Thursday, July 31, 2014

CCEE1431 - Song Title

For Shirley's last challenge as hostess of the CCEE Stampers, she asked us to make a card that is related to a song title.  I admit that I had to go looking for a song that would let me use a new stencil that I just bought and wanted to use -- the Tim Holtz Splatters stencil.  And I found one.

You're the Cream in My Coffee

You're the cream in my coffee.
You're the salt in my stew.
You'll always be my necessity.
I'd be lost without you.


You're the starch in my collar.
You're the lace in my shoe.
You'll always be my necessity.
I'd be lost without you.





Find a song and make a card -- and check out the CCEE Stampers blog to see what songs inspired the rest of the team.

Friday, July 25, 2014

Tutorial Time on Speedy TV - Shaving Cream Technique

This week's Tutorial Time challenge is a fun, though messy, technique -- Shaving Cream Backgrounds.  Some time ago I wrote the tutorial for Speedy TV and enjoyed revisiting it.  And I hope our challenge team had fun too.  Here's a new card I created for this technique.  I used three different reinkers for the background, SU Bashful Blue, Tempting Turquoise, and Taken With Teal.  My image is MFP Peace at Mt. Fuji, the give-away for participating in the June Oriental Swap on Speedy TV.


I hope you give this technique a try.   BTW, gloves are almost a requisite for this -- unless you want stained hands for a few days after doing it!    If you do make a card, link it up at the end of the Tutorial Time challenge; and you could win a free stamp set.

Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Peace at Mt. Fuji
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Reinkers - Bashful Blue, Tempting Turquoise, Taken With Teal
Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers - Bang Up Blue, Snow Storm Smooth, Glossy White
Accessories:  Shaving Cream, Copic markers, Scallop Petite Ovals Nestabilities die

Thursday, July 24, 2014

CCEE1430 - Follow the Recipe

This week Shirley asked the CCEE Stampers to follow her recipe -- we were to use two circles, one oval, and two or more octagons (or decagons) on our cards.  I think I got it covered!


Stop over at the CCEE Stampers blog and see how well the rest of the team followed the directions.  And while you're there, make a card and link it up.

Friday, July 18, 2014

MFP Blog Hop Day 4 - Sun & Moon and Heavenly Harmony

Welcome to the Marks Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company

July Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are


 Featured July 15
Chinese Take Out 

Featured July 16
Coneflowers
Roses

 Featured July 17
Snowflakes

Featured July 18
Sun and Moon
Heavenly Harmony

Please hop along with us! You have a chance to win one of the above stamp sets! Just comment on today's 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 
July 19, 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, July 18, 2014.

Here it is, Friday already.  And we're finishing up the week with two related sets.  Again I'm not an official part of the blog hop, but I really enjoyed these two sets -- one a 4 x 6 set and the other a mini.  My first card was made with just the moon and a sentiment from the Sun and Moon set.  I found some old "starry" patterned paper in a drawer and thought it would be a good background.  I actually stamped the moon on another piece of card stock and cut it out.  Then I stamped it again with Versafine Onyx Black directly onto the background paper and glued my cut-out on top.  That way I would get the curly-cues to show on the background paper without going blind trying to cut around them!


My second project is not a card at all but an altered Laughing Cow Cheese package.


I put a scallop circle piece of yellow card stock inside to match the one on the front.  You could put some candy or even a gift card inside this little box.  I used the sponged sun rays technique behind my sun. Here is the tutorial I wrote for Speedy TV for this technique.

The mini set this month is Heavenly Harmony.  When I was in Pennsylvania in May for my Mom's funeral, I stayed with my brother.  I had seen a digital copy of Heavenly Harmony earlier; and, when I saw this plaque hanging in his kitchen, I knew I would use it for inspiration.  Here is a photo of the plaque.  You can see that the colors are sort of reversed as to what you would expect of this image -- the sun is blue and purple, and the moon is yellow.


I am going to send my card to my sister-in-law for her birthday in October and tell her that the plaque was my inspiration.


My final project for this week's blog hop was probably the most fun of all.  I used all three images from both of today's sets for it.  It is a little mobile that I made using printable shrink plastic, some wire, and a hanger-shaped paper clip.


I hope you've gotten some inspiration from my projects this week.  Be sure to check out the official Blog Hop team for today and comment for a chance to win a free stamp set.



Here's the participating Design Team:



Card #1
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Sun and Moon
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Distress Tumbled Glass
Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers - Blue Skies, Groovin' Grape, Snow Storm Smooth; Pixie Press Starzz DP
Accessories:  Copic markers, Labels 1 dies (large and small), Sponge applicator

Gift Box
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Sun and Moon
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Distress Scattered Straw
Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers - Morning Sun, Snow Storm Smooth
Accessories:  Copic markers, Circle and Scallop Circle Nestabilities dies, Oval punches, Ribbon, Foam pop dots, empty Laughing Cow Cheese container

Card #2
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Heavenly Harmony
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper - Mark's Finest Paper - Groovin' Grape, Scrambled Eggs, Snow Storm Smooth; unknown DP
Accesssories:  Copic markers, Cuttlebug Stars embossing folder, Foam pop dots

Mobile
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Sun and Moon, Heavenly Harmony
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  Darcie's printable shrink plastic, Copic markers, Wire, Tim Holtz hanger paper clip, heat gun

Tutorial Time - Stencils and Colored Pencils

The Tutorial Time challenge on Speedy TV today is Stenciling with Colored Pencils.  I have used stencils before -- but usually with distress ink and sponges, never with colored pencils.  Barbie Dobson wrote our tutorial for today.  I used a Tim Holtz stencil and a sentiment from MFP Out of Time mini set for my card.


