Orphan works bill

Did you know that there is a bill coming to the floor of the House and Senate that makes it legal for anyone to steal from you even if you copyright your work. Yup, that is right. They were shot down once before because of action against it --- but now they are back as bill numbers H.R. 5889 The Orphan Works Act of 2008 and S 2913 The Shawn Bentley Orphan Works Act of 2008

The bills, permit and even encourages, wide-scale infringements of visual art while depriving creators of protections currently available under the Copyright Act. And anything on the internet is fair game.

Any image found anywhere without a copyright attached will essentially become part of the public domain. And for people like me or other artists who make our living through our hands, it would be our death and the end of companies like ours.

So if you've posted cards and projects, even photos of your family and children, these can legally be "stolen" from the web and used any way the "thief" wants to. Imagine turning on the TV and seeing a picture of your mother in a laxative commercial. Or your son and daughter in a condom ad in a magazine. Or your card in an cold medicine ad.

Won't you tell your Representatives that you don't want this? Please. It just takes a moment, and this site makes it really easy. Just choose what email you want to send. You don't even have to know have to know who your reps are. Please click here.

Our only power is in our numbers.

Please pass this on to any one you know. Please, please help.

TCP Tuesdays

It's TCP Tuesday!

Head on over to Toni's blog today. She is the Hipster Hostess with the Mostess for this week's challenge.

It's the last challenge for this month that will put you in the running to be the Swanky Stamper of the Month.

Last month Therese B. was crown the very first Swanky Stamper with a wonderful mini coaster clipboard card. Will you be the next? You can only win if you play.

Want some inspiration. Check out the DT members to the left throughout the day to see their great cards.

Here are the deets. (Lifted from Ana's page.)
1. Each a week one of The Cat’s Pajamas DT members will host a challenge.
2. The challenges will vary {stamp, color, theme, sketch, etc.}
3. You will have until {this} Saturday night to complete the challenge.
4. Link your project on this week’s hostess’ challenge announcement. This week you will link your project HERE.
5. TCP stamps are not required, but of course, highly encouraged. {Unless it is a challenge calling for a specific stamp}
6. There will be one winner each month. They will be deemed that month’s Swankiest Stamper and get $25 in Cat’s Cash {money to spend on the TCP site!}.
7. When uploading to SCS, please use the keyword TCPTUES09 for this challenge.
8. Alma will post the entries from the week the following Monday on her blog.
9. The newly crowned Swanky Stamper will be announced on the First of the Month and have his/her winning entry posted on The Cat’s Pajamas website where he/she will reign for the entire month.

Holey Moley Mondays!

Oh ho, ho, ho! I am loving last week's challenge. If you missed that episode, it was a doozie. Let's recap. Carole (Hipster Hostess with the Mostess) set down one challenging challenge: Design a card inspired by a sitcom. It was a tough one, but a few fiddled the dials and made it happen. And boy, the results kept me glued to my chair. They made me laugh, they made me cry. They all wowed me with their cards. They all deserve an Emmy.

Check it tomorrow, same Bat time, same Bat channel, for the next challenge.

And make sure you check out Karrie's blog and enter for some yummy blog candy. But you better hurry, you only have until Tuesday 7 pm to enter.

If it's Tuesday, it must be a TCP Tuesday.

This Tuesday, Carole is the Hipster Hostess with the Mostess, and boy does she have a fun challenge for you. And her card is so clever. When I saw it I made Anthony get up and check it out. He started walking toward my brand spanking humungo screen (24" of Apple goodness). He started to say "Is it going to be really apparen... Oh!" And a smile broke out on his face. I love it when that happens.

So head on over to Carole's blog and check it out. I know you'll want to play. And while you are at it check the rest of the Design Team's blogs listed on the left side throughout the day. They just might have something that will cause a smile to break out on your face.

And if you want to play along, just post a link to your card in the comments section of Carole's challenge. If you post to SCS, make sure you use the keywords TCPTues08 so that we can all admire your work come Monday.

Holey Moley Mondays!

