12 days of Christmas

Paper Craft Planet is having an oh so fun 12 days of Christmas Contest. And we are sponsoring the Second Day of Christmas! (hum the tune to 12 Days...) On the second day of Christmas my Planet gave to me.... a card with bird or reptile". Stop laughing -- it's "two turtle doves", so they gave us turtles or doves... or heck... any reptile. Hmm, maybe a frog?

Here are the contest deets.-- Create a card with a bird or a turtle (or reptile) on it. It doesn't even need to be from The Cat's Pajamas.

Load it into the photos area using the keyword/tag "12day2" (all lowercase) and you'll be entered to win a prize from us -- the Elegant Christmas set plus MORE!

It's a GREAT prize package -- watch out -- don't get drool on your keyboard! I can't wait to see what you make!

And the catch? You've got to post it TODAY! Need some inspiration?


Find more photos like this on Paper Craft Planet: An Online Community for Paper Crafters

Something's coming.....

....to Paper Craft Planet! Wanna Play?

TCP Tuesday!

It's that time again!

Head on over to Leigh's Blog today.

She is the Hipster Hostess with the Mostess for this week. And she's hosting a fantabulous Sketch challenge. She's using this wonderful sketch to challenge herself and you. Won't you play along?

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

Here is my card. I used the "Candy Train" from our "Deck the Hall" set. I used Versafine Onyx Black and colored in with Spica Glitter pens. Then I colored in the background with a Prismacolor marker and did the highlights with a Signo white pen. Then, because I can never stop, I added liquid applique to the clouds.

Now I want to see yours.

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 or PCP, please use the keyword TCPTUES35 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.

We have a winner

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

19

Timestamp: 2008-11-24 18:04:16 UTC
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Carol said...

Thank you Alma for turning me onto this new forum! Couldn't resist to join up and did some exploring; real nice place to chat about everything :)... i think i'm signer 113! :)

2:48 AM

Carol wins one of the new Elegant Christmas Clearly Swanky Sets, a selection of Imaginisce papers, a set of Pearlescent watercolors, a pack of clear scrap ornaments and some teeny tiny rhinestones and a 2 pack of Stardust Clear Glitter Pens.

Carol! Congrats. Email me your address and I'll get your prize out!

Holey Moley Monday!

91 and Counting

Well, for the longest time it was "89 and counting".

What am I talking about? Why the number of members in The Cat's Pajamas Forum Group at Paper Craft Planet. This group was formed by the most infamous blog commenter, Sharon in NE, so that you could actually respond to Sharon and chat about The Cat's Pajamas.

Paper Craft Planet was designed by Susanna Boyd of Card of the week fame to be a place to share videos, photos, links, etc. to all things paper crafting! I seem to spending an awful lot of time there, there is so much to check out.

And while the Cat's Pajamas group was chugging along and added members left and right, we've stalled. We seem to have plateaued, everyone, right around that 90ish mark....

Well, the Cat's Pajamas wants to be in the popular crowd. So I'm offering an incentive. Yup, you smell a giveaway!

Just go over to Paper Craft Planet and join the Cat's Pajamas Group and come back here to this post and leave me a comment letting me know you joined up. Do this by Monday morning and I'll post a winner on the Forum and on this blog.

What will you win? Mwahhhhhaaaa. Wellll, stamps AND .....stufff. Mwahhhhhaaaa.

TCP Tuesday!

It's that time again!

Head on over to Toni's Blog today.

She is the Hipster Hostess with the Mostess for this week. And she's hosting a fantabulous challenge. Toni's theme is something that is very near and dear to my heart. Cake. Make a card using any TCP stamp that includes a CAKE :) YUMMMM! Won't you play along?

Want some even more 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 TCPTUES34 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 Monday!

Katie was the Hostess with the Mostest this week with Leigh providing the inspiration. We all should be so lucky. Check out the wonderful cards everyone did.

Tomorrow is another TCP Tuesday. Be there or be square.

The bottom of the pile

Thank you everyone who participated in the FREE shipping sale. We had close to 200 orders to fill when we got back from the convention on Monday and more coming in.

We've got most of them filled and our third batch was ready to be picked up, but our mailman decided he wouldn't pick up the 4+ bins full of orders yesterday. No matter. We are on the last 2 dozen and we are working feverishly to get these out. Thank you all who are waiting patiently for your orders. Here is a card I made before the sale using the "Deck the Hall" Clearly Swanky Set. Don't they look happy?

