MFT Challenge Time

What's Up?? Its Wednesday!! 

I can't even believe what I'm about to say... I have 60+ cards finished, addressed, stuffed, signed and just ready to have a stamp slapped on and put into the mail!  I have another 40 for my husband signed and ready for HIM to address, stuff and tuck into the mail! He thinks he'll need another 20 to complete his list.  But considering I've got the bulk of the job done, I'm taking a wee little break..... 

Actually first I tore apart my stamping area, and re arranged some furniture down here... then once everything was cleaned up, I let myself play a little..... I just love that!!

So, while I was playing, I cranked out two cards, one you'll see here today and one card I'm saving for Friday!

I played along in the color challenge on Splitcoast the colors are Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze and Taken With Teal.  I'll admit it, Taken with Teal frightens me. There, I said it....  So, I squeezed it into my project by using it for my cardbase, then covered up as much of it as possible. Giggle!  I ran the Baja Breeze layer through my Cuttlebug and then I softened it with some white craft ink.  

I just realized that I've combined so many challenges here.... this image "Baby Its Cold Outside" along with a little edge distressing qualifies this card for Monday's Who's That Girl challenge.

Since I added a generous helping of Diamond Dust to finish off the card, it also works for the sparkle challenge announced today!  

Jessie has posted a fantastic tutorial on how to make a Gift Card on the How'd They Do That section of the MFT Member Company Forum. Be sure to drop by to pick up a few tips and tricks.  

Thanks for looking, and have a fantastic day!

Color Challenge, well Basically....and What's Up Wednesday Offer

Multi-tasking.  Um, sometimes it works for you, and sometimes not so much.  I was trying to do the Color Challenge this week, but only afterwards realized it was Pink Pirouette and Basic Black, not Basic GREY!! Whoops.

Carole is probably too busy to be reading over here, or else she'd call me a cheater.  But oh, well, I did TRY right?  Besides, I didn't want to make a black cat.... look how sweet they look in grey!

My poor Prismacolor Pencils have been taking a backseat to my Copics lately.  I pulled them out, picked the colors for this project and was just so pleased with how the final image came out.  I love the precise manner in which I can get into nooks and crannies without --whoops, ink moving into the wrong place. 

Don't get me wrong, I adore the vibrancy of my copics, but I'm still on that learning curve, and lets be honest, the things just don't always cooperate with me.  Hey, a girl needs a variety of tools right??  

You can find these sweet Peppermint Cats at My Favorite Things.  And guess what?  Kim is running a 48 hour special! Here are the details:

----------------------

Every order over $45 from Wednesday through midnight Friday (EST) gets to choose one of the retiring sets for FREE!

Simply add your selection to the comments section and we will take care of it! The sets you can choose from are:

Baby First
Build a Bouquet
Bundles of Bouquets
Farm Friends
Hare for the Holidays
Hearts Galore
She’s Having a Baby

It’s only for 48 hours though…

Shoeless Joe

Today, Michelle is hosting a "What's Up Wednesday Challenge"  This week, the girls are stamping with that fantastic new "Window Shopping" set but can you believe it, mine got eaten up in the mail! They've either been lost in the bottom of the mail truck, or my mailman's wife is using them.  

A new set is on the way to me that I just can't WAIT to get all inky.  

But till then, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to play with these sweet kittens from "Peppermint Cats" again.  

I missed out on last week's Try a New Technique Challenge to make a Mini Pizza Box (the original instructions are from my friend Jen) and they do come together so quickly!  While cleaning last week, I ran across a sizeable stash of this "Holiday Thyme" paper, now long since retired from Stampin Up.  

I'll be putting together several of these for teacher gifts for the holidays. And filling them with my very favorite sweet treat chocolate covered cranberries. YUM!  

Tangerine Scarecrow Kisses

This week's color challenge on Splitcoast was just the thing for my My Favorite Things "We're Not Scared" stamp.  

