Friends and Die Cuts

Good Monday morning!  I am back again with another Monday challenge at Speedy TV.  Isn't this the best way to start a Monday?  If you are keeping track, today's challenge is number 31 and is all about using die cuts!!  I opted to use my Spellbinders dies because I love them so much.  Mark's Finest Papers has a nice selection of Spellbinders dies available in their store.  One of the things I like best about Spellbinders dies is my ability to emboss and then stencil as well.  I used the stencil option here to highlight the decoration around the frame and some bits on the castle. 

For my card today, I sponged in a sunset backdrop for my castle and then stamped in a most appropriate sentiment.  I finished my card in an unusual way for me.  I bound the edge with some eyelets and organdy ribbon.  I like how it ended up looking fairy tale-esque!

As always, Mark's Finest Papers is offering a stamp set to one lucky participant.  This week it is Wild Horses.  What a beautiful set!  Check it out below: 

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous day!

Details - Stamps: Winter Crocus (MFP); Paper: Favorite Natural, Hazelnut Tan; Ink: Soft Suede, Pool Party, Daffodil Delight, Pink Pirouette, Pumpkin Pie, Wisteria Wonder, Baja Breeze, Versamark; Accessories: Nautical Frames & Accents, clear ep, heat tool, stampin' sponges, eyelets, thin organdy ribbon.





PTI July 2012 Blog Hop

I had a little bit of time to play along with this gorgeous inspiration photo and PTI's July blog hop.  Aren't those amazing summer colors?  I decided to use flowers on my card as well.  I mentioned that I only had a little bit of time, so I opted to go clean and simple.  Well, here it is:

My card is very simple and completely mailable.  I used a border punch, a bit of burlap twine and self adhesive pearls in addition to my PTI stamps.

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous day!



Details - Stamps: A Wreath For All Seasons (PTI); Paper: Naturals White; Ink: Pear Tart, Groovy Guava, Soft Suede; Accessories: MS Arch Lattice border punch, brown burlap twine, Recollections self-adhesive pearls, mini glue dot.

Real Wonder Island

No, it's not a real place, but doesn't it sound good?  It's this week's Color Challenge on Splitcoaststampers.  I have the privilege of Guest Designing this month and am having the time of my life.  Fun stuff, I tell you!  Julia is our hostess and she has chosen Real Red, Wisteria Wonder and Island Indigo as her colors.  I immediately loved the colors and began to think of just what I could do with it.  Then I remembered the dessert option, make it a summer garden.  Uh-oh, how do I do that without a little bit of green???  Neutrals are always okay and I didn't want to cheat at all, being a guest designer.  So I opted for summery background paper with dots or spots to fill the gaps.  A couple of rounded corners, a birthday wish and some red and white baker's twine finish off my card for today!

Won't you come play along?  Thanks for stopping by today!

Details - Stamps: Fashion Flowers (HA), So Happy For You, Itty Bitty, Backgrounds; Paper: Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Watercolor paper; Ink: Real Red, Wisteria Wonder, Island Indigo, Sahara Sand, StazOn Jet Black; Accessories: Corner chomper, 1/8" circle punch, baker's twine, aquapainter, stampin' dimensionals. 

Friends and Joy

Happy Monday to you!  Today I am playing with the Friends of Speedy TV in their Monday challenge.  Debbie has challenged crafters to create a Joy Fold card.  There is a tutorial on Speedy TV to help you with the directions if you are not familiar with this particular fold.  While I love the resulting look of this fold, it always seems to give me fits while I am making it.  I  always mentally battle with how I am going to keep the extra fold closed.  Today I opted for the small white flower and black mini brad in the bottom left hand corner.  As per usual, there is a stamp set up for grabs for one lucky participant.  The set being offered today is called Tweet Blessings. 

