MFP Blog Hop Day 1 - Marsh Birds

May Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are

 Featured May 14th - Marsh Birds

Featured May 15th - In Tents

Featured May 16th - Space Fun

Featured May 17th - Now Showing

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 May 18, 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. May 17, 2013.

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

"Marsh Silhouettes"

 The mini stamp set we have for you this month is

"Lily of the Valley"
                                                      

I'm starting off this month's Blog Hop with a CAS card -- just one layer.  MFP's Premium Heavy White cardstock is 140-pound stock and makes a great one-layer card.  I embossed a border around the edge, just stamped the bird (which may be an ibis, I'm not sure) and greeting -- and I was done.

I got the inspiration for my second card while I was taking my morning walk.  The townhouse development in which I have lived for 28 years is located on Lake Triplet, one of a series of three lakes connected by canals.  We have a multitude of birds congregating in and around the lakes.  One bird in particular, a huge blue heron, often perches on our boat dock.  As I was walking around the lake the other day, I thought how lucky I was to be able to enjoy this scene every day.  When I got home, I was going to take a photo of the lake to use on my card.  Then I decided it was easier to Google "Lake Triplet" and find one.  So that is what I did.  Here is our lake:

I wanted to share a funny story about something that often happens on my walks.  Part of the walk goes through a park on the other side of the lake, and it happened again this morning.  As I was walking past the ball field, I heard the distinctive sound of a woodpecker.  I'm assuming that it's the same woodpecker each time because he does exactly the same thing every time.  I watched as he climbed up the "telephone pole" that holds the floodlights for the ball field.  He did not "peck" during his trip up the wooden pole.  But, when he got to the top, he climbed up onto the floodlight and THEN started to peck.  I'm not sure what he thought he was going to get out of that metal casing on the light.  Maybe he just liked the sound.  Could be that he's a Jamaican woodpecker, and it sounds like a steel drum!

The extra set this month is called Marsh Silhouettes, which coordinates very nicely with today's set.  Here is a card I made using that set.

I invite you to check out the cards made by the rest of the design team and comment, comment, comment.  Remember, the more you comment, the more chances you have to win a free stamp set.

Patty P.

Lois

Vicky

Jane C 

Debbie 

Pam 

Pat G 

Thrifty Stamper 

MariLynn 

Karen K 

Bonnie 

Kathy B 

Angela B 

Cathy C 

Toni 

Sue W 

Janine B 

An'jenic 

Kate Z 
Shirley Q 

Marks Finest Papers, a Heinrich Co 

Card 1
Stamps - Mark's Finest Papers Marsh Birds
Paper - MFP Premium Heavy White
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories - Tulip Border embossing folder

Card 2
Stamps - Mark's Finest Papers Marsh Birds, Gullible
Paper - MFP Premium Heavy White, Licorice Whips, Snow Storm Smooth
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories - Copic markers, photo from the internet

Card 3
Stamps - Mark's Finest Papers Marsh Silhouettes
Paper - MFP Licorice Whips, Snow Storm Smooth, Watercolor paper; DCWV patterned paper
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black; Tim Holtz Distress Broken China, Chipped Sapphire
Accessories - Circle nesties, Polka Dot embossing folder, Pearls, Pop dots