Karen Burniston Designer Challenge -- Accordions

I had a hard time choosing which accordion die to use for the August Designer Challenge, finally deciding on the Landscape Accordion.  After making about three other cards (using various accordion dies), this was my final choice.

The new Fence Add-on gives a whole new look to this fun accordion die.  I pulled out the Backyard Charms and cut four of the fairies from glitter paper and found a sentiment in an old stamp set to tie the entire project together.  This just proves that you should NEVER get rid of an old stamp set just because you haven't used it in a while.

The flowers in my little fairy garden are part of the Fence Add-on set. This was a fun challenge.

C4C590 Fairy Day

For the final Crazy4Challenges post this month, we were told that Thursday, June 24th was Fairy Day, so for our challenge this week, we were to create a card that includes a fairy/fairies.

I recently won a Hero Arts coverplate die of a fairy, and this is the first time I've used it.  I did a bit of ink blending for the background, mounted the die-cut over it, and stamped an appropriate sentiment.  It wasn't until I looked closer at the card that I realized that I had laid the die-cut on upside-down.  Oops!  But it was too pretty to throw away.  Hopefully, the recipient won't notice.

Check out the Crazy4Challenges blog for some more fairy magic.

CCEE1726 Fairy Day

This is Frances' last week of hosting the CCEE Stampers challenge.  For her final challenge this month she asked us to celebrate Fairy Day, which was June 24, and include fairies on our card this week.  I found a pad of Prima patterned paper in my drawer called Sweet Fairy -- thought that would be appropriate for my card today.  The fairy is from an old Inkadinkadoo set.  My layout is this week's Sketch Challenge on Splitcoaststampers.

Stop over at the CCEE Stampers blog to see some more fairies.

CCEE1533 Screen Divider Card

Frances, our CCEE hostess for August, has been meaning to make a screen divider card for some time.  They are quite fun -- here's a tutorial if you want to try one yourself.  I've made several of these over the years; and when I make one, I usually put a belly band around it so that it will fit easily into an envelope.

Here it is opened.

Check out the CCEE Stampers blog to see what creativity you will find there.

MFP Blog Hop Day 4 - Mushroom Selections

Welcome to the MFP Stamp Shop

March Blog Hop

 We're a little late this month due to delivery of our new stamps. 

This month's new Stamp Set Releases are:

Featured March 31

Gardenia

Featured April 01

Pirates

Featured April 02

Pirates 2

Featured April 03

Mushroom Selections

Please Hop along with us!! You have a chance to win one of these new stamp sets! Just comment on the design team members' blogs (don't forget this one) each day for more chances to win! ( You do NOT need to comment on on all the blogs each day! The names are drawn randomly.) The winner will be announced on April 04, 2015,  on the MFP Stamp Shop 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 Friday, April 03, 2015, at 10:00 PM EST.

Here it is, Friday already, and our Blog Hop is coming to an end.  My first card using today's set, Mushroom Selections, also has an interesting background techique, Partial Retiform, which is sort of a collage.

I used some other MFP Stamp Shop sets on this card also -- Fairies and Scenic Selections.  As you can see from several of my cards this week, you can mix and match MFP Stamp images and sentiments on your creations.

My second card also uses images from Fairies and Scenic Selections.  The "plaque" on my portrait has a sentiment from MFP Stamp Shop Birds and Trees.   I cut strips from a piece of patterned paper that looked like wood to create the frame.

Please visit the rest of the team members' blogs and comment for a chance to win a free stamp set. Here's the Design Team:

Lois  (that's me)

Pat

Pam Mc

Pam T 

Jane

Janine

Marilynn

Sue

Toni

Karen

Sandy

Vickie

Shirley

MFP Stamp Shop 

I hope you have enjoyed my creatioins this week -- maybe you'll even want to try one or two of those background techniques yourself.