Prairie Paper & Ink

MFT September Countdown Day 1: New York Skyline

The wait is *almost* over! All the new MFT September goodies will be available tonight at 10pm EST! Make sure you come back here at that time as there will be another blog post for the release and a chance to be entered in to WIN a gift certificate too!

Also make sure to check out MFT's blog post for the final set of sneak peeks and videos and links to all the other DT member's blog posts!

Today I've only got one card for y'all - I so wanted to make more as the ideas were rolling and I even had pieces cut out and ready to go. Of course around here it tends to get crazy and it did LOL. I was making supper and Gavin was napping in my studio so I'd left the door open to be able to hear him - I should have known something was up when it was a little too quiet:

Katelyn got into the ink pads I'd left sitting out (with the lids securely on - but she's seen enough to figure out how they work) and decided to make her first card LOL. She had ink everywhere but I was just glad she didn't get her hands on the card I'd made for this post (and hadn't taken pics of yet!). My desk is right at eye level now for her so it's a total treasure trove for her. She's an artistic little soul and loves to sit and color and has been watching me lately when I've been making cards so I'm not surprised she made a beeline for the ink pads as soon as I was busy in the kitchen roflol!

Anywho - between all the little things I only managed the one card - but the parts and ideas for the others will hopefully get made and shared here later on!

Here was the card I made for this last countdown post! I am in LOVE with the new Skyline Die-namics - I used the New York one here, and there's Paris and London as well (none of which I've ever been to and all 3 are on my bucket-list - a girl can dream eh?). All 3 dies lend themselves to SO many techniques - I wanted to just sit and play! 

With this card I sponged several different MFT dye ink colors onto the smooth white card stock base, then I laid the Concentric Circle Stencil over it and sprayed it with clear water and this was the result!

Once it was dry I stamped the sentiment with Black Licorice Hybrid ink and adhered the New York Skyline die cut over it and that was it.

**some links will not work until the products are released in the MFT Store on September 1, 2015 at 10pm EST**

Die-namics New York Skyline	Stencil Concentric Circle Grid	LJD Delicate Pretty Poppies	Smooth White Card Stock	Black Licorice Prestige Card Stock
Hybrid Ink Pad Black Licorice	Lemon Chiffon Premium Dye Ink Pad	Daffodil Premium Dye Ink Pad	Coral Crush Premium Dye Ink Pad	Bubblegum Premium Dye Ink Pad
Sno Cone Premium Dye Ink	Mini Ink Blending Tool	Mini Misters - 3 Pack

InLinkz.com

MFT September Countdown Day 2: Soda Pop

We're getting close! The weekend is over (sad face as it was the last weekend of summer for us here - school starts for my oldest munchkins this week!) and all the new September goodies will be available Tuesday night at 10pm EST!

Make sure to check out MFT's blog post for all of today's sneak peek info - which you definitely should b/c they're all coordinating and there is a TON of inspiration from the other DT members!

I actually made 2 cards for today - and again I could have made more had I more time! Though I was making quite the mess and had water and ink splatters everywhere including on myself LOL - totally worth it though:

Laina's new Soda Pop stamp set and Soda Pop bottles Die-namics is pretty much a must-have in my opinion - plus the other dies that coordinate. They're just FUN!

I used MFT's dye inks and had some fun sponging different colors over the new Concentric Circle Grid stencil. I then smushed some of the ink pad onto it's lid and picked it up with a paintbrush loaded with water and splattered it onto the card.

The bottle I die cut from white card stock then sponged the same inks onto it, then splattered just clean water onto it to create the effect you see above. Once it was dry I stamped the citrus image from the set onto it.

I finished off the inside with one of the sentiments from the set and the same citrus image stamped in the 4 dye inks I used on the front of the card.

I was having so much fun I had to make a second card - this time I substituted greens for the oranges, changed the direction and used a different sentiment and symbol.

It's pretty cool how MFT's dye inks react with water like this - and normally I would stamp the sentiment with their Hybrid inks b/c it's crisper plus it won't react with water but I just made sure the card front was fully dry before stamping the sentiment with the same dye ink.

I finished the inside with another sentiment from the set and stamped the star and that was it!

