Tutorial Time Challenge - Pillow Top Technique

Today it was my turn to do the tutorial on the Speedy TV Tutorial Time challenge.  This is one of my favorite techniques -- Pillow Top.  I actually had a tutorial for this technique on my blog back in July of 2013.   But it also appears in the Tutorial Section of Speedy TV.  I've used this technique many times.  Here's my card for today, using one of my favorite colors and flower images.

A few weeks ago I made a similar card to this one -- but it has a few more frills on it -- sort of More is More!

I hope you'll give this technique a try -- and link your card up on Speedy TV.  You might win a free stamp set.


Card #1
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Camellia, Friends
Paper:  SU Really Rust, Mark's Finest Papers Snow Storm Smooth
Ink:  Memento Potters Clay, Ranger Distress Wild Honey
Accessories:  Copic markers, Acetate sheet, Brads

CCEE1422 - Number It!

Frances is ending her month as hostess of the CCEE Stampers Blog with an interesting challenge -- Number It!  We were to include a number somewhere on our card.  I took the opportunity to make an anniversary card for good friends of mine who are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year.  I used a fun fold technique called a Building Block Card to create my card.

We'd love for you to play along with us.  Just link up your card at the CCEE Stampers blog.  If you upload your card to another site, such as Splitcoaststampers, be sure to add the keyword CCEE1422.

Speedy TV Tutorial Time Challenge - Masked Borders

Today's Tutorial Time challenge on Speedy TV shows how you can get some depth on a one- or two-layer card.  It's called Masked Borders, and here's a link to Barbie Dobson's tutorial.   My card is a relatively clean-and-simple Christmas card.

After doing all my stamping and coloring, I stippled some green ink on the bottom section to get some more texture.  If you've never done this technique, we'd love for you to give it a try.  Be sure to link up your card at the end of the challenge post on Speedy TV.  You might win a free stamp set.

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - New Pines, Joyous Season
Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers - Super Green, Snow Storm Smooth
Ink:  Memento Cottage Ivy, Rich Cocoa
Accessories:  Copic markers, Brads, Stipple brush, EK Tools Journaling pen, Post-It notes for masking

CCEE1421 - Clear Creations

Today's CCEE Stampers challenge is to make a project using acetate.  There are a great many ways to incorporate acetate on your projects.  The one I chose was to make a window in a Halloween bag.  I stuck a cupcake in my bag and made a matching card.

If you'd like to join in on the fun, pull out your acetate and find a project to make.  We'd love to see what you did, so link your project up at the end of the post on the CCEE Stampers Blog.

MFP Blog Hop Day 4 - Bearded Iris

Welcome to the Marks Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company

May Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are

 Featured  May 13 -Kiss Me & Plywood

Featured May 14 - Oriental Joy

 Featured May 15 - Tiger Lily & Tree Frogs

Featured May16 - Bearded Iris

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 

May 17, 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, May 16, 2014.

Here it is -- Friday already, the last day of this month's Blog Hop.  Again I'm not an official part of the hop, but I'm glad you stopped by to see my cards today.  The SWAT challenge that I chose for today is challenge #46, but I rotated the layout.

In addition to rotating the layout, I also elongated the focal panel to accommodate my iris.  The twist was to use nature's colors.  If I'm making a card of a natural-growing plant, does that make my colors "nature's"?  I hope so!

For my second card I used a Sizzix Movers & Shapers die to cut my card base.  I strategically stamped the butterflies on the inside so that they show through the three circles, which are backed by a small acetate sheet.  The color of my iris is more purple IRL.

Here's the inside.

Here's the Design Team:

 Jane C

Pat 

Thrfity Stamper

Marilynn 

Bonnie 

Sue W

An'Jenic

  Pam M

Marks Finest Papers, a Heinrich Co.

I hope you've gotten lots of inspiration from all the design team members this week.  We sure had fun showing off this month's sets.

Card #1
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Bearded Iris
Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers - Premium Heavy White, Momma's Favorite Purple
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Elderberry
Accessories:  Copic markers, Square Lattice embossing folder, Ribbon

Card #2
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Bearded Iris, Scenic Selections
Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers - Premium Heavy White
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Bamboo Leaves
Accessories:  Sizzix Movers & Shapers die, Copic markers, Bakers Twine

Speedy TV Tutorial Time - Old Jewelry or Watch Parts

This week's Tutorial Time challenge was rather fun -- use old jewelry or watch parts on your card.  My "parts" actually came from a small ceramic clock (a bit larger than a watch, but I think it will still count) my mom had made at least 25 years ago.  I still have the ceramic clock, but the "innards" stopped working a long time ago!  I used some of the cogs and gears on my card.  The sentiment is from a fun mini stamp set called Out of Time.  Inside I stamped the sentiment "Happy Belated Birthday."

