Stampin'B Challenge - Birthday

Both of my sons celebrate birthdays in August, so I was happy to make a card for Vicki’s Stampin'B's DT Blog challenge this week -- a birthday card.




Masculine cards are never easy, but I managed to put this together using images from Mark’s Finest Papers' new set Southwest Cowboy. The DP is from a cool Basic Grey pad called Basic Krafts. I used a plastic canvas circle as a guide for my piercing. Thanks, Vicki, I’m half done with my birthday cards for August.
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Stamps - Mark's Finest Papers - Southwest Cowboy, (sentiment) Take Time & Father's Day
Paper - MFP Deepest Mahogany, Desert Sand, Naturals Ivory; Basic Grey Basic Krafts DP
Ink - Palette Burnt Umber, Tim Holtz Distressed Vintage Photo
Accessories - Circle Nestabilities, Paper Piercing Tool, Corner Rounder, Twine, Eyelet

Featured Stamper - Ravengirl

I did two CASE cards based on Ravengirl's (a/k/a Toni) gallery for today's SCS Featured Stamper challenge.




My first card is a sneak peek of a new Mark's Finest Papers' set called Tweet Blessings, to be released in August. I kept the layout and colors of Toni's A Krafty Sketch for Hip Hop. Because it was a sketch challenge I changed it up a little by making it an A2 card and moving the sentiment. In addition, I used different stamps. You can't see much of the image on the blue-matted panel, but it is the weave stamp from Background Fun.
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Stamps - Mark's Finest Papers - Tweet Blessings and Background Fun
Ink - Palette L'Amore Red and Burnt Umber; Tim Holtz Distressed - Barn Door and Vintage Photo
Paper - MFP Desert Sand, Ripened Tomato, Bang Up Blue, Snow Storm Smooth
Accessories - Ribbon Prima, Brad, Sponge daubers






I used my favorite MFP butterflies for this card, which is a CASE of Toni's Dirty Little Butterflies. I kept her layout but made the following changes: different images, different colors, stamped background instead of DP, and added scoring.
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Stamps - Mark's Finest Papers - Daffodil and Anise, Background Fun
Ink - Palette Noir Black, Tim Holtz Distress inks - Wild Honey, Orange Marmalade
Paper - MFP Snow Storm Smooth, Florida Peach
Accessories - Sponge daubers, Scor-Pal

Stampin'B and SCS Challenges

Vicky Gould was the hostess for this week's Stampin'B's challenge, and she wanted us to make a card using a background stamp rather than designer paper. And over on SCS this week, we've been playing along with the Dirty Dozen (current and past). Kittie747's challenge (Lost and Found) was to use something that may be lost, old or that may even appear unusable.





I used the chicken wire background from Mark’s Finest Papers’ Chicken Scratch set and stamped it with Palette Noir Black on a paint chip sample I picked up at Lowe’s some time ago and found in a drawer. The hen in the basket is colored with Copic markers, cut out, and popped up with dimensionals.

Stamps - Mark's Finest Papers Chicken Scratch
Paper - MFP Snow Storm Smooth, Speedy the Cat Black
Ink - Palette Noir Black
Accessories - Copic markers, Paint chip, Ribbon, Pop dots

Z-Fold Cards

I enjoy doing fun folds, so I have a couple of cards to show you today, using the Z-Fold. It's a pretty easy technique. Cut your cardstock 4 1/4 inches by 11 inches, and score at 2 3/4 inches and 5 1/2 inches.



My first card was made for one of the Dare to Get Dirty Challenges on SCS -- Just Faux You. The challenge was to use ONLY embellishments, ribbon and/or designer paper that you had created yourself. I made my DP from two background images Background Fun and Chicken Scratch, gingham ribbon which is actually paper run through the Cuttlebug using Tim Holtz checkerboard embossing folder and then rubbed with red ink, and two faux eyelets punched from copper paper. All materials, including the Tim Holtz folder, available at Mark's Finest Papers.
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Stamps - Mark's Finest Papers Chicken Scratch, Background Fun and (sentiment) Ladybugs & Carnations
Paper - MFP Ripened Tomato, Desert Sand, Snow Storm Smooth
Ink - Palette Noir Black, Tim Holtz Distressed Walnut Stain, Tea Dye, Barn Door
Accessories - Copic Markers, 1/4 & 1/2 inch Circle Punches, Labels Two Nestabilities, White Gel Pen, Sponge Daubers, Cuttlebug, Tim Holtz Checkerboard Embossing Folder

My second card is actually using a set from Mark's Finest Papers that will not be released until next month. I made this card at my sister's, so I don't know the name of the designer papers I used. The image is stamped with Palette Noir Black and sponged with Tim Holtz distressed inks. The "snow" at the tops of the mountains is actually Polar White Flower Soft.

