Mark's Finest Papers Blog Hop Day 2 - Wild & Free

Welcome to Mark's Finest Papers a Heinrich Company's 
                       July Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are:

Asian Delights Featured July 17
Wild & Free Featured July 18
Garden Art Featured July 19
Hot & Spicy Featured July 20

Please hop along with us! You have a chance to win one of the above stamp sets! Just comment on the blogs listed below (don't forget this one) each day for more chances to win! (You do NOT have to comment on all the blogs each day! The names are drawn randomly!) All four winners will be announced on July 21, 2012 on the Mark's Finest Papers blog. You can go back and comment if you missed a day. (HINT: The more you comment, the more chances you have to win and comments on the MFP blog count twice!) The deadline for commenting is 11PM EST on Friday July 20, 2012.

Again I've got a relatively clean and simple card for today's set.  After stamping the tree, I masked the card base using a Spellbinders die and sponged in the sky.

I then added the animals and the sentiments, then drew the frame.

I must be in a rut because my second card is another side step card.  The giraffe and tree image is actually from the 5th stamp set for this month.  It's called Above the Rest and coordinates very nicely with Wild and Free.

The sentiment is actually longer than what appears on my card, but it was too long to fit in the space.  I think the shortened version still conveys the message!

Don't forget to check out the rest of the team members' blogs and comment to win a free stamp set.

Mark's Finest Papers Blog Hop Day 1 - Asian Delights

Welcome to Mark's Finest Papers a Heinrich Company's 
                       July Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are:

Asian Delights Featured July 17
Wild & Free Featured July 18
Garden Art Featured July 19
Hot & Spicy Featured July 20

Please hop along with us! You have a chance to win one of the above stamp sets! Just comment on the blogs listed below (don't forget this one), each day for more chances to win! (You do NOT have to comment on all the blogs each day! The names are drawn randomly!) All four winners will be announced on July 21, 2012 on the Mark's Finest Papers blog. You can go back and comment if you missed a day. (HINT: The more you comment, the more chances you have to win and comments on the MFP blog count twice!) The deadline for commenting is 11PM EST on Friday July 20, 2012.

My first card for today is a clean and simple one.

I added a few score lines to separate the oriental symbols and the cherry blossoms.

My second card is a side-step card, which is always fun.  I used several of the images from today's set.

In addition I added an oriental coin.

Be sure to check out the blogs listed below.  The more you comment, the more chances you have to win a free stamp set.

Cascading Card and a Sneak Peek

Last year one of the Technique Lovers' Challenges on Splitcoaststampers was a very cool technique -- a cascading card.  I've been itching to make another one for a while.  Today was the day I scratched that itch.  I thought one of the new sets from Mark's Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company, Asian Delights, would lend itself to this technique.

I stamped several of the images from this set, cut them out, and strategically placed them on the card, along with some cherry blossom ribbon I happened to have.  The parasol was a royalty-free photo I found on the internet.

You can see the cascading effect on this side view.

This pretty stamp set, along with four others, will be available starting on Tuesday.  Be sure to check the Blog Hop all next week to see how you can win some free stamps.

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Asian Delights
Paper:  Bazzill 12 x 12 Black, MFP Snow Storm Smooth
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  Copic markers, Circle punches, Ribbon, Computer for parasol image

CCEE1228 - Reverse Masking

Each member of the CCEE challenge blog gets to be hostess for a month -- that means she can pick the challenge.  As I am the hostess for July, I decided to use my very favorite technique for the challenge this week -- Reverse Masking.  I usually use Eclipse Tape to mask off the rest of the card while I am sponging my background.  I love it!  (Mental note to self -- you need another roll of Eclipse Tape.  Yours is almost gone.)

My card is a sneak peek at a new stamp set from Mark's Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company, which will be released next week.  It is called Be Wild & Free.  Included in the set is a most-familiar African tree, which is what I used on my card.  To make this card, I first cut out an opening in a piece of Eclipse Tape using the third largest Large Petite Ovals nestabilities die and then sponged on the background color.  I used four different Tim Holtz Distress inks -- Scattered Straw, Wild Honey, Crushed Marigold, and Spiced Marmalade.    Whenever I remove the Eclipse Tape mask,  I am always amazed at how dramatic it looks!

