Speedy TV Tutorial Time -- Never-Ending Card

This week's Tutorial Time challenge on Speedy TV is the Never-Ending Card, a technique I learned a couple of years ago.  It is much like a puzzle -- you keep turning it and get a different look each time.   In Pat's tutorial, she said that you should pick a theme for your card.  My theme is a Birthday Butterfly Garden. I looked through all of my MFP,aHC stamps and picked out about ten different flower and/or butterfly sets for my images.

The front looks much like a gatefold card; but, when you open it -- look what you get.

Now, you open it horizontally rather than vertically, and this is what it looks like.  It's even a different shape.

It's now a variation of a gatefold card because you open it from the center and get this.

Open it again, and you're back at the beginning.

And, BTW, it looks a lot more complicated to make than it really is.  Why don't you try one, here's the tutorial.

CCEE1409 - Happy Birthday, Vicky!

February's hostess for the CCEE Stampers challenge blog is Vicky Gould -- and today is her birthday!!!  She told us that one of her favorite things is CHOCOLATE.  So that was our challenge:  put some chocolate on our cards.  I thought I would make a birthday card for her -- in fact, I have mailed this card to her for her birthday!

My card includes not only a chocolate cake, but the cardstock is called Flecked Chocolate Cake.

If you'd like to celebrate Vicky's birthday with her, pop on over to the CCEE Stampers blog and 1) check out the other cards and 2) make a card with some chocolate and link it up at the end of the post.

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Celebrate

Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers - Flecked Chocolate Cake, Snow Storm Smooth; SU Pink Passion

Ink:  Memento Rich Cocoa

Accessories:  Copic markers, Labels Four, Foam pop dots

Speedy TV Tutorial Time -- Distressed Letterpress

The challenge on Speedy TV's Tutorial Time this week is Distressed Letterpress.  I used an embossing folder that I had borrowed from my sister to make my card for today's challenge.  I've inked up an embossing folder before running it through my Big Shot -- but never with two different inks.  It makes an interesting background.

We'd love for you to try this technique and link your card up on Speedy TV for a chance to win a free stamp set.

CCEE1408 - Delft Tile

Vicky Gould continues as this month's hostess for the CCEE Stampers Blog.  Her challenge today was to make a Delft Tile, and she provided a link to the tutorial on Splitcoaststampers.  I'm not sure if I ever used this tutorial before, but I enjoyed making my card.  As blue is the usual color for Delft pottery, I made a monochromatic blue card.   I thought this would make a nice masculine card, so I just tied a knot with my ribbon rather than a bow.

If you'd like to try your hand at this technique, we'd love for you to join in on this week's challenge over at the CCEE Stampers blog.

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Lighthouses, Marsh Silhouettes, Scenic Selections
Ink:  Memento Danube Blue
Paper:  SU Brilliant Blue, MFP Snow Storm Smooth
Accessories:  Scoring board, Ribbon, Sponge

MFP Blog Hop Day 6 - Lucky Duck

Welcome to the Marks Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company

February Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are

 Featured Feb. 9

Foo Dogs

Featured Feb. 10

Birds of the Orient

 Featured Feb. 11

Birdcages

Featured Feb. 12

Medallion

Featured Feb. 13

Fairies

Featured Feb. 14

Lucky Duck

Please hop along with us! You have a chance to win one of the above stamp sets! Just comment on the participating blogs (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 six winners will be announced on 

Feb. 15, 2014, 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 10 PM EST on Friday, Feb. 14, 2014.

The mini set this month is Lucky Duck, and that's the set being featured today.  When I started making my card for today, I used the materials on my desk -- the purple base and white mat layer.  I had cut them out for something else and wound up not using them.  So, while you might not think about purple when ducks are involved, I'm pretty happy with the way this card turned out.

I again used the Square Flip-Its Framelits for my second card today, along with a couple of orange scraps of DP.

I'm not sure how I would use this card, but into my stash it goes!

Be sure to check out the rest of the hop today -- the last day.  If you want to go back and make some more comments to increase your chances of winning a free set, please feel free.  I'm sure all the designers will welcome you back.  I hope you got some inspiration looking at our creations this week.  We had fun presenting them for you.

