So You Think You Can Stamp WK 5 - Challenge & Chatter

[The MFT Lady]

Here are the general contest rules:
*Weekly themes will be posted on Wednesday, starting October 7th
*You may enter ONE card/project for each theme, and MFT Stamps must be the primary stamps used on your submission.
*Entries must be uploaded by the Monday AFTER the challenge is posted. (You have 5 days to complete each weekly challenge)
*1 Finalist will be selected each week based on the votes from our 3 Panel Judges including 1 Weekly Guest Judge
*Each Weekly Finalist will be paired with an MFT DT MENTOR that will work with them the last week of the competition
*If you are NOT chosen as the current weeks FINALIST, you may play again the following week!
*One FINALIST will be selected each week, and join us on Week 7 to play for the GRAND PRIZE. As a FINALIST, you can certainly play along with us each week, but will only be selected as a FINALIST one time.
*There will be a total of 6 FINALISTS competing on Week 7 for the GRAND PRIZE

What IS the Grand Prize?
ONE lucky (VERY LUCKY) winner will receive ALL the upcoming New Releases from Dec 2009 through May 2010! (Sets will be sample sets, sans packaging)

Here is this weeks challenge info! (Nov 4, 2009)
*Week 5 - Contemporary – Fresh and modern, think clean lines and simple style.
*Use Keyword – SYTYCSWK5 when uploading your projects, or it will not be considered in the voting process.
*You have until Monday, November 9th (Midnight EST) to post your project for consideration as this weeks FINALIST. Entries posted after this deadline will NOT be voted on.
Here is are two beautimus samples from Michele:
MFT-Think-Snow.jpg
MFT-Think-Snow-White.jpg

Now, who's ready to know the name of our next FINALIST????
It's SARAH HENTON!!!
And we have a tie for our two runners up, they are Kerry and Stamp Out Loud!

Each of these three ladies will receive a gift voucher from the MFT store to help them out during tonight's release!

[cmf1216]

Woohoo, Sara!!! Congrats!

[deborahmegan]

Congrats winners!

Those samples are sooo cute!!

[mom4cuties]

wohooo congrats girls!

[basilefamily]

Congratulations to the winners this week!!

[basilefamily]

Michele! I love the furry trim on his scarf! You have the most clever ideas my friend!

[lisahenke]

congrats, Sarah! and the runner-ups! and WOW! Michelle, great samples. Me, thinks I like this week's challenge!

[kerryj106]

Congrats!!! Michele - love your samples!!!

[cveneruso]

Great winning cards!!! Congrats ladies. And I love those polar bears, this release is looking awesome!

[sara henton]

I opened my email and then this this morning and I was so giddy I didn't know what to do. I had to keep reading it b/c I almost didn't believe it. Thank you!!!!

[sara henton]

Congrats to all the winners!!

[leslierod]

Congratulations winners!! Sara way to go girl!!

Michele, I just love the samples you submit every week, they are amazing!!

[20something]

Congrats winners!!!!

I'm excited for the contemporary week! The contemporary look is one of my favorites!

How's everyone doing? Sorry I've been away for a while... life is getting in the way of stamping!

[kerryj106]

Originally Posted by 20something

Congrats winners!!!!

I'm excited for the contemporary week! The contemporary look is one of my favorites!

How's everyone doing? Sorry I've been away for a while... life is getting in the way of stamping!

Kathy!!! I've missed you! How's your health? Are you still food testing? Love your HTDT on acetate!!

[daiseyfreak]

congrats girls!

[cveneruso]

Originally Posted by sarahenton

I opened my email and then this this morning and I was so giddy I didn't know what to do. I had to keep reading it b/c I almost didn't believe it. Thank you!!!!

Enjoy it!

[20something]

Originally Posted by kerryj106

Kathy!!! I've missed you! How's your health? Are you still food testing? Love your HTDT on acetate!!

Hey Kerry!

