Mojo Layers to beat the FUNK

The technique lover's challenge on Splitcoaststampers TLC578 today was to do lots of layers. Ok... not really a challenge for me since I love layers. It is a good thing that my friend Pam and I had a challenge of our own going on. We were both kinda feeling like we were in a funk. My daughter visited from Chicago over the weekend. It was a great visit, but it was too short and I always feel a little blue when we say goodbye. So to beat the "FUNK" I challenged Pam to make a card with something on the card starting with the letters to spell "FUNK"

Here is what I choose:

F- flower, fabric
U- Unity "butterfly" Upside down ribbon
N- Nautical ribbon, Netting (gold) Newsprint (Unity Classified newsprint)
K- Kraft and K& Co paper

I have had the nautical ribbon for a long time but it didn't really fit my style. I do like how it looks Upside down though.

I know that the layers challenge is for fun and there is no prize for having the most layers, but I challenged myself to see how many layers I would end up with. If you were to start at the center of the circle and go straight down to the table top, you would hit 20 layers. Cheesecloth and gold netting were included in that number.  I used this week's Mojo Monday Sketch. Mojo440

Spring Coffee Lovers Bloghop 2016- Coffee card making

For my card for the Spring Coffee Lovers Bloghop, I decided to pull out my old Mark's Finest Papers set called OH BEANS. What is better than sharing a cup of coffee with a friend? Drinking coffee and creating a coffee card with a friend. My friend Pam lives hundreds of miles from me, but through technology we could craft together. We decided to use the same set and use ombre ribbon, cheesecloth and glitter. I started my card by stamping the coffee cups on several sheets of dp. After I stamped them I picked the "cup" out of each paper that I liked the best.

 I cut those cups out. I also stamped the cups again onto a piece of cardstock.

I cut the cardstock stack of cups out but cut the saucers and handles off. (because it is hard to match up the thin handles of the cups.)

I used Aleene's tacky glue to adhere the cut out cups to my cardstock stack base.

I knew I wanted my stack of cups to have depth and dimension on my card. There are lots of ways to achieve that, but I like going the cheapest route. I took some scrap cardstock and used a circle punch to cut out a lot of little circles.

I then used the tacky glue to adhere the stacks of circles to the back of the cups. I used 10 stacked circles on each cup.

I added my glitter to the little cups.

Steampunk Butterfly layers upon layers

 The splitcoaststampers sketch challenge this week SC584. Was a great sketch to play around with. My friend Pam and I decided to do steampunk theme, with inka gold and something else metal and we had to rotate the sketch. This is my card.

 My steampunk butterfly was made by stamping an old LAYERS OF COLOR butterfly. It was such a pretty set, with the most beautiful butterflies that I just had to get it. I've had it since 2009 but have made less than 20 projects with this set. Considering how many projects I have made since I got it, I must just have too many stamps. If that is even possible.

 I used black stazon ink to stamp the butterfly onto brown cardstock. I stamped it 10 times and fussy cut them all out. I turned the first one over and drew the shape of the pocket I wanted to create for each wing. Then I cut it out. I then traced those same shapes on the backs of the other butterflies and cut them out too. I then glued all the layers together. When the glue was dry, I filled the pockets on the left side with quilled roses. The pockets on the right side, I put little metallic gears attached with brads.

 My friend Terri had sent me this fabulous gold chicken wire ribbon. I liked it but when I placed it on my card it was "too gold". When I looked at it, it was the ribbon that I noticed first instead of my butterfly so I wanted to "fix"it. I laid it on a piece of scrap paper and rubbed my black stazon ink over the top. It distressed it enough that you could still see the gold but it was more subtle.

 

I knew I wanted to make a butterfly trail and what I made I think is unique and different. I took a piece of foil and put drops of hot glue on it. When the glue had cooled I painted over it with black fingernail polish that I bought for crafting purposes. When the fingernail polish had dried, I used ink gold metallic rub to go over the dots. I then peeled them off of the foil and used Tacky glue to adhere them to the card. I used the same inka gold rub to go around the edges of the panels.  The inside of my easel card has the sketch not flipped.

