Egg Hunt!

More new images from The Cat's Pajamas for today's SFYTT which were released yesterday! Looks like the penguins are hard at it, getting ready for the big hunt. We are in the season of Lent, so I'm guessing that's when they shift it into high gear to get all the eggs ready to roll!

I stamped the main image in Versafine Onyx Black ink and then watercolored using a blender pen, aquapainter and reinkers in the same colors as the cardstock: Kiwi, Eggplant, Teal, Amethyst and a bit of Celery. After that, I decided to give 'em a little extra-extra with Crystal Effects and my Sakura Gelly Roll pen (#XPGB700). I finally got a chance to use my new-to-me MS flower punch and centered it with a Kiwi Corduroy button (I must really love my new Corduroy buttons because I've used them on my last three cards!). If you look closely, you'll see the dry embossed diamond pattern on the Eggplant base using my SU! Texturz plates. Look below for a closer view of those busy penguins.

Now, go forth and see what the other SFYTT gals have come up with using Jen's sketch, and don't forget about Jen and guest designer Jody--it's been great having you this month!

Amy
Carole
Kelly
Susan

All new stuff!

As you can see from the pictures below, I have a new photo assistant! You know how lucrative stamping can be, and I've been really reeling in the dough lately, so I thought: Why not hire a photo asst. to help me with the staging of my stamped creation?! And, the best part is--his labor is quite cheap, although I do need to check with the local child labor laws...ah, friend Carole, can you help me out? I always call on my friend, Carole/TruCarMa/Mother's Little Helper, for any legal advice!

As is evident from the photos, George is still in training--holding the card just so...

...keeping his feet out of the picture

...not sitting on my white paper. You get the idea, but once he gets the hang of it I'm sure we'll make a marvelous team!

Oh, you want to see the final take? Here it is: TCPTUES #47, a fun sketch challenge created and hostessed by none other than the aforemtentioned Carole Burrage! The sketch gave me the wonderful opportunity to showcase fun new stamps from TCP as well as showing off some of the great backgrounds made with my Texturz plates from SU!. Speaking of these fun TCP stamps, they're available as of today, so click here to check out all the new releases over at TCP.

Ok, more about the card. Colors are Pumpkin Pie, Kiwi Kiss and (retired) Eggplant Envy, layered on Kraft. The carrot-driving pooch is colored with watercolor pencils blended with a blender pen and a Corduroy Kiwi Kiss button pulls your eye to the cornered sentiment. If you like the sketch and like to ink up TCP stamps like me, come play along. You can find the deets here on Carole's blog: Mother's Little Helper. Speaking of Mother's Little Helper...that would've made a great title for today's post!

Stay tuned for Jen's Saturday SFYTT tomorrow...

Sketch Challenge 217

For the weekly SCS sketch challenge posted each Wednesday. You can click here for the full details on SC217. I decided to flip the sketch in order to fit my three Trendy Trees in a row. Can't you just picture these trendy trees as you're driving down the boulevard? That's actually funny to me because I live outside a rural town, in the country with my brother's dairy farm just a 1/4 mile down the road, so "boulevards" are few and far between my stompin' ground!

Enough about me and my life, onto the card! I just got Trendy Trees from SU! and it was one of those sets that I hoped I liked once I got it in my hot little hands...love it! The stamp-a-ma-jig is a must have when using this set...don't try lining up those branches and trunks using the eyeball method, just dig out your SAMJ and get down to business! Simple stamping here but I love the results of the black trunks and Kiwi tops paired with one of my favorite designer papers--Crate Paper 5th Ave. Collection. Two Corduroy Kiwi Kiss buttons are the only embellishments, but who needs more than 2 Corduroy Kiwi Kiss buttons, eh?! The sentiment was stamped on a scrap, trimmed to fit and adhered just below the horizontal panel...nothin' to it!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Color Challenge 207

For the weekly SCS Color Challenge #207: Kiwi Kiss, Pumpkin Pie & Summer Sun. I love that color combo for a fall look but wanted my card to have the look of spring/summer, so I opted for a white base to help it along. The cute sunflower and bug image is a sneak peek of good things to come from The Cat's Pajamas...stay tuned!

I colored the image with a blender pen and reinkers in the challenge colors and then added a little Soft Sky with an aquapainter for a blue sky. The flowers from the sentiment were filled in with a white gel pen and dotted in the middle with my Sakura Gelly Roll pen. I added a little of that same glimmer to the stem and leaf as well. The flower petals are glazed with Crystal Effects and the bug is dotted with CE for a little extra-extra.

