Ask, Seek, Knock

Happy Saturday, happy weekend! I have another Our Daily Bread Designs peek for you today. I've always loved architecture, especially that with some age on it, so I've really taken a fancy to this old wooden door image from Ask, Seek, Knock (to be released on Monday, June 1). My layout is a sideways version of this week's Sketch for You To Try by Jen del Muro. Check out the sketch, Jen's sample, and guest designer Julie Lacey's sample, at i{heart}2stamp. Then visit the rest of the SFYTT chicas for even more inspiration: Amy Rohl, Carole Burrage, Kelly Lunceford, and Susan Liles. We love when you play along! To do so, link up your card or project to Jen's post using Mr. Linky. If you upload to SCS, remember to use keyword: SFYTT.

I'm extra low on chit-chat - hustling out the door for my daughter's softball game. The girls are all 5 and 6 - soooooo cute!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

[Updated to Add: The two decorative black corners at the top are die-cut using one of Cuttlebug's Vintage dies. The Vintage collection includes four 2x2 dies.]




Stamps: Ask, Seek, Knock (Our Daily Bread Designs - to be released on June 1)
Paper: SU Basic Black, Whisper White, Mellow Moss; Around the Block dp
Ink: SU Mellow Moss, Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: Kaiser pearls, SU white taffeta ribbon, Martha Stewart and EK Success border punches, Michael's silver and pearl buttons, paper piercer, clear ep
Size: 6" square

Best Dad Ever

How about a little somethin' for Dads today? Verve's latest release has loads of sentiments perfect for celebrating men. I wish I had loads of ideas for masculine cards - LOL! Seriously, are they the hardest cards to make or what? Trees are always good masculine images, right? Not too flowery, symbolic of strength, outdoorsy, etc. I took the Whimsy Tree Plain Jane and the smaller tree that's in Up, Up, & Away and created a scene using various green and blue designer papers. The sentiment, from Dad's Day, is done in a yellow circle to represent the sun. The inside is decorated as well, and holds a "Happy Father's Day" sentiment, also from Dad's Day. This was kind of different for me and so fun to make!

Have a fantastic day!



Stamps: Dad's Day, Whimsy Tree Plain Jane, Up, Up & Away (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Stampin' Up Kraft, So Saffron, and Whisper White, Memory Box Sprout and Sweetbay dp, ATD A Family Affair dp
Ink: Ranger Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain Distress Inks
Accessories: Prismacolors, Gamsol, blending stump, SU 1/4" circle punch, scalloped border punch, and vintage brads, Spellbinders classic and scalloped circle Nestabilities, Offray brown twill, sewing machine, paper piercer

Let's Picnic

It's the last Wednesday of the month, and guess what that means? It's VIP day at My Favorite Things! For one day only - today - you'll have a chance to purchase one of June's new sets, Let's Picnic, a whole week early. It comes as part of the MFT VIP Package, which includes a bunch of other fun products, as well as PERKS, like an extra free set and being able to post pre-release teasers during next week's release party. Want to be a VIP?? Of course!! Hurry, quantities are limited. Last month's VIP package sold out quickly (like within a few hours).

In other MFT news, Candice has put together this week's How'd They Do That tutorial. She's the Copic queen, and she'll be sharing tips on identifying your light source and adding realistic shading, using your Copics (or any other coloring method). Also, we're down to the final two MFT Idol contestants!! You can see their awesome creations HERE, and then cast your vote before 10 pm today. (Be sure to read the voting instructions!) Congratulations to all of the MFT Idol contestants, and best of luck to 20something and Mrs. Mac!

I've stamped my image from Let's Picnic on MFT's Perfect Paper Panels and then colored with both Copics and Prismacolors. The blanket is paper pieced. I layered the image onto a combination of papers from K&Co's Wild Raspberry die-cut mat pad. These papers are die-cut with various decorative edges, such as the oversize Top Note-style die on the background panel. I wanted to keep that shape intact, so I made my card extra large at 5" x 7". Love this size! The cheese board and wine bottle are some of the wonderful little extras in this set.