Kathie Bailey

Our very Special Guest Designer is Kathie Bailey.

Hope you all enjoyed meeting her last week and seeing the great cards she did. I know I did.

I think that you can tell a lot about a person from the type of art they produce. You saw several really wonderful cards last week that I think really say who Kathie is. Here are a couple more wonderful cards.

This is such a wonderful card using non-traditional holiday colors. I love the crinkly effect the gold paper has. It just adds that wonderful texture. Add the satin ribbon and the blingy ribbon and the card screams richness.

Here is a closeup of the reindeer. By adding the rhinestones, Kathie really shows her sense of humor.


Finally, this wonderful birthday card! Luvs it! This is a complicated card. I love how Kathie makes it look simple by repeating the circle motif. This controls the complexity of the patterns and all the elements used. Pretty masterful, no?

Now that we've seen more of Kathie's work, let's hear more about Kathie.

What was the first stamp you bought, and what was your last?
The first stamp I purchased was a floral heart from Magenta. I used it to make a 54th wedding anniversary card for my mom and dad. My most recent purchase was a sentiment stamp from Penny Black called "Good Wishes".

What is your favorite color combo?
That's a great question! I went back through my SCS gallery to see what colors I use the most. I would have to say that right now, I am definitely into fall colors ... so deep oranges, rusts and greens make up my current favorite. Ask me next week and I'll probably have a different answer!

What has been your happiest moment?
It's a three-way tie between the birth of my children, marrying my incredible husband and the birth of my grandson!

Besides stamping, what is your next passion?
I have two other passions that actually go hand in hand. I am crazy about history (take that to mean all things historical) and genealogy. While my friends' dream vacations include sandy beaches, sun and tropical breezes, my ideal vacation would be trekking through a cemetery or visiting the county courthouse in a city where my ancestors lived to glean more information about my family's history.

I've hope you've enjoyed hearing about Kathie as much as I've enjoyed having her as a Special Guest Designer.

TCP Tuesday!

It's that time again!

Head on over to Katie's Blog today.

She is the Hipster Hostess with the Mostess for this week. And she's hosting a fantabulous Color challenge. She's using these wonderful colors to challenge herself and you. Won't you play along?

Want some even more 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 TCPTUES33 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.

TCP Tuesday!

Finally!

Holey Moley Monday

It's Monday and we are on the road, coming back from the last convention of the year, Carson.

It was a really great convention;i t was a return to my "roots". Stamping roots, that is. Carson was the site of my first convention and where I learn so many techniques and spent so much money. This was pre-Cat's Pajamas, of course. When I started TCP I always hoped to come to Carson as a vendor. So this was my dream come true.

We had a prime spot right outside in the courtyard before you walked in the doors to the big room. It was a hot day and I really enjoyed the sunny weather. The next day, the courtyard turned into a wind tunnel and Gayle, who demoed for me wrapped herself up in a blanket, shawl, and two jackets.

We walked in the center before the show and found that our Christmas trees, decked with wonderful ornaments had crashed to the ground and product and display boards where everywhere. We retrieved everything, and only lost 1 glass ornament that I had made.

It was a great show, but we are on the road without email for 10 hours, so I'll be posting the wonderful TCP Tuesday cards when I get home later tonight! And filling orders, of course. Have a great Monday.

Sneaky Peek

Here's a peek at the new stamps that are coming out at the stroke of midnight! (Or somewhere close to that). I couldn't resist and made a card using a Mojo Monday Sketch by Julee. If Julee doesn't inspire you to do something great, I don't know who does.

The sketch made it easy. I used the "Deck the Hall" Clearly Swanky Set and passed the snowflake through a Xyron before I punched it and coated it with glitter. (A trick I learned from Nicole on the Stamping Cruise).

Want the new set? Don't forget there is FREE US shipping from November 7 through November 9 and $6 International Shipping. Woo! Hoo!

P.S. Did I mention there is a fun NEW Papercrafting forum in town? Paper Craft Planet. Come join The Cat's Pajamas Group that my favorite commenter, Sharon in NE has started. Who knows There might be a way for you to get FREE stamps.

