TCP Tuesday #322 Challenge

It's time for another TCP Tuesday at The Cat's Pajamas with a technique challenge to use "embossing" on your project, either wet or dry or even both. The challenge runs for two weeks and The Cat’s Pajamas products are not required although we do love it when you use our products.

I stamped the three different leaf images from the Wreath Building Kit set in Crimson Red, Toffee and Smokey Gray onto Neenah cardstock. After clear heat embossing the images, I cut out with the matching Leaves CutUps. I dry embossed the Grout Gray top folding card base using a border embossing folder and stamped the sentiment from the Simply Stacked Sentiments set using Rich Cocoa ink. I attached the leaves using foam tape, adding a couple of enamel dots for a clean and simple card. 

Products: The Cat's Pajamas stamps and dies, MFT cs, Teresa Collins enamel dots, Cuttlebug embossing folder, Versafine and Memento ink

Here are the details:

1. Every other Tuesday a new challenge will be posted on The Cat's Pajamas blog and 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 by the Monday, 11:55 EST before the next challenge.
3. You are not required to use a Cat’s Pajamas stamp or die but if you have them we would love to see them.
4. On the following TCP Tuesday, the winner will be chosen from the previous challenge and will receive a Cat Cash Voucher for $10 or $15 if a TCP product is use.

A Cheerful Hello

I love Sunday mornings. I generally arise before my husband and I just enjoy the quiet with a cup (or two or three) of coffee. When Don awakes we usually enjoy more coffee and a very light breakfast for an hour or so before we head out to church. And church is even more peaceful even with a full band.

Today's card is for the Color Throwdown #407 Challenge. The color combo was my spirit colors and I combined them with a new stamp set that was begging to be opened, Reverse Confetti Toucan of Friendship. I stamped the toucan and the various flowers onto Neenah cardstock and then cut out with the matching dies and colored with Copic markers. I cut and assembled the tag using a combo of the Reverse Confetti Topped Off Tag, Big Stripes Tag Layer and the tag topper cut with the  Hang Ups dies and tied with Carribean twine. The sentiment was stamped directly on the tag using Bermuda Bay ink. All the images were attached with foam tape for dimension. In keeping with my CAS style I attached the tag to a white card base with a simple patterned paper block.

Products: Reverse Confetti stamps and dies, Doodlebug dp, PTI and Stampin' Up cs, The Twinery twine, MFT and Stampin' Up inks, Copic Markers

I hope your Sunday is all you want it to be. 

Happy Meow-lloween

It's that time of year where I seem to bounce between Christmas, Fall and Halloween cards, intermingled with everyday type cards. Yesterday was Christmas. Today, it's Halloween's turn.

Back in the day, I never bought Halloween stamps because I was on the C.C. Designs/Sweet November design team and they always had the cutest Halloween images. Fast forward a few years later and I still don't buy a lot of them. Maybe one every year or two because I love to make Halloween cards but I really don't have that many people to send them to. I dread the day that the children I give to now outgrow them. The C.C. Designs Happy Meow-lloween set was one ( of the two!!) purchases made this year. I stamped the cat and broom  onto Copics X-press It cardstock, cut out with the matching Meow-lloween Kitties dies and then colored with Copic markers. I created the shaker using the Pretty Pink Posh Storyboard 5 die along with an MFT stitched rectangle die cut from Smoky Slate cardstock and then stamped the sentiment directly onto it. I created the background by loosely water coloring with the Purple #139 cake from a Kurtake Gansai Tambi set. The storybook top and water colored background were sandwiched together with foam tape with a few sequins from the Verve Hocus Pocus shaker mix in the bottom box. I glued a couple of the stars from the same mix onto the top box and then added the stamped images. After wrapping marigold twine around the panel, I attached it to a plain white card base.

Products: C.C. Designs stamps, Ranger Watercolor, Stampin' Up and PTI cs, Verve sequins, The Twinery twine, Pretty Pink Posh die, MFT die and ink, Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolor, Copic Markers
Copics: Cat-E40, E41, E42, E44; V12, V15, V17, C00, C1, C3, C5; Broom-E30, E33, E35, E97, E99, YR30, YR31, YR23

I hope you are having a great weekend. Thanks for stopping by.