I can't believe I hadn't gotten him inky yet.  My children just LOVE this little creation and he's propped up on our mantlepiece this morning.

This not so scary scarecrow was colored in with a handful of copic markers.  I had totally forgotten I'd purchased this Kiwi Kiss prints paper from Stampin Up.  I thought that this checkered piece would compliment the scarecrow shirt.  

It is a beautiful day here in New England, I'm off for a walk for some fresh air with the kids.  Have a GREAT day!

By the way, I'll have another new MFT creation for you on Friday - this week is a customer inspiration sample, and I've got to get to work so that I've got a sample to share you.  Hope you'll come play - you never know when YOUR MFT creation will be the inspiration sample of the week.  Be sure to look for the thread on the Splitcoast Member Company Forum, Amber will be posting the thread late on Thursday night! 

Think Pink Friday

You may already be aware, but October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  In honor of that, Amber and I selected "Think Pink" from MFT as our Oldie Plus Goodie of the week.

We'd love for you to play along with us this week, and if you don't happen to already own this set, that's okay too... use whatever MFT you may already have in your "collection."  We'd just love to see you put those MFT's to good use!

The only catch this week is that you can't use designer paper.  For me, that's a big catch!

I've typed this post, and deleted it about twenty times.  All this subject makes me want to do is cry.  We all know someone affected, some of you reading may already be fighting this battle and many of us have experienced a loss from this terrible disease.  (crying again.)  Please, talk to your doctor about your risk factors, get your mammograms, if you're supposed to be having one... just go, please.  For information on low- or no cost mammography screening, contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at (888) 842-6355 or visit their Web site at www.cdc.gov.

For me, I'll turn 35 this month and I'll be asked by my doctors to go have "the big squeeze." I've been dreading it, but given the alternative...squeeze away.  

 

MFT Monday

Hope you've all had a great weekend.  It has been raining in Boston for days. How Dreary!  At least I've had new stamps to keep me company!

Today starts the DT Previews for this weeks My Favorite Things launch.  Right off the bat, I couldn't wait to play with "A Scarf for Three" illustrated by Stephanie Fizer. I just adore her style.  

This sweet trio was colored with my copic markers then I added liquid applique to the ear muffs, pom pom and hat trim for some fluff. 

I'm not a giant fan of snow in general, but snowmen.... that's a different story!

Then there are the  "Peppermint Cats" (also illustrated by Stephanie....)  Oh goodness were they so fun to color with my Prismacolor Pencils.  

In real life, I'm a dog person, not a cat person, but in stamp life...  they're adorable!  If my dad weren't terribly allergic, I'd probably allow my kids to get one as they're both obsessed.  

After I finished up with my card, I had so much fun coloring them for my card, that I had to give Jody's Boxy Bag a try.  

By the way....be sure to hop over to Jody's blog for details as to how to make your own boxy bag, while you're there, enter her blog candy contest too!  She's got a really fun giveaway including a fun new product from MFT!!

One last MFT Preview for you today using Annie LaPoint's "Chives" I think I used my last (gasp!) piece of Kraft cardstock for this. Going to have to add that to the list because if you haven't noticed, I use it just about all the time.  

The designer paper is from a fun new paper pack from American Crafts.  Lucky me, I found it at my  local AC Moore when I just happened to have a nice hefty coupon, so it was super inexpensive!  Dug into my secret stash of Soft Sky cardstock (now retired from Stampin Up) for my matting.  

My Favorite Things (www.mftstamps.com) is having a New Release Cocktail Party on Wednesday, October 1 from 9-11 p.m. Eastern time. This month there are SIX new sets being released, plus a new storage system for your MFT stamps that you are gonna love!

Head over to the MFT forum on www.splitcoaststampers.com to find out all the details and to find out how YOU can be the next MFT Guest Designer. We hope to see you there on Wednesday night.

This time, with pictures!

I don't know what happened to my Friday post, apparently the pictures were left off. I SWEAR I uploaded them... so lets give this another try!!

