PaperFections

MFT August Creative Challenge: Watercolor + Tutorial

Hello and welcome to the August My Favorite Things Design Team Creative Challenge! Watercolor is a medium that’s been around forever but is experiencing a resurgence in popularity in the crafting, card-making, and scrapbooking world. This month, the MFT Design Team will show you ways to achieve the look with stamps, stencils, and inks! (Products used for each project are linked below each project. Click on any photo for a larger view). My first project is a card which uses a stencil to create a watercolor background: I didn't have the Chevron Stencil, so I die cut some blank stencil material (plastic) with my Chevron Cover-Up Die-namics and taped it to a piece of watercolor paper with washi tape. Next, I placed drops of MFT's Premium Dye Ink Refills (Berylicious and Blu Raspberry) into the lids of their coordinating ink pads and used a water brush to pick up and/or water down the ink as needed. TIP: Using the lids as a palette allows any unused ink to remain in the lid and be used at a later time and/or a lot of unused refill can just drain back onto the ink pad: (Above): I alternated painting the rows of... Read more →

Late Delivery Birthday

I have to admit to needing a few of these kind of birthday cards every now and then ... how about you? :) This darling new You've Got Mail stamp set from My Favorite Things just might make the recepient forget all about the lateness of your delivery, don't you think? And that sweet little coordinating You've Got Mail envelope Die-namics is FREE this month with your purchase (click here to find out more detials)! All of the stamps from the You've Got Mail stamp set are sized perfectly to fit on it! I adore the little postage stamp and cancellation mark, along with the diagonal "airmail" stripes stamps. The envelope was cut from Primitive white cardstock and the edges sponged with Natural Premium Dye Ink. The finished envelope was popped up on Copic foam tape: The pretty Hybrid Camellia Flower was die cut from Pink Lemonade cardstock and sponged with Bubblegum Premium Dye Ink. The Blueprints 16 curved panel was cut from Natural cardstock and Natural Premium Dye Ink sponged through the Jumbo Polka Dot stencil to create the curved panel. The Pink Lemonade panel was stamped with the Cheesecloth Background stamp in Bubblegum Premium Dye Ink. Both panels... Read more →

Copics on Embossed Vellum

Hello and happy Saturday! Today over in Ellen Hutson's the CLASSroom, I have this Copic-colored velum birthday cupcake card to share! I hope you'll join me to find out how you can successfully use your Copic markers on vellum, and a few more tips to working with vellum. Enjoy your weekend! Read more →

MFT August Release Rewind

Hello and welcome to the My Favorite Things August Release Rewind - Day 2! I hope to inspire you with more ideas for those new August products you've purchased and are patiently waiting on to be delivered, or to help you finish up your shopping, if you are still on the fence about anything! I didn't get a chance during the release to play with the adorable new Birdie Brown Witch Way is the Candy and her coordinating Die-namics or the Witch's Cauldron, so I have two projects using those products for you tonight! (All products used are linked at this bottom of the post). My first project is a candy jar that is currently hiding my stash of Hershey's Milk Chocolate with Almonds Nuggets (shhh, don't tell my kids!) -- yum!! I think it would also make a great teacher's gift, for their desk: I used a piece of MFT's Translucent Vellum to cover a 6-inch tall recycled olive jar (2.50" diameter), to give the jar a frosted look. The Spooky Scene Die-namics ghosts were die cut from the vellum before adhering it to the jar. Here's a little closer look at those cute ghosts -- you can see... Read more →

MFTWSC189

Hello and thank you for joining me today! I have another "bonus" August My Favorite Things New Product Launch project to share today, which (loosely!) uses MFT's new Weekly Stamp Club Sketch #189 <== Be sure to enter for your chance to win some MFT cash to spend in their online store!). Here's my card: I just can't get enough of the new Spider Web Cover-Up Die-namics -- I especially like it cut from Translucent Vellum! The vellum was adhered to a Rectangle Frame cut from Grape Jelly cardstock, stamped with the new Cheesecloth Background in Grape Jelly Premium Dye ink. I adhered the web and frame with foam tape over another one of my Copic "watercolor" backgrounds (created by spreading Copic Various Ink Refills on an acrylic block, spritzing it with Copic Colorless Blender Solution, then stamping it onto glossy cardstock). The Trick or Treat bats and spider were stamped with Black Licorice Hybrid ink onto their coordinating Die-namics, colored with T3, T5, and V12 Copic markers, glittered with Clear Wink of Stella glitter marker, and also popped up on foam tape. The adorable "boo" sentiment (love it!) die cut is also from the Trick or Treat Die-namics. I... Read more →

MFT August New Product Launch!

The time has come . . . Welcome to the August New Product Launch from My Favorite Things! This is the design team's chance to highlight and share more of the new release products that are NOW AVAILABLE for purchase at the MFT Store! Check out the MFT Blog for complete NPL details and be sure to leave a comment here on this blog post, to be entered for your chance at winning a $100 gift voucher (see last paragraph below for details)! Tonight I'm focusing on MFT's awesome new illustrator, Miss Tiina's, adorable and whimsical first products in her line, Trick or Treat stamp set and coordinating Die-namics: Here are my first projects -- a card and chalkboard candy dish: The card uses the current MFT Wednesday Stamp Club sketch #188. I started with a Grape Jelly card base, then added the Diagonal Stripes Background panel stamped in Black Licorice Premium Dye Ink on Smooth White cardstock. The Sour Apple and Grape Jelly watercolored Cheesecloth accent on the left is a leftover piece I trimmed off this card. The Black Licorice panel was splattered with Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls Mist, to create a glittery night-time sky: The Trick or... Read more →