**some links will not work until the products are released in the MFT Store on September 1, 2015 at 10pm EST**

LLD Soda Pop	Die-namics LLD Soda Pop Bottles	Stencil Concentric Circle Grid	Smooth White Card Stock	Lemon Chiffon Premium Dye Ink Pad
Daffodil Premium Dye Ink Pad	Orange Fizz Premium Dye Ink	Orange Zest Premium Dye Ink Pad	Sour Apple Premium Dye Ink Pad	Green Room Premium Dye Ink Pad
Mini Ink Blending Tool

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MFT September Countdown Day 3: Label Maker

Oh these release days are just flying by! I've had a CRAZY week (don't ask LOL!) and am still trying to find some time (maybe it's under the couch with the random children clothing, toys and other things I won't mention here that I discovered the other day....) to really PLAY with these soon-to-be-released MFT goodies. The ideas really are starting to come back! I was in the mall today with my kids and saw some cell phone cases and card ideas started popping in my head - y'all will understand how happy that makes me! I have struggled so much with the creative mojo and it's starting to come back!

So on that happy note - go check out MFT's blog post with all the videos (courtesy yours truly) and sneak peeks and links to the fabulous DT member's blog posts.

I am still playing with watercolour - and again if I'd had the time I'd have made at least one more card - but even getting this one done was a struggle LOL. It was just one thing after another and now I'm literally multitasking and trying to get this post typed up *right* before it goes live and *right* before Gavin wakes up and freaks out b/c he's hungry (any second now...!!!):

I used the new Etched Flower Background (I predict this one will sell out FAST - it's a beautiful background and if you've been seeing what the DT has been creating with it you know you want it!) and heat embossed it onto watercolour card stock with detail white embossing powder.

Yeah I'm still playing with watercolour - it's always different so it never feels monotonous. I even used the same ink pads I'd used on yesterday's card (the supplies were still sitting out b/c of course I hadn't had a chance to clean up) - but this time achieved a much more subtle effect.

I applied a clean water wash to the watercolour paper after embossing the background, then smushed the various ink pads onto a plastic pallet and picked up the colors with a wet watercolour brush. I ended up using quite a bit of water and heavily saturating the paper in order to move the colors around.

For the sentiment I used the new Label Maker Sentiments stamp set along with the new Label Tape Die-namics dies.

**some links will not work until the products are released in the MFT Store on September 1, 2015 at 10pm EST** 

Label Maker Sentiments	Die-namics Label Tape	BG Etched Flower Background	Blueprints 1 Die-namics	Die-namics Blueprints 20
Hybrid Ink Pad Black Licorice	Blu Raspberry Premium Dye Ink Pad	Tropical Teal Premium Dye Ink Pad	Pure Plum Premium Dye Ink Pad	Grapesicle Premium Dye Ink Pad
Pure Plum Prestige Card Stock	Smooth White Card Stock	Ranger Watercolor Paper	Versamark Ink Pad	White Detail Embossing Powder

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MFT September Countdown Day 4: Mon Chéri

Hello everyone! Thank you all for your sweet comments on yesterday's countdown card. I'm still struggling with the creative mojo - which lately seems to be aggravating in the way that I am starting to get some ideas but then trying to translate them onto paper just isn't turning out how I was seeing it in my head LOL!

But first make sure you check out MFT's blog post with all of today's info and links as it is DEFINITELY worth clicking over there!

OK - today's card is another one made in the middle of chaos LOL! I guess when I tell the kids "Hey I need some peace and quiet for the next little bit so I can make a card" they hear "Lets all hang out and go crazy in the studio while mommy plays with paper!". Basically the same reaction to when you're on the phone or in the bathroom..... (all the mom's out there "get" it - the rest of you will just have to imagine the craziness *wink*).

Anywho - it's definitely not a bad thing as I love having them around, it just makes the creative process a lot longer, messier, and somewhat more confusing as I'm multitasking to the extreme!

This was what I came up with for today's card:

I heat embossed the Eiffel Tower image from the new Birdie Brown Mon Chéri stamp set with white embossing powder onto watercolour paper.