Here is an image of this fun set:

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Details - Stamps: Pucker Up (MFP); Paper: Lime Squeeze Linen, Grandma's Snow Covered Porch White, BG Lemonade; Ink: Tuxedo Black; Accessories; scor-pal, Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch, flower punch, black mini brads.

Hot & Spicy - A Mark's Finest Papers, A Heinrich Company Blog Hop

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

    July Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are

Asian Delights Featured July 17
Wild & Free Featured July 18
Garden Art Featured July 19
Hot & Spicy Featured July 20


I had to go a-googling to figure out just how I wanted to color this baby!  In the process, I learned a new word.  A ristra is a noun that means a string of dried chilies, garlic or other foodstuffs.  Boy, I tell you...I am always learning!!  I kept this one clean and simple because that's just the kind of crafter I am. 

Please hop along with us! You have a chance to win one of the above stamp sets! Just comment on the following 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 four winners will be announced on July 21, 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 July 20, 2012.

Above you will see my lovely teammates and you want to head off to Tangii's blog next.  Thanks for stopping by!

Details - Stamps: Hot & Spicy (MFP); Paper: Sweet Tooth White, Poppy Parade; Ink: Tuxedo Black; Accessories: Copic Markers, MS Arch Lattice punch, stampin' dimensionals, Canvas & Linen Impresion plate (PTI), paper snips.

Garden Art - Mark's Finest Papers, A Heinrich Company Blog Hop

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

    July Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are

Asian Delights Featured July 17
Wild & Free Featured July 18
Garden Art Featured July 19
Hot & Spicy Featured July 20


There are some really wonderful images and sentiments in this set.  I have used a few of them on today's card.  This sentiment in particular could be my husband's theme.  Our vegetable garden is always a work in progress.  Every year the garden grows in size.  Last year, he began to plant things in blocks and this year he laid down saw dust chips in between the blocks and added a couple of color spots with flowers.  He works outside and on lawns and landscaping as his profession.  Pride in craftsmanship is nothing new to him.  Anyway, on to my card. 

Please hop along with us! You have a chance to win one of the above stamp sets! Just comment on the following 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 four winners will be announced on July 21, 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 July 20, 2012.

I'm sure that Tangii has something magical waiting for you.  Head over to her blog now!

Details - Stamps: Garden Art (MFP); Paper: Favorite Natural (MFP), Deepest Mahogany (MFP), white; Ink: Tuxedo Black, Versacolor White; Accessories: Copic Markers, Nestabilities, Sakura Clear Star gel pen, glue dots, stampin' dimensionals.

Wild & Free - A Mark's Finest Papers, A Heinrich Company Blog Hop

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

    July Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are

Asian Delights Featured July 17
Wild & Free Featured July 18
Garden Art Featured July 19
Hot & Spicy Featured July 20


When I first saw the stamps in this set, I knew I would see amazing scenery built with it.  I couldn't help but think about my little girl when I saw the animal print images.  I knew she would love it in rainbow form, so I created it!  Surely, you know someone who would love a card such as this.

Please hop along with us! You have a chance to win one of the above stamp sets! Just comment on the following 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 four winners will be announced on July 21, 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 July 20, 2012.

You're off now to Tangii's blog to see what she has in store for you!

Details - Stamps:  Wild & Free (MFP); Paper: Snow columns (MFP), Basic Black, Sweet Tooth White; Ink: Real Red, Only Orange, Yo Yo Yellow, Green Galore, Pool Party, Brilliant Blue, Rich Razzleberry, Tuxedo Black; Accessories: small oval punch, large oval punch, black burlap twine, stampin' dimensionals.

Asian Delights - A Mark's Finest Papers, A Heinrich Company Blog Hop

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

    July Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are

Asian Delights Featured July 17
Wild & Free Featured July 18
Garden Art Featured July 19
Hot & Spicy Featured July 20


I created a couple of cards with today's featured set.  I really loved the Asian theme and I wanted to keep my cards simple and uncluttered.  I have just begun to share about my mother's cancer and her healing process.  She is currently undergoing chemotherapy and it isn't easy for her, although she probably wouldn't say so.  I made these cards to support for her.  I opted to stamp the hope symbol repeatedly and used the color associated with her cancer type.  Of course, when I looked it up I found a couple of colors mentioned, so I made a card with each color.

