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

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

TCP Tuesday 232: NUTS About You!

I just love this week's TCP Tuesday challenge set by our dear, sweet Julie because it involves two things I love: TCP stamps and the possibility of using my Silhouette Cameo! Julie's challenge is to make a Fall-Themed Shaped Card, so duh, my Cameo was the only way to go, right?!

My 'NUTS About You!' card involved an acorn cut file from the Silhouette Online Store along with the CutUps Circus Panels die set, sentiments from Happy Camper and some fun patterned paper and recycled corrugated cardboard from an empty Bota Box of Pinot Grigio--another favorite of mine, snort!

I really love this challenge and hope you get a chance to play along as well! Link up your card over at Alma's blog when you finish up, and/or use keyword: TCPTUES232 over at Splitcoast, so we can see what you've created using Julie's challenge. You can also visit the TCP Member Co. Forum for complete TCP Tuesday 232 details.

Thanks for stopping by...y'all know I'm nuts about you!
~Amy

TCP Tuesday 231: Have a Cuppa!

Jen has an inspiration challenge for us as this week's TCP Tuesday hostess and here's what I was so inspired to create:

I started with a cut file from Silhouette and then added a CutUps Sunflower Rosette and fishtail sentiment banner (A Cuppa) to spruce things up a bit. Who wouldn't want a Pumpkin Spice Latte or Hot Cider in this cozy cup, huh?! Inside there's a little room for a gift card to your fav coffee house. Oops, almost forgot my dotted cup...compliments of Admit One.

Here's to another beautiful week of all things autumn!
~Amy

TCP Tuesday 230: Miss Ewe, Kendra!

My dearest daughter decided to spread her wings a bit further and flew north to Alaska...the University of Alaska at Fairbanks to be exact, where's she's currently a student. Of course we're all missing her around here, but we're doing a little Skype-ing weekly which is a great way to keep in touch. There's just something about 'seeing' your loved ones, versus the usual texts and phone calls that gives a little extra security...seeing is believing, I guess! Anywhoo, I took this week's TCP Tuesday sketch by Amy Sheffer as an opportunity to send Kendra a little reminder that we're thinking of her...and missing her, too!

Love this sheep in her muffler, all sassy and warm! The image is from Sheepish, and I've also added a few CutUps for some fun embellishments: Snowflake Lace Paper, Apron Border and Easy Rosettes. Here's a little closeup of the embellishment detail...love those mini snowflakes and the crispness of the fishtail banner!

 

Thanks for stopping by today!

~Amy

TCP Tuesday 229: Admit One!

Welcome to the show...um, challenge! This week's TCP Tuesday challenge means you get to pull out any of your cute TCP penguins and pair them up with either the CutUps Ribbon Slide or Big Ticket die. The sombrero on my decided  penguin stamp (Hola Tequila) reminded me of Curious George wearing the hat of the man with the yellow hat, so I went with signature Curious George colors: yellow and red. And, since I was being inspired at the moment, I hopped on over to Karen Giron's blog for her current Sweet Sunday Sketch and came up with this fun little ditty!

Stop over at Susan's blog for complete TCP Tuesday 228 details and have yourself a swanky day!
~Amy

{Holla} for TCP Tuesday 228!

This week's TCP  Tuesday challenge is of the color variety: daffodil, olive and navy. My shade of green isn't quite 'olive', but it came from the Echo Park A Boy's Life 6x6 pad, so I went with it. I'm sure you'd recognize that snazzy mustache anywhere (on my blog) 'cause it makes frequent appearances around this joint! Yep, it's my favorite of the CutUps Mustaches, and it's found it's merry match with the bingo card stamp from Build A Bingo and a little Holla from Step Right Up. A few buttons, stars, a bit of Blueberry Divine Twine and it's a wrap, people!

Check in on Lori for all the TCP Tuesday #228 details this week and then over at Alma's on Monday for a wrap up of the challenge along with other fun stuff from The Cat's Pajamas!

