Holey Moley Monday

Holey Moley it's Monday. AND it's the last day of the month, which means the newly crowned Swanky Stamper of the Month will be revealed. Will it be you? You can only win if you play. Take a look at these contestants.

Design Team

There has been a really interesting thread going on over at Splitcoast Stampers.

The original poster writes: "I would love to be on a design team. I don't think I'm necessarily at that level, but I also sometimes feel like if I could spend copious amounts of money on anything I needed, then maybe I could be...I guess I just wish that a company would see my stuff and be like, wow, she does really good for not spending much money and not owning every copic marker and prima and ribbon and latest stamps and paper and embellies known to man."

There have been some really great answers posted and a couple by Gina K and Kim.
So I thought I'd put my two cents in.

First, you do not need to have every embellishment and die and marker known to man.
In fact, I would prefer that you didn't. What is most important for me when I look at design, is the design. Does it Wow me? Do you make the stamp sing? Is there joy in the design?

Secondly, I look to see how you use my stamps.
Yes. I look to see if you use my stamps. Any stamp company owner will tell you that they think their designs are unique. Flatter us. We want to see how you use the stamps and how the designs work with how we market the brand. We want to see that you like using our stamps. If you are chosen to be on the team we make no small investment with you with stamps and product and goodies, and the like. If you can't afford stamps, visit the PIF and Wish Rak areas of SCS and see if anyone will trade images with you for TCP images without having to buy tons of them.

Thirdly, take good pictures and post them somewhere.
In a gallery, on your blog. Somewhere we can look at them. And if you get chosen for my team, I use these photos in the gallery on the website. So taking good pictures is important.

Fourth, make contact.
Because TCP is such a small company I don't the time that I'd like to look for the perfect new member. So I take recommendations, look at designers who play on TCP Tuesdays, and drop me emails. If I don't know you are there, it's hard for me to find you.

Fifth. Wait.
TCP has a very select, small group of Design Team Members. Several have been with us almost since the beginning. When one team member leaves, I look for another. I look through all the links and emails that have been accumulating in my design team files and see what everyone has been doing. There have been a couple of outstanding members who, I'm sure, were a little surprised to get an email from me letting them know there was a spot opening up a year after they emailed me.

I hope this helps for anyone who is interested in being on the TCP DT.

Sorry. There aren't any positions open, but let me know you are there.

P.S. If you email me that you'd like to be on the design team you can bet I will make a beeline to your blog or gallery and see how many TCP cards you've done or if we are even in your "Favorite companies" list. You'd be amazed how many times that I am approached and the designer hasn't posted any cards or even mentioned TCP at all.

It is more important for me to have a person on my design team that likes my designs than it is to have a big name, though I do have the best of both worlds. Once you become a DT member, you become one of the TCP family. We value your opinions, ask your advice, look to you for creative vision. I don't want someone on the team who is just "making the rounds" .

I have a great friend who has a DT and she mentioned to me once when discussing adding members to it, that she would only take on members who absolutely loved her stamps and stamped the heck out of them. I think that's great thinking.

TCP Tuesdays

It's TCP Tuesday and Leigh is today's Hipster Hostess with the Mostess with swanky new color challenge!

Some of our super talented design team members have already posted their work. Hope you'll play along this week.

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, (in the comment section).
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 TCPTUES13 for this challenge.
8. Alma (that's me) 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!

Take a look at all the great entries for last Tuesday's Challenge. Hipster Hostess with the Mostess, Carole, took her inspiration from a great big bow she saw at a Chi-Chi hotel.

Tomorrow Leigh will be taking the reins from Toni for the week and doing the color challenge.

This month Michelle Giraud was crowned the June Swanky Stamper with her oh-so-fantastic Mod Baby Card. Will you be the next? You can only win if you play. Remember, you don't have to play every time. Just do one challenge and you could be the winner.

TCP Tuesdays

It's TCP Tuesday!

There has been a little technical difficultly as far as the blogs are concerned. So if you've been chomping at the bit to see what is in store for you, wait no longer.

Today's Hipster Hostess with the Mostess is Carole and she has got some kinda inspiring challenge for you.

Remember, if you play, post a link here to the photo of your work of art by Saturday. If you post to Splitcoast make sure you use the keyword TCPTues12 so that we can find it. Then, come back here on Monday to see your lovely piece and see what others were inspired to do.

Have Fun!

Holey Moley Mondays!

Our Hipster Hostess with the Mostess was Leigh and she had a great sketch! Here are all the entries who played last week.

Carole gets Dirty

Congratulations Carole, for being one of the latest addition to the Dirty Dozen on Splitcoast Stampers.

Carole joins the esteemed ranks of this exclusive group that includes our own Jen del Muro and Leigh O’Brien.

It must have been her keen sense of color and humor that caught Splitcoast's eye. I know it was these traits that caught mine. Check out this cute card she sent to me. I love the masterful use of pattern. Just awesome.

I am just jumping for joy here. Please join me in my jumping. Congrats Carole!

Sharing

I'm just getting ready to dump...er um...bring all my receipts to the bookeeper, so I just thought I'd post this really cute card that Jen did and gave me at the Arlington Shoebox Swap.

If this card doesn't want to make you jump in the pool, I don't know what will.

I never have gotten into the whole dewdrops/baubles thing. But when I saw these and actually got to use them I had to go out and buy me a bunch. And then Tracy presented me with a whole boxload. I love to be up on the latest craze.

TCP Tuesdays

OMG! I almost forgot it's TCP Tuesday! I've been in a bubble these last 2 weeks.

Between filling orders and drawing up the new designs for the Holidays, I've been getting all my reciepts and the like ready for the bookkeeper. Over 10 lbs of paperwork so far this year. Sheesh!

Now for the fun stuff.

Head on over to Leigh's blog today. She is the Hipster Hostess with the Mostess for this week's challenge. She's got a fun sketch as the challenge. Check out her rockin' card. I just love how she used WRAPPING paper for the paper underneath.

This month Michelle Giraud was crowned the June Swanky Stamper with her oh-so-fantastic Mod Baby 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 TCPTUES11 for this challenge.
8. Alma (that's me) 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!

TCP Tuesdays

It's TCP Tuesday!

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

This month Michelle Giraud was crowned the June Swanky Stamper with her oh-so-fantastic Mod Baby 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.

PS. Notice the super cute TCP Tuesday logo. It was done by the multi-talented Leigh. We are so lucky to have her on the TCP DT.

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 TCPTUES10 for this challenge.
8. Alma (that's me) 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!

Last week's TCP Tuesday players totally outdid themselves. Check it out!

You can play too! Tomorrow check out Katie. She is this week's Hipster Hostess with the Mostess and she will have a brand-spanking new challenge for you.

Swanky Stamper of the Month

Congratulations Michelle Giraud! She is the newest Swanky Stamper for the Month of June!
She won with this really cute Mod Baby Card that she submitted for Toni's blue color challenge! I just love the use of the embellishments and her paper choice.

Michelle not only wins bragging rights for being the June Swanky Stamper of the Month
but she wins $25 in Cat's Cash. That's right. $25 in merchandise from the Cat's Pajamas website.

Will you be the next Swanky Stamper?