Girl Friday Folder

I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you all know or have heard of the infamous Valerie Stangle/11valerie11/Val from Cal, but if not, you need to know where to find her, so HERE is the link to her blog!

A few weeks ago Val showed an adorable mini accordian folder for which she graciously linked directions. She actually rewrote the tutorial and will be sharing is at a later date on her blog, so be sure to keep your eyes open for it! Here's my version of Val's mini using Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday paper...

Here's a view of the inside...isn't it the cutest?!

Thanks for stopping by today...we'll see you for TCP Tuesday tomorrow!

Halloween: Day 3 {SFYTT}

When I saw Jen's sketch for this week, I immediately thought of my skinny witch stamps from American Art Stamp. The image used today is from the Halloween 2 cling set that you really should check out, so I'll link you to it right HERE! Ü

I've stamped Miss Witch onto a Jenni Bowlin 4x4 paper and colored her with watercolor pencils, blending with a blender pen, and then adding bits of sparkle here and there with a Sakura Gelly Roll pen. The papers are from Recollections Halloween 8x8 pad with a button embellishment and ribbon from Papertrey Ink.

Time to see what the rest of the SFYTT gang has for us to feast upon...

Jen & Megan (August guest designer)
Amy
Kelly

Carole and Susan won't be posting today, but don't worry... they'll be baaaack!

Halloween: Day 2 {boo}

Super quick post to share another of my Halloween stamp purchases, this one using Inkadinkado's Ghouls & Goblins set, so darn cute!

• 8x8 Halloween patterned paper by Recollections
• SCS sketch challenge 243
• die cut letters using CB red tag alpha
• Jenni Bowlin mini 4x4 papers (ledger paper)
• paper pieced pooch
• Candy Sprinkles buttons by The Cat's Pajamas

See you tomorrow with a SFYTT!

Happy Halloweenie!

I picked up THIS Halloween set at Michael's the other day, and I know I've seen these images here or there before, but being all in one clear set, I just couldn't pass 'em up! Pumpkin boy's overalls and Skeleton's treat bag are paper pieced and popped up with a foam dimensional. The other extra sumpin's include orange Stickles on the pumpkins, mini black flat-back pearls for eyes, and doubled up buttons flanking the sentiment.

I also picked up THIS clear set, also by Inkadinkado, so stayed tuned for more creepy crawly fun this week! Maybe as a SFYTT??

Thanks for stopping by!

TCP Tuesday: Warm Winter Wishes

Leigh is our HHWTM for TCP Tuesday this week, and she's got a delisioso color combination for us all: chocolate, sky blue and kiwi. The colors made me think winter, so I pulled out my Candyland Christmas set and decided on this cute lil' penguin, patiently toasting a marshmallow. I never seem to have the patience to get my marshmallows toasted "just right"...always in a hurry and end up burning the darn things, so I'm so pleased to see that my penguin is taking his time, toasting his marshmallow to perfection!

Be sure to play along this week, and check out Leigh's blog for all the deets, and don't forget to use the keyword: tcptues 73 when uploading to SCS or PCP, and/or leave a link to your blog over at Leigh's place!

Have to keep it short today because Kendra and I are on our way out the door to do a little school shopping on this rainy WI day. I will grudgingly head back to work tomorrow, getting used to finding stamping time in between family and work again. Can you sense my excitement?! Neither can I!

Have a swanky day, now!

rock-a-bye-sfytt!

Earlier this week I posted a baby card that I really loved, and I told you that I needed to make at least 2 more of them. Well, I don't know what it is about me, but I have a hard time making the same card again, so I decided to use Jen's fun SFYTT for another baby card I need for a shower I'm attending today.

There are a couple of things that I really like about my card today, but don't get me wrong--I'm not bragging, just some things that turned out right for me! First is the argyle embossed background on the Spring Moss layer because it reminds me of those beautiful baby afghans you see in knitting magazines (something I'll probably never accomplish in my lifetime). Second is this color combination (Ripe Avocado, Aqua Mist, Spring Moss and Kraft)--it just screams baby, but in a soft, subtle manner. And last, I really love paper piecing this boat from SU!'s Nursery Necessities! I added text and mini polka dots on the boat and the larger sail for a little extra sumpin'.