Rustic garden with butterflies

Unity has a weekly challenge on facebook. This week it was a photo inspiration challenge. I loved the colors and right away I knew I wanted to do faux barn wood technique. One of the things I like about doing faux barn wood technique is no two pieces turn out the same. That is usually a good thing. But today, I didn't like the colors or the way it was "cracking". I ended up making 4 different tries before I got one that was the color I wanted and looked like aged wood.  Here is a look at the ones that I didn't like...

 I was in between my 2nd and 3rd try when my friend Pam shared her card with me. If you would like to see her card you can see it HERE. I absolutely loved her card. She is such an amazing artist and has such an eye for detail. After seeing her card I started to do something that I don't like doing... I started comparing. I was comparing what I was doing to hers and felt like mine was falling short. I sat for a minute and remembered that I have to do my own art. I could practice for years, trying to copy my friend Pam's art, but I could never do a good "Pam card" because I'm not her. So I decided to push on and make a "MariLynn card" because that is one area that no one else can compare. I do the best MariLynn cards. If I had shared what I was thinking with my friend she would have told me exactly what I just shared because she pushes me to be a better me.

This is the photo for the challenge. Don't you just love the teal wood and the peach flowers and the Queen Anne's lace?

The Unity Stamp that I used on my card is the Butterflies. Both butterflies were stamped with black stazon and water colored. The sitting butterfly is two right halves of the butterfly layered on top of eachother. The stamp is HERE TODAY HERE TOMORROW.

Sunshine in gold

I really liked this week's Tuesday Morning Sketch-#342

I combined it with the Splitcoast Ways to use it challenge to use a celestial image.  I chose this retired MFP sun. The stamp has a face on the sun, but I didn't want that so I masked it with a post it note that I punched out with a circle punch. I heat embossed with gold ep.  I first thought I wanted to use blue designer paper to make the sky, but nothing felt right. I finally picked some brown paper. I used random stamps that I also heat embossed. When it came time to put my card top on a base, I decided to flip it. I really like the way it turned out.

Mixed media garden

 This is a card that I made for Happy Little Stampers March Mixed Media challenge.
Their challenge was to use water or have a water theme. I choose to do the first. I used dies to cut the cardstock. I stamped, masked and stamped the flowers (SU Touch of Nature) on the layers with black stazon ink. Then I used markers scribbled on an acetate folder and water to use to water color the sky. I then watercolored the flowers using yellows oranges and pinks. I wanted to add more texture to the sky, so I stamped with distress ink(chipped sapphire) with an old SU itty bitty background stamp.  I added shading to the flowers with prisma colored pencils. Under each layer I glued stacked circles of cardstock to put dimension between the layers. I also put cheesecloth between each layer. I finished the flowers with gold glitter glue for the centers. I thought I was done, but decided my garden needed some butterflies. I use an old Layers of Color butterfly set. I stamped the butterflies with distress ink (chipped sapphire). I cut the butterflies out and shaped the wings. I added teal glitter to the dots on the wings.

Early St Patricks card

 The color challenge at Splitcoaststampers CC573 and this weeks Mojo Monday 438 were what I needed to get this St Patrick's Day card done early enough to mail. That is pretty big for me. I make the cards but I usually am running late getting them mailed, if they get mailed at all. I am part of a card swap group where we make eachother cards with a coffee theme.
I choose "pear pizzazz, whisper white, bermuda bay and soft sky" for my colors.
I paper pieced the little coffee cups with scraps that came close to those colors. I decided to add gold for my "dessert" option. I sprayed a piece of cardstock with gold spray. I punched out circles, then ran the circles through my cuttlebug using my script embossing folder. I then rubbed the tops of the coins with gold metallic rub. I glued them down, trying to make them look random. After they were glued I added gold glitter glue to the tops to give them that extra sparkle. I used my computer to print the sentiment. "Gold can't buy happiness but it can buy coffee and that is pretty much the same thing."

