Twice the Fun

Here’s my card for this week’s SCS clean and simple challenge. This week’s challenge is to use the colors green, chocolate brown, and cream or white. Definitely the colors of mint chocolate chip ice cream, right? I created a sweet baby card for the challenge using the colors and the current sketch from the Clean and Simple Stamping blog.

I used the giraffe dies from the Clear and Simple Stamps Baby Shower die set to make a pair of green giraffes, then embossed the die cut pieces with a dotted pattern.  I tied bows in two pieces of brown baker's twine and used glue dots to attach a bow to each giraffe.

The giraffes are set on a cream cardstock panel, facing each other.  The panel is edged with a dark brown decorative edged strip cut with CSS's Ric Rac die.  I stamped the "twice the hugs, twice the fun" sentiment from the Shower Sentiments set beneath the panel in brown ink.  Isn't this a cute sentiment for a card celebrating the arrival of twins?

Be sure to stop by the CSS blog tomorrow for the start of previews of the newest collection, which will be available on May 5.  And, for more CSS inspiration, be sure to check out the CSS iPhone/iTouch app. A new project is shared daily, complete with step by step instructions. Here’s a sneak peek of my project that will be shown on the app tomorrow. You can get all the info on downloading the app here.

Materials Used: 
Dish All the Dirt Brown ink, Green with Envy, Brown Leather Satchel, and On the Catwalk Cream cardstock, Baby Shower and Ric Rac dies, Divine Twine brown baker's twine (Clear and Simple Stamps); Swiss Dot embossing folder (Cuttlebug)

Teacher's Pet Ensemble

The theme for this month's My Favorite Things guest designer challenge is "teacher's pet."  I made a fun teacher gift ensemble for the challenge.  It includes a coordinating magnetic memo board, a pencil holder with decorated pencils, an altered DVD tin note pad, and a card. For a cohesive look, I used the same red gingham patterned paper on all the pieces and the same stamped image on three of the four pieces.

Here's a closer look at the magnetic memo board and the card.  The memo board is made from a metal stove burner cover that I covered with a combination of chalkstock and patterned paper.  A strip of red gingham ribbon hides the transition between the two.  I used chipboard letter stickers to spell out "notes" above the ribbon and dressed up the bottom of the board with the pencil-carrying girl from the a la modes Talk Nerdy to Me set.  She's colored with Copic markers, cut out, and attached to the board with foam tape.  I put a pair of magnetic discs on the back of a small clothespin to use to hold a note.

The card uses the same stamped image as the memo board.  This time, she's set on a notebook paper patterned paper panel.  I stamped the word "thank you" from the Teacher's Pet set so it looked like she'd just written the word with her pencil.  The panel is layered on a red mat and set on an angle on a kraft card base.  To balance the design, I added a pair of layered fishtail flag die cuts to the upper right side of the panel.  A trio of red buttons tied with baker's twine adds a fun detail.

And, here's a closer look at the pencil holder and altered DVD tin. The altered DVD tin was made with another piece from my alterables stash.  I covered the tin's cover with kraft cardstock and the gingham patterned paper, again using red grosgrain ribbon to mask the seam between the two papers.  The same pencil-carrying image is attached to the front of the tin with foam tape.  I die cut one a mini tab and stamped the word "notes" on it in red ink.  I nearly lost the "t" when I was putting the stamps away--the stamps are so tiny, it's hard to find them when you drop one.  Fortunately, the stamp turned up during a second look.  Inside the tin, I added a pocket on one side using the same kraft/gingham paper combination and a pad of paper and a pen on the other.

 I made the pencil holder by covering a plain pencil holder from my stash of alterable items with a bunch of unsharpened pencils.  A little bit of hot glue held the pencils in place easily.  I wrapped the pencil holder with a strip of gingham paper and some red grosgrain ribbon, then added a "best teacher" ribbon made with MFT's First Class Ribbon stamp and die set.

The pencil holder's filled with a few altered pencils.  I used the rolled rose die to make some felt roses, then freehand cut leaves from green felt.   They're attached to the eraser end of the pencils using hot glue. As a teacher, I was always loaning pencils to students and having fancy ones like these helps to be sure you get your pencil back at the end of the day!

Materials Used:
a la modes Talk Nerdy to Me, Teacher's Pet, First Class Ribbon, and Mini Alphabet stamp sets, Die-namics rolled rose, First Class Ribbon,  Mini Tabs Foursome, and Fishtail Flag Stax dies (My Favorite Things); Poppy Parade and Crumb Cake cardstock (Stampin' Up!); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); black chalkstock (Canvas Corp.); Double Dutch-Marmalade designer paper (Lily Bee Design); Take Note 6x6 paper pad (Echo Park); Memento Tuxedo Black and Lady Bug inks (Tsukineko); markers (Copic); red grosgrain ribbon, red button (Michaels); red baker's twine (Divine Twine); white chipboard letters (Basic Grey); red and green felt; foam tape

Krafty Love

Here's my card for today's SCS featured stamper challenge and Verve's current Diva Dare to use chipboard, corrugated cardboard, or kraft on your project.  It's based on this simple Valentine's Day card seen here.  I loved the card's clean and simple layout along with a tiny sparkly accent--and it's use of one of my favorites, kraft cardstock.

My version keeps the basic layout the same, but changes up the color scheme a bit and uses a slightly different background for the sparkly accent piece.  I used a cream, dark brown, and kraft color scheme for the card since the text patterned paper I used had brown print.  I attached the torn text paper to a kraft panel with rounded corners, then wrapped a piece of cream satin ribbon from my scrap pile around the panel.