I then pressed four of MFT's dye ink pads onto a rectangle acrylic block, sprayed it with water and flipped it over and pressed it over the image. So the heat embossed image resisted the color and the surrounding watercolour paper absorbed the ink.

Once it was dry I trimmed it down and adhered it to a white notecard (just slightly smaller than a 4-bar size - I go in phases with this size - don't use it for the longest time then make a card in that size and am obsessed with it all over again LOL!) with a bunch of foam tape.

I finished off the card with a heat embossed sentiment from the same set and a couple white enamel dots and called it a day. As I was making this card though the ideas started rolling and I could have made so many more with just this Eiffel Tower image (there's just something about it isn't there? I've never been to Paris but it's on my bucket list...) - but as usual time was limited!

**some links will not work until the products are released in the MFT Store on September 1, 2015 at 10pm EST**

BB Mon Chéri	Die-namics Label Tape	Versamark Ink Pad	White Detail Embossing Powder	Black Licorice Prestige Card Stock
Smooth White Card Stock	Ranger Watercolor Paper	Grapesicle Premium Dye Ink Pad	Pure Plum Premium Dye Ink Pad	Blu Raspberry Premium Dye Ink Pad
Tropical Teal Premium Dye Ink Pad

InLinkz.com

MFT September Countdown Day 5: Delicate Pretty Poppies

OMGoodness - is it really almost the end of August already? This summer has just blown right past me - I was *just* marvelling that July was over then I blinked and it's now almost September! I tend to be running around like a crazy person (LOL) at the best of times and as usual this month's MFT release is no different.

There are SOOOOO many amazing products being released this month and I am reallyreallyREALLY trying to carve out some time to play some more with them b/c my stamping "mojo" is finally starting to come back! So I have my *fingers crossed* that I can pull it off - though for today's post I've only got one simple card - I did have more ideas but that dratted thing called "time" got away from me again (that and 4 children needing to be fed and whatnot... *wink*).

Anywho - make sure you check out MFT's blog post for all of today's info b/c I'm only showing a teeny bit of what's being peeked today. Plus there's links to all the other DT member's blog posts and if you aren't already following their blogs you should - they are AMAZINGLY talented!!

I am in love with the new Delicate Pretty Poppies stamp set. I didn't do it justice IMO as I haven't watercolored in forever, and I literally had all 4 kids running (well the little man was hanging out on a play mat - but the other 3 were running!) around the studio here and it was hard to focus LOL! That plus one really needs to have patience with watercolour and that's something I struggle with at the best of times (just being honest here!).

This is a 4-bar sized note-card (3.5 by 4 7/8") made from watercolour card stock. I haven't used this kind very much and so this was more of an experiment on my part - and like I said time got away from me so I'm sharing it here with y'all instead of making more and improving it LOL!

I haven't done much (if any? I honestly can't remember) "no-line" watercoloring - so I thought I'd give that a bit of a shot too. I stamped the image with MFT's Natural Hybrid ink - which is a bit darker and obviously shows up as you can still see it - but I needed that b/c I needed to SEE what I was doing with all my munchkins running around so I had half my eye on them at the same time *wink*.

I used my Peerless watercolours and once I was OK with it all and it was dry I stamped the sentiment with Black Licorice Hybrid ink then picked up some more of the Peerless red with the watercolour brush and splattered it onto the card.

**some links will not work until the products are released in the MFT Store on September 1, 2015 at 10pm EST**

LJD Delicate Pretty Poppies	Ranger Watercolor Paper	Hybrid Ink Pad Natural	Hybrid Ink Pad Black Licorice	Peerless Transparent Watercolors - Joanne Palette
Waterbrush Medium	Waterbrush Small

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AmyR Life Update Video: August 2015

Hello everyone! It's been a lonnnggg time since I posted any sort of video I know! I can't believe summer is almost over and my oldest munchkins are headed back to school soon. Time has been FLYING by and I'm still trying to figure out what on earth I'm doing LOL!