Primaries in my thoughts

 The Splitcoaststampers.com  MIX-ability challenge for today is to use primary colors. I used Adornit Blender Basics papers. I used Red Damask, Yellow Chevron, and Blue Pixie Dots. I used these papers because they are two sided and both sides of the sheets are in the same color family but are a different shade and pattern. That worked well for my quilt.  After I glued my quilt pieces down onto a square piece of cardstock, I heat embossed with white ep and used my SU itty bitty background stamp. I then ran the quilt through my cuttlebug using a starburst flower embossing folder. I added gold metallic rub over the embossed flowers. I stamped the dress form with black stazon and paper pieced the skirt using the same red, yellow and blue papers. I glued a cheesecloth belt and added a rhinestone. I wanted to give it a sense of a neckline, so I added glue and glitter. I added die cut hearts.

 

A hug for a friend

 This is my card for this week's Splitcoast Stampers Sketch Challenge. 
I have always loved BasicGrey's Indian Summer paper pad. I had been hoarding the last few sheets that I had and last week I was given some more. So I just had to use it this week. I added quilled, cheesecloth, glitter, lace and pearls. The big pearls on the front and on the base of the easel were brads that I put hot glue on. I let the drops of hot glue cool before I painted them with pearl fingernail polish. 

Retirement card

I spent a lot of time last night thinking about what makes a friend. With social media, you "friend" a person with a click of a button. I have "friends" that I have never met in real life, but through emails, texts and conversations, I know a lot about them. I also have friends that I have met in real life that I know very little about. The more I thought about it I decided that a friend is someone you enjoy and when you think of them it makes you smile.

My friend Lynda falls into the second category of someone I have met in real life but know only a little about her. She had been working at our local McDonald's. She has a sweet heart and a friendly disposition. Over the years, I have learned that she loves animals, especially dogs. She cried with me the day I had to put my dog Hershey down. I know she likes Brewers Baseball and we share a love of  Packers football. She told me yesterday that she was retiring and I wanted to make a card for her. On the inside I wrote,"Since you are retiring and wont NEED to look at clocks anymore, I made this pretty one to look at just for fun." I am going to miss my friend Lynda.

I used this week's MOJO 437 sketch

MFP bloghop hearts and bunnies

WELCOME  
TO MFP STAMP SHOP

Hearts and Bunnies
 BLOG HOP

JOIN US EACH DAY, Feb. 23-26 FOR SOME FUZZY BUNNY LOVEY FUN. WE'LL HAVE  TUTORIALS AND DT INSPIRATION. THERE WILL BE PRIZES FOR LEAVING COMMENTS ON THE DESIGN TEAM'S BLOGS AND PRIZES FOR TRYING OUR TUTORIALS.  YOU WILL HAVE 2 WEEKS TO ADD YOUR PROJECT to the Feb. 26th POST FOR US TO SEE SO THERE IS NO EXCUSE NOT TO JOIN IN THE FUN. 

Please Hop along with us!! 
 You could win one of the MFP Stamp Shop Bunny or Heart related STAMP SETS Just comment on the following blogs ( don't forget this one ) each day for more chances to win! ( You do NOT need to comment on on all the blogs each day! The names are drawn randomly.) Try one of the tutorials shown during the Hop and add your photo to the Inlinkz at the bottom of the Feb. 26 post. The winners will be announced on March. 12, 2016 right here on the MFP Stamp Shop Blog. You can go back and comment if you missed a day. ( HINT: The more you comment the more chances you have to win. And comments on the MFP blog count twice. ) The deadline for commenting and posting pics of your projects is Friday March. 11, 2016 at 10:00 PM EST.

