MFP Blog Hop Day 4 - Oh, Crab

Welcome to Mark's Finest Papers a Heinrich Company's 

   August Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are:

Lesson Learned Featured August 14
Bring on the Sun Featured August 15
Tree Greetings Featured August 16
Oh Crab Featured August 17

Please hop along with us! You have a chance to win one of the above stamp sets! Just comment on the blogs listed below (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 four winners will be announced on August 18, 2012 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 11PM EST on Friday August 17, 2012.

On my first card today I used a fun product called Mudd Puddles, which I found in a local stamp store near where my sister lives.  I added some sparkly bubbles and a few rocks (from Scenic Selections).

I don't often make long cards, but I thought a little parade of tropical fish would look cute.

As a bonus to end the week, I made a card using a fifth MFP stamp set for August called Celebrate Big.  I had seen a tutorial on Jackie Topa's blog some time ago for making a Side Step Dresser card, which I thought was so very clever.  When I saw Celebrate Big, I thought I might try to do a variation of this "dresser card" to make a kitchen cabinet.  Here is what I came up with:

I hope you've enjoyed all the cards created by the design team this month.  Be sure to comment often to increase your chances of winning a free set.

Lois (that's me), Vicky, Pat G., Patty P., Marilynn, Pam, Debbie, Bonnie, Kathy, Brenda, Toni, Tangii, Thrifty Stamper, Sue, Kelli, Janine, Tammylee, Janis L., Mark's Finest Papers .

MFP Blog Hop Day 3 - Tree Greetings & CCEE1233

Welcome to Mark's Finest Papers a Heinrich Company's 

   August Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are:

Lesson Learned Featured August 14
Bring on the Sun Featured August 15
Tree Greetings Featured August 16
Oh Crab Featured August 17

Please hop along with us! You have a chance to win one of the above stamp sets! Just comment on the blogs listed below (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 four winners will be announced on August 18, 2012 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 11PM EST on Friday August 17, 2012.

My first card is not only to show off the new MFP stamps, it is also for the CCEE challenge.  Anne Harmon (a member of the MFP design team) is the hostess for August.  Her challenge today was to use markers directly on the stamp.  I love the big oak tree from today's set.  I used several shades of Memento markers on my tree and stamped it on white cardstock.  Then I colored in with one of the paler shades.  I stamped a couple of images from the MFP Scenic Selections set in my little backyard scene.

My second card is another CAS one.  I used a piece of photographic designer paper for the background and did a little doodling around my palm trees.  I have a tree just like this one in my back yard.  It may look like three trees, but in reality they all come from the same root -- the two smaller ones are offshoots of the main tree.

Thanks again for visiting my blog.  I hope you have been getting some inspiration this week.  Be sure to check out the rest of the team's creations.

Lois (that's me), Vicky, Pat G., Patty P., Marilynn, Pam, Debbie, Bonnie, Kathy, Brenda, Toni, Tangii, Thrifty Stamper, Sue, Kelli, Janine, Tammylee, Janis L., Mark's Finest Papers .

MFP Blog Hop Day 2 - Bring on the Sun

Welcome to Mark's Finest Papers a Heinrich Company's 

   August Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are:

Lesson Learned Featured August 14
Bring on the Sun Featured August 15
Tree Greetings Featured August 16
Oh Crab Featured August 17

Please hop along with us! You have a chance to win one of the above stamp sets! Just comment on the blogs listed below (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 four winners will be announced on August 18, 2012 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 11PM EST on Friday August 17, 2012.

I was in Joann a week or so ago when they were having a customer appreciation sale.  All their Spellbinders dies were 40% off, and I had a coupon for 25% off everything (sale items included).  I had been looking at this Ornate Artisan Tags set for a while -- and this was the time to buy it!

My second card is a Tri-fold card.  There are many different types of tri-fold cards, and I had not tried this particular version before.

