MFP Blog Hop Day 1 - Lotus Blossoms

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"
                                                      

I decided to get ambitious during this month's Blog Hop and include a project with a tutorial each day.  My first project is a cute little paperweight, featuring today's set Lotus Blossom.  It's made with a tea light candle/glass holder which I purchased at Michaels for $1.   You can find the tutorial one post down.

I recently attended a stamp show in Orlando, FL and picked up a pack of 10 scored cards to make reverse explosion cards at The Paper Cut booth.    My first card today uses one of those scored card bases.  When closed up, it makes a 5" x 5" card.

Here it is opened all the way.

My second card for today is almost CAS.  After stamping the images, I sponged around them with TH distress ink just enough to tone down the white.  I added the Oriental coin with a glue dot and stamped a few dragonflies in the air.

The dragonflies on my previous card are from this month's mini set, which contains lots of dragonflies in several different sizes, along with two sentiments.  I made this round easel card to show off several of the dragonflies.  I added some Stickles to the wings.

The rest of the team has worked hard to give you some inspiration this month.  Make sure you check out their creations.  Remember, the more you comment, the more chances you have to win a free stamp set.

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.