Brandywine Sketch Trio

I love Laura Fredrickson's idea to make card sets using the different weekly sketches. Once you get all your paper and embellishments decisions made on the first, the rest come together in no time. I started my trio of 4 1/4" square notecards with yesterday's Viva La Verve sketch, then used the overall theme to make my sample for Jen's Sketch For You To try and Taylor's Friday cupcake sketch. Here they are one at a time:




I thought Amber's VLV March Week 4 sketch yesterday was awesome, but she threw me for a loop wtih her "clean and simple" twist. She limited our embellishments to only one! WHAT?! {giggle}. Good thing punches and dies don't count as embellishments! The sentiment is from Verve's Beautiful Kindness. The Viva La Verve sketches are uploaded each Friday to Verve's Contests & Challenges sub-forum on SCS. Each sketch has a twist, which is just an additional requirement to follow. If you complete all four sketches in the given month, you become a Verve Sketch Champion and are entered into a drawing to win the entire next Verve release. Pretty good deal! You have until the 26th to complete all of the March sketches.





Next is my sample for Jen's SFYTT. I could see doing this sketch very differently with a full-size card, but I also love how it looks on this smaller scale. The scripture stamp is from Our Daily Bread Designs. As always, there's plenty of inspiration to get you started:

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

We love when you can play along, too. If you upload to SCS, use keyword: SFYTT.





Last is for the Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge #60. You can find the sketch and all the info on how to participate over on Taylor's blog. The flower image is from Verve's Miracles Blossom set.

Thanks for swinging by today!



Stamps: Beautiful Kindness, Miracles Blossom (Verve); Scripture Collection (Our Daily Bread Designs)
Paper: Papertrey Vintage Cream; SU textured ivory and Basic Black; Memory Box Brandywine dp
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: clear embossing powder, Martha Stewart butterfly punch, SU ivory taffeta ribbon; Fiskars A-Fleur border punch, circle and oval Nestabilities, Blue Moon charm, K&Co adhesive pearls, Cuttlebug embossing folder, distressing tool
Size: 4 1/4" square

Celebrate MFT Day

Do you know that the 20th of each month is "Celebrate MFT Day"? Basically, it's just a day to show your My Favorite Things stamps some love! I hope you'll join us! Use keyword: CelebrateMFT if you upload to SCS.

I stamped the Who's That Girl walking her dogs (from Let's Go for a Walk), then hand-drew the sidewalk and grass. Everything is colored with Copic markers. The cloud images come from the set Hooga Booga. They were a bit of a desperate after-thought, as I had a little catastrophe with my red marker and had some booboos to cover up. Yes, I know she looks like she's holding a cloud in her hand, but trust me, it's way better than a random red blob. LOL! Should I show the before-clouds version (wink)?



Stamps: Let's Go for a Walk (My Favorite Things); Hooga Booga (MFT Presents)
Paper: SU Real Red and Pumpkin Pie, PTI white, DCWV "Citrus" dp
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: Copic markers, clear embossing powder, Spellbinders circle Nestabilities, SU red striped ribbon, foam adhesive, sewing machine

Fear Not

Our Daily Bread Designs is sponsoring this week's sketch challenge at Card Positioning Systems. The CPS designers have done fantastic things with this month's ODBD sets, both the pottery set I showed earlier in the month, and the new Scripture Collections #1 and #2 that debuted during Tuesday's blog hop.

Here's my take on the sketch (CPS #107). I used some designer paper I got from the ODBD Store - Sweetbay by Memory Box. I love, love, love the fresh, spring-like colors and patterns. You can find this and quite a few other Memory Box paper collections HERE. The verse, Isaiah 41:10 is part of the Scripture Collection #1 set. I added some other fun, new-to-me things, too -- brown corduroy brads from Stampin' Up (YUM!), blue/green trim by Making Memories, and a punched border using the Fiskars A-Fleur border punch.