TCP Tuesday 227: The Question Box

This week's assignment for TCP Tuesday is to create a teacher gift. Since I work in the world of public education (as a speech/language pathologist), I thought it would be fun to make a *funny* teacher gift, so without further adieu, I present you with my Question Box! The Question Box is designed to sit on teacher's desk, look cute and shred through the many, many questions asked of teacher each and every day. The design is based on the infamous Tattle Box in combination with the Sorting Hat from Harry Potter. It makes the job of answering questions quite a joy!

To make the Question Box, I started with a digital cut file from the Silhouette Store and covered it with school themed papers before applying adhesive. A die cut cork label using the CutUps Circus Panels, is topped with my favorite CutUps die--Mustaches, and a sentiment from The Mustache Set.

All of your TCP Tuesday questions can be answered by hopping over to Julie's blog. I guess we could say she's at the head of the class this week! Ü
~Amy

TCP Tuesday 225: Sketch Challenge

Hi there and welcome to this week's TCP Tuesday Challenge! Amy Sheffer is our hipster hostess with a fun sketch for us, so stop by her blog for complete TCP Tuesday 225 details.  Here's my version of Amy's sketch...

Heading back to school always reminds me of the time my brother and I ended up walking to school (1/2 mile...up a few hills) because we'd missed the bus and saw a huge pine tree covered, literally COVERED, with Monarch butterflies. It was so cool and like nothing I'd ever witnessed before or ever since. Anywhoo, I got thinking about that morning and came up with my card using sweet country-bumpkin type pattern papers, buttons and a handful of faux stitches along with the CutUps Lacey Butterfly die in black. I chose orange tones reminiscent of Monarch butterflies and dabs of black here and there. I chose a sentiment from Bearing Flowers and two other CutUps--Pinking & Easy Rosettes. One last thing--a fun, little black resin flower tops the Lacey Butterfly just so!

Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope my little trip down memory lane conjures up some fun school days memories for you, too!
~Amy

TCP Tuesday 221: The Tweetest Things

For this week's TCP Tuesday Inspiration Challenge hosted by Susan Liles. Be sure to check out Susan's blog for the inspiration collage and challenge deets. After last week's challenge card using The Tweetest Things, I just couldn't put it away just yet and got a jump start on this week's challenge pulling from the stack of chairs and colors of the inspiration piece, so fun!

After stamping/stacking my text-y birdhouses, I topped each with colored heart and then dug through my scrap basket to find coordinating cardstock pieces to add to the turquoise sentiment strip. Green buttons worked the best in lieu of any of my green scraps, and I really like the fun dimension and balance they give the horizontal layer. The actual sentiment was stamped onto a die cut black oval using the CutUps Circus Panels die set.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out this week's challenge!
~Amy

TCP Tuesday 219 + Mojo Monday 250

Welcome to this week's TCP Tuesday challenge in combination with the Mojo Monday #250 sketch! Since I did a little 'Christmas in July' last week, I was somehow inspired to get a little 'Spooky in July' this week. I think it's the tropical heat wave we're experiencing here in western Wisconsin, leading me toward the cooler temps of October and December. Anyway, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it (no pun intended, ha)!

Susan is our TCP Tuesday hostess this week and she's challenging us to use any TCP stamp featuring a bear AND either of the CutUps borders: Heart or Apron. I've used the CutUps Apron border (although it's really hard to see) and PJ from A Beary Good Year. Insert BIG OOPS here folks: I just realized I used the Queen of Hearts CutUps and not the Apron Border. I'm tellin' ya, it's the gosh-darn heat and humidity slowing up my brain. Thank goodness it's scarcely visible, right?!

  

 I've also used the CutUps Cloud Border & Mustaches dies along with the 'Boo' sentiment from an older TCP set, Fright Night. It's a great Halloween set with fun sentiments and classic Halloween images, plus it's on sale for only $9.50, folks! Click here to get your set today!

Hope you're staying cool and comfy in your neck of the woods and if you need a little help, just meditate on all things cool, like Halloween and Christmas!

