Color Challenge

Yellow/Black/Fuschia Color Challenge

The FOSTV challenge is to use yellow, black, and fuschia.  Check it out at here.

Make a Card for Your State/Tribute to Tampa

The challenge at Speedy Fox and Friends at MFP (here) is to make a card that reflects your state.  My first attempt to capture the essence of Florida brought several things to mind--tourism, Mickey Land, beaches, gators, manatees, and Gasparilla since I am from Tampa.  Yes, I am a native Floridian, and there are very few of us in this state.  There was just too much for a card.  My final product is a tribute to my hometown in Florida--Tampa. This is state fair month and the Jose Gaspar pirate ship came in and took over the town of Tampa.  Check out the Gasparilla website at http://www.gasparillapiratefest.com/   It is quite an event!

In Stitches Concertina Card

Rainy days are wonderful for stamping and getting inky.  Today's card is for a Tutorial Time Challenge at Speedy TV calling for a concertina card at http://mfpspeedytv.ning.com/page/tutorial-time-on-speedytv-challenge-37-02-22-13

 I chose a sewing theme and had a fun time using my sewing stamps--In Stitches from MFP and a set from TPC Studio and inchies set .  This will be a good card to send to a special friend of mine.

In My Den Challenge

In My Den with Light My Way Sentiment

The den is a cozy place with a comfortable recliner, a stained-glass reading lamp for my favorite novel, an antique desk, and a phone for chatting with friends.  I thought using the Welcome Home sentiment from MFP's Light My Way Home stamp set seemed to convey my feeling about the den.  It is a welcoming place.  Check out the challenge at http://mfpspeedytv.ning.com/page/simple-salutations-challenge-33-02-20-13 

Recipe for Fun

Recipe Card Challenge

When I read the challenge at MFP-Friends of Speedy TV here, I remembered images I had received in an image swap.  Don't you just love when that happens?  Stamping Oopsy Daisy and filling in the recipe card and I had a smile on my face.

Merci, Merci, Little Birdie!

Faux Iris Folding with Rock Salt Technique Paper

When I tried the rock salt technique on smaller pieces of paper, I ended up with scraps so I developed my own version of iris folding to use them up.  I took this picture at an angle so you could see the design a little better.  The stamp is a G Studio bargain bin stamp and I think it is just adorable.  Check out the Tutorial Time challenge at Speedy TV http://mfpspeedytv.ning.com/page/tutorial-time-on-speedy-tv-challenge-36-02-15-13

Rock Salt Daffodil

MFP Daffodil using Rock Salt Technique

Okay, so the title of this post makes it sound like I am touting a rock music group--The Rock Salt Daffodil--LOL!  Sorry about that!  Many colors and lots of rock salt went into the dp around the Mark's Finest Papers Daffodil set image.  I just LOVE this image.  It cheers me up so!  Hope you like it!  The challenge is located at http://mfpspeedytv.ning.com/page/tutorial-time-on-speedy-tv-challenge-36-02-15-13

Pink,Brown,White MFP Challenge

Inside:  Sew What's New?

The challenge is to use the colors pink, brown, and white.  Found this Memories Packing Tape and my I'm In Stitches stamp set.  A little textile embossing love and here it is!  Check out the challenge at http://marksfinestpapers.blogspot.com/2013/02/speedy-fox-and-friends-challenge-147.html

Inspiration Station for Spring Swap Cards

The theme for a swap at MFP is Spring and working with the colors and images is a cheerful experience.  To get ready, I first had to file away hearts images and create an "inspiration station" for spring.  What fun that was!  I found stamp sets that have been lurking among all the UM cd cases, and yummy colored ribbons for embellishing. And don't forget those buttons!   I can't wait to start playing with new colors and images.  I will post the fruits of my labors soon.

Follow the Way of Love Lighthouse

Follow the Way of Love Lighthouse

This lighthouse image from Mark's Finest Papers was calling to me. I used a new embossing folder, hearts, and my Follow the Way of Love card was ready for Speedy TV/Speedy Fox and Friends at http://marksfinestpapers.blogspot.com/

Merlot, if you please!

Merlot, if you please!

A new Simple Salutations challenge called Wine and Grapes at Speedy TV  sent me searching for an image.  My cbug and embossing folder, a punch, and a teeny, tiny celebrate stamp for a CAS card called "Merlot, if you please!".  To find the challenge, go to http://mfpspeedytv.ning.com/page/simple-salutations-challenge-32-02-13-13

A Non-Traditional Valentine's Day Card

You Are My Life Preserver, Valentine!

Aqua?  Beach scene? 