I've had a lot of questions about the BossKut dies that I use (the brown flourish on this card is one of them) and whether they work with the Cuttlebug, and I keep forgetting to answer - sorry!! Yes, the BossKut dies work with the Cuttlebug. I'm usually just fine running the same sandwich that I use for my Spellbinders dies (A plate, C plate, die with cutting side up, card stock, B plate). Sometimes, for more intricate shapes, I'll add a piece of heavy cardstock between the die and the B plate as a shim.

Thanks for visiting!





Stamps: Scripture Collection #1 (Our Daily Bread Designs)
Paper: Papertrey white; Memory Box Sweetbay dp
Ink: Ranger Walnut Stain and Antique Photo distress ink
Accessories: Spellbinders Labels 1 Nestabilities, BossKut flourish die, Fiskars A-Fleur border punch, Making Memories trim, Prima flowers, Pink Hedgehog Papercrafts brown brads, foam adhesive, Coffee Shimmerz (painted onto the brown flourish), Stampin' Up brown corduroy brads, 1/4" circle punch, and sponges,
Size: 9 1/4 x 4 (fits in a standard office-supply letter envelope)

MFT Blog Hop

Ready to blog hop again, MFT-style? I hope so! If you've haven't come here from Michelle Giraud's blog, you may want to start at the beginning with the MFT Lady herself, Kim Van der Sanden. Then just follow the links from blog to blog, taking in all the fun eye candy along the way, and eventually you'll work your way back here! If you did come from Michelle, thanks for hangin' out with us! I'm not the tail end, but pretty close. Once you're finished here, head over to our closer for tonight, Joanne Basile, who has not only her usual dose of gorgeousness but also the photopolymer pot o' gold!

Tonight, My Favorite Things Presents has released two stamp sets by a new illustrator, Sara Williams. Many of you may already be familiar with Sara's amazing web design work on some of your favorite and best-looking stamping blogs, including MFT's very own Susan Liles (Sara's sister, in fact), Joanne Basile, and Jen del Muro (and maybe some of the others, too). I'm so excited to see her venture into designing stamps now!

I've used some of the mix-'n-match flowers and vases from the set called Funky Flowers. I wanted to make this card fit with the funky, whimsical nature of the set, so I mixed in the zebra stripe paper and added some turquoise buttons for some extra pop. The vase is paper pieced using a celery green paper that I've touched up with some Prismacolor pencil shading. I tied some burlap string around it, from which hangs a vellum "You Rock" tag. The white trim along the bottom is something I picked up in the trims and lace section at my local Hancock Fabrics.

Be sure to stop by the MFT Member Company forum on SCS for our regular What's Up Wednesday activities. Susan has provided this week's HTDT ("How's They Do That") tutorial and and is hosting a companion WUW ("What's Up Wednesady") challenge. Both are all about masking, a perfect technique for working with flowers!

Hope you're enjoying the hop! Thanks for visiting, and don't forget to hit Joanne's blog next!




Stamps: Funky Flowers and Essential Sentiments (My Favorite Things)
Paper: Papertrey White, SU Basic Black, GCD Studios zebra print dp, Pebbles Inc green dp
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, SU Soft Sky
Accessories: Stardust Stickles, burlap string, Prismacolor pencils, Spellbinders tag die, SU turquoise buttons, Michael's ribbon, fabric trim, foam adhesive

Our Daily Bread Anniversary Blog Hop

Hi everyone! Welcome to the Our Daily Bread Designs anniversary blog hop. If you didn’t know about our Blog Hop and landed here by chance, be sure to go back to the beginning at Dina Kowal's blog, Mama Dina's Stamperia, and I'll see you back here real soon. There is blog candy along the way, as well as a fun game to play, not to mention some spectacular peeks at an amazing pair of new stamp sets, so I don't want you to miss a thing. If you came here by way of Sita Mahadeo, then you're right on track.

