TCP Tuesday Challenge #300 Celebration

In celebration of The Cat's Pajamas 300th TCP Tuesday Challenge your challenge this week is to case one of The Cat Pack's creations - Case the Cat! Here was my choice for casing:

You will find the original post here. 

The challenge runs for two weeks and The Cat’s Pajamas stamps are not required. In celebration of the 300th challenge we have also increased the prize money to $25 if the winning project uses a TCP stamp; $20 if not.

The full details are on The Cat's Pajamas blog along with all the choices to case. Good luck and have fun!

Whole Latte Love

It's Monday so what better day to feature a coffee themed card for the Fall Coffee Lovers Bloghop. I also followed the September Week 4 Viva la Verve Sketch for the layout.

Julee offered up a coffee themed digital set in honor of the blog hop, Latte Love which is free on the Verve site until October 15th. I printed the sentiment from the set onto Rustic White cardstock and then cut out with an oval Spellbinders Nestie. I printed the cup onto Copics X-Press It cardstock, colored with Copic Markers and then fussy cut out. The Rustic White background was embossed using a Taylored Expressions embossing pad. After a layer of patterned paper was attached, I wrapped hemp cording vertically around it twice and then anchored with a button. After attaching the piece to a kraft card base, the sentiment piece was adhered with craft foam as was the coffee cup. I slipped a couple of patterned paper leaves cut with Lawn Fawn Small Stitched Leaves underneath the button and added a couple of enamel dots.

Products: Verve digital stamps, Doodlebug dp, Bazzill and PTI cs, PTI button, Doodlebug enamel dots, Hemtique cord, Taylored Expressions embossing folder, Lawn Fawn dies, Copic Markers
Copics: Cup-W00, E81; Lid-G40, G43, G85, YG91; Leaves-BG0000, BG000, BG01, G40, G43, YR30, Y11, Y31, YR23, V01, RV11, RV17


With this card I have completed all four Viva la Verve sketches this month.

Ode to a Pumpkin Spice Latte

Today's card is for the Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop. Although I am a long time coffee lover this is actually the first time I've created something for this hop. I am also submitting this for the WPlus9 Throwback Thursday (#7) challenge.

Using my Silhouette and the Coffee Cup Gift Card files I cut the coffee cup shaped card base and lid from kraft and white cardstock and the wrap from patterned paper. I inked the edges with Ranger Antique Linen Distress ink and then attached the lid to the card base with craft foam. I cut a small tag from Orange Fizz cardstock using a die from the WPlus9 Timeless Tags 2 set and stamped the sentiment from the Papertrey Ink Mixed Mega Messages set. It was attached to the cup with Hemptique cord. Using the Wplus9 Pretty Patches: Pumpkin set I stamped the pumpkin with Orange Fizz ink and the leaves with Sour Apple and then cut out with the matching Pretty Patches: Pumpkin Dies. I topped the pumpkin with a punched heart from patterned paper scraps.

Products: WPlus9 stamps and dies, PTI stamp and cs, Doodlebug dp, Bazzill cs, Hemptique cord, Ranger ink, MFT cs and inks

Have a great weekend!

Cinnamon {Purple Onion Designs}

Today's project features a stamp from Purple Onion Designs to welcome in the first official day of fall. Personally I am sad to see summer go. It's not that I don't enjoy and love fall - it's really the winter that follows it that I don't like.

After stamping Cinnamon (the squirrel) onto a Neenah cardstock circle, I colored with Copic markers. I attached the image panel with a layer of craft foam to a patterned paper tag cut with the Reverse Confetti Tag Me Too die. A garland cut from patterned paper and cardstock using the Reverse Confetti Double Banner Garland dies and a few enamel dots finished it up.

Products: Purple Onion Designs stamp, Lawn Fawn dp, Doodlebug dp and enamel dots, PTI cs, MFT die and cs, Reverse Confetti dies, Copic Markers
Copics: Squirrel-E30, E31, E33, E35, E81, R20; Acorn-E51, E53, E55, E57, Leaves-YR30, YR31, YR27, YR20, YR12, YR14; Ground-W00, W1, W2, W5; Sky-BG70, BG0000, BG000

Happy first day of fall!

{The Cat's Pajamas} TCPTUES299 Anything Goes Challenge

It's time for another TCP Tuesday at The Cat's Pajamas with an "Anything Goes" challenge. The challenge runs for two weeks and The Cat’s Pajamas stamps are not required.