The next two cards are for Friday's challenge over on the MFT Member Company Forum.  Friday is "Oldies Plus Goodies" hosted by myself and Amber.  This week, you're welcome to use ANY MFT stamp so long as it is inspired by this beautiful creation by Jen.  I'm always inspired by Jen's work, and this beauty is no exception!

I created two cards for this challenge. The first is inspired by her color palette - I used Rose Red for the main matting, then 

My second card is inspired by her layout, and I switched all the colors to use this week's Splitcoast color challenge.  
I hope you'll come play along, don't forget, one lucky winner recieves a $5 gift certificate to the store, and is entered into the monthly $25 drawing!

You have until Monday at 9am EST to tuck a card into the galleries using the keyword MFTOPG2 for a chance at the prize! Go stamp something!! 

A little herb for you.....

I was so excited about this image "Rosemary" from My Favorite Things Presents, that I had inadvertently posted it a month early!   

When it came time to make my August samples, I pulled this little baby out of my pile of upcoming releases and put it to work with Cindy's weekly sketch. But WHOOPS it is a September release, not August.  eeks. A few of you noticed it in my gallery, but then I had to pull it right quick to cover my gaffe!  

So, here's Rosemary, its back and  I adore it.  The color combination here is Kiwi Kiss, Basic Black and Very Vanilla.  The pot is paper pieced, and the herbs are colored with my prismacolors then blended with OMS and a stump. 

Thanks for looking, and I hope you have a great day!

Branchin' Out

I posted this on the party chatter thread the other night, so if you were over there, it isn't totally new to you.  

But, since I was a tease about having lots of previews and only sharing a few the other day, thought I'd share the love over here as well.

This set "Branch Out" from My Favorite Things is so fun and versatile!  I love that there are all manner of different things you can place on the tree. Flowers, leaves, Christmas ornaments! Too cute.

And the sentiments have a built in curve to them.  However, you know what's fun about that, you can also ink them one portion at a time and stack them up.  I love how this gives movement to the sentiment, you know, sort of wind swept?

The tree was stamped and then the leaves added. Then I colored with my Koh-i-noor pencils from Gina K Designs.  I also used the pencils to draw in the sky and grass.  Looks like a bright autumn day no?  Makes me want to go pick apples, or buy sweaters or something.....

Have a GREAT day!

Couldn't Wait - Another Teaser!

I was going to post this tonight during the My Favorite Things New Release Cocktail Party, but couldn't wait! My order from Eclectic Paperie arrived yesterday, containing new pails, and I got right to work...

In our neighborhood, in early October, you can expect to be "boooo'ed" your doorbell will ring after dark and surprise, you'll have a little goodie bag full of treats, and then you pass along the favor 

to two new houses the next night.  

My eldest loves the "ding, dong RUN" and hiding to watch the neighbor's open the door and get their treats.  Well now, I've got one treat tin ready and just have to make one more. Oh right, and buy treats, but I don't dare yet, or I'll EAT them and have to just buy more.  

Luckily, I've created two addicted stampers in my neighborhood so I know Flopsey is going to a good home!  

This great designer paper is Cosmo Cricket's Haunted line - and the clear pail is from Stampendous. I should just place a standing order with Eclectic Paperie for them as I use them for just about everything! 

Flopsey is stamped onto Poison Ivory cardstock, and his ears and tiny toes and his treat bag are colored with Copic markers.  A faint outline with my W1 copic marker all around the edge of his sheet, followed by a glimmer of my spica pen all around the edges.  The little bag was stamped separatley, then trimmed apart so that I could hang the ltitle bag over his shoulder and then popped the bag up with a dimensional.

Ooooh, its so cute, I want to keep it.  Maybe I'l just have to buy more tins. Sigh.

My Favorite Things (www.mftstamps.com) is having a New Release Cocktail Party TONIGHT!  Sept. 3 from 9-11 p.m. Eastern time. This month there are SIX new sets being released, plus one from a new line at MFT: BCDzyns.

