YNS Fun Friday

Happy Friday and thanks for checking in here today! I have a fun little 3x3 clear box gift holder to share with you today as part of this month's YNS Fun Friday Gifts & Giving theme. I've colored and fussy cut Tootega from Alaska and placed her next to her ice fishing hole which was made using the oval shaped balloon die from the YNS Balloon Trio die set.

The idea of the ice fishing hole is to 'see' what's in the box, which was originally supposed to be goldfish crackers, but my supply of goldfish crackers was somehow depleted, so I went with the next best thing--pistachios!

Here's a side view where you can see where I've attached a length of ribbon to the top flap of the box to serve as a handle.

And finally, the back view with a spot to personalize the gift box using a sentiment from Winter Smiles Robin.

 

I hope you've enjoyed my Gifts & Giving idea. Karen has lots more super cute ideas featured over at the YNS Blog today, so be sure to stop there as well. Have a great weekend!

~Amy

TCP Winter Release Blog Hop

Welcome to this week's TCP Tuesday Challenge in conjunction with a blog hop in honor of the TCP Winter Release! The hop starts off with our hostess with the mostess, Lori, or you may have hopped here from Nicole's blog. When you're finished here you'll hop on along to Chris's blog for more TCP goodness!

Lori's challenging us to get our Vintage Holiday on this week, so I went with vintage papers from Authentique's Festive 6x6 pad and the latest and greatest Sprinkle bearing gifts, also known as The New Nice!

Here's a closer look at that 'bow' topping the image panel made from  (star) points cut with the new CutUps Stars..love those stars and you can never have too many of 'em!

Hope you've enjoyed this release as much as we have. Happy shopping and hopping!
~Amy

Sneaky Peek #7: Homemade for the Holidays!

I am so stinking excited about today's Sneaky Peek! Actually, it's not stinky at all because it's all about gingerbread + man! I've used a couple of the sentiments from Homemade for the Holidays along with the coordinating CutUps Man die to create handmade + homemade gift jars. I think gift giving in a jar is the coolest.idea.ever. ♥

The larger jar is filled with almonds (that I plan to candy), but you could easily switch out the nuts for Gingerbread Cookies in jar (which I did since taking the photo), or how about Gingerbread Body Scrub?! I'm telling you...endless possibilities.  Guess what I've filled the smaller jar with?! Yep, Gingerbread Play-doh. Smells awesome, fits my budget and the kiddos love it!

Here's a view from the top where you can see the new CutUps Star & Star Rosette dies in action. I've also used one of the new CutUps Toppers for the fishtail egde of the tag. The smaller jar uses the CutUps Circus Panels for a nice layered look.

Before I sign off, I'd like to leave you with a special invite to the TCP New Release Pajama Party along with a note about the significance of this release:

The Cat's Pajamas is now 10 years old! Alma started making rubber stamps at her dining room table, hand cutting rubber and cushion and attaching them to wood blocks to sell to the local stamp stores where she was teaching. 

And so much has happened to stamping in 10 years. But our love of stamping is still going strong. So this release, we are excited to celebrate the way we started. With rubber stamps. Not just any rubber stamps. Cling Stamp sets for easy storage and positioning. Perfect for those who love rubber, but also love the convenience and ease of clear. Limited Edition because these stamps are extra special. Lovingly assembled at Alma's dining room table. Just like she did 10 years ago. So snap them up, because only a small number will be made. Her table is only so big.

There are Five CutUps Dies in this release. Along with some "classics" that belong in every die collection, we are so excited to introduce our "Toppers" line. They are shapes that you can use the positive and negatives of to create borders and panels. They are open-ended so that you can create panels of any size using the toppers. You can place them individually or use them together. Endless possibilities!

See you at the party!
~Amy

Baby {Rock Star}

Just popping in with a couple CAS baby cards I made for a baby shower I was invited to over the weekend. The outside of the card uses MFT's Gift Card Greetings and stars from At the Movies Die & Stamp Set.

baby girl rock star...

 baby boy rock star...

 baby boy inside using Gift Card Greetings...

I love how these MFT sets work together, and I  foresee a lot of ink in Gift Card Greeting's future. Ü
~Amy

MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge {Subway Chalk Art}

I am a BIG (really big) fan of subway art, and then you throw in the chalkboard effect and it just about throws me over the smitten kitten edge of things. So, upon seeing Betsy Veldman's tutorial for the aforementioned super combo, I knew I had to pull out my brand spankin' new MFT set, Seasonal Sentiments, and get.to.work. Oh, and I did I mention the MFT Wednesday Sketch (Challenge) just happened to coordinate perfectly with my efforts? The stars are aligned, the stars are aligned...

If you look very closely, I've added doodling with red and green colored pencils after outlining the embossed stamping with a white pencil. Don't worry, everything you need to know is in Betsy's tutorial. This kinda stamping fun beats Black Friday shopping any day of the gosh darn week, folks! Why brave the crowds and the weather when you can stay in a stamp the day away? Ok, back to reality, I have dishes to do!
~Amy

TCP Sneaky Peek Day 3: Soar!

Just when you thought you'd seen it all in bunny cuteness, we've got another keeper who soared to the top of my bunny love list in a nano second! I like to call him 'rocket man' around my house and he makes me giggle more than usual because he reminds me of one of my favorite Big Bang Theory characters, Howard Wolowitz, whom they sent to the moon earlier this season. A big LOL in my world. Ü

Enough about Wolowitz, let's get on with all the great stuff happening at The Cat's Pajamas this week! Besides 7 days of fabulous Sneaky Peeks, there's a pre-release sale on Black Friday! The goodness culminates with a good old fashioned TCP Blog Hop on Tuesday, so be sure to check back often. You can find all up to date information at the TCP Member Co. Forum at SCS as well.