I then stamped the tree, the lion, and the sentiment in Versafine Onyx Black.  One trick I've learned when using silhouette clear stamps is to rub a white eraser on the stamp to "rough up" the surface.  The ink seems to grip better, and you get a much cleaner image.   All that was left was to pierce the corners, and voila -- I was finished.

We'd love for you to play along with the CCEE team.  Just make your card and upload to the CCEE blog using Mr. Linky at the bottom of the post.

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Be Wild & Free

Paper:  MFP Favorite Natural

Ink:  Tim Holtz Distress Scattered Straw, Wild Honey, Crushed Marigold, Spiced Marmalade; Versafine Onyx Black

Accessories:  Petite Ovals Nestabilities die, Eclipse tape, Paper piercing tool and template

Speedy TV Challenges -- Hot and Cool

I wound up doing both of the new challenges (Sketch with a Twist and Simple Salutations) over on Speedy TV today.  The sketch challenge was posted yesterday, but I didn't have a chance to do it then.   I used one of the stamp sets that will be released next week, Hot & Spicy, to make my card.  This is the HOT part of my post today.

The card base is MFP Morning Sun and the background DP comes from two different Basic Grey paper pads -- Wassail and Green at Heart.  The string of chili peppers looked a little stark on that white panel, so I added some doodling down the sides.

The COOL part of my post is the Simple Salutations challenge.  This week's theme was "Beach."  The MFP set, Island Life, seemed like the perfect set to use on this card.

I recently attended StampFest Orlando, a show I really like.  I found this cloud template in one of the booths.  I'm still working on how to space the clouds in the sky, but I'm getting there.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today.  I hope you try one or both of these challenges.  Each week the hostesses choose a winner to receive a free Mark's Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company, stamp set.

Card 1
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Hot & Spicy
Paper:  MFP Morning Sun, Deep Olive, Snow Storm Smooth; Basic Grey Wassail DP and Green at Heart DP
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Rhubarb Stalk
Accessories:  Copic Markers, Memento Rhubarb Stalk Marker


Card 2
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Island Life
Paper:  MFP Bang Up Blue, Speedy the Cat Black, Snow Storm Smooth
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  Copic Markers, Cloud Template

CCEE1227 - Three Circles

I'm the hostess for the month of July over on the CCEE challenge blog.  For my first challenge of the month, I asked the team members to make a card using three circles anywhere on their cards.  It's not exactly a sketch challenge, but you should find at least three circles on everyone's cards -- plain circles, scallop circles, whatever!

For my card I made an circle easel card.   Masculine cards are not always easy, but this image from Mark's Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company (from a set called Island Life) made it relatively simple.  I had made easel cards before, but most of them were either square or rectangular.  This might have been the first round one I made.  Because I wanted it to be a masculine card, I didn't put much in the way of embellishments on it -- just the brad holding the easel up.  I don't know if you can see it, but I pierced around the outside circle -- using a piece of plastic canvas as my template.

We'd love for you to play along with the blog team.  Just make a card using at least three circles and post it to the CCEE blog.

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Island Life

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Tim Holtz Distress Faded Jeans

Paper:  MFP Cherry Slush, Licorice Whip, Snow Storm Smooth 

Accessories:  Circle nesties, Copic markers, Brad, Sponge applicator, Paper piercing tool, Circle template

Simple Salutations on Speedy TV

There's a new challenge over on Speedy TV.  It's called Simple Salutations -- a clean and simple challenge with an additional requirement:  there needs to be a sentiment on the card.  Today's challenge is to use an animal -- a real one, not a fictional or toy one.  Birds are animals, right?

I just bought this pretty embossing folder last week, and this is the first time I've used it.  It's a Sizzix folder.  See how nice and crisp that embossing is?  What I like about the Sizzix folders is that the back half is recessed enough that you can fold it over a one-layer card and fold the card in half to run it through your Cuttlebug or Big Shot.   I thought it framed the cardinal nicely.  I have thoroughly fallen in love with this chubby little cardinal from Mark's Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company.

I hope you stop by Speedy TV and check out the challenges.  There is one almost every day.  Look at all the chances you have to win a free stamp set.  Not a lot is free these days!

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Christmas Cardinals
Paper:  MFP Snow Storm Heavy
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  Copic markers, Sizzix Wreath embossing folder