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Stamps - Mark's Finest Papers Regal & Proud

Ink - Palette Noir Black, Tim Holtz Bundled Sage, Tea Dye, and Tumbled Glass

Paper - SU Garden Green, GP White, DCWV patterned paper

Accessories - Sponge daubers, Flower Soft, Labels Eight Nestabilities dies

MFP Blog Hop - Day 4

Mark's Finest Papers' Design Teams are celebrating our NEWEST STAMP RELEASE with a Blog Hop. Our very talented Design Teams have created exciting paper crafts for your inspiration. With the addition of New Design Team members, we’re going to have a really fun-packed Hop! Sit back, and hold on to your mouse! This is going to be a FABULOUS ride! Come Hop along with us! We have 4 New Stamp Sets Released today: Background Fun, Southwest Cowboy, Flourishes & Frame, and Apples & Camellia. For your convenience, all 4 stamp sets are available for purchase TODAY!

For your chance to win BLOG CANDY, visit and comment on each of the design team members' blogs on July 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th. On Saturday, July 17th, a winner will be chosen FOR EACH DAY from those participants who visited all the blogs listed for that day! Four different winners, one winner for each day. THAT MEANS IF YOU MISSED A DAY, YOU STILL HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE TO WIN! And, you can go back and comment, as the winners will be chosen Saturday morning!

The 4 Winners will be announced on the Mark's Finest Papers Blog on July 17, 2010. Each winner will receive 1 Stamp Set that will be released NEXT month.

We end the Blog Hop with a very pretty set, Apples and Camellia.





My card today is a fun fancy fold – a tri-shutter card. If you’ve never made one, here’s a link to the tutorial on SCS. My base is MFP Ripened Tomato and the designer paper is from Basic Grey’s Capella paper pad. After doing all the folding and cutting, I stamped the large apple onto Snow Storm Smooth and colored it with Copic markers. I cut the row of apples in half so I could place them strategically on the long panels. I love the sentiment, which is stamped directly onto the designer paper. I added some gingham ribbon and little apple charm, and I was done.

My second project is not a card at all, but a photo album, which I put together with my Bind-It-All. Before my mom’s health deteriorated and she had to give it up, she did volunteer work at a local botanical garden in town. She loved flowers, having been a floral designer for many years. I’m going to put some pictures in it from the 90th birthday party we had for her and give it to her as a remembrance. There’s not a whole lot of explanation need for this. I stamped the camellias onto Strawberry Freeze and Morning Sun and then embossed them with some Ranger Bridal Tinsel Embossing Powder and cut them out. I cut out the white panel with the next-to-the-largest Label Ten Nestabilities die. The layered piece was hand cut after tracing around the outside of the die. This gives a narrower mat. I still had yesterday’s set (Flourishes and Frame) on my table, so I used one of the sentiments from that set. The corner pieces were cut from a Cuttlebug die.

Be sure to visit the rest of the team to see what they did with this fun set and comment on each blog. You have one more chance to win one of the stamp sets to be released in August.

Here is the Blog Hop LINE UP:

July Guest Designer – Melisa Waldorf
Nancyruth

Lois - (that’s me)

Vicky

Jeanne
Anne
Debbie
Peggysue
Faith
Susan
Judi
Patty
Karen
Connie
Roxie
Vicki
Liz

Claudine

Dawn
Mark’s Finest Papers

MFP Blog Hop Day 3 and Stampin'B's Challenge

Mark's Finest Papers' Design Teams are celebrating our NEWEST STAMP RELEASE with a Blog Hop. Our very talented Design Teams have created exciting paper crafts for your inspiration. With the addition of New Design Team members, we're going to have a really fun-packed Hop! Sit back, and hold on to your mouse! This is going to be a FABULOUS ride! Come Hop along with us! We have 4 New Stamp Sets Released today: Background Fun, Southwest Cowboy, Flourishes & Frame, and Apples & Camellia. For your convenience, all 4 stamp sets are available for purchase TODAY!

For your chance to win BLOG CANDY, visit and comment on each of the design team members' blogs on July 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th. On Saturday, July 17th, a winner will be chosen FOR EACH DAY from those participants who visited all the blogs listed for that day! Four different winners, one winner for each day. THAT MEANS IF YOU MISSED A DAY, YOU STILL HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE TO WIN! And, you can go back and comment, as the winners will be chosen Saturday morning!