Thanks for stopping by!



Stamps: Let's Picnic (My Favorite Things - to be released June 3)
Paper: MFT Perfect Paper Panels, Papertrey Vintage Cream, Prismatics Desert Coral Light, K&Co Wild Raspberry Die-Cut Mat Pad dp
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Memento Rich Cocoa, Ranger Old Paper Distress
Accessories: Papertrey buttons and ribbon, Sizzix swirl die, sewing machine

Quiet Waters

I'm excited to show you a peek at one of the new sets coming from Our Daily Bread Designs next week: Quiet Waters. This image is so serene and peaceful - and perfectly suits the Scripture passages that make up the rest of the set. I wanted a light, soft look to go along with the pastel colors of Basic Grey's Wisteria papers, so I stamped in Memento London Fog (a grey ink), then lightly colored with Prismacolors. The Scripture is tucked in the inside with a little bit of decorating:



For more peeks of Quiet Waters, as well as Ask, Seek, Knock, both of which will be released on June 1, be sure to visit the other design team members' blogs throughout the week and weekend - links are on the left sidebar.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a blessed day!




Stamps: Quiet Waters (Our Daily Bread Designs)
Paper: SU Bordering Blue, Papertrey White, Basic Grey Wisteria
Ink: Memento London Fog, Ranger Old Paper Distress
Accessories: Kaiser pearls, Offray ribbon, paper piercer, sewing machine, flowers (pulled from a floral stem I found in the Michael's floral department)
Size: 5 1/2" square

I'm So Proud of You

How did it get to be Saturday already? I'm looking forward to the long holiday weekend, and want to wish my American readers a Happy Memorial Day weekend! If you're planning to fit some stamping time in, Jen's Sketch For You to Try is a great place to start. I love the vertical strips of paper on this one - great way to use some scraps.

Here's another look at Verve's new Up, Up and Away and Dare to Be You, which were both released last night. I'll say it again - I love these two sets!! (By the way, Verve is having a Memorial Day sale through My 31 - save 10%-20% on everything.) I used some Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday papers to create this kind of funky look. I realize I broke a "Jody rule" by mixing my white and ivory. I'm thinking it's one of those times where if you break the rule bad enough, you get to call it art - LOL! The glittered balloon looks a bit washed out in the photo, but in real life it's nice and vivid and sparkly.

Hope you'll play along with us! For inspiration, be sure to check out samples from the SFYTT gang:

Jen del Muro, with the sketch and guest designer Julie Lacey
Susan Liles
Kelly Lunceford
Carole Burrage
Amy Rohl

When you're ready to play, use Mr. Linky to hook up your creation to Jen's post, and if you upload to SCS, use keyword: SFYTT.

Thanks for stopping by!



Stamps: Up, Up and Away; Dare to Be You (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Prismatics Dark Brown Suede, SU Whisper White; Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday
Ink: Papertrey Dark Chocolate; Ranger Walnut Stain Distress, SU Soft Sky
Accessories: Copic markers, Art Institute superfine glitter, Spellbinders oval and circle Nestabilities, 7Gypsies hardware, Bazzill ribbon, EK Success Fleur-de-Lis and Dotted Wave border punches, foam adhesive, sewing machine

Dare to Be You

Tonight, Verve Stamps is releasing six new sets. Join us at 9 pm in the member company forum for our May Release Party. In the meantime, have you seen the sneak peeks so far on the Verve blog? Be sure to check out the projects and leave comments each day for chances to win new stamps of your very own.

Before I get to my card details, I also want to make sure you know about the sketch challenge and special guest contest. Julee has created one of her awesome sketches, and if you can get something made by 5 pm eastern time, you could be one of five random winners who will receive a Verve set of her choice.

