MSS Block Party!

 

HI!

It's BLOCK PARTY time again!

While you're waiting on your orders to arrive in the mail- play with some of your older Market Street Stamps and share some inspiration! All you have to do is link up on the Market Street Stamps blog (with any projects using MSS) and YOU could win an awesome prize package OR A GUEST DESIGNER SPOT! 

AND there's a FREE digi! You don't even need any Market Street Stamps to play along- stop by the Neighborhood and join the Block Party Group to pick up the free digi stamp!

Here's a card I made for the block party!

I was inspired by the latest challenge from The Play Date Cafe! This week's challenge is black, white, and a splash of brown! 

You know I'm all about the neutrals so this challenge is right up my alley! 

I started by stamping a square of Rustic Cream cardstock with three different Amuse Studio inks: Onyx, French Roast, and Latte. This plaid background was stamped with the new Candy Stripe background stamp from MSS! I just turned the stamp each time I stamped to create this pattern! This background is SOOOO versatile! LOVE it!

That sweet sentiment is from the new mini stamp set Blessings in Disguise!

Make sure you find some time to join our Block Party this weekend! Run over to the MSS blog to check it out! We can't wait to see what you make!

MSS Sneak Peek DAY 3: Candy Stripe

YAY! Last day of peeks today! I know you guys can't wait to see these new sets in full! Just one more sleep! 

Today we are sneaking two sets on the MSS blog- a new background called Candy Stripe and a sweet little mini stamp set called Blessings in Disguise. I have a peek of the Candy Stripe set and I'll have a project featuring Blessings in Disguise for our Block Party on Friday! WOOHOO!

 

Here are the details of the release (all this can be found on the MSS blog, too!)

• The March release stamps will be "sneaked" on the MSS blog Monday-Wednesday at 7PM Central Time!
• The full sets will be revealed on Thursday night!
• Stamps will be available for sale following the reveal Thursday night!
• The March release stamps will be 15% off in the store for an entire week following the release!! Want all of the sets? If you order the whole release they'll be 25% off for an entire week!! Can't beat that!

SO- today a have a treat for you! While playing with the new Candy Stripe background I discovered a fun little trick and I'm going to walk you through it step-by-step! I used this great diagonal background to make a really cool herringbone pattern to use on my card! It creates a really fun and masculine look!

How about a look at the card first! 

Cool, huh!? I am IN LOVE with this new background- SO easy to use and so VERSATILE! You can achieve so many different looks with this one background stamp!

Let me take you step by step through how I made this herringbone pattern layer- it's really simple once you see how it's done- sorry in advance for all the photos! LOL!

You'll need two different ink colors, the background stamp, two sheets of cardstock (mine are 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"), and extra scrap sheet of cardstock, adhesive, and a paper trimmer.

Ink up the stamp with your first color- in my case, it's Navy Amuse Studio ink.

And stamp the image onto one of the cardstock pieces. Easy peasy!

Then, simply turn your background stamp 90 degrees to the right and ink it up with your second ink color- I used Slate Amuse Studio ink.

Stamp the image onto your cardstock like this so that the diagonal stripes will be slanted to the right (opposite of the first way you stamped in blue!).

See what I mean? The blue stripes are running down and to the left and the gray stripes are running down and to the right!

Next, take the blue striped piece and place it on the paper trimmer. Cut the cardstock down the long side of the paper every 1/4". You can make this any width you like- I made mine 1/4"!

Then, take the gray striped paper and cut the excess off.

Turn the cardstock so the stripes are running down and to the right and cut 1/4" strips, just like the blue striped paper!

You'll be left with these pretties! Nice little strips of diagonal lines! 

Take a scrap sheet of cardstock cut to the size you want for your design and cover it in adhesive. Then, carefully tape the strips of paper down, alternating the colors to create a cool zig-zag/herringbone pattern! When it's covered, trim the edges with your paper trimmer or scissors!

And here's what you'll have!  A really cool pattern that is really SIMPLE to make, but will also have people asking, "How'd she make THAT?!" Tricky, tricky! HAHA! 

Here's the card again!

Thanks for stopping by tonight! I hope you find this tutorial helpful! I'm having so much fun with these new sets- I can't wait to see what YOU all make with them once you get them!

Please stop by the Market Street Stamps blog to see what all the other designers have created with this set and also the new mini set Blessings in Disguise!  

Have a great night!

MSS Sneak Peek DAY 2: SIMPLE SALUTATIONS

 HOW excited are you about Daily Grind?! If you missed it-stop by the MSS blog to check out the sneak peeks from yesterday! We've got another set to share with you today- and it's another one that's been requested often! I'm SO happy about this one!

 

Here are the details of the release (all this can be found on the MSS blog, too!)

