Cindy Coutts Designs

Good morning and welcome to Flourishes Bring Back Beauty Challenge 2! Everybody was so thrilled to see the awesome turnout we had for our first challenge. For our True Beauties winners, don't forget to pick up your True Beauty blog badge!

Our new challenge for you today is Rustic Beauty. As the leaves start to change colors to usher in fall, we want to see you rustic beauty. Interpret this challenge however you like – want to use a little distressing? Want to use shades of rust? Want to use things that look aged or antiqued? You choose! Just make sure that the end result has a rustic feel to it. Link up your Bring Back Beautiful Challenge card here. If you upload to Splitcoast Stampers, Christian Paper Crafts, or other online galleries, please use keyword BBB02. You will have until September 30 to enter. As we unveil our challenge for next month, we'll share our True Beauties – those card makers who wowed us with this challenge. The winners will be featured on the Flourishes Blog and receive a True Beauty blog badge to proudly display on their blog!

For my card that I wish to share with you, I did a little bit of everything from distressing to shades of rust to the leaves turning. I used a technique for my tree that's normally reserved for enhancing images rather than using it for the entire image, and that's sponging. Layering color with sponging can still have stunning effects. I sprayed my image with Krylon Triple-Thick Crystal Clear Glaze to shine it up a bit. This card is similar to the card that I have published in the Paper Creations Fall Edition, available on newsstands now. This is a fabulous stamp set and I've had 3 cards published in the past 6 months using Forest of Trees. I hope that you like my card and thank you so much for stopping by today to visit me and God bless!

Please be sure to stop by the Bring Back Beauty Design Team member blogs to see how they brought your some beauty!

Beate Johns

Becca Feeken

Julie Koerber, Design Team Coordinator

Kathy Jones

Michelle Woerner

Yvonne Hagane

BLOG CANDY: Today's Treasure is Exodus 3. Read it and you'll see why I chose this. Now for the blog candy. If you can tell me why I chose Exodus 3, leave a comment, and become a follower of my blog by midnight CST September 17. I'll draw a name from those who left a comment and became a follower of my blog, or already follow my blog and commented, and your prize will be the Flourishes Forest of Trees stamp set! Be sure to stop by around noonish or so CST on Friday, September 17 to see if you're the winner. And please, don't become a follower of my blog just to win a prize. I think that is very thoughtless and greedy. Become a follower because you want to.

Stamps: Forest of Trees by Flourishes
Card Stock: Stampin' Up! Basic Black, Very Vanilla
Designer Paper: Basic Grey Indian Summer
Ink: Stampin' Up! Daffodil Delight, Cajun Craze, Poppy Parade, Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Stampin' Up! 5/8" Basic Black satin ribbon, Black Flourish Designer Jewels, Jenni Bowlin Stick Pin, Maya Road Pearl Trinket Pin, leaf embellishment from craft supply, Spellbinders Circle Nestabilities, Krylon Triple-Thick Crystal Clear Glaze
Technique: Sponging, machine stitching
Size: 5-1/2 x 4-1/4
Challenge: Bring Back Beautiful #2 (BBB02), Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge #87 (MTSC87)

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To purchase Stampin' Up! products, please visit Stampin' Up! With Cindy.

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Good morning and I pray that you're having a very blessed Sunday and that your spirit is renewed and refreshed through the living water of Jesus Christ. This is exactly what our challenge is for today at Stampin' Sisters in Christ, John 4:10, 13-14, where Jesus talks about how he is the living water and we will never thirst if we take in his water. What exactly is this water that Jesus is talking about? Eternal life with him. Not only that, but while we are here, all of us at one time or another try to fill voids in our lives, our little gods, when only Jesus can quench that thirst. Today for your challenge, use water. It can be in your sentiment or your image. Let us seek the pure living water from our Lord today.

Stamps: Gina K. Designs Oh Boy!
Card Stock: Stampin' Up! Pacific Point, Bashful Blue smooth and textured
Designer Paper: Stampin' Up! Celebrations
Ink: Stampin' Up! Old Olive, Bashful Blue, Signo White Gel Pen, Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: ProvoCraft Cuttlebug D'Vine Swirls A2 embossing folder, Creative Memories Wavy Cutter, My Favorite Things Cloud Trio Die-Namics, Stampin' Up! Large Dots Texturz Plate, Linen Thread, blue button, 1/8" Real Red taffeta ribbon
Technique: Dry embossing, sponging, paper piecing, doodling
Size: 5-1/2 x 4-1/4
Challenge: Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenges 55 (SSCC55)

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To purchase Stampin' Up! products, please visit Stampin' Up! With Cindy.

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Good morning everybody. I hope that you are enjoying your weekend so far. Fall is certainly in the air around here as it's getting a little cooler at night, but I'm waiting for the Indian Summer! Today we have a wonderful sketch for you at The Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge by Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. I used their Pumpkin Patch stamp that was perfect for this sketch. I obviously love to color and this digital stamp had nice big spaces to do just that. How about playing along with us today? We always have great sketches and eye candy by the Sugar Babies. This sketch challenge has always been my favorite and I'm so blessed to be a part of the Sugar Baby Design Team now. It's great! Please share with us your work and share it with everybody else too if you upload to online galleries by using keyword SSS72. We are all looking forward to seeing what you create today! God bless and have a wonderful weekend. Today's Treasure: Isaiah 41.