Instead of using a beveled window piece to hold the sparkly heart accent, I die cut a tag shape from a kraft scrap.  A pair of glittery hearts, cut with Verve's From the Heart die, sits on the tag.  I stamped the "together forever" sentiment from the Love Notes set at the bottom of the kraft panel.  I think this one would make a nice anniversary card!

Materials Used:
Love Notes stamp set, From the Heart die (Verve Stamps); Memento Lady Bug ink (Tsukineko);  Chocolate Chip and Crumb Cake cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Dearest Jane patterned paper (Papertrey Ink); red glitter cardstock (Recollections); tag die (Sizzix); cream ribbon (Michaels); linen thread (The Cat's Pajamas); Bow Easy

While I had my Verve stamps out, I thought I'd get started on this month's Viva la Verve sketches--and on my Mother's Day cards, too.  I used this month's first sketch to create this pretty card.

I combined the "happy Mother's Day" sentiment from Because of You with the flower pair from Kind Words for my focal image.  I used green ink for the sentiment and stems and purple ink for the flowers.  The centers of the flowers are dotted with Liquid Pearls for a little dimension.

I used two different patterned papers from the same collection along with a neutral kraft piece for the panels on my cardfront.  The kraft and patterned panels were matted on solid green cardstock pieces before they were attached to the cardfront.  The green looks a little more brown in the photo than it is IRL.  A strip of purple satin ribbon runs across the cardfront.  I added the image panel over the ribbon, then used my Bow Easy to make a matching bow as an accent.

Materials Used:
Kind Words and Because of You stamp sets (Verve Stamps); Winter Wisteria and Simply Chartreuse inks, Ripe Avocado and Winter Wisteria cardstock, Pacific Vineyard patterned paper, Winter Wisteria satin ribbon (Papertrey Ink); Very Vanilla and Crumb Cake cardstock (Stampin' Up!); White Opal Liquid Pearls (Ranger); Bow Easy

You Simply Sparkle

Here's my card for this month's Market Street Stamps Block Party.  I combined some newer and some older Market Street images for this pattern-filled card based on the current I Spy Sketches challenge.

The focal image is the fabulous dress form from the Hippie Chic set.  I did a combination of coloring and paper piecing on the dress.  To fancy it up, I added some delicate ruffled trim along the bottom of the dress and a pink Liquid Pearl "necklace," too.

The dress is set on a cardfront covered with a trio of patterned paper panels from Authentique's Delightful 6x6 paper pad.  The pattern from the dress is from that paper pad, too.  Each panel is layered on a green mat, then set on the gold card base.  I punched a strip of green cardstock with a grass border punch and attached it at the bottom of the panel with the dress along with a piece of knotted ribbon.  For some sparkle, I cut apart pieces of a clear crystal flourish and arranged them around the dress.  The "you simply sparkle" sentiment from the Simple Salutations set, stamped on a girly pink strip and set on the top patterned paper panel, ties it all together.

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers:  Market Street Stamps Hippie Chic and Simple Salutations stamp sets, X-Press white Copic blending cardstock, Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Copic markers (E41, E42, R85), Authentique Delightful 6x6 paper pad, Zva Creative clear crystal flourish, Maya Road cream ruffle edge trim, Ranger Petal Pink Liquid Pearls, May Arts solid/two tone satin white ribbon, Sticky Thumb dimensional dots


other:
Kiwi Kiss cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Sweet Corn cardstock (Gina K Designs);  grass border punch (Martha Stewart)

(Not) Just My Type

This week’s Our Craft Lounge challenge is to make a project with a vintage style. Whenever I see vintage style as part of a challenge, I panic! It’s just not a style I’m comfortable with, but I did give it my best shot for this card using the Years Gone By set  and the current Sweet Sunday Sketch challenge.

I used the set’s vintage typewriter as my focal image. It’s stamped in black ink on a cream panel. To give it an aged look, I inked the panel’s edges with some distress ink before layering it on a dark brown panel. I covered the cardfront with a patterned paper with a vintage typewriter key print, then added the image panel at an angle. Two notch ended strips, one from kraft cardstock and one from dark brown twill, extend from the left end of the image panel.

The set’s “just my type” sentiment is stamped on a cream circle and also inked around the edges with distress ink. I attached it to the opposite side of the image panel and accented it with a small felt heart. For a final vintage-style touch, I threaded a pearl-topped stick pin through the heart.

Stop by the OCL blog for all the details on the challenge, including how you can win a $20 gift certificate for playing along.

Materials Used:
Years Gone By stamp set (Our Craft Lounge); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko); Tea Dye distress ink (Ranger); Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, and Dark Chocolate cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); designer paper (Webster’s Pages); circle punches (EK Success); heart die (Verve); felt (Papertrey Ink); brown twill (Martha Stewart); stick pin

Make the Grade

Here’s my card for this week’s My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club sketch challenge. I made another teacher card, this time using the Pure Innocence Emma and Her Backpack image.

Emma is colored with Copic markers and cut out. I added a clear crystal at the center of the flower in her hair for just a little bling. I mixed and matched a few different patterns from a Studio Calico paper pack for the card’s panels. I thought the ABC block pattern was perfect for a school-themed card—and that the star pattern was, too! The panels are arranged on a red card base. I stamped the “you make the grade” sentiment from another Pure Innocence set in red ink on a cream circle and added that to the cardfront. A piece of faux stitched red grosgrain ribbon makes a simple coordinating accent for the panel.

Materials Used: 
Pure Innocence Emma and Her Backpack and You Make the Grade stamp sets (My Favorite Things); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Memento Tuxedo Black and Lady Bug inks (Tsukineko); markers (Copic); Real Red, Blushing Bride, and Very Vanilla cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Hometown Summer 6x6 papers (Studio Calico); circle punches (EK Success); clear crystal (Recollections); red grosgrain ribbon (?); foam tape

Blogger Challenge: Week 253

This week’s blogger challenge is to make your own background paper. This is something I used to do more often as a beginning stamper, but now that I have a big patterned paper collection, I don’t do as much. I used the number stamps from the Alpha Dots set from Clear and Simple Stamps to create a fun patterned paper to use on a birthday card.