In addition, participants in the sketch challenge are also eligible for a chance to be Verve's Special Guest Diva for our June release. The deadline for that part isn't until 10 pm Tuesday, May 26. You'll find all the details HERE in the Verve Forum.

Okay, so a few words about my project. Here's the little blurb I wrote for the Verve blog:

I'm especially excited to preview Up, Up & Away! A while back I was browsing home decor catalogs when a trio of hot air balloon wall hangings caught my eye. There was something so sweet and magical about the balloons, and, as we stampers so often do, I thought "wouldn't that make a cute stamp?" I shared the idea with the Divas, and Julee ran with it. I don't know how she does it, but once again, she's created a set with the perfect balance between whimsy and elegance. I couldn't be happier with "my" hot air balloons! This set will be perfect for so many occasions - congratulations, pick-me-up, encouragement, even baby and travel. The other set we're previewing today is Dare to Be You. The title sentiment, Dare to Be You, jumped out at me as a fantastic message for a new graduate. Paired with the balloons, it makes a great send-off for someone entering "the real world"! If only life were always blue skies and smooth sailing (or should I say smooth floating?). I hope you'll fall for these two sets every bit as much as I have!

That's it for now - I'm saving the rest of my projects for the party. Hope to see you there! Don't forget to swing by the Verve Blog to see the rest of the previews!

[Edited to Add: I forgot to thank my friend Gretchen for inspiring me to pull out my ghost shapes again! I love how she added one to her ribbon/button treatment on this card! Thanks Gretchen!!]



Stamps: Up, Up & Away; Dare to Be You (Verve Stamps)
Paper: SU Kiwi Kiss, Papertrey Vintage Cream, K&Co Carolyn Gavin Greenhouse dp
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, SU Soft Sky, Ranger Vintage Photo Distress, Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Martha Stewart snow glitter, Spellbinders Labels 4 Nestabilities, Stampin' Up spiral punch, Papertrey ribbon and button, Heidi Swapp ghost star, sewing machine, foam adhesive, clear embossing powder

MFT Hop Around the Block: Fill Your Jar!

Welcome to My Favorite Things' mid-month Hop Around the Block! This month, we're changing the way you gift! If you've arrived here from Christina's blog, you're right on track. If you stopped by on your own, you may want to start at the beginning with Kim. I'd hate for you to miss a single thing!

Tonight, MFT is releasing two fantastic new stamp sets designed for gift-giving, as well as an all-new packaging product - these awesome 16-ounce, squarish, clear plastic jars! Together they make perfect packaging for personalized and economical gift giving! I've filled my jar with office supplies (binder clips, paper clips, rubber bands) and decorated it with the teacher label set. It's all about presentation sometimes, you know? Would I leave the same supplies in their original packaging and call them a teacher gift? Never. But presented this way? You bet! Especially with a gift card tucked inside the matching card.

I pulled out my Making Memories Chloe's Closet assortment of papers and embellishments for this project. This line is so cute to start with, and with its office look (grid paper, ledger paper, ruler-themed twill, etc.), I thought it would work well for a teacher gift. The one downside is that it is a bit girly. I have two more of these to make, but they need to go to male teachers. Well, tonight MFT is also releasing some new, wonderfully gender-neutral, school-themed digital papers that I can't wait to try just as soon as my stinker of a printer starts playing nice again!

A closer look:












Next up is a spa gift item using the new Time For the Bubbly label set:



I found these tubes of bath pearls in the dollar spot at Target this week and discovered that three of them fit perfectly in one of the oodles of clear card boxes I have left over from doing craft shows a few years ago. (This packaging is definitely inspired by the many test-tube-type projects that have been floating around blogland over the past year or so.) I decorated the tubes and the clear box with MFT's luxurious Chocolate Kiss patterned papers and coordinating ribbon assortment, and then added a fancy tag. Three dollars for the bath pearls and a couple more bucks (at most) for the clear box and papercrafting supplies, and you're looking at a total of $5-$7 - can't beat that!

Did you notice the pleated and stapled twill on the teacher card and the ruffly, pleated pink ribbon on the bath pearls tag? I'll show you how to achieve those looks in this week's How They Do That Tutorial. And this week's What's Up Wednesday Challenge is, you guessed it, ribbon pleating. I hope you'll give it a go!

Some detail shots:








That's it for me! Next stop on the hop is the amazing Holly McMillen! Remember, there are goodies at the very end!!




Teacher Gift Supplies:
Stamps: Teacher Label set (My Favorite Things)
Paper: Making Memories "Chloe's Closet" dp, SU Basic Black, Kiwi Kiss, Buckaroo Blue, Papertrey Vintage Cream
Ink: SU Buckaroo Blue and Kiwi Kiss, Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: MFT clear jar; Chloe's Closet acrylic stickers, ribbons, buttons, flowers, brads; SU mini paper clips, paper piercer and spiral puch; Martha Stewart cornice border punch; Pink Hedgehog Papercrafts burlap string; foam adhesive; paper piercer; distressing tool; staples; office supplies for jar contents


Bath Pearls Gift Supplies:
Stamps: Time for the Bubbly Label set (My Favorite Things)
Paper: MFT Chocolate Kiss dp and Perfect Paper panels; SU Whisper White
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Papertrey Dark Chocolate
Accessories: clear box; MFT and Offray ribbon; EK Success fleur-de-lis punch; SU scalloped border punch, scalloped circle punch, flower punches, and Pretties kit; Labels 3 Nestabilities; Michael's floral dept flowers; Kaiser self-adhesive pearls; Prismacolors, Gamsol, and blending stump; foam adhesive

Floral SFYTT

Jen's got a super cool Sketch For You To Try this week - can't wait to see all the creations this week! I went in a minimal-stamping direction for my sample. The large center flower came from a pad of K&Co die-cut flowers that I found for a ridiculously low price at my local AC Moore last week. The layout, which you can see at i{heart}2stamp, has a series of graduated circles where I've used the flowers. I tried to work in a sentiment somewhere on the front, but it worked much better on the inside. The sentiment is from Because of You by Verve Stamps.



Ready to check out what my fellow SFYTT sisters have made this week? Here are your links:

Jen del Muro, with the sketch and guest designer Julie Lacey
Susan Liles
Kelly Lunceford
Carole Burrage
Amy Rohl

We hope you'll play along, too! Use Mr. Linky to hook up your creation to Jen's post, and if you upload to SCS, use keyword: SFYTT.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great weekend!




Stamps: Because of You (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Papertrey Vintage Cream, Ripe Avocado, Summer Sunrise and Ripe Avocado dotted dp; K&Co die-cut flowers
Ink: PTI Ripe Avocado, Summer Sunrise; SU More Mustard
Accessories: PTI ivory button, SU More Mustard buttons, Bazzill paper flower, Michael's ivory wedding confetti flowers, burlap string, SU ivory taffeta ribbon, Fiskars lace border punch, SU large oval punch, Scor-Pal

Ready ... Set ... BLOW!

I found the mother lode of stamping supplies in my mailbox on Tuesday (well actually on my doorstep as the loot did not fit in my box): not-yet-released June stamps from all of my design teams (start saving your pennies, I'll say!), plus my monthly scrapbooking kit from Paper Posies, in which I found some lovely dps from Crate Paper's Lillian collection. Mmmmm, mmmmmm. Nothing like new goodies to rev up the creativity. I used the newly released Birthday Flopsey set by My Favorite Things along with SCS sketch challenge #228 and Susan's "Ribbon-Button-Loopy-Thing" from yesterday's How'd They Do That tutorial. Check out MFT's new button collections HERE. The glitter was added to the cake and around the candles following the steps Linda Heavens posted HERE. Fun stuff!

After staying up half the night to finish up My Sister's Keeper by Jody Piccoult (a tear-jerker ending for sure), I spent the morning watching my middle child graduate from preschool. I'm an emotional mess (in a good way)! Stamping therapy, you think? (And now you know why I haven't stamped as much the past few days. There's not a lot that will keep me out of my stamp room, but a good novel is definitely one of them!)

Have a fantastic day!



Stamps: Birthday Flopsey (My Favorite Things)
Paper: Papertrey White, SU Basic Black, MFT Perfect Paper Panels, Crate Paper's Lillian collection
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: SU glitter, Copics, Prismacolors/Gamsol/blending stumps, clear embossing powder, Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder, 1 1/4" circle punch (for large scallops), Offray black ricrac, SU Baja Breeze striped ribbon, MFT button
Size: 5 1/2" square

God Bless America

Sorry so long without any updates! Busy time of year, huh? I've had two of these three cards in partial stages of completion since the end of last week and finally got them finished last night. They all use the powerful new patriotic sets released earlier this month by Our Daily Bread Designs.

For this first one, I've (once again) turned to a vintage look. I can't help it - I just love how well these sets look with a little aging and distressing! The eagle is from the set In God We Trust, and the sentiment is from God Bless America. I stamped in Versafine Onyx black onto watercolor paper, clear embossed, and then colored with a water brush and reinkers.


For this next one, I went with a more vibrant variation of the red, white and blue color scheme, which is easy to achieve with the fantastic patriotic papers available in the ODBD store.



The gorgeous, lifelike image of the American flag is watercolored with a water brush and reinkers. After it dried, I colored in the stars with a white gel pen. I trimmed down the image a little bit to show a little more of the background paper.


Last, I wanted to show how these sets aren't limited to patriotic colors. (Well that and I just couldn't wait to break into my new Wisteria paper pack by Basic Grey, which just arrived yesterday - LOL!)



The oval on top of a Top Note diecut is one of my go-to arrangements - love the way it looks! I accented with some paper pleating, which I almost entirely covered up (oh well!) and a flower and flourish combo. Easy!

Thanks for stopping by!

By the way, I usually post a My Favorite Things project on Wednesdays to go along with the weekly What's Up Wednesday feature. Since I took so many days off, I'm a little behind, so My What's Up Wednesday is probably going to be a What's Up Thursday ;) Which is a good thing, because I can't wait to incorporate some of Susan's tips for working with buttons! She has shared some great ideas in this week's How'd They Do That tutorial. Be sure to check it out!



God Bless America:
Stamps: In God We Trust and God Bless America (Our Daily Bread Designs)
Paper: SU Ivory Naturals and Night of Navy card stock, Canson watercolor paper, red and white dps are Creative Imaginations (same sheet, red with stars on one side and white with red grid on the other); blue star print unknown (but I just got it at Michael's or JoAnn's a week or two ago, so it's current)
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Distress Antique Linen and Vintage Photo; SU So Saffron, More Mustard, Close to Cocoa, Sahara Sand and River Rock
Accessories: water brush, 1/4" circle punch, distressing tool, SU vintage brads, PTI button, May Arts burlap string, Spellbinders circle Nestabilities and double-ended tag die, sewing machine

Grand Old Flag:
Stamps: God Bless America (ODBD)
Paper: PTI white, SU Real Red, Canson watercolor paper, Masterpiece Studios dp
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black; SU Night of Navy, Real Red, Cranberry Crisp, Baroque Burgundy, Sahara Sand
Accessories: Martha Stewart flourish edge punch, paper piercer, ribbon from stash
Size: 5 1/2" square

Abraham Lincoln quote:
Stamps: God Bless America (ODBD)
Paper: SU True Thyme, Almost Amethyst; Basic Grey Wisteria; Canson watercolor paper
Ink: SU True Thyme; Ranger Antique Linen and Vintage Photo distress inks
Accessories: SU Top Note die and Pretties half-back pearl; Spellbinders oval Nestabilities; amethyst twill (unknown); sewing machine; BossKut flourish die; Martha Stewart branch and flower punch; Dew Drops; Kaiser pearls

SFYTT - Happy Tails To You

Whew! I'm finally here with my very late sample for Jen's Sketch For You To Try. I couldn't wait to play with Snuggle Bunnies, one of the new sets My Favorite Things released this week. I love these sweet bunnies "holding ears" and the cute sentiment. The patterned papers and ribbon are from SEI's Dill Blossom collection. To pleat the ribbon, I just folded it over onto itself and stitched it in place using some brown burlap string.

Be sure to pay a visit to the SFYTT girls to see the sketch and all the fabulous projects!

Jen del Muro (with the sketch and guest designer Julie Lacey)
Amy Rohl
Carole Burrage
Kelly Lunceford
Susan Liles

Have a great weekend, and Happy Mother's Day to all my mommy friends!



Stamps: Snuggle Bunnies (My Favorite Things)
Paper: Papertrey Dark Chocolate and Vintage Cream, SEI Dill Blossom
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, PTI Dark Chocolate, SU Kiwi Kiss
Accessories: Copic markers; SU oval punch, paper piercer, and brads; Spellbinders circle Nestabilities; Martha Stewart border punch; SEI ribbon; Cuttlebug embossing folder; burlap string; foam adhesive; clear embossing powder
Size: 5 1/2" square

I Pledge Allegiance

Today, I have something to show using the new I Pledge Allegiance stamp from Our Daily Bread Designs. The paper is an old, old K&Co pattern from my stash (I'm guessing at least 2-3 years old). I added the stitching, but otherwise, the paper came already blocked. I did some heavy distressing to the sentiment panel using a distressing tool and Ranger Distress Inks, including tearing some slits and roughing them up for an even more aged look. The little pieces of hardware on the sentiment panel are by 7 Gypsies, and are threaded with some natural colored burlap string. Some piercing and brads in the corners provide the finishing touch.

Thanks for visiting!



Stamps: I Pledge Allegiance (Our Daily Bread Designs)
Paper: Papertrey Vintage Cream, K&Co dp
Ink: Weathered Wood, Antique Linen, Vintage Photo, and Walnut Stain Ranger Distress inks
Accessories: 7 Gypsies paper fasteners, distressing tool, burlap string, foam adhesive, sewing machine, SU vintage brads
Size: 5 1/2" square

MFT May Blog Hop

My Favorite Things is blog hopping today, so if you haven't come here by way of Frances and you'd like to start at the beginning, the place to go is Kim's blog. If you've already been through the hop so far, what do you think of the peeks?

I've put together a little something with Stephanie Fizer's Owls and Blueberries set, which is just too cute for words! I did my coloring with Copics and Prismacolor pencils and stamped a few extra bluebell sprigs to pop up on foam adhesive. The image circle was cut with Nestabilities and layered onto a green shape cut with Labels 3 Nestabilities. I added some punched borders, some ribbon and hardware, and some paper piercing and called it done.

Next is an out-of-the-box creation using the manicure girl from Girls Day In:



I fancified her robe into a dress, drew in a sparkling new diamond and turned her into Girls Day "In"gaged :D Can't you see her sitting there as her friends line up to check out her big ol' rock? I pulled the sentiment from Essential Sentiments (which, incidentally, happens to be in the Bubble Bin this week). "Dreams Come True," another sentiment in that set, would work well, too. The dress is paper pieced, and the rest is colored with a mixture of Copic markers and Prismacolor pencils. Her diamond sparkles thanks to some Stardust Stickles. I had a lot of fun with this one!

Ready for some MFT scoop? Here's what you need to know for the rest of the week:

Right now, you can find all sorts of fun tips for working with your new stamps in the How'd They Do That area of the MFT Forum on SCS.