Kathie Bailey

Our very Special Guest Designer is Kathie Bailey

I've had my eye on Kathie for quite some time now. Her blog, "Just An Inkling" has been a daily pit stop for me for a couple of month's now. Not only featuring cards, it features projects and challenges that she has done. Always thoughtful, her colorful layouts keep me clicking through her blog to see more.

And though Kathie designs for another stamp company, I couldn't wait to see what she did with The Cat's Pajamas. And I loved what she did with them so much I decided I must feature her.

This card has the wonderful use of color that makes Kathie so special. Using muted colors and a wonderful layout, this card just sings. Kathie takes one of our new Christmas sets and cleverly designs a card that can be for Christmas (without screaming Christmas) or any day.

Here Kathie uses red, white and blue for a birthday card. She adds double threading to the buttons for that extra texture.

I just love black, red and white. There is something so crisp about this combo. Add a little lace and silver for punch, this card is a keeper, not a giver.

We wanted to know what made Kathie tick. So we asked her.

What's your favorite product?  

I am a patterned paper fanatic!  My husband jokes that we could paper our entire house in it and I don't think that's an exaggeration! :-) I love how paper can set the mood for my cards whether they are romantic, fun, whimsical or even spooky.

What's your favorite stamping technique or tip?  

When I am stamping an image that I will be coloring with markers or watercolors, I always stamp two images. I use one image as my testing ground. That way I can play with color and blending until I get the exact look I want before I move on to my finished image. I can't count the number of times it has saved me from having to stamp a new image and start over.

What got you into stamping? 

Several years ago, my daughter, mom, sister and I decided to get together every few months to have a craft day.  I purchased several craft magazines to look for ideas when it was my turn to host and I saw several creations made with stamps. Even though I chose another project at the time, I made a mental note to try stamping. Fast forward a couple of months...I discovered scrapbooking and jumped in with both feet. I found that stamping was a natural extension to scrapbooking. 

How long have you been stamping? 

I began stamping in April of 2003, but it wasn't until August of that year that I began dabbling with stamps to make an occasional card. I really began focusing on stamping and card making in June of 2007 when I stumbled across card making blogs. The talents of Debbie Olson, Laurie Schmidlin, Anna Wight and a host of others took my breath away. I knew right then that I wanted to fully commit to this hobby.   

Want to see more of Kathie and her awesome work? Come back next Wednesday for more.

TCP Tuesday!

I'm supposed to be working on the webpages for this Friday's release but this challenge was too fun to pass up. So I decided to do it by first casing Jenn's card that started out as a Mojo Monday sketch. Did you get all that?

I used the stamps from the "Arrgh! Piratey!" Clearly Swanky Set and stamped with my favorite Versafine ink. I colored in with Spica Glitter Pens for some sparkly goodness.

This card came together in a snap. Love it.

TCP Tuesday!

It's that time again!

Head on over to Jen's Blog today.

She is the Hipster Hostess with the Mostess for this week. And she's hosting a fantabulous Inspiration challenge. She's using this "snort up the coffee" photo as her inspiration. I just may have to do something for this since I am a closet pet dresser-upper.

Want some even more inspiration? Check out the DT members to the left throughout the week 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 TCPTUES32 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 Monday!

This was a really great sketch and we got some really wonderful cards!
Stay tuned for TCP Tuesday! It'll be a doozy!

Project of the Month

Here's a sweet project that will have you soaring above the Holiday crowds.

Leigh O'Brien takes us to the moon with her quick and easy November Project of the Month that's chock-full of WOW.

Using the soon to be released "Candyland Christmas" Clearly Swanky Set (November 7), it's easy to make one or dozens. (Ask me how I know this? ;) Download the instructions today and get the stamp set November 7!

Need even more incentive? How about FREE shipping in the US from November 7 to midnight November 9? Not in the US? How about $6.00 Priority Mail shipping anywhere outside the US during that same time?

Swanky Stamper

Michele H. — Swanky Stamper for November

Boy, I just love all the textures and patterns that Michele jam-packed into this card. This card SCREAMS Halloween, but in a tasteful, quiet way, dontcha know?

From the circles in the eyes of the skulls to the dots and circles in the paper, to the embossed dots in the black mat, Michele uses the circle as a repeating pattern throughout the card to unify her complex use of patterns and takes us on the ride of our lifetime. Then she gives us a little bling to satisfy our sweet tooth, pats us on the head and tells us to go home.

What a gal! Michele H. —Swanky Stamper of the Month for November.