CCEE2028 - Don't Step on a Bee Day

Tomorrow (7/10) is Don't Step on a Bee Day.  I've got a simple challenge for the CCEE Stampers this week -- use a bee on your card.  Easy-Peasy!

I have been obsessed with slimline cards lately, and today's challenge gave me another opportunity.   That cute little bee girl is a digital stamp from Paper Nest Dolls.

I decided to add some interactive fun on the inside and used the Karen Burniston Katherine Label and a stamp I've had for years.  I stenciled some honeycombs as a background.

Check out the CCEE Stampers blog to see how the rest of the team handled this easy challenge.

CCEE1744 - Simple Thanks

Joanne starts her month as hostess for the CCEE Stampers by trying to keep it simple.  The holidays are coming, and times will be busy.  This will be a month of celebrations, so this week she asked us to make a Thanksgiving card or a card of thanks.  I stenciled the burlap panel down the side and added some CottageCutz die cuts to make my card.

See how the rest of the team handled this challenge by stopping over at the CCEE Stampers blog.

MFP Blog Hop - Day 1

Mark's Finest Papers' Design Teams are celebrating our NEWEST STAMP RELEASE with a Blog Hop. Our very talented Design Teams have created exciting paper crafts for your inspiration. With the addition of New Design Team members, we're going to have a really fun-packed Hop! Sit back, and hold on to your mouse! This is going to be a FABULOUS ride! Come Hop along with us! We have 4 New Stamp Sets Released today: Background Fun, Southwest Cowboy, Flourishes & Frame, and Apples & Camellia. For your convenience, all 4 stamp sets are available for purchase TODAY!

For your chance to win BLOG CANDY, visit and comment on each of the design team members' blogs on July 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th. On Saturday, July 17th, a winner will be chosen FOR EACH DAY from those participants who visited all the blogs listed for that day! Four different winners, one winner for each day. THAT MEANS IF YOU MISSED A DAY, YOU STILL HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE TO WIN! And, you can go back and comment, as the winners will be chosen Saturday morning!

The 4 Winners will be announced on the Mark's Finest Papers Blog on July 17, 2010. Each winner will receive 1 Stamp Set that will be released NEXT month.

I’m starting off the Hop with a bang – I have three projects for today’s set – Background Fun.

I imagine I could use this set on virtually every card I make – you always need backgrounds! My first card utilizes one of the Tim Holtz Sizzix dies, Hanging Sign. The bracket and oval are cut from MFP Clean Oven Gray, the sign from one of the papers in Basic Grey’s Porcelain paper pad, as is the background. I used the crackle background to stamp on the bracket, the oval, and part of the sign; and then I sponged around the edges with Palette Noir. I was just going to stamp Happy Birthday on the oval, and then I decided Speedy would look good on there. So I cut the words off the watermark stamp and popped him on there too! I poked a couple of holes in the background and ran some wire through to “hang” the sign.

I decided to do a 3-D project using the other background in this set. I found a basket template on-line and cut out the basket from MFP Hazelnut, then stamped the woven background onto it. The liner is from Basic Grey’s Wisteria. I have to admit I had to cheat on the liner. The pattern is wider than 6 inches, which is the size of the DP. So I copied it (shhh, don’t tell) at 146% on my printer and then drew the template on the back and cut it out. The birthday sentiment is stamped in Palette French Lilac on MFP Morning Sun. I had these silk flowers left from another project.

My third project is also a 3-D project using the basket weave background. This time I used my Bind-It-All to create this cute little basket. I knew I would need light-weight paper so I couldn’t use cardstock. Otherwise it would have been too thick to punch through. So I used blue copy paper. You use what you have! After making all four 2 ½” x 2 ½ inch panels, I put them together to make the basket. I still had some of those silk flowers left, so I became a floral designer for the day. I admit I’m not as good as my mom was! The sentiment panel is cut with a Labels Ten die.

Oh, by the way, did you know that Mark’s Finest Papers sells the Bind-It-All and accessories now?

Be sure to visit the rest of the team to see what they did with this set. And remember, you have a chance to win one of the stamp sets to be released in August.

Here is the Blog Hop LINE UP:

July Guest Designer – Melisa Waldorf
Nancyruth

Lois - (that’s me)

Vicky

Jeanne
Anne
Debbie
Peggysue
Faith
Susan
Judi
Patty
Karen
Connie
Roxie
Vicki
Cathleen

Claudine

Mark’s Finest Papers

Featured Stamper and Catch-Up

I was totally unfamiliar with today's Featured Stamper (sbs81 a/k/a Stephanie) on SCS so it was a treat to look through her gallery. I actually chose a card that she uploaded just this past week, Crabby. I liked the bright reds and the simple layout, both of which I kept for my card. I eliminated one layer, the brads, and the ribbon; but added a sentiment and some pearls. Instead of stitching, I just pierced around the edge of the white panel. Her card was quite whimsical; mine is a bit more traditional.




Stamps - Mark's Finest Papers - Spring Roses, sentiment from soon-to-be-released Background Fun
Paper - MFP Snow Storm Smooth, Ripened Tomato; Basic Grey Indian Summer DP
Ink - Palette Noir Black
Accessories - Copic markers, Tim Holtz Retro Circles embossing folder, Tag punches, Paper piercing tool, Half pearls



Yesterday's Inspiration Challenge site, Blue Carrot Shop, has a whole bunch of vintage items to purchase. I recognized several of those things as having been in my house at one time or another. I chose this Florida Tray, using the theme and colors for my card. This also qualifies for Speedy's Friends Challenge to use a punch. The sentiment was punched out with the Word Window Punch.


Stamps - Mark's Finest Papers - Tropical Vacation
Paper MFP Clean Oven Gray, Snow Storm Smooth; Basic Grey Ambrosia DP
Ink - Tim Holtz Distress Inks: Weathered Wood,Tumbled Glass, Crushed Olive, Bundled Sage
Accessories - Spellbinders Labels Ten, Word Window Punch, Prima Flowers, Brads, Sponge Daubers, Scalloped Circle Punch for cloud template

As I was looking through yesterday's inspiration site, I came across this set of salt and pepper shakers. Guess what, I have a very similar set in my collection of over 100 S&P shakers.This card also qualifies for the Crazy4Challenges color challenge of red, white, and black.

Stamps - The Greeting Farm Happy Chef

Paper - SU Real Red and Basic Black, GP White

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black, Lady Bug

Accessories - Copic, Prismacolor, and Memento markers, Pop dots

Inspiration Challenge & Speedy the Cat's Friends

Today's challenge site for the SCS Inspiration Challenge was LoveArtWorks, an Etsy store of very interesting clay pieces. After looking through the site, I settled on one of artist Kristen Love's black, white and one-color creations as the starting point of my card. I also wanted to incorporate this week's Speedy the Cat's Friends challenge to use embossing.





This is the bowl I chose as my inspiration piece. Her one color (in addition to the black and white) was red -- perfect for the cherries. I stamped the images with Palette Noir Black and clear-embossed them. The background was embossed with a new Tim Holtz crackled embossing folder. There was just enough room on the background piece for that little sentiment.
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Stamps - Mark's Finest Papers - Cupcake Birthday
Ink - Palette Noir Black
Paper - MFP Snow Storm Smooth, Ripened Tomato
Accessories - Copic markers, Circle nestabilities, Tim Holtz crackled embossing folder, Pop dots