• The March release stamps will be "sneaked" on the MSS blog Monday-Wednesday at 7PM Central Time!
• The full sets will be revealed on Thursday night!
• Stamps will be available for sale following the reveal Thursday night!
• The March release stamps will be 15% off in the store for an entire week following the release!! Want all of the sets? If you order the whole release they'll be 25% off for an entire week!! Can't beat that!

So tonight I have a sneak peek of the new set Simple Salutations! This set is FULL of great, everyday sentiments for card makers! So versatile and so perfect for all occasions. 

I made these quick ATC's with five of the sentiments from the new Simple Salutations set and elements from the latest Market Fresh Kit- On the Bright Side! These came together really quickly and they're really great to have around for when you need a quick card in a short amount of time! I know I've been in that situation before- leaving for a party and realize you forgot to make a card! Now- I have these great ATC's that I can just pop on a card base when I'm in a jam!

Check it out! Super quick and still super cute! 

Make sure you stop by the Market Street Stamps blog to see what all the other designers have created with this set! The MSS blog is FULL of inspiration this week from our fabulous designers!

I'll be back tomorrow with a fun tutorial using another brand new set being released this week!

MSS Sneak Peek DAY 1: DAILY GRIND

 Are you excited about the new release at Market Street Stamps?! The stamps being released this month are SO much fun! I can't wait to show you what I've made with them!


 

Here are the details of the release (all this can be found on the MSS blog, too!)

• The March release stamps will be "sneaked" on the MSS blog Monday-Wednesday at 7PM Central Time!
• The full sets will be revealed on Thursday night!
• Stamps will be available for sale following the reveal Thursday night!
• The March release stamps will be 15% off in the store for an entire week following the release!! Want all of the sets? If you order the whole release they'll be 25% off for an entire week!! Can't beat that!

Here's a peek at one of the new sets!

This set, cleverly named "Daily Grind" is chock full (pun intended!) of fabulous images and sentiments perfect for the coffee lover in your life! And that makes it absolutely perfect for ME and so, so many of my java lovin' friends!

I started with a piece of Soft Stone cardstock and stamped this super fun coffee bean string repeatedly with Seattle Amuse Studio ink. Then, I took my blending tool and blending the same ink all around the edges.

I stamped the cute little to-go cup with Heather Amuse Studio ink- love that soft purple and I think it's the perfect touch of color on the card.

How SWEET is that sentiment! You're going to go nuts when you see all of the punny, smart sentiments included in this set! 

Make sure you head over to the MSS blog to check out the rest of the cards made by our fabulous design team! I'll see you back here tomorrow night for more sneak peeks! 

Patterned Paper Tile Design

 Hi, everyone! 

So sorry it's been quiet around here! I've been a very bad blogger... 

I promise I have a bunch of good reasons... haha! 

One of those reasons is this guy:

 

Yup... he's coming home soon! I've been busy trying to get everything DONE so that when he walks off the plane we don't have to DO anything! LOL!

Getting everything DONE also includes some samples for next weeks NEW RELEASES from Market Street Stamps! CAN'T WAIT to show you what I've made with the new sets- SO much fun!

Today I have a quick little tutorial to share with you. I've been mildly obsessed with using every last drop of the new Market Fresh Kits from MSS... lol! And today I have another little trick to share with you. It's something that I thought of AFTER I made a layout for the last kit release. I made a tiled paper accent on one of my layouts and LOVED the effect, but it was way more work than I wanted to do again... and then I started to think about it. And realized that I was kinda silly to cut all those squares and glue em back down... haha! I thought up an easier way and I thought I'd share it with you!

So here's what I did THIS time! WAY easier! And I'm all about THAT! 

I started with a few strips of patterned paper- these are 1/4" wide. They can be as wide as you want them- use whatever scraps you have on hand!

I took a scrap sheet of paper (mine was 4" x 6") and covered it with scor-tape. Then, I carefully laid all the strips down in rows! I trimmed up the edges with my scissors and this is what I have here!

Turn the striped sheet of cardstock so the lines are running horizontally across the paper and get out your paper trimmer! I cut every 1/4" to make a bunch of strips.

See what I mean! Isn't that SO much easier! Now I can take the strips and arrange them on the card like tile! Such a cool look and WAY easier than it looks (I think!).

When you're taping the strips to the card, make sure to line them up so that the colors alternate! It's a good idea to make sure your strips are at least a half inch longer than you need them for your project so you can make these little adjustments! When you have it the way you like it, you can easily trim the edges with scissors!

I added a nice line of bright pink ribbon to really make it POP! Can't go wrong with pink ribbon! The light bulb (from the ON THE BRIGHT SIDE kit) was heat embossed on vellum- I love how the tile pattern shows through! 

