Sprinkle gone a-hunting...

Here it is again, TCP Tuesday! Toni has issued an inspiration challenge for us today, featuring this set of glasses from the Museum of Modern Art. The glass with the spikes of grass caught my eye right off the bat, and what better than dew-laden grass for Sprinkle to go a-hunting for some gourmet mice?!

I pulled in a bit of light blue from one of the other glasses as my sentiment strip and secured it with two white jumbo brads. Sprinkle is stamped on the front of the clear card base in Stazon and the grass is adhered to the inside back of the card, so in order to get a shot of the card that gave the impression of Sprinkle out hunting in the tall grass, I had to hold the card together for the photo. I hope you get the idea Ü

Click here to get all the challenge deets from Toni's blog, and remember to use the keyword: TCPTUES56 when uploading to SCS and leave a link on Toni's blog to your swanky creation so we can see it on Alma's Holey Moley Monday slideshow.

A Perfect {SFYTT} Pair

I said earlier this week (maybe just one of those conversations with myself, can't remember) that I wanted to embark upon a self-imposed challenge to incorporate some of my retro-modern, fun loving TCP images with my latest fling with anything vintage. Well, this card isn't exactly characteristic of vintage, but it is clean and simple and incorporates both Poochie (TCP) and my attempt at a vintage looking patterned paper.

What's this crazy color combination you ask? Well, it's one that I fell into this week while making a birthday card for my brother: Kiwi Kiss and Not Quite Navy--love, love, love it! For today's SFYTT card, I also added a bit of Chocolate Chip. I'm by no means an expert on metro-sexual, but I'd venture a guess that it might be considered somewhat MS--what with it's off-blue and splash of funky green, all grounded by brown. Anyone with me on this one? Ü

Enough chit-chat! Below are links to Jen and her fabu April Guest Designer, Kimberly Crawford--snaps for Kimberly on a great month; the rest of the SFYTT clan, and finally a so-so picture of the birthday card I referenced above.

Jen/Kimberly
Amy
Carole
Kelly
Susan

Happy Birthday, Matt! Sorry you're not going to get this card for awhile since I forgot to write your zip code on the envie and then forgot that I'd forgotten the zip until I'd already mailed it. It's just been that kinda week, folks! Ü

Ingredients
Stamps: Guidelines 2, Damask Designs (PTI); Poochie big and small (TCP)
Paper: Not Quite Navy, Kiwi Kiss, Kraft, Chocolate Chip (SU!)
Ink: same as paper, plus craft White
Accessories: copper brads, NQN brads, Signo white gel pen, felt fusion flower, KK corduroy button, Chit Chat rub-ons

Owl be missing you...

I have two cards to show you today, both of which use patterned paper scraps from the secretary's day desk organizer I showed you yesterday. If you missed it, just scroll on down to yesterday's post.

As you can see in the first card, I paper pieced the body of my owl with a scrap of the patterned paper I created using Guidelines 2 (PTI). I also used Guidelines 2 to create a more subtle yet matchy-matchy patterned paper for the lower portion of this 3 1/4" x 6 1/2" card. Just to bling up my girly owl a bit, I added Diamond Stickles to her eyelids and then again to the center of the Raspberry patterned layer to pull it all together. This card is going to my fabulous student teacher who has been working with me for the past 12 weeks. Tomorrow is her last day and I'm really going to miss her. We really clicked and on top of that she's a fabulous SLP (speech language pathologist)!

The second card also uses a scrap of that patterned paper, and is actually a re-make of the card that accompanied the desk organizer from yesterday. In all the hustle and bustle of Secretary's Day, I forgot to take a picture of the original card, so I just had to make another to show you.

Below are the details for each of the cards:

Owl be missing you
Stamps: URA Hoot, Guidelines 2
Paper: Raspberry Fizz (PTI); Kraft, Kiwi Kiss, Basic Black (SU!)
Ink: Palette Noir Black, Pink Passion, Whisper White craft, Kiwi Kiss, Sahara Sand (SU!); Razzberry (Colorbox)
Accessories: Kiwi Kiss Corduroy button, scallop edge punch, black buttons, linen thread (SU!); Diamond Stickles (Ranger), 1" pink grosgrain (Offray)

Happy Secretary's Day!

I'm just so excited about sharing my latest From The Desk Of ensemble because it turned out so bright & cheery and makes me happy just looking at it! Sorry, don't mean to sound so full of myself, but there's a great deal of satisfaction when a project turns out just as you imagined it!