MFT Teaser Day

I've made several My Favorite Things previews...but what a tease.... I'll be saving a few for the thread tomorrow night.  In the meantime, I'm showing two today, and you can find several peeks from the Design Team team on this thread.

The first, is one card a card that I put together for Cindy's weekly sketch on the My Favorite Things Member Company Forum.  

As you probably know by now, I love sketch work, and its so fun to look at the original sample and see how everyone looks at it differently.  (Be sure to hop on over to see what other players did with this little sketch too...)  

This is "Chill Out" one of the upcoming releases from  My Favorite Things Presents by Annie LaPoint.  The paper is a piece I've been hoarding from Collage press. Little prepster that I am, I love the green and pink combination.  

This next project, I have to say, is my most favorite thing that I've made in a while.  So much so, that I'm hoping to offer this as a kit class over at Right at Home! But, I'll have to make another sample for the store, because this one is MINE! (giggle!!) I'm actually using this as my Christmas planner.  With a big family there are many gifts to buy, ideas to track down and with both boys in school this year, I'm going to be busier than ever.  If I don't keep notes and lists, I'm going to be lost!!  

I made this journal with Zuter Covers and pages in my Bind it All (so handy!) and covered it with Roxbury series paper from Scenic Route.  The main panel is colored with Copic markers. The wallpaper and wrapping paper are paper pieced.  

 

Hope you've enjoyed the previews, and I hope to see you tomorrow night at the release party over on the My Favorite Things Member Company forum!!  In fact, head on over there now, because there is a little quiz where Kim will be giving one winner a $25 shopping spree!  Go test your knowlege of My Favorite Things for a chance to win!

Kickin' Back

This is a sample for My Favorite Things that I forgot to show you!  

This was one of the cards that we created at my most recent card class over at Right at Home.  I totally adore this paper from Collage Press.  

If the layout looks familiar, its because it is Kristina Werner inspired and was Splitcoast Sketch Challenge number 181

Kicking back and relaxing is exactly what I hope to do this weekend. We've got no big plans, and I love that!  

Next week, My Favorite Things has a release on Wednesday, and Gina K has a release on Friday! Looking forward to lots of sample making this weekend, and previews all next week!

Have a wonderful, and most importantly SAFE Holiday weekend, and hope you get to kick back and relax too!

Its Almost Here!

Tonight's the night that five new stamps from My Favorite Things will be released.  This fun new set is another My Favorite Things Presents addition, this time from artist Stephanie Fizer titled "Monster Squad."  Isn't it just totally adorable??

You know what is SO fun about Halloween stamping? You can use the most totally loud color combinations and its perfect!  Unless you make brave color choices like my friend Carole, who always seems to pull it off, I'd never think to put orange, green, purple and yellow in a card, but this was so fun!  

I made this little haunted house all bright colors, green, orange purple with my copic markers, and then I went back over everything with my Pearlescent Watercolors. I just love the shimmery effect to make this little house pop off the page. 

The sentiment is stamped with white craft ink then embossed - it was punched out with my Stampin Up key tag punch.

For that fun bow, I tied a bow with two pieces of ribbon held together at the same time.  That polka dotted ribbon needed a little oomph to stand out well enough.  Speaking of that fun designer paper, its a new product that Kim will be adding to the My Favorite Things online store tonight!  There will be two packages of 6x6 designer paper available and ribbon to match!  Please hop on over to Kim's blog for all the details!  Including a really fun flap book that she created as well!

Don't forget, you can take a peek at all the Design Team previews over on the Splitcoast Gallery using the key word "MFTAUG08."  Sadly, I can't make it to the Launch Party tonight over on the Splitcoast Member Company forum --- but I hope that you'll pop in for a visit and be sure to fill me in on the scoop!!  Don't want to miss a thing!  Remember its from 9-11pm Eastern Time!