I didn't get to use the Sock Monkey CutUps during the last release so I thought it was time I remedied that. It's been sitting on my craft table for weeks now trying it's best to guilt trip me! I cut him from white and kraft cardstock and then attached him to a piece cut with the die from the Framed Up 2 set. The image panel was attached to the background with craft foam. The patterned paper strips were cut from the Fancy Pants MEology pad and the sentiment from the Show Me the Monkey set was stamped with Vermillion ink directly onto the panel.

Products: The Cat's Pajamas stamp and dies, Fancy Pants dp, PTI and MFT cs, Doodlebug enamel heart and dies, Ranger Archival ink

Here are the details:

1. Every other Tuesday a new challenge will be posted on The Cat's Pajamas blog as well as on our Facebook page.
2. If you want to play along you just upload your design to The Cat's Pajamas blog page using the InLinkz button below.
3. You must have your project posted by the Monday, 11:55 EDT before the next challenge to be eligible to win the Cat Cash.
4. Cards and projects are not required to use a Cat’s Pajamas Stamp or CutUps die but if you do the Cat Cash amount increases.
5. On the following TCP Tuesday, the week's winner will be chosen from the previous challenge and will receive a Cat Cash Voucher for $10 or $15 if a TCP product is used.

With Heartfelt Sympathy

Today's card is for the September Viva la Verve Sketch Challenge (week 3). I didn't know how tired I was until I sat down to make this card Sunday evening. It was a long week due to various reasons, capped off with the Alabama/Ole Miss game being so late and losing my voice screaming at the television in a losing cause.

I first stamped the largest greenery piece from the Verve New Mercies set with Catkin ink onto a white Neenah cardstock rectangle piece. I then stamped the sentiment onto a black cardstock piece using Versamark ink and heat embossed with white embossing powder. I also stamped the Soft Stone cardstock background panel with a background stamp using Soft Stone ink for a subtle tone on tone look. The image and sentiment pieces were attached with craft foam. A scattering of black enamel dots were the only embellishments. I tried to keep things as simple as possible - sympathy cards are so hard to make. This one is going out to a church member.

Products: Verve stamp, My Favorite Things stamp, Glitz Design dp, Neenah cs, PTI cs and ink, Doodlebug enamel dots, MFT die, Versamark and Simon Says ink

You don't know how very tempting it was to skip church on Sunday morning as we were both so tired. But I am so glad we didn't because we learned a beautiful lesson. An Egyptian Christian minister spoke to us and it certainly put our lives in perspective. It is one thing to be ridiculed for your religious beliefs but something altogether different to have your life in mortal danger because of them. Pastor Paul is normally the picture of quiet and steady calm but even his voice cracked when leading the final prayer. The whole service was very moving.

2 Corinthians 4:6-9(ESV)

6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.

Happy Fall {Purple Onion Designs}

Today's project feature stamps from Purple Onion Designs.

I am still working through Stacey Yacula's Sweet Occasions release and on today's card I used Happy Pumpkins. I wanted to use the image for a more generic fall card so I masked off the jack o'lantern carvings using washi tape. I removed the washi after inking the image and then stamped it onto a rectangular piece cut from Neenah cardstock using a Lil Inker Designs stitched mat. After coloring with copic markers, the sentiment from the Sweet Occasions Sentiment set was stamped directly onto the image panel with Dark Chocolate ink. I added a couple of leaves cut from patterned paper using dies from the Paper Smooches Large Leaves dies, then anchored with a button. The background layer was cut from Smoke Gray cardstock and embossed with another Lil Inker Designs stitched mat die. The image panel was attached with craft foam.

Products: Purple Onion Designs stamp, PTI cs and button, Paper Smooches dies, Lil Inker Designs dies, Simon Says cs and ink, Copic Markers
Copics: Pumpkins-B0000, B91, B93, B95, N1, C1, W00, E81, YR20, YR12, YR14, E30, E31, E84; Ground-W00, W1, W2, W5; Shadows-BG70, BG0000, BG000

Check out the Purple Onion Designs blog for more inspiration. Have a fantastic weekend.

Joy to the World

Today's card is for the current Merry Monday #171 Challenge to create a sentiment centric card.

I used a new Hero Arts Stamp & Cut set to cut the word "joy" from Pure Poppy cardstock, as well as the tag hole reinforcement. I used the also new Reverse Confetti Thanks Tag die to cut the tag from the actual Hero Arts packaging insert. Yet here I have stacks of paper pads. Go figure.