The numbers are stamped in primary colors on a white panel. There’s a definite pattern to how I stamped, even though things didn’t line up exactly straight. I set the patterned panel on a blue mat and wrapped the pieces with red grosgrain ribbon before setting them on a red card base.

I die cut a circle from a piece of yellow paper and stamped a dotted outline along the edge of the circle, matching the dot pattern found on the numbers. The “look who is turning” sentiment from the Number Blocks set is stamped in red on the circle and finished off with a foam “4” sticker. I set the circle on the cardfront, cutting off the right edge so it was even with the blue panel.  I think that the bold primary color scheme paired with the texture of the foam number sticker  makes a fun child's birthday card.

For more ideas for making your own background paper, check out the link list below (link list will be added in the morning).  And, if you’d like to join the challenge, use the Linky Tools widget to add a direct link to your new project.

Materials Used:
Number Blocks, Alpha Dots, and Shapes: Circles stamp sets, Haute Red Couture, True Blue Fan, and Say Yellow to All Your Fans inks, Dare to Be a Diva Red, Your Style Blue Me Away, Say Yellow to All Your Fans, and A Blanc Check cardstock, Shapes: Circles die (Clear and Simple Stamps); red grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); foam number sticker (American Crafts)

Welcome Baby Boy

Here’s my card for this week’s Waltzingmouse sketch challenge. I used the sketch to create a simple card to welcome a baby boy.

I combined sentiments from the new Compact Sentiments set and the Lil’ Buddies set to create the “welcome baby” focal image. The blue on blue stamped panel is set on a white scalloped circle with paper piecing at the center (or close to the center!) of each scallop. I set the panel on a strip of white cardstock stamped with one of the patterns from the Gingham and Co. set. A strip of coordinating light blue satin ribbon runs down the center of the panel. I used my Bow Easy to make a pretty matching bow to set under the sentiment.

Instead of adding another patterned paper to the mix, I embossed a piece of blue cardstock with a dotted pattern. The embossed panel is set on a light blue card base and the strip with the sentiment is attached to the panel’s center to finish the monochromatic design.

 Materials Used: 
Compact Sentiments, Lil’ Buddies, and Gingham & Co. stamp sets (Waltzingmouse Stamps); Bashful Blue Classic ink, Brocade Blue, Bashful Blue, and Whisper White cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); circle and scalloped circle dies (Spellbinders); Polka Dot embossing folder (Lifestyle Crafts); light blue satin ribbon (Michaels); Bow Easy

Happy Place

***Scroll down to the post below to see my post for the Tiddly Inks birthday celebration!***

Here’s my card for the current Paper Smooches Sparks inspiration challenge. The fruit-filled cones in the photo look both yummy and summery, so I tried to capture those feelings in my card using the Get Outta Town set along with the current Clean and Simple Stamping sketch.

I colored the pineapple drink image—it’s color and texture seemed similar to that of the cones in the photo—with Copic markers and cut it out. For some texture, I added Yellow Stickles to the lemon slice and a dot of Glossy Accents to the cherry.

I sifted through my cardstock scraps and found a bunch of already punched/cut circles in different sizes and colors. They’re arranged over a strip of patterned paper that I set on a white card base. I debated using a colored card base, but with so many colors from the circles, I decided to go with the plain white. I used a dimensional dot to set the colored and cut out image on the large orange circle at the center, then stamped the set’s “go to your happy place” sentiment underneath it in black ink.

Materials Used: 
from i {heart} papers: Paper Smooches Get Outta Town stamp set, X-Press white Copic blending cardstock, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Copic markers (R12, R22, R24, Y11, Y13, Y18, Y32, E23, E25, E27, B000, B000), Teresa Collins Carolina Breeze 6x6 paper pad, Ranger Yellow Stickles and Glossy Accents, Sticky Thumb dimensional dots 

other: Real Red, Gable Green, Pumpkin Pie, Tempting Turquoise, and Yoyo Yellow cardstock (Stampin’ Up!)

Tiddly Inks Anniversary

I was both thrilled and honored to be invited to participate as a special guest in the Tiddly Inks 2nd Birthday Bash. Christy draws some of the cutest images around and it was so fun to get to play with one as part of the festivities. Here’s the card I made to mark the occasion.

I used the super sweet Wryn—Grow a Little Love image for my card. Wryn’s colored with Copic markers. I’m really happy with how the colored image came out—and that doesn’t happen too often! There’s just a touch of clear Stardust glitter on the flowers and on the barrette in her hair--love that pen tip for getting the glitter just where I want it in small spaces! I used a long scalloped rectangle die cut to make a coordinating frame for the image.

The framed image is set on a floral patterned paper panel along with a dot embossed aqua panel. I wrapped a strip of red ribbon around the card and added the coordinating sentiment over the ribbon. A matching piece of knotted ribbon is set at the top of the sentiment as an accent.

 Be sure to check out the Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog to see what the rest of this week’s guests have created. Thanks again to Tiddly Inks for inviting me to join the celebration!

Materials Used: 
Wryn-Grow a Little Love digi image and Grow a Little Love sentiment (Tiddly Inks); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); markers (Copic); Aqua Mist and Hawaiian Shores cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Real Red cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Fresh Goods-Local Market designer paper (Pebbles); long rectangle and scalloped long rectangle dies (Spellbinders); circle punches (EK Success); red grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); Swiss Dot embossing folder (Cuttlebug); clear Stardust glitter pen (Sakura)

Color Throwdown 189-You're a Lifesaver

It’s time for another Color Throwdown! This week, Kristin’s our hostess and she’s sharing a color combination inspired by a pretty piece of patterned paper—So Saffron, Pool Party, Night of Navy, Calypso Coral, and Cherry Cobbler. I used one of the new releases from The Cat’s Pajamas along with this week’s sketch from I Spy Sketches for this nautical-themed number.

