Happy Wednesday!

Look's like it is going to be a beautiful day today!  I have so much work to do outside and inside and can never pick which is more important, lol!  So I thought I would post my challenge card for this week's LNS challenge and have a cup of coffee to figure it out,lol.  This week we are focusing on LOVE--yep, wedding season is just around the corner and of course that also means we will need Anniversary cards too since some of our friends and family already are married!  So the theme is love can be anything you want, wedding, anniversary, sweetheart your call.  I thought that maybe I should use this hostess set that I have had for quite a while (don't want to admit how long) and have NEVER used.  Nice since it only has a few more days before it retires--I don't get rid of my sets anyway so it don't matter to me! And I know my customer's don't get rid of their sets just because they retire--so they still want ideas--that is why I keep them!  (that's my story and I am sticking to it!) Can you tell I don't want to do ANY work--I am just babbling away.........

On to the card...

Stamps: Ain't Love Grand, Tiny Tags
Paper: Basic Grey, Basic Black, Whisper White and dp
Ink: Basic Black
Other: markers, hearts border embossing folder, ribbon, tag punch, rhinestones, circle punch, scallop circle punch, score board, scallop border punch, white gel pen

Hope you enjoy your day!  I am of to do ??????????
Mary Jo

SUOnly Challenge

I am not sure why I never play along with this challenge?? SUO Challenge #46 – Bright Summer Days!
I guess I just don't remember that it is out there, but this week I seen it early in the week and decided to play along! The theme for the week is Summertime! To be more specific we are to capture something about a bright summer day and use it on our sample. One of my favorite things about summer is the sound of the birds at the bird feeder in the mornings and the beautiful colors from all the flowers and foliage. So that is what I am incorporating into my card for today...

I used the new Betsy's Blossom stamp set!  Such a bold and fun set.  The colors I chose were Tangerine Tango, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Garden Green, Whisper White and Basic Black. One of the flowers is punched out with the big scallop circle punch.  I also used Tangerine Tango Ribbon and the Modern Label Punch.  I hope you enjoy my sample for the day!

See you tomorrow with my LNS challenge card!
Mary Jo

Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge 223 (TSSC223)

Good Morning to you all and Happy Memorial Day to my friends in the USA!  I love Memorial Day--maybe that is because I have a family full of military--at least one person from each branch--most have more than one.  So be sure to thank someone for their service and dedication today!  And remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for US--may they rest in peace knowing that they are remembered and appreciated for their acts of bravery!

Here is today's sketch....

Mine started out just like the sketch but then it changed a bit, lol!  I was determined to make a card to celebrate those who give so much for us, so I combined the sketch with a patriotic theme.

Here is the inside--I know I don't always show the inside of my cards but felt it was appropriate today!

Now it is your turn.  So let's see what you can do with this week's sketch, remember to come on back and link you card to the blog hop.  If you add the code to your blog while in the edit HTML mode your readers can play along right from your blog!

Happy Stamping!
Mary Jo

Top Three for Sketch 222!

Fun samples this week!  Here are my top three picks for the week....

As always they are just little snippets of the card, if you click on each image you will be taken to the creator's blog and will be able to see the whole card along with all the details!

Winners feel free to add my badge to you blogs if you so wish.....

Here is the HTML code.

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3N078M5G9-huSpLKlt3kaZVaDOt23WakDimAMmNxTZfDwbBYrppjjcAjsgjaUrfpZps0Y89XaqfHUUtSw_XVASL9GnC6K-H75oW7vXgOMwquB3HaHRJD50N0XGc061MmeDkIVgZX04dy/s1600/blog+button-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" linkindex="15" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3N078M5G9-huSpLKlt3kaZVaDOt23WakDimAMmNxTZfDwbBYrppjjcAjsgjaUrfpZps0Y89XaqfHUUtSw_XVASL9GnC6K-H75oW7vXgOMwquB3HaHRJD50N0XGc061MmeDkIVgZX04dy/s200/blog+button-001.jpg" width="175" /></a></div>

 

Be back with the new sketch challenge in a minute!

Mary Jo

Color Challlenge combined with the masculine LNS challenge!

I combined to challenge in one for this card.  The color challenge One on One swap on SSUS that used the following colors.....

And the challenge on LNS to create cards for men or boys. Here is the results....

I really like the colors together.  What do you think?

Stamps: Bring on the Cake, Patterned Party
Paper: Tempting Turquoise, Pacific Point, Poppy Parade Pool Party, Whisper White
Ink: Basic Black
Other: markers, stripes embossing folder

Happy Wednesday--so excited about the holiday weekend!  Can't wait.

Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge 222 (TSSC222)!

Happy Monday!  Welcome to a brand new week and a brand new sketch challenge for you to play along with.  Remember you have a full week to do the sketch and come back and post your sample!  It is only called the Monday Lunchtime Sketch because that is when I post it!  Can't wait to see your samples for this sketch.

My sample for this week--as with most week's--is combined with the Latenightstamper's challenge for the week.  This week our focus is on Masculine cards.  With that in mind here is my sample....

Stamps: Nature Silhouettes, Lovely as a Tree
Paper: Always Artichoke, More Mustard, Very Vanilla, DP from Well Worn collection
Ink: Always Artichoke, Brown
Other: retired ribbon, button, corner rounder, chocolate chip brad, retired rub on.

I know I have said this before but I am so sad that the Nature Silhouettes stamp set is retiring--I will of course continue to use it!

So let's see what you can do with this week's sketch, remember to come on back and link you card to the blog hop.  If you add the code to your blog while in the edit HTML mode your readers can play along right from your blog!

Happy Stamping!
Mary Jo

Top Three for Sketch 221!

Good Morning, I hope you all had a great weekend.  We had the most wonderful weather here--really sunny every day!  God knows I love that!  Are you ready for the next sketch challenge?  I hope so.  But before we do that here are my top three picks for last week...

As always they are just little snippets of the card, if you click on each image you will be taken to the creator's blog and will be able to see the whole card along with all the details!

Winners feel free to add my badge to you blogs if you so wish.....

Here is the HTML code.

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3N078M5G9-huSpLKlt3kaZVaDOt23WakDimAMmNxTZfDwbBYrppjjcAjsgjaUrfpZps0Y89XaqfHUUtSw_XVASL9GnC6K-H75oW7vXgOMwquB3HaHRJD50N0XGc061MmeDkIVgZX04dy/s1600/blog+button-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" linkindex="15" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3N078M5G9-huSpLKlt3kaZVaDOt23WakDimAMmNxTZfDwbBYrppjjcAjsgjaUrfpZps0Y89XaqfHUUtSw_XVASL9GnC6K-H75oW7vXgOMwquB3HaHRJD50N0XGc061MmeDkIVgZX04dy/s200/blog+button-001.jpg" width="175" /></a></div>

 

Be back with the new sketch challenge in a minute!

Mary Jo

Art with a Heart Blog Hop!

Since I have yet to be able to go to convention due to other commitments during the time it runs, I have started participating in a sort of on-line conventions with some extremely talented and fun gals from Stampin Up!  Our new season has just begun and we are having our first blog hop!  You are going to love it!

I am stop number twelve of thirty!  If you came from Dawn Hoffman's Blog  you are right on track!  If this is your first stop that is ok too, you can just follow along though the hop until you return to me!  Trust me, you will really enjoy it.  If at any time you find yourself lost you can view the entire list of blogs on the VC-Rocks Blog.

The funny thing about this hop is that I almost forgot about it entirely.  After dinner I came in to check some e-mails and realized I never made my projects for the hop!  Whoops!  That would be REALLY bad!  So I rushed down to my studio (dungeon) and got to work.  I have three projects for you and they all came together really quickly which made for a fun few hours of stamping!

Remember all of the samples will have a heart on them, since that is the theme of the hop

Art with a Heart!

My first sample for you is a sneak peak at the new in colors for 2012-14..  I thought it would be fun to add all five colors to one card--and of course I had to add a heart or two!

You are going to love the new colors..

Primrose Petals, Summer Starfruit, Midnight Muse, Raspberry Ripple, and Gumball Green

Aren't they so fun together.  I also used the Hearts Collection Framelits Dies along with the P.S. I love you and Loving Thoughts stamp sets.

Next up is a fun chalkboard for my studio!  I am so loving -- this look really close at the words that are in the heart--so fun!  I love the colors too--blues and grey!

Here is a close up of the heart...

This is what the chalk board looked like at the beginning.  I bought it for $1 a long time ago and never did anything with it. Actually I bought six or seven of them thinking they would make a cute club project.  I am glad to finally pull one out and alter it. 

And finally I made this darling little box to hold two of my favorite things--Chocolate and Daisies!  I love it!  I used the Hearts Collection Framelits Dies again for this project.

I sure hope you enjoyed my projects for this blog hop!  I know I had fun making them.  Have fun on the rest of the hop--remember to be kind and leave comments!

    

 Happy Hopping!
Mary Jo

Another one with my sketch for this week!