Thanks for listening to me today, but now it's time to scoot off to SFYTT land and see what's there:

Jen and Megan
Amy
Carole
Kelly
Susan

Have a great weekend!

Card recipe
Stamps: Nursery Necessities (SU!); Polka Dot Basics 2, Star Prints, Text Style (PTI)
Ink: Stazon White, Old Olive, Versamark, Soft Sky, White craft
Paper: Kraft, Spring Moss, Ripe Avocado, Aqua Mist, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Big Shot, Texturz Plates (#1), scallop edge punch, buttons, acetate, sewing machine

21 Birthday Wishes for Morgan

It's our niece's 21st birthday today, and she's in the hospital, so I wanted to make her a card that will hopefully cheer her day a bit. The card uses a sentiment from Papertrey Ink's Mixed Messages as well as their Polka Dot Basics 2 set. I embossed the polka dots for little extra sumpin', attached glittery numbers from American Crafts Thickers and tied a button and bow using PTI's Perfect Plum satin ribbon and button twine. The main image layer is die cut using my SU! Top Note die, all set against a textured white card base for extra pop.

Thanks for stopping by today, and be sure to pop back in tomorrow for another great SFYTT from Jen and the gang!

Au revoir, summer!

The 20th of each month marks the day for the Dirty Dozen and Dirty Dozen Alumni to participate in a challenge for the pleasure of the SCS community. This month's theme, put out by Val/11valerie11, is aptly named The Dog Days of Summer. The required elements include any dog images and/or sentiments, with the restricted element being any flock or fuzzy embellishment.

Being on the design team for The Cat's Pajamas, I have ample "dog" stamps, in the name of Poochie! I chose a fun image of Poochie lounging, beach side with book in hand. The setting I chose was on a postcard, coming from somewhere in France...probably the French Riviera?! Ü

To view the entire dirty challenge gallery, click here. Thanks for stopping by today!

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

We've had a rash of baby boys born in our friend and family community this summer, so I needed to come up with something baby, something blue, something boy. I used PTI's Star Prints to make this one, along with a PTI color palette consisting of Aqua Mist, Kraft, Ripe Avocado and Spring Moss. I actually used Old Olive ink (SU!) because I don't own the Ripe Avocado ink from PTI. For added texture to the Aqua Mist layer, I ran it through my Big Shot with the a SU! Texturz #1 plate.

I'm off to make a couple more of these for an upcoming shower on Saturday and another to put in the mail . Thanks for stopping by and be sure to peek in tomorrow for something created for the monthly Dirty Dozen Alumni (actually past and present Dirty Girls) challenge.

Back to school, TCP style!

Yep, it's TCP Tuesday, folks, the swankiest day of the week, and I'm your hipster hostess with the mostest. Toni has picked a very timely inspiration piece for TCP Tuesday #72 that's bound to get you thinking anything school related.

There's nothin' better than sharp crayons, new pencils and notebooks. The beginning of the school year marks a clean slate, so to speak...nothin' better than a clean slate! To get you started, here are a few ideas that popped into my head:

• make a backpack
  
• coloring images with crayons
• incorporating the bright colors from the inspiration piece
• chalkboard like layer (black card stock stamped with white ink)
• 3-D holder for pencils or crayons
• clip boards

I decided to go with lined paper from a Making Memories pad, punching the side with my SU! notebook punch and stamping Poochie along with his name, using the Nightie alpha from TCP (love that alpha!). I added a monogram chipboard frame, smooshed in red ink and topped with a button. I also incorporated gold stars because who doesn't love getting gold stars from their teacher, right?! A couple of staples and scored lines on the blue layer finish it off, along with a scrap of my favorite Cosmo Cricket paper from the Early Bird collection.

It's time to play, you know, the best part of the day--recess!

