He Cares For You...and You...and You!

I love the comfort of this verse and just had to have it, along with a few other goodies from Verve! You'll be seeing more Verve from me, but for now just remind yourself of this verse:

Cast all your cares on Him, for He cares for you!
~I Peter 5:7

Have a wonderful Friday, all!
~Amy

Couture Cardstock...

Hey, all! Just a quick post to let you in on a fun little secret I've been keeping...I'm April Guest Designer for Couture Cardstock! I've got a sneak peek to show you, but in order to see all three designs, head on over to the Couture Cardstock blog...

Have a great day!
~Amy

TCP Tuesday 107: Red, Turquoise & Cream

Joanne is our hipster hostess with the mostest, bringing us a fun color combo for TCP Tuesday 107. I think its one of those combos that you can take hip and modern, or a little shabby chic, like I've "tried" to do here with my paper choices. I know, you're scratching your head thinking--shabby chic, not! I just mean that I wanted that "feel" with the paper, juxtaposed with my fun, new TCP margarita-drinking penguin from Hola Tequila! I love to throw a little twist in here and there to keep things fresh and fun.

Just a little detail shot of penguin in his sombrero--love that hat! Oh, I almost forgot to tell you that I (again) used Taylored Expressions sketch challenge, and it's one of those sketches that lends itself well to using up some of those patterned paper scraps in your scrap basket/bucket/box, what have you!

Head on over to J's blog for all the swanky deets for the challenge and have a great day!
~Amy

Weekend Challenges

*Please scroll down for my SFYTT post*

I had a bit of stamping time this morning and came up with cards for Taylored Expressions Weekend Sketch Challenge and the SCS Saturday Inspiration Challenge. Both cards use scraps of patterned paper that I pulled from my scrap bucket which include papers from Crate Paper, Jenni Bowlin, a discarded dictionary and Making Memories. As you can see...I love black and cream with a splash of pow-wow.

The paper flower was made by die cutting 3 different size circles, distressing them, splitting the paper and then pulling them all together with a matching button and circle of rhinestones. I also used rhinestones to highlight the sentiment in the upper right hand corner (PTI). The swirl is from Autumn Leaves, stamped in Versafine Onyx and embossed in clear EP for added texture and pop.

The second card also uses PTI stamps, this time the bicycle from Everyday Button Bits. Before stamping and embossing the bicycle, I stamped the die cut label (Spellbinders) with my SU! Sanded background stamp in Creamy Caramel. The buttons are sewn on with PTI button twine with a bit more twine acting as my winding road just beneath.

I haven't had a chance to participate in either of these challenges for quite some time, and doing so this weekend made me realize how much I miss challenges, and how challenges have helped me grow as a stamper. I hope you get a little time to participate in a challenge or two this week.

Thanks for stopping by today...
~Amy

A {hb} SFYTT!

My previous post featured a birthday card for my younger brother, Bart, and today's SFYTT card is for my oldest brother, Matt, whose birthday just happens to be today! I used some fun retro papers from my Cosmo Cricket Earth Love/the Boyfriend pad combined with felt letters and computer generated sentiments, inside and out. I again used my CB Red Tag alpha for felt letters, "hb", and adhered them to a layer of acetate for a fun look. The button holding "uncle matt" in place is from PTI, secured with button twine from TCP.

Here's a look at the inside with our signatures intact. I'd taken a picture before signatures, but it was too dark, so I thought "why not..." and took another of the truly finished product!

Okie dokie, let's see what the SFYTT crew has conjured up with Jen's fab sketch, which BTW, I'll be using again and again--love it!

Jen & Mykeesha
Amber
Leigh
Jenn
Kelly
Megan
Sonja

Amy and Susan are off this week, but I'm sure they'll be back with a vengeance next week! Have a wonderful weekend all, and Happy Birthday, Matt!
~Amy

TCP Tuesday 106: Let's Get Corked!

Ha, ha...had you going with the 'let's get corked' title, right?! Well, taken very literally, we are going to get corked with this week's TCP Tuesday Supply Challenge to somehow incorporate cork into your project. If you don't own a piece of cork, don't go out and buy any before you take a look around the house. If you're a wine drinker, you might consider incorporating a wine cork into your project...think background pattern using the cork pressed in paint or ink...or how about recycling something "corky" around the house like a coaster or old bulletin board? If you're hankering to get out to the hardware store or even Target or Wally World, you just might find something corky there. I found a big roll of thin cork at my local hardware store, and it's thin enough to die cut with both Spellbinders, SU! and Cuttlebug dies--yeah!

For my project today, I've fashioned a cork bulletin board with birthday wishes for my brother Bart, who just happens to be quite the swanky knitter. I thought Knitting Poochie would make the perfect stamp for his birthday card. If you want to see how swanky Bart is, check out his knitting blog, the Crafty Biker. His latest post is all about a knitting app he created...he's totally using both sides of his brain to the max, a genius I tell ya! The sentiments on my card are from TCP's Smells Like Cake. In addition to the supply challenge of cork, I also challenged myself to use this picture from a recent Pottery Barn catalog as inspiration...love PB!