Today we're celebrating the first anniversary of Our Daily Bread Designs. Kelley (the owner) saw a need in the market for high quality, Scripture based stamp sets, and instead of saying, "Someone should," she said, "I will." It has been a true blessing to work with Kelley and ODBD this past year.

For a special grand prize, we are playing Scripture Scramble! Each blog has one or two words that you can collect at each stop and put together to make a scripture verse (NIV edition). Once you have collected all the words, send the verse in the correct order, along with the scripture reference by EMAIL to our DT Coordinator, Judy Rozema, at lidaroseroz@gmail.com. Correct entries will be put into a hat and the Grand Prize winner will receive a set of their choosing from Our Daily Bread designs AND a selection of cards made especially for this celebration by some of the Design Team members. How cool is that?! Entries must be received by MIDNIGHT CST on March 19th.

Here is my Scripture Scramble word: FALSEHOOD

Speaking of scriptures, today is the release of two new scripture sets. Each member of the Design Team chose a verse that is especially meaningful to them and Kelley compiled them all into special anniversary sets that are available for purchase today! My card for today uses the verse I contributed, Romans 8:28. This verse is one of many that Christians can turn to during rough times. It is a powerful reminder that even when things look grim, God is still at work for our good. That said, this verse was most powerful to me not during a trial, but instead when I had an occasion to look back at some major blessings I'd received during a time in my life when I was not following Christ and realize that even then, God was equipping me to serve in a big way almost a decade later. God is so good! I have another story to share about this verse, but I'll save it for a day when there isn't so much other stuff going on!

Right now, it's time for me to send you to your next stop on the blog hop:

Chris Olsen

If you haven't been to her blog, you're in for a real treat! Enjoy!!

A couple of quick card notes: The papers are all from Basic Grey's Porcelain pack, which is available from Our Daily Bread Designs. I cut my ovals with Spellbinders dies - a selection is coming soon to ODBD. The pearls on the flowers? Available at ODBD, too. Even the Flower Soft I used to make the stems! Are you seeing the pattern here? Kelley has been busy expanding inventory in her store so that ODBD is now a place you can look to for many of your favorite stamping products! I think that's fantastic!



Stamp: Scripture Collection #1 (Our Daily Bread Designs)
Paper: Prismatics Herbal Garden; PTI white; Basic Grey Porcelain
Ink: SU Always Artichoke craft
Accessories: Spellbinders oval nestabilities, SU top note die, May Arts ribbon, Martha Stewart branch punch, Prima flowers (green); pink flowers from floral section of Michael's, adhesive pearls, fabric trim, foam adhesive

Floral Symphony in Gold

It feels like spring. Warmer temperatures, the smell of new mulch, birds chirping in the early morning, bulbs nudging their way out of the earth .... I love the rebirth and renewal of the season. I had a brief respite from deadlines these last couple of days, and used the opportunity to take a break from stamping. I know it's only been two days since my last post, but seriously, it feels like two weeks. Normally, even if I'm not posting, I'm still busy making things. This time, I I took a break and rejuvenated by doing some other things that feed my soul but I don't make time for as much as I should. Like playing the piano for one. I have a beautiful baby grand piano in my living room that is little more than a piece of furniture these days. My Rachmaninoff ended up a cacophony of crashing bass notes thanks to my curious toddler's wandering fingers, and my Chopin (yes, I love the romantics) was ousted by "I Scream for Ice Cream" thanks to my five-year-old. But that's okay. I played, and it felt good.

