MFT Superstar 2020: Clean & Simple Genius

This is my entry for the My Favorite Things Superstar 2020 Clean and Simple Genius category.  I trimmed a top folding piece of copic-friendly Neenah Solar White 80 lb cardstock 1/4 in smaller than a standard A2 piece.  

I centered the stamp (MFT Polar Bear Pals) a little high of the center and stamped in Black Tuxedo Momento ink using a stamp positioning tool (mine is a Stampin Up Stamparatus).  I opened the card and stamped the bear in the exact same spot inside the card.  I also stamped the inside and outside sentiments at this time.  

I used the matching bear die and a circle die to
partially die cut the opening on the front.  Inside, I added the bucket of fish, then used post-its to mask the bear and fish.  Next, I made a mask for ground by cutting a scrap piece of paper with the MFT snowy hill die-namics.  I taped the hill mask in place then inked the background with Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks in Fossilized Amber, Carved Pumpkin, and Picked Raspberry.  I peeled off the masks, then colored the images in copic markers. 

Last, I used a white gel pen to add snow to the sky and a black glaze pen to highlight the eyes and nose on the bears, before mounting the card on piece of MFT Cotton Candy cardstock that is 4 1/4x5 1/2.  Thanks for looking!  April

MFT Weekly Sketch Challenge #500

This birthday card is for MFT Weekly Sketch challenge.  The base is Whisper White cardstock.  I used a piece of Whisper White and inked with Carved Pumpkin, Picked Raspberry, Seedless Preserves, Blueprint Sketch and Chipped Sapphire  Tim Holtz Distress Inks, layered with Whisper White cardstock cut with MFT stitched snow dies then popped up with foam tape.  The image is MFT Sweet Holiday Penguin colored with copic markers.  The sentiment is from MFT Gift Card Greetings.  Thanks for looking!  April

Pokeball birthday set

My oldest son's friend is having a birthday, and loves Pokemon, so we did our usual movie themed gift with a Pokeball twist. 
The colors are kraft, Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White, and Basic Grey.  I found these great pokeball blueprints online and printed them out.  The small balls are punched with a 2" circle punch, with the button in 1/2" circles and gemstones.  The small ones are also done in red and snow glitter attached with versamark and SU heat and stick powder.  The larger circles are cut with nestabilities classic circles and the button is made with a 3/4" and 1/2" circle punch.  The flags are cut with the SU banner punch and the banner framelits.  Embellishments are Tim Holtz pick, mini paperclips, and coin.  Some baker's twine finishes the set.  The sentiment is SU Four You and stamped in Basic Grey.






gift card holder

The gift card is inside a little #1 envelope that is made from a 5 1/2"x5 1/2" square of Tempting Turquoise, scored at 2" on opposite sides then 2 1/2" on the other two sides.  I used the twine to make a seal for the envelope. 

close up of topper

The topper has a special little feature - the pokeball is attached with a wobble spring.  How cool is that?
Thanks for looking!  April

movie night gift set



October My Paper Pumpkin alternative

I decided I really didn't care for the note roll holder from the October MPP.  I searched out pinterest ideas and have been working on some ideas.  I used the wood grain chipboard with my Tim Holtz dressmaker dummy die and the thread spool is part of the die.  I used a embossed paper from DCWV Timeless mat stack to cover a mini composition book.  I love the tape measures all over the paper.  Next is a piece of the rolled paper stamped with one of the images from the October MPP kit.  I used some paper flowers with the special in-color freebies from the January MPP kit, as well as the Calypso Coral baker's twine from the October kit to wind on the spool.  All are attached with glue dots.  The spine is sealed with washi tape and the note paper is attached with SU's Season of Style washi.  More projects from this kit coming soon.  Thanks for looking!  April

Nothing Gold SMASH

This is the first of my favorite poems by Robert Frost.  I loved Nothing Gold Can Stay from the first time I read it in The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton in middle school.  It's been 25 years and he is still my all-time favorite poet.  I will be working on SMASH pages for two other poems as well as one dedicated to the man.  Can you guess my two other favorite poems?  (Hint: one was made popular again in a recent book and movie.)

This page was made by adding a page removed from the green SMASH folio, then adding it to the current book with washi tape.  I ran the page through my printer using Batik Regular font.  I used CTMH's Brown Bag ink with SU's retired Season of Friendship for the tree.  The leaves are stamped in Lucky Limeade and Versamark with gold embossing powder.  For the background, I used SU's retired Extreme Elements with Tim Holtz's Distress Inks in Frayed Burlap, Tea Dye, and Vintage Photo.  I also used those inks to ink the edges of the finished page.  Last, I used Caramel Latte and Spun Sugar Smooch Spritz on the page.  I am debating about adding some orange and red leaves, but like the effect for now.  Thanks for looking!  April

Archiver's Everyday Occassions kit

During my last trip to Archiver's, I found this kit on sale and decided to pick it up.  It features Tim Holtz stamps and included pretty much everything (including a stardust gel pen and metal embellishments) except the ink and adhesive.  It says it makes three each of the three cards in the kit but it only had enough cardstock to make two.  It did have an entire 6x6 paper pack of 36 sheets and there was plenty leftover to made envelopes.  The finished cards are only 3x4 so they are more designed to be gift cards or hand-delivered.  Also, the directions were ok, but did not follow the included pic.  I had to tweak the sizes of the papers I cut and I had charcoal cats eye chalk to ink the pieces.  The stampin is done in Jet Black Staz-On.  I like the quirkiness of the cards...I wouldn't regularly pair flowers and mechanicals together so it does draw the eye.  As much as I liked how quickly the cards came together, I don't think I would regularly purchase Archiver's kits.  You do get plenty of paper and some extra leftover goodies for future projects, so I am pleased with that aspect.  Besides, who can resist Tim Holtz stamps?  Thanks for looking!  April