Health is great -- never better! I *AM* still food testing . I've got another 10 days of it or so. So far, I've found out that nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers) are okay (thank GOD -- my doctor thought they might be contributing to my back inflammation, but they don't seem to be). Also okay is decaf coffee, soy, and corn.

I still have to test wheat, food colorings, sugar, chocolate, citrus fruits and alcohol. And then I also have to test apples, oats and nuts and broccoli because the 10 days I had to eliminate all the "common allergen foods" and was eating a lot of those things in their place, I was feeling *really* not well. So it sounds like I might be sensitive to one of those.

Fun stuff, huh? So far, I haven't really felt any different from cutting and adding things. The only changes are that my skin has been amazing since about the 4th day of eliminating everything, so it looks like one of the things I haven't tested yet is giving me acne (I'm guessing wheat, but who knows). And when I added back in regular coffee, I got really uncomfortably jittery and very teary and depressed. So I'm staying away from that!

It's been a fun little experiment, all in all.

Thanks for the comment on the tutorial. I hope you guys will try it out! I think the tutorial makes it look more time consuming and complicated than it is!

[Shel9999]

Congrats to last week's winners!

And thanks so much, everyone, about my samples. Sometimes, I'm really sitting here with the dumbest look on my face, wondering what to do. You all have made my day.

Back to my cupcakes. Tomorrow is my son's 10th (!) birthday. One box of cake mix makes 24 cupcakes and guess how many kids are in his class? 26!!!!!!! (UGH!! lol.)

[Shel9999]

Originally Posted by 20something

Hey Kerry!

Health is great -- never better! I *AM* still food testing . I've got another 10 days of it or so. So far, I've found out that nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers) are okay (thank GOD -- my doctor thought they might be contributing to my back inflammation, but they don't seem to be). Also okay is decaf coffee, soy, and corn.

I still have to test wheat, food colorings, sugar, chocolate, citrus fruits and alcohol. And then I also have to test apples, oats and nuts and broccoli because the 10 days I had to eliminate all the "common allergen foods" and was eating a lot of those things in their place, I was feeling *really* not well. So it sounds like I might be sensitive to one of those.

Fun stuff, huh? So far, I haven't really felt any different from cutting and adding things. The only changes are that my skin has been amazing since about the 4th day of eliminating everything, so it looks like one of the things I haven't tested yet is giving me acne (I'm guessing wheat, but who knows). And when I added back in regular coffee, I got really uncomfortably jittery and very teary and depressed. So I'm staying away from that!

It's been a fun little experiment, all in all.

Thanks for the comment on the tutorial. I hope you guys will try it out! I think the tutorial makes it look more time consuming and complicated than it is!

Wow, Kathy. I had no idea! I'm glad you're feeling better!

[20something]

Originally Posted by Shel9999

Wow, Kathy. I had no idea! I'm glad you're feeling better!

It's not that bad. It WAS bad for the 10 days I had to cut everything. Try making 10 days of nutritious, decent meals with no onions, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers, dairy, meat, eggs, soy, corn, sugar, food colorings, alcohol, citrus, chocolate, wheat, or coffee. Over Halloween, to boot. It was an exercise in creativity. Now that I'm adding things back in, though, it's way easier.

In retrospect, I probably should have asked Joanne what to make. I know she's been through it with her kids' allergies!

[Pumpkin's Mom]

Congrats Sara!!

Wow Kathy, what did you eat?? I am interested in what you found out about the acne, mine has been crazy for the past few years and I did not have issues as a teen.

[sara henton]

Sounds like you've had a lot of fun Kathy. You poor thing but at least you're getting to add things back in. I'm allergic to a lot of things but they're not food allergies... at least not that I know of

[kerryj106]

Originally Posted by Shel9999

Congrats to last week's winners!

And thanks so much, everyone, about my samples. Sometimes, I'm really sitting here with the dumbest look on my face, wondering what to do. You all have made my day.

