MFP Blog Hop Day 1 - Fantastic Dogs

   January Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are

Fantastic Dogs Featured January 15
No Sour Grapes Featured January 16
In My Den Featured January 17
Love, Love, Love Featured January 18

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 January 19, 2013, 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 11 PM EST on Friday January 18, 2013.


Happy New Year!!! Welcome to the first blog hop of 2013! We are so excited to share the great stamp sets we are releasing this month and the months to come. 

 The special stamp set we have for you this month is:

" OH Baby"

 

The mini stamp set we have for you this month is

"Not So Ugly"

 

I admit that the first set this week was the hardest for me -- not because I'm not a dog lover, but just because I haven't had a dog in a very long time.  But I jumped in with my fingers crossed.  My first card uses the Splitcoaststampers sketch challenge from last week.

A lot of this card was stamped on card stock from my scrap pile.  After stamping one of the dogs from today's set on a small piece of vanilla paper, I colored him with Chromatix markers.  They are alcohol markers I bought at Michaels, and they blend nicely.  The pawprint DP was also in my scraps -- just the right size for the sketch.  The background is embossed with a Sizzix plaid embossing folder and the sentiment panel and dog bone are both popped up with dimensionals.  The inside says, "It's Your Birthday."

My second card was actually inspired by a photo I received recently.  Last year, after my uncle died, my 90-year-old Aunt Mary moved into an assisted living facility.  As you may or may not be aware, many volunteer groups visit such facilities; and one of the groups visiting my aunt's ALF is a Pet Therapy group.  This photo was taken of my aunt and one of the visiting dogs.

The cocker spaniel's name is Lilly, and she reminded me very much of the other dog from today's set.  So after I stamped the image, I colored it to look like Lilly.

 After coloring the dog with Copic markers, I used some Copic blending solution on a dish cloth and sponged it over the image -- leaving a little texture to the coloring.  I had done the same thing to the dog in my first card, but it did not show as dramatically as the second one.

Be sure to check out the following blogs and comment for a chance to win a free stamp set.

Patty P., Lois (that's me), Vicky, Jane,  Debbie,  Pam,  Pat,  Thrifty Stamper,  MariLynn,  

Karen,  Bonnie,  Kathy,  Angela,  Cathy,  Toni,  Sue,  Janine,  Tammylee, An'jenic,  Kate,  

Shirley,  Marks Finest Papers, a Heinrich Co 

Speedy Fox & Friends - A Movement Card

This week's challenge from Speedy Fox & Friends is a fun one -- make a card that moves.  I chose to make a View Master card.  When I was a kid, I loved my View Master -- looking in it for those great 3-D photos -- how fun!

I used the tutorial on Splitcoaststampers for the directions and images from two different Mark's Finest Papers' sets.

Because the sentiment says "Have three desserts," I decided to put three different dessert images on my chef's tray.  This one would be a yellow cupcake with strawberry frosting.

After eating the fruit from the second image, we're topping off our "menu" of desserts with a chocolate cupcake with lemon icing.









Here is a photo showing all three desserts after you move the "view master slide."

I hope you join in on the fun this week.  There are many different ways to get "movement" into your card.  If you link your card at the end of the Mark's Finest Papers blog, you have a chance to win a free stamp set.  If you use an MFPaHC stamp set, you get two chances to win!

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Celebrate Big, Recipe Completer Mini
Paper:  MFP Fresh Cream, Cherry Slush; unknown red gingham DP
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  Creative Memories circle template and cutter, Circle Nestabilities, 1/8" circle punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, Copic markers, Black marker, Pop dots

CCEE1302 New Toys

Joanne gave the CCEE Stampers a fun challenge this week -- use some new toys.   The newest "toy" I have I received as a Christmas gift from my daughter-in-law -- the Spellbinders Pockets and Swirls Shapeabilities.  I thought those jeans pockets would look cute on a birthday card, so I made this for my BFF and stamping buddy, whose birthday is coming up next month.

I used the smallest jeans pocket for the front of my card.  It is the only one with the "rivet holes" in it.  As I intended to put a gift card from Michaels inside the card, I thought that this DP from Cosmo Cricket would be appropriate for the background.  It's called Material Girl -- note the scissors in the pattern.

And here's the inside of the card -- with the gift card.  This is the middle-sized pocket, and it has room for the sentiment.  They're a little hard to see, but there are piercing holes around the edge of the background paper -- to complement the pocket on the outside.

I hope you'd like to show off some of your new toys.  If so, join us over on the CCEE Blog; and link your card up at the bottom of the post.

