Happy Birthday to The MFT Lady

Good morning all!  I have a special post today to help celebrate Kim's birthday!  Kim is The MFT Lady and her birthday is actually next week, but we start MFT Teasers tomorrow and wanted to give her a special blog mobbing before they start.  Kim is one of the sweetest, most generous people I know and not only am I blessed to be part of her design team, I've also been lucky enough to meet Kim in person a couple of times.  I'm looking forward to seeing her again at CHA Supershow in less than a month!  If you're just stumbling onto this post, you'll want to start at the beginning of the blog mobbing, over on Arlene's blog.  


My card for Kim was made with Clearly Sentimental About Friendship and the Well Worn Greetings die.  I stamped the sentiment on the banner flag from the First Place Award Ribbon die and layered it on top.  I also threw some strips of Simply Scallops in there on the top and bottom of my panel as well as the Rolled Daisy die.  The papers are all Basic Grey Out of Print and I decided to stick with the MFT colors of pink, black and white.    

On the inside I used the same elements and added a birthday wish from the More Essential Sentiments set (currently being restocked).  

Happy Birthday Kim!  I hope you have a week long celebration and are filled with love and joy!  Thanks for being the best boss ever!  If you're hopping along with us, your next stop is over to Lisa's blog.

If you'd like to join the celebration, we'd LOVE you to participate! You can add a card to the Splitcoast Galleries using the keyword "HBMFTLADY" or, if you're a Facebook lovin' girl you can add your project to the MFT Fan Facebook page!  Not yet a fan of MFT on Facebook? You can "like" it here and add your post!  Don't have time to stamp?  Just stop by the MFT Facebook page and wish the MFT Lady a happy birthday.  Let's MOB her on her special day!

MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge #26

Hello!  Happy Wednesday and happy sketch day!  I'm loving playing along with these weekly MFT sketches.    Today I used Pure Innocence My Little Firecracker and mounted her on one of the dies from the Die-namics Dainty Doily duo set.  I added a Swarovski crystal in the middle of her sparkler and stamped part of the sentiment on the flag die from the First Place Award Ribbon die.

Remember, you can get all the details by visiting the MFT Blog and the MFT forum on SCS (look for the most recent WSC thread).  You'll need to upload your card in the SCS gallery using the keyword shown on the sketch. You will have the chance to win up to $20 in MFT money. One winner is chosen at random each week!

Go get sketchy with MFT!

Scrapbook Queens June Design Team Projects

Hey all!  Just wanted to pop by quickly on this way too early Monday morning and share some of my design team cards from Scrapbook Queens.  But first, can I just say Yippeee?! Because I think we've finally reached the end of the postal strike up here in Canada.  I'm so ready to receive my mail - I have some stamps that I've been waiting for rather impatiently!

June's design team package was chock full of yummy papers from Echo Park.  We used the Walk in the Park line and there was some Summertime thrown in there as well.

For my first card I paired the papers with MFT's Loveasaurus (currently being re-stocked).  He's still one of my fave stamps.

This card uses MFT's Pure Innocence Start the Day With Whee and I added the Die-namics Fresh Cut Grass die.

And lastly I used MFT's Pure Innocence My Balloon and paired her with the Scallop Ribbon Border die.

Hope you have a great day!!  I'm keeping this short and sweet as we're off to the playground before it gets too hot!  I'll see you back here Wednesday for another MFT sketch!  Later taters!

My Krafty News!

Happy Saturday!  All week it seemed like this day would never come.  Next week is the last week of school for my kids before summer break and time is flying by!  Today I get to share my exciting news with you!  My good friend Kimmie (you know, THE Kraftin' Kimmie of Kraftin' Kimmie stamps) asked me to join her Krafty Girls!  What an honour to have the opportunity to design for such a fabulous friend, work with awesome stamps, and to rub elbows with her incredibly talented and sweet Krafty girls!  I am one lucky gal!

This week's challenge over on the Krafty Girl Challenge Blog is to Make A Splash!!  Our hostess with the mostess Michele wants us to make a water themed card (beach, rain, anything wet).  Players who use Kraftin' Kimmie stamps on their entries will be entered to win a Nerissa stamp.

For my card, I decided to use Marina along with Kimmie's Mermaid Sentiments.  I paired her with some Echo Park Splash papers and embellished it with some chunky glass glitter along the white waves.  Love the dimension it gives!   I also added some pleated paper, ribbon, and a rhinestone flourish.  

Here's a close up of that chunky glass glitter.

Don't forget to stop by the Krafty Girl Challenge blog to see all of the amazing samples from the fabulous Krafty girls!  Thanks so much for stopping by and for sharing in my happy news!  

MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge #25

Wow - I can't believe we're at 25 MFT sketches!  Where do the weeks go?  I must admit that I loved this sketch and found it really easy to work with.  I needed to make a thank you card for our school crossing guard, so I pulled out some Basic Grey Wander papers - I thought the car one was especially appropriate!  I used a whole schwack of die-namics dies on my card.  I've got the Dizzy Doily die as my background circular layer as well as the First Place Award Ribbon die, Simply Scallops Medium, and Stacking Stars die.  I love the way the cork looks as a layer and I also used some Black Licorice cardstock.