Here's the Design Team:

Lois

Kelli Jo

Pat G

Karen 

Toni

Janine

Shirley Q

Gail

Vickie

Marks Finest Papers, a Heinrich Co.

Card #1
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Lucky Duck

Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers - Groovin' Grape, Snow Storm Smooth; scrap of purple plaid DP

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Grape Jelly

Accessories:  Copic markers, Gold pearls, Foam pop dots

Card #2
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Lucky Duck
Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers - Bright Pumpkin, Snow Storm Smooth; scraps of Recollections orange DP
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  Copic markers, Sizzix Flip-Its Framelits (Squares)

Speedy TV Tutorial Time -- Faux Flower Soft

This week's Tutorial Time challenge on Speedy TV is Faux Flower Soft.  I've made faux Flower Soft using a couple of pieces of styrofoam before, but the tutorial for today is to use a sponge and blender.  I have to confess that I did not make this Flower Soft.  My blender is broken, but Pat Garvin was kind enough to send me some in the mail so that I could participate in today's challenge.  Thanks, Pat!

If you'd like to try this technique, check out the tutorial and link up your card at the end of the post over on Speedy TV.  You might win a free stamp set.

MFP Blog Hop Day 5 - Fairies

CCEE Stampers Challenge - one post down

Welcome to the Marks Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company

February Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are

 Featured Feb. 9

Foo Dogs

Featured Feb. 10

Birds of the Orient

 Featured Feb. 11

Birdcages

Featured Feb. 12

Medallion

Featured Feb. 13

Fairies

Featured Feb. 14

Lucky Duck

Please hop along with us! You have a chance to win one of the above stamp sets! Just comment on the participating blogs (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 six winners will be announced on 

Feb. 15, 2014, 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 10 PM EST on Friday, Feb. 14, 2014

My best friend's birthday is in a couple of weeks, and one of the sentiments from today's set, Fairies, expresses my feelings for her.  We have been best friends for around 35 years, and we now share this addictive hobby of stamping.  I am giving her this card for her birthday.  I've put a birthday greeting on the inside.  The smaller mushrooms are images from this set; I made the larger mushrooms, using both circle and oval Nestabilities, some patterned paper, a pair of scissors, a marker, and a little imagination.

Here is the inside of my card in which I used one of the silhouetted fairies.  The sentiment is from the MFP Birthday mini set.

I used the Square Flip-Its Framelits dies today, as well as some pretty paper from Prima.  I stamped and cut out the mushrooms, then colored them with Copics.  Then I stamped the fairy silhouette on the DP as well as on the mushrooms, and lined up the cut-out mushrooms over the DP.  This way there's no break in the ink as probably would have happened had I just glued on the mushrooms and then stamped the fairy.

On the inside I stamped the other silhouette  and then added the birthday sentiment (from MFP Glad Glads) and the flourish.

Be sure to check out the "fairy" nice creations made by the rest of the design team.  Remember to comment often so that you'll be in the running for a free stamp set.

Here's the Design Team:

Lois (that's me)

Kelli Jo

Pat G

Karen 

Toni

Janine

Shirley Q

Gail

Vickie

Marks Finest Papers, a Heinrich Co.

Come back tomorrow for more creativity.

Card #1
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Fairies, Birthday mini

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, TH Distress Tumbled Glass

Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers - Groovin' Grape, Spring Leaf, Snow Storm Smooth, Desert Sand; My Mind's Eye Dolled Up patterned paper

Accessories:  Copic markers, Spica glitter gel pen, Memento Rich Cocoa marker, Oval and Circle Nestabilities, Die-Namics Cloud Trio die, Fiskars Grass punch, Foam pop dots

Card #2
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Fairies, Glad Glads
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers - Strawberry Freeze, Snow Storm Smooth; Prima Sweet Fairy DP
Accessories:  Copic markers, Sizzix Flip-Its Framelits (Squares), Sizzix Flourish die, Modern Label punch