Just a couple more things and then I'm done (that's called a "safety signal" in the world of education!)...a button tied with linen thread centers that sweet bloom and then, did you notice the texture on the Summer Sun layer? It's my new Texturz plate from SU! that I know I'm going to be using over and over--love 'em!

Hope you get a chance to scatter some sunshine today!

Birthday hugs for Mom!

Yesterday I was chatting about the birthday lunch I was so excited about for my mom and her twin sister/sin twister and I shared the card I made for my Aunt. Today's card is Mom's birthday card. I know, it's not a "mom" birthday card, but I think she liked it just the same. The papers are new from SU!'s Urban Oasis DSP and the ribbon is from the Valet collection--yummo! I kept the stamping to a minimum, letting the DSP do all the work. The sentiment, from SU!'s Birthday Hugs and Wishes set, is stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on a Kraft circle layered on a larger Kiwi Kiss circle and topped off with a Foofala button tied with black hemp. It's hard to see in the picture, but I also embossed two parallel lines above the sentiment for a little extra-extra.

Hope you all had an enjoyable weekend; I know I did!

Congrats!

For Jen's Saturday Sketch For You To Try (SFYTT)! I was so excited to have a box of SU! goodies from the latest catty sitting on the porch when I got home from work/school yesterday and just knew there'd be some inspiration brewing inside that cardboard box! I'd ordered a few of the new patterned papers, including Rockabilly which you see here--love it! Also in the box were a couple of the Sale-A-Bration items including the set, Congrats. I thought the coordinating sentiment: on getting a little bit older and better than ever, was "perfect" for my Auntie Ann's, ah-hem, 68th birthday which we'll be celebrating today along with my Mom's because they're twin sisters, or as we like to say--sin twisters! I'm so excited to get together with "the girls" for lunch at a fun restaurant that serves up the most delish Bloody Mary's...yes, you heard it right, I'm going to be slippin', I mean sippin' the afternoon away! Promise, the only thing that has passed my lips this morning is H2O!

Let's get to the card and Jen's fun sketch, but first I must say that I'm 99.9% sure I'm the only member of the SFYTT team that does not, I repeat DOES NOT, own one single Nestability. On top of that, I don't own a large oval punch. I do have in my possession, however, an ancient Fiskars template complete with the large oval that you see on my card today. Not that simple; never is. So, it took me at least 5, probably 8 attempts before I successfully cut an oval to my liking, and even then I thought I'd need to "rough up" the edges with my distressing tool just to hide the imperfections! Then I decided that I wanted my oval to have one of those nice scallop-y edges like everyone does with their "Nesties" (note the sarcastic tone when I said "Nesties"!), but I didn't want to be like all the other girls, so I used my Fiskars pinking shears instead, harumph!

I think the rest of my card is pretty straightforward, so I'll save you a little time here and just give you the highlights: Crystal Effects on the Heidi Swapp crown for a little "extra"; sponging on all edges using Ranger Distress Walnut Stain; and a few spatters of ink using my ancient color spritzer tool (it was called something waaay different when I purchased it!).

Check out all the other girls...I bet they used their Nesties today...whatever (wink)!

Jen & Jody
Susan
Kelly
Carole
Amy

Geesh, after all that whining I just did, I think I could use a Bloody Mary right now! Have a great weekend all!

Dirty Challenge: Lucky!

For the February Dirty Girl Challenge over at SCS. On the 20th of each month, Dirty Girls past and present are challenged to create something given specific parameters. Here are this month's parameters:

• Challenge Focus: Challenge Focus: Cards/Poker/Games/Gambling/Luck
  
• Required Element: A card made with other than a standard fold
• Restricted Element: No buttons

I used Kim Hughes' set The Birds and The Bees along with Heidi Swapp's crown set to create fun and whimsical playing card. The "Q" is from a Hero Arts alphabet set and the heart is from SU!'s Small Sayings set. A variety of designer papers were used including Scenic Route's Sonoma Collection and Crate Paper's 5th Ave. Collection. Other cardstock used includes SU!'s Basic Black, Very Vanilla and Baha Breeze. The sentiment was computer generated using SU!'s Carefree font with a sticky glitter "B" from Memory Makers. The 4 small glitter dots at the bottom are from the same glitter letter sheet. Finally, I used a "gate fold" as the required element, cutting my paper 4 1/4" x 8 1/2", scoring at 2 1/8" and 6 3/8".

Thanks for taking a peek today, and be sure to head over to SCS to see what the rest of the Dirty Girls have up their sleeve!

Challenge Trifecta!