The 4 Winners will be announced on the Mark's Finest Papers Blog on July 17, 2010. Each winner will receive 1 Stamp Set that will be released NEXT month.

My first card is serving two purposes – the Stampin’B’s challenge for this week and also Day 3 of the Blog Hop.

I was the hostess for this week’s Stampin’B’s challenge, and I wanted the sentiment to be the main focus of our cards. The only thing stamped on this card IS the sentiment – Happy Birthday – from Flourishes and Frame. I cut the frame from Autumn Greens cardstock, using the smaller of the two frames from Spellbinders Decorative Frames Frameabilities, sponging with Tim Holtz Distressed Ink Bundled Sage. The background paper is from Basic Grey Capella paper pack, which has such pretty patterns in muted greens and browns. I added a few pearls around the frame, and I was done.

My second project was a little more involved – a 3 ½” x 3 ½” box holding six 3” x 3” note cards. I thought it would make a nice thank-you gift, so that’s what I put in the center of the frame on the lid. Each note card has a different sentiment – my photo shows only four of the six cards. The patterned paper is from Basic Grey Two Scoops paper pad, and the matted piece is MFP Autumn Greens, as is the base of the box. The ribbon around the lid was originally white, but I sponged it heavily with Tim Holtz Distress Ink Bundled Sage. I learned the hard way some time ago, that you really have to wait a while for the ink to dry before trying to tie the bow. Otherwise, your fingers wind up VERY inky!

Don’t forget -- For another chance to win a free stamp set, be sure to visit the blogs of the rest of the design team and comment on each.

The Blog Hop line-up is:

July Guest Designer – Melisa Waldorf
Nancyruth

Lois - (that’s me)

Vicky

Jeanne
Anne
Debbie
Peggysue
Faith
Susan
Judi
Patty
Karen
Connie
Roxie
Vicki
Joanne
Dawn

Claudine

Liz

Mark’s Finest Papers

MFP Blog Hop - Day 2

Mark's Finest Papers' Design Teams are celebrating our NEWEST STAMP RELEASE with a Blog Hop. Our very talented Design Teams have created exciting paper crafts for your inspiration. With the addition of New Design Team members, we’re going to have a really fun-packed Hop! Sit back, and hold on to your mouse! This is going to be a FABULOUS ride! Come Hop along with us! We have 4 New Stamp Sets Released today: Background Fun, Southwest Cowboy, Flourishes & Frame, and Apples & Camellia. For your convenience, all 4 stamp sets are available for purchase TODAY!

For your chance to win BLOG CANDY, visit and comment on each of the design team members' blogs on July 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th. On Saturday, July 17th, a winner will be chosen FOR EACH DAY from those participants who visited all the blogs listed for that day! Four different winners, one winner for each day. THAT MEANS IF YOU MISSED A DAY, YOU STILL HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE TO WIN! And, you can go back and comment, as the winners will be chosen Saturday morning!

The 4 Winners will be announced on the Mark's Finest Papers Blog on July 17, 2010. Each winner will receive 1 Stamp Set that will be released NEXT month.

Again I have created two cards with today’s set – Southwest Cowboy.

I decided to use a technique that I haven’t used in a very long time for my first card today – Shaving Cream background. You can’t see a whole lot of it, but I used Palette reinkers in Cognac, Raw Sienna and Moss Jardin. Then I carried the browns and greens into my stamped panels. After stamping the cowboy with Burnt Umber, I stamped it again on a post-it note and cut out the unstamped portion of his shirt. I masked the image and sponged Moss Jardin onto his shirt. The panel at the top right has one of the smaller images stamped on it; and then, after sponging in the desert, I added some Flower Soft Ultra Fine Sand to give it a little texture.. Don’t you love the rustic-looking font on the sentiment?

The background for my second card is a piece of Basic Grey Kraft DP, embossed with a wood grain Tim Holtz embossing folder and then sanded to bring out the wood grain. The moon, sky, and sand were sponged -- with the cactus stamped in Tim Holtz Walnut Stain.

Be sure to visit the rest of the team to see what they did with this lovely set and comment on each blog. You have a chance to win one of the stamp sets to be released in August.