The sailing bunny from the new Aye, Aye Captain set is my focal image. The bunny’s colored with Copic markers, cut out, and set adrift between waves cut with TCP’s CutUps Wave die. To make sure I’d get all five of the challenge colors in, I squeezed in a bit of coral on the bunny’s nose! The aqua sky behind him is embossed with a dot pattern to add interest.

I set three strips of aqua cardstock on the yellow card base, then added a coordinating patterned paper circle cut from a piece of paper with a subtle grid pattern. Both the circle and the image panel are layered on Cherry Cobbler cardstock for a nice pop against the paler yellow and aqua behind them. I used my Bow Easy to make a pretty navy satin bow for the top of the image panel. The set’s “you’re a lifesaver” sentiment is stamped in red ink just beneath the trio of aqua strips.

To play along, just create a paper crafted project using these colors as a starting point and add a direct link to your finished project using the linky tool found at the end of this week's CTD post. As always, if you don’t have exact color matches, something close works just fine. And, if you upload your project to an online gallery, use the keyword CTD189. Before you get started, here’s some inspiration from the talented Color Throwdown team and April’s guestie, Julia Aston:

** Barbara ** Broni ** Danielle ** Joan ** Kerri **
** Kristin ** Lynn ** Tammy ** Wanda **
April Guestie Julia Aston

Materials Used:

Aye, Aye Captain stamp set, Neenah white cardstock, CutUps Wave die (The Cat's Pajamas); Memento Tuxedo Black and Rhubarb Stalk inks (Tsukineko); markers (Copic); So Saffron, Cherry Cobbler, and Night of Navy cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Aqua Mist cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Fresh Goods-Flower Basket designer paper (Pebbles); circle dies (Spellbinders); Swiss Dot embossing folder (Cuttlebug); navy blue satin ribbon (Michaels); Bow Easy; foam tape

April Papertrey Ink Blog Hop Challenge

This month’s Papertrey Ink blog hop challenge is to be inspired by this pretty stack of fabrics.  I made a simple but still feminine card based on the inspiration photo’s color scheme and floral images. I used the roses from Rosie Posie as my focal image.

The roses were stamped in a pale pink ink and shaded subtly with several different pink Copic markers to add depth and interest. This was the first time I'd tried shading a solid stamped image and I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out.  After cutting out the shaded images, I layered them at the edge of a Mat Stack 1 die cut along with a single leaf. The “best wishes” sentiment from the Four of a Kind set is stamped in Raspberry Fizz ink in the open space.

 I kept the layout simple to really let the flowers shine. The card’s Aqua Mist base has a panel of dotted Aqua Mist paper on the bottom half, edged with a narrow strip of Raspberry Fizz cardstock for a pop of color.

Materials Used: 
Rosie Posie and Four of a Kind stamp sets, Raspberry Fizz and Ripe Avocado inks, Aqua Mist, Raspberry Fizz, and Aqua Mist cardstock, Aqua Mist Bitty Dot patterned paper, Mat Stack 1 and Mat Stack 1 Layerz dies (Papertrey Ink); Memento Angel Pink ink (Tsukineko); markers (Copic); foam tape

TCP Release Blog Hop

Welcome to The Cat's Pajamas new release blog hop!  You should be arriving here from Jen's blog and if not, head over to Julie to start from the top so you don't miss a thing. In addition to showing off the latest releases from The Cat's Pajamas, we're all sharing projects for this week's TCP Tuesday challenge to make and use handmade flowers.

I made a fun window card using the new CutUps Window die as the focal point.  I cut the window from white cardstock and "aged" it a bit with distress ink.  Since I planned to have my card so that you're looking in the window from outside, I used a dotted patterned paper for wallpaper and a coordinating solid cardstock to cut curtains and placed those on the back (or inside) of the window, behind a piece of acetate I attached to get a glass-like look.  The piece is set on an orange mat to set it off from the aqua card base.

For my flower element, I fashioned a window box from a pair of white rectangles.  After inking the edges of the window bow pieces, I added a piece of green cardstock cut with the CutUps Grass die at the top of the window box.  The grass is dotted with flowers cut with the CutUps Lacy Floral Doily die--a perfect way to use all those little flowers that you get when you cut one of these doilies!  A teeny, tiny self-adhesive pearl is attached to the center of each flower.  After tying a piece of orange ribbon around the window box, I used foam tape to set it in place.  The "bloom" sentiment from the new Bloom set is stamped at the bottom of the card in orange ink.

The next stop on the hop is Wendy.  You don't want to miss all the flower-filled goodness she's created to share with you!

Materials Used:
Bloom stamp set, CutUps Window, Grass, and Lacy Floral Doily dies (The Cat's Pajamas); Pretty in Pink, Pink Pirouette, Pumpkin Pie and Whisper White cardstock, Pumpkin Pie grosgrain ribbon (Stampin' Up!); Aqua Mist cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Stella & Rose-Mabel 6x paper pad (My Mind's Eye); Vivid Butterscotch ink (Clearsnap); self-adhesive pearls (Recollections); acetate; corner rounder; foam tape

Sneaky Peek: Quality Time

It's the final day of The Cat's Pajamas Sneaky Peek week.  The last set is called Quality Time and features PJ and mini PJ cuddled up on the couch with a book--one of my favorite pastimes!