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By the way... there are still a few ON THE BRIGHT SIDE kits available! You can get it as a single purchase (for $31.99+shipping) or sign up for a subscription to save BIG (subscription prices as low as $24.99+shipping!!) These kits are packed FULL of product AND include an exclusive stamp each and every month!

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I'm also linking this up over in the Moxie Fab World! Cath is having a Paper Scraps Challenge! Check it out!

Thanks for stopping by! See ya Monday!

MSS Market Fresh Kit ON THE BRIGHT SIDE....

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN!!

It's time to reveal the newest Market Fresh Kit! 

I am absolutely IN LOVE with this kit and I think you'll like it a lot, too! 

Here it is:

• LOTS of fun stuff in here, folks! Patterned papers (8 sheets) from American Crafts, Bella Blvd, and Basic Grey, 12 x 12 cardstock (3 sheets) from Bazzill, alphas, chipboard pieces, ribbon, twine, cardstock stickers, journaling sprouts, AND a fabulous EXCLUSIVE stamp!

• I want to point out the abundance of product in these kits! With 11 full 12 x 12 sheets of paper and lots of coordinating accessories- you can make TONS of projects! And the price of these kits can't be beat! They are priced below retail and the savings only increase if you choose to subscribe to receive the monthly kit automatically. I haven't seen a kit like this priced this affordable- scoop it up!

• Did you hear about the new INTERNATIONAL shipping rates?! Our international customers are gonna be VERY happy, I think!
• International shipping has changed from $33 to $17
• Shipping to Canada/Mexico has changed from $24  to $11.50
• Please note, these shipping options are for regular parcel post, will not have tracking information beyond departure scan, and may take longer to reach the destination than Priority Mail.

• Make sure you leave a comment on today's post (as well as the posts from Thursday and Friday) for your chance to WIN a kit (or a free month if you are a subscriber)! We're giving away 3 kits this month- one from each of the Market Fresh Girls' blogs!

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If you're interested in purchasing the February On the Bright Side kit or would like more information, please head over to the Market Street Stamps blog and Marketplace! There are several options for subscribing to receive a new kit automatically each month or you can purchase a single kit- there's an option for everyone! There are some great perks for starting a subscription, too- make sure you check em out! 

A HUGE thank you to Jinny Newlin and Brenda Weaver for all your incredible inspiration! We couldn't do it without you guys- you're amazing!!

Market Fresh Kit Card Sneak Peeks!

 YAYYYY! 

Are you ready for some card ideas using the new March Kit 

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE....

(03/10: AVAILABLE NOW IN THE MARKETPLACE!!!!!!!)

 The Market Fresh Kits are a monthly kit PERFECT to jump start your creativity! Each kit will contain a beautiful mix of papers from different manufacturers, embellishments to add flair to your layouts and cards, an EXCLUSIVE stamp, and TONS of inspiration from our talented Market Fresh Girls! Can't beat that! This kit is available as a one-time purchase OR you can sign up for a subscription to save BIG! There's an option for everyone!

So tonight we have some great CARDS to share from myself, Jinny, and Brenda! This kit really can be used for ANYTHING- don't feel that you are limited to scrapbooking with it! Also, it is a TREMENDOUS value! It is packed FULL of brand new products for a price that you just can't beat! 

Check out the KIT CLUB POLICIES  and the MSS blog for more details!

Here's the first card I made with the new kit- LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! 

Believe it or not, this card was made with only one of the patterned papers and one of the sheets of cardstock in the kit. The flower was cut from one side of the paper and the green stripe is from the other side of the same paper. The heart stripe is from the bottom of that SAME paper! Don't forget about the little strip the says the name and brand of the paper- they sometimes have FABULOUS designs on them! 

The sentiment "you're cool" is from the Cheep Talk set- LOVE those sentiments- SO fun! 

(sentiment stamp and kraft cardstock are not included in the kit)

This next was is super fun, too!

I created this card for this weeks challenge over at The Play Date Cafe

and also for the March SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY challenge

I LOVE yellow and gray- and I couldn't wait to use this light bulb and sentiment from the ON THE BRIGHT SIDE... kit! (available Saturday 3/10 7 PM Central!) Did I mention that I designed this stamp and sentiment? YUP! And I couldn't be more thankful to Angelica for giving me the opportunity! Really surreal to see the designers using this stamp! I hope you LOVE it as much as I do!

I can't wait for you to see the kit in full! We'll be back tomorrow night with the full reveal and the kit will be on sale in the Marketplace!!

Make sure you check out the MSS blog,  Jinny's blog, and Brenda's blog to see the beautiful cards that they have made with the new March kit! Leave comments along the way for your chance to win a kit (or a free month if you're a subscriber!)!

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Did you hear about the new International shipping rates for the Market Fresh Kits?? We have had a lot of interest in the kits from our International customers, but the shipping was HIGH! That's all changed! 