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - You've Got Style, Celebrate Big

Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers - Masonary Red, Morning Sun, Blue Skies, Snow Storm Smooth; Cosmo Cricket Material Girl

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black; Tim Holtz Distress Faded Jeans, Scattered Straw

Accessories:  Spellbinders Pockets and Swirls Shapeabilities, Spellbinders Ribbon Banners Shapeabilities, Brads, Paper-piercing tool and template, Sponge applicators

CAS Technique Challenge

This week's CAS challenge on Splitcoaststampers is a technique challenge -- use postage or faux postage.  One of Mark's Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company's stamps is called Sending Happy Thoughts and actually has three images that are stamps.  I chose the smallest one, a rose, for my card.

I stamped it three times and colored each rose a different color.  Postage hasn't quite reached 51 cents yet -- but I wouldn't be surprised to see it there very soon!

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Sending Happy Thoughts
Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers - Premium Heavy White
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  Copic markers

Speedy Fox & Friends - Recycled Christmas Card

I am so happy to be joining the Speedy Fox & Friends team for Mark's Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company.  This will be my first card for the team.  The challenge was to recycle part of a received Christmas card.    Here is my "new" card -- a Christmas thank-you card.

I used one of my favorite techniques on this card -- reverse masking. Another technique used on this card is embossing resist.   I stamped the snowflakes with Versamark and embossed them with detail white embossing powder.  Then I stuck down two pieces of Eclipse tape on my card, leaving an opening of about two inches.  Using a sponge applicator I sponged two shades of blue in the opening and then wiped it with a paper towel to remove any ink that might have stuck to the snowflakes.  After removing the Eclipse tape, I glued down the two blue ornaments that I had cut from my received Christmas card and drew the lines using a silver marker.  Then I stamped the sentiment.  You can't really see it, but there is glitter in the patterns of the ornaments.   I have already mailed this card to my sister, who made this beautiful quilt for me.  She chose the colors to match my living room so that I can snuggle up in it while I'm watching TV.

I hope you can play along with us over on the Mark's Finest Papers blog.  Link up your card at the bottom of the post for a chance to win a free stamp set.  If you use an MFPaHC set on your card, you get two chances to win!

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Winter Scenes (snowflakes), Dogwood Blossoms (sentiment)
Paper:  MFP Fresh Cream
Ink:  Tim Holtz Distress Tumbled Glass, Chipped Sapphire; Versamark
Accessories:  Christmas card, Detail White embossing powder, Silver pen, Sponge applicators, Eclipse tape

Baby Card

Happy New Year!!!  As a New Year's gift, I've got a sneak peek of a new set from Mark's Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company, which is being released later this month.  It's called Oh, Baby; and I actually made this card for two challenges this week.  Teapot Tuesday on Splitcoaststampers today is celebrating the birth of twins -- fraternal twins (a boy and a girl) -- grandchildren to a fellow TeaPotter Marilyn (APandi).  We were asked to make a card for the parents of the twins.  Here's mine ~

I used some DP from a huge stack of patterned paper I bought at Wal-Mart several years ago.  I thought a gatefold card would work for twins -- blue on one side and pink on the other.  I stamped and cut out the bathing bear and popped it up on some embossed bubble paper and then added the two rubber ducks at the bottom.  It's hard to see on the bubble background, but I brushed some pearlescent chalk across the bubbles.

I found a website called Verses4Cards, which has many verses you can add to the inside of your cards.  The owner of the site states that you can use his verses on your personal cards (under certain conditions).  I found a verse which was suitable for twins.  I hope you can read it.

The row of rubber ducks actually has six images in it, but I masked off two of them because I thought four would fit better.

As I stated at the beginning of this post, my card was made for two challenges.  The CCEE Stampers challenge this week is also to make a baby card.  As I have very few calls for baby cards, I am using the same card for this challenge.  If you'd like to play along with us, link your card to the bottom of the CCEE Blog post using Mr. Linky.

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Oh, Baby

Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers Snow Storm Smooth, Precious Pink, Blue Skies; Walmart DP

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black

Accessories:  Copic markers, Ribbon, Tiny Bubbles embossing folder, Pebbles pearlescent chalks, Pop dots

Tutorial Time on Speedy TV - Gift Box

Just a quick little post today.  Jane Chambers brought a tutorial for a cute little gift box to Speedy TV this week.  Here's my version:

You could easily make many of these as favors for a New Year's Eve party.   I altered Jane's tutorial just a little bit by adding the flap at the top, which I closed using a little bit of velcro.

If you'd like to see what the members of the Tutorial Team made using Jane's tutorial, check out this week's column on Speedy TV.