I used this month's Sketch for You to Try for the layout of my card.  The image is partly colored with Copic markers (the bears and book) and partly paper pieced (the couch). I cut out the completed image and used foam tape to set it on a gold panel.  The set's "books give you something to dream about" sentiment is stamped underneath the couch in orange ink.

I used a pair of patterned papers from the same paper pad as I used for the couch for the two panels on the cardfront.  Each panel is layered on a yellow mat, then set on a blue panel.  I wrapped the chevron panel with orange grosgrain ribbon to add some texture.  After attaching the image panel, I put a piece of knotted grosgrain ribbon at the bottom of the panel.

Be sure to stop by Alma's blog for links to all the Cat Pack members and guests who will be sharing Sneaky Peeks today.  And, don't forget to stop by our In It to Win It thread in the TCP forum on SCS to chat with the Cat Pack and other TCP fans--and for a chance to win one of the new releases for yourself.  We'll be having a release party in the forum tonight (8-10 PM eastern) complete with games, prizes, more peeks, and lots of chatter--hope you'll join us for the fun!

Materials Used:
Quality Time stamp set, Neenah white cardstock (The Cat's Pajamas); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko); Vivid Butterscotch ink (Clearsnap); markers (Copic); Bashful Blue, So Saffron, and Pumpkin Pie cardstock (Stampin' Up!); A Boy's Life 6x6 paper pad (Echo Park); circle dies (Spellbinders); orange grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); foam tape

Birthday Blues

Here's my card for the final Viva la Verve sketch for April.  When I first saw this sketch, I wasn't quite sure how to tackle it, but once I had an idea in mind, it came together pretty quickly.

I made a mostly monochromatic masculine birthday card using the sketch. I used an aqua grid patterned paper to cover most of the cardfront.  The trio of darker blue geometric pieces on the cardfront were cut from a notch-edged strip.  I cut off the two smaller pieces from the notched end of the strip (the notch is on the left side of the piece, the matching cut's on the right), then flipped one of the small pieces over on to what was left of the strip and traced it to get a matching pointed piece (I know this probably doesn't sound clear, but it was easy to do, even for a spatially challenged person like me!).

After arranging the pieces on the grid patterned panel, I added  the "have a happy birthday" sentiment from Verve's Happy Days set.  The sentiment is stamped in blue ink on a white panel and layered on an aqua pinking edged circle.  A little button, tied with twine, is the only embellishment.  The geometric blocks at the bottom of the card add a lot of interest, so I didn't think I needed to add much else.

Materials Used:
Happy Days stamp set (Verve Stamps); Ocean Tides ink, Aqua Mist and Ocean Tides cardstock, Aqua Mist button (Papertrey Ink); Fresh Goods-Flower Basket designer paper (Pebbles); circle and pinking circle dies (Spellbinders); twine (Hemptique)

Sneaky Peek: Wish

Sneaky Peek week at The Cat's Pajamas continues today with a look at the new Wish set.  I just can't get enough of that adorable bunny!

For this card, I left the bunny pretty "bare" colorwise and focused on adding a bold yellow moon instead.  When I cut out the image panel, I cut off the star dangling from the end of the branch in the bunny's hand so I could add a piece of TCP's beige linen thread extending from the branch and a big sparkly silver star brad at the end instead for a fun, whimsical touch.

I carried the star theme over to the patterned paper I used to cover the cardfront.  The patterned paper at the center of the card is the pattern found on the reverse of the star paper.  A piece of cream seam binding is wrapped around the patterned paper strip and the image panel is set over that.  I added the set's "catch a dream" set to the card on a smaller circle panel, stamped in blue to match the background on the patterned paper.

Be sure to stop by Alma's blog for links to all the Cat Pack members and guests who will be sharing Sneaky Peeks today.  And, don't forget to stop by our In It to Win It thread in the TCP forum on SCS to chat with the Cat Pack and other TCP fans--and for a chance to win one of the new releases for yourself!  I'm off to watch some hockey playoff games this afternoon (go Caps!!!), but I'll stop in to the In It to Win It thread to say "hi!" in between the action.

Materials Used:
Wish stamp set, Neenah white cardstock, cream seam binding, beige linen thread (The Cat's Pajamas); Memento Tuxedo Black and Bahama Blue inks (Tsukineko); markers (Copic); Pacific Point and Kiwi Kiss cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Amy Tangerine-Stars Stitches & Stripes designer paper (American Crafts); circle dies (Spellbinders); star brad (Recollections); Bow Easy; foam tape

Sew Happy

Here's my card for this week's Our Craft Lounge challenge to use a vintage button or buttons.  I combined the challenge with this week's CAS-ual Fridays sketch challenge for this simple sewing themed card.

For one of the sketch's small square panels, I used an almost square piece of white fabric with delicate pink dots.  To coordinate with the card's sewing theme, I cut the fabric piece with pinking shears and machine stitched around the edges before adhering it to the kraft panel.  I added a vintage-ish cream button, tied with kraft twine, at the bottom corner of the panel.  The "sew happy for you" sentiment from the Years Gone By set is stamped just under the button in brown ink.

To add a little interest to the design, I inked around the edges of the kraft panel with some distress ink.  After machine stitching around the panel's edges, I attached it to a light pink card base.

Stop by the OCL blog to check out the details about the challenge--there's a $20 OCL gift certificate up for grabs for one randomly selected participant in this month's challenges . . .

Materials Used:
Years Gone By stamp set (Our Craft Lounge); Memento Rich Cocoa ink (Tsukineko); Tea Dye distress ink (Ranger); Pink Pirouette and Crumb Cake cardstock (Stampin' Up!); cream button (Papertrey Ink); kraft twine (Hemptique); fabric; sewing machine

Sneaky Peek: The Mustache Set

Happy Saturday! The Cat's Pajamas Sneaky Peek week continues today with a look at The Mustache Set--and I bet that as you hop around today to check out the peeks, you'll see a lot of the matching CutUps Mustaches dies, too.

