Happy birthday, Christine!

IT'S A SURPRISE PARTY!!! Grab a handful of confetti, a bright balloon and come along for a fun birthday blog hop to celebrate a special birthday for our dear friend, Christine Okken!  One thing about birthdays is that you always hope to spend time with those you care about, and that's why we're here!  At Flourishes, we're just one big family... so we just wanted to celebrate a wonderful day with one of our loved ones. Even though we're a day early, we'd like to say...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTINE!

Join along with members of the Flourishes family today and share some fabulous birthday inspirations, many happy celebratory birthday wishes and maybe even a slice of cyber cake. Here's a handful of confetti for you, Christine! Hope you enjoy your surprise, and your special day.

I had so much fun making the elements of this card! The dragonfly is a clear acrylic piece that I colored with alcohol markers. My card also fits today's challenge for Hope You Can Cling To over at Splitcoaststampers, and the dragonfly can be removed to hang in a window or used as an ornament. I really hope it will bring a smile to someone facing hard times!

Here are a few pictures I took during the process... this is a really fun technique that works on acetate as well. Maybe this can be our Create With Me Monday - this was my scheduled week, and we left me on the calendar so Christine wouldn't suspect anything... heheeee!

 I stamped the Siberian Iris image on a scrap piece of cardstock and taped my acrylic piece over it with some washi tape...

...then just began coloring in the image as if I were coloring on the paper. It helps to work quickly and in small sections, since the ink dries fairly quickly, and also because subsequent layers of color will affect the color that's already dried.

I started with my lightest color, then added shading by stippling in darker colors. When I was done with the coloring, I filled in the rest of the shape with circular strokes, and sketched in the outline with a fine black marker. And here's the completed piece on my card! I love how it turned out. The sentiment I used is from the Magnolias set.

In honor of Christine's birthday celebration, we're giving away a special birthday present or two of our own!  Hidden among the Design Team's blogs today is a Mystery Blogger. Comment on her blog and you could be chosen as one of our birthday prize winners! The more you comment, the better your chances of winning.

As well as one lucky commenter, we're having a birthday challenge too!

THE OFFICIAL RULES:

• Simply create a NEW birthday themed card or project.
• Entries need to be in by Friday November 1st at 6 PM EST.
• Those entries using Flourishes stamps will be counted for 2 prize ballots!
• You must link your creation in our InLinkz Widget to be counted. You'll find it on the Flourishes Blog!
• You must have a link to our challenge in your blog post or gallery post.  Please feel free to use our Birthday Graphic too!
• If you upload to SCS please use the keyword FLLCWISH
• We'll announce the winners on the Flourishes blog on Saturday November 2nd, so check back then to find out if you are a winner!

Don't forget to leave some love for our fabulous designers today for a chance to win...

Aleksandra Mihelič
Allison Cope
Cheryl Lea
Cindy Lawrence
Deborah Anton
Dina Kowal
Heather Jensen
Jenny Gropp
Julie Koerber
Kathy Jones
Maki Jones
Meredith MacRitchie
Naomi Gong
Stacy Morgan
Silke Ledlow
Tosha Leyendekker

......and remember to stop by Christine's blog, HERE, and send her some birthday wishes too!

P.S.  These are the Touch Twin Markers that I used: