MSS Paint the Town #17

It's better late than never right?  Well, apparently I left this post in draft form and never scheduled it.  So here I am a bit late with the newest Paint the Town Challenge from

MARKET STREET STAMPS! 

Just look at these peaceful colors.....tan, wheat, buttery yellow, and mystic blue.  Here's my take on these beautiful colors.

Now, go create a project using Market Street Stamps for your chance at winning.  One randomly selected participant will win a stamp set of choice ($15 or less)!  Enjoy your day!

{Happy Anniversary}

Stamps:  Grace Background, Simple Salutations (Market Street Stamps)

Paper:  Kraft, Dark Chocolate, Rustic Cream (PTI)
Ink:  Blue (SU), Dark Chocolate (PTI)
Misc:  Cream Button twine and Button (PTI)
Dies:  Edger Dies (PTI), Double Ended Banner Die (Lil' Inker Designs)

Two Step Stamping

Hi everyone!  I have a quick little tutorial for you today! 
When you look at your clear stamps, do you really look at them?  What I mean is....do you think about turning them over and stamping with the "WRONG" side?  Well, I wanted to share just how you can do this!  I used this technique on THIS Market Street Stamps card that was chosen for the Top 20 of the Paper Crafts Gallery Idol contest this summer!

Firstly, you need to choose a clear stamp that has an outline that is the same as the image.  To clarify, look at the back of the stamp to see if it would make the perfect outline for the actual stamp itself.  I chose to work with the Two Step Butterfly stamp that is only $5 and available in the MSS store.  The butterfly I used is the SOLID image (top image in the photo).  Here are my supplies:

Let's see, I do believe some neon is in.....now I don't have neon inks but I think this represents neon in what I remember wearing back "when" those neon shoestrings and tops were "in"!  LOL  So here, I've chosen inks that have a lighter shade and a coordinating darker shade.

Your first step is to place a small piece of double sided tape on one side of your clear block and place your stamp on the block so the back side is out.  Yes go ahead.....do it.  Ink up your lighter shade of color and stamp your image.  Clean your stamp and remove to now place on the other side of your block.  Now place your stamp the "normal" way on the block and ink up with the darker coordinating shade of color.  Now, centering the actual stamp is soo easy because you have the outline there as a guide!  When done, it gives the most perfect outline to your image!

Here are all 3 butterflies stamped first with the back of the stamp and then again with the normal side of the stamp.

Now for the finished card.........I love the results and it makes for very mailable card since there is no layering!

  So I challenge you to go look through your stamps and see what stamp(s) you have that may work for this technique because it is FUN!  Thank you all for stopping by today.....have a great one!

{Happy Birthday}

Stamps:  Two Step Butterfly, Simple Salutations (Market Street Stamps)

Paper:  SS White, True Black (PTI)

Ink:  Shell, Bubblegum, Sky, Ocean, Lemon Whip, Papaya (AMuse), True Black (PTI)

Dies:  Small Scallop Border (PTI)

Shaping Up Blog Hop Winner!

Hi everyone!  I've been enjoying the last days of summer with my kids on my days off and so there hasn't been much activity here.....I'm sorry for that!  I wanted to stop by and share my winner from the Shaping Up Blog Hop from my post!

And the winner is:

Mary said...

Super cute card! I was rooting for you and voting every round in Gallery Idol. Your cards were, of course, fabulous! Thanks for the opportunity to win a fun package of goodies!

July 23, 2012 10:09 AM

Congrats Mary!  Please send me your address so I can get those stamps and goodies out to you! 

Thank you all so very much!

12 Kits of Christmas {July Kit}

Gosh where has this summer gone?  I am celebrating Christmas in July here on my blog today along with the fabulous group of gals from the 12 Kits of Christmas!  This month's host was Christina of SeaGlass & Sentiments.  Christina sent my other favorite holiday paper from last season for us to work with called Wonder from Authentique.  Such a beautiful line of papers for the holiday.

