chill time with the fam!

This week's {365} project photos are almost entirely nature shots.  I am finding that I really enjoy re-discovering the natural beauty that is all around me.  It's so easy to take it for granted, when we see it every day; but we sure are blessed, aren't we?!

Day 36:  This is sweet Camille, who resides at our friendly neighborhood farm.  What a face, eh?
Um, Camille....you got a little somethin' on your face...

Day 37:  These are a few of my favorite things... ♥  Yup, I do so love those Copic markers. 

Day 38:  Most people visit an apple orchard, and come home with lots of pictures of apples.  Well, I did that too...but my favorites are of the BEES!  These guys were feasting on the cores left in buckets throughout the orchard.  I even had one try to get into my mouth...yumm!

Day 39:  I just love the way hydrangeas change so much throughout the year...such a pretty flower!  This particular bush started out pure white, and changed to the gorgeous shades of pinks & greens as the season wore on.

Day 40:  Splendor in the Grass - Okay, so it's just dew drops on the grass blades; but it sure is pretty up close, isn't it?!  I purchased a set of extension tubes, and this is my first attempt at using them.  This is one of my favorite shots this week.

Day 41:  Oh, how I love this time of year with all it's autumn splendor!  These gorgeous red leaves are on a sumac tree in my backyard.

Day 42:  Just a simple hosta leaf on this day.  I really love the contrast of delicate, feminine curves with bold stripes and sturdy stem.

As always, if you'd like to see my photos in all their full glory, you can check them out HERE (365project) or HERE (flickr). 

Thanks for visiting today!

I have posts scheduled throughout the week; so you'll never even miss me!  Have a great week!

Hugs,
~Cindy 

Christmas Candles

Hello stampers~

It's the final day of Flourishes sneak peeks!  I think the Christmas Candles set is my favorite this month...so rich and elegant!

I used Kaisercraft's December 25th patterned paper pack and Classic Ivory card stock.  Spellbinders Labels Eighteen die coordinates perfectly with the Spellbinders Classic Ovals die to frame out the image beautifully.  I sponged on some Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distress Ink to give it a bit of a glow.  I stamped the candles with Memento Tuxedo Black, using the following Copic marker collections:

To give the flames a sparkly look, I added Sakura Clear Stardust Gelly Roll Pen.  The final touches include some pretty stick pins, red rhinestones, green punched branches, ecru lace and my favorite red velvet ribbon.  See how nicely that velvet ribbon ties bows?!  The finished card size is 5-1/4" square.

Check out the rest of the design team samples with today's set:

• Barbara Anders
• Christine Okken
• Cindy Lawrence <---You are here!
• Danielle Kennedy
• Dawn Burnworth
• Julie Koerber 
• Sharon Doolittle
• Stacy Morgan
• Tammy Hershberger
• Jan Marie Caruso

If you ‘d like to win the set being sneak peaked today, all you need to do is figure out…

One of the ladies on the link list above is the Mystery Blogger and will randomly pick a name from all the comments left on today’s post. So, the more comments you leave, the better your chances of winning this fabulous set!

There are more ways to win OUR ENTIRE RELEASE!  Have you checked out our Heavy Metal Challenge? Just click HERE to find out how. You can also play in our Noon Time Challenges posted Wednesday and Thursday.  All challenges will close this Friday (that's TODAY!) at 5 PM EST, and winners will be announced Saturday in our Winner’s Circle blog post!  So get those fingers inky and good luck!

Remember that you can purchase the special New Release Bundle at a savings of 10% off your purchase!  

Flourishes is revealing the brand-new Christmas catalog today too!  This 20 page full color catalog offers a look at not only every Flourishes Christmas set that is available, but a handful of tutorials showcasing projects that are perfect for the Christmas gift giving season.  It even offers a sneak peek at some of our Christmas sets for November!  At just $6, this catalog is a must have!  

Thanks so much for stopping by today, friends!  I can't believe this is my 6th post this week...go me! lol

Have a fabulous Friday!

Hugs,
~Cindy 

The Show Me Challenge

Hey all~

Welcome back! :-)

Last release, we challenged players to come up with a fun and unique twist on a challenge, suggest it and they could win a chance to be in the Flourishes spotlight – not only would their challenge be picked, they would be the superstar of the day ushering the challenge as well!  Our second challenge hostess this noon is the talented Linda Carson!  We loved her challenge to tap Flourishes Tutorial Library and try a new technique on for size!  

How to Play:  Simply scroll through Flourishes Tutorial Library here.  Once you find a technique or project that you’d like to give a try, have some creative fun and make it! After you’re done, be sure to share a link to the post on our tutorial library, so we can all see what inspired you!  Be sure to link up to this post using our inlinkz widget.  You need to do that in order to be in the running.  If you upload to SCS, please use the keyword FLLCORW2.  You have until Friday, October 14th at  5PM EST to enter!  Let’s get that name game started and get creative!  Stop by the Flourishes Blog for all the details!

I chose Cindy Haffner's embossing challenge from June of 2010 for my card.  HERE is the link to her post.  I used both dry embossing (Cuttlebug background) and wet embossing (white embossed main image).  I also did quite a bit of distressing on this card to add some interest.

Here are some more fun challenge samples to get your creative juices flowing:

• Barbara Anders
• Cindy Lawrence <---You are here!
• Dawn Burnworth
• Heather Jensen

Have a fantastic afternoon, friends!

Hugs,
~Cindy

 

 

Season of Celebrations

Hello Stampers~

It's day three of Flourishes October sneak peeks.  Are you enjoying the peeks?  Once again, Flourishes has really outdone themselves with these fantastic stamp sets!

Today's set is called Season of Celebrations, and is a wonderful addition to Flourishes line-up of silhouette stamps.

I went monochromatic for my card today.  The adorable trimming the tree image was stamped in VersaMark ink and embossed in white.  The finishing touches include some pretty teal braided trim, wrinkled white ribbon, a few pearls, and a Seabreeze Sparklet.  The card size is 5-1/4" square.

Check out what the rest of the design team created with today's set:

• Barbara Anders
• Christine Okken
• Cindy Lawrence <---You are here!
• Danielle Kennedy
• Dawn Burnworth
• Julie Koerber 
• Sharon Doolittle
• Stacy Morgan
• Tammy Hershberger
• Jan Marie Caruso

If you ‘d like to win the set being sneak peaked today, all you need to do is figure out…

One of the ladies on the link list above is the Mystery Blogger and will randomly pick a name from all the comments left on today’s post. So, the more comments you leave, the better your chances of winning this fabulous set!

There are more ways to win OUR ENTIRE RELEASE!  Have you checked out our Heavy Metal Challenge? Just click HERE to find out how. You can also play in our Noon Time Challenges posted yesterday and today.  Be sure to check back!  All challenges will close this Friday at 5 PM EST and winners will be announced Saturday in our Winner’s Circle blog post!  So get those fingers inky and good luck!

Can’t wait until all of our sets are revealed Friday morning?  Well, you can pre-order them now if you like what you see on our designers’ blogs!  Just click HERE.  You’ll also see that we are offering our special New Release Bundle again – 10% off if you purchase all four sets in one bundle!

Come back and see me againt today at 1pm EST for another fun challenge, and yet another chance to win FREE STAMPS! 

Have a fabulous day, friends!

Hugs,
~Cindy