MFTeasers Day 2!

I just love these cats and their accompanying sentiment. These are "Peppermint Cats" from MFT, one of the six sets they are releasing tomorrow night. This card ended up being kind of shabby chic - something I rarely do - but I'm pleased with it. The paper is from My Mind's Eye - I sanded the sentiment panel so I would have a lighter area to stamp the sentiment on. The edges of all the patterned papers are distressed and sponged with Vintage Photo distress ink. I also had to use more liquid applique and glitter.

And this is "Reading Flopsey"! Not sure if you can tell but he's fuzzy! I flocked him and added some more liquid applique for his tail. To tone down the whiteness of the liquid applique I sprinkled it with flock while it was still wet - now it looks almost brown. The background stamp is from CHF - I thought it worked perfectly for Flopsey and I just love the sentiment - it is so true!

Tomorrow is the last day of sneak peeks and the party starts tomorrow night in the MFT forum on Splitcoast for the release! Learn how you could be next month's guest designer - it's tons of fun!

MFTeasers!

Yippee! It's here - Day 1 of the MFTeasers. I got the six sets in advance and get to post my sneak peeks with all the design team members - I'm so lucky! I love all the sets being released this month and have had a ball working on samples. My first card is from a set called "Window Shopping" and it's full of shoes and fun sayings! I had this yummy Scenic Route Sonoma paper and decided to make an awning for my shop window. I paper pieced the girl and dress and don't know if you can tell but gave her a ring by adding a sparkle gem to her finger.

My next card is from The MFT Presents line, an image by Stephanie Fizer called "A Scarf for Three". Those snowmen are just so darned cute! This is a 5.5" square card and uses all kinds of Doodlebug patterned paper - the Whimsical Winter line. I used liquid applique and glitter on the earmuffs and hat. I paper pieced the frame and covered it with Crystal Effects. I stitched the whole thing together as I wanted it to look quilted.

Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing in my excitement! I'll be back with more sneak peeks tomorrow!

Because I love you!!

Because I love you all so much - I'm linking you up to a couple of giveaways. My Favorite Things is not only releasing 6 new stamp sets on Wed. night - they're also releasing a storage solution. Both Kim and Jody are giving away one of the new storage cases and 2 of the retiring sets. Go sign up - you know you want to!! And don't forget to check back here starting tomorrow for MFTeasers - the new sets are fabulous and I've had so much fun working with them!

Kim's blog candy

Jody's blog candy

Lost in Translation!

Hee hee! This post is titled "Lost in Translation" because this card didn't turn out like what I saw in my head! I just hate that! This card was for the Oldies Plus Goodies challenge over in the MFT forum at Splitcoast. We used one of Jen del Muro's cards for inspiration - and I chose to be inspired by her layout. I do love that patterned paper though - it's Making Memories Noteworthy line.
Hope you're having a good weekend - we're busy purging and organizing. I have to work a bit tomorrow and I need to finish up my sneak peeks for the MFT release. MFTeasers start Monday so I hope you'll check back!

Cards for Caretakers

Recently a fellow stamper Cammie (Carolyn King) released her newest stamp set - Whimsical Autumn with Gina K. Designs. Cammie is donating 100% of the proceeds of her set to the Alzheimer's association in honor of her Grandmother. As if that wasn't enough - she's running a huge blog candy giveaway on her blog, and to enter, one of the things you need to do is make a card for someone who cares for an individual with Alzheimer's.
My grandmother passed away years ago and suffered from Alzheimer's and my father has been diagnosed with Parkinson's and also suffers from dementia unrelated to the Parkinson's - so this cause tugs at my heart strings. I emailed Cammie and asked her if I could make a card for my stepm0m - and she graciously replied "Of course!". I made a second card for a dear friend who works as a companion for a woman with Alzheimer's. There is still time to enter for Cammie's Heart to Heart blog candy giveaway - the prize package is valued at over $1000. You have until 8pm CST Friday to get your entry in! If you don't have anyone to send a card to - there is an address on Cammie's blog for you.
My card was made using a kaleidoscope pad (Autumn Heat) and brayering it on to glossy card stock. The image and sentiment were stamped in Black Stazon.
Hope you're having a wonderful week and hop over to Cammie's blog if you can!