Celebrate the Season {Purple Onion Designs}

Today's project is Christmas card #6 for the year and uses Purple Onion Designs stamps featuring images illustrated by Stacey Yacula.

I combined the Pretty Pink Posh Storybook die with a Simon Says Stitched Rectangle die to create a cover, stamping the sentiment onto it from the Winter Wishes Sentiment set using Pure Poppy ink. For the background, I stamped the largest image from the 2 Forests set onto Neenah cardstock and then colored with Copic markers and then inserted the smaller panels with patternd paper and Green Parakeet cardstock. The panel was layered onto a scalloped Red Poppy cardstock piece cut with a die from the My Favorite Things Blueprints 20 set. I stamped Silver (bird) and Snowy (owl) onto Copics X-Press It cardstock, colored with Copic markers and then fussy cut out. Both images were attached with foam tape, perching the bird atop a flourish cut with the MFT Vintage Flourish die which is retired. A layered snowflake cut with a die from the Lawn Fawn Stitched Snowflakes set, topped with an enamel dot finished it up.

Products: Purple Onion Designs stamps, Doodlebug dp, PTI and Neenah cs, Doodlebug enamel dot, MFT, Pretty Pink Posh and Lawn Fawn dies, PTI and MFT ink, Copic Markers
Copics: R22, R24, R27, W00, E81, C00, C1, C3, Y23, YG0000, YG01, YG21, YG23, E41, E42

As always, see the Purple Onion Designs blog for even more inspiration.

TCP Tuesday #321 Challenge

TCP Tuesday at The Cat's Pajamas is going strong. The challenge is to create a project that includes paper piecing and it runs for another week. The Cat’s Pajamas products are not required although we would love to see you use them.

I stamped the image from the Up, Up and Away set onto Copics X-Press It cardstock and then colored with Copic Markers except the kite portion. I paper pieced the kite using Doodlebug patterned paper and then fussy cut out the whole image. I stamped the sentiment from the Hang in There Baby directly onto a piece of water color cardstock cut with a stitched rectangle die. I used the smooshing on acetate water color technique to create a sky background using Tumbled Glass Distress ink. The image was then attached to the background with foam tape. 

Products: The Cat's Pajamas stamps, Doodlebug dp, PTI cs, Ranger cs andn ink, MFT ink, Copic Markers

Copics: W00, E81, YR30, YR31, Y11, Y15, Y17, YR14, YR18

Here are the details:

1. Every other Tuesday a new challenge will be posted on The Cat's Pajamas blog and 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 by the Monday, 11:55 EST before the next challenge.
3. You are not required to use a Cat’s Pajamas stamp or die but if you have them we would love to see them.
4. On the following TCP Tuesday, the winner will be chosen from the previous challenge and will receive a Cat Cash Voucher for $10 or $15 if a TCP product is use.

Good Work

Good morning! How was your weekend? Mine included some time for crafting.

Today's card is for the Viva la Verve August Sketch 2 challenge.

I stamped the image from the Verve Good Work set onto a linen cardstock circle using Catkin ink and then stamped the sentiment in black ink. I stamped the Kaisercraft Distress image directly onto the card base using Aqua Mist ink to replace the vertical panel on the sketch and then added a strip of patterned paper. The image panel was attached with a layer of craft foam and I added a small piece cut with the Memory Box Sevington Border die. A couple of leaves cut with the Lawn Fawn Stitched Leaves dies placed with dimensional dots finished it up.

Products: Verve stamps, Kaisercraft stamp, My Mind's Eye dp, PTI, Stampin' Up and MFT cs, MFT, Lawn Fawn and Memory Box dies, PTI and Simon Says ink

I hope your week is off to a great start.

Just for You {Purple Onion Designs}

Today's card uses Purple Onion Designs stamps featuring images illustrated by Stacey Yacula.