Back to my cupcakes. Tomorrow is my son's 10th (!) birthday. One box of cake mix makes 24 cupcakes and guess how many kids are in his class? 26!!!!!!! (UGH!! lol.)

See what I would have done is fill the cups a little less and use more icing to get 26 out of the box!! My kids only ever eat the icing anyway!! But I'm a bad mom!

And your samples for all the weeks have rocked!

[kerryj106]

Originally Posted by 20something

Hey Kerry!

Health is great -- never better! I *AM* still food testing . I've got another 10 days of it or so. So far, I've found out that nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers) are okay (thank GOD -- my doctor thought they might be contributing to my back inflammation, but they don't seem to be). Also okay is decaf coffee, soy, and corn.

I still have to test wheat, food colorings, sugar, chocolate, citrus fruits and alcohol. And then I also have to test apples, oats and nuts and broccoli because the 10 days I had to eliminate all the "common allergen foods" and was eating a lot of those things in their place, I was feeling *really* not well. So it sounds like I might be sensitive to one of those.

Fun stuff, huh? So far, I haven't really felt any different from cutting and adding things. The only changes are that my skin has been amazing since about the 4th day of eliminating everything, so it looks like one of the things I haven't tested yet is giving me acne (I'm guessing wheat, but who knows). And when I added back in regular coffee, I got really uncomfortably jittery and very teary and depressed. So I'm staying away from that!

It's been a fun little experiment, all in all.

Thanks for the comment on the tutorial. I hope you guys will try it out! I think the tutorial makes it look more time consuming and complicated than it is!

Still some big ones to go though!! I've never heard those foods called Nightshades before - learn something new every day! And God is just cruel if you're sensitive to chocolate! Hopefully if it's the pure, dark, no waxy stuff in it quality you'll be o.k.! And you can still partake at Starbucks with decaf and soy right?

[20something]

Originally Posted by Pumpkin's Mom

Congrats Sara!!

Wow Kathy, what did you eat?? I am interested in what you found out about the acne, mine has been crazy for the past few years and I did not have issues as a teen.

You sound like me! I have always had the most beautiful skin (that was the one thing I ALWAYS got complimented on), and then about 2 years ago, it just went NUTSO overnight. I started getting huge cystic-style acne out of nowhere for about 2 weeks out of every month. I have always thought it was hormonal, but I guess that's not so!

We ate a LOT of squash (it's a good thing it's fall!), beans, rice, carrots, sunchoke, broccoli, fruit, mushrooms, greens...for sweet treats we had rice pudding made with coconut milk and dried fruit.

Since I was already vegan, at least I didn't have to struggle with the meat/egg/dairy thing. But flavoring our food without onion, citrus or spice (spiciness comes from peppers, which weren't allowed) was the hardest part.

[20something]

Originally Posted by sarahenton

Sounds like you've had a lot of fun Kathy. You poor thing but at least you're getting to add things back in. I'm allergic to a lot of things but they're not food allergies... at least not that I know of

I never would have guessed foods as a problem, either. You can have sensitivities to a food but not be allergic to them. It makes sense, I guess. Different foods cause different chemical reactions in your body that certain bodies might not jive well with.

I found out that food sensitivities can cause a LOT of things you would never imagine... everything from the less-expected things like insomnia, hair loss, weight gain, mental problems, acne, and headaches to the more expected gastro-intestinal problems. Who knew?

[20something]

Originally Posted by kerryj106

Still some big ones to go though!! I've never heard those foods called Nightshades before - learn something new every day! And God is just cruel if you're sensitive to chocolate! Hopefully if it's the pure, dark, no waxy stuff in it quality you'll be o.k.! And you can still partake at Starbucks with decaf and soy right?

Yeah, nightshades and citrus (and sugar) are supposed to be really bad triggers for inflammation in some people. I'm glad I'm not one of them! I need my potatoes, tomatoes and spice! And Eggplant! Don't take away my eggplant!