Tutorials
Feb. 24- Baskets by Vickie
 Feb. 26- Egg and Silverware wrappers by Sandy

Let's get started !!

Here's the Design Team

Bonnie
Gail

 Karen
Kren
Lois  
MariLynn

Pat
Pam
Sandy 

Shirley

Toni

Vickie

MFP Stamp Shop 

Enjoy the Hop. Come back each day. We hope to inspire you to start your own Heart and Bunny projects.  Get to work on the tutorials, show us what you made by March 11th and check back on March 12, 2016 to see if you are a winner. 


I think I might have set a record for the most mfp sets used on a card. I used the following sets:
Cracked Hello
Love, Love, Love
Chicken Wire
Flaps My Wattles
Plywood
Hey Cowboy
Flamingos on Vacation
Be Wild and Free
and
Welcome Poppies
(If anyone has used more mfp sets on one card let me know and I will gladly crown you the champion)

I used the strips from the sets and put them next to eachother on my acrylic block. I used versamark ink and white ep on an encyclopedia page. I ink spray smashed on the encyclopedia page. I smashed a second encyclopedia page and stamped the silhouettes of the elephant and giraffe. I drew hearts with a black ink pen. I added cheesecloth, burlap, brads and twine. 

MFP hearts and bunnies hop day 3

WELCOME  
TO MFP STAMP SHOP

Hearts and Bunnies
 BLOG HOP

JOIN US EACH DAY, Feb. 23-26 FOR SOME FUZZY BUNNY LOVEY FUN. WE'LL HAVE  TUTORIALS AND DT INSPIRATION. THERE WILL BE PRIZES FOR LEAVING COMMENTS ON THE DESIGN TEAM'S BLOGS AND PRIZES FOR TRYING OUR TUTORIALS.  YOU WILL HAVE 2 WEEKS TO ADD YOUR PROJECT to the Feb. 26th POST FOR US TO SEE SO THERE IS NO EXCUSE NOT TO JOIN IN THE FUN. 

Please Hop along with us!! 
 You could win one of the MFP Stamp Shop Bunny or Heart related STAMP SETS Just comment on the following blogs ( don't forget this one ) each day for more chances to win! ( You do NOT need to comment on on all the blogs each day! The names are drawn randomly.) Try one of the tutorials shown during the Hop and add your photo to the Inlinkz at the bottom of the Feb. 26 post. The winners will be announced on March. 12, 2016 right here on the MFP Stamp Shop Blog. You can go back and comment if you missed a day. ( HINT: The more you comment the more chances you have to win. And comments on the MFP blog count twice. ) The deadline for commenting and posting pics of your projects is Friday March. 11, 2016 at 10:00 PM EST.

Tutorials
Feb. 24- Baskets by Vickie
 Feb. 26- Egg and Silverware wrappers by Sandy

Let's get started !!

Here's the Design Team

Bonnie
Gail

 Karen
Kren
Lois  
MariLynn

Pat
Pam
Sandy 

Shirley

Toni

Vickie

MFP Stamp Shop 

Enjoy the Hop. Come back each day. We hope to inspire you to start your own Heart and Bunny projects.  Get to work on the tutorials, show us what you made by March 11th and check back on March 12, 2016 to see if you are a winner. 


Before I share my card for today I want to share a card I made yesterday using the sketch on Splitcoaststampers. It was a whimsical card that used
HOT and SPICY stamp set 
and JUST A NOTE stamp set 
I made it an easel card and I made a glittery red heart to stop the easel.

I really liked how the card turned out and I wanted to make a similar card. I decided to think outside the box. I used some paper punches. I wanted to make a flower. I punched two different scalloped circles and a bunch of hearts. 

I sprayed the pieces with gold spray.

I used the same JUST A NOTE set that I used on the other card, along with cheesecloth, gold spray, burlap and red glitter.

Here is a close up of the "hearts" flower. 

It was hard to capture the glitter and shimmer with a photograph so I made a video clip.