MFP Twelve Days of Christmas - Day 8

Here we are, starting the second week of our Mark's Finest Papers' 12 Days of Christmas blog hop. I have seen so many wonderful, creative projects so far -- and today is no exception.

Candles and Christmas go together like bread and butter or salt and pepper. The first time I ever did stamping on candles I was amazed at how easy it was. With the help of my sister I followed the tutorial on Splitcoaststampers and was so pleased with the results. The images on my candles are from Cardinals in Winter and Greetings of the Season. Because the tissue paper on which you actually do the stamping is so thin, you can reverse the images before you melt them into the candle wax. I found the trick to making the images lie flat is to hold the waxed paper really tight against the candle and not to hold the heat on any longer than is necessary. Once the wax has melted enough to show an even shine on the waxed paper -- stop!



I thought it would be nice to show you how the arrangement looks when the candles are lit.



Be sure you check out all four projects for today:

Pam

Debbie M

Lois (that's me)

Linda

This is the end of my participation in the 12 Days of Christmas blog hop. Thanks for stopping by and looking at my projects. I hope you enjoy the rest of the hop. And hopefully you have gotten some great ideas for your Christmas projects.

Matting a Spellbinders Labels Die

I’ve been asked on several occasions how I make a narrow mat behind a Spellbinders die when the difference in sizes in the set are really much too wide for attractiveness. Some of the Spellbinders Labels sets do have “small” versions, Labels One and Labels Four, for example. But most of the Labels dies do not. So I have written this tutorial hopefully to make it easier for you do accomplish the look you want.



First of all, stamp your image, color it as usual and cut it out with your die. For my sample, I am using Labels Twenty-One – which has five dies. I am using the two largest dies in the set. I like the look of the white “border” around the edge of the diecut, so I sponged in the sky before removing the die.







I have found that the easiest way to make that narrow mat is to use the same die that I used to cut the focal image or background. Turn it over (blade side UP) and, using a pencil, draw around the outside of the die.





You can see the pencil line pretty well – even on dark cardstock. The cardstock I used for this card is Mark’s Finest Papers’ Dark Night Navy. But, as you can see, the pencil lines are still quite visible.



Then cut it out with your scissors. I usually turn the mat over so that there is no chance of seeing any of the pencil lines.



My card will have two different-sized layers, so I cut out a piece of designer paper with the largest die in the set – and then repeated the process of drawing around the die and cutting it out with scissors.





Here again is my finished card. You can see the difference in sizes of the two die cuts, but the narrow mat sets them both off nicely. I hope my tutorial was helpful.



Thanks for stopping by my blog today.

Stamps: Mark's Finest Papers - Country Christmas
Paper: MFP Dark Night Navy, Snow Storm Smooth; DP from a stack of holiday paper I bought several years ago
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Tim Holtz Distressed Tumbled Glass, Chipped Sapphire
Accessories: Spellbinders Labels Twenty-One, Eclipse Masking Tape, Sponge Applicator

MFP Twelve Days of Christmas - Day 5

I hope you've been getting a lot of inspiration from all the the wonderful projects our design team members have presented so far. Speedy the Cat has been hanging out at the MFP Blog, where the action starts each day. Today's projects are acetate boxes.

I used the tutorial in the Resources section of Splitcoaststampers for my first box. The cute little snowman is from MFP Snowman Country.



My second box is somewhat larger than the first, and I confess I don't remember where I saw the directions for this one. I was making it from memory. The top and bottom pieces are empty ribbon spools, covered in designer paper. The wreath is from a new MFP set called Holly Greetings.



Be sure to check out all four blogs in today's hop.

Day 5 Acetate Box Oct 21
Lois (that's me)
Joanne
Patty
MariLynn

MFP Twelve Days of Christmas - Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of the MFP 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop, which starts on MFP Blog. Today's projects are coasters. I have done several sets of coasters for Christmas gifts this year and am sharing one of the sets with you today. I used images from several MFP sets for my coasters. The background on each one is from Musical Holiday. The other sets used were Bells on Bobtail, Greetings of the Season, and Cardinals in Winter.



The set of coasters I bought at Michaels come in a nice stand, as you can see in this photo below.



