Speedy Fox and Friends - the Letter A

Speedy Fox and Friends went back to something you learned as a young child -- the alphabet!  We were to make a card using something that begins with an A.  Even though it's March, I made an Autumn card with acorns.

If you'd like a chance to win a free stamp set from Mark's Finest Papers, hop on over the the MFP Blog and  link up a card with an A on it!  If you use MFP stamps, you get two chances to win.

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Autumn Splendor
Paper:  MFP Natural Vanilla Bean, Orange Duo
Ink:  Memento Rich Cocoa
Accessories:  Copic markers, Cuttlebug James' Set embossing folder, Spellbinders Classic Square nesties, Pop dots, Ribbon

Speedy TV Inspiration Challenge - Rainbows

My inspiration challenge on Speedy TV this week has photos of rainbows -- real or otherwise.  Here is one of the photos I found on Pinterest.

My card, inspired by this photo, is a Triple Stamping card, which is always fun.

I stamped the script on a piece of vanilla cardstock and cut it out with a Mega Curved Rectangle Spellbinders die, then colored on the rainbow using Copic and Prismacolor markers.  I had tried using the original directions for the Triple Stamping card but had some difficulties.  (There are about three or four tries of this card now residing in my trash can!)  After I colored the rainbow, then I cut the two smaller pieces with two other dies from the set -- and matted them with the black, using the the directions from my tutorial. 

Hop on over to Speedy TV and check out my challenge.  There are two other rainbow photos which may inspire you.

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Love Script

Paper:  MFP Licorice Whips, Natural Vanilla Bean

Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black

Accessories:  Spellbinders Mega Curved Rectangle dies, Copic and Prismacolor markers, Ribbon

CCEE1313 Oldies but Goodies

This is Charlene's last week as hostess for the March CCEE Stampers challenges.  She asked us to pull out and use and old stamp that we haven't used in a loooooong time!  As Easter is this Sunday, I pulled out an Inkadinkadoo cross stamp that hasn't seen ink in a while.

I'm sure you have lots of stamps you haven't used in a while.  Pull out one or two of them and ink them up.  We'd love to have you play along with us.  

Speedy Fox and Friends -- Bunnies or Easter

This week Speedy Fox and Friends are giving you a choice for our challenge -- bunnies or Easter (and that could also be bunnies AND Easter).  I chose Easter only.

This card could have been used for last week's challenge, too (the one with shades of green).  I cut out three Spellbinders crosses, stacked them, and mounted them on an oval.  After embossing the background I sponged on some green to tone down the stark white, layered everything and popped on an Easter sentiment.  It went pretty quickly.

If you'd like a chance to win a free stamp set, make your bunny or Easter card and link it up at the end of the MFP blog.  If you use stamps from Mark's Finest Papers, you'll get two chances to win.

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Blessings
Paper:  MFP Snow Storm Smooth, Spring Leaf
Ink:  SU Certainly Celery
Accessories:  Spellbinders Crosses Collection; Floral Oval nestie, Standard Oval nesties, Sixxiz Brocade embossing folder, Sponge applicator, Modern Label punch, Pop dots

MFP Blog Hop Day 4 - Seed Packets

March Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are

 Featured March 19
Garden Bunny

Featured March 20
 Spring Things
 

Featured March 21
 Glad Glads
 

Featured March 22
Seed Packets

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 March 23, 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, March 22, 2013.

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

"News From The Woods"

 The mini stamp set we have for you this month is

                                                         "Corn Ears"

Here we are on the last day of this month's Blog Hop.  I hope you've enjoyed what you've seen this week.  Today I have two somewhat similar cards.  The extra mini set this month coordinates with today's set.  My first card uses just images from Seed Packets.

The seed packet stamp is actually blank on the inside, but there are several vegetable images you can use in it.  I chose the tomatoes.  Actually, the image is just one tomato.  I stamped and then masked it with a post-it and then stamped it again a little "behind" it.