Oh Fudge!!

Today's post is full of randomness! I don't have anything to share stamping wise - I've been working on stuff for the MFT release next week but can't share it yet! Between that and work I'm a little behind. I did have a chance to whip up a batch of fudge the other day and thought I'd share the recipe here. I got it from my friend Tina and I love it because you don't need a candy thermometer to make it (I don't own one!).

Peanut Butter Fudge
1/2c butter
2 c brown sugar
1/2 c milk
1c peanut butter
1tsp vanilla
3c icing sugar

Melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Bring to a boil and BOIL FOR 2 MINUTES stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla (I added chocolate chips at this point too!!). Pour over icing sugar in a large bowl. Beat until smooth. Pour into 8x8 dish, chill, cut.

It's so yummy!!!

I'm going to link up a couple of the food blogs that I follow - I've already linked Cookie Madness here, these are others that I love.

Picky Palate - Jenny makes cool stuff!! She's won many cooking contests and most of the recipes are stuff my kids will eat and us adults also enjoy!

Stephanie's Kitchen - everything on this blog looks good and everything I've made has been wonderful. Her photography is also amazing!

Hope to be back on Thursday with a card!!!

Celebrating MFT!

The 20th of every month is Celebrate MFT day! This month I have lots to celebrate as I get to post sneak peeks of next month's sets along with the design team. Can I just tell you that the new release rocks!!! Sneak peeks will start on the 29th with the new sets being released Oct. 1st.

This month we were asked to stick to MFT colours - pink, white and black. That pesky certainly celery somehow made its way on to my card - and looked so pretty that I decided to let it stay. This card is for a dear friend of mine who is going through numerous health challenges with her children. Her online handle is Time for Tea which is why I used the Tea Time sentiment.

Btw, did you read my post yesterday about the raccoon? Well last night we also had a skunk come and visit. Our backyard is apparently an animal oasis. Unfortunately none of our visitors are my idea of a desirable animal. Have a great weekend! I won't be back until Monday - I have a ton of work to do for my school board contract.

MFT Sketch Challenge and a Visitor!

The MFT sketch challenge over on Splitcoast is now on Thursdays - but I didn't have a chance to play until today. I love this image from the You Take the Cake stamp set but often forget to use it. I used Papertrey cardstock and patterned paper in Berry Sorbet and Sweet Blush. Tomorrow is Celebrate MFT day (the 20th of every month) so I hope to have another MFT project to show you.
Meanwhile, guess who came for a visit this morning? My kids and I were in awe as he stuck his nose right up to our sliding doors. His buddy watched from a little ways back. They stuck around and played for quite a while in our backyard. I've heard that raccoons can be vicious - but these ones seem almost docile. Not that I'll be getting close enough to find out!

Hope you're having a great Friday - TGIF!!!!

Jen's Sketch For You to Try - Bella Edition

I don't always get a chance to play along with Jen del Muro's Sketch For You to Try - but I love her sketches and there's a bit of added incentive this week - a $15 Stamping Bella gift certificate. My current Bellas are so lonely....they need some Chichis and Stellas to keep them company so I would love to win this. As I was putting this card together I had a d'oh moment because I was supposed to cuttlebug the orange and pink pieces and I forgot. This card also marks the first time I have ever used a jump ring! I used it to attach the tag to the ribbon. Play along if you can - the sketch is awesome!

A New Home

Hey - what do you think of my blog makeover? I've been wanting to go to 3 columns for a while now and I finally took the plunge.