Here's info about TCP's Black Friday (and Saturday!!) Sale:

It's our 10th Anniversary and we've decided to give a little something back this year. So on Black Friday and Saturday you can purchase all our NEW Limited Edition stamp sets and dies EARLY. Yup, that's before the official release. AND we'll give you FREE shipping in the US and FREE International Shipping on all orders over $65. Happy Anniversary from us to you!

Happy Shopping!
~Amy

A Few Bucks

Popping in with a quick birthday bucks card for our nephew who is celebrating his 9th birthday today. We're smack dab in the middle of gun hunting deer season here in western Wisconsin, so I pulled out the ever so clever Paper Smooches sets, Birthday Buddies & Santa Paws, and got to work. I've also used a few fun elements from My Favorite Things (Die-namics Fresh Cut Grass),  PTI's woodgrain embossing plate, hoof prints from The Great Outdoors and my favorite tree die from Your Next Stamp (Tree Trio). I think the combination of them makes for a fun and special birthday card! It makes me smile anyway. Ü

Here's a closeup of those elusive bucks hiding in my YNS Tree Trio forest.

Happy birthday to Eli and happy Sunday to you! Thanks for stopping by today.
~Amy

TCP Tuesday 236

 Welcome to TCP Tuesday 236! Jen is our hostess this week and she's got a FaBby-faB inspiration challenge. It's hip, modern and not too square, so I tried to incorporate some of the fun circles seen in the left side of the inspiration collage. Of course the black chevron reminded me of the CutUps Mustache die, duh?! You see the connection, right? {wink} Along with my favorite-ist mustache in all the world, I used a piece of recycled/upcycled (I know there's a difference, but I don't know 'xactly what it is) corrugated cardboard from an empty wine box paired with a CutUps Circus Panels label stamped with 'thank you' from Simply Said. Patterned papers are from Echo Park (This & That Christmas) and Authentique (Blissful).

Here's Jen's cool collage...couldn't you just sit and stare at it a spell? Love it. Here's hoping you'll get a chance to play along this week. Check over with Jen for all the challenge details!
~Amy

Peace & Love

I decided to treat myself to a little stamping time last night and came up with this using the MFT Guest Designer Challenge Sketch for November. I used some old and new goodies from MFT, including Die-namics Let It Snow dies and the new set, Seasonal Sentiments (available tonight at 10pm EST). Paper is from Fancy Pants and Authentique.

Hope your day is filled with joy and peace...
~Amy

YNS Friday Fun!

This month's theme for Friday Fun at Your Next Stamp is all about gift giving, so I modified a card pouch tutorial from SCS to serve as a fun little gift idea for a co-worker, teacher or Secret Santa.

I started with a 3.5" x 11" piece of kraft cardstock, scored it at 4.5" and 6" and then rounded each corner. Before adhering a clear 3x3 box (cut in half) inside, right above each scored line, I used a small oval punch to create handles on each end.

 
I used the same stamps and dies for the 3x3 cards as the front of the card pouch, varying the colors and patterned papers.

A side view of the pouch shows the position of the clear boxes holding the 3x3 cards and envelopes. I think I could have positioned the clear box halves down just a tish for a cleaner fit.

Stop on over at the YNS Blog for more Friday Fun and have a great weekend!

~Amy

Supplies:

YNS Stamps: Winter Smiles Robin, Holiday Joy Robin (snowflake)

YNS Dies: Tree Trio

YNS New Release Hop

Hello!  Welcome to the Your Next Stamp November New Release Blog Hop!  We are so excited this month because we are introducing ANOTHER new illustrator to the YNS family ~ Macy Wong!  Her images are so super sweet and we know you are just going to love them!  We also have some adorable new Franfou images, and Mabel Designs!  To start the hop, head on over to Kerri’s Blog. 

Did someone say prizes???  We have 3 new release prizes hidden along the hop!  You must leave comments on all of the DT blogs to qualify for the prize drawing.  You have until Friday, November 9th at 12 midnight (EST) and the winners will be posted on the YNS Blog on Saturday, November 10th. 

Here's my project using the Tree Trio die, a sentiment from Winter Smiles Robin and the sweet birdie from Holiday Joy Robin: 

Karen is also offering a fabulous Hop Special ~ 15% off your entire purchase including sale items!  The code is YNSNOV2012.  She also has some great bundle deals and some awesome steals in the YNS Bargain Bin!

Now it’s time to hop on over to Peggy’s blog, but don’t forget to leave me a comment before you go!  Happy Hopping!

~Amy

YNS Sneaky Peek Day 1

Welcome to another round of YNS Sneaky Peek with a new release coming to you on November 6th! Stay tuned to the YNS blog for complete details. I'm showing off the cutest skating girl illustrated by someone new to YNS, Macy Wong. Her designs will melt.your.heart. ♥

Is she sweet or what?! I've created a skating rink using a layer of vellum over a matching circle of aqua card stock and even added some figure 8 lines in the 'ice' using an embossing tool. The patterned paper is from Fancy Pants (Hopscotch). Finally, I couldn't resist adding a few of my favorite bare trees using my favorite new die from YNS: Tree Trio, and if you're wondering about this fun sketch, it's Jen del Muro's November SFYTT turned upside-down. Check it out over at Jen's blog.

Here's a closer look at the skating rink and sparkling trees...

Thanks for stopping by today. Have a great weekend!
~Amy