My second card uses the seed packet with the image and one of the sentiments from the mini set, Corn Ears.

As you can see, the two ears of corn fit very nicely within the  seed packet image.  Don't you love that little play-on-words for the sentiment?  "You're A-maize-ing."

Be sure to check out all the cards in today's Blog Hop and comment on as many as you can.  Remember the more you comment, the more chances you have to win a free set of stamps.

Patty, Lois  (that's me), Vicky (go here next),  Jane,  Debbie,  Pam, Pat,  Thrifty Stamper, 

MariLynn,  Karen,  Bonnie,  Kathy,  Angela,  Cathy,  Toni,  Sue W,  Janine, An'jenic,  Kate,  Shirley,  Marks Finest Papers, a Heinrich Co 

Card 1
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Seed Packets
Paper:  MFP Premium Heavy White, Snow Storm Smooth, Spring Leaf; Cosmo Cricket Material Girl DP
Ink:  Memento Bamboo Leaves, Rhubarb Stalk, Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  Copic markers, Key Tag punch, Post-It Note (for mask), White gel pen

Card 2
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Seed Packets, Corn Ears Mini
Paper:  MFP Premium Heavy White, Snow Storm Smooth, Spring Leaf; unknown star DP
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  Copic marker, Ribbon

MFP Blog Hop Day 3 & CCEE1312 - Glad Glads

March Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are

 Featured March 19
Garden Bunny

Featured March 20
 Spring Things
 

Featured March 21
 Glad Glads
 

Featured March 22
Seed Packets

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 March 23, 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, March 22, 2013.

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

"News From The Woods"

 The mini stamp set we have for you this month is

                                                         "Corn Ears"

 My first card today is for both the MFP Blog Hop and the CCEE Stampers Blog challenge, which this week is a color challenge.  I've often seen several different-colored gladiolus stalks in tall vases, and they make such a pretty bouquet.  The CCEE colors are Pink Pirouette, Rose Red, River Rock, Soft Suede, and Very Vanilla.  I chose cardstock and markers as close to those colors as I could.  They're probably not exact, but I think they'll pass in a pinch.

My second card was inspired by one of the photos from today's Speedy TV Inspiration Challenge.  Here is the photo, four garden planters with a very distinctive pattern on them.

Here is my card based on these planters.

(Added for clarification)  Someone commented that I had found the perfect paper to go with inspiration piece.  Actually, those "chevrons" are all squares of white, green, blue, and yellow, which I layered and then cut into the correct size.  I'm nothing if not a glutton for punishment!!!

Be sure to check out all the cards in today's Blog Hop and comment on as many as you can.  Remember the more you comment, the more chances you have to win a free set of stamps.

Patty, Lois  (that's me), Vicky (go here next),  Jane,  Debbie,  Pam, Pat,  Thrifty Stamper, 

MariLynn,  Karen,  Bonnie,  Kathy,  Angela,  Cathy,  Toni,  Sue W,  Janine,  An'jenic,  Kate,  Shirley,  Marks Finest Papers, a Heinrich Co 

Card 1
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers Glad Glads
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers Hazelnut Tan, Fresh Cream
Accessories:  Copic markers, Paper piercing tool, Eclipse tape (for masking)

Card 2
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers Glad Glads
Ink:  Memento Bamboo Leaves
Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers Fresh Cream, Hazelnut Tan, Special Mint, Snow Storm Smooth, Lemon Slice, Blue Skies
Accessories:  Square Nestabilities, Pop dots

MFP Blog Hop Day 2 - Spring Things

March Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are

 Featured March 19
Garden Bunny

Featured March 20
 Spring Things
 

Featured March 21
 Glad Glads
 

Featured March 22
Seed Packets

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 March 23, 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, March 22, 2013.

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

"News From The Woods"

 The mini stamp set we have for you this month is

                                                         "Corn Ears"

I picked up a copy of the magazine Just Cards 3-D last week and found some really interesting fun fold cards.  One of them was a full step-card.  I had made both side-step and center-step cards before, but the card I made using today's set was the first full-step card I've made.

