A few weeks ago, as part of Feature Friday I shared a video on How to Tie a Loopy Bow.  I promised that I’d also share a quick and easy bow with similar results, called a Cheater’s Bow.  To tie a Cheater’s Bow you’ll use two lengths of ribbon.  One just a bit longer than your card front which you tape in place, and then you’ll tie a longer piece of ribbon around that to create the bow.  You’ll see just what I mean in today’s Feature Friday Video.  I’ll admit, this is how I first learned to tie a bow when I first got into stamping…

And, I’ve done a second video for you today too.  I often get questions from readers about the sizes of my cards, and it reminds me that while we have many customers that have been with us a long time, there are also new people taking up this amazing hobby each day.  So, I’m going to work on a series of Feature Friday Basics videos.  As always, if there are any topics you need help with, please let us know how to help with a comment on the blog, or a comment on the MFT Facebook Page, we’re here to help!

Today’s second video is going to share information about making a card base. This was a tricky one for me when I first started, I couldn’t visualize where to make the cuts and had a lot of waste.  I also didn’t know what products were going to work the best for me…  so here’s a quick video for any newbies out there!  Welcome! We’re glad to have you!

Welcome to this week’s Our Favorite Finds, this is the day that we feature amazing projects created by our customers and uncovered by our Design Team Members. Wow, the galleries and blog-land were just loaded with your beautiful work this week! Thank you SO very much! This week, we have five truly spectacular projects to share with you.  We’ve linked each of the artists that have work shown this week, and hope that you’ll stop by to leave them a little love.  Please be sure to check back again next week, perhaps YOUR card will be highlighted here on the MFT Blog!

Tobi

supplies used: Pucker Up

Iwona

supplies used: Have Hope

Amy

Supplies used: Something Special Just for You, First Class Friend Die-namics

Dawn

supplies used: Clearly Sentimental about You, Simply Scallops Die-namics, Well Worn Greetings Die-namics

 Tricia

supplies used: Precious Little Lamb Where Flowers Bloom, Die-namics Little Open Scallop Strip

We hope you’ve enjoyed these beautiful projects as much as we have! Thanks so much for visiting today.

Welcome back to the Wednesday Stamp Club! We’re so excited about kicking off the second year of sketches and hope you are too. If you didn’t sketch away 2011 with us, well there is NO time like the present to jump right on in!

Here’s this week’s sketch, be sure to add YOUR creation to the Gallery at Splitcoaststampers by Tuesday, January 17th at Noon EST for your chance to be selected at random as the winner of our weekly prize!

 Today’s inspiration comes to you from Jodi using the recently released Bunch of Hearts Flopsey!

You’ll also find inspiration this week from the following designers, have a blast visiting each of them today!

Julie

Frances

Jody

Jodi

Karen M.

Karen G

Jessie

Megan

Kerry

Lisa

Sarah

Angel Rivera – this month’s Guest Designer

Melody

Eva

Debbie

Michele

Jackie

Joanne

Welcome to the January 2012 Design Team Creative Challenge! Each month, we challenge our Design Team to create projects within a special theme, or using a specific product line.  This month, we’ve asked our designers to create masculine themed projects.  I hear time and time again from stampers, that creating masculine projects are often the most difficult…put your crafty purchases to work and get ready to create fabulous cards, projects and pages for all the guys in your life!

Lots of our designers have jumped on board to create cards and projects for the men in our lives!  You’ll find that lots of the girls have shared their particular tips and “rules” for creating smashing cards for the guys!  I hope you’ll find a sample or two that will work for you, and we look forward to seeing YOUR masculine MFT Projects too….

You’ll find masculine project ideas today from:

Frances

Barbara

Julie

Jackie

Lisa

Kerry

Debbie

Jodi

Jessie

Karen M.

Jody

Melody

Eva

Sarah

Inge

Sherrie

Joanne

Did you know that we hold a Guest Designer Challenge as part of our New Release Preparations each month?  The winner of the challenge receives $200 in stamps and Die-namics from the following month’s release! The winner also joins us for each of our Wednesday Stamp Club sketches, and then jumps in with our designers during Teaser Time for the next release too!

This month, we’re pleased to welcome back Angel Rivera!  Angel’s created a gorgeous card, paper pieced full inside and out for our last challenge. If you look closely, you’ll see that she’s even paper pieced the sprinkles on the cupcake! WOW!  Angel’s won this contest twice before, and we’re excited to have her playing along with us again this month! Be sure to check Angel’s blog for detail shots of this winning project and give her a warm welcome!

Thank you to all of you who participated in this month’s challenge!  We do hope that you’ll join us again for our next Guest Designer Challenge to be announced on Wednesday, February 1st!

We’ve surely had a busy two weeks here at My Favorite Things!  If you missed out on Teaser Time and our huge January Release for any reason, then you’ll want to take a moment to view our January Release Rewind video.  This is just a glimpse at each of the new stamps and Die-namics in action, as well as the full set graphics for all of the elements.