I made this card last week for a friend who has just moved into a new house. The stamp is actually a jumbo wheel from Stampin' Up. I have a couple of wheels and I unmount them from the wheel and use repositional adhesive to attach them to acrylic blocks - I find I use them more this way. This is the Neighborhood wheel and I stamped it on watercolor paper and used my waterbrush and inkpads to color it. I "borrowed" the saying from a set I'm coveting from Papertrey and printed it on my cardstock. The background is stamped with the linen background stamp. Hope you had a wonderful weekend. Ours was busy but fun.

MFT Sketch Challenge

Just a quick post as I'm off to snuggle up on the couch and watch "27 Dresses" with my hubby (and my glass of red wine). This was what I came up with for the weekly MFT sketch challenge. I've only done this challenge sporadically but would like to start doing it as often as I can - gives me a chance to actually use all those stamps!

I stamped various images from Bundles of Bouquets on cryogen white (shimmery) cardstock. The patterned paper is Basic Grey Euphoria (love this!) and I used a Heidi Swapp flower for the circle layer in the sketch. Have a wonderful start to your weekend!

Cozy Quilts

There's just something about the fall that brings to mind snuggling under a quilt. This card is for my best friend who is also a quilter. The cardstock is Papertrey's Berry Sorbet and I also used SU Almost Amethyst prints paper and Cool Caribbean cardstock. I really love this set from Papertrey - Quilter's Sampler and can't wait to make some more cards with it. Happy hump day everyone!

Woot woot!!

Guess what??!! Can I gush just a little? I got picked to be MFT's guest designer for October!!! I won for my door hanger project that I posted here. I'm so psyched!!! I get all of next month's releases for free and I get to post sneak peeks along with the design team! I just knew my stamping peeps would understand my excitement!

Here's the last card I made for MFT's ambassador challenge. The challenge was to use sentiments in a different way. I stamped the sentiments from the set along the stripes of the paper. I think the paper is from Cloud 9. I just love this set - even though I haven't done yoga in eons! Hope you're having a great monday! I'm off to the bus stop to pick up my son!

Sweet, sweet coffee!

Coffee is what is getting me through today! It's been a rough one - but I'll spare you the details. I made this card for another of MFT's new release challenges over at Splitcoast. The instructions were to not leave the background of the main image white. I took the lazy way out and coloured it. I could have paper pieced it or something - but I just didn't have it in me. Anyway I'm pleased with this card. The sentiment is from Papertrey and is so true!! Hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

Tongue in Cheek Sassiness!

It's that time again - time for one of my fave stamp companies - My Favorite Things - to release their new stamps and hold their contest for a guest designer. I've participated a bunch of times and had time to play yesterday. Our challenge this month was to show some attitude and create a project that was sassy, ironic, or sarcastic. I had an idea and I think it turned out pretty good.

I wanted to create a door hanger for those hubbies who need it spelled out for them (certainly not my hubby!!). The idea is you just turn the hanger to suit your mood and there's no guessing required. For some reason, this project reminds me of that childhood game - red light/green light.

Here is the red light side:

And the green light side:

It's a little risque - but super fun.

Can I share one picture of my big grade one boy on the first day of school?

Oh and P.S.! Have you seen the new stamps from Taylored Expressions? She's brought the awesome images from cakespy to rubber! I'm so excited and have just ordered mine! Can't wait for more! I've been a cakespy fan forever!!

Last day of freedom!

For my son that is! He starts gr. 1 tomorrow! He'll be gone all day, every day and I will miss him. I also get to put him on a school bus for the first time tomorrow. He is beginning the french immersion program and his new school is quite far away. I'm not sure it's all really hit me yet (or him for that matter).

Hubby and I had a great time in Toronto celebrating our anniversary! He surprised me with a limo ride into Toronto - it was my first ever and was super fun. Thanks for all the anniversary wishes.

Hope you're having a wonderful long weekend! I hope to get some stamping done today - I have lots of new stamps to play with. I made this card a while ago when I first received this new to me stamp set from Papertrey. This was one of my first efforts with it, so it's a bit rough, but I decided to post it anyway.