Here are the deets. (Lifted from Ana's page.)
1. Each a week one of The Cat’s Pajamas DT members will host a challenge.
2. The challenges will vary {stamp, color, theme, sketch, etc.}
3. You will have until 12:00 midnight EST on Saturday to complete the challenge.
4. Link your project on this week’s hostess’ challenge announcement. This week you will link your project HERE!
5. TCP stamps are not required, but of course, highly encouraged. {Unless it is a challenge calling for a specific stamp}
6. There will be one winner each month. She/he will be deemed that month’s Swankiest Stamper and get $25 in Cat’s Cash {money to spend on the TCP site!}.
7. When uploading to SCS or PCP, please use the keyword TCPTUES71 for this challenge.
8. Alma will post the entries from the week the following Monday on her blog.
9. The newly crowned Swanky Stamper will be announced on the First of the Month and have his/her winning entry posted on The Cat’s Pajamas website where he/she will reign for the entire month.

Can't wait to see how you're inspired!

Happy Birthday, Ed!

It's my husband's birthday today, so I thought I'd quickly share the cards I made for him...

...from George

...from Kendra & Hank

...from me

Card ingredients
Stamps: Landing Pad, URA Hoot (The Kim Hughes Collection/CHF); Mega Mixed Messages, Guidelines 2, Fresh Alpha, Star Prints (PTI); Botanicals (retired SU!)
Paper: Vanilla, So Saffron, Kraft, Old Olive, Not Quite Navy; Big Kids Boy Project Pad w/ embellishments by Making Memories
Ink: Versamark, Choc Chip, Old Olive, Real Red, Cool Caribbean, Palette Noir Black
Accessories: buttons, twine, chipboard numbers, Spellbinders circle die, Cuttlebug label die, jumbo eyelet, CAD, red grosgrain, curly label punch, PTI vintage inking system, jumbo brads, corner rounder

Teach...

In less than 2 weeks, I'll be heading back to school for inservice with the kiddos coming September 1st for their first day of a new school year. It's such an exciting time of the year for the kids and staff alike, but....it really sucks (sorry if I offended anyone) to have to go back to the daily grind after having a couple months of freedom and frivolity! I ain't gonna lie Ü

I thought inking up another of my PTI purchases at CHA would help ease the pain a bit, so I specifically chose Teacher's Apple and thought of all the wonderful people I work with who really do teach, each and every day, with all their heart, soul and mind. These are wonderful people I tell you, I know that there are many more of them, working in homes and schools around the globe. These are the people who teach because they were born with it, drawn to it, are instinctively good at it, but work at it just the same. So, to those who teach, here's to you!

Ok, let's see what the gang has done with this lover-ly sketch of Jen's this week!

Jen del Muro & Megan Lock
Amy Sheffer
Kelly Lunceford
Susan Liles
Carole Burrage

Card recipe
Stamps: Teacher's Apple (PTI)
Paper: Early Bird (Cosmo Cricket), Ripe Avocado (PTI), Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla (SU!)
Ink: Certainly Celery, Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip
Tools/accessories: Spellbinders circle dies, Offray Green Apple satin ribbon, Scor-Pal (embossed lines), button & twine, Vintage Touch inking system (PTI)

Have A Jolly Holiday

Each time I read that sentiment, I start singing the song from Mary Poppins with the lyrics, "....it's a jolly holiday with Mary...", you know what I'm talking about, right?! Anyway, just a quick post today to share a fun Christmas card featuring Sprinkle decorating her tree from The Cat's Pajamas, Deck The Hall.

I was intentionally going for an unblended (I know, real technical term, huh?) look for the tree, using reinkers in Certainly Celery and Always Artichoke. Sprinkle's tree is glitzed up a bit with Christmas Red Stickles on the lights and Diamond Dust glitter adhered with my new Quickie Glue pen that I picked up at CHA in the MFT booth (thanks for the tip, Leigh!). I'm probably the last to know about the Quickie Glue pen, but it's just fabulous for adding little bits of glitter (or what have you) in tiny places or thin lines, in this case.