You’ll find all the latest HERE in the MFT Boutique! We hope you enjoy this month’s Release Rewind!

Welcome to this week’s Our Favorite Finds! Today we’re featuring just some of the spectacular cards discovered by our Designers over the last using MFT Stamps! Please be sure to stop by to visit with each of the artists featured here today.  Some of the work was done for our weekly Wednesday Stamp Club Challenge, and some of these projects were submitted in our recent Guest Designer Challenge.  We’re always thrilled to find your MFT projects when we’re out and about in online galleries and in blog-land! Thank you SO much for your beautiful creations!

Dawn

Supplies used: Contempo Cage Die-namics

Denise

supplies used: Jolinne I Love You This Much

Wendy

supplies used: á la modes Disco Queen

Bonnie

Bridget

supplies used: Who's that Girl Gets Cozy with Cocoa

Be sure to join us next Thursday when will feature another beautiful set of cards, perhaps even yours!  Have a great time visiting with the artists we’ve featured today!

We’re SO excited to start off a fresh new year of sketches! If you haven’t already registered for our End of Year Party for our first 52 sketches, you’ll want to sign up over here  because registration closes on January 7th! If you’ve played in even a single sketch, or if you’ve completed ALL of them, be sure to drop by that thread to let us know how you did!

To kick things off in 2012, we’re starting with sketch number 53!  I love the large main panel, which will is suitable to many different images within the MFT Collection. The only question then becomes, what do you want to stamp with?!

I’ve got a beautiful sample from Michele with Pure Innocence: Plane Amazing to share with you today…

 So many of our designers have worked up something with today’s sketch. Be sure to stop around to visit with:

Julie

Karen M.

Jody

Barbara

Frances

Sarah

Jessie

Meredith Winston

Jodi

Debbie

Lisa

Kerry

Michele

Sherrie

Joanne

We’ve teased and taunted you all week, and at long last all the latest stamps and Die-namics are now available HERE in the MFT Boutique!  All the girls on our Design Team have participated in tonight’s New Product Tour which is a great way to showcase all of the spectacular new products being released tonight.  Just below I have a direct link to each of the new products, as well as the full set graphics and a link to the participating designers.  Are you ready for one more amazing set of projects before you shop?

Who’s that Parisian Girl? 

Karen G

Pearls of Wisdom 

Jodi and Jody

Triple Scoop Set – Clearly Sentimental about Romance

Lisa and Barbara

Pure Innocence – Plane Amazing

Karen M 

Pure Innocence – Berry Sweet

Debbie 

 Pure Innocence – Paper Dolls

Megan

Pure Innocence – Jump for Joy

Joanne

Pure Innocence – I Love You This Big

Jessie and Meredith Winston

 Pure Innocence – Precious Little Lamb Fill My Heart with Joy

Sherrie

 à la modes – Dip Me in Chocolate

Inge and Eva

 à la modes – Genie

Michele

Bunch of Hearts Flopsey

Sarah and Frances

Monogram Alphabet

Jackie and Melody

At the Movies Die-namics and Stamp Set

Kerry and Julie

Rolled Scallop Flower

with a video from Frances showing how to make a fuller flower

Jumbo Monarch Border

Berry Box

Jody gives a how-to on the Die-namics Berry Box

Sarah combines the Die-namics Berry Box with the Die-namics Woodgrain Fence and the Die-namics Mini-Wavy Pennants 

Mini Wavy Pennants

Eiffel Tower

Paper Doll Border Die-namics

Oval Decorative Doily Duo

Layered Heart Die-namics

Frances has a treat box video tutorial using the Layered Heart Die-namics

Joanne uses the Layered Hearts Die-namics to make Rice Bag Hand Warmers

 We hope you’ve enjoyed all of our New Release preparations and I look forward to seeing you over in the MFT Boutique!

Each month, as part of our New Release Preparation, we offer Teaser Time Prizes.  You’ll be able to maximize your chances at winning one by visiting each of the participating design team members and leaving a comment.  Prize vouchers will be emailed out this evening, so the winners be ready to shop at tonight’s release!  Please remember to include your email address in your profile or within the body of the message, after all, if we can’t reach you, we can’t send you a prize!

Day One Winners:

Lisa’s Blog: the winner is Tanya

Melody’s Blog: the winner is Maria

Day Two Winners:

Barbara’s Blog: the winner is Clarissa

Debbie’s Blog: the winner is Memories 2 Keepsakes

Day Three Winners:

Karen M.’s Blog: the winner is Elle

Julie’s Blog: the winner is Patricia Cuddeback

Day Four Winners:

Karen G.’s Blog: the winner is Mad for Paper

Joanne Blog: the winner is Janet

Day Five Winners:

Megan Blog: the winner is Joan V

Michele Blog: the winner is Fiona

Day Six Winners:

Jody’s Blog: the winner is CheckerBeads

Sherrie’s Blog:the winner is Lisa M.

Day Seven Winners:

Sarah’s Blog: the winner is Marta

Jodi’s Blog: the winner is Beth