Introducing: Who's That Geek Guy and Clearly Sentimental about Summer Vacation

I hope that you're as excited as we are about this month's new release from MFT. I had so much fun working with this month's new Who's that Guy set titled "Who's that Geek Guy." As I'm sure you can see, I paper pieced this whole little scene. Using all scraps of paper, I pieced the chair, shirt, laptop and desktop.

I had fun rummaging through my paper bins to find all assorted scraps that would work for the project. I've got a bit of My Minds Eye (the orange circle) a bit of Cosmo Cricket (the grid pattern and the ledger paper) and my new Basic Grey Basics (the chair) - my favorite element on this card, the remnant jean scrap. Shredded and stitched into place.

This fun set comes with a number of sayings that you can stamp onto the t-shirt for a fun graphic tee look. But since my husband frequently works from home I thought it would be fun to use this for a father's day card, and reached for the "Clearly Sentimental about Fathers."

I have a second sample to share with you today, because I always like to share a sample of the Triple Scoop stamp set of the month. If you ask me, this is such a wonderful promotion, for every three full sized stamp sets ($15.95 or more) you will earn the Triple Scoop set of the month for free. The set is otherwise unavailable for sale until the following month's release....

Beginning tonight at 10pm this month's set is "Clearly Sentimental about Summer Vacation". I was really excited to trip across a piece of this patterned paper from Cosmo Cricket in my stash, the campers, the green woodgrain.

I embraced the campiness with a bit of denim scrap, and gingham ribbon (of course... they're right now a go to for me) and lots of distress inking for aging.

Remember all the new release goodness is tonight! The newest Guest Designer will be announced, lots of give-aways and of course the shop will open at 10pm! (earlier if you are a Tub Lovin Club Member!!) Don't miss our 10m PM Shop Hop with a new project from ALL our designers!! Meet us on the MFT Forum so you don't miss all the fun (and ahem...prizes!!!)

Celebrate MFT - September Customer Blog Hop

Welcome to Celebrate MFT Day! If you haven't hopped by before on the 20th, its just a day to get your MFT Stamps Inky and show them a little love.

Today, I've invited five talented customers to help share their MFT spirit, and I just can't WAIT to see what they've come up with!

My husband and I have been working super hard over the course of the last year to green up our lifestyle. From organic shopping to participating in a crop share at a local family farm, its been an amazing and super healthy adventure. Nevermind how seriously TASTY the farm fresh food is.

So, for my sample, I was so excited to play with My Favorite Things Presents by Stephanie Fizer - Grow Love, Plant a Tree.

Now... off to the blog hop!! You're going to be visiting five blogs this morning, and then you'll be directed over to the galleries at Splitcoast Stampers.

You are all welcome (and encouraged!!) to add your MFT creations to the gallery today using the keyword "CelebrateMFT0909" And remember, I'm always looking for customers to ask for the next month's hop!

I can't wait to see what the girls on this month's hop have created - I hope you'll join me for the first stop on the trip

is Karen at Paper Playhouse.

Thanks so much for hopping by today and have fun!

Celebrate MFT- August Customer Blog Hop

Hi everyone! I'm so excited to kick off this month's Customer Blog Hop for My Favorite Things!! Its the 20th, which means, of course it is Celebrate MFT Day!

If you haven't played along before, its just a fun day for you to get your stamps from My Favorite Things all inky!

This month, I've invited five talented customers and friends to hop along and show their love for MFT, and I'd love for you to pop along and drool over what I'm sure will be some truly gorgeous creations!

I'm having fun playing with this adorable Kawaii style "Feelin' Fruity" set illustrated by Stephanie Fizer for My Favorite Things Presents.

The image is colored with my Copics and then I added clear glaze pen to the cherries for lots of shine. I paired my Cosmo Cricket Early Bird paper (seriously love that stuff) along with a fun little piece of scrap scallop I had leftover from another project. The sentiment is tucked inside, "Thank you Cherry Much." I'm still on my simple card tangent, hope you're not tired of it quite yet.....

Without further ado, I'm going to pass you along to the next stop on this month's blog hop, please head on over to visit Jackie Pedro. I honestly think that everything that girl makes is just cuter than cute, and I'm sure you'll agree!

Don't forget that you too are invited to participate in the Celebration today! Anything that you create for MFT today can be added to the Celebrate MFT Gallery for August on Splitcoast Stampers using the keyword "CelebrateMFT0809." No particular theme, just have FUN and show your MFT love!!!

MFT's Customer Blog Hop!