This set is personalized for our elementary school secretary and includes: 2 reversible jumbo paper clips, a set of single panel monogrammed note cards with matching envies, and a test tube holding a silk Gerbera daisy tied with matching hot pink grosgrain. The patterned paper was made using Guidelines 2 with the base grid stamped in Sahara Sand and the rest in Kiwi Kiss, White Craft (SU!) and Razzberry (Colorbox).

Here are a few more shots...

All the details...
Stamps: Guidelines 2 (PTI), Classic Alpha Set (Daisy Hill)
Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Kraft, Whisper White, Kiwi Kiss DSP (SU!); Rasberry Fizz (PTI)
Ink: White Craft, Kiwi Kiss (SU!); Razzberry (Colorbox); Palette Noir Black
Accessories: From The Desk Of Timeless Template (PTI), ribbon (Offray), stick pins (Heidi Grace), Kiwi button, scallop edge punch, circle punches (1 1/4", 1 3/8"), 5/8" striped Kiwi grosgrain(SU!)

It's TCP Tuesday, peeps!

My good buddy, Carole is hostessing the TCP Tuesday challenge (number 55 if you're keeping track) and here are all the details. She's offering up a swanky little sketch challenge and I decided to make it my own, reversing the side of the embellishment trio and straying from the 3 definitive panels of the sketch, instead blending them all together with one being this yummy 1" wide hot pink grosgrain I picked up at Walmart.

Poochie just had a bath in Crystal Effects and is sporting a nice, shiny coat! A smaller version of Poochie was used along with my PTI Guidelines 2 set to create made-to-order patterned paper that you see on the upper portion of the sketch. A button topped bow and a trio of jumbo black brads (I know, they're hard to see) round out the embellishments on this swanky little number.

Come play along with us and be sure to use the keyword TCPTUES55 when you upload to Splitcoast, and if you're a bloggin' buddy, drop a link to your blog over at Mother's Little Helper.

From the desk of...

Aack, I'm in love with Papertrey Ink's latest Timeless Template, From the Desk of! I paired it with Rockabilly DSP from SU!, Lori Craig's one panel note cards & matching envies, and a 4 3/4 x 6 1/2 inch spiral bound notebook. My head is swirling with countless ideas to use with this fantabulous template, and for $5 how can you go wrong?! Just think of all the cool gifts you could house in this container!

Here are shots of the notebook and note cards...

Have a great Sunday, peeps!

Just Because I Care...

I seem to be stuck in a bit of a vintage mode lately and I'm enjoying it just the same. Today's card for Jen's sketch uses my two latest Papertrey Ink sets, Damask Designs and Guidelines 2. The sentiment is from a SU! hostess set which I believe is now retired. To draw your attention to the sentiment, since it seemed a bit small for the area, I added two buttons and a Martha Stewart punched bird. The embellishment area of the sketch is filled with my latest love, a button topped bow of black satin, tied with linen thread. Sponging all around adds to the vintage feel and then just to add a modern twist, I embossed the kraft layer with my SU! dots Texturz plate!

Be sure to check out the other SFYTT Divas, including Jen and her guest designer for April, Kimberly Crawford! If you find a little "me" time and get a chance to play along, use the keyword: SFYTT if you upload to Splitcoast.

Jen & Kimberly
Amy Sheffer
Carole Burrage
Kelly Lunceford
Susan Liles

Sketch Challenge 224

For today's SCS sketch challenge using (literally) scraps from my stamping space along with my new go-to set, Damask Designs. I added a buttons tied with linen thread and a scalloped edge to the sentiment panel to pull your attention to it. Everything stamped in Versafine onyx black ink. Designer paper is a snip of retired SU! Cerise. That's all folks!

If you'd like to play along with SC224, just click here for all the deets!

Havin' a {TCP Tuesday} Pow Wow!

It's Tuesday and you know what that means--time to get swanky with the TCP Tuesday challenge! This week's challenge is hosted by Swanky Susan Liles, and she wants us to ink up our Having a Pow Wow images. Click here for all the challenge deets.

I decided to go "little boy" with cowboy Ronnie, matching his outfit to this cute paper I picked up at Target awhile back. I can't seem to stop layering my ribbon, so today I added a paper star and button that came along with the paper pack. The sentiment was also stamped on coordinating paper and punched out using my designer label punch. To spruce up his outfit, I added crystal effects here and there and topped off his ten gallon hat with my Sakura stardust gelly roll pen.

Y'all get along now and have a swanky Tuesday, ya hear?!