Here's the sketch for you.

Remember, you can get all the details by visiting the MFT Blog and the MFT forum on SCS (look for the most recent WSC thread).  You'll need to upload your card in the SCS gallery using the keyword shown on the sketch. You will have the chance to win up to $20 in MFT money. One winner is chosen at random each week!

Go get sketchy with MFT!

Who's That Mermaid VIP Hop

Isn't this just the perfect image for the first day of summer?  Who's That Mermaid is July's Who's That Girl set and is available 3 weeks early as part of the VIP kit.  This is a limited availability product - when they're gone, they're gone and the set and new die-namic die won't be available for purchase again until July 5th.  If you're just stumbling upon this post, you'll want to head back to the beginning of the hop over at Kim's blog so that you don't miss any of the amazing projects!

I stamped my mermaid out on X-Press It blending cardstock and paired her with some Basic Grey Out of Print papers.  I pieced the whole image - there's lots of layers going on there.  Luckily I found some sand paper in my stash and it worked perfectly.  I also used some Fossil (currently being re-stocked) and Black Licorice cardstocks along with some Blue Skies felt.  I cut the felt with the Catch a Wave die and used the flag die from the First Place Award Ribbon die (told you I was addicted!).  The sentiment I used comes from the free Mermaid Sentiment mini set that is only available with the VIP kit - it will never be available again, it's exclusive.  

It's hard to see in this picture, but I stamped some bubbles (one of the accessory stamps) in a light blue ink and then went over them with a Sakura Clear Glaze pen.  I also went over her bodice and tip of her tail with the glaze pen.  I coated the spots on her tail with a clear Spica pen as well.

I finished the inside off with some more of the accessory stamps, a sentiment from the set as well as a Happy Birthday sentiment from the More Essential Sentiments set (currently being re-stocked).

That's all I've got for you.  Don't forget to run over and nab your own VIP kit.  And the new à la modes are now available as well.  You can find them all right HERE.

Now you're on your way to visit my sweet friend Sherrie.  Thanks for stopping by.  

MFT Teasers - You Are Unrepeatable à la mode

Welcome back!  Are you ready for another teaser for the other à la mode being released tonight over at MFT?  This is You Are Unrepeatable and I just love her gigantic sized Ipod shuffle!  I stamped her out multiple times, once on X-Press It blending cardstock, and again on two different Basic Grey Sweet Threads papers.  I used the Simply Scallops Medium die along the top panel, and used the First Place Award Ribbon die (one of the tails) for my sentiment flag.  I find myself reaching for that flag die over and over again!  I have to say that even though all my pinks look different in this picture, they actually all match in real life.  The layout for this card comes from this week's sketch from Card Patterns.  

Remember that there are links on Kim's blog to all the fabulous designers who are sharing teasers with you today!  And don't forget to come back tonight for the VIP hop.  The VIP package is your chance to get July's  WTG set 3 weeks before it's released to the general public (as well as a new die-namics die too!).  The hop starts over on the MFT blog at 10pm EST tonight!  See you soon!

MFT Teasers - I've Met My Match à la mode

Happy Monday everyone!  And welcome to the first day of à la mode teasers.  Both new à la modes will be released tomorrow night (Tues.) at 10pm EST along with the new VIP kit.  Today we're showing you I've Met My Match.  To be perfectly honest, I'm not too fond of tennis.  Racquet sports and I don't get along - mostly because I'm fairly ambidextrous and I can never figure out which hand I want to hold the raquet in.  But nonetheless, I think this new stamp is super cute!  

I stamped her on some X-Press It blending cardstock and coloured her up with my copics.  I paper pieced her sassy dress and the handle of the racquet.  The papers are all Echo Park A Walk in the Park and were from my Scrapbook Queens design team kit.  I stamped the sentiment directly on the Scallop Ribbon die-namic.

For the layout, I used the June Sketch For You to Try again.  I love this sketch and can't seem to put it away! There is still time for you to play along too!  

 

Well that's all I've got for you today!  Remember to check out Kim's blog for a full list of all the designers sharing teasers today - I've seen some of the projects and they are stunning!  I'll see you back here tomorrow for another teaser and the VIP hop!  Ciao!

MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge #24

Happy Wednesday friends!  It's time for our weekly sketch challenge - #24 - that's one away from 25!  How exciting!  Well I pulled my usual and flipped the sketch to better suit the images I wanted to use.  I still hadn't had a chance to get this Inspired By Up, Up and Away set inky yet.  I pieced the balloons and popped them up with Jody boosters.  I used some Puff Cloud White felt with the Simply Scallops border and also with the Flat Bottom Clouds die.  Of course my bottom circular layer is the new Dainty Doily duo dies as well. 

Here's this week's sketch, and all the details can be found over on the MFT blog.  Hope you'll come play along? 

MFT Design Team Creative Challenge - Playing with Paint

O.K. friends - true confession time.  I wasn't sure I was cut out for this month's Design Team Creative Challenge.  I mean paint - really?  But I managed to catch a bit of inspiration and am really happy with how my card turned out!  Who knew?!