Since I haven't been getting much time to stamp lately on top of being sick this past week, I decided it would be the best and most efficient use of my time to combine a few of the challenges in which I wanted to participate. So, the three challenges combined on this cute little cupcake monkey card are: TCP Tuesday, CC206--More Rosey Kiwis, and SC216--whew, that was a mouthful, eh?! For the deets on each of the challenges, simply click away on the name of each. One thing you need to know is that the TCP challenge called for the incorporation of a cupcake, so I decided to try my hand at a "hand cut" cupcake, if you will. I used my Fiskars decorative edge scissors for the top of the More Mustard cupcake liner and added a bit of Ranger Diamond Stickles on the Rose Red Velvet cupcake itself. This sweet monkey and the "hey" portion of the sentiment are sneak peeks from new TCP stamps coming your way in March, and the "cupcake" portion is my handwritten addition.

A couple other fun things I've noticed "others" doing lately that I decided to try: that "smudge-y" outline which I (sorta) achieved using my blender pen and brown ink; and a flat side view of my card to show the dimension of the popped up layers. I've mentioned before that I usually emulate others' cool ideas, so thanks peeps for your inspiration. Oh, you'd like to know where the inspiration came from? Well, of course!

Smudge-y outline: Amy Sheffer/Pickled Paper Designs

Flat side view: Kelly Lunceford/Atomicbutterfly

Thanks for stopping by today!

Hello!

Just a quick post to share a card I quickly put together using some fun and happy colors with a splash of black. The sentiment is from CHF's Garden Friends and is one of my favorites--a stand alone in my book! I thought I had oodles of this polka dot organdy ribbon, but just enough to finish this card off, layered with a flower and pink button; all tied together with a piece of linen thread.

Hope this card brightens your day as much as it did mine, just making it!

Card deets:
Stamps--CHF Garden Friends
Ink--Versafine Onyx Black
Paper--Pink Passion, Apricot Appeal, Basic Black
Accessories--flower, button, linen thread, scallop edge punch

with Sympathy

This week's SFYTT is a dandy and one I think I'll find myself using again and again. I'm already thinking of other cards that I need to make that this sketch will work for, including DH's Valentine (I know...I'm so lame!). I'm also way behind on a list of cards I need to make and send which includes at least 3 sympathy cards, so this one will be going postal today if I get all my ducks in a row and keep them there.

I've been wanting to use this color combo--Basic Gray and Kiwi Kiss all week and I finally did it! I like the way the touches of Very Vanilla keeps it looking a little shabby, a little vintage. The (retired) Charbon DSP, ribbon and sponged edges in Old Paper ink (Ranger Distress Ink) add to the vintage feel I was looking for as well. The sentiment is from PTI's Out On A Limb, stamped in Basic Gray, and the embossing was accomplished with my seldom used Cuttlebug Fancy Corners embossing folders. I just ordered some of the new embossing folders from SU! today (Texturz #1 set) and can't wait to get them, so that was my reason for digging through the stash of folders I already have in my posession! The jumbo brads are from Making Memories and the last bit of "extras" is the double embossed lines on the VV horizontal strip using my Scor-Pal and SU! bone folder.

Speaking of PTI...have you seen all of the give-aways they are doing leading up to their new releases on the 15th, wowzers! If not, check out Nichole Heady's blog here. I'm hoping to get a little free time (aka me-time) on Sunday to check out all the new sets, colors and configurations of their products they're going to be offering as well as the release of the latest and greatest Dirty Dozen Gallery over at SCS. Wish me luck!

Last but not least...give a little love to my SFYTT gals and Jen and February GD, Jody by clicking on their names below, and then you all have a {sweet} Valentine's Day!

Jen & Jody
Amy
Carole
Kelly
Susan

Bee Mine!

A quick post to share a picture of the valentines I created for the kids on my caseload at the elementary school where I work as a speech therapist. They had to be quickly mass produced because I waited to start working on them after parent-teacher conferences last night! My student teacher helped me put the finishing touches on them before school this morning--thanks, Lindsay!

The stamps are from Kim Hughes' The Birds and The Bees set available from CHF, and the little bitty heart is from SU!'s Small Sayings set. My 16 yo DD convinced me to color the bees in various colors and I like the result! Who said bees had to be yellow?!

Have a great V-day all you sweethearts!

from George

This is the valentine George will be giving to his daycare provider and my good friend, Mary. I think this stamp and sentiment were probably designed with Mary in mind because she has the biggest heart, and we sure are lucky that George gets to spend M-F with her while we're away at work! And the icing on the cake is this: Mary's an avid stamper, so you know just how swell she is!