Each month, I love celebrating MFT Day - its just a fun little excuse to get your MFT stamps all inky, on the 20th of any given month!

Well, this month, I've invited some special guests to come and celebrate with me for a little MFT Customer Hop!

All the invitations were sent based on some outstanding samples to the many challenges that MFT holds over on our forum. You can find all the details here.

I hope you have fun surfing around visiting some of My Favorite Things talented, and dedicated customers!

Don't forget to leave them all a little love for their hard work.... and be sure to add your work to the MFT challenges this month, because I'll soon be sending out invitations for the August Customer hop!

The last stop on the hop will be the Celebrate MFT July gallery on Splitcoast. Come on, show your My Favorite Things team spirit and add your creations using the keyword "CelebrateMFT0709."

Without further ado, I invite you to HOP on over to visit the first customer in our lineup today --- Melody! I'm always SO in awe of her work week after week!

Thanks for stopping by and have fun hopping!

Celebrate MFT - Customer Blog Hop

I've been having SO much fun chatting with the "MFT Junkies", and working with my friend Christina on the new My Favorite Challenge each Thursday. Its been amazing to see a core team of girls contribute week after week, and its also been fantastic to see new players starting to join up in the fun too!

With that in mind, we decided to start a Customer Blog hop each month - to recognize some outstanding contributions using My Favorite Things stamps. The natural time to do it, seemed to be Celebrate MFT Day!

Now, who's been asked is a secret... but just for just a few more days... the first Customer Blog Hop will be on Monday, July 20th beginning at 11 am EST. The girls are all working on their projects, and I'm so excited to see what they've been up to. I'll be kicking off the hop next Monday, and it will end at the Celebrate MFT Gallery on Splitcoast.

That means that You also have a chance to show your MFT Team Spirit and participate in Celebrate MFT Day by adding your My Favorite Things stamped creation to the Splitcoast Gallery on Monday July 20th using the keyword "CelebrateMFT0709"

You'll find all the details on the MFT Member Company Forum on Splitcoast on this thread. But don't forget, that the entries to the weekly and monthly challenges on the MFT Member Company Forum might just earn you your invitation to next month's customer blog hop!!

A Busy Day!

Just a quick post to let you know about two other things going on today in addition to the beginning of the January previews for Gina K Designs!

Dirty Dozen and Dirty Dozen Alumni Challenge - Feel the Love Hosted by my friend Jodi!  The rules were fun - a lovey dovey card with some texture to it.  I have embossing, crystal effects, ribbon with embossed polka dots, an eyelet border, lots and lotsa layers and crumpled paper for my paper pieced cupcake liners.  The exclusion this month... no red!

Here's just a snippet of my submission you can see the full card HERE. Please see the gallery on Splitcoast HERE to see all the amazing creations by my Dirty Sisters!  

Its also Celebrate MFT Day - a day just to adore your MFT stamps and get all inky! No special requirements, if you're really feeling the MFT love, use Pink Black and White on your MFT creations. I've got just a snippet of this creation too, to see the rest of my MFT love of the day click HERE.  

I was feeling in a flopsey mood for some stamping, and a pink cupcake -mmmmm.  Since my cuttlebug embossing folder was already handy, I put it to good use on my second card.  I found this adorable ribbon on a local excursion and knew it would be handy for MFT themed cards!  The cupcake is painted with Pink Poinsettia Shimmerz  - looks like a real sugary, tasty treat!  Show your MFT stamps a little love today and upload your creations using the keyword "MFTJAN09" to the Splitcoast Galleries.

e-girl Notes

Here's a little notebook I created for a blogging friend using a DVD tin which I altered with one of my very favorite new paper collections "Urban Prairie" from Basic Grey.  The stamp set is "Who's that e-girl" from My Favorite Things. 

Lots of paper piecing possibilities for this set.  I pieced the skirt, couch and wallpaper.  What a girly fun room is this?

The sentiment "Notes" is stamped with my Just Rite Rectangular stamper and the Brayton Font kit.  

I adore these felt flowers from Petaloo that I found in the My Favorite Things online store.  I've had fun popping them onto projects here and there.  They come in such a variety of fun colors, each package has a variety of sizes, and I love how durable these flowers are.  I must say paper flowers worry me that they'll be destroyed before they get to their destination!  

Inside is a little notepad that I trimmed down to size with the help of my carl cutter.  The left hand side has a little pocket to tuck in receipts, or lists etc.  Edited to add: Just a quick note that I certainly did not come up with this fun idea myself.... I remember lots of people making these around this time last year. Most notably I remember this sweet one that my friend Jenn made last year!!! That's why it pays to read a million blogs and stock up on alterables right??