*also here's the link to the MFTv card making video I mention in my video:

MFTv Love Machine

I sat down and filmed a Life Update video yesterday - in my usual rambling way of course. I tend to just go on and on - like I would if I were sitting and chatting with a friend. I apologize for my voice this time around though as I am STILL getting over a nasty cold - I've had it for over a week now and it's completely messed up my voice. Not to mention it's been physically draining - I just want to sleep. 

Also in this video I talk about my weightless and some of my "fitness goals" (which right now amount to me wanting to have more endurance/stamina LOL so that I can keep up with 4 kids) which I do get a lot of interest in. So when this opportunity to try out a new-to-me product plus do a giveaway I thought why not? I've included links to these cards on Amazon if you're interested, as well as links to my Fitbit and whatnot.

I'll also include links to Hero Arts, My Favorite Things and CCDesigns because they are awesome companies.

And now I'm remembering who else I wanted to thank and mention - SimonSaysStamp and Craftsy. Those are 2 more companies (there are more out there that are amazing but I'm referring to ones I personally shop with/work with and that have been so amazingly supportive of me!) that deserve a big thank you from me. They've been very patient and supportive of me while I figure out my life now and try to juggle 4 kids and life in general!

So check out below the video for all the links!

  

To watch directly on YouTube click HERE <-----click!

Hero Arts

My Favorite Things

CCDesigns

SimonSaysStamp

Craftsy 

Fitbit Flex	Exercise Cards Duo Pack: Strength Stack 52 Bodyweight Workout Playing Card Game	Workout Cards Insane Deck: Strength Stack 52 Bodyweight Exercise Playing Card Game	Exercise Cards Complete Pack: Strength Stack 52 Bodyweight Workout Card and Dice Games	Exercise Cards: Strength Stack 52 Bodyweight Workout Playing Card Game
Exercise Cards Ultimate Pack: Strength Stack 52 Bodyweight Workout Card and Dice Games	Erin Condren Life Planner

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And now for the giveaway! If you're interested in these Strength Stack 52 Cards here is a chance to try them out for free! I have one full set to give away (open to Canadian and US residents) to one lucky commenter - just follow the steps in the Rafflecopter widget to be entered in to win:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

MFT August New Product Launch

It's time! All the new August products are available NOW at the MFT store! As always make sure to check out MFT's blog post for all the links to the other DT member's blog posts. Also make sure to read to the very end of this post as there's giveaway info too!

I made a couple of fun quick-and-easy cards using the new Frightfully Fun Halloween stamp set and Die-namics. This set is adorable and lends itself to quick cards like these or you can add more detail and color if you want - totally up to you.

Since time got away from me (as usual) I went with a fun card that features the large zig-zag die-cuts from the Frightfully Fun Halloween Die-namics in different colors of card stock. Instead of stamping the line images with the matching ink colors (you could if you wanted) I just used Versamark. It ends up being not as bright once the ink dries but it's a faster way to get a similar result IMO.

I finished the inside with a stamped sentiment from the same set (love the hand drawn sentiments in this set!).

I made a second card and used the new Free With $60 Die-namics set (Stitched Interactive Window Trio Die-namics) that you get for free with an order of $60 or more.

I added to the "scribble" look of the die cut and stamped candy by colouring them in messily (you'd think it's the simplest thing ever but for someone like me and slight OCD colouring outside the lines is hard LOL!) before adhering them to the card.

And then I finished off the inside with more bats and another sentiment from the set and that was it!

Frightfully Fun Halloween	Die-namics Frightfully Fun Halloween	Blueprints 2 Die-namics	Smooth White Card Stock	Black Licorice Prestige Card Stock
Orange Zest Prestige Card Stock	Green Room Prestige Card Stock	Lavender Fields Prestige Card Stock	Versamark Ink Pad	Hybrid Ink Pad Black Licorice
Black Licorice Premium Dye Ink	Premium Dye Ink Pad Grout Gray	Steel Grey Premium Dye Ink Pad

InLinkz.com

GIVEAWAY info!! Visit each of the MFT Designers' August New Product Launch posts linked on the MFT Blog and leave a comment by the end of the day on Thursday August 6, 2015 for your chance to WIN one of two, $100 Gift Vouchers. The winners will be chosen at random from the comments on all the designer's blog posts. Good luck! :)

MFT August Countdown Day 1: Bionic Bots

Less than 24 hours to go and all the new MFT August products will be ready to purchase! :)

Check out their blog for all of today's info plus links to all the DT member's blog posts to see what they've made!