I cut a circle from Neenah cardstock using a die from the Reverse Confetti Detailed Circles set and after stamping Bell (frog) I masked her and then stamped the Toadstool Cluster, using a Copic Multiliner pen to finish off the ground line and colored the images with Copic markers. I used the Reverse Confetti Big Stripes Cover Plate to cut a layer from white linen card and then used another die from the Reverse Confetti Detailed Circles set for the stitching around the circle and then glued the piece it to a Harvest Gold cardstock background. The sentiment from the Hopscotch Sentiments set was stamped onto one of the stripes using black ink. The image circle was attached to the background using a layer of craft foam. The butterfly was cut out with an older MFT set that I have had for years and then topped with an enamel dot.

Products: Purple Onion Designs stamps, Doodlebug dp, PTI cs, My Mind's Eye enamel dot, Reverse Confetti dies, MFT die and ink, Simon Says ink, Copic Markers
Copics: Mushroom-R22, R24, R27, E81; Frog-YG0000, YG91, YG93, YG95; Flower-Y21, Y23, Y35; Grass-YG0000, YG21, YG23; Sky-B0000, B000

See the Purple Onion Designs blog for more inspiration.

Beautiful

After a few days of guilt free crafting last week, things came to a quick halt toward the end of the week. Our realtor had an open house cancelled and offered us the spot so I wound up in a flurry of cleaning plus my granddaughter's 8th birthday party was on Sunday afternoon. Such is life when you have a house on the market.

I am double dipping on challenges with today's card. First of all, I generally followed the August Sketch for You to Try for the layout. It is also for the Curtain Call Flamingo Inspiration Challenge.

I prepared the top folded card base with an angled strip of patterned paper and then used a die from the Frantic Stamper Open Borders set to cut the border of circles then backed with Hibiscus Burst cardstock. I created the tag using a combo of the Reverse Confetti Topped Off Tag for the Berrylicious cardstock background, the white layer cut with the Big Stripes Tag Layer die and the tag topper cut with a die from the Hang Ups set, tied with Strawberry twine. I stamped the sentiment from the Fabulous Flamingo set onto a circle cut with a die from the Love Note set. The flamingo and wing was stamped in (of course) Flamingo ink and then cut out with the matching Fabulous Flamingo dies. The wing was attached with foam tape. The legs and beak were stamped with the same black ink as the sentiment. The stamped pieces were then attached to the tag. A few enamel dots finished it up.

Products: Reverse Confetti stamps and dies, Doodlebug dp and enamel dots, PTI cs, The Twinery twine, Studio Calico and Simon Says inks

I hope your week is going well. Please pray and donate if possible for the people of Baton Rouge impacted by the floods.

Christmas Blessings

Today's project is a trio of Christmas tags I created for the  Ellen Hutson Calling All Artists Pin-Sights Challenge. Unfortunately, my photos are a bit dark. It's gloomy here!

I used the largest die from the Paper Smooches Gift Tags 2 set to cut two tags from white linen and a third one from kraft cardstock. I stamped the same sentiment from the Paper Smooches A Blessed Christmas at the bottom of each tag. I then used the Essentials by Ellen Laurel Wreath die to cut wreaths from Green Parakeet, Pinefeather and gold mirrored cardstock. I cut additional ones from plain white cardstock in order to layer the wreaths for dimension and stability.

For the "glamour" tag, I added a metallic red bow using a die from the My Favorite Things Blueprints 3 set and gold and red metallic stars cut with dies from the Essentials by Ellen Home & Hearth set. Some gold metallic thread in the tag hole finished it up.

The "rustic" tag includes a small house cut with a die from the Essentials by Ellen Home & Hearth set and a small plaid bow cut with the Mama Elephant Dainty Bow die. Natural cord was threaded through the tag hole.

For the "clean and simple" tag I stamped the dove from the Paper Smooches A Blessed Christmas set onto Copics X-Press It cardstock and then cut out with the matching die from the Blessed Icons set. After coloring with Copic makers, I threaded lime green cord through the tag hole.

Products: Essential by Ellen dies, Paper Smooches stamps and dies, Bazzill and PTI cs, Michael's mirrored cs, Hemptique cord, MFT ink, Copic Markers
Copics: W00, E81, YG0000, YG01, YG03

Just like the tags I made earlier this week, these will most likely be placed on cards. It's been fun getting back to crafting this week. We are have a busy weekend ahead with my granddaughter's birthday party and an open house. I need to do some shopping and get this house cleaned for it. Have a great weekend.