~Amy

TCP Tuesday 218: Part II

I had so much fun with this week's color challenge for TCP Tuesday that I decided to use it again in conjunction with my favorite TCP set, The Mustache Set and CutUps Mustache die for a birthday card made for my bestest girlfriend and cousin, Jane. It's her birthday TODAY, so what better day to share it on the old blog, right?! Just one other detail I want to mention is the monocle 'I'...gotta love a play on words. It was cut with my Silhouette Cameo using a file from the Silhouette online store, love that place!

I'm off to wrap Jane's birthday gift and sign the card and then it's off to lunch with the birthday girl! Have a great weekend everyone.
~Amy

TCP Tuesday 218: Jolly in July!

Lori is this week's TCP Tuesday hostess and she's got a fun little color combo for us: red, aqua & kraft. Inspired by lots of 'Christmas in July' around the old blogosphere, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and create with a 'Jolly in July' theme for my CAS card. What better way to sneak in yet another mustache card, right?! ;)

Materials used include the CutUps Mustaches along with my favorite Christmas set from The Cat's Pajamas, J*lly H*liday. The strip of patterned paper is from MME and the snowflake brad and rhinestone were unmarked in my stash, so I have no manufacturer for either...sorry 'bout that, folks!

Can't wait to see what you conjure up with Lori's color combo, so give us a peek on your blog by linking up to Alma's blog and/or use keyword: TCPTUES218 over at Splitcoast!
~Amy

TCP Tuesday 217: Curses!

This week's TCP Tuesday hostess is Julie, and she's got a super fun sunglasses template for you all to play around with. I went and used a shrinky-dink version that is about 4" wide where Julie's template comes in a little over 6", big enough for a card all on it's own! You can find out how to pick up your template and view the rest of the challenge details over at Julie's blog...sweet!

I decided to go with a nerdy-meets-secret agent look for my card, probably because I can't go too long without using TCP's The Mustache Set and coordinating CutUps Mustaches die these days...what can I say about a girl in love, I had to combine the two! The nerdy portion of the cock-eyed glasses was achieved using TCP's Cream Seam Binding wound around the bridge of the glasses. Two rounded corners are balanced with a few notebook edge punches, and this one's ready for the vault!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!
~Amy

TCP Tuesday 214: You Blow Me Away!

I can vividly remember watching the 1984 Summer Olympics and there began my love of The Games! It probably had something to do with my secret crush on gymnast, Mitch Gaylord, but who can forget Mary Lou Retton, Greg Louganis and Carl Lewis?! My brothers and I would record our favorite events on VHS tapes and watch them again and again. The dream was alive and is alive for the upcoming Olympics in London kicking off next month. In honor of that, I took this week's TCP Tuesday challenge "You Blow Me Away" and went Olympic with it, because everything about the Olympic Games blows me away!

Our USA biking bunny is from Wheel Love, all pimped out with star studded wheels to show his pride. I originally saw the red telephone box at the online Silhouette store and set out to make one of my own using the CutUps Window die. I ended up with a hybrid phone booth using both the CutUps Window die layered on the Silhouette phone booth base because I wanted that rounded top. I just couldn't resist adding a Buckingham Palace-type gate, so I again went to the Sihouette store and chose this fence.

Here's a closer look at the embossed crown at the top of the phone box and Good Luck sentiment which are both from Simply Said. The USA postage uses CutUps Stamp Trio in combination with Babydoll Alphabet and 2012 and star stamps from Build A Bingo. One of the required elements for the challenge is to use either the CutUps Cloud or Pinwheel die, and since I couldn't decide which to choose,  I used them both!

 

I thought the flower pot that comes with the CutUps Window die would act perfectly patriotic as a holder for the mini pinwheel and stars. The heart and star stamps are from Admit One.

I hope you've enjoyed my tribute to our 2012 Olympic Team competing in London this summer and find time to cheer them as well! Be sure to stop over at Susan's blog for complete TCP Tuesday details, and then you all have a great week! Go USA!

~Amy

TCP Tuesday 212: Ahoy There!