If you've got some old jewelry or watch parts and don't know what to do with them, here's a link to Cheryl's tutorial.    Link your card up on the challenge post at Speedy TV, and you might win a free stamp set.

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Out of Time
Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers - Bright Pumpkin, Snow Storm Smooth; DCWV Tattered Time matstack DP
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Distress Wild Honey
Accessories:  Clock parts, Sponge applicator, Foam pop dots

Blog Hop Day 3 - Tiger Lily and Tree Frogs PLUS CCEE #1420

Welcome to the Marks Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company

May Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are

 Featured  May 13 -Kiss Me & Plywood

Featured May 14 - Oriental Joy

 Featured May 15 - Tiger Lily & Tree Frogs

Featured May16 - Bearded Iris

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 

May 17, 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, May 16, 2014.

I've got lots to show you again today.  My first card today is for both the MFP Blog Hop and the CCEE Stampers blog challenge.  Frances Byrne gave the CCEE Stampers a layout to use for today.  I used the larger of the two tiger lilies from today's set and some pretty MME patterned paper.

Check out the rest of the team over on the CCEE Stampers blog to see how they treated this layout.  But, be sure to continue on with the MFP Blog Hop too!

I'm not an official part of the blog hop today or tomorrow, but I made several cards using today's set.  I'm glad you came by to check them out.  The Sketch Challenge with a Twist layout I used for my next card is SWAT 95.  The twist was to use something you would find in a garden.  I sure wish I had something like these tiger lilies in MY garden!

This card is pretty clean and simple.  I did pop up the middle panel and added some piercing around the edges, but other than that it went together quite quickly.

The sketch for my first Tree Frogs card is SWAT 52.  The twist was to use some black on your card.  That was an easy one!

The tree frogs in this set are just too cute!

I used the same polka dot paper on both of these cards.  It just seemed to go with the frogs!

Here's the Design Team:

 Jane C

Pat 
Thrfity Stamper

Marilynn 
Bonnie 

Sue W

An'Jenic

  Pam M

Marks Finest Papers, a Heinrich Co.

Come on back tomorrow for more creativity.

Card #1
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Tiger Lily
Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers - Premium Heavy White, Green Forest, Snow Storm Smooth; MME Reunion DP
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Bamboo Leaves
Accessories:  Copic markers, Oval nesties, Circle punches, Foam pop dots, Stickles

Card #2
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Tiger Lily
Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers - Bright Orange, Black Linen, Snow Storm Smooth
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  Copic markers,  Ribbon, Paper piercing tool, Square Lattice embossing folder, Foam pop dots

Card #3
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Tree Frogs
Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers - Spring Leaf, Black Linen, Snow Storm Smooth; Recollections Green polka dot DP
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black; Ranger Distress Bundled Sage
Accessories:  Copic markers, Sponge applicator

Card #4
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Tree Frogs
Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers - Flecked Chocolate Cake, Snow Storm; Recollections Green polka dot DP
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black; Ranger Distress Tea Dye
Accessories:  Copic markers, Circle nesties, Die-Namics Cloud Trio die, Sponge applicator, Foam pop dots; EK Success border punch

MFP Blog Hop Day 2 - Oriental Joy

Welcome to the Marks Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company

May Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are

 Featured May 13 - Kiss Me & Plywood 

Featured  May 14 - Oriental Joy

 Featured May 15 - Tiger Lily & Tree Frogs

Featured May 16 - Bearded Iris

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 

May 17, 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, May 16, 2014.

Continuing with my theme of Speedy TV Sketch Challenge with a Twist layouts, my first card today uses the layout from Sketch Challenge #47.  The twist for this challenge was an outdoor theme.

I may have been pushing the envelope with this one, but butterflies and flowers do grow/exist outdoors.  In addition, I rotated the layout and used a circle rather than a square for my focal image.

I used another Karen Burniston Pop It Ups accordion die for my second card.  This time it is the Circle set.  I had a DCWV Far East patterned paper pad, which has some very pretty oriental papers.  I cut the frame using a coordinating die set and added some pearls at the corners.  The birthday sentiment on the front is from another MFP oriental set, Branch of Blossoms.

This is the card opened so you can see all three panels.

Here's the Design Team:

Lois (that's me)

Kelli Jo

Karen 

 Kathy

Toni

Janine

Shirley Q

Vickie
Sandy

Marks Finest Papers, a Heinrich Co.

Come on back tomorrow for more creativity.

Card #1
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Oriental Joy
Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers - Premium Heavy White
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  Copic markers

Card #2
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Oriental Joy, Branch of Blossoms
Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers - Lime Squeeze, Snow Storm Smooth; DCWV Far East DP
Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories:  Elizabeth Craft Designs Accordion Circle Card and Square with Circle Frame Edges dies, Copic markers, Pearls