Here's my clean and simple card using the set and one of the coordinating CutUps dies.  I couldn't wait to cut a mustache out of felt!

The felt mustache takes center stage in my design.  I used the second largest die to cut it out, then set it at the top of an orange circle.  The circle's set on a piece of star patterned paper.  I ran a strip of light blue cardstock across the card, just underneath the mustache and stamped the set's "Curses! Foiled again" sentiment underneath it in orange ink.  I slipped a piece of kraft cardstock underneath the circle and sentiment strip along the bottom of the card to break up the pattern a bit and keep the focus on the mustache.

Be sure to stop by Alma's blog for links to all the Cat Pack members and guests who will be sharing Sneaky Peeks today.  And, don't forget to stop by our In It to Win It thread in the TCP forum on SCS to chat with the Cat Pack and other TCP fans--and for a chance to win one of the new releases for yourself!


Materials Used:
The Mustache Set, CutUps Mustache dies (The Cat's Pajamas); Bashful Blue, Pumpkin Pie, and Crumb Cake cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Blink of an Eye 6x6 paper pad (My Mind's Eye); Vivid Butterscotch ink (Clearsnap); circle die (Spellbinders); felt (Clear and Simple Stamps)

Have a Kickin' Birthday

Here's my card for this week's My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club sketch challenge.  I stretched the sketch to a standard A2 size to make this fun birthday card.

I used the Pure Innocence Karate Boy set for my focal image.  The boy's colored with Copic markers and set on a light blue panel with foam tape.  The set's birthday sentiment is stamped in the open space at the upper right corner of the panel.  The clear stamp made it easy to stamp the sentiment in three lines instead of one long one.

I used some vibrant dotted paper for the panel underneath the image.  It's edged with a yellow strip cut with the Chevron Stripes die--I think the piece I used is actually the "middle" piece that you get when you leave the two dies attached and cut a strip of paper.  I set the patterned paper panel on a dot embossed teal panel, then added the image panel on top.  I wrapped some yellow baker's twine around a red notch-edged strip and secured it with a button, then added the strip beneath the karate kid's feet.  I can think of a few little boys that might like to get this card for their birthday . . .

Materials Used:
Pure Innocence Karate Boy stamp set, Die-Namics Chevron Stripes die (My Favorite Things); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko); markers (Copic); Taken with Teal, Pure Poppy, Soft Sky, and Daffodil Delight cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Hip Hooray-Boy designer paper (My Mind's Eye); Swiss Dot embossing folder (Cuttlebug); yellow baker's twine (The Twinery); red button (Michaels); foam tape

Sneaky Peek: Aye, Aye Captain

Are you ready for another Sneaky Peek for the upcoming release from The Cat's Pajamas? I hope so! The peeks continue today with a look at the new Aye, Aye Captain set. I combined my peek with this week’s blogger challenge, a great sketch designed by our challenge leader, Lisa.

I stamped the boating bunny image on a white cardstock panel, using the out of the box technique to accommodate his big floppy ears. I colored the image with Copic markers to coordinate with the mostly red and teal papers I used on the cardfront. A blue dotted panel covers most of the cardfront. I found a piece with wavy, curly-q lines for the panel at the center of the card—it seemed like a good match for the image’s water theme! It’s edged along the top and bottom with a red strip cut with TCP’s Circus Border CutUps die for a fun detail.

Be sure to check out Alma’s blog for a full list of all of the Cat Pack members who will be sharing sneak peeks today. And, don’t forget to stop by our In It to Win It thread in the TCP forum on SCS. A random commenter will be picked each day to win a set from the new release!

Materials Used:
Aye, Aye Captain stamp set, Neenah white cardstock, CutUps Circus Border die (The Cat’s Pajamas); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko); markers (Copic); Bermuda Bay and Riding Hood Red cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Aqua Mist cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Miss Caroline-Dilly Dally 6x6 paper pad (My Mind’s Eye)

Merci

Here’s my card for this week’s Waltzingmouse sketch challenge. Once again, I turned to the Paris Nouveau set for my card. It’s pretty simple but still has a somewhat vintage twist, thanks to the patterned paper and the lace accent.

I used the Eiffel Tower as my focal image. It’s stamped on pale gray paper in darker gray ink and cut out. I set it on a pale blue cardfront with a strip of text patterned paper with a polka dot pattern. Some stray pieces of pearl flourish are set on the cardfront, coming out from underneath the tower and creating a fancy frame for the image.

I stamped the set’s “merci” sentiment in the same gray ink on a darker blue notch-edged panel and set that at the side of the card. Instead of using a scalloped piece along the left side of the card, I found some frilly lace and attached it to the card with a narrow strip of ScorTape. Again, a little out of my typical style, but I'm happy with it.

Materials Used:
Paris Nouveau stamp set (Waltzingmouse Stamps); Soft Sky and Baja Breeze cardstock (Stampin’ Up); Smokey Shadow ink, Soft Stone cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Lost & Found-Portobello Road 6x6 paper pad (My Mind’s Eye); lace trim (Hobby Lobby); pearl flourish (Want2Scrap); foam tape

Riding By

Here’s my card for the current Market Street Stamps Paint the Town color challenge. I combined the four colors--berry, lemongrass, spring green, and patina—for a simple spring scene using the Riding By set.

To make the scene I started with a piece of white cardstock with a torn strip of green cardstock that had been stamped with the Mesh background stamp in matching green ink. After adhering the green cardstock at the bottom of the panel, I stamped the set’s bike image. It overlapped the green slightly, including parts of the image that should have been white, so I used a white gel pen to cover the green—an easy fix! I used some distress ink and a cloud template to sponge in a sky background, then colored the bike image with Copic markers.