Are you looking forward to some new MFT in the new year?  Our January launch party will be Wednesday, January 7th. And, got a few new samples to share, one of which is my new favorite card ever.  I'm tickled PINK to share it with you.  Previews will begin on Monday, January 5th!!

What's Up Wednesday - With Water

These weeks are going faster and faster, I can't believe I'm already writing another What's Up Wednesday post!  

There is so much to share today - Kim by now has already announced the new Wednesday Hook Up, a new tutorial will be posted by Shannan, I'm hostessing the Challenge of the day!  Then to top it off, don't forget the first fifty orders of the day will be getting a special little extra from Kim! You'll also find the DT members posting some of their favorite finds within the MFT gallery.  

And there's always some chatter on the WUW thread on the My Favorite Things Member Company Forum.  I told you, its a busy day! 

So, here's my sample for the Water Challenge.  It can be that you watercolor, or use an image that is watery!  I did both.  This image is colored with my Peerless Watercolors, and an Aquapainter.  I just picked up one of the Peerless Palettes last week, I seriously can't recommend it enough.  It is a fantastic addition to my Peerless Paints... it allows you to spread out the color and be able to pick the depth of color you'd like. For the boots, the girl's raincoat coat and the doggies coat, I used more saturated pigment.  For the puddle and the background, I used the very lightest portion of the ink I'd spread out onto the palette.  

So head on over to the MFT Member Company forum on Splitcoast, pick up some watercolor pointers from Shannan, and upload your watery creations to the gallery using MFT as a keyword.  Can't wait to see what you come up with.  Three lucky participants will be picked next week to receive $5 gift certificates to the My Favorite Things store! 

I just found all the details on the What's Up Wednesday Hook Up. Oh My Goodness, she's having specials Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. HUGE!  Find the special offers HERE.

Have a great day!

What's Up Wednesday - Hey Bossy!

Its What's Up Wednesday!  How did that happen again? Seems like I just wrote last week's What's Up Wednesday post....

Amber's going to laugh at me, because once again, I have not one, but TWO samples for the challenge.  I wanted to do one with the Splitcoast Color Challenge this week, which is "Tangerine Pixie Kisses" but just couldn't get it together with Chives considering that Emily used Pixie Pink!!  This fun and funky bathtub seemed like a better fit.  

The MFT What's Up Wednesday challenge this week is to Get Bossy!  (To all of you who cast embossing as your favorite technique for my blog candy last week -- I listened, so come on and play!!)  You can do heat embossing, dry embossing whatever you'd like, just emboss something on your card.  We were supposed to be working with Chives, but as you'll see, I messed up my own challenge for the color version and used "Chill Out" instead.  Just worked better for the color challenge.  The image was watercolored with my reinkers, and then I added white gel pen accents.  

In my opinion, you just can't go wrong with these Annie LaPoint images from My Favorite Things Presents.  They're so fun to color!  

So, since I'm a cheater and didn't use Chives, I have another one too. (Amber, zip it! LOL!)  This is the one that uses Chives along with some yummy October Afternoon paper.  For the Really Rust panel, I ran it through my cuttlebug after swiping the folder with my Really Rust ink for that "negative effect" on the embossing.  

On both cards, I heat embossed the image with black ink and clear embossing powder. Just love that extra detail - and it helps when coloring in the image too. There is literally a line you bump into to keep your details in place! Sweet!  

The image is colored with my Prismacolor pencils and blended with OMS and stumps.  The background of the oval was colored all the way out to the embossed edge with a very pale cream marker.  The embossed edge was left white for a little faux layering.

Speaking of nesties....that reminds me, another thing that is embossed on both these cards. Nesties.  Lots of times I skip the step of running my nesties through the machine again for that really deep embossing.  But, for both these cards I did use my tan embossing mat and a few extra pieces of cardstock to get that nice embossed edge on the cards.  Ahhh, I've got to stop being lazy with that because I love the effect.....

Hope you'll come to play along on the MFT Member Company Forum.  If you don't have Chives, feel free to play along with whatever you've got!  Just don't forget to be bossy! 

Still time to Celebrate!

This post is so late, but there are still a few more hours left to Celebrate MFT - heck, I celebrate this fantastic company way more than once a month!  (In fact, I'm teaching a My Favorite Things Card class tomorrow night at my local stamping store!!)