The heart is paper pieced with Scenic Route's Sonoma Collection designer paper, with a strip from the same collection layered on the card base. George the mouse is colored with a blender pen and reinkers in Kiwi Kiss, Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel and a bit of Regal Rose on his ears and cheeks. Embellishments include 5/8" Regal Rose grosgrain, a photo corner punch, button threaded with faux (So Saffron) thread and 2 So Saffron brads. Didn't George do a nice job on the card?! He just loves adding all those embellishments, er I mean, getting INTO all of mom's embellishments, he he he!

Have a great Tuesday!

Poochie {love}

My SFYTT card is doubling as my entry for TCP Tuesday this week. Yes, I realize Tuesday was "how many" days ago, but that's just the way life is right now...it takes me a few days to actually get a card made and that's just the way it is with a busy family right now. I'm ok with it...I think?! At times I get overwhelmed with all the new trends, products and ideas; feeling like the papercrafting world is passing me by, and that's when I repeatedly tell myself to "get over it" and "do whatcha can do when ya can do it!". So, I'll say it again in an attempt to truly convince myself that I'm ok with a little less stamping time right now: I'm ok with it, wink!

Jen has provided us with a great sketch today, calling for embellishments on the upper left and lower right corners of the main image panel, so I did my best to follow the sketch, but I'm afraid I strayed a bit on the upper left--sorry! You see it goes like this: I picked up this cool K&Co. chipboard this week and just had to use it, but it sorta took over that upper left corner, making it difficult to follow the sketch completely. Rather than following the "double embellishment" from the sketch, I just kept adding stuff to my chipboard--cool ribbon from TayloredExpressions, a heart topped stick pin and two red buttons. I hope this isn't grounds for dismissal from the SFYTT team? If so, I'll have to call in a favor from my good bud, Carole to see if she'd plead my case, or would that be considered a conflict of interest as she's a member of the SFYTT team as well?! Ah, ya know I'm just kidding, I'm sure Jen won't mind, just this once??!

Be sure to check out the rest of the girls' inspiration this week AND Jen's February Guest Designer--you're sure to be pleased!

Jen & GD
Amy
Carole
Kelly
Shannan
Susan

Double Challenge

This one is for two of the SCS challenges this week: Sketch Challenge 214 and Ways To Use It 204. The WT challenge is to layer embellishments and that's just what I did with some new K&Co. chipboard that I recently acquired along with a Martha Stewart Cosmos punch. A button tied with linen thread tops the layering off. I also added a trio of SU!'s Build-A-Brad along the right side of the sketch and a tied corner embellishment as well. I felt like the sentiment layer just "needed something" so I swiped my widest watercolor brush across it with a bit of So Saffron ink.

If this card looks familiar, that's because it was inspired by this SFYTT card I made awhile back using the same Scenic Route Sonoma Collection papers and sentiment from SU!'s retired set, All Year Cheer. I'm slowly getting through a list of cards I need to make and send, and the papers and sentiment previously used fit the bill nicely--why reinvent the wheel, eh?!

Thanks for stopping by today and have a great afternoon!

{sweet} 16!

It hadn't really phased me much until I started writing this post that my DD is turning 16 this week and all the feelings that go along with a mother's firstborn turning the proverbial "sweet 16"--aaack!! I don't think I'm "aacking" about feeling old but more so about her growing independence as she grows closer to the edge of the nest, so to speak. I know, I know...they don't "really" leave the nest for quite some time after highschool, but the hour is approaching and I find myself quite often wondering what it will be like for me! I guess I'll just stop right there and leave those thoughts for another day.

Obviously, this is the birthday card I made for her with the colors requested by her and total inspiration from a card Kelly Lunceford, aka Atomicbutterly, made for the Dirty Dozen Gallery a few years back. If you're a SCS Fan Club member, you'll be able to view the card by clicking here. If you're not a member, this is your chance to do so! You wouldn't believe all the inspiration that oozes from the monthly DD galleries--better than you could imagine!

Thanks Kelly for your inspiration! If you're not familiar with Kelly's work, you should be, so click here to view her blog.

Card Deets:
Stamps: SU! Collage Alphabet (retired), Office Accoutrement, Small Sayings
Paper: Bravo Burgundy, So Saffron, Parisian Summer DSP, textured black (Archiver's), Whisper White
Ink: same as paper colors
Accessories: Fiskars decorative edge scissors, curvy label punch, mini library clip, black gingham,
skeleton key charm, red tag alpha, Big Shot