Wonky stitches, a scalloped edge and bit of Early Bird patterned paper from Cosmo Cricket are the rest of the deets here. You'll be seeing more of these colors tomorrow in my SFTYY card, so stay tuned.

Lastly, I just want to say {{thanks}} for all of your sweet comments on yesterday's post--you melt my heart!

Exciting News!

Yesterday was the online release of Stampin' Up!'s monthly demonstrator magazine, Stampin' Success , and I am so fortunate to be featured as their September Guest Designer! It all started this past May, so I've had to keep it a secret until NOW, and boy is it ever fun to share with you all!

I had the opportunity to ink up two stamp sets that were recently unveiled in the Holiday Mini Catalog, Note to Self and Charming, using a self-selected color palette consisting of: Old Olive, Not Quite Navy and Ruby Red. Without further adieu, here are the projects I created along with the article...

Thanks for stopping by and sharing in my excitement!

Notes for Jane

A couple of months ago, my good friend and (now) co-Cat Pack girl, Joanne Basile/basilefamily, posted a really cool market bag she'd made ala stamped tag in the SCS Dirty Dozen gallery. If you're a SCS member, you can view it here. Anywhoo, I contacted Joanne about it and she was sweet enough to send me a link to Quiltsmart where she'd bought the pattern. I promptly ordered the pattern and bought fabric to make a few of these "easy to sew" market bags, and then came the problem: I got totally stuck about midway through and put my half-sewn bag aside.

Fast forward to a few days ago, and with a little think-think-think time along with my daughter, Kendra's brain, I finally figured out what I'd done wrong! Now, I think these are the easiest bags to make, and I can't wait to make a few more, seriously! I made the bag for my best friend and cousin's belated birthday gift (belated because I couldn't figure the darn thing out!), and she absolutely loved it! Of course I had to stamp a name tag to go with it and matching notepad for her grocery list(s).

I used a few of my PaperTrey Ink sets: Fresh Alphabet, Text Style and Everday Button Bits. Instead of buttons for the cherries, I punched two circles using my 1/2" and 5/8" punches. Before punching the circles, I stamped the cardstock with Text Style, just for a little extra-sumpin'. I also used Text Style on the notepad cover. The notepad fits perfectly into the front pocket, and the tag is tied on using a long length of Ripe Avocado grosgrain, also from PTI.

I'm hoping to show you another one of these fun market bags in the near future, now that I'm so skilled with the directions and know-how, ha (laughing at myself)! Thanks for stopping by today Ü

Ruff Day?

Carole is our TCP Tuesday71 hipster hostess with the mostest, and she's got a very rounded sketch for us--we're talking, sharpen up those corner rounders, girls! Or as one of my favorite sayings goes: if ya got 'em, use 'em (or sumpin' like that, wink). Be sure to pop on over to Carole's place for her original sketch as well as all the swanky TCP Tuesday deets--you know, how you play along, and how you can become the swanky stamper of the month, or how you can win some TCP cash!

I decided that I wanted to ink up one of the latest TCP releases, You Sick Thing, which got me thinking "band-aid" for the long, rounded, rectangular layer, and that's just what I did. But then I ran into a little trouble with the thought of covering my band-aid layer with the main image layer, which led me to acetate--ah, what a lovely thing is acetate in a situation like this. I think the acetate adds to the fun and funkiness of the card as well.

The "Ruff Day?" sentiment was originally stamped on the acetate as well, but I wasn't happy with its placement, so I covered it up with the kraft sentiment circle and a few staples, cause this little pooch might have had such a "Ruff Day" that he required a few staples as well! Last, is the repeated Poochie stamped into a background on the base layer in VersaMark ink, and that's it! Oh, don't forget to round all those corners, too. Ü

Thanks for stopping over today!