Please hop along with us! You have a chance to win one of the above stamp sets! Just comment on the following 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 four winners will be announced on July 21, 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 July 20, 2012.

Don't forget to head off to Tangii's blog where she has something amazing!

Details - Stamps: Asian Delights; Paper: Sweet Tooth White, Basic Black, Brushed Gold; Ink: Groovy Guava or Taken With Teal, Tuxedo Black, Encore Gold; Accessories: Nestabilities, Gold ep heat tool, stampin' dimensionals.

Friends and Sketches and...

Good Monday morning to you!  It's going to be a good week.  I can feel it.  Today the Friends of Speedy TV invite you to play along with a sketch challenge.  I don't know about you, but sketches just about my favorite challenges to play along with.  When I saw the sketch, I felt some patterned paper coming on.  I started to dig through my stash and saw this Autumn collection and knew I had to bust out a chicken!  Maybe I have been spending too much time with my own chickens.  As our garden is in full swing, the chickens are feasting.  They get scraps and weeds and the occasional strawberry that the slugs got to before me.  Enough about me...you want to see the sketch?  Click on over to Speedy TV!  Don't forget that we always play for a prize.  This week, the set called What a Fox is up for grabs.

One last little tidbit before you go, I am the Speedy Fox Featured Designer today and a created a tutorial that is being posted on Speedy TV today.  Check it out and let me know what you think.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Details - Stamps: Flaps My Wattles (MFP); Paper: Favorite Natural, Recollections Autumn; Ink: Rich Cocoa, Crumb Cake; Accessories: Nestabilities, hole punch, paper snips, stampin' dimensionals, Copic markers.

Fighting With Mom

The day before Mother's Day, my mother shared with me that she just found out she had Endometrial Cancer.  After I left her house, I went directly to my favorite local stamp store and did a little retail therapy.  We are several weeks beyond that day and things are looking up.  Most all of the family members have shaved their heads, including my sister!  I just can't...and I know my Mom understands.  So, I'm going to have to do my thing and that is make cards.  Enter the current Paper Smooches Designer Draft challenge and this card that has been rolling around in my head for a while.  I used a couple of colors that seem to be associated with Uterine/Endometrial Cancer and the ribbons.  I'm not sure yet what color is specifically for her type of cancer and I want to surprise her with this card.  I think I will send this off tomorrow when I sit down to pay bills.  It will cheer me up and I hope it will cheer her up too!

Thanks for stopping by!

Details - Stamps:  Hope (Paper Smooches); Paper: Sweet Tooth White, Taken With Teal; Ink:  Tuxedo Black, Taken with Teal, Daffodil Delight; Accessories: Copic Markers, black thread, M's rhinestones, stampin' sponge, paper snips, stampin' dimensionals.

A Stitch

A stitch and a few challenges is what I am up to for today.  Steph is hostessing the Ways to Use It challenge and it is all about stitching.  I opted for faux stitching as I have "issues" with my sewing machine.  Namely, it is as old as me and I am a bit afraid to use it.  The rub-on stitches worked quite for well for me.  Another challenge I added into my card was Kelly's Stamp 2 Spend challenge with a quilt theme.  Finally, I worked in a Timeless Tuesday challenge to focus on a sentiment.  Really, the sentiment is what drove the creation of today's card.  With "heart" in my sentiment, all the other pieces just fell together.  My clean and simple loving heart led the way and kept a lot of white space for the rest of the heart.  A couple of chomped corners and I was done.