Check out the rest of the team's cards and be sure to comment for a chance to win a free set.

Lois (that's me), Vicky, Pat G., Patty P., Marilynn, Pam, Debbie, Bonnie, Kathy, Brenda, Toni, Tangii, Thrifty Stamper, Sue, Kelli, Janine, Tammylee, Janis L., Mark's Finest Papers .

MFP Blog Hop Day 1 -

Welcome to Mark's Finest Papers a Heinrich Company's 

   August Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are:

Lesson Learned Featured August 14
Bring on the Sun Featured August 15
Tree Greetings Featured August 16
Oh Crab Featured August 17

Please hop along with us! You have a chance to win one of the above stamp sets! Just comment on the blogs listed below (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 four winners will be announced on August 18, 2012 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 11PM EST on Friday August 17, 2012.

My first card for today's set is a CAS card, using just the large apple and one of the sentiments.  I drew the "frame line" with a marker.

I don't know if it's telling my age, but I sat in desks like this one when I was in elementary school.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today.  Be sure you check out the rest of the design team's creations and comment often to increase your chance of winning a free set.

Lois (that's me), Vicky, Pat G., Patty P., Marilynn, Pam, Debbie, Bonnie, Kathy, Brenda, Toni, Tangii, Thrifty Stamper, Sue, Kelli, Janine, Tammylee, Janis L., Mark's Finest Papers .

I hope you come back tomorrow to see how I used Bring on the Sun.

CCEE1232 - Shaped Card

It's Thursday and another CCEE challenge.  Anne was the hostess this week and asked us to make a shaped card.  Sometime ago I bought a bunch of templates from Oriental Trading Company.  They were for boxes, envelopes, and shaped cards.  I pulled them out of the drawer and found a shape I liked -- a winter cap.

The "fur trim" is suede paper, and the reindeer is a Spellbinders die.

If you'd like to play along with the CCEE gals, check out our blog.

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - All Is Calm
Ink:  Versafine Majestic Blue
Paper:  MFP Blue Skies, Dark Night Navy; The Paper Company Christmas paper pad; Marco's Papers White Suede paper
Accessories:  Oriental Trading Company snow hat template, Spellbinders Fanciful Holiday Shapeabilities

Shaving Cream Technique

I was the Featured Designer on the Mark's Finest Papers blog today and presented a tutorial for a fun -- though quite messy -- technique:  Shaving Cream Background.   You can find the tutorial on Speedy TV in the Tutorial Section.   At the end of the tutorial I showed three cards I had made using that technique.  I'll share them with you today.  This was the card I made for the tutorial.  My butterfly was cut out using a QuicKutz two-piece die.

Here are a couple of other cards I have made using that same technique.

If you haven't tried this particular technique, you might find it fun.  Make sure you have lots and lots of paper towels though!

CCEE1231 - Use RED

A new month at CCEE Stampers brings a new hostess, and this month Anne Harmon (jdmommy) is our hostess.  Anne's favorite color is RED, so you can guess what her first challenge is going to be.  Yep, use RED.  I made a tent topper card, a fun technique, for my card, using a new set from Mark's Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company, called Hot and Spicy.

I confess I'm not a big fan of hot and spicy food -- chili peppers are very low on my choices of things to eat! But this is a fun set.  I printed off a photo from the internet for the background paper that would complement my stamping.  The sentiment is from another MFP,aHC, set called Winter Crocus.

We'd love for you to stamp along with the CCEE gals.  If you'd like to play, visit the CCEE Stampers Blog.  If you post to another website, such as Splitcoaststampers, be sure to use the keyword CCEE1231.

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Hot and Spicy, Winter Crocus
Paper:  MFP Deep Scarlet, Morning Sun, Snow Storm Smooth
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Tim Holtz Distress Barn Door
Accessories:  Copic markers, Spellbinders Circle and Inverted Scallop Circle nesties, Corner rounder, Printer for internet image