Lost?

This card is going to be for my husband with the sentiment "I'd be lost without you...." I'm tucking it away for a road trip we're taking this fall.  Let me just say, I am a terrible navigator.  And, I detest long car rides.  He on the other hand, would be perfectly happy to ride cross country, or all the way to Florida etc.  Loves it.

Thank goodness for a navigation system because I'm like Joey from Friends.  I need to get INTO the map to figure out where I'm going.

When I saw this fun stamp set What's Your Sign from My Favorite Things, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.  I stamped the signpost a few times, in different directions with Chocolate Pearlescent Brilliance ink onto watercolor paper and then let it dry.  Then the whole image is watercolored with my Stampin Up reinkers and  a water brush.  Still one of my very favorite techniques.

So much my favorite, that I had to use that same color palette for another watercolor with Nature Calls.  As long as I'm stocking up on guy cards, I thought this would be fun to have to tuck in his suitcase the next time he travels. 

Can you tell I'm having SO much fun with my MFT stamps this month!  I've got one more preview tomorrow!

Have a great day everyone!

Totally Wicked

People that aren't from New England probably have no idea what I'm talking about with "Totally Wicked."  I remember one of the first times I used that phrase at college, and a friend from Texas stopped dead in his tracks and said "What did you just say??" He was needless to say, very amused.

I'm from Boston, we talk funny I guess.  

When I made my first card with this stamp set which I shared earlier today, the idea of the Wicked Witch of the West came over me.  

Have you seen the musical Wicked?  Or read the book?  I just adore that story, and the musical was so wonderfully done.  If you're not familiar, it is the story of The Wizard of Oz from the witches point of view, because really, she's just terribly misunderstood!

While its very difficult to see here, the dress for Glinda is paper pieced with pink paper, the given a coat of shine with my sakura stardust pen and my aquapainter.  I paper pieced her dress a few times to add a few layers because she isn't really a plain dress girl.  Elphaba's dress is paper pieced with Basic Grey paper from SU and her green stockings to match with that lovely skin tone of hers!

The cobweb stamp from this set was just perfect for some spooky green cardstock , the card base is Basic Grey as well.

Does that ever happen to you that you come across an idea and you can't rest till you've finally put it down on paper.  This was nothing but fun for me....  Love that creative stress reliever!

If you haven't seen the show, it is a fun night out (I went with my mother and sister last year) and they're on national tour.  Check here to see if they're coming to a city near you!   Its Wicked Amazing!  (giggle. I couldn't help myself.....)

More Teasers Tomorrow!

MFT Monday Teasin' Time

My eldest son gets a huge smile out of the My Favorite Things stamps each month.  He always tries to guess what "Who's that Girl" will be this month, and boy did he ever get a chuckle when he saw that she's now "Totally Witchin"! 

Lucky me, I ended up with some of the new Cosmo Cricket Haunted paper.  I mean, really I'm totally not above some major sucking up, especially when it comes to Cosmo Cricket - I just LOVE that stuff!!  I was only too happy to help relieve them of any "extras" that they didn't want to have to pack up later that day!  

This is modified from Cindy Haffners fantastic sketch challenge this week.  I just used a square focal image instead of a circle, but I'll have one that plays along with the actual sketch tomorrow! Be sure to visit the My Favorite Things Member Company forum to play along!  

I actually did the inside of the card as well, I stitched the main panel to a kraft border, and then added the fun spider stamp and sentiment to the inside of the card. 

Hold onto your seats because My Favorite Things  is releasing FIVE new sets this Wednesday!!  The New Release Cocktail Party will be held Wednesday, August 6 from 9-11 p.m. Eastern time. There will also be some great new ribbon added to the store. 

If you're an MFT-aholic like me, be sure to look for "The Girl Who Wants It All special" for the The Aug Collection, which is one of each set being released, is $65. 