On to today's card ... Lots of aspects of this card are out of my norm, but I like the final result. The card was really built around the Que Sera Sera designer papers by K&Co. I picked up an 8x8 pack at Michael's quite a few weeks ago, and until now have had zero luck working with them. They're beautiful papers, don't get me wrong - I just haven't been able to make them work. Last week, I saw my blog friend Gretchen use one of the patterns on this beautiful card she made, and I was determined to get the pack back out and beat it into submission. The whole gold thing came about from the gold cord. I had fussed with some wide olive ribbon for a while before giving up and changing to something more narrow. A lot more narrow. Once the gold cord was on there, I decided to try heat embossing the image in gold, Jerri Kay-style. Then I couldn't get stopped. Gold embossed edges on the different panels, gold brads, flattened gold bead caps (jewelry making supply) on the buttons. I hope it doesn't look overdone or gaudy. You know, your own eyes start to play tricks on you after a while! The floral image is from Verve's new Floral Symphony, and the sentiment is from Fluttering By, also by Verve.

The layout is Jen del Muro's awesome Sketch For You To Try this week. Stop by her blog, i{heart}2stamp to see the sketch, Jen's sample, and guest designer Jenn Dierks's sample. Then show some love to the other SFYTT sisters: Amy Rohl, Carole Burrage, Kelly Lunceford, and Susan Liles. When you're ready to play along, go back to i{heart}2stamp and use Mr. Linky to add yourself to the list of participants. If you upload to SCS, remember to use keyword: SFYTT.

I also made this for today's Inspiration Challenge on SCS, which was to choose anything from Fitz and Floyd. I like to shop while looking for inspiration and hit the jackpot with the Bellacara collection. I've been thinking lately how nice it would be to get some new dinnerware, and this is SOOOOO me! My kitchen, breakfast room, and dining room are all done in these exact colors. I'll have to tuck this info away for "someday," and in the meantime be satisfied with making a card.

Last (sorry I'm chatty today), if you haven't been keeping up with the daily happenings at Our Daily Bread Designs, stop by the ODBD blog and catch up. Each day, a few members of the design team are posting projects and tutorials, plus there's new blog candy every day. It's all part of the one-year anniversary celebration. On stage today are Jane Wetzel and Judy Rozema. The show continues tomorrow and Monday, then on Tuesday, we will be doing a blog hop to showcase a most amazing pair of anniversary stamp sets. I can't wait for you to see what Kelley has put together to commemorate her first year in business!




Stamps: Floral Symphony and Fluttering By (Verve Stamps)
Paper: SU Tangerine Tango, Whisper White, Ruby Red; K&Co Que Sera Sera dp
Ink: Encore Gold Metallic, SU Tangerine Tango
Accessories: Darice bead caps; SU Ruby Red buttons, brads, gold cord; Spellbinders Labels 1 Nestabilities and tag die; BossKut Vintage Tag die, #0834; Mark Richards bling; sparkly gold embossing powder (unknown); Copic markers (YR16, E09, YG95, G99); Martha Stewart border punch; Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder; foam adhesive

What's Up Wednesday? Paper Pleating

Today, I'm hosting the weekly What's Up Wednesday Challenge over in the My Favorite Things forum on SCS. Flutter on over and play along! My challenge is to do some paper-pleating and today's card is my sample. If you need a little how-to, I've got you covered there, too. Each week, MFT also has a How'd They Do That? tutorial, and today's is, of course, paper pleating.

The image, from MFT's Nite Nite, Ellie is partly paper pieced and partly colored with Copics. I added a little shading to her paper pieced pajamas with a Prismacolor pencil, too. The ovals and circles are cut with Nestabilities, the stitching is done by machine, and the ribbon comes from Close to My Heart. The lacy trim is something I picked up at my local fabric store (Hancock Fabrics). Patterned papers are from Basic Grey's Bittersweet line.

Thanks for stopping by!



Stamps: Nite Nite Ellie (My Favorite Things)
Paper: Basic Grey Bittersweet, PTI Vintage Cream, SU Close to Cocoa and Chocolate Chip
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Adirondack Espresso, Ranger Old Paper Distress Ink
Accessories: Copic markers, Prismacolor pencils, CTMH ribbon, oval and circle Nestabilities, lacy trim, Scor-Pal, foam adhesive, sewing machine