Speedy Fox and Friends - Tie It Up

This week Speedy Fox and Friends are tying up the month with a challenge appropriately enough called Tie It Up.   My new favorite color combo for Christmas is ivory and blue, so here's my card for today's challenge.

Pop on over to the Mark's Finest Papers blog and see how the rest of the team tied it up!

CCEE1330 Color Blocking

For Sabrina's last stint as hostess for the CCEE Stampers for the month of July, she asked us to use an oldie-but-goodie technique, Color Blocking with Paper and Stamps.  My card is monochromatic also.

Join the rest of the team over on the CCEE Stampers blog and see what they have created using this fun technique.

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Paper - Marsh Birds, Marsh Silhouettes, Scenic Selections
Paper:  MFP Premium Heavy White, Breezy Blue, Blue Skies, Clean Oven Gray
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  Ribbon, Memento Tuxedo Black marker, Pearls

Speedy Fox and Friends - Weave

The title of this week's Speedy Fox and Friends challenge is Weave.   I suppose you could have used a piece of woven fabric on my card, but I decided to weave two colors of ribbon to make a panel.  I realize it's summertime, but card makers have to plan ahead.  My card is definitely a FALL card.

Check out the rest of the woven delights that the team has created over on the MFP Blog.  Join in on the fun and you might just win a free set of stamps.

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Autumn Glory, Autumn Splendor
Ink:  Memento Expresso Truffle, Potters Clay, Bamboo Leaves, Rich Cocoa
Paper:  MFP Chocolate Cake, Corn Husk
Accessories:  Ribbon, Cheery Lynn Fanciful Flourish die, Copic markers, Pop dots

CCEE1329 - Sing, Sing a Song . . .

. . . Sing Out Loud, Sing Out Strong.  The Carpenters had a huge hit with this song.  And Sabrina asked us to make a card for the CCEE Stampers challenge this week that was inspired by the lyrics of any song.  I chose Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In  by The Fifth Dimension as my inspiration.

We'd love for you to join the chorus!  Pick a song, any song -- and make a card based on the lyrics.  Stop over at the CCEE Stampers blog and see what music inspired the rest of the team.

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Sayings Galore
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Tim Holtz Mustard Seed
Paper:  MFP Morning Sun, Chocolate Cake; Memory Box Grove DP, Clear acetate for sponge lines
Accessories:  Ribbon, Gold cord, Charm, Sponge applicator

Speedy Fox and Friends - Favorite Technique

The Speedy Fox and Friends challenge this week was to use your favorite technique.  One of my very favorite techniques is reverse masking -- just cut out a shape and sponge within the negative space that's left. It's a good way to give some depth without adding weight to your card.  If you've never tried this technique, here is a tutorial I wrote explaining how to do it.

Another technique I like is to coordinate your envelope by stamping part of an image from your card onto it. In this case, I stamped the upper portion of my heron on the corner of my envelope.  I had colored in the heron on my card to make a full silhouette, but I decided to leave the detail on the envelope.

Show us what your favorite technique is by making a card and uploading it the MFP Blog.  You might just win a free stamp set.

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Marsh Birds, Marsh Silhouettes, Scenic Selections
Paper:  MFP Bang Up Blue, Snow Storm Smooth
Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black, Tim Holtz Distress Tumbled Glass
Accessories:  Glitter Brads, Memento Tuxedo Black marker, Spellbinders Hexagon Nestabilities die

MFP Blog Hop Day 4 - Presents

July Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are

 Featured July 9th - Lotus Blossoms

Featured July 10th - Shello 

Featured July 11th - Be Virtuous 

Featured July 12th - Presents

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 13, 2013, 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 11 PM EST on Friday, July 12, 2013.

 The special stamp set we have for you this month is:

"Dino News"

 The mini stamp set we have for you this month is

"Dragonflies"
                                                      

Last month one of my projects was a mini notepad holder.  Several people mentioned that they'd like to see a tutorial for this project.  So I made another one using today's MFP set, Presents.  You will find the tutorial one post down.  I paper-pieced the package with the same DP as is on the flap.

Here is the inside of the notepad holder.  You could use this little notebook for your Christmas lists.

Paper-piecing works so well with this set.  Two of the packages on my card are paper-pieced and the other two are colored with markers.  The DPs on my card as well as that on the notebook portfolio are all from the Authentique Wonder paper pad.

It's hard to believe that it's already Friday.  I hope you've gotten some inspiration from the Blog Hop this month.  And make sure you check out the rest of the design team members' blogs.  

Here's the Design Team:

Patty, Lois (that's me), Jane, Pat, Debbie, Kathy, Angela, Thrifty Stamper, Toni, Janine, Sue, Marilynn, Karen, Bonnie, Cathy, Pam, Kate, Shirley, An'Jenic, Marks Finest Papers, a Heinrich Co.

Mini Notebook Portfolio Tutorial

Cardstock   (MFP Deep Scarlet)

Designer paper   (Basic Grey Wassail)

Stamps   (MFP  Presents)

Ink   (Memento Tuxedo Black, Rhubarb Stalk)

Mini notebook   (Purchased at Staples)

Coloring medium   (Copic marker)

Scor-tape

Ribbon

Prima flower   (Poinsettia & Holly leaves)

Cutter and scoring board   (not shown)

Measurements given relate to the size of the mini notebook.  The one I used measures

3 3/8” x 4 ½”.

Cut cardstock to 5” x 10 ½”.

Score at 3 7/8”,  4 3/8”,  8 ¼”,  8 ¾”.

Cut a small piece of cardstock  2 ½” x 5”.  Score at ½”.    Adhere this small piece at the end with the larger section, lapping over the ½” that was scored.  I found that using Scor-tape held better than tape runner.

Cut the small section diagonally from the corner to the score line.

Your cardstock cover should now look like this.

Cut a piece of designer paper 3 5/8” x 4 7/8”.  Tape to first scored section to cover the overlap.  Run a piece of Scor-tape along bottom of triangular section and fold over.

Cut a piece of contrasting DP to 1 ¾” x 5” and cover last (small) section.    To cut the shaped end, place one side of the die over the edge with the other side under the strip.  Run through your cutting machine just far enough to cut the end.

Decorate the front panel as desired.  For my image, I stamped the image onto a piece of the same DP as the lining inside.   I colored everything except the bottom of the box, which I paper-pieced with the same DP as is on the flap.

To cover the short pencil,  cut a piece of DP 1 ½” x 3”.  Run a strip of Scor-tape on the pencil and on one end of the back of the DP.  Attach DP to pencil and roll tightly.  Burnish the end of the DP once it is covering the pencil.

To attach pencil to the inside of the cover, glue down a piece of 3” long ribbon to the center section.  Place pencil in the small scored section and run the ribbon around the pencil to hold in place.  

Place a small piece of Scor-tape up against the pencil to keep the ribbon tight.  

Cut another piece of cardstock 3 7/8” x 5” and glue over center section, covering the tape/ribbon connection.

Cut a piece of DP to 2” x 4 ½”.  Cut a decorative edge.  I used a scallop border punch.

Cut cover off the notepad, leaving the reinforcing tape intact.  Place Scor-tape on the spine and remaining flap.

Adhere DP trim and secure notepad in the holder.  When gluing  down the notepad, leave enough space for the pencil to roll into the same section.

Place Velcro “button” on the inside of the flap, with both pieces joined.

Fold flap over and adhere the second piece of Velcro to the front.    I added a small poinsettia and holly leaf in the center.    Here is my finished project.