July Kit

{photo courtesy of Kara}

I have 3 cards to share with you today.  The first 2 are made from contents of Christina's kit.  These cards literally made themselves.  She sent such great coordinating products that whipping these up were a cinch!  The background here is one of the papers from the kit paired up with a stamped sentiment diecut and a ribbon!  Easy peasy!

Next up, is another simple card using the big poinsettia image from WMS.  I tell ya this set is going to make it's way to me one of these days!  I love this gorgeous flower with all it's detail.  Here I went CAS and just outlined the poinsettia with R22 Copic for a little detail. 

And finally, this month we decided to post a card that was CASE'd from a previous month........this could be any card from any of the ladies in the group.  Renee, founder and creator of 12 Kits, has put together this FABULOUS Pinterest Board of ALL of our cards from the group!  So so much inspiration there!  Check it out HERE.......12 Kits.  So this is an ode to Renee where she made THIS card and I loved how she scored the white paper to look like wainscoating.....the perfect backdrop for the window die from Memory Box!  So here's my CASE of Renee's wonderful card!  The ingredients for this card came from several previous kits! 

Well, that's it for me today......but please go check out the other gals from our group!
I know they will give you lots of inspiration for the holiday cards you should be starting on!  LOL

Renee {It's a Patchwork Life}

Suzanne {The Card Yard}

Cathy {Empty Nest Crafter}

Joyce {Cards-by-the-Sea}

Kim {Cupcakes Cards and Kim}

Kara {KandRDesigns}

Sharron {On Papillon Wings}

Marybeth {Marybeth's Time for Paper}

Jeanne {A Kept Life}

Jessica {The Paper Parade}

Christina {Sea Glass & Sentiments}--July Hostess

July Kit Ingredients:

Stamps:  Big Bloom Poinsettia, Vintage Labels 18 (WMS), Big Pine Bough (Hero Arts), Holiday Words Tree (Inkadinkadoo), Retro Christmas (Practicing Creativity), Poinsettia Patterns, Winter Wishes (Wplus9), Fresh Alphabet (PTI)

Paper:  Stampin' Up and PTI

Pattern Paper:  Wonder (Authentique)

Ink:  Stampin' Up and Memento

Tools:  Labels 18 Dies (Spellbinders), Perched Reed Bird, Twig and Berries (Memory Box), Photo Finisher Dies (PTI)

Misc:  Miscellaneous Ribbons and Twine, Paper Leaves (Bazzill)

Shaping Up Blog Hop and Giveaway!

Hi everyone!  I almost didn't make it to the Shaping Up Blog Hop due to work issues this past weekend but HUGE thanks to Jim and Jill for helping me get some much needed sleep!  I couldn't have done it without you!  Seriously.....you guys are the best!

{Blog Hop badge designed by JJ Bolton representing the 5 rounds of Gallery Idol and a little Joscie flair!}

Welcome to the Shaping Up Blog Hop!  I was so very honored to be chosen as one of the

Top 5 in this year's Paper Crafts Gallery Idol 2012 Contest!

As a group, we decided to do a little inspiration blog hop to THANK YOU for all the support you gave each one of us during the competition!  We also know many of you are participating in the Paper Crafts July Gallery Challenge which is Shaped Summer Cards!  I encourage you to make something and link it up HERE!

You should have arrived from the blog of Jennifer Ingle who was in the Top 5 with me!  Please go check out her awesome blog.....so much inspiration!!!  If you have gotten off track, don't worry!  Please check out the full Blog Hop list on the Facebook Event Page found HERE.