American Art Stamp sketch set

I have for you today a trio of cards featuring hilarous images from American Art Stamp of which two of the three have been incorporated into sketch challenges. The sketch challenges featured are today's Mojo Monday sketch (MOJO82) and Taylored Expressions weekend sketch challenge (TECC63). About a month or so ago, one of my SFYTT pals, Amy Sheffer, featured a card set she'd made using various sketch challenges. She got the idea to make a "weekend sketch set" from the fabulously talented Laura Fredrickson and here's a link to one of Laura's sets from March.

I can't believe how rewarding it was to sit down this morning and create three cards in less than a day, snort! I believe the process was streamlined for me by the following: 1. using the same stamp line 2. others' sketches 3. the scraps I had lying around my stamp table from my most recent SFYTT creation. Those three elements being predetermined cut way back on my decision making time (which can be HUGE!). Without further adieu, here are close up shots of each...

Card ingredients
stamps: Calories, Work Late, Group Therapy (American Art Stamp); Damask Designs, Guidelines 2 (PTI)
paper: Cerise DSP (retired), Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Kraft (SU!)
ink: Distress Ink walnut stain (Ranger); Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko); Noir Black hybrid ink (Palette)
accessories: buttons (Foofala & misc.); ribbon (Making Memories, Offray); lace (Chatter Box artsy.licious); sewing machine; scallop edge punch, felt flower (SU!)

Easter Wishes!

May we remember the grace that is freely given to us today and each day throughout the year. Blessed Easter wishes to you all!

Sweet treats for the kiddos using Val Stangle's scalloped basket template and TCP images.

Vintage {Spring}

My piece for Jen's SFYTT is actually a decoration for my bathroom. I know, that sounds weird, but it will be replacing this vintage Bingo card that I made all swanky for March/St. Patty's day that has been gracing my bathroom for the past month. No windows in the bathroom makes for bad lighting which means no picture for you to view in all its glory! Anyway...

I have a love/hate relationship with Spring. I love the warm weather, the season of Lent and anything "new" popping from the cold, dark earth, BUT....I don't like the mud or the wind that often times accompanies Spring. My card/decor version of Spring is an attempt to incorporate my love/hate elements into something "pretty".

I've spelled out "SPRING" in the six squares of Jen's sketch, incorporating fun things like: Damask Designs, stick pins, polka dot designer paper, satin ribbon and of course, a big ol' button. I've also included elements of Spring with images from Touch of Nature and Botanicals, both of which are retired SU! sets with which I'll probably never part. Finally, I used some of my new PTI Spring Moss card stock because it IS the perfect green for Spring, in my humble opinion!

Now, let's see what Jen, her guest designer Kimberly and the other SFYTT peeps have up their Spring-y sleeves with today's sketch:

Jen
Susan
Kelly--won't be playing today but be sure to check her out because she's the guest designer for PaperTrey Ink for April and May, congratulations!!
Carole
Amy

Have a great weekend all, and a blessed Easter too!

Friday Quickie!

Quick card, quick post! Just to show you the beauty of Damask Designs and how quickly you can put together a card, I'm sharing with you a literal "less than 10 minute" card. The colors and stamps are pullin' the plow here, girls: find a stamp set and a color combo that works for you and that's all you need for a quickie!

Here's my recipe:
Stamps: Damask Designs
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black; Pink Passion (SU!)
Paper: Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Kraft (SU!); Rasberry Fizz (PTI)
Accessories: Lemongrass satin ribbon (Walmart), scallop edge punch (SU!)

Some pretty exciting news!

It's official...you are now reading the words of an official Cat Pack Girl. Translated: I'm the newest member of the design team for The Cat's Pajamas, and I'm truly honored and so gosh-darn excited about this opportunity! It all started with this post in which I disclosed my fear and anxiety over my neglected collection of TCP stamps. Fortunately for me, Alma happened upon my blog that day, challenged me to get jiggy with my TCP stamps as her March guest designer and trumped that offer with a spot on her illustrious design team, bam! A pretty swanky story, eh?

In honor of my big announcement, I'm pleased to share with you my TCP Tuesday Challenge card featuring a bold and swanky color combo:

Here's my card using one of the new Spring release sets, Beans & Bunnies & Peeps. Oh, My!. There aren't too many frills and thrills on this one but I like it just the same. I'm going to try and get a better picture later today so you can see the detail on the bunny and carrots because I "smooched" 'em in gold lame (bunny) and pumpkin (carrots)! Click here for smooching detail Ü

Mojo Monday meet The Cat's Pajamas!

For this week's Mojo Monday sketch (#81 if you're keeping track!) using a fun new set from TCP, Beans & Bunnies & Peeps. Oh My!, along with fun paper and accessories from SU!--Urban Oasis DSP, felt flower, corduroy button, brads and yummy ribbon from the Valet Collection.

