Meet the Design Team

CHRISTINE OKKEN – DESIGN TEAM COORDINATOR
Hello Flourishes Friends! Creativity is one of my little pieces of joy. For me there’s just nothing like the process of inking a stamp, giving it life through coloring, and adding pattern and paper together to create something special. I’ve loved art since I was a child and love it even more now that I can use stamping as a medium. I discovered stamping about 9 years ago and have had some wonderful creative pit-stops along the way including some time on the Dirty Dozen Design Team at splitcoaststampers.com and happily with Flourishes since the winter of 2008/09. I’m blessed to be married to my husband, who is wonderfully supportive of my paper and ink passion, and of me. He’s a really good man. We have three great kids, a teenage daughter who loves music and the arts, a son who’s following in his Dad’s steps as a budding athlete, and another son who loves to talk, invent and build. They add a lot of spice and love to our family. My husband and I work together with teenagers and college students as Student Ministries Pastors at our church. This calling gives a great deal of meaning to our working life.

Visit my blog at http://christinecreations.blogspot.com.

JULIE KOERBER
If all I ever needed to know, I learned in kindergarten, I guess I should never quit coloring! I’m a gal who finds a kind of inner peace when she’s allowed to play with markers or paints to let her creativity flow. I’ve been stamping since 2000 and really, by accident. After a step aerobics class one Saturday, my sister-in-law forced me to go with her to one of those at-home stamping parties. It’s funny because – she left me there! Since then, I have gone on to be a card maker that’s been published in a handful of national card making magazines and books. Needless to say, I now consider inky fingers an accessory! In 2008, I was honored to be asked to serve on Flourishes Design Team. It was an even greater honor to be the Design Team Coordinator from 2008 to 2013 and chat with some of the world’s best card makers each and every week. I am constantly inspired by the creativity here! I hail from South Central Montana just miles from some of the most beautiful places in the world. I’m proud to be called “wife” by my hubby, Ken, and “mom” by my two kiddos, Ellie and Cal. When I’m not getting crafty in my “mom cave,” I’m the editor of a regional women’s magazine called Yellowstone Valley Woman.

Visit my blog at http://outtoimpress.blogspot.com.

CINDY LAWRENCE
I live in beautiful Southern New Hampshire with my husband, Jim, and children Nick (12) & Abbi (9). We are also blessed with two grown sons, Ben & Steve. I began stamping in 1997, and the rest, as they say, is history. I have served on the Splitcoast Dirty Dozen Design Team, as well as several other design teams, and most recently won the Stampin’ Up Artisan Award. From the moment I laid eyes on my very first Flourishes stamp, I fell completely and totally head-over-heals in love with the gorgeous, detailed images! To this day I still hear them calling to me from my studio… “Cindy… color me…”. How can I resist?!

Visit my blog at http://onehappystamper.typepad.com.

STACY MORGAN
I have been stamping for 10 years now, and yes I was “one of those people” who said stamping was “not for me”. Well look at me now! The start of my addiction came when I was invited to a SU party and said I would just buy one thing to be polite. I had every intention of not buying another thing. One thing led to another and well, you know the rest. I have a designated room in the house for my hobby. My wonderful husband and father-in-law even made me a desk, bookcase, and shelves all designed around using and storing my stamps.  In effort to perfect my craft, I continue to learn new techniques every turn. My stamping style is very clean and crisp keeping to a minimalist form, and not overdoing it with embellishments and additional items. I truly enjoy making gift sets with any new stamp set that I get my hands on.  Stamping is fun and relaxing for me and never feels like work or a chore that must be completed. I am very blessed to be on the Flourishes Senior Design team and I pinch myself all the time!

Visit my blog at http://twinshappy.blogspot.com.

HEATHER JENSEN
Hello! My name is Heather Jensen.  I am a mom to an 13-year-old boy named Collin and a wife to my sweet and supportive hubby Michael for 14 years now.  I am lucky to have a husband who will take me to any craft store without complaining and waits patiently while I shop.  What more can a girl ask for?

I have been stamping a little over 4 years now.  A friend of mine got me into scrapbooking and I went straight to into card making.  I have had a love for coloring since I was a little girl.  I remember sitting for hours coloring in my Barbie coloring books.  When I found Flourishes stamps it just brought back all the memories of the hours I used to sit and color.  Many days you can find me in my craft room coloring away.  I am honored to design for  Flourishes.  I can’t imagine not being part of this wonderful company.

Visit my blog at http://simplyhandmadebyheather.blogspot.com/

SILKE LEDLOW
Hi everyone! My name is Silke Ledlow, and I live in the beautiful state of Georgia, close to Savannah. I’m married to my wonderful husband, Jerry. We have three beautiful daughters, Sarah, Rebecca, and Miriam. We also have a dog (boxer) named Luke. I started stamping in 2001, and was pretty much hooked immediately. When I am not stamping, I enjoy reading, shopping, and hanging out with my friends and family.

Visit my blog at http://silkeledlow.blogspot.com.

AMANDA HAVON
Hello, my name is Amanda Havon, and I live in hot and sunny Palmdale, California, but I grew up in the beautiful countryside of Minnesota. I was introduced to scrapbooking in 2005 while on a trip back home to Minnesota. While visiting, my mom prompted me to think about scrapping a trip we had just taken with our then 6 month old outside the USA. I decided to give it a try and I was completely hooked! I happily scrapbooked for four years, until our second daughter was born, when I decided to make a few thank you cards. The first card I made was pretty sad looking, but I was in love! New to stamping, I struggled to find beautiful stamp images that were worthy of cards I could give out. Then I found Flourishes stamps, and I started creating better cards. I’d never seen such detail and elegance in a stamp before or since. I became a big fan and faithfully played the Flourishes Timeless Tuesday challenge week to week, where I learned the art and joy of cardmaking. After learning so much from the ladies on the Timeless Tuesday Team, I am so thrilled and honored to be a part of the Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Team, today!

Visit my blog at: lejardindepapiers.blogspot.com

MAKI JONES
Hi everybody, it’s Maki. I was born and grew up in Tokyo, Japan until I got married. After 13 years of moving around the world as a military family, my family and I now live in Waskom, Texas and have since 2009. I am married to my wonderful husband, Troy, and we have one daughter and one son. We also share our home with 2 cats & 2 dogs. My love of arts was started at very young age. My late father was an oil painter and I used to watch him painting in his studio for hours. One of my favorite things to do when I was a child was coloring. I guess it was natural that I was immediately hooked on stamping when I was introduced to it at an SU! workshop. When I got my first Flourishes stamp set, I fell in love with their classic & elegant style. I love and enjoy the process of making cards every time I use their stamps. I’m so thrilled to be a permanent member of Flourishes Design Team!

Visit my blog at: makinkstudio.blogspot.com

 TOSHA LEYENDEKKER
Hi, my name is Tosha Leyendekker, and I live with my husband, Ed, in sunny, Central California (where happy cows live).   We’re dairy farmers, although I retired from taking care of the books a few years ago.  I had to make time for more paper crafting after all.   We have been married for almost 24 years, have two grown children, 2 dogs and a Friesian horse who made his Rose Parade debut this past January.  I can’t imagine a life without paper crafting.  I love stamping, coloring, and learning new techniques.  I served on the Splitcoast Dirty Dozen Design Team way back in 2008 and have since served on variety of other design teams.  I feel very blessed to have worked with, and met, some of the most creative and kind people in this world, and now I have the honor of designing for Flourishes; something I’m thoroughly looking forward to.

Visit my blog at: stamptalkwithtosh.blogspot.com