Ok, let's get on with the swanky deets of TCP Tuesday, shall we?!
1. Each a week one of The Cat’s Pajamas DT members will host a challenge.
2. The challenges will vary {stamp, technique, color, theme, sketch, etc.}
3. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge.
4. Post your design to the guest book on Alma's blog. Only designs posted to the sketchbook are eligible for Swanky Stamper.
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. They will be deemed that month’s Swankiest Stamper and get $25 in Cat’s Cash {money to spend on the TCP site!}.
7. Only designs posted to the guest book will be considered for the Swanky Stamper.
8. 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.

Alrighty then, you have my permission to go and "get corked"!

Supplies
Stamps: Knitting Poochie, Smells Like Cake (TCP)
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger distress ink Old Paper, PTI Vintage Inking System
Paper: Mistletoe (Making Memories), 5th Avenue (Crate Paper), Ledger Paper (Making Memories)
Tools & Embellies: Spellbinders Labels 9, Cuttlebug Red Tag Alpha, black felt, sewing machine, May Arts ribbon, stick pin, SU! notebook edge punch, CORK!

TCP Spring Release Blog Hop

Welcome to the TCP Tuesday #105 blog hop featuring 5 ( yes 5!) new sets being released at The Cat's Pajamas today! My card features Joyride using the colors and circles from Toni's inspiration piece. I dry embossed the chocolate layer with a SU! texturz plate and then added a couple circles using pieces of Basic Grey paper (green) and Couture Cardstock (turquoise from the Spring Valley Collection). My offset ribbon is also from SU! in Regal Rose topped with a matchy-matchy button which is tied with button twine from TCP.

I decided that my chocolate Easter bunny is on her Vespa high-tailing it from anyone who's craving chocolate (me!)...and could you BE more envious of that bright green Vespa?! I tell you what--all 5 of these newly released sets are "must haves" in my book...just too fun! Stay tuned for more TCP fun this week as I share more samples from the rest of the sets. BTW, I used my much-loved Copics for all of my coloring today.

Ok, so you may have arrived here from Joanne's blog or just happened by, but from here I want you to hop along to Sonja's blog for more inspirational pieces! Now, once you create your TCP Tuesday creation using Toni's inspiration piece, be sure to link to Alma's blog for your chance at all the TCP Tuesday goodness outlined in Toni's post!

Happy hoppin'!
~Amy

Sneak Peek SFYTT {Salud!}

Here's another sneak peek of a fun penguin set from TCP that will be released along with 4 other sets this coming Tuesday, April 13th! Don't forget to stop in for a fun filled TCP Tuesday blog hop that day!

Lacking a little creativity lately, I've been relying on great sketches from Jen to get me going this week. For this one, I used Salud! paired with bright and bold papers from Cosmo Cricket's Garden Variety mini deck--yumminess! I didn't get a detail shot for you, but penguin's margarita is shined up with Crystal Effects, after I colored it in with magic margarita Copic colors, he he! The lower scallop edge was achieved using my largest jumbo scallop rectangle die (Spellbinders), where the width of the patterned paper "just fit" within the confines of the die...hope that made sense to you all??

Let's get on with more great inspiration from the SFYTT pack...

Jen del Muro & Guest Designer, Mykeesha Byl
Megan Lock
Jenn Diercks
Amber Hight
Amy Sheffer
Kelly Lunceford
Leigh O'Brien
Susan Liles
and Sonja Christoph (welcome, Sonja!)

TCP Tuesday Sneak Peek!

Here's a sneak peek at a new set being released at The Cat's Pajamas next week! Be sure to check in next Tuesday for a sure-to-be-fabulous blog hop featuring all of the new sets being released that day...they're goodies!

Jen has given us a great sketch to work with for this week's TCP Tuesday #104, and here's my version of it...

Are these ballerina bunnies sweeter than Peeps, er what?! I've paired them with strips of Cosmo Cricket Earth Love paper stitched up differently on each panel. Each of my bunnies was stamped onto MFT's perfect panels, clear embossed and colored with Copics before cutting them out. The circle layer is cardstock from Couture Cardstock's Spring Valley Collection...yummy texture! I added a "dance floor" using a stamp from this soon-to-be-released set, stamping it in Versamark and clear embossing it for a very subtle look and even more texture.

Thanks for stopping by today, and be sure to check out Jen's TCP Tuesday post for all the swanky deets!

Better Get Better!

Today's SFYTT card is serving multiple purposes, first as my SFYTT card, second as my TCP Tuesday card for the week (using ANY TCP set), and third as a get well card for a friend of mine who had her gall bladder out this week. It's been crazy busy around here lately, so I had to make the most of my stamping time!

The 5x5 card uses one of my favorite TCP images from the set You Sick Thing. I paper pieced the chicken soup bowl with a piece of October Afternoon paper (Farm Fresh) and then used more of that same paper pad in the additional card layers. The central image is resting on top of a Spellbinders Labels 9 layer just to add a little sumpin'-sumpin'. The glittery asterisks holding the sentiment words are from a set of sticker letters that I've had for ages...not sure on the manufacturer, but I'm thinking Making Memories? I hope this card will give my friend a giggle, but not too much giggling that her incisions hurt!

I know you've all got lots going on with it being Easter weekend, including me, so let's see who Jen's April Guest Designer is and then bunny hop on to see more SFYTT goodies from the rest of the team.

Jen del Muro & April Guest Designer
Megan Lock
Jenn Diercks
Amber Hight
Amy Sheffer
Kelly Lunceford
Leigh O'Brien
Susan Liles

Thanks for stopping by today, and have a blessed Easter!