It's another warm and sunny day here.  My hubby has a short work day and then I think it will be time to do more work in our garden.  It's really starting to produce.  I have broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage to pick today. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Details - Stamps: Window to the World (Flourishes); Paper: Sweet Tooth White, Bordering Blue, BG Lilykate; Ink: Bordering Blue; Accessories: Heart framelit dies, Square Lattice ef, corner shomper, stampin' dimensionals.

A Sneak Peek and Today's Colors

Greetings!  Today I offer you a sneak peek at one of the July releases for Mark's Finest Papers, A Heinrich Company.  I am showing it off with the  colors of the Splitcoaststampers Color Challenge.  I have colored in the cherry blossom image from Asian Delights with Pink Pirouette, Purely Pomegranate and Crumb Cake.  Purely Pomegranate is a retired Stampin' Up! color that I am substituting for the challenge color named Raspberry Ripple.  The dessert option to accompany the color challenge is tearing.  I haven't done this in ages and it was fun to do again.  I popped up a couple leaves and a blossom to add some dimension.  I also used a border punch down the right side of my card for  some more interest.  I thought the sentiment style fitted nicely with the Asian theme of the card.  It's reminiscent of a fortune cookie!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.

Details - Stamps:  Asian Delights (MFP); Winter Crocus (MFP); Paper: Sweet Tooth White, Crumb Cake, Purely Pomegranate; Ink: Timber Brown, Crumb Cake, Pink Pirouette, Purely Pomegranate, Early Espresso; Accessories: blender pen, paper snips, MS Arch Lattice border punch, stampin' dimensionals, sponge dauber.

Mondays are for Vacation

At least this Monday is for Vacation.  The Friends of Speedy TV are challenging crafters to make a vacation themed card today.  My idea of vacation is always going to be hot and tropical.  You see, I live in the rainy Pacific Northwest and we don't get a lot of sunny and warm here.  This week is supposed to be an exception.  While the rest of the country is experiencing blistering temperatures, we are just now getting into the high 70's.  I climbed the stairs into my stuffy craft room with my ice cold drink to create this one layer card.  After a bit of masking, sponging and bending of stamps, I emerged with my beachy scene!  I used a partial sentiment and the palm tree from Flamingos on Vacation.  This set just so happens to be the prize for one randomly chosen player!  Take a look at it below:

Hello flamingos!!  Don't you just love that polka-dotted ric-rac?  I hope you play along in order to have a chance at winning this fabulous set!

Thanks for stopping by!

Details - Stamps: Flamingos on Vacation (MFP); Paper: Favorite Natural (MFP); Ink: Crumb Cake, Old Olive, Early Espresso, Daffodil Delight; Accessories: sponge dauber, circle punch, corner chomper, blender pen, post it, spritzing tool.



My Anchor

Today is my husbands' birthday, so I made this card for him.  I played along with the Featured Stamper challenge on Splitcoaststampers to find a sketch to get started with.  I was fussing around in my craft room looking for a masculine image and nothing really was clicking for me.  Then I saw my Spellbinders set which include this anchor die.  An idea was born.  Beside creating his birthday card, I have a few more things to get done today before he gets home.  He's been backpacking with a few friends in the mountains.  My daughter and I are going to whip up some Rice Krispie treats (as he isn't a fan of cake) and then hang up some streamers and balloons.  I might only have about an hour to get those things done.  Gotta run! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Details - Stamps:  Island Life (MFP); Paper: Sweet Tooth White, Basic Gray, Basic Black, MME Surf's Up, A Walk in the Park; Ink: Basic Gray, Versamark; Accessories: Scallop circle punch, circle punch, D'vine Swirls ef, clear ep, heat tool, hemp twine, scor-tape, stampin' dimensionals, glue dot, Nautical Frame and Accents dies.