   

This set contains some very cute images -- one of my favorites is that caterpillar crawling through the grass down in the right-hand corner.  I used a Fiskars grass border punch on each step of my card and cut out the bunny, tulips and butterfly for my little scene.  The bunny has Flower Soft on his tail and some 3-D glossy lacquer on his eye.  The butterfly's body is also covered with 3-D glossy lacquer.

My second card is also based on a card I saw in Just Cards 3-D -- although I'm not sure what the name of the technique is.  It was included in the Expandables Section.  Looking at the front, which includes the tulips from Spring Things, you get no clue as to the "difference" of this card.

But, as you can see, it opens uniquely.  The brads in the corners act as hinges, and the card opens to each side to reveal the message inside. 

By the way, the sentiment on the inside is from another set being released this month, Glad Glads.

Be sure to check out all the cards in today's Blog Hop and comment on as many as you can.  Remember the more you comment, the more chances you have to win a free set of stamps.

Patty, Lois  (that's me), Vicky (go here next),  Jane,  Debbie,  Pam, Pat,  Thrifty Stamper, 

MariLynn,  Karen,  Bonnie,  Kathy,  Angela,  Cathy,  Toni,  Sue,  Janine,   An'jenic,  Kate,  
Shirley,  Marks Finest Papers, a Heinrich Co 

Card 1
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Spring Things
Paper:  MFP Spring Leaf, Groovin' Grape, Snow Storm Smooth
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Tim Holtz Distress Tumbled Glass
Accessories:  Copic markers, Fiskars grass border punch, Scallop Circle punch for cloud template, Flower Soft, 3-D Glossy Lacquer, Sponge dauber

Card 2
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Spring Things, Glad Glads (sentiment)
Paper:  MFP Ripened Tomato, Snow Storm Smooth; Cosmo Cricket Material Girl
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Rhubarb Stalk
Accessories:  Copic markers, Ticket Corner punch, Brads

MFP Blog Hop Day One - Garden Bunny

March Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are

 Featured March 19
Garden Bunny

Featured March 20
 Spring Things
 

Featured March 21
 Glad Glads
 

Featured March 22
Seed Packets

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 March 23, 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, March 22, 2013.

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

"News From The Woods"

 The mini stamp set we have for you this month is

                                                         "Corn Ears"

Several of my cards for this month's blog hop were made using directions from some of the cards I found in a new issue of Just Cards 3D.  My first card today is one of them -- an accordion-fold card.  It folds up to a 4 1/4" x 4" card.  I adjusted the directions from the card in the magazine.  That one measured 3" x 5 1/4" when folded up.

 

I started with a 4 1/4" x 11" piece of cardstock for the base and scored it at 1 3/4", 3", 5", and 7".

The extra set for this month is called News from the Woods.  I made a very simple card using this set for you to see today.

There are actually three different "critters" you can choose from (the owl, a bear, and a cute little raccoon) -- all of which will peek out of that center birch tree.

Be sure to check out all the cards in today's Blog Hop and comment on as many as you can.  Remember the more you comment, the more chances you have to win a free set of stamps.

Patty, Lois  (that's me), Vicky (go here next),  Jane,  Debbie,  Pam, Pat,  Thrifty Stamper, 

MariLynn,  Karen,  Bonnie,  Kathy,  Angela,  Cathy,  Toni,  Sue,  Janine,  An'jenic,  Kate, 
Shirley,  Marks Finest Papers, a Heinrich Co 

Card 1
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Garden Bunny
Paper:  MFP Lily Pad, Natural Vanilla Bean; DCWV The Natural Matstack DP
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Rich Cocoa
Accessories:  Copic markers

Card 2
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - News from the Woods
Paper:  MFP Hurricane Gray, Licorice Whips, Snow Storm Smooth
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  Copic markers, Die-Namics Word Bubble die, Die-Namics Clouds Trio die

Speedy Fox & Friends -- Shades of Green

The Speedy Fox and Friends challenge this week on the Mark's Finest Papers blog is to use shades of green.  Even though tomorrow is St. Patty's Day, I resisted the urge to make a card with a shamrock on it.  Instead I made a sneak peek at two new sets to be released next week.  The bunny, pepper, radishes and sentiment are images from Garden Bunny; and the seed packet, peas, and cabbage are from a set called, appropriately enough, Seed Packets.