After attaching the die cut word, I stamped the remainder of the sentiment in black. A small snowflake cut with a die from the Lawn Fawn Stitched Snowflake set was anchored with a red enamel dot to represent the "dot" on the j. The tag was attached to the card base with Hemptique cord which was wrapped around the card front and tied through the tag hole. Easy peasy.

Products: Hero Arts stamp and die, PTI and Bazzill cs, Hemptique cord, Doodlebug enamel dot, Reverse Confetti and Lawn Fawn dies, Versafine ink

Happy Hump Day!

Merry Christmas

Did you have a nice weekend? We didn't do a whole lot other than watch some football games and just relax around the house. I did manage to get four cards completed with one eye on the television and I also got my craft table somewhat cleaned up.

Today's card is for the current Lawnscaping Texture Challenge. I took care of the texture requirement right away by dry embossing my image rectangle with an embossing folder to represent falling snow. I stamped four images from the Toboggan Together set and then cut out with the matching Toboggan Together Lawn Cuts. I also used the dies to cut out from craft foam to pop them up from the embossed background panel. I turned a top folding card base on it's side, rounded the top right corner and cutting a strip of background paper from the new Lawn Fawn Let's Bokeh In the Snow pad. The sentiment from the same set was stamped directly onto the card base with Vermillion ink. I added a snowflake cut from white cardstock using a die from the Stitched Snowflakes Lawn Cuts and then topped it with an enamel dot. 

Products: Lawn Fawn stamps and dies, Lawn Fawn dp, PTI cs, Doodlebug enamel dot, Taylored Expressions embossing folder, Ranger Archival ink, Copic Markers
Copics: Sled-R22, R24, R27; Gifts-W00, E81, G40, G43, G46, R22, R24, R27, BG0000, BG000, BG10; Reindeer-W00, E81, E50, E51, E53, W1, W2, W5

And since I created this card with some never before used stamps and dies, I am entering this in Darnell's famous NBUS challenge (#5).

The Pace of Nature

Today's card is for the current Color Throwdown (CTD359) challenge with colors of Orange, Light Blue, Dark Blue and Kraft.

I broke out another new set of stamps and dies, stamping two of the leaves from the Simon Says One with Nature and then cut out with the matching dies from the Nature set. I also stamped the small leaf and used the matching die to create a cut out in the textured cardstock background panel which was cut with a Lil Inker Designs stitched mat and also a layer of craft foam. After all images were colored with Copic Markers, I assembled onto the background panel attaching the largest leaf with craft foam. The smallest leaf image was slipped underneath the craft foam and background layers. The sentiment was stamped at the bottom of the panel with Blueberry ink.

Products: Simon Says stamps and dies, Basic Grey dp, PTI and Bazzill cs, Lil Inker Designs die, MFT ink, Copic Markers
Copics: W00, E81, YR0000, YR01, YR14, B0000, B91, B93, B95, B97, B99

And since I created this card with some never before used stamps and dies, I am entering this in Darnell's famous NBUS challenge (#5).

Merry Christmas

Today's card was created using the Viva la Verve September Week 2 sketch.

I followed the sketch fairly closely, stamping the poinsettia from the Pinecone Christmas set onto a Neenah cardstock cut with Spellbinders Nestabilities and then coloring with Copic markers. I stamped the sentiment from the same set onto a circle cut with an MFT pierced die using Versamark ink that I heat embossed with white embossing powder. All the patterned papers came from the new My Mind's Eye Cozy Christmas pad. I love it when the new Christmas papers are released early. The image panel was attached with craft foam for some extra dimension and I added Xmas Red Ranger Stickles for some glittery goodness and a trio of small pearls in the flower center. A couple of red pearls finished it up.

Products: Verve stamps, My Mind's Eye dp, PTI and Bazzill cs, Kaisercraft pearls, MFT and Spellbinders dies, Versamark ink, Copic Markers
Copics: Poinsettia-R22, R24, R27, R29; Leaves-YG0000, YG91, YG93, YG95; Shadows-BG70, BG10

It's football Saturday and I've actually got several cards completed or started with one eye on the television. 

Sending Smiles {Purple Onion Designs}

Today's card for Purple Onion Designs definitely has a fall theme even though it's still hot as heck here. 

