Sunflower Studio

SUNFLOWER GIRL

It's been a little bit since I've had a chance to make something with one of my PURE INNOCENCE gals from MY FAVORITE THINGS.  Fortunately for me, KIM at MFT, sent me one of their newest images, SUNFLOWER GIRL.  Oh, how I love her!  This is the Sunflower Studio, after all!!  Well, it could have been the fact that when I saw Kim in January I screamed "You have to make a Pure Innocence gal with a sunflower!"  I think I mighta scared her...ha!

I teamed her up with a gaggle of beautiful new papers in the Blissful Collection by Authentique.  I am in love with this paper.  I used this week's WEDNESDAY SKETCH CHALLENGE #33 for my layout.  THE CAT'S PAJAMAS SUNFLOWER ROSETTE CUTUPS die worked perfectly for the circle part of the sketch.  The branch with leaves is a Sizzix die, the rhinestones from Colorbok, and satin ribbon from PTI complete the look.

NEST {tcptues167 - technique challenge}

I'm back from vacay and ready for stampin'!  AND...it's TCP TUESDAY #167 and time for a TECHNIQUE CHALLENGE from our hostess, JULIE MASSE.  She's challenged us all to pick up the ole waterbrush and do some watercoloring!  Remember those days?   I used to watercolor all the time...before those MARKERS came along and took over my coloring world.  I found it to be a lot harder than I remembered too!  Plus, I had to get out all of these ink colors and I didn't even do that much watercoloring on my card.  Again, though, that's why they call it a "challenge", right?

I used the MFTWSC27 sketch from last week for my layout.  My card features the ROLLED NEST CUTUPS die along with the NESTING stamp set from THE CAT'S PAJAMAS.  I also used the branch and leaves from THE TWEETEST THINGS.  My nest has some faux turquoise beads for eggs and some Linen Thread for grass.  I added our new CREAM SEAM BINDING RIBBON in a crinkled bow to pretty it up.  Oh, and I also sponged the edges all over the place with Walnut Distressing Ink...another oldie but a goodie!

Add your watercolored card or project to the slide show on ALMA'S blog so that you'll be included in the weekly winner and SWANKY STAMPER contests.  Use keyword TCPTUES167 when uploading to SCS too.

IT'S HIP TO BE SQUARE {mftwsc09082010}

Why soooo blue?  Well, the theme for this week's MY FAVORITE THINGS Wednesday Stamp Club challenge is "Back To School Blues."  Um, guess I took that literally?!  This idea started out in my brain as something along the lines of those plates where the images are monochromatic...blueware?  Really not sure what they're called but let's just go with it, k?

AMY and SONY have been creating these fun monochromatic cards lately and I've been truly inspired by those.  (Remember my Groovy Girl card?)  And since the description to the DT for the challenge said "create a project featuring something related to going back to school AND use something blue", my little girl is "blue" about going back to school.  

The images here are in the BOOK IN HAND Pure Innocence set.  I really dug deep into my paper stash for these patterned papers from Basic Grey in the Vagabond collection...real oldies!  I also used the new Notebook Edge Die-namics die from MFT, Kraft taffeta ribbon and photo corner punch from SU!, TCP Linen thread, a Tim Holtz mini paperclip, and a button from PTI.  Just in case you were wondering, I used the following Copic markers to color the image:  B91, B93, B95, B97, and B99.

What'dya think you'll make for this one? Make sure that you use keyword MFTWSC09082010 if you're uploading to SCS.  Need inspiration?  Check out what the other WSC gals have created this week...

• Alex
• Dawn
• Wendy
• Kim
• Julie
• Carole
• Cammie
• Amy

TOO CUTE TO SPOOK {mftwsc09012010}

Yeah!  Now I am "officially" a member of the MY FAVORITE THINGS Wednesday Stamp Club design team.  I appreciate all of the "welcomes" and well wishes from last week's post.  You peoples are soooo nice!

For this week - and for the first week of each and every WSC month - the challenge is to use the provided sketch.  See, all of the hard part is now done.  All you've gotta do is pick some stamps and paper and get to work.  Easy peazy!