I've been a bit quiet around the old blogosphere lately, so I thought it was high (tide) time I updated Ink About Me with something new and fun! This week's TCP Tuesday challenge involves a technique called Paper Pleating that I actually did a SCS tutorial for last year. You can find the tutorial HERE. Check out Julie's blog for all the details. Alma's blog is always full of fun TCP Tuesday info as well, so be sure to stop by and give her blog a little love.

For my card, I've incorporated a few stamp sets and CutUps to create a clean and scrappy sort of card that would be fun to send along, out of the blue, just to say 'I'm thinking 'bout you'! The papers on the waves and scallop are from Crate Paper's Portrait 6x6 pad and I can't, for the life of me, remember the name of the paper I used to paper piece the boat. Finally, my paper pleating comes in on the skinny black strip even though it's hard to see. The strip that I pleated was actually wider, but I re-straightened the paper after folding it and trimmed it to about 3/4" for the look I wanted. I hope you've enjoyed my card and will give the paper pleating a try this week! Here are the sets and dies I used:

• CutUps Wave
• CutUps Big Scallop
• Aye, Aye, Captain
• A Whale of a Time
• Admit One

 Have a great weekend!
Amy

TCP Tuesday 210

Better late than never, right?! I had this card all stamped up and out the door last week and honestly forgot to blog about it until today. Before you know it, TCP Tuesday 211 will be here, so I'd better get on with the show! This week's challenge is a sketch and I have to say I took a few liberties with the sketch. You can see the sketch over at Amy's blog, our new sketch challenge hostess!

Details on the card include a fun mix of CutUps dies: Big Scallop and Circus Panels, along with a sentiment from Bearing Flowers.

Thanks for stopping by today!
Amy

TCP Tuesday 209: Dad's Day

I've got a fun card to share with you today that fits-the-bill for the men in your life as well as this week's TCP Tuesday Challenge #209 issued by Susan to use the CutUps Pennant Die and anything TCP having to do with the Letter M! Sorry folks, I couldn't resist using the CutUps Mustache Die once again...just couldn't resist.

The knot portion of the necktie is actually the Small Pennant Die in disguise with the bottom portion being hand cut for a nice custom fit! The CutUps Mustache Die tops off the trio.

Here's a peek at the inside of the card which used the CutUps Big Ticket & Mustache Dies in conjunction with The Mustache Set, Nightie & Babydoll Alphas, and Admit One.

I hope I've inspired you to get a start on your Father's Day cards, and if you don't have these fun stamps and CutUps in your possession, you have paw-lenty (get it, 'paw'?!) of time to get them before Father's Day! Now, head over to Susan's and Alma's blog for more TCP Tuesday fun!

~Amy

TCP Tuesday 208

This week's TCP Tuesday challenge is a color challenge: lime green, red and gold, in honor of Cinco de Mayo. Let's grad a red solo cup and get the weekend in gear, eh?! Before we do that, let's have a little fun with these colors, in the form of a red mustache no less! I made this card for Secretary's Day this week and gave it to one of our dear school secretaries who is endlessly obliging me with answers to all of my silly-nilly questions. Without a doubt, she knows everything! Ok, about the card...it uses my new favorite TCP set, The Mustache Set and my new favorite CutUps die, Mustache!

Check out Lori's blog for all of the TCP Tuesday details and then stop over at Alma's blog, too, for more TCP Tuesday info and such. Have a great weekend!
Amy

TCPTuesday 206 + Sneaky Peek Week Day 1

Welcome to TCP Tuesday 206 and the first day of Sneaky Peek Week featuring a special set designed by our very own Jen del Muro! The set is designed to coordinate with the CutUps Stamp Trio die and is called Commemorating You! As luck would have it, Jen is also our TCP Tuesday hostess with the mostest, so be sure to pop on over to her blog for complete details as well as the inspiration collage she's put together...going postal, wink!

Stop over at Alma's today as well for a complete list of participants in today's Sneaky Peek! Here's a look at the entire set of Commemorating You.
~Amy