It's a Monday Basket Challenge

A group of us at CHA found ourselves unable to resist purchasing PTI's Vintage Picnic among many other things at the PTI booth... Anyway, we wanted to make sure our communal purchase of Vintage Picnic wasn't in vain, so we issued a challenge to our little group to stuff our cute lil' PTI basket full of sumpin' and post it today.

Those cute little envies sticking out of the basket and coordinating sentiment (from Vintage Picnic Sentiments) are my favorite, so which stamps to use was an easy choice for me (although I adore the apples, so stay tuned for something later in the week). The colored envies are paper pieced and popped up for a little extra dimension, and my coordinating mail basket is colored with the same colors using reinkers and blender pen or aqua brush. I added a few little extras with a row of text above the scallop edge, using PTI's Text Style; a faux notebook edge; and embossed lines on the horizontal navy layer (a cool little thing Leigh and I spied at the PTI booth).

Let's see what the rest of the Vintage Picnic gals have up their sleeves, or should I say: in their baskets?!

Kirsten Dubosque
Leigh O'Brien
Joanne Basile
Christina Fischer
Carole Burrage

Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to peek in tomorrow for somethin' swanky on TCP Tuesday!

A witchy SFYTT

While in Florida for CHA, I had a fabulous (and I mean, FABulous) time with the TCP gang, which included: Leigh O'Brien, Alma de la Rosa, Carole Burrage and Joanne Basile ('cept I didn't know about Joanne yet--cool stuff though, huh?!). Alma treated us to a few TCP sets if we so wished, and since I didn't own Fright Night, I snatched it up, lickety split!

My cute lil' witchy girl and her watchful owl are colored with reinkers and a blender pen and/or aquapainter. That reminds me that while at CHA, I had a chance to play with Copics, and I think I'm hopelessly hooked, but I have to save a few sheckels first 'cause they don't just give those sweet things away! Ok, back to the card...I double stamped the sentiment to give it that shadow look and then punched away at the kiwi border/base with my 1/4" and 1/8" circle punches to let the light shine through. The top horizontal printed strip is part of a 12x12 sheet of retired SU! Halloween paper. I placed each of the horizontal layers a bit on the wonky to sorta mimic mummy wrap strips if you kwim?!

That's about all the chatter I have about me, me, me, so let's take a peek at the rest of the SFYTT crew:

Jen del Muro & Megan Lock (August GD)
Amy Sheffer
Carole Burrage
Kelly Lunceford
Susan Liles

My Favorite Bookworm

I was lucky enough to pick up one of MFT's latest and greatest sets, I {heart}Books, at CHA last week. I think this little girl is the sweetest, all involved in her latest great read. She reminds me of my now 16 year old daughter, Kendra. She was continually racking up Accelerated Reader points when she was in grade school, reading one novel after another. She's still a reader, but not quite as passionate as she once was...you know, all those other things that take over in the teen years (cars, jobs, friends, boys, phones, internet, yada yada yada).

I first stamped the book check-out card from SU!'s retired set, Stamp of Authenticity, in Soft Sky and then stamped my book lover on top in black, watercoloring her with reinkers and blender pen/aquabrush. The edges are sponged using PTI's vintage touch inking system as well as the rest of the card edges. In the following detail shot, I stamped the bookshelf directly above the patterned paper because it made a natural ledge. A button/ribbon cluster, scalloped edge and side notebook edge finish out the extras.

While I was typing this post, I remembered a scrapbook page I made years ago (circa 1999) of Kendra and her books...here it is, along with another shot from CHA.

It reads: "Anybody who knows Kendra knows that she loves to read books!".

Back Row: Candy Williams, Broni Holcombe, Sherry Cheever, Bev Gerard
Front Row: me, Alma de la Rosa, and Leigh O'Brien

It's a PTI threesome!

Here are three cards of varying shape and size using Papertrey Ink's adorable set, everyday button bits. The color scheme in each remains constant: Soft Suede, Old Olive, Regal Rose & Naturals Ivory. I'm having so much fun making these stamps come alive with the touch of a button (very much pun-intended)!