If you haven't already, be sure to visit the other three DT members' blogs for their projects. I have to say that I was blown away with all of them. Here are the links for today's participants:

Day 2 Coasters Oct 18
Patty
Lois (that's me)
Geri
Connie

MFP Twelve Days of Christmas - Day 1

Speedy the Cat at Mark's Finest Papers likes to get a head start on special Christmas gifts and memories for friends and family. He gathered the design team at Mark's Finest Papers to bring you 12 days of exciting paper crafting gift ideas to get that holiday mojo flowing. The hop runs for 12 consecutive days, starting today! Start off on the MFP Blog and relax with a cup of eggnog (or sprig of catnip, your choice) as Speedy leads you though a short, daily hop. You'll find your holiday paper crafting ideas and supplies at Mark's Finest Papers.

Today's ideas are Bind-It-All projects, mine being a small 4" x 4" photo album. I covered the front and back pieces with Christmas paper and added two strips of gold sticker lines to create a frame -- and then bound the album together. After stamping the small cardinal from MFP Cardinals in Winter onto some Snow Storm Smooth cardstock, I cut it out using a Spellbinders Heirloom Ornament die and sponging around the edges with Tim Holtz Distressed Barn Red. I added a few gold pearls and attached the ornament to the cover.



If you haven't already checked out the other projects for today, here are the links for the participating DT members:

Day 1 Bind-It-All Oct 17
Lois
Markie
Patty
Faith


We hope you enjoy our "12 Days of Christmas" in October. We'll be sharing lots of fun and creative projects with you over the next twelve days and hope you'll be able to incorporate some of them into your holiday planning.

MFP Blog Hop - Ginger Cookies

Hello! Welcome to the October 2011 MFP New Releases Blog Hop!

This month's new releases are: Holly Greetings, Christmas in the Country, Snowball?, Country Thanksgiving, Cardinals in Winter, and Ginger Cookies. For your convenience, all these sets are available TODAY at Mark's Finest Papers. Again, I'm not an official participant in the blog hop, but I'm so glad you stopped by.

Nothing is as much fun at Christmas time as gingerbread men. I'm sure as children we all read the story about the gingerbread man -- "Run, run as fast as you can. You can't catch me -- I'm the gingerbread man!" As with my first card this week, I used Jovial DP on my tri-shutter card, as well as some gingerbread men and women buttons.



My second project is a gift bag and matching gift card. Perhaps some fortunate person will receive some ginger cookies at Christmas, packaged in the bag.



So, do you want to WIN today's Featured Stamp Set: Ginger Cookies? (If you don't want to wait to win, you can always purchase the sets right away! We'll substitute a set from NEXT month's release if today's winner has already purchased this set!)

For your chance to win: Comment on the following Design Team members' blogs TODAY before midnight EDT. There will be ONE random winner chosen from the comments on today's Blog Hop blogs. That winner will win Ginger Cookies. We will announce the winner's name on tomorrow's MFP blog post.

Emily
Nancyruth
Neva
Faith
Dawn
Marilynn
Patricia
Chrissy
Karen
Pam
Joanne
Markie
Carol
Mark’s Finest Papers

I hope you have enjoyed yourself this week. We were so happy to show you our new sets and perhaps inspire you.

MFP Blog Hop Day Three & StampinB Challenge

Hello! Welcome to the October 2011 MFP New Releases Blog Hop!

This month's new releases are: Holly Greetings, Christmas in the Country, Snowball?, Country Thanksgiving, Cardinals in Winter, and Ginger Cookies. For your convenience, all these sets are available TODAY at Mark's Finest Papers. I'm not an official member of the Blog Hop today, but I'm glad you stopped by to see what I've created with today's two sets.

My first two cards are not only for the MPF Blog Hop but also for the Stampin'B challenge of Birds, Birds, Birds. I used the forest scene from Cardinals in Winter for my tri-shutter card.



My second card uses the larger single cardinal as the focal point -- surrounded by a Spellbinders window diecut.



The images from Country Thanksgiving are just delightful. And the crows from Planted with Love match the crows in this new set, as you can see on the long narrow panels of my tri-shutter card. It's always nice when you can combine sets that coordinate so nicely.



My second card is relatively simple -- a blocked background and vertical focal panel.



So, do you want to WIN today's Featured Stamp Sets: Country Thanksgiving and Cardinals in Winter? (If you don't want to wait to win, you can always purchase the sets right away! We'll substitute a set from NEXT month's release if today's winner has already purchased this set!)