Check out the Challenge post on Speedy TV and see how the rest of the team handled this challenge.  If you'd like to play along with us, you might win a free stamp set.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

MFP Blog Hop Day 3 - Snowflakes

Welcome to the Marks Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company

July Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are


 Featured July 15
Chinese Take Out 

Featured July 16
Coneflowers
Roses

 Featured July 17
Snowflakes

Featured July 18
Sun and Moon
Heavenly Harmony




Please hop along with us! You have a chance to win one of the above stamp sets! Just comment on today's 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 
July 19, 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, July 18, 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, Snowflakes.  It's hard making a snowy card when it's 90 degrees outside and, as I am writing this post, a tropical storm is brewing out in the Atlantic.  But I've got two cards for you today.  My first card is rather simple.


I used a clear sparkly Gelly Roll pen on the snowflakes to add a bit of shimmer to them and some rhinestone bling.

My second card is a bit more involved -- the front not so much . . .


. . . but the inside has some dimension.


Be sure to check out the "official" blog hop and comment on as many blogs as you can to increase your chances of winning a free stamp set.


Here's the participating Design Team for today:


Come on back tomorrow for more creativity.

Card #1
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Snowflakes
Ink:  Memento Teal Zeal, Gray Flannel
Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers - Bang Up Blue, Snow Storm Smooth; DCWV Holiday Collection The Winter Matstack DP
Accessories:  Sakura Gelly Roll Stardust Clear gel pen, Rhinestone bling

Card #2
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Snowflakes
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black; Ranger Distress Tumbled Glass, Chipped Sapphire
Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers - Blue Skies, Snow Storm Smooth; DCWV Holiday Collection The Winter Matstack DP
Accessories:  Icicle Stickles, Petite Oval Nestabilities die, Circle punches, Oval punches, Snowflake Brads, Masking Fluid, Silver Twine, Foam pop dots

CCEE1429 - "Watch out for those chickens"

The title of my post pretty much tells you what this CCEE Stampers challenge is all about -- make a card with a chicken.


If you'd like to play along with us over on the CCEE Stampers blog, we'd love to see your card.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

MFP Blog Hop Day 2 - Coneflowers and Roses


Welcome to the Marks Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company

July Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are


 Featured July 15
Chinese Take Out 

Featured July 16
Coneflowers
Roses

 Featured July 17
Snowflakes

Featured July 18
Sun and Moon
Heavenly Harmony




Please hop along with us! You have a chance to win one of the above stamp sets! Just comment on today's 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 
July 19, 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, July 18, 2014.

We're featuring two sets today -- both of them flowers (my favorite type of image).  As with yesterday's post, I have a regular card for each set and then something else.  My card for Coneflowers is actually a set of four notecards.


Because these are one-layer cards and Copic markers tend to bleed through card stock (unless it's really heavyweight), I stamped the images on another piece of card stock, colored them and then carefully cut them out.  I ran the cut-outs through my Xyron and glued them down.  I measured in 1/2" on all four sides and drew a fine line with my journaling pen to create a "frame" around the edges.

My second project using this set is also a card, but it's a bit more elaborate.  It's called a Cascading Card.


I made the card base using a tutorial which actually appeared in an issue of Card Maker magazine last year. Then I stamped, colored and cut out the flowers, placing them strategically within the folds of the card.  I added some leaf die-cuts and punched out branches then added the butterflies, which are glued to strips of acetate.

The second set for today is Roses.   For my card, I stamped the rose three times on a piece of card stock. The image actually includes two leaves, but I cut them off because I wanted to use the die cuts behind the rose.  


I cut out the roses --one full one and two partial ones so that I could create a paper-tole flower.  You can see the layers here:


While it's a 3-D project, my second "card" can actually be flattened and mailed in an envelope.  Here it is "unopened."



But, when you open it up, it's actually a bouquet of flowers in a box.



I used the smaller rose from today's set along with a couple of lily-of-the-valley and leaf diecuts.  I added a few punched-out butterflies on acetate strips and two of the many sentiments from this set.

Be sure to check out all of today's blog hop and see what the rest of the team has created with these pretty sets.

Here's the Design Team:

Come on back tomorrow for more creativity.

Card #1
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Coneflowers
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers - Snow Storm Smooth (regular and heavy)
Accessories:  Copic markers, Journaling pen

Card #2
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Coneflowers
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Distress Bundled Sage
Paper:  The Paper Studio 12 x 12 Rust; MME Dolled Up DP; Mark's Finest Papers - Snow Storm Smooth, Spring Leaf
Accessories:  Copic markers, Spellbinders Foliage die and Labels 8 die, Martha Stewart branch punch and butterfly punch, Cheery Lynn lattice die, acetate strips

Card #3
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Roses
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Distress Bundled Sage
Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers - Scrambled Eggs, August Greens, Snow Storm Smooth
Accessories:  Copic markers, Rhinestone bling, Foam pop dots

Card #4
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers - Roses
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Distress Bundled Sage
Paper:  Mark's Finest Papers - Scrambled Eggs, August Greens, Snow Storm Smooth; unlabeled DP
Accessories:  Copic markers, Spellbinders Foliage die and Lily of the Valley die, Martha Stewart butterfly punch, Circle punches, Acetate strips, Ribbon