Here is the Blog Hop LINE UP

July Guest Designer – Melisa Waldorf
Nancyruth

Lois - (that’s me)

Vicky

Jeanne
Anne
Debbie
Peggysue
Faith
Susan
Judi
Patty
Karen
Connie
Roxie
Vicki
Joanne
Julia
Claudine
Mark’s Finest Papers

MFP Blog Hop - Day 1

Mark's Finest Papers' Design Teams are celebrating our NEWEST STAMP RELEASE with a Blog Hop. Our very talented Design Teams have created exciting paper crafts for your inspiration. With the addition of New Design Team members, we're going to have a really fun-packed Hop! Sit back, and hold on to your mouse! This is going to be a FABULOUS ride! Come Hop along with us! We have 4 New Stamp Sets Released today: Background Fun, Southwest Cowboy, Flourishes & Frame, and Apples & Camellia. For your convenience, all 4 stamp sets are available for purchase TODAY!

For your chance to win BLOG CANDY, visit and comment on each of the design team members' blogs on July 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th. On Saturday, July 17th, a winner will be chosen FOR EACH DAY from those participants who visited all the blogs listed for that day! Four different winners, one winner for each day. THAT MEANS IF YOU MISSED A DAY, YOU STILL HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE TO WIN! And, you can go back and comment, as the winners will be chosen Saturday morning!

The 4 Winners will be announced on the Mark's Finest Papers Blog on July 17, 2010. Each winner will receive 1 Stamp Set that will be released NEXT month.

I’m starting off the Hop with a bang – I have three projects for today’s set – Background Fun.

I imagine I could use this set on virtually every card I make – you always need backgrounds! My first card utilizes one of the Tim Holtz Sizzix dies, Hanging Sign. The bracket and oval are cut from MFP Clean Oven Gray, the sign from one of the papers in Basic Grey’s Porcelain paper pad, as is the background. I used the crackle background to stamp on the bracket, the oval, and part of the sign; and then I sponged around the edges with Palette Noir. I was just going to stamp Happy Birthday on the oval, and then I decided Speedy would look good on there. So I cut the words off the watermark stamp and popped him on there too! I poked a couple of holes in the background and ran some wire through to “hang” the sign.

I decided to do a 3-D project using the other background in this set. I found a basket template on-line and cut out the basket from MFP Hazelnut, then stamped the woven background onto it. The liner is from Basic Grey’s Wisteria. I have to admit I had to cheat on the liner. The pattern is wider than 6 inches, which is the size of the DP. So I copied it (shhh, don’t tell) at 146% on my printer and then drew the template on the back and cut it out. The birthday sentiment is stamped in Palette French Lilac on MFP Morning Sun. I had these silk flowers left from another project.

My third project is also a 3-D project using the basket weave background. This time I used my Bind-It-All to create this cute little basket. I knew I would need light-weight paper so I couldn’t use cardstock. Otherwise it would have been too thick to punch through. So I used blue copy paper. You use what you have! After making all four 2 ½” x 2 ½ inch panels, I put them together to make the basket. I still had some of those silk flowers left, so I became a floral designer for the day. I admit I’m not as good as my mom was! The sentiment panel is cut with a Labels Ten die.

Oh, by the way, did you know that Mark’s Finest Papers sells the Bind-It-All and accessories now?

Be sure to visit the rest of the team to see what they did with this set. And remember, you have a chance to win one of the stamp sets to be released in August.

Here is the Blog Hop LINE UP:

July Guest Designer – Melisa Waldorf
Nancyruth

Lois - (that’s me)

Vicky

Jeanne
Anne
Debbie
Peggysue
Faith
Susan
Judi
Patty
Karen
Connie
Roxie
Vicki
Cathleen

Claudine

Mark’s Finest Papers

Featured Stamper and Catch-Up

I was totally unfamiliar with today's Featured Stamper (sbs81 a/k/a Stephanie) on SCS so it was a treat to look through her gallery. I actually chose a card that she uploaded just this past week, Crabby. I liked the bright reds and the simple layout, both of which I kept for my card. I eliminated one layer, the brads, and the ribbon; but added a sentiment and some pearls. Instead of stitching, I just pierced around the edge of the white panel. Her card was quite whimsical; mine is a bit more traditional.




Stamps - Mark's Finest Papers - Spring Roses, sentiment from soon-to-be-released Background Fun
Paper - MFP Snow Storm Smooth, Ripened Tomato; Basic Grey Indian Summer DP
Ink - Palette Noir Black
Accessories - Copic markers, Tim Holtz Retro Circles embossing folder, Tag punches, Paper piercing tool, Half pearls



Yesterday's Inspiration Challenge site, Blue Carrot Shop, has a whole bunch of vintage items to purchase. I recognized several of those things as having been in my house at one time or another. I chose this Florida Tray, using the theme and colors for my card. This also qualifies for Speedy's Friends Challenge to use a punch. The sentiment was punched out with the Word Window Punch.