For your chance to win: Comment on the following Design Team members' blogs TODAY before midnight EDT. There will be ONE random winner chosen from the comments on today's Blog Hop blogs. That winner will win Country Thanksgiving and Cardinals in Winter. We will announce the winner's name on tomorrow's MFP blog post.

Emily
Nancyruth
Neva
Faith
Dawn
Marilynn
Patricia
Chrissy
Karen
Pam
Joanne
Markie
Carol
Mark’s Finest Papers

MFP Blog Hop - Christmas in the Country/Snowball?

Hello! Welcome to the October 2011 MFP New Releases Blog Hop!

This month's new releases are: Holly Greetings, Christmas in the Country, Snowball?, Country Thanksgiving, Cardinals in Winter, and Ginger Cookies. For your convenience, all these sets are available TODAY at Mark's Finest Papers.

The church in Christmas in the Country reminds me of the little mission church I attended in the Pennsylvania town I grew up in. Coloring is done with Copic and Prismacolor markers -- with sponging on the sky with Tim Holtz Distress inks. I added some Flower Soft to look like snow.



My second card is pretty simple. It's difficult to see, but I put crystal glaze inside the fenced area to make it look like an ice pond.



I love the fun images in our second set. That snowman has a twinkle in his eye -- just looking for someone at whom he can throw that snowball! I used a brand-new Spellbinders Star Circle die to coordinate with the stars on his hatband.



Don't you love the eyebrows on that penquin? Makes him look a little bit like Groucho Marx!



So, do you want to WIN today's Featured Stamp Sets: Christmas in the Country and Snowball? (If you don't want to wait to win, you can always purchase the sets right away! We'll substitute a set from NEXT month's release if today's winner has already purchased this set!)

For your chance to win: Comment on the following Design Team members' blogs TODAY before midnight EDT. There will be ONE random winner chosen from the comments on today's Blog Hop blogs. That winner will win Christmas in the Country and Snowball?. We will announce the winner's name on tomorrow's MFP blog post.

Lois (that's me)
Vicky
Dawn
Anne
Peggysue
Connie
Linda
Karen
Patty
Liz
Geri
Lynn
Debbie
Mark’s Finest Papers

MFP Blog Hop - Holly Greetings

Hello! Welcome to the October 2011 MFP New Releases Blog Hop!

This month's new releases are: Holly Greetings, Christmas in the Country, Snowball?, Country Thanksgiving, Cardinals in Winter, and Ginger Cookies. For your convenience, all these sets are available TODAY at Mark's Finest Papers.

I have decided to have a "theme" for my blog this week. I love doing fancy fold cards, so I will have a tri-shutter card made from each one of the six sets.

Basic Grey's Jovial DP is one of my favorite pads of designer paper, so I used several of the sheets on my first card. The wreath was colored with Copic markers.



My second card is more traditional, although it's a bit larger than an A2 card in order to accommodate the large ornament diecut. I stamped the owl twice, cutting out one and popping it onto the one stamped on the diecut piece.



So, do you want to WIN today's Featured Stamp Set: Holly Greetings? (If you don't want to wait to win, you can always purchase the sets right away! We'll substitute a set from NEXT month's release if today's winner has already purchased this set!)

For your chance to win: Comment on the following Design Team members' blogs TODAY before midnight EDT. There will be ONE random winner chosen from the comments on today's Blog Hop blogs. That winner will win Holly Greetings. We will announce the winner's name on tomorrow's MFP blog post.

Lois (that's me)
Vicky
Dawn
Anne
Peggysue
Connie
Linda
Karen
Patty
Liz
Geri
Lynn
Claudine
Debbie
Mark’s Finest Papers

StampinB Challenge - One-Layer Card

I was the hostess for this week's StampinBs challenge, and I asked the team to make a one-layer card -- with one proviso: it could not be a white card. I chose Desert Sand for my card.



After embossing the pumpkins at the bottom, I scored the straight lines to make a "frame." I brushed on some pearlescent chalk for coloring and stamped the sentiment in brown.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today.

Stamps: Mark's Finest Papers - Country Thanksgiving
Paper: MFP Desert Sand
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
Accessories: Sizzix Pumpkin Patch embossing folder, Pebbles pearlescent chalks, Scor-Pal