An Inspired Saturday

I had a bit of time to play along with the Inspiration challenge on Splitcoaststampers today.  My daughter is busy playing with her cousin and having a ball.  I whipped up this fun little card inspired by a bath bomb.  It looks like Earth to me and that made me instantly think of this stamp set.  I used a sketch from the clean and simple stamping blog to get me going straight away!  My daughter may prefer to use this card for her father's birthday tomorrow, we'll see.  Happy Saturday folks, I'm heading out to the garden after I fix lunch for the girls!

Thanks for stopping by!

Details - Stamps: Out of the World (Unity); Paper: Naturals White, Basic Black; Ink: Tuxedo Black, Real Red; Accessories: Copic Markers, Black Sharpie, M's rhinestones, stampin' dimensionals, paper snips, corner chomper.

Using Tissue Today

Hello and Happy Thursday!  Those are the four words that I try to start each SCS Ways To Use It challenge when I am hostessing.  Today, July 5th, I am that hostess.  The product I chose is tissue paper.  I want to see all the ways that folks can use tissue paper.  I wanted to try and make some faux washi tape and I love how it turned out.  The technique is pretty simple and I think most people can do it.  I spread out some plain white tissue paper and laid strips of scor-tape over it.  Next, I flipped my tissue over, colored over the tape (sloppily) with my Copic and Touch Twin markers and then stamped my design or pattern over the top.  Then I trimmed the strips out, took off paper backing and applied to my card stock.  Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy.  Check out this tutorial if you need pictures.  This card just kind of came together and lucky me, it's perfect for my mother's birthday which is today.  I won't share how old she is because she raised me better than that! 

Won't you play along with me over on Splitcoast?  I would love to see what you come up with.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Details - Stamps: Fresh Vintage, Text Objects (Verve), Dandelion Dreams (Skipping Stones Designs); Paper: Sweet Tooth White, Early Espresso, tissue paper; Ink: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake; Accessories: Scor-tape, Copic markers, Touch Twin markers, May Arts burlap twine, paper snips, glue dot, stampin' dimensionals.

A Colorful Surprise

I'm so glad you stopped by today because I have a surprise to share.  Last week, I was invited to be a Guest Designer for the Splitcoaststampers Color Combination challenge.  I gladly accepted and will be playing along for the month of July!!  Today's colors offered by our hostess, Vicki, are White, Crumb Cake and Calypso Coral.  The color challenge also has a dessert option and this week that option is to create a one layer card.

I broke out some of my Stampin' Up! sets for this straighforward card.  I think that I normally stamp light to dark, but it didn't work so well with my craft ink in the mix.  I ended up breaking my own habit and stamped it dark to light.

Thanks for coming by!  Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Details - Stamps: Delicate Doilies, Favorite Thoughts; Paper: Crumb Cake; Ink: Versamark, Crumb Cake, Calypso Coral, Craft White; Accessories: clear ep, heat tool, corner chomper.

Friends with Red, White and Blue

Hello Friends!  I'm back on this Monday before Independence Day with a Friends of Speedy TV challenge to make a red, white and blue card.  Since I made a flag card last week, I opted to go in a non-patriotic way.  I was in a bit of  a hurry to get my card made so I turned to my stamping influence, Susan Raihala, for a fabulous sketch.  Thanks to Susan for helping me out in a pinch and necessitating the addition of Pear Tart to my ink collection.  Ah, but I digress.  Back to my red, white and blue.  I stamped some Mark's Finest Paper butterflies in Cherry Cobbler and my sentiment in Night of Navy.  I needed just a bit more, so I touched up the butterflies bodies with some Black Diamond stickles.

Let's not forget that if you play along with the rest of the Friends of Speedy TV and I that you can win a wonderful Mark's Finest Papers stamp set.  The set that is offered up this week is Train Talk.  Take a peek at it right here:

Thanks for stopping by and visiting today!  I'll be looking for you over at MFP Speedy TV!

Details - Stamps: Daffodil Greetings (MFP), Scenic Selections (MFP), Welcome Poppies (MFP); Paper: Sweet Tooth White; Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Night of Navy; Accessories: Black Diamond Stickles.