Head over to the MFT forum on www.splitcoaststampers.com to find out all the details and to find out how YOU can be the next MFT Guest Designer. 

Quick card details: 

 5 1/4 square card, bard base is SU Really Rust, Witchy Dresses and broom paper pieced from Cosmo Cricket Haunted Paper, Black Brads from Stampin Up, Copic Markers used for background, and any part of the witches that weren't paper pieced.  I actually used my grey prismacolor pencil over my black copic marker to help create shadow and just soften the harshness of the black marker.  A fun tip I learned from Colorin' Kate at CHA!  

Stamping Right At Home

I've finished up my samples for my next class at Right at Home for anyone that is up in New England. 

We'll be making a set of get well cards (including one that is a flap card) as well as a little purse holding four notecards and envies!  All the cards are made with My Favorite Things stamps!

The class will be held on Thursday, August 21st beginning at 7pm.  Would LOVE to see you there if you're local (I'm halfway between Boston, MA and Providence, RI!) 

Please visit the the Right at Home blog for more details.  Or 508-695-9290 or via email at  r.scrapbooking@comcast.net  Hope to see you there!

Sweet Treats - Right at Home

I just wanted to thank Lisa and Sharon at Right at Home Scrapbooking as well as the wonderful ladies that joined me for my very first class.  (Hi everyone!!!!) 

I had so much fun, and I hope that  you all liked the projects we made.  I do apologize that we took so long to finish everything.  Ah, me and all the layers, I can't help myself. I'll streamline things for next time so that I don't keep you all so LONG!  

We made five cards, two using "What's Up Cupcake" and three using "Here's the Scoop."  Worked with Prismacolor pencils and OMS.  I'd hoped to show you all how the nesties worked, rather than zipping through myself to save time.  Sorry!!

I hope that you'll all consider coming back next month for another My Favorite Things class! Details coming soon!  

Challenged

About two years ago, I signed up for a six month club with a friend of mine who is a Stampin Up demonstrator.  I joined more for the night out than for the actual stamping.....  I became adept at replicating her designs each month to complete my own pages, and would buy my minimum order, which would promptly sit there unused.  I knew how to copy her designs, but was baffled as to what I'd do with stamps of my own.  

To try to put all that spending to work, I decided I'd do at least one challenge weekly on Splitcoast.  I wanted to get outside my comfort zone and try new things. 

My collection grew, and quickly, as I'd see that I didn't have any of the colors ever selected for the weekly color challenges.  Sketch challenges were, and still are... my favorite one to play along because then I could see what stamp in my ever growing collection might be just right for the "assignment."

But as I've become busier and busier with custom card orders, and design team projects, I seem to have fallen off the Splitcoast Wagon.  But I'm back with gusto this week.  I'm LOVING playing along in the Dare to Be Dirty challenges this week.  Hey, a girl can dream right?  

Its been so fun to try new things each day again, and to look at each project as a real challenge, a puzzle to be solved.... and I love looking at the galleries to see how each of us tackle the challenge so differently.  

I've been on a Gina K postapalooza enjoying all the new rubbah for last night's launch - were you there?  Its always SO fun!! But, I couldn't let my My Favorite Things stamps go too long without usage... 'cause I just love them!

The little Dirty Piggy card was made with "Punny Farm" for Holly's (aka Toy's) challenge on Thursday.  

The second card using "Rain or Shine" (ahem, maybe my most favorite MFT set yet.....)  is for the 40th week of sketch challenges on the MFT Member Company forum and also was made for Jody's Dare to Be Dirty challenge on Monday.  

You can find all the Dare to be Dirty challenges over here - but you'll only be able to access the page if you are a Splitcoast Fan club member. Totally worth it IMHO!  

So far, I've only missed one of these Splitcoast challenges this week, and that's only because I don't own any vellum paper.  I'll be rectifying that today so that I can play along! 

Have a fantastic weekend! I'll be back on Sunday with a green post, then a few more cards from the Gina K release later next week!  

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!