The panel’s set on a pale yellow card base along with a strip of chevron patterned designer paper that matches the challenge colors. I stamped the “riding by to say hi” sentiment on a notch edged strip and placed it at the bottom of the image panel. For a little texture, I added a pair of die cut white felt clouds and a cheery yellow button “sun” threaded with yellow baker’s twine.

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Market Street Stamps Riding By and Mesh Background stamp sets, X-Press white Copic blending cardstock, Memento Tuxedo Black and Pear Tart inks, Copic markers (R12, R24, R27, C-1, C-3), Ranger Inkssentials white pen, Lily Bee Design Handmade Tiny Tablet, Polika white felt, Divine Twine yellow baker’s twine

other: Barely Banana and Pear Pizzazz cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Hawaiian Shores cardstock, Lemon Tart button (Papertrey Ink); Tumbled Glass distress ink (Ranger); CutUps Cloud Border die (The Cat’s Pajamas)

Viva la Verve Trio

I spent a little time this week getting caught up on this month's Viva la Verve sketches. I managed to get April's first three sketches done, leaving me with one more to do over the weekend.

For my card for week one’s sketch, I was going for a masculine look. With that in mind, I kept the design pretty clean and simple.

I used both sides of a piece of kraft patterned papers to make the panels for the cardfront. The patterns have a kind of distressed look that I thought would work nicely for a masculine design. I layered each piece on a contrasting red mat before setting them on the teal card base. I machine stitched around one of the panels, but probably should have done that for both for a consistent look . . .

I stamped the “may all your dreams come true” sentiment from Verve’s Always on My Mind stamp set off–center on a cream panel in black ink, then stamped the hanging star image to the right of the words. The string attached to the star wasn’t long enough to extend to the top of the panel, so I used a fine-tipped black marker to extend it. I colored the star a gold-ish color, then added a little clear glitter over top. A little, teeny tiny bit of glitter’s okay on a masculine card, right?

Materials Used:
Always on My Mind stamp set (Verve Stamps); Taken with Teal, Very Vanilla cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Kraft Funday designer paper (My Mind’s Eye); marker (Copic); circle dies (Spellbinders); clear Stardust pen (Sakura); sewing machine

Here’s my card for week two’s sketch. This card is going to a colleague of my dad’s as a get well card, so I picked a cheery red and yellow color combination.

I mixed and matched two different patterns from an older Lily Bee Design paper pad for the panels on the cardfront. I used a busier floral print for the trio of panels in the background and a simpler dotted one for the panel in front. When sketches have a bunch of panels like this, I usually have a hard time getting them sized and matched up evenly, but it seemed to happen pretty easily on this card.

I used the “hugs and smiles” sentiment from the Kind Words set as the focal image. It’s stamped in red ink on a cream oval. I added one of the flower images from the Wishful Elegance set to fill in the empty space at the top of the panel. I colored the petals with Copic markers to match the card’s red and yellow color scheme and placed a pretty self-adhesive pearl at the center.

Materials Used:
Kind Words and Wishful Elegance stamp sets (Verve Stamps); Memento Rhubarb Stalk ink (Tsukineko); markers (Copic); Very Vanilla, So Saffron, and Riding Hood Red cardstock, So Saffron grosgrain ribbon (Stampin’ Up!); This and That Tiny Tablet (Lily Bee Design); oval dies (Spellbinders); self-adhesive pearl (Recollections); foam tape

This one's for week three's sketch. I made another masculine card, this time for a birthday.

I used the balloon pair from the Birthday Bash as my focal image. I colored the balloons with Copic markers, cut them out, and attached them to a kraft panel with foam tape. The panel's layered on a rust mat, then set on a fun patterned paper panel.

For the two side panels, I used strips of gold cardstock. I accented the end of each strip with a pair of copper brads. The set's birthday sentiment is stamped in brown on the lower strip. I ended up leaving off the embellishment on the panel because of the placement of the balloon images, but I think the layout still works without it.

Materials Used:
Birthday Bash stamp set (Verve); Crumb Cake cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Ocean Tides cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Sweet Corn and Pumpkin Spice cardstock (Gina K Designs); Away We Go 6x6 paper pad (My Mind's Eye); circle dies (Spellbinders); copper brads (Recollections); foam tape

TCP Sneaky Peek: Bloom

The Cat's Pajamas is gearing up for a big stamp release next week. Today's day two of our Sneaky Peek week and the Cat Pack's giving you a preview of the new Bloom stamp set. Yes, the bunny's back--and this time, he's bringing a bouquet full of springy flowers!

I used this week's SCS sketch challenge as the basis for my card. The bouquet-bearing bunny is colored with Copic markers and cut out. It doesn't show well in the photo, but the center of each flower's dotted with just a bit of glitter for a fun sparkle. I arranged him on a pair of layered notch-edged strips (it took me what seemed like forever to get these cut and lined up evenly . . .) using some foam tape.

I covered the rose cardfront with a pretty floral patterned paper to match the colors of the bunny's bouquet. In keeping with the flower theme, I cut a piece of white cardstock with the pretty CutUps Lacy Floral Doily die and set that on the cardfront, then added the notch-edged strip with the bunny on top.

The set's "bloom" sentiment is stamped on a rose cardstock strip to set it off from the pattern beneath it. I wrapped the end of the strip with some green baker's twine to add a little frilly touch to the design.

Be sure to check out Alma's blog today for a full list of Cat Pack designers and talented guests who will be sharing additional peeks at this set. And, don't forget about our In It to Win It thread in the TCP forum on SCS. Stop by and leave a comment for a chance to win one of the new releases!

