October Beautiful World Tour.

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to the October Beautiful World Tour!

This month our lovely hostess is Dina and our theme is a Monochrome card.

Did you know that your travel around Flourishes World gives you the opportunity to win a FREE FLOURISHES STAMP SET?? All we ask is that you leave a comment on each one by October 31st for your chance to win!!

If you've jetted in from Meredith's blog, then you have arrived at the right destination! If you haven't, perhaps you'd like to start your journey back in Florida at the Flourishes Blog so you don't miss all the beautiful inspiration along the way!

As you might have seen in my previous post, our little boy was born on the 13th of September! I wanted to make a card for him and that's why I chose the blue color! The hydrangea heart is from the beautiful Hearts & Flowers stamp set. I also made a vellum background with the Love and Lace set. The blue background is made with the Perfectly Pierced Victorian Oval Die. I also added a cute little tag with a sentiment from the Tiny Flowers and Tags set. The ribbon was made with some blue seam binding. I stitched the edges and added some pearls and rhinestones on the heart to finish it off.

Thanks for taking time to visit me, it's time to grab your passport and board the Flourishes Flight BWT, your next destination is:

Great News!

Hello Everyone!

I'm so happy to announce you that our dear and sweet little boy was born on the 13th of September 2013!! And can you believe that he was born on our 16th wedding anniversary day!! We couldn't have a better gift!! The number 13 has always been a lucky number for us! We really feel so blessed! These past 9 months haven't been easy, but now we are all enjoying being able to hold our little sweet heart. Here in Finland, the baby's name is only given at the baptism, so we still have a little bit time to think about the name! 

Our baby boy's weight was 2900 grams and 48 cm at the birth. He is so cute and tiny!

Bedtime Story Sketch Challenge.

Hello Everyone!

I'm so happy to have been able to make a card for this Waltzingmouse sketch challenge #2! I know, you haven't seen me a lot here on my blog during these last few months... so many things have happened and I really wished I had more time for crafting... I now just hope that I will soon be able to share very special news with you!!

This time I chose to make a baby card for a little boy. I used the Country Labels No.4 for the frame and the Nordic Baby stamp set for the sentiment. There are many different layers and also three little roses made with my Sizzix Flowers, 3-D die. I added a bow with a little white heart, a Welcome tag and a few pearls and here it is:

Here's the Bedtime Story Sketch #2:




Have a great day and see you soon here on my blog!

September Beautiful World Tour.

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to the September Beautiful World Tour! Time is just going so fast... summer is almost over in Finland and we can already feel the fall coming... the weather is not so warm anymore and the nights are dark.

This month our lovely hostess is Aleksandra and our theme is a Postcard!

Did you know that your travel around Flourishes World gives you the opportunity to win a FREE FLOURISHES STAMP SET?? All we ask is that you leave a comment on each one by September 30th for your chance to win!!

If you've jetted in from Aleksandra's blog, then you have arrived at the right destination! If you haven't, perhaps you'd like to start your journey back in Florida at the Flourishes Blog so you don't miss all the beautiful inspiration along the way!

For my card, I chose the Antique Map and the S' More Fun stamp sets. I know, my card doesn't really look like a postcard, but I was thinking about something connected to travels because when traveling you often send a postcard! This summer we had the opportunity to travel a little bit around Finland in a motorhome and that's why I chose this cute caravan! A postcard is usually flat, but I just couldn't leave it without some extras! So I put some lace and twine! The Antique Map image was stamped on vellum. I also stitched some of the edges and here it is:

Thanks for taking time to visit me, it's time to grab your passport and board the Flourishes Flight BWT, your next destination is:

August Beautiful World Tour.

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to the August Beautiful World Tour! This month our lovely hostess is Naomi and the theme is a Flower Representing Our Country.

Did you know that your travel around Flourishes World gives you the opportunity to win a FREE FLOURISHES STAMP SET?? All we ask is that you leave a comment on each one by August 31st for your chance to win!!

If you are doing the whole hop and have arrived straight from the Flourishes Blog, you are in the right place!

For my card, I chose the beautiful Waterlilies stamp set. I embossed the flower with white embossing powder on vellum and fussy cut three layers. The leaves were colored with the Copic Sketch Green Grass Collection. The pink layer under the waterlily is made with one of the Perfectly Pierced Victorian Ovals Dies. I also made a cute little heart charm with the Simply Charming stamp set. I added a Solid Wrinkled Ivory bow, some lace and Kraft and Ivory twine. I stitched the edges and added three little pins and rhinestones to finish it off!

Finland is a country of thousands of lakes, about 188 000 lakes! In many of them you can find different types of beautiful water flowers, but these ones are my favorite! They are just gorgeous! Last summer our kids found a baby frog in the garden of our summer cottage and they put it on a waterlily. We took some pictures before putting the cute little frog back in the lake!

Thanks for taking time to visit me, it's time to grab your passport and board the Flourishes Flight BWT, your next destination is:

July Beautiful World Tour.

Hello Everyone!!

Welcome to the July Beautiful World Tour! This month our hostess is Sasha and the theme is Citrus!