MFT August Release Countdown-Day 1

Welcome to countdown day 1 of My Favorite Things August Release! The new products will be available at 10pm Eastern TONIGHT, August 12! Be sure to head over to the MFT Blog to see today’s full product reveals AND enter for your chance to win a $75 gift voucher on each of the 7 countdown day blog posts! For my first project, I used today's featured fun new Spooky Scene Die-namics and Spooky Sentiments stamp set to create this card, which also uses the new MFT August Color Palette Challenge colors: I die cut each of the three different sweet ghosts (love these little guys!!) from this die set out of the three color challenge colors of cardstock: Nightshift Blue, Orange Fizz, and Fuse Green, and arranged them inside a Kraft cardstock Square Grid Cover-Up die cut on a Natural card base. You can find all the details about the monthly challenge here (click on graphic): The FAB-BOO-LOUS Spooky Sentiment was heat embossed on a Primitive White Dimensional Banner and popped up on foam tape. I think this card would also be a great for someone with an October birthday! Next, I used today's featured Spider Web Cover-Up with the... Read more →

MFT August Release Countdown-Day 3

Welcome to countdown day 3 of My Favorite Things August Release! The new products will be available at 10pm EST on August 12! Be sure to head over to the MFT Blog to see today’s full product reveals AND enter for your chance to win a $75 gift voucher on each of the 7 countdown day blog posts! My project includes today's featured Pure Innocence Batty About You stamp set and coordinating Die-namics, along with the new Cheesecloth Background and Stitchable Dot Circle STAX (and bats from Miss Tiina's new Trick or Treat!): Isn't that the cutest bat you've ever seen?!! And so much fun to color! She was stamped with MFT's Black Licorice Hybrid ink onto X-Press It Blending Card die cut with her coordinating Die-namics and colored with these Copic markers: She was popped up on foam tape on a Pinking Edge Circle STAX which was die cut with the new Stitchable Dot Circle STAX and then hand stitched with white embroidery thread. The Cheesecloth Background was stamped with Versamark onto watercolor paper and clear embossed. Then I used a water brush and Grape Jelly and Sour Apple Premium Dye inks to watercolor over the embossing and also... Read more →

Copic Marker Watercolor

I've been playing with Ranger's new Specialty Stamping Paper and discovered a watercolor look using Copic markers! I hope you'll join me over in Ellen Hutson's the CLASSroom to find out all the details! I'll be back late tonight with more August Release Countdown inspiration from My Favorite Things . . . Happy weekend! Read more →

MFT August Release Countdown-Day 5

Welcome to countdown day 5 of My Favorite Things August Release! The new products will be available at 10pm EST on August 12! Be sure to head over to the MFT Blog to see today’s full product reveals AND enter for your chance to win a $75 gift voucher on each of the 7 countdown day blog posts! For today's project, I used the fun new Centerpieces Spooky Window Die-namics to create this card: It really makes very quick and easy cards (or scrapbook page accents)! I die cut the window from the center of a Smooth White cardstock panel, then cut the separate spider die from Black Licorice cardstock and adhered him over the white die cut spider. The white die cut panel was popped up on foam tape over the Copic "watercolor" background I created -- here are those quick basic steps: 1. Drop Copic Various Ink Refill color (here I used YR16 & V15) onto an acrylic stamp block 2. Spritz the colors with Copic Colorless Blender Solution to get them to move around and run together a little. 3. Either turn the acrylic block over and stamp the color onto glossy cardstock OR press the glossy... Read more →

MFT August Release Countdown-Day 6

Welcome to countdown day 6 of My Favorite Things August Release! The new products will be available at 10pm EST on August 12! Be sure to head over to the MFT Blog to see today’s full product reveals AND enter for your chance to win a $75 gift voucher on each of the 7 countdown day blog posts! For today's project, I created an 8-inch scrap page using three new August products being featured today: Geek is Chic Glasses Die-namics, Geek is Chic stamp set and Eye Charts stamp set! Also, the Small Checkerboard Stencil being featured on Monday. All such fun! My oldest daughter absolutely loves her glasses and has no urge to get contacts. They are her favorite green color, which matches her beautiful green eyes! She is a self-proclaimed science and computer geek, has geckos for pets and never liked frilly girl stuff. So when I saw these new stamp sets and dies, I knew they would make a perfect scrap page for her! I started with her favorite color -- green, and used MFT's pretty Factory Green (darker olive color) and Fuse Green (lighter) -- they remind me of the inside and outside of a pickle,... Read more →

MFT August Release Countdown-Day 7

Hello and welcome to an exciting week of the My Favorite Things August Release Countdown! Be sure to head over to the MFT Blog to see today’s full product reveals AND enter for your chance to win a $75 gift voucher on each of the 7 countdown day blog posts there! I have two projects for you today. My first card uses the fabulous new Blueprints 18, a fantastic Spotlight Sentiments stamp set, and new Jumbo Polka Dot Stencil (being featured tomorrow). We needed a thank you card for two neighborhood brothers (aged 12 and under), so I was trying to keep this card on the young-masculine side: I LOVE this exciting on-trend angled Blueprints -- it takes all the guess work out of those difficult angles and makes these cards so easy to create! I started with a Nightshift Blue card base and die cut the top angled piece from Orange Fizz cardstock. Then I used the the fabulous stitched circle (cuts stitches around the outer as well as the inside of the circle) to cut a circle out of the top Orange Fizz piece. Next, I cut another stitched circle from Fuse Green cardstock and heat embossed the... Read more →