It is the perfect layout for the Latenightstamper's challenge to use Designer Paper on our projects so I am using it again!  This time it is a masculine card.  I used the Need for Speed set with the Well Worn DP.  Kept it simple--seems I have been a simple kick lately.

Stamps: Need for Speed
Paper: Not Quite Navy, So Saffron, Cajun Craze, Very Vanilla, Well Worn DP
Ink: Early Espresso
Other: ribbon, markers

Quick and Simple
Happy Day to You!
Mary Jo

Mixing it up for my sketch challenge!

Thought I would have some fun with some old and some new stuff. I combined the recently retired Fresh Vintage Stamp set with some brand new sneak peek designer paper and and Framelit dies. I also combined it with this week's Latenightstamper's challenge to use designer paper on our projects. That my dear is a SUPER easy one! You can view my original Sketch challenge post HERE. I am late posting my sample-whoops.

Stamps: Fresh Vintage
Paper: Summer Starfruit, Cajun Craze, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, and Comfort Cafe DP
(Summer Starfruit and Comfort Cafe DP will be in the new catalog)
Ink: Soft Suede
Other: new framelit die, markers, pearls, Modern Label Punch

Hope your week is off to a wonderful start!
Mary Jo

Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge 221 (TSSC221)

Yea, a new week and a new sketch!  I was so thrilled with all the samples from last week!  Each and every one was just terrific.  If you didn't check them out you should!  So today we are on week 221 of my weekly sketches and I sure hope you can play along.  I have had the craziest week and have not stamped a single thing all week do I will be adding my sample later today--sorry, but I am adding the sketch now for you guys to get working on!  I think it will be a fun one and one you can use some of those scraps you have laying around from designer paper packs.  Or not!  Whatever you decide to do I know it will be awesome.

Here is this week's sketch.....

Remember to come on back and add your sample to the blog hop when you are done!

Hope you play along this week--get your friends to play along too.  If you add the link for the blog hop to your blog your friends can play along right from your blog!  Looking forward to seeing your samples.  Please be sure to link to the direct post and not just your home page.  Thanks!  Happy Stamping.

Mary Jo

Top Three Picks from Sketch 220!

Let me start by saying to all the Mother's out there, I hope you were spoiled and loved yesterday!  Happy Mother's day to you all!  Now, if you have not checked out the samples for sketch 220 you better--there are some absolutely beautiful cards to see  CLICK HERE!

I of course had a hard time picking my top three!  Love when that happens.  Thanks so much to everyone who played along. I am always blown away by your talent!  Here are my top three picks for this week.....as always they are just little snippets of the card, if you click on each image you will be taken to the creator's blog and will be able to see the whole card along with all the details.....

Winners feel free to add my badge to you blogs if you so wish.....

Here is the HTML code.

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3N078M5G9-huSpLKlt3kaZVaDOt23WakDimAMmNxTZfDwbBYrppjjcAjsgjaUrfpZps0Y89XaqfHUUtSw_XVASL9GnC6K-H75oW7vXgOMwquB3HaHRJD50N0XGc061MmeDkIVgZX04dy/s1600/blog+button-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" linkindex="15" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3N078M5G9-huSpLKlt3kaZVaDOt23WakDimAMmNxTZfDwbBYrppjjcAjsgjaUrfpZps0Y89XaqfHUUtSw_XVASL9GnC6K-H75oW7vXgOMwquB3HaHRJD50N0XGc061MmeDkIVgZX04dy/s200/blog+button-001.jpg" width="175" /></a></div>

 

 

Be back with the new sketch challenge in a minute!

Mary Jo

So Sad to See You Go!

This week on the Latenightstampers group we are making samples with stamp sets that we are sorry are retiring.  One of the sets I wish was not retiring is Every Moments since it has three of my favorite things are daisies, birds and butterflies and this set has all three!   So I thought I would combine it with my sketch challenge for this week.  You can view the sketch HERE. 

Stamps:  Every Moment, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron, More Mustard, Whisper White, DP Scrap
Ink: Basic Black
Other: markers, Modern Label Punch, nestibility circle die

Happy Hump Day!
Mary Jo

Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge 220 (TSSC220)

Yea, happy Monday to you!  I am excited about this week's sketch because I know you guys are going to rock it.  So I will get right to it.

Here is my sample. All of my inner pieces are a bit bigger--but that is the joy of sketch challenge-you can make them work with the images you want to use!  I was really wanting to use this hostess set a bit more before it retires (whoops, it did retire, I was so close).  I am not sure what my obsession is with birds but I love stamp sets with bird images.  I combined two of the images together to make one.  Love it.