Did you know that your travel around Flourishes World gives you the opportunity to win a FREE FLOURISHES STAMP SET?? All we ask is that you leave a comment on each one by July 31st for your chance to win!!

If you've jetted in from Naomi's blog, then you have arrived at the right destination! If you haven't, perhaps you'd like to start your journey back in Florida at the Flourishes Blog so you don't miss all the beautiful inspiration along the way!

Citrus wasn't an easy theme for me.... I think that it's my first card with something yellow!!! I chose the beautiful Garden Gate stamp set and made white embossed vellum flowers. I colored the leaves with my green Copics from the Olive Green Collection. The sentiment is from the same set as the flowers. I also added a cute vellum butterfly from the Gerber Daisies set. The bow was made with some sunflower - primrose seam binding and twine. I stitched the edges and added some pearls and tiny silver glass beads to finish it off!

"There are always flowers for those who want to see them."

Thanks for taking time to visit me, it's time to grab your passport and board the Flourishes Flight BWT, your next destination is:

June Beautiful World Tour.

Hello Everyone! Welcome to the June Beautiful World Tour! Once again, it's time to get those passports ready, grab a cub of coffee and prepare to travel the world! This month our hostess is Meredith and the theme is Neutrals and Texture.

Did you know that your travel around the Flourishes World gives you the opportunity to win a FREE FLOURISHES STAMP SET??? All we ask is that you leave a comment on each one by June 30th for your chance to win!!

If you've jetted in from Aleksandra's blog, then you have arrived at the right destination! If you haven't, perhaps you'd like to start your journey back in Florida at the Flourishes Blog so you don't miss all the beautiful inspiration along the way!

Some of my friends have had a baby and so I thought about doing a neutral baby card with many different textures. I made the cute onesie with one of the Hello Baby! stamps. I added vellum wings, a felt Spellbinders scalloped heart and an antique lace circle which was made with the Love and Lace stamp set. The two last layers were made with the Spellbinders Marvelous Squares dies. I also made a vellum lace with the Lace and Trim stamp set and stitched the edges. To finish it off I added a cute tag with a heart from the Mix-n-Mugs set, ivory twine, lace, pearls, a wooden button and two wooden pegs.

Here in Finland we have now a wonderful summer weather... the sun is shining and it's very warm, in fact it's quite unusual for us... usually summer comes later, but we are really enjoying this great weather! Schools are over and they will start again in August! We have a long summer holiday and kids enjoy going swimming in the lakes!

I wish you all a great day too!!

Thanks for taking time to visit me, it's time to grab your passport and board the Flourishes Flight BWT, your next destination is:

Mai Beautiful World Tour.

 

Hello Everyone! Welcome to the Mai Beautiful World Tour! Once again, it's time to get those passports ready, grab a cup of coffee and prepare to travel the world! This month our hostess is Kathy and the theme is a Picture Says a Thousand Words.

Did you know that your travel around the Flourishes World gives you the opportunity to WIN a free FLOURISHES STAMP SET?? All we ask is that you leave a comment on each one by Mai 31st for your chance to win!!

If you've jetted in from Naomi's blog, then you have arrived at the right destination! If you haven't, perhaps you'd like to start your journey back in Florida at the Flourishes Blog so you don't miss all the beautiful inspiration along the way!

Here in Finland we are soon celebrating Mother's Day (next Sunday) and so I thought about doing a card for this special day. It could also be a perfect card for a baby boy or girl! I chose the beautiful Love and Lace stamp set. The die cut under the image is from the Spellbinders Fancy Framed Tags Two die set. I made one of the backgrounds on vellum with the gorgeous Antique Lace stamp. I added a little tag with a cute little embossed heart which can be found in the Mix-N-Mugs stamp set. You can also see some ribbon, twine and lace. I stitched the edges and just added a few rhinestones to finish it off and here it is!

I wish you all a great day! Thanks for taking time to visit me, it's time to grab your passport and board the Flourishes Flight BWT, your next destination is:

Waltzingmouse Stamps Flower Show.

Hello Everyone! Welcome to the Waltzingmouse Stamps Flower Show! I was really so happy to be asked to join in this great hop with all these talented ladies!! Thanks again!! I just have to say that I was so sick during these past two weeks, that I really thought that I wouldn't be able to make a card in time... I had a kind of pneumonia and only now I begin to feel better. I started making this card just a few days ago and was so happy to be able to take part in this great event!!

If you've arrived here from Pauline's blog, then you are at the right place! If you haven't, perhaps you'd like to start your hop at Claire's blog so you don't miss all the beautiful inspiration along the way!

For my card, I chose the gorgeous Folk Art Medallion stamp set. The biggest white embossed flower in the middle is made with three layers of vellum. Under it you can see the crocheted flower that my mother made with pink twine. The white felt heart is made with one of the Spellbinders Scalloped Heart die and the tag is made with one of the Fancy Tags Two die. I fussy cut all the little flowers and leaves and put them on foam pads. The pink gingham background is made with the Gingham & Co. stamp set. I stitched the edges, added some ribbons and twine, a few rhinestones and here it is!