I used the new Bionic Bots stamp set to create this card - this set is beyond adorable IMO!

I used the matching Die-namics set to die cut from Black Licorice card stock, then stamped the coordinating bot with Versamark ink and embossed him with Ranger Liquid Platinum embossing powder.

To get the metallic "frame" around the red card stock I die cut black card stock with the large Blueprints 2 Die-namics then coated just the edges with Versamark. I then heat embossed the edges with the same Liquid Platinum embossing powder.

I finished off the inside by stamping the same bot - this time with Grout Grey ink. Before stamping it I tapped Wild Cherry ink onto the heart part of the stamp ;).

**some links will not work until the products are released in the MFT Store on August 4, 2015 at 10pm EST**

MSTN Bionic Bots	Die-namics MSTN Bionic Bots	Die-namics Double Stitched Rectangle STAX	Stencil Wonky Chevron	Blueprints 1 Die-namics
Blueprints 2 Die-namics	Hybrid Ink Pad Black Licorice	Premium Dye Ink Pad Grout Gray	Wild Cherry Premium Dye Ink	Smooth White Card Stock
Black Licorice Prestige Card Stock	Wild Cherry Card Stock	Versamark Ink Pad

InLinkz.com

MFT August Countdown Day 2: Birds of Paradise

We're getting close to MFT's August release! Thank you all so much for all your sweet comments on my countdown posts so far - it's feeling good to have my "mojo" coming back and I had so much fun making all these countdown cards (next step is videos!).

Make sure to hop on over to MFT's blog post for all of today's sneak peek info plus links to all the other DT member's blog posts!

I had some fun with Copics on the new Birds of Paradise and Blissful Blooms stamp sets. 

I added the white details with my POSCA white paint pen. 

I then finished off the inside with a couple more stamped and coloured flowers and a sentiment from the Birds of Paradise stamp set and that was it!

**some links will not work until the products are released in the MFT Store on August 4, 2015 at 10pm EST**

Birds of Paradise	Die-namics Birds of Paradise	Blissful Blooms	Die-namics Blissful Blooms	BG Wonky Chevron Background
Die-namics Double Stitched Circle STAX	Fishtail Flags STAX Die-namics	Fishtail Flags Layers STAX Die-namics	Hybrid Ink Pad Black Licorice	Green Room Premium Dye Ink Pad
Lemon Chiffon Premium Dye Ink Pad	Versamark Ink Pad	Smooth White Card Stock	Black Licorice Prestige Card Stock	Green Room Prestige Card Stock
Wild Wisteria Prestige Card Stock	Lemon Chiffon Prestige Card Stock	White Detail Embossing Powder

InLinkz.com

MFT August Countdown Day 3: Fringe

I hope y'all have been enjoying the countdown so far! There are SO many amazing products being released this month at MFT - more than I could possibly show. Make sure you check out their blog for all the info for each day plus links to all the other DT member's blog posts to see what they've used and created with!

Today's card looks like it was more work than it really was. I used the new Fringe Die-namics:

SUPER easy - just ran the Fringe Die-namics through my machine a few times with different color card stocks, then snipped off the excess before adhering it to my card front.

I die cut some vellum with one of the new Double Stitched Rectangle STAX Die-namics and embossed a sentiment from the Encouraging Words stamp set with white embossing powder. To attach the vellum I sewed on several buttons with hemp cord. Again it sounds more time consuming than it was LOL!

**some links will not work until the products are released in the MFT Store on August 4, 2015 at 10pm EST**

Encouraging Words	Die-namics Double Stitched Rectangle STAX	Die-namics Fringe	Wild Wisteria Prestige Card Stock	Lavender Fields Prestige Card Stock
Natural Heavyweight Card Stock	Kraft Card Stock	Smooth White Card Stock	Translucent Vellum	Kraft Buttons
Natural Buttons	Grape Jelly Buttons	Versamark Ink Pad	White Detail Embossing Powder	Hemp Cord

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