MFT DT Creative Challenge: No Coloring!

Hi there! I'm so glad you stopped by today! I'm here with this month's DT Creative Challenge, and it's another fun one! We hope you'll play along with us!

In 2011, MFT is working harder than ever to inspire you, and we have come up with something we think you'll really enjoy. Our Design Team Creative Challenge is a new monthly feature, where we challenge our design team to explore their creative side using a specific theme, product or technique. This month, we're all putting down the markers, pencils and paints and sharing projects with No Coloring! Visit Kim's Blog for a full list of designers that have taken up the challenge!

I chose this sweet new a la modes Blue Without You set and paired it with some My Mind's Eye Blink of an Eye 6x6 papers. papers. I know the challenge is no coloring, but the star is paper pieced, not colored, so technically I didn't break the rules, right? Plus, that big ol' star was just begging for something, you know? :) The sentiment is stamped on the new Die-namics Dog Tag.

Inside, I stamped the image and another sentiment, then I placed a Die-namics Star Border along the bottom. Clean, simple, and no coloring!

Don't forget to stop by Kim's Blog to see the list of designers who have accepted the No Coloring challenge! Thanks again for the visit today! I really appreciate it! :)

Have a great day!

Christina

MFT DT Creative Challenge: Fun Folds

In 2011, MFT is working harder than ever to inspire you, and we have come up with something we think you'll really enjoy. Our Design Team Creative Challenge is a new monthly feature, where we challenge our design team to explore their creative side using a specific theme, product or technique.

This month, we're all making cards featuring Fun Folds!

Visit the MFT Blog for a full list of designers that have taken up the challenge!
 
 
I created a gate fold card with a drop-down panel. Here's the finished front:
 

And here's the how-to. First, start with a 8.5" x 8.5" piece of cardstock.

Score at 2 1/8" and 6 3/8" (it's difficult to see the score lines in the photos -- sorry!).

Then turn it and score down the middle at 4 1/4".

Turn the cardstock back to its original position, and remove the outside bottom sections.

Then take a little extra off the center panel.

Fold up the panels and decorate each section. The card will open up to reveal the message one panel at a time!

Die-namics used:

 
Don't forget to stop by Kim's Blog to see which designers have taken the Fun Folds challenge! We'd love to see what YOU create, too! :)
 
I'll be back tomorrow with the Wednesday Stamp Club sketch! See you then!
 
Have a great day!
Christina

MFT DT Creative Challenge: On a Roll!

In 2011, MFT is working harder than ever to inspire you, and we have come up with something we think you'll really enjoy. Our Design Team Creative Challenge is a new monthly feature, where we challenge our design team to explore their creative side using a specific theme, product or technique. This month, we're On a Roll!  Visit Kim's Blog for a full list of designers that have taken up the challenge!

MFT now has several rolled flowers in the Die-namics lineup: Rolled Daisy, Rolled Flower, Rolled Rose, Mini Rolled Roses, and Large Rolled Rose. These dies make it SO easy to create rolled embellishments for your projects.

It's fun to think out of the box and explore different ways to use the Die-namics -- and this challenge allowed me to do just that! I couldn't help but notice that the Rolled Daisy, when cut from Puff Cloud White felt and tightly rolled, looks very much like a pom pom... so that's the direction I took with my card. :)  Tip: This works best with felt, because paper doesn't have the same softness and movement needed to create the pom pom effect.

This sweet Pure Innocence Cheerleader was just too perfect to use with these Rolled Daisy pom poms. I paired the image with some papers from the Lime Twist - Out of the Blue pad by My Mind's Eye. I used the Die-namics Fishtail Banner and the Typewriter Alphabet to create the sentiment banner.

I finished the inside simply, with paper and a sentiment. 

Don't forget to stop by Kim's Blog to see which designers are On a Roll!  Thanks so much for stopping by today -- I'll be back tomorrow for Wednesday Stamp Club! :)

Have a great day!

Christina

MFT DT Creative Challenge: Playing with Paint!

In 2011, MFT is working harder than ever to inspire you, and we have come up with something we think you'll really enjoy. Our Design Team Creative Challenge is a new monthly feature, where we challenge our design team to explore their creative side using a specific theme, product or technique. This month, we've all been challenged to paint! Visit Kim's Blog for a full list of designers that have taken up the challenge!

My project is a magnet featuring painted flowers. Here's the finished product:

And here's a closeup of the flowers:

The project was really fun and easy. Here's the step-by-step (click on any photo for a closer view):

I used the Die-namics Pretty Posies die to cut three flowers from print paper.