The card I designed for Paper Crafts July Gallery Challenge is definitely summer themed to ME.  Growing up every summer I couldn't wait until it was fair time......the Zipper, the food, the friends, the demolition derby, the parade.  All of it!  So I decided to ink up a stamp set from The Craft's Meow called Life is a Carnival.  What a great set to take me back to my younger years!!  My "mini" card is shaped like a ticket because as you know....."back when" you actually needed tickets to ride the rides at the fair!  I used the Blank Ticket die from Memory Box for my base.  My card layout was inspired by THIS SKETCH over at The Craft's Meow this month as well!  I did rotate the sketch just a bit!  ;)

 

Now there was a **mention** of a GIVEAWAY in my title and to thank you for all the messages, texts, emails, pm's, and comments during the competition, I have put together a prize pack of some of my favorite things.  I am so very blessed to design for Market Street Stamps and have a few new stamp sets that are included in my giveaway.  So how do you win?  I would LOVE it if you would follow my blog but I know some won't do this, so all I am asking is to leave a comment on this post for your chance.  If you do become a follower, I'd love to see you back here!
You have until Sunday, July 29 11:59PM EST to get your comments in for your chance to win!

That's it from me.........Your next stop on the Blog Hop is Agnieszka Malyszek and I know you will find something beautiful to see over on her blog!

{Sweet Summer Memories}

Stamps:  Life is a Carnival (The Craft's Meow)

Paper:  SS White (PTI)

Pattern paper:  So Happy Together (Echo Park)

Ink:  True Black (PTI)

Dies:  Blank Ticket Die (Memory Box), Fishtail Flags Stax (MFT)

Misc:  Berry Sorbet Button (PTI), Crochet Thread, Janome Sew Mini, Copic E57

Sending a Cuppa

Hi all!  It's a blazin' hot here in Kansas!  My car said 108 degrees here yesterday!

I have a card to share today using a fabulous set called Daily Grind from Market Street Stamps.

Fairly simple design with some pattern paper from PTI cut with the Fishtail Flags Stax and layered.

I die cut my circle frame using 2 sizes of circles and then I paper pierced inside the perimeter of the circle.  Boy do I need to clean my craft room.......I could not find my paper piercer and then finally moved some things and whalaa!  There it was!  I know my dots aren't spaced evenly but I was too lazy to continue to look for my plastic template that would have helped me!  LOL

I'm sending this over to the CAS-ual Fridays challenge this week: Let's Strip!

I sincerely hope it's cooler where you are and you are all enjoying your summer!
Have a wonderful day!

{Sending a cuppa love}
Stamps:  Daily Grind (MSS)
Paper:  SS White, Soft Stone, Pure Poppy (PTI), Smokey Shadow Patterns (PTI)
Ink:  Charcoal Palette, Pure Poppy, True Black (PTI)
Dies:  Fishtail Flags Stax (MFT), Limitless Layers Circles (PTI)
Misc:  Red Gems, Foam Adhesive, Paper Piercer

Lil' Inker Designs July Blog Hop {Day 5}

Hi and welcome to the last day of goodness from

Lil' Inker Designs!  You should have arrived from the Lil' Inker Designs Blog for the start of this hop so if you didn't, you need to start there as there are prizes up for grabs!

I decided to use the fabulous new Flip Flop set for another card to share on the hop.

Literally, I have oodles of ideas for uses of this set but I'm just going to be stingy and share one today and keep you on track for the blog hop!

I thought this time I would try my hand at using all of this pattern paper I've been hoarding!  Anyone else like this?  Especially the 6 x 6 paper pads?  So, I'm channeling my inner Jen Carter here!

She is the master at using bright pattern papers and meshing them beautifully!

This paper is from a new (to me) collection called Paradise Beach by Echo Park.  It is perfect for all those beachy summery cards.  And I can't leave here without pointing out the fabulous sentiments and font Laura has in this set!  Can you say FUN??

Thank you so much for all your visits this week!  It's been a very busy week!

Remember to go visit all the other DT blogs in the hop for your chance at 2--$10 store credits!

Your next stop is the ever so creative friend of mine.......JEN CARTER!

{Just a foot note}
Stamps:  Flip Flop Sentiments (Lil' Inker Designs)
Paper:  SS White, Kraft, Summer Sunrise (PTI)
Patter Paper:  Paradise Beach (Echo Park)
Dies:  Flip Flops (Lil' Inker Designs), Pinking Edge Border (PTI)
Ink:  True Black (PTI)
Misc:  Foam Adhesive, Gemstones