The tilted panels were cut from patterned paper and attached to the kraft card base with craft foam. I stamped the Stacey Yacula Camp Fire and Marshmallow Stick images onto a circle cut with a Lil Inker Designs Stitched Mat and also the sentiment from the Love Bug Sentiments. Unfortunately both the images are currently out of stock but they will be back soon. After coloring the images with Copic markers, the image circle was attached to the background panel with craft foam. The card was finished up with Hemptique cord.

Products: Purple Onion Designs stamps, Doodlebug dp, Bazzill and Neenah cs, Hemptique cord, Lil Inker Designs die, Copic Markers
Copics: Marshmallow Stick - E33, E35, E57, E81; Camp Fire-YR20, YR23, YR12, YR18, E30, E33, E35, E57, C00, C1, C3; Shadows-W00, E81

And, because I created this card with some never before used stamps I am entering this in Darnell's famous NBUS challenge (#5).

As always, check out the Purple Onion Designs blog for more inspiration. Have a fantastic weekend.

Jingle All the Way

I am trying to step up my Christmas card making now that it is September so you will start seeing more of them if you follow my blog on a regular basis. Today's card is for the September Sketch For You to Try.

Not a lot of stamping on this one. I first cut a circle from patterned paper, then lightly sprayed it with Hero Arts Unicorn White. I used the Reverse Confetti Branch Out dies to cut the two trees from patterned paper and a piece from the Weather or Dot Quick Card Panels. The branches were cut from Gumball Green cs and then both were attached to the circle, using foam tape for the largest tree. The sentiment from the Tinsel 'N Trim set was stamped with Gumball Green ink. A few sequins finished it up for a clean and simple card.

Products: Reverse Confetti stamps and dies, Carta Bella dp, PTI, SU and Bazzill cs, Doodlebug and Lawn Fawn sequins, MFT die, Stampin' Up ink

{The Cat's Pajamas} TCPTUES298 Anything Goes Challenge

Good morning. It's the second week of the TCP Tuesday Anything Goes challenge and I have a card to share with you today. The challenge runs for two weeks and The Cat’s Pajamas stamps are not required. 

If you attended the Facebook Pajama Party during the last release you may have seen this card already. I call this my party on a card. Alma is the master at fun and punny sentiments and I knew I destined to use these two as soon as I saw the set. I used my Misti and some washi tape to to mask off to stamp the sentiments from the Lemons set in two different colors onto plain white cardstock. I then stamped two of the words onto banner strips to give it a bit more color and interest, popping them up with craft tape. I added a small strip of patterned paper to the sentiment panel and attached it to the prepared background with craft foam. A small drink image was stamped onto the patterned paper background and I added a few enamel dots for embellishments.

Products: The Cat's Pajamas stamps and die, Avery Elle dp, Doodlebug dp and enamel dots, PTI cs, Simons Says, Ranger Archival, MFT and Stampin' Up inks

Here are the details:

1. Every other Tuesday a new challenge will be posted on The Cat's Pajamas blog as well as on our Facebook page.
2. If you want to play along you just upload your design to The Cat's Pajamas blog page using the InLinkz button below.
3. You must have your project posted by the Monday, 11:55 EDT before the next challenge to be eligible to win the Cat Cash.
4. Cards and projects are not required to use a Cat’s Pajamas Stamp or CutUps die but if you do the Cat Cash amount increases.
5. On the following TCP Tuesday, the week's winner will be chosen from the previous challenge and will receive a Cat Cash Voucher for $10 or $15 if a TCP product is used.

Anchor For Our Souls

A happy Sunday morning to you. Today's faith based card is for the Viva la Verve September Week 1 challenge using the Strong Anchor set. This set was out of stock for a long time so when it came back in a few weeks ago I snatched it up. I also used the beautiful combo of colors from the current Color Thowdown Challenge (#358).

I stamped the sentiment onto a white cardstock circle using Blueberry ink. I trimmed the circle down on two sides and attached it to a patterned paper piece, adding a Blueberry cardstock scallop cut using one of the dies from the Verve Scalloped Trim Trio set. After attaching the piece to a textured cardstock background, I then stamped the two anchors with the same Blueberry ink and cut out with the matching die from the Nautical set. The background piece was placed on the card base with craft foam.

Products: Verve stamp and dies, Doodlebug dp, Bazzill and PTI cs, MFT cs, die and ink

We are off to church soon. Have a great rest of the weekend. I hope my fellow Americans have a fabulous Labor Day!