I gave the flowers a coat of Tattered Rose Distress Crackle Paint, then I let it dry (if you're impatient like me, you can use a heat gun to speed the process).

I gave parts of the flowers another coat of paint, then I let them dry again. The thicker the paint, the more it will crackle.

I sponged Walnut Distress Ink into the cracks and around the edges of the flowers, then I sanded portions of the paint to allow the print to show through. I repeated the process until I was happy with how they looked.

I cut a piece of a printable Magnet Sheet with the Die-namics Textile Rectangle die. I cut another Textile Rectangle from a piece of BasicGrey Basics Manilla paper, then I adhered it over the printable side of the magnet sheet (the black magnetic side is on the back). I stamped the sentiment from Clearly Sentimental about Teaching, then I embellished with pleated paper and the assembled flower.

I hope you're inspired to try painting on your projects! Have fun! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a great day!

Christina

MFT DT Creative Challenge: Monochromatic Coloring

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It's time for the monthly MFT DT Creative Challenge. I'll yell you, this month's challenge was truly a challenge for many of us! Joanne asked us to do monochromatic coloring. Now, I 'm all about making monochromatic cards, but the coloring was the challenging part. ;) I chose to ink up Flopsey Fishing, and I colored him to coordinate with the October Afternoon Seaside papers.

I colored Flopsey with Copic markers (BG10, BG13, BG15), and I sponged the edges of the image panel with a combination of SU! Soft Sky and Bashful Blue inks. Hmmm... I think he looks a little seasick, yes? ;)

Stop by Kim's Blog to see which brave designers accepted the monochromatic coloring challenge! LOL! We'd love to see you play along, too!

I'm so glad you took the time to visit today. Thank you so much! :)

Have a great day!
Christina

MFT DT Creative Challenge: For the Kids

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It's time once again for the MFT DT Creative Challenge. Joanne has challenged us to make a gift item for kids. I created a Kids Garden Kit, perfect for budding gardeners (pardon the pun -- I couldn't help it!).  It contains three mini grow kits, plant labels, and a marker.

I used Jillibean Soup Blossom Soup paper and Sour Apple cardstock to make the band for the pail. I embellished with some bling, Honeydew Twine, and felt Posies.

I used Pure Innocence: Mud Buddies for the lid and the sentiments. I colored with Copics and paper pieced the boots. I added some dots for seeds. :)

Stop by Kim's Blog to see the which designers have created projects For the Kids! We'd love to see your kids' gifts, too! :)

That's all for now! Thank you so much for stopping by today!

Have a great day!
Christina

MFT DT Creative Challenge: Die-namics Home Decor

Good Tuesday morning to you! We've been working on the kids' bathroom re-do, so I haven't had as much creative time as I'd like lately (and thus the lack of posting), but I'm so excited to be back with this month's MFT DT Creative Challenge. Joanne has challenged us to use our Die-namics to create home decor! Oh my goodness -- the possibilities! :)

I created this frame to sit on top of our piano. I started with a frame from IKEA and filled it with paper, bling, pearls, felt and six different Die-namics: Textile Rectangle, Rolled Rose, Mini Rolled Roses, Dizzy Doily, Butterflies, and Musical Notes.

Here's a closeup. The sentiment is from Clearly Sentimental about Music, this month's Triple Scoop set. I did some zig-zag stitching around the patterned paper, and I sponged around the sentiment with Antique Linen Distress Ink.

Visit Kim's Blog to see the list of designers who have taken the Home Decor Challenge! We'd love to see your projects, too! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by today -- have a great day!

Christina

MFT DT Creative Challenge: Get Digital!

Hello, everyone! This month's MFT DT Creative Challenge is to Get Digital! The MFT Boutique has many digital options to choose from -- Templates, Digi Papers, and Digi Stamps -- so it's easy to create something fun! I used this challenge as an opportunity to make my February calendar page (you might remember my January page HERE).

I used the February 2011 Small Calendar Sheet and the just-released Pure Innocence - Primrose set. I am loving these PI Flowers of the Month -- you'll definitely be seeing the rest of them here in future calendar pages!  The paper is from the Sugar Rush 6x6 pad by Basic Grey. I paper pieced her outfit and colored with Copics. I used the Die-namics Rounded Banner Trio die for the month, and I just had to add some felt hearts I cut with the Die-namics Hearts a Plenty die. :)

Stop by Kim's Blog to see which designers have taken the Get Digital Challenge! We hope you will use some of the great MFT digital products (if you haven't already)! :)

Thanks for stopping by today -- have a great day!
Christina