Materials Used:
Bloom stamp set, Neenah White cardstock, CutUps Lacy Floral Doily die, Divine Twine green baker's twine (The Cat's Pajamas); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko); markers (Copic); Regal Rose and Certainly Celery cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Southern Chicken Dumpling Soup-New Potatoes designer paper (Jillibean Soup); clear Stardust glitter pen (Sakura); foam tape

Color Throwdown 188-Sweet Little One

It’s time for another Color Throwdown! This week, Kerri’s brought us a pretty color combination to try—Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, and Always Artichoke. I made a sweet, girly baby card using the colors and images from Clear and Simple Stamps.

I used one of the baby buggy images from the Punny Baby set as my focal image. It’s colored with Copic markers and cut out, then set on a pink gingham panel with some die cut grass strips. The grass was cut with CSS’s grass die and stamped with the matching dotted image. I edged the gingham panel with light green strips and added a die cut ric rac strip along one edge for a bright pop of pink.

After setting the panel on a light pink card base, I the “sweet little one” sentiment (part of a longer sentiment from the Baby Sentiments set) on a white panel accented with a green button dressed up with a piece of knotted green satin ribbon. I placed a die cut fluffy felt cloud in the open space on the left side of the panel for one final, whimsical touch.

To play along, just create a paper crafted project using these colors as a starting point and add a direct link to your finished project using the linky tool found at the end of this week's CTD post. As always, if you don’t have exact color matches, something close works just fine. And, if you upload your project to an online gallery, use the keyword CTD188. Before you get started, here’s some inspiration from the talented Color Throwdown team and April’s guestie, Julia Aston:

** Barbara ** Broni ** Danielle ** Joan ** Kerri **
** Lynn ** Tammy ** Wanda **
April Guestie Julia Aston

Materials Used:
Baby Sentiments and Punny Baby stamp sets, Grass stamp/die combo set, Paint the Town Pink, Kraft Like a Rockstar Green, and Perfect Little Black Dress inks, I'm a Princess Pink, Green with Envy, Paint the Town Pink, and A Blanc Check cardstock, Copic markers (R81, R83, RV00, C-01, C-3, C-5), Spring die set (cloud) and Ric Rac die set, white felt, Kraft Like a Rockstar Green satin ribbon, Green with Envy button, Simple Adhesive (Clear and Simple Stamps); Fair Day 6x6 paper pad (SEI); foam tape

IHP Design Team Challenge: Fun with Felt

The theme for this month's i {heart} papers design team challenge is fun with felt. We were so excited when we came across this fabulous felt during our last afternoon at CHA in January so Kate could add it to the store. It comes in a great selection of colors and cuts beautifully in die cutting machines, which is usually how I use felt--but today I'm showing you a little something different . . .

I made a felt coffee cup cozy using some pink and white felt. I picked up a corrugated cardboard one at Starbucks and used that as a pattern for cutting the felt, cotton batting, and patterned fabric backing for the cozy. To dress it up a little I cut scalloped strips from white felt using an Edgeabilities die. After layering and pinning the material, I used my sewing machine to stitch it all together. Yes, I used my sewing machine for actual fabric--LOL! I didn't do the greatest or straightest stitching job, but the pieces all held together and that's a win in my eyes.

I made a matching gift card holder from a mini kraft bag (the bag is tiny--the small to go cup my cozy's wrapped around makes the bag look bigger than it is!). The pink color scheme and scallop edging on the gift card holder are designed to mimic the coffee cozy. I used some pink patterned paper to make a belly band and dressed it up with a to-go cup image from the Market Street Stamps Daily Grind stamp set. I popped a Starbucks gift card inside the bag and it's ready to go.

Don't miss what the rest of the IHP DT (and our talented April guest designer) came up with for the challenge. Here's where to find them:

• Guest Designer Karolyn Loncon
• Carolyn
• Deb
• Gretchen
• Loretta
• Lori--you're here!
• Lynn
• Tracy
• Kate

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Market Street Stamps Daily Grind stamp set, X-Press white Copic blending cardstock, Tsukineko Memento Rich Cocoa ink, Copic markers (B0000, R20), Authentique Delightful 6x6 paper pad, Canvas Corp tiny brown paper bag, Dusty Rose and Snow White felt, Spellbinders Classic Edges One Edgeabilities die (scallop)

other: Blushing Bride cardstock (Stampin' Up!); sewing machine

Waltzingmouse Stamps April Blog Party

The theme for this month’s Waltzingmouse Stamps blog party is “new beginnings.” I’ve had a bunch of requests for baby cards, so that’s the direction I took for my card for the dance.

I used the sweet lamb image from the Lil’ Buddies set along with the current Sweet Sunday Sketch challenge to create my card. I made a little scene for the lamb using green cardstock punched along the top edge with a grass border punch and a die cut panel sponged with blue ink and a cloud die. The set’s “ewe’re new” sentiment is stamped on the panel underneath the lamb in gray ink.

I used a fun diagonal plaid patterned paper to make the trio of notch-ended strips for the cardfront. Each strip is layered on a pink mat, then set on a green panel. A yellow scalloped strip, topped by a piece of pink gingham ribbon runs across the card. The image panel is set over that to finish the fun, spring-like design.

Materials Used:
Lil’ Buddies stamp set (Waltzingmouse Stamps); Memento London Fog ink (Tsukineko); markers (Copic); Bashful Blue Classic ink, Pretty in Pink, Daffodil Delight, Pear Pizzazz, and Whisper White cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Delightful 6x6 paper pad (Authentique); Sending You and medium scallop border dies (Papertrey Ink); grass border punch (Martha Stewart); pink grosgrain ribbon (Morex); foam tape