International shipping has changed from $33 to $17

and 

Shipping to Canada/Mexico has changed from $24  to $11.50

(Please note, these shipping options are for regular parcel post, will not have tracking information beyond departure scan, and may take longer to reach the destination than Priority Mail.)

These kits are a great value- priced lower than many other kits on the market and PACKED with amazing products- and now the shipping rates are an equally great value! ENJOY!

See ya back here tomorrow with the FULL REVEAL! And then you can go buy the kit! You know you want to!! HAHA!

Market Fresh Kit Scrapbooking Sneak Peeks!

 HI! How's everyone doing tonight?! 

I'm VERY excited to show you some sneak peeks of our BRAND NEW Market Fresh Kit tonight! Tonight we'll be sharing sneak peeks of the new Market Fresh Kit ON THE BRIGHT SIDE...!
(3/10: AVAILABLE NOW IN THE MARKETPLACE!!!)

 The Market Fresh Kits are a monthly kit PERFECT to jump start your creativity! Each kit will contain a beautiful mix of papers from different manufacturers, embellishments to add flair to your layouts and cards, an EXCLUSIVE stamp, and TONS of inspiration from our talented Market Fresh Girls! Can't beat that! This kit is available as a one-time purchase OR you can sign up for a subscription to save BIG! There's an option for everyone!

So tonight we have sneak peeks of some fabulous scrapbooking projects from myself, Jinny, and Brenda! Check back tomorrow night for some amazing CARD projects! This kit really can be used for ANYTHING- don't feel that you are limited to scrapbooking with it! The kits are a TREMENDOUS value- the are packed FULL of brand new products for a price that you just can't beat! 

Check out the KIT CLUB POLICIES  and the MSS blog for more details!

So... here is what I have made so far with the On the Bright Side... Kit! (And I have a bunch more planned! Still have a lot of kit left!)

Did I mention that I LOVE this kit? I love it. Here are a few reasons why: it's super versatile. I've seen it bright, toned down, super pink, super neutral, can be cute, can be classy, can be clean, can be ornate- you've got a style, we've got something in this kit to appeal to YOU! 

Here I have gone super clean and simple- definitely focusing on the photos and the cleaner elements in the kit. With two boys- I don't go "cute" very often... lol! I started with a clean white sheet of paper and misted it with a pale blue mist. Then, I set off to create a really fun embroidered pattern to highlight the large photo. 

I started by sketching some sun rays softly in pencil. Using that sketch as a guide, I pierced holes through the paper. This would probably have been easier if I had a paper piercer or a sew-easy or something like that... lol! I pierced the paper with a pin- took a while... HAHA! Then, I used the Stone twine from The Twinery (it's in the kit!) and embroidered the paper! I LOVE how this came out and I can't wait to try it again on future projects! (HEY- if you would like to see a tutorial on this- let me know in the comments, please!) 

I also added a little embroidered stripe along the bottom to highlight the title and a little on the "leaf" embellishment.

Love how EASY this layout came together with the coordinating papers, stickers, journaling sprout, alphas- SO much fun!

I really had A LOT of fun with this one, too! I definitely went with a "tropical" feel to highlight the beachy photos I was scrappin'! LOVE the fun mix of colors in this kit- you really can create so many different looks! And everything goes together really well! 

I knew I wanted to do some kind of "mosaic" look on this layout, so I took a few strips of paper and cut them into tiny little squares. Then, I covered some paper in scor-tape and just started laying down pieces... it was actually VERY therapeutic! HAHA! You can totally go crazy with this and have a lot of fun! Give it a try!

I also took some time on this one to really do some JOURNALING. I'm not much of a journaler normally, but I wanted to remember how I felt this summer knowing that the boys were getting older and there was just so much more they could do! I definitely see them getting older as doors opening to new experiences- I don't look back much and wish they were babies again... I know that puts me in the minority, but I genuinely LOVE the boys they're growing into! 

I hope you have enjoyed taking a peek at my layouts tonight! I'm SO excited about this new kit and can't wait for you to see everything that is included!

Make sure you stop by Jinny's and Brenda's blogs tonight to see what they have made- they have created some BEAUTIFUL layouts with this kit! 

Couple more things (all this can be found on the MSS blog, too!)- we're giving away some kits this month!! Make sure you comment on each of the designers' blogs for your chance to win! Also- there are some new shipping rates for our INTERNATIONAL customers! I think you'll be VERY pleased! Head over to the MSS blog to check it out!

HEADS UP- There are still a few kits from previous months available for single purchase in the Marketplace! Run over and scoop em up before they're gone! 

 January kit LOVE BIRDS

February kit Farmhouse Dreamin' 

See you guys tomorrow for some fabulous CARDS that I made with the kit!

Have a great night!