And yeah, order up a decaf soy latte for me! I used to be such a coffee snob that I'm so embarrassed to order it this way, though! I feel like the barista must be thinking "What's the point?!"

[Pumpkin's Mom]

Originally Posted by 20something

You sound like me! I have always had the most beautiful skin (that was the one thing I ALWAYS got complimented on), and then about 2 years ago, it just went NUTSO overnight. I started getting huge cystic-style acne out of nowhere for about 2 weeks out of every month. I have always thought it was hormonal, but I guess that's not so!

Me too! Everyone always commented how I did not make-up, etc. It is driving me crazy. I am trying The Body Shop Acne line with Tea Tree and hoping it makes a difference.

[20something]

Originally Posted by Pumpkin's Mom

Me too! Everyone always commented how I did not make-up, etc. It is driving me crazy. I am trying The Body Shop Acne line with Tea Tree and hoping it makes a difference.

Good luck! I must have tried everything so far! I even saw a doctor who gave me a topical antibiotic, and even THAT didn't work.

Know that if all else fails, you can try an elimination diet! It sucks for sure, but if I can get my skin back to normal permanently, it'll be worth it!

[leslierod]

Originally Posted by 20something

I never would have guessed foods as a problem, either. You can have sensitivities to a food but not be allergic to them. It makes sense, I guess. Different foods cause different chemical reactions in your body that certain bodies might not jive well with.

I found out that food sensitivities can cause a LOT of things you would never imagine... everything from the less-expected things like insomnia, hair loss, weight gain, mental problems, acne, and headaches to the more expected gastro-intestinal problems. Who knew?

DH and I are trying to switch to a clean eating lifestyle and have made some changes do our diet recently. Mostly we've started eliminating processed foods, excess sugars, and fats. It's only been a few days, but I'm already seeing a difference in my skin!! I get the really bad breakouts on my cheeks and I'm guessing that perhaps this new way of eating will help out with it.

[20something]

Originally Posted by leslierod

DH and I are trying to switch to a clean eating lifestyle and have made some changes do our diet recently. Mostly we've started eliminating processed foods, excess sugars, and fats. It's only been a few days, but I'm already seeing a difference in my skin!! I get the really bad breakouts on my cheeks and I'm guessing that perhaps this new way of eating will help out with it.

Good for you guys!

When we first started eating more cleanly, my skin made a huge improvement. And then it went back to status-quo eventually, even though I was still eating well. I hope yours hangs in there!

[cveneruso]

Originally Posted by Shel9999

Congrats to last week's winners!

And thanks so much, everyone, about my samples. Sometimes, I'm really sitting here with the dumbest look on my face, wondering what to do. You all have made my day.

Back to my cupcakes. Tomorrow is my son's 10th (!) birthday. One box of cake mix makes 24 cupcakes and guess how many kids are in his class? 26!!!!!!! (UGH!! lol.)

Just put a little less batter in each cup, or after you got the 24 filled take a dollop out of each one. the kids won't notice.

[sara henton]

Kathy, what kind of doctor do you go to for this b/c I have all kinds of gastrointestinal problems? Had my gall bladder out in 03 & still having problems. I won't list the gamut of other problems I have. I'm just curious as to where you start b/c this sounds extremely interesting.

I talked to my ENT & he said after a certain age you're not allergic to foods but if you're sensitive to them that's a whole other thing.

[cveneruso]

Originally Posted by kerryj106

Still some big ones to go though!! I've never heard those foods called Nightshades before - learn something new every day! And God is just cruel if you're sensitive to chocolate! Hopefully if it's the pure, dark, no waxy stuff in it quality you'll be o.k.! And you can still partake at Starbucks with decaf and soy right?

I've heard them called the deadly nightshades and they are often the foods that people have to watch out for.
I have attacks of diverticulitis and have been told to avoid them by one doctor but it's because of the seeds, but I don't care for eggplant anyway, and I often pull the seeds out of tomatoes anyway, pepper - who eats those seeds. When I went to the specialist he said I could eat seeds if I didn't go overboard. Go figure, one doctor to the next give you different answers.