Tomorrow night, from 8-10 pm, join us for the New Release Cocktail Party, also in the MFT Forum. We're releasing four new sets, as well as the Chocolate Kiss patterned paper packs, coordinating ribbon bundle, and coordinating Crystal Adornments. You'll also find Smooch Paint and Spring and Summer Cup O' Button Packs in the store.

During the New Release Party, we'll be announcing the winner of this month's Guest Designer Contest.

Mother's Day Bonus: From Wednesday to Friday, $100 orders receive a FREE Floral set (your choice)!

Next stop on the hop is the fabulous Carole!!

Happy hopping!



Owls and Bluebells:
Stamps: Owls and Bluebells (My Favorite Things Presents)
Paper: MFT Perfect Paper Panels, Prismatics Brown Suede Medium and Dark, SU Basic Black and Whisper White: K&Co "Retro Florals" cardstock pad
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, SU Basic Black, VersaMark
Accessories: Copic markers, Prismacolor pencils, Gamsol, blending stump, white and clear embossing powder, SU hardare, Cuttlebug Just My Type embossing folder, Scor-Pal, EK Success wavy border punch, Spellbinders Fancy Scalloped Border Piercabilities, Labels 3 Nestabilities, and circle Nestabilities, Offray narrow black organdy, paper piercer, foam adhesive, lavender twill, burlap string

Girls Day "In"gaged:
Stamps: Girls Day In (My Favorite Things)
Paper: MFT Perfect Paper Panels, Papertrey White, Cosmo Cricket "Everafter"
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Antique Linen Distress
Accessories: Copic markers, Prismacolor pencils, Gamsol, blending stump, clear embossing powder, foam adhesive, Cosmo Cricket ribbon, BossKut flourish die, Martha Stewart flower punch, 1/2" circle punch, Fiskars lace border punch, Angel Wings Shimmerz

Eenie Meenie, Mani, Pedi

I just **love** the sentiment in My Favorite Things's new Girls Day In set - what a hoot! This set, along with three others, will be released this Wednesday, May 6. The three patterned papers I've used for today's card are all from Chocolate Kiss, a new MFT paper pack also being introduced on Wednesday. Even the ribbon and button are new :)

Join us tomorrow (Tuesday, May 5) at 10 pm Eastern for a blog hop full of fun peeks (it will start on Kim's blog), and then again on Wednesday (May 6) in the Member Company Forum from 8-10 pm EST for our New Release Cocktail Party. Can't wait until then? Go HERE for more MFTeasers!

Have a great day!



Stamps: Girls Day In (My Favorite Things)
Paper: PTI Lavender Moon and Dark Chocolate, MFT Perfect Paper Panels and Chocolate Kiss dp
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, PTI Lavender Moon
Accessories: MFT chocolate satin ribbon and pink grosgrain, MFT button, pink burlap string, Copic markers, Labels 4 Nestabilities, paper piercer

MFT Guest Designer Contest

This just in ....

My Favorite Things is changing up its monthly guest designer contest. Starting with this next release (which is this coming Wednesday, May 6), the contest will be announced on the Saturday prior (that's today!). Deadline for entries is 11 pm on the Tuesday before the new release, so for this month, that's THIS Tuesday, May 5. And then the winner will be announced during the release party on the 6th! Here's what you could win ... the full One-Click Collection of the new release FREE. This month, that's a $51.90 value!

May's theme:

Girls Day In - celebrating all the women we love and all the women who deserve to feel pampered and beautiful!

Full participation details can be found HERE. (Use keyword MFTOCC0509.)

If you do enter, have fun and good luck! (And shoot me an email so I can be sure to look for your entry!)

Tea For Two

Another Saturday brings another wonderful Sketch for You To Try. I don't know how Jen does it, but she keeps designing fantastic sketch after fantastic sketch, week after week after week. This month's line-up is one of the best ever! To see this week's sketch, meet May's superstar guest designer, and see Jen's and the GD's samples, head over to i{heart}2stamp. You'll also want to check out the rest of this week's SFYTT samples:

Amy
Carole
Kelly
Susan

To play along, add yourself to the Mr. Linky form on Jen's post. If you upload to SCS, remember to use keyword SFYTT!