Stamps - Mark's Finest Papers - Tropical Vacation
Paper MFP Clean Oven Gray, Snow Storm Smooth; Basic Grey Ambrosia DP
Ink - Tim Holtz Distress Inks: Weathered Wood,Tumbled Glass, Crushed Olive, Bundled Sage
Accessories - Spellbinders Labels Ten, Word Window Punch, Prima Flowers, Brads, Sponge Daubers, Scalloped Circle Punch for cloud template

As I was looking through yesterday's inspiration site, I came across this set of salt and pepper shakers. Guess what, I have a very similar set in my collection of over 100 S&P shakers.This card also qualifies for the Crazy4Challenges color challenge of red, white, and black.

Stamps - The Greeting Farm Happy Chef

Paper - SU Real Red and Basic Black, GP White

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black, Lady Bug

Accessories - Copic, Prismacolor, and Memento markers, Pop dots

Stampin'B Challenge -- Dots!

I had this dot-embossed panel in my drawer and thought it would be perfect for Brenda’s (Benzi on SCS) challenge to the Stampin'Bs this week.





I stamped and then masked the swan from Mark’s Finest Papers’ Our Side of the Pond, stamping the reeds/cattails around her. Most of the coloring was done with sponges, except for the reeds which were colored with markers. The birthday sentiment is from a set to be released next week called Flourishes and Frame. I added some polka-dotted ribbon and that was it. Thanks, Brenda, for another good – and easy – challenge!
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Stamps - Mark's Finest Papers Our Side of the Pond, Flourishes and Frame
Paper - MFP Bang Up Blue, Snow Storm Smooth
Ink - Palette Noir Black, Burnt Umber, Raw Sienna, Reflection Blue, Ballet Blue
Accessories - Cuttlebug and Swiss Dots folder, Sponge daubers, Memento markers, Ribbon, SU Key Tag punch

Speedy the Cat's Friends & Inspiration Challenges

I actually did two cards for this week's Inspiration Challenge on SplitCoastStampers, which was an initially very "challenging" site for me; but as I wandered through it, it got much easier to find something. My first card is actually for two challenges. In addition to the IC, it also was made for Speedy the Cat's Friends challenge. This week the Jr. and Sr. Design Team members for Mark's Finest Papers were the hostesses. We were to use a diecut on our cards.

My inspiration for this card was this apron from the Oompa website. I took the color and shape as a starting point. Oh, and there's a flower on it! I love coloring the roses from MFP's Spring Roses. After stamping with Palette L'Amour Red and clear embossing, I colored them with Copic markers. I cut the ovals from Basic Grey Porcelain DP and MFP Clean Oven Gray (don't you love that name?). The sentiment is from MFP Daffodil and Anise. I added some Faith dots with a white gel pen and hung the fairy charm from the bow.

The inspiration for my second card was this lunch box, with its patchwork of horses. I revisited a technique I haven't done in a long time -- faux postage -- because the lunch box gave the same feel. This is also a sneak peek of a soon-to-be-released set from Mark's Finest Papers called Southwest Cowboy. To get the shading right on my "stamps," I taped them down with some removable tape and then sponged Tim Holtz Tea Dye ink around the edges. When I removed the tape, the lines were straight and clean. I love those big pewter brads; they look so nice on a masculine card with the twine strung between them.

Stampin'B Challenge #65 - Summer Vacation

The theme of summer vacation was a great starting point for this week's Stampin'B's DT Blog Challenge, and what better place to spend a summer vacation than at the beach!




For my card I used several images from Gina K Designs’ Lazy Days of Summer, and two diecuts from Spellbinders Surf’s Up! Shapeabilities set. Cut out with a square Nestabilities die, I sponged around the edges of the stamped images before removing the die. The images are colored using Copic markers. I used a piece of SU Cool Caribbean that I've been hoarding for the card base and Tempting Turquoise for the layered water piece. I found some appropriate patterned paper in my stash – and there you are! Have a great summer!!!

Stamps - Gina K Designs' Lazy Days of Summer
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black; Palette inks -- Reflection Blue, Cognac, Beaux Arts Blue, L'Amore Red, Burnt Umber
Paper - Cool Caribbean, Tempting Turquoise, GP white, unknown sand and water patterned paper
Accessories - Copic markers, Square Nestabilities, Surf's Up Shapeabilities, Sponge daubers