This card is both for Celebrate MFT Day and today's Sketch Challenge over on Splitcoast Stampers.  If you're not familiar with Celebrate MFT Day, its just a great excuse to pull out those My Favorite Things stamps and let them get all inky!

This is going to be a Thank You note for my eldest son's birthday party this past weekend, held at a local family farm!  I apologize to all of you that don't get this version of the card, but I think you'll see that it is possibly a wee bit complicated to make this 10 times!  Giggle.

The image was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, then I masked it to sponge a background all around.  Sponging was done with the new Kiwi Kiss for the grass, and a combination of Bordering Blue and Whisper White ink for the sky. 

Hope you have a chance to put those MFT's to work today!  Don't forget to leave a comment on the thread with a link to your creation for a chance at a lucky random gift of $5 to the MFT site!

Chicago Bound!!

Tonight I'm Chicago bound for CHA!  I'm going laptop free, but will have my camera with me and can't wait to share with you next week.

Can't wait to see the MFT sitah's - many of whom I'll be meeting in person for the first time - and hang out with my roomie Alma (hi roomie!!) At long last, I'm finally getting to meet Gina K in person, as well as Melanie and Kurtis too!  Waving hello to Em and Nicky -  can't wait to catch up..... So many new things to see at the show and friends to visit with!  

While I'm gone here's a little eye candy..... 

This stamp is my pre post for Celebrate MFT - looks simple, but in truth there's a lot going on.... - The image is colored in with Copic markers and the background is gridded with my Scor Pal.  I used my Oval Nestabilities and my Spellbinders Scalloped Tags Trio, a Making Memory Button and paper from Paper Trey ink.  The whole thing is sewn up with my Janome.  This fun sentiment is from Verve Visual (simply GREAT sentiments...) 

Lots of fun coming up in the next week..... here's a few reminders!!

Don't forget Celebrate MFT on the 20th over on the Splitcoast Member Company Forum.

Gina K will have a new release on the 24th -- You won't want to miss it!  Fabulous stuff!

My first class featuring My Favorite Things at Right At Home on the 26th in North Attleboro Massachusetts.  If you're local I'd LOVE to have you come join me!

Let's Celebrate!

Oh how I love the 20th!  For the past two months, its been both the launch for Gina K as well as Celebrate MFT Day!  

Here's a little MFT Celebration for the day!  I happened across this paper from Making Memories Passport Collection on a recent shopping/browsing/hoarding trip to Right at Home and thought "A HA! I know exactly which stamp that would be fabulous with!"   

Between the vintage designs on the paper, the fantastic color palette - its just so me. I can't wait to get back to Right at Home to pick up some more!  The card base is Kraft from SU, with some Very Vanilla grosgrain ribbon and a hadful of vintage brads on the bottom corner. 

The stamp is "Going Places" which I was so excited to use again.  I'd last used it on a travel journal for the last release.... I stamped it on Poison Ivory cardstock with my new Memento ink pad.  (Have I not mentioned a zillion times that this ink ROCKS??) The dress was paper pieced, everything else was colored with my Copic markers.

If you've got a little stamping time today, its a great chance to ink up all those MFT stamps and come play with us!  If you do, be sure to load them up in the gallery on Splitcoast using the key word "MFTJune08" so we can see them all in one place!

As long as you're on Splitcoast, don't forget to join us tonight for Gina's launch party!  I'm off to see what the rest of the DT crew has been working on with the new releases!      

Yum!

Sometimes, I just love rainy afternoons. The little girls that I watch hunkered down with a craft this afternoon - and I grabbed a craft for myself and the three of us hung out, chatted and created.

They were so into their rainbow fish that I got a chance to pull together a quick card with an upcoming set from My Favorite Things. Kim's so sweet that she's letting me post this early. (Thanks KIM!)

Trust me when I say that you're going to love this entire set, and all the other goodies coming out in just a few weeks time. Everything is just completely adorable.

The cupcakes are colored in with my copic markers, then I stamped the sprinkles on it and coated them with stickles. Ooooh, this little card just makes me want to heat up the oven and bake something! (Um, or run out to the bakery?)

This card is for this week's sketch challenge over on the My Favorite Things Member Company Forum. I completely adore this paper, from the Blue Hill collection from Crate Paper.

So, don't forget, its "Celebrate MFT Day" treat yourself to a little stamping time with either your latest MFT's that you may have picked up at the last launch, or any other of your favorite things you may already own. Don't forget to post on Splitcoast with "MFTMAY08" so we can all celebrate together!