I've used Papertrey's new Tea for Two set and a color combo pulled from one of the inspiration photos (Heather's) in Papertrey's current Spring Fling Challenge. The teapot is stamped in Ocean Tides, trimmed out and mounted on a shape cut with Spellbinders' Mega Curved Rectangle Nestabilities. The sentiment is stamped in SU Certainly Celery. The punched border is done with the Fiskars lace punch. I also used Papertrey's Background Basics: Spots & Dots to add the little white circle pattern to the Spring Moss card stock. The button and ribbon are also by PTI.

Are you a tea drinker? If so, what are some of your favorite teas? I'm always looking for new blends to try. My all-time favorite tea is Jasmine, but I also love a really good Earl Grey and most spiced flavors.

Have a fun weekend!



Stamps: Tea for Two and Background Basics: Spots & Dots (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: PTI Vintage Cream, Kraft, Aqua Mist, Spring Moss
Ink: PTI Ocean Tides and Vintage Cream, SU Certainly Celery
Accessories: PTI ribbon and button, Fiskars lace border punch, paper piercer, sewing machine, foam adhesive

New ODBD!

Our Daily Bread Designs has released two new stamp sets and a single stamp. They are all patriotic in nature - perfect for Memorial Day, Independence Day, honoring and thanking our military men and women, and a whole lot more!

In God We Trust:

God Bless America:

I Pledge Allegiance:

We're also hosting a sketch challenge, and we'd love to have you play along! You can find all the details on the ODBD blog tomorrow, but in the meantime, here's the sketch so you can start thinkin':



And here's my take on the sketch:



The design team also added a little fun to the sketch, and so we are each working with a specific new product that Kelley is now carrying in the ODBD store. I know I've mentioned before that she's expanded the store considerably. The DT is having the best time playing with all the new goodies and we hope you will too! My product focus was either the Porcelain or Marrakech paper collections by Basic Grey. Hmmmm... Porcelain or Marrakech with patriotic sets? "Can't be done!" was my first thought. But here ya go - proof that you need not stay within the red/white/blue box for these awesome sets! Many of the other Bread Basket girls (our affectionate name for the DT) have also found creative ways to use products not specifically patriotic in nature. That said, for times when you DO want to use patriotic colors and papers, be sure to check out the collection of patriotic papers in the store. You can see them featured on the ODBD home page.

The first card I made with this set was definitely a traditional patriotic card:



This is a more clean-and-simple card than my normal style, and I really like it! Believe me, I tried adding a whole lot of layers and embellishments, because, well, that's just what I do (LOL!), but I kept taking them back off because this is what looked best to me!

As always, there's loads of inspiration for the new sets in the ODBD gallery. Check it out!

God Bless America
In God We Trust
I Pledge Allegiance

Got any fun Friday night plans?



Blessed Is the Nation (sketch card):
Stamps: In God We Trust (Our Daily Bread Designs)
Paper: Papertrey Vintage Cream, Stampin' Up Night of Navy and Old Olive, Basic Grey Marrakech dp
Ink: SU Night of Navy craft, Night of Navy classic, Sage Shadow classic
Accessories: Labels 4 Nestabilities, Martha Stewart butterfly punch, Basic Grey Marrackech glazed brads, Spellbinders Piercabilities, Cuttlebug embossing folder, ribbon and lace (source unknown)
Size: 5 1/2" square

God Bless America:
Stamps: In God We Trust (Our Daily Bread Designs)
Paper: Papertrey Kraft and White, Stampin' Up Real Red and Night of Navy
Ink: SU Night of Navy, Ranger Vintage Photo Distress
Accessories: Circle Nestabilities, SU Real Red brads, Pink Hedgehog Papercrafts navy and white brads, Scor-Pal, foam adhesive
Size: 6 1/2 x 3 1/4"