We had some really great cards this week! What? You aren't in there? C'mon and play along. This TCP Tuesday Carole is the Hipster Hostess with the Mostess. And boy, if her challenge doesn't inspire you, I don't know what will. Play along and I can guarantee you'll be up on the big screen next Monday.

Here we go! go!

Woo! Hoo! The Lakers won last night's game and advance to the Western Conference Finals.

Who would have thought that would have happened after they started rebuilding at the start of the season.

Check out this super cool animation that a Jazz Fan did to make us Lakers fans mad. It's from the Zoolander movie. Ha! Thank you!

Last weekend I got a new computer! I didn't really need it. I mean, the old computer was perfectly fine. I had it for 9 years and it showed no signs of slowing down. The reason I got it was because I had a low speed WI-Fi card and it was slowing down the internet speed for the whole house.

I got the 24" iMac and boy is it pretty. This was the first iMac I had ever got (having had only 2 computers in 20 years, my Power PC and my G4) and boy was it easy to set up. Literally, out of the box, plug in and it worked.

And then my Sweetie, Anthony, transferred over all my files. (Everyone should have a sweetie) Here is a shot of my new computer and what I am working on. The pink sticky lists the new clear sets that TCP will soon come out with. And on the screen somewhere is what I've been working on for Christmas. It's always hard working on Christmas when the temperature is nudging 90 degrees.

Finally a Blog

My eyes are not deceiving me. American Art Stamp FINALLY has a blog. One of my all-time favorite designers Michelle Giraud is the Design Team Coordinater and has put together this great blog for the brand-spanking new American Art Stamp Design Team.

And this team is full of talent. Amy Rohl, Cindy Haffner, Janine Orchard and Kirsten Dubosque make up this superstar team. Go check out the blog. They are doing some great work over there.

Holey Moley Mondays!

Holey Moley it's Monday! Take a look at all the great cards that were done for last week's TCP Tuesday.

Tomorrow there's a new challenge. Leigh is the Hipster Hostess with the Mostest. What challenge will she give you?

And remember to come back Monday, same Cat Time, same Cat Channel to see what all the players came up with.

What a Slug I've been

Yes. A complete and utter slug as far as posting is concerned. Y'all are keeping me busy (thank you). I am running around filling orders left and right. We are still a little behind, but we are catching up.

So for those loyal blog readers, I'm sharing another wonderful card from Tracy Falco. She doesn't have a blog, so she kindly said I could post her cards on my blog. The rocket ship and the asterisks are from our new set "It's a Mod, Mod World" and the sentiment is actually on one line, but she stamped it on 2 lines so that it would fit nicely in the tag.

I just love the black and white and red colors in this card. Did you notice the clever use of shredded paper on the rocket ship? Love it!

Time to play! This week Katie is the Hipster Hostess with the Mostess.

She's hosting a stamp challenge with one of her favorite stamps. Do you have that stamp? I hope you'll play along if you do.

And if you are looking for inspiration, check out some of the other Design Team member's blogs on the right side throughout the day.

Remember to leave a link to your design in Katie's blog. And if you post on SCS use the keywords TCPTues06 so we can find you and drool over your creation.

Have FUN!

Holy Moley! It's Monday.

Hope everyone had a great weekend! I flew to Dallas/Forth Worth this weekend to play in the Arlington ShoeBox Swap. Not only did I get to meet up with the oh so fabulous My Favorite Things Lady, Kim, but also Carole Burrage and Jen del Muro from The Cat's Pajamas DT. And so many other equally fabulous people. Emily and Jackie did a great job putting this altogether. I feel quite blessed.

And then I felt even more blessed when I opened up my email saw all the projects of everyone who played last week in Toni's Blue Challenge.

Take a look.

And the winner of The Cat's Pajamas very first Swanky Stamper of the Month award is.....ThereseB.

Woot! Woot!

Her mini coaster clipboard just floored me with it's swankyliciousness. The colors, the patterns, the textures, the bling just screamed "Pick Me".

So I did.

Congrats Therese for being the very first Swanky Stamper.
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