[20something]

Originally Posted by sarahenton

Kathy, what kind of doctor do you go to for this b/c I have all kinds of gastrointestinal problems? Had my gall bladder out in 03 & still having problems. I won't list the gamut of other problems I have. I'm just curious as to where you start b/c this sounds extremely interesting.

I talked to my ENT & he said after a certain age you're not allergic to foods but if you're sensitive to them that's a whole other thing.

Hey Sara.

I had a lot of minor (and a couple major) chronic health things that a slew of "normal" docs never could figure out or never took seriously enough. So I started seeing a naturopath. I think normal docs are great for some things (especially acute things like broken bones and emergencies), but especially with the way the health care system is set up, some of them (even the specialists) don't have the time or expertise in the more chronic things. And it's hard to find the ones that are an exception to that. I like naturopathy. I think some of it is hooey (my doctor told me to tape a patch of fabric over my belly button to prevent seasickness that was caused by energy escaping my body... riiiiiiight), but some of it has been right-on for me. You just have to take the weirdness in with the rational and go with what makes sense to you, I guess.

I also have gallbladder problems and was determined to not have it removed, since I have heard a lot of people with stories like you, where the surgery didn't solve the problem. That's one of the major reasons for doing the elimination trial. So far, I haven't had any attacks during the elimination. I'm waiting on baited breath for one, because food sensitivities and allergies are one of the major causes of GB attacks. Again, who knew?

You *can* go get a 200 item panel of blood allergy tests, but a lot of insurance won't cover it (it's cr-azy expensive), and all sensitivities don't show up on it. My doctor suggested I try this first and then back it up with individual item blood tests if I suspected anything was problematic.

In all honesty, you really don't *need* a doctor to do the elimination trial. I mean, of course if you're making drastic diet changes, it's a good idea to talk to your doctor, and you have to make sure that during the elimination stage you're still eating a really balanced diet. But otherwise, you just cut out a ton of foods for 10 days (you have to *really* be a hardcore label reader, because these things are hidden in everything-- you basically can't eat anything processed). Then you just add back in individual foods every other day and note any symptoms. Supposedly sometimes when you cut stuff out you don't notice a change, but when you add it back in you get sick. Odd. I have a flyer explaining the process in detail that I can email to you, if you want.

And I totally don't believe your ENT's statement about old people not having food allergies. I think that's a load of hooey But that's just my opinion based on people I know

[20something]

Originally Posted by cveneruso

I've heard them called the deadly nightshades and they are often the foods that people have to watch out for.
I have attacks of diverticulitis and have been told to avoid them by one doctor but it's because of the seeds, but I don't care for eggplant anyway, and I often pull the seeds out of tomatoes anyway, pepper - who eats those seeds. When I went to the specialist he said I could eat seeds if I didn't go overboard. Go figure, one doctor to the next give you different answers.

My aunt has diverticulitis, and I suspect that I was starting to get it too. I'd get pain in one very specific spot in the left side of my intestine every now and then (and often it was after having lots of small seeds). It's gotten better since I've been messing with my diet, but I still get it on rare occasions.

That's the pits. My aunt can't even eat a banana because of the tiny seeds in it. I feel for you. Seeded foods are some of my favs!

[andora]

Congrats to the Winners! Good Luck to everyone regarding the challenge this week!

[Pumpkin's Mom]

Leslie, that is right where mine is too. On my checks, I hate it!

Kathy - thanks for sharing all this information. It is very interesting to me. If you do not mind could you email me that information too? TIA!

[20something]

Originally Posted by Pumpkin's Mom

Leslie, that is right where mine is too. On my checks, I hate it!

Kathy - thanks for sharing all this information. It is very interesting to me. If you do not mind could you email me that information too? TIA!

Sure thing. I'll have my hubby scan it tomorrow and email it over.

[sara henton]

Kathy, I just PM'd you about this