I have another threesome to share with you today as well. It's a picture that my great friend, Leigh O'Brien, took of me, Heather Nichols/Pinefeather & Michelle Wooderson/MishMash in front of the PTI booth at CHA last week. Boy, oh boy, were those girls workin' their hinders off!

Thanks for stopping by today! Tomorrow I'll be sharing something new from My Favorite Things that I picked up at CHA, and maybe a few more pictures!

It's a {bang bang} TCP Tuesday!

Susan Liles is our TCP Tuesday hipster hostess with the mostess this week, and she's challenging us to use our TCP stamps to make a swanky birthday card, complete with cupcakes if it pleases you! Check out Susan's blog for all the swanky deets!

I decided to go a little western, complete with a paisley embossed background and yellow-bellied fringe. My sentiment is embossed in gold and placed just so to (hopefully) look like a western belt. Poochie, who is shootin' up cupcakes left and right, is stamped on kraft cardstock, colored with colored pencils, and then cut out and popped on top of a die cut label in white. Just to dirty him up a bit, I edged the label in PTI's Vintage Touch inking system.

Before making the above final-final TCP card for the week, I'd stamped the card below for our nephew's birthday, and then I got the bright idea for Poochie to shoot up cupcakes and thought it matched Susan's TCP theme for the week a bit better.

Poochie cupcake
Paper: Aquamist (PTI), Soft Suede, Crushed Curry, Whisper White, Kraft, Real Red (SU!)
Ink: Versamark, Palette Noir Black
Stamps: S-7510 It's A Western Thing, N-7543 Smells Like Cake
Accessories: colored pencils, gamsol, stump, paisley embossing plate (SU!), oval punch, sewing machine, Quickie glue pen, diamond dust glitter (SU!), Labels 2 die (Spellbinders)

Poochie Bang Bang
Paper: Soft Suede, Sage Shadow, Very Vanilla (SU!), Mr. Campy (Cosmo Cricket)
Ink: Palette Noir Black
Stamps: S-7510 It's A Western Thing
Accessories: colored pencils, gamsol, stump, oval die (Spellbinders), star brads (SU!)

You're So Sweet!

That's what I want to say to everyone I met at CHA last: you're (all) so sweet! Each and every one of my {pretend} friends I met while in Orlando for CHA last week was just as warm and sweet as can be, and I'm so fortunate to have had the chance to go and meet them all!

One of the new PTI sets I picked up at CHA was everyday button bits along with a few new sets from My Favorite Things. I've been dying to add buttons to these cherries ever since the release of this set in July, so that's the first thing I stamped, after working on this week's TCP Tuesday card, which you'll see tomorrow!

Nothing too complicated or new with the card, just some of my favorites: scalloped edge, Early Bird paper (Cosmo Cricket), Kraft and tied buttons! I also added a few lines of text stamped in white from PTI's Text Style.

I promise to share more about CHA and maybe even some photos, later this week!

be happy {sfytt}

I've been wanting to make a flower from text paper and thought Jen's SFYTT gave me the perfect opportunity with that big ol' circle, flanked with an embellishment. I'd also tapped into my 4x4 Jenni Bowlin paper pack earlier this week and thought the papers would be perfect for a shabby/clean/vintage look. Is shabby-clean an oxymoron? Probably not in the stamping world! This is a closeup of the {bee} charm I made using polyshrink plastic (shrinky dink) and the bee stamp from the retired SU! Botanicals set.

The stamp on the sentiment flag is also from a retired SU! set, So Many Sayings, and I think it's just perfect for my play on words/bee charm. I'm also really loving tone on tone lately, so I layered my vanilla layer on a vanilla base with the bottom edge roughed up a bit by tearing the edge and then finger curling it. I guess that's about it for my card chatter. How about some chatter for the rest of the SFYTT crew, including a spankin' new August guest designer over at Jen's blog!

Jen & August guest designer
Amy
Carole
Kelly
Susan

I'm still in Florida at CHA, but I'll be back later today and hope to blog a bit on Monday! See you then Ü