From Our Home to Yours

Today's project is Christmas card #5 for the year. I only have 55 more to go!

I combined stamps and dies from the Essentials by Ellen Cozy Christmas and My Favorite Things Winter Wonderland sets for the Ellen Hutson Calling All Artists Pin-Sights Challenge. I started out my cutting a circle from Sno Cone cardstock using an MFT Pierced Circle die and then added the "snow banks" cut from white linen cardstock using My Favorite Things Stitched Valley dies. I stamped two of the smaller images from the My Favorite Things Winter Wonderland, cut out with the matching Winter Wonderland dies, coloring up both with Copic Markers. I cut the pine trees and houses from gray, white and red card stock scraps using the dies from the Essentials by Ellen Home and Hearth die set. I assembled all the elements onto the circle panel using a combo of glue and foam tape for dimension. I stamped the sentiment from the Essentials by Ellen Cozy Christmas stamp set directly onto a white linen card stock background which was cut with a MFT Wonky Stitched Rectangle die and attached to the card base with a layer of craft foam.

Products: Essentials by Ellen and My Favorite Things stamps and dies, MFT and PTI cs, Memento and PTI ink, Copic Markers
Copics: Snowman-C00, C1; Tree-G21, G24, G28

Phew! Do you think I mentioned enough products?!

Hello

Today's project is a tag that I created for the Tag You're It #53 Challenge.

I loved the featured tag and was especially inspired by the flowers and the embossing in the background. I have had the never before used My Favorite Things Fall Florals set for several months and this challenge gave me an opportunity to pull it out. I stamped the various flowers and stems using Pure Poppy, Bright Buttercup, Blueberry Sky, Green Parakeet and Black Licorice, cutting them out with the matching Fall Florals Die-namics. I used the Papertrey Ink Basic Bookmark 2 die to cut the tag from plain white cardstock and then embossed it with a MFT Wonky Stitched Circle die. I stamped the sentiment from the WPlus9 Doodle Buds set onto the tag and then attached the stamped floral pieces with a combination of glue and foam dots. I topped the tag with a red topper cut with a die from the Reverse Confetti Hang Ups die set. I prepared the card base with a bit of patterned paper and textured cardstock and then attached the tag using a small brad.

Products: My Favorite Things stamps and dies, WPlus9 stamp, Doodlebug dp, Bazzill cs, PTI cs, die and ink, My Favorite Things ink

Although I have so much tumbling through my mind right now, it makes my heart happy to be crafting again.

In the Lane

I am trying to catch up on the number of Christmas cards I normally have completed by this time of year. I have a long way to go considering it is August already and this is only card #4.

After seeing several cards using the Pretty Pink Posh Storybook dies, I decided I needed at least one to try. I think I'm hooked. I combined it with another stitched die to make the cover, stamping the sentiment from the Mama Elephant Winter Wonderland set using Pure Poppy ink. I completed the base with a combo of Sno Cone cardstock to represent the sky, stamping the trees from the same set using Smokey Gray ink and then the bird and nest. I added the snowy hills cut from white textured cardstock using My Favorite Things Stitched Valley dies. After securing the storybook and background pieces together I stamped the deer from the same stamp set and cut out with the matching Winter Wonderland dies, attaching with foam tape. Lastly, I added the Essentials by Ellen Prize Stag cut from kraft cardstock and a couple of enamel dots.

Products: Mama Elephant stamps and dies, PTI, Bazzill and MFT cs, Doodlebug Enamel Dots, MFT, Pretty Pink Posh and Ellen Hutson dies, PTI, Simon Says and Versafine ink

I am submitting this for the Ellen Hutson Calling All Artists Pin-Sights Challenge.

I hope your week is off to a great start. Thank you for stopping by my humble little abode here on the 'net!

Gift Tags

Today's project is a trio of Christmas tags for the CAS-ual Fridays (CFC153) Gift Tags challenge.