I started out with this week's sketch over at Card Positioning Systems - MFT is the sponsor this week and if you play along you could win a prize!  I used a foam brush to sponge some paint around the edges of my panels - love the soft look that it gives!  And then after much fiddling and playing, I decided to use some Grunge Paper (Tim Holtz).  I've had this stuff in my stash for a while, but had never gotten around to actually playing with it and using it.  It starts out as kind of a muddy grey colour, and it takes acrylic paint BEAUTIFULLY!  I took a sheet and painted both sides using a cheapie foam brush.  It dried really quickly and painting both sides stopped it from curling.  Then I ran it through my Cuttlebug with the Mini Rolled Roses, Pretty Posies, Leafy Flourish, and the leaf from the Upsy Daisy die.  

Here's a tip for you!  I didn't actually have any green acrylic paint.  So I took my antique white paint, squirted some on a plastic surface, and added some Kiwi Kiss re-inker.  I mixed it up with my foam brush and voila - green paint!  This should work with any brand of water based re-inker (not so much with alcohol inks).

Because the paper is very flexible, it makes gorgeous flowers that keep their shape really well.  As you can probably see, I curled the edges of the petals on the Pretty Posies and they just stay that way.  Even more delicate pieces, like those in the Leafy Flourish die have give and are pretty darn sturdy.  I added a sentiment from the Inspired by Spring set  and used Fossil (currently being re-stocked), Black Licorice, and Grape Jelly cardstocks.  I also snuck in a Scallop Ribbon border for the horizontal element of the sketch.

In 2011, MFT is working harder than ever to inspire you, and we have come up with something we think you'll really enjoy. Our Design Team Creative Challenge is a new monthly feature, where we challenge our design team to explore their creative side using a specific theme, product or technique. This month, we've all been challenged to paint!  Visit Kim's Blog for a full list of designers that have taken up the challenge!

June Release Blog Hop & Shop

Welcome to the June Hop & Shop.  This is a chance for you to get a final look at the new dies and sets and also have a chance to win a gift certificate by leaving comments.  If you've just stumbled upon this post, you'll definitely want to go back to the beginning of the hop over on Kim's blog to make sure you don't miss anything!

Tonight I'm showing you a project I made with the new First Place Award Ribbon die and stamp set.  This set is fabulous for making quick, amazing looking projects.  I made both a card and a tag for a gift bag.  This is actually for my son's teacher - up here in Canada school goes right until the last day of June so I'm feeling pretty ahead of the game right now!  

I love that you can create so many different looks and phrases with all the pieces of this stamp set.  I added the Die-namics Star Border die to my ribbon tails for a fun look.  I paired My Mind's Eye Lime Twist papers with Wild Cherry and Black Licorice cardstocks for layering.

I finished off the inside with the new Open Bracket Border die as well as a sentiment from the Sassy & Sweet stamp set.  I wanted my son's teacher to know that I wasn't just paying him lip service when I said he was the best teacher ever.  

My friend Megan has me hooked on making tags, so I decided to make one for the gift bag.  For teacher gifts this year, I bought some Tervis tumblers and am cutting letters out of vinyl on my Cricut to monogram them.  I  also used the Banner Day Alphabet to customize the tag with the teachers name.

Well that's all I've got to show you tonight.  Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to comment for your chance to win.  Your next stop along the hop is over to the wildly talented and super sweet Lisa!

MFT Teasers - Clearly Sentimental About the Journey

Welcome to the last day of MFT Teasers.  All of the new sets and dies will be released tonight at 10pm EST and will be followed by our Blog Hop & Shop.  I hope you'll come chat with us over at the release party in the MFT forum on Splitcoast.

Today I used the new Triple Scoop set - Clearly Sentimental About the Journey.  The triple scoop set is yours free when you buy $60 worth of merchandise - who doesn't like free stuff?  I stamped the sentiment on the largest panel from the Well Worn Greetings Stamp and Die set.  All of the papers are from Lily Bee Picket Fence collection.  I used the new Simply Scallops Large die along the bottom and the new Leafy Flourish and Hearts a Plenty dies under the sentiment.  I also used Hot Fudge and Wild Cherry cardstocks for layering and my card base.

Here are the details about the upcoming release on June 7 at 10 PM EST:

• The MFT release is on June 7 at 10 PM EST. You can attend the release party from 8-10 PM EST here in the forum for fun, games, and prizes! All the new sets and dies will be available on June 7 at 10 PM EST.
• Be sure to check in on the guest designer contest to see who is crowned the winner.  The announcement is made in the release party thread, AND on the guest designer contest thread in the MFT forum on SCS.  The winner will receive over $100 in stamp sets and play along with the design team next month.
• If you'd like to see all the teasers for today, please click on over to Kim's blog NOW! Be sure to leave comments as you go for a chance to win one of 2 $10 vouchers being given away daily, just for leaving a comment. :)  The final 2 winners will be announced at the release party, and will also be contacted by e-mail.

I'll see you back here later tonight for the Hop!!  Thanks so much for stopping by.