That's all for now, peeps! Oh, and BTW, those are black jelly beans and they're mine, so keep your mitts off!

Eeek!

I mentioned on my Saturday SFYTT post how I'd toiled with a card on and off for over 2 hours before I finally gave up and made this SFYTT card with my new love, Damask Designs. Well, wouldn't you know, the next morning, I took another look at my original card and decided it wasn't so bad after all. I poked at it here and there over the course of the weekend and came up with this version which I like very much! It couldn't BE more different than my Saturday SFYTT card.

Paper is from October Afternoon; stamps from My Cute Stamps; and embellishments include a mini library clip, machine sewing, and a half circle/star in the corner. Oh, and the notebook edge was inspired by my good friend, Carole Burrage. Instead of a larger notebook edge, she created a mini version using a small hole punch to make a smaller scale edge as shown on this card. Ain't it sweet?!

That's all for now, folks!

Just Because...

If you were here earlier this week, you know that I'm {in love} with my new Damask Designs set from PaperTrey Ink! Last night was the first time my new love rescued me...yes, a damsel in distress was I! Here's the short story: I'd been working on my SFYTT card on and off for a couple of hours, mixing and matching designer papers, paper piecing this-that-and the other thing; in general, spinning my wheels! I was ready to give up and go to bed when I realized that it was Friday night and I should be (duh) spending some quality time with my new love--DD! So, I quickly pulled out Damask Designs and Guidelines 2, got down to business and came up with this card in less than half hour! How's that for a quickie?!

I was temped to add ribbon, flat-back pearls, etc but decided to let the beauty of the stamps shine through all on their own. So, I think this is the first card in quite some time with one itty bitty embellishment--the proverbial black mini brad! I did add a bit of texture to the Very Vanilla base layer with my Texturz argyle/diamond plate.

Check out the SFYTT sisters and our fearless leader, Jen, who will be unveiling her April Guest Designer!!

Jen & "Miss April"
Amy
Carole
Kelly
Susan

Have a great weekend!

A sketchy Tuesday!

This card is a combination of this week's sketch challenge over at SCS and The Cat's Pajamas TCP Tuesday challenge, which was an inspiration challenge this week. The inspiration photo features the ends of a pile of colored pencils, so I decided to use colored pencils with my image and the overlapping circles of the patterned paper reminded me of the photo as well.

Here are links to the challenges:
SC222
TCP Tues 52

Thanks for taking a peek, and be sure to stop by tomorrow for another fabulous Saturday SFYTT!

Card deets
Stamps: TCP Havin' a Pow Wow
Ink: Palette Noir Black
Paper: K&Co. Marcella K Fiesta Birthday 5x7 mat pack
Accessories: watercolor pencils, blender pen, sewing machine & thread

More Damask Designs...

Yesterday I shared a love story about my latest and greatest love--my new PTI set, Damask Designs and promised to be back with another card today. Without further adieu, here she is:

This one is pretty characteristic of my stamping style. I like to keep things clean; love black with either green or bright pink (in this case both--Raspberry Fizz & Spring Moss); simple embellishements (SU! Build A Brad with center stamped from PTI Guidelines 2 set). Remember when I was "in love" with my Top Note die? Well, did you notice he's still in the picture, wink?!

Thanks for stopping by!

I am a smitten kitten!

Remember the "smitten kitten" line from Friends? It was TOW (the one with)...where Phoebe tells Monica she's SO much the smitten kitten with Dr. Richard Burke (Tom Selleck). Oh how I loved that show and still do although I rarely watch any of the episodes I own on dvd.

Anywhoo, back to the stamping world: I am so the smitten kitten with my new PTI Damask Designs set---in L-O-V-E! Just arrived on my doorstep yesterday and had a little time to play around last night. Have you ever gotten one of those sets that you just love everything you see stamped with, and in turn it makes you nervous to even use? You want everything to be picture purr-fect (pun intended) every time you use it? I guess sorta like a first date, so to speak? Well, my first date left me wanting more. I don't think I'll be putting this set on the back burner anytime soon! In fact, I've already got another card waiting to be posted tomorrow, so stay tuned my little kit-kats!

Card deets
Stamps: PTI Damask Designs; CHF Broad Stripe backgrounder
Paper: Raspberry Fizz, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, mustard (unknown source)
Ink: Ranger Distress Walnut, Clearsnap Versamark
Accessories: scallop edge punch, chocolate twill (Taylored Expressions.com), button, linen thread, felt flower