I didn't put any sentiment on this card, because I thought that it could also be framed and given as a gift for a little baby girl for example!

Thank you for taking time to visit me, your next stop is Suezie Howard. Have a great hop!

April Beautiful World Tour.

Hello Everyone! Welcome to the April Beautiful World Tour! Once again, it's time to get those passports ready, grab a cup of coffee and prepare to travel the world!

Did you know that your travel around the Flourishes World gives you the opportunity to WIN a free FLOURISHES STAMP SET?? All we ask is that you leave a comment on each one by April 30th for your chance to win!!

If you've jetted in from Kathy's blog, then you have arrived at the right destination! If you haven't, perhaps you'd like to start your journey back in Florida at the Flourishes blog so you don't miss all the beautiful inspiration along the way!

This month the hostess is me, Anne-Elise and our theme is CHILDHOOD! I was inspired by this beautiful image from the Kids Play stamp set. I remember when I loved blowing dandelion seeds... last summer our kids also loved doing it! I also loved looking at butterflies. I remember that we once found a caterpillar and I had the chance to see the chrysalis transformation into a gorgeous butterfly!

April is also the month when we celebrate our daughter's birthday and so I wanted to make a special card for her. The first layer is made with one of the Spellbinders Marvelous Squares dies. There's also a Sizzix Butterfly and the pink felt parts are made with the Sizzix Frame & Pendants #2 dies. I also added some ribbons and seam binding. A little tag, a heart, a flower and some rhinestones to finish it off! I'm sure that we all have great memories from our childhood... so let's go and see all the other beautiful creations!

I wish you all a great Easter time! In Finland, Easter is a four day weekend! We'll go back to work on Tuesday! Thanks for taking time to visit me, it's time to grab your passport and board the Flourishes Flight BWT, your next destination is:

March Beautiful World Tour.

Hello Everyone and welcome to the March Beautiful World Tour! Once again, it's time to get those passports ready, grab a cup of coffee and prepare to travel the world! Sasha is our hostess this month and she chose to challenge us to create a bookmark!

Did you know that your travels around the Flourishes World gives you the opportunity to WIN a free FLOURISHES STAMP SET?? All we ask is that you leave a comment on each one by March 31st for your chance to win!!

If you've jetted in from Dina's blog, then you have arrived at the right destination! If you haven't, perhaps you'd like to start your journey back in Florida at the Flourishes Blog so you don't miss all the beautiful inspiration along the way!

For my bookmark, I chose the beautiful Botanical Bookplate Vol. 1 stamp set. The image is stamped and die cut with the Classic Bookplate Template Die. I added some white liquid pearls in the middle of the flowers to give them some dimension. The second layer is made with the Pierced Victorian Oval die. I stitched the edges and added some ribbon, seam binding, lace and twine.

I wish you all a great day! Here in Finland we still have a lot of snow but today the sun is shining! So nice to see the sunshine but we are still freezing... -20 degrees Celsius (-4 F) this morning!! Thanks for taking time to visit me, it's time to grab your passport and board the Flourishes Flight BWT, your next destination is:

Vellum Flowers Tutorial.

Hi everyone! Some of you might have already seen my first tutorial on the Flourishes blog, but here it is now on my blog too!

You know that I love using vellum on my cards and I'm now happy to show you my first tutorial! I will teach you how to add vellum layered flowers to your work. Here's first all you will need when making your card: vellum, white cardstock, black Memento ink, white embossing powder, a heat tool, a Versa Mark pad, scissors, foam pads, markers and a stamp. I chose the biggest stamp from the beautiful Winter Blossoms set.

If you have an electronic cutting tool, you can use it to cut your image. I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut this image. After it is cut, leave it on the cutting mat and stamp it. You can now take your image and color it. You don't have to color the three biggest flowers that will be later covered with vellum.

My image was colored with the following Copic markers:

Take then your vellum and stamp your image with the Versa Mark pad. Emboss it with white embossing powder and heat it.  Make this step twice.

Once you have two nicely white embossed images, you will have to fussy cut the flowers you want to use for your project. Be here very careful not to cut the white embossed edges of the flowers. You can keep the flowers of the first layer together. 

You have now 6 nice vellum flowers. I usually put a brad, pearls or rhinestones in the middle of three of them. Here I chose to add some silver tiny glass beads. I first put some glossy accents in the middle of the flowers and then added the beads. Let them dry and then just add a foam pad in the middle of the flowers and adhere them to the first layer. This will give them a beautiful 3-D effect.

And now you will have to adhere the layered vellum flowers to your first stamped and colored image. I usually put some glue dots, but any glue should be fine. Remember to put the dots in the middle of the flowers so they won't be seen.

And here's now the card embellished with seam bindings and twine. I used the same stamp to make the pink stamped background. I added a cute little tag and a fourth vellum flower on the bow. The tag is made with one of the classic tags die set and the sentiment is from the Tiny Flowers and Tags set.

I hope this tutorial gets you excited about using vellum on your cards or creations. I just love the soft look it creates with almost any kind of image. Thanks for joining me today!