 My card, You Are My Life Preserver, is for the non-traditional Valentine's Day card 

at Friends of Speedy TV 

http://mfpspeedytv.ning.com/page/friends-of-speedy-tv-challenge-59-february-11th

Faux Frosting and How I Became a Glitter Girl

Desserts with Faux Frosting

After working on my healthy eating plan and battling the holidays and two trips, I have decided that there is entirely too much sitting and too many desserts in my daily routine.   This card for Tutorial Time at Mark's Finest Papers is just the ticket!  I call it LoCal Desserts since I will only be looking at the desserts and not tasting them.  The technique is called Faux Frosting and you can see it on the cake frosting.  With Valentine's Day chocolates in all the stores, I will be gazing at this card AND the scale, and doing my stamping standing up to keep me on track!  A little Zumba wouldn't hurt and a second daily walk through the neighborhood would probably help as well. And did you guess why I added the Glitter Girl comment?  You guessed it!  Glitter everywhere in my craft area!  Check out the challenge at http://mfpspeedytv.ning.com/page/tutorial-time-on-speedytv-challenge-35-02-08-13

Wild Thing!

A Giraffe, an Elephant, and an Alligator, Oh My!  Wild thing!

Today, I am working on an Animals plus Sketch Challenge at MFT/SpeedyTV.  When I found my animals set, I noticed I had attached two sheets of technique paper using waxed paper and ink that reminded me of a giraffe so that's how I started with the sketch.  I had to adjust the sketch to match the sizes of the stamps, but I think I still managed to make the sentiment the dominant portion of the card.  Maybe my hubby will get Wild Thing!  as his non-traditional Valentine's Day card.  He hates the red and white color combinations for the traditional cards.  You can see the challenge at http://mfpspeedytv.ning.com/page/sketch-with-a-twist-challenge-32-02-05-13.

Lots of Love

Three Hearts, MS Border Punch, and Lots of Love!

Setting up an Inspiration Station is such a good idea!  I assembled all my heart and love-themed stamps, dies, and embells, and found out that I have quite a collection of hearts.  Amazing!  So, needless to say, I have been on a mission to use some of them.  I am thinking of purchasing a special photo box to put them all in so I can access them easily.  Of course, I will be decorating that box with lots of hearts, LOL.  I hope you enjoy this card that I made for a challenge at Speedy Fox and Friends at http://marksfinestpapers.blogspot.com/

It's a Love Thing!

Two Hearts, Sizzix Embossing Folder, and It's a Love Thing!

Mark's Finest Papers has a challenge going at the Friends of Speedy TV  site.  The keyword is love and Valentine's Day so I made this card called It's a Love Thing.  Using dies, dp, an embossing folder, and a clear stamp sentiment, it all came together with the baker's twine.  Check out the challenge at http://mfpspeedytv.ning.com/page/friends-of-speedytv-challenge-58-02-04-13.

Valentine's Day Card Challenge--Simple Heart

Cbug Embossing Folder, MS Border Punch, Spellbinder Heart, and Simple Heart is created!

Today's card is called Simple Heart.  I used a Spellbinders scalloped heart, a MS heart border punch, a Cuttlebug heart embossing folder, and a ribbon.   The Tiny Tidbits sentiment is from The Angel Company.   A CAS card that was fun to make!  Go over to the MFT site to see the Simple Sentiments challenge at http://mfpspeedytv.ning.com/page/simple-salutations-challenge-31-02-06-13

Paper Piecing 2 and a Hedgehog

Happy Hedgehog Brings Balloons for a HB Day

Today I feel a  little like a hedgehog!  I liked the idea of paper piecing the balloons for a challenge at Speedy Fox and Friends.  I hope I can remember how to upload this photo for the challenge.  I've been on a "blog break"!

Paper Piecing

Paper-Pieced Birdie Looking for Spring

Paper piecing is something I often forget to do.  There's another challenge on Mark's Finest Papers/Speedy Fox and Friends so I tried a bird.  I like to do a CAS card for this technique so the patterns of the paper really "pop"!  Wonder how I link it to this blog post?  Angels, guide me!

Where art thou?

Yikes!  Where has the time gone?  You won't believe that most of the rest of October was spent packing up personal and stamping supplies for the trip back at the end of that month.  Then the first two weeks of November were spent unpacking everything, running errands, catching up, and then....Wham!  I got hit with a cold--the "linger-on-and-on, can't-breathe, wish-it-would-end" kind that doesn't allow for creativity or much of anything else for more than two weeks.

THEN we went on a wonderful holiday trip for ten days, which required packing to go and unpacking when we returned,  and I will post photos of that soon.  When we returned, DH Don got "the cold", then I got it AGAIN.   This  was a first for me--two colds in one winter season.

Another trip at the end of January required planning and more packing, and now we've just returned!  Whew!  I've either been sick or out of town since we returned in October.  There was some card making mixed in there but no posting so I will have a lot to do to catch up.  Pictures to be posted soon, I promise!