My side-step card was reversed from the way I normally make them because of the way the bunny is faced. The fence is a Martha Stewart border punch.  If you'd like a chance to win a free stamp set, make a card in shades of green and link it up at the bottom of the MFP Blog.  If you use stamps from Mark's Finest Papers, you'll have two chances to win.

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Garden Bunny, Seed Packets
Paper:  MFP Spring Leaf, Late Afternoon Sun, Snow Storm Smooth
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Bamboo Leaves
Accessories:  Copic markers, MS fence border punch

CCEE1311 - Pencils Only

I'm late posting my CCEE card for this week.  Sorry -- it's been one of those weeks.  Today's challenge was to use pencils.  I haven't used my Prismacolor pencils in quite a while, and I was glad for the little nudge.  My card today is a sneak peek at a new set from Mark's Finest Papers called Glad Glads, which will be released next week.

We'd love for you to play along with us.  Dust off those pencils and get coloring.

Speedy Fox and Friends - Shaped Card

The Speedy Fox and Friends team is going outside the norm this week.  Our cards were to be anything other than a square or a rectangle.  My card, as you can see, is octagonal.

My images are from the set Hum Along from Mark's Finest Papers.

If you'd like to play along with us for a chance to win a free stamp set, make a non-traditional shaped card and link it up at the bottom of the MFP Blog.  If you use stamps from Mark's Finest Papers, you have two chances to win.

Speedy TV Inspiration Challenge

Today marks the beginning of a new venture for me.  I am hosting the Inspiration Challenge over on Speedy TV.   Each Thursday I will post three somewhat-related photos I have found on Pinterest along with a card inspired by each photo.    All you have to do is make a card inspired by one of the Pinterest photos and link it up to the column.  Each week we will choose one card at random, and the winner will receive a previously-chosen stamp set from Mark's Finest Papers.  The free set for the month of March is the mini-set Adirondack Summer.

As a teaser, here is one of the photos I chose this week.  It is a photo of Central Park, New York.

I used the tree theme and the colors for my card:

We would love to have you join in on the fun over at Speedy TV.

CCEE Stampers - The Eyes Have It

A new month and a new CCEE Stampers Blog hostess.  Charlene is our hostess for March, and her first challenge was to use eyelets on our cards.  I confess I don't often use them, so I was glad for the reminder.

After embossing the vanilla cardstock with the Retro Circles embossing folder, I sponged on some tea dye ink to tone the starkness down a bit.  I used three large eyelets across the bottom.  The inside of the card says "Happy Belated Birthday."  I've already sent out this card to Vicky Gould, whose birthday completely slipped my mind.  Hope you had a happy one, my friend!

If you'd like to play along with the CCEE Stampers, make a card using some eyelets and link it up at the bottom of the blog post.

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers Train Talk
Paper:  MFP Deepest Mahogany, Natural Vanilla Bean
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Tim Holtz Distress Tea Dye
Accessories:  Copic markers, Sizzix Retro Circles embossing folder, Large eyelets, Sponge applicator

Speedy Fox and Friends - Joy Fold Card

Today's Speedy Fox and Friends challenge was to make a Joy Fold Card.  I used a couple of images from MFP Love Script to make my card.

I stamped the script image directly onto a piece of Prima designer paper for the left-hand side of the card.  The white panel is embossed with a border embossing folder.

More designer paper on the inside, along with the anniversary sentiment.

We'd love for you to play along with us.  Link your card at the bottom of the MFP Blog post, and you could win a set of stamps from Mark's Finest Papers.