CCEE2031 Happy Birthday, Harry Potter

I'm winding up my month as hostess for the CCEE Stampers with a challenge close to my heart.  As you are most probably aware, I am a big Harry Potter fan.  Tomorrow (7/31) is his birthday.  I asked the team to create a card to celebrate this event -- something magical or just a birthday card.

Actually, I don't have a card for this challenge.  I recently watched a wonderful video on how to color these Paper Nest Dolls stamps with Copic markers.  Tina Day Goodwin is a marvelous colorist, and I got several tips from her video, including how to make those folds in their robes.  On the video she made two bookmarks, so I also made two bookmarks.

Stop over at the CCEE Stampers blog to see how the rest of the team wished Harry a happy birthday!

CCEE2003 - Book Publishers Day

This week Lynn asked the CCEE Stampers to create a card which features characters, a theme, or a quote from one of our favorite books!  Bonus points if it is on the current best sellers list.  My favorite series of books is not on the current best sellers list (no bonus points for me), but I LOVE the Lord of the Rings trilogy (along with The Hobbit), having read them several times.

Last year I bought a Divinity Designs (Our Daily Bread Designs) diorama die at a stamp show.  It took me from June until December to use it, but I've used it more than once since then.  This was the first card I made with it.  You can see Gandalph, Frodo, and the other hobbits inside my diorama.

My friend knows I love Lord of the Rings and gave me a new book for Christmas.  So, as a bonus, I decided to make a bookmark to use while I'm reading this book.  It looks pretty interesting!

Check out the reading list of the rest of the team over on the CCEE Stampers blog.

Out of this World Book Marks

I am an avid reader and have been all my life.  I prefer fiction over non-fiction, and my favorite genres are fantasy (such as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones) and mystery (anything by Lee Child, David Baldacci, or Louise Penny).   So you'll find my "anything but a card" Kindred Stamps project for this week as no surprise -- bookmarks, using three images from Galactic Adventures (one of my favorite KS sets).

These are so easy to create -- a bit of patterned paper (these are from The Paper Studio's Stargazer pad) and some scraps of white on which to stamp the images.  After coloring them with Copic markers and cutting them out, I glued them down to the bookmarks and ran them through my Xyron sticker maker in which I had placed a double-sided laminating cartridge.  I cut the lamination material off close to the bookmarks and added the tassels and brads at the top.  By the way, if you have trouble finding tassels in the craft department, try the fabric department.  That's where I found these in Hobby Lobby!

CCEE1531 Happy Birthday, Harry Potter

Harry Potter's birthday is July 31, and Lynn asked the CCEE Stampers to create a card of some kind that honors "the boy who lived."  I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan.  I've read the books several times and seen the movies numerous times as well.  I did not, however, make a card -- I made a bookmark, using the cover of Book 7 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for my image.

I couldn't resist sharing some photos of a recent trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Orlando.

This is the Hogwarts Express pulling into the station.

This is me getting ready to walk through the wall at Platform 9 3/4.  It is so cool to see someone disappear "through the wall" like that.

This is my son and grandson in one of the train cars that take you from Diagon Alley to Hogsmead and back.  Scenes play in the windows so it looks like you're really traveling from London to Hogwarts in Scotland.

I had to take a photo of the dragon blowing off some steam (and fire) atop Gringott's Bank.

This is my grandson William, my son Doug, his wife Alex, and my daughter Kathi inside Gringott's. The goblin tellers will talk to you.  We had a great time!


Check out the CCEE Stampers Blog to see how the rest of the team is honoring Harry today. By the way, it's also the birthday of J. K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books.

MFP Blog Hop Day 1 - Foo Dogs

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

I'm not an official part of the blog hop today, but I'm glad you stopped by to see what I have created with today's set, Foo Dogs.  I did not make a card, but rather two bookmarks.  I thought the two guardian lions were the perfect shape for a bookmark.  I used my Xyron machine to laminate the bookmarks.

Make sure you check out the creations made by the rest of the Design Team.

Here's the Design Team:

 Jane C

 Thrfity Stamper

Marilynn

 Bonnie 

Cathy C  

Sue W

An'Jenic

  Amy

Marks Finest Papers, a Heinrich Co.

Come back tomorrow for more creativity.

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Foo Dogs

Paper:  Mark's FInest Papers - Deep Scarlet, Snow Storm Smooth

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black

Accessories:  Copic markers, Embroidery Thread, Xyron laminating system

Speedy Fox and Friends - Bookmark

Speedy Fox and Friends are making bookmarks this week.  I love to read, so I am always in need of a bookmark -- although, now that I am reading from my Kindle, not so much!

After I made the bookmark, I ran it through my Xyron machine with the laminating cartridge inserted.  

We'd love for you to play along with us.  Make a bookmark and link it up at the end of the MFP Blog.  You might just win a free stamp set!  If you use an MFP stamp, you get two chances.

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Spring Things, Scenic Selections
Paper:  MFP Ripened Tomato, Snow Storm Smooth
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Bamboo Leaves
Accessories:  Copic markers, Corner rounder, Hole punch, Bookmark tassel, Xyron and laminating cartridge