I first cut the tags from Pure Poppy and Green Parakeet cardstock and then used stitched rectangle and circle dies to create cutouts. I stamped various sentiments and snowflakes from the CAS-ual Fridays Snowflake Greetings set onto white cardstock cut outs using Pure Poppy, Green Parakeet and Smoke ink.  I added small stitched snowflakes topped with pearls on each tag and inserted baker's twine in the tag holes. Very simple and totally my Christmas tree colors.

Products: Cas-ual Fridays stamps, PTI cs, Kaisercraft pearls, The Twiner twine, Lawn Fawn, PTI, MFT and Simon Says dies, PTI and Simon Says ink

I not sure if these will wind up being gift tags. It's possible I will add them to card bases since I have made exactly three Christmas cards so far. At this point in the year, I usually have 15-20 in my stash. 

Thanks for stopping by.

A Beautiful Soul

It has been crazy busy around here. We have literally been working since January to get our house on the market. We finally did last month but after all that frantic activity, it's been unnervingly quiet. I think we missed the hot selling period unfortunately.

Since I craft out of my dining room it was necessary to do a deep detash and get organized. I sold a ton of stamps and dies and donated some other stuff. Plus I made some hard decisions about what could be boxed away for the time being. So the ribbon, felt, buttons, Silhouette and a myriad of other things were packed and reside in an upstairs closet. I also have my holiday stamps and paper upstairs. There isn't a stamp or die that is not in a labeled storage pouch so I can easily get to them. Plus I have a rule that I have to clean up after myself after each project - something that I have never been able to do before!

So obviously it has been a long time since I have had the time and energy to just sit and create. That is why my blog has been so very quiet this all of 2016. Since things have settled down, at least for a little while anyway, I hope to be more creative. I know that I have missed it.

Today's card is for the Viva la Verve August Sketch 1. For the strips in the background, I stamped an image from the the Verve Better Together set three times using Hibiscus Burst, Bright Buttercup and Hawaiian Shores ink and then layered over it with a strip of patterned paper. The sentiment from the Beautiful Things set was stamped onto a stitched circle then matted onto a larger circle using a layer of craft foam. I used dies from the matching Beautiful Flowers set to cut the two leaf branches from patterned paper and then attached them plus the sentiment piece onto the background. A few enamel dots finished it up for a clean and simple design.

Products: Verve stamps and dies, My Mind's Eye and Doodlebug dp, PTI cs and ink, Doodlebug enamel dots, Lil Inker Designs die, Simon Says ink

Thank you for stopping by and have a great rest of the weekend!

TCP Tuesday #320 Challenge

It's time for another TCP Tuesday at The Cat's Pajamas with a challenge to use something that represents"water" on your project. The challenge runs for two weeks and The Cat’s Pajamas products are not required although we do love it when you use our products.

It was kind of hard to find products that represented water because every stamp I turned to I found that our fabulous customers bought them all up during the summer sale! Even the one I used today is out of stock, Just Chillin' which represents some ice fishing on a frozen lake. I stamped the image and then used a Spellbinders Nestie to cut out with a bit of "out of the box" action. I colored with Copic markers in festive Christmas colors and then matted onto another circular layer of Green Parrot cardstock. I stamped a partial sentiment from the Joy to the World set using Versamark ink directly onto the patterned paper background and then white heat embossed. I finished the sentiment with another partial one from the Merry Everything stamped onto a Green Parrot cardstock banner shape. I used two stitched dies to cut a frame from white cardstock, layering over the red background. The image and one of the sentiments were attached with craft foam. 

Products: The Cat's Pajamas stamps, Doodlebug dp, PTI cs, Doodlebug enamel dots, Memento ink, Copic Markers

Copics: Bunny-C00, C1, E81, R22, R24, R27; Water-B0000, B000; Shadows-BG0000, BG000, BG70

Here are the details:

1. Every other Tuesday a new challenge will be posted on The Cat's Pajamas blog and 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 by the Monday, 11:55 EST before the next challenge.
3. You are not required to use a Cat’s Pajamas stamp or die but if you have them we would love to see them.
4. On the following TCP Tuesday, the winner will be chosen from the previous challenge and will receive a Cat Cash Voucher for $10 or $15 if a TCP product is use.