I have to say that I just can't get away from the Kraft paper.  Anybody else having this problem?  I tried doing the bright and colorful thing on my TCPTUES post this week and, while I liked the finished card, I just kept thinkin' that it needed some good ole Kraft!  For me, I think it's just that it gives you a nice neutral base.  That way the main images come to the forefront and don't have to fight for your eyes to find them.  AND, that neutral is a nice separator between brighter colors and busier patterns.  It's all good, right?! 

I'm already feelin' in a Halloween kinda mood...even though it's like almost 100 degrees out each day this week.  {I think that hurricane Earl might threaten towards the end of the week but my homepage still says sunny and hot each day.  A bit of rain would be great...a torrential downpour...hmm, not so much!}  I chose to use the TOO CUTE TO SPOOK set.  It's one that I bought last year but had yet to ink up.  What was I waitin' for?  This little gal is CA-UTE!  

 

I used the Copic airbrush to create her background layer....spraying yellow and then orange in the lower left corner.  Then I used a scalloped mask and two different warm gray markers to create the clouds.  I then added a smidge of purple right between the orange and gray.  I over-stamped the tree, fence, and tiny bats to complete the background.  I love to set the scene!

The numbered paper is from October Afternoon, the orange polka-dot from the Spooktacular pad by K&Co.  I used a new edge punch from EK...big ole scallops with a big circle in each...and then added buttons in the holes.  I took the liberty to add the sentiment oval piece to the top of that layer since it fit better there.  The striped ribbon in an old standby for me from SU!...I don't think I'll ever not love it!

If you've made it all the way to the bottom of my rambling post then you absolutely must click in on the rest of the MFT-WSC team.  I'm sure they'll have wonders to share with us!

• Alex
• Dawn
• Wendy
• Kim
• Julie
• Carole
• Cammie
• Amy
• Cindy
• Frances

FLOWERY LITTLE ANGEL {mft wsc}

Hey, guess what?!  I am now a member of the Wednesday Sketch Club design team at MY FAVORITE THINGS.  I'm very excited to be a small part of this great company and their amazing DT.  So, what does this mean?  Well, it means that I'll be posting a card each Wednesday that'll feature a pre-determined theme.  I actually officially start on September 1st but I'm jumping in a little early to show you a little something in this week's theme:  FLORAL FANTASY! Create a card or project featuring, duh, FLOWERS!

 

I chose this oh-so-sweet PURE INNOCENCE LITTLE ANGEL image as my focal point.  I mean, really, could she be ANY cuter?!  I don't think so!  I paper pieced her dress with Basic Grey Kioshi collection patterned paper.  In fact, all of the patterned papers here are from that same great pad.  I really like the background piece with the spray of muted-color flowers....so pretty.  I added big purple flowers, cut using the MFT DIE-NAMICS FLOWER TRIO & LEAF TRIO dies.  I layered them and curled the egdes and added button centers for lots of depth.

Wanna see what the other members of the WSC team have created this week?  Of course you do!  Here's the list to make it extra easy...

• Alex
• Dawn
• Wendy
• Kim
• Julie

Check back next week...it's a sketch challenge and my official start on the team!

BOOK FAIR {MFT Wednesday Stamp Club}

Anybody for a book fair?  I decided to give the MFT Wednesday Stamp Club challenge a try today.  The theme is "Time to hit the Books! - Think back to school, reading or books".

I purchased this American Crafts patterned paper (Abode - Oak Ave.) specifically to go with this MFT stamp set, I {HEART} BOOKS!  I do love me some books.  I read in waves, though....read constantly for a time and then don't read at all for a few weeks.  I have a whole pile - plus a bunch on my Kindle - ready for reading right now.  Gotta get down to it!

Obviously, this cute little chickie made it to the BOOK FAIR.  She's so sweet!  I added the banner made with MFT's BANNER DAY DIE-NAMICS die, some Cosmo Early Bird paper, TCP Divine Twine, Creative Imaginations buttons, and this cute little MFT alphabet.