Looks like a great place for birds to hang out don't it.  I am guessing that there is another family of birds in the little bird house--small birds, lol!  So that is why the birds needed to nest above the house.

Stamps: Up in the Air
Paper: Early Espresso, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White, dp from the Twitterpad collection
Ink: Brown Stazon
Other: markers, circle nestabilites

Hope you play along this week--get your friends to play along too.  If you add the link for the blog hop to your blog your friends can play along right from your blog!  Looking forward to seeing your samples.  Please be sure to link to the direct post and not just your home page.  Thanks!  Happy Stamping.

Mary Jo

Top three picks for sketch 219!

Hey all, I am running a bit late today!  My son is sick :(  Anyway, here are my top three picks for last week's sketch.  Thanks so much to all of you who played along with my challenge all of the samples were awesome this week!  Here are my top three picks in no particular order, and don't forget that these are just snippets and you can view the entire card and all the details by clicking on the image! 

Winners feel free to add my badge to you blogs if you so wish.....

Here is the HTML code.

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3N078M5G9-huSpLKlt3kaZVaDOt23WakDimAMmNxTZfDwbBYrppjjcAjsgjaUrfpZps0Y89XaqfHUUtSw_XVASL9GnC6K-H75oW7vXgOMwquB3HaHRJD50N0XGc061MmeDkIVgZX04dy/s1600/blog+button-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" linkindex="15" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3N078M5G9-huSpLKlt3kaZVaDOt23WakDimAMmNxTZfDwbBYrppjjcAjsgjaUrfpZps0Y89XaqfHUUtSw_XVASL9GnC6K-H75oW7vXgOMwquB3HaHRJD50N0XGc061MmeDkIVgZX04dy/s200/blog+button-001.jpg" width="175" /></a></div>

Be right back with the new sketch!

Mary Jo

One more for the Hallmark challenge!

I really did have fun with this challenge, can you tell!  Here is my last one--for now, lol!  First the Hallmark card.....

Such a cute card really.  But I like mine better---hahahahahahaha!

Stamps: Season of Joy, Herb Expressions
Paper: Riding Hood Red, Whisper White, Baja Breeze, Island Indigo
Ink: Island Indigo
Other: Beautiful Wings embosslit, Beautiful Butterflies die, pearls

That's all for now!
Mary Jo

Another Hallmark CASE!

Here is another card that I copied from Hallmark--but made it better with Stampin Up! supplies!

Their version....

I really loved the bright colors and the fun flowers.  This is my version...

I used the mixed bunch stamp set--which by the way will carry over into the new catalog!--with the matching punch.  After laying the punched out flowers on the background I embossed the entire thing using the Square Lattice embossing folder.  Makes it almost look like it is a piece of textured designer paper and not separate elements.  Of course I did add the extra element of the sentiment since I didn't think you would be able to read the sentiment through the embossing.

Stamps:  Mixed Bunch, Thoughts and Prayers
Paper:  Poppy Parade, Peach Parfait, Concord Crush, Whisper White
Ink: Poppy Parade, Peach Parfait, Concord Crush
Other: Square Lattice embossing folder--flower punch.

TGIF!
Mary Jo

The case of the Hallmark card!

The challenge I gave the LNS this week was to find a card on the Hallmark site and re-create it using our products.  So fun.  I have done three so far that I will be sharing with you over the next few days.  Here is the first.

The original Hallmark card...

And my re-make...

So fun!

Stamps: On Your Birthday, Birthday Bakery (retired)
Paper: Island Indigo, Riding Hood Red, Blushing Bride, Whisper White
Ink: Island Indigo, Pear Pizazz, Blushing Bride, Baja Breeze
Other: markers

So glad you stopped by today
see ya again real soon!
Mary Jo

Mother's Day

Thought I would share a few Mother's day cards with you today. One is a cute technique with acetate on the front! I love the concept--the colors I chose, not so much! I usually love bright colors but for some reason I was not happy with this. But as I said, I love the concept.  The herbs are stamped on the acetate with white stazon.. 

Stamps: Herb Expressions, Messages for Mom
Paper: Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo, Lucky Limeade
Ink: Basic Black, White Stazon
Other: Scallop Trim Border, Beautiful Butterflies Embosslit, Black Marker


And then a more muted one.  I am so excited to know that this stamp set was carried over from the Occasions mini!  It is so pretty and so easy to work with.  If you missed it during the mini you can still get it now!

Stamps:  Bordering on Romance. Messages for Mom
Paper: Pear Pizazz, So Saffron, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White
Ink: Basic Black
Other: markers, pearls

Hope your week is going well.
Mary Jo