Stamps: Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Pumpkin Patch
Card Stock: Stampin' Up! Soft Suede, Pear Pizzazz, Neenah Solar Classic White
Designer Paper: Basic Grey Eerie, Memory Box Twilight
Ink: Copic markers
Accessories: Stampin' Up! Antique brads, Pear Pizzazz ribbon, Distressed Texturz Plate, Scallop punch, Spellbinders Labels 10 and 14 Nestabilities, resin leaf from craft supply
Technique: Dry embossing and die-cutting
Size: 5-1/2 x 4-1/4
Challenge: The Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge 72 (SSS72)

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To purchase Stampin' Up! products, please visit Stampin' Up! With Cindy.

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Good morning. Today is Cardabilities Sketch 10 and it's a fun one, as they all are! I made this very bright and cheerful card for my son and daughter-in-law, who it doesn't look like that I'm going to be able to see until Christmas and that breaks my heart, because that will be over a year since I've seen them. It's just always so crazy busy. Both of our schedules are hard to coordinate, but we have to make and take the time to see each other.

I hope that this inspires you in some way and don't forget to check out what the rest of the awesome design team created for this challenge as well! Please join us today. We'd love to have you play along! God bless you and have a fabulous day! Thank you for stopping by to see me.

All products used are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise stated.

Stamps: Aviary, Whimsical Words
Card Stock: Pure Poppy, Very Vanilla, Daffodil Delight
Designer Paper: Baja Breeze Designer Series Paper, Pure Poppy Designer Series Paper
Ink: Pure Poppy, Daffodil Delight, Basic Black
Accessories: Baja Breeze Designer Button, Hemp Twine, Daffodil Delight 1/8" taffeta ribbon, Pure Poppy 1/2" Stitched-Poly Ribbon, Spellbinders Oval and Scallop Oval Nestabilities, Spellbinders Labels One Nestabilities
Technique: Die-cutting and dry embossing
Size: 5-1/2 x 4-1/4
Challenge: Cardabilities Sketch 10

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To purchase Stampin' Up! products, please visit Stampin' Up! With Cindy.

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Good morning and I pray that you are having a very blessed Sunday so far. Today's Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge 54 is based off of Proverbs 27:17, which reads, "Iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." Translation: Choose your friends wisely. If your friend doesn't lift you up in the Lord or slap your hand when you need it in the Lord, then they are not a friend. A friend will maintain this balance. Sometimes they'll let you fall, sometimes they'll pick you up, but the main point is you have to determine whether a friend is a blessing or a curse in your life. I have a ton of people whom I am acquainted with, but there's only a handful of people on the face of this earth who I know I can go to if there's trouble or I need some help or prayer or just some good old-fashioned guidance on something, and they will keep it confidential and pray for me. I take it to one person only, not the entire gamut of my circle. You have to be very discerning. I live in a small town, like Mayberry small, and the gossip around this place is absolutely horrible. I've never seen anything like it in my life, so I keep a distance from a lot of people, and this includes those I go to church with! That's what's really pathetic! I have very close friends at church, praise God, but I also know who to keep my distance from as well. Be discerning and pick and choose your friends wisely, because whoever  you hang out with, they will also rub off on you too.

For our challenge today, we are to use metal on our cards. I chose a library clip to use on my masculine card. Digital Delights is graciously sponsoring us today. Be sure to visit the rest of the Design Team to see what they made for this challenge! Thank you for stopping by and may the Lord bless your day.

All products used to make this card are Stampin' Up!
Stamps: Motorcycle, Occasional Quotes (Hostess)
Card Stock: Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake, textured Whisper White
Ink: Basic Black, Crumb Cake, Going Gray, So Saffron, Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Square Lattice embossing folder, sponge, Library Clip, Hemp Twine
Technique: Tearing, sponging
Size: 5-1/2 x 4-1/4
Challenge: Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge 54

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today. Please become my friend through Google Friend Connect. I am always blessed by your support and comments!

To purchase Stampin' Up! products, please visit Stampin' Up! With Cindy.

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Good morning everybody and I hope that this is the start of a wonderful weekend for you. Today we have another fabulous sketch at The Sweet Stop that's sponsored by Sweet 'N Sassy Stamps. I've made several cards with this Hot Air Balloon digi stamp because I like it so much and it's extremely versatile. I've used it for a lot of different types of cards. Today's card is a birthday card that will be sent to a dear friend in New York. Why don't you try this sketch out for yourself and see what you can come up with? I really enjoyed making this card! Thank you so much for stopping by today and may the Lord richly bless your day. Today's Treasure: John 6:44-51.

Now for the story making this card: You'd never know that while I was coloring it using Gamsol, I was trying to pour it out of the container with a foam top because I couldn't get the foam top off to put the liquid in my jar that I use. While gently, at least what I thought was gently, the entire 4 ounce jar of Gamsol busted open and splattered everywhere, including saturating my image that I had just colored! I was bummed out. Solvent splattering is not a good thing and I was afraid I'd have to redo my image. Well, nothing really happened to it. There were some spots where the Gamsol didn't splatter so I figured why not make the entire image evenly covered with Gamsol! I wiped some up onto the image and then took it out back to dry, and all was well. My blending stumps are still out back drying and we'll see how that goes.

Stamps: Hot Air Balloon by Sweet 'N Sassy Stamps, Stampin' Up! Sincere Salutations
Card Stock: Stampin' Up! Marina Mist, Whisper White, Neenah Solar White
Designer Paper: Echo Park Sweet Summertime
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Prismacolor pencils
Accessories: Button from craft supply, Stampin' Up! Hemp Twine, Rose Red brads, Bigz XL Tasteful Trim die-cut
Technique: Odorless mineral spirits with blending stumps
Size: 4-1/4 x 5-1/2
Challenge: The Sweet Stop Sketch 71

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today. Please become my friend through Google Friend Connect. I am always blessed by your support and comments!

To purchase Stampin' Up! products, please visit Stampin' Up! With Cindy.

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